In stark contrast to the prison, the rest of the afternoon was spent in quiet relaxation at an open-air garden cafe.

Extraction from the prison was more convenient, with Jun and the Warden escorting their guests through uncomplicated side passages.

"No Teleportation Circles exist for going out," the warden informed them, friendlier now that her uncle was the shepherd.

Gwen figured she wouldn't want to be Teleporting in either.

Though the grotesque execution remained a recent memory, their desire to discuss Choi's mercy-killing was extinguished once the group exited Tilangqiao's austere interior. Jun parted from the girls, and they caught Klavdiya's chauffeured sedan toward the Bund.

Once the smell of blood had been sufficiently diluted by a precisely brewed pot of Buddha's Tears, babulya griped that both girls did not yet have boyfriends.

"Gwen's still a lass, but Petra, you've been here for almost three years. You're nineteen and then some!"

"I am not interested in relationships." Petra shrugged, sipping her high-grade Jasmine.

" _Dear St Peter—_ I hope Wen's asexual obsession with Spellcraft isn't rubbing off on you."

Despite the lack of hilarity, the trio laughed and snickered. There was a foolish hysteria about the cheer, for it felt like Gwen and her family were drunk on laughter.

"No, babulya, that's not it." To avoid spilling the tea, Petra had to return her cup to the table. "I am more interested in finishing my thesis on the Spell Cubes. The project belongs to me now that Magister Wen is no longer keen on its completion."

"I saw a guy asking after you, Baili. I believe? He looked like a top bloke. Why not give him a chance?" Gwen poked at her cousin mischievously.

"How about you?" Petra poked back. "There are lots of rumours, you know. I can dismiss Kusu. That guy's a sister-holic, but how about Dai? His cousin was very upfront about how much the Princeling of Nantong asked after you."

"Dai is merely a bloke who owes me a favour." Gwen brushed Petra's riposte aside with a deft parry. "Nothing more, nothing less."

"The Fung Clan has a good reputation," babulya said. "They shouldered the cost of developing Nantong and even opened up their Clan's secrets to the Towers. A very progressive group of Clanners, a new wave, if you will. Nothing wrong with being nice if they're courteous."

The girls went on talking, and babulya chimed in now and then. They paraded around the prickly perimeter of the morning's events like women circling a barrel cactus.

The tea was refilled by an NoM Waitress several times. The triple-tier of petite fours disappeared, as did the black-sesame chiffon cake, a house special.

"I better head back," babulya informed the girls. "I bet Guo's got a long list of grievances to launder."

"I understand. Thanks for everything, Babulya." Gwen offered to pay for the meal, but their babulya would not have it. "Thank grandfather as well."

"Take care of her, Petra. Gwen, take care of Petra as well."

"We will, Babulya," the girls replied in unison.

The military saloon arrived a minute later.

The girls watched their grandmother go.

"It's still early," Petra noted, reading Gwen's face for an outbreak of sudden distress.

"I want to learn Illusion spells." Gwen's words caught the Mineral Mage by surprise. Gwen also surprised herself, as she had originally planned to mope and simmer in misery for a few days at least.

"To the library then? Reserved access offers common incantations from Tier 1 to 3."

"You beauty! We'll go there first and then to the Henglong Laboratory." Gwen stood from the chair and unwrinkled her clothes. "I want to surprise Tao!"

The girls first returned to the lab to receive Gwen's results.

Gwen and Petra discussed viable Illusion spells as Magister Wen did the necessary measurements on Gwen's new biometrics.

Though not at the level of her babulya's lab, Wen had loaned an Indexing Engine from Klavdiya's hospital to save Gwen from continually moving between Henglong and the Second Experimental.

"1.81 to 1.85 is what I am seeing," Magister Wen noted, scribbling into her data slate. "Congratulations, Gwen, you're an Illusionist now."

"Thank you, Magister. I appreciate your patience and experience."

"It's my job." Gwen couldn't help but detect a sarcastic ring to the Magister's voice, though she chose to disregard the Magister's passive-aggressive displeasure. A line had been drawn in the sand, and now the proper thing was for the both of them to respect their distance. As Jun had said, _give and take,_ nothing more.

"VMI… 220."

Gwen thanked the Magister for her work.

"I'll be drafting my reports to the Towers. Goodnight."

Wen told Petra to lock up, then left the girls to their devices.

"Too bad you're not quite tier 2," Petra waited until her Master was gone. "The good Illusion spells are all 7 to 9 Major incantations or more. Invisibility, Mirror Image, Magic Mouth, the works."

"I think I'll have my hands full," Gwen smirked. "Can't believe there was a spell called Invisible Familiar."

"I feel so sorry for whoever has to deal with Caliban now more than ever." Petra grinned, shaking her head. When her cynical laughter ceased, her cousin shook her head in wonder at whoever would now face Caliban.

Gwen thumbed the spell page she wanted to purchase.

**Invisible Familiar**

Illusion (1)

Casting Time: 7 Major, 2 Minor Incantation

Range: Close

Components: Somatic, Verbal

Duration: Persistent.

You wrap your Familiar in a shroud of invisibility. This spell functions as a Lesser Invisibility when applied to one's Conjured Familiar. The Familiar is nearly impossible to spot until it enters combat form. When in docile form, the spell remains active until the caster dismisses its effect or is OOM.

Combat functionality aside, having Caliban being invisible was the most useful thing Gwen could imagine. Likewise, the spell would do wonders for her interactions with others if she wished to have Caliban manifested out of sight.

As with all Invisibility spells, she needed to register an application at the Tower to be _sanctioned_ with its possession. Should she be discovered with an _illicit_ possession of Disguise Self, Invisibility and other similar _incognito-_ type incantations, she may be paying a more meaningful visit to Tilangqiao.

Besides Invisible Familiar, Gwen requested Clarion Calls, Ventriloquism, Auditory Hallucination and Disguise Self.

Disguise Self, in particular, Gwen was keen on adding to her repertoire. The spell allowed for minor alterations of her attire, the colour of her hair and eyes, and her general 'aura' to be more eye-catching or discrete. It was questionable, however, if the spell would be allowed. As with _Transformation_ and _Polymorph Self,_ the CCP and the Mageocracy discouraged any magic that would complicate individual Mages' identification.

Week 8.

Elvia had been informed of her new status as a murderess, as had her siblings-in-craft in Sydney.

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Alesia, in her usual bravado, told Gwen not to mind.

"Shit happens," the callous Battle Mage informed her. "Unless you're on the Frontier, all the tier 1 big-wigs rise to the top by stepping on human corpses. Don't sweat it. Fuck 'em, just so long as you're alright."

Gunther berated his hot-headed half of the household, then held a serious heart-to-heart with his Master's youngest. Her paternal brother-in-craft explained with great patience that her choice showed great maturity and that he was proud of her decision to face Choi head-on.

"I am actually far more worried about Yue. I hope she doesn't take after Alesia too much." Gunther sighed, clearly exhausted from his work as Chief Administrator. "Look, we should get going. Gwen, you're the one who enlightened Master about Noblesse Oblige and Militant Pacifism. As we are your siblings, we're behind you. Do not doubt your choices, do what you think is necessary. Master trusted you because he saw something in you. You're not going to become Elizabeth Sobel."

_Thank you!_ Gwen's fear of her Sydney family's disapproval vanished like snowmelt. Thank the guiding stars for Gunther and Alesia, even if her sister-in-craft possessed the emotional quotient of a yam.

As for the absent Yue, Gwen was told her friend was "living it up" on the Mermen Front, kicking ass and taking names. Already the soldiers were calling her "Little Red". The moniker alluded to Yue's Master, but the title amused Gwen.

"She is almost at tier 5 Evocation," Alesia intoned proudly. "Her Transmutation is coming along as well. Nothing like death and danger to get your tiers up."

Having thus received both confirmation and affirmation of her milestone, Gwen threw herself into her studies with a frightful passion. In addition to her classes, she practised and trained in the early morning and late afternoon across all her Schools of Magic.

Illusion proved to be a mixed bag. The Spells she had acquired for utility worked perfectly. As for the ones she had learned to impress Tao, they proved far too challenging without a tutor.

Clarion Call was an easy spell she learned in a day, projecting her voice until she could be heard almost a kilometre away. She had nearly deafened herself when she tried it in her private training chamber.

Ventriloquism was more difficult. At higher levels of expertise, it was used explicitly in conjunction with other Illusion incantations, creating real and falsified sounds. All Gwen could do was throw her voice a dozen meters, which made for little more than an impressive party trick.

Auditory Hallucination was the spell which proved to be her first hurdle. As the chant manifested, she was meant to visualise, for the lack of a better word, the sound she wished to generate. However, she could not translate the "sound" within her mind into spells. It was as though she was feeding analogue signals into a digital system. After a few dozen attempts, she managed to mimic her speech. As for the music within her mind, the spell either 'failed' or produced a jumble of sounds which jarred her ears.

On Thursday, she received the green light for Invisible Familiar but lost her appeal for Disguise Self. The reason was that the board did not deem her request _productive_ and that the spell was unnecessary for a Fudan Student. Furthermore, a supplement suggested that she was welcome to re-apply once she had "chosen" a career path, likely with the PLA.

The operative clauses did not escape Gwen.

It was unlikely that the Towers would consent to disguise spells for someone in her shoes. They probably had their hands full just tracking her Teleportation Ring for all she knew. Never mind that these Illusion spells would easily fail muster under a pair of diagnostic goggles or a Dispelling Ward. Any measure to aid her evasion was a measure too far.

Of course, she could ask for help from Gunther or Jun, but Gwen declined the temptation. There was no need to rock the boat— _yet_.

With Gwen's courses entering their final weeks, her workload drastically increased.

Magister Birch began introducing elements of Divination into his curriculum, dividing the class into those doomed to rely on devices and those gifted enough to progress to the next stage. Gwen took to Divination like an Undine to water, making the Magister whistle happily as she Dimension Doored to and fro, masterfully displacing herself from beacon to beacon.

As for Evocation, Magus Young made good on her promise of showing off _Spirited_ Evocation. Each student received a chance to "experience" the IFF possessed by the lucky few. Lu volunteered when it was Gwen's turn, skilfully arcing blue flashes of plasma around her person to strike targets behind or beside her. When she enviously fluttered her lashes at Wanli, the hawk's Master demonstrated a new mastery. Unlike his first lesson with Instructor Chen, he could utilise the hawk's AOE without harming allies caught in its range.

For Gwen herself, she worked on pushing her Evocation toward Tier 5. Without Caliban's aid, it would take her at least until the middle of next year. For now, she would focus on the efficacy and speed of her Evocation incantations.

As for new spells, Magus Young recommended the late Magister Larsen's Ball Lightning.

"Until you get a Spirit, seeking' spells are likely your staple within a mass-melee," the Evoker advised.

The spell's cost was 72 CCs, not to mention Gwen lacked the tiers necessary for the time being.

"You'll grow into it," Young informed her. "Think of it as loosening the tier 5 bottleneck."

And so, the days whizzed by in the blink of an eye.

If there was a solace to her workaholic ethic, the hectic schedule had driven any thoughts of Choi entirely from her mind.

After a few weeks, Gwen uncovered an unexpected boon proffered by her supernatural vitality. Gwen found that she never suffered from _true_ physical exhaustion. Haggard as she may be after an eight-kilometre campus circuit, Gwen was up and ready five minutes later. Her only limitation was mental fatigue, which could be cured through sleep and meditation.

By Week 10, Gwen had successively kept Caliban and Ariel manifested for eight days. She submitted the results to Instructor Chen, upon which she received his congratulatory accolades.

"That's the end of my course." Chen spread his hands. "You're welcome to keep attending, but if you want to progress further, go to the Front. Congratulations on passing."

Gwen insisted there was more to learn, but Chen shook his head.

Ariel had been a sterling example of obedience in the obstacle run; Caliban had also scored above average. Gwen thus considered Chen's words, taking to heart the military man's advice. The Front loomed large on her list of places to visit, but she would consult with Jun about whether the real experience was necessary for her to participate in the IIUC.

Economics moved from Macro to Micro as the term progressed, shifting from the resource trade between the cities, enabled by the mass-freight services between the Frontier and the tier 1 hubs, to individual power brokers.

Cities such as London, with its proximity to friendly Demi-humans, thrived not on mineral wealth, but on essential ingredients and reagents for spells, having access to the only trove of amicable Elves in the Western world.

Other cities, such as Paris and Rome, thrived on lingering vestiges of soft power left over from their dynastic history, retaining unrivalled influence through their institutions.

A particularly interesting place which made her ears perk was the Vatican.

"The ultimate seat of Faith Magic," her instructor had blatantly stated as though reciting hypnopaedic dot points. Gwen raised her hand, but Professor Jiang wasn't a Mage and couldn't explain the subtler definitions of Faith Magic.

_Faith?_ The moniker smacked of mysticism. Her babulya had remarked more than once that there was no such thing as Gods. If so, what constituted a Deity? Even in Australia, religion was just that - a public spiritual service. It wasn't as though the Cardinals and the Bishops flew through the air at the behest of higher powers. Then again, the Frontier had gone so far as to censor Spellcraft textbooks. Lord knows what else the ordinary people of Sydney were kept from knowing.

Finally, when she asked Professor Ma, the academic provided some clues.

"Ha! Not even your average Magus would know the answer to that question." Ma chuckled. "What we know about Faith Magic is that it taps into the collated _animus_ of those who believe in a particular doctrine. It's an ancient sort of magic; some say the Egyptian God-Kings were the first pioneers, or the Israelites, though both of those 'Faiths' have now reduced themselves to more orthodox forms of Spellcraft. I suppose the Christian Church has retained a stranglehold on Faith Magic for some time; since they never did lose their seat of power. No conquest, no diaspora, no loss of home or hearth. There were a few civil wars, Luther and all that, but they've kept together for the last two thousand years. The Knight Orders under the Britannic Mageocracy are famous for using Faith magic."

"How come Fudan doesn't have a course on Faith Magic?" Gwen enquired.

"What a silly question!" Ma mocked her unworldly question. "Isn't it obvious? There are no state religions in China! All forms of organised faith are seen as a challenge to the CCP. Do you know what I think? All magic, in the end, is just Spellcraft. Any phenomenon that can't be explained is always seen as divine providence. That's why we have Spellcraft; to take us out of the mystical antiquity and into the modern world of reason and rationality. Observable and replicable—that's our motto."

"I see, Sir. Would you happen to know the mechanics behind Faith Magic?"

"You're barking up the wrong tree." Ma collected his lecture notes. "Don't overthink. Focus on what you do know. Your finals are coming up, yes? Don't get distracted. Excellent essay, by the way. A+. Keep up the good work."

"How come you know so much about Spellcraft, Sir?" Gwen felt puzzled that neither Birch nor Young had answered her enquiry. Petra knew little to nothing about it either. She had said that Moscow Tower was ambivalent about Faith Magic, though religion held palpable influence across the Russian Frontier, especially in the Faith Capital - St Petersburg.

"I came from a lineage family." Ma snickered tragically. "What can you do? If the Gods do exist, they're cruel bastards. I suppose I did pretty well, though. Still, we can't all be Void and Lightning. Yes?"

The Professor departed after that, leaving Gwen to regret that she had grazed an open wound.

"Dai would be very pleased if you could join him." Lu held an invitation for the heir apparent's 22nd birthday in his hand.

The looks she was getting from those who had seen Lu's invite were palpably hostile.

"Tell Dai I won't be able to make it," Gwen refuted the public invitation loudly. More quietly, she said she would thank Dai personally should a future opportunity arise. "I have a very important excursion and training for the IIUC tryout. I hope Dai can understand."

Lu seemed disappointed. The invitation was gifted regardless, in case Gwen "changed her mind".

Gwen was determined not to be tempted though. She had no confidence in the people at these high society gatherings. So far, her encounters with assholes were almost 100%. Either she lived under a blighted star or needed more clout to make herself irreproachably unapproachable, especially to those wooing her with questionable designs.

The weeks thus rolled by, and soon the time for examination was upon them.

Gwen prepared her mind and body as the countdown struck the final day of August. She had trained with Petra, sparred with Lulan and Kusu, and further polished her skills with Richard and Lea blocking her endless assault of Evoked and Conjured lightning.

From a Paper Tiger... Gwen was confident she had graduated to become a Paper Dragon! She just hoped there wouldn't be Kusu and Lulan 2.0 waiting to challenge her during the practicals.


"You're telling me you've done… nothing? Not a _single_ quest completed?"

Gwen felt unbound sympathy for her new friend.

Lulan sat on Gwen's living room lounge, her knees held against her chest, her expression glassy and miserable. The Sword Mage was impressively flexible, Gwen noticed. Though unemployed right now, the girl could find alternative employment as a contortionist.

Herself, Petra, Lulan, Kusu and Richard had enjoyed a celebratory dinner in Gwen's apartment before Monday's Finals. As the Mages took turns discussing recent events, Lulan confessed that she hadn't been questing.

"What happened?" Gwen inquired, curious as to why someone with Lulan's skills would be excluded.

"Eh, I joined a Purge party around Week 9," Lulan explained. "But..."

As it turned out, the Clan organised party had been instructed to isolate her. After entering the Jiangxi Orange Zone, her party members immediately snubbed the Sword Mage. Having brought only a week's supply of rations, she had to forage for food and water and make her shelter. When she accused the party leader, the man turned the rest of the party against her, citing her violent past and infamous reputation as a _traitor_. No longer clouded by the red mist, Lulan was lost as to her next course of action, knowing that if she killed or maimed them, she would probably never again return to Shanghai.

When she returned in week 11, she fell into depression and slept in the apartment for about a week.

"Those bastards! You should have come to us immediately!" Gwen gnashed her pearly teeth. Caliban stirred beside her, licking its chops. "Who are they? We'll visit them _right now_."

"I appreciate the sentiment," Kusu intervened, ever the cool-headed one. "Lulu and I, we need to keep our heads down. Maybe it's best to get pushed around for a while. This way, they can 'forget' about us. We're just going to be glaring targets otherwise."

"Huashan has a stick up their arse." Gwen's complaint was low and grumbling. "Should I talk to Uncle?"

"It's not our Clan." Lulan shook her head. "It's everyone else."

Clanners then. Clanners, in general.

"Maybe I should drop out? Take six months of leave?" Lulan wondered aloud, watching Gwen's face. "I could be in the same year as you and Kusu then."

That's more like dropping TWO years, Gwen explained to her. That's too much time wasted for what was essentially a problem resolvable with a little tenacity and a lesson delivered via an Iron Sword.

Gwen was almost considering whether she could speak to Dai for that favour when her cousin chimed in his two cents.

"Look." Richard came to Lulan's rescue. "Why don't you join my party? We're all second years. My guys are all independent contractors, so don't expect anyone fancy, but we got no baggage either."

"You have a regular Party?" Gwen felt slightly envious that Richard already had a crew. She knew he had a few people who regularly sought him out, but a party?

"You know, the Nantong guys from the Bridge project, plus a few strays we've picked up since."

"I don't know about that," Gwen pouted. "You've never introduced them formally."

"They're all eager to meet you, haha," Richard chuckled. "Remember when my boss spat the dummy? He's accused me of keeping our 'beauty' of a cousin hidden."

"Can I join then?" Lulan perked up. "They won't dislike a Clanner?"

"They wouldn't care. We're mostly doing construction and clearing work, though, don't expect us to be doing much Purging. We're on the defensive nine times out of ten. You can transmute metal, right?"

"I conjure iron, and yes. I can Transmute all kinds of metal, though iron is my forte."

"Perfect." Richard clapped his hands. "You have no idea how helpful that's going to be. It's dirty work, lots of water, sand and mud every day, every inch of the way. Lots of merfolk to fight as well. Think you'll be alright with that?"

Lulan nodded eagerly.

"Great!" Richard reached over with his hand. The two shook on the deal. "The boys will be thrilled."

Kusu watched the exchange. His eyes were increasingly uncertain.

"How many women are in your group?" Kusu asked casually.

"Just one."

"One?"

"Yep, Lulu. Hahaha!" Richard broke into rancorous laughter, slapping Kusu's thighs with casual intimacy.

"Hahaha!" Lulan laughed as well.

Kusu looked to have drifted into space.

A vision of Lulan in shorts and a spaghetti singlet, covered in construction dust, hammering away at bedrock, flashed between Gwen's mind's eye. There were so many men, their eyes green, glowing, and watching as her iron sword pounded away.

_Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!_

Then Lulu would wipe away a brow full of sweat.

She could see why suddenly, Kusu looked violently ill.

The Conjuration practical exam involved a graded demonstration. There were duels galore, but not so for Gwen. One 'Shaaa!' from her Mongolian Death Worm was enough to dissuade anyone eager to consider contesting the Void sorceress. The Bestiary students had spread the word that should a Familiar be consumed by Caliban, 'It's gone forever!'

Additionally, a rumour had circulated that Dai Fung owed Gwen Song a favour, and that was a Warding Glyph no one wanted to step in.

Evocation came and went as Gwen had anticipated. Without access to her Familiars or the convenient IFF of a Spirit, she had initially scored in the low 80s. It took a manifestation of Ball Lightning, consecutively creating three self-seeking orbs which unerringly demolished their targets to attain the 90 needed for High Distinction.

Though higher grades were not necessary for her inclusion in the IIUC team, Petra had informed her cousin that team members seldom possessed a Weighed Average Mark below 85.

As Gwen wished to participate in the 2004 October tryouts, a top percentile mark served as insurance.

Tuesday followed with Bestiary, a course Gwen had already passed with flying colours. She went anyway, giving Eunae and others moral support as Luyi ducked, dodged through obstacles, and fought summoned creatures.

Advanced Spellshaping was next.

The 60% weighing project for Magister Lee's course was the alteration of a "spell" that the students must present for a glorified show and tell. Gwen hadn't thought much of the project as the assignment involved 'an original alteration of an existing spell'. Thus far, her peers have proved woefully unoriginal.

It was fortunate that Gwen had several.

Flashbang was almost entirely _original_ , though nine-tenths of it had been Alesia's design.

She also had a spell she had named Taser. In hindsight, it was useless against monsters because meleeing a land shark was foolish. It was also meaningless against Mages because casters possessed Shields. What was it good for was NoMs.

Gwen cringed. Those days of playful innocence were behind her. To think she had thought NoMs a force to be feared.

Then there was Blast Bolt, another spell Alesia and Henry had advised. Finally, she had the Elemental-Shift variety of Faithful Hound and the Blast-Radius variety of Dimension Door.

Now that she thought of it, she hadn't _created_ any new spells for a long time. Was it because of time and resources? Or that it was easier to buy than discover? In truth, her human resources in Sydney had been over the top. She had unilateral access to the battle-prodigy Alesia de Botton, her brother-in-craft Gunther Shultz, and the late Master of Oceania, Henry Kilroy. For most of her early career, she had been tutored via a Cog-Chamber, with her mana guided and her incantations perfected by Tower-tier teachers.

_Some are given silver teaspoons_ , Gwen reflected with a bittersweet melancholy. In hindsight, she had been fed with a platinum escargot fork.

Michio appeared interested in her Flashbang but snorted at her other spells.

"75, Distinction," the man noted, flexing his chest unconsciously. "I am frankly disappointed. I'd expected more."

_Well, shit._ Gwen gave the Magister her best smile to hide her flustered nerves. Averaged against her previous assignment, she was sitting on 82.

"Alright. My next demonstration might take a while. Magister Lee. But please observe."

Gwen drew a low-tier summon circle on the floor with her finger, then began to incant her sole warding spell.

"Morden's Faithful Hound!" It took her just over a minute to finish—a personal record.

With a thunderclap, a blazing burst of cobalt electricity erupted from the circle, then disappeared for all but Gwen. While her observers grew confused, Gwen knew that only the owner of the guardian hound could see its presence within the AOE perimetre.

"Incredible! How?" Magister Lee stood from his chair with enough force to send the fold-out chair clattering across the training hall.

"Sir?"

Michio strode across the floor toward her, who frantically began to dispel the hound. Her inexpertise, however, was time enough for the Magister to approach with the specific intent of 'testing' her ward.

A blaze of Tyrian-cobalt fulmination erupted, and then an enormous Great Dane leapt from the summoning circle. Michio's mana shield sparkled and sizzled as a pattern of red-orange light erupted, keeping Gwen's tier 4 guard dog at bay, scraping and snarling at her intruder.

"Dismiss!" Gwen managed to dispel the hound. It was the first time she had to undo her spell, and the effort made her heart race.

Michio's Shield glowed for a second longer, then dissolved, leaving a scent of sunkissed bedsheets.

_Her instructor was a Radiant Mage!_ Gwen thought immediately of Gunther. No wonder the two men resembled each other: the overbearing presence, the aura of authority, and the endearment they engendered effortlessly.

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"WONDERFUL!" Michio reached out with his massive hands, catching her shoulders and pinning her at arm's length. "I am very pleased."

"Thank you!" Gwen hollered back, her mind awash with his awesome presence. Gods, why were they both shouting? "Can you let me go, Sir? I have no wish to lose a kidney to one of your fans."

Michio released her.

Gwen shot a suspicious glance at the dozen or so students throwing daggers with their eyes. She stepped back in case Michio again became enraptured by The Passion of Spellcraft.

The Magister was glowing.

_Bloody Radiant Mages!_ If Gwen had been a teenager, she might have fallen in love with Lee right there and then. The man had far less control over his aura than Gunther, for her brother-in-law never _leaked_ his charismatic colours all over innocent bystanders.

"Who taught you this variation?"

"My instructor," Gwen answered vaguely.

Michio studied Gwen's eyes with an intensity unbefitting an instructor.

"Are you willing to offer the variation to the Tower for CCs? You will be amply rewarded if you are in the rightful possession of these spells. You will contribute to the greater good of the Spellcraft community! _What say you,_ Gwen Song?"

Gwen did a double take. _Sell the spell?_ Offer it to the public? Could she do that? The variation belonged to her Master. But of course, her Master was cold and preserved in Sufina's Grot. Not to mention his estate belonged to Gunther and Alesia more so than herself.

"I would have to consult with the er… other stakeholders," Gwen replied expertly. "I will give you an answer as soon as possible."

"You MUST!" Michio came closer, his aura making her eyes water. "If you do, you shall receive a perfect grading!"

Gwen's complexion glowered a vibrant shade of scarlet, looking like she had been facing a furnace. There was that smell of freshly sunned bedsheets again! These Radiant Mages are insufferable.

"I need to go." Gwen pulled herself away. _Jesus Christ,_ she tried to imagine Gunther pulling one of these light shows of personal charisma. People would fall to their knees and kiss his shoes even if he had stabbed their mothers.

For now, with her booties clacking against the wooden floorboards, she fled the scene.

Wednesday.

Gwen drifted through the air, following their instructor's lead. Lesser Flight was the last station for Utility Transmutation. Ahead, Magus Luo, the Dean's nephew, led the group of about twenty or so Utility Transmutation students who had mastered enough of their Secondary School of Magic through the air.

Gwen followed without effort, though she received no praise from her instructor.

Luo had learned from the Dean that Gwen was a natural Transmuter, meaning her 'genius' for her 'third' school was the equivalent of a native speaker masquerading as a foreigner learning the language.

When the flight finished, fourteen students remained.

Kanto Luo gave Gwen a 95 out of 100, grudgingly marking it down on his data slate before bidding her leave to enjoy her Winter Holiday. Though it was almost hitting 30 to 35 degrees Celsius daily in mid-August, the University's Extra-curriculum circuit meant students would remain busy in Shanghai well into November until day-time temperatures dropped to sub-zero.

As for Gwen, freedom was at hand.

Economics on Thursday was a cinch. Searching through the three dozen economic models seared into her memory by week-long cram sessions, she re-imagined a watered-down revision of the Keynesian Economic model by the late John Maynard Keynes.

In her assignment, she appropriated a few "golden rules" offered by Keynes as a solution to the Great Depression, mainly that there was a way to stimulate the economy via an "incentive to invest", substituting the Arcane Class for the Capitalist Class, and the NoMs for the Working Class. She advocated opening the Shanghai Central Bank to low-interest Loans for NoMs seeking to erect small and medium enterprises, with the CCP serving as gatekeepers of monetary policy.

Her essay furthermore explained that should interest rates for lending be reduced, many investments previously not seen as viable or profitable would manifest. Loans would finance long-term debt purchases such as houses, automobiles, and the spread of magical appliances. In this manner, the stimulation of the NoM economy directly fed into the circulation of currency and assets in the Mage economy, drawing the two together to create an overall apportionment of goods and services across the two previously segregated spheres of economic development.

As for the potential rise of buccaneer enterprises and Fordian moguls, Gwen wasn't worried. She wrote that Crystals were naturally resistant to hyperinflation and that the Towers would punish anyone whose greed threatened to undermine the system.

Assuredly, in this world, even if the NoMs were living like Steinbeck's Middle America in a literary cross-over with Orwell's Air Strip One, things could hardly get worse.

Management was another easy write-up. As this world forsook political science in favour of outright violence, Gwen decided to address Ma's question of "Problems of Equality in a Society of Strata" with stolen transcripts from Amartya Sen, the Harvard resident on Human Development Theory. In the 80s, the professor had posed a formative question regarding the emergence of Neo-liberalism, citing the problem of distributing limited resources _equally_. Gwen contributed one of her old essays, proposing the question of _"Equality of What?"_ moving through topics such as welfare, aid, capability and opportunity. Following Sen's theory, she linked these with key humanistic themes of individuality and responsibility, then worked in an entire section on the concept of Noblesse Oblige, arguing for a more balanced approach to the social strata, emphasising a convergence of liberal and socialist receptions to 'equality' among the classes that linked in with her earlier economic essay.

After the last call for 'pens down' was met by the clattering of writing implements, Gwen gathered Kitty, Richard and Mayuree around her, then paraded her compatriots toward the local Korean BBQ, where she 'shouted' them dinner.

"Sure, put it into the registry. I don't mind." Gunther shrugged. "Alesia will likely need some of those CCs. She's been trying to auction up a Fire Spirit for months now."

"Thanks, Gunther."

"Tell you what." Her brother-in-law tapped the cleft in his chin. "Leave it with me. I have Master's notes in a Spellbook somewhere. I'll submit it under your name from my end to Pudong. The negotiation with the Towers usually takes a while. You're not ready for that, not as a first-year student!"

"I have full confidence in both of you." Gwen smiled, showing her pearly whites. "I'll ask Mayuree, my friend, if they know anyone selling a Fire Spirit. Her family runs the House of M!"

"Sounds like someone useful." He nodded approvingly. "Whatever happens, keep your Contingency Ring on."

By Saturday, the semester was officially over.

Gwen went by her babulya's laboratory to receive another check-up, confirming with Jun that he would pick her up on Sunday morning.

"Evocation, 4.61."

"Conjuration 5.12."

“Transmutation 2.70.”

"Abjuration 1.85."

"Divination 1.34."

"Illusion 1.95."

"230 VMI."

Klavdiya couldn't help but be stricken all over again, holding the scripts to her heart like she was clutching a precious great-grandchild.

"Babulya, you're embarrassing me." Gwen tugged at the script in her grandmother's hand.

"Be careful out there with Jun. Don't overextend yourself. When you return, we'll have a big family dinner."

"I will, Babulya. And thanks, dinner sounds wonderful."

"Percy will be there, I promise." Her grandmother watched her expression intently.

Gwen did her best to smile.

Her younger sibling had not called nor spoken to her since she had last visited him. It was as though the boy had fallen off the Material Plane. Were it not for a stream of updates from babulya; she would have thought him a phantom from her previous life.

_At least Percy 1.0 called every other week._ Gwen sighed inwardly. Hopefully, their forced encounter would bring any misgivings or misunderstandings to light.

Sunday.

Gwen laid out all her gear on the bed, from smallest to largest.

12 Healing Potion Injectors.

4 Remove Disease Injectors.

4 Cure Poison Injectors.

1 Potion of Invisibility.

1 Potion of Giant's Strength.

1 Potion of Night Vision.

Most of these were her loot from Nephres.

1 Portable Habitat returned from Kusu.

1000 HDMs in assorted HDM and LDMs.

Assorted cosmetics, body wash, shampoos and conditioners.

Cantrip Cubes—from insect-repelling to laundry to those that produced water and fire.

Assorted intimates.

Shorts.

Pants.

Shirts—twenty assorted.

Ten pairs of socks, from ankle, knee to thigh length.

1 Skin-suit, military issue.

1 Enchanted Boots of Flying, as well as an assortment of runners, heels, wedges and sandals.

1 Chameleon Cloak, half body.

And so it goes.

Her ring was barely half-full, even with two weeks' worth of Korean instant noodles and Spam. For this, Gwen congratulated herself on the joys of owning a Large Storage Ring.

She was up at 6 AM, unable to sleep for the excitement. She was a child again, waiting for the campout at Cockatoo Island with her Blackwattle friends. In the intervening time, she had dressed for style and comfort, knowing that Jun would advise her once they were on their way.

Wanting to impress, she slipped into the laced-up magical boots Alesia had loaned, pairing them with a skort, a kind of tennis wear made for mobility and comfort. Casual tops completed the look, with a duck-billed cap Tao had given her enchanted to soak sweat and keep cool.

Her Message device rang.

"Uncle?"

"I am downstairs."

"Coming!"

Petra met her in the hall.

"Going?"

"Yep, take care, Pats. I'll bring back some dragon meat!"

"Take care." Petra embraced her, pressing her cousin against her cheeks. The Enchanter had been paranoid and worried about Gwen's journey to poach Dragons.

Richard had faired her well last night, wishing her good luck and promising that he would likewise return from his extended CC-gathering quest in Nantong in one piece. He further informed her that Kusu and Lulan had both joined his "party". The brother could not leave his sister alone after Lulan met with Richard's crew and instantly became their beloved mascot.

Gwen had likewise promised Tao and Mina at Friday dinner that she would see them at the big family reunion after her return and that they would spend plenty of time together during the Winter break.

Of all her friends and family, Mayuree loathed Gwen leaving the most.

"I am going to hide in my room and not come out until you return," the Diviner had informed her. "Come back soon! Please!"

"I'll try my best! Maybe perform Augury for me? See how my trip would go?"

Mayuree returned about ten minutes later, her face flush with excitement.

"Awesome! Everything is going to be great! My Augur says great success!"

"Wonderful!" Gwen hugged her friend and gave her a peck on the forehead. "Alright, I'll be back in one piece, I promise! Wish me luck!"

Outside Gouding B-1's lobby, Gwen met her uncle parked beside his Wrangler-styled Jeep, back against the door, one foot over the other.

Jun wore his military casuals. He had an enormous wristwatch on his right, which Gwen assumed to be a Magical Device and an assortment of rings on either hand.

Her uncle must have recently cut his hair, for his military crop was shaved close to his scalp, giving him a more masculine look than usual. Perhaps out of habit, Jun had kept his beard, which formed a dark halo around his lips, culminating in a villainous goatee.

When he saw her, his eyes lit up.

"Looking lovely there," he grinned. "Your father would be happy to see you doing so well."

Gwen had been skipping happily toward Jun when she paused mid-stride. Had she been holding a handbag, she would have dropped it like a weight.

"My... _father_?"

Jun laughed, opening the car door to let her in.

"Jump in." He slid into the driver's seat effortlessly, then slipped on a pair of cool aviators. "Dragons await, but we'll see how Hai's doing first. I bet he misses you like nothing else. I know I would!"

From the penthouse, Mayuree watched Jun's Jeep enter the main boulevard; she followed Gwen with her eyes until she disappeared in a forest of sedans, trucks and rickshaws.

She held her inscribed augury implements in her hands—two lengths of dragon teeth from her homeland. When she had attempted to roll the bones, her decahedron Theravāda Mandala had steadfastly refused any foretelling of the future, expelling the bones. When she changed to a less potent octogramic Mandala, the mulberry fibre upon which the Divination glyphs were inscribed began to smoke.

When her next attempt caught fire, Mayuree knew better than to tempt fate. Such things were beyond her ken; any more prying would invite calamity.


Gwen was familiar with the scenery on the Second and Third Orbital Highway. As the city centre shrunk into the distance, giant billboards empowered with Illusion gave way to humbler ones, just as commercials transformed into state propaganda. Curiously, one could almost estimate the distance from Shanghai proper by the phrasing of the long red banners spanning the six-lane girth of the Fourth Orbital.

_"Happy Community - CCP and You - Hand in Hand."_

_"Joy in Labour - Prosperity in Harmony."_

_"Hard Work - Happiness - Peace - Socialism."_

There was a poetic simplicity in the increasingly stupefying slogan. Gwen reckoned that given the number of times she had been distracted enough to read the damn things, she was already subconsciously subscribed.

"Four hours to Hangzhou," Jun stated cooly. She could see from the ease and pleasure on his face that her uncle loved driving. She loved a long drive. There was freedom in the distance, open skies, the road moving under one's feet, the trees whizzing by, the cattle lowing on the hill.

There were no cows here in China. The countryside was entirely utilised for the growing of grain. In front of the duo spread an endless green, yellow and brown vista, which Gwen assumed was a crop rotation.

"Jiangnan is the rice bowl of Shanghai." Her uncle caught her staring glassily at the emerald expanse. "Biggest aquaculture region in the world. Shanghai eats surprisingly little of it. Most of the grain is exported to Frontier cities."

"The Frontier can't hold its own?"

Jun chuckled.

"Expecting NoMs to defend their farms against Riven Merfolk, Jueyuan and Goblinoids, do you? Take up pitchforks and carry large sticks? Even armed and trained NoM Militias have to be supported by Mages."

Her uncle had a point, but still, Gwen gazed toward the fields sullenly. Was the Frontier useful only as cannon fodder and resource collection? There are fifty million souls spread across the outer reaches of Shanghai!

They travelled without speaking for a short while, the stuttering breeze prolonging the contemplative silence.

Despite the cooling glyphs blowing cold air, Jun's topless Jeep meant the dark interior leather heated considerably. Gwen's Boots of Flying became increasingly stifling until she felt her skin slipping against the suede lining. Finally, she unlaced and let her skin breathe.

"Those are meant for flying, not fashion. Just take 'em off if you have to." Her uncle's expression was unreadable behind his sunglasses.

Gwen pushed the seat back and wiggled free of her boots. Instantly, she felt cooler.

"Sunblock." Her uncle tossed over a tube. "We're outside the city. There's no mana miasma; you'll get burned."

Gwen gingerly applied the ointment with her fingers while Jun continued to speak. With her Druidic Essence, it was unlikely. As an Aussie, however, she knew the sun's torturous abuse all too well.

"We're going to see some very interesting things on our trip," Jun continued. "Here's our projected itinerary. We're going to see your father in Hangzhou first. He's working with the local militia, helping clear the land for more aquaculture."

"Then, we're going to detour toward the Anhui Frontier. We'll meet the garrison stationed there, then leave for the Huangshan region controlled by the Yinglong on foot."

"Once we're away, we will be cut off from the cities—no Message spells, not even with Long-Range Devices. Don't worry; your Contingency Ring should still function without fail. It's keyed to the Tower's beacons via a whole other system."

"You knew about my ring?" Gwen glanced toward the nondescript iron band on her finger.

"Of course, you think the Pudong Tower will let you out just like that?" Jun chuckled. "If myself, mother, and grandfather had not vouched for you on the PLA front as well, the authorities would have never agreed with Pudong to let you out of the city."

"Grandfather?" Gwen paused in her application of sunscreen and looked toward Jun.

"Yes. Your _grandfather_ —I know you guys are not fond of each other. But dad is not an entirely disagreeable man," Jun explained. "He's a conservative. Being risk-averse comes with the job and the title. Subtle and steady are the watchwords of the MSS. You; are anything but subtle."

"He's also suspicious and paranoid," Gwen added reflexively.

"Well, I can't argue with that." Jun shrugged his shoulders. "There's a reason why the Ministry and my branch, Internal Security, tend to be iron-handed. Maybe one day you'll see. People are not _nice_ in general, Gwen."

"I'll see?"

"Sure, it'll be a lesson. The word from Professor Ma is that you're hoping for a demesne of your own?"

"I am?" Gwen ran her palm down to her ankles, then up again, lathering the cream. She was reminded of the academic essay she had written for Ma. On paper, she appeared to have 'big' ideas.

"I suppose—WHOA, what is that!"

Gwen became distracted by an enormous buffalo, or at least what she thought was a water buffalo. It was well over three meters tall by her reckoning, almost six meters from head to tail. A boy was steering it through a length of rope tied to a nose ring.

Jun ignored her outburst.

"You ever read Mozi's Analects of 'Fa'?" Jun asked after the buffalo disappeared in the distance.

Gwen had heard of the name, though she couldn't say if she knew or understood the Mohist school of philosophy. Asian Studies was an elective, after all, one that was worth only three out of six credit potential points.

"He's the pioneer of Chinese Legalism, isn't he?"

"I guess these days we would call him a Magi, but yes, he was the Sage King of Xia's advisor, a Mage-Scholar. He spent his entire life fighting the rise of Confucian philosophy, but his works were burned when the Qin Dynasty collapsed. I guess we're lucky that some of his compositions survived. Rather than obedience, he believed that human society should emphasise self-restraint, self-reflection and authenticity. He advocated 'Ai'—universal love, as early as 420 BC, long before the west came up with any concept on democracy or human rights."

"What happened to him?"

"The Confucian Sage-Kings had him tied to a brass pole, then stacked it with coals."

"Alright." Gwen felt her skin writhe.

"Do you want to help the NoMs, Gwen? Improve their lot?"

"I do," she replied without much thought. "At least I can do better than people like Choi."

Jun glanced at her, then snorted. A derisive chuckle escaped his lips.

"I am serious!" Gwen shot back cattily, her hazel eyes full of challenge.

"Back to what we were talking about before." Jun kept his eyes on the road. "Here's a question for our future Secretariat Song. Mozi argued that the natural state of man is one of "Lī", rationality or propriety. His student, Hanfei, famously appropriated his master's teachings to mean that all men were beings of 'Lì', meaning profit or self-gain. What do you believe, Gwen?"

Gwen thought of Niccolò Machiavelli, wondering if this world had a 'Magister' from the 15th century who tried to suck up to Lorenzo Medici. Machiavelli wrote that goodness in man never existed, that in politics, as in life, it was every man for himself. Powerful men desired to be loved alone, without loving back.

"I suppose it's easier to say people are greedy," she replied. "There's altruism, right?"

"Of course," Jun replied. "Though altruism is a luxury for those with power and excess. I think the Demi-humans are much more honest than us in this regard."

"Demi-humans, Uncle?"

"You'll see," Jun again responded mysteriously. "You'll come away from this trip with more than just a Lightning Spirit, I hope."

"In that case, I'll keep my eyes peeled," Gwen promised, wondering what her uncle had in store. She was confident that Jun wouldn't drop her into a pit of snakes to teach her that "not all snakes are poisonous," unlike Gunther.

As the distance wore on, Gwen's thoughts turned to that of Hai, her father. _What was he doing now? Was he safe?_ The last time she'd spoken to Morye—AKA—Hai, he had appeared almost ragged with tiredness. _What could the man be doing now?_

The aquaculture landscape eventually ended after what seemed like hours, with the sighting of mountainous buffalos becoming more frequent as the road tapered. From the twelve-lane two-way freeway, the road narrowed into a four-lane rural strip.

When they reached their final checkpoint, a troop of PLA guards examined Jun's papers regarding Gwen with interest.

Soon after, their destination loomed.

Hangzhou, a Frontier city of the Jiangnan geo-block, was a satellite region attached to Shanghai.

Together with Anhui, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang, the three Frontier regions formed the Green Zone immediately south of the Yangtze River, creating a fertile delta known widely as the 'rice bowl' of China. The region had been occupied by humans since antiquity, having remained in Human possession for over four millennia. During the Han Dynasty, it famously formed the nation of Wu during the Three Kingdoms. In the 1204 AD Mongolian invasion, it was the last part of China to fall to the Demi-human Incursion from the Northern Steppes. Later, the Ming Dynasty had Nanjing as its temporary capital. Three centuries later, the Qing Dynasty sacked the region when it came into power. Despite its historical turmoil, the temperate climate, the scarcity of Demi-humans, the lack of predatory Magical Monsters and a wealth of ley-lines made the region quintessential to Shanghai's continued prosperity.

After the Cultural Revolution, the region expanded. When the bureaucrat-leader Deng Xiaoping, the paramount leader of the CCP after the death of its founder Magi, Mao, opened the country to the international Tower system, the regions blossomed.

At the southwestern extremity of Jiangnan was the Anhui Frontier.

Anhui, including the 'Yellow Mountain' of Huangshan, was the borderline to China's southern Black Zone. Arguably, the apathy of the mountain's Yinglong made it closer to a Purple Zone—an area with intelligent creatures who saw humans as a food source.

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Before one reached Anhui, three human cities made up Shanghai's Western Frontier. Wuxi to the northwest, Suzhou to the west, and Hangzhou to the southwest.

Wuxi, known for its beautiful Taihu north, sat beside an Orange Zone—a zone suitable for human occupation but prone to the formation and habitation of intelligent Magical Creatures and Demi-humans who saw humanity as competitors but not a food source.

South of Wuxi was Suzhou and then Hangzhou.

Most famously, it was Hangzhou and Suzhou which gave birth to the aphorism, "where there is heaven above, there is Su-Hang below."

Next door, Hangzhou was an ancient and cultured city famous for producing poets and ancient Kenshi. To Gwen's surprise, her uncle began to hum a short poem as they passed by a picturesque estuary upon which a pagoda temple was attached.

_"The river flows beneath a stone bridge-_

_One listens to the pattering rain,_

_Dreaming of soft willows."_

Her Ioun Stone took its best shot to translate her uncle's romanticism.

According to Jun, verbosity was the common disease of all those who came to the land of silk and willows. The northern Emperors often said that the Jiangnan was a womb whose tepid weather, flowing streams, and pale women milled away the ambition of northern kings.

From their vantage point, the city of Hangzhou stood tall and gleaming in the distance, mirage-like in the haze of the Jiangnan summer.

A few minutes later, their Jeep pulled into what Gwen could only describe as an idyllic landscape painting produced in the late Song Dynasty.

Compared to the ancient and venerable architecture of the siheyuan, the concrete parking bay outside the riverside garden home was jarring to the extreme.

"We're here." Jun popped the locks and invited Gwen to disembark.

"We're where?" Gwen put on a pair of runners, stretching her languished body.

"Your father's temporary abode, so I am told." Jun's expression was one of surprise and delight as well. His eyes scanned the whitewashed walls of the siheyuan, marvelling at the ancient lichen-covered terracotta. The door was deeply set into the covered porch, the eaves opulently inscribed with weather-beaten lacquer. "Mao, this place is as incredible as I recall."

"Have you been here before?"

"I have. Once, a long time ago. We were both fresh out of military school. The house belonged to the local Magistrate back then. Oh, he's probably the District Official now." Jun approached the door, lifted the brass knocker, and tapped it several times. Gwen, meanwhile, inspected the Chinese watercress and lotuses growing in the moat surrounding the impressive facade of the homestead. There was always something soothing and wonderful about the lotus flower that soothed the viewer's mind with its gentle arrangement of pastel carmine.

The door opened a sliver.

"Young Master Song," an elderly Chinese man greeted them. "Please, the side door. We are expecting you."

_The servant's entrance?_ Gwen had at first believed themselves victims of a conspiracy. However, when they reached the side, she could see that it was a modern door with a mechanical lock. From its well-worn step, she deduced that this was more likely the 'usual' entrance used by the venerable home's residents.

Inside was a small rock garden which led to a gallery, where the duo was politely asked to switch to inside shoes. The old butler patiently waited on them, neither introducing himself nor greeting them formally.

"This way."

Inside, the quadrangle garden terrace was exquisite, with an eye-straining volume of detail painted into the alfresco murals of cranes in flight. The compound was likewise enormous; the corridors endlessly extensive, while the galleries and gangways looped through river-stone outcroppings and slow-moving pools of bean-green water spotted with lotuses. When Gwen came to a ledge, she saw a school of florid koi lazily combing the surface for fallen seeds and insects.

When they finally came to a central pavilion circled on all sides with water, she caught sight of two figures lounging on cushioned benches. There was a stained mahogany coffee table by the wayside, upon which a pot brewed gently. An assortment of fruits and flowers had been laid on the low table; silk shawls filtered the harsh sunlight.

The scenery was exotic beyond measure, a silk-screen painting where life imitated art.

All that was missing was the gentle plucking of a guzheng.

"Beautiful," Gwen muttered. "What're we here to see?"

"Hai…" Jun paused beside Gwen. There was a sharp intake of breath. "BROTHER! _Great Leader's Ghost! W_ hat are you doing?"

Gwen caught herself mid-stride. Uncle Jun couldn't use Mao's name in vain without meaningful agitation.

Jun swore again before he began moving.

As they came closer, Gwen saw what Jun had seen.

"Fuck a duck!" Gwen swore under her breath. Following Jun's cue, her mouth felt suddenly full of ash. "Jesus, Dad, you gotta be shitting me."

She wasn't sure if her uncle understood the slang, but the sentiment was conveyed.

Morye, AKA Hai Song, the No.1 son of the House of Song, lounged in the lulling arms of a woman who may as well be liquid.

Hai looked far better than when she had seen him at the last family dinner before University began. His complexion, which had been peeling and cracked, had by now been restored. He was topless but for a robe which hung from his shoulders. When her eyes dared drop lower, she thanked the Gods that her father had pants on, though the glimmering silk left nothing to the imagination.

Gwen resisted the urge to stab her eyes with two chopsticks so that she could pull them from her bloody sockets and feed them to the koi.

She shifted her attention to the woman.

A young woman.

The most salient part of her was her pale-petal lips set upon her flawlessly white face. Next were her eyes, two long slits tipped with wings that made them seem overlarge and juvenile, a style preferred by women of the region. She was feminine beyond measure, radiating an air of motherliness, her body as soft as a swaying willow.

Her heart-aching face sat atop an elegantly arched neck, below which two narrow collarbones met in harmonious alabaster. Her arms enveloped Hai in a secure embrace, wrapping around his face and neck. Her father's head rested on the snowy globes of her breasts, which were doubly superior to Gwen's endowments. Beneath a Mandarin mermaid dress, a pair of white feet with red nails playfully hung over the gold-trimmed lip of the embroiled cushions.

Hai slowly took notice of his brother and his daughter.

" _Gwen!_ " Hai shot up as though someone had jammed a wand up his bung-hole.

"Aya—"

The woman lost her balance; her father instantly turned and caught his lover by the waist, helping her to stand. When they both recovered, Hai's face was scored by rouge. Besides him, the woman's white face was petal-pink.

"S-sorry!" Her voice was both soft and demure. "Hai said you wouldn't be here until the evening!"

The servant who had brought them abruptly turned and left, shooting Hai a disgusted glance.

"Hai, what in the world?" Jun's voice sounded just like their father's. He faced the girl. "Qin, is that you? Xiao-Qin right? Qin Liu?"

"I… I am," the woman became flustered. "It's a pleasure to meet you again, Second-Brother Jun."

"Hi, I am Gwen." Gwen extended a hand. "Gwen Song."

"Hello, I am Qin Liu," the girl reached out uncertainly, then shook Gwen's fingers. _Gods!_ Gwen's fingertips touched Qin's flawless hand. The woman's hands felt boneless and tiny; she was as tender as a ripe peach!

Hai coughed.

"Yes, very good." He regarded Gwen distractedly. "This is Gwen, my daughter."

Jun still appeared to be in shock.

"Little-Qin? _Qinnie_? How did you find Hai? I thought it was a coincidence when he told me to come here. Hai, shouldn't you be at the base? _Why aren't you at the base?!_ "

"Well, Qin's father's the District Secretary now, so…" Hai smiled innocently.

"Father is NOT going to be pleased, Brother," Jun warned him.

"Oh, he'll have his plate full." Hai's laughter had a touch of insanity to it.

"Why?" Jun became immediately suspicious. "What did you do?"

Qin's face looked as though she had become intoxicated.

Uncle and niece shifted their gaze from Qin to Hai, then back again. Gwen wondered if the School of Divination had a Meister Murphy who laid down some laws.

"Can we speak in private?" Hai motioned with his hand toward a farther pavilion.

"I am sorry, Qinnie." To maintain amiability, Jun switched over what Gwen assumed to be a pet name. "Can you give us a minute?"

The girl nodded. She had been fascinated by the sandstone floor the whole while.

The two men walked a few corridors away, then began an animated conversation, with Jun striking his temples and gesticulating as Hai shrugged and chuckled. The reaction seemed to set Jun off into a wilder display of despair.

Gwen rigidly turned to her father's new lover.

"So er…" Gwen tried to think of something to say. In the past, she had always ignored her father's girlfriends. She didn't mind playing the cold, bitchy daughter; it wasn't as though he kept the same woman for a few months. "How long have you guys been together?"

"About three months." Qin's lips barely moved.

Gwen nodded in what she hoped was a friendly manner. She inspected her father and uncle in the distance, then caught Qin studying her face.

"You're very beautiful," Qin observed—her voice strangely sour. "Your mother must be very beautiful too."

Gwen wondered if there was a correct response here. Thinking of her absent mother and her father's feeling, she chose diplomacy.

"You're a sight to behold yourself," she returned the compliment. Then, with a measured tone devoid of criticism, she asked the most pivotal question on her mind. "How old are you? You don't look a day over twenty!"

The compliment appeared to have pleased her father's latest squeeze.

"I am thirty-two!" Qin intoned proudly.

Gwen breathed out a sigh of tremendous relief. She felt more cathartic than when Choi had finally breathed his last. _Thank fuck!_ She cried internally. Thank the Gods that her father wasn't a total cradle raider.

"You're a _Healer_?" Coming closer, Gwen sensed a familiar aura of gentle vitality, not too dissimilar from Elvia's, though far less intense because Qin was more sensual than adorable.

"Yes, I am a Cleric." Qin nodded, allowing a lock of hair to fall over her face. "I was assigned to work with Hai at first, and things happened."

_I bet they did._ Gwen thought numbly.

"So, are the two of you going out?" Gwen decided to do her mother a solid and gather some data. When she'd last heard, Helena had been doing well with her Fabricator husband, who had taken up a new position thanks to some new contracts their house had established with the House of M.

"Oh no, we're not going out." Qin shook her head vigorously.

A casual fling?

"YOU WHAT!" Jun's voice could be heard from far away. "YOU IDIOT! You're insane!"

Gwen turned to Qin, who responded by placing a hand on her abdomen matronly.

White noise filled Gwen's mind.

_NO! NO! NO! NO! SHIT-SHIT-SHIT!_

Number THREE? After Percy, they're going to have a sibling?

"Yes. We're engaged!" Qin reached out and pulled Gwen closer so that her hands were held captive. " _We're going to have a baby!_ "

There was a ring on the woman's ring finger, a simple metal band.

Gwen felt too tired even to swear internally.

"Oh, Gwen!" Qin pulled herself from Gwen, then took up her hands and held them close to her lips to be kissed. Her eyes were feverish like those of a woman who'd been praying for salvation all her life; then, one day, God answered.

"Yes?" Gwen gave her the most capable smile she could muster, hoping it didn't look too forceful.

"Gwen!" Qin said seriously, her eyes glassy and happy. "You may call me Mother, but I would prefer Sister..."

Gwen embraced the woman just so that she could avoid her gaze.

Her fucking eyes!

The woman was an intensity and a half!

Why, oh, why did her father have to stick his dick in crazy? Was it for the thrill? Why was his pullout game so weak? Why was someone with an astronomical Salt Affinity so goddamned fertile? How was that fair to uncle Jun?

She turned her head to regard her father with wilting despair.

Besides Hai, Jun was oscillating with impotent anger from head to toe.

Her father winked at Gwen happily.

"I told you, Gwen's fine. Just look at her!" Hai boasted to his brother. "You think I'd fall for some hellcat like Helena again? Ha! Not on your life, brother!"

I should set Caliban on him. Gwen thought seriously.

Wen would love it if she returned with new data.

Her father was tier 6 Transmutation.

Maybe she could hit tier 3 in one fell swoop?


Qin 'Qinnie' Liu settled her step-daughter and brother-in-law into the guests' suite while she and Hai returned to the bedroom to get changed. As much as their Emperor Moth silk robes suited the decor, parading around in bedroom garbs was hardly going to make an impression on their eldest daughter.

_There was a son as well, wasn't there?_ Qin wasn't fussed. According to Hai, the mother was a Frontier woman, some local labourer's daughter. When Hai had been banished to the Frontier, he must have been heartbroken and weak-willed. That was why a man as great as he picked a low-hanging fruit.

Her father, the District Secretary, would soon be home for dinner. Her old man had been in a good mood as soon as he heard that the Ash Bringer himself was going to visit their humble, millennia-old abode, though he was less than thrilled to hear that Qin's groom had invited his daughter.

"I'll be next door." Hai kissed her expertly, sliding a hand onto her waist as their lips met for the third time. Her lover's kiss felt like hot brands, causing Qin's heart to quicken. Her body turned liquid. She guessed they were both feeling it.

"Not here!" Qin chided the man of her dreams. "The servants will talk."

"Let them talk!" Hai laughed. She loved that about Hai; he was so confident all the time.

For now, the two of them had to live in different rooms. Qin's father would not have the two of them under one roof until they were married. She was sure that her father knew that Hai had taken her weeks ago when they were together on an outing to the waters of Taihu, then again and again when he had been away. The servants gossipped like anything. When Hai becomes the young master, he has to exert some discipline.

Happily, her father had pretended not to know.

His "Mienzi", his _face_ , wouldn't be able to take it.

Parting from Hai, she opened the door to her room.

One of the problems of living in a venerable siheyuan was that any modern decor ruined the atmosphere. The open roof was chalked matt-black, offset by the wine-red lacquer of the beams. The windows were glass, though a subtle Illusion kept the facade faithful to its original paper-screen aesthetic. Qin's bedroom was spartan by twenty-first-century standards, consisting of several chests and cupboards, a double bed, and an area where she could sit and sip tea. Beside the window, she could engage in reading or meditation while listening to the sound of flowing water.

There was another room a short way to the side, an old storage section; it was there that Qin now went. The alcove wasn't a secret, though Hai hadn't seen it yet. She wanted to keep it a surprise for their wedding night.

Several semi-permanent Dancing Lights lit the small shrine she had built within its alcove.

A leather-bound book full of newspaper clippings from two decades ago was atop a table with several blocks of pinkish salt.

In the middle of the room was a life-sized wall-scroll silk painting.

It depicted a young man, handsome and chiselled, encased in a pinkish layer of crystalline armour that resembled articulated plate mail. The young man within the image was smiling gently, his eyes dark and gleaming, full of confidence and intelligence.

It was here that Qin felt at peace.

Here, she could calm her mind and dispel the dread of finally meeting Hai's daughter. She had no idea if Hai's eldest child was willing to see her as a mother. She knew that Gwen was particularly striking and uniquely talented.

A threat.

Her hand fell to her abdomen.

She was with Hai's child.

As the Head Physician of the Anhui regional hospital, she knew every inch of her body, inside and out. Life was engendered within, a life that belonged to her and the man she loved.

After all these years of waiting, hoping, despair and then desire, she would give birth to a child.

Her father would have an heir.

The Clan of Liu, the First of those who called Jiangnan their home, would have an heir!

Gwen and Jun sat stunned in the guest room, sipping tea and staring blankly over the vista of the artificial lake. A pair of swallows alighted on the eaves; they regarded the two humans sullenly basking below it, then flew away amidst a bell beat of wings.

"I still can't believe it," Gwen said at last. "Why are we here again?"

"Your father said he wanted to surprise you," Jun replied miserably. "Maybe we should have gone straight to Huangshan."

"Bloody oath, we should have."

Gwen sighed.

Jun patted his jacket for a cigarette, tried his Storage Ring, and then remembered he'd promised his mother.

"Who the hell is this woman?" Gwen asked.

"Qin is..." Jun's expression looked like he was trying to grasp some distant memory. "... a childhood associate. We were both in our late teens when our father spent a summer working with hers. We would have met no more than once or twice. I wonder why she's so obsessed with Hai. A childish infatuation? I seem to recall Qin's mother died when she was very young."

A psychological complex? Hai just happened to scratch an itch? Gwen was herself no stranger to mental complexes. The human psyche remained infinitely obscure and mysterious. Humanity could collide atoms at sub-light speeds to create new matter, but they struggled to fathom the depth of human insecurities.

The two sighed together, the tranquil view of heavenly Jiangnan mocking their unsettled hearts.

"Sorry," Gwen said.

"We're both sorry."

"I feel sorry for Babulya."

"Have you ever seen mother angry, Gwen?" Jun asked. "You will."

The two sipped the high-grade Tisane provided by their new in-laws.

A jade dragonfly alighted on a lotus.

Golden Cicadas heralded the stifling summer.

The dinner banquet was fit for twelve, though the table only sat five: Gwen, Jun, Hai, Qin and her father, plus dozens of attendants.

The District Secretary of Hangzhou was no paper tiger like Secretariat Choi. He was the bona fide number one Chair in the region, a "Central Office" man directly overseeing the region's administration. As Hangzhou was one of the most central rice bowl regions of the entire Chinese food economy, his position as acting official between the CCP governing branch and the local Frontier's provincial government made him supremely influential on both ends.

"How fares Guo? I heard your father had dislodged a few notable names from the ranks in recent weeks," Sumei Liu, Gwen's new grandfather-in-law, was putting on a friendly face for his guests.

There was no doubt what they were here to discuss.

The man sounded out Jun, who was Guo's most regarded progeny. What Sumei and her uncle were doing was an etiquette Gwen internally entitled _the waltz of words_ , a ritualistic social decorum the big-wigs in the CCP had mastered. It was the ability to say and demand something without ever saying anything.

"He's very pleased with the MSS's recent progress," Jun replied carefully. "You've heard about the incident regarding the late Secretariat Choi, yes?"

"Oh yes, public disbarment," Patriarch Liu raised an eyebrow. "Messy business, that one, who'd have thought the man was so depraved? We went to the same academy, you know. He had always been the quiet one. You know what they say. Watch out for the quiet ones. The dog that bites doesn't bark."

"It's over. Thanks to that," Jun remarked offhandedly. "Father's schedule's open. I kept telling him to take a break. The family could revisit Jiangnan. It'll do him and mother good. You know how she loves the region."

"It's a beautiful season, a bit hot. Still, the flowers are out; plenty of fresh produce to sample. Does your family have a place to stay? I have an abundance of room here."

"Hangzhou's fine. He'll be eager to see an old friend, I am sure. Mother misses Hai as well."

Gwen listened to the conversation, mesmerised by the subtlety of it all.

"So, you're Hai's daughter."

Unexpectedly, the conversation had shifted to her without warning. She had no idea what had passed between the two men, but it felt as though an agreement had been engendered.

"Uncle." Gwen inclined her head respectfully.

"You're a lucky man, Hai. I am sure your daughter will marry well, " Sumei said offhandedly. Hai had been playing footsies under the table with Qin and was caught off guard. Sumei's expression darkened.

Taking the razor-filled compliment, Gwen shot her father a glance of irritation. The least he could do was stomach a few razors for her.

"How old are you, Gwen?"

"Seventeen, Sir."

"Almost a fully grown woman! Have you any request for your hand?"

"No, Sir." Gwen felt ire colouring her cheeks. _What kind of small talk was this?_ Was the man hoping that she could be fucked off somewhere so that they wouldn't have to take care of an unmarried daughter?

She wondered if insulting the Sumei would dent her father's new marriage prospects, but the thought of the innocent child in Qin's belly doused her fury. The flush of her cheeks, however, betrayed her intentions.

"We're on our way to training, Secretary Liu," Jun interjected. "Gwen is a very talented sorceress; the Tower expects good things from her in the future."

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Gwen noted that Jun had failed to mention which Tower.

"Oh, are you a Salt Mage as well, Gwen?" Sumei seemed surprised that a Gweilo girl had inherited the Song family trait. "Your grandfather must be very proud."

"I am…" Gwen glanced at her uncle. Jun dipped his head.

"I am a Void Mage, Sir…"

Sumei Liu looked toward Jun. The Ash Bringer nodded.

"…and Lightning."

Sumei's superior expression grew as rigid as Taihu's famous caesar stones. Beside Hai, Qin's countenance likewise blanched. Had her father said nothing? It was very "Hai" to omit important information just for shits and giggles.

"A once-in-a-century talent," Sumei's tone grew unhappy. "Hai, explain yourself."

Hai looked as though raked over by hot coals.

"Gwen is a special girl," he replied carefully. "Her abilities are… a product of chance."

"Absurd!" The Patriarch was now very unhappy.

"He's telling the truth." Jun came to his brother's rescue despite his clear annoyance and misgivings toward Hai. "Helena comes from an Enchanter family, but she's a Fire Evoker. She's remarried now too. Who knows, she might even have more children."

That much was true. Gwen had not contacted her mother since the gift of the Vitae Fruit. Assuming it made her a decade younger, it wasn't impossible that Gwen might be looking at a pair of half-siblings by next year.

Qin collapsed against Hai's arms. Gwen felt a sudden sympathy for her mother, who was now a mere conversation piece.

"Fine." Sumei sipped his rice wine. He had ordered a three-decade-old bottle of Maotai opened for the occasion.

Gwen tried a sip; the spirit almost gave her a coughing fit. When she managed to swallow the crystal-clear liquid, it was the smoothest thimble of fire she had ever consumed.

"So, Qin, how did you and father meet?"

"It's Qīn," Qīn's father corrected her pronunciation. "Like the guzheng harp. Though I guess you would have to call her _mother_ in the future."

Gwen's expression was unreadable, her facial muscles channelling Guo's impassivity. Perhaps as a show of future amiability or possibly deliverance from a former wife's shadow, Qīn persisted in providing Gwen with the proper context for her rediscovery of her father.

"Our fathers' are acquainted with one another," Jun was the one who chimed in, thawing the glacial atmosphere. "We trained near Fuyang when it was still an Orange Zone. It was 83', I think. We were both stationed at the Huangshan outpost."

"Yes, I remember it fondly." Sumei's face grew softer with the remembrance. "The two of you were busy making a name for yourself. The Song boys, rising stars of the PLA."

"I was just a little girl then." Qīn's milky complexion grew warmer, her eyes dark and liquid. "We were on a boating trip through Taihu. Some Riven Merfolk had slipped through the Barrier Shields. Our boat was attacked. At first, we were okay; our teacher did her best to fend them off. Then one of the Merfolk scuttled our ferry."

It was with great fortune then that Hai, Jun, and a troop of fresh Cadets were on border patrol. The girl's instructor had sent out an SOS, and they had been the first to respond.

"Hai was incredible. He came down from the heavens just like that and turned the water's surface into sheets of solid pink salt. Hai looked so amazing in his crystal armour, just like a Tian-Jiang! We all thought a land deity had answered our calls for help!"

Qīn's impassioned articulation made Gwen think of evangelicals selling their saviour. She'd seen the same enthusiasm before, especially during product seminars for new iPhones.

Jun shifted toward Gwen, then leaned in until his lips were an inch from her lobes.

"While the others and I were busy fighting the Merfolk. Hai went to save them of his own volition. Our protocol states that saving civilians is secondary to the extermination of intruders. Honestly, I think the girls would have been fine. Their teacher was a Water Mage. That would have been a spectacle if someone drowned under her watch."

"Was the teacher…"

"Yeah, she was a real beauty."

"Did father…"

"… for sure. Brother was bow-legged when he returned after curfew. Received a week's confinement for his dereliction."

Gwen's head felt groggy as she returned to Qīn's "Astounding Tale". _Fucking Morye Song_ , she grumbled internally. _Goats and Monkeys!_

"I couldn't forget him, the man who saved my life!" Qīn continued. Qīn's father's eyes glazed over. He had heard the story a thousand times. "I was heartbroken when I heard Hai passed away on the Front, so I vowed never to marry! In my heart, I already belonged to Hai Song!"

Gwen felt a pricking of her thumbs.

_Something evil this way comes._

"So imagine my delight and surprise when I went to work at the Hangzhou Military Hospital. Guess who I saw?!"

"My father?" Gwen answered the rhetorical question politely, feigning interest.

"Yes! HAI! Oh, Mao! I was so happy I burst into tears right there in the hospital. To think he was alive! Thank the ancestors! They must be looking down on us from the heavenly court!"

"Or turning in their graves," Sumei muttered unpleasantly. "At this rate, we'll be accused of Necromancy."

Qīn appeared not to notice her father's foul mood. She continued the tale with her bird-song voice, trilling against the taut tension in the room. By her account, Gwen's father didn't know who she was at first but wasn't opposed to giving her a chance. Qīn had thus gotten to enact her childhood dreams from ground zero.

"… that was when he professed his love! It was very romantic, so Western! We were in the middle of the lake, where he saved me! How fortunate was that?! It was fate, I tell you. I broke down and wept like a child." True to her words, Qīn broke down and began to weep like a child.

Gwen and Jun sat like dumb statues, joined by Qīn's father.

Hai laughed happily, hugging Qīn to his chest.

Sumei looked as though someone had stabbed him in the liver, then spat in his face.

"Try the fish," Qīn's father said after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence. "It's a speciality here. The Vinegar Sturgeon of the West Lake has the most tender flesh of any fish in China."

The ingredients in their banquet were indeed something else. Au naturale and entirely different from the semi-processed food in the city, each bite seemed to contain some form of elemental mana or subtle vitality within the flesh.

Dinner concluded with Swallow's Nest in Wildland Osmanthus and Heart of Pear, a dessert and a palate cleanser.

Sumei insisted that Gwen and Jun should sleep over in the guest rooms, but the pair had already booked a hotel room in Hangzhou. At any rate, they were both in silent agreement that the sight of Hai and Qīn hot in the heat of their steamy passion was too much for their mental health.

"Alright, but you're welcome to stay anytime."

Sumei materialised a glyphed plaque, then handed it to Jun.

"My authorisation for entering the Purple Zone. Ensure it is confirmed by the Commander there when you reach Anhui."

"Thank you, Sir. I appreciate the trouble."

"It's no trouble." Sumei regarded Jun thoughtfully. "We will be troubling you. I think. When do you expect to be back?"

"A month at most, Sir."

"I see." Sumei sipped his tea thoughtfully. "Qīn needs to be accounted before… things begin to show."

Qīn hid her face against Hai's chest.

"I will speak to mother tonight. I expect you will get a call from father tomorrow."

"Good." Secretary Liu's bearing alternated between that of a father and a District Official of the highest order. "Our houses joined, will become greater than either. There will be great things for this child. Your father has no heir nominated, yes? Our union will be a good thing for all of us. For both of our Houses."

Gwen kept her mouth shut.

Jun's face was unreadable as the two men shook.

Gwen shifted her eyes with great deliberation toward Hai, who saw nothing. He was busy sweet-talking his new bride, making her giggle and laugh, the picture of a perfect fiancé.

Hangzhou CBD was an hour away from Patriarch Liu's lakeside estate.

The city's centre had re-developed much of the surrounding landscape, keeping many of its old dynastic facades. Rather than neat rows of street lights, the city's suburban sprawl floated on dark water, lit by Dancing Lanterns, forming a mirage-like reverie of floating reflections.

Hangzhou's reputation as the city of _lakes and fishes_ was a misnomer; the CBD was instead built on a network of estuaries. It was famous for its canals, not large masses of water. Conversely, the inland penetration of seasonal streams resulted in many pseudo 'lakes' of various sizes, giving the city the illusion of being situated on the water.

At ten to ten, uncle and niece arrived at a hotel that was neither lavish nor modest. It was one of the taller establishments in the city, offering a view of the city's north, beyond which one could see a shimmering sheet of light illuminating a massive body of water in the far distance.

"Aqua-farming operation." Jun pointed toward Taihu's surface. "Big quasi-magical fishery."

"What's the plan from here on out?" Gwen spread her toes, allowing the cold air to infuse her moisture-drenched skin. She had sweated non-stop the entire drive from the Liu Estate.

Jun looked already exhausted.

"Originally, I was going to request Hai to join us in the city. We can try out local delicacies, tour the lake for a day, and then visit the Administration Office. We were then going to see Secretary Liu." Jun pulled up a cantilever chair and fell into it heavily. "Now, I propose we go straight into the mountains."

"Sounds good to me," Gwen agreed. "Regarding Dad?"

"I'll call mother now. Why don't you get ready for bed? We'll leave at 0600. I'll inform the base we're on the way."

"Thanks, Uncle."

"Don't mention it."

Gwen felt unbound sympathy for her uncle as he hunched over and Messaged Gwen's grandmother.

"Wei? Mother? Yeah, it's me, Jun. Can you hear? Okay, yeah… look, er… I met Hai today. We need to talk."

Gwen entered the bathroom, turned the lock, and then laid out her pyjamas and intimates. She took a cold shower, the only activity that could provide solace against the clinging humidity, then dried her hair, tying it into a loose ponytail for sleeping.

When she emerged in a silk bathrobe and a white face mask, Jun almost spat out the tea he'd made.

"Not going to say I've never seen a facial mask before," Jun replied depreciatively. "But that scared the ghost out of me! Did you know the Banshees we get up north sometimes wear the faces of their victims just like that?"

_Was her uncle unused to the feminine company?_ Gwen wondered. Surely a hero like him would go through multitudes of girlfriends? Then again, she reminded herself that her uncle was infertile. If one was infertile, did that impact one's libido? If the Ash element's negative drain took away the victim's desires and passions, as it had done to Lulu's Huashan uncle, how did it impact Jun, its wielder?

Jun did not appear flustered by her liberties beyond her face mask.

"I've spoken to mother. She will sort it out with father." He rested his mug against the glass worktable. "You finished?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"Great. Lights out at 00:00. Don't wait for me."

Gwen slipped into the rough sheets, glad she'd brought her silk robe. She listened distractedly to the sound of the shower next door, thinking of what creatures they would soon encounter. When the opportunity arose, she had asked her Bestiary instructor, Hufei Chen, about the variety of Dragon spawn commonly found within its demesne.

"It's easier to go from the top down." Chen had taken her line of questioning as innocent curiosity. After all, dragons were very rare and very interesting and charismatic creatures, especially to the Chinese. "One needs to follow the food chain. We mentioned before that Dragons, intelligent or otherwise, thrive on two core instincts, eating and fucking. A dragon goes to a mountain and takes over one of the peaks. The first thing it will do is kill the alpha Magical Creature there. If it's a buck or a bull, it'll likely kill it. Occasionally, it might fuck it—"

"Wait—" Gwen stopped the instructor. "Dragons can be gay?"

"What does that matter?" Chen gave her a dirty, disgusted look. "Ignorant child! Dragons are protandrous hermaphrodites. You can't just presume a Dragon's sexuality, Gwen."

"… sorry." Gwen waited for the instructor to continue.

"As I said, sometimes, when Dragons see a creature they think is useful, they might mate with it. The Kunlun Range, for example, is full of pseudodragons because the original alpha there was an enormous wyvern. There are Draconic thunderbirds too, amongst a dozen other species—the Shenglong ain't fussy."

"So anyway, as I was saying. Start from the top. The biggest thing that used to live in those mountains will be the basic template of whatever draconic-alpha you're likely to run across. Then go down the food chain. Rocs and Wyverns tend to feature a lot, after that, downgrade to terrestrial hunters like bears and wolves. It might not sound like much, but when you consider that the draconic blood empowers these spawns to live for up to a millennia, all they do from day to day is eat and fuck, fuck and eat. They're a plague."

"I see." Gwen stopped her instructor there. "I get the picture."

When Jun emerged from the bathroom in shorts and a tee shirt, he gazed at her paternally, then quietly laid himself on the second single.

"Night, Gwen."

"Night, Uncle."

Jun's right hand moved to encompass the Kirin Stone. After quietly invoking mystical incantations, the man was fast asleep.

Gwen closed her eyes.

Tomorrow was going to be another long day.