“That’s a risky move, but we respect it,” Elaine said as Fa Za drew another tile.

Jessica had been taking the slow and steady approach championed by the aunties and time after time it had proven to be the winning idea.

After one game lost, Fa Za was starting to miss opportunities to improve his hand, instead going for the most risky thing possible.

It didn’t bode well for his chances if this was how he went through life, Jessica thought.

But it was the third game when he began to sweat. He was missing the right tile left and right, as if Jessica herself had disarmed him of his wits.

More than once a raised eyebrow from an auntie had sent him into an apparent analysis paralysis. Jessica was certain that he understood the rules, but still he threw more and more into the game ante with each round.

But now Jessica was the North wind and Fa Za was finally the East wind. If he won now, he could claw his way back to the top.

The aunties had other ideas. Their looks, leading him to disaster as he tried and failed to glean from them if his pick would improve his position or not.

Jessica loved their antics, but never more than now.

Fa Za reached, hesitant to pick up the gorgeous dragon tile in front of him, hovering over it briefly. It would look so good and he would be one dragon closer to victory. Jessica imagined him as a machine evolved to select for or reward risky behavior wouldn't be too far off. He would probably leave a casino and then try to level it, if her reading of his character was accurate.

Mary’s imperious look and nod made her think that this would be the correct choice. He was probably thinking the same thing, as he had so far listened to the aunties in the malicious compliance with his directive earlier to lead him to a great victory.

Perhaps he should have been more specific as to who would be shown the victory and who would be the victor.

One wrong tile brought him to bear. His fascination with the dragons in the end, and their power being his downfall. The aunties played him like he was a tile in their game.

Jessica smiled, her final tile choice ending the game.

This was the third game and the arrogant young master had lost it all, to a simple bamboo combination.

There would not be a forth.

Thirty minutes later he was done playing for his life with the Aunties.

In his attempt to build up a heavenly hand, he had lost her hand. The jade beauty in front of him surely wouldn't accept him after his disastrous display.

He had to ante up twice and he had wagered his demon spear as an honest bet. Then he had wagered two thousand gold coins and lost those. The spear had even made fun of him for losing, as it went to its new master. It stung that the spear, who he had regarded as a companion, showed Jessica immediate deference when he had never gotten such treatment.

Mary had required him to make a soul bond to physically bring the money himself because exercise would be good for him.

He was no closer to his goal of conquest and in fact, it was looking more like he would lose his Branch sect.

The beauty turned over her hand, and the aunties went wild. Her Mah Jong ended the game.

He stood up.

"I will not stand for this-" Mary pulled him back down again by his ear. How had she done that?

"You will sit and do as you are told," Mary said, infuriating him.

Elder Jessica had ice in her eyes. He meekly backed down.

"This Sect has lost too many men and women recently. You will not bring dishonor on yourself in this way. If you want a fight, you will not win. If you cannot handle a simple Mahjong hand then perhaps you cannot handle being an elder," Her voice cut the entire table, leaving tiles spinning. A thin crack ran down the table as he watched.

Jessica smiled, gesturing off to the side.

Another auntie appeared with teacups for all of them. She poured piping hot oolong tea that brought him to life.

"Now, are you here to help then?" She said, her voice now a sing-song melodic tone.

"Yes Elder," He whispered.

"Good. You can call me Elder Jessica. Welcome and please stay as long as you wish."

Fa Za melted. This must have been how his father felt in front of his mother. He resolved to win her over.

"I have many questions for you… Elder?" Jessica's firm stance made him realize that she had been playing him from the start.

This would be a welcome reprieve from inner sect politics back at the main branch. He might have to stick around longer than he’d intended, even as he’d lost his beloved spear.

"Fa Za is fine."

He hoped that his face wasn't giving himself away.

"Yes I have questions about getting cultivators to the second realm, and then some of the others."

"Ah, the second realm."

He sipped his tea. It was just right for the occasion. Not too heavy, just so.

"Cultivators need to reforge their bodies at that stage. You have cores, right?"

The beauty in front of him shook her head.

"I will send for some. Broken beast cores or other spiritual cores are the best things for raising a qi gatherer to the next realm. I have some here."

Without thinking, he grabbed two cores from his pockets. The two shone in the light.

"Ah, and the cultivator needs to do what to use this?"

For a long second, tea smoke rose between the two.

"You are unfamiliar with this? Are you…?"

"I am not from around here, Fa Za."

Fa Za nodded. The stories of the ones called from other worlds were few but it was known by every core elder that it was possible. Now he knew it to be a certainty.

This explained her brash disregard of the great martial tradition as well as changing his challenge to a Mahjong game.

"Elder Jessica, then do you have someone close to breaking through?"

"Elaine."

The auntie on his right bowed to him.

"She is ready?" Fa Za said.

"She is ready."

Slowly, as not to cause offense to the woman who was friends with the great Mary, he handed over a single core.

"Initiate, cultivate through this core until you absorb it through your dantian. Reforge your body. Cycle for a day and a night."

"Thank you for the instructions, Elder Fa Za, this one will not let you down."

Elaine accepted the core in her open palms. Fa Za saw her cracked skin, the signs of a hard worker. She would have to work hard no longer with this.

"That was the most powerful core I have ever seen in my life," Elaine said after taking a moment to steady herself. "Is there any chance I could go ahead and cycle through this?"

Jessica nodded

"You seem to have a talent for subterfuge. Would you care to spar with me sometime, maybe tomorrow evening?" Fa Za looked insistent.

"This one would be honored, Elder!" Elaine grinned and reached out her hand, now attempting to seal a deal. Wary as he was of sticking around, he wanted to see if he could win back part of what he had lost, even if he had to work his way through all of the initiates.

These strong northern women and their strange customs. When he was in charge they wouldn’t be settling martial matters with table games.

Fa Za noticed the scar on her wrist where blood had once run freely. They clasped hands and their qi flowed together into a singular stream, as he tried to give her the instinctual knowledge of how to process through the core.

"Do not waste time trying to learn how to use it, just find where it feels comfortable inside of you and continue cycling through it. Feel it flow out. Hold onto the thought of doing what is needed, the reformation, as you gather qi."

Elaine nodded.

"This one has been practicing cycling various qi as instructed."

"Naturally."

They both chuckled. Fa Za couldn't tell if she was an absolute beginner or a seasoned veteran finally about to break through.

"If you feel a pull toward something else, tell me, or your Elder. It may not mean anything but it helped me as I attempted to advance to know when the heavens were pulling on me. This might be your path drawing you in and taking you to the next realm."

Jessica's eyes locked on Fa Za and for the first time in his life, he was speechless. He didn't understand why, but she seemed to be seeing him as a person rather than an object of desire. Rather than an aspirational mystical artist, one to be admired.

He wanted to be desired by her.

More than anything he had ever wanted before, he realized.

"Are you alright?" Jessica narrowed her eyes.

"I'm fine, yes. Thank you for asking."

He nodded and turned back to the table where he had lost it all.

His eyes caught sight of the coyote once again, this time for once, he wasn't hurrying around.

Fa Za sighed. He was tired, exhausted, and hungry. The game had taken everything he had.

"Do you have a place for me to stay, Elder Jessica?"

Her eyebrows raised and she frowned.

"Of course, Fa Za. You are welcome to stay at our guest quarters. We can talk further later. Come on, we should get you settled in."

The coyote led him up the stairs and to a room. Inside was a bed, a dresser, and a wardrobe. Simple furnishings made him think that they had low regard for their guests, but he didn't know how to parse his feelings. Had he lost his demon spear?

"We'll leave you alone for a while. Breakfast will be in the common area tomorrow morning, should you wish to join us, Elder."

Fa Za nodded and sat on the edge of the bed.

He was unconscious before he hit the pillow.

"So you think that Fa Za really is that full of himself?"

Jessica regarded the dark spear in the full light of the late afternoon. It seemed to be more than just black, as wisps of shadows circled around it slowly.

"Jess, if I may call you that, that old wind bag is so full of himself that he could float like a blimp. He's so full of himself that he never even asked my name!"

Grace sat in the far corner opposite the spear, regarding it with a cross between contempt and fear. Clearly it was a goofy demon if it was a demon.

"Sa Kon, correct?" Jessica said.

"You are one hundred percent correct, mistress," the spear sighed and then belched,"it has been a long time since I was spoken to without just being ordered around. I have feelings too."

"And by feelings, you mean that you want to pierce things?"

"WELL DUH! I am a spear!"

Grace folded her arms, showing a pensive face to Jessica.

"I know, I know it's a treasure, I just have this thing about selling sentient beings for money."

The spear which had been talking non stop for ten minutes was speechless.

"You were going to consider selling me? But Jess we have just met!"

"This one sees the problem, Elder."

The two women exchanged a quick silent understanding.

"Then you can find someone who will be able to wield this… Sa Kon?"

"There are two scouts that are spear specialists. The demon spear Sa Kon should suit them."

Grace moved fluidly to inspect the spear, taking care to avoid the rock piles.

"Sa Kon, you're able to draw in the qi of those that you strike into the wielder, correct?"

"That is correct, mistress. That is how this one elevated the usurper to his current state. I just need a target. You do have a target, right?"

"How do you feel about being the stick in a chicken kabob?" Grace said.