Chen Ruide led the trio to a small tea shop hidden in an alley that didn't seem to gather much attention from the mortals of the city. In fact, after being taken to a seat by a young woman, Shen Jintian noticed that the four of them seemed to be the only customers in the shop.
Li Qiang did not dare sit with the three mighty Immortals, instead standing against the wall with his head bowed, the very picture of a dutiful servant. Cao Xingyue sat beside Jintian with her hands crossed elegantly in her lap, her veil obscuring her features.
Shen Jintian glanced around the shop as Chen Ruide settled into his seat across from the two of them. It was simply ornamented, though Jintian noted the impeccable craftsmanship of the furniture. These were things that Li Liuwen would often drone on about, stating how things that were understated yet perfect were the true denotations of class and wealth.
Chen Ruide seemed to notice his wandering eyes, and smiled slightly. "I own this shop." He answered Jintian's unasked question. "I have fashioned it after a rather well known tea shop in Jianling."
Shen Jintian nodded, and as he was preparing to ask what the older man might want with them, the woman from before arrived with a tray of steaming cups of tea. She set the cups between them, before offering one to Li Qiang, who simply shook his head.
Jintian's reflexively pulsed out his spiritual sense, before his eyes widened in surprise as he inspected the tea. Though faint, it did carry a trace amount of spiritual energy.
Chen Ruide gestured for both him and Xingyue to take a sip, before doing so himself, his eyes closed slightly in satisfaction. "Perfect." He said quietly to the tea woman, who smiled and bowed her head, taking her leave.
Jintian lifted the cup to his lips, and only barely managed to stop himself from gasping as he took a sip. He glanced towards Xingyue, who also seemed to be just as delighted by it as he was.
It was a distinctly floral tea, though sweet in the way he might have expected fruit to be. Furthermore, he felt his Qi reserves replenish ever so slightly. Though only by a few drops compared to the vast lakes within him, after being starved of spiritual energy for so long, the feeling was almost euphoric.
Chen Ruide chuckled after seeing Jintian's expression. "The tea is brewed with Jade Spring Lotus. I grow them myself within my own Immortal's Cave." He explained, and Jintian nodded at that. Kang Shanxi did the same, though the herbs he grew were more for remedies and medicines rather than spiritual tea.
Jintian set his tea down almost reluctantly, before finally speaking for the first time since meeting the older cultivator. "Senior, I do not mean to sound rude, but might I ask why you've invited us for tea?" He asked politely. He could not sense the strength of the man before him, but knew that in and of itself meant he was vastly more powerful than Jintian was. Kang Shanxi had told him that he would be able to clearly sense the strength of those below him, but would only be given a vague feeling of power from those above him.
And if the gulf of power was vast enough, he might not even be able to sense the other person at all, if they chose not to reveal themselves.
Chen Ruide nodded, setting his own tea down, while Xingyue continued to sip happily from her own cup. She seemed content to let the two cultivators discuss what they needed to.
"Well, as I said before, it is not often that we receive the company of other cultivators in our city." The older man said. "Furthermore, your Qi feels remarkably similar to that old codger-" Chen Ruide suddenly coughed. "I mean, Senior Kang Shanxi. Mark it as my own curiosity, but are you his student?"
Shen Jintian nodded, smiling at the older man's slip. "I am. Though my Master did not mention your presence in the city." He said, and the older man waved a hand.
"Perhaps it slipped his mind. I am only of the Tenth Circle, so to him I am not worthy of note." He stated, and Jintian frowned at that.
He had been aware of his teacher's power, able to fend off three cultivators at once, but to hear someone so vastly above him in strength refer to himself as 'nothing of note' to his teacher was somewhat of a surprise.
Seeing his expression, Chen Ruide's smile grew. "That aside, when he was last here he mentioned you would be passing through to continue to Shan'an. If memory serves, there is a Sect recruitment trial being held there in a few months' time, correct?"
Shen Jintian nodded. "My Master's cousin, Kang Zhiyi, has offered to pledge for my entry into the Iron Breaking Mountain Sect if I passed the qualification combat trial." He explained, and Chen Ruide hummed in thought for a few moments.
"Have you ever visited a cultivation city before?" He asked, and Jintian smiled bashfully.
"Ah… I have not, Senior. This is actually my first time venturing further north than Chenghe. I only recently began my cultivation." He answered honestly, and Xingyue tilted her head curiously.
"Why do you ask, Chen Ruide?" She wondered, and the older man chuckled, folding his hands into his sleeves.
"I first became a cultivator here in this mortal realm as well, nearly forty years ago. I too had dreams of joining a sect. Unfortunately…" He sighed. "Ai, I did not meet the meridian assessment qualifications, and I was too inexperienced to pass the combat qualification. Still, I remember my shock when I found that cultivation cities did not accept mortal money as currency! Not even gold. I spent too many hungry nights wandering the city."
Jintian stared at him in shock. Kang Shanxi had not told him this! That damn old man.
Chen Ruide rubbed his smooth face in lamentation for a few moments, lost in the memories of his first nights in Shan'an. Then he seemed to notice the glare Jintian was casting down at his hands, and laughed. "Ah, I figured. Kang Shanxi is very wise, and thorough in his training of you I assume. But it has been quite some time since he has lived among cultivators."
Jintian's hands clenched, suddenly worried. Chen Ruide smiled kindly, reaching deeper into his sleeve and pulling out a bag of holding.
"Well, it is good fortune that I have met you then. I can give you ten spirit stones, so you do not suffer the same fate I did. It is not much, but it is enough to rent a room for a week or so."
As he said that, he reached into his bag of holding and pulled out ten sparkling white gemstones that glowed faintly in the low light of the tea house.
Jintian stared at them. His teacher had of course explained their usefulness to him, but this was his first time seeing one in person.
Spirit stones had many uses. Primarily they were the main currency of cultivators, but they could be used directly to replenish spiritual energy, power spiritual arrays, and serve as one of the components in spirit forging. Some even melted them down to use as ink for their scrolls. Their use was only as limited as a cultivator's imagination.
Jintian looked from the spirit stones to Chen Ruide, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "Senior, I am most grateful for your generosity, but why…" He began, but left the question unsaid.
"Why am I helping you?" The older man finished for him, and Jintian nodded. Xingyue also seemed keen for his answer, as she settled her cup down and listened attentively. "I suppose simply thinking of it as a senior extending a helping hand to a junior would not suffice." Chen Ruide mused, taking another sip from his tea, before casting his gaze toward the ceiling.
"I once had grand aspirations for my destiny." He murmured, his voice melancholic. "I dreamt of pursuing immortality, of marking my name in the history of the vast reaches of this continent. I stubbornly pursued this dream for twenty long, bitter years. I loved, lost, and continued on." He sighed, looking back at Jintian. "But as you might have guessed… I did not succeed. I ended up joining a Lower Sect in my youth, but they were unfortunately annihilated and subsumed into another sect. After twenty years of effort and only barely managing to reach the Seventh Circle, well…"
Chen Ruide laughed. The sound might have been bitter, once, but now it was only filled with the faded dreams of a man who had not succeeded in his ambitions. "Young man, I have grown quite fond of my life here. I have not violated the rules set forth by our Warden Clan, as a cultivator living among mortals. I do not rule or conquer. But I am quite rich, and I have both a beautiful wife and several lovely children. I will outlive my wife, but I will most likely pass with my children when my time comes. And I am content with that fate. It is the best possible outcome I could have reached, after the destruction of my Sect."
Taking a deep breath, Chen Ruide fixed Jintian with a stare. The younger man suddenly felt a small weight settle upon his shoulders. It wasn't a conscious application of Qi, like he had performed against Li Qiang. It was the weight of… expectation.
"You, young man, have a look in your eyes that I lost long ago. Determination. Resolve. I have no doubt in my mind that you will succeed with whatever goal you have in mind. To play my own part in that, however small… well, it is all an old man like me can ask for." He finished, and Shen Jintian's hands curled into fists as he met Chen Ruide's gaze.
Finally, the younger man nodded, and took the offered spirit stones. Chen Ruide smiled as he did so, and after everyone had finished their tea, he led them all through the city to the gates that opened to the northern roads.
"Like I said previously, you won't be able to use your mortal currency in Shan'an. So whatever supplies you'll need to restock, do so in Jianling." He advised, and Shen Jintian nodded appreciatively. He clasped his hands in front of him, and bowed.
"Many thanks for the tea, and for your guidance, Senior." He said respectfully, and Chen Ruide smiled, returning the bow.
"And many thanks to you for humoring an old man. If you ever return to this mortal realm, stop by for a cup of tea." He said, and Jintian nodded. Then, with Xingyue settled on the cart and Li Qiang following close behind, he left Jinzhou to continue his journey north to Jianling.
Chen Ruide watched them leave for a time, until they were far in the horizon. Chuckling to himself, he clasped his hands behind his back, and disappeared from the city's streets.
A few moments later, he was once again in the throne room, standing silently beside the King. The Ministers had seemingly finished their discussions on war, and had progressed to the next topic, concerning other matters of the State. After a few moments, the King noticed that Chen Ruide had returned, startled slightly before smiling.
"How was it?" He asked, and Chen Ruide rubbed his clean shaven cheeks.
"They are on their way northward now. He was a polite young man, so I wished him well on his journey." He replied, and the King nodded, returning his attention to the ministers. After a few moments, though, he turned back to Chen Ruide.
"Ah, my sister came by shortly after you left. She wished to let you know that your eldest son accidentally broke that vase you liked. The one with the golden rims." He said, and Chen Ruide sighed.
"Ai, what am I to do with that boy." He mused, shaking his head. Chuckling, both men returned their attention to the Minister's discussion.
-
Shen Jintian continued to pull the cart, while Xingyue hummed a faint song behind him. Li Qiang seemed taken by the wonder of heading northward from Jinzhou, something he had never done before.
After a time, Xingyue noticed that Jintian hadn't spoken with her in the hour that had passed since their departure from Jinzhou. "Jintian, are you alright?" She asked, and Jintian snapped out of his daze.
"Hmm? Oh, yes, I'm alright." He said, turning back and smiling at Xingyue. "Just… lost in thought, was all."
Xingyue studied him for a few moments. "Did the meeting with Chen Ruide not go as you had expected?" She suggested, and the young cultivator laughed.
"Oh, it's not that. Well, I suppose it is partly that." He admitted. "But moreso, I was thinking of myself. You'd said that in my original…" He glanced towards Li Qiang, who followed attentively behind the cart. Finally he shrugged. If he was going to be the servant of an Oracle, he would find out about his Mistress' abilities sooner rather than later. "You'd said that in my original future, I would settle in Chenghe with you, and that Chen Ruide and I would become friends."
Xingyue nodded, and Jintian sighed, turning his gaze forward.
"I'd just thought… that wouldn't have been such a terrible life to live, perhaps." He finished his thought quietly, and Xingyue seemed to understand, gently squeezing his shoulder with a hand.
"But that is not what you chose." She whispered, and Jintian shook his head.
"No. That is not what I chose." He agreed, his grip tightening on the tongue of the cart as he continued to pull it forward.
It could never be what he chose, in this life.
Not while Wu Mingjie still drew breath.