The chains were gone.

Huang didn't dare open his eyes, which were also now missing the blindfold that had been placed over them previously. Instead, he focused his attention on his surroundings. He definitely wasn't sleeping against the hard stone wall he'd been chained to earlier, either. Nor was he in much pain.

The physician had healed me again.

Not just healed him, though. His body felt energized, as if he'd transferred quite a bit of spiritual energy, too. Unsurprisingly, though, he couldn't quite withdraw it to use yet.

What is he planning?

Testing his body slowly, Huang flexed his fingers, then moved his toes. When he felt no sharp or shooting pains in response, he tested his left arm, and was pleased with a minimal ache. His right one was still wrapped, tucked against his chest, but the pain from it had greatly diminished as well.

Had they really healed my arm, too?

Deciding to try his luck, he blinked his eyes open, surprised to see that an actual ceiling was above his head instead of a basic tent. The polished wood sent a nervous shiver down his spine, though.

Surely I am not back home?

While he had previously accepted his father's palace as a safe-enough haven, it was definitely not such a thing now. He'd not only defended his father's assassination target, but had also helped him escape his clutches on multiple occasions.

No, there was no safe place left for him now.

At least his highness got away. I do hope that he is still in good health.

He could tell that Zen was fairing well, considering their soul bond, so that gave him hope that he was right by his master's side, protecting him as always.

"Ah, you are awake."

Huang slowly turned his head to see the physician walk into the room with his hands tucked in front of him inside the opposite sleeves.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as he walked over and checked about on his chest, seemingly looking at something that wasn't his injury.

He wanted to sit up and look, too, but he didn't feel ready to try that just yet.

"Take your time. Take your time. My lord wanted to try something, but I needed some assistance from the other physicians here in order to make sure that your body could handle it."

Handle what?

The man reached up to touch the edge of Yuen's lips, a curious look on his face.

"Still having trouble speaking? Your chest is mostly healed, though we couldn't complete the mending ourselves. That task must be finished by your own body. It is sealed well, though, and should not hurt too badly should you choose to speak or even move around a bit."

Huang licked his dry lips and coughed a little, his throat clearly too try to work.

"Oh, right. You must be parched, " the physician said as he reached out of Huang's view, only to produce a container.

He set it to the side for a moment as he helped Huang sit up against a stack of soft pillows piled high in front of a wooden headboard. Once situated, he offered the water, helping him drink until he'd finished the last drop.

"Wonderful," the man said as he set the container down, then went about checking the rest of his body.

It was strange to actually be able to see what he was doing, though thankfully, he didn't do anything odd or unnecessary.

"Of course not, he is my personal physician," Lee Shaan said as he walked inside the room, his larger stature making the area feel quite a bit smaller than it had previously.

Huang considered averting his eyes, since he'd evidently been forced to have them covered the last time he'd looked at the man, but when Lee Shaan simply laughed, he figured that there would be no such issue this time.

"There will be no more issues in general from you," the man said as he stopped beside the bed and reached down.

When he noticed him grabbing for his neck, Huang tensed, but what could he honestly do? He felt much better, and could probably do a little bit of damage if he could somehow catch the guy by surprise, but there was no chance of changing his fate.

"You are not as foolish as I thought," Lee Shaan said as Huang felt the man's fingers chill his neck to an uncomfortable degree.

It quickly became clear that he was casting a curse, but which one was lost on him. Each master had their own preferences, and some even came up with their own kinds of curses.

"It is just a little something to keep you under control. I've already sealed your spiritual energy, but this will keep you from wandering off or, one would hope, getting into trouble," the larger man said as he released him a moment later and straightened back up.

His attention then turned to his physician, who began to update him on his condition. The man seemed pleased with everything he was being told, but that just confused him more. He understood, kind of, what he might be thinking, but at the same time, he could have simply left him in his damaged state and let him suffer until his body finally managed to heal itself.

"Leaving you as you were took a lot of time away from San's other duties," Lee Shaan said, making the physician nod.

"Not that I minded. You were quite an interesting patient, but you did take up a lot of my time. Speaking of which, I am needed elsewhere, if his lordship is okay with me going about my other duties?"

Lee Shaan nodded, dismissing the man.

Once he'd left, Huang figured that Lee Shaan would, too, but the man decided to sit down on the edge of his bed. His eyes wandered over his naked body several times, but Huang brushed off the attention and returned it with a bored glare.

Evidently, the look had been humorous in some way, because Lee Shaan raised one eyebrow as he returned his attention back up to his face.

"Such a dark look for someone so weak," the man said with a smirk.

He wasn't sure why, but those words irked him more than most he had heard. Pushing himself up carefully but calmly, Huang sat forward, then slowly turned until he was sitting with his legs tucked to the side on the bed, holding himself upright with his arms.

"I am far from weak... or would you care to test my words by unsealing my spiritual energy?" he said, his exhausted voice laced with venom even as he struggled to make it audible.

Sure, he wouldn't stand a chance against the man before him, but that didn't stop his ego from rearing its head... at a poor place and time. He expected some sort of reprimand, or at least to be chained back up to something so that he couldn't start trouble, but when Lee Shaan simply scoffed, Huang felt his glare slipping away.

When neither of them spoke for several more moments, Lee Shaan stood up, then turned and offered him a hand.

"You need to wash yourself. San had done so in specific areas after tending to your injuries, but the rest of your body needs cleaned."

He... wouldn't argue that. Now that he was feeling better, he could also feel how dirty he really was. His hair, especially, was tangled up and matted with dry blood and sweat.

Ignoring the man's hand, Huang carefully got himself turned until his feet were settled on the floor. He was steady enough sitting down, but each time he considered trying to stand, he hesitated. Even though he had clearly lost some weight while recovering, he wasn't sure that he trusted his legs to hold what remained.

"Enough of this, you stubborn man," Lee Shaan grumbled as he quickly and easily lifted him into his arms.

It was utterly embarrassing and demeaning to be carried, but Huang found that he lacked the energy to struggle for more than a few moments before needing to rest.

"Grab that length of fabric as we head past it or you will be paraded in front of my tribe naked," the man said, immediately making Yuen focus on the cloth folded on a dresser near the entrance of the room.

He quickly snatched it as soon as they were close enough, then wrapped it around his lower half as best he could. The moment he finished Lee Shaan stepped outside. It was an overcast day and the sun was just beginning to consider setting as it peeked through the clouds.

Adults milled about doing different tasks as children ran around the area with little paper windmill toys, squealing and chasing each other along the sandy roads. He had only visited the tribe many, many years ago, and did not remember such expressions or joy amongst the people. Granted, that was when Lee Shaan had been a very new ruler.

Things have changed a lot.

Noticing heavy shade fall upon them, Huang looked around and realized that Lee Shaan was carrying him into a small wooded area. He also didn't remember many trees from his past visit...

"We planted hundreds to help reclaim this land from the desert. It is still a work in progress, but now we have a place where we can escape from the midday sun and grow crops without having to rely on hunting and trading animal products," Lee Shaan said, making Huang nod in understanding.

Everything essentially came from the earth. If the ground beneath your feet was worthless, you either needed to work to change it or rely on other means of survival. He was surprised, though, that Lee Shaan had changed things in such a way. It made sense, when he thought back to all of the reports about each tribe. The Didui tribe was one of the few that had calmed its hectic and aggressive lifestyle over the past several years. There had been fewer and fewer reports of raiding and overall hostile aggression, and as he was carried farther into the forest, he realized why.

Lee Shaan had not only helped provide his tribe with shade and a means to start taking care of their land better, he had also created a forest of food crops that was like nothing he'd ever seen before. Every possible space was planted with a fruit tree or vegetable, yet none struggled to maintain its health.

Of course, the man had needed to pick varieties that managed well with low water and strong sun, but once the main trees grew tall enough to begin spreading out a canopy of mottled shade, the plants beneath could grow without the fear of being baked alive come mid day.

He noted, though, that some parts of the canopy had been cut to remain open, allowing just enough sun during certain part of the days to feed the plants growing below.

This is quite ingenious...

He expected Lee Shaan to respond with some sort of snide retort, but when the man suddenly doubled his previously-leisure pace, Huang looked up.

His expression has changed.

Before he could think through what might have caused it, he picked up the sound of something, or possible someone, coming through the underbrush a short distance behind them.

"Behave," Lee Shaan whispered between his teeth as they finally made it to the edge of a beautifully-clear spring.

Without warning or waiting, Lee Shaan quickly set him down, then gave him quite a hard shove forward.

He wasn't happy with the rough treatment, but he got the idea. As he heard the footsteps getting closer, he quickly removed his waist-wrap and waded as far into the water as he felt comfortable. The crisp coolness of it shook some of the weariness from his bones, allowing him to remain calm as he slowly sank into the water up to the bottom of his nose.

"Good evening, general Ashong. I was unaware that you would be visiting us today," Lee Shaan said as he turned to face the small group of people Huang could hear stop close to the tree line.

If Ashong is here, then my father must have sent him.

"Hello, lord Lee Shaan. His highness had requested that I search the southern area for his son, Yuen Huang. He has gone missing and his highness is quite worried for his safety."

Lies.

If anything, his father only wanted him back in order to lock him away until Han Qi and Zen were dead. Then he'd just force him to go back to being his right hand murderer.

I'd rather die here.

If it wouldn't have harmed Zen, he would have considered simply walking forward and drowning himself, but he couldn't.

"I do not mind if you peacefully search the public districts of my tribe, but you are not to bother the citizens," Lee Shaan said as one of the men in the group before him seemed to irk him somehow, because the next time Lee Shaan spoke, there was a growled warning in his voice.

"Have you a taste for looking at other men's concubines, good sir? She might not be as pretty as your royal women, but she is very important to me."

There was a stuttering sputter from one of the men present before Ashong responded.

"I do apologize for my man's behavior. He will be dealt with accordingly when we return to our camp. Please do excuse us. We won't be long in our search, then we will quickly take our leave without bothering you further," the man said before the group turned and hurriedly disappeared back through the path they had come from.

Huang gave a shaky sigh of relief as he swayed in the water, nearly losing his footing and slipping beneath the surface. When he'd regained himself, he realized that he could feel ripples on the surface gently tapping against his back.

By the time he'd turned around, Lee Shaan was reaching out to him. The man had shed his clothing quite quickly, but had thankfully left on his lower undergarments.

"Come, they will not return here," Lee Shaan said as he gently tugged him back toward the shallows.

As soon as he was close enough Huang allowed his legs to lower himself onto the sandy bottom with a grateful sigh. He hadn't realized just how much simply standing in the water had drained him. The added stress of his father's men appearing, and specifically to search for him, hadn't helped matters much.

"No, they didn't, but you do not need to mind them any longer. I will increase my guards around our lands and inform your father that I do not appreciate his men showing up uninvited," Lee Shaan said as he returned to the shore a few feet away to dig through a small bag he'd had tied to his waist.

He quickly produced a small block of what appeared to be soap, as well as a long-toothed comb. The man didn't bother asking as he set about his task of combing through Huang's damp hair. For once, he was grateful to him, because he honestly didn't think that he'd have the energy to get through even half of the tangles within it, let alone scrub his body afterward.

"I can do both, if you feel you are unable..." Lee Shaan said as he calmly continued to brush through knot after knot.

You wish.

He expected some sort of sarcastic remark in response, but when he only heard a quiet scoff from the man in return as he steadily continued his work, Huang decided to just let the subject drop. Besides, he had much more important things to think about... like staying awake.