Hu Hu Bu Wu. Ye Cha Long Mie -

The seven masked figures leaned in. Their porcelain cracked further. And for the first time in a thousand years, one of them moved —a single, jerky step.

Soon, they were all dancing. Not beautifully. Not gracefully. But truly . And as they danced, the phrase inverted itself. The steles crumbled. Mei gasped, color flooding back to her eyes. hu hu bu wu. ye cha long mie

"Long ago, a dragon of rain and memory fell in love with a tea-picking girl. To court her, he learned to dance. But the girl was afraid. She called upon the seven magistrates of forgetting, who cursed the dragon into silence. The price? The magistrates must dance forever—but they have forgotten how. So they whisper." The seven masked figures leaned in

"It dances. It extinguishes."

Then he heard it.

But how do you dance for beings who have forgotten the meaning of motion? Soon, they were all dancing