Three days passed in the City of the Sunrise Moon, three days of training and cultivation for both Jing and I, and three days of snooping for Shi Lo. I hadn’t been sure about allowing the woman out into the city, but our trip to the market left her far less recognizable, with short, pixie-cut, dark brown hair, cheekbones heightened and eyes deepened and widened with makeup, and a simple but well-made robe instead of the tattered rags she’d been in before. It’s amazing how much a simple change like that can do to alter your appearance. People tend to look less for specific details when recognizing someone and more for large patterns, and when they’re looking for a redhead, a blonde will throw them off completely.

I’d found everything I’d needed to make the change happen by visiting a merchant who catered to the city’s theaters and carried things like hair dye and makeup; apparently, no one else in the city used those things, not even the wealthier women. That was good, because it meant no one would be looking for those things, either. I doubted anyone looking for her would recognize her, even the thieves that were probably ubiquitous throughout the city. I knew that generally, people didn’t look for things to be out of place; in fact, most people’s brains went out of their way to take anything abnormal and find a way to make it acceptable. It took training and focus to notice small inconsistencies; at least, it did for humans on Earth. So far, I hadn’t seen much about the kuan to make me think they were any different.

That made it much safer for her to travel about, seeking information about the whereabouts of the School of Earthly Fires and how one might gain entry to it. I’d followed her most of that first day, also subtly disguised with my long, black hair cropped to my shoulders and tied back, my eyes widened with liner, and my complexion subtly darkened with some sort of staining oil. In all honesty, I was both watching over her and making sure she was actually doing what I’d asked. After that, I just checked up on her irregularly and spent the rest of the time training. I’d gotten better with my wood qi, even though my qi pool there was still abysmally small. I’d also added two new techniques to my wood repertoire.

Technique: Forest of Thorns

Offensive Technique

Cause wooden spikes to erupt from a single spot, damaging anyone who touches them

Cost: 13 qi

Technique: Embrace of the Jungle

Utility Technique

Wrap a target in woody vines.

Cost: 7 qi per second

I’d spent a fair amount of time practicing my new wood-based techniques and getting a handle on exactly what they could do. Naturally, Forest of Thorns would cause a foot-wide circle of six-inch thorns to jut out of any natural surface within about twenty feet of me. I couldn’t use it on worked stone, metal, paper, or anything else artificial, but I could use it on a wood or dirt surface. I’d refined that, and now I could create a wider area of shorter spikes or a couple of much longer ones. I’d almost practiced using Embrace of the Jungle on wooden crates until I could choose between tying up an entire person or trapping a single limb.

Shi had found the Earthly Fires school without much difficulty, but finding a way inside was a different matter entirely.

“I have spent the day in several restaurants and tea shops students of the schools prefer to frequent, master,” she’d told me, her head bowed low as always. “I have spoken to them about my ‘mistress’, who seeks to join a school and flee an upcoming marriage. They assure me that, for a sufficient fee, my mistress may be tested for entry…but I suspect that this testing is designed to fail, robbing you of qi stones for no purpose.”

“That is as my father once said,” Jing had agreed. “To enter the schools, one needs a powerful patron or connection. The schools thrive on influence, and that influence grows with the notoriety and connections of their students.”

“Then we’ll have to get in without permission,” I’d sighed. “I’d kind of hoped to be invited in, but if not, then I guess we’re sneaking.”

“I have been listening much, master, having had the same thought myself,” Shi Lo spoke. “It is in my mind that, were I to attempt such a thing, I would do so during the first bells after sunset, two days from this. That is a time when the students of the school are typically engaged in mock combats to determine rank within their circle. I believe vigilance will be lowered during this time.”

Jing made a face, but she nodded. “The thief is likely correct, Xu Xing. I do not wish to sneak like a thief, but if I must, I would prefer not to be caught.”

Jing and Shi still weren’t getting along, but then, I guess I couldn’t expect them to. For one thing, Jing was all about honor and fair play. Shi, growing up on the streets as a thief, had as much use for those concepts as I did. For another, I had a feeling Jing wasn’t happy about the arrangement Shi and I had going in the evenings. After hearing the girl’s story, I’d suggested ending that – after all, it felt like I’d turned Shi into the courtesan she didn’t want to be – but she hadn’t been happy with the idea.

“I just don’t want you to feel like you’re doing this because you have to,” I told her firmly. “Not even if you just feel like you have to.”

“I do not, master,” she assured me. “I am your dedicated servant in many ways. I am your eyes and ears while you train, your voice when we need to speak to those within the city, and even your hands when you need things purchased or done. Have I not served ably in all these tasks?”

The truth was, she really had. Part of my training had been reading the book Dif left for me on alchemy – or medicine, as she called it – and Shi had bought me some supplies with which to practice. I hadn’t been able to make useful, yet, but honestly, I was just learning how everything worked. Sara’s guidance and the books I’d read could only take me so far; it seemed that alchemy was less about following a recipe and more about following your gut. I was missing something about it that wasn’t in any of the books, and I had a feeling that without someone to teach me, I’d keep missing that.

“Yes, you have, but…”

“Then allow me to continue serving you in all ways, master.” She stopped and looked me in the eye. “I appreciate your concern for me, but I do not feel like a courtesan, master. I offered this of my own, free will, and I demand nothing in return for it. I would prefer to continue serving your needs, if you will let me.”

And that was the end of that. I honestly didn’t want her to stop; things were steadily becoming less awkward as we got to know each other better, and I was enjoying what we did. If she was fine with it, I wasn’t going to try too hard to talk her out of it.

The School of Earthly Fires was an entire compound, not just a simple building. Apparently, that was the norm for cultivation schools. Also the norm was the huge, stone wall that separated the compound from the street outside. The wall was at least two stories tall and far too smooth to be climbed. It was pierced by a single, metal gate inscribed with the school’s sigil. No guards watched the gate, but I didn’t doubt that it was both locked and trapped with some sort of alarm. For sure, we wouldn’t be going in that way. The wall, though…that was a possibility.

“You can probably make that jump, John,” Sara told me as I examined the distance. “The only problem is that you don’t know how wide the top of the wall is. If it’s too narrow, you might sail right over and hit the ground.”

I debated trying the jump or looking for another way in for a full minute before Jing made the matter a moot point. “Are we entering, Xu Xing?” she demanded.

“Yes, but I’m trying to figure out the best way to get inside.”

She rolled her eyes at me. “Follow me.” She flexed her legs and bounded into the air, somehow kicking off the wall itself to push her higher up it until she’d reached the top. She crouched there, then turned back to me and beckoned.

“Like this,” Sara said, showing me an image of myself and my meridians. The channels to my legs, along my spine, and oddly enough to my ears all glowed, and I quickly sent celestial qi to each of them. I bent my knees, took a deep breath, and jumped, pressing my qi down through my feet as I did. I immediately understood why Sara had me channeling qi to my ears. I sped into the air with enough acceleration that the world spun for an instant, and for a moment, I lost track of which direction was down. The moment passed almost instantly, though, and as the world stabilized, I saw the edge of the wall hanging before me. I reached out and grabbed it as my upward arc shifted to a descent, catching the lip of it with my fingers. Fortunately, with my stronger body, I had no problems hauling myself up to stand atop a two-foot-wide walkway that spanned the entirety of the wall.

“That was clumsy, Xu Xing,” Jing said critically.

“It’s also the first time I ever did it,” I countered. “I’ll get better.”

“Perhaps.”

I looked past her into a wide courtyard. A large fire flared in the center of the courtyard, and several figures stood around it. Large circles had been painted or otherwise set into the hard-packed dirt of the courtyard, and figures moved within those circles, while far more stood around them. Rows of what looked like houses nestled in circular layers to the side of the courtyard. Both the houses and the courtyard ended at a second wall, beyond which a large, ornate building with tall towers loomed. That was certainly our destination; however, it looked like the only way in was either going over the second wall or through a large gate that was probably going to be watched. The wall would work, but the gate would be better…we just needed some disguises.

Cheering and jeering from the people outside the circles grabbed my attention, and I turned to watch as two of the figures, a man and a woman, stepped into a circle and faced one another. They both wore identical robes of dark drown with bright orange running along the hems and sleeves. The woman had two red stripes running down the center of her robe; the man had three. I wondered if those were ranking markers of some kind, or if they were just stylistic, but a moment later, I got my answer.

A third figure, this one dressed in a totally orange robe with brown accents, stepped up to the circle. “Next, Student Bai Ren of the Ninth Circle challenges Student Fu Xeng of the Eighth Circle! As Bai Ren stands at the top of the Ninth Circle, her cultivation nearly at the Metal rank, should she emerge victorious, she will join the Eighth Circle as its newest member!”

That seemed to be a big deal, at least judging by the murmurs coming from the crowd. The woman in the circle bounced on her toes eagerly, her entire body screaming her anxiety. The man, on the other hand, simply stood calmly. If anything, I’d say his body language looked bored. I shook my head.

“Well, she’s going to lose,” I said with a chuckle.

“Do you believe so?” Jing asked. “I can not sense their auras from here. It amazes me that you can.”

“Oh, I can’t sense anything. Just – well, look at them. Look at the way he’s standing there.”

“He simply stands, Xu Xing. Why does this matter?”

“Look how relaxed he is. He’s not worried or concerned. He knows how this fight is going to end. She, on the other hand, is all worked up. She’s going to come out too hard, try to end the fight early, and he’s going to hand her her ass in a sling.”

She looked at me curiously. “How do you know this?”

“I just do.” I shook my head again. “It doesn’t matter. We need to move. If you want, you can watch as we go.”

I ignored the orange-robed figure’s shout of “Begin!” and crept along the top of the wall. We were too exposed up there, and we needed to get down, but dropping down where all those people could see the sudden movement felt like a bad idea. Instead, I headed to the left, where a row of what looked like long, simple houses started. Those would block the gathered people from seeing us as we dropped down. Plus, they looked like they might be houses or dormitories; if they were, there might be some robes inside we could use to disguise ourselves.

“Crushing Fist of the Mountain’s Heart!” the woman shouted. I glanced over my shoulder and saw her launching herself at the man, her fist extended and shimmering like silver. As I thought, she was going flat-out, trying to end this quickly, which was a bad idea.

The man didn’t so much as budge as he said calmly, “Immovable Flame.” A wall of what looked like crystallized fire erupted from the ground, intercepting the woman’s attack. A loud clang echoed through the compound as her fist slammed into the wall, and she fell back, shaking a hand that didn’t glow silver any more.

“Flame Serpent,” the man said in just as calm a voice, and a streak of fire lashed out, piercing his wall and reaching for the woman.

She jumped back, her face panicky. “Skin of the Mountain’s Tears!” Her flesh turned gray and glossy, but the lash of fire didn’t try to strike her. Instead, it darted to the side, wrapping around her, embedding her in its coils. I watched as the woman tried attack after attack to free herself, but after several seconds, her skin was starting to glow orange, and I could almost smell the scent of burning cloth and hair.

“I yield!” she finally screamed, and the flames winked out at once. She dropped her defensive technique, and I winced as I saw that the flesh beneath it was burned and blistered fairly badly. It was easy to see, as most of her robe had burned away, and she stood there basically nude in the firelight. She didn’t move to cover her naked bits, though; instead, she just stood, trembling, waiting as the orange-robed man spoke.

“Student Bai Ren has conceded and will remain in the Second Circle,” the man said. “Let all learn from her lesson this night. Do not attempt to reach beyond your station, or the consequences may be disastrous!” He turned to face the burned woman. “Have you the contribution points to purchase healing medicines, Student?”

“I – I do not, teacher,” she said haltingly.

He nodded and handed her something. “I will allow you to serve me to work off the debt this incurs. Heal and wait outside my quarters; your service begins this night.”

The woman bowed her head. “Yes, teacher,” she said.

I shook my head and turned away. “That’s fairly disgusting,” I said quietly.

“It is only fair for her to serve him in exchange for his generosity, Xu Xing,” Jing protested.

“Not the way he means it, Jing,” I replied. I looked back at her. “Jing, why do you think he said her service started ‘this night’?”

“I…oh,” she said after a moment. “That – do you believe that is what he means?”

“Yeah.” I glanced at the man, who had a satisfied smile on his face. “In fact, I’ll bet he set that whole thing up just to get her in bed. He probably either convinced her to challenge that guy or arranged for her to face someone who’d leave her badly injured.”

“That seems dishonest,” she said disapprovingly. She glanced back at the man. “And yet, he does seem very pleased with this outcome.”

“Yeah, he does.” I shook my head. “It’s none of our business, though. Maybe that’s common in the school. Maybe it’s like that in every school, I don’t know.”

“My father would not stand for such behavior,” she said adamantly.

“Yeah, I couldn’t see him allowing that, either,” I laughed quietly. “But that doesn’t mean his whole school agrees. We just don’t know…and we don’t have the time to find out.” Neither, to be honest, did I have the inclination. It sucked for that woman, but from how readily she’d accepted his conditions, it seemed she’d been prepared for that outcome, at least mentally.

We made our way to the center point of the wall, and once the courtyard and people were out of sight, I repeated the qi pattern I’d used to get up to the wall to hop back down. The landing was rough, but I kept my balance and didn’t hurt myself, so I counted it a win. Any landing you walk away from, and all. Of course, it was hard to feel that way when Jing landed like a damn feather beside me.

“How did you know how that battle would play out, Xu Xing?” she asked as we crept toward the line of houses. The buildings were low and wooden, not the best quality but not ramshackle, either. Each house pressed against the one beside it without a gap between, making the buildings almost a second wall.

I moved to one of the windows and glanced inside. The room beyond was dark, and I couldn’t see or hear anything within. I made a shushing motion to Jing, then went to the door and tested it. The handle turned easily, and it swung open noiselessly. I stopped, listening for several seconds, but no sound came from the room beyond. I beckoned to Jing, and we slipped inside the room, closing the door behind us.

“You did not answer my question,” she whispered fiercely. “Also, what are we seeking in this place, and why are we here?”

I pulled up a strand of celestial qi and projected it to my hand. My palm began to glow with a soft light, illuminating the room. It was a dorm, all right; the four bunk beds and simple chests gave it away. A desk stood at the end of each room, both covered with stacks of papers, and a second door opposite the one we’d entered probably led to either another room or to an inner area. The room was small, cramped, and smelled like unwashed bodies and feet, but it was livable. In other words, it reminded me of every freshman dorm story I’d ever heard.

“Xu Xing!” Jing’s voice rose louder, and I turned and glared at her.

“Be quiet,” I instructed in a low murmur as I opened the nearest chest and began rifling through it. The owner of this chest was either young or very small, and I moved to the next one. “If you need to talk, talk like this; don’t whisper. Whispers carry in the quiet, and they draw attention.”

“How do you know this?” Fortunately, she was smart enough to adopt the low but normal speaking tone I was demonstrating.

“I just do. And as for how I knew what the outcome of the fight would be – and that the teacher set this up – that’s simple. I pay attention.”

“I was watching closely, as well,” she protested.

“But we weren’t paying attention to the same things. The woman was anxious, nervous – eager. She wanted the battle to be over quickly. The man was calm and confident, though. He knew he could win that fight.

“From what Shi Lo said, those battles happen regularly. I’m sure that both of those people have fought in them a bunch of times and have seen one another’s style and technique. She knew that her only chance was to end it quickly. He knew the same thing, and he was ready for her.”

Jing frowned. “In a battle with a fire cultivator, ending the match quickly is always advisable, Xu Xing. Their powers increase in damage the longer they are maintained. I would have struck quickly, as well.”

“Sure, but you would have done it without telling him what you were doing,” I laughed. “Although if it were me, I wouldn’t have gone directly at him, to be honest. That shield-whip combination of his is dangerous.” I stood from the final chest. Nothing in them had been appropriate for either of us; all the robes were too small. “I have a feeling these barracks are for younger students only. We need to move further in, I think.”

“What are you seeking? And how would you have fought that cultivator?”

I doused the light on my palm, plunging us into darkness, and listened at the second door. When I heard nothing, I opened it a crack, revealing a simple, stone path and another row of houses similar to the first. I stepped outside and led Jing to the next row. The building proved to be equally deserted, and we slipped into the unlocked door. The room was no bigger than the last, but there were only two bunk beds inside. There were also four desks; it looked like the people at this rank had to share rooms but not working spaces.

“If I’d been fighting him, I would have stayed mobile,” I finally answered as I opened another trunk and began searching through it. “He can only have so much qi, and that shield of his only protects from one direction. If I made him think I was attacking from the front, he’d have guarded that direction, leaving his sides open. And if I moved quickly, his fire whip wouldn’t be able to keep up with me. I might even be able to tangle him up in it.”

She nodded. “That is a wise strategy.”

“It’s a pretty common one. If you make someone think you’re attacking from one direction, they’ll put most of their defenses in place to guard that direction. Then, when you actually strike from a totally different quarter, they’re caught off guard. The worst thing you can be in a fight is predictable.” I looked at her. “Which is why your father keeps telling you to practice using something other than your feet. Anyone who knows you is going to build defenses against those. If they’re watching your feet, though, they aren’t watching your hands.”

“That – is something to consider,” she admitted with a frown.

“Nothing here, either,” I sighed as I closed the last trunk. “Looks like we’re going farther.”

“What are you seeking?”

“Disguises. If we look like we belong here, we won’t have to sneak, and we’ll be less likely to be caught. Let’s head for the next row.”

The next set of houses was larger than the last, and each had two individual beds, with a desk and wardrobe for each inhabitant. The wardrobes held robes that weren’t the perfect size but were close enough, and I handed one to Jing.

“Here, put this on.” She began to remove her green silk shirt and I hastily added, “Over your clothes, Jing! Over your clothes!”

“That will be uncomfortable,” she protested.

“And what are you planning to do with what you’re wearing once you take it off?” I demanded. “Carry it? Leave it here and come back for it? Either of those will get us caught. Deal with the discomfort.”

“Very well,” she grumped, pulling the robe on over her head and adjusting it awkwardly. It wasn’t a perfect fit – whoever owned the robe wasn’t quite as curvy as Jing, so it hugged and bunched in weird places – but it was good enough for a casual inspection.

My own robe wasn’t any better fitted, but I arranged it until the clothes beneath weren’t visible before laying my hand on the innermost doorknob. I looked back at Jing. “Okay, from this point on, we aren’t sneaking,” I told her.

“We are not?” she asked dubiously.

“No. Sneaking draws attention. We need to act like we belong here.” I let go of the door. “We’re students, on an errand for our teacher, and they’ll be very angry with us if we fail. We’ll be walking, not running or crouching. We won’t look around or gawk at anything; we’ve seen all of this before a hundred times. If anyone in a brown robe tries to stop us, we ignore them. If anyone in an orange robe does, let me do the talking.”

“You seem familiar with this sort of deception, Xu Xing,” she frowned.

“I do, don’t I?” I grinned at her. “Just follow my lead, Jing, and we’ll be fine.”

I stepped out the door and walked back toward the courtyard, my eyes forward and my pace unhurried. I didn’t look in either direction as I passed the rows of silent houses. I let my body relax, my shoulders slump, and pasted a slightly worried expression on my face. As I did, I let my thoughts sink into the idea of being a student here, one on an urgent errand. I needed to sink into the character I was about to play, to become it as fully as possible. The more I believed in the role, the more anyone we met would believe it, too.

I led Jing down the edge of the courtyard, around the mock battles, not glancing at them or at the few people who looked our way. No one stopped us as we passed through the courtyard; as far as I could tell, people barely even noticed us. Their attention was on the fights, not on two random students. At least, that was the case until we actually reached the gate separating the courtyard from the large building beyond. The gate was about ten feet tall and was just an arched opening in the stone wall. A set of double doors made of black, lacquered wood stood open, and two people in dark brown robes with four orange stripes down the center stood before the arch, watching us with frowns on their faces.

“Hold, students,” one of the pair held up a restraining hand. “Why are you not attending the matches? They are mandatory for all students, regardless of circle, as you well know.”

“And we would gladly be there,” I bowed my head slightly to the man speaking. My own robe had three stripes, so I guessed that he was higher ranked than I was supposed to be, but not by much. “However, our teacher has sent us on an urgent mission, one that takes precedence over our desires.”

“What mission might that be?” the other student asked curiously.

“I am not to speak of it, I am afraid,” I shrugged. “However, I assure you that it is of vital importance.”

“So you say,” the first one spoke. “How are we to know such, though?”

“Are you denying us entry?” I asked in disbelief. “Very well; I will inform my teacher that you will not allow us to fetch his purse, and that he will not be placing wagers on the matches tonight because of you. Can I ask your names, so I can tell him who to punish when his prize pupils win their battles, and he gains nothing?”

The two glanced at one another uneasily. “That will not be necessary,” the first one finally spoke, stepping to the side and lowering his hand. “Be swift in your task, students.”

“Our thanks,” I bowed my head to the man before walking calmly past. A stone path led from the gate to the large, wooden doors of the building, and when I took hold of one of the handles, the door swung open easily.

I stepped into what was obviously an antechamber of lobby of some kind. The space was large and open, with passages leading off in all directions. A glossy, black statue stood in the center of the room, looking like obsidian carved to resemble a column of flames and lit from within by a dull, flickering, orange glow. I could feel warmth radiating from the pillar, and its glow bathed the room in a fitful radiance. Four statues that looked almost like six-foot tall Dobermans with reptilian scales instead of fur and long, spiked tails that curved up over their heads had been placed around the statue, once facing the door and the others forming a square around the column. The statues were the same glossy, black stone and had the same orange glow as the column, and they had been carved to look like they were sitting on their haunches.

“Where do we go now, Xu Xing?” Jing asked in a hushed voice.

I had no idea, of course. As I stepped into the room, though, I felt a wave of uneasiness rumble in the pit of my stomach. I stopped looking around the room. As I turned toward the door, the feeling faded; when I faced the pillar, it grew. That seemed clear enough.

“This way,” I pointed, walking to pass around the pillar and statues. As I’d hoped, a door appeared in the far wall, one that led back into the depths of the building. “We need to go through that door.”

“These statues,” Jing said softly. “I do not like them. There is something unusual about them, Xu Xing.”

“They’re statues, Jing,” I said dismissively. “Ignore…”

I stopped speaking as the closest statue’s eyes suddenly began to glow with a brilliant, orange flame. I froze as the creature’s head shifting, moving fluidly despite its stony body, and turned to fix its baleful gaze on us. The statue rose to its feet as the ones beside it animated, as well, and took a step toward us. The nearest one bared its fangs in a snarl, revealing gleaming, jeweled teeth.

“You see?” Jing said with what I thought was inordinate calm. “They are indeed unusual.”

I opened my mouth to reply, but before I could, the statue crouched, tensing its body, and sprang directly at me.