“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’.

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

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 – 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.”