Of Hunters and Immortals

Jiang exited the Leaky Kettle, fighting back a yawn. Surprisingly, he'd managed to nod off for an hour or so, which, ironically, only made him feel more tired. He glanced up at the rooftops across the street, spotting Lin leaning against a chimney a moment later. She gave a lazy wave, then dropped from sight. A few seconds later, she landed softly in the alley beside the inn, her movements fluid and sure-footed.

"Finished your beauty sleep?" she asked, a teasing smirk on her face. "I was starting to think you'd decided to stand me up."

Honestly, he could have done with another few hours' rest, but the prospect of having to navigate a conversation with another powerful, unknown cultivator had his nerves on edge. Taking the time he already had probably wasn't the best use of his time, but if he was going to be meeting this person he'd rather not do it while completely exhausted.

"I was tired," Jiang said flatly, ignoring the jab. "We're going to a place called The Quiet Scroll. It's in the Scholar's Quarter."

Lin's eyebrows shot up. "Another fancy place, eh? I don't spend a lot of time in the Scholar's Quarter, but I'm pretty sure I can get you there." She folded her arms, eyeing him with open curiosity. "You know, you've got a real knack for picking out weird places. A bar so shady even street rats avoid it, an inn full of caravan guards, another inn fancy enough that they'd kick me out before I even touched the door, and now you're headed to a tea house full of snooty scholars. Mind telling me what exactly you're doing in Qinghe?"

Jiang met her probing gaze without blinking. "Yes, I do mind."

Lin huffed, clearly irritated, but she shrugged a moment later. "Fine. Whatever you're doing, as long as the coin keeps coming, it's your business." She glanced him over pointedly. "But you know, if you keep bouncing between the roughest dives and the fanciest inns, eventually people will notice."

"Thanks for the advice," Jiang replied dryly. He rather doubted people would be keeping an eye on some random person who'd just entered the city. Then again… a man like the Broker probably had enemies, and it wouldn't surprise him if they knew about the Bar. It would make sense for them to have someone watching who went in there, which meant that it was possible somebody did know about him. He dismissed the thought. Paranoia wasn't going to help him, and even if someone was trying to keep an eye on him, there wasn't much he could do about it. "Are you leading the way, or should I start guessing?"

Lin rolled her eyes dramatically, but turned and strode down the street without another word. Jiang followed, silently grateful that she hadn't pushed further. The last thing he needed right now was another complicated conversation.

— — —

The Scholar's quarter was different enough from the rest of Qinghe that it almost felt like a whole other city – though it was quite a bit smaller than he'd expected. Considering it was called the Scholar's quarter, he'd sort of expected it to be… well, a quarter of the city. Instead, it was more like the Scholar's mid-sized neighbourhood.

In fairness, it looked a lot nicer than the dock district. Here, the buildings were constructed of finer stone and polished wood, their architecture speaking of old money and an appreciation for aesthetics over mere function. The air even smelled different -less fish and grime, more ink and old paper.

It reminded him of the Azure Sky Sect, and he disliked it on principle.

He wasn't even entirely sure why that made him dislike it – while the Azure Sky Sect wasn't the kind of place Jiang would choose to spend his time, it wasn't like he hated it. If nothing else, there was something to be said for the Sect being located high up on a mountain.

Maybe it was because he felt that he lacked agency at the Sect, forced to act according to the nonsensical social rules everybody else loved so much.

Jiang dragged his attention back to the present as Lin stopped abruptly, just shy of a street corner.

"This is as far as I go," she said, shoving her hands into her pockets and jerking her head at the corner. "Quiet Scroll should be just around that corner, but places like this don't like my sort hanging around."

Jiang observed her a moment before shrugging. "Fair enough. You going to wait up on a rooftop again?"

To his surprise, Lin shook her head. "Nah. Don't know the rooftops real well in this area, and I'd stand out more anyway. I'll wait for you at that noodle stall we passed a while back."

"Alright then," Jiang said, before pressing, curious despite himself. "You don't come here often?"

Lin scoffed. "Course not. Street rat like me, spending time here? Don't make me laugh. Besides, scholars fall right into that grey zone of being fancy enough that the guards care about them, but not so fancy that they're worth stealin' from. Most of the stuff they think is valuable is stuff that only other scholars care about. Not many places you can sell old books, so not much point coming around here."

Jiang grunted. It was a pragmatic, if slightly uncomfortable way of looking at things, but he couldn't exactly fault the logic.

Leaving Lin behind, Jiang rounded the corner alone. The Quiet Scroll sat neatly tucked between two larger buildings, unobtrusive despite its elegant sign and polished wooden exterior. Intricate characters, painted in careful strokes, adorned a hanging silk banner beside the entrance—too fancy for his taste, but probably perfect for attracting the right clientele.

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Stepping inside, Jiang was immediately met by the quiet murmur of refined conversation. The scent of delicate tea and sandalwood incense hung lightly in the air, creating a calm, contemplative atmosphere. A young woman dressed in simple but immaculate robes noticed him enter and moved gracefully forward, pausing when she fully took in Jiang's rough appearance. She hid her initial surprise quickly, replacing it with a polite, carefully neutral smile.

"Good afternoon, honoured guest. Welcome to The Quiet Scroll." Her voice was calm, professional, with only the faintest hesitation betraying that she found Jiang a questionable fit. "May I ask if you have a reservation with us?"

Honestly, he was impressed by how polite she was being. He clearly didn't look like he belonged, but she wasn't immediately jumping to calling the guards on him.

"I'm here to meet with Elder Bai. I was told she would be expecting me."

The woman's posture straightened instantly, her carefully maintained calm giving way to genuine surprise, eyes widening briefly before she caught herself. She gave a quick, respectful bow, the earlier hesitation gone in an instant. "Of course, honoured cultivator. Forgive me – Mistress Bai is currently in the sun room. Please, follow me."

The way the woman emphasised the Mistress made him think it was important somehow. Was Elder Bai trying to… not draw attention? Or was she not supposed to be called an Elder? The only context he had for the title was when it was attached to a Sect elder, so maybe there was something he didn't know?

He snorted softly at the thought, ignoring how the attendant he was following twitched at the sound. Of course there was something he didn't know – knowing how complicated cultivators liked to make things, there was probably a whole subtle language attached to the various titles they called themselves by. The real question was if this was something this Bai person would get offended by if he got it wrong.

At the far end of the tea house, they reached a set of sliding wooden doors. The woman paused, knocking gently before sliding one open just wide enough to speak inside. "Mistress Bai, your visitor has arrived."

A soft, feminine voice answered from within, carrying quiet authority. "Thank you, send him in."

The attendant bowed deeply again, stepping aside and motioning Jiang forward. Well then, if this attendant called her 'mistress', he was probably safe in following suit. He nodded at her in acknowledgment, slipping into the room before the door slid quietly closed behind him.

The private room was sparse but elegantly decorated, dominated by a low, finely carved table and two comfortable cushions. Seated comfortably opposite the door was the Mistress Bai herself – an older woman with sharp, discerning eyes, her grey-streaked hair pulled into a neat, practical style. Her posture was perfectly straight without seeming rigid, and though she lacked the overt arrogance he'd come to associate with powerful cultivators, the faint pressure he felt on his Qi spoke volumes about her strength.

It also probably said something complicated about their respective social statuses – he knew from Elder Lu's explanations that using your Qi or Intent to pressure those weaker than yourself was generally considered a little rude – but that didn't mean he actually knew what it meant.

If nothing else, he could tell that this woman wasn't quite as strong as Elder Lu. Of course, she wasn't exactly straining herself – the subtle weight of her Qi pressing down on him wasn't an attack – but there was a certain… lack of depth that he could detect.

Mistress Bai considered Jiang silently, her gaze sharp but not unkind. "Jiang Tian, was it?" she finally asked, her voice a smooth balance between authority and genuine curiosity. "I must admit, you're somewhat younger than I anticipated."

He shifted slightly on the cushion, feeling her presence press gently but persistently against him. "I'm guessing you've heard of me from the Broker," Jiang replied cautiously, wary of giving away too much. It was unlikely that this woman would turn him over to the Azure Sky Sect – not that he really knew what sort of punishment awaited him – but that didn't make it impossible.

She inclined her head slightly, a subtle smile flickering across her lips. "Indeed. He has something of an arrangement with us – ensuring new arrivals to the city, particularly cultivators of an independent disposition, are made aware of the local... rules."

"Rules," Jiang echoed flatly, his brows drawing down instinctively. "I thought the point of being independent was to get away from rules."

Mistress Bai chuckled, a surprisingly warm sound that briefly eased the tension in the room. "Oh, independence does offer a great many freedoms. But surely you understand that even freedom has limits – especially when other powerful individuals share your space."

"Fair enough," Jiang conceded grudgingly, finding it difficult to argue. Especially considering he wasn't the powerful individual in this equation. "And you're here to enforce these limits?"

"In a manner of speaking," she said mildly. "My associates and I have chosen Qinghe precisely because of its unique position. It is distant enough from Sect politics that we can operate without drawing undue attention, yet prosperous enough as a trade hub to provide steady access to cultivation resources. In return for this comfortable arrangement, we ensure the city remains stable."

Jiang frowned, picking up on the unspoken implication. "Meaning cultivators who cause trouble get... dealt with?"

"Precisely," Mistress Bai confirmed, meeting his gaze evenly. "Understand this, Jiang – I don't particularly care what your personal goals are, nor how you choose to achieve them. Whether you work openly or from the shadows, as a righteous man or a rogue, it matters little to me. But should your actions disrupt the delicate balance we've established here, then yes – I will personally remove you."

The bluntness of the threat surprised him, but Jiang found he respected her directness. At least she wasn't cloaking her meaning in polite half-truths. "Understood."

Mistress Bai regarded him carefully, seeming to read something in his expression. "You appreciate clarity," she observed quietly. "Good. Most young cultivators tend to require a bit more… diplomacy to manage their egos."

Jiang snorted softly, amused despite himself. "I never really saw the point."

"Neither did I," she replied, a hint of approval colouring her tone. "So, with the unpleasantness out of the way—tell me, Jiang, what brings you to Qinghe? Most cultivators who leave a Sect either seek fortune, power, or revenge. You don't strike me as the first two."

Jiang hesitated, weighing how much to reveal. "I'm looking for some people. That's all."

She watched him thoughtfully but didn't pry further. "Very well. There is one last matter. Two others, new arrivals like yourself, asked specifically to meet with you. They claim you have history together."

Jiang stiffened slightly, suspicion immediately prickling at his nerves. "Who?"

Mistress Bai's eyes glinted with quiet amusement. "If it makes you feel any better, I don't think they are enemies. A certain Wei and Shen, arrived here some months ago from the Azure Sky Sect. Ring any bells?"

Jiang blinked in genuine surprise, a dozen questions rising to his mind at once. Mistress Bai noticed his reaction and smiled knowingly.

"Ah, good. You do recognise the names. Wait here, please. I'll send them in."