Talking origami?

Mo Yixuan was momentarily flummoxed as he stared at the construct floating in mid air. Meanwhile, the paper crane waited for a while before it got no answer, and flapped its wings again.

“Peak Lord Mo, come to the sect leader’s hall immediately!”

Nan Wuyue was surprised too, but recovered faster than his master. “Shizun, you should reply.”

Reply like how? Talk to it?

Mo Yixuan was still staring at the crane. When it didn’t hear his answer a second time, it flapped its wings and prepared to repeat itself once more. This time, Mo Yixuan reached out to pinch the creature just as Nan Wuyue cried out.

“No, wait—!”

Something akin to an electric current shocked him where his fingers made contact before a flaming sensation sped up his arm. There was a flash of light before the two figures floating above the hot springs vanished into thin air.

—

As the maelstrom of fire and wind finally settled down around Mo Yixuan, he was struck by their new surroundings and the strong scent of wood.

Before then stretched a vast and open hall made of unpolished wutong wood, open to the elements and snowy grounds outside. Curiously enough, no snow reached nearer than three feet from the building, and the entire room was comfortably warm. The golden hues of the timber and tatami mats beneath reminded Mo Yixuan of a traditional teahouse he’d once visited during a company meeting, understated but elegant.

The peaceful scene was soon shattered by an unhappy voice that triggered Nan Wuyue to tighten his grip on his master’s waist.

“Mo Yixuan!”

Without preamble, Mo Yixuan turned, clingy disciple and all, to face the tall, stern-faced man standing at the end of the hall. Star Pavilion Sect Leader Fei Chenling was looking at him incredulously, his eyes roving up and down his wet robes and sodden hair.

“Wet again? Has your soak in the qi refining pool addled your brains into thinking you’re a fish?!”

Mo Yixuan opened and closed his mouth a few times. Technically, this time his disciple pushed him in first. “The crane,” he said instead, “It brought us here?”

“If it’s sect business, of course we’d meet in the sect leader’s hall!” Fei Chenling sputtered before stalking forward. “And you!” He snapped at Nan Wuyue, “What did I say last time about clinging to your master? Hmph!”

With a quick wave of his hand, he knocked Nan Wuyue aside with pure power, causing the boy to stumble out of the way. Of course, that left Mo Yixuan’s blood soaked chest in full view of the ornery sect leader.

Half sputtering, half indignant, Fei Chenling strode right up and became the second person of the day to pull Mo Yixuan’s robes open. He didn’t calm down until he saw the uninjured skin, but was quick to shoot a glare between Nan Wuyue and his master.

“What nonsense are you up to now?!”

Mo Yixuan firmly shook himself free and straightened his clothes, unperturbed. “It’s only training.” To be honest, Fei Chenling’s quick tempered blustering reminded him awfully of his first boss. He was all bark and no bite, and had helped Mo Yixuan get his bearings in the industry, so the memories were fond ones.

“You call this training?!” Fei Chenling jabbed a finger meaningfully at the blood. “Don’t think you can fool me, I know these bloodstains are from a stab wound!”

Mo Yixuan was impressed, if only because he thought the soak in the hot springs had washed away most of the obvious signs. Outwardly he shrugged and said, “It’s already healed.”

“You let your disciple stab you for training?”

“I was slow and fair game.”

“What if he did worse than that in the future?!”

Mo Yixuan mused on that briefly, then replied sincerely, “Then it’d be a big improvement over today.”

“You…!” Fei Chenling pointed his finger again before dropping his arm in frustration. “Never mind! Why haven’t you dropped by in over a week?”

Belatedly, Mo Yixuan recalled Ouyang Che’s reminder to visit the sect leader and mentally sighed. “I was recovering,” he said simply, then thinking that was too lax, added, “And training my disciple.”

Fei Chenling heard both statements but chose to ignore the latter for now. “How are you feeling?” he asked fretfully instead. “Has Yelian or Junior Brother Che looked at you yet? Don’t strain yourself if you’re still tired! I heard from the kitchens that you were cooking and asking them for ingredients!” With Mo Yixuan far beyond the need for food, it was obvious who he was looking after with those deeds.

The usual Mo Yixuan was used to living alone for months with the occasional greeting from a neighborhood auntie asking after his health. Fei Chenling’s nagging was at best, overwhelming and at worse, a nuisance. 

“I’ve been following Peak Lord Che’s instructions to the letter,” he replied somewhat resignedly. 

That only gave Fei Chenling another scare. “Xuan’er, have things deteriorated that much between you and Junior Brother Che?”

Mo Yixuan wrinkled his brows. He knew the original host didn’t get along with the man, but what was the sect leader’s take on their relationship? “...how so?” he asked, half probing.

Seeing the crease in his brows, Fei Chenling moved to placate him. “I know you and your senior brothers don’t see straight on the best of days, but we’re all disciples of the same master in the end. You’ve never referred to him by his title. Nor would you ever listen to his words, unless it was to spite him.”

Mo Yixuan only felt cheated. If that’s the case, then why ask if Ouyang Che’s checked up on me at all?! 

Fei Chenling only crossed his arms. “Yelian’s right, there is something off with you recently! We’ll send you to the sect healers and have her do an examination; I’m certain she’ll find a way to fix you up.”

“I feel fine,” Mo Yixuan intoned, but Fei Chenling only shook his head.

“I’ve been reading up on the qi refining pool all last week, Xuan’er. It’s too ancient and full of mysteries even Master didn’t know. Better to have a checkup just in case.”

Mo Yixuan firmly shook his head. “No need.”

“There’s no room for argument here, Xuan’er!”

“My disciple,” Mo Yixuan tried, but was quickly cut off again.

“If it’s his training you’re worried about, I’ll take over it personally!” Fei Chenling declared. His eyes raked over Nan Wuyue again, none too kindly. “You’ve spent so many years trying to raise him up that it won’t hurt to let the sect leader have a go! I’ve been wondering about his progress myself.”

What would have been an unimaginable honor to any other disciple of the sect thus fell as an insult upon the ears of Nan Wuyue. He privately sneered, but only bowed his head and said nothing like a dutiful little disciple.

Mo Yixuan seemed heartened by the suggestion. Here he was trying to figure out ways to get rid of his charge and the sect leader was practically volunteering to step in! If Fei Chenling could crack Nan Wuyue’s case and lead him to enlightenment, then wouldn’t he be free from obligations? And what could be higher honor for a disciple than being taught by the sect leader himself?

“Do you think you can help him?” Mo Yixuan asked honestly.

Fei Chenling only gave a cold laugh. “If I can’t help him, then no one else in this sect can!”

Mo Yixuan relaxed at his declaration. “Since that’s the case, I’m fine with leaving him in your hands.” 

Nan Wuyue’s head whipped up incredulously. Had he heard right? Mo Yixuan was going to hand him over to the sect leader?

But why?!

His mind raced before it settled on a frightful conclusion: his excess qi! It was unnatural and unexplainable by normal means, enough for Ouyang Che himself to point it out. He and Mo Yixuan might not be able to figure out its murky origins, but Fei Chenling stood a chance! If too many abnormalities were discovered with his body, he might even be kicked out of the sect before he recovered properly to take revenge!

He’d never let that happen!

“Shizun, I don’t want to go!” Nan Wuyue suddenly blurted out.

Mo Yixuan only gave him a long look. “The sect leader has more than enough experience to help you.”

“But you’re my shizun!”

“I obviously haven’t been doing a very good job,” Mo Yixuan stated drolly.

“Whatever the case, you’ve been indulging him far too much,” Fei Chenling tsk’d from the side. “I blame myself for setting the bad example and spoiling you first, Xuan’er.”

It was meant as a rebuke to master and disciple both, but Mo Yixuan just shrugged it off. “I’ll try to change my ways, then.”

“You’re fine as you are,” Fei Chenling declared firmly. “After what happened with—” He suddenly stopped and shook his head. “...never mind.”

Who? Mo Yixuan made a mental note to ask Ouyang Che about it later. Then he frowned—was there really no one else he could find?

Perhaps Mu Yelian…if he could stomach her enthusiasm long enough. He suddenly realized the vexing problem of keeping to himself versus getting an informed opinion on things.

“I can’t abandon shizun while he’s hurt,” Nan Wuyue protested.

“I’ve already recovered,” Mo Yixuan reminded them both, again.

“Not until you’re checked up, you aren’t,” Fei Chenling cut in, before shooting a glare at Nan Wuyue. “As for you, listen to what your master says if you’re so devoted to him!”

“I won’t leave shizun until I’m sure he’s well!” Nan Wuyue went on doggedly. “It’s my basic duty as his core disciple!”

“You still remember you’re a core disciple!” Fei Chenling exploded. “What good will it do to stay by his side when the inter-faction competitions come up? You’ll only be losing your master face!”

That was a sore point for Nan Wuyue, who had indeed been reduced to watching from the sidelines in his last life while the battles went on.

“That won’t happen this time,” he vowed.

“This time?! Are you planning for a second chance after your failure? Don’t even dream about it!” Fei Chenling shot back. “I’ll remove you from the rank of inner disciple before that ever happens!”

Nan Wuyue creased his brows before finally declaring, “I raise my right to enter the Inner Disciple Trials!”

The Inner Disciple Trials were a series of tests and obstacles designed to gauge the mettle of Star Pavilion Sword Sect members who wanted to qualify as an upper tier disciple of their respective faction. Lucky winners had a higher chance of being taken under a Peak Lord’s wing and taught their exclusion teachings.

Because Nan Wuyue was still a child when he first showed such latent talent, he had been automatically made an inner disciple as soon as he joined the sect. Most talents like him grew to realize their potential and then some, so taking the Trials was superfluous. 

Nan Wuyue hadn’t planned on tackling them in this life either, but he had to stake something to stay by Mo Yixuan’s side! It’d be far more difficult to act against his traitorous shizun from a distance, much less outside of the sect.

“You...you obstinate boy!” Fei Chenling exclaimed. By right, any disciple who passed the screening for high latent talent was qualified to request for the trial. The young Nan Wuyue easily met those requirements. While Fei Chenling was fuming over this fact, he suddenly seized upon a point.

Can the boy pass the Trials at all?

If he couldn’t, then wasn’t this a perfect way to get rid of him? In front of reliable witnesses, no less! Then Xuan’er would be free from this leech of a disciple and could take any of the other multiple talents in Star Pavilion under his wing! He didn’t treat Nan Wuyue’s declaration as anything more than desperate bravado from a boy who’d been a disappointment too many times to be healthy.

At least Xuan’er’s not defending him like usual this time. But Nan Wuyue would still need his master’s permission to participate in the Inner Disciple Trials, especially since it was 1) publicly held for the sect and 2) left the participant officially untethered to any master during the duration of the tests, meaning he was fair game for all peak lords interested in taking him on as their disciple. Fei Chenling doubted this master and disciple would change their minds about their relationship with their bonds already so strong, but he wondered whether the protective Mo Yixuan could bear to part with his disciple at all.

“Xuan’er, what do you thin—eh?”

Fei Chenling blinked at the empty space where Mo Yixuan was standing a few seconds earlier. Nan Wuyue was one step ahead of him and already heading out of the hall.

“Shizun, where are you going?”

Fei Chenling fumed and raced after him. There was no way he was going to let a mere disciple beat him in terms of speed!

Unfortunately, neither of them could catch up to Mo Yixuan, who soon vanished over the crest of a hill into the snowy depths of Mt. Linglong. Even his qi signature had winked out of sight—one of the very first tricks he’d asked Ouyang Che to teach him during their little talks.

Fei Chenling gaped. His first reaction was to run around the peak looking for his junior disciple, but his dignity as sect leader belied that option. So he did the next best thing: haul Nan Wuyue by the collar and drag him back to the sect leader’s hall over the boy’s protestations.

“We’re not done yet!” he hissed to the struggling disciple below him. “While your master’s off on his little walk, I’ll spend some time figuring out just what’s wrong with you.”

He might not be able to nab his junior brother, but there was a very good chance Mo Yixuan wouldn’t leave his disciple behind for long. Or at least, that’s how things went in Fei Chenling’s memories. 

Nan Wuyue narrowed his eyes. Mo Yixuan might be gone, but not the tendril of qi he’d implanted in his body. Even now, he could track it faintly as it headed for a certain direction...northeast? He abruptly stopped struggling before a grin rose to his lips.

Mo Yixuan, you really know how to look for trouble...

—

Meanwhile, the thoroughly overstimulated Mo Yixuan had finally found some measure of peace and quiet away from the quarreling duo. With the exception of the sect leader’s hall, snow still covered the grounds up at Mt. Linglong, a stark difference to his wooded mountains. His steps left no mark as he followed a meandering trail away from the building and deeper into the rocks.

He assumed it’d take him to a mountainside trail eventually, but to his surprise it led him to a different courtyard and its buildings after a while. The place was well-kept and expansive; Mo Yixuan assumed that these were Fei Chenling’s personal quarters after spotting the familiar wutong wood used to build the structure. Unlike the sect leader’s hall, however, all of the windows and doors were tightly shut. 

He lingered briefly by the gates before stepping out, only to run into someone just coming in. Or more precisely, his wheelchair. Mo Yixuan stared at the young man dressed in lavish black and gold—a second white robe draped over his shoulder—as he paused and stared back.

His features were fine and angular, with long, narrow eyes that glimmered gray-gold in the light. His hair was tied up in a high ponytail above his head and framed with a simple golden crown that seemed markedly ornate compared to the austere dress of the rest of the sect. He was currently seated in an equally ornate wheelchair of black and gold, pushed by a youth in white behind him. 

If Mo Yixuan had to use an analogy, then this man was the panther to Ouyang Che’s cat. Despite being confined to his chair, his senses were as taut as a coiled spring.

“I’m sorry,” Mo Yixuan apologized reflexively and moved out of the way, but this only led to a bark of laughter from the seated man.

“Wouldn’t you say it’s a little late for that, Peak Lord Mo?”