“This here is jackal spoor. Do you see the little claws?” Iseul pointed at the tip of the tiny footprint they’d found on the riverbank. “They often come down for water around midnight. They’ll have been out hunting for a few hours at that point, so they’ll be thirsty and tired.”

  The thick brownish-black mud was congealing under the hot sun, and the river was running low due a lack of rain. The scent of muck and grime was almost nauseating this close to the ground, and Song held down a gag.

  They both wore grass cloaks for today’s lesson, Song’s having been a rush job from his mother. It was bulky and uncomfortable and made his ears itch.

  Song squatted next to Iseul’s side and asked, “How can I tell the difference between an Iron Footed Jackal and a regular golden jackal?”

  “An Iron Foot has Earth qi, so it’ll be heavier; deeper on the heel. And you’ll find more tracks. That’s assuming its refinement level, of course.”

  “What if it’s higher?”

  “Then it won’t be making tracks at all,” Iseul smirked. “It’ll be moving through the dirt and drinking from below the river to avoid predators. They’re already clever, but they get smart at foundation level. But that also means you won’t need to worry, since they won’t attack a human this close to the village.”

  “They still go after our horses.”

  Iseul shrugged, standing. “Even Demonic Beasts need to eat.”

  “I don’t see why we let them come this close to the village at all. Li Zhui says that letting a young enemy grow old will only bring harm,” Song grumbled. “Wook tries to kill any Iron Foot he finds; one ate his favourite foal when he was younger.”

  “Li Zhui’s writings are on the tactics of war, not advice for life,” Iseul scoffed. “And doesn’t your Lee family keep a Pheasant Tailed Red Hawk? Demonic Beasts are no more inherently evil than any other cultivator.”

  Song frowned, considering the footprint. As one raised to protect the herd from dangerous predators, he just couldn’t understand his teacher’s view. Her argument about Kkongi did little to sway him; the beast was a menace, and terrified him. He always felt like it was eyeing him up for dinner.

  “Look at it this way,” Iseul said, soothingly. “An Iron Footed Jackal may be a Demonic Beast, but it’s still a cultivator, just like you. It has Sign, it circulates qi, and it seeks to ascend to heaven. One day it may gain a core and become sentient, or even rise to become a Nascent Soul. At that point do you really want it to come seeking vengeance?”

  “What about the grasswolves?” Song pointed out the flaw in her logic. “We hunt them to the ends of Murim the moment we even see one.”

  “They’re true demons, their minds and bodies warped by the Great One’s Sign.” The hunter shook her head. “They can’t circulate, and it's only through devouring the qi of other creatures that they increase their cultivation. Even if one managed to form a core, it would still be insane. Killing them is doing them a favour.”

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  Song grew silent. Her words made sense, and she was his teacher.

  Iseul walked up the riverbank and Song scrambled to keep up. His teacher moved with grace that matched a stallion’s, her strides easily eating up the grasslands. Her starry grey eyes seemed to take in every detail around them.

  “What do you see there?” She asked, pointing at a seemingly random patch of grass.

  Song was used to her sudden tests by now, and jogged over to where she’d indicated. He ran his still-unpracticed eye over the patch carefully. There might be nothing; Teacher enjoyed having him search pointlessly. But jumping to conclusions was a quick trip to a smack. A minute of searching later he proudly pointed to a few blades of grass that had mud on their tips. “Transference, Teacher. That’s mud from the riverbank that an animal transferred to the grass.”

  “Good,” Iseul nodded curtly. “But you missed the disturbance next to it. Do you see how that small patch a little further down has a silver sheen? That’s because it’s facing the opposite direction from the other grasses.”

  Indeed, the grass had been tamped down, and on closer examination he could even see fine scratches on the blades from jackal claws.

  “Apologies, Teacher,” he said. “I should’ve spotted that.”

  Iseul reached over and smacked him on the back of the head. “Foolish, boy. It’s outside the area I told you to inspect, so of course you didn’t find it.”

  Song rubbed his head. “Then why – ?”

  “You need to learn to look outside the boxes the world makes for you. The Gangho is more vast and terrifying than you can imagine. The classics can be a poison that trick you into thinking that all orthodox cultivators are righteous and honorable, and all demons are vile lying vipers.” Her hand rose to her scar unbidden, as she finished bitterly, “But it doesn’t always work that way. I’ve met kindly Demonic Beasts, and bald-faced lying daoists.”

  Song thought of Cyrus, and nodded seriously. “Thank you for the lesson, Teacher.”

  “If you understand, then perhaps it's time for you to show me all you’ve learned these past two weeks.” Iseul grinned.

  Amongst other things, Song had learned to fear that grin.

  “Yes, Teacher? This Student is listening.”

  “It just so happens to be the month of the dog, and there’s a jackal nearby.” Iseul gestured at the tracks. “Hunt it for me.”

  Song looked downstream, his eyes following the lazy curves of the river. “Now?”

  Iseul laughed. “Not now.”

  “Then when?”

  “Tonight of course! It's the first night of the Lotus Moon, and you'll be able to see for li around. You’ve shown adequate skill in tracking, and you’re a terrifying shot with that stupid stick. We’ve confirmed that there isn't anything stronger nearby, and you need to hunt something without me looking over your shoulder.”

  “Am I really ready?” Song asked, holding his sling-staff tightly.

  “Are you afraid?” Iseul laughed. “You slew a grasswolf with nothing but a broken bow, boy. You have nothing to fear from a jackal. You’ve already hunted marmots; you’ll be fine. Just remember to stay downwind and step quietly, just like I showed you.”

  Song jutted his chin out as his courage firmed. He had indeed completed his first hunt just the other day, striking a marmot between the eyes at three dozen paces. Mother had been so proud that she’d demanded its fur so she could make it into a hat.

  "Remember, you’re a Void cultivator – the night is yours,” Iseul continued, “When you’re finished, come to the camp and show me the results. I'll give you the three days till the lotus moon ends. Just don’t disappoint me, boy, or I’ll have you back to cutting firewood for a month.”

  Song bowed at the waist. “This Student won’t disappoint you, Teacher.”

  “See that you don’t. It’s time you took your first step out into the unknown,” Iseul looked out over the windy plains, her gaze growing distant. “After all, you're a cultivator now. You never know when a tale of the Gangho will come calling with your name on it. Whether you want it, or not.”