The feeling of wind passed over them. After witnessing a blur, they were sitting on the side of a congested road and within a sea of buildings. There were people, horses, and carriages moving about in the busy morning. Food stalls and street peddlers opened in front of the restaurants and stores. The masses clattered under the blue sky. It all surrounded an open rest area where Yeon stood, and Xiyun sat, next to a stone bench and under a plum tree.

The older girl in the green tunic had a red face and was busy regulating her breathing. When she finished, she looked down and opened her mouth to yell but then changed her mind.

There was a short period of silence. Seeing that oblivious face, Yeon knew he did not appreciate how she got them out of that dangerous scenario. Yet, perhaps if she did not hear him continuing to walk, she knew she would have suffocated under the pressure.

"I am Han Yeon of Mulsunhwan," spoke the tired girl.

"Is ‘Yeon’ written as ‘to connect’ in Old Script?"

"Yes?" she exasperatedly answered. "Ok."

While patting the dirt from his robe, the boy absorbed the surrounding scenery. Once he finished, he stepped onto the road like any other pedestrian. Before he got far, a hand grabbed his collar and lifted him off the ground. He tried to move but found his legs and arms waving through the air. He could only stare at the face in front of him.

"Your Big Sister is asking for your name," Yeon snarled.

"Weren’t you a bodyguard?"

"You are just the excuse Master made up for me to experience the world. I can easily travel alone."

"That is good."

She realized her mistake and quickly corrected herself. "But I am a responsible and faithful disciple, so I would never disobey my master so easily."

"Xiyun."

"What?"

"Old Script for 'formerly' and 'cloud'. That is my name," Xiyun said. "Can you put me down?"

Yeon thought perhaps something was not quite right, but she did not try to seriously meet enough new people to know how these types of conversations were normally supposed to progress.

She lowered Xiyun and had a closer look at the boy. He was at least a year or two younger than her. His voice was soft. His skin was pale, lacking sunlight. Compared to the skinny boy, Yeon’s healthy toned skin was almost pink. His long hair was also not tied, with the exception of a single wood pin, scattering over his shoulders and down his back. Then there was his face. The thin lips, small nose, simple brows, and large eyes, soon revealed what he reminded Yeon of. He was just like the noble daughters locked in their family manors that she read about. Even if they say Great Zhao’s roads are safe, maybe this boy did need a bodyguard.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

Xiyun didn't care where Yeon was going, but he knew he was going. "I am going to Lanzhou."

Yeon realized she knew nothing about Zhao besides the name of its capital, Taiping.

"We are in Jiyang City in the northern part of Lushui Province. South of Lushui, in Xiannan Province, is Lan Prefecture. Inside Lan Prefecture is a town also called Lanzhou. It and its surrounding villages are considered a small county," Xiyun recited by habit.

"Fine let’s start walking south," Yeon said dismissively.

"I am not walking." End of conversation.

"Then we should hire a carriage."

"How do you know?"

"I read about it once."

Xiyun only gazed at her inquisitively but gave little expression. "Where do we hire a carriage?" He genuinely wanted to know.

Yeon frowned.

…

They found themselves walking on the main avenue. Yeon was finally free to explore the city. She eyed every food stall they passed.

Xiyun continued to passively walk. Yeon thought that he was bored with the city because he lived here. In reality, this was Xiyun’s second time in Jiyang if being within the Liu Estate was not considered as doing the same. The first time, he did not even look outside the carriage window, so the scenery should have been new to him.

Yeon felt her stomach move. "We should eat."

Xiyun nodded. "Ok."

"How about foxtail millet noodles?" Yeon looked at one of the nearby food stalls.

"Too oily."

"Roasted pastry?"

"Too greasy."

"Lamb kabobs?"

"No."

Yeon’s voice grated. "What’s wrong with all of these?"

"Good food is the easiest to eat."

"What do you suggest then?"

"Those sesame seed cakes are easy to eat."

"Good food is the tastiest to eat! I don’t want dry cakes."

Xiyun only stared back.

"How about we settle for steamed pork buns?" Yeon said.

"Steamed pork buns?"

"I read about it once."

Xiyun only gazed at her inquisitively again, but this time, an eyebrow slightly shifted.

...

Eventually, at a lonely side street, they found a steam pork bun stand which did not seem popular.

Xiyun and Yeon stood below a name board of a brush store. The storekeeper of the Ran Family brush store was about to drive them away for blocking the entrance but hesitated when he noticed the quality of Xiyun’s clothes.

"Who’s buying?" Yeon finally said.

"Okay. I’ll buy them."

Yeon’s smile brightened.

"How do I buy them? Did you read about it once?" Xiyun asked. Teacher Gu Ti once went over the prices of many goods, therefore, he knew the value of currency and its system, but he had never actually used any money before.

Yeon blanched. At the outer training hall, she would occasionally "borrow" the novels that the caretakers sneaked around. They gave her a lot of common knowledge about the world and an inaccurate view of romance, but she can’t recall reading a detailed account of buying food. The characters always just get food. She can’t even remember who paid during all the times she entered the nearby town with her senior brothers and sisters either.

Yeon eyed the boy next to her. "What do you do all day?"

"I study."

"I train."

One was a book addict and the other was a martial arts maniac. They spent their entire lives preparing their own food and having food prepared for them. Why would they ever use money?

"We obviously have to pay with Zhao currency. Just give them one, and if they complain we’ll give them more," Yeon ad-libbed.

"That makes sense," Xiyun honestly replied.

...

The owner of the steamed pork bun stand was an aged man with graying hair surnamed Chen. He and his family moved here from the south after his dumb son managed to offend not only the local magistrate but the neighboring counties’ magistrates as well.

He waved his fan to keep the old furnace’s fire constantly lit. As it was often cold near the north, the buns were easy to become too dry. The people in the northeast did not even particularly like pork buns, preferring the roasted pastries introduced from the west instead. But, they liked them just enough to feed his family who helped prepare them.

When he raised his head, he saw two youths in front of him. They were the weird children who stood next to the brush store for some time now, but Old Man Chen humbly bowed anyway to the clean-faced youths.

"Hello, Boss," the girl said.

"We want two-"

"Six."

"-six pork buns," the boy continued.

"Please," the girl added.

"Good. Just wait for a bit, Masters," Old Man Chen said.

He poured a ladle of water into the pot and threw six of the buns onto the wood stand before closing the lid. He pulled out a sheet of oil paper and folded it inwardly. After the buns were finished, he placed them onto the paper and everything in a simple skeleton basket weaved with a couple strands of dry grass.

He handed the basket over to the girl’s outstretched hand. "Careful, they’re still hot."

Yeon took them and smiled.

Clang!

Xiyun placed down what he took out from inside his robe onto the stand.

"Do you know where we can hire a carriage to another province?" Yeon took the opportunity to ask.

"By the fourth eastern gate, there is a reliable carriage service. They have taken people as far as the nearby provinces despite the great distance."

"Thanks, Boss!" She smiled and turned to leave only to find Xiyun steps ahead of her.

Old Man Chen looked down and almost had a heart attack.

He raced out into the streets and yelled, "Young Masters!" but they were gone.

He returned to his stand and did not know what to do. Placed in front of him was a gold ingot in the shape of a boat.

The Ran Family storekeeper, who saw everything from inside the shop, shook his head tirelessly while muttering something about the children of wealthy families.

…

"You didn’t have to leave so fast. I feel sorry for the stand owner. What if we didn’t pay enough?" Yeon said.

"The fourth east gate is the closest one next to the garrison."

"Do you know?"

"I read about it once," Xiyun said.

"That is not funny."

"Why would it be?"

"Nevermind."

Yeon took out a bun and took a bite. She took another one and held it so close to Xiyun’s cheek that he felt its heat.

Xiyun grasped it and imitated Yeon. Pork bits and sauce flowed out from the bite onto his tongue. When he looked down, the almost glowing red interior was trapped by the surrounding white bread. He took another bite.

His eyes glanced at Yeon, who smiled back triumphantly.

…

The towering city gate and wall appeared in the distance. Near a line of people passing the gate, Yeon spotted a building attached to a stable and a lot full of carriages. Inside, the building had good lighting, solid stone groundwork, and many rooms that were sectioned off by wood panels.

A man quickly walked down a stairway. "I am Manager Yao, where do you need to go, Young Masters?" Xiyun’s jade pendant was the only thing that flitted across Manager Yao’s eyes.

"Lanzhou," Yeon answered.

"Do the Young Masters have a name and a house?"

Noticing Yeon glancing over, Xiyun thought about the easiest way to answer. "Xiyun, from the Liu Family."

Manager Yao blinked twice. "Which Liu?"

"Jiyang’s Liu."

…

"Do you always walk this slow? Hurry up," Manager Yao spat.

Chu Su bit his lips. "Well, you know me and my aging back. It's why I always get requests last."

Manager Yao snorted. "You better act correctly in front of the customers. I am giving you a chance here."

Chu Su secretly rolled his eyes. Definitely not because I’m the only senior driver left here today. He saw the customers and was surprised they were this young, but only for a moment, it was not that uncommon. "I am Chu Su. Lanzhou was it? When are we leaving?"

"Now," the boy said.

"Good. My child is already preparing the carriage. He should be done."

Outside, the carriage was pulled by two horses and could fit four people inside. Chu Su’s son was the same height as Xiyun, and, like his father, wore a white jacket over a dark blue tunic. He plainly introduced himself as Chu Danlu.

The father and son each mounted a horse and the two-wheeled carriage moved forward.

They rode under the gate and turned onto the road south, leaving the homes scattered around the city. As they went along, there were many fields of millet, however, the tall forest was more common.

"It's not that different," Yeon said.

They sat on the same side of the carriage and each had their own window.

"Not going to answer?" she raised.

"When will you finish your job?"

"Until you get home."

"I spoke too much today. I need a nap."

It was nonsensical. Speaking so little would never make someone tired.

Yet, Yeon thought a nap sounded appealing right now.

...

A carriage rode out of Jiyang’s third western gate. A veiled woman wearing light colors sat inside the carriage. Her expression was stern as she read the contents of a cloth scroll in her hands.

A horseman rode up to the carriage and the curtains shifted. "Reporting back, Fifth Lady."

"What of the boy and the Mulsunhwan girl?" Her voice was calm, distant, and clear.

"I couldn’t get close because that disciple was alert the entire time. She positioned herself in a way that prevented me from passing the boy to get a closer look at him. I did find out that the boy’s name is Xiyun. Inside the carriage service, he acknowledged having a connection to the Liu Family. Their carriage is traveling to Xiannan's Lanzhou and has already left the city. I decided not to follow."

"Hmm. It appears you have something else to report."

"The only notable action they did was walk around the city in a circle four times before finally buying six steamed pork buns."

"It makes sense to tour around. Despite being somewhat stuffy, Jiyang is a good city," she said absently while still gazing down.

"When they bought the buns, they paid with a gold sycee worth five gold taels. There are two witnesses to this."

Silence hung in the air until the woman spoke again. "I wonder why they hired a carriage. To get to Lanzhou, a ride down the Grand Canal is obviously so much faster."

The horseman could not answer.