“Li’er…are you ready?”

  “Yes Ma’am.”

  Zhao Li slid the straps of her pack on and looked around her room. The dresser sat to the left of the room while her bedding took up the rest of the room.

  As the weight pressed against her shoulders she inhaled deeply, looking at the living area where the dining table stood along with and the mental pot hung over the hearth. The water basins were already strapped to her back so there weren’t there.

  As she stared at the space, nothing stirred within her. No memories to make her feel as though she was missing something. It was weird, when she had left the purple mist valley, she felt as though her life was empty.

  She thought, but steeled herself as she looked up at Susu who was facing the door, “Lets go.” She said, and Zhao Li followed.

  The moment she stepped outside a silhouette of Snow Jade Dragon Mountain stood in the background. Its peaks piercing the clouds like ancient spears, while edges of the mountain rimmed with gold due to the morning light.

  “We should reach the first plateau by midday,” Susu said, “The path grows steeper after that. So, lets try to walk fast alright?”

  “Yes Ma’am. I’m ready,”

  Susu turned and they began their ascent. They made their way through the Jade Dragon Forest, then found the bottom of the mountain.

  They started along a narrow trail that wound between fallen pine trees. Zhao Li’s boots crunched on the dead leaves found beneath her feet. The further they got; the air grew thinner. The sounds of the world wallowed as the leaves rustled, birds chirp and the distant murmurs of the village could be heard, despite the growing distant.

  Midmorning came and the trail steepened dramatically, forcing Zhao Li to exhale in sharp bursts. She was tired, but she refused to show weakness. Sweat beaded on her brow despite the chilly winds. Susu on the other hand, moved effortlessly through the mountain incline. “Li’er, focus on your breath. This climb is easy for you. Let your breath flow like water over stone—unbroken, unceasing.”

  Zhao Li inhaled deeply and tried to regulate her breathing. Her lungs burned with each breath, making it hard for her to focus. The pack grew heavier with each step and the straps dug further into her shoulders, making her grit her teeth against the discomfort.

  They made it to the midpoint and they took a break on a narrow ledge overlooking a dizzying drop. Zhao Li looked to her left and stared at the Jade Dragon Forest below her. Smudges of green, rivers to silver threads and villages scattered to the east.

  It made her feel lightheaded.

  Susu fished into her left pocket and pulled a pouch free from her robes. She stood up and walked up to Zhao Li, placing the pouch in her lap. “Dried berries and nuts. Eat them sparingly. Your body must learn efficiency here.”

  “Yes Ma’am.”

  Zhao Li took a bite of a berry and tarty taste bubbled across her tongue. She took a bite out the nuts and the nutty flavour exploded within her mouth. satisfying.

  She turned to look at Susu and her face was impassive, her hair was also tied in a tight bun, which wasn’t the way she wore it the past two years. It was if, the Susu in front of her, was a different person, but still the same. She seemed colder, just as she appeared when she first met Zhao Li and when they were making their way through the forests.

  “Is the training ground far?”

  “For me, it isn’t but for you it is. Don’t worry. We have a few more stops before we reach our destination.”

  A hint of amusement flickered across Susu's features. “This journey is part of your training alright? The farther we climb the better it is for you. The training ground lies beyond the Cloud Veil Pass.”

  “The cloud veil pass?”

  “Yes.”

  Zhao Li had heard of the Cloud Veil Pass. It was a treacherous section of the mountain where mists gather so thick, travellers are unwilling to venture near it.

  “I understand,” Zhao Li said, straightening her shoulders. “I’m ready to continue.”

  “Not yet, take your time. We’ll reach our destination by night fall so don’t worry.”

  “Yes Ma’am,”

  Susu nodded, a glimmer of approval in her eyes. “Be wary, the paths get narrower. Step exactly where I step, and do not allow your attention to wander. You don’t have to worry. I will protect you, alright?”

  “I understand.”

  The two set off again and as Susu said, the trail grew narrow and kept the same serpentine swirls up the mountain. The trail dwindled into a precarious ribbon of stone hugging the mountainside, with nothing but empty air and certain death to one side.

  Zhao Li’s heart hammered against her ribs as she carefully placed her foot on the stone beneath her, copying Susu as best as she could. If she made a misstep, it could mean the end. As scared as she was, Susu gripped her hand tighter than the rope that was slung around both their waist. , she thought, repeating Susu’s words,

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  As their ascent continued, the air grew noticeably thinner. Zhao Li inhaled and her lungs felt as though they weren’t enough oxygen for her to inhale, blurring her vision. The mountain seemed to pulse beneath her feet. “Li’er we’re close to the Cloud Veil,”

  They rounded a sharp bend in the trail and a dense wall of mist appeared in front of them, obscuring the path. The mist swirled and shifted like a living entity. The temperature dropped precipitously, and an eerie stillness descended upon Zhao Li, making her hairs rise on the back of her neck. “The mist doesn’t disorient you but the air her Is thinner than the one in the village.” Susu warned. “So…never wander off.”

  Zhao Li nodded.

  They entered the Cloud Veil, and the world around them vanished. Visibility diminished to an arm length; the white mist swallowed everything beyond. Sound became muffled, distorted within Zhao Li’s ears whilst the ground beneath seemed as though as it shifted. “The ground’s stable Li’er, remember, you’re not used to the thin air here, trust my voice and hands.”

  Zhao Li looked up at Susu scared. She didn’t want to step any further, but Susu smiled at her. “I know you’re scared…I promise you; you will be fine alright? Just follow my footsteps.”

  They walked for minutes. No. Hours. It was impossible to tell. The mist would part randomly, revealing glimpses of jagged rocks or yawning chasms, only to close again with unsettling swiftness.

  After what seemed to be an eternity, the mist began to thin. Patches of sky appeared overhead, and the path beneath their feet grew more distinct. Zhao Li’s heart leapt in excitement. They emerged from the Cloud Veil into the clear, air of a high plateau. “We’ve passed the Cloud Veil. We’re soon there.”

  Zhao Li inhaled deeply and relief washed over her. The air was still thin, but it wasn’t as thin as she expected. Susu released her hand and she winced, not realising how tight Susu was squeezing it. Susu rushed to her side and began untying the rope around her waist and rolled it around her arm. “That should be better.”

  Susu walked a few meters then rounded around a large stone. Zhao Li followed and her eyes widened upon the sight that was laid before her.

  The training ground was a spread the vast plateau carved that was carved on the mountainside. It seemed natural, but it was obvious that someone had created this atmosphere specifically for training.

  At the far end a cave with a yawning mouth stared back at Zhao Li. Light seeped from its mouth as if fire itself was burning within it. The trees that encircled the entire area seem silent guardians, their gnarled branches creeping out to the sky, creating a natural boundary between the training ground and the rest of the mountain.

  To the far right, a pond gleamed like polished silver in the mountain light. The water reflected the surrounding trees and distant peaks, creating the illusion of another world beneath its surface. The surface was disrupted by splashing of fish.

  On the left side of the clearing was where the training areas was located. A mud pit sat to the furthest side, speckles of gold flickering as the sun beamed down on at it. To the right of the mud put was a second pit filled with wooden beams of varying heights driven into the earth. To their immediate right lay an enormous fallen tree, its massive trunk stripped of branches and positioned deliberately across the ground. Its weathered surface was worn smooth in places.

  The entire space hummed with a strange energy, as if the very air was charged with purpose. This was no ordinary clearing—it was a forge designed to transform those who trained here.

  “This is where we will train,” Susu said calmly. “You can place your things in the hut within the cave.”

  Zhao Li nodded and walked toward the cave. She walked into the cave and light filled it. The cave was at least forty meters wide and fifty meters tall with a large opening at the top where the sun beamed through.

  A small hut was sowed onto the wall, at the back of the cave. Zhao Li didn’t expect an actual hut, she thought it would be a shed, just like the one she had in the Purple Mist Valley. She asked herself, confused.

  Susu appeared next to her and smiled. “Like it?”

  “I do,”

  “Good…it took me a year and a half to make it.”

  “A year and half?”

  “Yes…” Susu answered with a dry laugh. “I’m not a carpenter and running up and down the mountain when you needed to eat made it annoying, but once I was finished, none of the mattered.”

  “You were building this the entire time?”

  “Yes,” Susu laughed, “now take it easy and make sure Xiao Hei is fine.”

  “Right,” she said, sliding the pack off her back. Her shoulders screamed in relief as the pack was heavier than anything she’d carried, outside of the logs. She fished through the pack for a second and scooped Xiao Hei out.

  The wolf pup crowed in relief; her eyes still half open. Zhao Li scooped up a bottle of milk and began feeding her. She sighed and stroked Xiao Hei’s back, not letting last night’s embarrassment fill her mind. “Where are we going to get milk?” She asked Susu.

  “Don’t worry about the milk, I’ll handle that.”

  Zhao Li looked up at Susu and the urge to hug her was there. Last night, before they went to bed, she had called her mother. Her face had gone red instantly in disbelief. She didn’t mean to, but that’s how Susu made her feel, cherished and loved. How could she not call her mother.

  Despite that, the fact that she said made her feel embarrassed. She had mentally committed to not calling anyone that, but Susu made her feel protected…something she hadn’t felt before she met her.

  She picked up Xiao Hei and headed into the hut. The hut was of the same design as their hut back in the Snow Rabbit Village. Zhao Li wrapped her arms around the woman’s waist, burying her face into her chest. Susu stiffened momentarily, surprised by the sudden affection. “What’s this for?’ Susu asked, surprised.

  “For everything,” Zhao Li mumbled against the fabric of Susu's robe. “Taking me away, teaching me to breath properly. For bringing me here... for caring.”

  Susu’s arms came around Zhao Li. She held the girl tightly, one hand moving to stroke her hair. The touch was gentle, almost hesitant, as if Susu wasn’t accustomed to such displays of affection. “You know,” Susu said quietly, “That’s the best hug I’ve ever felt in life. I hope to receive more.”

  Zhao Li pulled back slightly, looking up at Susu with wide eyes. A smile broke across her face, bright and genuine. Not the forced smile she had worn in the village, but one that reached her eyes and warmed her entire being. “I can do that,” she said.

  Susu’s lips quirked up at the corners, and she patted Zhao Li's head once before stepping back. “Good. Now, let’s get settled. Tomorrow, training begins.”

  Zhao Li nodded, watching as Susu moved deeper into the cave to arrange their belongings. The light from above cast Susu’s shadow long across the cave floor, and in that moment, Zhao Li made a decision.

  To her ‘master’ was too formal. ‘Mother’ was too presumptuous. But there was a word that encompassed both, a word that honoured Susu both as her teacher and as the woman who had carved out this place for her, who had prepared for a year and a half for her arrival.

  Mushi. Mother-master.

  The word settled in her heart, fitting perfectly. She would call Susu this—perhaps not aloud, not yet, but in her mind, in her heart. Mushi. A promise to herself, a silent acknowledgment of the bond they shared.

  Zhao Li smiled and turned back to Xiao Hei, who was whimpering softly for more milk. Tomorrow, her training would begin in earnest. But tonight, she had found something just as important: a name for the feeling growing in her chest, for the woman who had brought her here.

  Mushi. Her mother-master.