Chapter Eight: The Way Back Home. (Lan's POV)

Kai stood before me dressed in a different set of rags and discarded his previous shock for a new expression of mild embarrassment. "I apologize, Master Lan. Did I interrupt your bath?" He asked, rubbing the back of his neck and settling his gaze off to the side where the tub still sat.

I turned back to the table where my untouched beverage sat, leaving the doorway, as I explained, "No, I was just about to sit and enjoy some tea."

Gesturing to the mat beside me, I folded my legs beneath me to sit down. I couldn't help but be curious as Kai sat beside me, offering to pour me a cup of tea as he reached for the kettle. Nodding graciously, I took the cup from his hand, pleased to finally enjoy a tea that suited my tastes. However, when my fingers lightly grazed his hand, he flinched and pursed his lips into a thoughtful frown.

"Master, are you cold? Where is your towel? You should take care to dry off completely, or you'll get sick!" He gently nagged and, without waiting for my response, got up to search for the towel I had forgone.

I nearly chuckled at his actions. He reminded me of Brother Yue but also reminded me that I, once again, forgot to dry my hair off. I blame this body's habits! It was too used to having Brother Yue dry off my hair for me! A nagging feeling at the back of my head gave me pause to wonder just what happened between the previous Lan and Brother Yue to have the Sect Master show such care and tenderness.

"I have yet to be sick from a bit of water, Kai," I grumbled, swirling the tea in my cup slowly as Kai returned with a plush towel.

The youth chuckled softly as he draped the towel over my hair, gently working his fingers against my scalp. This should have been relaxing, but instead, I just felt my embarrassment grow. I was supposed to be the older one here, yet the person I wanted to join the Sect was taking care of my hair!

[Inner Dialogue] "What is this situation? How did it get to this? How is it that everyone is always taking care of me!" I sobbed, wishing I could crawl into a hole somewhere out of sight. "I need to make sure that I take better care of myself! Lan, get your act together!"

Sighing, I waved Kai away. Thanks to Kai, my hair didn't feel as wet as before, but I needed to get the conversation moving on so I could sleep. I took a short sip of the tea from my cup as Kai settled on his seat. "I'm sure you didn't come here just to serve me tea and scold me for keeping my hair wet. So, what can I help you with?" I asked, casting a sidelong glance to the youth.

Kai was silent for a moment, with his eyes downcast and his lips pursed in a thoughtful frown. Then, taking the chance, I studied his features that were illuminated by a silvery glow thanks to the moon peeking through the open window.

Though his face was gaunt due to malnutrition, I was confident that once he got some decent food in him along with plenty of rest, he would be worthy of the title of Second (first) Male Lead! With sun-kissed skin from laboring outside his whole life and thick lashes that frame upturned eyes set with orbs of bright amber. Once he was healthy, I really wanted to see what my favorite character looked like in person.

Seemingly done with his contemplation, Kai looked up to lock his gaze with mine. Startled, I looked down at my cup and took another sip before placing the empty cup on the table.

"I'll go with you," he stated, fingers drumming against the table as if he was still expecting me to take back my offer.

However, this was an offer I wouldn't refund no matter what! Not only would this prolong my life, but also those who died early in the novel. I needed to make sure that the one person in this world who could defeat the male lead was correctly trained. I'll also need to watch out for anyone who might betray Kai. So many death flags to chop down...

"I.. am happy to hear that you will be joining the Sect, Kai... I've never asked for your name before, so I've just been repeating what I've heard," muttering I sat up straight and cleared my throat, embarrassment heated my skin to the point that I was sure my skin was tinged pink.

Kai chuckled quietly next to me before scooting back and cupping his hands towards me. "This disciple will greet Master formally! My family name is Renci, and my given name is Kai. This disciple thanks Master for giving this chance to someone so lowly!" He kowtowed upon his final words, resting his forehead against the mat he was sitting on.

Lowly? Sure, he was born only to be cast aside and lived in squalor, but he would go on to become someone to be feared in the community. If he didn't die so soon in the novel, I had no doubt that he would have reached the pinnacle of the Cultivation World. However, it's not like he would know that just yet.

Placing my hand against Kai's head, I answered, "Then this Master is interested in seeing just what you can accomplish, dear disciple." I kept my tone light and teasing, hoping to disguise my excitement. I couldn't wait to get home and start on Kai's training.

There were only three years left before the original novel's beginning, which meant that the All Sect Summit would commence. It occurred early in the Spring and would last for a few weeks if I remember correctly. This would also be when the male lead and female lead were introduced and Kai's first loss to the male lead. That won't happen this time. I have complete confidence in Kai's abilities, and we'll make sure to show up the male lead!

Kai lifted his head and grinned at me as he brought himself back into a seated position. I took my hand back and clasped it close to my chest before continuing, "We will be leaving early in the morning, so you should head back and rest." Standing, I walked around the small table to the door and placed my hand against the handle before adding, "Meet us by the Northern gate with your family. You won't have a lot of time for goodbyes since we need to report back quickly."

Kai came to stand next to me and nodded with understanding. "Don't worry about that. They are happy that I caught the eye of such an amazing Master," he replied, opening the door for me. "This disciple will leave first, Master! I will see you in the morning!" With that, he quickly disappeared from view.

[Inner Dialogue] "I feel like this Kai is more mischievous than what the novel described him as! Ah, whatever. I'm too tired to think about this," I mused with a shrug.

Settling into the bed, I gazed out the window to the small garden illuminated by the silver light of the moon. The scenery was enough to make me comfortable to sleep, but I couldn't wait to go back to my forest and my bed. I had many things to do once we returned. So much to do before the Summit; however, my sleep-addled brain couldn't keep the train of thought, and soon I found myself dozing off.

*****

Lady nickered restlessly next to me, stomping her hooves against the dirt road. It seemed like I wasn't the only one who was eager to head home after this mission.

Behind us, Kai spoke to his family, exchanging words of farewell as I gently patted Lady's flank. Xinyi'er stood beside her horse, watching the exchange with a complicated expression. I couldn't recall her story, but judging by how she watched the small family, I guessed she didn't have much family before arriving in the Sect.

"Mister Renci," I called to the older gentleman as I approached, Lady close on my heels. Then, stopping before the small family, I fished a small silk pouch and held it out to Kai's father. "This should help keep your stomaches filled until a member of our Sect arrives to sell off the previous Lord's valuables."

"Great Monarch, you needn't worry about us," Kai's father responded as he opened the pouch. His eyes widened as he stared without blinking at the contents inside the silk bag. He stood like an immovable statue for several seconds, causing his wife and Kai to come closer with curious looks. Then seeing the contents of the tiny silk bag, they too stood with their mouths agape.

Fidgeting with the oversized sleeves of my robe, I asked, "Is it too little? I could send more when I return to the Sect."

All three heads snapped in my direction, causing me to flinch back with surprise as they addressed me with various names, "Master, Great Monarch!" Even the youngest, who clung to his mother's leg, chimed in with an innocent, "Big Brother!" as if he didn't want to be left out. Finally, the small group looked to Xinyi'er, who came to my side as if she would give a proper explanation. Instead, she just gave a helpless shrug and shake of her head.

Composing himself, Mister Renci cleared his throat and presented the small pouch, "Great Monarch, this is far too much money for us. We wouldn't know what to do with it."

Honestly speaking, if it was more than what they needed to keep themselves fed until the village could make money, that was even better. Any excess could be put towards rebuilding the town and invested towards defenses. If I couldn't change certain events from the novel, I needed to prepare early. Safeguarding Kai's family was one thing I needed to do right away.

"If it is too much money, then think of it as an investment. Put it towards the town to rebuild and strengthen your defenses. From what I overheard on my way over, the villagers are looking to elect a new Lord from amongst your own people. While this is typically left to the Emperor, your town is under the jurisdiction of the Jasmine Sect. So, we will appeal to the Emperor on your behalf when we inform him of what has happened here. Regardless, you will need money, so take the pouch." I gently pushed the small bag back towards the older gentleman, taking care to only touch the fabric.

The mother and father duo stared at me in a mixture of shock and gratitude while Kai stood off to the side, arms crossed and a brilliant smile gracing his features. The expressions gave me a strange uncomfortable feeling, which was only made worse when the duo bowed low and sang praises to me.

Clearing my throat, I turned away and patted Lady's muzzle. "A-anyway, we need to leave. We have things to do before the day ends," I muttered while I mounted my horse and urged her to turn away from their smiling faces.

I glanced back and watched as Kai gave his family one last hug before following Xinyi'er onto her horse. Then, we quickly set off for the Sect with a final wave.

The journey up to the Sect was just as easy as the journey down. A lively conversation between Xinyi'er and Kai kept me from being lulled to sleep, especially since I became the main subject a few times. When they began speaking about me, Xinyi'er would lower her voice, thinking I couldn't hear her. Unfortunately for her, only her footsteps could be quiet, and her voice just barely came below her average pitch.

"If there is anything to remember when you enter the Sect and become Master's disciple, it is that you can't carelessly touch him. He's usually okay if he sees it coming, but if you touch him carelessly, you could find yourself with bruised ribs at the very least!" Xinyi informed Kai in her best whisper. Out of everything she could have told him, why did she need to start with this!

After a pause, Kai asked, "Why is that? It seemed like I was able to touch our Master just fine, but when that bastard touched him, it was like Master just shut down." I wanted to know why as well! Maybe, Xinyi would know more than I do currently.

"I am not sure what happened exactly. I've known Master since we were both kids. I grew up on the mountain as an Orphan, and Master grew up in the Sect with his mother. However, after the Mistress' death, Master withdrew into himself, and he wouldn't let anyone touch him. Even Sect Leader couldn't come close to him at the time without Master's Qi lashing out." As Xinyi spoke, her voice grew somber, as if the memory was still painful to her.

I pursed my lips and tightened my grip on the reins as I considered this new revelation. Just what happened to Lan when he was young?

Kai was silent for a moment. Despite not being able to see him, I imagined that he was absorbing the new information before he muttered a soft, "I see."

From that point, the conversation shifted to discuss how much I enjoyed sweets and how the Sect Leader would still eat or drink whatever dessert I put in front of him despite hating anything with too much sugar. Of course, this was news to me since Brother Yue didn't refuse the Sweet Rose tea when he visited the day before I left. However, I don't remember him drinking the tea before he left.

I sighed with relief as I saw the towering stone gates of the Sect's entrance. A red oak sign sat in the middle of the arch, where the name of our Sect was written in bold, flowing calligraphy. Two guards stood outside the closed self-same painted oak doors, hands languidly resting on their swords.

As we approached, they straightened and made to question us before Xinyi raised her arm in greeting, calling both by name. Then, relaxing, the guards greeted me with a respectful bow and opened the gates at once to allow us through.

Surprisingly, Sect Leader Yue and my Senior Disciple Zhou Su waited for us just past the gate. Zhou Su ran up to us first, cupping his hands before me as he greeted me with the utmost respect and excitement while Sect Leader Yue waited for me to dismount before he approached.

"Little Lan, I hope all went well with the mission. By appearances, it looks like it went well since you brought a new disciple home," Sect Leader Yue beamed, his tone cheerful as he turned his attention to the newest disciple.

Kai dismounted smoothly, ignoring Zhou Su's prickly glare as Xinyi followed him. Both disciples cupped their hands as they greeted their Sect Leader; however, Kai kneeled down as he gave his first greeting.

"Disciple Renci Kai greets the Sect Leader!" Kai bowed his head, his voice ringing with clarity.

Sect Leader Yue smiled down at the youth and gently urged Kai to stand before he spoke, "Welcome, Disciple Kai, to the Brilliant Flowering White Jasmine Sect... or just the Jasmine Sect as Little Lan insists on calling it." He added wryly as he glanced my way, a teasing grin tugging at his lips before he caught himself. "We will get you situated. In the meantime, why don't you and Senior Disciple Xinyi get some food? I'm sure you are both starving."

The duo bowed once more to Sect Leader Yue and myself before departing for the kitchen, Zhou Su close on their heels and looking miserable from Xinyi'er's lack of attention. I could already tell this would be trouble no matter how I handled it.

Once they were out of earshot, Sect Leader Yue turned back to me with an inquisitive gaze. "I'm sure you are hungry as well, Little Lan. We can dine and talk," his tone left no room for argument as he waited for me to pass on Lady's reins to a nearby disciple.

I inclined my head in agreement and followed beside the Sect Leader as we headed in the opposite direction of my home. Sneaking a peek at Senior Brother Yue's calm facade, I had the sneaking suspicion that he was angry and just barely contained it beneath the mask of Sect Leader. Though I had no reason to believe it, just the feeling in my gut was telling me that there was something that bothered him.

Just as I was beginning to wonder where we were headed, the path opened up to a small lake where a cozy pavilion sat against still waters. Surrounding the pavilion were dozens of Lotus flowers, their leaves large enough for frogs and tiny turtles to lazy about comfortably. In the distance, white cranes illuminated by the setting sun waded through the water with effortless grace.

Two female disciples stood next to a stone table within the middle of the pavilion, setting down plates of confectionaries and bowls of rice topped with braised pork. A beautifully sculpted jade-green teapot sat in the center of the table, with two similarly crafted cups waiting nearby.

Dismissing the two disciples, Senior Brother Yue gestured to sit and sat beside me. I patiently waited as Senior Brother Yue poured a cup of tea for me and then for himself, though I knew he would not drink a sip of it. By the smell, it was my favorite Sweet Rose Tea.

"If you're not going to drink the tea, then you should ask for one of the disciples to bring you a different beverage. It would be better than you going thirsty," I quipped a little harsher than I intended as I brought the tea to my lips.

Senior Brother Yue paused briefly before leaning back with a severe countenance, settling his gaze on me. "Tell me what happened in town. Leave nothing out."