Chapter 21 - Shopping with Sister Xi

The following day, Ao Wen and Feng Xi left for the market after a simple breakfast prepared by Ao Wen's mother. Inwardly, Ao Wen grumbled about losing the chance to cook for Feng Xi again but after her mother heard that she'd fought Blood Rage Cougars yesterday she'd been banned from the kitchen while her mother fussed over her and Xi both.

By mid morning, both young women were happy to be on their way.

"Where first?" Feng Xi asked. "Looking for a saber?"

"Clothes first," Ao Wen said. "Not that I can't move in skirts but I feel better in something designed for real fighting."

"You know, there are a lot of sword cultivators who would argue that an elegant swordswoman can fight just fine in an elegant dress," Feng Xi said, thinking of the Fairies that had inspired her as a child.

"There are a lot of sword cultivators that use their swords like wands," Ao Wen said with a hint of scorn in her voice. "Real fighting uses every part of the weapon and every part of the body. Sabers aren't for elegant Fairies… You can be the elegant one," she said with a teasing laugh. "I'll keep the path clear."

"You're no fun," Feng Xi said. "At least let me pick some fabrics for you," she said. "I'm sick of people looking down on you. If you dress up a little bit, it'll make life easier."

Ao Wen nodded, unable to refute Feng Xi's perspective. Besides, playing dress up do for Xi was its own kind of fun.

At an elegant and upscale shop that had belonged to the Gao family for generations, several customers bustled about the selections of fabrics and ready made outfits while chattering about the local events in turning leaf town.

"Did you hear the City Lord has finally decided to appoint Soldier Long Ma as the Deputy City Lord?" one woman whispered to her friend as she inspected embroidered silk robes. While the Gao family hadn't produced any cultivators in countless generations, as descendents of the Pure Jade Silkworm, anything they produced met the highest standards of Turning Leaf town's upper crust.

"Long Ma?" her friend scoffed. "Why would he choose that strutting peacock over Feng Lieren? The Feng family has protected this town for generations! Long Ma only gets attention because he's the first Soldier to emerge from the Long family in the history of Turning Leaf town. He never does anything for the common people unless there's a crowd to witness it and sing his praises," she finished with a snort.

"I know!" the first woman replied. "Everyone says Feng Lieren is sure to make a full recovery if they can ever afford to bring in a high level alchemist. He deserves that position, not this so-called 'Dragon Soldier'."

A third woman chimed in after overhearing them, "Dragon Soldier? Hmph. I bet that brute steps on more flowers than he saves. Feng Lieren would never let thugs like the City Lord's seventh son threaten decent folk. Long Ma is to scared to upset the City Lord to actually keep his sprawling family in check."

"I don't know why you're all complaining," an elegant woman browsing jade hairpins cut in. "That Long Ma may call himself a 'Dragon Soldier' but I heard he's inherited a pure Water Dragon bloodline. Didn't he use some mighty water whip technique last spring to redirect the flood waters? Clearly he deserves the title!"

"Hmph! Flood Dragons like the one he's descended from are just bottom-feeders compared to true Heavenly Water Dragons," one of the first women dismissed. "He probably conjured that whole flood just to make himself look heroic after," she said, doubting that he would have been the kind of pure hero that this other woman seemed to think he was.

Her friend agreed, "That's right! And everyone knows his so-called 'water whip' is just a poor imitation of the Heavenly Water Dragon's Tail. A true dragon would have stopped the flood before it ever threatened the town."

"If you ask me, he has no business calling himself a 'Dragon Soldier'," another woman declared haughtily. "One tiny flood doesn't prove anything. Feng Lieren's protected us from all manner of beasts for twenty years!"

The elegant woman bristled at their words. "Well, I think Dragon Soldier Long at least deserves a chance before you all condemn him!"

"Fairy Feng, Fairy Ao," a middle-aged woman greeted loudly, warning the other women in the shop to still their tongues as she saw the two young women entering. "This humble tailor is honored by your patronage."

"Please," Ao Wen said, uncomfortable with the distant formality. "You can just call me by name, I've done nothing to earn a bow from you."

"Fairy Ao is humble as they say," the tailor replied with a smile. "But every customer deserves respect, so don't mind this old lady. Have you come for a new dress?" she asked. "Winter is approaching and I've just received some lovely white silk and a number of shades of blue brocade with patterns of snowflakes, cranes, or drifting clouds."

"Not a dress," Ao Wen said. "My Saber teacher taught us to fight in more practical garb. Even martial sister Xiang gave up on dresses and skirts in favor of men's breeches and a comfortable tunic," she said.

"Ah," the tailor said in understanding. "You know, you have the build for it," she continued, approaching Ao Wen with a measuring tape. "I've helped several young women over the years to pass as young gentlemen when they travel as it can be significantly safer." Receiving a nod of permission from Ao Wen she began taking measurements, her experienced mind storing the information away without need of taking notes.

"Really," Feng Xi said in surprise. She hadn't known that the practice was so common. "Perhaps I should get a set of men's clothing for traveling as well."

Ao Wen and the tailor shared a knowing glance before the older woman looked at Feng Xi with a somewhat guilty expression. "Fairy Feng, I'd be happy to make you whatever you like but not everyone has the build to be mistaken for a young man. I'm afraid that Fairy Feng is endowed with ample beauty the likes of which are not easily concealed," she said delicately while looking at Feng Xi's generous bust. "Fairy Ao may be a touch short, but her slender frame isn't that different from some of the young Scholars in Turning Leaf town. Alchemy Novice Dong Shen comes to mind as having a very similar build despite being twice Fairy Ao's age."

"Oh it's fine," Feng Xi said, waiving off the notion. "More importantly, what do you think about these fabrics, Wen? Your martial energy is golden bronze," she said, pointing out a similar colored silk. "Something with dragon patterns maybe?"

Ao Wen looked at the fabric with a frown. "Father might like something like that," she said. "He's started sketching a new door guardian statue since he learned we have a dragon bloodline. Mother would be sad to see her side of my bloodline missing though and if I add vermilion to bronze I start to feel like a puffed-up silk pants like Tang Jin."

"What do you think suits you then? Something more subtle perhaps," the tailor said, pulling out a darker orange silk and a contrasting green brocade featuring falling leaves. "Mostly solid with an accent that speaks to your hometown, honoring the place that both you and your parents come from. No one is slighted," she said with the practiced grace of handling family members from many prominent families who used their children as a showpiece.

"Still too much," Ao Wen said with a frown. "This," she said, selecting a rich black silk. "I think this is perfect."

"No." Feng Xi said, holding up her hands in an X block. "I know what you're thinking, you want to honor your Obsidian Night Scorpion Saber art," she said. "But the night sky is rarely dead black. It has richness, texture, stars, and the moon. If you wear black, you need to at least trim it in silver, or use a midnight blue in layers to add texture."

"Fairy Feng lives up to her reputation as an Artist," the tailor said with a smile. "How many sets of clothing would you like? Depending on the fabrics and complexity, each set will vary between eight and twelve taels of silver. I think I can give you a few variations on a night sky theme that are sufficiently subdued."

"Six," Feng Xi said before Ao Wen could answer. "Will four taels in gold suffice? If so, I have a few special requests," she said, approaching the tailor to whisper into her ear.

"Hey, don't you need to check with me first?" Ao Wen asked, pouting slightly.

"Let your big sister help you," Feng Xi said, grinning broadly.

In the end, Ao Wen yielded to the artist. As long as things stayed subtle, she was fine with it. The tailor also provided her with a reasonable swordsman's outfit in black and gray that needed very little alteration for her to be comfortable in. After tying her hair up in a high tail, she felt more grounded than she had in her old skirts. Her current outfit was likely something Jun Biyu would have worn. She didn't let that bother her though. She was slowly coming to accept that she had been Jun Biyu. She could integrate that past with her present and still be herself. Besides, she told herself, she'd truly feel appropriately dressed when she got whatever her sister had conspired with the tailor to design. A gift from Feng Xi could only ever belong to her current life.

Once she was properly dressed, the young women crossed the plaza to visit the store of Qing Chen, an Aesthete who cultivated a unique forging art that connected the power of gems and crystals to the metals that he forged into weapons. His best works couldn't be bought with silver or gold, but Ao Wen didn't feel the need for such a special blade yet. Dragon Fang had, according to Teacher Xie, been an ordinary blade. Her next blade should be the same.

"Welcome ladies," Qing Chen said with a smile. "Brawler Ao," he continued, addressing her respectfully by her cultivation title. "I've been expecting you. I have several swords that are both sharp enough to cut stone and sturdy enough to do so repeatedly. Of course, if you prefer, I also have several mighty hammers that will amplify the force of your blows to shatter the earth itself," he said, gesturing to a collection of elegant swords and small war hammers appropriate for a woman of her size. Clearly, after word spread yesterday of her status, he'd put some thought into the sort of weapon she might prefer.

"Thank you Aesthete Qing," Ao Wen replied. "But I'm looking for an appropriate saber. Something at least this long," she indicated by placing a hand in line with her shoulder.

Qing Chen blinked in surprise. Sword cultivators outnumbered saber cultivators ten to one, and among women, nearly fifty to one. While he had provided large sabers to many hot blooded young men who were lured by their great power, he'd never had a woman ask for a saber nearly her own height in length!

"Forgive me," he says somewhat awkwardly. "It's not that I wish to doubt you, but I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that while great sabers of that size can be powerful, they are very difficult to control, particularly if your strength is lacking. Perhaps," he said, pulling a smaller saber off the rack behind him. "Something like an Oxtail Saber would suit you better? Or if you want more heft, a Ring Saber?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I'm sure they're fine sabers, but the Oxtail Saber can only be used one handed, it's not versatile enough, and while a ring saber can cleave mightily, my hand would catch on the spine in a fast fight. Even my idiot martial brother Jun Ben could best me if I was hobbled with one of those."

"Aesthete Qing," Feng Xi said, stepping forward. "Yesterday, little sister was practicing with a wooden long saber when my breakthrough attracted the attention of two Blood Rage Cougars. She killed them with that saber but shattered it breaking the spine of the second one. You need not doubt her skill or might."

"Truly?" Qing Chen said unconvinced. "Then perhaps something like this would suit…"