Chương 81: Book 2, Chapter 3: Back to the Waystation

When they finally saw the waystation ahead of them, Tae and Jinu both shouted for joy and kicked their horses into a gallop, spraying mud arcing into the air and thundering towards the squat walls and the promise of a warm fire. It wasn't quite night, but the sun had gotten low enough that worms of remembered cold gnawed at Song's belly.

"Fools," Eunji sniffed, loud enough for the rest of them to hear. Yu Jii barked a laugh, and Song held back a desire to jump to his brother and friends' defence. Except Jinu had managed to coat his leg liberally with mud just now, so he wasn't feeling particularly charitable. Neither was Yu Dami.

"I'll kill him!" She howled, wiping mud off the hem of her sodden deel.

"I'll hold his face down in the mud until he dies a dog's death!"

"Now, now, daughter," Jii chided.

"It's just some mud." Then he pointed at the packs on the back of his white gelding.

"And I have some potions that are a much more proportionate response." Dami nodded, her face the perfect picture of a fairy becoming a devil. ["Hooee, should we warn them?"] Cyrus asked. ["Hmmm…."] Song felt the mud seeping into his boots. ["No."] Wook laughed, kicking his own horse into a canter.

"Come on you lot. Last one there has to water the horses!" Everyone looked at Eunji who tsked before sharing a look with Yu Jii. A moment later, a wicked grin crossed both of their faces, and they kneed their horses, shouting, "Hyah!" Song stared blankly at the elders as they surged ahead, galloping after Wook. He finally broke free of his thoughts when Cyrus shouted, ["Move, Song!"] Song kicked at Bongbong's side, taking a final glance at Yu Dami to appreciate the slowly dawning horror on her face.

And then he was thundering through the splashing mud and rain, laughing and hollering at the top of his lungs. —"Ah, if it isn't Haksaekki! And you brought friends this time!" Innkeeper Nari greeted Song warmly when he entered, pausing when she saw how wet and muddy his party was. The few imperial citizens left in the inn – most having moved on after all the traders returned to Chengdu – eyed the'Nakjin Barbarians' with various looks of fear or contempt.

A few put hands on their purses or turned away to avoid meeting their eyes. Wook huffed and stamped his feet, letting mud splatter on the wood. Song put his hand out to forestall his brother from doing anything further, then bowed graciously at the innkeeper.

"Miss Nari, this Lee Song apologizes for the mess. We've ridden long and hard, and would like to dry and clean ourselves."

"Please!" Yu Dami said, her voice pleading. She was the last through the door, her shoes squelching as she shifted from foot to foot. The innkeeper's eye swept over Dami's bedraggled muddy deel, her eyes softening with understanding.

"Of course, Haksaekki. How many rooms?"

"Two," Eunji began, but Jii cut her off.

"Now, now, Lee Eunji," Jii said, his eyes crinkling with amusement.

"We're among civilized folk now. We can't just be piling all the boys and all the girls into separate rooms. Four rooms for these errant cultivators, if it would please you, Innkeeper." Song took a careful step away from the pair when he saw the rage that sparked in Eunji's eyes at the interruption. Then the elder Lee took a deep breath and let it out, her armour rising and falling with the stress of the motion.

"Fine," she growled.

"But you're paying for the extra rooms."

"Oh? Are the Lees so poor?" Jii shot back, grinning. This time it was Wook, Tae, and Jinu's turn to step away from the two higher level cultivators. Song thought that Eunji was going to cycle her qi and headbutt the grinning Yu Jii on the spot. Jii pointed at Wook and Tae, Song and Jinu, and himself and Dami in turn.

"Two per room, and you get one to yourself. You're travelling, Eunji! Enjoy it!"

"I'm here to work!" Eunji hissed.

"I thought you were too. Don't tell me that I need to care for seven children!" Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"I'm here to spend some time with my youngest daughter, who's never seen the world, and make quite a bit of money selling a novel poison to the Tangs." Jii replied, pulling his daughter close and giving her a peck on top of the head. Dami pushed him away with a huff.

"And I thought you would like having your own room, Eunji. If it pleases you, I'll pay for Jinu and Song, and my and Dami's room. That way you only need to pay for two rooms as you planned." Eunji eyed him up and down, then looked over the room of curious eyes. The curious eyes all looked away, and Eunji snorted.

"Fine. Four rooms, Innkeeper."

"Of course, Lady Lee. Let me get you some rags for the mud first, and then I'll show you to your rooms." Miss Nari bowed, then scurried off.

"Haksaeeeekki~" Tae drawled, coming up behind his brother.

"I see your Dao name precedes you."

"Indeed. I feel so honoured to be here with Haksaeeekki~" Wook added. Song's cheeks reddened, and he kicked Tae in the shin.

"I'm a hero here, you know!" Tae looked out over the room, and at all the hostile eyes that looked back. He grinned.

"You'll have to show us when we come back down."

"Clean and wash and return as quickly as you can," Yu Jii commented.

"We have much to discuss about our trip."

"I'll need more time than that, Father." Dami complained.

"Of course. Since you have to water the horses too, daughter." Dami stared at her father in slack-jawed horror. He shrugged.

"You lost." ["I think you should all watch your drinks carefully tonight."] Cyrus commented. Song could only nod, not knowing if he should laugh or cry. – Song and Jinu's room was just how Song remembered it. Not overly fancy, with a bare nod to the niceties like some furniture and paintings, and a comfortable plush futon.

He left his shoes placed neatly at the entrance and placed his bags carefully where they wouldn't drip on the carpets, For his part, Jinu tossed his shoes and bag next to the wall and dropped face first into his bed.

"Ahhhh, dry and warm. I hate the monsoon."

"It is nice. Shame it smells like grass and loam though," Song replied, shucking his wet deel before similarly flopping onto his bed.

"Oh wait, that's just you. Please try and keep your Sign on your side of the room." Jinu flipped him a rude hand gesture without even lifting his head. Song chuckled.

"So this is where you ended up, huh?" Jinu said, finally lifting himself off the bed to peel off his own wet clothes until he was wearing nothing but a linen loincloth. He went to stand before the silver mirror and examined his patchy beard and moustache. He proudly preened them, while commenting, "It must be nice to be recognized. I wonder if I'll make a name for myself one day."

"Mmm…" Song replied non-committally.

"Oh, don't speak up for my sake," Jinu snorted. He sighed and went to sit on his bed, his legs folded up in lotus position.

"I know our family martial arts aren't the most impressive. But I'm still a cultivator. I too dream of making a name for myself in the Gangho."

"What are your plans?" Song asked. It was a question he asked himself less and less often these days as his dao took shape.

"I was originally thinking of joining the army," Jinu scratched his head.

"But now I'm less sure. Teacher An says I really do have promise as a hunter. Maybe one day I could make a name for myself as a hunter of exotic beasts." Their hunting instructor, Teacher An Iseul had indeed praised Jinu's tracking skills. His Sign allowed him to track beasts even from upwind, and he had a gift for moving in a way that didn't stand out in the tall grasses. He wasn't the most adept fighter, but even Song wouldn't care to be hunted by him. Song let out a low whistle.

"I'm not sure which is more dangerous."

"Oh, definitely hunting. The last little war with the East was a while ago, and the Heavenly Demonic Cult and the Blood Cult have been lying low recently. The army mostly subjugates bandits like the Green Forest, or deals with Demonic Beasts. So either way I'd probably be using my skills. But only one of those gives me a chance to gain honour for myself."

"Do you have a Dao name all picked out already?" Song asked, grinning. Jinu struck a pose.

"Of course. I was thinking Shanwang – Mountain King. Or Noejiryong, with the characters for Thundering Earth Dragon."

"Oh, most definitely Noejiryong," Song laughed.

"A dragon amongst sheep!"

"Hey, the elders say that our Jo family is able to split the earth with the sound of thunder at Core level. Even at Foundation we can make the ground move like the sea."

"And when was the last Foundation level cultivator amongst the Jos?" Song asked, raising an eyebrow.

"A few generations," Jinu chewed his lip.

"But we do have the rituals. And the mystical items too. Someone just needs to have the strength to use them."

"Well. I believe it'll be you." Song said, leaning forward and clapping his friend on the shoulder.

"After all, aren't you the friend of Haksaekki, the child of crane? How can you be anything less!"

"Hah! Come on, let's hurry up and go downstairs. I'm ravenous, and I'm eager to try some famed Sichuan food." Song thought back to the burning pain and night of agony that he'd been blessedly spared by forcing Cyrus to deal with his own terrible choices.

"I'm sure it's delicious."