Wang Hongwei was sitting beside the patriarch's bed when someone knocked at the treatment-hall door.
Chen Shuwen looked up from the other side of the bed. "Come in."
Huo Zhanlong entered. Hongwei rose and cupped his hands, then moved his chair back to give the Prince room.
"Your Highness," Wang Tiexin said.
"Stay where you are, Patriarch Wang." Huo Zhanlong came to the bedside. "I am glad to find you awake."
"Thank you," Tiexin said. "Sit with us."
Hongwei brought a chair over. The Prince sat near the foot of the bed, and Hongwei returned to his own seat. Chen Shuwen remained beside her husband.
Huo Zhanlong rested his hands on his knees. "You had agreed to serve at Azure Dragon Fortress, Patriarch Wang. With your injuries, we need to discuss how the clan can fulfill that commitment."
Hongwei looked toward the patriarch. At their last clan meeting on the matter, Tiexin had meant to go himself. Hongwei had offered to go instead, but Tiexin had refused to send him.
"My meridians and spiritual sense are damaged, Your Highness," Wang Tiexin said. "I cannot work with formations in this state, and I do not know when I might be able to again."
The Prince was silent for a moment. "Then we must speak without counting on your recovery."
Tiexin nodded. His hand lay on the bedding, close to Chen Shuwen's.
Hongwei had spent decades working beside him. There were difficulties he had learned to recognize because Tiexin had seen them first, work he could now follow that had once left him puzzled. He had hoped they would have many more years to work together. Hongwei looked down at his own hands.
Hongwei hesitated, then raised his head and turned toward the Prince.
"I would like to go, Your Highness."
Chen Shuwen's eyes moved to him.
"I know what that work would mean to you, Hongwei," Wang Tiexin said. "I would still worry about sending you to the front line."
Hongwei turned back toward him. "I would be working inside the fortress walls, helping maintain the arrays."
He rested his hands on his knees. "I know more than my cultivation allows me to put into practice. If I can reach core formation, that can change."
Tiexin lay silent. Hongwei waited, watching him. At last, the patriarch let out a breath.
"Then we need to see how the clan would manage without you," Tiexin said. "I cannot take over your duties in this condition."
Hongwei lowered his eyes. He had not yet worked out who could take over his duties.
Hongwei turned to the Prince. "How long would you need me there, Your Highness? I would have to arrange for my work here before I left."
Huo Zhanlong leaned back in his chair.
"I would welcome your help, Elder Wang. I can promise you a place inside the fortress, maintaining its arrays. I will not send you out to fight. I will also provide cultivation resources to help you advance."
He looked toward Tiexin. "The Wang Clan will receive spirit stones for its continued support of the fortress. We can settle the amounts when we discuss Elder Wang's duties and how long he can be away."
"Thank you, Your Highness." Hongwei inclined his head to the Prince, then turned back to Tiexin.
"I will go through my duties here. I need to see which work others could take on and what I would have to finish myself."
The patriarch's face had grown tired. Chen Shuwen reached for his hand, and he turned it beneath hers.
"We would welcome the help, Your Highness," Tiexin said. "Let Hongwei and me look at the work here before we give you an answer."
Huo Zhanlong nodded. "Of course."
Tiexin turned back to Hongwei. "Come to me when you know what you can leave to others. We will work through it together."
Hongwei bowed his head. "Thank you, Patriarch."
...
Huo Zhanlong found his chief retainer waiting inside the pavilion. The man rose as he entered, but Huo spoke first.
"Has there been any change in Senior Peng?"
"He is cultivating, Your Highness. His injuries are still severe, but he has not grown worse."
For a moment Huo stood with his hand on the back of a chair. He had hoped to hear more, though he had no reason to expect it. At least Senior Peng had not worsened while he was away.
"I will speak with him."
He left the retainer by the table and went farther into the pavilion. At Senior Peng's door, he knocked once and waited for an answer before entering.
Peng Zhengbei sat cross-legged on the bed, his hands resting on his knees. His eyes were closed, and his face was pale. Huo shut the door behind him and waited beside it. Only when Senior Peng opened his eyes did he cross to the chair beside the bed.
Senior Peng took a small gourd from his spatial ring. He loosened the stopper, hesitated, then pulled it free. A strong wine fragrance filled the room.
Huo paused with one hand on the chair. Rich qi spread from the open gourd, and for a moment he envied Senior Peng the wine. He sat down, still watching it.
"What wine is that, Senior Peng?"
"Monkey wine." Senior Peng took a small mouthful and put the stopper back. "Brewed by monkey spirit beasts. Wine that can help a nascent-soul cultivator break through is hard to come by. I have been saving this for my next attempt."
His thumb passed over the stopper.
"After keeping it all this time, I had hoped to open it for a better reason."
Huo looked from the gourd to his pale face. "You need it for your recovery?"
"I lost so much qi that my foundation has become unstable. The pills I have are too low-grade to replenish what I need." Senior Peng returned the gourd to his spatial ring. "The wine can supply qi while I work to stabilize it. I cannot afford to keep saving it."
"Then I should leave you to cultivate," Huo said, shifting forward in his chair.
Senior Peng rested his hands on his knees again. "I can speak for a little while, Your Highness. Did your business go well?"
Huo sat back. "I went to see the Wang Clan. Elder Hongwei has offered to help maintain the fortress arrays, but he and the patriarch must first work out how the clan would manage without him."
"Then you have no answer yet."
"No. But it is promising."
Hongwei's offer gave him reason to think he could leave Redstone with the Wang Clan's support. He hoped Wang Tiexin would recover enough to work with formations again. The help of a grade-seven master would be welcome, if that day came.
Senior Peng nodded, then lowered his eyes to his hands. Huo waited while he took a slow breath.
Senior Peng looked past him toward the door. Voices carried faintly from the front of the pavilion, too low for Huo to make out the words. When Huo turned back, Senior Peng was watching him.
"You should be careful when you go out," Senior Peng said.
"I will."
"I cannot protect you in this condition."
Huo rested his forearms on his knees. He had known Senior Peng could not accompany him. Hearing the man say it so plainly made him hesitate before answering.
"I know, Senior Peng."
Senior Peng's eyes remained on him. "Whatever you have to do here, you cannot go about it expecting me to intervene."
"I will not ask that of you."
"You would not have to ask."
Huo looked down at Senior Peng's hands.
"You are right," Huo said. "I will have to judge what I can do without your help."
Senior Peng breathed out and lowered his head. For a while neither spoke. Huo sat back in the chair and waited until Senior Peng looked at him again.
"Do you know how long you will need to stabilize your cultivation?" Huo asked.
"No."
Senior Peng answered without hesitation.
"I could give you a time, Your Highness, but it would mean very little."
Huo nodded. "Then do not give me one."
Huo moved his chair closer so the injured man would not have to raise his voice.
Senior Peng watched him for several breaths.
"I do not like being unable to accompany you."
"I would rather have you with me," Huo said. "But I can manage my affairs while you cultivate."
The older man's mouth moved in a faint smile.
"You make that sound easy."
Huo shook his head. "I did not say it would be easy."
Huo rose from the chair.
"I will come and see you when I return," Huo said. "If you are cultivating, I will wait until you can receive me."
"You need not come every time."
"I would like to."
Senior Peng looked up at him, then gave a small nod.
"I will leave you to cultivate, Senior Peng," Huo said.
"Your Highness."
Huo paused beside the chair.
"Thank you," Senior Peng said.
Huo inclined his head and went to the door. Senior Peng had closed his eyes and resumed cultivating by the time Huo stepped outside.