Tianlan was quiet, as they sat in a cave. They had escaped the Emperor's soldiers, for now. Their charges, the humans and injured Roadspinners were outside, asleep in a cart. Xiaoshi had built it to convey them faster from the pursuing forces that were sure to follow.

Shi, one of the Roadspinners, had led them down hidden paths and backways into the hills, so they could meet up with a “Lord Yao” who would be able to help them. Exhausted they had found this space to rest for a time, hoping they had given the soldiers the slip. Shi had been sure they would not be traced so easily. Tianlan could feel the presence of the Roadspinner as she rested, curled around Dulou, the brave little one who had been blinded by the Emperor's soldier’s for protecting her.

She was, after all, a mother in her own right, her pups safe with her mate.

After running for a whole day everyone needed a break from the bumpy ride in a cart only held together by Qi and a prayer. Xiaoshi however, still had something to do.

Cultivate… as he had attempted to do for the last three nights.

Tonight, however, they had discovered something that would have been sure to help him. At another time finding this little cave could have been considered the luck of the heavens.

Cultivators would have slain each other for the privilege of simply sitting in this lonely little cave, and meditating. The land here was the perfect spot for cultivation. They would have grown in leaps and bounds, absorbing the power of the earth… her power.

Try as he might though, Xiaoshi couldn’t add this reservoir to his own. He couldn’t even circulate his Qi.

The first night after they had run from the soldiers had been one of panic and confusion. Xiaoshi had decided he wasn’t in the right state and thus failed. The second night, determination as he tried to move his Qi, only to be rebuffed, time and time again, and they both could feel the bond between them strain at the action, like a mountain trying to rip free from the firmament.

They were both left with frustration and a tired resignation.

Xiaoshi and Tianlan were connected, that connection was unbreakable. It prevented the normal cycling of Qi that cultivators conducted. Instead of cycling and spinning as it was supposed to, his Qi was trapped within Tianlan’s own cycle. One cycle every day. No more and no less.

They needed to gain power, in order to oppose the Azure Emperor. But they didn’t know how to. For all of their resolve, it was useless unless they could actually do anything. If they couldn’t gather the strength to oppose him… then it would all be for nothing.

And she wanted to do something. Tianlan bit her lip as she remembered the suffering humans and Roadspinners. She clenched her fist at the memory of Green Trees. What the Azure Emperor was doing… it was wrong. It was the act of a tyrant, to slaughter his own people and exploit them so ruthlessly.

Tianlan had tried to cultivate herself in hopes of helping. She observed Xiaoshi in his attempts and tried to cycle her Qi.

Slowly, sluggishly, it started to move—

There was a crack.

Tianlan’s eyes shot open, at the sudden appearance of a gash in her arm, the rents in her form looking like shattered stone. Her Qi wobbled unstably as if it was a mortal house in an earthquake. Tianlan gasped in panic—Yet as suddenly as it came, the disturbance was gone.

Taking deep, gasping breaths, Tianlan cradled her arm to her chest. The pain steadily faded.

Okay. Never trying that again.

“Tianlan? Are you alright? What just happened?!” Xiaoshi demanded with sudden sharpness. Love, affection, fear and concern washed over her like a wave as her breathing evened out.

She smiled weakly at his concern, but shook her head.

“Ah, it's nothing much, just a little scratch. Just tried something, and it didn’t work.” Tianlan responded, shaking off the feeling.

Xiaoshi didn’t seem to believe her, she could feel his emotions still raw across their bond. She sent feelings of calm and affection back, and some of the worry faded.

“Let's call it a day, Tianlan.” He said, sounding defeated. “I don’t want you hurting yourself, okay?”

“Yeah, it's probably a good idea to take a break.”

Xiaoshi exited the cave he was in, and checked on all of the injured humans and Spirit Beasts. Tianlan watched from her position in his soul, a mere observer to what was happening. They had all been bandaged up, and given food… but some of them were barely hanging in there. Morale was only kept up by their escape, and the seemingly inexhaustible chipperness of Dulou, who despite the circumstance was still able to laugh and joke, a smile permanently on his face.

He was a good kid.

With everybody still looking alright, Xiaoshi finally laid down to rest and he appeared within her domain.

He smiled a tired smile as he laid eyes on her… and then they bugged out as he saw the state of her arm.

“Tianlan?!” He yelped and rushed over to her. She felt his anxiety spike, and the stress poured across their link, the realm forming dark clouds.

His hands landed on her arm, as he gently pulled it up, his own Qi attempting to flood into her, to try and heal the little piece of damage.

“Hey! Hey! I’m fine! It doesn’t even hurt anymore!” she scolded, trying to pull her arm back. Really, he was overreacting! If she knew he was going to worry so much that he looked sick, she would have tried to hide it. He didn’t need more things bothering him. It was just a scratch anyway!

“Are you sure?” he stressed. He had already seen too many people hurt. She could feel through the bond that seeing Tianlan herself injured stoked a terror that bordered on panic.

“Yes. I’m fine. Really.” she reassured him and held out her arms. He searched her for any hint of pain before relenting after a short while.

They embraced, and pressed their foreheads together. Tianlan savored the touch. They drew strength from each other, as they always did.

Eventually, they broke apart and went to their favourite spot within Tianlan’s domain, the top of a rock overlooking a small stream.

“It's not getting us anywhere.” her Connected One muttered, after a moment. His head was in Tianlan’s lap, as she combed her fingers through his hair, like Linlin had done.

“I know. Maybe somebody else has an idea?” she asked, as she felt some of his stress fade away.

“Who can help? I’ve never even heard of anything like we have, Tian.”

She had to admit that was true.

So instead they sat together, within her little realm. They pondered the future. And then, when the mood became dark again…

“Let's go for a walk.” Tianlan decided.

And so they set off, arm in arm, through the space that at the same time, was hers, and was her. They meandered through grassy valleys, and high mountain peaks. They waded through streams and windy vales, until they came upon a cave.

A cave, full of power, like the cave Xiaoshi had tried to cultivate in.

They glanced at each other, and with a synchronized shrug, descended down into the depths.

They passed glowing mushrooms and sparkling crystals. They marched through the vaulted ceilings of caves, heading ever downwards, down towards the pulsing heartbeat far below.

Finally, they came upon a stream of golden energy. The source of both their power.

Tianlan’s Dragon Veins. The lifeblood of the earth.

Xiaoshi gaped at the sight, at the sheer amount of Qi sluggishly flowing through Tianlan. It flowed slowly, almost more solid than liquid, off into the distance.

Tianlan knew that she had Fifty Dragon Veins. Coils of Qi that wove through her entire being. The vast reservoirs were full, pumping Qi into the air, the water, and the soil.

Xiaoshi wobbled on his feet as he felt the enormity of the power, deep as they were underground.

”Do… do we even need more power?” he finally asked, as he looked at the wellspring of strength. “This is… if we could fully access this…” he trailed off, his mind whirling.

Tianlan shrugged. “These can only hold so much Qi, and drawing on it… well, you know how long that takes. Maybe, if we could gather it all in one place, but I don’t know how much that is, or if we could even do something like that. It's too deep.”

Xiaoshi stared at the coils of energy, and then up at the rock walls.

“...the canal.”

“Canal?” Tianlan replied, confused.

“Yeah. The Qi, it’s like water. A liquid, deep beneath the earth. So what if we build a well? Or.. a canal? We could deliver it where we wanted it to go, couldn’t we?”

It was a good idea, but Tianlan felt a creeping unease. To accomplish something like that would mean changing herself so much. It felt… wrong.

“I... I don’t really…” She began. Xiaoshi’s hopeful smile started to fade. She felt his disappointment, and despair, at all of his ideas failing.

He was trying so hard to save them, all of them and he was failing. She was too. She couldn’t do anything, but with this, maybe? If it would help people… then it was worth it to try, wasn’t it?

Trepidation and fear turned to resolve.

Tianlan firmed her resolve. “I don’t really know if it will work, but we can try.”

Xiaoshi’s smile brightened.

She frowned and examined her Qi further. She reached out for her own Dragon Veins. They weren't completely solid. They were malleable, at least to a degree. In some spots, they branched, and shot to the surface, like in the cave.

Slowly, carefully, like the canal that the humans and Roadspinners had been forced to build, she started to dig another channel to the surface.

It… surprisingly didn't hurt. It just felt… Strange. Each moment she dug, she felt like she was doing something wrong. Forbidden. But unlike the last times… there were no cracks in her body. No pressure in her soul.

It just happened. Like she was a normal person, excavating a new tunnel in the earth.

Her Dragon Veins responded. Like water, her Qi moved, following her new channel.

Rising to the surface

She pulled on her power.

There was a surging, pumping feeling, as the little canal responded, her Qi flooding up and through the new canal.

It was hundreds of times faster than it was previously.

Tianlan grinned.

It would work. They would have to construct them manually, and actually directly be in the area… but the idea would work.

Tianlan split another section off, pulling it up. She carved another trench. One that was the colour of gold, and started making a network. A network of canals. Or perhaps, some kind of golden road?

They worked all through the night, constructing their revelation. And then in the morning, they set off again, bringing the Roadspinners to this “Lord Yao.”

=================================

“What would you ask of me, for returning my mate, Xiaoshi?” The giant Wreckerball asked, as man and Spirit Beast sat across from each other.

“There may be others, in this war of mine, Lord Yao. I would ask you to take in the refugees and the defenseless.”

The Great Wreckerball paused, and then dipped his head.

“Then this Rumblin’ Yao swears. He’ll shelter everyone you bring beneath his shell, even if it costs him his life!”

Xiaoshi smiled at him, and raised the stone bowl of fermented berries in toast. “Thank you, my friend. I’ll be in touch with you all. But for now, I must leave. I’ll make more false trails, while you affect your escape.”

Bi De pulled out of the memory, as it faded, and sighed, exhaustion overcoming him. While not the whirlwind of emotion in the chaos, reviewing these memories still left him utterly drained.

He looked out across the crystal, the memories of this spread out like constellations in the night sky.

It was beautiful, in its own way.

His consciousness left the crystal entirely, and he opened his eyes to the fading sun.

“You still good, buddy?” His Great Master asked, from his position where he was putting the last snowball on top of one of the General’s subordinate’s. There were some half a hundred miniature snow golems in the clearing, lined up beside each other. His Great Master pressed his crystal close, recording the most recent one.

Bi De smiled at his creations…and was touched that his Great Master had watched over him while he was within the crystal’s depths. He had exited the crystal once already, to eat lunch, but hadn’t been in the mood to speak of what he had seen quite yet, still digesting the information.

“I am well, Master.” Bi De stated wearily, as he hopped into his Lord’s shoulder. He still wasn’t sure what to make of everything he had seen. Understanding would come in time. “For what reason are there so many Servants of the General?” He asked, and his Master grinned.

His master’s crystal floated into the air, and projected a picture of the snow golem. Then, it flipped to another. Then another, until it was a sequence of still images, showing the Servant of the General performing a little dance.

“Stop motion is pretty neat, huh?”

Stop-motion. A strange name, but one that was quite accurate. “Disciple Yun Ren is sure to appreciate this artform.” Bi De said, as his Master picked up the crystal, and started walking back to the house.

“Yeah. I tried to give him an opening to bail out of Nezan’s teasing, but he wanted to be there to interrupt any stories about him from Meimei.”

“A fool’s errand.” Bi De proclaimed.

“Don’t I know it.” His Great Master said with a chuckle, before turning back to the memory crystal. “Tomorrow, it should be fine to use that in the house. Nothing happened, and no beasties came out. There were no problems with it, and it’ll save you being out in the cold, right?”

“Yes. Although the cold isn’t wholly unpleasant… I think I should like a blanket and a cup of tea.” The rooster admitted.

His Master ran his fingers though Bi De’s feathers. “One cuppa, comin’ up. And Bi De?”

“Yes, Master?”

“Whenever you want to talk about it, yeah?”

Bi De smiled, and simply leaned closer to His Great Master, as he walked back to their coop.

He had a wonderful dinner with his Master and his fellow disciples before he settled in for the night, with Yin, Miantiao, and Ri Zu curled up at his side. He could not rest though. As his companions slept Bi De recalled all that he had seen within the depths of the ancient memory crystal.

They were similar, in so many ways.

So similar, this Xiaoshi and his Great Master. The loving Master, who would protect them all. Both content simply being farmers, until the world intruded, and forced them into action.

It was best to avoid making any true judgements yet. There were still years of memories to sift through. It would have been a task beyond him, but time in the crystal moved differently, faster within than without. He had already watched through years of memories, but had been in the crystal for only a day.

He could see if he could skim over some things, but he refrained from just skipping to the last moments. If he did that, he would miss context, and why things happened the way they did.

And…it would be disrespectful, to the man who acted like his Master. To proclaim his story, that he had left in that crystal, was not worth being considered.

So he would watch on, without any judgement until the end… but he already knew there would be no happy ending here.

Bright and early the next day, Bi De was again reviewing what had happened so long ago.

Xiaoshi and Tianlan ventured forth, constructing their golden road, and fermenting sedition wherever they roamed.

With every stop they made, they found new people, and new atrocities committed by the Emperor and his loyal soldiers.

Despite that, what distubed him the most were not the carnage and struggles. It was the people.

Because half of them were familiar to Bi De.