Chapter 28: Seeking Counsel

'Surely she's awake right now...'

Eric arrived in the backyard of a humble dwelling far removed from the rest of Lei Village.

The sun had yet to properly crest the horizon, but it's glow had already began to replace the effervescent glow of the night's stars.

He had arrived much sooner than he had intended, the only thing keeping him from arriving even faster being his need to adjust to the Fleeting Cloud Step technique, now that he had a proper flow of primordial energy.

Eric began pacing between the rows of vegetables and flowers, trying to organize his thoughts. His eyes were facing downward and his right hand was stroking a nonexistent beard.

"I really am starting to believe you dislike our dormitory's uniform", a voice he was quite familiar with sounded out from the side of the tiny home.

Eric froze on the spot.

Immediately thankful for his dark complexion's ability to hide the blush that was definitely on his face, he looked away briefly while rubbing his nose and letting out a chuckle.

"Eh-hem. Good morning to you as well, Yue'er."

Ying Yue tilted her head slightly (Eric stifled the thought of how cute it was), before saying, "Good morning Ah Eric... I cannot tell if you are being a stickler for etiquette or if you are stalling for a possible rebuttal."

"Stall? Yours truly?... Never that..."

Ying Yue raised a gardening tool into a throwing position before stating, "I really want to throw this at you for some reason."

"Whoa! Whoa whoa... let's take a breather here. I know this uniform is very absorbent, since I spent all night dusting the forest with it, but I'm not sure how well blood will wash out of it!"

Ying Yue's eyes had narrowed to slits at this point, clearly trying not to laugh at his nonsense. "... Your ability to get under my skin is unprecedented", Ying Yue said as she lowered her throwing weapon. "Only Pen Yushui can hold a candle to the rage you fill me with."

"That smile you're fighting to hide seems like it wants to protest that statement..."

Ying Yue immediately found something interesting on the ground to stare at, while avoiding Eric's self-satisfied grin. "Hmph! I believe you didn't come here this early in the morning, just to use my humble plot of land to loiter."

"You would be correct. I actually have quite a bit to discuss with you and some... difficult questions I'd like to see if you could answer. I happen to have some of those tea leaves you like-!"

Eric was immediately cut off by Ying Yue's sudden approach.

'A movement technique?'

Before he could react, he was holding a set of farming tools in his hands.

"Wha-"

"Tea can wait for later. I'll listen to your story as you help me tend to my chores", the young woman left no room for arguement.

"..."

Eric met the unwavering gaze of this tiny tyrant and sighed in defeat.

"Where should I start?"

Ying Yue tilted her head yet again.

'So cute...'

"I guess from the beginning?" she said thoughtfully. "I am not much of a story teller, so I guess starting anywhere is fine.

"... I meant with the chores..."

"Oh." Ying Yue's eyes seemed to double in size instantly as a blush flourished grandly on her cheeks. "... uh-um... T-the cabbages. L-let me show you."

And thus a long morning full of honest labor began in earnest.

The only sounds of the morning being of tools working the earth, various livestock waking and a man's deep voice speaking endlessly, with the occasional inquisitive interruption in the form of a woman's soft voice.

Truly, the very picture of peace.

...

"Wait, what did you just say!?" Ying Yue's voice echoed into the morning air.

The first sun was solidly hanging in the sky at this point. Eric stood up from his hunched position and stretched his back as he took in a satisfied breath of air.

There was something oddly fulfilling to this type of work.

"You heard correctly. Nine dantains."

Ying Yue looked as if she had seen a ghost before looking around with a panicked expression. "I believe it is about time for some tea," said Ying Yue, her voice oddly stilted.

Eric raised an eyebrow as he read the situation.

"It's about time. I was getting parched."

The duo made a point to clean all of the their tools as they gathered them, finishing up what little they had left.

Their banter was somewhat mindless at this point, mostly meant to put on aires. Eric played along, even though he hadn't felt anyone observing them.

Explaining why he would be able to tell would be more of a headache than he felt like dealing with.

They finished their activities by gathering water from the well in front of Ying Yue's home. Some of the water was used to wash their hands and faces, the rest was for the tea kettle.

As she placed the kettle atop her furnace, Ying Yue casually placed a slip of paper with cryptic script on the wall behind it.

The characters on the paper began to glow.

She nodded in satisfaction before quickly doing the same to each of the walls, the door and the horizontal slats that functioned as windows. Once they had all been placed, Eric felt a sensation similar to the pressure one felt on their ears, when suddenly reaching a high elevation.

Eric subconsciously moved his jaw in an attempt to make his ears pop.

Ying Yue let out a slight chuckle before saying, "I'm afraid that will not work while this barrier is up." Her voiced sounded somewhat distant and stifled. "A more advanced one would be able to nullify the sound dampening within the barrier, but my... condition limits my abilities."

"A barrier huh?"

Eric was truly impressed.

"This is my first time seeing primordial energy being utilized for anything other than reinforcement..."

Eric gave the nearest wall a knock with the back of his hand, before sitting in his usual chair at the small table. It was like knocking on a boulder and sand simultaneously. The sensation was beyond strange.

Ying Yue slightly nodded her head before sitting, the water needed time to boil. She seemed deep in thought momentarily before saying, "These are called talismans. You would not notice their uses in your every day life, if you did not know to look for them. Most people that have lived their whole lives in this and the lower villages, have and never will know of their existence. The Lightning Sect has made many efforts to stifle every non-production oriented knowledge of cultivation."

"... The more ignorant the masses, the weaker they are as a whole."

"Exactly." Ying Yue spoke with a sigh. "It is quite effective too. Combine that with the... recruiting, of any talent or oddity that blossoms in the lower villages, along with removal of any combat oriented techniques and ignorance is basically law."

The two sat in silence for a period of time, the only muffled sound being that of the tea kettle slowly reaching a boil.

"It's quite impressive, when you think about it."

Ying Yue blinked in her special way, wordlessly asking several questions at once.

"I'm not saying I'm impressed in a good way, it's just mind blowing to think about. Cultivation by itself is a perfect way to enhance your mental capacity. Just advancing a single level is akin to expanding your range of thought. Not only are you able process more information at once, you comprehend it faster as well..."

Ying Yue tilted her head slightly, "So you find it impressive that the Lightning Sect was able to deceive such a large number of... exceptionally intelligent individuals?"

"Well-"

The whistle of the tea kettle cut through the suppressed air.

Ying Yue began to rise, but Eric beat her to it.

"I got it. Now, as I was saying..."

Eric began the tea pouring process, imitating Ying Yue's motions to the best of his ability.