"For months afterwards, we slowly managed to investigate the entirety of the Kingdom," Gong Lau Jan said. "I suppose it was lucky for us that it was a relatively small place. We began to develop something of a tolerance towards the drying spell, and along with artefacts that we brought from the Ocean Palace, we could explore for longer.

"In the second week, we began to find bodies."

The bodies were all mummified, snap dried corpses that lay where people had died, hopefully instantly.

"We slowly went through and identified all of them. From the old man who grew the best bitter melon, all the way to the King and Queen of Zyu. And finally, after all that, we found several things.

"One, there was no sign of any legendary creatures or spirits, whether as corpses or spirit-fire. It gave us hope that ze ze was still alive. Two, the curse was bounded strictly by the extent of the Zyu Kingdom, so it was highly likely that the one who caused it had a specific grudge or vendetta against Zyu. And third, there was only one human missing."

"It's amazing that you were even able to work that out," Zéyì said. "Who was it?"

"As spirits of nature, we are intimately connected with all those who live under our protection, we know all living things at a profound level," she explained, looking directly at Zéyì. She drew a breath. "The missing person was Mun Gong... Her Majesty Mǎn Jīang."

Even Zyu Ji Sang looked surprised.

"My mother?" Zéyì asked, dazed. "Why was she in Zyu?"

"Mǎn Jīang was a member of the Mun noble family from Zyu. She was born there."

Zéyì remembered the picture her mother had once shown her of her grandmother, Mǎn Máogèn. The woman in the painting had worn an unusual over-robe, that looked smooth and liquid as water. Zéyì had never seen anything like it before.

But of course, that was because the Mǎn... no, the Mun family was not from Chūn.

"Did you... ever speak with her?"

"I didn't. I was still a bit sick... And it was a chaotic time. We all feared a second Demon War was about to occur. The physical investigation of Zyu took over a year and by the time we worked out that your mother was the only one missing, we had no idea where she had gone. We started looking at the neighbouring kingdoms but... well, as you now understand, loong are not so understanding of human cultures, it took us a while to understand that the Zyu language was different from that spoken in the countries nearby. We didn't draw the link between Lady Mun Gong and Queen Mǎn Jīang(1) for a long time, until the curse fell on Chūn over thirty years later."

Zéyì remembered crouching in the damp and decaying Chūn Palace, her mother unrecognisable and screaming down at her. Zyu Ji Sang was watching her with shrewd eyes.

"I feel as though... My mother was such a good and treasured person to me, all of my life, until..." Zéyì shook her head. "Sorry, I'm not making much sense. There's something I'm trying to work out, but I can't quite..."

"Speak, let's see what we can gather," Gong Lau Jan suggested. She took a long drink of water and Zéyì felt a twinge in her heart. Gong ze must be so thirsty all the time...

"Mother never spoke of her past, and I.... I guess I was so caught up in helping... those I saw as less fortunate, that I never thought to ask. Now that I look back, I think my mother was very clever at hiding her true thoughts anyway. On the day that I... The woman I met... That was your ze ze, wasn't it? The Queen of the Zyu River?"

"... Gong Ming Zyu (2). You said she still looked like a Queen?"

"Even exhausted and despairing, she was still strong and beautiful."

"..."

Gong Lau Jan's face closed off, as though she had abandoned her physical shell and disappeared within somewhere. Zyu Ji Sang stepped in to take over. "What is it you wanted to say about that day?"

"I remembered, I was removing my wedding attire to go and talk to Queen Gong. My mother came in to..." She trembled a little at the memory, surprised at the strength of her reaction after all these years. "When I said I was going to talk, she... hit me. My first thought was that she had been possessed by a demon." Her voice shook and she fought to control it. "She was saying all kinds of things at me that I didn't understand, and suddenly... my lungs seemed to be full of water. I couldn't... I..." She swallowed reflexively.

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"Your lungs filled with water?" Gong Lau Jan repeated, rousing herself. "So she really did have that kind of power... and she was trying to kill you?"

"Oof, don't be too gentle," Fàn Bì'ān remarked, shelling sunflower seeds. Gong Lau Yan ignored him.

"Our Yì Yì's loving mother suddenly turns murderous and you're just casually say 'oh, so she tried to kill you' like you're remarking on the price of fish? A bit much."

"… Zéyì... I didn't mean..."

Zéyì covered her face with her hands. "No, you're right, it was a long time ago and I should have come to terms with it." She calmed her mind, bringing the rolling demonic energy building inside her back to quietude. "I presume, unless my mother truly was possessed, and I didn't think she was... she really must have had the power to curse like that. In any case, I survived because... well, I'm not sure? Some kind of glowing bronze light appeared between us. It was so strong I could barely see. It lifted me up and helped me breathe again, but I think I fainted anyway. And then... I woke up in the lake."

"A bronze light?" Gong Lau Jan's eyes looked misty. She stood suddenly and walked over to Zéyì, whose heart still quickened at the woman's approach. She focused on her breaths to calm down, valiantly ignoring Fàn Bì'ān's expressions. Her eyes found the pearl on Gong Lau Jan's left ear. Ah, of course, pearls from the Zyu Kingdom.

That control almost flew out of the window at what happened next.

Gong Lau Jan knelt beside her, took her face in her hands, and pressed their foreheads together.

Zéyì's brain stopped working.

By the time she had recovered, Fàn Bì'ān was silently laughing into his sleeves and trying not to choke on the sunflower seeds. Zyu Ji Sang was rolling her eyes. Gong Lau Jan opened her own and stared into Zéyì's.

"She's there."

"Huh? Who? What?" Zéyì asked eloquently, unable to pull her eyes away from Gong Lau Jan's.

"My ze ze... There's a tiny little bit of her lifeforce left in you..." Suddenly, she knelt before Zéyì, or rather, collapsed to her knees.

"Miss Gong! Are you okay? Please stand..." Zéyì, flustered, worried, tried to pull the loong upright. Despite her strength, she found herself pulled down into Gong Lau Jan's embrace instead.

How did this happen!

They remained in each other's arms for a moment before Zéyì hesitantly spoke up. "Gong ze, don't you blame me?"

"For what?"

"Your ze ze... if I have her lifeforce, it sounds as though she gave up her life to save me."

"And so?"

"So... don't you think it's my fault? It was because of me that she died."

"... Is this how humans think? Ze ze made her choice. She was responsible for that, not you. It's not because of you. And I... I resigned myself a long time ago to the idea that she was dead."

"Don't you hate me at all?"

"What for?"

The loong's answers were straightforward and honest. Zéyì could feel moisture creeping into the corners of her eyes but blinked it back.

"It's so good to be in Ze ze's presence again."

Of course, this hug was for Gong Ming Zyu, not Zéyì. She put away her heart and hugged Gong Lau Jan tighter. "Here, I hope you feel your ze ze's love for you."

Zyu Ji Sang coughed and the atmosphere disintegrated. Zéyì pushed Gong Lau Jan away hurriedly. "Ahem... so, what now?"

"Why don't you decide?" Gong Lau Jan asked her, smiling.

"Me? What happened to living free as a demon hunter?"

"I can still hunt demons," Gong Lau Jan said cheerfully. Fàn Bì'ān choked on his sunflower seeds again.

Zéyì caught sight of Zyu Ji Sang and made another desperate attempt. "What about Zyu Ji Sang? Surely you're very busy and won't be coming along. Wouldn't it be better for Gong ze to be looking after Zyu Ji Sang?"

"I'm not busy right now," Zyu Ji Sang said, unhelpfully.

"We can all travel together," Gong Lau Jan said, also unhelpfully.

"Road trip!" Fàn Bì'ān exclaimed, the most unhelpful of them all. He leaned forward eagerly. "Who has any good destinations?"

To everyone's surprise, it was Zyu Ji Sang who spoke, although she didn't look at Fàn Bì'ān. "I've been meaning to raise this - there is a black market auction in Yùhǎi(3) the day after tomorrow. Rumours say that some extremely rare and unusual things will be up for sale."

"A black market auction?" Zéyì frowned, her sense of justice overriding her embarrassment and discomfort. "What things are rumoured for sale?"

"The rumours say... the goods will be legendary animals."

Zéyì spun to face Gong Lau Jan. "Miss Gong... the missing spirits from Zyu... I know it's been so long, but-"

Gong Lau Jan looked thoughtful. "With your leave, my lady, I would like for us to see this auction."

"Don't call me 'my lady'," Zéyì groaned, covering her face with her hand. Suddenly, she peeped between her fingers. "Unless you're into that sort of thing?"

Gong Lau Jan looked a little surprised, then grinned, sharp-toothed, back. "Perhaps~"

"Stop it."

"Yes, Meí Guī..."

Zéyì had to resist the urge to smack the cheeky dragon.

"Sorry, sorry." Gong Lau Jan took her hand and pressed it gently. "A Lián, let's go together, okay?"

"... okay."

"Make sure to take turns driving," Zyu Ji Sang admonished. "You're both still in fragile health, I won't have you ruining my hard work."

"Yes, Master."

Zyu Ji Sang had no qualms about slapping Gong Lau Jan.

"Can't Fàn Bì'ān help?"

Zyu Ji Sang and Gong Lau Jan exchanged strange looks.

"I don't trust him," Zyu Ji Sang eventually said, dismissively.

"Fàn Bì'ān's only young," Gong Lau Jan said cheerfully. "Let's not tire him out."

"Hey! I have way more energy than any of you oldies!"

But oddly, the two women didn't change their mind. They made their way outside, where a thousand sparkling stars winked down at them from the clear night sky. Gong Lau Jan transformed, a shining green and bronze shimmer in the night. Zéyì reverently boarded, her hands stroking the smooth scales over and over. Zyu Ji Sang hopped up behind her, and with a rush, Gong Lau Jan leapt skywards.

"Fàn Bì'ān...?"

"Uh... he'll make his own way."

They soared away into the night, Zéyì's heart thumping almost painfully, and the stars reflected in the tears brimming in her eyes.