Two weeks later.
There was a gathering in one of the rooms of the palace at Ming Yuet.
In all, it was a large group. Chan Bik sat listlessly with Gaam Yuk Ying to one side of her, and Yuen Muk on the other, both holding one of her hands each. None of them had made much of an attempt to dress up, despite the occasion and the other participants of the gathering.
Ling Gwong sat across the table. She seemed to have been extinguished, like the smouldering remains of a bonfire on a cold, grey morning. Next to her, Gaam Bing's rough face was inscrutable, his huge hairy arms folded across his chest. Occasionally his silver eyes would dart over to the trio of disciples, but he said nothing.
Gong Lau Yan and Gong Ming Dzue sat side by side. For a divine being, the former looked somehow older, her usual carefree attitude stripped away. The latter wore an expression of weary sadness. On her other side was Dzue Dziu Ming, looking distinctly uncomfortable in his bold royal finery, as usual, fingers interlocked, eyes closed, breathing deeply.
Wong Tang tapped her long fingernails against the table, counting, before finally raising her golden eyes to the two new faces that sat at the table with them. “Why are you here?”
One of the newcomers was an elderly man. Or at least, that was how he appeared. He had a long neck and a perpetually irritated expression, with wrinkled skin that hung baggy on his skinny frame, and expansive, charcoal black clothes that he was practically swimming in.
The other was a slender woman, most of her face hidden behind a pale green fan. Her narrow eyes were deep green, but the little that could be seen of her face seemed familiar.
“You're all planning on leaving for the Heavenly Realm, aren't you?” croaked the old man. His wrinkled neck vibrated as he spoke.
“What's the problem?” Gong Lau Yan demanded. She was looking at the woman as she spoke. “The kids are on the cusp of Ascension, and we've all had enough!”
Her sister placed a soothing hand on her shoulder.
“It's all very well for you,” the old man continued, ignoring Gong Lau Yan. “You've found the last of your direct disciples. Ours have still not arrived.”
“And how is that our problem?” Gong Lau Yan was almost ready to climb over the table and strangle the old man. She glared at the green-eyed woman. “Mother! You think you can turn your back on this place and then demand someone else do your work? Where have you been all this time?”
Gong Ming Dzue's hand tightened, pulling her sister back down. The slender woman, Maang Dzeung, Azure Dragon of the East, continued to hide behind her fan, her deep green eyes cast down.
"You're all still established here." The old man, the Divine Tortoise of the North, Dzap Ming, kept speaking as if he had heard nothing. “It would make sense for you to find and guide the-”
Ling Gwong punched him.
Her fist met his nose and his head snapped back as he tumbled from his chair. The sound was like the explosion of a powder keg. Maang Dzeung had shrunk to a pair of wide green eyes over her fan, as Ling Gwong, panting, turned to her.
"Well, Ah Dzeung? Are you next? Dzap Ming got off lightly since his Water energy can combat my Fire, but what do you think will happen if I hit you, who is pure Wood energy?"
The deep green eyes darted towards Wong Tang, Gong Ming Dzue, and Gong Lau Yan in turn. None of her family moved to defend her.
She reached into the sleeve of her robe and extracted a book, which she placed on the table.
The cover was green, and bore the words <Gales of Battle Cultivation Practice>.
"So you're leaving behind a book," Gong Lau Yan spat.
Dzap Ming staggered upright, clutching his nose, and threw his own manual down on the table. "You want us to stay here, but you're intending to leave, yourselves."
"Do you hear yourself?" Ling Gwong cried. "Mocking us for retreating one hundred steps when you have retreated fifty?"
"The fact remains," Maang Dzeung said at last, "that someone will need to stay and find these children."
Her voice was light and cold. Gong Lau Yan shuddered visibly at the sound, but she gritted her teeth. "So you're running away again? Leaving someone else to deal with your mess?"
Maang Dzeung couldn't meet her daughters' eyes as they both glared at her. "I wait for good news."
"Wait! Mother!"
Maang Dzeung enveloped herself in a pale green cloud and swept out through the open window. Grumbling, Dzap Ming followed on a black cloud of his own conjuring.
The three disciples stated dumbly as Ling Gwong rushed to the window and threw herself out, transforming mid-leap into a giant red bird, shrieking abuse as she followed the other two Divine Guardians heavenward.
Dzue Dziu Ming still had his eyes closed, breathing meditatively. His interlocked fingers had tightened their grip on each other.
Wong Tang and Gong Ming Dzue exchanged looks. Gong Lau Yan slammed her fist down on the table, cracking the stone surface.
Gaam Bing spoke first. "I'm leaving."
"Not you too!" Gong Lau Yan slumped over the broken table.
"I'll be staying," Gong Ming Dzue said. "I have responsibilities to this country. And if A-po’s theorising is correct, my continued presence should have less of an impact than if any of the Ng Dzeung were to stay."
Her sister hugged her tightly. Dzue Dziu Ming opened his eyes. "That's a relief. I hope you’re going to fix this table, Gong Lau Yan."
"I'll stay too, Dze,” the loong said, ignoring Dzue Dziu Ming.
"Are you sure, Lau Yan?" Gong Ming Dzue patted her sister's head. "I know you're very tired."
"I don't want to go and see her face,” was the dark reply. “I'd rather stay with you."
"This is no place for the Divine Guardians anymore," Wong Tang said. Although her voice was quiet, it carried through the room.
“Does this mean you will be leaving too, Master?” Yuen Muk asked.
He and Gaam Yuk Ying nailed Wong Tang to the floor with their gazes. Chan Bik continued to look blankly at the table.
“No.”
Now everyone was staring at her.
“I have made my decision.” Wong Tang folded her hands. Her long white hair, immaculately arranged as usual, drifted lightly on the breeze swirling in from the open window. “I will seclude myself under the mountain range, Dzak Hau, and wait there. One of us should remain, in case we were wrong. In case this world needs us.”
“You won’t be looking for the other disciples, then?”
“I don’t dare to interfere anymore. Not until I am certain…”
"I won't go." Ling Gwong had returned. She sat in human form on the windowsill, holding herself tightly. "I'm staying here. I’ll look for them."
"Ah Gwong, you need rest more than most of us."
"Go with them, Auntie," Gong Ming Dzue said. "Look after your disciple."
All eyes turned back to the three disciples. Yuen Muk and Gaam Yuk Ying were circulating shen energy continuously through Chan Bik, as she stared blankly at an empty spot on the floor. It was the only thing that kept her upright, these days.
"Come, children. We should prepare to depart."
Yuen Muk smiled gently. "I'll stay here."
"What?"
"Hey, Little Gou, what are you thinking?"
Gaam Yuk Ying looked and said nothing. His grip on Chan Bik's hand tightened.
"When the direct disciples arrive, don't you think that they'll want the support of another? Things became so much easier for me when Yuk Ying and Ah Bik arrived." Yuen Muk squeezed the inert Chan Bik's hand, and nodded at Gaam Yuk Ying. "So I'll stay."
The shocked silence was eventually broken by Gaam Yuk Ying's quiet voice. "I'll look after her. But don't make us wait too long."
"I will do my best."
Gaam Yuk Ying's eyes were almost pure silver. They reached out for Yuen Muk, who almost changed his mind then and there. But he clamped his mouth shut.
“You’ve already thought about this, haven’t you?” Wong Tang’s voice was rueful. “Truly, I can’t take all the credit for such a disciple.”
“Yuk Ying and I have been talking about the situation for a while,” Yuen Muk explained, voice low. “We had hoped it wouldn’t come to this…”
“I’ll help you, kiddo,” Gong Lau Yan offered, the ghost of a grin creeping back onto her face. “It’ll be another adventure!”
“Don’t leave before my wedding,” Dzue Dzu Ming finally spoke up, unlacing his fingers. There were marks on his skin where his fingertips had pressed too hard. “Give us your blessings!”
“So you’re going ahead with it, are you?” Gong Lau Yan sighed and slouched back. “Are you sure? I mean, she’s lovely, but your new bride looks like she’d fall over if a breeze blew past. And she’s a little… naïve.”
“The important thing now is to forge ties with Cheon. With Chūn. Ah, it’s going to take a while to get used to using Xiang.” The Regent’s grey eyes settled gentled on Chan Bik. “But what a legacy for our Sage Star, hm?”
The young woman’s head jerked in the approximation of a nod.
“And Mun Gong?” Gong Ming Dzue asked pointedly.
“What about her?”
“You know her feelings for you run deep, Dziu Ming. And she’s not the type to give up easily. Be careful.”
“Thank you for your concern, Queen Gong Ming Dzue.”
“Jerk.”
“We should begin our preparations,” Wong Tang said. “You should say your goodbyes.”
And so, the forge of the White Tiger of the West, hidden deep in the mountains of outer Dzang, fell silent. At Mount Faa, the doors of the buildings where the Ng Dzeung once lived and meditated were barred and sealed shut. The palace of Ming Yuet bustled with wedding preparations, and delegations from the Five Kingdoms made plans to depart for the ceremony.
In the meantime, Gaam Yuk Ying and Yuen Muk ran from Ming Yuet to the countryside near Maau-daan-si, taking turns carrying Chan Bik. They hurried through the night, the clouds covering the moon and stars, occasionally light drops of rain, fine as mist, leaving dewdrops of their clothing and skin.
The entire Chan family was waiting at the gates of the family house as they arrived at dawn. They seemed to have been camped there since they had received the message that the trio would be on their way - there were tents and beds and chairs, Chan Taam and Yan Wai-Wai had even brought a desk out to do work, while Se Sue floated about, directing the servants to keep everyone well-fed and watered. Chan Guk and Leoi Tou-Fa watched their new child toddle back and forth between them, although their eyes were on constant alert for the arrival of the visitors. Mei Ying, Dzik Gok and Ying Ming, grown taller and sturdier, were playing ball together under the supervision of Chan Gam and Yeung Sue.
But as Yuen Muk and Gaam Yuk Ying landed, everything was dropped, and everyone rushed forward together, pulling Chan Bik into a many-armed hug.
She twitched, her eyes clearing for the first time since Cheng Baak-hap had died. "Mama? Ba?"
“Ah Bik... Ah Bik, my little girl. You're so skinny. You're so pale.”
“Even your freckles have gone pale. Are you eating? Are you sleeping?”
She took a deep, shuddering breath, and finally, began to cry.
“We should begin our preparations,” Wong Tang said. “You should say your goodbyes.”
And so, the forge of the White Tiger of the West, hidden deep in the mountains of outer Dzang, fell silent. At Mount Faa, the doors of the buildings where the Ng Dzeung once lived and meditated were barred and sealed shut. The palace of Ming Yuet bustled with wedding preparations, and delegations from the Five Kingdoms made plans to depart for the ceremony.
In the meantime, Gaam Yuk Ying and Yuen Muk ran from Ming Yuet to the countryside near Maau-daan-si, taking turns carrying Chan Bik. They hurried through the night, the clouds covering the moon and stars, occasionally light drops of rain, fine as mist, leaving dewdrops of their clothing and skin.
The entire Chan family was waiting at the gates of the family house as they arrived at dawn. They seemed to have been camped there since they had received the message that the trio would be on their way - there were tents and beds and chairs, Chan Taam and Yan Wai-Wai had even brought a desk out to do work, while Se Sue floated about, directing the servants to keep everyone well-fed and watered. Chan Guk and Leoi Tou-Fa watched their new child toddle back and forth between them, although their eyes were on constant alert for the arrival of the visitors. Mei Ying, Dzik Gok and Ying Ming, grown taller and sturdier, were playing ball together under the supervision of Chan Gam and Yeung Sue.
But as Yuen Muk and Gaam Yuk Ying landed, everything was dropped, and everyone rushed forward together, pulling Chan Bik into a many-armed hug.
She twitched, her eyes clearing for the first time since Cheng Baak-hap had died. "Mama? Ba?"
"Ah Bik... Ah Bik, my little girl. You're so skinny. You're so pale."
“Even your freckles have gone pale. Are you eating? Are you sleeping?”
She took a deep, shuddering breath, and finally, began to cry.
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