Meanwhile, at the Wu family residence, an elderly woman carried a tray holding warm soup and chilled wine as she walked toward Wu Ningli's room. With the two young disciples from the sect taking care of Yao Meifeng and the pursuit from her family, the familiar neighbor took the opportunity to bring something over for the crippled dancer.
Once inside Wu Ningli's room, however, the elderly woman's bearing changed. Pride and confidence spilled from every pore as her bent back straightened and the wrinkles melted from her face to reveal a familiar yellow-green-eyed countenance to Wu Ningli.
"Hall Master," Wu Ningli said, adopting the posture of a powerful elder greeting her direct superior and cupping her hands as well as she was able given the state of her wrists. "The magpies you sent already took care of my evening meal but you know I'll never refuse your wine," she said with a smile.
"Ningli," Bian Xing said, bringing a cup to her friend's lips before taking a sip from her own cup. "Tonight, I just want to be your friend Xing for a bit. You don't need to be so distant," she said, even as her eyes swept over Wu Ningli's withered body. It pained her to see her friend of so many years in this state, and it pained her even more to bear part of the responsibility for how much the other woman had suffered the past three years.
As the Hall Master, there were other choices Bian Xing could have made to resolve matters between Wu Ningli and the Sanguine Saber Sect. Many of them would have been more dangerous for the Bamboo Silk House and could have resulted in even more bloodshed. Others would introduce ruinous complications to plans that had been in motion long before she'd even met the extraordinary dancer.
In the end, she'd chosen a method that she felt was best for the sect, even if it was the worst one for her friend, and that was a pain she'd never escape from.
"It's hard to be close when I still live in exile," Wu Ningli said, her words lighter than air but carrying a heavy weight nonetheless. It wasn't that she didn't understand the difficult position her actions had put Bian Xing in, it's just… she'd hoped for something better.
"Those days will end soon, I promise you," Bian Xing answered fiercely. "I didn't come to talk about old times though. I came to talk about the extraordinary child you've raised. I was very impressed today and I hope you're proud of what he's accomplished so far," she said, heaping praise on Wu Ling.
"I've always been proud," Wu Ningli said, her body relaxing and a smile blossoming on her face. While she had many regrets, being able to see her son blossom after awakening was one of the things she treasured the most.
"I was proud of my son when he endured years of hiding his true face in the back of the sect," she said. How many little boys or young men could put aside their masculine pride to disguise themself as a woman, even if it was just for a few days or weeks? But Wu Ling hadn't just done it for a few days, he'd done it for years!
As a mother, it was one of the hardest things she'd ever asked of him and yet he'd never complained. It was like he understood, even without her having to repeat it, that nothing else would make them as safe as this specific deception would. Instead of rebelling against her, he'd committed to the disguise, mastering it so well that outside of the Hall Master and a few others in the back of the sect, no one ever detected the truth, even after several years.
"I was proud when he found a way to care for his foolish mother while we had to stand on our own," Wu Ningli continued, thinking of the stories Wu Ling had told of performing in tea houses and everything else he'd done for her, much of it without her knowledge while she recovered from her injuries. "Of course, I'm proud of him now that he's following his dream," she finished with a warm smile. "But tell me, what did he do to impress you?"
"I suppose I should start by explaining the lesson I gave him today," Biang Xing began. Eventually, before the night was over, there would be important business to discuss. For now, however, she just wanted to see the smile on her friend's face when she explained just how much her son had impressed her that day.
There might be many points of contention between the two women that stopped them from becoming as close as Wu Ningli and Elder Hyacinth were, but that didn't mean they couldn't share a few minutes to boast about the amazing young man who was sure to shake up the whole of Silver Sword City as long as he had the opportunity to grow into his potential.
"His results from the Pathfinder Tree Formation were really that exaggerated?" Wu Ningli asked when Bian Xing finished describing the events of the day. "And you want him to inherit your Shapeshifting art?"
"I don't know if he can inherit my art or not," the older woman said honestly. "I don't know if he's willing to make the sacrifice it requires. Besides, he has that strange manual and it may not even be compatible with my methods. All I can do is set his feet on the path and see if it's suitable for him."
"I don't believe that for a moment," Wu Ningli said with an intense stare. "You're never so simple and pure in your approach. What do you want from him, Xing?"
"Many things," the older woman said, sipping her wine before refreshing Wu Ningli's cup. "Soon, I'll leave the Outer Wards behind and move to the Inner Sect. I need both of you there, along with Elder Hyacinth, to support me when I arrive," she began.
"It's still too early to say much, but by the time Little Ling arrives in the Inner Sect, he needs to be a proficient enough shapeshifter that the old crones there are left unsure whether his true face is male or female. You know things will be much harder for him as a man in the Inner Sect, but if he's able to master even a portion of my methods…"