Over the next few days, I found out that the Sect Master's name was Hal Kyoma, his tallest son was Fodi, and the small young one was Mez. He also had a daughter called Jina, but she was visiting relatives.
There were three other elders, too.
Apparently there were a few more before we arrived. Their funerals were very moving. My wife handed out some pills to the bereaved, who were very gracious about it.
Elder Brother Fodi showed us where we would be staying.
A small hut quite far outside the main sect's walls.
In the forest.
The hut hadn't been used for many years, but my wife was sure I could clean it up if I worked really hard for three days. Fodi promised to get us some chickens as a housewarming gift.
That was nice of him, I thought.
When he left, my wife gave him another pill because he was looking a bit nervous. She said it would help him with his cultivation.
I asked for one, too.
She said nothing could help me with my cultivation because I was old.
I disagreed.
Then she sent me back to town to get some tools to mend the hut's leaky roof. I couldn't understand why I was too old to be allowed to sit and cultivate all day but wasn't too old to tromp all over the countryside chopping lumber and dragging tools up from the town to fix her hut.
She trembled her lip at me, and I retreated with Elder Brother Fodi.
"Are you married, Elder Brother?" I asked as we headed back down the mountain.
"No, Great Elder."
"You are a very wise man," I said.
He didn't look like he believed me. Maybe he thought I was just flattering him.
"Great Elder, are you truly in the Seventh Stage?"
"Hmm? Oh, yes. I broke through last year."
"The highest cultivator I've ever met was Old Gorlen," he said, looking a little awed. "He was Fifth Stage. I am only Second Stage, and I thought that was an achievement."
"How old are you, Elder Brother?"
"I'll be thirty-five this year."
"Then Second Stage is an achievement," I told him. "And you are a busy man, I'm sure. You are the Sect Master's first son!"
"I guess so…"
He didn't sound convinced, so I patted him on the back. "Cultivate hard, Elder Brother, and let my wife give you pills. This way, you will advance quickly."
"Really?" He looked a bit more cheerful. "Your wife's pills are a miracle! The High Alchemist in town can only make 3rd grade pills."
"What? 3rd grade, and he dares call himself a High Alchemist?" I frowned deeply. What kind of imposter was he? How dare he dupe my new sect! "Pah! You are the Sect Master's son! Such trash pills are too trivial for you. From now on, my wife will make you only the best."
"Thank you, Great Elder Wey!" He turned and bowed deeply. "Your generosity is boundless!"
"Please don't bow, Elder Brother," I said sheepishly. "If my wife saw, she'd yell at me and say I was growing a fat head."
"I wouldn't dare to make her angry," he said, smiling broadly.
"See? You are a wise man!"
"Your wife is very beautiful, Great Elder Wey," he said. "And her cultivation is advanced. You are very lucky, I think."
"You think so?" I scratched my ear. "Let me tell you something, Elder Brother. But you must swear you can't let her know I said this."
"My lips are closed," he promised.
"She is a terrible cook," I said in a hushed voice. One never knew where she was. She could be hidden in the shadows right now! I felt my heart skip a few beats as I spilled my most secret secrets. "And she didn't say it, but I must warn you. Her pills taste like a monkey's asshole. Wine helps. It helps a lot. Before and after you take them. But although she is the worst, she is still my flower."
He chuckled softly. "Your words reveal more of your heart than you might want, I think," he said. "But I will keep your secret. And I will listen to your wisdom and keep some wine close before I cultivate with your wife's pills."
"Wise man," I said, feeling more comfortable with everything.
I had been wary of entering a sect. It wasn't something I had wanted to do.
I had always been a lone cultivator.
A wolf.
A dragon.
Or, as my wife liked to say, a lazy cultivator who preferred to lean against a tree rather than lean on a hoe.
I had expected the Sect Master to beat me for daring to consider joining his illustrious sect. Or for his sons to humiliate me and try to steal my wife for their harem.
But it seemed neither son even had a single concubine, and both had been very polite to my wife.
The Sect Master had also offered her tea.
Which came with a little matcha cookie.
This had pleased her a lot, and she'd taken it as a sign of how right she was to bully me into joining a sect.
I sighed heavily.
Right or wrong, it was too late now. I had made my Heaven and Earth Vow.
I would need to live with it.
At the gates to the town, my Elder Brother paused and bowed. "I will return to the sect, Great Elder," he said. "My father has instructed me to cultivate immediately. He doesn't wish me to waste any time."
"Good idea," I nodded, happy to hear the sect took cultivation seriously. "Cultivation should always be your number one priority."
After saying our politest goodbyes, I wandered off into the city for the first time.
It felt a bit strange without my wife beside me.
She was usually clinging to my shadow.
But this time, she wanted to stay at the hut and start cleaning out the dust. She didn't like dust. It was her natural enemy.
This meant my years of living in secluded caves was over.
I felt like I would miss the quiet hollows, but not the lice.
Scratching at my armpit, mostly out of sympathy for the parasitic companions of my past, I immediately found what I was looking for.
A tavern.
Called The Gilded Lotus.
Looking around carefully, I couldn't see my wife. So, I entered with a bit of a happy swagger.
A pretty young lass approached quickly.
Her neat white robe was patterned with violet lotuses edged with gold. She gave me a little bow and smiled widely. "Greetings, sir. Welcome to The Gilded Lotus. I am Metta Hern, daughter of the owner. Would you like a table?"
"Yes, please," I said, pulling out some silver coins from my spatial ring. "In a quiet position. I don't want my wife to find me if she sticks her beak through the door."
Metta giggled and accepted the silver before leading me to a little corner at the back of the bar. The table was smooth wood, clean and shiny. The cushions were violet with the same lotus pattern as the girl's robe.
The ambient chi was friendly and welcoming. I couldn't help but relax and feel soothed.
There also weren't many customers. I liked it.
"I will bring the menu," she said before scurrying.
She was very cute, I thought. The way she bounced away reminded me of a little bunny while her smile reminded me of a cheeky monkey with no care in the world. My wife could smile like that, too, when she wanted to.
She swiftly returned with a small menu, which she placed in front of me.
I gave it a quick glance.
"I'll take the fried frog legs," I said. "And gin with tonic water."
Plucking the menu from my fingers, Metta flashed a happy smile and skittered away.
Leaning back against the wall of the small alcove, I let out a satisfied sigh. It had been so long since I'd sat in a tavern and just let the chi glide into my body.
I could feel the warm peaceful sensation gently washing through me in waves.
It was both thrilling and relaxing.
Closing my eyes, I felt the joy of being alone permeate through my meridians. My dantian seemed to swell with it, reflecting the calmness of my inner sea and the balance of my emotions.
Metta suddenly let out a frightened squeal.
And a chorus of dark chuckles made my inner sea's waves ripple sharply.
Slowly, I opened my eyes and breathed a single word which cut through the room like a blade.
"Insolent."