Into the grand hall she strode, footsteps careful and slow, soft and soundless. Some part of her wanted to surprise them... Let them know that yes, she was okay, and yes, she would be happy to join them for dinner. Down the path towards the incense tree she stalked, managing to suppress the smile that threatened to force its way onto her face - but, when she arrived, stepping out and readying herself to roar? Nothing. No one. The incense tree room, that great central threshold, was empty as Xiao Fan's grave.

Hm. Weird. Where could they be? Xiao Fan pondered for a moment, focusing on the sounds of merriment she could hear in some distant room... There were still plenty of rooms in the great hall she hadn't seen yet, still plenty to explore. She'd only been in the medicine room and the training room, after all... And those were only down two of the four cardinal halls that branched from the incense tree's central point, like spokes from an axle. She supposed she'd need to do a bit of investigating.

In the distance, she heard Zhichao Tingfeng say something to Cao Xin, the remainder of some story: "...and then, she just let him stab her! It was quite something, you know? Didn't feel it at all. I had to hold back laughter at his fright." He chuckled then, unlike in his story; Cao Xin joined his new sifu, an awed 'wo-o-ow' following along. Xiao Fan couldn't deny a level of pride from forming inside of her, the earlier grin she had been fighting coming back with renewed force.

They were talking about her - and surely, they were only saying good things. It seemed like Zhichao Tingfeng had been telling Cao Xin about Xinmeijin... Trying to impress him with stories of the Tian Lei sect's second-newest disciple. She wondered what else he had told Cao Xin... Maybe about how he had found her, how they had met? About how quickly she was picking up his teachings?

A chill ran though her spiritual heart as she considered other things he may have told the boy. Yes... Cao Xin had seen her fury, that nearly-tangible aura of killing intent that emanated from every last part of her when she was in a fight. He had witnessed how far she could drop firsthand, how quickly and how completely it could overwhelm her. It was terrifying, she felt... Terrifying to see, but also terrifying to be the one dealing with it.

She shuddered, shaking her head clear of such thoughts before continuing on. She stood beside the incense tree as she listened, careful not to stand on one of the pillows which surrounded it. She raised her head a bit, standing upon the tips of her toes, hoping to catch more sound - sound which seemed to crash in from every direction, the grand hall both allowing her to hear anything therein, and also obfuscating its source. From every side, the sounds of laughter and dinner came rushing in...

For a sliver of a moment, Xiao Fan was tempted to simply start bashing through the thin walls in an effort to find her sect-mates. However, even a split-second of consideration told her that was a fucking stupid thing to do. Firstly, it would ruin the beauty of the building itself... Secondly, it would make her look like a brute, and an ass, and selfish. Thirdly? It would piss Zhichao Tingfeng and Hao Ning off, to such a degree that Zhichao Tingfeng may just kick her out of Tian Lei altogether. That would be devastating. She wasn't sure what she'd do if he did... She may just weep, if weeping was a thing she could still do properly...

No, she had wept just the other day, hadn't she? Tears had come, at least. Whatever - it wasn't worth her thinking any further about. She gave her whole body a shake, throwing those thoughts away to clatter against the ground, hopefully breaking into a million pieces. She wasn't going to destroy this place on a mere whim, right? Eugh. Xiao Fan shut her eyes and pinched her nose just below her brow line, focusing herself on her objective. She just had to find her friends and have a fun night, right?

"Pssst..."

The sound was small and barely-noticeable, but it was sharp - an assassin's dart thrown through a shadowed room, to land squarely in Xiao Fan's ears. She opened her eyes in an instant, searching for the source; she did so just in time to see the ghostly afterimage of a black hair-bun disappear through a wall. Her distressed expression became a smile once more, though it was wry, in the way of an older sister watching her younger sibling pull a trick.

Hao Ning, huh? She was helping Xiao Fan. She wanted Xiao Fan to succeed. Without even discussing it, the spectral sifu knew exactly what Xiao Fan wanted and what she was doing - and also seemed to know what was troubling her. The revenant gave whispered praise to her young senior sister before proceeding down the eastern hall, now trying out a new sort of strategy.

She focused on blocking out the sounds altogether, trying to cut them out of her mind; trying to sever her connection between her perception and her ears, so that no sound came at all. She wasn't nearly so masterful as to reach complete success... But by focusing on other senses, such as what touch remained in her deadened nerves, and the scent of meat, she managed to dull the sounds. It was like flying blind, in some ways: a bird caught in a lightning storm, the sky too black to see, navigating by feeling alone.

Meat... She directed every bit of her attention to that meat, the savory aroma of what she could only assume (and hope) was hot pot. Maybe they had gone to Xinmeijin while she was in the pond? It had been nearly the entire day, after all... Plenty of time to go grab groceries and return, she figured. And they still owed her for saving them from those bandits, right? Sure they did. One little feast for a hungry ghost wasn't going to repay in full the fact that they had dispatched ten or more men just to save the defenseless village.

Meaty hot pot, huh... From its scent, it was spicy, too - the herbal, woody-yet-earthen notes of tien tsin chiles, dried and now boiled, played in the spaces left between the onion and pork and ginger of the hot pot's aroma. It was nearby... Very, very nearby. She could practically taste it, though she would also believe that it was her overactive imagination. It didn't hurt to anticipate it a bit, she figured; helped motivate her to actually find it, so she could eat.

Ah, there - right through that next door! Her footsteps, still measured and silent, picked up in pace to rush to the door she was sure the food was behind. She sent a hand out to the door, preparing to push it open... Steeled herself... and...

"Bwah!" The door was thrown wide, Xiao Fan leaping through it with agility and grace rarely seen. Her reward was exactly what she had been hoping for: the dining hall. Long wooden tables sat close to the ground, laid out evenly throughout the place; a bronze vessel sat at the center of each table, though nearly all of them had grown a film of dust from disuse. The only one currently occupied was at the only table with people at it: Cao Xin and Zhichao Tingfeng sat on pillows on either side of their table, spreading themselves out across the rug.

Zhichao Tingfeng feigned surprise when Xiao Fan burst through the door, raising both hands (and in the process, dropping his chopsticks) in mock fright - Cao Xin, however, was genuinely scared. The younger of the two men cried out, whirling around from where he had been sitting, preparing for some sort of fight; when he saw it was just Xiao Fan, though, he let out a long, relieved sigh.

"Oh, shijie... You scared me... How are you feeling? You, uh... You were in the pond all day. We were worried you might've gone downstream, but-" Cao Xin was cut off by Zhichao Tingfeng, who spoke overtop of him, a cocksure smile taking control of his lips. "Bu-u-ut, your dutiful sifu dove to the bottom of the pool and found you practicing something... So, we left you to it. Cao Xin's right, though: how are you feeling? Come on, we saved plenty of meat for you."

Xiao Fan snickered aloud at Cao Xin's fright, shaking her head in play admonishment as she stepped forward, closing the door behind herself. The aroma in the room was every bit as rich as the flavors would surely be... That savory tang of fresh meat, the aforementioned scent of chiles and onions... Undernotes of ginger and citrus somewhere, like a bed of nails for the meat to be laid upon. It would have been refreshing, if it wasn't so mouthwatering. Not that Xiao Fan's mouth could water in the first place, but still.

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"How am I feeling? Good, now that I'm here! So you saw me practicing, sifu... Scary. Scary scary scary, knowing that in the depths of my dream, someone was observing me... I didn't even notice." There was temptation to show off her progress immediately - to rend the air to shreds with a single, hateful blow, striking out at the memory of her nemesis to set her flesh alight. However, she had already scared Cao Xin once... and she wanted to discuss it with Zhichao Tingfeng, first.

That first technique her martial master had shown her, sending her hand forward with the force and point of a spear in the blink of an eye? It still felt like a thing that anyone could achieve - like a motion to be practiced, but one that lay within the realm of normalcy. What she had been able to achieve in the pond was nothing short of supernatural, a qi-infused blow which she wasn't sure if any living person could do. She would have liked to simply chalk it up to her own unnatural existence, but...

But it was still too bizarre to just give a pass. She had never heard of a warrior who could generate such force and speed that they caught aflame, or even generated heat at all. In truth, it worried her - if it was something anyone could do, with enough practice, would she be able to keep up in the world of martial mastery? And if it wasn't something available to anyone, then being given such a gift was akin to being yoked with heavy burden. Would she even be able to pull it off, outside of her waking dream?

Zhichao Tingfeng's words mercifully cut through the introspection, a heavy blade cleaving self-assessment like rich, dense cake. "Oh? Scary, eh? I'll keep that in mind... I would've tapped your shoulder, checked in on you, but seeing your kicks... It looked like you were busy. I was a bit scared to get close, to be honest." He shrugged casually, going to retrieve his dropped chopsticks and the sliver of beef they had been holding. The meat was popped into his mouth and he began to chew, no more to say. That fit Xiao Fan just fine.

She nodded her understanding, heading over to join them; Cao Xin adjusted his sprawled position to give her more room to sit, and grabbed a pair of chopsticks to hand her as she got comfy. The comfort of a seated position allowed her to observe the options at the table, a long wooden plate in the shape of a rectangle holding thin slices of beef, some raw white onion, thin potato pieces... and a mound of vermicelli, easily grabbed and dunked.

She wasted no time digging in, using the offered chopsticks to nab up some meat, some of the noodles, and a single crescent of onion, before dunking it into the gently simmering broth. The broth was thin, but it was a luxurious reddish-brown tone like fresh cinnamon, and little globules of oil floated and were dispersed across its face. Beneath the pot itself, within the layered form of the vessel, charcoal smouldered patiently to provide the necessary heat to keep the hot pot hot.

While she let her selected items cook, she looked up to Zhichao Tingfeng, feeling her mood shift towards something nearing both embarrassment and conspiracy. Her brows went down, and her eyes grew shifty - the look of a young girl who knows she's being naughty, but doesn't want to admit it. This was the perfect chance for her to address her earlier concerns... And it would be better to do sooner than later, right?

Her earlier notion of discussing it with him away from Cao Xin was drowned in the rich broth of the hot pot, the comforting lure of fresh and hot food setting her apprehension to do so at ease. He was a big boy; he could handle the truth. He probably already knew she was dead, right? And he had seen her earlier this morning, the strength she could impel her body to produce... He would've been a damn fool to not realize she had some unusual capabilities.

So, while her first bite cooked, she began to speak. "Ah, er... sifu Zhichao Tingfeng, ah... I had a question for you. A martial arts question. Have you ever heard of, uh... Have you ever heard of martial masters who could produce mystic effects with their ability? Like, strike so quickly, so forcefully, that they could, say... Generate-" She spoke further, but with as timid as her words were, they were easily overtaken by Zhichao Tingfeng's interjection.

"Generate heat, simei? I saw the steam, you know; it wasn't so subtle." He laughed softly, the guardian who had caught his naughty ward in the act of a prank. Xiao Fan knew her face would be burning if it wasn't incapable of such things anymore, at least, not without the roots burying themselves into her flesh.

"Yes, yes. It's... Rare, of course, but some martial warriors can produce mystic effects with their force of will alone, and use their bodies to channel such will. It's quite the gift, I'm sure... Remind me to show you something later, would you?" He winked, retaining a sly grin for a few more moments even after. Xiao Fan nodded obediently, drawing her hot pot ingredients out and immediately putting them into the smouldering charcoal pit.

Cao Xin started to cry out and raise a hand to stop her, eyes going wide, face going frantic - but Zhichao Tingfeng raised a palm to stop him, the simple gesture more than enough to calm the Tian Lei sect's newest disciple back into complacency. The items cooked and burned after a few moments, but those moments hung like hours in Xiao Fan's mind. She was so hungry... Her stomach roiled despite itself, rumbling audibly at the scent of burning meat and charring noodle.

Zhichao Tingfeng seemed like he wanted to say something to her, to tease her - but he thought better of it, holding his tongue and focusing on getting himself another mouthful of food. Cao Xin followed suit, looking away from his senior sect-sister to try and give the impression that he hadn't even heard it in the first place. The gesture was appreciated; it let Xiao Fan save some of the face she was still floundering to recover after Zhichao Tingfeng's earlier interjection.

Once the beef and noodle and onion had each charred sufficiently, they were drawn from the coals and dropped into her mouth - and instantly, the explosion of flavor made the dead woman begin to laugh in amazement. The satisfaction of it was just as visceral as ever... The heat of the meat, both from the coals and the chile oil, intermingling with myriad spices, with a striking sourness from lemon and ginger and rice vinegar... It was like eating burning acid, and yet, that was exactly what made her want more.

Dinner continued unabated for a few hours more, discussion turning away from martial arts, and instead becoming more blessedly mundane: the weather, the surrounding area, the Tian Lei sect itself... There was talk of where Cao Xin would sleep, and if Xiao Fan needed to sleep at all. The latter question's answer inspired another 'wo-o-ow' from the young man, eyes wide with wonder and admiration; Zhichao Tingfeng snickered at his youthful nature.

Finally, once they had each eaten their fill (Xiao Fan clearing the plate and draining the broth once Cao Xin and Zhichao Tingfeng were done), the two mortals of the assembly dispersed to go sleep. Alone again, Xiao Fan laid back across the kneel-pillows at the table they had been seated around, staring up at the ceiling. She took the moment of peace to focus on something that she had been keeping quiet in the back of her head since her arrival at the dining hall.

Where was Hao Ning? She had seen a glimpse of the ghostly girl for just a moment, back at the incense tree... She knew that Hao Ning was around, somewhere. Where had she gone? Xiao Fan's brow furrowed as she pondered where her younger senior sister may be at, what she may be doing... The undead rice farmer's lips pursed in thought, eyes glazing over as she contemplated the possibilities.

Then, distantly, there came a giggle. Hao Ning's giggle, doubtlessly... it sounded like her, and it was more than a little mischievous. In fact, it was practically mired in playfulness... Hao Ning for sure, then. Xiao Fan shot up from where she lay, looking around for her spiritual sifu - and found nothing, not even a trace. It must've been some sort of game, then... Hao Ning was baiting Xiao Fan, and wanted the latter woman to find her. Maybe it was practice, in a way? She had been leading Xiao Fan earlier, too, helping her find her older brother. What was the little gremlin up to? What was the point? Whatever it was, Xiao Fan was determined to find her - she wanted to speak to the little troublemaker, anyways.

Ready or not, Hao Ning - here came Xiao Fan.