"I do not wish to return to the den."
"Did you journey here without purpose?"
She nodded. "Yes, Honored Healer, I did." Though the initial reason now felt distant.
"Very well, this is the agreement." He leaned forward. "If you wish to participate in the final assessment without bringing disgrace upon yourself, your Academy and this academy, you have two cycles to gather your focus and demonstrate to your peers why they should welcome you into their healing circle."
Venus swallowed, a knot forming in her throat. "Yes, Honored Healer."
After leaving his office, she told herself that the reasons for her arrival were now irrelevant. She was here, and the need to prove herself was paramount. You possess the strength for this. She silently repeated Julian's words, hoping they would soon take root in her conviction.
She was about to exit the building when she paused to examine the portraits of past aspirants who had attended the Elite Mountain Healer Academy and gone on to achieve renown. They even had a dedicated wall displaying images of their most celebrated alumni.
She stopped, her gaze fixed on one of the portraits. No, it could not be. Below it was a small, polished jade plaque engraved with the words JULIAN ZHAO XIN – "THE WILD HEART" – EXEMPLARY HEALER. Above the plaque was a depiction of a wolf in mid-leap, clearing a tangled mass of thorny vines.
Exemplary Healer at Elite? It could not be the same Julian Zhao Xin who struggled to identify even basic medicinal herbs. The same Julian Zhao Xin who stirred a confusing warmth within her whenever they were near. The same Julian Zhao Xin with whom she had almost shared a profound intimacy in the tent.
She stepped closer to the image. There was no mistaking it – it was Julian. His eyes, that intense focus… that wry, slightly uneven smile. His features were now so familiar.
She had known Julian for several weeks. They had shared a sleeping space. She had developed feelings for him… and yet he had ensured she never glimpsed the true self he concealed behind a veil of nonchalance.
The burning sensation in her chest intensified as she recalled Julian standing by, listening as she expressed her concerns about their lack of a skilled primary healer since Gao Tianyu's departure. He knew she would do almost anything to find a capable healer for their local circle. Yet he had never hinted that he was a trained healer, an exemplary one at that.
Healer Zang approached her. She gestured towards the offending portrait. "How skilled was he?"
"Zhao Xin? He was the most naturally gifted healer I have ever encountered. Some are born with an innate connection to the healing arts. Zhao Xin was one of them. He astonished everyone with his intuitive understanding and ability to diagnose complex ailments."
"What became of him?"
Healer Zang shrugged. "He ceased his studies and never returned. It bewildered us, to be sure. We have not seen such raw talent since."
"What do you think of Gao Tianyu?"
Healer Zang nodded. "Gao Tianyu possesses competence."
"He achieved top ranks in our local assessments and his circle nearly went undefeated in the last inter-enclave competition," she countered.
"The aim is to achieve victory, not merely approach it. Correct?"
She nodded.
"With diligent study and practice, Gao Tianyu will undoubtedly progress." He tapped the portrait of Julian. "As a junior and intermediate aspirant, Julian Zhao Xin led his training circle to the academy championship."
The statement hung in the air between the two. Julian had reached the highest level of the academy. Impressive. What must it feel like to achieve such recognition? Julian knew.
Back in her chamber, she retrieved her communication crystal and searched "Julian Zhao Xin Healing Arts." The first result was a news archive article about a young healing prodigy who had garnered the attention of advanced healing guilds since his early adolescence. By his intermediate years at the academy, he had received three offers for prestigious apprenticeships upon graduation. Another article was titled Julian Zhao Xin, Prodigy Healer. At the end of the article was a depiction of the young prodigy himself.
She followed link after link, each article more impressive than the last. It was difficult to reconcile the image of the seemingly indifferent male who occupied her thoughts with this secret past he had never revealed. Had the thought of practicing alongside her in Kunming Academy ever crossed his mind these past weeks?
The sense of betrayal cut deeper than Gao Tianyu's ever had. She and Gao Tianyu had a brief association, but she now recognized it as superficial. He had never truly cared for her. She had been attempting to fill a void in her life, an emptiness she had long carried. He had manipulated her and schemed with Chen Zixin from a rival enclave.
The truth was, Julian had deceived her more profoundly. You possess the strength for this, he had said. Had he meant it, or was it another of his veiled jests?
They had agreed to maintain their distance, but that was no longer an option. She sent a message for transport to retrieve her. Back home, Elder Zhao Wei always instructed them to compete with honor.
She disagreed. It was time to shed the pretense of civility.
Julian stared at the expensive, tailored fur-lined robe that the elder's attendant, Hong, had laid out on his sleeping mat. He was certain his grandmother had instructed him to place it there as part of her ongoing efforts to mold him into the grandchild she had always envisioned. He had been at the estate for three days now, counting down the moments until he could retrieve Venus and return to Yunnan. He disregarded the robe and sought out the old wolf in her expansive dining hall.
She took one look at him and frowned. "Julian, indulge your grandmother by changing into something other than those tattered hides you insist on wearing. Did Hong not present the robe I acquired for you?"
"He did, but I will not wear it." He reached for a piece of dried meat from the large buffet, but she swatted his hand away. "Wait for the gathered kin."
"Gathered kin?" A sinking sensation settled in his chest. "What gathered kin?"
She wore an expression of smug satisfaction. That forced smile she attempted to conceal indicated she was plotting something. "I have arranged a small gathering with some of the young females from the prominent families in the area, that is all." She cupped his face in her hands. "I know many eligible young females with impeccable lineage, Julian."
"Lineage? Are you planning to pair me with a prize breeding female? Come now, isn't that a tad archaic, even for you?"
"Do you have a chosen mate?"
"If you mean a bonded partner, the answer is no. Nor am I seeking one."
"Nonsense. You require a suitable pairing. It is as simple as that." She moved with purpose to the opposite side of the room. "You are tall, possess a certain rugged charm, and you are the grandson of the late Elder Kenneth Ming. It is time you embraced the fact that you are the heir to Ming Holdings, the largest fur and textile enterprise in the land. You, my dear grandson, are a prized catch."
"I have no desire to be caught."
"That attitude suggests you have yet to encounter a female worthy of your attention. You will desire to be caught when the right female comes along."
Julian snatched a piece of dried meat from the buffet and took a large, deliberate bite. "Thank you for the offer, but I have no need of a handler, a woman of any sort," he said, his mouth full.
Her upper lip curled in distaste. "I believed you attended a reputable training academy. Did they not instill basic decorum?" Julian opened his mouth to reply, but she raised a hand. "Do not speak with your mouth full. Simply… go upstairs, don your robe, and return when you are presentable. Guests will arrive shortly." When he showed no inclination to dress for her gathering, she offered a practiced, superficial smile. "Please, Julian. Indulge me for this one evening."
"If you intend to say my mother would have wished me to wear that… that thing, I swear I will walk out that door and never return. Do not presume to know anything of my mother, for you were the one who vanished from her life."
"I knew my daughter better than you imagine, Julian." When he shook his head and was about to retort, she gestured for him to follow her out of the room. "Come with me. There is something I must show you."
His instinct was to behave like a stubborn young wolf and leave, simply to make his point. But an inner voice urged him to stay and follow the old wolf.
His grandmother led him to a large chamber filled with enough scrolls and texts to fill a small archive. She closed the door and slid one of the shelves aside, revealing a hidden strongbox. With practiced ease, she opened the strongbox and retrieved a sealed parchment.
"Here," she said, sliding a letter from the parchment and handing it to him.
Julian glanced at the script and immediately recognized his mother's elegant handwriting. The letter was dated two weeks before his mother succumbed to the wasting sickness. She had been frail then, aware that her time was short. He had asked her if she felt fear… he could not bring himself to utter the words. "Of the final darkness?" she had asked. When he nodded, she had taken his hand in hers and said, "No. Then the pain will cease." A few days later, she had stopped speaking and lay in her sleeping chamber all day, awaiting for the inevitable.
His grandmother stood before him, her head bowed, as he read his mother's words.
Dearest Mother,
I recall when I was a young pup, I rarely spoke due to shyness, but you told the other mothers I was simply too intelligent to waste words. I later discovered you influenced one of the judges of the young female presentation I entered in my intermediate years so that I would be recognized. I never told you that the pack elder at the Hunting Lodge informed me he could not offer me an apprenticeship the summer before my final trials because you wished me to train with Father at MingHoldings instead.
For a long time, I believed you acted thus to control my path. As a mother myself, I now understand that you sought to create a perfect existence for me because of your deep affection.
Take solace in the knowledge that I have lived a fulfilling life. Zhao Diwen is my one true bondmate. Julian is my spirited young wolf and a remarkable son—he possesses his father's humor and strength, and my own fierce will and untamed spirit. He is perfect.
I have one request. Please watch over my son when Zhao Diwen is unable, Mother. Care for him, for my time to do so grows short.
With enduring affection,
Terry.
Julian folded the letter, blinking back tears as he returned it to his grandmother. "I will change," he said.
No further words were needed. He understood why he was there and why she wished him to stay.
Half an hour later, he descended the stairs wearing the robe she had acquired for him. He left the formal neck scarf upstairs and unfastened the top two clasps of his tunic, a silent declaration that his mother's wild spirit lived within him and would not be easily tamed.
The main hall was crowded, filled with young females in brightly colored silks and elaborate hairstyles. Knowing his grandmother's methods, she likely already had a suitable mate selected and the joining agreements prepared for signing.
Fortunately, young males were also present, so he was not the sole prize on display.
Venus would likely find amusement in such a gathering, where one's standing was determined by wealth and lineage rather than, say, the ability to consume fermented berry juice without losing one's meal. He wagered none present had ever engaged in a truth-or-dare ritual involving potent concoctions. Or… other, more personal grooming challenges.
"Julian!" his grandmother called out as she navigated through the throng. "You have forgotten your neck scarf."
"No, I have not."
She reached out and fastened the top two clasps of his tunic. "It is customary to wear a formal scarf at such gatherings. You resemble a den laborer."