《I'm really not the Saviour! [我唔係救主囖!]》


 1 - I think you have the wrong person

    It was a perfectly ordinary day in the country of Sek''suen. Under a clear blue sky, people were going about their business as usual, from the city port of Yuk-hoi to the countryside in the west.


    Approximately twenty lei west of the capital, Maau-daan-si, a young man sat on a large stone by the side of the road and contemplated his empty water gourd, his eyelids lowered.


    No matter how long he stared at it, it remained empty.


    Blank-faced, he tossed the heavy gourd carelessly behind him into the bushes. What was the point of carrying something so heavy if it served no purpose?


    He squinted up at the blue sky and thought about his next move. This was a large road, so surely someone would pass by soon and he could try to hitch a lift, or even just ask for some water.


    In the meantime, it had been a while since he had given his dou, a single-edged and curved blade as long as his arm, some maintenance. He drew it from its sheath at his side and assessed it. Smeared with dirt and who-knows what, the blade was dull and miserable-looking. At least the grip looked relatively clean, although the unusual jade-coloured hilt and matching scabbard only looked marginally less shabby than the blade. He roughly scrubbed at the metal with fistful of his robe, which only smudged it even more.


    He blinked at the results expressionlessly.


    This wouldn''t do. He stood up and went to put away the sword, but missed the scabbard entirely, his arm flying backwards under the momentum as it failed to sheathe as he expected. Yet the blade did suddenly stop, only a little further back than it should have.


    He looked behind him.


    A small demon, ridges running down the middle of its face, stood behind him, poised to stab down with a short spear. The young man''s sword had gone straight through the demon''s sternum.


    They both stared at the blade, then looked each other.


    Without a single change in expression, he pulled the sword out.


    The demon fell down, dead.


    "You did it!" a voice exclaimed suddenly.


    All at once, a crowd of villagers, some carrying farming implements, popped out from the bushes a little further up the road. Nervous and excited, they crowded around the young man.


    "Those two demons have been terrorising us, and travellers along this road, for weeks!"


    "We thought you were done for!"


    "We didn''t know what to do! Lucky you are strong!"


    Two demons?


    The young man looked behind him, and saw that a clawed hand was protruding out from the bushes. The empty water gourd lay nearby, and when he moved the plants aside to take a look, he saw that his discarded gourd had accurately hit another demon on the head and knocked it out instantly.


    "This one is still alive," he said in a low voice. Even when he spoke, he kept his eyelids half-closed, as though sensitive to the afternoon sunlight.


    "All the better! Let''s tie it up!"


    A group of villagers, made brave by their numbers, surged forward, clamouring, to grab the unconscious demon. They led it away with shouts and cheers.


    A young girl shyly pulled at the young man''s sleeve. "You''re him, aren''t you?"


    "...?"


    "Ah!" Someone else noticed. "A handsome young man with long dark hair, wearing cultivator''s robes, and carrying a jade-hilted sword. Of course!"


    "Who else could it be? The saviour of us!"


    "No wonder he beat the demons so easily! Where are you headed next, Jade Exorcist? Can we help you?"


    "Yes, yes! Bring him some food and water. Please let us know if you need anything else!"


    The villagers, like swarming bees, buzzed about fetching supplies. Several parents brought their babies over to be touched on the head by the Jade Exorcist, to gain his protection, while several young girls peeked shyly at him behind their sleeves.


    At last, the young man managed to extricate himself, and after bowing his thanks for the food and water, continued walking south along the road, his water gourd now filled and arms full.


    The villagers watched him go.


    "Fancy that, the Jade Exorcist, here!"


    "He was so cool, the way he casually dealt with those demons!"


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    "He didn''t care at all! They were nothing to him!"


    "He wasn''t that handsome," a young farmer said, raising an eyebrow. Everyone immediately rounded on him.


    "You''re just jealous because you can''t do what he does!"


    "You go and kill demons then! Let''s see how well you do!"


    "That''s... that''s not what I meant! I mean, he''s a bit short, isn''t he? And I''m not saying he''s ugly, but he''s nothing special to-"


    Further words were drowned out by loud protestations, and he was chased back to the village by the angry shouting.


    In the meantime, the young man had wandered a fair distance down the road, gnawing on some tasty buns that someone had handed to him. He took a bite, savouring it as he wondered to himself -


    Who the heck is the Jade Exorcist?


    <hr>


    Nightfall, and the young man found a comfortable spot by the roadside to lay down. He prepared his bed by gathering together leaves into a large pile, snuggling down into them. He had briefly thought about asking the villagers for a place to stay, but with the way they had been fussing around, he expected he wouldn''t get a very good rest. A peaceful spot alone was much better.


    He unhooked his dou from his waist, held it to him like a child with a toy, and closed his eyes to sleep.


    The heavens immediately opened and a downpour drenched him in a few seconds flat.


    He opened his eyes again, deadpan.


    Was there really any point in moving? He was already wet.


    Still, it was very noisy and not very conducive to sleep, so he got up and began to look for shelter. In this landscape, there were few caves, and they tended to be very small, so he wasn''t expecting much, but after a few minutes of searching, he saw a flicker of light between the trees.


    He walked towards it.


    There was a small cave ahead, with enough space for two or three people. It was already occupied ¨C the light he had seen emanated from a little fire, and a person sat beside it. He stepped into its light, and looked at the other person.


    The other person looked at him.


    She was a small and slender woman, with a pretty nose and mouth, and eyes that seemed too big for her face. They didn''t seem to blink much. After they had stared at the young man for a moment, the pretty mouth split into a strange grin. "Hi there."


    The young man nodded in return.


    With a clang, he caught a knife that came flying at his face with his still-sheathed dou, not yet reattached to his belt. The woman threw another knife, leaping into the rain at him, and he blocked this one too, only this time she caught the ricocheting knife and, holding it in her hand, brought it down towards his head.


    The young man tripped over a rock behind him.


    His other leg shot up and caught the woman cleanly in the stomach, sending her flying over his head and almost into a tree. She elegantly pivoted so that her feet hit it first and she bounced back, aiming again for the young man''s head as he lay on the ground. He rolled, stood, and dodged the next knife she threw.


    The woman jumped back into the cave and shook water from herself like a dog. "Come and get dry! You came at a good time, I was getting bored."


    As she dried herself using the heat of the fire, she looked at the young man, the strange grin having never left her face. "Won''t you come and dry yourself off too? You look so sad out there. We can''t let you be sad."


    Without hesitation, the young man entered the cave and sat opposite the smiling woman. He didn''t look at her, keeping his eyelids lowered and his gaze on the fire.


    The woman rested her chin on her hand, her elbow on her knee. "What''s your name, Little Handsome?"


    "... I don''t make a point of telling my name to strangers."


    "Ah, don''t be like that! We had such a passionate engagement just now! I''m Teem Djeung Baak. You can call me Djeung Djeung if you like."


    Who the hell would like to call you Djeung Djeung?


    The young man didn''t respond, instead fully closing his eyes, apparently falling asleep upright. He suddenly cracked open one eye to stare at Teem Djeung Baak, who had just drawn one of her daggers.


    She smiled at him. "I just wanted to see if you had really fallen asleep, that''s all!"


    The young man closed his eye again.


    Apparently aware that she would not be able to get any advantage over him, Teem Djeung Baak behaved herself for the rest of the night, although occasionally she would start humming some song or laugh weirdly to herself. At last, the rain eased in the early morning, and the young man stood up to go.


    "You really won''t tell me your name, huh?" Teem Djeung Baak said, looking hurt. There was no sincerity in her expression. "Should I try and persuade you?" She produced her daggers with a huge smile.


    The young man merely blinked at her before turning away.


    "No fun, huh? I''ll get your name out of you eventually, Little Handsome! See you later!"


    The young man walked on without turning back. One really does meet all sorts of people in the world.


    The road was sodden after the overnight downpour. His robes had dried a little, but they were still uncomfortable. He was glad that Teem Djeung Baak had not followed him, although he suspected that a person like her would not be easily shaken off if she put her mind to something. Ah well, he would likely never see her again.


    His path led him to a wide road, broader than the one he had followed the day before. He stared down its length, disappearing over the horizon.


    This had to be the Jade Road, the long trade highway that ran from Yuk-hoi in the east into the distant lands west. There were signs of high traffic, and in fact, at that moment a small train of carts slowed as they passed him. Those on board were whispering urgently to each other, and at last, a tough-looking middle-aged woman, who appeared to be the leader, leapt down and approached the young man.


    "Young man, you''re the Jade Exorcist, correct?" Her manner was brusque, her expression harassed.


    The young man glanced at her under his lowered lids but did not confirm nor deny.


    "I see your blade there, young man. We are merchants in need an escort, as there are reports of demons lurking in the valley up ahead. What would it take for you to come with us?"


    "... I don''t require payment." He still had plenty of food, and water was now not an issue, with all the rain.


    The merchants murmured to each other.


    "As I''ve heard, he acts unselfishly. No need for payment!"


    "If only there were more people like him in the world, it would be a better place."


    The young man climbed into the front cart with the merchant leader. She gave the order to move forwards, and they rolled along the road, the oxen pulling the cart sedately.


    The merchants laughed and sang songs, whilst their leader and the young man sat in disinterested silence at the front. The driver of their cart felt like he was being flanked by two cold stones and dearly wished he was in another cart.


    As they progressed down the road, even the chatty merchants grew quieter. They tensely peered at their surroundings as thick vegetation and valley walls began to rise around them. Any ordinary person would be anxious in this kind of atmosphere. It was the perfect place for an ambush ¨C a narrow space with little room to flee, poor visibility, and high perches where the ambusher could attack from above.


    Yet the attack came from behind.


    The young man felt a sword prick his spine.


    "Throw your dou away."

 2 - Ill take your food but not your company

    Ah.


    The young man glanced over his shoulder.


    The merchant leader''s dagger pricked his back again. "Don''t try to turn around. Now give us all your valuables."


    There was a shade of confused exasperation on the young man''s usually blank face.


    The knife jabbed him this time, drawing some blood. "Hurry up! Aren''t you the Jade Exorcist? Surely you have plenty of good things!"


    The young man patted his clothes, turning out his sleeves to reveal the remainder of the food he had been given earlier.


    "Where are you hiding your things?" The merchants... no, bandits, crowded around, turning over the young man''s hands and patting him only to confirm that the only things he carried were food and his sword. He folded his arms over his chest as they did, and the leader instantly fixated on his movements.


    "He probably has something hiding on his chest, like a necklace, or there''s a hidden pocket. Pull his arms aside!"


    At these words, the young man''s half-closed lids opened slightly more. His eyes flashed silver.


    With a speed that couldn''t be followed by the eye, his hand began to move towards the sword being held by one of the bandits, but before he could retrieve it, a loud voice, infused with internal energy, hei, broke across them like a landslide. "BANDIT SCUM! I''LL TEACH YOU A LESSON!"


    The young man wiggled a finger in his ear. From between the bandits, he could see a figure standing on the road in front of them.


    It was a tall and upright youth, sturdy and eager-eyed. He had a handsome, strong face, long dark hair tied in a low ponytail that draped over one shoulder, and in his powerful folded arms, he carried a gim, a straight double-edged sword, with a jade hilt.


    The bandits looked at him, then looked back at the young man they had been robbing.


    This young man was average height, if not a little short, with a somewhat slight build and lowered eyelids. His face was a little delicate but otherwise ordinary, his long dark hair was tied in a high ponytail, and his hand was halfway to taking back his jade-hilted dou.


    "You... You''re not the Jade Exorcist!"


    "... Did I say I was?"


    "You-!"


    The other man on the road dashed forwards. He was quicker than the bandits, swinging his sword without even unsheathing it. In a few moments, the whole bandit troupe was flat on their backs, seeing stars. He looked around to find the young man extracting his dou from the pile of people.


    "Sir, are you alright?" His manner was bright and enthusiastic.


    The young man blinked, as if blinded. "... Alright."


    "Good! Did I hear right, that they mistook you for the Jade Exorcist? I apologise greatly, please let me make it up to you!"


    The young man began to leave. This guy was too troublesome!


    "Wait! Sir! I''ll... A meal! How about a meal?"


    The young man halted. He had become horribly aware that his sleeves felt very light.


    Of course! He had taken the food out to prove he had nothing valuable, and it had all been squashed in the ensuring chaos. He had been looking forward to eating that pork bun!


    "So it''s agreed then. I know a great place."


    The young man turned and came back. He bowed. "... Thank you."


    "Not a problem!" The Jade Exorcist beamed. "Take it as my apology!"


    He was as good as his word. Soon, the young man found himself surrounded by every kind of dumpling he could desire. The Jade Exorcist smiled as he watched the young man eat. It was a little bit strange to be stared at so intently but the food was too tasty.


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    "What''s this?" The middle-aged man who served them came to top up the hot water in their teapot. "Have you got a fan, Jade Exorcist? Is this kid cosplaying as you?"


    The Jade Exorcist laughed, highly amused. "Maybe?"


    The young man finally looked up, his cheeks bulging with food. Who''s cosplaying as who? Isn''t it just that ''a young handsome man with long dark hair in a ponytail, with a jade-hilted sword'' was a super vague description?


    "Ah well, I admire his spirit, but he''s not handsome enough to beat you."


    "I''m flattered, I''m flattered."


    The young man went back to silently shovelling food in his face.


    "It''s unusual to see someone else with a jade-hilted sword, though. Where did you get it from?" The Jade Exorcist hefted his proudly. "Mine is a treasure of my family. This is pure lotus-jade, extracted from an ancient volcanic lake."


    "..." The young man managed to swallow. "... I just liked the colour."


    "Huh?"


    "It''s paint."


    He went back to eating. The Jade Exorcist and the uncle squinted closely at the sword. A little paint flaked off, showing simple wood underneath.


    "... Well, those bandits have been handed over to the local authorities now, uh... What''s your name, sir?"


    The young man looked at the Jade Exorcist suspiciously. He must have liked what he saw, because he finally rubbed his nose with a mix of shyness and pride. "Sek Gon."


    "As in..."


    "As in ''large'' and ''tree''."


    There was a faintly pleased look on his otherwise impassive face. His audience stared at him, flabbergasted. Did you choose that name yourself when you were twelve? What''s with this weirdly euphemistic name?


    "... I- I see. Um... My family name''s Gou, given name Dzing. Gou as in ''lofty'' and Dzing as in ''righteous''... Where are you headed, Sir Sek?"


    Sek Gon responded with a single word. "Anywhere."


    "..." Could you say any less?


    "I''m headed towards to Yuk-hoi today. Sir Sek, why don''t you come with me?"


    Sek Gon glanced up at the eager Gou Dzing, but didn''t quite meet his eyes. He washed his food down with tea.


    "No." And then he added, "Thank you," as if he realised how rude he sounded. Gou Dzing didn''t seem concerned.


    "Ah, come on, Sir Sek! It''ll be fun! Travelling is always better in a group! Have you ever been to Yuk-hoi before? It''s a really..."


    Sek Gon stood, bowed his thanks, and quickly exited the restaurant.


    He had made it about ten bou down the road before Gou Dzing caught up to him. The cultivator pounced on him like a large, cheerful puppy.


    "Hey hey, Sir Sek, don''t run off like that! Let''s be friends!"


    Sek Gon felt a muscle twitch in his eye. Somehow, this guy was possibly more annoying to have hanging around than -


    "AH!"


    You can''t be serious.


    Teem Djeung Baak leapt out of the forest and landed on the path beside him. She pointed a dramatically accusing finger at the two men. "Little Handsome, you tricked me! Pretending to be the Jade Exorcist like that!"


    The distraught expression on her face was quickly ruined by a sly grin. She covered her face with a hand and peeked between her fingers with her overly large eyes. "I''ll have to punish you!"


    Her daggers flew out. Before they could even reach Sek Gon, a sword flashed before him. With a fierce glare, Gou Dzing pointed his gim at Teem Djeung Baak''s face. "And who do you think you are?"


    "Huh, so you''re the Jade Exorcist? I think I like Little Handsome better. Why don''t you step aside?"


    "Hm... No."


    The next moment, the two clashed.


    Gou Dzing was strong. He landed a blow that Teem Djeung Baak managed to blocked with two crossed daggers, but the force drove her feet into the earth and left her arms shaking. She giggled weirdly.


    ¡°More!¡± Without taking a breath, she flung one of her daggers, the sharp blade narrowly grazing Gou Dzing''s neck.


    Wiping the blood with his thumb, he drew a slip of yellow paper from his robes, smearing his blood on it and flinging it at her face. ¡°Get back!¡±


    A force blasted her off her feet, and she bounced and rolled to a stop before springing upright suddenly. Her face was bruised yet she continued to smile with excitement.


    ¡°Well, you''re resilient, I''ll say that much,¡± Gou Dzing commented, planting his feet firmly and frowning at her.


    "I''m not happy at all to hear that from you," Teem Djeung Baak replied, with her creepy smile. "Now if Little Handsome said that th- Where''s he gone?"


    They both looked around. There was only the two of them as far as they could see.


    Sek Gon had quietly sidled away, unnoticed, giving thanks to the Eight Immortals for allowing him the opportunity. He moved through the forest without once touching the ground, quickly leaving the fighting pair behind.


    He sincerely hoped they would keep each other busy for a while. He didn''t need a bunch of people following him around!


    <hr>


    The Heavens are never so kind.


    Half a day had passed since Sek Gon had managed to shake off Gou Dzing and Teem Djeung Baak. He breathed a sigh of relief, happy in his own company as he wandered along a small road heading south. His steps paused an instant later.


    Around a bend ahead, he could hear distant sounds ¨C shouts, metal clashing.


    Did people just fight all the time around here? Don''t they have jobs or something?


    He began to side-step off the path when a person came hurtling along it.


    Long dark hair in a ponytail.


    The robes of a cultivator.


    A jade-hilted sword.


    ¡°...¡±


    Seriously?


    "Run!" shouted the person pelting towards him. Their voice was high, and they were only a little shorter than he was.


    A woman.


    She hooked an arm into his and yanked him backwards as she continued her crazy escape. Pulled off his feet, Sek Gon fluttered like a banner behind her, his eyes blank and barely registering the mob of chasing people. There was only one thought in his mind:


    Why...?

 3 - Why am I surrounded by jade?

    "I''m Chan Bik."


    "... Bik as in ''jade''?"


    "Yes?"


    "..."


    "..."


    Sek Gon lay down where they had stopped and closed his eyes.


    "Hey! What... what are you doing?"


    "... Sleeping."


    "HERE?"


    Her voice was so loud that those people nearby who were not already looking turned and stared.


    The pair had stopped at one of the entry gates to a small city along the Jade Road, and Sek Gon was currently lying down right in the middle of it all. People trying to get in and out were staring in bewilderment.


    Chan Bik pulled at Sek Gon, highly embarrassed. He responded by flopping face-down on the ground, barely budging as she hauled at the back of his robes.


    "I... I''m leaving you here!"


    Good.


    Sek Gon lay obstinately on his face. Chan Bik dropped down beside him, pleading, "Please get up! I... I''ll treat you to some good food, how about that?"


    Immediately, Sek Gon climbed to his feet. "Okay."


    "..."


    Half an hour later found him once more stuffing his face with food. Chan Bik watched with annoyance and sighed. She was no great beauty, but she had a pretty, roundish face, with a button nose and sprinkling of freckles. Her dark brown eyes stared at the freeloader before her.


    "If I didn''t need to... So who are you?"


    "... Sek Gon."


    "As in...?"


    He explained his name.


    "Right... And why are you disguised as the Jade Exorcist?"


    "I''m not."


    "Are you saying you are the Jade Exorcist? I find that very hard to believe."


    "I''m not."


    "Do you know who he is?"


    "N-"


    "Sir Sek!"


    Sek Gon, his mouth full of pork dumpling, sighed very deeply within his heart, and wondered when everything had gone wrong.


    Gou Dzing came striding into the restaurant and pounced upon the other man with his usual enthusiasm. "I''ve been looking for you everywhere! Wait, who''s this?" He peered closely at Chan Bik. "... Sir Sek, are you sure you''re not a fan of mine? Are you a member of a fan group that likes to cosplay as me?"


    Sek Gon swallowed down his inner tears and focused on his food.


    "This lowly Chan Bik greets a great Master."


    "My humble name is Gou Dzing."


    The other two greeted each other politely. Chan Bik spoke first, looking a little flustered. "Then... you must be the real Jade Exorcist?"


    "That''s me." Gou Dzing''s handsome face split into a good-natured grin. "Senior Disciple the Way of the Mountain School of the Mount Fa Sect, first son of the Gou Family."


    Sek Gon watched him narrowly, a pork bun in each hand, but said nothing.


    Chan Bik poured tea for the newcomer. "Have some tea, please. Great Master, would you please listen to my story? Of course, there is no obligation for you to even listen-"


    "Not at all. Let me see if I can help. My skills are not great, but I always wish to assist if I can." His hand shot out and caught Sek Gon, who had finished his food and was trying to quietly slip away. "Sir Sek, please don''t run away again. It took a good while to find you."


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    Sek Gon, dangling in Gou Dzing''s hand like a kitten, caught a glimpse of the other man''s arm inside his sleeve. He could see a tight bandage, freshly applied, it seemed, but already a few spots of blood were seeping through.


    "... I''ll stay."


    Gou Dzing lowered his arm and released his hand, and Sek Gon flopped back in his seat.


    Chan Bik began to speak. "Forgive my strange attire, I... I was actually trying to attract your attention, Great Master.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you started that fight?¡± Sek Gon interrupted.


    ¡°What fight?¡± Gou Dzing queried.


    Chan Bik fussed with her teacup and didn''t answer the question. ¡°I need the assistance of someone such as yourself, with your skills, because... You see... I... You see, your skills..."


    Her words quickly became jumbled and she seemed increasingly distressed. Gou Dzing tapped the table firmly to retrieve her attention. "Stay calm, Lady Chan. Close your eyes, breathe in through your nose, then out through your mouth. Let your djing circulate counter-clockwise in your lower daan-tin."


    Chan Bik did as she was told. "I... I''m so sorry. I''ve shown a very undignified side of myself."


    "Not at all, Lady Chan. Are you able to continue?"


    "Yes... Yes. Great Master, in short, I highly suspect that my family has been infiltrated by demons." Her voice had dropped very low.


    Gou Dzing frowned, his strong dark brows drawing together. "I see. Why do think so, Lady Chan?"


    "Please, ''Lady'' is too much, and I... I don''t know if the Chan Family even exists any more."


    "We''ll see about that. Please continue, Lady Chan."


    "You still... Alright. At the start of autumn..."


    The Chan Family were relatively well-off. There was a single matriarch, with six children from two different fathers, one of whom was her current younger lover. Chan Bik was the youngest child (of four) from the first marriage. Her mother ruled the family powerfully, and was little concerned with what others might have to say.


    The lover, a handsome man named Se Sue, had joined the household several years ago. Chan Bik''s elder siblings generally viewed him with some suspicion. Her half-siblings, a boy and a girl, were too young to have well-formed opinions, being three-year old twins.


    She herself thought Se Sue was an easy-going and relatively simple person, and wasn''t too concerned. He made her mother happy, and that was all that mattered.


    And then the dreams began.


    With the start of the harvest season, when the Chan Family began to direct farmers on harvest loads and trades, they all began to dream of mice.


    Lots of mice.


    In their dreams, the mice numbered in their thousands. They swarmed the fields and ate the crops, and invaded the barns where the harvest was stored, and ate everything there too, sweeping across the entire farming district. Even the young twins dreamt of mice. They would wake crying and screaming, convinced they were covered in mice that bit at their flesh.


    The shared dream was strange enough. In addition, crops actually began to disappear.


    A rice paddy, that was full of ripe rice during that day, would suddenly be stripped by the next morning. No one saw how it was done. No mice were seen. The farmers began to post guards, and these guards either found themselves unable to resist falling asleep, or their vision went dark and they heard tiny, whispery voices that made them run, terrified, back to their villages.


    Only the farms managed by the Chan Family were impacted. The family was losing their income, and their rationality.


    "Great Master, my siblings are somehow convinced it is the doing of Se Sue, that he''s trying to take our inheritance. Even Second Sister, who seemed to be getting along with him at first, has now changed her mind and is now urging Mother to make him leave. I just... can''t believe it''s him. But I also don''t know who it could be. I''ve never seen my family fight so much. Eldest and Third Brother are threatening to leave if Mother doesn''t give Se Sue up. Mother is furious and threatening to disown them anyway. This can''t be how things end!"


    Gou Dzing fiddled with the tassel on his jade sword thoughtfully. "It sounds like demons could be involved here. Some kind of dark or demonic mischief is certainly happening."


    "I don''t know what payment I can offer, but Great Master, we desperately need help. If it''s you..."


    "Of course, I can''t let something like this go," Gou Dzing replied cheerfully. "I will go with you. And you''ll come with me, right, Sir Sek?"


    They turned to find that Sek Gon had fallen asleep in his chair at some point and was quietly snoring. Gou Dzing barely paused. He cheerfully pinched the other man''s nose until Sek Gon woke, coughing.


    "Sir Sek, we''re going now."


    "... Okay? Bye?"


    "I mean, all three of us."


    "... No."


    "I''ll feed you."


    "... Okay."


    "Alright! Let''s go!"


    Gou Dzing vigorously hustled Sek Gon through the door, paying on the way out despite Chan Bik''s bemused protests. She did, however, notice that Gou Dzing was using his left arm rather stiffly. "Great Master, are you injured?"


    "Oh, this...?" Gou Dzing moved his arm airily and winced. "I... Well, I had a friendly little discussion with a friend of Sir Sek''s. It''s nothing, it''s nothing."


    Sek Gon''s eye twitched.


    "Sir Sek, how did you meet her, by the way? She''s an... interesting person."


    "... She tried to kill me."


    "Ah. That seems to be in character."


    Chan Bik''s eyes were full of questions, but no one chose to answer them.


    "Which way are we headed, Lady Chan?"


    "The Chan household is about half a day''s walk south of here. I''ll lead the way. Thank you once again, Great Master."


    "Please, just call me Gou Go," he said easily.


    "Then, you have to call me Chan Mui," she replied, excited.


    Sek Gon rolled his eyes.


    "What about you, Sir Sek? How should we address you?"


    "... Whatever."


    "What''s the matter with him?" Chan Bik whispered to Gou Dzing. "Is he always like this?"


    "As long as I''ve known him, yes."


    "How long have you known him?"


    "We met for the first time a couple of days ago."


    Chan Bik''s face clearly showed what she thought of this. She hissed under her breath, "... Why did you chase after him if you barely know him?"


    "I had a good feeling," Gou Dzing whispered back with a strong grin. "I''m a great judge of character. Sir Sek may be grumpy, but he''s a good person!"


    Trailing behind them, Sek Gon''s eyelids flickered briefly, but he said nothing.

 4 - I really cant be bothered acting nice

    Gou Dzing and Chan Bik chattered amicably the whole way to her family''s house. Sek Gon plodded beside them, praying for earplugs, but unable to escape as Gou Dzing had his arm firmly around him.


    "Get off. You''re heavy."


    "Ah, don''t be so miserable, Sir Sek. It''s a lovely day and you''re in the company of friends!"


    Who''s your friend?


    They crossed a rice paddy where a troop of farmers were tending to the crops, and then the Chan Family house was before them, a relatively modest villa complex with several buildings and a large courtyard. Before they could enter the gate, a man walked out.


    "Ah Bik?"


    "Go-go!"


    "... What... Who... Why are you all dressed like that?"


    Gou Dzing and Chan Bik looked at each other. Sek Gon raised his eyes to the sky.


    Three people all dressed in similar cultivator robes, hair tied in ponytails, with unusual jade-hilted swords.


    "Oh... uh... this... um..."


    Gou Dzing stepped forward energetically and bowed. "Greeting Young Lord Chan! My humble name is Gou Dzing. I am a cultivator of the Mount Fa Sect. We invited Fourth Lady Chan to experience a day as a disciple of our sect, hence her current attire."


    Looking a little stunned, Chan Bik''s elder brother bowed back. "A member of the Gou Family? I am Chan Gam, Ah Bik''s eldest brother. And this is..."


    "Sek Gon." The named one bowed too.


    "As in...?"


    The name was explained.


    "... Ah."


    "Go-go, how is... how is Mother?"


    "No idea! In any case, Sir Gou, Sir... Sek, you are both welcome to stay for dinner. Thank you for entertaining my little sister."


    "Hey! It''s not like that!"


    "Alright, alright. Go and get changed and greet the rest of the family. I''ll have someone take our guests to the dining hall."


    Grumbling, Chan Bik disappeared to do as her brother had asked. A servant led Sek Gon and Gou Dzing into a dining area, where other servants were tidying and preparing for the meal.


    Gou Dzing had seated himself comfortably when he noticed that Sek Gon was still standing. "What are you doing, Sir Sek? Come and sit down here."


    Sek Gon sat where he was told with a strange hint of relief on his face. Before Gou Dzing could remark on this, Chan Bik burst into the room, dressed in a pretty, deep pink robes and with her hair dressed neatly.


    "Don''t sit down yet! Come out to the courtyard first, before everyone else arrives!"


    Gou Dzing immediately stood and followed. Moments later, he returned to haul Sek Gon to his feet. "Come on, Sir Sek."


    "I just sat down though."


    "You can sit again later."


    "Why are you like this?" Chan Bik sighed, when they finally joined her. She lowered her voice. "Listen, I''ve got to tell you a little more about the family before dinner. Aside from my two elder brothers, their wives are here too. Gam Go also has a little daughter.


    "My elder sister is currently away visiting her fianc¨¦''s family. She left soon after the start of the mouse plague. She''s delicate, so we all agreed it would be best, and anyway, she''ll be moving into their house once she''s married."


    "So there''s your two elder brothers and their wives, your niece, your two half-siblings, your mother and her lover, is that right?"


    "Correct."


    "How many servants?" Sek Gon asked suddenly, his lowered eyes fixed on a crack in one of the pavers at his feet.


    "Servants...? You''re not suggesting it''s one of them?"


    "Sir Sek has a point," Gou Dzing mused, fiddling with his sword tassel. "It could be anyone. We don''t know their motive, after all."


    Chan Bik twisted her mouth and frowned. "The servants? There are about twenty of them in the household. But I''m sure... one of my family..."


    "Typical," Sek Gon muttered under his breath.


    "Did you say something, Sir Sek?"


    "Your father?"


    "Are you being sarcastic...?"


    Sek Gon wore a deadpan stare until Chan Bik answered, "... Father died during a trading trip six years ago. The caravan was attacked by demons, only a few of the servants made it back alive." She bit her lip.


    "He must have been a good father," Gou Dzing said gently.


    "He was. He wasn''t the strongest and biggest, or the most handsome... he had this big mole on his upper lip that used to scare me when I was little... but he was always doing his best for us. I... I miss him..."


    Gou Dzing passed her a handkerchief to wipe her face with. Sek Gon continued to stare at the floor.


    "Thank you... We should go back inside."


    "Will you be alright?"


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    "Yes... yes." Chan Bik blew her nose loudly and tucked the handkerchief away. "Thank you, Gou Go. I''ll wash this and return it later. Let''s go and meet everyone."


    <hr>


    The Chan Family were, by all accounts, a relatively ordinary, moderately wealthy family.


    Chan Gam, his wife Yeung Sue, and their daughter Mei Ying all had an air of bright intelligence. They chattered animatedly on various topics as the trio entered and greeted the guests with hospitality. Nearby, the second son, Chan Ngan, and his pregnant wife, Leoi Tou-Fa, were a little more mellow-looking, warmly and peaceably greeting the guests.


    The room fell silent as the matriarch, Yan Wai-Wai, Se Sue, and their two children entered.


    It was clear where Chan Gam''s intelligent looks came from, although Chan Ngan had inherited his mother''s nose and chin. Yan Wai-Wai was a small woman, but firm and confident, and as the guests rose to greet her and thank her for her hospitality, she smiled courteously and introduced the man behind her.


    Se Sue had to be at least ten years younger than her, a tall, slender man with a pretty face and long, untied hair. He moved gracefully, with clear awareness of his physical qualities. It wasn''t as if he acted conceitedly or arrogantly; it was simply a fact that he was a very good-looking man.


    Sek Gon stared rudely until Gou Dzing stepped on his foot.


    "Greetings to you, Master Se."


    "Ah, I''m no Master, the only Master here is Wai-Wai." He had a soft, sighing voice, and his eyes bent gently down to his small children, just able to toddle. ¡°This is Dzik-gok and Ying-ming.¡±


    Gou Dzing smiled cheerfully at the two little faces, which stared back at him with the wide-eyed silence of overwhelmed infants. The servants began to bring out food as everyone sat down. Gou Dzing frowned at Sek Gon over his wine cup, muttering, "Why do you keep staring at Se Sue? If you think he''s suspicious, you shouldn''t make it so obvious."


    "He''s pretty."


    Gou Dzing choked on his baak dzau.


    "Sir Gou, are you alright? Is the baak dzau not to your taste?"


    "Ah! N-no ¨C cough - I was j-just dis-cough-tracted. My apologies!" He hurriedly drank some tea and coughed discretely, casting confused glances at his neighbour. Sek Gon didn''t appear to notice, although he had ceased looking at Se Sue and was now glancing around the room, ignoring the food in front of him.


    Chan Bik was talking animatedly to try and distract everyone from Sek Gon''s rudeness, although Chan Gam kept raising his eyebrows. Yan Wai-Wai and Se Sue were apparently too absorbed in each other to notice.


    "Sir Sek," Yeung Sue spoke up, "are you also a disciple of the Mount Fa Sect?"


    "No."


    "..."


    Gou Dzing rose up quickly and bowed. "Lady Yeung, I apologise on behalf of my companion. He is very tired from travelling. Please allow me to drink a toast to your health as compensation."


    "What are you doing?" Chan Bik hissed, seated on the other side of Sek Gon. He responded by standing and bowed perfunctorily to the room as a whole.


    "I am not used to such grand surroundings. I will retire and leave you to enjoy your evening." With these words, he left.


    "Ah Bik, your friend is a little..." Chan Ngan smiled helplessly.


    "Rude?" Chan Gam supplied.


    "Ugh, he''s hardly my friend," Chan Bik grumbled, stabbing at her food with her chopsticks. "Why did I invite him here!"


    "I don''t wish to lecture you in your own house, Lady Bik," Gou Dzing said quietly, "But everyone has a reason for their actions, even if you don''t understand them."


    "That was well said," Yan Wai-Wai agreed, eyeing her daughter sternly. "And perhaps we may not agree with their actions or words, but we can be understanding. Children, have you tried to understand Sir Sek first before passing judgement?"


    "You''ve become too trusting, Mother," Chan Gam said darkly, a meaningful glance at Se Sue. The other man''s pretty face darkened.


    "Chan Gam! We have been over this before! I will not have bad words spoken about Ah Sue!"


    Yeung Sue looked as though she were chewing on her tongue, but she hid her expression by turning to attend to Mei Ying. Chan Ngan nervously patted his wife''s hand as she rubbed her pregnant stomach.


    The dinner broke up amidst a general dark mood. Gou Dzing was shown by an old female servant to a room where he found Sek Gon laying in bed, still fully dressed.


    "Sir Sek... What''s going on?" he asked, sitting at the foot of the bed.


    "¡­ Everyone''s suspicious."


    "I don''t mean that, I mean you. At least pretend to be a little respectful to our hosts."


    "Why?"


    Gou Dzing blinked. "Because... it''s common decency."


    "Is it?"


    "Has no one taught you such things before?"


    Sek Gon shrugged. "Sounds like a lot of effort. Can''t eat decency."


    "Sir Sek..." Gou Dzing thought deeply. "You''re right. Being polite to someone doesn''t guarantee a meal, for example. But it can help with other things. If you''re polite, people may like you more, and then they may help you."


    "... But not always."


    "Nothing is certain in life."


    "... What are you trying to say?"


    "Well, I was a little embarrassed by your actions tonight. But mostly confused."


    "... I see." Sek Gon stared into space under his lowered lids for a moment, then rolled over. "Sleep while you can."


    "It''s still early though?"


    There was no response from the bed. If anything, a light snore seemed to reach Gou Dzing''s ears. Surely Sek Gon wasn''t asleep already...?


    "Well, good night, Sir Sek."


    <hr>


    Gou Dzing woke a si and a half later, heart hammering. In the dark, he patted himself wildly, convincing himself that there were no rodents crawling all over his body, wincing as pain shot through his left arm. When he finally stopped, panting and sweating, he realised that Sek Gon''s bed was empty. He immediately dressed himself, retrieved his sword and flew out of the room. His keen ears picked up low, muffled cries in several rooms nearby. Moving to check on Chan Bik first, he realised someone was standing outside her door.


    "What is it, Sir Sek? Is Chan Mui okay?"


    "Listen."


    Gou Dzing obeyed. He couldn''t hear anything particularly unusual.


    "Wait... She''s not... There''s no sound..." He immediately knocked firmly on the door. "Chan Mui?" He had to knock and call several times before he heard a response.


    "G-Gou Go?"


    "Chan Mui, are you okay?"


    "I..." There was a yawn. "I''m fine... I''m fine? What''s going on?"


    She dashed out suddenly, a robe thrown loosely over her sleeping attire. Gou Dzing turned away politely.


    "What about everyone else?"


    "Listen," Sek Gon said again.


    The sound of whimpering and sobbing was very quiet, but unmistakable.


    "Why didn''t I dream tonight? What''s happening?"


    "Did you dream previously?"


    "Yes, yes it was horrible! The gnawing mice... They go for my... my feet first..." Chan Bik shuddered. "The children!"


    She raced for her half-siblings'' room, Gou Dzing close behind. Sek Gon trailed after them.


    The two small children made small noises of distress, tossing about in their beds. Chan Bik shook them awake, then held them close as they began to cry loudly. Gou Dzing patted their heads.


    Sek Gon, standing awkwardly at the door, suddenly disappeared from view. There was a yelp in the distance. Gou Dzing, hand on sword hilt, dashed out to find that Sek Gon had apparently collided with one of the servants, a bearded man whose eyes had dark bags and were tinged red as though he had been weeping. Gou Dzing helped them both to their feet. The man scrubbed roughly at his nose.


    "Are the young Master and Miss okay?" he asked hoarsely.


    "They seem to be very distressed, but they''re awake now. Who are you?"


    "Noble sirs, I am Yue-muk. I do the heavy lifting around the house."


    "Did you have a dream tonight too, Yue-muk?"


    "And the night before that. And the night before that."


    "You should return to your post, Yue-muk, and try and rest as much as you can."


    "Yes, sir..." Yue-muk glanced anxiously towards the door of the children''s room, from where muffled sobs could still be heard. "Will they... Will they be okay?"


    "If these dreams continue... it could be a problem for their health. This will have to be resolved soon so they can grow up happily and well."


    Yue-muk, looking intensely miserable, bowed low and shuffled away. Gou Dzing and Sek Gon watched him go. The former turned to the latter to find he was once more staring into space, although his brows were furrowed thoughtfully.


    I wonder what goes on in the strange brain of his. "Sir Sek?"


    "Hm?"


    "What are you thinking?"


    "I''m thinking... that I may need to start being polite to people."

 5 - Time to go rat hunting

    Gou Dzing''s face lit up like a puppy being offered a treat. ¡°Really?¡±


    Sek Gon, on the other hand, had a face like one of the Four Heavenly Kings about to enter battle. He maintained a cold, dignified silence.


    ¡°Hey.¡± Gou Dzing threw a friendly arm around Sek Gon''s shoulders. ¡°It really isn''t so bad.¡±


    ¡°Easy for you to say.¡±


    ¡°What made you change your mind?¡±


    ¡°We need information.¡±


    ¡°So why didn''t you ask me to investigate?¡±


    The two men stared at each other.


    For the first time, Gou Dzing caught a glimpse of Sek Gon''s eyes. A dark grey, flecked with chips of silver that flashed and glittered, like a winter lake. ¡°Pretty...¡±


    Sek Gon slammed his forehead straight into Gou Dzing''s nose.


    Gou Dzing, flat on the floor with his hands clutching his bleeding nose, looked up to find a murderous glint in those ''pretty'' eyes, and that Sek Gon had half-drawn his dou.


    ¡°It seems like you have a death wish, Young Master Gou...¡±


    ¡°ACK! I''M SORRY! IT JUST SLIPPED OUT!¡±


    ¡°What are you two doing?¡± Chan Bik demanded when she left the children''s room a few minutes later to find Sek Gon and Gou Dzing apparently playing a game of tag around the courtyard, although Sek Gon had his sword out and Gou Dzing was frantically dodging swipes by hiding behind pillars.


    ¡°Lady Bik! Help!¡±


    ¡°Wha... Sek Gon! Cut it out!¡±


    The courtyard was chaos. The restless sleepers were awakened by the noise, and half-relieved, half-infuriated, they emerged from their sleeping quarters to watch.


    ¡°Wait... Sir Sek... Everyone''s here now ¨C shouldn''t we take advantage of that and interview them?¡±


    Sek Gon finally re-sheathed his sword with a loud clack. ¡°... you''re doing it.¡±


    ¡°... okay.¡±


    Just don''t kill me!


    <hr>


    ¡°It''s not me,¡± Se Sue said anxiously, tugging at the sleeve of the robe he had thrown over his sleepwear.


    ¡°We''re not saying you are,¡± Gou Dzing replied placatingly.


    ¡°Aren''t we?¡± Sek Gon muttered.


    ¡°...¡±


    The three of them were sat in one of the side rooms of the house, or more accurately, Gou Dzing and Se Sue were sat opposite each other while Sek Gon sat dramatically by an open window, the early dawn breeze stirring his hair.


    ¡°Is he alright?¡± Se Sue whispered to Gou Dzing, who had a wad of cotton in each nostril to stem his nosebleed. ¡°Are... you alright?¡±


    ¡°Uh... I think I offended him earlier. Anyway, have you been experiencing these dreams as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes... Gods... I...¡± A haunted look appeared on Se Sue''s face. ¡°The mice eat me alive... starting... starting with...¡±


    Gou Dzing and Sek Gon blinked at him, uncomprehending.


    Se Sue made a gesture, something between a downwards sweep and an indication of something long. Gou Dzing''s expression immediately became one of highly uncomfortable comprehension.


    ¡°What?¡± Sek Gon frowned.


    ¡°Ahem, so in the dream the mice eat... When does the dream end?¡±


    ¡°Well they eat... uh, and then my hands, and then my face... and I... just... just lie there bleeding out... until I wake up.¡± Se Sue''s attractive face had lost its colour.


    ¡°... send Yeung Sue in.¡±


    Gou Dzing shot a curious look at Sek Gon, but bowed to Se Sue to indicate he was free to go. As the man disappeared across the courtyard towards the hall where the rest of the family was gathered, Gou Dzing removed the cotton wads and opened his mouth to speak.


    The shutter of the window that Sek Gon was leaning against suddenly fell from its hinges with a crash, the young man almost falling with it.


    ¡°Sir Se-!¡±


    ¡°OW!¡±


    Two servants, a familiar-looking bearded man, and an equally familiar-looking older woman whose face was covered in moles, hastily scrambled away from where they had been hiding in the gardens below the window, holding their sore heads. Gou Dzing had grabbed Sek Gon''s arm to stop him from falling any further, and they both watched the servants'' escape. Gou Dzing climbed onto the sill, preparing to jump. ¡°I''ll catch them.¡±


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Don''t bother.¡±


    ¡°... Is everything alright?¡±


    The two at the window turned to find Yeung Sue had entered. Her finely plucked eyebrows arched at the sight of them crammed together in the window.


    ¡°Lady Yeung.¡± Gou Dzing stepped down from the window and bowed courteously. Sek Gon resettled himself, making sure he was displaying a cool angle.


    Yeung Sue''s eyebrows creased even further.


    ¡°So what is this all about?¡± she asked coldly. ¡°What authority do you have to question us?¡±


    ¡°It is the mission of the Mount Fa Sect to maintain peace and justice in the world,¡± Gou Dzing said with a winning smile. ¡°A request has been made of us, and so, of course, we must follow through.¡±


    Even the frosty Yeung Sue coloured a little at the sight of the smiling Jade Exorcist, but she rallied. ¡°Hmph. Fancy words and a handsome face won''t get you everything. It was that little girl, Chan Bik, that asked you for a favour, right? She''s not the head of this family, or the successor. She has no say.¡±


    ¡°You''re also not the successor, and the head of the family has clearly indicated there are no issues,¡± Sek Gon replied icily. ¡°Are you interested in Se Sue?¡±


    ¡°WHAT?!¡± Yeung Sue shrieked. Gou Dzing winced, certain his ears were now bleeding to match his nose.


    ¡°That snake? He came crawling into Mother-in-Law''s bed and just leeches off her money without even-¡±


    ¡°Oh, so it''s Lady Yan''s money you''re interested in.¡±


    Yeung Sue''s sharp face slackened with shock.


    ¡°Hm... Unfortunately, that makes sense, Lady Yeung,¡± Gou Dzing agreed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. ¡°A new lover turns up, young enough to potentially inherit Lady Yan''s belongings, and they also have two children together. If you get rid of that lover...¡±


    ¡°No, that''s not...¡± Yeung Sue sat down abruptly with a rueful laugh. ¡°How clich¨¦, right? The jilted previous successors are passed over when a lover arrives... Only, that wasn''t how it was. Everything was going to be divided evenly between the sons, with enough for Se Sue and the twins to live comfortably should Lady Yan pass away first. But then... these dreams showed up. And now... the whole family is falling apart...¡±


    ¡°Tell me about these dreams.¡±


    ¡°They''re horrible! All these mice just pour into my room. They eat my hair and bite my arms and legs. I keep... I call for someone to help me... but no-one comes.¡±


    ¡°How does it end?¡±


    ¡°Just... just like that. I wake up with the mice still b-biting me.¡±


    Her voice trembled. Gou Dzing patted his sleeves for a handkerchief before remembering he had given it to Chan Bik the day before, but Yeung Sue had begun to dry her eyes with her sleeves anyway.


    ¡°I see... so you''re playing the victim.¡±


    ¡°PLAYING? VICTIM?¡± Yeung Sue screamed, blasting Gou Dzing''s ears once more.


    Please, Sir Sek, stop provoking her. My ears will never recover.


    Yeung Sue stood violently upright, her teeth gritted with fury. ¡°You''ve been saying all kinds of rubbish right from the beginning, without any evidence. What have you got against me?¡±


    ¡°... Your name is Sue?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Wait, all of this is because of her name?


    With another scream of rage, Yeung Sue rushed over to Sek Gon and shoved him with all her might, causing him to tumble from the window into the garden below. There was a yelp as another group of eavesdropping servants scattered frantically, including the first two who had apparently not learnt their lesson, as they were once more caught listening in. Yeung Sue swept angrily from the room, calling for a guard to catch the servants, while Sek Gon, extricating himself from the very crumpled bushes, watched their disappearing backs.


    Gou Dzing hopped down to join him. ¡°Are you alright, Sir Sek?¡±


    ¡°... hm.¡±


    ¡°So did you find out what you needed?¡±


    ¡°... what do you mean?¡±


    Gou Dzing flashed his usual grin. ¡°Are you really going to be like this?¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    Instead of responding with words, Gou Dzing tucked Sek Gon''s head under his arm and began to ruffle his hair energetically.


    ¡°GAH! STOP! STOP!¡±


    ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°... ugh. I''m not... sure yet.¡±


    ¡°So who do you want to talk to next?¡±


    ¡°Don''t want to talk. You speak to them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Ask Chan Bik who''s a Rat in this household.¡±


    ¡°You''re a rat.¡±


    ¡°... the way you talk to me seems to have changed.¡±


    ¡°Has it? I wasn''t aware.¡±


    ¡°Go away.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    There were two Rats in the Chan Family. One was long gone, the father, Chan Taam. The other now sat in the interviewee seat, smiling nervously.


    ¡°So... what is it you want to know?¡± Chan Ngan asked meekly.


    ¡°What does your wife think of Se Sue?¡±


    Chan Ngan stared blankly at Sek Gon. Gou Dzing tried not to let his thoughts show on his own face.


    ¡°Tou Tou? I... wouldn''t it be better to ask her?¡±


    ¡°It may seem a bit strange, but please answer as best you can,¡± Gou Dzing urged gently, without mentioning that he, too, really wanted to know what on earth Sek Gon was thinking.


    ¡°Um... well... Tou Tou and I didn''t really have an opinion on Mr Se before... with these dreams. Now it just seems... Well, it has to be him, right? The dreams only started after he arrived, and um... he''s not a nice person. He leeches money off Mother, you know.¡±


    ¡°Tell us about the dreams. Make it quick.¡±


    ¡°Uh... well, there''s a lot of mice. They fill the bedroom and start biting at my hair and my hands and feet. It''s...¡± His peaceful face blanched, and he shivered. ¡°... it''s scary.¡±


    ¡°And the end of the dream?¡±


    ¡°That''s it... I just wake with them biting me like that.¡±


    ¡°Send your wife in.¡±


    ¡°... um, okay. You want to ask her what she thinks about Mr Se?¡±


    Gou Dzing nodded politely, since, having made his order, Sek Gon seemed more concerned about maintaining his cool and manly pose at the windowsill. ¡°Yes, please, Third Young Master Chan.¡±


    They bowed to each other and Chan Ngan left to find his wife.


    ¡°Hey. Sek Gon.¡±


    ¡°... what?¡±


    ¡°Are you going to explain to me what''s going on?¡±


    ¡°... no.¡±


    ¡°Right, I thought not.¡±


    The round and sweet Leoi Tou-Fa trotted into the room and straight to the chair where she gazed at Gou Dzing and Sek Gon appealingly. ¡°Ngan Ngan said you wanted to know what I thought about Mr Se? He seemed okay at first, but I don''t think he''s a nice person. He leeches money off Mother-in-Law, you know?¡±


    ¡°What does your husband think of him?¡±


    ¡­ What?


    ¡°Um... well, wouldn''t it... shouldn''t you ask him that? I don''t understand...¡±


    ¡°It may seem a bit strange, but please answer as best you can,¡± Gou Dzing said, for the second time in half an hour. His eyes were dead.


    ¡°I don''t really know? I mean... like I said, he leeches money off Mother-in-Law so Ngan Ngan doesn''t like him...?¡±


    ¡°What have your dreams been like?¡±


    ¡°Oh, goodness, they''re...¡± Leoi Tou-Fa turned a shade of green. ¡°So... so many mice. When I wake up I have to rub my limbs to make sure they''re still intact. And check my hair. They chew on all those things, you see.¡±


    Sek Gon seemed to have lost interest. ¡°Chan Gam.¡±


    ¡°Could you please send in the First Young Master, Lady Leoi?¡±


    ¡°Oh... yes... yes...¡± She bowed and fluffed out of the room.


    ¡°Are you going to ask him what his wife thinks of Se Sue?¡±


    ¡°... Did I ask his wife anything like that?¡±


    Gou Dzing slumped in his chair. ¡°I understand that you''re asking different questions of different people, but I''m afraid I can''t work out why. You''re barely asking them anything. How are you learning useful information?¡±


    ¡°All I''ve heard is garbage so far.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Everyone just give up on trying to understand!

 6 - My superpower is pissing people off

    If anything, Chan Gam was in an even more difficult mood than Sek Gon. After Gou Dzing greeted him, he sat without a word and glared unceasingly at the man perched on the windowsill.


    ¡°What are your dreams about?¡±


    ¡°Why should I tell you that?¡±


    Gou Dzing sighed. ¡°Please, First Young Master. We''re trying to help. I''m sure you''re aware that Lady Bik has asked for our assistance.¡±


    ¡°Ah Bik can''t just make these decisions by herself. This is a family matter, and the family will solve it.¡±


    ¡°Even if the family is destroyed?¡± Sek Gon asked drily.


    This time, Gou Dzing managed to grab Chan Gam before he could reach Sek Gon. Unlike his wife, the young master''s aim was not simply to push the young man out of the window ¨C he had half-drawn his sword and a murderous aura was surrounding him. Sparks seemed to fly across the room between the two men and collide in mid-air.


    ¡°You! You''re not even a member of any sect, and yet you act as if you''re some kind of god! What gives you the right to look down on us? What gives you the right to barge into our private lives?¡±


    Sek Gon blinked. ¡°Chan Bik asked for our help. I can help her. What else is there to know?¡±


    ¡°Young Master Chan!¡± Gou Dzing intervened. ¡°If you can''t trust Sir Sek, at least trust me. I may still be lacking, but I have some proficiency in demon exorcism. I will stake my title to solve this case!¡±


    Chan Gam stopped struggling and slowly sheathed his sword as he turned to examine Gou Dzing. His eyebrows creased. ¡°You... You''re the Jade Exorcist.¡±


    ¡°I''m embarrassed to admit it, but yes, I am.¡±


    The Young Master''s eyes slid over to look at Sek Gon, making a point of lingering on the hilt of his sword.


    ¡°Ah... that is... a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°... really.¡±


    ¡°Truly.¡±


    ¡°Hm. So why is he asking the questions and not you, Jade Exorcist?¡±


    ¡°Sir Sek has some thoughts he is looking to follow up on. I trust his judgement.¡±


    Chan Gam tsked. ¡°Another one... Fine, ask the questions.¡±


    Sek Gon had not moved the entire time. His eyes, half-hidden behind his lowered lids, continued to gaze out into open space through the window. ¡°Your dreams.¡±


    ¡°It''s the same as everyone else''s,¡± Chan Gam said impatiently. ¡°Tonnes of mice appearing in the bedroom, gnawing on my hair and hands and feet. It''s the same every time.¡±


    ¡°Do you believe Se Sue is after your mother''s money?¡±


    ¡°Of course! A snake is a snake. He seduced her and now he''s dividing the family to get all the money for himself!¡±


    ¡°Do you find it so hard to believe they fell in love?¡± Gou Dzing asked curiously.


    Chan Gam curled his lip. ¡°Jade Exorcist, you may be a great demon hunter, but you understand nothing about people. You''re still young. If my father were here, Mother would not have given that snake a second glance. He might not have been handsome, but they truly loved each other.¡±


    ¡°How many servants are there?¡± Sek Gon interrupted indifferently.


    Chan Gam gritted his teeth at Sek Gon''s rudeness, but responded with restraint. ¡°... Servants...?¡±


    ¡°Those people that do all the work for you,¡± Sek Gon snapped, his eyelids lifting momentarily. Quicksilver flashed and disappeared without a trace. Chan Gam half-thought he had imagined it.


    ¡°... seventeen.¡±


    ¡°How many of them are Rats?¡±


    ¡°Why would you want to talk to them? This has nothing to do with them!¡±


    THUD!


    Sek Gon had taken his sheathed sword and slammed the end of it into the floor. It left a faint dent in the wood. ¡°You''re the same... Arrogant, conceited, short-sighted-¡±


    A sword flashed. Chan Gam leapt forward, blade drawn. He was fast, but Gou Dzing could have beaten him if he had not caught an arresting look from Sek Gon. In his confusion, he paused, and Chan Gam had his sword at Sek Gon''s throat.


    The young man blocked the sword with his own sheathed blade, but his precarious balance on the windowsill meant that, for the third time that day, he fell out, this time along with Chan Gam.


    And for the third time, he landed on a group of listening servants.


    Chan Gam scrambled to his feet, swinging his sword wildly. ¡°WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING HERE? MUK LAAN! YUE-MUK! CHO GUK! AND YOU, AH FUNG! YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER!¡±


    The named servants scattered, cowering to avoid the waving blade. Chan Gam chased them across the courtyard, leaving Sek Gon to pick leaves out of his hair.


    Gou Dzing leaned out of the window. ¡°So.¡±


    Sek Gon ignored him.


    ¡°Do you think Se Sue was lying about his dream being different from the others?¡±


    Sek Gon brushed himself down.


    ¡°It''s a personal vendetta against him, isn''t it? A very personal one.¡±


    Sek Gon tried to tidy his hair.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Want some help?¡±


    ¡°... no.¡±


    ¡°Aw, come on.¡±


    ¡°We''ll find out tonight.¡±


    ¡°If I can do your hair?¡±


    ¡°... what''s happening here.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so interested in the servants? Do you think it''s one of them?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Here, I''ll do your hair for you...¡±


    ¡°I saw some of the same servants several times in the garden,¡± Sek Gon said quickly, dodging.


    ¡°Ah, so that''s why you kept falling out of the window.¡±


    ¡°... that was an accident.¡±


    ¡°... seriously?¡±


    Sek Gon reattached his dou and quickly disappeared to avoid any more awkward conversation.


    <hr>


    Dinner that night was, if possible, even more strained than the previous night.


    Sek Gon had his ''Four Heavenly Kings'' face on, and Gou Dzing couldn''t tell if that was better or worse than his usual expressionless appearance. Chan Gam and Yeung Sue glared murderously at him the whole time.


    Chan Bik had given up. She overtly ignored Sek Gon and chattered with Gou Dzing, Chan Ngan and Leoi Tou-Fa. The servants scurried around, subdued, having received a few punishing wallops from the flat side of Cam Gan''s blade earlier.


    ¡°Are you alright, Sir Sek?¡± Gou Dzing muttered out of the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°... why?¡±


    ¡°You look like you''re in pain.¡±


    ¡°... You''re the one who''s injured.¡±


    ¡°Which is why I''m asking why you have a face like that.¡±


    ¡°...What''s wrong with my face?¡±


    ¡°Well, it can''t be a big deal, you''re talking to me more than usual.¡± Gou Dzing suddenly noticed a small bead of sweat work its way down the side of Sek Gon''s face. ¡°Sir Sek?¡±


    ¡°It''s... an old illness. Comes up every now and then. It''ll go away.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? There''s a doctor not too far away.¡±


    ¡°It''s fine.¡±


    ¡°When you come to Mount Fa with me, I can get Dzik Suet Yi-sang to have a look.¡±


    ¡°... it''s fine.¡±


    Gou Dzing sipped some tea and glanced sideways at the other cultivator. Unusually, he had barely touched his food. What was with his huge appetite, anyway?


    His keen eyes took in the peeling paint on Sek Gon''s sword, and then... the faded colour of his robes, the occasional outbursts at the Chan family members, the interest in the servants...


    Gou Dzing stood and bowed to Yan Wai-Wai. ¡°Lady Yan, please excuse our rudeness. We are a little tired after recent events and would like to retire for the evening.¡±


    Yan Wai-Wai nodded, looked exhausted herself. ¡°I understand. Anything to assist whose who will prove my Se Sue is not the one responsible.¡±


    Gou Dzing winced as glares like knives shot all over the room. He quickly departed, taking Sek Gon with him. As soon as they were outside, Gou Dzing confronted him. ¡°You need a doctor! Your clothing is soaked in sweat!¡±


    ¡°Leave me alone.¡±


    ¡°Sir Sek!¡±


    Silver flashed in Sek Gon''s eyes. Gou Dzing felt something cold touch his neck.


    He hadn''t even seen Sek Gon draw his sword.


    ¡°Leave. Me. Alone.¡±


    Gou Dzing raised his hands in surrender. ¡°I''m sorry, I overstepped. I''m worried about you, Sir Sek. Please let me know if you need help... If you can''t afford a doctor-¡±


    A tuft of hair slipped down his cheek and fell to the ground. With the tiniest twitch, Sek Gon had snipped a piece away.


    He didn''t move. Eventually, Sek Gon sheathed his sword and disappeared across the darkened courtyard towards their room.


    Gou Dzing pondered for a moment, as he lowered his hands, before his eyes flickered towards a pillar nearby. ¡°I know you''re there. You can''t hide your breathing and heartbeat.¡±


    There was a squeak of alarm and a scurry, but Gou Dzing appeared before the servant in an instant, and she cowered back, covering her face in fear.


    ¡°Who are you? Show your face.¡±


    She slowly dropped her shaking hands. It was the servant with lots of moles on her face that he had seen several times that day, eavesdropping at the window while they conducted their interviews. She was a stout person, and might once have been quite tall, but she was hunched from years of work.


    ¡°You are... Cho Guk,¡± Gou Dzing said, remembering the names Chan Gam had called out earlier.


    ¡°Yes, sir...¡± Her voice was a little shrill from fear, but still quite low. She clutched her hands together, the knobbly knuckles white.


    ¡°What year were you born in?¡±


    ¡°...uh... the Fire Rat, sir.¡±


    She looks nothing like a Fire Rat, Gou Dzing thought to himself. Out loud, he said, ¡°Are there any other Rats amongst the servants?¡±


    ¡°N-no! No, no, sir, I''m the only Rat!¡±


    ¡°How long have you been working for the Chan Family?¡±


    ¡°For many years now. I was Young Master Chan''s wet nurse.¡±


    It took Gou Dzing a moment to realise. ¡°You mean Chan Taam? The previous Master?¡±


    ¡°Previous! I... yes. My dear Master Taam.¡±


    ¡°And have you been having these dreams too?¡± Gou Dzing asked, remembering Sek Gon''s questions.


    ¡°Oh, yes. The terrible mice. Lots and lots of mice.¡±


    ¡°What do the mice do to you?¡±


    ¡°They... um... bite me all over. Uh... my hands and feet! They bite those!¡±


    ¡°And the other servants?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, everyone has the same dreams.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. You can leave.¡±


    Cho Guk scurried away.


    ¡°She''s definitely hiding something,¡± Guo Dzing said to Sek Gon, after recounting this event. Sek Gon was curled up in his bed, staring stubbornly at the wall and still sweating profusely. Gou Dzing sighed and produced some fresh clothing and plain cloths. ¡°Here, you''ll get chills if you stay damp like that. I won''t force you but look after your health a little, would you?¡±


    ¡°She''s not the only Rat,¡± Sek Gon said suddenly, with a strained voice.


    Gou Dzing sat down on the side of the bed. ¡°That''s what her attitude would seem to imply. Unless she''s very good at acting, and she wants us to think like that.¡±


    Sek Gon struggled upright, shivering. Gou Dzing curled his hands into fists to stop himself from trying to assist. ¡°Do you really have to do this?¡±


    ¡°You...¡± Sek Gon seemed to be chewing his tongue. ¡°I need your help.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Be quiet.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Sek Gon wiped his forehead with his sleeve. ¡°When everyone is sleeping, go and check on Chan Bik, her step-siblings, Chan Gam, and Cho Guk.¡±


    A theory was beginning to emerge in Gou Dzing''s head as he listened. From the look on Sek Gon''s face, it sounded like he had already made his own conclusions and wanted to test it out. Gou Dzing shook his head ruefully. ¡°You''d make a fine disciple at Mount Fa.¡±


    ¡°Not interested.¡±


    ¡°I know. Come on, at least let me dry your arms and face.¡±


    Sek Gon seemed too exhausted to protest any more. He sat like a doll as Gou Dzing dried the sweat from his face and arms, but turned away when the Jade Exorcist tried to do more. Gou Dzing shrugged philosophically. ¡°Would you like some hot water? You''ve sweated a lot.¡±


    ¡°... please.¡±


    The household was quiet as Gou Dzing quickly dashed from the room to the kitchens, although he could sense that several people were still awake, probably frightened of the dreams that would visit them that night. In the kitchen, only Yue-muk was there, moving boxes of produce.


    ¡°I''m just getting some hot water for Sir Sek to drink,¡± Gou Dzing explained after greeting the servant. Yue-muk scratched his thick beard and looked around. ¡°Over there.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. How long have you been working here, Yue-muk?¡±


    ¡°It''s been... nearly a year now? No, not so long. Nine months, maybe.¡±


    ¡°Are you a Rat?¡±


    ¡°I... What... what do you mean?¡± His eyes sharpened suspiciously.


    ¡°We''re asking everyone,¡± Gou Dzing said peacefully, ladling water into a pot.


    ¡°Of course I''m not. I''m an Ox, can''t you tell?¡±


    ¡°I''m not so good with those things. Thank you, Yue-muk.¡± Gou Dzing ran lightly back to the room with the hot water.


    ¡°I met Yue-muk. He says he''s an Ox.¡±


    Sek Gon ''hmm''ed into his cup. He was looking a little better, less green in the face, and had apparently stopped sweating, but his had apparently stopped sweating, but his hand shook a little.


    ¡°Do you want me to watch him too?¡±


    ¡°No. Just look to the other five.¡±


    ¡°I feel like we''ll have our answer by the morning. Please rest, I''ll make sure to look carefully.¡±


    Sek Gon drained his cup and shakily poured another before saying, like an afterthought, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°That''s no problem.¡±


    ¡°... smug bastard.¡±


    ¡°You must be getting better. You''re letting your thoughts slip out.¡±


    Gou Dzing quickly fled the room before Sek Gon could draw his sword again.

 7 - Is someone passing out eyedrops?

    Another tense night began in the Chan Household. Some tried to stay awake by working - the servants in the kitchen, and Lady Yan and her eldest son together in her office, trying to calculate their lost income. Somewhere hidden, Gou Dzing could hear a steady fwoosh ¨C thwack ¨C the sound of flogging - followed by a cry of pain. So this was the Chan Household, unable to keep up a pretence of normalcy to their guests for more than a single night.


    Yeung Sue was whispering to her little daughter, battling her own exhaustion as she tried to keep her awake. Despite her cruel jabbing of the soles of Mei Ying''s feet with needles, the little girl eventually succumbed to sleep. Yeung Sue began to cry, her sobs echoing through the courtyard.


    Chan Ngan and Leoi Tou-Fa were huddled together in their room, holding each other tightly as if the strength of their embrace would keep the demons at bay.


    One by one, the residents of the Chan House began to fall asleep, and into nightmares.


    Gou Dzing ran lightly from room to room once he heard the breathing change. The children slept peacefully, while their older half-brother and his wife whimpered and tossed.


    Chan Bik breathed quietly in her room, without the slightest sign of discomfort. And Chan Gam, for once, looked calm and untroubled, his exhaustion evident now that his fierce expression was gone.


    Beside him, his mother cried silently in her sleep.


    In the kitchen, Cho Guk slept peacefully. The other servants twitched and choked.


    ¡°All five are sleeping peacefully,¡± Gou Dzing reported back, seated beside Sek Gon''s bed. The other man looked exhausted from his earlier illness, but his eyes moved back and forth restlessly under his lowered lids.


    ¡°And Yue-muk?¡±


    ¡°I didn''t look at him specially, but he was asleep and whimpering like the others.¡±


    ¡°Go back and check, but assume he''s awake.¡±


    ¡°So you think... But couldn''t it also be...?¡±


    ¡°Go check first.¡±


    Gou Dzing was gone and back in a flash. ¡°He''s awake. When I approached quietly he was sitting up and looking around.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°The others are definitely asleep. I see what you mean now.¡± Gou Dzing flashed a grin. ¡°What a smart kid. Won''t you join the Mount Fa Sect? I want to show you off as my junior brother, my Si-dai!¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°So direct. Not even a pause.¡±


    ¡°Even if I thought about it for a second longer, I would still say no.¡±


    ¡°I think that''s the longest sentence you''ve ever said to me,¡± Gou Dzing teased.


    Sek Gon shut his mouth and refused to say another word.


    ¡°Sir Sek? I was just joking... Sek Gon? Sek Si-dai? Sek Dai-dai?¡±


    CLANG!


    Gou Dzing narrowly managed to draw his sword and block Sek Gon''s as it swung towards him. ¡°Why are you so angry all the time?¡±


    ¡°Get out.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. Good night, Dai-dai!¡± Gou Dzing escaped rapidly from the room and perched himself on the roof, perfectly content to stay awake throughout the long night until the rising of the sun. A few nights of no sleep meant nothing to a disciple of Mount Fa.


    A few weeks of bad sleep for the Chan Family was disastrous.


    Yeung Sue, waking first with anxious eyes only for her daughter, raced into her mother-in-law''s chambers screaming. Screeching like a demon, she pounced upon the sleeping Se Sue, waking Lady Yan and Chan Gam as she shook him.


    ¡°Yeung Sue! Let him go! Can''t you see he''s also suffering?¡±


    ¡°HE''S PRETENDING!¡± Yeung Sue shrieked, as her groggy husband tried to pull her away with difficulty. ¡°MY DAUGHTER! MY DAUGHTER!¡±


    She was eventually hauled away, howling incoherently, as Se Sue woke from one nightmare to another, trembling pitifully with the bedcovers wrapped around him. Lady Yan collapsed beside him.


    ¡°L-Lady Yan?¡± A weary servant with eyebags so large he looked as though someone had punched him bowed unsteadily. ¡°A... message...¡±


    ¡°Not now, Ah Fung...¡±


    ¡°It''s from the Jade Exorcist... He says he knows who is causing the nightmares.¡±


    *


    Everyone gathered in the hall without thought for procedure or decorum. Most were still in their bedclothes, with outer robes draped over them. Only those who slept well that night had some presence of mind to dress properly.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Gou Dzing looked at them all carefully, as he fiddled with the tassel on his sword. ¡°Where is Yue-muk?¡±


    ¡°Yue-muk?¡± Chan Bik asked, surprised. ¡°Why do-¡±


    Her words were cut short as Gou Dzing flashed past her, so fast that only one person could follow him with their eyes, in pursuit of the figure disappearing across the courtyard.


    ¡°Demon!¡± he called, infusing hei into his voice. ¡°If you do not stop, I will use force! Surrender peacefully!¡±


    Yue-muk did not look back, but it was clear that he was much slower than Gou Dzing. With a hiss, he skidded to a halt, then lunged back at the pursuing exorcist. Gou Dzing drew his sword in preparation, but the other man''s body suddenly disappeared under a writhing mass. Rats began to pour out of his clothing.


    Gou Dzing also ground to a halt, drawing several paper talismans from his robes. The watching Chan Family clutched at each other, horrified.


    ¡°Yue-muk? He was the demon?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps he was possessed?¡±


    ¡°But he was such a good man... I hired him because he felt familiar... Like an old friend...¡±


    ¡°He doesn''t look too friendly now,¡± Sek Gon remarked, from where he was watching in the doorway of the hall.


    Chan Bik rounded on him. ¡°What are you doing? Why aren''t you helping?¡±


    ¡°... Gou Dzing can do it.¡±


    ¡°You lazy worm! What kind of person leaves their friend to do all the work? No, I get it ¨C you have no skills. Gou Dzing told me himself how you fell out of the window... You even tripped over the demon and still didn''t notice him! How can you call yourself a man?¡±


    The words dried in her throat.


    Although his eyelids were still lowered, his eyes were now glaring directly at her. The silver slivers in the grey irises stabbed her like knives.


    ¡°Not a man, you say?¡± He strode past her, hair untied and unbrushed, a robe thrown carelessly over the clothing he had worn to bed.


    Gou Dzing had managed to create an earthen net to trap the rats inside. They hissed and beat themselves bodily against the walls of the net, causing showers of soil to rain down upon them. Rats were smothered under the weight of the soil, or choking as it filled their lungs. Amongst the rats, a human figure crouched, groaning in pain.


    ¡°... Yue-muk?¡± Lady Yan called, a hand to her mouth. ¡°That''s... that''s Yue-muk, isn''t it? Is he... is he in pain?¡±


    Gou Dzing frowned. If he broke the barrier, the rats would escape, and it would be difficult to identify the lead rat in the chaos. If he didn''t, Yue-muk, now apparently abandoned by the rat demon, would die, suffocated by the soil. With a grunt of anger, he released the barrier.


    The rats exploded out.


    A figure streaked past, and swung once, accurately.


    A rat lay stricken on the ground, its head neatly severed, a tiny golden circle imprinted on the fur of its belly.


    Sek Gon flicked blood from his dou as the remaining rats disintegrated into black sludge, and turned to find Gou Dzing staring at him with shining eyes.


    ¡°... what?¡±


    ¡°Can I call you ''Master'' instead?¡±


    Sek Gon punched him in the stomach and walked away.


    *


    With all the excitement over, the household opted to sleep for the day. Gou Dzing sat guard to watch Yue-muk, who had been in a coma since the earth barrier had collapsed and Sek Gon had slain the rat demon. They all finally emerged as the sun was going down to find Gou Dzing standing at the door of the room where Yue-muk was resting.


    ¡°He''s awake.¡±


    The Chan Family filed in, while the servants peered through the windows. Cho Guk was weeping helplessly, while Sek Gon was leaning against a wall with his eyes closed, apparently ignoring everyone.


    ¡°Apologise for the delayed greeting, Lord Chan,¡± Gou Dzing said politely, bowing to Yue-muk.


    Chan Bik rushed to the bedside. ¡°... Father?¡±


    It was like a landslide. The whole family hastened to the man in the bed.


    ¡°Are those fake moles?¡±


    ¡°If he shaved off that beard...¡±


    ¡°Fake eyebrows? Dyed hair?¡±


    Chan Ngan clutched the bedclothes. ¡°Father... what happened?¡±


    The man in the bed slowly turned his eyes towards his youngest son. ¡°I... survived, and came back alone... but I had no place here anymore. I was angry. And in that anger... a demon found me.¡±


    ¡°It''s difficult for a normal person to resist a demon,¡± Gou Dzing interjected. ¡°We''re lucky he wasn''t so far assimilated that he couldn''t be saved.¡±


    His words brought a fresh wave of tears. The family threw themselves on the rediscovered patriarch, sobbing and laughing, while he struggled to breathe under the mass of people. Sek Gon and Gou Dzing watched without offering assistance.


    ¡°You know you won''t be able to get out of going to Mount Fa with me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I''ll drag you there if I have to.¡±


    ¡°... do you think that will really work?¡±


    ¡°I''ll follow you and cry continuously if you don''t.¡±


    ¡°... I''ll come with you.¡±


    ¡°Thought so.¡±


    Behind them, Se Sue was quietly shepherding his two children away from the room. ¡°Come now, little ones. We should... should...¡±


    ¡°Should what?¡± Yan Wai-Wai had caught sight of them. She stood between her husbands as though they were both ropes that held her fast with equal strength.


    ¡°... leave.¡± Se Sue spoke softly, his bewildered children clinging to his legs.


    Yan Wai-Wai glared furiously. ¡°You are both my husbands. Why should you leave?¡± She whirled to face Chan Taam. ¡°I love you both. Don''t think for a second I don''t! My heart is big and strong enough for this!¡±


    Tears sprang up in Se Sue''s eyes. ¡°Wai-Wai!¡±


    Chan Taam hid his face in his bedclothes. ¡°Mei Yan!¡±


    The next moment, everyone was sobbing once more and hugging one another. Gou Dzing tried hard not to laugh when he caught sight of Sek Gon''s disgusted face.


    ¡°I think that''s the most emotion I''ve seen you show,¡± he managed to get out, as he folded his arms tightly to try and prevent his ribs from heaving. Perhaps he could use his hei to control the laughter...?


    ¡°... did they forget that he basically tortured them every night?¡±


    ¡°Technically that was the demon...¡±


    ¡°... using Chan Taam''s anger.¡±


    ¡°Not our problem anymore!¡± Gou Dzing shrugged with cheerful philosophy. ¡°... was... did you just smirk?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You answered far too quickly. You laughed. I saw it!¡±


    Sek Gon drew his weapon. Gou Dzing drew his. Without a look back, they leapt from the room and fought each other across the courtyard.


    Gou Dzing''s sword was strong and heavy, with blows that could drive the smaller man to his knees, but Sek Gon was light and sharp, dodging the swings and darting in between swings. He pursued the Jade Exorcist through the dusk, the irritated look on his face falling away into a meditative gaze. Those sharp silver eyes softened, and the dou sang through the air.


    ¡°Are you two done yet?¡± Chan Bik complained. Sek Gon and Gou Dzing halted and looked at her simultaneously, making her pause guiltily.


    ¡°I''m... I''m sorry, Sir Sek. I have a tendency to speak without thinking. It''s gotten me into trouble a few times but... I''m sorry.¡± She hung her head, and her voice fell like a scolded child. ¡°I said some very disrespectful things to you.¡±


    Sek Gon sheathed his blade and walked away.


    Gou Dzing sighed, putting away his own sword and making his way to Chan Bik, whose eyes were streaming tears. ¡°Give it some time. You''ll do better from now on, right?¡±


    ¡°I.... I''ve been trying! I don''t know why these things come out of my mouth... Mother sometimes says I should have been born a boy... I''m so... flighty and fidgety and sometimes I do and... and say things without even... thinking-¡±


    ¡°Circulate your energy, Lady Bik. Remember what I taught you before?¡±


    She did. As she settled, Gou Dzing continued, ¡°Why don''t you come with us to Mount Fa? Perhaps the guidance of a Master will help you.¡±


    ¡°I... I''ll ask my M- parents. My parents.¡± Fresh tears were spilled. ¡°Father... Dad... He''s home.¡±

 8 - The Face-Slapping Chapter

    The earth turned, and the Chan Family home once more faced the sun on a fittingly beautiful morning. As if the Heavens knew that the Chan Family''s troubles were over, a pink dawn melted softly into limpid blue sky as small shrikes flitted through the trees of the courtyard, singing.


    A small, fresh breeze blew through the courtyard and outdoor corridors of the house, in through the open window of the room where Sek Gon was staying. He appraised the glorious day outside with a single sound -


    ¡°... hmph.¡±


    - and then shut the window, before gloomily returning to rubbing a textured string across his chin and upper lip, removing the tiny strands of hair that clung embarrassingly there.


    ¡°Do you even have anything to remove?¡± Chan Bik asked bitingly by way of greeting, as she entered the room. Seeing she had stabbed Sek Gon exactly where it hurt and that he was now metaphorically bleeding out on the floor, she sighed and bit her nails nervously. ¡°I''m sorry, I''m sorry. I don''t mean to be so nasty. Things just fall out without me thinking.¡±


    She shot a hard look at Sek Gon, who had somewhat recovered and was peeling himself off the ground. ¡°Although you''re not exactly the most polite yourself.¡±


    It was unlikely that Sek Gon would have deigned this observation with a response, but the opportunity was taken away from him anyway. At this point, Gou Dzing came bounding into the room as if he were the puppy of a temple-dog, a si dzi, rather than a handsome young man. ¡°I got a message this morning!¡±


    ¡°Congratulations.¡± Sek Gon clapped.


    ¡°My Master is going into seclusion training,¡± Gou Dzing continued, as if no one had spoken. ¡°I need to go ¨C well, I want to see her before she does. And...¡± Suddenly, he rounded on Sek Gon, knelt on the floor and desperately clutched the other man''s robes. ¡°You''ll really come to Mount Fa, right? Right, Sir Sek? You''ll come and see me?¡±


    Sek Gon gaped at the Jade Exorcist, pawing at his clothing. ¡°Yes! Yes! Let go of me!¡±


    ¡°Excellent!¡± Gou Dzing bounded upright, a big grin on his face. Sek Gon clutched his heart. Was this guy a used cart salesman? How could he change his attitude so quickly?


    ¡°I''m going to go ahead. Please take your time following... Actually, Lady Bik...¡± Gou Dzing turned to the young woman. ¡°Make sure he doesn''t take too much time.¡±


    ¡°I''ll make sure. I want to get to Mount Fa and find a Master as soon as possible. Although... I would like to spend just... a little time... with my father.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Gou Dzing prepared to leave immediately. The Chan Family gathered to farewell him, gratefully bowing and offering him supplies and transportation to assist on his return to the sect. He accepted some food, but turned down the transportation.


    ¡°It''ll be faster if I run,¡± he explained cheerfully.


    ¡°Of course! The Jade Exorcist is highly skilled!¡±


    ¡°Thank you again, Great Master Gou, for returning Father to us.¡±


    ¡°How did work out who he was?¡±


    ¡°We''re so grateful you''re looking out for Ah Bik!¡±


    ¡°Please take some more food.¡±


    Gou Dzing smiled. ¡°Really, it was Sir Sek who did most of the work. You all saw that he killed the Rat King Demon in the end.¡±


    As one, the Chan Family sneaked a glance in the direction of the room where Sek Gon was staying. He hadn''t come out to say goodbye to Gou Dzing. Instead, he was once more sitting dramatically on a windowsill, gazing into nothing while his hair blew about interestingly. His expression was completely apathetic.


    ¡°Um... well...¡±


    ¡°He''s a little... hard to talk to.¡±


    ¡°He''s anti-social,¡± Chan Gam said bluntly.


    ¡°He''s a jerk,¡± Chan Bik said even more bluntly. Her family didn''t even reprimand her this time.


    ¡°He''s just awkward,¡± Gou Dzing said generously. ¡°I don''t think he''s very used to relating to people.¡±


    Yan Wai-Wai sighed, her arms hooked possessively through an arm of each of her husbands. ¡°He''ll need to learn soon, that child. Life will be even tougher for him, otherwise.¡±


    Having thought for a moment, Gou Dzing excused himself, and quickly joined Sek Gon at his perch at the window. ¡°Sir Sek?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°I... You understand why I''m asking you to take your time, right? I know you would easily be able to keep up with me... You can probably travel even faster, in all honesty.¡±


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Chan Bik will need someone to look after her. I''m sorry to ask this of you. I know you dislike annoying things. Please... think of this as a favour. I''ll repay you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Gou Dzing waited an uncomfortable amount of time for a response. He was about to say goodbye and leave, when Sek Gon suddenly spoke. ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°Is... what all?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Really, Sir Sek, would it kill you to answer...?


    ¡°I see.¡±


    You see what?


    Sek Gon turned his head very slightly, and without raising his eyes, he said, ¡°I will see you soon.¡±


    That sentence from anyone else could be a throwaway line. But from Sek Gon''s mouth, it brought an expression that could only be described as relieved anticipation to Gou Dzing''s face.


    ¡°Then... I''ll be waiting.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°How much further is it?¡± Chan Bik wailed miserably, crouched close to the fire she had built when they stopped for the night. She had shown a surprising aptitude for starting a campfire, but not so much for travelling. It was killing her to be on the move for so long, and with a silent companion on top of that. Sek Gon wordlessly roasted some rabbits he had found when he had accidentally put his foot in the entrance of a warren whilst going to relieve himself in the woods. This had scared the rabbits out of another entrance and he''d managed to recover himself quickly enough to catch a couple for dinner. Satisfied that the rabbit was thoroughly cooked, he began to eat.


    Chan Bik stared. ¡°Wait... isn''t one of those mine?¡±


    Sek Gon looked at his perfectly cooked rabbits, looked at Chan Bik, looked back at the rabbit. With an air of great sadness, he handed over the second rabbit.


    ¡°... do you really hate having to giving this to me that much?¡±


    ¡°Why don''t you give it to me then?¡± asked an unfortunately familiar voice.


    Chan Bik almost dropped her rabbit. ¡°Who...?¡±


    She found she was almost nose-to-nose with a woman with a pretty smile and a pretty nose and eyes that were unsettlingly large, and scuttled backwards as though she had run into a demon. Teem Djeung Baak eyed the rabbit greedily. ¡°A meal cooked by Little Handsome himself... Give it to me!¡±


    ¡°N... NO! No, it''s MY dinner!¡± Chan Bik, recovering, managed to scream back. Sek Gon thought he might be blown over by the force of her shout. He hastily crammed the rest of his own rabbit into his mouth.


    ¡°Let''s play a game then,¡± Teem Djeung Baak said, seating herself comfortably cross-legged. ¡°Whoever wins gets the meat.¡±


    ¡°Sek Gon, who is this? Do you know her?¡± Chan Bik muttered anxiously, trying to seek some support from the man. Unfortunately, his mouth was full of rabbit, so all he did was shrug.


    ¡°Come on, I''m hungry,¡± Teem Djeung Baak said, her voice beginning to carry a hard edge. She fiddled meaningfully with the handle of a knife sheathed into a belt across her chest, and Chan Bik suddenly became very aware that the other woman was bristling with blades, carried all over her body. With a combined rush of fear and anger, she sat herself resolutely in front of the strange woman. ¡°What game do you want to play?¡±


    ¡°How about.... you know the clapping game?¡±


    ¡°The clapping game...¡±


    There was such a game. The children played it ¨C one child would start as the commander, and would call out a geographical direction. All the other children would have to quickly clap their hands, then move them into a position that represented that direction. If they were too slow, or got it wrong, there was a penalty.


    ¡°I know it. That''s a kids'' game.¡± Chan Bik''s lip curled.


    ¡°Then it should be easy.¡± Teem Djeung Baak smiled brightly. ¡°Best of three?¡±


    The rabbit was carefully placed on a cleaned rock. Chan Bik shot the salivating Sek Gon a sharp look, before assuming the same position that Teem Djeung Baak had ¨C hands palms together, the fingertips pointing towards her opponent.


    Their fingertips met. Chan Bik suddenly felt uneasy.


    ¡°I''ll start,¡± Teem Djeung Baak sang. And with the speed of a striking crane, she slapped Chan Bik viciously across the face.


    Chan Bik felt as though it were her lungs that had been slapped. All of the air went out of her, and before she could even gather her wits, a second slap followed quickly behind the first, on the other side of her face. She fell backwards to the sound of Teem Djeung Baak whooping gleefully. The other woman pounced upon the rabbit and tore into it. ¡°Ah, a meal cooked by the Little Handsome One, how lovely!¡±


    Chan Bik staggered upright, her face burning and throbbing with excruciating pain. Her upper lip felt a little hot and wet; dazed, she licked at it to find that her nose was bleeding. Finally, her brain caught up. ¡°Y... YOU! THAT WASN''T THE RIGHT GAME!¡±


    ¡°Since when?¡± Teem Djeung Baak contradicted. ¡°I said the clapping game, didn''t I?¡±


    ¡°But the clapping game... It''s not...¡± Chan Bik wanted to tear this woman apart, but she was instinctively aware that she was no match for Teem Djeung Baak. She appealed anxiously to Sek Gon, who was watching Teem Djeung Baak devour the rabbit with an unfathomable expression. ¡°Sek Gon... This isn''t right! Can''t you help me?¡±


    Sek Gon considered this, then stood up. Chan Bik''s spirits rose a little, despite the pain she was in, but they were slammed to the ground a moment later ¨C the cultivator simply turned, and walked away from the fire.


    ¡°S... SEK G-¡±


    ¡°Wait! Little Handsome! Are you leaving so soon?¡± Teem Djeung Baak cracked through the rabbit bones with her teeth, the awful sound echoing through the night forest. ¡°Stay and play with me too. I think you''ll last longer than that fake Jade Exorcist, right? Is he dead yet? I wasn''t sure how deep I managed to get him.¡±


    Sek Gon stopped. He turned a faintly puzzled expression towards Chan Bik. ¡°... Are you coming, Miss Chan?¡±


    ¡°Aren''t you going to fight her?¡± Chan Bik cried, her face growing more painful as she was unable to stop the tears pouring down her swollen cheeks. She struggled to breathe, mucus and blood blocking her nose. Teem Djeung Baak watched with fascination, still cracking rabbit bones with her teeth. ¡°Wow! What a fascinating colour!¡±


    Sek Gon blinked. ¡°Why?¡±


    This was too much. Chan Bik sat helplessly on the ground and cried, her hurt pride and hurt face driving the tears more. Teem Djeung Baak howled with laughter and poked Chan Bik''s face with great amusement, which only made the girl cry even more.


    ¡°S...stop! Stop it!¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    Teem Djeung Baak raised her enormous eyes to look at Sek Gon, who stood beside her now. She raised her finger to Chan Bik''s face once more, a huge smile growing on her face. ¡°Or?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    She moved to poke Chan Bik''s damaged cheek.


    There was a whooshing sound; Teem Djeung Baak sprang back, Chan Bik felt a cold draft chill her face momentarily. Otherwise, nothing seemed to have happened.


    Sek Gon''s hand was on the hilt of his sword.


    ¡°Fast!¡± Teem Djeung Baak exclaimed, experimentally flexing her fingers and checking with exaggerated care that they were all still there. A few drops of blood beaded her hand. Her huge eyes gleamed with excitement. ¡°I knew it. You have to play with me, Little Handsome.¡±

 9 - Run!

    Sek Gon considered this offer.


    And then he threw Chan Bik over his shoulder, and ran away.


    There''s no way anyone is staying and playing with you, you lunatic!


    Teem Djeung Baak looked stunned for a few seconds, then she threw back her head, laughing wildly. ¡°Oh, Little Handsome, you do want to play! I''ll catch you!¡±


    Sek Gon didn''t look back. With Chan Bik sobbing and begging him to stop, he raced through the forest, feet barely skimming the leaf litter. He could hear Teem Djeung Baak chattering excitedly behind him, and although he was fast, he was carrying a woman almost the same size as him.


    And to be honest, he was more of a sprinter than a long-distance runner.


    He tried zigzagging, left and right, up and down, but Teem Djeung Baak stayed close behind him. Her chattering had stopped, though, and a small wrinkle had appeared between her shapely eyebrows. He couldn''t shake her off, but she couldn''t catch up to him either.


    And all at once, her presence vanished.


    Sek Gon halted immediately, slipped on a mossy branch, and the two of them fell from the canopy into a thick layer of dead leaves. Chan Bik bounced once, almost half the height that she had fallen, crawled upright, and promptly threw up. Green-faced and shaking, she staggered upright, then vomited again. Sek Gon lay like the dead where he had fallen.


    Cold sweat pouring down her face, Chan Bik spat to try and clear her mouth. ¡°You... Don''t follow me. Don''t come near me. Don''t... How could you... You really don''t care about anyone except yourself, do you? You selfish bastard...¡±


    Exhausted by this brief tirade, she stumbled away into the night.


    Sek Gon had not moved. His eyes were closed. His ears twitched.


    Chan Bik had barely disappeared when he opened his eyes to stare into the darkened canopy above him. His neutral expression darkened.


    Sek Gon pulled himself upright, and began to run. Back towards the way they had come.


    *


    ¡°He just left you there?¡±


    Chan Bik nodded, crying too hard to speak. A concerned female disciple of the Mountain School of Mount Fa hugged her soothingly, looking askance of Gou Dzing.


    ¡°Gou Si-hing, what''s going on? Who is this man she was talking about?¡±


    They were seated in the infirmary of one of the five schools of Mount Fa, the school of Earth arts, Way of the Mountain. Chan Bik had been picked up by a wide patrol and brought immediately back to the sect. Gou Dzing looked grimly as he watched her sob.


    ¡°Someone I thought I could trust, Cheng Si-mui. What was he thinking...?¡±


    ¡°I know I can be an awful person sometimes,¡± Chan Bik whispered, her words a little slurred with tiredness and the swelling of her cheeks. ¡°But this is too much...¡±


    ¡°I''m going to look for him.¡± Gou Dzing attached his sword to his hip and nodded to his junior sister. ¡°Please look after her, Cheng Si-mui.¡±


    ¡°Do you want us to come with you?¡± A few other disciples of the Way of the Mountain, who had been listening to Chan Bik''s story, rose to their feet.


    Gou Dzing smiled , but declined. ¡°I''m only going to talk to him. I don''t want to be aggressive, so it''s better if it''s just me.¡±


    ¡°What about the woman?¡±


    ¡°I''ve dealt with her before. It''ll be alright.¡±


    ¡°Call us immediately if something happens.¡±


    ¡°We know you''re strong, Si-hing, but it''s better to be safe.¡±


    An image of Sek Gon standing beside him, flicking blood from a sword that had moved so fast that he couldn''t follow with his eyes, came to Gou Dzing''s mind. His mouth tightened.


    ¡°I''ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°There''s a person at the gate!¡± came a call through the night. Everyone''s heads swung around at once. Gou Dzing waved them back as they tried to follow.


    ¡°Stay there! I''ll go and look.¡±


    A figure stood on the path outside the gate. Dressed in cultivator''s robes, his hair tied back, a sword at his hip that Gou Dzing knew was in desperately need of a clean yet was sharper than ice -


    ¡°Sek Gon.¡±


    Those silver eyes did not look up. Instead, they wandered away into the night. ¡°Is Chan Bik here?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°... okay.¡±


    Sek Gon turned to leave.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°... I don''t know yet.¡±


    ¡°Come inside.¡±


    Sek Gon nodded. As the disciples on guard began to open the gates, a few of the disciples from the infirmary had come outside despite Gou Dzing''s words and began to question him anxiously.


    ¡°Si-hing, is that him?¡±


    ¡°Is this really a good idea?¡±


    ¡°Leave this to me,¡± Gou Dzing said softly. He went down to the gate to meet Sek Gon, and found Chan Bik already there, leaning against Disciple Cheng.


    ¡°How dare you come crawling here!¡±


    Sek Gon stared at the ground.


    ¡°Well? SAY SOMETHING! Are you going to even apologise?¡±


    ¡°... for what?¡±


    Chan Bik slapped him. Across the face, as Teem Djeung Baak had done. Once, twice.


    Sek Gon didn''t even move to defend himself, although to be fair, the slaps of a civilian against a cultivator probably had little effect. As Chan Bik was readying herself for another slap, Gou Dzing firmly grasped her hand. ¡°Stop, Lady Bik. You need to rest, and slapping Sek Gon isn''t going to help anyone.¡±


    ¡°Don''t stop me! You''ve been so complacent about his weird personality!¡±


    ¡°Cheng Si-mui, please take her back to the infirmary. Give her a sleeping draught.¡±


    Chan Bik was led away, crying and cursing Sek Gon. Gou Dzing turned to him now. ¡°This way.¡±


    Hostile eyes followed Sek Gon to the meeting room where he and Gou Dzing sat down. Another disciple brought them tea, although they placed a cup in front of Sek Gon with great reluctance. The young man drank it without any apparent concern.


    ¡°Sek Gon. Can you explain why Chan Bik''s face is like that?¡± Gou Dzing''s voice was very, very soft. For the first time, Sek Gon seemed uneasy. He put down his cup, eyes darting about under their half-closed lids as if seeking the correct answer.


    Gou Dzing sighed and rubbed his face. ¡°Are you not talking because you have no way to defend yourself?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Sek Gon, if you don''t talk to me, I can''t understand what you''re thinking.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I''m giving you an opportunity to defend yourself. Tell me, why did you let Chan Bik get injured like this?¡±


    Sek Gon toyed with the empty teacup, and his eyes darted around the room, and he said nothing.


    Gou Dzing was about to stand when his eyes dropped down to the hands holding the teacup. They were very slightly trembling. He leaned forward, speaking more gently. ¡°What are you scared of, Sek Gon?¡± The faint scent of smoke, and something singed, reached his nosw. Looking closely, he could see some smudges of ash on the other cultivator''s clothing and even a little on his cheek. He rubbed it off with his thumb. ¡°What''s this?¡±


    ¡°... ash.¡±


    ¡°Why do you have ash on you?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I''m not accusing you of anything, Sir Sek, I''m just wondering where it came from.¡±


    ¡°... campfire.¡±


    ¡°When you and Chan Bik set up camp? I thought she built the fire.¡±


    ¡°... yes.¡±


    ¡°So why do you have ash on you?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Gou Dzing changed his tack. ¡°Did you get this ash on you when Chan Bik was building the fire?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Did you... go back after you left Chan Bik?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why did you go back?¡±


    ¡°... that woman...¡±


    ¡°Teem Djeung Baak, is that right?¡±


    ¡°... yes.¡±


    Gou Dzing rubbed his dark eyes wearily. ¡°Sek Gon, do you realise you''ve done something wrong?¡±


    ¡°... yes.¡± The affirmation was barely audible.


    ¡°Do you know what you did wrong?¡±


    ¡°... I let Chan Bik get injured.¡±


    ¡°Was it on purpose?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Lady Bik is a normal civilian. She hasn''t trained yet. What did you think would happen if she had a confrontation with a dangerous person like Teem Djeung Baak?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Why didn''t you stop them?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Please. Sek Gon, please talk to me. Whatever it is that is going through your mind, I need to know. Say anything.¡±


    The silvery eyes rose, very slightly, and fixed on Gou Dzing''s hands. Sek Gon opened his mouth.


    And a barrage of words flew out.


    ¡°I was angry because she took my rabbit and besides she seemed very confident about fighting Teem Djeung Baak so I thought it would be rude if I interrupted because I know people get upset when their fights are interrupted so I decided to just eat dinner but then Chan Bik couldn''t actually fight so I thought it would be best for us to leave but then for some reason she wouldn''t leave so-¡±


    ¡°Wait wait wait!¡± Gou Dzing tried to recover from where the words had pinned him to the wall.


    Sek Gon''s jaw snapped shut again.


    There was a very long silence.


    ¡°Sir Sek... do you... have a lot of thoughts? All the time?¡±


    A mute nod.


    ¡°And all those thoughts... are they hard for you to express clearly?¡±


    Another silent nod, but this one was quick and excited. Gou Dzing felt a little twinge in his chest at the sheer eagerness of the gesture. He sighed very deeply.


    So... this was all the result of misunderstandings. What was this, a trashy romance novel?


    ¡°Sir Sek... if you don''t say anything, people are going to misunderstand. Lady Bik thought that you had abandoned her. She became anxious and thought her only option was to try and deal with Teem Djeung Baak by herself, even if she is weaker.¡±


    Sek Gon fiddled with the cup. It tipped and the dregs of the tea spilled out.


    ¡°Lady Bik is impulsive and hot-headed.¡± Speaking of impulses, Gou Dzing reached out and put his hand on Sek Gon''s, stilling them. ¡°I... I''m aware that a lot has been asked of you. You didn''t really want to be involved in all of this, and I made you look after Lady Bik.¡± He bowed his head to the table. ¡°I''m sorry.¡±


    Sek Gon looked at the hand on his. ¡°... what do I do now?¡±


    ¡°Well... I think you need to apologise to Chan Bik. And explain.¡± Gou Dzing''s mouth twisted ruefully. ¡°She''ll probably have a hard time forgiving you, but it''s important to do anyway. And then...¡±


    They studied their overlapped hands thoughtfully.


    ¡°Then you should practice communicating. We can''t have this happening again.¡±


    ¡°... okay.¡±


    What the heck, since when was this guy so obedient?


    ¡°Let''s get you some food, and a bed, and we''ll see Lady Bik in the morning when we''ve all had a rest.¡± Gou Dzing laughed as Sek Gon''s face expression changed very slightly at the mention of food. ¡°Come on.¡±


    As he lifted his hand away, he felt the minutest of flinches. ¡°What...?¡±


    Sek Gon''s hands were soot-stained, so it was difficult to see the wounds below in the dim lamplight. Gou Dzing had to hold them close to his face to realise that Sek Gon''s fingers were covered in burns, some bleeding. ¡°The fire... What happened?¡±


    ¡°... it... that woman...¡±


    ¡°Say whatever you''re thinking, I''ll work it out.¡±


    ¡°... I... I thought it was strange that she stopped following us so I went back to look and she used our campfire to set fire to the forest so I had to put the fire out but also she was still there and she tried to stop me so I fought with her and then put the fire out and then looked for Chan Bik because you said I needed to look after her...¡±


    ¡°Let''s get your hands treated. I''ll bring some medicine, since I think that it''s best you don''t go into the infirmary with Chan Bik there.¡±


    Sek Gon looked at his hands. ¡°They''re okay.¡±


    ¡°Even if you have high cultivation you shouldn''t be careless. Just wait here, I''ll be back soon.¡±


    As he finally prepared for bed later that night, Gou Dzing reflected on what he had learnt. He sincerely hoped that Chan Bik would be accepting of Sek Gon''s explanation, but he foresaw a difficult task ahead.


    Sighing, he undid his hair and fell onto his bed, the snores of his fellow disciples rumbling through the dark in their shared dormitory. As he drifted off, his thoughts turned vaguely towards Teem Djeung Baak. Who the hell was she? What was with that flirty tone she used with Sek Gon?


    His last thought before he fell completely asleep was one of trepidation.


    That woman... she''s going to be trouble.

 10 - In which there are stereotypical background characters

    Sek Gon was out cold for five days.


    When Gou Dzing went to wake him the next morning, there was no response. He had thought that the other cultivator had looked a bit tired the night before, but now in the light of day, he saw the full extent ¨C Sek Gon''s skin had a sickly greenish tinge and his eye sockets were dark and hollow. When the bandages on his hands were changed, the burns revealed themselves to have become large blisters, with the skin sloughing off and the raw flesh underneath weeping clear lymph. Occasionally, he would obediently cough up blood as a good cultivator with internal damage should.


    Chan Bik came by later on the first day, her cheeks purpled but the swelling reduced. She grumbled angrily at Sek Gon''s unconscious form but otherwise listened quietly to Gou Dzing''s understanding of the situation.


    In any case, the early morning patrol had headed out to the site of the campfire and come back with a report.


    ¡°I''ve never seen anything like it,¡± Disciple Cheng recounted, having led the expedition. ¡°There''s a huge area, about one by one and a half bou that is covered in a thin layer of this strange crystal.¡± She handed Gou Dzing a small piece of some hard silvery substance, formed of tiny crystalline columns. He turned it over in his hands, puzzled, and experimentally scratched it against a steel dagger used for training. The silver crystal easily left a clean gash on the steel surface.


    ¡°There''s signs of fire all throughout the area, with one or two trees completely engulfed. But this crystal seems to have otherwise suppressed the flames and prevented them from going any further.¡±


    As they spoke, the younger disciples whispered amongst themselves.


    ¡°Cheng Si-dze and Gou Si-hing look so good together, right?¡±


    ¡°Right, Cheng Si-dze is accomplished and refined, and Gou Si-hing is the great Jade Exorcist and head disciple of our school, of course they''re right together.¡±


    Chan Bik clicked her tongue and spoke loudly to no-one in particular. ¡°I thought coming to a place like this, I would meet people who would teach me to be restrained and dignified. But apparently it''s full of stereotypical background characters!¡±


    Disciple Cheng stifled a laugh and clapped her hands. ¡°Si-dai and si-mui, what happened to your schedules? Just because Master is in seclusion doesn''t mean you can laze around! Go on, go and gossip about me elsewhere.¡±


    The young disciples quickly left, looking embarrassed, leaving Gou Dzing, Disciple Cheng and Chan Bik, who was at a loss. Disciple Cheng gestured her forwards.


    ¡°What a good girl! Or maybe... you were jealous?¡±


    Chan Bik almost expected a pair of sharp ears and a fox''s tail to pop out of this refined Senior Sister. Up close, she was treated to the full affect of the shapely disciple and her attractive face, although she could now see a teasing glint in those narrow dark grey eyes that she had not perceived before.


    ¡°Jealous? Cheng Si-dze, I''m not jealous!¡± she denied, her cheeks warming painfully. Disciple Cheng laughed heartily in a way very unbecoming for a Senior Sister.


    Gou Dzing tweaked her ear reprimandingly. ¡°Stop that.¡±


    ¡°You don''t have to call me Cheng Si-dze yet,¡± the woman wiped away tears of laughter as she addressed Chan Bik. ¡°My name is Cheng Baak-hap. You can call me Hap Dze-dze...¡±


    Her ear was tweaked by Gou Dzing again as Chan Bik stood awkwardly with her mouth open, whole face on fire.


    ¡°Alright, enough messing around,¡± Gou Dzing flicked the silver crystal up and caught it. ¡°Call one of the juniors to take this to the smithy and ask if they know what it is. In any case, this could explain why Sir Sek is out cold today.¡±


    ¡°You understand the interaction of the elements, right?¡± Cheng Baak-hap asked Chan Bik, when the younger woman looked puzzled. ¡°The five elements, Fire, Wood, Water, Metal and Earth all have relationships with each other. These can be destructive or constructive. Fire melts Metal, so those with a Metal attribute have usually weaker to Fire-attributed attacks.¡±


    ¡°After seeing Sir Sek fight a few times, I suspect that he has studied a martial art with a Metal affinity,¡± Gou Dzing noted. ¡°It''s possible to overcome the weakness if you''re particularly strong, but even so, it takes a lot of energy.¡± He turned the crystal in his hands again. ¡°How much energy must it have taken to extract enough of this to smother the fire? A disciple of our school would have had a bit of an easier time, since the Way of the Mountain is an Earth-aligned art. The School of Still Heart is Water-based and would have dealt with this easily.¡±


    ¡°As Dzik Suet Yi-sang said earlier this morning, Sek Gon Si-hing seemed to be suffering from hei depletion.¡± Cheng Baak-hap had laughed herself sick when she heard the explanation of Sek Gon''s name and would now use the full phrase when referring to him. Even now her lips twitched as she spoke his name despite the seriousness of the situation.


    ¡°No sign of Teem Djeung Baak, I take it?¡±


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°None.¡±


    ¡°She will cause even more trouble in the future, I''m sure. We''ll have to notify all the sects, and see if anyone knows anything about her. I''ll write a letter and have it sent out. Cheng Si-mui, give this to one of the juniors to take to the smithy. Lady Bik, I''ll have one of the senior disciples show you around the sect.¡±


    Chan Bik''s eyes drifted towards the room where Sek Gon lay like the dead.


    ¡°He''ll be alright.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. I haven''t forgiven him.¡±


    ¡°You don''t necessarily have to.¡±


    ¡°I just...¡± Chan Bik fiddled with the sash of the disciple robe she had been lent. ¡°I know what it''s like... being misunderstood.¡±


    ¡°It doesn''t excuse the fact that his inaction caused you to get hurt, Lady Bik.¡±


    ¡°I know... Maybe if he bows right to the ground and shouts ''I''m sorry!'' a hundred times, I''ll forgive him!¡±


    ¡°Aw, how cute!¡± Cheng Baak-hap seized Chan Bik for a delighted hug. ¡°What a forgiving girl!¡±


    ¡°I think it runs in the family,¡± Gou Dzing observed under his breath.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°We need to get going. We''ve spent enough time on this situation this morning. Behave like a senior sister of the Mount Fa Sect, would you?¡±


    ¡°Grumpy old man.¡± Cheng Baak-hap left in a huff, pulling Chan Bik with her.


    For five days, the Way of the Mountain School continued their usual routine, with the addition of Gou Dzing, and occasionally, Chan Bik, visiting Sek Gon to see his progress. There was no sign of Teem Djeung Baak, and no further disruptions to day-today life.


    Which meant something had to happen.


    On the sixth day, the school found a strange figure standing in the courtyard. It looked like a small child, dressed neatly in servant''s clothing, carrying the plaque of their master in its hands. Its eyes were pure black orbs.


    Gou Dzing knelt before it. ¡°Greeting Master''s servant.¡±


    The servant smiled mechanically without any sign of emotion. ¡°Head Disciple Gou Dzing, your Master wishes to meet the two children you have brought with you.¡±


    The usual gossip broke out immediately.


    ¡°Wasn''t Master in seclusion training?¡±


    ¡°That cultivator is still unconscious though.¡±


    ¡°Why would Master want to see Lady Bik?¡±


    ¡°I hear and obey,¡± Gou Dzing responded calmly. He stood and stared at the small group of whispering disciples, who snapped to attention. ¡°Keep gossiping and you''ll get kicked out of the sect. Aren''t you embarrassed to be acting like ''stereotypical background characters''?¡±


    They shuffled awkwardly.


    ¡°Go back to your business. Lady Bik?¡±


    ¡°I didn''t know you also read martial arts novels, Gou Go.¡±


    ¡°I didn''t know that Lady Bik gets to call you Go-go,¡± Cheng Baak-hap chimed in, appearing suddenly to plaster herself over the other girl.


    Why are you being so sticky?


    ¡°Well why don''t you ask Lady Bik if you can call her Chan Mui-mui then?¡±


    ¡°Chan Mui-mui! Oh, can I call you Bik Bik?¡±


    ¡°D-Don''t we have to see your Master? But Sek Gon...¡±


    ¡°... I''m here.¡±


    Amidst the noisy bickering, Sek Gon had silently emerged from his room and was resting against a pillar, eyes half-open. The disciples tried to carry out their tasks while sneaking looks at him.


    ¡°So that''s the famous ''Big Tree''?¡±


    ¡°Looks like a small tree to me.¡±


    ¡°Is he even a man?¡±


    ¡°You three, Disciple Hall now,¡± Gou Dzing ordered, without even turning to look. The three gossipers tried to look innocent until they realised that all the other disciples were staring at them, and so shuffled off to receive their punishment.


    Gou Dzing held out a hand to Sek Gon. ¡°Do you need help?¡±


    A shake of the head. Sek Gon stumbled into the daylight of the courtyard and halted before Chan Bik. It was hard to say who looked worse ¨C Chan Bik, with her cheeks multicoloured with healing bruises, or Sek Gon with his untied hair and eyes that looked like he had been punched.


    They stared at each other.


    ¡°W-What?¡± Chan Bik said at last, her hackles raising. ¡°Got something to say?¡±


    ¡°... what should I say?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, what should you say? Shouldn''t you apologise? Look at my face! I was so scared and it hurt and you just stood there!¡± Tears were already spilling from her eyes, to her annoyance. ¡°Why don''t you get down on the ground and grovel, huh?¡±


    No sooner had those words left her mouth than Sek Gon was kneeling on the floor before her. ¡°I''m sorry,¡± came the muffled words.


    Chan Bik stuttered to a halt. She looked at Cheng Baak-hap for help. The Senior Sister was eyeing Sek Gon thoughtfully. ¡°Huh... he really did it. Why don''t you ask him to explain himself? Let''s see if he really does shoot out words like Gou Si-hing said he does.¡±


    ¡°Sek Gon, explain to me, why did you let me get injured? Like you explained to Gou Go.¡±


    ¡°... I though you wanted to fight her yourself so I didn''t want to interrupt even though I thought you couldn''t beat her because I thought you would get angry if I interrupted so I was just watching and then when she hurt you and you seemed to want my help I thought it would be best for us to leave so he wouldn''t hurt you anymore but then you wouldn''t leave and I couldn''t understand why and-¡±


    ¡°Sek Go-go...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Chan Bik seized both of Sek Gon''s hands emotionally.


    Eh?


    ¡°You''re just like me... You''ve got a weird brain!¡±


    ¡°... ow.¡±


    ¡°Ack, your hands! I''m sorry!¡±


    Gou Dzing rubbed his face. ¡°Really does run in the family.¡±


    ¡°What was that, Gou Si-hing?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Really, are you getting early dementia? You''ve been talking to yourself a lot recently.¡±


    ¡°Cheng Si-mui, do you want to join the others in the Discipline Hall?¡±


    ¡°Head Disciple, are you abusing your authority?¡±


    The Master''s servant coughed. In all the chaos, they had forgotten it was there. Sek Gon was assisted upright.


    ¡°Will you be alright to meet Master?¡±


    Nod.


    ¡°Alright. I''ll leave things to you here, Cheng Si-mui.¡±


    ¡°Of course. See you later!¡±


    ¡°Don''t be so cheerful about it.¡±


    The servant led them further up the mountain, and for the first time, Sek Gon saw the sect clearly.


    Five schools, each an enclosed stronghold, were dotted about the granite peaks around them. In the mid-morning early winter air, the altitude meant that thin clouds drifted picturesquely over the rocks, mingling with the smoke rising from cooking fires and the smithy. Stunted trees devoid of leaf completed the vista; Sek Gon paused to rest and stared out across the scene, breath condensing visibly. His eyes lingered on the drifts of snow sparkling at the highest points.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± Gou Dzing asked.


    ¡°... familiar.¡±


    ¡°Your homeland?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    A hawk glided in lazy circles overhead. They watched it make several turns, then continued their trek as it drifted away in search of food. The servant had led them to a cave entrance.


    ¡°Please.¡± It bowed them in.


    Gou Dzing entered first, and bowed respectfully to the figure seated within. ¡°Head Disciple Gou Dzing, greeting his Master!¡±


    Chan Bik bowed nervously. ¡°This person is Chan Bik, greeting the Grandmaster of the Way of the Mountain.¡±


    Sek Gon bowed down to the ground, his forehead touching the dry rock.


    ¡°Lord Gaam Bing''s Disciple Sek Gon greets the Great Empress, Mother of All.¡±

 11 - This is the exposition chapter, I guess

    The woman in the cave uncoiled herself lazily and stood.


    She was lanky, and infinitely elegant, with her long, fine white hair elaborately looped behind her head and slinking over her shoulders, in stark contrast to her deep brown robes. Taking a drag from the narrow, ornate pipe that she held between long-nailed fingers, she slowly exhaled the smoke with a sharp-toothed grin.


    She was beautiful, and very, very old.


    "Old White''s disciple, huh?"


    "Ha!" Gou Dzing grinned too. "I knew it!"


    Chan Bik''s head swivelled from one person to another anxiously. "Should... I have bowed lower? Who''s Lord Gaam?"


    "Calm down, little one. I''ll explain in a moment. Disciple of Old White, come here."


    "... Divine Majesty?"


    "I want to see your eyes, child."


    "... I never thought the Great Empress was into that kind of thing..."


    Chan Bik froze in horror at Sek Gon''s words, but the Grandmaster laughed aloud, causing tremors through the cave. "The same sense of humour as Old White, very good. Come on, come here."


    That was a joke? Sek Gon was joking?


    The comedian rose and stood before her. They stared into each others'' eyes for a few moments, silver flecks meeting caramel brown, until Sek Gon dropped his gaze.


    "At the level of Sword Eyes already... Hey, brat-" She turned to her own disciple. "- you need to hurry up, this kid has you well beaten!"


    "Yes, Master..." Gou Dzing groaned, more like a junior disciple than the great Jade Exorcist. He realised Chan Bik was staring at him with the intensity of someone who desperately needed a toilet. "Uh, Master, should I...?"


    "Yes, let''s see how much you remember."


    "... Master, why do you make me sound like a bad student?"


    "Because you still haven''t mastered the sight arts yet, and this kid has."


    "Master..."


    "... I''m twenty-six."


    Three disbelieving pairs of eyes turned to appraise Sek Gon.


    "... what?"


    At the sharpness in his voice, Gou Dzing looked away hastily, but Chan Bik continued to stare in baffled confusion.


    The Grandmaster raised an eyebrow. "Huh, I thought you were nineteen, at most. I suppose at my age you can no longer judge these things. Still, Year of the Monkey makes sense..."


    "How old are you, Divine Majesty?" Chan Bik blurted out.


    "As the universe," the woman replied immediately.


    "Oh... I asked a rude question, didn''t I? I''m sor-"


    "No, Lady Bik, Master is being serious."


    "... what?"


    The Master in question laughed. "These wrinkles aren''t just for show, you know."


    "But... But... I thought Masters with high cultivation always look young! And if you''re as old as the universe, you must have very high cultivation, so... but then you look old so you must be old..." Chan Bik''s eyes were spinning.


    "Ah, we''ll have to explain properly. Sit down, everyone. Sorry I have no tea to serve you here." No sooner were the words out of her mouth than her doll-like servant popped up by her side bearing a steaming teapot and four cups. "Oh, never mind. Thank you, Ah Sik."


    They sat on the well-brushed cave floor and Chan Bik hastily poured the tea as the youngest member present, to try and rectify her earlier faux pas.


    "I suppose you might know me as Wong Tang, Grandmaster of the Fool''s Way of the Mountain School of the Mount Fa Sect." She took a few disgruntled puffs of her pipe. "What a mouthful of nonsense, really."


    "Grandmaster Wong?" Chan Bik raised her hand.


    "Hm?"


    "I thought the school was just the ''Way of the Mountain''?"


    "Oh, ha, it''s all that posing that cultivators like to do. Those old bats acting like youngsters... How embarrassing! If you''re old, you''re old, don''t pretend you''re not! Little one, do I look bad to you?"


    "No, Grandmaster, you''re beautiful and graceful."


    "Good girl! And yet, I look old, right? It''s the same with the school. Our guiding principle is yue gung yi saan , ''old fool moves mountains'', but someone was apparently offended by being called a fool and dropped the word out of the school''s name. Idiots! We''re all fools, get over yourselves! It means to have stubborn perseverance, above all things!"


    Seeing Chan Bik''s continued confusion, Gou Dzing picked up the explanation. ¡°It''s an old story. There was a man in ages past who lived in a remote village. In order for anyone to travel anywhere, they had to walk around a huge mountain, which added almost a month onto travel time. This caused problems for trade, but also when people required specialist medical attention, there was simply no way of getting it quickly. He decided to start, single-handedly, taking down the mountain.¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°The true definition of a fool,¡± the Grandmaster said affectionately.


    ¡°People tried to tell him he was stupid for attempting such a thing, but he would always say that, if he spent his life chipping down the mountain, perhaps he would never be able to remove it, but if his children, and their children, kept going, one day the mountain would be gone and people would be able to travel more quickly, perhaps saving lives in the future.¡±


    ¡°Stubborn man,¡± the Grandmaster sighed. ¡°It was clear he wasn''t going to change his mind, so I moved the mountain a bit for him." A drag on the pipe. "Anyway, you can call me Granny Leoi Wo if you want."


    "Master! You won''t even let me call you that! Hey, Lady Bik, this is a big honour- Lady Bik?"


    "... Huh... W- WHAT?! DIVINE MAJESTY EMPRESS WO? The- The Mother Goddess... who created... humanity?"


    "... is she broken?" Sek Gon asked disinterestedly.


    Chan Bik threw herself face down on the hard cave floor, banging her forehead in the process. "G-G-Great Goddess! Your Divine Majesty!"


    "Stop stop stop. Heavens, it''s times like this when I understand why the others act like hermits."


    "O-Others..." Chan Bik looked as though she were about to faint. Instead, she burst suddenly into tears.


    "Lady Bik! What''s wrong? Did you hurt yourself?"


    "I''m s-sorry," she cried, wiping desperately at her face as tears streamed down it. "I''m sorry I was so rude! Please don''t be angry at me!"


    Gou Dzing and the Grandmaster were immediately at her side.


    "Lady Bik, it''s okay!"


    "I''m not offended, little one. Don''t cry, child, no one''s angry."


    "Hey, Sek Gon, you say something too!"


    "... get stronger so you don''t have to care if you make someone angry."


    "What kind of advice is that?"


    Surprisingly, Chan Bik sobered up at these words. In fact, she spluttered a little laugh as she reined in her tears. "No... Sek Go-go''s right, isn''t he...? He doesn''t care what others think. He might be clumsy and rude and anti-social..."


    "..."


    "... but he doesn''t care."


    "Still, offending Empress Wo is a bit much..."


    Without warning, the Grandmaster made a sudden fist with her free hand. A cage of rock, similar to the earth barrier that Gou Dzing had trapped the Rat King Demon within, crashed into existence where Sek Gon was sitting.


    Had been sitting.


    He stood behind Gou Dzing now, dusting himself off.


    "Metal and Fire attributes have always been the fastest," the Grandmaster said, sounding a little disappointed as she returned to smoking her pipe. "Earth is, unfortunately, the slowest attribute. We make up for it with strength. And at Ah Gon''s level, he can dodge something like that fairly easily. Do you know what level you are?"


    "... I was Second Daan-tin Adept when Master left."


    "You''re well beyond that now. Third Daan-tin Apprentice, I think. Hey, Disciple Gou-"


    "Master! I''ve got it already! I''ll go and train as soon as I can!"


    "Learn from this kid. Why don''t you cultivate together?"


    "... Your Divine Majesty, you really are perverted-"


    Chan Bik had never seen Sek Gon move so much. As he jumped about avoiding chunks of rock hurled by the Grandmaster, Gou Dzing picked up explaining without paying them any attention.


    ¡°What...?¡±


    ¡°''Cultivating together'' can also mean having sexual relations.¡± Gou Dzing laughed. Chan Bik blushed bright red.


    "Technically the five schools of Mount Fa are overseen by the Ng Dzeung,¡± Gou Dzing continued hurriedly, ¡°but in reality they rarely ever come here. In the past, they''ve sometimes chosen direct disciples to teach, but mostly their techniques and knowledge are recorded and passed down to others through the direct disciples or teachers who have achieved high levels in their practice." He gestured to the still-dodging Sek Gon. Oddly, he and the Grandmaster seemed suspiciously as though they were having fun.


    ¡°Ng Dzeung? I''m sorry, I don''t really know anything.¡±


    ¡°That''s alright, Chan Si-mui. You''ve led a civilian life so far. The Ng Dzeung are the five divine ones who rule the elements of the world. Grandmaster is the Yellow Earth Dragon at the Centre of All Things. Then there''s Sek Si-hing''s Master, Lord Gaam Bing, White Metal Tiger of the West. The others are Lady Ling Gwong, Vermillion Fire Bird of the South, Lady Maang Dzeung, Azure Wood Dragon of the East, and Lord Dzap Ming, Black Water Tortoise of the North. As far as we know, Sek Si-hing and I are the only direct disciples at the moment."


    "And I can''t believe my disciple is falling behind Old White''s..." The Grandmaster had settled down again, not a hair out of place.


    "Master... I''m younger than Sek Si-hing!"


    "That''s right, did you pick that name yourself?" The Grandmaster blew fragrant smoke in Sek Gon''s direction.


    "... yes." He had seated himself firmly and awkwardly between Chan Bik and Gou Dzing as human shields, with the greatest air of dignity anyone could have seen.


    "What kind of name is that for the direct disciple of Gaam Bing? If I didn''t know better, I would have thought my daughter was your master."


    "Lady Azure Dragon," Gou Dzing whispered by way of explanation to Chan Bik.


    "Right, Divine- Grandmaster," Chan Bik said eagerly. "Such a name is-"


    "Why not Sek Yan?"


    ¡°''Yan'' as in ''Sword''?¡±


    Chan Bik shut her mouth.


    Sek Gon looked thoughtful. "Should I...?"


    "NO NO NO! Grandmaster! Sek Go-go! Please, choose a decent name for all our sakes..."


    The Grandmaster laughed so heartily that tears gathered in her eyes. "Disciple of Old White, did he not give you a new name?"


    "..."


    "Master, it must be a bit complicated. Sek Si-hing sometimes -"


    "Yes, I can see that, you brat. His eyes are darting backwards and forwards as though powering his brain. Don''t tell me, that old fool wanted you to attain a certain level, and then wandered off before you did?"


    "... yes."


    "Typical. I''ll find him and slap him over the head for you. Oh, and I should probably find Ling Gwong while I''m at it. I think you have some aptitude for fire, little girl."


    Chan Bik was speechless. Gou Dzing clapped her on the shoulder. "Chan Si-mui! Wow, three direct disciples in one generation! Can you imagine if there were all five of us? We''d make a great team!"


    "Don''t get ahead of yourself, brat. You still need to master Dragon Eyes and reach Third Daan-tin level. Now get going." The Grandmaster stood and stretched. "When I return, come and play again, disciple of Old White."


    "... maybe."


    Gou Dzing swore he caught the barest hint of a smirk on Sek Gon''s lips.


    "Wait, Grandmaster, weren''t you doing seclusion training? Didn''t we interrupt?"


    "Not at all, little one. That was just an excuse so I could take a nap."


    Is that really something the Great Goddess should be saying?


    "Let''s go find Cheng Si mui," Gou Dzing said, helping Sek Gon up. "We need to organise your entries into the Clear Sight and Reflective Arts Schools, and she''s good with administration... Chan Si-mui?"


    Chan Bik tugged hesitantly at his sleeve. "Does that mean... I can''t stay with you all? I have to go to the Clear Sight School alone?"


    Gou Dzing spoke gently. "You''ll still be able to see us when you want to, Chan Si-mui. We''ll only be next door."


    "Ah... Yes..."


    "You need training in the techniques that suit you best, and the Clear Sight Practice is for those with aptitude for fire. Doong yeuk gun fo, ''Clear as a blazing fire'' is the root of their teaching. It means to have great insight. You''ll have to work hard, but you''ll know, Chan Si-mui, as soon as you start, it''ll just feel right."


    Chan Bik hung her head. "I... know, Gou Si-hing. I just... haven''t had... friends... before..."


    "Chan Si-mui..."


    "... wait, who''s your friend?"


    "..."


    "SEK GON!"


    The offender ducked quickly outside, followed by an irate Chan Bik. Gou Dzing bowed to his master. "Apologies, Master. We will take our leave."


    "Go on, brat. Look after those two, I can see you''re fond of them. And they of you, it seems. That one in particular."


    "... Master?"


    "Don''t act dumber than you are. Go!"


    With one last bow, Gou Dzing left quickly. The tips of his ears looked a little pink.


    For a minute afterwards, Grandmaster Wong Tang of the Fool''s Way of the Mountain School of the Mount Fa Sect, the Great Mother Goddess Leoi Wo, Yellow Dragon of Earth and Centre of All Things, puffed on her pipe until the cave filled with sweet-smelling smoke. She listened to the chatter of the children fade as they headed down the mountain. The sound brought another sharp grin to her mouth.


    "I think I''m looking forward to this age of the world."

 12 - Demons always have to ruin everything

    Spring bloomed quickly into summer, and then passed into early autumn as Chan Bik and Sek Gon settled into life at Mount Fa.


    Or, more accurately, they had beds they could use every night, but that was about as much settling as they achieved.


    Sek Gon was forever wandering off, and Gou Dzing, as the head disciple of the leading school of Mount Fa, would regularly catch him casually strolling along the road away from the Sect, despite various guards and patrols swearing they had never seen him leave.


    Punishment didn''t seem to do anything. In fact, the first time Sek Gon was brought to the Discipline Hall, Gou Dzing handed him paper, ink, and a brush, and sat him down to make copies of The Guiding Principles of the Reflective Sword Arts. The culprit looked at the paper, and at the brush in his hand, and at the complicated passage of text beside him.


    "Eight times, Sek Si-hing. I''m sorry, but you don''t get special treatment if you''re staying here. Chan Si-mui is working hard, it''s only right that you try your best too."


    "..."


    Gou Dzing sat down beside him. "Are you regretting coming here? Was I too pushy?" He habitually fiddled with the tassels of his sword. "Sek Si-hing, I think you''ve got amazing skills that could be very beneficial to the Reflective Sword Arts School. If you''re able to prove yourself, you could very quickly become a teacher here. But that does mean following the rules of the sect and... if that''s asking too much... if that''s not what you want... I''ll humbly admit that I brought you here selfishly and you''re free to go and live your life."


    The flick-flick of the tassels was clear in the quiet room.


    Sek Gon looked at the brush.


    "Sek Si-hing? You can say what you''re thinking."


    "... I don''t know how to write."


    The flick of the tassels stopped. "... Sek Si-hing... you never learnt?"


    "No."


    It was Gou Dzing''s turn to scramble to organise a thousand thoughts that poured into his brain. "Then... your family was not well-off. I understand now."


    "... what does that mean, to be ''well-off''?"


    "Well, Chan Si-mui''s family has a large house and a lot of land, as well as many workers. That makes them fairly rich."


    "... I think... my family''s house... about half the size?"


    "And workers?"


    "... maybe... a few..."


    "And yet you never learnt to write? How old were you when Lord Gaam Bing took you as his disciple?"


    "... I don''t know."


    The more he asked, the more questions Gou Dzing had.


    "You don''t... Your family didn''t teach you to write?"


    "They said I didn''t want to learn."


    Gou Dzing rubbed his face as though the gesture might remove the overwhelming feelings rising up. "I can understand Lord Gaam Bing not teaching you, but your family... ''You didn''t want to learn''? What sort of excuse is that?"


    "..."


    "Where''s your hometown? Who''s your family?"


    "... I don''t know."


    Flick-flick-flick went the tassels.


    "Sek Si-hing... If you want to stay, I can teach you how to write. I can help you become a teacher here. I can... I can help you become someone no one looks down on, if that''s what you want."


    It was an unseasonably warm day. Even in the mountains, a hot breeze was drifting between the peaks. Gou Dzing could see the light sheen of sweat on Sek Gon''s face.


    "Sek Si-hing... Ah Gon... what is it that you want?"


    The brush lay uselessly on the blank paper. Sek Gon''s lowered eyes were fixed on the dry inkstone. "... I don''t know."


    Gou Dzing made a noise like he had put his hand on a hot coal. "Would you like to learn how to write?"


    "..."


    "Here, look at this." He handed Sek Gon a couple of pieces of paper. The first had four lines of characters, embellished with delicate drawings of blossoms. The writing was elegant and flowing. Gou Dzing read aloud over Sek Gon''s shoulder.


    "I wandered through the twilight/seeing pale flowers, delicate and disdainful/Then the sun rose, and I saw the hill before me/afire with light on a thousand petals. What do you think? Sounds nice?"


    Sek Gon thought, and then nodded.


    "Cheng Si-mui wrote that one. She has a very elegant hand, her words and her writing are gentle and pretty. And this one..."


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    The second page also had four lines of characters, but the hand was much bolder, the strokes thicker and more defined than Cheng Baak-hap''s flowing script. ¡°Battling demons left and right/every day the same, then a flashing sword/cuts across my path/Unexpectedly, I trip over!"


    "..."


    "That... maybe isn''t the best. It''s kind of funny though."


    "... Did you write that one?"


    "..."


    "..."


    "Anyway, would you like to learn to write?"


    Sek Gon picked up the second poem again.


    "They were just disciples'' scribbles," Gou Dzing said hastily, trying to surreptitiously take the page away. "A few of them were just sitting around writing poems together in their spare time-"


    "Has Chan Bik seen them?" Sek Gon asked suddenly, and unexpectedly.


    "No, she hasn''t.... I mean, why would she need to see them?"


    "... I''ll learn to write."


    "Really?" If Gou Dzing was a dog, his tail would have been wagging. It was certainly a sight to see, the tall and handsome ''jade'' of Mount Fa standing excitedly by Sek Gon''s side.


    "I''ll use this to practice," Sek Gon continued, waving the second poem gently.


    Gou Dzing almost choked. "NO! Uh... not that one. There are better ones -"


    "This one has clear writing, and there are useful words."


    "But-"


    "So what is this character here?"


    "Since when did you get so talkative?"


    After this, Sek Gon dutifully met Gou Dzing each day to practice writing, first by copying out the poem, slowly branching out to people''s names, until he could write his own name, and those of Gou Dzing, Chan Bik, and Cheng Baak-hap.


    Chan Bik eyed the writing critically. "What did you write these with, a knife? Uh... I mean, well done. You''re learning very quickly."


    Chan Bik was struggling. In a school filled with other hot-tempered disciples, she was forever getting into arguments, and occasionally fights. She was sporting a black eye as she put Sek Gon''s writing down. Cheng Baak-hap offered a cold cloth and a worried look.


    "It''s okay, Cheng Si-dze, we all fight for a bit and then everyone forgets what it was all about and we''re friends again."


    The others knew very well that this wasn''t the entire truth. Unlike the Fool''s Way of the Mountain school which had a Grandmaster in residence, Clear Sight had a teacher who was at one of the higher stages of the art, Third Daan-tin Adept. Orange flecks in his eyes indicated that he had attained, as Sek Gon had, the sight arts of his practice. No one knew his name; he was simply referred to as Fire Master.


    And he ran the school as his personal playground. He had favourites amongst the students, was not very adept at organising lessons, and became angry quickly when questioned.


    "Ha... just because someone has great skills doesn''t make them a great teacher," Gou Dzing sighed. Sek Gon gave him a look.


    "Don''t look at me like that, Sek Si-hing! You''d make a far better teacher than Fire Master!"


    Cheng Baak-hap snorted unbecomingly. "Bik Si-mui, I''ll help you with your training, okay. Don''t let that stupid teacher bully you. Gou Dzing, you can''t send me to the Discipline Hall for that."


    "I''d have to send myself as well, because we''re all thinking it, you just said it. I hope Master comes back soon with Lady Ling Gwong soon. Oh, hey, Sek Si-hing, that''s not the the character for ''nun'', you''ve written ''fart''."


    "Gou Si-hing, why are you teaching him either of those things?"


    "The Still Heart School are setting up a temple in Dzue. Sek Si-hing has never been there before, so I thought it would be good to visit some time. And everyone farts."


    Chan Bik smacked him over the back of the head as Cheng Baak-hap continued, "Oh yes? And when are you taking him home to meet your family?"


    "Well I have to bring you first, they''ve been asking for you to come over for years," Gou Dzing countered with a grin. Chan Bik smacked him again.


    "What was that for?"


    "I felt like it."


    "You can''t treat your si-hing like that! I''ll send you to the Discipline Hall!"


    Both Chan Bik and Cheng Baak-hap rolled up their sleeves and began to lay into him.


    "Sek Si-hing! Help!"


    Sek Gon looked up, locked eyes with Gou Dzing, blinked, and returned to his writing.


    "Traitor!"


    "Grandmaster has returned! Prepare for guests!"


    The shout came from the main gate. Immediately, the Mountain School was a buzz of activity as disciples downed everything to prepare for the new arrivals. Gou Dzing whisked Chan Bik and Sek Gon away, leaving Cheng Baak-hap to direct the juniors. A wrinkle appeared between her brows as she hurried away to do her work, but she said nothing other than calling directions to the others.


    At the gate, Gou Dzing greeted his Master. "Disciple Gou Dzing greets Master."


    Chan Bik also bowed respectfully, but there was only one other person with the Grandmaster, a hulking, grumpy-looking middle-aged man with impressive white facial hair shot with black. His eyes were pure silver and ferocious as they fell upon Sek Gon.


    "Disciple Sek Gon greets Master."


    "Hmph. Still using that silly name."


    The Grandmaster pulled her pipe out of the sleeve of her robe, examined it carefully, polished a little dust off it, put it to her mouth, and back-handed Gaam Bing casually in the stomach. He collapsed, spluttering.


    "Oh wait, I said I would slap him over the head for you, didn''t I?"


    "Argh, stop it, you ancient lizard! Kid! Stop using that name, I''ve got one for you now that you''re in the Third Daan-tin realm. It''s-"


    This time, the Grandmaster really did slap him over the back of the head. He glared up at her, clutching the sore spot.


    "A name from a Master is a serious business! You can''t just pass it out casually like dzung at summer solstice! Get inside first! Little Gou, is the guest room set up?"


    "Cheng Si-mui went to handle that. If it''s her, it''ll be done."


    "She''s a very good and efficient disciple. Old White! Stop rolling on the floor and get inside!"


    Grumbling, Gaam Bing dusted himself off and slunk into the school, Sek Gon following conscientiously behind. Gou Dzing watched them go.


    "It''s alright, brat. Gaam Bing might come across as unreliable and an irritable fool, but he does care about his disciple. He would have stayed holed up in his cave if he didn''t care."


    "Yes, Master... but where is Lady Ling Gwong?"


    The smirk on the Grandmaster''s face faded. She chewed a little on the end of her pipe. "We will have that discussion later. Little one, come with us. You will need to hear this."


    In the guest room, Gaam Bing was already seated. He was a big man, and he looked very uncomfortable in a sort of awkward half-sit half-crouch at the low table. He seemed too large for the room, exactly like a tiger in a cage. Sek Gon stood silently behind him.


    Cheng Baak-hap was directing disciples to finish setting the table, and once they were finished, she bowed her way out of the room last.


    "Grandmaster!" Chan Bik suddenly exclaimed, and then blushed for having spoken so loud.


    "Child?"


    "Can... Cheng Si-dze stay? She''s been helping me a lot recently, and the four of us have been talking together, and..." Her hands trembled, and her eyes darted towards the empty space where Ling Gwong should have been sitting. The Grandmaster caught the movement.


    "Little Cheng, come and sit by Little Chan."


    Cheng Baak-hap bowed gratefully and hurried to pull a cushion next to Chan Bik. They grasped each others'' hands. Chan Bik''s usually warm hands were cold.


    The Grandmaster tapped out her pipe on a plate, and sighed. "I was not able to find Ling Gwong."


    In the pause that followed, Gaam Bing slurped tea noisily until the Grandmaster glared at him. Sek Gon and Gou Dzing exchanged a look. The Grandmaster called their attention back by tapping on the table firmly with the end of her pipe.


    "Children, how much do you know about demons?"

 13 - Master, your sense of naming sucks

    "They''re... not good," Chan Bik offered.


    "The arrival of demons has raised many social and economic problems," Cheng Baak-hap supplied.


    "It''s complicated," was Gou Dzing''s answer.


    "... they''re not the worst," said Sek Gon.


    Gaam Bing smirked and then immediately hid his smile behind gruff coughing and tea slurping.


    "Well, Little Gou, time for a test once again. Explain yourself."


    "Oh I think Cheng Si-mui would do a much better job than me."


    ¡°That''s nice. So what''s your answer?¡±


    Gou Dzing''s tone was long-suffering, but he gathered his thoughts and launched into a lesson. "Demons first began appearing about a year ago-¡±


    ¡°Thirteen and a half months,¡± Cheng Baak-hap supplied.


    ¡°- and didn''t initially seem to be causing much trouble. I seem to remember I was training basic grappling techniques to the Junior Disciples when a messenger brought news of weird creatures being sighted in the east. The teachers and Senior Disciples decided a small group should go and have a look. Who was it that went...?¡±


    ¡°The young mistress of the Chiu Family from the Still Heart School, Mo Tong Si-dai from our own school -¡±


    ¡°Mo Si-dai''s a good kid.¡±


    ¡°- Yau Wak Si-dai from the Clear Sight School - ¡°


    ¡°He''s a little nuisance.¡±


    ¡°- Hon Ngaa Leun Si-dze from the Gales of Battle School, and Geui Baak Kei Si-mui from the School of Reflective Arts.¡±


    ¡°Decent,¡± was Sek Gon''s assessment, surprising everyone present.


    ¡°In the end, they weren''t able to find out much, only that these creatures did exist, in all kinds of shapes and sizes. Some were humanoid, some shaped like beasts. It was only as the months went on that news came in of the trouble they were beginning to cause. Stealing, at first. But it became violent. So we called the scouting group back and I led a group of senior disciples to help defend the people.¡±


    ¡°And that''s when you got the Jade Exorcist name?¡± Chan Bik asked keenly.


    Gou Dzing shrugged, clearly embarrassed. ¡°I suppose. Anyway, we''re not entirely sure what the demons'' motives are. There''s been no large-scale assault, although bigger and bigger groups have been appearing to attack villages and now even larger towns. With all the stealing happening, it seems they want food and weapons. But they can''t speak any human languages, and we can''t understand theirs.¡±


    ¡°And that''s where we come to our current issue,¡± the Grandmaster finally interjected. "Ling Gwong may have been taken by them as a hostage."


    Chan Bik, Gou Dzing and Cheng Baak-hap broke out talking all at once.


    "They did what?"


    "Is that even possible?"


    "How would we even negotiate with them?"


    The Grandmaster thumped the table so hard to quiet them down that a crack appeared in the wood. "Ah, damn it, I liked this one... Settle down, children. Really, the discipline here is slipping..."


    Gaam Bing sniffed and tried not to look proud of his silently listening disciple.


    "Don''t look like that, you left your disciple behind to go off doing who-knows-what for ten years. How he has turned out is nothing to do with you!"


    The big man visibly deflated and sulkily toyed with his tea cup. The Grandmaster rubbed her temples as if she had a headache. "I checked all of Ling Gwong''s usual haunts. Nothing. I spoke to Dzap Ming and Maang Dzeung, they hadn''t seen her. I asked my family, my children and grandchildren - nothing. I checked Ling Gwong''s temples - the monks and nuns there reported strange fluctuations in the divine flames. And then, markings began appearing around Dzue. Where there were flat surfaces - cliffs, walls - my granddaughter is the spirit of the river there, and she gave me a transcription of the marks."


    The Grandmaster smoothed out a page. Strange scratches and scribbles, that bore no resemblance to anything they recognised, covered the paper. "They were all drawn in blood."


    "Not Lord Ling Gwong''s..."


    "No, demon blood."


    "Their own kind? Why-"


    ¡°Perhaps they were imbued with some kind of power from the blood?¡±


    ¡°Nothing of a sort was found.¡±


    "Perhaps they''re short on resources" Cheng Baak-hap mused thoughtfully. "If their first action upon finding human settlements was to steal food and weapons, then perhaps they''re struggling... they could be short on wood, are unlikely to have any paper... ink would require some kind of glue, and also water, which they probably only use for drinking now... Taking blood would make sense, because if the demon died then that would mean one less mouth to feed..."


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    Chan Bik shivered in horror. Cheng Baak-hap squeezed her hand. "Sorry, Bik Si-mui, that sounded cruel. I was focused on the logic of it. And this is all hypothetical."


    "Old White thinks these are probably ransom letters." The Grandmaster distracted them away from the implications of the demons'' chosen writing material by bringing their attention back to the markings themselves. "We''ve been trying to interpret them, but no luck yet..."


    "Let me give my disciple his name first."


    "How do you want to do it?"


    "We should have a big ceremony," Cheng Baak-hap suggested at once. "If we organise food and drink for a hundred people, and use the Prosperity Hall..."


    "Sounds like a lot of work," Gaam Bing grumbled.


    "That does sound like a lot of fuss," the Grandmaster said, yawning.


    "... I don''t care." Sek Gon shrugged, when he realised everyone was waiting for his opinion.


    Gou Dzing stood and bowed quickly to everyone. "Just one thing."


    He raced from the room. The Grandmaster raised her eyebrows but within a few moments, Gou Dzing was back. "Here. My family sent this a while ago, but I didn''t have a use for it."


    It was a small bronze flask, intricately decorated and clearly intended for ceremonial use. Gaam Bing looked interested for the first time since his arrival.


    "Sit down, Old White. Little Cheng, bring some nicer cups."


    Cheng Baak-hap left and returned, a little out of breath, with six small flat bowls with little handles on the side of them. Each was made of copper and as intricately decorated as Gou Dzing''s flask.


    "Oh, I''d forgotten about those. They''re the nicest ones we have. Good work."


    Chan Bik hurried to pour the wine, as the youngest person present, but Gou Dzing stayed her hand. "I''ll do it, Chan Si-mui. You''ve never had to pour wine, have you?"


    He doled out the clear liquid carefully. Gaam Bing looked disappointed at the small amount of liquid in his cup, but the Grandmaster eyed him narrowly. "Don''t sulk, you drunkard. This is a ceremony, not a drinking party."


    Gaam Bing cleared his throat gruffly and called Sek Gon to sit beside him. They sat awkwardly side-by-side, almost, but not quite facing each other. The Grandmaster rolled her eyes. Gou Dzing tried not to laugh.


    "Ahem... Disciple Sek Gon. I take that name and give you a new one... Please don''t use that old one again."


    At the faintly pleading tone in Gaam Bing''s voice, Gou Dzing really did laugh that time. He had to mentally recite the foundational scriptures of the Fool''s Way of the Mountain to bring himself under control.


    "When I found you..." Gaam Bing''s mouth twitched. "You''ve achieved a great deal, my disciple. Think of this new name as a gift. From now on, when you introduce yourself, you will be Gaam Yuk Ying."


    And he tipped his share of wine into his mouth like a cup of water on hot steel.


    "... what?"


    "... Master... that sounds like a girl''s name."


    "It isn''t! Shut up and accept the name!"


    "... thank you, Master." Gaam Yuk Ying bowed, and drank down his wine. A glum look crossed his usually impassive face. "... girl''s name... Jade..." he muttered.


    "You ungrateful little brat!"


    "Gaam Yuk Ying, congratulations!" Gou Dzing interrupted, unable to hold his laughter any longer. He drank the wine, and one by one, the others followed suit. The Grandmaster was last.


    Before she drank, she paused and shook her head at the pair. "Stubborn fools. I thought earth-attribute people were the worst. Look at you two!"


    Gaam Bing grumbled indistinctly. Gaam Yuk Ying fiddled with his cup.


    "Do we have any more wine, Little Cheng?"


    "There is some for guests."


    "Bring it. I can''t stand looking at this miserable old bastard."


    Gaam Bing was too pleased at the concept of more wine to object to the Grandmaster''s tone. He watched eagerly as Cheng Baak-hap returned with more rice wine.


    "How does it feel?" Gou Dzing asked, patting Gaam Yuk Ying on the shoulder.


    The other boy shrugged. "It''s girly."


    "No, it isn''t, you''re being sensitive about it. And even if it was, would that matter? That old- your master must really care about you, to give you a name like that." He realised that Gaam Yuk Ying was twisting his fingers in his lap.


    Gou Dzing squeezed his shoulder. "Hey, before your master drinks too much, don''t you want to tell him how you really feel?"


    "..."


    The silvery eyes flickered up to meet his. He could see the anxiety there in those shining flecks.


    Ah... they really are pretty.


    "Go on."


    "... Master?"


    Gaam Bing paused with his cup halfway to his mouth. "Little brat?"


    "... thank you."


    "You already said that."


    "... thank you for taking me away. Thank you for giving me food. Thank you for teaching me. Thank you for giving me new clothing. Thank you for looking after me. Thank you -"


    "Enough! Enough!" A combination of wine and embarrassment had Gaam Bing''s entire face flaming red. He glared at the sniggering Grandmaster. "I understand-"


    "Thank you for giving me a name..." Gaam Yuk Ying''s hands were clenched into fists. "I''ll... carry it well. I''ll make sure it''ll be an honourable one." He bowed to the floor.


    Gaam Bing coughed and shuffled. "Get up, kid. Here, have some wine." He poured the pungent liquid into Gaam Yuk Ying''s cup and raised his own in a toast. "Let''s drink!"


    Chan Bik was giggling after a couple of cups. Cheng Baak-hap became more and more dignified as she drank, eventually declaring that she was going to help Chan Bik to return to the Clear Sight School despite how much she swayed when she stood. Gaam Yuk Ying had not spoken a word since thanking his Master, and Gou Dzing thought it best to leave the Grandmaster and Gaam Bing to continue their party themselves, now that both were engaged in a drinking competition that seemed intent of proving who had the more resilient liver. He tapped Gaam Yuk Ying on the shoulder and they both slipped out into the night air, cool on their warm faces.


    They wandered in companionable silence until Gou Dzing realised that they didn''t seem to be headed anywhere in particular. He took a deep breath and blew it out forcefully. "We should go to bed, Gaam Si-hing. Ha... That''ll take some getting used to."


    "You can keep calling me Sek Gon, if you want."


    "As funny as that is, I''ll pass. I think Yuk Ying suits you."


    "... What part of me is a treasure? You''re the ''Jade'' of Mount Faa."


    "Do you dislike that?"


    "... not really."


    Gou Dzing turned - he realised that perhaps he had drunk a bit much, as his head felt light - and grabbed Gaam Yuk Ying''s face between his hands, lifting the young man''s eyes to meet his. The heavy lids blinked slowly, and Gou Dzing realised that the other man was at least a little tipsy too.


    "You''re a treasure and a jade."


    "... You''re drunk."


    "I''ll say it again when I''m not, so you''ll believe me."


    Gaam Yuk Ying placed his own hands on Gou Dzing''s wrists. With his level of cultivation, he could easily break free, but instead, he said, "... You''re not really interested in Cheng Si-mui, are you?"


    "You''ve been listening to that gossip? No... It''s just... useful, you know? For both of us."


    "Good."


    Gaam Yuk Ying slipped out from between Gou Dzing''s hands, rose up on his toes, and planted a soft kiss on the other man''s surprised lips. "Good night."


    And walked away.


    Dazed, Gou Dzing watched him leave, and wondered vaguely if he would make it to bed without passing out.

 14 - This story is now a school drama

    A day at the Mount Faa Sect usually went like this:


    The disciples would rise at the hour of the rabbit(1) to meditate for half an hour. Following this, they would warm up their bodies through hing-gung(2) practice and a ten lei jog, before preparing for breakfast in the last quarter of the rabbit hour. Following breakfast, they would tidy the school, starting with the common areas before moving to the dormitories. Mornings were devoted to physical education, with disciples split up under different tutors according to their skill levels.


    After lunch, disciples took lesson in intellectual pursuits, this time divided by topic of interest. Medicinal arts, diplomacy and public relations, logistics, and creative arts were all provided through each school''s own unique lens. Finally, after dinner, the disciples would undertake cultivation practice until bed time at the central hour of the pig(3). The only variations to this schedule occurred every eighth day, when the disciples had a day free to rest, or if some large event was happening or some important visitor present.


    A day at Mount Faa with Gaam Juk Jing, previously Sek Gon, present went like this:


    His bed would be empty before anyone else had risen, but nobody knew where he had gone. He was always the first in line for breakfast, and when it was his turn for cooking duty, the only thing he has trusted with was slicing certain foods, since he had a tendency to start munching on anything that could be eaten raw. Then he would disappear again before physical education classes started. It was usually at this point that Gou Zing would be summoned from the Mountain School to track him down and bring him back. They had tried to get him to teach some classes, but given that his dialogue consisted of:


    1. "...";


    2. "No." (with no further explanation forthcoming); or


    3. An absolute onslaught of words that had the listener begging him to stop;


    it seemed that perhaps teaching was not an area that he excelled in, despite his skills and Gou Zing''s optimism.


    Depending on how long it took to track him down, Gaam Juk Jing would either be pressed into service by one of the other disciples of the Reflective Arts School to provide demonstrations of various techniques, or, if lunch was over (and he never skipped lunch), Gou Zing would sit him down in the Discipline Hall and make him practice writing. After dinner, he would usually disappear again, unless Gou Zing took him on a patrol or Can Bik sneaked over to visit everyone.


    A day at Mount Faa with Gaam Juk Jing present, and Gou Zing absent, because with the Grandmaster travelling, he was the face of the Way of the Mountain School, and the Jade Exorcist, so of course he had to deal with matters large and small that demanded his attention, went like this:


    Gaam Juk Jing was only seen at mealtimes, and was otherwise elusive as quicksilver. No one could find him.


    The day after the bestowing of Gaam Juk Jing''s new name, the party disbanded.


    Gaam Bing had already disappeared by the time the sun rose the next day. He left behind a lot of empty wine bottles and a message with the Grandmaster: "Tell my silly disciple that if he insists on keeping that sword, at least get it tidied up. It''s a disgrace."


    And then the Grandmaster left herself, no doubt with some plan forming in her mind as to how to retrieve Ling Gwong.


    Gou Zing had enough time to direct the smithy to carefully, and sparing no expense, repair Gaam Juk Jing''s sword, before he too was off, replacing the Grandmaster at a sect conference.


    At first the mastersmith raised an eyebrow at the grubby blade, and handed it to one of his disciples to clean and sharpen.


    The disciple returned a few minutes later. The sword had sliced the horn off an anvil like hot metal through snow, without any sign of damage to blade.


    The mastersmith raised an eyebrow again and took a closer look.


    The sword was forged from no material he recognised, a metal that could not be heated by the smithy furnace, that stayed sharp enough to slice through chunks of steel without dulling or chipping, that was light and well-balanced in the hand. There was nothing to be done here. Humbled, the mastersmith carefully removed the worn and peeling hilt, carefully replaced it with a proper jade hilt provided by the Gou Family themselves, and carefully polished the whole thing until everyone begged him to sheathe it to save their eyes from blindness.


    Then he presented it back to Gaam Juk Jing. Carefully.


    The young man drew the sword, examined the blade (everyone in the vicinity covered their eyes), resheathed it, examined the new hilt.


    Made an ambiguous noise.


    "Y... young master... could I ask, what kind of metal is this blade made of? Does this magnificent sword have a name?"


    Gaam Juk Jing thought.


    The smiths waited.


    "Lo Fu Ngaa(4)." With that efficient reply, he left.


    "... What kind of name is that? He didn''t even answer my other question!"


    <hr>


    With all the demands on his time, Gou Zing was only able to finally return to Mount Faa after three months.


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    The days were shortening as the seasons began to wind down into autumn once more, faster in the high mountains than elsewhere across the land. Already a few leaves were beginning to turn, sparks of yellow and red amongst the green. Soon, the whole mountain would be on fire with autumn leaves. Gou Zing thought of little Can Bik and laughed.


    "Si hing?" The small group of disciples who had travelled with him on this last excursion looked quizzically at him.


    "I''m tired. Let''s go and rest."


    A small welcoming committee was gathered in a large clearing that formed the gateway to the five schools. Members of each were in attendance; Gou Zing greeted Zeng Baak-hap, nodded to Can Bik where she stood behind the Fire Master (She looks unwell, he thought), and his eyes drifted involuntarily towards the Reflective Arts School.


    No Sek Gon.


    No, that wasn''t right. He was Gaam Juk Jing now.


    "Um..." Gou Zing tried to keep his voice low and unconcerned. "Where''s Gaam Juk Jing?"


    The problem with being around cultivators is that, no matter how casually or quietly you try to do something, their sense of hearing was too good.


    Almost everyone in that clearing gave a deep sigh. Gou Zing flinched.


    "What? What happened?"


    "Nothing really, si hing. He just... we can''t keep him involved in the doings of the sect. When you''re not around, he only appears at mealtimes."


    "There was that one time he was sick and he stayed in bed for a couple of days."


    "Ah, his stomach?" Gou Zing interrupted.


    "We''re not sure. Only Can si mui even managed to get a glimpse of him. He looked pale, she said."


    Can Bik nodded mutely in agreement.


    Gou Zing frowned, making a mental note to find her later. "So I take it no one knows where he is?"


    "Why not wait until lunch? I''m sure he''ll appear," the Fire Master finally spoke up, archly. He turned on his heel. "It is good to see that you have returned in one piece, Jade Exorcist. We will be going now." He strode away, his disciples trailing behind him.


    Gou Zing turned to Zeng Baak-hap, gesturing for her to come with him away from the others. There were many knowing looks and stifled smiles, and the rest of the welcoming party broke up. Both Gou Zing and Zeng Baak-hap sighed.


    "What''s happening with Bik si mui?"


    "It''s that jerk of a master! He''s too careless to teach the junior disciples properly, and it''s stressing her out! Luckily she has innate talent, but she has such a drive to prove herself and be the best that it''s driving her crazy," Zeng Baak-hap huffed, her narrow eyes almost closed to slits with fury.


    "Eh? What''s got you so angry, Zeng si mui?"


    "It''s not right!"


    "Sure, but, to see you angry to this extent... are you-"


    "What about you? What''s with you asking for Gaam Juk Jing as soon as you get back? Could you get any more obvious?"


    "That-! I... No, no one noticed. Didn''t you see just now-"


    "Are you blushing? The great Jade Exorcist, blushing? Something happened, didn''t it~? Oh my, what have you two been up to...?"


    "I didn''t do anything! It was Sek Gon who ki-"


    "WHAT?!"


    "Nothing!"


    "You''ve already got to that stage?! I haven''t even told Bik Bik how cute her freckles are!"


    "Bik Bik?"


    "Don''t laugh!"


    "H-How can I no- Huh? Ah Go- I mean, Gaam si hing?"


    Gaam Juk Jing sat on a large boulder nearby, one foot on his opposite knee, an elbow on the foot, and his head in his hand. Overall, he looked supremely disinterested.


    "Did you come to welcome me back?" Gou Zing bounded delightedly over to him.


    Zeng Baak-hap snorted with disgust. "Ugh, I''ll see you later."


    "Okay, okay. Well?"


    "Mm." Gaam Juk Jing''s hooded eyes lifted a little to meet Gou Zing''s. He suddenly pulled down one of Gou Zing''s lower eyelids and peered closely.


    "Uh... Gaam si hing, what are you doing?"


    "... Gold."


    "Oh, yes, right. I''m getting closer to attaining Dragon Eyes. I''ll be on the same level as you soon!"


    Gaam Juk Jing smirked momentarily, as if he thought this was highly unlikely. Gou Zing had to hold himself back at the sight of that little smile. "Hey, Gaam si hing?"


    "... hm?"


    "Why... did you, um, kiss me, before? I''m asking because I want to make sure I understand your intentions."


    "... Felt like it."


    "Gaam si hing, don''t be so economical with your answers. You know I''m okay with you saying everything you think."


    "... Really. I... felt like it. I... wanted to."


    "Do you like me?"


    "I guess."


    "Would you hate if I kissed you back?"


    "... I don''t think so."


    "May I?"


    Gaam Juk Jing considered him carefully. His silver eyes no longer looked disinterested. They were thoughtful. "Okay."


    With great care, Gou Zing rose up on his knees, and placed a light, lingering kiss on Gaam Juk Jing''s lips. They hovered close for a moment, sharing breaths. "You always look so bored, Gaam si hing. But right now, I think you''re enjoying yourself." Gou Zing kissed him briefly again, then dropped his head wearily on the other man''s lap. "Ugh, there''s so much to do. I wish I could stay here a bit longer, but I''ve got to write my report about the sect conference... and Can si mui is really not looking well... Gaam si hing, do you know what''s going on with her?"


    "... She said I didn''t need to interfere this time."


    "You spoke to her about the Fire Master, then?"


    "I... after what happened last time, I thought I should ask her if she needed me to fight him but she said that she wanted to deal with it by herself and I shouldn''t interfere and neither should Zeng Baak-hap so we''ve just been teaching her what we can every now and then-"


    "Sorry to interrupt - you and Zeng si mui have been training her? I''m glad that you are, but it''s a problem that she''s not being schooled through her attribute arts... I wish I could help Master to negotiate Lady Ling Gwong''s release. I can''t wait to see how Can si mui takes off when she gets proper instruction."


    "Our team, yes?"


    "That''s right. Hey, have you seen anyone promising in the Still Heart and Gales of Battle Schools?"


    "No."


    "Oh. That''s a pity. I would have liked it - a team of us, heading out to fight demons... Although, that''s not really right either, is it?" He settled a little more comfortably, and wonderingly felt Gaam Juk Jing''s hand begin to stroke his hair. "Haha... Juk Jing, you''re actually really affectionate, aren''t you?"


    A small gust of wind tossed a rain of yellowing leaves around them. Gaam Juk Jing picked them out of Gou Zing''s hair.


    "I saw a lot of them, while I was travelling. Demons, I mean. Most of them were aggressive and fought us... I had to kill a few of them, even though I tried to - Ah, they didn''t understand what I was saying, and the look in their eyes. Juk Jing, they were ready to die. But... did I do the right thing? Have you ever thought about that?"


    "... Yes."


    "Did you think you did the right thing?"


    "... in that moment, yes."


    "I suppose that''s it, right. We can only do what we can in the moment. Even if we look back, and see a better path in looking back... We can only rely on our selves and knowledge in the present."


    The repetitive motion of Gaam Juk Jing''s hand stroking his hair was soothing.


    "They looked so skinny. If only we could just... talk."


    "Doesn''t always help."


    "Maybe." Gou Zing pushed himself back up again, bringing his face closer to Gaam Juk Jing''s with a smile. "But you also know that sometimes, it does."


    ¡°Hey! Gou si hing? Gaam si hing? Where are you?¡± Can Bik''s voice came faintly along the mountain paths.


    Gou Zing sighed and sat up. ¡°We''re over here! Come on, Juk Jing, let''s-¡±


    His words were cut short by a pair of lips on his. Gaam Juk Jing drew back, nodded, and moved away in the direction of Can Bik''s voice.


    Gou Zing pressed the palms of his hands to his eyes, sighed again, and followed.

 15 - Its negotiating time

    Two days later, a message arrived.


    It was a rest day, and Gaam Yuk Ying, Gou Dzing, Chan Bik and Cheng Baak-hap were sharing a leisurely breakfast on the mountainside, surrounded by falling leaves. People had started talking about how often the group were together now, and with word slowly starting to get out about Gaam Yuk Ying''s abilities, despite his best efforts to be as lazy as possible, the nosy were starting to turn their eyes greedily in their direction. Was this the beginning of a powerful new group? Were Chan Bik and Cheng Baak-hap hiding their abilities too?


    A junior disciple of the Way of the Mountain presented the message to the group with shaking hands and overly eager greetings, which Gaam Yuk Ying ignored and Gou Dzing awkwardly accepted. He waited until the disciple had dashed out of sight to exaggerate the encounter to his friends, to open the letter.


    ''Little Brat, Old White''s Kid, I''ve decided you both need to take part in what''s coming next. Come to Juk-hoi immediately. Be prepared for a long stay away from the sect. Bring the little girl with you.''


    "Does that mean Cheng Si-dze can''t come with us?" Chan Bik demanded immediately. Cheng Baak-hap tried to smile but it was clear she was disappointed.


    "Bik Si-mei, there''s not really a reason for me to go..."


    "Baak-hap Si-dze, you can''t leave me with these two..."


    Gou Zing tried not to laugh at the way the two girls sighed pitifully to each other, but Cheng Baak-hap caught him.


    "What''s the matter, great Jade Exorcist? You''ve been remarkably cocky since a certain someone showed some interest in you." She hid her mouth behind her hand in a pantomime of modesty. "That''s a little unbecoming of the Head Disciple of the Way of the Mountain, don''t you think?"


    "Is Cheng Si-mei jealous?" Gaam Yuk Ying asked Gou Dzing mildly. Gou Dzing snorted wildly and received a heavy fist in his side from his junior sister. Cheng Baak-hap wasn''t a large person, but her fists struck like boulders. Trying to recompose himself, he realised that there was a tiny smile on Gaam Yuk Ying''s lips and it set him off again.


    "Gaam Si-hing! You did that on purpose!" Chan Bik shouted, diving for him. Although she had a Fire affinity, Gaam Yuk Ying''s high cultivation level meant that he easily avoided her, and the picnic devolved into chaos.


    Cheng Baak-hap, with Gou Dzing in a headlock, watched Chan Bik chase Gaam Yuk Ying unsuccessfully around the mountain.


    "Are you really not going to say anything to her?" Gou Dzing asked, taking advantage of the lull in violence.


    Cheng Baak-hap let him go and sat up rigidly. "Bik Bik is someone who is going to be the direct disciple of the Vermilion Bird. I can''t..."


    "Can''t what? So it''s okay being friends with Ng Dzeung disciples but nothing else?"


    Her pretty lips twitched. "I... I have no confidence."


    "Not everything''s about fighting, Cheng Si-mei. Your administration and logistics skills are second to none. How are all us muscle-headed martial artists supposed to organise ourselves?"


    "The other day..." Cheng Baak-hap began quietly, "Some disciples from the Clear Sight School cornered her by the Main Library. They harassed her about spending time with us, as disciples of other schools, and..."


    "With the skills that Yuk Ying and I have, I suppose."


    She shifted uncomfortably. "And then they made fun of her appearance. Said she looked too soft... they said her freckles looked ugly! What ugly! They''re like... a sprinkling of stars. And what''s wrong with looking a little soft? They''re the ugly ones! But I couldn''t even teach them a lesson." Her narrow eyes became angry slits.


    "So wouldn''t it make sense to tell her how much you care?"


    Cheng Baak-hap''s cheeks turned a little pink.


    "Huh. Cheng Si-mei has a foxy appearance but she''s quite modest," Gaam Yuk Ying observed, popping up suddenly beside them. "So she''s the type to act mature but is really innocent and -"


    "ARGH! Why have you suddenly become so talkative?! Shut up!"


    Gaam Yuk Ying dodged behind Gou Dzing without a single change in expression. Chan Bik caught up at this point and so Gou Dzing found himself being used as a human shield while Gaam Yuk Ying nimbly danced around and the two women threw attacks indiscriminately. "Everyone... we should- Careful! -get going. Just- OW! -come with us, Cheng Si-mei."


    They finally organised themselves to set off once Chan Bik and Cheng Baak-hap ran out of energy. It still took several hours for Gou Dzing and Cheng Baak-hap to hand over the general running of the school to the other senior disciples and to prepare for travelling. They otherwise left inobstrusively, without a farewell.


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    The forest was quiet. The four trekked without words in single file, Gou Dzing in the lead and Gaam Yuk Ying at the rear. Chan Bik kept glancing around. Cheng Baak-hap would pause occasionally and look back at the looming mountain, dwindling in the distance.


    "There''s no-one else here, Chan Si-mei," Gou Zing said softly, without turning around. "You can relax. And Cheng Si-mei, Mount Fa isn''t going to disappear. It''ll still be there when we come back."


    She laughed, soft and short. "I know. I''ve just... It''s been a long time since I saw it like this."


    "Have you not been away from Mount Fa for a while, Cheng Si-dze?"


    "Not since I arrived. I came to the mountain when I was a little girl and never left since."


    "Wow, then this... This is your first trip! We should see as much as possible! I''ve been to Yuk-hoi before with my father, I know all the local specialities! We should try everything..."


    Chan Bik chattered happily, forgetting her anxiety. Gou Dzing glanced back with a smile at the two girls excitedly discussing what they would do, then caught sight of Gaam Yuk Ying''s face.


    The silver eyes had lifted warningly. A second later, Gou Dzing understood why.


    Chan Bik and Cheng Baak-hap suddenly found themselves hemmed in by the two men, who had both drawn their swords. Lo Fu Ngaa flashed blindingly, making Gaam Yuk Ying frown at how conspicuous it was. Chan Bik couldn''t help commenting, "Matching hilts?"


    Gou Dzing looked embarrassed.


    "Matching hilts?" Teem Djeung Baak slipped out from between the trees and stared at their swords with her too-large eyes.


    "Do you not have anything to do other than weirdly lurk in the forest?" Chan Bik grinned nervously. "I guess you have no friends."


    Teem Djeung Baak ignored her. She tipped her head to one side. "... matching hilts. Little Handsome, you''re cheating on me?"


    "..."


    Those giant eyes went flat as they turned on Gou Dzing. "I should have killed you last time."


    Cheng Baak-hap stared. "Who...?"


    "Stay back, Si-dze," Chan Bik interrupted, raising her weapon, a spear as tall as her shoulder. "She''s the one from before..."


    "I see..." Cheng Baak-hap gripped the staff that she had brought.


    "Stay here," Gaam Yuk Ying said shortly. Before anyone could move, he darted forwards, Lo Fu Ngaa stabbing for Teem Djeung Baak''s throat. She only just managed to dodge the sharp blade, its razor edge whining through the air, but it left a light gash in her skin.


    "Still not enough," she muttered, hopping back several paces. Lo Fu Ngaa sang out again, slicing through her ear. She threw a flurry of knives out desperately towards the three cultivators behind Gaam Yuk Ying, but he batted them all away with ease before they could reach their targets. Still, it gave her enough time to turn and flee.


    "Yuk Ying," Gou Dzing cautioned, before the other man could follow her. "We should move from here as quickly as we can. I know you''re fast, but if you chase after her now, we could be caught up here for a while. We don''t know if there''s anyone else here either."


    Gaam Yuk Ying looked at him, then looked at the two women. They both nodded their agreement. He sheathed Lo Fu Ngaa silently. The four of them increased their pace.


    "Did she say something to you?" Cheng Baak-hap asked, a little out of breath. Gou Dzing offered to carry her and she accepted without argument. With her recent training, Chan Bik was able to move quickly enough to keep pace with the two men.


    "''Still not enough''," Gaam Yuk Ying repeated.


    "What still isn''t enough? What''s she up to?" Cheng Baak-hap frowned with thought while Gou Dzing carried her piggyback. "Was she hoping to beat you? Did she think she had some new skill? Perhaps a new cultivation method? Did you notice anything, Gaam Si-hing?"


    "... a little faster?"


    "Her speed increased... But how could she hope to match the speed of the direct disciple of the White Tiger of Metal? Only fire-attribute cultivators of the highest levels would be able to move faster."


    "Meaning the Vermilion Bird, or her direct disciple?" Chan Bik observed.


    "Exactly."


    "Do you think it''s possible that... she has something to do with Lady Ling Gwong''s disappearance?"


    "You think she''s working with the demons?"


    "Is that possible? How would she communicate with them?"


    "We''re just speculating at this point," Gou Dzing pointed out. "We need to get to Yuk-hoi as soon as possible and let Master know. Chan Si-mei, can you run any faster?"


    Chan Bik''s breathing was becoming a little uneven, but she tightened her jaw and nodded. The three cultivators picked up their pace, Gou Dzing taking the lead with Cheng Baak-hap, Gaam Yuk Ying following Chan Bik.


    They reached Yuk-hoi several hours later, in the dark, without any further sign of Teem Djeung Baak. Chan Bik collapsed to her knees, and Cheng Baak-hap hastily gave her water after sliding from Gou Zing''s back. His breathing was heavy. Only Gaam Yuk Ying looked alert and unaffected.


    "This way." The Grandmaster''s little servant-spirit, Ah Sik, beckoned them from the entrance of a small teahouse built against a cliff. Ducking behind a curtain at the back of the shop, they soon found that the interior was far larger than the outside suggested, with a series of corridors and rooms carved into the cliff itself, which was formed of soft limestone. Ah Sik led the way, sliding open a door to reveal the Grandmaster and two other women seated at a low table.


    "Come in, all of you. Ah, I should have expected I would see Little Zeng here. No, don''t speak right now. We don''t have much time and there''s a lot to fill you in on." The Grandmaster turned to explain to the two women. "These are disciples of the Mount Fa Sect. My direct disciple, Gou Dzing, who still hasn''t broken through to Third Daan-tin levels..."


    Gou Dzing sighed deeply.


    "Gaam Yuk Ying, Old White''s disciple, who has reached the Third Daan-tin level. Chan Bik, the one with the high aptitude for fire, and Cheng Baak-hap, one of my senior disciples with excellent administration skills."


    The two girls blushed a little to be praised in front of others, particularly ones with as impressive an appearance as the two women sat before them. Both were tall and slim like willows, yet there was no doubt that they were strong and sinewy. The one directly next to the Grandmaster had long, chestnut-coloured hair in a high ponytail, tanned skin, and eyes the grey-brown colour of a slow river. Something in her grin looked very similar to the Grandmaster''s.


    "One of my grand-daughters, Gong Lau Yan," the Grandmaster said. "And the third rank in the Third Head of Yeung Tin Wong''s Army, Maan Dzi King."


    Gong Lau Yan stood and bowed energetically in greeting to the new arrivals, although her smile looked a little forced. Maan Dzi King was more subdued, bowing with a neutral expression before seating herself again. Her long dark hair was unbound, and where Gong Lau Yan''s eyes made one think of a river, Maan Dzi King''s were as deep blue as the sea. Chan Bik could barely keep her gaze away.


    "Master, please tell us what you have learnt."


    "First, the reason why we are all here. The six of us..." Her caramel-brown eyes found Cheng Baak-hap. "... seven of us will be heading into demon territory. We will be negotiating Ling Gwong''s release."

 Author Note: Character Profiles

    Hi everyone! Thank you for your patience while I go back and edit the existing chapters and build a chapter backlog (while working full-time and trying to sell a house...). I''ve put together some very basic profiles for my main cast, including some images I created using the dollmakers on Picrew.me. I got a little carried away and did some things with some of the characters'' eye colours (spoiler alert!)


    The next chapter of I''m really not the Saviour! will be up on September 29. See you then!


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    - Shyuurin

 16 - Lets have a lesson on geography... or maybe interpersonal relations

    A thousand questions crowded into the disciples'' mouths, but the look on the Grandmaster''s face warned them to swallow those questions back down. She produced several documents ¨C replications of the demonic writing, pages of neat script, a map.


    ¡°I convened a meeting of the Ng Dzeung,¡± she said, with the same tone of voice of someone saying ''I managed to gather together a group of kittens with supernatural powers hiding in a field of long grass''. ¡°We agreed that Ling Gwong needed to be retrieved. However... The others are... not at liberty to assist.¡± Her last sentence was said through gritted teeth.


    ¡°And so, there is a need to send proxies. Gaam Yuk Ying.¡±


    ¡°Great Empress.¡±


    ¡°Gaam Bing has nominated you as his proxy. Take this token.¡± The Grandmaster held out a belt ornament with a silver tassel. The ornament itself was round and made of a silver metal, intricately carved, or perhaps moulded, to display the side profile of a roaring tiger. Gaam Yuk Ying took it with both hands and attached it to his belt, on the other side from his dou, and reseated himself between Gou Dzing and Chan Bik.


    ¡°Lau Yan.¡±


    ¡°A-po.¡±


    ¡°Your mother has already conferred you with her authority in this matter. And Maan Dzi King, you''ve accepted to be Dzap Ming''s proxy, yes?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Divine Majesty.¡± Maan Dzi King held up a token, this one made of some pale stone-like substance showing the side profile of a snapping tortoise, a black tassel dangling below.


    ¡°Chan Bik.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, Your Div- Great Em- Grandmaster?¡±


    The Grandmaster didn''t speak immediately, choosing instead to tap the table with her pipe first.


    ¡°I was not certain about bringing you along, to be honest. You are not yet Ling Gwong''s direct disciple, and seeing you now, your cultivation has not progressed as far as expected-¡±


    ¡°Grandmaster! It''s all because of the Fire Master! He''s not teaching her properly!¡± Cheng Baak-hap burst out. ¡°Ah Bik has done really well considering that the most help she''s had has been from us, who aren''t Fire-aligned...¡±


    She sat down quickly, face pink. Chan Bik''s eyes were shining. Gong Lau Yan laughed, although Maan Dzi King''s mouth twisted disapprovingly.


    ¡°Is that so...? Ying Fo has become more unruly than I thought. Ling Gwong will have to pull him into line when she returns.


    Ying Fo? s that the Fire Master''s name?


    Circulate your hei, Gou Dzing chanted to himself desperately. Chan Bik had no such inhibitions; she burst out laughing wildly.


    ¡°YING FO? A man like that is called firefly? No wonder he never uses it! I''ll have to tell everyone when we get back!¡±


    Gong Lau Yan grinned. ¡°I like this little girl, A-po. Let''s see what we can do before we leave to get her stronger.¡±


    ¡°It''s not really Little Bik that I''m concerned about,¡± the Grandmaster said gravely, turning her caramel-brown eyes to Cheng Baak-hap. The young woman was a brave soul, but no one could stare down the highest of the Ng Dzeung. She fixed her eyes on the Grandmaster''s chin instead. Chan Bik squeezed her hand.


    ¡°Master-¡±


    ¡°Little Gou, be quiet right now. You can speak after me.¡±


    Gou Dzing''s hands made fists on his knees. The group of disciples seemed to lean in to each other, although Gaam Yuk Ying stayed perfectly still, his silvery eyes on the Grandmaster.


    Wong Tang saw the movement; her eyes softened, but grew more troubled. ¡°Cheng Baak-hap. I''m well aware of your skills. I am not saying you are not a capable individual. What I am saying is that given the dangerous place we are going to, your physical skills are not enough. You are... First Daan-tin Adept, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grandmaster.¡±


    ¡°Little Cheng, that is not enough. Little Chan is at the same level as you, however-¡±


    ¡°She has high Fire aptitude and has achieved this level without proper guidance within less than a year. I understand, Grandmaster.¡±


    In the silence that followed, Cheng Baak-hap shifted uncomfortably. ¡°I apologise for being rude and interrupting, Grandmaster.¡±


    ¡°My children,¡± Wong Tang said gently, putting down her pipe. ¡°You cannot be children forever. In this war, because war it will be, if it is not already, will strip your childhood from you more cruelly than you can imagine.¡± Her eyes drifted over the small group sitting close together. ¡°I am not trying to frighten you, but I am warning you. When this is over, you will not be the same.¡±


    Even the smiling Gong Lau Yan looked grave. Chan Bik and Cheng Baak-hap''s hands tightened in each other''s grasp.


    ¡°Grandmaster.¡± Cheng Baak-hap stood and bowed. ¡°In that case, I cannot in good conscience allow Ah Bik, and Gou Si-hing and Gaam Si-hing, to go without me. If I am not around they forget what class they have to go to, let alone where they have left their weapons...¡±


    Gou Dzing and Chan Bik shuffled guiltily.


    ¡°... Perhaps I will not be on the frontline with them, but please allow me to be in the strategy rooms, in the meetings... If this war is coming, it will reach me no matter where I am. At least let me grasp the weapons I am most skilled with.¡±


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    Surprisingly, it was Maan Dzi King who spoke up next. ¡°Your Divine Majesty, allow me to take responsibility for this child.¡±


    ¡°Dzi King?¡± Gong Lau Yan raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I sense she has some Water energy in her, which may be the reason why her Earth skills are lacking. I wish to offer her some guidance.¡±


    Gong Lau Yan laughed, but said nothing. Maan Dzi King ignored her.


    ¡°Maan Dzi King, never forget that humans have greater limitations than us,¡± the Grandmaster warned.


    ¡°Yes, Your Divine Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Cheng Baak-hap, will you accept the guidance and protection of Third Rank Maan Dzi King?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grandmaster! Thank you, Lady Maan.¡±


    Maan Dzi King accepted the bow and sat down again. Cheng Baak-hap and Chan Bik could barely contain their excitement. Gou Dzing caught sight of Gaam Yuk Ying''s face. He was frowning.


    ¡°Then I''ll look after Little Bik,¡± Gong Lau Yan offered. ¡°I might not have Fire affinity, but I know lots of people who do.¡±


    Maan Dzi King shot her a sharp look.


    ¡°Chan Bik?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grandmaster! Lady Gong, I would be happy to accept!¡±


    ¡°Let''s get along!¡±


    ¡°Pay attention now.¡± Wong Tang spread out the map.


    ¡°It''s the Dzue Kingdom,¡± Gou Dzing explained to Gaam Yuk Ying. ¡°See that character there?¡±


    Gong Lau Yan pointed out the landmarks. ¡°Here is the river Ming Dzu. My Dze-dze is the spirit of this river and therefore the guardian of Dzue. Here is my river. These little tributaries are my nieces. This pine forest is a highly spiritual place, with many divine creatures residing within. It forms a protective barrier around the country to the north-west, and of course, we have the ocean in the south-east. The palace of my Aunt, the Yeung Tin Wong, is in the ocean here. That''s where Dzi King serves in the army.¡±


    Maan Dzi King coughed lightly.


    ¡°Oh, sorry, Maan Dzi King. Anyway, here is the capital of Dzue, Ming Yuet. Since it''s a port city, it has the natural protection of the ocean, and of my Aunt and her army. However, in this case...¡±


    ¡°Where are the demons coming from?¡± Cheng Baak-hap asked thoughtfully.


    ¡°Exactly. It''s not like they are entering the city over the land or the sea. As far as we can tell... They appear to be entering through portals from their own world.¡±


    ¡°What kind of technology...? Magical arts?¡±


    ¡°We don''t know,¡± Maan Dzi King replied stiffly.


    ¡°Well... how long has this been going on for?¡±


    ¡°About a year, as far as we''re aware. They''ve never come into Ming Yuet itself, but they''ve been seen in the outer towns, and the reports from Sek''syun to the north and Cheon to the west indicate that they''ve somehow crossed through Tsaam Lam to reach the other kingdoms.¡±


    ¡°I don''t understand,¡± Maan Dzi King hissed. ¡°What is Lo Ma Luk doing?


    ¡°Lo Ma Luk is... well, he''s essentially the guardian spirit of Tsaam Lam,¡± Gong Lau Yan explained to the confused-looking disciples. ¡°Technically the little fox, Tsaam Lei is the spirit of the forest but... Lo Ma Luk is the one who keeps it safe. And kind of scary. No one seems to know anything about that old guy, except maybe you, A-po?¡±


    ¡°Not my place to say. Leave Lo Ma Luk be.¡±


    ¡°I wasn''t going to bother him, A-po...¡±


    ¡°I wasn''t talking to you, Lau Yan. Maan Dzi King, I see that look on your face. He has his own reasons for things.¡±


    Maan Dzi King sniffed but didn''t argue.


    ¡°So...¡± Cheng Baak-hap placed the tips of her fingers together thoughtfully. ¡°Around a year ago, demons began to appear in Dzue. Rather than head to Ming Yuet, they apparently travelled through Tsaam Lam to enter Cheon and Sek''syun, where they''ve been stealing food, tools, weapons... Mount Fa has had to respond to calls of demons trying to occupy buildings, and steal livestock, and... steal babies.¡±


    ¡°Taking children?¡± Maan Dzi King said.


    ¡°Yes, but... only for a while. They were some of our earliest reports. It only lasted a month or so, and then they stopped, although the stealing of other things continued.¡±


    ¡°And these incidents, I expect they were violent?¡±


    ¡°The first few weren''t, but of course, when the children started being targeted, it did. And from then on, the incidents...¡± Cheng Baak-hap frowned, recalling details. ¡°The first death happened in autumn, about three months after we first started receiving reports of demon activity. A farmer in the Sek''syun countryside was hit by a demon with a stick when he tried to stop them from stealing some peaches. The stick struck his head and killed him almost instantly. The demons fled.¡±


    ¡°After that, there was no holding back on either side,¡± Gou Dzing picked up. ¡°The demons were stealing human weapons and fighting us with them, the humans were fighting back...¡± He sat back with a sigh and folded his arms. ¡°Things became very different.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so you''re the kid they call the Jade Exorcist?¡± Gong Lau Yan asked.


    ¡°... Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I was confused. I though Little Gaam here was the Jade Exorcist.¡±


    ¡°... Why me?¡±


    ¡°Uh... Because of your name, for one? Plus your level of cultivation is higher, and... you have a lot of fighting experience. I can tell.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying didn''t respond.


    ¡°Well, that name just somehow came about because of my sword,¡± Gou Dzing laughed. ¡°I also think it suits Yuk Ying more than me.¡±


    ¡°... Again, I ask, who looks like a jade here?¡±


    ¡°You know my answer to that.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying smirked faintly and fell silent. Gong Lau Yan watched the exchange with great interest until Maan Dzi King coughed again.


    ¡°And so, we arrive at the present day. An escalation of aggression between two sides who have great difficulty in communicating with each other, and now a hostage situation.¡±


    ¡°... Question.¡±


    ¡°Little Gaam?¡±


    ¡°Dzing said... They''re escaping their world...¡±


    ¡°How do we know that?¡± Wong Tang finished his question.


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    ¡°I had a look through one of their portals,¡± Gong Lau Yan explained casually. Chan Bik''s mouth fell open.


    ¡°WHAT?¡±


    ¡°That''s what I said.¡± Maan Dzi King shot a disapproving look at her companion. ¡°What were you thinking, Lau- Gong Lau Yan?¡±


    ¡°You can still call me Lau Yan, it''s fine.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°About four months ago, Tsaam Lei came running to me saying he had seen a strange light in the forest. He couldn''t find Lo Ma Luk, and he had seen some demons nearby. You know how fast Little Lei runs, Maan Dzi King, so of course we got back in time before we lost the portal. I just popped my head in.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± Chan Bik demanded excitedly. ¡°What did you see?¡±


    Gong Lau Yan took a deep breath. ¡°Well... I''m hungry, why don''t we have dinner first?¡±


    ¡°ARGH!¡±


    Wong Tang tweaked her grand-daughter''s ear, but called Ah Sik over. ¡°Go ask the owner to arrange some food for us, please.¡±


    The others stretched and sighed, the humans rubbing their eyes in the dim room. Gong Lau Yan flicked her fingers and a little fresh breeze crept in through the door as Ah Sik opened it, despite how far underground they were. Everyone felt a little more clear-headed.


    ¡°Thank you, Lady Gong.¡±


    ¡°Call me ''Master''~ Ow!¡±


    Maan Dzi King coughed again.


    ¡°Are you getting sick, Maan Dzi King?¡±


    ¡°Sick of you, you mean?¡± Gaam Yuk Ying said flatly. Everyone stared at him. He raised his eyelids a little. ¡°Am I wrong?¡±


    Wong Tang tapped the table a third time with her pipe. ¡°Maan Dzi King, you are here because I trust you to act professionally. If you want to bring personal feelings into this, you can leave and another can take your place.¡±


    ¡°I apologise, Divine Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Um... Lady Gong, since Lady Maan will be taking care of me, would I be able to swap seats with you?¡± Cheng Baak-hap offered. ¡°Then you can get to know Ah Bik, after all.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that''s a good idea, Little Cheng. Thank you.¡±


    Gong Lau Yan stood and glided around the table. Chan Bik reluctantly let go of Cheng Baak-hap''s hand, and the latter moved to occupy the empty seat.


    At this point, Ah Sik returned with several servants bearing food, who all kept their eyes scrupulously fixed on their hands as they laid out the food and then retired.


    The Grandmaster folded away the documents. ¡°Eat first, then talk.¡±

 17 - Roadtrip!

    It was dark.


    The air was lifeless and thick. Gong Lau Yan felt as though she were pushing through something tangible as she slipped into the demon realm in her humanoid form. Tsaam Lei went to follow, but she flicked his nose and he tumbled backwards.


    ¡°What does the guardian spirit of Tsaam Lam think he''s doing?¡± Gong Lau Yan whispered loudly. ¡°Stay there and keep watch.¡±


    The little red fox made a face and curled his nine long tails around himself as he lay down. ¡°Hurry back. I don''t like how it feels over there.¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course.¡±


    There was not a single cloud in the dark grey sky, nor a star. A dull red glow pulsed on the horizon line in all directions. Gong Lau Yan focused on her immediate surroundings. She appeared to be standing in the remains of a building, broken rubble scattering with her steps.


    There was no sign of anything living. Nothing moved, or made a noise. No plants grew between the broken walls. Her skin prickled.


    There appeared to be a trail worn through the rubble, presumably where demons travelled to use the portal. She zipped along it without once touching the ground, staying low so that she might drop out of sight at a moment''s notice.


    It was lucky she did. A group of demons appeared suddenly up ahead, and she immediately hid behind some more rubble before they could see her.


    There were four of them, relatively small creatures that humans had taken to calling ''lesser demons''. They were all wearing cloths to cover their heads and lower faces, but they removed these now, and Gong Lau Yan could see them clearly.


    They were bipedal, like humans, but their appearances were hunched and scrawny. Two of them only had a single eye, located off-centre on their faces. One lacked teeth, the others had sharp fangs that awkwardly stuck out of their mouths. They had no external ears, and their skin was red and raw-looking. They looked about with milky eyes and spoke in hisses to each other.


    They sat down on some rubble, drawing rough pouches from their waists.


    Empty.


    Empty.


    Empty.


    Empty.


    The demons hissed to each other again. There seemed to be words, by they were so broken by the sharp fangs and flattened by the empty gums that Gong Lau Yan couldn''t make anything out. Then they shuffled until they were sitting in a circle, and thrust their hands in the centre.


    Some of the demons had claws like a chicken''s. One had a human-like hand, but with more finger joints than a human would have. Another appendages that looked almost like crab claws, except they were fleshy, not hard.


    One of the demons began to point. Gong Lau Yan slowly came to the conclusion that it must be counting digits. Around and around it went, once, twice, thrice, she lost count herself, but at last, the demon stopped. The count had ended at one of the one-eyed demons, one who had claws like a chicken''s. There was silence.


    And then, one by one, the other three demons moved close, and hugged the fourth demon.


    There was no other way to describe it.


    And then, with efficient skill, the demon embracing them drove a long, narrow blade through their back.


    They laid the body down. The remaining demons pressed their various appendages to their foreheads, and then began to cut the body apart.


    The meat of the demon was dark and smelt rancid, even from the distance at which Gong Lau Yan hid. The demons worked methodically, slicing the meat expertly from the bones. They put a few pieces in their grotesque mouths and began to chew.


    Gong Lau Yan had seen enough. Besides, the thick air and lack of vegetation made her feel sick. She slipped quietly away from her hiding spot and drifted back the way she had come, grey-brown eyes taking in everything.


    Bare rock, skeletal earth. Not even a scrap of wood, blade of dead grass, puddle of muddy water.


    Red glow in the sky.


    She fell through the portal, almost on top of Tsaam Lei, with a grateful gasp. She lay on the cool grass of the forest, fresh air filling her lungs with the scent of pines. Tsaam Lei fussed around her, begging her to stand because there were demons coming, but she lay almost comatose with the sounds of the forest filling her ears.


    The little fox ran in an anxious circle and quickly fled as three demons moved cautiously through the undergrowth towards the portal. They came to a rapid halt as their eyes fell on the huge loong lying directly before it.


    Her green-brown scales shone in the afternoon light as they stared at each other. She rose to her feet, towering over the demons, who raised their weapons - broken spears, a dull sword ¨C then launched herself into the air.


    They dwindled into nothing within the blink of an eye, swallowed up by the canopy of the pines. Gong Lau Yan floated on an air current, letting it carry her away.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    <hr>


    Only Gaam Yuk Ying was still eating. The others had long put down their chopsticks. Chan Bik looked ill. Cheng Baak-hap was frowning at the food. Gou Dzing downed a cup of baak-dzau and filled it again.


    ¡°Has this information been provided to anyone else?¡± Cheng Baak-hap asked quietly.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Maan Dzi King said bluntly, as if insulted that her new charge would even suggest they would hide such information. ¡°We met with the Regent of Dzue, the human one, that is, and informed them immediately. In turn, they contacted the King of Cheon and the Queen of Sek''syun. Both of them responded the same: ''That''s all very well, but it does not change the fact that they have treated our citizens with lethal force. We will not negotiate.''¡±


    ¡°Well, it''s not like we can''t understand their position.¡± Gong Lau Yan shrugged. ¡°It''s like the story of the farmer and the snake, you know?¡± She toyed with her cup morosely.


    ¡°I... I don''t know,¡± Chan Bik admitted nervously.


    ¡°Ah, well, a farmer finds a snake freezing to death in winter. She put it in her sleeve to warm it up, and it saved the snake''s life, but it bit her and she died of the venom. So you can help someone, but if they have proven themselves to be dangerous in the past, they''ll be likely to harm you in the future.¡±


    ¡°What I was going to add is that they then attacked the Regent of Dzue, claiming that they have therefore been too soft on the demons and that it is Dzue''s fault that the citizens of Sek''syun and Ceon are dying,¡± Maan Dzi King said bitterly. ¡°So not only is there fighting happening between humans and demons, but it looks as though a war may break out between humans themselves.¡±


    ¡°I think... we need to find some way of communicating with the demons properly,¡± Cheng Baak-hap suggested. ¡°If we can communicate, we can negotiate. Maybe if we can find out the scope of their problems-¡±


    ¡°It''s not our job to solve their problems, Cheng Baak-hap,¡± Maan Dzi King interrupted.


    ¡°But if we can, why not?¡± Gong Lau Yan countered with a cheerful smile.


    ¡°Enough. We will be looking to free Ling Gwong first.¡± Wong Tang growled at the two loong. They settled back and looked away from each other. ¡°Other things will come later. Let us focus on the task at hand. All of you, I will give you a week to prepare yourselves. Lau Yan, Maan Dzi King, get those two girls as ready as possible. Little Gou?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master...?¡±


    ¡°We''re going to train. I will have you at Third Daan-tin apprentice in a day. We''ll solidify your understanding over the rest of the week.¡±


    ¡°... Yes, Master.¡±


    ¡°Gaam Yuk Ying?¡±


    ¡°Grandmaster.¡±


    ¡°Go and find that Teem Djeung Baak and bring her here. She''s too much trouble to have wandering around in this situation. We need to keep an eye on her.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grandmaster.¡±


    ¡°Good. There are rooms for all of you at this teahouse. You''re all dismissed. Except you, Little Gou.¡±


    ¡°Um... Can I just-¡±


    ¡°No. Follow me. There are some large caverns further down that we can use.¡±


    She swept out, and the others slowly followed. Gong Lau Yan patted Gou Dzing sympathetically on the shoulder as she passed. Gaam Yuk Ying was the last to go.


    ¡°Yuk Ying... in case I don''t make it back alive...¡± Gou Dzing gently pulled the other man towards him and kissed him.


    When they pulled back, Gaam Yuk Ying blinked at him. ¡°You won''t die.¡±


    ¡°Don''t you have any sympathy for your boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°My what?¡±


    Gou Dzing''s brain stopped working for a moment, then he narrowed his eyes. ¡°Gaam Yuk Ying.¡±


    ¡°... Yes?¡±


    ¡°I am asking to be your boyfriend. Do you accept?¡±


    ¡°... Sure.¡±


    ¡°... You jerk.¡±


    He pulled Gaam Yuk Ying in again, almost crushing him against his body, and kissed him deeply, his tongue stroking the top of the other man''s mouth. Gaam Yuk Ying wriggled at the ticklish sensation.


    ¡°Gou Dzing!¡±


    Gou Dzing''s head shot back at the shout that echoed down the hall. ¡°Ugh... I''ll see you later, Yuk Ying...¡± He trailed miserably from the room. Gaam Yuk Ying watched him go, his hand clutching the front of his robes as his chest hitched a little. His eyebrows drew together, then he released his fist and the expression disappeared.


    <hr>


    And so, for a week, Gou Dzing vanished into the depths of the caverns to be tortured... tutored by Wong Tang, Cheng Baak-hap and Maan Dzi King spent mornings together training in Water arts and afternoons planning the trip to the demon realm, and Chan Bik and Gong Lau Yan travelled in and out of Tsaam Lam.


    Chan Bik was introduced to Tsaam Lei, who promptly decided the best way to improve hing-gong was to be chased, and to a series of small unnamed fire spirits who lived in the marshland at the edge of the forest. She held them in her hands without fear, savouring their warmth and their tiny, crackly voices that no one else seemed to hear.


    Still, she looks sad, Gong Lau Yan thought, as she watched the young woman seated at the edge of the marsh, her arms filled with tiny fire sprites. A fiery red aura surrounded her; she was already on the point of breaking through into the realm of the Second Dan-tin. ¡°Little Bik?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master?¡±


    ¡°Come on, call me Gong Dze-dze. I''m not really your Master. Anyway, why don''t you take a break for a moment and go see Cheng Baak-hap? I''m sure she''d like that too.¡±


    ¡°Oh... no, she''s very busy. Besides, I have so much to catch up on.¡± She lifted a flame spirit into the air and it danced and wiggled on her palm happily. ¡°I''m so very close to opening my Second Dan-tin.¡±


    ¡°... I see. Let''s go over to Wong then!¡±


    ¡°The Country of Wong? But it''s so far!¡±


    ¡°Far?¡± There was a shiver of green and brown scales. ¡°What is far to a loong?¡±


    Chan Bik gazed up in wonder at the huge creature before her. The long, sinuous body, the four clawed feet, the long whiskered head and bronze antlers... Gong Lau Yan''s grey-brown eyes seemed to laugh at her. ¡°Come up, Little Bik. Oh, put those children down first. I don''t want to get burnt.¡±


    Her voice was not loud, but it resonated through Chan Bik''s very bones. She carefully put the fire spirits down in the marsh, and sprang eagerly onto Gong Lau Yan''s back.


    ¡°Hmm, those games with Tsaam Lei have done you good. Hold on tight, okay?¡± She sprang into the air.


    Chan Bik shut her eyes against the rush of wind, only opening them once more when Gong Lau Yan seemed to hang motionless above the forest. Everything had shrunk down; she felt she could hold a whole tree in her palm. The River Ming Dzue meandered gracefully through the landscape, and Chan Bik thought that Gong Lau Yan''s must look like that too, in her loong form. After all, at this height Gong Lau Yan''s river looked just like her, sparkling in the sun.


    The loong turned her head towards the north-west and shot away across the sky, Chan Bik clinging tight and almost whooping with excitement.


    Gong Lau Yan''s chuckles shook her body. ¡°When you come back, you''ll impress everyone. They may not be on the level of Ling Gwong, but the teachings of the fungwong with increase your cultivation incredibly.¡±


    Chan Bik shivered. ¡°Thank you, Gong Dze-dze!¡±


    ¡°No worries. Are you cold?¡±


    ¡°No! I''m excited!¡±


    ¡°Good. I won''t go too fast otherwise you''ll be blown off, so it will take us another few hours. Maybe take a nap.¡±


    At first, Chan Bik was too excited to follow this advice. She peered past the loong''s at the ground below, and up at the clouds racing above them. At last, however, she closed her eyes. The past few days had been tiring, after all.


    Gong Lau Yan flew on steadily. She was thinking about what she would say to Maan Dzi King when she returned.

 18 - Training montage

    In a forest in the south of Sek''syun, deeply shaded by cork oak and dzeui leut, a man was hanging upside-down in a tree.


    The hunters who owned the trap in which he was caught stared up at him.


    A young man, in cultivator robes, with a jade-hilted sword?


    ¡°Great Jade Exorcist! We''ll get you down straight away!¡±


    ¡°... Don''t.¡±


    Uh, what did you say?


    ¡°I''m fishing.¡±


    ¡­ What did you say?


    ¡°Um... Very well, Great Master...¡± The hunters wandered away, trying to hide their expressions. Who understood how the minds of great cultivators worked?


    Gaam Yuk Ying, upside down three metres from the ground, crossed his arms.


    And waited.


    His silvery eyes scanned the vegetation ceaselessly, although he seemed half-asleep with his lids almost closed. Shapes sprang up with great clarity ¨C thrumming dragonflies skimming over small pools of water on the forest floor, the slow, deliberate slink of a tree viper in a tree ten metres away, a flurry of wings from a male redstart by the edge of the forest.


    Other than the retreating hunters, there was no sign of any other human life.


    After another hour of nothing Gaam Yuk Ying cut himself free with a single careless swing of Lo Fu Ngaa and twisted to land feet-first on the forest floor.


    Hm. Next location.


    He headed north, finding the Jade Road and opting to race through the vegetation beside it, keeping out of sight of any travellers on the road itself. His eyes caught the details of every person he passed.


    Nothing.


    Reaching Mount Faa, he followed the side trail off the Jade Road up the mountain, covering the steep distance with effortless leaps. However, he chose not to go inside, instead circling the schools from the surrounding mountain.


    The disciples were faithfully following their routines, although the Way of the Mountain School was looking a little slacker than usual. They would probably face an irate Wong Tang when she returned.


    Surprisingly, the Clear Sight School was hard at work too. Rather than the Fire Master Jing Fo''s usual practice of throwing some unclear instructions at his disciples and telling them to get on with it, he was standing and watching them as they did they morning practices. It seemed to Gaam Yuk Ying that he even looked a little nervous.


    Ah.


    A familiar aura tickled the edge of his senses as he drew close to the Reflective Arts School. He hopped down amongst the surprised disciples, midway through the eight steps of the Flashing Sword, and proceeded directly into the Master''s quarters, which had long been empty. Gaam Bing frowned at him over a pair of spectacles. It was quite a sight, seeing how the big man made everything in the room ¨C the table, the papers in his hands, the writing brush ¨C seem tiny.


    ¡°... Yuk Ying.¡±


    ¡°... Master.¡±


    ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°Teem Djeung Baak cannot be found.¡±


    ¡°I see. She hasn''t been near here.¡±


    ¡°I though not. The other...¡±


    ¡°Dzap Ming is here too.¡±


    ¡°I will look elsewhere then.¡±


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    He bowed and turned.


    ¡°Stay safe,¡± Gaam Bing growled. ¡°Keep... an eye on your friends and your lover boy until they get strong enough.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying turned. His Master had his head in the papers as if he hadn''t said anything.


    ¡°Thank you, Master.¡±


    He left. Gaam Bing scratched his head, cleared his throat and shuffled the papers unnecessarily. He could distinctly hear his disciple whispering something to the Reflective Arts disciples outside.


    ¡°The Fire Master. His name is Ying Fo.¡±


    ¡°Ying Fo... as in... a firefly light?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    And then even that whisper was gone. All that remained were the excited whispers of the disciples and the occasional muffled giggle.


    Gaam Bing had to suppress his own snort. The Fire Master''s cute little name was sure to be all over the mountain by dinnertime.


    *


    Cheng Baak-hap sighed quietly and rubbed her eyes. She sneaked a glance at Maan Dzi King, but the woman did not look up from her papers.


    ¡°Master?¡±


    ¡°Cheng Baak-hap?¡±


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°¡±Would it be possible to take a break?¡±


    ¡°You must build your stamina.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Master, however-¡±


    ¡°No ''however''. Continue.¡± Maan Dzi King didn''t look up once. Cheng Baak-hap looked down at the papers again.


    The planned route to Dzue. Letters to be delivered to the rulers of Cheun and Sek''syun, requesting a meeting. Lord Gaam Bing''s attempts to translate the demonic script. A list of the equipment and supplies needed for the trip. Messages to Mount Faa and the palace of Tin Yeung Wong.


    ¡°Would you rather begin learning Water arts?¡±


    ¡°That... I would like that, Master.¡±


    Maan Dzi King put down the papers she held and swept to the door. ¡°This way.¡±


    Cheng Baak-hap followed the other woman to one of the underground caverns. They sat opposite each other on the ground.


    ¡°So, you''ve been fooling around with Earth practices without cultivating your Water attribute. Do you know anything about the practice that humans call the Still Heart Way?¡±


    ¡°Sam yue dzi seoi, ''a heart as calm as still water'' is the guiding principle. Beyond this, I cannot say, Master.¡±


    ¡°So next to nothing. Do you understand what the principle means?¡±


    ¡°That one should seek to calm their heart and mind in the manner of still water.¡±


    ¡°Water is always in flow. Vapour turns to liquid water then to ice, and back again. The water that you drank with your tea this morning once flowed through a river in Wong and rained down upon Cheun.


    ¡°And so, in order to begin your training with the Water element, you must meditate on this quandary. Why is the guiding principle sam yue dzi seui when neither water nor the heart is still? I will be returning to our preparations.¡±


    With that, Maan Dzi King swept out.


    Cheng Baak-hap stared after her. She was not really concerned with the question that the loong had left for her. At least, not that one. She knew the answer already. She could feel a new energy awakening in her lower daan-tin, cool and flowing, meeting the strong Earth energy that already resided there.


    No, there was another question that she found herself meditating upon.


    For a divine being of the Water element, why was Maan Dzi King''s heart and mind so clearly full of unrest?


    *


    Gou Dzing gingerly felt his ribs and sat up.


    ¡°Master?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Why have I still not broken into the Third Daan-tin?¡±


    They had been training for several days now, and although he could feel his mastery over his second daan-tin solidifying, Gou Dzing had still not yet tipped over into his upper daan-tin. Hei circled strongly around his middle daan-tin, simmering on the edge of becoming san, threatening to creep up along his meridians to the third daan-tin, but something was holding them back. He looked askance at his master.


    Wong Tang blew smoke rings into the air pensively. Unlike the sweaty and exhausted-looking Gou Dzing, not one of her hairs was out of place.


    ¡°Little Gou.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    ¡°You still appear to be lacking in understanding of the Fool''s Way of the Mountain. I suppose it is understandable. There is so much focus on the martial aspects of our practices that we forget that... well, a Way is not simply about fighting. It is how we live our lives, how we relate to others. How w fight, yes, but also, how we heal.¡±


    Gou Dzing slowly moved his sore body into a cross-legged position.


    ¡°When you were younger, you used to like spending time with Dzik Suet Yi-sang, I remember.¡±


    ¡°That''s true. I really liked learning how to treat patients. He taught me a lot of useful first aid.¡±


    ¡°Why did you stop?¡±


    ¡°Because... it felt like I was falling behind on my martial skills.¡±


    ¡°And now?¡±


    ¡°... I didn''t really think about it.¡±


    ¡°Think about it now then.¡± The Grandmaster unfolded herself and stretched. ¡°I''ll come back tomorrow and hear what you have to say about it. Talk to others, if you want.¡±


    Gou Dzing wandered from the cavern all the way to the entrance of the tea house and stood blinking in the daylight. He looked for the others on his way up; Cheng Baak-hap was up to her elbows in paperwork with Maan Dzi King, and there was no sign of Gaam Yuk Ying or Chan Bik.


    Without anything else to do, he decided to find a spot to overlook the city. There was a rudimentary lookout platform at the top of the limestone cliffs, and he hopped from ledge to ledge until he was at the top.


    Yuk-hoi sparkled below him, and the ocean sparkled beyond that. Small boats wound their way between the white limestone pillars rising from the bright blue water. The wooden docks were busy with merchants, fisherpeople, tradespeople, calling out to each other through the sunlight.


    ¡°It''s pretty, isn''t it, Yuk Ying?¡± Gou Dzing said aloud, although he knew that no one would hear him. Somewhere to the south, gashes in the fabric of space opened into a world where there was no bright blue water, where there was no sunlight, no lively trade or peaceful seaside town. Somehow, it hurt to think about.


    ¡°Why did I stop looking to heal people?¡± He spoke aloud again, and the words seemed to hang above him. A bird of prey circling overhead let out a screech as it glided away over the harbour.


    Behind him, a vast field of silvery-gold grass rippled with the sea breeze. He could feel that the soil here was shallow, lying atop the limestone cliffs, but with the grasses holding it tight, the earth held the promise of future harvests, or woodlands, or forests.


    It seemed like a nice place to settle, to live out a peaceful life.


    Gou Dzing looked at the scars and calluses on his hands. These hands once held herbs and mixed elixirs. These hands once lay on an injured limb as Dzik Suet Yi-sang had directed, ¡°The Earth turns, winter becomes spring, death returns to life. Hold these thoughts in your mind as you direct your dzing into your hands.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Dzik Suet Yi-sang, that''s...¡±


    The doctor had caught the cheeky grin on the child''s face and smacked his leg. ¡°Gou Dzing! How old are you? Who the hell is teaching you things like that?¡±


    ¡°No one! No one, Yi-sang!¡± Gou Dzing tried to dodge the smacks unsuccessfully.


    Dzik Suet Yi-sang groaned. ¡°Gods, he''s reached that annoying age... Concentrate! Chiu Fun, don''t you start laughing too!¡±


    The injured party, the boy Chiu Fun, gave him the same grin as Gou Dzing''s. ¡°Of course not, Ji Sang!¡±


    The long-suffering doctor breathed deeply. ¡°Gou Dzing, do you want to help your friend or not?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Yi-sang.¡±


    ¡°Then concentrate. Winter to spring. Try it.¡±


    Gou Dzing settled into concentration, despite Chiu Fun''s smothered laughter. Winter to spring. The bare earth and little sprouts. Sowing the seeds and watching the plants emerge.


    Chiu Fun made a sound of surprise as his bleeding leg healed. ¡°Wow, Dzing! You did it!¡±


    Gou Dzing breathed out and wiped his forehead. He was surprised by how tired he was.


    ¡°Impressive. Good work, disciple. Now maybe when you''re raising trouble you''ll be able to heal yourself.¡±


    And he did, when he scraped his knees chasing Chiu Fun around the mountain, or when Chiu Fun had fallen from a tree while picking chestnuts, a sharp crack indicating a broken arm. As they grew older, the need for healing such small injuries grew less and less, and one day, they stopped.


    ¡°I''m getting married, Dzing.¡±


    ¡°... Why?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, why? Why not?¡±


    ¡°You...¡±


    ¡°It was fun. I don''t think I''m suited for this kind of life, though. Good luck, Dzing. Come visit me some time.¡±


    Gou Dzing hadn''t visited. Sitting on the cliff above Yuk-hoi, he thought, for the first time, that maybe he should. Chiu Fun had a little daughter now. It would be funny to see Yuk Ying try to deal with a small child.


    Winter into spring. An end becomes a beginning.


    He sat cross-legged and closed his eyes, the hei in his middle daan-tin eagerly boiling. The first wisps of san began to form.


    Like healing a wound, like planting a seed. Anchoring into the rock of his lowest daan-tin, he felt the energy rise.


    It hurt.


    Gods, it hurt.


    Tears ran down his cheeks and he gritted his teeth.


    It hurt, back then and now.


    He had to sit in the pain, until it was all transformed. The pain burned his meridians, his throat, his chest.


    He wanted to fight it, but that would only make it worse. Plants don''t fight their way out of the soil in spring.


    He wanted to hide from it, but in spite of the jaws of the rabbit and the caterpillar, plants still grow.


    One day he would hurt again, maybe even more.


    ¡°I accept it.¡±


    Very well.


    A stream of pure san flowed in his upper daan-tin, shining gold. He opened his eyes to find them still full of tears.

 Author notice

    Hi everyone! I... overdid things a little, and so got sick, and also have unfortunately run out of my backlog. Thanks for your patience >_< Here are some ramblings instead:


    I''m not the Saviour! is, funnily enough, the first chronologically of the Tales of the Jade Road, but the last story that I started. The first was At the Water''s Edge, then came Ginseng and Yew, then Eitsu''s Nine Lives, and then Saviour.


    When I began writing this story, I was a little hesitant. There are far more good danmei/BL works than baihe/GL works (not saying they don''t exist, it''s just a much smaller pool) so I was a bit reluctant to add to the giant body of BL works that exist.... but I already had At the Water''s Edge and Eitsu''s Nine Lives to add to the GL sphere, and I had just binge-read all of MDZS''s works, plus the two fantastic works The Earth is Online by Mo Chen Huan and Global Examination by Mu Su Li.


    I loved You Huo''s character in Global Examination, so I shamelessly used him as inspiration for my MC.


    I wanted a very different character to be his love interest; a sort of stereotypical hero ¨C strong, handsome, confident and eager for life. Even his name, Gou Zing, is a very righteous hero name.


    So I now had two very capable cultivator guys running around, and I needed a situation for them. I was feeling a little silly after reading the manhwa The World''s Best Engineer by Lee Hyunmin and Moon Baekkyung, so I thought it would be fun to start off with a little identity confusion. What if there were somehow enough similarities between the two boys to throw everyone off?


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    So I started writing, and as with the way of all of my stories, it started off fun and (at least in my mind, as someone who has most of the plot determined) quickly became serious.


    Tim Zoeng-baak is... a little inspired by Bai Rouyue from The Earth is Online, but also by a few people that I have unfortunately met in real life.


    Unlike my other three stories, I wanted a larger main cast. With At the Water''s Edge, Ginseng and Yew and Eitsu''s Nine Lives, although there are multiple supporting characters, there is still a big focus on the lead pair. I get very influenced by the media I consume, and having read the manhwa Highest Order by Plan B, I suddenly found myself wanting to write a larger friend group, who would go on this adventure together and become closer. I truly appreciate strong platonic love as much as romantic, perhaps even more so, so it seemed right.


    So Can Bik and Zeng Baak-hap, who were originally going to be fairly minor characters, suddenly got a boost. And of course, what happens when you have a group going on an adventure? They have a theme, right? Think the Sailor Senshi from Sailor Moon, the Power Rangers, the Powerpuff Girls, Avatar: The Last Airbender... So I solidified the idea of different schools of cultivation arts following the five Daoist elements.


    But wait, there are only four people in this party. And both Gou Zing and Zeng Baak-hap have Earth attributes!


    ¡­ Well, I also like screwing with stereotypes :D


    Anyway, things are about to get dark real quick. I rekindled my love of Undertale and watched a playthrough of the True Lab level (those who know, know), so the story is about to head in an interesting direction.


    I''m going to take this week to get well again, and put together a few more chapters. I will definitely have one new chapter out by 27 October, if not more :)


    - Shyuurin

 19 - Wheres the MC gone?

    ¡°Cheng Si-mui?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Gou Si-hing. How are you?¡±


    Two days before they were due to leave, Gou Dzing stepped into the room where Cheng Baak-hap had been secluding herself, almost immediately stepping on piles of paper that were strewn across the floor. The young woman herself sat in the middle of them, her head resting on one hand. Or perhaps more accurately, her head was clutched in her hand ¨C stray hairs escaped her long plait from where she had been excessively rubbing her head.


    ¡°You sound tired, and you look pale. Take a break.¡±


    ¡°I wish I could, but there''s so much that still needs to be done. I''ve been trying to read all of the research that exists on demons, but... urgh, who wrote this? It sounds like a small child going on a school trip around the neighbourhood! And there''s hardly any information...¡±


    ¡°So if there''s hardly anything, you won''t find more if you keep staring. Come on, Cheng Si-mui, you look exhausted. You can''t start such an important expedition like this.¡±


    She put down the document she had been holding and rubbed at the back of her hands anxiously. The skin was pink and raw looking, as if she had been doing the same thing over and over.


    ¡°What''s wrong?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, what''s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Don''t be like that. I think I''ve known you long enough to tell when something''s wrong.¡±


    ¡°I-¡±


    ¡°Cheng Baak-hap, what- Oh, Disciple Gou Dzing, how are you?¡±


    ¡°Disciple Gou Dzing greets Lady Maan Dzi King.¡±


    ¡°Master, not Lady.¡±


    ¡°Apologies, Master.¡±


    Maan Dzi King flowed through the room without disturbing a single page on the floor to deposit even more on what could be seen of the table. ¡°I see you have broken though to the Third Daan-tin.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Gou Si-hing, when did you...?¡±


    ¡°See?¡± Even in the gloomy interior of the underground room, gold shimmered in Gou Dzing''s eyes.


    ¡°Amazing.¡± Cheng Baak-hap grabbed Gou Dzing''s face and stared into his eyes with professional curiosity. ¡°Has Gaam Si-hing seen them yet?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I have no idea where he is. I thought you might know.¡±


    ¡°Gaam Yuk Ying has been given a task, as you all have,¡± Maan Dzi King said archly. Her finger impatiently tapped the pile of pages she had just brought. ¡°Disciple Gou Dzing, I''m afraid we''re a little busy here.¡±


    ¡°When was the last time you took a break, Master Maan?¡±


    ¡°There is no need.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps not for you, Master, but Cheng Si-mui-¡±


    ¡°Are you telling me how to teach my own disciple, Gou Dzing?¡±


    ¡°Master Maan, you are a dragon with centuries of experience and wisdom. I have been on this earth less than three decades. If there is some great plan that I am failing to grasp due to my inexperience, I beg you to enlighten me, because I do not understand why you will not permit-¡±


    ¡°No, you don''t understand. And you probably never will. I know your type.¡±


    Gou Dzing stared at her in utter confusion. ¡°Master Maan-¡±


    ¡°You''re dismissed.¡±


    ¡°Mast-¡±


    ¡°Leave.¡±


    Gou Dzing and Cheng Baak-hap exchanged bewildered looks. Maan Dzi King''s powerful aura washed over them, making Cheng Baak-hap shiver and back up against a wall. Gou Dzing''s Earth nature was holding him in better condition, but he was still only a human who had broken through to his Third Daan-tin.


    ¡°And if you think you can complain about me to the Divine Empress, think again.¡±


    Gou Dzing spoke through gritted teeth. ¡°What do you mean, Master Maan?¡±


    ¡°She will not believe you. I have been by her side for over a thousand years.¡±


    She closed the door on his face.


    <hr>


    Wong Tang tapped out her pipe. ¡°I believe you.¡±


    ¡°You... You do, Master?¡±


    The Grandmaster blew smoke through her nostrils. ¡°Have you seen Lau Yan?¡±


    ¡°I haven''t, Master. I believe she and Can Si-mui have gone somewhere.¡±


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    She took a few deep breaths, then sniffed the air. ¡°They should be back soon, it seems. Little Gou?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master?¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°For what, Master?¡±


    ¡°For sticking to your beliefs.¡±


    ¡°... What do you mean, Master?¡± He was surprised to feel her long-fingered hand on the top of his head. She ruffled his hair.


    ¡°You don''t even know what you''re doing. A natural. It''s good. But look after your heart, Little Gou. Sometimes I think you are too gentle.¡±


    ¡°Master?¡±


    ¡°We''ll talk about this later. Lau Yan is here.¡±


    Gou Dzing''s eyes widened as, from the dusky skies, he watched a huge shape descending. Shimmering brown and green, the dragon Gong Lau Yan rippled down to meet them. He felt tiny in her presence. Her feet landed in the long silvery grass that was so common across the high plains above the limestone cliffs of Sek''syun, and Chan Bik slid from her back and threw herself excitedly at Gou Dzing.


    ¡°Gou Si-hing! I''m at Second Daan-tin Adept! Look what I can do!¡± She snapped her fingers and something, not a flame, like Gou Dzing expected, but more like an orb of light, appeared above her palm.


    ¡°It''s like a little star,¡± he said. ¡°That''s pretty.¡±


    ¡°It''s very hot, Gou Si-hing. I could probably burn a hole through someone with it.¡±


    ¡°Lau Yan, come with me,¡± the Grandmaster was saying. Her granddaughter shrank to human shape.


    ¡°What''s happening?¡±


    ¡°You must stay calm.¡±


    ¡°What''s happening, A-po?¡±


    ¡°Lau Yan...¡±


    Gong Lau Yan breathed deeply, but her strong brows were still furrowed. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°We need to go to talk to Maan Dzi King.¡±


    ¡°What''s going on, Gou Si-hing?¡± Chan Bik whispered.


    ¡°We''re a little worried about Cheng Si-mui. Stay close.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Gong Lau Yan and Chan Bik spoke at the same time, their eyes boring into Gou Dzing.


    ¡°Lau Yan,¡± the Grandmaster said warningly. ¡°Stay calm. There are too many others here who could be harmed if you get angry. The same to you, Little Bik.¡±


    ¡°What did she do?¡±


    ¡°If you can''t say calm, I''ll send you back to your Aunt.¡±


    ¡°... yes, a-po.¡±


    ¡°Then let''s go. Little Bik, stay behind Gou Dzing, please.¡±


    Chan Bik didn''t respond, her face agitated.


    ¡°Chan Bik.¡±


    ¡°... yes, Grandmaster.¡±


    They headed inside. Gou Dzing was feeling as though he and his Master were holding back two very angry dogs, when the slightest of someone''s aura met his senses. It was slow, but superheated, like a lava flow. The Grandmaster''s face was perfectly composed, and her disciple wondered how many times she had controlled her anger like this, but he had simply never noticed due to his own lacking spiritual powers.


    ¡°Maan Dzi King.¡± They halted by the door and Gou Dzing gripped Chan Bik''s hand tightly to stop her running forwards.


    The door slid open. Maan Dzi King bowed to her sovereign. ¡°Divine Empress. Is something the matter?¡±


    ¡°Where is Disciple Cheng Baak-hap?¡±


    ¡°Working inside.¡±


    ¡°Please bring her out.¡±


    ¡°She is very busy, Divine Empress.¡±


    Three people opened their mouths to shout at her, but a sudden thick aura, like magma under the earth, like lava down a mountainside, almost crushed them flat. Gou Dzing and Chan Bik collapsed, gasping. Although she remained standing, Gong Lau Yan''s grey-brown eyes narrowed and a trickle of sweat ran down her face.


    Maan Dzi King crumpled against the doorframe, looking hurt and confused. ¡°Divine Empress?¡±


    ¡°Cheng Baak-hap, come out here, child,¡± the Grandmaster called, her eyes fixed on Maan Dzi King. Cheng Baak-hap poked her head out between the dragon and the doorframe. Her face looked blotchy and pale, but her eyes were dark with lack of sleep. Her breathing sounded forced; shallow inhalations followed by forceful exhales. With a cry, Chan Bik forced herself upright and stumbled over.


    Gou Dzing didn''t see what had happened next, but both girls were suddenly being held, one in each arm, by the Grandmaster, and Gong Lau Yan had one of Maan Dzi King''s wrists in her hand. ¡°If there''s a problem, talk to me about it. Don''t take it out on a child.¡±


    ¡°What problem?¡± Maan Dzi King sneered. ¡°You think you''re the centre of the universe, don''t you?¡±


    ¡°Chan Bik,¡± the Grandmaster said. ¡°Please tell me now if you have had any issues with Gong Lau Yan''s methods of training you.¡±


    ¡°No, Grandmaster. She brought me to Wong to meet the phoenixes there and learn more about Fire. I have reached Second Daan-tin Adept already.¡±


    Cheng Baak-hap squeezed her hand. There was a proud twinkle in her tired eyes.


    ¡°Little Gou.¡±


    ¡°Master.¡±


    ¡°Take these two to eat and rest for the next day. We will be leaving the day after tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    ¡°Gong Lau Yan, Maan Dzi King.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Maan Dzi King?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Divine Empress.¡±


    ¡°Go back inside. We must talk.¡±


    <hr>


    Cheng Baak-hap fell asleep before she could even eat, so Gou Dzing left her and Chan Bik in their room. There was still no sign of Gaam Yuk Ying, so he was getting nervous, ad he felt he needed to talk to someone about Maan Dzi King''s strange behaviour. Even is Yuk Ying didn''t say much, when he did, his words would tear past the nonsense and put Gou Dzing''s head on straight.


    He leapt up the limestone cliff behind the tea house, the cool air fresh and salty on his face. Dawn was rising behind him.


    He retraced his steps from that morning, walking slowly across the rippling fields of silvergrass to where he had found his master the previous evening. As if the same events were playing out, he could see her figure there again, seated on an outcrop of limestone, her lanky figure folded in thought as she stared south.


    ¡°Good morning, Master.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Gou Dzing. How is Little Cheng?¡±


    ¡°Too tired to eat, Master. She said she felt sick, so Chan Si-mui put her to bed and is keeping her company.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    She said nothing more. Gou Dzing assumed she would tell him when it was the right time, about what had happened in the discussion between her, Gong Lau Yan and Maan Dzi King, so he didn''t ask. Instead, he said, ¡°Master, where''s Gaam Si-hing?¡±


    ¡°I requested that he look for Teem Djeung Baak.¡±


    ¡°Why is that, Master?¡±


    ¡°I should be asking you, Little Gou. Why did you let her go?¡±


    ¡°I thought it would be dangerous to try and fight her with Chan Si-mui and Cheng Si-mui with us. She was fast.¡±


    ¡°But not as fast as Gaam Yuk Ying.¡± The Grandmaster tapped out her pipe. The sound echoed in the silence between them. It had been a long time since her disciple had felt that she was disappointed in him, and he could feel his insides squirm.


    ¡°Perhaps you were right, Gou Dzing. It is possible that this woman could have harmed your junior sisters in the process. However, that is a very small possibility.¡±


    ¡°But Master, if it''s a possibility-¡±


    ¡°There are times when it is good to be risk-averse, and times when it is not. You already know this, Gou Dzing.¡± The Grandmaster sighed and sat back. ¡°I''m being harsh, I''m aware of that. You cannot possible have the kind of experience and understanding that I have. I''m just afraid... that this Teem Djeung Baak may come back to be a bigger problem than before. A person like that, with no morals, no apparent ties or affiliations... We have no idea what they want or what they will do next. That''s why I asked Gaam Yuk Ying to find her. And the fact that he has not yet returned is... equally concerning.¡±


    ¡°You don''t think something has happened to him?¡±


    ¡°Ha. That child? Not in the slightest. No, I''m more concerned that Teem Djeung Baak has disappeared.¡±

 20 - Some people just cant learn

    ¡°It was amazing! Cliffs, tens of lei tall, with phoenix nests all the way up, and the phoenixes themselves all shining like flames. I got to hold some of the chicks in my hands. They were so cute and small and warm! I wish you could have held them too.¡±


    ¡°I probably couldn''t.¡± Cheng Baak-hap smiled, then coughed, a rattle in her lungs. She had woken with a sore throat and a slight temperature. ¡°You can do it because of your Fire abilities. Can you show me what you learned?¡±


    Chan Bik produced the tiny point of light again, and Cheng Baak-hap stared at it wonderingly.


    ¡°I can feel the heat coming off it. And it''s... actually so bright. I can''t look at it for very long.¡± Se blinked, her eyes already watering. ¡°It''s like a little star.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to be okay to travel?¡± Chan Bik held a hand to Cheng Baak-hap''s forehead and the other to her own.


    ¡°Haha, you''re not leaving me behind that easily. It was hard enough getting this far.¡± She smiled and her narrow eyes turned to crescents.


    ¡°That mole under your eye...¡±


    ¡°Hm? What about it?¡±


    ¡°Uh... N-nothing. I, uh, wonder where Gaam Si-hing went?¡±


    Cheng Baak-hap coughed. ¡°Apparently the Grandmaster asked him to look for someone.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know. Master... Maan Dzi King wouldn''t tell me.¡±


    ¡°That bitch!¡±


    ¡°Can Si-mui! You can''t say that...¡±


    ¡°So why are you smirking behind your sleeve?¡±


    They giggled and nudged each other until Cheng Baak-hap started coughing again.


    ¡°Sorry, Si ze.¡±


    ¡°That''s... ugh... okay.¡±


    ¡°Si ze, what happened?¡±


    ¡°Lady Maan... I don''t know why, but she seems... ha... very driven. And she also seems to forget about the limitations of others.¡± She uncomfortably cleared her throat.


    ¡°She bullied you. I don''t care if she''s a divine dragon or whatever, she treated you really badly. How dare she!¡±


    ¡°Are you going to tell her off for me, Chan Si-mui?¡±


    ¡°I would if Grandmaster didn''t,¡± Chan Bik huffed. ¡°But she and Lady Gong already seemed like they weren''t going to let her off.¡±


    ¡°You''d really go and shout at a dragon, Bik Mui?¡±


    ¡°Of course I would! Just because she''s a loong ¨C No, it''s even worse! She''s in a position of power, I bet she took advantage of that, thinking you wouldn''t dare to tell anyone what she was doing. The... arrogance! I''m glad Gou Si-hing said something.¡±


    ¡°So am I. I was so tired, I couldn''t even think straight.¡±


    ¡°Did she make you work without taking any breaks?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± Cheng Baak-hap tried to clear her throat and went into a coughing fit. Chan Bik gave her hot water to drink until her coughing stopped. ¡°It just seemed like I couldn''t do anything right. If I finished a task, it wasn''t fast enough, so I had to do the next one faster. If I made the mistake, it was like I had personally offended her mother. But strangely... she seemed desperate. I don''t know why, but she seems to want to try to prove something.¡±


    ¡°What, like how uncaring she can be of other people? Yeah, great job.¡±


    ¡°Haven''t you noticed, Chan Si-mui? The way she and Gong Lau Yan interact is kind of strange, like something happened between them.¡±


    ¡°I guess so, but that''s not a reason for her to be a bitch.¡±


    ¡°Careful, Bik mui, you could get in trouble if someone hears.¡±


    Chan Bik grumbled but held her tongue. ¡°And where''s Gou Si-hing gone as well? He isn''t becoming more like Gaam Si-hing now that they''re dating, is he?¡±


    ¡°So you''ve decided that they''re dating, have you?¡± Cheng Baak-hap''s eyes sparkled mischievously.


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    ¡°Of course they are. Have you seen how they look at each other? And Gou Si-hing kept sneaking off to see Gaam Si-hing as soon as he got back to Mount Faa. They''re ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°Are you jealous?¡±


    ¡°What? Of who? If anything, I''m relieved that Gou Si-hing isn''t actually dating-¡± Chan Bik''s words ground to a halt. She fumbled for a bit, then suddenly blew a raspberry.


    ¡°What was that for?¡±


    ¡°Nothing!¡±


    ¡°What were you going to say?¡±


    ¡°I''m not telling you!¡±


    A knock at the door interrupted their spirited bickering.


    ¡°It''s Gong Lau Yan. Can I come in?¡±


    She entered as the two young woman called out in response, and sat down at the end of Cheng Baak-hap''s bed, hugging her long legs to her chest, looking for all the world like a peer of the same age.


    ¡°I''m sorry, Little Cheng.¡±


    ¡°Why, Lady Gong? It''s not your fault.¡±


    ¡°You can just call me ''Miss Gong''. I think... No, Dzi King... Maan Dzi King and I had a falling out, and she definitely took it out on you. So I''m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It''s still not your fault,¡± Chan Bik said fiercely. ¡°She''s a divine dragon, hundreds of years old. She should be grown-up enough to behave herself, not throw a tantrum and hurt someone else!¡±


    ¡°Haven''t you ever let your anger get the better of you, Little Chan? And hurt someone? I know I have.¡±


    Chan Bik couldn''t respond to that. She scowled at the floor until Cheng Baak-hap reached out and squeezed her hand.


    ¡°Maan Dzi King will continue to stay with us,¡± Gong Lau Yan continued, her voice and expression impassive. Having come to know the loong, Cheng Baak-hap suspected that this was her way of showing her disagreement. ¡°But she will no longer be looking after Little Cheng on her own. It''s an undeniable fact that she has great organisational and intelligence gathering skills that Little Cheng would benefit from. But there will always be a third party in the room, whether that is A-po, or Gaam Yuk Ying.¡±


    ¡°Not you, Miss Gong?¡±


    Gong Lau Yan clicked her tongue. ¡°Not me. Now, I''ll go so you can rest a little more.¡±


    She left the room to a duplication of goodbyes. The girls'' voices drifted through the door - laughter, coughing, more laughter, sweet whispers. With a rueful little smile, Gong Lau Yan walked away down the corridor to find somewhere quiet to think.


    <hr>


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she shouted at Maan Dzi King, the previous day.


    ¡°Gong Lau Yan, if you can''t control yourself, I will have you leave,¡± Wong Tang growled at her granddaughter. Gong Lau Yan shut her mouth, but her eyes jabbed Maan Dzi King like splinters.


    ¡°You really just can''t behave yourself, can you, Lady Gong?¡± Maan Dzi King smirked coldly, but a moment later she was forced to quail back as Wong Tang stood before her like a towering mountain over a tiny insect. As though trapped in mud, her limbs felt heavy and stuck; she could only look helplessly as Wong Tang glared down at her.


    ¡°Maan Dzi King. You failed to take into account the human limitations of your disciple. You were also requested to train her, not grind her into the ground.¡±


    ¡°D-Divine Empress, one must go through many struggles if they wish to-¡±


    ¡°So you took it upon yourself to become one of those struggles? To become one of those small monsters that your disciple would look back on with disgust?¡±


    ¡°She would thank me. Like I do with you,¡± she added to the watching Gong Lau Yan, who gritted her teeth painfully tight to prevent herself from shouting back.


    ¡°So you allowed your personal feelings to cloud your professional responsibilities.¡±


    ¡°I have done nothing wrong, Divine Empress.¡±


    ¡°Your responsibility is to teach your disciple, not to break her.¡±


    ¡°Is she broken, Divine Majesty.¡±


    ¡°She is not well. If you had been left to your own devices until the end of this week, the damage might have been permanent.¡±


    ¡°''Might'', Divine Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Maan Dzi King, are you truly talking to me so disrespectfully?¡±


    ¡°I''m merely trying to understand-¡±


    ¡°Stop, Dzi King,¡± Gong Lau Yan said suddenly. ¡°Just stop now. Let go of your-¡±


    ¡°Easy for you to say. You tossed me aside and didn''t once look back, didn''t you? Not everyone can be so callous.¡±


    Gong Lau Yan turned before Maan Dzi King could even finish her sentence.


    ¡°That''s right, go and hide like you always do. You never stay and try to talk it out, you just-¡±


    ¡°Maan Dzi King, you will no longer be Cheng Baak-hap''s Master,¡± Wong Tang interrupted, as Gong Lau Yan disappeared. ¡°You will continue to train her ¨C there is no doubt about your skills. But at all times, either myself, or Gaam Yuk Ying will be attending.¡±


    ¡°Gaam Yuk Ying, Divine Majesty? That child-¡±


    ¡°Could easily Ascend if he truly wanted to. His Metal powers may be in conflict with yours, but he has great intelligence and abilities, so I trust him to do a good job. And if you cannot come to terms with the grudge that you have against Gong Lau Yan, you will be requested to return to the palace of Joeng Tin Wong. Please come and talk to me when you wish to work through your thoughts.¡±


    ¡°Speak to you, Divine Majesty? You, the grandmother of my ex-lover?¡±


    ¡°Then speak to another. There are many in the palace who would be willing to hear you out and assist you.¡±


    ¡°I do not require assistance, Divine Majesty.¡±


    ¡°I see. I hope you will change your mind, Maan Dzi King. I value you, and I do not wish to see us part ways in anger.¡±


    ¡°I hear your words, Divine Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Keep to yourself for a while, please.¡±


    ¡°And if Gong Lau Yan comes looking for me?¡±


    ¡°She will not.¡±


    ¡°She will. I know her better than anyone.¡±


    ¡°We''ll see.¡±


    Maan Dzi King went out into the night, where a light rain fell, down to the opaque blue waters of Yuk-hoi Bay, and waited, her bare feet dipping in the ocean.


    <hr>


    An hour later, she heard a light step that she recognised.


    It was not Gong Lau Yan.


    A short young man met her deep blue eyes with his silver ones, briefly, before he bowed, just as briefly, and continued on in the direction of the tea house. His robes were only slightly damp.


    ¡°Gaam Yuk Ying.¡±


    He paused, turned, and waited for her next words.


    ¡°You don''t like bothersome things, do you?¡±


    He made no indication to either agree or disagree with this statement.


    ¡°People that bother you, day after day. People that don''t understand, who make you do things you don''t want to do. Who don''t listen. Who think they know everything, can do everything, when you are far more capable than they.¡±


    The cool night breeze off the ocean was stiff with salt.


    ¡°Think about it.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying considered the ground before him, bowed again, and disappeared in the direction of the teahouse, so fast that, had Maan Dzi King not been a divine dragon, she might not have been able to see.


    With grim satisfaction, she sat down to wait for Gong Lau Yan, completely dry despite the increasingly heavy rain that fell.


    <hr>


    Gong Lau Yan never came looking for her.

 21 - This is the beach episode

    ¡°Where were you?¡± Gou Dzing threw himself on Gaam Yuk Ying. The smaller man staggered.


    ¡°Out.¡±


    ¡°I know that. Don''t act dumb.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying didn''t respond. He buried his face in Gou Dzing''s neck, since it was all he could reach. They stood comfortably like this for a minute.


    ¡°I guess you couldn''t find her. Master told me she asked you to look for Teem Djeung Baak.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying nodded. It tickled.


    ¡°I should have let you go after her, before.¡±


    A shrug.


    ¡°Well, I guess it''s too late, saying that now. We''ll just have to get her next time. Hey, what happened to your face?¡±


    There was a red mark on Gaam Yuk Ying''s left cheek, as if he had scraped it against something, or been hit. He wouldn''t meet Gou Dzing''s eyes.


    ¡°Yuk Ying? Hey, what''s going on?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. It doesn''t matter... anymore.¡±


    ¡°You don''t want to talk about it now, huh? Maybe later?¡±


    ¡°Later.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Gou Dzing pulled him close again. ¡°Let''s put some salve on it.¡±


    ¡°It''ll heal by itself.¡±


    ¡°I know... but let me test out my skills, please? I made a batch of ointment while you were gone.¡±


    ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°What''s with that tone? I used to do lots of healing work, you know? Were you just teasing me?¡± He caught sight of the little smirk on Gaam Yuk Ying''s face. ¡°You little...!¡±


    ¡°Ugh, they''re already at it again,¡± Chan Bik observed, leaning out of the window of Cheng Baak-hap''s room to see Gaam Yuk Ying and Gou Dzing chasing each other around the docks of Yuk-hoi Bay. ¡°Hey! You''re causing trouble for everyone! Get back here!¡±


    Cheng Baak-hap cleared her throat and laughed. ¡°Yes, Mother.¡±


    ¡°No! What? I''m not! Cheng Si-dze!¡±


    ¡°Hey! Cheng Si-mui! How are you feeling?¡± Gou Dzing leapt in through the window that Chan Bik had vacated, following close behind Gaam Yuk Ying. The two young men flopped onto the bed.


    ¡°What are you doing? You''re supposed to be Direct Disciples of the Ng Dzeung, how can you just lie on a junior sister''s bed like that?¡± Chan Bik hissed like an angry snake.


    Gaam Yuk Ying cocked his head to one side. ¡°Jealous?¡±


    He narrowly dodged every punch that Chan Bik threw at him.


    ¡°Ha ha, you can''t tease her so easily anymore, Yuk Ying! Her spiritual powers are catching up, she''ll be faster than you soon!¡±


    Chan Bik paused, panting. ¡°What happened to your face? It wasn''t Teem Djeung Baak, was it? That-¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then what?¡±


    He looked at the floor.


    ¡°I don''t think Yuk Ying''s ready to talk yet,¡± Gou Dzing interceded, standing up. ¡°Why don''t we go and do something fun? We''ve worked so much over the past week, and we only have one last day here. Let''s relax and recover. Cheng Si-mui, do you feel alright to move around?¡±


    ¡°You''re not leaving me behind to have fun by yourselves. I''ll let you know if I get tired.¡±


    ¡°Alright. How about we meet in front of the teahouse in half a si?¡±


    They dispersed to get ready. Gou Dzing filled Gaam Yuk Ying in on the past few days he had been absent.


    ¡°I don''t understand what makes people... loong are people, right? What makes people act like that.¡± They sat at one of the benches for travellers outside the teahouse, discretely holding hands, Gaam Yuk Ying''s slender fingers twined with Gou Dzing''s strong thick ones.


    ¡°I guess it''s a shortcoming of mine. Father used to say it all the time. Master tells me the same. ''Not everyone is morally good at all times, Gou Dzing. Even good people do bad things.'' I get it... but I don''t, you know? Yuk Ying?¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying had extracted his hand from Gou Dzing''s and was examining it with excessive care.


    ¡°What''s wrong? Um... Did you want to talk about what happened to your cheek?¡±


    A nod.


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    ¡°Okay, who did that to you?¡±


    ¡°Demon.¡±


    ¡°A demon? How... Uh... Where was this?¡±


    ¡°Tsou Heung.¡±


    ¡°Tsou Heung? Wasn''t that near where we first met?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°There were more demons there?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Did something happen there, before we met?¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying took a deep breath. ¡°I ran into two demons there before I met you and killed one and knocked the other one out and then I let the villagers take it away but then I thought...¡± His voice trailed off. Staring into space, his usually sharp silver eyes lost, he said, ¡°I went back to find it.¡±


    ¡°Did... Did you find the demon?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What had the villagers done to it?¡±


    ¡°Torture.¡±


    ¡°And what did you do?¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying looked down at himself. Gou Dzing looked too. There were faint speckles of blood on his pale grey robes.


    ¡°... killed it.¡±


    ¡°Can you... tell me in more detail, Yuk Ying? It doesn''t matter if it''s jumbled. I''ll work it out.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying''s words came out in fits and starts. ¡°Got to village. Demon was in... shed. We spoke.¡±


    ¡°Spoke? Did you understand it?¡±


    ¡°Not... Yes? Some words... But not all. I cut it free but... it just glared at me. Started to howl. I thought someone would hear so I knocked it out and brought it into the forest and it woke up quickly and... It didn''t look... happy...¡±


    ¡°Did it strike you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You could have stopped it.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Um, what do you mean, why? It hit you.¡±


    ¡°It couldn''t hurt me.¡±


    ¡°... I see.¡±


    ¡°It was weak and... I was just going to leave it there but... it grabbed my robes...¡±


    His disjointed phrases were incongruously interspersed with the sound of clinking teacups and laughter from the teahouse. Warm sunlight bathed their faces.


    ¡°... and put its neck to my blade...¡±


    In the distance, Chan Bik and Cheng Baak-hap strolled towards them, chattering happily.


    ¡°Its eyes...¡±


    The two young women saw them, and waved.


    ¡°It knelt before me...¡±


    Chan Bik took Cheng Baak-hap''s hand and pulled her along a little, hurrying towards the young men.


    ¡°... and I cut its head off.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Gou Si-hing! Gaam Si-hing! Where are we going?¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying scraped his boot along the sand, lifting his eyes to stare down the long beach that curved away into the distance. Behind him, Chan Bik and Cheng Baak-hap gazed at the expanse of white and golden-yellow where the opaque teal water lapped up and sank away.


    ¡°It''s called a beach. What do you think? Gou Dzing asked again.


    ¡°It''s pretty,¡± Chan Bik murmured, then her attention shifted to the substrate below her feet. ¡°But there''s too much sand! Is this a desert? But there''s water... Is a beach a kind of desert but with salty water? And it''s getting in my shoes!¡±


    ¡°Just take them off then,¡± Gou Dzing suggested.


    ¡°I don''t want to... I don''t want to touch sand with my bare feet.¡±


    ¡°You can brush it off afterwards.¡±


    ¡°It''s the during I don''t like. Wait, Cheng Si-dze?¡±


    Cheng Baak-hap slipped her boots off, small toes pale with lack of sun sinking into the white-gold sand. Chan Bik fretted in place, not wanting to more any more, but eager to explore the beach.


    Gaam Yuk Ying blinked at her. ¡°Chan... Si-mui?¡±


    ¡°What is it, Si-hing?¡±


    ¡°You don''t like the sand.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. It''s getting everywhere...¡±


    ¡°We''ll go somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°But I want to see. Argh! This is so annoying! I want to see the beach but I hate this sand!¡±


    ¡°Dzing.¡±


    Gou Dzing grabbed his shoulders with far too much excitement. ¡°Yuk Ying, did you just call me ''Dzing''? You did, didn''t you! Why are you being so affectionate today?¡±


    Chan Bik''s face hid nothing. ¡°You call that affectionate?¡±


    ¡°It''s super affectionate from Yuk Ying!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right, of course. That man has a face like a clay warrior. Even if you ground it down it would be hard to find a speck of affection.¡±


    ¡°Chan Si-mui, you''re being harsh again.¡±


    ¡°... sorry Gaam Si-hing. I didn''t mean to say you''re not affectionate, I just meant you''re very bad at showing it...¡±


    ¡°It doesn''t bother me.¡±


    ¡°Dzing.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes?¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying held out his hand. ¡°Can I borrow your sword?¡±


    ¡°My sword? Okay.¡± Gou Dzing drew it and handed it over, jade hilt first.


    ¡°Gou Si-hing, does your sword have a name?¡± Chan Bik asked suddenly, shifting from foot to foot.


    ¡°Uh... It''s Yuk Ying.¡±


    ¡°... wait, what?¡±


    ¡°You named your sword after your boyfriend? What the hell?¡±


    ¡°Gou Si-hing, that''s a bit...¡±


    ¡°No! No! It''s not like that! Yuk Ying, don''t look at me like that! This sword is a family heirloom! It''s had this name for over a century, it''s not the same words either...¡±


    The others eventually stopped teasing him and he folded his arms around Gaam Yuk Ying grumpily, resting his chin on top of the shorter man''s head.


    ¡°It''s pronounced the same, but it''s ''Yuk'' as in ''Jade'' and ''Ying'' as in ''Punishment'', not ''Treasure'' and ''Gem-like''.¡±


    ¡°What a coincidence though... Are you sure...?¡±


    ¡°Shut it, Cheng Baak-hap.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying escaped Gou Dzing''s embrace and held out his hand to Chan Bik. ¡°Let''s go.¡±


    ¡°Huh, whe- ah!¡±


    He pulled her up as Gou Dzing''s sword floated beneath his feet and she quickly wrapped her arms around his waist in surprise.


    ¡°Wow! Gaam Si-hing, since when could you do this?¡±


    ¡°It''s been several years.¡±


    ¡°Why have you never shown us this before?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡±


    ¡°It''s one of the skills you can develop when you break through to the Third Daan-tin, Chan Si-mui,¡± Gou Dzing explained. ¡°Watch.¡±


    The sand below his feet suddenly solidified and began to convey him across the beach and then back again. ¡°Fine elemental control. When you reach this level, you should be able to travel using fire.¡±


    A burning light seemed to be ignited in Chan Bik''s eyes. ¡°I''m going to reach Third Daan-tin as soon as possible!¡±


    ¡°We''re taking a break today, Bik Si-mui, remember?¡± Cheng Baak-hap laughed. ¡°Can I catch a ride, Gou Si-hing?¡±


    ¡°Should we race?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Chan Bik shrieked with excitement. Gaam Yuk Ying smirked at Gou Dzing.


    ¡°What, you think just because you''re a Metal cultivator, you''re going to win? No way!¡±


    ¡°Prove it.¡±


    Both groups shot away over the sand, Chan Bik screaming with excitement. They reached the limestone rocks at the far end, Gaam Yuk Ying easily outstripping Gou Dzing. The latter wiped sweat from his forehead.


    ¡°Wow, that was actually really hard. Trying to control so many individual particles like that.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a lot of work.¡± Cheng Baak-hap tapped her chin. ¡°Why not use a liquid concept?¡±


    ¡°You''ll have to dumb that down for the idiots.¡±


    ¡°The way sand moves, at least on this beach, is something like a liquid, right? It gets displaced easily, it pours... If I take it in my hands, it moulds to the shape of my hands... Rather than trying to control each grain, why not conceive of it as a liquid?¡±


    Gou Dzing looked at his feet, and the sand below them rose like a wave. He surfed away across waves of sand in a big loop, coming back to join them. ¡°That... is so much easier.¡±


    ¡°Who''s the smart one?¡±


    ¡°You are, Father Cheng.¡±


    ¡°Good filial piety, you know who''s your father.¡±


    ¡°Let''s eat.¡± Chan Bik pulled open the packs they had brought. ¡°And let''s play some games. How about this, we ask each other questions, and if you can''t, or won''t answer, you have to do a task instead.¡±


    They all agreed, settling down on a large cloth they had brought along. With a bowl of rice in one hand, Chan Bik pointed at Gou Dzing first. ¡°Gou Si-hing! I''m asking you ¨C Admit it! You''re the young master of a rich family, aren''t you?¡±

 22 - Fight me

    ¡°Uh? Huh? Me?¡±


    ¡°Do you see any other Gou Dzings around here?¡±


    ¡°Fair point.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess we''re pretty comfortable? We''re a well-known family...¡±


    ¡°''Comfortable'', he says,¡± Chan Bik scoffed. ¡°One of your uncles is an advisor to the King of Sek''syun, isn''t he? I''ve heard Gaam Go mention him.¡±


    ¡°A few of my family members are officials, yeah...¡±


    ¡°Geez, what are you being so awkward about?¡± Cheng Baak-hap waved a piece of pickled white radish at him admonishingly.


    ¡°I just... don''t want the three of you to feel...¡±


    ¡°That we''re poor?¡± Gaam Yuk Ying asked succinctly, causing Gou Dzing to spit out his tea.


    ¡°Just buy us lots of good food with all that money, okay?¡± Chan Bik suggested cheerfully. ¡°I wouldn''t mind my own personal weapon, either.... And some nicer clothes...¡±


    ¡°Uh... Sure...¡±


    ¡°What''s your family like, Bik Si-mui?¡±


    ¡°Oh, well Gou Si-hing and Gaam Si-hing have already met them, so they can help me explain, but there''s Mother, and Father, and Dad Se-¡±


    ¡°Wait, you have two fathers?¡±


    Gou Dzing helped Chan Bik explain the situation, and Cheng Baak-hap tried hard not to laugh.


    ¡°Cheng Si-dze, what about your family?¡±


    ¡°Well... I don''t really remember my parents. I arrived at Mount Faa when I was about ten years old, I think. My brother was only very young. Perhaps a few months old?¡±


    Chan Bik almost dropped her chopsticks. ¡°You have a brother?¡±


    ¡°Yes, his name''s Baak Gat. He''s in the Still Heart School.¡±


    ¡°Still Heart?¡± Gou Dzing asked, eyes gleaming. ¡°What are his skills like?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, I don''t think he''s at the level to become a direct disciple, Gou Si-hing. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Why didn''t you tell us about him before?¡± Chan Bik asked quietly.


    ¡°We''re... not really that close, I guess. I never really see him, and we''re ten years apart in age, after all.¡±


    ¡°I still can''t believe you didn''t say anything,¡± Chan Bik grumbled. ¡°Anything else you''re hiding?¡±


    ¡°I wasn''t ''hiding'' anything, Chan Bik.¡±


    ¡°Don''t get so angry, Si-mui-¡±


    ¡°I''m not angry!¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Gaam Yuk Ying asked. He was wolfing down most of the food while everyone argued.


    ¡°I can''t believe Chan Bik accused me of hiding things,¡± Cheng Baak-hap snapped. ¡°I thought we were supposed to be... f-friends. As if I would do something so mean-spirited. Do you think I''m some sort of malicious bitch?¡±


    ¡°That''s not what I said!¡±


    ¡°That''s what you implied!¡±


    ¡°Stop, stop, stop,¡± Gou Dzing shouted, waving his hands. ¡°I don''t think either of you meant for things to get like this. Let''s just calm down for a second and talk rationally.¡±


    The two women glared at each other but said nothing more, turning to the food instead. An uncomfortable silence stretched out between them.


    ¡°In my family there was Father and Mother and Elder Brother and me and we lived in a house that was half the size of Chan Bik''s and it had chrysanthemums planted in the front and a pond with goldfish in it but they kept dying.¡±


    ¡°You also have a brother?¡± Cheng Baak-hap asked sharply.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°... you just said your family had your father, mother and elder brother.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°So-¡±


    ¡°So what happened to him?¡± Gou Dzing asked quietly.


    ¡°He died.¡±


    Cheng Baak-hap winced.


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Not sure.¡± Gaam Yuk Ying chewed a glutinous rice dumpling meditatively. ¡°My fault.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, your fault?¡±


    ¡°That he died.¡±


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    His three companions stared at him.


    ¡°What... Hang on, so you don''t know how he died, but it was your fault?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say it was your fault?¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying stopped chewing. His brain seemed to have stopped working; he stared into the blue sky that was as empty as his gaze.


    ¡°Did... someone say it was your fault?¡±


    ¡°... Yes?¡±


    ¡°Let it all out, Yuk Ying. We''ll work out what you mean.¡±


    Even with this prompting, Gaam Yuk Ying''s words were slow and stilted. ¡°It... I don''t... I don''t remember. I think... I was very... young. My elder brother... I don''t remember him. But... it... must have been... my fault. Everyone... was always so angry... at me. So. So. I must have done... something... wrong? I think?¡±


    ¡°Did anyone ever say that to you, directly?¡±


    ¡°... No. Maybe? I don''t... remember.¡±


    ¡°How old were you when he died?¡±


    ¡°... maybe... a year old, I think?¡±


    ¡°How the fuck could a one year-old be responsible for someone''s death.¡± Gou Dzing snarled. It was a statement, not a question. ¡°So that''s why they came up with that bullshit about you not wanting to learn how to write? How is that right? How-¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying''s eyes met his directly, some kind of indefinable emotion in their silvery shine. ¡°Thanks, Dzing.¡±


    ¡°Why did you think I deliberately hid my brother from you, Bik Si-mui?¡± Cheng Baak-hap asked softly, seeing Gaam Yuk Ying had closed the book on the discussion about his family.


    ¡°You... never said anything about him.¡±


    ¡°But why did you assume that was me deliberately hiding him from you?¡±


    ¡°Because... that''s what everyone does.¡±


    Cheng Baak-hap sighed. ¡°I thought so. I''m sorry you feel that way, but that''s not what I was doing. In spite of their... idiosyncracies, you seem to have a close family, Chan Si-mui. Not everyone''s families are like that.


    ¡°Don''t misunderstand, I care about my brother, but I was too young to look after him. When we came to Mount Faa, they determined his Water attribute was the strongest, so he was taken there and raised by the tutors and senior disciples. I see him every now and then, but we''re little more than acquaintances, really.¡±


    ¡°So you don''t remember anything about your family?¡±


    Cheng Baak-hap fiddled with her plait. ¡°Our clothes had the Cheng family crest on them, but when Mount Faa asked around, none of the Cheng families, branches or otherwise, seemed to know who we were. We were allowed to use the Cheng name, but we''re not on any family registers. For all I know, I could have been a servant at a Cheng household, or an illegitimate child.¡±


    ¡°Or maybe someone who had to have their identity hidden!¡± Chan Bik exclaimed, suddenly excited. ¡°Maybe you''re the daughter of someone really important and they hid you away to protect you!¡±


    Cheng Baak-hap burst into genuine laughter.


    ¡°Come on, everyone, let''s eat. The food will go stale or Yuk Ying will devour it all. Ah!¡± Gou Dzing clicked his fingers. ¡°Did you know, the Dragon and Phoenix Tournament is starting tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°That''s right, I did wonder if that was the case ¨C Yuk-hoi has really filled up with people over the past few days.¡± Cheng Baak-hap nodded.


    ¡°Is it happening near Yuk-hoi this year?¡± Chan Bik asked, grabbing a pork bun before Yuk Ying could claim it. ¡°Will we see it?¡±


    ¡°I asked Master, but she said we didn''t have time,¡± Gou Dzing grumbled. ¡°If we took part, we''d be in the top ranks, easily.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to use your cheat skills as a direct disciple to beat up children, Gou Si-hing? That''s not very righteous.¡±


    ¡°They''re not all children!¡±


    ¡°So you''re going to use your cheat skills to-¡±


    ¡°No...¡±


    ¡°What''s a Dragon and Phoenix Tournament? Is it food?¡±


    ¡°Gaam Si-hing, you''re the only one who would think it''s food...¡±


    ¡°It''s an annual martial arts competition,¡± Gou Dzing explained patiently. ¡°You know, martial artists and cultivators always love to see who''s the best, so many of them compete every year in one-on-one matches.¡±


    ¡°Seems dumb.¡±


    Gou Dzing, who had just been about to brag of his three-time champion status, gaped at Gaam Yuk Ying. ¡°What, why?¡±


    ¡°Because in battle there are many factors that determine a person''s ability to win including their ability to work with others use terrain to their advantage the weather the type of battle-¡±


    ¡°Gaam Si-hing has a point,¡± Cheng Baak-hap interrupted, shutting off the ceaseless bombardment of his words. ¡°We get divided into age and sex categories in this tournament, but in real life, a little girl could defeat a big man in the right conditions. A person skilled in assassination could defeat a spear expert on a dark night in a house, but put them together in an empty arena and the assassin would be at a disadvantage. The Dragon and Phoenix Tournament only attracts certain types of competitors for that reason, but I swear some people carry on like it''s the most impartial way of judging ability. Isn''t that right, Mister Three-Times-Champion?¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Hm, wanted to brag, huh?¡±


    ¡°Argh, Yuk Ying, don''t look down on me too.¡±


    ¡°Say that when you finally beat me in a spar.¡±


    ¡°I don''t think I''ll ever beat you...¡±


    ¡°If you''re going to get all romantic, go somewhere else.¡±


    They finished up their beach picnic, chattering idly. As they packed up and prepared to leave, Gou Dzing couldn''t help noticing the sombre air around the two girls. ¡°Everything okay?¡±


    ¡°I think I''m just tired.¡± Cheng Baak-hap shrugged. ¡°The past week has been... And some how, I don''t feel like I''ve achieved anything. And then, with the tournament just going on as usual, everything feels so strange, as if I''m somehow standing outside a building looking in at everyone else.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± Chan Bik agreed. ¡°Even though Lady Gong showed me all of these amazing things, and I increased my cultivation, I feel frustrated. Even... bored? Which doesn''t make sense!¡±


    ¡°Maybe we need a break?¡±


    ¡°That''s what today is supposed to be. We don''t have any more time for a break after this.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying hopped up onto the sword he had once more borrowed from Gou Dzing. ¡°Fight me.¡±


    ¡°... what?¡±


    ¡°Uh, Yuk Ying, are you...?¡±


    ¡°The grassland above the teahouse. In one hour.¡±


    Gou Dzing laughed. ¡°He''s right. Moving your body is good when you feel down. It''s been a little while since any of us sparred, right? We''ve been doing other training.¡±


    ¡°Are you brains made of muscles?¡± Cheng Baak-hap shook her head. ¡°Count me out.¡±


    ¡°Then I''ll give you two hours. Lay whatever traps you want.


    Cheng Baak-hap''s narrow eyes widened a little.


    ¡°Smart Cheng Si-mui. Could you beat me?¡±


    ¡°Cheng Si-dze might be able to do it,¡± Chan Bik protested. ¡°But what about me? I''m not that smart and I''m only able to use my Second Daan-tin. I''m not taking part.¡±


    ¡°Chan Si-mui, there''ll be times when you come up against an opponent that looks impossible to beat,¡± Cheng Baak-hap admonished. ¡°What will you do? Say ''I give up?'' What if there are people whose lives depend on you? What if you can''t escape?¡±


    ¡°We stepped into this place with our lives on the line Chan Si-mui,¡± Gou Dzing said gravely. ¡°There is absolutely every risk that we could die. And that''s... not something everyone could accept. We don''t leave until tomorrow. If you decide this is not the right path for you, you can say so before we leave.¡±


    They travelled back to the teahouse in silence, Cheng Baak-hap riding with Gaam Yuk Ying, Chan Bik on Gou Dzing''s back as he tested out the surfing style of moving with the sand. With only a few words, they all broke off in their separate directions, to plan and prepare.


    Two hours later, Gaam Yuk Ying hopped easily up the vertical limestone cliff to reach the field of silvergrass at the top, a faint breeze sending ripples through the waving stems. Three figures stood amongst the vegetation.


    A blink, and the Grandmaster was standing behind Gaam Yuk Ying, the smoke from her pipe curling in the breeze. Gong Lau Yan and Maan Dzi King hopped up from the cliff either side of her.


    ¡°No complaints if I act as referee?¡± Wong Tang asked, taking a puff from her pipe.


    ¡°None, Master.¡±


    ¡°No, Grandmaster.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Grandmaster.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying nodded.


    ¡°Good. Are you all ready?¡±


    Four more nods.


    ¡°Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Go!¡±

 23 - Obligatory Dragon and Phoenix Tournament

    Chan Bik instantly began to fire off blazing points of light. Gaam Yuk Ying dodged each one, the sparks hitting the grass with a sizzle. The smell of scorched vegetation soon filled the air.


    Gou Dzing had raised the ground beneath himself and the two women, rapidly raising them above Gaam Yuk Ying. At the same time, earth and limestone was worn away below Gaam Yuk Ying''s feet. He leapt nimbly, climbing out of the pit to find a burning net of grass falling from above. His dou blurred, slicing the grass to tiny smouldering shreds that rained around him. The ashes were still hot, but he didn''t flinch as he continued his climb up through them. The sides of the pit began to collapse in, too slow; Gaam Yuk Ying rose out before it collapsed and headed directly for Cheng Baak-hap, who was standing on the highest mound. He reached her in the blink of an eye, but the ground caved out suddenly beneath their feet. Cheng Baak-hap disappeared into a hole, and the earth curled up and over Gaam Yuk Ying like a fist. The grass before him caught fire.


    He shot out through the remaining gap between the earth and the fire, directly into Gou Dzing''s fist, which hit him in the chest, knocking him to the ground, and he plowed several bou before coming to a stop. Recovering and twisting to avoid Gou Dzing''s next blow, he had no time to retaliate as Chan Bik jumped forwards, firing off her points of light.


    If he turned to deal with one, the other would take advantage of his change in focus, constantly moving around. He could dodge their attacks but not return them.


    Jumping back brought him to the edge of the cliff, and Gou Dzing and Chan Bik pursued him, harassing him from both sides. With the ground crumbling beneath him and searing points of lights narrowly missing him, he took a running leap off the cliff.


    Chan Bik and Gou Dzing rushed forwards.


    ¡°Stop! Come back!¡± Cheng Baak-hap cried out in warning.


    They halted, but Gaam Yuk Ying had enough of a break to recover. He shot suddenly up over the cliff edge, his fingers hitting the paralysis acupuncture points at the joints of both of Chan Bik''s arms. He turned and lightly flicked Gou Dzing directly over the heart with a finger before the latter could even react. Then he turned to look at Cheng Baak-hap.


    She sighed. ¡°It was worth a try. You''re just too fast.¡±


    ¡°Are you giving up?¡±


    ¡°What do you think I should do?¡±


    ¡°Stop stalling. I know there''s a trap.¡±


    Cheng Baak-hap laughed. ¡°I shouldn''t treat you like an dummy, should I? I keep forgetting after hanging around with Gou Si-hing and Chan Si-mui.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Don''t slander your companions like that!¡±


    ¡°Cheng Si-dze, you''re so mean!¡±


    Still, Cheng Baak-hap remained where she was standing. ¡°I''m afraid you''ll have to come and get me, Gaam si hing. I can''t move from here.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying disappeared and reappeared only a few bou away from Cheng Baak-hap. She stood perfectly still. His silvery eyes darted around, taking in the grass.


    Without warning, he swung Lo Fu Ngaa at Cheng Baak-hap''s feet. She dropped instantly, a huge and intricate web of roots and grass disintegrating below her. A cavern of water opened up beneath her.


    Gaam Yuk Ying jumped straight down, seizing Cheng Baak-hap. Dropping Lo Fu Ngaa, he jumped upwards, curling his foot to send the dou spinning strongly into the cavern wall, where it wedged itself, while reaching for the limestone on the other side. The stone was soft and crumbling, but enough ¨C he jumped from tiny foothold to foothold, emerging from the pit. The others stood waiting nearby.


    ¡°Got you.¡± Cheng Baak-hap, her arms around Gaam Yuk Ying''s neck, smiled. She had a very narrow wooden needle pressed to Gaam Yuk Ying''s neck.


    ¡°No, you don''t,¡± Chan Bik sighed.


    Gaam Yuk Ying''s hair was loose. The metal clasp that had held it in place had been compressed into a tiny flat plate that blocked the wooden needle. He dropped the girl and examined the remains of his hair clasp. ¡°Hm.¡±


    Cheng Baak-hap laughed ruefully and lay flat where she had been dropped. ¡°Now that''s cheating.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying shook his sleeves, and an assortment of coins and miscellaneous metal objects including hinges and beads dropped out. ¡°I always carry a few things to use.¡±


    How the hell did you run around with all that and not make a huge clattering noise?


    ¡°So why did you use your hair clasp?¡± Cheng Baak-hap asked, as he was eyeing the object sadly. Under his gaze, the metal bent back into a clasp-like shape, but it was clear that it would no longer work or look as it had.


    ¡°Nearest to my neck. You almost won.¡±


    ¡°That was great!¡± Gong Lau Yan grinned. ¡°Strategy by Little Cheng, restriction by Little Gou, offence by Little Chan. Good teamwork and use of your skills.¡±


    ¡°We still didn''t win.¡±


    ¡°You haven''t had much experience with fighting. Little Gaam has.¡±


    Three pairs of suspicious eyes turned to look at Gaam Yuk Ying, but no one asked any questions.


    ¡°We''ll be leaving early tomorrow morning. Why don''t you go down into the city?¡± Gong Lau Yan suggested. She grinned at Gou Dzing. ¡°You might recognise some of the faces there.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good. Everyone coming?¡±


    ¡°I need to wash up first,¡± said Chan Bik, looking at her scuffed and sweaty clothing. ¡°Give me a moment.¡±


    She ran to the cliffside and disappeared.


    ¡°She just keeps getting faster and faster. You''ll be in trouble one day, Yuk Ying.¡±


    ¡°The two of you should probably wash up as well,¡± Wong Tang advised.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Will you be coming too, Master?¡±


    ¡°No, the three of us will stay here. I don''t like such crowded places.¡±


    When Gou Dzing and Cheng Baak-hap were gone, the Grandmaster turned to Gaam Yuk Ying. ¡°You didn''t find her.¡±


    ¡°No, Divine Empress.¡±


    ¡°That''s a worry.¡± Gong Lau Yan grimaced. ¡°That might mean that there''s more going on there than just a single, simple troublemaker.¡±


    ¡°We don''t have any more time to look for her. Did you send notices out to the different sects?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Divine Majesty.¡± Maan Dzi King''s voice was subdued.


    ¡°I don''t like it.¡± Wong Tang blew smoke out from between her teeth in irritation. ¡°But we can''t give her any more attention right now. You''re dismissed, Little Gaam.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Divine Empress.¡±


    ¡°Wait...¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying paused on the very edge of the cliff.


    ¡°You did the right thing.¡±


    ¡°... I know, Divine Majesty.¡±


    He hopped over the edge.


    <hr>


    ¡°Gung-gung!¡±


    ¡°Hey, brat! Why haven''t you visited home recently?¡±


    The four disciples had regrouped and descended to the streets of Yuk-hoi, where the air was simmering with excitement and adrenaline. Small fights kept breaking out everywhere like little fires, but they died out quickly as the competitors kept each other in check. Everyone was itching for the tournament to start.


    As they wandered through the streets, a old man, straight-backed and powerfully built, had called out to Gou Dzing. They had the same strong eyebrows, the same decisive jaw. The old man wore high-quality robes and a gim at his hip.


    Gou Dzing strode up to him with a big smile. ¡°I''ve been busy, Gung-gung. What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Watching the tournament, of course. Half the family is here for it. You''re taking part, right?¡±


    ¡°Huh? No, no, we''re just passing through.¡±


    ¡°We?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, come and meet my friends. This is Cheng Baak-hap and Chan Bik.¡±


    Suddenly a whole pack of people was crowded around them until they could barely breathe.


    ¡°Waaah, two pretty girls!¡±


    ¡°Wait, is this the Cheng Baak-hap? We finally meet you!¡±


    ¡°Chan Bik-ah, are you from the Chan Family near Maau-dan-si?¡±


    Gou Dzing tried to introduce all the faces that popped up in front of the two girls. ¡°This is my Second Uncle, my Third Aunt- Oh, Cousin Hei Lok?¡±


    Cheng Baak-hap awkwardly tried to fend off all the curious questions, Chan Bik moving to shield her despite being shorter.


    ¡°Ah, Yuk Ying, over here!¡±


    ¡°... Did he say Yuk Ying?¡±


    The questioning finally came to a halt as everyone turned to look at the newcomer. Gaam Yuk Ying had a chicken skewer in either hand and was eating them like he''s never been fed in his life. He continued to try and strain to eat even after Gou Dzing pounced on him cheerfully.


    ¡°Everyone, this is Gaam Yuk Ying!¡±


    If the family were hoping for further explanations, they were disappointed. Gou Dzing simply continued to hang around Gaam Yuk Ying''s neck, sparkling, and Gaam Yuk Ying continued to stare regretfully at the chicken skewers that he now couldn''t get to his mouth.


    Grandfather Gou eventually greeted him gruffly. ¡°Gaam Yuk Ying, is it? Pleased to meet you... That dou at your side...¡±


    ¡°Ah, Yuk Ying, Gung-gung was the one who gave permission for our jade to be used to make your dou hilt.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying awkwardly bowed, as best he could with Gou Dzing dangling around his neck and a stick of chicken in each hand. ¡°Thank you, Gung-gung.¡±


    Who was this kid, calling the patriarch of the Gou Family so familiarly?


    Grandfather Gou''s face twitched, but he felt he couldn''t say anything with his eldest grandson plastered over the boy. ¡°I see you are wearing the robes of the Reflective Arts School of Mount Faa. Have you been at the Sect long?¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying shook his head.


    ¡°It''s been just over a year,¡± Gou Dzing interpreted.


    ¡°Can you not answer for yourself, boy?¡±


    ¡°Sir,¡± Chan Bik interjected anxiously, ¡°Gaam Si-hing is not a very talkative person. Please don''t misunderstand, he''s not being deliberately rude.¡±


    Grandfather Gou couldn''t resist patting her on the head, and she smiled awkwardly in response. ¡°What a good girl. Well, if that''s how it is. I understand some martial artists have eccentric personalities...¡±


    ¡°Like yourself, Gung-gung?¡± Gaam Yuk Ying asked without malice. Cheng Baak-hap and Chan Bik both clapped their hands to his mouth, too late.


    Gou Dzing hastily stepped between his grandfather and his boyfriend. ¡°Uh... Gung-gung... Yuk Ying didn''t mean anything by...¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe he did, he''s born in the Year of the Monkey, after all,¡± Chan Bik added.


    ¡°Can si mui, you''re not helping!¡± Gou Dzing yelled, sweating, his grandfather looming closer and closer as a huge, indistinct but clearly angry shape. Suddenly, a small figure popped up between them all.


    ¡°Hey, boy, why do you keep looking at the ground? You''ve got really pretty eyes.¡± The young woman Gou Dzing had addressed as Cousin Hei Lok peered at Gaam Yuk Ying with a bright smile.


    Gou Dzing grabbed Gaam Yuk Ying''s head and buried it in his chest, arms hiding his face from view. ¡°Hey! No looking!¡±


    ¡°What the heck, Cousin Dzing! Why are you being so weird?¡±


    ¡°I''m not being weird! He doesn''t like it!¡±


    ¡°Mm mmph mm...¡± Gaam Yuk Ying said, articulately.


    Gou Dzing released him. ¡°Huh?


    ¡°I want to eat,¡± Gaam Yuk Ying said again.


    ¡°Your face is red...¡± Cheng Baak-hap smirked, her eyes foxy. Gaam Yuk Ying gobbled the rest of his skewers before Gou Dzing could put him back in a headlock.


    The expression on Grandfather Gou''s face became calm once more. Okay, I understand. ¡°This disrespectful little brat will get a lesson from me later.¡±


    ¡°Uh, Gung-gung, I think you mixed up your thoughts and your speech.¡±


    The rest of the family had already turned their attention back to the two girls, bombarding them with questions. Age? Cultivation level? Skills?


    Only Hei Lok seemed interested in Gaam Yuk Ying. ¡°What''s so special about him, Cousin Dzing?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Don''t act dumb.¡±


    ¡°I''m not- Laai-laai!¡±


    From behind the crowd of family members, they could just about see the tiny, wizened form of an old woman, bent over a walking stick.


    Gou Dzing pushed through his family to greet her. ¡°Laai-laai, how are you?¡±


    His grandmother smiled good-naturedly in response, her face crinkling like an old apple. Gou Dzing gestured Gaam Yuk Ying over.


    ¡°Let me take those sticks... Laai-laai, this is Gaam Yuk Ying. Yuk Ying, this is my Laai-laai. Can you look after her? She''s not a cultivator, she has no spiritual powers, so she is very frail. She means a lot to me, do you understand?¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± Everyone was almost knocked flat by Grandfather Gou''s shout. He practically teleported to his wife''s side, hiding her with voluminous sleeves. ¡°I''m not letting that little brat come anywhere near my precious Sek Ying!¡±


    ¡°Gung-gung.¡± Gou Dzing''s voice was was firm as rock. ¡°Perhaps you don''t understand Gaam Yuk Ying''s personality, but believe me when I say that Laai-laai will be safer with him than with anyone else here.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying, you brat?¡±


    ¡°I''m saying I would trust Yuk Ying with my life, and I''d trust him with Laai-laai''s too.¡±


    The two men glared at each other.


    ¡°If anything happens to her-¡±


    ¡°Nothing will happen to her, Patriarch Gou,¡± Gaam Yuk Ying said quietly.


    Grandfather Gou felt a soft hand pat his own. His wife smiled sweetly up at him.


    ¡°... Sek Ying...¡± He made a pitiful face. ¡°Tell me immediately if this boy is bad to you!¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying held out his hand to the old lady, who continued to smile as she took it. She was as light as a bird, even as she leaned on the young man''s arm. She looked into his face and nodded cheerfully.


    Grandfather Gou coughed gruffly and turned back to his grandson. ¡°Are you really not competing?¡±


    ¡°I''m afraid we have other business, Gung-gung. We''ll come and watch some of the tournament, though. Who would you recommend seeing?¡±


    ¡°Ah, well, there are a few strong contenders this year...¡± Grandfather Gou threw an arm around his grandson and they walked away, chattering about this cultivator and that martial artist, although not without one last glare from the Gou Patriarch in the direction of Gaam Yuk Ying.


    ¡°So, what''s your relationship with Cousin Gou?¡± Gou Hei Lok asked Gaam Yuk Ying.


    ¡°Boyfriend,¡± Gaam Yuk Ying replied bluntly.


    Chan Bik smacked her forehead. Cheng Baak-hap sighed into her sleeve. The Gou Family members who had not followed Gou Dzing and the family head stared at Gaam Yuk Ying, speechless.


    ¡°No wonder!¡± Gou Hei Lok exclaimed, clapping her hands. ¡°He looks at you the way Gung Gung looks at Laai Laai. Hopelessly romantic, both of them. But Yuk Ying... Can I call you that?¡±


    A sinister smile crept across her face.


    ¡°Cousin Dzing is the eldest of our generation in the great Gou Family. He has a high reputation as a cultivator ¨C if he competed at this Dragon and Phoenix Tournament, he would crush everyone easily. He''s handsome, and has a good personality. What makes you think you can stand by his side?¡±

 24 - Its the Jade Exorcist

    For the second time, Chan Bik and Cheng Baak-hap clapped their hands to Gaam Yuk Ying''s mouth, although they both glared at Gou Hei Lok. The young woman, her eyes soft and wide, smiled back at them.


    ¡°Miss Gou, are you trying to pick a fight?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. It''s an honest question. Why don''t you let Yuk Ying answer?¡±


    ¡°Don''t call him so familiarly,¡± Cheng Baak-hap admonished. ¡°Gaam Si-hing has no need to prove himself to you.¡±


    ¡°So long as Cousin Dzing likes him, it''s fine, is it? Cheng Si-dze, are you really so na?ve?¡±


    ¡°Are you?¡± Gaam Yuk Ying asked, flicking the girls'' hands away with a single finger.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°You''re excused.¡±


    Gou Hei Lok frowned slightly. ¡°I meant, please explain what you mean. Are you saying I''m na?ve?¡±


    ¡°Whatever you like.¡±


    ¡°You''ve actually got a really horrible personality, don''t you?¡±


    ¡°Did you mistake me for a mirror?¡±


    Cheng Baak-hap smothered a laugh behind her sleeve and used her other to cover Chan Bik''s expression.


    Gou Hei Lok sighed and shook her head pityingly. ¡°A sharp tongue, huh? That''s still not enough.¡±


    ¡°Don''t talk about Gaam Si-hing as if you know him,¡± Chan Bik warned, pulling Cheng Baak-hap''s hand away. ¡°You think you understand him from a single look and a few words, do you think you''re some kind of Ascended being? That''s an awfully high opinion to have of yourself.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so I take it that you don''t care about your family''s contract to supply us with crops?¡± Gou Hei Lok remarked airily. With a sly smile, she turned to follow the rest of her family, who had begun trailing after the patriarch and Gou Dzing.


    ¡°You-!¡± Chan Bik looked ready to burn Gou Hei Lok alive, but a hand grasped hers.


    ¡°Are you saying you have the power to break highly important trade agreement,¡± Cheng Baak-hap said softly, ¡°one that involves significant amounts of money and goods, simply because of a small disagreement? When you are not of the direct lineage? And when the people you argued with are good friends of the eldest son of the Gou Family?¡±


    The muscles under Gou Hei Lok''s eyes went taut, and she turned away without responding.


    Chan Bik was shaking. ¡°How did you respond so quickly and cleverly to her, Cheng Si-dze? I''m so angry, I couldn''t even speak.¡±


    ¡°Don''t get me wrong, I''m very angry too. But in a situation like this, the one who gets the most angry loses.¡± She squeezed Chan Bik''s hand. ¡°Are you okay, Gaam Si-hing?¡±


    ¡°Didn''t itch or scratch.¡±


    ¡°Do you ever get bothered by anything?¡± Chan Bik asked curiously. ¡°No, wait, I''ve seen Gou Si-hing can get under your skin sometimes. He''s the only one, huh?¡±


    ¡°We''re getting left behind,¡± Gaam Yuk Ying commented, carefully leading Grandmother Gou. She was evidently quite deaf, as she had not made any reactions during the argument.


    Gou Dzing and his grandfather walked slowly too, occasionally turning to look at the group behind them. The attitude with which they did it, however, could not be any more different; Grandfather Gou''s gaze was full of mistrust and concern, his grandson''s bright and warm. They all somehow ended up in an audience box that the Gou Family had purchased for the tournament, although they caught a look from Gou Hei Lok when it was clear that there were not enough seats for everyone.


    Gaam Yuk Ying helped Grandmother Gou into a chair and then stood beside her without the slightest change of expression on his face. Gou Dzing insisted that one of his junior sisters take his chair. Cheng Baak-hap offered it to Chan Bik, who tried to offer it back.


    ¡°Bik Si-mui, please sit...¡± Cheng Baak-hap''s cheeks became a little pink. ¡°If you really insist, I could just sit on your lap, but-¡±


    Chan Bik sat, with a comically nervous attempt at looking calm. ¡°P-Please sit, Cheng Si-dze! What are you laughing at, Gou Dzing?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, nothing...¡±


    ¡°Then...¡± Cheng Baak-hap sat demurely on Chan Bik''s lap. ¡°Thank you for your hospitality.¡±


    ¡°Circulate your hei,¡± Gaam Yuk Ying murmured in Gou Dzing''s ear.


    ¡°Is that how you always manage to keep a poker face? Using your internal energy to control your laughter?¡±


    Stolen story; please report.


    Gaam Yuk Ying smirked but didn''t answer.


    The tournament wasn''t of any particular interest to the four disciples. Gaam Yuk Ying closed his eyes and apparently fell asleep standing up, and Gou Dzing, Cheng Baak-hap and Chan Bik simply kept talking to each other despite the annoyed looks from the Gou Family. Gou Dzing finally started paying attention when one of his cousins took to the arena to battle. The cousin won, but Chan Bik was unimpressed. ¡°He isn''t as strong as Gou Si-hing, or as fast as Gaam Si-hing. And definitely not as smart as Cheng Si-dze.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying about my cousin?¡± Gou Hei Lok demanded, turning in her chair.


    ¡°I think everything Chan Si-mui said was valid,¡± Gou Dzing said with a smile. ¡°But I think she''s forgotten our various circumstances.¡±


    With this, Gou Hei Lok couldn''t say anymore, and had to turn back to watching, dissatisfied. Gaam Yuk Ying continued to sleep.


    When the battle finally ended for the day, the whole group left the box to search for a place to eat. Wandering through the busy streets of Yuk-hoi, the topic on everyone''s lips was the tournament. Gaam Yuk Ying patiently held Grandmother Gou''s hand, yawning. Her husband''s face seemed to have developed a permanent twitch whenever he looked at the young man.


    Gou Hei Lok tugged at her grandfather''s sleeve. ¡°Gung-gung...¡±


    ¡°Yes, Siu Lok?¡±


    ¡°About that guy with Laai-laai-¡±


    Whatever she had been about to say was never to be said. Suddenly, the streets were filled with screams and the splintering of wood, and humans were running in all directions, pursued by a pack of howling demons.


    Gaam Yuk Ying instantly leapt to the safety of a rooftop, Grandmother Gou tightly by his side. Gou Dzing drew his sword and smashed it down on a demon''s spear, splintering the weapon with ease. He kicked the creature back, sending them tumbling heels over head, then turned and brought his gim down on another demon''s shield, shattering that too. A third demon, muttering to itself, was gathering a dark aura; he flung a paper talisman at it, cutting short whatever curse it was trying to cast.


    Chan Bik stood in front of Cheng Baak-hap, a brilliant light springing from her fingers and shooting towards demons that came towards them. Her aim wasn''t completely accurate, but she was getting more proficient as she went. Cheng Baak-hap began organising people to build barricades, and shepherding children into buildings.


    Gaam Yuk Ying stood by Grandmother Gou, Lo Fu Ngaa held loosely beside him. Every now and then there would be a flash, and it would seem as though blood had spontaneously appeared on the shining blade. A demon would drop dead a metre away.


    Gou Dzing battered away demons, rushing along the streets to deal with those chasing after unarmed humans. He knocked over a demon with a beak like a squid''s and long, curved claws. Its eyes were almost completely white, with pinpricks for pupils, yet the desperation in its expression was clear. He drove the point of his sword into its forehead and it died instantly.


    He felt exhausted. Not physically, he could swing his sword a thousand times more. The gold flecks in his eyes shivered as he sought Gaam Yuk Ying between the melee of fighting figures. Gaam Yuk Ying made a gesture with his chin.


    Come here.


    Gou Dzing knocked aside two demons, allowing the humans they were attacking to kill them, and reached Gaam Yuk Ying''s side.


    ¡°Those talismans. What do they do?¡±


    ¡°Puts the demons into a stupor, a trance. Makes it easier for someone with a slow attribute like Earth to deal with them.¡±


    ¡°How many left?¡±


    ¡°Around ten.¡±


    ¡°Can they be reused?¡±


    ¡°Only if they''re used briefly.¡±


    ¡°Give them to me.¡±


    Gou Dzing extracted the sheaf of yellow papers from within his robes and handed them over without question.


    ¡°Stay with Laai-laai.¡±


    The old woman plucked at Gou Dzing''s sleeve anxiously. She was completely unharmed, but obviously frightened. Her grandson squeezed her hand. ¡°It''s going to be okay.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying leapt from the roof. Like quicksilver, he flowed between the fighters, pressing paper talismans to the demons'' foreheads with one finger. A second later, Lo Fu Ngaa sang out, dispatching them, and the talisman was retrieved.


    He did his work with ruthless efficiency. In less than a minute, a score of demons lay dead. Every one of them had a dreamy, distant expression on their face. A single slash from Lo Fu Ngaa was all it had taken. Only a few remained, and they were quickly killed by the cultivators who had gathered for the tournament. The whole situation ended so rapidly, that everyone somehow felt embarrassed by their panic only moments earlier.


    Gaam Yuk Ying, surrounded by dead bodies, flicked Lo Fu Ngaa clean, and sheathed the blade. His silvery eyes found Chan Bik, bloodied but unhurt, Cheng Baak-hap, pale with worry, and Gou Dzing, firm and grim before his grandmother. Faster than a breath, he gathered up the talismans and brought them back to Gou Dzing.


    Gou Dzing felt like he should say something, but he wasn''t sure what. ''Are you alright?'' ''You''re not hurt, are you?'' Everything that might usually be said was meaningless. Of course Yuk Ying was alright, unhurt, unswayed.


    Gaam Yuk Ying waved his hand in front of Gou Dzing''s face.


    ¡°Dzing?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Are you alright? You''re not hurt, are you?¡±


    Gou Dzing blinked. A sudden urge to laugh wildly began to bubble up inside him. With so many eyes watching, he had to fight to stay in control.


    ¡°I''m... I''m alright. I''m not hurt... Thanks, Yuk Ying.¡±


    People were slowly beginning to emerge from behind furniture and doors where they had taken refuge. Their eyes took in the young man with the silver eyes and the jade-hilted sword at his waist.


    ¡°He''s called Yuk Ying?¡±


    ¡°Jade...¡±


    ¡°Jade Exorcist...¡±


    ¡°The Jade Exorcist...¡±


    The name spread through the crowd like a vein of silver. Grandfather Gou, reaching his grandson and wife, opened his mouth to protest, but the look on his grandson''s face stalled him. Gou Dzing looked lost.


    Grandfather Gou coughed and bowed slightly. ¡°Thank you for protecting my wife, Master Gaam Yuk-¡± He raised his head in time to see the silver sparks of Gaam Yuk Ying''s eyes before the young man let his eyelids drop again.


    ¡°... Gaam Yuk Ying. Gaam... I see.¡± This time, the old cultivator bowed deeply. ¡°This old man greets a great master. Jade Exorcist, please accept my humblest thanks for looking after the person most dear to me.¡±


    ¡°''Gaam''? Like the Lord of the West, the Divine Gaam Bing?¡±


    ¡°Surely not. But that speed... the sharpness of the blade...¡±


    Gou Dzing and Chan Bik converged on Gaam Yuk Ying.


    ¡°Is this really okay?¡± Chan Bik asked anxiously, hopping up beside Gaam Yuk Ying. ¡°Gaam Si-hing, I thought you hated annoying things. Isn''t this...?¡±


    ¡°Yuk Ying,¡± Gou Dzing murmured. ¡°This... I... You don''t have to...¡± He felt light fingers briefly squeeze his.


    Gaam Yuk Ying bowed in returned to the patriarch of the Gou Family. Then his silvery eyes wandered through the murmuring crowd below until they found Gou Hei Lok. His gaze bored into her like an iron drill and she quickly dropped her gaze.


    Gaam Yuk Ying tilted his head. ¡°We should get going.¡±

 25 - Oh no, not her again...

    The next day dawned overcast, grey shadows settling over the debris in the street. A team of people had been dispatched from the capital Maau-dan-si to investigate, so the clean-up stretched into the afternoon as they checked the rubble before it was removed, and interviewed those who had been involved.


    Gou Dzing stood with Chan Bik and Cheng Baak-hap at one end of the mess, along with a few of the members of the Gou Family. Gou Hei Lok was conspicuously absent.


    The patriarch, on the other hand, was looking everywhere as if his head was about to fly off.


    ¡°Where''s that friend of yours? Young Master Gaam Yuk Ying, why isn''t he here?¡±


    ¡°He doesn''t like fuss,¡± Gou Dzing said. ¡°I doubt you''ll see him today.¡±


    ¡°Ha, a humble man! I truly misjudged him.¡±


    ¡°No... Never mind...¡±


    His grandfather looked sharply at him. ¡°Where''s your gim, boy?¡±


    ¡°I... left it somewhere.¡±


    ¡°What! After what just happened? How can you be so careless?¡±


    ¡°There''s no problems, Lord Gou,¡± said Wong Tang, appearing suddenly behind him with a smile. ¡°Allow me to introduce myself. I am your grandson''s Master, Wong Tang.¡±


    ¡°I knew you couldn''t be someone ordinary. It is a great honour to meet you, Grandmaster.¡±


    The two elders bowed to each other amicably.


    ¡°I''ve always wanted to greet you. Please, let us return to the inn where I am staying so that I might offer you some tea.¡±


    ¡°That''s kind of you, but unfortunately we are just about to leave. Little Gou, is Little Gaam?¡±


    ¡°.. I thought he was still at the teahouse with you, Master.¡±


    The look on her face showed that this was clearly a mistaken thought. ¡°Do you know where he might be?¡±


    ¡°Not really... We will have to look.¡±


    ¡°Stay here. It will be faster for me to check.¡± The Grandmaster closed her eyes. A golden glow enveloped her body, then suddenly dispersed, a gold wave rippling across the earth. As it passed them, people nearby seemed to feel a little warm.


    Within the space of a few breaths, Wong Tang''s eyes snapped open, glowing golden, and her voice was a seething hiss. ¡°She''s here.¡±


    *


    Gaam Yuk Ying had been examining the Dragon and Phoenix Tournament grounds since early morning. They were deserted, the tournament having been halted while investigations into the demon attack were completed. He jumped into the arena, looking around him at the stands.


    ¡°Hey, the tournament''s on hold, dumbarse!¡± A small group of young disciples in their late teens taunted him from one of the entries to the arena.


    ¡°Look at him, got no response! Is he a mute? Hey, dumbarse, are you a mute?¡±


    ¡°How can he answer you if he''s a mute?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, my mistake, my mistake.¡±


    ¡°Wait, hang on, look at his blades.¡±


    ¡°Whoa, jade hilts? Is he the Jade Exorcist?¡±


    ¡°Now who''s the dumbarse? The Jade Exorcist only has one blade, not two.¡±


    ¡°So he''s just a poser. Poser!¡±


    ¡°Are you sure that''s even a guy? He''s kind of girly looking.¡±


    ¡°Are you actually a girl?¡±


    ¡°Only one way to find out...¡±


    ¡°Why do I feel... HUH?¡±


    The gang of troublemakers looked down to find that somehow, their clothing had been sliced to ribbons. There was a little ''click'' as Gaam Yuk Ying fully sheathed Lo Fu Ngaa. ¡°If you want to see naked people, just strip each other.¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°What the fuck? Was that him?¡±


    ¡°Shit, shit, shit, let''s get out of here!¡±


    They ran away as fast as they could while keeping the important parts of themselves covered.


    ¡°I forget that there really are such stupid people in the world,¡± said a familiar voice from behind Gaam Yuk Ying. His pupils dilated, as he swung around instantly to face the woman behind him.


    ¡°Hello, Little Handsome. It''s been a long time, hasn''t it? Did you miss me?¡± Teem Djeung Baak asked. She wore deep red robes and leggings, the same colour as those worn by the disciples of the Clear Sight School. Even the way she wore her hair made her look like some kind of distorted twin to Chan Bik.


    But most concerning was the aura that seemed to be flickering around her.


    Gaam Yuk Ying''s hands tightened on the hilts of the two weapons by his sides. His eyes narrowed, flashing silver. ¡°You... What have you done?¡±


    ¡°How do I look? Don''t be so shy, Little Handsome. Tell me what you think.¡± Her mouth opened widely as she twirled to show off her appearance.


    His blades answered for him. Teem Djeung Baak just managed to lean back in time to avoid her head being sliced clean off; as it was, a thin line of blood laced her throat.


    ¡°Ha ha! You''re so violent, Little Handsome. You want to fight? I''ll fight you!¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying wasted no words. He swung the dou and stabbed with the gim, forcing Teem Djeung Baak to dodge. As fast as he was, somehow, she was able to just avoid his every attack.


    His expression grew more and more grim. He hopped back to gain a suitable distance, then fired the strange assortment of metal objects he kept up his sleeves, directly at Teem Djeung Baak''s face.


    She howled with laughter, raising her hands with the palms pressed together, her second and third fingers raised. ¡°I''ll show you something good!¡±


    She blew at her fingertips.


    An enormous ball of fire erupted from her fingertips, roaring towards Gaam Yuk Ying as she blew. His metal objects melted instantly. Throwing himself to one side to avoid the flames, he did not allow himself time to be stunned by this unexpected ability.


    If he couldn''t use scrap metal, he had to use something better.


    The two weapons Lo Fu Ngaa and Yuk Ying rose out of his hands, and began to spin around him. It was much harder to control two divine weapons than a flock of miscellaneous scrap pieces, let alone while a crazy person was throwing superheated balls of fire around. He felt his body begin to shake from the effort.


    With Lo Fu Ngaa defending, he sent Yuk Ying flying out, stabbing directly for Teem Djeung Baak''s chest. She drew two knives and deflected the strike, sending flames upwards to engulfed the gim. Gaam Yuk Ying brought it back to to him, preparing for another strike, but the metal was blackened and hot. He swapped the roles of his two weapons, Yuk Ying now revolving his body in a protective manner, Lo Fu Ngaa swinging through the air to chop at Teem Djeung Baak''s body. She parried again, but Lo Fu Ngaa sliced through the air clean and bright, no sign of scorching or soot marring its appearance.


    ¡°Why are you being so mean to me, Little Handsome? Anyone would think you like me.¡± Teem Djeung Baak abandoned her defence, rushing in and flinging her knives, wrapping them in flames. The intensity of the fire was such that the knives melted into lumps by the time they had reached the spot where Gaam Yuk Ying had been, but he had already moved behind her.


    She swung around, faster than he had been expecting, but he had already made a sweeping motion with his hand, and the remaining knives that Teem Djeung Baak carried, sprang free, turned, and dived towards her. Every single one left a scratch on her body; she managed to dodge fatal blows, but could not avoid the knives completely.


    ¡°Wow, wow, wow! Using my own weapons against me. That''s a low way of fighting.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Gaam Yuk Ying brought the knives around again, sending them flying towards her. She caused a cloud of fire to envelop her, and the knives all melted into nothing.


    ¡°Aw, I liked those knives.¡±


    It was a bad match up. Metal cultivation arts were weak to Fire arts, and Teem Djeung Baak''s cultivation seemed to have risen so highly that the only weapon Gaam Yuk Ying could use to fight her was Lo Fu Ngaa. Luckily, the only fire that could melt this blade was probably the fire of Lady Ling Gwong herself.


    On the other hand, Gou Dzing''s sword was in a sorry state. It was a powerful weapon in human terms, but it was still only made of fine steel, and it was struggling to stand up to the spiritual power of Teem Djeung Baak''s fire.


    Despite the risks, Gaam Yuk Ying seized the hilts of both weapons and moved in for close combat. He swung and stabbed, Teem Djeung Baak ducking and seeking to set fire to him at any moment. Like a deadly game of tag, both combatants tried to avoid the touch of the other''s cultivation skills.


    Gaam Yuk Ying''s movements were slowing down. So were Teem Djeung Baak''s, but her eyes glowed with excitement.


    ¡°Little Handsome, you''re slowing down! How are you supposed to make anyone happy with that kind of stamina?¡±


    There was an acrid smell of smouldering hair. Gaam Yuk Ying sliced off the burnt tips of his hair with Lo Fu Ngaa, whilst simultaneously stabbing with the gim. It sliced through Teem Djeung Baak''s ear as she failed to dodge in time.


    ¡°OW! Little Handsome, what the heck? That hurt! I''m bleeding!¡± The hand at her ear came away wet with blood, and between one breath and another, she flicked the blood directly at Gaam Yuk Ying. He managed to block the drops with his sleeve, which smouldered as though burning embers had landed on it. Small black holes grew across the grey and white fabric.


    ¡°Yuk Ying!¡± Gou Dzing''s voice rang out across the arena. The fighters didn''t even turn to look. Teem Djeung Baak simply hopped backwards without taking her eyes off Gaam Yuk Ying.


    ¡°Aw, damn. Playtime''s over. I''ll kill you next time, Little Handsome!¡± She threw one last ball of fire at Gaam Yuk Ying''s head, then dashed away, sparks flying from her feet. There was no catching her.


    Gaam Yuk Ying tilted his head to one side and let the fireball pass by harmlessly. It dissipated with a fizzle.


    ¡°Yuk Ying.¡± Gou Dzing had arrived by his side, voice anxious. ¡°Are you alright? You''re... Did she hurt you? ¡±


    ¡°How did Teem Djeung Baak get so fast and strong?¡± Chan Bik demanded to no one in particular.


    ¡°That was Teem Djeung Baak?¡± Cheng Baak-hap frowned. ¡°She looked...¡± She glanced at Chan Bik, who was staring rigidly in the direction that the woman had fled. ¡°Gaam Si-hing... when you fought her... was she...?¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying wiped sweat from his forehead. ¡°She''s learnt Fire-based cultivation methods. Very fast, and very strong.¡± He considered the blackened form of Gou Dzing''s sword. ¡°She''s at the cusp of the Third Daan-tin.¡±

 26 - Package Tour

    The moment she was told the news, Gong Lau Yan rushed after Teem Djeung Baak.


    ¡°Will she find her?¡± Chan Bik asked, scratching anxiously at her arms. ¡°Will she be safe?¡±


    ¡°She will be fine,¡± the Grandmaster assured her, but Chan Bik was looking at Gaam Yuk Ying with a strange expression on her face. ¡°Little Chan, do you understand the relationship between the Five Elements?¡±


    Chan Bik pulled her eyes back to Wong Tang. ¡°Yes, Grandmaster. Each element generates another, and each element destroys another. Each element weakens another, and each element exploits another.¡±


    ¡°And so, which element is most destructive of Metal?¡±


    ¡°Fire.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now you can see here. Although Teem Djeung Baak is at the cusp of Third Daan-tin, and our Gaam Si-hing is a Third Daan-tin Adept, the elemental match up was bad.¡± She bent down to look Chan Bik in the eyes and spoke gently. ¡°You understand, this means Gaam Si-hing is so strong that he could take on a Second Daan-tin Expert on the cusp of entering Third Daan-tin Novice, with an element that is destructive of his own, and win.¡±


    ¡°I wish I had the Water element,¡± Chan Bik said glumly. ¡°I could deal with that... with her... if I did.¡±


    ¡°Earth weakens Fire too,¡± said Gou Dzing hoarsely. He hadn''t spoken since Teem Djeung Baak had disappeared. His strong brows knitted fiercely.


    ¡°Little Gou.¡±


    Gou Dzing did not answer his Master.


    ¡°Gou Dzing.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master...¡±


    ¡°There is nothing you could have done. You were not there.¡±


    ¡°... Yes, Master.¡±


    ¡°Have your sword sent back to Mount Faa to be repaired. Hurry. We need to be in the Dzu capital, Ming Yuet, in two days.¡±


    ¡°Master, if I send Yuk Ying away, I won''t have a weapon.¡±


    Wong Tang took the blackened, damaged gim from where it lay beside Gou Dzing. Without flinching, she bent the blade slowly until it snapped in half. ¡°Gou Dzing, have you forgotten everything?¡±


    Her disciple stared at the broken pieces.


    ¡°Are you now useless because this piece of metal is gone?¡±


    ¡°... No, Master.¡±


    ¡°Good. Gou Dzing, you are not useless.¡±


    ¡°... Yes... Yes, Master.¡± Gou Dzing bowed, picked up the pieces, and hurried away.


    ¡°Do you think I was too harsh, Little Cheng?¡± the Grandmaster asked of Cheng Baak-hap, as she retrieved her pipe from her sleeve and began to carefully fill it.


    ¡°You know your disciple better than I, Grandmaster. And you have much experience than I in teaching.¡±


    ¡°Do I?¡±


    ¡°Although I suspect your method of teaching through striking your students with questions is probably very irritating to some.¡±


    Wong Tang laughed. ¡°No doubt. What should I have done instead?¡±


    ¡°It''s my turn ¨C Why are you asking me, Grandmaster?¡±


    ¡°Because, Little Cheng, you are the one who grew up with Gou Dzing. You studied with him, ate meals with him, sometimes got punished with him...¡±


    ¡°If it''s someone who knows Gou Si-hing, shouldn''t we be asking Gaam Si-ing?¡±


    ¡°He''s too incisive. Little Gaam, do you think I said the right thing to Gou Dzing?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    And that was that.


    ¡°You see?¡±


    Cheng Baak-hap sighed. ¡°I think what you said was correct, Grandmaster. Gou Si-hing gets caught up wondering whether his actions are righteous, which makes him question his worth. But I think harsh talking is only a temporary way to bring him out of his thoughts. Honestly, I believe...¡± She hesitated.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Cheng Baak-hap lowered her eyes and voice. ¡°... I don''t believe Gou Si-hing is suited to a martial life.¡±


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Chan Bik looked scandalised, but the Grandmaster nodded in agreement. Gaam Yuk Ying''s expression remained as impassive as ever.


    ¡°Please explain to Little Chan.¡±


    ¡°Gou Si-hing has a good mentality for a healer,¡± said Cheng Baak-hap. ¡°He is conscientious, determined to do what is right and just, and I saw how much he enjoyed the work in the past. As a warrior, one must sometimes be ruthless, have an urge to survive, and make quick decisions. Otherwise, anxiety and guilt can eat one up. In truth, healers must also sometimes be ruthless and make quick decisions, but the aim is to preserve life, not to take it.¡±


    ¡°But what if killing someone is the way to save someone or something else?¡± Chan Bik demanded.


    ¡°I don''t know that Gou Si-hing would see things so clearly as you, Bik Si-mui.¡±


    ¡°What if that person were Little Cheng?¡± The Grandmaster blew smoke and it coiled around her face. ¡°Could you kill that someone then?¡±


    ¡°What? No! Never!¡±


    ¡°Even if it would save the world?¡±


    ¡°I would never hurt Cheng Si-dze!¡±


    ¡°And you, Little Gaam,¡± the Grandmaster continued, turning away from the two blushing girls. ¡°If killing Little Gou was the only way, would you do it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Gaam Yuk Ying!¡± Chan Bik rounded furiously on him. ¡°How could you say such a thing? Don''t you care about Gou Si-hing?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And yet you would still kill him?¡±


    ¡°If I had to.¡±


    ¡°Nothing should ever-¡±


    ¡°I would kill you,¡± Gaam Yuk Ying''s voice continued relentlessly. ¡°And Cheng si mui and Master and I would cut off my own limbs if I had to.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± said Gou Dzing, reappearing, ¡°I''ll just make sure you never have to.¡± He bowed to Wong Tang. ¡°The sword has been dealt with, Master. We can leave.¡±


    <hr>


    If one were in the countries of Sek''seun or Dzu that day, and happened looked up to the skies, they might have seen streaks of flashing gold and silver in the sky. They would have had to have been a Second Daan-tin Expert to do so.


    Gaam Yuk Ying and Gou Dzing stood on the narrow blunt edge of Lo Fu Ngaa. A dou was not the most suitable blade for flying with, give its asymmetrical shape, but both young men had the skill to balance on the blade''s following edge whilst hurtling along at inhuman speeds. Gou Dzing had his arms happily wrapped around the eternally calm Gaam Yuk Ying.


    Chan Bik and Cheng Baak-hap were riding the Grandmaster.


    The Clear Sight disciple had some prior experience of riding a loong after her adventures with Gong Lau Yan, but the experience with Wong Tang was on another level.


    Firstly, the Grandmaster''s dragon form was enormous. As a loong, Gong Lau Yan''s head was the same size as Chan Bik''s entire body, but for the grandmother, this was equivalent to the size of a single toe. Her whole sinuous length shone like ancient gold, an understated lustre contrasting with the sparkling white clouds that she exhaled. A set of curving antlers crowned her head, and her two thick, fierce whiskers drifted about her face on some unseen breeze.


    She stood like a mountain, and the disciples had all dropped reverently to the ground the moment she revealed her loong form.


    She swam easily through the air with the two girls on her back, Chan Bik almost hopping about with excitement, Cheng Baak-hap seated in a meditative pose, eyes closed, but with a highly furrowed brow. It seemed she didn''t like heights. Gaam Yuk Ying and Gou Dzing sailed in the Grandmaster''s slipstream.


    ¡°... Do you want to join them?¡± Gaam Yuk Ying asked.


    ¡°I''m happy here.¡± Gou Dzing smiled. ¡°I''m happy my boyfriend asked something of me.¡±


    ¡°Does it upset you?¡±


    ¡°Does what upset me?¡±


    ¡°That I don''t ask... much.¡±


    Gou Dzing rested his head against Gaam Yuk Ying''s. ¡°It''s okay. I know you''re not very good at showing affection, Yuk Ying. I can do it for both of us!¡±


    ¡°Do you not... worry?¡±


    ¡°About?¡±


    ¡°... that I don''t care?¡±


    ¡°Do you care?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then that''s good enough.¡±


    ¡°... Idiot.¡±


    ¡°I''ll take that as a name of endearment.¡±


    ¡°... Dzing?¡±


    The intimate use of his name made something shiver inside Gou Dzing. ¡°Yes, Yuk Ying?¡±


    ¡°What... should I do? What would you like?¡±


    Gou Dzing''s brain stopped functioning for a moment.


    ¡°Dzing?¡±


    ¡°I... well... um...¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should talk about that when we''re alone and not racing through the air.¡±


    ¡°... I see.¡±


    ¡°Are you... Yuk Ying, are you blushing?¡±


    ¡°It''s the wind rushing past.¡±


    Gou Dzing pecked a tiny kiss on Gaam Yuk Ying''s ear and the blade dipped dangerously.


    ¡°Stop that!¡±


    ¡°Let''s go and join them down there. I know some of the places we''re travelling over, I want to talk about them.¡±


    So they joined the two girls on Wong Tang''s back, and Gou Dzing pointed out the towns along the coastal road, the distant island kingdoms of Yamato and mysterious Chup-Tuk, a wrecked ship that had been caught in a storm on its way from the Dzu capital Ming Yuet to Yuk-hoi. Several times Cheng Baak-hap cracked open her eyes to look at the things Gou Dzing was mentioning, but hurriedly closed them again.


    A dense band of green appeared on the land before them, creeping closer and closer to reveal itself as an old pine forest. Chan Bik grew even more excited.


    ¡°It''s Tsaam Lam! I get to see Tsaam Lei again! I''ll beat him this time!¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°The fox spirit of the pine forest. Lady Gong brought Bik Si-mui here to train,¡± Cheng Baak-hap murmured.


    ¡°There''s the main trail... and there''s the headwaters of the Ming Dzu River! We used to jump in after training... Wait... is that Lady Gong?¡±


    It was. She lay in her loong form, coiled up with half of her body resting in the waters of the Ming Dzu, bronze scales shimmering in the dappled sun that fell between the pines. A small fox was curled up on her back, nine soft tails twitching. Both fox and loong looked up as the Grandmaster transformed out of her dragon form, too large to find a landing spot otherwise, and the group landed softly, Chan Bik carrying Cheng Baak-hap as the only one who had no body-lightening abilities.


    ¡°A-po,¡± Gong Lau Yan greeted her grandmother in a voice that made the trees shiver. Tsaam Lei leapt down from her back and dived into Chan Bik''s arms, knocking her flat.


    ¡°Bik Bik! You''ve come back to play!¡±


    ¡°No playing, Siu Lei,¡± the Grandmaster admonished. ¡°Lau Yan, why have you come here?¡±


    ¡°Where''s Lady Maan?¡± Chan Bik interrupted thoughtlessly, then clapped her hands to her mouth.


    ¡°She went to Tin Yeung Wong''s palace to attend to something. I''m here because Teem Djeung Baak came here.¡±


    ¡°Here?¡±


    Gong Lau Yan turned to look behind her. They hadn''t seen it before, as her body had been blocking it from view, but a strange vision seemed to float in the air. An oval space, shimmering with grey mist and a red glow, hung strangely in the green and lush forest. Like a fogged over mirror, it seemed as though one should see something more in it, but the view was obscured by the mist and the light.


    ¡°A portal to the demon realm,¡± Gong Lau Yan explained. ¡°She went in there.¡±

 27 - Dear Diary...

    Tsaam Lam, the pine forest of the Kingdom of Dzu, forms a broad, protective shield around the kingdom. The forest has a kind of hushed tranquillity, dappled light falling through the pine needles to a carpet of flowers below. Even in winter, I am told, flowers bloom here.


    I grew up on Mount Faa, the mountain of flowers, where plum blossoms rain from the sky in spring, azaleas froth in summer, chrysanthemum burst forth in autumn, and wintersweet perfumes the air in winter.


    I have never seen such flowers as those that grow in Dzu. I''ll remember them for a long time.


    <hr>


    ¡°What are you writing, Cheng Si-mui?¡± Gou Dzing asked, peering at the page.


    ¡°I thought it would be good to write down my travel experiences,¡± Cheng Baak-hap explained. ¡°I was going to start when we were at Yuk-hoi, but things go so... busy. I''ll have to write things down quickly before I forget them. It''ll be good to read back over it when we get back home.¡±


    ¡°That''s a great idea.¡± Chan Bik chewed her finger contemplatively. ¡°Maybe I should do that too...¡±


    ¡°Do you think you could keep it up?¡± Cheng Baak-hap teased. ¡°Give it a day and you''ll already be bored.¡±


    Chan Bik made a face. ¡°Don''t make fun of me. I do try to stick with things, it''s just so hard...¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. Have a read of this, Bik Mui, see what else I should add.¡±


    ¡°Write about me!¡± Tsaam Lei demanded, his light brown eyes big and pleading. He fluffed out his tails until Cheng Baak-hap and Chan Bik squirmed with delight.


    ¡°Don''t be fooled,¡± Gong Lau Yan laughed, back in human form. ¡°This guy is over a thousand years old. He''s an old man!¡±


    ¡°I am not,¡± Tsaam Lei huffed. ¡°See this?¡±


    There was a puff of smoke and a little girl stood where the fox had been, abundant red-brown hair framing a heart-shaped face. The contrast between her light brown eyes and tanned skin was striking. She held out small hands to Cheng Baak-hap.


    ¡°Dze-dze, pick me up!¡±


    Before anyone could move, Gong Lau Yan grabbed the fox spirit by the back of his neck and shook him lightly. ¡°Change into your usual humanoid form.¡±


    ¡°Why? Do you like it so much?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you''re very handsome.¡±


    The little girl blushed at this unexpected compliment. ¡°Well, I guess I''ll have to, for my beloved Yan Yan...¡±


    The girl''s body grew taller, lost its feminine shape and took on a distinctly masculine one. Within moments, a tall man stood beside Gong Lau Yan, a broad-shouldered, suavely-dressed character with his long red-brown hair tied like the tail of a fox. His light-brown eyes lazily drifted over his audience. ¡°Good?¡±


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Gou Dzing said appraisingly. ¡°His face could give Se Sue some competition.¡±


    ¡°So is this your type?¡± Cheng Baak-hap teased, as if she were a fox spirit herself.


    ¡°Yuk Ying is my type,¡± Gou Dzing said loyally. ¡°What do you think, Yuk- Yuk Ying?¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying was staring at Tsaam Lei''s human form in a similar manner to how he had watched Se Sue when they had first met. It was Gou Dzing''s turn to be anxious. Did Yuk Ying like pretty men? Gou Dzing prodded his own face. He''d been told he was quite handsome, but what if it wasn''t enough?


    ¡°Can I learn how to do that?¡± Gaam Yuk Ying asked. Everyone choked.


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°Yuk Ying, you''re pret- handsome enough, you don''t need to learn these things!¡±


    ¡°Oh no, we''ve teased him too much. I''m sorry, Gaam Si-hing!¡±


    Tsaam Lei ran a hand through the loose strands of hair that framed his face. ¡°I don''t think so. This is a wu lei dzing trait. Fox spirits inherently know how to transform. It''s a kind of defence mechanism we''ve evolved, since we''re not that strong, relatively speaking.¡± He examined Gaam Yuk Ying''s disappointed face. ¡°You''ve got quite a bit of potential. You know, you could probably gain a transformation skill once you Ascend.¡±


    He cocked a head at the stunned faces before him. ¡°What? He could Ascend in a couple of decades, at most. Sooner if something happens. Ascended ones have all kinds of powers. Of course, they can''t interact with normal mortals anymore, but that''s the nature of the world.¡±


    ¡°I never really thought about it,¡± Chan Bik muttered. ¡°We''re all striving to Ascend, at the end of our cultivation paths. But then we can''t interact with the mortal realm again, can we? What if we Ascend at different times? What if some of us never Ascend?¡±


    ¡°Well, that''s just the nature of the world, as Lord Tsaam Lei said.¡± Cheng Baak-hap''s voice was soft.


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    Chan Bik''s pupils dilated. ¡°Cheng Si-dze... You''ve already thought about this, haven''t you?¡±


    ¡°Oops, things have suddenly gotten serious!¡± Tsaam Lei vanished in a puff of smoke and re-emerged as a little boy, just as cute as his little girl form had been. ¡°Let''s not talk about those things right now, okay?¡±


    ¡°No! I''m not going to pretend this didn''t happen!¡±


    ¡°It''s not like we would never see each other again,¡± Cheng Baak-hap soothed. ¡°I''ve heard rumours that Ascended can bring people with them after some time. And there are times of the year when Immortals can interact with mortal realm without consequence-¡±


    ¡°But I want to be able to see you whenever I want!¡± Chan Bik cried. ¡°Otherwise, I don''t want to work towards Ascension! I won''t try to be the direct disciple of the Vermilion Bird!¡±


    ¡°There''s no guarantee you could do it anyway,¡± Gaam Yuk Ying muttered.


    ¡°WHAT DID YOU SAY?¡± Chan Bik screamed.


    Gaam Yuk Ying glared. ¡°Why are you caring when you don''t even want to be a direct disciple and instead just want to sit around pretending you could have been some great person because you were too much of a coward to try-¡±


    ¡°I''LL DO IT! I''LL SHOW YOU I CAN!¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    The argument ground to a halt. With that one word and a nod, Gaam Yuk Ying sat down on a nearby rock with the air of a job well done.


    ¡°... You tricked me.¡±


    Tsaam Lei laughed uproariously. ¡°Hey, kid, do you have wu lei dzing heritage or something?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Chan Bik looked deflated. Cheng Baak-hap took her hand. ¡°Bik Si-mui, we don''t know what the future holds. All we can do is work hard. Don''t be afraid.¡±


    ¡°Will you write about us all, Cheng Si-dze?¡±


    ¡°Yes, everything.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to write about the Demon Realm, when we get there? About Mount Faa? How we all met?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I''ll write about everything. Even about how your freckles look like the stars of the River of Heaven.¡±


    Chan Bik turned as red as her robes. ¡°Cheng Dze! Who- What- Don''t tease me! You''re the one whose beauty spots look like stars!¡±


    Cheng Baak-hap''s cheeks flushed too. ¡°Since when?¡±


    ¡°Because you have one just above your right eyebrow, one between your left eye and temple, one under your right eye, one above your upper lip, and a larger one below your lips on the left side. Doesn''t it look just like the Celestial Weaving Maiden?¡±


    Both were blushing furiously now.


    Gaam Yuk Ying coughed, pointedly.


    "What are you coughing for?" Chan Bik shouted, rounding on him. "As if you have to cough!"


    She relieved her feelings by battling Gaam Yuk Ying across the forest floor, pelting him with bright shards of light. He narrowly dodged them all.


    "When are you going to tell her your feelings?¡± Tsaam Lei asked Cheng Baak-hap with a little smirk.


    ¡°Not while everyone''s... Later.¡±


    ¡°Good luck!¡±


    ¡°Is it the right thing to do? She''s already so worried about what might happen in the future.¡±


    ¡°We all are,¡± Gou Dzing assured her. ¡°Do you need any help?¡±


    "No, I wasn''t preparing any grand gestures or anything.¡± Cheng Baak-hap grinned with sudden wickedness. ¡°I was going to visit her one night in her room, and push her down."


    "I... I see."


    "What''s with that reaction? Haven''t you done that to Gaam Si-hing...? Oh." She smirked, eyes as narrow as a fox. "Someone''s being cold-shouldered!"


    ¡°Says the person who hasn''t even confessed!"


    Cheng Baak-hap punched him.


    ¡°Ack! That was my face! Yuk Ying, I''m being bullied!¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°I turn my back for one moment, and this happens.¡± Wong Tang emerged amongst the trees, Maan Dzi King just behind her. ¡°What are you all doing?¡±


    ¡°Divine Grandmother!¡± Tsaam Lei flung himself happily into her arms. ¡°I missed you!¡±


    ¡°I''ve only been gone for a si, you little brat. Don''t try and sweet talk an old lady like me.¡±


    ¡°But you like it.¡±


    ¡°Enough playing around. We''re going to the palace, so tidy yourselves up. Siu Lei, Maan Dzi King, you will stay here and watch the portal.¡±


    Tsaam Lei made a face but said nothing, simply reverting back to his adult male form. Maan Dzi King bowed with similar silence.


    ¡°Let''s go.¡±


    <hr>


    From above, the defining characteristic of Dzu is its mists. Thin clouds, like a delicate veil across a beautiful face, hang between the trees, all the way down to where the land slips into the sea in the south. The climate is warm, the pines in the country''s north sliding into humid meadows of ferns, so many different types of ferns. A line of low granite hills, Hau Dzek, the Queen''s Spine, runs along the northern boundary of the capital, Ming Yuet. Several rivers run from the northern reaches to the capital, the greatest being the Ming Dzu, the next being the Lau Yan. Two small tributaries run into these, the Se and the Wai.


    <hr>


    ¡°These are my nieces.¡±


    The Mount Faa disciples looked at the two snakes in Gong Lau Yan''s arms. The snakes looked back.


    ¡°This one is Gong Dzing Se,¡± she gushed, nuzzling the snake on the right, whose tail curled affectionately around her arm and had striking dark splotches like a cat all over its body. ¡°And this is Gong Dzing Wai.¡± The snake on the left received a kiss on its brilliant green head. ¡°They can''t transform into human form yet. They''re still a little too young. Give them another century.¡±


    ¡°They''re... very cute,¡± Gou Dzing said, and gave the little snakes a smile. The snakes immediately dived for him, curling affectionately around his arms.


    ¡°They really are.¡± Chan Bik clasped her hands together, eyes shining at the pretty snakes.


    ¡°I forgot you were born in the Year of the Snake,¡± Cheng Baak-hap laughed nervously. Gong Dzing Se and Gong Dzing Wai flickered their tongues at her curiously. ¡°So these are your older sister''s children?¡±


    ¡°Dze-dze''s twin girls, yes.¡±


    ¡°And their father?¡±


    Gong Lau Yan looked confused. ¡°What father?¡±


    ¡°... um... is that not how loong... well... do you not need a father to produce children?¡±


    ¡°I suppose we could,¡± Gong Lau Yan said thoughtfully, absently scratching the backs of her two nieces. ¡°It''s not necessary though.¡±


    ¡°... I''m learning so much today.¡±


    ¡°We''re almost at the palace,¡± Wong Tang interrupted. She stroked her great-grandchildren. ¡°We''ll see you later, little ones. We have to meet your mother and the human regent. Go on now.¡±


    The snakes retreated amongst the ferns, and the remaining group looked out across Ming Yuet from where they stood on Hau Dzek.


    It was greenery and gentle mist all the way down to the soft grey ocean. Buildings of granite and wood seemed to grow organically out of the vegetation, and huge statues ¨C human, loong, and creatures the disciples could not identify, dotted the landscape, all the way out to where a myriad of islands disappeared out to sea.


    ¡°It''s beautiful,¡± Cheng Baak-hap said softly.


    ¡°Isn''t it?¡± Gong Lau Yan grinned, unable to hide her pride.


    <hr>


    Dzu is a place of water. Since before human memory, loong, the spirits of water, of rivers, of mist, of the ocean, have made their home here. The place trembles with spiritual power that I have never felt so strongly anywhere else in the Five Kingdoms. I hope this beautiful place stands forever.

 28 - Yes, this is actually danmei

    They descended Hau Dzek, hopping from rock to rock down its steep side. Chan Bik had proudly offered to carry Cheng Baak-hap down on her back, and she kept pace well as they moved lower and lower between mists and ferns.


    The streets of Ming Yuet were narrow and crammed with an extraordinary array of things. People, pets, washing, junk stores with towering piles of objects that seemed ready to tip over, plants, lanterns, food stalls... The four disciples seemed have grown several more heads to look around at everything. Gong Lau Yan looked immensely satisfied as she strode proudly before them. People greeted her as she passed.


    ¡°Lady Gong!¡±


    ¡°Royal Princess, I have a new dessert you should try!¡±


    ¡°Princess Gong, where have you been?


    ¡°There are so many beautiful people here,¡± Chan Bik said, a little wonderingly and a little shyly, peeking at the delicate man in shining white robes that Gong Lau Yan was now speaking to.


    ¡°Well, that''s like because there are a lot of non-human people here,¡± Gou Dzing pointed out.


    ¡°Eh? Really?¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying''s eyes flickered around them briefly. ¡°I would say around thirty percent.¡±


    ¡°How can you tell?¡±


    Gou Dzing tapped under his left eye. ¡°Sight arts, Can Si-mui. Although not perfect, I can see to some extent things that are hidden. As for Yuk Ying, the Reflective Arts School''s Sword Eyes can cut through illusions, am I right?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I''m looking forward to activating my Third Daan-tin,¡± Chan Bik sighed, as Gong Lau Yan farewelled the people she was talking to.


    ¡°Is that so? Enjoy how things are for a little while longer.¡±


    ¡°You make it sound like reaching Third Daan-tin is a terrible ordeal.¡±


    ¡°It can be,¡± Gaam Yuk Ying said.


    ¡°You both reached it so easily though!¡±


    ¡°Easy? Perhaps it was quick for me, but it''s changed the direction of my life,¡± Gou Dzing laughed.


    ¡°You met me after I reached Third Daan-tin,¡± Gaam Yuk Ying reminded her.


    ¡°Ugh... Ah, what''s that there...?¡±


    The three older disciples watched her rush after Gong Lau Yan, asking questions. The Grandmaster, following up the rear inobstrusively, urged them onwards.


    ¡°Does no one here know who you are, Grandmaster?¡± Cheng Baak-hap asked.


    ¡°I like to keep quiet. I''ll have people bothering me constantly if they knew who I was, and really, all I want is a peaceful life.¡± She drew a contemplative puff from her pipe. ¡°Being involved with mortal affairs becomes... tiring, after all these years.¡±


    ¡°But you''re still getting involved in the situation now.¡±


    ¡°The actions of the demons won''t simply end with mortals. We have to act before the situation becomes worse.¡± Her honey-brown eyes fell on Gou Dzing.


    ¡°Master-¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°No, I shouldn''t be so hard on you. You''re still so young and naive, despite your spiritual and martial achievements. How could you know this situation with Teem Djeung Baak would turn out like this? So long as you learn from this, let''s not say any more on the topic.¡±


    Two palaces stood on the largest of the islands that shimmered through the mist, out on the grey sea. With body-lightening arts, they glided across the bridge that connected the island to the mainland, the glow of hundreds of lanterns guiding them onwards.


    At last, they climbing a wide set of stairs, hewn directly from the rock of the island. Every step was flanked by a set of stone creatures ¨C loong, si dzi, phoenix ¨C and then they reached the top and saw the two people waiting for them.


    One was a man, in striking black and yellow robes with a high embroidered collar, wide sleeves, and a long hemline that brushed the ground. He had soft eyebrows, heavy eyelids and unusually full lips, and his long dark hair was bound in an ornate golden crown on the top of his head.


    The other was a woman, in a slim robe of black with a long blue underskirt, her hair hidden in a large blue cloth headdress with long tassels and chains of bronze that rang faintly as she moved. The black robe was intricately embroidered with shining blue and bronze threads. Her tall, slender frame and her grin looked very familiar.


    ¡°Dze-dze!¡± Gong Lau Yan bowed to the women energetically.


    ¡°Ming Dzu.¡± Wong Tang raised her chin and gave the same grin back.


    The four disciples and Maan Dzi King bowed respectfully low.


    ¡°Greeting Your Divine Majesty Gong Ming Dzu. Greeting Your Earthly Majesty Dzu Dziu Ming.¡±


    So this was the human regent of Dzu. He swept forwards to inspect them with a small smile.


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    ¡°Stand so I can see you more clearly.¡± He looked to Gaam Yuk Ying first. ¡°Lord Gaam Bing''s disciple, is it?¡±


    ¡°Lord Gaam Bing''s Direct Disciple, Gaam Yuk Ying.¡±


    ¡°Third Daan-tin Adept. Good. Please spar with me during your stay, Young Master Gaam.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Is this your disciple, Divine Empress?¡± the Regent asked, examining Gou Dzing. ¡°Also reached the Third Daan-tin, a Novice?¡±


    Wong Tang sighed.


    ¡°Gou Dzing, Your Majesty. I am very much lacking,¡± Gou Dzing groaned.


    ¡°Don''t tease your disciple too much, Divine Empress,¡± said the Regent smilingly. He turned to Chan Bik. ¡°What a strong Fire affinity! You must be the young woman who will hopefully become Lady Ling Gwong''s disciple.¡±


    ¡°C-Chan Bik, Your Majesty!¡±


    ¡°Ha, no need to be so nervous. And this is... the strategist?¡±


    ¡°Cheng Baak-hap, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Clear eyes, good attitude. Let''s talk some more later.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°We''ll talk inside,¡± Gong Ming Dzu said, turning from where she had been greeting her family. ¡°Dziu Ming has been on his feet all day. We don''t want the King of Dzu to fall over.¡±


    ¡°Am I some doddering old man? I could stand for a week and be fine, Ming Dzu. Who was the one who got so excited about the seeding of the Dai Yue star anise that she went out to harvest it for a whole day and got sunstroke?¡±


    ¡°Don''t listen to him! He''s been drinking honey beer all day!¡±


    ¡°I had one sip! Divine Empress, defend my honour!¡±


    ¡°Stop squabbling, the pair of you.¡± Wong Tang hit them both on their foreheads with a chopping hand. ¡°Like children, good grief. You''ve always been like this.¡±


    For a moment it looked like Gong Ming Dzu and Dzu Dziu Ming were about to start sneakily kicking each other, but then their eyes fell on Gong Lau Yan.


    ¡°Hey, don''t start looking at me!¡±


    ¡°Inside. Everyone,¡± the Grandmaster ordered. The four disciples stared as the two regents scuttled away inside like naughty children.


    The building they entered appeared to be a kind of common palace. Through the gaps between buildings could be seen two more palace complexes, one of dark wood and shining brass and bronze, the other made of granite with golden decorations. However, the group stopped at a large hall where a long table had been laid out with food. Gaam Yuk Ying''s stomach grumbled audibly.


    ¡°Your Majesty?¡± A young woman approached them from behind, bowing gracefully when they turned.


    ¡°Lady Mun Gong. How are you?¡±


    ¡°Well, thank you.¡± The small woman came a little closer, her dark grey eyes falling softly on them all. Judging by the vibrant red and detailed embroidery of her clothing, a short, wide-sleeved robe over a long straight skirt, she seemed to be nobility. The disciples bowed to her.


    ¡°No, please. I should be bowing to you. You are the disciples of the Ng Dzeung, are you not? You''ve come to assist us.¡±


    ¡°Only these two are disciples of the Ng Dzeung, Lady,¡± Cheng Baak-hap explained. ¡°Although hopefully soon, there will be a third.¡± She gave Chan Bik a proud smile.


    ¡°I see...¡± Although polite and gentle, Mun Gong seemed a little distracted. ¡°Your Majesty... may I request an audience with you, later?¡± Her voice trembled very faintly.


    Strangely, the King''s jaw clenched for a moment, then released. To any normal person watching, they would have missed the movement, but surrounded by cultivators and divine loong, everyone saw it.


    Everyone also politely pretended not to have noticed.


    ¡°Very well, Lady Mun. We will meet later Hour of the Pig.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Mun Gong bowed to everyone and withdrew.


    Following this exchange, dinner was oddly subdued. Gong Ming Dzu rudely poked Dzu Dziu Ming with her chopsticks. ¡°Stop pulling that face, Ah Ming. Why are you being like this? Just ask Siu Gong to marry you already.¡±


    He glared stiffly in response. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? Lady Mun Gong is engaged to marry the Second Prince of Cheon.¡±


    ¡°So? Use your kingly privileges.¡± Gong Ming Dzu chewed on a slice of young bamboo, looking unimpressed.


    ¡°Yeah, Ming Go-go,¡± Gong Lau Yan chipped in. ¡°Girls love it when you sweep dramatically in and-¡±


    Maan Dzi King coughed icily. The hall immediately became uncomfortably quiet again.


    Gaam Yuk Ying, unbothered by social niceties, stood and bowed. ¡°Thank you for the meal.¡±


    ¡°If we may, we would like to retire for the night,¡± Gou Dzing added with his own bow. ¡°We''ve had little rest for the past few days. I ask your understanding.¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course,¡± the King agreed, nodding to them. ¡°I''ll have the servants take you to your rooms.¡±


    The four disciples hurried from the hall gratefully. They were brought by a cheerful young servant to a set of sumptuous quarters, five rooms laid out around a central common area. After he had retired, Gou Dzing collapsed on a floor cushion with a sigh. ¡°Ugh, that was awkward.¡±


    ¡°What a strange king,¡± Cheng Baak-hap observed, sinking down too. ¡°It''s unusual to see someone in such a position with such a high level of righteousness. Any other ruler would have come in and taken her for himself.¡±


    ¡°Why is Maan Dzi King like that?¡± Chan Bik added, throwing herself down onto the cushions violently. ¡°Do you think she''s obsessed with Gong Lau Yan?¡±


    ¡°It seems that way, doesn''t it? Everything we''ve seen so far seems to suggest something happened between them, and now Maan Dzi King is bitter about it. What do you think, Yuk Ying?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°That settles it.¡±


    ¡°Don''t draw your own conclusions just because your boyfriend says so!¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°I''m going to bed,¡± Chan Bik groaned.


    ¡°Wait, come with me first. I want to talk to you about something...¡± Cheng Baak-hap pulled Chan Bik towards one of the rooms, casting a suspicious look at the young men. ¡°Without these troublemakers overhearing.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    When the young women had disappeared, Gou Dzing jerked his thumb over his shoulder. ¡°Should we have a look?¡±


    They entered one of the rooms, examining the simply but elegantly decorated interior, the huge bed, the shining wood floors.


    ¡°What do you think Cheng Si-mui wants to say to Chan Si-mui?¡± Gou Dzing asked casually. His mind had wandered back to the thoughts she had voiced a few days prior. Gaam Yuk Ying gave him a piercing look.


    ¡°What? I mean... don''t you have any thoughts...?¡± Like how big the bed is?


    ¡°... about?¡±


    A moment later, Gou Dzing had pulled him down onto the bed. Gou Dzing pulled his lips away from Gaam Yuk Ying''s.


    ¡°I''m... Did I surprise you? Sorry, Yuk Ying. I just... Can I touch you?¡± His hand cradled Gaam Yuk Ying''s face and drifted down his neck. ¡°Is it...? I''ll stop.¡±


    He had felt Gaam Yuk Ying freeze at the touch of his hand. Gou Dzing pulled back awkwardly, but Gaam Yuk Ying grabbed his face.


    "Kissing... is okay." He didn''t raise his eyes. "Sorry."


    "Don''t push yourself."


    "I''m not."


    "What''s going on?"


    "It''s not you."


    "Then?"


    Gaam Yuk Ying just shook his head. Gou Dzing rolled over onto his back with a sigh.


    "Yuk Ying... I''ve got to be honest. It''s a bit... hard for me. You keep putting up this wall, and I''m not saying that''s wrong, I just don''t understand, and it''s making me uncomfortable. I feel like a bad guy."


    "You''re not."


    "I still feel uneasy. Can you really not tell me?"


    He felt his boyfriend''s fingers interlace with his own. The fingers felt very cold.


    "Did I do something wrong?" he asked softly.


    "No."


    "¡­ Did you?"


    No response. Not only were Gaam Yuk Ying''s hands cold, they also seemed to be trembling slightly.


    "So you think you''ve done something wrong. Are you scared I wouldn''t forgive you for it?"


    There was no denying it, those hands really were trembling now.


    "We don''t have to talk about it now. I won''t pressure you to answer yet. But I''ve like to hear from you soon, okay? I''m just... anxious." Gou Dzing folded Gaam Yuk Ying into his embrace. He felt him nod. A moment later, the silvery eyes were looking directly up at him.


    "Ha... Can I kiss you?"


    "Yes. Please."

 29 - End of an arc

    Gaam Yuk Ying woke before the sun rose the next day, still in his clothes, with Gou Dzing curled up to him. He gently extracted himself from Gou Dzing''s embrace, tucking the other man back into the covers.


    Gou Dzing murmured unintelligibly and burrowed further through the covers, as if trying to find the other human that had been there a moment ago. Gaam Yuk Ying observed this behaviour for a minute or so. When at last, Gou Dzing seemed on the point of waking up, Gaam Yuk Ying brushed the back of his hand across his boyfriend''s cheek, and dropped a light kiss on the corner of his eyebrow.


    Gou Dzing quietened, a little smile curling his lips, but his breathing remained slow and even.


    With a departing look, Gaam Yuk Ying slipped from the room.


    After wandering a little, he found himself standing on an outdoor balcony, looking out across the misty Ming Yuet pre-dawn. Where the buildings in Yuk-hoi had been made of grey timber slabs and brick, two storeys high at most, with only the few government structures three storeys tall, and the buildings at Mount Faa were single storey, made of polished, carved and richly brown wood panels, the spires and towers of Ming Yuet were made of pale stone and dark wood, disappearing into the misty air, their invisible summits each indicated by a glowing light.


    Staring into this aerial sea of fog, glowing white lights floating amongst it, Gaam Yuk Ying frowned, very slightly.


    ¡°What are you thinking so hard about, Little Gaam?¡± The Grandmaster appeared on the balcony beside him, her gaze drawn by the floating lights too. She gestured with her pipe. ¡°They''re luminescent pearls. One of my daughters, the Empress-Under-the-Sea, developed an industry of growing them. Her people trade them to those on land. Pretty, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And useful?¡±


    ¡°Very.¡±


    ¡°What''s wrong, Little Gaam? Talk.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying''s silvery eyes were full of the mists around him.


    ¡°Little Gou?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Are you worried about him?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Gaam Yuk Ying''s eyes dropped. ¡°Too gentle.¡±


    ¡°Are you concerned I will still push him to be a warrior, despite understanding his temperament?¡±


    ¡°No. He... himself...¡±


    The Grandmaster nodded gently. ¡°Little Gou grew up in a warrior family. When I took him as my disciple, the expectation was that I would teach him the martial arts of the Fool''s Way of the Mountain. And I did, he needs to know how to defend and protect, but every Way has different faces. The creative arts of the Clear Sight School, for example, focus on realism and critique. The diplomatic arts of Gales of Battle teach a hot and cold method of negotiation, constantly changing tack to unbalance an opponent. The healing arts of Fool''s Way of the Mountain centre around the bodily experience, physical therapy, the need for a patient to be calm and centred for their well-being.¡±


    Something moved in the fog, just beyond the distant, hazy Hau Dzek. An enormous shape, bronze scales flashing and subsiding into the mist.


    ¡°That''s not the only thing, is it?¡±


    ¡°... Tsaam Lei.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°He... Ascension... Divine Empress, could I really take any shape I wanted if I Ascend?¡±The words came out in a rush.


    ¡°Many things are possible once one Ascends. Revelation of the true self is one of them. But Ascension is hard. As you rise through the mastery of each of your daan-tin, the Way becomes more and more difficult. You know this, Little Gaam.¡± She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. ¡°You''ve done an extraordinary job by yourself. You should be proud. Your Master is. I know Little Gou is too.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying''s eyes remained fixed on the ground.


    ¡°Are you afraid, despite this, of how Little Gou will react when he comes to truly understand you?¡±


    ¡°... Yes.¡±


    ¡°That is natural. You are young, you are a human, you have experienced the harshness of the world since childhood. One day, you will come to see and understand that the universe unfolds like a flower, every part working with the others, a relentless blossoming that we are all a part of.¡±


    ¡°Even you, Divine Empress?¡±


    ¡°Especially me, child. We must face it, wonder at its beauty, know when to fight and when to yield, when to run and when to stand. Who to trust, and who to turn away from.¡± She tapped out her pipe on the stone balcony.


    A sudden rush of air ¨C Gaam Yuk Ying''s hand had immediately flown to his side, but Lo Fu Ngaa was back in the bedroom ¨C and Gong Lau Yan was perched on the edge of the balcony, shrinking in an instant from dragon to human form. Her usually cheeky expression was grim. I''ve just met Teem Djeung Baak.¡±


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    <hr>


    Everyone was gathered quickly, although Chan Bik was still rubbing her eyes and yawning. Maan Dzi King, who had been keeping to herself, looked as though she had not slept.


    Gong Lau Yan didn''t hesitate. ¡°She''s definitely obtained Fire powers. Unfortunately for her, she ran into me straight away, but she''s powerful. She could give Little Gaam a hard time.¡±


    Chan Bik was well awake now. ¡°Fire powers?¡±


    ¡°Someone''s teaching her. Has to be, her natural Fire affinity isn''t that high.¡±


    They all exchanged anxious looks.


    ¡°Lady Ling Gwong?¡± Cheng Baak-hap murmured first.


    ¡°It can''t be!¡± Chan Bik cried, clenching her fists. ¡°Lady Ling Gwong wouldn''t- Surely-¡±


    ¡°It does seem odd,¡± Wong Tang said, more calmly. ¡°The Ling Gwong I know would be unlikely to teach someone with a weak Fire affinity.¡±


    ¡°Lady Ling Gwong is also fickle and temperamental,¡± Maan Dzi King observed darkly. ¡°Impatient-¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you, Dzi King,¡± the Grandmaster said drily.


    ¡°What kind of powers did she demonstrate, Lady Gong?¡± Cheng Baak-hap asked.


    ¡°Conjuring fire, although rather than just sparks or small flames, they were explosive.¡±


    ¡°I see... Also, Lady Gong... Why didn''t you just capture her? Or... even disable or kill her?¡±


    Gong Lau Yan made a sound of disgust. ¡°Of course I tried to. But she appeared out of the portal just after some demons had emerged, and started attacking them. It was... stupidity on my part. I tried to intervene, but of course the demons panicked and tried to fight me as well. Teem Djeung Baak escaped back through the portal again.¡±


    ¡°She fought the demons? That would suggest she isn''t working with them, then,¡± Maan Dzi King said.


    ¡°But we don''t know what the situation is in the demon realm,¡± Cheng Baak-hap pointed out. ¡°There could be different factions fighting each other. It could be that those from the demonic realm continuously fight each other without consideration, or...¡± She trailed off at the frozen look on Maan Dzi King''s face.


    ¡°Maan Dzi King?¡± Gong Lau Yan smiled. ¡°Could we have a talk?¡±


    ¡°Not now, Lau Yan, we need to-¡±


    ¡°Talk. Now.¡±


    With an unsettled look, Maan Dzi King left the room. Gong Lau Yan grinned at the rest of the group. ¡°Keep going without me.¡±


    Maan Dzi King was waiting just outside the door, but Gong Lau Yan seized her elbow and dragged her down the corridor,


    ¡°Ow... Gong Lau Yan, let go of me! That hurts!¡±


    At the doorway of a small anteroom, Gong Lau Yan paused to push Maan Dzi King in first. ¡°Hey, Maan Dzi King, did you offer to help Little Cheng just to drive her away from Little Bik?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know what you''re talking about,¡± Maan Dzi King said frostily.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Gong Lau Yan hissed. ¡°Do you have no maturity, taking your anger out on these innocent human girls? Are you so jealous of them?¡±


    ¡°What about you? Didn''t you then offer to help Chan Bik to get back at me? I see what you''re up to, Gong Lau Yan!¡±


    ¡°That''s nothing to do with it! I admit I thought I would tease you a little, but I genuinely think Little Bik is a good girl!¡± Her face appeared suddenly in front of Maan Dzi King''s, teeth bared. ¡°Do not bring others into our personal issues, Maan Dzi King.¡±


    Maan Dzi King seemed distracted. Her eyes lost their aggressiveness as they wandered down towards Gong Lau Yan''s lips. ¡°Call me Dzi Dzi, like you used to,¡± she half-whispered, as if in a trance.


    ¡°Please.¡± Gong Lau Yan looked defeated. She drew back, rubbing her face with her hand. ¡°It''s over. Don''t keep dragging it out like this. We''re not in that kind of relationship any more.¡± Before Maan Dzi King could speak again, she added, ¡°And we never will again. Please just stop. Before someone gets hurt.¡±


    Gong Lau Yan turned and left without another word.


    ¡°But I''m already hurt,¡± Maan Dzi King called after her, but she received no response.


    Gong Lau Yan returned to the group to find they had already dispersed. She came across Gaam Yuk Ying in the entrance hall, broodingly contemplating the mist outside.


    ¡°Little Gaam! Where are the others?¡±


    ¡°Divine Empress is speaking to the Heavenly Queen and Earthly King and Chan Bik and Cheng Baak-hap and Gou Dzing are gathering their belongings and I think you know where Lady Maan is and-¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I do. So we''re heading in, are we? I suppose it makes sense. The only way to find out what''s going on is to catch that girl.¡± She flopped down beside him. ¡°So who was it that asked who out? You or Little Gou?¡±


    ¡°Dzing.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Strange. Somehow I would have expected him to act all gentlemanly while you would get straight to the point... What''s that little smirk about?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Lies. A-po says you''re born in the Year of the Monkey.¡±


    ¡°I... prodded... Dzing a little.¡±


    ¡°Ha! There''s the truth! Sneaky kid,¡± Gong Lau Yan said approvingly. ¡°Ah, here they are.¡±


    Chan Bik was pale. Both Gou Dzing and Cheng Baak-hap were murmuring encouragingly to her, but the news about Teem Djeung had clearly affected her.


    ¡°The Grandmaster has gone ahead,¡± Cheng Baak-hap said. ¡°We need to meet her immediately.¡±


    Gong Lau Yan''s form shifted. The huge loong crouched down, waiting for her passengers. Maan Dzi King''s deep blue eyes narrowed.


    ¡°I''ll run.¡±


    The other disciples stared at Chan Bik.


    ¡°Bik Si-mui, we don''t have time-¡±


    ¡°It''ll force me to get faster. I''ll run!¡± An edge of hysterical despair crept into her voice.


    ¡°Chan Si-mui, now isn''t the time...¡±


    Maan Dzi King scoffed.


    ¡°You''re weak,¡± Gaam Yuk Ying said.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Yuk Ying...¡±


    ¡°Wow...¡±


    ¡°I know. That''s why-¡±


    ¡°You''re already scared.¡±


    ¡°... Yes.¡±


    ¡°What''s the point?¡±


    ¡°I can''t help being scared!¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying drew Lo Fu Ngaa, grabbed Chan Bik unceremoniously, and jumped up onto the blunt edge of the blade, rocketing away in the direction of Tsaam Lam. Gong Lau Yan gently tossed Gou Dzing and Cheng Baak-hap on her back and raced after him, leaving Maan Dzi King to follow.


    ¡°Gaam Si-hi-¡±


    ¡°There''s no point in fear.¡±


    ¡°I told you, I can''t-¡±


    ¡°If you''re weak, you get stronger.¡±


    ¡°I''m trying-¡±


    ¡°Running won''t make you stronger.¡±


    ¡°I''ve got to do something!¡±


    ¡°Do something productive.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Train properly.¡±


    ¡°It''ll be too late!¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying chopped his hand down on the top of her head.


    ¡°OW!¡±


    ¡°Train wrong and you die.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. I''ll get a hei deviation or injure myself.¡±


    ¡°No. I''ll kill you.¡±


    Chan Bik was silent for the rest of the trip.


    It wasn''t long before they landed beside the portal where they had met Gong Lau Yan and Tsaam Lei previously. The fox spirit was tucked up on Wong Tang''s lap, happily having his belly scratched. He bounded up in greeting as first the two disciples, then the rest of the group, landed.


    ¡°Don''t stay here too long, Siu Lei,¡± Gong Lau Yan said, scratching him behind the ears as she returned to human form.


    He waved his luxurious tails at her. ¡°No worries! I''ll run away as soon as you''re gone!¡±


    ¡°Little coward.¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡±


    ¡°Lau Yan, Maan Dzi King, to the rear.¡± The Grandmaster stood by the portal. Weird red and black tendrils reached out towards her without actually making contact. The surface of the portal shimmered. ¡°The rest of you, follow me. Stay together. If you are separated from the group, we have no guarantees that you will be found again. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    ¡°Then...¡± She turned to the portal. Scratchy symbols crawled from the space. ¡°Let''s go.¡±


    One by one, they walked inside.

 30 - Demon Realm

    The world beyond the portal was both dark and dank. Like an underground chamber with no airflow, the atmosphere pressed against them physically. Their skin felt slimy within moments.


    ¡°There really are no stars.¡± Chan Bik shivered, glancing at the sky.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Gou Dzing said cheerfully. ¡°There''s two here! One! Two!¡± He pointed to Chan Bik and Cheng Baak-hap. The two girls laughed weakly.


    ¡°Pay attention,¡± Wong Tang chided sternly. She looked uncharacteristically uncomfortable, but her mouth twitched a little.


    Gong Lau Yan led the way, carefully following a broken road away from the portal. In less than a minute, they almost tripped over a couple of demons.


    The two small figures froze where they sat on the road, eyes huge and luminous. They had ears like cats'', no arms, and tiny glowing lights orbited them.


    In the dirt between them was etched a grid, and some of the glowing lights were nestled in the grid squares.


    They seemed to be playing a game.


    One of the demons, eyes fixed on the weapons carried by the unexpected visitors, began to whimper, a sound so high-pitched it was almost beyond human hearing. Everyone winced.


    The second demon flung itself at them.


    Razor-sharp teeth sprouted suddenly from a gaping mouth. Still, it couldn''t defeat Gaam Yuk Ying''s speed. His hand shot out and slapped the demon on its short nose. The demon crumpled immediately, wailing.


    Cheng Baak-hap frowned with concern. ¡°These... are children, aren''t they? So soon-¡±


    Before she could even finish her sentence, they could hear the sound of many people approaching at a rapid pace. The demon children fled in the direction of the sound.


    ¡°One... Two... Five... Seven approaching,¡± Gong Lau Yan counted quietly.


    ¡°Can I try speaking with them?¡±


    Everyone turned to look at Gou Dzing. Maan Dzi King''s mouth bent coldly, but the others merely looked curious.


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°I''m not sure, but we should try...¡±


    The small group of demons appeared over a low hill. The demon children were immediately pulled behind them, but the demon rescue part were themselves in poor shape, nervous, thin, and badly armed with sharpened sticks and broken swords.


    ¡°Given that there have been reports of demons stealing weapons,¡± Cheng Baak-hap surmised, ¡°there must be some kind of hierarchy. These demons have so little.¡±


    Wong Tang could have flicked her finger and destroyed them all in a second, but instead they all watched as Gou Dzing stepped forward with his hands spread to show they were empty, hoping that this would be a universally understood gesture. ¡°Yuk Ying, take your hand off your blade,¡± he muttered out of the corner of his mouth without turning around. Gaam Yuk Ying scowled, but did as he was told.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Gou Dzing called out to the group of demons. ¡°Do you understand any Dzue?¡±


    Clearly not. The demons hissed and mewled nervously. At least they weren''t running away.


    ¡°Here.¡± Gong Lau Yan tapped Gou Dzing on the shoulder. As she approached, the demons retreated. Ignoring them, she handed Gou Dzing a scroll of paper and returned to where she had been standing.


    Gou Dzing unrolled it.


    In their hurry to follow Tim Dzeung-baak, the young cultivators had not had the opportunity to see for themselves the messages left on the walls of Ming Yuet by the demons. Now, Gou Dzing was looking at a replica of one, miniaturised to fit onto the scroll.


    The markings resembled the scratching of chickens on dust, messy lines that made no sense to him. He turned the scroll to face the demons and pointed to it. ¡°You wrote this, didn''t you? We''re here because of this.¡±


    The wariness did not disappear from the demons'' faces, but an additional air of understanding appeared amongst them. One of the group crept forwards on long, spindly limbs like a spider, a long tongue falling from its round head. It paused, then tapped the ground in front of it.


    There was an awkward pause.


    The demon tapped the ground again. Gou Dzing exchanged mystified glances with his companions.


    ¡°You want us... to come over there?¡± Cheng Baak-hap asked hesitantly, moving forward slowly and gesturing between herself and the spot that the demon was tapping. Seeing her move, the demon backed away again, although this time with an expectant air. The group moved forwards and the demons slowly began to travel away, although not without continuously casting suspicious glances behind them.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°I guess that''s it...¡±


    Without any other clues, the travellers decided to follow the demons. With a healthy distance between the two groups, they slowly made their way across the landscape.


    Gaam Yuk Ying''s silver eyes seemed flatter than usual. Gou Dzing, his own gold and black eyes scanning their surroundings, noticed the change. ¡°Yuk Ying, are you ill again?¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying glanced at him. ¡°Don''t mind it.¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°Don''t mind it.¡±


    He had a point, they couldn''t exactly stop right there and then to rest, in this situation, but it didn''t make Gou Dzing feel any better. He swore to himself, not for the first time, that he would convince Yuk Ying to get checked by a doctor.


    Strangely, the Grandmaster was looking oddly ill-at-ease too. This, of everything, had the travellers the most concerned. Even Chan Bik noticed the uncomfortable atmosphere. ¡°Grandmaster, are you okay?¡±


    Wong Tang blinked and did not answer immediately. Now everyone was convinced something was wrong.


    ¡°Did you notice something, Ah Poh?¡± Gong Lau Yan asked.


    ¡°Divine Empress, what is it?¡± Maan Dzi King questioned urgently.


    The Grandmaster sighed and laughed, tweaking her granddaughter''s ear. ¡°It''s... my own issue, children. Nothing for you to be concerned about.¡±


    ¡°You''re... Grandmaster, you''re the Divine Empress, creator of humanity, the power at the centre of the world,¡± Cheng Baak-hap pointed out. ¡°If you''re concerned, then we''re concerned.¡±


    Wong Tang said nothing, but she seemed to be thinking. They continued to walk in expectant silence. The ground was rough and crumbling beneath their feet. A single dead tree by the side of the road had them unsettled for a moment.


    ¡°I haven''t seen any plants here,¡± Cheng Baak-hap whispered. ¡°But this dead tree... there must have been plants once?¡±


    The Grandmaster visibly shivered, letting out a hiss of annoyance. She gritted her teeth. ¡°The world has always spoken to me. I could go anywhere and speak to anything, as a part of the world... and with the world as a part of me. But here... this place... is beyond me. I can''t understand the language of the world here. This feeling...¡± A short laugh of bewilderment escaped her. ¡°Is this... fear?¡±


    Maan Dzi King hummed with comprehension, but chose not to share her thoughts with the group.


    ¡°Master, what advice would you give to me,¡± Gou Dzing asked, ¡°if I were in a situation like this. Where I''m experiencing something I''ve never felt before, something that destabilises my worldview?¡±


    Wong Tang tweaked his ear too. ¡°Don''t be cheeky, brat.¡± But her expression had improved. ¡°Keep moving, or we''ll fall behind.¡±


    Gou Dzing felt Gaam Yuk Ying''s hand slip into his. It was cold and clammy, but firm.


    Ahead, the demons had reached a mountain.


    An enormous mountain that climbed into the sky with no visible peak, the site was all the more strange, give how flat and featureless the surrounding landscape was. Yet here was this gigantic monolith, disappearing into the red and black sky.


    The majority of the lower reaches of the mountain were covered in buildings, the same red-brown of the soil and the rock. They seemed to have been carved directly into the mountain, and beautifully so. Windows and awnings with intricate designs that seemed to resemble leaves and flowers, and long switchback staircases straight as arrows. The travellers stared in awe.


    The demons had begun to climb one of the staircases. Following behind was easy enough; years of scrambling up and down Mount Faa had given the human cultivators goat-like climbing skills. They passed multiple small buildings hewn directly into the rock, faces appearing and disappearing in the windows. There was no-one outside that they could see.


    At last, they reached a particularly large building. They walked through the empty doorway, Gong Lau Yan leading, Wong Tang following at the rear.


    It was even darker inside. Things moved and hissed in the darkness around them. Gou Dzing instinctively stepped in front of Gaam Yuk Ying, even though the other man hardly needed any looking after. Chan Bik and Cheng Baak-hap found each other''s hands.


    Their eyes adjusting, the group could just about make out the shape of a table, with several figures surrounding it, in the gloom ahead.


    ¡°Little Bik, could you create a little spark, please?¡± Gong Lau Yan asked. The girl did as she was told, clicking her fingers. A tiny light appeared.


    Chan Bik swayed. ¡°Ugh... Why is it so...¡± A trickle of blood crept from her nose.¡±


    ¡°Bik Bik, stop! Put the light away!¡± Cheng Baak-hap hurriedly staunched Chan Bik''s nose with her sleeve. The room fell into almost complete darkness once more.


    In the brief moment of time that Chan Bik maintained her light, Gaam Yuk Ying''s gaze had swept the interior of the room. ¡°Table. Five demons. They seem... important.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡± Maan Dzi King asked.


    Gaam Yuk Ying didn''t gift her with an answer.


    ¡°Can you see them, Ah Poh?¡± Gong Lau Yan interrupted the sudden air of tension.


    ¡°I can.¡± Wong Tang drew her pipe and polished it with her sleeve. ¡°Little Gaam is correct. These... people seem to be important. We have to try to converse with them.¡±


    She bowed lightly, and the others followed her lead, with varying degrees of formality. Hisses and croaks reached them from the table of demons.


    ¡°This is a waste of time,¡± Maan Dzi King muttered. ¡°How are we supposed to communicate with them like this? We should have done more research and planning before-¡±


    ¡°We''re looking for these people.¡± Cheng Baak-hap produced two pieces of paper and held them up in the direction of the demons. There was a faint squeaking noise, and a pale light washed over them.


    A mound of faintly glowing mushrooms sat in the centre of the table, casting a pale blue glow over the room. As Gaam Yuk Ying had said, there were five demons seated around it.


    One was pale as a ghost, and almost as insubstantial. It trembled as though a slight breeze might blow it away. Shapeless, it turned two huge and mournful eyes on the travellers. Otherwise, it had no other distinguishing features.


    The demon sitting next to it was the most humanoid demon they had seen so far. It had fiercely red skin, small horns sprouting from its forehead, and long earlobes. It''s bright red eyes watched them with apparent amusement.


    The next demon was brown as soil. Its skin was as dry and cracked as the ground on the plains below. Somehow, it hurt to look at it.


    The fourth demon was bright blue and frilly. Like a jellyfish, it seemed to be formed of layers and layers of diaphanous material that floated gently on an invisible current. It did not appear to have any eyes. In the pale light of the fungi, it glowed a little.


    The last demon was round and pure black, with a pair of white circular eyes and a small gash of a mouth. Smoke-like tendrils drifted off it and vanished. The eyes expanded and contracted continuously.


    They all examined the pages that Cheng Baak-hap held.


    The two drawings were well-rendered, one showing a good likeness of a round woman with fluffy hair. The hair had been coloured bright red.


    The other drawing was of a younger woman, with a pretty nose and mouth and eyes too big for her face.


    The demons'' eyes were riveted on this second drawing.

 31 - Is this really the hill youve chosen to die on?

    A flurry of sounds, of words, burst from the demons. Harsh hisses and growls were directed at the image.


    ¡°Seems they''ve met her,¡± Gou Dzing said lightly.


    ¡°Is that excitement or anger?¡± Maan Dzi King muttered, her dark blue eyes narrowed.


    Cheng Baak-hap bravely approached the table of demons alone. Everyone''s eyes were on her, and almost imperceptibly, Gaam Yuk Ying shifted his weight in preparation.


    She placed the two pieces of paper on the table.


    The red demon snatched the page with the likeness of Tim Djeung-bak, and tore it to shreds.


    ¡°Anger, then,¡± Wong Tang remarked.


    Cheng Baak-hap was beginning to back away from the table when the red demon stood up. Before she could even blink, she was suddenly standing next to Gou Dzing again, Gaam Yuk Ying on her other side. His arm was around her waist; he had pulled her back in less than a heartbeat.


    The red demon stood with its hand still outstretched, long-nailed fingers partway through a grasping motion around the height of Cheng Baak-hap''s head.


    Gong Lau Yan strode forwards, so firmly and rapidly that the red demon took a step back. It caught itself almost immediately, and so the two were almost nose to nose, equal in height. The loong smiled brazenly, without blinking. An air of tense caution blanketed the still-seated demons.


    Sliding past the red demon, Gong Lau Yan approached the table. She picked up the picture of the red-haired woman and tapped it.


    ¡°Ling Gwong,¡± she said. ¡°Where?¡±


    The demons exchanged looks. The bright blue demon rose and floated out through the entrance of the room. It returned not long afterwards with several objects ¨C boxes, pots, baskets. It presented them to Gong Lau Yan, pointing at the interiors.


    Empty.


    Empty.


    Empty.


    ¡°They want something.¡± Maan Dzi King sniffed. ¡°A bargain, huh?¡±


    Chan Bik pulled her pack from her back, but Gaam Yuk Ying stayed her hand as she tried to open it.


    ¡°Gaam Si hing-¡±


    ¡°We need to discuss this first, Bik Si mui,¡± Cheng Baak-hap said. ¡°You want to give them food, right? Of course, we can see that they''re suffering, so you''d want to help them. But we don''t know what might happen. What if we give them food, and they don''t tell us where Lady Ling Gwong is? What if they demand more food? The food we have, too, isn''t very much. Who gets food and who goes without?¡±


    Gou Dzing groaned and scratched his head. The demons eyed Chan Bik''s backpack avidly.


    ¡°Well, what do we all think?¡± Wong Tang asked. She sounded less certain than usual.


    ¡°I think we should give them food,¡± Chan Bik said. ¡°We might not be able to help everyone here, but we can help some of them, at least.¡±


    ¡°I don''t think we should give them anything,¡± Maan Dzi King disagreed. ¡°We can''t communicate with them properly, and know very little about them. How can we trust them?¡±


    ¡°Maybe if we show trust, they''ll also show trust back?¡± Gou Dzing suggested. ¡°I think we should try.¡±


    Gong Lau Yan grunted. ¡°I don''t know. I can understand what you are all thinking. I too want to give them food, but at the same time, it may not be the best idea. A-po? Little Gaam?


    Wong Tang''s troubled eyes drifted over the waiting demons. ¡°Why do you think I''m asking you all, brat?¡±


    ¡°Give them food,¡± Gaam Yuk Ying said plainly.


    Gou Dzing looked like he was going to explode with pride.


    ¡°Why do you say that, Little Gaam?¡±


    The young man was clearly still not well, his skin pale. His hand passed briefly over his stomach but dropped quickly back to his side. ¡°Being hungry is... not good.¡±


    ¡°So three yes, one no, two... unsure. Little Cheng?¡±


    ¡°I''m like you, Lady Gong. My head says it''s a bad idea, but my heart...¡± She rubbed at her face and neck, looking at the red demon. Its dark eyes met hers hungrily.


    ¡°... Give it to them.¡±


    ¡°And then what?¡± Maan Dzi King snapped. ¡°What if they demand more, and attack us to get it?¡±


    ¡°They could, but it would make more sense for them to keep us alive so we can get more food for them.¡±


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    ¡°They could take some of us hostage.¡±


    ¡°I believe in everyone''s strength,¡± Cheng Baak-hap said simply.


    Chan Bik opened her pack, drew out the package of food inside, and marched to the table, placing it in the centre. She unwrapped it to show the demons the contents.


    There was a collective hungry swallowing from the demons around the table. Gong Lau Yan retrieved her food parcel from her pack, gestured to it, then tapped the picture of Ling Gwong again. This time, the ghost-like demon stood and drifted to the doorway. It paused, looking back at them. A foot-like appendage grew and tapped the floor. By now, the travellers had determined that this gesture meant ''follow''.


    And so they did. Higher up the mountain they travelled, past another large room, past houses with the window spaces blocked up by rough cloth or rocks. At last, they reached a platform in front of a small cave. The entrance was filled with floating red shapes, like those that had been daubed on the walls of Ming Yuet. The ghost-like demon took a deep breath and blew on these shapes. They instantly turned white and scattered.


    The doorway clear, they could now see the person within. She had bright red hair, but she was nowhere near as plump and round as she was in her drawing. Her skin sagged where she had evidently lost a lot of weight in a short time, but the eyes that looked up at them were fierce and hot and widening with recognition.


    ¡°Leoi Wa? Leoi Wa!¡± Her high, bird-like voice cracked. Wong Tang stepped quickly inside, leaving the others to watch the escorting demon suspiciously.


    ¡°Leoi Wa, thank the heavens. Please, get me out of here before that demon comes back!¡±


    ¡°It''s alright, Ah Gwong. We''re taking you away from here. Did they mistreat you?¡±


    ¡°Only that one demon, the one that likes to wear a skin of a human! The others just... Well, they didn''t really feed me, but I don''t think any of them are really eating around here. Just that human-looking one!¡±


    ¡°What human-looking one? The one with red skin?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, he''s alright. He''s a bit mischievous, but we get along alright. No, that girl with the huge eyes! I''m so ashamed!¡±


    ¡°Tim Dzeung-bak?¡± Chan Bik demanded, rushing inside as well. She stared down at Ling Gwong without a single thought for etiquette. ¡°That bitch has been here?¡±


    ¡°Ashamed of what, Ah Gwong?¡± Wong Tang asked.


    Ling Gwong didn''t seem to have heard either of them. She was staring at Chan Bik with a mixture of wonder and horror. ¡°Oh... Oh... Oh no...¡±


    ¡°Ling Gwong!¡± Wong Tang said sharply.


    ¡°I... I''m sorry Leoi Wa, I... Who is this girl? What lovely Fire tendencies she has... If only I''d met her sooner...¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Chan Bik asked, her mouth going dry.


    ¡°You would have made a wonderful disciple... But... that demon girl... she tricked me into giving all my secrets to her. She''s already inherited my practice.¡±


    ¡°Can you not have two direct disciples?¡± Cheng Baak-hap asked quickly, keeping her voice even, but she glanced at Chan Bik''s back, the only thing she could see from the cave entrance.


    ¡°Not at the same time. It wouldn''t be right,¡± Ling Gwong said fussily.


    ¡°Ah Gwong, surely-¡±


    ¡°No, Leoi Wa, I''m sorry. How can I give my disciple the best when I have more than one? I must focus-¡±


    ¡°But she tricked you!¡± Chan Bik cried furiously. ¡°That bitch got your spiritual practice out of deceit! How can you consider her your proper disciple?¡±


    Ling Gwong shifted uneasily, but looked away stubbornly. ¡°No! You''re... I''m sorry! I wish I could, but no!¡±


    An ear-splitting crack rent the air. Below Chan Bik''s feet, a hairline fracture had appeared in the rock. A white-hot aura wrapped itself around her entire body.


    ¡°Bik Si mui!¡± Cheng Baak-hap cried in alarm. ¡°Bik... Ah Bik! Bik Bik, stop!¡±


    Gong Lau Yan backed up with a hissing intake of breath. Gou Dzing pulled Gaam Yuk Ying behind him, shielding them both with his spiritual power. Maan Dzi King''s eyes narrowed.


    She was already sweating, but Cheng Baak-hap rushed into the cave to stand in front of Chan Bik. ¡°Bik Bik... Look at me. There is always a solution. Believe me, there is always some other way.¡± Her skin hurt and her lips had dried in a instant. ¡°Bik... Ah Sing, Little Star... I promise you... I promise I''ll find another way. You always say I''m so smart, right? Trust me, please. We''ll find a way together... Ah Sing?¡±


    The heat had gone. Chan Bik stood shaking and bereft, tears of disappointment and anger pouring down her cheeks. She fell into Cheng Baak-hap''s arms, wailing. Ling Gwong tried to act like she wasn''t there.


    Gaam Yuk Ying held out his food rations to the ghostly demon, who, after pausing for a split second, developed an arm-like appendage and enveloped the food, apparently absorbing it into its body. The young man opened his other hand, revealing the torn pieces of the image of Tim Dzeung-bak. Her eyes stared madly at them from odd places, but her huge smile remained intact.


    He tapped the pieces.


    The demon turned a circle and returned to its original position. Gaam Yuk Ying frowned. Seeming his response, the demon''s eyes moved up and around, then it began to drift back down the stairs. It paused to ensure they were following. Ling Gwong and Wong Tang emerged without incident from the cave.


    ¡°I think... we can safely split up,¡± Gong Lau Yan decided. ¡°A-po, I''m going to go with Little Gaam and Little Gou. I think the rest of you should head back. Auntie Ling and Little Bik will need some rest, I think.¡±


    ¡°I''ll come with you,¡± Maan Dzi King said, with the air of someone providing a favour with mild reluctance. Nobody thanked her.


    ¡°Yuk Ying, maybe you should rest too,¡± Gou Dzing suggested, but Gaam Yuk Ying had already began to descend the stairs, hand on stomach.


    ¡°Has this happened before?¡± Gong Lau Yan murmured to Gou Dzing as they followed.


    ¡°A few times. It seems to affect him every few months, but he won''t get it treated. Perhaps if I prodded him enough...¡±


    ¡°That child doesn''t have enough yin energy,¡± Maan Dzi King announced, apparently not caring if she spoke loudly enough that Gaam Yuk Ying would easily hear her.


    ¡°And you''ve got too much,¡± Gong Lau Yan said under her breath.


    ¡°What do you mean, Lady Maan?¡± Gou Dzing asked through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Well of course, why do you think he''s like that? Are you really so foolish that you haven''t noticed that-¡±


    ¡°Maan Dzi King,¡± Gong Lau Yan snarled in her face. The other loong almost fell backwards in shock. ¡°Don''t you dare. Little Gaam is who Little Gaam wants to be. You have no right.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying kept walking. Gou Dzing looked from the two loong, glaring fiercely at each other, to his boyfriend, rapidly disappearing downwards, and chose to loyally follow the latter.


    As his footsteps faded away, Maan Dzi King spoke again, ¡°Now that we''re alone-¡±


    ¡°What alone? Maan Dzi King, we''re through. Over. If you''re just hanging around to try and get back together with me, you''re wasting your time. Go away before I force you to go.¡±


    The beautiful loong''s face stiffened, but she hid the expression with a sneer. ¡°Huh. Well, I gave you plenty of chances, but I see you''ve made your decision. Don''t regret it!¡±


    ¡°I never have, Maan Dzi King. You''re the one who''s doing the regretting.¡±


    Gong Lau Yan turned on her heel and raced down the stairs, two at a time. She caught up with Gaam Yuk Ying and Gou Dzing quickly. Before she could even speak, Gaam Yuk Ying turned towards her.


    ¡°I don''t like that woman.¡±


    It was a little surprising to hear Gaam Yuk Ying express his feelings unprompted, but Gong Lau Yan gave him a smile. ¡°Honestly? Neither do I. I have no idea what I was thinking before.¡±

 32 - Dark night of the soul

    They followed the white demon in companionable silence. This time, it stopped at one of the entrances they had passed on the way up. Once more, the demon blew on the strange patterns floating like fog in the doorway, and they dissipated, allowing the group to enter.


    This room was a morgue.


    Five people, demons, lay in a row. A ragged scrap of fabric covered each of their faces.


    The white demon appeared to converse with the demon who was examining the bodies, a short lizard-like humanoid, who moved back warily from the travellers to allow them to see the bodies.


    All of the bodies were small. Each had an expertly slashed throat, but their chests were tattered with multiple uneven gashes. A faint smell of scorched flesh hung over them. The muscles in the back of Gou Dzing''s neck tensed at the odour.


    Gaam Yuk Ying crouched down by the first body, examining it top to bottom without touching it. Tattered, old clothing, thin muscles, small frame; it was clear that the demons were struggling in this world where nothing seemed to grow. Peeking over the top one of the demon''s three clenched fists was a small piece of stone. After pointing it out to the white demon, Gaam Yuk Ying managed to extract it from the cold, stiffened hand of the demon. It was a tiny little stone figure, crudely carved.


    ¡°Some kind of artefact,¡± Maan Dzi King muttered from where she stood at the back of the group, her sleeve over her nose.


    ¡°It''s a toy,¡± Gou Dzing said softly.


    ¡°Don''t just assume things, child. There''s is a different culture from that of humans, or loong, or any other species.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying peered at the chest wounds. His eyes glowed briefly silver. ¡°Waiting.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Waiting for what, Yuk Ying?¡±


    ¡°No. The slashes. It says, ''waiting''.¡±


    Gong Lau Yan moved closer. ¡°You mean the wounds form the character for ''waiting''?¡±


    ¡°How can you see that?¡± Gou Dzing asked, impressed. ¡°It just looks like a mess to me, poor thing.¡±


    ¡°Isn''t Little Gaam able to use Sword Eyes competently? He can read the path of metal.¡±


    Ignoring Gou Dzing and Maan Dzi King glaring at each other, Gaam Yuk Ying moved to the next body, his eyes silvering to examine the next set of wounds.


    ¡°Yuk Ying, what is it?¡± Gou Dzing had noticed that the other cultivator''s usually expressionless face had begun to twitch, then collapse into a furious, teeth-bared snarl. He placed his hands firmly on Gaam Yuk Ying''s shoulders. ¡°What is it?¡± He glanced down at the wounds himself, a frown beginning to crease his brows.


    ¡°... Handsome.¡±


    It took all his willpower for Gou Dzing not to clench his hands in shock and anger, but he quickly took his hands away from Gaam Yuk Ying''s shoulder just in case.


    ¡°What''s this about?¡± Gong Lau Yan asked quietly.


    ¡°That... Tim Dzeung Baak. She likes to call Yuk Ying ''Little Handsome''.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying stood and practically materialised beside the next body. His silver eyes swept the demon''s slashed chest before he moved to the next one. And the next. And the next.


    A sound at the entrance caused the loongs'' heads to swivel in that direction; Gou Dzing was too focused on Gaam Yuk Ying to pay attention.


    A group of demons were gathered there. They exchanged words with the white demon, before hesitantly approaching the line of bodies, eyes watching the travellers warily. One of the demons paused at the first body, lifting the tiny corpse in its four arms. The other could see now that the body had a fourth, stubby arm that had evidently not grown right. The larger demon peered intently at the corpse for a long time.


    The other demons were doing the same. The similarities between those who had arrived, and the dead bodies they were holding, was clear.


    ¡°Do you think I''m assuming things if I say that these are families come to find the bodies of their dead children, Lady Maan?¡± Gou Dzing asked through gritted teeth. The loong looked away.


    Gaam Yuk Ying held out the stone figure to the four-armed demon. After the briefest of pauses, it plucked the toy from the cultivator''s hand and placed it back in the child''s.


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    Gaam Yuk Ying knelt down on the stone floor, detaching Lou Fu Ngaan and placing it, sheathe and all, beside him. He clapped his hands together and closed his eyes.


    One by one, Gou Dzing and Gong lau Yan joined him, kneeling and clapping. Maan Dzi King frowned.


    ¡°If these are children as you say, we should not be offering prayers. Only those younger can pray for the deceased.¡±


    ¡°You can continue following those stupid old rules if you want, Maan Dzi King,¡± Gong Lau Yan replied without opening her eyes. ¡°But don''t stop us.¡±


    The three of them bowed towards the bodies. Maan Dzi King stiffly bowed too, from where she was standing. The demons watched all of this without response.


    Gaam Yuk Ying turned back to the white demon, showing the pieces of Tim Dzeung Baak''s picture again. He pointed to the scraps, then to the bodies. The demon repeated the gesture.


    ¡°I should have killed her before,¡± Gou Dzing growled. Gaam Yuk Ying gave him a wordless look, then dropped his eyes away as the demons filed out, carrying the bodies with them.


    ¡°Do you think you could have, Little Gou?¡± Gong Lau Yan sighed. ¡°You''re a righteous kid. No one''s blaming you.¡±


    ¡°Master chewed me out for letting her go.¡±


    ¡°But she wouldn''t Blame you. And now, you know better. It won''t happen again, right?¡±


    ¡°Blame me.¡±


    ¡°Are you taking turns?¡± Gong Lau Yan asked drily of Gaam Yuk Ying.


    ¡°I met her twice. And let her go.¡±


    ¡°So what do we achieve if we blame you?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you asking us to blame you?¡± Gou Dzing demanded angrily.


    ¡°Because it''s right.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It''s my fault.¡±


    ¡°No, it''s not.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°What the heck is with this weird argument?¡± Gou Dzing muttered.


    ¡°As much as I can see you want to get to the bottom of this,¡± Maan Dzi King interrupted, ¡°I believe we have something a little more pressing to deal with.¡±


    ¡°I hate to agree, but she''s right,¡± Gong Lau Yan said. ¡°What did the words say, Little Gaam?¡±


    ¡°..''I''m waiting, Little Handsome''.¡±


    ¡°That psycho killed five children and mutilated... no, mutilated and killed them, just to say that?¡± Gou Dzing hissed.


    ¡°Why did you say the same thing two different ways?¡± Gong Lau Yan asked.


    ¡°Because she slashed them first before she killed them. I could see from the wounds.¡±


    ¡°... I see.¡± A muscle in Gong Lau Yan''s jaw twitched. ¡°So she''s waiting... Where?¡±


    ¡°There was nothing else.¡±


    No one had noticed any other clues. They left the morgue to see the demons gathered at the base of the mountain below them.


    ¡°Maybe we can ask the demons where the bodies were found?¡± Gou Dzing suggested.


    ¡°And exactly how are we going to ask that when we don''t even speak the same language?¡± Maan Dzi King remarked.


    ¡°You''re the smart one.¡± Gaam Yuk Ying replied.


    ¡°Don''t provoke me, child,¡± Maan Dzi King warned. She took a step towards him. Before she could even complete it, Lou Fu Ngaan was at her throat.


    ¡°What...?¡±


    ¡°Ah, really... Didn''t you notice?¡± Gong Lau Yan sighed. ¡°We''re in a different realm here, Maan Dzi King. You can''t just call on your powers so simply. We''re no better than Third Daan-tin human cultivators, so of course Little Gaam will be faster than you as a Metal cultivator. So keep in mind, Little Gou here is likely to be stronger than you right now as well.¡± She turned her back. ¡°Intelligence without awareness means nothing.¡± She jumped from the side of the mountain, landing on another part of the road below. Gou Dzing and Gaam Yuk Ying followed her without looking back, jumping easily down the mountainside.


    They landed near the demons, who had watched their descent with apparent unease, and were now huddled closely together near the bodies. The other demons from the meeting table were there too, and around them were the foodstuffs that the travellers had brought with them, neatly laid out next to the bodies. It seemed that the white demon had not actually consumed the food that it had absorbed into its body.


    When the travellers did not make any further moves, having landed on flat ground, the demons formed a large circle around the food and the bodies. They all presented their hands and hand-equivalent appendages, whether that be claws or tentacles. The black demon began to hover around the circle.


    Gong Lau Yan took a sharp intake of breath.


    ¡°Lady Gong?¡±


    ¡°They''re counting... It''s the same as what I saw... They''re choosing who will take what to eat.¡± She closed her eyes. ¡°Including the demon corpses.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn''t we stop it?¡± Gou Dzing asked, but he didn''t move.


    ¡°You know as well as I that they have nothing else to eat, Little Gou. That food we brought will be gone in a few days.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying approached the white demon slowly enough that although the demons all turned to watch him suspiciously, none of them moved. Once more, he produced the shredded portrait of Tim Dzeung Baak and tapped the pieces.


    The white demon did not respond. Thinking that it may not have understood him, Gaam Yuk Ying thought about changing tack, but then the demon drifted away from the circle. The other demons unexpectedly paused in their counting to watch.


    The white demon led the four travellers away from the mountain, to a lonely plain where a few crumbling skeletons of trees returned to the dust. Dried blood patchworked the pale, barren soil.


    Having brought them to this location, the white demon performed an odd wiggle from side to side and then glided back the way it had come.


    After carefully scouring the area, the group came up empty-handed. Other than the blood stains and disturbed ground, there was no sign of any other clues.


    Gou Dzing threw himself on the ground with a sigh. ¡°Now what? We go searching through the wilderness for her? If I could just use my Earth abilities I might be able to track her, but this place just...¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying sat down beside him and leaned his head on Gou Dzing''s shoulder.


    ¡°Yuk Ying?¡± It wasn''t that Gou Dzing wasn''t happy with this turn of events, but he was confused by this sudden expression of affection.


    ¡°It just... I feel... This is the last time.¡±


    ¡°The last time? For what?¡±


    ¡°Sitting like this.¡±


    Gou Dzing leaned his weight against Gaam Yuk Ying too. ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know.¡±


    It was strangely peaceful there, in the dust, with the dark sky and the red sun low on the horizon, although they were thirsty and hungry now. Gou Dzing felt a profound stillness, and a profound sadness. The two loong gazed silently out across the landscape with them.


    ¡°Let''s just... sit here.¡±


    And so they sat until the bleeding sun slipped below the horizon.

 33 - I love you, dont hate me.

    Wong Tang returned the next day. She brought with her several senior disciples of the Mount Faa Sect and a squad of loong soldiers.


    ¡°That was quick, Master,¡± Gou Dzing observed, as he greeted his fellow disciples.


    ¡°It wasn''t. There''s a time distortion between here and the mortal realm,¡± Wong Tang chewed compulsively on the end of the pipe, then caught herself with an aggrieved grunt. ¡°How long has it been since I left you here?¡±


    ¡°About a day, although it''s hard to tell. It never gets fully dark and the sky is so hazy that the sun is hard to track,¡± Gong Lau Yan said, accepting water gratefully from the loong soldiers. They bowed respectfully, causing Gaam Yuk Ying to comment to Gou Dzing that he kept forgetting Lady Gong was royalty, with the way she acted. Gong Lau Yan caught him and vigorously rubbed his head until his hair was a complete birds-nest.


    ¡°Hm, so perhaps two times slower... Almost two days have passed for us. When we arrived back at Ming Yuet, Ming Dzue said we''d been gone almost two days already.¡±


    ¡°How is Dze Dze?¡±


    ¡°Perfectly fine, you brat. Shouldn''t you be more worried about Ling Gwong and Little Bik?¡±


    ¡°How are they?¡± Gaam Yuk Ying asked, surprising everyone.


    ¡°Ling Gwong will recover. She''s mostly malnourished, but she''s a Divine Guardian. Her energy is strong. She wasn''t ill-treated by the demons.¡±


    ¡°And... Bik Si mui?¡± Gou Dzing pressed.


    Wong Tang''s mouth tightened. ¡°Ling Gwong has always been a stubborn fool. Maan Dzi King?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Divine Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Have you sorted yourself out yet?¡±


    Maan Dzi King''s eyes flickered towards Gong Lau Yan and the loong troops. They were talking animatedly as if they hadn''t heard anything.


    ¡°I am always ready to serve you, Divine Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Little Cheng will be staying with Little Bik for the time being. We agreed it was best. Even if Ling Gwong is being a fool, Chan Bik has the talent to be her disciple, and we don''t want her falling into a hei deviation before that. So we''re relying on you to do your job, understood?¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that you''ve been considering that little girl to be the strategist of this group?¡± Maan Dzi King asked evenly. Still bowed, the knuckles of her clasped hands gleamed white.


    Wong Tang blew a stream of smoke from her pipe. ¡°We can have that conversation right here, right now, if you wish,¡± she said quietly. There was an awkward lull in the conversation between the other loong as they struggled to keep up the pretence of not being able to hear Wong Tang reprimanding Maan Dzi King.


    The proud loong lowered her ocean-blue eyes. ¡°I will do as you say, Divine Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Good. We have three goals here.¡± Wong Tang raised her voice, and the group, human and loong alike, gathered to listen. ¡°First, the capture of Tim Dzeung Baak. This woman is dangerous. She had high cultivation powers, perhaps at the cusp of Third Daan-tin. Her powers are of an explosive Fire type. Soldiers -¡± Here she looked at the loong troops. ¡°- you will not be so readily able to draw on your powers here. I''m sure you''ve realised that this realm is very different from ours. Do not become complacent.


    ¡°I have also made sure to bring senior disciples with high Earth affinities. You will notice that this land is very dry, and disciples of the Still Heart School would struggle with limited water. Gaam Yuk Ying?¡±


    ¡°Divine Empress.¡±


    You will lead this group to detail Tim Dzeung Baak. Your attributes are a poor match, but with the disciples of the Fool''s Way and some of the loong soldiers supporting you, you will be fine. We need your speed and knowledge of our target.


    ¡°Second, intelligence gathering. Maan Dzi King, you are in charge here. We need to determine the cause of the situation in the demon realm. If it is not solved, then there is every chance that we will see war break out between the mortal and demon realms.¡±


    ¡°I hear and obey, Divine Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Lastly, and closely related, we need to establish good relations with the demons. They didn''t release Ling Gwong without reason. Aid provisions, ways of communicating, medical assistance, let us determine what they need. Gou Dzing.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    ¡°I want you to take charge here. You are good at getting along with others, and your healing skills have improved recently. There are one or two healing disciples from Gales of Battle School here. Lau Yan will also go with you.¡±


    Gong Lau Yan gave him a grin, which he returned, but he couldn''t help stealing a glance at Gaam Yuk Ying. ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°You four rest for now. Take food and water while I organise everyone.¡±


    Gou Dzing and Gaam Yuk Ying accepted rations, quickly leaving to find somewhere quiet away from everyone. They sat with Gou Dzing''s head on Gaam Yuk Ying''s shoulder, munching silently on their rations. Their statures made the position a little awkward, but Gou Dzing didn''t seem to care that he was almost having to bend his neck at a ninety degree angle.


    ¡°Yuk Ying?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°How are you feeling? Are you still sick?¡±


    ¡°I''m good.¡±


    ¡°That''s good.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying dropped a quick peck on Gou Dzing''s forehead in response.


    Gou Dzing pulled the water gourd from Gaam Yuk Ying''s hands and set it down carefully. The kiss he returned to Gaam Yuk Ying was far more aggressive; the latter was pushed flat, Gou Dzing''s arms cradled around him. First his lips, then his neck ¨C Gou Dzing seemed almost hungry, and Gaam Yuk Ying, dazed, tangled and untangled his fingers through Gou Dzing''s robes and long hair.


    ¡°Gou Dzing...¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°... Dzing...¡±


    ¡°Yes? Yes... What... What is it?¡±


    For the hazy look in Gaam Yuk Ying''s eyes was gone. They were wide now, wider than Gou Dzing had seen them, those usually lazy-lidded eyes open with... fear?¡±


    ¡°Did I scare you, Yuk Ying? I''m so-¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°What then? You''re... You''re shaking. Your hands are cold. What''s wrong?¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying pulled himself out from underneath Gou Dzing, tidying his robes like a small animal trying to reassuringly groom itself.


    ¡°... What is it?¡±


    There was a faint clattering sound. Gaam Yuk Ying''s teeth were chattering. It took a great deal of willpower for Gou Dzing not to throw himself on the other man again, to hold him until his fear passed.


    ¡°Did I do something?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°... Did you do something?¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying''s eyes were as round as a rabbit''s.


    ¡°Are you afraid that I''ll be angry?¡±


    A nod.


    But more than that. Gou Dzing was not a strategist, but dealing with others was one of his strengths, and when it came to a person like Gaam Yuk Ying, he could piece together the little bits and pieces that he had learned.


    A young man from a family that was not rich, but not poor, either.


    And yet, who couldn''t read and write, who didn''t know dining table etiquette.


    And the instance with Chan Bik and Tim Dzeung Baak... A child who tried to avoid making those they cared about truly angry. A child who spoke little, who kept most of their emotions to themselves.


    Why?


    ¡°Yuk Ying... Are you... afraid I''ll abandon you?¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying''s eyes were like two moons. He suddenly stuffed his fingers into his mouth, biting down hard. Tears poured down his cheeks. Gou Dzing clenched his teeth and held himself back.


    ¡°Will you tell me what it is, Yuk Ying? It''s hard for me to see you hurting yourself like this.¡±


    For a moment, no one moved. Then a wild look crossed Gaam Yuk Ying''s face, and he began to strip off his robes.


    ¡°Wait! What-?¡±


    Beneath his inner robe, Gaam Yuk Ying wore a strange undershirt, if it could be called that. It was more like a tight tube that covered his chest and extended to his waist. At first, Gou Dzing thought it was some kind of bandage, and that Gaam Yuk Ying was somehow injured. His shape under the clothing was a little odd.


    That child doesn''t have enough yin energy.


    ¡°... Gaam Yuk Ying, you''re-¡±


    ¡°NO!¡±


    The shout was so loud that a kilometre away, the other travellers turned their heads in puzzlement in the direction of the noise.


    ¡°No?¡± Gou Dzing asked gently.


    ¡°I''m not... What you were going to say... I''m not. I''m not. I''m not.¡±


    The hands clutching the half-removed robes were covered in red toothmarks and shaking violently. Gaam Yuk Ying''s chest hitched rapidly and he stared at a spot on the dry ground before him.


    ¡°You''re not?¡±


    ¡°I''m not.¡±


    Gou Dzing sighed and sat back, a pensively finger tapping his lips. ¡°I''m... I''ll have to process this.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying pulled his robes back on with shaking fingers, crouched like a kicked dog. He stood to leave but was almost immediately detained.


    ¡°Yuk Ying, don''t run.¡± Gou Dzing folded his arms around the other cultivator. He could feel Gaam Yuk Ying''s back shaking against his chest. ¡°Yuk Ying... Ah Ying, don''t run. This is a surprise to me, and I''m a bit confused, but I still love you.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying murmured something.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    Gou Dzing stared in surprise as Gaam Yuk Ying turned and seized handfuls of his robes, desperately clinging on. The silver-grey eyes glittered, even in the murky air.


    Ah... It''s because he''s crying.


    ¡°I... I..." The words caught in his throat, choking him. "Don''t...¡±


    Gou Dzing pulled Gaam Yuk Ying into a fierce hug, as if perhaps the strength of his embrace would keep away all the bad things. ¡°It''s okay, Ah Ying. I love you. I love you very much.¡±


    He could feel tears soaking through the front of his robes.


    Gaam Yuk Ying howled painfully. His fingers dug into Gou Dzing''s back, and his breathing, which had been uneven from the start, became even more chaotic. Under his hands, Gou Dzing could feel energies shifting strangely.


    ¡°Yuk Ying! Can you breathe more deeply? It''s okay! Shit... Hei deviation...¡±


    What to do? He had to calm Gaam Yuk Ying down. He swept the other cultivator up and sat down, cradling his shaking body.


    First, sit. Remove the tension in the legs.


    Next-


    His fingers methodically pressed acupressure points on Gaam Yuk Ying''s head and hands.


    Baak wui ¨C A Hundred Meetings.


    San mun ¨C The Divine Gate.


    Hap guk ¨C Joining Valley.


    Then-


    With one hand applying firm pressure on Gaam Yuk Ying''s shoulder, he called gently, ¡°Yuk Ying, look, look here.¡±


    The silvery eyes were looking milky. They flickered fearfully towards Gou Dzing.


    ¡°Follow my finger. Breathe deep into your belly. Pull your energy from your upper and middle daan-tin into your lower. Circulate it counter-clockwise. Follow my finger.¡±


    He repeated these instructions over and over, sending his own stabilising Earth energy through Gaam Yuk Ying''s shoulder to pull down the sharp Metal running wild through the mind and heart. He could feel the energy shift, soften, percolate down, as Gaam Yuk Ying''s eyes followed Gou Dzing''s moving finger to the extremes of his vision.


    At last, the milky whiteness cleared from his eyes, and Gaam Yuk Ying drew a deep, shuddering breath. Gou Dzing pressed the acupressure points once more, taking his time.


    Highest point of the head.


    At the branch of the antihelix of the ear.


    Between the thumb and pointer finger.


    Gaam Yuk Ying flopped on his lap, exhausted, but no longer staring rigidly. His breathing slowed until it overlapped with Gou Dzing''s and they inhaled and exhaled in time with each other.


    He was the first to stand up, tidying his robes and hair until there was no sign that anything had been amiss, aside from a slight paleness to his cheeks.


    ¡°We should go. They''ll be waiting.¡±


    ¡°I think you should rest.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying shook his head, once. ¡°No time.¡±


    ¡°Then... at least remember what I just taught you, okay? If you feel yourself slipping...¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying nodded again, briefly. He didn''t seek out Gou Dzing''s embrace, simply stared gravely for a moment, then gathered the food containers and dashed lightly away.

 Extra - Lunar New Year Story

    Eitsu woke early that morning, unusually so.


    Tsubaki was usually awake earlier than her, but the woman was still asleep beside her. Eitsu pecked her softly on the cheek and left through the window to climb onto the roof. Usually she would try being a bit more cheeky with Tsubaki, but for some reason, today she just wanted to sit on the the roof alone and enjoy the way that the inky sky of night faded to the blush pink of dawn.


    Although, she couldn''t help thinking that this pink was the colour of certain parts of Tsubaki''s lovely form...


    A movement caught her attention. It seemed she wasn''t the only one awake early; looking out across the peaceful rooftops of the Yuan Wei Temple, she spotted a lanky young man in scholar''s robes striding quietly but purposefully along the temple''s paths.


    ¡°Hey, flower boy. What''re you doing?¡±


    The young man clutched his chest to stop his heart from physically leaping out. In the space of a breath, Eitsu had crossed the temple roofs and popped out in front of him, hanging upside down off a gate lintel.


    ¡°Lady Eitsu!¡± His voice came out as a hysterical whisper. ¡°Are you a cat or a monkey?¡±


    ¡°What a silly question. You know what I am.¡± Eitsu dropped, transforming mid-fall into a small black cat. She landed in a heap of clothing that now no longer fit her. ¡°Why are you sneaking around, Mr Strategist?¡±


    ¡°I''ve got work to do,¡± he replied, recovering his dignity as he tidied his clothes. ¡°Unlike some.¡±


    Eitsu grinned, showing sharp canines. The pupils of her golden eyes narrowed to stringlike slits. ¡°Cheng Guk Lung.¡±


    ¡°Your pronunciation has improve-¡±


    ¡°Cheng. Guk. Lung.¡±


    ¡°... Yes, Lady Eitsu.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you want to be so rude to me?¡±


    ¡°Probably not, Your Divine Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that''s a new one.¡± Without a blush, she transformed back into human form. Cheng Guk Lung abruptly turned away as Eitsu nonchalantly put her clothes back on.


    ¡°I''m not sure it suits me.¡±


    ¡°What would you prefer, Lady Eitsu?¡±


    She was about to respond as she tightened her waist sash when something about Cheng Guk Lung''s demeanour distracted her. ¡°What''s wrong, scholar? In a hurry to get somewhere? Am I holding you up?¡±


    ¡°I did say I was busy, Lady Eitsu. But if you really wish to play, I suppose I can supervise you for a while.¡±


    ¡°You''ve got a really nasty tongue, you know?¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°A pity you don''t put it to other uses.¡±


    ¡°Should I mention what you''ve just said to Lady Tsubaki?¡±


    Eitsu laughed, truly amused. ¡°Go on, get going.¡±


    ¡°Lady.¡± With a low bow, Cheng Guk Lung left, slipping into the darkness of early dawn.


    Yawning, Eitsu hopped easily back onto the roof of the nearest building. The cold morning air was doing its best to wake her up, but really she just felt like finding a warm spot to curl up and go back to sleep.


    She had been born in a much colder place than this, thousands of kilometres away, across the eastern sea in Yamato, but the thought of returning to the bed she shared with Tsubaki and curling up next to the woman''s warm body (and hopefully eliciting a shriek out of her from the coldness of her hands or paws) was very seductive.


    ¡°Oh, it''s you.¡±


    A figure emerged along the path, a powerfully built, muscular form, pale as a ghost and covered in dark ink. Eitsu and this new arrival considered each other warily.


    The first time they had ever met, they had not been able to communicate, ignorant of each others'' languages. This person, some kind of witch or sorcerer, Eitsu had been able to decipher, had helped her, but they had a particular kind of aura that made Eitsu uneasy. It reminded her too much of someone else.


    Still, Eitsu grinned and greeted them. ¡°You''re up early... Man or woman today?¡±


    The witch wore thick dark robes to guard against the cold and snow. They pulled their fur collar forwards and peered downwards. ¡°Looks like it''s female, today.¡±


    ¡°Can you not tell without looking?¡± Eitsu asked, intrigued.


    ¡°Sometimes.¡± The witch shook snowflakes from her wild black hair and scowled upwards. ¡°Ah Yuet told me to get going early.¡±


    ¡°Oh, your cute little partner? They really do led you around by the nose.¡± Eitsu smirked.


    ¡°Like you can talk,¡± the witch growled, accent amplified by annoyance. ¡°The way ye follow that wife of yours around, anyone''d think ye were a dog, not a cat.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, so touchy.¡±


    ¡°Go find someone else to talk nonsense with.¡± Grumbling, the witch stomped away along the same path that Cheng Guk Lung had taken.


    It really was too cold. Eitsu leaped lightly back the way she had come, slipping through the window to nuzzle under the blankets and latch onto the sleeping Tsubaki with cold skin. The woman woke with a hiss of annoyance, and sleepily lifted the covers to glare at Eitsu.


    ¡°You.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my flower?¡±


    ¡°... What time is it?¡±


    ¡°No idea. Early.¡±


    ¡°Hm. I suppose I should thank you for waking me.¡±


    Tsubaki slipped elegantly from the bed, her movements light and graceful despite sleepily searching for clothing in a dark room. She had been a famous dancer, once. The skills still echoed in her every step.


    ¡°Tsu-bo, come back to bed.¡± Eitsu sat up, biting the tip of her finger suggestively. Tsubaki''s beautiful face turned towards her.


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    And that was it. The woman continued to get dressed.


    ¡°It''s cold.¡±


    ¡°What''s the problem? You were born somewhere cold.¡±


    ¡°Doesn''t mean I like it.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Why are you being mean?¡±


    ¡°If you want to lounge around all day, don''t let me stop you.¡±


    Eitsu fell quiet. She lay back down on the bed, watching Tsubaki''s every move. She could smell the fragrance of camellia oil from where she lay.


    ¡°Are you staying here, then?¡± Tsubaki asked, at last, now fully dressed.


    ¡°It''s too cold out there.¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself.¡±


    Tsubaki opened the door of the room, paused, then turned back. She planted a light kiss on Eitsu''s nose, dodging with clear experience as Eitsu tried to grab her.


    ¡°Tsu-bo...¡±


    ¡°Don''t stay there all day.¡± With these words, Tsubaki left the room.


    Eitsu rolled herself into the sheets like sushi and closed her eyes. She and Tsubaki had been invited to Yuan Wei by its Master for the Lunar New Year, arriving a week before. It was an odd group that gathered, with some attendees she knew better than others, from many different places. When they all gathered together, the meeting spaces hummed with a diverse mix of languages.


    Eitsu was definitely enjoying herself. It wasn''t often that she found a place where she felt comfortable for long stretches of time, preferring more the company of only Tsubaki, but the assortment of people here made things interesting.


    In fact, she realised that right now, she was more bored than sleepy. Vigorously unrolling from the blankets and leaping from the bed, she stuck her head out through the window again.


    The Temple was a tranquil collection of wood and earth buildings, with medicinal and water gardens laid out between them. She could see that the place had been purposefully designed. With the particular placement of features, the Yuan Wei Temple crackled with a formidable defensive power. In addition, many of the disciples here were young, but they had impressive skills for human children.


    Speaking of Yuen Wei disciples... A person in the yellow and white robes of a disciple, their pale blond hair partially pinned back with a wooden hairpin, was cheerfully gliding along the distant path where Eitsu had earlier met Cheng Guk Lung and the witch. This was the witch''s partner, Yuan Yi Feng, head disciple of Yuan Wei and the kind of person who could smile whilst drawing a blade. They were probably looking for the witch, Eitsu thought to herself, watching them slide effortlessly out of sight. It was something of a culture shock to see. In her country, only yokai could move like that. Here in the Five Kingdoms, it seemed that any person with enough spiritual power could do the same.


    ¡°Lady Eitsu!¡±


    Her thoughts were interrupted by a call from the path below. She looked down to see a tall, lean woman waving to her.


    ¡°Lau Yan!¡± Eitsu flipped lightly out of the window to greet the other woman, who picked her up easily and happily nuzzled against Eitsu like a person would with a pet cat.


    ¡°How are you today?¡±


    ¡°Terrible,¡± Eitsu sobbed dramatically. ¡°Tsubaki was so mean to me this morning.¡±


    ¡°Well, you know what to do.¡± Lau Yan ¨C Gong Lau Yan, to give her full name ¨C grinned, her grey-brown eyes dancing with mischief. ¡°Treat her so well that she feels guilty.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you do with Zeyi?¡± Eitsu asked slyly.


    ¡°Not at all. Zeyi is always lovely to me.¡± Gong Lau Yan''s eyes softened. She put Eitsu back down. ¡°She decided to sleep in today. She''s tired of running around all her life, I think. What about you, kitty? What will you do today?¡±


    ¡°Sleep. Eat. Bother Tsubaki. I mean, be nice to Tsubaki.¡±


    ¡°Business as usual?¡± Gong Lau Yan laughed a lot. When she did, her luscious chestnut brown hair, bound in a high ponytail, shook like a flowing stream. ¡°That''s very much like you. Have you seen anyone else today?¡±


    ¡°Hm... The scholar, the witch, Tsubaki, and the monk.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Already? They''re up early. I think I''ll have to go and catch them. I''ll see you later!¡±


    With a friendly scratch behind Eitsu''s ears, Gong Lau Yan''s human form rippled and changed. In her place was a huge dragon, a grey-brown loong, barely able to fit in the narrow street. She flicked her long whiskers and leapt upwards, twisting and flowing away in the direction that Cheng Guk Lung, the witch, and Yuan Yi Feng had gone.


    Eitsu cocked her head to one side, suddenly. Hm, how had she known to go in that direction?


    Suddenly, it occurred to her that things seemed a little odd. As far as she knew, there was little else beyond the temple in that direction, except for a river, and yet she had now seen four people headed that way. And where was Tsubaki?


    She began to look, peering into the common areas of the Temple. Tsubaki was not in the food hall, or in the bathhouse. Trotting into the medicinal gardens to check there, she was almost run over by someone running full speed towards her.


    ¡°Ah! Sorry!¡±


    Eitsu leapt out of the way, alarmed. She didn''t know this lady too well, a woman who looked young and fresh with a sprinkling of freckles across her snub nose like a galaxy of stars, and dark hair partially pulled in loops. In truth, she was much older than she appeared. If it weren''t for the frantic expression in her deep red eyes, she would look very refined in her crimson dress, a shawl of transparent fabric floating around her. The young woman bowed.


    ¡°I apologise, Lady Eitsu. I''m afraid I slept in and am now in a great hurry. I have to go!¡±


    So saying, she fled across the garden and was gone in the blink of an eye, faster than Eitsu thought it was possible for anyone, mortal or immortal, to move. The Master of Yuan Wei had said that this young woman... What was her name? Chan Bikku? was the direct disciple of some fire divinity or other. Eitsu hadn''t really paid attention.


    It was clear that Tsubaki was definitely nowhere around Yuan Wei. Eitsu turned to face the direction that the others had all headed in, following them out of the Temple grounds and into the grassy hills beyond. She had barely taken a few steps from the walls when another voice hailed her.


    ¡°K- Konnichiwa! Eitsu... O-Eitsu? O-Eitsubyou... Feck, how do ye say it again...?¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Eitsu said to the man following behind her. ¡°Your Yamato-go sucks.¡±


    He bowed apologetically, slipping into the Xiang tongue that was commonly spoken across the Five Kingdoms. ¡°I beg your pardon, divine one.¡±


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°Don''t,¡± Eitsu recommended. She eyed the man, a pale Westerner from the same part of the world as the witch, with disdain. Where the witch was pale, dark-haired and green-eyed, this man was pink with sunburn, which clashed horribly with his dark orange hair and moustache. His only saving grace seemed to be his eyes, blue as chips of sky, although they frequently had a look in them that made Eitsu feel like she needed a bath. She suppressed the urge to wipe herself and instead turned away.


    ¡°W-wait!¡±


    Wait? Was this greasy human, whose name she didn''t even remember, trying to order her around?


    She turned back suddenly, before he could even take another breath, and squarely flicked him in the centre of his forehead, leaving a raised red welt. He shrieked and clapped his hands to his head.


    ¡°My ears! What... Where have my ears gone? What''s this on the top of my head? Mule ears?¡±


    ¡°Why don''t you run over to the river and take a look?¡± Eitsu suggested with a satisfied purr. She watched the man run away down the path. His ears were fine. Well, as far as anyone else could see.


    ¡°Eitsu-sama?¡±


    A familiar voice. Three people had rounded the corner, in the full morning sun. They made perhaps the strangest collection of people that could be formed out of those gathered at the temple. The one who had called and was now waving was Ayame, who had been a servant girl with Tsubaki''s former dance troupe.


    She was walking next to a man wearing white and grey cultivator''s robes, and an impassive look on his face. Although fairly plain to behold, on the rare chance that he raised his eyes, they flashed silver, cutting through whatever they looked at like twin swords. Even Eitsu, with all her power, felt a little jolt the first time she had been subjected to that look, as if the man could see right through her.


    Well, as with many of the people gathered here, he was much older than he looked. The only ones who actually looked their age would be Ayame, the witch, and the greasy Spideog.


    Following up behind them was a beautiful woman with long, black hair that fell to the ground. She rivalled Tsubaki in appearance, but her eyes, blue as the deep ocean, were impersonally cold.


    Eitsu didn''t like her. Actually, no one seemed to really like her. What the heck were she and that greasy westerner doing here?


    ¡°Divine Lady Eitsu.¡± The woman bowed formally.


    ¡°Yeah, hi. Who were you again?¡± Eitsu scratched her ear. She had to clench her jaw tightly to not burst out laughing when she saw a muscle twitch in the woman''s jaw.


    ¡°Maan Dzi King, Commander of the Third Head of the Palace of Tin Yeung Wong.¡±


    The words trickled in through one of Eitsu''s ears and out the other. ¡°Uh-huh... Sek Gon! Aya-chan!


    Ah.


    Eitsu turned from one face with an expression like a bitter melon to find herself looking at two faces with equally problematic expressions. The man''s was completely disinterested, his silvery eyes half-shuttered by his eyelids and fixed on some imaginary point in the distance. Ayame''s was as uncomfortable as a bed of thistles.


    All in all, Eitsu didn''t really feel like hanging around with this unsociable group. She gave Ayame a bright grin and slipped quickly away off the path.


    As she sat on the low branch of a larch, doing her best to ignore the tree''s needles sticking into her, she put Ayame''s awkward expression from her mind.


    Everyone''s headed towards the river. Is there something going on?


    She thought for a moment, then almost immediately shrugged and made herself more comfortable. Who cared? It''s better just to sleep at times like this!


    At least, that''s what she was planning on doing, but another set of voices made her ears twitch. At first, she was going to keep her eyes closed and go to sleep anyway, but a sudden thought made her sit up.


    Twelve guests had been invited to Yuan Wei by the temple Master. Including herself, eleven had already passed down the path to the river. That meant that these two voices...


    ¡°Is that Lady Eitsu?¡±


    ¡°I was wondering when you would turn up,¡± Eitsu remarked, yawning and stretching as she emerged onto the path once more. The faces that greeted her this time were much more inviting than the last group; the tall, well-built man gave her a cheerful grin, while the short, round-faced woman whose skin was covered in tiny, silvery scars gave her a gentle smile.


    ¡°Hello, Lady Eitsu.¡± The woman gave a small bow. The irises of her eyes swirled white and black, the light and the dark holding each other in perfect balance.


    ¡°Napping again?¡± The man, on the other hand, gold eyes like a hawk, a more orange tone than Eitsu''s own. He nudged her playfully. ¡°If you keep sleeping, you''ll be late!¡±


    Huh, so there is something going on.


    ¡°I don''t really care,¡± Eitsu replied, yawning again.


    ¡°Right? What''s the rush? Let''s just take our time.¡± The woman... what was her name again?


    Too many people, Eitsu grumbled to herself. It''s such a hassle trying to remember all their names.


    ¡°You''ve forgotten my name, haven''t you?¡± A sharp smirk, completely at odds with the woman''s modest appearance, flashed across her face. ¡°It''s Zeyi.¡±


    ¡°And just call me Gou Dzing, rather than anything else,¡± the man added, giving Eitsu a cheerful pat on the shoulder that felt as though she would be knocked into the earth.


    ¡°Why don''t you walk with us?¡± Zeyi suggested. ¡°We''re going slowly anyway, and it''s nice to have company.¡±


    ¡°That''s a great idea. Come with us!¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are you not going to rush off to catch up with Gaam Shi xiong?¡± Zeyi asked teasingly.


    ¡°No need. We''ve got plenty of time.¡±


    ¡°Maybe if you didn''t blush when saying that...¡± Zeyi caught sight of the blank look on Eitsu''s face. ¡°Lady Tsubaki was right, you really are terrible with remembering people, aren''t you?¡±


    ¡°It''s just annoying,¡± Eitsu remarked, stalking away up the path with Gou Dzing and Zeyi following her with matching understanding smiles. ¡°I can remember if I bother.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Of course. Anyway, you know who I meant. You call Gaam Shi xiong ''Sek Gon''. You thought it was funny, right?¡±


    Eitsu snorted involuntarily. ¡°How can I not find someone who calls themselves ''Big Tree'' funny?¡±


    ¡°He hasn''t used that name in a while,¡± Gou Dzing said, looking a little embarrassed.


    ¡°So does he have a big tree, or...¡±


    ¡°That''s none of your business, Lady Eitsu.¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry, it''s not like I''ll do anything to him. He''s not my type.¡±


    ¡°I''m sure Lady Tsubaki will be glad to hear that, Lady Eitsu,¡± Zeyi remarked cheerfully.


    Eitsu pouted. ¡°I was only joking.¡±


    ¡°But you sounded so serious!¡± Gou Dzing whimpered, pressing his hands to his face with eyes that seemed about to overflow with tears. Zeyi gritted her teeth to contain her laughter.


    ¡°Wow, kind of disgusting to see a grown man acting so coy.¡± Eitsu grinned. ¡°But I like a guy who cries. Maybe I should switch targets.¡±


    ¡°I''m going to tell Lady Tsubaki!¡± Zeyi laughed, sprinting ahead of them.


    ¡°You wouldn''t!¡±


    ¡°I will!¡±


    Gou Dzing and Eitsu raced after her, laughing. Cutting suddenly off the path, Eitsu raced between the larch, following a shortcut down to the river. Up and down, loose rocks skittering away below her feet, she raced across the rocky landscape, sliding easily down one steep slope and flowing effortlessly up the next, feeling wild and alive. A flock of azure-winged magpies scattered frantically as she raced through the middle of them.


    She finally came to a halt at the edge of a canyon, the river curling below her like a slow dragon. She could see where the path crossed the river, and could see the figures of Cheng Guk Lung and the witch. The former was lying in a heap, shouting wildly, apparently thrown across the water by the witch, who was sturdily wading through the deep water. Cheng Guk Lung paused long enough to make a rude gesture at the witch before running quickly away. Eitsu listened cheerfully to the distant echoes of the witch cursing in her native tongue before she gained the opposite bank of the river and disappeared along the path after Cheng Guk Lung.


    Not long after, the elegant form of Tsubaki appeared by the riverbank. Eitsu hopped quickly down the sides of the canyon, her deft feet finding almost invisible holds on the rock, until she was at Tsubaki''s side.


    ¡°Why hello, beautiful lady. Would you require some assistance?¡± Eitsu almost yowled in alarm and leapt back with a hiss when Tsubaki tossed a handful of water at her.


    ¡°From you? You hate water.¡±


    ¡°But I love you.¡±


    Tsubaki looked unimpressed. ¡°What have you done now?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You''ve done something, haven''t you? Why are you being like this?¡±


    ¡°I haven''t! I''m always like this.¡±


    ¡°You''re like this when you''ve done something. Or when you''re trying to get me into bed.¡±


    ¡°Well maybe it''s the second opt- Stop splashing water on me!¡±


    Without a second glance, Tsubaki dived into the water. She was a surprisingly competent swimmer, reaching the opposite bank easily, and emerging drenched but otherwise fine on the other side.


    ¡°You''ll catch a cold,¡± Eitsu grumbled, annoyed. She sneaked several good looks at how Tsuabki''s wet robes clung to her body.


    ¡°It''s a warm day. I''ll dry.¡± With that, Tsubaki turned and headed up the path too.


    ¡°Hey! Are you just going to leave? You heartless woman! This is why you should never trust beauties!¡±


    ¡°Why is that, Lady Eitsu?¡± Yuan Yi Feng asked, appeared from the woods behind her.


    ¡°Listen, my friend,¡± Eitsu explained with a fierce tone. ¡°A beautiful woman is cruel and harsh. They''ll hurt you if they can.¡±


    ¡°So are you saying you''re a masochist, Lady Eitsu?¡±


    ¡°... How are you able to say things like that with such an innocent face...?¡±


    Yuan Yi Feng simply returned her a cheerful, blank look, as if the disciple had no thoughts in their head, then examined the river. ¡°That''s quite wide. How about I...¡±


    They made a hand gesture, and a large dead branch fell from a nearby tree, rolling down to the water. ¡°Would you like to join me?¡±


    ¡°Better than swimming,¡± Eitsu grumbled. Still, the log wasn''t long enough to reach the other bank.


    ¡°I''ll help.¡± With a gentle gust of air, Gong Lau Yan landed in loong form by the river side. ¡°Get on. I''ll push you across.¡±


    Eitsu was already on the log. Yuan Yi Feng bowed appreciatively. ¡°Thank you, Lady Gong.¡±


    It was the work of only a few nudges with her snout, and the pair on the log were safely across. Eitsu shook herself as if she had gotten wet.


    ¡°Lady Eitsu?¡±


    ¡°I''m fine. I just want to sit here for a bit.¡±


    ¡°We''ll be off then. Don''''t take too long, Lady Eitsu!¡± Yuan Yi Feng and Gong Lau Yan waved and headed up the path.


    It was midday by now, the sun at its highest point, and Eitsu usually would be having a nap by now. The trees here were a little stunted. Shedding her clothing, she shifted back into her cat form, the little black shape finding a comfortable bed in the crook of a tree limb, curling up and closing her eyes. She had barely settled when an unfortunately familiar voice reached her ears.


    ¡°GET OFF! GET... ARGH!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, you jerk.¡±


    It seemed that the western fool that Eitsu had messed with earlier was now on the receiving end of more punishment from another woman.


    Eitsu watched comfortably from her secret vantage point with one eye open as he was dragged down the path by his ear by the woman in red that she had seen earlier. He looked as though her had been partially burnt, the ends of his hair singed.


    ¡°Stop struggling!¡±


    ¡°Ma''am? Lady? I can''t understand what you''re saying!¡±


    With one speaking in the Zhu language and the other in a panicked mixture of Common Tongue and Xiang, it was a scene of absolute chaos. Eitsu was just sorry she didn''t have anything to snack on while she watched.


    The woman kicked the man into the water, and while he thrashed about, she took a running leap, using his back as a halfway springboard. She landed on the other side and turned to give him a burning look.


    ¡°Stay in there a bit longer, you greasy man. Maybe the water will clean you a bit.¡±


    Eitsu nearly fell out of the tree with silent laughter. The woman turned on her heel and glided away up the path, leaving the man damp and confused behind her. He eventually pulled himself to shore, rubbing his sore back as he trudged along the same road.


    It was a refreshing sight before sleeping. Eitsu happily curled up again, closing her eyes.


    It was stomach that woke her, eventually. Thinking on it, she hadn''t eaten anything today. There was supposed to be a big feat later, but none of the guests seemed to be coming back the way they had come, so Eitsu assumed that the food must be ahead. Even if it wasn''t she''d find something.


    More voices. It had to be the odd trio ¨C Sek Gon, Ayame, and that miserable woman.


    Eitsu stayed hidden in the tree. She didn''t really want to appear and see Ayame''s awkward expression again.


    What she did see was Sek Gon zipping rapidly through the air, balanced easily on a jade-hilted sword, with Ayame clinging on behind. They flashed over the river and were gone.


    The water in the river began to swell.


    The current suddenly sped up, water spilling over the banks as someone, or something, came rampaging down the path.


    Another dragon, this time a deep blue loong, rushed angrily across the river as if it wasn''t there and was gone in the blink of an eye. Eitsu wondered with mild interest what Sek Gon and Ayame had done to make her so angry. Whatever it was, she approved.


    The sun was well on its way to the horizon now. She could hear Gou Dzing and Zeyi as they made their way slowly at the rear, talking amicably, but she didn''t really feel like seeing them.


    The frozen expression on Ayame''s face rose up in her mind, and she remained crouched on her tree branch as Gou Dzing and Zeyi crossed the river (Zeyi waved her hand and the water temporarily turned solid, allowing them to cross), and even as their voices faded.


    It wasn''t as if she didn''t understand. Ayame had been a child when she had followed Tsubaki out into the wide world, and been caught up in the unresolved personal problems that Eitsu had accrued over eight reincarnated lifetimes. She was sure the young woman felt she was at least partially to blame for the bad things that had happened to Tsubaki.


    Heck, Eitsu blamed herself for them.


    Slowly, she dropped down from the tree, returned to humanoid form and dressed. Slowly, she walked up the path after the others. It was almost dark now, the sun dipped behind the rocks and the world swimming in a cool twilight.


    She could hear voices up ahead, and smell food. Emerging around the rocky landscape, a pretty scene greeted her eyes. Lanterns hung in the trees, casting a warm glow over a small lake. At the shore, the guests were gathered with plates of food, chattering happily in small groups. Eitsu''s stomach rumbled.


    ¡°Eitsu.¡± Tsubaki was by her side, holding out a plate with a piece of steamed fish on it. ¡°You must be hungry.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yeah. Thanks, Tsu-bo.¡±


    She took the plate, but Tsubaki slipped her hand into Eitsu''s free one. ¡°How am I supposed to eat now?¡±


    ¡°I''ll feed you.¡±


    They sat together under a tree, still holding hands. Tsubaki ferried portions of fish into Eitsu''s mouth with chopsticks.


    Laughter and conversation flowed over and around them.


    ¡°Why are you so quiet tonight?¡± Tsubaki asked, once the fish was finished. ¡°That''s unusual.¡± Her eyes were full of lantern lights, like stars in the night sky,


    ¡°Just thinking.¡±


    ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°Hey...¡±


    ¡°Is it Ayame-chan?¡±


    Eitsu fiddled with Tsubaki''s fingers.


    ¡°She''s still so uncomfortable around me. And I don''t know... I don''t know what to do. What to say.¡±


    ¡°Neither do I,¡± said Tsubaki bluntly. ¡°It''s not like either of us is well-equipped for this kind of thing.¡±


    They reflected for a moment in their mutual lack of ability to navigate complex emotional situations.


    ¡°So now what?¡±


    ¡°No idea.¡±


    Gou Dzing dropped down beside them, a wine flagon in one hand and three cups skilfully held in the other. ¡°Drink?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Gou Dzing, you know how to deal with people, right?¡±


    ¡°In what way?¡± He poured out wine and passed them each a cup.


    ¡°In a... ''what do you say to someone who had to witness some traumatic things because she just happened to get caught up in your personal problems'' kind of way.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± He emptied the cup and stroked the light beard on his chin thoughtfully. ¡°Have you asked her how she feels about the whole thing?¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°Start there. Oh, Lady Tsubaki, here you go. You didn''t pick up your prize.¡±


    ¡°Prize?¡± Eitsu looked curiously at the small jade pendant that Gou Dzing placed into Tsubaki''s hand as he stood and left. It was a round little tiger, intricately carved into the pale green stone. ¡°What''s this for?¡±


    ¡°Eitsu, were you really not paying attention? Today was the zodiac race.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that thing.¡±


    ¡°You really don''t care, do you?¡±


    ¡°Not really. Let''s eat some more.¡±


    She and Tsubaki wandered over to the food, sampling a little of everything. The party-goers'' conversations were a comforting murmur, occasionally rising to bright laughter in the night. Sek Gon juggled knives with a completely blank look on his face, to the amusement of Gou Dzing and Zeyi. Yuan Yi Feng was admiring the lanterns, the witch following behind and pulling the lights down whenever the monk wanted to look at them closer. The westerner was emptying rice wine bottles alone, while somehow the cold Maan Dzi King was in deep discussion with Cheng Guk Lung. The woman in the red robes was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Ayame.


    Eitsu''s ears flicked. She could hear, below the voices nearby, two others, further away around the lake. Abandoning the food, she followed the sounds, Tsubaki following silently behind.


    Ayame and the woman in red robes sat together on the windswept curved trunk of a gnarled saxaul tree by the edge of the lake. There was no moonlight to illuminate the scene, only a single point of light that hung above them like a tiny star.


    ¡°... in the end, you should cherish those who are still here,¡± the woman was saying. She cradled a cup of rice wine in her hands. She looked up as Eitsu and Tsubaki approached, the light from the tiny star winking gently in her red eyes. Ayame stood up hastily, almost spilling her own wine.


    ¡°I''ll leave you to it.¡± The woman bowed politely to Eitsu and Tsubaki, then walked alone along the lake shore, away from the party and the three women who watched her go.


    ¡°Aya-chan,¡± Eitsu said at last. ¡°Can we... talk?¡±


    Ayame put her wine cup down and held out her hands; Tsubaki took one and Eitsu took the other. ¡°Yeah, we should, but...¡± Her hands trembled. ¡°Just for now... Maybe later? For now, I just want to...¡±


    The three of them wrapped their arms around each other. Eitsu could feel Ayame begin to cry, and she looked up to find Tsubaki''s dark eyes filling with silent tears too.


    ¡°Don''t cry, you two. It''s bad luck on the new year.¡± Eitsu cast about for a cheerful topic. ¡°Hey what happened earlier when you and Sek Gon were crossing the river? That woman looked pretty pissed off was she was following you.¡±


    At this, Ayame finally began to laugh. ¡°Brother Gaam went ahead and placed some kind of shiny metal away from the path. He told Maan Dzi King it was the river. She didn''t believe him, but he insisted so much that she went to prove him wrong, and whilst her back was turned, he got his sword out and flew us all the way to the finish line. Maan Dzi King couldn''t catch us.¡±


    With Sek Gon''s value going up in her eyes, despite his impassive face, Eitsu laughingly pulled them all down to sit, she on one side of Ayame and Tsubaki on the other, still holding hands. They sat together until the sky began to grow pale once more.


    ¡°So, what do you all wish for?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Aren''t you going to do hatsumode? Praying for the new year?¡±


    ¡°You''re supposed to go to a shrine for that.¡±


    Eitsu snorted. ¡°Why go to a shrine? I''m right here.¡±


    Tsubaki clapped her hands together. ¡°Eitsubyou no Mikoto. I pray that you stop sneaking under my skirts in cat form and-¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Eitsubyou no Mikoto...¡± Ayame pressed her hands together and squeezed her eyes shut. ¡°I pray that we all stay safe and... that the two of you will stay by my side until I''m an old woman.¡±


    ¡°Do we mean that much to you?¡± Eitsu tried to joke.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Eitsu rubbed her cheek against Ayame''s shoulder, and Tsubaki leaned gently on her other side, the scent of camellia oil softly swaddling them all. They could hear the cheers of the other party-goers as the sun spilled its first light of the new year over the horizon.


    ¡°We''ll stay, little one,¡± Tsubaki said.


    ¡°You won''t be able to get rid of us, brat,¡± Eitsu laughed.


    Ayame smiled into the sunrise. ¡°I''m glad.¡±

 34 - Have you tried meditating?

    Tim Dzeung Baak was found sooner than anyone expected.


    Two days after the reinforcements arrived, Gou Dzing was seated in the shadow of the big mountain, exchanging drawings with a couple of demons. So far, they had been exchanging simple concepts, and he had begun learning some of the demons'' names, but little other progress had been made. He sighed and hoped Cheng Baak-hap would rejoin them soon.


    ¡°Gou Si hing? Gou Si hing!¡±


    Turning, he saw a group rushing towards him, human disciples and loong soldiers alike. Weren''t they the ones who had gone with Yuk Ying? ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Gaam Si hing''s injured!¡±


    Tossing aside the stick he had been using to draw in the dust, Gou Dzing rushed from the shadow of the mountain, pale-faced.


    Gaam Yuk Ying lay quietly on a stretcher carried between two soldiers. How, Gou Dzing wasn''t sure. All of his skin was blistered and peeling, some of it coming away in large sheets, charred or reduced to white ash in some places. Half of his hair had burnt away. Those disciples with healing skills rushed forwards.


    Gou Dzing stood in shock.


    A part of his mind was running over treatments for burns (application of cool water, willow bark-infused oil, ointment of rhubarb, goldenthread, sophora...) but it was a part that seemed to be disconnected from his hands and feet. As much as his mind suggested medicines, his body did not move.


    Gaam Yuk Ying''s half-lidded eyes were unfocused, glowing faintly silver. His damaged lips moved slightly.


    Oh. He''s reciting meditations. He''s using his cultivation to numb the pain.


    ¡°He has to be taken back to the mortal realm for immediate treatment,¡± one of the disciples said, turning to Gou Dzing as the most senior there. Gou Dzing was about to answer when he saw another disciple reaching to peel back the fabric that covered Gaam Yuk Ying''s torso.


    ¡°STOP!¡±


    The disciple leapt back hastily. ¡°Ah! S-sorry, Gou Si hing.¡±


    ¡°You could cause even more damage by just pulling things,¡± the disciple who had spoken to Gou Dzing scolded.


    Gaam Yuk Ying''s eyes flickered towards Gou Dzing. His lips moved again. A raw hand twitched in his direction.


    It''s okay.


    Gou Dzing knelt down. ¡°Are you sure?¡± he whispered.


    I... I want to live. If it means... they find out... then they find out.


    ¡°You, go report to the Grandmaster,¡± Gou Dzing ordered immediately, straightening up. ¡°You and you, bring Gaam Yuk Ying to the Ming Yuet Palace as soon as possible. Are there any loong soldiers who are willing to go with them?¡±


    Three soldiers stepped forwards, one offering to go ahead to prepare the palace for the arrival of the patient.


    They were organised and gone within a few moments. Gong Lau Yan arrived, out of breath, to see them disappear over the horizon.


    ¡°Little Gaam?¡±


    ¡°... burnt. Badly.¡± Gou Dzing''s hands were shaking. His folded his arms to contain them and turned to those who had been assigned to Gaam Yuk Ying''s team. ¡°Report!¡±


    ¡°Gou Si hing.¡± A disciple stepped forwards and bowed. He was covered in ash, and had some light burns on his hands. In fact, most of the group were in a similar state, but none so hurt as Gaam Yuk Ying. ¡°We came upon the target, Tim Dzeung Baak, a day in that direction.¡± He pointed. Given the haziness of the sky, it was impossible to identify conventions such as the cardinal directions, and compasses didn''t work here. ¡°She seemed to be waiting for us.¡±


    ¡°She laid a trap?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. She stood in the open and ignored everyone except Gaam Si hing. We tried asking questions but she wouldn''t answer any of them. She made some comments about... well, we''re not sure who she was referring to, exactly. Something about a little girl being very disappointed. She laughed a lot about it.¡±


    Gou Dzing''s fingers curled. ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°Gaam Si hing told her she had to return with us, and we would use force if she resisted... And she...¡± The disciple seemed a bit stunned.


    Shock, perhaps. Gou Dzing had them all sit down, and one of the loong soldiers, an officer called Dzit Dzan Fan continued, ¡°Tim Dzeung Baak is very fast. Her Fire powers... If we were in the mortal realm, we would be able to deal with her much more easily. But here...¡± Officer Dzit, a rare male loong, couldn''t continue, apparently silence by enraged bafflement.


    Another disciple picked up the report. ¡°It was too fast for us to see. Tim Dzeung Baak launched a... well, it was fire, but... it... was dense. Like a sticky liquid rather than a flame. Gaam Si hing was the only one fast enough to react to it. He caught the force of it, giving us time to raise an earthen barricade... We...¡± She hung her head. ¡°We were so unprepared. What were we doing?¡±


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°You''ve never been n a real battle.¡± The loong soldier who had spoken before shook her head. ¡°We have, and we were still made a fool of by that woman... and our leader harmed at the same time.¡± Swallowing, she bowed low before Gong Lau Yan. The other soldiers followed her lead. ¡°Lady... Your judgement.¡±


    So far, Gong Lau Yan had been silent, her arms crossed, a finger tapping her elbow. The cool brown of her eyes had darkened, the colour of deep floodwaters. However, she merely said, ¡°Little Gaam is a capable individual, but not a commander. I will take over his role. We will not pursue Tim Dzeung Baak any further until we have several plans for dealing with her. In the meantime, we will have patrols and guards. All of you, come with me. I need to hear everything in fine detail.¡±


    The soldiers and disciples bowed and shuffled away towards their base of operations, a collection of tents located a few kilometres away from the mountain. Gong Lau Yan patted Gou Dzing firmly on the shoulder.


    ¡°He''ll be alright. And I''m not just saying that. Little Gaam is tough.¡±


    Gou Dzing was going to say something about how badly Gaam Yuk Ying had been burnt, but instead, he said, ¡°They''ll find out.¡±


    ¡°What did Little Gaam say?¡±


    ¡°That... he wanted to live. Even if they find out.¡±


    ¡°Good. And you?¡±


    ¡°Of course I want him to live!¡±


    ¡°That''s not what I mean.¡±


    ¡°I... Yuk Ying is Yuk Ying. Whoever he is, or looks like... I just want him to be okay...¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± A ghost of a grin flitted across Gong Lau Yan''s face. ¡°Little Gou, hold on to that.¡± Her brows drew together. ¡°It''s going to get harder from now on. Like A-po said, you can''t be children forever. We can''t always have what we want, or even what we need.¡±


    ¡°The last conversation I had with Yuk Ying, I hadn''t accepted... I let him go without reassurance...¡±


    ¡°Could you have reassured him if you weren''t ready? Could you really be so disingenuous, Little Gou?¡±


    ¡°I suppose not.¡±


    ¡°No, I don''t think so either. Now, let''s go. We need to reassess the situation.¡±


    *


    An hour before.


    Gaam Yuk Ying sped lightly across the red dust of that damaged world, the loong soldiers providing a link between him and the Way of the Mountain disciples struggling to keep up. Ahead, a stand of dead trees formed the only landmark nearby.


    His eyes flashed silver and he changed trajectory slightly, racing to the trees and drawing abruptly to a halt.


    Tim Dzeung Baak sat lightly in one of the trees.


    She smiled widely at Gaam Yuk Ying, narrowing one huge eye and miming drawing a bow and arrow. Aiming directly at Gaam Yuk Ying''s forehead, she mimed letting go of a bowstring, complete with an unpleasant whistling sound, then a thunk with her tongue.


    Gaam Yuk Ying''s eyes narrowed. Tim Dzeung Baak cackled.


    The disciples and soldiers spread into a defensive formation, wary. They slowly began to circle behind Tim Dzeung Baak, but she ignored them, smiling at Gaam Yuk Ying.


    ¡°Little Handsome, have you finally decided to become my husband?¡±


    ¡°You have a husband.¡±


    ¡°I do?¡±


    ¡°A warm jail cell. He''ll hold you tight.¡±


    Tim Dzeung Baak giggled. ¡°I love a man with a sense of humour.¡±


    ¡°Tim Dzeung Baak,¡± called the most senior loong soldier, an officer called Dzit Dzan Fan, a rare male loong, ¡°we will be bringing you back with us to face the consequences of your crimes. If you resist, we will not go easy on you.¡±


    ¡°Crimes?¡± She fluttered her eyelashes at Gaam Yuk Ying. ¡°You mean stealing that little girl''s teacher? She must be so very disappointed.¡±


    They moved simultaneously, so fast that only the loong, with their supernatural vision, could see their actions. Gaam Yuk Ying drew Lou Fu Ngan in a single, fluid movement, and Tim Dzeung Baak pressed to fingers to her lips, and blew through the gap between them.


    A stream of thick fire poured towards the disciples beside Gaam Yuk Ying. He jumped before them, spinning Lou Fu Ngan to dispel as much of the fire as possible. It dripped from the blade, clung to his robes and seeped up through the fabric, reaching the skin within a few breaths. A moment later, earthen barriers slammed into place around them, and hands pulled him to the ground, rolling him in an attempt to put out the fire.


    The loong soldiers rounded the barriers, but Tim Dzeung Baak was already gone.


    The sticky fire had caught Gaam Yuk Ying''s hair and face, and he snarled and flinched in pain. The party was in disarray. Almost beside himself with disbelief, Officer Dzit rushed wildly around the grove of dead trees, hunting for Tim Dzeung Baak. Some of the disciples simply sat in shock, staring at the fire that was crawling around Gaam Yuk Ying. Others smothered his body in dirt, their hands scorched by the flames. Eventually, the fire went out, but when they pulled the soil back, some of the onlookers had to flee, covering their mouths. For the loong, to whom water was their spirit and their blood, desiccation and burning were the opposite of their very being. They shivered in sickened horror at the sight of the scorched, gasping Gaam Yuk Ying, whose fingers scraped repeatedly at the soil and whose eyes darted back and forth rapidly, but completely unfocused.


    ¡°We have to get him treated.¡± Office Dzit returned, having pulled himself together enough to make orders. ¡°As fast as we can. Soldiers at the rear. If any disciple falls behind, carry them.¡± His words stumbled to a halt, as his shame and anger rendered him speechless. Still, it was enough. Two soldiers made a makeshift stretcher from a robe and two spears, laid Gaam Yuk Ying on it as carefully as they could, and began the anxious race back to base.


    Gaam Yuk Ying stared at the sky, and scratched at the fabric of the stretcher with his fingers, his mind singing with pain. Words from the Manual of Reflective Arts drifted across his mind, and he followed them soundlessly with his lips, willing them to cut through the pain.


    For ten years, I have polished this sword... It''s frosted edge has not once been tested... Today I hold it out to show you... asking... who suffers from injustice?


    Over and over, he followed the words, followed the energy circling wildly through his body, up and down, his Metal-aligned spirit struggling to push back against the fire that engulfed him.


    Fire melts Metal. The Metal grows soft, distorts, but can be reformed and strengthened if the Fire is put out. Water quenches Fire. Earth smothers Fire.


    Gou Dzing''s face appeared in his shaking vision. He looked worried.


    Gaam Yuk Ying realised, dimly, that someone had tried to begin removing his clothing. His lips moved soundlessly, the passages of the Manual of Reflective Arts, and his own thoughts, melting and swirling together.


    Is he worried?


    Remember that the sword is a cursed thing...


    It''s okay, don''t worry about me.


    ¡­ that a wise person will only use...


    I... I want to live. If it means... they find out... then they find out.


    ¡­ if they must.


    Thank you.

 35 - No medicine can save the MC

    If one were to visit Mount Faa at this point, and observe the sect closely, they might notice that the atmosphere seemed a bit strange.


    The disciples dutifully trained and cultivated as usual, although perhaps their training was a little more intense, and they cuItivated for longer, well into the night hours when they would usually be asleep.


    The Fire Master, Ying Fo, was more subdued, no longer showing favouritism to select students. Everyone was trained equally hard.


    Cheng Baak-hap pored over documents, her fingers ink-stained and a patch of raw red skin on her forehead where she had rubbed it repeatedly. She raised dark-ringed eyes at the sound of the wall guards alerting the sect to arrivals at the gates, but continued to draw lines and lines of characters until a junior disciple knocked on the door of her room


    "What is it?"


    "Si dze, Gaam Si hing has been brought back injured. He''s in the clinic."


    Cheng Baak-hap dropped her brush and rushed from the room. The junior disciple had a better grasp of lightness arts, and kept pace easily.


    "Does Bik- Does Chan Si mui know?"


    "We haven''t found her yet, Si dze."


    They reached the clinic and instantly dropped into hasty bows; from Gaam Yuk Ying''s bedside, Lord Gaam and Lady Ling turned to see the new arrivals.


    "Greeting the great Masters."


    "Disciple Cheng, come in!" Ling Gwong chirped. Cheng Baak-hap moved to do so, but found her way blocked by Gaam Bing''s enormous calloused palm.


    "Yuk Ying?"


    Gaam Yuk Ying must have nodded, because Lord Gaam retracted his hand and Cheng Baak-hap could finally approach.


    She could only see his head; a clean white sheet covered the rest of him, although she could already see stains starting to marr its cleanliness. A thick balm had been applied across most of his face, and even on his scalp.


    "What happened?"


    "It was her," Ling Gwong said immediately. "I can tell."


    "... Teem Dzeung Baak?"


    Her attempt at mystery having failed, Ling Gwong looked deflated. "Where''s Little Chan?"


    "The last I saw, she was trying archery."


    Since returning to Mount Faa, Chan Bik had been trying her skills at an increasing number of different martial arts. She had already gone through the gim, the dao, the spear, the mace, and the nine-section whip, but had tossed each one aside within a few days. Ling Gwong would happen to appear nearby, ostentatiously checking various exquisite knives and other small blades that she would produce out of nowhere, or perform some impressive martial move only to pretend she had been stretching or yawning.


    Chan Bik ignored her.


    "Lady Ling, why not... just ask Chan Si mui if she will learn from you?"


    "How can l?" Ling Gwong cried, throwing her hands up. Small flames spurted from them. Cheng Baak-hap saw Gaam Yuk Ying''s eyes flicker and hastily said, "Of course, of course. Why don''t I speak to her about it?"


    Nevermind that she already had.


    Three days ago, she watched Chan Bik, alone, practicing archery in the shooting field. All the other disciples were abed, even with the new sense of urgency sweeping the sect.


    "Bik Si mui, you should rest now."


    Chan Bik lowered her bow with a huff. "I don''t want to."


    "Not even with me?" Cheng Baak-hap suggested foxily.


    "Are you just teasing me?" Chan Bik asked wretchedly. The face she turned to her Senior Sister was on the verge of tears. "Please don''t! Sometimes I feel like you''re as unreachable as the stars, Si dze."


    "What do you mean?" Cheng Baak-hap moved forward and grasped Chan Bik''s hands tenderly. They were warm and a little puffy from drawing the bow for hours. "You''re the amazing one, Bik Bik. Without proper training, you managed to attain Second-daantin Mastery, and at only seventeen years old! Why don''t you accept Lady Ling''s teachings? With her guidance, you''ll catch Gou Si hing and Gaam Si hing in no time."


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "And her?" Chan Bik asked quietly.


    Cheng Baak-hap tweaked her nose. "Teem Dzeung Baak won''t be able to do anything."


    The grass of the field crunched a little underfoot. The encroaching summer would be  dry one, it seemed. Cheng Baak-hap thought of the dryness of the demon realm and had to suppress a shudder.


    "... I don''t want to learn from Ling Gwong," Chan Bik said.


    "Why not?"


    "Why should I have to go and beg to her when she rejected me? Let her beg."


    "Bik Si mui..."


    "Call me Bik Bik again." Chan Bik muttered to the ground.


    "W... When did I!"


    "Can I call you Sing Sing?"


    Cheng Baak-hap came back to the present moment as Chan Bik entered the treatment room. She greeted everyone other than Ling Gwong respectfully, giving the Vermilion Bird a curt nod and nothing else.


    "Can we help with your treatment, Si hing?"


    Gaan Yuk Ying didn''t answer at first, but Chan Bik waited with understanding patience until he gave the faintest of nods.


    "Keep his body clean and apply that balm every two si," Gaam Bing rumbled. "Dzik Yuet Yi-sang said to just lightly pat with damp cloths."


    "Understood, Lord Gaam."


    Having spoken, Lord Gaam lumbered from the room, dragging a reluctant Ling Gwong with him. The two disciples fetched water and cloths, filling Gaam Yuk Ying in on the happenings at Mount Faa.


    "The mortal realm is unsettled. No one''s admitting it openly, but they''re all preparing for war."


    "The Fire Master is starting to teach properly these days. Someone said Lady Ling set his bed alight, the first night she arrived."


    Cheng Baak-hap peeled back the sheets, cloth at the ready.


    "What''s wrong, Sing Sing?" Chan Bik approached with a basin of water. "Is it that bad?" She looked at Gaam Yuk Ying, who was staring fixedly at an empty corner of the ceiling.


    "Wow, Gaam Si hing, you''ve been pretending all this time?"


    "Not pretending," he muttered. "It''s... all wrong."


    "What is?"


    "This... This body."


    "So... It''s right to call you ''Si hing''?"


    A stiff nod.


    "Hm... Okay. That''s good. It would be hard for me suddenly to change what I call you."


    She and Cheng Baak-hap cleaned his wounds, reapplied the balm and fresh bandages, and left to let him rest.


    "Bik Bik."


    "Yeah?"


    "How..." Cheng Baak-hap''s mind was whirling. "Gaam Si h- hing..."


    "What about him? Are you worried? He''ll be okay, he''s tough."


    "No, not that!" Cheng Baak-hap dropped her voice urgently. "What should we do?"


    "About?"


    "Gaam Si h- hing, of course!"


    "Help him recover, and slap that bitch for what she did, of course."


    "Not that either!"


    "What are you talking about, Cheng Si dze? This isn''t like you, talking in such a roundabout way. Do you mean how Gaam Si hing has a body different to your expectations? What does that change?"


    Cheng Baak-hap sighed. "You''re right, I just... Honestly, I''m a bit surprised you''re not more upset that he didn''t tell us."


    "I am. But..." Chan Bik stared into the basin of dirty water she carried, as if scrying for answers. "Gaam Si hing looked really scared. But he let us find out anyway. So it means he trusts us, don''t you think?" She continued walking down the hall, Cheng Baak-hap following slowly. "I don''t care if he''s a man or a woman or Gun Yam, he says he''s my Si hing. So l should be a good Si mui."


    "You''re a better Si mui than I am. Here, let me help you carry that, Bik Bik."


    "I''m far stronger than you, Sing Sing. Ugh, it looks like the quarterstaff is no good either. I don''t know what to try next!"


    "Why not a knife or dagger?" Ling Gwong suggested, appearing behind them.


    "Ma- Lady Ling Gwong!"


    The Vermilion Bird of the South awkwardly spoke to the air above their heads. "I have some... well... a little bit of knowledge about knife arts. I could teach you..."


    "Thank you, Lady," Chan Bik said hotly. "But I couldn''t possibly impose on someone who already has a disciple. And there''s no way I want to learn anything that makes me similar to that dog''s daughter, Teem Dzeung Baak!"


    Chan Bik bowed, quickly and rudely, and marched away to tip out the water. Bowing too, Cheng Baak-hap followed close behind.


    Ling Gwong evidently hadn''t given up, however, for the next time they visited Gaam Yuk Ying, she was there again, along with Gaam Bing.


    "We brought you a gift!" she gushed as the girls entered, casting a not-so subtle glance at them. Everyone pretended not to notice. Gaam Bing held up a long cloth parcel where Gaam Yuk Ying could see it, and carefully unwrapped the coverings to reveal a familiar hilt and sheath.


    "Yuk Ying?" Chan Bik exclaimed, temporarily forgetting her heated silence. "It''s been fixed?"


    "We did it," Ling Gwong said proudly. "Remember that metal you used to suppress Teem Dzeung Baak''s fire before you first arrived at Mount Faa? It was collected. Every little piece was brought back. Not that anyone know what it was, but Old Gaam here, he knew straight away that it was the great metal Wolfram, tougher than any other Earthly metal, and that no flames except mine could possibly be used to forge it to remake this gim-"


    "Give it a new name," Gaam Bing said gruffly, interrupting. He placed the sword by Gaam Yuk Ying''s side, where he could reach it without straining. "It''s all yours now."


    Gaam Yuk Ying''s fingers brushed the jade of the hilt. "Yiu Tsing."


    Grip tightening on the hilt, his silver-grey eyes drifted to the window of his room, looking east. His eyelids fluttered.


    "We''ll let you rest, Si hing," Cheng Baak-hap said. Gaam Yuk Ying nodded wearily as they filed out.


    "Little Chan," Ling Gwong said eagerly, once they were outside, "I''ll teach you the Flying Embers technique, so-"  She realised Chan Bik was walking away. "Wait! Little Chan! Hey, Old Gaam, don''t you try and run away too! Help me!"


    Gaam Yuk Ying listened to the lady''s squawks fading into the distance. He felt the weight of the past few days seize his limbs and eyes. Struggling to stay awake, his thoughts returning over and over again to the look on Gou Dzing''s face when he had removed his robes and revealed the bindings beneath.


    Gaam Yuk Ying fell into an uneasy sleep with the thought - what kind of expression would Gou Dzing have when they met again?

 36 - Dont split up, the monsters will get you

    The next day after Gaam Yuk Ying was medically evacuated, the cultivator camp was attacked.


    It was simply a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Gou Dzing was sitting alone on the edge of the camp, distracted by his thoughts, when he caught sight of a faint dust cloud on the eastern horizon. He squinted at the dust, testing the abilities of his Dragon Eyes. A glitter of gold skittered through his dark eyes, and then he could see them, a horde of demons rushing towards the mountain.


    Gou Dzing turned and raced back into camp. ¡°Lady Gong!¡±


    ¡°What''s up, Little Gou?¡± Gong Lau Yan was seated in the dining tent, a cup of tea in one hand and a draft plan of the region around the mountain in the other. Her hair was untied, and she looked like she had only recently rolled out of bed.


    ¡°There are demons headed this way from the east. They''re armed.¡±


    She leapt up, tying her hair as she exited the tent and calling to the loong soldiers to prepare for potential combat. Gou Dzing rounded up disciples, and they all watched as the small demon army approached at speed.


    There was no calling of orders or gesturing; these warriors had setup their plan beforehand and were now simply carrying it out. A lightning raid. Strike fast and hard.


    The information they relied on to plan this attack, however, was clearly out of date. They had not expected to come across a platoon of human cultivators and loong soldiers.


    The demons struck at everyone and anyone. The disciples, at first uncertain as to whether they should join the melee, now found they had no choice. They had to fight or die, or at least be seriously injured.


    "Mountain disciples, earth barriers!" Gou Dzing ordered. "Everyone gather!"


    Within moments, mounds of earth rose, forming a shield around the camp behind which they could shelter and retaliate. Those with long-distance skills began to fire out on the attacking demons.


    "Si-hing, do we protect our demons as well?"


    What our demons? Gou Dzing glanced around, eyes catching everything. Somehow he couldn''t avoid seeing - the jutting ribs of attackers and defenders alike, a demon bleeding out on the ground with a mouthful of torn flesh from the demon attempting to stab them with a sharpened rock, figures bludgeoning and scratching and punching each other...


    His vision seemed to be tinged a little pink, but he blinked to clear his eyes. Do they protect the demons, or not?


    ¡°No. We defend our camp, no more.¡±


    Awful screams of anger and pain from demons on both sides rent the air. Even if they did intervene, Gou Dzing couldn''t tell the difference between one side and the other.


    "Soldiers, these demons are unskilled in combat," Gong Lau Yan called. "Respond with non-lethal defence."


    "Mountain disciples, staggered earth barriers and pits." The Grandmaster rallied the students.


    "Reflective Arts, mirrored surfaces in between."


    Within moments, obstacles were springing up between the attaching force and their target, and the lightning raid was in shambles. One of the attackers, evidently some kind of leader, gave a great rasping cry, and suddenly the attackers abandoned the fight, streaming away from the mountain as quickly as they had come.


    The next day, another raid, this time from an army coming from the north-east. Again, the camp took to defence, the soldiers and cultivators pale and grim behind their barriers as the demons hacked and bit at each other.


    Gou Dzing blinked and squinted. It seemed as though he could see through the very bodies of the demons, as if they were formed of a thin mist. He could see the way a four-armed demon with two heads had the front of its body slashed completely open, bursting open like a ripe fruit, despite the fact it had its back to him. The struggling figures before him were solid, yet clear as glass. He felt dizzy, untethered.


    Something began to seep from his eyes and down his cheeks.


    "Si-hing!¡± one of his juniors seized his shoulder. ¡°Blood!"


    He couldn''t look away.


    "Little Gou.¡± Wong Tang''s voice brought him back to reality as she covered his eyes. ¡°Your sight arts are straining your body. Lau Yan and I will handle the rest. Disciple...?¡±


    ¡°Mo Tong, Grandmaster.¡±


    ¡°Disciple Mo Tong, take your Si-hing to the medical tent.¡±


    Mo Tong carefully led Gou Dzing through the camp to the empty tent, and helped him sit on a bed. ¡°Are you alright, Si-hing? Do your eyes hurt?¡± He found a wet cloth and cleaned the blood from Gou Dzing''s face.


    ¡°Not at all. They feel a little prickly, that''s all. You should go back and join the others. I doubt the demons will come sneaking through here.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure, Si-hing?¡±


    ¡°You were one of the first scouts when the demons first appeared, weren''t you?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. I travelled to Dzue last year after the first reports.¡±


    ¡°Then it would be good for you to be out assisting. You have more knowledge than most.¡±


    ¡°Well... Grandmaster!¡±


    ¡°You can go, Disciple Mo. Little Gou, how do your eyes feel?"


    "They don''t hurt. What happened?" He felt her sit down on the bed beside him as Mo Tong exited the tent.


    "Your eyes were straining beyond the current capabilities of your body. You need to work up to that kind of level."


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    "I could see through them..."


    "Eventually you''ll even be able to see through most things. But you''re not ready yet. Keep your eyes closed for now. I''ll check on you again in a si."


    "What''s happening outside? Is anyone fighting the demons?"


    "Is that what you would have done?"


    "Honestly... No, Master."


    "We''re disrupted them. As with the previous attackers, they''re looking for a fast strike and retreat, not a pitched battle."


    "Casualties?"


    "None so far."


    Gou Dzing sighed.


    To his surprise, so did Wong Tang.


    "Master?"


    "The more I watch you, the more I think I made a mistake in not guiding you down the healer''s path earlier."


    Gou Dzing chuckled, surprising his Master this time. "Master, the experiences I''ve had so far have taught me so many things. There''s no mistakes."


    "Who''s this sage disguised as our Little Gou?" Gong Lan Yan laughed, entering the tent.


    ¡°Lady Gong? If you''re here, then who-¡±


    ¡°The demons have already retreated. Let''s have a look at your eyes.¡±


    Gong Lau Yan quickly lifted Gou Dzing''s eyelids. ¡°Hm. Looks dramatic, but it''s not too bad. You''ll be okay. You definitely overdid it though.¡±


    ¡°How? I don''t even know what I did.¡±


    ¡°Lie down and rest for now,¡± Wong Tang advised. ¡°Once you''re rested, we''ll have a talk and I''ll guide you.¡±


    She and Gong Lau Yan left the tent, discussing the battle as Gou Dzing fell back on the bed.


    Now with his sight shut down, his other senses were sharpened. A cultivator''s senses were already more sensitive than an ordinary person, but this was on another level.


    Of all of them, his sense of touch seems to be the most heightened. The feeling of the bed below him, the cloth of the bedcovers, the vibrations of his own heartbeat, all these things seemed almost unbearably present. He breathed deeply, the rush of air in his lungs harsh and raw and brought his consciousness within, away from his overstimulated body and instead towards his internal state, the flow of hei from his middle to upper daan-tin, the dizzying rise of shen from his upper daan-tin...


    The faintest of vibrations brought him out of his meditations. Light, regular impacts. Footsteps, coming from the opposite direction from where the loong soldiers and human disciples were gathered.


    "Who''s there?" he asked, keeping his voice low and even.


    He was answered by a hair-raising, familiar laugh. "Oh no, the big bad cultivator caught me! Too bad he can''t do anything about it!"


    "Teem Djeung Baak. What exactly is it that you want?"


    "What I want?" He could almost see her, tipping her head quizzically to one side, her gigantic eyes even wider with false-innocence. "You could die, for a start."


    "Why''s that?"


    "Little Handsome has less time to play with me now. That''s not fair. You can''t keephim all to yourself."


    "But you can?"


    "Of course. So play nice and die."


    Gou Dzing had been silently gathering soil below the bed, and it was lucky that he did, otherwise he would not have been able to react in time to the atack that Teem Djeung Baak launched at him. The earth barrier closed around him just in time to block something that sent a wave of heat and shock over him, but a second later he opened the trap he had laid under her feet ¨C a large hole in the dirt that he had left covered with a thick enough layer of earth to bear Teem Djeung Baak''s weight until the very last minute.


    She feel, but he felt and heard her leap up the side and out again within moments. The earth barrier had strengthened to the density of rock, but her barrage of attacks was making it crack faster than he could compress earth to harder and harder minerals.


    Still, it did the job of delaying her, which was all he needed. He could feel below him the vibrations of people approaching. Two were approaching at high speed, light and fast and... one was very familiar.


    "Litle Handso-"


    There was a clash of metal, a snarl like a feral animal, a screech of pain, then wild laughter. And then, silence.


    Gou Dzing cast about in his shelter, seeking sound or vibration. His breathing was already becoming a bit laboured in the closed air of the earth barrier. "Ga- Yuk... Yuk Ying?"


    "...here."


    The earth barrier crumbled. Suddenly surrounded by the scent of blood and burnt flesh, Gou Dzing held his hands out, but found nothing. "Yuk Ying? Are you okay? Are you injured?"


    "Your eyes."


    "Yeah, I overdid the Dragon Eyes, apparently. Come here?"


    He felt Gaam Yuk Ying move closer. He could feel the heat coming from the other''s body. "Can I hug you?"


    "... do you want to?"


    "Yes. Very much."


    At last, Gaam Yuk Ying moved within reaching distance. Gou Dzing folded his arms around him and buried his face into Gaam Yuk Ying''s robes with a sigh of satisfaction. He didn''t seem to be injured. ¡°I''m sorry I took so long. Are you okay? How''s your body?¡±


    ¡°Still here.¡±


    ¡°Ha... Can I...?¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying stood still and let Gou Dzing run his hands over his face. Faint lumps and oddly smooth patches met his fingers; it was evident that Gaam Yuk Ying had residual burn marks over his skin. Holding him close with one arm, Gou Dzing moved his other hand down to find Gaam Yuk Ying''s fingers. There were scars on these too.


    ¡°Do they hurt?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Gou Dzing pressed Gaam Yuk Ying''s hand to his face, kissing each finger individually. ¡°It was... hard without you. I kept wondering if you were okay. I regretted not going with you.¡±


    ¡°Better to stay here.¡±


    ¡°I could have learnt more about healing if I went back. I could have helped look after you. I''m sure of it now, I''m not suited for war.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°There''s been several raids by other demon settlements. I wanted to fight against them, as if somehow these demons here are... I don''t know, our friends? Allies? We just happen to know them a little longer. We can''t even communicate.


    ¡°My head''s so full of thoughts. We''re suppose to be here to observe and learn, not get involved. And yet I made this sudden judgement that our demons were in the right, and those other demons were the bad ones. And then I realised what I was thinking, and got so mixed up that I almost froze and caused my juniors to be in danger-¡±


    ¡°Did you?¡±


    ¡°Did I...?¡±


    ¡°Freeze. Cause the juniors danger.¡±


    ¡°Well, no, everyone''s safe-¡±


    ¡°Then, that''s fine.¡±


    Gou Dzing chuckled, then laughed out loud. ¡°See, this is why I need you here. So decisive.¡±


    ¡°... is it okay?¡± Gaam Yuk Ying''s usually clear, low voice had a distinct waver. Gou Dzing pulled him down onto his lap.


    ¡°Yuk Ying?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I love you. Very much.¡± He leaned into Gaam Yuk Ying''s neck, breathing in his fresh, clear scent. ¡°Whoever, whatever you are. It''s you. I was surprised at first, but after thinking about it, the answer is really so obvious. So let''s stay together like this, okay?¡± He twined his fingers through Gaam Yuk Ying''s.


    For a while, the only sound was Gaam Yuk Ying''s uneven breaths. Then, his fingers tightened around Gou Dzing''s in return. ¡°Chan Bik is returning.¡±


    ¡°Bik Si-mui?¡± Ah, the second person he had heard approaching. ¡°She''s as fast as you are now.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Gou Si-hing? Are you okay? What happened to your eyes?¡±


    He explained again before asking. ¡°Where''s Teem Djeung Baak? What happened? I couldn''t quite tell.¡±


    ¡°She got away again, the slippery sn- that bitch. Hey, Gaam Si-hing, why are you just innocently sitting on Gou Si-hing''s lap when there''s a severed hand right there. At least clean up first!¡±


    ¡°A hand?¡±


    When Chan Bik and Gaam Yuk Ying rushed into the tent, Teem Djeung Baak had been pelting fireball after fireball into the stone barrier that Gou Dzing had built around himself. As she swung back her left arm to strike, Gaam Yuk Ying swung Lou Fu Ngan, slicing her hand clean off, and Chan Bik had leapt forward and viciously cauterised the bleeding stump with a bright orb of pure, searing hei. Even if Teem Djeung Baak could find a genius doctor, there was no way she could get her hand reattached now.


    She evidently realised this immediately, as she abandoned the limb and fled from the tent, wildly laughing, with Chan Bik pursuing closely.


    ¡°That creep! How could she laugh like that, like she was entertained? Gaam Si-hing cut her hand off! I burnt her!¡±


    ¡°How did she get away?¡±


    Chan Bik''s voice was troubled. ¡°She blew up the ground in front of me. By the time I recovered and the dust cleared, she was gone. How is she so skilled? Do you think... maybe she''s better suited to Fire arts than me.¡±


    ¡°That''s not true.¡±


    ¡°Cheng Si-mui?¡±


    ¡°Gou Si-hing, what on earth have you done to yourself now? Did you peep at Gaam Si-hing undressing so he poked your eyes out?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Serves me right.¡±


    ¡°Gou Si-hing, did you really? How could you?¡±


    ¡°I was joking, Bik Bik.¡±


    ¡°Sing Sing, don''t do that, you know I can''t tell.¡±


    ¡°Sing Sing?¡±


    ¡°Isn''t it cute?¡±


    ¡°Stop teasing me!¡±


    And just for a moment, Teem Djeung Baak, and the fighting demons, and the dry, tormented land outside, were all forgotten.

 37 - Whos the real villain here?

    It took them almost half an hour to sober up. Gou Dzing was tucked back into bed, despite his protests, with Gaam Yuk Ying sitting on the bed beside him. Cheng Baak-hap had found a seat, and Chan Bik stood behind her, absently massaging the other girl''s shoulders.


    "Chan Si-mui, you''ve gotten stronger." Gou Dzing smiled in her general direction. "Even without my vision, you''re burning brightly."


    "Lady Ling Gwong taught her." Cheng Baak-hap smirked. Chan Bik snorted.


    "Oh, good, she finally threw aside her stubbornness and made you her disciple?"


    "No," Cheng Baak-hap groaned. "They''re both so stubborn. Lady Ling still insists that... that woman is her direct disciple. But she obviously wanted to teach Bik Bik. And Bik Bik was angry at being treated second-rate, so she kept saying she didn''t want to learn from Lady Ling, even though she clearly did. So somehow with them both pretending it was all coincidence, Lady Ling would teach Bik Bik, and Bik Bik would learn from her."


    "...Wow. How, exactly?"


    "Fighting," Gaam Yuk Ying explained succinctly.


    "Ah."


    "Teem Djeung Baak still..." Chan Bik''s words were lost to grumbles as she gnawed on a fingernail with nervous energy.


    "Not for long," Gaam Yuk Ying said. Chan Bik dropped her hand in surprise.


    "Gaam Si-hing, did you just praise me?"


    Was that praise?


    With someone so sparing with words and emotions as Gaam Yuk Ying, one could probably say so.


    "How about you, Cheng Si-mui? How have you been?"


    "Well, my research efforts have moved away from trying to decipher the demon language, or languages, perhaps, and on to finding a new form of communication. Demons have so many different morphologies, and many of them just aren''t suited to the pronunciation of many Dzue words. I want to experiment with modifying words so that it''s easier for the demons to pronounce. Now that I''m back, I''ll have to see how it works in practice."


    "I still don''t understand how you''re going to do that," Gou Dzing groaned.


    "I''ll try a few things. I was thinking I would start with showing them various pictures and objects and telling them the names they''ve been given in this experimental language."


    "So we''ll have to learn a new language too?"


    "It''s very similar to Dzue in many ways. Just modified to match the demons'' morphology, as I said."


    "Glad it''s you and not me working on this."


    "I think it''s really exciting though?"


    "My point exactly."


    "What happened to you, Gou Si-hing?"


    "I overdid the Dragon Eyes. I should be okay in a si."


    "Did that ever happen to you, Gaam Si-hing?" Chan Bik asked nervously. She unconsciously rubbed her eyes, which had already begun to develop shining pink sparks in the dark brown of her irises.


    "No."


    "Yuk Ying''s too cool for that," Gou Dzing laughed.


    "Metal attribute. Inherently more attuned with sight."


    "Is that so? I wish Master had told me that. What are the others?"


    "Earth, touch. Fire, taste. Wood, smell. Water, hearing."


    "No wonder you keep saying the food was too salty, Bik Bik," Cheng Baak-hap observed. "Your sense of taste must be getting very sensitive."


    "You two seem oddly affectionate," Gou Dzing said innocently. "Why is that, I wonder?"


    "None of your business," Chan Bik said primly.


    "Well, you see," Cheng Baak-hap began slyly, "one night Bik Bik flung herself into my arms and-"


    "Stop it! Stop it, you fox demon!"


    "Oh, Bik Bik, call me what you usually call me."


    While the women bickered, Gou Dzing gently squeezed Gaam Yuk Ying''s hand. "Are you okay?"


    "... still angry. That woman, I''ll get her."


    There was nothing more to say. Eventually, Wong Tang and Gong Lau Yan reappeared, a little battered but otherwise unharmed, but disturbed to discovered Teem Djeung Baak had sneaked into camp.


    "This place..." Wong Tang scuffed her boot against the dry soil, looking intensely uncomfortable. Since her initial admission that her abilities were severely hampered in this strange dimension, she had hidden any signs of discomfort, but it was clear on her face now. She quickly put this to one side, saying, "That woman seems to be getting stronger."


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "How?" Chan Bik demanded. "Lady Ling keeps saying she doesn''t have the best aptitude for Fire, yet she keeps getting away from me. She burnt Gaam Si-hing last time, too. What''s going on?"


    "She could be burning her djing, her life-force," Gong Lau Yan speculated. "She''s crazy enough. It''s incredibly potent, but limited. Once you run out of djing, you''re dead."


    "She would do that," Cheng Baak-hap muttered. "I wonder why..."


    "So I need to become stronger than a crazy woman who''s burning her life away? That''s insane."


    "Yep," said Gong Lau Yan cheerfully.


    "Yes," Wong Tang agreed, extracting her pipe and puffing on it.


    "We need to become stronger," Gou Dzing rectified.


    Gaam Yuk Ying grunted.


    Cheng Baak-hap patted Chan Bik''s hand.


    The Grandmaster checked Gou Dzing''s eyes, pronounced them to be healed enough, then dragged him away to the where the troops were conducting first aid on the minor injuries that had been sustained. Gong Lau Yan and Cheng Baak-hap headed off to try and speak with the demons, and Gaam Yuk Ying and Chan Bik retreated outside of the camp to spar.


    Ling Gwong had eventually given up on making Chan Bik learn how to fight with knives and daggers, instead teaching (but not really) her unarmed combat. The light she could fire from her fingertips was powerful enough to burn a neat hole through a tree trunk, or a granite boulder, and she kept getting faster and more accurate.


    Gaam Bing had gruffly told Gaam Yuk Ying to stop carrying around scrap bits of metal (although everyone knew in reality that it was Ling Gwong who had complained that this was unbefitting the dignity of a direct disciple of the Ng Dzeung), so in addition to Lo Fu Ngaa and Yiu Tsing, he now had a set of metal accessories ¨C a simple ring on each hand (he refused anymore, saying they made his fingers feel trapped), long and thin earrings that dangled from his earlobes, a plain band on his right wrist, and a metal pin and clasp to hold his hair. Everything was plain and utilitarian, despite Ling Gwong''s furiously whispered objections.


    They exchanged blows, Chan Bik almost as fast as Gaam Yuk Ying so that an ordinary bystander would only see a series of blurs. She had learnt to temporarily form light into a solid point, and she used these to gain footholds for higher ground as they took to the air, Gaam Yuk Ying zipping easily on Yiu Tsing while fending off her attacks with Lo Fu Ngaa.


    Reinforcing her hands with her hei, Chan Bik flicked aside the flying darts her senior brother sent zipping towards her, reshaped from his earrings and bracelet. She ducked under Lo Fu Ngaa, and punched for Gaam Yuk Ying''s ribs under his outstretched arm. Her fist slammed painfully into a metal plate; Gaam Yuk Ying had transformed the clasp in his hair into a protective metal square, but now his long hair was loose. He jumped down from Yiu Tsing with a frown, rapidly retying his hair as he reached the ground.


    Chan Bik landed behind him, her fists primed again to land on his exposed back. Gaam Yuk Ying managed to twist enough so that her fist grazed him, the momentum of his turn lending weight to Lo Fu Ngaa chopping towards her neck. She dodged sideways, one fist high to protect her head, the other pushing away his arm.


    Yiu Tsing slammed into her.


    The blade spun around Gaam Yuk Ying while Chan Bik writhed on the ground her ear ringing from where the flat of the blade had slapped it. Lo Fu Ngaa joined it a moment later, so Chan Bik looked up to find her senior brother observing her with two swords casually circling him.


    "Better," he said.


    "Again."


    "Focus."


    That was the problem. When she could focus, Chan Bik was exceedingly deadly. Several times already, Gaam Yuk Ying had ended up back in the medical wards, being tended for burns and other wounds, whilst Dzik Suet Yi-sang spat blood in anger and tried unsuccessfully to convince them that someone who was still recovering from life-threatening injuries should not be running around adding to them.


    When Chan Bik couldn''t focus, it was easy to take advantage of the fact.


    And it seemed today was not the day. Each round found her on the ground, panting and shaking.


    "Again."


    "Again."


    "Again."


    "Enough," Gaam Yuk Ying said.


    Chan Bik gritted her teeth, but did not argue.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Do you think we''re doing the right thing, Si-hing?"


    "Meaning?"


    "Trying to befriend and understand the demons. What if we''re wasting our time, and we should just kill them all? What is they turn out to be evil?"


    "Evil?"


    Chan Bik flopped down onto her back, heedless of the dust settling on her. "Ha... I sound like a child. I know I am, really. I don''t... really believe there''s such a thing as an evil person. Only evil actions."


    Gaam Yuk Ying sat down next to her.


    "What would you do, Si-hing? If you had a situation where there was a demon in front of you... not one who was attacking you... not like what happened in Sek''suen... but maybe they could attack you, you don''t know, so you had to make a decision to let them go or to kill them, what would you do?"


    Gaam Yuk Ying''s eyelids were lowered so far it almost seemed like his eyes were closed.


    "Kill."


    "Why?"


    "That''s... what they wanted."


    "... what?"


    <hr>


    Months ago ¨C as Gaam Yuk Ying was searching up and down the country for Teem Djeung Baak, he took a detour towards the village where he had killed a demon and knocked out another. The villagers had dragged away the unconscious one, and left the dead one where it lay.


    Or they had, when Gaam Yuk Ying had last been there.


    When he arrived, the decaying corpse of the demon was nailed high in a tree.


    Someone had mockingly painted it, giving it red lips, purple eyelids, the character ËÀ on its stomach. The eyes were gone, and there was an unspeakable mess between its legs. Had this been done by scavenging animals, or...?


    Gaam Yuk Ying frowned, and the iron nails holding the corpse aloft shivered and sprang from the wood. He caught the body as it fell, wrinkling his nose at the smell, but carried it deep into the woods where there was no evidence of human traffic. Laboriously, he dug a hole in the soft loam using Lo Fu Ngaa, and buried the body there, wrapped in his outer robe.


    He tucked the iron nails in his sleeve.


    Retracing his steps, he came back to the road to the village, but stayed under the tree cover, following the track until the first houses came into view. It was night time, the only sounds the occasional lowing of livestock.


    Fast and soundless, he moved from building to building, scanning the interiors rapidly.


    Not here. Not there.


    Here.


    <hr>


    "What happened, Si-hing?"


    Gaam Yuk Ying looked away. "Found them. They asked me to kill them."


    "Not to set them free?"


    "... same thing."


    Chan Bik blinked. Superimposed over the Gaam Yuk Ying there with her, was another Gaam Yuk Ying. His hair was tied with a cloth ribbon, and there was no Yiu Tsing in his hand, only Lo Fu Ngaa.


    A vague impression of a demon kneeled before him.


    Chan Bik clutched her mouth and stomach simultaneously at the sight.


    Lo Fu Ngaa cut through the bindings holding the demon easily. Expressionlessly, Gaam Yuk Ying lifted the demon, preparing to carry it out. For some reason, he paused. Perhaps he heard something that Chan Bik could not, she could only watch as he crouched down again.


    The demon tremblingly tapped the hilt of Lo Fu Ngaa.


    Gaam Yuk Ying laid the demon down, and raised his dou.


    They locked eyes, briefly, then the demon closed theirs.


    Chan Bik''s eyes prickled.


    And the demon''s head was neatly severed between one blink and the next.

 38 - Are you really that desperate to be cannon fodder?

    ¡°What am I going to do with you all?¡± Wong Tang sighed.


    She now had two disciples in the medical tent with their eyes bound, entirely more cheerful than they had any right to be.


    ¡°Gou Si-hing, I did it!¡±


    ¡°You''re amazing, Bik Si-mui! You picked up your sight arts so quickly!¡±


    ¡°Take that, Teem Djeung Baak!¡± Chan Bik challenged into thin air. ¡°I''ll get you-¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying tapped the back of her knee and she collapsed back onto the bed. ¡°Rest.¡±


    ¡°Gaam Si-hing-¡±


    ¡°Rest.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. Where''s Cheng Si-dze?¡±


    ¡°She''s still out with Lau Yan speaking to the local demons. Little Gaam?¡±


    ¡°Divine Majesty.¡±


    ¡°We''re going scouting. Get ready and come with me.¡±


    ¡°I''m ready.¡±


    ¡°Dzit Dzan Faan!¡±


    A loong soldier, a stocky man with a well-groomed beard, entered the tent and saluted. Chan Bik stared at him curiously.


    ¡°Greetings, great disciples, I am Dzit Dzan Faan, Second-in-Command of the Third Head.¡±


    ¡°The what?¡±


    ¡°The Third Head is one of the battalions of the Ocean Emperor, Tin Yeung Wong,¡± he explained patiently. ¡°All of the soldiers here are from the Third Head.¡±


    ¡°I thought this was your army, Grandmaster. Who''s Tin Yeung Wong?¡± Chan Bik said. ¡°Sir Dzit, are there other male loong? You''re the first one I''ve met. And how many Heads are there?¡±


    ¡°My own army?¡± Wong Tang laughed. ¡°That sounds like a lot of work. Tin Yeung Wong is one of my daughters-¡±


    ¡°You have more than one daughter?¡±


    ¡°She keeps the balance in the oceans around the Five Kingdoms. As for male loong...¡± Wong Tang chewed the end of her pipe thoughtfully. ¡°... I''ve met one or two.¡±


    ¡°There are nine Heads,¡± Dzit Dzan Faan supplied helpfully. ¡°The First Head guards the Emperor, the Second Head guards the palace, and the Third Head are the elites of the army.¡±


    Chan Bik''s brow was furrowed. Dzi Dzan Faan was about to explain the remaining Heads when she said, ¡°So are loong polygamous?¡±


    ¡°Uh... why... I don''t quite understand the question, Miss Chan.¡±


    ¡°If there are only a few men and lots of women, then how else do you have babies?¡± Chan Bik demanded. Gou Dzing had his face buried in the bedsheets, stifling his laughter. Gaam Yuk Ying appeared to have fallen asleep to avoid the awkwardness of the conversation.


    ¡°Ah... you''re assuming that loong have the same reproductive systems as humans,¡± Dzit Dzan Faan said, looking awkward.


    ¡°They don''t?¡±


    ¡°They don''t,¡± he replied.


    ¡°They don''t,¡± Wong Tang confirmed.


    ¡°Why are we talking about this, again?¡± Gaam Yuk Ying asked, eyes still closed.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Chan Bik bowed rapidly and apologetically. ¡°I''m sorry! That''s such a weird topic! How did we even get here..?¡±


    ¡°It all started when you-¡±


    ¡°Shut it, Gou Si-hing.¡±


    Leaving the two temporarily blind disciples to bicker, Gaam Yuk Ying, Wong Tang, and Dzi Dzan Faan left the tent.


    ¡°You''ll be in charge while we''re gone,¡± Wong Tang said. ¡°Keep alert for Teem Djeung Baak. Capture her if she appears.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Divine Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Little Gaam, let''s go.¡±


    The two of them raced from the camp, heading north. Traces of the first demon contingent to attack the mountain were clear in the dust, and soon, they could see a shabby camp ahead. Slowing, they circled the camp to try and find a way to approach without being seen, but the land around was flat and featureless. Wong Tang snorted and dropped down to press her hands to the ground. Gaam Yuk Ying''s eyes flashed silver.


    f it. ¡°There seems to be around twenty demons in the camp. Their movements are slow, their heartbeats irregular. Let''s go to the other demon encampment.¡±


    They flew away westwards, until they picked up the trail of the second set of attacking demons. The land here was a little hilly, so they slowed their pace as they came to each hilltop, alert for whatever might be on the other side.


    They crested a hill, and looked down into a bottomless canyon.


    The suffering earth was rent, a huge crevasse stretching left and right from horizon to horizon. As their eyes took in this unexpected feature, they noticed a narrow set of stairs at the edge of the canyon, disappearing down into it. The demons'' trail led there.


    Wong Tang sniffed the air. ¡°Blood. Lots of it.¡±


    They flowed down the hillside to the stairs at the edge, and peered down.


    A face stared back at them.


    Or the remains of a face, an enormous face of rock with its nose missing and features worn smooth, a crack running up its left cheek, eyesockets empty. It gravely considered them, turned directly upwards as if straining towards the sky beyond the canyon walls.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Wong Tang shuddered involuntarily.


    ¡°Divine Majesty?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know, Little Gaam. This world is beyond me. And yet...¡± She grimaced at the face. ¡°Sometimes, I feel like I''ve forgotten something.¡±


    They followed the stairs downwards, descending past the level of the face as it continued to stare upwards. They could see now that the face was indeed attached to a neck, covered in symbols they did not recognise, but it disappeared into the darkness of the canyon, and they had already reached the remains of the demon encampment, based in a cave partway down the staircase.


    Even the hungry dust could not absorb all of the spilt blood.


    The demon corpses had been dismembered, hacked apart, burnt, or blasted. Wong Tang and Gaam Yuk Ying examined them quickly, impassively.


    ¡°Knives. Traces of fire. Explosions,¡± Gaam Yuk Ying reported.


    Wong Tang tore a small piece of bloody cloth from one of the corpses, and nodded. ¡°Let''s return.¡±


    They raced back up the stairs, past the eternally staring face, and back to camp in silence.


    In spite of the speed at which they moved, it seemed as if they were running in place, floating over an endless dusty landscape, devoid of any life.


    Gaam Yuk Ying glanced over his shoulder as he ran. There was nothing behind him, but he continued to look for a little while longer.


    Arriving just as Gong Lau Yan and Cheng Baak-hap were returning, Wong Tang intercepted them.


    ¡°The communication efforts. How are they going?¡±


    ¡°They seem to be working!¡± Cheng Baak-hap''s face was glowing with excitement. ¡°Some of them are picking up words very quickly. I was able to learn a few names as well!¡± Her expression stiffened when Wong Tang held out the piece of bloody cloth. ¡°Grandmaster...¡±


    ¡°The demon camp to the north-west is gone.¡±


    Cheng Baak-hap''s expression crumpled further. She gingerly took the piece of cloth, and turned wordlessly back to the demon camp. They watched her present the cloth to the demon formed entirely of blue frills, and begin to draw in the dust, pointing north-west.


    A team of demons was soon headed in that direction, carrying what sacks they could find.


    The young woman returned silently.


    ¡°Any ideas about how this world ended up this way?¡± Wong Tang asked her granddaughter.


    Gong Lau Yan shook her head. ¡°We can''t exchange such complex ideas yet. We have to build the language further yet.¡±


    ¡°A good start though. Well done. Now, we need to have a meeting. Little Cheng, you are welcome to take a rest.¡±


    ¡°I''ll join the meeting, Grandmaster.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    The meeting was held in the medical tent, although Gou Dzing was now able to remove his blindfold, although his eyes were still bloodshot. Cheng Baak-hap slumped against Chan Bik. Gong Lau Yan and Gaam Yuk Ying yawned simultaneously, provoking a grin from the former and a tiny smirk from the latter.


    ¡°Communication with the demons has begun, and is showing promise,¡± Wong Tang began, a thin plume of smoke coiling from her pipe. ¡°Although it is too early to get excited, this is good news.


    ¡°Gaam Yuk Ying and I scouted the encampments of the two demon groups that attacked the mountain. The one to the north is down to around a score of demons, and they are clearly hurting for supplies. The one to the north-west has been destroyed.¡±


    ¡°By other demons?¡± Chan Bik asked.


    ¡°Possibly, but the attacks were inflicted by knives, fire, and explosives.¡±


    ¡°Teem Djeung Baak!¡±


    ¡°More likely. So, in order to hunt her down-¡±


    ¡°Divine Majesty!¡±


    Everyone turned as Dzan Dzit Faan called from the entrance of the tent. Wong Tang frowned, but gestured him in.


    ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°Divine Majesty, a message has arrived from His Earthly Majesty Dzue Dziu Ming.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°The Sects of the Five Kingdoms are meeting soon. They''re calling for war.¡±


    ¡°Against whom?¡± Wong Tang asked, voice even despite the sounds of consternation breaking out around her.


    ¡°The exact phrasing of the message is: ''The Sects have called for war against the demons, and their allies.''¡±


    ¡°''Allies''?¡± Gou Dzing repeated.


    ¡°Grandmaster,¡± Cheng Baak-hap asked, forcing herself to sit up, ¡°what are relations like between the Dzue Kingdom and the Sects?¡±


    ¡°Deteriorating.¡± Gong Lau Yan answered instead. ¡°With the demons emerging from portals in Dzue, then attacking people in the neighbouring countries... Well, it''s not hard to see why.¡±


    ¡°So they mean to fight the demons, and they will attack Dzue too.¡±


    ¡°Not if we can help it. When is the meeting?¡±


    ¡°Very soon,¡± Dzan Dzit Faan said. ¡°It seems you would need to leave as soon as possible, given how time moves differently here and there.¡±


    Wong Tang tapped her pipe on the table. ¡°Lau Yan. Dzan Dzit Faan.¡±


    ¡°A-po.¡±


    ¡°Divine Majesty.¡±


    ¡°You will stay here. Continue your observations, and ¨C Cheng Baak-hap.¡±


    ¡°Grandmaster.¡±


    ¡°Your mission is to improve communications between our world and the demons to the utmost. You will stay here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grandmaster.¡±


    ¡°Gou Dzing. Gaam Yuk Ying. Chan Bik.¡±


    ¡°Master.¡±


    ¡°Divine Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Grandmaster.¡±


    ¡°We are leaving. Now.¡±


    Chan Bik bit her lip, but bowed with her Senior Brothers. She exchanged a rushed hug with Cheng Baak-hap before Gaam Yuk Ying lifted her on his back and they were gone.


    *


    The northern kingdom of Wong was cold and dry, the white trunks of dense groves of birch trees shining in the sun.


    Cultivators from all across the Five Kingdoms had gathered at the stronghold of the Ngo Mei Sect. Greetings were exchanged, some genuinely pleased, others with false smiles or even downright suspicion. Four cultivators in dusty robes arrived last, landing lightly at the edge of the gathering. A group of disciples sneered at their unkempt appearances.


    ¡°Did no-one tell them they needed a bath?¡±


    ¡°Are they beggars?¡±


    ¡°This is an invite-only event!¡±


    Cultivators began to turn to watch the situation. Not far away, the regent of Dzue, Dzue Dziu Ming caught sight of what was happening and pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing.


    ¡°Disciples of the Mou Dong Sect,¡± Wong Tang observed.


    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Gou Dzing said cheerfully.


    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Chan Bik said, in a very different tone of voice.


    ¡°There are other sects?¡± Gaam Yuk Ying asked.


    The disciples looked ready to spit blood in anger. The first who had spoken, a young man who carried a spear, swaggered forwards. ¡°Turn around and go back!¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Gou Dzing asked conversationally.


    ¡°I''m-¡±


    ¡°I don''t care,¡± Gaam Yuk Ying said. Before the disciple could blink, Lou Fu Ngan and Yiu Tsing shot from their sheaths and slapped him hard. He collapsed instantly. The Mou Dong Sect disciples stared.


    ¡°They do have a point about our appearances though,¡± Gou Dzing conceded. ¡°Here-¡±


    He flicked his hand, and all the dust blew off their robes and hair.


    Chan Bik glared at the Mou Dong disciples, the whites of her eyes still bloodshot, and her brown irises glittering with red and pink sparks. ¡°I can''t believe people like this exist in real life.¡±


    ¡°There are all sorts of people in the world,¡± Gou Dzing said, giving the Mou Dong disciples a friendly smile. The gold flecks in his eyes glittered ominously.


    Lou Fu Ngan and Yiu Tsing returned to their sheaths with an audible click and a flash of silver in Gaam Yuk Ying''s eyes.


    ¡°Three cultivators with sight arts?¡± one of the Mou Dong disciples murmured. ¡°Jade-hilted swords... The uniform of Mount Fa...¡±


    ¡°Grandmaster.¡± Dzue Dziu Ming finally interceded, approaching Wong Tang to bow respectfully. The faces of all those watching turned green.


    The Grandmaster of the Mount Fa Sect?


    ¡°Little Dzue,¡± Wong Tang replied lazily, extracting her pipe. ¡°Were you having fun just now?¡±


    ¡°I''m ashamed to admit I was.¡±


    ¡°I''ll remember that.¡±


    She walked past him, towards the large, grey-roofed pavilion at the centre of the Ngo Mei Sect stronghold, cultivators parting quickly before her. Her footsteps seemed to vibrate through their bones.


    Everyone filed in into the space beyond the red walls, taking seats. Disciples sat on floor cushions, while sect masters and government officials climbed the dais to rest on wooden chairs. The other disciples gave Gaam Yuk Ying, Gou Dzing, and Chan Bik a wide berth.


    Seven Masters sat on the raised platform, along with representatives of the kingdoms of Sek''syun and Cheon. There was clearly an implied divide between the majority of these people and Wong Tang and Dzue Dziu Ming. The representative from Sek''syun frowned at Wong Tang until she turned her golden eyes on him and he was forced to look away.


    The Grandmaster of the Ngo Mei Sect got to her feet and rang a small bell, bringing the hall to attention.


    ¡°Everyone gathered here today, it is now time to begin this conference.¡±

 39 - Humans are bad at knowing whats good for them

    ¡°Elders, esteemed guests, disciples. The matter for our attention today is the increasing aggression of demons, particularly in the countries of Sek''syun and Cheon. As we are all aware, demons have been entering these lands, stealing and killing.


    ¡°Representatives of both countries are here today to provide further details. Your Excellency On, as representative of Sek''syun, where the demons appeared earliest, will you speak first?¡±


    One of the Elders, a stocky man with a sallow complexion and official''s robes, stood and glared around the room. He avoided making eye contact with Gou Dzing.


    ¡°Do you know him?¡± Chan Bik murmured.


    ¡°Father and Grandfather have met with him a few times before,¡± Gou Dzing muttered back.


    ¡°I hope you can provide us with answers, Your Majesty.¡± Envoy On had a harsh voice, like a raven. He glared directly at Dzue Dziu Ming. ¡°These demons are coming out of Dzue, and attacking your neighbours. And I hear you have not experienced any casualties.¡±


    ¡°We are fortunate in having a strong presence of spiritual places and creatures,¡± Dzue Dziu Ming replied lightly. He sipped at the tea that had been provided to all the Elders. ¡°It seems that our pine forest, Tsaam Lam, is not a friendly place for the demons.¡±


    ¡°Or perhaps it is overly friendly,¡± retorted the envoy from Cheon, a younger woman with a permanently concerned expression and dramatic makeup.


    Dzue Dziu Ming was not the most handsome man, but when he turned his gently appealing eyes towards the envoy, she coloured a little and shuffled awkwardly. ¡°You are welcome to visit and see for yourself, Excellency Laam,¡± he offered winningly.


    ¡°I wouldn''t go near that place if you paid me,¡± the Sek''syun Envoy snapped.


    ¡°Why would you be paid?¡± Dzue Dziu Ming asked. His smile was still soft, but his eyes were vicious. ¡°I can just drag you there.¡±


    ¡°Are you threatening me, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Who started first, Your Excellency?¡±


    ¡°Stop, Dziu Ming.¡± Wong Tang stepped in. The Regent raised his hands in a placating gesture, but his eyes still promised violence to the Sek''syun Envoy despite his soft demeanour. ¡°Elders, I hate to interrupt your blaming session, but I have taken a small group of Mount Fa disciples to the Demon Realm for a fact-finding mission.¡±


    Hissing murmurs broke out through the room like water on hot rocks. Wong Tang ignored them. ¡°Disciple Gou.¡±


    Gou Dzing stood and bowed, watched by all the other disciples from the corners of their eyes. ¡°Master.¡±


    ¡°Please provide a report on our interactions with the demons so far.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± There was none of Gou Dzing''s usual playful demeanour. He addressed the elders on the dais boldly. ¡°Elders, my family name is Gou, given name Dzing, Senior Disciple of the Way of the Mountain School of Mount Fa, and direct disciple of Master Wong. Please allow me to-¡±


    ¡°Why should we trust this child?¡± croaked Envoy On. ¡°He''s clearly brainwashed by his Master.¡±


    ¡°The Gou Family have served Cheon well as civil servants,¡± Envoy Laam conceded. ¡°I take it you are speaking for your family here as well, Young Master Gou?¡±


    ¡°Not at all, Your Excellency,¡± Gou Dzing replied smoothly, avoiding the trap. ¡°Only my grandfather can do so. I am here as a humble disciple of the Mount Fa Sect.¡±


    ¡°The Mount Fa Sect has been supported unceasingly by the royalty and government of Cheon. To see your relationship with Dzue...¡± Her eyes drifted towards, but did not quite land, on Wong Tang and Dzue Dziu Ming, seated together.


    ¡°... makes Cheon wish to make more efforts?¡± Gou Dzing asked innocently. Gaam Yuk Ying snorted. Chan Bik let out a spluttering giggle that she hurriedly reigned in.


    Envoy On looked ready to burst a blood vessel. ¡°The disrespect-!¡±


    ¡°Your Excellency.¡± Gou Dzing stared him down. On either side of him, Gaam Yuk Ying and Chan Bik turned their eyes on Envoy On too. He suddenly found herself pierced by three sets of burning eyes, gold, silver, pale red. A shocked hush fell over the room, the spiritual energy of the three disciples palpable to all.


    ¡°Third Daan-tin Adepts?¡± the Grandmaster of the Ngo Mei Sect murmured faintly ¡°All three of them?¡±


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    Gou Dzing closed his eyes, opening them again to reveal they had reverted back to their usual black. ¡°I don''t mean to be so disrespectful, Elders, but I wish to finish my report before I receive questions, you see. Perhaps some of your questions will be answered while I speak.¡±


    The Elders nodded dumbly. Wong Tang grinned secretly and Dzue Dziu Ming smiled approvingly.


    Without interruptions, Gou Dzing was able to make his report, laying out their experiences with the demons so far, including the attack in Yuk-hoi, and the happenings in the Demon Realm. It was unavoidable to mention a certain person during these recountings.


    When she was certain that Gou Dzing had finished speaking, Envoy Laam coughed and asked, ¡°Ahem, so... Erratic knife marks, evidence of explosive fire... These are the traits of this person, Teem Djeung Baak''s attacks?¡±


    ¡°Almost certainly, Your Excellency. That is not to say it might not still be the work of a demon, but given our experiences with this person, we are confident it is her work.¡±


    The Elders, with the exception of Wong Tang and Dzue Dziu Ming, began to mutter amongst themselves. Under his half-closed lids, Gaam Yuk Ying''s sharp eyes caught the subtle changes in expression on the faces of the Grandmaster and the Regent of Dzue; his hands settled surreptitiously on the pommels of Yiu Tsing and Lou Fu Ngan. Chan Bik saw the movement and tensed too.


    The Elders seemed to regather their confidence. ¡°The disciple there...¡± Envoy On jabbed his finger rudely towards Chan Bik. ¡°She has a strong Fire attribute, does she not?¡±


    Before anyone else could respond, Chan Bik leapt up, a small but brilliant point of light forming at the tips of her fingers. From where she stood, she shot it straight through the Envoy On''s cup. For a moment, it seemed like nothing had happened, then a steady stream of tea squirted from the cup from a tiny, perfect hole burnt through the ceramic.


    ¡°As you can see,¡± Gou Dzing followed up, as Chan Bik sat down again, ¡°our Chan Si-mui is more of a comet than an explosion.¡±


    ¡°From your quiet conversations just now,¡± Wong Tang continued drily, eyeing the other Elders like a snake to a mouse, ¡°it would seem that you have experienced some of Teem Djeung Baak''s work. I can assure you that she does exist, and would suggest you stop trying to pin her actions on Disciple Chan.¡±


    The Elders seemed to lose their nerve again, and along with them, the gathered disciples grew uneasy and unsettled once more. Wong Tang finally stood.


    ¡°You''ve heard what we have to say. So I will ask now ¨C do you recognise that the matters with the demon realm are not so straightforward as they first appeared? That if there is an enemy, the criminal Teem Djeung Baak fits this description best? That we should be working together to solve the problem we have at hand?¡±


    Envoy On glared openly at her. ¡°We will do nothing of a sort.¡±


    Wong Tang sighed, and across the room, her disciple sighed too.


    ¡°Very well. There is nothing for us here. You are welcome to seek us out, should you change your minds.¡±


    As she turned to leave, there was a collective drawing of weapons. Suddenly, every person in the room was armed. Gou Dzing''s hand went to his side, forgetting that he no longer had a gim.


    ¡°You selfish idiots.¡± Wong Tang glared furiously at the Elders. ¡°Have you brought your disciples to die here? I could raise my hand and crush everyone here flat in a second.¡±


    ¡°Those are just stories,¡± Envoy On croaked, although he looked a little green. He raised an iron flail. ¡°Disciples, ready!¡±


    Suddenly, she realised she was holding only a stub of metal. Gaam Yuk Ying sheathed Lou Fu Ngan with a clack, while Yiu Tsing continued to spin around him defensively.


    ¡°Please draw Lo Fu Ngan again, Disciple Gaam,¡± Wong Tang said, ¡°and provide us an exit.¡±


    With a nod, Gaam Yuk Ying drew the dou again, cutting once, twice.


    The roof creaked, a cross of light growing above them where the ceiling had been neatly sliced to quarters, and then it caved in.


    The disciples and Elders rushed about in panic, some lunging to fight, others running to dodge falling rubble. Gou Dzing found himself being princess-carried outside in Gaam Yuk Ying''s arms before the first red roof tiles had even begun to hit the floor, with Chan Bik darting out on one side of them, and Wong Tang on the other, carrying Dzue Dziu Ming on her back. It was impossible not to laugh at the bizarre-looking situation.


    Still, those disciples who were fast or responsive enough were now emerging from the collapsed building. Gou Dzing and Dzue Dziu Ming were lowered back to earth.


    ¡°Run,¡± Wong Tang instructed, clamping her pipe between her teeth. Without waiting to see if her instructions were obeyed, she skidded to a halt and slammed her hands together, creating a shockwave that shook the pursuers almost off their feet.


    The others took off out of the Sect, Dzue Dziu Ming moving fast enough to show he was somewhere in the higher range of the Second Daan-tin.


    But he needed to be faster. A deep rumble rose behind them, and the ground started to tilt.


    Chan Bik rapidly pulled at a red cord around her neck, revealing a two egg-shaped gems, one black with silvery blooms like algae on water, and the other striped with bands of orange and white and brown. She tapped them together, and a large, shining red bird bloomed out from the spark that they produced.


    ¡°Get on!¡± Forgetting all etiquette, she pulled the Regent of Dzue onto the bird''s back, Gaam Yuk Ying and Gou Dzing already circling on the floating Yiu Tsing. In a moment, the bird was up beside them, and they raced away as the land on which the Ngo Mei Sect lay rose and rose and rose like a dragon''s back, steep sides of basalt stepping down down down until the Sect now stood on an enormous mountain, its ridge-like peak rising above the cloud layer like an island in the sea. Dzue Dziu Ming whistled low, impressed.


    ¡°Where did this bird come from?¡± Gou Dzing asked, patting the bird''s neck. It responded with a cooing trill.


    ¡°Ma- Lady Ling Gwong gave it to me before I left.¡±


    ¡°What a nice gesture from someone who isn''t even your Master.¡±


    ¡°I swear, the more time you spend with Gaam Si-hing, the more sarcastic you get.¡±


    ¡°By the way, Lady Chan,¡± Dzue Dziu Ming said over her shoulder, ¡°that tea you spilt earlier was very expensive Red Robe tea...¡±


    They could see Wong Tang floating in the distance mid-air, calmly watching the panicking Elders and disciples crawling like ants around the top of the newly created mountain. She drifted comfortably over to them.


    ¡°If they know what''s good for them, that should be the end of things,¡± she said with a small grin. ¡°Let''s go. We have more important things to deal with.¡±

 40 - But (Grand)Dad, you dont understand!

    The Two Dragons Four Tiger Alliance declared war on the Kingdom of Dzue and the Demon Realm the very next day.


    In the conference room of the palace in Ming Yuet, two real dragon sat, along with four humans who might be accurately described as tigers, considering the message that was brought to them by an advance scout. The official declaration was yet to arrive, not that they would wait.


    "Should we respond as the real Two Dragons Four Tigers?" Gou Dzing joked.


    "None of us is actually a Tiger though," Chan Bik said seriously. "I''m a Snake. Your Majesty, are you a Tiger?"


    "Rabbit," Dzue Dziu Ming responded cheerfully. "Interesting to see who has taken up arms, and who''s decided to stay out of it."


    Smoking pensively, Wong Tang stared into middle-distance, brows furrowed.


    "Cheon and Sek''syun," Gong Ming Dzue said, poring over a large map, small statues placed over important landmarks, or indicating the position of troops. "Mou Dong, Kwan Leon, Hung Tung and Ming Sects. Ngo Mei has declined to take part. Tsun Dzan have not stated their position clearly yet."


    "I''ll go and see them," said Dzue Dziu Ming. "I should make it clear that even if their headquarters are based in Dzue, they should not feel pressured to support the country. Although it would be nice if they did."


    "If this Alliance wants to attack a target," Gong Ming Dzue continued, "it would be here." She tapped the western border of Dzue where it bordered with Cheon. "The north of the country is protected by Tsaam Lam. It is unlikely that Sek''syun would attempt to attack this way, and therefore unlikely that they would actually access the Demon Realm... Dzue would have to fall before Tsaam Lam could be breached."


    "That might still be impossible," Wong Tang finally spoke up. "Even I don''t know half of the things in Tsaam Lam. Mount Fa will be alright ¨C Old White and Ah Gwong are still there, but I should go and give them the news."


    "I''ll go to western Dzue," Gong Ming Dzue said.


    "Why?" Dzue Dziu Ming asked.


    "To check the situation, of course."


    "That''s a dumb idea."


    "You''re a dumb idea."


    "Dzue is safer when you are closer to your waterway, Ming Dzue." Wong Tang jabbed her pipe in the direction of Gaam Yuk Ying and Gou Dzing. "The two of you will go west. Little Chan, we''ll return to the Demon Realm together, and I''ll keep going on to Mount Fa. Ask Lau Yan to return to Ming Yuet to support her sister."


    "Grandmaster, you could easily squash this war before it even starts," Chan Bik said. "Why not just go do that? Just yell at them. Show them how scary you are."


    "And what would that achieve, Little Bik? If I went out there and killed everyone, or even if I suppressed them all with my power, what will be the result? Certainly, I would stop the war. But then what? The other countries, the other sects, would view us with fear and distrust. Relations based on such shaky foundations... how long do you think they would last?"


    "But if we go to war, people will die, Grandmaster," Chan Bik protested. "I don''t want that to happen!"


    "Little Bik, people will die no matter what," Gong Ming Dzue said gently. "Our choices are limited. We can only do our best."


    "But you''re dragons - Grandmaster, you''re literally the great goddess of creation. You-"


    Yes, I am." Wong Tang''s voice was shaded with melancholy. "I have done my work- I created. And now my creations have chosen this path. Am I to now also force them to bend to my every whim and belief? Should I have a palace built on Mount Fa, and everyone is to come and worship at my feet?"


    "You wouldn''t-"


    "Who would stop me, Little Bik? Could you?"


    Chan Bik opened her mouth, tears in her eyes and protestations in her throat, and closed it again. She stood and ran from the room.


    "Is there really nothing you can do, Master?" Gou Dzing asked quietly.


    "There are absolutely things that can be done. But they will take time. It will be slow and tiring. Do you also think I should descend on this alliance with all my power?"


    "No, Master. At the same time, I can''t say I like the situation."


    "I would hazard that none of us do, Young Master Gou." Dzue Dziu Ming stood and stretched. "Let us all try our best to defuse the situation. I''ll be heading off now. Ming Dzue?"


    "Dziu Ming?"


    "Can you let Mun Gong know...?"


    "Why don''t you do it?"


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    "Because I have to leave. See you later!"


    "I don''t know what goes though that kid''s head sometimes," Gong Ming Dzue sighed, as the Regent of Dzue quickly disappeared from the room.


    "We should all be going," Wong Tang said. "We can''t afford to delay. We will meet back at the Demon Realm camp in three days. Dismissed!"


    *


    "It''s been a while since we''ve had time alone like this," Gou Dzing observed, as they skimmed their way up the steep sides of Dzak Hau. His voice was light, but when he glanced at Gaam Yuk Ying, his expression turned grim. "Are you alright?"


    "I''m worried. No..." Gaam Yuk Ying had slowed. "... I''m... scared."


    "You? Scared?" Gou Dzing laughed briefly, very briefly. Something fluttered in his stomach and the smile dropped away. "Do you really think this war will turn into something serious?"


    "Do you not?"


    "At first I thought there would be some noise, but Cheon and Sek''syun would back down. It just doesn''t seem to make much sense. Dzue is incredibly powerful, and has been for a very long time. Mount Fa is an old and well-respected sect."


    "It''s not about that."


    They gained the crest of Dzak Hau and turned momentarily back to look over Ming Yuet. A sea of light mist had collected in the geographical basin, pouring down to the ocean. The lights of the city glittered and swam. In very far distance, they saw a flash of gold and a flash of red disappearing into the fastness of Tsaam Lam.


    Gou Dzing was jerked from his thoughts by a thump on his back. Gaam Yuk Ying had leaned suddenly against him.


    "Yuk Ying?"


    "This... People will die. Humans. Demons."


    Turning, Gou Dzing curled his arms comfortingly around Gaam Yuk Ying, but there wasn''t much he could say.


    "There''s no avoiding it. The world isn''t... for us, anymore."


    "''Us''?"


    "Cultivators, maybe. The higher I go, the harder it is." He smoothed the cloth on Gou Dzing''s back. "Already, I struggled. Relating to the world was hard." He took a deep breath.


    "And now I can move faster than any human in the Five Kingdoms and can cut things with my eyes and now I''m the Jade Demon-"


    "What? Who said that?"


    "At the conference."


    "Is that what they said? Those-"


    "Dzing."


    Gou Dzing was surprised into silence by this intimate use of his name. His arms wrapped tighter.


    "I''m not... upset. But... It''s just... Are we still human?"


    "I suppose we''re getting further and further from that, aren''t we?" Gou Dzing reflected. "But we''re in this together, so it''s fine."


    "Is it?"


    "What do you mean?"


    Gaam Yuk Ying shrugged. "Maybe I just... don''t understand."


    "We''ll work though it together."


    "Yes. I''ll make sure of it."


    Gou Dzing thought this was a strange choice of words, but he let it go.


    They sprinted down the other side of Dzak Hau, leaving the misty basin of Ming Yuet behind. Dzue was a land of foggy bamboo forests, pale jagged mountains, grey sky. Simply racing a couple of kilometers though the forest had them damp with dew. By the time they were nearing the western border, their clothes were drenched.


    Gou Dzing squinted ahead, his eyes stinging a little as his vision passed through the peaks ahead. "There''s someone approaching already. Perhaps... twenty people?"


    The mountains were softening into hills, the pale granite increasingly disappearing under green grasses. They crested one of these hills, and below was the Dzue - Cheon border, and a small mixed group of people in the military uniforms of Cheon and Sek''syun.


    A shock passed through Gou Dzing, like his spine was trying to clamber out through his chest by way of his heart.


    "Gung Gung?"


    He barely registered that Gaam Yuk Ying had stepped close, a reassuring hand on his shoulder. There was no space in his mind for it. His only thought was, and could be ¨C why didn''t you realise before?


    ¡°I''ll go,¡± said Gaam Yuk Ying.


    ¡°... We''ll both go.¡±


    Together, they walked down the hillside, no longer leaping lightly. The group of people watched them approach. Gou Dzing felt his heart tighten as he watched recognition pass over his grandfather''s face.


    They stopped within earshot, each group on their own side of the border.


    ¡°... Ah Dzing.¡±


    ¡°Gung-gung.¡±The others on the Cheon side of the border murmured and shuffled at these words.


    The Gou Patriarch''s eyes roamed over his grandson, then Gaam Yuk Ying. ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°See what, Gung-gung?¡±


    ¡°The attendees of yesterday''s war conference spoke of a Hawk-eyed Devil and a Jade Demon... Why does he have your gim, Yuk Ying?¡±


    ¡°It''s not mine anymore, Gung-gung. And I don''t need it. It was reforged with metal he gathered himself. It''s called Yiu Tsing now.¡±


    If the meaning of the name landed, it did not show on the Patriarch''s face. His fingers tapped the pommel of his own gim.


    The awkward silence stretched like a noose.


    ¡°Will you not come over here?¡± Patriarch Gou finally asked.


    ¡°Gung-gung, this isn''t right. Dzue is not responsible for this situation.¡±


    The Gou Patriarch shook his head. ¡°That''s not the point here, Ah Dzing. The Gou Family have been one of the bastions of Sek''syun for generations. Your duty is here, with your family. Young Master Gaam, you are welcome to come too.¡±


    For some moments, Gou Dzing was at a loss for words. Gaam Yuk Ying was a warm presence by his shoulder, and this time, he could feel the other cultivator there. ¡°Gung-gung, the demons and the kingdom of Dzue have nothing to do with each other, except proximity. I''ve seen the demons myself and-¡±


    ¡°Enough,¡± the Gou Patriarch said firmly. ¡°Ah Dzing, I don''t want explanations or excuses. You just need to come here, you understand?¡± He did not look at the soldiers waiting expectantly behind him. Gou Dzing did. They looked ready to pounce.


    ¡°Gung-gung-¡±


    ¡°Gou Dzing!¡±


    If he chose to follow his grandfather, would Yuk Ying follow?


    And not just Yuk Ying. What about Chan Bik? And Cheng Baak-hap?


    What if they all turned their backs on the demons, and simply wiped them out?


    No demons, no problem.


    No way.


    ¡°I can''t,¡± Gou Dzing said softly.


    His grandfather''s eyes widened. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Gung-gung, the matter isn''t so simple.¡± Gou Dzing heard Gaam Yuk Ying shift behind him, the faint clicks of Lou Fu Ngaa and Yiu Tsing leaving their sheaths. ¡°I can''t in good faith turn my back on my friends here, nor the demons.¡±


    His grandfather looked shaken. He looked as though he were staring at a stranger. "I don''t... know you any more."


    Gou Dzing couldn''t breathe. The old man in front of him had once lifted him, laughing, as a little child, had bought him sticky rice cakes whenever he visited from Mount Fa, had casually sparred with him until his strength became too much.


    Steady, he said to himself. The earth is eternal beneath your feet. Feel into the ground...


    His grandfather looked away, dazed. A woman behind him, in the garb of a Cheon commander, raised her spear. At her movement, the remaining soldiers drew their own weapons.


    ¡°What will I tell your father?¡± the Patriarch said. ¡°Your mother?¡±


    Gritting his teeth, Gou Dzing managed to force a response. ¡°Tell them I was doing the right thing.¡±


    The Gou Patriarch closed his eyes.


    The soldiers advanced over the border, and the war began.

 41 - Whyd you have to go and open your mouth?

    Gou Dzing stepped back.


    Gaam Yuk Ying stepped forwards.


    With a flick of Lo Fu Ngaa, he chopped the spear of the Cheon commander in two, then smacked two of the other soldiers on the top of their heads with the flat of Yiu Tsing before they could even blink


    Fists formed of earth and rock erupted past him, slamming into three more soldiers and launching them backwards.


    The remaining soldiers looked uncertainly to the Gou Patriarch, to find he was watching everything with an expression of conflicted pride. He turned to the soldiers with a sigh. ¡°Pick up the injured and retreat. These two are the Jade Exorcist and Eye of the Hawk. They''ve broken through to their Third Daan-tin. None of you are a match for them.¡±


    ¡°Eye of the Hawk,¡± Gou Dzing repeated with a weak laugh. ¡°That''s nicer than Hawk-eyed Devil.¡±


    ¡°You think they''ll just let us go like that?¡± The Cheon commander scrambled backwards on the ground, not taking her eyes off the two cultivators before her.


    ¡°They will,¡± the Gou Patriarch said, sadly. He breathed deep, then said to Gou Dzing, ¡°If you change your mind, I''ll advocate for you to the army command.¡±


    Without waiting for a response, he flicked his sleeves and walked away. The remainder of the troop hesitantly, but with increasing confidence, picked themselves up and retreated. Gaam Yuk Ying and Gou Dzing watched them leave.


    ¡°Go back,¡± Gaam Yuk Ying said, as soon as they were out of earshot.


    Gou Dzing opened his mouth to argue, but instead, he said, ¡°I''ll build you some walls.¡±


    As he began to raise structures of earth, Gaam Yuk Ying sheathed his two blades. He watched Gou Dzing work, silently.


    ¡°Is that normal?¡±


    ¡°Is what normal?¡±


    ¡°Your grandfather. He didn''t... try very hard. To stop you.¡±


    Gou Dzing stopped what he was doing. ¡°Gung-gung has a very strong moral code. He is loyal to his country, and to his family. But his family also has to be loyal to the country.¡± He scoffed. ¡°I don''t know what I expected really. I hoped-¡±


    ¡°That he would hit you?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That''s what my father did, when I tried to leave.¡±


    Gou Dzing walked back and placed his hands firmly on Gaam Yuk Ying''s shoulders. ¡°No, Yuk Ying. That wasn''t right either. There needs to be a conversation. Each party needs to try and understand either other first, at least. Gung-gung wouldn''t listen to me... Your father didn''t listen to you. How old were you?¡±


    The other man shrugged. ¡°Young.¡±


    Gou Dzing''s hands slid down until they were holding Gaam Yuk Ying''s. He squeezed them gently.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Me? I''m fine. This is to be expected, really...¡± Oddly, something seemed to be caught in his throat. He tried to cough it away, but it remained there, stubbornly. ¡°I... I should have expected it, Yuk Ying. So... So why...?¡±


    When Gaam Yuk Ying gently kissed his cheek, he realised it was wet. They stood together for a long time, Gaam Yuk Ying holding Gou Dzing up as he tried to calm himself. The soothing feeling of a hand stroking his back eventually provoked a sigh. ¡°Thanks, Ying. I should hurry back to Ming Yuet and brief everyone. It smells like it''s going to rain.¡±


    Indeed, there were thicker clouds rolling in off the southern ocean, dense amongst the coastal mist.


    ¡°Would you want to see them again?¡± Gou Dzing asked, as he shaped the ground around them.


    Gaam Yuk Ying''s expression was one of non-comprehension.


    ¡°Your family, I mean.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. I don''t know.¡±


    ¡°If you do, I''ll come with you. I''ll tell them off.¡±


    A rare smirk crossed Gaam Yuk Ying''s face. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°There.¡± Gou Dzing had constructed several walls and pits from which Gaam Yuk Ying could defend. ¡°Don''t get hurt. If there''s too many of them, just retreat, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    They embraced again, feeling the first sprinkle of rain on their faces.


    ¡°I''ll go back to Ming Yuet first,¡± Gou Dzing muttered into Gaam Yuk Ying''s hair. ¡°I''m sure they''ll send troops quickly, so really, don''t just stay here and get hurt, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Gaam Yuk Ying said again, his voice muffled.


    They exchanged a fleeting kiss, then Gou Dzing began to run, boosted by the ripples of earth he sent under his feet. Gaam Yuk Ying watched until he was out of sight.


    From the west came the faint sound of approaching troops. He closed his eyes, listening. Although his hearing was not as keen as his vision, it far surpassed any normal human, so he could pick out individual sounds ¨C the stamp and snort of horses, the ring of armour, and other, more indefinite sounds. Something stirred in his other senses too, making his hei prickle through his meridians.


    He waited at the border, watching the new troops approaching. The expressions that greeted him were a mixture of hostility, fear, and for some, excitement.


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    The Gou Patriarch was nowhere to be seen. Rather, all of the troops appeared to be wearing the spring green uniform of Cheon, some armoured, some not. The Cheon Commander he had seen before was mounted on a horse, and next to her, in deep red robes, sat a familiar-looking man.


    Gaam Yuk Ying bowed expressionlessly. ¡°Fire Master.¡±


    ¡°I''m not your master, you traitor.¡± The Fire Master''s expression was one of tense anticipation.


    ¡°Apologies... Ying Fo.¡±


    A smattering of suppressed giggles broke out amongst the troops. Ying Fo almost turned as red as his robes.


    ¡°Where''s your dog of a boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°Dzing got bored waiting for you.¡± Gaam Yuk Ying drew Yiu Tsing with his left hand, contemplating the blade as he held it in a backwards grip. ¡°I''m also getting bored.¡±


    Ying Fo jumped from his horse, drawing daggers from his belts, eyes flashing red sparks. ¡°Everyone back off. None of you are his opponent.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking to yourself?¡± Gaam Yuk Ying asked expressionlessly.


    Ying Fo''s response was to fling his daggers. Narrowly dodging, Gaam Yuk Ying drew Lo Fu Ngaa too. The Fire Master was as fast as Teem Djeung Baak, and perhaps almost as mad. His flying blades were mixed with burning orbs of fire that had Gaam Yuk Ying bouncing back and forth, unable to move closer, but able to avoid being burnt.


    He sent Yiu Tsing shooting towards Ying Fo''s chest, chopping at the remaining knives and fiery orbs with Lo Fu Ngaa. The Fire Master just managed to deflect Yiu Tsing with two of his daggers, only to nearly lose his head as Gaam Yuk Ying flashed in, swinging his dou. As it was, he managed to turn his head, the blade tip scraping his neck. Blood streaming from the narrow gash, he took advantage of Gaam Yuk Ying''s proximity to throw a dagger, aiming for his face. The younger cultivator was forced to backflip, regaining his feet with a slash across his nose bridge.


    The Cheon troops were beginning to creep forwards, but the Fire Master waved them back. ¡°He''s my opponent! He''s a traitor!¡±


    ¡°You''re the one opposing the Grandmaster''s orders,¡± Gaam Yuk Ying pointed out, undoing one of his earrings, and sending it zipping into Ying Fo''s left foot. The Fire Master barely saw the flash of silver before it burrowed into his flesh. With a hiss of pain, he swiped at the blood on his neck, then flung more daggers, his aim no longer as accurate. Several of the daggers went wide, burying their points into the earth.


    Gaam Yuk Ying darted forwards again, but as he did, some sixth sense made him change directions at the last moment.


    ¡°Too late!¡± Ying Fo shouted, clapping his hands together. ¡°Burning Array!¡±


    The thrown daggers hadn''t been mis-aimed at all. Combined with his blood, the Fire Master had laid out an intricate trap, the daggers placed such that he could channel his hei to burn whatever lay in the middle.


    Gaam Yuk Ying clenched his teeth, preparing for the searing heat. His silvery eyes stabbed at Ying Fo.


    At once, two things happened.


    The Fire Master grunted in pain, stumbling back in shock as a gash suddenly opened on his chest.


    The Burning Array flared up for a second, and then, with a sound like a dull thud of falling earth, the fire went out.


    Ying Fo looked about wildly, until his eyes fell on the hillocks and pits that Gou Dzing had left, then he began to laugh, incredulously. ¡°There was already an array here. An Earth Protection Array... What bad luck.¡±


    ¡°What luck?¡± Gaam Yuk Ying asked coldly, his eyes flashing. The Fire Master felt another sudden sting, this time on his chin, and now that was bleeding too.


    ¡°Sword Eyes...¡± He carelessly put weight on his injured left foot and fell to the ground, grimacing in pain. ¡°Ha... I was never your match even from the start.¡± When he looked up, his own eyes glittered with blood-red flecks. ¡°Who is that girl with the Fire powers?¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying abruptly looked away.


    ¡°She''s strong. Perhaps you''ll meet your match, you young monster.¡±


    ¡°She will kill anyone she wants. She''s not your friend.¡±


    ¡°The enemy of my enemy is a friend.¡± Ying Fo grinned. ¡°I hope I see her burn you to a crisp.¡±


    ¡°You''re insane.¡±


    ¡°No, if I was insane, I would keep fighting a losing battle. But I know when I''ve lost, and for some reason you don''t seem interested in killing me.¡± The Fire Master was assisted upright by a couple of soldiers. ¡°See you next time, Jade Demon.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying watched the troops retreat out of sight, eyes narrowed. When they at last disappeared, he squeezed his eyes shut. He tried to blink a few times, his eyes now bloodshot. He did not have a high enough mastery over Sword Eyes yet.


    ¡°Is it my turn now?¡± Teem Djeung Baak asked.


    Gaam Yuk Ying immediately dived behind one of the earthen walls, to the woman''s apparent amusement.


    ¡°Little Handsome, if I wanted to surprise attack you, I would have done it already. You''re so funny!¡±


    ¡°You''ll attack any time you like.¡±


    ¡°That''s true...¡± Teem Djeung Baak sat down on top of one of the walls, considering the stump where her left hand had been. ¡°It was really mean of you to cut my hand off, you know. But that Junior Sister of yours was even worse. I couldn''t even reattach it afterwards.¡±


    ¡°What a pity.¡±


    ¡°So where''s your boyfriend?¡± She looked around, as if expecting Gou Dzing to suddenly pop out of the earth like a mole. ¡°He made this lovely protection array for you and then ran away, did he? I knew I should have killed him when I had a chance.¡±


    ¡°I have the same thought about you.¡±


    ¡°You''ve been thinking about me? How sweet!¡± She turned her huge eyes towards the wall where Gaam Yuk Ying was sheltering. ¡°Little Handsome, won''t you come out?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°That''s a pity.¡± She spun a dagger in her remaining hand expertly. ¡°I want to play.¡±


    ¡°Go play in Cheon.¡±


    ¡°With the troops from before?¡± She looking thoughtfully in the direction where the troops had retreated. ¡°That man you fought was nasty to you, wasn''t he? Maybe I should play with him.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying didn''t respond. He remained crouched behind the wall, wiping blood from his neck. All senses on alert, directed towards Teem Djeung Baak, he realised suddenly that she was no longer there. Emerging cautiously from behind the barrier, he scanned the area.


    She was gone.


    He pulled a small first aid kit from a pouch on his belt, applying salve and cloth to the wound on his neck while continuously scanning the landscape. It wasn''t long before, mixed with the fresh scent of light rain, came the smell of blood from over the hills to the west.


    He wiped his bloody hands on the dewy grass until they were clean, then sat himself on the top of the wall where Teem Djeung Baak had sat. Squinting westwards despite his stinging eyes, it seemed as though not much time had passed by until he heard sounds, this time from behind him.


    ¡°Yuk Ying!¡±


    At last, Gaam Yuk Ying released his unceasing stare to the west and turned to see Gou Dzing and a mix of Dzue and loong soldiers approaching. It seemed Gong Ming Dzue had managed to temporarily escape the palace too. She wore a large veiled hat, but there was no mistaking the fluid way she moved. It seemed as though the rain, where she walked, was heavier, although she herself remained perfectly dry.


    She sniffed the air. ¡°I smell a great deal of blood from the west.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying tilted his head to allowed Gou Dzing to remove the bandage on his neck and examine his wound. ¡°Teem Djeung Baak.¡±


    ¡°Did she do this to you?¡± Gou Dzing asked grimly as he worked.


    ¡°No. Ying Fo.¡±


    ¡°The Fire Master? He was here?¡±


    ¡°They retreated. Then Teem Djeung Baak appeared.


    ¡°Did she say anything to you?¡±


    ¡°Nothing important.¡± Gaam Yuk Ying closed his sore eyes. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°... for the protection array?¡±


    ¡°And fast.¡±


    ¡°The platoon was already on their way here. I met them part way.¡±


    ¡°Retreat to Tsaam Lam,¡± Gong Ming Dzue ordered. ¡°We''ll handle the border, whether Teem Djeung Baak or the Two Ducks-Five Kittens, or whatever they''re called, turns up.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± Gou Dzing''s eyes drifted west.


    ¡°Yim Se. Fei Ngo.¡±


    Two soldiers, one loong, one human, stepped forwards and saluted.


    ¡°Scout ahead to see the result of Teem Djeung Baak engaging with the enemy army. Take absolute care not to be observed. Look in particular for an elderly man with a Gou Family identity plaque.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    The two soldiers disappeared into landscape.


    ¡°You should go,¡± Gong Ming Dzue said to the two cultivators. ¡°We will send word after you.¡±


    Gou Dzing crouched to offer his back to Gaam Yuk Ying. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡±


    He set off northeast, hopping from outcrop to outcrop, pushing himself along by moving the rocks, not looking back once. Not one word was exchanged between them.

 42 - No-one can catch a break

    Gou Dzing slowed his run as they approached the edge of Tsaam Lam. Gaam Yuk Ying dropped nimbly from his back, eyes still closed.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Fine. Overdid the Sword Eyes.¡±


    With a heavy sigh, Gou Dzing leaned down and hugged him. Gaam Yuk Ying returned the embrace.


    ¡°Dzing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    Silence. Gaam Yuk Ying seemed to be struggling for words. At last, he said, ¡°Your grandfather... is a strong man.¡±


    ¡°You''re trying to tell me he''ll be okay, right? That... Thanks.¡± He held tighter. ¡°I hope she didn''t find him...¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying pressed a sidelong kiss on his cheek.


    ¡°It''s been a while since we''ve been along like this.¡± Gou Dzing turned his head.


    They fell in a tangle of limbs. When they finally broke apart, Gou Dzing began to laugh helplessly. ¡°What are we doing? There''s a war going on but just want to kiss you right now...¡± Suddenly, his expression changed. Pressing a hand to the ground, his eyes narrowed. Gaam Yuk Ying watched him in alert silence.


    ¡°I can feel something approaching quickly...¡±


    They both twisted to look towards the forest. Moments later, a small red shape came hurtling from the trees.


    ¡°Hey, hey! What happened to you two?¡± The small fox Tsaam Lei came scrambling between the pines. ¡°You look like shit. Sorry, but you do.¡±


    ¡°What about you? Why are you in such a hurry?¡±


    ¡°Ah! Demons! Demons have left the portal and are heading north. Sister Bik Bik went to try and stop them!¡±


    ¡°Lead us there.¡± Gaam Yuk Ying jumped upright, followed by Gou Dzing. Tsaam Lei raced into back in the forest, almost leaving them behind as he flitted ahead like marshfire.


    Soon, they could hear the sounds of shouting and growling, and oddly, crackling. Smoke drifted to them on the damp air.


    The demon raiding party numbered around fifteen, and they hissed and spat at Chan Bik, who stood squarely before them, flanked by several piles of burning pine needles. Tsaam Lei sighed with relief when he saw that she had cleared the ground around them to prevent the whole forest going up in flames.


    ¡°Si-hings! Help me!¡± Chan Bik shouted, catching sight of them. The ground under the demons'' feet buckled and writhed, and they all fell to the ground, struggling.


    ¡°Where''s Grandmaster?¡± Gaam Yuk Ying asked, landing beside Chan Bik. ¡°Lady Gong?¡±


    ¡°Your eyes... They already left. We met Gong Lau Yan and Tsaam Lei outside the portal. After they left, I was about to go into the Demon Realm when these demons came out. I don''t recognise them either. They must be from another colony.¡±


    ¡°They''ll be hungry then,¡± Gou Dzing groaned. ¡°It''ll be hard to convince them to turn around.¡±


    Tsaam Lei darted to the trees behind them. Raising his head, he let out a strange, wailing scream. For a moment, he looked huge, with nine luxurious tails splayed around him, then with a series of creaking groans, pine trees began to fall.


    Everyone dodged out of the way as the massive trees fell with a heart-gripping swish and a bone-shaking crunch. Chan Bik made a snatching motion with her fist and the fires went out before the trees could catch alight.


    One of the demons, a humanoid figure with three arms and dark blue skin, lunging for Gaam Yuk Ying. He sidestepped easily, drawing Lo Fu Ngaa and slapping the demon''s back as it stumbled past him. The rest of the demons stared in hungry exhaustion, not even bothering to move from where they had fallen.


    ¡°Now what?¡± Chan Bik sighed. ¡°They''re obviously starving, so they''ll keep coming out like this...¡± She eyed the demons. A number of them were very small. ¡°I didn''t really think about anything except stopping them, but now... Would it have been better just to let them go? Should we interfere like this? I don''t know any more!¡±


    Tsaam Lei jumped suddenly onto her shoulder. ¡°Hush!¡±


    Once again, Gou Dzing could feel something approaching. The vibrations of slow footsteps travelled through his feet, and oddly, whatever was approaching seemed to be covering ground rapidly in spite of the slowness of the footsteps.


    Everyone had fallen silent, even the demons, as all eyes turned to stare towards the forest depths.


    A face appeared amongst the trees.


    Square, with features that seemed carved from wood, it was followed by a pair of multi-pronged antlers, a thick neck, and a sturdy body with hoofed legs. Two rectangular ears stuck out either side of the head, and from the straight, lipless mouth, a pair of blunt fangs protruded.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Everything was still.


    The pupil-less wooden eyes stared at them, and then the being vanished.


    ¡°What the...¡±


    ¡°That was Lo Ma Luk!¡± Tsaam Lei barked excitedly. ¡°I haven''t seen them in a decade! I wonder why they came here tho- Oh!¡±


    He leapt down from Chan Bik''s should and rushed to the spot where Lo Ma Luk had disappeared. ¡°Yellow Milk Fungi! These are edible! There''s lots growing right now. We could gather these.¡±


    ¡°Why is Lo Ma Luk the one showing us these?¡± Chan Bik grumbled, prodding the fox as Gaam Yuk Ying lopped the fruiting mushroom heads with a single swing of Lo Fu Ngaa. ¡°What kind of forest guardian are you?¡±


    It took a lot of miming and a couple of bites from the Yellow Milk Fungus to convince the demons, but eventually they took the mushrooms and disappeared south into the forest to look for more.


    ¡°What happened to you two?¡± Chan Bik asked, as they walked back towards the portal.


    When Gou Dzing didn''t answer, Gaam Yuk Ying said, ¡°Dzing''s grandfather was scouting. And Teem Djeung Baak appeared.¡±


    ¡°What? That- Did she do anything to you?¡±


    ¡°Not us.¡±


    ¡°Then...¡±


    ¡°Gung-gung was with some soldiers from the Cheon and Sek''suen armies,¡± Gou Dzing finally began to explain with a sick smile. ¡°I don''t know why I''m so shocked by it, really. They turned away and I headed back to Ming Yuet to raise the alarm. When I returned, Yuk Ying said that Teem Djeung Baak had come by, but she''d gone over the border. And... Well, we could all smell the blood...¡±


    ¡°And your grandfather? Was he alright?¡±


    ¡°I didn''t look. I was... scared to look,¡± Gou Dzing admitted. ¡°Well, even if I did, what would that change? If Gung-gung is... dead? If he were injured? If he were fine? It seems we''re on different sides of a war right now.¡±


    ¡°He''s still your grandfather!¡±


    ¡°And we''re still on opposing sides, Chan Si-mui,¡± Gou Dzing said softly. ¡°What if one day it wasn''t Teem Djeung Baak with a sword at his throat, but me?¡±


    She bit her lip. ¡°I''m glad my family aren''t warriors. I don''t want to fight them.¡±


    ¡°Who is Teem Djeung Baak''s family?¡± Gaam Yuk Ying said suddenly.


    ¡°That''s a good point.¡± Gou Dzing frowned. ¡°We don''t know anything about her. Where''s she from? Is she acting on her own or under someone''s orders? Why is she apparently attacking everyone? We... Well, I certainly didn''t think about such things.¡±


    They reached the portal and climbed through, only to find Dzan Dzit Fan leading a small group of loong soldiers and disciples towards them.


    ¡°Commander Dzan?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Yuen Muk, Jade Exorcist. And is that the Shooting Star behind you?¡±


    ¡°I can understand you calling me ''Hawk Eye'',¡± Gou Dzing said, ¡°but when did Chan Si-mui start being called the ''Shooting Star''?¡±


    ¡°I''ll explain later. We''re currently trying to stop some demons who have left the Demon Realm.¡±


    ¡°We already found them,¡± Chan Bik said proudly.


    ¡°Really? Was it a group of about ten, led by a a one-winged bird-like demon?¡±


    ¡°Oh. No, there were around twenty in this group.¡±


    ¡°I didn''t see a bird-like demon.¡±


    ¡°Chan Si-mui, Dzing, go to camp.¡± Gaam Yuk Ying gave Gou Dzing a light pat on the shoulder as he joined Dzan Dzit Fan''s group. ¡°Let''s go.¡±


    ¡°I can go too...¡± Chan Bik began to say, but Gaam Yuk Ying shook his head. The group disappeared through the portal.


    ¡°You should go and check on Cheng Si-mui,¡± Gou Dzing said. ¡°Lady Gong and Commander Dzan are both gone, remember?¡±


    They picked up the pace once more, racing back to camp to find it thankfully quiet, with Cheng Baak-hap alone in a tent surrounded by paper. Chan Bik hugged her, relieved.


    ¡°Has everything been alright here, Cheng Si-mui?¡± Gou Dzing asked, picking up papers and squinting at the drawings and writing on them.


    ¡°Slow, but it''s starting to pay off,¡± Cheng Baak-hap said, resting her head on Chan Bik with a sigh. ¡°Some of the demons are learning words very quickly. I''m able to have short conversations with the red-skinned humanoid demon, for example. It''s absolutely a work in progress though. I''m constantly having to change pronunciations to fit with the demon''s anatomy.¡±


    ¡°We''re going to have to learn this too, aren''t we?¡± Chan Bik groaned. Cheng Baak-hap giggled and squeezed her hand. ¡°I''ll teach you. Now what''s been happening outside?¡±


    ¡°The talks failed,¡± Chan Bik replied. ¡°Sek''seun and Cheon have joined hands with the Mou Dong, Kwan Leon, Hung Tung and Ming Cultivation Sects to form the Two Dragons Four Tigers Alliance. Gou Si-hing''s grandfather tried to lead a scouting party to cross the Dzue-Cheon border in the west, but Gaam Si-hing and Gou Si-hing stopped them. And then Teem Djeung Baak turned up!¡±


    ¡°She did? Is Gaam Si-hing alright?¡± Cheng Baak-hap looked askance at Gou Dzing.


    ¡°He''s fine. He just went with Commander Dzan to track down those demons that just left.¡± Gou Dzing added with a smile, ¡°Chan Si-mui was single-handedly trying to stop another group when we arrived.¡±


    ¡°Just because we don''t see them as an enemy doesn''t mean they see us the same way,¡± Cheng Baak-hap reprimanded, but she patted Chan Bik''s freckled cheek affectionately.


    ¡°His Majesty, the Dzue Regent was headed to the Tsun Dzan Sect to determine their stance,¡± Gou Dzing added. ¡°And Queen Ming Yuet couldn''t help herself and took over from us at the western border.¡±


    ¡°Gong Lau Yan will be joining her. I saw her outside the portal and she left straight away.¡±


    ¡°So what did Teem Djeung Baak do?¡± Cheng Baak-hap asked.


    ¡°She left Gaam Si-hing alone and went over the border,¡± Chan Bik said quietly. ¡°Apparently there was a smell of blood soon after...¡±


    ¡°Gou Si-hing, your grandfather...¡±


    ¡°I don''t know yet. We''ll see.¡±


    ¡°He seemed like a very capable and tough person. He''ll be alright, Si-hing.¡±


    Gou Dzing shook his head. ¡°We''re at war, Cheng Si-mui. Right now, my priorities are with the two of you, and with Yuk Ying. I''ll rest easier once he comes back to my side.¡±


    <hr>


    At that moment, Gaam Yuk Ying was skimming through Tsaam Lam alongside the loong soldiers, the less speedy human disciples following at the rear. They were getting closer and closer to the border with Sek''suen, with no sign of the demons except disturbed pine needles. Dzan Dzit Fan raised a hand to slow everyone''s rapid pace; they slowed, still moving at the speed of that a normal human could sprint, until the pines began to thin and they could see grasslands through the trees.


    Gaam Yuk Ying finally caught the familiar scent that Commander Dzan''s loong nose had smelt much earlier ¨C blood.


    The group proceeded in silence, eventually halting while Commander Dzan and Gaam Yuk Ying crept forwards alone. From their hiding places behind two large pines, they observed soldiers of the Sek''suen army making a pile of demon corpses. The bodies of several human soldiers were being laid out and covered with a cloth.


    ¡°Too late,¡± Dzan Dzit Fan muttered grimly. ¡°Let''s retreat.¡±


    He crept back to the troops. Gaam Yuk Ying continued to watch for a little longer. In particular, his eyes followed one well-dressed young woman standing with a man who seemed to be the officer in charge, a cloth covering her nose as she scowled at the dead demons. Why was Gou Hei Lok here?

 43 - Theres no such thing as a miracle doctor

    Cheng Baak-hap dropped her tired face into her hands and began to cry.


    Chan Bik raced away to get some warm tea, while Gou Dzing placed gentle but firm hands on his Junior Sister''s shoulders.


    Gaam Yuk Ying, arms crossed, frowned at the dirt floor of the tent.


    When Chan Bik returned with a teapot of wu loong and cups, Gou Dzing brought a drink over to Gaam Yuk Ying. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Something''s about to happen,¡± Gaam Yuk Ying replied, not taking the cup that was offered to him.


    ¡°Come on, take it. What do you mean?¡±


    This time, Gaam Yuk Ying took the cup but didn''t reply.


    ¡°So what do we do now?¡± Chan Bik asked, holding Cheng Baak-hap''s hand tightly. Her freckles moved as she her brows and nose tightened.


    ¡°Our best,¡± Gou Dzing said, sighing. He leaned against Gaam Yuk Ying. ¡°We can''t control the demons, Chan Si-mui. We''ll just have to try keeping them away from the Mortal Realm as long as possible while trying to diffuse tensions with the other kingdoms and sects. And working on communications at the same time.¡±


    ¡°Cheng Si-dze''s exhausted,¡± Chan Bik said plaintively. The woman in question stared blankly at the scrolls before her, cheeks wet. Her teacup, still full, was clutched loosely in her free hand.


    ¡°Let''s all stop for a bit,¡± Gou Dzing suggested. He finished his tea and began tidying the papers into piles. ¡°Yuk Ying, can you get a blanket for Cheng Si-mui?¡±


    For the next hour, barely a word was spoken. Chan Bik and Cheng Baak-hap snuggled wearily together under a blanket in one corner of the tent. Gaam Yuk Ying cleaned his swords, eyes bent downwards, frowning all the while.


    ¡°Have you worked out what''s going to happen, Yuk Ying?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Gou Hei Lok was there.¡±


    ¡°My cousin? Where?¡±


    ¡°The Sek''seun border.¡±


    It was Gou Dzing''s turn to frown. ¡°I expected my- the Gou Family to take part but... Hei Lok isn''t really a warrior. What was she doing there?¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying shook his head.


    Not long after, the rumble of Wong Tang''s voice could be heard through the campsite. Chan Bik and Cheng Baak-hap sat up, rubbing their eyes blearily. They tried to stand and bow as Wong Tang entered the tent, but she waved them back down and turned to the two young men.


    ¡°Report to me.¡±


    ¡°A scouting party of the Two Dragons Five Tigers army attempted to cross the border of Cheon and Dzue in the west. We prevented them, and Her Majesty Gong Ming Dzue has taken charge of that area. Lady Gong Lau Yan has gone to her.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Ming Dzue... Really...¡± Wong Tang sighed. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Teem Djeung Baak appeared,¡± Gaam Yuk Ying added, ¡°and crossed into Cheon.¡±


    ¡°We haven''t heard what she did there yet, but we could smell a lot of blood. And... Gun- The Gou Patriarch was there with the scouting party.¡±


    Wong Tang nodded comprehendingly. ¡°It was good for you to leave.¡±


    ¡°Another part of demons left the Demon Realm,¡± Cheng Baak-hap said hoarsely. ¡°We couldn''t stop them... The army in Sek''seun killed them all. I feel like I''ve been wasting my time...¡±


    ¡°You can''t save everyone, Cheng Si-mui.¡±


    ¡°I know. I feel like I''ve failed somehow, though.¡±


    ¡°Did you see anything, Divine Majesty?¡± Gaam Yuk Ying''s eyes shifted back to the Grandmaster.


    She reached for her belt. ¡°Little Gou, there''s a message for you.¡±


    Mystified, Gou Dzing stretched his hand out for the bamboo scroll that Wong Tang held out.


    ¡°It''s from your family.¡±


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The scroll rolled open with a series of clacks.


    ''Cousin Dzing, please come and see me. I am at the military camp on the Sek''seun ¨C Dzue border. Please talk to me. Hei Lok.''


    ¡°Could you read that, Yuk Ying?¡± Gou Dzing asked, trying for lightness. ¡°It really was her.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying nodded. ¡°Don''t go.¡±


    ¡°I need to hear her out. She''s my family. I... might not get a chance to see her again.¡±


    ¡°Then I''ll come with you.¡±


    Gou Dzing didn''t reject this offer. ¡°Master, what will you do now?¡±


    Wong Tang had inserted her pipe into her white hair like a hair pin. She drew it out now, and began to puff on it. ¡°Mount Faa will be fine. Old White has temporarily gone north-west, but will soon return. The Sek''seun government is unlikely to be able to move against them. I will go to the western border of Dzue. It seems to be our weak spot. Little Gou, I agree with Little Gaam. Do not go to see your cousin.¡±


    ¡°Is that an order, Master?¡±


    Fragrant smoke circled around them. Wong Tang looked very tired. ¡°It is not. As much as I would like to, I know how stubborn you can be, my disciple, and this involves your family. I can only advise you. And I advise you strongly... you''re only going to get hurt, child.¡±


    Gou Dzing smiled apologetically. ¡°I''m going, Master.¡±


    ¡°Then Gaam Yuk Ying must go with you. Little Cheng?¡±


    ¡°Grandmaster?¡±


    ¡°I know you have had issues with Maan Dzi King, but you cannot keep doing this work alone. I will send for her to support you. Speak to Dzan Dzit Fan if there are any further problems between you.¡±


    Cheng Baak-hap nodded without enthusiasm. ¡°Yes, Grandmaster. There is something else I want to do...¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Look into Teem Djeung Baak.¡±


    Chan Bik tensed beside her.


    ¡°A good idea. That person, we really know nothing about her.¡±


    With that, Wong Tang left the tent. A general feeling of lethargy settled on the group. Cheng Baak-hap stared at her ink-stained hands, Chan Bik stared at Cheng Baak-hap, Gou Dzing stared at the words on the bamboo scroll.


    Gaam Yuk Ying quickly finished tidying the papers, fetched more blankets and a new pot of tin Gun Yam tea, and then stood by Gou Dzing''s side, fiddling with the swords'' tassels.


    ¡°Gaam Si-hing has become really reliable,¡± Chan Bik murmured, sipping fresh tea. ¡°Remember when he used to have accidents all the time?¡±


    ¡°I don''t think Gaam Si-hing was ever a clumsy person, Bik Bik. He just wasn''t taking things seriously. It''s just that he is now.¡± Cheng Baak-hap wrapped both hands around her teacup, willing herself to stand again.


    Gou Dzing rolled the scroll up slowly, and turned to Gaam Yuk Ying with a resigned smile. ¡°Let''s go.¡±


    <hr>


    Gou Hei Lok threw her arms around her cousin, and he hugged her back tightly. ¡°Cousin, please come back home. The family doesn''t want to fight you.¡±


    Gou Dzing smiled weakly. ¡°I wish with all my heart that I could say yes, cousin. But... I can''t.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so stubborn?¡± Gou Hei Lok sniffed and wiped her eyes. She tugged his sleeve. ¡°Come and sit down. Let''s drink and talk.¡±


    It was at that moment that Gou Dzing realised that Gaam Yuk Ying was no longer there. He subtly cast his senses into the ground... Nothing. There were soldiers in the camp, and his cousin, but no one else. Was Yuk Ying in a tree?


    Gou Hei Lok poured out a dark, earthy bo lei into two cups, handing one to her cousin. They drank in silence.


    ¡°I used to hate bo lei,¡± Gou Hei Lok said at last, as she poured out fresh cups of tea. ¡°It''s so bitter.¡±


    ¡°I remember. You used to cry for peach juice until Uncle would tell you off.¡±


    ¡°Things were simpler back then, weren''t they... I feel like there''s no person in the world who wouldn''t wish to be a child again.¡±


    ¡°I don''t think that''s true,¡± Gou Dzing said gently. He knew there was someone waiting in the forest behind him who probably never wanted to return to that time again. Raising the second cup to his lips, he found himself hesitating. Gou Hei Lok threw hers back like she was drinking hard liquor.


    ¡°Why are you doing this, Ah Dzing?¡± She fiddled with her cup, empty save for a few dark leaves. ¡°Why would you... don''t you love us?¡±


    ¡°It''s... Hei Lok, I could say the same thing. The Two Dragons Five Tigers alliance is in the wrong here. Why would you all turn against me?¡±


    ¡°Ah Dzing, are you still a child?¡± There was a faint sneer on her face. ¡°Justice will not feed you, clothe you, or keep you safe. The Gou Family have stood with Sek''seun for generations. This is a bond stronger than family... or immature ideas about justice.¡±


    ¡°I... should go.¡± Gou Dzing finished his second cup of tea and stood. He bowed to his cousin, drawing the line between them with physical distance.


    He suddenly felt light-headed.


    Not daring to move more, he focused on the sensations of his body. His head was starting to hurt, a pressure building in his neck. His hands and feet felt tethered. In spite of the cool weather, he felt hot and twitchy.


    His heart thudded against the inside of his ribcage as if trying to get out.


    ¡°Gou Hei Lok... You... Loom Drug?¡±


    His jaw was tightening uncontrollably and all he could taste was metal.


    ¡°I''m sorry, Yuen Muk, but it had to be done.¡± Gou Hei Lok''s tone was apologetic, but her eyes shone with pathological curiosity. Gou Dzing''s neck jerked. He tried to step towards her, but his calves spasmed and he fell to the ground instead, his limbs jerking. His heart hammered wildly.


    From her sleeve, Gou Hei Lok extracted a small bottle and tipped the contents onto her hand. There were two small brown pills. ¡°I was going to offer these to you if you would agree to come home, but I''ve realised you would probably be very resentful and try to leave as soon as you could. It''s better for me to take some more, since I drank from the same pot. I should make sure I also don''t die.¡±


    Gou Dzing, twitching and gasping for air on the ground, barely felt the tremors of someone approaching at speed.


    She threw both pills in her mouth, and swallowed.


    He could only watch his cousin''s decapitated head hit the earth with a wet thud. Her body followed a moment later.


    Gaam Yuk Ying dropped Lo Fu Ngaa and groped inside Gou Hei Lok''s neck, his bloody fingers extracting the two antidote pills.


    Crouching beside Gou Dzing, he looked from the dripping pills in his palm to the convulsing man beside him.


    Gou Dzing squeezed his eyes shut, then opened his mouth as far as his stiffened muscles would allow.


    Yuk Ying, what kind of life have you led until now?


    He barely registered the taste of blood.

 44 - Your family gave you trust issues? Same.

    When Gou Dzing opened his eyes, the view that greeted him was a familiar one.


    The dark, narrow beams of the ceiling were criss-crossed like the grid of the board that he and Cheng Baak-hap used to play a game on, when they were younger. Gou Dzing had never beaten his Junior Sister at Yik, whether he played with the white stones or the black.


    He wondered whether she had ever played Yik with her younger brother.


    Within half of the small squares formed by the beams, intricate dragons had been painted, coiled blue and green. The other squares contained small, luminescent pearls.


    He was back in the palace of Ming Yuet. Slowly turning his head as slowly as his aching neck would allow, he found that he was alone in the bedroom that he had previously shared with Gaam Yuk Ying.


    Gou Dzing closed his eyes again, probing at his meridians with his hei.


    Most of the fourteen channels where his hei flowed seemed fine, except for his Triple Burner and Liver channels. He could feel constrictions in the former behind his left ear and either side of his neck, and in the latter around his lower back. Prodding them, both physically and with his internal energy, was unsurprisingly painful.


    ¡°Awake, Little Gou?¡±


    The elegant Gong Ming Dzue entered the room, carrying a bowl of water. The hem of her long robes whispered silkily across the ground as she helped him to sit up and drink. Gou Dzing stared into the empty bowl as though divining.


    ¡°What are you thinking of, Little Gou?¡±


    ¡°Where... Where''s Gaam Yuk Ying?¡±


    ¡°He''s gone to find Old Man White.¡±


    ¡°Ah... Is he going to bring Old- uh, Lord Bing here? Or he''s sending a message-¡±


    ¡°He simply wanted to see his Master.¡± She sat on the edge of the bed. ¡°He told me, roughly, what happened.¡±


    ¡°Master warned me.¡± Gou Dzing laughed like someone had him by the throat. ¡°They both warned me.¡±


    ¡°Little Gou, do you know why cultivation is so hard?¡± the Loong Queen asked, unexpectedly. ¡°Why is it that we don''t see Third Daan-tin cultivators running around everywhere? Why so few people obtain even a Second Daan-tin awakening?¡±


    ¡°Because it takes time and effort, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°And that''s because?¡±


    ¡°... there''s a lot to learn.¡±


    ¡°That''s right. And some of these lessons can''t be learnt from books, or repetition, or meditation. Those all help, Little Gou. But in the end, you lack experience. You lack time.


    ¡°You''ve never been to war before. Nor has Little Chan or Little Cheng. You''ve never seen how families turn on each other, never seen a wife stab a husband to preserve her own life.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying Yuk Ying has been to war?¡±


    ¡°You''ll have to ask him that yourself.¡± Her green-brown eyes watched him closely. ¡°Are you afraid of him, Little Gou?¡±


    ¡°I...¡± He tasted blood again, and hurriedly threw himself over the other side of the bed, retching until his stomach was empty.


    He felt a cool palm on his back, his meridians opening as though purifying water were running through them.


    ¡°I apologise, Your Majesty...¡± He shivered, drenched in sudden sweat as his stomach heaved. ¡°I know Yuk Ying saved me. I know... H-Hei Lok tried to... She would have done it if Yuk Ying wasn''t there. So why am I like this? Am I just... weak?¡±


    ¡°Would you like to be like Teem Djeung Baak then?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± His diaphragm hurt. ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°But by all accounts, she''s fearless, immune to pain, unbothered by death. Isn''t that what you want?¡± She waved her free hand and water seeped from the ground beside the bed, washing away towards the bathrooms what Gou Dzing had thrown up. Then she twirled her fingers again and the bowl in Gou Dzing''s hands refilled with water from the atmosphere.


    ¡°Rinse your mouth and spit it out. I''ll just wash it away.¡±


    The process was repeated again to allow him to drink more fresh water. He tried to wash away the metallic taste of phantom blood, and not throw it all straight back up again. There was nothing in his stomach except water now. ¡°If there''s anyone I want to be more like, it''s Yuk Ying.¡±


    ¡°In what way?¡±


    ¡°In the way that he understands how the world works. How he just gets things done.¡±


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°Little Gaam understands how to fight. He knows hardship, betrayal and pain. And you''ll learn those things too, in time.¡± Gong Ming Dzue''s expression was one of sorrowful pragmatism. ¡°And you''ve known affection, friendship, and contentment. Don''t you think you have many things to teach him too? He''s already begun to learn.¡±


    ¡°Should I give up on my family, then?¡±


    ¡°I can''t tell you that, Little Gou.¡± But Gong Ming Dzue hesitated. She looked up at the dragons painted on the ceiling above. ¡°Has Ah Yan said anything about our mother?¡±


    ¡°Lady Gong? No.¡±


    ¡°Our mother, the Azure Dragon of the East. Lady Maang Dzeung. Divine Guardian of Wood.¡± These epithets were stated flatly. ¡°It''s been... centuries, since I last saw her.¡±


    ¡°Do you know where she is, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°The Divine Realm. You must understand... No, you couldn''t. You''re so young. When something lives for a long, long time, things change. And other things stay the same. You''ve met Old Ling ¨C Lady Ling Gwong. The older she gets, the more she clings to these strange rules for living she has. Why is she insisting that that woman, Teem Djeung Baak, is her disciple, despite everything?¡±


    The question was clearly rhetorical.


    ¡°Old White tends to keep to himself, hiding in his forge in the northern mountains. Taking in that disciple of his seems to have helped, though. He cares a lot for that kid.¡±


    A little gladness lifted Gou Dzing''s spirits.


    ¡°And grandmother, your master, she''s apparently doing the best of them all. But lately she''s been... The Demon Realm has shaken her, Little Gou. She''s always been so certain. She was there in the beginning, when the world was formed, and now that she''s learnt of a place so alien to her, she doesn''t know what to do. I''ve found her, in the dead of night, looking over the city and muttering to herself.¡±


    ¡°Well, that makes sense,¡± said Gou Dzing. ¡°Since Master has lived such a long time with one understanding, it''ll take longer for her to process it. But Master will manage, I''m sure.¡±


    ¡°I wonder. I managed to hear what she was muttering once. She was counting the city towers. Over and over. When she got to the end, she''d start again.¡±


    Gou Dzing shifted position, transferring his gaze to the empty water bowl again.


    ¡°The last of the Ng Dzeung, my mother, and Uncle Dzap Ming, left together. They said the Mortal Realm wasn''t a nice place, and they never wanted to come back again.¡±


    ¡°Have you seen them since? Have you visited?¡±


    ¡°I refuse.¡± Gong Ming Dzue''s voice was dark, her expression ugly. ¡°They threw aside their responsibilities, left me, left Lau Yan. Why would I want to see a mother like that?¡±


    Gou Dzing had no response to that. He continued to listen quietly.


    ¡°To live in this world is to take some responsibility. For yourself, at least. And sometimes there are others that rely on you. If you can''t do it alone, seek help. Don''t just walk away. That''s too easy.¡± The queen''s green-brown eyes fixed on Gou Dzing. ¡°My mother is a coward.¡±


    ¡°Have you tried to talk to her about this, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°I know what she''ll say. And you... You''ve even tried talking to your family, and still, this has been their response.¡± She shook her head. ¡°At least they too have decided that there''s a duty that''s the reason for their choice. A duty to the State of Sek''suen.¡±


    ¡°I never thought that duty would be more important than their family,¡± Gou Dzing said ruefully. ¡°Perhaps I should send them a message. Tell them what Hei Lok tried to do-¡±


    ¡°You think they don''t know?¡±


    ¡°I didn''t want to...¡± He couldn''t finish the sentence. Instead, he said, ¡°Gaam Yuk Ying... is he angry at me for not listening to him?¡±


    Why isn''t he here with me?


    ¡°As I said, he wanted to see his master. By the way, Grandmother ¨C your master ¨C should be on her way here.¡±


    In spite of the conversation they had just had, Gou Dzing felt a sense of relief that Wong Tang would arrive soon.


    Oh... So Yuk Ying went to find Lord Gaam Bing because...


    ¡°Have I been taking him for granted?¡± He hadn''t realised he''d said this out loud until Gong Ming Dzue sighed.


    ¡°Be good to the ones you love, Little Gou.¡±


    He breathed deeply. ¡°You too, Your Majesty.¡±


    She laughed, briefly. ¡°This and that are two different things, kid. Circulate your hei until you master arrives.¡±


    When she left, Gou Dzing lay flat on his back, trying to remember the times he had spent with Hei Lok. The only thing that came to mind was the dull look of surprise on her decapitated head.


    He closed his eyes, and began to chant aloud the principles of the Way of the Mountain School, as his internal energy shuddered and threatened to still.


    <hr>


    North, and west, of the portal to the Demon Realm that hissed and hummed in the depths of Tsaam Lam, in remote mountains that scraped the wild and nebulous boundaries of the country of Dzeung, on a high, snowy mountain pass, a figure was running.


    Gaam Yuk Ying came to a halt at the top of a ridge, his breath steaming in the still air. In spite of the cold, he was still only wearing the robes he had been wearing since he had accompanied Gou Dzing to meet his cousin. As soon as he stopped running, his lips began to turn blue.


    In the valley below, spires of stone rose from the grey rock of the mountain sides. There were wide stone roads here, and walls that seemed to have naturally formed amongst the rocks. The only light came from the mouth of snarling stone tiger, flames flickering between its enormous fangs. An enormous glacier backgrounded the scene, and every now and then, faint crackles and squeals and groans could be heard from the slowly flowing ice.


    There was no sign of any living thing.


    Despite the cold, now that Gaam Yuk Ying had arrived, he moved hesitantly. Landing in the open window of one of the towers, he walked slowly down the stone corridors until he could see a faint glow of firelight. It grew brighter, and warmer, until it was almost unbearably hot, and he stood in the forge of the White Tiger of the West.


    Gaam Bing was hammering out metal, the sparks flying wide. Sweat pored down the big man''s broad face and arms, striped with old scars. He quenched the flattened metal, threw his hammer and tongs heavily on a bench, and turned to Gaam Yuk Ying.


    ¡°Master.¡± A bow followed the greeting.


    ¡°Gaam Yuk Ying,¡± Gaam Bing''s footsteps echoed around the forge. Using a ladle, he drank deeply from a barrel of snowmelt, then tipped some over himself. ¡°What is it?¡±


    When Gaam Yuk Ying didn''t reply, Old White stumped over to his disciple and lifted his face with a massive hand under his chin.


    Pure silver met silver-grey.


    Eventually, Gaam Bing let go, but his hand now went to the hilt of Lo Fu Ngaa. He tapped the pommel. ¡°Which is it?¡±


    ¡°Master?¡±


    ¡°Lo Fu. ''Old Tiger''? ''Old Man''?¡±


    ¡°... all of it.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. Go on then. It''s only one word difference from Si fu.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying was frozen, not quite sure what he had heard.


    ¡°Or would you prefer to call me ''Ba''?¡± Old White scratched his black and white beard self-consciously. ¡°I thought that would be too... Ah, forget -¡±


    ¡°Lo Fu.¡±


    Ha. Look at that. This kid had run all the way over from who-knows-where without changing his clothes and now stood here with that impassive face and eyes that begged as he called his master his ''old man''.


    Gaam Bing had never had biological children.


    Is this what I''ve been missing out on?


    ¡°Alright. Let''s go somewhere we can talk.¡±

 45 - Good morning, cruel world

    It was a time of ill tidings.


    The first message arrived from Sek''suen a few days after Wong Tang surged into the room where her disciple was convalescing.


    ¡°What was in the antidote pills?¡± she asked, after checking Gou Dzing''s pulse and under his eyelids.


    ¡°Charcoal, field mint, crampbark... asafoetida...¡±


    Wong Tang stood beside him, meditatively smoking. ¡°Good. You were able to observe even in that situation.¡±


    When she left, Gou Dzing thought he could hear her counting under her breath.


    The letter bore the deal of the Gou Family, and when Gou Dzing opened it with shaking hands, he recognised the brush strokes of his father''s writing.


    The Gou Patriarch has been seriously injured, the letter read, and Gou Hei Lok had been found dead. These were both understood to be the work of demons, and those traitorous humans who sided with them.


    Hence, Gou Dzing, having met with both victims not long before each incident, and also known to have connections with demons, was to be removed from the family register. This person could no longer use the name of ''Gou''.


    How am I still here?


    The nameless young man sat alone in his room with the letter until Gaam Yuk Ying returned, impassive as usual.


    Once those silvery eyes had finished slowly deciphering the words, he said, ¡°Yuen Muk.¡±


    Eye of the Hawk.


    That was right. There was that name. Yuen Muk.


    ¡°Yuk Ying,¡± said the newly renamed Yuen Muk. ¡°It''s amazing... It''s just a name, but to think they can just take it like that...¡±


    ¡°They can''t.¡± Gaam Yuk Ying curled his fingers between Yuen Muk''s. ¡°I can still call you Dzing.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Yuen Muk kissed his boyfriend''s hands gratefully. ¡°No, I... I don''t want that any more.¡±


    ¡°Yuen Muk...¡± Gaam Yuk Ying repeated. His hands felt a little different, callused in new places.


    ¡°You went to see your Master?¡±


    ¡°I went to see... Yes.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°Distract me a little, Yuk Ying,¡± Yuen Muk wheedled, laying his head down on Gaam Yuk Ying''s lap. The puppy eyes returned.


    ¡°Put those away.¡±


    ¡°Put what away?¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying tickled Yuen Muk''s ribs until he wriggled.


    ¡°Stop! Stop! Y- Ying!¡±


    ¡°Oh? You liked that?¡±


    Yuen Muk''s face was suddenly serious. ¡°I... We never had a proper chance to talk, did we? After... Yuk Ying, I still...¡± Sitting up, his hand drifted to the triangular folded collars of the plain robes that Gaam Yuk Ying wore. He rubbed the fabric between his fingers contemplatively.


    ¡°This is too thick for Dzue. Aren''t you hot?¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying said, ¡°Then take it off.¡±


    Yuen Muk did as he was told.


    ¡°Leave it,¡± was the response when he began to do the same with the inner shirt. Yuen Muk sighed and dropped his head on Gaam Yuk Ying''s shoulder.


    ¡°I keep thinking... I just want to stop thinking for a moment.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying pushed him flat on the bed. Deft hands easily undid his robes. Yuen Muk dazedly looked up at his boyfriend as Gaam Yuk Ying removed the hairpin from his long, dark hair.


    ¡°Then stop thinking.¡±


    <hr>


    The second message arrived the next morning.


    Wong Tang''s voice rang through the closed door of the bedroom. ¡°Disciples. Teem Djeung Baak has attacked Mount Faa.¡±


    In a flurry of robes, Gaam Yuk Ying and Yuen Muk rushed out, half-dressed. Yiu Tsing and Lo Fu Ngaa whirled behind them as Gaam Yuk Ying retied his hair, and then they were all racing through the palace and out into the city.


    Neither Gaam Yuk Ying nor Yuen Muk had really seen much of Ming Yuet, beyond impressions of the tall, glowing towers, perpetual mist, and marine humidity. Whether the former of the pair was interested was not clear, but Yuen Muk couldn''t help but cast longing glances around and behind as they flashed through the city and gained the footslopes of Hau Dzak in less than a minute.


    He could only catch glimpses ¨C huge, sprawling stores glittering with unknown artefacts, the smell of barbecued meat and chilli sauce, sprigs of spent red incense sticks sprouting like grass from cracks beside doorways, the sound of crashing maa-dzeuk tiles and excited voices.


    Up the misty mountainside they glided, Yuen Muk a little further behind his lover and his master. He had become aware last night of how much he still needed to recover from the Loom Poison his cousin had fed him, and even now he could feel his usual stamina slipping quickly away.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Master...¡±


    She glanced back towards him. ¡°We''ll fly.¡±


    Her already willow-like form elongated further, golden scales flashing through the fog as she transformed. Glittering steam emanated from her nostrils.


    The two humans hopped up her forelegs and settled at her neck, holding tight to her shimmering mane. Almost before they were seated, Wong Tang had shot straight into the air, rising until they were above the cloud line. A peach-coloured dawn sky greeted them, but this beautiful sight did nothing to relieve their feelings.


    ¡°Master, do you know what happened?¡±


    ¡°Other than that woman appearing, I have no idea. The message was short and rushed.¡±


    ¡°Not good,¡± said Gaam Yuk Ying.


    The clouds had extended well inland. Yuen Muk twisted around to look back towards Ming Yuet, and saw, far in the distance, what seemed like a sinkhole in the black stormclouds that seemed to suck his heart down with it. ¡°Is that... a typhoon? Isn''t it too early in the year?¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying glanced grimly at it, his eyes narrowing.


    ¡°Ming Dzue will deal with it,¡± Wong Tang said, not looking back. ¡°This wouldn''t be the first time.¡±


    Yuen Muk pulled his eyes reluctantly away, focusing on his breath and the dancing movement of the long metal pieces in Gaam Yuk Ying''s earlobes.


    Soon, they were diving. Gaam Yuk Ying''s earrings flung tiny crackles of static energy as blue sparks as they dropped lower and lower.The two humans leaned sideways to see past Wong Tang''s head, their eyes flashing gold and silver as the sight arts of their cultivation practices came into play. Yuen Muk could see the furthest; his vision peered through the dense clouds and found a mountain in flames.


    ¡°The Gales of Battle and Clear Sight Schools are on fire. The infirmary too...¡±


    ¡°I can smell it,¡± growled Wong Tang. ¡°Ready your hearts, children.¡±


    Yuen Muk was about to ask her what she meant, when his Dragon Eyes found something new.


    A blackened shape, curled on its side.


    And another.


    And another.


    They dropped out of the clouds to find an enormous flaming bird rising up to meet them. With a curved beak and a long tail of curling feathers in five colours, it was almost the same size as Wong Tang in her dragon form. Gaam Yuk Ying''s hands automatically flew to the blades at his sides, but the bird spoke, the long narrow feathers of its crest drooping.


    ¡°Leoi Wo...¡± Ling Gwong''s voice, spoken directly into their minds, was strained. ¡°This is my fault.. I should never-¡±


    ¡°It''s too late for that now, Ah Gwong. We must do what we can in the present. Snuff those fires. Has Old White returned yet?¡±


    ¡°Just now. He was on his way already and smelt the fire...¡±


    They all landed and scattered instantly. Yuen Muk rushed through the Sect towards the infirmary, calling together Way of the Mountain disciples as he went, directing them to raise soil over the flames to douse them.


    The infirmary was barely standing. He kicked aside burning timbers and threw aside stones with his internal energy and his bare hands until he found Dzik Suet slumped by one of the beds, coughing wetly. The doctor''s hands and chest were covered in blood, his clothes and flesh apparently slashed by many knives.


    ¡°Yi-sang, don''t move.¡± Yuen Muk crouched down before him and inspected his injuries rapidly.


    The doctor laughed, his voice a thick rattle. ¡°You''ll be a great healer one day, Gou Dzing, but only a miracle doctor could save me now.¡± He panted shallowly, his face pale as the underbelly of a fish. ¡°She''s insane, that woman.¡±


    ¡°Teem Djeung Baak?¡±


    ¡°Keep your loved ones close, Gou Dzing. Don''t let her get hold of them.¡±


    Yuen Muk smiled gently. ¡°Are you in a lot of pain, Yi-sang?¡±


    ¡°No... I don''t really feel much right now.¡±


    ¡°Was there anyone else in here?¡±


    ¡°Luckily not. Just me...¡± He twitched, and sighed, and stopped speaking.


    Yuen Muk drew as deep a breath as he could in the ash-laden air, and left the body where it lay.


    Gaam Yuk Ying, on the other hand, had been slicing down burning timbers and kicking them away to prevent anything more catching alight. A sparse rain had begun to fall, but it was doing little to assist.


    His foot caught on an arm sticking out from the remains of a building in the heart of the Clear Sight School. Lifting aside the rubble, he found Ying Fo, the Fire Master, staring blankly back at him, half of his face blasted and burned away. He was beyond help; Gaam Yuk Ying turned away and kept moving through the wreckage.


    The Still Heart and Way of the Mountain Schools had, unsurprisingly, not been touched. Disciples from these two schools rushed about trying to put out fires with their Water and Earth energies, and to pull survivors from the wreckage, the smell of charred wood and flesh heavy on the air. Large drops of rain continued to fall, but reluctantly, doing nothing to extinguish the flames.


    Wong Tang strode about, issuing orders and lifting enormous slabs of fallen building to allow others to check underneath them. Back in human form, Ling Gwong, shivering, dazedly moved from flame to flame, sometimes picking them up and swallowing them if they were small, sometimes making a snatching motion over them, causing the flames to vanish. Every now and then she would stop and whimper, clutching herself.


    Gaam Bing chopped apart buildings beside his disciple. They moved silently and efficiently. In the Gales of Battle School, Gaam Yuk Ying helped a group of disciples extract another from a burning dormitory. Wiping sweat from his eyes with a blistered, blackened hand, he realised that the young disciple who was directing his fellows to safety looked somehow familiar. The child met his eyes.


    ¡°Thank you, Si-hing.¡± The boy bowed politely. He had narrow eyes and a several small moles sprinkled over his face.


    ¡°You... are Cheng Baak Gat.¡±


    ¡°That''s right, Si-hing.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying considered him wordlessly, then gave a sharp nod. ¡°Good.¡± He turned and walked back into the burning compound, leaving Cheng Baak Gat blinking after him. The young boy quickly gathered himself and hurried after his fellow disciples, wondering if it would have killed his Senior Brother to be a little less odd.


    The rain finally began to fall in earnest, and the work shifted from extinguishing fires to finding survivors, and then, to retrieving the dead. Each body was laid out carefully in the common courtyard of the Sect, many of them small. Dully, Yuen Muk and other healing disciples checked over each one for signs of life, unsuccessfully. In the end, twenty disciples, as well as Fire Master Ying Fo and Dzik Suet Yi-sang, lay next to each other in neat rows. Some bore knife marks, others several charred or crushed.


    Wong Tang continued directing the shell-shocked disciples. ¡°Those on guard duty who saw the attack, report to me. Seniors of Clear Sight, lead your juniors to the Way of the Mountain School. Gales of Battle, to the Still Heart School. Old White, take Ah Gwong with you and your disciples back to the Reflective Arts School. Gou- Yuen Muk, Gaam Yuk Ying, stay here.¡±


    The two of them stood silently side by side, covered in ash and burns, their clothing blackened. Yuen Muk lifted his face to the rain, Gaam Yuk Ying stared down at the rows of bodies, his grip tight on the hilt of Lo Fu Ngaa.


    A few disciples who had been on guard duty remained, many shivering in shock and the cold wetness that the rain brought.


    Wong Tang''s golden eyes were dull. She extracted her pipe, puffed on it for a moment before turning to them. There was a black smudge across her right cheek, and her brown and yellow robes were covered in ash.


    ¡°What happened here?¡±

 46 - This fish has escaped the net

    ¡°Grandmaster.¡± A young woman limped forward and bowed. ¡°Leung Keut reporting. I was on guard duty at the main gate. She... She walked straight up to the gate. I didn''t recognise her at first. She approached so confidently...¡± Her voice began to shake.


    Wong Tang placed a hand on Leung Keut''s shoulder. Yuen Muk sensed the shift of energy between them, and the young woman visibly relaxed.


    ¡°Continue, Leung Keut.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Grandmaster. When we realised who -¡±


    ¡°''We''? Who were you on guard with?¡±


    Leung Keut looked uneasily over her shoulder at the rows of bodies on the ground.


    ¡°I see.¡± Wong Tang tapped her shoulder. ¡°Let''s put that to one side for now.¡±


    ¡°When we realised who she was, we refused to let her enter. I was going to raise the alarm when she blew up the front gate.¡±


    ¡°Did the protection arrays not activate?¡±


    ¡°They did. The Sinking Ox Pit immediately opened to swallow her, but she was too fast for it. She seems to cast explosions to change direction rapidly.¡±


    ¡°The Encompassing Turtle''s Jaws array?¡±


    ¡°We thought that would hold her, but she simply held her breath and blasted at the water until it finally evaporated.¡±


    Wong Tang frowned deeply. ¡°Evaporated? That amount of water?¡±


    ¡°When she emerged, her whole body was red and blistering from the heat of the water. Grandmaster... It''s not that the arrays didn''t work. If she were a normal person, we would have been safe. But... she''s... insane...¡± Leung Keut began to shudder again, and although Wong Tang''s energy once again eased her tremors a little, she was still pale and unsettled. The rest of the disciples were in similar condition. They spoke in fits and starts ¨C how Teem Djeung Baak had asked repeatedly where the doctor was, how she had set fire to the doors and roofs of the Gales of Battle dormitories with an air of curiosity, how she moved without stopping and only retreated when she sensed Ling Gwong approaching. It was over in a matter of minutes. She was gone by the time the Vermilion Bird of the South had arrived.


    Wong Tang dismissed the disciples to rest and be treated. For a long time, she and Gaam Yuk Ying, and Yuen Muk, stood silently in the choking air.


    ¡°Master-¡±


    ¡°No, Little G- Yuen Muk.¡± Wong Tang began to extract her pipe, but she thought better of it and replaced it. ¡°Mount Faa has lost its doctor. Retrieve all of the reference texts you can from the infirmary. Study with the other healing disciples. You will stay here and guard Mount Faa with Ling Gwong and Gaam Bing until I return.¡±


    Yuen Muk chewed his tongue in silence.


    ¡°Yuen Muk.¡±


    ¡°Master... How has the situation turned out this way?¡±


    His master''s response was to pull out her pipe after all and place it to her lips. She jerked suddenly and stared at the object in her hands as if she had never seen it before. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Are you serious right now?¡± Gaam Yuk Ying asked.


    ¡°Master, not long ago you changed the geography of the Ngo Mei surrounds. You''re the Great Dragon at the Centre of All Things, the creator of humanity.¡± His eyes swept the room. ¡°We have three of the Ng Dzeung here. Please, Masters, how have things come to this?¡±


    Gaam Bing raised a thick, rough eyebrow, his silver eyes sliding towards Wong Tang.


    ¡°Leoi Wo...¡± Ling Gwong''s voice was pleading.


    The Grandmaster shook her head. ¡°It''s not for you to know, Little Gou.¡±


    ¡°That''s not my name anymore, Master.¡±


    ¡°You haven''t answered me from before, Yuen Muk.¡±


    The young man didn''t respond.


    ¡°Yuen Muk.¡±


    ¡°... Yes, Master.¡±


    ¡°Gaam Yuk Ying.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Divine Majesty.¡±


    Wong Tang didn''t answer immediately. She curled and uncurled her fingers, soil and ash mixing together around her feet. At last, she said, ¡°Take Chan Bik, Lau Yan and Maan Dzi King and find Teem Djeung Baak. Do not try to keep her alive. Kill her on sight. We can''t afford to try and find ut who she is or why she''s acting this way anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Divine Majesty.¡±


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°We should have done that from the start,¡± Yuen Muk said bitterly.


    ¡°There''s no point in worrying about the past,¡± Wong Tang said, putting away her pipe. ¡°Can you go back in time? Will regrets change anything? Focus on the future, Yuen Muk.¡±


    The future, huh? What did that mean, really? His life had taken so may twists and turns, so what was next?


    ¡°Dinner, maybe?¡± Gaam Yuk Ying suggested, when Yuen Muk said this question out loud.


    ¡°It was rhetorical, Yuk Ying.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    ¡°Dinner sounds good though.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying was gone half an hour after finishing his meal. There was still a little light in the sky at this time of the year, pale blue light chasing the sun that had slipped below the horizon. Occasionally he passed villages where the people, settling in for the night, stared apprehensively as he flashed by.


    The night was moonless, quickly darkening as he rushed east, the pine forest of Dzue rising to meet him. Before he entered the forest, he paused a moment, and looked up at the glittering clusters of stars above.


    The future. What an odd thing for the Divine Empress to say, Gaam Yuk Ying thought.


    <hr>


    ¡°He''s fine.¡±


    Cheng Baak-hap collapsed back in her chair, and dropped her head into her hands.


    ¡°Sing Sing, you need to go and see him.¡± Chan Bik sat beside Cheng Baak-hap at the desk where the latter seemed to have taken root. She was folding ingots out of scrap pieces of paper.


    ¡°I can''t do that, Ah Bik.¡± Cheng Baak-hap grimaced. Her face had lost a lot of its foxiness over the time she had been in the Demon Realm.


    ¡°Why not? He''s your only family!¡±


    ¡°How can I see him, Ah Bik?¡± Cheng Baak-hap groaned, pushing about papers asthough she were swimming through them. ¡°I''ve barely acknowledged his existence for these past eleven years! How dare I show my face to him now?¡±


    ¡°Does he hate you?¡± Gaam Yuk Ying asked.


    ¡°Gaam Si-hing! You can''t just-¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    ¡°But you don''t know.¡±


    Cheng Baak-hap gave him a wan smile. ¡°Gaam Si-hing, if a family member treated you like you didn''t exist, wouldn''t you think you were hated?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°Hatred isn''t expressed simply through physical violence.¡±


    ¡°Do you hate him?¡±


    A silence greeted this question. Chan Bik slipped a hand into one of Cheng Baak-hap''s.


    ¡°When our parents... disappeared? Died? I don''t even really know what happened anymore... I had to become Baat Gat''s mother. He was so small. And I... I...¡±


    Her free hand scrunched her papers, tearing them.


    ¡°Did you really hate him, Sing Sing?¡±


    ¡°No! No, but... I resented him.¡± As the words tumbled out of her mouth, they dragged tears forth with them like falling rocks. ¡°I was a child! To look after another child... When we arrived at Mount Faa, I was just so relieved that there were adults there. They could look after him, and I didn''t have to worry about whether he had eaten enough, or if he would freeze to death.¡± She slumped and trembled. ¡°I remember lying awake at night, listening to him breath and just... begging with all the Immortals that he would... just... keep breathing.¡±


    Chan Bik pulled her into an embrace, letting Cheng Baak-hap hide her face in the crook of her neck. ¡°Why don''t you at least write him a letter? I''ll help you. Let him know you''re thinking of him.¡±


    Cheng Baak-hap didn''t answer, but her breathing shuddered and then calmed.


    ¡°I''ll make some fresh tea for us,¡± Chan Bik said, patting Cheng Baak-hap''s shoulder. ¡°Gaam Si-hing, you should sit next to Baak-hap while I prepare it.¡±


    ¡°You''ve grown up so well,¡± said Gaam Yuk Ying flatly, wiping away a non-existent tear.


    ¡°And you become more of a sarcastic jerk every time I see you. Do you know how weird it is hearing you say that with that expressionless face of ours?


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You''re lucky I''m looking after Baak-hap. I''d come over there and smack some common decency into you.¡±


    ¡°Later, then.¡±


    ¡°You said that the Grandmaster seems to be acting strangely, Gaam Si-hing?¡± Cheng Baak-hap asked, trying to bring her tears under control. Chan Bik paused midway through standing.


    Gaam Yuk Ying made an affirmative noise.


    ¡°Right? I don''t want to question the Divine Guardians, but...¡± Chan Bik clenched her jaw. Her fingertips began to glow. ¡°That... I don''t even know what to call her anymore... how could this...?¡± The white fire at her hands died and now a few tears of frustration were squeezed from her eyes. ¡°The Ng Dzeung are supposed to be all-powerful! Why haven''t they caught her yet? Why is she still out there, hurting people?¡± She slammed a fist on the table and it leaned drunkenly with an ominous creak.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying''s eyes narrowed, but he said nothing.


    Cheng Baak-hap wiped her eyes with her sleeves. ¡°I have some theories... but we should talk to Lady Gong first.¡±


    ¡°Gong Dze? Why?¡±


    ¡°She''s friendly, she likes us, and she''s more likely than anyone to know why the Divine Guardians are behaving like this. Her Majesty Gong Ming Dzue probably knows too, but I think she''s unlikely to tell us.¡±


    ¡°Let''s go and talk to her now then.¡± Chan Bik jumped fully upright.


    ¡°It''s the middle of the night, Bik Bik. It can wait until tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Do you think so?¡± Gaam Yuk Ying asked, before Chan Bik could object.


    ¡°What can we do, Gaam Si-hing? If the Ng Dzeung thought that we needed to know, they would have told us?¡±


    ¡°What if...¡± His fingers twitched on the hilt of Lo Fu Ngaa. ¡°... it''s not a good reason. That they''re hiding it?¡±


    A shiver passed through the tent.


    ¡°I don''t want to start distrusting the Divine Guardians,¡± Cheng Baak-hap said quietly. ¡°But I also don''t intend to blindly follow them. Let''s go and see Lady Gong.¡±


    A few blinks was all it took for Gaam Yuk Ying and Chan Bik (carrying Cheng Baak-hap demurely in her arms), to arrive at the dragon''s lodgings. As the operation had dragged on, the tents had been replaced with temporary but sturdier huts.


    Gong Lau Yan sat outside one of the huts, whistling tunelessly and carving a scrap of wood into the rough shape of a lotus.


    ¡°Gong Dze! You''re still up.¡±


    ¡°Could say the same to you lot. I was waiting for Little Gaam to come and say hi.¡± She winked at him. ¡°How goes the Mortal Realm?¡±


    Chan Bik hurriedly recounted everything she had heard from Gaam Yuk Ying. Gong Lau Yan listened with an increasingly grave expression, occasionally throwing questions at Gaam Yuk Ying as Chan Bik jumbled up events.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Gong Dze, why are the Grandmaster and the other Divine Guardians acting like this?¡± Chan Bik asked urgently. ¡°Grandmaster could split the Five Kingdoms into their own separate islands, and Mas- Lady Gwong could set fire to the whole world if she wanted, and yet-¡±


    ¡°Ha, I don''t think Auntie Gwong could do that. Maybe Sek''suen... As for why they''re being like this... I can''t tell you that.¡±


    ¡°Can''t or won''t?¡± Gaam Yuk Ying countered.


    ¡°Grandmother ordered me not to say anything,¡± Gong Lau Yan said, shame-faced. ¡°She gets really stubborn sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Gong Dze, we don''t wish to foolishly follow orders,¡± Cheng Baak-hap said quietly. ¡°It''s not that I doubt the wisdom of the Divine Guardians-¡±


    ¡°Oh, you should,¡± Gong Lau Yan said cheerfully.


    ¡°I am,¡± said Gaam Yuk Ying.


    ¡°- but maybe they need some other opinions or viewpoints. From humans, say.¡±


    Gong Lau Yan picked up her wooden lotus and carving knife again. ¡°Well, I think you''re right, but that doesn''t mean I can tell you anything.¡±


    Chan Bik groaned aloud.


    ¡°But... I might be able to give you a clue.¡± The loong put down her tools, and stretched, before offering them a sharp grin. ¡°Follow me.¡±

 47 – Is *everybody* kung-fu fighting?

    The route that they followed seemed somehow familiar. Gong Lau Yan remained in human form, but she was still faster than the two disciples, in spite of the speed of their lightness arts. Cheng Baak-hap had elected to stay behind. ¡°Just a little more. I think¡­ I¡¯m almost achieved a breakthrough¡­¡± No amount of wheedling or pleading from Chan Bik would change her mind.


    Gong Lau Yan flowed across the landscape, and as the three of them entered a stretch of hills, Gaam Yuk Ying said, ¡°The canyon?¡±


    It was. Gong Lau Yan halted at the edge of the precipice, and they all looked down on strange, carved visage that peered out from the depths. Chan Bik pulled a face.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s really creepy. This is where that bitch cut apart a demon camp, right?¡±


    Her Senior Brother nodded, but he was looking to Gong Lau Yan.


    ¡°You¡¯re wondering why I brought you here? Well, you tell me, Little Gaam. Grandmother started acting a little strange after she was here. How did she seem when you first arrived here?¡±


    ¡°She¡­ was not comfortable.¡±


    ¡°I know I¡¯m not,¡± Chan Bik said, turning her back on the face. ¡°Argh, that¡¯s even worse! I can feel it staring at my back!¡±


    They all backed away from the edge.


    ¡°How do you feel, Gong Dze?¡± Chan Bik asked. The loong¡¯s usual carefree smile was strained.


    ¡°Better, now that we can¡¯t see that thing. But I feel like it¡¯s going to come crawling up out of there at any moment.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that!¡±


    ¡°What else?¡± Gaam Yuk Ying asked quietly, still staring in the direction of the canyon.


    ¡°What else¡­ You mean about Grandmother?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°She keeps coming back here.¡±


    Two faces with identical looks of confused concern turned to her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen her a few times. I only managed to follow her twice, but it was enough. If she was in her right mind, she would have noticed me straight away.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure she didn¡¯t notice you?¡± Chan Bik asked. ¡°What if she was pretending?¡±


    ¡°What for? I can¡¯t think of any good reason she would pretend that she didn¡¯t notice me following her. She¡¯s coming back to this spot again and again to stare obsessively at that face. You know what she said to me the other day? ¡®Lau Yan, I think we¡¯ve been doing this all wrong.¡¯ What does she mean by ¡®this¡¯?¡± She flung herself down with a sigh and smoothed stray hairs back aggressively with both hands. ¡°Kids, I¡¯m telling you this so you¡¯re not blindsided, you understand? I¡¯m not expecting you to fix anything, or solve anything. But I want you to be aware that Grandmother is worried, so that if she tells you to run, you run, and if she tells you to hide, you hide, even if it doesn¡¯t make sense in that moment, okay?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Chan Bik bristled. ¡°I know you¡¯re a thousand years older than us, Gong Dze, but we¡¯re not idiots!¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re not,¡± Gong Lau Yan said, with a fond smile. ¡°You¡¯re smart. But sometimes you¡¯re too determined for your own good, okay? And this is not something you can handle. I want you to live to my age, okay?¡±


    ¡°That will only happen if I Ascend,¡± Chan Bik said grumpily, but she looked placated.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you will. All of you.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Sing Sing¡­ Cheng Si-mui as well?¡±


    Gong Lau Yan held out her hand, and Chan Bik placed hers on to, anxiously.


    ¡°You don¡¯t necessarily have to have amazing martial prowess to Ascend, Little Chan. There are scholars in the Heavenly Realm too. And people who did extraordinary deeds. Little Cheng is very, very intelligent. She¡¯s doing something so important right now, that there¡¯s no way that she won¡¯t one day be Ascending next to you.


    ¡°Not that I really understand why you¡¯d want to,¡± she added, in a different tone.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The Heavenly Realm is really boring.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°Everyone just sits around. Or naps. The only interesting things happen when they decide to visit the Mortal Realm.¡±


    ¡°So why don¡¯t they spend more time in the Mortal Realm?¡±


    ¡°Oh, a lot of them do, but the world is a big place, Little Chan. There¡¯s only Grandmother, Old White and Auntie Gwong here at the moment. And there are some¡­ There are some who prefer to just stay comfortable in their fancy palaces.¡±


    There seemed to be real anger behind her words.


    ¡°Like who?¡±


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°No one important.¡± Gong Lau Yan smiled and jumped back up. ¡°Let¡¯s head back.¡±


    She took a few graceful, loping strides, and then flew away across the barren land. Gaam Yuk Ying followed close behind.


    Chan Bik glanced behind her, back towards the invisible canyon, before following suit.


    *


    ¡°Tsun Dzan has been attacked.¡±


    Yuen Muk looked up from piles of herbs he was sorting, a blackened book in one hand and a delicate dried iris blossom in the other. ¡°Demons?¡±


    ¡°Humans.¡± Gaam Bing loomed in the recently repaired doorway of the clinic. ¡°Ling Gwong has gone there already to see the situation.


    ¡°Two Dragons Four Tigers?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    The young man turned back to the dried flower in his hand, twirling it between his fingers. Light from the open window shone through the white petals, each faint vein emphasised. His black-and-gold eyes traced the spots of orange and blue that liberally daubed the larger sepals backgrounding the plain petals.


    ¡°Are you staying here, Master Gaam?¡±


    ¡°One of us will be here at all times.¡±


    The air still smelt faintly of ash and fear, no matter how they had rebuilt and swept and washed. Some of the disciples had left the sect, seeking safety elsewhere.


    But where? With the Two Dragons Four Tigers Alliance gearing for war throughout the country, everyone was on edge. The Kwan Leon, Hung Tung and Ming Sects were based throughout the mountainous country of Dzang in the north-west of the Five Kingdoms Region. Mou Dong Sect was only a little further east of Mount Hua, and with the armies of Sek¡¯seun and Cheon lurking at the borders of Dzue, there were few places where one could seek refuge.


    ¡°Come outside for a bit.¡±


    Yuen Muk rubbed his eyes with a sigh and followed the big man from the building. They sat together on the stone steps, the White Tiger of the West gravely considering the blue sky, Hawk Eyes staring at his own hands.


    Nothing was said. The mountain breeze carried alternately warm and cool air past them. A few surviving Fragrant Tea plants stubbornly waved tiny white and blue flowers, but much of the surrounding vegetation, including Dzik Suet¡¯s prized herb garden, was burnt to blackened stubble. A few plants had clawed their way back, but the famous plum blossom trees of Mount Faa, which should have been thick with bright green leaves and beginning to bear tiny fruit, were mere skeletal silhouettes.


    Still, they remained standing. No one had found the heart to remove them in the clean-up process.


    ¡°Um¡­ Great Master. Yi-sang.¡±


    Yuen Muk looked away from his hands to find one of the younger disciples bowing to him and Gaam Bing. He bit his lip and quickly smiled. ¡°What is it, Si-di?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yi-sang, I know you¡¯re busy, but my ankle is a bit sore¡­ I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine if it¡¯s just bandaged!¡±


    ¡°Come with me. Let¡¯s take a look.¡±


    The young boy followed, limping.


    Ankle is a bit sore? Looks like he sprained it.


    ¡°Training hard?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Yi-sang!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve often been told that staying busy is good for you, especially when the mind has fears,¡± Yuen Muk pulled up a wooden box for the boy to sit on, and indicated for him to remove his boot. Gathering bandages and salves from the supplies they had managed to scrounge up, he continued, ¡°but sometimes, that¡¯s simply running away, I think. Sometimes you have to sit and stare your fear in the eye.¡±


    ¡°Is that why they call you Hawk Eyes, Yi-sang?¡± the boy asked, wincing as he gingerly slid his boot off. His ankle was swollen, purple and blue and red.


    ¡°Maybe. Names come and go in the world of martial artists, the gong wu. Roll up the hem of your fu so I can apply a cold press.¡±


    Even in summer, the high mountain streams ran cold, so Yuen Muk could fill skins with the creek water and apply them to injuries. The boy gritted his teeth at the cold touch.


    ¡°You¡¯re from the Clear Sight School, hm? What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Bou, Yi-sang.¡±


    ¡°Bou? As in¡­?¡±


    ¡°Fortress. With the characters for ¡®human¡¯, ¡®mouth¡¯, ¡®tree¡¯ and ¡®earth¡¯. When I was born, the village sage told my parents I had too much metal in me, so they gave me a name with Wood and Earth to balance me out.¡±


    Yuen Muk laughed.


    ¡°Yi-sang?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I was just thinking of another cultivator who followed the Clear Sight practice. His School Name had a lot of Wood in it.¡±


    ¡°Did it balance him out?¡±


    ¡°Hm, maybe? I think he was fine the way he was.¡±


    The water had warmed up by now. Yuen Muk removed the skin and began to apply the salve.


    ¡°Was he a close friend of yours, Yi-sang?¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m being rude, but you seem sad.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I miss him. But I¡¯ll see him again soon.¡±


    Bou watched as his ankle was bound. ¡°Is it the Jade Exorcist?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°The friend you were talking about,¡± Bou persisted, ¡°who had a School Name that was full of Wood.¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Alright, take this stick and keep your weight off that foot for a week at least. Come back in two days so I can check.¡±


    ¡°A week?¡±


    ¡°And you won¡¯t be able to train normally for two weeks.¡±


    ¡°Two weeks?¡±


    ¡°This is why you need to be careful, Si-di.¡±


    The boy whined under his breath.


    ¡°Go on. Go and rest.¡±


    ¡°But what if she comes back?¡±


    There was no need to ask who ¡®she¡¯ was.


    ¡°We¡¯ve strengthened the defences and increased surveillance. We¡¯re unlikely to be caught off-guard again.¡±


    ¡°But she¡¯s the Crazy Smiling Demon. Isn¡¯t she really a ghost? We need the Jade Exorcist here to stop her.¡±


    ¡°The Jade Exorcist is looking for her as we speak,¡± Yuen Muk assured him. ¡°And anyway, I know a thing or two about exorcism, you know? Now get going, it¡¯ll be dinner time soon.¡±


    Bou turned and almost ran into Gaam Bing. ¡°G-Great Master!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going that way myself.¡± The big man stooped and picked up the child. Yuen Muk smiled in spite of himself at the sight.


    His smile faltered moments later. ¡°Master Gaam¡­¡±


    In a rush of red feathers and scorching heat, Ling Gwong landed in a stumbling panic, babbling without hanging form. ¡°Demons! De¡­ They¡¯re fighting everywhere in¡­ in the¡­ east¡­ Mou Dang¡­ Tsun Dzan¡­¡±


    Gaam Bing was already gone, headed for the Clear Sight School. Avoiding her searing red feathers, Yuen Muk crouched beside Ling Gwong as she rapidly regained her breath. ¡°What is it, Master Ling Gwong?¡±


    ¡°Tsun Dzan¡­ Tsun Dzan was attacked by the Mou Dang Sect. They wanted a strategic command centre further east, it seems. But while they were there, demons made their way past the Sek¡¯seun army lines and reached the Mou Dang Sect stronghold.¡±


    ¡°Is that even possible? The border is crawling with soldiers.¡±


    ¡°They had help, in a way.¡±


    ¡°Not¡­¡±


    ¡°That girl,¡± Ling Gwong said bitterly. ¡°She¡¯s attacking everyone and everything. I flew over the border on my way back. The border posts are on fire. Tsaam Lam hasn¡¯t caught alight, it would take enormous spiritual power to burn that place, but it broke the Sek¡¯seun army line and the demons took advantage of it. Perhaps they knew that Mou Dang¡¯s main cultivators would be at Tsun Dzan, since they turned west instead of east and headed there.¡±


    Gaam Bing bounded back beside them, having returned Bou to his school. ¡°Stay and recover. The two of us will go and investigate.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s my disciple who-¡±


    ¡°She is not your disciple.¡± Gaam Bing¡¯s voice was filled with a deep anger that made Yuen Muk¡¯s teeth rattle. Ling Gwong cowered.


    In the blink of an eye, a gigantic white tiger stood beside them, long tail whipping agitatedly. He turned his massive head to Yuen Muk, silver eyes glinting. ¡°Prepare your medicines. We will leave now.¡±

 48 - Why does the antagonist have such good plot armour?

    Sitting on the back of a gigantic spiritual tiger as it tore across the countryside was a new experience. Yuen Muk had ridden a horse once or twice as a child, and he had experienced the occasional privilege of being carried by his Master. Then there were the times when, playing around, Gaam Yuk Ying had picked him up and run while carrying him.


    This was different from all of those experiences. Unlike a horse, where the back would stay relatively flat, a tiger¡¯s back muscles tensed and stretched, and the shoulders and hips see-sawed slightly up and down with each spring. Yuen Muk flattened himself, clinging to the thick fur and skin around Gaam Bing¡¯s neck, to prevent himself being blown or thrown off.


    The route to Tsun Dzan would take them down from the mountains, and across the wide plains thick with silvergrass, to where the temple stood not far from the eastern coast¡­


    Gaam Bing changed direction at the same time that Yuen Muk smelt the faint stench of blood and ash coming from a little way south of where they were headed.


    ¡°Mou Dang Sect?¡± Yuen Muk squinted into the distance. They were still too far away to see much, but the smell seemed to be coming from the location of the main stronghold of the sect. Soon, plumes of smoke could be seen rising from between the mountain peaks, and there was no mistaking it.


    Gaam Bing burst out into the jumble of red brick, green-roofed buildings that formed the Mou Dang Temple Complex to find it a seething mass of fighting figures. Demons and humans alike fought each other viciously, and equal numbers of corpse from both sides lay amongst the smouldering rubble.


    On the one hand, it seemed like the most proficient cultivators of the sect had gone to Tsun Dzan, so the remaining Mou Dang disciples struggled against the demon horde. On the other, the demons seemed to have improved their martial prowess. A familiar demon seemed to be directing the soldiers, a tall humanoid with red skin and large earlobes who caught sight of Yuen Muk and gave him a wicked grin.


    The demon ducked, just in time, as another couple of familiar figures flashed overhead.


    The first was a young woman, with a pretty nose and mouth, and staring eyes far too large for her face. Teem Djeung Baak whooped wildly as she dodged and weaved between the battling humans and demons, red sparks trailing from her fingers.


    Gaam Yuk Ying was a hair¡¯s-breadth behind, swords in hands. He couldn¡¯t properly swing Lo Fu Ngaa with the other fighters around, and Teem Djeung Baak was twisting about too much to be properly skewered by Yiu Tsing.


    Reaching the middle of the courtyard, Teem Djeung Baak whirled to face Gaam Yuk Ying. His swords closed on her throat.


    ¡°Bang!¡± she said.


    The courtyard exploded.


    Temporarily blinded, Yuen Muk immediately reached out with his internal energy, feeling the scorched earth. Gaam Yuk Ying had thrown himself clear at the last moment, and as Teem Djeung Baak, chaos achieved, leapt lightly away from the ruined temple, he landed beside Yuen Muk.


    ¡°I¡¯m going after her.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡± Chan Bik hopped past and disappeared into the woods so rapidly that she barely registered as a blur even to Yuen Muk¡¯s vision.


    Yuen Muk had barely nodded when Gaam Yuk Ying and his Master flashed away after the two women. Recovering his vision, bit by bit, he took in the situation. Dozens of humans and demons lay dead and dying, hit by Teem Djeung Baak¡¯s explosive attack. Those on the edges of the blast looked dazed, but further into the collection of buildings, demons and humans continued to fight. Those demons who weren¡¯t fighting were scooping up food and weapons.


    The red-skinned demon had managed to avoid the damage and had joined the plundering work, retrieving weapons from bodies. If the cultivator he was trying to loot was not fully dead, he would place his finger on their forehead, and within a few moments, the human was visibly wrinkled and aged and definitely dead.


    Yuen Muk formed a fist and punched upwards.


    A large fist of earth rose out of the ruins of the courtyard and caught the demon in the back, sending him flying into the surrounding forest. At the sight of their leader being carelessly tossed like a doll, the demons immediately turned and fled, disappearing into the woods after him. Bleeding, exhausted, the surviving cultivators of Mou Dang watched them go.


    In tiger form, Gaam Bing was equal in speed to Chan Bik. Gaam Yuk Ying rode with practised ease on his master¡¯s back, dodging low branches as the trio hurtled between the cedar and plane trees populating the rocky woodlands.


    Gaam Bing¡¯s and Chan Bik¡¯s feet barely skimmed the quartz-rich stones as they rushed further and further.


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t we caught her yet?¡± Chan Bik demanded. Gaam Bing¡¯s expression was growing darker by the moment. Suddenly, he skidded to a halt, kicking shards of rhyolitic rock into the air.


    ¡°Master¡­ Father?¡±


    ¡°WHERE DID SHE GO?¡± Chan Bik screamed, vanishing amongst the trees.


    ¡°Her energy has disappeared,¡± said Gaam Bing. He and his disciple listened to the distant sounds of Chan Bik screaming and wildly attacking the vegetation.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Disappeared?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand it myself.¡±


    They trotted on until they reached a clearing in the woods.


    The clearing was an extremely fresh one. Huge trees had been reduced to smouldering stumps, the understorey scorched to the earth. Chan Bik sat amongst the destruction, screaming violently as she beat her hands against the ground, leaving gouges in the rocky soil.


    ¡°WHERE IS SHE? WHERE IS SHE?¡±


    Silently, Gaam Bing walked further into the woods, sniffing the air. He moved in ever decreasing circles, until he was pacing around and around three large trees. Hopping to the ground, Gaam Yuk Ying began searching these trees too. When Chan Bik, fists bruised, finally joined them, she watched their movements with confusion.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°This is where her traces end,¡± growled Gaam Bing. ¡°Do feel that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s uncomfortable,¡± Gaam Yuk Ying said, eyes narrowed. He prodded at thin air with a finger, frowning. Chan Bik experimentally waved her hand through the same patch of air.


    ¡°What the hell? What is that? It feels so¡­ weird. Like¡­ I can¡¯t even explain it.¡± She withdrew her hand and clutched her stomach with it. ¡°Why do I feel so nauseous?¡±


    Gaam Bing sniffed the air again, but did not come any closer. ¡°It seems we will not learn anything else here. We should return.¡±


    Reluctantly, Chan Bik followed Gaam Yuk Ying and Gaam Bing as they headed back to the Mou Dang temple complex. The demons were now long gone, and Yuen Muk was energetically directing rescue and retrieval operations. It was clear now that the Mou Dang disciples present were generally the younger and lower cultivation practitioners. They seemed relieved to have someone in charge.


    Yuen Muk was bellowing orders from where he crouched over an older man, pale with blood loss, who lay on a makeshift bed amidst the wreckage of the courtyard. Gaam Yuk Ying landed neatly beside him, rolling up his sleeves as he did.


    ¡°Press here,¡± Yuen Muk ordered immediately, jumping up as Gaam Yuk Ying took his place. ¡°Don¡¯t release pressure. You there, we need more emergency beds here. Move the less injured to a more comfortable place, bring the seriously wounded here.¡±


    ¡°Did they know?¡± muttered the man whose ribs were being held together by Gaam Yuk Ying. ¡°They must have known. What was that woman? She didn¡¯t look like a demon¡­¡±


    He coughed wetly, blood leaking from his lips. His lung must have been pierced.


    ¡°Chan Si-mui, I¡¯ll need you to cauterise some of the wounds, I can¡¯t treat them all.¡± Yuen Muk returned to Gaam Yuk Ying¡¯s side. ¡°Yuk Ying, find out if any of their doctors or healers are still here.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying disappeared amongst the jumble of temples and returned quickly with a couple of junior doctors, one unceremoniously bundled under each arm. Meanwhile, Gaam Bing was lending a paw to shift fallen walls and pillars, much to the distinct alarm of the Mou Dang disciples. When most of the debris had been moved, he took a huge leap over everyone¡¯s heads and vanished into the east.


    Teeth clenched, Chan Bik pressed her glowing white fingertips to open wounds, her face turning green at the scent of burning flesh and the agonised screams of the wounded. Gaam Yuk Ying held the patients down as they struggled against the pain.


    Yuen Muk, sweat dripping down his nose, focused his inner energy through his hands into the deep wound at the man¡¯s side.


    ¡°You must be Dzik Suet¡¯s replacement,¡± the man gasped. His lips, where they weren¡¯t dyed with blood, were turning blue.


    ¡°I apologise for my lack of experience,¡± Yuen Muk replied sincerely.


    The man laughed weakly. ¡°We do what we can¡­¡±


    Yuen Muk felt sections of muscle knit back together, wishing desperately that he had finished learning the acupuncture points in the chest before he had arrived. A moment later, he felt something else below his hands, an energy that was not his.


    The man was circulating his own energy. To Yuen Muk, it felt as though something were spinning slowly below his fingers, and he knew this was the Yam-yeung Arts of the Mou Dang Sect. It was fascinating to observe, light chasing the dark chasing the light, but he refocused his efforts. At last, the wound was closed and the bleeding had stopped, but the man was still pale as death and Yuen Muk was shaking with the unfamiliar effort.


    With a wordless bow to his patient, he turned to the next person who had been laid out for emergency treatment. She was dead.


    Numbly, he moved to the next, a girl little more than a child, who had her hands clamped to her throat. Blood dripped continuously between her fingers. Her chest rose and fell in sharp bursts, and he could see the whites of her eyes as she turned them fearfully towards him. ¡°Si-hing¡­ Help¡­¡±


    Dizzy, he placed his hands over hers and began to channel his energy. He almost fainted immediately.


    ¡°Bik Si-mui, go help him,¡± Gaam Yuk Ying said, pushing her lightly.


    She stumbled, confused. ¡°But he said-¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s low on energy. Give him some of yours. Fire begets Earth. I can¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Metal exploits Earth,¡± she murmured, dimly, as she hurried away. Gaam Yuk Ying turned to a disciple with a rusty chunk of metal stabbed completely through the muscle of his calf, and removed it with surgical precision. One of the Mou Dang junior doctors immediately pounced on the wound with poultices and bandages.


    They worked on. Even with Chan Bik supplying Fire hei that Yuen Muk could transform into Earth energy, they quickly ran dry.


    Before long, Gaam Bing reappeared from the east in human form, two Elders of the Mou Dang Sect by his side. At the sight of the destruction, one turned back immediately, rushing away in the direction they had come. The other landed in the remains of the courtyard, catching sight of the man that Yuen Muk had first treated.


    ¡°Elder Dzuk!¡±


    ¡°Master Laan¡­¡±


    They conversed in hushed tones, the injured Elder Dzuk speaking slowly and painfully. Occasionally they would turn and look at Yuen Muk, slumped, blank-eyed, against the cracked steps that led to the next temple building, or Chan Bik, trying desperately to channel her energy into her fingers, or Gaam Yuk Ying, coldly and efficiently continuing to remove shrapnel from where they were embedded into people¡¯s bodies.


    They didn¡¯t dare take more than a glance at Gaam Bing.


    Soon, the distant forms of a large group of people could be seen rushing through the mountain passes to reach Mou Dang. From their black and white robes, and the energy exuding from them, this had to be the party that was dispatched to attack Tsun Dzan.


    Master Laan rose to meet them, and not a word was spoken as the cultivators of Mou Dang began gathering up the survivors, ferrying the injured who had been treated to more comfortable locations, tending to those who still needed tending to.


    Yuen Muk tried to focus as Master Laan approached and bowed stiffly to him. ¡°Many thanks for your assistance. Will you come this way? We will have a place for you to rest and recover your strength. For your companions too.¡±


    Chan Bik drifted bonelessly over without a second thought. Gaam Yuk Ying, however, looked out towards the alpine woods where Teem Djeung Baak disappeared. His silvery eyes met Yuen Muk¡¯s with a hint of indecision.


    ¡°Stay a moment, Yuk Ying.¡±


    A pause, then a curt nod. Gaam Yuk Ying helped Yuen Muk to his feet, the taller man leaning gratefully on his lover¡¯s shoulder, and took Chan Bik¡¯s hand. Master Laan thought to offer some help, but closed his mouth before any words could come out.


    Gaam Yuk Ying led his lover and his friend carefully, proudly, without the slightest expression of exertion, up the cracked quartz steps to a place where they could rest.

 49 - Nothing lasts forever

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡±


    No-one had to ask Chan Bik what she meant. She¡¯d been saying the same thing for the past few hours. Gazes had continuously turned towards Lord Gaam Bing, but he had merely continue to glower into middle-distance. His expression grew darker and darker as the hours passed. Eventually, he stood suddenly and disappeared eastwards.


    ¡°Do you think he¡¯s worked something out?¡± Yuen Muk murmured to Gaam Yuk Ying.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Hm. I guess he¡¯s probably continued on to Tsun Dzan.¡±


    Yuen Muk had been alternating shifts with members of the Mou Dang medical corps to treat the injured. With the most seriously wounded having received treatment, the frantic pace had slowed, and he was able to exchange medical knowledge with his peers. The Mou Dang Sect valued balance, ensuring yam was always equal to yeung to prevent excessive heat or cold, shadow or light, action or inaction. Occasionally, the arguments would fall into awkward silence as everyone present remembered where they currently stood in the current political environment, but Yuen Mu brought the conversation easily back. This was not the place to discuss politics.


    Not when there were people to be save, or be buried.


    While Yuen Muk was professionally squabbling with the Mou Dang physicians, Gaam Yuk Ying sat beside his Master, meditating silently. A tiny wrinkle had formed between his brows.


    Chan Bik raged.


    She called Teem Djeung Baak every curse she under the sun she could think of. She paced. She shook Gaam Yuk Ying, demanding he go and comb the forest with her for any sign of the woman.


    ¡°You know she¡¯s long gone,¡± Yuen Muk said, the next time he returned, his hands splattered with ink and full of pages of notes. His clothing was stained with far worse.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got to do something.¡±


    ¡°Go tell someone.¡±


    ¡°Are you insulting me, Gaam Yuk Ying?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s being serious, Bik Si-mui,¡± Yuen Muk interceded, taking off his outer robe and examining its state ruefully. ¡°How often can you use that fire bird summon?¡±


    ¡°If I have the spiritual energy to power it, I can use it. Oh! I¡¯ll go straight away to the Grandmaster!¡±


    ¡°Do you even know where she is?¡± Gaam Yuk Ying asked, eyes still closed. Chan Bik smacked him.


    ¡°Ow.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good point.¡± Tossing aside his outer robe, Yuen Muk lay carelessly on the floor of the room. ¡°Now that I think on it, the Grandmaster didn¡¯t say where she was going. You¡¯ll have to find Lady Gong.¡±


    Chan Bik brightened instantly. ¡°I can see Sing Sing¡­ I mean, Cheng Si-dze too!¡±


    ¡°Call her what you want,¡± Yuen Muk laughed. ¡°It¡¯s obvious how you two look at each other.¡±


    ¡°Hey! You and Gaam Si-hing are always all over each other!¡±


    ¡°Not denying it.¡±


    With a wordless huff, Chan Bik flounced outside. There was a resounding crack as her two summoning stones struck together, a suddenly flourishing of warm golden light and gasps from Mou Dang Sect members nearby, and then she was gone.


    ¡°Yuk Ying¡­¡± Yuen Muk playfully dropped his head in Gaam Yuk Ying¡¯s lap. ¡°Won¡¯t you pay attention to me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why not? Are you trying to prove Chan Si-mui wrong?¡±


    ¡°Thinking.¡±


    ¡°Thinking? You?¡±


    At last, Gaam Yuk Ying¡¯s right eye slipped open and turned to look down at Yuen Muk, who couldn¡¯t suppress a shiver at the glint of silver.


    ¡°Your eyes really are beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Be quiet.¡±


    ¡°How can I when my boyfriend is so pretty?¡±


    ¡°Stop talking bullshit.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying¡¯s hands were instantly at Yuen Muk¡¯s ribs.


    ¡°GAH! STOP! THAT TICKLES!¡±


    ¡°Apologise.¡±


    ¡°No! What for?¡±


    ¡°That.¡±


    ¡°¡­ what?¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying was pointing at Yuen Muk¡¯s face.


    ¡°You mean for how handsome I am?¡±


    This outrageous statement was greeted with another attack of tickles until Yuen Muk could barely breathe.


    ¡°Sto¡­ Stop¡­ What is it? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    With his thumb, Gaam Yuk Ying smoothed the moustache that now adorned Yuen Muk¡¯s upper lip. It was starting to look a little worse for wear given the chaotic events of the past day, but otherwise suited Yuen Muk well.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡±


    No response.


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re jealous.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying looked away.


    ¡°Should I get rid of it?¡±


    ¡°¡­ no.¡±


    Yuen Muk pulled himself upright, kissed Gaam Yuk Ying¡¯s cheek, and then slowly made his way down to the neck where he planted another kiss. He rubbed his face against the delicate skin. ¡°Do you like it better now?¡±


    Their fingers interlocked. Gaam Yuk Ying¡¯s eyes looked a little cloudy, but he still responded with a stubborn ¡®hmph¡¯.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Yuen Muk kissed him again, on the lips this time. ¡°Yuk Ying¡­¡±


    ¡°SHIFT CHANGE!¡±


    Sighing deeply, Yuen Muk dropped his head onto Gaam Yuk Ying¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Me? I¡¯m just doing what I can.¡± Yuen Muk stood slowly, stretching aching muscles.


    ¡°Not that. They¡­¡± Gaam Yuk Ying¡¯s eyes drifted towards the door, his gaze growing sharp. ¡°¡­ are enemies.¡±


    ¡°As a doctor, I am responsible for keeping alive those who want to stay alive,¡± Yuen Muk said. ¡°And maybe tomorrow I will be forced to kill those who I saved today. Everyone is doing what they think is right. Everyone is trying to survive. Who knows, if I treat them well today, maybe I won¡¯t have to kill them tomorrow.¡± He turned at the door. ¡°Let¡¯s just do our best, Yuk Ying.¡±


    The earth shook.


    Yun Muk planted his feet. Gaam Yuk Ying sprang upright, his feet dancing as he moved to avoid falling over.


    Outside, Mou Dang Sect members yelled and rushed out from buildings, throwing themselves flat as the tremors continued. The already damaged buildings began to crumble further, and Yuen Muk and Gaam Yuk Ying rushed to the hall where the injured were being treated. They arrived in time ¨C pieces of stone and wood were tumbling into the treatment space, but Gaam Yuk Ying easily sliced them apart and Yuen Muk slowed the fall of the rocks.


    ¡°An earthquake, hm?¡± said a vaguely familiar voice beside him. Elder Dzuk lay pale but alert on a bed. ¡°It seems you¡¯ve saved me once again,¡±


    ¡°Elder, I¡¯m sure you-¡±


    ¡°You have a way with words, boy, but that¡¯s enough now. I think we all need to have a proper talk, don¡¯t you agree? Not like that farce at Ngo Mei.¡±


    ¡°We would appreciate it, Elder.¡±


    Two hours later, a reddish glow approached Mou Dang that had the Sect warriors scrambling for their weapons again, but the Elders waved them back. They all stared as Chan Bik, with Cheng Bak-hap mounted behind her, landed gracefully with the flaming bird summon, followed by the huge elegant loong form of Gong Lau Yan, all rippling grey-brown scales and long, green, prehensile whiskers. The Elders bowed before her, and the Sect members followed suit.


    ¡°Oh, now you bow?¡± Gong Lau Yan asked mockingly.


    ¡°I have not enough mouths to express our remorse, Lady.¡±


    ¡°Are you not suspicious that we ordered this demon attack, to force you to return from Tsun Dzan? Apparently we control the demons, after all.¡±


    Before anyone could speak, the sound of a huge creature approaching from the east had everyone¡¯s heads turning.


    It was Gaam Bing. He bounded amongst the kneeling Sect members, much to their surprise, and nodded to Gong Lau Yan.


    ¡°Old White? How fares Tsun Dzan?¡±


    Many faces turned pale at this question.


    ¡°The attack was in the first stages when the call to return to Mou Dang was issued. There are few casualties.¡±


    ¡°But casualties nonetheless?¡±


    ¡°As you say.¡±


    Gong Lau Yan turned back to the Mou Dang Sect members. Some were trembling, others grimly resigned. ¡°This is not a conversation that can be had here. We may have to return to the Ngo Mei Sect for the negotiations.¡±


    If someone had wanted to say something, they seemed to have lost their nerve under the glowing green eyes of the loong. Still, she chuckled darkly as she stared down at them. ¡°Some of you are not convinced. Cheng Baak-hap, come here.¡±


    Cheng Baak-hap approached. In the time they had not seen her, it seemed she had not grown any taller; the once tiny Chan Bik was now head and shoulders above her. She was now a somewhat curvy woman, like a fox in the autumn with her sharp, narrow eyes.


    Chan Bik glared at anyone who dared to look at her.


    ¡°I am Cheng Baak-hap, the Sage Star,¡± Cheng Baak-hap said gently. ¡°Your attention please.¡±


    Maybe you would get that attention if your wife wasn¡¯t ready to kill anyone who laid eyes on you.


    Still, at the mention of the title of Sage Star, the Elders of Mou Dang murmured amongst themselves. Some glanced towards Chan Bik now too. Stories of the Two Stars were beginning to spread.


    Elder Dzuk looked over to Gaam Yuk Ying and Yuen Muk and gave a knowing nod.


    ¡°I have in this bag,¡± Cheng Baak-hap was continuing, ¡°the start of the path towards resolving this war bloodlessly.¡± She opened the large bag that she carried to reveal scrolls, tablets and strips of bamboo with characters written on them. ¡°What I have here is a new language as a means of communication between humans and demons.¡±


    There was no stopping the wave of noise that rose up in response to these words. Cheng Baak-hap let it rise and slowly work itself back to silence.


    ¡°I have heard what is being said, that the Mount Faa Sect is working with demons against humanity. Against humanity? No. We have always sought to determine the path of least bloodshed. Why are the demons acting so? Who are they?


    ¡°We still do not have all the answers. But we have what might be the start of the solution.¡± Cheng Baak-hap held up a scroll. ¡°Yes, I worked with the demons! I have sat with their leaders. I have sat with their children. I have listened to how they communicate. And this is the result of my work. I am young and inexperienced, but I present to you an opportunity. You are the first to receive this¡­ Will you take it?¡±


    Compared to her words before, she was now met with stunned silence. Cheng Baak-hap maintained her silence, but Yuen Muk could see she was starting to tremble.


    Gaam Yuk Ying jumped up beside her. He took the scroll from her hands and opened it. After scanning the words for a moment, he rolled it up again.


    ¡°This is easier.¡±


    ¡°Than our current writing system? It is, isn¡¯t it? So much easier to learn and write.¡±


    ¡°Can I see?¡± Yuen Muk also stepped up beside her, taking the scroll. He too skimmed its contents. ¡°Amazing work, Si-mui. This can¡¯t have been easy. I knew you were working hard, but this¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you insulting Sing Sing¡¯s intelligence?¡± Chan Bik demanded. ¡°She has barely slept for the past year! I had to keep reminding her to take meals, and she wouldn¡¯t even go to bed some nights, so I had to find her and put a blanket over her¡­¡±


    As Chan Bik rambled on, Gaam Yuk Ying and Yuen Muk exchanged a secret smirk before turning their eyes towards the Mou Dang Elders. Their expressions were no longer uncertain.


    ¡°Lady Sage Star,¡± Elder Dzuk said. ¡°We would be honoured to be the first to come to the table to discuss this new language and what this means for the Five Kingdoms. Thank you.¡±


    Cheng Baak-hap¡¯s hands were still shaking but she busily rolled up the scroll and nodded. ¡°Thank you, Elder. Then, it is a matter of reaching out to the other sects and kingdoms.¡±


    ¡°We will provide escorts to meet with the rest of the Two Dragons Five Tigers Alliance.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying smirked at the name, and Elder Dzuk had the grace to look somewhat embarrassed.


    ¡°I believe the title was an attempt to raise the moral of those who were anxious about facing actual dragons and tigers¡­¡±


    ¡°They should be anxious,¡± Gong Lau Yan laughed. Gaam Bing let out a grumble that might have been a tiger¡¯s chuckle.


    A squad of Mou Dang soldiers, under the guidance of Master Laan, would escort Cheng Baak-hap and Chan Bik to the nearest destination, the central palace of Sek¡¯suen. Gong Lau Yan would shadow them for a quick getaway if needed.


    Gaam Bing had decided to go to the Demon Realm. He had yet to see the place and seemed intensely curious about it, although he was hiding the fact well with his usual stoic expression.


    Gaam Yuk Ying and Yuen Muk would go on to Tsun Dzan. As preparations for departure were underway, they provided more details of the events with Teem Djeung Baak to Gong Lau Yan.


    ¡°Where is Master?¡± Yuen Muk finally asked, as the loong digested the information.


    ¡°No idea.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    She sighed and scratched her head. ¡°No, I know, but¡­ I can¡¯t tell you.¡±


    ¡°Lady Gong¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Little Gou. Oh, whoops, it¡¯s Yuen Muk now, isn¡¯t it? Look, if I thought you needed to know, I would tell you, no matter what Grandmother says. But this is something beyond you all. What I can tell you is that she promised to be back by the next new moon, no matter the outcome.


    ¡°Now, as for Teem Djeung Baak¡­ She seems to have found some method of escape that we¡¯re not aware of. It would certainly explain how she keeps getting away in spite of her lower cultivation level.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps Lady Ling Gwong would know?¡±


    Gong Lau Yan shook her head. ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard from Old White and our Little Shooting Star, there didn¡¯t seem to be evidence of Fire energy at the point where she disappeared. I think this is something else. Nothing we can do right now though. We don¡¯t know where she is or when she¡¯ll reappear.¡±


    The gathering broke up. The various parties set out, leaving the remaining Mou Dang Sect members to continue the clean up.


    Yuen Muk stood on Yiu Tsing, holding onto Gaam Yuk Ying as they zipped east. A few more tremors shook the earth as they travelled. Although it did not affect them, they could see the tops of the trees below shimmering with movement.


    The grey-tiled roofs of the Tsun Dzan School were just appearing on the horizon when Yuen Muk shook Gaam Yuk Ying suddenly. ¡°Yuk Ying, that way¡­¡±


    They had left the most mountainous areas behind, but there were still hills, and a huge one nearby seemed to have collapsed, the trees tilted at crazy angles. A glimmer of gold peeked through the fallen vegetation.


    ¡°Master?¡±


    Wong Tang lay coiled amidst the slumped earth and broken branches. She lifted her head as the two men soared towards her.


    ¡°Master? What happened? Where have you been?¡±


    She shook her scaled head. ¡°Nothing, child. Nowhere. It doesn¡¯t matter. Let us go to Tsun Dzan. Tell me what has happened in my absence.¡±

 50 – Four-dimensional xiangqi

    Convincing the Tsun Dzan School to join the negotiations was an easy task.


    ¡°They attacked us? Mou Dang attacked us?¡± The Head Scholar of Tsun Dzan was a small and neat but fussy-looking man named Baak Tsau Saa. He looked up incredulously at Gaam Yuk Ying and Yuen Muk while nervously adjusting his hat. ¡°Did they thinking we were pretending to have not picked a side?"


    Gaam Yuk Ying looked out over the School. It stood on a high hill, overlooking the eastern ocean with a sheer drop down to the water. Plains of silvergrass stretched towards the west, glowing in the afternoon light. In the distance, the looming presence of Tsaam Lam, at the border of Sek¡¯seun and Dzue, was clear on the horizon. "Strategic location."


    ¡°That¡¯s probably the case,¡± Yuen Muk agreed. ¡°Trying to maintain neutrality whilst hold one of the most useful positions, geographically? You¡¯re lucky only Mou Dang came for you.¡±


    ¡°They probably thought they were enough,¡± Baak Tsau Saa said shakily. He aimlessly shuffled papers on his desk. ¡°We¡¯re only a small sect. Does Mount Faa promise to provide us protection during the negotiations?¡±


    ¡°We do. While we wait to hear of the response from the other parties, can I provide you with any assistance? I hear there were some injuries¡­¡±


    Yuen Muk made himself useful in the infirmary while Gaam Yuk Ying wordlessly began helping repair damaged buildings. Wong Tang had resumed her human form, but had not entered the School. Instead, she sat on a practically imperceptible ledge on the cliff, gazing out to sea and smoking her pipe very slowly.


    The School, which had a stronger focus on scholarly arts than many of the other Sects, had done well to hold out against Mou Dang for as long as they did, in part due to their location. The Mou Dang warriors it seemed, had decided to ration their strength and had not attempted to climb the sheer cliffside to the east. The defenders of Tsun Dzan School, mostly warriors hired to keep away mountain bandits, had only just managed to fend off the oncoming attack until the retreat was called. Only eight warriors had died, and one scholar who was unfortunate enough to not retreat to safety in time. Her body lay in the School¡¯s tiny morgue, awaiting burial, while the scholars sought out a corpse-driver to take the warriors¡¯ bodies back to their hometowns.


    Watched with disbelief by the remaining warriors and the scholars of Tsun Dzan, Gaam Yuk Ying easily sliced his way through the tangle of fallen timbers, and righted metal posts that had been forcibly twisted during the Mou Dang attack. He examined a few of these with thoughtful silence, determined to ask for a spar with any of their Third Daan-tin disciples when he saw them again.


    In the end, it was a week before the second round of negotiations could begin. Yuen Muk had returned to Mount Faa by the time the news arrived, and Gaam Yuk Ying was who-knows-where, either roaming the countryside searching for Teem Djeung Baak or picking fights with the Mou Dang disciples.


    Once more, they found themselves at Ngo Mei. This time, the participants included the sects of Mount Faa, Mou Dang, Tsun Dzan, and Kwan Leon. The leaders of Sek¡¯suen and Cheon, as well as the remaining sects, had refused to take part.


    Newcomers in the form of delegates from Wong and Dzang had made an appearance, and Dzue Dziu Ming greeted them warmly. The head representative of Wong, was a dark-skinned, fierce-looking and sinewy man, wearing vibrant, earth-coloured robes with a symbol of a phoenix on the back. His people all wore daggers of various kinds and carried light bows that Chan Bik eyed with unbridled curiosity.


    ¡°§º§Ú?§í§Ý§Õ§Ñ?,¡± he said, holding out both arms to Dzue Dziu Ming. The Dzue Regent returned the gesture, gripping the other man¡¯s elbows.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Chan Bik asked Gong Lau Yan. ¡°What did he say?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how they greet each other,¡± she replied. ¡°The younger person keeps their arms below the older person¡¯s and supports their elbows. And he just gave his name.¡±


    ¡°Could¡­ could we ask him to repeat it?¡±


    He obliged with a white-toothed smile that seemed friendly enough. ¡°Shikladak.¡±


    The head delegate for Dzang was a pale-haired woman, although her skin was tanned and reddish-hued. She wore grey furs, and had heavily calloused hands and pale blue eyes that made everyone look again as she passed. The members of her delegation were grim-faced and carried an assortment of heavy bows and curved swords.


    ¡°???? ???,¡± she introduced herself, deigning to touch cheeks with Wong Tang and Gong Lau Yan, but simply staring at everyone else.


    Chan Bik sighed deeply.


    ¡°Mest¡¯at,¡± the woman repeatedly, more slowly, upon request. She looked down her nose as she did.


    ¡°She reminds me of someone,¡± Yuen Muk murmured in Gaam Yuk Ying¡¯s ear. ¡°Speaking of, where has Maan Dzi King gone? This is the sort of thing she¡¯d love.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°She¡¯s been promoted to Commander of the Third Head,¡± Gong Lau Yan muttered. ¡°So she¡¯s, unfortunately, stuck in the palace with the handover paperwork.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunate, huh?¡±


    ¡°Truly.¡±


    Ngo Mei seemed to have made the most of Wong Tang¡¯s landscaping. New staircases led up the recently raised mountainsides, mostly temporarily formed from wood, but with some sections painstakingly hewed into the iron-rich red basalt that had pushed up the temple.


    The disciples of the Ngo Mei Sect brought small dishes of highly spicy and pickled foods, along with pots of an oolong tea that Dzue Dziu Ming seemed pleasantly surprised by.


    ¡°Tiet Gwun Yaam?¡±


    ¡°I should have known you would recognise it,¡± said Luk Si Yung, the Ngo Mei Grandmaster. She had remained quiet throughout the first round of discussions, but seemed gently determined to speak this time. ¡°Certain people thought perhaps it would be too obscure a tea, but Your Majesty Dzue Dziu Ming has a deep understanding of his kingdom¡¯s produce.¡±


    ¡°I happened to try it once,¡± Dzue Dziu Ming disclaimed. ¡°Do you like it, Jade Exorcist?¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying had already finished a cup and was carefully sniffing his second.


    ¡°There¡¯s a story behind this tea, did you know?¡± Dzue Dziu Ming continued, finishing his own cup as he addressed the room as a whole. Mest¡¯at looked entirely disinterested, if not irritated, but everyone else seemed content to follow along with the Dzue Regent¡¯s tangent. ¡°Have you heard of the Immortal of Mercy, Gwun Yaam?¡±


    ¡°I have,¡± Cheng Baak-hap said. ¡°They came from a country to the west of the Five Kingdoms. They performed many acts of mercy, and after Ascending, gained the ability to change appearance at will. For that reason, we don¡¯t know whether they were originally a man or a woman or otherwise.¡±


    She realised that Gaam Yuk Ying was staring at her with an outraged expression that was clearly questioning why he had never heard such a story before.


    ¡°The farmer who produces this tea says his family was on the brink of starvation, but the Immortal Gwun Yaam came to him in a dream and showed him where to harvest this particular tea,¡± Dzue Dziu Ming said. ¡°I even got to see the plant myself. It¡¯s a quite a petite plant.¡±


    ¡°What work were you trying to avoid that you went roaming around northern Dzue?¡± Gong Lau Yan asked drily.


    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. I was working, speaking to my subjects. Poor man, his only child had disappeared several months before and his back was playing up and-¡±


    ¡°You were playing up.¡±


    ¡°Is there some reason why you chose to serve us a Dzue tea, Grandmaster Luk?¡± Wong Tang asked bluntly.


    Even Gaam Yuk Ying looked somewhat surprised at her rudeness.


    But Grandmaster Luk hesitated.


    ¡°¡­ We are¡­ In honestly, we¡¯re being a little frugal with our own produce, this season. Our farmlands may be small, but we¡¯ve never had such a bad harvest.¡±


    ¡°How long has this been going for?¡±


    ¡°Only the last few months.¡±


    ¡°Has the weather not been good here?¡± Gong Lau Yan asked quizzically. ¡°There was the typhoon that hit the southern kingdoms several months ago, but I didn¡¯t think much had been happening up here.¡±


    The typhoon. Yuen Muk had forgotten about it after all that had happened. He made a mental note to ask Gong Lau Yan and Dzue Dziu Ming about it later.


    ¡°Not at all, the weather has been quite good. We are¡­ Tcha N¨¡?i Mest¡¯at has brought some experts with her to solve the matter.¡±


    Yuen Muk thought he felt the ground tremble, very slightly. No one else seemed to have noticed; Cheng Baak-hap, seated between him and Dzue Dziu Ming, was muttering to the Regent and writing notes. He sneaked a glance to see that she was writing: ¡®Tcha N¨¡?i means Queen¡¯.


    Gong Lau Yan murmured something unintelligible to all except Wong Tang. Shikladak¡¯s eyes flickered.


    The trembling ceased.


    Baak Tsau Saa coughed irritably. ¡°Can we move on to the reason why we are gathered here?¡± He impatiently sipped his tea, his face a little red, and a small bite taken from his bowl of spicy noodles. Dzue Dziu Ming also coughed, sounding suspiciously like he was stifling a laugh.


    ¡°You have created a language,¡± Mest¡¯at said archly, finally turning her attention to Cheng Baak-hap. Her pale blue eyes bored into the young woman.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t our Sage Star smart?¡± Dzue Dziu Ming responded flippantly. ¡°Here, we have a summary of what has been developed so far.¡±


    Bamboo tablets were passed around the table. Shikladak leaned on the table, examining the tablet in his hand with polite amusement. Mest¡¯at¡¯s expression grew colder, if such a thing was possible. Only the sect leaders looked solemnly neutral.


    ¡°Is there a problem, Tcha N¨¡?i Mest¡¯at?¡± Dzue Dziu Ming asked with a smile.


    ¡°This language is based on the Dzue language.¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡°So you wish to continue pushing your barely-veiled attempts at increasing your hold on the Five Kingdoms. Just admit this is part of your plans for an empire.¡±


    Dzue Dziu Ming laughed.


    His laugh was entirely without mirth. There was a viciousness to it that made the nervous Baak Tsau Saa flinch. Mest¡¯at merely narrowed her pale eyes.


    When he stopped, he stared at Mest¡¯at, unblinking.


    ¡°Wolf Queen, how many languages do you speak? Five? Six? Does that mean Dzang is part of six different empires?¡±


    ¡°Those languages are necessary for trade.¡±


    ¡°And this language is necessary for peace.¡±


    ¡°So Dzue has the monopoly on peace with the demons?¡±


    As she was speaking, her pale eyes were growing more and more green. A fuzz of pale grey fur began to grow across her cheeks. Wong Tang and Gong Lau Yan shifted in their chairs, scales rippling across their own cheeks. The humans in the room tensed instinctively.


    Dzue Dziu Ming still hadn¡¯t blinked. ¡°What are you asking for, Queen? Let¡¯s not circle each other until one of us drops dead from tedium.¡±


    For a second, her eyes flicked towards the two loong, their scales shining on their humanoid faces.


    ¡°Might I remind you that we don¡¯t have time.¡±


    ¡°So you say.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve heard the reports, Wolf Queen. I¡¯m sure your envoys and diplomats and spies have even seen some of the impacts of the demons first hand. Or are you hoping that they will overrun the southernmost countries, leaving yours without contest?¡±


    She growled, deep in her chest. Dzue Dziu Ming did not flinch.


    ¡°The language is not complete,¡± he said, more softly.


    She closed her eyes.


    ¡°Has this language been taught to those demons?¡±


    ¡°Only a few,¡± Cheng Baak-hap answered. ¡°Mostly to test that they have the morphology to pronounce the sounds.¡±


    ¡°We will be closely involved in any further developments of this language.¡± It was a statement, not a request.


    ¡°How do you feel about this, Lord Shikladak?¡± Dzue Dziu Ming asked, amusement once more colouring his voice.


    The other man shrugged cheerfully. ¡°Fine by me.¡±


    They smiled disingenuously at each other.


    ¡°Well then. Let us speak of the details.¡±

 51 - Here comes trouble...

    The discussions continued for the remainder of the day and well into the night.


    The more they talked, the more the four disciples of Mount Faa found themselves exchanging glances.


    Shikladak almost seemed to be in a permanent state of dissociation. He smiled and nodded but barely added anything to the discussion, and spent a great deal of time staring at Chan Bik, who tried to glare back at him but was unable to maintain her gaze.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s human,¡± she whispered under her breath to Gaam Yuk Ying. ¡°He reminded me a bit of the phoenixes I met in Wong, but¡­ he gives me the creeps.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t the only one unnerved by him. Baak Tsau Saa¡¯s eyes kept flickering nervously in his direction, and Grandmaster Luk, seated next to him, was leaning ever so subtly away, although her expression remained neutral. The Mou Dang Master Laan mainly kept silent, evidently not eager to draw attention to the role that Mou Dang had been playing so far.


    Oddly, Wong Tang and Gong Lau Yan had also been quiet. They sat in the background, listening wordlessly.


    Mest¡¯at¡¯s pale eyes could have burned holes in the pages and tablets that Cheng Baak-hap handed her, with the intensity that she was examining them. She passed the writings back to her delegation as she completed each one.


    ¡°We¡¯d like for you to meet with some of the demon nobles,¡± Cheng Baak-hap said.


    ¡°There are demon nobles?¡± Mest¡¯at responded instantly.


    ¡°Of a sort. At least, the demon village that we primarily engage with has a ruling group who make the bulk of decisions.¡±


    ¡°Where are you proposing to meet them?¡±


    ¡°We have established a base in the Demon Realm-¡±


    ¡°No. We will not be entering that place.¡±


    ¡°Scared, wolf?¡± Shikladak sniggered.


    ¡°Do you want to become my next meal, chicken?¡±


    ¡°Will Mou Dang be joining us?¡± Dzue Dziu Ming asked Master Laan innocently, sipping more of the Tiet Gwun Yaam.


    Master Laan choked on his own tea. His eyes surreptitiously swept the faces of the other delegates, but there was no assistance forthcoming. Gaam Yuk Ying was running his thumbs over the hilts of his swords and thoughtfully eyeing the Mou Dang disciples who had accompanied their Master.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come along,¡± Shikladak piped up cheerfully and unexpectedly, folding his long fingers. ¡°It would be very interesting to see a different plane of existence.¡±


    Did he think they were going to a party?


    Mest¡¯at, on the other hand, after conversing with her delegation in their own language, said coolly, ¡°I have too many responsibilities to travel with you. But my younger sister will do so. Na?ks?a?ta?r.¡±


    Of the group of Dzang delegates, there had been only one who had been more striking than Mest¡¯at. Her sister not only had the same blue eyes and round face, but also wispy, pale hair, a faint silver-gold like the silvergrass that grew in the plains of Sek¡¯seun. Her cheeks had a permanent pink flush that contrasted with her cold expression. She bowed politely, in the manner of the southern kingdoms.


    Gong Lau Yan shifted as though she were about to speak, but she seemed to think better of it. Only Gaam Yuk Ying saw her grey-brown eyes dart towards her grandmother.


    ¡°We will send a squad.¡± Having dabbed the tea from his grey beard, Master Laan had apparently regained his composure.


    ¡°We will need confirmation of the names of those travelling to the Demon Realm within two days.¡± Cheng Baak-hap was scribbling rapid notes with a charcoal stick. ¡°I will be departing myself tomorrow to speak with the demons and arrange a meeting date.¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°Na?ks?a?ta?r, go with her.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll be departing tomorrow too, then.¡± Shikladak smiled at Chan Bik.


    Wong Tang chuckled. ¡°It will be good to travel with you again, young bird.¡±


    A sense of unease flitted across Shikladak¡¯s narrow face. Gong Lau Yan smirked.


    ¡°And you, Grandmaster Luk?¡±


    ¡°I will have one of my disciples travel with Lady Na?ks?a?ta?r.¡±


    ¡°Elder Baak?¡±


    The nervous little man shook his head. ¡°We will not take part. I¡­ trust we will be kept informed of the results.¡±


    Cheng Baak-hap finished her notes with a final flourish. ¡°Then, it is agreed that representatives of the Kingdoms of Wong, Dzang and Dzue, along with representatives of the Mou Dang, Ngo Mei, and Mount Faa Sects, will be travelling to the Demon Realm to attempt to negotiate with the demon nobles and broker peace agreements.¡±


    ¡°There is one matter we have yet to touch upon,¡± Mest¡¯at observed. ¡°The Fire Demon.¡±


    ¡°The Fire-¡± Chan Bik interrupted, her face dark. ¡°Are you perhaps referring to that¡­ to Teem Djeung Baak?¡±


    Mest¡¯at shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know her name. But I hear there is a demon who appears often in the southern kingdoms, killing demons and humans alike. She cannot be caught, appearing and disappearing at will. People call her the Fire Demon.¡±


    Chan Bik ground her teeth. ¡°She is a human, not a demon.¡±


    ¡°And her goal?¡±


    ¡°As far as we¡¯re aware, she simply seems to enjoy the chaos,¡± Yuen Muk supplied. ¡°We haven¡¯t been able to link her to any particular group.¡± He looked to Cheng Baak-hap for confirmation, and she nodded.


    ¡°Then your investigatory skills are useless. We will look into it.¡±


    Ignoring Chan Bik¡¯s affronted expression, Cheng Baak-hap shrugged and tidied away her notes. ¡°Very well.¡±


    But Mest¡¯at hadn¡¯t finished. ¡°Have you established a name for this new language?¡±


    For the first time, Cheng Baak-hap lost a little of her composure. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks. ¡°I¡­ I have.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Xi¨£ng.¡±


    ¡°¡®To wish for¡¯?¡± Mest¡¯at raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Wow, you already learnt that?¡± Shikladak asked. The lack of interest in his eyes contradicted his words. Mest¡¯at ignored him.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Cheng Baak-hap squared her shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    <hr>


    It was Dzue Dziu Ming who suggested they all relax a little before preparing to depart. The Dzang delegation, despite their solemn faces, had brought some strong alcohol with them that had everyone tipsy after a single cup.


    Wong Tang, Mest¡¯at, and Grandmaster Luk had disappeared. Na?ks?a?ta?r sat apart with the remainder of the Dzang envoys. Master Laan had tried to excuse himself, but couldn¡¯t escape Dzue Dziu Ming, and now sat next to him with a disgruntled look on his face. On the Dzue Regent¡¯s other side, Baak Tsau Saa nursed his third cup and muttered darkly under his breath, casting sidelong glances at Master Laan. Gong Lau Yan was teasing Chan Bik and Cheng Baak-hap, who wore identical pink blushes from the alcohol as they sat arm-in-arm. Shikladak lurked nearby with his delegation, watched from the corner of Yuen Muk¡¯s eye. Gaam Yuk Ying kept trying to challenge the Mou Dang disciples to duels.


    Slightly unfocused, Chan Bik frowned at him, as if trying to decipher a riddle. ¡°Hey, Gaam Si-hing, you used to fly on Lo Fu Ngaa before you got Yiu Tsing, didn¡¯t you? How did you manage that? It¡¯s a curved blade.¡±


    Wordlessly, Gaam Yuk Ying drew Lo Fu Ngaa. There was the slightest hint of a wobble in his stance as he stood. Tossing the blade lightly, he jumped on it, the sharp edge facing the ground, his feet resting on the narrow, dull side of the blade.


    A second later, he collapsed into a magnificent heap as he lost his balance.


    ¡°Ha ha, you¡¯re drunk. You¡¯ll need to stand on the flat edge!¡±


    For the next few minutes, Gaam Yuk Ying, balanced on the flat edge of Lo Fu Ngaa, flew in circles, following the shape of the curved blade. Spinning drunkenly, he almost careened into a small group of newcomers who were mounting the steps to the dining area. He stopped with a sudden jerk, rolling off Lo Fu Ngaa to hang upside-down with both feet and a hand. Face inches from Envoy Laam¡¯s, he squinted suspiciously at her.


    ¡°Envoy Laam, you¡¯re late,¡± Dzue Dziu Ming admonished lightly, as if he had been expecting her arrival. He approached cheerfully, Yuen Muk in tow. The latter smiled at the envoy too as he pulled the still-floating Gaam Yuk Ying to a more respectable distance.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡± She bowed formally, without any change to her usual concerned expression. ¡°And all distinguished guests, I apologise for our lateness. We had good reason, however, as I trust you will come to understand.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s discuss this later, Your Excellency. Come and meet everyone.¡±


    But Envoy Laam stood fast. ¡°I must also introduce you to a member of my delegation, Your Majesty. Please¡­¡± She gestured to a veiled figure behind her. Yuen Muk was trying to encourage Gaam Yuk Ying to get off Lo Fu Ngaa when he realised that the Cheon delegation was merely formed of Envoy Laam, the veiled figure, and four people who could only be guards, all at least Second Daan-tin Experts.


    Gaam Yuk Ying landed on the ground, his hand on the hilt of Lo Fu Ngaa. He did not sway at all.


    The figure stepped delicately forward and lifted the white veil around her travelling hat. The woman underneath was beautiful, pale and dropping like a little flower. The pale purple of her rich dress, painstakingly stitched with silver threads, made her veins stand out all the more starkly. Her eyelashes were so thick they seemed to weigh her eyelids down.


    Even Yuen Muk, who had no interest in women, had to admit she was beautiful, in a very frail sort of way. Gaam Yuk Ying remained with his hand on his sword. But Dzue Dziu Ming¡¯s expression was inscrutable.


    ¡°Your Majesty, may I present her Royal Highness, the One Flower, Princess Cheon Maan Ging?¡±

 52 - Shes Still Alive?

    ¡°You¡¯ve travelled far,¡± Dzue Dziu Ming said, inclining his head respectfully. Yuen Muk caught the implied question in his words. ¡°You look weary.¡± He offered his hand.


    Envoy Laam watched closely as Cheon Maan Ging¡¯s delicate fingers hooked into Dzue Dziu Ming¡¯s, only dropping her eyes when she realised Gaam Yuk Ying and Yuen Muk were staring at her. Yuen Muk bowed, and she hastily bowed in response.


    They watched the Cheon delegation, led by Dzue Dziu Ming, return to the party.


    ¡°This feels¡­ like a bad omen,¡± Yuen Muk said.


    Gaam Yuk Ying glanced at him under his eyelids.


    ¡°Do you remember that noble lady back in Dzue?¡±


    ¡°Mun Gong?¡±


    ¡°You remember.¡± Yuen Muk frowned. ¡°There would only be one reason such a delicate person would be brought to a place like this. They intend to marry her off to forge ties.¡±


    Shikladak was greeting the princess as he spoke. Chan Bik and Cheng Baak-hap, flushed with wine, stared at her unabashedly.


    ¡°I know that Lady Mun is betrothed to the Second Prince of Cheon¡­ but Regent Dzue definitely has a soft spot for her. What a situation¡­ Even their names are similar¡­¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying remained silent, waiting.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not our place to say anything. We certainly wouldn¡¯t understand what it¡¯s like to rule a country,¡± Yuen Muk sighed. He leaned on Gaam Yuk Ying¡¯s shoulder and looked at him appealingly. ¡°Shall we go somewhere else?¡±


    There was no need for clarification. They slipped away silently, hopping easily along the paths of the Ngo Mei Temple grounds towards the quarters that had been set aside for them. The sky was ever so slightly lightening, the stars above beginning to fade, but before they could reach their room, a group of people caught their attention.


    Wong Tang, Gong Lau Yan, Grandmaster Luk and Mest¡¯at were all gathered in a circle in water appeared to have once been a cultivated garden bed. There was nothing growing in there at the moment, and Mest¡¯at was rubbing soil between her fingers. Wong Tang was silently puffing on her pipe, swirling clouds surrounding her. Gong Lau Yan waved the smoke away.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a little much, Grandmother?¡± they heard her say. Wong Tang started, knocked the ash from her pipe and replaced it in her sleeve.


    ¡°Hey kids, heading to bed?¡± Gong Lau Yan had spotted them. She gave them a wicked grin.


    ¡°If you know, don¡¯t stop us,¡± Gaam Yuk Ying replied, his voice so flat it was impossible to tell if he was joking. But Gong Lau Yan laughed.


    ¡°Alright, good night!¡±


    ¡°Wait, Lady Gong¡­¡±


    Yuen Muk left a disappointed Gaam Yuk Ying behind and landed by Gong Lau Yan¡¯s side. ¡°Sorry to interrupt, but¡­¡± He lowered his voice. ¡°A delegation from Cheon has arrived. They brought their princess and were very eager for Dzue Dziu Ming to meet her.¡±


    Grimacing, Gong Lau Yan processed the information. ¡°I see. Thanks, Little Hawk. We can handle it. Go to bed.¡±


    He bowed to the women and rejoined Gaam Yuk Ying, continuing their interrupted journey to bed. They were barely in the door when he felt his boyfriend¡¯s hands on his belt.


    ¡°In a hurry?¡±


    ¡°Is that wrong?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡±


    They tumbled back onto the simple bed, Yuen Muk almost knocking his head against the wall. He was caught in time by Gaam Yuk Ying, the latter¡¯s reflexes stunningly fast.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting quicker, Ah Ying. Your cultivation is improving even more.¡±


    ¡°So¡¯s yours.¡±


    Yuen Muk smiled softly as he readjusted himself more comfortably on the bed, letting Gaam Yuk Ying tuck his knees under his hips. ¡°Well, it wouldn¡¯t be nice if one of us left the other behind, would it?¡±


    The expression on Gaam Yuk Ying¡¯s face was answer enough. Yuen Muk sat up and pecked a kiss from those taut lips. ¡°Let¡¯s stay together for a long time, yes?¡±


    A quick nod, then Gaam Yuk Ying pushed him back against the bed.


    *


    The following days passed by quickly. Cheng Baak-hap, despite nursing an enormous hangover, set off with Chan Bik, whose high cultivation allowed her to simply burn the alcohol out of her bloodstream. Gong Lau Yan went with them, half an eye towards Shikladak and Na?ks?a?ta?r as she cheerly waved the rest farewell.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Wong Tang and Yuen Muk would be diverting to Mount Faa first, while Gaam Yuk Ying would guarding the Regent and the Cheon delegation on their way back to Dzue. Yuen Muk playfully moped around Gaam Yuk Ying, hanging off his shoulders like a cloak while the later stoically dragged him around until Wong Tang sharply told them off. They pulled themselves together and watched her sweep away, puffing rapidly at her pipe, as she called over her should, ¡°Little Gou, we¡¯re leaving!¡±


    ¡°Odd,¡± said Gaam Yuk Ying.


    ¡°Very. I¡¯ve never seen Master so agitated. Or so absent-minded.¡±


    The journey on foot from Ngo Mei to Ming Yuet was long. Ngo Mei was located within Dzang, far to the north-west, while Ming Yuet sat like a pearl at the mouth of the Ming Dzue River as it spilled into the southern ocean.


    ¡°If only we could teleport,¡± Dzue Dziu Ming sighed conversationally to Princess Cheon. They had decided the safest place for the delicate princess would be Dzue. Once she was settled, a loong from the Palace of Tin Yeung Wong would bring Dzue Dziu Ming to the Demon Realm. ¡°I¡¯ll be very interested to learn how the demons created that portal. I wonder if we¡¯ll even be able to find the words to explain such a thing¡­¡±


    Cheon Maan Ging smiled sweetly. She was a soft-spoken, gentle creature that Gaam Yuk Ying judged with a single word when asked by Dzue Dziu Ming for his opinion.


    ¡°Na?ve.¡±


    The Regent had laughed, and then sighed.


    They were travelling by carriage, Dzue Dziu Ming, Princess Cheon and Envoy Laam ensconced inside while the guards and Gaam Yuk Ying flitted around with hing-gong. The journey, at this speed, would take a week; Gaam Yuk Ying could have run it in less than a day.


    He dodged amongst the trees by the roadside, diverting occasionally at the slightest hint of fire. But the journey was entirely peaceful, without even a sign of so much as a bandit. At one point, he even ran beside the carriage to question the Regent about the typhoon, remembering Yuen Muk¡¯s concerns.


    ¡°We were safe.¡± Dzue Dziu Ming shrugged. ¡°Gong Ming Dzue and Gong Lau Yan have extremely strong Water and Wood powers, almost as high as those of the Ng Dzueng, and they¡¯ve guarded Dzue for over a thousand years. There was some localised flooding and a bit of damage, but it was easy enough to fix. Cheon and Sek¡¯seun, and some of the countries to the west, were more seriously affected.¡± He looked to Cheong Maan Ging. ¡°Could you tell us how Cheon fared, Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ It rained for so long. And the wind howled so. I couldn¡¯t go outside. Her eyelashes quivered. ¡°My favourite garden was flooded and many of the plants died.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate. You¡¯ll have to see if the gardens in Dzue are to your liking.¡±


    Cheon Maan Ging¡¯s heavy eyes lit up at the thought.


    Gaam Yuk Ying left them to it. They were nearing Ming Yuet now, having passed safely through Tsaam Lam. The guardian fox, Tsaam Lei, had appeared briefly in the corner of Gaam Yuk Ying¡¯s vision, but he was gone without a word. The cultivator paused momentarily, watching the direction the fox had disappeared in, but soon continued following the carriage.


    Not long after, he stopped following the carriage again, only this time, he also rushed away east.


    Not far away, he could sense someone¡¯s Fire energy.


    ¡°Little Handsome.¡±


    Teem Djeung Baak looked dreadful.


    Not only was she missing a hand, but parts of her skin were also shiny and red, burnt away, as were some portions of her hair. Her enormous eyes looked bigger still, ringed with dark circles, and her skin was pale, almost green. She looked ill. Still, she sat, perfectly composed and smiling her usual unsettling smile, on a blackened tree stump. Gaam Yuk Ying looked at it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping the little fox here busy,¡± she said tapping the stump. ¡°I¡¯ve got to practice somehow, don¡¯t I? Although I prefer moving targets. Have you come to practice with me?¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying barely moved aside as a ball of crackling red energy zipped past him, slamming into a tree, which exploded. He settled back. ¡°I¡¯ll always be faster than you.¡±


    ¡°True. Isn¡¯t life unfair? I wish I was born with talent, like you.¡±


    ¡°You seem to have made up for it.¡±


    ¡°And you want to know how, don¡¯t you?¡± She laughed. ¡°I can tell. You¡¯ve always been such a quiet type, but now you¡¯re using such long sentences to talk to me! I¡¯m honoured.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying drew Lo Fu Ngaa.


    ¡°Such a short temper,¡± Teem Djeung Baak sighed. ¡°I wanted to talk a little longer.¡±


    Not likely. Gaam Yuk Ying shot forward, and she dived backwards, hurling herself behind a still-intact tree. He rushed around the trunk, but she was already gone.


    There was something there though, a strange shimmer that was rapidly disappearing. He saw shapes, faint, like scribbles in charcoal that had long been weathered away. They looked familiar.


    The portal to the Demon Realm.


    As he watched, the shimmer and symbols faded.


    So this was the answer. Somewhere, somehow, she had learnt to make portals.


    Gaam Yuk Ying sat down on the stump that Teem Djeung Baak had abandoned, brow furrowed. He was still there when Tsaam Lei rushed over, with a blast of wind that blew Gaam Yuk Ying¡¯s hair back.


    ¡°Where is she?¡± the fox demanded, catching sight of the two destroyed one trees. He touched his nose to the one that had been blasted to shreds, murmuring softly under his breath. The tree began to sprout epicormic growth.


    Gaam Yuk Ying stood to allow the fox to treat the stump he sat on. ¡°Gone.¡±


    ¡°I can see that, Quiet and Mysterious. How? You and I are much faster than her? How is she getting away?¡±


    ¡°Portals.¡±


    ¡°Portals? Like the one to the Demon Realm?¡± Tsaam Lei¡¯s huge ears pricked up, his eyes glinting green. ¡°How? Is she making them? How is she doing that?¡±


    You¡¯re asking the wrong person. Gaam Yuk Ying shrugged, glancing in the direction that the carriage had taken.


    ¡°Tell the others.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Tsaam Lam huffed. Then he grinned. ¡°How¡¯s things with your boyfriend?¡±


    He merely received an unimpressed look in return.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that¡­¡± The fox transformed. He made a good approximation of Yuen Muk, although his eyes were green and narrow, unlike the real thing¡¯s golden-flecked ones, and his skin was brown, rather than golden-toned. He had also neglected to clothe himself.


    What was with all these people flirting with him today? Gaam Yuk Ying turned his back, disinterested.


    ¡°Wow, I¡¯m losing my touch!¡± Tsaam Lei draped himself over Gaam Yuk Ying¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Come on, I was just having some fun.¡±


    ¡°Are you done?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, go on.¡± The fox rolled his eyes. ¡°What are you so busy for, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Dzue Dziu Ming.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s back? You know, you¡¯ve got to be the only human who¡¯s so disrespectful to royals and nobility. You could learn a thing or two from your lover.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying eyed him coolly. ¡°So could you.¡±


    He was gone before the fox could respond.

 53 - Just blame a god

    Gaam Yuk Ying rejoined the carriage before it reached the outskirts of the city. Dzue Dziu Ming lifted his soft eyebrows in askance.


    ¡°Teem Djeung Baak.¡±


    ¡°Did you deal with her?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s no immediate danger?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s gone.¡±


    The Regent nodded and sat back.


    ¡°Is something the matter, Your Majesty?¡± Cheon Maan Ging asked.


    ¡°Not at present, Your Highness. Sir Jade Exorcist has dealt with it.¡±


    The princess turned her placid smile to Gaam Yuk Ying. ¡°Thank you, Sir Jade Exorcist.¡±


    The guards stopped jumping around and walked before and after the carriage, Gaam Yuk Ying following at the rear.


    As the carriage pulled up to the main palace, two figures appeared at the doors, one rushing to greet them. Gong Ming Dzue stayed back, as the young noblewoman Mun Gong rushed forwards, her pale pink robes flapping in her haste. She almost stumbled to a halt as Dzue Dziu Ming left the carriage, then reached his hand out for Cheon Maan Ging as she stepped into the sunlight, blinking in astonishment at the towering buildings of Dzue.


    Mun Gong bowed, hands gripped tightly. ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°This is Princess Cheon Maan Ging,¡± Dzue Dziu Ming said quietly. ¡°Princess, Lady Mun Gong is of one of our oldest noble families and is similar in age to you. I hope you will get along.¡±


    ¡°I hope so too,¡± Cheon Maan Ging said in her soft voice, smiling at Mun Gong. ¡°Let¡¯s be friends, Lady Mun.¡±


    Mun Gong smiled back. But when Dzue Dziu Ming and Cheon Maan Ging walked past, the look she turned on their backs might have set them on flames.


    Gong Ming Dzue greeted Cheon Maan Ging and Envoy Laam graciously, although her eyes drifted over to where Mun Gong stood still in the courtyard, alone as the carriage was already pulling away to rest the horses.


    ¡°Sir Jade Exorcist.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying turned his eyes towards Mun Gong. Her head lowered, she spoke as if to the ground. ¡°That lady¡­ Dziu Ming is going to marry her, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know, or you can¡¯t say?¡± This girl was like a praying mantis, innocent-looking, but capable of vicious strikes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    She raised blazing eyes at him. Gaam Yuk Ying¡¯s hand unconsciously closed on the hilt of Yiu Tsing. There was Fire energy in that look. Not at a level that he would be concerned, and yet¡­


    ¡°Thank you for your time, Sir Jade Exorcist, and for bringing His Majesty back safely.¡± The flames were extinguished, and Mun Gong bowed. ¡°Rest well.¡±


    She turned, and walked away, away from the palace. Gaam Yuk Ying watched her go.


    <hr>


    Barely a day had passed when the rare male loong, Dzit Dzan Fan, appeared at the palace with the news ¨C the assembly was arranged, and it was time for the Dzue Regent to leave.


    Dzue Dziu Ming and Gaam Yuk Ying sat on the loong¡¯s long, scaled back, the former carefully wrapped in furs against the cold of the high altitude. Gaam Yuk Ying rode in his usual silence behind the king.


    ¡°Is there something you want to ask me?¡± Dzue Dziu Ming said, without turning around.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°If you say so.¡±


    The Dzue Regent was truly an interesting person. He had no cultivation, no special martial arts or alchemical skills, and the heavy black and gold robes of Dzue royalty didn¡¯t suit his soft features. Yet he walked through the world with his head high and an almost sarcastic smile on his face at all times.


    Gaam Yuk Ying stared at the back of Dzue Dziu Ming¡¯s head.


    How long would this man¡¯s luck last?


    Gong Lau Yan was waiting to greet them outside the portal. Before Dzit Dzan Fan even landed, Gaam Yuk Ying had jumped down.


    ¡°Teem Djeung Baak. She can create portals.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    The eyes of the loong princess immediately narrowed. ¡°Run ahead and tell the others. I¡¯ll guard Dzue Dziu Ming from here.¡±


    The Demon Realm was as oppressive as ever, although the path from the portal towards the mountain had been repaired. A few demons clutched their pitiful weapons as Gaam Yuk Ying flashed by, but he ignored them.


    He noticed, however, new and strange objects by the side of the path. They looked as though they had been unearthed during the repair process.


    A broken pendent, that once had resembled an anatomical heart enclosed inside another, open one. Part of a statue, simply a flared wing made of some kind of mirror-black rock. Other detritus, that spoke of the civilisation that had once been here.


    Gaam Yuk Ying only paused briefly to examine these things before he moved on.


    At base camp, Cheng Baak-hap, eyes ringed with dark circles, was calling out orders left and right. Chan Bik was gathering papers, and it was clear that her cultivation had risen again. Gaam Yuk Ying doubted he could beat her in a race now.


    There was no sign of Yuen Mu.


    Or Wong Tang, for that matter.


    He landed by Chan Bik¡¯s side, and she immediately pushed a pile of scrolls into his arms. ¡°Quick, there¡¯s still a lot to prepare.¡±


    Well, so much for a greeting.


    Still, he stood still, letting her pile more and more into his arms until he was carrying a truly ludicrous amount.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to complain, are you? You¡¯ve become much more coordinated in the time that I¡¯ve known you. Don¡¯t you think, Sing Sing?¡±


    Cheng Baak-hap raised her eyes and Gaam Yuk Ying hopped easily away with his ridiculous pile. ¡°Bik Bik, I don¡¯t believe Gaam Si-hing was ever a clumsy person.¡±


    ¡°You have no idea! He crashed into things and tripped all the time!¡±


    ¡°I think that was Gaam Si-hing¡¯s idea of a joke.¡±


    A joke?


    ¡°Weirdo,¡± Chan Bik muttered.


    Cheng Baak-hap pinched her cheek fondly. ¡°Yes, yes. I wish my brother and I were half as close as you two. You should spar with him later to see how much faster you are.¡±


    Her girlfriend grumbled but couldn¡¯t help looking mollified. ¡°You¡¯ll see your brother soon.¡±


    ¡°You think this will be over soon, Bik Bik?¡± Cheng Baak-hap sighed. ¡°I hope so.¡±


    A large, round table had been set up in the shade of the mountain, and the demon nobles had already gathered around half of it by the time Dzue Dziu Ming and the other human representatives had arrived. One by one, the representatives bowed and took their own places, until every seat was filled. For once, Shikladak looked intensely uncomfortable. His strange demeanour had dropped, replaced with a hunted look. Wong Tang glanced at him over the drifts of smoke emanating from her pipe, and turned away.


    Four of the demons at the table were familiar; the one that seemed entirely formed of blue frills, the humanoid with dark red skin and long earlobes, the ghostly pale one, and the one made of black smoke. There was no sign of the demon with the cracked brown skin. The red one grinned, his teeth sharp and triangular.


    There was a new face, if that was the right description. Like the black smoke and white ghost demons, it had little in the way of shape, resembling a cloud or steam. However, it had a large and prominent mouth, with a long dangling tongue, like a ghost, and when it introduced itself, it spoke with a lisping voice. ¡°I am Ti¨¡n X¨©ng.¡±


    ¡®Heavenly Star¡¯ was an extremely grandiose name, but Cheng Baak-hap explained that the demon had seen pictures of gypsophila flowers and thought they looked similar. The full name for gypsophila was mun tin sing, or M¨£n Ti¨¡n X¨©ng in the Xiang language but the demon had been persuaded to remove the ¡®M¨£n¡¯ as it was the name of the Mun noble human family.


    The blue one introduced itself as P¨ªng, to general amusement when it was determined that it meant ¡®apple¡¯ and not ¡®peace¡¯, but this amusement quietened down when it was questioned about the name. ¡°Apples are tasty,¡± it said, ¡°and I¡¯m so hungry.¡±


    How could anyone keep laughing at that?


    The red-skinned one had the aggressive name Hu¨¯ T¨², and like the usual Shikladak, he smiled almost continuously, although with sharp, triangular teeth. However, the leader of Wong was looking like a pale ghost of himself, although Na?ks?a?ta?r appeared to have taken exception to Hu¨¯ T¨²¡¯s face, so the two glared at each other across the table like animals prepared to fight.


    The ghost-pale demon went by D¨£o, although it refused to explain which meaning the word carried.


    Na?ks?a?ta?r curled her lip, tossing out to Cheng Baak-hap, ¡°I see you have continued to perpetuate that flaw of your language.¡±


    ¡°All languages use homonyms,¡± Cheng Baak-hap countered. The Dzang envoy did not respond.


    The black smoke demon had a rolling voice, like storm clouds approaching, and the name it chose was Hu¨¢n, meaning some type of owl.


    Cheng Baak-hap had prepared rigorously. Not only were there dictionaries of terms of the new language available, but she had also created small tablets with common words on them, together with pictures, and pages of phrases that could be easily referenced.


    Still, the discussions were painstaking. Flipping through books and scrolls, shuffling the tablets¡­ and of course, emotions were high.


    To summarise the demands of the demons, they wanted food, water, and above all, a safe place to live. It was hard to argue that these weren¡¯t reasonable requests, but how many demons were there? A thousand? Ten thousand? A million?


    Where would they live? Who would feed them? Would this be unending charity or would the demons be able to fend for themselves. Above all, the demons had already upset many humans with their actions, so would anyone in the Five Kingdoms be willing to live with them?


    The answers to these questions were difficult. The demon nobles could give information about their own settlement, but not about others, so the rulers of the three kingdoms present couldn¡¯t give answers to the remainder.


    Elder Laan was particularly incensed. Mou Dang had been on the frontlines of protecting the people of Sek¡¯seun from demon attacks. ¡°What about reparations for the things they stole and the people they harmed?¡±


    Once the meaning was translated across, D¨£o, the ghost-pale demon with sorrowful eyes, retorted, ¡°You¡¯ve killed plenty of our people in return. What¡¯s there to repair?¡±


    ¡°You started it!¡±


    ¡°And you continued it.¡±


    Wong Tang rapped on the table with her long nails. ¡°Pointing fingers is not helpful. There are more useful ways to speak. I have had a question for a long time now, and I wonder¡­ if the answer gives us a way¡­¡±


    After hurried consultation of the dictionaries, everyone turned their eyes towards her.


    She looked tired. Although she appeared old, she had previously had a boundless vitality and a ready wit, but now weary concern painted her face as she chose the words to phrase her question.


    ¡°This place¡­ why is it like this? Or rather, how?¡±


    There was no hesitation. Hu¨¯ T¨² pointed to a word in the dictionary, and everyone craned close to read it.


    Sh¨¦n.


    God.

 54 - What the hell is going on?

    Master Laan frowned. ¡°A god?¡±


    Something had changed in the air. The humans present were bewildered, but the expressions of the divine beings were difficult to determine. On anyone else, one might say it was anxiety.


    Wong Tang¡¯s face had turned pale. Her pipe had gone out, but she didn¡¯t seem to notice.


    The only one who looked more disturbed was Shikladak. He went to stand abruptly. ¡°Bullshit. I¡¯m not staying here any longer to-¡±


    Gong Lau Yan was behind him in a second, pressing his shoulders down, so that he could no longer rise. He thrashed in her grip. ¡°Let go of me!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re panicking,¡± she retorted.


    ¡°Of course I am! You should be too!¡±


    ¡°We still don¡¯t know what this is about yet.¡±


    ¡°We might not, but someone certainly does!¡± He turned his eyes on Wong Tang. ¡°Look! Is that the face the Great Goddess Leoi Wo should have?¡±


    ¡°I am not the great goddess here,¡± Wong Tang replied stiffly, finally realising that her pipe had extinguished. She placed the slender object back into her sleeve. ¡°This is not my realm.¡±


    ¡°Grandmaster, what¡¯s going on?¡± Cheng Baak-hap asked.


    But once more, Wong Tang shook her head. ¡°Let¡¯s hear what the demons have to say first.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying and Chan Bik had remained standing behind Wong Tang and Cheng Baak-hap.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Yuen Muk?¡± Gaam Yuk Ying murmured.


    ¡°He¡¯s still at Mount Faa,¡± Chan Bik replied quietly. ¡°With Dzik Yi-sang gone, and so many injured from Mou Dang and-¡±


    Wong Tang cast a disapproving glance at them, and Chan Bik immediately fell silent.


    The blue-frilled demon, P¨ªng, began to speak, but its words were a garbled mash of Xiang and other sounds that must have been its native language. Cheng Baak-hap caught the occasional word but couldn¡¯t fully interpret the meaning.


    ¡°One day¡­ land¡­ dry. Water¡­ dry. Plants¡­ animals¡­ We¡­ save us, however¡­ god¡­ We¡­ We¡­ We¡­¡±


    Silence greeted its words.


    ¡°Is it essentially saying that a god was responsible for this?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Cheng Baak-hap said helplessly, as every head turned towards her. ¡°I really couldn¡¯t recognise all the words.¡±


    The black smoke demon, Huan, made a hollow sound, which one could only assume was due to frustration. At this juncture, Huo Tu stood up.


    ¡°Go. Show you.¡±


    ¡°Show us what?¡± Na?ks?a?ta?r asked coldly.


    ¡°God.¡± And Huo Tu grinned, showing all of his sharp teeth.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving,¡± Shikladak said. At Wong Tang¡¯s nod, Gong Lau Yan let go of him. She had barely released his grip when whoosh ¨C he had transformed into a phoenix and flashed away in the direction of the portal. Like flames, the members of his delegation all followed suit. Huo Tu¡¯s grin widened.


    ¡°Na?ks?a?ta?r?¡± Wong Tang asked.


    If the pale-eyed woman had any anxieties, her voice betrayed nothing as she said, ¡°I will go and see this ¡®god¡¯.¡±


    Wong Tang did not ask anyone else. She stood and nodded to Huo Tu. ¡°Show us.¡±


    First place the demons took them was the face in the canyon. Everyone gazed solemnly at the cracked face, the empty eyesockets, and felt a little cold.


    Huo Tu led them further. They left the canyon behind, solemnly walking over the cracked earth, a new mountain emerging from the haze before them. A kind of tug-of-war was rising in their collective minds, between rushing forward to the next place, and turning to flee. None of them had ventured this deep into the Demon Realm before; Gaam Yuk Ying fiddled expressionlessly with the pommel of Yiu Tsing and Chan Bik looked about warily, fists clenched.


    Still nothing. The brown air was dry and scentless. They saw the slouched silhouettes of cobbled-together dwellings, but no living things other than themselves. How did anyone manage to survive out here?


    By devouring themselves, and each other.


    At the foot of the mountain was a cave.


    The inside of the cave was significantly cooler than outside. And there was a sound too, a musical, echoing sound that slowly repeated over and over. They followed a twisting tunnel until the space opened up, and they saw the next god.


    It was another statue, an indescribable figure of unknown pale rock, surrounded by the luminescent fungi they had once seen at the other mountain. Part of what made the figure so difficult to describe was that it was partially encased in mineral; if they were in the Mortal Realm, they might say the statue was partly calcified, but no-one knew what mineral this was.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    If the land outside was brown, the space inside the cave was a cool grey. A significant drop in temperature gave them all some relief.


    Water dripped from the ceiling, hundreds of metres above them in the dark, each drop taking several heartbeats before hitting the top of the statue with a ringing sound. The drops ran down the statue, slowly being reabsorbed by the mineral and disappearing before even reaching the ground.


    Even without the minerals muddling the appearance of the statue, it looked as though it were on the brink of collapse already. A variety of vessels lay around the base of the statue, cracked jugs and bowls.


    ¡°That water¡­ Do you drink it?¡± Cheng Baak-hap asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Huo Tu, and his grin faded. ¡°But¡­ we get sick.¡±


    They left the cave for the next destination. Chan Bik tapped Gaam Yuk Ying. ¡°You¡¯ve noticed it too, right? Shouldn¡¯t we have seen some other demons by now?¡±


    The five demons with them were from a single settlement, after all. There were many others around, or there should be. Where were they?


    By the third destination, everyone was in a bad way.


    Eyes red, Chan Bik and Gaam Yuk Ying¡¯s heads turned ceaselessly, searching for dangers that weren¡¯t there. Equally uneasy were Gong Lau Yan and Na?ks?a?ta?r, the former rubbing her face continuously with a hand, the latter frowning deeper and deeper. Master Laan and the Third Daan-tin Novice from Ngo Mei that had travelled with Na?ks?a?ta?r were both jumpy, sensing the unease of the others but not entirely certain what it meant.


    Wong Tang¡¯s face was pale as death.


    Chan Bik realised Gaam Yuk Ying¡¯s wasn¡¯t much better. ¡°Gaam Si-hing, are you alright?¡±


    He responded with a jerky nod, but there was a sheen of sweat on his face.


    ¡°Are you sick?¡± She frowned, her eyes darting back to him even as she scanned the empty horizon.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sweating a lo-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll go away by itself,¡± he said coldly, by which he clearly meant ¡®drop it¡¯. Chan Bik struggled with herself for a moment before returning to her surveillance.


    The third location featured three flat, standing rocks, their flattened sides facing each other. Other than their enormous size, there was nothing particularly remarkable about them.


    As the group stepped between them, a sudden pressure made their knees buckle. Cheng Baak-hap was forced into a kneel, almost followed by Chan Bik. The demons allowed themselves to be pressed to the ground. The rest stood with shaking legs, staring up at the three towering rocks.


    With a huge effort, Wong Tang and Gong Lau Yan grabbed hold of the four Mount Faa and Ngo Mei disciples and hauled them out from the pressure field between the rocks. Na?ks?a?ta?r and Master Laan staggered out, followed by the demons, who simply crawled along the ground until they could rise again. Gaam Yuk Ying crouched in the shade of the stones, eyes shut.


    ¡°What exactly is all this?¡± Master Laan demanded, dusting off his dark blue and white robes to hide his shaking hands.


    ¡°Their gods,¡± Wong Tang murmured, and she shivered. It sent a ripple through her companions.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have come,¡± Na?ks?a?ta?r snarled, her face sprouting fur in her agitation. ¡°For once, that fool Shikladak was right.¡±


    The Ngo Mei disciple looked ready to bolt, with Master Laan not too far behind. Cheng Baak-hap gripped Chan Bik¡¯s hand tightly. Gaam Yuk Ying remained motionless, eyes closed. Gong Lau Yan looked at Wong Tang.


    ¡°A-po¡­¡±


    ¡°We have to find out what happened,¡± the Grandmaster said quietly.


    ¡°Can we find that out somewhere safer?¡± Na?ks?a?ta?r snapped.


    It was as if Wong Tang hadn¡¯t heard her. The Grandmaster whirled to face the five demons, her face twisted with an expression that no-one had ever expected to see on the great goddess, that gripped their hearts with a hand of ice.


    Even the ever-impassive Gaam Yuk Ying felt an old, old emotion claw its way to the front of his brain, one he had not felt since he was a small child in his family home.


    Fear.


    ¡°What happened here? What happened?¡±


    ¡°The gods were here,¡± D¨£o¡¯s voice came in a whisper. ¡°Only one is here.¡±


    ¡°You mean there¡¯s one left?¡± Cheng Baak-hap asked, translating for the others. ¡°The rest are gone?¡±


    The ghostly pale demon digested the words, then agreed.


    ¡°Do you know where they are?¡±


    Pale D¨£o seemed confused. ¡°You see them.¡±


    Everyone looked to the trio of stones. They seemed to loom ominously.


    But when Cheng Baak-hap pointed to them and said, ¡°this?¡± D¨£o replied, ¡°No.¡±


    Black-smoke Hu¨¢n grew a long series of tendrils and shaped them into the approximation of huge oval.


    ¡°The portal?¡± Cheng Baak-hap staggered upright, supported by Chan Bik. ¡°That¡¯s a god?¡±


    Some of the demons said yes, others said no. All in all, they struggled to express exactly what they meant.


    ¡°Grandmaster? Should we look at the portal again?¡±


    But Wong Tang was beyond hearing. She remained staring at the stones, her golden eyes shaking, her whole body shaking. Frozen between reaching out and curling back, Gong Lau Yan watched her grandmother wordlessly. Everyone watched.


    What do you do, when the centre of your world is shocked to her core?


    The Ngo Mei disciple was the first to break. She ran.


    Master Laan was next. He backed away, eyes darting over the scene, before he turned and flew over the barren landscape, his feet only occasionally touching the ground.


    Cheng Baak-hap was shaking between Chan Bik and Gaam Yuk Ying. They automatically drew closer as if to shield her.


    With a growl, Na?ks?a?ta?r transformed. A huge, green-eyed wolf, pale-furred, stood in her place. It glared at them all, then stalked away.


    Without even sparing the retreating wolf a second glance, Gong Lau Yan turned on her grandmother. ¡°A-po, are we just going to stand here?¡±


    The Grandmaster shuddered, but pulled herself together with an effort. ¡°The portal¡­ we should¡­¡±


    ¡°Perhaps we¡¯ll get a clue about how Teem Djeung Baak is able to make portals too.¡±


    Everyone turned to look at Gong Lau Yan. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Little Gaam, didn¡¯t you tell them?¡±


    ¡°I forgot.¡±


    Forgot? There was a collective mental slapping of foreheads as Gaam Yuk Ying briefly explained what he had seen. Cheng Baak-hap turned urgently to the demons.


    ¡°The portal¡­ How¡­¡± She was jumbling her words in her anxiety. ¡°How are they made?¡±


    But no-one could give her an answer beyond, ¡°The god makes them.¡±


    There was nothing to do except go and look at the portal again, but as they gathered around it, Gaam Yuk Ying finally said, ¡°Where are all the demons?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking the same thing,¡± said Gong Lau Yan. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look good.¡±


    Again, the demons with them had no answer. The loong princess frowned. ¡°I¡¯m going to go back to the Mortal Realm to check the situation.¡±


    But she looked dubiously at the portal. ¡°It always felt a bit weird going through here. Is it¡­ what the hell is this thing? A god made it? Or is it¡­ the remains of¡­?¡±


    Cheng Bak-haap tried asking the demons again. ¡°This was made by a god?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Can another person make them?¡±


    The responses were generally ¡°no¡±. But Chan Bik, the whites of her eyes growing redder by the second, glared at Huo Tu. ¡°Wait. You know something.¡±


    Her irises flashed pink, the sight arts of the Clear Sight School activating. Whether as a threat or in humour, Huo Tu bared his teeth. Barely three heartbeats had passed before Chan Bik¡¯s eyes reverted to their normal colour, but her breathing had sped up, and she looked ready to tear something apart.


    Or someone.


    ¡°Bik Bik-¡±


    ¡°The god taught her.¡± Chan Bik pressed her hands to her sore eyes, briefly. ¡°Huo Tu saw them from a distance¡­ It¡¯s not clear but¡­¡±


    ¡°Where are the other demons?¡± Cheng Baak-hap asked again.


    This time, the five demons exchanged glances with each other. Huo Tu bared his teeth again. There was no mistaking it this time, it was a grin.


    He pointed to the portal.

 55 - Im sorry

    They burst out of the portal, into the cool darkness of the pine forest.


    Tsaam Lei had been napping just in front of it; he leapt up with a yelp of shock as four people piled on top of him. ¡°What the heck?¡±


    Gong Lau Yan seized him by the scruff of his neck. ¡°Siu Lei! Did any demons come through here?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Yeah, one or two¡­ Or five¡­¡± Tsaam Lei dangled in her hand, his expression becoming thoughtful. ¡°Come to think of it, a few came through here, huh? And I don¡¯t think any came back¡­¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you hinder them?¡± Chan Bik screamed.


    ¡°Hey, hey! My job is to look after this forest! I didn¡¯t sense any ill intent from them towards this place so I let them be!¡±


    ¡°Which way did they go?¡± Gaam Yuk Ying interrupted.


    ¡°West, mostly. Some went north.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll check to the north,¡± Gong Lau Yan said. ¡°The three of you should stick together and head west. Keep our little Sage Star safe.¡±


    ¡°Grandmaster¡­¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t rely on A-po right now,¡± Gong Lau Yan ordered. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ Something only she understands has her distracted right now.¡±


    ¡°Why now?¡± Chan Bik cried. ¡°We need her!¡±


    Gong Lau Yan laid firm hands on her trembling shoulders. ¡°You¡¯re a direct disciple of one of the Ng Dzeung, our Drifting Star. And the Jade Exorcist and Sage Star are with you. If all¡¯s well in the north, I¡¯ll join you soon. Don¡¯t despair.¡±


    Chan Bik gritted her teeth and steeled herself.


    ¡°Go.¡±


    They scattered. Tsaam Lei, grumbling, picked himself up from where Gong Lau Yan had dropped him on his rear.


    ¡°Gong Dze really cares about this realm, doesn¡¯t she? She could just look after her river but no, she¡¯s got to get involved with these humans.¡± He sighed. ¡°Should I have told them about that woman with the weird eyes, Old Man?¡±


    There was a shiver amongst the pine trees, and a shape appeared from the shadows, a huge, deer-like form that surely could not fit between the trunks, with a mask-like face.


    Lo Ma Luk made no sound.


    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s a pity.¡± Tsaam Lei sighed again. ¡°I did like those kids.¡±


    <hr>


    The Cheon countryside spread out before them, verdant hills peaceful under the afternoon sky. There was no sign of any disturbance, no trace that a demon army might have passed by. Chan Bik ran steadily, Cheng Baak-hap on her back. Gaam Yuk Ying was a little behind, oblivious to the beautiful landscape they ran through, although his complexion had improved a little.


    ¡°Stop, Bik Bik, they obviously didn¡¯t come this way.¡±


    Chan Bik halted, turning right. ¡°Then we should go north.¡±


    ¡°Not so much,¡± came Gaam Yuk Ying¡¯s flat voice. ¡°North-west.¡±


    ¡°North-west?¡±


    ¡°Mount Faa¡­¡± Cheng Baak-hap said. ¡°Do you think¡­?¡±


    ¡°But why?¡± As she began to run again, Chan Bik frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t they need food? Why would they attack a place where there are cultivators?¡±


    ¡°Teem Djeung Baak.¡±


    ¡°You think so too?¡± Cheng Baak-hap said. ¡°I hope we¡¯re wrong¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you two going on about?¡±


    ¡°It just seems¡­ Teem Djeung Baak has got an ability from a demon god. Why? Why would a god give her a power, and one like that?


    ¡°In addition, although Tsaam Lei saw demons travelling west and north, we haven¡¯t seen any. Unless Lady Gong has come across them, it¡¯s likely that they have regrouped somewhere in the north-west, unless they¡¯ve looped back around south, but we¡¯ve seen no evidence of that.


    ¡°Add her obsession with Gaam Si-hing, and how useful it would be for the starving demons if Mount Faa were out of the way¡­ I know it¡¯s all circumstantial, but we should go home. We need to check, just in case.¡±


    Go home. It had been so long since they had left, and now they were headed back like this. Chan Bik increased her speed, desperately hoping that the worst-case scenario had not occurred.


    Their path, coming in from the south, brought them enroute to the Mou Dang Sect. Like a pair of tigers, Gaam Yuk Ying and Chan Bik rushed up the long stairways, barely touching the stonework. Guards in a watchtower saw them approach.


    ¡°Mount Faa disciples!¡±


    ¡°Demons!¡± Chan Bik roared. ¡°Have you seen demons?¡±


    ¡°Headed to Mount Faa!¡± came the response. ¡°Half our cultivators have gone to fight them!¡±


    No wonder the sect seemed somewhat empty.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    But this was the worst news.


    Gaam Yuk Ying flew away like he had wings. His Junior Sisters could barely keep up.


    ¡°Gaam Si-hing, don¡¯t push yourself so much!¡±


    ¡°Gou Si-hing will be fine! Please calm down!¡±


    ¡°I can go ahead if you want!¡±


    But they too fell silent when they saw the smoke rising from the mountains.


    ¡°Baak Gat¡­¡± Cheng Baak-hap whispered.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine,¡± Chan Bik shouted hysterically, running faster. ¡°They¡¯ll all be fine!¡±


    The mountains were distorted, and on fire.


    Bodies lay from the foot of the first staircase up to the clearing where they had picnicked years ago, mostly demons, but with many young disciples amongst them.


    The ground was upheaved, huge pits and enormous mounds pockmarking the area, and humans and demons alike struggled over this uneven terrain. The screams and clash of weapons were overwhelming.


    ¡°GOU DZING!¡± Gaam Yuk Ying roared through the smoke and noise. ¡°GOU DZING!¡±


    Cheng Baak-hap was screaming for her brother. Chan Bik added to the cacophony, ¡°Master! MASTER LING GWONG, WHERE ARE YOU?¡±


    Any demons desperate or foolish enough to attack them were dealt with instantly. Gaam Yuk Ying slashed and stabbed with Lo Fu Ngaa and Yiu Tsing without any regard, bellowing incessantly for Yuen Muk. He pulled paper talismans from his sleeves, slapping them on any demons who were not slashed by his blades, but they were only a temporary measure in a place in flames. Covering her nose and mouth with her sleeve, Cheng Baak-hap peered around with streaming eyes for her brother.


    The demons were better equipped than ever before. They swung their new weapons with desperation, not skill, but there were so many of them, and the smoke was so thick, that only the most skilled cultivators were able to manage. Protection arrays had activated all around; deep pits were filled with the bodies of invading demons, such that any who fell in now could climb right back out, and those arrays that used illusions did not seem to affect the demons.


    ¡°Bik! My brother!¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°I thought¡­ Let me down!¡±


    ¡°No! It¡¯s too dangerous!¡±


    ¡°How can you fight with me on your back like a turtle shell? I¡¯m a cultivator too, I¡¯m not completely helpless! Help Gaam Si-hing!¡±


    ¡°Stay right next to me!¡± Chan Bik let Cheng Baak-hap down but kept one hand clutched on her girlfriend¡¯s sleeve. She kicked a demon directly in the face as it rushed up. ¡°Where the hell is Ling Gwong?¡±


    A huge rumble rent the air, and a building collapsed, shrieking demons falling with the foundations into a deep pit. A man emerged from the dust and smoke, panting and swaying.


    ¡°Gou Si-hing!¡± the two women yelled, forgetting his change in title.


    Gaam Yuk Ying took a single leap and threw his arms around Yuen Muk, who staggered and laughed weakly.


    ¡°Yuk Ying. There you are.¡±


    Chan Bik was close behind. She seized Yuen Muk¡¯s tattered sleeves, crying. ¡°Si-hing, you¡¯re here! Where¡¯s Master- Where¡¯s Lady Ling Gwong?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s-¡±


    The words stuck in his throat.


    Gaam Yuk Ying and Chan Bik turned to follow his gaze.


    The buildings of Mount Faa were unrecognisable, collapsed and burning, filled with screaming and crying. The dead lay in undignified positions, blood drying in the heat of the fires.


    Teem Djeung Baak stood in the middle of it all.


    She looked dead. At any moment, she might keel over. Her skin was sickly and green, her huge eyes so darkly ringed that she looked like she had been punched. The stump of her sliced-off hand was so many colours that it was clear that infection had set in.


    Her other hand had formed a fist in the robes of an unconscious Cheng Baak-hap.


    She smiled.


    Unconsciously, Chan Bik¡¯s irises turned pink.


    She opened her mouth to scream.


    Teem Djeung Baak was an imposter, not the true direct disciple of the Vermilion Bird of the South. Chan Bik could have made it to her in less than a second.


    And then what?


    Could she have got away in time?


    In any case, she never even took a single step.


    Yuen Muk flung himself bodily over her. An unearthly howl came from Gaam Yuk Ying as he suddenly flung his arms up, and with a tearing scream, metal rose from the ground before anyone could even blink. As the metal rose, Chan Bik, her vision sharpened beyond anything she had experienced before, saw a sharp, red light erupt in Teem Djeung Baak¡¯s hand.


    As if in slow motion, a wall of earth followed the wall of metal, wrapping the three of them in a dark embrace.


    There was a flash of light, that pierced through even their double barrier, a light that seared their skin and burnt their eardrums, a light that lasted less than a heartbeat and left behind a hideous fuzzy ringing in their ears.


    She felt the reverberations through the ground, through Yuen Muk¡¯s body, inside her own skull, even as she screamed unconsciously, unable to hear herself.


    The tremors seemed to go on forever.


    The barriers collapsed.


    And then, at last, there was complete and utter silence.


    <hr>


    Chan Bik recovered first.


    Everything hurt. Her ears rang. Her skin felt like she had been rolled in a fire.


    She blindly pushed at the thing covering her, unsteadily rolling to the side as she tried to stand, before realising that the ¡®thing¡¯ was Yuen Muk.


    He lay where he fell, raw red patches on his back showing through his tattered robes.


    Gaam Yuk Ying lay nearby, unmoving. Fragments of the metal and earthen walls lay around them, melted into eerie shapes.


    She couldn¡¯t understand it. Why was everything faintly red? Why couldn¡¯t she hear or feel properly? Bringing her hands to her ears, they came away wet with her own blood.


    Where was Sing Sing?


    She raised her eyes to where Cheng Baak-hap and Teem Djeung Baak had been.


    There was nothing there.


    Well, there was a deep crater. There were some sooty patches.


    There were no people.


    In fact, all the humans and demons nearby were gone. Along with the buildings, the paths, the plum trees. Dazed, she turned to look behind her. For a space of a lei, there was nothing, except for her, her two unconscious Senior Brothers, and the remains of the two barriers they had thrown up.


    And beyond that?


    Something was crawling away.


    Her eyes hurt. She had to squint hard to see what it was.


    It looked vaguely humanoid, but it was bright red, and black, and green. Tattered strips hung from it like¡­ torn clothing. Or flesh.


    And there was another. And another. And another.


    Some lay still. Some twitched or rolled.


    Some stood upright, stumbling like restless ghosts.


    If they were making a noise, Chan Bik couldn¡¯t hear them.


    I¡¯m in hell, she thought dimly. She turned back to the deep crater. This is hell, right?


    In the centre of the crater were two patches of soot.


    She looked from one to the other.


    Two patches.


    It seemed significant, somehow.


    Where was Cheng Baak-hap?


    Something moved at the edge of her vision, and it took her a moment to realise that it was Ling Gwong, walking slowly towards her.


    ¡°There you are,¡± she said, or she tried to say. Who knew what actually came out of her mouth? Her tongue felt strange, and she couldn¡¯t hear properly. ¡°Where¡¯s Sing Sing?¡±


    Why was she asking Ling Gwong that? What was happening?


    There was more movement now. She could see Lord Gaam Bing, and there was Gong Lau Yan, looking like she had just arrived, and some disciples, looking shellshocked.


    Ling Gwong stopped on the other side of the crater, staring down at the two patches of soot. Then she looked up at Chan Bik. Her mouth trembled, then moved.


    What? What¡¯s she saying? I can¡¯t hear her.


    Chan Bik swayed, squinting at Ling Gwong¡¯s mouth. It was hard to tell what the Vermilion Bird was saying ¨C her lips trembled. But the longer Chan Bik stared, the clearer the words became, until they were pounding in her brain.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    She looked at the soot patches.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Two patches.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Chan Bik screamed.

 56 - It can only go up from here

    In the moment that Chan Bik turned her Clear Sight on Teem Djeung Baak, she saw:


    Teem Djeung Baak looked at the demon god.


    It was fascinating, really, an existence that she had never seen before. Almost as interesting as Little Handsome.


    But this thing, this perpetually collapsing shape, all dark tendrils and red scribbles, didn¡¯t excite her in the same way. Little Handsome had so many emotions lurking under that cool exterior of his. This ¡®god¡¯ was just a blob.


    Still, this blob could give her something.


    It wanted its people to be saved. Teem Djeung Baak wanted to raise hell.


    Wouldn¡¯t it be a mutual agreement if the god gave her the power to create portals? As it was, she was at a disadvantage when it came to fighting the direct disciples of the Ng Dzeung.


    Staring at the god, she curled her lip. She couldn¡¯t care less about any of them, human or demon or god. After all, look at this thing ¨C it had come crawling to her to ask for her help as she strolled around the Demon Realm. She had killed so many of its people, and yet was still willing to give everything to her, for the slightest chance that those same people might be saved. It would probably disappear from existence, with this.


    Pathetic.


    It still wouldn¡¯t be easy. She didn¡¯t really have the same kind of insane talent that the Drifting Star, Chan Bik, and the Two Jades, Gaam Yuk Ying and Yuen Muk, had. The more she used these abilities, the more she would crumble from the inside.


    It was a pity, but she couldn¡¯t do anything to that fucking boyfriend of Little Handsome¡¯s.


    (What would it be like, seeing those cold eyes heat up? That lucky fucking dog Yuen Muk.)


    That would have been the best. But in their group of Two Jades and Two Stars, there was one of the four whose martial prowess was much lower.


    Dealing with her wouldn¡¯t be quite as satisfying as messing with Yuen Muk, but it would have to do.


    Unfortunately, she was always accompanied by that loong, an existence that Teem Djeung Baak couldn¡¯t even dare to glance at. And with everyone flying around looking for her, she had to use her new portal ability again, and again, until she could feel her soul chipping away.


    The hei she had developed was gone. Now she was burning the very energy of her soul, her dzing, the energy that kept her alive. She didn¡¯t have much time left.


    It was a pity she couldn¡¯t kill Little Handsome¡¯s boyfriend, although maybe she could cripple him¡­


    Still, when she finally had the Sage Star in her hands, how could she not go out with a bang?


    <hr>


    "Old White, what do you think?"


    "Does it matter?" he said gruffly, arms folded. "Our next moves are clear."


    All three of them involuntarily glanced back towards the portal.


    They were alone in the vast, dusty expanse of the Demon Realm. With Teem Djeung Baak gone, the demons who had recklessly attacked Mount Faa had rapidly retreated back into the Demon Realm and hidden in their settlements. Those who had survived, at least. They had been pursued partway by cultivators from Mount Faa and Mou Dang, picked off as they fled, leaving debris and corpses strewn across the landscape.


    Rumours about the two disciples of the Vermilion Bird had already spread, along with the death of the Sage Star. Three Stars made for a dramatic story. The Drifting Star, the true disciple of the Vermilion Bird. Her lover, the Sage Star. And the jealous Fire Demon, who wanted to steal everything, who could now only be called the Disaster Star.


    Whether this was the truth or not didn¡¯t matter. Why let the truth get in the way of a good story?


    "This isn''t right," Ling Gwong murmured. "The people have been through enough. How can we just abandon them?"


    "Do you want their world to become the same as this place?" Wong Tang demanded harshly. "I will not be the one to bring the world down around them. The gods of the Demon Realm learnt the hard way. Let''s honour their struggles."


    Gaam Bing grunted. But Ling Gwong wrung her hands.


    "What will the children think?"


    This provoked a long sigh from Wong Tang.


    "There''s nothing we can do there. They can no longer be children, looking up to us with wide eyes."


    The three of them drifted from one demon god statue to another, viewing them gravely. At each, they bowed deeply, wordlessly, before moving to the next. At last, they returned to the portal. At last, Wong Tang spoke.


    "I understand why you did it. You must have thought it was your last resort to save your people."


    There was no response from the portal. Why would there be?


    "It didn''t have to be this way. You could have..." She shook her head. "Still, thank you. Because of your actions... We now know. Gods... were never meant to stay amongst mortals for too long."This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    The portal continued to say nothing.


    Wong Tang bowed, deeply, and the others followed suit.


    "Thank you. And goodbye."


    One by one, they passed back through the portal for the last time.


    <hr>


    "And so, we will be leaving soon. When you are all ready to Ascend, we will come with you to the Heavenly Realm."


    Wong Tang spoke gently to the three disciples before her.


    Chan Bik was a shell. She had lost several kilograms in a few weeks, her cheeks and eyes hollow. She only ate when Yuen Muk coaxed her to swallow a little steamed rice mixed with soy sauce and honey.


    Yuen Muk was well aware that he was putting aside his own feelings to ensure Chan Bik was functioning. He slept very little, often napping outside the room where his Junior Sister slept, or more often, cried.


    Gaam Yuk Ying was as expressionless as always. These days, he spoke even less than usual, and was glued to Yuen Muk''s side as if he might disappear at any moment.


    Wong Tang had found them attempting to meditate in the clearing halfway down the side of Mount Faa, surrounded by the half-cleared remains of the battle two weeks before. Sometimes Cheng Baak Gat joined them, but not today.


    There was no way of scrubbing away the fine ash that had fallen over the whole mountain. Perhaps, after months of rain, the last ashes would finally be washed away downslope, to be slowly carried away by the Dragon River, and perhaps, one day, to make it to the sea.


    Yuen Muk was leading the meditation, his gentle voice carrying on the air.


    "Focus your hei at the Heart Acupoint. If you feel pain, don''t shy away. Be kind, feel the pain and what it means. Breathe deep, let the air..."


    The Grandmaster waited until they were done before moving to sit beside them. She quietly expressed the intention to leave for the Heavenly Realm.


    "Will you finally tell us what is happening?" Yuen Muk asked, his voice weary.


    ¡°It¡¯s not-¡±


    ¡°Master.¡±


    Chan Bik twitched, but her head remained drooped. Both Yuen Muk and Gaam Yuk Ying kept their eyes fixed on Wong Tang, unyielding. Gold and silver shone in her direction, the goddess couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of pride under the regret.


    ¡°Do you remember that typhoon?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Yuen Muk responded tersely. ¡°What about it?¡±


    ¡°And the bad harvest in the land around Ngo Mei?¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting those are linked, Master?¡±


    ¡°Not only those. Whispers from all across the Five Kingdoms hint that something has been changing, slowly, in the time since I descended to the Mortal Realm and brought forth humanity. In the mountains of Dzang, the ice is melting. In southern Sek¡¯seun, previously unknown frosts have been killing off plants and insects. They are having agricultural issues due to this.


    ¡°The fighting that has been happening¡­ It¡¯s not simply a matter of demons against humans. Four of the Five Kingdoms are beginning to feel changes that could potentially destabilise their societies.¡±


    ¡°Dzue,¡± Gaam Yuk Ying said flatly. ¡°Dzue prospers still. The others desire that prosperity.¡±


    ¡°Of course. If you have a treat, the dog next door will be desperate for it. And when that dog is a country of thousands of people, whose lives may depend on that treat¡­¡± Wong Tang turned her pipe in her hands.


    And although he knew he didn¡¯t want to hear the answer, Yuen Muk asked quietly, ¡°What¡¯s causing these changes?¡±


    ¡°After seeing the Demon Realm¡­ I¡­ believe it¡¯s us.¡±


    ¡°What ¡®us¡¯?¡± Gaam Yuk Ying threw at her, his voice colder than ever.


    ¡°Divine beings.¡± With a sharp crack, Wong Tang¡¯s pipe snapped in her hand. ¡°We did this.¡±


    ¡°Master-¡±


    ¡°Not just here, either. Across the entirety of this world, the vibrations of our actions are picking up pace. If we don¡¯t stop, a landslide will fall down upon everything.¡±


    ¡°Master,¡± Yuen Muk interrupted, interlacing his fingers. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt what you¡¯re saying, but so far you have only been speaking in riddles. How are divine beings the cause of the natural disasters happening across the Mortal Realm?¡±


    With a rueful laugh, Wong Tang tucked a stray strand of white hair behind her ear. ¡°I truly can¡¯t take all the credit for how you turned out, my disciple. To be transparent, the link between the actions of Immortals and ¡®natural¡¯ disasters, is still not absolutely certain. But after I raised the mountains around Ngo Mei, the quality of the soil failed. The typhoon? My two granddaughters shielded Dzue from its impacts and it blasted across the east of Cheon and south of Sek¡¯seun in a way never seen before. And yet, not long before, Sek¡¯seun experienced severe frosts in the south that wiped out a season¡¯s harvest¡­


    ¡°Ling Gwong taken by surprise by the demons there,¡± Wong Tang added, seeing everyone¡¯s expressions. ¡°She used a significant amount of Fire energy¡­ We still don¡¯t know what truly happened, her memory of the event is unclear.¡±


    ¡°If you block a storm in one direction, it will come from another,¡± Gaam Yuk Ying pointed out dryly.


    ¡°And that¡¯s exactly it,¡± Wong Tang said. ¡°If Divine Beings intervene in a situation, the results could become even worse than the initial situation. Or unexpected. Perhaps for a small spirit, their interference might not be so great, but for an Ascended being? An Immortal? A god?¡±


    She looked down at her hands. ¡°The state of the Demon Realm¡­ is likely to be the end result. From the things Chan Bik saw with her Clear Sight in Teem Djeung Baak¡¯s memory, from the small scraps of information we have gleaned from the demons, from the thousand little tremors across our Mortal Realm¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still not conclusive,¡± Yuen Muk said softly.


    ¡°I would rather not wait until the evidence is irrefutable, disciple.¡± Slowly, Wong Tang crushed the remains of her pipe into dust and let it drift between her fingers to mingle with the dirt and ash below her. ¡°Ling Gwong and Old White have decided to permanently leave the Mortal Realm for the Heavenly Realm.¡±


    Chan Bik closed her eyes and chuckled bitterly. ¡°That coward couldn¡¯t even come and tell me directly.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re hoping that the three of you will go with them.¡±


    Chan Bik¡¯s eyes snapped open.


    ¡°What about you, Master?¡±


    The late autumn air was cool, carrying a scent promising rain. The growing clouds above held Wong Tang¡¯s eyes fast.


    ¡°I¡­ want to look around this place, one last time.¡±


    Before I leave.


    ¡°Can we even Ascend, like this?¡± Yuen Muk asked, eyes flickering briefly over Chan Bik. ¡°The risk of a hei deviation in our current mental states is very high.¡±


    ¡°That will be your decision, in the end. Remember, your Masters will be there to help you.¡±


    "Can it be fixed?" Gaam Yuk Ying said suddenly. His voice and expression remained as impassive as ever.


    ¡°Can what be fixed, Little Gaam?¡±


    "The Demon Realm.¡±


    A small smile curled on Wong Tang¡¯s lips at his thoughts. ¡°Possibly... but it will take a long time. Not something that can be solved before we leave."


    "Humanity may not want to fix it, either," Yuen Muk pointed out. "The fact stands that many of the demons have caused serious harm in the Mortal Realm."


    "They''ll just keep... keep fighting," Chan Bik muttered, her voice ashy.


    "Little Chan, do you understand now why Ling Gwong and Gaam Bing did not interfere in the fight that Teem Djeung Baak brought?"


    "I understand."


    But what use was understanding?


    In a rustle of silken fabric, Wong Tang, the great goddess Leoi Wo, Creatrix of Humanity and Golden Dragon at the Centre of All Things, knelt before the young woman and bowed down to the ground, her yellow sleeves gathering dust and ash. "I''m sorry, Chan Bik. It was on my orders that they stayed out of the fight. We couldn''t risk any more damage to this world. Who knows when everything might suddenly collapse?"


    Unflinching, the Drifting Star turned indifferent red eyes on the great goddess, prone as she had surely never in her whole long life.


    "Everything has already collapsed for me, Divine Goddess."

 57 - Why do yourself what you can tell other people to do?

    Two weeks later.


    There was a gathering in one of the rooms of the palace at Ming Yuet.


    In all, it was a large group. Chan Bik sat listlessly with Gaam Yuk Ying to one side of her, and Yuen Muk on the other, both holding one of her hands each. None of them had made much of an attempt to dress up, despite the occasion and the other participants of the gathering.


    Ling Gwong sat across the table. She seemed to have been extinguished, like the smouldering remains of a bonfire on a cold, grey morning. Next to her, Gaam Bing''s rough face was inscrutable, his huge hairy arms folded across his chest. Occasionally his silver eyes would dart over to the trio of disciples, but he said nothing.


    Gong Lau Yan and Gong Ming Dzue sat side by side. For a divine being, the former looked somehow older, her usual carefree attitude stripped away. The latter wore an expression of weary sadness. On her other side was Dzue Dziu Ming, looking distinctly uncomfortable in his bold royal finery, as usual, fingers interlocked, eyes closed, breathing deeply.


    Wong Tang tapped her long fingernails against the table, counting, before finally raising her golden eyes to the two new faces that sat at the table with them. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    One of the newcomers was an elderly man. Or at least, that was how he appeared. He had a long neck and a perpetually irritated expression, with wrinkled skin that hung baggy on his skinny frame, and expansive, charcoal black clothes that he was practically swimming in.


    The other was a slender woman, most of her face hidden behind a pale green fan. Her narrow eyes were deep green, but the little that could be seen of her face seemed familiar.


    ¡°You''re all planning on leaving for the Heavenly Realm, aren''t you?¡± croaked the old man. His wrinkled neck vibrated as he spoke.


    ¡°What''s the problem?¡± Gong Lau Yan demanded. She was looking at the woman as she spoke. ¡°The kids are on the cusp of Ascension, and we''ve all had enough!¡±


    Her sister placed a soothing hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°It''s all very well for you,¡± the old man continued, ignoring Gong Lau Yan. ¡°You''ve found the last of your direct disciples. Ours have still not arrived.¡±


    ¡°And how is that our problem?¡± Gong Lau Yan was almost ready to climb over the table and strangle the old man. She glared at the green-eyed woman. ¡°Mother! You think you can turn your back on this place and then demand someone else do your work? Where have you been all this time?¡±


    Gong Ming Dzue''s hand tightened, pulling her sister back down. The slender woman, Maang Dzeung, Azure Dragon of the East, continued to hide behind her fan, her deep green eyes cast down.


    "You''re all still established here." The old man, the Divine Tortoise of the North, Dzap Ming, kept speaking as if he had heard nothing. ¡°It would make sense for you to find and guide the-¡±


    Ling Gwong punched him.


    Her fist met his nose and his head snapped back as he tumbled from his chair. The sound was like the explosion of a powder keg. Maang Dzeung had shrunk to a pair of wide green eyes over her fan, as Ling Gwong, panting, turned to her.


    "Well, Ah Dzeung? Are you next? Dzap Ming got off lightly since his Water energy can combat my Fire, but what do you think will happen if I hit you, who is pure Wood energy?"


    The deep green eyes darted towards Wong Tang, Gong Ming Dzue, and Gong Lau Yan in turn. None of her family moved to defend her.


    She reached into the sleeve of her robe and extracted a book, which she placed on the table.


    The cover was green, and bore the words <Gales of Battle Cultivation Practice>.


    "So you''re leaving behind a book," Gong Lau Yan spat.


    Dzap Ming staggered upright, clutching his nose, and threw his own manual down on the table. "You want us to stay here, but you''re intending to leave, yourselves."


    "Do you hear yourself?" Ling Gwong cried. "Mocking us for retreating one hundred steps when you have retreated fifty?"


    "The fact remains," Maang Dzeung said at last, "that someone will need to stay and find these children."


    Her voice was light and cold. Gong Lau Yan shuddered visibly at the sound, but she gritted her teeth. "So you''re running away again? Leaving someone else to deal with your mess?"


    Maang Dzeung couldn''t meet her daughters'' eyes as they both glared at her. "I wait for good news."


    "Wait! Mother!"


    Maang Dzeung enveloped herself in a pale green cloud and swept out through the open window. Grumbling, Dzap Ming followed on a black cloud of his own conjuring.


    The three disciples stated dumbly as Ling Gwong rushed to the window and threw herself out, transforming mid-leap into a giant red bird, shrieking abuse as she followed the other two Divine Guardians heavenward.


    Dzue Dziu Ming still had his eyes closed, breathing meditatively. His interlocked fingers had tightened their grip on each other.


    Wong Tang and Gong Ming Dzue exchanged looks. Gong Lau Yan slammed her fist down on the table, cracking the stone surface.


    Gaam Bing spoke first. "I''m leaving."


    "Not you too!" Gong Lau Yan slumped over the broken table.


    "I''ll be staying," Gong Ming Dzue said. "I have responsibilities to this country. And if A-po¡¯s theorising is correct, my continued presence should have less of an impact than if any of the Ng Dzeung were to stay."


    Her sister hugged her tightly. Dzue Dziu Ming opened his eyes. "That''s a relief. I hope you¡¯re going to fix this table, Gong Lau Yan."


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon."I''ll stay too, Dze,¡± the loong said, ignoring Dzue Dziu Ming.


    "Are you sure, Lau Yan?" Gong Ming Dzue patted her sister''s head. "I know you''re very tired."


    "I don''t want to go and see her face,¡± was the dark reply. ¡°I''d rather stay with you."


    "This is no place for the Divine Guardians anymore," Wong Tang said. Although her voice was quiet, it carried through the room.


    ¡°Does this mean you will be leaving too, Master?¡± Yuen Muk asked.


    He and Gaam Yuk Ying nailed Wong Tang to the floor with their gazes. Chan Bik continued to look blankly at the table.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Now everyone was staring at her.


    ¡°I have made my decision.¡± Wong Tang folded her hands. Her long white hair, immaculately arranged as usual, drifted lightly on the breeze swirling in from the open window. ¡°I will seclude myself under the mountain range, Dzak Hau, and wait there. One of us should remain, in case we were wrong. In case this world needs us.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t be looking for the other disciples, then?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t dare to interfere anymore. Not until I am certain¡­¡±


    "I won''t go." Ling Gwong had returned. She sat in human form on the windowsill, holding herself tightly. "I''m staying here. I¡¯ll look for them."


    "Ah Gwong, you need rest more than most of us."


    "Go with them, Auntie," Gong Ming Dzue said. "Look after your disciple."


    All eyes turned back to the three disciples. Yuen Muk and Gaam Yuk Ying were circulating shen energy continuously through Chan Bik, as she stared blankly at an empty spot on the floor. It was the only thing that kept her upright, these days.


    "Come, children. We should prepare to depart."


    Yuen Muk smiled gently. "I''ll stay here."


    "What?"


    "Hey, Little Gou, what are you thinking?"


    Gaam Yuk Ying looked and said nothing. His grip on Chan Bik''s hand tightened.


    "When the direct disciples arrive, don''t you think that they''ll want the support of another? Things became so much easier for me when Yuk Ying and Ah Bik arrived." Yuen Muk squeezed the inert Chan Bik''s hand, and nodded at Gaam Yuk Ying. "So I''ll stay."


    The shocked silence was eventually broken by Gaam Yuk Ying''s quiet voice. "I''ll look after her. But don''t make us wait too long."


    "I will do my best."


    Gaam Yuk Ying''s eyes were almost pure silver. They reached out for Yuen Muk, who almost changed his mind then and there. But he clamped his mouth shut.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already thought about this, haven¡¯t you?¡± Wong Tang¡¯s voice was rueful. ¡°Truly, I can¡¯t take all the credit for such a disciple.¡±


    ¡°Yuk Ying and I have been talking about the situation for a while,¡± Yuen Muk explained, voice low. ¡°We had hoped it wouldn¡¯t come to this¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you, kiddo,¡± Gong Lau Yan offered, the ghost of a grin creeping back onto her face. ¡°It¡¯ll be another adventure!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave before my wedding,¡± Dzue Dzu Ming finally spoke up, unlacing his fingers. There were marks on his skin where his fingertips had pressed too hard. ¡°Give us your blessings!¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re going ahead with it, are you?¡± Gong Lau Yan sighed and slouched back. ¡°Are you sure? I mean, she¡¯s lovely, but your new bride looks like she¡¯d fall over if a breeze blew past. And she¡¯s a little¡­ na?ve.¡±


    ¡°The important thing now is to forge ties with Cheon. With Ch¨±n. Ah, it¡¯s going to take a while to get used to using Xiang.¡± The Regent¡¯s grey eyes settled gentled on Chan Bik. ¡°But what a legacy for our Sage Star, hm?¡±


    The young woman¡¯s head jerked in the approximation of a nod.


    ¡°And Mun Gong?¡± Gong Ming Dzue asked pointedly.


    ¡°What about her?¡±


    ¡°You know her feelings for you run deep, Dziu Ming. And she¡¯s not the type to give up easily. Be careful.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Queen Gong Ming Dzue.¡±


    ¡°Jerk.¡±


    ¡°We should begin our preparations,¡± Wong Tang said. ¡°You should say your goodbyes.¡±


    And so, the forge of the White Tiger of the West, hidden deep in the mountains of outer Dzang, fell silent. At Mount Faa, the doors of the buildings where the Ng Dzeung once lived and meditated were barred and sealed shut. The palace of Ming Yuet bustled with wedding preparations, and delegations from the Five Kingdoms made plans to depart for the ceremony.


    In the meantime, Gaam Yuk Ying and Yuen Muk ran from Ming Yuet to the countryside near Maau-daan-si, taking turns carrying Chan Bik. They hurried through the night, the clouds covering the moon and stars, occasionally light drops of rain, fine as mist, leaving dewdrops of their clothing and skin.


    The entire Chan family was waiting at the gates of the family house as they arrived at dawn. They seemed to have been camped there since they had received the message that the trio would be on their way - there were tents and beds and chairs, Chan Taam and Yan Wai-Wai had even brought a desk out to do work, while Se Sue floated about, directing the servants to keep everyone well-fed and watered. Chan Guk and Leoi Tou-Fa watched their new child toddle back and forth between them, although their eyes were on constant alert for the arrival of the visitors. Mei Ying, Dzik Gok and Ying Ming, grown taller and sturdier, were playing ball together under the supervision of Chan Gam and Yeung Sue.


    But as Yuen Muk and Gaam Yuk Ying landed, everything was dropped, and everyone rushed forward together, pulling Chan Bik into a many-armed hug.


    She twitched, her eyes clearing for the first time since Cheng Baak-hap had died. "Mama? Ba?"


    ¡°Ah Bik... Ah Bik, my little girl. You''re so skinny. You''re so pale.¡±


    ¡°Even your freckles have gone pale. Are you eating? Are you sleeping?¡±


    She took a deep, shuddering breath, and finally, began to cry.

 58 - Time to get going

    It was night at the Chan home. A night like one before, years ago, when two young men had swept in and flipped the place on its head.


    Like last time, most of the household was awake, lying in bed unable to sleep. Chan Bik and her mother lay together, Wai-Wai stroking her daughter''s hair. The young woman had finally drifted off to sleep.


    Gaam Yuk Ying and Yuen Muk sat together on the roof of the building they had stayed in last time, looking up at the sky.


    The sky was vast and sprinkled with stars, the great misty curve of the River of Heaven arcing above them.


    "Should I tell you to come with me?" Gaam Yuk Ying asked, voice low.


    "Should I ask you to stay?" Yuen Muk replied, with forced cheeriness.


    Their hands gripped each other''s as they looked to the sky.


    "Look after yourself."


    "You too."


    "It''ll be over before you know it. I''ll find them and get them settled and come to find you."


    "Good."


    "You don''t believe me, do you?"


    "I don''t know."


    "I''m sorry."


    "Why?"


    "... You''re right. I''ve chosen to do this. I just wish... I could have it both ways."


    Slowly, Gaam Yuk Ying leaned his weight against Yuen Muk, who closed his eyes.


    "You¡¯re my most precious person," Gaam Yuk Ying said softly.


    A startled chuckle slipped from Yuen Muk¡¯s lips. ¡°You only become honest at times like this, huh?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Could you not tell, before?¡±


    ¡°No. I knew.¡± He let his head drop onto Gaam Yuk Ying¡¯s, and sighed deeply. ¡°Your most precious person, huh? That¡¯s a great honour.¡±


    The chill in the air told them winter was well on its way. The trees in the courtyard were shaking free the last of their leaves.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to see your family before you leave? Even to just call them all dogs?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an insult to dogs.¡±


    ¡°What did they do to you, Yuk Ying?¡±


    A shrug.


    Yuen Muk jabbed his fingers into Gaam Yuk Ying¡¯s ribs. With a yelp, the latter rolled away and almost off the roof, pursued mercilessly by Yuen Muk and tickles. After messing around for several minutes, they collapsed flat on the roof, bodies overlapped, panting, the stars reflected in their eyes.


    ¡°¡­ Well?¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying rolled over and buried his face into Yuen Muk¡¯s broad chest, breathing deep. ¡°They never¡­ made me bleed.¡±


    ¡°But they hit you.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°Being in the way. Looking at them. Existing, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Did they really blame you for your older sibling¡¯s death?¡±


    ¡°I think so. My¡­ my mother would go into his room, they kept it just as it was the day he died, and hold his clothes and cry and then she would come out and hit me or just stare like she was going to break my head open, or-¡±


    ¡°Shh¡­ Shh¡­ Okay, breathe.¡±


    ¡°My¡­ my father¡­ always¡­ disappointment. He always looked¡­ If he ever looked at me¡­ Always¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, I understand. Let¡¯s not go.¡±


    ¡°I had a ¡­ I had a delusion.¡±


    ¡°You? Delusions?¡±


    ¡°That maybe¡­ once the fighting was over I would go home and show them I wasn¡¯t a disappointment and¡­ and I know¡­ they would still be the same.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a disappointment, Yuk Ying.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying lifted his lazy silver eyes. ¡°I know. So I won¡¯t go back.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s just enjoy this time together.¡±


    The Gou Family had sent an awkward message to Yuen Muk before they left for Maau-dan-si. He had read it silently, and with a small smile, asked Chan Bik to burn it.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad one of us had a place to say goodbye before we all part ways,¡± Yuen Muk said, automatically stroking Gaam Yuk Ying¡¯s head. He toyed with the silky black strands of hair. ¡°How are you feeling? Are you still unwell? Do you have enough medicine? I can make more.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t need it soon.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. That¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°Dzing.¡±


    ¡°¡­ yes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you, so¡­ please come and find me.¡±


    Yuen Muk sat up, wrapping his arms around Gaam Yuk Ying, breathing in the cool, clean smell of him. ¡°I won¡¯t abandon you. I swear I¡¯ll come and find you when I¡¯m done.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to ask this of you.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to miss you. I¡­ You¡¯re right here and I already miss you.¡± Yuen Muk pressed his ear to Gaam Yuk Ying¡¯s chest as if to memorise his heartbeat. Fingers tangling in Yuen Muk¡¯s loose hair, Gaam Yuk Ying murmured. ¡°Come to bed. Let me hold you.¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    <hr>


    The time spent at the Chan household was both fast and slow. Simple days spent preparing for winter, playing with the children, roasting sweet potatoes over the fire pit, jumping in piles of leaves. Gaam Yuk Ying and Yuen Muk meditated, helping Chan Bik circulate her shen, keeping her energy flowing smoothly as she wobbled her way to normalcy. At least she was eating by herself and sleeping better, although nightmares still burned behind her eyelids at night. She did not say what she saw in them.


    They did not go to the funeral held at Mount Faa for the dead disciples, for Cheng Baak-hap. There was no body, after all. There had been nothing left to bury.


    Isolated from the world, they only heard trickles of news: that the tale of the Sage Star and her work was spreading, that the Five Kingdoms were preparing for peace talks, and quietly, almost ashamedly, tidying up the mess that had been caused by all the fighting. That fascinating new minerals had been found in the Demon Realm, that agreements were being brokered between the two realms to provide resources and assistance to the demons as they tried to rehabilitate their damaged world, while minerals and labour would be given in exchange. That the Two Jades and remaining Star had defeated the evil Disaster Star, who had been the mastermind behind all of the chaos across the Five Kingdoms. That in the Sage Star¡¯s memory, the official trading language between the Five Kingdoms would be changed from Dzue to Xiang.


    ¡°Amazing what people come up with,¡± Yuen Muk mused, as he and Gaam Yuk Ying strolled through Maau-dan-si, leaving behind the streetside storyteller who was regaling his audience with stories of the Two Jades and Two Stars. ¡°It just makes sense to use a common language that isn¡¯t the main language of one of the kingdoms. The other kingdoms have always been wary of Dzue¡¯s prosperity and power.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying chewed on a flat sheet of marinated beef, eyes flickering towards the various food stalls.


    ¡°Still hungry?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ want to try everything.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do that.¡±


    They farewelled the Chan family that evening. Chan Taam and Yan Wai-Wai held their daughter for a long time. To their surprise, Gaam Yuk Ying and Yuen Muk were hugged too.


    ¡°Come here whenever you need,¡± Yan Wai-Wai said, patting Yuen Muk¡¯s back. She was too short to reach more than mid-way. ¡°We¡¯ll have dinner ready for you, okay?¡±


    Yuen Muk thought he might start crying, but was saved when Gaam Yuk Ying bowed solemnly and said, ¡°Thank you in advance for looking after my husband.¡± Everyone burst into laughter.


    Chan Bik¡¯s family plied her with gifts and stood watching as the trio disappeared over the southern horizon, watching long after they were gone.


    <hr>


    The wedding of Regent Dzue Dziu Ming and Cheon Maan Ging was as spectacular as expected. In bright red robes, the bridal pair left the ceremony to greet their visitors and wave to the crowds outside from one of the balconies of the palace.


    A group of people stood behind them, within the palace itself, watching on.


    ¡°Bold colours really don¡¯t suit Dziu Ming,¡± Gong Ming Dzue sighed, regal in deep blue. She adjusted her heavy, pearl-adorned crown to a more comfortable position on between her antlers. ¡°The black and gold of Dzue is bad enough, but bright red?¡±


    ¡°Lady Maan Ging looks like her neck is going to snap with all those jewels,¡± Gong Lau Yan remarked, dressed in similar flowing robes to her sister, but in tones of deep green and rich brown. ¡°I hope she¡¯s able to get through the whole day.¡±


    ¡°Listen to these oldies gossiping,¡± Yuen Muk laughed, at ease in the earth yellows and browns of the ceremonial Way of the Mountain robes. Lovely in dusty reddish-pink, blush-coloured azaleas in her hair, Chan Bik smiled faintly. Yawning, Gaam Yuk Ying rubbed an eye with the soft grey sleeve of his robe, the silver embroidered tigers on the fabric shimmering.


    ¡°We¡¯re not old,¡± Gong Lau Yan challenged them playfully.


    ¡°You¡¯re older than us.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just embryos.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what all old people say.¡±


    ¡°What are you looking for, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Gong Ming Dzue was a little startled. ¡°Just¡­ Have any of you seen Mun Gong?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re worried about her?¡±


    ¡°How can I not?¡± She eyed the pair in red, waving to the people below.


    ¡°I¡¯ll look for her, Dze-dze.¡±


    The group dispersed. Gong Ming Dzue remained, while Gong Lau Yan went to look for Mun Gong, and the trio of disciples slowly made their way out from the city towards the Dzak Hau range, specifically, the highest of the peaks.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± A small orange shape fell from a nearby tree onto Gaam Yuk Ying¡¯s shoulder. Tsaam Lei clung on, looking excited. ¡°Are you doing something interesting?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re just going to the spot where Little Bik and Yuk Ying are going to attempt their Ascension,¡± Yuen Muk explained. ¡°Why are you here and not at the palace?¡±


    Tsaam Lei pulled a face, which looked very odd on a fox. ¡°I¡¯ve already said hello and goodbye. It¡¯s too noisy there. Besides, I didn¡¯t feel like wearing clothes today, but if I stayed there I have to be in human form.¡±


    ¡°Tsaam Lei Si-hing¡­¡± Gaam Yuk Ying began, and everyone almost tripped over at this unexpected show of politeness.


    ¡°Ooh, you must have something important to ask me. Yes, yes, what is it?¡±


    ¡°You said before... I could take on any form if I Ascend?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely! The physical body falls away, so your appearance is based on the will of your consciousness. If you want to become a handsome man, you can become a handsome man!¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying shook his head. ¡°I just want to be me.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s already handsome,¡± Yuen Muk said.


    Tsaam Lei rolled his eyes. ¡°Look, this is what a handsome man looks li- Ack!¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to transform, wear some clothes,¡± Chan Bik admonished, retrieving the fist that had just smacked Tsaam Lei on the head. He huffed, transforming back into a small fox, and trotted beside them as they climbed Dzak Hau.


    Velvet forest rolled into glittering city rolled into shimmering sea. This far south, the winter had less bite, but at the top of the peak a strong wind blew, casting their hair and clothes about. After standing and looking out across the landscape in silence for a few moments, they all sat.


    ¡°I want to go now,¡± Chan Bik said.


    ¡°Right this moment?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ I can¡¯t stay here any longer. I feel like my patience has been stretched so thin already.¡±


    ¡°Little Bik¡­ Leaving won¡¯t necessarily make things easier.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­ but I¡¯m reminded of too many things here. I¡¯m ready.¡±


    They all turned to Tsaam Lei. ¡°Could you find Lady Ling Gwong and Lord Gaam Bing?¡±


    The small fox saluted, making them chuckle. ¡°Sure can. Ying Ying, Bik Bik, come back and play tag with me some time, okay?¡±


    He turned and vanished down the mountainside.


    Suddenly, without dignity, Chan Bik lunged forwards and grabbed the hands of her companions. ¡°The two of you¡­ It¡¯s not fair! You should go together!¡±


    ¡°Bik-¡±


    ¡°Gou Si-hing, listen to me!¡± She was in tears. ¡°You understand¡­ You understand how terrifyingly quickly the ones you love can vanish. Don¡¯t let go like this! You¡¯re both here, alive! Don¡¯t do this!¡±


    ¡°And we chose this,¡± Gaam Yuk Ying said.


    ¡°We thought carefully, Litle Bik.¡± Yuen Muk squeezed her trembling, clammy hand. ¡°We understand the risks. And we¡¯ve accepted them. One of us will stay here and find the others, and one will go with you and stay by your side.¡±


    Tears streaming down her face, Chan Bik bit her lip and closed her eyes, shutting away the shining pinpricks of pink light that perpetually shone from them now. Her chest hitched. ¡°Can I¡­ Can I call you both Goh-goh instead of Si-hing?¡±


    ¡°Of course you can.¡±


    Gaam Yuk Ying blinked. "I can call you Mui-mui?"


    "Yes. Yes!"


    When Wong Tang, Ling Gwong, and Gaam Bing summited the mountain, they found their disciples dozing, leaning against each other with peaceful expressions.