Tianyu swore. "She hasn't gone anywhere but the store since dragging Caine back there yesterday. Think she's just going to let him die then?"

Lixin rolled his eyes. "Or the books are in there with them or the Ancient knew what to do about the poison or any number of reasons that she didn't take the bait. Besides the last thing we want is an immortal Peter Caine."

"Then we're going to need to find another way to get her to give up those books."

"I think we're targeting the wrong one. She's been guarding those books for more than 100 years. He hasn't and he's the protective type."

"She has to go back to work sometime, we might not be able to kill her but there are worse things we can do to someone who's going to live forever."

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Matthew Caine sat at the kitchen table, sipping at the tea his eldest son had made for him. "So what is troubling you?" He asked. His son had been scowling ever since he had come out of his meditations earlier.

"Nothing you need to worry about." He said gently as he cut vegetables for their dinner.

Matthew raised an eyebrow. "I am dying of old age, not Alzheimer's."

"Peter was attacked yesterday by the Sing Wah." He said putting the knife down before he threw it. "I was finally able to get through to him through the astral plane. He was cut many times. I suspect there are things he is not telling me."

"Is he alright?" There was cut and then there was cut after all. Matthew Caine had as many reasons to hate the Sing Wah as his son did. Truthfully, even more reasons. Reasons neither of them discussed.

"He says he is alright and that he has it under control."

"And you don't believe him."

"I do not know if I do or do not." He said "I am worried that they will move against him again. They are after something but I do not know what."

"If you need to go, I will understand. The life of your son is more important than watching me waste away."

"He says he does not need me there."

"Ah." Wi,liam said and drank more of his tea.

"What Ah." Kwai Chang asked.

Matthew pushed his glasses back up on his nose "you are worried that he doesn't need you because he doesn't need you to fight his battles anymore

Kwai Chang scowled and picked up his knife again. "He should not need me to fight his battles. He is a shaolin pShaolinwho has taught others. He was a police officer, skilled in investigation. He has fought the Sing Wah before. He should not need me to go to his side and fight. I am proud of his accomplishments and his independence. "

"It is always difficult when they grow up. When they don't appear to need you any longer."

Kwai Chang shrugged, then moved on to cutting carrots into long narrow sticks.

"And yet, even though you are a Shamballa master, who has run your own temple... you still came to me when you were troubled." Matthew said. "There are many ways to need one's father."

"Did you ever not need your father?"

"I still need him." Matthe, said. "It is my hope that he is watching and waiting for me to pass through to the next life. I very much want to see him again. But I also hope he has been reincarnated."

His son smiled a little, taking comfort in that. "Peter is also getting married."

Matthew smiled "That is wonderful news. It is wonderful news, yes?"

"He glows when he speaks of her."

"Is she Chinese?"

"Half." He said "She plays Xiangqi with Lo Si. He says he has introduced her to me but I do not remember. It was once and I think I was in a hurry."

"Does your friend approve?"

Another shrug. "He approved of their dating. I do not know if he knows about the engagement."

"Do you have Peter's phone number? You can call him when everwhenever. I have a phone here."

Kwai Chang laughed "He would never believe that it was me. He has never known me to make a phone call. I worry because he carries so much anger within him. Anger over the lies about our deaths, anger over his mother. As an adult he had less anger over her death of course, but now that we know that she did not die the anger is strong."

"It is understandable." Matthew said "But I can understand why it is concerning."

Kwai Chang put some of the vegetables in a wok on the stove. "Yes. It makes it easy for the Sing Wah to manipulate him. If I were to return it could undermine his confidence and backfire. I have to rely on Lo Si to tell me if I am needed."

"And you are certain he'll be able to read Peter well enough to know ?"

"oh yes." HOhsaid. "He has known Peter his entire life. He will know."

"Then relax, my son. Have faith in Peter and your friend. Have faith in yourself that you will know if he is in real danger."

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Lo Si did not like leaving Peter and Leanne to face the Sing Wah alone, but he knew that if he did not then the more narrow minded of those residing innarrow-mindeduld go after the girl, and that would lead to the loss of Peter and his father, the destruction of the prophesy and endanger the future of Shamballa itself.

He did not know how long it would take to locate Yulong Yeoh. Disgraced Shamballa masters were not known for being easy to find. He would be in one of the mystical realms. He was certain that Li Na knew exactly where he was, just as he was certain that she was also immortal. Her heart and Qi were tainted but not enough to damage her soul. He hoped that she and Peter could heal one another of their pain and anger. It was the only way the prophesy would come to pass.

He had been twisted by his bitterness and quests for vengeance long before she was born. He had been assigned to the Emperor to act as his guardian and mystical adviser. His experiments on the Emperor's behalf in immortality involved mercury, which destroyed his mind and his qi. It wasn't the Emperor' immoral, venal behavior that had driven Yulong to refuse to give him the secret of Immortality. It was his pride and his own greed that had made that decision. So the Emperor had ordered his wife killed. It was only luck that his son had managed to hide long enough for his father to find him. Yulong had fled to the united states with his son, and the secret of immortality, which he had used on himself.

Shamballa lost track of him after the destruction of the farm he had owned in the 1870s. When he had met Kwai Chang Caine, and Lo Si was certain that his granddaughter had fallen in love with him. It was what tied her to the line of Kwai Chang. Neither Yulong nor Li Na had been seen or heard from after that. Not until the girl had appeared in China Town. The one thing he was sure that his fellow Masters were right about was that it would not pay to ask the girl where her grandfather was. If she knew where he was or that he was still alive she would never turn him over to be eliminated. She loved and honored him too much. He could not fault her in that.

Lo Si had little choice. He could either wait there in china town for Yulong to make a move that might never be seen, or he had to begin searching the mystical realms. He packed a small bag similar to a back pack but much older in design. He put in several light weight changes of clothes. The raiment of a Shaolin priest. He thought about it a moment then put in several pair of warm socks.

He went to a set of shelves in his humble abode, and took down a small cinnabar chest, the size of a little girls jewelry box. Another box, smaller still made of sandalwood, this was filled with scraps of paper with fulu written on them. He looked through the box and took out two pieces and tucked them into a pocket hidden in each of his sleeves. Then he put the sandalwood box into an outer pocket of his pack. He gathered several herbs into small pouches and put those into a larger oiled leather pouch This was placed in his pack toward the bottom. He packed rice, powdered tea, and 7 small cakes. Finally he opened an elaborate cabinet and removed a small statue. A pagoda no more than 2 inches tall. He wrapped this in many layers of silk. This too was placed with care in his pack.

He sat upon his Zafu and every candle in his parlor lit. He intoned a meditation mantra, cleansing his qi before opening the cinnabar box. With in was a glowing stone, resin from an ancient tree. He picked up a paint brush, the handle was made of jade, the bristles were from the whiskers of the qi-lin. He caressed the stone reverently with the brush and drew the symbol for Kunlun Shan onto the hard wood of his floor.

A swirling vortex appeared where the symbol had been drawn. The Ancient capped the brush, closed and locked the cinnabar box and placed them both within a protective pouch and set them in his pack. He rose to his feet, picked up his Zafu, shouldered his pack and stepped into the vortex. It audibly shut behind him, and every candle in his home was extinguished.

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The following day Peter was back on his feet and went about his usual rounds. He texted Leanne every time he went from one location to another. She did the same for him. They had lives to live and until they had something to go on they couldn't do anything about the Sing Wah but wait. He didn't think they'd be waiting long.

Peter's day was shorter than usual, and he was honestly relieved. His energy was still down from what he was used to. He picked up lunch at one of the local restaurants, made them take his money, then went to the Kwoon to meet Leanne for lunch.

"Hi." She said warmly, and kissed him gently. "I hope there is enough of that for two. It smells heavenly."

"it usually is." He said "Are we in between classes?"

"Yes, the next class is at four."

"The 10 to 13 year olds." He said with a smile "I love that class." It brought back memories, good memories from his childhood at the temple with his father.

"Are you up to teaching today?"

"I think so, yeah." He said. "So Mom called while I was out, to remind me that this Saturday is Kellie's graduation."

"Okay."

"And they want me to be sure to bring you along." He said. "They know we're engaged, and they're happy about it. "

"Yeah?"

"Now who is being insecure." he teased as they settled on the floor to eat their lunch.

"Me... absolutely, me." She said laughing quietly. "Although the one I worry about is your father."

"Which one?" He asked.

"Both. The Mercenary and the Shamballa master. They will both see right through me."

"Good. Then I know they'll both love you as much as I do." he said "Besides, I'm sure you can be inscrutable when you need to be."

"Should I practice?" She asked with a grin.

"You should practice with Kermit."

"Who's Kermit?" She asked.

"Detective Kermit Griffin. A former mercenary and now a computer genius with the 101st. He's also one of my best friends." He didn't see too many people from the precinct any more. It was difficult after the break up with Jordan. He still talked to Kermit regularly and Mary Margaret stopped by every so often to see if he'd heard from his father or not. "You know Mary Margaret likes you a lot."

"I like her. She's desperately in love with your father even after having not seeing him for almost two years."

"Yeah we Caine men have that affect on women." He said. "They either love us forever or can't run away fast enough." He could laugh about it now, but not so very long ago he'd been convinced he was destined to chase away every woman he loved.

"No disappearing on me for years at a time. I will find you and … and... I don't know what I'd do but no disappearing."

"I will never willingly disappear. I promise you that, Li Na." he said using her birth name, "I will never abandon you."

"I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm sorry."

"It's okay." He said caressing her cheek. "I wish I could take back what he did. I find myself torn between wanting to make excuses for him and wanting to travel back in time and kick his ass." he said honestly.

"I haven't seen him since 1872." She said "I should be over it by now. Honestly I should be over it a thousand times over."

"Has there been anyone else since then?"

"Lovers yes, love no."

"That's a lonely way to live." He said. "And I think I definitely want to kick his ass."

She shook her head "No. I think he was likely as lonely as I was until he met your great grandmother. And it wasn't his fault I never let go until I met you. That was my doing."

"okay... I won't go looking for a way to travel back to the 1800s and beat him up for hurting you. However, if the opportunity comes up … you never know around here. I've been back to the first temple after all. If the opportunity ever comes up I reserve the right to punch him in the nose." He winked at her.

She laughed "Well I suppose, a punch in the nose would be between the two of you."

"Do you think I could pull it off? He's supposed to be a legend after all."

She laughed "Oh no. I am not going to compare the two of you. Not going to happen. Because to compare anything would mean I would have to focus on memories of Kwai Chang and I would much rather focus on you." She fed him a piece of tofu. "The present is so much better than the past."

"That I cannot disagree with." he said feeding her a piece of broccoli.