When they got to the well the square was deserted, the shutters of the houses shut abnormally early with no trace of either faction. Flowing Silk immediately set to work sketching out a wide circle around the skeleton with salt, deliberately excluding the well with a wary look.

  Xiong watched Flowing Silk with interest, though he was sniffing the air warily.

  “What is he doing? And why is the young priest in such a hurry to get this ritual started?” Sheng asked him as he watched Flowing Silk mark the compass points with incense sticks.

  “He is using an Inhuman Art called the Honour of the Ghost, Honoured Elder." One that Xiong had heard of, but never seen. Xiong had always been more concerned with the local gods and spirits rather than ghosts - and they tended to take offense at being summoned like one, "I know it is strongest at the boundary between night and day, but I have never seen it in person.”

  “I see.” Sheng turned his attention back to the priest as he placed two candles between (and one behind) each incense stick to make the markers add up to twelve. Interestingly, he left half the candles deliberately unlit, so that one in each pair was lit and the candles opposite each other also formed a lit-unlit pair. Next he stepped forward to the skeleton lying on one side of the circle and carefully laid two coins from his pouch in the skeleton’s eye sockets, crossing to the same spot on the opposite side of the circle to reverently place two coins from a separate pouch on the ground.

  "A circle?" Sheng murmured, "I thought sorcery used squares as a base?"

  "Ghosts are tied to the Great Wheel more closely than others." Xiong replied, watching the ritual keenly, "Alternatively, I know that in the full bagua the yin-yang at the centre stands for the Heavens and the Underworld. The placement of the grave money implies he's using that imagery."

  "Given that Ghosts end up in one or the other once they've been judged by the Golden Phoenix, that makes sense." Sheng replied, watching with renewed interest.

  Flowing Silk checked the setup for a moment before giving a small nod and sketching another circle outside the first, effectively sealing himself into a ring between the two before turning to face Ton's skeleton and what must have been Ila’s grave money. He breathed out and suddenly he was steady after his nervousness before, his voice clear and strong with a note to it that made the air hum.

  “At the boundary of Day and Night I call to you, Light and Dark, Death and Life, Yin and Yang. The Heavens and the Underworld are held separate but connected by the Deadlands. Likewise two peoples lie divided here, joined together by two spirits.” He lifted his hands, palm up, in a plea to the two piles, “Ton and Ila, I ask if you would speak to me in order to help heal the rift between your peoples and lift this chi knot that poisons your home. Will you speak to me?”

  Power twisted from the backs of Flowing Silk's hands and a rift tore along the centre of the inner circle, dividing it into two in a yin-yang pattern. At the centre of one of the sides laid the skeleton, at the other the grave money. The trees creaked and wailed in the unearthly wind, and dust swirled inside the circle into two silvery semi-transparent figures, each facing Flowing Silk from their side of the circle. One was a young lady in a ragged dress, her head hanging at a broken angle to one side and coins glinting in her eyes, the other was a roughly-dressed woodsman, axe in skeletal hand as he stared at the priest.

  “By whose authority do you call back the dead?” he challenged before he waved the question away, his eyes gleaming silver-blue with ghostlight. “It matters not. Will you avenge me? I would have revenge on my murderer - Ton the liar, murderer, sorcerer!”

  The woman spoke as well, “And I would see dead the witch that killed me to take her place - Ila - may she suffer a thousand torments!”

  The three Xia blinked at the revelation as the wind howled, then quietened. Then a male voice, deep but with a hint of dry cracking spoke into the silence.

  “So you've prodded and delved and found out too much by far, haven't you?” There was a pause where they could almost hear a sadistic smile, “Don't worry. They'll blame it all on the plague once we're through.”

  Flowing Silk immediately shifted into a fighting stance, Xiong and Sheng following suit as the stones of the well began to rattle and something black started oozing up and out from it, a single red eye glaring at the Xia gathered there.

  Xiong let loose a low growl as the creature dragged itself out and reared up, bones inside its translucent body floating around to rearrange themselves into a devil-beast shape.

  Flowing Silk sighed, apparently far too used to fighting demons. “I wish I could say I wasn't expecting something of that nature. Why is it always the well?” He hurriedly bowed to the ghosts, “Please excuse me, honoured spirits, it seems I need to attend to something, would you mind giving me your names so that you may be properly remembered?”

  The man dressed in woodsman's clothes bowed. "Chen."

  “And I am Full Moon Flower." the lady replied before the ghosts faded away hurriedly, their eyes remaining on the devil-beast the whole while.

  Xiong steeled himself and bent to grab a loose cobble stone from the street, hurling it like a discus at the beast's head.

  The beast’s translucent body rippled around the impact, the stone floating around inside the body and bobbing like another bone as the beast roared back in Xiong’s face.

  Sheng raised an eyebrow, stroking his beard as he stayed back to observe the beast. Xiong simply wrinkled his nose in disgust, then spun the staff around his head and swiped it through the demon, trying to hit out one of the bones floating within.

  The beast split apart in the path of the blow like a school of fish, closing again once the staff was past. Then the body pulsed and the stone came shooting out of it back toward Xiong.

  Xiong simply tilted his head to one side, letting the stone sail past and keeping his eyes on the creature. It was a good thing he had, as the beast spun and struck out at Sheng unnaturally fast, one limb elongating as bones rearranged themselves.

  Xiong was grateful that his Grandfather was more observant than he advertised. Sheng saw the move coming and darted behind the creature to grab a bucket of water from the ground and toss it at the demon. The demon cringed away from the water, hissing as it darted out of the way with surprising speed.

  Sheng smirked in satisfaction "Xiong, the barrel!"

  Xiong looked behind him and grinned, kicking the barrel over to send a wave of water at the demon. It formed a barrier more than an attack, but the demon beast screamed as the water splashed its legs. Translucent flesh dissolved into blue ghostflame as parts of it dropped off and dissolved into the water, the single eye focussing on Xiong with tangible hatred.

  As soon as it was looking at Xiong Flowing Silk broke the circle with the sweep of one foot, using the motion to collect one of the candle flames from his ritual and toss it high into the air. Time seemed to slow as he drew the wheels from his back, then sped up again as he caught the flame on one of the wheels and spun, letting out a wave of real and mystical flame towards the beast.

  The beast screeched again as the flame hit it, crisping up and blackening. Flowing Silk didn’t let up, murmuring an exorcism chant that caused the air to ripple as he spun, the wheels moving in an intricate flurry of motions to form a web of fire in the air in front of him. Once the sigil was complete he blew, twisting ribbons of flame roaring out of the sigil towards the demon.

  The cleansing fire seared away the translucent goop of its side and the beast howled in anger. The beast's bones, now exposed, emitted a flash of dark power and the ribbons of flame shattered.

  As the sigil broke Flowing Silk staggered backwards. The demon-beast took the opportunity to dive through the scattered wisps of flame and over to Flowing Silk, a whip of bone extending from its arm to flick toward him. The priest looked up with a flicker of surprise at the demon's speed before he threw himself sideways into a roll and skidded to his feet a few metres away, still fighting to regain his breath.

  Sorcerous feedback. Worth the gamble for a more powerful strike, but he needs a distraction to get his breath back. Xiong whistled to get the beast's attention and its head swung round to see the blacksmith hefting the half empty barrel he could now lift. A moment later he hurled it straight at the demon's gelatinous mass. The barrel splintered over the demon in a crash of water and it gave off a high-pitched scream as the remaining flesh melted from its bones…

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  That continued to stand on their own just fine.

  Xiong cursed as the beast spun with much greater speed and dashed toward him, firing bones from its body like daggers as its tail whipped round toward Flowing Silk. The priest managed to get the Wheels up into a block, but the sharp bones sliced through Xiong’s block and into his shoulders and chest.

  The beast roared its victory and Sheng frowned, looking around for something that could turn the tide. His eyes settled on the ritual circle and the candles still flickering there. He darted forward, scooping up the candle as he ran back round.

  The beast simply turned, bones clattering against each other as they rearranged into a different beast, a lithe tigerlike form with claws formed of rib-bones that pounced toward the old man. Sheng leant backwards to avoid the blow. The beast reared back, then descended like a meteorite.

  Bone met wood in a resounding crash, Xiong's dark eyes meeting the demon's single red one. “You do not touch my Grandfather.”

  Xiong spat on the street then grabbed a 'limb', bone splintering under his fingers. With an almighty heave he threw the beast away from Sheng and spun the staff in his hands to level it at the beast. With a roar Xiong charged the bone demon and drove it back, crushing it against the wall of a nearby house.

  There was an almighty crack as the wall buckled but didn’t quite give way, the beast staggering back out of the crater barely upright.

  Sheng took a few steps forward and unhooked a flask from his belt. He took a huge swig and sloshed it around in his mouth for a few moments, then raised the candle to them, making sure to tilt his head upwards.

  WHHHHHOOOMMMPH

  The blackened bones hung in the air for a moment before they crumbled, drifting away on a sudden gust of wind.

  They turned around in triumph only to see Flowing Silk looking at Sheng disapprovingly, a little too icily calm. “... You do realise that using alcohol to mimic our Pure Flame Style, note the pure, is precisely what a Drunken Hedonist does to insult our school, yes?”

  The ritual circle behind Flowing Silk crackled with power and Sheng bowed deeply, “I humbly and readily apologise, no slight was intended. I have been among uncouth barbarians so long that I have not had to think of such things.”

  A pin could be heard to drop, it was so silent.

  Which is why it surprised them so when the top of the well collapsed.

  Flowing Silk remained still with eyes narrowed for a moment longer, the wheels still blazing in his hands before he seemed to notice and put them away, the circle’s crackling power dying with it. “I believe there are more pressing matters to be dealing with.”

  Sheng bowed again and turned to Xiong and the well. Now that the top had fallen away, a ladder leading down into the well was plainly visible. “Are you hurt badly, Xiong?”

  Xiong grimaced as he pulled another bone shard out of himself, letting it drop to the floor with the others. As soon as he realised Sheng was paying attention he straightened and turned to him with a smile, “No. This is nothing. Nothing at all. I'm fine. Are… are you ok?”

  “I am well. And it is fortunate those wounds do not go deeper." Sheng shook his head sadly, "It wouldn't be right for you to hurt yourself just to protect an old man from his folly.”

  “I am a student of the Mother Bear. It is only right that I should place myself between the enemy and those I care about.” Xiong suppressed a wince, only the corner of his mouth twitching as he pulled out the last shard. He showily spun his ironshod staff before stowing it on his back. “I would not count myself any sort of man if I did not defend those who needed it, especially an honoured elder, or someone like a priest. I am but a humble smith, so it is better I should be put in harms way.”

  Flowing Silk blinked once and was back to his normal unassuming self, “And it was hardly folly, fighting demons is never an easy task.”

  The old man sighed, “Still, it came easier to me once.”

  “Your skill has only increased with age, elder, and neither of you should undervalue yourselves, we defeated it as a team.” Flowing Silk offered them a smile, then looked at the well with misgivings.

  All three of them studied it in silence before Flowing Silk spoke, “Shall we investigate further? We have candles to guide us once I dismantle the circle.”

  While Flowing Silk did so Sheng stroked his beard thoughtfully, “If the creature was harmed by water…” He scooped up a stone from the ground and dropped it down the well. It took a good three seconds until the sound of a splash and he smiled slightly.

  Xiong peered down, “If there is a ladder there must be something down there, surely?”

  “And yet a long drop to the water. I would imagine the ladder leads to a cave or passage partway down. Wise one, may I continue to borrow a candle for a few moments longer?”

  “Of course, honoured elder.” Flowing Silk collected the unused candles and stowed them away.

  Xiong did not ask where his grandfather had learnt to tie a rope cradle so that the candle would not burn the rope lowering it, nor how he had got so practised at it to do so that fast. Instead he peered down to see the candle illuminating a door inset into the wall about ten metres down, the water another ten metres below that.

  "I'll go first." Xiong stated, "If the ladder holds me it will take all of us, and I can take an unexpected hit better than either of you. Grandfather, will you lower the candle alongside me?"

  Sheng nodded and Xiong carefully tested the first iron rung. It flexed slightly under his weight but the anchor points remained secure. With that he made his way down, testing each rung before fully trusting his weight to it. The stone door glittered ominously in the candle light, but when Xiong listened he could hear nothing behind it.

  Xiong carefully put his shoulder against the door and pushed, only to immediately recoil when acrid smoke billowed out, covering his nose and mouth with his sleeve to catch his coughing with the ease of a trained blacksmith. Once the worst had escaped he swung himself inside, taking the candle from the rope cradle to peer into the darkness.

  The chamber inside the well was simple, rough stones lining a surprisingly large square room with workbenches along one wall, a ritual circle in the middle and two stone ledges along the opposite one on which two bodies laid, the smoke rising from the eye sockets.

  Xiong wrinkled his nose in disgust and called back up the well. “It’s safe.” He approached the bodies, carefully examining the ashy residue on the ledges, then their clothes and faces.

  Flowing Silk and Sheng joined him, the former making a face as he tied cloth over his mouth and nose, “I believe cleansing fire would be in order here once we have investigated.”

  Sheng was already picking up incense burners and dishes that had been scattered around the room, Flowing Silk going to search the work benches, “These have been used recently, but no sorcerer would toss their instruments around like this.”

  “They appear to have been killed by sorcerous backlash, probably from when the beast their spell summoned was slain.” Xiong said, moving to examine the second body, “I suspect their ritual circle exploded when it did, which explains the mess.”

  Sheng joined him, “Hm, that would make sense. I imagine these are the true mayor and his wife.”

  “It seems likely, Grandfather.”

  “I believe I may have found their research notes.” Flowing Silk lifted a book bound in red leather for the other two to see, “I cannot be entirely sure of the wisdom of reading it, but it may give us more of an idea what they were doing.”

  Xiong nodded and returned to examining the smoking eye sockets, “I would agree, The spell itself was cast with demonic power…”

  “A sacrifice?” Flowing Silk asked as Sheng walked towards the back of the room, looking down at the floor.

  Xiong crossed the room to grab some bottles, deliberately scuffing the ritual circle with disdain as he went, “This kind of backlash affects the ones who cast spells, not those who are innocent sacrifices.” He pulled a face at the murky liquid in the bottles, tipped them out in the corner then upended it over the smoking eye sockets to collect the smoke.

  “Then what were they planning?” Flowing Silk wondered before glancing at the book, “I suppose reading this would be the only way to be sure.”

  At the back of the room Sheng tapped a stone with his foot, then kicked it aside to reveal a large hidden bag. Another experimental kick confirmed his suspicions. “The missing taxes. They were stealing from both sides and getting away with it because they didn't talk. No doubt the village will be pleased.”

  Flowing Silk nodded, “They shall.” He looked at the book again, “I think I should read this, I am probably solid enough in my faith to manage it without too many adverse effects.”

  “In my experience little harm to the self can come from reading.” Sheng replied as Flowing Silk settled himself against one wall, continuing in a mutter as he walked back to Xiong with the money, “The trick is to stop young people from doing it…”

  The priest breathed out calmly, then opened the book carefully to read. His hands twitched occasionally, but his face remained calm and focussed, though occasionally making expressions of distaste as he flicked past certain pages.

  Flowing Silk blinked and his eyes widened in surprise, “An Underworld pearl and starmetal…?”

  Sheng turned in surprise as Xiong looked up sharply, “What?”

  “The last ritual in here is a way to theoretically open a true death gate.” he explained, “It requires... a ridiculous number of things, including an underworld pearl and starmetal. I knew a death gate was powerful, but the power of the chi flows in those two items alone is ridiculous.”

  Xiong frowned, “A true death gate?”

  The priest's eyes flicked up. “An advanced technique of Honour of the Ghost. It is a way to directly walk to the Underworld or the Deadlands.” His expression grew more serious, “And for them to walk back.”

  Xiong looked to Sheng and Sheng folded his arms under his robe with a slight nod. Xiong frowned, “You don't think.....?”

  “It would be far too much of a coincidence if it was not.”

  The priest looked between the two, “... I suspect we may need to tell each other the full details of what we are questing for." He looked up at the sound of voices approaching from above, "At some point when we are alone. I suspect the villagers will want to celebrate our victory and we have done more than enough to claim Xia hospitality for the night.”

  Sheng and Xiong nodded, the former speaking up, "After dinner, then. It wouldn't do for us to refuse their hospitality!"

  "And I'd rather them not come down here in case there are other dark magics fouling this place." Xiong stated.

  Sheng patted him on the arm, "Leave it to me. You two stay here and clean up while I sort everything out. By the time you're done we'll have a proper feast and those two tribes will be talking to each other. Nothing like good booze and a common enemy to unite people, after all…"

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  Awkward Kenzhi, who was kicked out of the Pure Flame School after he was found lying drunk in a gutter outside an inn. He accused the Masters of the School of being closed off from reality – for unless they experienced the world, how could they seek to change it? Unsurprisingly, this didn't go down well.