Like always, the world kept on turning.

Gramps mellowed out after a week.

Well, really we all had. The tension from the day we fought had faded. Even a visit to Hong Yaowu went off without a hitch. I don’t know why I thought the old man might not react the best to Meimei’s family but he seemed to really like Pops.

I suppose a man who picked up an orphan from the streets wouldn’t really care where you came from. He had even said Pops was ‘a good egg’ after they had sat down together.

I had to admit, it was nice to have the old man around. He was calmer, closer to how I remembered him. He made peace with Meimei. She had stopped glaring so much after the two of them started swapping increasingly lewd songs and stories with each other. Apparently the Azure Hills had a bunch Gramps had never heard of before.

He started joking with Tigu, and she started to reciprocate. He sat on the riverbank with Chunky and Washy, traded pointers with Big D, and talked with Yun Ren about his photography.

Hells, while we were working he had even tried to copy us by shoving his Qi into the earth.

I had certainly felt it, like somebody suddenly blasting me with a garden hose, and so had Tianlan. She made a noise reminiscent of a certain green frog telling people to get out. Tianlan hadn’t really appreciated it. The Qi he’d attempted to shove into the Earth was apparently useless to her.

Gramps was a bit confused, but he had the spirit; Tianlan on the other hand had gotten me to ask him for a… gentler hand.He was trying. And that was all that mattered.

Just as everything seemed to be getting back to normal, or at least as normal as it ever got here, Big D decided to drop what I had been kind of expecting would happen. It was me, him, Meimei and Gramps left in the kitchen after breakfast and our stretches.

“Great Master. I would beg your leave to travel with and learn from Honoured Grandfather.”

I closed my eyes at the statement. I was filled half with pride and half with worry at his choice. He was really leaving. To go and be a true cultivator. To travel the world fighting. I had made my peace with it when Tigu had wanted to goto the Dueling Peaks. I could handle this.

And in the end, it was his choice.

“I see.” I said after a moment, locking my eyes on him. “But why? You know you don’t have to do this. You don’t owe me anything.”

“It is not a matter of owing, Master. Like you said. We each have our own path, our own way of doing things. I want to protect our home, and I feel that this is the best way that I can do it.” Big D replied. He was calm, and controlled. He wanted me to understand.

For a brief instant, I was tempted to be a hypocrite, go back on my word, and tell him to stay. It happened with Tigu… and now it was happening again with Bi De. But… I would like to believe that I am a man of my word. So I pulled back, refusing to let the feelings of concern make my decisions for me.

I set aside the worry that he would die out there and instead took a breath and smiled at my first companion in this world. “Then how can I refuse you? Just make sure you leave with no regrets, okay?”

The rooster bowed his head, and I could see that he smiled.

“We expect letters too, if you can manage them. At least one a month.” Meimei instructed Big D seriously. “Else I’ll send Jin to find you.”

The rooster and Gramps chuckled, the old man shaking his head.

“Then I had best be off, to make my preparations.” The rooster said, hopping off the table, and heading out.

Gramps then turned to me as the rooster departed to the fields. “You’re letting him go so easily.”

“I won’t hold him back from what he wants to do. You said a man should be able to make his own way in the world, didn’t you? I trust him…. And I’ll trust you, Gramps.” I said after a moment.

Shen Yu’s eyes widened and then the old man smiled. It was a small, soft thing.

“You’ve grown, grandson.” he said, and I felt heat rise in my cheeks.

“I’d like to think I have, since you met me.” I joked, before sighing, and looking at my biological son, his face resting against Meimei’s chest. “Being a dad is hard.” I whispered.

“Indeed. He may not be blood, or even human, but… he is a fine son.”

I paused at the statement, and Meimei’s eyes widened as well. I blinked in shock at Gramp’s words. He was actually acknowledging them as people? Huh. He had said ‘family’ before and I had heard the air quotes, but now… now the words seemed genuine.

We lapsed into silence, before I broke the silence. “When are you planning on leaving?”

“Oh, not for a month or two yet!” Shen Yu exclaimed. “I just got back from a war, boy! I want to sit and rest like a war hero is supposed to! All the songs say that going back and farming is the proper way to do things, and I’ve earned that much!” I chuckled at his words.

“Oh? Want a bit of the slow life?”

“I get tended to by my grandchildren, plied with booze, and get to see interesting things! I enjoy it here, my boy!” The old man thundered, a grin slowly rising. “Why, all it needs is a few women!” He sighed dramatically, “Shame, the ones here are all taken already!”

“I mean, if you do have a special lady friend, I wouldn’t mind if they came over…” I offered.

Meimei snorted. “Just remember, don’t do anything untoward, young man.” She heckled, and Gramps laughed.

“Oh, do not worry, I am a paragon of good virtue!”

Meimei rolled her eyes, but I realised something else.

“Wait, if you’re here for a month, what about Senior Brother? You said you left him in Verdant Hill.”

I had actually gotten a message from Lady Wu about that. The transmission stone I had got from her had buzzed, and a bemused sounding Lady Wu had been on the other end asking if I knew a man named Lu Ri. After confirming the description, Lady Wu thanked me then said everything was fine on their end.

“Oh, it’s only a month. Lu Ri can entertain himself, and I left him with much to meditate upon.” I frowned but before I could speak, Meimei beat me to it.

“Grandfather. I would like to invite him to stay, if only to thank him for what he did for my husband.” Meimei said, and the old man stroked his beard.

Frowning, Gramps sighed as he slumped dramatically, “Oh, very well. I shall go and collect him.”

“Don’t you have a transmission stone?” I asked.

Gramps shrugged. “I could just transmit to him a message… but I do believe I shall descend upon him. It's always good to see what a man does when he thinks no one is watching.” Gramp’s grin was eager, and I rolled my eyes.

“We’ll come with you. I need to pick up some stuff anyways, and prep for when the Azure Jade trading Company comes back. Chyou and Bo want to get the new batch of syrup out.” I said, and Gramps nodded, though there was a gleam in his eyes. “Meimei, are you and Meihua good enough to travel to the Zhuge compound?” I asked

“Yes, let’s get Meihua home to her husband.” Meimei decreed.

=======================

We were soon on our way, pounding down the road, with Chunky pulling the cart behind him. It was a lovely spring day, and Gramps seemed to find the boar pulling the cart endlessly amusing.

The run was uneventful, though, until something caught my eye ahead of us.

Pops was riding a horse at a sedate pace down the road headed towards Verdant Hill with a town guard beside him.

I slowed my pace as we approached. “Heya, Pops!” I hollered. “Everything alright?”

Xian turned at my voice, a bit surprised. As I ran up Pops came to a stop, the guard bowed at me while Pops smiled and waved.“Yes, everything is fine, Jin. The Lord Magistrate and Brother Bao just sent a message over, asking for help with a logistical matter. Normally, at this time of year I would have had to decline, due to the planting season, but Gou has everything well in hand. Why! The little brat told me to ‘relax and drink my tea, old man, I’ll take care of everything!’ I’m not that old and frail yet!” Pops huffed, looking irritated, and I chuckled. “What about you all?” he asked warmly.

“Just need to pick some stuff up, and well, Gramps came over with one of my Senior Brothers. I told you about him. Lu Ri?”

“The one who gave you back your money and delivered your mail?” Pops asked.

I nodded. “Yeah, we’re going to see him.”

We got into the town without any issue, and I turned to Gramps.

“So how are we supposed to find him?” I asked, looking around. I guess we would just start wandering.

“You need to work on your senses, grandson.” Shen Yu chastised me, “But, I suppose Lu Ri would be hard to find as he is quite adept at suppressing his power. This shall take but a moment—”

Meimei, still sitting in the cart, coughed.

We turned.

“He's in the palace, I think.” Meimei said. “It's still a little hard to tell, but I’m getting better at ignoring Honoured Grandfather’s…pungent aroma.”

Shen Yu laughed at her jab, before closing his eyes for a second. When he opened them again, he nodded.

“Well. My dear granddaughter’s nose is something else!” Gramps decreed.

We set off in the direction of the palace, while Meimei, Meihua, and Chunky went for the Zhuge compound.

“I wonder what Lu Ri is doing in the palace, though.” I asked, as me, Gramps, and Pops started to mosey on over.

“Well, I do suppose we’ll find out.” the old man mused, as we ascended the steps of the palace with Pops.

We were met by the palace reception. A man who looked quite tired, with his robes a little rumpled. I frowned at the sight. The Lord Magistrate ran a tight ship, and I knew he didn’t like people not being impeccably dressed.

“I’m here to see the Lord Magistrate. I was invited.” Xian said, and the exhausted looking man nodded.

“You’re—” The man yawned. “Expected. We’ve been going for days, ever since the Magistrate called all hands.”

Pops looked intrigued, while I stopped forwards.

“Is there a man called Lu Ri in here?” I asked.

The man just stared at me.

“Yes. Lu Ri is here.” he said, sounding somehow even more tired.

================================

We stepped into a scene of organized chaos, in the palace’s main administrative area.

There were scribes hard at work, plotting points on maps, and looking up reports. Others were in little groups, arguing about something or another, and I could smell old tea in the air from the cups littering desks, moistly drunk save for the dregs. They were certainly working on something. I didn’t get time to ponder exactly what as I noticed three people at the end of the room, all looking at the biggest map yet.

Uncle Bao, the Lord Magistrate, and Lu Ri were all standing and talking quietly amongst themselves.

I saw Lady Wu out of the corner of my eye, the woman was frowning heavily at a pad of paper. Her hair was done up in a no-nonsense bun and she was chewing the end of her brush. She noticed our entrance and smiled at us, before turning back to her work.

For an instant, I thought Lu Ri may have enthralled my teacher but immediately discarded that idea. He wasn’t that sort of guy. The Lord Magistrate shook his head and said something to Lu Ri, pointing at a page, and the man nodded before bending down to mark something down.

We all looked at each other. Xian was as confused as I was, while Gramps looked like he was stopping himself from bursting into laughter.

“Brother Bao, Lord Magistrate! You called for me?” Pops called above the din.

“Xian, Excellent!” The Lord Magistrate said, not really turning around. “We require your assistance!”

Lu Ri on the other hand, did turn around, and did a small double take on seeing me and Gramps, before bowing politely at us then returning to his work.

We approached, and I glanced at some more of what people were writing. There was a half-made satchel on a desk, surrounded by diagrams, and it looked like one of the pockets had been moved around repeatedly.

Just what was going on?

“Good morning, Lord Magistrate, Uncle Bao, Senior Brother.” I said, greeting them. “What are you working on?”

“Mail.” The Lord Magistrate said, looking slightly faint.

“Mail.” Uncle Bao muttered around… well, a bao.

“Mail,” Lu Ri agreed, smiling. Honestly… it was the happiest I had ever seen him. He looked like he was utterly at peace with the world.

“Mail?” I echoed. “...What?”

Gramp’s composure broke and he tilted his head back, his booming laughter filling the room.