The way Mistress Cao said my full name sent a shiver down my spine. With the power she seemed to wield, she may well have contact with those who had ordered the search for my true self. Yet, her point still stood, if she wanted to entrap me she could have easily done so before now.

  Oh, I liked this one. Whether she had hidden depths, or just a flair for the dramatic, she was more interesting than most. However Mistress Cao was also right that I had come here for a reason. This discussion had been fascinating, but there were things I needed from her beyond conversation and tea.

  "The reason why I'm here is just as I said. As I guess you've worked out," I said, settling back in my chair, "I have some small ability and a large interest in alchemy. That's why I wanted to know if you knew where I could buy alchemy equipment." I gestured toward her impressive array of supplies. "As for selling you alchemy ingredients," I shrugged, "everyone has to make money somehow."

  Cao Wenli studied me, her wire-framed lenses catching the morning light as she tilted her head thoughtfully.

  "It shouldn't be possible for a mortal to recognize by sight and smell a high-grade ki replenishment pill," she said slowly. "But you can. So how can someone who can do that not have an alchemy laboratory of their own?"

  I smiled and spread my hands. "I thought we were done with secrets for the day."

  She paused then let out a genuine laugh, a rich sound that transformed her features. For a moment, I glimpsed the woman she must have been before whatever circumstances drove her to this modest shop in the mortals' quarter.

  "That round goes to you, Master Shen," she said still chuckling. "Very well. In answer to your questions, I would be very happy to consider buying any alchemy ingredients that you might find." Her expression grew more serious. "However, you should know that I am very particular about quality, so don't be offended if I reject most, or even all, of what you bring me."

  I nodded. "Of course."

  Her stipulation was perfectly reasonable, especially given what I had seen of her standards.

  "Equally," she continued, "I would also consider selling you some of my older alchemy equipment. But to consider that, I would want to see evidence of your alchemy ability first. My equipment is too precious to be handed over to the inept." She moved toward a cabinet and withdrew a small piece of parchment, dipping a brush in ink. "In any event, most things you can get anywhere, but even if you don't get your specialist equipment from me I can point you toward various artisans who will make what you need."

  She wrote quickly, her handwriting crisp and economical. "Master Chen works with glass and ceramic so he can make you proper vessels and distillation apparatus. Goldsmith Liu has experience with the metal components you'll need for a furnace." She handed me the parchment. "Both are reliable, discreet, and won't cheat you." She paused. "At least they won't if you say that I sent you."

  "Thank you." I folded the paper carefully. "This is exactly what I needed."

  "I look forward to a productive relationship and some more fascinating discussions, Master Shen." Her smile held genuine warmth now, the professional courtesy replaced by something approaching friendship.

  I rose from my chair, bowing slightly. The morning had been far more enlightening than I had anticipated, and the tea had done wonders for my meridians.

  "One last thing before you go, Shen Taros."

  I paused at the door, my hand on the frame.

  Mistress Cao moved to the jar of tea and measured the dried herbs into a twist of brown paper. She held it up to me between two fingers.

  "What is it?" I asked.

  "Enough of my Whispering Petal infusion for another pot of tea." She sealed the twist with a deft fold. "The benefits mostly come from the first cup and are gone by the third, so there's no point giving you more than this."

  I reached for the packet, but she pulled it back with a small smile.

  "Not so fast Master Shen. As you well know, I'm not running a charity here." A playful glint sparked in her eyes. "That will be three coppers."

  We both knew any cultivator would pay hundreds of times that amount and count it an unmatched bargain. Never mind three coppers, if I had the coin, I would have paid thirty gold for it without blinking and fled before she changed her mind.

  I stood and fished the petals from my pouch, placing them on her counter. "Steep, but I think it's worth it."

  She handed me the packet, and I tucked it away carefully.

  "Thank you for the tea and the conversation, Mistress Cao."

  "Until next time, Master Shen."

  I stepped back into the morning bustle, my meridians still humming with the tea's lingering effects.

  * * *

  As I walked down the street away from the Ash & Orchid my thoughts were churning. There was far more to Mistress Cao than met the eye. I liked her, but I had no idea who had come out ahead in our verbal jousting. A good workout was exactly what I needed to clear my head.

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  The directions that Ghost Fist had given me to his training hall were to the Thousand Blows Drill Hall. It squatted behind a crumbling shrine near the eastern docks. A simple signboard with the name written in charcoal hung over the door. I have to confess that my first impression wasn't good.

  As I was about to enter, a square-shouldered woman with grey hair stepped out and blocked my path with a pointed cane.

  "Lost, are you?" Her clipped voice cut through the morning air. "We don't take walk-ins."

  "I was invited by…"

  "No you weren't. That's what everyone says." She tapped her cane against the doorframe. "Private training only. Members and their guests."

  I opened my mouth to protest when a deep voice called from inside.

  "Taros? He's with me, Instructor He."

  Ghost Fist appeared in the doorway, sweat glistening on his bronze skin. The woman's demeanor shifted instantly.

  "You're with the big lad? Should've said so." She lowered her cane and extended her hand. "He Yulian. I run this establishment."

  "Shen Taros."

  She looked at me thoughtfully. "Ghost Fist's talked about you, and his word carries weight here." She smiled, revealing a chipped front tooth. "Sorry about that poor welcome. We get hopefuls daily, claiming they'll be the next champion fighter. Most can't handle real training." She assessed me with practiced eyes. "Two fangs per month gets you membership. Train anytime we're open."

  I pulled out the silver and handed it over. "Fair price for quality instruction."

  "It's not just the instruction. It's who you get to train with."

  Inside, the air hung thick with oil and incense. The packed dirt floor bore the imprints of countless footwork patterns.

  Ghost Fist nodded approvingly. "Hoped you might come. Warm up, then I'll walk you around."

  The next two hours were a wonderfully brutal education. I sparred with various fighters, each offering me a unique lesson. In their own, very different, way each person I fought with was as good as Ghost Fist. A wiry old man took me down with devastating elbow strikes. A woman half my size came next. She moved like quicksilver and landed three strikes for every one of mine.

  After my bout with her, and some pointed feedback from He Yulian, I stumbled to the water barrel, muscles burning pleasantly. I dipped the ladle, and was savoring the cool water when the door banged open and the room fell silent.

  A man in sea-silk robes, flanked by four others strutted in. It was a face I recognized. Jin Duyi, the pirate who Lieutenant Lin had saved me and Sarei from at the docks. He paused and surveyed the room, his gold tooth flashing in a predatory smile. His eyes found mine and, thankfully, passed over without recognition. I looked at the others and I was relieved to see that none of them were the two that had attacked me in the alley.

  "Well," he said, lacquered fan snapping open with a flourish. "What a midden this place is."

  He Yulian approached Jin Duyi, her spine straight but her head slightly bowed. The transformation from fierce instructor to deferential servant was jarring.

  "First Mate Jin, this humble place is for mortals to train. It cannot cope with the power of a mighty cultivator like yourself." Her voice remained steady, but the grip on her cane tightened until her knuckles whitened.

  Jin Duyi snapped his fan closed and tapped it against his palm. "I wouldn't demean myself by training in a dump like this." He pulled forward a young man with a high topknot wrapped in red silk and a gold ring through his nose.

  The topknot, the bare chest, and the snake and spear necklace were hard to forget. Wu Shengli, the man who destroyed his opponent during my first night at The Broken Mast.

  "I've heard this pathetic shed is the best training establishment for mortals in Shuilin Haven," Duyi said. "My man here needs to get some training to prepare for his move from Breakthrough stage to Initiate. After this, he will be going into seclusion to develop his core." He leaned forward, his face inches from Yulian's. "Is that going to be a problem?"

  Yulian held his gaze for a heartbeat longer than was comfortable. The air between them seemed to thicken. Then she lowered her eyes.

  "That will, of course, be fine, First Mate Jin."

  I took the opportunity to study Duyi more carefully. Unlike the first time we had met, I could sense the broad strokes of his cultivation. Combined with the aura he had displayed at the docks, I estimated he was at the midpoint of the Awakening Realm, so at Disciple Stage. Impressive for most, but nothing compared to those with real power in this city.

  Ghost Fist appeared at my side, his voice low. "Cultivators are all arrogant, but when you combine a cultivator with a pirate you end up with a truly unpleasant mix."

  I shrugged. "So long as he stays away from me I don't care." I turned to a training dummy. "I've got more important things to focus on."

  I considered leaving immediately to avoid a risk of a confrontation, but disappearing as soon as they turned up would have drawn their attention to me. Better to train for a little longer and then leave as soon as things had calmed down.

  I couldn't avoid seeing Shengli as I trained. The young pirate sparred shirtless, each movement deliberately flashy. He wanted to be seen. Pure brawn he had in abundance, and unless I was mistaken, he had taken low level pills to enhance his body. Shengli genuinely was on the cusp of being able to develop a core and I would guess that it he went into seclusion in a location with a decent concentration of ki he could emerge with his core in a month or two.

  Having said all of that, Shengli didn't have the skill to back up the attitude. His strikes were all power with no control or subtlety. Too vicious for a practice. His partner staggered back, lip split and bleeding.

  Duyi and his men laughed uproariously at the sight of blood. The sound grated against my ears.

  Ghost Fist appeared at my side, his voice low. "He hasn't come here to train, he's come here to bully people. He's got strength though. I'm not sure that I could take him."

  I shook my head and refocused on my own training. Coming here had been a good decision. The hall housed fighters with similar strength and ability to Ghost Fist. It was exactly what I needed to prepare my body and meridians to accept a core. They also only pulled their punches just enough to sting while ensuring that no one would get killed or have a permanent injury. Each bout pushed me a notch closer to my goal.

  As I exchanged blows with a stocky woman wielding twin wooden daggers surprisingly fast, I felt the prickle of someone watching me. A new pirate had come in while I had been focused on my opponent, and was staring at me. He had a barely healed scar running from his temple to his jaw. Ah, I might have been the one who had given him that scar.

  His eyes narrowed, and his head tilted as if he were trying to place me. A weight settled in my stomach when an incredulous recognition spread over his face and he leaned toward Duyi, whispering in his ear.

  Duyi's laughter faded. His gaze snapped to me, fan closing with a sharp click.

  Time to leave.

  I immediately finished my bout with a respectful bow, and made for the exit. My movements were casual and unhurried. No need to confirm their suspicions with a panicked retreat.

  I was almost at the door when Duyi and two of his men stepped into my path. The lacquered fan tapped against his palm in a slow rhythm.

  "Well, well, well." His voice dripped with venom. "What an unexpected displeasure. It took a moment to place an irrelevance like you, but if it isn't the dock rat that dared to lay his filthy hands on my robes and then had the audacity to attack my men."

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