Book 8: Chapter 19: Big Asks

Book 8: Chapter 19: Big Asks

“It was,” admitted Jing, “but maybe we shouldn’t change the subject just yet.”

“Do you really want to compare complaints right now? Because I just got taken through the city by what I assume were royal guards hand-picked because they walked slowly.”

“About that—” started Jing.

“Which has prevented me from maintaining even the tiniest shred of anonymity in a place where there are people who do not like me. At all,” said Sen, his voice dropping closer and closer to a growl. “So, I very much hope that this wasn’t just an exercise meant to keep your damn nobles in line.”

Jing looked a bit startled at those last words, and then it was his turn to wince. He raised his hands in a placating motion.

“I swear to you, this had nothing to do with the nobles. Not my nobles, at any rate.”

Sen blinked as he tried to parse meaning from those words.

“What does that mean?”

“The reason I wanted you to come is because I’m hosting some representatives from beyond our borders.”

Sen frowned and then shook his head.

“No, I still don’t see the connection.”

“There are those gaps in your education again,” said Jing, not unkindly. “On this side of the Mountains of Sorrow, cultivators and mortals have a sort of agreement. Sects manage themselves and cultivators, for the most part. Obviously, there are exceptions, such as yourself, but the majority of cultivators answer to a sect. It maintains some kind of order among people who would otherwise be walking disasters. In exchange for not interfering too much with the sects, mortals are generally left to rule themselves,” said Jing, raising a hand to stop the flood of angry objections that were about to pour out of Sen’s mouth. “It’s not perfect. I won’t pretend it’s perfect. We both know that cultivators are often a menace. Destroying things. Killing each other. Killing mortals. Making people think the world is ending.”

“Point taken,” said Sen, letting his hostility toward sects subside.

“Good. Now, that’s how things are done here. Things are a lot more complicated beyond those mountains. There are places there where cultivators are the nobility and royalty.”

That gave Sen pause. Cultivators as nobility? As royalty?

“Why in the thousand hells would they do something that stupid?” asked Sen.

Jing assumed a look that was quite familiar to Sen. It was the same look the man had worn when he was giving Sen lessons about the mortal politics of the capital several years earlier. So, it didn’t come as much of a surprise when Jing asked a question instead of providing an answer.

“What are cultivators seeking?” asked Jing.

“I did,” agreed Jing. “Complicated and expensive doesn’t make something impossible, though. Especially if you have five hundred years to plan it. Which brings me to you. Chan Dishi is here to be my very obvious bodyguard.”

Sen mulled it over.

“So, you want me to be your less obvious bodyguard?”

“I’d certainly welcome that if someone does try to kill me, but I mostly just want you in the room.”

“Why?”

“Because, to them, you’re an unknown quantity. A tremendously powerful cultivator who very publicly executed a nascent soul cultivator just prior to entering the city with a royal guard escort. A man who warrants a private meeting with the king. That’s the kind of man who will make people think twice before they attempt an assassination. At the very least, you’ll keep them unbalanced.”

Sen was quiet for a long time as he thought all of that over.

“I owe you. It’s why I’m here. I even understand your reasoning. But this is a big ask. You’re putting me directly in the way of cultivators who, up until now, were either not interested in me or didn’t know I existed. You and I both know that will have consequences for me. Consequences that could well haunt me long after your reign is over,” said Sen, pausing as he considered his next words. “More importantly, it could have consequences for my daughter.”

For the first time in the conversation, Jing seemed truly at a loss for words.

“Your daughter? I wasn’t aware you were with anyone.”

“I’m not. She was orphaned. Her whole village was destroyed by bandits. No family left to take her in. So, I adopted her.”

“Orphan,” murmured Jing. “I see. And the bandits?”

“They won’t be bothering anyone. Ever.”

“Good. That’s for the best. I’d have had to send troops out to destroy them. We can’t let something like that go unpunished,” said Jing before he gave Sen a questioning look. “You haven’t said no, yet, even though I’m quite certain you want to. I take it that means you want something. Did you have something in mind?”

Sen had some vague notion that he wanted something out of the deal to make it worth the present and potential future hassles. The longer he thought about it, the more problems he could see. What could possibly make up for all of that potential trouble coming to his door? He couldn’t think of anything. Sure, he could always just move on, or go live in the wilds if it came down to it. But that would be no kind of life for Ai. No home. No roots. No potential to build a life for herself separate from him. He couldn’t do that to her. A mad idea hit him then. He dismissed it for madness, but it came back. Insistent. Nagging. He weighed it, almost dismissed it again, and finally decided that maybe it did have some merit. It’d be utterly worthless to him. In fact, it would be nothing but headaches for him but not for Ai.

Grinning a little, Sen said, “The House of Xie is going to disappear, but their holdings and business concerns won’t.”

Jing frowned and asked, “And?”

“This is what I want. The House of Lu.”