Chapter 133: What He Leaves Behind

Simon began his training shortly after sunrise, before the workshop clerks arrived and the household became occupied with the day's business. Joe watched from the edge of the courtyard while his brother completed the Muscle Tempering sequence. Simon's years of regular practice had given him considerable control over his Blood Energy, and his movements remained steady through most of the exercise. However, as fatigue accumulated, his hips and lower back began losing strength before the larger muscles. His left side gradually compensated, causing a slight change in his stance that became more pronounced toward the end.

Joe waited until Simon finished before asking him to repeat two of the later movements at a slower pace. He examined the distribution of force through his brother's hips and corrected the position of his rear foot. Simon repeated the exercise and noticed the uneven load himself. "I'm shifting too much weight to the left when my lower back gets tired," he observed, adjusting his stance. Joe confirmed the problem and guided him through another repetition, this time ensuring that the smaller supporting muscles carried their proper share of the movement.

"You're approaching Muscle Completion, but these weaknesses will become troublesome once you begin Bone Tempering," Joe explained. "Spend the next few weeks correcting them. Your lower back should recover at roughly the same pace as the rest of your body, and you should be able to finish the sequence without compensating on either side."

Simon considered the advice carefully. He had waited years for access to the Bone inheritance Edwin had promised, and reaching Muscle Completion would finally allow him to begin the next stage. However, Joe's explanation made the benefit of waiting clear. "I'll continue the corrective exercises after the morning sequence. Once I reach completion, I'll give myself enough time to make sure the weakness has disappeared before beginning Bone."

Joe approved of the arrangement and demonstrated two additional movements that would help strengthen the neglected muscles. Simon practiced them until he could perform both correctly, then left to prepare for work. Joe remained in the courtyard for his own spear training, considering how much his brother's circumstances had improved since their childhood. Simon possessed neither extraordinary talent nor unlimited training time, but he had become disciplined and financially secure. His access to cultivation resources had also improved considerably, particularly now that Joe could obtain inheritances and medicines through Ashbourne.

Joe wanted Simon to progress as far as his abilities allowed. Reaching Acquired would require resources and opportunities far beyond those Simon currently possessed, and Joe could not guarantee that such a path would become available. Nevertheless, he intended to preserve the possibility rather than allow his brother to make decisions that would permanently restrict future advancement. For now, the immediate objective remained Muscle Completion followed by a properly prepared entry into Bone.

Two days later, Theo arrived with Hall, who had recently returned from escorting a merchant caravan. Hall looked more weathered than Joe remembered, and the effects of his old cultivation injuries remained visible in the care with which he moved. He had successfully entered Internal Organs through the Heart many years earlier, but the breakthrough had nearly cost him his life. His subsequent attempts to prepare the Lungs had repeatedly caused prolonged periods of weakness, eventually forcing him to abandon further advancement. He now earned his living through caravan protection, where his strength as a true martial artist commanded better compensation than ordinary work in Blackwood.

Joe received both men in the rear sitting room and examined Hall after a brief conversation. He first checked his condition at rest, then asked him to circulate Blood Energy at the intensity he ordinarily used during training. The circulation remained stable through the Heart, but the moment Hall attempted to increase it beyond his familiar limit, a faint tightness appeared across his chest. His breathing shortened, and the flow of Blood Energy became uneven. Joe stopped the exercise before the strain developed further and waited until Hall recovered.

"Your Heart has remained functional, but the circulation you learned places too much pressure on it when you prepare for further tempering," Joe explained. "That would account for the long recovery periods after your previous attempts. I can provide a gentler sequence and medicine to help stabilize the existing foundation, but you shouldn't attempt the Lungs until the Heart can sustain the required circulation without strain."

Hall rubbed the center of his chest, where the familiar discomfort had begun to fade. "The last time I tried to deepen the circulation, I spent almost a month recovering. I stopped because caravan masters wouldn't continue hiring someone who kept becoming unable to work. If you think the Heart can recover properly, I'm willing to follow your instructions."

Joe spent the next portion of the afternoon guiding him through a revised circulation method. He reduced the initial pressure and altered how Blood Energy moved around the Heart, allowing the circulation to strengthen gradually instead of forcing the organ to endure a sudden increase. Hall completed the sequence twice, resting between attempts. After the second session, he remained seated for several minutes, checking his pulse and waiting for the discomfort that usually followed deeper circulation.

When nothing developed, Hall looked toward Joe. "Normally, I would already feel pressure by now. Even after stopping, it takes time before my breathing returns to normal."

"Continue at this intensity for several weeks," Joe instructed. "Don't increase it because today's response was favorable. I want your Heart stable before we consider the next stage." He prepared a short course of medicine and recorded the necessary training schedule, making it clear that Hall should postpone further tempering until they had enough evidence of recovery.

Their discussion then turned toward Hall's work. Long caravan journeys made consistent cultivation difficult, since meals, rest, and training conditions changed according to the route. Joe had been considering how to strengthen the Vale household's martial position while remaining in Ashbourne, and Hall's circumstances presented an opportunity that could benefit both sides.

"I would like you to consider joining the Vale household," Joe said. "You would receive a regular allowance, accommodation, and the medicine required for your cultivation. Simon already manages our businesses, but he could benefit from an experienced martial artist who can supervise training and advise him when necessary. I don't expect you to confront opponents beyond your strength. If a serious threat arises, your responsibility would be to recognize the danger and protect the household as far as your abilities allow."

Hall considered the offer carefully. A permanent position would provide more reliable income and allow him to maintain a consistent cultivation schedule. He had already accepted another caravan contract, however, and preferred to complete it rather than leave the merchant without an escort. "The next journey should take less than three weeks. Once I return, I can stop accepting the longer routes and join your household."

Joe agreed without requiring him to abandon the existing contract. Theo, who had listened quietly throughout the discussion, raised no objection. He already employed experienced instructors to manage Talent Hall's daily operations, and Hall had never been responsible for running the institution. His caravan work had kept him away from town for much of the year.

"Talent Hall can continue as before," Theo said. "Hall's strength will be better employed in a household that can provide regular work and stable conditions for cultivation. I'll continue handling the students and instructors through my own arrangements."

Joe appreciated the clarity. Theo had developed ambitions of his own, and maintaining a good relationship between Talent Hall and the Vale family did not require either side to surrender control over its affairs. They spent the remainder of the visit reviewing several training and business developments before Theo and Hall departed.

Renford visited the following afternoon after Mira informed him that Simon was approaching Muscle Completion. The Bone inheritance promised through Edwin's branch remained available, and Joe explained the weaknesses he had identified during Simon's training. Renford examined the corrective movements and agreed that there was no reason to hurry. The inheritance would remain reserved for Simon whenever he completed the necessary preparation.

Their conversation then turned toward the arrangements between the Vale and Black families. Simon and Mira lived in Blackwood, while Renford already handled several responsibilities connected to Edwin's branch. Joe suggested that routine issues involving Mira, the workshop, or Edwin's remaining local interests should pass directly between Simon and Renford rather than require correspondence with Ashbourne. Both men agreed. Their established relationship through the Black family made the arrangement straightforward, and Edwin would still receive notice whenever a decision required his involvement.

Several days later, Francis sent the first completed decisions from its internal review.

The same administrator who had attended the meeting with Joe arrived at the Vale residence carrying a case of documents. He greeted Simon properly and followed him into the sitting room, but the confidence he had displayed before witnessing Joe's aura had not fully returned. His fingers remained tightly wrapped around the case handle, and when Joe entered, his grip tightened further before he seemed to notice and deliberately relaxed it.

Joe welcomed him and invited him to sit. The administrator arranged the documents on the table with careful movements, keeping the case beside his chair. He had evidently prepared the explanation in advance, and his voice remained steady once he began speaking.

"The patriarch ordered a review of complaints involving our branches and dependent households. Several cases were reopened after the records revealed that Francis connections had been used to pressure other families without proper authorization. The senior household has issued repayment orders, withdrawn privileges, and imposed internal penalties according to the findings."

The review had uncovered repeated misconduct involving the Bran household. Earlier complaints, including the incident connected to Talent Hall, revealed a pattern of using stronger relatives and Francis influence to obtain advantages from people unable to resist. Bran's father had lost every position he held through Francis, while the household's access to family-backed credit and commercial privileges had been withdrawn. Relatives who had repeatedly invoked the Francis name in private disputes also lost the support they had previously enjoyed.

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The punishment extended to the family's property. Francis had seized one of Bran's shops in Blackwood and assigned it to Vale as compensation. The senior household would clear the outstanding debts before completing the transfer, ensuring that the Vales received the property without inherited obligations. The administrator also brought documents confirming the return of the payment Mike had originally lost in the Talent Hall affair.

"The patriarch has authorized the transfer," the administrator explained, placing the deed before Joe. His hand hesitated above the document, and a faint tremor passed through his fingers before he withdrew them. "The property clerk has prepared the registration. Simon may complete the paperwork whenever convenient."

Joe examined the findings. The penalties were considerably more severe than the original affair alone would have justified, but the investigation had uncovered further misconduct involving households with no connection to Vale. He asked whether those additional complaints had formed part of the judgment, and the administrator confirmed that Francis had considered the full pattern of behavior rather than relying solely on the earlier case.

That answer satisfied Joe. He had accepted the previous settlement and had no desire to seek additional punishment merely because his cultivation now placed him above the Francis family. The senior household had conducted its own investigation and chosen the penalties it considered appropriate.

"I have no further questions," Joe told the administrator. "Please inform the patriarch that we have received the documents. Simon will handle the registration and any remaining administrative work."

The administrator inclined his head, and some of the tension left his shoulders. He gathered the copies that required his return signature before departing, taking care to leave the original deed and compensation records with Simon.

Once the carriage left, Simon examined the property documents more closely. The shop stood on a respectable commercial street and contained a sales floor, rear storage space, and several rooms used for inventory. Its stated value exceeded the family's original loss by a considerable amount, although the business had also accumulated obligations that Francis now intended to settle.

"This is far more than the compensation Father originally expected," Simon observed. "The shop is still operating, and the location is good. We should inspect the inventory and accounts before deciding what to do with it."

Joe agreed and left the property assessment to him. Simon already understood the town's commercial conditions and could determine whether the business was worth operating or whether selling it would better serve the family.

When Mike learned about the decision that evening, he initially assumed Francis had merely returned the old payment. Simon placed the deed beside the compensation record and explained that the shop would also become Vale property once the transfer was registered.

Mike read the deed twice before looking toward Joe. "They're giving us the entire shop? Did you ask them for this?"

"Francis decided the compensation after completing its investigation," Joe replied. "The property will be transferred without debt. Simon can handle the registration once you've decided what you want to do with it."

Lily took the inventory and examined the goods listed there. The shop sold grain, dried provisions, lamp oil, soap, household tools, and other everyday supplies. She had managed household purchases for years and knew enough about the local markets to recognize which goods sold regularly and which required more careful attention.

"We should inspect it before deciding," she said. "The location may be good, but we need to know the condition of the stock and whether the accounts are accurate. If the business is sound, your father and I could manage it."

Mike agreed and began examining the supplier list. Joe left them to their assessment, pleased that his parents had immediately turned toward the practical responsibilities involved rather than becoming distracted by the value of the compensation.

That evening, he returned to another project he had been developing during his visit: a complete martial inheritance for future members of the Vale family.

Joe had accumulated knowledge and training methods that far exceeded what his family could have obtained independently. He wanted to preserve that information in an organized form, allowing later generations to cultivate without depending entirely on the goodwill of other households. The inheritance needed to be demanding enough to preserve future potential while remaining realistic for talented practitioners who did not possess his extraordinary circumstances.

He began with Foundation, recording the requirements for Static and Dynamic advancement, common training errors, recovery standards, and the conditions a practitioner should satisfy before progressing. He emphasized that stronger bodily control and a properly established Foundation would benefit every later realm, while weaknesses ignored during early cultivation could become increasingly difficult to correct.

The sections on Skin, Muscle, and Bone Tempering included both the ordinary first tempering and the additional refinement available to practitioners with sufficient resources and ability. Joe placed the requirements for further tempering near the beginning of each section rather than hiding them among advanced material. Anyone capable of pursuing the stronger path needed to understand those choices before leaving the relevant realm.

He deliberately avoided presenting his own ninefold tempering as the family standard. His cultivation had depended on conditions no descendant could reasonably be expected to reproduce, and recommending such a path without the necessary foundation would create dangers rather than opportunities. The inheritance instead described a stronger but achievable progression: two rounds of Skin, Muscle, and Bone Tempering, followed by three complete Internal Organ cycles before attempting to form Acquired Energy.

Joe devoted considerable attention to the Internal Organ material. He recorded the first cycle in detail, including the order of advancement, circulation requirements, recovery conditions, and common complications. The second and third cycles required more demanding preparation and greater access to medicine, so he separated their methods and established clear requirements before further advancement. He placed the prerequisites for Acquired at the end of the section but kept the actual Acquired inheritance secured separately.

Hall would only need the first-cycle material for the foreseeable future. His Heart required careful stabilization before he could consider entering the Lungs, and Joe had already prepared a separate schedule suited to his condition. Simon received instructions concerning his hips and lower back, together with the requirements he should satisfy before beginning Bone Tempering.

Joe showed the family copy to Simon the following morning. His brother read through the early sections before stopping at the additional Skin Tempering requirements.

"You've placed the second tempering here instead of leaving it for the advanced material," Simon observed. "Most practitioners wouldn't even consider attempting another round at that stage."

"Anyone capable of pursuing it needs to know before advancing," Joe explained. "The same applies to Muscle and Bone. You cannot assume there will be an opportunity to return later."

Simon continued reading until he reached the requirements for Internal Organs. The inheritance described three complete cycles before Acquired, an undertaking far beyond what most martial artists in Blackwood would contemplate. He understood that few members of the family might ever reach such heights, but preserving the information would allow future practitioners to make informed decisions if the opportunity arose.

"The family will have a better inheritance than anything we possessed when we began training," Simon said, closing the manuscript carefully. "I'll make sure the original is protected, and anyone using it follows the conditions you've written."

Joe entrusted the family copy to Simon and Mira, arranging for Hall to receive access only to the sections relevant to his responsibilities once he formally joined the household. A second copy would return with Joe to Ashbourne, where he could continue improving the material as his knowledge expanded.

Theo returned later that afternoon with Alex, who had asked to accompany him after hearing about Joe's return.

Alex had continued cultivating through the opportunities available at Talent Hall and had benefited from Theo's position. His connection to the institution had provided access to a reliable Bone inheritance, something many young martial artists in Blackwood could only hope to obtain. Nevertheless, the developments surrounding Joe's visit had made him reconsider how much cultivation resources alone could accomplish.

The exact level of Joe's cultivation had not become public, but the behavior of Blackwood's strongest households had attracted attention. The magistrate had received Joe personally, while the Francis patriarch and grand elder had visited the Vale residence rather than inviting him to their compound. Alex had heard enough rumors to understand that the young man who once trained in Blackwood had returned with strength far beyond the town's ordinary expectations.

Theo handled most of the visit, discussing Talent Hall's younger practitioners and several training arrangements before Alex finally addressed Joe.

"How much did Montclair help you advance?" he asked. His tone remained respectful, although the question revealed how seriously he had been considering Joe's progress.

"A great deal," Joe answered. "I received access to better inheritances, medicines, instructors, and training conditions than Blackwood could provide. Those opportunities allowed me to advance much further than I could have managed here."

Alex considered the explanation before glancing toward Theo. He had received similar advantages on a smaller scale, yet the progress he had made remained modest compared with what he had heard about Joe.

Joe understood the comparison. "Theo has already helped you obtain a good Bone inheritance. Make proper use of it. Having access to an inheritance gives you the opportunity to cultivate, but the advancement still depends on the work you put into it."

Alex accepted the advice without attempting to defend his earlier progress. He had seen enough during Joe's visit to understand that family connections and cultivation resources could open opportunities, but they did not guarantee the results that followed. Theo allowed the conversation to end there and returned to discussing several students whose training arrangements required attention.

After they departed, Joe secured the completed Vale inheritance in a reinforced case. Simon and Mira would control access while he remained in Ashbourne, and Hall would assist with the household's martial instruction after completing his final caravan contract. Theo and Renford remained connected to the family through their own institutions and responsibilities, providing relationships that did not require either man to abandon his existing position.

That evening, Joe found Mike and Lily examining the Bran shop's records in the sitting room. They had spread the inventory, supplier list, and recent accounts across the table, marking several entries that required clarification. Mike had identified questionable prices, while Lily had compared the stock against what she knew of household demand in Blackwood.

Joe took a seat beside them and examined the documents. "Have you decided whether you want to keep the shop?"

Mike looked toward Lily before answering. "Not yet. The location appears good, and the accounts suggest the business is profitable, but I want to inspect the stock and speak with the workers before committing ourselves. If everything is in order, I think we could manage it."

Lily agreed. "We've spent enough years buying these goods to understand what people need. The shop already has suppliers and customers, so we wouldn't be starting from nothing. We should see the place ourselves before deciding whether to keep operating it."

Joe was satisfied with their approach. His parents had spent much of their lives working to support the family, and the shop offered them a business they could manage at their own pace without depending on Simon's workshop. He arranged to accompany them the following morning, leaving the final decision in their hands.

The documents remained spread across the table as Mike and Lily continued reviewing the accounts. They had already begun identifying which suppliers they wanted to meet and what they needed to inspect, and Joe listened while they discussed their plans. For once, the family's next undertaking required little from him beyond making the opportunity available.