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 – Gaam Yuk Ying's hand had immediately flown to his side, but Lo Fu Ngaa was back in the bedroom – 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.”

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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.