Kang Mao stepped into the lantern light. He wasn't tall, but he carried himself with an exaggerated, chest-out posture that tried to command the small courtyard. His robes were fine, his hair perfectly arranged, and he wore an expression of mild, perpetual amusement, as if the world existed solely for his entertainment. His humming stopped as his eyes, bright and assessing, landed on the lone figure by the fountain.
"Well, now," he said, his voice a practiced, smooth baritone that was a little too loud for the quiet space. "What a rare bloom to find thriving in such… humble soil. The night air must agree with you, my lady. Though it's far too chilly for one of such delicate bearing to be out alone." He offered a flourish of a bow that was just a hair too deep to be sincere.
On the roof, Gen clamped a hand over his own mouth, his shoulders shaking. Lolly buried her face in her knees, a silent scream of laughter shaking her small frame.
Liang, sitting on the fountain, felt a fresh wave of hot, prickling mortification. *Delicate bearing. My lady.* He kept his head bowed, the false hair a curtain, and gave the tiniest, most non-committal shrug he could manage.
Kang Mao misinterpreted the shyness as encouragement. He took a few elegant steps closer, maintaining a respectful distance but leaning in as if to share a secret. "You needn't fear me. I am Kang Mao, of the western Kang family. A guardian of the realm's peace, you could say. I often walk these quieter lanes to ensure the less fortunate are… unmolested." He puffed out his chest slightly. "It is a dull duty, but one must serve. Tell me, what brings a vision such as yourself to this forgotten corner? Waiting for a star to wish upon? Or perhaps," he added, his tone dropping to what he clearly thought was a conspiratorial whisper, "waiting for a more… terrestrial kind of companionship?"
Liang's mind was a frantic scramble. *He thinks I'm a girl. He's trying to be… charming. By the silent heavens, he's worse than the bully Lolly described. He's a peacock.* Every instinct screamed to stand up, rip the wig off, and shout in his normal voice. But the plan… the stupid, humiliating plan. He shifted slightly away on the stone, turning his shoulder in a classic gesture of demure avoidance.
Kang Mao saw the movement and chuckled, a soft, self-satisfied sound. "Ah, so skittish. Like a young crane. It's endearing." He took another half-step. "You know, the moonlight does remarkable things to your complexion. It's like you've been dusted with crushed pearl."
That was the final straw for Gen on the roof. A sound like a strangled snort escaped him. He quickly disguised it as a cough, but it was too late.
Kang Mao's head snapped up, his charming persona flickering. "Who's there?" he called out, his voice sharpening.
Panic flared in Liang. The plan was falling apart. He had to move *now*. He scrambled to his feet, intending to bolt and end this farce, but in his haste, his foot caught in the hem of the too-long, unfamiliar lilac robes. He stumbled forward with an ungraceful lurch.
As he flailed for balance, the artfully arranged fall of false hair snagged on the rough stone of the fountain's edge. There was a sharp *tug*, and then the entire wig slid from his head, landing in the dust with a soft *plop*.
Liang straightened, breathing heavily, his own short, practical hair sticking up in sweaty tufts. The rouge on his cheeks stood out like two ridiculous, feverish blotches against his pale, furious skin.
Kang Mao stared. The smooth, flirtatious mask on his face melted away like wax under a flame. His eyes widened, traveled from Liang's exposed head, down the ill-fitting robes, and back to his decidedly masculine, and utterly livid, face.
For three full seconds, the courtyard was silent except for the bubbling of the fountain.
Then Kang Mao's expression curdled into one of pure, unadulterated outrage. "You… you…" he sputtered, the words failing him. His face flushed a deep, mottled red. "A BOY?! You dare to… to *mock* me?!" His earlier, performative aura vanished, replaced by a raw, juvenile fury. The golden light of **Jingdao**—real, solid, and angry—erupted around his fist. "I'll pound you into the cobbles, you cross-dressing freak!"
He lunged, not with technique, but with a wild, powerful haymaker aimed at Liang's head.
Liang didn't have time to think. His own **Jingdao**, though weak and unmastered, was his only defense. He threw his arms up in a desperate, reinforced block, pouring every bit of his meager foundation into his forearms.
**THUD-CRACK!**
The impact was solid. Liang's boots skidded back a full three feet on the stones, his arms screaming in protest. He hadn't broken anything, but the sheer force behind Kang Mao's punch was a stark reminder of the gap between a Pillar Family's resources and his own haphazard cultivation. He gritted his teeth, holding his ground, but he was wide open for the next blow.
"Wait! Hold on!" Gen's voice cut through the tension as he dropped from the roof, landing lightly between them. Lolly landed beside him a moment later, her eyes wide.
"It was a joke!" Gen said, holding his hands up in a placating gesture, though a grin was still fighting at the corners of his mouth. "A bad one, okay? My fault. We were just… having some fun. No harm meant."
Kang Mao's furious gaze swung to Gen. "Fun? You think making a fool of Kang Mao is *fun*?"
Lolly immediately piped up, her voice taking on a tone of perfect, innocent woundedness. "It was their idea! They're the grown-ups! I'm just twelve! How would I even think of something like this? They made me do it!" She pointed an accusing finger at Gen and Liang, her lower lip trembling with impressive, practiced skill.
Gen and Liang both stared at her, utterly betrayed.
Kang Mao looked from Lolly's convincingly doe-eyed expression to the two older boys. His rage didn't diminish, but it refocused, crystallizing into something colder and more scornful. He lowered his fist, the golden light fading slightly. "Of course," he sneered, looking directly at Gen. "Too much of a coward to own your own prank. Have to put it on the back of a little street rat. You're not just a fool, you're a shameful one."
The words landed with unexpected weight. Gen's grin vanished. Being called a fool he could handle. Being called shameful, a coward who hid behind a child… that struck a nerve too close to his own secret fears of weakness. He opened his mouth to retort, but found no words. Liang, too, was stunned into silence, the injustice of Lolly's deflection leaving him speechless.
The hot anger in the courtyard cooled into an awkward, heavy stillness. Kang Mao, seeming to exhaust his immediate burst of violence, shook his head in disgust. He didn't leave, though. Instead, he walked over to the fountain and slumped onto the edge, his earlier bravado completely deflated. He looked less like an angry young master and more like a kicked pup.
"Whatever," he muttered, not looking at them. "Just go away. You've had your laugh. The great Kang Mao, tricked by a boy in a dress. Add it to the list."
Gen and Liang exchanged a confused look. The expected tantrum or threats had fizzled into this… dejection.
"What list?" Liang asked cautiously, shedding the last of the irritating lilac outer robe and tossing it aside.
Kang Mao sighed, a long, theatrical sound. "The list of my failures. They sent me to handle a… a diplomatic matter in Stonewatch." He winced at the memory, his voice dropping. "A simple task. Show the Kang strength, secure an agreement. I was… outmaneuvered. Thoroughly. By a girl. Can you imagine the humiliation?" He buried his face in his hands. "Then my brother, Kang Hao—perfect, unstoppable Kang Hao—had to step in to… 'rectify the family's posture,' as he put it. He challenged her and… well, he rectified it. So not only did I fail, but my failure required his brutish strength to clean up." He peeked through his fingers. "And now this. Can't even woo a simple girl because she's not even a girl! I can't cultivate like Hao, I can't negotiate, I can't even… this!" He gestured vaguely at the discarded wig.
Gen listened, his initial annoyance fading. This wasn't a villain; this was a profoundly frustrated, slightly ridiculous boy drowning in the shadow of a legendary older brother. He'd seen that shadow himself, felt its chill. He couldn't help it. A short, sharp laugh burst out of him. Liang, after a moment, joined in, a weary, understanding chuckle.
"You're… an interesting character, Kang Mao," Gen said, shaking his head.
Lolly, her act forgotten, plopped down on the fountain beside Kang Mao, studying him with clinical curiosity. "You're not weak," she stated matter-of-factly. "You're just lazy. And you think your name is a magic spell that does the work for you. My herbs work harder than you do."
Kang Mao looked at her, offended. "I am not lazy! I train!"
"Not enough," Lolly shot back. "And you train the wrong things. You practice looking impressive, not being strong."
Before the budding argument could continue, Lolly's eyes gleamed with a sudden, familiar mischief. She looked at the three boys surrounding her. "Do you all want to see something?" she asked, her voice dropping to a whisper.
Gen felt a jolt of anticipation. "See what?"
"I know where Grandpa Wood is," she said simply.
Three pairs of eyes locked onto her. Gen and Liang's were instantly alight with a desperate, hopeful fire. Kang Mao's were skeptical and weary.
"Don't try to act cool," Kang Mao sighed, waving a dismissive hand. "The Blackgreen Wood is a ghost story healers tell to impress customers. No one's seen him in a generation. He's not 'affiliated' with street urchins."
Lolly fixed him with a stare that was far older than twelve. "What do you want to bet?"
Kang Mao straightened, a spark of his former pride returning. "A bet? You're on, little liar. If you can prove, right now, that you have any real connection to the Blackgreen Wood, I, Kang Mao, will be your personal servant for an entire week. I'll fetch your water, carry your bags, the whole tedious lot. But when you fail," he added, leaning forward, "you three have to bow to me in the main square at noon tomorrow and announce that Kang Mao is the wisest and most magnanimous young master in Heaven's Gate."
Gen and Liang looked at Lolly. Her face was a mask of pure, serene confidence. A slow, wicked grin spread across Gen's face. Liang's eyes narrowed, then he gave a slight, agreeing nod.
"You heard the man, Lolly," Gen said, crossing his arms. "Hope you're ready to have a servant. And hope *he* doesn't go back on his word."
Kang Mao beat a fist against his chest. "I am the youngest son of the Kang family! My word is my bond! It is iron!"
"Good," Lolly said, hopping off the fountain. "Then everyone, hold hands."
The request was so absurd they all froze. "Hold… hands?" Liang repeated, incredulous.
"Yes. And close your eyes. No peeking."
Gen felt a deep sense of awkwardness. Holding hands with Liang was one thing, but Kang Mao? "Is this another trick? You're not going to run off and leave us standing here like idiots, are you?"
Lolly just smiled, a small, mysterious thing. "Just hold hands and close your eyes. Or are you scared?"
Grunting with discomfort, Gen reached out. Liang took his hand with a resigned sigh, then reluctantly offered his other to Kang Mao, who took it with a grimace of distaste. They formed a small, awkward circle around Lolly, who grasped Gen and Kang Mao's free hands.
"This is undignified," Kang Mao muttered, squeezing his eyes shut.
"Just do it," Gen said, following suit. Liang did the same.
For a second, there was only the sound of the fountain and their own breathing. Gen felt a faint, strange vibration travel through Lolly's small, calloused hand into his own. It wasn't Qi. It was something else—a subtle, spatial *humming*, like the world around them was a plucked string.
Then, the world dissolved.
It wasn't a violent pull. It was a sudden, total absence of sensation. The sound of the fountain vanished. The cool night air on his skin was gone. The solid cobblestones under his feet simply ceased to be.
There was a silent, inward **POP**, a sensation of being folded through a keyhole.
And then, just as suddenly, solidity returned. Different air, cooler, damper, smelling of rich earth and ancient bark, filled his lungs. His feet were on soft, spongy moss.
Gen's eyes flew open.
The courtyard, the fountain, the city of Heaven's Gate—they were gone. They stood at the edge of a vast, serene forest of bamboo. The stalks were a vibrant, living green, rising straight and impossibly high, their tops whispering together far overhead where slivers of moonlight filtered through. The ground was a carpet of fallen golden leaves and soft moss. The only sound was the gentle, papery rustle of countless leaves in a faint, cool breeze.
Kang Mao stumbled back, wrenching his hand free, his face a portrait of utter, gobsmacked shock. "Wha… how… where…?"
Lolly released Gen and Liang's hands, dusting off her own with a satisfied smirk. She looked at Kang Mao, whose mouth was still hanging open.
"Welcome," she said, her voice echoing slightly in the primeval quiet, "to the Woods. Your week of service starts now."