“Baba, you sound evil when you laugh,” Yu Lin said.

  Yu Di kissed his daughter on the cheek. He sat on the large rock as he supervised his new squad mates. They were figuring out how to work the transmission jades.

  “It’s because your Baba practiced for a long time to sound like that. People usually leave me alone because they think I’m crazy.”

  Yu Lin held her father’s face in both hands. She squinted at him.

  “Baba is not crazy. Your head is not purple.”

  Yu Di pulled the two warm, calloused hands off his face. He smiled and looked down at them, rubbing her little finger pads.

  “Crazy people don’t have purple heads. It looks like you have been practicing a lot with Elder Bai.”

  Yu Lin pulled her hands back. She rubbed them on her pink tunic as if touching her father was dirty.

  “Yes. Auntie Bai has been teaching me how to use the staff. I practice every day after I cultivate.”

  Yu Di took a deep breath, as he stared at his daughter.

  “Little Lin, you know that in a few days, I’m going to leave for the festival, right?”

  Yu Lin nodded.

  “You also know that I might not come back.” Yu Di saw his daughter’s eyes wander down to his chest. “I wanted you to know that if I don’t make it back, it’s not that I don’t love you or don’t want you.”

  “Like mother.”

  Yu Di hugged his daughter and kissed the top of her head.

  “No, don’t say that. Your mother loves you too. She has her reasons for leaving you with me and I am very grateful I had that opportunity.”

  Yu Di pulled his daughter away. He tilted her head up to look him in the eyes.

  “I want you to promise me something, Yu Lin. I want you to find your mother if I don’t make it back. Her location is inside your storage ring. All you need to do is think of your mother and you should be able to find her no matter where she is in the world.”

  Yu Lin touched the storage ring.

  “But what if she’s dead too?”

  Yu Di frowned. He didn’t think of that. There was no way he could tell his daughter to go back to her grandfather. She would only bring disaster to him and the village should any other sect discover her existence. This meager sect wasn’t the only one always scouting for talent. Not to mention demonic cultivators.

  They would cook her in a second.

  “Then stay in this sect, learn to be stronger, and then you can decide what you want to do with your life,” Yu Di said. “While this sect is weak, it’s still better to hide within the grass than be out in the open.”

  “But Baba, I don’t feel you in the ring like mother.” Yu Lin raised the ring to Yu Di’s face.

  “That’s because I will always be with you unless I’m…”

  “No, I want Baba in here too. I will find you no matter where you are if you can’t come to me.”

  Yu Di thought for a moment. His daughter was right. Death might not be the only outcome. What if he was somehow sent somewhere else? Or worse, he had to use his teleportation artifact to get out of the festival? At least this way, his daughter could know that he was still alive and making his way back to her.

  “Okay, show me the ring.” Yu Di gently picked up Yu Lin’s hand. He focused for a second and etched his location into the ring alongside her mother. “Now you’ll know where Baba is at all times.”

  Yu Lin rubbed the ring and closed her eyes. She smiled.

  “Okay, I’m going to go play. I’ll come back later.”

  Yu Di let her hop off his lap.

  “Be sure to come back before nightfall or else I’m going to eat all Elder Bai’s food.”

  “No you won’t! I’m going to eat you.” Yu Lin sprinted away. She became a pink blur that weaved through the servants still practicing with the jades.

  After playing around with the jades for an afternoon, Yu Di gathered them all again. He stood atop the large rock, looking down at his fellow squad mates. Well, with the exception of Fu Homei. She flew above them all on her white fan.

  “Before we eat Elder Bai’s amazing dinner she prepared for us, there is one last thing I need from everyone here.” Yu Di took out a Qi contract. He saw Fu Homei’s face twitch from the corner of his eye. “This is a Qi contract. I’m going to allow everyone to read it and then if you still want to stay within our group, you will have to sign it.”

  “What is that?” one servant asked.

  “The short explanation is that it’s a guarantee that everyone here will protect each other and work toward the same goal of winning in the festival.”

  “If we sign it but don’t follow it?” the doom and gloom servant asked.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  “Then you will suffer Qi backlash and die instantly.” Yu Di bit his thumb until it bled and then put his print right on it. His name appeared at the top of the list. “This is to guarantee that no one here will get us killed within the festival. We can’t have any traitors.”

  Yu Di gave the Qi contract to Cui Ying.

  “Everyone here can trust that head servant Cui Ying is fair and honest. He has helped me numerous times since I joined the sect. As such, I hope you can trust in his judgment.”

  “If it's head servant Cui, then we are willing to give it a chance,” one servant said.

  Cui Ying read through the contract. He nodded his head here and there before putting his own fingerprint on it.

  “This is legitimate. There are no underhanded clauses that would force us into slavery. It still gives us free will to choose what we do and the terms end at the conclusion of the festival. Best part yet, the benefactor is only Elder Bai, not junior Yu.”

  “Fine.” Doom and gloom servant signed it with his fingerprint.

  “Were you a lawyer in the past?” Yu Di asked.

  Cui Ying scoffed.

  “No. I almost became one. My father forced me to study for the imperial exams. Every hour of every day since I was five I had to study those 'Four Books and Five Classics.' Still, none of that helped me be a better cultivator.”

  Yu Di didn’t know what to say to that. He would never do that to Yu Lin, but then he did put her on the path of the cultivator. This was more bloody and with great risk than reading some old books.

  “It wasn’t all bad,” Cui Ying said. “For every mistake or bad clause I found, he gave me a copper token. That’s how I saved up enough money to get the resources to cultivate.”

  “So you chose this life?” Yu Di was surprised at that.

  “Yes, but I never expected to be a servant. What a waste of a life.”

  Yu Di got the Qi contract back with everyone’s signature, except for Fu Homei’s. He peeked at the second name on it.

  “Head servant Cui, if we make it back to the sect after the festival, I’ll make sure that your efforts were not in vain.” Yu Di looked over all his squad mates. “That goes for everyone here. I know I might not look like much, but I promise everyone here that I’ll help you on your path of cultivation.”

  “Don’t give us empty promises,” the doom and gloom servant said. “We just want to ensure that Elder Bai makes it back to repay our debt to her. If we can do that, I’ll make sure to take care of your brat.”

  “Then let’s begin. Everyone who has a jade, raise it into the air.” Yu Di raised his own into the air. “Those of you who don’t have one, share with someone. You just have to touch the jade.”

  Once everyone was touching a piece of jade, Yu Di pressed the black dimple on the jade. They all flashed a bright light and the dimple turned into a milky white.

  “What happened?” Fu Homei asked. “For a moment, I couldn’t see any of you.”

  “We are now one,” Yu Di said. “The only people who can use the jades are the people that signed the Qi contract and Elder Bai. And if you are under immense threat, all you have to do is press the orange dimple and someone will arrive to help.”

  “Hmph, I don’t think I’ll need any help from any of you,” Fu Homei said. “Are we done here? I still have my personal business to take care of before we leave for the festival.”

  “Yes, we’re done, but a moment of your time, senior Fu?" Yu Di walked over to her.

  "What is it?"

  "I know you don't want to be connected with the jades, but could you at least give me your personal Qi transmission?"

  Fu Homei contemplated for a moment, looking like she was thinking of whether to pet the stray cat or not.

  "You better not use it for nefarious things," she said. Fu Homei tapped Yu Di on the head.

  Yu Di felt a faint Qi signature enter his head. He wished she didn't do that and instead tapped him on the hand as now he would always have it until the day he died. Now at any time, he could speak with Fu Homei, but the same went for her.

  "We’ll meet again in two days before we head out for the festival,” Yu Di said. He collected all the jades back from the servants.

  Fu Homei flew off on her white fan. He couldn’t understand the child, but at least her loyalty was more assured than his squad mates. Her signature on the original Qi contract was still solid.

  “Time to eat then,” Bai Feng said. She uncovered large platters of food carefully set up on a long table outside of her home.

  The moment she did that, the smell hit Yu Di hard. This might be the last good meal he had before the festival. Today, Bai Feng decided to cook a Sichuan styled meal with plenty of red peppers in every dish. Mixed with the green peppers and green onions, the dishes shined with colors.

  Just like magic, Yu Lin appeared at the front of the table holding a large spoon. She had grabbed from the first three large plates in front of her and scooped it into her bowl. Without waiting, she shoved as much as she could into her mouth, chewing as fast as she could.

  Her eyes popped open as the spices hit her.

  Yu Di laughed. She should have felt the burning of the red peppers hitting her throat and then going up to her nose. There was nothing worse than that initial burning flavor from Sichuan food.

  Without ceremony, she spat everything back out into her bowl. Yu Lin stuck her tongue out as tears ran down her cheeks.

  “Baba, water!” Yu Lin ran up to Yu Di.

  “That’s what you get for eating like we starve you,” Yu Di said. He took out a small jug of goat’s milk and handed it to his daughter.

  Yu Lin popped the cork and drank it down. She stopped when she got halfway through.

  “This is not water. It smells funny.”

  “That’s how goat’s milk tastes like little Lin.” Yu Di reached for the jug. The little girl held it against her chest and ran back to her bowl of food.

  “It’s mine,” Yu Lin called from her seat. Without ceremony, she went back to eating the food. This time a little slower, making those large chewing motions. She combined the food with the milk.

  One bite, one drink.

  Yu Di chuckled to himself.

  “Junior Yu, might I talk with you?” Bai Feng asked.

  “Of course, Elder Bai.” Yu Di followed Bai Feng back into the home as the rest of his squadmates ate. The sound of sucking came from many of the disciples as they were not used to the burning food.

  “Did you mean what you said about the Qi contract and the festival?” Bai Feng asked. “Or were you scheming something?”

  “What do you mean, Elder Bai?” Yu Di asked. He was surprised by the accusation.

  “I know that you were upset when I decided to join the festival. I have seen you go to extreme measures to get what you want. If it’s for your daughter, I have no doubt that you would do even more.”

  Yu Di gritted his teeth, before his lips drew back into a snarl.

  “Yes, I am upset that you decided to join the festival. I was hoping you’d protect my daughter if I died.” Yu Di closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. “No, I’m not scheming anything. I was going to support all those that joined me anyway. In a way, I have to thank you. Because of your self-sacrificial nature, you recruited a lot more people than I was expecting.”

  “Very well then. Let’s get to work.” Bai Feng placed a hand on Yu Di’s shoulder.

  For the first time since meeting Bai Feng, he realized why so many people trusted this woman. Just her mere presence and trust made him feel connected. That’s when he decided that no matter what, he would make sure she would survive.

  Because he didn’t plan to in the first place.