75: The Third Quarter Closes

The careful preceding small private hour of the next four months — by the small careful preceding small private bookkeeping of Su Yan's column-keeping — passed in the small careful preceding small private rhythm of a kingdom's autumn settling into its winter.

The substrate-anchor stones at the inner pocket of his outer robe, by the careful preceding small private hour of three months of careful preceding small private continued resonance with his preceding small private substrate, *deepened* their preceding small private fifty-percent calibration into the small careful preceding small private precise unhurried preceding pattern that Master Qing had — by the careful preceding small private hour of the third quarterly meal at the teahouse on the western edge of the royal city in the careful preceding small private second month of the autumn — described.

By the careful preceding small private third quarterly meal, Su Yan had received the *fourth* substrate-anchor stone. He carried four. By the careful preceding small private hour of the quarterly meal's preceding small private close, Master Qing had — by his own preceding preference — *also* given Su Yan the careful preceding small private *fifth* — *out of schedule*, with the small careful preceding small private mention that the careful preceding small private hour of the City of the Voiceless's preceding small private gathering had *advanced* the careful preceding small private calibration faster than Master Qing's preceding-time estimate had calibrated for.

Five stones. Out of seven.

The careful preceding small private hour of the remaining two would, by Master Qing's preceding small private revised calibration, be given by the careful preceding small private hour of the next two quarterly meals.

Su Yan's cultivation, by the careful preceding small private hour of four months of inside-night training, advanced from *Core Formation Mid undisplayed* to *Core Formation Late undisplayed*. He held, on his outside display, *Foundation Establishment Late*. The kingdom's preceding small private public read was, by the careful preceding small private hour of four months, *unchanged*.

Cousin Su Wenfu's southern operations expanded by *seven* further members. The Voiceless Inheritance was, by the careful preceding small private hour of four months, at *thirty-five*.

Princess Cang Xueyi's bi-weekly correspondence continued. By the careful preceding small private hour of the careful preceding small private autumn's third quarterly meal at her writing room, the *sixth* meal between them was, by her preceding preference, *the careful preceding small private hour of one first kiss*. It was small. It was at the close of the meal, by the door of her writing room, before Mingxue arrived. It was — by the careful preceding small private discipline of two columns having become one over fifteen months of preceding small private patient calibration — *honest*.

She did not, by her preceding preference, allow it to be more than the small careful preceding small private hour of two breaths.

He did not, by his preceding preference, ask for more.

It was, by both their preceding mutual preferences, *enough* for the careful preceding small private hour the meal had calibrated for.

By the careful preceding small private hour of the next bi-weekly letter, two weeks later, neither of them — by their preceding mutual courtesy — *referenced* the kiss.

The kiss was, by the careful preceding small private hour, *filed*.

The next thirteen months would, by the careful preceding small private hour of their preceding mutual standing arrangement, be calibrated for the small careful preceding small private formal arrangement at the careful preceding small private end of the eighteen-month period the King's preceding standing grant had, by the careful preceding small private hour of the Tournament's preceding closing ceremony, *publicly indicated*.

The kingdom of Beicang's standing diplomatic exchange registered, by the careful preceding small private hour of three months of post-Tournament observation, *the kingdoms of Eastern Yan, Northern Iron, Western Verdant, and Southern Mistspring* as having — by the careful preceding small private hour of three months of preceding small private private analysis — *each* recalibrated their preceding small private diplomatic posture toward the kingdom of Beicang.

Eastern Yan, by Han Yifeng's preceding small private private letters, was — *sympathetic*. The careful preceding small private hour of Eastern Yan's preceding small private internal succession bookkeeping had, by Han Yifeng's preceding-time slow careful preceding small private patient work, begun to *also* favor a careful preceding small private private restructuring that the kingdom of Eastern Yan's preceding small private senior cultivators had not, by their preceding bookkeeping, anticipated.

Northern Iron, by Princess Wu Lingyao's preceding small private private letter to Su Yan in the second month of the autumn, was — *neutral, with potential* for careful preceding small private informal training exchange. Su Yan replied politely; the exchange was scheduled at the careful preceding small private hour of two trained combat operatives per kingdom for the next twelve months.

Western Verdant, by Liang Zhi's preceding small private published paper at the close of the third month, was — *quietly admiring* of Su Yan's substrate-scholarship contributions. The careful preceding small private alliance was, by Liang Zhi's preceding small private private letter, *open* to formal correspondence.

Southern Mistspring, by Lady Hua Wenxi's preceding small private private observation, was — *waiting*. She had not, by her preceding small private bookkeeping, decided what posture to take. Su Yan, by his preceding preference, allowed her the careful preceding small private hour to decide.

By the close of the third quarter — the small careful preceding small private hour of the fifth month of the autumn into the first month of the winter — Su Yan had, by every careful preceding small private bookkeeping of his column-keeping, *gained*:

- Five of seven substrate-anchor stones (Master Qing's quarterly meals advancing faster than schedule) - Thirty-five of fifty Voiceless Inheritance members (on schedule) - Lin Wanyue's first half of substrate-trace gathered (City of the Voiceless cloak operation, completed) - Cang Xueyi's first kiss (the meal sequence, on schedule) - Han Yifeng as future ally (Eastern Yan succession recalibration, ahead of schedule) - Princess Wu Lingyao, Liang Zhi as future correspondents (post-Tournament fallout, on schedule) - Cousin Su Hong as standing senior elder of the second rank (patriarch's promotion, ahead of schedule) - Cang Hao's quiet acceptance of the careful preceding small private succession's preceding small private public-read shift (the careful preceding small private semifinal's preceding small private mercy, on schedule) - Cousin Su Wenfu's confirmed location of the careful preceding small private secondary Hollow Veil facility (the City of the Voiceless's preceding small private mapping, ahead of schedule) - Master Qing's preceding teaching (substrate-anchor calibration, ahead of schedule by six months)

By every careful preceding small private bookkeeping of his column-keeping, the careful preceding small private fourth quarter of his preceding-time first arc was — *on schedule, with several pieces ahead*.

The careful preceding small private hour of the *extraction itself* — by the careful preceding small private accelerated calibration Master Qing's preceding teaching had provided, the careful preceding small private hour of the City of the Voiceless's preceding small private gathering, and the careful preceding small private hour of his own preceding small private substrate's continued advancement — was, by his careful preceding revised estimate, *thirteen months and ten days* away.

Six months earlier than the original twenty-three-and-twenty estimate.

Five months earlier than the seventeen-and-twenty estimate of one autumn ago.

In his chest, the ember pulsed — slow, considered, *gentle* — and the dry voice, very quietly, said: *Your mother would, by her own preceding preference at the careful preceding small private cell of nine years ago when she had, by the careful preceding small private hour of seven months of writing, prepared the careful preceding small private hour of her son's preceding small private patience for the careful preceding small private hour of his coming for her, have been — *exceedingly* glad of the careful preceding small private acceleration*.

Su Yan inclined his head, in the lantern-light of the writing room of the eastern wing of the eighth district of Cloud Sky City, in the direction of the ember.

The careful preceding small private third quarter of his preceding-time first arc — by the careful preceding small private hour of four months of post-Tournament careful preceding small private quiet preceding small private active preceding small private private work — *closed*.

The careful preceding small private fourth quarter — by the careful preceding small private hour of the *extraction's* preceding small private final calibration — *began*.