A few months pass after that, Huai Tian grows in confidence of his skill and ascends to the same rank as their master and Guǎn follows soon after.
He develops his own signature move- Repulse the Monkey, in the midst of a battle against the Heylin Witch Wuya. A strange woman who seems to hold an even stranger grudge against their Master.
With all the years he spent outside his childhood home, he's never seen skin like hers. The locks that frame past her angled face is a feature to behold. She is a curiosity Tian wants to poke at like a child to a toad, and he can see it in Guǎn's eyes that he does as well. But they both know better than be tempted by the world's endless wonders.
She is, after all, not the only new development in his life.
"畋弟 [tian-di, little brother Tian, a brotherly endearment], what is plaguing you?" Guǎn, through the years has been more of a brother to him than Eon has ever been, picks up on his hesitance one day after Dashi sends them on a wild goose chase after his newest creation. "Are you unwell?"
Tian closes his eyes.
"I am fine, 莞哥 [guan-ge, older brother Guan, brotherly endearment for someone who is older]." The words carve through the noise smoothly, as if Dashi hadn't just cloned himself and is currently occupying himself(s) with the total destruction of the temple. Guan only gives him a quiet look before they continue on wrangling them up.
He doesn't need to tell him that he hasn't had someone to call brother for a long time.