Heart of Cultivation 49. Settling In (Patreon)

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Jian and Shan were given a small courtyard in the back of the estate for their own purposes. Though modest in size, it was beautifully appointed. The attached garden was a masterpiece of design, and in all honesty, the furniture and decor was a cut above anything Jian had ever experienced back in Bianjing Town. The courtyard even came complete with a well-equipped workshop where he could work on his projects. 

Still, it wasn't his own home. Jian appreciated the beautiful surroundings, but he was still looking forward to settling his business and heading back home where he belonged.

The greatest immediate change to his day to day life now that their trip was over was that he no longer had to apply his disguise every morning. He and Shan interacted only with a select group of highly trusted servants. Putting on the transforming makeup every morning had hardly been a crippling burden, but it did chafe after a long day. It was a relief to be able to walk around the courtyard enjoying the garden without having to hide his face.

Jian didn't let himself stay idle. He went to the trouble of donning his disguise so that he could make a quick trip to the market. In all probability the Heavenly Sword Sect would be able to track him down if they exerted themselves, but he didn't want to make it easy for them. On his tour, he was relieved to see that the jewelry on display wasn't too different from what he was familiar with from Bianjing Town. The craftsmanship was a little better, of course, but duplicating it wouldn't be a matter of learning a completely new style, as he had feared it might be.

While he was out, he also went ahead and laid in a supply of basic materials for his new workshop. It would be a long time before he could start on the next heart, but there was no reason not to earn some money while he had the chance.

He first tried tackling the cooling device. Unfortunately, keeping a steady stream of air moving over the cooling strips proved more difficult than he had thought. Simply mounting an arm to wave a handheld fan back and forth turned out to be woefully inadequate. He was forced to table the idea while he thought things over.

His jewelry crafting went more smoothly. It was something he had done before, after all. He was attempting to appeal to the sophisticated women of the capital instead of his teenage cousins, but that was more of a change of emphasis than a complete change in approach.

By the end of his first week in the capital he had five pieces that he was fairly happy with. He was putting the finishing touches on the sixth when Shan walked into his workshop.

Jian looked up in surprise. Shan had been in secluded cultivation for the last few days after consuming the foundation establishment elixir. Now that he could see the results, Jian was sure that the medicine had provided a great benefit. It was hard to put a finger on exactly what had changed, but Shan seemed more solid, somehow. More grounded, more real.

Actually, it seemed like a bigger change than could be explained by a simple elixir. Jian looked him over again.

"Did you break through already?" he asked.

"I can't slack off," Shan said, "now that you're advancing again."

"A minor step along the path can hardly be compared to the gulf between realms," Jian said. "Congratulations!"

Now that Shan was in the Core Refining stage, he stood on the same level with the prodigy of a big sect like Tingfeng. Technically speaking, at least. The sect disciple had broken through some time ago and would have made further progress, of course, but there was no denying that the gap between them would have narrowed.

Jian was happy for his friend's success. In the long term he hoped to catch up with Shan, but he would do that through his own successes, not through Shan's failure. In the short run, with Shan by his side, the more capable he was the safer Jian would be.

Although, now that he thought about it, he shouldn't force Shan to stay by his side. He had brought Shan along with him to Linshi Town because it was in the middle of a dangerous region, outside of the protection of civilization. Here in the capital there was less need to worry about day to day physical safety. Jian still had to worry about the Heavenly Sword Sect, of course, but if they made a serious effort to kill him then there would be little Shan could do, even as a Core Refining cultivator.

"Do you want to return home?" Jian asked. "I should be safe staying here."

"What? Don't be ridiculous," Shan replied. "We're in this together."

He looked a little indignant. Jian smiled, relieved.

"Thank you," he said. "Though, you know, Lanfen isn't going to woo herself."

Shan had always been motivated in his cultivation in large part by Jian's most beautiful cousin. Both to surpass her achievements and to catch her eye. Despite the enormous efforts he put into preparing to win her heart, Shan still hadn't actually spoken with her to even hint at his feelings.

"Ah, well," Shan said, looking sheepish, "that should wait until the right moment, anyways. You can't force fate."

Jian shook his head. Lanfen liked sharing her views on romance with him. She claimed to have a much more forceful view of the right way to go about things, though Jian was skeptical as to how she would react to such an approach in reality. The safest course for him was to stay out of other people's business. As Shan had said, he would leave matters up to fate.

"All right, all right," he said, dropping the subject. "I'm planning to go visit the auction house today. Do you want to take a look?"

Shan nodded. "I've always heard about the riches on display in the capital. Of course I want to see it for myself."

Jian excused himself for a moment to go don his disguise. He had told Meirong's grandfather of his plans, which had resulted in an alteration to his wardrobe. Gone were the homespun robes that had marked him as an old man of little consequence, traveling with his grandson on a donkey cart. Instead, he had been forcefully instructed to borrow silk robes fit for a grand family's patriarch.

As the old man himself had said, Jian had to look like somebody worthy of being a guest of the Wang family. That extended past his wardrobe to their form of transportation. When he and Shan left their courtyard, they were met by the same elegant maidservant who had welcomed them when they first arrived.

She, too, was dressed to impress. Instead of the usual elegant but understated clothing that she wore while attending to her duties, she was wearing a fashionable dress that put her beauty on display. While she would no doubt pale in comparison to Meirong, she was a striking woman in her own right.

Jian only nodded politely before falling in step next to her. Even if he didn't have his own self control, he wasn't foolish enough to ogle a woman while he was staying with his fiancee's family. He and Meirong would never be married, but her grandfather would not be amused if were to treat their betrothal lightly.

"You're coming with us?" he asked. He had spoken with her in order to arrange their transportation, but he hadn't realized at that time that she would be tagging along.

She nodded. "You're not the only one with business to attend to."

Naturally, as he was freeloading off of the family, Jian wouldn't raise a fuss over an unexpected traveling companion. Besides, he didn't mind the company. Jian wasn't particularly trying to keep his shopping interests secret. It might even be beneficial for him to have an experienced hand along with them while they visited the auction hall. 

He glanced at Shan. Judging by his expression, he wouldn't have any objections either. Jian wondered if Lanfen had some competition.

Their carriage was waiting in the front lot. It stood in stark contrast to the donkey cart that they had ridden on to the property. Carefully shaped out of spiritual wood and other rare materials, comprehensively engraved with formations providing comfort and security, it was practically a house-sized spiritual object. It was white, not from paint, but from some effect of the formations that had leached the color out of the wood. The Wang family symbol was proudly displayed on its side.

A pair of horses were fastened to the front of the carriage, themselves impressive specimens. They stood half a head taller than any horse Jian had seen before, bone white with blood red eyes. He swore he saw a spark of intelligence in their gaze as they looked him up and down before tossing their heads and stomping at the ground.

The driver snapped at the reins, urging them to be calm. He was the least eye catching part of the carriage, at least to those who weren't paying close attention. Despite the obvious strength and willfulness of the horses, he handled them as easily as if they were small children. Jian couldn't put a precise level to his cultivation, but it wasn't low.

The maidservant opened the door and ushered them inside, then followed them in. The inside of the carriage was as richly appointed as the exterior had suggested. Jian and Shan sat on a couch that was as comfortable as any furniture in their home, facing her across a table that also seemed to be carved from spiritual wood. Jian almost didn't dare to move lest he damage something he couldn't afford to repair. He braced himself carefully as the carriage jolted into motion.

The maidservant saw his nervous expression and laughed. "Relax, young master. Our things are as good as yours while you're here."

Jian appreciated the reassurance but didn't take it to heart. He was careful not to smudge or tear the curtains as he nudged them to the side. He wanted to see more of the city.

What he found was that while earlier he had been the one gawking at his surroundings, now the passers-by were the ones gawking at their carriage. He couldn't help but savor the experience of being the focus of so many admiring glances. It was too bad that he could only receive such treatment after borrowing the trappings of success. He would have liked to have earned it on his own merits.

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