The palace gates slowly closed behind them.
The Eastern Region party chose to walk rather than take a carriage again, their steps considerably lighter than on the way there.
Black Mountain was still grieving over his silk handkerchief, which had been wrung into a twist. He turned it over and over in his hands, muttering:
"Alas! A gift bestowed by Third Uncle Granduncle, ruined in my excitement! Shameful, shameful!"
Red Wind raised a foot to kick him, but Black Mountain twisted aside and nimbly dodged.
Up ahead, Zhou Yan produced another Spirit Fruit glowing with golden light and leaned toward Si Chen's shoulder, his face wreathed in a coaxing smile. "Little ancestor, look at this. Phoenix-Roost Fruit! Legend says only Phoenix eats these! Want a taste?"
Red Bean tilted its little head, glanced at the fruit with its black-bean eyes, then promptly turned around and presented its backside to Zhou Yan.
Refusing to give up, Zhou Yan held the fruit a little closer.
Red Bean raised one little claw and gave it a gentle flick.
The fruit fell to the ground with a plop and rolled twice.
The smile froze on Zhou Yan's face.
Xie Changsheng led the gray donkey past and said quietly to it, "See that? That's what they call sucking up until you're left with nothing."
The gray donkey swished its tail in agreement, then nudged Xie Changsheng's back with its head, meaning that he had better not welsh on the two jars of fruit wine he had promised.
Xie Changsheng patted its neck. "I know. I'll buy them when we get back."
The gray donkey snorted in satisfaction.
Song Chi was walking beside Si Chen, his face still carrying the excitement from earlier in the hall.
He gestured, reenacting his earlier pose. "Brother Si, what did