Chapter 133 – Invitation
Kyrae did not return to her residence after leaving the Red Leaf. Instead, she had begun heading towards a spiraling route that was heading further up the sect, soon leaving the most busy streets behind, passing through multiple invisible blockades that would have stopped even other golden-sashed disciples, but not her. It was not only because she was Grand Elder Yan's personal disciple, but also because most of the elders already treated her as an equal. She only had to step into the Second Circle of cultivation to officialize it; everyone expected her to reach High Elder status in a century, and may even shoot for being a Grand Elder one day.
The reason she was now in a hurry to meet with her Master was that she kept remembering the book in Siu’s hand. It was not a coincidence; she was sure of that. And the fact that she walked in to see him read it... She was sure that wasn't a coincidence either, as Kyrae did believe in what many called 'destiny.' As for what destiny or fate really was, she didn't know for sure, but even Sect Masters argued about it as far as she was concerned.
"The Three Valley Incident..." She shrugged, shaking her head. "Out of all the books in the Red Leaf. Out of all the shelves..." Maybe it was a coincidence, but she wasn't buying that explanation. “Master would want to hear about this,” Kyrae muttered to herself, picking up a bit of speed.
A moment later, when no more buildings were flanking the road she was walking on, a narrow stairway appeared where there had been only a decorative stone wall moments before. Kyrae stepped onto it without pause, and after a momentary jerk and pull she felt in her stomach, the sect's grounds behind him disappeared, as she was now standing much further away.
Looking back over her shoulder, she could see the sect was still there, but it was now far below and away, while she stood on a mountain trail, heading farther ahead. Naturally, Grand Elder Yan’s abode was not in the same region as ordinary elders or even the high elders’ residences, and it certainly was not somewhere even core disciples could just stumble into. Walking even faster now, the path eventually opened into the familiar scenery of a wooden hut, the same one where Siu was recuperating for a time, built beside a clear, blue lake.
“Master,” Kyrae called out when she stopped before the hut's door, cupping her hands.
“Come in.”
Entering, Grand Elder Yan sat by the open window, a cup of tea in one hand, while in the other was a floating, obsidian cube, slowly revolving and pulsating with a magenta color here and there.
“Did something happen?” Yan asked, while Kyrae could see the image of someone fading in the device her Master was using, slowly going dormant and landing in her palm.
“I ran into him.”
“You already made contact?”
"I thought, after being the one changing his clothes while he recuperated here, it was not the biggest deal if I went and visited him." She chuckled, watching as Yan finally turned her head, and there was the faintest smile on her face as she placed the cube on her table.
“That is true. So? What happened that you came running to me? Sit and do tell.”
"Nothing happened yet, but," Kyrae began while dropping onto the cushion opposite her, "I went to the Red Leaf bookshop where my future Junior Brother had found work at. When I got in, he had a book in his hands, and he tried to cover it naturally, but I saw the title: The Three Valley Incident.”
“Hm.” Yan finished with her tea while listening, then set it down with a soft click and leaned back slightly, folding her hands in her lap. “That is troublesome.”
“I thought so too.” Kyrae’s voice lowered, hearing her Master's answer. “He was not reading it like someone who had randomly picked up a history book, and I saw how he reacted before he could even understand why.”
“Did you mention it? Anything else we found out about?”
“No, of course not.”
“Good, let's leave it like that.”
“I remembered what you said, Master.” Kyrae tapped her fingers against her knee, then forced herself to stop. “I didn’t want to interfere with what he is supposed to discover on his own.”
"But you are worried."
“I know it sounds stupid." She shrugged, "A book is a book. He found it because he works in a bookshop, and Quillian has more records than some minor sect archives. But, Master... What are the odds? He enters the inner valley, gets connected to the Red Leaf within days, starts reading old incident records, and just happens to put his hand on a book about his home?”
“Not impossible.”
“No. But it feels like a nudge.” Kyrae frowned, trying to put the feeling into words without making it sound like nonsense. “Just... a little push...”
"None of the others would do that," Yan closed her eyes, while Kyrae waited, happy to hear that, because it reinforced her idea of fate simply playing out its cards. “However," Yan opened her eyes a little, "You are right.”
“Then you think too that he will try to go back?”
“Eventually, yes. The question is when.” Yan turned her gaze toward the window. “And I see why you are worried. If he gets the idea to go home, and it sticks, it very well may cause some kind of homesickness that many disciples go through. In his case, it may cause a problem...”
"Master, have you looked into the issue with his parents? Of what we discovered? Can it really be true that they were murdered?"
"I did not." She shook her head at once, "I didn't want to disturb the clues and trails. We are not to interfere with that part of his life, Kyrae. Not ahead of time, that is."
“If he goes back..." Kyrae continued, crossing her arms, "The local sects are pathetic, but that doesn’t mean the region is harmless. Depleted lands hide enough desperate people to swarm one of us and bring them down by their sheer numbers.”
"Not someone on the Paragon list," Yan looked at her with a grin.
“Yeah, but he isn't on it, is he?”
“He isn't...” Yan nodded, slowly licking her lips, coming to a decision. “You will keep observing him.”
"Understood," Kyrae nodded, “From afar?”
“Most of the time. You have made first contact, so you can interact with him; just don't overdo it. Do not appear every other day as if you are a friendly accident. He is sharp enough to notice, and if he feels pushed, he will push back. He probably already put things together that you were there to establish contact for the elder you are under.”
“Yeah, I realized that..." Kyrae laughed as she rubbed the back of her neck, half-proud and half-annoyed. “He guessed I may have been sent by an Elder, or at least that I was not there randomly. He didn’t say it directly, but it was in his eyes; I read it clearly, especially when he was communicating with his beasts.”
"You were never a good liar anyway." Yan smiled faintly, reaching out and patting her knees. “If he begins making preparations to leave for the Three Valleys, you will inform me immediately. If he only reads about them, does his own research, let him do so. Some preparations may take years anyway. If he asks questions, let others answer unless he asks you directly and naturally. Then, you can answer as you see fit; I trust all your decisions. And... If he seeks missions that point in that direction before he has enough strength and experience, interfere without making it obvious.”
“How much experience is enough?”
“You decide.” Yan said, but then added, "I would prefer it if he is at least in the middle of the Paragon list, or at least in the top fifty."
“So... When he becomes a Core Disciple.”
"Who said he will become one before claiming a spot there?"
"..." Kyrae's eyes widened listening to her Master's words, but she always believed in her, so she wouldn't question her assessment. "I can't wait to see that happen!" She laughed, shaking her head.
“When he does leave for that land,” Yan continued, “you will go with him.”
"So I need to increase my rapport with him enough so he invites me," Kyrae muttered, crossing her arms, thinking.
“If not, then go as another disciple taking the same mission, or as a traveler. As a shadow if needed. I do not care which, but make sure he survives. He can be injured, but don't let him fall..."
“Understood.”
"Hm?" Yan watched her closely. “No complaints? What happened to you?”
“Why would I complain?”
“Because babysitting a junior is always something everyone hates the most.”
"Well, I do not!" Kyrae snorted. “If he is to become my junior brother, then protecting him before making it official is not that different from protecting him after. Also... I like him.”
“You met him once.” Yan chuckled, looking with a warm gaze at Kyrae. "And before that, he was unconscious. What, taking care of him awoke something in you?"
“Nothing like that!" She answered with a grumpy pout, "As a Big Sister, I am obliged to take care of him. Plus, his pets are so cuuuuute! Aww... He has good eyes for picking them. Not to mention, they do trust him, and that tells more than any other report from any other disciple could.”
“Don't go overboard.” Yan interrupted her warningly.
“I won’t smother him, Master. I know how to apply the correct amount of familial love!”
"Haaah..." Yan shrugged, looking at her disciple with a defeated smile, hoping that with Siu's presence, maybe Kyrae would be able to change enough to become someone who has the capabilities to become a Grand Elder.
Currently, she was lacking a few points... but... Maybe, just maybe, her fate will change, as it did for the twins and everyone else interacting with Siu.
...
....
......
Not that later, but much farther below, Siu was being dragged to lunch.
Not physically, of course, because Seloryn did not actually pull him by the sleeve, but that was done by Arya and Marly for her when they heard it was time for food. As for Seloryn, she simply walked beside him after leaving the Red Leaf.
“You know,” Siu said after a while, “I have work today.”
“Senior Quillian said it's fine and the Red Leaf is fine without you,” Seloryn answered. “Did I hear it right that you are contracted for three days yet working full weeks?”
“I only worked through the first week; I need to stockpile some money for cultivation.”
“Exactly why you are coming with me, so you are saving money on accepting my invitation.”
"She is speaking the truth, Master!" Arya agreed, hopping up like gravity was nothing and sat on Siu’s head, looking far more pleased with the situation than she should have. "I like her!"
"Me too!" Marly was on his shoulder the next moment, nodding her head rapidly.
"Should I be worried?" Seloryn glanced at his shoulder, squinting at Marly. “Your little squirrel is way too excited... Be mindful, little one," She wagged a finger at her, "I am poor.”
“You are Paragon rank eighty-eight,” Arya argued, and Seloryn caught her head bobbing, glancing at Siu, forcing him to repeat her words.
“Well, that does not mean I am rich." She answered with a smile, saying things that Arya wasn't buying, "Rank comes with expensive problems, you'll see.”
"I can imagine." Siu shrugged, actually believing her, and, in the grand scheme of things, he was glad that they had finally stopped talking about Kyrae. Mostly at least.
Seloryn had apparently decided not to press him further in the middle of the road on why the number one disciple was so easygoing with him, which Siu appreciated. Of course, she had told him who Kyrae was, and he had listened to her record-breaking achievements, trying not to show too much surprise when the words Paragon rank one came out of her mouth... or that nobody knew who her master was, as she never revealed it. When Siu looked at her, surprised, Seloryn quickly explained that exposing one's master is rarely done amongst core disciples, as it is seen as an attempt to use borrowed power. Nobody, at least not on the Paragon List, would want to be known as using their master's name and influence to pressure others.
The more he thought about it, the more Siu realized it was a relief to hear that. It was very much different in his old 'sect,' where disciples were prone to flaunt who their master and benefactor was, simply asking for a faceslapping. Luckily, it was not the norm here. Still... Rank one? Ninety-nine wins? Zero losses? Holding the position for eight years...? Siu was now sure that her visit wasn't random, but he understood why Kyrae didn't mention that her master was interested in him. No matter, he thought, shaking his head; for now, it was something that he placed on a shelf in his mind. He would return to it later, but before anything else, lunch came first.
Seloryn led them through a road he had not taken before, one that ushered them along the side of a terrace overlooking several lower bridges. The place she chose was not the inn he had come across first, but a small restaurant tucked under a flowering tree whose roots grew through stone, cracking and upturning them. The sign hanging over the entrance showed a bowl, a crescent moon, and three falling petals. Looking around, there were only six tables outside and a few more inside, all separated by light screens painted with cherry blossoms, and there was only one empty table: right outside, at the edge, overlooking the sect, as if waiting for them.
“Good place?” Siu asked, already liking how it looked and felt.
“Very.”
“Expensive?”
“That's the good part.” She grinned, "It isn't."
They took the one empty table, while the two furballs sat in Siu's lap, their heads barely reaching above the table, waiting patiently. But only because they knew that if they screwed this up, Seloryn might renege on her invitation and they wouldn't get a free lunch. They barely settled down when a servant came quickly, recognized Seloryn, and accepted her order without much discussion. She not only ordered for herself but for everybody, without giving anyone a chance to speak up. Naturally, Arya was twisting her nose about it, same as Marly, but... once again, with Siu's hand on their heads, rubbing them, they remained silent.
“So,” Seloryn spoke up after the drinks arrived, and to Siu's surprise, they were tall glasses, filled with a good amount of lemonade and massive ice cubes floating at the top. “What are your plans?”
"Hm?" Siu stared at her, taking a sip and enjoying the taste, but, by now, the rush of essence was indeed greatly diminished, compared to the first time it happened. “That is a broad attack, Senior. Please be more direct.”
“Oh come on," She chortled, "It is lunch conversation! I'm simply asking what your plans are now that you got a place and work.”
“My plans,” Siu began slowly, putting the glass down, “are to not drown for now.”
“Still feeling like you're out of place?” She asked with a tinge of nostalgia.
“Pretty much. I just got here; I still need money. I need to learn the valley, understand how inner disciples actually live, and figure out my own cultivation first and foremost. I may have been prepared for being an outer, but... I don't think my Old Man was ready for something like this, plus my...”
“Your affinity?”
“Yeah.”
"Hm..." Seloryn’s expression shifted, becoming more serious without losing its casualness from just a simple glance, “Any progress?”
“None.” Siu tapped the side of his drink. “But I hadn't gone to any training facilities or meditation chambers yet, so I didn't have time working on it either.”
“Well," She continued, falling a bit quieter while speaking, "If you could copy anything just by seeing it once, it would be monstrous, and probably kill you because you wouldn't take the whole cultivation thing seriously."
Siu was about to answer, but the food arrived then, sparing him the need to answer. It came in small dishes rather than one large meal: steamed grain, sliced roasted meat with a sweet-spiced glaze, crisp vegetables, mostly for Marly, a bowl of clear broth, and a plate of fried cakes for dessert. Arya almost went for the meat at once, but Siu held her back by the scruff, pulling food onto his plate and only letting the two of them steal from there. As they began eating, Seloryn returned to the topic a moment later.
“Have you looked at Tier One missions yet?”
“No.” He answered, watching her.
"As I said, Tier One missions are not necessarily safe. You need experience to know how they usually go,” she continued, "So maybe you would need someone with experience to go with you.”
“I think I know what comes next.” He said, raising a brow.
“Yep! I’ll go with you. What do you say?”
“Why?” Siu asked by reflex. “On a Tier One mission?”
“Don’t sound so offended on my behalf.” Seloryn snorted, rolling her eyes. “I have reasons. For one, I owe myself some easier work after recent cultivation stress. And I need to take a breather.”
“Do Paragons do Tier One missions for relaxation?” He asked, seeing that it could easily be the case.
“Nah, rarely if ever. But I am eccentric, and nobody would bat an eye if they learned about it.”
“There is something else to this, I can tell.”
"Your first missions will shape how people categorize you." She added, "I know how stories travel here, and I can help make sure yours will be as clean as possible.”
“Are you becoming my manager or something, Senior Seloryn?”
“Why not?” She asked, so honest that it made Siu drop a piece of meat straight into Arya's open, waiting mouth. "I was looking for an opportunity to take a step forward for a year now. I wasn't going to stay a loner, strange flute-girl forever who is on the Paragon List. You are my opportunity, Siu, so I'm making the moves I was preparing for. You can say no; I won't be mad, but I think it would be beneficial for both of us."
“Wouldn’t your presence distort things?” he asked, thinking about it seriously.
“Of course.” She shrugged, "Yes, my presence changes how others see the mission, thinking I may have done it for you, but that can be handled. Like, bringing along more people, so they don't know the whole thing was a setup so I can let you experience actual missions. I won’t carry the whole thing unless lives are at risk and I can act as support, observer, musician, pretty decoration, or terrifying senior depending on what is useful.”
“Pretty decoration?”
“I am versatile.” She giggled, "Look, before you overthink it, this is what most organizations do."
"Really?"
"Yep," She nodded, munching on a piece of meat, "Take Fire Ring for example. They take the advancing Ember Circle members into their ranks, and the older ones help the new ones acclimate to the sect proper, taking them on missions, all that I just told you. It is the advantage of having a group, and it benefits both sides. As far as I know, you too have a group down there; am I wrong?"
"No..." He muttered, getting a feeling, "Are you trying to tell me we should establish a continuation here, if I'm getting things right?"
"You are sharp..." She whispered, still smiling, "Yes. I was waiting for the proper opportunity, and I can help you establish a group here, which is a bit harder than just registering one. We can talk about that later, but for now, it's impossible. Even with me on the Paragon List, it's not a straight ticket to establishing a group."
"Why is that?"
"Groups are required to make a monthly contribution to the sect." She said in a serious tone, "They take them seriously here because they award resources to them, and there are missions that are only available to groups. Failing to contribute will lead to being disbanded and then punished. It is not a joke..."
"Oh... I see." He muttered, raising a piece of meat to his mouth, only to realize half of it was already gone.
"This is why you need mission experience first." Seloryn continued, diverting the topic back to her original goal.
“Okay, seeing you thought it up this far, what kind of mission are we talking about?” he asked, deciding that it was as good of a plan as it could be and he was indeed interested in the experience itself.
“I don’t know yet." She chuckled, her eyes flashing, "We will look together. We should get something outside the sect, but not too far. Preferably involving some travel and interaction with local mortals; maybe a small investigation or escort mission would do.”
“Sounds good, but are there any Tier One missions like that?”
“We will know when we go and take a look after lunch~!" She smiled, reaching for a dessert... which were all gone by now, and she only touched a bulging, fluffy belly as Marly was happily munching on the last piece of fried cakes.