Claddings of Light : Book 12 of Painting the Mists

by Patrick Laplante

  “Well,” the woman said, “shall we?”

  By “dining room,” the woman could have mentioned that she meant the main guest dining room reserved for important guests. Even the Patriarch and Madame Mi seldom used it. Whatever this luncheon was, it was probably important.

  “Madame Mi awaits your presence inside,” the assistant said, opening the door and shoving her in. Mi Fei cursed as she stumbled into the room. She looked up, and where she’d expect to see her mother, she saw another woman. Her mother was sitting in a seat reserved for one of a lower position. Who was this? And why did her mother give her so much face?

  “Come. Sit, daughter,” Madame Mi said.

  Mi Fei eyed the other woman cautiously. She looked to be in her midforties, which narrowed her age down to between four and eight centuries. Only a single streak of gray graced her jet-black hair. She wore blue, though in the position she sat in, it was difficult to identify any house crest.

  “Mi Fei, please greet Cao Wenji,” Madame Mi said. “Patriarch Cao’s wife.”

  “Please call me Madame Cao,” Cao Wenji insisted.

  “A pleasure, Madame Cao,” Mi Fei said with a strained smile. Cao Wenji was the last person she wanted to meet.

  Before she could say anything else, servants poured into the room, bringing a full twenty dishes to be shared between the three of them. It was extravagant fare for lunch, even with an important guest. Mi Fei tried to think of a reason her mother might take the seat she did, or why they would be serving such a meal.

  “Madame Cao comes often for tea, Mi Fei, but the morning dragged on, so here we are,” Madam Mi said. “Madame Cao, you were saying?”

  “I’m not sure if we should continue our previous conversation,” Madame Cao said. “It might seem insensitive given recent events.”

  “Nonsense,” Madame Mi said. “My girl is a strong woman. She is a cultivator, not some frail whelp from a lesser family.”

  “Very well,” Madame Cao said. “Like I was saying, it looks like Patriarch Wei will be in a coma for a while longer. But it does look like he’ll recover. In the meantime, it looks like his sons and daughters have picked up the slack. Unfortunately for them, everyone can tell the way the winds are blowing. We’ll see how much they hemorrhage before their patriarch awakens.”

  Of course they’re talking about this, Mi Fei thought bitterly. The reminder hurt, but she was starved for information. “What of Wei Longshen?”

  “That boy,” Madame Cao said, pursing her lips. “Well, he’s alive, if you can call it that. It’s so difficult to tell with death cultivators.”

  “He’s a soul piper,” Mi Fei said stiffly.

  “A terrible variant profession that’s selfdom practiced,” Madame Cao said. “I’m telling you, if one of my boys decided to go down that path, I’d have him thrown out the window. I have no idea why an upright gentleman like Patriarch Wei would keep him around.”

  “Let’s not get overly abrasive,” Madame Mi said. “He is not your son, so there’s no point in worrying about that. Though I suppose that brings us to our next topic.”

  “Ah, yes, my favorite topic,” Madame Cao said. “Naturally, my own son, Commander Wenluan. He is doing very well. The conquest is going splendidly, and our family is growing stronger by the day.”

  “Is growth through pillaging something to be proud of?” Mi Fei asked.

  “Daughter, you’d best hold your tongue,” Madam Mi scolded.

  Madame Cao gave her a look. “As I was saying, our family grows stronger by the day, and our allies grow numerous,” Madame Cao said. “I’ve lost count of how many marriage proposals he’s received. Though he has accepted a few concubines, as a man like him should, he’s yet to settle on a main wife. He’s left that decision to me, his mother.”

  “How filial,” Madame Mi said. “Have you had any luck in your search?”

  She’s probably angling for the Xia Clan, given how deep in bed they’ve gotten, Mi Fei thought. I wonder if Killjoy is in trouble?

  “Alas, my son is a very demanding individual,” Madame Cao said. “He requires a top-tier talent as a cultivation partner, you know. Anyone else would be a waste.”

  And the Li Clan’s genius was killed, Mi Fei thought. Wei Xinya is old. Perhaps they’ll try someone from a branch family? Or one of the geniuses from a sect?

  “That’s why I’ve decided to broach an uncomfortable topic,” Madame Cao said. “Just as I have a proud son, you have an excellent daughter.”

  Mi Fei stood up. “No. Absolutely not.”

  “Sit down!” her mother shouted. Bindings of spatial energy pulled Mi Fei into her chair. She struggled for a moment, wondering if it would be wise to break them and cause her mother to lose face. She decided against it but glared at Cao Wenji. The gall of that woman.

  “I’m currently in a happy relationship with Wei Longshen,” Mi Fei said stiffly. “There’s no need for you to involve yourself in that.”

  “Yes, an unfortunate matter,” Madame Cao said. “One I’d be willing to overlook.”

  “Overlook?” Mi Fei said. She tried to rise again, but her mother held her down. “Mother, kindly let me move. Don’t force me to break your restraints.”

  “That’s quite enough, dearest,” Madame Mi said. “And you must admit Wei Longshen did let you down. Your father was furious at the affair and has made it known that he no longer approves of your relationship.”

  “What?” Mi Fei said in disbelief. “Couldn’t you have mentioned this to me first?”

  “You were unconscious for a long time, and we couldn’t let the insult stand,” Madame Mi said. “Besides, the Wei Clan isn’t doing well, and Wei Longshen’s tendencies toward death cultivation are unfortunate.”

  “I can’t believe you’re saying this,” Mi Fei said.

  “Any fool can sense which way the wind is blowing,” Madame Cao said. “I’m sure a smart young lady like yourself can understand her reasoning.”

  “I don’t need to hear this,” Mi Fei said. She moved to leave once again.

  “Stay still and don’t say another word,” Madame Mi said. “We’ve spoken many times about this. Both you and I, and she and I. And it is my responsibility as your mother to settle the issue of your marriage. Well, just before you arrived, we did just that. You’ve been officially engaged with Cao Wenluan.”

  “What?!” Mi Fei exclaimed. She couldn’t take it anymore. This could not be happening. Her Grandmist domain erupted and filled the room. It was promptly restrained by Madame Mi and Madame Cao’s world projections. “You have no right to decide this kind of thing for me.”

  “I have every right,” her mother said. “I am your mother. As is tradition, I decide your marriage.”

  “I have no mother,” Mi Fei said. She pushed against the two rune-gathering cultivators, and their weak chains of space shattered. Their world projections broke, and her mother spat out blood. Mi Fei shoved Cao Wenji back against the wall, then destroyed the room’s locked door with gray flames.

  Mi Fei stomped through the manor, ignoring questions and pushing away anyone who tried to stop her. She ignored the guards poking around.

  “Are you all right?” Daoist Burning Sword asked as she passed the sparring square. She ignored him and rushed into her room, where she began frantically packing.

  Xiao Bai appeared. “What’s wrong?” she said.

  “We’re leaving,” Mi Fei said. Xiao Bai became a flurry of white motion that stuffed anything and everything she could lay her paws on into storage treasures. It took less than thirty seconds, after which they walked out the door. There, they found a man she rarely saw.

  “Patriarch Mi,” she said, unable to call him father. Beside Patriarch Mi stood two elders, Elder Mi Lan and Elder Mi Kan. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

  Patriarch Mi smiled awkwardly. “I just spoke to your mother. It seems you didn’t take the news well.”

  “You knew?” Mi Fei said, the full extent of their betrayal becoming clear.

/>   “Your engagement has been in the works for quite some time, girl,” Elder Mi Lan said. She was one of the older elders and had the look of a fifty-year-old mortal woman. She was strict and unyielding.

  Mi Fei glared at Patriarch Mi. “Not once did you mention any of this to me.”

  “We weren’t sure how you’d take the news,” Patriarch Mi said. “As you might know, your mother has been having extensive discussions with Cao Wenji. And given recent events at the Wei Clan, we found it prudent to accelerate such talks. It’s all for your protection, daughter. Wei Longshen is not the upstanding gentleman we thought him to be.”

  “What the hell is going on?” Xiao Bai asked.

  Patriarch Mi looked at Xiao Bai coldly. He’d never liked her demon companion. “Be quiet, demon. This concerns your master.”

  “Xiao Bai is my bonded sister,” Mi Fei said stiffly. “She’s entitled to respect.”

  “Which she would have if she showed an ounce of it herself,” Patriarch Mi said.

  “You haven’t earned my respect, old man, because you never bother speaking to your daughter,” Xiao Bai countered.

  “No matter,” Patriarch Mi said. “To answer you question, demon, her engagement to Cao Wenluan has been finalized.” He looked to Mi Fei. “Congratulations. Cao Wenluan is the most sought-after bachelor in the prefecture.”

  “Then I quit the family,” Mi Fei said. “I won’t marry him. Not now. Not ever.”

  “You can and you will,” Patriarch Mi said. “It’s for your own good. No one else in the prefecture can guarantee your protection.”

  “You think I buy into your lies?” Mi Fei said. “You’re not protecting me—you’re selling me! You’ve auctioned me off to someone who’s less man than animal! If you think for one second that I’ll go along with this, you’re wrong.”

  Patriarch Mi looked at her coldly. “Very well. Elders, it seems that Mi Fei has yet to recover from her injuries. The mental trauma is serious, and she needs time to come to terms with everything. Please restrain her—for her own protection.”

  The two elders flashed, and the space around her constricted. Xiao Bai became a blur, and her feet crashed against an earthen barrier. One of the elders grunted, but Patriarch Mi appeared beside the Jade Rabbit and smacked her on the back of the neck with his hand.

  “Xiao Bai!” Mi Fei screamed as the white-haired woman collapsed into a heap. Mi Fei was livid. She reached out to her Grandmist and raged against her restraints.

  “I can’t hold her long!” Elder Mi Kang said. “Do it!”

  Patriarch Mi sighed and teleported beside Mi Fei. He placed a finger on her throat, and an object appeared. It cut away from her Grandmist and forced her soul back into her body. It could wander about inside, but that was all.

  “What did you do to me?” Mi Fei asked, struggling against chains of space that stopped her from moving. Her father didn’t answer. Instead, he walked over to the unconscious Xiao Bai. He placed a finger on her neck, and a demon collar appeared. It was gold and looked expensive. It was a rune-gathering-grade collar. She recognized it from her family’s treasury. “Why are you doing this?”

  “I have heard from some of the serving staff, and also your mother, that you would ‘rather die than marry that monster,’” Patriarch Mi said. “These are your own words. These are dangerous thoughts, which are undoubtedly fueled by the traumatic events you’ve suffered over the past year, especially the most recent assassination attempt. This mentality is a threat to your well-being, and as your father, it is my duty to protect you from yourself.”

  “You’re no father of mine,” Mi Fei said. She spat in his face. “You’re a monster.”

  Patriarch Mi calmly wiped away the spittle. “You’ll see things differently in the future, I’m sure,” he said. Then he nodded to Elder Mi Lan. “Keep an eye on her. If she tries to hurt herself, you have my permission to use strict measures. Make sure she eats and drinks. According to Patriarch Burning Lake, it could take a month or two before the conquest is over and Cao Wenluan is free to return.”

  “I hate you,” Mi Fei said. “I hate the woman who calls herself my mother. I hate our entire clan, and I hate every last one of you. If I could curse you all to die this very instant, I would, up and down nine generations.” Then she reached out to her core and urged it to release its power. She forced everything she could. She might not be able to circulate her qi properly and kill herself, but maybe, just maybe, she could cripple her cultivation.

  Unfortunately, she underestimated the power of her core. It was a Grandmist core, and as such, it was nigh indestructible. Her qi rampaged inside it, but no matter what she did, no matter how hard she tried, it wouldn’t budge. It wouldn’t break. It wouldn’t even crack. Any qi she pushed into her pathways stopped in its tracks, unable to move any further.

  “Come now,” Elder Mi Lan said, floating her along in her spatial prison. “You’re just throwing a fit. Didn’t we raise you to be a better girl?” She grabbed Mi Fei’s chin and forced to her to look at her. “Your behavior is not very ladylike.”

  Mi Fei growled and bit the woman, drawing blood. The woman pulled back her hand and slapped Mi Fei across the face. “You and I are going to be spending a lot of time together,” Elder Mi Lan said. On the ground, Xiao Bai groaned. “If you don’t want your friend to end up in a cage, you’d best behave.”

  This is it, Mi Fei thought as she was thrown onto her bed. This is what my dreams were warning me about. She should have listened to Xiao Bai. She should have run. Wasn’t this always how it happened? Wasn’t this how it always began? First a trusted family, and ultimately, betrayal?

  Mi Fei saw flashes of strange memories. They were from another time. Another place. There were thousands of them, each one as unhappy as the next.

  Chapter 27: State of Mind

  Cha Ming’s hands blurred as they contorted and combined, forming hand seals that controlled the various filaments in the alchemical runic matrix. It folded on itself, bits and pieces reacting to form something that only bore a passing semblance to the original Mind Like Ice, Soul Like Fire pill.

  Outside the circle of quiet, isolated from the outside world by a dozen talismans that floated in the air to create an invisible shield, Iridescent Wonder and Iridescent Charity watched.

  What the hell are you doing, fool? Iridescent Wonder sent mentally, piercing the invisible barrier. You’re merging ice and fire too quickly!

  The runes will regulate the process, Cha Ming replied coolly.

  Your binding agent is too strong, Iridescent Charity chimed in. I saw you make it. You added three times more gold bark tree sap than required.

  Once again, it’s required to make the rune stick, Cha Ming said. And the same applies for the absence of powdered red-thorned ginseng. It was needless and destabilized everything.

  They relented, allowing him to work. Red and blue mixed in with gold, forming various shades of purple. These weren’t just the result of rune optimization, but also the addition of ingredients grown from Iridescent Tempest’s iridescent flames. The pill was no longer geared toward simple mental enlightenment, but rather enlightenment on feelings and emotions.

  It was also one of many iterations. He’d created many versions of this runic pill, though none quite like this one. An oily sheen began to appear on the outside of it as some of the last runes collapsed together, forming a complete spherical puzzle. Everything was going perfectly—that is, aside from the subtle flash of color Cha Ming noticed at the last second.

  He moved before the elders could warn him. Using the runic furnace, he summoned a stabilizing matrix and clamped down with his soul force, sealing the pill inside a cage of space. It struggled under the stress and strain as the last of the alchemical reactions finished and prevented the pill from crumbling.

  Watch out for the fumes, Iridescent Charity warned. He braced himself as an alchemical mist wafted out. He blocked it but couldn’t do so for long. The fumes leaked into his mind and soul through his co
nnection to the runic cauldron.

  Control it! Iridescent Wonder sent. He lashed Cha Ming with a mental whip that pulled him from an insidious illusion.

  I almost lost myself, Cha Ming thought, clamping back down on the pill and holding it for a solid minute. The last of the reaction completed as planned, and only then did he raise the temperature, using gray flames to first fuse the cracks in the pill, then melt the precious outer layer. His standard gray seal appeared atop it soon after.

  Do you think it will pierce through? Iridescent Charity asked.

  Maybe, Iridescent Wonder said. They walked through the wall of warding talismans for a better look inside the Clear Sky Cauldron. The pill sat there, shimmering with many bright alternating colors. Cha Ming wasn’t sure if the pill had reached the strength of Boon of Iridescence, but it was definitely more potent than Grant of Iridescence, the late-grade version. It was his best pill thus far.

  Cha Ming pulled back his reusable warding talismans. “The iridescence is peeking through the seal,” he said, watching as it happened. “The Grandmist and iridescence are fighting, though I’m not sure if the iridescence will prevail.” His Grandmist seal was more than just a runic script—it was a complex binding that changed and modified the contents of the pill to suit the user. Hints of color worked their way into the gray script as pinpricks and small cracks.

  It struggled, and for a moment, Cha Ming thought the seal would break. Then the moment ended, leaving behind a tattered seal covered in cracks of iridescence.

  “It’s something,” Iridescent Virtue said as Cha Ming retrieved the pill.

  Cha Ming then handed the pill to Iridescent Wonder, who frowned and wrinkled his nose. “Still not there. Damn it. We’ll need stronger ingredients.”

  “More than two feathers will overpower the other ingredients,” Cha Ming said. “My intuition tells me anything in that direction is a dead end.”

  “This is still good progress,” Iridescent Charity said. She passed the pill over to her apprentice, Iridescent Virtue, who caught it in a jade bottle. “What are your thoughts, Virtue?”