An Outrageous Condition

"Strong, proud but not arrogant, highly cooperative. Worthy of focused training."

That was the note Yun Ming had left for Zhuo Shi before departing. Wu Changkong had delivered it. The handwriting was crisp and steady, the message brief, without a word to spare. When Wu Changkong handed it over, Zhuo Shi was sitting by the window with a cup of tea that had not yet gone cold.

"Changkong."

"What is it, Teacher?" Wu Changkong looked at Zhuo Shi, whose eyes had suddenly filled with sorrow. The old man's hand rested on the arm of his chair, his fingertips pressed against the wooden edge. He did not move. His gaze left the note and settled on the darkening lake outside. Only after a while did he look back.

"Is it still not time to treat your injury?"

"I'm all right, Teacher." Wu Changkong gave a faint chuckle. The smile was slight, as though he were answering an unimportant question in passing.

"Are you?" Zhuo Shi did not look at him again. He folded the note once and set it on the table beside him, pinning a corner beneath a paperweight. His voice was lower than before, its last syllables barely leaving his throat. "Go find Feng Wuyu first. Let that old fellow help cleanse your meridians."

"All right, Teacher."

Wu Changkong turned toward the door. He walked slowly, pausing at the threshold without looking back before continuing on. As Zhuo Shi watched him leave, a hollow feeling rose in his chest. Dusk seeped through the window frame and fell across the floor, bringing the old wood grain into sharp relief. He took a sip of tea. It had gone lukewarm. He set the cup down, his fingers lingering on its rim for a beat.

"You brat. If only your teacher were