The light breaking through the curtains caused Lin Liqin to sit up in shock before grabbing his head with a hiss. He massaged his temples as he slowly laid back down. The woman in bed next to him gently nuzzled up to him, draping an arm across his stomach as she laid her head on his chest.

Her fingers playfully traced the outline of his abs as she whispered, “Qin, there's no rush to get back. We could stay here a while longer.”

“The trip back takes nearly a full day and the new arrangement requires my sister's attention as soon as possible.”

“Somehow I knew you'd pick her over me. Don't know what I expected after all this time,” lamented Tsubame.

Lin Liqin responded dejectedly, “There was a time when I would have done anything for you, Tsu Tsu. Not just me, but half the men in Mitsushima cried tears of blood when you went missing.”

“Please, they were only upset because I was the only one that could distract you long enough for them to escape with their wives,” Tsubame laughed as she teasingly pinched his side.

The surprise pinch caused Lin Liqin to sit up again, this time turning to sit on the edge of the bed. Tsubame was quick to slip in behind him, her modest chest pressed against his back, her breath tickling his ear as she spoke, “If you're that determined to leave there is some medicine on the table that will make your journey back more enjoyable.”

Lin Liqin eyed the medicinal envelope used for powders sitting on the night stand, “What does it do?”

“It will easy your pain, among other things,” she said with a suggestive tone. Meanwhile her hands basically spelled it out as they massaged his thighs.

Lin Liqin smirked as he said, “Interesting,” but he made no move to take the powder. Instead he freed himself from Tsubame's grasp and started getting dressed.

Tsubame quietly followed suit, collecting her own garments that had been strewn across the room. After the two had finished dressing she noticed that the medicinal envelope was missing. A smile danced across her lips, but she chose to remain silent as she followed him out of the room.

As Lin Liqin arrived at the street he was greeted by a large stagecoach belonging to the Japanese military. A young man in uniform seemed to recognize him and quickly approached. “You must be Mister Lin. Everything has been prepared,” he motioned to the three large trunks on top the coach as well as the three barrels strapped to the back before continuing, “The goods you were promised have already been loaded and I can take you back to Mitsushima whenever you're ready.”

“Care to join me,” asked Lin Liqin, turning to Tsubame standing at his side.

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At first the soldier had been too busy talking to Lin Liqin to take note of her, but after Lin Liqin's remark he took a closer look and quickly stood at attention before saluting. “My apologies, ma'am. I didn't recognize you out of uniform,” he stammered.

Tsubame chuckled, “At ease Lee.” Turning back to Lin Liqin, she continued, “You don't think I prepared all this to just get left behind, do you? And of course I was tasked with overseeing the preparations on our side.”

“Seems you really do know me well to have all this here and waiting just as I head out,” commented Lin Liqin.

Tsubame just smiled but it turned to a frown as Lee interjected, “Actually, sir, I've been waiting here all night. The lieutenant thought you might try to sneak out before the sun came up.”

“That's quite enough private. Prepare to depart.” Hearing Lin Liqin snickering beside her, Tsubame snapped, “What are you waiting for? You should get on board too and don't forget to take your medicine.”

Pulling the medicinal envelope from his pocket, Lin Liqin used it to imitate Lee's salute as he said, “Yes ma'am!” before hopping aboard the stagecoach.

Tsubame turned to Lee, “No matter what you hear, you are not to interrupt us unless absolutely necessary.”

Lee gave a stiff nod as Tsubame entered the coach and closed the door. As he was about to take off Lin Liqin poked his head out the window, “Take the shortest route to Mitsushima.”

“That would involve crossing some rough terrain. It won't make for a smooth ride and doesn't save us that much time,” replied Lee.

“Trust me, the bumpier the better,” said Lin Liqin flatly as he dove back into the cab. The subsequent peel of laughter that escaped from the lieutenant caused Lee's face to instantly blush.

The higher quality carriage and horses provided by the military showed their worth as they completed the return trip much quicker than Lin Liqin had made it the day before. It was mid afternoon as Lee reigned in the horses outside the abandoned smithy in Mitsushima. With a face as bright red as a tomato from the sounds he'd had to endure during the trip, he reported, “We've arrived lieutenant.”

Lin Liqin was the first to disembark, his shirt draped over his shoulder, glistening sweat, and short of breath he simply nodded at Lee and gave him a thumbs up. From inside the cab a voice chased after him, “Qin, tell Qiu I said hi and look forward to seeing her tomorrow. It's been far too long since the three of us were together. And don't worry about the payment, I'll have some men bring it over in a bit.” Again Lin Liqin gave a nod in response and after a brief wave he was on his way.

The sun still hung in the air as Lin Liqin approached the cabin, but he could smell his sister cooking dinner. Knowing that surprising Lin Liqiu was a good way to catch a hammer to the gut, he knocked rather than letting himself in and announced, “Your brother has returned. I'm quite famished from the road. What smells so good?”

“Back already? I expected you to waste a day or two avoiding talking to Tsubame. Let me guess, she approached you?” Lin Liqiu chided as she let her brother in.

“You're... not wrong...” Lin Liqin recounted his misadventure with Tsubame, leaving out certain explicit details he knew his sister wouldn't appreciate. Towards the end of his tale a small group of Japanese soldiers delivered the payment, furthering his story.

“It will be nice to see Tsubame again and I'm glad you were able to patch things up,” cheered Lin Liqiu as she took a long swig from her wine bottle before continuing, “Can't say I'm looking forward to changing locations, but it could be for the best. There's definitely more space and with the right setup it could increase the odds of a successful double ki forging. Now that I think about it, I'm kind of excited!”

Lin Liqiu continued to drink the night away while a very exhausted Lin Liqin decided to head to bed early. He needed his rest. Informing his sister of the changes to the plan was only the beginning, next the Gaians needed to be informed. He knew that duty would fall to him since his sister would be too busy with updating the abandoned forge in Mitsushima.