The carriage ride home had not been a good one for Yu. She kept running through her exhausted mind the final events of the day and became more displeased each time.

The first day of matches had concluded with the one hundred and fifty-two fighters being recognized as the victors. The other half of the mass-melees would take place tomorrow, of which Li would be one of the participants.

Yu was terrified for her. The entire experience had so much potential for a bad ending that Yu had refused to go to the carriage as instructed. Instead, she had run down to the reserve seats and accosted Li, demanding she back out and return to the sect.

She remembered seeing Li’s pale scared face turn determined and angry, glaring at Yu. She had stomped her foot and yelled that she was in no way going to back out, reminding Yu that risk was a part of the life she had chosen. Li loved to fight and, while she admitted she was scared, she was also hungry for it. There was no way she was going to miss out on a big scrap like a mass-melee.

After multiple failed attempts at getting Li to change her mind, Yu had wandered back to her box and tiredly asked her master if she could spend the evening with Li.

He, unfortunately, had refused, reminding Yu that her injuries were still not fully recovered. She knew he was right, but she still wanted to go knock Li out and hide her away in a hole somewhere until the insanity that were the mass-melees was over.

Unfortunately, that was not an option, both because she wouldn’t be allowed, and because she would not take away Li’s choices. Yu had done that once with Li’s sister, ironically with a Wind Wolf, and those actions still haunted them both.

As such, Yu was pensive but also silently sleepy on the carriage ride back to the Long estate that evening. The tension from their discussion, and Yu’s fear for her friend, was apparently too much for her to handle. Moreover, a lot had happened over the few days she had been in the capital, and she was exhausted. Both mentally and physically, Yu felt drained. Even with having almost an entire day of sleep forced by the healing, she did not feel the least bit rested.

So, despite her mind running non-stop and fear churning in her heart and gut, the closer the carriage got to the estate, the more tired she felt. Walking from the carriage to the front door felt like a distance of li, and from the moment she entered the home, every step felt like a slog.

The closer Yu got to her room, the less coordinated she was. By the time she slid her bedroom door open, she was practically sleep-walking, her feet dragging and her eyes barely open. A few steps in, Yu could blearily make out something soft and comfy and decided her bed was too far to reach, so she figured whatever it was would make a great substitute.

She collapsed on top of it, the luxuriously warm fuzziness providing for the best rest she could have asked for.

***

Yu woke to an annoyed voice berating her for falling asleep “on the floor.” As she blinked and tried to figure out where she was, she realized he was not entirely correct. Apparently, she had fallen asleep on top of Bai, who himself was on the floor.

It wasn’t the first time she’d done that, and he didn’t particularly mind, her not being terribly heavy to a tiger his size. It was odd to her that she couldn’t remember doing that, but she also did not really care at the moment. Thinking took too much energy and instead she tried to close her eyes and go back to sleep.

Regrettably, the healer would not allow that. His haranguing was joined with finger poking and a loud stomping foot. Still groggy, Yu mumbled a number of “Sorry’s” and “Yes, Senior’s,” in hopes it would mollify the man and, more importantly, get him to stop talking so she could go back to sleep. Unfortunately, that was wishful thinking.

“How are your internal injuries supposed to heal if you won’t get proper rest? I made it clear you needed real, uninterrupted sleep. But did they listen? Of course they didn’t. I tried to explain to your master, but he insisted that you be present at that ridiculous tournament. So what happened? I’ll tell you what happened: You nearly fainted, having exhausted your body’s resources!

“Granted, your body is quite remarkable in the output it produces, but it requires a great deal of energy to compensate and because of your injuries you have been unable to eat infused food. If you had simply rested, this would not have happened. In fact, I might have been able to remove those Qi blockers this morning if you had just followed my instructions. But no! Instead, I find you collapsed on the floor devoid of nutrients. Now you’re stuck, practically insensate, unable to move properly from lack of energy!”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Yu blinked up at the ranting man, trying to figure out what words he was saying, whether he would help, why she was being poked, and what the heck Bai was doing trying to lick her cheek.

Yu decided she couldn’t handle it all. So rather than try, she rolled of Bai, collapsing onto the floor face down, put her arms under head, lay her non-wet cheek on them, and closed her eyes.

Yeah. This is so much better.

***

“Of all the unbelievable, irresponsible, reckless things to do! It is bordering on negligence to…”

Yu toned the rather vociferous healer out and continued stuffing her face with non-infused meat, fish eggs, vegetables, and rice. She was finally starting to feel close to full, but close was not all the way, so she kept chewing, swallowing, and stuffing.

“Healer Da Bing, please calm yourself,” Fengdu said in a pleading tone. “She is clearly well enough to eat, as you can see. That is her fifth bowl. In fact, I do not even know where she is putting it all.”

“Of course she’s eating like a crazed Lionbear! Her body was barely functioning before I was forced to inject it with energy. She hasn’t been able to consume infused meals, so her base energy levels are already low! Do you know what could have happened if I hadn’t been here?”

“That is an exaggeration, Bing,” Fengdu responded. “She was on her way to the kitchens when we found her.”

“On her way? Why, the poor child could barely stand upright. Her body had started eating itself for the sake of the Heavens! She has lost weight from that stunt and if you and your insufferable…”

And on and on the healer went, berating everyone and everything that had to do with Yu, including the estate, the servants, the city, her sect, her master, her clan, and Fengdu himself. Yu was actually impressed. Apparently, the Heavens were about to fall on her head due to the negligence of, well, everybody.

Swallowing the last of what had apparently been her fifth bowl of breakfast (she hadn’t counted, just ate), Yu drank some juice and then cleared her throat. Fengdu and the healer, the only people present at the moment, both turned their heads toward her. Fengdu’s expression was one of hope that she would say something to end the tirade, while the healer’s was of sympathy that she had to suffer through such obviously horrible caretakers.

“Healer Da Bing,” Yu said, giving him a look she copied from Bai with big pleading eyes and tried to make her voice sound young and innocent. “Thank you so much for your care and attention. I know you feel it unnecessary, but I really do have to attend the tournament today. One of my closest friends in the whole world is taking part and I wouldn’t be able to rest well worrying for her.”

“Young lady, I understand your situation, I feel for you and your friend, but health really must take precedence.”

Yu put her hands together under her chin and looked up at him. “I understand what you’re saying, and I actually agree with you. I don’t want to get hurt.” His face turned victorious until Yu added, “However, I absolutely have to attend my friend’s match. She is really special to me.”

His face fell and he opened his mouth, but Yu went on before he could start in again. “But, like I said, I also think you’re right. So how about a compromise? I know you think Long Fengdu here is not entirely competent, but even he can order people around, right? Just have him send someone to deliver my medication and whatever food you decide is needed to my arena box in whatever intervals you think would be best for my health. Additionally, I will leave the moment my friend’s match is over and return here to bed, an actual bed, where he will have word sent so you can assess my condition and I can rest. As it’s only sitting there and ordering people around, surely he can’t mess that up too badly. What do you think?”

Yu blinked up at him pleadingly while the healer stroked his beard and hmmed to himself for a few breaths. Fengdu was moving his eyes between Yu and the healer, nodding encouragingly.

Who is this healer that my cousin is so deferential? Isn’t Fengdu quite strong?

“Well, I suppose he is capable of at least that. Moving his mouth is his strength. Alright, young lady. I can agree to those terms. But there is a condition.”

Yu beamed at him and nodded for him to go on.

He looked at her dotingly as he patted her head gently. “If your internal injuries have not improved, you will agree to stay in bed and rest until they do.”

“I agree. Thank you so much!” Yu said cheerily, although internally she was wincing.

I can tell that’s the best I’m going to get. Let’s just hope my body does its thing so I don’t miss Li’s next match then.

Yu refused to acknowledge the possibly of something happening to her in the first round. Li would get through safe and intact and that was that.

“Well then,” Fengdu said into the silence as he stood and bowed to the healer. “Thank you as always. You have been of great help to our clan for many centuries, Healer Da Bing.”

The healer, a tiny man of middle years in looks with huge sickly green eyes and a scraggly black beard, waved his hand dismissively. Then he turned around and walked away, mumbling the whole time. “You’re all the same. Never listen to a healer’s advice. How you all survived this long is beyond me. I don’t know why I even put up with you. Why, when I was young…”

Yu’s cousin sighed in relief while wiping sweat from his forehead. “Let’s give him a few moments to be far away before we get you to your carriage, alright?”

Nodding, Yu finished off her juice and thought about Li’s match.

She’ll be fine. She has to be.