Time. [Is his only answer to the first question, his lips still quirked into a smile. There is no banquet that doesn't come to an end, after all. No kingdom or empire that won't eventually fall. There were specific reasons for each fall, but they didn't matter. That's not his point.

He pauses at the mention of corporal punishment though, head tilted slightly. It's a common practice where he's from, and he's been punished in that way more times than he can count, it's just not the sort of thing that's ever seemed of note to him. At the Lan lectures, the only time his punishment had been physical, he'd earned it. And at home...well. He isn't going to speak to Kirigan of his home.

Madam Yu was within her rights to dole out whippings when he misbehaved. If she'd been especially hard on him—if he received more whippings than any of the other disciples at times for the smallest of infractions—he'd clearly brought those on with the damage his existence had done to her reputation. Besides, she never used the discipline whip on him, the one made to scar even someone with a healing golden core. She only ever used Zidian and those ones always healed like nothing had happened at all.]

Plenty of weird rules. No talking during meals. No more than three bowls at any meal. Sleep by nine PM. [Despite his intentions to keep playing at charming, he smile has completely disappeared by now, and he answers Kirigan's question about the rules automatically. It's clear there's something else on his mind. He should let it go, but—]

You said the camps were familiar? [There's an edge to his voice as he remembers them even now. Kirigan wasn't the only one who found them familiar.]