The way station wasn’t what I expected it to be.

  Instead of the simple rest stop that I’d imagined it would be, it had defensive walls and watchtowers.

  It was basically a small fortress town.

  “Home away from home,” Wei Lin announced as we stopped in front of the main gates. “Well, if home was smaller and occasionally attacked by spirit beasts.”

  There were two guards in Xiao Clan uniforms that stood at the entrance.

  Even though their cultivation level was carefully suppressed, it was still noticeable to my spiritual sense.

  These were not simple Qi Condensation guards; they were at the Elemental Realm.

  Fortunately, they didn’t create any trouble for us, they gave Wei Lin’s merchant token a cursory glance before waving us through.

  Despite the sun setting, the station was bustling with activity.

  It had it all.

  Merchants hawking their wares from colourful stalls, travellers gathering around cooking fires seeking some warmth, and even a few cultivators taking full advantage of the station’s protective formations to meditate near the walls.

  “The formations here are not just defensive, there’s something else…,” I realised when examining the subtle energy patterns woven into the walls.

  “It’s trade protection formations,” Wei Lin explained. “It stops spiritual fluctuations from damaging cultivation materials.”

  That made sense.

  Otherwise, some random cultivator would have the sudden urge to practice a technique nearby and accidentally end up damaging valuable merchandise.

  “Hey, look at these Nine-Heart Flowers!” Lin Mei called out from a stall that seemed to be selling dried herbs and cultivation materials. “I've never seen them preserved so perfectly."

  “I guess the preservation technique is decent,” Wei Lin replied, heading over. “But if the color is to be believed, these flowers are at least two months old.”

  I understood immediately what he was getting at.

  Some flowers were more valuable fresh, while others actually grew in value with age.

  Unfortunately, the Nine-Heart Flower was of the former category.

  At two months old, its potency would be significantly reduced.

  "It’s still useful for basic medicine preparation," Lin Mei argued, punching his shoulder. "And look, they have Cloud Pearl Grass too!"

  Instead of getting involved in what looked like to be the start of a couple’s quarrel, I decided to hang back and look around.

  The interior of the way station was divided into multiple sections.

  Near the entrance, there was the open marketplace, this was where the good stuff was.

  Along the back of the wall, there were the residential quarters. Travelling cultivators usually paid a healthy amount of spirit stones for a good night’s rest. It was either that or sleeping outside with one eye open.

  And then off to the right side were the training areas.

  This was where you’d find the stubborn workaholic protagonist who wouldn’t take a break from training no matter where they were.

  Yeah, I was definitely avoiding that place.

  I had no intention of being their sparring partner or worse…

  “Are you feeling hungry?”

  I turned to see Wei Lin staring at me – he must have noticed my wandering attention.

  “The food stalls here are actually decent. Maybe not as good as sect food, but...”

  “It’s better than travel rations,” I finished.

  At that moment, my stomach growled.

  Come to think of it, it had been quite a few hours since lunch, and all that walking had built up an appetite.

  “Yeah, let’s get some food!”

  ***

  After a few minutes, we found a stall selling hot noodles.

  The place was pretty busy, probably thanks to the aroma of spices, which was too difficult for hungry travellers to resist.

  “Three bowls of the house special,” Wei Lin ordered, placing a low-grade spirit stone on the counter. “And yes, I’m paying,” he added before either of us could protest. “Think of it as part of your cultural education.”

  I couldn’t say no to that.

  We found some free seats at one of the communal tables.

  It only took three minutes for the food to arrive.

  And boy were the spicy noodles delicious.

  The tender strips of meat and vegetables were definitely made with high-quality ingredients.

  “So,” Lin Mei said between bites, "what's the most interesting thing you've seen at a way station?"

  “Hmm,” Wei Lin took a huge bite as he pondered over the question. “I’d say it’s probably the time that I saw two Elemental Realm cultivators get into a bidding war over a spirit beast egg. It turned out to be a fake, and the chaos afterwards was…memorable.”

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  “Let me guess,” I said dryly. “Your father happened to have a real spirit beast egg available?”

  “It was pure coincidence,” the innocent expression on his face wasn’t fooling anyone. “But he did make an excellent profit.”

  As we ate, I looked around, taking it all in.

  There were merchants haggling over prices in at least three different languages. A group of young cultivators were comparing technique notes while trying to look casual about it. And two elderly women were playing a board game that seemed to involve actual spiritual energy.

  “Look at that,” Lin Mei nudged Wei Lin, pointing to a stall selling ornamental cultivation tools. “Aren't they beautiful?”

  The items she was referring to were a set of jade cutting tools.

  She was right.

  They were genuinely impressive pieces of work.

  Each piece seemed to be carved with formations that would make them more effective when working with spirit herbs.

  “They’re not bad,” Wei Lin smiled. “Do you want to take a closer look?”

  “I don’t know,” Lin Mei shrugged. “They look expensive.”

  “Don’t you worry about that,” Wei Lin waved a dismissive hand in the air. “It’s an early celebration gift for when you become the herb garden’s head cultivator!”

  “That probably won’t happen for a few years,” Lin Mei protested, but she still followed him over to the stall.

  The way Wei Lin haggled with that merchant was impressive.

  He kept his demeanour casual, but asked sharp questions that cut down the price.

  Even then, the final price was still significant – over a dozen spirit stones.

  But Wei Lin handed over what would probably be several years’ worth of an outer disciple’s stipend like it was nothing.

  “Wow, these formations are perfect for precision cutting,” Lin Mei’s eyes lit up as she clutched onto her new tools. “And look at how they channel spiritual energy!”

  “Only the best for my favorite herbalist,” Wei Lin teased, earning himself a playful swat on the arm.

  I smiled seeing the two play around like that.

  As for the merchandise itself, I did my best not to look too closely at it.

  My spirit stone pouch was very light, and right now, I needed every bit for my cultivation.

  I couldn’t spend it on nice things.

  At least, not yet.

  “Do you see anything you like?” Wei Lin asked, probably noticing how I kept a careful distance from the stalls.

  “Nah, I’m good.”

  “You know I could—”

  “I know, but you’ve helped me enough already,” I cut him off with a smile and a pat on his back. “And I’m not much of a shopper anyways.”

  That was true.

  Back on Earth, I’d never been one to buy things just because they caught my eye. And from what I gathered from the original Ke Yin’s memories, he was more or less the same.

  Wei Lin looked like he wanted to say something, but then he sighed, shaking his head.

  ***

  After an hour of casually looking at stalls, it was time to look for a place to stay the night.

  The residential section had individual rooms which could be rented for the night.

  Fortunately, the prices were pretty reasonable, so we didn’t have to even consider camping outside.

  “How many rooms would you like?” the clerk asked, looking between the three of us.

  Wei Lin and Lin Mei exchanged a quick glance and I knew exactly what it meant.

  “Hey, I don’t mind getting my own room if you two want to share,” I offered, trying to be casual about it.

  “That’s not…I mean…” Lin Mei mumbled, her cheeks reddening.

  In this world, it wasn’t proper for a man and a woman to share a room unless they were married or cultivation partners.

  And while it didn’t bother me, it made sense that it was an awkward topic for them, especially Lin Mei.

  “Two rooms will do,” Wei Lin cut in smoothly, clearly trying to spare his girlfriend of any embarrassment. “I’ll share with Ke Yin; we’re used to staying up late to talk about cultivation anyways.”

  I nodded.

  It wasn’t a problem for me.

  Back in university, I’d shared a room.

  If I could deal with sharing a room with freshmen, then I think I could deal with anything.

  The good news was the rooms here, while simple, were clean.

  There were two beds, a small table, and some basic washing facilities.

  Lin Mei disappeared into hers with a quiet “good night”, and a last lingering look at Wei Lin that made me suddenly very interested in examining the blank wall.

  “You two look cute together,” I said, sitting on the bed I claimed as mine. “In an awkward, trying-not-to-be-obvious way.”

  “Says the guy who wouldn’t know what romance was if it hit him in the face with a spirit technique,” Wei Lin retorted, throwing a pillow at me. “But I guess that’s actually happened now, hasn’t it?”

  “Can we not talk about that?” I groaned, remembering Wu Lihua and her not-so-subtle attempts.

  “Fine, fine,” Wei Lin sat down on his own bed. “But even you have to admit that having a Core Disciple’s interest is a good thing.”

  “Maybe if it didn’t involve being a prop in someone else’s relationship drama.”

  “I guess.”

  Wei Lin then became quiet as though he wanted to say something but didn’t know the proper way to word it.

  “Hey, about earlier – with the shopping,” he began. “I wasn’t trying to make you uncomfortable or anything…”

  “Nah, you didn’t,” I assured him. “I’ve just never been the type of guy who buys a lot of stuff.”

  Wei Lin became quiet once again, staring up at the ceiling.

  “You know,” he finally said. “I’m actually glad you’re going to meet my family.”

  “Oh?” I turned to look at him properly, not having expected the sudden shift in tone.

  “I’ve not returned home since joining the sect. And my father, he’s…he’s going to ask a lot of questions about the sect, about opportunities, about who's worth knowing.” Wei Lin's voice grew softer. “It'll be good to have someone else there who understands how things really work.”

  I stayed quiet, getting the impression that he had more to say.

  “I…I haven’t told him about Lin Mei yet.”

  Ah. That explained why he seemed so troubled.

  “Are you worried about his reaction?”

  “With my father, everything is about advantage.” The frustration in his voice was now obvious. “Who can provide what benefit, which connection leads to better opportunities. So, when he finds out I'm serious about someone from a normal family...”

  “But Lin Mei is talented,” I pointed out. “She practically runs the herb garden already, that’s like almost unheard of for a first-year disciple.”

  “I know that, and you know that, but my father will only see a missed opportunity.” Wei Lin ran a hand through his hair. “He wants me to get married to a girl from one of the big cultivation clans, or even a merchant family. Connections that could ‘advance our interests’.”

  The last words came out bitter.

  “Have you told him how you feel, what you want?”

  “Feelings?” Wei Lin laughed. “They aren’t exactly part of the Wei Family’s business strategy.”

  “But maybe that’s what he needs to hear,” I suggested. “That for once, it isn’t about advancement or strategy. It’s about what makes you happy.”

  “You make it sound so simple…”

  “It is simple. You’re his son, not his property,” I paused, thinking of the best way to phrase it. “And if he’s as shrewd as you say he is, then he'll understand that having you happy and motivated is much better for the family than any political alliance.”

  Wei Lin went quiet for a long time.

  “Do you really believe that?” he asked finally.

  “Yeah, I do. And who knows, Lin Mei might go on to revolutionize spirit herb cultivation within a few years. Your father might end up thanking you for making such a profitable connection.”

  That got a genuine laugh out of him.

  “You’re using business logic to justify following my heart; you're getting better at this.”

  “What can I say?” I shrugged, grinning. “I learned from the best.”

  “Thanks,” Wei Lin said quietly. “For listening.”

  “What are friends for?”

  After that, we settled into comfortable silence.

  But just before I drifted off to sleep, I heard Wei Lin murmur.

  “You know she makes me really happy?”

  “Yeah, I know,” I replied softly. “And that’s what matters.”

  Our conversation made me wonder about my own path.

  Would I end up like those legendary cultivators in the stories, the ones who lived for thousands of years, always chasing the next breakthrough, the next realm, until one day they look back and realise that they walked the road by themselves.

  No wife, no friends, no family.

  After all, this was a common theme in cultivation stories.

  And even now, I could feel that pull - the constant drive to grow stronger.

  “You’re brooding,” Azure observed.

  “I’m just thinking. Seeing Wei Lin and Lin Mei together, it makes me think about balance, about what I might be missing while chasing cultivation.”

  “No one said the path had to be lonely,” Azure replied after a moment. “Even the World Tree had its forest.”

  That made me smile.

  Trust Azure to make a point with a cultivation metaphor.

  Still, he wasn’t wrong.

  Maybe there was a middle way.

  A path that didn’t require choosing between power and connection, between cultivation and humanity.

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