With that he returned to his courtyard, left the decree in his room, sat on the bed, and leaned back on his arms without lying down fully. Do I even need to prepare anything for tomorrow? He wondered, his eyes drifting across every corner of the room.
He shook his head and fell back onto the bed, rubbing his head. He'd had to put the parasol aside to receive the decree, and his head had burned meanwhile. Lucky I have thick hair… I hope I don't end up bald… Looking at both sides of the family… Damn, a lot of my maternal uncles are bald… Xue Yanluo prayed silently not to go bald, then got up and left the room.
Outside, Ruan Xueling was waiting under the courtyard's only tree.
"What are you doing here?"
"I heard the emperor had issued a decree for you and came to see if you'd gotten yourself into trouble."
As Xue Yanluo drew closer, he noticed Ruan Xueling's breathing was slightly uneven. Taking advantage of his sharpened senses, he focused on the details. Her cheeks carried a deep, striking flush, with small drops like dew sliding down her neck and across her forehead, wiped away mercilessly by the handkerchief she kept on her before they could travel far down her face.
"You don't need to worry—it was nothing serious. They just want me to represent the empire at a secret realm a fair distance away."
"What a shame. I thought this time the emperor might finally scold you for being so lazy."
Xue Yanluo laughed out loud, and then a smile settled on his face that he hadn't even noticed was there—and even if he had, he wouldn't have removed it. "Come inside and sit for a while. Did you bring snacks?"
"Yes… Here, carry them yourself this time," she said, handing him a brown box with gold detailing.
"I can't promise they'll arrive in one piece," he joked, taking the box and heading toward the room to eat and pass the time.
Ruan Xueling followed behind him and used the moment to collect herself, wiping the sweat from her face.
They spent the rest of the day in easy conversation—talking about their daily lives, their duties, and Ruan Xueling occasionally complaining about the haughty attitude of the maidservants belonging to the other consorts in the imperial harem.
The conversation had no set course; it was like a river that sometimes split into a thousand smaller streams or spilled over into the valley. Neither of them tried to build a dam to hold it back—they didn't even try, just let it flow, and time dissolved quietly among their words.
Near nightfall he said goodbye to Ruan Xueling and stretched his back, cracking the length of it. "Tomorrow, you and Bao Qingcao will come with me to the secret realm."
"Yes, my lord."
"How is Bao Qingcao getting on?"
"Well. She's already been assigned as a servant to you and should arrive in time for our departure tomorrow."
"Make sure she does."
"I will, my lord."
"You can go train."
Hua Zhenfeng said his goodbyes, and Xue Yanluo was left alone in the courtyard. He walked a few steps and stopped beneath the tree, running his hand along the bark and letting its ridges guide his fingers, then settled onto the ground with his back against the trunk and breathed.
A cool, faintly spicy, mentholated scent entered through his nose. He closed his eyes and began to break down the strand of energy he had gathered that day.
He still didn't fully understand how these strands came to be—when he tried drinking more blood, a second strand didn't form; the existing one simply grew a little, and by his reckoning more than seventy percent of the energy was lost in the process.
Before the sun rose, Xue Yanluo was still under the tree with his parasol in hand, his attention wandering through a tangle of thoughts.
"Yanluo, why are you wasting time?" a voice broke in suddenly.
His eyes swept the courtyard and came to rest on the person in front of him, traveling up from her feet until they met her gaze. "How did you get in without making any noise?" he asked, confused.
"Mm? I walked the same as always. You were the one staring at the ground."
"Were I? Fine…" he murmured. "Never mind—what are you doing here?"
"The mistress heard you were leaving for a secret realm and asked me to give you this emblem. She's packed it with bell talismans, free wind escape talismans, and concealment talismans. There are also some healing pills for the group."
"She should know by now that I'd have prepared all that already… It doesn't matter—thank her for me." He shook his head with a smile.
"If you don't want it, just say so—I'll tell the mistress she raised an ungrateful son."
"Give it here," he said, extending his hand.
Ruan Xueling handed it over, then looked around. "Where are your attendants?"
"They'll be here in about an hour, I expect."
"That new soldier you took on—what's interesting about him?"
"Stop thinking so much. I did it on a whim."
Ruan Xueling frowned, and though she wanted to press further, she knew she wouldn't get anything more. So she leaned her back against the trunk as well—still standing—and let the time pass.
A little while later Ruan Xueling looked up, watching the branches and leaves that blocked the sun from coming through, and opened her heart. "Be careful."
"I will."
An hour later two people entered the courtyard—Bao Qingcao and Hua Zhenfeng—and walked straight toward Xue Yanluo, kneeling before him.
"The task is complete, and everything is in order."
"It was a nuisance, but I managed to pass the exams in the end."
Xue Yanluo nodded and, before standing, looked up at the branches of the tree once more. "We're all here—let's go." With that he left, but not before saying goodbye to Ruan Xueling and asking her to have fun with his mother and to make sure she didn't worry about his life.
In a large square near the imperial palace, thousands of voices filled the air, thousands of soldiers stood in formation, and thousands of suits of armor shifted and rattled with every movement.
On the only raised point stood four people. Among them were a man who bore a strong resemblance to Xue Yanluo, the eunuch who had delivered the imperial decree, and an older man in gleaming armor with a spear in his hands. He also had a thick beard gathered into a tail. Another soldier who did not stand out particularly.
The eunuch was the first to greet Xue Yanluo. "We're all here—we can depart whenever you're ready."
Everyone nodded, and the older soldier with the spear stepped forward. "We move in twenty minutes. If you'll excuse me, I'll go and inform my regiment."
While Xue Yanluo exchanged a few words with the eunuch, the man who shared his bloodline approached to greet him. "Good morning, fourth brother."
"Morning, fifth brother. Are you ready? It would be a shame if you came to nothing again this time."