Crown of the Starry Sky: Book 11 of Painting the Mists

by Patrick Laplante

  I knew you had half a head on those broad shoulders, Killjoy said. She’d naturally been responsible for instigating the meeting.

  Did you speak to anyone in your family about the mission? Cha Ming asked.

  I’ve been around for a while, Killjoy said. I don’t make rookie mistakes. There was a pause. Don’t worry, all they know so far is that I’m cooperating to give you information. I haven’t told them I’m on a Guard mission. Yet. As for Mi Fei… I’ll talk to her about it. She’ll learn.

  Thanks, Cha Ming said. I’ve got that meeting with Eternal Song. I’ll contact you when I’m done.

  An hour later, Cha Ming found himself waiting in a small garden at the Wei family estate. Contrary to what one might think, noble families didn’t usually base their entire clan in the city center like they had in the Dripping Blade Prefecture. Though they did keep smaller offices near the commercial districts and the prefectural manor, they preferred to keep their main dwellings at the outskirts. How else would they be able to afford the space for their storerooms, libraries, training facilities, and private quarters?

  It was spring on the continent, and while there was no snow, there were still four distinct seasons. Spring was a time for new life and rebirth. The trees on the estate grounds were filled with golden-and-white blossoms. Many of them had already fallen onto the green grass. Only a few larger trees hadn’t yet awakened; they were gnarled things, with branches twice as thick as his body. They rested near a pond filled with green water, where small orange fish swam in lazy circles.

  “You came faster than I expected,” Wei Longshen said as Cha Ming walked into the courtyard. “Please, sit.”

  Cha Ming did so, and a servant brought a tray containing a pitcher of hot water, silvery leaves, and tea-making implements.

  “Tea, not wine?” Cha Ming asked. “I’m aghast. What have you done to my friend?”

  “Relax, it’s not even eleven o’clock,” Wei Longshen said. “We’re not heathens here. Though I do admit I favor wine more than my father.”

  “And what does your father drink?” Cha Ming asked.

  “Hot water, with lemon, if it’s morning,” Wei Longshen said. He grimaced slightly. “He’s a bit too strict with himself in my opinion. In any case, I thought that with all the activity going on, we should probably have a friendly chat.” He raised his hand before Cha Ming could speak. “Not to answer any questions about any mission you may or may be participating in, of course. It’s just that I realized recently that you just don’t know much about my family business.”

  Cha Ming nodded as he picked up the cues. “I wouldn’t want to trouble you with any official matters, Brother Longshen. I must also say that I’m intrigued by your family business. We never did have much time to speak about it at the parties I’ve been to.”

  “It’s regrettably difficult to dedicate much attention to friends at such events,” Wei Longshen agreed. He poured very warm but not boiling water into the silvery tea leaves. They were thin like needles, and Cha Ming recognized them as a variety of white tea. They would need time to steep and would expand as they took in water.

  Both of them had clear glass cylinders filled to the brim that they could strain and drink from when it was ready. “Now tell me, what do you know of my family?”

  Cha Ming shrugged. “I’ve heard something about the Wei family rules, which I understand extoll the virtues of justice and filial piety.”

  “They are good at guiding the younger generation and instilling values,” Wei Longshen agreed. “Thanks to them, my family is lucky to have raised a stunning number of government officials, lawyers, judges, and magistrates over the years. For example, my father, the current patriarch, served as the prefecture’s justice minister for two hundred years before retiring from the post and taking over the family’s leadership. That was all after an extended career as a judge.”

  Cha Ming raised an eyebrow. “It seems like a waste to have cultivators handle this type of work.”

  “Quite the contrary,” Wei Longshen said. “Stronger cultivators wouldn’t respect the judgment of weaker cultivators. Combat prowess is a prerequisite for the role. Our family tends to produce wind and lightning cultivators, and my father is a powerful storm cultivator. We also have very strong soul cultivation methods that allow us to detect lies and guilt.”

  “That’s interesting,” Cha Ming said. “I had always assumed being a judge was all about knowing and reconciling the law.”

  “If that were the case, we would have custodians serve as judges,” Wei Longshen said. “Fortunately, there is more to justice than rules. It is essential that the judge be a person and capable of empathy.” He inverted his tea cylinder a few times, then strained away the leaves before taking a sip. “I don’t like mine too strong,” he explained.

  “I’ll let mine steep for a bit longer,” Cha Ming said. “I never took your family for wind and lightning cultivators. I’d expected something different since you’re a soul piper.”

  “I am unusually gifted in terms of soul,” Wei Longshen said. “I also love music, which plays into my wind affinity. Normally, my ambitions in the profession would have been quashed as childish nonsense. But since I had a doting uncle, and I was a genius, I was given a certain amount of leeway.” He sighed. “If only that applied to other things in life.”

  “Like marriage?” Cha Ming asked.

  “I’m working on it,” Wei Longshen said bitterly. “But that’s not something you need to worry yourself about.”

  “Isn’t it?” Cha Ming said. “This is a friendly chat. I’m concerned about my friend’s wellbeing.”

  Wei Longshen sighed and nodded. “Truth be told, it’s not going well. As you may have guessed from my earlier words, politics and face are involved. Both our families see any potential marriage as a loss of face.”

  Cha Ming shrugged. “It just doesn’t seem like you’re very romantically involved. You treat her more like a sister than your fiancée.”

  “Yes,” Wei Longshen said stiffly. He looked out of the pavilion toward a patch of grass. There was something odd about it. “Well, it wouldn’t hurt to tell you. It’s a well-known fact that our family has dispatched aggressive elder-level chaperones to keep us apart. Forget that before, we used to go on all sorts of excursions alone and wouldn’t return for days. Now, if we do much more than hold hands for a short while, they’ll force us apart. Physically. With their domains.”

  “That seems very extreme,” Cha Ming said. “And intrusive.”

  “Yes,” Wei Longshen said. “She knows it. I know it. You have no idea how frustrating it is. My parents won’t reconsider the prohibition, and hers will laugh her off. You know, we used to spend all our free time together.”

  Not sure about how to follow up on that, Cha Ming took his own tea cylinder. He strained out the thin tea leaves and took a sip. It was slightly bitter, but reminded him of roses, jasmine, and lemon. “This is surprisingly good tea.”

  “Thank you,” Wei Longshen said. “I had someone who knew what they were doing pick it.”

  Cha Ming laughed. “That’s always the first step. Delegate if you can’t do it yourself.” He organized his thoughts before continuing. “You were talking about your family before we got derailed. I confess myself confused. You said they cultivated wind and lightning. To me, those seem great for fighting, and lightning is the element of judgment—I can see how there would be certain techniques to aid in law enforcement—but I still don’t understand how the Wei Clan could generate so much wealth. As a family who strictly adheres to justice, I doubt this came about via dishonest means.”

  “My father would cut off his own son’s head if he was caught taking a bribe,” Wei Longshen said. “Even a small one. So you are right in your assessment. Our clan manual is held as a book of instruction on morals and integrity throughout the empire. We are a shining example of civil obedience, and along with the living results, we present literature to better indoctrinate the rest of the empire. There are f
ive main rules, fifty subordinate rules, and five hundred discourses, and that’s not even counting the more extensive discussions and arguments that have been compiled over the centuries.”

  “But what do you produce?” Cha Ming asked. “The Xia Clan deals in transportation and guarding. From what I gather, the Li Clan deals in mining and metals. I’m not so sure what the Mi Clan does.”

  “They manage the spirit woods,” Wei Longshen said. “They also tame beasts and perform some basic processing and distribution of goods gathered around the inky wells by their family and by adventurers. They also do farming. They are versatile, and they have bloodline connections to many important families. I hear they even have relations to the original Emperor Qin.”

  “Then that leaves you and the Cao Clan,” Cha Ming said. “I understand the military pays well, and that successful campaigns can be quite lucrative.”

  Wei Longshen snorted. “They’re good at extortion using their military might and strong cultivators.”

  “Then what about the Wei Clan?” Cha Ming asked. “Are you merchants? Bankers?” Every family would have some kind of advantage. Otherwise, they would never have prospered as much as the Wei Clan had.

  “Trade is actually evenly distributed among the families and sects but leans a bit toward the Li Clan and the Purple Dawn Sect.” Wei Longshen said. “As for us, we excel at manufacturing and engineering.

  “Manufacturing and engineering,” Cha Ming said blankly. “Wind and lightning are hardly suited for that. None of your main clan members would be able to take up a craft.”

  “All the more reason for us to succeed,” Wei Longshen said with a light smile. “In all those other clans, nepotism runs rampant, and internal family politics interfere in the hierarchy among craftsmen. Instead, we offer something else. A better way. What we offer is justice.”

  Cha Ming nodded. “I see. Your family takes advantage of its reputation for fairness and provides a framework and business model for craftsmen. You recruit external cultivators into your ranks.”

  “Talented people not affiliated with any clan or sect flock to us,” Wei Longshen said. “We’re not mercenaries or adventurers like many of the sects in the city. We don’t specialize like a few of those in town. We’re not bankers, or insurers, or protectors. We provide safety, security, and above all, opportunity to those with talent. That is enough.”

  But how does this tie in to my mission? Cha Ming wondered, then realized he was being foolish. “It must be difficult to manage them all. I imagine you must need to import many materials as well. Especially from the demon lands, where such things are plentiful.”

  Wei Longshen’s beamed. “Yes. In fact, we do. Though… there have been some issues of late.”

  “What kind of issues?” Cha Ming asked.

  “Nothing you need concern yourself over,” Wei Longshen said.

  “As your friend, I’m concerned about anything that might affect you,” Cha Ming replied.

  “Well… if it’s a friend that’s asking, I could give a few details, I suppose,” Wei Longshen said. His eyes flickered to the servants, who were pretending not to listen. He was clearly being watched. “A few of our trade caravans have been hit. Nothing more than anyone else. There have been two thus far, and though it sets us back, it’s hardly crippling.”

  “I’ve heard about these attacks,” Cha Ming said.

  “Oh?” Wei Longshen asked. “Is the Kingfisher Guard getting involved?”

  “I can’t say much due to confidentiality, but maybe I can share a little. For a friend,” Cha Ming said. “As I’m sure you’ve heard, there have been many attacks. What I’m wondering about is why they’re happening.”

  Wei Longshen shrugged. “Who can guess? Moreover, this topic sounds so much like work.” His eyes flickered to the servants again, and Cha Ming sighed.

  “I’m just a curious man,” Cha Ming said. “Curious men often speculate on newsworthy things.”

  Wei Longshen considered a moment, then nodded. “Are you aware of my position in my family?”

  “You’re a recruiter?” Cha Ming replied.

  “Recruiting manager now, as I told you at the party,” Wei Longshen said.

  “Congratulations,” Cha Ming said.

  “It’s nothing worth mentioning, and I don’t get paid more than before,” Wei Longshen said. “As much as I hate my job, it can be very interesting at times. Recruiters just don’t know how to do their job, which makes it easy to pick up unpolished gems.”

  “Really?” Cha Ming said. “I thought positions like that were about networking and finding people who know how to do the job you’re looking for. It’s a quantity exercise.”

  “And that’s exactly why most people are bad at it,” Wei Longshen said. “They try to fit two pieces of the puzzle together. They know what the boss wants, and they try to find prospects to fill that need. I’ll be blunt—that’s a shallow way of doing things. A safer way, but still shallow.”

  “You have a better way?” Cha Ming asked, not really sure where this was going.

  “A much better way,” Wei Longshen said. “I try to find noteworthy individuals, assess what they want, and see if I can fit them into my plans.”

  Cha Ming’s eye twitched. “That seems like much the same thing.”

  “Perhaps,” Wei Longshen said. “But realize that everyone is different. Just as there are many varieties of humans, for example, there are varieties of demons.”

  “I’m not sure I follow you,” Cha Ming said.

  Wei Longshen shrugged. “And I don’t care to explain much more. For one, I’d be sharing the secrets to my family’s success, and for another, I’d be going on and on about my day job. If I don’t even like doing my job, why would I like talking about it?” In other words, he’d said what needed to be said.

  “Are you happy now?” Cha Ming asked. “Now that you’re back with your clan.”

  Wei Longshen smiled. “I’m happy to be of service to my family, Cha Ming. Not only do I get to aid those who’ve raised me until now, but I have the privilege of supporting my supportive parents. Not everyone is so lucky.”

  “But what about you?” Cha Ming asked. “You keep talking about others. What about yourself?”

  “I’m not a priority,” Wei Longshen said. “My path in life is set. I can try to change it somewhat, but there’s no avoiding it.”

  “That sounds very defeatist,” Cha Ming said. “Hopeless, even. In my experience, if there’s a will, there’s a way.”

  “But what if there’s no will?” Wei Longshen said. “What if my will has been ground to dust over and over until there’s nothing left? I know my lot in life, Cha Ming. Mine is a life of service. Doing good things for others. Making it so they can enjoy themselves.”

  “You’re important too,” Cha Ming said.

  Wei Longshen chuckled. “Now you sound like Mi Fei. The thing is, she rages against her parents, and for what? They’re not budging. They ignore how strong she is. Who is happier, me or her?” He took a sip from his tea and sighed. “I heard she’ll be going on a mission for the Kingfisher Guard. She refuses to speak of it, though she did mention you two had an argument, one she insists is your fault.”

  “I did apologize, so I naturally need to take the blame,” Cha Ming said.

  “Would you mind if I ask what about?” Wei Longshen asked.

  “Sure, though I won’t delve into the specifics,” Cha Ming said. “Let’s just say I tried shutting her out of the mission. She didn’t like that, and Killjoy didn’t either.”

  “I’m aware of that part,” Wei Longshen said. “She complained about your misplaced chivalry quite a bit, and that she even forced you to buy her breakfast as an apology. I was just hoping it wasn’t something… never mind.”

  “Nothing like that,” Cha Ming said. “You’re my friend. I would never do something like that. In any case, Killjoy wants her on the mission. Mi Fei wants to be there, and I want to have a successful mission. So here we are. By the
way, I’d appreciate if you kept the mission itself secret for the time being.”

  “Sorry,” Wei Longshen said. “It’s just difficult. You have no idea the lengths they go to in order to keep us apart. That aside, I’m glad you changed your mind.”

  “Oh?”

  “She’s had a hard year, Cha Ming,” Wei Longshen said. “She grew up knowing she was destined for something big. She was the crown jewel of her family. Then they pulled the carpet out from beneath her feet. She thought she could trust her family, then quickly realized that without power, they didn’t care about her. My family has also been far from fair to her. I give them as much grief over it as I dare, but…” He sighed. “She doesn’t have a lot of people she can rely on, Cha Ming. She has a hard time getting accepted on missions because of her family’s interference. What missions she does take, she often has to perform alone or with Lady White.”

  “But her family…” Cha Ming said. “Doesn’t she belong to a big clan? Don’t they give their geniuses all kinds of resources?

  “She doesn’t want anything to do with her family,” Wei Longshen said. “Whatever she has, she earns through missions. And while I tell her she should reconcile with her family, I admire her willfulness. It’s nice to know that this time, she’s not alone. She has a friend helping her. A friend I can trust.”

  “I’ll keep her safe, Brother Longshen” Cha Ming said. “I promise.

  “Thank you, Cha Ming,” Wei Longshen said. “Now, I do make it habit of playing a bit of a song for each of my friends whenever we meet. Something I feel they need. I remember a tune I heard long ago. Would you like to hear it?”

  “Why not?” Cha Ming said. Wei Longshen’s reputation as a flutist was legendary. Few could capture the essence of music better than he could.

  Wei Longshen put his flute to his mouth and began playing. It was a gentle song, and when he played, the wind blew. Cha Ming felt coolness on his skin, and for the first time in many months, he felt he could actually breathe. The weight of everything piled on top of him—two prefecture lords, Silver Fish, Mi Fei—for a moment, it all vanished. He was weightless, floating high above, like a cloud in the sky.