Men and women from all different walks of life watch the commotion from the sides of the street. Even the crows watch from the rafters above the tavern while the young roguish man smiles at the pair of us. Sun is bleeding slightly from a cut on his lip, and has a black eye, but he doesn’t look beat up too badly. 

The large man with the equally large sword is in the seventh level of Qi Awakening. His robes are black with sleeves that likely used to be white, but are grey with the dirt and dust of travel. The robes look familiar, but I can’t quite place them. 

He steps down from the broken doorway.

He glances between the three of us, his expression of anger dropping as he calms. He puts his fist and palm together, bowing “Inner Disciple Kun Lu of The Heavenly Truth sect greets the Disciples of The Flowing River Sect.”

That’s where I knew his robes from. The Heavenly Truth Sect is one of the six Great Sects of the Chengshi Empire. I don’t know much about them, but they are to be respected.

Jing Xia and I copy his bow. “I am Core Disciple Jia Lin.”

“Inner Disciple Jing Xia.”

I glance over at Sun, who is watching the exchange with surprise. “Forgive us for interrupting you,” I start, careful to watch my words. As in most politics, dealing with other sects needs a delicate touch. “But I owe this rogue cultivator.”

The man reaches into his pocket, pulling out a jade slip. I don’t recognize it, but obviously it’s important to him. “The bastard tried to steal this from me. I’m afraid I can’t let this go.” He reaches behind him for the sword sheathed to his back.

I reach for my own sword, but a hand on my shoulder stops me. I turn to see Jing Xia looking at me sternly. I look away, embarrassed that I was looking for a fight so soon after getting injured.

“Hey! There’s no need for us to fight!” Sun says, reaching for his own sword. “I didn’t actually steal anything.”

Kun Lu ignores his words, drawing his sword. 

Sun unsteadily draws his own sword, his demeanor and spirit still normal.

Jing Xia speaks up. “A duel.” Kun Lu pauses at her words. “As is natural for a dispute between sects.” 

I look at my sister disciple, wondering what she is planning.

Kun Lu frowns, before sighing. “I will give you face, disciples of The Flowing River Sect. Until first blood. If I win, his life and future are mine.” 

Jing Xia nods, “If he wins, you will let this go.” She turns to Sun. “Do you understand?”

Sun pauses, looking between the three of us before nodding.

Jing Xia steps back. “Bow to each other, then begin.” 

Kun Lu stabs his sword into the cobblestone road, creating another crack alongside the many cracks already there. He bows, before pulling his sword back out and holding it with both hands in front of him.

Sun bows back, his movements unrefined. He draws his sword, taking a deep breath. He closes his eyes and his stance steadies, his sword moving slightly as an air of competence suddenly surrounds him. He opens his eyes, which are now a blood red. His spirit changes again, rigid and menacing.

“You have some strange friends, Sister Jia.” JIng Xia whispers from beside me as the two opponents size each other up.

I nod, “you’re one of them.” I whisper back.

The two opponents stand completely still, sizing each other up. A small crowd of cultivators have gathered around, watching the fight with the curiosity of those who enjoy bloodshed.

Kun Lu dashes forward, his move decisive as his large sword moves swiftly through the air in a downward stroke.

Sun watches the man calmly, moving smoothly around the strike and slicing forward at Kun Lu’s right arm. 

Kun Lu takes his right hand off of his sword, using the pommel of his sword to block the attack. Using only his left hand, he lifts his sword in an upward swing. 

Sun calmly ducks under the swing, then steps forward, his body almost disappearing until he stands right in front of Kun Lu. Sun’s sword is at Kun Lu’s neck, a bead of blood dripping down the sword.

For a brief moment, I think he’s going to finish the movement and chop through the neck of the Disciple of The Heavenly Truth Sect. 

Sun’s strange red eyes meet mine and he steps back. He sheathes his sword, his demeanor returning to its normal self as his eyes turn back to brown.

Kun Lu leans on his sword, his face pale. After a deep breath, he stands up fully, bowing to Sun. 

“Thank you.” With those words said, he turns around, returning to the tavern on unsteady legs. 

The crowd that had gathered for the fight slowly disperses.

Sun walks over to Jing Xia and I. “So, uh, hi. I’m Sun.” He bows to Jing Xia. “Thank you for your help.”

“It looks like you didn’t need it.” Jing Xia says, glancing over to me before looking at the still beat up Sun. “Why don’t you join the two of us for a drink?”

Sun perks up at the words, before looking away. “I shouldn’t…” he tries to politely refuse.

“I insist.”

“Then I’ll accept.” He answers quickly, leading us into the tavern.

I giggle at his actions, quickly hiding it with my sleeve when Jing Xia looks over at me.

We walk into the tavern to see Kun Lu as one of four people in the tavern. He drinks by himself, his eyes lost in thought. 

The three of us sit at a table, the mortal tavern owner hurrying over to us and pouring an unknown liquid into three cups he’d prepared. 

“One moment.” Jing Xia says, standing up. She walks over to Kun Lu, leaving me and Sun alone at the table. 

“Why’d you try to steal from him?” I ask. The question had been bothering me. I want to know why he had risked offending another cultivator like that.

Sun looks away before shrugging. “It’s how I survive.” He raises his cup to his mouth, taking a gulp.

“You’re really bad at it if your survival depends on it.” I say, taking a sip of my own drink. It burns my throat as it goes down, warming my belly. 

Sun chokes on the liquid, coughing before he can respond. “I’m not bad at it!”

I hide my smile at his reaction with my cup. “Two cultivators have caught you since we met.”

Sun blushes. “That’s not the usual. I mean, you didn’t catch me.”

I frown at him.

Jing Xia rejoins us a moment later, Kun Lu taking up a fourth seat at the table. He leans his sword on the bench next to him. He then glares at Sun before turning his attention to the cup of liquid being poured for him.

“I didn’t get a chance to express my gratitude to you for saving my Sister.” Jing Xia says to Sun. She bows her head. “Thank you.”

Sun looks away, obviously uncomfortable with the gratitude. “I was only repaying her kindness.”

Jing Xia smiles, “I knew I recognized you! You’re the thief from Yuan City!” 

Sun looks surprised. “You remember? And I’m not a thief.” 

Everyone, including Kun Lu, look at him with disbelief. 

“I mean, thief is a harsh word?” 

“Ku- ha- hahaha!” Kun Lu breaks into laughter. “At least you’re a funny thief.” He says, draining his cup. 

“What was that jade slip from earlier?” I ask.

Kun Lu immediately knows what I’m referring to and pulls it out to show us. “It is for a mission of my sect.” He glares at Sun, who looks to the side. “It is of great importance to me.”

“What is your mission?” I ask, a strange curiosity overcoming me. 

“I am looking for a man. He is bald, about this tall,” He holds his hand up beside him in a vague estimate. “He has a strange fascination with color.” 

“I see.” I frown, able to think of many men matching that description. What does a strange fascination with color mean?

“I’ve never seen a disciple of The Heavenly Truth Sect without a, what do you call them, a Daoshi?” Jing Xia asks. Her knowledge of the other sects is far greater than mine.

Kun Lu nods. “The man I am looking for is my Daoshi. He believes that my search for him is part of the journey I must take.”

We continue to talk for the next hour, slowly getting through the alcohol that is continuously poured for us. Jing Xia unfortunately stops me after a certain point, claiming that we must remain aware after the many attacks I have suffered. 

Kun Lu slowly loses his animosity towards Sun, but keeps a healthy wariness of the young rogue cultivator. 

Sun drinks too much and ends up telling a story about the time he came across a man in the Emperor realm in the mountains. He says that this happened three thousand years ago, when he was a monk trying to find the meaning behind why water flows the way it does in a river.

Unfortunately, he’d been drinking enough that it is hard to keep the facts straight in his story. 

Jing Xia and I decide it is time to leave as the streets start to empty from the late night, but Sun and Kun Lu behind us arguing over when a sword gets too big. Kun Lu thinks it’s impossible, but Sun says that it reaches a point where it just doesn’t work as well anymore.

Jing Xia starts to blush for some reason during the conversation, but I don’t get it.

Maybe the alcohol is just making her face red?

We make it back to the palace safely, and I return to my room feeling exhausted from the day. Occasionally slight pain comes from my wound on my back, but it does seem to be getting better already.

I’m lying on my bed when Shia returns to my room. She slithers up and around my waist, her presence is comforting after the two years we’ve been together. 

“Little one. I have something you may wish to know.” Shia says to me as I drift off to sleep.

“What is it?” I ask, opening my eyes in order to keep myself awake.

“The one who ordered your assassination. It was the Second Prince. It is strange, he almost fears you.”

My eyes open wide as all of my sleepiness disappears. 

An old anger fills me.

Memories come unbidden to my mind. The reason why my father rushed me away from the palace, why I had to join the sect.

Again, he seeks to interfere with my life.