Aimless Ascension

"You're interested in buying land?"

"That's the idea, though that would depend mostly on what she had to offer. As long as my requirements are met, money isn't an issue."

Wang Li considered his words for a few seconds. "You act more like a nobleman than I assumed. Well, as long as everything went according to plan, no party would complain."

Gale nodded and stared at her. Well, mostly at the sandwich in her hand. Wang Li groaned internally and finally bit a small piece of the sandwich, expression contemplative.

"How's it?"

Wang Li pondered for an extended second, savouring the taste and deliberating what to say, which may not be offending to the practitioner, who may not be arrogant as they go, but definitely prideful. Especially for the food he made, it seemed.

"It's good," she said. "Too much cheese, though. I figure it's an acquired taste."

"Well, you're not wrong." Gale's bonded beast came next to him after finishing the chunk of meat. The practitioner nuzzled the furry head, contemplating. "I wondered what I would do after this. I'm not really good at many things, but I'll die of boredom if I do nothing." He turned towards her with a smile on his lips. "Maybe I should open a tavern? Madam Wang, how's the business here?"

Wang Li blinked at him, unsure what to say. "Business. . .is stable at best. It rarely thrives save for local festivals. But if it's only business that you want, I see no fault in starting one."

"Hmm." Gale seemed contemplative. "I do like cooking, and more particularly eating, but I'm not that familiar with the local cuisine. Perhaps I will start to learn that. Anyway, back to the topic, Madam Wang. What's your take on the land Xiaolin wants to pitch?"

Wang Li collected her thoughts and sighed. "You should take it. It's excellent farming land that could cultivate iron-ranked grains with just some care. Xiaolin might want to part with it at a cheap price." She paused. "You said money isn't an issue, but that's always something you need to have a hard grasp on. Besides, I doubt you can find anything better in Wayshire anytime soon."

"Tell me more about the land"

"Well, it's about a dozen acres of fertile land, too much for a lone person to handle, and that's why Xiaolin was adamant about selling it. The only downside is it's on the west side of the valley, on the periphery. So not many live there, other than the few farmer families."

Gale deliberated for some time and shook his head. "I can't decide without seeing land."

"Other than that, there's a delicate matter I wanted to talk to you about." Wang Li looked uncomfortable at first. "First, I thank you for helping the poor girl the other day. While the people of Wayshire are honest and trustworthy, they lacked the spine to stand for one lone girl sometimes. Especially when the other party holds much of the station."

"Oh, you're talking about the other day. That's nothing. Xiaolin thanked me excessively already."

"Yes, everything should have been alright after that, but we both know it won't end there."

Gale grunted. He came straight to business. "Who's that kid's father?"

"Someone thinks too much of himself," Wang Li said, shaking he head, "but it's his uncle you need to know more about. Han Xiao is the mayor's nephew."

Gale blinked and turned to his pet. The two of them exchanged a long glance, as if communicating in silence. Wang Li didn't understand the bond between the spirit beast and their owner, but from the confrontation, it seemed like Gale was blaming his hound for all this. In response, the fluffy mutt stared resolutely.

Gale relented and turned towards her. "Is the mayor's view of the world just the same as his black sheep nephew?"

Wang Li stared at him for an extended moment. She didn't answer the question. "The Mayor hardly had time to visit the town. Even if he did, he won't be petty enough to do anything."

"But an entitled teenager will." Gale sighed. "Is this why Xiaolin couldn't sell her land?"

"More or less. With the Young Lord shoving his family's weight around, nobody is ready to buy the land at a fair price." She thought for a second. "Xiaolin wasn't sure about telling you about the land because of this, but I asserted you wouldn't care about all that. Now that you have some context on the situation, the decision is yours to make.

"Buy the land and get into the ill side of the Han Family, or search for a better place without the baggage. Still, I must add, at this price, the deal is really a catch. But in the end, it is your decision to make."

Gale finished his sandwich in one mind. He deliberated over the problem, thinking about the pros and cons. The cons outweigh the pros by a long margin. Especially when he was incapacitated of his strength. True, he had Vale with him, but . . .

"You're right about me not caring about the kid's family," he said. "But I have to see the land first to make any decisions."

"Of course, I'm exhilarated that you're giving this a chance."

Silence flowed on the table as they finished breakfast. Gale, for having nothing to do, remained seated, rocking back and forth. After a thought, he brought out a book from his void-lock—a spatial storage linked to the meridian of his right arm—and started reading.

Wang Li was startled to find the book coming out of nothing, but kept her silence, thinking Gale was more loaded than he made it out to be.

Xiaolin came back after half an hour, fresh from the bath. Her big eyes peered at Gale and all around the hall, unsure where to start.

"Finally," Gale said and lifted his head from the book. "Xiaolin, let's go see the land. If I like it, we can seal the deal within this week."

Xiaolin blinked. It took her a few more seconds to understand what he said. "Now?"

"Yes."

"But, I . . ." She turned towards Madam Wang, who was cleaning the counter. "I haven't finished my work yet."

"It's alright," the innkeeper said, "I'll manage without you. Go prepare. I'll call a carriage."

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