At her comment about the Lans not being passionate about anything, though, he thinks he did not hear her right. He gives her an odd look. This is unfortunately not the time to ask what she meant, because it is now dark and he can hear the noises of the city beyond them. His skin prickles as he imagines the shadows they are hunting moving closer just out of sight.

He instead pays attention to the talisman and her answer to receiving it. Satisfied that she can use it, he says very seriously, "If you need to call Hanguang-Jun or Zewu-Jun, call them. We might have to do handstands, but you cannot fight like I can, so you also cannot get hurt."

His life would really be forfeit if he let anything happen to Miu. At her apology, though, he lets out his breath and shakes his head. "Night-hunting is to protect people, but it is not all swords. You survived a long time without a sword so do what you know to do and then we will go back."

Maybe the sensible thing would be to turn back, but what Miu said about revenge earlier was not entirely wrong. Jingyi beckons her onward without any second thoughts and this time draws his sword. "First you have to get better than me," he says to her challenge and then teases back with, "Which will take a long time."