Kajio pulled up to the curb, hurriedly parking his motorcycle and running to Mohan.

"What's the situation?" Kajio asked urgently. Mohan barely glanced at him as Ling Guang settled to perch on the shaman's shoulder.

"It's the doing of the Shaman Council and Hengshan Association," Mohan said. "I've sent Joyce and Spade into the Spirit Realm to seek a cure. She is the child chosen by the spirits, I'm sure they would ensure her survival one way or another."

"Wait, the Spirit Realm?! Is that safe?"

Mohan gave Kajio a cold look. "That is the only option if you want the spirit-sent to survive."

'Shit.' Kajio looked between Mohan and Ling Guang, a cold lump growing in his stomach.

"So where are you going now?" Kajio asked, fighting to keep his voice steady.

"The Shaman Council first, I'd say, and then I'll go to Hengshan. I'm sure I'll get both in before morning," Mohan replied. Kajio's jaw dropped. This fucking relic!

"Wait, let's talk about what we should do," Kajio offered, keeping pace with Mohan as the man strode away.

"No need. They've committed a taboo as shamans, this score can only be settled in blood." Mohan stopped, turning towards Kajio to put a hand on his shoulder. "You don't need to get involved. It'll be over by morning."

'Oh my god.' Kajio grabbed onto Mohan's hand with an iron grip.

"Wait." Mohan stared at him impassively as Kajio fumbled for words.

"It's not something you can decide alone, you're the Grandmaster of the Flying Dragons now, you have your Order members to consider!" Kajio managed. Mohan shook Kajio's hand off harshly.

"Don't use that argument on me, young Salehrad. Do you think I don't understand your feelings? In truth, there would be nothing that makes you happier than if Joyce and I simply disappeared, right? Please don't bother acting like this now. I will act alone and shoulder the consequences alone," Mohan said coldly.

"That's not true," Kajio protested. Mohan scoffed lightly.

"Don't tell me you've grown attached over a measly few weeks? Even if that were true, there's no way you would weigh us the same as the bonds you've formed over more than twenty years," Mohan said with an air of finality. He moved to turn away again.

'Fuck this.' Kajio lunged forward and grabbed Mohan by the shoulders.

"This isn't about you, you obsolete fossil! Of course my life would be easier if none of you ever came here, not Jia Xu, not Taeyun, and certainly not Joyce and you. Do you think we want you guys here? We really don't. We just want a future where the least amount of people die, and it happens that you guys are the closest path to that," Kajio snarled. He took a deep breath, ignoring Ling Guang's literally-fiery glare.

"Someone who was born strong probably can't understand the feelings of civilians like me," Kajio continued in a calmer tone. "That's fine, I don't actually give a shit. What I do give a shit about is when you guys fuck up the chances for the rest of us. Let's just be honest here. You're a Grandmaster in name only. The authority lies with Joyce."

Kajio glared into Mohan's eyes. "And did she give you permission to do this?"

Mohan blinked in surprise before breaking into amused laughter. "You really are something, Kajio. No wonder Joyce wanted you even if you're not a shaman. You're right. Joyce didn't give me permission." Mohan abruptly stopped laughing. "But who's going to stop me?"

A deep sense of exasperation welled up inside Kajio. "Do you think you're a movie villain?" Kajio demanded. "I'm sure you don't have Alzheimer's yet so please use your brain. If what they did was taboo, it's obvious we should use that against them."

"You're proposing blackmail," Mohan said drily.

"I'm proposing a brainstorm session so we have something ready when Joyce returns," Kajio replied just as drily. His heart pounded painfully in his chest as seconds ticked by.

"Why not?" Mohan smiled as though he hadn't just tried to start a bloody conflict. "It doesn't hurt to wait a bit."

Kajio slowly breathed out in relief. That was one crisis averted. The other one he had no control over. If Joyce simply failed to return, it'd be impossible to stop Mohan. Kajio squeezed his eyes shut and offered a brief prayer.

'Please come back safely, Joyce.'

Spade's face flashed into Kajio's head and he sighed softly. The swordsman would protect Joyce with everything he had. Even if that ended up not being enough, at least Joyce wouldn't die alone.

Selva's van screeched to a stop next to them. "What the fuck is happening?! Why didn't anyone call me?!" Selva screeched as loudly as his van.

"I called you fifteen times," Kajio snapped, holding back a smile of relief.

"You didn't leave a message," Selva said weakly. He glanced around, taking in the apparent lack of Joyce and Spade. "Shit. Guys, let's go back for now."

"We should wait at their apartment for now, in case anyone else shows up or if they return there," Mohan objected. "I'll handle anyone who tries anything."

"Right," Selva snapped his fingers. "Hold on, I've got to fix my parking, it's too far from the curb." Mohan ignored him and began walking back, Kajio following behind.

"Guys, come on! I don't even know what's happening!" Selva called from behind them.

Kajio stepped back into Joyce's trashed apartment, taking in the broken door and windows.

"Anything we can collect for evidence?" Kajio asked. Mohan nodded slowly.

"The curses leave a signature on the conduit. We only need a piece of the door and the window for evidence," Mohan said. Kajio looked around the room, sighed, and went to grab a broom.

"What's going on?" Selva asked as he burst through the doorway.

"Come help me," Kajio said calmly. "Gather up pieces of the door and pieces of the windows. We'll make two piles and the Grandmaster will choose what we use as evidence."

"Okay..." Selva cursed under his breath as he foraged for a second broom. "What the hell happened here? Taeyun or Jia Xu or both?"

"Both, Mohan said it was a curse," Kajio replied. Mohan watched the two of them methodologically work through the mess with an unnecessary amount of interest.

"Did the two of them go to the hospital then?"

"To the Spirit Realm."

"Damn. When will they be back?"

"No idea." Kajio straightened, having cleared the floor of stray pieces of wood. He glanced at Selva, who had made a pile of broken glass. They both leaned back to survey the room for a moment before putting away the brooms.

"Grandmaster, if you would," Kajio said, glancing at Mohan, who was staring at him with a strange look.

"Joyce Lee has put together an excellent base for the organization," Mohan said in a soft voice. "I think it is safe to say she will return."

Kajio blinked. "What do you mean by that?"

"I believe she is carrying out the will of the spirits," Mohan said in the same voice. "We are all parts of that plan."

"What plan?" Selva asked suspiciously. "Do we have to collect holy artifacts or something?"

"Who knows, maybe even Joyce doesn't really have a clear idea," Mohan said. He turned towards the piles. "Whatever, let's focus on the evidence first."

"Good idea," Kajio immediately replied. He exchanged an uneasy glance with Selva before turning back to the piles before him.

Joyce moved sluggishly over a turquoise patch of moss. Her head didn't hurt anymore, but it felt like she was swimming in a really thick soup. Probably potato soup, if she had to compare. Or oatmeal porridge. Spade didn't seem to be faring much better, moving just as sluggishly as her.

"You good?" Her voice seemed to come out at 0.5x speed.

"I'm fine, you?" Spade's voice came out at 0.5x speed too.

"Fine, I guess." She gave up and went for the mental link.

'This is like swimming in potato soup,' Joyce sent.

'Potato soup is thinner than this,' Spade sent back with a note of outrage. Wow, that was what bothered him in this situation?

'How do we find the Great Dragon?' Spade sent. Joyce blinked. Through the colorful crowd of spirits, she could sense something completely different a distance away.

'I sense it, we're heading over right now,' Joyce sent back.

'Can you make it?'

'I can, I think.' Joyce looked around them. 'If not I'll get someone to carry me. Not you, obviously.'

'Great,' Spade replied drolly. They continued to trudge forward at the pace of a snail.

Joyce squinted as a mountain came into sight, towering so high it reached into the clouds. She felt for the strange energy again, frowning as she sensed it ahead.

If they had to climb a mountain that high she was seriously going to cry. It was at least three times as tall as the Kraken had been, and definitely not a fun height given how steep it seemed.

'I think it's near the mountain,' Joyce sent. Spade made a strangled noise next to her.

'What?' She glanced at him. He gaped at the mountain, turning towards her mechanically.

'It is the mountain,' Spade nodded at the giant thing before them. 'Do you not see the eyes?!'

Joyce's head snapped up.

'Oh shit.'

Two giant orbs peered down at them from the clouds, an iridescent light piercing through the mist. Joyce blinked and looked again, and what had seemed a metallic cliff suddenly came into focus as a giant claw.

'Dude, we need a loudspeaker for this shit,' Joyce sent to Spade in a panic. She grabbed onto his sleeve as he looked around helplessly.

'Or we should fly up,' she suggested.

'No,' Spade looked horrified. 'I've flown enough tonight.'

She shrugged. It wasn't like he had a better idea. She reached out to the closest spirit that was flying around and pulled it over.

'Joyce,' Spade whined. She grabbed onto the spirit, struggling to get on. Spade sighed and gave up, pulling her onto the spirit as he got on without any problem whatsoever.

Joyce gave him a thumbs up, nearly jamming it into her own nostril as the spirit lunged up without warning. The sluggish feeling immediately fell away into a cocktail of fear and vertigo.

The spirit proceeded to tilt until they were pretty much flying at a straight angle from the ground, ignoring Joyce and Spade screeching like a monkey had stolen their deluxe pizza with five extra toppings of meat. Between Joyce's death grip on the spirit's fur and Spade's abdominal strength, they only barely managed to stay on.

And then the spirit whipped up another ninety degrees until they were parallel from the ground again, sending Joyce veering upside down until Spade dragged her back up again.

"Oh my god, why can't anyone take a turn that isn't fucking 90 degrees sharp? My driving instructor would roast the lot of you!" Joyce groaned, voice back at normal. She immediately patted the spirit consolingly. "I mean thanks a lot though, I'm just complaining because I was born salty, please don't be mad."

Joyce could almost hear Spade rolling his eyes behind her.

'Child,' a voice boomed through her head like a hella expensive stereo system. Joyce shrieked, snapping to attention at the eye she was level with.

"Oh my god, hi," Joyce waved at the dragon awkwardly.

"We humbly greet the Great Dragon!" Spade shouted from behind her, immediately bowing his head. She followed suit, glancing back every second or so to see if she could lift her head yet.

'Raise your heads,' the voice rumbled. Joyce winced. She wasn't even hearing it physically but it still made her eardrums hurt.

"Thank you for your graciousness," Spade said primly. Joyce awkwardly flashed a smile at the dragon.

'I see that you have fallen subject to the petty schemes of foolish humans,' the dragon said. 'So you have come to seek a cure?'

"Uh, yes, please help me," Joyce said. She glanced at Spade, who was furiously mouthing be polite at her.

'And why should I do that?' The dragon scoffed with disdain and amusement, giant pupil narrowing vertically.

Joyce paused. "Altruism and your boundless graciousness?" she tried. The Great Dragon snorted.

"Ask her what you should do!" Spade hissed, jabbing at her back with his elbow. Joyce nodded.

"What would make it worth it for you, my...lord?" she turned towards Spade who fiercely shook his head. "Your holiness?" Spade shook his head again, mouthing the title at her. "Your Grace?" He nodded. Joyce turned back to the Great Dragon triumphantly. "Your Grace," she finished.

Something that could only be described as supernatural laughter rang out in her head.

'No wonder you fell for the traps of fools, for you are indeed a foolish child,' the Great Dragon chuckled. 'Nonetheless, you are an amusing one. Yet that alone is not enough to receive my aid.'

"I could carry out your will," Joyce offered, "I may be of some use."

'How so?' The Great Dragon asked.

Joyce held back a sigh. This was definitely a test, and it had Spade tense enough that if a plane hit him the plane would explode upon impact. Joyce glanced towards him for help, but Spade only shrugged helplessly.

"Well, if I survive, we could go on the Northern Expedition that much faster. That would be thanks to you, so obviously people would be encouraged to offer prayers and incense properly. And eventually, we will be able to restore the Grand Temple, and also the other shrines in your honor. People will offer proper respect again," Joyce tried. She really hoped the Dragon only wanted to eat non-human offerings.

'Good, but not enough.' The Great Dragon stared at her imperiously. 'You do not understand my true intentions.'

Joyce blinked. "I apologize for misunderstanding your benevolence," she offered.

'I will offer you a proposition now. If you agree, you must dedicate your life to it. If you cannot agree, you may die here,' the Great Dragon rumbled.

Joyce frowned, glancing at Spade. He looked at her with a worried expression.

"You still want to live, don't you?" he urged gently. Joyce swallowed, giving him a small nod. Spade nodded firmly back.

"Then go for it," he demanded. Joyce gave him a thumbs up.

"I'll accept your gracious offer," Joyce said to the Great Dragon. Its eye shifted closer, and it took Joyce every cell in her body not to flinch back. Obviously that wasn't enough, and Joyce leaned away until she nearly smacked her head into Spade's nose.

'Then hear my edict,' the Great Dragon's voice echoed through the air, battering both Joyce's head and eardrums.

'Spirit-sent, I hereby order you to bestow upon the Middle Kingdom an era of peace and prosperity, with Two Temples, Three Pillars, and Four Mythical Beasts. In exchange, I grant you your continued existence and offer you protection under my wing.'

Joyce nodded, giving a thumbs up until Spade shoved her head down into a bow.

"We humbly accept your holy edict, Your Grace. We will dedicate our lives to its completion," Spade said formally. The Great Dragon gave a pleased sound as Joyce stammered an agreement.

'Then I will save you, child. You may yet become worthy.'

The Great Dragon sent a wave of energy into the air, engulfing Joyce and Spade in a veil of bright golden light that seemed to physically wrap around them. Joyce gasped as the energy flowed into her circuits, which she had never actually noticed before.

It flowed through her body like a tsunami wave, nearly knocking the breath out of her as it left as quickly as it had come. Joyce gasped for air, thumping a fist on her thigh until she could breathe properly again.

Her body felt lighter than it had been since she'd arrived. Any hint of discomfort was so thoroughly gone that she felt as though it had never happened. She whirled to grin at Spade, who was already beaming.

"Wow, I really feel better! Thank you so much," Joyce said to the Great Dragon. "I will definitely do my best, so please watch over me."

'Hmph.' The Great Dragon made a dismissive sound and slowly closed its eyes. Spade tugged at Joyce, hurriedly signaling for them to leave. Joyce nodded, prodding at the spirit. It immediately did a 180-degree turn, nearly flinging Joyce off.

'Is this a goddamn rodeo?' Joyce bitterly clung to the spirit as it hurtled down and away, accepting that this was her reality now.

Spade watched as Joyce stumbled out of the Spirit Realm and into her kitchen table, knocking over the table and crashing into a heap on the floor. He promptly tripped over a pile of wood and crashed into the same goddamn table.

"Why the hell is there a pile of wood here?" Spade demanded.

"Joyce! Spade!" They both turned towards Kajio's voice. Spade straightened, pushing himself off the table to nod in greeting.

"Wow, you guys are all here," Joyce greeted, using Spade's arm to pull herself up.

"Are you alright?!" Kajio rushed forward to look Joyce over, warily squinting for signs that something was wrong, Selva right on his heels.

"Fine," Joyce said. She casually poked at the ward that sprang over her to scan for any remaining traces of the curse.

"Thanks, Teacher, the Great Dragon really helped me like you said she would!" Joyce gave Mohan a thumbs-up as the shaman approached them.

"At least you're alright," Mohan sighed. He glanced at Spade. "Well done, both of you."

"The Great Dragon gave us an edict," Spade cut in, breathing out through his nose.

"What," Mohan said flatly. "What the hell happened?"

"We agreed to the edict in exchange for Joyce's life," Spade replied just as flatly.

"What did the Great Dragon want then?" Selva asked.

"Spirit-sent, I hereby order you to bestow upon the Middle Kingdom an era of peace and prosperity, with Two Temples, Three Pillars, and Four Mythical Beasts. In exchange, I grant you your continued existence, and offer you protection under my wing," Spade said, "Those were the exact words she said."

"What the hell does any of that mean?" Kajio demanded.

"I can't believe you remembered all of that," Joyce said. Kajio let out a slow sigh, before grabbing his tablet from the couch.

"Let's write it down first, we can discuss it after we've got the wording," Kajio said, typing away. "So our agenda's how to deal with the immediate situation with the curses, and then decoding the edict. Joyce, do you need to rest up? We can leave the discussion for later. It'll probably take a long time."

"I'm fine," Joyce said quickly. Kajio nodded, turning towards Mohan.

"If you would please, Grandmaster," Kajio said politely. They settled down on the couch, Spade grabbing a cushion for Joyce.

"After sending off the two of you, I fully intended to enact retribution upon the Shaman Council and Hengshan Association. These curses are widely acknowledged as taboo and are traditionally paid back in blood. Kajio insisted to wait on your decision, as he didn't think that you wanted to deal with it that way," Mohan explained.

Spade's jaw clenched before he could stop himself. As expected of Mohan, the old geezer nearly screwed them over in the time it took to cure Joyce. He couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of bloodbath they would have returned to if not for Kajio.

"Kajio made the right call," Joyce said firmly. "I also think that starting a fight right away isn't the best decision. Maybe that's what I would have thought before I gained these abilities, that I should just take a metal pipe to Taeyun's face and start playing rock music while smashing his office, but it's a little different now. Like, especially with what the Great Dragon said."

The group looked somberly away from each others' faces, the edict weighing heavily on their minds.

"As difficult as it may seem, it is hardly impossible for you. Or even difficult, given that you have the Spirit Realm's support," Mohan said.

"Yeah, and I'm grateful, really. But just because I have this kind of power doesn't mean I will or should use it. It's like a nuclear weapon, you guys don't have it here so I can't explain it that well, but a nuclear weapon exists so you don't have to use it. It's the same for this," Joyce tried to explain.

Spade nodded, Joyce having given him a long and complicated history lesson on nuclear arms a few weeks ago.

"I've been getting this sense for a while now, but you're actually a lot more restrained than your first impression tends to imply," Kajio said. "And I respect that and want to support that because that's what all of us hope for, that the powerful use their power with restraint. That is also why I dared to disrespect the Grandmaster's wishes. I just didn't think you would have supported that decision."

Joyce nodded. "I'm really honored that Teacher was going to go throw down for me, but I kind of prefer taking receipts for when we really need them." She earnestly looked at Mohan. "Seriously, thank you. For smashing the curses too, that was cool even if it made me think a truck had hit my house."

The corner of Mohan's lip twitched upwards. "No problem," he said calmly. Joyce beamed at him happily until Mohan returned the smile.

"We've gathered the evidence, so the question is just when to use it. I suggest using it at the negotiations we're conducting after we've finished internal adjustments, there will surely be a time when you could use it to gain leverage," Kajio said. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Great, love that. So what the hell do we do about that creepy edict?" Selva asked.

Mohan shook his head, looking at the tablet. "One thing's for sure, it won't be easy," he said.