Heart of Cultivation 56. Shopping Trip (Patreon)

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Filling out Jian's wardrobe required more than a quick jaunt to the local market. The markets in Baolei Town wouldn't carry anything of the requisite level of quality, and of course if Jinghua were seen out shopping just before Jian appeared in the guise of a master sculptor wearing the clothes that she bought, his deception would come to a quick and ignominious end.

Thus, in order to outfit Jian properly, they would have to travel to Yu City. It sat on an important crossroads and acted as the clearinghouse for most of the valuable goods that were carved out of the Verdant Doom. It was about half a day's travel from Baolei Town, but the journey would allow them to shop at markets stocked with goods from all corners of the Empire.

Jian had expected to have to duplicate the earlier feat of cloak and dagger in order to exit the city lord's residence. As it turned out, he had been overthinking things. Jinghua simply called for her carriage to be prepared. Once the only servants around were loyal Wang family retainers, they both stepped inside. With the door shut and the curtain drawn, Jian was shielded from view.

On the way out through the gate, Jinghua didn't even have to flip her curtain to the side and identify herself. The identity of the servant at the reins was enough. Jian imagined it would be more difficult to sneak into the city lord's compound in such fashion, but he was happy that he wasn't forced to try and duck out of view of even a cursory extension.

Instead, he sat in perfect comfort across from Jinghua as the carriage continued on out of Baolei Town. His seat was yet another example of luxurious engineering. It was more comfortable than most of the furniture owned by the Guo family, and some clever bit of work kept the carriage steady even as he could tell from the sound of the horse's hooves that they were making rapid progress. He glanced at the window, wondering what Shan would make of all this.

Jinghua seemed to sense the direction of his thoughts. "Your letter will reach your friend soon. You should relax."

Jian blinked, turning his attention to the girl sitting across from him. For all that she seemed the more gentle of Meirong's two friends, he knew he shouldn't let his guard down around her. Their interests were aligned for the moment, but that hardly meant that he should trust her. It was hard, though, to stay alert after what had been a long day and now a long evening.

Jinghua smiled at him. "You can sleep if you like."

Jian was tempted. They were going to be on the road for hours before they reached Yu City. He would do well to be well rested before they arrived.

"I'd be a poor guest if I did," Jian said, courtesy compelling him to try to stay awake.

"It's all right," Jinghua said. She rummaged around in her bag for a moment, then pulled out a book. "I've got something to read."

Jian blinked, caught by surprise. He was a little curious how Meirong had acquired such a courteous and conscientious friend. He wasn't quite tired enough to forget his manners and start to pry, though.

He did try to demur one more time, but again she insisted that she'd be perfectly happy reading by herself. Jian couldn't find it in himself to continue to resist. 

The bench seat wasn't quite large enough for him to stretch out, but it wasn't hard to curl himself up in what he found to be a reasonably comfortable position. The gentle motion of the carriage proved an effective lullaby as he almost immediately drifted off to sleep.

He woke when a burst of sunshine caught him directly in the face. Blinking, Jian opened his eyes to find Jinghua looking at him expectantly, her hand still holding the curtain that she had just flung open.

"We're almost here!" she said. "You need to be awake to shop."

Jian grumbled, holding his position for a moment. Judging by the noise from outside, they had reached a city street, at least. It was remarkable how well the carriage's suspension insulated them from the bumps and cracks that he could hear the wheels clattering over. He could feel himself starting to drift away again and forced his eyes open.

He was still only half awake as he pulled himself into an upright position. He focused and circulated his spiritual energy. Meditation was a calming activity at any time, and it was especially helpful to banish the lingering sensation of sleep from his body. When he finished and opened his eyes, he found Jinghua still studying him with a smile.

Now that she was out of the shadow of Meirong, Jinghua's beauty was more readily apparent. She was more cute than alluring, but Jian would wager that she had her own fan club back at the Heavenly Sword Sect. With her wide, innocent eyes and that gentle smile, he doubted many people had ever told her no. The longer she looked at him, the more Jian itched to check and make sure that his money pouch was still in place.

"Is it true that you knew Meirong when she was little?" she asked.

Jian nodded. Though he tried not to dwell on those memories, he and Meirong had been as close as any brother and sister when they were young. It was hard to look back on those days now, knowing how everything had turned out.

"What was she like?"

Jian intended to brush off the request, but something stopped him. Maybe it was the softly beseeching look that Jinghua was giving him. Maybe it was his own sense of nostalgia, stirred up after having his first real conversation with Meirong in years. Either way, he found himself lingering over memories that hadn't crossed his mind in a long time.

"Willful. She never liked being told no," Jian said. "To be honest, she's not that different now."

Jinghua giggled. "That's true. Every month or so she causes a ruckus back at the sect. 

"Oh?" Jian asked.

Jinghua nodded. "I think that's why we're on this mission, as much as anything else."

Jian filed that bit of information away. He was beginning to feel safe to assume that whatever faction of the Heavenly Sword Sect wanted him dead, Meirong wasn't a part of it. He'd like to think she was even strongly opposed to it, but he didn't want to get ahead of himself.

He took a look outside the window. They were parked on the side of the road of what looked like a busy shopping street. By the standards of the capital it wasn't much of a sight, but compared to what Jian had grown up with in Bianjing Town it was quite impressive.

"Yu City isn't much," Jinghua said, "but we'll have to make do. Ready to carry out your mission?"

Jian took a deep breath. He was awake, he was presentable, and his heart still seemed to be functioning. He couldn't help but feel a little nervous about that last bit, every time he woke up. Some day perhaps he would take it for granted.

Jinghua barely waited for his nod before she pushed open the carriage door and jumped out. Jian followed suit, moving quickly to fall into step beside her. Together, they made their way to the most expensively decorated store. Jian was worried that his shabby appearance would lead to some disdain from the shopkeeper, but fortunately it turned out that traveling together with a wealthy beauty smoothed over many little problems.

Jian didn't pay much attention to fashion. He was happy to step back and let Jinghua take the lead when dealing with the store attendant. He couldn't help but be surprised, though, at the first round of clothing that was brought out for him to try on. The clothing looked expensive and luxurious, as he had expected, but it was all designed for a young man. Essentially better tailored versions of the outfits he would wear in the sparring ring, made out of silk instead of cotton. The kind of thing Jian would buy for himself if he had money to waste, but not exactly what he would expect to find in the closet of an old artist.

He held his tongue as he tried on the clothing and let the seamstress take her measurements. He waited until they were alone to turn and fix Jinghua with a look.

Jinghua smiled at him. "You need to look the part, not just there, but here."

"What?" Jian asked.

"If we bought a whole wardrobe from one store," she said, "somebody might take notice."

Jian nodded. He thought she was taking things a little far, considering that they had already traveled for half a day to avoid spreading rumors within Baolei Town, but if she wanted to be particularly solicitous of his own safety it would be churlish to complain.

"It will be easier to wander through the shopping district once we're both dressed to fit in," she continued.

Jian shrugged. It still struck him as a waste of money, but it wasn't his money. If Meirong wanted to complain, she could take it up with her friend.

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