It was another day in Fallen Star City. The air in the gloomy and crumbling Xiao Family estate felt different. The estate was still old and crumbling indeed, but the mood was different than usual. The inhabitants were not as miserable and hopeless as before. Inside the workshop protected by the arrays, the loyal servants and workers of the clan were busy producing Mystic Cleansing Jade. They had improved the process and the efficiency tremendously. The soaps they made were now of better quality, their shape and color much more uniform. Xiao Yun no longer needed to constantly supervise them. And some of the daily one hundred surplus soaps were given to the servants themselves, on the condition that they couldn’t sell it or tell anyone else about it. While additional soaps were taken by the elders as they needed them.
They were making around two hundred bars of soap a day, giving one hundred to Wang Shu to sell in his shops and through his contacts, while keeping the rest stored away in hidden courtyards (save for the ones used by the clan itself). Wang Shu’s most trusted men would discreetly come to pick up the soap every evening and carry it away in produce carts, which would then be distributed across the city through his networks.
Barring the elders and the workers directly involved, the rest of the Xiao clan servants and the guards didn’t know what they were producing in that hidden workshop and the workers wouldn’t tell them either as they were sworn to secrecy. But what everyone had noticed was the servants working in there smelt and looked better. The workshop had become a small lifeline for the clan, and who knew if the more powerful families wouldn’t come and try to pressure them to share the recipe if they knew that it was the Xiao clan that was producing this hot new commodity that had taken the local markets by storm. This world subscribed to the law of the jungle after all, might made right.
Xiao Lian had yet to return from her pseudo seclusion in the wilderness. While Xiao Yun was busy with reading in the clan’s library pagoda, planning his next step.
"Xiao Yun! By the sacred turtles, I knew I'd find you here!" Fatty Wang’s voice, a booming testament to his impressive lung capacity and equally impressive girth, shattered the library's solemn quiet. Sensing an impossible to avoid interruption coming his way, Xiao marked his place in the scroll with a sliver of jade and looked up.
“Hahaha brother Yun, you wouldn’t believe what’s been happening to me ever since you made that deal with my father.” Wang Jun walked into the library and sat opposite of Xiao Yun.
“Hear this, father has increased my allowance twofold!” Wang Jun was figuratively jumping with joy. Well, more like jiggling with joy. “My standing in the family is so much better now. My older brothers were always speaking down to me, ridiculing me for my drinking habits or chiding me for spending so much time around you but father yelled at them and told them to leave me alone! They looked like scared chickens bahaha!”
“I’m happy for you Fatty.” Said Xiao Yun cordially, his mind elsewhere.
“No, no brother Yun, you don’t get it, in the past father would encourage them, sometimes even join them. He would threaten me, telling me he would cut my allowance, but now not only he took my side he even increased my allowance! That’s a downright miracle. He even encouraged me to go out and have fun with you and gave me some extra money on top of my allowance. My brothers and the servants had such funny expressions with their mouths agape ahahaha!”
Wang Jun almost fell out of his chair. Wiping a tear from laughing so much he continued.
“Of course he refused to tell them the real reason. We’re making easy money with the Mystic Cleansing Jade, and only him and I know its true origin within our family. Thanks to you emphasizing our friendship during the deal, father now holds me partially responsible for our increased profits and influence. I really owe you some drinks brother!”
He got up excitedly. “Come now brother Yun, let’s go do something fun! You get to pick the place and you can order as much food, drink and women you want, it’s all on me!” He gave a confident wink, which looked rather comical.
“Fatty, do you remember what happened the last time went out?” remarked Xiao Yun.
“Pshh that’s ancient history by now. Not every place is going to be like the Red Lotus, and nothing came of that. I haven’t heard of anything untoward happening there either. What dangerous dancer? I haven’t seen Jue Li or Mei’er for a few months because of your paranoia. Come on let’s go out!”
Wang Jun was like the petulant devil on Xiao Yun’s shoulder, constantly beckoning to him to go and indulge in the sins of lust, greet and gluttony. Xiao Yun rubbed his tired eyes. It had been a while since he relaxed, and it’s not like the Blood Cult would have spies in every establishment. He hadn’t seen nor heard anything from Jue Li either, meaning that she most likely hadn’t suspected him enough to take action, and considering her identity wasn’t exposed thus far, she would have surmised that Xiao Yun should know nothing about her or her goal. Additionally, the talismans and the Cloud Treading belt he’d asked of elders had arrived a few days ago, which gave him a degree of confidence in case things got dicey. He’d put on the belt immediately and tested its effectiveness, and effective it was. His body felt light as a feather, he ran a couple of laps around the courtyard, and though unaware of his exact speed, he was sure that not even the fastest athletes on earth could catch up to his dust. Though, due to his low cultivation and his pathetic amount of spiritual energy reserves, the belt could only function for less than a minute, but that should give him ample time to run away or hide. With the belt’s added automatic shielding ability, he had a degree of confidence in going out.
He didn’t know for certain but had an inkling that Fatty himself had a couple means of self-defense if it came to that, a shrewd businessman like Wang Shu would have made sure of that.
Also, it’s not like the Blood Cult was the only nefarious force in the world. There was a chance that while he was worrying about the demonic sect, Blood Cult, another “orthodox sect” member would come by and cut his head off for offending them. That was the setting after all.
Maybe he could really enjoy himself, this world didn’t have the comforts and distractions of the modern world, and he was getting tired from reading all the dusty old scrolls filled with cryptic metaphors. He needed a break. Listening to some music and eating some good food might break the monotony. Additionally, the human mind was a wonderous thing, sometimes the best way to find a solution to a problem you’ve been racking your brains over, was to get some rest and give your mind some time to relax. Some people had even managed to find working solutions to problems they’ve been thinking about in their dreams. Maybe it could work for Xiao Yun as well.
“Come on, let’s visit the Blue Peony House.” Wang Jun insisted.
“No. No brothels or gambling houses this time. We’ll go to a more respected establishment. A proper restaurant. I’m sure you should at least know one or two right?”
Fatty Wang's face fell. "Not this again. What's wrong with you? A man needs to cultivate his social skills!"
"A man's worth isn't measured by the number of courtesans who know his name Wang Jun." Xiao Yun said, the words feeling strange and yet right on his tongue. It was a modified line pulled from some self-help blog he'd read on Earth, but in this world of martial pride and blatant hedonism, it sounded like profound wisdom. "But you are right. We shouldn't languish here." He stood up stretching his limbs. "Let us go out. We'll go to the best restaurant and eat until we burst!"
Fatty Wang’s eyes lit up. "Now you're talking! The Golden Crane Inn has the best spiced boar in the city!"
“Then that’s where we’ll go!”
And so they left, Fatty Wang kept talking the entire way. He kept chattering about the approaching martial tournament and best drinks and meals in various places in the city. Xiao Yun on the other hand was busy surveying his surroundings, taking in the sights, also trying to make sure he didn’t get dragged into some cliché young master development. Thrice they came across a commotion in the city streets and took detours to avoid it. The first commotion was about some kid trying to buy an artifact and a rich young master trying to compete with him, which eventually turned violent.
The second commotion sounded particularly ferocious, it sounded like multiple people were involved in a fight. Since he didn’t have plot armor, he was unsure if he could survive a random encounter, even with his lifesaving tools. The third commotion was more like a street fight, and before long some men wearing armor and weapons arrived at the scene, presumably the city guards to see what the hell the fighting was about.
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While dodging and weaving the ‘events’ the city threw their way, they managed to arrive at their destination in one piece.
Even in the twilight years of Fallen Star City’s grandeur The Golden Crane Inn remained a beacon of opulence. Its multi-tiered structure was adorned with intricately carved wooden cranes in flight and illuminated by soft golden lanterns. It had weathered the city’s decline, its prices as lofty as ever, attracting the dwindling elite who clung to fading fortunes and imagined glories. Inside, the aroma of exotic spices and meticulously prepared delicacies mingled with the soft murmur of polite conversation and the gentle strains of zither music, a carefully crafted bubble of tranquility.
The moment they crossed the threshold, several servants' heads turned. Their eyes widened slightly and a ripple of low whispers spread through the room. Before they could even request a table, a plump middle-aged woman with a face etched with professional smiles bustled towards them.
"Young Masters Wang and Xiao!" she exclaimed, her voice surprisingly loud and theatrical. "Welcome, welcome to Golden Crane Inn! What an honor to have you grace our humble establishment!" She gestured dramatically towards a lavish table near a window overlooking the city. "Right this way, Young Masters!” By now everyone in the city knew that Wang family was the exclusive retailer of Mystic Cleansing Jade, and they rightfully assumed that Wang Jun himself must be flushed with extra gold taels, thanks to his family’s monopoly. And the Inn workers were intent on having Wang Jun spend as much of his taels as possible in their establishment.
They were quickly seated, settling into their comfortable cushioned chairs. They ordered a selection of dishes and some of their best wine and the servants quickly took their orders with respectful expressions and disappeared to get their meal.
As they waited for the food, Xiao Yun observed the other patrons. Most were richly dressed, adorned with gold, jade and precious stones. He recognized the clan symbols embroidered on their robes, families mentioned in the fragmented memories, noble houses of Fallen Star City. And then he noticed a group of younger individuals, lounging at a large table across the room, their laughter a little too loud and their eyes a little too sharp. They were all looking at Xiao Yun and Fatty Wang with rather peculiar expressions.
Their silks were vibrant, their jade ornaments ostentatious and their voices carried a distinct edge of arrogance. Xiao Yun sighed inwardly. He recognized the type instantly: freshly hatched chicks unaware of the hawks circling above, thinking their lineage alone granted them invincibility. A typical cliché peanut gallery in any cultivation setting. However, Xiao Yun wasn’t the main character with heaven defying luck, even the peanut gallery posed actual danger to him. (Peanut Gallery in slang: a group of people whose opinions are not needed or required but who make their thoughts known anyway.)
They were led by a particularly flamboyant youth, whose robes were a blinding shade of crimson and whose black hair was held in place by a gleaming jade hairpin carved in the shape of a snarling dragon. The youth nudged his companion and sneered in his direction. Xiao Yun, who was used to far more subtle and passive-aggressive office politics, found their open hostility almost comical.
The youth raised his voice, making sure it carried across the room. "Look who it is! Xiao Yun the Third and is that ball of grease the famous young master Wang? Come to bless us with their magnificent presence?"
‘Xiao Yun the third? Is that meant to mock my cultivation stage?’ Xiao Yun questioned internally.
A ripple of snickers went through the group. Wang Jun’s expression soured but he didn’t say anything, while Xiao Yun remained unfazed, raising an eyebrow slightly. He took a sip of the fragrant tea that had just been served and calmly surveyed them. They were all radiating the arrogant confidence of youth and privilege, the kind he’d encountered in every corporate boardroom meeting back on Earth, just dressed in silk and wielding Qi instead of an expensive suit and daddy’s money. Well, they were still wielding their family’s influence in a way, but that was a different discussion.
Another youth, a girl with sharp features and a disdainful curl to her lip chimed in. "Bless us with their presence indeed! More like stain us with their insignificance! Still stuck at the Third Circle, are you Xiao Yun? And what about you Wang Jun, you’re almost as bad as him, barely breaking into the fourth circle. Whoever nicknamed you fatty was an apt person haha. Surely, your esteemed clan can afford a few more spirit stones to nudge you past that pathetic barrier?"
“Right? Isn’t the Wang clan the only supplier of Mystic Cleansing Jade? You’d think they could afford some decent cultivation pills or mid-grade spirit stones to spare for Fatty Wang’s cultivation. Is patriarch Wang too stingy with his third son?” another youth with a mole on his nose piped up. “My brother, who’s around the same age as them is already at the seventh circle, while they can’t even reach the fifth circle. How embarrassing haha!”
Their mockery was clumsy and predictable. They were trying to provoke them, to make them lose face with petty insults. He could feel the gazes of other patrons in the restaurant shifting, curious to see how the 'fallen young master' of the once great Xiao clan and his friend, the third son of a rich merchant would react.
Fatty Wang who was already pretty upset, but didn’t feel like he had anything say, whispered “Brother Yun, maybe we should find another place to eat…”
Usually Xiao Yun would have agreed, but tonight he didn’t feel like it. “Not just yet Fatty.”
Wang Jun looked at his friend with surprise. Usually, Xiao Yun would be the first to want to leave.
Xiao Yun placed his teacup down gently, a faint smile playing on his lips. He met the gaze of the first youth, the one with the jade hairpin. "Xiao Yun the Third." he repeated, the title sounding almost foreign to his own ears. “The third” part was meant to mock his cultivation having stalled at the third circle. A rather childish insult, like primary grade kids giving each other mean nicknames. "Yes, that is indeed my name. And you are…?" He paused, feigning ignorance, even though he recognized the clan insignia on the youth's robes. "Forgive my poor memory. So many noble houses in Fallen Star City, it’s easy to lose track."
The youth’s face flushed crimson. "Lin Feng of the Lin Clan! Don't play coy with me, Xiao Yun! We all know you're nothing but a pale shadow of your ancestors! An embarrassment to your clan!"
This was what they called provocation? He was from the modern age with it’s internet trolls and professional haters. They had perfected the art of the keyboard warrior and cultivated it to its highest level. These kids looked like adorable clueless chicks by comparison. He decided to play along with them to see where this went.
Xiao Yun chuckled softly, a low, melodious sound that somehow cut through the other noises in the restaurant. "A shadow perhaps," he agreed, his voice calm and even. "But even shadows have shapes, Lin Feng. And sometimes," he paused again, his gaze sweeping across the group, "shadows can be quite long and interesting." He winked at a couple of servant girls, causing them to blush and ran away, giggling. He still had his degenerate reputation after all and Xiao Yun decided to lean a little bit into it.
He leaned back in his chair, his amusement growing. Their faces were a study in frustration. They expected anger, defensiveness, maybe even an outburst. What they were getting instead was placid amusement and a suggestive joke.
The girl, Luo Yin scoffed. "Interesting? You call being a waste of Qi 'interesting'? Your clan is crumbling, Xiao Yun. You’re barely hanging by a thread. We're just stating facts."
Xiao Yun's smile widened slightly. "Facts," he echoed thoughtfully. "Facts are indeed interesting things. They are, however, often incomplete. You see only the Third Circle. You see a dilapidated estate. You see a clan perhaps past its prime. But you don't see everything else, do you?"
He gestured around the restaurant with a languid hand. "You see this opulent establishment. You see servants fawning over me. You see the respect, however grudging, in the eyes of these observers." He nodded subtly towards the other patrons, who were indeed watching with open curiosity now. "The Xiao name still carries weight, doesn't it? Even for a 'shadow' like myself."
Sure, it most likely had more to do with Wang Jun and his generous spending habits and the fact that the Wang clan had monopoly over the recent most coveted commodity of Fallen Star city, but he wanted to play their game and truth mattered little. From his observation of politicians and the sneaky bureaucrats of earth, Xiao Yun had come to realize a certain reality long ago; truth was subjective. If you used enough fallacies and had a little bit of charisma, oftentimes you could manipulate public perception to your favor.
Lin Feng, most likely already a bit drunk, slammed his hand on the table, making the cups rattle. "Don't be arrogant Xiao Yun! Your clan’s empty name is all you have left! Soon even that will fade! You don’t deserve to sit amongst the upper class of Fallen Star City." He made a gesture towards the other customers. Indeed, the people who could regularly afford to eat in Golden Crane Pavilion were not short on money and resources.
Xiao Yun simply raised his teacup again, unperturbed. "Perhaps," he said, taking a slow sip. "But until then, I intend to enjoy the privileges it affords. Starting with this rather excellent tea."
He wasn’t about to let these pups make him look weak. In this world where everyone preyed upon the weak, he couldn’t let perception of weakness be attached to him. After all, it was Sun Tzu himself that said to ‘appear weak when strong and feign strength when weak’. This way, he would let them think that despite declining, the Xiao clan still had cards to play. He was planning on turning that into reality soon anyways.
He ignored their sputtering indignation and calmly surveyed the room, his gaze lingering on each of their faces, a hint of knowing amusement dancing in his eyes. They were children playing at power, blinded by their own arrogance. He on the other hand had spent years navigating the far more treacherous and subtle battlefields of corporate life. This? This was a playground squabble. He felt a strange sense of amusement, almost pity. He wasn't angry or even offended. He was instead fascinated. It was like watching a poorly acted drama unfold.
Wang Jun just watched from the sidelines with astonishment. His best friend had indeed changed it seemed.
The first dish arrived then, a steaming plate of golden dumplings. The aroma was heavenly. Although in decline, the Xiao clan could still afford good food, but nothing like this. They couldn’t afford to spend money on any kind of luxury. Xiao Yun picked one up with his chopsticks, his expression shifting to one of pure appreciation. "Ah, food arrives." he murmured, ignoring the fuming youths across the room. "Now, this- this is something truly substantial. Unlike some other things I’ve encountered today."
He took a bite, the delicate flavors exploding on his tongue. He closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the taste. Wang Jun, seeing his friend’s delighted expression and smelling the appetizing dumplings quickly followed suit, his earlier discomfort melting away.
