Chapter 134 - A Private Party

Seven days later, bright lanterns glowed at the Feng residence as guests from distinguished families gathered for what could be considered a small and intimate gathering for such august local personages. In the kitchen of the sprawling house, Tang Qui fussed about over several dishes ensuring that each one lived up to his demanding standards. Today's guests, after all, could not be disappointed! 

In the main hall, not a single servant could be seen. Tang Jin's mother Yao Ya had joined Feng Xi's mother Ye Kexin and Wan Yue in setting out not only the best of the Feng Family's fine dinnerware but in hanging decorations, placing floral arrangements, and ensuring that nothing was the slightest bit out of place. 

In a small sitting room to the side, Ao Wen removed a set of silver needles from Feng Lieren's chest before returning his undershirt to him. "Father Feng," she said with a slightly scolding tone that she'd copied from Senior Brother Huang when he scolded willful patients. "It's good that you feel well enough to hunt again, but you still need to be careful about drawing too much cold air into your body. I've expelled the autumn chill from your meridians but your archery method blends your aura with the surrounding air. You can either hunt like a mortal without the use of your energy or you need to give it until the moon is next full before you hunt in the cold again. I won't be here to take care of you, so you have to…"

"I know," he interrupted, belting on his outer robes and looking at Ao Wen with a smile. "If you girls had waited for spring like you'd told us you would, I wouldn't have had to hunt for your farewell dinner in this cold and I'd have been fully recovered by then," he added, placing a solid and reassuring hand on her shoulder. "And it's hard to remember that I'm still recovering when I feel this strong," he said, flexing his free hand. "I've only recovered to the middle stage of Soldier but I feel like my strength has recovered to what it was when I was first injured."

"Father Feng has always been very strong," Ao Wen said with a nod. "But the bodies of Spirit Folk are prone to deviations of the meridians and imbalances of energy that result from overly mixed bloodlines. Now that I've corrected the hidden issues in your body, you should find that your breakthrough to Warrior is unimpeded," she said with a smile. 

"I'm already happy to be walking and watching my darling flowers bloom," he said with a smile, retrieving the cane that would only be needed for a few more weeks. "Come, we should join the others."

In the main hall, a single long table had been set with places for nine people. While there was no precedence to the order of the arrangement, the four youths that would be departing with the morning light had all been arranged to one side of the table, allowing their gathered elders to fix in their mind this image of young heroes setting out on a grand journey. Soon, Tang Qui, Wan Yue, Ye Kexin, and Yao Ya entered the main hall carrying several platters of elegant dishes. Feng Lieren had supplied not only two young boar for roasting but several fowl that had been braised, dry-fried, stir-fried, and added to rich soups. The amount of food presented tonight could feed three times this number but no one complained about the waste just like no one mentioned the conspicuous absence of the Ao family at this intimate gathering. 

"Everyone," Tang Qui said, standing with a bowl of wine so full he had to move carefully to avoid spilling. "I'm very bad at putting what I feel into words. I tried to put it into food but I still don't know what 'proud' tastes like so Little Jin has to put up with me for just a minute. Jin," he said, looking at his son who seemed less boyish and more manly with every day that passed. A purposeful edge now accompanied the wild fierceness that had been present at Ao Wen's welcoming banquet and the young man's golden eyes had firmed with resolve. "Jin, as a father, I want nothing more than for you to find a path that makes you happy. If you'd awoken as an artist and wanted to take over the family business, I'd have taught you with pride, but you always wanted to follow the path of the Sword. I'm proud that you've found your way to the family's ancient heritage and that the sword of our ancestors fits well in your hand. Even if it didn't, I'd still be proud that you chose your own way. Out there, there's a big world," he said, raising his bowl in salute. "Whether you wander it, conquer it, or abandon it to come home, know that I'm proud of you for becoming the man you choose to be," he finished, taking the bowl to his lips and drinking it down in one long gulp! 

"Never believe an Artist who says they aren't good at words," Feng Lieren said, slapping Tang Qui on his back as the other father sat down. "Xi, Wen, your mother, and I have said what needs to be said. Just consider visiting us every decade or two for the next century or so, otherwise I may hunt you down myself!"

"Father!" Feng Xi said with a blush. "Even if I can't visit, I promise to write," she assured them. 

"Father Feng and Mother Ye are always welcome to come find us," Ao Wen said diplomatically before Feng Xi could respond further. "Though I imagine that by this time next year, we'll be halfway across the mainland on our way to the Myriad Arts Pavilion." 

"Have you decided where you'll be going first?" Ye Kexin asked as she began filling her plate with the richly aromatic dishes Tang Qui had prepared. "Will you be rushing for Red Moon City to make the last crossing to the mainland before winter storms set in?"

"No," Feng Xi said with a shake of her head. "We're actually planning to spend the winter in Lantern City. It offers the best training opportunities for each of us and we should be able to make it from here to there in just five days of travel."

"Lantern City?" Tang Qui asked in surprise. "You're going to take the Darkwood road just a moon short of the longest night of the year? Isn't that dangerous?"

"It is dangerous," Ao Wen acknowledged calmly, smiling at Tang Qui as she sampled a dry fried vegetable dish that contained as many spicy chilis as the sum of everything else in the dish combined. "But it's also what we need. I won't be able to become a Soldier unless I can come to a deeper understanding of the 'Night' of the Obsidian Night Scorpion. Xi is cultivating stillness and the ability to blend into the environment and a quiet night can help that."

"Isn't that the opposite of helpful to Tang Jin though?" Ye Kexin asked, not understanding why they'd take someone with a Radiant Mountain Bloodline to the depths of the Darkwood Valley. 

"That's actually part of why it's good for him," Zhang Bai spoke up around a mouthful of heavily sauced duck. "Using his powers of Light in a realm of Darkness energy is the equivalent of running while carrying weights. Plus, there are several experts in Lantern City who know how to use light in darkness. He'll have a chance to encounter other experts there."

"And what about you, Young Lord Zhang?" Yao Ya asked thoughtfully. "Don't tell me there's some perfect thing waiting for you out there too?"

"Not really," he said, reaching out to pile more of the saucy duck on his plate. "I could go anywhere, but I've spent a lot of time in Lantern City over the years and I can help everyone else get around and avoid some of the unique troubles that crop up there."

"Well, that puts a mother's mind at ease. Make sure my Jin stays out of trouble," Yao Ya said with a gentle smile. 

Feng Lieren wasn't so sure whether or not Zhang Bai was the kind of person to 'keep Jin out of trouble' in a place like Lantern City. Until recently, the young lord had enjoyed a well-deserved reputation for keeping low company in houses of ill repute in many of the towns and cities scattered over the Western Peninsula. Still, it seemed that the young man was trying to reform himself, even if the fleeting looks he gave Ao Wen spoke of ulterior motives and Feng Lieren wasn't going to out the young man's youthful indiscretions if he had truly placed them firmly in his past. 

Dinner carried on for nearly two hours with friendly chatter before Feng Xi stood and walked to a low seat at the side of the great hall. "Everyone," she said with a smile. "My love and I have a special farewell gift to present."