Dream of a Dynasty

Tea and Buns

Another week went by. Wu Ming-Li was finally done and satisfied with Xu Xing-Long's sword art, Shan Beng Di Lie, 山崩地裂, Earth Shatter. It ranked 1st in sword art rank and was quite a predicament to learn. First, she had tried using the field--but kept running into things. Then, she went back to the freezing cold water—she only managed to have the ice cut her like shards of glass, making her rest for a few days. She then decided to use the waterfall's cliff, where most of the terrain was rock and quick flowing water, while everything else was air. It was dangerous being so high up. However, no literal obstacles was a relief! Shan Beng Di Lie required harmony of the wind, water, and light elements. She easily harnessed all three in the open. The first few tries, she slipped and fell into the pool below, but she was able to meld the three together. After a while, it started to take shape with a more even concentration of Chi. 

Soon, the entire sword art flowed together and was finally able to reveal itself. Finally, she was able to perfect it. A few weeks later, a Whei bird came to her when she finished cleaning her sword as dinner cooked over the fire pit. It was a message from her Master. In the message, she wrote news of Master volunteering them to become mercenaries for hire for a caravan group. Ming-Li was to meet them at a waystation that's a few kilometers north of where she currently trained. The caravan should make its way across her point around midafternoon the next day. "Ahhh! You hear that Whei-Whei? We're not going to be out here in this cold anymore!" she exclaimed as she stretched, her outburst making the Whei birds chirp and flutter their wings loudly. She folded the letter up and threw it into the fire. The Whei birds chirped a bit longer as they resettled for the night. Ming-Li finished cleaning and polishing the sword and put it safely away before digging into her dinner. It didn't help that she caught more of the little fishes that had lots and lots of tiny bones. 

The moon's out early tonight. Ming-Li gazed up at an unfettered view of the endless sky. Stars winked in and out of sight. Her breath fogged the air around her with every exhale. She felt a shot of nervousness course through her body. A little of the fear of the unknown crept in making her shiver. Mixed with the fear, was a little bit of excitement at seeing more of this world she lived in. "Where will we all be? Old Sky King...Will Master and I live long enough to hear news of this world...this world like it once was when Mom and Dad were alive?" Ming-Li muttered up to the heavens, flashes of her lonely childhood after Nanny's passing flitted across her mind's eye. She hope no child ever experienced such pain that was a result of human greed. She also reflected as very grateful for being able to make the few friends she had before she met Master Ling Hong-Ting. She clinched the jade around her neck and smiled when all remained quiet. "I don't think I want to know the future. Please forgive these musings of a little human, alright Old Sky King?" 

The next morning, Ming-Li woke up before the Whei birds, who were still fast asleep in there little homes. She got up and dressed in more thick and comfortable clothing. Most of her clothes were in pale shades of blue or pink or shades of white. She dawned a pair of brown leather boots with wool lining the inside to keep the chill out of her feet. Her tunic was made out of a thick white cotton material to keep most of the chill at bay. She wrapped a gray shawl around her shoulders and made sure that Sky Storm was secured in her sheath and all her other clothing and gears were put away in the carrying sack. Since the tent itself was mostly cloth, she could just fold it up and place it into her sack once she got majority of the snow and mud off. She'll ask Master what to do with it afterward, but for now, she folded it and placed it in a waterproof container coated with wax to keep the water and mud from getting all over everything else. 

Most of the food on reserve was dried fish, so she put those in a separate, smaller sack to hold. After breakfast, she made sure the Whei birds had eaten their fill before letting them out of their cages. Many flew off, while some hovered around her. She packed the other tent away and secured everything tightly in her two sacks. She held the sword in her left hand and gave the clearing another look around. "Well...thank you pool for the special memories! I hope I can come back and play in the water here--when it gets warmer!" she yelled. She smiled and waved as she ran out in the direction of the waystation, with three Whei birds on her tail. As the sun peaked, changing the white clouds to tinted a bit in orange, she saw the waystation a few yards ahead. There was a slight fog, and the ground covered in patches of snow, instead of a blanket of snow. There were many foot prints and horse prints and wheel lines through the soft dirt. She sat down at a table in an open eatery and waited a bit. A burly old man with a gnarly beard came up and asked what she would like to eat. "I'll have some tea and meat buns please."