Chapter 4:

Chapter 4

"Why do you want to know about it?" She hissed at me.

I was taken aback by her anger at this topic.

I stood down near her so we can speak at the same level. Having your teacher look up to you is not how things are done, especially when you wish to ask to be taught.

"Death, I've seen the woman die and both me and Bao wish to try and take the Sect Trial and become cultivators when we turn eighteen. I hoped you might have an answer." I admitted.

"Everything is true, all of the stories of heroes that would move mountains to save a stranger are true, same for the ones about the depraved turning their own children into pills to advance to the next tier. Cultivators are monsters one way or another, some are merely benevolent." She continued her face turning into a scowl.

There was something personal there but I chose not to press it.

"I want to go prepared for the Trial teacher Hao Wen." I said and bowed.

My knuckles were on the floor and my head was pointed at the floor as I waited for her answer.

"Rise you fool." She finally said tiredly.

I did as she asked and looked into her eyes as she looked into mine. The shock was gone now and only the focus remained.

"You are determined to walk that path, what of your parents?" She asked.

"They approve, mine and Bao's. Bao is to marry me and it will become official as soon as she is with child. My father told me that he can handle the farm with the help of Bai and his older siblings and mother's cousins until I can send back some money to hire help or return." I replied promptly.

The Sect Admittance Trial is in Fall, even assuming I fail, we can plant the rice, have me got to take the Trial and return in time for me to help and assuming that I succeed I'll surely earn some money to send back home until the next planting season.

My parents were supportive of Bao and I's attempt at becoming cultivators, for as merchants were at the bottom of the social hierarchy, so cultivators were at the top.

What family would not wish for their children to become one?

"I had a cousin when I was ten, more than twelve years ago. He was a sweet boy, as sweet to me as you and Bao Xiaoli are with each other and our parents wished for us to be the same as you. His own grandfather was a cultivator, a minor one that was stuck as a Qi Warrior and as his life was coming to an end he took all of his descendants and made them into a pill to try to advance and reached Lesser Tempering. Our clan leader was so offended by this he went there and ripped him into pieces for doing this to family. This is what Cultivation can turn you into, are you certain that you want to try this?" She asked.

Her voice was iron and her eyes were sharper and harder than I've ever seen her.

"Yes teacher Hao Wen." I replied with as much steel as I could.

It was not as sharp as hers yes, but I would not back down.

"I remember him, I remember the man he pretended to be as he read both of us stories and made me love reading, and I remember what I felt when I was at the funeral of his descendants. I would rather be stoned to death as a merchant than become so twisted by power that I end up like my grand-uncle. All of the power in the world is not worth it if you're not yourself at the end of it, I will ask you again, are you certain of it?" She asked again.

"Yes." I replied promptly.

My path was set and I will not be swayed.

She looked into my eyes looking for something I could not name but knew it was important and eventually her glare relented.

"I am going to tell both you and Bao what I know of it tomorrow, now I need rest. Today… today has been tiresome." She said.

"I will leave you to your rest teacher." I bowed again and left.

I made sure to close the door gently as I left, I had to find Bai and console her for scaring teacher.

She did not speak much of it, but I know she respects teacher greatly for teaching her how to read, and her scaring teacher affected her greatly. I did not have time as I had to work on the farm and teacher probably consoled her already but just as she had her duties to our family, so did I.

And they extended far beyond working the fields and protecting the people I call kin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I am a horrible student, stupid stupid stupid!" I cried in my pillow as I returned back to my room.

My mind swirled with what if's and hows as time re-winded to the time I scared teacher, her frightened eyes hurt more with each repetition and each time my heart hurt more shortly after.

'Why did I forget that the stupid law calls teacher a merchant? Now she thinks I want to kill her!' I cried silently.

"You are not stupid Bao, impulsive yes, unwilling to think things through properly, sometimes, but when you do allow yourself to think properly you are a talented and intelligent woman and teacher knows this." My stupid husband said.

I pulled my head out of my pillow and rolled over to look at him.

"Why didn't you tell me, you're the one that thinks a lot!" I accused him

I was not pouting, I was not pouting and my stupid husband pinched my left cheek.

"I am not there to think for you how to act. And you remembering who teacher is and how to act around her is not something I can do for you, I gave you clues, but you were too eager to kill the merchant woman to even notice. I most certainly wasn't smiling and you know how sharp her hearing is, me using my voice to let you know things means we can't hide it from her." He said as he continued pinching my cheek.

"Ow ow ow ow, please stop." I pleaded

The constant pinch was more embarrassing than painful but it didn't mean it wasn't both. The man was strong.

He stopped doing it now at least and I put my hand on my cheek

"It hurts meanie." I remarked with a pout.

He's weak to that, but it seemed it won't work this time.

"Tomorrow you will apologize to teacher again, and she will tell us what she knows of cultivators." He said.

I looked at him quizzically as I wanted an explanation on how that happened.

"The stoning reminded me of cultivators and how they live longer and the question came to my mind. Teacher noticed it, says my voice changes when I have something to ask, and told me to ask it. She doesn't like cultivators due to some bad experiences but agreed to tell us what she knows of it tomorrow." Tai Su revealed sheepishly.

"We're both idiots" I despaired as I put my hands over my face.

My stupid husband sighed as well.

"Probably, we'll have to find a way to apologize, but that's for tomorrow. You need to go look after your parents as they are worried for you and Bai is on the fields with the sheep and can't look after all three of you. I pulled the red tipped stick so I'll to stay awake as night guard again once the sun sets." My husband said.

"Again? It's the second time this month." I whined.

"The lots are the lots, we use them because otherwise people are calling the night guard lazy for sleeping during the day, now nobody complains after the Village Head made sure every man experiences it, At least I am not Hu Ma, poor man had to do it a week in a row because he's unlucky." He continued.

I winced, Hu Ma is the unluckiest man in the village, he is so unlucky the village just banned him from gambling and has his own brother pull two sticks to make sure he's not night guard every night again.

"I will do that." I said and closed in for a kiss.

His lips met mine and all my worries went away as he held me in his arms again. The kiss ended quickly and I looked into his twinkling eyes.

"Love you Bao." He said as his eyes stared deeply into mine.

"Love you too Tai." I replied as I kissed him again.

This one lasted longer and it was deeper but it too had to end.

"You can always sleep here, you know that." I offered.

"If I do you are not leaving the village with me as you will be with a child, you know that. It's why we decided to wait until at least one of us is a cultivator to increase our chances of success." He replied sternly.

"You mean you get to be a cultivator, everyone knows cultivators need to be strong and capable of fighting and you are the second best in the village after your father." I pouted back.

His eyes hardened as he looked at me, he did not like me saying this but it was true.

"There are plenty of women cultivators, the Empress is one and she made the Empire so you can become one too. Teacher Hao Wen will tell us what she knows of it and I'm sure she'll agree with me!" He tried to convince me.

I giggled at that, this argument was getting old but his trust in me made me feel all soft and warm inside.

"The Empress is the Empress, she's no man or woman but a force of nature that happens to like how women look like which is why all of her servants are women." I argued.

"They're women because she's beautiful and the men that can resist the allure a beautiful woman are not the sort of women that wash the floors, or do paperwork. She probably gets tired of dealing with them so she only hires women!" He argued back.

"Then why are the taxmen always men? They all work for her." I continued.

He took a moment to think on my new argument.

"They are not men, but demons without a heart she bound with a contract to prevent them from rampaging across the lands. They follow the laws but will never not look for a reason to make your life miserable just like any demon will!" He hit back.

"Pfttt!"

I tried, by the heavens, forgive me Empress I tried, but my husband is too funny and the fires of laughter could not be stopped once the madman set the blaze.

Said madman kissed me on the forehead just as my laughter subsided, then pulled me tighter into his arms

"Better?" He asked.

"Yes." I admitted softly.

"Good, I have to go now, I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll see you tomorrow."

I'll miss resting in his arms every day.