I open the door, finding Jing Xia who can barely contain her excitement, and Ming Lai who looks exasperated with our friend’s energy.

Surprisingly, neither one is dressed in their martial robes. Instead, they are both wearing the high quality robes of an inner disciple. 

“Aren’t we supposed to meet with the martial Masters?” I ask them, looking down at my own martial robes.

Jing Xia clasps her hands together. “Nope. Go get your other robes on, we have a surprise for you.”

I nod, closing the door as I change into my other robes. After a second of thought, I grab the talisman I’d gotten from the merchant at the Merchant House.

Once I feel ready enough, I reopen the door to see both of the girls chatting quietly. Jing Xia turns to me as I leave my room. She grabs me and squeezes me in a hug, “You’re as cute as ever Sister Lin.” 

I blush. Despite my recent growth spurt, I still stand a full head shorter than both of my friends.

“Come on you two, we should get going.” Ming Lai says to the both of us, motioning down the hallway.

“Where are we going?” I ask, breaking free of Jing Xia to follow Ming Lai.

Jing Xia opens her mouth to tell me, but Ming Lai shoots her a look. “Like Junior Sister Xia said, it’s a surprise. I’m sure it won’t take you long to figure it out.”

Maybe we are going back to the Merchant House? I always enjoy my time there. We could be going to the waterslides, a place where the stream had worn out the rock creating a flat surface to slide down into a pool. It’s quite the popular spot for inner disciples.

We take a left on the path, leading away from the waterslides and making me unsure of our destination. We enter the entrance to the living area of the Masters and Elders of the sect.

Standing in front of a small hut is an Elder I’ve only seen once before. 

Jing Xia and I bow, ““Greetings to Elder Li Mei Wu.”” we both say. 

Ming Lai bows a moment later. “Student Ming Lai greets Elder.”

The Elder is a beautiful woman. Her hair is done up with two pins shaped like butterflies, and the lower half of her face is covered with a purple veil, similar to the style of many noblewomen. Her robes are luxurious with the images of rivers sown into them, seeming to flow with every movement she makes. An ornate fan rests in her palm as she watches us calmly, her eyes not showing any of her emotions.

“Is this all of you then?” The Elder asks calmly. 

“Yes elder.” Ming Lai responds, rising from her bow. We follow suit a half-second later.

“Wonderful.” Her expression is hidden by the veil, but her eyes flash with good humor as she takes one of the hairpins out of her hair. 

The pin expands into a crystal platform still in the shape of a butterfly, but large enough for the four of us to sit comfortably.

Elder Li Mei Wu steps onto the front of the platform and motions for us to do the same. Once we are all on, the platform starts to rise up. 

I gasp, surprised at the lack of resistance as we move quickly into the air, almost as if we aren’t moving at all.

My breath catches as I look down onto the world so far below us, the wind only gently touching us as we start to move forward and out of the sect.

I hear a soft laugh, but when I turn, I only see Elder Li Mei Wu watching me emotionlessly.

Ming Lai calmly sits in a lotus position as we move through the air, Jing Xia and I follow her actions a moment later.

My attention stays on the ground as it passes underneath us, the height making me mildly anxious. It takes me a full minute to realize that we’ve left the sect almost entirely behind. Rivers, forests, roads, villages. They all pass underneath us as we travel. Occasionally I catch glimpses of the great beasts that roam the land, or a merchant caravan travelling down the road.

“Do you like your birthday present?” Ming Lai asks proudly.

“Of course!” I say quietly, my gaze moving from the ground to look at her. “I’ve never even imagined something like this.”

Ming Lai looks away, a faint blush on her cheeks from my heartfelt words.

Jing Xia takes over, noticing the silence. “We know how much you’ve been wanting to leave the sect grounds lately. MIng Lai managed to convince the elder to take us with them on their next outing to the mortal city.”

“Unfortunately,” Elder Li Mei Wu says, her smooth voice bringing our attention to her. “There are some rules you both must follow on this trip.” 

I turn to look at her, noticing her sitting in the same lotus position we all are. 

“First, both of you must stay with Ming Lai or myself. There are many dangers in cities such as this one, especially for young cultivators like yourselves.” Li Mei Wu’s eyes fix on me as she speaks. “Second, do not seek out confrontation. The mortal city is neutral territory, and many minor sects send their disciples there for various reasons. Defend yourselves if you must, but try not to worsen our relations with any sect.” Li Mei Wu’s eyes wander over to Ming Lai as she says that, causing my friend to look away embarrassed. “And finally, remember that nothing is a coincidence. If you see something out of the ordinary, tell me. Can you follow these rules?” 

“”Of course Elder Wu.”” Jing Xia and I respond.

“Wonderful.” The Elder says, closing her eyes.

I panic for a moment, wondering how she can know where we are going with her eyes closed. The panic subsided as I realize that her cultivation far outstrips my own, she probably knows where we are through her own means. 

The three of us continue to talk as the Elder rests and we travel. Every few minutes, my gaze is drawn to the ground passing swiftly below us, witnessing things both mundane and fantastical as we travel.

Not too long into our travels, I catch sight of a glistening city with high walls. The city rests on the edge of the ocean, marble structures reflecting the sunlight. I see many boats, both large and small on the coast of the city. 

I’ve only seen the ocean once before, and my breath catches for the second time that day at the sight of the endless water, stretching out far into the horizon. 

“Welcome to Yuan City.” The Elder says, as we get closer. 

Mortals using the road to enter the city, stare up in awe as we pass overhead.

A man wearing the robes of an official comes out to greet us as we arrive at an important looking building. 

The Elder waves the three of us off as she goes to speak with the official.

“Where do you want to go first, Junior Sister Lin?” Ming Lai asks, holding her hands behind her back as she tries to look serious.

I open my mouth to answer, but my stomach rumbles, causing me to blush.

“Breakfast it is!” Jing Xia exclaims, grabbing my hand as she starts walking towards the exit of the building. 

Ming Lai sighs at the two of us before speed walking to catch up. 

The two of them lead me to a busy street. To my surprise, people open up for us to walk through them. MIng Lai doesn’t seem to notice, but I feel Jing Xia’s hand tightening around mine. 

I squeeze her hand, giving her a smile when she turns to look at me. She smiles back, her grip loosening slightly. 

It doesn’t take long to find a surprisingly delicious food stand selling meatballs wrapped in dough. 

Ming Lai and Jing Xia talk about the different cities they’ve been to as we eat. 

I watch everyone pass us by with curiosity. I’d never been in a city just to… be in a city. I was always meeting some important family, or attending an official party with my father. 

The people of the city keep a respectable distance from us as they go about their business, but I still see many things I’ve never seen before. 

A boy dressed in rags steals a pouch from a passing woman. Two dockworkers get into a friendly argument as they walk, their hands moving to and fro as they make wid gestures. A beautiful woman rests her hands on the arm of a wealthy young man. Three cultivators our age walk down the street, the people keeping a similar distance from them. 

The cultivators wear orange robes and keep their heads high, similar to a lot of the nobility who are too full of themselves to take awareness of their surroundings. The first, the leader of the group, walks with a confident gait. He looks to be four years older than me. The second cultivator wore a lazy smile and looked to be about the same age. The third and final member of their group walked quickly to keep up with them and looked to be my age if not a year older.

The pickpocket moves up to the dockworkers, his fingers nimble as he reaches for the pouch of the shorter one. The taller of the dockworkers notices the boy trying to pickpocket them, and shoves him right into the way of the passing cultivators. 

The cultivators stop as the boy sprawls out in front of them, splashing into a puddle and wetting the bottom of their robes. The cultivators look at the boy the same way one might look at a bug. 

Two words that I never thought would be uttered for such a situation came from the lead cultivators mouth.

“Kill him.”

The boy looks on in terror as the youngest cultivator draws his sword. The crowd around the cultivators comes to a stop as everyone watches. Even my sisters turn to look at the commotion.

But neither of them makes a move.

I realize the boy is going to die. 

The cultivator moves slowly, taking his time with the execution of the boy.

Before I can think about my actions, my own sword is drawn from my waist as my body is enhanced with qi.

My body moves faster than it ever has before as I use Whispers Of the Silent Raven to appear in front of the descending sword, blocking the leisurely strike.

The clang of the metal is the only sound on the road, as everyone simply watches the spectacle.

The three cultivators turn their attention to me, and my adrenaline fades as a deep nervousness fills me.

I drew my sword on a cultivator from another sect. 

May Elder Li Mei Wu have mercy on me.

I send a small prayer to the Elder as I do my best to steady myself. My qi flows through me, steeling my nerves. 

A burning question comes to me, and I know that I need to know the answer. “Why do you take a life so easily?”

There is complete silence after my question, the cultivator who drew his blade backing off slightly, raising his sword into a ready position.

I keep my sword lowered, truly waiting for an answer. A similar question has plagued me ever since I started cultivating using The Twelve Requiems of Illusion. How can people take lives so easily? Why do those warriors kill each other in the field of blood? Why did that woman murder the man that she kissed? Why did those warriors kill the man that sacrificed himself for his lover?

Why do people in this world place so little value on life, as to take it on a whim?

There is surprisingly little emotion behind my curiosity. I have accepted that people do die, and that sometimes you must kill to protect those that matter to you. Still, life is never something to be taken lightly.

My question burns inside of me. 

“Who are you?” The lead cultivator asks, his hand lowering to the sword at his own waste as the second, quieter cultivator also reaches towards the sword at his waist.

I frown, slightly frustrated that they didn’t answer my question.

“This is none of your business. You should leave your betters to their business.” The lead cultivator says, his tone frosty.

I look down at the boy, still laying on the ground terrified. He only looks to be eight years old or so.

I look back up at the lead cultivator, only a few years older than me. and say the first thing that comes to mind. “You are truly disgusting.”

The lead cultivator pauses, taken aback by my direct insult. Then he draws his blade, the second cultivator following his lead.