Chương 28: "Whether you intended to or not, you created a problem for me"

Ch 28: "Whether you intended to or not, you created a problem for me" Before they reached the door, Qua lifted a polished bronze mirror from a side table.

"Is everything to your satisfaction, Master Tie?" Zhen turned to look as Qua angled the surface toward him. The face that stared back belonged to a stranger. The clean clothes and the thorough scrubbing undoubtedly helped, but it ran deeper than that. The long weeks of travel and training, and then the tribulation, had stripped away the softness from his features. His cheekbones and jaw were more pronounced, and the smith's muscle he had built over the years at the forge had grown leaner across his frame.

He was stronger than ever, but now he was also built for endurance and speed. But it was his own eyes that unsettled him the most. They were focused and watchful, but they also had a hard edge. The blacksmith boy who had left home was gone. In his place stood a cultivator who could face down a tribulation and refuse to break. Zhen tilted his head, studying the reflection. He wasn't entirely surprised. He had known he was changing with every spirit gate he had broken open and every fight he had gotten into.

What he hadn't realized was quite how different he had become. As he stood looking in the mirror, something else caught his attention. He focused on it and sensed qi drifting from his outfit. It was faint, but he knew he wouldn't have missed it had it been there when he first picked out the clothes. He frowned and activated the Eye. It traced a whisper of qi circulating through the coat's hem. He turned it up, running his fingers along the edge.

Embroidered in copper thread so fine it was nearly invisible, ran a pattern of runes. Mi-Rane appeared grinning at his side.

"Well, aren't you the clever one? Most people wouldn't have noticed. I'm impressed."

"What are they?"

"Self-cleaning runes. They draw in ambient qi to keep the fabric fresh and mend minor tears." She flipped the hem to show him the full design.

"Nothing clever really." Zhen stared at the stitching. The runes spiraled in tight, interlocking loops, each one feeding into the next.

"It's all I could do in the time, so there are more I need to add. You're a blacksmith, so before you leave, I'll weave in heat resistance and repair runes for minor burns." She smirked.

"Can't have you ruining my work when you're at the forge. I'll make sure all your clothes have those runes before you leave." Zhen straightened slowly. He remembered the countless evenings spent repairing burned clothing after a long shift at the forge. Those days were over. Qua stepped up, a small smile on his face.

"Mi-Rane is being overly modest. Not all crafters have the ability to create bespoke runes, particularly ones this fine. It's very much not standard even for cultivators' outfits," he said.

"But it is standard when you wear clothes Mi-Rane has worked on." Mi-Rane gave a mock bow, though her eyes sparkled with pride.

"Now," Qua said, gesturing toward the door.

"Shall we?" Zhen followed Qua through the villa, the heels of his new boots clicking on the marble. He was relieved that, unlike when he had arrived, he was able to move through the corridors without pain. As they walked, his eyes were drawn to the walls. Ore veins ran through them, some as thick as his waist, others no wider than his little finger. Copper, silver, jade-green malachite, and more, each one deliberately exposed and polished until it gleamed.

He activated the Eye, and it traced the flows of qi that pulsed faintly through the mineral deposits. They were practical as well as decorative, drawing in qi from the air and feeding it directly into the villa's foundation arrays. Yet, as they rounded a corner, a discrepancy nagged at him. In the veins running toward the north-east, the qi was vibrant and hot. But those aligned with the heart of the mountains told a different story.

The flow was notably thinner and labored, like water trying to sluggishly push through silt. It stirred a vague recollection of something that had pricked at his awareness from the journey here. For now, he filed it away and focused on keeping pace with Qua. They walked for five minutes before they stopped in front of a polished wooden door. Qua knocked twice.

"Enter." Ruo-Chen's voice immediately came from within. Zhen inhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders back. Qua opened the door for him, and he stepped inside. Floor-to-ceiling bookcases lined three walls, the fourth was dominated by that sprawling panoramic view. The shelves were packed with leather-bound books and rolled parchment scrolls that were carefully organized and meticulously preserved. Glass-fronted cases displayed samples of minerals and metal ores.

As he stepped inside and looked around properly, Zhen recognized a few, but most of the samples throbbed with qi and were of things he had never seen before. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. One corner was taken up with what appeared to be a laboratory It was well equipped with ceramic crucibles, glass vials filled with colored powders, and equipment for grinding, heating, and distilling. The entire setup appeared to be designed to analyze the minerals and ores.

Ruo-Chen sat behind a desk carved from dark wood. She frowned in concentration as she wrote in a ledger, her brushstrokes economical and exact. She finished a line, blotted it carefully, and closed the book before looking up. One eyebrow arched.

"What an interesting choice." Her gaze traveled over his practical coat, boots, and trousers.

"You wear it better than he ever did." Zhen opened his mouth to ask what she meant, but she pushed on without giving him a chance to speak.

"After a double breakthrough and facing a tribulation, you'll be hungry." She gestured toward the balcony beyond a set of open doors.

"Come. I've arranged for a few refreshments." She wasn't wrong. He had been hungry since waking in the bath but hadn't thought to mention it. He gave her a grateful nod.

"Thank you. I would appreciate that." The balcony overlooked a valley thick with pines, their needles dark against the evening sky. A table waited, already set with plates, bowls, and cutlery. Servants were already present, and as soon as they were seated, they served a clear, fragrant soup with spirit herbs floating in it that made Zhen's mouth water. That was followed by exceptionally seared meat from some spirit beast, served with vegetables and rice that exuded vitality.

Juice, chilled to perfection, was served to wash it all down with flavors that lingered and shifted with each sip. Zhen ate it all. Around them, the servants anticipated his needs, refilling his cup and clearing dishes without a word. The flavors were rich and complex in ways he had never experienced before. This wasn't the food he had grown up with, or even the meals enhanced with spirit herbs he had enjoyed in the journey here. Yet despite the feast, Zhen couldn't relax enough to fully enjoy it.

Across from him, Ruo-Chen sat watching in silence. She sipped at a glass of juice, but didn't eat. Instead, she just looked at him with sharp green eyes. They were almost as disconcerting as the spheres of solid black that she had just a few hours earlier. He met her gaze when he could tear himself away from the feast, studying her in return. The Eye of Xiezhi showed him a person of flesh and bone, with meridians that pulsed with earth-attuned qi.

While she was no longer the woman of pure energy he had faced during the tribulation, he wouldn't make the mistake of underestimating her. Finally, the servants cleared the last plates, topped up their goblets, and vanished back into the villa, leaving them alone. Another long pause stretched between them. The afternoon shadows were starting to stretch across the valley below. A cool breeze stirred across the balcony, carrying the scent of distant snow. Finally, Ruo-Chen set down her glass.

"Let us begin with what we are not here to discuss." Zhen straightened in his chair.

"I am not going to answer any questions about the tribulation or the Heavens." Her tone was matter-of-fact.

"The Heavens do not explain, and they do not negotiate. Everything the Heavens wanted you to know was conveyed during the tribulation itself." She shrugged and gave him a small smile"If you're unhappy with that, take it up with them." Zhen's jaw tightened, but he knew there was nothing he could say to change her mind. In any event, she was just a messenger, not the Heavens themselves. Cultivators spoke of challenging the Heavens. That was what he would do.

He wouldn't slow his pace of cultivation just because the Heavens objected. If that meant he would face more tribulations, then so be it. He looked up at her.

"So if you're not going to answer any questions, then why do you need to talk to me?" Ruo-Chen met his gaze.

"Because it's only fair that I explain to you face-to-face what I'm going to do with you now." The words struck a chill in him. In his moment of indignation, he had lost sight of the fact that she held all of the power.

"I'm not sure I understand. You don't need to do anything. We only came here because I needed spirit metal to reforge my hammers." Zhen kept his voice level.

"I didn't mean to cause trouble. If that's not possible, I'll just leave with Shup and Chul."

"It's not as simple as that." Ruo-Chen leaned forward, folding her hands on the table.

"The Thirsting Veins survive because we maintain a strict neutrality. We sell ore to all the sects at the same, very high, price. We don't build our own sect. We don't take sides. That means we don't get involved in the issues the sects have with each other, or internally." She paused, letting the impact of the words sink in.

"Whether you intended to or not, you created a problem for me. The Order of Folded Shadows is looking for you. In fact, the Patriarch himself ordered your capture." Ruo-Chen's expression stayed calm.

"I am left with only one choice." Zhen's chest tightened.

"You're handing me over."

"Of course." The answer came without hesitation and was entirely devoid of malice.

"You came here of your own volition. No one made you. That idiot Shuo brought you here without thinking it through." Zhen's hands curled into fists.

"Why would you do that when you let my parents leave? In fact, you were even happy to trade Moonlight Steel to them. You must have known they were running away from the Order." Ruo-Chen tilted her head, a faint smile ghosting across her lips.

"That's a reasonable question." She picked up her glass again, swirling the juice inside.

"The answer is that all those years ago, Gang and Mei-Bao had only just fled. The Order hadn't begun hunting them yet. In addition, they had items of significant value to trade." Her gaze sharpened.

"You have neither of those advantages. Why should I risk my life for yours?" Zhen's mind raced. His parents had escaped because they arrived before the Order of Folded Shadows began tracking them down. They had something to offer. He didn't. Unless…Zhen locked his gaze onto Ruo-Chen's.

"Because I can fix what's killing the Thirsting Veins." The words tumbled out before he could think them through. He had no idea if he could deliver on that promise. If, in fact, he was even right about the Thirsting Veins dying. But that latter point was one that he was increasingly sure about. There was a problem here that would be terminal if it were not fixed. The glass stopped mid-swirl. Ruo-Chen's eyes narrowed, all trace of amusement vanishing.

An implacable intent fell across the room and pressed down on Zhen with a physical weight.

"What did you just say?" Zhen gritted his teeth and forced himself to speak despite the pressure.

"The sickness in your mountains. I can heal it." Ruo-Chen set the glass down carefully.

"Explain."