Chapter 6: Rest

The day started to fade away as the boat drifted swiftly down the tributary. Before long, orange lights came into the boat's line of sight.

 

Among the trees, there was a little fishing village. The day had wrapped up and everyone was in their houses for supper. Fishing boats were tied up neatly along the little wooden docks. The only space left for the boat was a rickety wooden dock that seemed like it would collapse at any second.

 

The boat accurately parked itself alongside the wooden dock with a smooth and elegant turn. The anchor was thrown over the side and a plank slid out from inside the boat onto the dock. The boatman walked across the plank. When the boatman made it onto the dock, he tested it out causing it to creak loudly under his weight. Seeing that the plank did not break, the boatman spoke out in a firm voice.

 

"Sir, the dock is stable!"

 

Bowing his head, he stood to the side of the plank as a male in a red tunic walked out with light steps. His steps seemed to glide across the floor as he proceeded onto the dock. This feeling was further reinforced by a lack of sound as his feet hit the plank. Behind him, a child in a blue tunic scurried across the plank and stood behind the male. Cupping his hands, the boatman spoke up.

 

"Sir, I'll go ask the townspeople to prepare some lodging for the night."

 

As the boatman finished his statement, he started to turn around but was interrupted by a tap on his shoulder. Startled, he turned around. The male in the red tunic spoke up.

 

"No, we can ask around. You can tidy up the boat first. It would be much faster."

 

Thanking the male, the boatman walked back onto the boat and started to fasten it to the dock. The male and the child walked toward the town together.

 

The village was very small with only 14 houses. 5 of the houses were shacks while the other 9 were good-sized well-lit cabins with one being distinctly larger than the others. Only one of the shacks had light while the others were completely dark. Seeing the large house, the child in the blue tunic started to walk but was held back by a hand gripping his collar.

 

"Master, why did you stop me?"

 

Feeling aggrieved, the boy questioned his master. Coughing lightly into his left fist, the male in a red tunic replied.

 

"I'll explain it to you later. Follow my steps."

 

A light shone in his eyes and the child fell into a position slightly behind his master. Trying to hide his wide grin, Ye Fan matched his master's pace. Walking in a straight line from the dock, the master-disciple pair stopped in front of one of the five shacks. Knocking on the wooden door, Ye Fan's master waited for a response. There was a bit of shuffling inside the shack, but the surroundings quickly returned to silence. Seeing this, he knocked again with a bit more force. The shuffling quickly resumed before the sounds of wood on wood resounded. Not long later, the door opened a crack. A pair of dull eyes could be seen in the crack of the door and a stiff voice questioned the master-disciple pair.

 

"What do you want?"

 

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Unfazed, Ye Fan's master responded.

 

"We need lodging for the night."

 

With this response, the pair of eyes stared at Ye Fan's master in silence. Minutes passed by and Ye Fan started to squirm a little, unnerved by the silence and the uncanny atmosphere.

 

Suddenly, the door jerked open to reveal a middle-aged man dressed in a simple gray tunic. The pair of dull eyes were unblinking as he turned around and walked into the shack with stiff movements. Ye Fan curiously watched the strange man's retreating figure. He didn't move into the shack and waited for his master.

 

Seeing the middle-aged man's actions, his master turned around and headed back toward the dock with Ye Fan trailing along. When they arrived, the boatman was waiting for them while holding three straw rolls and a sack slung on his shoulder. Beckoning towards the boatman, the trio walked back towards the shack with its door still open. There were no lights inside the small wooden shack and everything was barely lit by the moonlight. It was all one large room. There were wooden tables, chairs, and a small one-person bed in the corner. Luckily, there seemed to be enough room for the three on the floor. The boatman quickly rolled out the three bedrolls on the floor and pulled out two pillows for Ye Fan and his master. The middle-aged man from before sat in one of the four chairs surrounding a square table and focused on the wooden cup in his hands that was filled with water.

 

"Boatman, bring out the dry rations. I'm sure Ye Fan is hungry."

 

"Master Immortal, may I have some light?"
 

After a full day of sailing on the boat, the boatman had started to warm up to the Immortal cultivator but still treated him with what he believed to be due reverence. A small flame lit the wooden shack. As the flame came into being, the middle-aged man finally reacted. His head snapped toward the flame and then toward Ye Fan's master. In a stiff voice, the shack's owner questioned Ye Fan's master.

 

"What are you doing?"

 

"I'm lighting a flame. My assistant can't find the dry rations otherwise."

 

Ye Fan's master replied casually, ignoring the shack owner's now hostile gaze. But, despite the searing eyes, the middle-aged man only gripped the cup firmer and stared intently at the flame.

 

Ye Fan sat on his bedroll and watched the middle-aged man's actions. The boatman was a bit unnerved, but he continued to search for the dry rations after a slight hesitation when he saw that the Immortal Master made no other moves. Pulling out some biscuits and pieces of cured beef, the boatman offered it to Ye Fan's master.

 

"I have no need to eat. I'll make some tea if you have any tea leaves. But first, split the food among you and your young master."

 

Saying his part, the immortal cultivator pulled the chair next to the shack owner and sat down next to him beckoning for the boatman and Ye Fan. The boatman handed Ye Fan a biscuit and a piece of jerky and they both sat down opposite the middle-aged man and Ye Fan's master. When everyone settled in, Ye Fan's master turned toward the middle-aged man and inquired.

 

"Do you have any tea?"

 

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