‘‘What is the plan, Li Bro?‘‘

Zhang Cai and Li Huan, rubbing their eyes beheld by the crusts of the late-storm‘s rain and their sleep, peered over the large branch they stood upon to the dark deep shadowed forest gazing back at them. They could not see past thirty or forty meters away, and all they did see consisted of the thick roots spread too far and too narrow so they could not walk or dash at ease on the terrain. But to keep the pace then they had to jump, and to leap blindly from trunk to trunk over grass and vine, they would need bright fires to lead them.

‘‘Is it not simple? We light the torches. That is why we have brought them.‘‘

‘‘Dam-...that is obvious. But what about the wild beasts out there? And the Xian? Would they not be attracted to any flames in this darkness?‘‘

‘‘The problem with this lays in our inability to see in the dark.‘‘ Li Bo fastened his robe and tied the bamboo handle of a weird torch to his forearm. The round green bamboo had a flat tip stuffed with cloth, oiled and sprinkled with a blue liquid Zhang Cai did not know, and at its end was sealed by a gray metal moltened round around it. ‘‘Even I can not see clear with my base of cultivation.‘‘

‘‘For example,‘‘ Li Bo pointed his index finger above them. ‘‘What do you see there?‘‘

Zhang Cai and Li Huan looked up. They remained at the entrance of the forest, hence a bit of light he could discern, attempting to dive over the tree tops and crowns to lay on them. But it did not reach, and he saw nothing but the cast shadows of the leaves above reflected below.

‘‘Leaves, branches,‘‘ He said. ‘‘A trickle of light, but it can‘t go down.‘‘

‘‘Also three squirrels.‘‘ Li Huan added.

‘‘Squirrels?‘‘ Zhang Cai doubted. He looked around, focusing on the direction Li Bo pointed, but he saw none. Not on the wood and leaves, or the rough surface of the bark rising high.

‘‘Your cultivation base is equal to her, junior brother. But her senses and education are superior. She knows how to look, where to look, and what to look for. It is natural to not see that swarm of brown balls of fur rolling down.‘‘

This time Li Huan exclaimed. ‘‘A swarm?‘‘

Fuck, am I really that low on the scala?

No, he did not mind Li Huan being better than him on most matters. Definitely not. But he felt dissatisfied. A part of him played to ease his conscience; after all he was a beggar before, who did not eat or did not read any words but just begged for copper and bought leftovers to survive. But the other side of him, that damned restless soul told him it was his...responsibility. Not a mistake. But he was responsible for this. And he had to improve upon it, and ask how she had been taught this way, what was taught this way to her, so that she could see and hear better than him.

And more courageous than him, so much so she could dash and stab at his brother when sparring with no wince on her face.

‘‘Um, I see. I see. But what about...the fire?‘‘

He did not ask, ultimately.

‘‘Since we are not, and they are able to see, do we have any choice but to light a fire? Most that grew here will not approach us, that I am certain. Strong enough, and they shall find us either way.‘‘

Zhang Cai was about to enquire, but he did not. He watched Li Bo snap his finger, and an ember appeared on top of the bamboo-stick tied to his arm. It flickered, floated over the wet tissue, then boomed. It lighted up, and as if a miniature sun in making, expanded through the revealed cloth to burn bright and round.

When his eyes shut from its shine, he understood why.

‘‘Junior brother, you light one as well.‘‘ Li Bo said. ‘‘Junior sister, stay between us at all times.‘‘

‘‘Why?‘‘ She asked. ‘‘I am stronger!‘‘

‘‘You are an air-head.‘‘ Zhang Cai replied. ‘‘And I know how to travel more than you.‘‘

He sounded a little petty.

‘‘But I am stronger.‘‘

That he did not reply. He took out a same-kind torch from his spatial pouch, wondering where they had found bamboo in that frontier, and lit it up the same way. A pinky-sized fire spread and burnt the cloth. The weeks of training and travel had further tuned his control fine. Now he could use less than a quarter of a pull.

Zhang Cai nodded. ‘‘Be careful. Watch your steps, and any suspicious sounds you hear do tell it aloud.‘‘

Li Bo acknowledged, and Li Huan followed after her brother without a word. He did notice her gloomy countenance, but Zhang Cai did not mind it. Even he forgot to swear a day, and didn‘t feel as cheerful as before. Li Bo carried himself as a stern and stoic leader throughout the path, so he absorbed that manner and Li huan seemed to do the same, so they both talked little.

They leaped over their starting branch over another one, rising to a comfortable height of ten meters before keeping the course straight. Li Bo led them fast and smoothly, and they followed a little awkward in steps at first. They halted at a sudden slip or at a slithering snake cloaked like a vine more than once. They did not notice them until they arrived beside their feet, where the beasts stuck out their tongues and did nothing more but, as if mocking, smiled and sneaked away as fast as possible. Zhang Cai held back his urge to strike them down several times out of sheer frustration at his scare.

In time, followed by long hours of dash and jumps that exhausted their knees and calves, they became better. They landed firmer, held their balance stronger, and jumped faster. After a few days trailing in the dark, followed by two flames they re-kindled each night, the scenery lit up turned eerier. Snakes disappeared, sound went extinct. The air turned cold again, not freezing but rigid, striking on the skin but not penetrating deep enough to feel it down in bones.

The smell turned foul. Zhang Cai went past carcassess of lions mangled and disformed skulls of diverse beasts he had not even heard of. Li Bo turned sharper. By now their pace slowed down.

‘‘Let us rest early tonight.‘‘ Li Bo said after the first week.

‘‘It is my turn to pitch the tent,‘‘ Zhang Cai said. ‘‘You two rest.‘‘

They obliged. Each one of them had a spare set of everything, be it torches or equipment or tents. They used them in turns, so that one did not wear down quickly, and if they lost a bag it would not matter since they had extra.

Zhang Cai laid his blade by the dark-brown trunk and set it upon it. From the bag he pulled out, away and away, a long cloth bound by metallic ropes. He spread it on the branch they stood upon, raised it by the center, and with his feet stomped on the nails to secure its ground. Rounding he raised it from the other side, stomped on another set of nails, then pulled the flapping cloth left and right to expand the inside. The ropes themselves tightened to make a round ceiling almost his height.

‘‘Get in.‘‘ he said. And the duo went inside.

A fair head peeked out and turned to him from the narrow entrance.

‘‘Count three hours.‘‘ Li Bo reminded him.

‘‘I will. Rest easy...‘‘

‘‘Is there something bothering you?‘‘

Zhang Cai thought for a moment, but again he told himself, he would not rest easy if he was not honest.

‘‘Last night it was...unsettling, by the fire. Would it be alright if I did not light one this time?‘‘

‘‘Hm...‘‘

Li Bo stepped out for a moment and gazed around. He took a deep breath, crouched and put his ear on the mossy wood to listen.

‘‘A moment,‘‘ He said and leaped down. A few moments passed. Zhang Cai watched the darkness below, curious and worried, and he almost leapt down as well before Li Bo came dashing up.

‘‘It is fine if you wish. But prepare one regardless, to light at any notice.‘‘

Zhang Cai nodded and Li Bo left to sleep.

Sitting by his blade, laying his back on the tree, Zhang Cai listened around.

No chatter today as well...fuck.

He felt unsettled again. Different from yesterday, where he felt the fire wave at him and the world stalling, but queer in a way that his body told him to be aware. Left foot tapping on the branch, the other dangling from the side, Zhang Cai turned more and more restless. He stood up, paced around, his mind on his ears and eyes.

He saw nothing in the darkness. He heard the light snore of the Li siblings...and chuckled.

Damn, how unrefined. He said to himself. He picked up his blade and came a little away from the tent, standing a few steps away from the leaves signalling the end of the branch. One arm raised, other solid, and feet at back and at the front, he slashed at the air.

A sharp whistle, and the windblast rustled the leaves around him. And another.

He kept swinging for an hour, absorbed in his work, but also listening intently to his surroundings. Any sharp whistle he produced marked another swing of his head, where he glanced back and forth and left and right. When he felt nothing, all alone, he sliced once more.

It is tiring...But what he needed.

It was what he needed, he told himself.

If all children are like Li Huan, how will I stay safe in the north? If I see heirs and lackeys of the nobles again and again, if I don‘t have enough strength to back myself up...if I can‘t prove myself worthy of my master‘s efforts...

He had to. So he swung. This one chance at life he was given by his master, he had to make him proud.

When such thoughts came to his mind, his arms clamped harder at the hilt. His form broke but he sliced with all his might, thinning the leaves and scratching the wood with the after-math alone.

...I can‘t anymore.

Another hour he spent swinging and his arms failed him. He sheathed the blade, took out his master‘s map and martial arts book, then poured water over his head from the skin-pouch to clean the sweat.

I should light the torch now...it can warm me up as well.

He put everything back to its place and settled in front of the tent. He took out the bamboo, replaced the cloth within and spent a quarter of a Qi pull to light it up.

Fire flared, spread all over, cast shadows of him below his feet. They danced on the line-and-scratch marked branch, colouring it light yellow over dark brown, an orange-ish hue of some sorts comforting the observer. Below his dangling legs Zhang Cai saw leaves and branches, and a small gathering of critters scurrying away from the bright light.

He watched them retreat into the shadows and kept his eyes on them for some time, until one stepped inside his sight. The cloak dark like the shadow, a hood shielding the features, someone came and looked up towards him.

The person smiled.

Zhang Cai Shot to his feet, and the figure shot forward. Former pulled his blade open and the latter leaped over another branch.

Before he let out a shout, the cloaked person descended beside him.