Despite, the fading bruises on her neck, Zhi Yan woke up in a great mood. The night before she had considered not bathing to keep up the traveling merchant image that had worked surprisingly well in deterring issues up until now. But in the end, she decided it was best for wounds on her back to indulge. And what a great decision it was.
Now, she sat quietly sipping a tolerable cup of tea watching the morning bustle of people walk about on the street outside. The chatter and buzz in the air fueled a sort of liveliness that she craved.
The loud sound of boots in the quiet lobby interrupted her thoughts and she watched as a trio of cultivators walked in.
They were a conspicuous group of men all dressed in blue and white robes with headbands around their heads. Their sect symbol a small swallow, and crane flying about one another in a circle was sewn in a blue thread that blended into the back of their robes seamlessly. Staring at the robes, Zhi Yan felt a twinge in her chest. Something about them felt incredibly familiar. But shuffling through the girl''s memories would take time as large portions were missing especially before the well incident. Whatever it was, Zhi Yan decided that leaving was the best rejection of unnecessary trouble. Setting down the cup, she placed some coins on the table and got ready to leave.
"I am Qu Zihao and we are the disciples of the Tongshan Sect
. We were wondering if you have seen a woman." The middle disciple waved his hand, conjuring up a scroll, and handed it over to the hostel owner.
Zhi Yan''s hands halted in the middle of brushing her robe before she resumed her actions. Why was the Tongshan Sect, a righteous sect, looking for her? Cultivation sects seldom concerned themselves with these trivial issues opting to deal with more important matters such as demonic cultivators, miasma, and the like. Regardless, she was not safe here. Without even needing to look, she knew that the hostel owner would gesture to her.
"Miss!" Just as she was about to step out the door, the clear and boisterous voice of Qu Zihao stopped her in her tracks. So close.
In an indolent manner, she slowly turned around her robes swaying about her. She was dressed in one of the robes that she had grabbed from her wardrobe, a simple light green robe that complemented her mannerisms. Her eyes though seemingly lethargic shrewdly took in everything about the group. Qu Zihao was a tall man with wide shoulders and a definitive air about him. His neatly combed-up hair was a sign that he was a quick and efficient person. Zhi Yan tilted her head to one side. "How may I be of service to this Young Master?"
He paused surprised at something and then gestured to her robes, "If I may ask, is this cultivator part of the Qitian Dao Clan?" Cultivator?
"...Yes. Yes, something like that." She answered vaguely, trying to discretely glance at her own clothes for whatever insignia or design he saw. Unfortunately, she could not tell and settled for aloofly gazing at the group while trying to think of an excuse to escape.
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Before she could say anything, a shorter boy with a pale dumpling-shaped face stepped forward. "If we may ask, what is this great cultivator''s name?"
Her eyes trailed to the three disciples standing in front of her. "My name is Yan...Zi."
"Yan Zi
?"
She straightened herself up a little more to give her assertion more authority. "My last name is Yan. Yan Zi."
"Miss Yan, do you know of a Miss Zhi Yan, Gui Rong City mayor''s daughter?"
Zhi Yan furrowed her brows and tapped her chin, a face smoothly morphing into a look full of contemplation. "I have never been to Gui Rong City, so I unfortunately don''t believe I have ever met her."
"Then Miss Yan, why are you here in Peng Tian City?" She was starting to feel like she was being interrogated by the short gerbil-looking boy.
"I am here to...explore."
"To explore?" Wang Qin squinted at her with suspicion as if the notion was peculiar to him.
"To explore." She raised an eyebrow. "Do you gentlemen have opinions about it?"
Qu Zihao instantly stepped forward and forced the boy to bow with him. "We would not dare hold any issue at all with Miss Yan. Please excuse my little brother, this is his first time on an official outing and he is clumsy in his behavior."
Nonchalantly, Zhi Yan waved her sleeve, dismissing the apology. "Traveling is one of the best ways to increase your cultivation while using it for personal relaxation." Her emphasis on the word personal seemed to finally do the trick. After exchanging a few more trivial pleasantries they dismissed themselves and bid her farewell. Then like the lofty cultivator she was of whatever sect they mentioned, Zhi Yan swept out the door.
However, as soon as she turned the corner, she quickened her steps to the stables. She needed to leave now.
Back inside the hostel, Wang Qin looked at his senior brother, Qu Zihao. "What are the chances that she looks exactly like the missing Zhi girl, Senior Brother Qu?"
Qu Zihao sighed. "But Madam Zhi mentioned that the girl didn''t have any qi and I clearly could feel the qi emanating off of her. Also, that robe is clearly one of the Qitian Dao Sect''s robes and it would be very hard to get your hands on one."
"But not impossible." A nasally sharp voice. Qu Zihao turned to look at the last member of their trio, Tong Ye. "Like Brother Wang said, what are the chances that we run to a cultivator who looks exactly like the Zhi Family''s waste of a daughter? If she is smart enough to obtain one of their robes, it would be easy for her to disguise her lack of cultivation."
******
Once Zhi Yan was a fair way outside the city walls, she abruptly pulled on the donkey''s rein causing it to let out a noise in disagreement. If the Tongshan Sect was in Peng Tian City, did that mean they were also in Xing Jing City and the Capitol? But the Capitol was still a great distance to travel even for cultivators. Still, those pesky cultivators even those insignificant disciples would get there before me.
So was the Capitol even worth going to? Annoyed, Zhi Yan snapped the donkey reins again causing the animal to make a noise of protest. Well, there is a lot of what I can do once I get to the Capitol and how would they find me in a sea of mortals? What she needed was something that effectively made her disappear. Zhi Yan let out a dry laugh, a couple of days ago she had thought killing herself was a viable option. It was true, dying would solve a handful of her problems but she knew that dying would just aggravate whatever situation that got her killed in the first place by returning her there. And besides she had made a promise and once that promise was fulfilled she could live the rest of her days with nothing to plague her. Satisfied with her resolution, Zhi Yan gave a self-assured nod and continued on her way.
5. A mighty cleaver
Suddenly Zhi Yan''s eyes shot open and she jumped out of her spot on the tree just in time to dodge a sizable rock aimed at her. Immediately, she pulled out the cleaver from the Dimension Pouch and hid behind the tree, her eyes darting at the darkness around her. She waited, hands poised then a glint on her right caught her eye and she threw the knife with blinding speed at a nearby tree. A second later, a gargled yelp could be heard and she was on her attacker in a second, yanking the cleaver out of the tree and holding it to their throat.
"Miss Yan, mercy I beg! Mercy, please!" When her eyes finally adjusted to the moonlight peaking through the branches, she recognized that her attacker was the chubby disciple, Wang Qin from the hostel earlier.
Without letting go, she asked in a placid voice, "And I ask the reason for your attack on me?"
"Only a mistake, Miss Yan! I shall atone!" Wang Qin yelped, still nervously eyeing the blade underneath his chin as a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead.
"And where are your fellow disciples?" A look of confusion crossed Wang Qin as he realized neither one of his brothers had appeared.
At that moment, a boom shook the earth around them as an accompanying burst of bright blue light shot through the trees.
"That''s Senior Brother Qu''s Tian Hua Sword! I must go help!" Wang Qin cried, wiggling in her grasp. "Miss Yan?"
Immediately, she let go. "Yes, go on." And I can leave without your little club following me. She walked over to where her donkey stood and prepared herself to leave.
"Miss Yan?" Wang Qin had not moved from where he stood. "Could Miss Yan grant us some assistance? This one has not had nearly as much experience and would not want to drag his senior brothers down."
Outwardly, Zhi Yan was all the magnanimous image as she calmly waved her sleeve in the direction of the commotion. "Naturally. Lead the way." Inwardly, she wanted nothing more than to knock the boy out with a nearby rock and run away on her donkey. Even though she lacked any sensitivity to small power fluctuations, Zhi Yan could tell from little signs that there were people several cultivation levels above her, following her throughout her trip. She had hoped that after dealing with them tonight she wouldn''t have to interact with them ever again. Oh, how foolish.
As the two rushed through the trees, the sound got louder until they came across a large clearing against the side of a large cliff. The sound of metal clashing against one another reverberated about as blinding flashes of red blue and black flames lit up the space.
"Senio-" Zhi Yan slapped a hand against Wang Qin''s mouth and the look she shot him immediately wilted the words in his throat.
"Look. Demonic cultivators." And she was right. Squinting against the lights, he counted around three cultivators fighting the two disciples.
"Then what do we do Miss Yan?"
Quickly, she pulled out three talismans glancing at the trees around them before she pricked the tip of her forefinger with the cleaver. Under the moonlight, dark red blood glistened on the paper as Zhi Yan handed them to Wang Qin, patting him on the back. "Press it onto the Governing Vessel Meridian and say halt. Do it efficiently."
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Wang Qin gave her a short nod, his round face full of determination, and rushed out into the chaos.
"Come out." A figure emerged from the shadow, clapping his hands slowly. He was dressed in the same purple and black attire as the other demonic cultivators in the clearing with a piece of black fabric covering the bottom portion of his face.
"What an interesting discovery to find the alleged trash of the Zhi family has a few tricks up her sleeve." A purple flame shot from his palm and grabbed the cleaver in her hand throwing it so that it was lodged in a tree several feet away from them. "No wonder there''s a sizable bounty on your head." A bounty, huh.
Zhi Yan was silent unperturbed by the man and his taunts. A purple rope of energy suddenly wrapped itself around her throat yanking her forward. They flew for a couple of seconds up or rather he did while Zhi Yan got dragged down the side of the small cliff.
"What happened to all the chatter before, little mystery girl? Come on, beg for your life and I''ll consider killing you nicely." The man taunted once they were situated at the bottom of the cliff, the loud clash of metal echoing in the distance. "If you scream here, maybe they''ll even hear you."
She merely turned to the side, ignoring the man.
"Oh you just love silence, don''t you?" He let out a feigned noise of pity. "No one ever listened to you before, anyways."
No response.
"Even your parents don''t want you, I mean how worthless do you have to be for your parents to despise you? To want to kill you."
When he was met with more silence, the man sighed and grabbed her hair forcing her to look at him. "You know how much money I lost the first time because you wanted to be difficult and come back from dead?" Oh, what a lucky day to meet you. "But it is so fucking pathetic that you did all that work to survive and your parents still want you dead."
"Just like how the Heavens do not want you yet you still try through any means possible, mortal."
Before she could even register it, the sound of a harsh slap rang out in the air as rough calloused hands grabbed her chin.
"I see this life is something you don''t want anymore, Young Miss. Whatever path I chose," He spat, his dirty fingernails digging into her cheek. "still placed me higher in life than you. Here I am with your life in the palm of my hand. Yet you like all of your kind can never seem to put down that fucking arrogance of yours. So, let me tell you, you pretentious little bitch, no amount of money can ever change the fact that you were born to amount to nothing, unlike me."
Using the coil he slammed her to the ground sending tendrils of pain shooting through her head and back. The strong taste of copper flooded her senses as she felt a trickle of blood down the back of her throat. Her hands reached for the hold around her neck and the man let out a gleeful laugh. "How does it feel, Young Miss? Think you can still look at me like that?" She spit the blood onto her right hand. "Because you won''t when I dig out those annoy-Ergghkrghh."
A cleaver had sunk its blade into the back of his neck and a sudden look of shock emerged on the man''s face as his hands moved to his neck in disbelief. The sadistic glee in his eyes had been replaced with manic fear as they darted from himself to his supposedly helpless victim on the ground in front of him. He coughed, the blood landing on her robes, one hand trying to stop the blade while his other squeezed the purple coil around her neck harder. This world spun and Zhi Yan could barely open her eyes as she clutched her bloody hand in a tighter fist. Clenching her teeth, she pulled with all her might at the force in her hand, driving the blade further into his neck as every tear in his flesh she felt propelled her.
"I thought..." He never finished. Thud. Thud. In his last moments, the man couldn''t even scream, a gurgling choking noise taking over his body instead before his severed head hit the ground followed by his body. Those fearful glossy eyes watched as Zhi Yan pulled herself up against a tree, the cleaver flying to her open hand and her chest heaving up and down.
Slowly with the weapon, she shakily crawled over to the head narrowly avoiding the rapidly forming pools of blood. "No, you thought right. I barely have any qi. But who said I was ever using my qi?" She whispered and flipped the blade revealing a talisman stuck on the other side with the words "siphon" written on in blood. Zhi Yan peeled the paper off, ripping it in half, and somewhere in the clearing, the matching one that was stuck to Wang Qin''s back fell to the ground disintegrating in a burst of flames. Unlike you, I can amount to something because I lived and you didn''t.
6. Don’t bite off more than you can chew
Looking back at the body on the ground, Zhi Yan sighed tossing a talisman on it, and watched as the paper instantly engulfed the body in flames. Black wisps of energy rose from the corpse changing to a lighter color as they reached the top of the flames before dissipating. Whatever residual qi in the man would fuel the rest of the fire until even his spiritual root was burned to nothing so as to prevent any foolish person from resurrecting their body with demonic arts. She closed her eyes and leaned against the tree trunk.
Mooooo. Zhi Yan jumped, the grip on the cleaver tightening.
A black ox ambled out from the trees and shook its fur, bending its head down to munch on some grass. It lifted its head, large saucer-shaped pupils stared at her before it walked closer to the burning corpse.
"Not there." Zhi Yan muttered, clicking her tongue at the animal and pushing it away from the fire. She wondered if it would be missed if she killed it.
"Burning bodies is not a common hobby I hear young ladies indulge in, Miss." came a voice and an oddly familiar man stepped out of the shadows, across the clearing.
"Neither is ox herding in the middle of the night." Zhi Yan moved closer to the ox and held a knife to its neck. "I will kill it."
The man''s smug appearance immediately dropped. "Only a joke, only a joke, Miss." He held up his hands in a move of surrender and gave her a wronged smile. "Come on, the animal did nothing wrong. We''re just out here for a walk in the moonlight."
She let out a huff and lowered her hand, straightening her back despite the burning sensation from the wounds. Slowly, Zhi Yan moved away from the man and the ox, still eyeing him warily. She didn''t make it far though before a searing pain in her head caused her to stumble. In a flash, her hands that were outstretched to the nearest tree were caught by the man as his arms supported her crumpling body. "Woah, it''s alright. Easy."
He looked down at the woman in his arms, blood-stained hands attempting to push him away. At the distrusting and tearful eyes staring up at him. At the messy hair and bruised neck. "I wouldn''t say our first meeting was extremely romantic, yet you''ve managed to recreate even the way you were threatened last time. Do you want me to save you so bad, Miss?" Something wet trickled onto the hand that was holding up her back, and he gingerly tilted her to the side, ignoring her groans of protest, to see that fresh blood had seeped through the fabric of her robes.
A look of recognition crossed her face and Zhi Yan''s nails feebly dug into his arm as she searched the man''s face. "Why do you follow me? What do you want?" She rasped trying to free herself.
"Truthfully, to kill you. But," He sang dragging the word out with a wolfish smile revealing a sharp canine. "I as a righteous warrior of Jianghu would never abandon a lady in pain, especially if she so valiantly fought for her life just now."
And with that, he carefully moved her to lay on his shoulder as he walked over to his ox.
"My belongings..." Zhi Yan had given up on moving and tiredly gestured to the landing up above.
A calloused hand roughly patted her leg. "Of course, of course." Then with a surprising ease, he splayed her onto the back of the ox so that she was lying on her stomach with an arm and a leg hanging over on each side. He placed a large hand on her lower back peering at her face for approval to which she just waved her sleeve limply. This had to be one of the most humiliating experiences she had gone through so far. This pain is not something my immortal self should succumb to yet I have.
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******
They were someways up the mountain when she asked, "Stranger, you have substantial power why do we travel back on foot?"
The man hummed absentmindedly. "Same as you, all those imbued talismans and money you stole from me yet you chose not to waste any on me."
Zhi Yan let out a tsk, her eyes languidly watching the trees pass by as she swayed on the back of the ox. A pause. "I traded you for them."
He cast a glance at her body awkwardly splayed on the ox and laughed. "Yes, yes. The little lady is always right."
She felt his thumb rub comforting circles on her back that appeared to slowly ease away at the pain. Zhi Yan''s eyes fluttered as the heat from his hand seemed to have swallowed her in a cozy warmth of sorts.
Under her guidance, the man led the ox to where she had previously hidden her belongings. Once he helped her climb down from the ox, she discovered that the majority of the discomfort was gone. She could feel most of the internal issues within her meridians had been healed with little trickles of qi circulating through her qi vessels. Zhi Yan tentatively felt along her back. Even most of the large wounds had scabbed over.
She could see the man looking at her proudly, waiting. "...Thank you, Stranger."
"Anything for my little lady. And since I saved you twice now, we are not strangers anymore. Niu Hejun, your gracious savior."
"I think I prefer Stranger."
Before he could respond, a call came from above and the two disciples Qu Zihao and Tong Ye, descended from the skies on their swords.
"Miss Yan, we have been loo-Who are you?" Qu Zihao, rushing to Zhi Yan, stopped and immediately drew his sword as he stared at Niu Hejun.
"So you are the pesky flies chasing my sweet Birdie." Zhi Yan¡¯s brow twitched at the nickname. But she stopped herself from saying anything coming to the realization that the only plus side of Niu Hejun¡¯s talkative nature was that it saved her the trouble of entertaining such conversations.
"Miss Yan, do you know this man?" Qu Zihao had not put down his sword and was cautiously inching towards them.
"Miss Yan?" Niu Hejun whispered raising an eyebrow at her.
"...Yes. Yan Zi."
"Like the bird?"
"My mother had a penchant for unique names." Zhi Yan declared refusing to look embarrassed. The man next to her however did not help as he let out a snort.
"Of course she does, we have been close acquaintances since I saved her. Twice. Naturally, Birdie fell in love with me.¡± Niu Hejun declared looking up at the men and dramatically swung an arm around her, pulling her closer. ¡°And I could never say no to her.¡±
¡°I did not know members of Qitian Dao Sect associate with vagrants.¡± Tong Ye had joined his senior brother.
¡°There is no need to concern yourself with his jests." Zhi Yan abruptly cut in removing the arm from her shoulder before the man next to her could dig them a deeper hole.
At her words, Qu Zihao finally lowered his sword. "Then if Miss Yan does not mind, we can accompany you to the nearest town before we return to Gui Rong City. I am afraid I do not trust your safety with this...unfamiliar wanderer."
Niu Hejun who didn''t seem offended at all shrugged and smiled at the two men almost in an amused manner. On the other hand, Zhi Yan was a bit more peeved by his statement but for another reason. "You want to accompany me?"
"I hope that my words do not offend Miss Yan when I offer the reminder that it is unsafe and improper to travel with a strange man even if he has saved you before." Tong Ye''s nasally assertion hung in the quiet night air as he looked down at her.
She narrowed her eyes and lifted her chin. Niu Hejun turned around and coughed into his hand though it sounded suspiciously similar to a laugh. "I never said that I would be traveling with him, boy. Though what I choose to do does not concern you does it, Disciple of the Tongshan Sect?"
Immediately Qu Zihao swept in front of his brother blocking him from view. With an awkward smile, he said, "Brother Tong Ye is ineloquent with his words and does not mean to overstep, Miss Yan. He is merely concerned. Though our offer still holds." Of course, Zhi Yan who was more than done with the whole ordeal said nothing and had moved on to adjusting her saddle.
"Then us two disciples will take our leave back to our sect. Again thank you for the help with the demonic cultivators, Wang Qin told us before he fell unconscious."
The hand on the saddle stopped and she turned around. "Unconscious?" This was when she noticed Tong Ye had moved to tend to an unconscious Wang Qin a little ways behind them, slumped against a tree.
7. Uncertified medicinal practices
"Ah, yes, we plan to take him back to our sect''s Serenity Lotus Spring to dispel the lingering impurities," Qu Zihao responded, taken aback by her concern.
From their adept technique and control, Zhi Yan deduced Qu Zihao and Tong Ye had to be in the late Core Formation stage, with Wang Qin trailing slightly behind If Wang Qin accidentally broke through one cultivation level, cleansing the impurities should have been as easy as waving their hand. The impurities should not have been so strong to render him unconscious. Yet when she felt his pulse and listened to his heart, she could hear his heart beating laboriously, in contrast to an ominous and rapid pulsation just beneath his skin. Black splotches marred his complexion, and a dark smoke lingered around him, emitting a burnt odor.
It couldn''t have been her doing. Even as a side effect the siphoning formation on the talisman she had secretly placed on him could not have pushed him to break two cultivation levels. It was a feedback loop fueled by his qi with her blood acting as a straw that let her feed off a bit without exerting him too much. And besides she lacked the external strength to siphon off more than the boy could handle. Unless... Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as the Niu Hejun deftly braided several blades of grass into a crown to place on top of his ox. And as if sensing her suspicion, the infused talismans hummed from within the confines of her sleeve.
Zhi Yan''s finger lightly pushed back his hair sticking to his forehead. His brows furrowed in misery as sweat dripped down his discolored face. A pale grey-blue hue tinted his skin. He looked like he was almost suffocating. Not almost. He was, slowly and surely. Mortal, it is your fortune to meet me for you will live to another day. This immortal was partially responsible and thus will fix all of you.
She sat up, a little straighter now. "I would suggest a certain distance away from the impurities lest they attach themselves to you." Tong Ye, hovering over her shoulder, squinted skeptically but eventually backed off at Qu Zihao''s insistence.
Even Niu Hejun had moved away, though she could feel his intense gaze practically burn into her back like a beast watching its prey as it toyed with it thinking of all the ways to chase it down. I will ignore such audacious behavior for the usage of your help.
Discretely, she pulled out a talisman and activated a formation on herself. A formidable burst of energy surged through her veins and she held out her hand, the cleaver flying into it. How she had not noticed the sheer amount of energy in the talisman, she did not know. Zhi Yan efficiently pried back Wang Qin''s robes revealing his chest but more importantly the meridian points. With a wave of her hand, the cleaver whipped across a small patch of grass. A glow enveloped the grass and slowly they all straightened in a vertical manner like hundreds of tiny little pins before they rotated into a horizontal manner.
Without warning, the blades shot forward at the unconscious Wang Qin. Tong Ye lunged for the woman his sword poised for attack, moving so fast that even Qu Zihao failed to stop him.
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Slam! A golden barrier erupted in front of him, knocking the man back. Before he could even stand up, the light swallowed him trapping Tong Ye within. Niu Hejun clicked his tongue in a chiding manner waving his hand. "You sect cultivators really have too much energy. Don''t make too much noise or else the little lady can''t do her work~"
Oblivious to the commotion, Zhi Yan placed the pin-like needles of grass onto certain acupuncture points. She felt his pulse again. Now, the skin was less taut and swollen under her fingertips as the redirected energy separated off to the smaller paths that were part of the twelve principal meridians. But it was still too much for the boy. The last time she used the siphoning technique, she didn''t know the talisman had inadvertently allowed him to absorb a large portion of stored qi. Qi that was not his and qi that his vessels were not ready for.
When she pulled out the last talisman, Zhi Yan paused. Oh. That is quite unfortunate. But once she looked back at Wang Qin, she saw that the youthful and ruddy red had yet to return to his face, the decision solidified in her mind. The talisman was slapped on his sternum and she pricked the area beneath his collarbones with two grass blades. Dropping a few of blood drops onto the talisman, she activated one last formation. A siphoning formation.
A nauseating rush of power slammed into her body and her nails sunk into her palm, a weak attempt to ground herself her. Suddenly, the boy''s eyes flew open with a gasp. His chest violently inhaled and exhaled as disorientated wide eyes flickered about her. "Miss Yan, what are yo-"
The poor boy didn''t even get a sentence out before she hit the back of his neck and he slumped unconscious in her arms. Zhi Yan ripped the talisman off her and crushed it in her palm. And just like that the visceral need to throw up faded as quickly as it came.
"What have you done?" Tong Ye had broken free of his cage and was now pressing a cold blade into her neck. The nerve.
This time though Qu Zihao solved the issue permanently. He pulled out a colorful feather, tucked it in Tong Ye''s hair, and whispered, "Tongshan Sect." Tong Ye disappeared in a beam of light. Turning to Zhi Yan, he profusely muttered apologies all of which she waved aside as she unceremoniously dumped Wang Qin into his arms.
Once he was on his sword, Qu Zihao gave her a slight bow. "Miss Yan of the Qitian Dao Sect, the Tongshan Sect, and I, Qu Zihao, are forever grateful for your generous assistance today."
"Mm." Zhi Yan was more concerned with the blood stains on her robes. But before he could leave, her calm voice rang out in the night. "I advise that the disciples of the Tongshan Sect start off with a well-thought-out plan next time."
"I''m afraid I do not follow Miss Yan."
"Rather than using a rock to render me unconscious and rob me. I simply suggest chasing the right person next time so that next time time is not wasted when a disciple is suffocating."
Qu Zihao paled and looked at the boy in his arms. "Of course." And he was off, leaving a streak of blue in his wake.
"Oh Birdie you are so entertaining," She had forgotten that there was another headache still here. "I mean, what a show you have put on. Have you ever considered the stage? I think you would absolutely glow, little lady."
Ignoring him, Zhi Yan climbed onto her donkey. Just as she was about to move, Niu Hejun stepped in front of it, his sharp canines glinting in the moonlight as he smiled up at her. "Birdie, I think you''re forgetting that I was supposed to kill you."
8. Don’t pick fights
"Birdie, I think you''re forgetting that I was supposed to kill you."
She was starting to feel severely irritated. The sun had begun to rise and had she had a good night''s rest she would''ve been able to enjoy the weather. Had she not almost died she would''ve been able to listen to the birds. Had she not gotten blood on her robes, she would''ve enjoyed the scenery. And looking at him only seemed to magnify it. If I was in the Heavens right now, I could kill that obnoxious oaf with a spoon.
Zhi Yan gave him a look and tried to move past him. "Why the reminder?" Clearly, the man had no such intentions with the way his sharp eyes glinted at her as if he were looking at a new toy.
Said obnoxious oaf had joined her walking next to her with the ox trailing behind them. "You were ignoring me, and it cut me so deeply. So cold-hearted of you, I had to."
The twitch in her eyebrow had returned as she willed the donkey to move faster. She got almost ten feet of him before the animal let out a noise in distress. A stream of golden light had coiled itself around its two hind legs and was slowly dragging it backward.
"Hey! Birdie!" The man caught up in two quick strides, laughing not at all offended by her actions. "Birdie, I mean no harm to you, honest. I would never hurt someone as lively as you."
"Bounty hunters kill regardless of the person''s personality."
Niu Hejun feigned a shocked expression and clutched his chest dramatically. "Oh my little lady, how could you believe that my intentions were so evil? A bounty hunter? Never."
He paused scratching his stubble and looking thoughtfully at the sky. Zhi Yan cast him a glance out of the corner of her eye. "I am more of a helper to...to Yan Luo Wang
1." He finally said, giving her a cheeky smile. "An assistant to justice, if you will."
Justice was an interesting way of putting it. In Zhi Yan''s patchy memory, the only thing that Yan Luo Wang conjured up was a large bearded man yelling as his mustache quivered in anger. Niu Hejun would''ve looked like a plaything next to him. Assistant to justice? How ridiculous. The imagery elicited a quick upturn of her lips which the Niu Hejun caught. Unfortunately. He flashed her a gloating and satisfied grin that instantly wiped the smile straight off her face. Annoyed, Zhi Yan snapped the reins in irritation and hurried off in front of him. This time, he didn''t stop her merely watching her back with a delighted expression on his face.
******
By the fifth night, Zhi Yan wondered if killing the man was an option while she stared into the fire. The most realistic plan she had come up with was drugging the man and making a run for it. Sadly, she knew she would not make it far either. Zhi Yan pinched her brows in vexation but then reached up subconsciously smoothing the tensed-up muscles, lost in thought.
On the other side of the fireplace, laughter could be heard as Niu Hejun joked and chatted with some of the travelers that they had run into two days earlier. She didn''t blame them, of course for being so taken with him. Niu Hejun while excessively talkative and confident was also disturbingly charming. Because he had unfortunately decided to attach himself to her citing the reason of "traveling in the same direction" she had been roped into numerous instances of sitting on the side as he chattered away with the shopkeepers and restaurant owners. The positive side to these interactions was that he traded what she considered "wasted time" for bowls of hot food and useful directions. It also kept her mildly entertained for the past couple of days.
All in all, it should¡¯ve been a mutually beneficial relationship though Zhi Yan was a little lost on what she provided. Yet everything was going a little too smoothly and she could not shake the feeling of suspicion at the back of her mind. Not to mention he originally set out to have her head on a pike and could still very well do so. There was also the issue of...
"What''s got that pretty head working so hard?" Niu Hejun''s gruff voice broke her thoughts as he plopped down next to her. He was wearing a grey robe that was tied loosely around his waist revealing a large expanse of his bare chest. He caught her gaze and beamed smugly at her. "Is it about me?"
"Isn''t that an open target?"
He looked down at his chest and then back at her. "This? How would anyone get even that close?" He asked with a genuine look of confusion before it morphed into an obnoxiously cocky grin. "Why? Are you worried, my sweet wife?"
Her hand moved and before she could react, Niu Hejun''s face was drenched in lukewarm water. Zhi Yan looked down at her hands, surprised at the impulsiveness while her victim immediately burst out in boisterous laughter as he wiped his face.
This was the main reason that she had been plotting her escape. She had written off most of his antics as childish nonsense. But ever since that merchant group had assumed that they were married, he was like a mosquito constantly hovering around her with the name on his lips using it as some sort of beckoning call. Like she was some type of street mutt. Also, Zhi Yan still had yet to get over the fact that he had the nerve to call her an immortal his wife.
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"Hey Miss Yan, don''t be so harsh on your husband! Fights are never a good way to solve something." A middle-aged woman called over as her eyes twinkled with amusement. At her comment, Zhi Yan bit her lip and gave the woman an awkward smile which only made Niu Hejun laugh even harder. He only stopped when the wooden cup she was holding hit him on the head as Zhi Yan marched off.
¡°Aye!" Niu Hejun called after her but she ignored him walking straight for her resting steed. His hand reached for her arm but hesitated and instead stepped in front of her, effectively blocking her path. "Birdie, I was only joking and I apologize for my actions."
It seemed like time slowed down as she stared up at him. Finally, in a clear sharp voice, she asked, "Are you bored?"
He furrowed his brows. "I''m afraid I don''t understand, little lady."
"You say you''re going in the same direction but with your abilities, you would''ve gotten to the Capital by now."
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. And I am enjoying the view with you, Birdie."
"But you don''t need to."
"Oh, but I do, little lady. For you."
Zhi Yan could feel the frustration rising in her chest. "Let me remind you, Mister Niu Hejun. You had a goal and it was to kill me. Just because you have given up doesn''t mean others haven''t. Now I don''t know why you are doing this but you are a dangerous man. Dangerous people bring trouble and I cannot deal with that trouble because I lack the ability. So if you are bored, leave me alone."
Her rant was met with silence before Niu Hejun took a step forward bringing him into the light. His messy hair which was still a bit wet glistened around his face as he gazed down at her. His previous smile was gone. An almost crazed wide smile plastered in its place. Startled, Zhi Yan''s breath caught in her throat. Dark eyes sparkled at her in pure delight as if he had heard the happiest news of his life.
"Zhi Yan, you never fail to captivate me." He whispered in a low voice, looking at her with something just short of adoration. Heavens help me. "You are right, I am a dangerous man and I do bring trouble. But I solve my own trouble and I recently," He tapped her nose. "have been solving yours as well. Though, you absolutely have the ability. And thus, I would never be bored with you. Any more complaints?"
She clenched her jaw, eyes peering at his face. This man was reckless, reckless, and a threat to her plan. Oh, how laughable that a danger to her right now was a lunatic with a little too much free time.
"I didn''t ask you to." Zhi Yan muttered and stepped around him. "But it is appreciated."
"Swatting irksome bugs for my little lady is a must. Here." He had pulled out a cloak from his pouch and set it down on the grass. "Don''t put your pretty clothes on the ground."
She sat down on the cloak used to his actions because despite his personality flaws not once in the past five days had she slept uncomfortably. Might as well use my resources.
"Instead put those pretty clothes on tomorrow so I can see it in the sunlight, my beautiful wife~"
Later when Niu Hejun stepped back into the campfire, there was a red mark the size of a shoe on the side of his face.
A chubby man with a large mustache peeling a potato tsked at the sight of him. "That woman, don''t treat you well enough my boy."
"She doesn''t need to." Niu Hejun shrugged turning back to look at the form huddled by two animals.
The middle-aged woman from earlier shook her head as she sipped from her cup. "Old Wang leave the boy alone. Young people fight all the time. Marriage takes work and it takes time." She offered the man an encouraging smile. "Don''t worry so much."
Niu Hejun hummed in response, his eyes occasionally skimming at the trees about them. "Never was." Suddenly, he stood up, his eyes locked in on something in the trees. "Apologies, I need to fetch some food for her tomorrow morning. Thank you, Miss, for reminding me that marriage takes work."
Then he walked off into the forest with the woman shaking her head as he slowly disappeared. "I hope whatever work he puts in, it bears fruitful results."
******
When Zhi Yan opened her eyes the next morning to see a dead man staring back at her, she wanted to throttle Niu Hejun regardless of the consequences. The dead man was perched over a large branch high above her, eyes still open in terror.
"Breakfast?" Nudging a bowl of congee in her face, Niu Hejun settled himself next to her. He followed her gaze and let out a dramatic gasp. "Oh, my little lady, I did not mean to let you see that. I mean your poor appetite." He snapped his fingers and a golden fire engulfed the body. In mere seconds, the flames incinerated the body leaving only a mildly charred leaf that drifted slowly into her lap. "Better?"
She gave him a dead look and grabbed the bowl and he simply grinned at her as she ate.
After she finished, she cleaned herself up and got onto her donkey. She then stopped turning her head to watch Niu Hejun bid the merchants farewell. Once he was done, Zhi Yan turned around and snapped the reins.
Seconds later, he was by her side huffing and puffing while complaining. "You are such a heartless woman, Birdie. How could you leave me like that? I''ll have you know that while I am a strong warrior. I too have weak spots. Like the curse on my leg. I actually can¡¯t run too fast but im exerting myself. For you.¡±
Zhi Yan rolled her eyes.
He let out a loud exasperated sigh. "What do I have to do to make you believe me? Honestly, when you got mad that was the most you ever talked to me and I don''t want to make you mad every time."
She could feel his mischievous eyes peeking at her. "So I will venture in the opposite direction of angry.¡± He finally declared loudly. Zhi Yan practically heard the wheels turning as a slow feeling of dread sank into her stomach. ¡°I am going to make you as happy as I can for the sake of the communication in our marriage, Wifey."
Closing her eyes, Zhi Yan breathed in a deep breath the storm clouds on the horizon representing the impending headache that she felt was about to take over her life.
9. Hazy Hideouts
Contrary to her previous expectations, Madam Zhi almost popped a blood vessel when she met the three disciples of the Tongshan Sect. Her nails dug into the wooden table underneath her sleeve as she gave the men a smile. "The Zhi Mansion thanks the Tongshan Sect for the gracious help. Please let us know if there is any further news when you come across any."
"Of course, Madam Zhi." Qu Zihao bowed. "Then us disciples will take our leave now."
She stood up, smiling elegantly as she walked them to the front door. But once Madam Zhi was back in the main hall the smile dropped as she stared at the chair opposite to where she, the madam of the house, sat. The empty chair. The empty chair where her husband should''ve sat. Anger clouded her mind and her hands itched to alleviate the rage burning inside of her. What were the chances that the Qitian Dao Sect, a sect that had not opened its doors in decades had a member who looked exactly like that girl? And with qi? In a nearby city?
"No." She whispered staring at the ground. Wild and willful whispers in the back of her mind only aggravated her anxieties. "This will not do."
"Does Madam Zhi have a request?" A thin voice echoed through the room as Rong Mei stepped out from behind one of the pillars and bowed.
Madam Zhi sank back down onto her chair and rubbed her temples. Oh if her mother saw her. At the thought, her eyes flitted to the elderly woman in front of her still bowing. Time was a little too kind to the woman. And so was her family. She had seen the gifts that arrived from time to time. Her resolve hardened and her knuckles tightened on the handle of her fan.
She snapped it open with a sharp flick. "Send my husband a letter. Tell him there are some matters that I need to handle in the Capitol prior to the trials. For Kong-er. He needs a set of robes anyway and there is an import of Water Silk coming in next week. I will be gone for a week."
Rong Mei bowed again and left. Madam Zhi''s eyes trailed after the woman''s ramrod straight back disappearing down the hall. Her eyes narrowed slightly and a subtle snarl appeared on her lips. Some people needed to be dealt with as soon as possible.
******
As Zhi Yan reluctantly followed after Niu Hejun, she lamented in her heart how she had not met this man she would''ve long gotten to the Capital by now. Looking at the red lights and loud music passing by her, she decided that the man had misspoken when he was talking about who he was going to make happy because clearly it was not her.
The culprit of her troubles grinned at her as he pointed to the different buildings they walked past. "I heard that that house has the best alcohol in all of the Huang Ye City. Or that one, that one has the best silks in the province imported from the southern provinces. Do you want to have a look?"
Zhi Yan shot him a withering look and kept walking. "It does not interest me."
"It does not interest you? Then what about that one, handcrafted hairpins made by the locals?"
She chose not to respond though her eyes curiously roved around her surroundings. Yet despite her thinly veiled curiosity, Niu Hejun noted that not once did her left hand move far from where the concealed cleaver hung on her waist. After a moment, he sighed and moved their animals to the side before dragging her by the sleeve to a bench just outside a small store.
He sat her down. "You think I''m wasting your precious escape time?"
"Naturally."
"Well, you have thought wrong. Tell me, Birdie would those uptight righteous sect cultivators want to be seen in the red-light districts?"
"During the day, they might cross it but," Zhi Yan shook her head. "They are not the ones I am worried about. I am aware that you have solved part of the issue. But a reminder: part of the issue."
He smiled and clicked his tongue at her playfully. "Ah, ah. I have solved it completely for now. Just think, time must be spent in order to find a specific needle in a box of needles. Might as well place us in a box that they wouldn''t expect, no?" Niu Hejun murmured in a low voice. "I mean who looks for a cowardly and talentless runaway girl in a whorehouse?"
Zhi Yan shot him a skeptical look but he only smiled as he noticed her shoulders subtly relax. He patted her back roughly and she felt a rush of qi into her veins. Shooting a questioning look at the man, she moved to feel her back but was stopped. "For a little protection."
******
Soon they stopped outside an extravagantly decorated tea house with red lanterns hanging on the outside casting a warm glow on the patrons entering. The guards at the door bowed them as attendants dressed in colorful silk robes with intricate hairstyles and delicate makeup led them in.
"We''ll take the best view. I need to show Birdie here, the best Huang Ye City has to offer, pretty lady." Niu Hejun said winking at the girl leading her in eliciting a tinkling giggle.
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They were guided to an upstairs terrace overlooking the seats and stage below. The terrace itself was a spacious room with a small table by the railing decorated with ornate paintings and vases.
"Your cloak, Young Master." Her hand immediately grabbed the attendant''s hand on the fabric causing the girl to stiffen in surprise.
Sir? Zhi Yan looked at the girl and then at Niu Hejun who gave her a smug smile subtly tapping his shoulder. Ah. No wonder no one had given her any looks when she stepped in. She gave an awkward cough and released the girl''s hand. "I-uh, Miss. Uh, you are alright. This is alright. Do not trouble your hands." The attendant, a small girl with a delicate round face dressed in sunset orange silk robes burst into a deep red blush and scurried out of the room
Niu Hejun let out a loud snort and ushered the other attendants out of the room whispering placations and flirtatious remarks as they left. As soon as the door shut, he took one look at Zhi Yan''s face and erupted in a bout of laughter. "Birdie, what peculiar charm you have! I must say that face I gave you is doing most of the work though."
In a huff, Zhi Yan sat down facing away from him but it did not deter the man. He sat across the table from her and as if on cue two attendants came in delivering a fragrant bottle of alcohol. Pouring her a bowl, he leaned back with a sigh. "Your welcome, Birdie, and I mean it when I say you have a lovely face."
The straightforward comment caused her to inadvertently breathe in and the previously pleasant alcohol slid down the wrong pipe. A fit of coughing seized her body and she could only glare as the man next to her cackled to his heart''s content. After the wheezing died down, she angrily took a swig from her bowl. "Do not say such nonsensical things."
"Aw, Hejun don''t tease your poor friend look at how red he''s become." A courtesan who introduced herself as Hualing entered the room, her comment earning her a laugh and a kiss on the hand.
Zhi Yan cast the woman a glance surprised at the intimate moniker but ultimately decided to ignore the two looking at the scene below them. Dancers in bright silks spun to the festive music as the patrons conversed with each other over small jugs of alcohol. The skillful hands on her back slowly relaxed her posture and soon one bowl became two then four. It''s not like I''m paying.
******
"No, Miss Xu, wrong." A hiccup. "Chamomile, this yellow flower, right? Look for this and boil it in water. Tea. Clean it and put it in oil. Relaxer. Not the dandelion. Or the spirit dandelion."
Niu Hejun was lying against a set of pillows languidly sipping from the jug as Hualing rubbed soothing circles on his shoulders. The performance downstairs was still going on but the commotion only seemed to serve as an ambient buzz as he looked at the scene before him.
"She has such a unique charm about her. This is the first time a client has brought out plants. Flowers yes but herbs, Hejun-ah you have such an interesting traveling partner. Come on, Hejun-ah, show, Hualing." Hualing murmured noticing his eyes fixated on Zhi Yan. With the disguise, Zhi Yan''s face was sharper now with darker brows and more prominent bones yet she still maintained the same coy and apathetic allure. The flush on her cheeks and lidded eyes only furthered her appearance of ambiguity.
He let out a chuckle. "You know I can''t do that. You pretty little demons might eat her up."
Hualing rolled her eyes and pinched him. "That''s rude."
The table had been clumsily dragged over and a small circle of courtesans had formed around Zhi Yan. Zhi Yan or rather her male counterpart sat in the middle of it all, cheeks flushed to her ears and back straight like a pole. The empty bowls of alcohol were now filled with different plants and pushed to each of the three women surrounding her. "Apricot flower for Miss Tao. Pain-relieving for dancing and care for one''s body."
"Miss Die, thi-"
"Just Die-er, call me Die-er." The speaker leaned forward, lazily fanning herself as she looked into Zhi Yan''s eyes and her face slowly broke through the warm haze. Die-er was a beautiful woman with sharp sensual eyes that roved her body in a burning and tantalizing manner. Her black hair was pinned up and adorned with small golden butterflies that matched the butterflies on her vermillion robes. Mortals are really so...A slender pale finger under her chin coaxing her forward interrupted her train of thought. Die-er had a scarily hypnotizing gaze that seemed to pull Zhi Yan forward. "Die-er wants some affection tonight." The woman whispered. Niu Hejun''s eyes narrowed and Hualing''s hand paused on his shoulder.
The sound of a bowl scraping across the table broke the trance and Die-er looked down surprised to see a bowl with little yellow flowers. "Miss Die, cinnamomum verum. Sinal relaxation and warming of the body. Strive to stay warm in the upcoming winter."
Die-er''s mouth opened frozen as Zhi Yan moved back before she let out a charming laugh and leaned in once more. "Oh, I like you, pretty boy."
As the night continued on, Zhi Yan pulled out plant after plant from the Universe Pouch that Niu Hejun bought for her. There was a sort of clumsy charm in her short but straightforward manner of speaking. Inadvertent compliments spilled from her lips and every piece of advice slowly mumbled out was surprisingly detailed and personalized to each person. For the amount of liquor that she drank, not once did her composure abandon itself.
"Sister Xu, I really do like him." Die-er sighed as she leaned against Zhi Yan who was awkwardly trying to hold up the women. "So obedient so pretty. Like a fairy."
"A fairy?"
"Yes, so proper and pretty, like a cloud floating above Mount Lu. Have you heard the poem?" She was now playing with her hair, slim fingers deftly coaxing it into a braid.
"No, but I," Zhi Yan''s brows furrowed trying to remember but the action only elicited a faint pounding in the back of her head. "I''ve met a fairy before. Very pretty. Maybe not nice though."
Tao Yu the third courtesan wearing a muted blue dress with long cascading hair, giggled and tapped Zhi Yan''s nose with her fan. "Oh, you''re so funny. Of course, you did."
¡°Does this Young Master want to stay here with us? People would love you." Xu Ou asked as she strummed a couple of strings on the guzheng.
Zhi Yan sluggishly mulled over the idea but before she could respond Niu Hejun had strode over, sweeping up Xu Ou and Hualing in the process. ¡°But our love runs deeper so I¡¯m afraid Birdie will stay my traveling companion.¡±
Xu Ou grumbled in response to his arm around her waist before whatever he whispered next caused her to concede with a huff. ¡°Die-er, Tao Yu take him to a room. I need to attend to some matters.¡± The older women gave their younger counterparts a knowing look and the two women immediately stood up, bowing.
Niu Hejun looked at Zhi Yan still on the floor like he was expecting her to say anything only for her to simply wave her hand at him. He sighed and ruffled her hair. ¡°If there¡¯s trouble come find me.¡±
10. Run
Soft lips pressed against hers as Zhi Yan fell back onto the bed with a grunt. Die-er bit her bottom lip lightly eliciting a satiated groan. As she pulled herself back further onto the bed she felt something small and hard underneath her back. But before Zhi Yan could move her hand to feel what it was, Tao Yu sucked her neck right underneath her ears and her eyes rolled back with a moan. The woman let out a tinkling giggle and pressed a kiss in the same spot. "Young Master likes that a lot, no?" She whispers, her hot breath melting away everything in the room.
Lying on the bed was like lying on a cloud as gentle hands and kisses caressed her body. The room itself smelled of soft incense that swirled to match the perfumes wafting off of the two women. Zhi Yan''s lashes fluttered letting out a pleased hum as Die-er nipped a specific area on her chin. All she wanted to do was lie here forever in this comfortable bed, with no promises, no suspicious travel companions, nothing.
"Die-er. Die-er."
"What?" Tao Yu had moved to the side of the bed and was straightening her clothes. She pointed at the man on the bed.
"Young Master?" Die-er stopped her movements and looked down only to find the man underneath her, head turned to the side, eyes shut, and his chest rising up and down evenly. Pretty red lips opened and closed with noise coming out, appalled and offended at the notion that Zhi Yan had fallen asleep. "How dare he-"
"Die-er did you see the amount of alcohol he drank? Don''t take it personally." Tao Yu walked to the door. "I''m going back."
Die-er pouted still offended at the situation. After Tao Yu left, she got up a couple of times only to walk back to the bed and sit back down, There was just something about the man, something she could not describe. Maybe it was the way, he spoke to her or the way he awkwardly tried to help her that she liked. A lot. If he was a regular... Die-er shook her head, those were thoughts that she knew better than to entertain.
"What am I, a little girl who believes in fairytales?" She murmured, reminding herself as she gently traced Zhi Yan''s face from the corner of her eyes down her nose and to her lips.
Nevertheless, she found herself settling back into the sheets and scooting closer to the man, a gentle slumber taking over her.
******
When Zhi Yan woke up, she found a pair of arms wrapped around her waist. As her gaze slowly trailed over the woman''s sleeping form she began to grow conscious of a slow dizzying heat that was spreading from her shoulder. Fuck, the talisman.
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The heat only grew worse as her mind fought through the intoxicated haze to move her hand. Her hand bumped into something cool. ¡°Oh, Young Master, running away?¡± Die-er had woken up and Zhi Yan froze with her hand over the woman''s. The small cool hand moved to grab Zhi Yan¡¯s chin and she subconsciously leaned in. "I''m not that scary, am I?" She whispered looking up at her through thick dark lashes.
"No." She coughed stiffly. "Certainly not. Miss Die."
"Then why are you leaving?"
"...Duties."
"And what duties beg your attention in the middle of the night, Young Master?"
Zhi Yan paused, her hand moving to where the talisman was again. "Miss Tao is missing. It isn''t safe for women to wander out so late."
"She returned to her room after you fell asleep."
"Oh." The heat was making it hard to hold a conversation as all she could think of was the smothering burning sensation, hyperaware of the beads of sweat running down her back.
"You know, I can hear your heart pounding, yet you say you''re not scared." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "You''re hiding something."
"Perhaps, you are mistaken." Zhi Ya breathed.
"And here I thought I liked you." The implication hung in the air as long nails dug into Zhi Yan''s face. "But I do not like liars. Never have, never will."
A lump formed in Zhi Yan''s throat and in a sobering moment, she realized that the pretty delicate Die-er had grown a set of ears and was looking at her with blood-red eyes. "So what is that in your hand?" A demon, huh.
"My robe?" She showed her her empty hand.
"No, you''re hiding something." The woman pulled back, glaring at her. It didn''t seem like Die-er had noticed any of her physical changes. "I demand you to take it off."
"Miss Die, I can assure you that I am not hiding anything from you."
Suddenly, Die-er gasped and began frantically searching for something as Zhi Yan climbed off the bead and slowly back towards the door. Then, she felt the top of her head and looked up at Zhi Yan. "YOU!"
Zhi Yan didn''t wait for her to finish her sentence as she sprinted out the door and down the hall. Immediately, her hand grabbed the flap of paper on her shoulder and pulled. To no effect. The piece of paper stuck to her clothes as if sewn on. Where was that bastard''s room?
She ran with desperate abandon through the twisting hallways until she turned another corner and threw herself into the next room, shutting it close. Moments later, a flash of red light past the door before the sound of footsteps faded. Finally, she let out a breath and slid to the ground. Her hands fumbled with her robes as she peeled back a layer and like it was never stuck on the clothes, the piece of paper merely phased onto her inner robes. Zhi Yan took a deep breath through her nose to quell the rising anger. She would find that man.
Quietly, she slid open the door and peeked her head out. Once she determined the hallway to be empty, she stumbled into the hallway. Zhi Yan had no idea where she was but if she were to guess she was probably deeper in the building than her original room was. The talisman on her back hummed and she stopped. Turning her body, Zhi Yan felt a subtle tug to her right. Deciding she had no better idea, she hurried down the hallway. The pulling on the paper brought her deeper into the tea house until she was on the second to the top floor facing a large set of sliding doors. Hushed voices could be heard on the other side and it wasn''t until she heard a distinctive laugh from the other side that she yanked the door open.
11. The room
It was a large room with a massive couch on one side and a bed on the other. A similar circular window sat opposite the doorway as warm red lanterns immersed the room in a sort of dreamy haze as wisps of smoke floated about the room. Hualing and Xu Ou lay on the couch lazily, smooth legs outstretched and their colorful robes barely hanging on giving peeks of soft skin and alluring curves. Truly muses fit for a palace painting if it weren''t for the permeating stench of blood in the room. Or the small pile of bones sitting on the table between them. Zhi Yan could feel their eyes watching her like a hawk but neither of the women made any move to get up.
Similarly, Niu Hejun sat amidst a pile of pillows on the bed, jugs of alcohol littered about some still spilling out onto the floor. His head was leaned back, his chest heaving up and down. Sweat glistened on his skin as a hand hidden by the pillows moved in a repetitive fashion. "Hold on, Birdie," Niu Hejun''s husky voice matched the flush on his cheeks. He had turned to lay his head sideways atop one of the pillows and was gazing at her through heavy-lidded eyes; a drunken feral light within them. Not once did his hand stop moving.
Hedonistic freak. Zhi Yan clumsily stumbled forward, attempting to avoid the blood and limb on the floor with some nonexistent grace fueled by her pride. When she reached the man, she threw a pillow at the man, averting her eyes. Of course, Niu Hejun effortlessly caught it with one hand, and moments later he smoothly slipped on a massive robe. "Did you miss me so much?" He cooed arms outstretched. Shameless hedonistic freak.
She dodged his burly arms, nearly falling, and shed her outer robe. "Hands."
Obediently, the large man held his hands out still grinning with that same hubris-filled intoxicated light in his eyes. He let out a giggle and leaned forward so that his chin rested on her shoulder and she could smell the scent of herbal incense mixed with sweat as she wrapped his hands in the cloth. Seeing as the woman said nothing, Niu Hejun shuffled in closer so that he was practically leaning on her at that point. Sure enough, a second later, and hard palm pushed him away as he heard the owner make small noises of annoyance. There was something that was so close to adoration in the way that he looked at her as he watched her use the edge of his robe to wipe off where he touched her. But adoration also couldn''t be further from the truth as his eyes raked over her, so curious to see more that he barely heard her order to take the talisman off.
The snarky comment caught in his throat. Intricate crimson patterns writhed and shifted on her skin pulsing with a soft but sinister glow. Every curve, every path emanated an otherworldly aura mesmerizing and beckoning to come closer. Transfixed, he raised a finger to trace the little branches that marked her skin. Even through the cloth, he could a power that lingered along each line, and as he followed every path his mind wandered. He wondered where else those lines ran to. No, he needed to know where those lines took him. Niu Hejun tilted his head, eyes glowing with deep interest as his fingers continued to gently follow the patterns.
A finger snapped and he looked up to see Zhi Yan''s hand still pointing at her shoulder. "Yes, yes."
With surprising tenderness, Niu Hejun skillfully peeled off the piece of paper and then pressed his covered hand onto the same spot. A refreshing wave of coolness washed over her and Zhi Yan sighed in deep satisfaction. The two other women in the room watched, amused as the two stood in silence, one with her eyes closed while the other eyes so focused on her with such a complex intensity neither of the women could decipher what it was.
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"Oh my, Hejun-ah. Learning bad habits are we? You think you''re so crafty, hiding someone so interesting right underneath our noses." Hualing''s dulcet voice cut through the silence.
Zhi Yan immediately stepped away from his hand and bowed. "Apologies for my untimely visit."
Hualing shrugged. "Hejun always has a habit of surprising us with his assortment of activities. Zhi Yan, was it?"
"Yes."
"Birdie?"
"...Yes."
"I see. What a charming alias," She blew a ring of smoke before handing a thin golden pipe to Xu Ou. "And here I was wondering who this poor victim was."
"Oi!" A pillow at blinding speed shot towards the woman before a red light instantly incinerated the object.
"Niu Hejun don''t act so childish. Though it is interesting how," Xu Ou took a long drag from the pipe. "You are so calm in the presence of two fox demons." She gestured to a pile of ashes that was pillow now on the ground. "If I wanted that could be you, darling."
Zhi Yan shrugged as Niu Hejun strode over to the door and waved his sleeve forming another barrier. "I do not concern myself with the company he keeps as long as I am not bothered."
"But you didn''t answer her question." Hualing got up from the couch and walked forward, circling her slowly. "A sheltered runaway girl who has never met a fox demon before should be scared, no? I mean, you don''t even have any means of protecting yourself. Unless those marks play some role in a sort of blind confidence."
I wish. "I am told I do not have a very expressional face. Ms. Hualing, I am scared."
Hualing narrowed her eyes at her before a grin spread across her face and she let out a delighted giggle, as she tapped Zhi Yan''s nose with her fan. "Aren''t you just an endearing little find? I do just want to eat you up."
Zhi Yan cast a glance at the bone on the floor next to her. A finger possibly?
"A lovely pet." Xu Ou tapped her chin thoughtfully and Hualing nodded. "The girls would love her."
Niu Hejun who had been quiet this whole time, cleared his throat. "No pets, ladies. We''re going to the Capitol. Together."
"Now, Hejun don''t be like that. Self-seeking habits will surely lead to loss, little boy."
Hualing turned back to Zhi Yan and clasped her hand. "Darling, treat it as a vacation. Sister Xu and I can guarantee none of those annoying cultivators and hunters can come near you. In fact," She giggled at the thought. "We''ve eaten a couple ourselves."
Honestly, the suggestion was tempting but Niu Hejun popped that bubble before she could even think the prospect through. "She is not staying." It came off as a petulant remark that a child mid-tantrum would make and the drunken flush on his face, as he glared at the women, did not help his case.
"Why? Because you demand it?" Xu Ou mocked wiggling her eyebrows at the man and it only seemed to fuel his frustration as he stiffly yanked Hualing''s hand off hers. "Remember, Hejun-ah you can''t just decide your demands over her wishes. Or are you too used to that treatment?"
But before he could respond a boom came from outside the door.
"No because she nee-" Another boom. There was yelling from outside.
"Because she ne-" Boom. Niu Hejun closed his eyes and then smiled, an animalistic one that did not reach his eyes. "It seems that we have a passionate visitor outside."
The second he slid open the door, a flash of red zipped into the room straight at Zhi Yan but right as it was about to reach her a net made of light grabbed it and slammed it onto the floor. Instantly, the red light transformed into an angry Die-er. Her red pupils blazed as sharp claws and long tails thrashed underneath the net. "Where are you hiding that dirty liar?"
12. Petulance
Before anyone could respond, a ring of fire erupted around the demon and she yelped scooting the center of the net.
"Hypocrites do not fare well in this world, Miss Die." Niu Hejun said as he slowly ambled over before squatting to eye level with the woman. "Now what do you have to say to your peers?" There was an air of magnanimity in the way he spoke as if he was scolding a child not a possibly hundred-year-old demon. It was a cold reminder that Zhi Yan did not know anything about her travel partner while he knew too much about her. They say ignorance is bliss but bliss does not stop death.
Xu Ou waltzed forward from her spot, a crimson rope of light replacing the net. "So whose clan are you from, brat? I need an address to send your skull back." She cooed with a saccharine smile. "We don''t time entertaining children."
Die-er glared back at the woman. "How dare you call me a child, I have been around since Emperor Qu''s rei-"
"So a baby then." Hualing cut in from the couch and Die-er''s eyes widened in shock. "I would call a three centuries child''s play but honestly it isn''t so fitting."
"So why didn''t you two detect m-"
"A fluke. Now whose clan?"
"I am old enough to work here on my own voli-"
"Are we not listening, whose clan?"
"This isn''t fair, I-"
"ARE YOUR EARS FOR DECORATION? I AM ASKING WHICH CLAN YOU ARE FROM BRAT. IF YOU DON''T ANSWER ME I WILL SEND YOU BACK WITH ONE LAST TAIL." Hualing demanded slamming her hand on the table.
There was silence and Zhi Yan looked at Die-er who looked like a sibling that had just gotten scolded by their older sister. Then she burst into tears hugging her tails and pointing at Zhi Yan. "WELL I DON''T HAVE ONE!" Hot angry tears ran down her face as the tails around her curled in tighter as if forming a wall. "SOME OF US DON''T HAVE ONE! ALL I WANTED WAS TO MAKE A LIFE FOR MYSELF AND YOU''RE YELLING AT ME?"
Xu Ou''s expression faltered as her heart wavered a bit at the sight in front of her. On the contrary, Hualing who clearly had the shorter temper of the two pinched her nose bridge and sighed. "What did I say, Sister? A tantrum. A baby''s tantrum." Niu Hejun snickered earning him a hateful glare.
"SHUT UP!" "That is not how you speak to elders." "THIS ISN''T FAIR. I SHOULD BE THE ONE UPSET," Watery eyes spun to angrily glare at Zhi Yan. "SINCE SHE LIED TO ME AND STOLE MY DEMON PEARL."
It was like time had stopped as everyone turned to look at her. Niu Hejun let out a low whistle. Clearly the man was enjoying the show. There was a pause as the accusation sunk in with the only sounds being the quiet sniffles coming from Die-er. Finally, Xu Ou spoke. "Die-er that is not a light assertion to make."
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
"Miss Die I have no use for it." Zhi Yan said before the woman could speak.
"Then why would you run if you have nothing to hide? And why would you hit me?"
Zhi Yan furrowed her brows and moved a little closer. "Hit you?"
The aggrieved woman gave a little sniff lifting her chin in a weak attempt to preserve her haughty image. "With a demonic formation and everything turned black."
Heavens above. This mission was starting to feel more like a punishment. "Release her, please."
"I could kill you."
"You could."
"I could snap that thin pretty neck for lying to me."
"Mmhm." The haughty vixen image was a mere lid for the self-preservation underneath. "Die-er feel my pulse."
The two stared at each other, Die-er with a wronged confused look while Zhi Yan with a sort of patient apathy. Finally, an ice-cold hand wrapped her wrist and squeezed hard. Too hard. Childish.
Her head shot up, confused wide eyes searching Zhi Yan''s face. Dainty fingers felt along her arms and she patiently watched as the woman furrowed her brows at a loss.
"No qi, no demonic formation."
"But I sensed cultivation on you when I was with you."
Zhi Yan shook her head. "You sensed his on me." And Niu Hejun conjured up a talisman waving it at her playfully.
The woman stared at the ground. Her tails swished around nervously and Zhi Yan felt the grip on her hand tighten.
"Oh Die-er, pretty people shouldn''t look too sad. Maybe it isn''t such a bad thing." The man swept over and pulled the two apart. Obviously, the sudden motion was not well received as Die-er hissed at him. "Whoa don''t give me such a nasty look. I''m only suggesting it might also solve a certain other issue plaguing you beautiful women." He winked at the women. The issue plaguing them is you.
One look at Niu Hejun and Zhi Yan knew the man was plotting. So did the other two courtesans. "Hejun what do you want?" Hualing snapped letting out an angry puff of smoke from the pipe.
"Well, don''t you think it''s a little odd that two powerful and wise fox demons cannot detect someone so weak? For five months, too."
Zhi Yan felt the room plunge into freezing cold temperatures, goosebumps climbing up her arms as both women tilted their heads in an uncanny way to scrutinize him. Hualing narrowed her eyes and walked up to him so that there was barely a foot between them. The air hummed with a growing tension."Don''t make me repeat myself, Niu Hejun. What. Do. You. Want."
He shrugged and shot the woman a lopsided smile as if the latter wasn''t about to claw off his face. "I am simply proposing our help, in pest extermination if need be. And since you are just dying to know," Niu Hejun tapped his chin dramatically. "I''m thinking of a couple more nights in this lovely mansion of yours and a small favor."
Before anyone in the room could respond, Hualing lunged for the man and a boom echoed in the room as she threw Niu Hejun across the room. The wall behind him cracked where he collided with it and he slid to the floor. She was on him in a second, elongated claw around his neck. "Do not think for a second that you, a human will ever get the best of me, not in mind games not in fights. Just because we keep you around does not mean that we would think twice about disposing of you."
"Aw, I must say healthy c-competition does wond-Erghk" The man coughed as her hand tightened around his neck. Zhi Yan sighed and rubbed her temples.
"I believe necromancy is not in your skill set, Miss Hualing." And the claw on Niu Hejun''s throat loosened for a second. "If he is dead, you will find no use."
"And why should we listen to you, Miss Zhi?"
"Even I can see that your house is growing weeds in its corners."