"Beautiful, absolutely beautiful. As long as you like it." Dongfang Minghui fawningly nudged the gleaming blade tip a little farther away from herself. She had no desire to argue with this lunatic who looked so much like Lien.
Satisfied by her answer, Lien resumed carving the strange, intricate pattern. Though it looked simple, carving it required the care of unraveling silk from a cocoon, each fine line engraved separately. One incorrect stroke would make the entire pattern look ugly and bizarre. Only absolute precision could bring out its elegance. By that reckoning, engraving the pattern onto the bow was quite a major undertaking.
She sidled over to Little Fatty again. Little Fatty was holding Little Sprout out of boredom, gently poking the flower bud and babbling away.
"Little Fatty, do you think there's anything strange about this place?"
"Ah." Little Fatty raised the Heavenly Sound Helmet until it was level with her eyes. The helmet was old, its armor covered in countless patterns. Little Fatty patted it, then lightly thumped the wall without turning around. Astonishingly, the wall gave off a faint echo. It was so soft that anyone not listening closely would have missed it.
Little Fatty perked up her ears. Only after listening did she babble at Dongfang Minghui.
Dongfang Minghui glanced back and forth at Little Fatty, whose two bright, dark eyes looked back at her. In a rare display of generosity, Little Fatty even offered Little Sprout toward her.
"Little Sprout."
Little Sprout bobbed its head, looking fairly lively.
Dongfang Minghui took Little Sprout. Her hands sank under the weight, and the Heavenly Sound Helmet began turning on its own in her grasp. As her palms brushed against it, she could feel the uneven patterns on its surface. She stared for a long while. "The Heavenly