Chapter 15: A Conversation With Someone Who Mostly Growls

  Morning sunlight reached the courtyard before Khun Ming stepped outside.

  The air on the cliff still carried the faint coolness of early morning, and thin threads of mist drifted slowly upward from the valley below. The waterfall beside the cliff produced its usual steady sound, neither loud nor quiet, just constant enough to make the entire place feel alive.

  Khun Ming walked toward the dye station while rubbing sleep from his eyes.

  The dye pots had cooled overnight.

  Steam no longer rose from the marigold vat, but the liquid inside had settled into a deep golden bath that looked almost like diluted sunlight.

  He leaned over the rim of the clay pot and lifted a wooden ladle.

  The golden liquid dripped slowly back into the vat.

  He watched the color carefully before nodding with quiet satisfaction.

  "Well," he said aloud, "that is exactly what I hoped to see when I woke up this morning. The petals have completely released their color, the bath has settled properly overnight, and nothing has turned bitter from overheating. I would describe this situation as a respectable success."

  The golden dog sat beside him, watching the process with the calm expression of an animal that had apparently decided dye extraction was an acceptable morning activity.

  Khun Ming glanced down at him.

  "You see this color here?" he said, holding the ladle slightly higher so the liquid caught the sunlight. "This is what happens when marigold petals are heated slowly and allowed to rest overnight without anyone becoming impatient and boiling the pot like soup."

  The dog blinked.

  Khun Ming nodded approvingly.

  "Yes, I realize you personally did not interfere with the dye bath," he continued. "Nevertheless, I believe it is beneficial for everyone living in this household to understand the importance of patience."

  He lowered the ladle and stirred the vat once more.

  "The plant we are using today," he continued conversationally, "is commonly called marigold. The species is usually Tagetes erecta or Tagetes patula depending on the variety, although I suspect the wild flowers growing near this mountain fall somewhere between those two types. The petals contain carotenoid pigments, which are responsible for the yellow color you see here."

  The dog tilted its head slightly.

  Khun Ming chuckled.

  "Yes, I know you did not ask for the botanical classification," he said. "But when someone is working with natural dye plants, it is generally useful to understand what part of the plant actually carries the pigment. Otherwise you end up boiling the wrong thing and wondering why the water still looks like plain soup."

  He leaned closer to the vat and inhaled gently.

  "The scent is correct as well," he added thoughtfully. "When marigold extraction is progressing properly, the steam develops that slightly herbal, slightly earthy smell. If it begins to smell harsh or burnt, that usually means someone has allowed the temperature to rise too high."

  He straightened and stretched his back.

  "Maintaining a temperature around seventy degrees is ideal for this kind of extraction," he continued. "High enough to release the pigments, but not so high that the color becomes muddy."

  The dog wagged its tail once.

  Khun Ming smiled faintly.

  "I must admit that explaining dye chemistry to a golden retriever was not part of my original plan for today," he said. "However, since you continue sitting here with such an attentive expression, I feel obligated to assume you are interested in the educational value of this process."

  Inside the cottage, something shifted quietly.

  Not loudly.

  Just the soft sound of fur moving across woven mat.

  Khun Ming turned his head toward the doorway.

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  "Ah," he said calmly. "Our patient appears to be awake again."

  Hu Xinyan was sitting upright.

  Barely.

  Her front legs held her weight while her injured shoulder trembled slightly beneath the strain. The lightning burns along her fur had begun to close, but the deeper damage beneath the skin still weakened her muscles.

  Her golden eyes watched him carefully.

  Khun Ming walked over without hurry.

  "You should not attempt to sit up for long periods yet," he said gently. "The body requires time to repair itself after severe electrical trauma, and rushing that process tends to produce unpleasant consequences."

  Hu Xinyan did not move.

  Her gaze remained sharp.

  She had spent most of the night thinking.

  Which was difficult when one's body had temporarily reverted to that of a tiger.

  Several conclusions had become unavoidable.

  First, the golden dog beside the mortal was absolutely not a normal animal.

  Second, the sword resting quietly in the corner of the cottage was something far beyond ordinary weapons.

  And third…

  The calm mortal man walking toward her with herbal medicine might be the most dangerous presence in the entire courtyard.

  Yet she could sense no cultivation aura from him.

  None at all.

  Khun Ming crouched beside her.

  "Does the wound still hurt when you move your shoulder?" he asked while examining the burn marks.

  Hu Xinyan blinked once.

  Khun Ming nodded thoughtfully.

  "Yes, that response generally indicates pain," he said. "Which is entirely reasonable considering you were struck by lightning."

  He stood briefly and returned carrying a clay bowl.

  Inside was a thick green gel.

  "This is aloe vera," he explained while kneeling beside her again. "The plant is widely known for treating burns and skin irritation. The inner leaf gel contains compounds that reduce inflammation and help damaged skin recover."

  Hu Xinyan watched carefully as he applied the cool gel across the burn marks in her fur.

  The relief was immediate.

  Her muscles relaxed slightly.

  Khun Ming continued working calmly.

  "The interesting thing about aloe," he said, "is that it functions as both a cooling agent and a mild antimicrobial treatment. That combination is extremely helpful for injuries involving heat damage."

  Hu Xinyan studied him in silence.

  Then she attempted something.

  A low rumbling sound escaped her throat.

  Not aggressive.

  Intentional.

  Khun Ming paused.

  He looked at her thoughtfully.

  "Oh," he said. "You are trying to communicate."

  Hu Xinyan blinked.

  Khun Ming nodded.

  "That is encouraging," he said. "It suggests that your cognitive function remains perfectly intact."

  Hu Xinyan stared at him.

  That was not the reaction she expected.

  She tried again.

  This time the sound was closer to a small growl.

  Khun Ming leaned back slightly and considered the sound carefully.

  "Hmm," he said thoughtfully. "If I interpret that correctly, you are either expressing dissatisfaction with the current situation or you are informing me that you are hungry."

  Hu Xinyan blinked.

  Khun Ming nodded again.

  "I suspect hunger is the more practical interpretation," he said.

  He stood up.

  "Please remain where you are," he added politely. "I will bring food."

  Hu Xinyan watched him leave.

  The golden dog sat quietly beside her.

  For a moment their eyes met.

  Hu Xinyan felt the same immense pressure hidden beneath that calm animal presence.

  If that creature wished her dead, she would not still be breathing.

  That realization was deeply unsettling.

  Moments later Khun Ming returned carrying a wooden tray.

  On it sat several slices of fresh raw meat.

  He placed the tray in front of the tiger.

  "You should eat while your body is recovering," he said calmly. "High-protein food will help restore muscle strength."

  Hu Xinyan stared at the meat.

  Then at him.

  Then at the dog.

  The dog wagged its tail.

  Hu Xinyan slowly lowered her head and began eating.

  Khun Ming nodded with satisfaction.

  "Excellent," he said. "A healthy appetite is always a positive sign during recovery."

  He returned to the dye vat.

  "While you are eating," he continued casually, "I will begin the next stage of the dye process."

  He lifted the lid of the tannin bath beside the marigold vat.

  The liquid inside had darkened overnight into a deep amber.

  "This solution comes from pomegranate rind," he explained aloud. "The botanical name is Punica granatum. The rind contains a high concentration of tannins, which strengthen the bond between natural dyes and fiber."

  Hu Xinyan paused mid-bite.

  Khun Ming carried the prepared cloth bundle to the dye station.

  "This cloth has already been scoured and treated with alum mordant," he said. "That preparation step allows the fiber to bind more effectively with the pigment molecules."

  He slowly lowered the first bolt into the marigold vat.

  The cloth sank beneath the golden surface.

  Hu Xinyan watched closely.

  The moment the cloth entered the dye bath, something in the surrounding air shifted.

  Subtle.

  But unmistakable.

  The flow of qi in the courtyard smoothed like water settling into stillness.

  Hu Xinyan froze.

  She had witnessed countless cultivators practice techniques across centuries.

  None had ever produced such a natural alignment.

  And yet the mortal man was simply stirring flowers.

  Khun Ming pressed the cloth deeper with the wooden paddle.

  "When dyeing cloth, it is extremely important to ensure the entire fiber becomes evenly saturated," he said. "If certain areas remain dry, the final color will appear patchy."

  The dog sat beside the tiger.

  Watching.

  Hu Xinyan finished eating slowly.

  Her eyes never left the mortal dyer.

  Inside the Seven Jewels Sword, the Nine-Tailed Fox spoke softly.

  "She is beginning to understand that something unusual is happening here."

  The Azure Dragon responded quietly.

  "She would have to be blind not to notice."

  Outside, Khun Ming stirred the vat again and glanced toward the tiger.

  "Once you recover your strength," he said casually, "you should probably return to the forest where you belong."

  Hu Xinyan stared at him.

  Khun Ming added thoughtfully,

  "Preferably in a region where the weather is less aggressive."

  The dog wagged its tail again.

  Hu Xinyan blinked slowly.

  For the first time since waking, a strange thought crossed her mind.

  She had survived heavenly lightning.

  But she was not entirely certain she understood the quiet man who believed she was simply a large forest animal with unfortunate weather timing.

  Chapter 15 complete.