章 9: A dream
Moss focused as hard as he could. This exercise difficulty was different than that of physical practice. After a while, he suddenly felt at peace looking at the moon. It stood clear in the sky, impassive, shining its pale rays. For an instant he felt dragged to it, but the sensation was quickly gone. The night was pure, the air fresh and the heavens unclouded. It was not to cold either.
He kept at it, struggling more and more against the urge to sleep. At some point he could not resist any more and fell into a pleasant slumber. Strangely, his mind did not dilute itself. On the opposite, it became sharper.
An instant later, Moss felt that he was not in the woods any more. He slowly opened his eyes. In front of him was the lake shore where he had lived for so long. It was night time. The moon stood grotesquely large above the water. Its light threw an almost perfect reflection on the shifting surface.
-'We meet again, little friend Moss.'
He knew that voice.
-'Scholar Wei ?'
-'Come join me on the rock were we first met.'
This was not reality. He could tell. Yet everything was lifelike. The sand softly squealed under his naked feet. The fresh smell of the air was just right. He could touch his skin and feel it. Above him the stars shone clearly. What a strange experience it was.
He walked to the crag. The young master sat on top of it, looking far ahead.
-'Come sit next to me.'
The rock was not as sharp as in his memories. He found a convenient place to sit next to the scholar. Looking at his profile, his gaze seemed even more profound. Like it could suck the whole world in. It was serene as always.
-'This place. We are in a dream right ?'
-'Yes. Do you like it ?'
-'... It feels good.'
They did not speak for a while. Eventually, the young man spoke.
-'How was your first day ?'
That was quite casual. The commoner had a lot to ask but he did not dare yet. The question seemed sincere so he answered.
-'Well... exhausting but not bad. Not bad at all.'
-'Good.'
Another pause.
-'I see a young lady next to you... Oh, is it not the little princess of Feyhan ?'
Moss looked around. They were alone.
-'Are you talking about sister Lauren ?'
-'Yes. That was her name.'
That emptied the last inhibition the peasant had left. He asked what he should have asked a long time ago.
-'Young master Wei... You are not a scholar right ?'
His interlocutor smiled faintly.
-'I once was.'
-'Who are you really ?'
-'You will know in due time, worry not. For now things are for the best.'
This person really was too secretive. Moss sighted.
-'What you gave me... It is to much.'
-'Say no more of it. Let us talk about you.'
He pointed at the moon with a slender finger.
-'You started your cultivation I see. I wonder what technique you were given... Oho. The dual arts. How interesting. Friend Moss, you really know how to pick.'
-'Do I really ?' Moss doubted that. But beyond that, how could his interlocutor know so much ? That made him uncomfortable.
The scholar ignored that last reply.
-'Well, it seems like I do not have to worry about anything. You are doing fine little friend. Keep it up. Your body is a little messed up by all your training however. Let me help just for this time.'
The peasant was waiting for a follow-up but it did not come. In the end the scholar just got up.
-'Well goodbye friend Moss. One advice for the days to come. The wolfs in this area are out of the norm. Watch out for them and keep your training up. Unless you get stronger, you will be a choice hunting target for them.'
That was casually said, but it scared the poor man somehow. Before he could think of a reply the young master was gone and his vision started to blur. As the dream vanished, he caught a glimpse of a strange light reflection in the lake. A pale and young woman running from something. The vision disappeared before he could make any sense of it.
While Moss slept, farther and higher in the mountains, elder Agon knocked on a trunk as large as a building. It belonged to a inconceivably huge tree. Its bark was a variation of brown and honey. Its leaf were so high that they could hardly be seen. Beside them, small glowing fruits threw a pale golden light in the night, like a constellation of perched fireflies.
A passage opened in the trunk. It was crooked and faintly enlightened by golden phosphorescent mushrooms. The cultivator climbed it for a while. Eventually he reached a vast opening on the outside. The higher mountains and its light extended themself under the huge branch. In front of him a man sat, looking down below. A hybrid of an axe and a lance lied next to him.
-'Great warrior.' Agon said.
-'Good evening Agon. What brings you here ?'
The man's voice was low but welcoming.
-'I have some focused data to convey concerning the last batch of golden token entrants.'
-'Oh. I looked at the files you handed me. Is there something new ?'
-'We cannot get a hold of anything about the self-proclaimed scholar Wei. The intel branch has submitted his description to all of our connections. To absolutely no avail.'
-'What about the commoner he sponsored ?'
-'He really looks like your average man. Here is some fresh data about the trial.'
Agon handed the man a scroll and waited for him to read. His interlocutor suddenly spoke.
-'How bold ! You grouped him with the royalty.'
The warrior laughed and turned towards Agon. He was a middle aged man, with black hair and a lightly wrinkled but pleasant face.
-'I can understand your decision. Yet we know nothing of this old guy as well. You took some risk there, I must say.'
-'I observed him well before taking this decision. I know what is at stake.'
-'And the report prove you right for now. Do you think that he can make it ?'
-'Maybe. This is so unheard of that I can not say. He is skilled at picking herbs so that may compensate for his lack of vigour.'
The warrior laughed again.
-'To be praised by you, he may well strip our land bare. What an interesting one. Place a constant watch on him and keep me updated. There is not much more we can do anyway. If this scholar Wei is as a terrifyingly strong as you said, small chance we can escape from his grasp if he means us ill.'
-'Yes, patriarch.'
-'Go get some rest and keep the wolfs north tomorrow. If nothing comes up have them released the day after. We still need to show them some colours, do we not ?'
Kind and ruthless at the same time, Agon thought. Sometimes it seemed to him that he gave more mercy to enemies than to his disciples. Yet the sect had been growing strong under his lead. The elder bowed and left. If pairing the Feyhan princess with a peasant was playing with fire, then what was releasing those wolfs on them ?
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