The next morning, Han Yu yawned as he made his way across the sect grounds, heading toward the alchemy pavilion with a mission more dangerous than any he'd faced before:
Asking Li Mei for a favor.
He knocked lightly on the door to her refining chamber and braced himself.
A moment later, the door creaked open, revealing a soot-smudged Li Mei with her hair in a bun that looked like it had been through three small explosions.
"Oh," she said, blinking. "Han Yu. You're still alive."
"I—what kind of greeting is that?!" Han Yu cried.
"I just meant you haven't been in to get tested on in a while." She wiped her hands with a stained cloth. "Not that I was disappointed. We've been making great progress on rats lately."
Han Yu took a slow step back. "Uh… right. Actually, I came to ask if you wanted to join a mission."
"A mission?" Li Mei raised a brow. "What kind of mission?"
