The Heavens Shall Fall

Waking up, this time before the sun was even out, Siu lay there for a moment, slowly blinking his eyes, realizing that sleeping in an inn was not like having his own place. Somehow, he couldn't fully relax, even when sleeping. Yes, the room was clean, warm enough, and the bed was far softer than anything, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that it was only temporary.

“Haaah…” he exhaled and sat up, rubbing his eyes, and Arya woke up instantly, being thrown off his chest.

“Ugh... Master,” she moaned indignantly, “you are up too early!”

“We have things to do, remember?”

“Things can wait until after more sleep...”

“No, they can’t.” He spoke up, rousing Marly too, who had begun to stir thanks to the movement next to her.

“Breakfast... already?” She moaned, her eyes refusing to open.

"Probably only after we got back," Siu reached over and poked her stomach, in answer, resulting in the fact that Marly curled around his finger and tried to bite it. “Come on,” he yelped, pulling it away before she could do so, “We’re going to the Disciple Hall, and if we secure our new home, we are going to celebrate with a big lunch. Or dinner. Deal?”

That got them to finally look up at him, then at each other, before nodding in perfect unison.

...

....

......

By the time they came downstairs, the sun was already painting the sky a bit lighter, with a pinkish hue, but it was yet to appear. A few disciples sat at the tables in silence, eating or drinking, some of them looking really exhausted. One man in a silver sash had his forehead on the table while his hand still held a spoon, fallen asleep just like that, and Siu had to pull Marly back by her tail before she could go and snatch the poor guy's breakfast.

"Glad you are punctual," Joren said from behind the counter when Siu stepped on the bottom step of the stairs. "Come, have a bite," He invited him over, and of course, Marly and Arya landed on the counter first.

“Morning,” Siu nodded at him, "Thanks."

“It isn't free.” He chortled, still charging him for it, but that was a given, "Here, I made black tea in case you are bad with mornings.”

“Really? For me?” Siu asked, suspicious, and it made Joren grin.

“Okay, you got me, I made it for myself, and you get some because I’m generous.”

“Master, I have never seen such an asskisser before! What do you think, does his breath smell?” Arya piped up suddenly, making Siu not even register her words, and shot back wth a simple thought.

“You are eating boiled eggs for breakfast because of it. I can take it away if you dislike the treatment.”

"Only take hers!" Marly piped up, hurriedly pushing the entire egg into her mouth, "I like my ass being kissed!"

Siu, refusing to say more, raised the tea, and when he took a sip and immediately felt bitterness spread across his tongue, followed by warmth that made his body shiver a little... The essence concentrated inside it was thick enough to taste.

"Enjoy it while it lasts," Joren said suddenly, watching his expression, "After your body gets saturated enough, the experiences like this will dwindle, and you will never feel the first rush of essence. It will be simply... normal."

"If I did feel like this every time, it could become addictive." He joked, but Joren didn't smile.

"It is..." He answered, lowering his voice, "Not that long ago, an honored guest was visiting the Sect, from the Obsidian Moon." As he said it, Siu almost inhaled the rest of his tea, stopping himself at the last moment. "I was unlucky enough to watch him arrive, and even though it was from far away... the presence of a Void-cultivator was unmistakable. That... hungry look and gaze! You see, they feed on this rush... they get it, always as far as I know, especially when siphoning someone's life away, like some damned vampire from the tales villagers tell their kids. Worst thing is, their victims feel it too, that's why they don't resist being sapped!"

"Do you..." Siu gulped, trying not to cough and sound casual, "Why was he here?"

"No idea." He shrugged, "We were simply informed to act respectfully while a delegation is visiting us from one of the Fours. As for why? Beats me! Maybe they were inspecting something; we are one of their strongest subordinate sects after all. There are few, if any, above us besides them."

Both of them fell silent after all, but for different reasons. While Joren was still shivering here and there, Siu was thinking about Milli and Nilli. He came back out of it when, a few minutes later, another male disciple came in through the side door, yawning into his sleeve. He was tall and thin, clearly unhappy to be awake at such an hour, watching as Joren slid the ledger toward him, pointed at three lines, then tapped the cash box.

“Rooms two and seven leave today."

"Yes, Boss..." The man said, stifling a yawn. "Did room four extend?"

"Not yet. Leave that to me. Also, kitchen delivery comes this midmorning. Sheela said if you accept another batch of half-rotten cliff mushrooms, she’ll make you eat them. All of them. Inspect the damn goods, we are not paying for sub-par quality!”

"Yes, Boss..." The newcomer grimaced, shaking himself away.

"Just be sure of it," Joren shrugged as he untied his working apron, folded it once, and placed it beneath the counter. “Ready?”

"Yeah," Siu finished his tea and stood, placing Arya on the top of his head and Marly on his shoulder like pieces of clothing accessories. “Ready enough.”

They left the Resting Reed together, and the road outside was less busy than before. Still, disciples were already moving along, many of them walking toward the Nine Hanging Bells, or the other big halls. The sunlight was now peeking over the horizon, even more so, as morning was just about to officially begin.

“You remember the way to the Nine Hanging Bells?” Joren asked as he put a hand in his pocket, searching for something.

“Yes.”

“The Disciple Hall is close to it. We will take a sidewalk, just before it.” He explained, pulling out a small stick, putting it into his mouth, and, with a tiny spark from the tip of his finger, lighting it, taking a big puff.

"That smells nice..." Marly muttered, but Siu shot her down, to not even think about it.

"Want one?" Joren asked, making Siu shake his head.

"No thanks. My Old Man told me about them, and I was forbidden to use them."

"Smart." Joren chuckled, "I can't help it, it alleviates my exhaustion so I tend to smoke a stick at the end of my shift. Been so since I was sixteen. The thing I tell myself is that the sticks available here are cleaner than the ones outside. I wouldn't trust herbs from other regions, they could be poisonous!" He chuckled, raising the burning thin stick to his lips while doing so.

Going by the smell of the smoke he was blowing out of his nose, Siu had to say, he had to be right. He had seen Elders in his first sect smoke it, and those ones smelled horrible. Joren's, on the other hand, had a tinge of mint in it, without any of the odor that would make his nose twist. While thinking about how his Old Man warned him to never pick it up, their walk took them along a downward-sloping road that curved away from the public route he had followed the day before. Watching the buildings here, he saw they stood closer together the further they went, and he could see more signs hanging from visible doors, announcing dozens of different shops for different needs. Many of them were in the middle of opening for the day, and some owners even greeted Joren as they passed by.

Then they reached the Disciple Hall about fifteen minutes later. Looking at it, Siu's first thought was that it was not as majestic as the Nine Hanging Bells, but then he had to laugh at his stupid, fleeting thought. Naturally, it did not have enormous bells hanging above it, none in fact. It wasn't even a tower, but that didn't mean it wasn't big. The building sat across three connected terraces, each level wider than the one above it, with stairways, ramps, side entrances, and open balconies wrapped around its front. Large boards were visible even from the street, some outside under awnings, others inside through open archways, making it more like a marketplace than anything. Even now, disciples moved around wherever he looked, bargaining, tearing slips off boards and then pinning new ones up, while others were standing in small circles as they negotiated. Getting close to the entrance, the sign above the set of four main doors was simple:

"Disciple Hall."

"Huh," Siu stopped for a moment, taking it in, “It is bigger than I expected.”

“We have a lot of disciples,” Joren said, leading him inside.

Beyond the entrance, a large open floor stretched before them, packed with more boards and counters, but beyond that were staircases leading up and down, side corridors marked by categories, hanging signs pointing to specialized boards and requests, and balconies overlooking the other spaces. Was this how a bazaar would feel? That was Siu's first thought, before the incredible noise hit him next. It was generated from conversations in almost every direction, making it a constant buzz. No wonder Joren said come early, because if it was this crowded now, later, it could just get worse... The only thing that looked familiar was the counters, making him think of Milli and Nilli and feel his chest tightening for a moment, before Arya’s tail brushed against his head, as if reorganizing his thoughts.

“Here, the first floor is all about common requests and short-term commissions." Joren began explaining, "The second floor has group recruitment, repeated work, faction notices, and is usually where you can find crafting commissions. There is a lower floor, where you will have to go, as it handles housing, leases, storage, shared spaces, and longer-term contracts. Every floor or room has counters at the back where you can take the signs you are interested in for more information. Once again, Siu, never sign anything without bringing it there unless you personally know the one offering it.”

“Put everything in writing,” Siu repeated with a smile.

"I'm glad that you listened. Well!" He said, fixing his robes, "I need to handle something first.” He nodded toward a side counter where three disciples were already waiting, looking at him. “Nothing complicated." He added, seeing Siu's raised brows, "Look around the housing boards downstairs, and I will catch up with you when I'm done with my end. If someone asks whether you are looking for ‘a rare opportunity,’ say no before they finish.”

“That specific?”

“Yes. I got duped by such a thing when I first came here.”

And with that, Joren slipped away, leaving Siu standing near the entrance with Arya and Marly. For a moment, he simply watched as he joined the group waiting for him, disappearing, walking up the stairs, and was gone from view. Deciding to check it out before it became way too crowded, he began walking and was once again amazed by its sheer size. There were too many options, too many boards, too many slips to find anything specific he wanted. The worst part was that he felt like he was the only one thinking like this. Everyone else was browsing around like it wasn't confusing at all. By the sheer size alone, this was nothing like the outers' Mission Hall, where the twins could tease him, manipulate those they disliked, or flirt their way around half the rules...

“One thing at a time!” He exhaled, shaking himself a little and finding a stairway leading downstairs.

The lower floor was just a bit calmer than the main hall. Walking before the boards, he quickly noticed they were arranged by type: rooms, shared residences, caves, courtyards, storage, beast-compatible spaces, temporary leases, long-term transfers, and... Inheritance Disputes & Pending Sales. Which, of course, Siu decided he did not need to approach.

The first section he checked was cheap rooms, which quickly proved useless. Most were no better than the Resting Reed but required monthly contracts, deposits, and rules stricter than the inn. Many of them said there had to be no beasts, no more than 10 visitors per month, and no blood-related techniques indoors. No heating formations beyond approved devices...? What did that mean? No storing of fresh beast parts either. No alchemy students allowed. No sound techniques allowed. The list went on and on, changing with every posting, with a hundred different stipulations.

“This is worse than being fleeced by Stone Ward,” Siu muttered, holding back a loud scoff, not wanting to draw attention to himself.

“Seloryn probably owns a place that bans others,” Arya piped in, making him chuckle, shaking his head, because he could see that happening.

The beast-compatible board was better, but the prices climbed quickly, making it not a viable option. Some listings wanted deposits larger than what Siu had brought with him, which was a given, especially after he checked the properties' sizes. Many of them came with actual zones where beasts could roam around freely. Besides those, others required faction membership, and their prices were also designed to be paid by a faction, not individuals. A few looked reasonable until he read the location notes and realized they were so far from the central valley that he would spend half his day walking unless he learned to fly.

Still, after almost half an hour of searching, he found three that were worth copying down.

The first was a room being offered up above a bookshop.

The listing was written neatly on paper, with the inkwork clean enough that Siu suspected the owner was a bit... eccentric. The shop itself was called the Red Leaf Books, located near the main public road, very close to the library itself. The room was described as small but private, with a separate stair entrance from the outside and access to a shared reading and washing room. There was no attached cultivation formation, though, and there were no details about keeping beasts either.

"There is," Arya said suddenly, pointing her tail towards the minuscule writing that was added in a hurry at the topmost left corner. "Beasts allowed if quiet and clean."

"Thanks. Also..." The price made Siu pause for a moment, "Not that bad..."

It had a monthly rent of 3 Sun Crystals, a deposit of 2 Sun Crystals, and a minimum stay of 1 month. So, five Sun Crystals upfront... It was not cheap, but possible. Paying five immediately would hurt badly, but it would not bankrupt him, and he could start working and replenish it. The problem was space. A room above a bookshop might be fine for him alone, but with Arya and Marly, and with their future advancement in mind, it might become too tight quickly. Still, the location was excellent, so he marked it down.

The second listing made him stop longer as it was a cave residence. It was not too different in concept from his old cave in the outer disciple territory, though the description made it clear that comparing the two too closely would be foolish. It was located on a side ridge past the lower beast route, with one main chamber, one sleeping alcove, a small storage hollow, a cold spring, and enough open space outside for Arya and Marly. The previous tenant had advanced into a core disciple’s estate, per the description, and was transferring the lease over. The issue was the price... Monthly lease of 5 Sun Crystals with a deposit of 5 Sun Crystals. And there was a lease transfer fee of 1 Sun Crystal. And... Minimum stay: three months. Meaning, it demanded 11 Sun Crystals upfront. That was almost everything he had... And because the minimum stay was three months, even though only the first month and the deposit were due now, he would be committing himself to paying 5 Sun Crystals each month afterward. That meant he would need income quickly. Very quickly.

“Master?” Marly asked.

“This one is good.” He shrugged, rubbing his face, "And good things cost money.”

"Well," Arya leaned down, reading nothing but pretending she was. “We can earn money.”

“Yes, we can,” Siu mumbled, still unsure.

“Then get this one.” Marly joined the discourse.

“Impulse purchases are how people starve, you two.” He warned them, biting his lower lip.

“But we would have a cave!” The two argued, apparently because they were very much used to living in one.

He marked it down anyway, with a bigger note beside it, as it would put him on the back foot. As for the third option, he found it the most complicated because it involved a shared courtyard.

The listing was larger, written by several hands, with notes added beneath the main text as the disciples who posted it added more and more to the original listing. What Siu managed to untangle from it was that the four inner disciples who put it up were renting a courtyard residence together and were looking for a fifth to split expenses after their previous housemate joined a group, leaving them one man short. The courtyard had five rooms, a shared kitchen, a small practice yard, a basic barrier formation, and a communal storage shed. It was located near the middle- to lower-level residential terraces, and beasts were negotiable. However, they also added that they would prefer pro-alchemy disciples who can value keeping ingredients safe and out of unwanted mouths and hands.

For the price, his share would be 2 Sun Crystals and 5 Flame Crystals, with a deposit of 2 Sun Crystals. As a stipulation, a 7-day trial stay was added for 8 Flame Crystals, deducted from the deposit if accepted. Reading it, Siu quickly calculated it: 2 Sun and 5 Flame meant 2,500 CC per month. Deposit of 2,000 CC. Trial stay 800 CC... Not bad.

This was the cheapest upfront if he used the trial stay. It also came with people, which could be good or terrible. Shared expenses made costs more manageable, but shared space introduced complications, subconsciously glancing at Arya and Marly, as they might annoy the others. But most likely, the others would annoy Arya and Marly. Someone might be hiding something... And the two would love to find out what. Or they could be perfectly decent people who simply needed another reliable housemate.

"I don't like it," Arya nodded gravely, sensing his thoughts. “A shared territory is dangerous! We would need to establish dominance.”

“No, we wouldn't need to.”

“What if they challenge us?” Marly asked.

“We talk.”

"Like it would work..." Arya grunted, sounding disappointed.

Still, Siu marked the third listing down, too, and as he finished, he felt someone pause behind him. Sensing the new presence, he turned slightly and saw a young man standing a few steps away, wearing a silver sash and dark blue robes with pale trim. He had soft-looking brown hair tied neatly at the back and a face that seemed polite by default, though his eyes had a sharpness that clashed with it. His posture was relaxed, his hands folded into his sleeves, clearly examining not Siu, but Arya and Marly. Then, seeing him turn, his gaze moved to the notes in Siu’s hand.

“New arrival?” he asked with a pleasant smile.

"..." Siu inclined his head after a brief pause. “Yes.”

“How fortunate! The housing boards are merciless to the newly promoted people. I can help you out with that.”

“Thank you for the offer, but I didn't come alone.”

"Oh, I see," The young man’s gaze lingered on his face, becoming thoughtful, “Still, do be careful with cave listings near beast routes. They are charming until something large decides your doorway is part of its walking path, or your home has a good smell to plop down until their master comes and gets them. Most of the complaints come from those kinds of places.”

“Thanks, that's good to know,” Siu said with a chuckle, but before he could turn around, the man continued, scanning his slips.

“And rooms above bookshops are peaceful, unless the owner acts like the workers inside the library. Then, even your breathing will be a character flaw and get you thrown out...”

“That also sounds useful to know.” He repeated, his voice a tinge more strained now, but the man wasn't stopping.

“Shared courtyards are either excellent or hell with a roof over them. There is rarely a middle ground; make sure to know who you are moving in with.”

"I see..." Siu lowered his notes slightly, his voice still polite but his gaze growing colder by the second. “You sound experienced.”

“I sound nosy." He chortled, "I know that look, sorry about that! My name is Ruben, and I work here. I wasn't trying to sell you something that I own. Not that you could afford it.”

"Oh." Siu blinked, his annoyance quickly disappearing, even though he had made his last remark with a self-absorbed tone. He was about to say something when Joren appeared from the side, holding a folded slip and looking mildly annoyed.

“There you are, Siu. Found anything?”

The moment Joren said his name, Ruben’s expression changed, only a little, but Siu had caught it. Huh? He knows him...? From... Where? Of course, Siu noticed that Ruben's smile didn't change, but his eyes flickered once, now looking more at him than at Arya and Marly.

“Siu,” Ruben repeated softly. “Ah, well, well! This is embarrassing." He glanced at Joren for a moment, nodding in greeting, "I was offering housing warnings to someone I should have recognized sooner. You are Siu of the Spirit Wardens, yes? The outer disciple whose firebomb request once caused Senior Veyra to accept a job that made a fuss with some of the other Paragons? Mainly because no Paragon had taken such a lowly request before...”

"Huh?" Joren looked between them, confused. “You two know each other?”

“No,” Siu said, now squinting at Ruben.

“Not personally,” Ruben said at the same time. “Though I did know his name before most people in this valley had a reason to. Or will learn about him.”

“Really now...?” Joren asked, crossing his arms, "I also heard you just mentioning Seloryn's name and her taking a... worthless offer. It sounds to me that she noticed him and not you."

“Cruel, Joren. Accurate, but cruel.” Ruben said with an unflinching smile, "It was still worthless. I don't think that Siu would argue against my assessment, because the materials he offered were laughable."

“I see. So, you were the one handling my request when it reached this place.” Siu said in the end.

“I was indeed." Ruben bowed with a self-important smile, "Young, handsome, tragically underappreciated, and forced to watch Senior Veyra become interested in a request I was going to discard.” As he said the last part, Ruben’s smile turned... strained.

"Master..." Arya leaned toward the man, sniffing the air, “I don’t know if I like him.”

Siu silently agreed, though not because Ruben felt hostile, because he didn’t, and that was the tricky part. Instead, he felt like a person who could be friendly... but in a very irritating, self-important way.

“I’m guessing you are not just a clerk,” Siu said in the end.

"Oh, of course not!" Ruben placed a hand over his heart. “Also... Are you here to imply that a clerk cannot be impressive?”

"Careful," Joren snorted, whispering to Siu, “He’s a Paragon... Rank ninety-nine.”

Hearing it, Siu’s eyes moved back to Ruben while the man's smile remained perfectly polite.

“Joren, how could you spoil my mysterious aura so cheaply?”

“You don’t have one,” Joren answered flatly.

"I am still ranked." He shot back, and this time, Siu was sure that between Joren and Ruben, there was some friction. Maybe more than a little, considering Joren's gaze.

“Congratulations,” Siu said simply, and that caused Ruben to lift a brow.

“For the rank?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“How sincere." He chortled, "Well, seeing that you have three slips, and I have said what I have to say, if you got your choice, I will help you get in touch and finalize the deal.”

"That would be the best," Joren agreed as he stepped beside Siu and glanced at the notes. “What did you find?” Handing them over, he took a quick look, staying silent for a minute, before speaking, “The bookshop room is safest and cheapest for location, even if it's small in size.”

"Hm," Ruben leaned in with a shameless step, getting close to them. “May I?”

"You work here," Siu handed him the slips after a brief pause, "Go ahead."

“I have to agree with Joren," Ruben spoke after his own little pause, shrugging, "I know the bookshop owner. The old man is strict, but fair. His last tenant left because he found him bringing home girls for dual cultivation."

"We are not going there." Arya said at once, "Choose the cave!"

"Is it banned?" Siu asked by reflex, but Ruben just laughed.

"Oh, no, it isn't, but an unsealed room can be loud, and he has a bookshop downstairs, not a whorehouse."

Siu couldn't help but fall silent, thinking it over, and in the end kept the bookshop's offer, returning the rest.

"Can you put me in contact with the owner of this posting?" He asked, looking at Ruben.

"Most certainly. He is here in fact." He smiled, scanning both of them, "Come, I'll let you two meet."