Only you can find your path. Others will only mislead you. Even I will mislead you, no matter how pure my desire for your growth. In the end, every cultivator's journey will be different, and only you know how to find the best path. -Su Li, Master of the Teeming Waters Sect.

Lin closed the ledger and put it carefully into the strong box behind the desk. It was late, but he'd finally finished bringing the books up-to-date and managing all the supplies for the meager inn. In three months, he'd worked hard to find a new supplier, and, for a while, he'd succeeded.

The Chikara Oni Clan had a line on spices that they were willing to trade in exchange for discounted rates on lodging. The Imori Warriors, tiny gecko-like yokai from the Phoenix Empire, apparently were good at smuggling meats from other districts, and, though their fees were high, they were one of the only sources in town who had guaranteed that he would never find human meat in his orders. Vegetables came from the spirit rats. Nobody knew where they got the vegetables from, and nobody dared to ask, but the prices were good, and Lin didn't really feel like burning a valuable bridge by asking too many questions.

Yet…

Rice is still a problem, he thought with a sigh. He'd never even considered such an outcome, having taken the staple grain for granted his entire life. Half the food supply was founded on rice, which was exactly why the Shattered Moon Sect was throttling the district's supplies.

There were other vendors, of course. The Xing Xing monkeys had a supply that they used to create alcohol. They could be traded with if the whim suited them, but they were fickle and not always open to negotiations. The kappa clan were also in possession of a stable supply chain from beyond the district, but only Yoru could negotiate with them on account of Lin's human heritage. Even then, half the time it dissolved into violence.

Lin rubbed the back of his neck. There would be other times to think about these things. For now, he needed sleep. Unlike Yoru, he would be up early in the morning to cultivate, something that was becoming more and more frustrating to him.

He just couldn't seem to make any progress! And, it didn't help that both Yoru and Satoro were ancient, world-renowned geniuses who could have advanced as easily as breathing. They tried to help, but at the end of the day, reaching Silver was something he would have to achieve on his own.

He pushed it from his mind as he climbed the stairs. After listening at the doors of his first few guests to make sure they were soundly sleeping, he ducked into the room he still shared with Yoru and Xinya. The latter was sleeping soundly, as she often did since she'd reached Bronze. Lightning sparked through her hair as she dreamed of far-off adventures and powers she may one day wield. Lin leaned down, brushing his lips against her forehead. Her qi steadied and she hummed softly in her sleep before settling deeper.

Then, he turned to Yoru. The Lunar Prince's sleep was anything but restful. He was frequented by nightmares, yet he never tossed or turned. The chains bit into his skin as he flinched at unknowable torments.

Lin didn't know if it was the trauma of his past or simply the voices in his head that gave him such terrible sleep, but he knew with certainty that the chains reacted to his nightmares. Ever since the blackout, Lin had watched his sworn brother with interest, trying to find any time when the chains reacted differently, as they had when he'd emerged from the armillary. If one had an eye to watch, then it actually was quite obvious. Yoru's chains became tighter at night and loosened throughout the day. Only after he fell asleep did they tighten again, leading Lin to believe that they reacted to the emotions of their prisoner.

Not that it was information he knew what to do with. It was all well and good to say that the chains tightened when Yoru was upset, but actually acting on that? Easier said than done.

With a sigh, Lin stripped off his outer clothes and folded them neatly before laying down on his mat, seeking sleep.

It did not come.

The former administrator stared up at the ceiling, his mind still filled with thoughts, despite the weariness that clung to his bones. He should be working. If he wasn't working, then what was he good for? There's no rest for the weary, especially for cultivators. Especially for him…

A cold breath passed over his ear, and he shot upright. Hanako's name was on his lips, but he was disappointed. Xinya had left the window open, and a breeze was all it was. Heavy as his limbs were, his heart was even heavier. Slowly, he rose and redressed. There was no work to do, and Yoru would make fun of him if he tried to make work that didn't exist. Instead, he descended the stairs, donned a fox mask, and stepped out into the streets.

Despite having no sun to dictate day and night, the Black City still operated by a set cycle. Business hours were mostly consistent as a way of facilitating the trade of goods and services, and so most of the yokai ended up calling it 'day' and 'night,' despite never having a dawn.

At this time, Lin walked alone through sleepy streets. The Blackout caused great damage to the town, but most of the repairs had already been completed. A few collapsed buildings still remained where the owners were no longer alive, but for the most part, things had settled down. Blue lanterns with silver lights lined the streets, feeding off the armillary's qi to light the dark city.

The sleepless administrator had no destination and soon found his feet guiding him back to the armillary which shone brightly from its dais. Staying safely on the outside of Yoru's danger line, he just watched. The silver dragon coiled around the light, its scales glowing with qi dedicated to some function that was beyond Lin's knowledge.

In the park itself, four great pedestals supported three statues, one at each of the cardinal directions. Lin knew them, for they each depicted one of the city's founders. Tsuyuki Chouko, the Star Fairy, or Flower Maiden as she was known in the Moon-Soaked Shore, guarded the east. The west was guarded by Shi Reili, the Void Herald. Lin always thought she looked like a harsh woman, but Yoru insisted that she softened once you got to know her. At the south end of the park was the Sword Saint as he appeared in his youth, and finally, the north held a pedestal that once held a statue of Yoru himself, though it had apparently been destroyed centuries ago in a riot.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

As he wandered, his feet carried him to the base of the Sword Saint's statue. Looking up at the man, Lin could see why Yoru had fallen in love with him. His features were fine, and the sculptor had captured the kindness of his eyes. No matter where Lin walked, it always seemed like the statue was looking at him with a gentle and knowing smile.

Lin's fingers traced the characters upon the plaque.

Iru'e Jinshi, Sword Saint. General of Lanyue

"Having trouble sleeping?"

Lin jumped at the sound of Miss Ishida's voice as she approached. The woman was wearing her veil, but she removed it with a hand just as Lin removed his mask. Her skirts were dirty with soil, and she held a pot in her hands with two magnificent blue flowers within.

"Miss Ishida, what brings you out at this hour?" he asked, bowing his head politely to her.

She smiled and gestured to the potted flowers. "Some of my plants wilt around people, but they still need light every few weeks. I take them out when everyone's asleep."

Lin looked at the flowers. They were lunafalls, and Ishida had clearly done her work. They were beautiful, vibrant blooms with violet stripes and silver stamen. In the darkness of the Black City, they almost seemed to glow.

"I had a lunafall back home in Saikan," he said, "but I never got it to flower. How did you get it to grow so well? And without sunlight?"

Ishida grinned mischievously. "That would be a trade secret."

"Is it the qi from the armillary?"

"No, that just makes up for the lack of sun. For the rest, you'll have to figure that out on your own," she winked. "Though, I will say I was surprised to see them taking so well to the voidlight. I half expected my whole garden to wither and die, but instead they flourish even better than before."

"There are many things that grow better in Yoru's presence," Lin admitted. It's just a shame that I'm not one of them.

Ishida stepped right up to the safety line and set the pot down on the ground. Immediately, the flowers seemed to shift and face their glowing blossoms towards the light.

"How is your cultivation coming?"

Lin sighed.

It was not good. Three months had passed since the Blackout. Hearing Satoro's story, he knew just how important it was to make sure that Yoru could advance. If the Demon of Misfortune were caught at Iron, or even Silver or Gold, he wouldn't be able to resist the mind control that Lady Yi would inflict upon him. Whatever her purposes for the Demons, Yoru's only chance of escaping it unscathed lay in Lin's own advancement.

Yet, he just couldn't seem to make any progress. It was like he was missing something. Despite the combined genius of both Yoru and Satoro, who were each so far beyond Grandmaster status to him that he felt like a child, Lin couldn't connect his meridians to his body quite the way he wanted. Everything just…didn't seem right. Either his qi felt odd in his limbs when he tried, or something in his mind warned him that it wasn't the answer.

Yoru was understanding. He'd even told Lin not to force it, because that could break his path altogether. What Lin hadn't told Yoru, though, was that it felt as if something…or perhaps someone…was holding him back. Every time he seriously tried, he could feel Hanako's eyes on him, could hear her whispers just close enough to hear, but not close enough to make out what she was saying.

"Something's not right about it all," he finally admitted to Ishida. "I'm just…not where I should be. I should be at home…with my wife." There was a long moment of silence between the wood artists.

"You know, my master back home used to have this exercise that she made all her disciples do," Ishida began. "She would take us into the orchards, hand us a dozen saplings, and tell us to spend one day making them grow strong and firm. At the end of that day, she would examine our work. Since you're a wood artist and a gardener, what would you do, Tenri?"

Lin thought hard before answering. "I'd strengthen their roots first so they could reach the nutrients, then I would help them to broaden their leaves so they could take in the sun."

"Good. That's what most do," she praised with a nod. "My master is…an odd individual. As we stood there, proud of our work, she'd uproot those very saplings one by one."

"Why?" Lin found the idea mildly upsetting. Why go through the trouble of planting the tree, only to kill it? Was Ishida's master really a wood artist? The apothecary had a split path of wood and water, but even then, she must have had a master who understood something of wood qi, right?

Or was it him with the faulty understanding?

"To teach us." Ishida suddenly spun, driving her palm towards Lin's shoulder. He was so startled by the sudden attack that he stumbled back several paces, almost falling over the danger line.

"What was that for?!"

"To teach you. Trees and people are not so different, you know. We both have roots, and most people don't like moving around much if they don't have to. What happens to a tree if it is replanted elsewhere?" She asked, her voice calm but firm.

"It…adapts?"

"Correct." She struck again. This time Lin stepped to the side before she could strike. "Very good. You have been uprooted, now find your new place. Given water, good soil, and sunlight, a tree can survive anywhere. Frankly, even sunlight is optional, given what I've learned in this dark and wretched place." She brushed her hair behind her ear. "The point is that you can thrive anywhere, so long as your needs are met. If you're struggling, then remember that trees adapt to their surroundings."

The apothecary settled back, leaning against the Sword Saint's statue. Lin copied the gesture, mulling over her words until he couldn't bear the silence any longer.

"And what if I can't move on?" His words came out as scarcely more than a whisper, one that wavered with uncertainty, but Ishida still heard. She nodded.

"Your wife?"

"She was my best friend. She helped me become a cultivator."

"When a tree is cut, sap flows like blood. When it heals, the bark is forever marked. Pain and loss are carried with us forever, but they only chain us if we let them," she said. "I believe your friend is familiar with this concept, as the metaphor is quite literal for him."

"You noticed, too?"

"He carries them as if they weigh little, but I worry the weight upon his heart is heavier than his smile suggests." The lunafall flowers began to turn away from the light, and Ishida stepped forward to retrieve the pot. "I must be going, but I'll leave you with this question. Would your wife want to be the chains on your sleeves?"

Lin knew the answer. Hanako always pushed him forward.

"Trees always remember the soil in which they once grew, carving them into the rings of their trunk. Let your experiences be the rings upon your soul." Then, she picked up the flowers, snapped off one of the blossoms and handed it to Lin. "For your cultivation."

Without another word, Ishida left. Lin stood alone, staring at the flower in his hand. He could never get lunafalls to grow in his garden. They grew but never bloomed.

With one last look at the Sword Saint's statue, Lin returned to the inn. He sat down, felt his qi flow through him from his core, then sat down to cultivate.

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