“Practice, indeed, made permanence. The dance festival sounded spectacular.”

The Fox sat on the windowsill, smiling. The mask moved to sit loosely on his collarbone and revealed his whole face to Mingzhu. Nothing changed since their last encounter; he had the same bald head, bushy eyebrows and ageing, kind face. The habit of smoothing his head – which his son inherited – was just as Mingzhu remembered months ago. At the sight of him, she couldn’t stop the smile taking over her face.

“It’s good to see you again, Master.”

Liu Hanxiong stepped inside the chambers without a sound, like a ghost, and walked over to hug Mingzhu tightly. Hesitantly, she returned the embrace, still finding it hard to adapt to physical contact without malicious intent. I missed you. The words played on the tip of her tongue but she refused to admit it aloud. I missed you a lot.

Over a year ago, Hanxiong found her in the mountains, wandering aimlessly in search of the Mountain Masters help to avenge Juan. In the bitter cold, she marched on a path to death through exhaustion, dehydration and injuries. Hanxiong took her back to his cave – a makeshift home while he searched for his family – and nursed her back to recovery. Apart from Juan, he was the only other person who loved her unconditionally.

“I hope I’m not a bother but could I have that?” Hanxiong ravenously eyed Mingzhu’s half-eaten vegetable soup and side bowl of rice. “If you are finished?”

“You are such an old man,” she remarked but pushed the food towards him, her lips tugging upwards.

“You are a blessing!” He said and greedily devoured the meal.

As he ate, Mingzhu did not delay the conversation, knowing their time had a limit. “Did you come because of my letter or a request from the Mountain Masters?”

“Both. News spread of the Shanhe rulers’ death and it didn’t match our original plan to dispose of the emperor. I was sent to confirm if you were the cause. However, as I left, I received your letter and due to the extreme measures the new emperor of Shanhe went to kill a suspected Mountain Master, it was agreed that he too, must be removed. But my main concern is with you: Mingzhu, don’t ever scare me like that again. I never wish to receive a letter written in your blood.”

“It was a desperate situation and I had to be resourceful,” Mingzhu muttered, deflated. She thought he would be proud at her resourcefulness. Instead, he acted just like his son.

“I have been requested by the Masked Masters to carry out the new task. Will you join me?” Hanxiong asked.

“You saved me when I did not deserve it. I have done nothing during my time at the palace worthy of their forgiveness and failed to complete the original mission. I owe it to you and them to undertake this mission as well.”

Hanxiong looked straight into her eyes, both displaying harshness and care. He always wore this typical scolding look when she said something insensitive in the mountains. It made him seem like a father.

“Mingzhu, you have spent your whole life living for someone else. You were prepared to die for the mountain clan. This loyalty, although commendable, has grown from guilt and blame. The Dragon and I despise it. So, we decided after this mission, you must find a family, new passion and live a happy life. If you do not, we will force a match-maker onto you. Be warned. The Dragon loves those meddling things.”

Mingzhu scrunched up her face. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Fa Biming would. You know him. So please, heed my wish. Do not search for a reason to be punished and a reason to die. Promise me this.”

“I learnt about the lost prince,” Mingzhu said instead, shifting to a new topic. The hefty promise seemed unfair; she deserved every pain in the world after destroying so many families.

“I was waiting for this conversation. How is our prince?” Hanxiong asked and drank the rest of the contents in the bowl. A full and content stomach bulged under the master’s robes.

“You knew the identity all along?!”

“Of course. I was the one that helped the empress hide him as an infant,” Hanxiong replied. Mingzhu stared at him, willing him to continue explaining. “The Masked Masters are split to monitor different kingdoms. Some are given duties regarding villages while others are sent directly to the palace to provide a report.”

“I already learnt this.”

“Well, during my earlier years, I was in charge of the Lotus Palace. I visited every few months to check on situations and every time, the empress was facing a miscarriage. When she did carry a child to full term, I kept a closer eye on the baby after birth. I stopped two assassination attempts but when the third happened and the child fell ill, I had to intervene to an extreme measure. The prince needed to grow up elsewhere until the right age, then return to the palace. I’ve been waiting the moment to crown him ever since I left the child."

“You haven’t done a good job. He has almost died a few times from what I’ve heard.”

“Least he is still alive,” Hanxiong mused, ignoring the seriousness of the situation. “Now you can keep a close eye on him.”

“I cannot with your idiotic son hanging around me,” Mingzhu groaned and she watched Hanxiong freeze at her words. “Will you meet with him?”

If it were her, she would want to meet a kind father like Hanxiong. Disung needed it. He struggled with false memories over his father’s death which Mingzhu faced first-hand during their fight as the Fox. Their reuniting would ease lots of unresolved pain and then, Hanxiong could explain their past instead of Mingzhu. In her head, it appeared perfect.

“He lives in the Lotus Palace and became a great general before his eighteenth birthday. After, he has been protecting Wang Joaolong. He is very much like you: always laughing and many find peace in his aura. The pompous wart changed into a tolerable man. Well, for the most part: he still plays jokes on me. But he is… Why are you staring at me?”

Their eyes met as Hanxiong rested his face in his hand, smiling at the babble about his son. “You’ve changed.”

“How?” Mingzhu asked defensively, blood rushing to her cheeks.

“You smile a lot more. It makes you look like your mother.”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Mingzhu snorted. “Juan looked like my mother. I have nothing but my father’s traits and misfortune following me. Besides, the only reason I smile is because…”

Hanxiong sighed and drummed his fingers. Then, he grabbed a nearby wash jug and poured its water into his empty soup bowl. He tested the weight and pushed it towards Mingzhu, expectantly.

“Do you remember our old training game with tea? You had to take it from me but it was full and I had to keep it that way. Today, you will be the one holding the bowl and I’ll take it from you. Let me test if you have lost your abilities.”

No warning came when he pounced but Mingzhu was instantly ready. She stood, transferring the bowl into the other hand without a single spill. As soon as the fine porcelain touched her right palm, she bounced it behind her just as Hanxiong reach out. With a simple spin and defensive block, the bowl was repossessed by her.

“You have improved,” Hanxiong acknowledged.

“You have gotten worse,” Mingzhu insulted with a grin.

“Oh is that so?”

Hanxiong tried again, going for an unpredicted move. Yet, Minghzu easily dodged this one as well. Since fighting Disung, she understood some of her master’s movements. They both shared similar little tricks in fighting like the sly trips or confusing flinches.

The fun game soon turned serious. Sweat trickled down Mingzhu’s forehead as she endlessly juggled the bowl between her limbs, using every flexible position advantageous in fighting. If he went up, she ducked down. If he lunged to the side, she moved the bowl away to an extended leg behind her or put it on her head. At one stage, Hanxiong almost won and Mingzhu was forced to sacrifice water spilling to get away. After this, feeling more confident, the master smiled and teased her.

“If I get the bowl, you won’t be eating the snack I brought you.”

“If you don’t do well, you won’t be eating dinner.”

Mingzhu froze.

She tried again but failed, sliding along the mud and scrapping her knees. Shing looked at his daughter in disgust, displeased by her attempts. The threat of withdrawing food became a reoccurring form of punishment. Mingzhu wasn’t sure which was worse; beatings or hunger.

“You are pathetic! Don’t expect me to give you food tonight unless you earn it! You were born a female instead of a male, so you must prove your worth as my child! I have no need for two daughters! Show me a warrior!"

Air struggled to get to her lungs and her breath shortened. The excruciating pain deep in Mingzhu’s chest made her panic and on cue, her throat tightened as well. Her father’s voice screamed over her master’s current questions. He isn’t real, she tried to remind herself but it was useless. She crouched on the floor, unable to calm. Suddenly, a hand gently rubbed her back, coaxing her to relax. It was large and warm, the kindness sapping into her trembling body.

“My father,” Mingzhu struggled to spout, offering an explanation. It had been a long time since she had an anxiety attack. At least Master understood them. “I have more dreams of him. This will pass. It always does.”

“Your… father?” That deep voice didn’t belong to Hanxiong.

The young man, with messy hair, stared in worry at her with those warm, brown eyes. True, he had the same eyebrows as her master, but many features were different. During the anxiety attack, Disung had entered. Mingzhu looked around but there were no signs of the Fox.

Why does he always leave me?