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Wen Qing was having a very bad day. It certainly wasn't the worst she'd ever had – it wasn't a my uncle is threatening my brother again to make me do his bidding day, or a my uncle died in his failed attempt to take over the Jianghu and now my clan is being held by his enemies and I think they want to kill us sort of day. Compared to those sorts of days, her day really wasn't that bad.
But it still felt miserable. Or perhaps that was simply the bad batch of turnip stew she'd had the night before.
She sighed, putting away her collection of medicinal herbs as her patient left the room. Uncle Four had been experimenting with new wines again and had overindulged. It was a simple thing to treat, which she should be thankful for, but... she missed the days when she could challenge herself with new cases and problems to solve. When she was finished setting her work space to rights, her stomach reminded her that she hadn't had lunch yet – thus her next destination would be the village kitchen.
As she walked through their small village, her miserable mood made it difficult to feel gratitude at her clan's situation. After the war, there had been a push by some sects to punish all members of the Wen for their leader's crimes, much of the pressure coming from those that had family who had died in the burning of Cloud Recesses – and the Jin, for some reason that was likely political, but she hadn't really cared at the time to listen to their 'reasons'. More sensible voices had prevailed, thankfully, but as a result, there was no longer a Wen sect. Instead, the survivors had been allowed to settle into two villages in Qishan where, for the most part, they were allowed to live out their lives as they wished, though were forbidden to use cultivation tools or abilities. They received regular visits from a Jianghu official who came to assess the state of their villages, their cultivation, and receive assurance that there were no cultivation tools being misused.
She'd had a nightmare once that during the war, her uncle had nearly exterminated a second sect and made significant kills in others, and when the war ended, her entire clan had been slaughtered to atone for his actions. That nightmare made her a little less bitter about her clan's current situation – as she always tried to remind herself, things could be worse. And to a certain degree, living this way was easier on her nerves than living under Wen Ruohan's insanity.
It didn't mean she didn't wish for more out of life with every fibre of her being.
She entered the communal kitchen where everyone came to eat and accepted a plate from Granny Wen. As she headed for a table, she lifted her plate high to allow little A-Yuan to pass, his mother on his heels, trying to capture him to feed him a proper meal. The boy had too much energy but was really a dear child that was much loved by everyone in the village. Eventually, she found an empty seat alone in a corner of the room where she could eat in peace.
“Jiejie!!!”
She finished her first spoonful of soup, only just glancing up when her brother ran into the large dining room. She knew his shouts and this one was more excited than scared or worried. When he reached her side, she set her spoon down. “What is it, A-Ning?”
Wen Ning plopped down into the seat opposite her, his eyes wide and his legs bouncing anxiously. “You need to come with me. I was foraging for herbs and mushrooms, and I was passing that spring we like to swim in, and... something was there.” He quickly looked around the room to make certain nobody was listening in. “Something that might get us into trouble with the Jianghu official.”
She sighed. They were expecting one of their monthly visits in approximately a week, so anything that might be taboo or contraband would have to be dealt with post-haste – though how bad could it be if it excited her brother in such a way? She lifted her soup bowl to her mouth and drank it down as quickly as she could manage without choking or drowning herself, then brought her napkin to her lips. “All right, show me.”
As they headed in the direction of the spring, Wen Qing wondered what it was that could have put her brother into such a state. She'd tried asking him further questions along the way, but he simply shook his head and said she had to see it for herself lest she not believe him. She hoped it was something that could be taken care of quickly – she didn't want to know what the Jianghu official would do when they found whatever it was.
The spring was finally within sight between several tree trunks, but... since when had there been a huge boulder in the middle of the spring? A boulder, or some sort of rocky island that hadn't been there yesterday. It almost reminded her of the indoctrination camp when-
Suddenly there was movement in the water and a reptilian head emerged at the end of a very, very long neck.
Xuanwu.
“Are any of the Qinghe cultivators nearby? Or did it escape the Unclean Realm?”
Wen Ning bit his bottom lip. “I don't think it's either of theirs, Jiejie. But he's very gentle, he let me feed him some bamboo and even let me rub his nose.”
This couldn't be happening. The only fully grown xuanwu in the world that she knew of were in Qinghe – so what was one doing here? And if the Jianghu believed that a Wen village was hiding a xuanwu... her heart seized at the thought.
The beast's head shifted to look in their direction. It tilted, then it opened its mouth to let out a funny sort of squeaking noise. Wen Ning grinned and looked around, then grabbed a handful of watercress from off the ground. He approached the beast and held his hand out, and the xuanwu gently ate from his palm. Then its leathery tongue flicked out to lick Wen Ning's face.
Oh, they were in worse trouble than she thought – Wen Ning liked the thing! And it seemed the feeling was mutual.
There was no way the Jianghu wasn't going to think they were a threat now if they didn't do something immediately.
“A-Ning, you should stay back. It probably has a home somewhere, and it'll need to be returned.”
Wen Ning's face fell but he nodded and returned to Wen Qing's side. “What do you think we should do, Jiejie?”
“What else can we do?” she huffed. “We need to write to Qinghe and let them know we found a xuanwu by accident. And hope they'll believe us.”
~*~*~*~
Wen Qing was half-way through her breakfast when she heard a scoff coming from Granny Wen.
“That miserable good for nothing bastard is back, I see,” Granny Wen muttered, looking out the window.
“Mother!” Wen Liang gasped, placing her hands over A-Yuan's ears. “Not in front of your grandson.”
“I'm sure he's heard worse than that by now.” Granny Wen flicked her dishtowel before returning to the sink. “And it's not like I called him what I really think of him.”
Wen Qing allowed herself a small chuckle as she stood up and mentally prepared for the coming encounter. The 'good for nothing bastard' was the Jianghu official who came to check in on them every few months, and he had no doubt already been informed of the xuanwu's presence near the village. She held her shoulders back and put on her most dignified manner as she left the kitchen and approached the cultivator in pale blue who was disembarking from his sword.
“Welcome again to North Wen Village, Su Minshan,” she offered with a proper, formal bow. Whatever her thoughts on the other sects, or this official in particular, she refused to let any of them see her as anything less than cordial and professional.
“Wen-guniang.” Su Minshan sniffed but returned her bow – though his was much more shallow. “We will be joined by a cultivator from Qinghe for today's visit. I hope that won't be a problem.”
She kept her annoyance from showing on her face. “That is what I expected after we alerted the Jianghu to the situation. We didn't want there to be any misunderstandings.”
“I'm certain you didn't.” Despite his sarcastic tone, Su Minshan didn't show any sign of worry or fear upon his face. Either the lack of visible xuanwu in the village was reassuring, or perhaps less likely, he'd visited the Wen Village so often that he'd come to realize how harmless they really were.
And perhaps pigs could climb trees.
“Would you like to have a seat until their arrival? Breakfast is being served in the kitchen, and we have tea already prepared – I believe it's that Oolong variety that you enjoyed last time.”
“That would be acceptable,” he said with an officious nod.
She escorted him back to the kitchens where Granny Wen already had a tea service prepared. As Wen Qing and Su Minshan sat down, they settled into what had become an unexpectedly agreeable habit they had begun after discovering a common interest – discussing Imperial politics and gossip.
“Since the assassination attempt on the Third Prince's life,” Su Minshan continued after updating Wen Qing on the latest gossip from Beijing, “the entire palace has been in an uproar. Sadly, as usual, the palace guards are focusing their investigation on nearby noble houses and foreign incursions.”
Wen Qing sniffed. “Idiots, but I can't really blame them. You and I both know that any intrigue begins and ends in the Imperial harem, but the investigators are almost as afraid of the consorts as they are of the Emperor. Though they couch it in terms of not wanting to upset the Emperor by interfering with his harem, just so they don't have to admit to being afraid of a handful of women.”
Su Minshan snorted. “I can name five female cultivators off the top of my head that could best any imperial guard in a duel. Fear of formidable women isn't shameful – it's basic survival.”
Her lips twitched into something almost akin to a smile.
She reached out to fetch a steamed bun from the tea service, but when she brought the bun to her lips, she noticed the surface of her tea rippling. That was strange. She shrugged and tore her bun apart. The rippling returned, and this time she felt the vibration in her seat. She lifted her head and furrowed her brow, her eyes meeting Su Minshan's – he must have noticed it as well.
“Help! Hide in your homes! We're under attack!!!”
The shout came from the village square and Wen Qing didn't waste a single moment before running outside to find out what was going on. All around her, villagers were either grabbing children and taking them into safe buildings, or gathering in the street to face the man whose shouting had attracted everyone's attention.
“What is it this time?” Uncle Four asked the young man, whose hands trembled as he waved them about.
“A monster! It's huge! And it's coming right for the village.”
“What did it look like?” asked Wen Yu, the village blacksmith, who drew a sword from a sheath at his waist. He wasn't a cultivator and his sword was nothing more than metal, but it was better than nothing when faced with a threat.
“It had a long neck,” the man's hands stretched apart, “and a mouth full of teeth! And I think there was a person riding on its back!”
“Just a moment.” Wen Qing didn't yell, but her steady, authoritative voice brought quiet to the crowd. “You said someone was riding the monster?”
The man nodded.
Wen Qing and Su Minshan exchanged looks. “Qinghe,” they said in unison.
As if in response, there was another trembling along the ground, quickly followed by the sound of massive footsteps coming from down the road. The gathered villagers backed away until they were huddled behind where Wen Qing and Su Minshan stood side-by-side – how very brave of them. It wasn't long until they could see what was coming their way, and it was indeed a xuanwu, though considerably larger than the one Wen Ning had found. And the man seated on the beast's shell was indeed wearing green and grey.
The xuanwu came to a stop and its rider hopped down, brushing the dust from his robes before flicking open a folding fan.
“I was told the Wen required a xuanwu expert. You may call this one Nie Huaisang.”
Wen Qing bowed, choosing a proper greeting rather than doing as Su Minshan did – that being rolling his eyes and giving Nie Huaisang a condescending look. “Welcome to our village, Nie-gongzi.”
“You took your time,” Su Minshan sniffed. “I expected you to be here prior to my arrival.”
Nie Huaisang sighed and waved his fan in Su Minshan's direction as if to cool him down. “Travel by xuanwu is different than by sword or saber – the latter doesn't have to deal with one's ride being tempted by prey crossing the road.” He grinned. “With sabers, we usually only have to worry about them trying to take control – they have terrible senses of direction, but they think they know where we should be going.”
“Puppy!!!!”
“A-Yuan! No!!!!!!”
Wen Qing turned her head in time to see Wen Liang rushing out, chasing after little A-Yuan who was running straight for the xuanwu. There were gasps and cries of panic from the villagers in the crowd as the little boy evaded them all and ran straight into the xuanwu's leg, wrapping his little arms around it as best he could even though they didn't even make it half way.
“Puppy!!!!!”
The only reason she didn't call for an immediate attack on the creature was the fact that Nie Huaisang was looking on with an expression of fond amusement.
The beast's long neck curved so that its head could lean down and look at the child grasping its leg. It sniffed at A-Yuan, nudged its beak against his side, then out came a long tongue that lapped at the side of the boy's head.
“Stop it, it's going to eat him!” A number of villagers held up plates, forks, and buckets – one even had a pitchfork in hand – and whatever else they could get their hands on, ready and willing to give their lives to save the small child.
Nie Huaisang sighed and rolled his eyes. “She is not going to eat him.” He closed his fan with a snick and tucked it into his sleeve, then walked over to where A-Yuan was giggling, still clutching the beast's leg. “Hello there. Would you like me to introduce you to my friend?”
A-Yuan nodded with a great big grin, and when Nie Huaisang reached a hand out to him, he finally let go of the beast's leg to take it. Nie Huaisang lifted the boy into his arms, resting him on his hip, and the beast nudged its beak against Nie Huaisang's chin.
“This is Ginger – she's my best girl, and has been my friend since I was just a little older than you are.”
“Hello Ginger,” A-Yuan said, reaching out for the xuanwu's beak and patting it gently. “Nice puppy.”
“Ginger isn't a puppy, she's a xuanwu. You could also call her a tortoise, or a turtle.”
“Puppy,” A-Yuan insisted.
“You know what?” Nie Huaisang gave the boy a mischievous grin. “I think I have a friend in Yunmeng who would agree with you on that one.”
There was a heavy sigh from Wen Qing's right – she looked aside to Su Minshan, whose lips were pursed as if he'd eaten something sour. “Qinghe,” he muttered.
“I take it this isn't unusual behaviour?” she whispered his way.
“Sadly, very typical.”
At least A-Yuan looked entertained. Unfortunately, unless Wen Qing stepped in, they would be standing there all day giving the boy xuanwu lessons while Wen Liang had a qi deviation.
“My apologies, Nie-gongzi,” she offered, stepping forward and reaching her hand out palm-up to A-Yuan. “But I believe A-Yuan's mother would like him returned. I believe it’s time for his writing lessons.”
A-Yuan looked at her hand, then wrapped his arms around Nie Huaisang's neck. “Want to play with puppy!”
Nie Huaisang gave her a reassuring smile. “A-Yuan, is it?” The boy nodded. “Ginger and I are here to see someone, but we'll be staying at least overnight. After we're finished and you've had your lessons, I could bring you to see her again. Does that sound all right?”
A-Yuan pulled back, and his tiny lips curved downward in a terrible pout, the kind that softened even the hardest of hearts. Nie Huaisang smirked and tapped the tip of the boy's nose.
“I used to try that on my Da-ge all the time – in fact, I still do, and it still works – so it won't work on me. Now, why don't you go give your Mama a hug, and I'll see you later.”
When A-Yuan nodded, Nie Huaisang lowered him to the ground. The boy gave the xuanwu one final pat on the leg before running to his mother, who picked him up and hugged him as if she'd been afraid she would never see him again.
“Sweet boy, reminds me of myself.” Nie Huaisang flicked open his fan once again and turned, though Wen Qing thought she saw a hint of sadness in the man's eyes. “Now, where is this xuanwu you found in Wen territory?”
~*~*~*~
By the time they were half-way between the village and the spring, Wen Qing had started to become used to being followed by the xuanwu – Ginger. Nie Huaisang filled the silence with gossip from Lanling and Gusu, though little of it interested Wen Qing. She did, however, exchange many looks of consternation with Su Minshan, who was looking terribly annoyed with the other man's prattling.
When they arrived at the spring, Wen Ning came out to meet them, nervously bowing before Su Minshan and Nie Huaisang, and his eyes went wide when he saw the full-grown xuanwu with them.
“They get bigger,” he whispered into Wen Qing's ear as he settled in at her left.
“Where is it?” she asked her brother, not seeing the rocky 'island' in the middle of the spring.
“He's just waking from a nap.”
There was a mild trembling on the ground, and the xuanwu Wen Ning had found came out from between a handful of trees, its long neck weaving as it looked around, stopping when it came face to face with the other xuanwu. The two beasts reached forward, their heads meeting over the people below, and the xuanwu sniffed at each other. The larger one nudged her beak against the smaller one's neck, but he shook his head and pulled away, instead nuzzling at Wen Ning's hair.
“So that's how it is,” Nie Huaisang muttered. “It seems I have good news and bad news for you – though which is which depends upon your perspective.”
Su Minshan narrowed his eyes at him. “And what would those be?”
“Well... the Wen are now in possession of a xuanwu.”
“We know that,” Su Minshan replied. “What are we going to do to get it out?”
Nie Huaisang lifted an eyebrow. “We're not.”
“What in the Heavens are you talking about?!”
“We're not taking this xuanwu out of Qishan, at least not without this young man coming along with it. What's your name?”
“I'm Wen Ning, Nie-gongzi,” her brother offered with a short bow.
“Well, congratulations Wen Ning – you have now been claimed by a xuanwu.”
“Claimed?” Wen Qing didn't like the sound of that. “Claimed how?”
“Well...” Nie Huaisang had the decency to appear sheepish. “From my experience, when xuanwu live among humans, they tend to bond very strongly to one specific person even if they get on well with others. This does help make it easier to do some basic training, though sometimes it takes time to find someone the xuanwu can properly bond with. In this case, the bond is actually more... significant.”
“How significant?” Su Minshan demanded.
Nie Huaisang lifted his closed fan and pointed it to where the smaller xuanwu had laid its head on top of Wen Ning's as it let out a light rumbling sigh. “This xuanwu sees Wen Ning as his mate-”
“As my what?!” Wen Ning jumped, accidentally dislodging the xuanwu from his head.
“-and to try and part them would be very, very dangerous for all involved.”
“How in the Heavens can a xuanwu see A-Ning as his mate?” Wen Qing asked, worried this Nie cultivator was trying to put one over on them. “They're entirely different species.”
“It's not entirely uncommon,” he replied with a shrug. “I've heard accounts of cranes, elephants, even one case of a leopard, all who acted with a particular human as if they were mated. Xuanwu are very intelligent, so it's not a surprise that they would see us as equals in this or any other sense.”
“So what you're telling us,” Su Minshan broke in angrily, “is that either we take the Wen boy out with the beast, or we kill it.”
Wen Qing felt sick at the thought of killing the xuanwu, if only because her brother loved the damned thing so much. Wen Ning and Nie Huaisang, however, rounded on Su Minshan as if he'd suggested they go around kicking puppies for fun.
“Xuanwu are rare and beautiful creatures.” Nie Huaisang's face took on an angry mien that reminded Wen Qing more of the descriptions people gave of Nie Mingjue. “We are not going to kill this one unless it begins hurting people.”
“He's harmless!” Wen Ning added, looking like he was going to cry. “He wouldn't hurt a fly. All right, maybe a fish or a fox, and he really likes the taste of chicken-”
“They all do,” Nie Huaisang nodded enthusiastically.
“-but the worst he would do is lick you.”
Su Minshan's face had grown tight. “Then what do you suggest? Because we can't have a xuanwu here where the Wen could use it against us. Not every sect has one of their own, you know. How can the rest of us protect against this?”
Wen Ning and Nie Huaisang both looked ready to argue back, but Wen Qing noticed something in Su Minshan's behaviour that reminded her of many patients she had seen during and after the war. She held up a hand to her brother and was thankful that Nie Huaisang obeyed her request for silence.
“In our many talks, Su Minshan, I don't believe I've ever asked how you came to part from the Lan and join another sect.”
“I didn't join another sect – I helped found another sect,” he corrected pridefully. “In the Lan, you can try your hardest and still never be enough according to their high and mighty rules. But Moling Su is far more accepting. Many of our disciples had been members of other small sects that your clan absorbed by force. I challenge you to spend five minutes talking to them, hearing their tales of threats to their clans and their escape from the Wen's invasion, and then tell me that I shouldn't think the Wen having a xuanwu is a threat we cannot afford.”
Wen Qing understood, even if she didn't agree. At least Wen Ning and Nie Huaisang no longer looked ready to begin a fistfight over the situation.
“If our options are to move the xuanwu and A-Ning away, or to kill it, may I offer a third option?” Her purposefully calm voice seemed to help Su Minshan's anger diminish just the slightest bit. Until today, he'd never really spoken of his own experiences during the war. She couldn't excuse what her uncle had done, all she could do was move forward for a new future for her family – and hope the other sects would meet them half-way. “The xuanwu seems to be at home here, and A-Ning belongs with his family. Would there be a way of keeping them here if there were to be a more permanent Jianghu presence in Qishan? Perhaps a member of a smaller sect with an interest in animal handling who could come for a year or so to study its behaviour.”
Nie Huaisang nodded approvingly. “My Ginger may lay more eggs one day, and it would be reassuring if there were more cultivators already trained in their care. A sect with such a disciple would be much more attractive when deciding where her babies will go.”
“And if the worst happens,” Wen Qing continued, “and the beasts become dangerous, the more we know about them, the better prepared we are. Does this sound agreeable to you, Su Minshan?”
The man's lips pursed, but he didn't look as disapproving as he had at first. “It's not a decision I could make on my own. I will need to consult with the other sects.”
“Qinghe Nie will support Wen Qing's proposal,” Nie Huaisang assured. “If Da-ge has any doubts, I'll allay them. That should go a long way to reassure everyone else.”
“And what will we do until then?”
“Ginger and I can remain for a couple of weeks to work with Wen Ning, though I can't stay much longer than that – my brother's wedding is in a few months and there's still so much planning for me to do...”
“If the others agree,” Su Minshan finally gave a nod, “two weeks should suffice to find someone to come. I'll ask around my disciples, see if there are any who might be interested in studying here. But... if there's any sign that the xuanwu is being trained to harm anyone-”
“If that occurs,” Wen Qing finished for him, “then we will abide by whatever decision the jianghu makes.”
“Well, now that that's settled.” Nie Huaisang grinned and hooked his arm around Wen Ning's elbow. “Come, my new friend, and I will teach you all about your xuanwu. But we need to address the most important issue first... what will you name him?”
Wen Qing watched as her brother was led away, the two xuanwu following close behind. She heard a sigh and looked over to Su Minshan, who still looked aggrieved, but the tension was gone from his shoulders. She didn't want to put it back, but she felt there was something left to be said between them.
“After how long you've been coming to check on us, are you really that worried we'll try to avenge my uncle?”
He frowned, his eyes trained on the distance where the xuanwu had disappeared. “In my head, I know the answer is no. Your people have done everything we've asked of them, and then some. But our worries and fears don't always listen to our heads, and I would rather be overly cautious than to see what would happen if I'm wrong. That probably isn't the response Wen-guniang wishes to hear, but it's the only one I have.”
“Then, may I answer your honesty with my own?” She expected him to refuse, but instead, he glanced aside at her and nodded. “The war has been over for more than two years now, and as you said, we've done our best to obey the rules set down for us – we've had no choice other than to do so. But not all of us were meant to be farmers or blacksmiths or bakers. I'm a doctor capable of treating rare curses but instead I do checkups and issue hangover cures. My brother hoped to be a cultivator one day to help defend people from yao and ghosts, and little A-Yuan may wish to be one as well once he's older. Some of us want more in life than what we've been left with, and we feel we've more than paid for our family's mistakes. Don't you think it's time to set fear and anger aside, and remember that in the end, we're all the same people? That we were part of the same cultivation world as you are and should remain so?”
“You ask much of me,” Su Minshan's lips thinned.
“I ask that you imagine how you would feel in our place.” Speaking her mind in such a way was no longer Wen Qing's way, as diplomacy had been the difference between life and death for her people, but she soldiered on. “Many of us didn't fight in the war, and those that did were merely following orders. None of them were generals or captains, none of them made the decisions that swayed the war. If my uncle's efforts had succeeded and your people were in our place, would you not want your freedom back?”
“None of you have spoken thus before.”
“None of us dared. We know our fates are in others' hands, and we've been left almost defenceless without being allowed to cultivate. If we asked for more freedom and the request was seen as a threat, what would happen to us?”
Su Minshan's eyes glanced down to the ground. “It would be a shame to lose one of the few villages that enjoys a good cup of Oolong,” he muttered, then glanced aside to Wen Qing.
She gave him a half smile. “And I would be left with nobody to discuss Imperial drama with.”
“I can't make any promises, but... I can make a few inquiries to see which way the wind blows.”
“Jiejie, look!!!” Wen Qing and Su Minshan turned to face Wen Ning who waved at them with a closed folding fan in his hand. Nie Huaisang followed with a grin on his face “Nie-gongzi gave me a gift! He says it's to help me discipline Yugong!”
“Yugong?” Wen Qing's eyebrows lifted.
“The foolish old man determined to move mountains,” Su Minshan muttered as Nie Huaisang whispered something to Wen Ning, who snorted and grinned in response.
“I'd say that describes my brother and Nie-gongzi more than the xuanwu.” Wen Qing watched as her brother was drawn into conversation again and led away. She tilted her head back to Su Minshan. “Shall we return to finish our tea?”
He gave her a searching look, then nodded. “And we were interrupted before I could tell you of the drama the Empress' second son caused in the palace.” The two of them walked easily together, the sky beginning to run with streaks of pink and orange as the sun began its descent for the day. “He challenged Consort Guo's first son to a test of skill on the archery field to win an argument, and lost, and now he has to find a way to save face before his mother is seen as weak by the rest of the harem...”
~*~*~*~
A piercing cry was heard from the Wen villagers gathered in the main square.
“Oh A-Yuan, it will be okay-”
“Puppy!!!!” the boy sobbed. “I don't want to say goodbye to puppy!!!”
Wen Qing held back a sigh of exasperation at the sight. She loved A-Yuan, but he'd gotten attached to both xuanwu far too quickly for her liking.
Nie Huaisang finished securing his belonging's to his xuanwu's harness, then approached the crying boy. “I promise, A-Yuan, I'll bring the puppy back for a visit.” The boy's cries dimmed, but his face twisted into a heartbreaking pout. “I told you, that won't work on me, my little friend.” A closed folding fan tapped the boy on the nose, prompting a tiny giggle.
Wen Ning patted A-Yuan's back. “After Nie-gongzi and Ginger are gone, would you like me to take you for a ride on Yugong?” A-Yuan nodded, a grin finally lighting up his little face.
Wen Qing wondered when it had become normal to bribe her little cousin with xuanwu rides. At least it got him to eat his vegetables.
“I wish you a safe journey, Nie-gongzi,” she offered.
“Thank you. And I will keep you apprised of any decisions made regarding your clan's situation. I would also like Wen Ning to have the opportunity to meet with some of our other handlers – I think it would do him good – and I’d want him to bring Yugong to meet Peanut as I suspect they might have a familial link somewhere since they’ve both lived here in Qishan.”
“Give my regards to Nie-zongzhu,” Su Minshan offered from the side where he stood with a young woman in Moling-Su colours.
The crowd watched as Nie Huaisang mounted the great tortoise and rode off, turning back for the occasional wave until they was out of sight.
“Puppy?” A-Yuan asked, making grabby hands at Wen Ning.
“Not until you've had your dinner,” Wen Liang countered and carried her son away to the kitchens.
“Are you coming, A-Ning?” Wen Qing asked.
“Not yet, Jiejie. I need to get Yugong back to his cave.”
“May I assist?” The question came from Yu Ming, the woman who had accompanied Su Minshan to the village.
Wen Ning blushed. Wen Qing's eyebrow rose at the sight. “Ah, y-yes. You're welcome to come, of course. You're to spend a few months with us, is that right?”
She nodded as they walked away, Wen Ning's hand calling Yugong over to follow. “I've been reading the material Nie-gongzi left for me and it's quite fascinating...”
Wen Qing caught Su Minshan's eye. “I wonder if your disciple is prepared for a love triangle with a xuanwu.”
“Heavens, I hope not. But I trained her myself – I trust her to hold her own in the event of a fight for your brother's affections.” His lips tilted in the closest thing to a smile she had ever seen on his face. He'd actually made a joke!
“Hopefully that won't be necessary, and no hearts will be broken.”
“I... do have a piece of news for you, Wen-guniang.” She nodded in encouragement, wondering if this would be further gossip from the Emperor's court. “You may have heard that the Lan sect and I are not on pleasant terms. However, I had the opportunity to speak with Lan Xichen last week while we were both visiting the Yao sect. I mentioned to him some of what you said on my previous visit, and... I believe he is sympathetic. Do not be surprised should he make contact with you to discuss some of your people's needs and wishes for the future.”
She stood there, stunned. She'd thought her words to Su Minshan had done the same amount of good as speaking to a wall, and yet there he was, having followed through on his word to speak with those of other sects. Even more so, he'd spoken to the Lan, which could not have been easy for him.
“I thank you for addressing this with him,” she finally said, forcing the words past a tightening throat. “I will look forward to seeing what he has to say.”
Su Minshan nodded stiffly. “I will take my leave then, and I will return for my next check-in with your people. I hope all goes well for you in the meantime.”
“Then have a safe journey, Su Minshan.”
“Thank you, Wen-guniang. Until we meet again.”
Once Su Minshan had flown away, she was finally able to head to the kitchens for her meal. The room was boisterous with everyone talking about the recent visits and the presence of xuanwu in their midst, and eventually, Wen Ning and Yu Ming came to join them.
Despite the strangeness of recent events, it had brought a feeling of normalcy to a people that had once fought yao and ghosts on a regular basis.
The sun was beginning to set as they exited the dining area, and Wen Qing and Wen Ning's progress was halted when they spotted a hulking shape approaching in the distance, only then noticing the light trembling of the ground.
"Did Nie-gongzi forget something?" she wondered.
"I don't think that's Nie-xiong," Wen Ning replied. "See, there are two people riding that xuanwu."
The great beast approached – only then did Wen Qing realize it was slightly larger than Ginger had been – and she had a better view of the two men riding upon her. She recognized one of them immediately. "What in the Heavens is Xue Yang doing here?"
Wen Ning's eyes widened as he saw the man and he partially ducked behind Wen Qing's shoulder.
The xuanwu came to a stop in front of them, and the rider who was not Xue Yang gracefully lowered to the ground. He wore Nie colours and braids much like Nie Huaisang had done, and he stepped over to her and her brother to lower into a properly formal bow.
"My apologies, guniang, but is this North Wen village?"
"It is." She sighed. "I believe you've missed Nie-gongzi – he left a few hours ago."
The man blinked. "A-Sang was here?" He glanced down the road with a longing glance, then coughed and returned his attention to her and her brother. Behind the man, Xue Yang began picking at his teeth with the sharp end of a dagger, his hand patting against the xuanwu's shell. "I mean, I hadn't known Nie-gongzi was here as I've been away on sect business."
Her eyes narrowed. What sort of other sect business would bring a cultivator to her village. "Then how may we help you?"
"Ah, allow me to begin with an introduction. This one is Meng Yao, of Qinghe Nie, and I come in search of a doctor by the name of Wen Qing."
She traded looks with her brother. "I'm Wen Qing. Are you injured or ill?"
His shoulders relaxed and a small smile came over his face. "It's an honour to meet you, Wen-guniang. I've heard tales of your skills in medicine, and I have come in the hope of consulting with you on a matter of great import. You see, the unique relationship between a Nie cultivator and their saber has a profound effect on their lives... and it is my hope that a doctor of your repute might have some ideas on how this can be mitigated."
Her mind immediately began to churn in the most pleasant of ways. Finally, a challenge worthy of her skill! “Why don’t we have a seat, Meng-gongzi, and you can tell me all about it...”
The End (till the next fic - Tortoise Shells and Wedding Bells Part 2!!!)