Chương 112: 111. The Breakfast Club

The carriage began to slow before Coiling Dragon Mountain had fully emerged from the morning haze. Bai Yulan noticed first from the change in the wheels. The steady rattle over the main road gave way to uneven jolts as the driver guided them onto a narrower track, where thawing earth had softened beneath several days of weak spring sun. Mud clung to the spokes. Bare branches crowded the roadside, and farther ahead, the mountain rose behind them in long gray-green slopes.

She shifted the curtain aside and looked out. It was not especially impressive. The Bai clan compound had occupied less land, but its walls, training courts, and tiled roofs had been built to announce permanence. Coiling Dragon Mountain appeared less… deliberate. Buildings showed through the trees at different heights, some old, some recently repaired, and several surrounded by scaffolding. Across from her, Chen Mu sat with his bundle resting between his feet.

He had spent most of the journey looking through the opposite window, though there was little on that side except trees and the occasional field. Bai Yulan suspected he was avoiding looking at her. She had known him for years without knowing him at all. He had swept the courtyards, carried water to the kitchens, and cleared ash from the clan's training halls after winter. She remembered his face mostly because he had once dropped a bucket after she turned a corner too quickly and nearly collided with him.

He had apologized several times while she continued walking. Now they were both prospective disciples of the same sect. There was an irony in that which she did not yet appreciate. She had left the Bai clan because she wanted a life not determined by her title, her father's alliances, or the value of her marriage. Chen Mu had also left the place that defined him.

Yet it was difficult to imagine starting anew beside someone she had always known as the slow, quiet sweeper who kept his eyes lowered whenever clan members passed. He looked no more comfortable with the arrangement than she did. The carriage lurched to a stop. The driver climbed down and examined the road ahead before returning to the door.

"This is as far as the carriage goes," he said.

"The wheels will sink if I take it higher." Bai Yulan looked past him toward the mountain path. It rose gradually between the trees, but the distance was greater than she had expected. She looked next at her luggage. Her mother had insisted that she take what might be difficult to replace. Clothing for different seasons. Bedding. Books. Writing materials. Hair ornaments that could be sold if necessary. Medicine. Personal items accumulated across sixteen years in the same household.

Bai Yulan had removed nearly half of what had first been packed. There were still three trunks and a smaller case. Chen Mu stood, lifted his bundle, and stepped out of the carriage. Bai Yulan followed. The driver unloaded the trunks onto the roadside. He placed the smallest case on top of the largest and gave the stack an assessing look.

"You have someone coming down to carry these?"

"... No," Bai Yulan said. The driver glanced at Chen Mu. Bai Yulan picked up the smallest case with one hand and took hold of the nearest trunk with the other. It was heavier than she remembered. At home, she had watched servants move it without obvious effort. She had assumed the handles made the task simple. The first stretch of the path was manageable. The second was not. Mud gathered beneath her shoes and pulled at each step. One trunk caught against a stone, wrenching her arm backward.

When she freed it, the smaller case slipped from her other hand and struck the ground hard enough to loosen one of its clasps. Chen Mu had walked several paces ahead. He slowed when he noticed she was no longer behind him.

"I do not require assistance," she said before he could speak. He nodded. Bai Yulan lifted the trunk again. Several dozen steps later, its corner slid from the firmer edge of the path into mud. She pulled once, failed to move it, and felt the smallest case begin slipping against her hip. Chen Mu watched for another moment. Then he returned, placed his bundle on the ground, and took the heaviest trunk from her without ceremony.

"I will carry this one," he said. Bai Yulan steadied the smaller case.

"Thank you."

"I am only carrying one." His tone remained respectful. She looked at him more closely. Bai Yulan felt a brief irritation, followed by the unwelcome recognition that he had reason to say it. They resumed walking. Chen Mu carried the trunk with both hands. Bai Yulan took the smaller case and dragged the remaining trunk by one handle whenever the ground allowed. By the time they reached the sect gate, mud marked the lower half of her robe and one of her sleeves had begun to ache. The gate itself was open.

A young disciple stood nearby beneath a narrow shelter, recording deliveries on a wooden board. His robe was plain but clean. Bai Yulan set down her case and removed the token the man had given her. It was not an impressive object. The piece of wood had clearly been cut hastily, and the carved emblem lacked the neatness of formal clan seals. The disciple took it, examined the mark, and immediately straightened.

"The Sect Leader sent you?" Bai Yulan looked at him.

"The Sect Leader?"

"Yes. This is his personal mark." Chen Mu nearly dropped the trunk.

"The man who came to the Bai compound was your Sect Leader?" The disciple glanced between them.

"Sect Leader Lu Chen. He didn't say anything about recruits, but the first ones already arrived yesterday.." Bai Yulan thought back to the covered walkway, the testing gem, and Lu Chen telling her that he would remain silent if she chose to stay. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. He had never mentioned his position. He had not used it to impress her, threaten her father, or make the offer appear greater than it was.

He had spoken as though her decision mattered more than his rank. The disciple waved toward a worker crossing the yard.

"Take them to the guest houses. They are new disciple prospects sent by the Sect Leader." The worker looked first at Bai Yulan, then at the trunks. His expression changed slightly. He picked up one without comment. Chen Mu retained the heaviest, and Bai Yulan was left with the smaller case and the last trunk. They passed through the gate. The sect beyond it was busier than she had expected. Workers carried timber between buildings.

Fresh tiles had been stacked beside one hall, while another remained open along one wall as carpenters replaced its supports. Several disciples crossed the grounds in training robes, some carrying weapons, others baskets or bundles of herbs. Near one courtyard, an enormous man swept leaves with a broom that looked too small in his hands. Bai Yulan watched him for several steps. He was built more like a gate guardian than a servant, with shoulders broad enough to block most doorways.

He swept slowly and with great care, gathering dead leaves into an orderly line while two disciples gave him a wide berth. The guest houses stood farther uphill. They were neither impressive nor dilapidated. The walls had been repaired recently, the roofs appeared sound, and the courtyard between them was clean. There was enough room to house visitors comfortably, though nothing about the place suggested luxury. Bai Yulan had expected less after seeing the mountain road.

She had also expected more from a sect willing to recruit the daughter of a clan head. The worker opened one of the doors.

"Two arrived yesterday. You will remain here until formal intake tomorrow." Inside, a young man was folding clothing beside one of the beds. He looked up immediately and bowed. His possessions had already been arranged with care. A small wooden case sat beneath the bed, a rolled blanket rested against the wall, and two pairs of worn shoes had been placed together near the entrance. A younger boy sat on the window ledge.

He had one foot braced against the frame and was turning the latch back and forth, as though testing how easily it could be removed. His robe was patched in several places. His hair had been tied carelessly, and the expression he gave the new arrivals contained more curiosity than respect. The older brother stepped forward.

"My name is Zhuang Yan. This is my younger brother, Zhuang Zhou." Zhuang Zhou did not move from the window.

"That's a lot of boxes." His eyes moved from her to the smallest case in her hands.

"Is there anything valuable inside?" Bai Yulan disliked him. The feeling formed with unusual speed. She had spent most of her life among boys trained to display arrogance carefully. They boasted during sparring, spoke loudly around elders who favored them, and learned exactly how much disrespect their position permitted. Zhuang Zhou seemed to have dispensed with the careful part.

"Don't touch them," she said. He looked more interested than before. Zhuang Yan sighed.

"My brother will not touch your belongings." The worker and Chen Mu brought the trunks inside. Bai Yulan watched where each one was placed, then noticed Chen Mu bowing to Zhuang Yan.

"Sect Leader Lu Chen brought us here yesterday. We were told someone would explain the arrangements once the other recruits arrived."

"The Sect Leader brought you himself?" Bai Yulan asked.

"On a flying sword," Zhuang Zhou said.

"The old fart kept it slow." She stared at him.

"Do you understand that the man you are describing is the Sect Leader?"

"Yes."

"And you still call him that?"

"He's old. He's a fart. What's wrong with it?" Zhuang Yan closed his eyes briefly. Bai Yulan had known cultivators who executed servants for far less. Even within her own clan, speaking that way about the clan head would have earned severe punishment. Zhuang Yan bowed again.

"I apologize. He has been warned about his conduct." Zhuang Zhou had not technically done anything beyond speaking and asking questions, yet the apology came with the ease of long practice. Chen Mu remained near the wall, quiet and watchful. The fourth recruit arrived near evening. He entered the guest courtyard carrying a sack over one shoulder and a smaller cloth bundle beneath his arm. Mud covered his shoes and the lower portion of his trousers.

His face was reddened from travel, and he paused at the doorway as though uncertain whether he was permitted to step inside. He bowed to everyone before anyone had introduced themselves. Bai Yulan initially assumed he had brought supplies. Then the worker escorting him explained that he was another prospective disciple. Tang Bo owned less than Zhuang Zhou, though his possessions had been packed more carefully. A pair of repaired shoes had been tied to the outside of his sack.

Someone had placed several wrapped cakes inside for the journey. The room grew quieter after his arrival. Tang Bo was too tired to ask many questions. Chen Mu spoke little. Zhuang Yan attempted to explain what he knew. Zhuang Zhou listened from the window while pretending not to. A bell rang from farther within the sect. The sound carried across the mountain in three deep notes. A worker appeared at the guest house shortly afterward and told them the evening meal was being served.

The dining hall was larger than Bai Yulan expected. Long tables filled most of the space. Disciples entered in loose groups, collected bowls, and chose places without servants directing them according to age or family rank. Younger disciples carried their own food. Older ones moved benches when more space was needed. The meal itself was plain but abundant. There was rice, braised meat, two kinds of vegetables, and a broth thickened with beans and root vegetables.

Bai Yulan had eaten finer food almost every day of her life, but she had rarely seen so much meat served to ordinary disciples without distinction. A broad-shouldered young man at one table spoke loudly enough to be heard from the entrance. He was demonstrating something with his chopsticks while several nearby disciples argued with his version of events. His laughter carried across the hall.

Nearer the serving area, a young woman with a composed expression reorganized several seats so the newcomers could remain together.

"You will be assigned proper quarters tomorrow," she told them.

"For tonight, eat and rest. Someone will collect you after the morning bell." Her manner was gentle, but the other disciples listened when she spoke. Bai Yulan sat with the others. Chen Mu waited until she chose a place before catching himself and taking the bench opposite her. Tang Bo lowered himself carefully, as though afraid the seat belonged to someone else. Zhuang Zhou had already noticed which serving tray contained the larger cuts of meat.

By the time the others reached the table, he had positioned himself nearest to it without appearing to have moved deliberately. Bai Yulan looked down at her food. She had escaped an arranged marriage, crossed half the region, and entered a cultivation sect only to share a table with her clan's former sweeper and a problem child. The following morning, a disciple arrived before the second bell. Zhuang Yan was already awake and dressed. His bedding had been rolled, and the small wooden case sat beside him.

"You are expected at the Finance Hall," the disciple said.

"Shen Qiao will discuss your provisional duties." Zhuang Zhou stood.

"I'll come." Zhuang Yan stepped closer and spoke quietly enough that the rest of the room did not need to hear every word.

"You will remain with the other recruits. You will follow instructions, keep your hands away from anything that does not belong to you, and avoid giving anyone a reason to send for me before midday."

"I know how to behave." The confidence of the answer did not reassure anyone. Zhuang Yan looked at him for several breaths before leaving with the disciple. Bai Yulan watched him go. His expression suggested that work in an unfamiliar sect concerned him less than leaving his brother unsupervised for a single morning. Another worker arrived with folded robes.

The four prospective disciples were each given the same design: practical gray fabric with dark trim, the Coiling Dragon emblem stitched at the shoulder, and a plain cord marking their probationary status. Bai Yulan ran the cloth between her fingers. The weave was decent; it would survive training and repeated washing. It was also far coarser than anything in her trunks. The cut made no allowance for family, wealth, or social position.

She looked toward the luggage occupying one side of the guest room and realized that most of it would remain packed during sect hours. Chen Mu accepted his robe without comment. Tang Bo held his with both hands and examined the stitching before folding it again with unusual care. It may have been the finest garment he owned. Zhuang Zhou turned his robe over.

"If they expel me, do I keep this?" The worker looked at him strangely. They changed and gathered outside. Bai Yulan adjusted the unfamiliar sleeves and tied the probationary cord properly. Chen Mu's robe fit him better than his servant clothing had. Tang Bo continued smoothing creases that would disappear within an hour of training. Zhuang Zhou had tied his cord incorrectly and did not appear interested in correcting it. A disciple waited at the edge of the courtyard.

"The four of you are to report to the training yard."