Zhou Cheng seems healthy enough, but if he were truly healthy, he would not be in the Phoenix Wing of the Medicine Pavilion - that he's awake and here means whatever ails him is curable, and is being treated.

That doesn't mean I'm not going to worry over him.

"Lian-er?" he asks, slightly bewildered to see me here, "I didn't realise you worked at the Medicine Pavilion?"

Oh no, we're not changing the subject. "What are you doing here? What happened to you?"

"It's just some small injuries I got - I'm healing fine." He's bluffing. I know he is. He doesn't like admitting when he's in a bad spot because he's a little shit and he's already gotten that stupid idea that you have to project strength twenty four seven.

I fold my arms over my chest and try to give my sternest look. "Is that so? And they put you in the Phoenix Wing because what, they were out of room in the Tiger Wing?"

"... Yeah!"

I stare at him for a few long moments, just so the stupidity of what he just tried to pull really sinks in, like I wouldn't already know there's plenty of beds in the Tiger Wing.

He shifts uncomfortably under my gaze. "Can I just have my food? Lian-er's cooking is always the best."

"Are you going to tell me what you did to get here?"

"It's just some injuries!" he argued, sounding increasingly petulant, "I'm going to be let out in a few days, anyway!"

Oh, I'm not budging. "Either you can tell me how you got injured, Zhou Cheng, or I go to Senior Bang and ask him directly."

He squirms. Before he can cave though - and I can feel him caving - the patient in the bed across from him lets out a sharp laugh. "Ah, don't be so hard on him, Hei Lian! I'm the one whose worse off, after all!"

Grinning at me from her position in her bed is a young woman - or well, teenage girl - who can't be more than a handful of years older than me. She has long white hair done up in a loose ponytail, and a grin that would put hyena's to shame. Her robes mark her as an Inner Disciple, but the bandages mark her as someone who seems to have lost a fight rather badly.

And judging from her words, it was apparently to Zhou Cheng.

I glance between them, a little lost at what Zhou Cheng would even be getting into a fight with someone over until it clicked. The Tournament.

I already knew I'd missed it, but the idea that Zhou Cheng would actually get hurt in it was… I mean, logically, it wasn't all that unlikely, but still.

"You have quite the Senior Brother!" the other Disciple declares, barreling on without even registering my tension, "To fight so well at his age, ha! Nobody else would've dared take my arm!"

My eyes boggle slightly. "You took her arm?!" I only barely remember to keep my voice under control - we're in a hospital after all.

He nods seriously. "It's true! She got me in the side, but I got her arm and she went down first, so I was the victor!"

"Ha! By technicality!" she barks out, still grinning, "I bet I'll have you in a rematch!"

I feel like everyone is focusing on the wrong thing here. I knew the Tournaments could be dangerous but lose a limb dangerous? Aren't they supposed to stop before it gets to that point?!

… Well. She clearly had both arms now. I guess it got reattached, and losing a limb is exactly the kind of thing that might put you in the Phoenix Wing. None of which really makes me feel better about what happened. "To let it get that far… Zhou Cheng, it is better not to risk your life on such a thing!"

"I wasn't in any danger!" he blusters, "The Healers patched us both up immediately!"

That's really not the point! "What if she got you too deeply, ah? What if she went higher, and got your heart? Senior Sister would surely be careful," I shoot her a glance just to make sure that my addition is enough to placate her in case she takes offense.

Rather than be offended, her expression seems more like chagrined regret. She wasn't being careful at all!

"-as she should be," I stress the words a little, and although I am her Junior in every way, my scolding stare still makes her shrink back a little. "But accidents happen!"

Zhou Cheng's response is to puff his cheeks out and give me a defiant glare. "I'm fine, Lian-er! Stop fussing!"

Don't tell me to stop fussing! Someone has to fuss over you, and Heavens know I'm the only idiot willing to do it! "If you want me to stop fussing, then stop doing reckless things!" I scold, wishing I had a wooden spoon I could waggle at him menacingly, "Don't tell me you've already forgotten how close we came to death already?"

"Hei Lian," he growls - or tries to. He's still too young to make it convincing, but I plant my hands on my hips and match his stare.

"Ah, it's fine isn't it?" quips Senior Sister, still grinning - although I suspect for another reason this time. "It all worked out, and it's good to be reckless when we're young, isn't it? That's what being young's for!"

I shoot her a glare. "I do not want to hear that from someone who lost an arm."

"I didn't lose it! It just got taken off. Temporarily." Not helping!

It seemed as though Zhou Cheng had nothing else to say to me though, so I just sighed and gave him his bowl of congee. This wasn't over, but I knew better than to sit here and try to get through to him.

I gave a bowl to Senior Sister as well and kept rolling on.

----------------------------------------

"Thank you for your hard work." With his customary farewell, Senior Bang clasps my arm again and I feel my point total increase with my 'wages'.

Given that my original reason for not working longer at the Medical Pavilion was that I wanted to get back to working with Zhou Cheng, it seemed like I didn't really have much of a reason to stop working. And honestly, after seeing the 'food'... I don't think I could live with myself if I walked away from that, so I told Senior Bang I would be working more regularly, and he agreed to put me on kitchen duty for the most part.

Zhou Cheng seemed a little more standoffish than usual - probably annoyed by my fussing. He was a ten year old boy after all. I tried to keep it to a minimum now that I'd gotten my initial worries through, and to be fair, he had recovered well. I still had the urge to start lecturing him every time I saw him in his hospital bed, but well. That would only make things worse.

He was well enough soon that he was leaving, and I picked up my pace a little to catch up with him, falling into step just behind him as I usually did.

Rather than greet me as he usually did, Zhou Cheng just kept walking. Ah, he's definitely upset with me. "Zhou Cheng," I begin quietly, picking my pace up just a little so I can try and get a glimpse of his face, "Have I upset you?"

He kept walking - a little faster even. That's as good a confirmation as any. He doesn't say anything as we both step onto the elevator platform, and I hold my tongue until we step off to avoid airing any dirty laundry out in front of others. Although, thinking on it, I suppose the horse has already bolted from the barn in that regard.

In retrospect, I probably should've waited to start fussing.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" I prod gently.

His response was to whirl around, anger burning in his gaze. "I can handle myself, Hei Lian!" he snarls out - but his voice is still young and high, so it's more like a squeal than a snarl. "I don't need you to fuss over me at every step of the way in front of everyone!"

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

So it was that, after all. I can acknowledge my mistake - I'd embarrassed him in front of everyone. I'm sure the gossip mills are already thriving on the new story. I cannot say I regret doing it. Frankly, a little embarrassment never hurt anyone, although I know the general culture would disagree. But Zhou Cheng is only ten, and I don't think he's ever been embarrassed like that.

And, I have to remember, Sect politics are a thing. I can't be certain anyone will attack him over this, but there's a reason he's internalised the need to project strength.

"I don't need protection - and if I did, I wouldn't need it from a fatty like you!"

That… actually hurt. It must show on my face, because Zhou Cheng falters a moment after, regret setting into his face. If I were twelve, I probably would've responded in kind and said something hurtful, and then we'd both run away and nurse our wounded egos. I'd probably be crying. Maybe it'd leave an irreparable rift, maybe we'd dramatically patch it up after.

I am only twelve in body, however, regardless of what my hormones and emotions have to say about things, and I clamp down on that instinct hard. Instead, I take a slow breath, hold it, and exhale even slower. "I understand," I begin, choosing my words carefully and deliberately. "I apologise. I was inconsiderate."

It takes the wind out of his sails some, seeing me concede to him like this so easily. He probably worked himself up, preparing for some argument or fight. Joke's on him, I've been to therapy! More than that though, I have to at least try to model effective communication and de-escalation, or he'll grow up to be one of those ridiculous 'You dare?!' types.

So. Talking about our feelings like adults. Except he wasn't an adult, and I… I don't even want to touch that question regarding myself. "I felt concerned because I thought you wouldn't go that far in the Tournament."

He's calmed down some, but he's still not exactly happy about things, which is understandable enough. "Why wouldn't I? To lose without giving it my all would be more shameful than being knocked out in the first round!"

"I assumed 'giving it your all' wouldn't include your life." I take another slow breath. Calm down. Be mature about this. Zhou Cheng isn't going to acknowledge the risk to himself, so let's highlight the risk to others. "What would've happened if you had killed her?"

There's no response for a moment. "It would've been an accident. The Judges would see that."

"... And? Would you be happy with yourself?" I press, frowning at him a little. I'm a little worried he's actually going to say 'Yes'.

"I would've won anyway!" he counters, which isn't a 'yes' but it's also not a 'no'. "Just because you're the kind of person who would rather surrender than face a challenge, doesn't mean I am, Hei Lian! Nobody would blame me for what happened!" He meets my gaze with a desperate sort of defiance. "So what does it matter what might've happened? Who are you to lecture me, Junior?"

Aaand now he's trying to pull the Seniority card. It was bound to happen eventually. "The Senior Brother I know…" I say quietly, searching out the exact words to use to avoid being too harsh - I don't want to upset him… too much, "... is righteous and upstanding. When his juniors speak, he listens and decides on the merits of their words."

He's a little chagrined by that, but the defiance doesn't entirely fade. "What merit do your words have, Hei Lian? You only speak of what ifs - things that didn't happen."

Saying 'they could've happened' is not enough to convince him. It's just… he's not mature enough to really consider consequences properly. So I just have to make him. "I do not think you are the kind of man who would kill anyone for daring to stand in your way, Zhou Cheng. Is this Junior mistaken as to the character of his Senior Brother?"

The expression of shock he makes quickly melts into a mix of regret and stubbornness. "Accidents happen…!"

Ladies and gentlemen, we've entered the 'I'm agreeing with you without agreeing with you' stage of arguing. "Accidents do happen," I concede, "But does that mean it's okay to be careless? Should I, Hei Lian, be careless in our hunts?"

"Of course not! Hei Lian should be careful because…" He trails off as he seems to realise what I was actually saying. In just a few moments, he deflates visibly, sinking into sullenness.

Now I feel like a buzzkill. The melancholy sullen pall on things is better than the frustrated, spark-from-exploding air of before but it's still not ideal. "... I'm sorry I wasn't able to see your fights, Zhou Cheng. I'm sure you did very well."

He shoots me a look like he's not buying the compliment.

Thankfully, I have a secret weapon. "Would you like something to celebrate your success, Senior Brother?" I offer, "I have a new recipe I'd love to try with some fruit I got from the Forest."

For a moment, it seems like he's redirected his stubbornness to being sullen and sulking, but the promise of food wins the day once again. "... What recipe?"

"Apple pie - I do not think I've ever made it for you, Senior."

"If Hei Lian makes it, it must be delicious."

I can't help cracking a smile at that. "If Senior Brother says so, it must be true."

----------------------------------------

I believe it was Carl Sagan who said that if you wanted to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe. I'm pretty sure there's a level of cultivation where you can make universes, but that's so far above me I don't think I'll ever reach it.

But I can at least start by making a pie crust and that'll just have to be good enough.

Zhou Cheng watches me with a mixture of broody disdain and curious interest, still torn between sulking that I made him feel bad about his success, and excited to try a new recipe.

Regular wheat flour is harder to get than I would've liked, but I was able to get some made from 'Vigorous Grain' - it had an air of Yang to it, befitting the name. It should be able to hold up against the other ingredients. Butter from Silkbreeze Cows - they were relatively docile for Spirit Beasts, enough that you could farm them, although getting them to stay in one place was basically a lost cause for mortals. They took 'flighty' to a decidedly literal level, given they were known to drift off with a particularly strong breeze. We had a small herd on the Earth Ring of the Sect, tended to by Outer Disciples and the poor buggers spent most of their time running around lassoing any drifters. A pinch of salt. Mix the dry ingredients together, then add the butter, chilled and chopped, by pinching it together with the flour. Once it's mixed in thoroughly, I add water from the Heavenly Misty Falls one ladle at a time as I slowly keep mixing.

Before long, the dough came together properly and I bundled it up, setting it aside briefly to work on the apples. Under the iridescent skin, there was a glossy, sheer glass-like flesh. Much softer than glass, naturally, or I wouldn't be eating them. It was actually a little tricky keeping track of the damn things after I finished peeling and slicing them.

"Are you really sure it's fine to cook those, Lian-er?" Oh, so I'm back to 'Lian-er' now am I? "Surely for you, refining it would be much better."

I'm pretty sure we've had this conversation before. "Probably," I admit, "But if I refined them into a pill, you would not get to enjoy this pie, Senior. It is only natural that I sacrifice for my Senior Brother in such a way."

He frowns a little, but doesn't push.

Cinnamon, allspice, brown sugar, nutmeg, a squeeze of Blood Orange juice for a bit of that zesty flavour, all tossed with the apples in a bowl. At least covered in seasonings I could see the damn things clearly. Then I just had to shape the pie crust in a tin and fill it.

The obvious way to bake it would be in an oven, but usage of the ovens was usually reserved for Disciples on cooking duty - and it was mostly to make large batches of food efficiently. I could probably purchase some time using them, and honestly, by this point I don't think anyone would really do more than bat an eye at me for it. 'There goes Hei Lian, cooking again, the weirdo'.

However, I am a cultivator, and something I've been practicing with the Yin Vessel Cauldron Technique has been controlling a flame with my Qi alone. People tend to associate Fire with Yang, but Fire, like any element, can be Yin or Yang aspected. Yang Fire is the roaring blaze - Yin Fire is the gentle flame. It's candles, it's warmth.

It's a hearth. I've already used a similar technique against the Plants, but this is just manipulation, no generation necessary. The barest touch of Qi is all it takes.

I hold my hands out gently, focusing on the small pile of tinder and firewood I've built up and igniting it with a burst of raw, focused heat. Once the fire gets going properly, I weave my Qi through it, gently nudging it, at times encouraging, at others restraining until I'm certain I've got it at the right temperature. I hang the tin over it carefully, eyeing the flames and adjusting them just a little bit more to make sure it's cooking evenly and properly.

"You've been practicing," Zhou Cheng notes, and he seems almost surprised that I learned something on my own initiative. I'd be offended, but you know. It's fair to be.

I nod lightly. "I have. I cannot let my precious Senior Brother leave me behind, after all. Who would cook him his favourite desserts then?"

He looks away, somewhere between embarrassed and pleased. "... I don't need you to look after me," he mutters.

"You don't," I agree, "But do you want me to?"

There's no response, but from the way his cheeks are turning redder, I assume the answer is 'Yes, but I don't want to say it out loud.'

Ah, Zhou Cheng. Why are you so troublesome? It's because you're ten. Well, at least I'll have plenty of stories to tell your future wife to embarrass you with.

The pie will take a bit to bake properly, so whilst I keep an eye on it, I turn more of my attention onto him. "How far did you get in the Tournament?"

He leaps onto the opportunity to brag with both feet and a hand. "Fourth," he declares smugly, which is… definitely better than I feared, but not as good as I almost kind of hoped. Given his age though, that's impressive. "I only got knocked out because of the wound Tian Mingfei gave me - if they let me continue, I bet I could've taken my next opponent!"

Tian Mingfei… I assume that was the girl across from him. "She seems… interesting. It must've been quite a fight."

"It was! She fought using a technique she called 'Beast Dance'..."

I nod along and listen to him recount the fight, making the appropriate noises of awe and fear. Soon enough, he starts talking about the other fights - how he 'demolished' an older Disciple's 'Impenetrable Tortoise Shell', or how he blew past another's 'Infinite Mirror Reflection' with an area attack.

His previous frustrations had all but melted away by the time the pie was ready - really, the only downside to this was I didn't have ice cream.

… I'm going to have to figure out how to make ice cream. You can't have apple pie without ice cream! Damn it, I should've thought ahead! I bet I could make it with some milk and flavourings just in the cauldron, actually - use Yin Qi to bring the temperature down, keep mixing it…

Well, thoughts for later. Right now I had pie to serve.