Alternate Universe: Unbroken

In which Tianlan and Xiaoshi never fall out.

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I started to feel a bit more relaxed when I reached my destination in the afternoon. Verdant Medicine Hill, the capital of the Northern Azure Hills. This place was also called the Steamlands; on account of the thousands of hot springs that bubbled up from the ground, and the small volcano in its center. The thing hadn’t erupted for thousands of years, and everybody had assured me it wouldn’t ever erupt again.

Here I was. The safest place in the Empire. And while the place I was planning on settling was near a sect, the Immortal Medicine Sect was said to be both righteous… and only left their town to go on healing pilgrimages.

Being near the best doctors in the province, who were, surprisingly, known for charity, made the compromise worth it. I was rather used to having access to free health care, and while I probably wouldn’t need it, better safe than sorry.

The town itself was barely that. It was nearly a city. It was a huge place, filled with obvious smokestacks and chimneys—but instead of more traditional pill furnaces, the smoke coming out of them was pure, white, and smelled kind of good, instead of being riddled with impurities. The air was a little tingly as well, but not in a bad way—it was filled with a low level of medicinal Qi. The roads were meticulously cleaned, and practically shining. The buildings were all in perfect repair.

The streets were full of people, who all looked well fed and happy; People in robes wearing the symbol of Spiritual Doctors were everywhere—and there were signs that were written in both the courtly characters and the common characters directing people who were here to be healed to the nearest outpost. Those with diseases were even supposed to use the “Quarantine lanes”, and I saw a few people getting bundled up in masks and white clothes by what seemed to be orderlies, and more doctors talking with them.

It was all surprisingly modern.

I took it all in as we reached the inn my traveling companions had recommended to me.

“You don’t have to do this.” I said, as Chang finished paying for my room.

“Nonese, brother! It's the least we could do, after you helped us so much.” The leader of the traders said, clapping me on the shoulder. “Are you sure you don’t want to journey with us further?”

I shook my head. “This is my stop, for now at least.”

The man nodded solemnly. “Then, may the sun shine ever behind you, and may the Earth Guide you towards a good life.”

The rest of the traders nodded. “Bye Mister Freckles!” the kids choroused.

“May the sun shine ever behind you, and may the Earth Guide you towards a good life.” I repeated to them, and tried to smile. I don’t know if I succeeded, but with my destination quite close, I think I managed it.

They beamed at me, and left. They had to offload all their reagents, and then they would be continuing. They said they could make it to the next station by nightfall.

And then, I was alone again.

I looked around the bottom of the inn, which was a kind of tavern, and there were a few people drinking in the late afternoon. With nothing else to do really, I chose a table, sat down, and tried to relax.

“That was quite the goodbye. What did you do to get that kind of response?” A soft voice said, interrupting me. I nearly sighed at the interruption, and glanced up at who had spoken.

It was a woman—she was cute, in the girl next door way, with freckles all across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. Her eyes were dark, and her hair was brown, tied in a no nonsense bun. She was wearing the robes of a mortal doctor. She had a bottle of wine in front of her. She looked curious, and pretty friendly.

Seeing no harm in it, I replied. “The rain storm last week was really bad. There was a flash flood, and it swept down the road. A couple of the kids got swept away, so I got them, then pulled the carts onto higher ground.”

The woman blinked, and then a small smile spread across her face. She stood up and grabbed her bottle. “Truly? Well, allow this Xiaoxing to pour a hero a drink.”

I blushed at her response, as she walked over to sit with me. “Um.. thank you.”

We got to talking after that. She asked me about my journey, and where I was from, and I told her—while Xiaoxing told me a bit about herself. She was actually a teacher here, at one of the academies affiliated with the sect, and had stopped by to get a drink after work.

“That's amazing. A teacher?” I asked, and Xiaoxing looked at me curiously.

“Most people comment on the fact that I’m a woman first.”

I shrugged. “What does being a woman have to do with it? Skill is skill.”

Xiaoxing’s smile got brighter. “So, what brings you here to Verdant Medicine Hill, besides the caravan? You staying a while, or going?”

“I… well, tomorrow I was going to petition the Magistrate. I’d like to buy some land nearby. I’m going to be a farmer.”

That caught her attention. “A farmer?” she asked, looking incredulous. “But you’re a cultivator.”

I looked at her. I let my exhaustion show as completely as I could. “That life… is not for me.”

Xiaoxing looked at me, her shock slowly leaving her face, her eyes turned considering, and then… slightly soft.

“Well. I suppose that's a good a reason as any.” she said quietly, before her smile came back. “Tell you what. Tomorrow, I’ll show you where you can get your paperwork done… and where you can buy some more clothes. Unless that shirt is supposed to be that tight—I’m not complaining.”

I flushed at her teasing grin. I was practically popping out of this shirt. It barely closed around my chest. “Yeah, the traders gave it to me after one of the kids accidentally spilled ink on my other one.”

Xiaoxing chuckled.

I went to bed that night optimistic. And the next day, bright and early, Xiaoxing was where she said she was. She guided me to the palace, which was a rather confusing place.

“My good friend here is looking to buy some land.” She told one of the clerks, tapping on the desk.

The clerk bowed. “Of course, sir. Right this way.”

And then less than an hour later it was done. Way easier than I thought it would be.

After that, we went to the market together. It was almost a date, as for the first time in months, I was feeling good enough to joke around.

It was a very nice day. I gave Xiaoxing some of my last Lowly Spiritual Herbs as thanks. She was a doctor. She could probably use them for something.

“I hope we’ll meet again, when I come back around.” I told her.

“We will.” Xiaoxing replied.

And then… I was away. Away with a cart, some chickens, and everything I would need to start my new life.

I was feeling good about the future.

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Xiaoxing walked through an access tunnel in the medical school, not really paying attention to her surroundings. Instead, her eyes were fixed on the gift she had been given.

A Seven Fragrance Jewel Herb. She leaned in, and took in its scent. Even dried like this, it was still a heady aroma, filling her nostrils with its tale. A tale of perfect tending. It would be near twice the effectiveness of a normal Jewel Herb.

…had the Cloudy Sword Sect been holding out on them, and sending her substandard resources? If this was possible, as a gift from a traveller. She would have to investigate.

Xiaoxing absently waved her hand as she got near to a door at the end of the hall. The wards on it flared, and then opened.

She stepped through it, and when the door shut behind her and sealed again, she smiled at the sprig of herb.

 With a thought, she purged the poison in her bloodstream that was suppressing her Qi.

Xiaoxing went from mortal doctor to the Fifth Stage of the Earth Realm in the space between heartbeats, and her disguise melted away.

Her brown hair fell from its no nonsense bun, flowing like a river of silk as bright green crept through it. She grew slightly taller. Her brown eyes turned sparkling amethyst, her skin paled to a perfect complexion, her lips reddened to a pleasing shade.

The doctor’s uniform turned into a dress made of silks that exposed the sharp lines of her collarbone and highlighted the swell of her chest.

Finally, one by one, the freckles on her face flashed gold, and then faded, leaving her face unblemished.

Where Xiaoxing once stood, now stood Lady Hong Meiling, Young Mistress of the Immortal Medicine Sect; a jade-like beauty, a Spiritual Doctor without comparison.She was the elegant master of ten thousand medicines and ten thousand poisons. She was concerned with matters of immortality, and meditation.

She certainly didn’t hold free classes for mortals on medicine. She was too important for that. No, that was the teacher Xiaoxing. Everybody liked Xiaoxing. She was a bit of a tomboy, with freckles all over her face. She would often take tea and hang out with the grannies who lived in the town, and every spring she would team up with the children to go and catch frogs down by the river, or raise beetles for beetle fights.

Her father had actually been the one to recommend it. “To be close to our people, as the King demanded.”

Her father hung out with the archivists, and helped with infrastructure problems and tax questions. Her little brother would be starting his own other identity soon.

She began walking through her sect compound. The servants stopped to bow immediately when they saw her, before continuing on their way.

It had been a lucky stroke, she had been teaching that day, she mused, as she once more smelled the herb’s wonderful scent. Her mind was whirling with everything she could do with this gift.

She reached her wing of the compound quickly, where two of her retainers were standing. The Xong Brothers had massive grins on their faces as they watched her approach.

Out of all her servants these were the only ones who would dare look at her like this… but they had been serving her since she could walk, and they were practically her brothers.

Enduring some teasing was a small price to pay for such able and competent servants. Meiling waved her hand again and the doors opened. Her men waited until they were closed and sealed before speaking.

“Finally done slumming it, princess?” Xong Yun Ren asked, the fox ears on top of his head perked up and his tail wagging. His vulpine grin was so wide it looked like it hurt. “How was your date?”

His brother, Gou Ren, was just chuckling from beside him, his grin equally as wide on his money-ish face. He was tall and solidly built, and had several bracelets and necklaces with carved crystals on them.

Meiling rolled her eyes.

“It was a very nice day.” she replied. “Very productive.”

“You did more than stare at his chest today?” Gou Ren joked as she made her way towards her desk.

That made Meiling stutter step, and she turned around to glare at Gou. She chucked the sprig of spiritual herbs at him, and huffed… but didn’t answer.

Because she had spent quite a bit of today staring at Jin’s chest. She had no idea what the other girls saw in those waifish pretty boys. You could use Jin’s chest as a table. Eat off it! Those slabs of meat were perfect! Perfect!  There was no mistaking him for anything but a man, and yet with a bit of boyish charm. Especially when he just took off his shirt in front of her to wear the new one.

Yes. Today was a very good day.

It was actually kind of a shame that Jin knew her only as Xiaoxing, and not as herself… but it gave her some excuses to meet him again.

His eyes had been so beautiful and pure, even when he was clearly suffering. 

“This is…” Yun Ren asked, looking intently at the herb. His teasing smile had disappeared. “The best quality Seven Fragrance Jewel Herb I've ever seen. Has the Cloudy Sword Sect been holding out on us?”

“That's what you’re going to find out.” Meiling stated simply.

“I’ll get on that immediately, Young Mistress.” her spymaster practically growled. It rumbled like a predator, as a lip curled up, exposing a pointed tooth.

“Is this why you let him buy that land?” Gou asked. Normally a cultivator wouldn’t have been able to purchase land so close to the sect—it was only Meiling’s intervention that allowed him to at all.

“No. I took his measure, and simply found a young man who needed healing. Is that not what our Immoral Medicine Sect provides? If he causes any trouble, I’ll take responsibility. But I don’t think we have anything to fear from one cultivator in the Initiate’s Realm.”

Her men nodded as Meiling waved her hand. A formation activated, and the air shifted, showing a view of just outside Verdant Medicine Hill.

There, a man walked. His head held high. He had a little smile on his face as he pulled the cart.

Meiling smiled at the view.

“Huh. I can see what got you. He has a very nice ass, Young Mistress.” Yun Ren deadpanned.

Meiling sent them both packing as they laughed, and she huffed with annoyance. She spared the now small form of Jin one last glance, before she pushed it out of her mind. It was time to get to work, after all.

She got the reports from the various medical institutions out, as well as her personal cup. She hummed, as she pulled a few bottles out of her storage ring, and looked at them, before selecting one. She poured a light pink, sweet smelling liquid into her cup, and examined it. She read the label.

Seven Deaths Poison. A new vintage. She examined it thoroughly.

Metal-based. Abyssal Cinnabar and Miner’s Tears, along with something else. A catalyst.

She shrugged, and swallowed it. The poison immediately began to attack her nerves and organs, as well as her Qi; it should have been an agonizing experience, and she knew immediately why it was called “Seven Deaths.”

“Oh, you’re quite a spicy child.” She mused, as a smile spread across her face. And then Medicinal Qi clamped down on the poison. It seemed to writhe, trying to get away from her to continue its rampage, but she didn’t let it. “Now, tell this Big Sister all your secrets. Hu, hu, hu.”

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Editing sucks. These help me get back on track.