It was a mad night. Mad enough that when I returned to my room the next morning, I was sore all over and too tired for my daily practice, so I had a simple breakfast and decided to go for a walk in the garden instead.
Autumn leaves rustled in the cool breeze, stirring a wave of gold as I passed. The sweet osmanthus tree was already laden with flower buds, and I wondered idly if we would be here to watch it bloom—the trip to the Jade Temple was starting in just a few days. Osmanthus fragrance was one of my favorites, and I had hoped to go moon-gazing under the tree on the night of Mid Autumn with Bai Ye.
Jade Temple probably had sweet osmanthus trees as well, though moon-gazing with him there would be too difficult. Which day was Mid Autumn again? Would it still be before the trip?
I was searching the commoner's calendar futilely in my mind when I realized that, while wandering aimlessly, my feet had taken me to the sealed door of the cave chamber.