Great Sheng Dynasty, Jingde Year 23, Summer
As the morning mist had just crept halfway up the valley, the sharp shouts of “Ha!” and “Hah!” from the training ground shattered the silence.
Five arrow targets hung from newly erected wooden frames. At the center of each target, the character “Xiao” was painted in red. More than a dozen figures in gray, coarse-cloth training outfits were practicing martial forms around wooden posts. The same small “Xiao” character was embroidered on their chests, faintly gleaming pale white in the morning light.
These outfits were made by an outside tailor at Wen Yinyue’s request, arranged through Lin Feng. The stitching was not particularly fine, but to this group of people who had once wandered with nowhere to belong, they brought a real sense of home for the first time.
“Lin Wu, don’t rely only on your arms when you punch—rotate your waist!”
Lin Feng stood at the front of the group, dressed in the same outfit. The old scar on his left shoulder was hidden beneath his sleeve, leaving only his sharp, focused gaze exposed.
He reached out to grasp Lin Wu’s arm and adjusted his stance. “You used to be a martial instructor at an escort agency. Your foundation is better than anyone else’s—don’t waste it. Back then, Zhang Biao framed you for stealing escort silver. That debt—we’ll settle it for you one day, right here in the Pavilion.”
Lin Wu, a man in his early twenties, still bore scars on his arms from the beatings he’d received from constables years ago. When he heard the name Zhang Biao, his fists clenched until his knuckles turned white. Still, he steadied himself and corrected his posture.
“Thank you, Brother Lin Feng. And thank you to the Pavilion Master for taking me in. From now on, my life belongs to Xiaoyao Pavilion!”
He was someone Lin Feng had found last month at a county inn—at the time, Lin Wu was being chased and beaten by creditors, yet he still carried proof of his innocence as an escort. Seeing that his spirit had not been crushed, Lin Feng invited him to the valley.
In the formation, Lin Yi quietly stepped back half a pace. She was a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girl, wearing a resized training outfit with her sleeves rolled high, revealing slender yet strong wrists.
She had once been an orphan in an acrobat troupe. After the troupe leader ran off with the money, she survived by stealing. When Lin Feng caught her, she was clutching half a stolen flatbread and refused to let go even if it meant death.
“Lin Yi, how’s your light-footwork coming along?” Lin Feng suddenly turned to her. “Come with me this afternoon to scout the mountain paths. You’re light and well-suited for reconnaissance.”
Lin Yi’s eyes lit up immediately, and she nodded vigorously. “Don’t worry, Brother Lin Feng! I can run along tree branches—I won’t be discovered!”
Not far away, inside the herb hut, another lively scene warmed the morning light.
Wen Yinyue, dressed in an off-white cotton-linen training outfit, poured a basket of herbs onto a wooden table. The wind lifted the hem of her skirt, revealing under-trousers embroidered with plant patterns. She addressed the five people gathered around her:
“This is Ice-Skin Herb. The leaf edges are serrated, and it feels cool to the touch. Beside it is Detox Grass—its leaves are smooth. Boiled in water, it can neutralize mild snake venom. Remember carefully. One mistake in identification could cost a life.”
Zhang Pinggu stood closest to the table. She was a woman in her thirties, wearing a washed-blue apron over her outfit. She tightly held the herb manual Wen Yinyue had drawn, her fingers repeatedly tracing the illustration of Detox Grass.
She had been driven out by her husband’s family for failing to bear a son and falsely accused of an affair with a hired hand. When Lin Feng met her, she was crying by the river with a basket of herbs in her arms. Her father had once been a physician, and she had learned to recognize herbs from him. She hoped to survive by selling medicine, but was constantly harassed and cheated.
“Pavilion Master, if Ice-Skin Herb is used together with Blood Ginseng, can it treat wind-cold?” she asked softly. There was timidity in her eyes, but even more yearning.
Wen Yinyue smiled and handed her a Blood Ginseng root. “You’re thoughtful, Pinggu. Ice-Skin Herb is cold in nature. Adding a small amount of Blood Ginseng balances the chill, making it suitable for people recovering from wind-cold. Follow me to learn herbal formulations. With your foundation, you’ll soon be able to stand on your own.”
“Mother! Medicine!”
A soft, sweet cry came from the doorway. Two-year-old Lingxi, dressed in a pink little training outfit with two crooked pigtails, stumbled in holding a withered yellow leaf. Behind her followed Junye in a blue outfit, gripping a small twig and walking carefully, step by step, like a little adult.
“Lingxi, be good—this isn’t medicine, it’s just dry grass.”
Wen Yinyue bent down, lifted her daughter, gently took the leaf from her hand, then patted Junye’s head. “Is Junye here to help Mother too?”
Junye didn’t speak. He placed the twig on the table and traced a circle over the herbs, as if sketching a trap.
Wen Qing leaned over and laughed. “Young Master Junye wants to help us set up mechanisms to guard against bad people, doesn’t he? So clever!”
Wen Qing had once been an apprentice at a pharmacy. After being falsely accused by the shopkeeper of stealing expensive herbs, he nearly ended up in prison. Lin Feng had told him, “There’s a place where you can study medicine in peace,” and that was how he came here.
Lingxi giggled, pulled out a smooth little stone from her pocket, and placed it in Zhang Pinggu’s hand. “Auntie… play.”
Zhang Pinggu accepted the stone, her eyes growing moist. Since being driven from her home, this was the first time someone had shown her such warmth.
“All right, everyone take a break. At the end of si hour, gather in front of the wooden cabin. We’ll assign branches and set the Pavilion rules.”
Wen Yinyue clapped her hands and set the two children down, watching them chase each other around the table. Her heart softened as if soaked in warm water.
Over the past year, she and Lin Feng had raised the children while searching for trustworthy people. At last, they had gathered ten companions they could truly rely on. The framework of Xiaoyao Pavilion could finally take shape.
At the end of si hour, the sunlight was just right. Over a dozen people gathered around the stone table in front of the cabin. Wen Yinyue stood on the steps and looked at them—
Lin Wu, Lin Hu, Lin Gang, Lin Lei, and Lin Yi stood on the left, chosen for the Shadow Branch.
Zhang Pinggu, Lin Qing, Lin Xue, Lin Shu, and Lin Xian stood on the right, to join the Salvation Branch.
She cleared her throat, her voice ringing clearly.
“Today, we decide two things: branch assignments and Pavilion rules. Our organization is called Xiaoyao Pavilion. We hope everyone can escape their past suffering and live freely—but freedom requires rules and division of labor.”
She pointed first at Lin Feng. “The Shadow Branch will be led by Lin Feng. Lin Wu, Lin Hu, Lin Gang—you have solid martial foundations. You’ll focus on close combat and internal security. Lin Lei, your hearing is sharp—learn tracking and intelligence delivery. Lin Yi, your light-footwork is excellent. You’ll handle outer reconnaissance. You are Xiaoyao Pavilion’s shield and its sword—protecting everyone’s safety and helping the wronged seek justice.”
Lin Feng stepped forward and clasped his fists to the five of them. “I, Lin Feng, swear to teach you everything I know. If anyone dares bully someone from Xiaoyao Pavilion, I will be the first to show no mercy!”
“We swear to protect the Pavilion!” the five shouted in unison. Lin Yi’s voice was soft, but exceptionally firm.
Wen Yinyue then turned to the right. “The Salvation Branch will be led by me. Zhang Pinggu and Lin Qing—you already have a foundation in herbs. Start with identification and formulations. Lin Xue, Lin Shu, Lin Xian—you’ll begin with grinding and decocting medicine. Remember this—our medical skills are used to save good people, never to harm lives, and never to aid evil. That is our bottom line.”
“We will remember the Pavilion Master’s teachings!” the five replied together. Lin Xue quietly slipped the little stone Lingxi had given her into her pocket, as if it were a treasured keepsake.
“Next, the Pavilion rules. Only three.”
Wen Yinyue’s tone grew solemn as her gaze swept across everyone.
“First: Do not bully the weak. Regardless of age or ability, everyone in the Pavilion must respect one another. Anyone who bullies the weak or mocks another’s past will be expelled immediately. Second: Do not betray the Pavilion. Xiaoyao Pavilion is a family. Anyone who reveals our location or sells out companions—no matter where they flee, I will make them pay. Third: Value loyalty and bonds. When one is in trouble, all will help. We are companions, and we are family.”
“Can you do this?” she asked.
“Yes!” Twelve voices echoed through the valley, startling birds from the branches.
Lin Wu clenched his fists, thinking: I’ll never have to fear false accusations again. I’ll never have to wander again.
Zhang Pinggu wiped her eyes, feeling she finally had a place where she could live in peace.
Lin Yi straightened her back slightly, realizing she was no longer an unwanted orphan.
“Good!” Wen Yinyue nodded, then looked at Junye. “We’ll install the entrance mechanisms Junye drew today. Lin Wu, Lin Hu, Lin Gang—move stones. Lin Lei and Lin Yi—find vines for trigger lines. Zhang Pinggu and Lin Qing—cover the traps with dry grass. Lin Xue, Lin Shu, Lin Xian—gather some mosquito-repelling herbs and scatter them around the traps, so our own people don’t step in by accident.”
Everyone moved at once. Lin Wu and the others carried logs and stones. Lin Yi nimbly climbed trees to pull down vines. Zhang Pinggu led the digging of shallow pits along the mountain path. Lin Qing helped Junye place twigs as markers. Lingxi followed Lin Xue gathering herbs, occasionally handing little flowers to Lin Shu, making everyone laugh.
By the time the sunset dyed the valley gold and red, the entrance mechanisms were finally complete. Hidden behind vines were falling rocks. Three shallow pits lay along the mountain path, covered with dry grass and branches. Only the spots marked with small twigs were safe.
Standing at the entrance, Wen Yinyue watched Lin Feng wipe dirt from Lin Yi’s face, Zhang Pinggu clean grass juice from Lingxi’s mouth, and Junye still gesturing toward the traps. Suddenly, she felt that all the hardships of the past year had been worth it.
“Pavilion Master… from now on, we’re really a family, right?” Lin Xian asked softly. He had once been a young physician who lost his medicine chest during wartime and survived by begging.
Wen Yinyue nodded, smiling. “Yes. From now on, this is our home. No one will ever bully us again.”
A bonfire was lit in front of the wooden cabin. Steam rose from the pot of mixed-grain porridge Zhang Pinggu had cooked. Everyone sat together around the fire. Lingxi leaned against Wen Yinyue, chewing soft porridge. Junye sat beside Lin Feng, listening to him talk about scouting techniques. Lin Wu and Lin Lei discussed how they would help people seek justice in the future.