Jin had almost gotten used to the fatigued, faint feeling that was the aftermath of the soul attack, and so when the Soul's Haven pill gave him an instant lift in his wellbeing, before proceeding to gradually bring him back to full strength, he realized once again just how much damage that tiny burst of soul violence had done to him. He sat for a moment with his eyes closed, enjoying what could only be described as a feeling of comfort, and powerful relief, in awe at just what masters - or creatures - who could use their souls that way could do. Hopefully, after his own soul had been reforged, he would never be such an easy victim of soul violence again, and may soon be on the path to wielding it himself.

He opened his eyes, and saw that the sage was back to working at the stove. The thing in the pot must be what would become the elixir. But the sage had taken the letter he spoke of out of his Interspatial Ring, and left it on the table in front of Jin.

Just as he'd said, there was a seal - unbroken. Not that it would have been hard for a master alchemist to make a letter look unread, if he had wanted to. Jin trusted that he hadn't read it, however - the sage already seemed to know a lot of the things Master Xinya had kept from him, and didn't seem all that invested in whatever was happening, beyond his contractual obligations to perform Jin's reforging.

He took a deep breath before breaking the seal. It was an oddly auspicious feeling. These would not only be the words that would answer all of his questions about this strange day's events, but also probably the last words Master Xinya had planned for him to ever hear from her. She'd been with him his whole life. He knew most people had mothers and fathers, rather than masters, and siblings to practice with rather than criminal men and captive forest beasts, but he'd never really thought his own life peculiar. She'd given him everything he needed, and taught him everything he was ready for. Now life would be different, and he hoped there would be something in her letter to help him know what he was supposed to do.

Dear Jin,

If you are reading this, it is because you have made it to the home of the sage Jiang Deng, and I am dead, or captured. I do not intend to be captured, so I apologize if you had to witness my death.

If my suspicions about the way things are going are correct, I will have died fighting people from the Shi clan, though of course, it could just as easily be because I tried to punch a cyan dragon. I will continue as though my assumption about the Shi clan is correct, however, because you need to know about them anyway, now you are of age.

Some time ago, perhaps a decade after I left Boundless Sun Sect in search of a breakthrough to take me to the next level of energy mastery, I worked with a mercenary guild of cultivators for a while. As part of a contract, I became embroiled in a plot to overthrow a man named Wuying Shi. He was (perhaps still is, though I doubt it if you're reading this) head of the Shi clan, one of the most powerful clans in Dragon Valley. I was supposed to spy on him, but strangely, we became friends. He offered me a role teaching martial arts to the children of the clan. However, when it was uncovered that I was originally sent to him as a spy, Wuying Shi would normally have executed me. But, whether it was because he liked me, or because he felt that to kill a master at my level, who was only acting for money and experience rather than being a true political threat, was a waste, he offered me an alternative. He asked me to help him forge a weapon.

At this time, the process of forging bodies and minds was one that only a few people had ever done, but it intrigued Wuying Shi. He could just about afford to have it done himself, but instead, he had a grander idea. He wondered if, if the process, taking 12 years, was done on a child - an heir - and that person was also trained rigorously by a master, with no other distractions, they might become someone more powerful than the world had ever seen. He wanted to create a person like that, and have them in allegiance to himself, and the Shi clan.

Wuying Shi was expecting a baby. His fourth child. One that would not be the immediate heir, and would not be noticed or celebrated as much as his first son, his second son, or even his daughter had been. The Shi clan mourned when the baby didn't survive, but only for the sadness it must have caused Wuying's direct family. There were already heirs, and so the loss of one son would not harm the clan's future.

Of course, that baby didn't die at all. The baby, Jin Shi, was the one chosen for Wuying's grand experiment. You were given to me, along with a long list of instructions, a plot of land in the forest, and a pile of resources in the form of pills and cubic crystals, and books containing cultivation techniques - almost all of the most important treasures of Wuying's lineage.

In more recent times, I have heard whisperings of unrest. I believe Bao Shi, the younger brother of Wuying Shi, has become concerned that the clan is stagnating under Wuying's leadership. He is not aware that all of Wuying's plans rest on you and I, and all of his resources have been spent on that pursuit, so a period of stagnation while you grew up was inevitable. Bao Shi is a ruthless man (my polite way of saying he is a complete bastard - though I suppose I can say what I want if I'm dead), and I suspect that he may ultimately decide that Wuying is unfit to lead, and make a bid to depose him.

Because you are reading this, it is likely that that is what has happened.

Now, you're probably thinking, 'amazing! So I am actually a noble young master?'

Well, no, it's not as grand as all of that. I intentionally didn't teach you about the clans and politics of the empire, particularly, because I wanted you to be able to make up your own mind about who you - this powerful new type of person - thought was worthy of your help. But the Shi clan, your clan, is not a noble, storied or powerful clan, at least, not in the grand scheme of the empire. In Dragon Valley they were strong, and growing in power when you were born, and Wuying was ambitious for more, but the name Shi won't entitle you to much when you reach the Capital. And you should reach the Capital as your next destination. It was always my plan that once you were 18 and had finished your reforging, you would join Boundless Sun Sect and continue your training there. Among my belongings, which I hope I was able to give to you before I died, you will find the book for the cultivation technique Transcendent Fist. You are not ready to study it yet, but if you open it up, you'll find another letter from me, along with a token that will help you when you reach Boundless Sun Sect.

You may be keen to take vengeance on Bao Shi as Wuying would have wanted his son to do, but your skills aren't ready yet. In any case, I never wanted you to feel like you actually had to do anything for the Shi clan if you didn't want to. I would never say this while both Wuying and I were alive, of course, but now, well, what does it matter? It seems to me that you were gifted with all of this potential, but how you decide to use it, and for whom, is not for anyone else to dictate. Though, I won't shed any tears in the afterlife if you do kill Bao someday - just saying.

My point is, whatever you want to do, you need to grow first, and Boundless Sun Sect will be the easiest place to do that.

Jiang Deng will be able to find a way to help you out of the forest, and show you how to get to the Imperial Capital. Give him whatever he asks for in terms of payment - he is not greedy, and can be trusted to only ask what is fair.

Now all that remains, until you find a quiet place to read my next letter, is to say thank you for being such a good disciple, and to wish you all the strength you will need for the times ahead - including, I presume, the times immediately ahead, with the soul reforging. I am sorry I didn't get to see what kind of man you will become, but I have every faith that you will change this world forever, if fate is on your side.

Love always,

Xinya

He read over the words three times, making sure he understood it, feeling slightly less like he was about to cry with each pass.

"Jiang Deng," he said, using the sage's name for the first time, as he hadn't known what it was before, "when we are done here, I would like to buy that bolthoof horse you have outside."

The sage turned from his stove with an understanding smile.

"Buy it? I see no reason for you to have to pay me for the horse I caught. It is, after all, wearing the livery of your clan, young master."