Jin Si remembered the stone that had fallen from the sky yesterday. He simply could not fathom what a black lump had to do with warfare, or any of that talk about an evil flood dragon throwing floods and droughts out of balance. Forget it. He would ignore it.
Huang Xing was lost in a fog. She tucked the stray hair beside her ear back and asked curiously.
"What fell from the sky?"
Daoist Jiang raised his sleeve and pointed toward the clear blue heavens, patiently explaining.
"A meteorite. A lump of stone that fell from beyond the sky."
Standing at the doorway, Jin Si gestured with both hands.
"About this big. Pitch-black. It was a little hot at first, but it slowly cooled all the way through."
Huang Xing tilted her head back toward the lofty sky, still only half understanding. All she knew was that stones falling from the heavens sounded both strange and frightening.
Daoist Jiang had been about to nod in agreement, but the words suddenly stopped at his lips. He realized that Jin Si's description was far too detailed.
"You... saw it yourself?"
Jin Si nodded lightly, his expression calm and unruffled.
"Yes. I dug it out. It's under the bed in my room."
Daoist Jiang and Huang Xing exchanged looks, rooted to the spot and speechless. They felt they ought to take a look, so they crossed the courtyard and pushed open the door to the little room. Jin Si tipped his chin toward the bed. They bent down to peer underneath, and Daoist Jiang gripped the heavy black stone with both hands and dragged it out.
The stone struck the floor with a dull thud. It was black as though scorched, with a faint, dark, muted sheen.
Huang Xing timidly reached out a