Gaam Juk Jing woke before the sun rose the next day, still in his clothes, with Gou Zing curled up to him. He gently extracted himself from Gou Zing's embrace, tucking the other man back into the covers.
Gou Zing murmured unintelligibly and burrowed further through the covers, as if trying to find the other human that had been there a moment ago. Gaam Juk Jing observed this behaviour for a minute or so. When at last, Gou Zing seemed on the point of waking up, Gaam Juk Jing brushed the back of his hand across his boyfriend's cheek, and dropped a light kiss on the corner of his eyebrow.
Gou Zing quietened, a little smile curling his lips, but his breathing remained slow and even.
With a departing look, Gaam Juk Jing slipped from the room.
After wandering a little, he found himself standing on an outdoor balcony, looking out across the misty Ming Jyut pre-dawn. Where the buildings in Juk-hoi had been made of grey timber slabs and brick, two storeys high at most, with only the few government structures three storeys tall, and the buildings at Mount Faa were single storey, made of polished, carved and richly brown wood panels, the spires and towers of Ming Jyut were made of pale stone and dark wood, disappearing into the misty air, their invisible summits each indicated by a glowing light.
Staring into this aerial sea of fog, glowing white lights floating amongst it, Gaam Juk Jing frowned, very slightly.
“What are you thinking so hard about, Little Gaam?” The Grandmaster appeared on the balcony beside him, her gaze drawn by the floating lights too. She gestured with her pipe. “They're luminescent pearls. One of my daughters, the Empress-Under-the-Sea, developed an industry of growing them. Her people trade them to those on land. Pretty, right?”
“Yes.”
“And useful?”
“Very.”
“What's wrong, Little Gaam? Talk.”
Gaam Juk Jing's silvery eyes were full of the mists around him.
“Little Gou?”
“Yes.”
“Are you worried about him?”
“Yes.” Gaam Juk Jing's eyes dropped. “Too gentle.”
“Are you concerned I will still push him to be a warrior, despite understanding his temperament?”
“No. He... himself...”
The Grandmaster nodded gently. “Little Gou grew up in a warrior family. When I took him as my disciple, the expectation was that I would teach him the martial arts of the Fool's Way of the Mountain. And I did, he needs to know how to defend and protect, but every Way has different faces. The creative arts of the Clear Sight School, for example, focus on realism and critique. The diplomatic arts of Gales of Battle teach a hot and cold method of negotiation, constantly changing tack to unbalance an opponent. The healing arts of Fool's Way of the Mountain centre around the bodily experience, physical therapy, the need for a patient to be calm and centred for their well-being.”
Something moved in the fog, just beyond the distant, hazy Hak Dzau. An enormous shape, bronze scales flashing and subsiding into the mist.
“That's not the only thing, is it?”
“... Saam Lei.”
“Hm?”
“He... Ascension... Divine Empress, could I really take any shape I wanted if I Ascend?”The words came out in a rush.
“Many things are possible once one Ascends. Revelation of the true self is one of them. But Ascension is hard. As you rise through the mastery of each of your daan-tin, the Way becomes more and more difficult. You know this, Little Gaam.” She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “You've done an extraordinary job by yourself. You should be proud. Your Master is. I know Little Gou is too.”
Gaam Juk Jing's eyes remained fixed on the ground.
“Are you afraid, despite this, of how Little Gou will react when he comes to truly understand you?”
“... Yes.”
“That is natural. You are young, you are a human, you have experienced the harshness of the world since childhood. One day, you will come to see and understand that the universe unfolds like a flower, every part working with the others, a relentless blossoming that we are all a part of.”
“Even you, Divine Empress?”
“Especially me, child. We must face it, wonder at its beauty, know when to fight and when to yield, when to run and when to stand. Who to trust, and who to turn away from.” She tapped out her pipe on the stone balcony.
A sudden rush of air – Gaam Juk Jing's hand had immediately flown to his side, but Lou Fu Ngan was back in the bedroom – and Gong Lau Jan was perched on the edge of the balcony, shrinking in an instant from dragon to human form. Her usually cheeky expression was grim. I've just met Tim Zoeng-Baak.”
Everyone was gathered quickly, although Can Bik was still rubbing her eyes and yawning. Maan Ji King, who had been keeping to herself, looked as though she had not slept.
Gong Lau Jan didn't hesitate. “She's definitely obtained Fire powers. Unfortunately for her, she ran into me straight away, but she's powerful. She could give Little Gaam a hard time.”
Can Bik was well awake now. “Fire powers?”
“Someone's teaching her. Has to be, her natural Fire affinity isn't that high.”
They all exchanged anxious looks.
“Lady Ling Gwong?” Zeng Baak-hap murmured first.
“It can't be!” Can Bik cried, clenching her fists. “Lady Ling Gwong wouldn't- Surely-”
“It does seem odd,” Wong Tang said, more calmly. “The Ling Gwong I know would be unlikely to teach someone with a weak Fire affinity.”
“Lady Ling Gwong is also fickle and temperamental,” Maan Ji King observed darkly. “Impatient-”
“Yes, thank you, Ji King,” the Grandmaster said drily.
“What kind of powers did she demonstrate, Lady Gong?” Zeng Baak-hap asked.
“Conjuring fire, although rather than just sparks or small flames, they were explosive.”
“I see... Also, Lady Gong... Why didn't you just capture her? Or... even disable or kill her?”
Gong Lau Jan made a sound of disgust. “Of course I tried to. But she appeared out of the portal just after some demons had emerged, and started attacking them. It was... stupidity on my part. I tried to intervene, but of course the demons panicked and tried to fight me as well. Tim Zoeng-Baak escaped back through the portal again.”
“She fought the demons? That would suggest she isn't working with them, then,” Maan Ji King said.
“But we don't know what the situation is in the demon realm,” Zeng Baak-hap pointed out. “There could be different factions fighting each other. It could be that those from the demonic realm continuously fight each other without consideration, or...” She trailed off at the frozen look on Maan Ji King's face.
“Maan Ji King?” Gong Lau Jan smiled. “Could we have a talk?”
“Not now, Lau Jan, we need to-”
“Talk. Now.”
With an unsettled look, Maan Ji King left the room. Gong Lau Jan grinned at the rest of the group. “Keep going without me.”
Maan Ji King was waiting just outside the door, but Gong Lau Jan seized her elbow and dragged her down the corridor,
“Ow... Gong Lau Jan, let go of me! That hurts!”
At the doorway of a small anteroom, Gong Lau Jan paused to push Maan Ji King in first. “Hey, Maan Ji King, did you offer to help Little Zeng just to drive her away from Little Bik?”
“I don't know what you're talking about,” Maan Ji King said frostily.
“What are you doing?” Gong Lau Jan hissed. “Do you have no maturity, taking your anger out on these innocent human girls? Are you so jealous of them?”
“What about you? Didn't you then offer to help Can Bik to get back at me? I see what you're up to, Gong Lau Jan!”
“That's nothing to do with it! I admit I thought I would tease you a little, but I genuinely think Little Bik is a good girl!” Her face appeared suddenly in front of Maan Ji King's, teeth bared. “Do not bring others into our personal issues, Maan Ji King.”
Maan Ji King seemed distracted. Her eyes lost their aggressiveness as they wandered down towards Gong Lau Jan's lips. “Call me Ji Ji, like you used to,” she half-whispered, as if in a trance.
“Please.” Gong Lau Jan looked defeated. She drew back, rubbing her face with her hand. “It's over. Don't keep dragging it out like this. We're not in that kind of relationship any more.” Before Maan Ji King could speak again, she added, “And we never will again. Please just stop. Before someone gets hurt.”
Gong Lau Jan turned and left without another word.
“But I'm already hurt,” Maan Ji King called after her, but she received no response.
Gong Lau Jan returned to the group to find they had already dispersed. She came across Gaam Juk Jing in the entrance hall, broodingly contemplating the mist outside.
“Little Gaam! Where are the others?”
“Divine Empress is speaking to the Heavenly Queen and Earthly King and Can Bik and Zeng Baak-hap and Gou Zing are gathering their belongings and I think you know where Lady Maan is and-”
“Yeah, I do. So we're heading in, are we? I suppose it makes sense. The only way to find out what's going on is to catch that girl.” She flopped down beside him. “So who was it that asked who out? You or Little Gou?”
“Ah Zing.”
“Hm? Strange. Somehow I would have expected him to act all gentlemanly while you would get straight to the point... What's that little smirk about?”
“Nothing.”
“Lies. A-po says you're born in the Year of the Monkey.”
“I... prodded... Ah Zing a little.”
“Ha! There's the truth! Sneaky kid,” Gong Lau Jan said approvingly. “Ah, here they are.”
Can Bik was pale. Both Gou Zing and Zeng Baak-hap were murmuring encouragingly to her, but the news about Tim Zoeng-Baak had clearly affected her.
“The Grandmaster has gone ahead,” Zeng Baak-hap said. “We need to meet her immediately.”
Gong Lau Jan's form shifted. The huge loong crouched down, waiting for her passengers. Maan Ju King's deep blue eyes narrowed.
“I'll run.”
The other disciples stared at Can Bik.
“Bik si mui, we don't have time-”
“It'll force me to get faster. I'll run!” An edge of hysterical despair crept into her voice.
“Can si mui, now isn't the time...”
Maan Ji King scoffed.
“You're weak,” Gaam Juk Jing said.
“Hey!”
“Juk Jing...”
“Wow...”
“I know. That's why-”
“You're already scared.”
“... Yes.”
“What's the point?”
“I can't help being scared!”
Gaam Juk Jing drew Lou Fu Ngaan, grabbed Can Bik unceremoniously, and jumped up onto the blunt edge of the blade, rocketing away in the direction of Caam Lam. Gong Lau Jan gently tossed Gou Zing and Zeng Baak-hap on her back and raced after him, leaving Maan Ji King to follow.
“Gaam si hi-”
“There's no point in fear.”
“I told you, I can't-”
“If you're weak, you get stronger.”
“I'm trying-”
“Running won't make you stronger.”
“I've got to do something!”
“Do something productive.”
“Like what?”
“Train properly.”
“It'll be too late!”
Gaam Juk Jing chopped his hand down on the top of her head.
“OW!”
“Train wrong and you die.”
“I know, I know. I'll get a hei deviation or injure myself.”
“No. I'll kill you.”
Can Bik was silent for the rest of the trip.
It wasn't long before they landed beside the portal where they had met Gong Lau Jan and Caam Lei previously. The fox spirit was tucked up on Wong Tang's lap, happily having his belly scratched. He bounded up in greeting as first the two disciples, then the rest of the group, landed.
“Don't stay here too long, Siu Lei,” Gong Lau Jan said, scratching him behind the ears as she returned to human form.
He waved his luxurious tails at her. “No worries! I'll run away as soon as you're gone!”
“Little coward.”
“Yep!”
“Lau Jan, Maan Ji King, to the rear.” The Grandmaster stood by the portal. Weird red and black tendrils reached out towards her without actually making contact. The surface of the portal shimmered. “The rest of you, follow me. Stay together. If you are separated from the group, we have no guarantees that you will be found again. Understood?”
“Yes, Master.”
“Then...” She turned to the portal. Scratchy symbols crawled from the space. “Let's go.”
One by one, they walked inside.
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