Yu clapped and cheered with the rest of the roaring crowd. That was an excellent fight to watch, both for its entertainment value, and certainly for what it had taught her.

I really do have a long way to go when it comes to Qi skills…

As the healers worked on the combatants, Yu reflected on the fight. While it had been difficult to see through the steam that Bao Bo had cleverly caused Gui De to create, she was able to make out the general concept of what had happened. It showed Yu that skills could be used for far more than just offense or defense, even ones that did not technically have a support role. Bo obviously knew that his water-based attack skills could not have hurt De enough on their own to win. So he had used them – and the reaction that any young warrior limited to Fire Aura would take – to create an environment that he controlled. Steam was still water after all. And at the end when Bo had used the lack of friction of water to slide backwards just enough not to be hit… he was clearly a very smart cultivator.

Shame he’s a Bao, really.

“That was a great!” Li said, next to Yu. Then to Ai, she continued in a lower tone. “Sorry about your brother though.”

As usual, Ai just ducked her head and pressed into Yu, who wrapped her in an arm.

“When do you go Yu?” Lu asked from Li’s other side.

"No idea,” Yu said, looking around for some sort of board or schedule.

Their question was answered when Elder Guang spoke again. “That was an excellent bout that I hope you all learned from. Now, the final honor match will take place on the center circle while the placement matches will be spread among the other circles. Your badge will alert your when your turns come and where to go.”

Yu smiled at Lu who smiled back. They had their answer.

***

Yu touched the tall black column and saw her own placement of 23,834. She immediately challenged the next individual at 22,834, ignoring the name as it did not matter to her in the least. Apparently a number of disciples had become former disciples since her initial challenge. And Yu knew that trend would continue, which was why names were irrelevant.

That said, Yu was disappointed as her opponent had never even shown up to fight. She had won by default, which was ridiculous in her mind.

“Why not at least show up and give it a try?” Yu grumbled as she initiated her challenge for the following week.

“It would have been a waste of your time, Yu,” Lu said. “Nobody can match you outside of the top 10,000 – at least not from what we saw.”

The highest match had been for rank 7,331. It had been an awesome fight with many skills of various types. There were even a few that might have been grade 3, although she wasn’t sure given her lack of overall experience with skills. But those contests had really struck Yu.

She shook her head vehemently. “That’s not necessarily true. Some of those nobles were really talented with their skills. They had a lot of them and I’m still a novice. And what’s worse, my skills mostly suck – especially my combat skills. All of them are grade 1. What if someone I challenge limits the fight to Water Mana? All I have is a training skill.”

They were all silent after Yu’s statement as they walked back to the dorm. Yu figured they all just realized what she had while watching combatants in the higher placements: she had a serious gap in her capabilities. Yu sadly saw the bow she had been longing after and planning for as her next purchase get further and further away as she understood she needed to invest in higher grade skills rather than weapons, no matter how amazing.

What are my options? Right now, I think the only thing I can do is take on more lucrative missions. I need to check for more repeating missions too that I can do while hunting in the forest. Maybe try to push into the tier 3 area again? I really wasn’t ready for the swampy area, but if I plan better… I need to search the mission boards in a lot more detail. My food mission will be up in a few weeks and I’m definitely not taking it from a noble group again. That would be just what I need. Ugh! This is so frustrating. I need more points, but I’m not strong enough to take on really hard missions. What about bounties? I don’t think I’m ready to kill again. Am I? The idea still made her hands shake, but at the same time she didn’t think she felt fear. More surprise at herself. That reflection scared Yu and she didn’t want to answer her own question so she moved on. Well, I can’t leave the sect’s protection anyway so it’s a moot point right now… The relief she felt at that realization also scared her, but in a completely different way. Shaking her head, she tried to figure out what she could actually do. Where does that leave me? What about if I ask Elder Ting? She might be willing to help me find—

Yu was so involved in her own introspection and planning that she bumped into Ai’s back, who had suddenly stopped outside of their suite door.

“Prince Zihao?” Yu heard Li squeak, shock obvious in her voice.

Surprised herself, Yu leaned to the left of Ai and looked towards their suite. Prince Zihao was indeed standing just outside of their rooms. He looked just as Yu remembered him, tall, broad-shouldered, muscular, white wavy hair down to the middle of his back. He certainly struck quite a dashing picture to Yu.

Shaking her head to free it of that ill-timed thought, Yu tried to examine him more clinically, attempting to figure out why he was there. She gave him an up-down as if he was a patient and her a healer. It was at that point that she realized he was carrying a familiar cubical box covered with a red cloth with gold edges.

“My apologies for interrupting your evening, ladies,” he responded to Li with a slight bow of his head. Then he looked at Ai and said gently, “Hello, Ai’er.”

Ai said nothing but gave him a little wave while looking down.

Unsure of Ai’s relationship with him, Yu stepped around and in front of her friend while reaching back and offering a hand. “Prince Zihao, how can we help you?”

Ai grasped it but let go quickly. Yu took that – and the fact that she didn’t scrunch up and hide behind Yu – as a sign that they at least were not antagonistic.

“I apologize for putting you out, but I was hoping to speak in your suite privately with my sister.”

Yu saw the twins look at each other briefly and then back towards Yu and Ai. Yu sighed and turned her head to look at Ai. Blushing like a fruit, she nodded her head.

“Are you sure, Ai?” whispered Yu. Ai nodded again and Yu stepped aside. Ai stepped forward and as she walked by, Yu whispered, “Call out if you need anything. I’ll be right outside the door.”

Ai nodded again and walked forward. Zihao cleared his throat. “Actually… Fenghuang Yu, would you be willing to come as well?”

Yu blinked at him. Thinking quickly, she said, “If you invite me in, you might as well invite the twins too. We all already know what’s in that cage.”

He looked down at it and then back up at Yu. “You do?” he asked, surprised.

Li giggled while Lu snorted. Ignoring them, Yu nodded. “We were at the auction.”

“Ah. Umm… Well, that’s unexpected.”

“Why don’t we head inside?” Yu said while pointing at the door. “If you wanted to keep it private it’s best not to have this conversation out in the hallway.”

Li, ever energetic, skipped forward, used her badge to unlock the door, and slide it aside. Then she entered, giggling. “This should be fun.”

Lu followed sedately, shaking her head. She bowed her head to Zihao, saying, “Sire,” as she walked by.

Yu guided Ai forward and in. She didn’t lift her head as she stepped past her royal brother. Yu stopped right before him and gestured at the door. “After you, umm… sire? Is that right?” She had never been taught the correct salutations for an imperial prince.

He sighed, nodded, and walked in, followed by Yu. She slid the door shut and turned around to find Ai snuggled up to Lu with Li standing just in front and to the right of her. Yu grinned at their protective nature. Zihao was standing before them, the cage still dangling from his hand.

Seeing nobody saying anything, Yu kicked it off. “I didn’t expect to see you again so soon, sire.”

He cleared his throat again and looked at Yu. “Yes. Well, I suppose you know why I’m here if you were at the auction.”

Li coughed, but covered her mouth.

“I think I do at least. And, as her friend, I appreciate it greatly.” Then she looked at Ai and walked over to her stepping around her large brother. Yu gently reached out and touched Ai’s arm and she latched onto Yu in a hug. Yu guided her over to the couch and they sat down, Ai on Yu’s lap. The twins took their normal seats with Lu on the other side of the couch and Li curled up on a floor pillow. Yu quickly glanced up and over at Zihao – who Yu saw was watching with rapped attention – and then back at Ai. She whispered, “Ai, are you okay?” Ai nodded into Yu’s shoulder. “What do you think of gaining another friend?”

Ai didn’t respond and Yu figured the girl was trying to figure it out. She was probably trying to work through her feelings. She wrapped Yu up tighter and put her head in Yu’s chest.

Yu heard the sound she was listening for, Zihao’s inhale in order to speak, and she held up her hand palm facing him. She looked over at him with a glare and he shut his mouth.

“A fuzzy friend!” Li shouted while pumping her fist in the air.

Lu sighed Ai giggled into Yu, who also sighed and shook her head.

“Ai, think about for a bit, okay? No pressure,” Yu said gently.

It was at that point that Yu’s room’s door was pushed aside and Bai stormed out, yowling and roaring his high-pitched roar at everyone. Then he immediately froze when he saw the new person. He growled adorably at Zihao and then stopped. His attention was fully on the cage in the prince’s hand.

“Bai could have a friend too,” a barely heard voice said from Yu’s chest.

Yu looked down and ran her hand through Ai’s white hair. “Yes, but don’t let that pressure you. This is your decision.” She turned back to Bai and tried to understand what she was feeling from the bond. He seemed curious, nervous, excited, and a bit scared. That was what she thought at least. It was a bit muddled and she was trying her best to interpret. “Go ahead and put the fox down, sire. Bai won’t hurt her.”

He looked from Bai to Yu and back to Bai. Nodding, he leaned over and slowly lowered the cage to the floor. “What kind of demonic beast is he?” Zihao asked. “I’ve never seen his like.”

“Tiger,” was all Yu said. She was going to stick with the obvious. No way did she trust him enough with more. That said, his mismatched eyes and unusual coloring showed he was no normal tiger. It was obvious to anyone on first glance. She hoped to be able to keep the secret of his potential as long as possible.

Same as me I suppose... she chuckled to herself.

They watched as Bai hesitantly approached the cage, sniffing the whole time. Yu heard shuffling from inside the cage, but no squeaking. Bai stuck his pink nose under the cloth and lifted it up. Of course, his eyes were covered by the cloth as he did that so he could only smell at the fox inside. Yu saw the little black nose twitching from between the bars, right back at Bai. Then their noses touched and Bai leaped backward, the cloth falling back down. Bai sneezed cutely and then rubbed his nose with his paw. Another sneeze followed from inside the cage and Li, Lu, and Ai all giggled. Yu was smiling at the funny scene and she saw that Zihao was as well after a quick glance. He looked back at her and his smile widened.

Yu nodded and then looked down at Ai. “What do you think?” she asked quietly.

Ai sat up and nodded while still facing down. Yu nodded back and thought for a moment. Then she looked at Zihao, then back at Ai. “You have Light too, right, Ai?” Yu asked in a gentle tone.

Ai froze still and Yu heard Zihao shift. “How do you know that?” he asked, clear suspicion and maybe some aggression in his voice.

Yu looked up at him and saw his posture had turned threatening. She rolled her eyes dramatically, as if was obvious anyone with a brain. “It’s a female Illusory Fox. It doesn’t take a genius to figure it out.” Seeing him relax a little, Yu continued, “It was that or Darkness and frankly, that just didn’t seem to fit her. I assume that was the big secret you wanted to keep and why you wanted it to be just you and her? What I can’t figure out is why you wanted me there.”

Zihao looked at Yu, surprised at first. But then his expression changed to one Yu felt was examining – like she was a new creature he was trying to figure out. Yu nodded. “We understand you’re trying to keep her third affinity a secret. Ai is our friend and we would never do anything to put her at risk.” Then Yu faced the twins who were looking between Ai and Yu. “Right?” Yu asked.

They blinked as one and nodded.

“Definitely not,” Li said passionately.

“Of course,” Lu said.

Yu nodded to them and then she said to him, “You have know that as soon as Ai shows her fox publicly, some will suspect it, though.”

“Suspect and know are different things,” he said. “Especially when it comes to the imperial family. A number of bound beasts don’t match publicly known affinities. And Ai’er is… a special case.”

Yu nodded, seeing his logic. Then she looked at Ai, putting her fingers under her chin, Yu lifted gently. Yu looked into her bright blue eyes and whispered, “We’re with you. You’re not alone.”

Yu watched as Ai’s eyes watered and a few tears fell. She leaned forward and hugged Yu again. Exhaling, Yu turned to face Zihao. She saw that his gaze had softened. She also saw something new on his face… Hope. And to her, his eyes seemed a little more wet too.

“Did you bring a talisman, sire?” Yu asked him.

Blinking a few times, Yu saw him get a grip on himself and then nod firmly. “A grade 4 talisman since this beast has the potential to grow to that.”

Yu was not really sure how talismans like that worked so she trusted his judgement. His next words surprised her though. “Unless you can use Ether to bind them.” It was Yu’s turn to blink up at him. Could she even do that? It certainly explained why he had invited her originally. “I understand you Ether-bound your… umm… Bai.” He gestured down at the tiger cub, who was back at the cage. He had gripped the cloth with his mouth and was trying to pull it off, little high-pitched growls coming from him occasionally. Unfortunately for Bai, the cloth was held on by a hole through which the hand protruded, so his efforts were fruitless. All he was managing to do was pull the cage. Not that it stopped him from trying.

“I have no idea how to do that.” Yu said, looking down at her bond. Then to Zihao she asked, “Any advice? I’ve never done it for anyone but myself.”

He shrugged. “I’m no Spiritualist. I haven’t a clue.”

Yu pondered and then said, “Give me a moment.” She closed her eyes and entered her mindscape where all of her skills resided. She dug into the Beast Bonding skill and tried to determine if it could tell her, and, if so, whether she was strong enough. What she found surprised her.

Back when she had bonded with Bai, she had grabbed only the knowledge she had needed to from the skill for that very moment, which was quite simple. What to do, share blood, and what to say, the sharing it was called, and the injection of Ether Qi along with thoughts and feelings.

It turns out there was apparently quite a bit more about that skill than she had realized. In fact, apparently she had taken quite a risk, not having dug deeper. But the emotions at the time with the assassination attempt, Ebony giving birth, the revelations about Ebony’s mate, and all that had come together to sort of throw logical decision-making into the wind.

It turns out that bonding with a beast using Ether has a few requirements: the strength of the bonder, the meridians of the person being bonded, and the grade of the beast. Yu found the numbers strange, but there was a minimum meridian count needed for the different beast grades: Beasts of grade 1 required at least a single meridian, meaning neither a mortal nor a Foundation Building cultivator can be Ether-bound. Grade 2 required seven, grade 3 required twenty, grade 4 forty-one, grade 5 seventy, grade 6 one hundred and eleven, and grade 7… one hundred and fifty-six.

That final number shocked Yu. So based on what she understood from her skill, nobody in recorded history had ever bound a grade 7 beast, or brought a bound beast up to grade 7. That was… Yu didn’t know what. It was… wow. Shaking that shocking knowledge off, Yu returned her focus to what she needed to do to help her friend. So she went through a few more details of the skill and then opened her eyes.

“Okay, I think I can do it. But there are some things to know first.” Zihao nodded and Yu continued as she ran her hand through Ai’s hair. “First, I need to ask a rather personal question. It’s really personal, so I’m going to whisper to Ai. Sorry.”

Zihao opened his mouth but nothing came out. Then he closed and nodded once to her.

Yu leaned down and placed her mouth right by Ai’s ear. “You have at least forty-one meridians, right?” She barely whispered.

Ai froze for a second but then nodded.

“Okay,” she whispered back. Then back to the room, she said, “Alright. First potential snag out of the way. Second, an Ether-bound beast can never exceed its cultivator’s strength. In other words, if Ai never advances to the third stage of cultivation her bond will never reach grade 3.”

Yu felt Ai fidget and she said, “There’s nothing wrong with that, Ai. Nobody is pressuring you. At least, nobody here.”

Yu glared up at Zihao and he held his hands up. “I’d never pressured her. I can’t speak for my imperial father or others though.”

Yu let out a breath but nodded. There was nothing she could do to protect Ai except what she has been. At least until she got stronger. A lot stronger.

“Right. Well, they share an affinity, so that’s fine. Sounds like it’s possible. The last thing is we are going to need to do is make a cut on your thumb, Ai, so you can bleed. And on the fox too.”

Yu felt her shudder slightly, but she took a breath and steadied herself. Yu hugged her tightly. She just could not image what had happened to the poor girl to make her react like that to just a small cut on her thumb.

What did they do to you?

Yu sighed internally, but tried not to let her distress show. Ai didn’t need that added pressure.

“Alright. Let her out of the cage and bring her here. Gently, please.”

Yu took her skinning knife out of her ring and held in her left hand. “I always clean it after each use and I sharpened it the other day, so you’ll barely feel it,” she whispered. “I promise.”

Ai nodded and sat up. Lu gave up her spot on the couch as Zihao came around with a wiggling and squirming fox. It really was adorable. It was squeaking and trying to bite and scratch at Zihao’s fingers, but wasn’t even making a dent in his skin.

Yu unwrapped Ai with her right arm and held her hand out to her, palm up.

Ai didn’t move but Yu said nothing. She had a feeling that it was critical for Ai not to feel forced in any way. “This is up to you and completely your choice, Ai.”

A few more breaths passed and Ai still didn’t move. Then, slowly, a shaky pale hand rose from her lap and was placed on Yu’s palm.

“Thank you for your trust,” Yu whispered. “You can close your eyes if you want.”

Ai did just that and Yu took the extremely sharp skinning knife’s blade and ran it lightly over Ai’s thumb. The girl jerked slightly and made a little whimper but didn’t withdraw her hand.

“Hold it still, sire. But be gentle.”

Zihao moved one of his large hands and held the head of the fox. All of sudden, Bai leaped onto the couch and walked over. He growled and roared at the fox and it stopped squirming. Yu felt satisfaction and pride through the bond. She smiled down at him and tried to send appreciation back through the bond. He licked one of Ai’s fingers and then climbed up onto Zihao’s legs, turned in a circle, curled up, and promptly fell asleep.

The prince chuckled lightly as Li and Lu, who had been silent up to now, laughed. “He’s totally going to be the boss,” Li said between laughs. Even Ai, who Yu saw had reopened her eyes, giggled.

“He’s already the boss,” muttered Lu.

“And he should be!” Li declared.

“Oh, she needs a name,” Yu said, quickly before the twins got going. “Ai, you’ll need to say her name and repeat after me once this starts.

Ai thought for a few moments and then whispered, “Si Fei.”

Yu nodded. “Softly in the Ancient tongue. Good name for your Illusory Fox. Okay, here we go,” Yu said as she slit a tiny cut on the fox’s forehead. Yu then pressed Ai’s thumb to the cut so their blood was shared and said, “When you feel my Qi flowing through your thumb, repeat what I say.”

Ai nodded. Yu sent her Qi and intent of creating a bond through her own thumb and into Ai’s. It was kind of a strange feeling. Sort of like healing, but not. More… personal and less clinical maybe.

Yu felt Ai’s Qi through their connection and it… writhed. It lashed out at Yu and she winced at the burn. Yu withdrew and took a breath.

“Ai, you have to let me in,” she said gently. It was then Yu realized her hand was wet. Yu felt Ai’s shoulders jump up and down and tears poured out of her eyes onto their hands, the fox, and their laps.

“Oh, Ai. I’m so sorry,” Yu said softly while hugging her.

The girl sobbed into Yu’s chest. Yu whispered into her ear, her own tears falling. “You’re safe. I’d never hurt you.”

Yu felt her nod, but she kept sobbing. Yu rubbed her back while looking at her brother. She saw his eyes leaking a few tears as well, his face showing a mix of sadness and anger.

Yu mouthed at him, “Keep petting the fox.” He did as he looked down at it.

Slowly, her sobs subsided. After a bit, she took in what Yu felt was a huge shaky breath and she sat up, still looking down. Yu couldn’t see her face through her tear-soaked hair, but she nodded.

“Want to try again later?” Yu asked. Ai shook her head. “Alright.” Once again Yu held her hand out and this time Yu immediately placed it in her hand. Seeing the wound still open, Yu returned Ai’s thumb to the fox’s cut.

“Ready?” Yu asked. Ai nodded again. “I’ll be as gentle as I can,” Yu assured her.

Once again, Yu sent her Qi into her friend and once again, she felt the burn of the girl’s Qi. It was a smoldering rage so bright Yu almost had to come out again. But it wasn’t targeted at Yu this time.

She sent her Qi through the thumb into the cut and said, “Repeat what I say while sending your Qi through the blood into the fox. And send your honest emotions. Be genuine with how you feel, no matter what. If she accepts it, you’ll know it.”

Yu felt Ai nod once and she told her what to say. “Will you accept me, gentle Si Fei?” and she heard Ai repeat her exactly, if quietly. “Will you take me as your partner so we will never be alone again? Together until the Heavens fall and the Earth is crushed beneath it, will you be one with me?”

Yu felt an amalgamation of emotions flood through her Qi from Ai into Si Fei. It was fear and hatred and betrayal and shame, but also friendship and hope and belief and love. Yu saw faces flash before her eyes, quickly coming and going with each emotion. Yu saw the twins, the fox, and even her own face at the end. Having created the connection, Yu withdrew, not wanting to intrude on such a personal moment.

As she opened her eyes, she saw glowing white beams of light shine from both the fox and Ai as the bond completed and forever connected the two. After a few breaths, the light faded.

So Light her primary. I wonder if that was what she accidently hit me with.

“You can let go sire,” Yu said quietly, letting go of any other thoughts.

He jerked his hand back quickly and Yu smiled. The fox blinked up at Ai, stood on her four paws, and walked across Zihao’s knee onto Ai’s lap. She snuffled up to Ai’s hand and licked it and then started rubbing her head against it. Ai turned her hand over and rubbed behind the fox’s ears and Yu heard her sniffle.

“Thank you,” Ai said quietly. “I can feel him.”

Eyes watery all over again, Yu sniffled too and nodded. “Congratulations Ai. And to you too, Si Fei. You both have found amazing bonds.”

Yu gently shifted Ai and Si Fei off her lap and onto the couch. She then reached over and grabbed Bai from Zihao’s lap. She snuggled him up to her face. He woke and allowed the snuffling for a few breaths then roared at her, struggling to get down. Yu placed him on the floor.

“You woke him up, Yu.” Lu said, laughing and crying at the same time.

“Yeah!” Li agreed as Ai climbed on her lap. “You should never wake up a cat.”

“You’ll need to feed her, Ai,” Yu instructed while ignoring the two brats. “Beasts can use any Qi type, so you just inject it into her and let her tell you when she’s full.”

Then Ai climbed onto the floor and proceeded to do just that. The twins joined her and they all sat together in a triangle, petting Si Fei and the sleepy Bai.

Yu looked up and over at Zihao and gestured with her head over a clear area in the suite. He nodded and they both rose and walked over, leaving the girls alone for a bit.

When they reached, Yu stepped so they were less than half of a pace apart. “Thank you for doing that for Ai,” Yu said quietly so as not to disturb the girls.

He looked over at how obviously happy Ai was. Then he turned back and smiled down at her. “She deserves it. But I’m the one who should be thanking you.”

Yu shook he head and wave it off. “Bonding isn’t that hard it turns out.”

“That’s not what I was talking about, although you could make a great living do it,” he said.

“Wait,” Yu said, shocked. “This is a job?”

He laughed lightly. “Yes. A beast tamer or best bonder, depending on where you are, is an incredibly lucrative profession.”

Yu blinked at that and then grinned up at him. “I’ll send you my bill,” she said cheekily.

He grinned back. “And I’ll gladly pay it.” Then his smile fell a bit. “It’s worth every silver.”

Yu sighed, looking back over at the girls. “Totally worth it.” Then you looked back up at Zihao and thought for a few breaths. Letting out a breath, she said, “I’m going to tell you something. I don’t know if you know it or not, but no matter what, you absolutely cannot tell anyone where you heard this from. Can I trust you to do that?”

Zihao blinked down at her, surprised. Then he looked at her, his expression firming. “I want to be honest with you. Lying is a terrible way to start a relationship, so the best I can say is I’m not sure I can answer that without hearing what it is.”

Yu nodded, tapping her chin with a finger. “Thanks for your honesty.” Thinking, she exhaled again.

Oh, what the hells…

“Sire, you bought the Prismatic Essence Heart Bush, right?” Yu asked.

Once again, Zihao was surprised. “Uhhh. Yeah. I’ve wanted one for my palace in the capital for a while but they’re hard to come by intact and without having been totally stripped.”

“That makes sense. Well, I really appreciate what you did for Ai and me, sire. You don’t know it, but buying that fox for your sister was a huge thing for both of us. So, I’m going to give you a piece of knowledge you may not have about that Qi plant.”

Zihao looked interested and slightly confused. “First Fenghuang Yu, please can call me Zihao when we’re alone,” Yu raised her eyebrows, surprised, but said nothing. “Now, I get how it helped her, obviously. And you being her best friend is of a value I can’t even express to you. She has started to come out of her shell for first time in years.” He exhaled. “I love my sister. She was a passionate, and fiery cultivator, but also loving. Then she was taken and ever since she’s hid with herself and her art. She didn’t speak, barely ate, and couldn’t stand to be around anyone, family or otherwise. Who she was was lost. Thanks entirely to you I think, she’s started interacting with people again. She goes out in public. She’s speaking a bit. I’m absolutely positive that’s all you. So if me buying that bond for my sister repays you even a little – even if I don’t see how – I’m glad to have done it and more.”

Yu looked up the prince’s handsome face and nodded. “Call me Yu, and I think the twins help as much as me. Don’t eat the leaves alone.”

“What?” he asked, clearly confused.

“Don’t eat the leaves,” Yu explained. “Hold off until the fruit grows and fully ripens. Then eat the leaf that matches in color with the fruit and do so at the same time. It will almost guarantee a positive effect related to that affinity – and one that will be many times better than just one or the other individually.”

Zihao looked down at Yu, his eyebrows having risen nearly into his hairline. “I see.” Then a few breaths later he opened his mouth. Then he closed it again and opened it again. “You’re sure?”

Yu smiled, appreciating his not asking how she knew, which was probably going to be his initial question. “I’m sure,” she confirmed with a wink.

“Thank you,” he said back. “Nobody will hear that from me.”

“I imagine the only reason it isn’t widely known is because of the one-hundred-year timeframe for the fruit to grow. And if it was public, the price for the plant, fruit, and leaves would reach the heavens.”

He nodded at that. “Definitely true. I can’t say for sure, but I’d bet my imperial father knows. Or at least one of his older advisors.”

Yu shrugged. She had no idea about anything related to emperors or their people. Nor did she want to.

“Yu, would you have dinner with me?” Zihao asked suddenly.

Yu blinked up at him. “Huh?” Yu said elegantly.

“Dinner,” he repeated. “Would you come out and have dinner with me.”

Did he just ask me on a date? Wait, is he blushing?

A bit overwhelmed, she asked the first next question that popped in her head. “Ummm… Is that okay? Can a prince just do that?”

He smiled down at her and laughed softly. “It’s just a meal. I’m not asking your father for the right to marry you.”

Okay. That statement was waaaaay too much. Nope. Not thinking about it. Nope, nope, nope. Thank the heavens I have an easy out.

“I’m flattered you asked, sire. Unfortunately, I can’t. It would be inappropriate for me. When people heard, and they would, they would assume I’ve taken the Gui’s side.”

Disappointment flashed across Zihao’s face quickly but then he looked thoughtful. “Call me Zihao, remember? And I understand. Your master is neutral in the conflict with the Bao and thus you have to be too.” Yu nodded, glad he understood. He rubbed his chin and nodded. “How about this? Don’t say ‘no’ yet. But don’t say ‘yes’ either. Let me think on it and get back to you.”

Not sure what there was the think about, Yu just shrugged and nodded. “Sure.” It couldn’t happen.

You know what, I’m probably overthinking this. That’s it, I bet he wants to recruit me. That makes way more sense. Well, I can’t let him do that either, but’s better than… the other thing.

“I’ve got it!” Li shouted, throwing her fist in the air, releasing a burst of Wind Qi flapping everyone’s robes around them. “Punch him in the face!”

Everyone stared at Li, dumbfounded. Yu looked back at Zihao and looked back at her equally confused.

“What did I do?” he asked, clearly completely lost.

With no idea how to answer, Yu asked Li, “Why would I punch the prince his face?”

Li sighed dramatically, “Not the prince, dummy!” Both Yu and Zihao let out a relieved breath. “Your challenger!”

Thinking that this didn’t clear anything up at all, Yu could only let out another “Huh?”

“If someone sets the rules of the challenge to be Water Mana or something you don’t like, you just use martial arts. No matter the contest rules, you can always use fists and feet.”

Yu looked back at Zihao who just raised his eyebrows and then back at the little ball of energy.

“Li, have ever told you you’re a genius?” Yu asked with a huge grin.

“Nope!” she responded while puffing out her chest. “But it’s good to know you’re aware of my worth.”

“Congratulations on your new placement, by the way, Yu,” Zihao said.

Yu shrugged. “My opponent never showed.”

He nodded. “I doubt anyone will for you until at least twenty-thousand. Probably even later. Nobody wants to get hurt in a fight they know for sure they’ll lose when they can just fight someone easier in a few days and have a shot at winning.” Yu sighed and shook her head. “Don’t feel bad about it,” he added. “Same thing happened to me.”

“Too bad you can’t do more than one a week,” Li said. “Such a waste of time.”

Yu and Zihao nodded together.

“Well, thank you all for hosting me,” he said into the silence. “I should head back to my own room and get some sleep.”

Everyone, Ai included, got to their feet.

“Good evening, sire,” Lu said with a bow. Li bowed too. Ai just waved.

Yu looked up at him, and then grinned. “Good evening, sire,” and bowed deeply to him.

He chuckled very quietly while shaking his head and then walked out of the suite, closing the door quietly behind him. Yu followed him with her eyes the entire way, curious at his motivations. And wondering, maybe even hoping, she could trust him.

Yu reflecting on her life and those she had trusted and those she had not.

I guess time will tell. It always does.