If anything, Chan Gam was in an even more difficult mood than Sek Gon. After Gou Dzing greeted him, he sat without a word and glared unceasingly at the man perched on the windowsill.

“What are your dreams about?”

“Why should I tell you that?”

Gou Dzing sighed. “Please, First Young Master. We're trying to help. I'm sure you're aware that Lady Bik has asked for our assistance.”

“Ah Bik can't just make these decisions by herself. This is a family matter, and the family will solve it.”

“Even if the family is destroyed?” Sek Gon asked drily.

This time, Gou Dzing managed to grab Chan Gam before he could reach Sek Gon. Unlike his wife, the young master's aim was not simply to push the young man out of the window – he had half-drawn his sword and a murderous aura was surrounding him. Sparks seemed to fly across the room between the two men and collide in mid-air.

“You! You're not even a member of any sect, and yet you act as if you're some kind of god! What gives you the right to look down on us? What gives you the right to barge into our private lives?”

Sek Gon blinked. “Chan Bik asked for our help. I can help her. What else is there to know?”

“Young Master Chan!” Gou Dzing intervened. “If you can't trust Sir Sek, at least trust me. I may still be lacking, but I have some proficiency in demon exorcism. I will stake my title to solve this case!”

Chan Gam stopped struggling and slowly sheathed his sword as he turned to examine Gou Dzing. His eyebrows creased. “You... You're the Jade Exorcist.”

“I'm embarrassed to admit it, but yes, I am.”

The Young Master's eyes slid over to look at Sek Gon, making a point of lingering on the hilt of his sword.

“Ah... that is... a coincidence.”

“... really.”

“Truly.”

“Hm. So why is he asking the questions and not you, Jade Exorcist?”

“Sir Sek has some thoughts he is looking to follow up on. I trust his judgement.”

Chan Gam tsked. “Another one... Fine, ask the questions.”

Sek Gon had not moved the entire time. His eyes, half-hidden behind his lowered lids, continued to gaze out into open space through the window. “Your dreams.”

“It's the same as everyone else's,” Chan Gam said impatiently. “Tonnes of mice appearing in the bedroom, gnawing on my hair and hands and feet. It's the same every time.”

“Do you believe Se Sue is after your mother's money?”

“Of course! A snake is a snake. He seduced her and now he's dividing the family to get all the money for himself!”

“Do you find it so hard to believe they fell in love?” Gou Dzing asked curiously.

Chan Gam curled his lip. “Jade Exorcist, you may be a great demon hunter, but you understand nothing about people. You're still young. If my father were here, Mother would not have given that snake a second glance. He might not have been handsome, but they truly loved each other.”

“How many servants are there?” Sek Gon interrupted indifferently.

Chan Gam gritted his teeth at Sek Gon's rudeness, but responded with restraint. “... Servants...?”

“Those people that do all the work for you,” Sek Gon snapped, his eyelids lifting momentarily. Quicksilver flashed and disappeared without a trace. Chan Gam half-thought he had imagined it.

“... seventeen.”

“How many of them are Rats?”

“Why would you want to talk to them? This has nothing to do with them!”

THUD!

Sek Gon had taken his sheathed sword and slammed the end of it into the floor. It left a faint dent in the wood. “You're the same... Arrogant, conceited, short-sighted-”

A sword flashed. Chan Gam leapt forward, blade drawn. He was fast, but Gou Dzing could have beaten him if he had not caught an arresting look from Sek Gon. In his confusion, he paused, and Chan Gam had his sword at Sek Gon's throat.

The young man blocked the sword with his own sheathed blade, but his precarious balance on the windowsill meant that, for the third time that day, he fell out, this time along with Chan Gam.

And for the third time, he landed on a group of listening servants.

Chan Gam scrambled to his feet, swinging his sword wildly. “WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING HERE? MUK LAAN! YUE-MUK! CHO GUK! AND YOU, AH FUNG! YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER!”

The named servants scattered, cowering to avoid the waving blade. Chan Gam chased them across the courtyard, leaving Sek Gon to pick leaves out of his hair.

Gou Dzing leaned out of the window. “So.”

Sek Gon ignored him.

“Do you think Se Sue was lying about his dream being different from the others?”

Sek Gon brushed himself down.

“It's a personal vendetta against him, isn't it? A very personal one.”

Sek Gon tried to tidy his hair.

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“Want some help?”

“... no.”

“Aw, come on.”

“We'll find out tonight.”

“If I can do your hair?”

“... what's happening here.”

“Why are you so interested in the servants? Do you think it's one of them?”

“...”

“Here, I'll do your hair for you...”

“I saw some of the same servants several times in the garden,” Sek Gon said quickly, dodging.

“Ah, so that's why you kept falling out of the window.”

“... that was an accident.”

“... seriously?”

Sek Gon reattached his dou and quickly disappeared to avoid any more awkward conversation.

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

Dinner that night was, if possible, even more strained than the previous night.

Sek Gon had his 'Four Heavenly Kings' face on, and Gou Dzing couldn't tell if that was better or worse than his usual expressionless appearance. Chan Gam and Yeung Sue glared murderously at him the whole time.

Chan Bik had given up. She overtly ignored Sek Gon and chattered with Gou Dzing, Chan Ngan and Leoi Tou-Fa. The servants scurried around, subdued, having received a few punishing wallops from the flat side of Cam Gan's blade earlier.

“Are you alright, Sir Sek?” Gou Dzing muttered out of the corner of his mouth.

“... why?”

“You look like you're in pain.”

“... You're the one who's injured.”

“Which is why I'm asking why you have a face like that.”

“...What's wrong with my face?”

“Well, it can't be a big deal, you're talking to me more than usual.” Gou Dzing suddenly noticed a small bead of sweat work its way down the side of Sek Gon's face. “Sir Sek?”

“It's... an old illness. Comes up every now and then. It'll go away.”

“Are you sure? There's a doctor not too far away.”

“It's fine.”

“When you come to Mount Fa with me, I can get Dzik Suet Yi-sang to have a look.”

“... it's fine.”

Gou Dzing sipped some tea and glanced sideways at the other cultivator. Unusually, he had barely touched his food. What was with his huge appetite, anyway?

His keen eyes took in the peeling paint on Sek Gon's sword, and then... the faded colour of his robes, the occasional outbursts at the Chan family members, the interest in the servants...

Gou Dzing stood and bowed to Yan Wai-Wai. “Lady Yan, please excuse our rudeness. We are a little tired after recent events and would like to retire for the evening.”

Yan Wai-Wai nodded, looked exhausted herself. “I understand. Anything to assist whose who will prove my Se Sue is not the one responsible.”

Gou Dzing winced as glares like knives shot all over the room. He quickly departed, taking Sek Gon with him. As soon as they were outside, Gou Dzing confronted him. “You need a doctor! Your clothing is soaked in sweat!”

“Leave me alone.”

“Sir Sek!”

Silver flashed in Sek Gon's eyes. Gou Dzing felt something cold touch his neck.

He hadn't even seen Sek Gon draw his sword.

“Leave. Me. Alone.”

Gou Dzing raised his hands in surrender. “I'm sorry, I overstepped. I'm worried about you, Sir Sek. Please let me know if you need help... If you can't afford a doctor-”

A tuft of hair slipped down his cheek and fell to the ground. With the tiniest twitch, Sek Gon had snipped a piece away.

He didn't move. Eventually, Sek Gon sheathed his sword and disappeared across the darkened courtyard towards their room.

Gou Dzing pondered for a moment, as he lowered his hands, before his eyes flickered towards a pillar nearby. “I know you're there. You can't hide your breathing and heartbeat.”

There was a squeak of alarm and a scurry, but Gou Dzing appeared before the servant in an instant, and she cowered back, covering her face in fear.

“Who are you? Show your face.”

She slowly dropped her shaking hands. It was the servant with lots of moles on her face that he had seen several times that day, eavesdropping at the window while they conducted their interviews. She was a stout person, and might once have been quite tall, but she was hunched from years of work.

“You are... Cho Guk,” Gou Dzing said, remembering the names Chan Gam had called out earlier.

“Yes, sir...” Her voice was a little shrill from fear, but still quite low. She clutched her hands together, the knobbly knuckles white.

“What year were you born in?”

“...uh... the Fire Rat, sir.”

She looks nothing like a Fire Rat, Gou Dzing thought to himself. Out loud, he said, “Are there any other Rats amongst the servants?”

“N-no! No, no, sir, I'm the only Rat!”

“How long have you been working for the Chan Family?”

“For many years now. I was Young Master Chan's wet nurse.”

It took Gou Dzing a moment to realise. “You mean Chan Taam? The previous Master?”

“Previous! I... yes. My dear Master Taam.”

“And have you been having these dreams too?” Gou Dzing asked, remembering Sek Gon's questions.

“Oh, yes. The terrible mice. Lots and lots of mice.”

“What do the mice do to you?”

“They... um... bite me all over. Uh... my hands and feet! They bite those!”

“And the other servants?”

“Oh yes, everyone has the same dreams.”

“Thank you. You can leave.”

Cho Guk scurried away.

“She's definitely hiding something,” Guo Dzing said to Sek Gon, after recounting this event. Sek Gon was curled up in his bed, staring stubbornly at the wall and still sweating profusely. Gou Dzing sighed and produced some fresh clothing and plain cloths. “Here, you'll get chills if you stay damp like that. I won't force you but look after your health a little, would you?”

“She's not the only Rat,” Sek Gon said suddenly, with a strained voice.

Gou Dzing sat down on the side of the bed. “That's what her attitude would seem to imply. Unless she's very good at acting, and she wants us to think like that.”

Sek Gon struggled upright, shivering. Gou Dzing curled his hands into fists to stop himself from trying to assist. “Do you really have to do this?”

“You...” Sek Gon seemed to be chewing his tongue. “I need your help.”

“Of course.”

“Be quiet.”

“Okay.”

“...” Sek Gon wiped his forehead with his sleeve. “When everyone is sleeping, go and check on Chan Bik, her step-siblings, Chan Gam, and Cho Guk.”

A theory was beginning to emerge in Gou Dzing's head as he listened. From the look on Sek Gon's face, it sounded like he had already made his own conclusions and wanted to test it out. Gou Dzing shook his head ruefully. “You'd make a fine disciple at Mount Fa.”

“Not interested.”

“I know. Come on, at least let me dry your arms and face.”

Sek Gon seemed too exhausted to protest any more. He sat like a doll as Gou Dzing dried the sweat from his face and arms, but turned away when the Jade Exorcist tried to do more. Gou Dzing shrugged philosophically. “Would you like some hot water? You've sweated a lot.”

“... please.”

The household was quiet as Gou Dzing quickly dashed from the room to the kitchens, although he could sense that several people were still awake, probably frightened of the dreams that would visit them that night. In the kitchen, only Yue-muk was there, moving boxes of produce.

“I'm just getting some hot water for Sir Sek to drink,” Gou Dzing explained after greeting the servant. Yue-muk scratched his thick beard and looked around. “Over there.”

“Thank you. How long have you been working here, Yue-muk?”

“It's been... nearly a year now? No, not so long. Nine months, maybe.”

“Are you a Rat?”

“I... What... what do you mean?” His eyes sharpened suspiciously.

“We're asking everyone,” Gou Dzing said peacefully, ladling water into a pot.

“Of course I'm not. I'm an Ox, can't you tell?”

“I'm not so good with those things. Thank you, Yue-muk.” Gou Dzing ran lightly back to the room with the hot water.

“I met Yue-muk. He says he's an Ox.”

Sek Gon 'hmm'ed into his cup. He was looking a little better, less green in the face, and had apparently stopped sweating, but his had apparently stopped sweating, but his hand shook a little.

“Do you want me to watch him too?”

“No. Just look to the other five.”

“I feel like we'll have our answer by the morning. Please rest, I'll make sure to look carefully.”

Sek Gon drained his cup and shakily poured another before saying, like an afterthought, “Thank you.”

“That's no problem.”

“... smug bastard.”

“You must be getting better. You're letting your thoughts slip out.”

Gou Dzing quickly fled the room before Sek Gon could draw his sword again.