Ying Xiong awoke with a groan, his head pounding like a gong in a particularly enthusiastic temple procession. He blinked, disoriented, at the unfamiliar ceiling. No, not unfamiliar, impossible! This wasn't the ornate, jade-inlaid ceiling of his chambers in the Heavenly Court. This was… well, this was… rustic. Wood. Rough-hewn wood. And what in the name of the Heavenly Emperor was that smell?

  He sat up, nearly knocking over a chipped earthenware jug. The room was small, sparsely furnished with a bed that sagged alarmingly in the middle and a rickety chair that looked like it might spontaneously combust. Sunlight streamed through a grimy window, illuminating dust motes that danced like drunken fireflies.

  "Where… where am I?" he croaked, his voice hoarse.

  A young woman with eyes the colour of a summer sky and a smile that could melt glaciers appeared in the doorway. "You're awake!" she exclaimed, relief flooding her features. "How do you feel?"

  Ying Xiong, still groggy, stared at her. "Who… who are you? And where am I?"

  The woman smiled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I'm MeiEr. This is my home, in LongTu village."

  LongTu village? Ying Xiong tried to recall any mention of a LongTu village in his extensive (and admittedly rather self-indulgent) education. Nothing. "LongTu village?" he repeated, bewildered.

  MeiEr chuckled. "Yes, LongTu village. You were… well, let's just say you had a bit of a mishap."

  A bit of a mishap? Ying Xiong winced. The memory of plummeting towards the ground like a particularly unfortunate celestial being flashed through his mind. He shuddered. "I… I seem to recall a rather unfortunate encounter with gravity."

  MeiEr's smile widened. "That would be the one."

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  Suddenly, the door burst open and a whirlwind of motion and awkward limbs filled the doorway. KuiFong, a young man built like a sturdy ox, stumbled into the room, a steaming bowl clutched precariously in his massive hands. The bowl lurched dangerously, sloshing its contents.

  "Here you go, Your Highness!" he announced, his voice booming, nearly spilling the stew down his front. "Breakfast!"

  Ying Xiong's nose wrinkled. "Your Highness?" he echoed, raising an eyebrow. "And what, pray tell, is that supposed to be?"

  KuiFong, oblivious to the potential disaster unfolding before him, beamed. "The finest stew in all of LongTu village! Made with fresh vegetables from our own garden, seasoned with herbs from the forest, and… and a touch of my own special magic!" He winked, puffing out his chest.

  MeiEr giggled. "KuiFong's 'magic' usually involves a little extra spice," she explained, stifling a laugh.

  KuiFong frowned. "Hey! It adds flavour!"

  He took a step closer, his foot catching on the edge of the rug. With a startled yelp, he stumbled forward, sending the bowl flying. The stew, a vibrant mixture of greens and what looked like questionable brown bits, splattered across the floor, leaving a chaotic masterpiece of culinary chaos.

  Ying Xiong watched in stunned silence as KuiFong, eyes wide with alarm, surveyed the carnage.

  "Well," KuiFong said, scratching his head sheepishly, "at least it landed on the floor and not on your head!"

  MeiEr sighed, "KuiFong…"

  Ying Xiong, however, couldn't help but chuckle. This… this was certainly an interesting village.

  "I… I am Ying Xiong," he began, then faltered. "I was… I was a… a… a… student at the Celestial Academy." He mumbled, his face turning a deep shade of crimson. "Yes, a student. A very… very diligent student."

  MeiEr and KuiFong exchanged amused glances.

  And so began Ying Xiong's unexpected sojourn in LongTu village. He learned that the Heavenly Court's finest silks were no match for the comfort of a simple woven rug. He discovered that celestial delicacies paled in comparison to MeiEr's surprisingly delicious bread and KuiFong's… shall we say, "enthusiastically seasoned" stew. He even found himself enjoying the company of these… these ordinary folk, despite their somewhat… unconventional methods.

  Life in LongTu village, he soon realized, might not have been as glamorous as his previous existence, but it was certainly more… interesting. And perhaps, just perhaps, he was beginning to suspect that maybe, just maybe, there was more to life than celestial feasts and endless court intrigues.