Tan Kai was wiping his knife—sharpening the edge with a stone, getting ready for tomorrow's training—when Master Tai Chu stepped into the room. Yara Yu was sitting on the mat, folding the spare cloth they'd brought, and both of them froze when the old man spoke.
"Tan Kai," Tai Chu said, his voice casual like he was asking for a cup of tea. "Go up the mountain. There's a thousand-year ganoderma growing on the north slope—bring it back. I'll make tea with it."
Tan Kai jaw dropped. He stared at Master Tai Chu, then at the window—where the sky was already turning dark purple, the sun long gone behind the mountain. "Master… it's almost night. The mountain's dark, and I—"
"What?" Master Tai Chu raised an eyebrow, his tone sharp enough to make Tan Kai jump. "You don't want to go?"
Tan Kai heart skipped a beat. He scrambled to his feet, hands clasped. "No! No, Master—I'll go! I just… I just didn't expect it now." He bit his lip, trying not to sound nervous. Thousand-year ganoderma? Where? He didn't even tell me what it looks like! And the mountain at night—he'd heard stories of wild boars, even tigers, that came out after dark. But he didn't dare say a word.
Yara Yu stood up too, stepping forward. "Master, I'll go with him. Two people are safer than one—"
Master Tai Chu held up a hand, cutting her off. "You have your own task. Go to the Ironwood Forest's western cliff. Watch. See if there's any strange movement. I've felt something off these days—like eyes on the cave." He glanced at Tan kai, then back at YaraYu. "Now go. Both of you. Don't dawdle."
Yara Yu mouth tightened, but she nodded. She looked at Tan Kai, her eyes worried, and mouthed "Be careful" before grabbing her knife and heading out.
Tan Kai took a deep breath, slinging his jacket over his shoulder. The golden lotus hovered in his palm, its light soft—like it was trying to reassure him. "Master… where exactly is the ganoderma?"
Master Tai Chu waved a hand, already turning to leave. "You'll find it. It glows. Now go—before the moon's high."
Tan Kai stood there for a second, then sighed. Great. No map, no directions, just "it glows." But he didn't have a choice. He tucked the knife into his belt, grabbed a small pouch (just in case), and walked out of the cave into the dusk.
The mountain air was cold, and the wind blew through the trees, making leaves rustle like whispers. Tan Kai pulled his jacket tighter, and the golden lotus in his palm brightened—warm light spilling over his fingers, enough to see the path ahead. He climbed slowly, his boots slipping on loose stones, his chest aching from the steep slope. Every time he heard a twig snap, he froze, hand flying to his knife—half-expecting a tiger to jump out.
Calm down, he told himself. The lotus would warn you if there's danger.
He climbed for what felt like hours, until his legs shook and he had to lean against a tree to catch his breath. Then he saw it—faint green light, glowing through the bushes ahead. His heart jumped. He pushed through the branches, and there it was: the ganoderma. It grew on a flat piece of black stone, bigger than his palm, its cap smooth and shiny, glowing soft green like a tiny lantern.
"Yes!" Tan Kai whispered, grinning. He knelt down, careful not to touch the stone (he'd heard some mountain plants grew on cursed rocks), and gently pulled the ganoderma free. It felt cool in his hand, and the glow brightened a little—like it was happy to be picked.
He held it up, turning it in the light, and for a second, he forgot about the dark, about the tigers, about the training. He felt like a kid again—like when he'd found a ripe mango hidden in the leaves back in the village. He even did a little hop, grinning from ear to ear.
Then a roar split the air.
Tan Kai blood ran cold. He dropped to the ground, shoving the ganoderma into his jacket, and crawled behind a thick tree trunk. He held his breath, listening—heavy footsteps, the sound of something being dragged, low growls. A tiger.
He peeked around the tree. Through the darkness, he saw it: a huge tiger, its fur orange with black stripes, dragging a deer by the neck. It stopped a few feet away, dropped the deer, and started tearing into it. Tan Kai hands shook—he'd never been this close to a tiger before. He squeezed his eyes shut, praying it wouldn't notice him.
Minutes passed. The tiger finished eating, grabbed the deer's remains in its mouth, and lumbered off into the woods. Tan Kai waited until he couldn't hear its footsteps anymore, then let out a shaky breath. His shirt was soaked with sweat, but he had the ganoderma.
"Okay," he whispered to himself. "Time to go back."
He climbed down the mountain faster, the golden lotus guiding his steps, and by the time he reached the cave entrance, his legs were wobbly but his heart was light. He'd done it.
Meanwhile, Yara Yu was crouched in the grass on the western cliff, her breath held. Below her, in a small clearing, three grass huts had been built, and a fire pit blazed in the center. Around the fire sat five men—all in black short coats with silver scorpions stitched on the sleeves. And in the middle, holding a wine gourd,was Tong.
Yara Yu jaw tightened. What's Tong doing here? Did he follow us to the cave? She watched as Tong laughed, slapping one of his men on the back, and took a big drink of wine. The men passed around a piece of roasted boar, talking loudly about "finding the hermit" and "grabbing the golden lotus."
Yara Yu hands balled into fists. She needed to get back to the cave—tell Master Tai Chu and Tan Kai that Tong was here, that they were planning to attack. She slowly backed away from the cliff, keeping her eyes on the men, and when she was far enough, she turned and ran.
But she didn't notice the two figures standing in the trees behind her.
One wore a red armor, a fire-tipped spear strapped to his back—Ne Zha. The other had silver armor, a third eye closed on his forehead—Erlang shen. They'd been watching Tong's men too, but now their eyes were fixed on Yara Yu.
"She's heading to the hermit's cave," Erlang Shen said, his voice low. "Finally. We found him."
Ne Zha nodded, grinning. "Let's follow her. Don't let her get away."
Yara Yu ran faster, her boots pounding the dirt. She could feel someone behind her—like a cold breath on her neck. She glanced over her shoulder, but saw nothing. Am I imagining it? She pushed harder, the cave only a mile away now.
Then, suddenly, a bright white light dropped from the sky, wrapping around her. Yara Yu screamed, reaching out for the cave—but the light pulled her up, and in a blink, she was gone.
Ne Zha and Erlang Shen skidded to a stop, staring at the empty spot where she'd been.
"Wait—what just happened?" Ne Zha said, his mouth hanging open. "Where'd she go?"
Erlang Shen frowned, his third eye opening for a second before closing again. "Someone else is here. Someone stronger than us." He kicked a rock, frustration in his voice. "We had the path to Tai Chu, and now it's gone."
Ne Zha sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Great. Now we have to start over."
They stood there, staring at the darkness, while somewhere above, the moon rose higher. Yara Yu was gone.