The night had passed without further incident, but the heavy tension from their confrontation was still lingering. Despite this, Xieren said nothing about it, and neither did Liang He. At least, not until they had settled down.

  "If we're going to get through this in one piece," Liang He had said as he worked on preserving the pig meat. They had found a decently-sized clearing located beyond the foggy wall of dark qi. Sitting around the fire pit, Liang He spoke, while Xieren listened. "We can't let what just happened happen again." Xieren agreed. Even if Liang He was difficult to get along with, he had to put up with him. If Xieren truly hoped to have his life back, they were going to have to at least pretend to get along.

  That night, Liang He had set up their campfire, much to Xieren's chagrin. He had wanted to show the thief that he had some experiences outside of being pampered and clumsy. Still, despite the stare the prince had burrowed into him, Liang He continued to do what he was doing. Liang He continued to work on everything without so much as a word of warning: setting up the fire pit, heading off and killing some animals for food, and then preparing all of the meat for dinner and preservation. Despite the fact that this left Xieren feeling useless, he had to go along with it quietly for the sake of their goals; reaching the Tear of Moonlight.

  That following morning, after a night of uneasy sleep, the sun shined down on their path from above. Neither spoke. Collecting their supplies and eating some of the nuts and fruit they had on them, they headed down the imaginary path next to their campsite and pushed on. As they traveled, the sounds of the wildlife filling the air around them and the snapping of twigs under foot helped to keep them—particularly Xieren—at ease. Xieren listened to these sounds with the utmost interest, paying close attention to every call and croak, hoping to identify each one.

  It's interesting, he thought to himself. Back in the barrier, when night came, it was always so noisy, as if creatures were constantly planning to attack. But since traveling with Liang He, I haven't noticed such noises. Xieren's gaze fell on Liang He, but noticing the man begin to turn, he looked away. Is it me? Or is it Liang He? Despite asking himself, he knew it could only be... It has to be Liang He's doing. But how? His curiousity was always on some level of alert around the thief. But it seemed the more he saw, the more curious he became. He has secrets. A lot of them, no question. At this rate, I feel like I'll never learn anything about him.

  As they moved forward through the brush, both of them eyeing the area around them, Liang He suddenly paused. Immediately, his hand reached for his sword. Xieren, startled by this reaction, reached for his own. The pair waited in silence, the calming sounds of nature around them doing nothing to lift the sudden tension. As Xieren remained frozen, waiting for Liang He to say something, a rustling from a bush across from them caught his attention. Before Xieren could say something, a small fox darted out and vanished into the trees. Xieren was stunned.

  It was just a fox? Feeling relieved, he sighed, but Liang He finally spoke up. "Don't get too comfortable. That wasn't it."

  Xieren gulped before nodding, voicing his understanding and reaching for his sword again. "What is it then? I can't notice anything." Liang He gave no answer. The two waited, but after some time went by, Liang He released his sword and his form greatly relaxed. "Nevermind," he said, his voice low. "Maybe I was imagining it." Peering down at Xieren, a vague smile appeared. "Nanshan will do that to you if you aren't careful. Keep that in mind."

  "The yin in this place gets very strong at night due to the presence of the spirits. Could it be effecting you?" Liang He laughed, his arms folded across his waist. "I doubt that. Spirits are the least of our worries, you know."

  Xieren nodded in a sheepish way, but the front of his mind was occupied. As they moved forward in their journey, Xieren became more vocal. "How familiar are you with qi and cultivation?"

  "I know about as much as the next guy." Though they weren't looking at each other, Xieren could hear a smile in the taller man's voice. "I know that qi is the force of life. Yin and yang, the essential balance needed for us to get through life, right? The two halves that create a whole."

  "Uh, yeah." Though Xieren nodded along, he couldn't help but feel that Liang He wasn't being completely honest. But about what in specific, he wasn't sure. It felt like everything he said was always presented in a way that came off as half-hearted. Like he was trying to be ambiguous. Xieren knew too well by now that Liang He wouldn't talk if he didn't want to, so he simply nodded along and kept his mouth shut.

  Moving on, the sounds of nature once again took a hold of Xieren. As he listened, a surge of noise beneath the chirping and croaks caught his attention. Suddenly overtaken by curiousity, he asked, "Liang He. Do you hear that?"

  "I do. It's just up ahead." Without so much as looking back, he pointed into the forest in front of them. Xieren could barely see anything through the trees. "What is it?"

  "Come on. Let's get you a closer look."

  Without a moment of hesitation, they made their way through the forest and out into a clearing. The sound Xieren heard had grown louder with every step, and in an instant, it was obvious.

  "That's... How do we pass this?" A strong, raging river, as if dropped down from above in the middle of their path, was preventing them from moving forward. "The current looks strong, Liang He."

  "It is." As he spoke, with the most graceful and sure of movements, Liang He began digging through the larger bag he wore on his hip. "Now, what we are about to do requires the utmost trust. So," peering up at Xieren with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes, he asked, "do you trust me?"

  Xieren spent a quick moment thinking about what to say before deciding, with ease, to answer as he truly thought. "Not particularly. But you had a chance to kill me, and you didn't take it. So, whatever we're about to do, let's do it."

  Liang He's mischievous smile peeked for but a moment before the thief returned to his neutral look. Pulling a length of rope from the bag, he showed it to Xieren. "We'll get across with this, Your Highness."

  "How so?"

  Liang He had paused, as if something had suddenly distracted him. Xieren said nothing, left with the assumption that Liang He was busy thinking up an answer to his question, but Xieren knew, in truth, that was unlikely. After a mere moment of thought, Liang He smiled. "Gege."

  "What?" Xieren's eyebrows furrowed. He felt his stomach turn. Liang He seemed to find joy in the prince's reaction. "What do you think? Gege?"

  "Don't call me that. We only just met."

  "It's been a day, now. Should I just keep calling you Your Highness?"

  "I don't really care for that either." A cold reminder of what he no longer had.

  Liang He tossed the rope over his shoulder.

  Great, Xieren thought. He's focusing on this now instead.

  "How about Mr. ?"

  "That's unnecessary."

  "Just Xieren?"

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  "Please don't."

  "You're far too picky. I may as well settle on xiaojie with how picky you are." Liang He's head fell to the side and the look of neutrality had diminished to weariness. Xieren had no intention of budging from his position, but he knew Liang He felt the same way. One of them had to give.

  "Alright, fine." Xieren shook his head unconsciously. "Call me what you want."

  Liang He stifled a small chuckle. "You just want to get over there, gege?"

  "Fine, yeah." He ran his hand over his neck. Liang He pulled the rope from his shoulder. "What about me?"

  "You? Isn't Liang He fine as is?"

  "If you think so. Don't we want to be on a more familiar level with one another?"

  "I'm satisfied where we are. We aren't here to be friends." Xieren kept his focus on the raging waters in front of them. Liang He seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself as he unraveled the rope. "Whatever you say, gege."

  As Xieren continued to shake his head in disbelief, Liang He wound up his arm and threw the rope to the other side of the river. Without fail, a hook that had been tied to the end caught onto a tree. Liang He pulled and pulled, proving the sturdiness. "There." He sighed a breath of relief. With the other end, he glanced around before setting his sights on a large rock. "This end will go here." After securing it to the rock, they were now ready. "Gege." Xieren rubbed his temple before finally succumbing to his fate. "Yes?"

  "You'll go first."

  "What?" His brow arched. "I've never done anything like this. What do I do?"

  "You," resting his hands on Xieren's shoulders, he pushed him toward the rope with care. "You will cross the river using this rope." Tugging on it to ensure its strength, he went on. "You need to hold onto this as you cross to make sure you don't get pulled under. Once you go through, I'll follow after I have untied the rope."

  "Wait," Xieren glanced back at the rock the rope was tied around. "You won't have anything to keep you up, then."

  "I know." There was a smile in his voice as he pulled away from the prince. "If anything happens, I want you to toss the free end of the rope in, and you can help pull me to land."

  "Isn't that dangerous?"

  Liang He cocked his head before patting Xieren's shoulder. "I've made it through worse. So, are we ready? Take off the food. I'll toss it over to you when you reach the other side." Xieren was reluctant to go through with this, but he knew there was nothing else he could do. Nothing else either of them could do. They had to do it. Don't cultivators have their own ways...?

  "Alright. Let's go." Removing the bag of food from his back, Xieren shook away his fear and took solid strides toward the water. Grasping the rope with both hands, he waded in. While shallow his first few steps, the water began to deepen, and within a matter of seconds, the strength of the current picked up.

  "If anything happens, I'll be right here to jump in."

  "And then what?"

  "We'll figure that out if it comes to that." This did little to reassure Xieren, but he pushed the cryptic words to the back of his mind as he waded further into the raging torrent. By now, the water was up to his waist, and Xieren could feel his feet frequently slipping. On instinct, his grip on the rope tightened, but the fracture in his right hand was urging him to release his grip.

  I can fight through this. Easy enough. Taking slow breaths, he continued moving, but the pressure against his body increased as the water rose. After one step, his body fell. A drop in the riverbed sent him down, his face drenched as the water rushed over his head. The sound of crashing water drummed in his ears, and he couldn't hear Liang He calling out.

  "Gege!"

  Xieren struggled to hold himself up as the force of the rushing water restrained his legs. "Liang He..." With the pressure mounting, he felt the grip he had on the rope loosening. His right wrist was growing dreadfully painful. He couldn't hold on much longer.

  "Gege!" Before his grip could loosen, he felt a strong form wrap around him and hold him in place. "Hold on tight!" Liang He held Xieren while gripping the rope with his free hand. "Liang He?" Xieren was shocked he would jump in, but he couldn't complain. Liang He just saved him!

  "Keep moving! You're almost halfway there!"

  Almost halfway. That's good enough! With Liang He still at his back, he felt a surge in confidence as he pushed forward. The burden on his wrist had lifted and his strength had returned, regardless of the pressure and sharp spatters of cold water against his face. He forced his legs to keep moving, he felt the riverbed beneath his feet, and the force of the water struggling to knock them out from under him. A little further! We're almost there!

  As they struggled on, Xieren could feel the water dropping before he felt a sudden lift in the riverbed. His eyes widened in relief as he rose from the water, soaked, but in one piece!

  "Great job, gege!"

  "Wha..." Back on the opposite side of the river stood Liang He, soaking wet, but waving with a mischievous fervor. "You did it!"

  "Only with your help!" Without any response, Liang He tossed the bags of food over one-by-one. Xieren caught them and set them down, resting himself along with them as he caught his breath. He was too exhausted to think over what just happened.

  Back on the opposite side of the river, Liang He untied the rope from the large stone. "Gege, I'm tossing the rope over!" Xieren pushed himself to his feet and caught the rope, coiling it up as he watched his companion fearlessly enter the rushing waters. Liang He had to put himself in harm's way to help Xieren. He was determined to aid Liang He if the need arose. I can't believe I needed him to help. I haven't proven myself at all so far. I've been nothing but dead weight!

  Liang He pushed his way through the turbulent water with little issue. He kept himself steady and strong, but his balance was noticeably impeded by the strength of the river. Xieren felt on edge as he watched from safety. Each unsteady step Liang He took caused Xieren to jolt in anxiety. He was preparing himself to jump out if necessary, but as his fists clenched tighter, he remembered the rope. If things took a turn for the worst, he'd throw the rope out to Liang He.

  "You're halfway there!" At the words of encouragement, Liang He chuckled weakly, the water washing past his face and doing its best to rush him downstream. Trudging his way forward, his feet began to slip from the unsteady surface he traversed. It had been small, unnoticeable at first, but the stream was taking its toll on him and he was beginning to lose the fight. "Your Highness!" He forced the words out as he stretched out his arm. "The rope!"

  Xieren launched himself into action. Throwing his arm back, he pushed his weight forward as he tossed out the rope. It landed a meter away from Liang He, and the two of them were being swept in the same direction. Taking the risk, Liang He swam after it. Once it was in his grasp, he signaled to Xieren to pull him in, and in an instant, he was being pulled to the shore.

  Xieren struggled against the current as it threatened to pull his companion away, but he made himself sturdy as he clenched his teeth, pulling with all the strength he could muster. I can do this! One, two... One, two...

  It felt to Xieren like many moons had come and gone before Liang He was back on land, soaking wet with his long black hair matted and sodden. With deep, hasty breaths, Liang He crawled to a stand, the rope in his hand. "See?" His breath nearly hid the words he spoke. "We make a good team. When there's some trust, anyway." He gave a raspy chuckle before tossing the rope to the ground. Xieren had no idea how to respond. He was terrified, relieved, and proud all at once. Liang He noticed the conflicted look Xieren had and immediately got to work. "We should get started on setting up camp." This woke Xieren from his conflictions. Rising from his kneel, Xieren turned to Liang He as the man cleared some land four meters back. "Can I help you?"

  "Help? Are you sure about that, gege?"

  "I... Yes. Why does that surprise you?" Liang He scoffed, a crooked sneer finding its place once again. "If you want, sure. But how is your wrist feeling?" Xieren lifted his hand, opening and closing his fingers. "It feels better than yesterday."

  "What about right now?"

  Xieren's head lowered. "It hurts a little more, but that doesn't mean I can't help. I could set up the fire, or help prepare food."

  "Really?" Liang He straightened from his crouch and his head fell to the side. His droopy eyes grew slimmer as his mouth fell crooked, an almost indiscernible look. "You know how to handle fire? Meat? Have you ever cooked before?"

  "I have not, but you can teach me. I'm a fast learner if you show me once."

  "Really?" An almost mocking smile appeared. "I wouldn't have guessed that seeing you handle that fire the way you did."

  "What?" Xieren blinked once, twice. "You saw?"

  "Of course I saw." Liang He crossed his arms. "Like I said, I was waiting to see when I could approach you. That aside," Liang He knelt and picked up the bundle of twigs he had gathered. "Everything around here is soaked from the river. We can't start fire here." He held one of the sticks out to Xieren. "But it would be a useful way to mark our route."

  "Mark it? What for? You said you knew Nanshan like the back of your hand."

  "I did mention that I haven't traversed the whole forest yet, right?" Upon this point, Xieren simply sucked on his cheek, taking the stick from Liang He. The taller male scrunched his mouth into a small smirk. "Let's move further back. We need to dry off or we'll both catch cold." Collecting their things, the two followed their vague path further into the forest, leaving the rushing river at their backs.