CHAPTER 12: Elder Han Zhen
*****
Xuan Yi's brows twitched from frustration. His teeth are pressed against each other.
Chen Niao continued speaking proudly.
"Let me explain properly. The sword is...."
"Elder Chen Niao," Xuan Yi muttered, his voice low and tight, "that is enough… please."
Chen Niao blinked. "Eh?"
"You're always talking about sword will. Sword techniques. Or Sword dao. Always talking about Anything and everything related to swords. Every single time you get an opportunity." Xuan Yi opened his eyes slightly and gave him a tired stare. "Can you please stop for one night?"
Chen Niao sat there with his mouth open, with goose meat hanging from his fingers. His face twitched like he wanted to argue but wasn't sure how to.
"Ahem."
A soft cough came from another man with white hair.
He was older than the others. His hair fell down his back like silk snow. He had sharp but gentle eyes. This was Elder Han Zhen, a man known for being calm and steady like an old river.
He placed his chopsticks down and looked around the table.
"Elder Chen Niao may have spoken too far beyond the topic," he said softly, "but the topic still stands."
Chen Niao nodded quickly. "See? Even the Elder Han understands..."
Han Zhen raised a hand, making him shut up.
He continued, turning back to Xuan Yi. "Why is Elder Xuan Yi not joining us at all tonight?"
The fourth person at the table lifted his cup of wine but didn't speak. He looked rather young. Maybe too young. With blue hair that shimmered under the lamp's light. His eyes looked soft but unreadable.
He was Sect Dean Qin Mo.
Qin Mo gently swirled the wine and took a small sip, then nodded.
"I agree with Elder Han Zhen," he said quietly. His voice was clean and calm. "It does look strange."
Xuan Yi sighed. His sigh sounded tired and heavy.
"Hmmmm… alright."
He controlled the pill's cold essence deeper into his core, and then opened his eyes fully.
"This pill is not normal," he said. "It is a new type of spirit essence pill I made."
Chen Niao leaned forward. "A new one?"
Qin Mo's eyes flicked up with interest.
Han Zhen silently waited.
Xuan Yi lowered his hands. "But it seems to have only increased in effectiveness by… 0.0005% from the original."
The room went quiet for a second.
Then a strong laugh broke the silence.
"Pffft—HAHAHAHA!"
Chen Niao burst out laughing, and slapping the table. "Elder Xuan Yi! The great alchemist! The one who shakes the halls! The one who makes pills like a flowing river! And yet you fail to make a world-breaking change? Hahaha! Ahhh—my stomach... Hmm come to think of it you've already made other world breaking changes!"
"Thud."
His laughter made his elbow hit the table. Making a wine cup tipped over.
Han Zhen slowly exhaled. As his eyes softened with understanding.
"Elder Xuan Yi," he said, "you are already a great alchemist. You have such great achievements behind you. But you are still beating yourself over small things." He placed a hand on the table. "As all of you know, I am an array master. A unique type at that. But even I know there are people out there far better than me."
Xuan Yi stared down at his palms. His fingers trembled a little from the pill's cold energy.
"The gap feels too wide," he whispered. "No matter how hard I've tried, the changes are always small."
Han Zhen shook his head gently. "Even small changes matter."
Qin Mo kept sipping his wine quietly. He didn't say anything. His calm presence filled the room like soft waves.
Xuan Yi breathed out again. "Maybe you are right…"
The table fell quiet.
Chen Niao finally calmed down, wiping tears from his eyes. "Hmph… still funny though."
Han Zhen pushed his chair back.
Creek!!!.
"I need to attend to something."
He stood up, his white hair moving with the motion. He reached out to the side, then grabbed a dark robe, and draped it over his shoulders. Then he pulled a cloak on top of it.
Before leaving, he paused at the door. And turned back.
Xuan Yi looked up At him.
Han Zhen glanced back at him and gave a single serious and slow nod. That Xuan Yi understood.
He understood completely.
Han Zhen opened the door. Cold air flowed in. He stepped out. And left the room.
The forest was quiet that night. The trees stood tall on both sides of the narrow road, and their leaves moved gently in the cold wind. Hmmm… Elder Han Zhen stepped onto the dirt path and paused for a moment. Frostpetal Town was close by, it was only a short walk ahead, and the smell of cooking smoke drifted faintly from that direction.
He bent down.
"Ahh…" his knees cracked a little. "Too old," he muttered.
He picked up a few stones from the ground. The stones felt cold in his hand. He slowly turned one stone on his palm, and drew a short line on the dirt with his finger, then he pressed the stone down into the lines he had drawn.
Scrrch… scrrch…
He picked another stone and held it between two fingers. His brows tightened as he moved his fingers slowly in the air, drawing different shapes and lines that only he could understood.
Then he carefully placed the stones on the ground and connected them based on the marks. Little lines. Or circles. There were also Little symbols that looked simple but complicated at the same time.
He let out a light breath.
"whezssss…"
The he stood up and stepped back. The array pattern he had drawn was now spreading across the dirt like a like vines.
His eyes carefully followed it from left to right, making sure every piece sat in the right place. He tapped one stone with his toe. "Tsk... Not good." Then He bent again, moved it half an inch, and nodded.
Then he stood there waiting. Soon. The sound of horse hooves could be heard.
Thud… thud… thud… thud…
The sounds were Slow and steady, like someone trying not to draw too much attention. Elder Han Zhen's face didn't change. He just pushed his cloak back and watched the path ahead.
The carriage appeared through the muddy path. Two brown horses were pulling it forward. Their breaths came out like small clouds of smokes in the cold air. There was a man in black robes sitting at the front of the carriage, and holding the reins. His hood covered most of his face, but Han Zhen could see part of his jaw and a thin scar near his chin.
Han Zhen whispered under his breath, "That should be him..."
His voice was soft like a whisper.
The carriage got closer And Closer by the seconds.
The horses started to slow down when they saw Han Zhen standing in the middle of the muddy road. The man in black paused and stared at him for a few seconds, like he was trying to confirm something. Then he pulled the reins and the horses stopped.
Hnnnhhh… they breathed as they settled.
The man jumped down. Thud!.
He walked toward Han Zhen with quiet steps. His boots made soft sounds on the dirt. Tap… tap… tap… He stopped a few feet away and bowed his head a bit in greeting.
"Elder Han Zhen."
Han Zhen didn't say anything. He just reached into his robe and pulled out a small pouch. It made a light clink and chimes sound when it moved. He threw it gently toward the man.
Fwip!!!… dunk!!!.