Dao of the Deal

Junfeng took a moment to think over Muchen's comments on the dao. After a moment, he gave a thoughtful nod. Muchen was glad that he was at least willing to consider what he had said.

"Like I said, I'll accompany you to Li Village," Muchen said. "For the sect... you can visit for a while, get a feel for how well you fit in.

Junfeng nodded, and that was that. Another disciple added to the sect. Maybe. A significant increase in their roster by weight. Even measured by cultivation progress, he would be raising the sect's average. Muchen would just have to do his best to make sure he was also improving the bottom line.

The two of them traveled together in companionable silence. Muchen waited until they were making camp for the night to broach the sensitive topic. "Will the Iron Bones sect be willing to let you go?"

Muchen was comfortable with the idea. Neighbors would always become rivals in time. He didn't mind hastening the process as long as the reward was worth it. Still, he wanted to hear Junfeng's thoughts on the subject.

Junfeng laughed. "Outer disciples leave the sect all the time."

"Do they leave," Muchen asked, "or are they driven out?"

The Iron Bones sect was set up to go through outer disciples pretty quickly. Muchen didn't think they would care too much about the sort of unpromising disciple whose potential topped out in the foundation building phase. Junfeng, though, wasn't the sort of useless disciple that they would be happy to throw away. Even if he'd never had much of a reputation before, he'd shown enough during his fight to demonstrate that he had real potential.

"Well, I don't plan on going back to visit," Junfeng admitted, "but I don't think they'll try to track me down."

"What about that disciple you had a feud with?" Muchen asked. Even if the sect didn't bother using any official resources to track Junfeng down, that didn't mean he was free and clear.

"Hong?" Junfeng said. "I wouldn't call it a feud, really. As long as I never darken his eyes, he'll be happy."

"What about you?" Muchen asked.

"Me?" Junfeng asked.

"Your arm," Muchen said. "Are you willing to let that go?"

It was all well and good if the Iron Bones sect was willing to let Junfeng go, but it only took one side to maintain a blood feud. Junfeng didn't look the type, but considering how the Qianzhan Continent idolized stories of plucky underdogs getting their revenge after decades had gone by, Muchen wasn't going to rely on first impressions. He wanted to bring a useful disciple into the sect. He didn't want the sect to get dragged into a personal grudge.

"If I happened upon him, and I had a way to pay him back? Sure, I'd take it," Junfeng said. "If we never see each other again, though, I'll be just as happy. He was good for some contribution points that would have come in handy, but at the end of the day I'm meant for bigger and better things than battling that guy to the death."

Muchen smiled. It was sad that on the Qianzhan Continent the idea of only passively pursuing revenge was basically pacifism, but at least his new disciple was content to look forward instead of focusing on avenging slights from the past. Not only was it a relief to know that he wouldn't be dragging the sect into any immediate battles with their neighbors, but maintaining such a positive mindset would serve Junfeng well in the future.

"How's your arm feeling?" Muchen asked. Junfeng hadn't been complaining or making any great show of being in pain, but the kind of damage that had been done to his arm wasn't something to be shrugged off in a day.

"Pretty much the same," Junfeng said. "I'll be glad when I don't have to spend all day walking around."

Muchen nodded. Going on an extended hike with a broken arm was not his idea of a good time. "I'll have a doctor look at it once we arrive at the Li Village, although I don't know if they'll be up to the standards of the Iron Bones sect."

A mortal doctor would only have a vague idea as to how best to treat a cultivator's injuries. Not to mention that they wouldn't have access to the enhanced senses and medical techniques of an accomplished medical cultivator. Xinyi would probably be of more help, but Muchen wasn't sure how hard she'd be willing to work in order to nurse a brand new disciple back to health.

"Oh, I'll be fine," Junfeng said.

"Are you sure?" Muchen asked. "It looked like an injury that needs proper treatment."

He could understand if Junfeng wanted to put up an act of stoicism. After all, he wanted to make a good first impression at his new sect. But he didn't want the young man to suffer long term consequences just because he was too proud to accept medical help.

"I can treat it," Junfeng said.

Muchen looked at him in surprise. "You can?"

"I have a bit of medical knowledge," he said. "And after I cleaned out the prize pavilion of healing ingredients, taking care of a broken bone is no problem."

"I'm impressed," Muchen said. It was a wonder that Junfeng had been able to keep a low profile at the Iron Bones sect. He'd obviously put plenty of time into his cultivation and combat techniques. And while he might act humble, medical treatment wasn't something you just picked up on a whim. Muchen was surprised that whoever had taught him had been willing to let him leave the sect so easily.

"I'm just full of surprises," Junfeng said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. After keeping a low profile for so long, it seemed he wasn't used to praise.

The two of them woke up early the next morning. Again, Junfeng largely held his tongue as they traveled. Muchen caught him wincing in pain a few times, bringing his free hand over to cradle his broken arm. After the first hour or so of travel he took a pill that seemed to help. At least the Iron Bones sect was good for something.

Despite the injury putting a damper on his mood, Junfeng proved to be agreeable enough as a traveling companion. He at least made a pretense of refusing Muchen's offer to share his travel rations, though once it came time to eat he wasn't shy about eating enough food to sustain himself.

Even if Junfeng was only on his best behavior due to the situation, Mucehn was happy that he had made the effort. With his outgoing nature and at least some ability to read the room, he really ought to do well in sales.

The journey to Li Village passed by without incident. After getting a better read on Junfeng's personality, Muchen decided to lead him past the village and straight to Flower Mountain.

Muchen was mulling over just how he would rejigger the org chart as they reached the outskirts of the mountain. He was brought out of his thoughts and forced to stop walking when he saw Xinyi standing in front of him in the middle of the path, her arms crossed and an irritated expression on her face.

"Picking up another disciple?" she asked.

"We have been planning to recruit," Muchen said. "I didn't want to pass up the opportunity."

She didn't answer, instead turning her attention to Junfeng. She had a focused, intent look on her face that Muchen had never seen before. He had no idea why she would take such an interest in a former outer disciple from a small sect, but he also wasn't going to risk asking about it.

"I thought I felt something," she said, "a presence from long ago."

Junfeng flinched back. Xinyi stared at him for another moment, then grinned. She snapped her fingers and the small pendant necklace that Junfeng had tucked away into his robes rose up into the air. It couldn't get very far, still being wrapped around his neck, but Muchen was still able to get his first good look at the thing.

It didn't strike him as particularly impressive. It was a dark lump of metal that could have been steel or iron or almost anything, shaped into a lumpy sphere complete with a small hook for a lanyard to pass through. It had been well cared for, at least, still shining as though it had been polished recently. It wasn't something Muchen would have spent fifty wen for at a market stall, let alone a treasure he'd expect to catch Xinyi's eye.

"Still hiding?" she asked, before reaching out with her other hand to grasp at the air. When she yanked her hand back, a translucent human figure appeared, dragged out of the sphere as she continued to pull.

It coalesced into the form of an old man, dressed in a ceremonial set of robes. His hair was gathered up in a bun at the back of his neck, while his beard reached nearly from his chin down to his chest. His entire spectral body was in shades of white and gray, but Muchen got the impression that his hair would be white under any circumstances. He had the sort of face that was easy to set in a dignified expression, although at the moment he was too panicked to care about making an impression.

"Little Xiang!" Xinyi said, sounding satisfied. "I thought it was you."

"Lady Xinyi, please," the ghost said, holding his hands up in supplication. "I didn't know what they had planned."

Muchen watched the show with interest, curious to learn more about what had happened in the past. Part of him was alarmed that he had been traveling alongside a ghost for the past few days without even an inkling of what was going on, but he was confident that Xinyi had things under control.

Junfeng, on the other hand, had reeled back in shock when Xinyi first made her move, and looked even more alarmed when she called out the ghost's name. Assuming that the spirit had been acting as a mentor of sorts, Junfeng had probably never imagined he would see him in such an embarrassed state.

"Obviously, you would never have the guts for something like that," Xinyi replied. "But you still owe me a set of Celestial Phoenix Rebirth pills."

The ghost's expression settled down from outright panic into a more dignified sort of alarm. He took a moment to gather his hands back in front of his body before he replied.

"You still remember old accounts."

"I did pay for it," Xinyi said. "And I never received what I was owed."

"The grand alliance confiscated the pills as soon as you were... indisposed," he said. "Along with the payment."

Xinyi crossed her arms. "That sounds like it's your problem."

The ghost sighed, then gestured at himself. "When I'm like this, how do you expect me to prepare any pills at all? Let alone something like the Celestial Phoenix Rebirth pill."

"That also sounds like your problem," Xinyi said, before raising an eyebrow. "Unless you think your state can't get any worse, so you dare to go back on your word?"

"I don't dare, I don't dare!" the man said, once more resuming his supplicating posture. Muchen felt a little bad watching Xinyi bully an old man. Not bad enough to get in between her and the object of her ire, though. Besides, when you strike a bargain you shouldn't complain about being forced to follow through on it. That was just common sense.

Xinyi nodded, satisfied. "As long as you understand. How did you get like this, anyway?"

The ghost started to say something, then paused, sneaking a glance at Junfeng. If Muchen were to hazard a guess, he figured the ghost wanted to maintain a certain sense of dignity in front of his disciple. Unfortunately, Xinyi was not in a patient mood. She made another gesture with her hand, dragging the ghost forward another few inches.

"Hey, hey... well, it's not a special story," the ghost said. "The grand alliance, as the war went on, they were less and less reasonable. After you, well, you know, they shed all pretenses. They pressed all of the alchemists into service. Preparing nothing but the pills they told us to prepare, using the ingredients provided, and no payment beyond room and board."

That was quite a story. Muchen knew a little bit about the intra-sect economy on the Qianzhan Continent, enough to know that an alchemist was a prized recruit, easily able to secure a generous signing bonus from whatever faction was lucky enough to retain his services.

The pricing was even more out of whack. The going rate usually started at twice the cost of the ingredients, at least as far as Muchen knew. And he didn't see any reason that the price would go down as the rank of the pills went up.

For one organization to forcibly bind all of the alchemists to their cause and impose such harsh pricing restrictions, it would almost have to control the entire Qianzhan Continent. Which would make sense, if Xiang had been press-ganged by the military alliance in charge of protecting the Qianzhan Continent from the endless horde of invaders.

"You worked under those conditions?" Xinyi asked. "You weren't willing to budge on your price for me."

"Of course I wouldn't just take it lying down," nameTk said, "but you have to be practical about these things. I built up an alliance among my colleagues and was chosen as the representative to negotiate a better deal with Lord Guang."

Muchen could guess how that ended, considering that they were having this conversation with a ghost.

"Guang," Xinyi said, turning the name over in her mouth. "I thought he might have been the driving force."

"Yes, yes," nameTk said, nodding enthusiastically. "After the sealing, he stepped forward and took the lead of the alliance."

"He was never the type to sit down and negotiate," Xinyi said.

"He said he would consider adjusting our pay schedule," Xiang said. "Two weeks later I was leading a small unit on the front lines when the rest of the army retreated, leaving us all alone."

Xinyi tapped her finger on her chin. "I'm surprised so much of you survived his vengeance."