I am not your son. In these seven days, Yin Zhiping had said it times beyond counting.
And in the end, Ouyang Feng simply refused to believe it. The idea had set like mortar.
Several times he'd even lost his temper and stormed off in a sulk.
Yin Zhiping would enjoy a scant moment of joy, thinking he was finally free—no more conscripted sonhood.
Then the moment he took to the road, there was Ouyang Feng, materializing in front of him with unerring accuracy.
In the end Yin Zhiping just let him be.
Once they reached Xiangyang, Guo Jing would be there. Ouyang Feng could kick up no waves.
Yin Zhiping traveled slower than Li Zhichang's party—regular rest, regular meals, and the occasional sparring session besides. The pace naturally sagged.
***
After a night's rest, Li Zhichang—heart still with his senior brother—sought out Guo Jing and Huang Rong, and found them in conference with the general defending the city.
When Li Zhichang was shown in, four people stood around a sand table, deep in discussion.
"General Zhang, this is Li Zhichang, Taoist Master Li, senior disciple of the Quanzhen Sect, come to help hold the city. Taoist Master Li—General Zhang, commander of Xiangyang's garrison."
Seeing Li Zhichang arrive, Guo Jing made the introductions.
Li Zhichang, noting that Guo Jing had company, tucked away the portraits in his hand and cupped his fist.
"General Zhang."
General Zhang returned the salute. "Taoist Master Li. With so many stout-hearted men of skill like yourself lending aid, Xiangyang will surely stand unshaken."
"You flatter us. Our martial arts are humble—we bring only hot blood, and the wish to do our small part for the people at our backs."
Toward soldiers and commanders who stood on battlefields, Li Zhichang felt genuine respect. They alone—unlike the men throned high in the court—were the last sound timber of this dynasty.
"Hero Guo, we'll proceed as you proposed. I'll go see to the arrangements."
General Zhang had noted the objects in Li Zhichang's hand and the trace of urgency on his face—plainly business for Guo Jing. Their own matters were settled anyway; he took his leave.
A man who survived officialdom—even a military man—grew a pair of fire-seeing eyes, or he never sat a general's chair at all.
"Good. Thank you, General."
Guo Jing rose and walked General Zhang to the door.
"No need to see me further."
At the threshold, General Zhang spoke his courtesy, glanced once at Li Zhichang within, nodded to Guo Jing, and strode off.
They had been settling Xiangyang's defensive dispositions; with the plan fixed, execution could not come fast enough.
Guo Jing watched him go, then turned back and shut the door.
"Taoist Master Li."
"Hero Guo—these are the portraits I painted last night. Ten in all. Time was short; this was as many as I could manage."
This was Li Zhichang's whole errand: he wanted Xiangyang to know Senior Brother Yin the moment he arrived.
"Good. Give them here—I'll see them distributed."
It was Huang Rong who took the portraits. For the Chief of the Beggars' Sect, this took no more than a word.
Xiangyang had long since ruled entry-but-no-exit to keep spies out, and with the whole world knowing the city stood in the storm's path, those who meant to come had come already. Daily traffic was thin; keeping an eye out cost nothing.
"Thank you, Chief Huang. We are in your debt."
Li Zhichang cupped both fists once more.
"It's only right. Oh—Taoist Master Li, Taoist Master Qiu's letter spoke of a surprise he was sending us. Might we ask... what surprise?"
Huang Rong's question was Guo Jing's as well. A surprise, at a time like this, could only be something that helped hold the city—but what?
"A surprise? What surprise? Master never mentioned it to me. Unless—Senior Brother Yin..."
And then lightning struck Li Zhichang. Senior Brother Yin?
His sudden strangeness left Guo Jing and Huang Rong entirely at sea. What was this now?
"Taoist Master Li—do you mean that Taoist Master Yin would know what the surprise is?"
Guo Jing felt rather sure of his deduction, and was a touch pleased with himself: Rong'er always says I'm slow. See? Quite clever, actually!!!
"Ah!!! I think... I think I may know what Master's surprise is."
Li Zhichang looked faintly embarrassed. If his guess was right, then matters had already tumbled somewhat outside his control.
Worse: Li Zhichang had no idea what plans Master had made regarding Senior Brother Yin.
He smacked himself on the head, cursing inwardly: I should have seen it sooner. Master must have known Senior Brother's true strength all along—of course this trip came with special instructions. And now Senior Brother is missing. It's over...
His fit of self-smacking startled Guo Jing and Huang Rong—neither of whom could know Li Zhichang was frantically second-guessing his master's intentions. It never occurred to them that the "surprise" was exactly that and nothing more: Qiu Chuji's plain, uncomplicated gift of astonishment.
"Taoist Master Li... what are you doing?"
What Guo Jing wanted to ask was: do you suffer from some self-slapping ailment?
On reflection, it seemed impolite. He rephrased.
"Hero Guo, to be honest, the surprise very likely concerns my Senior Brother Yin. My Senior Brother, he..."
Li Zhichang didn't know how to say it.
Was he supposed to tell Guo Jing: you could have had a fine Innate-realm helper, but then Ouyang Feng kicked up his fuss, and—poof—gone...
If they'd never known, well, what they never had couldn't hurt them. But once they knew? The knowledge would sit in their chests like a swallowed fly—they might even start nursing thoughts of killing Ouyang Feng...
An Innate-realm powerhouse couldn't fight ten thousand alone, but several thousand was well within reach. And one more Innate on the wall lifted morale beyond counting.
To Guo Jing and Huang Rong's eyes, though, Li Zhichang simply had some unspeakable difficulty he couldn't voice.
Husband and wife exchanged a look. What was it with these Quanzhen people, every one of them speaking in half-sentences and leaving you to guess the rest? Taoist Master Qiu did it; now Taoist Master Li did it too. And this Taoist Master Li was Taoist Master Qiu's disciple—the family style, passed down the line?
They never used to have this bad habit...
"Taoist Master Li, whatever it is, speak freely."
Guo Jing was still minding Li Zhichang's dignity. An honest man to the last.
"The surprise Master spoke of must be my Senior Brother Yin. We ourselves only learned it when we met Ouyang Feng—Senior Brother Yin has already reached the Innate realm. But to protect us junior brothers, he drew Ouyang Feng away alone, and his whereabouts are unknown."
Li Zhichang laid out his whole conjecture, one honest piece at a time.
"I don't know whether Master gave Senior Brother any particular instructions—he said nothing when we parted. So... Hero Guo, Chief Huang—I am so very sorry!!!"
Guo Jing and Huang Rong were nailed in place by what Li Zhichang had said, and everything after it sailed clean past their ears.
One sentence, and only one, filled their attention: Senior Brother Yin has already reached the Innate realm.
"Is it truly so? Then Taoist Master Yin is a heaven-sent talent indeed—the Quanzhen Sect will surely flourish in his hands."
Guo Jing's first reaction, on recovering, was joy on the Quanzhen Sect's behalf.
The late Ma Yu had once taught him kindly; strictly reckoned, Guo Jing could count himself half a Quanzhen man—and by order of entry, he'd owe this Yin Zhiping a bow and a "Senior Brother" at that.
Since Wang Chongyang and Zhou Botong, the Quanzhen Sect had produced no Innate at all. Now the third generation had one. The sect's line would carry on.
Guo Jing's thoughts ran shallow. Huang Rong's ran exactly where Li Zhichang's had—and at this moment she could happily have peeled Ouyang Feng's skin and cracked his bones...
A perfectly good Innate-realm helping hand. Gone. Just like that...
Gone, just like that...