Li Tiezhu took a deep breath and turned to Black Mountain and Red Wind.
"Martial Uncle Black Mountain! Martial Uncle Red Wind!"
His cupped-fist salute was ten times more proper than the one he had given Si Ming, and he bowed much lower.
Black Mountain chuckled, then slapped him on the shoulder hard enough to make him stagger.
"Good lad! Twenty years apart, and you've really come into your own!"
Li Tiezhu grimaced and rubbed his shoulder. His martial uncle's hand was still just as heavy.
Red Wind stepped forward, looked Li Tiezhu up and down, and nodded. "Not bad. Azure Mystic Number One? At least you haven't disgraced your master."
Black Mountain rubbed the Jade Token hanging from his neck, engraved with "Safe travels," his face full of nostalgia. "By the way, is the head chef of the Joyous Union Sect's Dining Hall doing well?"
"This humble scholar hasn't tasted his cooking in twenty years!"
Li Tiezhu blinked. "The head chef retired the year before last. His disciple does the cooking now."
Black Mountain's expression changed. "What?! Retired? What about the recipe for the Red-Braised Spirit Knuckle? Did he pass it down?"
"He did, but the taste..."
Li Tiezhu weighed his words. "It's missing something."
As though struck by lightning, Black Mountain clutched his chest and retreated two steps, looking as if the sky had fallen.
"This humble scholar's youth... is never coming back..."
Red Wind couldn't be bothered with him and nodded at Li Tiezhu. "Ignore him. He'll be fine in a moment."
Li Tiezhu held back a laugh and nodded.
While the others caught up, Si Chen stood to one side, watching Si Ming.
His younger cousin still wore his outer robe, his head lowered, his thoughts unreadable.
It suddenly occurred to him that he had