“When we were speaking with Great Compassion and Tianzheng, I kept noticing that Tiangzheng’s hair was absolutely gorgeous. And some of his mannerisms were odd to me. It was like he was not comfortable in his own body,” Mitugwa said.

“I saw that as well. I couldn’t get a read on him. I don’t know why but I was just so sure that Great Compassion was responsible for orchestrating this entire situation. I thought I caught him in a word trap. But, my emotions were all over the place, so who knows.” Wanxi sighed and pulled his knees up to his chest.

“I saw! You’re quite fierce when you want to be, you know,” Mitugwa said with an amused expression. Her smile lessened and she looked him in the eyes. “You’re right that he has been calling me ‘noble’ the entire time that I have been at the Black Heron school. I suppose I should come clean about a few things.”

“Come clean?” Wanxi tilted his head. It was clear that the princess had been keeping some things from him, but that was a loaded phrase.

“You see, I know that, um… well…” She tried to start a few times and was struggling to convey herself.

“If I may,” Great Compassion sat among them, situating himself into the lotus position. He could not stop himself from flinching in pain as he did so. He held his broken arm tenderly. “I saw the noble embodiment of Guanyin within and without our fellow student. She radiates from her. One must respect those who embody the spirits of the Bodhisattva.”

“I’m sorry, is this the same Guanyin that I’m thinking of? The Goddess of Mercy? The One Who Perceives the Sounds of the World? That Guanyin? You’re her reincarnation?” Wanxi asked incredulously.

“No, no, no! Not a reincarnation!” Mitugwa shook her head and hands. “I just, you know, get visions from her. She speaks to me and I try my best to fulfill them. I don’t know what she wants, exactly, but it feels right to follow her path.”

“It is a rare gift, and worthy of your noble title.” Great Compassion raised his uninjured hand and nodded, then returned to nursing his wounded other arm.

“So you had no idea that Mitugwa is a princess?!” Wanxi blurted out to the Shaolin monk. He realized a moment later what he had just said and covered his mouth with his hands. From behind them he tried to formulate an apology or a way to backpeddle or a way to turn it into a joke or something, but it came out as stammering.

“It’s fine,” she raised her hand as if to wave it away. “Great Compassion, honored monk of the Shaolin, I am entrusting to you this secret. I am of noble blood of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Please see that it does not leave your lips, as I am uncertain of my safety.”

“Of course, my lady.”

Wanxi was horrified that he had totally spilled this secret out without thinking. Mitugwa playfully shoved him as a response, laughing.

“It’s not like the secret is worth much, anyways, since Little Bird knows. I’m sure if someone was truly committed to learning my identity they could do so with ease. I would rather not hide myself among companions. And besides,” Mitugwa pulled out a cylinder from her robes, “I am happy enough to have obtained this.”

The squat container was glossy lacquerware, embossed with a detailed and colorful rendition of a flower bending along a stalk. The girl twisted the lid of the container and opened it to reveal a pastel teal powder inside. She surveyed the contents and nodded with a satisfied smile, then sealed it.

“This powder makes the elixir that I require. Tianzheng had it on his person after I defeated him in combat. I suppose I am fortunate that it is in one piece!” She placed the container on her lap and drummed her fingers along it, clearly a familiar action.

“How did you know that Tianzheng had it in the first place?” Wanxi inquired.

“Well, I suspected that both he and Chi Shao had consumed some of it! You see,” Mitugwa blushed and looked away, “I know you called me a princess, but that is not perhaps strictly the case. Maybe I am a princess now, but I was originally a prince. I was born male. This elixir helps me be my true female self.”

“I did not know such a thing was possible!” Wanxi was stunned. He had no idea that his classmate was anything other than a noble woman. It was truly remarkable to think that one could change their presentation simply by careful application of medicine. But even if that was the case, her gait, her mannerisms, her combat style, her voice, these things must have been practiced heavily to bring her to this level of proficiency! Had she not revealed herself, Wanxi would have never guessed!

“I am fortunate. The Goddess of Mercy visited my dreams and my waking life and made herself known to me. It is auspicious and revered in my culture for such a thing to happen to women. They are the ones who commune with the higher powers. The men rule the affairs of state while the women rule the matters of the soul. My mother decided to enlist the help of knowledgeable physicians to ensure that I was properly feminine.” Mitugwa paused her drumming and looked at her hands. “I feel more like myself now than I ever did before.”

“It is truly fitting, my lady, as Guanyin is said to take many forms, including that of man or woman, as needed. The bodies we inhabit are transient. The Lotus Sutra states that-” Great Compassion was about to start on a recitation of the Lotus Sutra but was interrupted when the Ryukyuan girl flicked his broken arm. He winced in pain, looking betrayed for an instant, then softening his features. “Apologies, my lady, I suppose there is no need to lecture you on the matters of Guanyin.”

Wanxi was trying to contain his amusement, with little success. He spread his arms out onto the lawn and smirked. This was the most cordial and friendly he had ever felt around the monk. Clearly the primary lesson to learn was that Great Compassion was easy to be around when he was suffering from physical injuries. Preferably ones inflicted by Wanxi.

“So you have an elixir that changes your gender. How could you tell that Tianzheng and Chi Shao had consumed it? Chi Shao looked more like a monster than a woman to my recollection,” Wanxi pointed out. His fingers stroked the grass. The cool softness of the greenery felt nice as he ran his hands along them..

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“It’s not magic! I don’t fully understand the mechanics, but it takes time for it to work. When I first started I noticed that my hair became luscious and I could hardly resist from playing with it. I saw that Tianzheng behaved this way. Some of his physical characteristics seemed softer as well, and he was having a hard time regulating his emotions. As for Chi Shao, I recall that I was forbidden from practicing qi cultivation for a full year. Somehow the elixir interacts with this process. I deduced that he must have consumed some as well prior to practicing his toad style. Although I was certainly not expecting him to become a beast!”

“The answer is simple. Your yang-yin qi took time to be converted to yin-yang qi,” Instructor Moyi said, nonchalantly. “To attempt to use qi in any serious way, as toad style does, is to attempt to bottle a storm.”

The group looked up at the instructor, who was casually strolling over to Great Compassion, unspooling bandage wrappings and grabbing several small ampules of liquid. Without even consulting him, she withdrew a scalpel and slashed at the arm of his robe, cleanly opening it and beginning her treatment process. She didn’t even bother to acknowledge the situation that was previously discussed that she clearly had overheard. Her professionalism was intense to witness.

“Imagine a hand moving right to left, then left to right,” she spoke as she smeared ointment on the monk’s arm, “and the hand continues moving back and forth. That is how your qi flows. Now imagine a hand moving the opposite way; left to right, then right to left. The motion is still the same, but the direction is reversed. That is what happened to you because you followed the directions of your physician. Now imagine moving your hand both left and right at the same time. You cannot do it without splitting your hand. That is what happened to the boy by the tree.”

“Is he going to be ok, Instructor Moyi?” Wanxi wasn’t happy that he had to fight his classmate and even if he was a thief, he did not want him seriously injured.

“He has received enough tranquilizing poison to sleep for the rest of the week. That should be enough time for his energy balance to normalize. I will ensure that he and your spear-friend receive the proper punishment for their actions.”

Wanxi straightened and looked across the yard to where Mitugwa and Tianzheng had been fighting. Sure enough, the student of the Dragon Gate sect laid sprawled on the ground, his three spears shattered into a dozen pieces.

“What about him? Is HE going to be ok?” Wanxi pointed.

“Eh. Probably.” She looked up and squinted. “I see his chest is moving. He’ll live long enough for me to get to him, at least.”

Wanxi looked at Mitugwa in disbelief. She shrugged, not knowing how to process that statement either. They both looked to Great Compassion, who had a raised eyebrow, himself.

“All done. Keep your arm bent at a right angle like that for two weeks. Come by my office every three days and I will reapply the topical cream and bandages. Under no circumstances can you ring any bells during this period,” Instructor Moyi stated with her usual dry tone. She patted him on the shoulder and stood, making her way over to Tianzheng.

“No bells? But my morning ritual…” The monk sounded disappointed.

Wanxi could have sworn that he heard the teacher say something under her breath about “two weeks of blissful peace and quiet in the morning” but that might have just been projection. Still, it was good to know that the mystery of the thieving students had been solved! And by finding the elixir, Wanxi’s name was cleared for sure.

“So then, Chi Shao came into your room and found the comb, hid under the bed when I entered, and then when we left, he tore the room apart looking for the elixir. I hope that Master Bao is able to punish them accordingly,” the swordsman nodded in satisfaction.

“Well, not quite. Tianzheng admitted to taking the elixir, but he claimed to be ignorant of my missing jade comb. And when I searched him, I only found the container on my lap. He didn’t have the comb on him,” Mitugwa said with pursed lips.

“Perhaps it was on Chi Shao! He was the one that LIttle Bird heard leaving after all,” Wanxi offered.

“No, I checked him as well while you were unconscious. And Instructor Moyi did not see it in his room,” Mitugwa said.

“They could have always hidden it, just as you had originally hidden the elixir,” Wanxi pointed out.

“Maybe. But it would be odd for Tianzheng to admit to stealing one thing and not the other. He even explained why he wanted it in the first place. He,” Mitugwa exhaled in a half-laugh, “thought I was beautiful and spied on me some nights ago. He saw that I was taking this medicine and believed it made me beautiful. So he wanted it for himself.”

“Oh, as in, he wants to also be a woman?” The Wudang boy was thoroughly confused.

“I don’t know! Probably not. I don’t think he understood exactly what it did,” Mitugwa said. Her tone was unsure, as she was clearly trying to process the logic at play.

“My interpretation of Yin Tianzheng is that he is someone who does not understand what good fortune he has,” Great Compassion interjected. “He would be a popular and well-respected person if only he were to detach himself from the concerns of the physical. It is as if his reflection is not sufficient.”

“I agree with Great Compassion. I don’t think he would be happy with his appearance even if he was the most beautiful man of Fragrance Mountain. They are said to be very attractive.” Wanxi added, for Mitugwa’s benefit.

“Yes, I suppose that is true. And Chi Shao, the poor boy just wants to master the art of his clan. I cannot blame him for trying to seek any alternative if he has suffered defeat up to now. I hope Master Bao does not punish them too harshly.” The princess looked at Wanxi with delicate eyes.

“I admire your mercy, princess. But you also didn’t have to fight that thing!” The swordsman laughed, his missing tooth on full display as he smiled. “I mean, come on, poor Great Compassion won’t be able to ring his favorite bell for two weeks thanks to that toad.”

“I yearn for my ritual bell. Oh how I will miss it as I recover. Such is the price of duty and honor.” Great Compassion was hamming it up. This may have been the first time Wanxi had ever seen him attempt to be funny or cute.

“Yes princess, duty and honor! Wisdom and uh… tree-chopping and all that.” Wanxi made a slashing motion with his hand. Mitugwa giggled.

“Ok fine, maybe they can face a little bit of punishment. So long as they learn to leave my belongings alone!”

The three talked for a while more. Wanxi described how it felt to time his attack in turn with the tempo of the energy within him. Great Compassion explained the origins of the Arhat palm and the technique he used to knock Chi Shao unconscious. Mitugwa provided a play-by-play reenactment of her fight with Tianzheng. Apparently it was a difficult fight. His floating spears offered him multiple angles of attack and the ability to fight at range if he wished. The tides turned in her favor after she managed to snap the spearhead off of one of the shafts, utilizing a technique in which she broke the weapon against her back, using her arms as anchor points. The flourishes she added truly showed her experience in the art of performance. She was a natural story-teller.

Unfortunately, in their discussion, none could offer up a plausible answer for the location of Mitugwa’s jade comb. It seemed that Chi Shao had taken it and hidden it somewhere, but where and why were totally unknown. And they would be unable to ask him for at least another week due to his needle-induced coma. But at least the company was good and it seemed that being able to talk with friends helped raise Mitugwa’s spirits.