Zhang Wuli never thought he would end up as a plate washer, although as he thought about it he decided that this was way better than burning his life away in the mines.

The washing area was a small room adjoining the kitchen. It had just enough space for four double bowl sinks, neatly stacked piles of dirty and clean utensils, and the seven men that worked vigorously to lessen one pile and increase the other. The light of the noonday sun poured in through open windows in the back wall, a cool breeze wafting through it doing a fair amount to combat the heat emanating from the kitchen. Zhang Wuli rose up on the balls of his feet, looking for an empty station to get to work.

“Hey newbie, over here!”

A relaxed and friendly voice drew Wuli’s attention to one of the washing stations. There, a bald-headed man with a wild bristly beard stood alone with a plate spinning on an outstretched finger. The man flicked his wrist and water jumped up from the sink before him like an eager dog before wrapping itself around the plate and spinning violently. A few seconds later a spotless plate emerged from the whirlpool and clattered softly unto a nearby pile of identical plates.

“You can use water arts too?” Zhang Wuli asked with a slightly disbelieving tone. Was this what he had to compete with?

The man chuckled and reached for another plate, repeating the process with a flick of his wrist.

“You aren’t too confident in your water arts, huh? Don’t worry kid, the only thing you need to know to work here is fire arts.”

Zhang Wuli approached with a chagrined look on his face and took up the empty spot beside the man.

“I’m Zhang Wuli, what’s your name?”

“Li Bo!” he replied, placing a stack of dirty plates on Wuli’s side of the sink. “It’s good that you’re here, our station was beginning to fall behind the rest.”

“Will we get fired if we fall behind?” Wuli asked, with a jolt of apprehension

Li Bo snorted in amusement and smiled.

“No, nothing like that. It’s just that the slowest station buys the first round of drinks!”

“Li Bo, I’m looking forward to your hospitality again today!” one of the other workers, a man with a round face and bright smile, shouted out.

“Wen Ai, don’t you dare provoke me! Do you think I can’t pass you again now that my blood brother Zhang Wuli has arrived?”

“Do I think? I’ll bet another full round that our station does one hundred more plates than your station.”

“Deal!” Li Bo accepted without hesitation, turning back to his work with renewed fervour.

“Young Wuli, let’s not waste time. Tonight we will drink well.”

Zhang Wuli blinked owlishly and looked between the two men who were even now washing plates like their lives depended on it. How did it come to this already? With a sigh of disbelief, he turned to do his job.

It’s not like he was worried anyway.

Since he was born with blocked channels this was the first time he had been able to get a job. Before this he had been supported by his Uncle and Aunt while he was growing up and Zhang Wuli had been forced to do all kinds of chores around the house to earn his keep. When it came to mundane chores like this, Wuli was certain he had no equal.

He grabbed a dirty plate from the pile and immediately set to washing it using the water in the sink, soap, and a scrubbing cloth. In a handful of seconds all the remnants of food and sauces were washed away and the plate rinsed until it was spotless. Wuli grinned and set the plate down in the clean pile for his station and then grabbed a new dirty plate.

On and on he worked, steadily becoming used to the new surroundings and increasing his pace. Soon he was matching the nearby workers in washing speed.

“Oh! Young Wuli you are truly a hidden talent!” Li Bo exclaimed joyously while he controlled his water like a snake, “I was joking earlier but with skills like yours perhaps we can become blood brothers in truth!”

Zhang Wuli smiled in response.

“Ah but hold on a moment Young Wuli. Take a look at that plate you have there.”

“Hmm, what is it?”

Zhang Wuli looked at the plate in his hand. It was made of some manner of dark stone, but there were no special markings or anything he could make out on it.

“That plate and others like it are made from Sunset Basalt, a kind of Yin Fire Stone. When you’re washing that one you have to use flame as well as water.”

Li Bo took the plate from his hands, and with a snap of his fingers a fist sized flame came into existence over the plate. Li Bo flexed his fingers and directed the flame across the surface of the plate, ensuring that every part was touched and the stone was steaming as he finished.

“Like so, see? You have three other ones I can see in your pile right now, and more will be coming later so watch out for it when you get there.”

Zhang Wuli looked at the stack of plates he had been given and after a moment he began to see the plates Li Bo was talking about. The plates made of Sunset Basalt were all dark colours, while the other plates were light colours. This was the first time in his life that the colour of a plate intimidated him so much.

Zhang Wuli swallowed nervously and grabbed for another, light coloured plate.

“H-ha ha Senior Li Bo, thank you for your advice.”

Li Bo’s face twisted in displeasure as he answered, “No need to add senior, I am just twenty-two years old. Calling me senior makes me feel like I’m past my prime. Just Li Bo will do.”

The clatter of stone on stone drew Wuli’s attention back to his stack where a porter was depositing more dirty plates. The new stack had an additional five Sunset Basalt plates.

This was going to be a problem.