Chapter 1126 — Escort

CHAPTER 1126

Escort

The Long household outrider came into Pinefall at a gallop just after first light, while Qin Wuyan was still handing the sealed letters across the post-house counter.

The whole town came out to look at the horse. It was a tall grey northern horse with a plain dark blue saddle cloth and no crest. Everybody in the north knew that dark blue.

The outrider swung down in front of the herb house and bowed to the manager in the doorway.

“Her Highness will inspect this house’s accounts in person,” the outrider said, loud enough for the street. “She’ll arrive within three days. Prepare the books.”

The manager was terrified. He went pale, then red, and bowed so many times that his cap fell off.

“In person? Her Highness, in person, in Pinefall?” the manager said, grabbing his cap off the step. “The books are ready! They’re always ready! I’ll make them readier!”

The street burst into noise.

“The Fourth Princess? Here?”

“Why would a princess come to Pinefall? There’s nothing in Pinefall!”

“There’s the herb house.”

“Nobody comes all the way north in the snow to read an herb house’s books!”

“…”

Several people turned round slowly and looked at the young man standing by the post house with his left arm in a sling.

Shi Feng had come down from the valley with Qin Wuyan to buy charcoal and see the letters off. He looked back at them politely, and they hurriedly turned to stare at the outrider’s horse instead.

The outrider saw him and came straight over. He bowed to Shi Feng even lower than he’d bowed to the manager.

“Honoured guest elder,” the outrider said. “Her Highness’s compliments. She asks nothing of you. She only says that the accounts concern you, and that you may wish to be present.”

“Tell Her Highness I’ll be present,” Shi Feng said. “And thank her for coming so far north in the snow.”

The outrider bowed again, mounted and rode back south without stopping for tea.

Lin Langtian found them at the tea stall half an hour later. He’d come down the valley path behind them, complaining about the cold, the slope and the fact that nobody had waited for him. He sat down on the bench and took Shi Feng’s tea.

“I heard,” Lin Langtian said, drinking it. “The whole town heard. The princess is coming all the way north in the snow to read an herb house’s ledgers. Those must be very interesting ledgers.”

“They concern me,” Shi Feng said, taking the cup back. “I bought my herbs at that house with her token. She’ll want to check the entries herself.”

Lin Langtian put both elbows on the table and looked very serious. Shi Feng knew that meant he was about to say something shameless.

“Junior Brother. Senior Brother has made a decision,” Lin Langtian said. “When you go to the Serene Jade, Yours Truly is coming with you.”

“Why?” Shi Feng asked.

“Because Yours Truly wants to see the strongest man on the continent with his own eyes!” Lin Langtian said, slapping the table. “And because that one-armed bandit is still out there somewhere. If I let you walk south alone with one good arm, you’ll end up fighting him again and thanking him for the exercise.”

“I’m going there to repay a life,” Shi Feng said. “Not to fight.”

“Nobody chooses the fights that find him,” Lin Langtian said. “Senior Brother will watch the road. You can keep your promise. That way everybody’s happy.”

“The Nangong house may not let you past the gate,” Shi Feng said.

“Then I’ll sit outside the gate,” Lin Langtian said. “I’ve sat outside worse ones.”

Shi Feng turned to Qin Wuyan. The guardian was sitting very straight at the end of the bench with a cup of plain hot water in front of him.

“Senior Qin,” Shi Feng said. “Does the Pavilion allow it?”

Qin Wuyan put down his cup.

“The Pavilion’s orders name this one as the 6 Mark’s guardian,” Qin Wuyan said formally. “They also allow a second escort, at the guest elder’s choice, if the guardian judges him fit.”

“And do you judge him fit?” Shi Feng asked.

Qin Wuyan looked at Lin Langtian, who had a sweet potato skin stuck to his sleeve and was trying to steal a bun from the next table.

“This one saw him break a hundred-li Cage,” Qin Wuyan said. “This one judges him fit.”

“There!” Lin Langtian said, holding up the bun in triumph. “The old man judges me fit! Junior Brother, you heard it. No taking it back!”

“Thank you, Senior Brother,” Shi Feng said. He was glad of the company. “Hanyuan first. I have a Shuoyang pill to refine at the tower. Then the Serene Jade road.”

“Hanyuan first,” Lin Langtian agreed at once. “They have a very good wine house by the north gate. I remember it. It might still be there.”

He reached across the table for the teapot to pour himself another cup.

Shi Feng watched his hand. Since the basin, Lin Langtian’s right hand had shaken whenever he lifted anything heavier than a chopstick. He’d blamed the cold, and Shi Feng hadn’t argued.

Now it lifted the full teapot, tipped it, and poured a perfect cup without spilling a drop.

Lin Langtian saw him looking. He looked at his own hand, then set the teapot down carefully. He was clearly glad, and just as clearly didn’t want to talk about it.

“The cold’s gone,” Lin Langtian said lightly.

“It has,” Shi Feng said. He was deeply relieved, but he didn’t ask what had really caused it.

Neither of them said anything else about it. Shi Feng paid for the tea and the bun.

At the herb house across the street, the manager had already started carrying ledgers out into the light to dust them, and he was praying out loud to every god he could name.