By the time the sun had set, Yuanshi and her siblings returned to the Feng Palace Inn, their small purchases bundled in cloth. The inn smelled faintly of smoke and mildew, the wooden boards creaking underfoot with every step. Ergu's eyes drooped from the day's excitement, but Yuanshi kept a hand lightly on his shoulder, steadying him as they climbed the narrow stairs to their room.
Inside, the room felt cramped and dim, but Yuanshi's mind buzzed with possibility. She laid out the purchased dresses and accessories on the floor, letting Yuexi inspect them. The soft clatter of inkstones and brushes she had bought earlier sat waiting nearby, alongside a stack of blank paper. Yuanshi ran her fingers over the sheets. "Alright," she said, "we've got two days. Let's make these maps look real."
Yuexi opened the ledger and started tallying their purchases. "Five taels already gone," she muttered, making marks carefully. "One tael here, two there… You're not planning to waste more than ten taels, right?"
Yuanshi smirked. "Of course not. But think about it, if we sell these maps for a hundred taels each, we'll make the money back in one sale. And we need them to look convincing. That's what counts."
Yuexi rolled her eyes but didn't argue. "Fine, but I'm keeping track. Every coin spent, every brush, ink, and paper. If we go over, I'll blame you."
Yuanshi grinned and nudged Ergu gently. "Alright, little man, you stay out of trouble while we work. Don't spill anything in the ink." Ergu nodded solemnly, though he batted at the brush once, causing a tiny blot on the floor. Yuanshi snorted and wiped it up.
The first day was spent in preparation. They studied the maps they had bought from the market, careful to note lines, contours, and symbols. Yuanshi mimicked the curves of rivers, the ridges of mountains, and the placement of towns and valleys. Yuexi helped, acting as the accountant and organizer, carefully noting which supplies were being used and how long each map might take to complete.
"You're smudging the border here," Yuexi pointed out, tapping the edge of Yuanshi's paper. "See, that's not convincing. Someone will notice."
Yuanshi frowned, dipping the brush back into the ink. "Okay, okay, you're right. But we want it to look aged, don't we? Some imperfections make it look real."
"Imperfections are fine, but smudges don't read like age, they read like you can't paint," Yuexi countered, though a small smile tugged at her lips. "We need to think like someone who actually found this on an ancient scroll."
Yuanshi leaned back, stretching her arms. Ergu yawned again and nestled into her side, still small enough for her to cradle with one arm. "Fine. We'll do it my way too. You handle the notes, I'll handle the artistry. And I swear, we're going to make this perfect."
By the evening, they had managed to complete three preliminary maps. Yuanshi held them up with a small grin. "Not bad, not bad at all. They're starting to look ancient." She glanced at Ergu, who was half-asleep, his small hand wrapped around the edge of one sheet. "See, little brother? You helped just by being here, keeping us company."
The next day, they returned to the task with renewed determination. Yuanshi had bought a small packet of tea leaves and ashes in the market to give the maps an aged scent and slightly yellowed texture. She carefully brushed the ash over the edges, muttering to herself about ancient travelers and sun-baked parchment. Yuexi measured the ink thickness and kept track of time, occasionally suggesting adjustments.
"Your compass rose is too perfect," Yuexi said, tilting her head to study one map. "No ancient map maker would make it that exact. Loosen up."
Yuanshi laughed, flicking the brush slightly to smear a line. "There, happy now? It looks like someone actually wandered through Dragon Valley and had no idea where they were going."
Ergu, fascinated by the motion, sat cross-legged and tried to imitate the brush strokes with his little fingers. Yuanshi kept a protective arm around him, letting him play but making sure he didn't ruin the real maps. "Careful, tiny monk," she said softly.
By mid-afternoon, all twenty maps were complete. Each bore intricate mountains, rivers, and forests, and each looked slightly aged, as if it had been handled and passed down for decades. Yuexi tallied the materials used, noting ink, paper, ash, and tea, and calculated their total spending down to the last fraction of a tael. "Two days well spent," she said, leaning back with a satisfied smile.
Yuanshi looked at the maps lined up on the floor, her eyes sparkling. "Tomorrow, we'll see if all this work pays off. Dragon Valley won't know what hit it."