It's pretty cute watching everyone marvel over their newfound power.

Hou Bohai and Mo Jianyang both take to practicing low level techniques they'd mostly held off on for fear of 'wasting' their Qi - for the two of them, this mostly means juggling balls of water, stretching them into streams and generally just kind of playing. I half expect them to start some kind of water fight, but by mutual agreement, both of them are keeping their distance to minimise the temptation.

It's impressive that they're getting along so well already, really.

Zhou Cheng is sitting, cross-legged and simply meditating - or focusing on something internally that I can't see. He certainly seems very focused, that's for sure. I can't remember the last time he's been so intent on something.

For her part, Tian Mingfei has managed to recover quite a bit as well. She hasn't quite made the same 'leap' of progress that the rest of us have, but she's at the cusp of breaking through and is at least walking on her own power - both massive improvements for her.

Which just leaves me I suppose… and I'm making lunch.

It's a simple stir fry, nothing particularly fancy. I'm using that weird… lizard thing we killed earlier, and trying to figure out how to work with its flavours best, alongside a few other things I've managed to scrape together. Quite literally, in the case of this slime mold.

Don't judge me - it's rich in Qi!

I suppose it's a bit more soup than stir fry, but that hardly matters. What matters is it's delicious and nutritious. Even if it is kind of ugly to look at.

It's also not something I really need to monitor, especially not now. It feels odd to say, but progressing to the next realm has given me a… sense for my cooking? An inkling. An instinct of sorts really. Feels like a very odd thing to develop just from hitting Foundation Establishment, but I suppose this is what they mean by 'establishing a foundation from which to build off of.'

I wonder if Zhou Cheng's nose only really got this sharp after hitting Foundation Establishment… I wonder what kind of weird senses or instincts the Juniors have. A sense for water or moisture in general, perhaps? I'm not going to question Tian Mingfei's.

I feel like that way lies madness.

In any case, it does mean I'm functionally free. If I were a more studious cultivator, I'd probably take this time to focus and try and develop my abilities further. As I am not, I instead take this time to tidy up. Nobody lives here that I know of, and frankly, I have no intention of living here either but well… it does feel nicer to have a tidy place, doesn't it? Someone loved this place - or well, lived here long enough that they left mementos and supplies. It was somebody's home once.

And maybe I feel a teensy bit bad for basically looting the place like a bunch of murderhobo's - without the murdering. Or the hoboing.

A part of me is tempted to start packing a feather duster or something with me, in case I ever get the sudden urge to clean things, but all I really need is to tear one of my older, rattier robes into strips - not that any of them are really ratty - and just use that to polish things, dust some others…

"Hei Lian, are you really cleaning in a situation like this?" Tian Mingfei seems completely boggled by this, as though this is the weirdest thing I've done.

"Sister, please give me some credit. I've done weirder things, surely."

She snorts, not unkindly, and watches as I gently wipe down the inside of the oven. The… I hesitate to call them loaves, given their state, so let's call them bricks - they're just going to be thrown out. No point in keeping them.

Seemingly satisfied with the fact that I really was just cleaning for the sake of cleaning, she drops that line of inquiry in favour of another. "Do you not think it's odd that Brother Zhou would be accepted by the Stone Lions?"

"I suppose I do," I admit easily, "But quite frankly, Sister, I've begun to just accept that so long as I follow Cheng-ge, odd things will happen for better or for worse." An Immortal will come to save us in our time of need. Some asshole will kidnap me to get at him. We'll take on two Juniors we've just met and go swimming in a nightmare cavern to help them get along.

This may as well happen too.

She snorts again, and I can't help but feel that she is definitely enjoying this more than I am. "That Zhou Cheng attracts oddities is not really the point I'm making. Stone Lions like this are very often coded specifically to a quality - Qi is common, but so are bloodlines."

I blink. "You… think Cheng-ge is related to whoever used to live here." It wasn't… an impossible theory by any means. It's not as though Cheng-ge knew who his parents were. It was entirely possible they were cultivators who just abandoned him, or maybe even that they were just related enough to qualify.

Tian Mingfei shrugs a little, loose and easy. "It seems plausible, ne?"

"Sure. I don't see how it changes anything though." If Zhou Cheng has some sort of Super Cultivator relative then… well. So what? Either they didn't care enough to take notice or care of him or they weren't in a position to do so. The man in those crystals seemed like the kind of absent father who would be too busy at work to play with his children, and the other people in them… well, I didn't know enough about them.

"Mh. I suppose you're right," she concedes, inclining her head in my direction. "I think it's interesting to think about, regardless. These things… they may have been left for him. An inheritance."

"If that makes you feel better for taking them, sure." Look, I'm not saying I condone stealing or… tomb robbing or whatever this qualifies as, but I am saying that if you haven't been back in several centuries, then maybe you don't really want or need any of this stuff. And it's not helping anyone just sitting there… "Why are you bringing this up? You never struck me as all that concerned about these kinds of things."

"I'm not," she admits cheerfully, completely unbothered. "But Zhou Cheng might be."

… I suppose he might be. I glance over to where he's still meditating. "Why are you talking to me about it, then? If Cheng-ge has family or not, his feelings are his own to decide."

She hums. "Just an observation. I was curious to see if you had any feelings about it - you're both very close after all."

"We're sworn brothers." A tickling in the back of my mind reminds me to take the wok off the heat. I set it aside to cool a little more and fluff the rice in preparation. "Is it so odd to be close?"

Tian Mingfei doesn't answer that, but something in her face makes me think she's just biting her tongue.

… Is there something I'm not aware of? Stop making that face at me, Sister!

I try to put it out of my mind and gently rap my spatula against the wok. "Lunch's ready - come get it whilst it's around because I'm not saving you a plate."

There's the faint sound of water splashing as both Hou Bohai and Mo Jianyang practically zip over. I'm very tempted to ask them if they've washed their hands in a stern, fatherly voice just to complete the domestic picture but honestly, it wouldn't really change anything I imagine.

Zhou Cheng is slower to come by for once, and he seems more relaxed than I've seen him in a while. Which isn't to say he's been particularly stressed or anything, but he seems… fluid. At ease.

"Today's lunch is stirfried… whatever the hell that thing was," I declare, handing out bowls of rice to everyone. There's enough food here to feed a neighborhood. You'd think cultivators would eat less, given we can practice inedia quite easily - even I can go a while without food after all, and that's not a comment on my weight - and yet, every time, I find myself serving more food than seems reasonable for anyone to have.

I take it as a compliment though.

"Hou Bohai, Mo Jianyang," Zhou Cheng begins, after dutifully swallowing his mouthful of food. Good Heavens, he's learning manners! "Have you considered what we'll do with what we found here?"

What we hadn't already consumed, at least.

"Hei Lian and I were speaking about that earlier," Tian Mingfei interjects, and I wonder if this is the angle she was going for. "But as the Stone Lions seemed to accept you… there is a very strong chance that whoever created this place is your ancestor."

Zhou Cheng blinks. I would've thought the notion had occurred to him but perhaps not? Then again, Cheng-ge has never really spoken about family - a desire for them, thoughts about them, just in general really.

"Senior Sister… isn't wrong," Hou Bohai concedes, although he doesn't sound enthused by the idea. "There are wards in our Sect that only recognise the bloodline of the Founder. That the guardians here recognised you at all is… telling."

"If it's Senior Zhou's inheritance, then we could lay no claim to it."

"I… see." It sounds like you really don't, Cheng-ge. I sound exactly the same when I don't. Are you picking that up from me? Pick up a better habit, please. Zhou Cheng glances over at the scattered scrolls and other accoutrements. "... Truthfully, I don't say that I feel any connection to this place or the things here. The Techniques within those scrolls aren't suitable for me at all." He turns back to the rest of us. "So I suppose my answer is… to give it to you."

That's… very generous, Zhou Cheng.

Both of them seem quite surprised - hell, we're all taken aback - but after sharing a look, both of them shake their heads. "Senior, we cannot accept such a gift. If it is your inheritance, then we cannot accept it."

He frowns a little, clearly annoyed at their refusal. I guess he's just uncomfortable with the idea of an inheritance? I can't say I completely understand his feelings, but whatever they are, I'll still support him. "Then… I'll take them into consideration. I insist that you both take at least one thing. This Hunt was for you."

I think reaching the Second Stage is enough for them, but clearly Zhou Cheng disagrees.

"Then… we'll take a scroll each."

He beams, satisfied. "Excellent. Now, I think it's about time for us to head back then - I'm sure you'll want to demonstrate your growth to your Sects, and receive further instruction."

Oh thank the Heavens. We can see the sun again! We've only been here for a few days, admittedly, but still!

The look Zhou Cheng gives me tells me that he's well aware of how delighted I am to be free of this place.

"We'll take everything we can fit into the pouches and leave - it may be a while before we return." If ever.

Frankly, Zhou Cheng, if we never see this place again it will be too soon.

---

The swim back was… I wouldn't dream of calling it 'easy' or 'comfortable', but it wasn't as bad.

At least I could dry off using my Qi without worrying about 'wasting' it. Little minor tricks for cooking had been all I really used it for until now, but just circulating the warming Qi around me was enough to make my waterlogged robes start to steam a little.

Frankly, I was a little curious to see what kind of tricks I could manage myself. The obvious thing to do would be to implement it in my cooking… but there were a number of techniques in the Yin Vessel Cauldron Technique I was hoping to use.

"Thank you for your guidance!" Mo Jianyang declares, bowing sharply.

A moment later, not to be outdone, Hou Bohai shouts the same thing a little louder, and bows a little deeper. For a brief moment, I'm pretty sure Mo Jianyang considers trying to outdo him again.

Zhou Cheng waves them off gently before they can start. "Just try to get along a little better, alright?"

Neither of them seem particularly eager for that idea, but admittedly, they do seem to be giving it some consideration. Grudging consideration, but you know. Baby steps.

The three of us watch them leave, and to my own amusement, they head off in the same direction. At one point, they both glance at each other and then look away, clearly refusing to acknowledge each other.

"They're cute," Tian Mingfei declares cheerfully, "I miss having Juniors like that."

I make an exaggerated face. "Are you saying I'm not cute? Tian Mingfei, how dare you."

"Lian-er is the cutest of course." Trust Zhou Cheng to say something so embarrassing so earnestly. Really, if anyone is cute it's Zhou Cheng - in that bratty younger brother way of his.

I don't really know why Tian Mingfei is making that face at me, though. If there's something I'm missing, just say it, Sister!