They left early the next morning, right as the sun began to crest the horizon.

  Lu Tao had come aboard as they prepared to leave, glancing at the dim mast with a sheepish smile.

  “I suppose my attacks drained quite a bit, didn’t they? Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.”

  They protested but the alchemist waved them off, already placing a hand on the mast. A bright glow erupted around him like molten sunlight as a thick stream of energy flowed into the mast, lighting it up as the power of a Golden Core cultivator filled it.

  The mast thrummed, the sound growing louder and louder until the entire ship vibrated in resonance, the deck beneath their feet moving as though it were a living thing. When he finally stepped back, the mast shimmered, radiating with a palpable energy.

  “That ought to do it.” He said as he dusted his hands. “Take care now.”

  They exchanged their final goodbyes with the alchemist before setting sail, watching as the alchemist’s ship disappeared over the horizon.

  “Hey, Sun Yuan,” Yan Ziqi asked, casually leaning over the railing. “You don’t happen to have any other mysterious uncles lying around, do you?”

  Yu Chen laughed, and even Sun Yuan joined in. For the first time his laughter rang out across the river - a sound that was real, unguarded, and surprised even him.

  The gloom that had covered the young man for so long finally dissipated, revealing a hint of the boy he’d once been. Elder Ming had managed to pull the fractured pieces back together, but meeting with Lu Tao had finally begun to mend them, weaving them into something whole.

  The night they’d spent with the alchemist had broken down most of the barriers between them. Now they moved about the ship with an easy camaraderie, laughing and joking when they met on deck, and frequently finding one another just to chat.

  Sun Yuan had even begun to leave the wheel of the ship. His determination had been reignited, and he focused on his cultivation with renewed fervor, refusing to be left behind by the others.

  It turned out meeting with Lu Tao was a gift, in more ways than one.

  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Yu Chen woke up with a yawn on the second day after they’d left the alchemist’s ship, laying in a bed nearly large enough to swallow him whole.

  He was in the captain’s cabin, which had once been Pirate Zhu’s. No one else had wanted the room, so Yu Chen had happily claimed it, seeing as it offered extra space along with some privacy, being the only room at the stern of the ship.

  Yan Ziqi had claimed a room near the workshop, preferring to remain close to the place he spent all his time holed up within, while Sun Yuan had returned to his childhood room, unwilling to move into what used to be his father’s quarters. The memories surrounding those events were still too raw.

  It was spacious, hosting four large windows on either side of the ship, lashed shut by a pair of fine silk curtains. They allowed only some slight slivers of light to make it through, faintly illuminating a room that was still filled with many of Pirate Zhu’s old things, although Yu Chen had gotten rid of most of the useless junk the man had strewn about.

  He’d kept the furniture however, seeing no reason to get rid of it. Beyond the bed large enough for five and the stately wardrobes that graced one wall, there was also a solid wooden desk that stretched across a third of the room.

  Carved bookshelves covered most of the remaining space, overflowing with various books and strange astronomical objects, as well as charts of the river and the stars, each one rendered in excruciating detail.

  It was by far the nicest room Yu Chen had ever had, the empty spaces on the walls covered with various tapestries and fine art, and was nearly larger than the home he’d grown up in.

  Its best feature, however, was the array that had been carefully engraved into the floor, constantly gathering ambient energy from the surrounding environment.

  Perhaps every captain had one. Lu Tao’s room had also possessed dense energy that was much thicker within than in the space outside.

  Or perhaps it was only the best ships that contained spirit arrays designed to enhance cultivation. After all, it wasn’t unheard of for Foundation Establishment experts to have a spirit vessel of their own, but it was rarely one as fine as the Sleeping Lady. Elder Ming’s artifacts were truly works of art, and it was clear he designed them with Golden Core experts in mind.

  After all, who else could afford them?

  At that level it became increasingly hard to cultivate through normal means. The amount of energy your body demanded was extraordinary, which was why so many cultivators traveled to the middle of the river or fought their way upstream.

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  Even the ones who chose to live on land would seek out some special means, living in areas that were dense with spirituality, whether from an energy well or through some other natural treasures.

  In any case, Yu Chen wouldn’t complain about having an advantage, even if it was one he hardly needed. He already cultivated too fast as it was, but perhaps it would become more useful to him when he stepped into the next realm himself.

  He pushed the thoughts away as he stood and stretched. He took one last look around the room before leaving it behind, walking up a short flight of stairs and out onto the open deck, holding up a hand to block the bright sunlight that threatened to blind him.

  Blinking, he looked around him in confusion, surprised at the sight of Sun Yuan flowing through some strange martial art.

  The young man held a saber in one hand as he flowed through various forms, dancing across the deck in front of Yu Chen. He swung it around him in wide, graceful arcs, a movement that seemed designed for use when facing multiple attackers. Drawing the blade back, he twisted it through a tight figure eight, before dropping low as he ducked an imaginary blade.

  He came back up with the saber held tightly in both hands, swinging it in a crescent arc so vicious it took him off his feet.

  The swing spun him through the air, and for a split second he became the spinning fulcrum of a vicious circle of steel, moving so fast that Yu Chen could not tell where the blade began or ended. The movement occurred in the space of a second and he was back on his feet, laying about with the saber as he looped it through patterns with such speed that the blade blurred as it moved.

  Yu Chen settled down, watching in appreciation.

  He felt truly at ease, for the first time in a long time as he watched Sun Yuan flow through his motions under the bright morning sun. A cool breeze caressed his skin, blowing across the open river surrounding them on all sides.

  He was truly at ease here, he realized. He’d always been fond of the outdoors, and being on the river was that times a thousand. It was a place more alive than any forest he’d ever passed through.

  At times he still missed the friends he’d left behind, but he had new ones, and they shared his interest in growing stronger.

  Yu Chen watched Sun Yuan’s eyes flash as he brought his saber up, blocking an invisible thrust that came his way. Twisting the blade in his hands he counterattacked with a savage cut that would have decapitated his foe, before bringing the blade back into a guard stance before him.

  Yu Chen couldn’t take it any longer.

  Standing up, he walked over to join Sun Yuan. The young man had been so caught up in his practice he hadn’t heard Yu Chen come up on the deck, and blinked, surprised to see him.

  “How about a spar.” Yu Chen said with a smile, as he rotated an arm, loosening up his muscles.

  Sun Yuan cocked his head as he examined the other boy. Eventually he shrugged his shoulders. “Alright. Remember, you asked for it.”

  Concentrating, he channeled a thin stream of qi into the blade to dull the edge. Spinning it in a tight circle he waved Yu Chen forward.

  Yu Chen gave a wolfish grin. There was no preamble, he moved, cycling his movement technique as he dashed towards the other boy.

  Sun Yuan’s eyes shot up as Yu Chen appeared beside him, moving far faster than he’d expected. He hurriedly brought his blade up to block, but it was too late. Yu Chen had already moved past his guard, striking him hard in the chest.

  Sun Yuan stumbled back a few steps, a frown crossing his face as he raised the curved saber back up.

  “Again.” He said, and Yu Chen obliged, attacking once more.

  Sun Yuan was more prepared this time, swinging his saber through a series of dizzying arcs that formed an impregnable fortress of steel, forcing Yu Chen back and preventing him from getting close.

  Yu Chen backed up a step as he judged the boy.

  Sun Yuan was a serviceable fighter, a cut above the pirates he’d fought before. Serviceable wasn’t good enough, however.

  The other boy's eyes lit up as Yu Chen retreated, taking the movement as a sign of hesitation. Going on the offensive, he sent out a testing blow, the blade licking out with a viperous grace. Yu Chen simply slapped it to the side. Before the boy could bring the blade back up, He stepped in close and delivered a vicious blow to Sun Yuan's ribs, bending him over. Seizing the opportunity Yu Chen hooked a foot behind one leg and slammed a hard shoulder into him, sending him tumbling to the ground.

  Yu Chen stepped on the saber as it fell, preventing the other boy from bringing it to bear.

  “Again.” This time Yu Chen spoke, looming over the young man.

  He reached down, pulling Sun Yuan to his feet, where they continued to spar.

  It was clear to Yu Chen that the other boy’s technique was a high quality one, and he’d mastered it well. Sun Yuan’s movements were well balanced and properly executed, but he lacked the fighting experience Yu Chen had, and the killing intent that could only be honed through life and death battles.

  He’d also wallowed in misery for far too long, causing his abilities to atrophy and grow rusty over time.

  Again and again, Yu Chen found a way past the blade, striking the boy and sending him to the ground. Yu Chen’s estimation of Sun Yuan went up as he persevered, rising back up not matter how many times he fell, determined to land a blow of his own.

  It wasn’t to be. Yu Chen wasn’t the sort to take it easy, or spare someone’s feelings. That would only lead to death on the battlefield. In truth he never even had to go all out, but he still found the spar helpful for him as well.

  Yu Chen needed more experience fighting people with weapons. He’d never picked one up himself, but most of the pirates he’d fought had used a blade of some kind, and sabers appeared to be particularly popular on the river.

  Sparring with Sun Yuan gave him valuable insight into the way they moved, and the patterns and angles of attack they were capable of. They fought for close to thirty minutes before Yu Chen called a halt, seeing the other boy begin to breathe heavily.

  “Let’s pick it back up tomorrow.” Yu Chen offered.

  “Sure.” Sun Yuan said, wiping away the sweat beading across his brow. “You’re pretty good.”

  “You’re not half bad yourself.” Yu Chen said. “You just need a little practice.”

  Sun Yuan nodded, but there was a new hint of respect in his eyes when he looked towards Yu Chen.

  For his part, Yu Chen admired the resolve he could see in the other boy’s eyes. They walked different paths, and for the first time in a while, Sun Yuan had taken another step forward along his.