Chapter 50 | Blue Robes on the Ridge
The road leveled briefly before it began to slope down again.
Xu Tianlong caught the movement through the side opening first.
The pale-blue figures from the ridge were no longer shapes against the sky. There were 4 of them now, spread across the road and both shoulders with enough distance between them that no wagon could simply rush through. Silver thread flashed at a cuff when the nearest man shifted.
A cloud.
’Azure.’
"Slow down."
Cheng drew the reins in at once. The 2 horses snorted and shortened their steps, harness leather creaking as the wagon rolled toward a stop.
Across from Xu, Ruoxue put a hand against the wall and started to rise.
He was already moving.
The wagon rocked once beneath his feet as he crossed the narrow space. His right hand closed around her left before she could straighten fully.
"Sit."
Ruoxue looked up at him. "I can stand for a roadside question."
"You can answer him from there."
For a heartbeat, her fingers tightened around his. The tension in them eased almost as quickly. She lowered herself back against the wall without another argument.
Qing’er had shifted forward from her seat. She stopped there, eyes moving once over Ruoxue’s face before settling again.
Near the rear opening, Feng pushed the flap aside and looked back along the road.
"Nothing behind us," she said. Her gaze swept both shoulders. "No second group coming up either."
"Keep watching."
"Mm."
Xu released Ruoxue’s hand and opened the side flap farther.
The wagon had stopped completely now. The blue-robed cultivator in the middle of the road stood ahead of the horses with his hands clear of his weapon. The others held their spacing. No blades out. No rush forward.
Disciplined.
That was better than nervous men pretending to be disciplined.
Xu took the green jade recruitment token from among his travel things. The cloud carved into its face caught the late-afternoon light. A thin silver line ran through the center.
Lin was already on her feet by the time he turned.
"You’re coming?"
Her brows lifted. "Did you expect me to sit here while strangers question you?"
There was more pride than irritation in it.
Xu almost smiled. "Stay on my left."
"Yes..Tianlong."
He went through the rear flap, stepped down, then walked around the wagon’s left side instead of cutting between the horses. Lin followed. By the time they came level with the front of the wagon, the nearest blue-robed man had raised a hand.
"That’s far enough."
Xu stopped.
Lin settled beside him, slightly back and to his left.
Up close, the embroidery was unmistakable. A silver cloud curled over the man’s sleeve. The other 3 wore the same mark.
The leader studied Xu from boots to face, then glanced at the sheathed sword at his waist.
His stare lingered. The first hard edge in it eased a fraction, though his stance didn’t.
"Azure Cloud road patrol," he said. "State your name and business."
So they were Azure.
"Xu Tianlong. From Thousand Pines. We’re headed to Azure Cloud Sect."
The man’s eyes narrowed. "For what?"
"An invitation."
"From whom?"
"Elder Ming."
The patrolman behind the leader glanced toward him, then back to Xu.
The leader looked at Lin. "And her?"
"My wife. Lin Yueyao."
Lin gave the man a calm nod. Nothing more.
His attention returned to Xu, then shifted past him toward the wagon. His brows tightened.
"There’s a stronger presence inside."
Xu said nothing.
The leader waited. Xu let him.
"Who is it?" he asked.
"A woman traveling with us. She’s recovering."
"Recovering from what?"
"An injury."
The patrol leader’s mouth tightened. "That’s vague."
"It’s enough for the road."
Lin’s gaze slid toward Xu, amusement briefly touching the corner of her mouth.
The patrolman on the north shoulder shifted his stance. The leader didn’t look away from Xu.
"If she’s injured, why is a cultivator with that kind of presence moving with an armed group from Thousand Pines?"
Xu kept his attention on him. "Because she chose to."
The leader glanced toward the open side flap. "You understand why I can’t take your word for that."
"Then don’t." Xu turned his head toward the wagon. "Ask her."
The leader paused. Xu didn’t raise his voice.
"Ruoxue."
"I heard him," she answered from inside.
The patrol leader stepped a little to the side, enough to direct his voice toward the opening without approaching the wagon.
"Lady inside. Are you traveling with Xu Tianlong by your own choice?"
A brief silence followed.
"Yes," she said. "By my choice."
The man waited another beat. "No one is keeping you there?"
Ruoxue’s voice came back cool and quiet.
"I’m sitting because I’m injured, not because I’m a prisoner."
From somewhere near the rear, Feng gave a soft breath that might have been a laugh.
The patrol leader heard it. His eyes moved to Xu again.
"Someone in there finds this funny."
"You haven’t met all of them."
Lin looked at him.
Xu ignored that.
The corner of the leader’s mouth twitched once, then flattened. "You said you were invited. Proof?"
Xu raised the jade token in his right hand.
"This."
The leader came closer, stopping 2 paces away. His eyes went first to the cloud carving, then to the silver thread passing through the jade. His hands stayed at his sides.
"Turn it."
Xu rotated the token between his fingers.
The cloud mark showed on the other face as well.
The patrolman behind the leader leaned slightly to get a better look. "Silver thread’s intact."
"I see it," the leader said.
Lin’s lips pressed together at the clipped reply. Xu didn’t help her by looking at her.
The leader exhaled through his nose and returned his attention to the token. "Where did you receive it?"
"From Elder Ming."
"In Thousand Pines?"
"Yes."
The patrolman behind the leader gave a short nod.
The leader stepped back.
"The token is genuine. Keep it. You’ll need it when you reach the proper gate."
Xu lowered his hand.
"How far?" he asked.
"The city isn’t far now. The sect road begins beyond it." The patrol leader looked over the wagon again. "We’ll escort you to the lower approach. Weapons stay sheathed. Keep the wagon on the road."
Xu glanced once at the man’s own untouched weapon.
"They’re already sheathed."
A pause.
"Keep them that way."
"Fine."
The leader gave a short nod. "Move when we’re in position."
Xu turned back toward the wagon.
Lin fell in beside him as they walked back along the wagon’s left side.
"You enjoyed that," she murmured.
"Which part?"
"Making him ask Ruoxue himself."
"He wanted proof."
"And you made him get it properly."
Xu stepped onto the rear board. "Yes."
Lin followed him in, shaking her head once.
Ruoxue had stayed seated. Qing’er had nudged the medicine box clear of her feet, nothing more.
Ruoxue met Xu’s eyes.
"Satisfied?" he asked.
"With sitting? No."
"Good. Stay dissatisfied until Qing’er clears you."
Qing’er’s mouth curved before she looked down.
Ruoxue’s expression remained almost perfectly still. "You and Qing’er are becoming difficult."
"Becoming?" Feng asked from the rear.
Qing’er laughed under her breath.
Even Ruoxue’s eyes softened.
Outside, boots scraped over dirt as the patrol moved into escort positions. 2 cultivators walked ahead. Another stayed near the horses. The last waited until Cheng started the wagon, then dropped behind on the far shoulder.
Cheng clicked his tongue. The horses leaned into the traces.
Xu tucked the recruitment token away with his travel things again.
The wagon started down the eastern slope.
For a while, nobody spoke.
The patrol kept its distance. Nobody drifted toward the rear opening or tried to peer inside. The questions stopped.
Feng watched them anyway.
After the road bent around a stand of dark pines, she said, "They’re not closing around us."
Xu looked toward the side opening. "Not yet."
Feng sighed. "There it is."
"What?"
"Your favorite answer."
Lin gave Feng a flat look.
Feng put on an innocent face.
Qing’er covered a smile with the back of her hand.
Xu let them have it.
The road descended farther.
Trees thinned first. Then the mountains opened.
Azure Gate City appeared below them in pieces, rooftops caught between dark slopes, outer walls turning gold-brown under the last light, lamps beginning to wake along the streets. More lights climbed toward the mountain beyond, but the distance swallowed whatever belonged to the sect itself.
The patrol leader glanced back from ahead.
"Azure Gate City," he called. "Stay behind us through the lower approach."
Cheng lifted a hand in acknowledgment.
Lin had shifted closer to the side opening.
Xu followed her gaze.
Among the first lanterns burning in the outer district, the familiar Golden Crescent mark swung above a streetfront. Xu knew it before the lantern finished turning.
Lin stared at it for a moment.
"She works quickly."
Xu leaned slightly to see past the edge of the flap. "She does."
Lin looked at him instead of the lantern. "You sound pleased."
"I am."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Of course you are."
Xu finally smiled. "Jealous?"
"No."
The answer came too fast.
Feng made the mistake of breathing a little too loudly behind them.
Lin turned her head.
Feng immediately became fascinated with the rear road again.
Xu’s smile stayed.
Lin saw it and sighed. "Tianlong...Don’t-."
"I didn’t say anything."
"That’s worse."
Ahead, the patrol leader raised an arm and pointed down the descending road.
"Keep the wagon close!"
Xu looked once more at the gold crescent below, then at the blue robes moving ahead of his horses.
"Follow them," he told Cheng.
Cheng guided the wagon down after the blue robes. The gold-crescent lantern stayed in view through the side opening as the city drew closer.