Chapter 856 — The Jiang Price

CHAPTER 856

The Jiang Price

“Her Highness tells me you fold fire into fountains,” Elder Jiang Bozhou said.

The tea room overlooked the pavilion’s inner lake. Long Caili sat at the head of a low table with the pot in front of her, veiled from brow to chin. Across from her sat an old man in a plain blue robe with a small jade array disc hanging from his belt, and behind him stood a young man in grey who didn’t sit and didn’t speak.

“I didn’t want the buyers behind me burned, Elder,” Shi Feng said, taking the seat Long Caili pointed at. “The fountain was empty of people.”

Jiang Bozhou smiled. He had a mild, round face and very sharp eyes.

“This old man has heard a great deal about you in one month,” Jiang Bozhou said. “A clerk’s mistake who won the princess’s contest. An alchemist who took six skies on Thunder-Gazing Ridge and brought a band of bandits into his own tribulation. A man who beat Helian Ba three days after his breakthrough.” He sipped his tea. “The Jiang family has lived next to the Sky Pavilion for nine hundred years. We hear a great deal. We believe very little of it.”

“That’s sensible,” Shi Feng said.

Long Caili poured for Shi Feng without looking at him.

“Elder Jiang came to talk about the court,” Long Caili said.

“Her Highness wants a family behind her,” Jiang Bozhou said. “Gold she has. Pavilions she has. But when the court sits, the Third Prince has the Situ ministers nodding behind him. Her Highness has the First Prince, who never says a word at a sitting, and her steward.” He nodded politely at the door, where Ke Lianshu stood. “No offence meant.”

“None taken, Elder,” Ke Lianshu said.

“The other princes have also sent tea to the Jiang this season,” Long Caili said.

“Several times,” Jiang Bozhou agreed. “Good tea. This old man drank all of it.” He set his cup down. “The Jiang don’t back people, Your Highness. We back things that hold. Arrays, mostly. And the Jiang can’t tell yet whether your new faction holds, or whether it’s a beautiful pavilion with one clever alchemist in it.”

“Then test it,” Long Caili said.

Jiang Bozhou turned his sharp eyes on Shi Feng.

“That’s why I’ve come,” Jiang Bozhou said. “This is Jiang Shen, of our main line.”

The young man in grey bowed slightly. He had a narrow face and long, clean fingers, and he looked at Shi Feng without greeting him. He seemed more interested in judging his condition than joining the conversation.

“Twenty-ninth on the Tianxing,” Jiang Bozhou said. “Mid Shattering Void. He keeps our Ninefold Lock Array, in the court behind our residence. If Her Highness’s recruit walks into the array with Jiang Shen and walks out again on his own feet, the Jiang family will stand behind the Phoenix Tail Pavilion at court. If he doesn’t walk out…” He spread his hands. “Then the Jiang have lost nothing but an afternoon.”

“And if he walks out with something broken?” Shi Feng asked.

“Then he’s still walking,” Jiang Bozhou said. “That’s all we ask.”

Shi Feng looked at Jiang Shen. Early Shattering Void against mid. Inside the Jiang family’s own array, in their own court, with their own man moving the pieces. Every advantage in that court belonged to the Jiang.

“Elder Jiang,” Shi Feng began, “before I agree to anything, I’d like to discuss the—”

“He accepts,” Long Caili said.

The room went quiet.

Shi Feng turned and looked at her. Long Caili was pouring herself a second cup, without looking up to see whether he objected.

“Your Highness,” Shi Feng said. “I’d have asked for a fee.”

“I know,” Long Caili said. “That’s why I answered first.”

Jiang Bozhou laughed out loud, the first real laugh he’d given. Even Jiang Shen’s mouth twitched.

“Tomorrow, then,” Jiang Bozhou said, rising. “At the second bell. A horse shows its strength on a long road. We’ll see how far this one goes.” He bowed to Long Caili. “Your Highness. Thank you for the tea. It was better than your brothers’.”

Jiang Shen followed him out. At the door he stopped and looked back.

“The array has nine locks,” Jiang Shen said to Shi Feng. It was the first thing he’d said. His voice was quiet and precise. “Nobody has seen the ninth close on them. Most people yield at four.”

“You’ve seen enough people try it,” Shi Feng said. “Has anyone yielded at three?”

“Once,” Jiang Shen said. “He was my cousin.”

He left.

When the door had closed, Shi Feng sat back and looked at Long Caili across the table.

“You sold me to the Jiang for an afternoon,” Shi Feng said.

“I invested you,” Long Caili said. “The Jiang are tied to the Sky Pavilion closer than any family in the Empire. If they stand behind me, the Pavilion stops pretending it doesn’t see my pavilions. My third brother knows that. That’s why his tea arrived first.”

“And if I don’t walk out?” Shi Feng asked, leaving his tea untouched.

Long Caili set down her cup.

“Then I’ll have been wrong about you,” Long Caili said coldly. “I’m very seldom wrong. I’d find it inconvenient.”

Shi Feng looked at her for a moment. Then he smiled and finished his tea.

“Then I’d better find out tonight how a lock array works,” Shi Feng said. “Does your library have anything on the Jiang?”

“Third shelf on the left,” Long Caili said. “I had it brought down an hour ago.”