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Aristasy
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Ningjing Village
A damp chill hung in the evening air of Ningjing Village, as a limping, three-legged figure slowly made its way through the village. The third leg was a wooden walking cane, unnaturally straight and soundless as it hit the mildly cobbled path through the poorer sections of the village. The owner of the cane was hunched over it, as if pouring their life force into it each step in order to make progress forward. The streets were lined with modest homes, with their door lamps lit to maintain some light as the last rays of the sun disappear under the horizon. The streets were completely empty, except for the old man walking through. From the windows of one of the nearby homes, a pair of curious eyes peered out as the man passed by. As if the old man could feel the gaze like a tap on the shoulder, he stopped unnaturally mid-step. The little child peering through the window was taken aback, but had frozen in fear at the old man's silent and sudden reaction to being seen.
"M-m-ma ma..." The child started to call. "Ma m-!"
At this point, the old man had approached the window, looming over the child. Shaking uncontrollably, the child watched as the old man slowly opened his mouth. The smell of rot assaulted the child's nose as the child started feeling dizzy. The old man's mouth was still stretching farther and farther open, lips long since torn apart and the lower jaw disconnected. The child's shrill scream was abruptly cut off. The old man resumed his slow journey northwards, towards the headquarters of the Ningjing Mercenaries.
Ningjing Mercenaries Headquarters
Two mercenaries stood in the Ningjing Mercenaries headquarters' main room, gazing at the mess before them. They had just returned from their respective endeavors, and were expecting a hearty greeting from their fellow mercenaries, along with a hot bath, warm meal, and a soft bed to greet them. Instead, the dining area looked abandoned. A wooden stand holding a vase of leafy plants had fallen over, spreading soil across the floor and into the cracks between the floorboards. No one was here except the two of them.
Shenshan
"Elder Tong, I would like to nominate Ke'ai Yu and Qiu Orchid for the journey. We are very understaffed already, so we cannot spare any senior students nor instructors. However, these two are very talented individuals. In addition to their talent in alchemy, they have fighting experience, which make them suitable for the undertaking in question."
Setting down the scroll he was reading, Elder Tong sighed while rubbing his sinuses. "This journey... the future of Shenshan will depend on its success. We cannot lose sight of the long-term in the interest of keeping a few clients in the short term. We cannot send mere students on this."
"Elder, this journey to the real Shenshan, at the most ideal execution, this journey would take half a year at the very least! Our instructors can barely manage teaching all the classes, which are already reaching the limit in size, if we lose any more-"
"I know... I know. This journey is to retrieve the most valuable secrets of our school. First, there is the risk of sending students and that they end up harmed. Second, should they succeed in the journey there, there is still the journey back. The risk then, is losing the secrets to enemies, bandits... barbarians... We cannot bet the future of the school on two students..."
Elder Tong glanced at the school's roster worriedly, as he adjusted his sleeves.
"I cannot truly pass on the secrets without the scrolls, mere verbal instruction will not suffice. Even I, even though I have personally witnessed the refinement process of our school's most treasured recipe, I cannot properly teach it unequiped. The process is too complex and lengthy to store in the mind of a single person, that is why we have written it all down, despite the risk it poses if stolen. If only we could spare even one instructor, however it is as you said... one cannot squeeze blood from stone..."
The instructor standing before Elder Tong's desk started pacing back and forth, deep in thought. Elder Tong finally stood after some contemplation on the topic at hand.
"Reluctantly, I will concede that you are right... We have no choice but to send students. Orchid and Yu... I give you leave to handle it. However, send them off to Ningjing first. Give them enough to hire at least two mercenaries... We must do our best to ensure the success of this journey, both for their sakes and the future of Shenshan."
"Understood, Elder, I shall go immediately."
-----
Instructor Chen Yeh left Elder Tong's study and hurried over to the student dormitory. Muttering his thoughts out loud, Yeh soon found himself in front of Ke'ai Yu's door. Knocking gently, Yeh spoke through the door. "Yu, it's Yeh here, tomorrow morning after breakfast, you are to come to my study instead of attending your morning class. Don't worry, you aren't in trouble... well, I suppose that depends on your outlook- sleep well."
Yeh left the boy's dormitory area and headed towards the next building, which was the girl's dormitory.
"Ahh..."
It was too late, as his eyes clapped upon his colleague's figure, barely covered with a bath towel, as she crossed his path on her way back from the school communal hot springs.
"A-apologies..."
*Smack*
Stumbling a bit, Yeh made his way past the hot springs entrance towards Qiu Orchid's door. "Orchid, it's Yeh. After breakfast tomorrow, report to my study instead of classes." Hearing some giggling in the distance and the chatter of some girls heading towards his direction, Yeh timidly and hurriedly left the girl's dormitory area, returning safely to his own quarters. "Finally, I am one step closer to my goal..."
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