Li Xiulan and Song Fen stood, brushing the wrinkles out of their clothes. Even perfectly clean, there was still no way to make them presentable. If this were a typical meeting with someone of a higher status, Li Xiulan would have been embarrassed, but in this case their appearances only bolstered their argument. 

The few scholars remaining in the room shot them glances. Since they had just emerged from behind a table, Li Xiulan could understand why. Luckily, nobody said a word, instead focusing on taking care of the unconscious contestants who fought with Hou Jin.

Li Xiulan and Song Fen opened the sliding door in the hallway to find that it did, in fact, lead to the courtyard. They only just managed to see the door on the opposite end of the yard closing.

“T…t-hat must be where Xu Chang went,” Song Fen said, pointing her chin towards the door. “Let’s go.”

They raced across the yard, stopping and looking around when they reached the door. Li Xiulan then grabbed the door and slid it open slightly to peek inside. It led to another small rock garden like the one outside of Li Xiulan’s room. Song Fen started to lean in closer to admire it, but Li Xiulan pulled her back.

“I’m not sure we’re even supposed to be here. Let’s find the hosts and get out, fast.”

Song Fen took a step back and nodded. She looked all around the garden and pointed at a door on the left side. “T…t-here,” she whispered. “I just saw someone go in.”

With a nod, Li Xiulan crept towards the door, careful to avoid any windows. Even if they did have a reason for being here, she didn’t particularly want to get caught, especially since she’d probably be doing the explaining if Song Fen got nervous. Song Fen followed her lead and they found their way to the door without any trouble.

The door was slightly ajar. Li Xiulan peeked in, careful not to touch anything, and Song Fen waited behind for Li Xiulan to signal that it was alright. 

Inside the room was a set of desks, each one with a man seated behind it. There were four of them in total. Each was dressed in light gray robes. They weren’t the clothes of the White Snake sect, but they were clearly paying homage to them.

Before the desks was Xu Chang, who bowed deeply in an apology. Li Xiulan leaned closer to hear better.

“-now, your apologies don’t matter. I understand that master Hou Jin is in a very… unique position, but we have rules for a reason. I can’t allow him to continue breaking them.”

The one speaking was the host second from the right. He looked older than the others, with wispy white hair combed neatly atop his head. He seemed to be the leader. Despite the man’s words, Xu Chang did not falter, instead only bowing deeper.

“I beg you to grant him an exception. He is a child and doesn’t understand his place in the world yet. If he is punished on account of these rules, I cannot guarantee that you all will escape unharmed.”

Li Xiulan looked back at Song Fen with wide eyes. Song Fen, who couldn’t hear, just shrugged. That… sounded like a threat. I didn’t know he had it in him. Unfortunately, it seemed that the hosts thought the same thing. One of the other hosts stood, slamming his hands against the table. Li Xiulan jumped and the door creaked. She grabbed it and waited, holding her breath.

“We have the utmost respect for the White Snake sect, but your master must learn that he is on our property. Our rules stay, or he goes.”

The leader waved a hand at the man. He quieted, sitting back down but maintaining his glare at Xu Chang.

“I can promise you that my master will not get into any more fights. I will make sure of that,” Xu Chang said. He raised his head, his eyes meeting those of every person on the panel. “All that I ask is that he be allowed to wear the robes of the White Snake sect. As the heir, it is important for him to have them at all times. It is simply a matter of his image.”

As the leader pondered it, the other three hosts shifted and whispered to each other, hiding their faces behind their sleeves. Li Xiulan could only imagine that their conversation was going something like, “Can he not hear?” “How impudent!” and so on. After all, why was Xu Chang so insistent on this? It was a simple matter to change clothes. Surely even the heir of the White Snake sect could do that.

But Xu Chang held firm, staring unwavering at the lead host. The host opened his eyes, seeming to have come to a decision.

“Fine. If it is to prevent a feud with the White Snake sect, we will grant you this exception.” Before Xu Chang could express his thanks, he continued. “However. We will be watching Hou Jin carefully. If he takes even the slightest action that breaks any other rule, he will be removed from the competition at once. Is that clear?”

Xu Chang didn’t even pause to think. He bowed. “Yes, I understand. I will make sure that he is aware. Thank you for your kindness.”

He raised his head, nodding once more at all of the hosts to acknowledge them. “I shall take my leave now.”

Li Xiulan grabbed Song Fen and pulled her away from the door, sprinting into a side hallway to hide them from Xu Chang. He exited from the door and walked back to the testing yard, his feet moving silently against the floor. He was quite graceful, unlike his master.

“Is t...t-hat our cue?” Song Fen whispered, quiet enough that nobody in the room would be able to hear.

“I guess so.”

The two of them crept towards the door. Peering in, they saw the hosts in an uproar.

“They are making a mockery of this competition,” one of the hosts said. “It used to be that no one would challenge the rules of such a respected tradition!”

“Yes! If we waver for one, we lose our credibility and our pride. I urge you to reconsider your decision.”

The leader sighed, running a hand down his face as the others continued to shout. His posture was slouched now that they had no audience, and Li Xiulan could practically feel the exhaustion radiating from him.

“Please, cease this bickering at once,” he said, placing his hand on the table and locking eyes with the hosts with a burning glare. “What matter is our dignity or pride when we can’t even keep track of our participants?”

Whatever that meant, it seemed to instantly silence the others. They suddenly seemed unable to make eye contact, muttering vague excuses. As Li Xiulan was about to take this moment to step forward, the leader began to speak again.

“Another one disappeared this morning. An older man. Would have passed onto the next round.”

Li Xiulan’s eyes widened, glancing down at Song Fen. Song Fen returned the look, shrugging and shaking her head. Li Xiulan leaned forward, hoping to hear more.

When she did, she stepped onto a loose floorboard, a creak echoing throughout the chamber. Immediately the room fell silent.

 Li Xiulan grimaced. She knocked on the door, hoping they would think they had just arrived.

“Yes? Who is it?”

Li Xiulan gently pushed the door open, standing at the entrance. She bowed and Song Fen followed her example, although her hands shook.

“Hello, sorry to disturb you, but my friend and I came to ask for smaller robes, if there are any available.” Her voice was higher than usual, carrying the even cadence of someone unhurried and unbothered. She posed no threat to them whether they knew she was listening or not, of course, but getting on their bad side would surely not be good. 

The leader took a single glance at both of them and sighed.

“Yes, we should have some to spare. We’ll get them brought to your rooms, just tell us your numbers.”

Li Xiulan relayed the information. Having done so, it was clear that the conversation was over. The other three hosts hardly even acknowledged their presence, not seeming to be in a very talkative mood. As soon as they were done speaking, Li Xiulan and Song Fen bowed once more and took their leave.

As the door fell closed behind them, Song Fen took a deep breath, placing a hand above her heart. Li Xiulan knew how she felt. Whatever the hosts had been talking about, it was certainly something they were not meant to hear.

“It makes me so nervous t...t-o talk to people like that,” Song Fen said quietly. She leaned against the wall and stared into the center garden, breathing heavily but smoothly as if she was counting the time.

Li Xiulan had to admit that wasn’t what she expected Song Fen to say, but she played along.

“Even though I did all the talking?” Li Xiulan teased, elbowing Song Fen’s arm. Song Fen laughed tentatively, rubbing her arm where Li Xiulan had hit it.

“Yeah… sorry about t...t-hat. I didn’t really help, did I?” she sighed. “And I was planning on going alone, too. I can only imagine…” She trailed off as she winced. Li Xiulan’s smile fell.

“It was really no problem. Don’t even worry about it, I love talking!” 

Song Fen didn’t respond, continuing to stare at the garden. Li Xiulan’s playful mood quickly dissipated, leaving them in a somber silence.

“What do you think they meant about people disappearing?” Li Xiulan asked, unable to keep the question contained. 

Song Fen shook her head. “Probably… something t…t-hat doesn’t concern us, right?”

She looked back at Li Xiulan. In those eyes Li Xiulan recognized something right beneath the surface; a deep-rooted instinct to avoid getting into trouble. An instinct that Li Xiulan lacked.

“You think we should ignore it?” she asked.

Song Fen crumpled up her robes beneath her fingers, which still trembled. She took a step forward, walking past Li Xiulan.

“We would only get in t…t-he way if we tried to help. We should let them handle it.”

Although those were the words that came out of her mouth, there was a coursing river that ran beneath them. Li Xiulan knew that Song Fen must be as concerned as she was. Yet, something -- or someone -- had trained her to bite her tongue. 

Song Fen didn’t give Li Xiulan a chance to respond, walking down the hallway to the door.

“I need a moment to be alone. I’ll see you later,” she said, closing the door behind her.

Li Xiulan was left staring down the hallway in the resulting silence. A cold breeze sent a shiver down her spine as she stared into the rock garden.

Li Xiulan mentally beat herself up for not being able to better comfort Song Fen. But it was like something had just switched in her upon overhearing that conversation. Like her happy and careful nature was overwritten by a dark, heavy cloud. Li Xiulan pulled her arms closer to her body as she realized how hungry she was. That’s right -- it was time for dinner, wasn’t it?

She was sure Song Fen was right. What could they possibly do that the White Snake cultivators watching over the competition couldn’t? They were just two young girls, after all, with no knowledge of what was going on.

Li Xiulan tried to let those thoughts comfort her as she walked briskly to the dining hall. Whatever she had heard, it simply wasn’t her problem.

When she entered the hall, she was surprised to find very few people there compared to before. Of course that was the case; half of them had been removed in the competition. And yet somehow she had forgotten, and was struck by the awkwardness of the cavernous hall only perhaps a quarter filled. The good thing was that she was able to slide into the same seats that she and Song Fen had before, with the red orchid and the white peony.

Song Fen, however, was nowhere to be seen.

When she asked for a moment alone, she must have meant it, Li Xiulan thought, guilt hanging over her. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.

It struck Li Xiulan that she didn’t really know anything about Song Fen. It seemed like they had gotten close in the past few days, but she couldn’t say what Song Fen’s favorite color was, or what she liked to eat, or the flowers that her parents grew. After all, they had only known each other for a couple of days, nothing more.

Perhaps she had made up their closeness in her mind. She had never really had a friend, so how was she supposed to know? Had she just been dragging Song Fen along without even thinking of how she felt? Their friendship had only come from the fact that they were both young girls in the competition. Once the competition was over… well, wouldn’t their friendship be over too?

No. Li Xiulan wasn’t about to let her first friendship end so easily. She ate quickly, snatching extra food and hiding it in the oversized sleeves of her robe. 

Song Fen can have her moment, and then I’ll return the favor she did for me. It’s only fair.

Li Xiulan excused herself from dinner early, confidently striding through the halls and trying to hide the fact that her robes were stuffed full of food. A ridiculous sight she probably made, but that wasn’t going to stop her.

She realized that she had never been to Song Fen’s room once she made it to the dorm hall. She hadn’t seen the number on any of the doors around her, so she searched up and down the hall, checking each and every plate on the door, of which there were luckily only 50 left. She found it after what felt like forever and, in her excitement, raised her hand to knock.

And then she stopped, fist floating in front of the door.

What was she supposed to say? She wasn’t even sure what she had done in the first place. Maybe Song Fen didn’t even want to see her.

Li Xiulan shook her head and forced her hand to move before she could think any further. She only managed a light tap that barely even sounded like a knock. It was so unlike the musical rhythm Song Fen used to knock on her door. How could she possibly mess up knocking?

Before she could turn around and run back to her room and pretend she had never been there at all, the door opened. Behind it was Song Fen, now dressed in fitting robes. Her hair was slightly disheveled, and Li Xiulan wondered if she had just now changed into the new outfit.

“... Li Xiulan?” Song Fen said after a beat of silence. Li Xiulan blinked, realizing she was probably supposed to be speaking.

“Um. Food. I have. Here,” she said, pulling out the random assortment of things she had stuffed into her sleeves. Song Fen looked bewildered as her arms were suddenly piled high, stumbling back into the room.

“T…t-hank you?” Song Fen said, although it was hesitant. She felt around with her foot until she found the table in the center of the room before leaning over and dumping all the food onto it. She let out a relieved sigh, then glanced back at Li Xiulan.

Li Xiulan stood awkwardly in the doorway. Her hands suddenly felt like they were in the wrong place, and her knees were locked uncomfortably. Surely she should just leave. Yeah, she was going to leave.

And yet, when she turned to go, she felt a soft hand against her wrist.