Hanlo’s poster hung at the market lane by morning. The painter had drawn Yan above a furnace, a red aura curling around his shoulders. A crowd of smiling followers raised their hands below him. Across the top, thick letters announced: THE FEARLESS BODY MAKES EVERY FORBIDDEN ART SAFE.
Yan stopped in front of it and laughed. The painted shoulders were broad enough for two coats. “Is that robe meant to be mine?” he asked the painter, Jinn, who was still touching up the border.
“Hanlo gave me the design and paid for two copies,” Jinn said. “He wanted you recognizable.”
The illustration was flattering. Yan liked the red light, the proud stance and the way the crowd looked toward him. He stood there a moment longer, letting the image catch his eye. Behind the heavy type, the painted furnace glowed as if no one could be burned by it.
Ning came up from the lane with a basket of account forms. “The words have to come down.”
Hanlo had heard her. He stepped away from his stool. “They are an interpretation, not a literal claim. The small print says each student practices at their own risk.”
Qinghe had come from the clinic and read the poster twice. “A disclaimer does not correct a false medical statement. You are telling people a forbidden art is safe for everyone.”
