Shen Fei woke first the next morning.
The bamboo couch was hard. He had turned over several times during the night, and by the last time he woke, gray-white light was already filtering through the window paper. He sat up, folded the thin quilt and placed it at one end of the couch, then put on his outer robe and fastened his belt.
The wooden floor creaked twice. Over on the bed, Xiao Ning'er turned over, reached for the edge of her quilt, and pulled it up. Only after a few breaths did she slowly sit up. Her hair was a little messy; she smoothed it twice with her hands and tied it into a casual ponytail.
Neither said much. They sat cross-legged by the bed and on the bamboo couch respectively, closed their eyes, and began circulating their cultivation arts.
Shen Fei completed one full cycle of the Dark Prison Reincarnation Art. Spiritual power flowed slowly through his meridians, restoring most of what he had consumed the night before and filling his dantian once more.
When he opened his eyes, Xiao Ning'er had just finished cultivating as well. The phantom image of the Wind-Thunder Sky Sparrow faded behind her, and the lightning scattered away. They washed up briefly, then opened the door and stepped outside.
It was already light outside. Morning sunlight slanted through gaps in the treetops to the east, spreading a layer of warm yellow light over the dirt road. But the village was different today.
There were considerably more people on the road than usual, and their steps were quicker too.
Some emerged from the lanes carrying long wooden planks on their shoulders, while others walked toward the center of the village with bundles of coarse cloth in their arms. Some were building frames out of