btth: crafting even heaven

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🌳 Xiao Clan Market District – Mid-Morning

The gentle hum of merchants hawking wares, laughter of children playing near vendor stalls, and the rhythmic tap of sandals on cobblestones created a comforting harmony in the Xiao Clan market district. The sun sat lazily in the sky, casting a golden hue across the tiled rooftops and open-air shops.

Tianzun sat cross-legged on a wide stone bench beneath a blooming flame magnolia tree. His long robes, today absent of their usual darker tones, were light linen gray. He looked less like a mystic and more like a child at ease.

For once, he wasn't meditating. Nor planning. Nor silently calculating.

He was simply... breathing.

A pair of elderly Xiao Clan members passed by, recognizing him.

"Fourth Young Master Tianzun!" one said with a broad grin, bowing slightly. "Out enjoying the breeze today?"

Tianzun smiled calmly. "Even the mind needs rest, Elder Jun."

"That's good! That's good! You young ones always overwork. Come by my stall later. My wife made plum cakes."

"I'll be sure to."

The elders walked on, whispering to each other about how composed and gracious the boy had grown. Tianzun let their chatter fade into the background as he turned his gaze upward toward the swaying branches above.

> *"Peace is a luxury. But luxury, once used wisely, becomes investment."

A familiar figure emerged from the crowd, her dark green robe fluttering behind her like silk banners in the breeze.

Xun'er.

She carried no attendants today. Just her presence and quiet steps.

She didn't say anything at first. She just walked to the bench and sat beside him.

After a moment, she glanced sideways. "You're not training today?"

"No," Tianzun replied softly. "Even blades left always sharpened eventually break."

She smiled at that. "And what are you doing instead?"

"Gathering people's warmth. It costs nothing, but it's rare as treasure."

A few younger clan members passed by and bowed respectfully. Tianzun gave them a subtle nod. One little girl shyly approached, holding a small bundle of flowers.

"For you, Fourth Young Master," she said, cheeks pink.

Tianzun accepted them gently. "Thank you. You picked them yourself?"

She nodded vigorously, then ran off.

Xun'er watched it all with a softness she didn't often show. "They really like you."

Tianzun shrugged faintly. "I give them nothing to fear, and just enough to admire."

"Smart strategy," she murmured.

He gave her a look. "It's not a strategy if it comes from the heart."

A pause.

Then Xun'er chuckled. "You say things that sound like riddles, but they make too much sense."

"Only because you're clever enough to solve them."

They sat in silence for a while longer. The marketplace continued its rhythm around them, but between the two, time seemed to stretch thin like a silk thread.

A few more villagers came to offer greetings, and Tianzun answered each kindly. He asked after one boy's sick grandmother, offered advice on energy circulation to a young Dou Zhe trainee, and even helped a merchant calibrate his scale.

All the while, Xun'er remained by his side.

Not speaking constantly. But not needing to.

> *"I wonder," she thought, "if he even knows how magnetic he is. Or does he use it all with full intention?"

As the sun began to lower slightly in the sky, casting long shadows across the streets, Tianzun finally stood.

"Come. Let's walk the long path back. I want to see the bridge during sunset."

Xun'er stood beside him. "And after that?"

He looked ahead.

"After that... back to work. But not just yet."

They walked together, side by side, the world around them rich in color, sound, and life. But between them, something quieter blossomed.

Not quite love.

Not yet trust.

But... understanding.