Chapter 854 — Who Made It

CHAPTER 854

Who Made It

“Master! You were told three days!” Shen Yaoqing called.

Shen Yaoqing came down the east wing steps faster than anyone in the pavilion had ever seen her move. Her sleeves were still pinned back from washing, and she didn’t seem to have noticed.

Ye Wanqiu stood in the middle of the garden path with one hand on a plum tree. She was thin and pale, but she was standing.

“It has been three days,” Ye Wanqiu said. “I counted. Your alchemist’s old friend counts very loudly in the mornings. I learned it from him.”

“He’s not my alchemist,” Shen Yaoqing said at once.

“Then why answer so quickly?” Ye Wanqiu asked mildly.

Shen Yaoqing’s mouth opened and closed.

“…” Shen Yaoqing pressed her lips together.

On the steps of the east courtyard, Shi Feng sat with his bandaged arm across his knees and a pear in his right hand. He’d taken it from the guest bowl in the front hall on his way out. Ji Yuanhe sat one step below him, with a cup of tea.

“That’s the first time I’ve seen Fairy Shen lose an argument,” Ji Yuanhe said quietly.

“Her master’s getting well,” Shi Feng said, smiling. “She’s too relieved to argue properly.”

Long Caili came along the covered walk, veiled in pale gauze, with her steward Ke Lianshu a step behind her. She looked at the elder on the path, allowed herself a brief, pleased nod, and then looked at the pear.

“That fruit was for guests,” Long Caili said.

“I’m a guest, Your Highness,” Shi Feng said. “It’s written in my contract. You signed under it.”

Long Caili didn’t answer that. She turned to Ke Lianshu.

“Have a chair brought for Elder Ye,” Long Caili said. “And close the front gate to callers. Someone will come within the hour.”

“Who, Your Highness?” Ke Lianshu asked.

“Whoever’s been waiting for her to die,” Long Caili said.

It took less than an hour.

The Azure Sun carriage rolled into the front court with its eight flame banners snapping, and the pavilion staff bowed to it as they had the first time. Qu Hanshan stepped down in his red robe with eight disciples behind him. His white beard was combed straight, and his face showed nothing.

He walked into the garden and stopped.

Ye Wanqiu sat in a chair under the plum tree, with a blanket over her knees and a cup of tea in her hand. She raised it to him politely.

“Elder Qu,” Ye Wanqiu said. “Thank you for coming to see me.”

Qu Hanshan looked at her neck, where the black crease had been. He was a 5 Mark on the threshold of the 6 Mark, and he didn’t need to look twice. Behind him, his disciples stared, and one of them took half a step back without meaning to.

Qu Hanshan turned to Long Caili.

“Who refined it?” Qu Hanshan asked coldly.

“My alchemist,” Long Caili said.

Nothing more. She didn’t look anywhere when she said it.

Qu Hanshan’s eyes moved once around the garden. They passed the steward, the servants, the old man with the teacup, and stopped on the young man sitting on the east courtyard steps with a bandaged arm and half a pear.

Shi Feng took another bite.

Qu Hanshan looked at him for the space of one breath. Then he looked away.

“Elder Qu’s terms were plain,” Shen Yaoqing said. She’d unpinned her sleeves and stood behind her master’s chair with her hands folded, as cold as she’d ever been. “Elder Qu’s pill for this disciple’s betrothal. Elder Qu’s pill turned to ash.”

“So there’s nothing left to trade,” Ye Wanqiu said, and sipped her tea. “Water that’s spilled can’t be gathered back, Elder Qu. The betrothal is void.”

Qu Hanshan said nothing at all.

He turned and walked out of the garden with his red robe straight and his back very upright. His eight disciples hurried after him.

At the garden gate, Shen Yaoqing’s voice followed them.

“Carry this back to your sect,” Shen Yaoqing said. “The terms were public. The voiding is public. Any claim will be heard at the Serene Jade gate.”

None of the eight looked back. Beyond the gate, the Buying Hall queue had turned to watch, and Ke Lianshu’s clerks had their brushes out.

Out in the street, the Azure Sun carriage pulled away. Inside it, nobody spoke.

The eight disciples sat in two rows, four and four, with their eyes on their knees. Qu Hanshan sat at the end with his hands folded in his lap. The wheels rolled over the cobbles of the Long-family quarter. The banners snapped outside.

Somewhere past the third street, the youngest disciple opened his mouth to ask a question.

The disciple beside him stepped on his foot, hard. He closed his mouth again.

They rode the rest of the way to the Azure Sun residence in silence.

Back in the garden, Long Caili waited until the gate had shut.

“He knows,” Long Caili said.

“He knew the moment he saw her standing,” Shi Feng said, putting the pear core on the step beside him. “There aren’t many people in this city who could make that pill. He failed at eight clouds in front of everyone. A 4 Mark with a burned arm is the only name left on his list that he doesn’t like.”

“And he can’t say it,” Long Caili said.

“No. If he says a 4 Mark made the pill he couldn’t, he says it to the whole capital,” Shi Feng agreed. “So he’ll find some other way.”

Ye Wanqiu, under the plum tree, raised her cup to him a second time.

“When you drink water, remember who dug the well,” Ye Wanqiu said. “The Serene Jade will remember, young man.”

Shi Feng stood up and bowed to her properly.

Ke Lianshu came back along the walk, faster than a steward of the Phoenix Tail Pavilion normally allowed himself to walk.

“Your Highness,” Ke Lianshu said. “Young Lord Qu is at the front gate. He’s asking for Master Shi by name.” He paused. “Loudly.”