Wong Tang returned the next day. She brought with her several senior disciples of the Mount Faa Sect and a squad of loong soldiers.

“That was quick, Master,” Gou Dzing observed, as he greeted his fellow disciples.

“It wasn't. There's a time distortion between here and the mortal realm,” Wong Tang chewed compulsively on the end of the pipe, then caught herself with an aggrieved grunt. “How long has it been since I left you here?”

“About a day, although it's hard to tell. It never gets fully dark and the sky is so hazy that the sun is hard to track,” Gong Lau Yan said, accepting water gratefully from the loong soldiers. They bowed respectfully, causing Gaam Yuk Ying to comment to Gou Dzing that he kept forgetting Lady Gong was royalty, with the way she acted. Gong Lau Yan caught him and vigorously rubbed his head until his hair was a complete birds-nest.

“Hm, so perhaps two times slower... Almost two days have passed for us. When we arrived back at Ming Yuet, Ming Dzue said we'd been gone almost two days already.”

“How is Dze Dze?”

“Perfectly fine, you brat. Shouldn't you be more worried about Ling Gwong and Little Bik?”

“How are they?” Gaam Yuk Ying asked, surprising everyone.

“Ling Gwong will recover. She's mostly malnourished, but she's a Divine Guardian. Her energy is strong. She wasn't ill-treated by the demons.”

“And... Bik Si mui?” Gou Dzing pressed.

Wong Tang's mouth tightened. “Ling Gwong has always been a stubborn fool. Maan Dzi King?”

“Yes, Divine Majesty.”

“Have you sorted yourself out yet?”

Maan Dzi King's eyes flickered towards Gong Lau Yan and the loong troops. They were talking animatedly as if they hadn't heard anything.

“I am always ready to serve you, Divine Majesty.”

“Little Cheng will be staying with Little Bik for the time being. We agreed it was best. Even if Ling Gwong is being a fool, Chan Bik has the talent to be her disciple, and we don't want her falling into a hei deviation before that. So we're relying on you to do your job, understood?”

“Are you saying that you've been considering that little girl to be the strategist of this group?” Maan Dzi King asked evenly. Still bowed, the knuckles of her clasped hands gleamed white.

Wong Tang blew a stream of smoke from her pipe. “We can have that conversation right here, right now, if you wish,” she said quietly. There was an awkward lull in the conversation between the other loong as they struggled to keep up the pretence of not being able to hear Wong Tang reprimanding Maan Dzi King.

The proud loong lowered her ocean-blue eyes. “I will do as you say, Divine Majesty.”

“Good. We have three goals here.” Wong Tang raised her voice, and the group, human and loong alike, gathered to listen. “First, the capture of Tim Dzeung Baak. This woman is dangerous. She had high cultivation powers, perhaps at the cusp of Third Daan-tin. Her powers are of an explosive Fire type. Soldiers -” Here she looked at the loong troops. “- you will not be so readily able to draw on your powers here. I'm sure you've realised that this realm is very different from ours. Do not become complacent.

“I have also made sure to bring senior disciples with high Earth affinities. You will notice that this land is very dry, and disciples of the Still Heart School would struggle with limited water. Gaam Yuk Ying?”

“Divine Empress.”

You will lead this group to detail Tim Dzeung Baak. Your attributes are a poor match, but with the disciples of the Fool's Way and some of the loong soldiers supporting you, you will be fine. We need your speed and knowledge of our target.

“Second, intelligence gathering. Maan Dzi King, you are in charge here. We need to determine the cause of the situation in the demon realm. If it is not solved, then there is every chance that we will see war break out between the mortal and demon realms.”

“I hear and obey, Divine Majesty.”

“Lastly, and closely related, we need to establish good relations with the demons. They didn't release Ling Gwong without reason. Aid provisions, ways of communicating, medical assistance, let us determine what they need. Gou Dzing.”

“Yes, Master.”

“I want you to take charge here. You are good at getting along with others, and your healing skills have improved recently. There are one or two healing disciples from Gales of Battle School here. Lau Yan will also go with you.”

Gong Lau Yan gave him a grin, which he returned, but he couldn't help stealing a glance at Gaam Yuk Ying. “Yes, Master.”

“You four rest for now. Take food and water while I organise everyone.”

Gou Dzing and Gaam Yuk Ying accepted rations, quickly leaving to find somewhere quiet away from everyone. They sat with Gou Dzing's head on Gaam Yuk Ying's shoulder, munching silently on their rations. Their statures made the position a little awkward, but Gou Dzing didn't seem to care that he was almost having to bend his neck at a ninety degree angle.

“Yuk Ying?”

“Hm?”

“How are you feeling? Are you still sick?”

“I'm good.”

“That's good.”

Gaam Yuk Ying dropped a quick peck on Gou Dzing's forehead in response.

Gou Dzing pulled the water gourd from Gaam Yuk Ying's hands and set it down carefully. The kiss he returned to Gaam Yuk Ying was far more aggressive; the latter was pushed flat, Gou Dzing's arms cradled around him. First his lips, then his neck – Gou Dzing seemed almost hungry, and Gaam Yuk Ying, dazed, tangled and untangled his fingers through Gou Dzing's robes and long hair.

“Gou Dzing...”

“Hm?”

“... Dzing...”

“Yes? Yes... What... What is it?”

For the hazy look in Gaam Yuk Ying's eyes was gone. They were wide now, wider than Gou Dzing had seen them, those usually lazy-lidded eyes open with... fear?”

“Did I scare you, Yuk Ying? I'm so-”

“No.”

“What then? You're... You're shaking. Your hands are cold. What's wrong?”

Gaam Yuk Ying pulled himself out from underneath Gou Dzing, tidying his robes like a small animal trying to reassuringly groom itself.

“... What is it?”

There was a faint clattering sound. Gaam Yuk Ying's teeth were chattering. It took a great deal of willpower for Gou Dzing not to throw himself on the other man again, to hold him until his fear passed.

“Did I do something?”

“No.”

“... Did you do something?”

Gaam Yuk Ying's eyes were as round as a rabbit's.

“Are you afraid that I'll be angry?”

A nod.

But more than that. Gou Dzing was not a strategist, but dealing with others was one of his strengths, and when it came to a person like Gaam Yuk Ying, he could piece together the little bits and pieces that he had learned.

A young man from a family that was not rich, but not poor, either.

And yet, who couldn't read and write, who didn't know dining table etiquette.

And the instance with Chan Bik and Tim Dzeung Baak... A child who tried to avoid making those they cared about truly angry. A child who spoke little, who kept most of their emotions to themselves.

Why?

“Yuk Ying... Are you... afraid I'll abandon you?”

Gaam Yuk Ying's eyes were like two moons. He suddenly stuffed his fingers into his mouth, biting down hard. Tears poured down his cheeks. Gou Dzing clenched his teeth and held himself back.

“Will you tell me what it is, Yuk Ying? It's hard for me to see you hurting yourself like this.”

For a moment, no one moved. Then a wild look crossed Gaam Yuk Ying's face, and he began to strip off his robes.

“Wait! What-?”

Beneath his inner robe, Gaam Yuk Ying wore a strange undershirt, if it could be called that. It was more like a tight tube that covered his chest and extended to his waist. At first, Gou Dzing thought it was some kind of bandage, and that Gaam Yuk Ying was somehow injured. His shape under the clothing was a little odd.

That child doesn't have enough yin energy.

“... Gaam Yuk Ying, you're-”

“NO!”

The shout was so loud that a kilometre away, the other travellers turned their heads in puzzlement in the direction of the noise.

“No?” Gou Dzing asked gently.

“I'm not... What you were going to say... I'm not. I'm not. I'm not.”

The hands clutching the half-removed robes were covered in red toothmarks and shaking violently. Gaam Yuk Ying's chest hitched rapidly and he stared at a spot on the dry ground before him.

“You're not?”

“I'm not.”

Gou Dzing sighed and sat back, a pensively finger tapping his lips. “I'm... I'll have to process this.”

Gaam Yuk Ying pulled his robes back on with shaking fingers, crouched like a kicked dog. He stood to leave but was almost immediately detained.

“Yuk Ying, don't run.” Gou Dzing folded his arms around the other cultivator. He could feel Gaam Yuk Ying's back shaking against his chest. “Yuk Ying... Ah Ying, don't run. This is a surprise to me, and I'm a bit confused, but I still love you.”

Gaam Yuk Ying murmured something.

“What was that?”

Gou Dzing stared in surprise as Gaam Yuk Ying turned and seized handfuls of his robes, desperately clinging on. The silver-grey eyes glittered, even in the murky air.

Ah... It's because he's crying.

“I... I..." The words caught in his throat, choking him. "Don't...”

Gou Dzing pulled Gaam Yuk Ying into a fierce hug, as if perhaps the strength of his embrace would keep away all the bad things. “It's okay, Ah Ying. I love you. I love you very much.”

He could feel tears soaking through the front of his robes.

Gaam Yuk Ying howled painfully. His fingers dug into Gou Dzing's back, and his breathing, which had been uneven from the start, became even more chaotic. Under his hands, Gou Dzing could feel energies shifting strangely.

“Yuk Ying! Can you breathe more deeply? It's okay! Shit... Hei deviation...”

What to do? He had to calm Gaam Yuk Ying down. He swept the other cultivator up and sat down, cradling his shaking body.

First, sit. Remove the tension in the legs.

Next-

His fingers methodically pressed acupressure points on Gaam Yuk Ying's head and hands.

Baak wui – A Hundred Meetings.

San mun – The Divine Gate.

Hap guk – Joining Valley.

Then-

With one hand applying firm pressure on Gaam Yuk Ying's shoulder, he called gently, “Yuk Ying, look, look here.”

The silvery eyes were looking milky. They flickered fearfully towards Gou Dzing.

“Follow my finger. Breathe deep into your belly. Pull your energy from your upper and middle daan-tin into your lower. Circulate it counter-clockwise. Follow my finger.”

He repeated these instructions over and over, sending his own stabilising Earth energy through Gaam Yuk Ying's shoulder to pull down the sharp Metal running wild through the mind and heart. He could feel the energy shift, soften, percolate down, as Gaam Yuk Ying's eyes followed Gou Dzing's moving finger to the extremes of his vision.

At last, the milky whiteness cleared from his eyes, and Gaam Yuk Ying drew a deep, shuddering breath. Gou Dzing pressed the acupressure points once more, taking his time.

Highest point of the head.

At the branch of the antihelix of the ear.

Between the thumb and pointer finger.

Gaam Yuk Ying flopped on his lap, exhausted, but no longer staring rigidly. His breathing slowed until it overlapped with Gou Dzing's and they inhaled and exhaled in time with each other.

He was the first to stand up, tidying his robes and hair until there was no sign that anything had been amiss, aside from a slight paleness to his cheeks.

“We should go. They'll be waiting.”

“I think you should rest.”

Gaam Yuk Ying shook his head, once. “No time.”

“Then... at least remember what I just taught you, okay? If you feel yourself slipping...”

Gaam Yuk Ying nodded again, briefly. He didn't seek out Gou Dzing's embrace, simply stared gravely for a moment, then gathered the food containers and dashed lightly away.