《MOON TAVERN: A Fantasy Adventure and Xianxia Style LITRPG》 PEONY - Chapter 1 (Martial Blue Sister) Moon Tavern. On the surface, it looked like a regular tavern located in the heart of the Capital City of the Jade Empire. A homey little establishment where the common folk could order a hot meal, share a cup of wine with friends. In reality, it was a famous gathering place for all sorts of warriors across the land. Wandering martial artists, legendary swordsmen and women, mystical scholars, to even spiritual cultivators. Both hot blooded and wizened talents from all corners of the empire and from all walks of life. It was operated by a young master, who everyone refers to as Martial Kim. Not only was he the owner of the Moon Tavern, he shares a strong passion for justice and would always lend a hand in the martial arts community. Especially when it comes to investigating mysterious murders, deaths, or crimes within the martial arts world. In years of training and experience, Martial Kim and his followers would use those gained skills to solve problems and mysteries wherever they crop up, doing their part to make the lands and Empire a better place. Among his helpers was a young girl, who everyone referred to as Martial Blue Sister. A young woman who worked hard from prepping the kitchen, cleaning the tables, as well as taking on tasks in and out of the capital on Martial Kim¡¯s behalf. She, like her fellows under Martial Kim¡¯s employ, was a skillful martial artist. A talent who wielded a power called [Azure Dragon¡¯s Flowing Water] which allows her to manipulate the shape and movement of water and liquid bodies around her. It was also incredibly convenient when cleaning up spills or mopping the floor in seconds. Like all great warriors, she had a great weakness. Every day when facing customer after customer, she would scream in her mind: (Please gods no! I¡¯m an introvert, stay away from me!) Socializing with others was not Martial Blue Sister¡¯s strong suit. While some thrive in being in the company of others, she prefers to either hide in a closet or in a corner to avoid being part of a conversation. She went as far as practicing a unique evasion skill called <>, a series of fancy footwork to allow her to glide in and out of battle. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. So it was very easy for her to move away from noisy tables or crowded talks as smooth as flowing streams. When that was not enough for a relief, she would always seek out the Martial Kim for advice. Or at least an excuse from handling loud customers every day. ¡°Ah. Martial Blue Sister. Right on time.¡± Martial Kim would chirp. He hands several orders written on rolls of bamboo sheets tied together as mini-scrolls to his waiters and staffs before he brushed his hands on his hanbok and adjusted his wide brim hat to greet the blue haired girl. ¡°There¡¯s no escaping your fate in hiding from others, my dear,¡± He would say, ¡°You stand out like a koi fish in a point with that vibrant blue hair of yours.¡± ¡°Sorry. I just need, need a short break.¡± Martial Blue Sister would pant, physically exhausted. And it hasn¡¯t been two hours into her shift! ¡°What you need is a change of pace. Last few weeks has been hectic, especially after we hosted the Heavenly Falcon Clan¡¯s dinner party for 60 people,¡± Martial Kim would laugh and rummaged his hands under the wine counters. Normally he would show his passion of mixing exotic wines and liquors to give birth to a new taste, to cheer up others. After opening Moon Tavern, he took it upon himself to come up with clever ways to attract customers. So his trademark [Dance of the Peach Wine Saints] juggling trick with bottles that flip and fly like a flock of elegant fairies would always draw a crowd. Instead of a wine mixing show, he pulled out an expensive looking poster. ¡°This came in bright and early. A Missing Person¡¯s case. I believe this would be a suitable job for you, to take your mind off serving tables.¡± Martial Blue Sister picked it up and gave it a glance. She was grateful, but she hesitated. ¡°Will you be alright though, Martial Kim? Martial Yellow Sister is still on sick leave, and Martial Green Sister hasn¡¯t come back from her current job.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll be fine! Not to worry!¡± Martial Kim would laugh, waving a hand to greet new patrons. ¡°Ah. Do please pick up Martial Red Sister. Not like she¡¯ll be any help here, she hates tavern work. She is more suited for the field and her experience will be of benefit to you. I¡¯m sure of it!¡± Martial Blue Sister could not help but give Martial Kim a small and humble bow. She removed her work apron and folded it neatly onto the counter, before taking the poster with her. Normally she wouldn¡¯t complain over small details, however she decided to voice them and run back to the counter. ¡°WHY IS THE REWARD RIDICULOUSLY HIGH!? DOESN¡¯T THE PAYMENT REFLECT THE DIFFICULTY OF THE MISSION!?¡± Martial Kim couldn¡¯t hide a sparkling grin. ¡°Moon Tavern¡¯s future renovation project rests on your shoulders my dear! No pressure!¡± ¡°I AM STRESSED FOR A TOTALLY DIFFERENT REASON NOW!¡± PEONY - Chapter 2 (Mutiny Hill)
MISSING PERSON
Lady Peony. Age 24, second daughter from the mighty Silver Clan who dominated the entire of Silver Vein Mountains who is to be married into the prestigious Amber Family in the coming weeks. The youngest sister to Chieftess Silver who commands over 300 personal soldiers, is mayor of the Clan¡¯s own town, and the governing power who manages the family¡¯s silver ore sites. Lady Peony is described to be a fair maiden of noble upbringing who treats everyone she crosses path as equals. Despite being the burden of the Silver Clan on her shoulders, she possesses an adventurous spirit and tends to wander around the territory owned by the Silver Clan. Last seen wearing her peach blossom pink travelling robes, a hat with a curtain to hide the scar on her left cheek, and--
¡°You know, little blue,¡± a woman in a kimono would mumble and stopped reading the contents of the missing poster. ¡°Whoever wrote this could have just wrote: jade skinned beauty, worth a lot. Done. Would save a lot of ink on the paper, don¡¯t you think? All this cramming into tiny font hurts my eyes.¡± Martial Blue Sister was not alone. Fortunately and unfortunately. It was a good thing she was paired up with one other person from Moon Tavern, as there were just some assignments and operations that she was not to familiar with and lacked the experience. Unfortunately, she had to talk to said partner even when she took this job to get away from crowds. But picking the lesser of two evils, better to communicate with someone she knew by name and face than a roulette of random strangers. Keeping her company was Martial Red Sister, a seasoned member of the Moon Tavern who stood out with an elegant kimono of vibrant colours and decorative sakura blossom prints. A woman who held fashion in high regards, even the way she walked held enough elegance to attract curious eyes to her stride. She would adjust and smooth the creases of her clothing and sleeves, making sure neither the skirt of her dress or her long curtain sleeves touch anything unnecessary. While she was reading the expensive missing person poster, Martial Red Sister frowned, ¡°I know some rich girls like to be risk takers, especially in gambling or romancing another woman¡¯s man, but an adventurous spirit in a place like this is just ridiculous.¡± Mutiny Hill. That was the name of the location Moon Tavern were searching through. After asking around, following clues, and requesting the help of locals, all fingers and word of mouth all point to this one place. If one thought the name was something to raise an eyebrow, they should see what it held. Corpses. Hundreds of corpses were scattered across the mud clay slopes and the droopy roads. The entire hill landscape looked like a well used candle, pocketed with many ditches and pitfalls that were cluttered with skeletons, corpses, and mummies. Most of them wearing ancient looking armor. These bodies left out in the open and buried with ancient vines and giant roots all stared in random places, as if seeing their loved ones there in their final moments. Many of their arms were coiled around each other. Along the way, they would come across fresh bodies. Most of then not wearing ancient armor, just regular travelling or farming clothing. Passerbies who may have got caught in ditches full of the dead or thick roots, withering away until they joined the fields. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Martial Blue Sister didn¡¯t chance to look at their faces. Even though she had seen her fair share of gore and violence, she was not ready to look through the hollowed eyes of skeletons like peering into an abyss. Furthermore doing so would make her believe the missing person, this Lady Peony, was among them. She had to be hopeful for the outcome. Martial Red Sister took the lead and glanced about. The hills were shrouded in fog, as if for the last hundreds of years. Smoke and mist moving even slower than a snail, it may take centuries before it finished moving from point a to point b. She also made sure her geta-style wooden sandals did not sink too deep into the soft clay mud, else she will teeter over like a chopped tree. The last thing she want is to trip herself and someone shout timber; oh she¡¯ll punch them for sure. ¡°This place is incredibly unsettling. I¡¯m shocked the Empire hasn¡¯t cleaned this place up,¡± Martial Blue Sister would comment while rubbing her arms to stave the spiritual cold, ¡°Why would Lady Peony come all the way here?¡± Martial Red Sister tapped a finger to her lip, ¡°You¡¯ve heard of the saying, the most dangerous place is the safest, right? Not to mention, this entire area just happens to be right outside of the Silver Clan¡¯s jurisdiction. Lady Peony would half guess family spies would be hiding in familiar places, so venturing into foreign territory would be the safest chance of escape.¡± ¡°...All this, because she didn¡¯t want to get married?¡± Martial Blue Sister wondered, stunned at this simple motivation. ¡°I mean,¡± Martial Red Sister just shrugged, ¡°Everyone gets the pre-marriage jitters. Didn¡¯t you hear the professional storytellers spreading random breaking news back in the capital? ¡®8 year bond ends in bloody tragedy the night before wedding¡¯! Or ¡®star crossed lovers dueled to the death on the morning of their wedding day¡¯...Stuff like that.¡± ¡°...Fake news¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look, you little blue headed mouse! I personally investigated those tragedies yesterday!¡± Martial Red Sister would huff with indignation. ¡°Besides, the missing poster told us no? Who Lady Peony¡¯s groom to be is.¡± Martial Blue Sister would recall the poster¡¯s contents, ¡°Th-the young master, of the Amber Family.¡± ¡°They¡¯re also called the puppet masters of the Empire. They pretty much own the entirety of North Cloud City through business and government pockets. They have a hand in nearly everything from civil service, commerce, and dabble in politics through proxies. Of course, they always deny those lovely allegations.¡± Martial Red Sister felt her face getting stick from the moisture in the air, so she whipped out her pursue to pluck out a powdering kit to adjust her make up. ¡°Personally,¡± she continues while puffing her cheeks,¡±I see Lady Peony¡¯s whole marriage as nothing more than a business transaction. Think about it: Silver Clan¡¯s 100 years worth of fortune from their silver mine and the Amber Family¡¯s behind the scene political powerplay. Why, they could even become the next imperial dynasty if they put their mind to it ¨C but don¡¯t quote me on that, or the Emperor would do more than punch me for such rebellious thoughts.¡± Martial Blue Sister stopped in her tracks. It wasn¡¯t because she heard a random noise, more like the worries in her gut weighed her down. Left and right, she see corpses, skeleton, and mummies left about like lawn decorations. With how thick the fog was, she felt like she got sucked out of her world and trapped in an isolated dimension. ¡°Maybe,¡± Martial Blue Sister would voice softly. ¡°We are looking in the wrong direction. I honestly don¡¯t believe Lady Peony would..........¡± Martial Red Sister wasn¡¯t a patient lady so she didn¡¯t wait for her companion to finish that sentence before cutting in with her own thoughts. ¡°Look, little blue. If you don¡¯t want to admit that I¡¯m right, at least don¡¯t be passive aggressive about. Not finishing your sentence to suggest I am wrong is just rude...Little blue? Little...Where in the nine hells did she go?¡± Martial Blue Sister was short, that was a fact. But she wasn¡¯t tiny to the point Martial Red Sister would lose sight of her like an ant in a forest. Not to mention, that hair as blue as a lake stood out too much, so it was very easy to spot the girl in a crowd with zero effort. But after checking her surroundings and horizon, she saw nothing of the sort. What got her attention however, was a hand gripping her ankle. Martial Red Sister just rolled her eyes. Ha, ha, very funny. Ghostly place, ghostly jumpscare, har har. Just when she was about to stomp on her companion¡¯s prank-- --She found Martial Blue squeezing at her ankle ¨C while a corpse hand was dragging her into a pit of skeletons and mummies by her OWN ankle. ¡°HALP! HALP HALP HAAAAAAAAAAAAALP!¡± ¡±LITTLE BLUE LET GO! YOU KNOW AT LEAST ONE OF US HAS TO SURVIVE THIS! LET GOOOOOOOOOOOO!¡± Martial artists or not, given the circumstances they had every right to freak out. PEONY - Chapter 3 (Her Curse) ¡°Wow! Thank you great heroes! I am so, so glad you pulled me out of that pit!¡± said a cheery woman covered head to toe in mud and...stuff. ¡°If I had been stuck there for another day, I may have been another notch under Mutiny Hill¡¯s belt. Talk about kill count!¡± Martial Blue Sister and Martial Red Sister were thoroughly and completely exhausted, emotionally and mentally. They have yet to collapse physically after hauling out someone from a pit of bodies, dragging a starved dead weight, and dropping her into the only residence within the heart of the hills trapped in haunted fog. Mutiny Inn. Not a very creative name, of course. However, options were limited when it was the only residence located in the heart of a hill haunted by fog and lawns worth of corpses. Names like Happy Valley felt stupid, Three Pigs in a Blanket gave the impression of rotten leftovers, and ¡®Keep Calm and Rest On¡¯ was too wordy. At least the one they¡¯ve been searching for is safe...As for sound? Uuuuh, kiiiind oooof. ¡°Miss Red! Miss Blue! You both should really try this spicy chilli pepper chicken fried with bitter melons! The touch of garlic is divine! Fills the heart up! You know!?¡± Lady Peony. She was everything the missing poster had described, and more. Not only was she a jade skinned beauty with a notable scar on her left cheek, she had some leaves and finger bones sticking out from the tangles of her hair that gave her a unique...look. The silver jewelry she left home with were all there, but they were well saturated in...whatever spilled out from the corpses she was buried under for quite some time. Even if one were to wash them thoroughly, the smell would still linger like skunk venom. As for allure...well...jade skin beauty or not, she is hardly going to win over a man how she was stuffing her face with food. Like a hound released from the cage, she would wolf down anything on the table that was in her line of sight. Greasy fried shiitake mushrooms, week day old deep fried meat, brown coloured beans and some blocks of lotus roots; etc. Nine dishes and a bowl of literal pork bone (no meat) soup. That¡¯s enough for a family of 10: parents, kids, some uncles aunts, and the grandparents. Lady Peony...didn¡¯t waste a single speck of sauce. There were moments where everyone in Mutiny Inn were secretly placing bets, to see which dish would she choke on and die. The trunk of a broccoli, a piece of a steamed bun, or even a spoon. Fortunately she kept reviving herself by shoving down crusted wine into her gullet to clear her airways. And that burp... Lady Peony smacked her lips and shoved the last of the sauce coloured rice into her mouth, before saying ¡°Wow! Thank you for the food! It was delicious!¡± Martial Red Sister could not help but stare, politely. ¡°...S-surely you exaggerate. No doubt a woman of your stature has eaten food of higher quality. Fit for a duke or duchess.¡± ¡°Oh. That. Well.¡± Lady Peony waved a hand like a boy making a joke. ¡°I mean, sometimes the silver tongue needs a break from the rich stuff and feel the warmth of a home cooked meal, ya know what I¡¯m sayin¡¯? Yeah!?¡± ¡°...This isn¡¯t exactly food any mother would approve, no matter how poor the family is,¡± said Martial Red Sister, but left the subject at that. Lady Peony would nod, but glance at Martial Blue Sister. She gives the girl a poke on the muddy cheeks. When she got no response she whispers, ¡°Your friend alright? She¡¯s had her mouth open for the last three hours.¡± ¡°Oh she¡¯s out cold,¡± Martial Red Sister shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t mind her. But since you¡¯re all fed, why don¡¯t you tell me: why did you leave home?¡± Lady Peony¡¯s first response was, ¡°Waiter! A-any tofu pudding!? Three bowls. Lots of brown sugar!¡± She would distract herself with the side order, before asking, ¡°How many you want?¡± Martial Red Sister was caught off guard by what just happened, but she was polite about it. ¡°I-I am on a diet. Intermittent fasting you see. Look, I know you probably had a good reason and may be under a lot more than stress. Especially how we dragged you out of a ditch full of dead bodies. But we assure you, you are safe, in good company. So, care to share with us what made you go missing on the first place?¡± ¡°Ah. W...well.¡± Lady Peony would sway left and right in her seat, gritting her teeth. ¡°I...got a lot of good reasons why. I just...didn¡¯t...want to stay at home, any more.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°I get it.¡± Martial Red Sister places a hand on Lady Peony¡¯s, to try and get the latter to open up like a delicate flower a bit. ¡°Marriage can be a frightening experience. Especially between big name families. No doubt there is a lot of pressure riding on this engagement.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just the marriage.¡± ¡°Then just what?¡± ¡°I-I think,¡± Lady Peony would start tapping the tips of her fingers tips together across the table. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t marry the son of the Amber family. It would cause problems.¡± Martial Red Sister raised an eyebrow, ¡°Problems? For who? Your sister? Wasn¡¯t the whole marriage your sister¡¯s idea?¡± ¡°I know. But I can¡¯t marry the Amber son. Not him. Not like this.¡± ¡°...Lady Peony.¡± Martial Red Sister didn¡¯t like to be serious, but the feeling of the conversation tugged her mind into another avenue of thought. ¡°Did this Young Master Amber hurt you in any way?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not me I am worried about, it¡¯s my sister that...¡± Lady Peony realized what she was blurting out, so she bit her lip. ¡°Sorry. I just didn¡¯t want to be part of the marriage, so I left on my own accord.¡± ¡°We¡¯re all ladies here,¡± Martial Red Sister would assure, trying to touch Lady Peony¡¯s hand again to console her. ¡°If Young Master Amber has done anything unbecoming towards you, Moon Tavern would be more than happy to¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just the son of the Amber family!¡± Lady Peony bolted to her feet, the stool she sat on getting knocked over and getting everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°I can¡¯t tell my sister about it at all. There would be more trouble than I can handle so...so I thought I just leave home. It be for the best. Please, don¡¯t tell my sister I¡¯m here. I rather go far away as possible, to let her do what she likes.¡± Martial Blue Sister snapped out of her daze from Lady Peony¡¯s outburst. Recollecting herself and picking up the pieces of the conversation she wanted to ask something, but lacked the courage to voice it. Before either ladies could pursue the topic, Lady Peony took a couple of steps back to signal that the conversation was over. ¡°...Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to lash out like that but...I uh.¡± She then started to do this strange dance on the spot, as if someone dumped slime under her clothing. ¡°I-I am starting to feel the, uh, mud in places...no girl should be feeling. I-I need a bath.¡± Martial Blue Sister offered, wanting to do her part. She would lead Lady Peony to the bathchamber, which was only a few paces away from the main lobby/dining hall of Mutiny Inn, next to the pantry where the food is stored. She borrowed a page from the Witness Protection Program to double check the security of the bathchamber. It was empty, save a wooden tub and some apparatus to boil water to fill up the bath. The room had no other furniture, not even a standing mirror. As if the owner could afford being fancy in a haunted place like this. Just in case she tapped at the walls, to check for any hidden hollow spaces. Even inside the tub. Nothing out of the ordinary. Making sure everything was safe and sound, she let Lady Peony inside. ¡°Um.¡± Martial Blue Sister chanced one question. ¡°Where were you actually going? I-if you hadn¡¯t fell in Mutiny Hill?¡± ¡°Huh?...Oh uh...Maybe somewhere far, far away. From the family, ya know?¡± Lady Peony would grip at the door and door frame, ready to close it the second the conversation was over. ¡°Not quite sure, really. Never uh, put much thought into it. S-spur of the moment!¡± ¡°Oddly dangerous decision, if I may say so.¡± ¡°Yeah...uh,¡± Lady Peony blinked...then she shivered as if worms were crawling up and down her skin. ¡°S-sorry. Need bath. Now. Gotta go! Thanks!¡± Lady Peony closed the door...only to crack it open. ¡°I uh...Thank you. I mean it, for saving me. Wh-who are you guys, exactly?¡± Martial Blue Sister had trouble keeping up with how fast the topic changed, but she obliged with a response, ¡°Moon Tavern. We hail from the Capital City. We often take up cases in the martial world, or public requests, to help out. That¡¯s what we do.¡± ¡°Moon Tavern,¡± Lady Peony would repeat the words to memorize it. ¡°When this is all over, let¡¯s meet up again and...ah maybe not. I really want to treat you to a meal, but I might be far away. So uh. Thanks!¡± Close. Click. Thunk. Martial Blue Sister didn¡¯t know how to react, other than staring at the door. She wasn¡¯t much of a conversationalist, but even she felt that ending was weaker than an a closing statement from an introvert like herself. But she prefer not to pursue, it may make things awkward. At the very least, she waited for the door to lock from the inside, water filling up the tub, before she relaxed. Only to get spooked when Martial Red Sister popped up behind her. ¡°You know.¡± Martial Red Sister spoke while checking her nails and leaning against the wall, ¡°As flaky and aloof as Lady Peony can be, rich girls don¡¯t run away from their castles without making a statement fitting of a rebellious teen.¡± ¡°Wh-what sort of statement w-would that be?¡± Martial Blue Sister would pant to catch her breath. Martial Red Sister counted off her delicate fingers, each nail well polished and manicured, ¡°I want true love and elopes with her boy toy; You can¡¯t control me, and temper tantrums out of the house; or...Well.¡± She paused when she held up her third finger, being careful with her next words. ¡°Lady Peony planned this for a long time, probably arranged transportation somewhere here or in the next town, to leave entirely.¡± Martial Blue Sister frowned, ¡°Isn¡¯t hypothesis number three a bit outrageous?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Martial Red Sister would shrug and tuck her hands back under her soft sleeves to keep them warm. ¡°I can never understand the minds of prissy rich girls. Then again, Lady Peony was insinuating something about Young Master Amber and her sister. Perhaps...¡± ¡°W-wait,¡± yelped Martial Blue Sister. ¡°You seriously can¡¯t be suggesting something else going on between the future groom and future sister-in-law!?¡± ¡°I mean.¡± Martial Red Sister could not help an amused grin. ¡°Marrying someone into the house, is far cheaper than sneaking between cities, don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°That¡¯s too absurd to think about!¡± Martial Blue Sister didn¡¯t usually like to argue, but she felt compelled to protect Lady Peony¡¯s honour against such audacious allegations. Except, Mutiny Inn interrupted her when the floor boards started to shake and tremble. The doors rattled and the covered windows start to groan and heave. Like someone...or something was trying to force their way in! PEONY - Chapter 4 (The Uninvited) THUNDER! LIGHTNING! RAIN! MORE RAAAAAAAAIN! A vicious rain storm rattled all of Mutiny Inn, kicking open the doors right off their hinges. A mighty gust swept the dining halls, kicking up rain water, food and plate, as well as paper. Strips of paper were torn from their plaster across the walls. They funnels and spirals around to reflect a ghostly tornado has cometh. The papers were scattered, falling on top of soup, food, wine, and onto the faces of Martial Blue Sister and Martial Red Sister. Talismans of evil warding. Ancient religious scriptures written in protective red ink on blessed yellow paper, the ones Taoists use to exorcist evil demons and repel ghosts. Ominous. Most ominous. If the rain, thunder, storm, and broken doors didn¡¯t bother the travelers and tenants, those talismans did the job. Just as they complained of leaving and braving the storm to get the full out, the staff at Mutiny Inn ran around like chickens with their heads cut off to quell the chaos. Especially for the fallen doors. They tried to pick them back up to repair the gap in the inn¡¯s defenses against the storm, but the cold bitter winds mad it impossible...that or ¡®something¡¯ shoved them aside. ¡°G-GHOST! IT¡¯S A GHOST¡± a patron screamed out! Bloody footsteps appeared. They moved from the porch outside in the rain, over the wooden threshold, and continued to march it¡¯s way INSIDE Mutiny Inn. The ghost weaved through the dining hall of Mutiny Inn, avoiding the lines of water falling from the hole in the tiled rooftops. Every time the ghost swerved towards groups of people, they jump off their feet to hide on top of chairs, tables, even dangle from the wooden chandeliers above them! This ghost seem to have a purpose. It went straight for Martial Blue Sister and Martial Red Sister. Rather, it was heading towards the bathchamber! This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Was it really a ghost? Or an invisible foe? There was one way to find out, and Moon Tavern will prove it ¨C by choosing VIOLENCE! Martial Blue Sister used her [Azure Dragon¡¯s Flowing Water] power to launch a trail of rain water from the leaking roof with a swinging slap. This move was called <>, a technique to launch water particles at high speed with the power and precision of an arrow. The spray of water she lashed out had enough kinetic force to cut through steel plate armour and tear open a soldier¡¯s chest like a blooming spider-lily. Unfortunately the attack ¡®phased¡¯ through the intruder and ended up pelting holes in the inn walls. Martial Red Sister shoved her companion aside. Time for the seasoned veteran to take over! She was a cultivator of a magical ability known as [32 Morphing Skills]. She specialized in <>, where she can use her inner mana to shapeshift her body into a variety of fierce animals! She started off lunging as a red sawfish, hacking through the target! Then she somersaulted into a red hawk to slash from behind with its salmon splitting talons. To finish off, she drop down to morph into a great red ape and slugged at the intruder with a flurry of blows! Much to her chagrin, none of her attacks landed. Even if every blow she dealt was charged with enough magical energy to bypass basic mystical barriers and defenses. Was this intruder that powerful? Or an actual ghost!? The blood footsteps continued to the bathchamber, unhindered. Desperate, Moon Tavern would kick and throw furniture around to try and stop the blood steps from moving forward. That didn¡¯t work either! Just when they can¡¯t think of any other ways to stop such a powerful ghost, they decided to...oh. They stopped! The bloody footsteps came to an abrupt halt about 5 paces from the door of the bathchamber. Moon Tavern waited, poised to strike, in case this silence was a feint to throw them off. Several flashing lightning and roaring thunderbolts later...the two quickly rush to the door. ¡°Lady Peony! We need to leave, right now! Please dress up and...¡± Martial Blue Sister trailed off when she heard nothing but silence. She pounded at the door, calling out Lady Peony¡¯s name. Impatient, Martial Red Sister just turned her one arm into a large crab claw and smash a hole through the door to speed things up. ¡°Naked or not you¡¯re coming with....Lady Peony?¡± Empty. The bathchamber was empty. Lady Peony was no where to be seen. Even any evidence of dirty clothing or discarded shoes, gone. The bathtub was full, near the brim. Maybe Lady Peony is hiding inside! But...Martial Blue Sister had trouble accepting the fact ¨C the bath tub was red as the bloody footsteps. PEONY - Chapter 5 (North Cloud Shipping) Impossible. A person cannot simply disappear from a locked room. Martial Blue Sister checked, none of the walls had any empty spaces to suggest a hidden door. The floor was sealed tight. And there was no furniture big enough to house a body. The bathtub was full of water, mixed with blood, but thank god there wasn¡¯t anything else inside. How? How did Lady Peony disappear? There can only be one answer to this mystery. ¡°We have to search the building!¡± Martial Blue Sister yelped while running out of the bathroom. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me twice!¡± Martial Red Sister used her [32 Morphing Skills] to transform into a red bloodhound. She would do a quick whiff of the scent inside of the bathchamber before she followed whatever trail left behind. Moon Tavern had the staff of Mutiny Inn help out, making sure no one leaves the inn or enter. They were given a financial incentive so of course they were diligent. After searching and sniffing out the entire dining hall with no success, they try to make their way upstairs. Martial Blue Sister cursed her luck, as she saw about 14 different doors. Oh god, the thought of talking to strangers door to door made her sick. Fortunately, Martial Red Sister would bite at her ankle to get her attention. She would then transform back to her human form, before staring at a certain room. ¡°...Something is wrong...in this room.¡± Martial Red Sister whispered, as if an even greater beast was searching through the halls. ¡°We¡¯re going in.¡± ¡°W-wait, we don¡¯t know if¡ª¡± Martial Blue Sister tried to be the sensible one, but of course her small voice could never reach far. Martial Red Sister kicked the door down and stormed in ¨C only for a cage of scimitars and morning star maces to surround her like a trap cage. The room wasn¡¯t empty. There was a crowd of six men and women, all various levels of martial artists and warriors armed to the teeth. They stood together by the door in identical clothing as if screaming they are a family you don¡¯t want to mess with. They didn¡¯t look or feel like bandits, they held themselves with a professional air. Not to mention the quality of their weapon seems custom made with swirls of clouds marked across their scimitar blades and handles of their morning stars. ¡°S-stay your blades!¡± Martial Red Sister shrieked, not sure to duck or run from the blades on her shoulder. ¡°M-Moon Tavern! We are Moon Tavern!¡± Normally Martial Red Sister would fight her way out. Sure she¡¯ll get carved up a bit, but she knew her winning chances when she saw it. However if there was one thing she learned while working for Moon Tavern ¨C talking-fu was more effective than kung-fu. Putting a bet in speaking out her group¡¯s name...she won when the weapons withdraw and sheathed themselves. One of the men would approach Moon Tavern to give a light apologetic bow. ¡°We are designated guards of the North Cloud Shipping Company,¡± he said, ¡°Apologies for our reaction, prestigious Moon Tavern. When you barged in, we thought it were bandits taking advantage of the terrible storm.¡± Martial Blue Sister pulled at Martial Red Sister to give the latter some breathing space. The lady in the kimono touched her neck to check for blood. When she saw none, she thanked her gods for the lucky break and nodded with equal respect and authority. No need to go off on the wrong foot a second time. ¡°Many pardons,¡± Martial Red Sister would clear her throat. ¡°Long story short: we were in the company of a noblewoman, who suddenly disappeared from her bathchamber...Actually now that I think about it, your very room happens to be right above where she vanished from.¡± A spicy idea came to her head. Might be a bit direct, but there was no time to honey over those words. Martial Red Sister dared to ask, ¡°Do you happen to know anything about it?¡± ¡°Preposterous!¡± The head of the North Cloud Guards would bark with indignation. ¡°I am willing to forgive you for kicking down our door without a proper greeting; but to accuse us all as peeping toms! Kidnappers even! Outrageous!¡± It was in this moment, Martial Red Sister knew she screwed up. She had no idea why Martial Kim assigned her to help her companion in this case. She clearly wrote on her job application ¡®No Negotiation Jobs¡¯. Then again neither of them predicted this strange incident. ¡°C-clearly we got off on the wrong foot. Wh-why don¡¯t we start over¡ªHEY!¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Martial Blue Sister had to yank at Martial Red Sister to get the latter¡¯s attention, making the kimono lady stumble with her wooden sandals. Martial Blue Sister earned a slap, but she really care. Instead she wanted to ask in a whisper. ¡°Martial Red Sister, what made you think this room is strange?¡± ¡°I¡¯m no true born bloodhound, but I picked up a strange scent inside.¡± Martial Red Sister would utter while glancing at the tenants of the room she just kicked open. ¡°I smelled blood, but none of them look injured.¡± ¡°In the corner.¡± Martial Blue Sister secretly pointed to the side within the doorway. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of boxes.¡± The North Cloud Shipping Company had a series of chests and trunks piled up in the corner of their room, to keep it out of the rain and within line of sight. Each of them varied in sizes, but many of them were large enough to carry several sacks of flour. ¡°A-arrangements,¡± Martial Blue Sister struggled her words out of her tense throat. ¡°Y-you said before, Lady Peony may have planned to escape her home and made arrangements for someone to pick her up...right?¡± This clicked in Martial Red Sister¡¯s mind. Without waiting to hear more, she pushed her companion to the side ¨C with a good purpose ¨C and turned to face the North Cloud Guards with her own purposes. ¡°Those crates you have. What are they to you?¡± ¡°Precious cargo, of course.¡± Failing to see the point of this question, the North Cloud Guards would form a formidable wall with themselves to not only block the lady in the kimono¡¯s eye sights, but to prevent her from sneaking through their defenses. ¡°They are deliveries from our clients back in North Cloud City,¡± the head of the guards would mumble, ¡°Our job is to keep them safe and secure the integrity of their contents. Obviously from bandits and people who are too curious for their own good. If anything were to happen to them, even so much as a loose thread in a cloth, our company will pay heavy fines and compensation fees. So we prefer if no one than ourselves go near it.¡± ¡°Like I asked,¡± Martial Red Sister pushed her luck further. ¡°Did you see anything out of the ordinary come in here?¡± ¡°Impossible. We always kept at least two eyes on the door, take turns to sleep and eat. We only let food and wine come in at the crack of the door. We aren¡¯t going to take chances when any bandit can dress up as common folk and walk in ¨C let alone this noble girl you claim to be missing.¡± Again, Martial Red Sister mumbled in her mind. Just her luck. The head of the North Cloud guard would snort and jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. ¡°Each and every one of our strong boxes are locked and sealed. They can only be broken when they reach their destination ¨C never before. As you can see, all of our seals are intact!¡± Martial Red Sister accepted the reasoning, but she wanted to yank at the strings a bit tighter. She wanted to see how far she can stretch this band. ¡°I understand you have your code and your principles, but a human life is in danger. Every passing second gone, the more dangerous her situation is. For the sake of a human life ¨C could you let us check your¡ª¡± Once more the wall of weapons pull out and point at her. This time she felt they left a mark on her neck. ¡°Moon Tavern and North Cloud Shipping Company may be part of the great martial world,¡± The head of the guards would spat out, ¡°But we do not drink from the same well water. We recognize your reputation, but we have a job to do and we won¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°B-Boss! That girl!¡± Another guard called out with shock and pointed behind everyone. Martial Blue Sister cursed under her breath. The entire time Martial Red Sister was trying to draw their attention, while she took advantage of her wallflower like personality to blend into the surroundings. The invisible one in a crowded conversation. Unfortunately, it seems the North Cloud Guards were well trained and well seasoned. Their senses were precise enough to pinpoint the darting of a rat through the floorboard, probably can skewer it with a single stab. The swords and maces turned to Martial Blue Sister. ¡°Open the damn boxes little blue!¡± Martial Red Sister called out, before using her [32 Morphing Skills] to transform into a large red python to coil around one of the guard¡¯s face. She had no choice but to brace the fury of the North Cloud Shipping Company as a distraction! As mentioned both groups in the room should be more or less allies in the martial world, but given the circumstances and the mystery behind Lady Peony¡¯s second disappearance ¨C there was little room for talk. It had to be aggressive negotiations. To not waste her companion¡¯s efforts, Martial Blue Sister quickly checked the boxes while a battle went on behind her. She grabbed at one of the wine pots from the table and dipped the spout to pour wine towards the floor [Azure Dragon¡¯s Flowing Water] can control not only water, but any moving liquid and fluid. So with the dipped wine pot she turned the wine into a long watery sword! With several swift and precise swings, she hacked through the steel locks on each trunk as well as splitting their paper seals. One by one she kicked open the lids to check inside. To save time, she only focused on the large boxes. Boxes of clothes; boxes of expensive art scrolls; boxes of raw spices individually wrapped in separate waxtree paper packaging; boxes of relics and artifacts; boxes of salt; boxes of golden...Wait. Salt? It¡¯s not uncommon to ship salt across long distance. To ensure the quality of the salt do not become contaminated or damaged, they would usually be stored in sacks, jars, or even bamboo canisters. Not filling an entire transport box like sand box. Martial Blue Sister didn¡¯t understand the logic. The box was filled to the brim with salt, fine and powdery. Soft even, just by sweeping her hand she felt just how high quality the...salt...suddenly...felt bumpy. Only a small spot. A few brushes of her fingers...it revealed another set of fingers emerging from the pile of sand. Martial Blue Sister dropped the wine pot, the watery sword splashing into nothing. Ignoring the chaos of fighting behind her she quickly duck the salt aside. She had to know, she didn¡¯t want to ¨C but she had to know what was inside. ...Then there it was, the truth, buried under the pile of salt. The fight between red python and North Cloud Shipping Company came to a screeching halt ¨C when Martial Blue Sister screamed. PEONY - Chapter 6 (Truly Trespass) ¡°...Where am I?¡± Martial Blue Sister woke up, in the middle of a teahouse. It was quiet, next to empty, with only one or two servers wiping the tables. The atmosphere was very still, maybe it¡¯s because it was early in the morning. Even the sky turn from a sleepy black to a yawning blue. Was it all a dream? Had she actually been in Moon Tavern and imagined it all? ¡°Good, you¡¯re finally awake.¡± Martial Red Sister would greet from across the table with a casual tone. She is eating on a light morning meal of rice porridge and deep fried donut sticks. She didn¡¯t want to ruin her diet, but she needed energy for what will happen later. ¡°Eat something. Or you won¡¯t have strength when we travel.¡± ¡°...How long was I asleep? When did I fall asleep?¡± Martial Blue Sister. ¡°The moment you found Lady Peony¡¯s corpse crammed in the trunk, you just...passed out.¡± Memories flooded back into Martial Blue Sister. Everything that happened from Moon Tavern, Mutiny Hill, the inn, the storm, all the way to seeing the body of a familiar face half buried in the pile of salt. Crammed with several other corpses of strangers. Once her mind reached that checkpoint, Martial Blue Sister covered her face to try and block it out. The emotional stress behind it all was too much, she nearly burst out crying on the spot. It was only now, did she realize she was sitting in a random teahouse in the middle of a town she¡¯s never seen before. Everyone looked quiet, not a single one spent the rising morning chattering. Instead they all started to wear black cloth bands around their arm, remove any cheery and colourful lanterns to replace them with white and black buntings. Almost everyone in the street were burning things. Tin basins placed outside their front steps of shops and houses, tossing paper slips into the open flame. Money offering for the dead. It looked like everyone was ready for the Ghost Festival, where spirits of the dead and their ancestors wander the mortal realm for a week as a form of vacation and visiting living kin. But it wasn¡¯t that season yet, it was way too soon. ¡°Lady Peony is really¡ª¡± Martial Red Sister bit on her deep fried donut stick with a light crunch noise. She didn¡¯t bother to answer. Rather, she wasn¡¯t in the mood to confirm the reality. ¡°The matter is settled with the Silver Clan. There is nothing more needed from us. We¡¯ll be returning to Moon Tavern...I already sent a message to Martial Kim to summarize what happened.¡± Martial Blue Sister finally felt the weight of the reality crush the bones on her small shoulders. ¡°Wh-where are we!? How did we end up here?¡± Martial Red Sister just sighed. ¡°After you passed out, Silver Clan soldiers arrived. I sent them a messenger pigeon the moment we first found Lady Peony so the timing was impeccable. Alas, they confirmed the dead girl in the salt trunk was indeed Lady Peony...and there was nothing more we could do. They arrested all of us in Mutiny Inn and brought us here, a town serving the Silver Clan high up on the mountains of Silver Vein Valley.¡± The lady in the kimono wanted to just eat and forget, but the events forced her to put her bowl of plain rice porridge down and secretly grit her teeth. ¡°Chieftess Silver heard our story, as to how we stumbled onto Lady Peony and...what happened at Mutiny Inn. She pardoned us and allowed us to leave. I didn¡¯t have dinner last night nor a proper breakfast, so I dragged your sorry lump of a body to this teahouse to get some food and rations before the long walk back to the Capital.¡± ¡°Long walk back¡ªH-how can we just leave? After what just happened to Lady Peony last night!?¡± ¡°She¡¯s dead.¡± Martial Red Sister would mumble under her breath. ¡°Unless you¡¯re an Immortal Class healer who can wake up the dead with a flick on her forehead, there is nothing more we can do for her. Our job here is done, complete. The sooner we return to Moon Tavern, the faster I can forget about this bitter tragedy.¡± Martial Blue Sister didn¡¯t want to argue. No matter whether she was right or wrong, she always afraid of being judged for saying something blatantly wrong or naive. She experienced the feeling too much. However, something inside of her just can¡¯t sleep it off. So she forced herself to voice the things that were bugging her. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°H-how did Lady Peony disappear from a closed room!?¡± she asked, trying to keep her voice steady. ¡°Wh-what about those ghost prints that came towards us? Wh-what is the connection between them that had Lady Peony ended up inside of a sealed box owned by North Cloud Shipping Company!? Even if it¡¯s some advanced form of inter-object teleportation spell, th-there has to be a logical explanation behind all this!¡± ¡°Blue.¡± Martial Red Sister wanted to get angry, but given the circumstances and what happened she was mentally exhausted to shout. ¡°We may be investigators, but we aren¡¯t exactly like Imperial Detectives. There¡¯s only so much Moon Tavern can do. Besides, we found Lady Peony. There¡¯s no request to look into her death for us. So that is that.¡± ¡°Please, Martial Red Sister. We have to do something, to avenge Lady Peony!¡± ¡°No need. Chieftess Silver has taken over the situation. As the victim is her beloved sister, it is only right she handles the matter. Even if she is not an official Magistrate of this region, she has enough authority to make her own judgment.¡± Martial Blue Sister was about to say something, but her thoughts interrupted her. She decided to voice them out instead. ¡°Wh-what happened to the others?¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh. North Cloud Shipping Company, Mutiny Inn staff, even the travellers at the inn, are being detained by Silver Clan. No doubt to trial them.¡± ¡°W-what happens after their trial?¡± ¡°Execute whoever they think is the killer, or killersss?¡± Martial Red Sister shrugged, ¡°The hell do I know how the rich folk think? Let¡¯s just finish up breakfast and--GET YOUR LITTLE ASS BACK HERE YOU BLUE BRAT!¡± There was something wrong. Martial Blue Sister thought as much. She couldn¡¯t figure it out exactly, but she felt compelled to go back to the Silver Clan estate and find out. As she had difficulty expressing her true feelings, she decided to use action instead. The girl would leap out of the teahouse and free fall from the three story balcony. She used her [Azure Dragon¡¯s Flowing Water] to summon water from around her to help catch her. From the wet rooftops, the clay pots used to douse flames in an emergency, vats for drinking and cooking, to even the puddle in the street, she gathered enough to create this large platform of water under her feet. This skill set was called <> which involved using water to form solid and complex constructs at will. Martial Blue Sister created a giant flying sword of the water she collected in the town and fired a tight jet of liquid to propel her across the rooftops at high speed. The whole town sat on top of a tall mountain, nestled closely together across the slops and plateaus of the formation. It was formed in front of a large cave, an old silver ore mine by the looks of it. Several rock elevations up was the Silver Clan estate. A castle. A series of castle like towers sat on the highest point of the mountain top, protected by a series of high walls that could fend off a complex siege. Perhaps, with all the money and wealth Silver Clan has accumulated over their long family history, they felt obliged to build such a grand fortification to scare off their rivals and enemies. Martial Blue Sister winged it, for several reasons. One, she was essentially flying on a large sword of water within their airspace. So it was obvious the many soldiers protecting the estate would start to fire their arrows at her. Even if they lacked the same unison and precision of trained Imperial Archers, they still had enough bite and sting to make others re-think their life choices. The flying sword of water would pull off spinning loops, complex barrel rolls, or shave off some water to transform them into counter measures to block any attacks that would harm Martial Blue Sister¡¯s body. In doing so the sword of water would decrease in size, volume, and speed. Ignoring the defenders she would land on top of a rooftop. She hadn¡¯t arrived yet, where everyone from Mutiny Hill were being held. In fact she just realized something. Has she been here before? Since last night upon finding Lady Peony in the salt trunk to the teahouse, she had been unconscious. Even as a trained warrior, she may have been too exhausted for even her subconscious mind to recall which way led to where. So she was standing in a tower in the middle of a maze. As much as she could cheat and find a trail from her vantage point, there¡¯s too many covered hallways, spaces, and pathways that make it difficult if the prisoners were held inside or in a covered courtyard. To make it easier for herself, she manipulated her <> and scattered the water she controlled. A series of tiny water orbs spread throughout the Silver Clan estate, looking at all angles within blind spots. A dotted web of telescopes. Martial Blue Sister checked the bigger ones in front of her fact which transmitted moving images in real time. Servants trying to fix broken windows and pillars, house maids gossiping in secret within dark corners, to even Silver Clan patrols running around to find a certain blue headed intruder. She swiped her hand across the main water screens, to figure out which one she is looking for. The girl made an ¡®ah¡¯ noise when she quickly swiped one water screen back. The prisoners. Everyone from Mutiny Inn. They were all tied up. Based on the image in the water bubble screen, it looked like they were inside some large space somewhere inside of the Silver Estate Manor. ¡°There she is!¡± A Silver Clan soldier cried out when they spotted their intruder on the rooftops. Several more came to their call and armed their shortbows. ¡°Shoot the flying demon!¡± ¡°What!? N-no! I-I¡¯m not the bad guy! Don¡¯t shoot! Don¡¯t shoot¡ªGWAK!¡± Martial Blue Sister ducked and ended up stumbling off the high rooftop. She quickly used <> to gather up the water to cushion her fall before darting off like a flying carpet to avoid the arrows of the Silver Clan archers. She had to hurry! If she misses this chance, the truth behind Lady Peony¡¯s death will be lost forever!! PEONY - Chapter 7 (Water vs Lightning) The Silver Clan estate was large enough to have many individual buildings for many different services and purposes. Among them was the great Memorial Hall. This was where the family collect the names of their ancestors in the form of tablets on religious stands, kept company with many elaborate busts and statues of gods in the major pantheon they pay tribute to. Normally, the family of the Silver Clan would often visit the Memorial Halls to greet their ancestors in morning prayer or seek the wisdom of their elders in spiritual guidance. Sometimes secrets are shared to reduce the weight of a guilt, not like the dead can judge them. Given what happened to Lady Peony, the indignation of her body mixed in with the corpses of strangers like a pile of laundry, it was only right the Memorial Hall be the perfect place to pass judgment. And that judge will be the Deputy of the Silver Clan. A man who has served the family for a decade in handling the affairs of security, armed protection, and the training of the soldiers who protect the clan¡¯s legacy. If he were a proper member of the Empire and not just a piece of a chessboard under the leadership of a private family power, he would have the same badge of office as a local sheriff. To make sure everyone in the hall knew exactly how high his position was within the Silver Clan, he would pace around the 30 odd prisoners dragged from Mutiny Hill to the Memorial Hall ¨C grinding the tip of the saber across the marble floor. Creeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek. The Deputy would circle around North Cloud Shipping Company, the staff, even the random travelers from the scene of the crime. All the while letting his sword just scratch and drag across the ground to constantly make the noise of nails on a chalk board. ¡°I see only two options in all this,¡± said the Deputy as he randomly flicked his fencing saber about like a teacher waving a lecture cane. Every now and then the tip of his weapon would leave fresh cuts across faces and necks of the prisoners to draw blood as well as their honesty. ¡°Whoever was involved in Lady Peony¡¯s death stand up and own their mistakes...Or everyone is executed.¡± ¡°Bastard!¡± The head of the North Cloud Guards would bark. Despite his bite, he did not chance rising from his knees to his feet, else the soldiers would cut him down before the Deputy paced around to his side. Still, the head of the North Cloud Guard was indignant of everything, ¡°No one here even knew the dead lady! And we had no idea how she got into our cargo in the first place! You haven¡¯t even properly investigated her death and you¡¯ve skipped straight to the verdict!?¡± ¡°Lady Peony died in Mutiny Inn,¡± The Deputy would turn on the head of the North Cloud Guard, to slap the flat end of his saber across the other man¡¯s nose. A fine cut form across the nose bridge and the Deputy cleaned his blade by sliding the dirt and blood of with a gloved finger. ¡°By Moon Tavern¡¯s own admission, no one left and no one came in during the time of her death. Meaning the wolves are amongst you. So, until the true killers stand up to shoulder the burden of their sin ¨C it is only reasonable to conclude EVERYONE IS INVOLVED!¡± The Deputy¡¯s voice boomed in the Memorial Hall. Banners and cloths covering religious pedestals cowered from his roar, and tucked away as he marched in a heated circle to figure out WHO should he cut down. ¡°The blood of the Silver Clan has been spilled. The moment Lady Peony¡¯s body went cold ¨C you have become our sworn enemy! Meaning the Silver Clan will stop at NOTHING until vengeance has been achieved! And there WILL be retribution for what has happened!¡± The Deputy suddenly kicked over the owner of Mutiny Inn, pinning his chest with a foot. He would draw small circles with the tip of his saber above the owner¡¯s paling face as he muttered. ¡°SO OUT WITH IT! WHICH ONE OF YOU BASTARDS MURDERED MY SISTER-IN-LAW!?¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s not us, we swear!¡± One traveler from Mutiny Inn would plea from his kneeling. ¡°I-it was the ghosts! Th-the haunted hills of Mutiny Inn!¡± ¡°Yes! Yes it was a killer phantom!¡± Another would chip in, hoping to rally the others to have the Deputy see reason. ¡°W-we all saw, with out very own eyes! A ghost marched into Mutiny Inn and took Lady Peony away!¡± ¡°Dear gods. It must be the legend!¡± The owner would wheeze with the Deputy¡¯s foot stamped on his brittle solar plexus. ¡°Th-The Strangling General! I-it must be him! H-he used to own Mutiny Inn centuries ago, a-as an Imperial Outpost. Hi-his men got fed up with him and threw a mutiny! The general was found dead on top of the corpses of his troops, he having strangled each and every one of them with his bare hands until the general died of his countless wounds! I-it must be him! H-he always claims a life every week, it must be¡ª¡± The Deputy sighed and crushed the owner¡¯s rib cage under his boot, forcing a geyser of blood out of the owner¡¯s mouth. As the owner was a normal civilian and not a trained martial artist, he died instantly. Eyes still open. The others screamed, turning away from the horror. Some tried to make a run for it, only for Silver Guard soldiers to cut them by the calves to cripple them on the spot and lock them down with spears. ¡°I don¡¯t want ghost stories.¡± The Deputy would flick his one foot to whip off the excess blood from his pants. ¡°I want ANSWERS!¡± ¡°MAD MAN!¡± Unable to stand it, the head of the North Cloud Guard leapt from his kneeling to tackle his shoulder against the Deputy¡¯s shin, to forcefully free the owner¡¯s corpses to save what dignity he had left. He would bark with rage, ¡°How many time must we waste the spit in our mouths to convince you! We are all innocent! Not a single one could have killed her! Not us, neither the residents of the inn! You call yourself a Deputy who upholds law and order in Silver Vein Valley. HAH! What good are your ears if you cannot listen to the truth!¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. The Deputy didn¡¯t stumble. Rather he allowed the head of the guard to tackle him away. It was an idea: cut down the bush to scare out the fox, until it no longer has anything to hide behind. He was starting to get interested in this ¡®self righteous¡¯ North Cloud Shipping Company. ¡°All of this is just a show!¡± The man continued to howl as he knelt next to the dead owner¡¯s body. Even with hands tied, he can¡¯t help but ball them into white knuckled fists. ¡°You¡¯re showing off your anger to make yourself feel better. Curse you and your pride! If you truly want someone to blame, kill me! Slay me where I stand and let the others go!¡± The head of the North Cloud Shipping Company would spit at the Deputy¡¯s boot. His fate, had been decided. ¡°Thank you¡± The Deputy gave a ¡®respectful nod¡¯ ¡°I appreciate your confession.¡± Lightning exploded from the Deputy¡¯s palm with the howl of a beast in a hunt. Electricity shot out from his grip, taking the form of a fierce panther-like creature, before it coiled itself to charge the sabre in the Deputy¡¯s hand to burn a bright white energy. Sparks cracked from the edges from the absurd amount of mana fueled into the steel. [Thunder Leopard Sabre Art] The blade was charged with enough electric energy it could melt the floor of the Memorial Hall with a careless tap of the blade tip. It left pockets of red hot scorch marks as the Deputy marched over. He gave the head of the North Cloud Guards a look over ¨C and stabbed at him! ¡°STAY THE BLADE! HEAVENS HAVE MERCY¡± Martial Blue Sister rode into the Memorial Hall on a wall of spinning waves. Using a skill called <> she controlled the waves of water to flush out everyone in the Memorial Hall, knocking them over before any harm could be done. The battering waves shoved soldiers over or forced them to slip and slide on the spot. The Deputy swung his electrifying saber to use the magnetism from his energy to quickly dart backwards in a reverse glide, evading the flood as if a pack of hounds biting at his toes. With a spin he slashed up and launched a wave of electric arcs. Lightning incinerated the water across the entire floor in a blink of an eye. Only harmless steam was left in its place as the floor started to dry squeaky clean. Martial Blue Sister fell down as she lost her concentration, if not losing a platform to ride on. Although she landed on her feet, she clutched her chest in pain with a muffled gag. Blood leaked from the corner of her mouth and she realized just how strong the electric shockwave was. The Deputy¡¯s attack caused internal organ damage to her. Nothing major, but given his counterattack crossed a 30 ft gap with such raw power ¨C it made Martial Blue Sister started to break into a cold sweat. ¡°S-stay the blade, please!¡± Martial Blue Sister coughed with a bit more blood, then used her inner mana to begin a self-healing process to stabilize herself. Once she got a second wind she staggered to her feet to stand in front of the prisoners, arms wide open to shield them. ¡°Who are you?¡± The Deputy would growl, but his face soften when he realized something. ¡°Ah. You were the unconscious one the lady in the kimono brought in. Did you leave something behind and just realized it now?¡± A quick snort as he came over. Any excess water that survived his attack were shocked out of existed, just ZAP and turned into dead steam. ¡°I thought we had an agreement, Moon Tavern. Did your martial sister not tell you? These prisoners belong to us. This is now a personal matter.¡± ¡°I-I understand you are angry!¡± ¡°Do not speak to me like you know my emotions. Stand aside.¡± ¡°Hear me out!¡± Martial Blue Sister cried out. She tried to voice her words, but the Deputy kept marching over and she was forced to stumble backwards. It was only when she bumped into the North Cloud Shipping Company prisoners did she realized she was forced into a corner. ¡°Wh-why was Lady Peony murdered? How and when was she killed? Who truly killed her!¡± Martial Blue Sister began to explain her stance, ¡°There¡¯s just too many questions left blank and answering them is the key to figuring out the motive of the real killer who did this! If you just execute everyone here to vent your rage, we¡¯ll never know what truly happened in Mutiny Inn! Lady Peony¡¯s would never know true rest!¡± The Deputy just....pinched his nose bridge. He started to point his electrifying saber at each and every prisoner before him. Whether they cried for mercy or claimed they have wife and children waiting for them, he cared not. Instead, he would bark out his true feelings. ¡°Lady Peony is a beloved member of the Silver Clan family, the gem of the Silver Vein Valley.¡± The Deputy would mutter while waving his blade about. ¡°Our Chieftess cherishes her more than all the silver and gold in the world. Now she is heartbroken, to hear that her flesh and blood was murdered in the dirtiest place in the world and stuffed in a trunk with other random corpses like garbage! Her pride, dignity, even her reputation ¨C all tarnished!¡± The man howled, the electricity from his blade flashing all the way up to the ceiling, ¡°She died in their presence ¨C AND THEY DID NOTHING TO PREVENT HER TRAGEDY! These lowly commons, they all deserve death regardless if they held the bloody knife in their hands!¡± ¡°THEY DIDN¡¯T EVEN KNOW HER! IT ALL HAPPENED TOO FAST!¡± ¡°Even you, great Moon Tavern, failed to bring my sister in law back alive!¡± The Deputy made it personal and jabbed a finger into Martial Blue Sister¡¯s chest to emphasize, making the latter shrink with every poke. ¡°The Chieftess forgave you of your failures. She even paid you the reward to thank you for finding her sister. But here you are, stepping in with your pride for justice and self-righteousness to keep us from exacting revenge for our kin!? Have you no shame!? How do you expect us to properly mourn!?¡± Veins were bulging up the Deputy¡¯s neck. He took advantage of the fury building up in his body to charge his saber, making it glow hotter than before. Threads of lightning leapt out in vicious arcs, causing sparks and flame to dance off the marble pillars and setting some banners on slow fire. He growled, ¡°Stand aside. Now.¡± Martial Blue Sister was an adept fighter but she had no clue what was the Deputy¡¯s true power level. She could rely on various tricks and maneuvers Martial Kim taught her, but she never had a chance to test them out to see how effective they were in a real fight. There were just too many factors to take into account, to calculate her likely chances of survival regardless of win or loss. Even right now she can clearly see she is at a complete elemental disadvantage. Water fending off lightning, right after it evaporated any liquid like a food steamer? God what a joke of a century! She could feel the gods above are laughing ¨C that or whispering for her to get out of there now! Martial Blue Sister lacked the same level of courage as her friends. She wasn¡¯t confident to up and say ¡®Nah, I¡¯d win¡¯ and pull out a miracle from under her skirt in the last minute. So she chose to say something else, ¡°I...I-I-I...I-I r-refuse!¡± [Azure Dragon Flowing Water] versus [Thunder Leopard Sabre Arts] WHO WILL WIN!? PEONY - Chapter 8 (Gods Phantom) ¡°Enough.¡± The war ended before it began. All at the sound of a single voice. The soldiers in the Memorial Hall dropped to one knee to pledge their allegiance. The Deputy had no choice but to sheath his electrifying sabre into the scabbard, dousing it out like a candlelight, and bowed. Martial Blue Sister had never felt this much fear. Not from the soldiers, not from the Deputy, not even from the prisoners. The aura of a beast just walked into the Memorial Hall. It made her knees shake. The Chieftess of the Silver Clan had arrived. An army followed her footsteps, a collection of house servants, elite bodyguards, even more soldiers from the corners of the Silver Clan estate. They all followed with marching steps with perfect precision ¨C because failure meant the end of them. The servants and maids who trail behind the Chieftess made sure they kept their head below the shoulder line. As if they were trained to dodge a guillotine higher than shoulder level. The tension in the room, the anxiety from the house servants, and the serious look on all the soldier and Deputy¡¯s face was so thick, it made Martial Blue Sister want to vomit. The Chieftess came over, making Martial Blue Sister unconsciously take a few steps back without even told a warning. The first thing the Chieftess did was very simple. She dislocated the Deputy¡¯s jaw with a single slap. The Deputy made an ugly noise as he staggered on the spot, his jaw flinging around like a wet towel. Martial Blue Sister instinctively grabbed onto her face, terrified the sight would trigger her body to drop her jaw out of place ¨C literally. The Chieftess added salt to the Deputy¡¯s wound with a single phrase. ¡°You had one job.¡± The Deputy tried to explain himself, but he couldn¡¯t set his jaw back in place by the time his charge got bored and turned her attention somewhere else. ¡°Moon Tavern.¡± The Chieftess spoke in a soft voice that rumbled in the Memorial Hall. ¡°I said you were free to leave. ¡°...................................................................................¡± said Martial Blue Sister. It was only a second later she realized, she moved her lips but no words could come out. Slowly she started to understand that her entire body was locked up. Muscles clenched, bones rattled, even her mouth could barely move as if glued together with sticky taffy. She forgot what she wanted to say. Actually, she forgot how to breathe. She could barely make even the tiniest of breathing noises. The Chieftess. She wasn¡¯t anything like a hulking monster. Neither did she carry this legendary class weapon that can erase two cities with a single swing. It was clear she needed her army of soldiers to protect her frail body. It was something else. Martial Blue Sister couldn¡¯t pinpoint it. Was it the Chieftess¡¯ gaze. They were like the surface of the sun, and Martial Blue Sister was dropped into the solar flares. This emotional heat and fear ripping through her skin off before a single flaming tongue could touch her. Needles pricked all over her nerves, burning hotter and hotter. Like she was boiling from the inside. All sorts of emotions started to fire off in random directions. ¡°I said you can go home now,¡± the Chieftess simply whispered as if cooing a lullaby into one¡¯s ear. ¡°There is no further business between us.¡± Martial Blue Sister¡¯s mind object. She still had her conscious and sanity, she knew she was right to stop everyone from being executed. She had to stand her ground! Yet, why was her feet moving against her will? Even her hands, fingers, and legs defied her desire. Although rigid and stiff, her limbs started to shuffle into another direction. The more she didn¡¯t want to leave the prisoners alone, the more her body urged itself to just drop everyone and go. She can¡¯t understand it but she really wanted to run away. Flee and never come back. She wanted to go home and hide under her bed for what she¡¯s done! Suddenly, a large red crane flew through the open doors of the Memorial Chamber! Wings so wide it hurled a gust of wind through its flight and knocking several soldiers off their feet. With an upward corkscrew spin, it came back down. It transformed into Martial Red Sister who spun around upon landing to coil her hand and kimono sleeve over Martial Blue Sister¡¯s face, particularly a hand over the eyes. The second eye contact was broken, Martial Blue Sister let out a deep gasp, as if someone forcefully dunked her under the water for the last hour. Martial Red Sister then tapped her temple with a finger to activate [Psychic Warding]. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. It was a common defensive spell that specialized in shielding against charm and some level of mind bending influence. Martial Red Sister formed a thin barrier of spiritual energy over her eyes to act as goggles, to reflect and dampen whatever effect that influenced Martial Blue Sister. ¡°Madame Chieftess,¡± Martial Red Sister would speak up, reinforcing her psychic goggles with her mana, ¡°I apologize for my companion. She is an avid fan of detective novels and sometimes she gets ahead of herself. I already explained the details of our agreement.¡± The Chieftess maintained eye contact. It was clear she was using a magical power, however no matter how much she tried to force her way into Martial Red Sister¡¯s eyes nothing seems to work. Not yet anyhow. Seeing her trump card was recognized, she ¡®relaxed¡¯ and sighed ¨C deactivating the vicious glow in her eyes. Her voice lacked the same horrific impact as before while she spoke. ¡°Yet, you return to cause trouble for me. Despite how gracious I was for what happened to my beloved sister, you disturb me from mourning over her loss.¡± ¡°In saying that, my Martial Sister is right.¡± Martial Red Sister replied. ¡°Not only does Lady Peony¡¯s death open too many questions, there is a possibility all of this is a conspiracy.¡± Martial Red Sister was pulling smoke out of her rear end. There was no physical evidence to conclude something of that scale would be possible. But if it could buy them a few more minutes to establish a negotiation she¡¯ll take it. ¡°...A conspiracy?¡± The Chieftess narrowed her eyes with irritation...and curiosity. ¡°Yes. No doubt you have many enemies ¨C if not clan rivals ¨C who all have been trying to take away your power and authority for many years,¡± Martial Red Sister lied from her gut. ¡°Hell. I would not be surprised if they want to sit in your big chair and swim in your riches.¡± Martial Blue Sister had no clue if Martial Red Sister knew a secret no one should know, or she was being VERY lucky with her choice of words. Granted, she can¡¯t even see what was going own while her eyes were covered. But it was best she didn¡¯t see anything right now. The Chieftess chewed on the words she heard. ¡°You are suggesting my Peony is just a pawn in a game of shadows?¡± ¡°Possibly,¡± Martial Red Sister shrugged, biting the insides of her cheek to steady her mind, ¡°No doubt some big time names pop up in your mind. I mean you are a clever woman, certainly you have your suspicions the moment you heard of Lady Peony¡¯s death.¡± ¡°Nonsense,¡± the Chieftess concluded. A migraine was coming on and tried to soften the impact by tapping her forehead with her slender fingers. ¡°Even if the Imperial Army is right outside our doorsteps, no one alive would be stupid enough to bark in our direction.¡± She snarled to add, ¡°There is weight behind the Silver Clan¡¯s 100 year of history. Many have tried and failed, and history will only make them fools time and time again. Mark my word.¡± The Chieftess grew impatient, even if it hadn¡¯t been more than 5 minutes. There were times she wished she was born with Lady Peony¡¯s benevolence, being so easy to forgive others. But it¡¯s clear being the leader of an entire clan had its responsibilities. ¡°Moon Tavern. Your accusations are just a waste of time.¡± The Chieftess then gestured them to the door. ¡°You have 10 seconds to leave, or join the prisoners in the afterlife. One. Two¡ª¡± Martial Red Sister held up her hands, in defeat. She got checkmated, her bluff called. Without further ado she would pick up Martial Blue Sister and drag her to the door. ¡°Sorry for the bother.¡± Martial Red Sister bowed her head, ¡°I¡¯ll give Judge Dao your regards.¡± ¡°Nine...¡± The Chieftess couldn¡¯t bring herself to finish the counting. Something else bothered her. ¡°What does Judge Dao have to do with this?¡± Bingo. Martial Red Sister forced herself to hide her prize-eating grin as she stopped at the doorway. ¡°You didn¡¯t know? Judge Dao is the Magistrate of the region right outside of your borders; essentially your neighbour. Mutiny Hill happens to be right on his back yard.¡± She went all in on the gambling table with, ¡°Moon Tavern are in good relations with Judge Dao. We¡¯ve worked with him many times in the past. I think it is high time we pay our respects to him. I¡¯ll do you a favour and notify him of the execution on your grounds. He¡¯ll have someone write up their death certificates.¡± The Chieftess clicked her tongue in irritation ¡®tch¡¯!. Judge Dao alone is nothing to her, a minor judge in the pond of Imperial bureaucracy. She had the power to make negotiations work in her favour...but...this would give her too much trouble, especially when she wants nothing more than to let Lady Peony be put to peaceful rest. These negotiations would take months, maybe even half a year. She cannot accommodate for the delay. And her migraine didn¡¯t help with the possible hassle she predicted. The Chieftess thought it over. When she made a decision, she vented her rage by punching in a soldier¡¯s neck, crushing his trachea. He collapsed, reeling on the ground like a fish out of water. No one dared to help pick him up. Everyone had to endure until the Chieftess was formally done. ¡°Three days.¡± The Chieftess spat with a snarl. ¡°If you come back empty handed ¨C I will execute the prisoners to become servants to my sister in the afterlife, including you, Moon Tavern.¡± Martial Red Sister hid a shiver down her spine, putting on a hmph, ¡°Thank you kindly.¡± The Chieftess turned to leave, walking over the dying soldier whose trachea she just crippled not too long ago. She didn¡¯t bother to drag her Deputy after her, he dragged himself while he kept setting his limp jaw back in place. One by one, the soldiers began to follow. Those who served under the Deputy grabbed at the surviving prisoners and dragged them back to the estate prison chambers like a dirty towels. The only thing left in the Memorial Hall was the corpse of Mutiny Inn¡¯s owner and Moon Tavern. ¡°You idiot!¡± Martial Red Sister broke character once everyone was gone. She squeezed a hand over her companion¡¯s eyes with fury. ¡°This is why we should¡¯ve left!¡± she cried out, ¡°The Chieftess has been practising the [God Phantom Gaze] ability. She is powerful enough to manipulate one¡¯s emotions with just a blink of her eye. Just one look and she can make you laugh, cry, plea for mercy, or just keel over and die from overwhelming fear. And it doesn¡¯t help when she has the temper of a devil!¡± Martial Red Sister shook her companion about, all the while realizing her own hands were shaking. ¡°You are so lucky she has yet to achieve peak form, else we¡¯d be dead from a battering eyelash. That is not how I want to go out! So let¡¯s get the hell out of here and speak to Martial Kim. He¡¯ll figure out a way for us to weasel out of this and...Oh come on blue, don¡¯t do this.¡± Martial Red Sister gave up when she felt Martial Blue Sister¡¯s tears dripping in between her fingers. A small wailing noise came out of Martial Blue Sister¡¯s quivering mouth as she gripped onto the kimono sleeves to steady herself. No doubt, Chieftess influenced Martial Blue Sister¡¯s senses to be in virtual danger. Surrounded by killer masters, trapped in an abyss, or even locked away in a dark room with no escape. Absolute non-stop terror. Enough fear to make the martial artist girl to break down crying. Martial Red Sister gave up completely. She dropped character once more and just pulled her companion into a tight hug to calm her down. ¡°Come here you little blue idiot. Stop crying or you¡¯ll ruin my kimono...There, there. Suck it up and let¡¯s solve this case, okay?¡± Martial Red Sister this case was too big to be solved in three days. So she decided she had to call in the big guns. She is going to send one more messenger dove for back up. PEONY - Chapter 9 (Martial Kim) ¡°My. What a turn of events this has become.¡± ¡°With all due respect Martial Kim, please don¡¯t rub salt into our wounds.¡± Martial Red Sister called in reinforcement in the form of a single young master. Martial Kim. The moment he received the dove he grabbed the fastest horse available in the Capital and rushed his way to meet up with his companions. Although it took a day, Martial Blue Sister and Martial Red Sister did not sit by idle to wait for rescue of this predicament. To make sure they took advantage of the limited time they had, they went around gathering information. Once all three party members were united they officially begun the investigation of Lady Peony¡¯s death. Starting at Mutiny Hill. Martial Kim would stride through the soft mud paths and politely step aside the many ancient and recent corpses that filled the grounds and pit falls. Even in the thick fog he seem to know exactly where to approach without dropping into a quick sand made of mud or a barricade of corpses. ¡°I feel responsible for putting you both in this situation,¡± Martial Kim would speak up while waving the sleeve of his hanbok to push aside the fog. ¡°I may have been too hasty, excited even, when such an elaborate missing person¡¯s case arrived. Then again, I wonder if this is all planned by the fates and the gods.¡± ¡°Or a divine prank,¡± Martial Red Sister would mumble as she tucked on her kimono sleeves from dipping into the mud on the floor. ¡°Martial Blue Sister and I got a makeshift report. The¡ª¡± Martial Kim held up a hand to stop the report, for two reasons. One, he found something. He would dip into a bush and pull out what appeared to be a hat made bamboo strips. The center had a hole, allowing a ponytail or hair bun to sit through, and a series of silk veils draped over the rims like a curtain to a window. ¡°Jade Queen Silk. Only nobles can afford this sort of elegant material.¡± He whispered as he examined the mud stained bamboo hat ¡°My guess this belonged to Lady Peony, before she fell and got tangled up in the jungle of bodies, yes?¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± Martial Blue Sister squeaked in the conversation. ¡°About 10 paces from here was where she...grabbed me and we found her out here.¡± Martial Kim nod. Now he gave the second reason why he stopped Martial Red Sister¡¯s report. He turned to Martial Blue Sister, all the while pressing the expensive silk curtain hat like a fan against his chest. ¡°Martial Blue Sister,¡± he called to get his companion¡¯s attention. ¡°Please, share with me what is on your mind. I know you wouldn¡¯t cause this much ruckus without good grounds. Have faith in your instincts, they have yet to let you down. Oh, and by all means ignore Martial Red Sister rolling her eyes, it¡¯s just her habit. I would like to listen to your opinion about all this.¡± Martial Blue Sister didn¡¯t like to be part of group conversations. She was always weak when it comes to sharing and supporting an idea, to the point where she gives up halfway and says never mind. She knew it, Martial Kim knew it. So being put on the spot, forced her to gather her wits and just say it without filter. ¡°It all happened too quick. From finding Lady Peony, to her vanishing, and then ending up dead. It-it hadn¡¯t been a day and all these series of events just rolled out like a scroll map.¡± Martial Blue Sister pulled at her sleeves to push the last thoughts out of her chest. ¡°There¡¯s something to deliberate in all this. That¡¯s what has been bugging me the whole time. Like it was all...set up.¡± Martial Kim hummed at the thought, tapping the dirty veiled bamboo hat to his chin like a paper fan. Once that was out of the way, he gestured Martial Red Sister to give an overall report.
Lady Peony was an adventurous spirit. Nearly every day she spent her days leaving the Silver Clan manor to go exploring within the Silver Vein Valley, meet travelers on the road and giving them directions, or fighting off bandits in the mountains. Every time, she would come back well before supper. If not punctual, she was never later for food. That was up until a month ago. She ran into some scholars who were being attacked by bandits on the road. In saving them, she got slashed in the face and received a terrible scar. Even with a great doctor¡¯s help, the scar remained and she began feeling conscious about it. Since then she never left her room, let alone leave the manor. She pretty much shut herself in from the shame, guilt, and embarrassment over the scar. The stress was worse when she was arranged to be married to the Young Master of the Amber family in a few weeks time. It was the day she disappeared did she finally came out into broad daylight. Early that morning, she picked up some food at the kitchen before heading out of the manor. The servants, towns people, even the soldiers guarding the town entrance, were all shocked to see Lady Peony heading out after what happened. Everyone had hoped she came around and started to mentally recover. Hopes were high for her. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. No one expected that Lady Peony would fail to return before supper, first time in her life. Even the next day and the next supper, there was still no sign of her. The Chieftess immediately sent her soldiers to search for her, high and low in the Silver Vein Valleys. When they failed to turn up any news, she put out a call into the martial world and placed up missing posters with a hefty reward to call on talents to find her beloved sister. Moon Tavern happened to be one of those wandering talents, and somehow won the lottery.
¡°Hmm.¡± Martial Kim would tap Lady Peony¡¯s hat against his chin with a musing sound. ¡°No doubt she left the manor wearing this veil, to hide the scar.¡± ¡°Personally,¡± Martial Red Sister would snort. ¡°The quality of a woman¡¯s beauty is their lifeline. Face, hair, if not body. Lose any one and it¡¯s better to just off yourself.¡± ¡°Now, now, Martial Red Sister,¡± Martial Kim waved the bamboo hat in place of his hand. ¡°You got to give Lady Peony some credit. It takes a lot of courage to accept the cards you¡¯ve been dealt and walk into the sun with pride about it. I commend her bravery in taking the initiative towards self-recovery.¡± Martial Blue Sister covered her cold hands with her sleeves, ¡°Lady Peony knew martial arts.¡± She expected everyone to give her a weird look given the conversation, but she said even if she had to avoid judging eye contact. ¡°I-I learned that Lady Peony wanted to be like her sister, a martial cultivator, so she had been taking lessons from a teacher who practiced the, uh, [Snake in the Sleeve Dagger Arts].¡± She then added, ¡°Lady Peony¡¯s instructor is very strict when it comes to physical training. Given his discipline and tract record, Lady Peony¡¯s level should be capable of flipping a horse wagon with a kick. Or even leap over a house in a single bound. Yet, it took both Martial Red Sister and I to pull her out of the pit of corpses.¡± ¡°Little blue,¡± Martial Red Sister muttered under her breath. ¡°You don¡¯t remember what Lady Peony said? She was left to starve and thirst for days. Did you not see how much junk she ate back in Mutiny Inn?¡± ¡°I feel there is something wrong with the logic.¡± ¡°Noted.¡± Martial Kim would nod. Before he could ask another question-- BOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooommmmmmmmm..... A deafening sound like the howl of a cannon over the horizon echoed into the dark sky. It did not take long before a swarm of birds turned the sky blacker as they all caw and squawk in panic in the distance. Martial Kim would examine the flow of the bird and calculate the direction of where they left. ¡°Something happened back in the Silver Clan Manor?¡± ¡°Ah. Probably the rage quit queen, the Chieftess,¡± Martial Red Sister shrugged. ¡°Woman has a temper of a marriage between a bickering sun and unhappy volcano. She is a user of the [God Phantom Eyes]. Given her level, if not the sound of her destruction, I believe she is practising the blast variation of her ability. The one where you can blink and crush someone under a pocket of gravity from afar. If she masters that, so long as she has a telescope she could have the sky sit on anyone within line of sight with a flutter of her eyelash.¡± Dear god. ¡°A truly frightening, if not frustrating power to conquer,¡± Martial Kim would note as he watched the swarm of birds flew above their heads like smoke in the wind. ¡°Not recommended for those who lack patience to endure countless of mistakes and failures. And as it involves controlling emotion to influence another¡¯s emotion, anyone with a natural affinity towards aggression would have the same trouble as taming a wild bull with bare hands.¡± After hearing another thunderous explosion over the horizon, Martial Kim added, ¡°I would not be surprised if she blew up half a mountain to release that bottled up rage in her chest.¡± ¡°Hah. Tip of the iceberg, wait till you meet her charming husband. The Deputy.¡± ¡°Oh yes. The [Thunder Leopard Sabre Art].¡± Martial Kim would pat Martial Blue sister on the shoulder to console her. ¡°Should have went ¡®nah, I¡¯d win¡¯ to put him off kilter.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to explode and disappear as steam!¡± Martial Blue Sister yelped at the comment. Martial Red Sister took a moment to play with her red hair bangs, ¡°Mr. Deputy is all work and probably has no clue what play even means. As I mentioned in the letter, he tried to execute all the people he arrested without a proper trial or internal investigation. Kinda sus if you ask me.¡± ¡°Indeed, Martial Red Sister,¡± Martial Kim nodded back, ¡°But I would hold off pointing fingers, or else we will follow his footsteps and jump to conclusions. What potential suspects do we have?¡± ¡°North Cloud Shipping Company hands down,¡± Martial Red Sister would answer without a shadow of a doubt. ¡°Lady Peony was found in one of their cargo and the seal was not broken. Little Blue and I thought one of the shipping guards was one of Lady Peony¡¯s secret lovers and planned a great escape.¡± ¡°B-but.¡± Martial Blue Sister stepped forward to add, ¡°They swore on their family¡¯s honour, even their ancestor¡¯s graves, they never knew the victim in the first place. Their package were already sealed and prepared for them to escort, they never picked up anything else along the way ¨C as it was per their regulations to avoid questionable packages. How it ended up with one of them holding Lady Peony¡¯s corpse is a key mystery in all this.¡± ¡°As for everyone else in Mutiny Inn. Clean, up to this point. Everyone had different reason for staying at the inn, all travelers, scholars on the way to an Imperial Examination, merchants ¨C completely harmless people.¡± Martial Kim thought it over before asking, ¡°And the family? As much of a tragedy this is among blood kin, we cannot rule them out right now.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± Martial Red Sister raised an eyebrow with sarcasm. ¡°I honestly can¡¯t see Miss Rage Quit off her sister like that. She practically turned the entire mansion a living hell the moment she heard of Lady Peony¡¯s death. I mean, she gave the order to her husband the Deputy to off the prisoners without question.¡± She took a moment to think careful, just in case, ¡°I think she is more likely to trade all the household staff, her soldiers, her husband, family fortune, even her 20 years of mana cultivation ¨C just to exchange Lady Peony¡¯s life back to the living.¡± She then went onto the next person, ¡°As for Mr. Grumpy Deputy, I honestly see zero reason or benefit as to why he would try and kill Lady Peony. He is the head of Silver Clan security, the leader of the estate soldiers. Yes; he is a bit of a paper tiger in front of his wife, being nothing more than her Wing Chun dummy. The man barely made a peep when she unhinged his jaw, meaning he is smart enough to never back talk to the hand that feeds him. Killing Lady Peony would be signing his death warrant, with nothing to gain.¡± ¡°Curioser and curioser,¡± Martial Kim would hum. ¡°So, the question remains: who killed Lady Peony? And why? I would very much like to find key pieces of this puzzle.¡± PEONY - Chapter 10 (Red Smile) Mutiny Inn, right back where it all started. The place was left exactly how it was ¨C the aftermath of an intense raid. The doors that were blown off the hinged by the uninvited guest had hundreds of trample marks by the many soldiers that came to arrest everyone. Maybe it was pure fortune or some freak coincidence, the trail left behind by the uninvited guest were still left intact, virtually untouched. They were well dried after several days where the rain had stopped entirely. Tables and chairs were either tossed over or shattered into pieces. Even now there are pieces of food and chicken bones scattered across the floor during the initial chaos. ¡°Here.¡± Martial Red Sister waved a finger at the floor covered in bloody footprints. ¡°This was made by our friend, Mr. Ghost Strangler. Just barged in during the storm, jump scared the hell out of us, and went to the bathchamber door to peep at Lady Peony. Nothing we did could hit or stop it.¡± Martial Kim glanced at the footprints. Then he snapped his fingers, ¡°Ah! I know who this is!¡± Martial Red Sister and Martial Blue Sister turned to their companion with a unified ¡®wut¡¯? The man in the hanbok would suddenly heft what he was carrying with him the entire time. It was his murder kit. A specially made wooden box that could unfold into multiple mini-trays and removable stacks of platforms, like a layered lunch box. With a hum he would pluck up a small porcelain bottle, whipped off the cloth stopper and dipped his finger inside the narrow opening. Some thick and sticky glass like fluid. The ladies watched as Martial Kim drew something on a corner of a table ¨C their table now that they recognize it, from the night where they had dinner with Lady Peony. His movements were swift, precise, but nothing showed up on the surface. It was until he picked up a random cup filled with some rain water did he splash it on the table top. ......:) A smiley face painted in blood red magically appeared! ¡°OH!¡± Martial Blue Sister yelped, covering her gaping mouth. ¡°Allow me to introduce you to Redpulp Syrup!¡± Martial Kim would chime as he wiggled the small porcelain jar in between his fingers. ¡°Made from sap collected from redwood waxtrees! After a complex refinement process, it turns into this glass like fluid which can be painted on any surface. It looks invisible at first, but once you splash a bit of water it causes a chemical reaction and becomes bright red! It¡¯s very popular in stage plays, to give a dramatic ¨C if not ghostly ¨C blood appearance affect for the extra oohs and aash!¡± ¡°...I knew it wasn¡¯t a damn ghost!¡± Martial Red Sister felt duped, so she kicked the table over, along with the innocent smiley face, to make herself feel better. Something clicked in Martial Blue Sister¡¯s head. She quickly ran over, to the bathchamber. She padded her small hands around like a mole touching the walls for a way out. Rather she was looking for any way ¡®in¡¯ through the walls or even the ceiling. A hidden door or something she missed last time! While doing so, Martial Kim strode in and glanced about. His attention immediately turned to the bathtub in the center of the room. It was still full, near the brim. The colour of red clouding the inside of the water. Martial Kim gave the tub a small poke, a light push, then tried to shuffle the tub over. It didn¡¯t budge. Well of course it was still full of water. Weighed as much as a baby elephant. To test something, Martial Kim dipped a pinky finger into the water ¨C and licked it. Obviously, the Martial Sisters gave a combined EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW! ¡°Ah. Pig¡¯s Blood. Thought the color was a bit exaggerated.¡± Martial Kim said out loud, talking to himself. He wanted a second taste to be sure, but Martial Red Sister slapped his hand to tell him to stop! The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Then Martial Kim did the unthinkable. If Martial Red Sister won¡¯t let him pinky test the water ¨C he pulled back a sleeve to dunk his entire hand into the tub. Ignoring the screams of disgust, Martial Kim would wiggle his hand to feel around at the bottom, the water sucking up above his elbow line. Then he had this smile, before he dig a forceful yank. GRRRRRRRR¡ªKLUNK¡ªFLUSH! Martial Blue Sister and Martial Red Sister¡¯s eyes went wide open at the sight of the water level suddenly shrinking ¨C nay, sucking down into a quick spiral. Bathtubs like these were not designed with a convenient drain system. In order to empty the water, people had to scoop it out like an ice cream bucket. Yet, clearly the water level was decreasing with a guttural noise. Before they know it, the water just FLOOSH, drained out completely without soaking the floor. The two Martial Sisters looked into the tub. To their shock, there was a hidden trap door pulled wide open, revealing a hidden space leading to a flowing stream right below. ¡°By the divines!¡± Martial Red Sister could not help gasping at this sight and hugging her body. ¡°Which egg headed pervert made this trap door!? As a woman, I feel violated!¡± ¡°I did some research into Mutiny Hill,¡± said Martial Kim as he flung the red water off his bare arm, ¡°Decades ago it used to be a bandit outpost, operated by mountain thieves and some rebel turncoats. They dressed up the place to look like an Imperial sponsored inn, to swindle travelers of their money. Food, bed, even supplies were over charged, and if they refused to pay the con artists would threaten jail time. Very convincing when they wore Imperial armour and uniforms.¡± The man in the hanbok would dry off his arm before he pointed at the hatch. ¡°If the con artists took interest of any fine skinned beauty, or even a rich man, they rigged the bathchamber to allow themselves to climb in secretly, grab their hostage, and crawl out. They even added this mechanism to fill up the bath once they close it! That way if anyone were to investigate their disappearance, they would be none the wiser! Quite ingenious, really.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Martial Kim continued, ¡°When word finally reached his Imperial Majesty¡¯s ear, he dispatched a raid to storm the place and kill all the swindlers. He gave the order to toss their bodies out into the open for the wolves to pick on, forbidden from receiving a proper burial as their punishment. Hence, Mutiny Hill you see today.¡± He then added. ¡°Also, the gears of the hidden door have well rusted. My guess after the raid no one has used it, meaning everyone forgot about this secret mechanism. However, I can tell by the chipping of some rust powder, it¡¯s been used just recently. Most likely to put on the disappearing of Lady Peony. The killer, or those connected, knew of Mutiny Inn¡¯s secret and took advantage of it, along with the legend of the ghost, to make it seem like Lady Peony was murdered by a vengeful spirit, not a human being. And if the prisoners from Mutiny Inn had been executed without question ¨C this would have been the perfect crime. Dastardly clever!¡± Martial Blue Sister couldn¡¯t believe her eyes and ears. She gave the bathtub a hard push. Last time she tried to move it, but thought she was too physically weak to push something that weight exactly like a baby elephant. Now she realized, she was tricked as the entire tub was bolted down even when it was drained of water. Some ideas started to click in place and she didn¡¯t like where her thoughts were going. ¡°So that¡¯s what you mean, a magician¡¯s trick! Like a trap door under a stage to drop the actor! B-but, how did Lady Peony ¨C or at least her corpse, get stuffed into a chest right above our heads!?¡± To make absolutely sure nothing else was left out, Martial Kim would have his companions guide him to the room in question. They entered the place where they met North Cloud Shipping Company. Martial Kim went down and dirty and started to pull and kick at floorboards. When none of them gave way easily, he used brute force to yank the planks right off. ¡°Hmm.¡± He would hum as he examine the floor. ¡°There¡¯s barely any space for even a ninja to sneak through and pull off an elaborate switcharoo trick. How big were those chests?¡± Martial Red Sister held up her hands to give a rough estimate. About yay big and yay wide. ¡°Even empty, they would be heavier than the bathtub down stairs.¡± Martial Kim noted as he looked around in the dark. ¡°Meaning there was no way those connected could switch a package with another with a simple sleight of hand. This wouldn¡¯t be as elegant as switching the side of a dice in a gambling table.¡± ¡°Could it be magic?¡± Martial Red Sister perked up. ¡°I know some spells that can send objects into a locked room...Wait, no. I may be ahead of myself. The trunk Lady Peony was inside was full of stuff. Salt, random corpses, what have you. To teleport matter inside an empty space is one obstacle, to shove them into a complex environment like a box full of salt or sand, its a nightmare to deal with and too unpredictable.¡± ¡°...What if,¡± Martial Kim started to put the pieces together in his mind. ¡°What if it wasn¡¯t a spell, or a stage trick...¡± Before he could reveal the answer in his mind, something caught his attention. ¡°Ah. By the way, have either of you examined Lady Peony¡¯s body?¡± Martial Blue Sister and Martial Red Sister turned to each other with a unified ¡®ah¡¯ noise. PEONY - Chapter 11 (Single Handedly) Lady Peony¡¯s body was kept in a hidden location. It wasn¡¯t exactly a secret. She was kept inside of the Ice Cellar, one of the most expensive places located inside of the Silver Clan Estate. A giant room made of stone that insulated the cold air radiated by the many blocks of ice that were sitting inside. Every block weighed the mass of 10 men, taller than a human, and cost more than 100 horses ¨C each. Their main purposes were to keep expensive meat from spoiling, chilling the wine, or chipped away to be served as a frosty dessert during the hot and unforgiving summer. A delight and luxury only the rich could indulge. It was repurposed to protect Lady Peony¡¯s corpse. She was laid on top of of one large block of ice like a bed, covered with expensive sheep skins to prevent the ice from damaging her body or whatever was left of it. The location was deep underground, right under the Silver Clan Manor. Heavily defended by a series of soldiers who made sure every checkpoint was well watched and guarded. If any ¡®visitors¡¯ didn¡¯t have an approved badge or permission from the Chieftess ¨C they were to be shot, stabbed, or slashed on sight. No ¡®ifs¡¯ ¡®ands¡¯ or ¡®buts¡¯ That was why Moon Tavern hadn¡¯t thought of examining the body due to such hassles. So they had to be creative in solving this issue. Martial Red Sister had to use her [32 Morphing Skills] to transform into an enchanted mole ¨C not her favourite form of course. With her magical digging, she could create a tunnel under the entire estate and poke her head out right in the middle of the Ice Cellar without trouble. No one would be the wiser. She did not stay, however. She chose to let Martial Kim and Martial Blue Sister to handle the business of corpse examination. So she decided to look around the Silver Clan manor to double check if there was anything they overlooked. Or at least find some dirt on the Chieftess and Deputy...well not literally. In reality, Martial Red Sister couldn¡¯t bring herself to look Lady Peony in the dead eye, not after what had happened. She just didn¡¯t want to say it out loud, especially as a mole. Martial Kim and Martial Blue Sister let her be, as they focus on the body. The first thing they noticed when approaching the corpse was-- ¡°URG!¡± Martial Blue Sister did not wish to be rude, but she covered her face with her sleeve. ¡°M-Martial Kim! The smell, it¡¯s too foul!¡± ¡°Odd.¡± Martial Kim also gagged as he leaned in to get a better whiff of Lady Peony. ¡°You said she died only a few days ago. Yet the stench of her decay speaks volumes otherwise. Did anything happen during her transit from Mutiny Hill to Silver Clan Manor?¡± ¡°I-I wouldn¡¯t know.¡± Martial Blue Sister would gag. ¡°I-I passed out right after finding her corpse. Martial Red Sister mentioned all went smoothly, nothing happened as she kept a close eye. She even watched the hand over from the Silver Clan soldiers to the clan¡¯s Deputy of Security. After that, w-we¡¯ve never seen nor asked about the body.¡± She then recalled something as she covered her nose. ¡°This smell, it reminds me of those salted fish that people sell in the market place. A pungent dead and salty fish odour. N-never been a fan of those kinds of meals. Uuurg.¡± It was clear the stench of the corpse bothered everyone. So, Martial Kim pulled out something from his murder kit to solve the issue. He fed Martial Blue Sister and himself several slices of dried ginger, then applied a small screen of sesame oil in the space above the lip and under the nose. The taste and burn of the ginger corroded the terrible aftertaste of the decayed corpse, while the sesame oil helped to mask the odour. After a few moments, Martial Blue Sister became less nauseous and less conscious of the smell of decay. The two began to do a full autopsy...dear gods. Lady Peony¡¯s body was covered in bruises. Nothing like being surrounded and beaten up by a gang of men and women, but deep welds and injuries that look too violent to be made by human strength. Some of her flesh were torn apart with force, like someone ripping open holes in a piece of cloth. ¡°Incredible,¡± Martial Kim gasped as he palpated his hands across Lady Peony¡¯s body. ¡°Her internal organs, they¡¯re all crushed! Completely pulverized! Bone matter, blood clot, even veins ¨C practically mashed together into a near soup! Such a slow and paralyzing death she must have had!¡± ¡°Th-the cruelty!¡± Martial Blue Sister whimpered at the thought. ¡°Who would do such a thing? B-better question WHAT could do something this terrible!?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think these were done by any man, not even a vicious animal.¡± Martial Kim answered, before his face paled. ¡°Martial Blue Sister, how many hands did Lady Peony had when you found her.¡± ¡°Two? Why do you¡ªGOOD GODS!¡± Martial Kim revealed Lady Peony¡¯s right arm, showing the right hand was completely missing. It was a clever sever, bone and flesh showing a clean slice with little to no tearing. A series of black scarring ran up from the stump and up to the elbow, like flash of lightning bolts. Metal fragments were embedded deep into the flesh of the arm, barely glimmering under the dim light. Deep and scattered all over like shrapnel. ¡°This is refined silver and iron.¡± Martial Kim whispered as he touched and examined the metal fragments. ¡°I believe it is pieces of a weapon, a sword perhaps?¡± ¡°Ah. Martial Kim,¡± Martial Blue Sister called out, simply astonished at this gruesome sight. ¡°Lady Peony used [Snake in the Sleeve Dagger Arts]. She may have tried to defend herself with her personal dagger before it erupted like that.¡± ¡°It might, but what would cause it to explode like a bomb in her bare hands?¡± ¡°W-was it what happened? An explosion that tore her hand off?¡± Martial Kim shook his head. ¡°Explosions do not slice off a hand as clean as carving a steak of meat from a roast. This was done by a blade, sharp and precise. One swing was all it took...But why would that be?¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. He then eyed the blackened veins. ¡°Lady Peony was attacked by another martial arts cultivator. These black lines, evidence of internal scarring caused by a mana-infused strike. The energy of the attack injected into her body, causing most of her nerves and Meridians to explode from the inside out. Why, this high level of power is enough to make Lady Peony¡¯s heart stop in a few hours if she does not seek medical assistance in a timely manner.¡± ¡°Y-you mean, Lady Peony was assassinated!?¡± ¡°Yes...wait no...¡± Martial Kim would examine the body some more, feeling his hands on various parts of the body. ¡°The attack on her hand would cause her internal organs to roast over time from the mana poison. Yet, everything is physically crushed to a pulp. Hold on one moment, I must confirm something.¡± Martial Kim lowered the stump arm and he touched at the chest and collar bones. Fractured, every single piece, to the point where the bones sunk into the body like soft twigs in a pool of mud. Then he gasped. ¡°Her neck, it¡¯s completely snapped!¡± Martial Blue Sister covered her gaping mouth as her employer showed Lady Peony¡¯s head dangling at a weird angle. She could see something white, piercing out of the back of the neck. It was so star bleach, she had to shut her eyes and turn around or throw up. ¡°Poor girl.¡± Martial Kim shook his head in dismay. ¡°To suffer like this is inhumane. This is crueller than any work of a serial killer. Only a monster could be capable of such violence... Which makes me come to the conclusion, Lady Peony was murdered ¨C twice.¡± ¡°Twice!?¡± Martial Blue Sister yelped. It was only when Martial Kim turned the head to hide the spine did she turn around. ¡°Why kill her twice? If the first attack would kill her within the hour, why all the effort for a second time?¡± ¡°Exactly my question,¡± responded Martial Kim. ¡°The first attempt had precise killing intent. Yet the second attempt was completely barbaric. Killing someone twice is one matter, using two different methods is completely counter intuitive. What is the connection?¡± ¡°Maybe the first attack failed?¡± said Martial Blue Sister, ¡°Followed up with a strangle?¡± ¡°No. In fact, there¡¯s no bruising of human grip on her throat. Trachea is still intact. Her neck was completely snapped open...like...victims who fell down a flight of stairs? No no no, this makes no sense.¡± Martial Kim paced around the body of Lady Peony. He ignored the chill in the Ice Cellar and put every energy into thinking of various possibilities. He kept imagining the results of how one killer would need to kill twice and reasons as to use two different methods. To help with his thinking, he mentioned. ¡°Now that I think about it. The missing hand. Judging by the wound, it was made some hours after she died...Which still makes no sense as to why the murderer would go through all this trouble.¡± Martial Blue Sister tried to help. She wasn¡¯t a talker, but she preferred thinking and working behind the scenes. Then a thought came to mind. ¡°Martial Kim. Wasn¡¯t there this book you lent me some time ago. Regarding how certain martial arts and fighting techniques leave a unique scar and how to identify wounds to the original attacks?¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh the ones that leave a bit of a calling card? Why yes, I do recall. What about...Wait.¡± Martial Kim stopped himself. A smile cracked on his lips. ¡°Of course! Of course that is the reason! The murderer was not only a skilled martial artist, he used a unique ability that could easily be identifiable! It left a certain tearing or marking on Lady Peony¡¯s hand, which is exactly why the murderer had to remove it or else experts like us can easily figure out who did it! Martial Blue Sister, you cracked the case! Well, at least 1/3 of this mystery! Which is a great achievement in my books!¡± ¡°P-please don¡¯t praise me like that,¡± Martial Blue Sister whimpered, glancing at the body. ¡°N-not when we¡¯re in front of Lady Peony. You compliment me, but we still let her down. She died because we were careless.¡± Martial Kim felt sad. He knew a truth that Martial Blue Sister didn¡¯t. He wanted to console her, and tell her what he thought ¨C even if it was preliminary ¨C but he was distracted by the sound of rattling. It came from a pebble that he kicked around by accident. A couple of them were on the floor. They weren¡¯t the well cut or polished ones, definitely not something that would be used in gardens of school gravel. In fact, the Ice Cellar was spotless. His guess it was constantly cleaned, given how rich the clan were. So it was strange for him to find a couple of loose pebbles. Just in case he was over thinking he looked around. It seems a few of them surrounded Lady Peony¡¯s ice bed. ¡°...Martial Blue Sister,¡± called Martial Kim with a hum. ¡°Were there any rocks inside of the trunk you found Lady Peony¡¯s body? Or even the pits of Mutiny Hill she fell into?¡± ¡°What?¡± Martial Blue Sister snapped out of her thinking. ¡°Oh, no. The trunk only had salt and some corpses. And there weren¡¯t any rocks in Mutiny Hill, only mud. At most, a lot of bones. Why, Lady Peony had a lot of finger bones stuck in her hair after we pulled her out of the ditch and...and...Wait, where did they go?¡± Martial Blue Sister swept her hands through Lady Peony¡¯s hair. She was very delicate with them, even if they had rotted enough to fall off her scalp. She dug through every strand. Some rocks and pebbles of various sized fell out, even plates of rock chips, but no finger bones. ¡°Strange,¡± she murmured. ¡°Did she sweep them out of her hair when she was in the bathchambers? Shouldn¡¯t be possible, when the fake ghost appeared everything happened so fast Lady Peony didn¡¯t even have a chance to remove her dirty clothing.¡± Before either of them could come to a conclusion, a certain red mole returned. Martial Red Sister poked her head out of the hole and crawled out, shaking off all the dirt, rocks, and other sorts of stuff from her fur like a dog fresh from a bath. She then shapeshifted back into her human form and started to slap her kimono to beat the dust out of the fancy fabric, like she was airing out and spanking a futon mattress on a clothes line. ¡°Nothing.¡± She mumbled. ¡°High, low, left, right, absolutely nothing. Just dirt, rubble, and trash.¡± Martial Red Sister shifted uncomfortably on the spot until she pulled out something that was stuck in the collar of her kimono. She tossed it aside, revealing it to be a small bar of silver with intentional designs and engravings. Martial Kim caught sight of it and he immediately picked it up from a cluster of rocks that look familiar. ¡°Why, this piece of silver is part of a dagger. The hand guard I believe. Blade and hilt completely missing. Could it be?¡± Martial Kim squinted at the designs. ¡°Oh! This has Lady Peony¡¯s name engraved on it! Martial Red Sister, where did you go outside of the estate to stumble onto this?!¡± ¡°What are you talking about? ¡°Martial Red Sister mumbled at the soot ruining the designs of her kimono. ¡°I told you, I was going to search WITHIN the grounds. Speaking of which, stay away from the South side of the estate. I think the Silver Clan are making a new silver ore mine or something. Whole place been blasted of rocks and boulders with explosives or whatever. Mess so big, I had to take several detours around and¡ª¡± ¡°Go back there, this construction site you mentioned!¡± ¡°...Excuse me¡ªHEY!¡± Martial Red Sister yelped as her employer started to shove at her. ¡°S-stop! Martial Kim! I have legs! M-my geta sandals are essentially tiny stilts, d-don¡¯t tip me over like a tea pot! I¡¯ll break!¡± ¡°Hurry back to that construction site. Find anything that could be related to this case.¡± Martial Kim ushered his red haired companion to the hole. ¡°The secret is buried in there! We have to find the answer by sunrise!¡± ¡°WHAT!? That¡¯s in three hours! I haven¡¯t slept! My eyes will sag terribly!¡± Martial Red Sister objected wholeheartedly, but Martial Kim kept shoving her back to the hole. She tripped over and had to transform into a burrowing mouse to soften her landing, or else she would have twisted an ankle. After throwing a string of curse words and found language in the form of violent mouse squeaks ¨C she darted off with a huff. ¡°...Martial Kim,¡± Martial Blue Sister called out. She was confused, but she knew all this sudden action meant something. She just had no clue how to voice it without making a fool of herself. ¡°...What do you need me to do?¡± ¡°There are two keys to solve this puzzle. Martial Red Sister is looking for the first.¡± Martial Kim explained as he took in a deep breath. ¡°Return to Mutiny Hill, the area beyond it. Only you can find the second key.¡± PEONY - Chapter 12 (Last Teahouse) The Chieftess of the Silver Clan has gone missing. The moment her handmaiden found her room empty, bed torn apart and some stains of blood on the floor, she alerted the entire household. In no time at all, an estate wide search was put out. Every soldier were forced to rise out of their beds and shove on their helmets and armour before the rooster could properly wake them. When they failed to find the Chieftess in the estate, they spread out across the entire town to look for their leader. Among them was the Deputy. He quickly ran over to one particular place in town, to try his luck. It was a teahouse ¨C the same one where Martial Blue Sister had woken up a day or two ago. Not bothering to call for someone, he kicked the doors open and charged in. He was about to run up the flight of steps... ...When he noticed a trunk sitting in the middle of the teahouse. In fact, it was in this moment he realized the entire teahouse was empty. Void of all life. Not a single waiter, not even the teahouse boss could be seen. The trunk was large. In fact, it was large enough to remind him of the cargo chests North Cloud Shipping Company used to...wait no...it can¡¯t be. Curiosity, and dread, filled his heart. He walked over to the stage in the middle of the teahouse. A part of him didn¡¯t want to touch the trunk, but the other half forced him to lay his fingers on it. However, he was suddenly intercepted by a small pale hand. ¡°Chi-Chieftess!?¡± The Deputy gasped. He realized the one grabbing him was his wife, and leader of the Silver Clan. ¡°What on earth are you doing out here...dressed like...uh.¡± The Chieftess wasn¡¯t looking indecent. She had a casual robe covering her body. Unlike her regal uniform, it showed her frail curves and slender hands. In fact, the clothing she wore right now gave her a soft genteel look, like a blooming lotus in a pond. Actually now that he looked closer, the Chieftess was not wearing any make up. Without the expensive cosmetic, the Deputy realized how much of a natural beauty the Chieftess was. Soft and delicate. She may not have been the greatest flower in the garden, she had more than enough allurement to draw the attention of an admirer. Even coax them to reach out and touch her cheek. The Deputy, on the other hand, was more startled by her overall appearance than her beauty. This was, perhaps, the first time he¡¯s ever seen her in such a...vulnerable state. ¡°Peony and I used to visit here.¡± The Chieftess spoke up, not at all caring hundreds of people are looking for her. ¡°Rather, we loved to sneak in and eat all the food ¨C then try to run away without paying the bill. Hilarious, don¡¯t you think? Two offspring of the almighty Silver Clan, dining and dashing. Hahaha.¡± She had a nostalgic look on her face as she continued. ¡°I was never a good runner, I always got caught. Peony, that silly girl, she would always turn around to rescue me ¨C like a wandering hero on a white horse... Of course, father wasn¡¯t stupid. Whenever he found out about our shenanigans, he would always punish us with a good caning. The lessons hurt so much, we had to sleep on our stomachs for a good period of time.¡± The Chieftess let out a sigh. ¡°Peony always told me, how loyal you have been to the clan. To me. Even if you are my husband, I have been nothing but a terrible person to you.¡± She would reach out to touch her husband¡¯s cheek. ¡°Every time I break your jaw, you never once complained. She told me, I should appreciate you more.¡± The Deputy shied away from her touch. He tried to go down on one knee like a true servant, only for the Chieftess to gesture him to remain standing. He cleared his throat to say, ¡°It is my sworn duty to safeguard you and the clan¡¯s honour... Lady Peony¡¯s death, has been my failure.¡± Every now and then, the Deputy would glance around himself to find something to pay attention to. Something about Chieftess looking at him...like a soft woman made his stomach flip. ¡°I am sorry,¡± the Chieftess cooed. ¡°I know that¡¯s what Peony would want me to say to you. After all, you are all I have left as family.¡± ¡°...Chieftess?¡± The Deputy raised an eyebrow when his wife suddenly held onto his one hand with both of hers. ¡°Darling. I love you.¡± ¡°Who the hell are you!?¡± The Deputy flung the Chieftess off him. He whipped out his saber and tapped it against the woman¡¯s neck. ¡°Answer me!? Who are you!?¡± The ¡®Chieftess¡¯ smirked. She suddenly melted, like an ice statue under a beaming sun. Only to instantly reshape itself into the living corpse of Lady Peony. Rocks and salt spilling off her robes, her head slanted in a sickening angle, and swinging the one stump arm about. The sight shocked the Deputy, making him leap back at this turn of events! ¡°Oh come on, brother-in-law,¡± said the Entity with a perfect replica of Lady Peony¡¯s voice. ¡°After I was murdered, you cut my hand off to hide the evidence, remember? Then you stuffed me into a cargo box, buried me with salt and strangers you bought from an undertaker, before having North Cloud Shipping Company deliver me like some kind of long-distance product order! What did you label me as? A back scratcher? A spit jar! I am DYING to know!¡± ¡°ENOUGH!¡± The Deputy fired up his [Thunder Leopard Saber Art] powers and slashed his saber. A wave of electricity ripped through the teahouse, hacking up furniture in its flight. The Entity dodged, springing like a body of flesh like liquid, to duck under a table. The Deputy chased after it, kicking aside the table to deliver an executing blow on himself.... ...Wait? On HIMSELF!?¡± The Entity revealed itself adopting the Deputy¡¯s form. His height, his weight, his clothing, even the cocky grin he revealed some time ago ¨C a perfect copy. So much so, the real Deputy staggered back from this jumpscare! ¡°Hmmm.¡± The Entity used the Deputy¡¯s voice to laugh. ¡°I directed the whole show. I hired a stand-in to play the part of Lady Peony, to throw off the timing of her real death. Had someone set up the stage with Redpulp Syrup and re-use the trap in the bathtub that everyone forgot existed. Which, by the way was a wasted opportunity turned useful for my case..." The Entity wagged a finger, ¡°All I had to do was spread the word, how Lady Peony was a victim of a haunted urban legend, remove all the witnesses, and everything would be swept clean under the rug. As if the Chieftess could bare to have a coroner examine the body. And I can easily pay a mortician to clean up the body without asking questions. A win-win.¡± ¡°...Pfff...Pffffhahahahahahaha! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!¡± The Deputy broke out laughing, so hard he had to clutch onto his side. He shook his head, unable to believe this stupid joke of his ¡®living reflection¡¯. ¡°Moon Tavern. Is this all you can do? This is what you¡¯ve been doing for the last three days?¡± The Entity copied the Deputy¡¯s laugh, to mock him. It was effective as the real gripped his saber white knuckled. The Entity then snapped his fingers. In a flash, a hard rainstorm shook the teahouse. It blew through the open balconies and the exposed windows and walls. Rain billowed in like a horde of ghosts. In a flash, the entire floor, light up bright red. Hundreds of bloody footsteps appears, surrounding everyone. The Entity melted and shapeshifted into Martial Red Sister! She was using <<1000 Face Skill>>, one of the many tricks in the arsenal of her [32 Morphing Skills]. The ability to transform and replicate her looks after anyone she has seen! Hair, face, clothing, size, build, even their natural scent she can replicate it perfectly! As it was child¡¯s play to her, she had devoted her cultivation training to master <> as a challenge. The Deputy looked at the rain, the water seeping through the cracks. ¡°Ah. I see now. I already predicted the weather would be clear this morning. So no doubt this is the doing of your pipsqueak friend, that troublesome blueberry.¡± ¡°Only I get to bully her, no one else. She is my junior after all.¡± Martial Red Sister growled, flexing her hair about as if she came out of a shower. ¡°I confess, we don¡¯t have anything concrete to pin everything on you. I mean, you pretty much removed the evidence. Even sliced off Lady Peony¡¯s right hand.¡± ¡°Now why would I do such a thing? The Chieftess would¡¯ve hung me by my entrails if I so much as raised my voice at her dear little sister.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Martial Red Sister nodded, then she pat her hand on the trunk on the stage. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask your Producer.¡± Horror struck the Deputy. So, that was why he felt uneasy the moment he entered! He slashed his [Thunder Leopard Saber Art] in the air, to shoot a wave of arcing lightning to force Martial Red Sister away from the trunk. He bounded over and flipped it open. ¡°Y¡ªHUH!?¡± Curled inside the trunk was Lady Peony...rather, the corpse of the double who played the part of Lady Peony. The same girl Moon Tavern had ran into at Mutiny Hill a few days ago. Her body was well bloated, as if she fell asleep in a tub for days. Covered head to toe in black mud and lake scum. Tiny fresh water crabs and snails poked their heads in and out of her ear and hair, taking comfort with the many finger bones that were tangled in them. There was this clean slice across the double¡¯s throat, foggy eyes left wide open. ¡°Expecting someone else? Say, the Young Master of the Amber family¡± Martial Red Sister spoke with a hum. ¡°He was visiting the Silver Clan manor the day Lady Peony went missing, no? How odd for him to just ¡®disappear¡¯ shortly after hearing of his bride to be just murdered. When all this time he had been hiding in this very teahouse. That¡¯s why you rushed over here first the moment you heard the Chieftess went missing. It was your chance to help him escape when everyone was looking elsewhere!¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Martial Red Sister fanned herself with her sleeve, hiding a coy grin. ¡°Have no fear, my humble employer, Martial Kim, is taking good care of Young Master Amber. They¡¯re resting at Judge Dao¡¯s court, sharing a lovely story together in his private jail cell.¡± ¡°H...how did you know?¡± The Deputy kicked over the trunk, spilling the fake Lady Peony he had hired across the ground like a useless puppet. ¡°HOW IN THE HELLS DID YOU KNOW!?¡± ¡°Oh please,¡± Martial Red Sister scoffed. ¡°The moment you sliced off Lady Peony¡¯s hand, it triggered your death flag. Why go out of the way to cut the hand off a corpse? Because you had to hide the mess Young Master Amber left behind.¡± She then pulled out several pieces of paper from her sleeve and slapped it onto the table. They were revealed to be torn pages of a sort of book. Among the text and calligraphy, there were various images all depicting this vibrant and swirling in the shape of a butterfly made of living amber colours. ¡°The Amber Family started their humble origins as one of the most feared Assassin Guilds in the history of the Jade Empire. Their signature needle shooting technique, [The Kiss of the Amber Butterfly], are made with specially designed amber shards combined with strong mana capable of piercing through steel and killing their targets with slow mana burns.¡± Martial Red Sister snorted, ¡°They always left a bit of a calling card in the form of an orange butterfly on their victims, striking fear in everyone. Even when they turned to all business, they often resort to using this signature move as a last result ¨C which involves a lot of clean up work... That¡¯s why you had to cut off Lady Peony¡¯s hand...right Mr. Spy?¡± The Deputy flinched, the revelation hitting him harder than a hammer! ¡°Admit it!¡± Martial Red Sister smirked with a checkmate ¡°The only reason why you never once opened your trap every time the Chieftess dislocates it, is all in service of your true masters: The Amber Family. That¡¯s how they play their games right? Send in spy after spy into their rival¡¯s ranks and gather as much flaws, weakness, and secrets as possible. How else do you explain the Amber Family making gold and silver dance at a whim!¡± The Deputy lunged! He couldn¡¯t stand this farce any longer! He charged through the teahouse to try and hack up the woman in the kimono. ¡°RETURN THE YOUNG MASTER RIGHT NOW! I WILL NOT GIVE YOU A SWIFT DEATH IF YOU REFUSE!¡± ¡°Oh-ho-ho! You¡¯re true colours are showing~~~¡± Martial Red Sister was enjoying herself as she transformed into a nimble red monkey, dodging and flipping over every swipe. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, want to kill me and stuff me in a box full of salt too! Probably blame it on a damn jumping vampire!¡± Martial Red Sister lured the Deputy through the teahouse. She would sweep up the stairs, swinging from the ceiling, all the while cackling in how much the Deputy chased after her with rage in his eyes. They reached the second floor. There wasn¡¯t too many open spaces, not even for a small red leaping lemur to escape to. Just when the Deputy was about to land the killing blow. ¡°Enough.¡± The real Chieftess opened one the doors of the private dining room she had been sitting in...the entire time. The sight of her real person, in full regalia and expensive make up, made the Deputy choke on the air. So hard, he dropped his sword. The Chieftess stared at her husband, ¡°All these years, everything has been a lie?¡± She genuinely wanted to give the Deputy a chance to speak, but the turn of events stunned him too hard. That, or honest guilt was showing. ¡°Our marriage...was an objective? Peony¡¯s marriage, was a means to an end...For what?...Please...tell me the reason for all of this.¡± The Deputy was...truly speechless. All he could do was back away. He thought about picking up his sword, but he was already at the open jaws of the lion. He feared leaning forward, he would lose his hand entirely. The red leaping lemur transformed back to the human that was Martial Red Sister. She stood behind the Chieftess to whisper into her ear. ¡°[God Phantom Eyes]. The Silver Clan¡¯s own signature defense that has been protecting your generations. Ambitious people like the Amber Family want to find the weakness to your power in order to usurp the entire Silver Clan¡¯s authority. Unfortunately their original plan took 10 years too long, so they were forced to send in their trump card, the clever Young Master to try and figure everything out.¡± Martial Red Sister¡¯s voice changed tone, quieter, ¡°Lady Peony somehow found out about their connection, their true objective. How? Only they would know. Of course, she would try to warn you...thus, Young Master Amber ¨C her suitor ¨C killed her using the [Kiss of the Amber Butterfly]...¡± She finished her report by patting the other woman on the back. Now to watch the fireworks fly. The Chieftess marched over from the private room. Her eyes started to light up, activating the [God Phantom Eyes]. An ability that could control one¡¯s action with their emotions, manipulating euphoria, hopelessness, excitement, even fear in others with a glance of her stare. She tried it before, to force Martial Blue Sister to scamper away. This time, she directed it on her husband. ¡°Deputy...Pick up the sword...Kill yourself.¡± The Deputy groaned in pain from the influence invading his mind. His body twitched and flinched as it was forced to reach out and pick up his saber. He fought back with his willpower, but the anger in the Chieftess control was too great. He felt the cold steel of the sword on his neck and-- ¡°....Hahahahahahaha.¡± The Deputy relaxed, waving around his saber like a musician¡¯s baton. ¡°Finally. I can file for divorce. Keep the house.¡± Martial Red Sister gagged. She saw the incredibly faint screen of energy over his eyes. Could it be, he had a higher level of [Psychic Warding] that was hard to detect. Damn, she didn¡¯t calculate this turn of events! The Deputy used his [Thunder Leopard Saber Art] to blow up the teahouse. He split the building int two to make his half tip over and fall to the lower levels of the town. He used it to escape, flying through the debris to land in the streets below. Just as he tried to ran away, his escape was blocked off! The prisoners of Mutiny Inn appeared, racing around the corners of the streets to block him off. They split up into two groups, to cut off the front and back of the Deputy¡¯s escape. It seems Martial Red Sister paid them a visit, to free them from the manor cells as potential back up. Glad that investment paid off! ¡°You swine!¡± North Cloud Shipping Company drew their scimitar and morningstar maces. ¡°We¡¯ll hang your head in the company trophy room for the dishonour you forced upon us!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll avenge the boss you so happily killed!¡± The staff of Mutiny Inn wielded improvised weapons of sticks, shovels, rakes, and pitchforks. ¡°Get him!¡± The Prisoners of Mutiny Inn attacked! They surrounded the Deputy and attacked from all angles. Clearly their level was not up to par, not against a martial arts expert like the Deputy. He only need to dodge and give them kicks to the face to clear his way. In fact, he can easily kill them with a swing of his electric-charged blade! PEW PEW PEW! A flurry of water shot out, from alleys, store windows, and around the corner of various buildings. They would deflect and cancel out the Deputy¡¯s lightning attacks from harming the Mutiny Inn prisoners. He even saw shields of liquid and bursts of mop water get in his way, throwing off his balance. ¡°Damn water bender!¡± The Deputy shouted in the chaos. ¡°Show yourself you coward!¡± Nah, she¡¯d win by doing what introverts does best ¨C hiding! Martial Blue Sister, covered in black mud and lake scum, rode on a board of magical waves and darted through the narrow paths in the back alley. Every now and then she would use her [Azure Dragon¡¯s Flowing Water] to launch flying swords and curtains of water to cancel out the Deputy¡¯s attack, protecting the prisoners from this high level martial artist. If she fought the man one on one, she would surely lose so this was a better approach! Hit and run, hit and run! The Deputy cursed his luck as he was starting to get worn out. The ¡®weak prisoners¡¯ started to land hits on him, a pitch fork stab to the thigh and a morningstar smash to his forearm. In this pivotal moment, Martial Blue Sister saw a chance to end this fight once and for all! But! ¡°Chieftess watch out!¡± she cried. The Chieftess could be seen from the remaining half of the teahouse, the whole structure barely standing. Even in a dangerous spot, she fired blasts of force energy at the Deputy with her [God Phantom Eyes] in blind rage, exploding the ground everywhere. The recoil from the blasts crushed the half broken stairs she was balanced on. It forced her to fall, a straight drop to death. Martial Blue Sister had a choice. End the fight, or save the Chieftess. Memories flashed in her mind, of how the Chieftess made her suffer with her powers back in the Memorial Hall. There was a period of time, she was terrified of this woman... A choice was made and she threw every water she had under her control to summon a dragon made of thriving water. It flew over to catch the Chieftess, softening her landing. The Deputy took this chance to end it his way now. He fired a bolt of lightning, making it charge like a killer leopard, and it sliced through Martial Blue Sister¡¯s side. She coughed with blood as her wound smoked with fire and sparks before collapsing in a violent tumble. Before he could finish her off complete, Martial Red Sister crashed down onto him in the form of a giant red crab! She pinned him down with a large crab vice, allowing North Cloud Shipping Company to impale the Deputy in the back to disable him. ¡°I told you!¡± Martial Red Sister barked as she returned to her human form. ¡°Only I can bully little blue! Now stay down!¡± She then ran over to slap a healing spell onto her companion. It was very basic, enough power to heal a light scratch. But it should stabilize Martial Blue Sister long enough to find Martial Kim to help her make a full recovery. The Chieftess came over. Fuelled with rage, she ignored what happened to her rescue and picked up a pitchfork that fell in the chaos. Gripping it with both hands, she drove it towards the man that was the cause of her suffering. Martial Red Sister called out, ¡°If you truly want to get back at your true enemy, the Amber Family, you may want to keep your husband alive. Long enough for him to tell Judge Dao their secrets.¡± ¡°........AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!¡± A conflicted scream, and the Chieftess impaled the empty floor. Hiding tears of blood dropping from her eyes, she growled. ¡°...Just...leave....¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Martial Red Sister snorted. After giving a short nod to North Cloud Shipping Company and Mutiny Inn group, she transformed into a horse to carry the wounded Martial Blue Sister onto her back to gallop off. There was nothing more that needed to be done. Whatever happened after, was none of her business. ¡°Did...did you tell her?¡± Martial Blue Sister gasped with pain. ¡°That Chieftess was the one who killed Lady Peony?¡± The red horse responded with a curt bleat. ¡°If she heard it straight from the horses mouth, she¡¯ll hang herself. I don¡¯t want to add her life on my conscious. Besides, a power vacuum in the Silver Clan would be more troublesome. Best to let her live, blame it all on the Amber Family, wage a war against them if she wants and keep Lady Peony¡¯s memory alive.¡± She then sighed as she galloped faster. ¡°No one would have expected Lady Peony running up the mountains to where the Chieftess has been struggling to master the [God Phantom Eyes]. Neither did anyone predict, another daily rage quit would accidentally knock her own sister down the stone stairs. It¡¯s really no different than a child throwing a blind temper tantrum and destroying whatever was in reach.¡± Martial Blue Sister bite her lip. It was the only strength she had right now. ¡°Who was the girl? The one posing as Lady Peony...she never gave us her real name.¡± ¡°I guess we¡¯ll never know.¡± Martial Red Sister sighed. ¡°She played the part well, a ditzy airhead with a sense of adventure... Makes me wonder, what the real Lady Peony was like in person.¡± ¡°...It¡¯s not fair.¡± Martial Blue Sister whimpered, gripping onto the horses mane. ¡°It¡¯s just not fair.¡± ¡°Nothing is fair, little blue. That¡¯s why Moon Tavern has to right the wrongs of the world...but even then we¡¯re not gods. Can¡¯t always be a perfect solution.¡± Martial Blue Sister didn¡¯t know what to say. Perhaps, it was best she didn¡¯t touch upon it any further. Pain and exhaustion gripped at her shoulders and she felt heavy. So she had no touch but to close her eyes and submit to her weakness...a small tear running down her eye.
=== PEONY CASE ¨C END ===
FAIRY - Chapter 1 (Sword Fairy) Celestial Dreams. It is one of the top 10 brothels within the Capital City. Even when they do not hold the rank of number one in their community, so many people flock to their halls of pleasure like bees to a pot of fresh honey. The brothel was incredibly popular amongst the common folk, even within the history of the Jade Empire. There have been a few chapters in life, where Emperors personally invited them to perform at his birthday. They weren¡¯t just women who bed anyone, they were high class entertainers who were talented in all sorts of performance from dance, to music, and even literature. Every now and then there have always been one or two Courtesan who can be a surprise of the ages with what they can do outside of the bedroom. The best girls in Celestial Dreams were given the title of ¡®Flower Princess¡¯ by the masses, for their divine beauty and heavenly elegance. The elite. They possess many lovely tricks up and down their sleeves, so enthralling and fascinating that they need not always remove their pants to charm their clients. There was even rumour of a Crowned Prince gifting an entire county just to convince one of those Flower Princess to stay at one of his private estates for an entire summer. Same rumour has it, that Flower Princess had enough class to simply say ¡®no¡¯ and get away without losing her head. Of course, no one knows the true details as the Imperial Historian Department made sure that piece of royal history was deleted ¨C thoroughly. These Flower Princess of Celestial Dreams were well loved. Some called them idols of the world, some called them earthly goddesses. Many revere them as geniuses in the arts and passion. Fae Fae, was one of them. Bright and pleasant. She was someone who knew how to make men forget about the horrors and strife of the world without touching a bed. She could make her cheeks glow and sparkle like a crystal under the light from just a single sip of wine, a feature many of her clients love to watch and tease with another cup to make her sparkle harder. Clean and silky hair as vibrant as red coral, a soft cotton cloth hugged around her head with every thread well worn by the bittersweet tale in her life, and eyes that make others feel they were greeted by a gentle ocean of tranquility. Fae Fae never received a proper education, but she had a sharp mind and a flexible tongue ¨C literal or not. If there ever was an upcoming war between great nations, she would be the best candidate to act as the negotiator. She had this strange talent to share a few sweet words between the ears of sworn enemies, to suddenly make them host a grand festival together and even dance with arms around each other like they were long lost brothers finally reunited! Caring. Understanding. Patient. Even if lonely scholars drone on about their high ideals, how the world should behave, or talk about the weirdest of academic topics, Fae Fae knew how to smile and nod without judgment. Never a single yawn from her. And if a client becomes enraged over the pettiest of things, or depressed over the biggest of woes, Fae Fae had the innate ability to be whatever woman they please to bring them peace and consolation. Everyone called Fae Fae a genius. In reality, she spends many days and nights behind closed doors practicing the hell out of everything she was known to be good at. She was not born in a grand music academy, so every instrument she knew now were cultivation of countless of practice, cutting her finger tips, and private tutors with expensive rates. She was not born from a family of dancers, neither did she had the privilege to go to a proper dancing school. Her performances is a testament of simply bowing her head to her previous brothel seniors and retired legends to learn only bits and pieces ¨C then filling in the gaps with some creative footwork and twisting of her slender body. Of course no one ever followed progress, only the results, so she rarely bothers to explain the science of her ¡®genius¡¯ in front of others. And whenever she was showered in praises and admiration, she secretly thank the many people who helped her to reach this point in life. Fae Fae went by many names, both appropriate and inappropriate. There was one title her clients, patrons, and fans would present to her and hold it with the highest of respects in their art. ¡®The Sword Fairy.¡¯ Fae Fae¡¯s specialty was dancing with a sword. Even if she did not possess any martial arts skills, magic cultivation, nor did she have any formal training from a martial art sect or performing hall, she combined trial and error, experience, and wisdom of others to invent a series of dramatic swordplay that would inspire others. Be it stage, a balcony, or even the rails, she would show her perfect form, balance, and precision. Her personal favourite place to perform was: On top of the brothel¡¯s rooftop. Fae Fae would always tie this exotic red silk scarf to the end of her sword. Every spin and dance she creates would make the curtains flutter around like an angel seeking the face of her lover. A red so vibrant, people can see every detail of it¡¯s flight even from hundreds of miles away. Fae Fae was skillful enough to boldly toss her blade into the night air, make it flip and tumble with elegance by pulling at the cloth like a string puppet, then whipping the blade back to land into her palm without slicing herself. She always performed six stories above the ground, with 1000 pair of eyes witnessing her live performance. No wire work, no safety net, not even a stunt double, only pure skill and complex acrobatics across the loose and uneven roof tiles. It was not to show off her prowess neither was it a gimmick to help her stand out. Not everyone can visit the Celestial Dreams, obviously for various reasons. A house of pleasure where a single visit would cost at least 100 silver, enough to buy 10 horses if they had the coffers for it. Although the purpose of the business was to sell the body, with a place as high class and exquisite as Celestial Dreams, it also sold performances to wow the crowd ¨C an experience of a lifetime other than raw skinship. Fae Fae wanted to perform for everyone, regardless if they were clients of the night or people outside of the brothel walls. Deep down, there is that passion of an artists who wished to share her craft to those around her, to the world. To bring a sense of hope, creativity, and put a smile on others face. What better way to let near everyone in the Capital watch her performance, than dancing with a sword on top of the highest building in the Capital district. People who knew of her legends would always race to the nearest rooftop or balcony so they could catch a glimpse of her heavenly sword dance. From start to end, cheers and applause could not stop. Every step, flip, twirl, were all perfect in their eyes. Seeing the looks of awe on their faces paid off, from all the countless nights of choreographing in a corner of her room until her hands turned red and her feet chapped and bleeding. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. The amount of dedication she puts into her performance, to make others happy, be it friend or foe was well respected. The patrons of all classes hail her as a goddess incarnate. It always made her blush and become conscious, another endearing trait. At the same time, such fame and recognition always drew ire from her fellow Courtesans. What does she have that they do not? They always wondered. They were prettier than Fae Fae, smarter than Fae Fae, knew more exotic and foreign performances than Fae Fae, not to mention they had better money makers than the so called Sword Fairy! However, just seeing Fae Fae dance with a sword and silk on the roof, make any instrument sing and dance with a touch of her fingers, even reciting over 1000 poems in her drunken inspiration...they give up hating her and can only admire this woman¡¯s hard work. Not to mention, Fae Fae was smart when it comes to human relationships. She knew how to bribe her co-workers with fancy jewellery, exotic hairpins, or limited edition cloth! The Sword Fairy was the type to make more friends than she could enemy. Or make bad guys just jelly in their leg after she shares a passionate night with them. She always knew exactly how to make a lonely heart feel loved and respected without putting on airs. Pure honesty through and through... ...So, it can be very difficult to imagine her not being punctual to her next performance. In the recent weeks Fae Fae had been working on a new sword dance, one that would surpass all of her previous work. Some rumoured it was going to be her greatest masterpiece. Of course when word got out, everyone had to come to Celestial Dreams to bear witness of this masterpiece! However on the night of that schedule performance, people didn¡¯t expect to be entertained with a series of variety shows. Other Courtesans and Flower Princess would all come up to their regular stages on the ground, strumming the koto and guzheng, playing the lute or shamisen, one of them even does a stageplay worthy of an opera house.....But every now and then, the audience cannot help but look up and eye the rooftop of the Celestial Dreams. Empty. No special lightning, no fancy decorations just...a regular roof. As mentioned, everyone looked at the results and never the progress. So while they kept their eyes on the front stage, they were blind to the chaos that was happening in the backstage. ¡°MAMA-SAN! MAMA-SAN¡± The Brothel Owner called for his assistant. ¡°Come over here, quick!¡± The assistant was a Courtesan Mother, someone who has been in Celestial Dream the longest, has the most experience, and had been promoted as a chief manager of all the younger entertainers and servers within the brothel. Managers like her were often referred to as Mama-San, a borrowed term coined to represent the managers of renown and elegant Geisha Brothels in the lands of the Taiko Shogunate. As Mama-San sounded cute, endearing, and easy to remember, any manager in a brothel would carry such a work title. The Mama-san of Celestial Dreams came running while holding her entire late 50s on her short legs. She dashed across the backstage area to the owner faster than a man on fire. ¡°Fae Fae is not in her room! And yes, I checked EVERYWHERE in the brothel! Can¡¯t find her at all!¡± ¡°Where the hell is she!?¡± The Brothel Owner gasped in panic, trying to keep his screams down from leaking onto the front stage. ¡°She¡¯s never late once in her life, why of all times would she be late now!...Oh sh--¡± The current performance just ended. The Courtesan outside would curtsy while hugging her lute and shuffled off the stage. The Brothel Owner tried to shove her back outside, make up an encore even if the audience didn¡¯t ask to stall for time! Unfortunately, the Courtesan had another schedule performance somewhere else so she had to go. After a war that lasted 3 minutes, the Brothel Owner gave up and grabbed someone else to toss onto the stage. A pair of adorable looking twins...which, he saved for last. Not because they were the best, but they were the worst. But if it can buy him some time, he¡¯ll take his chances. ¡°This is bad, this is very bad!¡± The Brothel Owner mumbled and wiped the sweat off his face, drenching his entire sleeve. ¡°This isn¡¯t like Fae Fae! She¡¯s never been a no-show in her entire career! Rain or shine, sick or health, she always come shows up on time! What do I do? What do we tell the audience? Especially wh-when she boasted how her new sword dance would make even the toughest grand masters of the martial arts world swoon head over heels! Her greatest masterpiece!¡± ¡°H-hold up!¡± Mama-san stopped the man. ¡°It was YOU who advertise that slogan! It was YOU who fanned the flames about it being a masterpiece! And it was YOU who scheduled the show despite knowing Fae Fae has gone to visit a temple for prayer! So don¡¯t you be blaming your screw up on her!¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t talk back to me woman!¡± The Brothel Owner snapped. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~~~! Was it something he said!? It was only a moment later, the Brothel Owner realized the boos wasn¡¯t directed to him. It was at the twins he just pushed out into the lion¡¯s den. Being cute could only last for so long. They were just as hard working as any other Courtesan but they just...were terrible. They pulled off every trick: stage combat stunts, cart wheels, flips, playing a duet with nervous screeches and twangs. They even pulled out their finishing move! St-stand up comedy!?¡ªGET OFF THE STAGE! DO IT, DO IT, DO IT NOW! The crowd started to throw their expensive wine and exotic tea cakes from their table to shoo off the twin performers, making them dart back stage and break down crying. The Brothel Owner cursed his luck. ¡°Mama-san, I choose you!¡± ¡°Oh hell no! I may have been known for swallowing many things ¨C swords is not one of them! Why don¡¯t you go out and give them an interpretive dance!¡± The owner and manager began to bicker, until they started to hear chanting. WE WANT FAE! WE WANT FAE! WE WANT FAE! With no other choice, the Brothel Owner shoved the Mama-san out into the spotlight. She staggered onto the stage, all lights on her. She tried to retreat, but the Brother gestured death threats right back at her. Fix it, he mouthed! ¡°...Ladies and gentlemen, humble and prestigious guests.¡± Mama-san did what she does best, tame the lions. Even if she didn¡¯t have a whip or chair. Surely in her 50 odd years as a high class prostitute she would have something up her skirt to resolve this! ¡°We would like to thank all of you for coming to this momentous event... Unfortunately, our dear Fae Fae has fallen ill. She is completely bedridden.¡± Immediately, the crowd went from ¡®get off the stage¡¯ to ¨C ¡®dear god, is she alright?¡¯ ¡®Call the doctor?¡¯ ¡®No, call the royal physician!¡¯ Worried murmurs could be heard among the masses. Even the most selfish and greedy of the crowd offered to donate their best medicine or even a revivifying ginseng to help the poor Flower Princess with the concerns of a loving father. This made Mama-san even more guilty, but the show...must go on. ¡°Er. She tried many medicines to recover in time. She really hoped she had enough strength to-to deliver to you her masterpiece of a life time. So it is with heavy heart to-to say tonight''s performance...is cancelled.¡± She shut her eyes. She expected to be buried in all sorts of garbage and furniture. Being smothered alive by her patrons was not how she wanted to go out... ...One by one, the crowd got up to leave. Not coldly. They would call out prayers for Fae Fae for a swift recovery. Some would personally approach the Mama-san and share suggestions to how to help Fae Fae or if there was anything they could do with limitless, or limited, resources they had. There were even donations of various proportions to pay for medical fees or expensive medicine. From a wholesome1 copper to a considerate 1000 silver. Poor, rich, high class, low class, they all made sure to express what Fae Fae would like and dislike under these circumstances like worried parents. Every word of kindness and concern stabbed Mama-san in the heart. But she kept on a thankful smile, at least her gratitude was from the bottom of her soul. No one complained, no one caused a fight. Even a beggar who had snuck to watch the Sword Fairy in stayed behind to clean up any garbage left behind from scaring off the other performers. Didn¡¯t even steal any excess food or drinks as compensation, it would be too disrespectful of Fae Fae¡¯s absence. Such love and kindness for their idol. The Mama-san could only bow in thanks to them all, hiding tears of shame. It was only when she was alone did she show her true colours and grabbed a chair to drag it towards the Brothel Owner. ¡°PARLAY! PARLAY!¡± The Brothel Owner squeaked, his moustache curling up in fear. He would dodge the swings of the Mama-san, ducking behind a thin stagehand. ¡°Hold your temper Mama-San! Everything will be resolved once we find Fae Fae!¡± ¡°Look at what you¡¯ve done!¡± Mama-san pointed at the clean and empty seats. ¡°Everyone is heart broken because you kept stoking the fire! I have to offer tribute to thanks the gods for the mercy Fae Fae¡¯s followers have shown! To think they expressed more humanity than a walking blubber like you who milk our Princesses like a cash cow! At least let me crack open your skull, before I hide in a Buddhist temple to pray off my violence!¡± ¡°Wait! Th-that won¡¯t solve one bit of the problem!¡± The Brothel Own gasped and screamed for his life. ¡°F-Fae Fae is never late, so-so why did she not show up now!? Where could she have gone too at a critical time like this!¡± FAIRY - Chapter 2 (Golden Man) Fae Fae had to cancel her appointments and performances the next morning...because she had yet to return. Mama-san would always check on her room every 10 minutes. Deep down she had hoped Fae Fae was in fact hiding in a corner of her bedroom within the brothel living quarters, maybe due to a personal secret she couldn¡¯t face or maybe a bad client she didn¡¯t dare to mention. Mama-san didn¡¯t care if Fae Fae suddenly became a prankster and would jump out at the last minute to say ¡®HAH! Got you¡¯. But the manager knew Fae Fae was never that type of girl. She had a good record, even her references from the previous brothels all praised her and wish for her success in higher heights. So it was just unsettling to see Fae Fae¡¯s room being this dead and empty. Not wanting to throw herself into a pit of despair, she tried to return to work to distract herself. But all morning, afternoon, even to the early evening she used any moment in her schedule to sneak a question to the Courtesans, staff, even clients who frequent Celestial Dreams. Have you seen Fae Fae? Have you heard of her in any private channels they knew? Have you even run into her by chance and were asked not to mention it? Anything? No. Nope. Nothing. And woman what the hell are you on about? Yes, the last one was the Brothel Manager. One would think he would show a decent amount of concern for the situation. One of his best girls have gone missing, yet there he was at his front counter ticking away at his abacus to count his profits and losses like any other day. Sometimes, Mama-san just wants to grab a chair and split his head open like firewood... Actually might as well. ¡°WOMAN! PUT THAT CHAIR DOWN, RIGHT NOW!¡± The Brothel Owner barked at his manager as he saw killing intent in her movements. ¡°If you have something to say, just out with it verbally! Not physically!¡± ¡°Something¡¯s wrong and you know it!¡± Mama-san would snap back. ¡°Fae Fae hasn¡¯t been back in the brothel since last night! It¡¯s about to be her evening shows and poetry event, yet there¡¯s not so much of a peep from her whereabouts! Aren¡¯t you worried something¡¯s bad happened to her?¡± ¡°I am very fond of the girl,¡± The Brothel Owner muttered, shaking up his abacus to start all over again. ¡°As much as I want to spend the day to pray in a corner of my office, we still have a business to run. We have many other girls that many other clients seek after. Yes, Fae Fae has the best fanbase ¨C but we still have Flower Princesses who rake in more money than she could in a single night!¡± ¡°Oh for heaven¡¯s sakes!!¡± Mama-san would huff with indignation. ¡°Why does it always have to be profits with you? Do you not care for Fae Fae, as a human? I say we call on the Imperial Constabulary, to go and find her!¡± ¡°Hah! Good luck with that! You know better than anyone the Imperial Constabulary don¡¯t give a care for prostitutes, no matter how high class they are.¡± The Brothel Owner laughed. ¡°They don¡¯t even pay much attention to a dead hooker, let alone a live one.¡± ¡°NO!¡± Mama-san tried to slap at the Brothel Owner for his words, but he kept dodging. ¡°How could you say such a thing! Spit it out right now or you¡¯ll curse her!¡± The Brothel Owner groaned before he dipped his head to the side to spit the ¡®bad words¡¯ into a spittoon as an auspicious action. Another way of saying touch wood more or less. He calmed down and reset his abacus again with a flick. ¡°Maybe Fae Fae met a client along the way. And he happened to be VERY eager to spend the night with her and brought her back to his manor or inn.¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Mama-san snapped. ¡°You¡¯re the owner. How can you forget the company¡¯s policy for this kind of solicitation!? Well paying or not, there¡¯s always the one two mad man who lures young girls into a wolves den and sully her or... Fae Fae is not that kind of girl! Besides, we have the best beds compared to all the inns and stay-in taverns the Capital has to offer, maximized for the best of pleasures! Why have business anywhere else!?¡± ¡°Pfft. Come now Mama-san. You know damn well no one follows the rules under the roof of this brothel.¡± The Brothel Manager paused in his counting to smirk. ¡°No doubt you¡¯ve broken a few rules with that popular mouth of yours for a quick buck as a side job.¡± Mama-san tried to slap the man again. He dodged. Unsatisfied, she tried to throw a chair at him as a ranged attack. ¡°STOP IT WOMAN! You¡¯re making a scene!¡± The Brothel Owner used the crowd and staff¡¯s staring to catch Mama-san off guard before grabbing the chair out of her grip and setting it faaaar away from her reaches. ¡°Call the other Flower Princess and stage hands on standby. If Fae Fae is no show again for her poetry recital, we have to change to something else. We still got paying customers.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°No ¡®ifs¡¯ or ¡®ands¡¯. If the client wants a nice butt, give it to them¡ªNo not YOU!¡± That was that. Mama-san was forced to resume her responsibilities, even when she couldn¡¯t sweep her worries under the rug. In preparation the Brothel Owner snorted, sat down in the chair Mama-san tried to use on him, and went back to finish counting... ...Only for the chair to break under his weight with a hard SNAP. FLOP. Everything went on as expected. Nothing new. No changes. Several clients did take the initiative to grab at Mama-san and ask about Fae Fae. About her condition since last night or curious if she was available for a ¡®new idea¡¯ they had for their ¡®nightly duel¡¯. One by one, Mama-san used the same excuse to end the conversations and general inquiries. Fae Fae was not feeling well, she is bed ridden, perhaps another time. Last night was terrible, apologizing to an expecting crowd. Now, she just felt horrified of what happened. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Especially when Fae Fae had not returned to the brothel on the third day. Unable to handle it, Mama-san rallied some Courtesan, stage hands, and employees to form a search party. When she explained the situation, everyone shared her sentiment to find their friend and brothel sister. They were a family after all and they never turn their backs on each other! Let¡¯s go! Alas, the Brothel Owner refused to let any of them leave the brothel. If everyone went out looking, then he would have no one covering shifts or bed. Losing profits was one matter, being unable to operate even at a minimum level was not acceptable in his books. As the Celestial Dreams was a high class establishment it involved a lot of high class costs. Best food, best wine, best clothing, best designers, best musicians, even best cleaners to keep everything hygienic. They even have their own private doctor to prevent sexual diseases. Not to mention virility and contraceptive recipes don¡¯t come cheap! Thus the Brothel Owner had enough weight to scatter the search party to have them resume their jobs, or else they won¡¯t have one to come back too. Leaving Mama-san absolutely distraught. ¡°Gods damn it all!¡± Unable to sit around on her hands, she tried to look herself. Only to run into a young woman. ¡°OOF!¡± ¡°OOH! Forgive me Mama-san!¡± The young woman was a handmaiden who worked in the Celestial Dream brothel. She sold her body not for pleasure, but for servitude and her job position usually involved waiting hand and foot to the many Courtesans in the brothel as a personal assistant. In fact, this Handmaiden belonged to Fae Fae and had been working with her since her previous station prior transferring to the capital. Meaning! ¡°Oh! I am so so glad you are back!¡± Mama-san beamed with hope and gave the Handmaiden a tight hug. ¡°You and Fae Fae are finally back! Wonderful! Quick, go and get washed up and have some food. You both must be starving! I¡¯ll tell the old coot the owner Fae Fae is finally back home! Oh you have no idea how worried we were!¡± ¡°...Wait.¡± The Handmaiden stared for a moment. She didn¡¯t go to school, she can¡¯t even read or write. So taking a good 5 minutes to figure out what Mama-san just said was an understandable reaction. ¡°Miss Fae Fae didn¡¯t come back!?¡± ¡°WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN!?¡± ¡°W-we split up!¡± The Handmaiden squeaked. ¡°S-something came up for me and-and Miss Fae Fae went on ahead. W-we agreed to meet back in Celestial Brothel today!¡± A string in Mama-san¡¯s heart just snapped. No longer thinking about her job or what her employer would say she rushed out of the brothel doors. She experienced what all parents would go through once they found out their child has gone missing or abducted out of the blue. And she couldn¡¯t bear it, the pain in her chest. However, she barely left more than 30 paces from the brothel when she was intercepted by someone. A familiar face. An old face. ¡°Ah! Mama-san, what a pleasant surprise to run into you!¡± The old man called as he shuffled over with a holly gait and a cheery grin. ¡°M-Mister Golden!?¡± The name of the old man held a lot of weight ¨C literally. He was the founder and owner of one of the biggest goldsmith chain in the Capital: Great Golden Goldsmith. So essentially his name was a walking brand. His business card came in the form of custom made rings of gold on his many fingers and thumbs, a bright gold necklace with ruby studs, even his black clothing and buttons were laced with some sort of bright gold aesthetic. He carried with him a box under his arm, coiling his hands around it to keep it safe and secure. The second he approached Mama-san, he shoved it into her hands. ¡°Here you go!¡± Mister Golden gave a jolly laugh. ¡°So what¡¯s next?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You know, the agreement.¡± ¡°Wh-what agreement?¡± Mama-san couldn¡¯t stop herself from parroting Mister Golden, her brain was so fried right now. ¡°What is exactly in this¡ªOH DEAR GODS!¡± She opened the lid of the box ¨C AND WAS BLINDED BY A VICIOUS GOLDEN AURA! Mama-san quickly slammed it shut before she permanently lost her vision, if not her mind. What she just saw, the size and amount was insane! She couldn¡¯t help a screech. ¡°Wh-what is the meaning of this sir!?¡± ¡°Oh you knoooow.¡± Mister Golden couldn¡¯t help a tap on her shoulder, as if he was 40 years younger and hanging out with the bros. ¡°No need to play coy. As embarrassing as the news is, I know we¡¯re both happy with our decision. You should be too!¡± He noticed Mama-san just staring at him. So for the sake of clarity he told her the obvious answer. ¡°I asked Fae Fae¡¯s hand in marriage. She said yes! Ha-ha! Wow, I feel so alive just saying it right now! It¡¯s a long story, but a week ago I proposed to her to join my family. Now, I know, she can only get the status of a concubine ¨C but she agreed to my offer and I swore on my mother¡¯s grave I would take good, good care of her!¡± ¡°....¡± Mama-san wanted to say WHAT!?... but what happened in the last two days and hearing this joyous news, made her realize she hadn¡¯t slept in the last few days to think tactically. ¡°This,¡± Mister Golden patted the heavy box in her hand. ¡°Is my offer in buying out her contract from the brothel. I want to make her a free woman and start fresh! Ah, just thinking of all the beautiful children she would give birth to bearing my family name makes me feel younger. Hahaha! Now, I would have came sooner, but Fae Fae and I agreed to bring you the money a week later after she sort some things out with the brothel and tell you. Which, is supposed to be today...Surely she should have told you, as you¡¯re both so close right? Hahaha!¡± Mister Golden waited for a response. When he got none, he tried to fill in the dead air. ¡°I know what you¡¯re feeling. Fae Fae was practically a daughter to you. Yes, yes of course. Why, she requested I treat you as her mother ¨C future mother-in-law. Hahahahaah!....Hello? Mama-san?¡± He waved a hand over the woman¡¯s face, to check if her mind was still in her body. He even poked at her to make sure she hadn¡¯t turned into a statue. ¡°Mama-san? Is the amount too little. No need to be shy, I have plenty of gold and money at my¡ª¡± ¡°Fae Fae is gone.¡± It was Mister Golden¡¯s turn to say WHAT!? The man had a lot of mixed emotions in that very minute, from shock, to confusion, to jealously, and maybe anger. But when Mama-san explained everything down to the finest detail, fear took his heart. He even stumbled from how crippling the sensation was. So he joined in Mama-san¡¯s quest to search for Fae Fae. The only thing Mama-san knew was Fae Fae visiting a temple, but never mentioned which one. Simply put, there were more temples than general stores in the Capital City. With more than 10 different types of religions in and out of the Jade Empire. The permutations of possibility would be too staggering for an old rich man and a veteran prostitute with short legs to achieve. ¡°...Wait. I know exactly what to do! Mama-san return to the brothel! I am going to call in a favour!¡± Without further ado, Mister Golden paid double to get a palanquin to instantly come and pick him up, and paid triple to have them taxi him to a destination as fast as they could. With the speed of a whirlwind, they dashed from one district to another until they screeched to a smoking halt. Mister Golden didn¡¯t wait for them to stop complete and hopped out. Racing up the steps of a certain tavern with a crescent moon symbol hanging on the sign. FAIRY - Chapter 3 (Moon Tavern) Moon Tavern was a well known name in the Capital City, if not the entire Jade Empire. Their claim to fame isn¡¯t just the dishes and wine they serve. Rather it is a special type of service that no other catering establishment could offer. They served as a major social hub and gathering place of all talents and wandering heroes of the great martial arts world. Many of their visitors, as well as their employees, were all talented martial arts fighters, swordsman and women, spear users, to even those who dabble in either magical or astral spiritual arts. Moon Tavern had many connections in and out of the martial arts world, even having eyes and ears between the lawful Empire and the chaotic criminal under realm. They take on jobs and request to look into strange matters or bizarre cases within the martial arts community. Among the staff was someone who was referred to as Martial Yellow Sister. She had just returned from a sick leave, fully refreshed. What was her sickness, she¡¯ll have to think of it now as she walked into Moon Tavern. All she did was wave a doctor¡¯s slip she forged and it was enough to get her off a week worth of shifts. No one can call her a criminal. She hasn¡¯t stolen or told any harmful lies. Neither can anyone trust her with even the smallest of secrets. She was the type of person who just liked to have an easy going life ¨C and get paid for it. Many would tease about how selling her body was easier, but even then she was too lazy for that kind of work life. Besides, she likes to go on little mysteries ¨C as much as her employer, Martial Kim. ¡°...Oh?¡± She whispered to herself. He¡¯s not at his station. How odd?¡± Martial Yellow Sister would flap the dust out of her many layer of cloth she had hanging off her arms and body. She tapped a fancy looking walking stick against the sides of her leather boots to beat the dust out of her sole. She wore a large straw hat, not of fancy quality but it kept the sun out of her face and avoid bleaching her sunlight yellow hair any further. The woman would glance around. It was another busy day, much to her luck after coming from a sick leave to avoid work. In saying that, she would expect to see Martial Kim throwing a joke her way, something about ¨C how was your vacation. Oh he knew the truth of her sick leave, that¡¯s why she always waved the forged paper to dupe an unknowing martial brother or sister on duty. Makes life easier, she believed. It was tradition, to her at least, to come back and share a witty comment or two to Martial Kim who was always found at the bar. As it was empty while the tavern was near full house, she found the whole situation feeling a bit off. So she got a bit serious and took her hat off to rest it on the empty wine counter. She would greet her fellow co-workers, getting some welcome back or ¡®you bitch¡¯ sneers, as she explore the tavern. She loved to tap her cane around and pretend she was rich and wealthy, doing a fancy little twirl with it and a heel clicking dance. She stopped doing that when she had trouble finding Martial Kim out in the obvious open. He works nearly 24/7, rarely gets sick. The tavern¡¯s atmosphere was his vacation and catching any mysteries floating into the halls were his lunch breaks, so it would make sense he would always be present. As a disciple to Martial Kim in the field of investigations, she used the process of elimination to help to speed her mind to a proper conclusion. If Martial Kim isn¡¯t out in the open, meaning he is hiding. When he does hide, it is usually something big. An important client? Martial Yellow Sister mused it over. Immediately she knew where to go and it wasn¡¯t far away. Most likely he was using one of the private dining rooms. They were made as an isolated space for small parties of family gatherings to sit down and enjoy each other¡¯s company without the rowdy ambience of the tavern spoiling the mood. Besides, Martial Kim didn¡¯t like being too formal. He doesn¡¯t bring clients or visitors into an office. Sometimes he would chat with them out in the open, at his wine counter, or just a corner of the tavern. Any serious cases that demands some hush hush, the private dining rooms were casual enough to let all confidential information out. The rooms were designed to keep sound in and noise out. So it was very difficult to listen what was going on inside by naked ear. However, Martial Yellow Sister had a little trick up her sleeve to solve that problem. [Soul Silk Construct Formation]. It was special mana cultivation technique where she can use her spiritual energy to fuse them into cloth and fabric so she could manipulate their movements and density. Essentially she can turn something like a kitchen towel into a sword in times of emergencies. Hence why she is layered in robes, coats, scarves, even multiple sashes. Her clothing was essentially her ammunition. She used a skill called which allowed her to transform her cloth into small utility objects. For example she morphed her kerchief into an ear horn, the same type people who have hard of hearing would use to communicate with the world. The woman would put it next to her ear to listen through the private door. By the time she heard voices, she pretty much got the gist of what was going on...Oh ho ho, how scandalous. That was when from behind the door a sound of a loud CLAP caught her off guard. ¡°AAAAAAAAGH!" Martial Yellow Sister fell over like a stick and rolled around in pain, gripping her one ear. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Everyone around her either stared at her if she was throwing a tantrum, or just sneered at the lazy grasshopper for fooling around. The door to the private dining room opened, where Martial Kim would poke his head out to say, ¡°That¡¯s what you get for not knocking.¡± ¡°GODS DAMN IT, EVERY TIME!¡± Martial Yellow Sister cursed her lazy attitude in life, she kept forgetting Martial Kim always knew when to blow her ear drums like that. Martial Kim would kindly ignore his companion before he gestured the visitor to step out first out of courtesy. He said, ¡°I understand your concern, Mr. Golden. Your favour will be well spent. I will do what I can to help you.¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± Mr. Golden stumble out. He glanced at Martial Yellow Sister rolling around in pain on the floor, before he shook Martial Kim¡¯s hand to add, ¡°I-I am counting on you and Moon Tavern to find her.¡± Martial Kim bowed and showed the door to Mr. Golden. Once the visitor was gone, the owner of Moon Tavern would come and stare at Martial Yellow Sister with a grin. ¡°So.¡± He spoke up, folding his arms and sleeves of his snow white hanbok. ¡°How was your vacation?¡± Martial Yellow Sister hissed and rubbed her eavesdropping ear as she brought herself up on her cane. Once she got her balanced restored, she couldn¡¯t help a chortle. ¡°Whatever do you mean? I was sick with hay fever. Coff coff.¡± ¡°Hah. One of these days, Martial Yellow Sister, you¡¯ll really get sick and no one would believe you.¡± Martial Kim would give a light slap on top of the woman¡¯s head in a teasing manner, ¡°Everyone will have you mop the entire floors while you have a skull breaking fever and there¡¯s nothing to complain about. That¡¯s what you get for crying wolf every week.¡± ¡°Ahem. So,¡± Martial Yellow Sister jeered back while fixing her hair, ¡°This Fae Fae case. I reckon you need my help.¡± ¡°Needing help is not the right word.¡± Martial Kim poked her nose to add, ¡°I need to teach you how to be a better investigator, so I am voluntelling you to come with me. Grab my murder kit while you¡¯re at it, we have much to do young disciple!¡± Martial Yellow Sister sighed with content. That is the Martial Kim she knew. Despite being ¡®bullied¡¯ she gladly picked up Martial Kim¡¯s personal briefchest ¨C a large wooden box with a well worn strap made of animal hide to hang off the shoulder ¨C and tapped her cane to follow him out the tavern door. They weather was beautiful, despite the job they had taken on. The city acted as usual, roving about in their day. It¡¯s not like the governor¡¯s daughter was the one who gone missing so there was no need for a state of panic. Along the way down the street, the two would share their curiosities. ¡°So, this Mr. Golden,¡± said Martial Yellow Sister. ¡°I have no doubt he is the one and the same owner of Great Golden Goldsmith company yes? Essentially a super rich man. How did a martial artist from the realm of rough and tumble vigilantes run into such a gold collar?¡± ¡°Ah, funny story actually.¡± Martial Kim adjusted his large wide brim mesh hat with a top cone, making sure the hat ribbons were wound securely under his chin. ¡°There was a case I was stumped on, about a dead man turned into a golden bust. Mr. Golden was the only expert in the field who would give me the time of day. In exchange, I help him sort out some problems related to the martial arts community or pair him with a reliable bodyguard for his long distance trips. We have a very friendly business relationship.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Martial Yellow Sister nod before asking, ¡°And this Fae Fae. What is she to him?¡± ¡°Mr. Golden is one of Fae Fae¡¯s major patron at the brothel. The, uh, regular type.¡± ¡°The man is old enough to be my great grandfather. How is he alive after all those intense night battles with a youth like Fae Fae? I am shocked he hasn¡¯t blown more than an artery.¡± Martial Kim blushed a bit and tried to laugh off the awkward atmosphere. ¡°Well as he would put it, men of any age has their need. Courtesan Fae Fae and himself have been seeing each other at Celestial Dreams brothel for quite some time. Practically so smitten with her, Mr. Golden decided to risk his reputation to marry her into his house. I know what you are thinking, but to me it¡¯s very romantic. True love in a house of pleasure.¡± ¡°An expensive true love.¡± Martial Yellow Sister scoffed as she tapped her cane into the stone tiled streets. ¡°Is she REALLY that good?¡± ¡°Clearly you don¡¯t know Fae Fae!¡± The young master in the hanbok laughed. ¡°Fae Fae is one of a kind, a talented performer. Zero martial arts and she could put on a riveting sword dance that would make swordsmen like me conscious. I am a BIG admirer of her sword dances she hosts on top of the Celestial Dreams rooftop. So divine like a heavenly angel!¡± ¡°You know,¡± Martial Yellow Sister giggled. ¡°The more you praise her like that, the more I feel you consider spending a night with her yourself to get more than just her autograph.¡± ¡°A-are you kidding?¡± Martial Kim yelped with more panic than embarrassment. ¡°Do you know how much Fae Fae costs!? One night ¨C just one night ¨C and I have to put the entire tavern on mortgage!¡± After that outburst he pinched at his hat to calm down, hiding his face from wary lookers. ¡°Speaking of which, I find it odd it took three days before any inquiry to her disappearance was made. Haven¡¯t even alerted the Constabulary. Makes me wonder if something else is going on in the brothel she serves.¡± ¡°Who knows.¡± Martial Yellow Sister shrugged, ¡°maybe it¡¯s simple rivalry, or she was getting too old.¡± She would take a moment to play around with her scarf that draped around her neck like a snake, rubbing out the creases with her fingers. ¡°Worse case scenario, It¡¯s a kidnapping. During my trip¡ªI mean sick leave, I heard it¡¯s become very common in other towns to abduct top brand prostitutes and ransom them for money. A despicable get-rich-quick scheme, if I may say.¡± ¡°The possibilities are endless.¡± Martial Kim then said, ¡°That is why we should start from the top at Celestial--¡± Suddenly, a horse broke through the streets. It bounded like a mad animal spurring hard. As Martial Kim and Martial Yellow Sisters were martial artists, they instinctively dodged with their powers. Martial Yellow Sister used her [Soul Silk Construct Formation] to manipulate her scarf to bounced her up high into the air with the power of a giant spring coil. Martial Kim was a master of an elemental technique known as [White Tiger Flying Snow]. With his internal mana, he can produce snow and blizzards at will in any shape, size, and form. With an explosion of snow, the force sent him flying up higher than most people can jump and allowed him to land to balance on the very top of a balcony railing of a local teahouse. The mad horse smashed through the cloud of snow Martial Kim used, startling it. After skidding to a slippery halt, the rider on its back slapped the snow off his face. Without even wondering where it came from, he barked. ¡°Ah-ha! I knew it was you Martial Kim! Great timing, I need your help! Get your ass down here!¡± ¡°Inspector Lee?¡± Martial Kim called out as he recognized the rider. Inspector Lee was a member of the Imperial Constabulary, Wolf District. A man in a thick blue and silver uniform, black folded hat, and a steadfast moustache and beard as black as fresh coal on his face. He waved both Martial Kim and Martial Yellow Sister down. Martial Kim hesitated with, ¡°Sorry, my companion and I are in a middle of something important.¡± ¡°Well I got something three times as important. No time to explain!¡± Inspector Lee snapped and turned his horse about, whacking the compacted snow off the horses¡¯ mane. ¡°Something urgent came up, only you can fix it. So come on let¡¯s go, go, go!¡± FAIRY - Chapter 4 (Heads or Tails) Inspector Lee was a good man...if not rough around the edges. Some would ask ¡®how in the nine hells did this bull make inspector¡¯, some say he earned it after bull rushing one case after another. What made him stand out wasn¡¯t just his iron hard loyalty, his tough and menacing exterior, or his hot temper that gets any job done. He was one of the few in the Imperial Court who knew when exactly to call on outside help for crisis like this. Normally there are many prideful positions who turn their nose up at the mention of martial artists and vigilantes. Inspector Lee was dragging Moon Tavern after him out of the capital. Dragging was a bit of an exaggeration. Both members of Moon Tavern were magical cultivators by default, and given the Inspector¡¯s horse could only support one man, they used their powers to travel conveniently alongside the lawman. Martial Kim rode on a cloud of animated snow in the form of a mighty tiger pounding across the road. While Martial Yellow Sister chose a more elegant approach and rode on a glider made of her robes. As the glider was anchored to the snow tiger¡¯s tail by a reinforced sash, it looked like the snow creature was playing with a kite under a sunny day. The area they were entering was a large mass of low cut woods, thick bushes, if not drowning in high grass. It was one of those places ideal for bandits or highway man to sleep, eat, and wake up to spring out to make everyone stand and deliver. The main road was empty save for a few travelers and woodcutters coming to and fro from a nearby village to the Capital. ¡°Of all times for the coroner to get married!¡± Inspector Lee snapped while he pushed his horse faster down the rode. ¡°Man just up and dropped his letter of resignation so he can settle down with a girl 20 years his junior! No warning, just left and expected us to shower him in blessings ¨C rat bastard! We¡¯ve been left without a coroner for weeks and still waiting for the new guy from head office!¡± Inspector Lee turned to Moon Tavern and barked over the beating of the hooves, ¡°Martial Kim, you¡¯re the best man I know who can fill in the position. So you gotta help us out for a bit until someone takes over!¡± ¡°I would be more than happy to help,¡± Martial Kim waved one hand while his other hand gripped on the ¡®fur¡¯ of his snow tiger. ¡°That is what Moon Tavern is for, to lending a helping hand! Now, what is this emergency you¡¯re dragging us to?¡± ¡°A dead body!¡± Inspector Lee guided the others to jump off road and travel down a well worn trail. ¡°A woodcutter found it just this early morning. We need you to do forensics before we move the corpse back to the station.¡± Upon hearing the reason, Martial Kim froze. He nearly lost his concentration, else his snow tiger would fall apart like a cloud of cotton and he would fall over. Both Martial Kim and Martial Yellow Sister exchanged worried glances, but kept their mouth shut for now. At this point it was a coin flip made by the heavens. Heads, tails. Was it. Was it not? The answer would be revealed once the divine hand uncovers the answer. It did not take long before Inspector Lee brought Moon Tavern to the scene of the crime. It was a large clearing hidden behind a foliage of bushes and short trees, barely visible from the main road¡¯s vantage point. Surrounding the perimeter were a series of men and women in blue and silver uniform, much like Inspector Lee. All of them armed with standard issue scimitars. Surrounding a single covered tarp within the center of the circle. ¡°Alright.¡± Inspector Lee hopped off his horse and snapped his fingers to everyone, including the new coroner and his assistant. ¡°Lads listen up. Martial Kim of Moon Tavern is gonna be working part time. I trust his man with my family¡¯s life, so do whatever he tells you! No questions asked!¡± Once the message was received with ¡®YES SIR¡¯, Inspector Lee continued, ¡°For now, scatter around and look for any evidence. Come on!¡± He ended his quick briefing with a clap of his hands. He then turned to Martial Kim to say, ¡°I¡¯ll leave this part of the ball park to you.¡± ¡°You can count on me.¡± Martial Kim nodded back. Inspector Lee then took his team of Constables to sweep the area, prodding and poking the bushes with their scimitars. Meanwhile Moon Tavern would dismount and recollect their snow and cloth, before they approach the tarp. It was small and well worn, but never had any holes to give a sneak peek of what was inside. Guarded by at least two other Constables who stayed behind. Martial Kim gave a deep breath and nodded to them. The Constables pull the tarp back...making Moon Tavern cover their mouths. The Sword Fairy of Celestial Dreams Brothel. The Courtesan was found lying across the ground, sprawled over and facing the heavens. Her rich and elaborate silk dress was covered in dirt and smeared with green left behind by wet grass. Her skin was so pale and blanched it was hard to tell if she was a wax figure or a human being until someone touched her. Dead and lifeless...even so, she looked more like a sleeping beauty than an actual corpse. With an elaborate golden hairpin sticking out of her chest, where her heart should be. ¡°Martial Kim,¡± whispered Martial Yellow Sister, pointing at the hairpin. ¡°Do you think Mr. Golden¡ª¡± ¡°What did I teach you, about jumping to conclusions, Martial Yellow Sister?¡± Martial Kim tried to distract himself from the weight of the truth in front of him with a change in tone. ¡°Let the evidence speak for itself...Come, give me a hand if you will.¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Martial Kim understood his disciple¡¯s words. The timing of this whole case was uncanny. But he always believed the true answer lied in the very end of the book. Making subtle guesses from a couple of pages would do the mystery a disservice...if not the victim. Moon Tavern focused on the autopsy. Martial Kim would open up his murder kit to procure some tools to help him collect any samples of evidence clinging onto the corpse. So far only scattered leaves, some torn grass, nothing that stood out. Other than the hairpin sticking out of Fae Fae¡¯s chest ¡°I see no bruising,¡± Martial Kim reported as he checked Fae Fae¡¯s arms, exposed collar, and face. ¡°No evidence of strangling, her skull is intact, so unlikely any blow to the head.¡± He then asked for spiritual consent as he carefully checked under the corpse''s skirt. ¡°Oh? Her pants are still intact, even the sash belt is tied in a tight double knot. Untouched.¡± ¡°So?¡± Martial Yellow Sister asked, ¡°Not rape?¡± ¡°Preliminary speaking, possibly.¡± Although he just said preliminary, Martial Kim let out an initial sigh of relief. Despite the fact Fae Fae worked in a special field of entertainment, servicing other people, he believed she was still a human being who deserved dignity even in their final hours. But he still had to make a mental note to check thoroughly in a more private space later, to be 100% sure. ¡°No broken bones,¡± Martial Kim mumbled to himself. ¡°Not even a twisted ankle. I don¡¯t see any drag marks on her body, shoes, or even the ground. A good chance, she was attacked and left here. So might be the original scene of the crime.¡± ¡°Ah Martial Kim, look.¡± Martial Yellow Sister usually avoid using her own hands to do any manual labour. So she had the habit of using her powers to control her belt sashes and some cloth strips to move and handle objects like extra hands. She used them to search Fae Fae¡¯s robes and pockets to pull out some personal affects. ¡°Two money pouches. One empty, the other still has some silver coins enough for a week of food and rent. Perhaps, robbery gone wrong?¡± ¡°When have you ever seen a robber come unprepared?¡± Martial Kim paused in his examination to point at the hairpin. ¡°Most cases involved a weapon: knife, dagger, even a wood cutting hatchet. At the very minimum a rock or stick. It be a challenge to threaten someone with empty hands, don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°A tussle?¡± Martial Yellow Sister placed the evidence into sacks, ¡°Maybe a crime of opportunity, tried to steal this fancy hairpin too, shanked her in the argument? Panicked and ran away.¡± Martial Kim thought of the possibility. The scene of the crime was essentially off the main road and hidden within tons of foliage. Any line of sight from off the side of the road was broken. An ideal place for murder and no one would be the wiser. It also doesn¡¯t help the main road have at most five or six travelling scholars or merchants, so not many potential witnesses at the right time. ¡°Goodness,¡± Martial Kim half sighed and half gasped. ¡°Fae Fae has been stabbed multiple times in the chest. Her robes are practically torn up. Makes me wonder, how much hatred was in this encounter.¡± Martial Kim could not fathom. The world had many levels of cruelty, many levels of blind rage. Not wanting to think of those details, he tried to remove the hairpin out. ...He tried to remove the hairpin out... He tried again to remove the hairpin out. ¡°Martial Kim?¡± wondered the blonde woman, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°This hairpin. For some reason it¡¯s really stuck deep in her. One moment.¡± Martial Kim was a martial artist, meaning heavy lifting or so much as plucking throwing daggers out of a wooden board would be very easy. Yet he realized how tough the one hairpin was, even with one tight bare hand. He ended up using both hands to pry try and wiggle the hairpin out of the body, while being careful not to cause anymore damage to the body. ¡°....¡± ¡°What was that you said, Martial Yellow Sister?¡± ¡°Huh? I didn¡¯t say anything. Why do you ask?¡± Martial Kim froze. He could have sworn he heard something while pulling on the hairpin. He checked the two constables behind him, all shaking their heads in saying nothing. No one else was around him... Could it be? The young master touched his fingers on Fae Fae¡¯s neck, wrist, even slipped them into her shoe to feel the top of her foot. All key pulses to tell whether or not someone was alive... All of them empty of heartbeat. That was when he realized one more thing. ¡°Curious. She isn¡¯t stone cold.¡± Martial Kim touched his hand over Fae Fae¡¯s exposed skin. Then he turned about to call out. ¡°Inspector Lee!¡± ¡°WHAT!?¡± Inspector Lee stormed out of a large bush, practically cutting a human shaped hole through it with his broad mass. He shouted, not bothering to travel back and forth over several meters worth of distance. ¡°DID YOU FIND SOMETHING, MARTIAL KIM?¡± ¡°When you arrived, did anyone touch the body?¡± ¡°NO!...WAIT, YES I DID! JUST ME! DEAD AS A DOOR NAIL¡± Inspector Lee paused, before he followed up with, ¡°NO PULSE, BUT KINDA LUKEWARMISH. IT HAS BEEN HOT LAST FEW DAYS. NOW, IF YOU¡¯LL EXCUSE ME!¡± With that he would adjust his belt and march back into the human shaped hole in the bushes Curiosity filled Martial Kim. He trusted his companion¡¯s words and he trusted what he felt. Thus there was a conflict of two truths. Just in case he double checked again, all the vitals. No pulse whatsoever... But something kept gnawing at him. It was when he chanced doing one more thing. He had Martial Yellow Sister used her [Soul Silk Construct Formation] to create that ear horn she often used to eavesdrop. He placed it against one ear and cupped the other end on top of Fae Fae¡¯s chest ¨C specifically the heart under the hairpin. ¡° ¡°WHAAAAAAT!?¡± This time Inspector Lee bolted out of the bush along with his men to gather around. ¡°Impossible! No breathing, hasn¡¯t moved, nothing for the last four hours since we found her!¡± ¡°It¡¯s there!¡± Martial Kim suddenly bolted to his feet. ¡°incredibly faint. And we¡¯re losing her. Martial Yellow Sister ¨C formation!¡± ¡°Way ahead of you!¡± Moon Tavern got to work. They pushed aside the crowd of constables so they could set up a sort of magical formation, a ritual like circle. Martial Yellow Sister threw off a lot of her coats, robes, and scarves to form a divine octagon, sleeves and scarves hanging in mid air like mystical Taoist flags to manipulate the natural elements. Martial Kim then gathered his internal energy within his abdomen, the focus point of all cultivators, and he released it in a surge of flashing light through his hands! [Spiritual Acupuncture]. An advanced, if not mentally complex, spiritual healing art that allowed the caster to transfer their energy into the recipient''s key meridian points to jump start their life force at critical moments like this. Most effective to save martial arts masters from the brink of death, negate a magical curse, or to forcefully eject any strong poisons that spread in the body. Their combined efforts caged the energy into a single spot, magnifying the source of power to better slip into Fae Fae¡¯s body in the form of magical birds and butterflies sinking into various nerve points to fill them with life energy. Like a sort of heavenly gazebo of life. Inspector Lee and the Constables all watched in awe, horror, if not anticipation. What were only minutes felt like hours pass them by. At first, nothing happ-- ¡°BLEGH!¡± Fae Fae¡¯s corpse vomited blood from her mouth, expelling blood clots that were clogged in her system. She gave this deep and agonizing gasp for air, as if she had been forced under water for god knows how long. Eyes flash open, only to roll back and faint. She then laid as a heap, wheezing with barely any air in her lungs. ¡°YE GAWDS!¡± Inspector Lee cried out in shock. ¡°I-it¡¯s a miracle! Q-quick, get the horses and wagon! Hurry!¡± FAIRY - Chapter 5 (Never Sleeps) If a person only had a short time to live, how many hours would they give to save someone?¡± The answer varies to person to person, from various level of selfless and selfish. Going over all the possible responses may take months, or even years. Martial Kim would instantly answer ¨C 99 percent of his time. He needed that 1 precept left for after care. He was that kind of person who would dive into fire and brimstone to try and help others. Even now, he not only used an advanced spiritual healing art to keep Fae Fae from cutting ties with the mortal realm, he was conducting back to back surgery on her body to save her entirely. The amount of stamina used in such short notice equaled to a soldier having fought one battle after another for three days without rest or food. Martial Kim may have been a martial artist, with enhanced endurance and strength, but in the end of the day he was human. It didn¡¯t matter however, he wanted to do what he could within the short amount of time to make sure Fae Fae had a second chance. Fortunately, he was not alone. Martial Yellow Sister may have zero medical knowledge, she still had a lot of practical uses. While Martial Kim used his snow powers to lower Fae Fae¡¯s body temperature and slow her blood loss, Martial Yellow Sister used her cloth powers to play the role of multiple assistants, carrying and passing various surgical tools and towels for him to use. The operation was the Imperial Constabulary in one of the districts of the Capital City, the safest of places. The size and space of the station rivalled that of a small mansion. It had many buildings and garrisons to divide the work of city administration, city archives, militia garrison, prison house, to even the court of law. It also had many on-site residency such as the barracks for Constables who don¡¯t have much of a home to return to, as well as private quarters for the local Judge and his family to reside. So it was obvious they have enough spare rooms for witness protections programs or temporary lodgings for important guests. They loaned one of those rooms for Moon Tavern to help Fae Fae¡¯s surgery, which would later double as their temporary headquarters for the ongoing investigation. Inspector Lee was right outside of those doors, pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back. When was the last time he had been this nervous? Ah yes, whenever his wife was giving birth to his children. He would think after the first born he would have a better patience for this sort of waiting, but even after child number two and three he still had the jitters. Waiting to hear if Fae Fae was truly dead or not after all this work, was no different. Fortunately he was not alone in his worries. He was kept company with the chief constable of the Imperial Constabulary ¨C the local Judge. An important man with a long and wrinkled beard. Every five paces the Judge would give a worried tug on his beard, adding another wrinkle on it, trying to stay calm ¨C as if he too was experiencing flashbacks to his own child being born behind those doors. Heavens have mercy, heavens please have mercy!¡± The Judge mumbled. ¡°A disaster! This is simply a huge disaster! To think she was alive this whole time, right outside of the Capital door steps!? If word gets out, the whole station would be in trouble! They¡¯ll all flag me as negligent and I¡¯ll lose my position! Aaaah, I only have a few more years before my retirement, please dear gods don¡¯t pull the rug from under my feet of all times!¡± W-worry not, your honour!¡± Inspector Lee barked ¨C only to cover his mouth when he didn¡¯t want to interrupt the sensitive operation in the room. ¡°I have faith in Martial Kim¡¯s skill. Why, he¡¯s one of the few men we can rely on who can pull off such a rare talent like open body surgery! It¡¯s not like we could up and summon the Imperial Surgeon straight from the Emperor¡¯s palace to help us right?¡± That¡¯s not what I am worried about! Don¡¯t you understand!? Gods!¡± The Judge threw his hands up in the air in instant defeat as he kept tugging on his long beard, wrinkling it even more, ¡°Wait until you sit in my chair and realize, just how much responsibility and expectations ride on my shoulders! I am a government official ¨C it is my sworn duty to carry out my job to near perfection. But this...Oh heavens have mercy.¡± The Judge couldn¡¯t help with his emotions and just buried his face into his palms. Inspector Lee didn¡¯t get it, not one bit, but he tried to console his superior officer with a pat on the back. It was what his friends did when he was waiting for the birth of his son in anticipation, so he HOPED it helped. Suddenly the doors open. Martial Kim and Martial Yellow Sister stumbled out, covered in various density of blood and viscera. The young master of Moon Tavern wiped his hand on a towel stained with pink and red blood as he tried to clean his hands of any internal residue. Fae Fae is stable, for now.¡± Martial Kim choked on the cold air. He forgot how long he was inside the hot room. He gambled everything on the operation and it paid off, removing the stones of burden off his shoulder. ¡°However, her condition is still fragile. We were able to keep her on the surface of life, but the thin ice under her body could break and sink her back into death if we are not careful.¡± Oh thank the heavens she is alive!¡± The Judge openly prayed to the dark sky, just bowing to the heavens in gratitude. The last hing he wants was this mess on his conscious. ¡°I can sleep well tonight...Oh, is it already morning?¡± It was. They all lost track of time. They recovered Fae Fae near early noon. Travelling back to the Capital took some time, even if they spurred the horses. Then after the series of surgeries, they all realized the ¡®tomorrow¡¯s¡¯ sun was already waking up for the day. Worry not, Martial Kim,¡± the Judge snapped himself back into the conversation. ¡°I will find a doctor to lend you help in taking care of Fae Fae, so you have free hands to carry on her investigation with Inspector Lee. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Actually, your honour,¡± Martial Kim held up a hand to stop the idea. ¡°With all due respect, given Fae Fae¡¯s critical condition I say we declare her dead, to the public. I believe it is best to avoid the murderer knowing their victim is still alive, or else they tie up loose ends. Also, I will take full responsibility for Fae Fae¡¯s care. The smaller the circle of truth, the better.¡± Oh heavens, you¡¯re absolutely right!¡± The Judge stuttered. ¡°Now that I think about it, the doctor I had in mind is reliable but he spills the beans too much. Very well, I¡¯ll leave Fae Fae¡¯s healthcare in your hands, Moon Tavern!¡± Thank you, your honour,¡± Martial Kim bowed in gratitude. The Judge then sighed as he stared into the room, hoping to see Fae Fae¡¯s silhouette or so. ¡°To think such a darling creature would end up like this. B-by the way, how bad are her injuries?¡± Fae Fae was stabbed six times.¡± Martial Kim answered with a sad frown. ¡°The first five were shallow, but enough to cause internal bleeding. The sixth blow, however, pierced right through her sternum and into one of her heart chambers.¡± The Judge and Inspector Lee covered their gaping mouths at this dreadful news. Six stabs? On such a sweet lady like Fae Fae? The cad! We¡¯re looking for a monster, not at all a human being!¡± The Judge snapped with fury in his voice. Inspector Lee asked, ¡°Martial Kim. You think it¡¯s the work of a serial killer. Six stabs in the heart? Feels like something a serial killer would do. Signature mark or something?¡± That could be one of the thousand possibilities.¡± answered Martial Kim and he held out his hand to his companion the blonde headed martial artist. ¡°Still, I was able to remove the murder weapon......Martial Yellow Sister, are you alright?¡± H-huweha?¡± Martial Yellow Sister realized she snapped awake, while standing. Every now and then her body would feel this startling jolt when either her knees buckled or the cane slipped out of one of her hands. ¡°P-perfectly fine. Of course! Hnn.¡± Held aloft in one hand was a cloth, covering up an object. She peeled back the corner to show the hairpin. It was only then did everyone realized how LONG the hairpin was. The length of a short measuring stick, roughly 30 centimeters. Long, thing, made of sturdy gold. Half of it was, of course, stained in blood, but the ¡®hilt¡¯ end was a little different. Martial Kim gestured a finger over that area. ¡°I noticed some black substance on the murder weapon and collected some of it to do some research at a later time, once Fae Fae is more stable. Furthermore, the rear end is broken. See.¡± He then plucked up the hairpin to hold it in front of his eye, to stare down the body like he was checking the straightness of an arrow. Everyone would notice the hairpin had a bit of a warped angle near the end, with some broken pieces. Inspector Lee said, ¡°Could be a big man. Big strength. One hand and bent the hairpin in their grip.¡± Martial Kim nodded, also thinking it to be a possible situation. Then turned the hairpin about to show the side, ¡°The murder weapon also has some inscriptions. I believe it is a company logo. Alas, the warping obscured the engravings so it¡¯s hard to read it full.¡± Inspector Lee and Judge squinted hard to read the engravings that were precisely cut into the hairpin as thin as an ink brush. STAR...and FORT...something along those lines. Definitely not a human name,¡± Inspector Lee murmured. Then asked, ¡°Ah. Any luck on finger marks?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, there is no finger marks on the hairpin. I checked as best as I could,¡± Martial Kim bowed his head in apologies. ¡°We do know there hasn¡¯t been any rain in the last few days, so until we are certain we should assume the killer did something to hide their finger marks. Perhaps with a sleeve or glove.¡± Damn.¡± The Judge cursed at this misfortune, ¡°Still, Fae Fae is alive. We still have a case! All we have to do is wait for her to wake up and she¡¯ll tell us who the real killer is! Hah! I guess they didn¡¯t see that one coming!¡± ...¡± ...Oh. M-martial Kim, please don¡¯t scare me with that sad look. I am an old man, m-my heart can¡¯t handle bad news!¡± Fae Fae lost a lot of blood. Not to mention, she was virtually left in a near death state for who knows how long. Barely has enough strength to breath...let alone wake up after a full sleep. It is likely she will not be opening her eyes any time soon.¡± Oh heavens, cut me some slack!¡± The Judge moaned as he tapped his fists to his head. ¡°First she was left dead at the Capital doorsteps, now she is in a coma!? Oh heavens. How do I answer to my superior officers in the Imperial Cabinet!?¡± We¡¯ll catch the killer!¡± Inspector Lee cheered out loud ¨C only to be shushed in front of Fae Fae¡¯s room. ¡°Whatever the cost.¡± The Judge just face palmed at his Inspector. Why did he have a bull of a man under his employ!? Martial Kim tried to dissolve the situation with a calming voice. ¡°We will continue the investigation nonetheless. Martial Yellow Sister and I are willing to help.¡± Inspector Lee then asked, ¡°Ah, do you at least have a time of death?¡± ¡°As Miss Fae Fae isn¡¯t dead, I cannot ascertain when. The answer of how long she had been like this before we found her, is also blank.¡± The Judge shook his head at one bad news after another. Courtesan or not, someone like Fae Fae had celebrity status. Surely he would hear her name whispered from the lips of higher ranking Court Judges and Magistrate within his circle. Surely they would want justice for the poor girl, regardless if they were an ¡®off the book patron¡¯ of hers. And it had to be done right, or heads will roll. Not knowing what else to say to make the situation feel better, he bestowed upon leadership and authority to Inspector Lee and Moon Tavern to handle the case. The investigators bowed to the Judge as the official head off to bed. When they were alone, Martial Kim would wake up Martial Yellow Sister with a small poke to the cheek. SNRRK!¡± She snapped awake, instinctively wiping any drool off her face. ¡°H-how long was I out?¡± Two seconds.¡± Martial Kim hummed. He then gestured at the golden hairpin, ¡°Join Inspector Lee in gathering some information. At the same time, look into the origins of this hairpin. Find out what company has the name STAR and FORT and made this jeweler.¡± Wait now!? Martial Yellow Sister yelped, ¡°I-I only slept for two seconds!¡± I understand you are tired,¡± Martial Kim gave a sheepish grin. ¡°However time is of the essence and we need to take advantage of what little resources we have. I have faith in your ability. Now, tell me what are the common motivations of homicide.¡± Martial Yellow Sister resisted a groan. After a few deep breaths she answered, ¡°Revenge, money, and love. At least, the top three of them.¡± Exactly. As Fae Fae cannot give us any information, it is up to use to check these avenues of investigation to help her find the killer. So, Inspector Lee. Would you so kindly speak with the members of the Celestial Dreams brothel.¡± Oh god. This gonna be a sob fest.¡± Inspector Lee muttered. ¡°Come on little disciple girl, we got work to do.¡± Martial Yellow Sister sucked in the air, but ended up deflating in defeat. After adjusting her cloak, she tried to make herself feel better by tapping her cane and feel she was a rich woman... That was when she noticed Martial Kim not following. In fact, he was heading back into Fae Fae¡¯s room. Martial Kim? You¡¯ve been on your feet all day, shouldn¡¯t you rest by now?¡± The wicked never sleeps,¡± Martial Kim grinned as he closed the doors, ¡°And neither shall Moon Tavern!¡± FAIRY - Chapter 6 (Celestial Dreams) If there was one thing Inspector Lee hated about his job, is being the bearer of bad news. Whether it be a random victim, or a fallen comrade, he never felt comfortable delivering the story of what happened that lead to the tragedy. It made his job especially worse, when the audience were a majority of women. If telling someone they loved died felt bad, seeing women break down into heart broken howls made him feel cursed. Celestial Dreams could only mourn, out loud or in silence. The entire staff, Courtesan, even the management all just broke down into tears and cried out Fae Fae¡¯s name. It was times like these where Inspector Lee believed such victims had no enemy in the world. But if there was one thing he learned, is tears can be deceptive. So he divided and conquer. He would take his men to speak to the staff. Meanwhile his temporary assistant, a cranky Martial Yellow Sister, will speak to the Courtesans and perhaps the Handmaiden. He felt a lady¡¯s touch under these conditions would be more efficient, even if said lady is sleep deprived. Inspector Lee wanted to speak with the one person who was the most intimate with Fae Fae, the manager known as the Mama-san. However, he overestimated her ability to handle bad news. All she could do was scream and wail for Fae Fae¡¯s name, over and over. It was like she lost her mind on the spot. He doubt he could get anything coherent out of her. So he settled with the Brothel Owner. You, come over here.¡± S-stop manhandling me you brute!¡± Inspector Lee grabbed the Brothel Owner to drag him into a corner to speak with him, away from all the wailing so they don¡¯t have to scream at each other like there in a party at full swing. Tell me something,¡± the Inspector sneered. ¡°How come the entire house is grieving for one woman, but you¡¯re hiding in a corner counting on your abacus? I know men don¡¯t shed tears, but your placid reaction is ridiculous!¡± Look here!¡± The Brothel Owner slapped Inspector Lee¡¯s hand off his clothing and he tugged on it to straight it out. ¡°I am very sad, for the loss of our dear Fae Fae. But like anything else, the show must go on. I run a business, a VERY expensive business that cater to the whims of our customers. Just daily operations costs thousands in silver! Food, wine, laundry, medical bills, so on so forth!¡± The Owner shook his head at the officer as he muttered, ¡°I may have lost one Courtesan, I still have hundreds more who are waiting for their pay pouches. Can you blame me? I am looking out for the best interest of my girls!¡± Come on, don¡¯t give me that crap,¡± Inspector Lee scoffed. ¡°Guys like you work these girls to death, nothing more than cattle to the farm. Now, tell me what I need to know and you can go back to counting your damn money. Who here is likely to kill Fae Fae?¡± The Brothel Owner huffed in indignation. He tried to walk away, feeling he was treated poorly. Inspector Lee slapped a hand to the wall to block him, sending him the message of ¡®he ain¡¯t going anywhere buddy¡¯. I never.¡± The Brothel Owner huffed, something of a last laugh to make himself feel better. ¡°Truth be told, I do not think anyone could bring themselves to kill such a dear. She may not be our most talented girl, or pulled in the most money compared to other Flower Princesses, but everyone loved her. Staff, the audience, the clients she served night after night.¡± The Inspector clicked his tongue, ¡°There has to be something I can work with! A woman like her don¡¯t just end up dead in the middle of no where outside the capital, right? Surely you can think of a name or face!?¡± I tell you, Inspector, the most conflict she has had in her life are just a few harmless stalkers. Crazed fans if you could believe it. Nothing harmless at all.¡± Inspector Lee scratched at his head. There was something about this that didn¡¯t add up. By the way,¡± he asked, ¡°How come you never reported her missing to the Imperial Constabulary?¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Oh my god, you sound like Mama-san!¡± The Brothel Owner gasped in agitation. ¡°Like I told her, as if you guys are going to care if a hooker is missing or even turn up dead. Not only are you all notorious for being lackadaisical towards prostitute deaths, the last thing I want are you lot pestering my business! You¡¯ll all come in and out, scaring away my customers, all their silver and gold running away with them. The moment I report to guys like you, my girls will just starve to death!¡± Hey!¡± Inspector Lee clenched a fist, ready to go to town even. ¡°Listen here buddy! This is a human life we¡¯re talking about! Regardless if she was a sex worker or not, she is still a citizen of the Empire! Of course we would take it seriously!...Or.¡± He then snorted as he figured out something, ¡°Perhaps. The reason why you didn¡¯t call us sooner, is you are hiding something, right!?¡± Well. I¡¯d never.¡± Inspector Lee had the urge to punch this man. Even if it would cost his badge. However, it seems someone else had the same thoughts. A stool came flying in their direction and the Brothel Owner ducked ¨C with practice. Next thing they knew, Mama-san was charging over with a vase in her hand to use as a bludgeoning weapon, shouting insults and screaming curses at her employer. YOU BASTARD!¡± she hollered, ¡°ADMIT IT! YOU¡¯VE ALWAYS WANTED THIS RIGHT!? TO GET RID OF FAE FAE! HAPPY YET!? HUH? HAPPY YEEEEET!?¡± Mama-san swung the vase. Perhaps she was in a daze, having lost self control and balance, her swing went wide and she ended up smashing the empty wall by accident. She stumbled into the Inspector, who grabbed onto her. He was not the only one, as several worried Courtesans rushed over to try and grab at Mama-san and pull her away before causing more of a scene. Even when towed, she didn¡¯t go down without kicking and screaming! PROFITS! ALWAYS PROFITS! YOU WORKED FAE FAE TO THE BONE AND GOT HER KILLED! BASTARD! PENNY PINCHING CHEAP BASTARD! GIVE ME BACK FAE FAE! GIVE ME BACK FAE FAAEEEEEEEaaaaaaaaaaaah!¡± Oh geez!¡± Inspector Lee gasped when Mama-san slumped in his grip. She blacked out, her blood pressure shooting above normal parameters. He, the Courtesans, and some Constables had to haul Mama-san to lay down on a nearby couch, letting the Courtesans fan and try to wake her up. Once that mess was over, he charged back over and put his hands on his hips. He need not say anything, just look with a ¡®I¡¯m waiting for a good explanation for all this¡¯ look. The Brothel Owner brushed the broken shards off his robe, conscious of the stares. ¡°There was this...teeny tiny little fact. Ahem. Fae Fae has been, well... not to insult the dead, but she has been doing poorly. She would fall over mid-dance, slip up during poetry battles and bite her tongue, and not to mention she had been cancelling a lot of her nightly appointments.¡± And this trade? Hm?¡± Well. I have been, planning, for some time. To exchange Fae Fae for another Courtesan. Ever since she started to slip up in her work, I¡¯ve been having my eye on this lovely fox serving Heavenly Gardens House of Pleasure, from North Cloud City. Excellent woman, very talented. Younger body, if I may add. Not to mention this new girl can do things that Fae Fae cannot. I mean we have to cater to ALL kinds of fetishes and¡ª¡± Inspector Lee had enough of this bull and interrupted him with a jab of a finger on the man¡¯s chest, ¡°So that¡¯s why you killed her? Her contract isn¡¯t over and you just can¡¯t wait, so you sped things up and offed her ¨C that way you can hang up the HELP WANTED sign faster, eh?¡± M-MURDER HER!? D-dear heavens and earth, th-that¡¯s absurd! Outrageous!¡± The Brother Owner tried to shuffle away from these accusations, but was grabbed and tossed back to his starting line, ¡°I have yet to step on anything like a cockroach in my entire life. Wh-why would thro-throw away my humanity to kill Fae Fae!? Sh-she is, after all, one of my signature dishes in this brothel! A-and I have the right to look for better agents to promote better service in-in my business right!?¡± Did she know about it? This trade?¡± Inspector Lee snarled like a lion. ¡°Any chances she overheard you, confronted you, threatened you or even wanted to spill the beans to get back at you!? Anything that would motivate you to kill her? Speak up!¡± No! No! NO! Nothing like that! I asssuuuuure you!¡± The Brother Owner hissed, like a deflating balloon. Although he started to dab the sweat off his forehead, he stood his ground to protect what little pride he had left. ¡°As I said, I didn¡¯t kill her. I had no reason, no benefit in doing so. And of course she never knew about this! This is management secret, as if I need to report to my staff on every little decision I make? The only other ear I¡¯ve been telling is the Mama-san. She holds the position of Chief Manager over the Courtesans. The same woman who you saw trying to murder me, by the by...Actually, while you¡¯re here: press charges against¡ªI mean, please carry on the investigation.¡± One leer from Inspector Lee made the Brothel Owner shut the hell up. When the latter felt cornered, he couldn¡¯t resist and lash out to protect himself. I-if you¡¯re so ready to accuse someone, why don¡¯t you go talk to Mama-san. She knows EVERYTHING about Fae Fae! She always plays favourite with that girl!¡± Can¡¯t you see the Mama-san is downright passed out on the couch!? Have you no heart!?¡± Wh-why are you blaming me!? I just work here!¡± FAIRY - Chapter 7 (Handmaidens Voice) Martial Yellow Sister talked to a lot of women. So much so, she couldn¡¯t stop sneezing. They all had different types of perfume, from common to exotic. Some with scented oil and rare ingredients that made Martial Yellow Sister¡¯s nose itch and sneeze nonstop. As much as she wanted to animate one of her cloths to create a makeshift masks, given how everyone were shedding tears to Fae Fae¡¯s ¡®death¡¯ it would look out of place and downright rude. However, she was able to get some good information to compensate for her losses. For example, Fae Fae¡¯s personal Handmaiden. There she sat on a chair in the dining hall of the brothel. Weeping as if she was the closest little sister Fae Fae had in her life. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault,¡± the Handmaiden wept as she dabbed her kerchief to her eyes. ¡°I should have stayed with Miss Fae Fae the whole time!¡± Martial Yellow Sister recalled some notes Martial Kim taught her over time, in terms of interrogation. Every suspect, every witness, every situation requires a different approach in gathering information. Do you accuse them? Do you sympathize with them? Or do you ask them the crudest of questions to illicit the purest response? Picking which style is one matter ¨C committing to it to the end is another struggle to accomplish. An investigator¡¯s emotion and belief can¡¯t always change on a dime, or a drop of a tear. However, given how the Handmaiden looked so depressed, the investigator in training ended up going with a casual tone. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me from the beginning,¡± Martial Yellow Sister said. ¡°I know you are hurting, but I hope you do not leave out any detail. You wish to find out the truth, about Fae Fae¡¯s tragedy right?¡± The Handmaiden nodded, something she believed worth fighting for. ¡°The Brothel Owner had been pushing Fae Fae for another sword dance, for some kind of business idea,¡± the Handmaiden spoke between sniffles. ¡°She was very nervous, stressed, as she hadn¡¯t prepared anything brand new, and the Brothel Owner kept saying to the world she got a fresh masterpiece for everyone. It wasn¡¯t fair for her, as he wanted to show off.¡± The Handmaiden took a moment to catch her breath, ¡°So the night she vanished, she planned to visit some temples to calm her nerves. Whenever she felt cornered, or upset, she would often visit some temples for guidance.¡± Martial Yellow Sister nodded along, all the while using her cloth manipulation powers to undo one of her kerchiefs and using its threads to sew words into one of her fabric sleeves, like writing down on paper. ¡°You normally keep Fae Fae company right?¡± ¡°Oh yes. That is my job. I¡¯m always by her side, to make sure she is well taken care off. H-Handmaidens like us act like assistants in everything, in and out of brothel work.¡± ¡°Yet, you mentioned you should have stayed with Fae Fae, when visiting the temples that day, ¡°Martial Yellow Sister pointed out with a soft tone, ¡°What happened? A falling out?¡± ¡°N-no! Never! Nothing like that! I-it just was all too sudden!¡± The Handmaiden gasped at the notion and shook her head. After steadying her voice she answered, ¡°Just as we left, I received an urgent message from my family. My mother had fallen ill and she needed me. The moment Miss Fae Fae knew about it, she permitted me to go seek her out. S-she even gave me a lot of silver for any medical bills. I couldn¡¯t take it, I said, but she insisted... Miss Fae Fae is so generous. It was thanks to her offering, that my mother was able to afford a good doctor to heal her.¡± ¡°And you didn¡¯t go back to your charge, not right away?¡± ¡°I-I wish I could, but my family live outside of the Capital, it would take days worth of a trip even with the fastest horse or wagon,¡± The Handmaiden dabbed the tears out of her eyes, ¡°There was no way I could return in time, so Miss Fae Fae said we would meet again back in Celestial Dreams... That was what I was expecting after I returned three days later. But when I did, Mama-san said Miss Fae Fae had been missing for those three days! I-I blame myself, for leaving her alone!¡± ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t take it upon yourself,¡± Martial Yellow Sister sighed, unable to help but pat the Handmaiden on her forearm to console her. ¡°You had family to take care of.¡± Then she thought about something before voicing it as a question, ¡°Does Fae Fae have any enemies, ones that the administration wouldn¡¯t know about?¡± ¡°Oh no never!¡± The Handmaiden shook her head again. ¡°Miss Fae Fae is too kind, too sweet, and helpful! Even back in the previous brothel we worked at, before arriving to the Capital, she rarely had anyone that hated her! She was always so hardworking, and cooperative!¡± ...So...not revenge? Martial Yellow Sister tapped her chin with an animated cloth. As Martial Kim taught her, other motives could be money or love. She asked, ¡°Did Fae Fae ever run into money problems? In debt or?¡± ¡°No.¡± The Handmaiden waved her hand, covering her red nose with her own kerchief. ¡°In fact she has enough to be charitable to her brothel sisters in need. Sometimes she hands them money to pay off their own debts or medical bills when the Brothel Owner refuse to help them.¡± ¡°Did she have a lover? Even from her previous brothel days?¡± The Handmaiden shook her head a third time. Did she know but wasn¡¯t telling? Confidants like her usually kept their charge¡¯s secret with their life. Did she needed some monetary enticement? Martial Yellow Sister can think of a few servants in the past who didn¡¯t mind spilling the beans with a silver or two. But seeing how the Handmaiden¡¯s eyes were red and puffy, unable to stop sobbing even when she tried to answer the question with sincerity, it was hard to tell if there were any lies or secrets laced in her responses. If Martial Yellow Sister was not careful, her next questions could cause the other party to shut down and walk away, indignant. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Miss Fae Fae has many admirers,¡± The Handmaiden continued as she pulled at her kerchief in her fingers. ¡°Many of them respected her like a friend. I can¡¯t think of anyone who would go this far to harm her. No one has even yelled at her, be it sober or drunk.¡± ¡°Do you know Mr. Golden?¡± Martial Yellow Sister wondered, ¡°Are you aware of their relationship?¡± ¡°Re-relationship?¡± The Handmaiden dabbed the tears out of her eye to say, ¡°I know Mr. Golden, everyone does. He is one of Miss Fae Fae¡¯s regular customers. Sometimes I ask Miss Fae Fae if she was okay because...he is literally the oldest client she¡¯s ever had in her career, but she always told me the man was soft and cuddly as a marshmallow.... What did you mean by relationship?¡± ¡°Mr. Golden proposed to Fae Fae,¡± answered Martial Yellow Sister, ¡°Being a confidant, surely she would have confided in you right? Such big news.¡±¡°Proposed? You mean marriage!? Wh-why that is wonderful!¡± The Handmaiden smiled...but she remembered where her charge was now, ¡®dead¡¯ in the city morgue for her knowledge. It made her heart break even worse. ¡°H-how terrible, for her to die before she could achieve happiness! I may be a Handmaiden, but it¡¯s nearly every Courtesan¡¯s dream to be married and free from their brothel life. Not all of them enjoy their service, if you get what I mean.¡± ¡°...True.¡± ¡°Miss Fae Fae has been through a lot in her early days when she first started. As a rookie courtesan, a lot of customers had been harsh and cruel to her, before she earned their respect with her passion over time. Honestly it is divine blessing for Miss Fae Fae to become free of brothel service, to marry someone as wealthy and friendly as Mr. Golden. If she were still alive, I would have wholeheartedly congratulated her... But...I don¡¯t understand why she never mentioned it. When was this?¡± ¡°The proposition began a week ago,¡± Martial Yellow Sister replied. The Handmaiden froze. ¡°...A week ago? Is that why she asked me to stay in Celestial Dreams?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± The Handmaiden added, ¡°I am not sure if it¡¯s related, but Miss Fae Fae had something to do a week ago. She wanted to be alone, some privacy, and I stayed in her room here in the brothel until she came back.¡± Martial Yellow Sister shifted in her seat and leaned forward, ¡°Did anything happen when she returned?¡± ¡°She looked incredibly tired, exhausted. When I asked what was wrong, she only wanted a bath and went straight to bed. Had me cancel any erm, client booking for the next day... Even now, I don¡¯t know why she was so quiet that night. And it wasn¡¯t my place to pry, as her assistant.¡± Damn. A dead end. Still, this one week ago seems to be a curious note in the timeline. Was this proposal a private arrangement between Fae Fae and Mr. Golden, or something else, the blonde martial artist wondered. Being married off to a rich man was the dream, but there are some factors that may have an opposite reaction. Say: losing a brand name entirely. No doubt a major Courtesan like Fae Fae would hit business hard, even for a period of time. She didn¡¯t know the details, but she noticed Inspector Lee having some trouble with the Brothel Owner. Perhaps, she¡¯ll compare her notes with him and Martial Kim later. She then asked, ¡°The day she vanished, these temples, do you know which one?¡± ¡°Ah. She was about to tell me, but then I got the message. I don¡¯t know which exactly, unfortunately as I was in a rush.¡± The Handmaiden pulled at her hair when she remembered. ¡°Sh-she might have gone to one outside. North Wind Temple. She usually visits there once a month from her previous brothel to now. She visited it earlier this month, but not sure if she had planned to visit it again.¡± ¡°Curious. If you didn¡¯t keep her company that day, did she take any other handmaiden? Or courtesan friend?¡± The Handmaiden bowed her head. ¡°H-Handmaiden are pretty much property of a Courtesan, so Miss Fae Fae couldn¡¯t grab just any other girl without proper permission. Same goes for me with other Courtesans. And I don¡¯t recall Miss Fae Fae asking any other brothel sister as I left. She went off with the regular Palanquin Bearers she always hires.¡± ¡°Always hire?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The Handmaiden pointed out a window, into the streets outside of the brothel. It was full of people, but empty of any palanquin or sedan chair taxi services. Maybe they haven¡¯t arrived or something? The Handmaiden explained, ¡°There¡¯s this pair of Palanquin Bearers that usually park outside of the brothel. They always seem to wait for Miss Fae Fae and she enjoys calling on them for trips. Almost always.¡± Martial Yellow Sister paused on this note. If there is one thing bearers for palanquin and sedan chairs are known for, if not their excellent transportation services, is they hear nearly everything. People always ignore the taxi bearers anyhow, came with their job ¨C being invisible. These Palanquin Bearers the Handmaiden mention might know something, or saw something along the way? Martial Yellow Sister would have to track them down later. Actually...come to think of it, she cursed at herself. She completely forgot the one important question. ¡°Did anything strange happen to Fae Fae? Before she disappeared, before she came back tired a week ago? Anything usual?¡± The Handmaiden covered her mouth with a kerchief. It seems she cried all the tears she had in her body, her glazed eyes now drying up and a hard pink colour. She concentrated hard, digging deep in her memory. Anything specific. Anything helpful. ¡°...The business trip,¡± she blurted out first. ¡°Uh. It was a month ago. Miss Fae Fae, along with several Flower Princess of Celestial Gardens Brothel were invited to an illustrious dinner party in North Cloud City.¡± ¡°Oh? Outside the Capital?¡± Martial Yellow Sister raised an eyebrow. ¡°Who invited them?¡± ¡°The Governor of North Cloud City, himself. He arranged a large gathering of rich people, government officials, and some members of the Imperial Court. It was hosted at Heavenly Gardens House of Pleasure.¡± ¡°...Isn¡¯t that...just another brothel?¡± ¡°Er. It¡¯s a high class entertainment establishment, much like Celestial Dreams Brothel, who cater to the upper class. Other than sexual services, these places also offer major parties and opera theatre level performances for important figures, if not having beautiful women to keep guests uh...company.¡± ¡°...Right.¡± Then Martial Yellow Sister mentally sneered with: typical men. ¡°I-it¡¯s common within the brothel community, to invite famous Courtesans from other brothels ¨C especially Miss Fae Fae and the Flower Sisters as they are near top ranking in terms of music, dance, and literature play. Celebrities, if you think about it.¡± The Handmaiden then tugged at her hair, ¡°The governor wanted to celebrate the occasion with Miss Fae Fae¡¯s famous sword dance. During these special occasions, invited Courtesan are paid triple and get to stay at the host brothel as a short holiday. I-it¡¯s a highly sought out opportunity, business wise.¡± Martial Yellow Sister furiously stitched these rich details onto one of her coat sleeves. When she ran out of space for words, she pulled another hem of her outer coat to keep going! Perhaps, this was a breakthrough they all needed! ¡°Why specifically mention this gathering?¡± she asked to be sure. ¡°Well Miss Fae Fae,¡± the Handmaiden gathered her words to clearly say, ¡°She was so excited to perform in North Cloud City, in front of such esteemed guest. Couldn¡¯t stop talking about it, couldn¡¯t even sleep the night before she departed. She worked hard every day to prepare but... Miss Fae Fae came back to the Capital earlier than the others. She changed, drastically, since then.¡± FAIRY - Chapter 8 (Never Sleeps) Moon Tavern never sleeps. It was a bit of an exaggeration, yes. Martial Kim didn¡¯t just say it to look cool or believe he could do anything he wanted like an arrogant young master who was confidant enough to challenge gods or demons at whim. He was that kind of person to stand by his beliefs and helping others out of tough times. Be the victims be trapped in fire and brimstone, he would try to be the first one to lunge in to grab them out of the heat. Martial Kim can be reckless at times, perhaps headstrong, especially when it comes to saving others. So it was obvious he was too stubborn to admit he was really, really tired. Martial Kim spent the whole day tending to Fae Fae¡¯s injuries. He made sure the poor girl had a sound sleep even in a comatose state. New clothing, brand new bandages, even fed her rice gruel to sustain her weak body. He was hoping he made everything comfortable enough where Fae Fae would open her eyes to say thank you! Alas, dreams could never become reality. Even now, Fae Fae remained unresponsive. At least she was breathing, he thought. There were a couple of times he had to ¡®tap her awake¡¯ to restart her breathing, like she forgot to do so. In the end, Martial Kim rarely took a break for himself or left her side. Fae Fae was essentially fighting this battle alone, and it would be shameful if the young master of Moon Tavern were to turn his back on her now. Fortunately, he was not alone. Inspector Lee and Martial Yellow Sister returned, albeit as zombies. They had yet to sleep themselves since the previous day and spent the whole daylight gathering information to share with Martial Kim. To thank them for their efforts, he shared some of Fae Fae¡¯s rice gruel from a clay pot he had prepared. Not like Fae Fae could eat the whole thing in a single sitting. Inspector Lee stared at his bowl of rice gruel, stirring his spoon to find any speck of rice inside. Essentially, he was staring at boiled rice water. ¡°Hey, Martial Kim. I appreciate the gesture, but it wouldn¡¯t kill you to deep fry a couple of donut sticks to go with the gruel you know?¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t kill you, but it would kill Fae Fae,¡± Martial Kim shook his head, suppressing a chuckle. ¡°She can¡¯t handle any fatty foods. And it would be unfair if I made a full course meal with heavenly sauce right next to her unconscious body, no? Besides you should blame yourself. Your entire station has a single stove the size of a study desk, I can only do so much!¡± Inspector Lee rolled his eyes and slurped his gruel. He made a face to review how bland it was. Even bland tofu has more character than this! ¡°Fae Fae doesn¡¯t have money problems as we believed ¨C but her brother does.¡± He ate his gruel. ¡°A rat worm bastard through and through!¡± ¡°To be frank, I am very surprised Fae Fae even have a brother,¡± Martial Kim wondered as he joined everyone at the table. ¡°You would think someone like him would try to convince Fae Fae to stay out of the fire like brothel work. Selling one¡¯s body is never pleasant, no matter how desperate one is. Granted, she bore fruits of her labour but not everyone could be as lucky as her.¡± Martial Yellow Sister frowned. ¡°Unfortunately, it was the opposite. The Brother was the one who convinced Fae Fae to step INTO the fire. After all the things I heard about him from everyone, I very much want to stab him six times himself with a hairpin.¡± After a sip of her gruel, she noticed everyone staring at her. She groaned, ¡°I was only joking!¡± ¡°Your crankiness made your comment awfully believable.¡± Martial Kim tried not to chirp about it. ¡°What can you tell me about him? Inspector Lee? Judging by your tone it seems you know very well?¡± ¡°I wish I didn¡¯t!¡± Inspector Lee downed the whole bowl into his gullet and started to refill for seconds. ¡°I knew him way before I learned he was Fae Fae¡¯s brother. The guy is a troublemaker, always kicking up a storm! A gambler, born to suck from the very beginning. The man isn¡¯t just neck deep in debts, he¡¯s six feet under the whole mountain! Barely clears them in time to avoid a wallop here and there!¡± He then got riled up, slamming his bowl onto the table to splash some gruel everywhere. ¡°Either comes running into the station for asylum from those he owed money to, or we catch him for all sorts of nuisance: dine and dash, freeloading in an inn, pickpocket, petty thievery! Usually sits in the cells for a bit before he walks out on his own. I never once saw Fae Fae come to rescue him, let alone visit.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Now that, speaks volumes,¡± Martial Kim replied as he played around with a bowl. He wasn¡¯t hungry, no no, his attention was on Fae Fae every 10 seconds to see if she forgot to breath. So he just played about with the empty bowl like a spinning top, ¡°Makes me wonder, if the brother had anything to do with her murder?¡± ¡°Are you kidding?¡± Inspector Lee raised an eyebrow. ¡°The guy is just petty, a small fry. For him to upgrade straight to murder is as rare as him winning the lottery! And isn¡¯t that his own flesh and blood sister we¡¯re talking about?¡± Martial Kim spun the empty bowl about, making it dance perfectly on its edge like a tumbling coin, ¡°In my experience, the culprit is usually someone in the family ¨C child, sibling, aunt or uncle, parents, you name it ¨C or has intimate relations with the victim such as best friend, co-worker, or even a disciple. When you add gambler and debt, I can¡¯t help but do the math that way.¡± ¡°...Noooo...Nooooooo.¡± Inspector Lee tried to imagine it, and it didn¡¯t seem to fit in his mind. ¡°That rascal killing someone as sweet as Fae Fae. I mean, what is the motive!?¡± Martial Yellow Sister sipped at her gruel to add, ¡°It¡¯s clear Fae Fae has no enemy in her brothel circle, so it¡¯s not about revenge or jealousy. Money, on the other hand: if the brother murdered his sister ¨C a top paying Courtesan ¨C perhaps he would benefit from an early inheritance.¡± ¡°Wh-what is this a rich family soap opera!?¡± Inspector Lee yelped, ¡°Who killed the old geezer and receives the family fortune!? Let¡¯s be real here! The only thing that brother cares about is gambling, wine, and women. And look! See how young Fae Fae is!? Does she look like a grandma who is about to kick the bucket! I doubt she called up a lawyer to make an early will.¡± Martial Kim would stop the spinning of the bowl, ¡°According to Imperial Law, if the deceased had yet to write up a will to designate who gets what, all of their fortune and belongings are automatically divided by the surviving kin. This meaning the brother.¡± ¡°Hey! Martial Kim, I work for the law so don¡¯t you be picking on me with regulations!¡± ¡°Regardless,¡± Martial Kim rubbed at his forehead, ¡°We have to break the news to him. As he is, after all, her kin.¡± Inspector Lee scowled, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll keep you company. Trust me, the minute you look away he¡¯ll empty your pockets. A terrible pickpocket but he can run like the wind I tell you!¡± Martial Kim nod and poured some tea for Inspector Lee to calm down. After thinking over the information that was shared, from the Brothel Owner and the Handmaiden, he then turned to Martial Yellow Sister. ¡°Heavenly Gardens House of Pleasure,¡± he asked his disciple, ¡°It seems the problem started there. Any other details you could share, other than what¡¯s already said.¡± Martial Yellow Sister put down her rice gruel, losing her appetite, ¡°I spoke to the Flower Princesses who were part of that party. They were so busy serving their ¡®partners¡¯ they barely paid much mind on other things. They even stayed the night for...private liaisons on the side, or get to lounge in North Cloud City for a week before they go home. All expenses paid... Only Fae Fae left early, hiring her favorite Palanquin ride the second the next morning dawned. Never spoke about it to anyone when she came back to the Capital.¡± She pouted, ¡°Every time I head the words party and rich people in the same sentence, surely it never goes well. Maybe one of those clients were brazen enough to try and molest her, take advantage, make her do things she normally wouldn¡¯t. I mean sure brothel girls do a lot, but surely as humans they have something to draw the line right?¡± ¡°Well it be hard to figure it out while sitting in the Capital City, right? Try to look into it when you get a chance.¡± Martial Kim nodded, then he asked, ¡°Any progress, on the hairpin?¡± ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaugh.¡± ¡°That bad huh?¡± Martial Yellow Sister pulled at her hair, ¡°I tried everywhere. Even the shadiest of corners. All I got were: Red STAR Seafood Restaurant, Blue FORTune Opera House, STARlord Pawn Shop that sell random bits and bobs, even another brothel with the silly name of STARry FORTnite. But nothing like a company that makes hairpins with STAR or FORT in their name. It¡¯s like it doesn¡¯t exist!¡± ¡°Ah. It may not exist in the Capital, but what about beyond the Capital Walls?¡± ¡°...Martial Kim,¡± dread filled Martial Yellow Sister¡¯s voice. ¡°Th-there¡¯s 10 major cities, 200 towns, and over 1000 villages in the Jade Empire.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you try North Cloud City first,¡± Martial Kim grinned, ¡°Might as well visit Heavenly Gardens and ask around while you¡¯re at it.¡± ¡°I may be an investigator in training, I have no official authority to ask questions alone. Not to mention, what if they drag me into the fire and turn me into a Courtesan like them!? I am a jade skinned beauty after all!¡± ¡°Aaaah! You¡¯ll be fine.¡± Inspector Laugh snorted, ¡°Surely they need a prerequisite in the height and chest area before someone as fluffy as you can join the big league, right? Don¡¯t fret about it, I¡¯ll have a couple of female constables to back you up. You¡¯ll be fine.¡± Martial Yellow Sister scowled, ¡°I would like to address the fact you called me short, flat, AND FAT!?¡± ¡°Wh-what!? Look at all those layers on you! It¡¯s like you¡¯re worried Mother Winter would snap awake tomorrow! It¡¯s still spring gods damn it! How can I tell how fit your body is under all those coats!?¡± ¡°SLANDER! SLANDEEEER!¡± ¡°Sssssh.¡± Martial Kim shushed them as he cleaned up the empty bowls, fighting back a grin, ¡°Fae Fae is sleeping. Keep your voices down. Pleaaaase.¡± The indignation! Martial Yellow Sister was left fuming, spending the whole night tapping her cane to keep everyone awake as a passive aggressive tactic. FAIRY - Chapter 9 (Fairys Brother) Fae Fae¡¯s brother had a name, but no one gave a damn. He was the type of person no one wanted to even touch with a 30 and a half foot pole. If Fae Fae was born as a pure hearted woman with a body made for sin, her brother was all the sin incarnate. Prideful spirit, greedy hands, wrathful tongue, envious lecher, raw lust, never ending gluttony, and of course sloth ¨C period. Inspector Lee didn¡¯t want to see this man again. Yes, he had been forced to face him time and time again in his line of work, but if he had a choice he rather kick him out of the Capital and let him be someone else¡¯s problem. It was a never ending nightmare with the Brother, and this was talking on the side of the law. Thus both Inspector Lee and Martial Kim could not fathom what kind of life Fae Fae had with a blood brother like him. Still they had a job. They had to speak to him to ask questions, if not tell him about Fae Fae¡¯s death. Standard procedure anyhow. Meanwhile Martial Kim had sent Martial Yellow Sister and some Constables out of town, to look for this mysterious origin of the hairpin bearing the words STAR and FORT in North Cloud City. So it really was divide and conquer. Inspector Lee knew exactly where the Brother was, so he took Martial Kim there. Just, the latter did not expect the residence to be...so jaw dropping. ...He¡¯s dead!?¡± What? N-no! He legit rents here!¡± A Funeral Parlour. It was a small little store that sold caskets and coffins for the dead, cheap premade or expensive custom. It was definitely not an auspicious place, not many would come near the place unless they REALLY HAD to. Technically speaking, this was not an ideal place for gamblers to be around or the macabre atmosphere would devour their luck like piranhas to meat. However, the upper floors had a couple of ¡®divided rooms¡¯ used for cheap rent. So the Brother really had two choices: be a lucky bum on the streets or live in an unlucky shelter. Given his ¡®earnings¡¯ he could pretty much make rent if he doesn¡¯t cause any major noise complaint. Martial Kim can¡¯t help but cover his mouth at this realization. ¡°I think born to suck is a bit of polite overstatement.¡± Wait till you see him at his worst!¡± Inspector Lee wanted to laugh at the joke, but if it¡¯s this guy he wasn¡¯t in the mood. They approached the owner of the Funeral Parlour as if checking into a hotel. The store keeper simply went, ¡°He¡¯s dead!¡± WHAT!? Bastard¡¯s dead to me!¡± The store keeper enunciated with a roar. ¡°Made a god damn mess of my room before leaving for ¡®greener pastures¡¯ he would tell me!¡± The store keeper pinched at his nose bridge as he muttered, ¡°I planned to report him to the Constabulary, office, but then he put in like two months worth of rent money as compensation. I really had no room to argue.¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. H-hold up.¡± Inspector Lee was sourly confused, ¡°Did you say, he PAID you in compensation? How!? He barely makes rent!¡± Why don¡¯t you ask him!¡± The keeper mumbled and pointed behind him. ¡°There he is right there, that damn peacock!¡± Peacock? Inspector Lee and Martial Kim turned about and gasped! THERE REALLY WAS A PEACOCK STRUTTING DOWN THE STREET! The Inspector recognized this peacock, er, this man! Fae Fae¡¯s Brother! What he couldn¡¯t understand, is how flamboyant the man was. The Brother sported an expensive looking robe with blue and green colours, holding out a fur laced hand fan that gave everyone the impression of a peacock flexing its tail feathers. All sorts of jewellery from jade to silver weighed on every digit of his fingers, on his wrists, and even slung around his neck. All the while he had one arm around this beautiful girl who...definitely didn¡¯t look like a regular woman. She wore scantily clad garments that exposed enough skin to make women pull at the ears of their husbands just for glancing. Enough exposure where mothers would cover the eyes of their children and walk away. Beautiful enough to make everyone forget they were walking and bump into each other. There literally was a bit of a human traffic jam on the main streets. How rich, lavish, and alluring. If Inspector Lee hadn¡¯t kept pointing and calling him that rascal bastard, Martial Kim would have trouble believing this was the same Brother they were looking for. HEY!¡± Inspector Lee roared and marched over with Martial Kim. He cut off the Brother¡¯s stride to get his attention. ¡°What the hell dd you do now!?¡± Well, well, well. If it isn¡¯t the consequences of my ooooold actions!¡± The Brother would laugh as he fanned himself with his fancy hand fan, giving a pleasant smile, ¡°It¡¯s been a while, my dear Inspector. Good health?¡± Inspector Lee snorted, ¡°Who the hell did you rob now to get all this swag!?¡± Rob!? Me? Why I would never. These are all a gift, from a good friend of mine! Mr. Sugon!¡± Sugon who?¡± The Brother gave a WICKED smile. ¡°WHY YOU LITTLE¡ª¡± Inspector Lee was about to commit hardcore murder on the Brother. Were it not for Martial Kim using a complex Taichi move to spin the momentum and killer energy off of the Inspector, it would have surely been a bloodbath. He quickly stepped in between the two warring parties, acting as the negotiator. Ahem.¡± Martial Kim cleared his throat, ¡°We have some unfortunate news for you, good sir.¡± The Brother was cackling, as if his previous life was that of a hyena. Feeling victorious, without doing anything, he would tug on his woman closer under one arm. Brazen enough to grope one of her breasts, out in the open! Martial Kim...blushed and averted his gaze. Hey buddy, I am a very busy man you know.¡± The Brother laughed as he leaned against his woman, squeezing her girls like they were stress balls, ¡°I kinda got a back to back appointment with my darling Mei Flower here. Let me tell you, when she¡¯s in the mood ¨C you do NOT want to keep that firing burning right? Needs a man like me with the right firewood to put that flame out, ya know?¡± Martial Kim wanted to mention the analogy is all wrong, but he thought against it. Might as well rip off the bandages ¨C for himself anyway. ¡°I am sorry to inform you, your sister Fae Fae is dead.¡± Is that all? Well thanks buddy for the news.¡± The Brother casually flicked a silver ingot out of his sleeve and into Martial Kim¡¯s hands. After some flirting and erotic touches on his woman, they both sway and stagger off the...never mind, the Brother suddenly reversed his steps with wide eyes, ¡°...Hahah...Hahaa. You almost had me there buddy...Good joke.¡± No doubt this may come as a shock,¡± Martial Kim coughed, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a minute.¡± ......WAIT YOU¡¯RE DEADASS SERIOUS!?¡± FAIRY - Chapter 10 (Three Men) Fae Fae¡¯s Brother looked like hell. Martial Kim never saw him at his poorest, so he can¡¯t tell if this man mentally crashed after hearing the news or this was just another pot hole in his road of life. Inspector Lee would just mumble as he waited for the Brother to restart his consciousness. As they needed to ask him important questions, they dragged him to a nearby teahouse. Martial Kim had no choice but to pay his lady companion to take a break and wander around. He felt this meeting should be just between these three men. My sister was murdered?¡± The Brother finally got his first words out. ¡°Wh...wha....I don¡¯t get it. Who would knock up my sister ¨C I mean knock off my sister?¡± Inspector Lee snarled, ¡°Why do you think we came here to ask you? Just to say ¡®You have our sympathy?¡¯ Surely you know something about her death, or anyone involved.¡± ...No...I...¡± The Brother kept rubbing his palms to his temple, getting his mind back into reality. ¡°...She didn¡¯t look like someone with a short life. A-and if she did, I-I-I-I always thought sh-she would die from syphilis or accidentally strangled in bed by her client. You know, fetish and stuff and¡ª¡± Inspector Lee slapped the table. ¡°Have you no heart!? Your sister is dead and you¡¯re blubbering nonsense!?¡± Bro! I¡¯m not the god of the universe!¡± The Brother snapped back ¡°I can¡¯t foresee or decide who lives and die! I mean, if I was I would make myself win all the games in the world AND give my sister¡¯s a better death ending! I mean she got me through hard times, paying off my debts every now and then, she deserves more than a proper funeral!¡± The Brother just took a moment to massage his brain to let it all sink in, ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll burn some paper man servants so she could enjoy them in the afterlife. I¡¯ll make sure they¡¯ll have the biggest paper dongs anyone has--¡± YOU BASTARD! I¡¯LL TEAR YOUR JAW OFF!¡± POLICE BRUTALITY! POLICE BRUTALITY!¡± Martial Kim bolted to chase after Inspector Lee and the Brother, the latter two racing around the table like a cat and mouse. It took some clever manner and some calming words before he could get the two to sit down and not kill each other. I apologize, for the death of your sister,¡± said Martial Kim. What are you apologizing for?¡± The Brother shrugged, ¡°Not like you killed her, right?...Right?¡± Ahem. We would like to ask, where have you been in the last four days?¡± The Brother gapped his mouth, drawing a blank, ¡°Bro, you asking me out of the blue I can¡¯t recall exactly. My memory is foggy from win and play time with my Mei Flower. So I can¡¯t tell you to save my life.¡± Inspector Lee kicked at the leg of the table to make a statement, ¡°I¡¯ll be more than happy to jog your memory!¡± No need! No need!¡± The Brother waved his hand in panic, ¡°My brain can walk on it¡¯s own two feet!...Wait, ah. It¡¯s all coming back to me. Where was I? Well, I was at: the Honey Badger Gambling Den, Glorious Morning Brothel, Red Star Seafood Restaurant, Flying Fox Gambling House, Silver Tongue Broth¡ª¡± Inspector Lee face palmed, ¡°Damn it man, we don¡¯t need your whole history! Were you, at any point, at Green Lion Valley?¡± Ayoooo...That sounds like a sorry ass name for a brothel.¡± God dammit, stop thinking about whore houses! It¡¯s a place outside of the Capital! Have you been there, yes or no!?¡± Look man, the Capital City is my home. I really have no need to waste my money travelling around like some wandering hero of martial arts world looking for a wonderful adventure! I was either at a gambling hall getting my due to having a great time with well paid girls. I am a VERY simple man! Inspector Lee scowled, exactly like a tiger to a tasty looking fox. Oh the Inspector was not at all hungry, he rather just thrash this man left and right then leave him dead in the open ¨C much like how Fae Fae had been left alone. Martial Kim cut in with an ahem, ¡°I would like to ask, when was the last time you¡¯ve seen or even heard from your sister?¡± Fae Fae¡¯s Brother folded his arms to think, ¡°Ah about a month ago. Give or take. I mean, we don¡¯t exactly live with each other and we have our separate ways, but still family. So I make it a habit to treat her to a round of Dim Sum at least once a month. You know, family time.¡± Inspector Lee snorted, ¡°Or running to her feet to beg for money to save your damn life!¡± Hey look. I said we had our differences!¡± Fae Fae¡¯s Brother gave a cheeky shrug, ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean I always relied on her to get on by. I¡¯ve made quite successful investments myself.¡± In gambling?¡± wondered Martial Kim with a half-grin. Come now. It¡¯s not just a game of chance, it is a thriving economy!¡± The Brother wanted to put his foot up on the table, but the Inspector kicked any attempt back down. After giving the officer a tch click of his tongue, he said ¡°I pay the people my money so they can double, or triple it when I win! It¡¯s a win-win win-win!¡± Inspector Lee face palmed, ¡°From what I remember about your history, the win always went to the house!¡± Then he dropped his hand when he realized something, ¡°Speaking of which, where the hell did you get all this money!? I ain¡¯t no fashionista, but it¡¯s clear those robes cost more than 100 Silver. And those rings, 50 silver each!¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Oh no no no.¡± The Brother wave at swag on his fingers, ¡°80 Silver each and worth every coin. Look at me, I am the star attraction wherever I go. I mean what is the point of being rich if you don¡¯t show off what you can afford? Surely folks like yourselves would want to look good with a fancy horse or luxury wagon if you got the money eh?¡± Well?¡± Inspector Lee mumbled, impatient, ¡°Where did this money come from out of the blue? I highly doubt the gods slipped and dropped their money pouch on your head.¡± I won a big jackpot in a gambling hall! Lucky me! Just like that? A lucky shot?¡± The sibling of Fae Fae chuckled and would then fill up a cup of tea to reward himself. He paid for the most expensive Jasmine Leaves available, he wouldn¡¯t accept anything less for his tongue, The Brother said, ¡°Let¡¯s just say I¡¯ve used up all the bad luck up till now, so my fortune is turning around! Why, how could I not treat myself to better stages in society! I finally had the courage to say ¡®screw you¡¯ to my old rental and upgraded myself to one of the biggest inns in the Capital! Bigger bed too, so I can invite as many girls as I please! Every man¡¯s dream, right!? Right!?¡± Martial Kim had to calm the Inspector before he did anything rash. Even just from listening, Martial Kim could see a lot of loopholes. A man who was born to lose at everything he touches suddenly winning more than thousands word of coins. Everything the Brother wore was enough to feed a farmer¡¯s family for a life time ¨C if they spent wisely. Martial Kim asked, ¡°Which gambling hall did you win everything from? Perhaps, I should try my hand and borrow a bit of your luck.¡± M-Martial Kim, you can¡¯t be ser--¡± It took Inspector Lee a bit to realize Martial Kim was only being sarcastic so he brushed it off with a huff and slapped the table at the Brother for him to speak up. The Brother simply sipped at his tea, relaxed, ¡°I don¡¯t remember which. I was very, very drunk, very very excited. The second I got the tub of gold, I paid off my all debts and had surplus to spoil myself.¡± Clearly a lie, but there was nothing the investigators can do to out him. So Martial Kim changed tactics with the following question. ¡°Is there anyone you know who would try and hurt Fae Fae? Go as far as kill her?¡± Your question is a good as mine!¡± The Brother answered back with confusion, ¡°I honestly have no idea how to answer! All I know is Fae Fae is really good with her line of work, like she was born for this bed of entertainment. Why, if I wasn¡¯t her blood brother, even I would pay everything I have to spend the night with her!¡± Martial Kim grabbed onto Inspector Lee, before the bloodhound of an officer lunged. To be honest, Martial Kim had to calm his own inner storm after hearing that last comment. After all that he has seen up till now, those words did no justice to Fae Fae¡¯s condition. Still, it was best, they brought as little trouble as possible. This man, despite his crass and vile nature, was still Fae Fae¡¯s only kin left. Last thing they want is the entire family line to be buried together, metaphorically speaking. Shrugging off their glares, the Brother just spoke up front, ¡°Look, all I know is the my little sister is too naive and too stupid to insult anyone. Okay? I really can¡¯t think of anyone I know, or think I know, who could do in Fae Fae like that... Then again, was she raped? Because now that I think about it, I may know a couple of guys who are like ¨C reaaaaally into that sort of fetish and¡ª¡± Martial Kim gave a curt response to stop that dirty line of thought, ¡°No. Her...virtue was not spoiled in her final hours.¡± The Brother gave up with a shrug, ¡°Damn, definitely not the guys I know.¡± Inspector Lee and Martial Kim tried not to shake their heads in front of this man. When the Brother could not be of any help, he got up and pat the dust off his expensive robes. Well if that would be all, officers, I¡¯ll uh...I¡¯ll be on my way. Can¡¯t keep my dear May Flower waiting now can I? The flames can only burn for so long. Hahah.¡± Aren¡¯t you forgetting something?¡± asked Martial Kim with a raised eyebrow, ¡°Such as your sister¡¯s body?¡± ...Bro. What would I want her dead body for? I ain¡¯t no necrophiliac or¡ªOH!¡± The Brother snapped out of his...train of thoughts, slapping a palm to his forehead, ¡°Right, right. Her funeral. Uuuuh... Rain check.¡± Wh¡ª¡± Inspector Lee could not believe his eyes as to what happened next. The Brother was too lazy to leave the front door, so he vaulted over the railing of the teahouse like it was a garden fence. As the floor and city roads were on the same level, he hopped into the street and started to leave. Inspector Lee bolted from his seat, barking out, ¡°What about your sister¡¯s corpse? You¡¯re her family right!?¡± Look! Officers,¡± The Brother turned to walking reverse while saying, ¡°My place don¡¯t got enough room for a corpse or coffin! Not like I can carry her around as a coin purse with me and I can¡¯t bring myself to cremate her! Give me some time, I¡¯ll work something out and get her off your hands in a couple of days!¡± Then he reunited with his woman, sharing...just...raw tongue play in broad daylight. He then added, ¡°Make that a week! Keep her body safe will ya!?¡± Inspector Lee was about to vault the railing himself, but Martial Kim grabbed onto him with a shake of his head. All they could do was watch the Brother leave with his woman. Correction, skip away with his woman. When alone, the whole emotional burden of the conversation overwhelmed Martial Kim. He had to remove his hat to free his throbbing headache and massage his nose bridge to calm his boiling Meridians. I feel incredibly bad for Fae Fae,¡± he whispered. You and me both, Martial Kim!¡± spat the Inspector and sat back down on the table. He was about to drink the expensive Jasmine tea, but it only made the man remember the Brother¡¯s face ¨C so he slapped the whole tea pot away to let it smash on the floor. He¡¯ll pay for the damages, so long as he doesn¡¯t have to remember the Brother¡¯s damn voice! He then groaned, ¡°I say this guy has something to do with all this, regardless if he was the one who stabbed Fae Fae! There is no way this rat could win this much money in a short amount of time. If this man truly became a God of Gambler in a fort night, I¡¯ll cut my head off and let him use it as a chair!¡± Well, no need to be that extreme,¡± sighed Martial Kim, ¡°I do agree. The statistics doesn¡¯t add up, even if it was one in a million... Also, if you think about it this way: what happens if he runs out?" Of luck or money? If the latter, most likely he¡¯ll visit this ¡®jackpot¡¯ again.¡± mumbled the Inspector...then he caught on. ¡°Ah. Brilliant thinking! I¡¯ll have Constables on his rat ass at all times. When he does need a top up, we¡¯ll know EXACTLY where his income is coming from!¡± Judging by how happy he is right now, I believe it would take some time.¡± Martial Kim put his hat back on, tying up the ribbons securely under his chin, ¡°In the meantime, I am very much interested in talking to these Palanquin Bearers, the one that Fae Fae has been calling on. My hope is, they can shed more light on the time leading up to Fae Fae¡¯s attempted murder.¡± Inspector Lee hesitated, before lowering his voice, ¡°Or, they could be the murderers themselves.¡± Martial Kim nodded, but not in full agreement, ¡°A possibility. And we¡¯ll never know for sure until we find the truth. Come, Fae Fae¡¯s Brother may have wasted our precious daylight, but it¡¯s up to us to salvage what time we have left!¡± FAIRY - Chapter 11 (Silent Chat) Precious Daylight was wasted in the end. Martial Kim and Inspector Lee searched the streets around the Celestial Dream Brothel. They even dispatched constables to look up and down the whole district. There were many Palanquin Bearers strutting about, carrying their hand held carriages in groups of four or six and taxiing their well paying clients to one location after another. The investigators were thorough, running into any and all known Palanquin or Sedan chair services to ask around. In the end, the Palanquin Bearers that served Fae Fae were no where to be found. Martial Kim and Inspector Lee returned to the Imperial Constabulary to reconvene. As they discussed the details in Fae Fae¡¯s room, they dragged a long standing wooden board to start sorting out their notes and clips of information they collected. They would use sewing needles from the station garrisons to pin hand drawn pictures and notes across the board, before tying it with colourful sewing strings to make connections to them. ¡°Martial Kim,¡± Inspector Lee wondered, ¡°You think the Palanquin Bearers skipped town?¡± ¡°Why would they?¡± Martial Kim asked back, ¡°The company they represent is stationed in the Capital and many people in Celestial Dreams brothel all claim they usually loiter around the front of their doorsteps waiting for clients to taxi. Usually they like to wait for Fae Fae. Pretty hard to find work outside of the Capital.¡± Martial Kim paused, to turn around to look at Fae Fae in the bed nearby. Still unconscious. Deep down, he was hoping their conversation spur some curiosity in her chest, to motivate her to wake up her eyes and ad lib some thoughts or two. Even asleep, she looked like a keen girl. But Martial Kim could be just imagining that with wishful thinking. He then said, ¡°You believe, they are directly involved with Fae Fae¡¯s murder?¡± ¡°I am not trying to suggest it,¡± Inspector Lee waved a hand, ¡°But these guys were known to be the last possible people who kept Fae Fae company. At least, based on the Handmaiden¡¯s testimony... You know, this reminds me of this old case, way before I even joined the Constabulary.¡± ¡°Ah. I think I know which one you are talking about.¡¯ Inspector Lee paced about on the spot, before he gasped, ¡°Ooooh! R-remember that serial killer, several years back!? The Horse Wagon Murderer! Yeah, the mad man who strangled and raped any women who just so happen to board his wagon AND it was raining cats and dogs ¨C god knows why. The case was near legend, headliners every day! Although he was caught and his head chopped off, you think those Palanquin Bearers are following the devil¡¯s footsteps!?¡± ¡°Well if there is one thing I am happy to say, the killer in Fae Fae¡¯s case is not a copy cat. Otherwise, under the conditions you mentioned, even a Royal Physician cannot save her from such a tragedy. Also, there had been no rain during the days she disappeared and the only wagon tracks we found¡ª¡± ¡°Were the ones my constables brought so we could wagon the corpse back...¡± Inspector Lee then scratched at his hair to stare at the investigation board. ¡°You¡¯d think these Palanquin Bearers would have at least showed up at the brothel and offer their condolences once they hear Fae Fae is dead. Yet, no one has heard of them. Not a peep! Even their boss hasn¡¯t gotten a single news about them since they last went out with Fae Fae. Something is up, there has to be!¡± Martial Kim took a break from staring at the investigation board. Rather, it was time to treat Fae Fae with some light medication and acupuncture. As he made preparations, holding several needles over an open flame to sterilize them, half of his mind still drifted off back to the case. A nonchalant brother, who suddenly reversed his gambling streak and struck gold. Did he get rich before or after Fae Fae was attacked? Was he lying about his whereabouts? Or was he sincerely too scatterbrain to tell his exact locations? And these Palanquin Bearers? So far nothing but praises from the Handmaiden, their boss, and some others in their Sedan taxi community. Yet such diligence has not reported in for work since Fae Fae vanished. If they were the murderers, what was the motive? Beauty? Obviously not, Fae Fae was never raped. Money? Perhaps, most of her money was gone when the investigators found her body. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Was it all planned? Or was it only a spur of the moment? A frightening accident? Martial Kim¡¯s mind was troubled with all this knowledge but no practical usage for them. What hurts the most isn¡¯t the fact he found no clear direction to point an exact finger. The pain was more physical, like the heart in his chest hurt for not being able to do more. Inspector Lee took a break himself, only he stepped out of the stuffy room to walk around under the fading sunset and get some even fresh air. All the while Martial Kim kept Fae Fae company as he applied acupuncture needles onto her body. He hoped this treatment would promote better balance within Fae Fae¡¯s body, restart and revive her organ functions. That way, she no longer needed external energy sources to keep her body healthy. ¡°...We met your brother earlier today if you¡¯re wondering.¡± Martial Kim spoke, but no one listened. Rather, he decided to talk to Fae Fae to try and excite her mind with some conversation. He read in some rare books that even when people are in a comatose state, they more or less hear everything that has even been spoken to them. He has yet to see it in person, so might as well give it a go. ¡°He¡¯s doing well.¡± Martial Kim went on, ¡°Actually, well off. He claims he won a lot of money. Even moved out to a better dwelling. Would you believe me, if I told you he had been living in a rental space inside of a Funeral Parlour. A funeral parlour if you can imagine!¡± .......................................... ¡°Although we saw the worst side of him today, I wonder what are the good things you see in him.¡± .......................................... ¡°Inspector Lee found out from his men. Although you¡¯ve never been on any loan sharks payroll ¨C you¡¯ve always been your brother¡¯s guarantor for some occasions. You, paying off his debt clean... No doubt he kept disappointing you when he re opened his debts time after time. But you couldn¡¯t bring yourself to forsake him. Right?¡± .......................................... ¡°If I may ask, do you care for him because he is your brother and it is your responsibility as his kin? Or do you truly care for him from the bottom of your heart? I dare not imagine what life was like with someone like him. In saying that, I admire your tenacity. Even when you work day and night to make ends meet, help your friends, and put a smile to everyone¡¯s face... You always hold those bitter feelings inside of you, the whole time. Handling one bad news after another behind the curtains. It must have been hard on you.¡± Martial Kim continued to talk to Fae Fae. And Fae Fae continued to not respond. Every now and then Martial Kim would help to move her arms and hands, as part of a bed side exercise to keep her body from losing muscle tone. ¡°The first time I watched you perform, I was at my lowest. I¡¯ve failed to meet expectations set upon me and it...well...it didn¡¯t end well. Whenever I look back on those days, I feel like I should just jump off a cliff and it would be the end of it. But the night I saw your sword dance...I told myself, I had to work hard and stay strong. To regain myself, so I could be confidant enough to come and greet you... I apologize it took this long...Brothels make me conscious, if you get me. No offence... Ha, ha.....ha.¡± Martial Kim blushed a bit in nostalgia. He quietly and gently fixed some of Fae Fae¡¯s hair, to make her look prettier even when she was still asleep and unresponsive. ¡°So I am always glad, you decided to host your sword dance for the public, so everyone could see and feel moved by your passion... Say, Fae Fae. When this is all over, would you like to go back to dancing?... Or perhaps..........Huh?¡± The moment was ruined. Not because Inspector Lee stomped in like a gorilla neither did Martial Kim did anything sappy in a romantic comedy. He was legitimately surprised when he looked at Fae Fae¡¯s hands poking out from her long sleeves. ¡°Why are they still swollen?¡± He wondered, perplexed, ¡°The fluid retention should have died down by now.¡± Fae Fae¡¯s hands were indeed red and puffy, still. They weren¡¯t as bad the first time Martial Kim noticed, but it didn¡¯t go away either. He expected them to be at least half the size, if not all the way back to normal. But it looked like what he used, had no effect. Could it be another problem? Martial Kim wondered. Another set of internal bleeding he wasn¡¯t aware of? Poison!? He had to check! ¡°Inspector!¡± He called out, ¡°Could you please pass me my kit?¡± Inspector Lee lumbered right in and tried to figure out which is which. He grabbed the wooden box and brought it over, ¡°Wh-what¡¯s the matter!? Please don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s dying again...Wait! Wh-what the hell happened to the hands!?¡± ¡°I am trying to figure that out as we speak!¡± ¡°No Martial Kim! I mean YOUR hands.¡± ¡°Huh?....Oh....Oh!¡± FAIRY - Chapter 12 (Red Handed) Midnight and Martial Yellow Sister had not returned yet. Most likely she is staying over at North Cloud City, to make her research easier than travelling back and forth between cities. It was for the better. Or else the moment she walked into the recovery room, she would have screamed. Martial Kim¡¯s hand were swollen. It was only a moment ago the skin on his fingers were a feverish red. It didn¡¯t take long before they started to inflate like a ghastly balloons. His fingers went from brush thick, to sausage thick, to the girth of a goose neck. He can¡¯t even bend his digits for the life of him. And it happened all so fast! Near blink of an eye! Inspector Lee struggled to help. There was no way in hell he had any medical experience, not at Martial Kim¡¯s level. Fortunately, the young master of Moon Tavern was very organized. He had various antidotes and ointments prepared for most situations and he had labelled each vial and jar with the names he called out. In the end, Martial Kim had Inspector Lee pour and mix the cocktail of medical ingredients within a wash basin, so the former could soak his goose-neck thick fingers and hands inside. As if he was touching boiling water, he let out a hiss of pain before enduring the sensation only he could flinch from. Inspector Lee gulped when the hands started to fizz upon submersion, like something was melting off his skin, ¡°M-martial Kim. Wh-what the hell!? W-was it something you ate back in the restaurant we had dinner at? Oh gods, are my hands next!?¡± He quickly held up his hands and-- ¡°Wait hold on. Mine are perfectly normal.¡± N-no fair.¡± Martial Kim hissed. The medicine was kinda of working, it took the edge off of the pressure and pain. However instincts told him, even his cocktail of medication wasn¡¯t the answer, ¡°What is happening indeed. I wonder, if it¡¯s something I touched on Fae Fae, and it became contagious. Her hands swelled up like mine some time ago.¡± Yeah, I remember!¡± Inspector Lee couldn¡¯t bare to look at the red hands anymore. ¡°Her hands got red and puffy a couple of days after we found her, back in Green Lion Valley!¡± Martial Kim nodded, then suddenly an idea crossed his mind, ¡°Actually, Inspector. Would you so kindly poke my hand?¡± ...With all due respect Martial Kim, can I not? I mean I don¡¯t want my hands swollen like a pig punched in the face!¡± A-a chopstick would do, if it helps. Just a small poke on the pu-puffiest part of my hand. Aaaah.¡± Inspector Lee grabbed a chopstick and did what he was told. He gave the puffy hands several poke, and one long poke. Martial Kim examined the reaction of his skin, how it behaved on contact, ¡°It¡¯s not edema. If it was fluid building up in my hands, the pokes would leave a bit of a white dent in my skin. A tell tale sign. Now that I think about it, my hands feel oddly hot. Like on fire.¡± Inspector Lee thought about it. Suddenly, he touched Martial Kim¡¯s forehead, then his own, as if comparing. ¡°You¡¯re pretty warm, but not feverishly so. Swelling hands, redness, heat?....AH!...I-I¡¯ve seen this before! I can¡¯t remember what was it called!¡± C-Can you explain?¡± I-it¡¯s the thing when I saw my friend¡¯s eyes got all big and swollen when his lady friend threw flower at his face! O-or or when another buddy of mine dropped and seized up from a bee sting! Hives all over, barely breathed!¡± ...Allergies?¡± YES!¡± Inspector Lee smacked the table in agreement, making the wash basin jump. He then hushed when he remembered Fae Fae was sleeping close by. ¡°That¡¯s it! Allergies! Ghastly thing! I nearly had a Constable died from peanuts! Can you believe it!? Simple harmless peanuts!¡± The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Food allergies is one thing, but last time I had a health check up I don¡¯t have much allergies.¡± Th-then what caused this!? Was it something you ate? Touched?¡± Martial Kim was in so much pain and discomfort he gave up thinking and shrugged, ¡°I-if allergies is the case then it should be easy to remedy for Fae Fae and I...Question is, what type of allergy? It¡¯s not like, aaaah, the Jade Empire had invented a single anti-allergen antidote that cures all reactions, not yet any how. I-I have to know the source to counter it. Could be from shellfish, egg whites, pollen, bee poison...Actually.¡± The young master of Moon Tavern dared to haul his hands out of the medicinal water. The pain flashed back and he endured, he examined his hands, and his wrist, his arms, ¡°It¡¯s...localized to my hands. Exactly like Fae Fae. Otherwise her entire body would be as puffy... This is strange.¡± Well at least we know they don¡¯t jump like fleas! You know, like from dog to dog!¡± Inspector Lee sighed, wiping the sweat off as he dodged that bullet! ¡°But what did you exactly touch?¡± I touched a lot of things in the past few days. Most of them normal objects, the hairpin, Fae Fae¡¯s hands, a lot.¡± When the pain grew to the point of bursting, he showed his hands back into the wash basin and clenched his teeth. He did what he could to use every ounce of brain power to think back hard in the past few days. There was a process of elimination of likely things he touched that could have caused this. All I know I spent most of my time tending to Fae Fae,¡± he uttered in pain, ¡°Maybe check on the Lady Constables I had assisting me. See if she is alright. At least, it would help to narrow our possibilities.¡± Inspector Lee nodded and rushed out to look for that Constable. ¡°You stay right there, don¡¯t touch anything else!¡± Martial Kim nodded in agony as Inspector Lee bolted out. Despite the young master¡¯s honest answer in not wanting to touch anything, he was restless from waiting. Rather, he went up to the investigation board to trace the timeline. The Imperial Constabulary found Fae Fae¡¯s body roughly three days ago, before bringing her back for surgery. Before then, she was missing for another three days. Six days have passed, yet why did Fae Fae show signs of swelling at a different time than Martial Kim? Come to think of it, he started to remember clearly. The very moment where they found Fae Fae¡¯s body, he checked the hands for any self defense wounds or even layer of skin under the nails. He was sure he checked her hand and they looked normal, slender and elegant. Albeit a bit red... Then the redness started to show shortly after her surgery. His instincts tell him, it was not the surgeries fault. If she had contracted an infection at all, she would be having a fever and breaking into more than just sweat. Clearly she is just lying in her bed as peaceful as ever, no fever, no perspiration. Celestial Dream brothel...Temples...Green Lion Valley... Imperial Station...Celestial Dreams brothel...temples, Green Lion Valley...Imperial Station.¡± Martial Kim kept reciting the list of known places Fae Fae had visited prior her being found near dead. He went as far as simulating any and all possibility of whatever Fae Fae had come into contact that would cause such specific damage to her hands. In the process he eliminated any common allergens such as peanuts, pollen, shellfish, seeds or nuts, be it food or a specific plant. He also shifted out any allergic symptoms that affected the whole body like runny nose, skin rash, or even stiffness in muscles. Just hands. Just hands. Just... ¡°Hairpin.¡± Martial Kim blurted the answer out. In fact, it came out so fast he wasn¡¯t sure if it was the right one. He turned to the murder weapon that was sitting on the table, kept stored in a box. He fumbled to open the lid and peel back the cloth to get a better look. The hairpin was 30 cm long. Made of mixed gold and metal. It had a body of a twisted column, some decorative engravings if not the company logo smeared near the end, and it was uneven. The ¡®blade¡¯ part of the hairpin was caked in blood, some flies licking at the red every now and then. The ¡®handle¡¯ had no blood smear nor finger prints. Only some black specks that... Hold on. Martial Kim wasn¡¯t exactly someone who had photographic memory, but he clearly remembered the black spots on the hairpin were in a completely different position than he last checked. And it was only yesterday he drew a diagram to give a paper copy to Martial yellow Sister to take to North cloud City with her. Could it be, the hairpin is the culprit of the swelling...but how? To test his theory, Martial Kim boldly poked at the black spots... And regretted it. FAIRY - Chapter 13 (Dead Fingers) ¡°Martial Kim.¡± Inspector Lee wondered, ¡°What exactly is this Deadwood worm?¡± It was well into the night, beyond midnight even. At this hour, they could hear the city¡¯s night watchman banging away at his cymbals and bamboo log, in a rhythmic pattern as a means to tell what time it was during the night, all the while warning of any fires or dangers in the night. The whole thing was rushed, but Inspector Lee had to run to an apothecary store to grab various ingredients before bringing them back to Martial Kim in the Imperial Constabulary. Whatever happened while he was out and about, the young master from Moon Tavern solved one of the many mystery of this case. Painfully so. Martial Kim could be found pacing around outside in the courtyard of the station, relying on the cool air to ease his aches and reflect on his life choices. His hands were slathered in this greasy ointment, thick layers that glistened under the half moon light. All the while he kept striding in circles, trying to walk the pain off as he used breathing exercises to keep his mind off the agony. Inspector Lee waited for a response. At the very lest, he noticed the swelling on Martial Kim¡¯s hands weren¡¯t as bad as before. Still, it must have hurt like a witch. ¡°Aaah. Ooooh.¡± Martial Kim moaned, ¡°I-it¡¯s a natural land invertebrate that are commonly f-found in Gr-Green Lion Valley. I-it¡¯s recognizable for th-their incredible small size, even smaller than a grain of rice, if not their aaaaah, excruciating toxin.¡± Inspector Lee bolted to his feet, ¡°Holy sh¡ªToxin!? You¡¯ve been poisoned!? Wh-why didn¡¯t you tell me to buy an antidote before I ran out!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s no-not exactly lethal.¡± Martial Kim answered with clenched teeth, enduring the burning sensation, ¡°It functions li-like a jellyfish poison, hurts beyond recognition. Deadwood worms usually feed off rotting wood and they pass out toxins that promote plant cycle, like gardening fertilizer.¡± The young master had to stop when he was hit with a lightning bolt of pain. After heaving until it subsided, he continued his pacing, ¡°However in contact with animals and humans the tiny excrement they leave behind would cause a build of of toxins that would trigger a violent allergic reaction. Why I-I recognize it, because the symptoms usually show up three days later after they cling onto their host. Aaaagh.¡± ¡°Well that solves one riddle,¡± Inspector Lee would scratch his beard, ¡°but that doesn¡¯t explain how you and Fae Fae got it. I doubt she is the type to play with worms.¡± ¡°The hairpin.,¡± Martial Kim barely uttered, ¡°The hairpin was covered in Deadwood worms. I touched it when trying to pull it out of Fae Fae the first time. Both of her hands had the same problem. Perhaps she was trying to pull the hairpin out of herself after she was stabbed, before she passed out from the attack.¡± ¡°...OOOOOOOOH!¡± Something dawned upon the Inspector as he slapped his knee ¡°This means the killer would also touch these deadrock ass worm things and their hands would be swollen! Why, we can have the Judge put out an order, arrest anyone with hands the size of pig knuckles!¡± Martial Kim shook his head, ¡°Wh-what if the murderer wore gloves?¡± ¡°Damn! I was about to feel so proud of myself!¡± Inspector Lee sat back down, but bolted up, ¡°Wait. How the hell would tiny bugs land on a hairpin? I mean, those types of things are always at least 10 ft off the ground.¡± ¡°Some, oof, some logical explanation was: something happened and caused the hairpin to drop on the ground, perhaps in mud or some rotting wood full of the worms. That, or how they got there could be related as to why the hairpin is bent.¡± After listening, Inspector Lee did what any good detective would do ¨C simulate the murder in his head. He would physically act it out, to better envision the possibility of what Martial Kim just said. It was similar to rehearsing a play or blocking a choreography of a dance. Action spoke louder than words, it also helped to pain a cleaner picture. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. After trying out one scenario after another, there were some factors made clear. If the murderer had gloves to protect their hands, this suggested premeditated murder. But what was the motive? What would push someone to be this devilish to plan a mysterious death with such violence? If it was planned, what is the meaning behind the hairpin? The first of serial murders, to send a message? Inspector Lee was positive no other murder or strange death cases like that came his way whenever his other detectives reported to him. Planned, yet not planned? Why Green Lion Valley? Obviously it was a remote location with no witnesses, the question is why would Fae Fae be lured to such empty place? It¡¯s not even a major tourist hot spot of any kind! And even if it wasn¡¯t planned, without gloves ¨C Inspector Lee has not come across anyone else with similar signs and symptoms as Fae Fae and Martial Kim. ¡°Baaaaaaaah! I¡¯m stumped! Completely!¡± He roared, only to cover his mouth to quiet down from ¡®startling¡¯ the comatose victim, ¡°I reckon it¡¯s the Palanquin Bearers! They did it! They were the last ones to possibly see Fae Fae alive, and they didn¡¯t show up for work since she vanished!¡± Martial Kim nod, but not wholeheartedly, ¡°I understand your reasoning, Inspector Lee. Still we don¡¯t have any evidence to point the finger exactly at the Palanquin Bearers. There could be 1000 reasons why their late arrival could be coincidental.¡± ¡°Well I¡¯m at my limit with this case! The Brothel didn¡¯t give us anything and the brother was trash for help! We don¡¯t have a lead! Even if Fae Fae is declared dead to the public, the fact this incident left her fighting for her life riles up my blood pressure!¡± Martial Kim tried to calm his companion down by trying to pat him on the back ¨C accidentally getting some ointment on the uniform. Oops. After a quick bow of apology, he started to ease up. The redness was slowly going away, and his hands didn¡¯t felt as thick or stiff. Granted, it was a long road to recovery, but it didn¡¯t hurt ¨C as much. At least this showed the formula was working. So he was confident to reproduce the medicine for Fae Fae to help her hands to recover. He still hissed every now and then from occasional sharp stings, ¡°Oooof. For now, let us assume this murder was not at all lucky and would have swollen hands like us. Aaah. Aaah. Not any anti-allergen medication would work, since Deadwood Worm toxin is very unique. Only a few would know the recipe, let alone come across it in their line of work. Oooof.¡± ¡°Honestly Martial Kim,¡± Inspector Lee whipped off his hat to comb a hand through his hair to calm down, ¡°Catching someone pig handed is 10 times better than digging my hands in a haystack to find a damn needle. I¡¯ll take the easy way out for this....Actually, the Brother. His hands look rather swollen.¡± ¡°Ah. I think you are mistaken. His hand isn¡¯t swollen due to allergies. The rings he bought are just too small for him. They just block his circulation. No doubt he bought them at random without sizing them properly. I keep seeing him adjusting or itching at his rings. I don¡¯t think he would have killed Fae Fae, not directly.¡± ¡°I still bet he is involved in all this! One way or another, mark my word Martial Kim...So now what?¡± Martial Kim could only shrug at this point, not like his pained hands could do much. Before they called it a night, it seemed they received a visitor. A Messenger arrived in front of the Imperial Constabulary, on horseback in the late night. Without stopping, he would leap off his steed, receive access to enter the station, before racing up to meet Inspector Lee directly. The Messenger was also a Constable, albeit with a different colour uniform. After handing over an official document with a blue and gold felt cover to Inspector Lee, the Messenger would bow and dash off, already galloping from the station and out of the city. Martial Kim could not help but ask, ¡°A calling from a friend of yours?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh yeah, a Court Runner from another city.¡± Inspector Lee opened the felt covers, expending a long and folded paper scroll. To others beyond the borders of the Jade Empire, the documents scroll resemble to a unique instrument called an accordion. ¡°Mentioned it was urgent and I had to read it now.¡± ¡°Sounds very important.¡± ¡°Bah! Knowing them, they feel self entitled to believe every document they send over is priority number one. They think they¡¯re the top cats in the Empire, if you get what I mean... Oh...¡± Inspector Lee made a sound as he read through the columns of calligraphy written in expert ink brush strokes. When he reached the end of the document, to where a bright red ink stamp was made, he closed the document without properly folding it up like a map. Face just...white as a porcelain dish. Martial Kim raised an eyebrow, ¡°Bad news?¡± ¡°N-no, actually. It''s good news but...¡± Inspector Lee pursed his lip, just taking it all in, before saying. ¡°It¡¯s from one of the Constable Stations, in North Cloud City. They said they caught Fae Fae¡¯s Killers. This is an official request, for us to bring them back to the Capital... Huh...¡± FAIRY - Chapter 14 (North Cloud City) Fae Fae¡¯s Murderers have been arrested...or so it was told. Martial Kim and Inspector Lee did not know if this was a twist of luck, or another detour along the road they are to travel. Regardless, they head over to where the murderers are being held, in order to the place in question to find the answers. North Cloud City. One of the top 10 major cities across the Jade Empire, if not a critical tourist attraction. It had all forms of entertainment, commerce, and power any rich person could ask for. A city that thrived off of armies of small and big businesses and operated by various influential clan and family names. They always boasted they were the safest, if not cleanest, city in the Jade Empire. That it was even impossible to spot a single beggar loitering about in the fair streets! In saying that, many call North Cloud City as a beautiful hive of vice and sin. Anything exhilarating in life could be found, touched, and bought in even the smallest of shadowed corners. There were also many services that were ¡®supposed to shy away from the law¡¯, kept well out of the honest eyes of the Emperor ¨C but of course many major names would deny those allegations. A city of dreams...or a city of nightmares. It all depends on who is visiting, and why. Martial Kim and Inspector Lee raced on horses from the Capital to North Cloud City as fast as they could. What may have been a weeks travel cut down to less than a half, with very little sleep in between. Ignoring all the brilliant glitz and glamour the city was selling, they made a beeline for one location. North Cloud Policing Station. One of the many constabularies that ruled the streets. As Inspector Lee was a recognized member of the Imperial Justice System, Martial Kim let him take the lead in cutting through any red tape and point of access. The young master in question was, after all, a regular owner of a tavern. A civilian. Or in the eyes of the Imperial Law ¨C a vigilante. Martial Kim was among the many wandering martial arts hero who travelled the lands as knight-errants, riding on their own form of Code of Chivalry: to redress wrongs, bring justice to greed and corruption, punish the wicked, and avenge the innocent. Men and women like him operate in and out of the law without any legal affiliations to do what they believe is right without being yanked on a leash or anchored by red tape. Mercenaries; bounty hunters; sell swords; ronins; or just free spirited heroes. Given the fact such heroes can be Chaotic and Reckless at times, it is only obvious members of Law and Order would never give these vigilantes the time of day. Martial Kim was used to such treatment, that is why he kept any friends within the law close at heart and with great respect. For only a few of them have open minds and ears to heed his suggestions, much like Inspector Lee or the Judge that deputized the young master. Anyhow, the mentioned young master was too preoccupied to care about the glares and leers from the North City Police. He started to wonder many things such as: were the true killers really captured? Could it be a mistake in the system, or wrong profiling? Perhaps there had been a bit of a Butterfly Effect and the actions of the killer ended up being locked up? Was it really that simple? Thanks a million friend,¡± Inspector Lee nodded to a North Cloud Detective before joining Martial Kim while on their way into the prison cell, ¡°The crew here said they caught them early morning the other day, burning evidence. Once they found out about their connection to Fae Fae¡¯s case, they sent us the message.¡± Martial Kim nodded, ¡°Did they say anything else?¡± ¡°Hah. Why don¡¯t we get it straight from the horse¡¯s mouth! Well at least one of them. The other bugger has a hanging jaw from the arrest. If you can believe it.¡± Inspector Lee guided Martial Kim into the prison cell of the North Cloud Policing Station. If the world outside was heaven, then this place was definitely the hell of all hells. Dust and smoke filled the room. Everything was made with ragged stone walls and rusted iron bars. Chains rattle on the wrists and ankles of the prisoners, many cut throats and the rotten of the rotten who work in the shadows of the city operation. Why, there were even some people who DARED to try their luck to become beggars locked up! They all made noise of displeasure, taunting, and screaming ¨C just to make the guards life as miserable as theirs. After walking through a maze of stone and iron cells, they were able to find the one they were looking for. Two young men. In fact, they wore a pair of uniforms that belonged to a well known Palanquin Taxi service that should be in the Capital City. They were all shackled up and tossed across the floor in a slump. They barely moved, making everyone wondered if they just died. Like twitching shrimps out of water. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Once they reach the iron bar, Inspector Lee tapped the rusted iron with the hilt of his scimitar, making a clang clang noise, ¡°Hey, you two. Fae Fae. Ring a bell?¡± The Palanquin Bearers thought to be dead ¨C sprung to life! They lunged at the bars, not to attack anyone, but to scream for help and mercy. It was at this distance, the investigators could see their face clearly under the dim light. Bruises filled their face. Cut lip, swelling eyes, punches and kicks staining their body with dust and blood. Even their uniforms got torn up. They were covered in leaves, straws, and other things. Both of them cling to the bars, screaming. Please! Let us go!¡± One of the Palanquin Bearers hollered, the one who didn¡¯t have a broken jaw, ¡°W-we¡¯ve done nothing wrong! W-we¡¯re not the murders! We¡¯re innocent! Innocent!¡± The investigators from the Capital exchanged glances, more concerned by how beaten up they were. Still, they could be the culprits. Otherwise, why else arrest them out of the blue? So Inspector Lee put on his bad cop face to make sure no one was lying to him. Hey, hey, HEY! Pipe down!¡± He barked, putting on a sneer, ¡°It¡¯s already loud enough with all this noise in the background, so don¡¯t make me deaf!¡± He adjusted his belt to lean in towards the jail cell doorway. ¡°Alright, spit it out. How did you kill Fae Fae?¡± I-it wasn¡¯t us!¡± The Palanquin Bearer screamed on behalf of his partner, ¡°We swear, we had nothing to do with her death!¡± Inspector Lee snorted, ¡°Is that so? Well I got news flash for you. I got the scoop from my buddies in this station. They found you at the border of Green Lion Valley. What were you both doing? You guys were burning up a Palanquin ¨C YOUR Palanquin! No doubt erasing the evidence involved in killing Fae Fae! And when the North City Police tried to stop you ¨C you both ran like rabbits! Tell me: how can I not take either of you as suspicious!¡± The Palanquin Bearers shook their head and waved their hands around in objection. ¡°No! It¡¯s not true! We kept telling them, thousands and thousands of times, we didn¡¯t set our Palanquin on fire! H-how could we!? I-it¡¯s the only thing that could give us a living!¡± Hah! You say its not true, but a lot of people back home in the Capital all be pointing fingers at you lot! How you are smitten with Fae Fae, always saving yourselves to pick her up to and fro! Not to mention you guys were last seen with her BEFORE SHE DIED! So tell me ¨C where in that logic screams you guys are hands free of all this!¡± Please! Sirs! Officers!¡± The Palanquin Bearers propped on their knees to kowtow over and over, ¡°W-we¡¯ve never done a terrible thing in our lives! We¡¯re framed! Framed! You got to believe us! You got to listen to us! D-don¡¯t just beat us around and force us to admit it like the others! We could never kill Miss Fae Fae! Never!¡± The two Palanquin Bearers gripped at the iron bars, breaking down in sobs. Even in the dim light, Martial Kim could see their injuries were not only genuine ¨C but excessive. A thousand thoughts came and go into his mind. Then he made a decision and whispered it to his partner. ¡°Inspector Lee, could you ask the guards to let us in?¡± Wh-what are you serious!?¡± After a bit of back and forth, Inspector Lee begrudgingly complied. After a North Cloud City prison guard opened the cell to the Palanquin Bearers, the Capital investigators walked in and let the door close up behind them. It seems the cell where the Palanquin Brothers were shoved into had a couple of people. A con artist with a crippled hand, a drunkard slumped in the corner with vomit dripping out of his mouth, and this old geezer who sang about how much fun it was to evade taxes. Fortunately, they were the types to pay no mind to what was happening around them. They were in their own little world. Martial Kim would kneel down to meet with the Palanquin Bearers, while Inspector Lee kept standing ¨C poised to strike if any funny business were to happen. The young master asked the two prisoners, ¡°May I see your hands please?¡± The Palanquin Bearers were shocked by this and gave each other confused looks. After some hesitation, they held up their hands. AH-HA!¡± Inspector Lee snapped with a laugh, ¡°I knew it! Your hands are bigger than a pig knuckle! You touched that Dead Beat whatever! You¡¯re the murderers!¡± The prisoner¡¯s hands were both swollen, a beet red, caked in blood, blackened across their fingers and wrists. Before the Palanquin Bearers could object, Martial Kim held up a hand to stop the allegations for a moment. He gave the prisoner¡¯s hands a quick look over, inspecting it with medical eyes. He then tugged on Inspector Lee¡¯s pant leg, so both could lean in and whisper to each other. Martial Kim uttered, ¡°It¡¯s not an allergic reaction.¡± What do you mean!? It¡¯s red and big!¡± They¡¯re swollen from being physically punished, to the point where every blood vessel in their palms and fingers have been destroyed and left blackened.¡± They¡¯re prisoners!¡± mumbled Inspector Lee under his breath, ¡°It¡¯s only natural they get roughed around, especially fleeing arrest!...In...saying that.¡± He looks at the Palanquin Bearers, their bruises from head to toe ¡°... Their wounds do look a little excessive, even for my standards. They don¡¯t look THAT hard to pin down, you know what I mean?¡± Martial Kim nodded, adding, ¡°Keep an open eye and mind, good friend,¡± before he switched to the Palanquin Bearers. My name is Martial Kim.¡± He greeted, ¡°I hail from Moon Tavern, back in the Capital. This gentlemen here is my companion, Inspector Lee. We are investigating Fae Fae¡¯s murder.¡± The Palanquin Bearers have this look of hope flashing across their gaze. They tried to reach out, to grab at Martial Kim¡¯s sleeves, but their fingers were so injured they winced in pain just curling them. It¡¯s like their entire hands were stomped under the hooves of horses. While Martial Kim had sympathy, he kept on a straight face, ¡°You say you are innocent. However, I need you to tell me, word for word, what happened to Miss Fae Fae the time she was reported missing... And what lead you to this situation.¡± The Palanquin Bearers quickly tried to express as many answers as they could, fearing they would be beaten up a second later. Martial Kim held up a hand and calmly said. ¡°I promise, while we are present you will receive no further punishment... In fact, let me tend to your injuries. You must have suffered a lot.¡± Was the truth buried under all the tears and wounds? Or else where? FAIRY - Chapter 15 (Palanquin Bearers) Fae Fae was the Palanquin Bearer¡¯s favourite customer. Even if she was a Courtesan who used her body to serve men after men without count or morality, she was the sweetest client the Palanquin Bearers could ever receive in life. Their usual clients often yelled at them, kicked them, treated them as their slaves or servants for the duration of the trip. Many times, they get scammed by even the richest of people, of their money and dignity. And these workers can never openly complain, or else they lose their jobs. The pain under silence was that simple. Compared to all the vile and bossy people they¡¯ve been with, Fae Fae was a goddess. A compliment that would always made her feel embarrassed. She would never give them trouble, she loved to chat with them during the ride, listen to their own woes with heart, and most importantly ¨C they remember their names every time. Fae Fae wasn¡¯t just a client. She was a friend they¡¯ve all wanted. Over time, the Palanquin Bearers tailored their work, to accommodate this one person. They often focus their work around Celestial Dreams Brothel, often waiting for a familiar face. Even when other brothel girls offered twice the amount, they only have their eyes on Fae Fae and wait with a diligence only a loyal hound would show upon the arrival of a caring master. They even changed the way they operated. What was supposed to be a four man powered ride turn into two men. Work was got harder, heavier and longer, but this gave them a good excuse to reduce the taxi fare for Fae Fae¡¯s sake. Almost every day, every break and moment, they make sure their Palanquin was clean, tidy, and invested in aroma pouches to give the seat and riding box a beautiful scent. A ride fit for a princess, on a budget. Many people ask them why they bother, to go through such hardship and lengths to please one prostitute? A whore, in their eyes. The Palanquin Bearers would answer with pride: ¡®She notices our efforts and thanks us for it! That is a reward no one will ever understand!¡¯ What truly moved the Palanquin Bearers was how Fae Fae helped them to survive the rough times. If not her presence and words providing emotional support, she never hesitates to lend them large sums of money to solve their immediate problems. Sick family, in the red, in debt, or even a simple birthday gift. ¡°How could we betray someone as sweet as Miss Fae Fae!?¡± The Palanquin Bearer spoke through tears, ¡°We both swore to treat Miss Fae Fae well out of gratitude, for all the kindness she has shared with us. We always make sure no one disturbs her during her ride, so she could even have a nap in peace in between trips. She had been so tired lately, passing out even for only a few minutes. No doubt, that mean Brothel Owner of a man has been working her to the bone!¡± Martial Kim quietly listened as he tended to the two men¡¯s wounds. A faint smile on his lips as he heard their story. ¡°Thank you, for taking good care of Fae Fae. You say she got you through hard times, I am sure you¡¯ve given her the same opportunity to sigh with relief whenever she bears a heavy burden on her shoulder. You were both able to make each other smile through the hardship.¡± The Palanquin Bearers could not help a short bow of humility, ¡°W-we dare not take such credit! There have been many times we should just quit the business, but after we met Miss Fae Fae she just makes our job worth fighting for! To be proud of! Even getting to see her nearly every day, taking her around town, is a blessing for both of us!¡± ¡°Your trips,¡± Martial Kim wondered, ¡°Has it only been in the Capital? Do you take her anywhere else beyond the main city?¡± ¡°Oh why yes,¡± One of the Palanquin Bearer nodded, while his partner was nursing his dislocated jaw, ¡°Sometimes, Miss Fae Fae hires us for a day or two, to act as her personal transport. She often asks us to take us to temples outside of the city, or visit a nearby village as a reprieve from her work.¡± ¡°Even North Cloud City?¡± ¡°Yes¡± The Palanquin Bearer nodded, ¡°Miss Fae Fae had been hiring us to take her here, i-in the recent weeks prior she was reported missing.¡± ¡°Any idea where in the city, or why?¡± ¡°Miss Fae Fae always has us bring her to random parts of a single district in North Cloud City, Pearl District. Then she would disembark from our Palanquin to travel alone, she wouldn¡¯t let us follow her. As to why, well we never asked ¨C it¡¯s not our place to pry into her business.¡± Martial Kim thought things over before asking, ¡°Anything happened when she returned to you?¡± The Palanquin Bearer who could speak scratched the back of his head, but winced at his bruised fingers, ¡°Nothing really, just. She often looked so sad, and tired. After wandering alone for an hour or so, she comes back so weary. The moment we take her back to the Capital, she just falls asleep... We once saw her crying in her sleep. So one could only imagine what happened whenever we visited.¡± ¡°Do you think, she has been looking for something?¡± ¡°I-if you put it like that, possibly? Whenever we came into North Cloud City, she often peeks through the curtain window. Sometimes, she asks us to stop, to let her get a better look around her, but then says move on... We don¡¯t know exactly what she is searching for, but it seems important. We sometimes wondered if she is looking for a specific product or gift for so.¡± Martial Kim paused the conversation so he can reflect on the information provided. Searching for something? Visiting the same area over and over? Wandering alone, only to return in tears? It is common human nature to avoid things that hurt or make them sad. So these details made the young master curious as to the reason Fae Fae would put herself through such silent pain. What was she looking for? Or could it be it¡¯s a who was she looking for? And why North Cloud City, of all places? In Martial Kim¡¯s experience, this place was not just a fancy tourist attraction ¨C it was a castle in disguise serving the most powerful families and clans within the North Cloud City. In his adventures under the name of Moon Tavern, he had many run in with such great power, great evils, or simply the mightiest of greed. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. There have always been rumours of rich men and women playing around with fire, cozying up to those below their station. Some call it true love beyond the restraints of society, when in reality those romances are nothing more than thrills for the rich. A lot of theories came into Martial Kim¡¯s mind, but for now he focused on the Palanquin Bearers. They were, after all, arrested for a reason. And it seems Inspector Lee didn¡¯t really buy their tears and moans. Martial Kim asked, ¡°When was the last time you saw Fae Fae?¡± ¡°Oh uh,¡± The Palanquin Bearer took a moment to think back, ¡°That was when Miss Fae Fae hired us to take her and her Handmaiden to visit some temples across the Capital. Before we head out, her Handmaiden had to leave so it was just Miss Fae Fae.¡± ¡°Do you remember these temple names?¡± ¡°Ah sorry good sir. We can barely read, but we know where to go. The only name we can recall is uuuh... North Wind Temple. She specifically wanted to go there last in her trip.¡± ¡°After her visit, then what happened?¡± ¡°...Actually, that was it,¡± The Palanquin Bearer answered. ¡°We were ready to take Miss Fae Fae back home, to Celestial Dreams... but she paid us to call it a day and go home. She didn¡¯t want a ride back. She said she was going to meet someone later and they would escort her home.¡± Inspector Lee¡¯s was half dozing off from all the backstory talk, but the comment of meeting someone snapped him awake, ¡°Who!? Did she give a name!?¡± When the Palanquin Bearers shook their head in fear, Inspector Lee growled, ¡°Come on man! You said yourself you served her hand and foot, and you just left her alone in Green Lion Valley!? What a load of bull you¡¯ve been muttering!¡± ¡°N-no! Sir, hear us out!¡± The Palanquin Bearer screeched! ¡°W-we tried to convince her, it was dangerous for a maiden like her to be alone and it was about to get dark. She insisted, even paid us double to give her some privacy... W-we didn¡¯t wish to offend her. So we just...we left as requested.¡± They then bowed their heads in shame, ¡°I-if we had known, that would be the very last time we could ever see Miss Fae Fae alive, th-then we were willing to face fire and brimstone of her anger ¨C so we could protect her! To stay with her! We wished we could have been there to protect her!¡± ¡°But you didn¡¯t!¡± Inspector Lee stormed over. He accidentally knocked aside Martial Kim in his wake as the officer grabbed the prisoners by the collar, ¡°Fae Fae was a divine beauty, a sex worker with experience, and she was alone without her Handmaiden. No doubt your goal the entire time was to cozy up to her, get on her good side and more, to make her lower her guard so you can find the perfect time to pounce on her and use her for your own whims!¡± ¡°NO! IT¡¯S NOT TRUE! WE TRULY RESPECT HER!¡± ¡°Respect her!? Bah! You still left the woman alone in the woods and she wounded up dead sometime after! Not only did you knuckleheads not show up when the Capital declared her dead, you got arrested for burning your the evidence called your Palanquin! Did you use it as a shrine of your sins, drag her inside and did whatever you pleased!?¡± The Palanquin Bearers screamed in panic as they try to pry Inspector Lee¡¯s grip from them, objecting to the accusations. They quickly reached out to grab at Martial Kim, the good cop in the situation. ¡°Sirs! We¡¯re framed! We told you we got knocked out and found our Palanquin burning. Our livelihood, our memories of Miss Fae Fae, up in ashes! The North Cloud City Police all kept calling us murderers as they beat and kick us ¨C it was only then we realized Miss Fae Fae was dead! We swear!¡± Martial Kim placed a hand on Inspector Lee¡¯s shoulder, but did not intervene in forcing the officer to let go of the culprit. He asked them, ¡°Where have you both been during the time Fae Fae was noted missing to now?¡± ¡°We had been here in the city!¡± The Palanquin Bearer yelped, ¡°The moment we overheard the staff in the brothel, saying Miss Fae Fae missed her show, we were worried. S-so we took it upon ourselves to search in and out of town, as to where she could have been. Even brought our Palanquin in case we had to quickly bring her home in a hurry. We even visited all the way to North Wind Temple and they said she left already. W-we thought she ended up travelling to North Cloud City alone so we came over here...then one thing led to another and¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t listen to them, Martial Kim!¡± Inspector Lee snapped. ¡°These sorry excuse for men left a vulnerable woman alone and have gone missing since she died. They can make up whatever story they please now!¡± He throttled the prisoners before shouting, ¡°Let me tell you both what really happened. All the crap about admiring her from afar is just fluff! You both are in love with her, even smitten by her beauty and body. As mules with lower than average pay, you could never afford to spend the night with beautiful women like her. So, that night when everyone saw her last ¨C you took her to Green Lion Valley, tried to subdue her, to rape her, but ended up culling her when she kept objecting to your advances!¡± ¡°NO! NO! NOO! WE COULD NEVER DO SUCH A THING! PLEASE DON¡¯T FRAME US! DON¡¯T FRAME UUUUS!¡± The Palanquin Bearers broke down, sobbing outright. Perhaps, the beatings they received and the living conditions they were trapped in pushed them to beyond a corner. Inspector Lee wanted to continue his bark, but for now he just muttered at the sigh. ¡°Alright. You guys said you¡¯re framed. Then tell me why do you think the North Cloud City Police believe you are the murderers!?¡± ¡°W-we don¡¯t know!¡± The Palanquin Bearers shook their heads, ¡°Barely a day we entered the city and these men in black masks jumped us, beating us until we were out cold. When we came to, we found ourselves outside of their city, our Palanquin already burning in front of us. Before we could figure out anything, the North Cloud City Police chased us out of the blue. They interrogated us, like right now, and we told them everything, like this ¨C but they kept torturing us to admit our wrongs, our crime.¡± The speaker of the two buried his face into his hand, trying to block out the wicked memories in his mind, ¡°No one listened to us, just spread the word we were the ones who murdered Miss Fae Fae.¡± ¡°...Just like that?¡± Inspector Lee raised an eyebrow. After receiving a shuddering nod, he let go of the prisoners so he could pick up Martial Kim to whisper to him, ¡°The North Cloud City Detectives gave me a different story.¡± Martial Kim hummed back, ¡°Which side of the coin do you believe?¡± Inspector Lee mulled it over. One glance at the men¡¯s wounds, their tears, he just waved a hand in their direction ¨C begrudgingly. He then added, ¡°Police don¡¯t go around arresting the innocent without grounds.¡± ¡°North Cloud City has their own version of the law.¡± ¡°Still.¡± Inspector Lee rubbed a palm over his tired face, so much conflicting emotions, ¡°These guys were the last people who saw Fae Fae alive. I still got some coins betting it¡¯s them. What kind of loyal servant or whatever just leaves a women in the middle of no where?¡± ¡°What if Fae Fae was truly waiting for someone, to come for her?¡± Martial Kim whispered back, ¡°An arrangement?¡± ¡°You think, this someone may be pulling the strings around here?¡± Martial Kim was not 100% certain, but he gave a nod in response. ¡°Given the situation, I cannot confirm the ¡®time of death¡¯. Meaning we can¡¯t ask for a specific alibi during those three days she reported missing, especially for the Palanquin Bearers. They are still suspects, but they are not the only ones on the table... In saying that.¡± The young master would eye the damaged prisoners, before looking to his partner, ¡°North Cloud City Police believes they are the killers, and asked us to transport them back to the Capital for sentencing. Let us play by their script, to a certain degree of course.¡± Inspector Lee glanced at the prisoners, eyeing their wounds. A tiny pang of pity filled his heart, but just that tiny prick. Then he face palmed. ¡°Crap! We were in a rush, I didn¡¯t arrange the men ahead of time. If this was a clear cut case, bringing them back with us two is no problem. But if you¡¯re thinking of someone playing games in the shadow, last thing I want to deal with are wanna be assassins!¡± ¡°I have an idea, actually,¡± Martial Kim grinned, ¡°As the saying goes, fight fire with fire. If the dagger is someone of great influence in North Cloud City being involved, then let us use someone of equal renown in North Cloud City as a shield!¡± FAIRY - Chapter 16 (Heart Gold) North Cloud Shipping Company. A well known organization who provided armed protection for travellers and supply logistics for the right price. Due to their reputation, many major families and business in North Cloud City often formed long term contracts for their services. They employed, if not trained, a series of talented fighters within their ranks or from the chaotic martial arts world. Combat experts in their own right. This made their service all the more extraordinary, as they can do more than fend off the regular bandits and highwaymen on the streets. They¡¯ve had run in with potential assassins when delivering a charge, with zero failure. So Martial Kim believed they were perfect for the job in delivering two prisoners of a murder case to the Capital in one piece. Thus they all travelled to the Capital over the course of a few long days. Other than the regular obstacles of wild beasts and a trot of mountain robbers, so far nothing as extreme as assassination. Either these ¡®masked men in black¡¯ were simply a smokescreen to fend off suspicion, or they were smart enough to avoid facing a collection of martial arts masters head on. Whatever the truth was, everyone was able to arrive in the great Capital safe and sound. Martial Kim felt proud of his decision, calling upon North Cloud Shipping Company. The trip was more or less smooth, positively uneventful. However, he barely made two steps past the Capital gate when his expression fell with an ¡°Oh?¡± Huh!? Wh-what is it!? Robbers or assassins!?¡± Inspector Lee looked around while he commandeered the horse pulling the prison wagon, ¡°Come on, we¡¯re practically five blocks from our station, don¡¯t tell me there¡¯s more bad news we have to take care of!¡± Er. N-no, it¡¯s nothing,¡± Martial Kim uttered, ¡°Inspector Lee, you and the others continue on. I have to do something.¡± The young master in the hanbok would then turn to the leader of the escort group and bow with gratitude, ¡°Thank you, North Cloud Shipping Company. I, Martial Kim, am in your debt.¡± The honour is ours, Moon Tavern,¡± The agent of the shipping company returned the bow with an energetic chuckle, ¡°We are glad you¡¯ve given us the opportunity to return the favour, especially for what you¡¯ve done for our banner in the past. May we meet again!¡± I look forward to crossing paths once more.¡± Martial Kim nodded, before he politely excused himself from the convoy. He ended up walking down a street, a familiar one. It didn¡¯t take long before he came up to a familiar Funeral Parlour. Standing in front of the store talking to the owner, was a certain old man in rich golden robes. Mr. Golden,¡± He called out. ¡°Greetings.¡± The rich old man jumped on the spot, ¡°Oh! Martial Kim! What a surprise! What brings you here?¡± I should be asking you sir,¡± Martial Kim responded as he bowed, ¡°I apologize for not seeing you sooner. I had been helping the Constabulary with the death of Fae Fae... I am sorry, for your loss.¡± Mr. Golden¡¯s face soften, like a brick wall melting into clay. ¡°I...I appreciate your kind words. And your efforts in finding out what happened to Fae Fae. I-if I was only a bit younger, I would be glad to volunteer and find out what happened to her... Poor girl. Poor poor girl.¡± Martial Kim tried not to frown too hard. Mr. Golden was an elderly man. Although he could walk, talk, and remember things at a drop of a hat, the last thing the young master wanted to see is the rich old man to drop to the ground from a more than a heart break. One part of him wanted to tell Mr. Golden, Fae Fae was alive. Perhaps his feelings and words could help wake her up... but then again ¨C Martial Kim believed in the principle of suspect everyone. Even the closest of kin. So of course Martial Kim shovelled his true feelings aside. In saying that, he couldn¡¯t help but glance at the Funeral Parlour Mr. Golden was visiting. The same place where Fae Fae¡¯s Brother used to rent, before he ¡®went up in society¡¯. Mr. Golden noticed the glance and he could not help a dry chuckle, ¡°Don¡¯t worry young man. The fortune teller once told me I would live to be 101.. But given what happened to Fae Fae... What is the point in living an immortal life?¡± Martial Kim bowed his head in solemn silence, ¡°Fae Fae really left more than impression on you, did she?¡± I don¡¯t mean to slander my wives and concubines but...she is the only women I¡¯ve ever met who treated me like a best friend.¡± Mr. Golden rubbed a hand over his wrinkled forehead, ¡°No screaming about getting things her way, no nagging me to make something fancy, or interrogating me where I¡¯ve been every time I come home late just... Someone you can open up and talk to, without judgment.¡± He sighed, thinking back to the good times, ¡°The type of girl who you feel happy just sitting next to, talking. Bed or without bed, y-you know what I mean?¡± I do, sir.¡± Martial Kim nodded back. Mr. Golden nodded back himself before looking up at the Funeral Parlour, ¡°I will marry Fae Fae... Yes, I know she¡¯s dead. Don¡¯t worry, Martial Kim, I am not hallucinating.¡± Another small chuckle as he continued, ¡°I plan to marry her posthumously. If there is one thing that scares people more than death, it is dying alone without a family shrine to cling onto. I want to have her name to be in my memorial halls back home, to stand amongst the grave tablets of my ancestors. Give her the name of Golden, so even in the afterlife she has prestige and status like a noblewoman.¡± He shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do for her. In spirit, she has a roof over her head.¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. How admirable of you, Mr. Golden,¡± bowed Martial Kim. ¡°Does...your family approve of this? If I may ask?¡± Bah.¡± Mr. Golden slapped the air at the comment, ¡°The only people I fear are my parents and they¡¯re gone and buried up in the mountains with the best Feng Shui in the land! The only people throwing a fit are my wives and concubines. Hah. I will marry Fae Fae into my family regardless of their objections. I am the man of the house gods damn it!¡± Martial Kim smiled at the gesture. He wondered, if Fae Fae heard about this, would Mr. Golden¡¯s notion move her heart so much she would spring out of bed to race into his arms? It would be a lovely sight to see, a miracle they¡¯ve all been waiting for. Alas the situation cannot make it possible any time soon. Maybe, when the case was all over. Perhaps, Mr. Golden¡¯s feelings were what Fae Fae needed for a proper recovery. Something sweet in all this tragedy, like candy after consuming bitter medicine. Mr. Golden felt tired, from the weight of his heart, so he opted to just sit down on the steps of the Funeral Parlour Store. He patted the steps next to him, offering Martial Kim to join him as they continued to chat. All the gold in the world,¡± The rich old man sighed, ¡°with a society ready to receive my golden blessings... Yet there is one thing I could never buy.¡± True love?¡± wondered Martial Kim. HAH!¡± Mr. Golden slapped his knee with a chortle, ¡°The last time I trusted in ¡®True Loves¡¯, I ended up with too many women in the house who won¡¯t stop bleating at me like a flock of mad sheep! I just... want someone who could hold my heart and protect it, treasure it. Fae Fae was a keeper. Not only would she safeguard my feelings, she would mend it with her own heart. It¡¯s thanks to her, I could laugh off my burdens and make me forget why I am bitter in life.¡± The rich old man sighed, before he turned to his friend to ask, ¡°Am I being too silly? Too old for such a ridiculous request?¡± Not at all.¡± Martial Kim patted back, ¡°There are days, where I wish I had a companion who could truly understand the burdens in my heart, without me opening my mouth. Someone who knew how to take my mind off of the sad things and refresh my soul.¡± I have no doubt you¡¯ve seen many things in your line of work. More bitter than sweet. And here I am, all rich...all alone.¡± Mr. Golden rubbed his palm over his face to wipe off the weariness on his brow, ¡°Call me a crazy old coot all you want ¨C I, love, Fae Fae. Not because of how she services me. Even within raw passion, she gives me something more than pure lust ¨C you know what I am saying!? Like I was young and in romance again with the love of my life in my arms! She made me feel happy, free!¡± Mr. Golden stared up at the sky, his face so drained it was like he could die sitting there on the stone steps. ¡°I am an old man. I don¡¯t want to end up on my deathbed with not a warm hand to hold during my final hours.¡± Martial Kim didn¡¯t know what to say, or how to react. He truly wanted to tell him the truth, to give Mr. Golden hope, but the principles of the investigation! He suffered in silence, feeling the war between his angels and demons. The burden, of carrying a secret. Mr. Golden then spoke, ¡°Martial Kim, my friend. Could I ask you for a favour? Wh-when you¡¯ve caught the killer and bring them to justice. C-could I have ownership of Fae Fae¡¯s body? I-I know the Constabulary have their own rules and what not but... I just want to give Fae Fae a proper funeral. To give her the proper sending, fit for a legend. Fit for a Flower Princess.¡± Martial Kim thought it over before responding professionally, ¡°I am in no position to say yes or no. However, I am willing to bring this up to the Judge and ask for his suggestion. I will do what I can to try to convince him, but I can make no promises. Once I have an answer, I will report to you without hesitation.¡± Mr. Golden just gave Martial Kim a small hug. Like a father accepting his son¡¯s long awaited thank you. He patted the young master on the back as he sniffed back tears in his weary eyes. You are a good man, Martial Kim,¡± the rich old man chuckled, ¡°I am so glad to have met you.¡± Martial Kim just...hugged back. He struggled in finding the best words without leaking any secrets, especially at this time. .........Actually. Um. Mr. Golden,¡± the young master had an idea, ¡°I may have asked you before, but I hope you could enlighten me. When did you propose to Fae Fae, exactly?¡± Huh? Oh. Well, it was roughly a week before I showed up to Mama-san in Celestial Dreams. At the time it was half spur of the moment, half planned. When Fae Fae accepted my proposal, I thought I would have dropped dead with joy. Hahaha.¡± Did you ever bring this up to Mama-san?¡± Oh I did! Well, I wanted to. When Fae Fae said yes, I was about to scream for Mama-san to come and bring up her contract, so I could buy her out of the brothel right then and there. But Fae Fae stopped me, saying she wanted time to sort things out before bringing it up to the manager lady.¡± Martial Kim touched at his chin, pondering, ¡°Did she say exactly what she wanted to sort out?¡± Not specifically but,¡± Mr. Golden shrugged, ¡°She IS popular. Everyone loved her performances, and she had many other clients who she kept close contacts with. Now that I think about it, I guess she couldn¡¯t just drop everything and walk away without a proper answer. Or at least, without an official send off. Er...¡± He pulled at the long white ropes of his beard as he added, ¡°Kind of like when a physician retires, he has to hand over patients and stuff to the new replacement, right?¡± Indeed.¡± Martial Kim nodded at the metaphor. So I agreed with Fae Fae and we kept hush hush. Promised we will bring this up a week later, which was perfect because I needed the time to sort things out with my bank, get the funds you know? Lazy arses take a while anyway.¡± Martial Kim leaned in to ask, ¡°If not Mama-san, did you mention the marriage to anyone else? Your family? What about Fae Fae¡¯s Handmaiden?¡± No. No one! Not a single word of it escaped my lips except between Fae Fae and I,¡± swore Mr. Golden. He then pointed out, ¡°As for the Handmaiden well... As much as I trust her, she couldn¡¯t exactly be present when I proposed as... as Fae Fae and I were having a session... It was three rounds in, did I got the courage to ask for her hand in marriage... So uh, a witness at THAT moment would be very awkward... You know?¡± Right.¡± Martial Kim tried not to blush, too hard, and distracted himself with this question, ¡°Did you ever bring gifts for Fae Fae?¡± Why of course! Fae Fae was my favourite girl! Granted, she had a lot of fans bringing her presents but I didn¡¯t want to be second best!¡± What do you give to her?¡± Oh gods.¡± Mr. Golden slapped a palm to his forehead, ¡°I just grabbed whatever looked good from my shops. I give her so much, I lost track of what I gave her. So if you really have to ask, I can¡¯t remember what exactly to save my life!¡± Martial Kim then went, ¡°What about a hairpin?¡± ¡°Yes? No? I honestly can¡¯t remember. I give her anything I could carry: bracelets, hair accessories, brooches, necklace, earrings. I-I just love spoiling the silly girl. The way she gasps with shock is a cute and addicting sight. Haha...hah.......¡± Mr. Golden suddenly held Martial Kim¡¯s hand in his, a pleading look in his old gaze, ¡°Please, Martial Kim. Find the killer. Bring justice for Fae Fae!¡± Martial Kim returned the gesture with a pat of his hand on the old man¡¯s arm, ¡°I swear, I shall.¡± FAIRY - Chapter 17 (Fight Flight) Green Lion Valley had a bit of chaos. ¡°HYAAAA! HYAAA! DIE WOMAN! DIIIIIE!...Hey, Martial Kim! Don¡¯t just stand there like a piece of plywood with a smiley face ¨C come and help me kill this woman!¡± ¡°...In a bit.¡± ¡°Now damn it!¡± The investigators were not murdering anyone out of the blue ¨C rest assured. They did have a good reason why they tried to use various means of method acting to get into that sort of mind set. Was Fae Fae killed by One Mystery person? Or two Palanquin Bearers? Once the prisoners had been secured in the Constabulary prison, Inspector Lee took it upon himself to use every means necessary to try and prove they were the cold blooded killers. So he acted the role as one of the Palanquin Bearers, simulating what and how the two would end up stabbing their ¡®goddess¡¯ five times in the heart. Of course, his ¡®accomplice¡¯ was Martial Kim playing as bearer number 2. And what better way to envision the murder than back at the crime scene, where Fae Fae¡¯s body was found. So the Investigators worked together to re-play the potential murder, kneeling and making gestures of grabbing arms and ankles as if pinning a human down. Or in this case a certain women. ¡°Ha-ha!¡± Inspector Lee laughed as he pinned the ¡®hands¡¯. ¡°We have you now woman! You¡¯re our plaything for the WHOLE night! Resistance, is futile! Bwahahaha!...Okay no, this doesn¡¯t make a lick of sense!¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Martial Kim, ¡°My knees are going numb from holding down our victim. Surely you think the Palanquin Bearers would have scars or impressions on their knees no?¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s the fact both men have their hands full ¨C so where did they put out a third arm between them to stab her six times!?¡± Martial Kim hummed, ¡°I can think of many ways to be honest, however all of those techniques in my mind could only be used by trained martial artist and wushu specialists. Not only can they grapple with their hands, they can also strike with a twist of their body, elbow, or kick. Not even Palanquin Bearers could brute force this.¡± ¡°Oh gods. First possible assassins, now kung fu masters!?¡± Inspector Lee then had an idea cross his mind, ¡°Hey, Martial Kim. You don¡¯t think those guys are crouching tigers hidden dragons right? Masters hiding in plain sight as normal people? I mean, martial artists often do part time jobs right? I mean, your Moon Tavern practically hire them as chefs and waiters.¡± ¡°True, and I took the opportunity to check their internal strength and Meridians while healing them. I can say for sure, they lack zero martial arts training. Scientifically. And, if either of them were really experts ¨C they only need one man to lift the palanquin with two hands. No need for two burly men.¡± ¡°Baaaaah!¡± Inspector Lee bolted to his feet, kicking the dust, ¡°Now you¡¯re making me start all over again. Damn it!...Alright, how about this: one of them grabbed Fae Fae by the wrist, held them up and dangle her on or above her feet, and the second stabbed her six times.¡± Martial Kim took a moment to think about this, ¡°Fae Fae showed zero signs of struggle. I triple checked, not so much as a punch, slap, scratch to the face. Finger nails clean. The only ¡®wounds¡¯ I saw, were either the six stab wounds or her swollen hands.¡± He took a deep breath to add, ¡°Heaven forbid. If the ordeal did involved forced rape, not only did she show no sign of being violated, her wrists and ankles show no evidence of being restrained.¡± ¡°...Right.¡± Inspector Lee wiped a hand over his face with a groan. ¡°Ah, by the way. How are Fae Fae¡¯s hands?¡± ¡°Oh much better, now that I was able to isolate a proper antidote. See, even my own hands have near recovered!¡± ¡°Good, good!.. Hey, Martial Kim. You don¡¯t happen to have more or that cream for uh Dead Butt whatever right? You know since we¡¯re here and all, in case we need it. I mean, there¡¯s a LOT of those black puddle and dead lumber around if you get me.¡± Martial Kim held back the urge to laugh, ¡°Deadwood worm. Just, so long as you don¡¯t touch anything you should be fine.¡± ¡°You bet your kung fu ass I ain¡¯t touching anything here.¡± Inspector Lee took a moment to walk around just staring and kicking a foot through the grass to see if he can find anything. Suddenly he snapped his fingers in realization. ¡°Hey that¡¯s it! Okay, say the Palanquin Bearers were right ¨C a third party was involved. Someone could have hired a fighter from the martial arts world, and had them stabbed Fae Fae six times. They got the speed and strength right?¡± Martial Kim didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, he let his actions speak louder than his words. Martial Kim used his [White Tiger Flying Snow] to gather his internal energy into his palm in the form of a growing needle of snow and ice. With a precise flick of his finger ¨C like throwing away a cigarette ¨C he fired the needle through the air. It shot through a tree nearby. It didn¡¯t explode or tip over. It only left a clean hole for Inspector Lee to spy through like a peep hole. One shot, one kill. ¡°Ha, ha, very funny.¡± Inspector Lee mumbled. He was half mad and half sarcastic in his response. To be honest, he should have saw this coming. And it made sense, martial experts could chop a tree down with even a dull sword let alone waste energy with multiple stabs. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Inspector Lee muttered as he paced about, ¡°Six stabs, hairpin, no defensive wounds, swollen hands¡ªBaaaaah! Come! There has to be some logical explanation! What, did Fae Fae really stood there and shout come at me ¨C and let some stranger try and mutilate her!? The young master in the hanbok didn¡¯t know what to say ¨C wait, maybe he did know what to say! ¡°Inspector. I need to try something.¡± ¡°Huh? Sure what is it¡ªOH SH¡ª¡± Martial Kim LUNGED at his companion at full speed! He dove straight in to throw hands with the Inspector, delivering lightning fast punches and knee jabs. None of his strikes were lethal, rather they were nothing more than light pushes. He poured all energy into speed over impact, to avoid injuring his companion. Inspector Lee struggled. He was a basic martial artist as most, decent enough to grab and bag bad guys in the streets. Wandering the great martial arts world with flying swords and hidden dragon cultivation however ¨C nah, way above his paygrade. So it was obvious he struggled to try and block and catch Martial Kim¡¯s attacks. To finish it, the young master of Moon Tavern tapped his finger onto Inspector Lee¡¯s key meridian in the chest. He used a [Soul Point Block] maneuver to inject some spiritual energy into vital nerve points to cause a paralysis like effect on the officer on the spot. Because the last strike came as a surprise, it froze the Inspector in an...awkward pose. ¡°Hey now, let¡¯s talk this out!¡± Inspector Lee choked in panic, ¡°Whatever you do, don¡¯t you DARE tickle me!¡± ¡°You instinctively dodged, even tried to counter me,¡± Martial Kim explained the experiment, ¡°Especially when are are close enough friends.¡± ¡°Like duh! The last thing I want is my ass flying over my head and...Wait wait hold up,¡± Inspector Lee tried to wave a hand, but everything except his eyes and lips were essentially frozen, ¡°Instinct took over the second you came at me. I automatically defended myself. Meaning¡ª¡± ¡°Fight or flight,¡± Martial Kim would announce as he nodded in agreement, ¡°Fae Fae only had two choices. Even if her mind couldn¡¯t decide, surely her body would. Clearly she didn¡¯t fight...but why did she not flee?¡± Inspector Lee could only roll his eyes in place of moving his head while thinking, then he answered, ¡°...She knew them? B-but it still makes no sense!¡± ¡°Remove the flame of impossibility. Whatever ashes left behind, no matter how unlikely it may be ¨C must be the cold hard truth,¡± Martial Kim said with confidence, ¡°We always thought Fae Fae was attacked by a complete stranger. Even if it was the Palanquin Bearers, surely she would have put up some form of resistance or just run away. Yet her body proved she didn¡¯t defend herself and she ¡®died¡¯ where she stood. Stabbed six times...¡± Inspector Lee furrowed his brow, unable to believe what he was about to say, ¡°Sh-she let someone kill her?¡± ¡°Or,¡± Martial Kim interjected with a thoughtful pause, ¡°She knew her killer so well, this act of betrayal came as a complete shock to her. Stunning her entirely to be stabbed six times.¡± ¡°...Something doesn¡¯t add up¡ªAND GET ME OUT OF THIS DAMN HEX!¡± Martial Kim went ¡®oh right¡¯ before he tapped his fingers across key meridian points to undo his [Soul Point Block]. In a blink, Inspector Lee ¡®unfroze¡¯ and stumbled to regain his balance. He threw a punch gesture at Martial Kim¡¯s direction as revenge before adjusting his clothing to calm down. ¡°Okay okay,¡± The Inspector sorted out his brain, ¡°Say I stabbed you. Obviously you be surprised from the first hit. Surely you would move away before I go in for stab two, or even three. It¡¯s only natural to dodge ¨C but to let someone stab her six times. The last one went right through bone! I mean, what the hell kind of shock was she going through to die like that! Flop over like a rag doll riddled with holes?¡± ¡°In my experience, there have been people who were so shocked with the truth, they¡¯ve had extreme reactions such as: blacking out, partial or even full memory loss, development of a split personality, or being in a daze for months if not years.¡± Martial Kim sighed, rubbing his hand over his forehead under his hat, ¡°Fae Fae must have known this killer so intimatel, being stabbed six times was the last thing she would expect of this person.¡± ¡°The Palanquin Bearers!¡± Inspector Lee went right back to his square one, ¡°Got to be them. They¡¯ve been serving her for a while, so deranged they literally ignore all other customers and wait just for her. That¡¯s stalking levels! Surely in their unrequited love romance whatever they be crazy enough to try and keep Fae Fae for themselves ¨C even in death! Surely them trying to rape and or kill her would be shock enough!¡± Martial Kim took a minute, pinching his nose bridge to quickly go over the list of suspects. Palanquin Bearers (against his objections; Mama-san (???); Brothel Owner (perhaps a pure bully?); Fae Fae¡¯s Brother (possibly, but has alibi) Now he tried to connect them to the possibility of pinning it on the Palanquin Bearers, even burning their Palanquin. The bearers framing themselves would make no sense; Mama-san has worked in Celestial Dreams since she started as a young Brothel Girl and has little connections outside of the entertainment circle, so wouldn¡¯t hire assassins (plus she stated she loved Fae Fae, so why this grand of murder?); Brothel Owner has been noted to be cheap, unlikely to spend money to clean up loose ends... Fae Fae¡¯s Brother? He did come in with a lot of money, from sources unknown. Given him going in and out of shady places like any and all gambling dens, drawing so many debts from gangs and criminal loan sharks, there could be a chance there was some conspiracy amongst them and that involved using underworld connections to get the job done? Maybe? Hiring someone to pin the blame away from him would be likely but...But the alibi alone is more than enough. Why go the extra mile, or trouble, to pin the murder on two random people and destroy evidence? Inspector Lee noticed the long silence from his partner. With a groan, he rolled his eyes and marched over to put a hand on his friend¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Alright fine. Let¡¯s say the Palanquin Bearers are really innocent and some other person of higher influence hired people to clean up loose ends. Who the hell would stand to gain from all this? I mean not to insult Fae Fae, but she IS a Courtesan in their eyes. Why all this trouble?¡± ¡°...Why indeed.¡± Martial Kim nodded as he thought back to the second scene of the crime outside of North Cloud City, having examined the ruined evidence, ¡°The palanquin that was burnt to a crisp. Now that I think about it, the scent it left behind reminds me of a more fancy oil that released flames at higher temperature. The type that could incinerate bone to ashes... I can think of a few rogue guilds or martial art sects who use that brand of oil. However, I also see no benefit they would gain from getting their hands dirty like this.¡± ¡°True and...Oh, oh?¡± Inspector Lee turned around, ¡°I think here comes our answer galloping from yonder.¡± The sound of gallop rang into the air, coming louder and louder. A colourful horse made out of animated cloth and coats came galloping up to the investigators. Riding in was Martial Yellow Sister, who pulled at the ribbon reigns to make her ¡®horse¡¯ slow down to a skid. She hopped off, the horse melted into regular robes and strips of cloth to coil around Martial Yellow Sister¡¯s body and sleeves. She flexed a hand through her messy blonde hair, ignoring the eyebags she had on her face. ¡°Gentlemen,¡± she quipped as she hobbled over with her cane, ¡°For my presentation, I will be talking about the identity of STAR and FORT and its history. Please hold your questions after the presentation ¨C and give me a god damn passing grade!¡± FAIRY - Chapter 18 (One Pin Only) How does one value rarity? One of a kind? Only a few of the thousand can possess it? A one in a million find? Something as unlikely as a Four Leaf Clover? Or, it¡¯s only meant for one person and one person alone. Martial Yellow Sister finally found the answer, to the puzzle of the hairpin. Not wanting to give the answers out in the open fields of Green Lion Valley, she believed it was suitable to share the solution to this problem in a more private space. The group returned to the Imperial Constabulary of the Capital City. They locked themselves inside of Fae Fae¡¯s room in the station. She was, after all, the victim of this case. It was only right, she listened in on everything as well even while unconscious. ¡°Starlight Fortunes Jewelry,¡± Martial Yellow Sister finally broke the code, ¡°It doesn¡¯t exist.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Inspector Lee perked his head up while he sat across the wooden stool and braced his folded arms against the table. ¡°What do you mean it doesn¡¯t exist, you said you just found the place! It¡¯s not like some fantastical well that can send you to another world of magic and witchcraft!¡± Martial Yellow Sister rubbed her fingers across her temples, ¡°I meaaaan, the store name isn¡¯t made public. No matter what city directory I check, the name isn¡¯t on the list. It¡¯s because it¡¯s a specially private business and caters only to certain customers. People of the Taiko Shogunate would compare this company like a ¡®hole in the wall¡¯ restaurant, the ones that are hidden in plain sight and only familiar customers and friends recommending friends could find it.¡± ¡°Why them specifically?¡± Martial Kim asks out of curiosity as he paced around listening with his hands behind his back, ¡°What is the main connection?¡± Martial Yellow Sister answered, ¡°They usually cater to the rich and famous within North Cloud City. The intelligentsia specifically. Starlight Fortune Jewellery is best known for making one of a kind jewelry pieces be it brooches, bracelets, necklaces, even hairpins. They never have a duplicate exist in the same world. If there was a copy, they have connections to reach out and bury the fake before it enters circulation. That special.¡± Inspector Lee scratched at his head, ¡°Sounds more like assassins with a fancy side job. You think they were the one who framed the Palanquin Bearers?¡± ¡°Pala-who?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Martial Kim would turn to the table and explain to his disciple about the Palanquin Bearers and potential frame up. Once that was clarified, he gestured with a, ¡°Do you think this Starlight Fortune group is capable of double tasking?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Martial Yellow Sister quipped, ¡°Fancy or not, they are still jewel smiths, nothing more. They usually ¡®borrow¡¯ influence of their patrons to help them snuff out fake fires otherwise they keep their head down and work work work.¡± She then took a deep breath as she produced a strip of cloth. It looked like a full kerchief, with a lot of multicolored threads sewn to make calligraphy symbols as notes, like writing on paper. Martial Yellow Sister tapped her chipped finger nail on it, ¡°I had a chance to take a look at their ledgers. Since they boast they only make one of a kind jewelry of any custom order, it wasn¡¯t that hard for me to find the exact hairpin that was used to stab Fae Fae.¡± This news got Inspector Lee and Martial Kim¡¯s attention. The young master of Moon Tavern was proud of his disciple¡¯s hard work. No matter how lazy she was, or how much she shirked her duties in the tavern, if there was one thing he admired ¨C it was her determination to solve a mystery. In saying that, one reason why it would take longer than usual would be her naturally weak constitution. No doubt she had to either take regular naps like a senior in order to survive the long day and gathering as much information as possible. Why, she even came back with a notable tan. Any exposed skin were a tender oak brown colour. Martial Kim asked, ¡°Do you have any idea, who this hairpin belonged to? Or who was it for?¡± The disciple nodded, ¡°A Young Mistress from the Turquoise Family.¡± The young master in the hanbok could only manage an ¡°...Oh.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± Inspector Lee asked, confused, ¡°What¡¯s so special about this Turtle Family that got your tongue dragged by a cat. You know them?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Martial Kim would have to sit down, to break the news to his companion. ¡°I know them by reputation. They are one of the major power groups in North Cloud City. Their entire family line all work as recommended tutors and scholarly trainers to members of the Imperial Cabinet. More notable figures even serve as private teachers for the Prince and Princesses within the Imperial Family.¡± ¡°Wh-what the hell!?¡± gasped Inspector lee, ¡°First assassins, martial arts experts, no-now the great Emperor¡¯s children!? Make up your mind man! My brain is hurting!! C-could we not just say the killer is a jealous wannabe diva from the brothel and call it a day!?¡± Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. The Inspector pulled at his hair with mixed emotions, ¡°This makes absolutely no sense! What is the connection to a dead courtesan of a brothel and people of the royal family!?¡± ¡°N-no, no,¡± Martial Kim would pat his companion to calm down, ¡°You misunderstood. The Turquoise are prestigious teachers and tutors who are well known for their talents in training the next generation of important youth. If the hairpin belongs to a member of their family, it should mean one of them could be connected ¨C and not who they are serving.¡± ¡°Th-then what is this about? The hairpin!¡± Inspector Lee slapped at the table, to get Martial Yellow Sister to spill everything, ¡°Just tell it to me straight, don¡¯t beat around the bush!¡± ¡°How about stop cutting the bush to interrupt me and let me answer!¡± The blonde haired martial artist snapped, completely sleep deprived. She would push the cloth full of multicolor threaded words to everyone, ¡°Before i was spotted, this is as much as I could jot down. All I know this hairpin was ordered and specifically made for this Young Mistress of the Turquoise Family. Based on their ledgers, it was already picked up about a week before Fae Fae vanished for three days.¡± ¡°Wait, spotted?¡± Inspector Lee took a moment to register what was said...then his eyes widen, ¡°You little ¨C Did you break in!? I am an officer of the law! How am I supposed to react knowing you went into a place of investigation without permission so much as a warrant!?¡± ¡°Like I said!¡± Martial Yellow Sister mumbled loudly, ¡°The place DOESN¡¯T EXIST, meaning the law shouldn¡¯t ably to pompous bums like them! What? Did you think I can talk to the employees directly to get the answer!? No! They¡¯re all bound by some code of silence and confidentiality so of course I had to take desperate measures! At LEAST we got something to work with yes!?¡± While the two argued for a bit, Martial Kim thought it over by himself. A specially ordered hairpin, picked up a week before? Thinking back to what the Palanquin Bearers mentioned and Martial Yellow Sister¡¯s report from Celestial Brothel, there was mention of Fae Fae¡¯s mood turning more solemn in the days prior she was reported missing. Now the question is, how would a rich noble woman be involved with a courtesan? They were literally two extreme opposites in society. Martial Kim thought out loud to help with his thinking process, ¡°I would understand members of the Imperial Court seeking entertainment amongst high class brothels, similar to Celestial Dreams or even Heavenly Gardens in North Cloud City. Courtesans usually sell arts and performances, and a bit of companionship on the side whenever a gathering is hosted for ¡®leisure¡¯. Why some Emperors in the past have invited major brothel names to perform on special occasions due to their talents and reputation.¡± He then clears his throat, ¡°Although the Turquoise Family do mingle with members of the Imperial order, among magistrates and local judges, the family itself are very keen on their image. They would tend to avoid associating themselves with such indecency, as they were ¨C after all ¨C serving Princes and Princesses in private lessons. If word got out they fooled around with ¡®women with loose morals¡¯ or ¡®lowly prostitutes¡¯ surely no one in higher order would call on their teaching services ever again... Yet, it puzzles me as to why there is a connection between this Young Mistress Turquoise and Courtesan Fae Fae, connected by this one hairpin.¡± Inspector Lee stomped a fist to the table, only to go oops as if he spooked Fae Fae who was only a few paces behind her, ¡°Maybe that¡¯s the motive! Someone in the family got weak in the knees for beauties like Fae Fae and mingled with one. Not wanting to be found out¡ª¡± He stroke a finger across his throat. ¡°Off with her head!¡± ¡°More like stabbed six times. Which sounds like an outlandish action from well educated nobles.¡± Martial Kim clarified, ¡°Still, the hairpin was originally for the Young Mistress, the daughter of the Turquoise family.¡± Inspector Lee thought it over, before he blushed, ¡°Martial Kim. You don¡¯t think she is...into women on that level?¡± Martial Yellow Sister just...gave the man a long stare. ¡°What!? It¡¯s a thing these days!¡± The Inspector defended himself. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know how crazy rich girls¡¯ brains work! Especially during their rebellious stage!¡± Martial Kim tried to simulate the possibility in his head...but it just felt confusing. ¡°Martial Yellow Sister, tell me more about this hairpin.¡± Martial Yellow Sister nodded and she pointed at the key words on her kerchief notepad, ¡°The hairpin was made specifically for Young Mistress Turquoise. Practically worth 30 bars of gold, could buy three castles and renovate it as one mega summer palace summer if she wanted. The ledger said she personally placed the order. It came with a grooving twist in the middle and carried an exotic twin swallow figurehead on the end.¡± ¡°...Twin Swallow figurehead?¡± uttered Martial Kim. He suddenly went over to pick up the box carrying the hairpin and he carefully laid it out with a pinch of a cloth ¨C to avoid repeating his earlier mistakes. The golden hairpin caked in blood was bent ¨C and it had no twin swallow figurehead. Or rather, the piece was missing. ¡°I see it.¡± Martial Kim pointed in the general end of the hairpin, ¡°There¡¯s a break right here, where the swallow figures should be. Just snapped off. With great force I imagine as this hairpin is rather sturdy on its own.¡± ¡°But that makes no sense,¡± Inspector Lee rose up to his feet and folded his eyes as he examined the hairpin, ¡°Bending it in the death grip of a strong man sounds logical, but there should be no reason why it would break off the end piece. Not like dropping to the ground could snap through hardened gold and metal.¡± Martial Kim wagged a finger, ¡°If this is indeed the exact same hairpin made by Starlight Fortune Jewelry, and the only one in the world, meaning the swallow piece could still be around the scene of the crime. It was broken off, and could have something more that could tell us about the attempted murder.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have my constables search the area again,¡± Inspector Lee nodded. He then reached over to pat Martial Yellow Sister on the back. With all the layer of clothing she had, it felt like he was praising a clothed practice dummy, ¡°Good job little disciple! By the way, who picked up the hairpin? The same Young Mistress Turquoise?¡± The blonde haired martial artist sighed with a shrug, ¡°As I said, before they spotted me that was all I could read prior escaping. I thought of sneaking back in when their security thought it must have been the wind, but I thought to let you all know now so you can follow up.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Martial Kim nodded with a smile, ¡°It looks like we have a new name to add to our list of suspects, Inspector Lee. Care to make a house call?¡± FAIRY - Chapter 19 (No Name) The Turquoise Family were not people to be trifled with. They weren¡¯t as cruel as mafias or as sinister as a criminal syndicate. The family was, above all else, Imperial Tutors. The Turquoise have dedicated their lives ¨C nay, generations ¨C to teaching, education, and academics, in order to groom the next generations of civil servants and royal descendants to make the jade Empire flourish for centuries, maybe even for millenniums to come. The Turquoise Family are the cream of the crop, worthy enough to teach the cream of the crop within the inner Imperial Circle. They have guided the descendants of county magistrates, great generals, to even Duke and Duchess. If any of the family were fortunate, they could have a once in a life time opportunity to serve as a Royal Tutor to the next Crowned Prince. Given the expectations and responsibilities, there was no room for any error. Not even a tiny stain on their social status. So it was obvious they would not bother giving the time of day to: an inspector of a lowly station, an owner of a tavern full of vigilantes, and a short martial arts girl with a weak constitution. That was why the investigators had to use an alternate approach. A stakeout. For the last few days, Inspector Lee led a small operation with some of his most trusted men and women in the Imperial Constabulary from the Capital. They booked a room in one of their tall inn towers to set up surveillance and intelligence gathering duties, to get as much information as possible. Fortunately for them, the Turquoise weren¡¯t as seclusive or as niche as Starlight Fortune Jewelry. Their address, if not heir entire manor, is noticeable in public eyes. The crew spent days and nights following the movements of major key members in the family. One by one they scratched off names and suspicious servants once they compare alibis, potential motives, and other factors. In the end, they even had to wipe off the name of Young Mistress Turquoise. God¡¯s damn it all!¡± ...Did we come at a bad time, Inspector Lee?¡± Martial Kim and Martial Yellow Sister had been conducting their own investigation to help cut down time and resources. North Cloud City was a big place after all. So by the time they regrouped, the first progress they saw was Inspector Lee rage quitting with a kick of his chair across the room. They watched as Inspector Lee punch and beat at the walls to vent his anger. I don¡¯t get it!¡± The Inspector barked, ¡°Not one damn bit! All the evidence point to her, but she has a solid alibi!? Damn it all!¡± Martial Kim let the man vent, it was the only way the Inspector could get it out of his system before he could speak coherently. Meanwhile, Moon Tavern helped to pass around some food they made for the Constables. A batch of hearty Onigiri rice balls and some handmade barbecue pork buns to fill the stomach. After many hours, perhaps days of investigation and chasing targets, the Constables felt a moment of reprieve was in order and started to fill their bellies. Moon Tavern waited for Inspector Lee to simmer down, before giving him some food ¨C a double serving to calm him down. Thanks.¡± Inspector Lee groaned as he took a huge bite from a pork bun, muttering with exhaustion ¡°The Young Mistress Turquoise happened to be out of town, practically the same time when Fae Fae was reported missing for three days!¡± Martial Yellow Sister raised an eyebrow as she examined the Constables investigation board, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that give us reason to believe she was involved?¡± Bah!¡± Inspector Lee laughed as he nearly crushed the pork bun in his grip. ¡°She was out of town for a gathering! With over 1000 witnesses!¡± Martial Kim would approach the investigation board himself and read the notes. He then nodded with an, ¡°Ah yes, this event. I¡¯ve placed posters about it in my tavern. A gathering of scholars from all corners of the Jade Empire, as well as academic ambassadors from other nations. A conference of some sort. Given it¡¯s importance, it would make sense the Turquoise would be invited, or be involved.¡± Inspector Lee shook his head in frustration, ¡°It has to be her! SHE was the one who ordered the hairpin ¨C one of a kind I might add! This rich girl, she must have pulled strings to set up her alibi!¡± ...I don¡¯t think hosting an inter-kingdom conference of that magnitude as a smokescreen would be possible, especially on short notice.¡± Martial Kim uttered, trying to calm the situation. ¡°I confess, I too am disappointed we can¡¯t point a finger at this woman, but I make it a code to never frame anyone no matter how vile or disliked they are. Let their actions and truth speak for itself.¡± I know, I know but look at us!¡± Inspector Lee muttered, ¡°We¡¯ve been running in circles for nothing! Fae Fae is still unconscious and we have yet to find the one who killed her!¡± Martial Kim didn¡¯t have any good response to Inspector Lee¡¯s outburst. The latter had every right to vent, or to complain. At least to get it out of his system. Investigations were never easy, and they were just as difficult to swallow when they all felt the truth was only one step away, but they make they pick the wrong direction. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. The worse type of guessing game. Martial Yellow Sister tried to help, prompting some questions, ¡°What if Young Mistress Turquoise really did use this conference as an alibi. I mean, horses are fast. Faster if you pay triple. Could have taken a short day to travel to the Capital and murder Fae Fae no? The rush back to the conference.¡± Inspector Lee hated to say this but, ¡°Can¡¯t. The conference was held in East River City. Even with all the gold in the world, there is no way a horse could teleport from one far city to another. It would just froth from the mouth and die from over exertion halfway. Hah! It¡¯s not like our kingdom has invented some form of magical public transportation through the air!¡± That would be the day,¡± Martial Kim nodded. As much as magical cultivators can summon mounts or ride upon flying swords to travel, it still takes energy and stamina and can only go so far. So something like a self-powered magical carpet that can fly across lands and clouds would be a godsend. Could probably travel between cities in less than an hour, or even half the time. Alas, the world has yet to advanced that far. Is there anyone else we can look into, Inspector?¡± Martial Kim asked. That¡¯s just it!¡± snapped Inspector Lee, ¡°There is NO ONE else! Not even the father, the mother, the staff! Nobody!¡± He wolfed down the rest of his pork bun, demanded another, and wolfed that down too in a few seconds. In a near dejected voice the Inspector went, ¡°The Judge made a point. What vile human would do such a thing to Fae Fae? Stabbing her six times and leaving her in the mud for dead! It was a miracle you brought her back from life, Martial Kim!¡± Martial Kim kept his words to himself. There really was no better way to stand up for the darkest nature of humanity. No matter where he went, no matter what he fought, whenever there is a shining light there will always bee a long shadow. It was very much like the concept of Yin and Yang. So he let the silence in the room heal the wounds in their heart, so they could focus on trying to deduce any more possibilities. Let¡¯s pretend Young Mistress Turquoise didn¡¯t have an alibi,¡± Martial Kim suggested as he sat. ¡°What would be her motive, to kill Fae Fae? Based on your notes, it seems the Young Mistress spends most of her life in North Cloud City, while Fae Fae has been in the Capital.¡± See, that¡¯s where my problem lies!¡± the Inspector tapped a fist to his brain to get his thoughts straightened out, ¡°My Constables and I checked her tracks. These two women have NEVER met at all! Yet, it was the Young Mistress¡¯ hairpin lodged in Fae Fae¡¯s chest! I highly doubt the hairpin had a mind of its own and decided to go on a killing spree! Think about it, six stabs! That needs a human driven power to make it happen! We have yet to figure out what is her connection to all this other than her custom hairpin! It¡¯s her, but not her ¨C that¡¯s what¡¯s driving me up the damn wall!¡± Before the young master of Moon Tavern could answer, Martial Yellow Sister spoke up, ¡°What if this is all about a dog?¡± Inspector Lee and Martial Kim raised an eyebrow. They could not help but get off their seats and walk over to where Martial Yellow Sister had been standing the entire time, looking out the window of their stakeout inn. The inn on a raised hill not only had a decent view of the cityscape. It also had a good line of sight of the Turquoise Mansion itself, about a good 10 blocks distance. Although the inn window had a series of telescopes sitting on makeshift tripods against the window sill, the mansion could still be viewed with the naked eye. Martial Yellow Sister had her eye peeping through one telescope to get a better look of what was happening in front of the gates. Inspector Lee snorted, ¡°Little disciple, don¡¯t make it sound like the story of a warrior going on a rampage to avenge his dead puppy. Besides, Young Mistress Turquoise hates dogs. The family don¡¯t own them, not even for security.¡± Then,¡± Martial Yellow Sister points a dainty finger out the window, ¡°What do you call that?¡± Everyone got a better look. A large and lofty horse wagon drawn by beautiful white horses came up to the front gates of the Turquoise Manor, along with a small entourage of servants and private guards. A youthful and beautiful maiden in a sunflower gold hanfu robe would delicately climb out. No doubt, this was the Young Mistress of the Turquoise family. Elegant, poise, intelligence brimming in her eyes. She was helped out of the wagon with the hand of a servant man who... Wait, correction. This ¡®servant¡¯ wore an equally rich and matching colour robe and was adorned with a scholar¡¯s hat. The Scholarly Servant would graciously help the Young Mistress out of the wagon, only for her to reward him in a series of glare, tongue lashes, and even drilling a finger into the side of his temple. Why? Because the tip of his shoe accidentally stepped on the edges of her flowing hanfu robes, leaving a sooty smudge. The lecture went on for a good 15 minutes, in public with people all staring or hiding their giggles, the Scholarly Servant shrinking his head with every jab to his head. It looked like a mother lecturing her child. Note, she had very long and well manicured nails. Inspector Lee just snorted, ¡°Oh that wimp? He¡¯s the husband of the Young Mistress.¡± He shook his head at this sorry sight, ¡°The guy¡¯s nothing more than a walking carpet. Probably married into the family for rich and glory, hence why he keeps bowing his head no matter how silly mad his wife can be. Rich bastards all of them.¡± Martial Yellow Sister sighed at the pathetic scene, ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡± Ah. Noonien Turquoise. Silly name, for a silly scholar with no backbone. We followed him, nothing special. Besides, the guy¡¯s a total coward.¡± Inspector Lee then grumbled as he moved away from the window. ¡°Damn it, the foods gone cold!¡± Once the Inspector left to get some food, Martial Kim kept his disciple company. His thoughts were elsewhere as he tried to get comfortable and study the Turquoise family in their natural habitat, as if observing animals in a zoo. Martial Yellow Sister,¡± Martial Kim spoke up with a curious tone. ¡°Earlier, you said ¡®what if this is about a dog¡¯...Er... Mr. Noonien the Scholar, right?¡± Martial Yellow Sister nodded, ¡°I originally believed the murderer could have been someone in the brothel community. Jealousy for Fae Fae¡¯s fame, popularity, even good looks and...features... But now I am thinking, what if...it¡¯s jealousy for a different reason.¡± Like, over a man?¡± Martial Yellow Sister dipped her head in a nod, ¡°Want to ask straight from the dog¡¯s mouth?¡± Spineless or not, give the scholar some dignity. And seeing how important he is, it¡¯s not like he¡¯ll stop and tell us directions... Actually, I have a lovely idea.¡± FAIRY - Chapter 20 (Dogs and Uncles) Noonien Turqoise. A young and handsome man who bore the name of the renown Turquoise Family. Like his in-laws, he too was a respectable scholar and imperial tutor in his own rights. Why in fact, he was on his way to continue his poetry lessons for the sons of a local military family. The Father General hoped his boys would grow up to be experts on not only the battlefield, but in the field of literature. Warriors of Intellect, the brush mightier than the sword. To rise up to great levels to obtain a doctorates degree while diligently serving the front lines of the Empire¡¯s battles. To be better than their Father General, and his Father General, who were only blessed by passing the Imperial Examination for schooless fighters. Not to mention, it was sunny weather out. A perfect day for a stroll in the city....HAH! Why walk when he has the money to buy him a palanquin ride! His wife pretty much owns her own horse wagon for travelling, why can¡¯t he!? So of course he took the comfort of a luxury Palanquin, carried by six men ¨C three in the front and three in the back. The more hands and feet, the smoother the travel was, faster too! In about 45 minutes, he would be at the steps of the military family in no time! ARF ARF! ARF ARF! ARF ARF! Suddenly, a dog darted across the street! It happened so fast, in such a blur, the ones carrying Noonien¡¯s palanquin lost balance and tipped over. With a series of loud snaps and cracks, the entire palanquin just fell apart like a booth made of cheap plywood. AAAG!¡± Noonien tumbled out of his soft ride and rolled across the hard dirt. He bolted to his feet, cursing the men who was carrying him, and even kicking at their legs for the insult and damages they caused to him. Damn! Scraped his hands! They¡¯re bleeding, and dirty! There is no way he could present himself like this! Perhaps the gods were merciful. There was a small walk-in clinic, about two paces where he fell. After cursing and ordering the men to fetch a new palanquin for him to ride, he decided to tend to his wound in the walk-in clinic. He didn¡¯t want to sit with the common folk. Who knows what sort of sickness or diseases they had. But maybe he was lucky again, the walk-in clinic had zero waiting line. At least he didn¡¯t have to wait long. An old man shuffled out of the backroom. The owner of the clinic, as well as the only physician. A short and stubby looking senior who could barely stand up to full height due to a hunched back. He would take a seat at his desk and tend to Noonien¡¯s injuries. While that was getting done¡ª Uncle! Are you there?¡± A stranger in a snow white hanbok would waltz in. ¡°Ah! Uncle, I am so glad to see you again.¡± Oh? Dear nephew!¡± The physician waved while dressing Noonien¡¯s wounds. ¡°Why back so soon? I thought you were going to the Capital.¡± Bah! I don¡¯t wish to speak about it! It was a pointless venture!¡± The Nephew grumbled as he sat down on a chair ¨C right next to Noonien. As the store was very small, not much space, it was obvious the Nephew would bump into the rich scholar like Noonien. The latter frowned, but since his the physician was helping to handle his injuries he couldn¡¯t say much. The sooner this was over, the faster he could leave. The physician asked, ¡°What put you in such a foul mood, my nephew?¡± Noonien twitched from the pain shooting up his arm. He buried a hiss between his lips and he looked around the shop. Not like this conversation involved him. The sooner his wound is mended, the faster he could leave. To think!¡± The Nephew slapped a hand across the table, startling everyone, ¡°That the illustrious Sword Fairy of the renown Celestial Dreams Brothel has been murdered! Can you believe it!? I travelled thousands of miles from my homeland of the Baek-Je Monarchy, to watch her masterpiece of a sword dance, but no. She had to go and get murdered! BAH! I wasted all my walking and money to come back empty handed! Can you believe the injustice of it all, good uncle!?¡± This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Indeed!¡± The physician accidentally poured a bit too much antiseptic alcohol on Noonien¡¯s wounds, earning a hiss from the rich scholar. After apologizing to Noonien, he turned to his Nephew. ¡°Still, she is just another brothel girl. No doubt your homeland has far better beauties for the right price. What is so special about this Fae Fae?¡± Oh uncle, you would never understand! Fae Fae is a beauty amongst beauties! Just one look into her eyes, and you wish to give up the whole world for to spend a single night in her arms! She could even make paper flowers smell so real with just a touch of her hands, it would coax honeybees to come and gather pollen!¡± The Nephew continue to regale, in a song like tone as if praising a divine goddess of the heavens, ¡°An enchanting voice when she sings long forgotten melodies of the empire, or even recite over 1000 poems in a single sitting. And the way her cheeks brighten red after a sip of wine, making her light up like a diamond in the sun! A rarity amongst rarity!¡± The Nephew suddenly grabbed at Noonien, making the rich scholar jump in his seat. You¡¯re a local, right!?¡± The Nephew asked Noonien with a cheerful voice. ¡°You understand what I am saying, yes? Fae Fae is highly sought out by the richest of the richest and the most powerful figures in and out of the Imperial Order. Surely someone as young as you have seen Fae Fae¡¯s beauty?¡± Noonien brushed the dirt and hand off his shoulder. ¡°No, I have not.¡± Oh!? Surely you¡¯ve heard of her legends?¡± Noonien snorted. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of this Fae Fae.¡± The Nephew covered his mouth, ¡°But she is super famous! Well known across the land right!? Her legends ring true even in far nations like the Taiko Shogunate and my own homeland! I mean, I travelled thousands of miles just to see her in the flesh!¡± Noonien rushed the doctor to finish up treating his wounds. He only had a few minutes left to hurry to the military family for their children¡¯s tutoring session. He strives to never be late for an appointment, and today was not the day he will ruin that record. A brothel girl is just a brothel girl,¡± the rich scholar snapped, ¡°I don¡¯t see what¡¯s all the noise about a one trick pony? Now, doctor, how much for the bandages?¡± The Physician finished up treating the rich scholars wounds and received payment. Without any delay, Noonien Turquoise marched out of the walk in clinic and decided to walk to his destination. He wasn¡¯t in the mood to wait for a new palanquin. It was only when Noonien had left around a corner, did the Nephew ¨C Martial Kim ¨C bow to the physician. Gamsahabnida. Thank you so much for playing along, good doctor.¡± Oh not a problem ¡®my dear nephew¡¯. Haha. Happy to help. Ahem.¡± The Physician smiled, smug. Then held out his hands, waiting. Martial Kim nodded and added a hefty number of silver coins to the physician¡¯s hands. Once that was settled, he would walk out of the clinic himself and travel around the opposite corner. Standing in the middle of a market road was a certain Martial Yellow Sister. She was crouched down, scratching the neck of a Shiba Inu dog ¨C made of animated cloth. It mimiced a magically produced arf arf arf arf, before Martial Yellow Sister unfolded it like a reverse origami to become a part of her sleeves. You know my dear,¡± Martial Kim chuckled, ¡°If you ever get tired of being a waitress at Moon Tavern, you would make for a wonderful puppet master for children.¡± Hell no.¡± Martial Yellow Sister rolled her eyes, ¡°They are spawns of evil, I tell you. You be surprise how much violence they like to see in Taiko Manga and scroll comics.¡± She also snapped her fingers. On command, tiny pieces of fabric slithered out from the debris that was Noonien¡¯s palanquin, shifting from hard darts to loose cloth. They sucked up into her hands to join her robes, mending the tearing and what not. Martial Kim nodded as he proceeded to walk with his disciple into the market, ¡°It seems our little trip to Heavenly Garden paid off, Martial Yellow Sister. Not only was Fae Fae and her fellow Flower Princesses of Celestial Dreams performing as special guests at the Hall of Pleasure¡ª¡± Martial Yellow Sister interjected, to finish the thought, ¡°The Turquoise family were among the many guests invited by the North Cloud City Governor¡¯s party that night. Noonien and his father-in-law was amongst them. The hostess of Heavenly Garden arranged it so Fae Fae personally serve them wine.¡± Yet everyone remembers Fae Fae, even if not personally but by reputation... All except for Mr. Noonien.¡± Martial Kim could not resist a shake of his head, ¡°I¡¯ve heard of absent minded professors, but this level of amnesia is ridiculous.¡± After taking in a deep breath, the young master nodded to his disciple, ¡°You know what to do, Martial Yellow Sister.¡± Yep. Drag Noonien around back, and cap an arrow in his ass. Got it.¡± Martial Yellow Sister even made gesture of loading a crossbow with a ga-chuk noise ¨C earning a karate chop to her head with a bonk noise. FAIRY - Chapter 21 (First Move) Life was like a chess game. Every decision made, has its consequences. Martial Kim was too familiar with this philosophy. Many times in his life, be it from cases or even martial arts battles, one wrong move and it could end everything. That is why he always drew on the same principles of Samurai duels. All it takes is a single move, to end the fight. One shall stand. One shall fall. Only the smartest warriors will decide the outcome before the first blade is drawn. So even if Martial Kim had all trump cards in his hand, or even calculated every possible outcomes to corner his enemy. If he was too slow, or made one careless mistake, it¡¯s game over. With all that has happened to Fae Fae, he could not afford even the smallest of mistakes. That was why he had to share his information to the right people, to come up with a decision strike in the form of a plan back in the Imperial Constabulary of the Capital. Reactions were...mixed. WH-WHAT!?¡± The Judge bolted from his desk with a scream, ¡°YOU WANT TO ARREST THE TURQUOISE FAMILY!? OH GODS, OH HEAVENS, OH ANCESTORS SAVE ME!¡± The Judge of the court was a simple man. Although he worked hard to climb up to where he was today, he was already at the age where he can¡¯t handle any serious cases or surprises. So he didn¡¯t mind just dealing with petty thieves and small time crooks, so long as his job record was clean enough for a worthy retirement. Or, the stress doesn¡¯t make his blood vessels explode. So when Martial Kim came back with a new suspect in the case, the Judge wanted to collapse in his own office and call it a day. Martial Kim!¡± He squeaked, ¡°Y-you can¡¯t be serious! You DO KNOW who the Turquoise Family are right!? They¡¯re the teachers of so many high ranking people! Hell, even my superintendent''s daughter is being tutored by a member of that family!¡± The Judge can¡¯t help but panic, racing around his office room trying to find something to grab on and wake him out of his possible nightmare, ¡°The Turquoise have influences up and down the Imperial Cabinet! Even connections within the Inner Courts of the Imperial Palace for crying out loud! Martial Kim, I am just the lowest caste of the justice system ¨C I have zero authority, nor the guts, to formally arrest the entire family! They¡¯re not even in the Capital!¡± Not arrest, your honour,¡± Martial Kim tried to calm the man down, ¡°To bring them in for questioning.¡± IT¡¯S STILL POKING THE DAMN BEAR! I-I trust your judgment after all you¡¯ve done for the Constabulary, bu-but please consider about my health! I am an old man! I-I don¡¯t want my heart to give out before my youngest grandson could walk!¡± Martial Kim expected this kind of reaction. It wasn¡¯t because the Judge was a bootlicker or the type of guy who buddies up with those in higher power to rise up the rank. He was essentially about to fight an army of lawyers. So his fear and panic was justifiable. The Judge gripped at his heart panting, ¡°Fae Fae¡¯s murder was taken place within the Capital¡¯s jurisdiction ¨C my jurisdiction for the love of god! It¡¯s not like I can write a letter to North Cloud City to have THAT family come in to answer a few questions of a murder investigation! They know too many names above my head to have them all sit on my chest like an elephant!¡± If it helps to clarify things,¡± Martial Kim tried to explain as softly as possible. ¡°It¡¯s not the whole family we need. Just one. Mr. Noonien Turqoise.¡± That¡¯s just as worse! H-he¡¯s the rising star in the Imperial Order! H-he is said to be a running candidate to-to tutor the 11th Young Prince! D-do you want my head to roll off my shoulders at the drop of a hat!?¡± Your honour, please hear me out.¡± I-I am trying, honestly I am!¡± the Judge started to hack and cough. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Martial Kim said, ¡°I understand your concerns, I truly do. If I had a choice, I too would not meddle with the Turquoise. However, the evidence is clear: Mr. Noonien Turquoise lied about not knowing Fae Fae.¡± The Judge shook his head in dismay, ¡°M-maybe he really forgot Fae Fae¡¯s name. I forget names ALL the time. Why just the other day, I forgot the name of one or two old constables that have been in my service since I became a judge of this court house. It¡¯s normal!¡± Martial Yellow Sister and I spoke with the hostess who took part in managing the Governor¡¯s party at Heavenly Gardens. Fae Fae spent the whole night keeping Noonien company. While all the other girls were laughing and having poetry battles with their partners over wine, the hostess remembered Fae Fae and Noonien barely spoke a single word the entire evening.¡± ...Perhaps the man was shy!?¡± The Judge then snapped his fingers, ¡°I mean you mentioned before, he¡¯s married AND his the father-in-law was present with him right? Probably keeping an eye on him, you know!¡± Martial Kim cleared his throat, ¡°The father-in-law was...too occupied with the entertainment to worry about those details. The hostess also claimed, Noonien and Fae Fae never looked at each other in the eye. They always averted their gazes. And before the party even ended, Fae Fae left early, claiming she wasn¡¯t feeling well.¡± The Judge had been pulling at his beard, wrinkling it even more. But after hearing the story, he stopped mid-pull. ¡°...You¡¯re suggesting they actually knew each other?¡± Martial Kim added, ¡°We also learned, Noonien Turquoise hired a horse wagon, leaving North Cloud City to arrive in the Capital. About one month before Fae Fae vanished.¡± One month...Hold on hold on.¡± The Judge waved his hands at this thought, ¡°So two months before she vanished, she was invited to the Governor¡¯s party. Noonien was also there. Then she started to be...sad, acted poorly, her boss in Celestial Dreams wanting a better girl, right?¡± After getting a confirming nod from the young master, the Judge went on, ¡°Th-then the month before she vanished, her mood went downhill even stopped taking clients. Now you¡¯re telling me, Noonien Turquoise happened to be in the Capital city ¨C around that same time? Wh-what are the odds, Martial Kim!?¡± I will confess,¡± Martial Kim didn¡¯t know how to smooth the following words out, ¡°Our allegations are superficial at best.¡± Oh gods give me strength.¡± All we have is ¡®convenient timing¡¯. If Noonien hired a decent solicitor, they could easily debunk our theories with ease. The hairpin is our only connection between them, and the fact it is one of a kind is a saving grace for our cause. Otherwise... we have no further evidence concrete enough.¡± The Judge wheezed a sigh like a dying balloon, ¡°I-is there anyway we could solve this problem, without losing my job!¡± Martial Kim winced. That...was a dilemma in itself. He knew it wouldn¡¯t be easy to come up with a good enough reason to make their next step. Let alone come up with a plausible, if not enticing, bait for Noonien Turquoise to come alone to the Capital unexpected. One chance. They had to do this right or all chances will shut their doors in fear. ..........Suddenly, Martial Kim clapped his hands together, spooking the Judge. Of course! Why didn¡¯t I think of this earlier!?¡± Wh-what now Martial Kim!? Y-you nearly gave me a heart attack!¡± Fae Fae¡¯s brother!¡± The young master smiled with hope, ¡°His entire livelihood had been dependent on his sister! No matter how questionable his life choices and character may be, Fae Fae never once abandoned him. Meaning, both siblings would be close, enough to know each other¡¯s secrets to a degree, right?¡± S-Secrets?¡± We believe Noonien Turquoise may have known Fae Fae before they met in Heavenly Gardens Hall of Pleasure, at the Governor¡¯s party... Would the Brother know anything about them?¡± M-maybe?¡± The Judge uprighted himself in his chair, ¡°Inspector Lee did mention, the Brother seems to know more than he is letting on. Not to mention, we have yet to figure out where he truly got the money from to move up in life...¡± His face paled, but he pointed out, ¡°Y-you don¡¯t think... Noonien and this unknown benefactor the brother mentioned, are one in the same right?¡± Martial Kim answered, ¡°The Palanquin Bearers mentioned masked men attacked and sabotaged their palanquin. Martial Yellow Sister and I also traced who reported them ¨C an anonymous tip. Everything had been laid out perfectly to pin the murder on the Palanquin Bearers. Were it not for our further investigation, Fae Fae¡¯s case may have been closed with them as the culprits.¡± ...Then sweeping the whole ordeal under the carpet.¡± Exactly, your honour!¡± Martial Kim then bowed, ¡°With your approval, please summon Fae Fae¡¯s Brother into the court house for formal questioning.¡± Of course! I-it¡¯s better than poking the bear at this point! Might as well grab the badger!¡± The Judge then staggered to his feet and called out to the door. ¡°Men!¡± When Constables came into the room with a bow, the Judge ordered, ¡°Look for Inspector Lee and give him the order. Summon Fae Fae¡¯s Brother, I want to see that man kneeling in my court room by the end of the day!¡± SIR! YES SIR! The Constable then rushed out to deliver the message. Martial Kim could not help a small smile. The answer to this mystery is only one arms reach away! FAIRY - Chapter 22 (Monkeys Brother) It wasn¡¯t hard to track down Fae Fae¡¯s Brother. The man literally left a trail of bread crumbs in silver and gold coins, tips worth 50s and 100s wherever he went. So it was very easy for everyone to point fingers into the right direction. An establishment offering fancy rooms for the rich and luxurious. It made Inspector Lee¡¯s job simpler. However, he wasn¡¯t expecting the horror that was at the end of this bread trail. Wh-what the hell happened!? Did the man owe money to a hurricane!?¡± Inspector Lee and his Constables barged into Fae Fae¡¯s room. An entire presidential suite just trashed and totaled. The best tables money could buy split into expensive kindling, silk curtains costing thousands in silver torn up like a dog¡¯s chew toy, and every bit of exotic vase and furniture just smashed recklessly across the floor and wall. It was completely empty. Not a body or corpse in sight. Search the damn place, my gods!¡± Inspector Lee barked. He set his men to fan out across the large suite, checking everywhere. All the while the Inspector muttered to himself. ¡°This is too much! Dead ends after dead ends, now this. Gods damn it all, does this man just fart trouble wherever he goes!?¡± Inspector Lee kicked a broken chair into the wall to vent his frustrations. All he could do was grumble and lean against a wardrobe to try and sort his mind. He didn¡¯t realize even the wardrobe had it worse. One of the doors fell off the hinges and flopped forward across the ground like a stiff corpse. Revealing a man tucked inside the cramped closet: Fae Fae¡¯s Brother, hugging a rich looking flower vase. ...THERE YOU ARE, RAT BASTARD!¡± SUCK IT COPPER!¡± The Brother smashed the vase across the Inspector¡¯s face and just booked it. He bounded out of the room, down the flight of stairs of the inn, leaving behind a trail of screaming women. Because the man was stripped completely naked. Fae Fae¡¯s Brother was too impatient and ended up leaping down one flight of stairs after another. He was no martial artist so his landing was never as light or as graceful, but he had enough experience to bail out of high windows and leap over rooftops from chasing debts and cuckolded husbands to keep moving even with bare feet. By the time he tackled through the exit of the building, he could hear Inspector Lee¡¯s roar chasing ringing above him. Fae Fae¡¯s Brother didn¡¯t want to be mean ¨C but desperate times call for desperate measures. So he ran, as far and as fast as he could. Where? He didn¡¯t know. Although he knew the city streets like the veins on the back of his hand, he really didn¡¯t have a clear destination in mind. He never bothered to buy a house before hand and he was the type to keep changing addresses whenever he felt the loan shark got his scent. No sanctuary. And not like he could seek asylum in a Monk temple as a nudist! So by the time he couldn¡¯t run any more with his bruised and bloodied feet, it was already nightfall. Everyone went home earlier, that or they were not interested in seeing an ugly naked man running around being proud of his mess. Alone...cold...maybe it was for the better, being alone that is. Cold though? Yeah no, he would very much like a coat or perhaps some fire to warm up to. Just my luck.¡± Fae Fae¡¯s Brother cursed while chattering his teeth. ¡°Just my god damn luck...Where¡¯s my sister when you need her. Damn it girl, why did you have to go and get killed.¡± Knowing Fae Fae, no matter how strict or tongue lashing she was ¨C she always left a window to her brothel room open. In case her brother ever needed an escape from hard times like this. A lump of sadness lodged in his throat, but he swallowed it down. The cold was getting worse. Maybe he¡¯ll just find a corner in the street or a beggar¡¯s ground to stay for the night and survive. Then he¡¯ll figure out what to do tomorrow. He thinks better after a good sleep...wine...and of course women... ...Oh crap.¡± Just when he thoughts things were turning up, the last of his hopes were stolen at the sight of men and women suddenly surrounding him in the empty streets. They all approached him as he tried to weave out of the way or backed up. When he failed to walk away, the brother just groaned. ¡°Okay look! Guys! Guys! I can explain! I know I¡¯m overdue. Just give me a bit more time you, know I¡¯m good for it! Give me two days and all the money problem would be over and you can all just...guys?¡± Fae Fae¡¯s Brother realized something. These loans harks blend awfully well in the dark...Especially their masks.... ...LEE! INSPECTOR LEE! WHERE ARE YOU! HELP! HELP! HEEEEEEEEEEELP!!¡± Fae Fae¡¯s Brother ran away once more ¨C this time pursued by several assassins! They drew their blades and chased him, like flying hawks to a stumbling pig. It didn''t¡¯ take them long to catch up to the ugly naked man and carve him up with their swords. Even with all his wits and cunning, he was no martial artists to dodge every attacks unscathed. With a kick to the chest, his bloodied body fell into a puddle fill ditched and turn the mud water a dark red. He flailed as frantic as a dying fish out of a barrel, trying to save whatever life he had left. WAIT! WAIT! GUYS HOLD IT! I CAN PAY YOU TRIPLE TO KILL WHOEVER PUT THE HIT ON ME! I¡¯M REALLY GOOD FOR IT! SPARE ME! SPARE ME!¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. As the blade dropped onto the brother, he cried out, ¡°FAE FAE! SAVE ME! PLEAAAASE!¡± A dart made of snow shot through the night. It struck into the executing blade, deflecting it perfectly away from Fae Fae¡¯s Brother. All eyes then turn to look to the rooftop, as a new voice called out! Pardon the intrusion!¡± Martial Kim and Martial Yellow Sister arrived onto the scene! They dashed across the rooftops of the building before kicking off into the air and flying into the battlefield! They struck out, showering the field with exploding clouds of snow and dancing snakes of animated cloth to drive the enemy back! The moment they landed, Martial Yellow Sister used her cloth to grab at Fae Fae¡¯s Brother and reel him out of the fight like a fish from a pond. With a wave of her hands, she had her cloth bound and gag the man to the tree ¨C safe and sound. Was that necessary my dear?¡± Martial Kim could not help a chirp. His voice gives me a migraine,¡± Martial Yellow Sister mumbled. The assassins trapped in the cloud of snow and snake cloth quickly sheathed their blade. They gave their hilts a few methodical twists, as if twisting a dial on a combination lock, and drew their swords again. A mechanism in their scabbard covered the blades in oil and sparks igniting ROARING flames across the metal edge. With a few coordinated slashes in the air, they melted off the snow and cloth around them to clear their vision. Stand down Fire Monkeys!¡± Martial Kim commanded in a booming voice. ¡°This is the Capital and under the protection of Moon Tavern. Walk away now and we will not pursue you. You have my word!¡± Apologies, Moon Tavern,¡± The head of the assassins called out in a cold tone. ¡°Once the gold is in our hands, there is no turning back. May the best warrior win.¡± ...Very well. You have my full attention!¡± Martial Kim then summoned a sword made of magical snow and dashed forward with the flight of a swallow! Leave some for me!¡± Martial Yellow Sister bounded after her employer on her magical cloth like springs coils. She tossed up her cane into the air to let some cloth and robes to wrap around it, extending and reinforcing it. By the time it caught in her open palm, she held onto a 10 meter long quarterstaff! [Soul Silk Construct Formation ¨C Miraculous Cloth Stick!] SHAAA!¡± Martial Yellow Sister brought down her 10 meter staff to strike into the ground. With all the combined magical weight, mass, and momentum, she ripped up the streets and split the earth in two. This forced the Fire Monkey assassins to split up into two uneven teams. It was enough for Martial Kim to fly in on jets of snow under his feet to take them out one by one. Even when they had the advantage of fire, melting his snow formations and attacks, the incredible speed and precision was beyond the reflexes of the Fire Monkey assassins to keep up. Martial Kim flew through their ranks to slash at their wrist to disarm them, blast a cloud of snow to freeze them at the ankles and spin around to knock them out with a kick, and producing various snow tigers to block and cancel out flaming explosions around him. In four moves, he was able to take down six of the assassins. The other six got smarter. They quickly formed up into a tight group to avoid being split up. With a complex array of coordinated swordplay, they used [Flaming Cage 10 Blade Style] technique to make a burning defensive. The combined heat from their flames were well above the temperature of an iron furnace at full blast, thus it caused any snow attacks to disappear within 5 paces of them. A force field of inferno. Even so, Martial Kim continued his assault and dove down into a downward strike! His sword made of snow would evaporate on contact, but he pooled in his inner energy into his hands to keep rebuilding his sword over and over! Still no matter how much energy he had reinforcing his blade, he clearly was at an elemental disadvantage! Any time now, Martial Yellow Sister!¡± The young master smirked. ...CRAP! IT¡¯S A DIVERSION! Watch your feet!¡± Martial Yellow Sister charged, driving her 10 meter cloth stick into the flaming forcefield! Was she a fool as well? Her cloth would incinerate like cotton in an oven¡ªOW! OW OW! To their shock, the flammable cloth was able to penetrate their defensive! She struck at their feet and toes, causing them to stumble around in pain! But how!? Martial Yellow Sister laughed as she withdraw her cloth stick, so she could dip the ends into the nearby puddles of water like a brush in a pot of ink. Wet blanket bitches! The blonde hair disciple continued her counter attack, smashing at their shins and ankles in to throw them off balance. It was enough for the assassins to lose their rhythm and drop their flaming defenses. Just when they were prepared to counter a snow attack ¨C they got ran over by a stampede of Constables. GET EM!¡± Inspector Lee and his crew arrived onto the scene in time to tackle the Fire Monkeys from behind. They trampled and dog piled them while twisting their swords out of their wrists to incapacitate them. ¡°Hah! Not so high and mighty now eh, you damn rat monkeys!¡± Inspector Lee grabbed on up by the collar and barked, ¡°Alright talk! Were you the same guys who framed the Palanquin Bearers!? Come on, spit it out!¡± Crack. The sound of glass crunching could be heard. At first, Inspector Lee thought he stepped on glass, but after checking his clean shoes he was confused. It was in this moment, Martial Kim realized what the sound was......too late. By the time he checked the assassin held by the Inspector, the enemy was already bleeding from the mouth, eyes, and ears, skin turning blue and dark. Wh-what the hell!?¡± Inspector Lee gasped, ¡°I-I swear I didn¡¯t snap his neck!¡± Quick!¡± Martial Kim turned to the other Constables, ¡°Tie their mouths before¡ª¡± Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. NO!¡± A series of crunching glass filled the air...One by one, the assassins subdued by the Constables slowly slumped over dead, bleeding all over the face. Some of them had broken pieces of glass shards falling out of their mouth. Inspector Lee gasped at the sight, ¡°Di-did they just eat poison!? A-are they crazy!?¡± Martial Kim felt remorse filling his gut, ¡°Fire Monkey Group are notable zealots to their cause. The one reason why they¡¯ve never been caught, is times like this.¡± He eyes all the dead assassins who gave up their lives in exchange for perfect silence. Martial Yellow Sister stared at it all. It wasn¡¯t the first time she has been this close to death, but this...just made her sick to the stomach. The Inspector dropped the dead assassin from his grip as he slapped a hand to his face, ¡°All this? For a damn gambler?¡± Or,¡± Martial Kim uttered as he turned away from the all the dead bodies, ¡°All this for an important client.¡± Seeing Martial Yellow Sister distraught, he would walk over and put an arm around her frail shoulders to console her, even covering her eyes to block out the rest of the sight to make her feel better. YOU!¡± Inspector Lee marched right over at the boar on the spit that was Fae Fae¡¯s Brother bound and gagged to a tree. To start off the conversation, he punched the pig in the stomach with a beautiful right hook. ¡°THAT was for smashing my head in! And this¡ª¡± And he added a hearty slap to the brother¡¯s face. ¡°¡ªis for Fae Fae, you lazy piece of garbage!¡± FAIRY - Chapter 23 (Message in a Cell) Fae Fae was born the youngest of the sibling. Yet, she found herself playing the role of the eldest child, being responsible for her brother¡¯s well being in place of their long dead mother. Although the role was thrusted onto her shoulder, she always went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure her brother lived through one nightmare after another in one piece. Alas, there is an old saying: terrible people are bad no matter where you find them, because human nature never changes. There are times even loving parents must discipline their child. Fae Fae could never bring herself to going extreme, even for the sake of her troublesome brother. So, Inspector Lee and Martial Kim took it upon themselves to play the villains in the family matters. ¡°G-guys...pl-please...n-no more...I-I¡¯m going to roast, l-like a pig s-suckling in-in a festival! Sp-spare me!¡± Fae Fae¡¯s Brother was locked up in a cell of the Imperial Constabulary. He wasn¡¯t alone, but he wasn¡¯t exactly sharing the cell with other strangers. Instead, he was surrounded by various pots and woks spitting hot flames from their bellies full of coal. A circle of bonfires, just for him. One bonfire was hot enough to keep a human warm. 10 bonfires together, well anyone can do the math regardless if they are a pit master or chef. The Brother still naked, save for a makeshift cloth wound around his waist like a bath towel. Sweating all over, he kept gasping for air as the humidity in his cell kept going up and up, drier and drier. He kept waving his hands in surrender. ¡°O-officers! I-I¡¯m sorry!¡± He kept bowing on his knees ¡°I really am!! P-put the flames out, please!¡± ¡°What are you complaining about?¡± Inspector Lee chuckled as he leaned outside of the cell door, rubbing his black eye with one hand. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were cold, from all that running around? You¡¯re LUCKY I am merciful, I made sure your room is NICE and WARM to keep you from dying of hypothermia!¡± ¡°I¡¯m good now! I-I really am!¡± Fae Fae¡¯s brother gasped from the hot air filling the room. He curled up as tight as he could to avoid the stares of the open flames around him. ¡°L-look! I am WOEFULLY sorry for smashing your head in! And for lying to you all! I-I¡¯ll talk! I swear I¡¯ll tell nothing but the truth, so help me gods!¡± ¡°What was that?¡± Inspector Lee snorted, placing a hand to his ear, ¡°You may have to speak up. Can¡¯t hear you from hot HOT the room is!¡± ¡°OH COME ON, BRO! BARBECUING MY ASS ISN¡¯T FUNNY AT ALL!¡± Inspector Lee wanted to let the man cook juuuust a little while longer. Until Martial Kim spoke up with a wry smile. ¡°Inspector Lee,¡± He whispered politely. ¡°I think your vengeance should be sated by now. Any more and I think his hair will catch on fire.¡± ¡°...Oh whatever. Put it out. I¡¯m done.¡± Inspector Lee mumbled as he turned away. Martial Kim would then use his snow cultivation to spray clouds of frosty mist into the pans and pots. One by one he snuffed out the flames, the melted snow turning into luke warm water. This caused the cell to turn into a bit of a sauna, but at least it wasn¡¯t blinding hot like the summer sun at its peak. Fae Fae¡¯s Brother let out a deep sigh of relief, prostrating before the investigators as if they were gods from the heavens. At Inspector Lee¡¯s command, several Constables came over to pass one some prisoner¡¯s clothing. The Inspector then tossed it into the gaps of the wooden cage cell. Fae Fae¡¯s Brother used it to wipe off his body from the sweat and mist, before he re-used it as his new clothing. ¡°You got a lot of explaining to do,¡± Inspector Lee kicked at the wooden cage to get the brother¡¯s attention. ¡°Start from the beginning!¡± Fae Fae¡¯s Brother chanced a sneer, but recoiled when he received a hound like snarl right back at him. ¡°I-I don¡¯t even know where to begin. Last night, I was having a wild time with my sweet May Flower, the love of my life. But the following morning, my clothes were gone and my all my money went missing! Along with my girl! N-next thing you know, loan sharks came banging at my door. So of course I had to hide naked!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that you knucklehead!¡± Inspector Lee yelled. ¡°Did you kill your sister and stole her money?¡± ¡°Wh-what the hell would I do that for!?¡± Fae Fae¡¯s Brother was completely indignant of the accusation. ¡°She may have been annoying and pestering, completely like my mom ¨C but she still good to me! Wh-why would I shank my own sister when she was my bread and butter!¡± Martial Kim stepped forward to ask, ¡°Where did the money come from?¡± ¡°I-I told you guys.¡± Fae Fae¡¯s Brother rubbed the back of his head, ¡°I-I won it in a big lottery!¡± Inspector Lee punched at the wooden cage, ¡°Liar! First you claimed a friend loaned the money to you! Then you went on bragging about a lucky streak in the gambling halls! Now, lottery? Get your story straight before you play us for a fool!¡± Fae Fae¡¯s Brother wanted to say something. Snarky? Vile? It was hard to say which. Especially when he received a leer from both investigators. He consciously eyed the pots and pans that were used to hold open bonfires. If they can snuff it out, they can easily turn them back on. So he played his hand with this one gamble to try and save himself. ¡°...I...I got it from a guy...A guy...Fae Fae knew.¡± Inspector Lee and Martial Kim exchanged glances, before the former barked, ¡°Well? Out with it? We don¡¯t have time for you to stumble over your words like an amateur clown!¡± This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°D-Don¡¯t rush me man!¡± The brother snapped. ¡°Th-this was some time ago a-and a lot happened between then!¡± After calming down, Fae Fae¡¯s Brother told the truth. ¡°I-it was roughly a month ago,¡± he began, ¡°Someone wanted to talk to Fae Fae, make a deal with her. She came to seek my advice, she didn¡¯t know what to do. She told me, she wanted nothing to do with the guy, had half a mind to just not show up. Th-then I went, ¡®No, baby girl, you should go and see them, figure out what they want, could be a good thing!¡¯. I promised I would keep her company, be her guard dog, so we ended up going outside of the Capital walls together.¡± ¡°Where exactly outside the walls?¡± Martial Kim wondered. ¡°Er...Right. Green Lion Valley, roughly around there.¡± ¡°And, this was one month before she was reported missing?¡± The young master asked once more. Fae Fae¡¯s Brother just shrugged, ¡°I-I think so? N-not like I spend my days working as her stalker, following her wherever she went.¡± A groan as he went on, ¡°The guy she was going to talk to was filthy rich. She knew it, I knew it, so half my reason for prodding her to see him was...well WE might get some loose change out of it all, who knows. Man¡¯s loaded... Fae Fae and him had a bit of a falling out. So...so he called her out so they can sort out a deal between themselves.¡± Inspector Lee leaned against the cage door, ¡°What sort of deal? Prostitution?¡± ¡°Pffffhahahaha...Er.¡± The brother started out laughing, but his humour choked in his neck when he received glares. This was a serious matter, so there was really no more tokens for him to play monkey business any more. ¡°N-not exactly, ish. S-simply put, the guy offered Fae Fae 1000 in Gold Ingots...1000. Do you have any idea how much is that worth to a Courtesan and myself? We could live our lives for three generations without worry!¡± ¡°What exactly was this deal? Come on you bastard, spit it out!¡± ¡°The guy wanted to cut ties with Fae Fae!¡± The brother yelped back. ¡°He said he didn¡¯t want to see her any more, anywhere. Went on a ranting with all sorts of salty words. Take the money and quit being a prostitute, go home and raise a farmland, leave the Capital. B-boy was I stark raving mad when he ran his mouth off like that. I-I was about to teach him a good lesson! You know, the good ol one two!¡± Martial Kim gave him, a knowing look. ¡®Seriously?¡¯ ¡°...Well...I didn¡¯t want to cause a scene, o-or make matters worse. M-my sister¡¯s feelings were hurt enough...¡± Fae Fae¡¯s Brother then curled up, turning his body away, ¡°A-and...can¡¯t risk knocking over that tower of gold bars.¡± ¡°You little¡ª¡± Inspector Lee cursed under his breath, ¡°I swear to gods, the moment I get my chance: I will kick your ass until your intestines are reversed!¡± ¡°I-I seriously was ticked off at what the guy said! Honest, okay!? H-how could he just up and say all those brutal things to my baby sister, especially after everything she¡¯s done for him!¡± Martial Kim felt like he would regret this next question, but deep down it had to be asked, ¡°What did he say exactly?¡± Fae Fae¡¯s Brother hesitated, ¡°...She was nothing to him. Said was sick just thinking about her. He wanted to wash his hands of his relationship with Fae Fae...¡± The tone in his voice slowly rose one angry step after another, ¡°Went on bragging how he got a fancy job, big future, a lot of people looking up to him like some kind of damn celebrity. A so-called saint, could could never be connected to a lowly Courtesan... Gods, thinking back on that night, he didn¡¯t really need to use a sword to cut her down. Those words were more than enough to split her heart into pieces.¡± Everyone¡¯s face fell. The revelation was...just too much to stomach. Martial Kim was glad, he had Martial Yellow Sister stay with Fae Fae right now. If she heard what the brother just said, she was most likely going to try and strangle him ¨C then march over to strangle the culprit behind this crime. A rash girl, but honest of heart. Even Martial Kim felt incredibly bad for Fae Fae, thinking how her life culminated into such a series of tragedies. Inspector Lee just shook his head, appalled and disbelief, ¡°What the hell were you doing? Big brother? Just standing on the sidelines like a referee!?¡± ¡°Wh-what nooooo!¡± Fae Fae¡¯s Brother bolted to his bare feet and gripped at the wooden cage to mean business, ¡°Hey! I may not have thrown any fists or rocks at the bastard¡¯s face, but I sure as hell gave him a piece of my mind! I ain¡¯t no learned man, I don¡¯t have any fancy words ¨C but I knew all sorts of colorful language that would make sailors proud! I even told him to SUCK ON DEEEEZ NUTS!¡± Inspector Lee just shoved the man by the face back into his cell. ¡°Stop horsing around! Then what happened?¡± Martial Kim waited. He wanted to carefully hear the next part of this piece of history, it could be vital to the whole investigation. ¡°...She didn¡¯t want his gold,¡± Fae Fae¡¯s Brother shrugged, defeated, ¡°Never took a single gold bar. The man even dumped a pile of random gifts for her. Pearls, jewellery, gemstones, silk fans, anything expensive enough to ¡®pay her off¡¯ to cut their ties... The only thing she did take was just a hairpin.¡± Martial Kim probably knew what type of hairpin the brother was talking about, but to be sure, ¡°What type of hairpin did she collect?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t remember. Uh...gold? Kinda twisted in the middle. Got really fancy swallows on it. I think?...Yeah, it did.¡± ¡°Fae Fae took, just that one hairpin?¡± The brother nodded, ¡°Believe it or not, out of everything offered to her ¨C over thousands in gold and silver ¨C she just took that... Said it was more than enough, to formally end their relationship. At the very least, a memento of what they had.¡± The investigators didn¡¯t know what to say, not in that moment. The story started to make sense to them now, the questions with missing answers slowly becoming clearer. ¡°Then?¡± Inspector Lee chanced to question the brother, ¡°The guy you¡¯re talking about didn¡¯t feel satisfied she took nothing else ¨C so he tried to kill her. For only the dead can keep a secret!¡± Fae Fae¡¯s Brother suddenly burst out laughing, a twisted chuckle more like. Even with all the glares on him, this time he just let it out without restraint of hesitation. ¡°Officers. If the man really murdered my sister right in front of me, you think I would still be alive for you to kick my ass? There¡¯s no way I could keep quiet if I knew this guy murdered my sister. But that¡¯s not what happened.¡± A snort, before the brother answered with, ¡°The deal was done. One hairpin for no longer seeing each other. Both parties are satisfied without handshaking. So after Fae Fae left a song as a parting message to the guy¡¯s face, we left. He went home. Done. No one spoke of it again.¡± Martial Kim took in a deep breath. Then a thought came to mind, ¡°This lottery you mentioned, was it¡¯s value equal to 1000 Gold Ingots, Pearls, jewelry, and gemstones?¡± ¡°...I meaaaan.¡± Fae Fae¡¯s Brother rocked back and forth on his heels with a half grin. ¡°Fae Fae didn¡¯t want it. The guy didn¡¯t want it...Couldn¡¯t just leave the gold sitting there, alone like that.¡± Inspector Lee reached into the cage, grabbing the prisoner by the collar of his garbs, ¡°Bastard! You practically sold your sister to the devil ¨C TWICE!¡± ¡°BRO, I AIN¡¯T CRAZY! I would be stupid to leave that much gold alone on the table. Surely some mountain beggars or bandits would lap it all up! I put it to good use! I-I even treated my sister to a hearty dinner! So don¡¯t you think¡ª¡± ¡°What was his name?¡± Martial Kim asked in a quiet tone, ¡°Who was the man that wanted to cut ties with Fae Fae?¡± The brother hissed with hesitation, ¡°Uh...it¡¯s a bit complicated.¡± ¡°Noonien!?¡± Inspector Lee couldn¡¯t hold back any more and shook the man, ¡°Was it Noonien Turquoise!? Answer us!¡± ¡°Wh-who? Noonien? Wh-what kind of stupid ass name is that?¡± FAIRY - Chapter 24 (Fairys Wish) Fae Fae¡¯s Brother told everything. And everyone didn¡¯t like one bit of what they heard. So much so, the Judge himself could not resist punching his own table in his office in reaction to all this. INJUSTICE!¡± The Judge raged with a shaking fist. ¡°The injustice of it all! What she¡¯s been through, all the suffering, coming to such a ridiculous conclusion! The man who did this to Fae Fae, is not human! I don¡¯t care if he is the Crown Prince ¨C he must be punished!¡± Agreed your honour!¡± Inspector Lee stepped forth to give a supportive bow, filled with equal vigor! ¡°We will drag the monster straight to our courts and give him a good beating! 20, 30 ¨C nay, 100 paddles for his crimes! If granted, his head must roll from the guillotine chopper! Right Martial Kim!?¡± Inspector Lee waited for a response. When he got none, he then turned to Moon Tavern. The moment he looked, he watched as Martial Kim finished whispering to Martial Yellow Sister. They exchanged words between only their ears and lips, before the former ushered the disciple out of the door. The Inspector was about to intercept her, they need every hands on deck for this upcoming battle. But Martial Kim politely stopped him, closing the door behind him once Martial Yellow Sister left. The young master of Moon Tavern then responded, ¡°We can¡¯t make the first move, not this directly.¡± What do you mean, Martial Kim!?¡± Inspector Lee yelped with a throw of his hands, ¡°We have to do something! Fae Fae is a vegetable because of this bastard and you want us to sit on the sideline like gods!? You heard that rat ass of a brother right!? I know you care for Fae Fae as much as we do, willing to ride with us into the man¡¯s place and grab him by the throat!¡± One chance,¡± Martial Kim raised a finger to emphasize. ¡°We only have once chance. If we make so much as half a mistake, it will all be over. The man is protected by a web of power, plucking one string will only alert more beasts and pests to try and devour us. The amount of influence he has is beyond that of an Imperial Constabulary lead by four honest hearts.¡± The Judge was about to interject, to throw in his own heated opinion. But, given his many years of service to the justice system, he knew better than anyone the consequences of one¡¯s actions ¨C especially amongst law enforcers like himself. So he plopped in his chair, carrying his forehead in his palms before asking, ¡°Martial Kim is right. We have to stick to the plan and play this cooly, or else this is just going to be chaos on all fronts.... Worse, we don¡¯t have enough solid evidence to put this man in a cell, let alone take his head!¡± The Judge both pulled at his wrinkled beard and tapped a hand across his desk as if trying to pray for a miracle to fall on his lap, ¡°Our only victim and witness in this case has been declared dead. I can¡¯t just up and say ¡®Oh hey she¡¯s not dead after all, she can testify against the bastard¡¯, my supervisors would have my head if we don¡¯t make this a successful trap! What do we do?¡± Your honour,¡± Martial Kim bowed, ¡°I have tasked Martial Yellow Sister to seek out surefire evidence to confirm our theory. If we are correct, then there is no escape for this man. However, she needs time.¡± Got it. Say no more.¡± The Judge waved a hand in understanding. ¡°I¡¯ll try to make up a legitimate reason and use the right channels to invite the culprit to our court house without him knowing the better. I-I am confident we can lure him in without any bodyguards or servants. It will take a month at least!¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Inspector Lee hopped sooner, like right now or at most tomorrow. After thinking over the pros and cons, weighing his emotions and practical thinking, he gave up over complicating things and nodded along. Then he clicked his tongue. ¡°Damn. The Fire Monkeys! The group that were sent to off Fae Fae¡¯s Brother committed suicide. No doubt their headquarters will notice their absence eventually. What if they alert the mastermind behind all this? Martial Kim. Since they are from the martial arts world, you got any ideas?¡± Leave that to me!¡± Martial Kim nodded and patted his heart in response. ¡°I will use Moon Tavern¡¯s social network to keep tabs on their movement, and delay them with misinformation. Just in case, I¡¯ll have some Martial Brothers and Sisters on standby in the Constabulary in case the Fire Monkeys do catch wind and try to eliminate both Palanquin Bearers and the Brother. We can¡¯t risk losing any of them in this battle!¡± The Judge took a moment to realized the weight of the situation, ¡°So. This is it then. All or nothing.¡± Martial Kim bowed in affirmation, ¡°Our first move must be a checkmate.¡± Soon after their meeting that night, the Imperial Constabulary and investigators split up and got to work. The Judge reached out to old friends and mentors, Inspector Lee doubled the security in the Constabulary, and Martial Kim called upon many allies and units in the martial arts world to set up a counter net. They believed, this was more than enough for their plan to succeed. In the passing weeks and months, the necessary lure and excuses became genuine opportunities and truthful reasons. Not even the smartest man within the Imperial Circle would think anything of it. In fact, this ¡®opportunity¡¯ was just too good to pass up. That was until...the day of the trap. Everything will come to an end, my dear.¡± Martial Kim would spend the early morning tending to the unconscious Fae Fae. With the help of a female Constable, she received a proper bed bath and a fresh set of clothes. Martial Kim even took the liberty to clean her face and comb her hair neat and tidy, making her look presentable. Although there was no way for her to testify in the court, she was still part of this fight. Coma or not, she had every right to look grand on the day justice is served in her honour. The nightmare you endured will properly come to a conclusion.¡± Martial Kim cooed. He took the time to massage Fae Fae¡¯s hands. They were back to normal, no longer swollen. Slender and beautiful just the way they should be. He would rub his thumbs into her palm to help with the blood flow and softly move her arms as part of an in-bed exercise, to make sure her muscles don¡¯t degrade too much while bedridden. The young master was in deep thought. Half of him prayed she would wake up and tell them the truth, to confirm their theories... The other half believes, it is best she sleeps through this hardship is. She already went through one hell after another. Putting her through one more may destroy her. Martial Kim whispered as he patted a hand to Fae Fae¡¯s forehead to console her, ¡°The one who put you through this misery will get what he deserves. He will never harm you again, let alone scorn you for who you are... It¡¯s going to be alright, Fae Fae. We¡¯ll protect you to the end.¡± ............................................... Martial Kim truly wished, Fae Fae could speak to him even a little bit. She would benefit............. ....Fae Fae?¡± The victim never responded. From beginning to end, she had never once woke up or even opened her eyes. She had been the same as always but... Martial Kim noticed something off. Especially with how limp her hand was. Fae Fae?¡± The young master chanced to touch his fingers to the pulse in her throat and-- ¡°FAE FAE!¡± FAIRY - Chapter 25 (Justice is Mighty) High noon. If all goes according to plan, the man behind all this will arrive in the Constabulary any minute. That was why the Judge could be found pacing to and fro in his courtroom, just...Sweating like a river. ¡°Wh-where is everyone?¡± He mumbled to himself as he paced back and forth. The Judge wasn¡¯t alone in his woes. He was kept company by the many Constables and court guards within the room ¨C but they aren¡¯t exactly the people he was waiting for. Inspector Lee and Martial Kim have yet to arrive to prepare. Even Martial Yellow Sister has yet to return from her errand. No sight of her, neither a word of her progress out of the Capital for the whole month. The more the sun kept ticking away at the sky, the harder he paced and sweat. Just as the Judge was about to summon a guard to fetch either investigators, the Inspector finally burst into the courthouse. The Judge was happy, but he ended up snapping, ¡°LEE! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN!?¡± ¡°B-big problem your honour!¡± Inspector Lee gasped as he tried to catch his breath. ¡°F-Fae Fae. Her heart just failed! M-Martial Kim i-is trying to resuscitate her w-with his healing energy, n-not sure if she¡¯s going to make it through!¡± ¡°WHAT!?¡± The Judge nearly fell over arse over elbow were it not for the guards and Inspector grabbing onto the old man, ¡°OF ALL TIMES, WHY NOW!?...Oh gods. The man is going to be here any minute! Q-quick, close the doors. Pretend no one is home!¡± ¡°B-but sire! The plan!¡± ¡°I know, but what options do we have!? Fae Fae is dying, Martial Kim has his hands tied, a-and Martial Yellow Sister has yet to come back with hard evidence we need! We can¡¯t afford tipping off the man with our blunder! Better to let the fish go and catch him another time!¡± The Inspector face palmed. Of all days for trouble to fall onto their laps like a dead cat. As much as he agreed, deep down he wanted to object. Sadly, before either of them could make a decision ¨C a Constable rushed into the court room to warn them. He¡¯s here. ¡°YE¡¯GAWDS!¡± The Judge literally fainted on the spot. Before he hit the ground, everyone grabbed onto him to keep him upright. Inspector Lee had no choice but to give the old man a few slaps to his face to restart his consciousness. The second the Judge snapped awake, he screeched ¡°P-positions! Get into positions! Act natural! GO GO GO!¡± The Judge and the members of the court scrambled to their spots. By the time they calmed down and pretend to act level headed, someone was escorted directly into the courtroom. Following a group of station guards was a man in a rich flowing robe with vibrant colours and decorations. Golden clouds swirl across the ends of his robes and the cuffs of his sleeves. Well shaved, well cleaned, and held himself with pride. The man would then bow before the judge with humility as he greeted. ¡°Noonien Turquoise, present before your honour. Many greetings good sir.¡± ¡°WELCOME MR. TURQUOISE! I-I AM SO GLAD Y-YOU ARRIVED SAFELY TO THE CAPITAL!¡± Noonien Turquoise returned a polite nod ¨C followed by an ear splitting twitch. Why was the Judge yelling, he wondered? It¡¯s not like Noonien was born deaf or hard of hearing. He tried to ignore it as he returned the conversation in polite tandem. ¡°I appreciate the opportunity,¡± the rich scholar continued, ¡°to be part of the development of the new Imperial Academy of Excellence in the Capital. I will do everything within my power and talents to make sure this project will be carried out smoothly. Please, instruct this civil servant where you would like me to begin my assistance.¡± This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°HAHAH! GOOD! GOOD YOU¡¯RE HERE! W-WE¡¯LL GET THAT PROJECT SET UP IN NO TIME AND OPEN THE DOORS TO NEW STUDENTS T-TO SERVE HIS IMPERIAL HIGHNESS SOON! SOOOON! HAHAHA!¡± ¡°...Sir. If I may ask. Are you...hard of hearing?¡± ¡°What? Nooo! Noo! Of course not!¡± The Judge jumped at the question. He had been busy glancing at Inspector Lee, who kept an eye on the back doors leading to the courtroom. If Martial Kim were to join them, they would spot him coming down the corridor that way. So far, Inspector Lee kept signaling ¡®not yet¡¯. Thus, the Judge tried to play it cool. ¡°Hahaha! I-I am an old man. I-it¡¯s coming around the t-time where I am starting to be hard of hearing you see. Hahahaha!¡± Noonien just...sighed. As much as he thought about voicing this thoughts, the one thing he learned as an Imperial Scholar is ¨C not everything needs to be told bluntly. Last thing he wants is to get off on the wrong foot with the higher ups. So, he let the mistake slide. ¡°Please take good care of your health, your honour. I know the sector of the Capital depends on your leadership.¡± ¡°Hahaha! Wh-why thank you! I¡¯ve ate breakfast already and uh-hahahahaah!¡± Noonien stared. The Judge felt sweat running down his forehead. He wanted to wipe it off, but was afraid it would give away his thoughts. Like revealing his true hand in a game of dice. Still that couldn¡¯t stop him from glancing at Inspector Lee, who kept shaking his head. ¡°Um.¡± Noonien chanced to break the awkward silence between them, ¡°Your honour?¡± ¡°YES! WH-where were we, M-Mr. Noonien?¡± ¡°Ahem. Would you like for us to continue our conversation in your office? Perhaps, talk about the overview of the project and what documentation is needed? I would be happy to offer my experience to draft up proposals and supporting documents.¡± The Judge started to stutter, ¡°What? Oh! N-no need to rush straight into business! W-we have time! Uh ah...How was your trip!?¡± ¡°I-it was smooth. No doubt with your honour¡¯s hard work, you¡¯ve kept the roads safe of any banditry or devilry of any kind.¡± ¡°Good. Good. Smooth is good...have you had lunch yet, Mr. Noonien?¡± ¡°Uh. Um. No. And I prefer not to eat anything before working, to keep my head clear...¡± Noonien then couldn¡¯t handle the gnawing feeling and he finally voiced his thoughts. ¡°Your honour, is something the matter. Was it something i said, or perhaps done. Please, good sir, do not take anything I¡¯ve done as offensive.¡± The Judge...had no clue how to answer. Despite how simple of a question he was given, his mind just...shut down. He quickly gave Inspector Lee one hard look. The latter quickly left the courtroom to check around the grounds for any signs of Moon Tavern ¨C or a miracle in this case. Three minutes of awkward silence later, Inspector Lee came back ¨C empty handed. The Judge just...face palmed. This was it. He was completely done for, kaput. Going to lose his job, his pension, his home. He let everyone down, Inspector Lee, Moon Tavern, everyone. Why was he a fool to go along with all this... What would Fae Fae say...........................Fae Fae... ¡°... Screw it. MEN! CLOSE THE DAMN DOORS!¡± SIR! The court guards quickly ran over and slammed the main doors shut. They made sure to cover all exists and entry, no one getting in or out without the Judge¡¯s permission! They then filed in into two lines of men and women, grabbing onto wooden staffs. They lined up across the sides of the court house and tapped their staffs into the ground into a unified rattle! In unison, they would bellow: Justiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice is mightyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. An official call to order in the court! ¡°Y-your honour!?¡± Noonien started to panic when he realized he was boxed in...and left standing alone in the center of the crowd. ¡°Wh-what is the meaning of this!?¡± The Judge responded by picking up his gavel, a wooden brick in the shape of a just lion dog, and slapped it onto the table with a rumbling BANG. ¡°COURT IS IN SESSION!¡± If they only got one chance ¨C might as well make it count! So, let¡¯s freaking gooooooooooooooooo! FAIRY - Chapter 26 (Constables Web) Noonien Turquoise. The man was caught in the web set up by the Constabulary. However, was it enough to keep him in chains or would he just walked away from all this with a brush of his sleeves. The Judge offered a little prayer to the heavens, and began his first attack. ¡°Mr. Noonien.¡± He bellowed, ¡°You are brought here for questioning in regards to the murder of the famous Courtesan, Fae Fae of Celestial Dreams Brothel. What have you to say for yourself?¡± ¡°H-how dare you!¡± Noonien yelped. He tried to leave, not wanting to with anything with this farce, yet the guards prevented him from walking more than five steps. Without much of a choice, he had to face his sudden indignation. ¡°Explain yourself! You called me in with good faith, now you put me to trial like some common criminal. I will make sure the rest of the Turquoise family knows about this when I return!¡± ¡°Stop dodging the question!¡± The Judge tried to intimidate the rich scholar with a slap of his lion dog gavel, in hopes to have the upper hand... Didn¡¯t have much of an effect. Darn. He couldn¡¯t help a short stutter, ¡°D-did you know Fae Fae? Did you murder her?¡± ¡°Preposterous! I don¡¯t even know who she is!¡± Inspector Lee stepped in with a huff, ¡°Liar. The entire staff of the Heavenly Garden House of Pleasure can stand as witness, they all saw you with Fae Fae. She was assigned to refill your wine cup and keep you company, the whole night at the party I might add. And you say you don¡¯t even know her at all!?¡± ¡°I surely do not!¡± Noonien objected with indignation. ¡°My father-in-law and I were invited by the Governor to celebrate his retirement from office. If it wasn¡¯t a personal invitation, neither of us would have stepped foot in such a place of immorality. I paid little attention to who was serving me, for every women there were always trying to tempt righteous scholars and officials like ourselves.¡± ¡°You little bas¡ª¡± Inspector Lee was cut off from cursing, when the Judge cleared his throat loud enough to remind the former to be professional about this. The Inspector gave up his cursing with a growl and continued, ¡°Every guest at the Heavenly Gardens knew Fae Fae, be it by face or reputation. Are you saying you didn¡¯t even get a hint of her name the entire time?¡± ¡°Like I said,¡± Noonien curtly turned away with a scoff, ¡°The entertainers were nothing but noise and temptation. I am a man of virtue and a faithful husband. I do not pay attention to the women there, let alone ask for their name. So no. I do not know Fae Fae. Because of that, why would I kill her?¡± Inspector Lee wanted to press on, but he guessed pushing down this road wasn¡¯t going to do them a lick of good. So he had left the next turn to the Judge. The chief of the Constable station then asked the following question, ¡°Men. Bring in the first evidence!¡± Some court guards bow and head out, only to quickly return with one small box. They carefully opened it to display it before everyone. Especially Noonien Turquoise. ¡°Mr. Noonien,¡± the Judge spoke up, ¡°Do you recognize this?¡± Noonien Turquoise eyes widen a bit. Inside of the small box was a beautiful golden hairpin. Although it was gorgeous in craftsman ship, half of it was caked in blood, the ¡®handle¡¯ was slathered in dried mud and dead worms¡¯ and it was bent. The rich scholar turned away, trying to block out the disgusting dirt and blood from his eyes. ¡°I ask again, do you recognize this hairpin?¡± The Judge demanded. Noonien took a short breath and answered, ¡°Yes. I do. It belongs to my wife, the Young Mistress of the illustrious Turquoise Family. She ordered it in preparation for attending a convention, a gathering of intellects from every nation beyond the borders of the Jade Empire. She wanted to match a special dress she had custom made for such an event.¡± This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°Yet.¡± The Judge grumbled, ¡°It somehow ended up being the exact murder weapon that killed Fae Fae. We¡¯ve looked into this hairpin. It was made by Starlight Fortune Jewellery, who boast they only make a single copy of their products in the world! So tell me, Noonien Turquoise, how did your wife¡¯s one of a kind hairpin become evidence in this murder investigation?¡± Noonien let out a long sigh, before saying, ¡°I confess, it was entirely my fault. It was stolen.¡± ¡°S-stolen!?¡± The Judge choked. ¡°Yes.¡± Noonien shook his head with shame. ¡°When the hairpin was ready, I took it upon myself as husband to pick it up on my wife¡¯s behalf. It was the least I could do to help... Shortly after I picked it up, a pick pocket ran into me and took both the hairpin and my money pouch. My mind was occupied elsewhere and it never occurred to me what happened. It was only when I returned home and tried to present the hairpin to my wife as a surprise ¨C did I realize too late it was plucked out of my robes. I am still feel terrible for such clumsiness.¡± Guilty, for messing up a delivery run. Unfortunately, that was not a heinous enough crime to detain the man. And what worse punishment could he receive other than a tongue lashing from his wife. This angle of attacked was once again countered by smooth words. The Judge pinched his nose bridge, ¡°Meaning, you have no idea what happened to the hairpin after it was...stolen?¡± ¡°That is absolutely correct your honour.¡± Noonien nodded with a level headed voice, ¡°Could have been sold off, pawned off...or...perhaps was misused in the murder you speak of. Surely, you can¡¯t hold me accountable for this Fae Fae¡¯s murder, right? I too am a victim in some form!¡± ¡°Tell me,¡± The Judge went on, ¡°Have you ever left North Cloud City in the past few months?¡± ¡°No sir, I have not.¡± Noonien replied, ¡°I am currently tutoring for several Honorable families in North Cloud City. I barely have enough time to come home in time for dinner with my wife, let alone travel out of the city for leisure.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t say,¡± the Judge chuckled. He then gave Inspector Lee a nod. ¡°Bring them in.¡± Them? Who? Noonien Turquiose couldn¡¯t figure it out at first, so he turned around to see where Inspector Lee was going. The investigator went to a doorway of the court room and waved a hand. Several constables escorted a group of men in plain blue uniforms. They came to the floor of the courthouse to join in the questioning. As Noonien was an Imperial Scholar, a licensed bachelor, he was exempt from kneeling before higher powers. On the other hand, these men weren¡¯t so special, thus they followed the norm for commoners to kneel before the Judge. ¡°Noonien,¡± Inspector Lee called out, ¡°You recognize these men right? They were your horse wagon some time ago. Ring a bell?¡± The rich scholar glanced at the kneeling men. They glanced back. Immediately the two try to break eye contact, but it was far too late to hide anything. So Noonien simple adjusted his sleeves, ¡°I have a terrible memory, your honour.¡± ¡°Says an Imperial Tutor!¡± snapped Inspector Lee, ¡°Come on, I thought you scholars have bigger brains!¡± He then nudged a foot to the men kneeling at the ground, ¡°Go on, jog his memory.¡± ¡°Er.¡± One of the men in the group would bow to the Judge and answer, ¡°Y-yes. He was our client. He asked us to, to uh, bring him to a place outside of the Capital. Er. To a gazebo resting spot n-near Green Lion Valley.¡± Checkmate, thought the Judge and pushed on, ¡°So, Mr. Noonien? Anything to say about that?¡± Noonien shook his head, ¡°I can¡¯t recall, not exactly. My job can be stressful at times and I have a habit of drinking heavily. There have been many occasions where I hitch a random horse wagon, or palanquin, to take me around town on a dazed joyride, so to speak.... I cannot recall exactly if I met them.¡± The audacity of this man! Stop tip toeing around the truth! Inspector Lee took it upon himself to play the bad cop in the scenario, ¡°Stop making up stories and what ifs, scholar. These men took you to Green Lion Valley, so you can meet with Fae Fae and pay her off to break up your affair!¡± ¡°A-affair!? How dare you!¡± Noonien shouted. If he could, he would slap the Inspector in the jaw. The brute of a man he was! However, he was in a court room so any action made would only press more charges against him. So he could only snort off the remark. ¡°I have no affair with any woman. My heart is loyal only to my lover of the Turquoise Family. Now enough of this charade and let me free! These accusations sicken me! I keep telling you, I know not a Fae Fae or Fei Lee or whatever woman from a brothel of any kind. Now, I demand you end your inquiries right now and let me return home. If you do, I am willing to reconsider my actions to report you for abuse of authority on baseless grounds!¡± The Judge clapped his lion dog gavel on his desk to shut him up, ¡°Summon Fae Fae¡¯s Brother!¡± ...Oh hell no. FAIRY - Chapter 27 (Honest Nightmare) Fae Fae¡¯s Brother. The man was dragged into the courtroom, wearing nothing but his prisoner garbs and chains on his hands and feet. The guards kept pushing a dragging him into the courtroom and brought him to his knees. To settle right next to Noonien Turquoise. ¡°...Eeeeeeeyy!¡± The Brother waved with a broken smile, chains rattling, ¡°Long time no see!¡± ¡°Your honour, I demand you remove this beggar from the court!¡± Noonien Turquoise snapped as he covered his noise, ¡°He smells horrendous!¡± ¡°Ayo, not cool! What happened to the good old fashion bro code!? Don¡¯t you be looking away from me like you don¡¯t know who I am! We buddies man!¡± ¡°Who the hell would be friends with a dog like you?¡± ¡°Alright that¡¯s it. Time to teach you some Sugondese¡ªSUGON DEEEEZ NUUUUUUTS!¡± It was a badger fight. Couldn¡¯t call it a cat fight, there was zero grace. And dogfight didn¡¯t match the situation inside of a closed room. But that¡¯s what the two grown ass men did, just punching and wrestling each other the second they were in the same room. Like raccoons fighting over scraps. It took a considerable amount of men and women to break them up. Even then they were kicking and screaming, exchanging profanities and curses non stop. ¡°ORDER IN THE COURT!¡± The Judge rose from his seat to slap his lion dog gavel into the table to shut them up. ¡°Lock it down, both of you! Or I WILL charge you with contempt in the court!¡± ¡°Sorry old man¡ªI mean Judge sir,¡± Fae Fae¡¯s Brother bowed with a touch of sarcasm, ¡°This idiot of a schoolboy don¡¯t know what you just said! But don¡¯t worry, I know some sign language to get the message across.¡± And he did something similar to flipping the bird at Noonien. Noonien tossed the guards off him to compose himself, yanking the wrinkles off his robes and sleeves. He barked back a ¡°Despicable vermin! You should rot in jail!¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°I SAID ORDER, DAMN IT!¡± The Judge bellowed. After Inspector Lee gave a leering warning to both prosecuted and witness, the Judge pointed at the Brother, ¡°You! Tell us what happened that night when Mr. Noonien arrived in Green Lion Valley?¡± ¡°Oh I¡¯ll tell you alright,¡± The Brother laughed. ¡°This asshole. rolled up on his horse wagon carrying over 100 gold sticks and gifts ¨C to bribe my sister¡¯s silence about their relationship! Yes sir he did!¡± ¡°He¡¯s lying!¡± Noonien tried to stay away from the Brother, covering his nose with a sleeve from the smell. ¡°How can you take the words of a crazed bum like this man? He¡¯s just spitting nonsense! I would rather throw all my wealth into the salted ocean than leave a copper penny in his palm!¡± ¡°You practically tossed gold at my sister¡¯s feet, begging her to break up with you! And you call yourself a learned man! Screw that noise!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Inspector Lee interjected before he turned back to Noonien, ¡°Of course you didn¡¯t give this yahoo of a brother any money.¡± He shoved the Brother off his feet to make him kneel back down to emphasize his words. ¡°You gave it all to Fae Fae. You knew her and you went through all the trouble with the hairpin and the money just to make sure she is silent about your true connection to each other!¡± ¡°Lies! All of it!¡± Noonien denied the allegations with hackles on his nape, ¡°Do not frame an innocent man!¡± ¡°Innocent!?¡± The Judge laughed at the remark. ¡°Are you sure should be confident about this all? We know everything! And I mean EVERYTHING!¡± ¡°I-I have no idea what you¡¯re all blabbering about!¡± Noonien tried to walk away. But Inspector Lee grabbed the scholar by the collar. ¡°You¡¯re not Noonien Turquoise. In fact, your name doesn¡¯t exist in ANY registry for the Imperial Examination! It was like you were born only yesterday, married to a family of riches!¡± ¡°S-stop it! Let me go!¡± yelled Noonien. ¡°H-help! Someone help me! This man is insane!¡± ¡°After going through hell and high water to find out who killed Fae Fae, yeah ¨C You bet your scrawny ass I¡¯m a little cooky in the head!¡± Inspector Lee shoved the man into a wall of guards as he cornered him, ¡°You¡¯re the real liar here. Everything about you is a lie. No, a sham! A total sham! Now, confess!¡± ¡°I AM Noonien! Of the illustrious Turquoise Family! A prestigious scholar serving the Imperial Order! I am no liar neither am I a thief!¡± ¡°Silence!¡± The Judge slapped his gavel with a fuming look and glared at the Brother, ¡°Tell him the real story! Every detail!¡± Noonien Turquoise turned paled...and with every word spoken by Fae Fae¡¯s Brother, he felt his own existence fading. ¡°You...you damn idiot!¡± The scholar howled at the brother¡¯s tale, ¡°Y-you swore you wouldn¡¯t tell anyone! YOU SWORE!¡± What...what a nightmare... FAIRY - Chapter 28 (Love is Time) Fae Fae was fighting for her life. Although she was silent and motionless, her mind was a battleground. While Martial Kim tried to haul her spirit back into the land of the living, she watched as her entire lifetime played out through her mind.
Wing. How long has she heard that boy¡¯s name? Fae Fae, her Brother, and Wing were born in the same village of Three Lily Hamlet. Practically neighbours in a sleepy little place with nothing more than fields and rivers. It wasn¡¯t an exciting place, boring every day, so no one would have known Fae Fae and Wing would spin a tale that would later shake the heavens and the earth. Their parents timing seemed like fate had a hand in it all, giving birth to a beautiful daughter and an intelligent son. It was like they were destined to meet the moment they came into the world. As children, Fae Fae and Wing played together while their parents were out in the fields. As they grew, so did their bond and friendship. Although Fae Fae was given the burden of raising her lazy brother, she took it upon herself to care for Wing as he strived to advanced in his youthful studies. Even when both their parents passed one, Fae Fae already played the role of a caring wife without the need of a marriage ceremony. Fae Fae always supported Wing¡¯s dream to becoming an Imperial Scholar. If he were to reach for such heights, his future would be secure, a grand profession serving the Imperial Circle or even the Inner Courts was guaranteed, and they need not be wanting. But one cannot wait for luck to fall on their lap without raising a fingers worth of work. They are not like Fae Fae¡¯s Brother. The girl did everything from chores of others to the dirtiest of jobs. All for the sake of raising money time after time to fund Wing¡¯s education. She faced many trials, from lashing of the tongue, wagging of the finger, and spiteful sneers of jealous wives of her employers. Despite her hardships, she remained devoted to raising the money and serving Wing¡¯s every need, even to get through the cold lonely winters when coal was not affordable. She even turned to prostitution when no other work could cover the mountain of debt left behind by Wing¡¯s endless degrees and examinations. He said to her: "I swear to you, Fae Fae my love, once I become an Imperial Scholar, I will return to make you my wife and give you the honour and prestige you deserve! No longer will you endure hardship like a servant; our home will be filled with joy and dignity! Wait for me! I will return in three years!" Fae Fae¡¯s noble sacrifice was enough to launch Wing to the stars, all the way to the Capital and challenge the Imperial Examination... ...That was 10 years ago. The letters between Fae Fae and Wing became more and more scarce. What started as 10 pages worth of warm exchanges slowly turned into a single page, to a barely a hurried paragraph, to nothing more than a cold and empty mailbox. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Of course, Fae Fae never sat idle during this time. She worked tirelessly and rose through the ranks of prostitution, blooming from a lowly whore to a well cerebrated courtesan of budding renown. Fae Fae¡¯s beauty, charm, and kindness were unmatched wherever she served, from one famous brothel to another before settling in the prestigious Celestial Dreams Brothel. From her many clients and friends in the circle, she learned art of sword dancing to captivate the eyes and hearts of the crowd. Every performance, she secretly dedicated to Wing, to bless him on whatever road he has chosen. Every smile she gave, every word she shared, all had one goal in mind ¨C to be found by her long lost lover. She took it upon herself to serve and entertain as many wealthy patrons as she could as she clung onto the hope that one day Wing, a rich and powerful man, would walk through the doors of her bedroom. A long awaited reunion... Just that, she never imagined she''d be serving him wine and tea cakes in the Heavenly Garden House of Pleasure. The shock was mutual¡ªneither she nor Wing expected to see each other there. She longed to ask him why, but too many prying eyes and ears silenced her. Then Master Turquoise spoke his new name ¨C Noonien Turquoise ¨C congratulating him on the birth of his son. That one word shattered everything. It was all the explanation she needed. It only took a month before Wing...or rather Noonien came to his senses. He called her to Green Lion Valley and handed her 1000 in gold at that the stone gazebo. ¡°I need you to stop looking for me in North Cloud City,¡± his words cut deep. ¡°My wife is suspicious. I can¡¯t afford questions.¡± ¡°What about us?¡± Fae Fae asked, her voice trembling. ¡°Everything we¡¯ve been through, from childhood to marriage?¡± ¡°Forget it. Forget it all!¡± Her ¡®lover¡¯ snapped. ¡°Consider those memories as dreams. I¡¯m no longer the man you knew.¡± ¡°I can tell.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why, for both our sakes.¡± Noonien pushed the gold towards her. ¡°I have my path, and you have yours. We...should never have met in the first place.¡± ¡°All that work, all those nights with strangers to raise money for you. A simple contract fulfilled?¡± ¡°Yes! You¡¯ve done your duty as my wife in your previous life.¡± Noonien tried to be patient but was eager to leave. ¡°This is your compensation. Use it to free yourself, start a business¡ªwhatever. Our debt is settled.¡± ¡°Debt? My love was your debt?¡± ¡°I said: our debt is clean. This money will last you and your lazy brother a lifetime! So long as he doesn¡¯t gamble it all away in a fort night, you don¡¯t need to sell yourself anymore.¡± ¡°Just like that?¡± ¡°Fae Fae!¡± Noonien¡¯s frustration boiled over with a roar. ¡°I¡¯m grieving too, but it has to be done! You wanted me to succeed, and I have! Not only am I a successful Imperial Scholar, I¡¯m also supported by the Turquoise Family! They¡¯re vouching for me to be the Royal Tutor for a Prince! You should be proud! Not be a hassle!¡± Fae Fae hid the fact she was clenching her teeth. ¡°Just like that?¡± ¡°The victor writes history!¡± Noonien yelled into the night, ¡°I can¡¯t let my life be defined by a whore who paid my tuition!¡± ¡°...That¡¯s who I am to you? Just a whore?¡± Noonien said enough. He only urged her to take the money. Her brother, who had promised to protect her, kept nudging his sister to accept the gold and start a new life. Kept saying it was a win-win! There was so much she wanted to say¡ªA single night was not enough to share 10 years of unfulfilled wishes. But she knew he wouldn¡¯t care even if they had all the time in the world. So she said only one thing. Perhaps...a final test or chance? ¡°The owner of Great Golden Goldsmith proposed. He¡¯ll make me his concubine and buy my freedom.¡± There was silence in the air. A flicker of hope? Noonien took in the message and thought it over. This was his only chance, to show if he truly loved Fae Fae or not. ¡°...Congratulations. No need to send me an invitation. It would be best for us both.¡± FAIRY - Chapter 29 (Dragonfly in the Room) The present time, back in the courtroom. No one spoke. Words were unnecessary in the face of such injustice. Their glares said everything as they fixed their eyes on the accused. Noonien Turqoise. ¡°What is this?¡± he shouted, his voice trembling. ¡°What is this charade?¡± Noonien struggled to maintain his composure, his face a mix of indignation and disbelief. The rich scholar fought back his emotions, determined to project an air of righteousness in his defense. ¡°Your honor,¡± he declared with barely restrained pride, ¡°I am Noonien Turquoise, not this lowly scholar named Wing. I was not born in Three Lily Hamlet¡ªI was born and raised in the grand city. I have a future ahead of me as a tutor for the Royal Prince! This is a blatant waste of my time and a clear demonstration of the Constabulary''s ineptitude in investigating the death of a mere courtesan! To accuse me, someone with no connection to this case, is simply absurd!¡± ¡°Hold on right there!¡± The Judge yelled back as he rose from his desk, ¡°You were at Green Lion Valley to bribe Fae Fae to keep her silence! Her brother can act as witness! And you have motive to kill her, to keep your secret identity!¡± ¡°Where is the evidence to conclude I killed her!? Everything you¡¯ve been spitting out are nothing but theories and coincidences!¡± Noonien threw a carefree laugh in the court, ¡°Why, I can so much as walk out of this courtroom without punishment! Even your peers in the Judge¡¯s circle will stand by my side, there is nothing to keep me detained here against my will!¡± Inspector Lee stormed over to try and cut off his escape, ¡°I don¡¯t care if I lose my job over this! But I ain¡¯t letting you waltz out of here ¨C not after what you¡¯ve done to Fae Fae¡¯s entire life! She loved you and protected you, but you went off to start your own happy family behind her back! How dare you call yourself a man, Wing!¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°MY NAME IS NOONIEN! NOONIEN TURQUOISE!¡± The rich scholar¡¯s fury erupted uncontrollably as he stormed towards the door. The guards tried to restrain him, but he pushed through them like a sheet of paper given his social status. ¡°I¡¯m warning all of you! If you so much as lay a finger on me, my father-in-law will find the right people and ensure that each of you will be scrambling for a new job! Get out of my way!¡± Before the Judge or the Inspector could intervene, Noonien threw open the gates and stepped out, only to-- SWEET MERCY! --duck just in time, narrowly avoiding a sudden danger. A giant dragonfly flew in through the gates, nearly clipping Noonien¡¯s head off! When everyone believed it was a devil of a monster breaching the premise, they realized it was actually a construct! Crafted from shimmering magical cloth it fluttered into the tight courtroom with a graceful flutter. Its wings, nearly translucent and woven with complex patters of glowing symbols, hummed softly as they beat the air up into dust clouds with a mesmerizing buzz noise. The body of the construct was long and elegant, formed from layers of magically manipulated robes, cloth, scarves, and other series of fabrics ¨C like a living quilt of some sort. The construct dragon fly moved with eerie precision as it touched down onto the stone tiles. The second it¡¯s ¡®feet¡¯ touched the ground, the four beating wings froze in place in complete stop. ¡°Coming through. Watch your step!¡± Martial Yellow Sister had returned. She climbed off of the dragonfly construct powered by her [Soul Silk Construct Formation], followed by several elderly looking individuals. While she was used to flying on strange magical contraptions, the passengers made it clear they were not even close to her level as they dropped to the ground and started kissing the tiles ¨C solid land. ¡°Your honour,¡± Martial Yellow Sister spoke up with a bow. ¡°I apologize for the wait. I¡¯ve brought the solid evidence for this case.¡± FAIRY - Chapter 30 (Red Hearts Slash) The three elderly passengers, marked by age and experience, were called to testify in the court from their home village. The Judge gave them a moment to compose themselves after the...sudden flight of a trip, before addressing them firmly. ¡°Thank you for heeding our summons on such short notice,¡± He went, ¡°Each of your testimony is crucial in this case. Thus, I must remind you to speak the truth, and nothing but the truth. Do you all understand?¡± The passengers exchanged words and whispers before nodding back in agreement. ¡°Now. Do you recognize this man?¡± The Judge pointed directly at the rich scholar, ¡°What are your connections to him?¡± Inspector Lee forcefully turned Noonien to face the witnesses, ensuring they got a good look on him. ¡°Oh your honour!¡± The first passenger spoke up up, ¡°This is Little Wing! How much he¡¯s grown! I-I used to be his wet nurse under his family¡¯s employ, up until his parents passed on. I remember his clever eyes, the bright rascal that he is...¡± She then snapped at the sight, ¡°You! Release him you brute!¡± Inspector Lee rolled his eyes and reluctantly dropped Noonien out of his grip like letting go of a kitchen towel. The second passenger carefully observed Noonien, before he bowed, ¡°This is Wing, indeed. He was my student when he was young. A poor boy he was, barely could afford his own brushes and textbooks, yet such a talent. I often loaned him coal pieces from my fire pit to let him use as chalk and I read him verses from my textbooks to study from after our classes.¡± The third passenger rose and brushed a hand across his long grey beard that dripped from his chin, ¡°And I am Wing¡¯s University Professor. He was always top of my class. I even wrote him a recommendation letter so he may be eligible to take part in the Imperial Examination... It was so many years ago since I last saw him. I just never expected to see him again under these circumstances.¡± The Judge heard enough and struck his lion dog gavel. ¡°Noonien Turquoise! You have lied from the moment you entered this courtroom. You deny knowing Fae Fae, yet she was your childhood lover. You claim ignorance of her brother, despite growing up with him like family. You live under a false identity, pretending your past never existed.¡± He then gave a huff to add, ¡°If you were truly innocent of Fae Fae¡¯s murder, why lie from the beginning!? Surely with all your learning, one would know to step forward and tell the truth ¨C yet you still object to your connection with her, even your own identity!¡± ¡°No! I am not who you think I am!¡± Noonien exploded and raged at the witnesses. ¡°I don¡¯t know any of you! I am the great Noonien of the Turquoise family. I am above all of you! Away with these charlatans! These con-artists! Begone!¡± In his fury, Noonien ignored decorum, shouting and wailing against his accusers. The three witnesses were simply appalled, the little boy and student they once admired just ruining himself with an ugly face of denial and ridicule! How time has been cruel to them. Who could ever imagine a young boy with big dreams could become this cruel and heartless! Noonien continued yelling at them, at everyone, slowing losing his composure and sanity, ¡°For the last time! I do not know Fae Fae and I ¨C did ¨C not ¨C MURDER HER!¡± Suddenly, darkness fell into the courtroom like a curtain on a stage. A bitter cold wind shot through the halls, snuffing out all the candles one by one and slamming the window covers shut. Even the gates were blew in, slamming into a mighty lock. No escape. Inspector Lee cursed at the sight before he gathered his Constables to rush over to protect the Judge. Martial Yellow Sister and several court guards grouped up to form a protective all to safeguard the witnesses and Fae Fae¡¯s brother. All to leave Noonien standing in the darkness, fending for himself of this hellish moment. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°AAAAAAAAH!¡± The rich scholar screamed and ducked. A crimson slash nearly took his head off! The rich scholar had zero martial arts training, so instead of just fumbling or rolling away he just tripped over his own feet and fell on his face. He screamed and crawled on the ground like a scared worm, fleeing from a hungry eagle. And when the crimson slash in the darkness cut at him ¨C he felt no pain. Only a brush of soft silk? It was then he realized, it was a crimson arc of a haunting sword. But a red sash floating in the air. Everyone witnessed in shock and awe, this red sash dancing in and out of the darkness like some sort of phantom entertainer. There were swift flashes of silver, like a snapshot of a blade in the pitch black, where the red sash was tied to. Noonien realized, he recognized this. Why, a single long forgotten memory came back to him.
After passing the Imperial Examination, his newfound fame attracted many who sought his favour, one of whom invited him to the Celestial Dreams Brothel. Had he known the truth, he would have refused, but it was too late¡ªhe saw Fae Fae performing her sword dance high above across the brothel¡¯s roof for thousands to see. He knew nothing of her life or struggles, yet couldn¡¯t help but feel a deep nostalgia, a connection stirred by the spirit of her dance. He never wanted to see her again...but who''d thought Fate would be cruel to reunite them in Heavenly Garden. Oh how he scorned destiny!
¡°N-no! St-stay away! Stay away from me! You¡¯re dead!¡± The red sash ignored his cries, his objections. It kept fluttering in the darkness, as if putting on a performance just for him. It was inviting, graceful, soft red swirling through the hard black space. Was calling to him? Was it luring him? He didn¡¯t want to know, he didn¡¯t want to think! ¡°Stop it! Stop it already! Leave me alone!¡± Noonien scrambled to run. Even in the darkness, he would run into walls or pillars trying to find an exit! Even if it was the light at the end of his tunnel, he would gladly take that then be haunted by this single red sash! Alas, the red sash kept blocking him...followed by the steps and movement of a silhouette. Man, woman, he couldn¡¯t tell. Then...a soft eerie voice of great beauty sang in the air, a ghostly lullaby. ¡°I raise you like a pearl, only for you to smash yourself under cowardly feet.¡± Noonien screamed! Panic filled his body as he clapped his ears shut to try and block out the singing. He started to run, but he could only stumble around in the darkness as if he was blinded right on the spot. ¡°Without a sword or army, you massacred the one soul who truly loved you.¡± He wailed and pleaded for the phantom to stop singing! To stop telling him the truth of his deeds! ¡°If I had known you would grow to be this grand and cruel to me.¡± No more! Please no more! Mercy! Mercyyyy! ¡°I would not have trade my heart for your happiness.¡± ¡°FAE FAAAEAAAA!¡± Noonien¡¯s voice let out a piercing cry born from the unravelling of his mind and sanity. A torrent of grief and long buried emotions overwhelmed him like a flood, clawing its way to the surface with raw intensity! The emotions became so heavy he was forced to his knees in shame and he cried out in desperate wails. ¡°FAE FAE! FORGIVE ME! TH-THIS ISN¡¯T WHAT I WANTED! I ONLY WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY! I ONLY WANT WHAT WAS BEST FOR YOU! FORGIVE ME! PLEASE! FORGIVE ME!¡± Martial Yellow Sister just stared. She was just... too stunned to be able to grasp at what just occurred in those fleeting moments. W-was it a ghost? Or was it something else entirely? The exhaustion from non-stop flight and the shock of events just overwhelmed her to process everything clearly. That was when her ear twitched, at the voice of Fae Fae¡¯s Brother. ¡°That song...those were the last thing she said to Noonien at the gazebo...¡± The brother was crying in shock and horror. Even when surrounded by thoughts of a haunting, he could not help but cry for another reason. ¡°B-Baby-sis. Is this you? Baby sis!?¡± Of course the darkness never spoke back. FAIRY - Chapter 31 (Talk to the Hand) ¡°Martial Kim, you need a damn break.¡± ¡°Like I said, my dear, evil never sleeps.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just showing off at this point! S-stop wobbling!¡± Fae Fae was stable, but Martial Kim had pushed himself to the brink, using his inner mana to revive her. Normal humans would have collapsed, or even died on the spot, but as a martial artist and magical cultivator, all he need was a week of rest to recover. Still, he couldn¡¯t stop; there were loose ends to tie up. Martial Yellow Sister helped him to the Constabulary prison, where they found a once-rich scholar, Noonien, now stripped of his title, chained, and disheveled. Hair out of place from his hair bun, clawing all over his face like cobwebs; his once glorious robes replaced with the dirty fabric of prisoner garments; and filthy chains bounding his slender hands that were clean of any hard labour. When they entered his cell, Noonien spat out, ¡°What more can you do to shame me?¡± Martial Kim ignored his exhaustion, "I came to thank you on behalf of the Palanquin Bearers. You finally did the right thing and told the truth. Most likely they¡¯ve returned to their families by now." Noonien wanted to muttered back, but paused. Where had he seen Martial Kim before? The scholar started to panic "Who are you? Guards! Guards! R-remove this stranger!" Martial Yellow Sister snapped, "Shut up! This is all your fault! You don¡¯t have the luxury of anyone saving you!" Martial Kim calmed the tension, "I am simply a tavern owner passing by." He sighed, "I still have to say: it was cruel to burn the palanquin. It held a lot of the memories of Fae Fae for the Palanquin Bearers." Noonien scowled, "Why do you care? My life is ruined anyway." As he came up with another insult, he then noticed something. Martial Kim was holding onto a silver sword with a long red sash tied to the handle. The very sight of it made everything clicked in the scholar¡¯s mind. ¡°I-it was you! Th-the ghost in the court room! The villagers from Three Lily Hamlet! Even the Judge trapping me out of the blue! It was your doing...Why that¡¯s it! Y-you¡¯re that damn doctor¡¯s nephew back in North Cloud City! You knew about me from the start, everything!¡± Martial Kim chuckled, controlling his energy to stay conscious. "More like we had an educated guess about you. Again, we didn¡¯t have much solid evidence. However, thanks to you we have the answer today." "I didn¡¯t kill Fae Fae!" "Betraying her was no different than running a real sword through her.¡± Noonien sagged, torn between denial and guilt. "I swear I didn¡¯t murder her! Yes, I paid her to stay away from me, but I wouldn¡¯t have killed her!" "Only the dead can keep a secret," Martial Kim replied cooly. Noonien¡¯s despair deepened as he realized his life was over. ¡°...Does, my wife and father-in-law know about this?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask them yourself,¡± Martial Yellow Sister rummaged into her sleeve and tossed a letter at the scholar¡¯s knees with a flat look. ¡°This came in the mail for you a while ago. Ink still wet.¡± Noonien grasped at the letter and opened it...it was when he read halfway, a doomed smile cracked on his lips, ¡°Hah...hahahaha...Divorce papers...Custody of our daughter... Even my beloved father-in-law has removed my name from the Turquoise Family ledger... Hahaha...Hahaha...He always told me, I was his favourite...¡± Martial Kim simply shook his head, "The guillotine has yet to touch your neck and already Noonien Turquoise is dead to the world.¡± Noonien laughed bitterly. It was in this moment he realized the pain he felt, must have been exactly what Fae Fae felt. Oh, the divine irony in all of this. Over 10 years to achieve the right of Imperial Scholar, only to lose in in barely half the time. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. The realization alone was enough to send his heart into a pit of despair. Resigned to his fate, he simply borrowed an ink brush to sign his name on many papers. It was in this moment, Martial Kim had this strange feeling gnawing at him from the back of his mind. Like a robin pecking on the nape of his neck, trying to tell him something. But what? What was so important about Noonien right now. Martial Yellow Sister didn¡¯t pay much attention and simply went, ¡°Why don¡¯t you write your official confession while you¡¯re at it. Perhaps if you make it convincingly sorry enough, they may chop your head faster to make it painless.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t murder Fae Fae,¡± Noonien continued to write without a care, his hand shaking and quivering across the papers, ¡°I was no where near the Capital or Green Lion Valley when she was reported missing.¡± Martial Kim chanced to ask, ¡°You claim innocence, but you never mentioned an alibi.¡± Noonien realized what he just said...and he had mixed feelings about it. ¡°Morning Glory.¡± Martial Yellow Sister raised an eyebrow, ¡°The flower?¡± ¡°The brothel.¡± Martial Yellow Sister slapped the scholar in the fact, making him drop his ink brush and make a mess across the papers and letter. ¡°YOU BASTARD!¡± she shouted with fury, ¡°YOU HAD A WOMAN GIVE UP HER BODY TO FEED YOU! YOU EVEN WENT BEHIND HER BACK TO POP OUT A FULLY FUNCTIONAL FAMILY! HOW ARE YOU NOT SATISFIED!?¡± ¡°Y-you don¡¯t understand a thing!¡± Noonien screeched back and defended himself with his other hand, ¡°Young Lady Turquoise has a devil of a temper! Anything out of place, she takes it out on me!¡± ¡°THAT IS NO EXCUSE TO GO THREE TIMING YOU¡ª¡± ¡°Martial Yellow Sister, wait!¡± Martial Kim cried out. He grabbed at Noonien¡¯s hand out of the blue to examine it, feeling the joints and the bones, ¡°Get my needle kit. Now!¡± Something came up in the prison cell, but the answer was not clear. Not until Martial Kim thoroughly examined Noonien¡¯s arm from the wrist to elbow, using his acupuncture methods to diagnose a problem only he saw. When he finally had an answer, he reported it to everyone in the Judge¡¯s office. The Judge himself immediately passed out in his chair. ¡°WH-WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE GOT THE WRONG MAN!¡± The Judge hollered the second he came back to life through the power of smelling salts, ¡°M-Martial Kim! Pl-please explain to me what did I miss in all of this!?¡± The young master of Moon Tavern revealed his findings with a flat tone, ¡°Noonien¡¯s right arm is crippled.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Inspector Lee quickly seated the Judge before the old man collapsed again. ¡°He¡¯s been a scholar all his life, writing more papers than I¡¯ve had birthdays. How can he be lame?¡± ¡°His right arm is injured,¡± Martial Kim explained. ¡°An old injury from his journey to take the Imperial Examination. He spent years recovering and retraining to regain control but even now he can barely write with a brush or hold chopsticks. He¡¯s physically incapable of stabbing anyone six times with a hairpin.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Inspector Lee was fuming! ¡°You¡¯re saying he¡¯s not Fae Fae¡¯s killer? What about his left arm? Surely he can still do some damage with that!¡± ¡°Fae Fae¡¯s wounds were made by a right hand, with great force,¡± Martial Kim confirmed, ¡°Even if Noonien¡¯s left arm is not crippled, he barely used it to develop the necessary strength to pierce through bone. Furthermore, I found no traces of either hands having a bad reaction to Deadwood worm toxin even if he found the right medication. Glove or not, Noonien truly couldn¡¯t kill Fae Fae.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Inspector Lee erupted, throwing and kicking bookshelves across the office in frustration. ¡°After weeks of investigation, another dead end!? No. Not like this! And there is no way I¡¯m letting him go scot-free! Not after what he did to Fae Fae all these years!¡± Martial Yellow Sister interjected, ¡°Noonien¡¯s a villain! He caused this tragedy! He must pay for his actions! For abandoning Fae Fae and treating her like garbage!¡± ¡°He will pay,¡± Martial Kim assured. ¡°He¡¯ll lose his Imperial Degree and place in the Order. Even the Turquoise Family completely abandoned him. There is no way to socially recover from all this. Noonien is ruined through and through. However, we cannot execute him as a killer.¡± ¡°BUT MARTIAL KIM!¡± ¡°Do you want the real murderer to walk free?¡± Martial Kim asked, causing his disciple to fall silent. Understanding her pain, the young master had to play the devil¡¯s advocate and be clear about all this. ¡°Whether we are members of law and order or wandering heroes of the martial arts world we all fight for one thing: justice. We have a code to live up to: always do right to the people and redress wrongs. We cannot afford to abuse our power and bias beliefs to frame people we think are villains no matter how much we hate them!¡± Martial Yellow Sister wanted to deny it all and just rip Noonien a new hole or two...but...she bowed her head, forcing her to accept the reality of it all. Seeing her pain, Martial Kim pulled her into a one sided embrace to console her, like a father cheering up her daughter. She hit him a few times, but ended up hugging back, defeated. ¡°Noonien may have escaped execution,¡± the young master cooed to calm his disciple, ¡°But he won¡¯t escape any punishment. You¡¯ve done everything you could for Fae Fae, you didn¡¯t fail her.¡± Martial Yellow Sister said something, probably something snippy. But her response was muffled in Martial Kim¡¯s stomach, so she just let it be with a buried pout. After a long silence, the Judge stood up to his wobbling feet. ¡°Martial Kim is right. We can¡¯t close this case so hastily. We must ensure the exact truth. If Noonien isn¡¯t the one who stabbed Fae Fae, this means someone else is involved.¡± ¡°But who!?¡± Inspector Lee groaned at it all, ¡°We have to restart our investigation, but we checked everywhere. All nooks and cranny! It took us nearly a month to narrow it onto that bastard Noonien! What did we miss? Martial Kim, who else could be the killer!?¡± Martial Kim...wished he had an answer to that. FAIRY - Chapter 32 (Fairy Robes) Everything had been a misdirection. Maybe that¡¯s why Martial Kim could not figure out where to go from his last step. It was best to start over from the beginning, even if he had to go all the way back to Green Lion Valley. The young master stood in the crime scene, just contemplating to himself. The fields, the grass, the trees, even the mud laced with toxin-born worms were still there. The heavens had been kind, not a speck of rain has tainted the crime scene. Constables continued to stand vigilant to protect the authenticity of the place. But were the heavens kind enough to give him a hint? No. They were much like the adults in the situation ¨C figure it out. Martial Kim brought up a hand that carried Fae Fae¡¯s sword. He made sure the long and well worn red sash never stained itself across the dirt and mud and held the blade firmly in his grip. It was no weapon, it was simply a performance prop. Lighter and more flexible than a real blade, allowing performers like Fae Fae to wield it without so much as a martial arts foundation. ¡°...Did you stop your heart to protect Noonien?¡± Martial Kim asked the sword in place of Fae Fae, ¡°Did you love him so much, you were willing to give up your life to save his name.¡± Martial Kim brushed a hand across the blade. Even the edges were dulled, so there was no worry about cutting himself. But the more he touched the blade, the more he felt his heart getting slashed up with a terrible truth. ¡°Noonien doesn¡¯t deserve your undying love. The sacrifices you¡¯ve made are meaningless to him... Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to insult you like that.¡± Emotions started to cloud his thinking. The more he stayed in Green Lion Valley, the more he felt helpless and useless. So he left the crime scene as he could not find the answer there. As much as he wanted to clear his head for a bit, there was something he had to do. Return Fae Fae¡¯s sword back to Celestial Dreams Brothel. The brothel certainly experienced some changes. The once lively establishment of drink and companionship, with many Flower Princesses ready to serve the highest bidder...was solemn and quiet. The bright colours were draped over with black and white, symbols of mourning and honouring the dead. Many grand portraits made by famous painters and historical artists were taken down. They were replaced with many beautiful portraits of Fae Fae. The blessed Sword Fairy, dancing on the cloud and winds as she trailed her sword around across the ink and canvas, guiding the red sash like an angel searching for her lover¡¯s face. Surrounded by groups of majestic cranes who revered her for her charm and elegance. A legend lost to time. Even the rooftop, where Fae Fae loved to perform her sword dances for the world, was enshrined in her honour with gifts, toys, and flowers. Staff, clients, even Fae Fae¡¯s circle of fans all took turns praying and kowtowing to the rooftop from the ground, offering incense, fruits, and other tributes to honour her departure. Amongst them was Mama-san. The veteran courtesan turned manager of the brothel. She could be found wearing all black, mourning along, and sobbing silently. Martial Kim waited until the proceedings were completely finishing before he chanced to approach the manager with a deep bow, ¡°Hello Mama-san.¡± ¡°Oh! Martial Kim!¡± Mama-san gasped upon seeing his face and she quickly rushed over to him. ¡°H-how did it go? Was I able to help to catch the killer!?¡± Martial Kim wanted to choose his words carefully, but he saw no reason to break the lady¡¯s heart with the exact details. So he simply nodded and handwaved the answer. He then brought up Fae Fae¡¯s sword to her, ¡°Thank you, for letting me borrow her sword. Without it, we wouldn¡¯t have gotten the truth.¡± Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Mama-san reached out to hug the sword in her arms. Like a mother reuniting with her long lost child. So much emotions fell out of her eyes in tears and she wept again. ¡°My dear Fae Fae. She always treated me as if I was her mother. Kind, tender. She was truly special. Poor girl didn¡¯t deserve to die like this...¡± Martial Kim consoled the manager with a pat on the shoulder. He kept her company as they made their way to Fae Fae¡¯s room, to put away her sword for safe keeping. ¡°It¡¯s a shame, you never met Fae Fae while she was alive,¡± Mama-san whimpered as she tried to fight her tears away. ¡°I know you would love her...Oh of course, not in a sexual way. You are a respectable and virtuous man. I-I meant¡ª¡± ¡°I understand. Fae Fae is quite the character as people tell me. I would love to know her more when I get the chance...¡± Martial Kim touched his lips as he realized he let slip his words. To others, it sounded like he was going to meet her in a few minutes. Fortunately, Mama-san was too bereaved to notice that little hiccup, ¡°I still can¡¯t imagine who would want to kill her. Surely none of my girls. No one in the entertainment business would benefit her death, no matter how envious they are of her success.¡± She shook her head, tired and knowing she can¡¯t sleep tonight, ¡°She always took care of us. She never hesitated to lend anyone money or gifts to solve our problems. She may not be rich, but she was so wealthy in heart. No amount of money could buy that kindness.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Martial Kim nodded. It didn¡¯t take long before they arrived in front of Fae Fae¡¯s room. Mama-san pulled out a key to unlock it and opened the door. ¡°If I knew she were to marry Mr. Golden, I would have let her go and cover her costs. She is talented in her work, but she deserves so much better.¡± The room stunned Martial Kim¡ªa grand suite with a king-sized bed, an in-room bath pool, and multiple walk-in closets. Martial Kim couldn¡¯t help but touch the spotless furniture. That¡¯s why he felt compelled to ask, ¡°Mama-san. Does someone else live here?¡± ¡°Wh-what? Oh no! I couldn¡¯t bring myself to let anyone live in Fae Fae¡¯s room.¡± She then looked around the clean suite and it occurred to her, ¡°Oh. I just keep it tidy. Every morning I spend time dusting her room. To make it feel like is still here, you know? I moved absolutely nothing out.¡± Martial Kim nodded. He stood to the side of the room to give Mama-san some privacy, so she could place Fae Fae¡¯s sword on a display rack. It was in this moment, eyeing the many closets and shelves, did something else occurred to him. ¡°Mama-san. If I may ask, did you throw our her clothing?¡± ¡°Wh¡ªHow dare you!¡± Mama-san twisted on the spot with rage and indignation. It was only when she noticed the closets he was looking did she choke out her inner flame. They were all empty, cleaned even. Not a speck of dust. ¡°Oh forgive me, I misunderstood. Fae Fae gave them all away.¡± ¡°...I beg your pardon?¡± Mama-san nodded and walked up to one of the closets. Each of them were large with four to five shelves, capable of storing months worth of clothing from dresses, scarves, socks, undergarments, and others. All stark empty. ¡°Fae Fae loved collecting dresses, especially costumes,¡± Mama-san explained as she rubbed a hand across the wooden frames as if caressing a cheek. ¡°It¡¯s her hobby whenever she is not entertaining. Always looking for the fanciest dresses she can lay her eyes on...But she started to give them away. To her brothel sisters, the staff, even the local drama schools.¡± Martial Kim find it hard to believe. For example, if someone in Moon Tavern were to sell off his collection of wine, he¡¯ll rain down hellfire on the evildoer with great vengeance and furious anger! The same would go to many hobbyist and their obsession... ...But this. ¡°Wh-when did this start?¡± he asked as he walked around. ¡°About a month ago,¡± answered Mama-san as she was drifting into her own world, full of living memories with her beloved pseudo-daughter, ¡°I think it started after she was invited to Heavenly Gardens at North Cloud City, when she came back all sullen and quiet. Since then I noticed she was handing them off to her friends, bit by bit. I asked her one time, why she was doing such a thing. We all knew she loved them to death...Fae Fae simply answered, she wanted to be fair with her brothel sisters and make them feel special.¡± Martial Kim searched the room, making the manager worry a bit. Eventually, he came across some sealed rooms and pushed open their doors. Closets, with wide spaces. It was enough to rival a small garage of some sort. He noticed the walls had impressions, like the colour left behind when a portrait is removed from the surface. ¡°Was there anything in this room?¡± he asked. ¡°Oh why yes. Fae Fae gets a lot of gifts from her many admirers. So much so, I had to build this storage unit of a closet just so she can fit everything.¡± ¡°And they¡¯re also gone? Where?¡± ¡°Er. I think she gave them away too... Actually...now that I think about it. The day she vanished, she wanted to visit some temples...She had been doing that a lot even before she disappeared. I also overheard her asking about donating things... Martial Kim, why are you staring at me like that. D-did I say something wrong?¡± FAIRY - Chapter 33 (Manor of Truth) After many twists and turns in the case, Martial Kim finally figured out the answer to it all. It took a good portion of the day, but he was satisfied with his findings...more or less. Who killed Fae Fae? Why was she killed? He knew what was the last page to this book. Yet, the young master of Moon Tavern who loved mysteries and strange cases had this solemn look on his face as he prepared to deliver the final answer to a certain someone. Fortunately, he was not alone. He had his faithful disciple, Martial Yellow Sister, by his side. Even then, she didn¡¯t look satisfied with what they were about to do as they travelled through the city together on foot. ¡°After everything we learned...it ends like this?¡± she mumbled in a defeated tone. ¡°We are not gods. We cannot decide the truth on a whim. What¡¯s done is done, whether we like it or not,¡± Martial Kim sighed, ¡°You¡¯ve done a great job by the way, this investigation.¡± ¡°How do you grade me?¡± ¡°F for fail.¡± ¡°...It¡¯s because I snapped at you, about Noonien, isn¡¯t it?¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Her teacher shrugged and all she could do was face palm with a muffled reeeeeeee. Martial Kim laughed, ¡°If you come to realize the real source of your failure, I swear I will give you half marks.¡± The disciple groaned ¨C and thwacked her teacher¡¯s leg with her cane ¡®by accident¡¯. It was only when they arrived at the destination in mind, did they become more professional about it all. Mr. Golden¡¯s Manor. Perched majestically atop a hill of perfectly cut stone blocks in the heart of the Capital, the mansion stood as a testament to opulence and grandeur. Crafted from rich, natural wood and armoured in shining gold plating, it resembled a mythical dragon surveying the city and its sprawling landscapes with eyes of molten gold. Every inch of the estate gleamed with wealth, as nearly every surface shimmered with golden accents, each detail meticulously crafted by the finest artisans money could buy. Even the towering front gates, imposing and grand, were adorned with intricate carvings and figurines of heavenly generals, their fierce expressions standing vigil against evil spirits and dark superstitions. Because of its grace and majesty, Moon Tavern felt conscious from the ''weight'' of it all. All that elegance radiated a strong pressure on their shoulders. "Are you certain about this?" Martial Yellow Sister asked, her grip tightening on the cane. "Once we do this, there''s no turning back." "I won''t lie," Martial Kim replied, his voice steady but laced with hesitation. "The only thing that matters is whether Mr. Golden chooses to believe it. Once we deliver the message, our work here is done." With no further words, they raised the heavy golden ring and knocked firmly on the door. They had come to deliver a final answer¡ªyet neither of them realized that an entirely different solution had already been hiding in plain sight, waiting to shatter everything they thought they knew... FAIRY - Chapter 34 (Goldens Touch) ¡°Oh thank the heavens, Martial Kim!¡± The moment Moon Tavern arrived at Mr. Golden¡¯s front door, he was ecstatic. There was much he wanted to ask, wanted to hear and know! Everything. But the second his servants brought Martial Kim and Martial Yellow Sister into his gathering hall, he immediately grabbed them by the hands and pulled them ¨C somewhere else. ¡°I am so glad you came!¡± Mr. Golden cheered as he towed the two behind him. Despite how old and well aged he was, he was very spry on his feet. His mansion was huge, with mazes of corridors, hallways, and bridges riding over beautiful koi and lotus ponds left and right, he pretty much knew his way around the place. Never did he take a single wrong turn even when his servants struggled to run after him through the same obstacle courses. ¡°I-is something the matter?¡± Martial Kim asked, completely confused. ¡°What is wrong?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t understand it! Not even the best of the best could figure it out! I should have came to you sooner, bu-but I knew you were busy dealing with Fae Fae¡¯s case!¡± Mr. Golden quickly brought them into a room somewhere in the mansion. To Moon Tavern¡¯s astonishment, it was a bedroom. Rather ¨C a bed chamber. It was three times larger than Fae Fae¡¯s presidential suite back in the brothel. Why, the chamber itself was enough for a family of four just by space alone. Make that TWO family of four. A large canopy bed with well carved postings made of ancient oak stood as the room¡¯s centerpiece, covered by flowing red and golden curtains. The walls of the chambered were lined with hand-painted screens depicting serene landscapes within mystical portraits, a view of one thousand elegant cranes gathering in a perfect lake. A series of polished lacquered dressers display ornate gold combs, accessories, and jewellery boxes full of gold crafted items and decorations. So much gold, if the sun peeped inside everyone would be blinded. There were a handful of male and female servants all crowded around someone. They all came up with various ideas to solve the problem, but it only earned them slaps, name calling, or simply emotional damage from pure yelling. The chaos was so much even Mr. Golden shook his head. ¡°I need you to help her, it¡¯s urgent Martial Kim!¡± ¡°Er.¡± The young master has no idea how to respond. He had been ready to tell the truth of Fae Fae¡¯s death to the rich old man but, this turn of events took him off guard, ¡°Wh-what seems to be the matter with her?¡± The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°See for yourself! It¡¯s getting worse!¡± Mr. Golden forced the servants to scatter, shooing them gently to give Martial Kim and Martial Yellow Sister space. A woman of noble like origin. The very moment Moon Tavern laid their eyes on her, her very aura demanded their direct attention. She wore layers of luxurious silk that folded over one another with multiple levels of golden embroidery and decorations, making her sparkle like candles in a dim room. Hair that was well groomed and meticulously coiled and done up in a beehive of golden pins, clips, and hair placements that carried all sorts of exotic gemstones. Gold jewellery was everywhere on this woman. Neck, ears, chest, waist, wrists, even the tips of her eyelashes were flashed with golden powder. With all that majesty and the woman was kicking and screaming at her servants, just thrashing around. Like a god damn brat. Mr. Golden pinched his eyebrows and reluctantly introduced this woman-child, ¡°My first wife among my harem of three, and matron of the household.¡± He then nudged at Martial Kim, ¡°Now you know why I want Fae Fae to marry me, of all women.¡± Martial Kim gave an understanding nod. Martial Yellow Sister on the other hand just gave Mr. Golden a long and judging stare. ¡°D-don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± Mr. Golden sputtered back at the blonde haired disciple. ¡°I have my right for a kind hearted companion!¡± Without hesitation, Martial Kim set down his kit and opened it up to procure his needle set. ¡°Please state your medical emergency, Mrs. Golden.¡± ¡°This!¡± Mrs. Golden waved her arms up and down in a tantrum, ¡°It just won¡¯t stop!¡± Martial Kim turned around...only to turn pale. Several emotions filled his chest. The first was surprise: for Mrs. Golden¡¯s hands were bound in thick bandages. The second was horror: unravelling the bandages revealed her hands swollen like a hot red balloon. The third...was... ¡°...Mr. Golden,¡± Martial Kim wheezed, trying to keep a levelled voice. ¡°I know what the problem is.¡± Mr. Golden was taken aback, ¡°Even the best physicians I hired had no idea what this is about. You figure it out by a single glance!? H-how high up the mountain is your medical talent!?¡± Martial Yellow Sister was about to burst the truth out loud, but Martial Kim shoved a hand over her mouth and dragged her by the face into a corner. Along with Mr. Golden, they quickly acquired some privacy in the far side of Mrs. Golden¡¯s bed chamber. ¡°Martial Kim?¡± Mr. Golden asked, confused. ¡°What is the matter? Can you heal her?¡± ¡°Yes, sir, I can,¡± Martial Kim replied, his voice unsettlingly calm. ¡°I have the remedy to treat it. In three days, I can assure you the swelling will disappear like it never happened.¡± As Martial Yellow Sister struggled against Kim¡¯s grip with muffled cries barely audible, Mr. Golden let out a relieved chuckle. "Oh, thank the gods. For a second, I thought you were going to tell me I¡¯d have to endure another month of her complaining... Huh?" He stopped when Martial Kim''s hand lightly rested on his arm. The touch was gentle, but an unbearable weight hung in the air. ¡°Sir,¡± Martial Kim spoke, his voice dry. ¡°May I ask... how did she end up like this?¡± ¡°She told me she slipped in the garden... It hasn¡¯t stopped swelling since, and now it''s itching all over her body... Why?¡± ¡°I have something to tell you. But how this story ends... will be in your hands.¡± Mr. Golden¡¯s throat tightened. ¡°W-what is it? Spit it out, Martial Kim. I-I can handle bad news!¡± What would happen next, no one knew. But Martial Kim had to see it all the way through the end no matter what. FAIRY - Chapter 35 (North Wind) The Judge had been perplexed all morning until news of an injustice reached his court. He could hear the beating of the drum coming from the front gates of the station. He rushed to the courtroom, joining Inspector Lee, only to see a familiar face storming in. "Mr. Golden!?" the Judge gasped, "What is the matter? Did someone rob you?" "Judge!" Mr. Golden roared, "I found Fae''s murderer!" "What!? Really!? Who?" Mr. Golden pointed, "This woman¡ªMy wife!" Mrs. Golden was dragged in behind her husband before being thrown to the ground, her golden accessories scattered across the tiles. The Judge and Inspector Lee were shocked by the sight, but the moment they noticed her swollen hands everything clicked. "Court in session!" the Judge cried out as he shuffled to his desk, ignoring Mrs. Golden''s cries for help. The court quickly took their positions, staffs rattling on the tiles in a deafening call to order. Juuuuuuustiiiiiiiiiiice is mightyyyyyyyyyyyyy. The Judge began, "Mrs. Golden, you''re accused of Fae Fae''s murder. How do you plea?" "Innocent, of course!" she shrieked, struggling against the guards. "Unhand me, you brutes! Do you know who I am?" "Silence, criminal!" Mr. Golden snapped. "Your honor, she''s the one who killed Fae Fae, I am certain!" The Judge asked the prosecuted, "Where were you when Fae Fae went missing?" "I-I was out of town!" she stuttered. "With friends! I did nothing illegal!" "Can they vouch for you?" "Why would they dirty their shoes in a place like this?" "How dare you!" the Judge slammed his lion-dog gavel. "Inconsiderate little...Do you know Fae Fae!?" "Why would I? She''s just a dirty whore! A woman who sells her body for money. No honour, no virtue. A living trash of an honest society!" ¡°YOU!¡± Mr. Golden was about to tear her a new one, until Inspector Lee shook his head no. The Judge asked "Did you know Mr. Golden was seeing Fae Fae, for...entertainment services? That he desired to pay for her freedom and marry her into his family?" When Mrs. Golden folded her arms in denial, the Judge pressed, "Surely you knew, either straight from your husband¡¯s mouth or your own womanly instinct. Or has your rich life dulled your senses?" Mrs. Golden scoffed, playing with her hair. The Judge noticed her swollen hands, "And how did your hands get swollen?" "I slipped in the courtyard," she replied with a snort. "My maid stepped on the hems of my robes, forced me to trip and fall into the dirt. Inconsiderate little brat.¡± "Liar!" Mr. Golden interjected. "You hate the garden. Always complaining about the bugs and flies during the summer. You always took the long way around." "A woman can change," she sneered back. The Judge shook his head at the bickering, "Where is your maid now?" "I fired her and expelled her from the house! She was completely useless." Just then, Martial Yellow Sister entered the courtroom tapping her cane about. She was followed by a series of people; a lone frail looking maid and several men, the Golden Residence¡¯s personal sedan chair and palanquin bearers. ¡°I think you should apologize to her,¡± Martial Yellow Sister quipped with a smug grin. The witnesses all knelt before the Judge and greeted him with a humble bow. The maid chanced a side glance at her former employer lady. All it took was one sharp look from Mrs. Golden, and the maid felt she lost 10 years of her life. ¡°Fear not!¡± Mr. Golden stepped forward to protect her. ¡°I as Master of the house will make sure you receive proper treatment regardless of the results today. No one will force you or harm you. So please, do the right thing and tell everyone what happened!¡± The maid bowed her head, steeling herself, ¡°Some months ago, M-Mrs. G-Golden hurt herself b-before leaving Green Lion Valley. She had us go deep into the valley area, but never told us why.¡± Seeing she was the first to submit, the palanquin bearers took this opportunity to save their hides, ¡°S-sire! She instructed us to-to follow a woman a-across a secluded trail. Th-then she got out alone and went into the valley after the other lady for a bit, before coming back shortly after and had us hurry back home. She paid us to not speak of th-the event sire.¡± ¡°L-lies!¡± Mrs. Golden shouted and waved her hands about, like a child covering up their vandalizing art on the wall with their small arms, ¡°D-don¡¯t listen to them, Judge sir! Th-they are obviously out to harm me! Th-they always complain how I mistreat them, but I have been nothing more than kind to their living expenses!¡± This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Hah!¡± Mr. Golden snorted at the nonsense, ¡°If you were truly innocent, their honest hearts would never dream of framing you! You are the one who went after Fae Fae and murdered her! You came back home in a fright, but went about gaslighting me that I had bad eyes. Now I understand why you locked yourself in your room for half a month since that day!¡± Mrs. Golden suddenly went, ¡°You think you¡¯re all high and mighty, but tell me who truly got you through one financial crisis after another. You think you can be the king of one of the most famous goldsmith, without the help of my family ¨C your in-laws. Don¡¯t be naive! This is all just a round about means to divorce me, on the grounds that I have yet to give birth to the next generation for the last 20 years of our marriage!¡± ¡°Your honour!¡± The old rich man cried out, ¡°Do not believe her lies!¡± ¡°Hah! You say I am lying, but where is your proof you old coot!¡± As if on cue, Martial Kim returned to the constabulary. He wasn¡¯t alone. He brought back two unlikely friends to join in the trial. He bowed, ¡°Apologies for the wait your honour. Allow me to introduce to you to one of Fae Fae¡¯s friend ¨C and the last witness to ever see her alive.¡± Everyone turned to get a good look as to who this person would be. When Mrs. Golden gave an offhanded glance over her shoulder, she blanched and covered the side of her face as if she was a celebrity about to be spotted by a fan. Entering the court was a steadfast woman with a clean shavened head. She wore soft sand-yellow robes with a grey and orange checkered sash around her body. One hand was held up to her chest in a prayer, the other was counting a trail of exotic prayer beads the size of marbles by the presses of her thumb through her smooth palms with well practice movement. The Judge stared at her, looking her up and down. He stood up from his seat to bow his head in greeting, ¡°H-how may I address you? Madam? And may I ask, what is your relationship with the victim?¡± ¡°Amitabha.¡± The bald woman chanted a prayer and returned a soft bow, ¡°I am the Chief Nun of the North Wind Temple, a monastery dedicated for women to worship safely. We also operate as a temporary shelter for lost souls or those who seek religious guidance. Fae Fae is...was, a good friend of mine.¡± The Chief Nun paused to honour the name in silence. "I apologize for my late arrival. I have been attending a major gathering in the mountains with the Elders of our religious order. I just returned today. It is thanks to this young master who appraised me of the situation...Poor Fae Fae.¡± "And you were the last to see her? When was that?" the Judge asked. "Many months ago," the Chief Nun replied. "Fae Fae visited to arrange a large donation to North Wind Temple. She mentioned she had to hurry back for a performance that night. I hadn''t heard from her since before setting off to the gathering." "Oh?¡± The Judge wondered out loud, ¡°What sort of donations would require the head of the temple?¡± ¡°Fae Fae has been giving away most of her earthly possessions to North Wind Temple, and to any others I have introduced to her.¡±The Chief Nun explained, ¡°It seems she has been plagued with demons of the heart, ones she chose not to divulge. But I knew she was troubled... Then...¡± ¡°Th-then what? By all means speak the truth.¡± The Chief Nun said ¡°The woman kneeling next to me was at North Wind Temple. She had been praying to a Goddess of Fertility, for a chance to bear children for her child. I also gave presented her an amulet for blessings of childbearing...¡± After glancing at Mrs. Golden, the Chief Nun continued, ¡°After Fae Fae left that evening, as my temple sisters and I were closing the doors for the night, I saw this woman follow my friend. I meant to check on them, but I had to attend to a senior visitor who slipped down the stairs. At the time, I assumed the woman was just an admirer of Fae Fae¡¯s. It often happens even when she visits. But...I am ashamed to have jumped to such conclusions.¡± ¡°Sh-she¡¯s lying!¡± Mrs. Golden began to panic, ¡°I¡¯ve, I¡¯ve never been to North Wind Temple or been to Green Lion Valley! All false accusations!¡± ¡°Amitabha. A devoted follower of the Great Buddha does not lie,¡± The Chief nun would bow in a small prayer, ¡°To speak of false words is against our sacred tenets.¡± Martial Kim step forward to add, ¡°And I have one more witness, to back up her claims!¡± When the Judge wondered who it was, or why he only brought in one human being ¨C the young master held up something gripped in a cloth. A rock. "Deadwood worms," Martial Kim declared. "Local only to Green Lion Valley, hidden in the rotting wood and mud of the location. Mrs. Golden''s swollen hands prove she encountered them when and where Fae Fae was murdered. Furthermore, please look closely, your honor." Martial Kim flipped the rock, revealing a glittering stain. Inspector Lee almost touched it, but the Judge slapped his hand away when they remembered the worms were toxic. "Gold dust," Martial Kim explained, "left from using this rock to hammer the hairpin through Fae Fae''s chest like a nail." ¡°...OOOOOOOOOOOOOH!¡± The Judge and Inspector pointed at Mrs. Golden in realization. "The damning evidence is present! What do you have to say?" the Judge demanded. "I-I didn''t kill her!" Mrs. Golden panicked, cursing her swollen hands. "She was trying to kill herself! I only followed her to pay her off, to forget my husband. To think, he would be daft enough to marry a prostitute into the Golden Family? The disgrace that would fall upon us! The ruin!" ¡°Silence! I loved her more and you know it you jealous old cow!¡± Mr. Golden lunged, but was restrained by the court guards, ¡°Why would she kill herself? She agreed to marry me! I was going to give her freedom, she had a happy life ahead of her!¡± "How would I know what she was thinking? She kept stabbing herself with a hairpin, crying some bastard name Noonien! But she couldn''t commit, always stopping because it hurt. I got fed up waiting for hours and put her out of her misery!" Mr. Golden was possessed by the beast of his emotions in his heart and he erupted in fury. Were it not for the many guards tackling and piling onto him, he may have landed a good punch or even strangle his first wife in raw rage. "I loved her! She was the only one who truly understood me! Unlike you! You never appreciate anything I¡¯ve done!" ¡°Put a sock in it you horny old man. She was nothing more than a pleasure toy for you!¡± Mrs. Golden sneered. "That cursed whore was trying to kill herself. I merely helped her along! I''m no criminal! I¡¯ve done nothing wrong! Why, you should ALL hail me as a hero of this honest society by getting rid of the trash!" "SILENCE!" The Judge''s gavel cracked. "Mrs. Golden. The Evidence is clear and you just confessed to murder. Inspector Lee! Take her to the cells ¨C she''ll wait for her execution!" ¡°With pleasure, your honour!¡± Inspector Lee bowed, cracking his knuckles after waiting for this moment for so long. When he grabbed Mrs. Golden and started to drag her away, reality finally settled into her mind. She tried to deny it all, kicking and screaming like a child throwing a tantrum, ¡°I¡¯M NOT A MURDERER! YOU¡¯RE ALL THE MURDERERS HERE! YOU CAN¡¯T DO THIS TO ME! I WAS ONLY HELPING! I WAS HELPIIIIIIIIIIING!¡± And thus, that was the answer to it all... if only Fae Fae was awake to see it... Fae Fae... FAIRY - Chapter 36 (Last Awakening) The world was blurry, heavy even. She could feel gravity sitting on her chest. Just breathing in took in a lot of energy and made her pass out for a moment. It was thanks to a small tap on her shoulder, was it able to wake her up again. ¡°Welcome back to the living,¡± a young master in a white hanbok and black hat greeted her. ¡°Oh finally!¡± Another man in a uniform called out, ¡°The gods have heard our prayers!¡± Fae Fae drew in a long breath to regain her consciousness, eyes fluttering as she wheezed, ¡°I...recognize your voices....Who...Where am I?¡± ¡°Moon Tavern. My name is Martial Kim. This is my companion, Inspector Lee.¡± ¡°Those...names...sounds so familiar...¡± Inspector Lee sighed in relief. "We were in charge of your murder case. Well, you wouldn¡¯t remember since you¡¯ve been in a coma for months." Fae Fae stared at the ceiling, too weak to move her head. She wanted to speak, but Martial Kim spoke first. "Wondering why you''re still alive?" he asked with a faint smile. Fae Fae managed a weak nod. Inspector Lee tried to hide a groan. "So, it''s true. You tried to kill yourself in Green Lion Valley¡ªall because of that bastard Noonien!? Martial Kim, were we wrong about Mrs. Golden?" "Mrs. Golden still had a hand in dealing the final blow," Martial Kim replied. "She had every intention to kill Fae Fae, despite the situation. Mrs. Golden was far from innocent. Justice was properly served." "Right," Inspector Lee said. "Well in that case, good riddance to her. That first wife was a real piece of¡ª" "Inspector," Martial Kim softly interrupted, "please summon Mr. Golden. I promised to contact him once Fae Fae was awake. Discreetly, if you will." "Oh! Right!" Inspector Lee nodded, then patted Fae Fae¡¯s shoulder before leaving. "You have no idea how happy we are to see you alive! Don¡¯t you dare die on us again! You hear!?" After Inspector Lee left, Martial Kim fetched a basin of warm water. With his red, chapped hands, he gently wrung a towel and wiped Fae Fae¡¯s face, eyes, lips, and hands, making her as presentable as possible in her bedridden state. ¡°Technically, I shouldn¡¯t take the credit in rescuing you.¡± Martial Kim whispered, ¡°You were left to die in Green Lion Valley for three days. Under normal circumstances, even with my best effort the only thing I could have done was arrange your funeral.¡± Fae Fae tried to speak, but he placed a finger on her lips and continued. ¡°North Wind Temple is devoted to the Goddess of Mercy and Redemption. Did it ever occur to you: all those years of cultivating good karma from visits, prayers, and donations would end up saving yourself from death?¡± The revelation itself stunned Fae Fae¡¯s soul. She started to feel guilty of it all. ¡°I-I only wanted to forget everything.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Martial Kim patted her hand, ¡°Betrayal is a tough pill to swallow.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to live anymore.¡± ¡°That¡¯s totally fine,¡± Martial Kim chirped, ¡°In fact, you are practically reborn.¡± ¡°...What?¡± Fae Fae asked with confusion. ¡°The Constabulary declared Fae Fae dead. You are free to be reborn, as an entirely different woman. Clean of a past, fresh with a new start.¡± Fae Fae¡¯s emotions were a whirlwind. Reflecting on everything that had led her here, she wasn¡¯t sure if she deserved this second chance. But Martial Kim made sure she knew she did. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! It took hours for Inspector Lee to find Mr. Golden and ensure no one knew why they were rushing. When Mr. Golden finally arrived at Moon Tavern, he burst through the doors and scooped Fae Fae into a bear hug. ¡°Oh, my love! Fae Fae!¡± he wept. ¡°You¡¯re finally awake! Bless the gods!¡± ¡°...Ow...¡± Fae Fae winced. Though she appreciated his affection, her fragile body couldn¡¯t handle how ecstatic he was. Any tighter and she could feel her ribs break! Realizing her discomfort, Mr. Golden released her with an oops. ¡°Sorry! I just can¡¯t control myself! You¡¯re finally here! Awake! I-I...How do you feel?¡± ¡°Mr. Golden,¡± Fae Fae said softly, bowing her head in shame, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t accept your marriage proposal.¡± Mr. Golden nodded, waving his hand. ¡°Say no more! I understand. After everything you¡¯ve been through, I can¡¯t call myself a man if I were to force you. Especially after what Noonien and my damn wife did to you! Forget marriage. Forget being lovers! I¡¯m just happy you¡¯re alive!¡± Ashamed, Fae Fae mustered her strength to crawl onto her knees and prostrate herself in a full kowtow before her benefactor, ¡°Please forgive this deplorable one, in raising your hopes for nothing. I-I was too cruel to you.¡± ¡°N-no! Don¡¯t say that!¡± Mr. Golden wiped both of their tears and caressed her cheek. ¡°We can¡¯t be lovers, but let¡¯s be sworn siblings instead!¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t deserve your kindness, sir,¡± Fae Fae curled up, overwhelmed with guilt and gratitude, ¡°Th-there is nothing I can do, to make it up to you. Forgive me.¡± ¡°Think nothing of it! Just seeing and speaking to you again is a miracle!¡± Mr. Golden wiped his tears and gently embraced Fae Fae. ¡°We¡¯re family now! Now, tell your big brother what you want, and I¡¯ll make it happen!¡± Big brother...she had always wanted one. Overwhelmed by the thought of having a family who would care and make sacrifices for her ¨C not the other way around ¨C Fae Fae burst into tears. ¡°I... I want to go home,¡± she whispered. ¡°Ooooh.¡± Mr. Golden hesitated. ¡°My home? I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s a good idea. My first wife maybe executed, but I still have a few more wives who might cause trouble for you and--¡± ¡°I meant my hometown,¡± Fae Fae said, sniffling. ¡°Three Lily Hamlet.¡± Confused, Mr. Golden turned to Martial Kim, who stood quietly nearby. ¡°Sir,¡± Martial Kim bowed, ¡°We had a small discussion. I believe it¡¯s best for Fae Fae to leave the Capital. She is declared dead after all, too risky for her to continue living here. Not to mention: too many bad memories.¡± ¡°Ah! That makes total sense! An excellent idea even!¡± Mr. Golden agreed, sitting beside Fae Fae and letting her rest her head on his shoulder. ¡°When should she leave? I¡¯ll arrange money and transport! Oh yes, bodyguards are an absolute must! I have a few trusted men who are renown fighters! They will keep her safe!¡± ¡°She wishes to leave tonight,¡± Martial Kim replied, surprising Mr. Golden. ¡°We appreciate your gesture, but a procession of armed escorts and bodyguards would draw too much attention. Discretion is key. I believe Inspector Lee is the best choice to escort her.¡± He turned to double check with his companion, ¡°If that this alright with you, Inspector Lee?¡± ¡°Oh of course!¡± Inspector Lee tapped a hand on his chest. ¡°Leave it to me. I¡¯ll just notify the Judge to let me go on vacation leave and I can help out for sure! And it¡¯s my honour to send her home safe and sound!¡± ¡°In this case, let me prepare money for your travels!¡± Mr. Golden bolted to his feet to hastily shuffle to the door. ¡°W-wait. Mr. Golden!¡± Fae Fae called out and grabbed at his hands, ¡°I dare not ask you for your money, not after objecting to your marriage. I cannot accept such generosity.¡± ¡°Ah poppy cock!¡± Mr. Golden laughed, as if he was 10 years younger. He can¡¯t help but give Fae Fae a light pinch to her cheek with a chuckle, ¡°We are family now, my kin even if not by blood, and I am going to spoil you rotten! Besides, you already gave away your fortune through donations. You have nothing to live on even when you go home. So consider it as a gift from me! Use it however you like: open a shop, buy a plot of land, or just live a life of ease and enjoy a new hobby!¡± Mr. Golden then slapped a hand onto the inspector as if they were drinking buddies, ¡°And you too, Inspector Lee! I am to give you one year¡¯s worth of pay for your troubles! As a token of my appreciation!¡± ¡°O-ONE YEAR!?¡± Inspector Lee yelped and covered his mouth, eyes wider than tea saucers, ¡°Sir! I-I don¡¯t deserve that much ¨C legit!¡± ¡°Damn it! Both of you are taking my money or I WILL throw a tantrum in this tavern!¡± Martial Kim panicked, ¡°Dear gods, please no! Not my tavern again!¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s settled! I¡¯ll go back and prepare the money! Don¡¯t you both leave town without me! You hear!?¡± Mr. Golden made sure he got his message out to all the parties. ¡°And Fae Fae. Make sure you write to me. I will definitely visit you, mark my words! Hahahaha!¡± After giving Fae Fae one last cute pinch to her cheek, her new ¡®big brother¡¯ ran out of Moon Tavern. Martial Kim sighed, feeling a typhoon blew over, ¡°The last time he threw a drunk tantrum, I had to close down the tavern for a week to clean up!...Ahem,¡± He then coughed and turned to Fae Fae, ¡°Now just to be on the safe side, I know a trick or two to change your looks. We cannot risk anyone recognizing a celebrity coming back from the grave right?¡± ¡°Martial Kim, Inspector Lee...¡± Fae Fae kowtowed to the investigators, heaving and sobbing in gratitude, ¡°Thank you...thank you... thank you!¡± ¡°Enjoy your new lease on life, Fae Fae.¡± Martial Kim grinned, ¡°You are free now.¡±
=== FAIRY CASE ¨C END ===
PAVILION - Chapter 1 (Moon Wine) Martial Kim of Moon Tavern did not count the hours that went through the night. His only goal right now was to get away from the Capital as far as he could. Do not fret, he was not pursued ¨C not that he hoped. Neither did he get into a spot of trouble that force himself into self-exile. It was so he could escort a dead woman to safety. He and his trusted companion Inspector Lee took the most rickety horse wagon they could find and spurred off into the horizon; the very second the setting sun kissed the highest mountain. They kept going, never once stopping at any respite, traveler¡¯s inn, or even the closest of village. It was only when the lights of the Capital City were no longer in line of sight, did they break a sigh of relief. Soon, they came close to this sleepy little village blanketed in the darkness. ¡°This is my stop,¡± Martial Kim said with a heavy heart. ¡°I leave the rest to you, Inspector Lee my friend.¡± The Inspector of the Constabulary would slowed the horse wagon to a soft trot, ¡°Leave it to me, Martial Kim. I¡¯ll deliver our friend safe and sound. You can count on it!¡± The young master wearing a snow white hanbok would hop off the horse wagon the moment it came to a complete stop. He would adjust his black hat...only to remember he left it behind in Moon Tavern on purpose. The wide brim hat was pretty much his signature in the martial arts community, and it was best to travel as incognito as possible. He even let down his hair from a tight man-bun and into a carefree high-ponytail, to be less recognizable to the familiar eyes. "Fae Fae," Martial Kim lowered his voice even more. Even if it was the dead of the night, and not many a soul wandered under the full moon, he didn''t want to chance ANYONE overhearing that name. "I wish to bid you farewell." The horse wagon had a passenger. A frail and delicate woman would pull aside a curtain covering the side window and she peeked through it. Her skin was as pale as the full moon, almost as withered as a ghost. Her weak complexion could not be helped ¨C she DID wake up from a long coma only hours ago. Despite all that, she was as beautiful as a finely cut diamond. A face that thousands across the land would adore and revere as an earthly goddess. Granted, she would blush in absolute embarrassment if she heard such grandiose praises like that and shrivel up like a shy flower. "Martial Kim," Fae Fae had an earnest look in her gaze, "Will we ever meet again?" The young master of Moon Tavern simply returned a polite smile, "For your sake, it is best we do not. You are, after all, declared dead to the world. Your life as Fae Fae the great Courtesan of Celestial Dreams Brothel is no more. You are a new woman, a new human, a free bird to fly wherever you please. There is no need for the future you to cross paths with the past you. Consider yourself, reincarnated completely.¡± Fae Fae had many words to say. If only she had more time. Not even the trip in the horse wagon was enough. So all could do was reach out to hold his hand in gratitude, ¡°Please, take care of yourself Martial Kim.¡± ¡°And you my dear Fae Fae. When the morning sun rises, be proud and say ¡®Hello¡¯ to a new tomorrow!¡± Martial Kim nodded to Inspector Lee, which was his cue to continue on their long journey. A whip of the reigns and the horses started to move the wagon. Martial Kim loosened his grip on Fae Fae, her hand slipping out of his grip like a cloud of peach blossoms swept into the open wind. She never stopped waving at him, even as the horse wagon was swallowed up into the darkness. It was only when they fully vanished into the night, the sounds of horse hooves fading away, did the young master let out a sigh of relief...and sadness. ¡°...I miss Fae Fae already.¡± Martial Kim had no plans to stay in the village for the night, so he turned away to return to the Capital. Even on foot, he enjoyed the silence and the darkness of the deep night. He needed to be alone, especially after the events of what happened in recent times. He took this time to reflect on everything as he made his way home to Moon Tavern. ¡°Such a cool and wonderful night. I can even see the stars winking at me. Would be nice, to have some wine right about...oh?¡± Perhaps, Martial Kim was thinking too deep as he just noticed the light fog rolling in around him. Must be that time of year, he would imagine. It was a few more steps forward before his eyes widen. Up ahead was a roadside teahouse made out of wood and straw. It looked neither too old nor too new. Not a speck of cobwebs hung from the corners, yet the tables were well worn down from years of wiping and service. A single person was manning the small stoves and clay furnace boiling clay pots of herbal tea, pots of stew, and steaming baskets. The teahouse server looked busy, always facing their back to the world, even when all the tables were empty. Martial Kim simply spotted a collection of wine on an open shelf and smacked his lips. ¡°Server. One pot of your finest wine. Make it a large...one?¡± Martial Kim blinked and wondered if he was too tired to missed what happened. The moment he took a random empty table and set his sword down on the corner, a large pot of wine was in front of him along with a clean wine bowl. ¡°...Good service.¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The young master relaxed, for once. He had always been on his guard for nearly days, so being able to sit down and not think of the terrible things in life was a reprieve...Oh...Oh ho ho. This wine is strong, very much so. Half a pot in and he can feel more than tipsy. ¡°This is beautiful wine, good server,¡± Martial Kim hummed, ¡°I can feel the peach plum fairies calling to me. My belly is warm and I am numb to the pain of the bitter cold. What is this wine called?¡± No answer, that or the server was too busy washing pots, pans, and whatnot to turn around. Martial Kim shrugged. He¡¯ll figure it out, wine was his hobby anyhow. He loved to invent exotic wine, sometimes mix them to experiment with tastes. People call him daft or wasteful, but he felt a sense of calm from it all. ¡°Hahah. Oh my, the sun has yet to risen and my pot is already empty. Hmmm. Server, give me another round of wine, in a gourd. I shall be on my....way?¡± Once again, when Martial Kim stood up and pick up his sword, his empty wine pot was switched with a brand new wine gourd. A shrug and he exchanged the gourd with a couple of his silver coins before trotting off. He planned to taste this strange wine slowly, to break down and uncover it¡¯s secrets on the trip home. Perhaps, he was in too much of a good mood. Not only did he stray from the road to venture through a scenic route, he started to hum to himself. His footsteps shifted, fleeted, dipped, and spun. Muscle memory of swordplay filled his heart and mind. Before he knew it, he was trying to re-enact the elegant Drunken Swordplay. Why not!? Martial Kim drew his sword from the scabbard and swirled about, chanting, ¡°Come to me, fairies of the heavenly gardens. Let us prance in the wind, unfettered by mortal chains!¡± The more he move and spun about with his sword, the faster the wind around him twisted and churned in his wake. No doubt the air around him was influenced by the power of his Inner Energy Arts. Like all martial arts master, young and old, they all train and conquer the basics in manipulating their internal energy to enhance their minds and body, as well as to give them fabulous martial properties that can affect their immediate surroundings. This ability allowed him to become lighter than air, gliding across the ground and even kicking off the thinnest of branches to stay afloat like a feather. A twirl of his blade and he could command its flow to follow him like a river at his command. A sweeping kick into the ground for him to kick up the leaves, his sword guiding them like a flock of birds and send them scattering into any direction he desired! Ah, so free of the world''s burden, he sang a little poem in accompany to his Drunken Swordplay. ¡°Justice walks beside me~; Worldly dreams, forever lost~! Without love or warmth~; yet my iron will stands strong~! I smile at the changing winds~! A hero''s soul forever shines~!¡± At the end of his poem, he would throw back his head and pour a strip of wine down into his open mouth without a single spill. The more he laughed, the more his cheeks turned a rosy red. ¡°Hahahaha! Good wine! Good wine!" The young master fluttered down like a leaf on the wind and he dropped down to sit on a perfectly cut stone bench. He relaxed, letting the cool breeze rub his warm face. Ah, when was the last time he let his hair down like this, letting it dance in the wind so free spirited. Been a while, now that he thought about it. ¡°Oh beautiful moon, oh beautiful moon. Never bow for the sun to take your place. You, so round and beau...Wait. Weren¡¯t you plum and round like a plate? How did you become as thin as a stick?¡± Martial Kim thought he was seeing things. Despite how drunk he was, he still had some senses left in him. If he recalled correctly, the moon was supposed to be behind him. And it was full. So...how long was he wandering, for the moon to become a slender crescent in front of him...Wait. The young master look back, front, back, and front. TWO MOONS!? This revelation sobered him up a bit. No matter how many times he turned, he clearly saw two moons: one full and one crescent. What liquor did the teahouse server give me? The young master mumbled in his mind, Why am I seeing two moons floating side by side?...Actually, where did this bench come from? It was not here a moment ago. I am sure of it. Curious, he tried to sobered up a bit to look around. The wine may be in him, but he still had enough senses to register something felt amiss. So he looked around to figure out where he was. ...A pavilion? Somehow, he ended up sitting in an old and rustic pavilion made of wood. A clay-tile roof sitting on four weathered pillars scraped by time. They were the type usually found on side of the trails as a resting spot or scenic hub. These structures usually had a fancy name, unique and poetic, so Martial Kim found it strange this place didn¡¯t have a name on any sign or board. It did, however, had something else. ...Am I seeing stars? He rubbed at his eyes, Or fleeting fairies? A series of symbols fluttered about this pavilion in the air like fireflies. Martial Kim had trouble discerning, but they seem to blink in and out, here and there, before he could figure out what those symbols even represent. They blurred, glowed, spun, flipped, like a messy flying circus. Their shape and calligraphy were most obscure, very difficult to decipher. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? How does one read such markings? What is the story behind them? Martial Kim hummed in his weary mind. In saying that, he started to feel dizzier than before, like he had been drinking for days and nights. His eye lids became heavy like clasps of iron and his body started to sway even from the light pushes of the breeze. I will give you a proper name...tomorrow, Martial Kim hummed to himself as his head grew weary. Tomorrow...tomorrow...tom-- Flop. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. PAVILION - Chapter 2 (Cutting) Martial Kim loved wine but hated the hangovers. Oddly, this morning was worse than usual; whatever wine he drank from the roadside teahouse had been especially potent to make him still feel like he was trapped in a drunken stupor. His body felt heavy so he laid in bed, fumbling around. He muttered, "Martial Blue Sister... warm a towel...and boil some tea...Aauuugh." Something fell on his face. Odd. Only Martial Red Sister would be audacious enough to throw a cold towel at him. Grabbing it, he realized¡ªit wasn¡¯t a towel. A maple leaf? He wondered. Right indoors? Sitting up, his head throbbed. He wasn¡¯t in his bedroom, he wasn''t at Moon Tavern. The young master found himself waking in the middle of a forest, completely disorientated. A series of faint images from the night before fluttered into his mind. ¡°Was I dreaming?¡± He uttered as he tapped his head to full the pain of his hangover. Better question: which was the dream? Sending Fae Fae off in secret? The strange pavilion with no name? Or this forest he woke up to? Reality eluded him the more he tried to think about last night. "Martial Blue Sister!...Martial Red Sister!...Martial Yellow Sister!...Anyone!?" When the young master received no response from the woods, he started to believe this was some prank that his friends in Moon Tavern had pulled. Sounds like something they would do...save for one. ¡°Martial Blue Sister?...Martial Blue Sister?... Where are you?...Where am I?¡± Are they laughing in silence or what? I cannot even detect their snickering breaths, Martial Kim muttered in his mind. This joke has gone far enough. Time to hunt them down and...huh? Wh-where is my sword!? A blink and he realized he was gripping a long stick instead of his trusted weapon. A swordsman is never seen without his companion at arms, so he was horrified to learn he can''t find his sword anywhere. He searched high and low, in and out of tree trunks, literally turning the woods upside down. No sword...why, even the gourd of wine he bought from the roadside teahouse was missing. ...Roadside teahouse? Right, I ran across that place after watching Fae Fae leave. That was no illusion... But the pavilion I fell asleep after. Was that real, or my eyes playing tricks?... Also...When did Autumn arrive so fast!? Once more, Martial Kim was taken by surprise. Last he recalled, the forest was a luscious spring green. Now, it suddenly became a vibrant amber red. Why, even the trees were three times taller than last night. What happened? How long was he out for? Surely he didn¡¯t fall into a long coma like Fae Fae! "Martial Blue Sister, please come out! I know the others coerced you into pulling this trick with them. I swear, I will not punish you if you show up right now." After calling for the one person he could trust in this confusing situation, he received no response whatsoever. Not even a shy pop of a head with long ocean blue hair saying ¡®sorry Martial Kim, they made me do it!¡¯. How did I get here? Who moved me? Impossible, I would have known and snapped awake! Why can''t I recall anything from last night to this morning? Water, that''s what he needed. Definitely to drink, as well as to splash cold water to wake him up completely. So Martial Kim wandered, armed with only the stick in his hand. Even as he marched forward in stumbles, he can''t seem to find anything familiar or recognizable from last night''s forest. No twin moons, nothing like a nameless pavilion in the distance. The crack of sun light was the only light and companion in the shadows as he continued to run to find answers. This is too elaborate to be a prank! And it is not an ambush or else the assassins would have struck by now. So what is happening!? Panting, gasping. and feeling he had been running around in near circles, the young master leaned against a tree trying to ease his racing heart. He had to find his way out of this place, find a town or village to assess his situation. So he did some breathing exercises to calm down, to regulate his internal energy. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. He enhanced his hearing to increase its sensitivity. So not only can he hear virtually everything in great detail, he knew exactly where it was coming from much like a bat''s ear. Fighting? Martial Kim stared to hear the faint sound of mortal combat. The clashing of metal swords and the howling of men was most recognizable. He followed the noise down the hill, hoping to find people for answers. The young master swiftly glided through the trees with his flying skills and soon stumbled upon an unexpected sight¡ª A massive battle!? Over 100 men in heavy armor clashed below, wielding large swords and shields. Squinting, Kim wondered, Is this the Imperial Army? Why does their armour look foreign? Did I wander close to a contested border? Is this an invasion by a rival kingdom? Still dazed from the wine, he hesitated. Should I help? Who do I fight for? I see no Imperial banner to side with. Martial Kim then witnessed one iron knight getting overwhelmed. In a flash, the knight was knocked over and skewered to death with 10 thorny spears wielded by warriors bearing skull masks over their faces. Blood splashed across the battlefield, screams and cries echoed in the smoke and fire, and in no time the iron knights fell like dead birds. Only a small portion of them remained as they regrouped for a last stand, cheering each other for king and country ¨C against the dark horde! "HALT!" Without thinking, Martial Kim leapt into action, gliding down into the fray like a hawk swooping for a rabbit! He knocked aside the skull warriors with agile spins and flips, using only the stick in his hand like a sword! He had to finish this fight quick, so he decided to unleash the power of his [White Tiger Flying Snow!] He expected to cover the battlefield with a mystical blizzard...but... Nothing is happening? Was my cultivation crippled? Martial Kim panicked when he saw his hand empty of any snow. Then he realized: No, I can still use my inner energy. I guess, I shall rely on that then! Martial Kim dove into the midst of the skull warriors. Never giving them a chance to even think, he would leap, fly, and twirl around to strike at them with his sword-stick! He gave them a taste of his signature move, Dance of the Moon Sage, an advanced swordplay he invented in his adventuring youth! It involved complex slashing maneuvers that swept up the winds to knock aside enemy formations; leading and scattering dancing clouds of leaves to cut into hands and faces, blinding them like smoke; and a series of swift kicks and hard palm strikes that threw even the most disciplined soldiers into confusion and disarray! Perhaps the liquor was still strong in him. The chaos and excitement of the battle made his body feel lighter and giddy, to the point he could not resist chanting a poetic song in his devastation! "I am an immortal with an unrivaled sword art, as elusive as the shifting moon~! What does unrivalled mean, you ask? Hah~! Not even the blade of the sun, past to future, can catch my unfettered swordplay~! Should a true rival ever slow me down, they can only be a pot of wine or a cloud to sleep upon!~" Martial Kim spun up a storm of leaves and dust in his wake as he sent nearly every skull warrior in his reach flipping and flying like a shed of plywood in a hurricane. With a flick of his blade, he would knock some of their spears out of their hands to let them flail and land in a single file line ¨C a makeshift wall to protect the surviving iron knights; shaped after the elegance of a crescent moon! He then float down to stand on the top of that wall, a crane perched perfectly like a righteous flag! "I am Martial Kim of Moon Tavern!" He bellowed to settle the demons, "I will not allow your villainy taint the lands of the Jade Empire and tarnish the peace. Surrender now, or--" "CUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT!" The scream came out of the blue, so hard Martial Kim ended up choking on his heroic speech and swaying on the spear. Then several things happened that made him question his reality. The knights in iron armor he was protecting started to boo and curse at him. Why? The skull warriors picked themselves up to their feet, whipping off their masks to reveal themselves a regular humans. Why? What shocked him the most ¨C those who died on the battlefield just sat up and hauled each other to their feet. Even the ¡®blood¡¯ and ''viscera'' that hung from their bodies were still clinging onto them as they chatted amongst each other like people in a market place. ...How? Who? What? The answer fell upon this one man who had been standing on the sidelines the entire time. Surrounded by many others in strange clothing who: carried black boxes with single glass eyes on their shoulders and pedestals; moved a giant pot spilling sunlight across the field; wielding lanterns that spewed smoke from their funnels on command; and holding long spears into the air with fur dripping over the spear head. The one man with a roll of paper in his hand rose from his chair made of cloth before bellowing. "That...WAS GOLD! ABSOLUTE CINEMA!"
PAVILION - Chapter 3 (Strange New Land) "Good scene everyone! Take 10! Quick, play back the footage!" ...Scene? Take 10? Footage? To Martial Kim, the man who seemed to be in charge talked nonsense. It wasn¡¯t the language that bothered him, it was more the vocabulary he had never heard or even touched upon before. How should I approach this, Martial Kim whispered in his heart, Are they my enemy? They look incredibly harmless. I do not even feel a single speck of murderous intent...In fact, are they even paying attention to me? Curious, the young master trotted up to them. He tried to get some answers, but their attention were upon this small black box with the glass lens, a light shining from its rear end that had everyone eyes glued to. ...What sorcery is this? Is that me in that black box!? Martial Kim¡¯s eyes widen and his breathing quickened, H-how could this be possible? Did they some how capture a piece of my soul and turned it into some sort of tiny doll? I can see myself using my Dance of the Moon Sage, perfectly!? How!? Martial Kim could not believe his eyes. The reality in front of him struck him hard enough to make him stagger on the spot, his heart louder than a blacksmith forge beating in his ear. ...Gods, I feel light headed. Is it from the liquor, or this soul sucking witchcraft? I-I need to sit down. Meanwhile, the men crowding around this tiny black box would make ooohs, aaah, and whooooa noises. The man calling the shots would shout out: ¡°WOW! Look at this guy move! It¡¯s like a dance at a concert! Never seen a sword fight like that in my entire career! Hah! And here I thought, I¡¯d be directing another ¡®milk the cash cow¡¯ flop! This is what I need! THIS, is what the viewers want!... KEEKEE! KEEKEE! Get your ass over here, on the double!¡± ¡°Present, present!¡± A young lady dashed out from a corner of the crew¡¯s camp, carrying an assortment of equipment, clothing, and other things that spilled out of her embrace. ¡°Shall I reset the scene for a re-shoot?¡± ¡°HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!..........Wh-what are you serious!?¡± The Director flopped back in his chair as he waved around his roll of paper like a conductor¡¯s wand, ¡°Were you blind to that amazing choreograph? This is scene is perfect!¡± ¡°B-but sir, aren¡¯t we shooting a Game of Crowns show? What just happened isn¡¯t part of the script! Wouldn¡¯t it confused the audience?¡± ¡°Nonsense! They¡¯ll lap it right up! Hahahaha! This is what we need to get the Second Act flying off the airstrip, get people gripping their seats and wake up from playing with their phones!¡± Keekee tried to be the sensible one in this group, ¡°B-but sir.¡± ¡°No buts! Call up the writers and have them change the script, a full rewrite if they have to! I want more of this! HAH!¡± The Director merely had to wave a finger and his crew were rewinding the footage to see again. ¡°You know what, call it a plot twist. This is THE sauce I need! And dirt cheap! Whatever this guy did, saved me hundreds, perhaps millions in CGI post production!... By the way where the hell did you get this guy anyway Keekee!?¡± ¡°I-I didn¡¯t hire him, sir.¡± ¡°What?¡± Keekee hefted the heavy burden in her arms as she tried to explain, ¡°I called up staffing, casting, even the stunt coordinator. No one has ever seen this guy before. I-it¡¯s like he popped out of thin air!¡± This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°So...that was all improv? No wires? At all?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t know he existed until he jumped into that fight scene, sir.¡± ¡°.................................Draft up a contract! I want his signature on that paper by the end of the day! And get me my megaphone!¡± A few buzz and clicking, the Director would bellow, ¡°Alright everyone, breaks over. We¡¯re moving onto Scene 53! Get your asses into gear! Move it, move it, move it!¡± Keekee was sent stumbling, pushed around by everyone as she tried to get her bearings. As much as she didn¡¯t like the turn of events, a job was a job. So she fumbled through the crowd to look for the stranger who made a splash in the previous scene. ¡°Ah there you are.¡± She trots over with a quick bow and said, ¡°Hey! You were awesome today! Good stuff...Wait. Are you okay?¡± Martial Kim didn¡¯t know what better to do, than to sit on a rock. His eyes wandered to everything that was fresh, new, foreign, completely beyond his reach of comprehension. He could feel a series of emotions from confusion, shock, fear, if not frustration to understand it all. It didn¡¯t make his headache any better so he could only wince and mumble under his breath. ¡°Sir?¡± Keekee asked again, ¡°Do you need a nurse? What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°M...Martial Kim.¡± ¡°Kim? N-nice to meet you sir! M-my name is Keekee! Is there anything I can get you?¡± ¡°...Water...water please.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Keekee quickly dumped everything in her arms onto a nearby table and ran off. In no time she ran back with¡ª ¡°Here, have a drink! We have plenty of bottles!¡± Martial Kim¡¯s ¡®thank you¡¯ was choked in his throat the moment he he laid eyes what he was given. Why is she giving me a piece of ice? Odd, it is not even cold in my hand and its soft to the touch? Is it even an icicle? Keekee would casually continue, ¡°No doubt your super thirsty after that intense fight scene. Like, it¡¯s supposed to be one of the many highlights of the show ¨C but your insert really spiced it up. The Director loves it! He wants you on the team! Do you have an agent I can call and...What¡¯s wrong?¡± The young lady stopped upon seeing Martial Kim turn the bottle of water over and upside down. She was confused as to why he was staring at it, as if it was the first time seeing it. ¡°...Oh! I see. You must be like super tired from all that stunt work. Your hands look like its shaking. Here, let me help you!¡± Keekee graciously offered to take the bottle ¨C and twisted the top with a clicking noise and a pop. ¡°Here! Have some water! Drink up!¡± This...is water? Martial Kim stared, watching how easy it was for Keekee to break open this ¡®icicle¡¯. Was this really water? Or poison? The little bubble that kept flopping around reminded him of a drop of mercury rolling around in the palms. It was from tilting the bottle, with the open top, did some liquid spill out. His fingers didn¡¯t burn, so definitely not acid. And if it was poison, his skin would change colour from the toxicity... Might as well. Sip....Sip-Sip....GULP GULP GULP GULP GULP ¡°...Oh...oh WOW! Y-y-you want another?¡± Keekee ran off, only to dash back with several more bottles. One by one she helped to crack the top open and handed it to Martial Kim. In minutes, at least four empty bottles littered at his feet. ¡°...Are you...alright Kim?¡± Concern grew in her voice, but the moment she saw colour and life coming back to Martial Kim¡¯s face she relaxed. ¡°Ah. No doubt the Director really pushed you to your limit. And you did everything with like, zero wire work so... You know what I think its safe for you to take the rest of the day off. We haven¡¯t written up your scenes yet, so you can come back tomorrow for more work!¡± Keekee gave Martial Kim one more bottle of water, just in case, before she was yelled at to get back to position. ¡°Okay see you tomorrow! We¡¯ll call you! Bye!¡± ¡°Wait, Miss Keekee, I...¡± Any more words out of Martial Kim and he¡¯ll end up talking to thin air like a lonely mad man. What a strange village. Was it ever in the map of the Jade Empire? PAVILION - Chapter 4 (Burger Gift) Keekee was so done for the day. She wanted to go home before the sky turned pitch black. Although she lived close by and knew the mountains like the line of her palms, the last thing she wanted was to get lost in the mountains in the pitch dark. So after finishing up a few more scenes, while getting yelled at, she quickly tried to get everything ready for the next day¡¯s shot before everyone could go scot-free. #FilmAssistantLife All the while she would hear various gossip and chatter from those who either lacked the same diligence as her or physical stamina. "The Director is a bastard when it comes to stunt work. He kept having me jump off a three story cliff, with nothing but a single-size mattress he picked up from a garage sale as a crash pad. If the ground didn''t break my legs, the loose spring coils nearly took my eye out!" "Tip of the iceberg bro. The actress he has the hots for kept flubbing her lines every take. So he had me turn what was a single sentence into a single word. Had half a mind to just quit right then and there, because the rest of the scene barely made a lick of sense!" "Guys, guys. Come on, we all know who had it the worst: his wife. She may be all smiles and laughter, but she''s got to clean EVERYONE''s costume before the next shoot tomorrow. Sucks to suck man." Keekee bite the insides of her cheek. As much as she wanted to unload her grievances with her co-workers, to get the pain off her own chest, she was still ¨C after all ¨C the Director''s closest assistant. Even if she never agreed with his work philosophy, she didn¡¯t want to vent her stress onto a ¡®caring¡¯ ear ¨C only to get bit in the ass later by the ¡®caring¡¯ ear. So she kept her distance and only spoke when spoken to. No matter how much she questioned her life choices, a job was a job. It pays the rent, so she had no right to complain. "Okay that''s should be everything for tonight!" Keekee would coordinate packing things up for the night, locking key equipment, lights, even high end camera in their trailers and sheds. Had to be responsible, or else she¡¯s gonna take the fall if anything goes missing. She tugs at her loose clothing to vent cool air into her body as she groaned, "Aaah. So want a showeeeeer... Oh hey guys, what are you playing?" She approached a group of ''friends'' ¨C people who lived too far away and decided to camp overnight on site out of convenience ¨C who were all playing a strange game. It was strange because they were just throwing money onto the table ¨C but no cards were dealt. One of the security guards chuckled, "We''re all waiting to see when he''ll pass out." Keekee raised an eyebrow, "Who pass out?" The make-up artist chipped into the pool, "You know who we''re talking about, Keekeeeeee. It''s Mr. I Don''t Need Stunt Wires over there. Man''s been sitting there like a lump even as we pack up for the night. Don''t know what he wants but he sure looks hella confused." A stage light woman slipped in on the conversation like a pair of shoes, "The guy hasn''t eaten anyyyything. So we all waiting to see when he''ll die of starvation. The idiot." "Guys!¡± Keekee snapped, ¡°Th-that is just mean of you! Knock it off already!" She swatted the mountain of cash off their table and stormed off. She approached Martial Kim and tried to wake him, "Kim! Kim! Are you okay? Speak to me!" Ah. Is it dark already? I swore I only closed my eyes for a minute. This voice sounds familiar, but my head hurts too much from all the noise around me. ¡°M-Martial Blue Sister? Is that you?¡± Martial Kim murmured as he tapped his forehead. ¡°Oh. It is you, Miss Keekee.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah! I-I thought you said you can go home, Kim!...Wait, I-I said that right?¡± You said many things, most of which I could not catch with how fast you were talking. Do you even breath when you speak, I wonder. Aaah. What are these lanterns made of, so bright like the moon glaring at me. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Kim, y-you heard me say you were done for the day right? Like you could have taken the day off, go home and-and come back tomorrow. Oh crap, oh crap! I-I am so so sooo sorry for wasting your time like that. C-can you walk, I¡¯ll take you to your car!¡± Martial Kim tried to say something ¨C but his stomach spoke on his behalf with a growl. ¡°...Oh...my...god!¡± Keekee face palmed herself, ¡°Y-you must be like, super hungry right now, right!? D-didn¡¯t the staff like, show you where our dinner is being served? It¡¯s totally free even!...Y-you know what ¨C wait here. I¡¯ll be right back, for real!¡± Martial Kim swayed when Keekee dashed off like the wind. Before he could grasp the air for something like a cane or railing, Keekee rushed back to shove something into his arms. ¡°Please eat it! Fill up your stomach! Man, I-I feel terrible if you just passed out and end up in the hospital! Th-they would have to air lift you out, as if the ambulance can survive all-terrain!¡± Airlift? Ambulance? I cannot follow what you are saying... Oh? Something is warm in my eyes. What is this? A paper bag?.... Something smells...interesting. Martial Kim would open the bag and rummage inside, his thoughts stirring along with new emotions, Oddly colourful for a wrapper for rations? I wonder, what are these symbols painted across it?¡± ¡°Burgers!¡± Keekee chirped. ¡°Fresh from a major fast food joint¡ªwell technically, still fresh ish. O-our production has a sponsorship with them so they send us free take out! Go on, don¡¯t be shy! Oh and pssst. Don¡¯t tell anyone but, hahaha, I snuck an extra burger just for you!¡± ¡°...???¡± ¡°...What¡¯s wrong, Kim? Everyone loves burgers!... Oh my your fingers are shaking. C-can you open it? H-here, let me help!¡± Martial Kim watched as Keekee reached over to pull apart the strange wrapper in his hand, making it bloom like a rose. It revealed the morsel in his hand, soft, hot, and-- It smells wonderful. Is this a steam bun? It does not look as white as the buns back home. Strange colour, and it is cut in two? What a waste...Oh? This filling, a whole slice of meat and vegetables? How lavish, I was expected something minced and pulped into a meat ball as big as a thumb. "Looks good right?" Keekee encouraged Martial Kim to eat, "Please eat up and safely go home for the night. You live nearby right?" "..." Martial Kim tried to get his bearings. Last he recalled, he was about several towns away from the Capital. Unsure of exactly where he was, all he could do was shake his head. I have yet to see a travelers'' inn nearby. And it would be rude for me to stay in their encampment uninvited. Perhaps, I should camp out in the mountains ¨C like I had done in my early days as a wandering youth in the martial arts world. "O-oh. Oh." Keekee eyes widen, "You don''t have a place to stay? Is that why you''re still here? Ah. Y-you must be like, really down on your luck and really want this part right, to impress the Director so he HAS to give you a job. Uh...Okay. Since he wants you anyway, it only makes total sense to give you trailer!" A trailer? Is that some kind of currency in this part of the empire? "O-okay, this time legit wait right here. I''ll go find a spare trailer and get it ready, so you can have a hot shower and a bed. I-I''ll be back, in a jiffy!" Back in a jiffy? What does that even mean?...Ah, there she goes. This girl seems to have a habit of running around like a rabbit in the woods. Alone with his strange bun, Martial Kim cannot help but examine it. Odd, this meat does not look like it was sliced like a steak. Is it grounded but shaped into a full moon? Hmm. It still smells good. A small taste would not hurt... Oh my. Oh my. This flavour. So hearty and fulfilling. Hmm, what seasoning did they put in this grounded meat. What kind of meat is in it? Pork? Beef? Goat or Lamb? I never expect this taste to be so powerful, and comforting at the same time. In the silence of the night, the sound of a burger wrapper rustling about could be heard followed by hearty chewing. Hmm. There is this drip of yellow has this hearty tang to it, not at all overpowering yet enhances the taste. I wonder, what is this sauce they slathered on the bun. Picklish, zesty, almost fruity. Never tasted this tarty sensation. Hmmm. Soon, the first burger disappeared from his hands, leaving only the empty wrapper. The young master couldn''t resist and would peel off any excess sauce and vegetables with his fingers to put into his mouth. Not a single piece wasted. Delicious, absolutely delicious! Wow, I feel energized just from a single bun! What did she call again? A Burger? If only I could learn the recipe back home... Martial Kim¡¯s face fell. Oh yes. Home. The Capital, Moon Tavern. Keekee is right, I should be on my way. I overstayed my welcome...I wonder, if this piece of silver would be enough compensation for everything? The film crew started to call it a night, clearing off their money from their table. By the time Keekee raced past them with a set of keys in her hands, one of them called out to her. ¡°Dammit Keekee!¡± A make-up artist snorted, ¡°I lost all my money thanks to you!¡± ¡°Wh-what do you mean!?¡± ¡°The bastard walked out. I was betting on him to fall over starving. Why the hell did you go and feed him like a stray cat!?¡± PAVILION - Chapter 5 (Hope in a Bottle) How long has it been since I thrived in the mountains? Most likely my early days as an ambitious youth in the great martial arts world. The sensation is refreshing but... these mountains are just too foreign for me. Martial Kim wandered, up and down the hill in any direction he could find. Only half a moon in the sky was his only light through the darkness. Every now and then he would glance up, weaving in and out of the clouds above. He could search every nook and cranny, even through the smallest of ditches and caves ¨C but using his flying skills to travel across the forest canopy was faster. The cool wind is helping. My head is becoming clearer, my mind more alert and less dulled. Still, how in the world did I end up this far from the main road. Was I not supposed to be on the way to the Capital? So many questions, but no time to search the answer. Homeward bound, that is what I need to look for. I should search for those strange twin moon and the nameless pavilion. The young master floated in the air chasing the distant moon. The only companion he had was the brown paper bag Keekee gave her. Keekee. A strange name. Definitely not one naturally found amongst the common folk of the Jade Empire. Where is this district, this region? What magistrate rules this prefecture or land? Their vocabulary is so strange, yet they word it as natural as breathing. So peculiar. No matter how far Martial Kim flew, he knew he could never reach halfway to touch the halfmoon. I am finally sober, yet why do I feel like I am still stumbling. Is this some lucid dream? It feels too surreal for me to accept... Ow! The pinch should have woke me up by now!... No good, I feel like I am going around in circles. Martial Kim eventually paused his wandering and glided down to perch on top of a high branch of a tree. He made sure to give himself a good vantage point, so he could spot any torches or caravan lanterns glowing across the roads; a chance to ask for direction was the hope. So far, not even a fire fly came out to play. Hungry already? Shameful, most shameful. It has not been more than an hour. Come to think of it, I cannot seem to use my full power. I wonder, if the rice wine I drank the night before could be the cause of all these changes in me... I guess, it would not hurt to have dinner. Fortunately, I still have one more of Keekee¡¯s burgers! Unable to resist, Martial Kim would rummage into the bag. A smile on his lips when he found the last bun in the wrappers. It has been a while since his fingers shook with eagerness and excitement. Can¡¯t blame him, the burger was simply delightful! Delicious, most delicious! I wish I could have more. Two taste testing is not enough for me to reverse engineer the recipe... I wonder if Miss Keekee knows the secret? The ingredients and methods made? Hmmm. By taste alone, I do not recognize any regular cooking or steaming patterns used in this burger. Perhaps, I could return to Keekee¡¯s camp and ask... Martial Kim¡¯s face fell and he almost forgot to eat. No, I should not bother the poor girl with such trifles. I given her enough trouble already. Besides, I must return to Moon Tavern... That being said, I wonder if Old Seven can figure out this burger? The old cook has eaten more grains of salted experience than I have consumed bowls of rice worth of knowledge... Mmmm. Even now, my mouth cannot stop watering! What is this piece of meat made of? What did they use for this sweet sauce? And what is this slice of yellow that is melted with everything? Such an oddly pleasing flavour. Mmmmm! The night went on. The stars came out to play amongst themselves, the clouds hiding them every now and then. Only the half-moon remained vigilant, keeping a close eye on the young master. Before he realized it, he woke up to the rays of the sun poking at his heavy eyelids like a bratty child. That, was the most content sleep since I came here. The hangover is completely gone. Truly Keekee¡¯s gift has cured me of confusion, for now. Still, I have to wonder: what the hell was that liquor I had from the roadside teahouse? I never had problems like this before ¨C and I study wine as a hobby! With no one greeting him good morning, he would spent the waking hour stretching and getting used to the growing warmth of the sun. The young master folded and tucked the empty bag into his sleeve, for safe keeping, and hopped up to balance on the hanging branch with the weight of a dove. He thought to himself, Let us try again. Finding that confounding path. This time with the daylight out, surely I-- "MMM-H-HHEELP!" A sound tickled his ear and instinct took over and Martial Kim. The young master fluttered down from his crow''s nest and glided through the forest to track down the source of the noise. He glided down with his flying skills to search for the faint cry of help! He reached another tree top half way down the mountain before he saw what was happening. A rape!? In broad daylight!? Martial Kim laid eyes on a large man having his way with a woman on another hill across from him. The man pulled and tore at her leopard clothing while clapping one heavy hand shut over her mouth as she kicked and screamed. How dare! I will not let this villainy stand! The young master drew on his sword-stick and flew into-- Wait...is this another one of those illusions, back in Keekee¡¯s camp? The word ¡®CUT¡¯ still haunted the young master. Memories of what happened in the previous day froze him in place, making him sink deep into his mind like an abyss. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Another misunderstanding? Will the director shout ¡®CUT¡¯ once more? Am I repeating my mistake? This land is too confusing! Why is everything turned upside down? Why am I the only one questioning what is happening around...Wait...Why is he choking her with his sash?... Th-this is too realistic to be a playacting...Oh no. ¡°STOP!¡± Clicking his tongue, Martial Kim dove in! He flew from his side of the hill, across a deep chasm, to make his way to where the trouble was happening! With a spin he launched his sword-stick like an arrow! TOK! It pierced right through a tree above the attacker''s head, startling him to drop everything and run! By the time Martial Kim landed to recover the sword-stick, he was gliding right at his heels! The attacker was making a run for what appeared to be a horse wagon hiding in the bushes up ahead. Martial Kim was about to catch him, his fingers about to touch the skull and snake tattoo on his back-- ¡°Aagh! H-hel-helppp! Aauuugh!!¡± The woman¡¯s choking noises reminded Martial Kim why he was here, and he quickly turned around to tend to her first! "Miss! Miss, stay with me!" The woman was clawing at a leather belt that cut into her neck, a hangman¡¯s noose. Martial Kim knew what to do: untie the belt of course! However... H-how do you undo this? This is not a knot at all! H-how does this metal and hook clasp work!?! H-how can I remove it from her, without tightening the leather noose! Damn! If only I had my sword...ah wait! Martial Kim reached for under his sleeve, revealing a leather bracelet. They carried a series of acupuncture needles that were about half the length of a finger. Among them was a hidden pocket where he kept a surgical razor, usually applied to cutting wounds to arrows or foreign objects in the body. A slice to the leather and the victim made a big gasp of freedom. No good, her pulse is fading. She suffered too many internal damage. I was too slow to act! Curse it all! The young master drew out a dragon-headed acupuncture needle from his bracelet and inserted it into the woman¡¯s neck. The moment it bit into her meridian, the choking and sputtering soon eased to painless moans and groans. Then, he applied his inner energy into her body through the needles to stabilize her-- E-even my Spiritual Healing Arts is not working!? Not a drop of energy is coming out of my hands!? Impossible, I used this exact art to save Fae Fae from the brink of death! How could this happen? I need to get her to a physician fast, or not even my Dragon Tooth Needles can save her with a miracle! VRRRRRRRRRRM! Martial Kim shuddered at the sudden and vicious roar that pierced the air. A flurry of birds burst from the trees tops, their wild caws and frantic flapping shattering the calm. By the time Martial Kim whipped his head around, the horse-drawn wagon the attacker had fled to was already racing away from the woods. It screeched through the dirt, kicking up a spray of mud, as it galloped off. N-no horses!? H-how can the wagon move without horses to pull it!? I-impossible! The horror overwhelmed the young master, as if a ghost appeared before him. It was only when the ¡®horse-wagon¡¯ was far away, out of sight, and the rumbling faded off, did he regain his wits. Wh-what is happening? What is this world, where wagons need not horses to flee? Ah, focus! I must get the victim to safety! She is my only priority right now! Martial Kim snapped himself out of his stupor, sheathed his sword stick into the back of his belt, and scooped up the wounded woman into his arms. She stirred with pained groans, as if having a nightmare, but she still leaked blood from the corner of her lips. He quickly ran off to the local town...which was...where? "It is going to be alright Miss. We will get through this. Just hang on a little longer!" Even while carrying a burden in his arms, his flying skill was unfettered by the combined weight. He would take off with the victim to find any road that lead to a settlement. Even a house in the wood would do wonders right now, anything to save this poor woman! Trees. Boulders. Rivers. No way in or out! Martial Kim cursed at the situation, but he pressed on. Even as he started to work up a sweat, he dared not give up while a fragile life was hanging in the balance! "...W...wa...wa...t...er....Wa....er." The woman would utter in between leaps, in and out of consciousness. "Water?" wondered Martial Kim. ¡°...Keekee?¡± Strange. Why am I thinking of Keekee right now? Water...water...water bottle...OH! OF COURSE! ¡°Miss, hold on! I know someone who can offer you water ¨C and find help for you!¡± With newfound hope, Martial Kim spurred himself to gallop through the air on his feet and jumps to cross the twisting hills. All the while crying out, ¡°KEEKEE! KEEKEEEEEE! KEEEEKEEEEEEEEEEE! WHERE ARE YOU!?¡± Surely his voice carried across the winding mountains, far and wide. However even as the sands of time continued to drip near empty, he had yet to hear a familiar voice call back to him. ¡°KEEKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!¡± By the time Martial Kim realized his voice was hoarse, a sinking feeling settled in his stomach. No one answered¡ªonly the empty echoes of the mountains. Even when he reached the spot where he''d last seen everyone, he was still searching nonstop. This is their camp, I am sure of it! So why can I not find Keekee? Where is everyone? The wagons, the people¡­ even the Director. Why is this familiar place all empty? Martial Kim was on the verge of collapse. Ridiculous, he thought. This wasn¡¯t the first time he had pushed his body, far beyond that of an average sportsman in the Jade Empire. But he couldn''t deny it¡ªhis knees started to buckle and his shoulders throbbed with pain. It was like the physical training he had cultivated all these years was draining like water through his fingers. Keekee is here. I know it! She said we would meet again. Did they leave already? I cannot give up, not after what this woman has been through. I have to save her¡­ but how¡ªwait¡­ is that a pit of trash? After descending the hill, he stumbled upon a large ditch, filled with discarded debris¡ªleftovers from travelers, campers, or even the people Keekee had worked with. There was all manner of trash, but among it he spotted something familiar: bottles, just like the one Keekee had given him. "W-wait here, miss, I will be right back, I promise!" Martial Kim gently set the victim down before diving into the garbage without a second thought. Sploosh! He waded through the pit, his footsteps rattling the piles of trash as he shoved aside empty bottles one by one. He sank deeper¡ªshin-deep, then knee-deep, then waist-deep. The worst place in the world or not, there¡¯s hope in there. ¡°Yes!¡± Martial Kim finally snatched up a half-crushed bottle, a small pinky-worth of water still filling the bottom. ¡°This should do! Miss, I have water. Here, take¡ªMiss?......Miss?....¡± His bottle of hope slipped from his fingers, the water spilling onto the cold ground. PAVILION - Chapter 6 (Beggar Sect) ...What have I done? It has barely been a day and Martial Kim found himself constantly replaying the events in his head. What could he have done, what should he had done, what more could he salvage to fix the situation. But every time he came to a happy conclusions... The more he realized, it will never happy. The realization was too heavy for him to stand on it, so he collapsed sitting down with his face buried in his dirty hands. I failed her. How could this have happened? What did I do wrong, for her to receive my punishing karma? Everything, I tried everything. Why, why am I the only one left alive right now? Martial Kim had faced death too often, to the point where he developed a thick skin to it all. However, there was something about this one mishap, that stabbed him in the heart deeper than any wound he received in his life as a warrior. I hesitated. I was too slow. Now, it cost her life. Who was she; who was her family; what did life had to offer for her ¨C all gone because I was afraid of repeating a silly mistake. I should have leapt in the moment I saw her suffering. There is no excuse for what happened. Shameful, most shameful. Even when his mind wished for a miracle from the heavens, perhaps a divine entity filled with pity and appearing to revive the poor victim. It seemed, much like most of his cultivation powers, nothing so grandiose was ever going to happen any time soon. Where is this place? How could there not be a village nearby? Or even an Imperial scouting post. Surely there should be some other people living in these mountains?... Martial Kim heaved a heavy sigh, the cold air piercing his throat and lungs, and he glanced at the woman beside him ¨C no longer rolling around in pain. Should I bury her? It is the least I can do, or else the wolves and birds desecrate her body. She deserves a proper burial. The moment I can find proper authorities, or even the magistrate who controls this area, I will report her location... Ah. What do I even write on her grave marker? I cannot call her, the nameless victim. Before Martial Kim could decide what to do next ¨C his sensitive hearing picked up the sound of rustling. Like something moving through the shrubs, stepping on layers of crusted leaves, and a heavy mass heaving up a slope. Definitely not the four legged paws of an animal. Someone is coming? I wonder, who could it be? Keekee? Did she happen to hear me? Soon, a shape climbed over the other end of the trash pit and Martial Kim called out, ¡°Keekee! Is that...Oh? Beggar Sect?¡± The young master came face to face with a man in dirty, rags, and stray hair that fell over like a crown of weeping willow branches. The drifter wore nothing but rags and had a series of colour objects around his head and hanging off his neck - like some kind of crown and scarf. The words POPSI, COCA COOL, EIGHT PLUS, DR. ZIPPER, and so on barely legible with how crushed they were as if stamped to death under a foot. Oh thank the heavens! Martial Kim cheered in his heart. Who would have thought the Beggar Sect would have influence in this region! They have many spies and informants, perhaps I can borrow them to send a message to the nearest town - or call a Judge to dispatch their court constables to collect the victim. "Disciple of the Beggar Sect! I am Martial Kim of Moon Tavern. I seek for your aid! Please send a message to--" "OI YOU! GET OUT OF ME TRASH YA MAGGOT! Beggar Sect my arse!" Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Martial Kim¡¯s eyes widen, "...Wh-what?" The beggar stormed over, wading through the trash like it were his own pool of water, and was waving his fist around in fury! "This is me trash, ya here! Get yer own trash heap! This is mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!" "W-wait. There is a misunderstanding," Martial Kim called out as he tried to approach the beggar, "I mean no disrespect. I need your help. Please contact--" "Get out of ma property or...Oh...Oh...Oh Jesus Christ!" "Wh-who?" "MURDERER! M-MURDERER!" Martial Kim blinked. Did the killer come back!? There us no one behind me. I see neither the killer nor their horseless horse wagon anywhere. It is just us: the woman, him, and myself. Who could the beggar disciple be referring...Oh no. "YOU! M-MURDERER! OH JESUS CHRIST! OR LORD ALMIGHTY! HELP! HEEEELP! MURDEREEEEER!" "W-Wait, Beggar Disciple! There is a misunderstanding! Stop running! I truly seek your aid!" Martial Kim gave chase. He didn''t want to leave the corpse behind like this, but if he didn''t nip this problem in the bud it''s going to grow into more trouble than he hoped for. However, he didn''t expect the beggar to be so quick and nimble. The man just wove through the woods, ducking over and under the roots and scrambling through the logs like some kind of obstacle race course. No doubt he knew the mountains like the back of his hands. Why, why is this happening of all times!? Martial Kim will never know the answer. It was only a matter of time before he lost sight of the beggar, his one hope to asking the right question just vanishing like a rat in the house. When Martial Kim caught himself panting, it was already nightfall. I wasted too much time... Where did I go wrong? What have I done for the woman to bear my sin? Dejected, he would leap back to return to her. Even in his return, he tried to find any sign of life of house in the trees so he could call for local assistance... Nothing. Absolutely-- What is that noise? I-I never heard anything like it! I-its coming towards me mighty fast, but which direction!? A strange shriek wailed through the woods, followed by the radiance of red and blue explosions. Martial Kim watched in horror as this light and noise raced through the forest at high speed, faster than any animal he had ever seen. When he tried to check it out. WIIIIIIIIII-WOOOOOOOOOO! WIIIIIIIIII-WOOOOOOOOOO! WIIIIIIIIII-WOOOOOOOOOO! WIIIIIIIIII-WOOOOOOOOOO! WIIIIIIIIII-WOOOOOOOOOO! Good gods, this howling is inhuman! Out of instinct, he fell flat across the ground in the tall grass, dodging the red and blue light and the pounding shriek that races over him. He felt his heart leapt into his throat with how hard the earth rumble, only to disappear in a flash! A banshee? A demon? Th-the very bark it makes shakes my soul! I need a better look, at a safe distance. Only when the coast was clear, Martial Kim kicked off from his spot in the woods to sail up! Higher and higher until he found a tall tree for him to perch himself upon. A bird¡¯s eye view. Immediately he spotted a single pocket of light up in the deep dark mountains up yonder. Even from afar, he could pick out the shapes of people marching around the trash pit he left behind, all searching through the bushes and garbage pile. Some of them were all peering over the victim¡¯s body, who had been left out open. Martial Kim saw something bright and yellow snake around the field, setting a flashing border between light and dark. Meanwhile, the others seemed to follow the instructions of a bald man, who coordinated efforts to search the lite forest for what the young master believed to be evidence. Are they locals? How could they live this deep in the mountain when I could see no village within miles. What are they all doing to the woman... Such odd uniforms, not that I notice them. Oh? They are examining the body... I wonder, are they the local constabulary? Did the Beggar Disciple tip them off? Questions filled his mind, but it wasn¡¯t enough to distract him from the shame and guilt of what happened today. The young master knew, a single mistake could topple an entire formation of trust and confidence...just that, he had yet to experience the bitter defeat until now. The more he watched these ¡®constables¡¯ do their work, the more he developed a sour taste in his mouth. ¡°...Forgive me, Miss.¡± Martial Kim whispered into the dark. Knowing he had done more than enough damage, the young master decided to part ways here and flew into the darkness. It was best, to leave the case in proper hands. ¡°May the gods guide you to the killer, constables.¡± PAVILION - Chapter 7 (Forensic Stone) "Hmm? Did anyone call me?" Forensic Chemist Professor Stone looked around the scene of the crime amidst the wash of powered lights shining the pocket of space around him. He glanced at every one of his teammates in the forensic unit, all of them head down or eyes on other matters around them, barely any time or mood to hold idle conversation. So, Professor Stone shrugged and turned his head back at the situation around him. Still, he can¡¯t help but feel a small shiver run down his spine as he adjusted his gloves, ¡°...That¡¯s what you get when coming to a murder scene in the middle of the night. Just the wind. It is just, the wind.¡± The stench of the trash pit right next to him was of no concern. He was used to it in the line of work. Besides, his attention was already drawn to the corpse lying some distance beside it, laid on her back with hands on her stomach. Looked like she was taking a nap, so peaceful despite the danger around her. Alas, her ¡®nap¡¯ was mostly interrupted as the coroner kept examining her face, hands and fingers, and especially the vicious purple bruise coiled around her slender and twisted neck. He was about to talk to the coroner, until someone intercepted him. ¡°Oi, Stone, you¡¯re forensic. I¡¯m the detective. I think it¡¯s clear who needs to do what right now, right?¡± ¡°Evening, Detective Fraulein,¡± Professor Stone chuckled, ¡°Can¡¯t help it, I like being curious.¡± ¡°God dammit Stone stop smirking. I regret spoiling you too much. Stop pretending like you¡¯re in charge!¡± Professor Stone came across a Detective Fraulein, who appeared by pinching the bridge of her nose for various reason. One look at the victim as the coroner put the body in a bag changed her mood entirely. ¡°Third victim this month,¡± She shook her head, her voice dropping from irritated to appalled, ¡°Sick bastard is almost everywhere in this mountain.¡± Professor Stone hummed, ¡°Now, now, Detective Fraulein. Let¡¯s not jump to conclusions. We don¡¯t know if this is actually the same guy, or some glorified copycat either idolizing the guy or using his crimes as a smoke screen for a separate murder.¡± ¡°Come on, Stone, look at her. Look ¨C at ¨C her! Belt wound around the neck is undeniable, I recognize those markings! The beatings, the damages ¨C you can never mistaken an M.O. like that!¡± ¡°While I agree with you Detective Fraulein, there is one thing I would like to note even though it is preliminary. Do you notice just how clean this place looks?¡± Detective Fraulein rolled her eyes, ¡°What the hell are you on about? There¡¯s a trash pit only five steps away, leaves and tree crap all over. What is your definition of clean!?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°Stoooooone!¡± ¡°Do you see any sign of struggling?¡± Professor Stone gestured a hand around him. ¡°Assuming it is the same guy, the victim would be thrashing and fighting for their life when they are strangled alive. Do you see heel scraps in the dirt, do you see marks of fingers raking the ground. Hell, even the leaves look like they¡¯ve been here all morning and untouched.¡± Detective Fraulein looked around, scowling, ¡°Are you suggesting this isn¡¯t the first scene of the crime? Impossible, the first two victim were always found where they were strangled. Up in the mountains and whatever. Barely a mess, always cleaned up. Never a trace of evidence left behind. Always chasing after a ghost.¡± ¡°Something about this feels different, Detective Fraulein. What if¡ª¡± The detective just waved a hand to stop all the noise so she could massage the pain out of her temples. Getting the idea, Professor Stone kept his theories to himself. Another day, or at least next morning. Still he chanced to ask, ¡°Any witnesses?¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°What do you think? This is the middle of nowhere. This place is far away from any regular hiking trail so of course there be nobody! It¡¯s the perfect place to commit murder in broad daylight even!¡± ¡°Except for the beggar who called us.¡± "...Right..." Detective Fraulein pinched her nose, for a good reason. "You. Beggar. Are you SURE there was no body here when you left?" A certain beggar wearing a garland of crushed pop cans was detained by several officers on site. When asked, he stamped his foot as if he was called a child out of the blue. ¡°I keep tellin ya, there ain¡¯t no body when I left to piss! This is my trash, my land! Ain¡¯t nobody tresspassin while I¡¯m alive! Hell, just the other day I gave a random squatter a black eye and told him to stay out!¡± "Can you at least tell us what happened? When you did stumble on the body? About this guy you mentioned on the phone." "Oh! Came out of no where, that creepo! Carrying that body over there to my property like luggage! I be like: who does he think he is!? I tried to scare him off, I did, but then I be seein that woman - dead - I panicked. He killed her, he had her blood all over him, I swear it! E-even tried to kill me! Chased me down through the woods, he did! Like some Angel of vengeance!" "Oh for the love of--" Detective Fraulein groaned, "English man! Do you speak it!?" "H-hold on Detective," Professor Stone stepped in with a peaceful smile and asked the beggar, "Hi. Good sir. Mind telling us more, about this Angel of vengeance?" The beggar be flapping his arms, eyes wider than saucers, "Wh-why he was dressed in white, like a cloud! He was all gucked up in red and dirt as if he just marched out of a battle with hell itself! Hair as long and black as snakes of charcoal! A-and he flew!" Professor Stone raised a brow, "...Flew?" "Ye, ye! Angel of vengeance! Kept crying out th-that I be a Disciple of a Beggar God. H-he tried to seek me to ask for aide, to redeem me-self and my evil ways! Kept coming after me like a bat out of hell! N-never seen a man fly like that!" "...Flew?" Detective Fraulein snapped again, "This is a waste of time. This guy is either drunk or delusional." "No, no, NO!" The beggar stamped his feet some more and slapped his palm to his head like some enraged gorilla, "You ain''t listening! This angel kept chasing me through the mountain nonstop! It was only did I ducked under a tree root did-did he miss me! H-he''s still out there, up in them mountains! P-probably taking lives like the reaper!...Jesus, he''s probably waiting for me! Oh Jesus, Oh Lawd! C-can ye all t-take me into protective custody or something!? I-I can testify against this angel!" ¡°Angel or reaper, make up your mind!¡± Professor Stone lunged to keep Detective Fraulein from tearing a new a new on into the beggar. While calming her down, he struggled to re-assure everyone, "W-we''ll consider your offer. Might even give you a good citizen reward for your help! Hahahahaah! Excuse us, we have some uh details to discuss." It was only did he pull the detective away for some privacy, did he soften his tone, "Detective, breathe. Breathe. I''ll treat you to coffee for your up and coming all nighter. Okay?" ¡°That beggar wasn¡¯t making a lick of sense!¡± Detective Fraulein howled, ¡°First angels of vengeance, mountain reapers ¨C what next? Aliens from another galaxy riding in a spaceship resembling a phone booth!?¡± ¡°Whoa now, let¡¯s slow down for a bit. Just a bit.¡± ¡°Slow down? Slow down!? How can I slow down, Stone? This is the third victim, the THIRD victim! The serial killer is getting out of hand! We have to hunt him down fast and stop him, before there is a victim number four, five, six, seven, and so on!¡± ¡°If it makes you feel any better, Detective Fraulein, I¡¯ll have my team work around the clock and update you with ANYTHING we find to be useful. I can say with confidence, we already got something good.¡± Detective Fraulein perked her eyebrow, ¡°Good? What do you mean? The killer rarely left anything before. He¡¯s too careful.¡± Professor Stone held up a couple of evidence bags, ¡°Found some hair that doesn¡¯t belong to the victim. And this water bottle seems to have some finger prints. It looks old, my guess it came from that trash pit over. But we got lucky¡ª¡± ¡°How can we be lucky with a trashed water bottle? Could have anyone¡¯s finger prints on it. Hell even the beggar¡¯s.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just it. There was a rain show some time ago. If what the beggar said is true, about not letting anyone near his place, there is a chance any old fingerprints on this bottle prior the murder were cleaned off by the rain. Most likely any fingerprints we find now, could be narrowed down around the time of the murder. Again, I¡¯ll get the labs to find any matches that could help us.¡± ¡°...Make it so, Stone. Make it so.¡± PAVILION - Chapter 8 (Angel of Vengeance) Martial Kim didn''t open his eyes when the morning light came. To be honest, he didn''t get any chance to sleep. Rather, he felt shameful to sleep after what just happened the previous day. He instead spent the whole night punishing himself with meditation on a rock. He tried to replay the events of what happened, what could he have done to have saved the poor woman. Every simulation in his head was perfect. Every ending was a happy one. He even went as far as seeing her healed and recovering by a local physician, imagining what voice she would have when she said ¡®thank you.¡¯ But the more happiness he gave this dead victim, the more he knew she would never experience it. I failed her. I truly failed her. I should have never came here. I should have never bothered walking home. I should have taken a horse and went straight back to the Capital like a normal person. He didn''t blame the twin moons, or the mysterious teahouse servant with the heavy wine. Those were his choices to pursue them, thus he had no right to push the shame on others even if it would make him live easier. The Master eats more grains of salt, than a disciple eats a grain of rice. This bitter experience cuts my heart to deep. I truly wish, it was just some play acting and she sat up to fix her make up like the skull warriors... Hopeful thinking to ease my burden, huh? Martial Kim let out a deep sigh. It was best to find his way home as soon as-- "SOMEBODY! HELP MEEEEEEEEE!" Ah. The voice still haunts me. She is calling from the beyond to seek retribution and... Wait. Why does that voice sound familiar?
Keekee wished she had been more serious with her self-defense classes. She paid good money to learn the best from the best, but no amount of excuses can deny her lack of motivation to practice on her own time. Now, she was caught in a situation exactly like a classroom scenario. Three men surrounded her, popping out from trees and bushes in the mountains, armed with daggers and switch knives. They were dulled with seasoned experience and rusted from countless of victories. The last thing Keekee want, was to be another notch on those blades. "Alright, hand it over," one of the bandits smirked, waving his serrated dagger, "Keys, purse, phone, credit card. Everything. come on we ain''t go all day!" "O-okay! Okay! D-don''t rush me!" Keekee scrambled to unload everything shiny and expensive on her person. Why, or why did she forget to bring her pepper spray of all times! Maybe she can try to stab them with a pen...but then again, yeah no. It''s not like she is a retired assassin who can kill with just a pencil ¨C a freaking pencil! The bandits all watch her drop everything into a pile in the grass. They would have picked it up, but their eyes were distracted else where. "Hey, bro." One of the whispered to the other, "Check out dat ass." Keekee was forced to undo the bracelet on her ankle, so of course she had to crouch down. And Wow did she look good from above angle, in the mind of the bandits. With practiced glances, they changed their plans. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! One of them went, "Alright girl, strip. Right here right--DON''T YOU RUN FROM US GIRLY!" NOPE! NOPE! NOPE! NOPE! "GYAAAAH!" Keekee screamed as loud as she could, only for a blur to tackle into her gut. These men must have had experience in doing this. In one fell swoop, they clapped her mouth shut, gripped her hands, and picked her up by the ankle, swinging her about like a heavy sack. It was like they rehearsed this so many times it became second nature. Just as they were going to toss her into a pile of grass as a bed, Keekee prayed for God to help her. "HOLY SH--" "WHAT THE!" "AAAAAAAGH!" The angel glided down the road and swung his sword-stick around, to guide the hundreds of leaves he brought with him in his wake. They scattered like a flock of violent ravens, cutting and blinding the three bandits in a flash! With expert strikes, he punched them in the face with thrusts of his sword-stick. Keekee squeaked when she felt someone grip onto her, kindly and firmly, before she screamed when a gale blew her off her feet. "K-KIM! I-IS THAT YOU!?" Martial Kim used one of the swordplay techniques in Dance of the Moon Sage ¨C Fleeting Clouds in the Moon Wind. It involved twirling his blade around like a twisting fan, kicking up the winds to build up a series of swirling cyclones, and blasting his enemies away with a battle-top spin! Even without his stick touching, the force was enough to sweep the bandits flying as if a bomb went off at their feet. They quickly got up, picking up their daggers. With numbers on their side, they lunged. "Bastard, we''ll gut you luck a fi--OOOF!!?" Martial Kim twisted his body around to let one bandit to collide with another. He even kicked out his foot to trip them, so both of their daggers collide but avoid stabbing each other in the faces. Keekee clung onto him for dear life. She wasn''t a stunt woman! She didn''t sign up for this! Yet she found herself flipping and flailing around in Martial Kim''s arms like some kind of complex choreography on wires! The young master used her momentum to send kicks into the bandits chest as he countered another behind him with a palms strike. Suddenly she felt his grip on her waist tighten. "No no no no, wait wait wait wai--KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" The world flipped upside down for Keekee as she buried her scream in Martial Kim''s chest. The wake of actions kicked off the bandit''s chin to send them flailing over their heads and heels. Only one of them survived that attack and tried to charge with the howl of a madman, brandishing his serrated dagger with both hands! Martial Kim rolled his eyes ¨C and stamped his foot into the ground to glide backwards. FOOOSH! Keekee''s screams were shoved into her throat when she felt something akin to a truck yank them in reverse by stunt wires. Wh-what was this guy, a ghost!? The bandit screeched in his mind. What was suppose to be a three step gap turned into 20 steps in a blink of an eye. Only for Martial Kim to kick off a tree behind him and fly back like a shooting arrow. 20 steps closed into 0 in another blink! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! A fencer''s flurry came at the bandit, the sword-stick slapping his face around like a mob of 100 angry women. Bruises and cuts ripped across the mans'' face before one drop kick sent him flipping. A crash, and he bowled over his companions - making them all tumble down a steep hill like marbles. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Was all they could say as their screams faded down the hill, buried into the trees below. Martial Kim floated down with Keekee to the ground, to let her stand on her two feet. He flipped his sword in resting position behind his arm as he powered down his inner energy with an exhale. "Miss Keekee are you... um." Keekee was clinging onto Martial Kim for dear life, as if she was still hanging off a cliff. Face paler than a bed sheet, eyes unable to blink, and her knees shaking nonstop. She really wasn''t cut out for stunt work. PAVILION - Chapter 9 (Angels Friend) "Miss Keekee, some water." "O-oh thank you so much Kim." GULP GULP GULP GULP! "OOOOOH! My god. I never knew river water tasted, cough so good!" Keekee finally felt like she landed on ground zero. Her soul had been drifting in the clouds from what happened, so feeling anchored on land really made her believe she was still alive. Her heart was still racing though, but she didn''t know if it was from the fact she just got mugged and nearly raped - or dragged flying around like a stunt double in a violent action movie. "Oh. Oh god." She gasped as she fanned herself with a maple leaf she was given to drink water from like a cup. ¡°Thank you, Kim. Y-you''re a life saver!¡± Martial Kim simply nodded...because he couldn''t make eye contact with her. Especially when the top of her clothing was torn wider. It showed a lot of skin, too much for someone as reserved and mild-mannered as the young master. So he kept his eyes on his surroundings, as if pretending to be vigilant for another attack. "Oh...Oh man...that was just too close¡± Keekee sighed with relief, ¡°...Hold up. Kim, where have you been!?" Remembering something, Keekee rushed up to Martial Kim. The latter politely stepped away, because of her torn clothing in his eyes: she was essentially considered naked. So every time she tried to hop around to make eye contact, he had to be rude and avert his gaze. "The Director had been looking all over for you!? He thought I made you mad and you walked out on the production!... D-did I make you mad? Please tell me what I did wrong to offend you?" Martial Kim shook his head, because it was difficult to look at her when cleavage was visibly showing. She was, after all, a very beautiful and attractive lady in her youthful prime. Keekee wiped the sweat off her brow, ¡°Oh phew. I-I seriously thought th-that I pissed you off with something I said... Wait. If that isn¡¯t the case, why are you still here in the mountains? N-not sure if you got the memo or text, but the film crew already packed up to do indoor shots back in the studio.¡± So, that is why I could not find her and her camp. They left before I even knew it. What terrible timing. I wonder, if they had still been there ¨C would that woman still be alive? ¡°Kim, are you okay? D-did I say something to upset you again?¡± Martial Kim lacked the energy to respond and simply shook his head once more. ¡°By the way, Kim,¡± Keekee¡¯s tone changed while she took a closer look at her friend, ¡°How come you are still in costume?¡± Costume? These are my usual clothing. Much like yours, albeit...less revealing. ¡°Didn¡¯t you return it? To the Director¡¯s wife? You know she handles costume management and the cleaning and¡ªOh god. Wh-what did you do to yourself? Th-the costume is ruined, mud and dirt all over. She¡¯s going to have a heart attack in removing these stains!...Uh...urk¡ªEEW! Wh-why do you smell like you swam through trash!? Did the Director force you to do another weird stunt before you left camp!?¡± ...A lot of things happened... Wait. If everyone has gone, what about Keekee? ¡°Huh? Kim? Wh-why are you staring at me? Is there something on my face...Oh why am I still here? Ah.¡± Keekee staggered about on the spot, trying to gather the right words, ¡°Well uh...long stupid story short... The Director kinda lost his watch in one of his previous shooting somewhere up there. Said it was limited edition ¨C blah blah ¨C said it had sentimental value ¨C blah blah ¨C said don¡¯t come back without his watch or I won¡¯t have a job to return to...I know. I¡¯m pretty stupid huh.¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Of course not,¡± Martial Kim replied, not knowing what else better to say. Somehow, it was enough to lift Keekee¡¯s spirit back up the mountain in her spirit, ¡°S-still. My god, Kim. Y-you¡¯re an absolute mess! I-I don¡¯t get it. Why haven¡¯t you gone home?¡± Martial Kim had over 100 ways to answer such a simple question. The fact there were too many fighting to be first, most of them feeling too outlandish for this situation, did he hesitate to respond. Somehow, the silence itself gave Keekee a brand new answer, ¡°Oh...Oh Kim...Could it be you?¡± ¡°???¡± ¡°...Suicide?¡± Martial Kim had an incredulous look on his face, "I beg your pardon, Miss Keekee?" The film assistant shuddered as she spoke. "Th-these mountains, they have a lot of suicide cases. It happens nearly every year. People wandering off into the woods to hang themselves, found years later withered in a ditch...or never found at all... Kim, d-did something terrible happen for you to--¡± "Miss Keekee, there is a misunderstanding." "Y-you say that, but look at you! Lost and alone! Not caring how dirty you got! A-and you were so hungry and thirsty when we first met. I-if I didn¡¯t know better, I would have believed you were trying to starve yourself to death!¡± N-no, I just...I was not able to get my mind straight of what was happening. ¡°At first, I thought you were just exhausted,¡± Keekee continued, ¡°I honestly thought the Director pushed you too hard, he always does and it drives people mad. I should have asked, if you were alright back then. If-if I had known sooner¡ª¡± ¡°Miss Keekee, hear me out¡ª¡± ¡°And you were so, so, sooo sad.¡± Ah. I see why she could be lead to such conclusion. The evidence itself is pretty much damning. However, how do I tell her the assumptions are all wrong. I am just far away from home lost in these foreign mountains. Martial Kim was so distracted with his inner thoughts, he never realized Keekee swept his one hand in hers. She cupped them in her palms, warming his tired and bruised fingers and making sure she squeezed hard enough for her heart¡¯s thoughts to get across his own like a telegraph. It also made the mild mannered martial artist ¨C turn beat red. ¡°Kim. Is it money problems? Did a girlfriend dump you? Bad divorce? Terrible luck with your acting career? What happened?¡± ¡°M-Miss Keekee. M-my hand. Please let go.¡± ¡°I-I was in a bad place...more or less like you.¡± The revelation hammered silence into the young master. Keekee held his hand close, her tone shaking, ¡°I had friends and family to get me through the hard time. I was lucky. But I know some people who weren¡¯t that fortunate. And honestly, there was nothing I could do to have convinced them... I don¡¯t want to repeat my mistakes, not when I am seeing the signs again, playing out in front of me like this.¡± Repeat her mistake...Why does this ring so true with me. How I failed that woman back in the mountains. The victim of a murder... Ah. I finally see now. Even Keekee, wishes to redeem herself like me. Am I even worthy of her sympathy? Keekee ended up flapping one hand about, it seems she lost track of what she wanted to say and was sweeping up words to get her message across, ¡°I-I know we haven¡¯t met long and I don¡¯t even know your number. I...What you need right now, is a friend to get you through the bad times! So, let¡¯s be friends! I mean, you are a suuuper nice guy Kim! So kind and polite ¨C I mean, no one calls me Miss like you do! A-and you rescued me just like 10, 20, 30 minutes ago, I-I forgot. I...I...Friends! You and me! How about it!?¡± Do I deserve your friendship? Martial Kim internally sighed to himself, After what has happened, I will only become a burden... But...how do I reject her, while she has those eyes of a lost stray kitten? "...Miss Keekee." "Yes? Yes buddy!?" "I am sorry but we should not........I mean: I accept. Let us be friends." Never would the young master realize, such a simple promise would lead him even further away from home and all that he believed in. PAVILION - Chapter 10 (Angels Bike) Martial Kim breathed a sigh of relief when Keekee showed him the way. It only took a few turns and steps for her, to guide him to an open road on top of a hill. They reached a clearing on the edge, a bit of a respite. There were stone benches and a couple of tables carved out of stone that had a good view of the landscape below. Just standing there alone, he could see what appeared to be a small town... The houses in the village are strange. No slanted roofs or towers. Why do they all look like boxes? And the light shining from them? How powerful are their lanterns - even in broad daylight? While Martial Kim was astonished of the grand view, Keekee''s attention was elsewhere. "Oh thank god, it''s still here! I thought those bastard stole that too!" Bike? An odd name for a horse...wait, that is no horse! Martial Kim came upon a strange contraption that Keekee seemed to faun over. It had two wheels with flimsy metal wires and a skeletal structure that did not at all resemble any animal physiology. It carried two horns, but no skull. Having never seen anything like it, he could only stare in fascination as Keekee guided this thing over as easy as a pony. "Man, if they took away my bike, it would be suuuch a drag to walk down the mountain on foot...Kim? What''s wrong? Is there something on my face?" What is that thing? Was what he wanted to ask. However, seeing Keekee being so intimate and unbothered by the strange designs, made him believe this may have been something as second nature as a pet dog or wheel barrow. To avoid looking like a fool, he swallowed his question back into his gut. "Oh! You''re worried, can my bike carry two people? Yeah, I''ve done it before. I doubt you''re THAT heavy!" She then proceeded to mount it. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Good grief! If only she had a skirt on, then she need not spread her leg before me in such an obscene manner! H-how can she be so calm, opening her legs in front of a man she just met!? "You okay Kim? You look red, you hot or something. You know, you can take off your costume if you want.¡± H-how? Wh-why would I strip myself in front of you? Only villains would do that! I-it is improper! I would rather die of heat stroke than to look unsightly in front of a maiden like yourself! "Ah, I see. You''re like, one of the shy types. I mean, I kinda wanna see your abs a bit - since you can do stunt without wires and all--Joke. Joke. I''m kidding. You''re really cute when flustered!" Please, dear maiden, do not make such a reckless tease! "Hop on!" Keekee patted the flat basket of a carrier on the back of her ''bike''. It was thin, but long enough for someone to sit on it. In which, Martial Kim was wary. "Come ooon. Don''t be chickeeeeeeen!" Well I never... Fine. After hiding an indignant huff under his breath, Martial Kim graciously sat on it like a chair. "Alright, off we go! Pishoooooo!" "!!!!!" The second the bike shook and rattled forward, Martial Kim hopped off out of reflex! "Wh-what! Hey! K-Kim, d-don''t do that out of a sudden! I nearly fell over!... You afraid of bikes or what?" More like, I am concerned about your riding skills. This is nothing like riding a horse! This...thing has two wheels lined up, not four proper legs! "Tell you what," Keekee grinned, "Hop on and I''ll be careful, okay? You can even hug me if you want, to keep yourself stable. I don''t mind!" Wh-what? Hug you? Like a passenger on a horse? Absolutely not! A gentlemen cannot touch a refined lady such as yourself. Th-the dishonor I-I would bring to your reputation! Worse case scenario, doing so would make me obliged to marry you! I am not ready for that! "Hehehehe. Someone''s blushiiiiiiing¡ªI-I joke. I joke! I¡¯m sorry! D-don¡¯t give me that mad face, i-it¡¯s super scary you know!" PAVILION - Chapter 11 (Cabins Light) "She''ll be coming around the mountain when she cooomes~! She''ll be coming around the mountain when she cooomes~~" "M-Miss Keekee, p-please keep your eyes o-on the road. Please!" Despite how ''steady'' Keekee had been during this ''bike'' ride, it was clear Martial Kim was not a fan of this mode of transportation. Every now and then the bike would sway, buck, or even hop over a small pot hole on the side of the road, making the gears and frame heave and hiss. Martial Kim could feel the bones in his body rattling every time the bike hit something and he gripped his fingers into the metal frame out of reflex. No amount of balance and flying skills he cultivated could ease the terror in his heart from this simple bike trip. "There it is, right there! You see it Kim?" "A-are you expecting someone? Coming around the mountain?" "Wh-what? N-no. I mean that''s my grandmother''s place up there! See!" Keekee pointed off into the distance where there was this log cabin of some sort isolated on a cozy, if not neglected, hill near an acre of land and trees. Tall grass waved at them in the breeze, hiding whatever path that lead to the front steps. A long white fence snaked around the area, its white scales peeling off from time and weather. Upon closer inspection, part of the log cabin had tarps covering the roof and weight down by rocks or bolted planks. Martial Kim didn''t even need to use any soul detecting skills to see if anyone lived there. It was as convincing as a ghost town. Yet, Keekee never hesitated to ride through everything and up to the front door. In fact, she looked incredibly excited, as if wanting to show off something about it. "Ta-daaa! My grandma''s cabin! It''s old, like super old. Been in her family like waaaay back, if you can imagine. Why, this was the first building ever to be made before a town developed near...uh... Sorry, I''m rambling. Y-you look tired and need to sit down." More like shaken by your ¡®bike¡¯. Next time, I will choose to walk on my own two feet if it meant my heels will bleed. Aaagh. My back. I feel like an old man in just less than an hour! Martial Kim watched in curiosity as Keekee pulled out a type of key he had never seen before. Back home, they are usually long metal or brass sticks that side into the slide of an exterior lock, to release two door frames to open. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Here, it was just a stab the gut of the door, twist the innards, squeeze this metal orb, and the door keeled open like a carved tuna. It looked complicated in his eyes, but for Keekee it was as easy as counting. ¡°Come on in Kim! Don¡¯t be shy! Not like my grandma is gonna bite you are anything!¡± ...Is your grandmother a code name for a guard hound? Keekee would gesture Martial Kim to enter and he...stumbled. Oof! Wh-what did I hit? Ow, my head! Sunlight is still out, yet this place is incredible dark. Perhaps, I should help and light some candles on her table or so. It is the least I can-- Click. OH! H-HOW DID THE SUN APPEAR ABOVE OUR HEADS!? WH-WHY IS IT SO SMALL!? Keekee clapped her hands of the dust before closing the door behind her. She would then go around the room, waving her hand to flick something across the wall. One by one, more light blinked on ¨C bright and burning the darkness away ¨C with only the movement of a single finger. H-how is she doing this? Does she possess enough inner energy, to produce light? Impossible? ¡°Sorry if it¡¯s a bit dim,¡± Keekee said as she opened the windows to let the air in, ¡°Too lazy to change the light bulbs to fluorescent, but not like the new stuff fit the ceiling lamps and whatever. If you get me.¡± Ceiling lamps? I-I do not see any lamp or lantern above...she meant the tiny floating ball of sun? How is she doing this? Martial Kim had to protect his eyes with a hand, to block out the blinding rays that were stronger than a soft candle. He had to squint to figure to examine his surroundings and watch how Keekee manipulated this light. Meanwhile Keekee would relax as she felt the outside breeze fill the interior with cool air, ¡°Make yourself at home, Kim!...Oh uh, you can leave your shoes at the door! Yeah right there!¡± Take off my shoes? Do you not only do so, when you are about to go into bed for the night? The floors can be dirty and dusty, even if there are servants to sweep the grounds back home... Hmm, perhaps it is a custom here. Might as well abide. ¡°Wow, Kim. Like, I know you¡¯re still wearing our costume ¨C but I didn¡¯t expect you to have been walking in prop shoes. Don¡¯t your feet hurt? They look like just thick socks with a foam padding on the bottom. You need to sit¡ª¡° Click?...Click?...ClickClickClickClickClickClickClickClick~! ¡°Huh? Ki-Kim? C-could you stop playing with the lights? Th-they¡¯re going to burn out if you keep switching them on and off!¡± Fascinating. Most fascinating! To think such a simple flick of my finger on this tiny switch, could light everything more convenient than a hundred candles! I wonder, what other magnificent tricks and abilities does she and this house possess!? I am dying to find out! PAVILION - Chapter 12 (Cabins Photo) "What did you mean by that, Miss Keekee? About your grandmother not biting?" "Oh. Because she''s dead." "...I am sorry for your loss." Martial Kim bowed, but Keekee wave it off with a light smile. She would wander around the cabin, picking up stray pieces of clothing and...other articles of cloth ¨C cough ¨C before the young master, a health young man, would notice them. ¡°It¡¯s all good,¡± Keekee laughed while shoving her things into a random drawer, ¡°She passed on like, a looong time ago. I mean...the moment when mom and dad put her in a long term care home ¨C we kinda knew her time would come.¡± ¡°Again. I am sorry to hear that.¡± ¡°...Thanks Kim! Th-that¡¯s really nice of you!¡± Why did she punch my arm? Did I say something to offend her? Rather, it was a light hit. Perhaps, she was joking? Such an odd gesture. Martial Kim¡¯s gaze would look at the walls, the foreign furniture, and everything that gave this small cabin in the woods a sense of life, ¡°Were you close to her?¡± ¡°Oh yes, very much!¡± Keekee chirped like a bird in a cage, ¡°Most of my childhood consists of me sneaking out of home while my parents bicker and crashing at my grandma¡¯s place...You know, having fun with her and stuff. Thinking back, almost every day was a carefree adventure with her ¨C straight out of a fantasy book! She had a horse, owned an acre of land, trailed the mountains and...Well you get the gist! Hahahaha!¡± She took in a deep breath, hands on her hips to add, ¡°My parents haven¡¯t yet found a buyer for this place like for eons, so I usually like to come over here to stay for the night. I mean, it¡¯s better than camping outdoors whenever my studio do exterior filming. You know?¡± Martial Kim nodded as he listened carefully. Meanwhile, his eyes were caught on several peculiar furniture. ¡°These are?¡± ¡°These are what?¡± Keekee wondered while in the middle of something, ¡°Oh! The stove and dishwasher? Hah. Yeah, I know, they totally don¡¯t match this Wild West vibe the house gives off. Grandma liked to do everything by hand, even chopped up the firewood herself and use it to cook with those antique iron top furnace you see in old movies. Buuuut, age and my dad nagging her to upgrade made her jam some modern appliances to make life easier. At least you don¡¯t have to worry about starting a fire by clapping rocks and sticks like a caveman! Hahaha!¡± ...Should I be offended, or amazed? I have no clue. The young master touched his hands across the ¡®appliances¡¯ as Keekee referred to them, his finger rubbing over these strange knobs and dials that look out of place in his eyes. He thought about trying them out, maybe testing how they turn, but something hanging on the wall across from him drew him away. ¡°Incredible! Your grandmother is a talented artist!¡± ¡°A-artist? Uh...She doesn¡¯t paint, she can¡¯t even draw to save her life.¡± ¡°You say that, Miss Keekee. Yet do you not see this wonderful collection of her paintings!?¡± Martial Kim examined the walls with eyes sparkling with delight, ¡°Why, all of these are of you! You must hold a special place in your grandmother¡¯s heart, to be her ideal model in every one of them!¡± ¡°Huh?...Oh! You mean her photographs! Wh-why didn¡¯t you say so!?¡± ¡°...Ph...photo what?¡± Keekee skipped by the young master and picked up a framed photograph hanging off the wall. It was the classic black and white, yellowed with age. Many of them had a beautiful woman in a leather jacket, rugged travelling jeans, and an exotic cowboy hat sitting on her long flowing hair. She could be found standing next to ancient planes, giant monuments, strange statues, even hanging off trees so gnarled they could never be found in a cityscape. One by one, Keekee shared them with her new friend. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°She looooves photography, always did it wherever she roamed! She brought along this old fashion camera along her trips, the type where you need this pitch black room to develop them! Old school!¡± ¡°...Old...school?... Wait. Are you saying, this young woman is your¡ª¡± ¡°Yep. Grandma! In her hayday!¡± Martial Kim couldn¡¯t resist a gasp, ¡°Sh-she is beautiful!¡± Keekee snickered at she rub her hands over he frame as if touching a familiar face, ¡°Wait till you see her wedding photos. Belle of the ball!¡± ¡°Why, she looks like you. Practically a mirror image. The resemblance is just...incredible!¡± ¡°...Uh-huhhahn.¡± Keekee made a weird noise as she blushed, because she combined ¡®beautiful¡¯ grandma and resembled ¡®her¡¯ together in her head somehow, ¡°I uh...er...uahwah...Huahhdnahn¡± While Keekee had an emotional overload, Martial Kim pondered to himself. This photography art style, drawn in a dark room without the aid of a candle? Incredible! Not even the top painters serving the Emperor could make such convincing human visage. I cannot fathom them ever perfecting the human face with their best of skills. The precision is beyond this world ¨C my world for that matter! It is like...I am looking directly at this real person, showing me an excited smile, not some facsimile on a canvas. How is this art style possible? The young master was snapped back into reality when Keekee cleared her throat to compose herself, ¡°Grandma travelled like a LOT. Why, she practically quit college and ran away from home, just so she could see all the splendors in the world while she was young. Took nothing but some clothes in her school bag and her lucky cowboy hat. Spent her whole life, wandering from one place to another; eating, sleeping, doing oddjobs on the road. Didn¡¯t stop, not until she ran into grandpa...literally with a pick up truck. That¡¯s why he always had that limp, and he was so proud of it ¨C much to grandma¡¯s cringe. Hahahah!¡± The film assistant had this dreamy smile as she gazed upon the many photos, ¡°Every time I visited, she would tell me her stories. How she lived in her travels; where she went and what she ate; and what friends she made...and lost along the way.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°See this, Kim! There she is, top of the Pyramids of Egypt, with a view of the Great Nile!; Her climbing up the back of Mount Everest!; Her friends she made while venturing through ruins of an ancient Aztec Empire!; Oh oh, there she is see!... N-no, not the Statue of Liberty, she¡¯s right up on that torch the statue is holding! Yeah, up there! Squint reaaaal good!¡± This grandmother of hers, reminds me of a youth stepping into the great martial arts world. The excitement, life and death struggles, and the allies and enemies you make along the path one would cultivate. All for the sake of making a name for themselves, to become legends... and to find themselves within the carefree world. It seems no matter what world it is, wanderlust never truly dies. Hahaha. Martial Kim¡¯s astonishment filled the room with peaceful silence. Although he couldn¡¯t grasp the concept of these ¡®photos¡¯, or how they could be made, somehow each picture told him a thousand stories. The emotions the grandmother must have felt, achieving the highest of high and the lowest of low. Crawling, climbing, flying, swimming, all of it. Free, like an unfettered immortal, Martial Kim thought to himself. ¡°Um...Kim.¡± ¡°Oh? Yes Miss Keekee?¡± ¡°L-look. I know you had a hard day, maybe a rough week. I know you are in a need of a shower but..M...mind if I?¡± ¡°...You?¡± ¡°M-mind if I shower first? W-we only got one bathroom a-and well, I fell in mud when those muggers back in the mountain tried to...you know.¡± ¡°Ah. Of course. Ladies fir¡ª¡± ¡°Oh thanks a billion, Kim! So chivalrous of you! I¡¯ll be real quick!¡± It is not a matter of chivalry. This cabin is essentially your residence. Martial Kim stifled a chuckle as he watched Keekee eagerly grab some clothing and skipped into the next room. He considered passing the time by browsing more of the grandmother¡¯s photos, but a thought suddenly struck him. ¡°Miss Keekee, shall I boil some water for your bath? May I use your¡ª" Slam. Click. Clack. The door locked. ¡°...Bucket and kettle...¡± He finished his sentence to no one, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Hmm.¡± Scratching his cheek thoughtfully, he mused, I wonder if Miss Keekee is still in shock from the bandit incident. Perhaps I should prepare the hot water in advance. When she comes to her senses, the water would be warm enough for her. I honestly cannot imagine a cold wash to clean oneself, even in this strange new world. Little did Martial Kim know, a rival he could never hope to defeat awaited him in this very cabin. PAVILION - Chapter 13 (Cabins Bath) Martial Kim lost track of time when he returned to the cabin. He had been making frequent trips to and fro the nearest river, dragging and hauling a wooden bucket he found in the cabin¡¯s shed. Good grief, he mourned in his heart, Who ever thought preparing a bath by themselves would be this difficult. Even in my youth, I always paid an inn staff or tavern servants to prep the bath for me. When I return to my homeland, I truly cannot take small luxuries like a hot bath for granted! Although Martial Kim was a martial arts by profession, it didn¡¯t necessarily meant he was a strong man. Talented warriors like him utilize their inner energy and spiritual force, to deliver devastating attacks and to make a single swipe of a sword to blow away a quarter of an army. Energy over brawn. Not everyone can lift wagons above their heads with raw muscles, that was an entirely different form of training altogether. Not to mention, his status in life allowed him to rely on the automation of others, so he can free his time to focus on bigger things such as solving murders and mystery. So, it took longer than most people to bring water back and forth in the house. After pouring the bucket of water into a pot he found on a shelf, he carried it to the fire pit just outside the kitchen door. Thankfully, not all doors required fiddling with exotic keys¡ªsome had simple hooks or loose chains that could be undone with a flick of a finger. Furthermore, there were plenty of finely stacked kindling across the cabin¡¯s wall ¨C ready for use. It took a bit of effort to get a flame going, but soon he had two kettles and three pots of water boiling. It wouldn¡¯t be enough to fill more than a quarter of the tub at first, but by the time it was full, the mix of lukewarm and boiling water would be just right. As the young master waved a frond of leaves to fan the flames to make them hotter, he heard a door unlock from inside of the house, ¡°Ah. Miss Keekee, the hot water is ready. I will bring them in¡ª¡± ¡°Kim? What are you doing?¡± The young master spun around, then immediately cringed and looked away! Keekee was standing in the doorway, dressed in a revealing tank top and shorts that left nearly 80% of her skin exposed. The sight of her bare thighs, firm calves, smooth arms¡ªeverything¡ªmade the modest young man flush with embarrassment. ¡°Kim? What¡¯s wrong?¡± She asked while rubbing a towel against her long wet hair. ¡°I finished my shower so you can go ahead!¡± ...Finished her what? ¡°Kim why are you staring?...Oh sh¡ªI¡¯m so sorry!¡± Keekee suddenly sucked in the air and slapped her hands over her breasts. ¡°Ahaha...y-you probably can see them, huh? Ahaha. S-sorry. I usually don¡¯t wear a bra when I am like, alone, you know? G-gotta let the girls out and take a breather after a long day, hahaha...be right back.¡± ...The girls? Cover up?...Why was she blushing and why did she cover up her---Wait...Oh dear gods, my eyes!! Realization hit Martial Kim like a dagger to the heart. He quickly covered his face, desperate to erase the indecent image now burned into his mind. The only way to cleanse his soul, he thought, was to recite a Buddhist prayer over and over: Amitabha, Amitabha, Amitabha, Amitabha, Amitabha, Amitabha! Fortunately, Keekee came back looking ¡®proper¡¯... but it didn¡¯t help the young master¡¯s wits when she kept thumbing the straps of her bra and tank top to get comfortable. ¡°Why are you playing with the fire? Are you roasting a game animal or something? Y-you know you are more than welcome to use my stove!¡± ¡°Your bath,¡± blurted Martial Kim as he didn¡¯t dare to look at the young and beautiful girl in ¡®scandalous clothing¡¯, ¡°I thought¡ª¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Oh crap!¡± Keekee herself blurted out and she smacked her palm to her forehead, ¡°That¡¯s right! Dinner! My fridge is broken!¡± ¡°M-Miss Keekee? Wh-where are you going?¡± Keekee didn¡¯t bother to put on socks as she jammed her half-wet feet into her shoes. She raced out the front door and hopped onto her bike, ¡°I¡¯ll be right back with some dinner. You go ahead and take a bath and wait for me!¡± ¡°Wait, Miss Keekee! At least let me accompany..........you... There she goes.¡± Martial Kim sighed to himself when he was left all alone, This girl is too energetic for me to keep up, he mumbled to himself. Accepting the offer to use the bath chamber, he would pick up one of the pots of hot water he prepared for Keekee¡¯s bath with him. Might as well not waste it. ...This...is a bath chamber? Everything looks so out of place...Why is there a white flower pot in the shape of a chair? Can you even sit on it? Martial Kim expected to find a simple wooden tub and nothing else, but what greeted him was the complete opposite. The tub was made of a white material that resembled delicate china, yet felt as solid as brick. Above it, a metal fixture shape after a battle horn with tiny holes pinched across the fact and suspended across a rack. A transparent curtain dripping with water, swaying quietly from a metal bar as it hung across a series of rusted rings. Something moved on the wall, catching his eye, and he squinted to focus on it. Is this a mirror? Why is it silver, and not bronze like the ones back home? I can barely see my reflection...is it fogged up from condensation? Actually come to think of it, it is oddly moist and warm in here. Curious, I was not able to prepare the hot water for Miss Keekee¡¯s bath and she never came out since she entered... So...Where did she get her own hot water without my help? The young master searched around to see if there was some sort of miniature furnace or some firewood powered contraption hidden inside. Even checking behind the door there was nothing to suggest as much. This mystery of where did the hot water come from made him scratch his head. I wonder, what is their bath culture in this world?... Too bad, Miss Keekee is not present for me to ask for clarification... Sigh, this is all to much for me to think right now. Might as well try to relax and compose myself. Thus he graciously poured the pot of hot water he was carrying into the bath tub and turned to fetch a second round of-- Glug, glug, glug. Is someone drinking water?...Wait. Martial Kim whipped his head around, back at the bath tub. He knew a single trip would not be enough to fill a bath tub to the brim, but even common sense would say there should be SOME water sitting in the bottom of the tub. But, the tub was completely empty. ...Am...I hallucinating? To be sure, he grabbed a second kettle from the fire pit and conducted an experiment. He tipped half of the content into the tub and waited for a reaction. Glug, glug, glug. The water drains away instantly. A hole? In the bath tub? That should not be there, at least in the bath tubs back home! Is it a crack? A defect?...But it makes no sense, Miss Keekee came out fresh. Even her hair was still wet... Did the bath tub break after she used it...or had it always been like this? The mystery of this hole in the bathtub drew him in. He activated every part of his brain to figure out the most logical answer to this conundrum. The more he tried to figure it out, the more it felt like some sort of grand paradox. Miss Keekee miraculously had hot water without my help. The room is warmth from finishing her bath. Yet, there is this hole in the bath tub that is devouring my hot water... Is this really defect? It looks intentional, what random crack could grow a steel ring around it. A perfect circle... A plug? To stop it perhaps? Once more the young master who loved to chase down the truth of mysteries conducted his investigation. He searched high and low and could not find anything resembling a wooden cork of some kind. I wonder, if there is a trick to it. Like a martial arts manual, where the contents of a critical technique are hidden across several pages of the book like some sort of puzzle. Maybe I should try angle, height of pouring, speed maybe? Surely there must be a way for someone to properly use a bath in this world! One attempt after another were made through the day. He tried many methods and strategies from stuffing the hole with a cloth from the kitchen; cap it with a tea cup; have a heavy pot sit on it; even pouring it without looking thinking it was some sort of trick question test. Glug, glug, glug. Glug, glug, glug. Glug, glug, glug. Glug, glug, gluuuuuuuug....Blurb. ¡°You...¡± Martial Kim wagged a finger at his confounding mystery, ¡°You win this round.¡± PAVILION - Chapter 14 (Cabins Clothing) It all came down to a classic bed bath. Filling up a bucket of hot water, he would dip a handcloth in and out to wipe his bare body down. The old fashion way, in a sense. By the time he was thoroughly clean, his fingers were blushing crimson from the scalding water. My fingers have not been this red since my training days, he thought to himself, a bit bored, Palm striking wooden poles, stabbing my fingers into a woke of hot sand, so on. Granted, the tingling is nothing compared to the early days but it still smarts. Ooh. In the end, he was clean. So that made him feel a lot better. As for his robe, well that is a different matter. Usually villagers bring their laundry to the nearby river to drench, wring, beat the dirt out with a washing stick, and scrubbing it with piece of animal fat mixed with lye. As he had no spare clothing, there was no way in hell he would walk stark naked to do the laundry by the river. What if a village girl were to see him like this while washing their own clothing! So he had to be creative and use a basin in the bath chamber to dunk his dirty robe inside and pour kettle after kettle of hot water. He would step on his robes inside to slosh it around, to really get the stains out, before ringing it over and over. Once he was done, he would hang it out on a wooden rack to dry... Now, the challenge challenge. What do I have to wear? Clearly Martial Kim wasn¡¯t prepared for a long term stay. The only luggage he had was the sword-stick he picked up from the woods and the clothing on his back. Normally, travelers like him would wear the same clothing after a clean dip in a lake or river. And there was obviously not enough sunlight to dry his robes in time before cold night took over. So...what do?...Improvise, he guessed. Why is this harder than solving a murder? ¡°Crap, crap, crap!¡± Keekee got food for dinner tonight, and enough drinks for the both of them. However, she completely forgot one important thing and she was now kicking herself even while riding her bike back home. ¡°I completely forgot to give Kim a new set of clothing!¡± She screeched as she rode up the hill to the cabin. Fortunately, she bought a random set in a thrift store that had yet to close for the night, but the fact she left a man possibly naked in her house made her skin pale. ¡°Oh my god, he is gonna be so mad with meee! And we just became friends!¡± Keekee literally jumped off her bike when she reached the front porch, letting the riderless vehicle run into the wall and fall over like a deer with a concussion. She fumbled to open the door and rush in, keeping one hand up in front of her face to censor anything. ¡°Kim! Kim are you here!? I-I am so so so sorry. I got you some clothing and........................¡± Keekee went silent. Martial Kim went silent. Keekee and Martial Kim locked eyes from opposite ends of the house¡ªKeekee by the front door, and Martial Kim standing at the far end of the hallway. They both stared, then their eyes dropped to what he was wearing. ¡°Apologies,¡± Martial Kim inclined his head respectfully. ¡°I had no choice but to borrow your grandfather¡¯s robes. I¡¯ll wash them once my own are dry.¡± Keekee blinked, her voice trailing off as she processed what he had just said. ¡°Kim¡­ that¡¯s¡­ my grandma¡¯s fur coat. From Persia.¡± Martial Kim froze. ¡°Oh.¡± Keekee felt she had every right to be furious¡ªsomeone wearing her grandmother¡¯s precious belongings¡­ but¡ª ¡°Kim, I¡ª" She covered her mouth, trying to keep her composure. "I just¡ªneed a moment¡ªPFFFHFHFHFHFHFKFFKKSKSKKSKSKSKSHSSKHHH!¡± Martial Kim stared in silence as Keekee bolted out the door, her laughter blaring from outside of the cabin walls. She had tried to hold it in, but it burst out uncontrollably, like a dam breaking. He sighed, shaking his head as he glanced down at the luxurious coat. ¡°Shameful. Most shameful.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...Pffhfhfhfhffhkk...Knnfffhhff..¡± ¡°Miss Keekee.¡± Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Keekee tried her best to keep it together, but giggles kept escaping through her tightly pressed lips. She even tried to hide her smirk behind the burger she was eating, but her whole body shook with barely contained laughter. This is absolutely ridiculous... and itchy. What exactly are these foreign robes made of? Feels like ants are crawling over and under my skin?...Even my wrist is forming a rash from scratching! Martial Kim, attempting to ignore the comedy playing out in front of him, focused on his burger. But the clothes Keekee had handed him made it impossible to relax. ¡°These... garments are a bit restrictive.¡± ¡°S-sorry,¡± Keekee wheezed between bursts of stifled laughter. ¡°Kffkfkf! Turtleneck and khaki shorts were the first things I grabbed off the hook, so¡ª Pffffhfhfhf! Oh my god, if my grandma could see you right now¡ª" ¡°I meant no offense to your ancestor¡ª¡± ¡°No, no, she would love this. She¡¯d probably take a picture of you and laugh about it as she puts it in her scrap book. Kekekekkkiiikikikihahahaha!......K-Kim. I-I¡¯m sorry. P-please d-don¡¯t give me that angry face. I-it¡¯s creeping me out!¡± Martial Kim felt like digging up a hole in the backyard and lay in it. Death was not enough to bury the shame in his heart, but at least he could hide from the world to block out the laughter. If this gets back to Moon Tavern, I would be a laughing stock for the entire martial arts world. I would have to go into seclusion like some cultivating hermit...even then, the most reclusive ones would die of laughter if they heard about this. Martial Kim couldn¡¯t stop fidgeting in his clothing and in his seat. ¡°...Thank you Keekee, for offering me shelter.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem, honest!¡± Keekee chirped as she curled her feet and legs under her chair, her toes playing around with the sandals straps, ¡°I mean, you got kicked out by your girlfriend and all so going back there now would be awkwaaard.¡± ¡°I do not have a¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, you don¡¯t have to explain. I get it. Feel free to stay as long as you like!¡± ¡°...Again, thank you, Miss Keekee.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so polite! You can call me Keekee!¡± she nodded with a smile and ate her burger. As she wiped off some sauce from her lips with a finger, she asked, ¡°So, what are your plans?¡± ¡°Plans?¡± ¡°You know, what are you going to do now?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Martial Kim¡¯s appetite trailed off, making him stare into the half-eaten burger for a bit, ¡°I do not know. There is too much to comprehend. This place is just too strange for someone like me.¡± ¡°Welcome to living in the mountains!¡± Keekee exclaimed like a cheerleader, ¡°It either gets too damn quiet or too damn crazy at the drop of a maple leaf. Any who, wanna come with me for work?¡± ¡°...Work?¡± ¡°You know. Filming.¡± ¡°...Filming?¡± Keekee put her burger down and touched Martial Kim¡¯s forehead to check his temperature. The move came without warning, so it was a few seconds too late for the young master to dodge. She scratched a finger tip to her chin as she pondered, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re alright? You¡¯re kinda borderline feverish. See, even your cheeks are beet red!¡± While Martial Kim tried to hide the flabbergasted expression on his space, she explained, ¡°I meant, do you want to work for our studio? I¡¯ve been asked to write up a contract for you, but with all the mess that¡¯s been happening, I haven¡¯t typed a single letter yet. Now, I promise I¡¯ll make your contract real good ¨C squeeze in as much perks and benefits as I can!¡± ¡°...Miss Keekee.¡± Martial Kim answered stoically, ¡°There is a misunderstanding. I do not belong here.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Keekee fidgeted in her chair, ¡°You were suuuuper cool when you came in out of the blue, diving into that big fight scene! No prep, no wires, not even a crash pad! Everything was like raw acrobatics, Olympic quality! You pretty much turned heads and wowed us! The Director reaaally wants you, heck I think he¡¯s giving the writers hell to insert you as the lead character!¡± ¡°I do not feel comfortable about it.¡± ¡°...Oh...Uh...I guess you heard a lot about the Director being a bad apple huh? Look, h-how about this? For better or worse, you still need a job. Come with us, get a paycheck, and who knows maybe the movie will make you this popular super star! A chance to get hired for other movie opportunities! You may not end up in Hollywood, per se, but at least you¡¯ll make enough to buy your own apartment right!? Maybe make your girlfriend jealous as hell! Hahaha! Trust me Kim, it would be a great gig!¡± Miss Keekee is simply too kind for this world, Martial Kim thought to himself as he nibbled on his burger, feeling defeated. I cannot devote myself to their play acting. Just the fact they can capture a piece of my soul and play around with it like a doll at their pleasure still haunts me. I should stay away from them...but...it is hard, to look at Miss Keekee in the eye with how earnest she is. It is like a stray kitten tucked in a box, pleading for me to take her home... ¡°Pleaaaaase, Kiiiim! I-I can totally negotiate with the Director, or even the Producer, to add extra zeroes and bonuses to your contract! To help you get back on your feet!¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°What about it, buddy!?¡± ¡°...¡± Martial Kim couldn¡¯t bring himself to lie, not verbally, so he entertained the film assistant with a half-hearted nod. Somehow, this little white lie really made her day. One could see the shine of hope in her own eyes ¨C it was like she was given a chance to do something, not the other way around. ¡°By all means,¡± Keekee waved excitedly ¡°Stay in my grandma¡¯s cabin as long as you like! Don¡¯t mind me disappearing every now and then, as I run back and forth from my apartment to here. And, of course, the Director calls me at god awful hours! So don¡¯t panic! And once everything is ready, I¡¯ll call you! By the way, what¡¯s your number?¡± ¡°...My...number?¡± Keekee nodded and pulled something out from under the dinner table. The young master tilted his head at the object that was displayed in between them. A piece of glass? Looks large and well cut to be a random shard? Oh? It can glow, like a lantern? C-colour and symbols can flutter across the surface? How peculiar?... Interesting, she can control the movement of colours with strokes of her thumb, fascinating. ¡°So Kim!¡± Keekee spoke as she held her burger in one hand and fiddled with the object with her other hand and thumb. ¡°What¡¯s your phone number?¡± What number? Of my age? My time of birth? Uuuuuuuuh. ¡°...5...¡± Keekee purred with a ¡®hm!¡¯ as she tapped her thumb in reaction. ¡°...5...¡± Another happy tap. ¡°...5...¡± Okay nod! ¡°...5...¡± Wait wut. ¡°...5...¡± Bruh. ¡°...5--¡± ¡°K-Kim w-wait. Is this really your phone number!?¡± ¡°...Miss Keekee. I do not possess a phone number.¡± ¡°What!? Wh-who doesn¡¯t have a phone in this day an age? O-or do you mean, you lost your phone? H-how about this. D-do you at least have an email?¡± ¡°.......5....5.....5.....5¡ª¡± Now it was Keekee¡¯s turn to have the face of a deadpan statue. PAVILION - Chapter 15 (Cabins News) The moment Keekee''s head hit the pillow, she was out cold, snoring deeply. After the day she¡¯d had, it wasn¡¯t surprising¡ªher body and mind had been pushed to their limits. The fact that she could sleep without any pills or warm milk was a relief. Martial Kim now had the living room to himself, which was ideal. No one would disturb his meditation, and more importantly, no one would see the faint glow radiating from his body as he assessed his spiritual powers. My meridians are not damaged, yet I cannot access more than a third of my cultivation. Even my Inner Energy Art skills are at half strength. This explains why I felt so drained carrying the victim and Keekee for prolonged duration. My snow cultivation, higher level swordplay, and spiritual techniques are all out of reach... but why? Is there something in this world that is restricting me? Eyes closed, breathing controlled, blocking any and all distraction to gather energy into his body, he would ¡®inspect¡¯ his internal meridians at a deeper lever to find the cause of this limitation. He would even try to ¡®unlock¡¯ or ¡®force open¡¯ the doors that closed on certain acupoints, to try and free his full strength. No matter how hard he push at these spiritual doors, his influence passed through them ¨C like the arms of a ghost. Curious. That nameless pavilion did something to me. But what is it, I cannot fathom. Clearly not a problem I can simply sleep on and expect a conclusion in the morning... I do not think I can even sleep soundly tonight, not like Miss Keekee. ¡°Shameful, most shameful,¡± He muttered to himself and gave up meditating. He hopped to his feet and stretched his body, trying to take in his new surroundings of this cabin in the woods. He wanted to test something and he waved a hand. The gesture alone was enough to coil the air around him, his inner energy guiding the flow of the breeze, and make some cloth on the couch move like branches in the wind or empty burger wrappers on the table flutter about as leaves. Strange how I still have some power left in me. Perhaps, it is good fortune. I was able to rescue Miss Keekee when she needed help the most...But... I failed the lady in the mountain. Thoughts of the strangling filled his mind, weighing his heart like iron. He covered the shame on his face with a hand and tried to shrug off the bitter emotions. I cannot repeat my mistakes, no matter how weak I have become. So long as I live and breath, I must do everything I can to protect Miss Keekee, my friend in this strange new world. The young master gave a heavy sigh and leaned against a counter top to balance himself. It was when he realized, just how run down the cabin was. Cobwebs staring from the corners, dried leaves loafing across the ground like ants, and dust as thick as human skin. Seeing this, Martial Kim decided to do a little exercise. He used his inner energy to manipulate the flow of the breeze, drawing them in through the open windows, and run them through the cabin. Like a dance of a hundred brooms, they swept up the dirt and cobwebs in their hands and brushed the dust off of everything, before chucking it out the windows. The cabin wasn¡¯t perfectly clean, compared to a professional touch, but it looks 10 times more decent than his arrival. A clean and comfy place. Hahahah. If my Master found out I was using my cultivation like a house keeper, he would surely lash out at me. Still, it is better than having a spider hanging over my head........................ ¡°Fae Fae.¡± The name of a ¡®dead woman¡¯ blurted out of his mouth. He couldn¡¯t understand why, until he realized the empty and lonely feelings he had been shrugging off finally gripping his shoulder. A familiar face filled his mind, weighing his heart. I wonder if she safely returned to her hometown with Inspector Lee. Is she well fed? Did she take her medication? Does she have plans for her new future? Maybe, I should not have been so strict. Perhaps, I should have offered to visit her... ...No. I cannot be selfish. The world must continue to be oblivious of her existence, or else the past she is desperately fleeing from will turn their heads to her tracks like bloodhounds. After everything she has been through ¨C life, death, love ¨C she deserves a proper second life. She needs to forget about everything... Fae Fae...how are you faring right now? Will you still remember me? Ring ring ring ring. Ring ring ring ring. A faint melody filled the silent cabin. Distant, faded, muffled. It felt far away, yet so close. Martial Kim thought he was hallucinating when the quiet returned, only to be interrupted by the melody once more. It kept going and going, ring ring, silence, ring ring, silence, like some kind of clockwork contraption. What is that noise? Oh, it is coming from Miss Keekee''s room. I wonder, if she playing an instrument to pass the night. Does she have a lot on her mind? She was so tired from everything, she was practically snoring when she touched the bed... I wonder. Before Martial Kim could figure out his next move, the bedroom door open and--Bump. "OOF!! Oh Kim! Sorry, didn''t see you there...What''s wrong? Wh-why are you covering your ears? Di-did I hit you by accident? Or--" This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. RING RING RING RING! RING RING RING RING! "...Oh crap, sorry let me answer this call! Sorry!" Martial Kim watched in mixed astonishment and horror when Keekee executed the noise with a swipe of her finger on the familiar glowing device and put it to her ear. "What the hell, do you know what time it is!?" "Er." Martial Kim tried to come up with an answer, "I was not the one who--" "Oh not you," Keekee chirped, before glancing away with a sour look, "Can''t this wait?...Uh huh...Yeah...Right..." "I-I did not say anyth--" Martial Kim stared as Keekee shuffled into the kitchen, almost absent minded. She kept talking...to the air. The young master was absolutely sure the cabin had no one else other than Keekee and himself. So it terrified him, as to what was going on. C-can she speak to spirits? Or did some malevolent spirit possess her? Even if my cultivation was back to full power, I lack any means to exorcise a wild spirit without harming the body. I am no Taoist Priest! Wh-what should I do? Meanwhile, Keekee continued on her conversation with...nothing, all the while grabbing a kettle from the kitchen to fill it up. "What? Are you serious? That''s terrible!" Twist. Fsssssssssssssssssssssssh. Wait. Are my eyes playing tricks on me? Is that, actually water coming out of that metal hook? How? How did she produce it with a turn of her hand!? Martial Kim watched in disbelief as clean water flowed effortlessly into the kettle Keekee was filling. With a simple twist of a knob, the water stopped; all done within the belly of the sink in the cabin¡ªfar from any river or water well. Keekee, seemingly lost in her own world and talking to a ghost, suddenly gasped, "Relocate? We still got some scenes to do! If we move now, we have to reshoot everything! Auugh!¡± ¡°Miss Keekee who are you...¡± The young master¡¯s words fell on deaf ears as Keekee was busy talking to the empty air and rummaging through the kitchen cabinets. Meanwhile, he decided to do an experiment to bide his time. Twist Fsssssshhh. Twist off. Twist Fsssssshhh. Is this some kind of magical well? To draw water without hefting a bucket to and from a well? I must have this for Moon Tavern! It would make cooking, cleaning, and washing three times faster! That was when he noticed Keekee putting the kettle on the stove. Ah. Perhaps I should be useful and get the fire going with some kindling. She seems busy to whoever she is speaking with to-- Twist. Whooooosh! GOOD HEAVENS Now she can summon fire¡ªwithout wood or flint!? Impossible! Martial Kim froze as Keekee effortlessly ignited the stove with a twist of another knob. It didn¡¯t take long before steam started to leak out of the kettle¡¯s spout. Meanwhile, Martial Kim stared at the fire pit he spent hours in preparing earlier that day just...sitting there all charred and useless. Fire and water at the command of fingertips. Glass with dancing images and music. Women baring skin as casually as breathing. And bicycles¡ªbane of all horses¡­ Wh-what is wrong with this world!? ¡°Fiiiiiiine. I¡¯ll think of something, Talk to you later.¡± Keekee groaned to herself. Without another word, she would then drop her glowing device on a table next to the stove. She then let out a sigh of frustration, as if she came out of an argument with 10 people. ¡°Aaaaagh. So much work to do and it¡¯s not even morning!...Oh Kim, is everything okay? Why are you staring?¡± ¡°...It...is nothing.¡± ¡°Ah, okay. Want some Chamomile?¡± ¡°You mean, Chrysanthemum tea.¡± ¡°Ah bless you.¡± Wh-what was she blessing me for? Do not tell me, the spirit that was lingering around Miss Keekee is glued to me now. I-I do not feel different...right? Right!? Am I cursed!? While waiting for the water to boil, the film assistant leaned against the kitchen counter and rubbed the back of her neck with frustration, ¡°Sorry for waking you up like that. Work was calling me. Literally blew up my voice mail.¡± ¡°...I...do not understand.¡± ¡°You know, the film crew. They mentioned the places we usually film in are cordoned off by the police.¡± ¡°Cordoned...off?...Police? Um. Did something happen?¡± ¡°Yeah, the cops found a body. Around a trash heap or something.¡± Martial Kim felt as if the ground had been yanked out from under him, like a poorly executed tablecloth trick. He staggered, catching himself against the corner of a table for support. The trash heap. Could it be, the same woman I tried to save? How deplorable of me, to forget her death so quickly. I was blinded by the foreign leisure and convenience of this world. I am truly the worst. "You okay, Kim?" Keekee asked with concern. "You look pale." "...Did the constables capture the murderer?" "Murderer? What are you talking about? The police reported: she hung herself." "...She what?" "Yeah. Remember when I said: there''s a lot of people who go to the mountains to commit suicide. It''s true, every year. Why, if I hadn¡¯t run into you ¨C you might have ended up like her.¡± I wonder, are we even talking about the same victim? I have to be sure. Martial Kim then chanced to ask ¡°These reports. Did they describe, how did the victim look like?" "Ah. I think they posted a photo of her. One second." Keekee pulled up her glowing device and with only a few strokes of her finger and thumb, she displayed a hauntingly accurate portrait of the victim''s identity. ¡°Here.¡± Such...a haunting resemblance. The same leopard skin clothing... Martial Kim grind his teeth together as he felt the chill forming in his blood, ¡°Miss Keekee, this woman. She didn¡¯t commit suicide.¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean Kim?¡± ¡°With my own eyes: I saw how she was killed.¡± Keekee covered her gaping mouth, "R-really!? Th-then why did the police said otherwise!?" PAVILION - Chapter 16 (City Eyes) This...really is a brand new reality. Martial Kim never believed it, even after all that time in the mountain and Keekee¡¯s camp. But somehow, the moment the film assistant brought him into the town ¨C the weight of the world delivered a one-inch punch into his gut. Square buildings covered in armour of glass that reflected the morning sunlight; horse wagons racing left and right ¨C without any horses to pull them! People never wearing any robes, hanfu, kimono, hanbok, or traditional gowns and tunics ¨C all some sort of mis-match of cloth and rags that showed every frame of a human body. And don¡¯t get started on the ladies of this town wearing scandalous outfits only Courtesans of Brothels would be daring enough to show off in public eyes. Martial Kim didn¡¯t know where to start, so he let the cultural shock kick him while he was down. Is this their heaven...or my hell? Meanwhile, Keekee had her mind somewhere else as she raced through the streets on her bicycle. ¡°Oh my god. Oh my god! Kim, do you have any idea what this means! This is big! Really big!¡± ¡°Eyes on the road! Please Miss Keekee!¡± Martial Kim bit his tongue to keep from screaming when Keekee¡¯s bike swerved waaay too close to a horseless wagon. He swore he saw his own reflection off the metallic scales and glass covers. A deafening sound flooded his ears from mechanical roaring and honks cackling in the air. It was like the young master was tossed into a pen of bulls and geese, both arguing over something absolutely petty with gusto. Lights blasted into his eyes: moving green, slowing yellow, full stop red. Every twist, turn, stop, go, made his insides churn and slosh around like fish in a barrel. He felt, by the time they reach wherever Keekee was taking him, he would be dead inside the dried barrel. No amount of martial arts training, master or immortal, can help him overcome this hellish tribulation. ¡°We have to tell the police!¡± Keekee squeaked, not from the monstrosities roaring past her on the road, ¡°We have to tell them, a murderer is still on the loose! I wonder, is it the serial killer that¡¯s been on the rise lately?¡± ¡°S-serial killer? Uurk.¡± ¡°Yeah! They call him the Belt Rapist!¡± ¡°Belt¡ª¡± Martial Kim gagged. For ten long seconds the world around him faded, swallowed by the flood of memories from that day¡ªthe day he witnessed the strangling. Every noise and cacophony was muted, as if the present had been ripped away from his body. It left him with only the weight of a human life haunting his shoulders. The events played out in his mind, as clear as day. He could even felt the strange leather belt burning against his finger tips, the trembling of the victim¡¯s skin in her final moments. To think, even in this strange perfect heaven ¨C such vile acts against humanity still exist....Ah. ¡°M-Miss Keekee. Left, left, LEFT!¡± VRRRRRRRRRROOOOM! ¡°Let¡¯s hope the police listen to reasoning. They¡¯ll think we¡¯re just a couple of conspiracy theorists or whatever so they can keep the case closed, but we got to convince them no matter what!¡± ¡°R-Right! Right!¡± ¡°I knew you¡¯d agree with me, Kim!¡± ¡°No! I mean TURN RIGHT!¡± VRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM! This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Keekee finally arrived in this space of concrete and buildings that had many empty bikes clipped in metal racks. After offloading herself and her passenger, she would shove her vehicle into a racked slot and clip a lock on it. ¡°Come on, the police station is right this...Kim? K-Kim are you alright?¡± Martial Kim¡¯s stomach churned, bile rising in his throat, but years of ingrained etiquette forced him to swallow it down. He staggered to a nearby streetlight, gripping it for support as his body trembled. All he could manage was to suck in deep ragged breaths in order to steady himself. I swear, if this mode of transportation were to ever come to the Jade Empire ¨C I will personally petition against them. There are some conveniences in life that are too dangerous to exist! Uuuurk! Keekee felt bad. She wasn¡¯t sure if she should approach the young master and rub his back, afraid she would make matters worse. ¡°S-sorry Kim. H-have you really never rode a bike before? Not even as a kid?¡± ¡°Uuuuurk. Aaagh.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll give you a minute. O-once you get your bearings we¡¯ll¡ªHEY! YOU GUYS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? S-STOP FILMING!¡± Filming? What did she mean by that? Actually the world sounds familiar...film work, Director...The man who cried cut and people rose from the dead? Oh no. The young master spun around, half-expecting to be surrounded by dangerous jiangshi¡ªthose eerie, hopping vampire ghouls. But instead, he found himself encircled by a crowd of pedestrians and civilians of all shapes and sizes. They all held up glowing devices, much like Keekee¡¯s, illuminating their faces in the dim light like ghosts in the shadows. With strange fascination, they waved their devices in front of Martial Kim''s face like torches. CLICK! CLICK! CLICK! CLICK! CLICK! CLICK! My eyes! Wh-why are they blinding me!? Wh-what did I do to them? An-and how could they laugh and enjoy this like I am some sort of street performance! The young master was drowned alive by the blinking light of their devices. An image of his fear and panic would show up on their screen and the people continued with wide smiles and giggles. All the while chanting and calling out! ¡°Bro, nice lock of hair! Real hippie like!¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the toga? You came out of a frat party or something?¡± ¡°Nice cosplay man! How long did it take you to make it!?¡± ¡°I wonder what anime character is he playing as. You play Final Fantasy?¡± ¡°Hey, yo, buddy. You look like those guys in the kung fu movie. Hey, can you do a Bruce Lee impression!?¡± Wh-who in the world is Bruce Lee!? And why is he making weird screaming noises? Keekee was doing her best to fight back this horde of people, but she was just one girl with zero martial arts training. ¡°G-guys! Quit it! It¡¯s rude to take pictures right in someone¡¯s face! Come on you Karens, knock it off!¡± Please, please make it stop, Martial Kim pleaded as he covered his eyes with his sleeves. I am not an attraction in a petting zoo! Without any other options, Martial Kim was forced to use Sun Tzu¡¯s Art of War¡¯s greatest strategy: Retreat! With a swift kick, he launched himself into the air, escaping the horde with a surge of inner energy and flying mastery. Despite his blurred vision, his movements were nothing short of graceful. He soared across the tops of street lamps, kicked off town banners, and vaulted with a flip over the open top of a passing tourist bus¡ªearning more oohs and aahs by accident. Each leap carried him higher and farther, until he sailed beyond the town¡¯s edge, vanishing out of sight and gone like the wind ¡°KIM! Wait Kim!¡± Keekee gasped. As much as she wanted to stare in amazement to such a graceful flight ¨C she knew very well: social media was gonna have a field day with this content! ¡°S-stop! Guys! St-stop tweeting and filming! No pictures, no live stream! D-don¡¯t vlog it! Come on guys knock it off! Leave him alone!¡± Martial Kim felt like the world was against him; just for existing. What do I do?...Fae Fae...What do I do? PAVILION - Chapter 17 (City Cut) ¡°Oh man oh maaan, I hope Kim is okaaaay!¡± Keekee shook off the people who had been hounding after Martial Kim ¨C and his ¡®parkour channel on YouTube¡¯. She didn¡¯t know where to go exactly so she relied on educated wishes and gut instinct. Somehow, to her surprise, she won the lottery. The last thing she expected to find herself in was a park. Actually if she thought about it carefully, the park was really the best place for anyone to cut ties with the city and just find peace in nature. The flowers, the pond, even the trees would not bother anyone like they are animals in a petting zoo. The film assistant searched through the various park trails, hoping to find a familiar face. ¡°Oh! Kim! Found you!¡± ¡°Fae Fae?¡± Keekee stopped short, spotting her friend by the pond, gazing at the sunlight on the water. For a moment, she feared he might jump in, but he stood still, hands gently clasped behind his back, like he was admiring a painting. A way to calm himself, she would guess. When he finally turned to her, his eyes searching for another face ¨C an unexpected pang of sadness shot Keekee in the heart...and she didn¡¯t know why. ¡°K-Kim...I-it¡¯s me. Keekee.¡± ¡°..............Ah. Yes. Miss Keekee. Please forgive me.¡± Keekee thought of answering ¡®it¡¯s okay ¡¯, but she didn¡¯t want to say it. ¡°My apologies, for abandoning you like that.¡± Martial Kim bowed, ¡°I have no excuse for my terrible actions.¡± ¡°N-no. I...They were just plain rude. No doubt you got startled and uh... It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not mad.¡± Despite saying that, Keekee clenched her teeth when she added, ¡°Who...Who is Fae Fae?¡± Martial Kim tried to distract himself with the sunlight in the pond. How do I explain to her? Fae Fae was a woman I rescued from death and vowed to never reveal her identity. Even if this is another world, a reality that never knew the great Sword Fairy of Celestial Dream Brothel, I still should not tell anyone about her. It was my mistake, for letting her name casually slip my silence. How thoughtless I have become. Shameful, most shameful. The young master curled his fingers in and out, not wanting to make a fist but felt like he should clench them. After bobbing back and forth on his heels, he answered-- ¡°Actually,¡± Keekee cut him off. ¡°N-never mind. I-I shouldn¡¯t have asked.¡± ¡°...Miss Keekee¡ª¡± ¡°W-we need to change your looks! Yep!¡± ¡°...I beg your pardon?¡± Martial Kim raised an eyebrow as he turned to face her, ¡°Please tell me honestly, does my normal attire truly make me stand out?¡± ¡°Er. Uh.¡± Keekee didn¡¯t want to be rude but, ¡°I hate to break it to you Kim. You can¡¯t play as your character for 24/7. It¡¯s not healthy! I mean: dedicated is one thing, this is pure obsession! You-you need to be yourself!¡± ¡°...I am myself.¡± ¡°I mean you, you, you get it?¡± ¡°No.¡± Keekee facepalmed. The morning has barely begun and she felt like she wanted to curl back in bed. She ended up patting her head and cheeks, trying to come up with a hair brain scheme to resolve this problem. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Kim, but you really look like a character from a fantasy film. We need to get rid of it.¡± ¡°I refuse to walk around naked.¡± ¡°N-no! No, no!......................................................................¡± ¡°...Miss Keekee, why are you blushing?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not! I-I¡¯m pl-planning!¡± Keekee pinched her cheeks to wipe out any unnecessary thoughts from her mind to declare proudly, ¡°W-we need to change you from the ground up. Make you completely invisible!...Don¡¯t stare! You¡¯re judging me, I can feel it! Stop it!¡±¡± Martial Kim didn¡¯t know if Keekee truly meant turn HIM invisible, or turn SOMETHING invisible. Because the moment she brought him to a place in mind ¨C he smashed into an INVISIBLE WALL. BONK! ¡°OOOF!¡± ¡°K-Kim! A-are you okay!? Th-the door is right over here! See!¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Keekee struggled to guide the wounded young master through the glass doors of a store. She made sure he didn¡¯t run into any more transparent screens before dragging him inside and out of any prying eyes or cameras. A barbershop. The first of many steps to make him ¡®blend into society¡¯. Keekee knew a good haircut was one effective way to make someone less recognizable. Along with a new set of clothing for Martial Kim, they would be gold. However, she didn¡¯t expect step one to be so difficult. ¡°K-Kim, are you alright, you look pale?¡± ¡°Miss Keekee. With all due respect, I refuse to have my hair cut. It is against my good conscious.¡± ¡°I-I know, I would fight anyone tooth and nail to save my own hair, but--¡± Keekee ran her fingers through the young master¡¯s hair. Face to face. Chest to chest. It knocked out Martial Kim¡¯s senses, it was super effective. The film assistant pulled on certain strands, ¡°Look how messy it is! You¡¯ve been in the mountain for god knows how long! There¡¯s some leaves and trash STILL stuck inside. I mean, even if the people don¡¯t think you¡¯re some internet celebrity ¨C the police would think you¡¯re just another bum on the street. They won¡¯t take you seriously so we got to freshen up your look!¡± ¡°B-but, Miss Keekee¡ª¡± The close contact tactic was too effective. Just Keekee¡¯s body heart alone paralyzed him, rendering him nothing more than a puppet to her unknowing whims. So it was easy enough for the film assistant to shove him into a leather stool. Before Martial Kim could object, someone flapped a cape over his face ¨C as if trying to kidnap him! Grab. Twist. Flip! ¡°GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!¡± The next thing anyone knew, the attacker was sent arse over elbow with a martial flip. He crashed into a stack of equipment and scattered hair curlers in every direction. Ded. ¡°....OH MY GOD!¡± Keekee screamed as if she witnessed a murder, ¡°BARRY! A-are you okay!? A-any bones broken!?¡± ¡°Wh-what do you think, silly goose. Aaaagh.¡± The ¡®attacker¡¯ was helped to his feet while gripping his back. He snapped something back into place and fixed his jaw back into the right place. ¡°I knew you call me for back up, but who the hell did you bring in? John Claude Van Damme?¡± ¡°Er, now. Th-this is Kim!¡± Keekee would nervously introduce the young master. ¡°Kim, this is Barry! H-he runs the barbershop here!¡± After consoling her friend, she asked, ¡°W-we¡¯re in a bit of a rush. You think you can help him out?¡± ¡°You say that, but look at the mess on his head. A complete rat¡¯s nest. Alright, let¡¯s see what we¡¯re dealing with¡ª¡± The Barber, licked his thumb and was about to turn the hair around on the young master¡¯s head. Grab. Twist. Flip! ¡°DAMN IT!¡± The Barber once more felt the world spin around him and he landed on his back, groaning in pain. ¡°What is wrong with you!?¡± Martial Kim leered. Keekee awkwardly glanced at the two men, and tried to cut the testosterone in the air with a cough, ¡°G-guys. Uh...B-be nice. And Kim it¡¯s alright, I trust Barry. He helps me with my haircut all the time and he¡¯s reaaallly good at it.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± He suddenly smirked and rubbed a hand across Keekee¡¯s back. ¡°Real good with them, right doll face¡ª¡± GRAB! ¡°HEY! LET GO, YOU COSPLAYING BASTARD!¡± Martial Kim gripped onto the Barber¡¯s wrist, twisting it more, ¡°You shall not address Miss Keekee in such a slanderous manner. Did your father not teach you the proper way to respect a lady?¡± ¡°Hey buddy, don¡¯t you be bringing my old man into this! K-Keekee say something damn it!¡± Keekee should defuse the fight as soon as she could...Should. Somehow, Martial Kim¡¯s defense stunned her into silence. No one ever stood up for her like that, she realized to herself. So this was...more than new. It was when she heard the Barber cursing in pain, did she she snap back into reality. ¡°K-Kim. I-it¡¯s okay. H-he¡¯s joking. W-we know each other, since kids. We¡¯re used to joking around, y-yeah!¡± The Owner of the Barbershop and Owner of Moon Tavern locked glares. Without moving their lips, they were able to transmit the right words to tell one another to back the F off, one way or another. It was Martial Kim who broke eye contact, an apologetic glance to Keekee. The Barber huffed with victory, shoving his opponent away, ¡°Alright. Now that ¡®introductions¡¯ are out of the way. Let¡¯s get to work ¨C and don¡¯t you throw me like a rag doll.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Martial Kim mumbled to himself. The Barber got to work. Despite what happened, he only need to take in a deep breath and his hands began to move with the orchestration of a professional. Fingers swept through the long hair to gauge the damage and a few pulls and tugs were made to assess potential. Without further ado, the Barber swung around scissors and combs as easy as daggers between his fingers and teeth. Meanwhile... Keekee had no idea, why she was biting her nails. She used to it when little, when nervous, but grew out of it for a long time. So, for her to revert back to her childlike habits she couldn¡¯t fathom what came over her. Neither did she know why did her heart ache, or for what reason. Maybe, it was because Martial Kim looked like he was mourning over the hair being snipped. Every cut made him wince, as if the Barber was carving pieces of his flesh with a red-hot knife. The more he saw his hair fall dead onto the ground, the more he looked like he wanted to grieve over the loss of a kin. ¡°K...Kim?¡± ¡°I am fine,¡± Martial Kim lied...with a forced sigh, ¡°I...am just thinking back to the time, when my mother would comb my hair when I was young.¡± ¡°I-I am so sorry,¡± Keekee gasped. Did...she take hair cuts for granted? Before she could address it, the young master waved a hand in silence. ¡°It...must be done,¡± Martial Kim uttered, as if about to put a dying dog out of its misery and suffering. The Barber just rolled his eyes as he switched scissors and comb between his teeth, spraying water into Martial Kim¡¯s head and face. ¡°Oops. My hand slipped.¡± Sure. ¡°Right, now for the finishing touch.¡± After clearing up most of the damage, the Barber reached for something to make some smooth adjustments, ¡°Man, I feel like I¡¯m going to need a lawnmower for you. You¡¯re a god damn jungle bro.¡± ...What is a lawnmo-- The Barber thumbed a button, making it go¡ªSCREEEEEEEEEEEEECH! RIGHT IN THE EAR! TIGER SUBDUING PALM! ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!¡± ¡°KIM! KIM! RELAX, IT¡¯S JUST A HAIR TRIMMER! S-STOP TWISTING BARRY INTO STRANGE SHAPES! PLEAAAAASE!¡± To think, this was only the first step leading towards a long nightmare. PAVILION - Chapter 18 (City Report) Officer Roland was ready to clock out for the day. Fortunately the police station barely had much excitement, so there wasn¡¯t much reports coming in at the front desk. This meant, he can finish up his work ahead of schedule. By his calculations, if he rush to his truck and zoom back home ¨C within speed limit of course, duh ¨C he would have enough time for a quick hot shower, heat up leftovers, drop treats for his dogs, and watch the big game tonight. Stanley Cup finals! Hopefully his team will win this time. Last year he ended up overtime with a nasty riot. Sigh. 10 more minutes. Just 10 more minutes and he was a free man. Might as well log out of his computer and-- BONK! Aaaand someone face planted into the station¡¯s glass door. Kids these days. Officer Roland was about to make an excuse and skedaddle, but there was something about this young girl and man stumbling in that caught his attention. Also...what the hell was the guy wearing? Officer Roland gave a dry greeting, ¡°...Back from vacation, I take it?¡± ¡°Wh-what was that?¡± The young girl asked. ¡°Nice shirt.¡± The officer gestured at the young man. Instead of a snow white hanbok that made him look like a character from a fantasy film ¨C it was a BRIGHT and LOUD Aloha Shirt, bearing vibrant pink flamingos sipping from tropical banana cocktails. Every now and then, the officer could see the price on the tag that hung from the sleeves. Clearance huh? ¡°S-sir!¡± The young girl squeaked, avoiding her rushed taste in fashion, ¡°W-we have something to report, it¡¯s urgent!¡± ¡°Let me guess,¡± Officer Roland began, eyeing the clock on the wall. Getting serious he pulled up a chair to sit down and gestured the others to do the same. ¡°You just returned from the airport and found your place completely ransacked? What valuables have been stolen?¡± ¡°Wh-what!? N-no, nothing like that! M-my name is Keekee. This is my friend, Kim! H-he came here to tell you something, about the murder!¡± ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa,¡± That totally didn¡¯t catch the policeman off guard, ¡°What murder are you talking about? Old or new?¡± ¡°Y-you know!¡± Keekee pressed on, ¡°The one you guys posted in the news. The body that was found in the mountains. The cops claimed it was a suicide. That one!¡± Officer Roland¡¯s mind had checked out 30 minutes ago so he needed a moment to click them back on. When the gears were running, he snapped his fingers, ¡°Right! Yes, that. Uh...May I see some identification please.¡± Keekee pulled out her ID card and handed it to the officer. When the officer turned to Martial Kim...the young master stared at the policeman¡¯s gesture. ¡°Sir, your I.D.?¡± ¡°My...Eye-Dee?¡± Martial Kim subconsciously touched his eyes, not wanting to hand them over. Keekee cut into the awkward conversation, ¡°Officer! Hear us out! My friend here, he saw what happened. Murder! I-it could be the Belt Rapist!¡± ¡°Er. Sl-slow down there miss. Let me open up a file to get this down.¡± Officer Roland quickly logged back into his computer, cursed how slow the start up was, and immediately opened a digital report system, ¡°Alright sir, please tell me what you saw.¡± Martial Kim exchanged a quick glance with Keekee, before composing himself, ¡°I was in the mountains a few days ago and stumbled onto a man and woman fornicating in the woods. At first, I thought it was something Keekee¡¯s Director was doing, some sort of elaborate play acting. I waited until someone could yell ¡®Cut¡¯ to stop the illusion. Only did I find out, the strangling was real. I flew over to save her.¡± ¡°...Flew?¡± ¡°Yes, there were no bridge or road available for me to run over there in time. I had to act with haste.¡± ¡°...Flew?¡± Officer Roland scratched at his head. Should he write that down verbatim in the report, or interpret in his own words. Like, sure everyone had their own way of perceiving a crime, sometimes incorporating their own spin on the events. Exaggeration is one thing ¨C but flew? Really? ¡°Constable.¡± Martial Kim suddenly called. ¡°Er. Officer. But yes? What is it?¡± ¡°Should you not be writing this down?¡± ¡°...That¡¯s...what I¡¯m doing...It¡¯s in the computer.¡± ¡°Without a brush or scroll?¡± Officer Roland looked between his keyboard and the one reporting the crime. It took him a good moment to recovery from that unexpected blow, ¡°...Uh...Let me assure you, my typing speed may not be up to par ¨C but it is definitely way faster than my handwriting... Uh. You were saying. You... ¡®flew¡¯ over.¡± Martial Kim let out a sigh and continued, ¡°I tried to chase the suspect down, however he fled in a horse wagon into the mountains before I could catch him.¡± ¡°...H...horse wagon?¡± ¡°That is correct.¡± ¡°...The murderer...escaped in a ¡®horse wagon¡¯? D-did you get the make and model of this...vehicle?¡± ¡°Constable. What I described, was not a toy model.¡± Officer Roland¡¯s fingers slipped and made more than a few typos. ¡°S-sir. I meant: what was the brand car the suspect drove away in? Do you recognize the type of vehicle? You know: Sedan? SUV? Hatchback? Pick up truck? Van? Mini Cooper even?¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°...¡± ¡°Unidentifiable, it is.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Martial Kim raised a hand to stop him, ¡°The horse wagon can be identified. Like a sore thumb.¡± ¡°H-how so, sir?¡± ¡°The horse wagon was able to move on its own ¨C without the power of horses.¡± The officer stared at the young master. The former ended up scratching at his eyebrows to calm his nerves, ¡°License plate?...No? Don¡¯t know?...Riiiight...Uh...Did you at least know what colour?¡± Martial Kim nodded, ¡°Blue like the ocean. I remember, because the colour reminded me of my friend, Martial Blue Sister. Same colour hair.¡± It was Keekee¡¯s turn to give the young master a double take. What kind of messed up pet name is that!? Was what she was thinking. When the atmosphere grew awkward, the film assistant would lean over to whisper to, ¡°Kim. Th-this isn¡¯t the time to still play in character. Y-you need to tell them exactly what you saw. Or they think you¡¯re crazy! Like legit!¡± Martial Kim remained stoic, ¡°I speak the truth. I saw the murderer strangle the victim with a leather sash. Tall man, large build, and possessed a tattoo of a skull bearing a snake in its mouth on the back of his left shoulder. I did what I could to save the victim however she succumbed to her injuries. There was nothing I could do. That was when I stumbled onto a Disciple of the Beggar Sect. I wanted to ask for their help, but I realized ¨C he was nothing more than a charlatan misusing the sect¡¯s name. Shameful, most shameful.¡± Officer Roland just...kept typing. The young master gritted his teeth and continued, ¡°By the time I returned to the victim¡¯s body, your Constables already recovered her. I honestly thought your courthouse would properly do the victim justice and find the truth of her death ¨C but to think you would be curt enough to close the case as a simple suicide. Surely her death and the damages on her body would lead you to suspect otherwise. Hence why I came to report, out of good faith. You cannot close the case and let the murder walk around like a free man!¡± Officer Roland chewed on the information he was told. He didn¡¯t bother to eye the clock on the wall anymore. The situation of this revelation was just too heavy to be taken with a light heart. So pressing CTRL and S to save the report draft, he stood up and straightened out his uniform with a serious nod. ¡°...The Mental Health and Drug Addiction Clinic is two blocks to the left, right across from Pizza House. You can¡¯t miss it. Here¡¯s their contact information if you need to make an appoint--¡± Keekee upright slapped the business card out of the officer¡¯s hand, ¡°What the hell!? The woman in the mountains was murdered! And you don¡¯t believe Kim!?¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± Officer Roland shoved his chair back into the desk. He was officially, and spiritually, so done for the day, ¡°With all due respect, I don¡¯t know what your friend is on but it¡¯s clear he is not in his right senses. And, let me remind you how making a false report is a crime! I could have you both arrested, and have your buddy here go through a drug test!¡± ¡°Please, j-just listen to him!¡± Keekee insisted, ¡°He¡¯s not drugged and he¡¯s not insane! Tell him Kim!¡± Martial Kim could say a 1000 things to clear up any misunderstanding. He had the experience. However, he chose to say something else, in only a few words. Starting with, ¡°Constable¡ª¡± ¡°Officer, Roland.¡± ¡°...Would you believe me, if I told you the murderer was right here?¡± ¡°No not reall¡ªWhoa what?¡± Officer Roland stiffened and looked around, hand on his holster, ¡°Wh-what are you talking about?¡± ¡°I saw their horse wagon on my way in, right outside. Blue.¡± ¡° The officer raced to the nearest window and snapped down a hole in the blinds. He looked left and right. Blue! ....Red...Some Green...A couple of Black. A little bit of Orange. Bright ass Yellow. Hell, there were a lot of cars parked right outside of the station. It was a smorgasbord! ¡°For the love of¡ª¡± Officer Roland gritted his teeth and opened the front door himself, ¡°Sir, Ma¡¯am, please vacate the premises before I charge you with misconduct.¡± Keekee was about to give him a piece of her mind, but Martial Kim¡¯s hand on her shoulder silenced her. This was not the first time the law showed him the way out, ¡°Constable. I said what I said. My words are as true as gold... I leave the rest, on your conscious.¡± ¡°You have a good day as well,¡± Officer Roland curtly responded and showed them the door. They stumbled out ¨C as if the young man was afraid he would run into ANOTHER invisible wall ¨C and vanished from sight. Not without Keekee leaving behind a complimentary raspberry with her tongue. Bleeeeh! ¡°TikTokers these days,¡± Officer Roland mumbled as he closed the door and returned to his desk, ¡°The things they do to get attention...Oh crap. The girl forgot her ID¡ªHey you...Double crap.¡± The door was empty for the day, making Officer Roland curse. He returned to his desk to log out, making sure the report was saved...Wait. Why bother? He then hovered the mouse cursor to hit that CANCEL but-- ¡°Oh Officer Roland. Did you bring your dog to work again?¡± ¡°Ah? Professor Stone?¡± Officer Roland turned away from his computer screen to greet the Forensic Chemist who came into the station, waving a folder and tablet. The policeman then followed up with an exhausted frown, ¡°No not really. Wh-why do you ask?¡± ¡°Then what is with all the hair?¡± Professor Stone inspected the chairs at the front desk. ¡°My god, they¡¯re everywhere! Are your dogs shedding or what!?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, they must be that nut case. He looked like he had a bad haircut ¨C should have told him to get a refund.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t say........Hmm...¡± Professor Stone should have moved on with his day, but something about the hair caught his attention. Where have he seen it before? ¡°I saw what happened, the lovers that walked in. They sure left in a bit of a huff. What happened?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Officer Roland grumbled and reached for his mouse to delete the report, ¡°Like I said, just a nut case. Was having delusions about saving the woman in the forest, you know the one we found ¡®hanging¡¯¡± Air quotes. ¡°I bet the guy was lonely and was fantasizing about the victim when he saw her face in the news. We get that those kind of desperate guys every now and then.¡± ¡°Oh-ho?¡± Professor Stone couldn''t resist leaning against the counter to distract the officer, "Go on." "Sir, there¡¯s really nothing to go on about. Report is completely bogus, believe me. No doubt you¡¯re in a rush to¡ª¡± ¡°Baaaah. Detective Fraulein can waiiiiiiiit. Just don¡¯t tell her I said that. Hahahaha.¡± In that moment, the seeds were sown ¨C setting the stage for brilliant minds to clash in a battle of wit and will. PAVILION - Chapter 19 (Station and Dragon) ¡°Well Detective Fraulein. Looks like your plan worked.¡± ¡°I was expecting the opposite reaction, actually.¡± Detective Fraulein wasn¡¯t ready to go home, but she can¡¯t exactly book overtime without justable cause. Not wanting to be yelled at by her superior for breaking the budget once more, she reluctantly traded her thinking sneakers for regular heels. But just as she got off her butt, a certain Forensic Chemist relayed good news ¨C in a sense. This was more than enough reason to kick off the heels, put the thinking sneakers back on, and clock in overtime. Take that human resources. Despite her excitement, she frowned, ¡°The intent was to get the Belt Rapist to lower his guard.¡± Professor Stone raised an eyebrow, ¡°Belt Rapist? That name keeps cropping up everywhere I go.¡± The detective groaned and tossed her phone onto the table to show the social media feeds, ¡°That¡¯s what everyone on the internet is calling him. It doesn¡¯t help when his trademark murder weapon is a women¡¯s belt ¨C always brand new before he strikes. Honestly, everyone are all retweeting him like some sort of comic book villain ¨C can you believe it!?¡± Professor Stone sighed, but he didn¡¯t let his negative thoughts put Detective Fraulein in a further bad mood. So he tried to have a positive outlook in all of this, ¡°Either way, it seems lying about the victim¡¯s death gained some merits. Small minnow or big catch ¨C it¡¯s still a bite on your line.¡± ¡°We need to nab the bastard when he least expect it. Sending in an army to fish him out of the waters will just make him walk away. So why not let him hunt again when the waters calm. This time we have an advantage, we know what type of women the killer prefers to target.¡± The forensic chemist nodded, then asked, ¡°So? Thoughts on this guy who came in reporting the incident?¡± "Officer Roland is right ¨C the guy is a nut case," Detective Fraulein clicked her tongue, "Everything you told me about him ¨C just a load of bull. The statement is no better than the beggar¡¯s, all this talk about flying angel of vengeance and whatever.¡± Professor Stone shrugged. He would agree, the content of what was reported to Officer Roland was indeed far fetched, but there was something about the description that gnawed at him. Alas, he was forensic ¨C not a sleuth ¨C so he could only move so far within his scope of practice. Still he did bring up, ¡°You know Detective Fraulein. Even the most deranged hallucinations can come from a slither of truth.¡± "Explain." "People often use references, or something in their knowledge to try and identify things they have never seen before, make relations to get the meaning across. For example, Angel of vengeance could be a man in white and could sprint like an athlete. Or even this horse wagon, an allusion to a car or van." "...Alright. Say this Kim guy was telling the truth ¨C it¡¯s still bogus. There were no tire tracks near the crime scene. The beggar claimed he practically lived in his trash pit, you¡¯d think in an empty mountain with full of trees he would at least hear a car coming right? And let¡¯s really take the word of this beggar¡¯s delusions ¨C he never mentioned about a guy with a skull tattoo that Kim claimed. No logic, no evidence, no brainer. Define that, Stone.¡± Professor Stone wanted to continue with his line of thinking, but upon seeing Detective Fraulein''s trademark frown, he decided to change the subject. "By the way, this is the forensic report." After the detective swiped the folder out of Professor Stone¡¯s hands, he would narrate some of the points for her, ¡°The trashed bottle we found next to the third victim. We were able to recover a full set of finger prints, fresh. We also find more finger marks all over the third victim¡¯s body, which match with the set on the bottle.¡± ¡°What would this mean?¡± Detective Fraulein wondered out loud, ¡°The Belt Rapist always go through the ritual of: wooing the victim and date them for a bit, to make them lower their guard, only to strangle them in the middle of their first sex together.¡± She added a shrug, ¡°Poison them or forcing them to drink anything, not his M.O.¡± ¡°One thing is certain, the third victim never drank anything. The trash bottle does not have her saliva, or any saliva D.N.A. for that matter. I deduce it was left in the trash pit for a while, only to be picked up recently around the time of the murder. As for what reason, I cannot fathom.¡± ¡°That...is weird. Serial killers don¡¯t like changing anything to their killing spree, no matter what. They¡¯re always rigid... Anything else?¡± ¡°Yes. We found some hair samples that do not belong to the victim. We compared the D.N.A. between the hair and the finger marks from the water bottle ¨C a match.¡± ¡°Got him!¡± Detective Fraulein clapped her hands together, grinding her palms ready to hit someone. ¡°So, does this guy have a criminal record? Give me something, come on!¡± ¡°About that...Essentially, you are chasing a ghost.¡± ¡°Stone... I¡¯m not in the mood for your jokes.¡± "I mean it," Professor Stone replied curtly, "Fourth Page, Paragraph Three. The finger prints we found have no criminal record, no identification record, no immigration record, nothing. It''s like the owner of these prints doesn''t exist." "Impossible!" Detective Fraulein fumbled to find the right page in her surprise, only for the forensic chemist to point at the right one. "We live in a modern age, everyone has some level of biometric records somewhere! As if this killer was born yesterday!" "Spent the whole day, called in a lot of favours. Nothing." Professor Stone sighed as he tapped his knuckle across the detective''s desk. "Last thing I want is to elevate this to federal agency, or else--" Detective Fraulein facepalmed, "Three hometown murders and not a suspect to answer with. If the feds hear about this, it will make everyone in this town look bad!¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Also, I took the liberty to bring you the coroner''s report." Professor Stone and nodded a gesture towards the folder he handed over. "Everything is similar to the previous two victims of this ''Belt Rapist'', but here''s the funny thing. While they died of asphyxiation ¨C the third victim died of severe internal bleeding before asphyxiation could take her.¡± "...English." "The first two suffocated to death completely. The coroner stated, the third victim somehow had a better chance of survival, long enough for medical attention to save her. All thanks to this little guy.¡± Professor Stone rummaged into his suit pocket and pulled out a plastic bag. He tapped a finger against it to make sure sure Detective Fraulein got a good look at it. "A sewing needle?" She blurted out from her mouth. "First bottled poison, now needle stabbing? This makes no sense.¡± "It''s not a sewing needle," Professor Stone answered, "It''s an acupuncture needle." "Stone. I can¡¯t pronounce that without biting my tongue." "Acupuncture¡ªa longstanding practice rooted in traditional Oriental Medicine. With a bit of Googling, I learned these needles are said to activate the body''s natural energy ¨C or Qi they call it ¨C to restore balance and promote natural healing. Something along those lines. It used to be a cornerstone of medicine in the Ancient East, served as a primary method to treating pain and illness long before medical injections were a thing. Now thanks to modern medicine, the art is more or less rendered as holistic healing and therapy.¡± ".............." "The pathologist found this needle in the third victim''s neck. After asking some professionals, they all agreed ¨C it was placed in a vital part of the nervous system that helped to slow down the victim¡¯s bleeding, keeping them alive just a little bit longer.¡± "...Wh...what kind of sick psychopath would force someone to stay alive as they kill them!?" "No, no. The needle was trying to ''save'' the victim. Not drag out their death." Detective Fraulein dropped the file with a slap. "This guy is a murderer, not some unlicensed prodigy doctor who saves people for ridiculous fees! Are you telling me, this creep has a god complex and decides who gets to live and die ¨C and when!?¡± "Now now," Professor Stone hummed, "Let¡¯s be calm about all this." "Three dead within six months. All young women who barely have a connection with each other! How do you expect this small town to be calm about this!" Detective Fraulein slapped a hand to her table to get her frustrations out. "Clearly whoever left the needle in her neck was involved in the murder!" "Let''s not try and jump to conclusions. It¡¯s too soon to tell." "Soon? Soon!? Hah. Try telling yourself that if YOU were the detective in my shoes! First belts, now needles ¨C I feel he is leaving it as a calling card to make a mockery out of us!¡± Professor Stone wanted to help and clarify the situation, but he knew he would be talking to a brick wall at this point. So all he could say was, "The only thing I can say is this. The acupuncture needle, the third victim¡¯s body and clothing, as well as the trash bottle ¨C all have the same fingermarks. We still have yet to find the murder weapon in question. So there are only two possibilities at this point.¡± ¡°Name them, Stone.¡± ¡°One: the owner of these new finger marks is the Belt Rapist himself. Two: there are two different people involved, not just one.¡± ¡°For the town¡¯s sake, my money is on option one,¡± Detective Fraulein spat. ¡°Wait, wait,¡± Professor Stone waved off the remark, ¡°If the fingerprints and the killer are the same one person ¨C it would make no sense to use a life saving method like acupuncture on the victim. He has never done such a thing on the first two victims. It is my theory, there are two people ¨C but one of them was trying to save the victim, not kill them.¡± ¡°Oh come on Stone, this guy is probably using something fancy to throw us off the trace!¡± ¡°You say that, but acupuncture isn¡¯t something anyone can learn from a YouTube tutorial. Even the Oriental Doctors I FaceTimed with were impressed with how accurate the needle placement was. It was done by an expert by their accounts.¡± Before Detective Fraulein could counter back, someone knocked on the door. A grumble and she let them in, before barking, ¡°Officer Roland? What are you doing here?" "Uh.¡± The said officer walked into the wrong atmosphere, glancing between the two warring parties, ¡°P-Professor Stone asked me to come over, sir. H-he wanted me to do a background check o-on the guy who reported the murder. This Kim person.¡± ¡°Stone!¡± Detective Fraulein snapped at her ¡®companion¡¯, ¡°Who is in charge, you are me!?¡± Ignoring the forensic chemist mirthful shrug, she huffed, ¡°Uuugh. And what did you find officer?" ¡°He¡¯s a ghost.¡± "Oh come on, not you too!" At this point, the detective was going to rip her ponytail out of her head! "I-I¡¯m serious!¡± Officer Roland defended himself. ¡°I clipped Kim¡¯s face from security cameras and ran him through everything in our system. Civilian database, archives footage, social media ¨C nothing. Like this guy doesn¡¯t exist.¡± Somehow the description was enough for the two warring parties to come to a haunting truce. Professor Stone chewed on his lips and asked, ¡°Officer Roland. Kim had hair all over his seat, at the front desk right? Can you go to collect a sample of them and rush them to my forensic team? Ask them to compared the D.N.A. of the unknown hair we found on the third victim and¡ªOh please detective, I am asking for a friendly favour not usurping your command, so stop glaring at me!¡± ¡°Uh. S-sir. Yes sir¡ªEr, I mean Professor!¡± Officer Roland quickly ducked out before the truce snapped, but then he staggered, ¡°H-hey, I¡¯ve seen that before.¡± "Seen what?" Detective Fraulein wondered when she noticed the officer pointing at her. After looking around, her eyes widen, "This acu-needle thing?" "Why yes! That! I''ve seen it somewhere but," Officer Roland snapped at his fingers and cringed his face. "Damn, it is off the tip of the tongue... Does it come with a dragon head?...Oh it does! I knew it!" The officer slapped a fist to his palm with a yip, "That nut case¡ªEr, Kim who reported the murder. I saw him wearing a bracelet with the same dragon heads! Now that I think about it, one head was missing." "..." "..." ¡°...Sir? Professor? W-was it something I said?¡± Detective Fraulein quickly asked, ¡°Officer Roland. Do you have an address, of this Kim?¡± ¡°Uuuh,¡± Officer Roland¡¯s felt his stomach sank, then¡ª ¡°YES! I do! H-his girlfriend. She left her ID card at the front desk! A-and now that I recall she is a regular visitor to the station. She¡¯s from that film company and they come over for research and¡ªI¡¯ll get right on it, detective!¡± Who¡¯d ever thought a Chekov¡¯s Gun would be his saving grace. Phew! PAVILION - Chapter 20 (Station and Peace) "The nerve of them! I can''t believe they just turned you away! After everything you''ve been through!" "...Miss Keekee. Please. Eyes on the road." As much as Martial Kim wanted to URGE Keekee to be more careful in riding her bike up the hill, seeing how angry she was he could only voice his honest feeling with the tone of a meek sheep. So all he could do was brace himself by gripping the basket seat, all the while larger vehicles rushed right past them up and down the hill. Every time they screeched past, he felt their shockwave beating into his chest. The noise of whatever was powering their movement ringing in his ear over and over. The young master had been through hardship from training and battles in the martial world ¨C but never experienced torture of this level. He feared, he will lose his sanity at this rate. "To think we could trust the safety of our town to them!" Keekee continued to fume while pushing on the pedal of her bike, "And they were just so rude to you! How dare they! That''s it, totally going to give them a bad review on social media! Just you wait!" ---Which should I be more concerned about: the police ignoring the truth; Miss Keekee cursing them with this ''bad review'' ritual; or this demonic bicycle... H-how can she casually ride this contraption next to a road full of horse wagon charging like bulls!? Does she not fear death!? Martial Kim gulped this worried thoughts back down into his gut. Fortunately they didn¡¯t have to suffer for long. Eventually they veered off the main road, riding up a dirt trail, and soon made their way back to the familiar and peaceful cabin. In saying that, the young master truly felt at ease ¨C when Keekee stopped to dismount the contraption. ---No no no, please do not spread your legs¡ªOh god. How can I survive in this world full of casual temptation!? "Augh... What a waste of a good day," Keekee mumbled as she pushed her bike next to her. "Sorry you had to go through all that Kim." "......" "Kim? Why is your face red?" "S-sorry did you say something?" Keekee tried to laugh, but the events of the day weight heavy on her heart. She would give Martial Kim a good rub on his back to try and cheer him up. Obviously it drew an opposite reaction from the young master. ---Miss Keekee! Propriety! Propriety! If you keep touching me like that in such a callous manner, my-my body will misunderstand your good intentions! Amitahba! Amitahba! "You know what, you deserve better," Keekee agreed...to herself. "I''ll cook up something nice! Fridge may be busted, but I still got pancakes. It¡¯s the instant mix kind, just add water and boom! You definitely look like you need to stress eat!"Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ---Are you sure that I am the one who needs to stress eat in this situation? You more frustrated than me. "I...feel really bad for you, Kim. Like, girlfriend walked out on you, career hitting a strut, now the cops laughing at you like some kind of side show." ---How do you expect me to respond to a strange comment like that? And I am not married or betrothed! Please stop misunderstanding! Martial Kim wanted to express his thoughts out loud, but ended up voicing something else. "It is fine. I am used to persecution." "D-don''t say something like that!¡± Keekee gasped, ¡°People have to treat you with respect! It''s only right!" ---I meant I had my fair share of rebuke amongst various level of authority back in the Jade Empire. Even if they called me the Saint of Investigation, not all government officials or county magistrate welcome a ¡®vagabond¡¯ of the martial world like myself. The moment Martial Kim walked through the front door of the cabin with Keekee, he felt a sense of ease fill him. The town, or whatever it was, was just too much for him. Even when he lived in the Capital of an Empire, the level of hustling and bustling in this world was just beyond his emotional capacity. Just one visit in this ¡®town¡¯ and he felt burnt out like a shrunken candle stick. He just wanted to sit on the couch and take a nap. He didn¡¯t get much of a proper sleep and he wasn¡¯t that hungry. Might as well make the day faster by taking a short shut eye. Too bad the film assistant woke him up before he could touch the couch. "So Kim," Keekee chirped as she washed her hand in that that place with automatic well water. "How do you want your pancakes? Soft, thick, single, stacked. Don¡¯t be shy tell me what you¡ª" "Miss Keekee. Could you please go to your room?¡± ¡°Huh? Wh-what did I do wrong? W-was it something I said?¡± ¡°Please lock the door behind you. Bar it with something if you must. Do not come out until I give the word.¡± ¡°...K-Kim. Wh-what¡¯s wrong? Y-you¡¯re scaring me.¡± The chill dripping down Keekee¡¯s spin made her drop everything. Even before she could hear an answer her feet was starting to backpedal to the nearest room with the thickest door. It was only later did she realize how quiet everything was. As if the world fell into a hush, to give her a surprise. Martial Kim stood poised like a guardian statue in a royal tomb, eyes unblinking with vigilance. ¡°K-Kim.¡± Keekee barely breathed, ¡°Wh-what is happening?¡± ¡°Do you recall the men back in the mountains,¡± the young master hushed, ¡°I believe, they brought friends to pay a visit.¡± PAVILION - Chapter 21 (Station and Counterattack) "Ten... twelve... fifteen..." Martial Kim counted under his breath, eyes fixed on the tall grass swaying around the isolated cabin. To an ordinary observer, the scene might appear calm. Only the grasses and dense shrubbery shifting like waves across a golden sea. But to Martial Kim, every carefree rustle and sway felt charged with tension. Everything looked quiet on the front. But the silence it felt loud in his heart. Unease continued to grow inside of the young master as he pulled back his gaze to peer through one window angle after another. He moved with caution, shifting through the house to close as many windows as possible ¨C bottle-necking any strategic points. Alas, the foreign mechanism on them resisted his attempts and frustration didn¡¯t help his nerves. Turning a corner he stumbled into Keekee, huddled in the shadows of the kitchen and trembling. --- What is she doing back out here? I thought she locked herself in her room... What kind of weapon is she carrying? "Miss Keekee?" The young master raised an eyebrow, "I did not take you for a quarterstaff fighter." "Quarter what? Th-this is my grandma''s hunting rifle!" Keekee gripped onto the weapon with both hands, even harder than her white knuckles could bear, and tried to shuffle to the front to take a sniper¡¯s position...well, ¡®sniper-like¡¯. "I-I''ve shot it, on-once or twice. You know, f-for game animals, so¡ª" Martial Kim stopped his friend from proceeding any further and pushed her back by towing the metal shaft of the weapon like a rope lead. He would gently guide her back to her room and begin to close the door for her. All with a kindred smile. ¡°Miss Keekee, you need not bloody your hands.¡± ¡°...K..Kim.¡± ¡°Stay here and cover your ears if you must. I will return shortly.¡± Martial Kim drifted away from the door ¨C only to be anchored by a grab of Keekee¡¯s hand. ¡°K-Kim! Please, do-don¡¯t go out there alone! L-let me call the police!¡± ¡°The enemy is about to knock on our door. There is no time. Please worry not, I will be fine. I swear to protect you.¡± Martial Kim patted her hand, before slipping out of her reach, ¡°Everything is going to be alright.¡± ¡°KIM! WAIT!--¡± The young master politely closed the door on his friend. He waited for the scared pounding to fade away, before he loosened his grip. It was only when he felt something akin to a lock put in place, and perhaps some furniture dragged to the door, did he finally let go of the door knob. --- To think even in this utopia of a strange world, villains believe they can do whatever they so please. ¡°Shameful, most shameful.¡± And like any knight-errant of the great martial world ¨C it was time to redress this wrong doing. Martial Kim reached for his trusty sword-stick, leaning just within reach in the corner of the kitchen. He grasped it with practiced ease, feeling the familiar weight settle in his hand as he closed the back door behind him. With a quick and controlled twirl he tested its balance, recalibrating himself to its heft, every movement smooth and measured. However, his ear twitched at peculiar sounds hidden within the ambience. ¡°One weapon will not be enough for their reinforcements.¡± He muttered under his breath. He searched about to find a bonus item to arm himself. ¡°Ah, lovely. Just the right size and weight.¡± Martial Kim walked over to the pile of firewood leaning against the cabin wall. He shifted through the collection, as if picking which piece to carve out of, until he felt pleased with one peculiar kindling. He gave it a test flip in his hand and a swing or two. ¡°Excellent. Now, to greet our guests.¡± The young master then turned to the grass, as if hailing a friend. ¡°Must be tiring, to crawl through the grass like rats.¡± Martial Kim chuckled. ¡°Miss Keekee is a gracious young woman. If you all kowtow as an apology, she will accept it and let the matter slide. It is not too late, to put down your blades and turn to a righteous path! To turn over a new leaf!¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ................................................................ ¡°No? Last chance!¡± ................................................................ ¡°Very well.¡± Martial Kim crouched into a sword stance. Main hand armed with his sword-stick, his secondary turning the kindling around like a reverse dagger. He wound up his body like a coil and-- ¡°I call this manoeuvre ¨C Moon Snake in the Sleeve!¡± The first move was made! Martial Kim unleashed his wind up into a violent spin, firing off his inner energy as shot of Sword Force that ripped through the ground and cutting through the tall grass. Every projectile of raw force energy wove through the fields like a hunting snake and they lashed out to bite onto their prey. ¡°GAAAAAAAAAAH!¡± Several men in black were launched out of the grass fields, ejected by the whips of the force snakes that collided into them! Martial Kim followed up with a second move; he helicoptered up into the air and delivered flying waves of force from his weapons to bash and beat the grass and bushes as if driving out an animal! Men in black were tossed out of their hiding places, send them scattering and breaking their well planned formation. Wh-what the hell was that, they thought, a god damn meteor!? "Deliver your grievance upon me!" Martial Kim barked as he landed in a soft stance, "There is no honour in bullying a defenseless lady!" The chaos breaking out in front of the cabin may have served as a makeshift signal. More men and women in black rushed up the trail and fields to surround the young master from all angles. What surprised the warrior, was the fact t hey weren¡¯t armed. Correction, they were armed with strange weaponry that he had never seen before. --- Hand crossbows? I thought they were still in their prototype stages back in the Baek-Je Monarchy, they should not be in circulation. Better question, where is the string and bow? Given the circumstances, there was only one thing he can do ¨C hit them before they pull the trigger. Martial Kim would continue to use his Dance of the Moon Sage swordplay to sweep through the crowd. Unlike the fight with the 200 skull warriors, he can feel a sense of purpose and intent with the enemy movements. Not at all play acting. And these attackers, were full of surprises. When he tried to land a strike on one enemy, another would intercept them with a strange shield! --- A glass shield? Strange, no matter how many strikes I deliver, it is not breaking? Impossible! The enemy regained their footing and formed up. They created a wall of tall ¡®glass shields¡¯ and tried to force the young master back into whatever corner they could muster. They would even try to intimidate him, beating clubs against the shield in marching unison. BEAT! BEAT! BEAT! BEAT! BEAT! BEAT! BEAT! --- Why does something feel off about these attackers? None of them look like the ones that tried to rape Miss Keekee. And how could mountain bandits be this well armed and coordinated. Who did Miss Keekee offend to send such assassins after her? The way the attackers kept changing their tactics, glass wall formations, even trying to lunge at him at random angles, started to put Martial Kim in a complete disadvantage. His sword-stick shattered when he knocked one shield out of his way and he knocked one attacker out by throwing his kindling dagger like a hatchet to the head¡ªKLONK. Just when the enemy thought they have the high ground, Martial Kim flipped those tables ¨C WITH HIS MARTIAL BARE HANDS! Martial Kim¡¯s didn¡¯t miss a beat to deliver head whipping punches, chest crushing palm strikes, limb twisting kicks, and neck strangling leg locks between his knees. Once he figure out their rhythm, he disarmed them of their hand crossbow and glass shield one by one. In one final push, the attackers charged the young master to bury him in a dog pile. No escape! Martial Kim braced himself, eyes narrowed in focus. At the last possible second, he unleashed a burst of his inner energy and channelled it into a flying shockwave! With the force of crashing ocean waves, it swept the attackers off their feet and tumble across the ground like leaves thrown in a storm. And Martial Kim roared like the storm¡¯s thunderclap. ¡°You shall not pass!¡± ¡°KIM! WAIT! S-SURRENDER, QUICK!¡± The young master twitched at the familiar scream and whipped his head around, ¡°M-Miss Keekee? Quick, get back inside or¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding! Kim d-don¡¯t fight them any more!¡± ¡°Wh-what do you mean, misunderstanding?¡± ¡°They¡¯re the police!¡± ¡°.........Oooooh.¡± PAVILION - Chapter 22 (Station and Surrender) "ON YOUR GOD DAMN KNEES! RIGHT NOW ASSHOLE!" Detective Fraulein had never been more livid. She had been on many cases, busted many criminal asses, and cracked many skulls... So when her own skull was bleeding and blinding her eyes, yeah she was very miffed about it. She staggered to her feet, coughing up bile and blood from the toss and turn, and tried to keep a steady aim of her pistol. "I am Detective Fraulein! You are under arrest! Let those officers go and get down on the ground now!" She snarled at the young master and gestured with her gun her command. It riled her up when he saw him glare back in defiance ¨C until Keekee rushed in between everyone. ¡°You! Get back!¡± The detective shrieked, ¡°He¡¯s dangerous!¡± ¡°Wait, please, th-this is all a misunderstanding!¡± Keekee hollered as she waved her hands in surrender, ¡°Kim isn¡¯t harmless, honest!¡± "Putting three officers in a choke hold and suplex is harmless!?" "H-he didn''t know! H-he thought you guys were the people who robbed me! Please, just lower your guns!" "Girl, do we look like bank robbers!? We have POLICE written all over our jackets! There is no wiggling out of this! Step back or he''ll take you hostage too!" Detective Fraulein wanted to move in before things escalated. Martial Kim kept his grip on the officers as human shields, in order to protect Keekee. He had no intentions to harm them, but he hoped this was enough to make these so called officers think twice before harming the innocent. ¡°Kim! Please, listen to me!¡± Keeekee pleaded, ¡°It¡¯s alright! They¡¯re police, they can¡¯t hurt me, but if you keep holding them in your hands like this, th-they¡¯ll shoot you!¡± --- Shoot me? Without arrows? Now that she mentioned it, these hand crossbows are not even loaded with a bolt. What can they use to fire a projectile at me? Inner energy skills like Sword Force? They do not feel like trained cultivators or swordsman. ¡°Kim!¡± ¡°... As you wish.¡± Martial Kim let out a sigh to himself and slowly loosened his grip on each officer he put into a grapple. When the last one stumbled away, Keekee gripped onto her friend to say, ¡°See! Completely harmle¡ªWAIT! WAIT DON¡¯T SHOOT! HE¡¯S UNARMED!¡± The girl tried to keep the flood of officers from coming in closer, but her voice never reached them. Rather, they let her please fall on deaf ears. Detective Fraulein boxed them in with her officers; weapons drawn and safety off. "You," Detective Fraulein spat the blood that dripped from her scalp and into her lips, "You are under arrest for the murder of three victims. And I am definitely charging you with assaulting an officer on multiple accounts! Anything you say now will be recorded as evidence and used against you in court of law! Surrender, or this will get real ugly!"A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Keekee kept blocking everyone¡¯s line of fire with her body, making the detective click her tongue in distaste. The film assistant was begging at this point, ¡°You don¡¯t understand! Kim WITNESSED the murder! He didn''t kill anyone!" "You''re Keekee right? That film assistant right?" Detective Fraulein panted, her adrenaline barely keeping up with her injuries, "Don''t be stupid. This isn''t a police drama, this is real. And you¡¯re standing next to a serial killer. Step aside! Or I¡¯m going to charge you with obstruction of the law!" "Kim isn''t a killer! You got to believe me, believe him! You got it all wrong!--GYAAH! STOP! LET ME GO!" ¡°MISS KEEKEE!¡± Martial Kim watched in horror as several officers tackled Keekee out of the way before he could notice them. Instinctively he would throw punches and kicks to remove them from her but-- ¡°TASE HIM! TASE HIM!¡± Several officers switched their weapons from lethal to non-lethal and pulled their triggers. Martial Kim twisted on the spot and cart one wired dart with one finger, caught the second with his other hand and-- BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT! ¡°GAAAAAAAAAAAAH!¡± He...didn¡¯t expect those wired to be poisonous...or was it electricity? The young master couldn¡¯t tell, but he was a fool for touching what was essentially the skin of Divine Lightning. Electricity coursed through his body, his veins, nerves, perhaps even his whole meridian system. His life flashed before his eyes from the days of his childhood, to his turning point in life to become a martial arts master, and raising Moon Tavern from the ground up. The many friends and comrades he met and forged along the way, united under the same roof. Pain, happiness, laughter, sorrow, they all shared their experience together... BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT! ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!¡± Several more touches of Divine Lightning stuck into his chest and spin, blasting him from the inside out. He swore he saw smoke rising from his body as he tried to endure the punishment from the heavens for his hubris. His knees buckled and feel. Next, his hands dug into the dirt. He didn¡¯t want to fall, not because his pride as a warrior counted on it. ¡°M...Miss...Kee...Kee.¡± In his fading vision, he watched these officers drag Keekee kicking and screaming away. Both, completely powerless and helpless as the world separated him. With every last ounce of his strength, he tried to stand back up to save her one more time, a dying soldier on his last leg. BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT! This time, the Divine Lightning¡¯s touch felt like nothing. No pain...only the cold darkness consuming him. The last thing he heard was the cries of his dear friend echoing in the numbing void. ¡°KIM! KIM! OH MY GOD, YOU KILLED HIM! KIIIIIIIIM! WAKE UP! KIIIIIIIM! KIIIIIM!¡± PAVILION - Chapter 23 (Interviews Cruelty) ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... --- Which...of the 18 layers of Hell am I in? Martial Kim woke up with a painful start, twitching all over. It wasn¡¯t because he was scared, neither was he enraged to the point his nerves didn¡¯t listen to sense and reasoning. He just had zero control over every fibre in his body. Those wired darts were incredibly potent. Even now, he can¡¯t tell if he was dead or alive while his mind and conscious drifted in and out of a twilight zone. The sensation was worse than sleep paralysis. --- Is this, the Nether Court of Mirrors? Where liars and deceivers are tried before King Yama, to show their true colours? These reflections make it look like I am in the company of my clone. Martial Kim was focused on balancing his body in the chair he was forced in and little else. So it took him more effort than usual to squint. His vision removed the numbing blur to give him a better look of his surroundings. A single room with black padding of some sort. The only thing existing inside was this triangular table, three chairs, and this large mirror was long as a bed. Just to be sure the ¡®other person¡¯ was not a doppelganger or illusion, he would try to move around to test for any natural delay. Only to realize, his entire body was heavier than expected. Chains were coiled around his waist, his ankles, even his arms. All of it was anchored to this hook on the desk, like he was a horse tied to a post. --- Is this a prison cell or interrogation chamber? I do not see any tools to punish the wicked and force a confession. Not even a fresh pot of fire to brand them, nor hammers and finger bending wrenches. Also, what are these manacles? I have never seen such restraints being so light and delicate. I feel like I can snap them if I part my hands...Oh...They are oddly tough. Martial Kim bring up his wrist, clapped with a pair of hand cuffs. Slim, near the thickness of a novel book; light, barely noticeable if he didn¡¯t lay his eyes on them. --- Hmm. They are incredible tight. Practically pinching my skin. I wonder if this is some sort of guillotine for my hands ¨C and if I do not speak the truth, they threaten to cut it off. Strange, most strange...speaking of bizarre, how did I enter here? I do not see a door. The young master looked around. Other than the mirror, there seemed to be no means of entry. No obvious door whatsoever. His curiosity was soon sated, when one of the walls opened at random to reveal a hidden door within the padded walls. ¡°Good. You¡¯re finally awake.¡± ¡°...Wh...who are you?¡± ¡°Oh come on, don¡¯t play that game with me. You just assaulted over a dozen cops today, so don¡¯t use that amnesia card on me!¡± Detective Fraulein and another investigator stormed to one of the chairs at the table and sat down. She slapped a series of folders across the table. It didn¡¯t intimidated the young master, rather it just made him recoil when those folders smacked his hands. To make things more difficult, she reached to the side of the table and touched something ¨C making it blind Martial Kim in the face. --- W-what!? Th-this light? A miniature sun, like back in Miss Keekee¡¯s cabin? Does everyone have some form of sunlight cultivation!? "Where have you taken Miss Keekee. She is innocent in all of this. If any harm were to fall upon her, I will not forgive you!" The detective snorted, "To think, after all you''ve done, you''re worried about your little girlfriend? What''s the matter, mad that I stole your meal? "W...what are you trying to say?" "Keekee is your fourth victim, isn''t she?¡± Detective Fraulein folded her arms in an inquisitive tone, ¡°You put in a lot of effort to cozy up to her. No doubt you planned to get it on with her tonight, then choke her to death before she reaches the first orgasm huh?" "P-preposterous!" Martial Kim would bolt to his feet--only to be snagged by the chains and fell back down. Not like he could break free, his muscles keep spasming from the shock, "I would never do such a thing to her! There is a misunderstanding, your honour!" "...Y...your honour?" "You may not wear the official garment, but you act like in the position as the one in charge of this judgment. That makes you the county magistrate, are you not?" Martial Kim didn¡¯t understand, why there was this audible silence between the two parties. "...I am Detective Fraulein. Not a Sheriff of some wild west story!" The she couldn''t believe what she just heard. Sounded incredibly stupid, even if it came out of a professional actor. Not wanting her headache to worse, she try to finish this interview quickly ¨C so she can go to an emergency room or something. She felt the concussion about to catch up to her. "Stop playing mind games and brain riddles,¡± she spat "We know everything: about the victim in the mountain. You strangled her and filed a report to put suspicious off of your back and chase after an imaginary guy! Nice try, but we¡¯re not stupid!" Everything seem to click into place for Martial Kim. Like a puzzle automatically sorting itself to show him the bigger picture. He objected, "I am not who you are looking for! What I said to your constable was true: I witnessed the murder. I was not the one who enact it! Please return to the scene of the crime and--"The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "His name is Officer Roland,¡± The detective cut in, ¡°Come on, that''s what all you happy go merry killers like to say. It''s not me, it''s someone else. Another mad man, I''m sane. I got character witnesses, my background is clean, blah-blah. I am sick and tired of those criminal mind bullshit you all brag about!" Detective Fraulein whipped open several reports, tossing some evidence in a bag across the table. "We got your finger prints all over the third victim. The water bottle you tried to force feed her with. And that needle you stabbed her with!" --- Ah. Of course. I came into contact with that bottle, and that is indeed my Dragon Needle. I can see why everyone is being mislead. I need to clarify the truth and.....wait...What did she say? "...Third...victim?" Martial Kim uttered with disbelief. Detective Fraulein whipped out several printed pictures across the table, letting them slide over. Faces of several women ¨C as well as a collection of their dead bodies left out in the open. Eyes wide dead, belts wounded tight through their necks, clothing torn and body defiled. "Don''t recognize them?" Detective Fraulein mocked, "They are your trophies, Mr. Belt Rapist. That''s how you like to play your games: get on their good side as the ideal boyfriend, going so far as to take them on the dates and dinner. One perfect night after another, to build on that illusion of happiness. And when it''s time to take it up a notch, you charm them into the bed ¨C only to kill her in mid sex." --- ... That...demon! If only I had known sooner! I would have cut that man down where he stood! Even if the god were to spare him, I shall not! He deserves no mercy! I should have executed him with a thousand cuts to avenge these poor! But he didn¡¯t ¨C that is what Martial Kim was kicking himself over with a bitter taste in his mouth. The more he looked at the pictures of the mangled victims, his heart arched with every glance. --- These maidens deserve justice ¨C but it is pointless if the constables lock me here in place of the monster! I have to convince them and¡ª "Hey! I''m talking to you!" The detective snapped her fingers in front of the young master¡¯s face. "Stop dazing off! I got eyewitness report stating you were messing around with the third victim. Not to mention, we got your D.N.A. all over her body." "...Dee...eN...Aye?" "Yeah. And we all know D.N.A. is irrefutable evidence!¡± --- D....N...A? What is that? How is it irrefutable? What about it makes it as strong as finger prints and eye witness testimonies? I never heard of it, neither has this appeared in Imperial Text...How would I have missed such an important fact? "Stop day dreaming. There is no way I am going to let you near victim number four. Keekee is going to stay safe away from the likes of you! You bet your ass I''ll make sure of it!" ¡°Madame Detective!¡± Martial Kim cried out, "Please listen to reasoning! You got the wrong person--" "Hah! Where have I heard that before!? Can''t you guys think of anything better to say!" "I am serious, madame detective! I saw the murder with my own eyes. A man of large build with a tattoo on his back in the form of a skull and snake! That is the culprit you are after, not me! And surely you can find a blue horse wagon that have no horses. A rare transport like that would surely stand out!" "...What...is your major malfunction!?" Detective Fraulein bolted to her feet, hackles up and hissing, ¡°Horse wagon? Horse wagon!? What else do you want to add to your so called statement: fairies, sorcerers, and dragons!? Why don¡¯t you give your wizard friend a call to bail you out!?¡± --- What in the world is she talking about? Did she lose her mind? ¡°Are you out of your mind or are you that sick in the head!¡± The detective snapped. ¡°Just how delusional are you, creep!¡± There were many questions and answers going on in Martial Kim''s mind. So much so, he didn''t know which to use or address. He knew half of them were useless to someone as stubborn necked as this Detective Fraulein. "You can''t run, Belt Rapist," the detective lashed out, interrupting the young master¡¯s thinking, "Make it easy for all of us! There is no way you can weasel your way out of the court, even if you have the sleaziest lawyer known to mankind! Your finger prints were on the victim and the needle you used to stab the victim. It is only a matter of time, before we find the murder weapon ¨C then your goose is really cooked!" --- My goose? H-how can she talk about roast goose in a time like this!? Is she truly taking this investigation seriously!? ¡°Hey, hey, hey. Don¡¯t you look at me like that, you did this to yourself!¡± Martial Kim clenched his teeth back to¡ªWhoa, hold up. He was suddenly struck with that feeling of Deja Vu. --- Something is not right about all this. It has not been a day and they declared the victim in the mountain as suicide. They even went as far as refusing to accept my statement... Now this, what went wrong? Why does this feel all so familiar... Wait...Oh wait. The pain disappeared, because that didn¡¯t matter now. A single revelation numbed all of the young master¡¯s senses, making his heart slow to a near stop and just stare into a deep void only he could see. --- This, is all a trap. Exactly how I faked Fae Fae¡¯s death...Ha...haha... Oh, the irony of it all. To think, I was a fool from the start ¨C at my own game even.... Hahahahah... "Hey." Detective Fraulein''s snarl evolved into a beastly growl, "You find this amusing?" "Find what amusing?" C-can she read my mind!? ¡°Why the smug look, hmm?¡± --- Curses! My nerves lost control of my composure. A-are my thoughts showing up on the muscles of my face!? The twitch would not stop curling my lips up! Before Martial Kim knew it, he was grabbed at the collar and rattled. Now, he knew how the criminals he captured felt on the receiving end. ¡°Funny huh, tough guy?¡± Detective Fraulein roared, ¡°Playing the hearts of three innocent girls and killing them off like some big game hunt? What were you going to do to celebrate victim four huh!? SHOW OFF KEEKEE¡¯S NAKED CORPSE TO YOUR BUDDIES AT THE BAR?!¡± ¡°I WOULD NEVER¡ª¡± ¡°Ah, Kim was it? You got something on your face, let me wipe it off.¡± SMACK! CRACK! POW! WHALLOP! PAVILION - Chapter 24 (Interviews Cold) "Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. Oh gaaawd." Keekee was pacing around nonstop for several reasons. One, the interview room she was trapped in was small. Barely bigger than her apartment bedroom. It made her feel claustrophobic, even if she wasn''t born to be scared of elevators. So she kept moving to one corner to another to mislead her brain she was in a wider range, to distract herself. Second, she had so much restless adrenaline in her body. The raid back in her grandmother''s cabin, watching Kim being hauled away like a dead sheep, and everything ¨C nearly broke her sanity. So she used a trick most actors and artists use to balance out their adrenaline before a show, by moving around to stop the pre-stage shaking. Third, it was damn cold! She felt even penguins would shiver with her. "A-anyone here? Hello? I-is there anybody?" No, Keekee didn''t went insane out of the blue. She wasn''t lonely enough to talk to empty air. It¡¯s just the fact she¡¯s seen and done enough crime drama to know there is someone watching her through that classic two way mirror. Every now and then she would call out to anyone on the other side, wave her hands or try to do something to get a reaction. Keekee went as far as cupping her face against the glass, to try and peer through as if peeping through a keyhole. "Excuse me! C-can anyone tell me, is Kim alright? Hello!?" Nothing, no one, not a single response. The more silence responded to her, the more she felt she was in a psychological horror flick ¨C totally not a fan of those, even when behind the scenes. Then ¨C JUMPSCARE! ¡°OH GOD!¡± ¡°Officer Tanner, I got the report¡ªOh sorry! Didn¡¯t mean to scare you like that.¡± A stranger walked through the hidden door in the interview room, spooking the hell out of Keekee¡¯s heart. The shock hit her so hard she flopped over on her own feet and instinctively raced to a corner. Her senses calm down upon seeing a living human coming over to help her up. ¡°Th-thank god, finally someone to talk to!¡± Keekee gasped, ¡°A-are you the detective?¡± "Er. No. I am from forensics. My name is Professor Stone... Oh you must be Keekee? Ah, I saw your face on the ID card, I heard you were the one who reported the murder in the mountains yes?¡± ¡°N-no no! That was Kim who...¡± Keekee¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Oh my god! I-Is Kim alright? Wh-where is he? Please tell me, he isn¡¯t dead! "Whoa, whoa, whooooa," Professor Stone tried to calm the film assistant and softened his voice to make the atmosphere easier for everyone. "He¡¯s fine. I checked on him through the investigators a moment ago. A bit roughed up from the tasers and questioning, but he¡¯s alive and well. Rest assured.¡± ¡°Oh thank god.¡± Keekee clutched her heart nearly fainted on the spot were it not for Prof. Stone catching her. ¡°Y-you can¡¯t believe, how relieved I am to hear that. I-I could never forgive myself i-if Kim d-died, because of me!¡± "Ssssh. Sssh. It''s okay," Prof. Stone cooed, "Everything is fine...well...sort of." "Dete¡ªI mean, Professor, sir. Wh-why did you arrest him!? H-he is innocent! He didn''t kill anyone! I swear!" "Again, I am from forensic. We¡¯re not exactly like the agents in the C.S.I. shows who carry guns and have power of arrest,¡± Prof. Stone replied, trying to calm the film assistant, ¡°As of this moment, I am not in the liberty to share the details. I can only say he is our prime suspect due to the various evidence connected to him.¡± ¡°Th-that can¡¯t be right! He hasn¡¯t killed anyone, ever!¡± Prof. Stone can¡¯t help a chuckle, ¡°You sure have a lot of faith for your boyfriend.¡± "Uh...K-Kim isn''t my boyfriend. He...uh..." Keekee blushed, just too confused to get her mind sorted out. "I-I don''t know how to explain it." "Then, in the best interest of both yourself and the suspect ¨C you should tell everything to the investigators."This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. "I-I will, of course. Bu-but they haven''t showed up and it''s been hours!" "...Hours huh?" Prof. Stone raised an eyebrow. "...Oh my. Look how bad you''re shaking. No doubt it''s cold in here. The air conditioning can go crazy at the worse times. Here, take this." The forensic chemist took off his suit jacket and wrapped it around Keekee''s small shoulders, bundling her up. He even turned the dial of the thermostat to zero out of courtesy. "There, all better!" "..." "Wh-what is wrong?" "... Sorry it''s...you remind me of Kim." "Oh? Am I really that charming?" "N-no not that." Keekee missed Professor Stone''s frown and said, "He...he takes good care of me." The forensic chemist took a mental note on that reaction, before chuckling it off, "I should get going. Do not worry, the investigators will be with you shortly. So if you would so kindly have a seat." "Th-thanks...P-Professor Stone was it? I-I am grateful, for your jacket." "No problemo. I''ll take my leave then. Excuse me." After gently closing the door behind him...his face had a storm brewing on his eyebrows. He only needed to take three steps and walk next door. The observation room. Professor Stone stormed into the room where two investigators were lounging about. One was absorbed in videos on their laptop and the other with his feet propped on the table, sipping a warm drink. Both glanced occasionally toward the adjacent room, spying on Keekee curling up in the forensic chemist¡¯s suit jacket, seeking warmth and comfort. After a sigh ¨C Prof. Stone slapped a forensic report down in front of the relaxed officer, startling him mid-sip. ¡°Your report, Officer Tanner.¡± "JESUS!" The coffee investigator bolted in his chair, "Bro! Don''t make me spill my coffee like that! It''s hot! And what''s the big idea turning off the cooler?¡± Prof. Stone rolled his eyes, ¡°Come on, can you guys be any worse? You have this scared girl waiting in the freezer for hours. You didn¡¯t even offer her a cup of hot water? Psychological warfare of not, you guys got to know when to pull your punches. What would Detective Fraulein say if she caught you bullying a girl!¡± ¡°Oh for Pete sakes¡ª¡± The coffee investigator adjusted himself in his chair while slapping the drink off his clothing. ¡°We are trying to shake her up, you know ¨C classic textbook strat. And, we can¡¯t be too careful.¡± ¡°Pray do tell, why all the ¡®precaution¡¯?¡± ¡°Dude, you should have been there when we raided the cabin! Her man be like wiping the floor with us like rags! For all we know, this girl could be an accomplice. Possibly even a black belt herself!¡± Prof. Stone pinched his nose bridge before turning the coffee investigator¡¯s chair to face the two way mirror. ¡°Take a good look, Officer Tanner. Does this person look like a repeated felon, a hardy criminal who bulked up in prison? Gangster even? She look like she would struggle with carrying a feisty baby, let alone kick your balls inside out. And let us not forget ¨C she was the one who saved you all, trying to negotiate a truce. Until you tazed the guy, three times I might add.¡± "H-hey man. Let''s not get technical.¡± The coffee investigator got riled up, ¡°Do you see my face? I look like a god damn panda in a zoo! And my fingers are busted, huh! Bandaged up! I got to do us some justice, right?" "File a work safe form and just get on with it." Prof. Stone rolled his eyes and started to slap both investigators with the folder, "Alright you made her wait long enough. Now get to work or I¡¯ll snitch on both of you to Detective Fraulein for laziness of duty.¡± ¡°Oh come, stop playing that card on us!¡± The coffee investigator groaned and got up off his lazy ass. He tried to finish his coffee, only for Prof. Stone to shove the whole folder into his chest and made him choke. After ushering the two investigators out of the observation room to talk to Keekee, he sat down in front of the laptop they were using and checked the screen. ¡°You guys better not be watching YouTube shorts right now... Oh this is interesting.¡± To his astonishment, the screen was filled with multiple displays of police recordings. All of them were the events of the cabin raid, albeit in various angles. The moment he figured out what was going on, he would go OOH and AAH when a swift fist and kick slammed into the ¡®camera¡¯, sending whoever wore that angle just flying like a drop-kicked pine cone. ¡°Wow...Is this guy filming a kung fu flick? Dayum, that¡¯s gotta hurt. OOOOH!...Oh so that is how Detective Fraulein nearly lost an eye¡ªPFFFFT! And there she goes, tumbling down the hill! Kihhahahahaha!¡± PAVILION - Chapter 25 (Interviews Clarity) "So. Miss Kamkam, we want to ask¡ª" "It¡¯s Keekee. You know, like the sound of a chirping bird and...Never mind." The investigators questioning Keekee already exchanged bored glances. Why do they get the menial work? Where''s the action?...Actually never mind, they''re faces and bones paid the price of that excitement. Every move they made with their arms and elbows, they can hear bones crackling in the wrong places. One of the investigators sipped at coffee, cringed at how lukewarm it has become, and went, "So how''d you know this guy? This uh Kong guy." "Kim! His name is Kim!" "Right...So?" Keekee took a moment to recount her memories. Somehow the details made her second guess herself a lot, "Uh. Kim just showed up, in the middle of my production crew shooting for a major fight scene for our film project. Just came in flying and doing all these amazing kung fu tricks and¡ª" She was cut off, when the coffee investigator snorted at himself in the middle of her sentence. She didn''t know if she should continue or-- Until a phone rang in between them. It wasn''t hers, she left her phone back in her grandmother''s place. It was the coffee investigator. Abashed, he awkwardly glanced at his partner and Keekee before ''casually'' dragging the phone over and turning to the side to talk. "Stone? You''re still here!?" He hissed under his breath. ¡°You can see we¡¯re busy!¡± Professor Stone sighed from the observation booth behind the two way mirror. He adjusted the phone in his hand as he held it up like a slice of pizza, on speaker. "Make eye content, show her you care, don''t be so mean.¡± He hummed, ¡°You keep saying you have a girlfriend, but I question her taste in a clueless man like you. Be nice, it''s not that hard. And don''t forget to smiiile." "...Huh...yeah, right." "And keep this line open." "A-again!? Detective Fra--" "Keep. Line. Opeeeen." The lazy investigator hide his dissatisfaction ¨C much like a child internally raging when their mothers interrupt them from something ''important''. Nonchalantly he put the phone face down and ''secretly'' shoved a wireless earbud into his ear. Sitting up straight, eyes forward, hands on the table, he put on a forced smile. "Sorry, I have a cold. Cough. Please, Miss Kamkam--" Professor Stone whispered into his phone, "Keeeeeekeeeeeeee." The lazy investigator just...endured, "Miss Kip--Keekee...You were saying." Keekee had no idea what happened, but she knew enough police drama to tell someone else was calling the shots. Perhaps, someone on Kim''s side like in the shows? Sh-she only had movies and TV series to rely on right now! "L-like I said. Kim showed up, my director loved what he did and asked me to write up a draft contact for him to sign.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± The coffee investigator raised an eyebrow. ¡°...Well there was that...time...¡± Keekee blushed, her finger curling through her hair when she thought back to a special occasion. ¡°A-a bunch of guys in the mountains who robbed me, even tried to rape me. K-Kim showed up out of the blue a-and just whacked them all away! He saved me. L-literally sweeping off my feet.¡± The coffee investigator chuckled¡ªonly to pretend he choked on air when some sound filled his earpod. Keekee then asked, "Wh-why are you all calling Kim a murderer?" "Because he is. We got reason to believe that your boyfriend¡ª¡± ¡°A-again, h-he¡¯s not my boyfriend.¡± "Whatever.¡± The coffee investigator rolled his eyes, ¡°An eyewitness saw your man buddy with the victim when she died. And there''s a lot of evidence that points directly to him as being the Belt Rapist - who you probably know has killed up to three innocent girls." "Th-th-that''s impossible! He wouldn''t hurt an...Er." Keekee couldn''t defend him, when she recalled he beat the crap out of 200 skull-faced stuntmen, 3 mountain bandits, and probably 20 cops. Oh...this looks so bad. "Wh-what I mean to say is," Keekee sorted her thoughts out, "Kim is a very nice guy. H-he protected me! He even cleaned my grandma''s house ¨C and he didn''t have to!" "About that," the coffee investigator leaned in, crossing his fingers together, "Other than the filming, have you ever met this Kim guy before?" "No. I-it was our first meeting, period."This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. "So, you didn''t call him to the shoot, you have no idea who he is. And for all intents and purposes - he''s a complete stranger to you." Keekee nodded and was about to say yes...until she realized where this is going. The coffee investigator answered on her behalf, "And you brought this guy you don''t know into your house, just like that?" Yeah...now that he put it like that, it did look bad. "Girl, did he pay you money?" "I AM NOT A HOOKER!" "Just checki--OW!" The coffee investigator flinched from a loud noise in his ear as he buried his face into his arms. Professor Stone in the observation room was frowning as he hammered the speaker of his phone into the table to get his point across. After that flash of punishment, the investigator just sat up and forced a smile, "I mean... You called in a man you never knew, not even from the internet. How come you trust him so much? What if, he had his eyes on you as being belt victim number four?" "He wouldn''t!" Keekee bolted to her feet in denial. "Kim has been nothing but kind to me! Respectful even! H-he treats me better than you guys, o-or any guy I¡¯ve dated in the past! L-like, he is the classic gentlemen you can only find in black and white movies. The ones who throw down their coats over a puddle so a lady don¡¯t get their shoes wet! You know what I mean?¡± ¡°Lady, you watch too much movies.¡± The coffee investigator snorted back, ¡°You really you should switch to reality TV programs and¡ªGAAAH!¡± The officer suddenly lurched across the table, grasping his one ear. It seems, the other end of the line fired a loud sound into his ear to teach him a lesson. Once the ringing slowed down and his eyes weren¡¯t seeing stares, he tried to sit up...with a small choke. Keekee was tearing up. Hell hath no fury than a woman scorn. ¡°This is all your fault!¡± She screamed, ¡°You guys totally made fun of him! And he was being a good Samaritan for crying out loud! He tried to warn you guys of the real murderer when you all said it was a suicide! Kim only wanted to help, y-you should have seen the pain in his eyes when he told me what he saw that day! Now you¡¯re all pointing fingers, making him look like the serial killer YOU GUYS can¡¯t find!¡± ¡°Hey now girly, you listen right¡ª¡± ¡°No! YOU listen! You all came charging at my grandma¡¯s house, disrespected her property, and arrested my friend! You nearly killed him too! I should report you for your excessive violence!¡± ¡°Whoa now, hold up. Were you blind to how he wiped the floor with us? What we did was merciful compared to him!¡± ¡°Kim did absolutely nothing wrong! He isn¡¯t the murder! So let him go!¡± The coffee investigator pinched at his nose bridge. He wasn¡¯t in the mood to raise his voice at her. So he tried a different tactic. ¡°Let¡¯s pretend for a second, he was the Belt Rapist ¨C for a second. Did it ever occur to you, trying to get close to you was his goal the whole time?¡± ¡°Wh-what? What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°The Belt Rapist has a pattern, like all serial killers do! He always chooses young women who can be easily fooled with the promise of a perfect love. Portrays himself as the ideal man for her, going as far as mimicking her purest preference in men. Why do you think, three girls are dead ¨C because he got so close to them, they died before they knew it was too late. This time, this Kim, what he¡¯s doing isn¡¯t any different!¡± ¡°...No! Th-that¡¯s not possible!¡± ¡°It is.¡± The coffee investigator stood up, adjusting his belt, ¡°A guy comes out of no where, puts himself in danger to save a stranger like you, doesn¡¯t get anything out of it, and been ¡®respecting you¡¯ from day one. That¡¯s all in fantasy land! Knights and princesses! Chivalry is long dead! You and I both know ¨C there¡¯s no such guy like that any more!¡± ¡°S-stop it. Y-you¡¯re doing those mind games!¡± Keekee cupped her ears, trying to block the officer¡¯s voice out. ¡°You can¡¯t say things like that about Kim! He¡¯s different!¡± ¡°Exactly! Think about it! What normal woman in their right mind would invite a complete stranger to live with them? I don¡¯t see a Good Samaritan invite beggars to live in their house without a problem! This Kong guy had a motive: and that¡¯s to crawl into your life, get it on with you, then strangle you dead. That¡¯s why he¡¯s been cozying up to you¡ª¡± ¡°HE HAS BEEN TRYING TO COMMIT SUICIDE!¡± Everything changed right then and there. Professor Stone did a double take and sat up in his chair, completely serious. The outburst stunned the investigators themselves, making them look at each other ¨C as if either one had the script of their next lines. Wh-what do they say to follow up after that kind of outburst!? Keekee found herself on her feet, fighting back hot tears in her eyes. She had to get the truth out. ¡°Kim had been starving himself. No food, no water. I found him practically wandering in the mountains, covered in mud and blood. I finally realized, he was hiding the fact he wanted to kill himself! We all know people go into the mountains to die when they¡¯re at their lowest, don¡¯t deny that!¡± Keekee wiped the tears out of her eyes and barked, ¡°Even so, he went out of his way to save me. He protected me all this time, even while he had thoughts of ending his life. And he had no where else to stay, so I INVITED Kim to my grandmother¡¯s cabin until he could sort himself out! I wanted to help him recover, to get over the pain! What, did you think I could turn my back on such a vulnerable man like him!? Would you look away, officers!?¡± The investigators exchanged glances, trying not to look weak or shameful. Keekee felt her knees buckle as the adrenaline washed out from under her. She flopped back into her chair and pulled the coat around her shaking shoulders. ¡°Kim didn¡¯t even have the strength to open a water bottle when I first found him. S-so tell me, officers, how would he have the strength, or guts even, to strangle a woman he¡¯s never met before? Everything is a mistake! He was the one who saw the murder, he was never part of it!¡± Prof. Stone rose to his feet and head out of the observation room. He had heard enough, to get his mind cleared in the right direction. PAVILION - Chapter 26 (Interviews Prison) There is the old saying of ''curiosity kills the cat''. Well, it''s a miracle Professor Stone is still alive to this day. And it didn''t stop there, as he took it upon himself to go and find out what this ''murderer'' of the day looked like. It wasn''t the feeling of FOMO...that fear of missing out. Rather, there was something about this whole case that didn''t sit well for him. Forensic or not, he was still an investigator in this case thus he should take it upon himself to prove several theories in his mind. Even if it meant a certain detective will chew him out ¨C but that''s not anything new. Ssssh. "Heeeey. Jim, hard at work or hardly working. Here, have a coffee." Prof. Stone arrived in the station''s holding cell. There weren''t that many individual room, so it was very easy to spot out the jailkeeper as well as a particular cell he wanted to speak to. First, he bribed the jailkeeper with a fresh cup of coffee. "How''s the ''Belt Rapist''?" Prof. Stone chirped. "Oh that guy?" The jail keeper jabbed a chubby thumb into a direction. "For a guy who killed three women, he''s oddly gentle and quiet. A bit roughed up, but I guess it comes with the territory of being a hunted criminal." "Riiiight. Mind if I have a chat with him?" "Oh. I don''t know." Prof. Stone knew he would meet resistance. So he came prepared. "Donuts?" "Oooh! A police man can''t say no to that! Go right on ahead!" After bribing the jailkeeper with a box of donuts, Prof. Stone shuffled on through. The halls were all filled with animals in human flesh: wolves, tigers, bears, the worst type of criminals anyone would want to avoid. They all hung against their cells, clawing or making gestures of finger knives across the throat, some would even spit in his direction but their shot always fell short. Everyone was ready to spring out and make some noise...except for the one cell in the very far back. Martial Kim sat across his bed inside the far corner of the cell. He did not hate the light, but he felt the shadow would give him a sense of calm. He mediated, legs crossed under him, and he used various breathing techniques to clear his mind. With how still he was, Prof. Stone thought he walked into a museum ¨C alone. In fact, he tilted his head as if viewing an elaborate painting like the works of Van Gogh or Leonardo Da Vinci. Through the dim light, he could see the countless of bruises trampling up and down Martial Kim¡¯s face. He shook his head, displeased about it, but given the circumstances he can¡¯t really voice his objections. Nothing seemed to break the young master¡¯s concentration. Even when Prof. Stone leaned against the cell gate, the martial artist continue to live in his own private world. It made Prof. Stone conscious about disturbing him. So he used a different tactic. Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip. Martial Kim opened one eye at the noise. That was his greeting in return. ¡°Sorry, did I break your concentration?¡± Prof. Stone asked out of half curiosity and half sarcasm. ¡°You are Kim right?¡± Martial Kim stared from his corner. ¡°I brought you some coffee. Want some?¡± The young master snorted. As if he would accept a bribery like that. He is a Knight-Errant of highest standards! Even if he were to fast for 10 days and 10 nights and a great feast was held before his eyes, he shan¡¯t take it out of greed. Purity and discipline is key! --- Oh? This aroma. I have never smelled it before. Oddly alluring. He opened a cautious eye, examining whatever it was that Prof. Stone was drinking from and gesturing with his other hand. In the end, curiosity defeated purity and discipline in less than three and a half moves, making Martial Kim rise up and approach the source of this fragrance. ¡°So uh,¡± Prof. Stone asked, testing the waters of their conversation. ¡°Feeling better? Well no doubt they roughed you up a bit but...You good?¡± ¡°...¡± "Name''s Stone. Professor Stone. Oh don''t worry, I''m not a cop. I''m from forensics." "..." "H-here''s your coffee." Prof. Stone gestured the cup he stuck into the cell, wiggling it in front of the young master. Martial Kim stared at it, long and hard. He tried to mimic the forensic chemist''s hand position to pick up the cup. --- Ouch! "Ah, yeah it''s still hot. You need to hold the uh, cardboard holder, this part. Yeah that''s it. Careful. Caaareful. There you go!" --- Even I would warn someone that the tea is hot! A little courtesy call would have been helpful! Prof. Stone chuckled when he successfully delivered the cup of coffee. He watched patiently as Martial Kim stared at it with interested... Or just stared....And stared...and stared. "Go on drink it," the forensic chemist urged. --- You say that, yet you essentially gave me a waterskin that has no opening. Even he did not remove the top and is able to consume the content, so what is the trick behind this? S-stop, you are breaking it now! I can hear cracking noises! "Yeah just pull up the lip cover like that." Unable to help himself Prof. Stone would take a sip from his own coffee cup. "Hmmm." "..." "N-no. No, th-the other way around. Th-there''s no sip hole in¡ªHow about I just take the whole cover off. I-it''s alright, I''m not gonna do anything weird." Martial Kim watched in confusion as Prof. Stone reached a hand in to remove the entire cap. The gesture surprised him, not to mention the blast of smells hitting him in the face. A pleasant grin grew on his lips.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "Smells good, don''t you think?" --- Indeed, it does. However, its appearance does not leave one to desire. This looks exactly like ink you write with a horse-tail brush! "Go on. Enjoy while it''s still hot." "..." Martial Kim sniffed at the liquid a few more times just in case. Compelled by the aroma, he would give it a small taste to-- "Hnn! Bleeh!" "Huh? What''s the matter? I didn''t poison it, I swear!" --- My gods. This is two times bitter than poison! Cough Cough! How could you drink this...aromatic ink so casually!? Auuugh. What a pungent after taste! "Ah. Don''t like your coffee black? I thought it would come to it so I brought these!" Prof. Stone caught Martial Kim off guard when he pulled out several items from his pant pocket. To the young master it was a small white pouch one would wrap powdered medicine in and the other was some sort of white stone that could be used in a gambling house. The young master watched as the forensic chemist poured these things into his drink and fiddled around with it. Although he was apprehensive of what ¡®potion¡¯ this man was brewing, the churning from ink black to a soft milky brown caught his attention. Even the smell changed, making his mouth water. --- This man is not my enemy. It would be rude to turn down his hospitality. I could not call myself a knight-errant if I were to object to his good will....... Gods, my hands are shaking and it is not from the heat. After being urged to try once more, Martial Kim reluctantly sipped...sipped...another sip...two more....a slooooow draw. ¡°Better!¡± Martial Kim could not help a gasp of relief. ¡°What ingredients did you just add to this?¡± ¡°Cream and sugar,¡± Prof. Stone chuckled as he drank his cup, ¡°Sweet and low.¡± ¡°...Cream?¡± Martial Kim raised an eyebrow, then pointed out, ¡°You must be a rich man, being able to afford something as valuable as sugar. Are you a cook?¡± ¡°N-no. A-as I said, I am a forensic scientist...You know, C.S.I.?¡± ¡°C...S...¡± Martial Kim trailed off. ---Of course. I am in another world. Their culture is completely different. Maybe the cooks here can blatantly use something as expensive as sugar however they please other than cooking. Ci Es Eye...What an odd title for a cook here. ¡°Glad you like the coffee,¡± Prof. Stone nodded, easing up, ¡°I would have brought you something to eat, but the last thing I want is Detective Fraulein seeing crumbs in your cell. She¡¯ll surely trace the evidence back to me. Hahaha!¡± ¡°...Ah. You mean the lady detective. Are you familiar with her?¡± "Unfortunately, yes. But don''t tell her I said that. Hahaha." "Professor Stone was it? Could you please deliver a message to her on my behalf?" "...Sure Kim, why not. I don''t got anything better to do." Martial Kim collected his thoughts for a moment, "Miss Keekee is innocent in all this. She is not an accomplice, neither was she aiding any criminal activity. Please convince the detective, or the at most the magistrate, to give Miss Keekee her freedom." "M...Magistrate?" "Do you not have one?¡± The young master raised an eyebrow, ¡°Even the lady detective gave me the same puzzled look." Prof. Stone pursed his lips. "We got a mayor? That should count?" "Then speak to this mayor, surely he can--" "Hah. Nice try. His ears only listens to potential donations." Prof. Stone sipped his drink and finally relaxed like it was a chat in a side of a part. "Miss Keekee is fine. Don''t worry. She isn''t in any trouble and no one is bullying her ¨C well, not bullying her physically if that gives you ease of mind. I am sure Detective Fraulein will let her go home within the hour after checking her background.¡± Martial Kim let out a deep sigh of relief, "That is the only news I need to hear." He then returned to sit on the bed of his cell. Every now and then he would sip, and try to reverse engineer this strange beverage that left a strong flavour in his mouth. Once Prof. Stone knew the young master was comfortable, he asked, "So. The woman who died in the mountains. Did you know her?" "I do not." "But you saw her, being strangled. And tried to help her?" "...I regret not taking action sooner.¡± Martial Kim¡¯s voice fell like a pin drop on a cloth, ¡°I could have stopped the murderer." "Could have? How?" "The murderer was no matched for my flying skills. If I had been focused enough, I would have been able to chase after him and bring him to justice but..." "What distracted you Kim? If I may ask?" "The life of the woman came first. I had to do something to save her." The forensic chemist hummed, "The needle in her neck. Did it have any significant meaning?" The young master sighed, "It was to sustain her life force, long enough until I could find a doctor." "Why didn''t you find a doctor?" "Good sir. It was not about why I did not ¨C I could not. I have never been in this region before. The mountains here are too foreign. I got lost too many times. I regret, not being able to help her recover from her injuries in time." Prof. Stone made a note of it as he churned the coffee in his cup. "Were you planning to kill Keekee?" "Preposterous!" Martial Kim had half a mind to toss away the drink in his hands...but he reeled his emotions in seeing how calm and casual the other party was, as if making an off handed joke. Not to mention, acting on rage never suited the young master''s style so he relied on breathing techniques to regain his spiritual center. "I would never harm someone as innocent as Miss Keekee. It is against my code." "...Code?" "Code of Chivalry," Martial Kim nodded with a curt huff, "The Way of the Knight-Errant: to right wrongs and uphold justice; to maintain loyalty and brotherhood; fight with honour and integrity; to be bold and courageous in times of great darkness; and punish the wicked. To break my code is no different than killing myself." ¡°You know, kinda reminds me of classic Bushido. Samurai stuff.¡± --- Oh? He knows Bushido? The Code of Honour amongst the warriors of the Taiko Shogunate? Curious? Does this mean, this world ¨C or foreign land, is still connected to the realm of Jade Empire? A chance to return? This...is all so confusing. ¡°Kim. No one talks like that. You know that right? Code of Chivalry and all that.¡± "Shameful, most shameful." Prof. Stone couldn''t tell if that was irony, sarcasm, or downright insult. So he pretended it was a combination of the first two. "Why did you touch her?" "Please, do not sully Miss Keekee''s virtue!" "I meant the victim in the mountain. We found your fingerprints all over the woman, from neck to even her thighs. If you didn''t kill her, why take advantage of her." "I did no such thing," Martial Kim retorted, "I told you I was trying to help her. I carried her to find a physician." "Carried?" Prof. Stone raised an eyebrow, "From where?" "I cannot recall by memory, I took too many turns in the forest. However, I am sure it was from uphill. I descended down the mountain slope, following the river to the nearest village or settlement of some kind." "And then?" "The woman asked for ''Water''. I placed her down next to this pit of garbage, so I could find the same kind of water bottle Miss Keekee gave me back at her camp, to help but..." Martial Kim bowed his head, his hands rubbing the belly of the coffee cup to try and find some warmth in his cold shame. "So, you are saying: she was killed somewhere else?" "That is correct." Prof. Stone chewed on this piece of information, so hard he completely forget he had a drink in his hands. In fact, he put it his coffee aside to rummage into his pocket. He procured a notebook and a pen. He waved it at Martial Kim, who fumbled to pick them up. "Kim, I read the report you told Officer Roland and the detective. You mentioned, the murderer had this tattoo. Would you be able to draw it out? I am curious." "Most certainly." "Excellent! I know this may not sound much, but I feel this will help a lot." "Of course." "..." "..." "..." "Kim?" Prof. Stone raised his other eyebrow, "Wh-what''s the matter? Go ahead and draw. Don¡¯t tell me you got stage fright or something." "Professor Stone. How do you expect me to draw, if you don''t provide a pot of ink for me? And this blue stick you gave me, is this really a brush? Where are the bristles made of horse tail?" "...I...it''s a ball point pen." PAVILION - Chapter 27 (Forensic Perspective) Professor Stone burst into Detective Fraulein''s office. Yes, he didn''t bother to knock. "Detective, we need to talk right¡ª" Only for the door to shove him back out like a pinball machine. He was about to charge back in, even if the other officers were staring in disbelief, until he heard Detective Fraulein''s voice through the other door. A conversation with no one, well not physically. [Yes Chief Commissioner, I understand the gravity of the situation.] Prof. Stone went ''oooooh'', before placing his ear against the door to get a better listen. Guess he wasn''t the only one, several of the other officers secretly craned their ears to get a better hearing themselves. [Yes sir, I am aware this is a straight forward proc--Yes Sir. Our team will push charges and speak with the crown prosecutor, however¡ªSir. Please understand, we have yet to find the murder weap¡ªYes sir. Yes Sir....Sir yes sir...Good bye sir.] The second the one-sided conversation ended, Detective Fraulein unlocked the door and whipped the door open. A phone gripped in the vice of her hand, the screen of a call just ended fading into black. "..." Was all she said with a tired stare. Prof. Stone knew actions spoke louder than words, so he hauled himself and the detective into her own office and closed the door behind them. "Detective. Even you agree, there''s something wrong with this case." "Aaaah. I was afraid you would agree. I hate it when your instincts are right. This means my worst fears are true!" Detective Fraulein shut all the blinds in her office, to make sure her officers have zero line of sight of herself, before she flopped over onto her office couch with the gusto of a tired college student. She even had one leg over the arm rest, arm dangling off the side, deader than a fresh corpse. "An arrest.¡± She muttered, ¡°We finally made an arrest to close this case for good, but I can''t understand why I am hesitating before the finish line! All the evidence screams it is Kim, he''s the Belt Rapist! It doesn''t feel right, but I need to make a decision quick or else the entire city will howl after us! It''s just...aaagh!" "Why don''t we break the case down and go over the details, one more time." "That''s just it. The detail! First two victim were found dead with a belt strapped around their necks. Zero D.N.A., zero trace evidence. Not even a loose fiber from a clothing. Now victim number three ¨C evidence everywhere and pointing at the obvious. Serial killers don''t just slip up on random! And it doesn¡¯t feel like some elaborate set up!" Prof. Stone nodded along, following the logic, "Most serial killers who target women often have a subliminal statement. Target prostitutes to ''clean up the streets''; target women with high social status to ''challenge their sense of authority''; or in the Belt Rapist''s case ¨C ¡®women are too easy to trust a stranger, they deserve to perish¡¯." "Your point, Stone?" "The Belt Rapist usually portrays himself as the ideal man: clean, well off, good profession, has a fancy car or two, and usually orchestrates the first encounter like something straight out of a Hallmark romance movie ¨C the victim as the lead actress. Kim on the other hand." "...Huh?" Detective Fraulein folded up to sit and listen. "What about Kim?" "Did you read Officer Tanner''s report, him questioning Keekee?" Prof. Stone asked, "She mentioned she found him lost in the mountains: dirty, bloodied, and half starved. Does that scream as ideal? Also, their first meeting was in the middle of a filming shoot ¨C the Belt Rapist never shows off in public, he isolates his prey to set the stage.¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Prof. Stone rubbed a hand over his chin as he added, ¡°The reason why we¡¯ve been chasing our tails around, is because he always make sure there are zero witnesses prior and during the murder. Even if he dated the victim in public, it is usually in large crowds or places where no one pays attention to others. Kim¡¯s case, he was seen by nearly everyone in the film production. Not to mention, his videos on the internet went viral. Everyone in town has seen him and Keekee." "That...is a good point. Wait wait wait.¡± Detective Fraulein¡¯s expression darkened, ¡°How did you know about how Keekee met Kim?......Oh come on Stone, you''re not a cop! Stop sneaking into my interviews! I regret giving you too much leeway! You know this case is too important to fool around!" "That''s not the point!" Prof. Stone waved a hand to change the subject, "The Belt Rapist wants these easy going women dead. Yet, Kim tried to save the third victim with acupuncture. He even rescued Keekee before she got molested by mountain robbers. Why go through the trouble of saving them, only to kill them later?" "...That is one bit that''s been bugging me the most actually." Detective Fraulein gnawed on the inside of her cheek. "Now that you mention it, Keekee said she was the one who invited Kim to stay with her. Diaries from the first two victim suggested, the Belt Rapist never goes to their place and would bring them to his apartment ¨C which were rented under a false identification. We guessed it was have more control over what trace D.N.A. he leaves behind, being able to sterilize the rented apartments near immaculate versus cleaning up another person¡¯s house.¡± "One important thing I wanted to bring to your attention," Prof. Stone nodded, "Kim mentioned while trying to save the third victim, he carried her down the hill to find the doctor. This proves my initial theory ¨C the trash pit may not be the first scene of the crime. And we have yet to find the murder weapon there. This means: if we can find the real first scene of the crime¡ª" "We may finally find the murder weapon...Wait? Kim mentioned? He''s already in the cells and¡ªSTONE! Who is the detective, you or me!? Why didn''t you ask for my permission!" "You were busy!¡± ¡°Send a text, duh! Think of a new excuse!¡± ¡°Oh relax, detective. It wasn¡¯t like I was trying to break him out. Just gave him a cup of coffee. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°...You did what?¡± "Why are you breaking into a sweat? It¡¯s like you saw a ghost or something.¡± Detective Fraulein face palmed with a panicked screech, "Y-you weren''t there, at the cabin! H-he took out our best guys with just a stick and firewood! Now you ARMED him with HOT coffee! Wh-who knows what type of hellish kung fu he can do with that!" Prof. Stone rolled his eyes, "I didn''t give him nunchakus so no need to go raise a red alert...Oh speaking of which, I would like to take the suspect to the crime scene. His insight may give us the breakthrough we need." ¡°Are you mad, Stone!? What is to stop this guy from killing everyone and making a run for it! I rather go out taking a bullet in the line of duty than scalded to death!¡± ¡°About that. I have an idea to put him on an unbreakable leash. I just need your permission with something.¡± ¡°...Stone...why does this proposal sound worse than death by hot coffee?¡± PAVILION - Chapter 28 (Forensic Scene) --- How long has it been? It feels like, it was only yesterday the tragedy happen? I wonder if the woman¡¯s spirit is still lingering, alone? Waiting for justice to answer her plea? Back to the mountains, where it all began. Martial Kim need not worry about getting lost this time. The police investigator made sure he can never run away let alone go in the wrong direction. For safety, they bound him to a series of chains that coiled around his wrist, ankles, and waist. Essentially a leash. Granted, these chains are nothing but paper ropes to him. It would be too easy to break out of them and fly away from their reaches if he was in the mood. However, those strange yellow hand crossbows the officers kept gripping in their hand, those tasers, made the young master conscious of them. Up ahead was Detective Fraulein, a wolf leading the pack deep into the forests of the mountain. Almost every five steps she would turn around to shoot Martial Kim a glare ¨C only when she knew she was 20 paces out of his reach. "Remember, no funny business," She snarled. Martial Kim didn''t answer. There was no need really. Accompanying the group was Professor Stone, along with his forensic team. The forensic chemist spoke on the young master''s behalf to ease the tension between both warring parties. "Relax, Detective," he chuckled. "We held our end of the bargain. Surely an ''honourable'' man like Kim would do the same." Martial Kim couldn''t help a smile, "Of course. You were good on your word, I will be good on mind." Detective Fraulein rolled her eyes, "What are you two, twins? Cut the reverb and get serious. We''re almost to the crime scene." After the detective stumbled up ahead, the young master couldn''t help whispering to the forensic chemist. "Miss Keekee. She has returned to her grandmother''s cabin safely?" "Yep. She''s got an officer to keep her company, in case those guys you mentioned that tried to rape her do come back. And not to worry, I asked the detective to open a file on them. Another team is working to find the those guys, rest assured." "Your words ease my heart. As promised, I will not resist nor attempt any means of escape. I will do everything in my power to support you in your investigation. It is the very least I can do to repay your good will.¡± "Aaaw. How thoughtful of you, Kim!" "HEY! LOVEBIRDS!" Detective Fraulein howled when she reached the top of a hill, "Get your asses over here right now!" The unlikely duo couldn''t help exchange whimsical grins as they were led up the hill. Then Martial Kim subconsciously swallowed a lump in his throat when he recognizes the trash pit. A lot of officers were on the site, guarding it, and everything was surrounded by-- "Hmm? Kim? What''s wrong?" "...Uh..." --- Am I about to enter a ritual? What are all these yellow ropes floating around the trash pit. They look like Taoist Seals to purge evil spirits or immobilize ghosts. Is this a means to release the victim''s soul to pass on quietly into the nether? Prof. Stone waited a bit. When nothing but confused silence answered him, he hoisted up the yellow police cordon above his head and waved a hand for the young master. "Come on in. Not like Detective Fraulein is going to bite your guts out and spit it into a fire." "..." ¡°Sarcasm. Not a fan I take it?¡± After some hesitation, Martial Kim followed Prof. Stone and ducked under the yellow police cordon. Expecting some mystical force going haywire and unleashing all the wandering spirits in the woods...he opened one clenched eye to see nothing happened. Rather, everyone was staring at him as if he did something incredibly stupid. Out of all the mistakes he''s done since he came to this new world ¨C he felt conscious about it now. Half of the officers couldn''t help a snicker, the other half were still under PTSD so their hands were sitting on top of their weapons at their holster without so much as a peep. Finally, they dragged the young master to the spot where the woman in the leopard clothing was found. --- Oh? What did they use to trace the victim''s body on the ground? Normally, the constables I work with use trails of powdered chalk, any disturbance in the line would tell us if anyone tampered with it. This material is...what is it? Martial Kim couldn''t help but squint at the strange white lines that outlined where the victim was found. Even in the breeze, the white line didn''t move or scatter and stuck there. Convenient, yet odd. "Alright. You, Kim, get over here and don¡¯t step on the tape," Detective Fraulein lowered her tone, but didn''t gave up glaring, "Now. Assuming what you said in your statement is true, you hauled the victim all the way here. She asked for water and you tried to help her drink some, but she died on the spot. Then what happened?" Martial Kim felt like he was being made a fool. Chained up, frowned upon, and all he needed was a finger wagging and he would feel like he was treated like a lying child. Yet, the more he eyed the frame where the woman in leopard clothing died, the more he forgot the world¡¯s judging stare. "A disciple of the Beggar Sect came by," He answered with his head held high, "I called for his aid, but he fled from me. He believed I killed the woman, and I tried to convince him otherwise." Matches the testimony of the crazy beggar, something about angel of vengeance, Detective Fraulein thought to herself. But can this man really fly? Seriously? Must have been an exaggeration. She then mumbled, "Now, you mentioned to Stone she was murdered, somewhere else, right?" "That is correct." "But you can''t remember where?" "Not exactly. However, I recall we were coming down the mountain. I believe if we retrace some of my steps from here to the base of the mountain, we simply need to look up. Perhaps if you have your constables move on ahead we can¡ª" "Don¡¯t act so high and mighty Kim. You¡¯re still a suspect. So don¡¯t think you¡¯re in charge of this investigation!¡± Martial Kim clenched his teeth at this point. Surely he had his fair share of butting heads with constables and inspectors who served the imperial courthouse ¨C but this lady detective was on a whole new level. Reading the atmosphere, Prof. Stone chirped, "Differences aside, we all want to catch the killer yes? We''re all collaborating in order to find out who he is and where to find him, correct?" Somehow, those words were enough to remove to defuse the bomb entirely. And he didn''t need to decide which wire to cut too! Without further ado, the group moved on ahead, following the suspect¡¯s direction to seek the truth. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Martial Kim honestly couldn''t remember the exact steps for the life of him. Despite his experience in wandering the vast mountains and valleys of the great martial world, the mountains in this region are just too confusing. Sometimes, he felt he was still lingering in that drunken dream, floating between reality and fantasy, head throbbing every now and then. ...Maybe that was all he needed, to not pay attention to where he was going. It didn''t take long, before he realized he was heading in the right direction. Soon, familiar trees and landmarks came into his vision, refining his path to be more precise. "There." Martial Kim let out a gasp of relief as he pointed with the chains dangling from his wrist. "That is exactly where I saw the killer attacking the woman." "You sure?" Detective Fraulein held back a hiss. After being given a curt nod, she waved a hand to her officers, "Cordon off the place and canvas the area! Come on let¡¯s go people!" --- Cordon off? Canvas? Strange terms... Martial Kim patiently watched from the sidelines as officers coiled that same yellow rope around trees and rocks, creating a makeshift fence. He tilted his head seeing several officers stack side by side in a line, head down, and taking one odd step forward after another. He wanted to ask a question...but seeing how everyone was hard at work searching for evidence, he kept his curiosity to himself. "Detective!" Prof. Stone called over as he leaned over a tree, "Over here, quick!" When the investigators came over, along with the young master, the forensic chemist waved a hand across the ground, "The grass is completely disturbed, there is signs of kicking and clawing of fingers in the dirt. This is most likely the first scene of the crime but--" "We completely missed it," Detective Fraulein slapped her forehead. "This is what, half a mile than where we originally looked and it''s been left alone for a few days. Anything could have contaminated it the crime scene. Anything we find, could be unrelated." "That''s is a problem indeed and...Wait a moment." Prof. Stone adjusted his rubber gloves on his hands - a sight that made Martial Kim rather curious - and he crouched down. He dug his hand through a series of crushed bushes and grabbed about. Then he yanked it out. Detective Fraulein¡¯s eyes widen, "S-Stone. I-is that the--" "A belt.¡± Prof. Stone carefully held aloft the thin leather belt coated in dirt dust and some mud. There was also some old blood stain on it, and the faint lines of finger prints. There was also one more thing about the belt that surprised them. ¡°Looks like the murder weapon... Oh. The belt is cut.¡± ¡°You sure it wasn¡¯t torn apart by animal teeth?¡± ¡°No it¡¯s a clean cut. A knife perhaps.¡± ¡°That is correct constables.¡± This time both the detective and forensic chemist snapped their attention onto Martial Kim, who simply returned a matter of fact nod, ¡°After chasing off the killer, I tried to remove the belt. It had no visible knot, I could not properly untie it, so I had no choice but to destroy the evidence by cutting it with my surgical knife.¡± Prof. Stone had a sour look, ¡°So, you touched this? And tampered with it?¡± Martial Kim nodded once more, ¡°Again, I could not figure out how to untie it and the victim was suffocating. I do hope, there is still some value as evidence at this point.¡± Prof. Stone held back a sigh, and whispered to the detective, ¡°Whether or not he is the killer, his finger prints being all over the murder weapon will still make him look bad in front of a judge and jury.¡± Detective Fraulein rolled her eyes with a hiss, ¡°Come on, Stone. Are you siding with him now? All of this can only mean one thing, he IS the killer. Think about it, who would know of this place, this crime scene. If not the victim, it be the murderer himself!...But...¡± She face palmed and suppressed a teeth-grinding groan, ¡°Everything he''s doing screams the opposite of a cold and calculating killer. Why risk himself and excavating his crime scene?" "Clearly there are too many variables involved in this case, detective.¡± said Prof. Stone, ¡°That is why I suggest you take a piece of advice from my motto." "What would that be?" "Follow the evidence. People can lie, evidence cannot." "Why does it sound like something from a fortune cookie: you will have a happy and prosperous... Stone, there''s something else over there." Detective Fraulein pointed to the side and the forensic chemist got to work. He would brush aside several stray leaves and torn grass, rummaging across the dirt, and uncover several things. "A key chain?" Prof. Stone wondered out loud as he turned it over in the open to get a better look under the afternoon light. ¡°Looks like it was broken off, perhaps in the struggle. Question is, was it left there the day of the murder, or dropped by a random traveller?¡± Detective Fraulein crouched down to get a look herself, but then gagged, "Wait a second. I recognize that. It¡¯s one of those awards you get, for participating a race gun competition. Huh, Beagle Point Gun Club.¡± ¡°You know that place detective?¡± ¡°Duh, yeah. I¡¯m a member. In fact, almost every policeman across town is a member.¡± The detective then rose up and hollered, ¡°All units, listen up! Which of you has ever been to this exact location before? Anyone? On or off duty, speak up now!¡± The officers all exchanged confused glances and murmurs. After spreading the question amongst themselves up and down the hill, they all returned the same response. Nope. ¡°You guys ABSOLUTELY sure!? Better say something now or¡ªD-damn it, Stone! S-stop pulling on my sleeve!¡± ¡°Save your breath. Even if any one of them is the real culprit, they¡¯re not going to tell you. And if that¡¯s not the case, without Kim¡¯s help I don¡¯t think anyone would have thought of this exact location.¡± ¡°For crying out...Wh...what makes you think the real killer, is a cop?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Prof. Stone shrugged as he kept searching the bushes just in case, ¡°Like you said, the key chain is from a local gun club full of officers. Like it or not, we shouldn¡¯t remove the possibility¡ª¡± ¡°That a fellow cop is the Belt Rapist we¡¯ve been hunting? Bullshit!¡± Detective Fraulein snapped. ¡°An officer of the law, breaking the law? How can you suggest such a thing stone!¡± Martial Kim stepped into the conversation, ¡°The man has a point. What better way to lower a woman¡¯s guard, than to be a legitimate law enforcer.¡± ¡°Zip it, Bruce Lee!! No one asked you!¡± The detective barked back! ¡°My name is Martial Kim. Not Bruce Lee.¡± The young master frowned. Prof. Stone wanted to end their world war 2.5 before it began, but his attention was divided elsewhere. One of his forensic technicians came over and passed him an evidence bag. With a small whisper, the forensic chemist smiled and spoke out loud, ¡°Detective, I think we hit a gold mine.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Detective Fraulein raised an eyebrow, "What makes you say that Stone?" "One of my teammates found a cigarette butt. Seems to be the only one in the area. If we¡¯re lucky, the D.N.A. from the cigarette butt may belong to the killer.¡± ¡°I want to say ¡®that¡¯s good news¡¯, but what are the odds this belongs to a random passerby. You and I both know, a lot of people walk up and down these mountains.¡± ¡°If you look around, this place seems rather secluded, desolate even. Definitely not welcoming to any hikers, regardless of experience. Might be off the hiker¡¯s map.¡± ¡°So, wishful thinking huh?¡± Detective Fraulein wanted to grimace, but given the light shedding on new evidence she did feel some slither of hope. However, the odds of finding the real answer were stacked waaay to high to be optimistic. ¡°Alright, bring them back to the lab. I¡¯ll look into that gun club and¡ª¡° Officer Roland suddenly came running to everyone, as if he was late to a party, ¡°Detective, Profess¡ªWOOP!¡± In his flight, he slipped on the mud and dirt and fell to his knees. He cursed at the mud stains that wiped itself all over his leggings and hobbled over on his twisted ankle. "Prints! Found prints!" Was all he could gasp out from his run. "Where?" Detective Fraulein demanded, "Where did the foot prints lead to? You sure it''s not left by a hiker or tourist? Or an officer of that matter?" "N-not footprints sir--er ma''am." Officer Roland gasped. "Tire tracks. Not exactly fresh, but it''s there. From the looks of it, it seemed to have drove to this place then left. No other tracks, could be made by the same car coming and going. And, I checked. This area doesn''t allow cars ¨C i-if people listen to the signs that is." The detective, forensic chemist, and officer all exchanged glances with one another... ...Before seeing that sour look on Martial Kim¡¯s face. ¡°The blue horse wagon,¡± he snorted, ¡°Do I have your attention now?¡± PAVILION - Chapter 29 (Forensic Track) As much as Detective Fraulein believed in the justice system, she hated how long it took to get a straight answer. While waiting for proper results from forensics, she tried to keep herself busy and try to think of all possible avenues that lead to this case. Some roads to the answer seem more brighter than the others, but even then she felt she was stuck on some unseen crossroads and can''t move forward. Her mood turn took a turn for the worst three days later. "Stone, don''t do this to me." "Sorry Detective. I''m not god.¡± In the detective''s office, Professor Stone hesitated to tell his companion what she wanted to hear. Might as well rip off the band aid, he thought to himself, and said what he found out. "The murder weapon only has two sets of finger prints. The victim - who was likely trying to pull it off - and Kim''s. No one else." "Three days. Three days of waiting, only to go back to where we started." "That''s the issue." "Huh? What do you mean Stone?" Prof. Stone handed one of many folders he carried with him. Not wanting to overload his friend, he decided to show them one by one, "Just two finger prints. Yet the belt itself was brand new, fresh off the shelf new. Wouldn''t you think, there be some residual finger prints of manufacturers, shipment, and store clerks." "...Not to mention random customer touches." "Exactly. But the belt was wiped clean, sterilize with some cleaning chemicals we found out. Now it''s clear the killer didn''t want anyone to trace the murder back to him, to become a pure ghost--" "So, why would Kim bother rubbing his fingers all over. Even if it was him and he had a change of heart, he should have worn gloves..." Detective Fraulein reared back in her chair, listening to the heavy creaks whenever she bounced against the back of the chair, "The cigarette butt? There should be some D.N.A. to give us a breakthrough." "Yes, and no." Prof. Stone cleared his throat, earning a groan from his companion. "Good news, we were still able to recover a D.N.A. sample. Bad news: no criminal record." "Another needle in haystack." "Which is why I am here. I wanted to ask, on your progress with the Beagle Point Gun Club." Detective Fraulein froze, as if she heard someone called her fat. All colour drained from her face as she turned in her seat to pick something up. It looked heavy, she had to keep whatever it was on the floor behind her desk. With a heave, she placed a mountain of paperwork onto her desk. A heavy FLOP, like a huge bird died of a heart attack and fell in front of her feet. Prof. Stone whistled, "Busy girl." "Don''t." Detective Fraulein hissed and she shuffled through the paper. "Beagle Point Gun Club did host a race gun tournament, roughly last year. Following the key chain gave me AT LEAST 50 names. Majority of them are officers from precinct or other stations in town, forest rangers, highway trooper, even retired from the force." "Well that''s easy." "...Explain, before I take you to the club for target practice."This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "I mean," Prof. Stone tried not to chuckle, "You narrowed it down to 50 names. And we have one 1 D.N.A. sample. All we have to do is just compared them to their medical records." "Stone, it''s not that simple and you know it. 50 of those names are still some level of law enforcement. If we mess up, and none of them match the cigarette butt, what do you think would happen? Huh? If the press doesn''t make a noise about it, I am sure those 50 accused names would have a word about it." Prof. Stone chewed on the insides of his cheek. "That is a conundrum. Any way we can narrow it down? Before we start pointing fingers." Detective Fraulein slapped a hand to the pile of paper work, "I narrowed it down to 15 names so far. Hell, I even got my superior and his superior in this list. Just imagining how I am going to arrest them is making me sweat harder than Niagara Falls! Do you got any miracle for me Stone? Anything?" Prof. Stone wished he had the answer. He felt the solution to this whole problem was right in front of them, but it was either invisible or they are looking in the wrong direction. Although he was fond of puzzles, missing an obvious hint is always the worst feeling. Unfortunately his thought were cut off when a knock came at the door. Detective Fraulein gave a tired ''come in'' and Officer Roland stepped in carrying a large plastic box. "Sir, ma''am," He would give a curt nod. "This is the, uh, plaster mold, from the tire tracks we found at the uphill crime scene. Automotive Forensic said it''s a common tire brand, almost every car uses it so--" Detective Fraulein''s shoulder sag and waved a hand to have the officer drop it on her desk. It took a bit of juggling as her desk was covered in all sorts of paperwork, so he had to sit it on to of some stuff with a flop. "..." "..." "..." "...Something on your mind, Officer Roland?" "Huh? Oh, no ma''am. Just...It''s nothing. I''ll return to my duties." Officer Roland gave an awkward bow and he turned to the door to leave. "Wait, wait, wait," Only for Prof. Stone to reel him back in. "No need to be shy. Speak your thoughts. I mean, we''ve all hit a dead end. What''s the harm in brain storming." "Er. Well," Officer Roland rubbed the back of his neck. "I felt like I''ve seen these tire tracks before. I could be wrong." Detective Fraulein rolled her eyes, "You just said this tire brand is common, right? Surely you would have seen it in a traffic case or two." "That''s the thing, ma''am, I think I saw it only a few days ago." "...Go on officer." "Y-yes Ma''am. Uuuh..." Officer Roland snapped his fingers and his eyes brightened, "Kim, and his girlfriend. After he gave his report, he mentioned he saw the killer''s horse wagon--Er, vehicle." This suddenly made Detective Fraulein sit up in attention and Prof. Stone raised an eyebrow with intent. The officer said, "I thought he was joking! There were at least five blue cars that day and he never gave me the make or model. But after he left, I checked the parking lot and saw tracks through a puddle that matched the plaster. I didn¡¯t think much of it until today. Same blue car, same tracks. Just wasn''t sure if it was coincidence or...Sirs? Ma''am?" Silence fell. No one could meet each other''s eyes, the weight of their thoughts heavier than words. Prof. Stone volunteered to break the silence, "Do you have any idea who the vehicle belongs to?" "Definitely not a visitor. The vehicle is parked for employees only. I-I can go and check our registry." Detective Fraulein added, in a near hiss, "Discreetly." "Y-yes sir. Yes ma''am." PAVILION - Chapter 30 (Forensic Plan) The truth was out. But no where was safe. Not the police station. Not the detectives office. Not even a local pub. They didn''t want to risk the details of the truth being leaked, any way any how. Not to mention, the walls have ears and eyes. So they really couldn''t get the truth off their chest without potential repercussions. They couldn''t even discuss it over the phone or else they be tapped. As paranoid as that sounded, they can''t leave anything to chance. Fortunately, there was still one place in the station that could offer them absolute privacy. "Shameful, most shameful. Suspect or not, a little house warming gift would have been thoughtful." Martial Kim didn''t want to pout. Only children would do that when they couldn''t get their way. He was a grown man, a knight errant, and a hero of the people (before he got thrown in this world of course). However, no one can blame him when his cell was invaded by a forensic chemist, detective, and officer. The space was enough for a family of two, not four. And they were sitting in his only cot! The audacity! "I take it you figured out who the real killer is," the young master spoke up with a wry tone. Prof. Stone went "Sssssh. This may be the corner of the world, we don''t want our voices echoing in the halls. This is serious." "Oh I have no doubt of that. The answer is written all over your faces. Such gloomy calligraphy I might add." Detective Fraulein was rubbing her temples at this point. She felt like she was going to pass out. "I can''t believe it. All this time, the Belt Rapist was him." Martial Kim tried to relax, sitting on the cold hard floor with not a cushion for him to use. "Let me guess. The killer is not only a member of the constabulary, but of high rank? Ah, that look of shock in your eyes says it all. "The Chief Commissioner." "The who?" The young master raised an eyebrow at the foreign word. Prof. Stone rubbed at his chin as he said, "Essentially, he is the highest ranking officer in this area. Practically, their boss of their boss," and jabbed his thumb to his neighbours. --- Essentially, a court magistrate of some sort? Hmm. This all makes sense: how the women would be easily coaxed with a sense of false security and how any investigation into the killings prove fruitless. Someone with that level of authority can easily remove key records or traces of evidence without anyone being the wiser. And no constable in their right mind would ever suspect their senior officer of such calibre. Such a dastardly tactic! Knowing he would add fuel to the fires of frustration, Martial Kim chose to say, "No wonder you are inches away from bashing your heads across the wall." Detective Fraulein felt like she was about to throw up, and she skipped out on breakfast and lunch entirely, "D.N.A. we found on the cigarette butt matches his. Not to mention, his name is among the list of competitors in the race gun, so he would likely own the key chain. Both of them means ¨C the Chief Commissioner was at the scene of the crime at some point... I still feel, this is impossible.¡± ¡°When you eliminate all that is impossible, whatever remains¡ª¡° ¡°Is the truth,¡± Prof. Stone finished with a raised of an eyebrow, ¡°No matter how impossible. Isn¡¯t that right, Kim?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± The young master couldn¡¯t nod of approval, ¡°It seems that level of deductive reasoning still exists here. At least, that saves me a paragraph of explanation. Now, think of it fellow investigators: if the Chief Commissioner passed by the crime scene to help out, surely he would have mentioned it. But if my guess is right, officers of such high rank usually spends his battlefield in the office ¨C and let others to fight his wars out in the dirt and mud. Am I right?¡± Officer Roland stared, ¡°...He¡¯s got a point, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Shush it officer!¡± Detective Fraulein snapped back. Martial Kim played around with the chains bound to his hands and wrist, as if knitting with them with his fingers. ¡°The evidence speaks for itself. Surely enough for a swift arrest. Yet, you are all sulking in my cell as if you are bringing your daily woes to my tavern. What is the hesitation?¡± Prof. Stone sucked in the stale air through his teeth. "The evidence can say he was there, but it cannot tell us exactly he was the one who killed the woman in the mountains. There is nothing precise to say: he is the Belt Rapist. The best we can get out of it all, is a slap on his wrist for visiting a crime scene without a proper report. Like you said ¨C an officer of his rank can surely side step that sort of bullet.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. --- Bullet? Did he meant an arrow? Curious term. ¡°And let''s not forget Kim, we do not have an eye witness to claim it was him who physically murdered the victim." "Now, I feel wounded." Detective Fraulein snapped, "Who is the Judge going to believe, a decorated officer with more than 30 years of service under his belt ¨C or a guy who beat up 20+ officers?" "...Point taken." The detective went on, near mumbling, "Either we find another eye witness account ¨C with a clean record ¨C to testify, or we need to find something crucial to convince the judge and jury he''s the one who killed the woman in the mountain; as well as the previous two victims." Officer Roland shrugged his shoulder, "And the first two murders were clean of anything. Nothing we could use to our advantage." "Then what?" Martial Kim gritted his teeth with a raised voice, "You are to sit on your hands and let this villain walk about in broad daylight, like a free bird? Did it not occur to you, you are under the command of a man who is breaking everything you believe in justice? Rape and murder, unhindered. And probably feels smug about it all?" Detective Fraulein ended up growling like a dog with hackles up, ¡°You don¡¯t think I feel disgust in all of this!? What, you believe I would turn a blind eye just because he¡¯s my boss. Screw that! Those three women suffered in every imaginable way possible and I want nothing more than the killer to get a taste of his own medicine! I just didn¡¯t expect, it¡¯s the very man who controls over hundreds of police officers in this town! One bad move, and everything is shot to hell! Do you understand that!?¡± Prof. Stone hushed everyone with a finger and tried to maintain the peaceful conversation in a whisper, "That''s why we''re here, trying to think of anything ¨C right?. Like we said, the killer is most likely the Chief Commissioner ¨C he could easily hear our talking through other officers and detectives. We can''t chance him getting wind of us knowing. And it would help a lot if you both can keep to a 15 cm voice.¡± The young master wanted to argue, but the man had a point. So he sucked in his pride and swallowed his frustrations, "Could you not just interrogate him and force the truth out of him?" The forensic chemist chortled, "This isn''t exactly the medieval times. What, you want us to brand him with a hot poker, or rub salt in his fresh wounds, until he confesses?" "This killer is no better than a beast. He should deserve such treatment." Detective Fraulein scoffed, "Knock it off, both of you. You''re making us all sound like damn Neanderthals! This is modern society, with a modern law, and a modern system. The last thing I want to deal with, is getting sued by the Chief Commissioner''s lawyer ¨C nay, an army of attorneys....Aaaaaaagh, this is the worst!" Prof. Stone leaned his head back to try and think of something, letting Detective Fraulein scratch at her head with great ferocity. Boy that''s going to leave a mark, the forensic chemist thought to himself, especially with her long nails... "Detective, don''t move." Prof. Stone grabbed the detective by the head and brushed some of her hair aside. "S-Stone! Wh-what the hell! G-get off!" "Officer Roland," Prof. Stone struggled, "Can you give me a hand and hold the detective still." After an awkward altercation, Prof. Stone closely examined the detective''s scalp in between her hair. It was only when he realized how beet red the detective was, did he pull back and let her go. "Wh-what the hell Stone!?" she gasped. "Scratches!¡± Prof. Stone blurted out. ¡°Of course. The coroner mentioned the third victim has some skin samples under her finger nails. At first, I tried to compare it through general criminal database and got nothing. But now that we have both the cigarette butt and the Chief Commissioner¡¯s D.N.A., I can do a comparison!¡± Detective Fraulein¡¯s face fell, and she smacked her face, ¡°God dammit, of course! She would have scratched her attacker in self defence! Meaning if the skin cells under her finger nail matches the Chief Commissioner¡ª¡± Officer Roland added, ¡°Then he¡¯s definitely the murderer of the woman in the mountains!¡± Eeeey. High gives all around. Come on!...Until Officer Roland¡¯s shoulders sagged. ¡°Still,¡± He went on ¡°That may charge him for the one murder. How do we connect him to victim one and two? Being how he¡¯s been this careful the whole time, it¡¯s likely we¡¯re not going to get a confession out of him even if we have him dead to rights!¡± ¡°I have an idea.¡± ¡°I have an idea.¡± The small cell reverberated with an uncanny echo. A twin-like resonance that sent shivers down the spines of the detective and officer. The words were so precisely synchronized that they felt otherworldly, almost unnatural. As their gaze snapped to Martial Kim and Professor Stone, they saw the two speaking in perfect unison. Hell even the grins on their lips look like a reflection of a mirror. "You first." "You first." "I insist." "I insist." "Well." "Well." "It involves you." "It involves you." "Stone, Kim! Both of you knock it off damn it! Your twin act is creepy as hell!" PAVILION - Chapter 31 (Chief Commissioner vs the Rain) A rainstorm hit the town. It wasn¡¯t a rare once-in-a-century event, but it was strong enough to knock out power lines and cause chaos across the streets. Of course the Chief Commissioner¡¯s mood darkened accordingly. ¡°God damn it. What a mood.¡± His neighborhood was lucky; while the rest of the town stumbled in darkness, his house still had power for TV and chilled beer. He grabbed a cold bottle, downing half in one go to get the edge off from the doom and gloom. Stripping off his soaked uniform, he tossed it in the hamper¡ªthen froze, catching his reflection leering at him. He stepped closer to the mirror, eyes narrowed as if he spotted an enemy within. Only to turn his reflection around to gaze upon his back. A tattoo of a skull staring back at him with empty eyes; a snake licking in and out of the open jaw. All of it sliced by finger nail scratches. "Damn bitch," he muttered trying to reach a hand to rub the wounds off. In the end he just cursed under his breath and took another bitter gulp. ¡°Man, I¡¯m bored.¡± Outside, the storm raged on¡ªwind howled, rain hammered the windows, and thunder cracked through the night. Ignoring the chaos, the Chief Commissioner cracked open another beer, flicking on more lights in the kitchen to chase away the creeping unease. To distract himself, he fiddled with the blinking light of his answering machine. There were three new messages.
"Hey, honey, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m taking the afternoon flight from London tomorrow, so I should be back by evening. You can pick us up after work. Love you lots! Come on, kids, it¡¯s morning! Wake up and tell Daddy goodnight¡ªno, no, don¡¯t fall back asleep!"
¡°Love you too, babe,¡± he chuckled while distracted by the rain and winds clawing at his windows for help. A sip of his beer and his ears perked at the next message.
"Hello, this is Precious Life Insurance Company. I¡¯m Danielle¡ªwe met the other day. I wanted to follow up regarding the insurance policy¡ª"
¡°Hey there, cutie,¡± the Chief Commissioner cooed, leaning toward the machine like it was a face of a pretty girl. He smirked, tracing circles on the numbers with a finger as if a chin. ¡°Been thinking about you a lot... I bet you¡¯d look stunning without those glasses. Don¡¯t you worry, I can¡¯t wait to let your hair down. Hahaha.¡± The recording droned on, but he wasn¡¯t listening anymore. In a good mood, he reached for a third beer while the machine played the third message.
.............................................................................. .............................................................................. ..............................................................................
¡°¡­What the hell?¡± The Chief Commissioner thought he¡¯d missed the start of the third voicemail. But as he listened closer, there was nothing¡ªjust faint pops, like an old gramophone record skipping every ten seconds. Maybe the machine broke. Or perhaps the memory was full? No¡ªthere was still space for twenty more messages. Just as he reached to cancel and delete, a violent SCREECH tore through the recording. ¡°JESUS!¡± BLINK. The lights went out with an instant pop. The kitchen plunged into darkness, the glowing numbers on the stove and microwave dead. Even the refrigerator, usually humming along, fell silent. It was only when the lights didn¡¯t work, did the Chief Commissioner finally felt how cold the place was. ¡°Power outage? No... Wait. The Robinsons and the Matthews¡ªthey still have their lights on. Is it the breaker?¡± Tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic The Chief Commission heard a rattling noise and turned to see a table lamp just shaking, as if it knew a bad premonition. It kept quivering on the table, over and over, making sounds of a bug clambering across the floor to escape an impending danger. It finally reached the edge and fell over with a CRACK, splitting its light bulb skull wide open. The rattling continued even when the table lamp died. The photograph stands on top of the fire place shelves, the many decorations on tables and cases, even the standing lamp were all shaking or shivering as if it felt trembles of an earthquake. Odd, the Chief Commissioner squinted in the dark. He felt nothing under his own feet. And was it just his imagination or was there something standing outside of the wind-- ¡°JESUS CHRIST!¡± The head of the entire police department suddenly fell over, eyes wider than saucers. Staring at what might have been a woman in shocking white, standing right outside of his house! Calm down! Calm down, was all the Chief Commission could think about out. I-it must be some neighbour who needs a candle o-or a flashlight. Maybe a passerby with no where to hide from the storm. Still, why did they have to look like they came back from shooting a horror film!...Wait, where did she go!? All the Chief Commission did was blink and the woman in shocking white was gone. He looked left, right, left again¡ªNEVER MIND, ON THE RIGHT, RIGHT! ¡°AAH!¡± The Chief Commission caught sight of the woman in white now standing outside his kitchen door. This time, up close, he could see her long and shaggy hair was veiled over her face like some weeping willow...or...gh...gh... ¡°Wh-what do you want!?¡± He shouted, trying to sound brave. He thought he wet his pants, but his hand knocked into the rolling bottle of spilt beer. ¡°If you don¡¯t leave, I¡¯ll arrest you!¡± Fwip. That bluff seemed to have been enough. A clap of thunder and flashing lightning, and the woman was gone. He let out a sigh¡ªand something fell onto his head. He thought it was some towel that fell from the hangar...but...This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. It was shirt, bearing vivid leopard skin patterns. ¡°YOU!?¡± The Chief Commission bolted to his feet, nearly slipping over the scatter of beer bottles on the floor. ¡°Y-you¡¯re dead! You¡¯re supposed to be dead! OH!¡± A white entity fluttered by his windows. Like a ghostly cloth in the air. It would blink in and out of the darkness, followed by this eerie sound akin to an ethereal woman singing. Normally he would laugh at such haunted house tricks but...three bottles of beer and some mixed feelings in his gut didn¡¯t really help right now. ¡°It can¡¯t be! It just can¡¯t!...Gun! Where¡¯s my gun!?¡± Remembering who he was, the Chief Commissioner raced up the stairs. Even as he ran like the wind, this ghostly entity was faster! It would fly pass his windows and skylight, peering through as if searching for something important. A pale white hand clawing and rubbing at the windows. This has to be a bad dream! It must be the beer playing tricks on him! But no matter how much he punched or slapped himself, the nightmare was still real around him. He scrambled into his closet and fumbled for the combination lock. The dark was not helping and he forgot to bring his phone to shine a light on it all. Even when he did crack open his safe to grab his hunting rifle, he wasted several buck shots as they fell from his shaking hands. ¡°A prank! It has to be!¡± The Chief Commissioner muttered as he gritted his teeth, ¡°I¡¯ll show them.¡± Determined, he prepped his rifle at the ready and bolted out of the closet. All quiet on the bedroom front. The storm was still going, perhaps at full rage. He could see the top of the trees clawing at the windows, as if begging to be let inside to be spared of the skin-ripping rain. BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! The Chief Commissioner fired wildly, ripping holes through the window and walls. Trees, shadows, even the mist of his breath¡ªeverything in his line of sight became a target. He wanted to make sure his message was well received! But it wasn¡¯t enough. The ghost woman crashed through the window like a bat out of hell. She swung her sleeves, turning them into whips of white cloth, and struck out at the Chief Commission like a thousands of slaps to the face. The alcohol, the fear, the darkness, the counter was more than enough to force the man to stumble back down the stairs like an obese slinky. Dazed and aching, he looked up¡ªand froze in terror. The ghost woman floated, FLOATED, right in front of him as if ready to pass down divine judgment. Her pale white hands claw the air, as if hoping to scrape whatever life left that was stripped from her gasp. Her voice chimed and echoed, stirring the ear drums with this melodic cacophony of despair and anguish. ¡®How could you¡¯ the ghostly woman wept before him, ''I devoted my heart to you. How could you do this to me?'' The Chief Commissioner snorted and cocked his hunting rifle. He didn¡¯t care if this was some elaborate home invasion ¨C he just pulled the trigger and deal with the consequences after. KABLAM! The kitchen cupboard and fine china plates exploded into the air, throwing shrapnel and smoke around. The ghost gloating in front of it...did not. ¡°...Oh sh...¡± The hunting rifle fell uselessly out of the Chief Commissioner¡¯s grip. He swore he hit his target, it was only two paces in front of him...Wait...was this really... ¡°It¡¯s you!?¡± ¡®You left me in the mountains, to become a nest for worms and have the crows feast on my eyes. Why, why was I so blind to fall for a beast like you!¡¯ ¡°SHUT UP! Weren¡¯t you clingy enough when you were alive? Why do you think you ended up like this? I told you, hundreds and hundreds of times ¨C boundaries! Boundaries! Never EVER interfere with my personal life! But you didn¡¯t listen, not one bit!¡± ''My life. You stole my life. I lost everything! Give it back to me!'' "YOU nearly made me lose everything the very second you showed your pregnancy stick to me. Didn¡¯t I say no babies, no marriage right from the beginning. I already had enough kids to drive me up the wall! And if my wife ever found out, I can kiss my job good bye!¡± ''You would sacrifice me, over your career?'' "In a heartbeat! Do you know who I am? The Chief Commissioner of the police! Do you know who put me there, my father-in-law! If he got wind of this mess, it would be over for me! You! You had to be stupid and try to ruin it all!" The ghost woman released an ear piercing shrieked! KYAAA! The windows shattered and unleashed the raw rage and violence of the storm outside. Wild leaves and bone-chilling winds cut into the Chief Commissioner as he was knocked and pinned against the wall! ''If I had known you would grow to be this grand and cruel to me; I would not have traded my heart for your happiness!'' ¡°Happiness? Don¡¯t make me laugh! You¡¯re all the same¡ªevery single one of you! That store clerk, the teacher¡ªhell, every girl I¡¯ve ever met! Why can¡¯t a man just enjoy himself without hearing about kids, marriage, responsibilities¡ªblah, blah, blah! I used to break my back for women like you, and what do I get? You all run off to have your fun behind my back. It makes me sick¡ªabsolutely sick!¡± Out of instincts, the Chief Commissioner whipped out his belt and snapped it taught in his white knuckled fists. ¡°Shutting up women like you ¨C is just so therapeutic.¡± BANG! It wasn''t a gun shot. It was the front door being smashed in! A flurry of men in black jackets and body armour raced into the house and pinned the Chief Commissioner down. It was only thanks to the clap of lightning, did he see the words POLICE on their chests and backs. "Wh-WHAT THE HELL!? WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!? LET GO OF ME!" The Chief Commission gagged when the ghost woman ripped off her scalp as if taking off a hat...A wig!? He watched in horror as she wrung it in her hands like a wet towel before dropping it on his dinner table like a dead rat. Lights finally blinked back on when the generator was reset and he winced in pain from the blinding rays. Only to realize the light didn¡¯t vaporize or even harm the incorporeal creature. She remained perfectly fine...wait...that¡¯s a man! The ghost woman...er...man in a white robes would glance at his long sleeve. He stared right through the series of holes that ripped through the fabric. He made a tsk, tsk, tsk noise. ¡°Such a devastating weapon to sit in the hands of cowards. Shameful, most shameful.¡± ¡°Wh-who the hell are you!?¡± ¡°Mongrels need not hear my name.¡± Martial Kim glared at the culprit of this entire nightmare, staring him deep enough to peer into that pitch black soul so he could judge him for himself. --- How I wish I have my sword with me. How I yearn for this to be in the Jade Empire. How much I desired to deal with his crimes back in my world. For sure, I would feel no remorse in cutting his head off his shoulder with a single swipe. This villain, even the Imperial Guillotine is too merciful for his deeds... If I did not swore to Prof. Stone to spare his life, there would be no need for such an elaborate charade. ¡°LET ME GO!¡± The Chief Commissioner thrashed and hollered against the officers holding him. ¡°This bastard broke into MY house and you¡¯re arresting me!? Oh, you¡¯re all going to get demoted, I swear to god! Back to traffic and beat patrols, the lot of you!¡± As he screamed, he realized something. Thanks to the lights coming back on, his eyes were drawn to the broken table lamp. It wasn¡¯t just the light bulb¡¯s skull cracked open, there was something else lying inside of the bits and pieces. ¡°...A-A microphone!?¡± Wh-when did that get there!? And not just the lamp! But he now could spot several bugs and small listening devices on the back of the photographs that fell off the fireplace and other places. It was like, whoever placed them there REALLY wanted to get all the details of his words. Realization dawned upon him. ¡°...YOU MOTHERF¡ªSWEET JESUS!!¡± Detective Fraulein appeared before him under the clap of thunder and lightning, like a real ghost! Although she chewed on the insides of her mouth to control her emotions, her eyes failed to hide the flames of her rage burning inside of her heart. There was so much she wanted to say right now...starting with: ¡°You are under arrest, Belt Rapist.¡± PAVILION - Chapter 32 (Freedoms Lesson) Everyone has heard of psychological warfare right? Whether people are a hardcore marine or an ice cold killer, they are still fundamentally human. If one knew where to push the buttons of their humanity, it could make even the toughest of rocks break down in squabbling fear and mourning tears. And this would not have been possible with Martial Kim alone playing the lead role in triggering the Chief Commissioner¡¯s haunting past. If it weren''t for the detective and officer, pushing their boss into one meeting after another, the forensic chemist would not have had time to coordinate efforts with support staff to install the necessary wiretap to record a confession. Even then it would not be enough. The true hero of this trap was: the weather. --- Divine intervention: the right timing of nature, the right setting on earth, and the right people put in place. I thank the heavens for standing on my side of justice. The many souls the Belt Rapist had stole, have been avenged. My honour restored...yet, even as they remove the chains from my hands and feet, why does my heart feel so heavy? It was definitely a moment of celebration. A hard fought battle won...but who should he share this joyous moment with? --- Martial Blue Sister, Martial Red Sister, Martial Yellow Sister, my fellow members of Moon Tavern and friends of the martial arts world... This victory would truly feel complete, if I could at least share my tale with a familiar ear. How I miss the way they smile, the sound of their laughter. How I regret reprimanding them of their playful teases. Sigh. Even if Martial Kim had only been in this strange new world for only a short time, his mind and body felt he had been trapped for a long eternity. He feared the memories of his home would slowly fade into nothing, leaving him for good along the waves of the wandering winds. So he did everything in his power to constantly remind himself of who he was, where he belonged, and how much he yearned to return. Nay, he has to return home! However, hero or not ¨C he was just still a human. Even his own cultivation has been halved. There was no way for him to snap his fingers and create an acceptable miracle to return to the comforts of his world. So without much choice, he decided to follow where this strange river flowed. If it travelled South, he will survive in the South. If it wandered West, he cannot object and thrive in the West. It was better than exhausting himself to death by swimming against the currents, wouldn¡¯t you agree? ¡°Kim, you good?¡± ¡°Hm? Oh, yes, Professor Stone. I am just glad, this is over.¡± Perhaps it was good fortune, the young master gained a new friend, this Forensic Chemist Professor Stone. He was the first one to greet him upon his freedom, even the first person to ever shake the young master¡¯s hand in congratulations. It was a sweet feeling, not going to lie...albeit a little awkward. Not like culture of handshaking was a common thing back where he came from. Everyone simply bowed or folded their hands in a salute. Rarely a bold touch! ¡°So, what are you going to do now Kim?¡± Prof. Stone asked. ¡°If I were you, I would treat myself to a big meal!¡± Martial Kim was interrupted by a rumble of his stomach. He silenced it with a hand and tried to be polite, ¡°A hot meal would be wonderful. However, there is one thing that must be resolved.¡± ¡°What would that be?¡± ¡°A formal apology.¡± ¡°Oh. Pffft. That¡¯s so easy!¡± Prof. Stone chuckled, and turned to the side, ¡°You heard him Detective, Officer. You really think you can say ¡®hi¡¯ empty handed? Hmm?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Detective Fraulein and Officer Roland didn¡¯t know where to look. They felt staring at Martial Kim in the eye would allow him to read their vulnerable thoughts. While looking away gave them some ease, it also felt awkward with how hard the young master was staring. They tensed up, whenever the young master moved so much as a finger while idle ¨C they imagined a swift punch or kick flying in their direction. ¡°......S...sorry.¡± Detective Fraulein muttered. Not exactly a humble bow, but it was enough. ¡°So, we even?¡± Martial Kim shrugged, ¡°I did openly strike your constables. I too am in the wrong. So yes, slate is clear. For now.¡± ¡°Did you really had to add the ¡®for now¡¯ part?...Damn it, why am I breaking into a cold sweat!?¡± ¡°And you, Constable?¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Officer Roland felt the spotlight was on him and he hadn¡¯t prepared a speech for this moment. He couldn¡¯t stop scratching at the collar of his uniform or tap a finger on his belt. Still he got some words out, ¡°My bad.¡± ¡°Now, now, dear constable,¡± Martial Kim hummed. ¡°There is no need to admit how bad or terrible you are. No one is perfect, not even myself. In saying that, I have faith you will take these events as a valuable lesson and grow to become a better soldier of justice.¡± ¡°...Ma¡¯am, is this considered assault and battery on my emotions? Can I charge him?¡± Martial Kim and Prof. Stone gave a shrug ¨C near synchronized. It was just too uncanny for Detective Fraulein to say anything. ¡°By the way, Kim,¡± The detective still chanced to ask, ¡°How did you do that trick? The flying thing?¡± ¡°Yeah, no wires,¡± Officer Roland added, curious himself, ¡°I mean you even made everything in the house move. Come on, tell us how you did that? Hidden strings?¡± --- Simply Flying Skills and Inner Energy Manipulation. Even a young disciple of a martial arts sect can move a peachwood sword if they focus hard enough, let alone a cluster of knives or even furniture. I am truly shocked no one in this world recognizes it. But Martial Kim simply said, ¡°A magician reveals not their tricks. Otherwise, the fun would be lost.¡± The detective and officer let out a groan before they left. Even when one case was closed, crime never sleeps, so duty calls. Prof. Stone on the other hand decided to stay and keep the young master company as he showed him to the police station lobby. Not like Martial Kim was going to stay another night in the station right? Hah, this wasn¡¯t a hotel! ¡°Oh, Professor Stone.¡± ¡°Ye, Kim? What is it?¡± ¡°...If it is not too much, I would like to request a small favour.¡± ¡°Kim. You helped us catch a killer. You deserve a medal for what you¡¯ve been through. So of course you can ask for something! What is it?¡± Martial Kim felt his heart sink, and he hadn¡¯t delivered the first word! ¡°It is about Miss Keekee.¡± ¡°Ah yes, your girlfriend.¡± ¡°She is not my...Well...Er. It is my fault for dragging her into this mess. I believe, I put her through so much stress and emotional turmoil, given the severity of this case. No doubt she must either hate me, or no longer wants to do anything with me.¡± ¡°Uh huh?¡± Prof. Stone nodded along. ¡°Would it be possible, you could tell her, I am sorry.¡± ¡°...Is that all?¡± ¡°Er. Yes. If it is not too much trouble.¡± ¡°Well. Super easy¡± Prof. Stone chirped as he brought him to the lobby. Then he suddenly called out to the crowd, ¡°Did you hear that? He¡¯s sorry! Kim is sorry! S ¨C O ¨C R ¨C R ¨C Y!¡± ¡°P-Professor Stone!?¡± Martial Kim blushed and didn¡¯t understand why Prof. Stone turned to tell his words to a complete stranger. This was a private matter no? Why go shouting about his embarrassment to¡ª ¡°...M-Miss Keekee!?¡± ¡°KIM!¡± Oh! So Keekee had been waiting for him in the lobby? Was it the whole time? Days? Or every now and then? You know what: those details didn¡¯t matter. The film assistant didn¡¯t hesitate to throw her petite body against the young master, hanging off him in a tender hug. She wiped the tears on his chest as she clung onto him. ¡°Kim! Oh Kim! I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re alright! D-did they hurt you!? D-did they bully you! I-if you want, I know a some lawyers to help you out! Just say the word!¡± ¡°H...how? Why?¡± For once, the knight-errant was flustered by this surprise attack. He found himself nearly thrown off kilter despite how small the young lady was. Normally his first reaction would be to throw the attacker of his shoulder and twist them into the ground. His hands were still human ¨C he pulled her into an embrace without thinking. ¡°H-how come you are here?¡± the young master asked such ridiculous question. Prof. Stone couldn¡¯t contain his smirk and told him a secret, ¡°I asked Keekee to make the wig and robes you used. I mean, dollar store product can only go so far. Girl put in blood, sweat, maybe a bloody tear drop or two to make the costume hyper realistic. Movie expert, right?¡± ¡°M-Miss Keekee bled from her eyes? Fo-for my sake!?¡± ¡°...It was metaphorical, Kim. C-calm down. G-go back to hugging your girlfriend. Thaaat¡¯s it. Not to brag, but Keekee did an excellent job in setting up the prop to drop the leopard cloth on the Chief Commissioner when he last expected it. Really sold the whole horror flick we were making. This girl, she deserves a Golden Globe in special effects or something.¡± Martial Kim felt a nod rubbing his chest, her warm arms holding him tight like a buckle. The warmth of another human being made his eyes well up, his breathing haggard, and knees weak. There was nothing more he wanted to than to hold Keekee in his arms. --- I-I should not touch her like this. We are not proper lovers. What, what would people say? They would surely tarnish her virtue and dignity through vicious gossip?.......I should let her go....I should......But... He didn¡¯t want to. She was just too soft. ¡°Miss Keekee...Thank you, for waiting for me.¡± ¡°Of course! What are friends are for!?¡± Congratulations all around! However, the nightmare may be over but this was only the beginning. If only Martial Kim knew the fate and heavens have something in store for him to test his wit, mettle, and integrity. Never would he have imagined, the moment he was free of his cage ¨C marked the first step in forging an unforgettable bond with the forensic chemist and film assistant. PAVILION - Chapter 33 (Freedoms Question) Professor Stone thought he had seen everything in his line of work. The bloodiest of crime scenes, the most viscous of murders, and gruesomely dismembered corpses. He¡¯s even been as deep as sewers to find the truth to one mystery after another. However, he wasn¡¯t at all prepared in witnessing a human being who was so disconnected from the reality around him. It was like, watching a mouse with brain damage trying to figure out which way to escape the maze first. ¡°Kim? You alright? I have plenty of room in the car.¡± ¡°..." No one can blame Martial Kim. A formidable master and a knight-errant of the martial arts world, he is well versed in riding horses and commandeering regular horse carriages. Modern cars ¨C sigh ¨C was a whole new mountain he was not ready to scale today. ¡°Professor Stone,¡± the young master gulped, trying to hid his discomfort (at least in front of Keekee). ¡°Er...Where is the entrance?¡± ¡°...It¡¯s the door is right in front of you. You¡¯re touching it.¡± For clarity, let¡¯s explain how a regular horse wagon works. A simple covered carriage with two wheels and drawn by a horse, simple enough right? Did you know the only way to hope in, was through an opening in the front where the driver would sit ¨C not like the common and convenient side doors found in Western style carriages. The ¡®door¡¯ was nothing more than a curtain that people climb in and out like a camping tent. So you can¡¯t blame Martial Kim for fumbling to find that said curtain-covered opening to climb right in. Especially when cars you know are sealed on all sides with metal and glass. Even now he was wondering, what was the magic trick to get inside this vehicle. Prof. Stone helped Keekee inside, so what was the secret? ¡°Kim,¡± Prof. Stone cleared his throat, trying not to be mean, ¡°As a gentlemen, I open the car doors for young ladies like Keekee. You¡¯re not going to make me break my record, and open the door for a man like you, right? Hahaha...ha...Kim?¡± ¡°N-no, I understand. I should figure it out own my own...Ah, is this the way in? Oh. The opening is also blocked by something transparent. Is this glass?¡± ¡°...Yeah. That¡¯s called the trunk.¡± Just when Prof. Stone thought he could solve this conundrum by opening the side passenger door of his sedan, he came across another simple problem he didn¡¯t know how to solve. A regular horse wagon would just have a simple cushion seat, near as flat as the floor. It really was just a glorified tent on wooden wheels if you think about it. The modern car instead had a lot of stuff in the way for Martial Kim to clamber over, called the car seat. ¡°Oooof! K-Kim are you okay?¡± ¡°Miss Keekee! Forgive me, I did not mean to lean in such a vulgar manor. I almost...¡± Martial Kim blushed and he had absolutely no clue where to look as he entered the car as if crawling through a rabbit whole. If he forced himself in, his face would surely land on the film assistant¡¯s chest and that would be inappropriate! Prof. Stone thought he truly seen everything except for this game of Twister and charades. He¡¯s probably thinking, is this young master in his right mind? ¡°Say, uh, Kim,¡± Prof. Stone spoke up after everyone was settled in their seats. ¡°Don¡¯t forget your seat belt.¡± There was a reason why he said those words as he kept his eye on the rear view mirror. An experiment to confirm a theory. ¡°...My...what?¡± Martial Kim fumbled in the passenger seat, padding his hands around like a mole looking for its glasses. It was thanks to Keekee¡¯s intervention that the matter was also resolved. Even then, the young master kept tugging and pulling at the strapping that wound across his body and hip. ¡°Uugh! P-Prof. Stone! Th-these ropes, are they alive? I cannot breath, th-they are gripping on to me!¡± ¡°Keekee, mind if you help Kim and reset his seat belt. I think he pulled too far on the safety lock or something. There we go.¡± Normally, Prof. Stone would only need three minutes to get ready to drive. He never expected this carpool would be ready in 45 minutes. What he didn¡¯t expect the most, was the noise that came from starting the engine ¨C and it¡¯s not the machine we¡¯re talking about. VRRRRRRRRRRRRM! ¡°A TIGER!? THERE IS A TIGER IN THE HORSE WAGON!?¡± ¡°KIM! KIM, CALM DOWN! THAT¡¯S JUST MY ENGINE PUMPING HORSEPOWER!¡± ¡°HORSEPOWER!? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!? WHERE ARE YOUR HORSES!? GASP, THE TIGER MUST HAVE DEVOURED THEM! EVERYONE OUT, QUICK!¡± 1 hour and 30 minutes later, the sedan was finally able to leave the parking lot. And boy was it a long drive home. Prof. Stone thought he saw a whole new world in the time span of two hours. So no one can blame him for drinking two cups of coffee and chewing the stirring stick until it was a twisted mess. Granted, finding the log cabin in the mountains was not the main problem.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. It was the strange series of events he experienced during the entire ride. Not to be rude, but it was worse than a school bus of wild kids going on a field trip ¨C or a road trip with a family of four. ¡°Keekee, do you have a minute,¡± Prof. Stone whispered to Keekee, the second they entered her grandmother¡¯s cabin. ¡°There¡¯s a question I¡¯ve been dying to ask.¡± ¡°...It¡¯s about Kim, isn¡¯t it?¡± Keekee replied with a sheepish groan. After helping to set the young master ¨C equally shaken by his new world experience ¨C at the dinner table, she chanced to speak with the forensic chemist in a corner of the cabin. ¡°I swear, he¡¯s harmless! He¡¯s just...really into character...I think.¡± ¡°In character?¡± ¡°Y-yes. Ever since I first met him, back in the filming camp, he has been acting like he was a character straight out of a medieval movie. The way he talks, the way he movies, and acting as if clueless to technology. Sometimes, I feel he is trying to hard to impress my director, or even me.¡± ¡°...In character?¡± Prof. Stone had no choice but to repeat those words as he chewed on the stirring stick. Any more, and the head of the plastic may have severed off like a guillotine to a head, ¡°Tell me more.¡± ¡°It¡¯s...really hard to explain really. I-I can¡¯t put my finger on it.¡± Prof. Stone then had another idea. He pulled out his phone, ¡°What was your phone number again?¡± After Keekee told him, they both snuck away out of view to spy on the young master from a corner. Ring Ring. Ring Ring. Ring Ring. What was Prof. Stone planning? Calling Keekee¡¯s cellphone out of the blue? It kept ringing and ringing, but no one answered. Of course no one would. Keekee was right next to him ¨C and her phone was on the table. Next to Martial Kim. ¡°...........¡± The young master was spooked at first, hearing a musical tone coming out of the thin air. When he thought he was alone in the kitchen, he couldn¡¯t help but stare, even eye the musical phone as if it was some brand new creature before his very eyes. ¡°...Musicians? Inside of this tiny box?¡± Prof. Stone and Keekee exchanged worried glances, and the former kept ringing. Ring Ring. Ring Ring. Ring Ring. Martial Kim started to get worried. Was this some sort of magical box, or some cursed instrument coming to life? It kept ringing and singing, like a ghost out of the blue. For the sake of his sanity, he had no choice but to pick it up ¨C as if it was a spider of some sort ¨C and dashed about trying to figure out what to do with this thing. The ghostly singing, it won¡¯t stop! What to do?...Ah, the young master knew. Gingerly, he dropped it into the sink. There, safe! ¡°KIM! WAIT!¡± Keekee burst out of her hiding place and swiped her phone out. Too late, it fell into a bowl full of sink water. ¡°AAAAH! NOOOOOOO!!¡± ¡°M-Miss Keekee! Miss Keekee!¡± Without thinking, he grabbed the film assistant and yanked her away as if from a burning building. ¡°B-be careful! I-it could be some trap!¡± ¡°Trap my ass, Kim, that¡¯s my phone! My entire life is on this thing and I already cracked it once! Aaaaah, it definitely got through the waterproof guard. Crap, crap, crap, I can see water sloshing around under the screen! Aaaaah!¡± ¡°W-wait Miss Keekee, it¡¯s dangerous. We should¡ªMiss Keekee come back!¡± It¡¯s too late Martial Kim. You never get in between a person and their smartphone in this day and age. Keekee hurried to rescued her drowning phone and bring it to her room, to set up a make shift operating table to try and drain the fluid out before it ruined the electronics. Hair dryer, where is her hair dryer!? Leaving the young master alone...and confused. The good news was, Prof. Stone kept him company. ¡°You alright, Kim?¡± He asked as he approached the table as if nothing happened. ¡°I¡¯m starving, what you got?¡± ¡°W-wait.¡± Martial Kim didn¡¯t know if he should answer the forensic chemist or race after the film assistant, ¡°S-should we not wait for Miss Keekee?¡± ¡°Nah. She¡¯s going to be busy, giving her phone C.P.R., you know.¡± ¡°...See...Pee...Are?¡± Prof. Stone started to play his next words carefully, ¡°Yeah. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Big words, I know, but everyone knows it. First Aid and all.¡± Martial Kim spoke like he just had a stroke, ¡°C...Cardi...First Aid?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know, Kim?¡± ¡°...¡± --- What do I say? I have already made a fool out of myself one event after another. With this matter of fact question, what do I do to save some face? I cannot lie, he would know. And he is not a simpleton! Prof. Stone wasn¡¯t a mind reader, but he was kind enough to deduce what the young master was thinking right now without poking fun at it. So he helped by changing the subject, ¡°Please sit down. Let¡¯s eat together. You must be super hungry after being stuck in prison for so long. I mean, there is no way I can eat this pyramid of burgers alone right?¡± Martial Kim was unsure what to address first: helping Keekee, figuring out what C.P.R. means, or food. ...Food sounds like the safest choice right now. ¡°You must really like burgers,¡± Prof. Stone chuckled as he plucked some choices from the pile. ¡°I mean, Keekee put in a pretty penny to get the pile this high.¡± ¡°Burgers are most delightful. I never had them before until a few days ag...o...ah.¡± Martial Kim clicked his tongue, his true feelings spilling out. He tried to compose himself. ¡°I mean uh¡ª¡± ¡°Did you hit your head?¡± ¡°I-I beg your pardon, professor?¡± ¡°No need to tense up. Here, have a Teriyaki Burger, go on,¡± The forensic chemist chuckled and swiped up a chicken burger for himself. Ooof, spicy...ah, he¡¯ll take it. ¡°I heard from Keekee, you had a lot of blood on your person. You know, when you rescued her from those mountain bandits.¡± ¡°The blood was not mine.¡± It was the woman he failed to rescue, was what he finished in his heart. ¡°Then explain to me,¡± Prof. Stone went on ¡°Why did Keekee find you wandering the mountains? By her account, you had no coat for the cold, you didn¡¯t have any camping gear, and you were in a bit of a mess.¡± Martial Kim was hungry, but he didn¡¯t know whether or not he should let his guard down and eat at this point. He felt like he was being interrogated!...Albeit, not as bad as that rowdy detective, ¡°My situation, is a story as long as a cloth belt.¡± ¡°Interesting choice of words.¡± Prof. Stone tried to take another bite of his spicy chicken burger, but his tongue was on fire. So he ended up just plucking piece of the bread bun on top like popcorn, ¡°Where are you from?¡± The young master kept his silence. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to tell the truth or tell a lie. ¡°Do you know how you got here, Kim?¡± The young master shook his head. That was the truth, but even then he realized how ridiculous it looked. Prof. Stone went ¡®aha¡¯ when he tapped a hand across the table, ¡°You do not have to hide it anymore, I know what¡¯s wrong with you.¡± ¡°P-Professor? Wh-what do you mean?¡± ¡°The answer is rather elementary if you think about it. So no need to lie to me anymore, Kim.¡± Oh? Did the sleuth Professor Stone finally realized, Martial Kim was from another world? Or was there another secret that not even the young master knew he was hiding!? PAVILION - Chapter 34 (Freedoms Appointment) Last time, we learned Professor Stone figured out the secret of Martial Kim¡¯s origins! What was the real answer? From another world? From another timeline? Another universe? What could it be ¨C and how did he figured it out!? ¡°P-Professor Stone,¡± Martial Kim would give a dry gulp as he tried to figure out what he was dealing with, ¡°Wh-what do you mean, you know what is wrong with me? Could you please explain?¡± ¡°Again, it¡¯s elementary. About everything.¡± ¡°Wh-what exactly?¡± ¡°You have amnesia.¡± ¡°...What?¡± Martial Kim was completely caught off guard by this form of counter attack. At first, he believed it, given what has happened, but the moment he recalled every detail of his past ¨C childhood, youth, to even memorizing every name and face that has passed through Moon Tavern ¨C his answer was obvious. ¡°Preposterous,¡± said the young master. ¡°How could I have amnesia? My memories are still intact! I still know who I am!¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking you had an accident, on the road while coming to town.¡± ¡°An accident? On the road?¡± Martial Kim tried not to scoff, for he knew his companion was speaking without ill intent. ¡°If I was truly a victim of such incident, you would think I would be aware of it, no?¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± ¡°Professor, you are speaking nonsense.¡± Prof. Stone got comfortable in his seat as if he figured out the murderer in a mystery party game, ¡°Victims of a severe accident often cannot recall what just happened, due to the injuries to their brain. They remember their names, even recite their social insurance number, but not the events that made them black out.¡± ¡°...Is...that possible? To still remember who you are, but not what happened to you in a specific moment in time?¡± ¡°Brain injury,¡± Prof. Stone tapped his temple to emphasize, ¡°Too much trauma in a quick period of time can make one forget the events shortly before the incident. Worse case scenario, the damages could leak into other parts of memory and block that too ¨C like tearing out a page in a story book.¡± ¡°...I...I do not mean to be rude, professor,¡± Martial Kim tried to defend himself, ¡°I believe your conclusion is wrong. I do not have this trauma induced amnesia.¡± ¡°Not just trauma induced. I think you have Anterograde Amnesia.¡± ¡°...Wait, there is more than one type?¡± Martial Kim was well versed in the medical arts. Granted, he was not a full fledged physician, but he dabbled enough and acquired the right amount of experience to cure most ailments and conduct autopsy of the dead. Not to mention, broken limbs and muscle injuries were most common in the martial arts world ¨C so he had plenty of practice to feel confident to arrive at the right diagnosis. And he was a studious one, he always kept up to date with the latest and greatest medical breakthroughs. So, it was obvious the fact there was more than one kind of memory loss in this modern reality caught his undivided attention. ¡°I-I never heard of such diagnosis. Where did you get that? Who discover it?¡± ¡°Clive Wearing.¡± ¡°I never heard of such physician. But for you to speak highly of him in this conversation, surely he must be a reputable doctor.¡± Prof. Stone tried not to laugh, ¡°Clive Wearing was a British Musician.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°The man was well versed in musical arts, not medicine, and was very talented in his field. Wrote lyrics, taught music to students, so on and so forth. In saying that, his rise to fame wasn¡¯t his background ¨C but his memory loss.¡± ¡°H-how can one be famous, by losing his identity?¡± The forensic chemist then carefully told the story of Mr. Clive Wearing. In 1985, the musician fell ill to encephalitis. Although he survived, the sickness destroyed most of the nervous pathways in his brain. Fortunately, he could still eat, drink, read, and function like a normal person, however...sigh. ¡°He can¡¯t form new memories,¡± Prof. Stone went on, getting the young master¡¯s attention. ¡°Doctors, researchers, nurses, whoever met or even talked to him after his incident would only become a stranger to him the second they leave the room.¡± ¡°Th-that sounds like a frightening curse!¡± ¡°Not a curse. A mental defect. Clive can tell you exactly what he had for breakfast, lunch, dinner, even his favourite radio drama program he listened to the day before and recite the details of the story. Hell he can recall everything since he was born... But anything after the incident, anything new, he cannot retain. Even if you gave him a piece of candy and walk out for a smoke break, you telling him about the candy would be complete news to him. He¡¯d even be shocked to find it in his pocket.¡± --- I-Impossible! D-does a selective amnesia like that actually exist!? Being clubbed on the head or even suffering severe emotional shock is one matter, but not remembering if you had been in an accident ¨C or even never forming any new memories like everyone else... My hands are shaking! ¡°...Th-then what happened to him!?¡± The young master asked, near pleading to know, ¡°S-surely h-he could not survive with a curse¡ªer, ailment like that? Would he not be¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah. Living the same day over and over again. Even if it¡¯s years after his incident, he will always believe it was the exact day in the year 1985. Literally stuck in the past. A psychological time loop, even as his body grew old. Couldn¡¯t even recognize his own reflection near the end of his life.¡± Waaaaah. Martial Kim was breaking out into a cold sweat!You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Even the greatest of grand master would feel their heart skip a beat, knowing they would forever live the one day in their life and never learn anything new. New faces, not a chance; new skills, hah good luck; new enemies, boy was it more than sow what you reap. The young master had to grab the table just to anchor himself into reality. Else his thoughts and spirits might just spook out of his mortal shell! ¡°D-do I really have this sickness!?¡± yelped Martial Kim. ¡°We don¡¯t know, not for sure,¡± Prof. Stone tried to calm his friend down, even passing some burgers in front of him. ¡°It¡¯s just a deduction. I mean let¡¯s face it Kim: you don¡¯t know what a car is; you fumbled to turn on the kitchen sink; you didn¡¯t recognize a phone ringtone; and by Keekee¡¯s admission you were still ¡®playing the part of a medieval character¡¯...This is a bit of a stretch, but I feel your amnesia hit a homerun and sent you waaaay out of the ballpark!¡± ¡°Wh-what does that mean!? Please tell me professor!¡± ¡°Meaning, whatever accident you had been in made your memories stuck in...I don¡¯t know ¨C the Dark Ages.¡± --- D-d-d-d-d-dark ages!? A history of no light!? H-how? H-how is this possible? Surely, I do not show such signs and symptoms right? I am Martial Kim of Moon Tavern, I hail from the Jade Empire, I...Wait, he has a point. Everyone accepts those strange horseless wagons as common transports; they all seem to be fixated on those glowing stones that can sing; a-and I still cannot figure out what did Miss Keekee do to magically product hot water without firewood AND fill up the bathtub with a hole in it!... I thought this world was insane, but am I the one who has lost his sanity!? ¡°C-calm down, Kim. Caaalm down. Here. Burger. Buuuurger. Go on, eat it. Eating triggers the brain to ease up on the adrenaline and focus on digesting the food. That¡¯s it. Thaaat¡¯s it.¡± Martial Kim was panting hard, sweat dripping down his forehead. And he was not the only one suffering from this revelation. Keekee had already rescued her phone from drowning long ago, but could not bring herself to walk into such an important conversation. She hid behind the corner, just listening. And like a mother, concern and worry grew on her face. She couldn¡¯t whine or moan, or else the important story would have been interrupted. So she covered her mouth to silence her fear. All she could think about right now was not whether or not she had to redo all the contact lists ¨C but whether or not her friend Martial Kim was going to adjust to this shocking revelation. A part of her worried, this news would be too much for the young master and he would go running back into the mountains to end the pain. Prof. Stone on the other hand kept the conversation as cool and level headed as he could, like a father ¨C being the rock in the storm for his boy. ¡°Now, Kim. There is nothing to worry about. We have the medicine and resources for such a thing.¡± Martial Kim wasn¡¯t eating anymore, he was fighting his trembling while hiding his grimace behind his burger. ¡°In saying that,¡± Prof. Stone cooed, ¡°I plan on taking you to see a friend of mind. Trust me, he is a specialist in brain injuries and he has contacts in the amnesia research community. They¡¯ll run some tests for you, to figure out what is your exact condition.¡± ¡°......¡± ¡°I know, I know. ¡®You¡¯re fine. You don¡¯t need help.¡¯ But let me be frank with you Kim: you¡¯re not going to survive in the 21st century like this. Worse case scenario, your memory may degrade even beyond the dark ages, to a time where you can¡¯t even form words and can only clap rocks together.¡± Keekee swallowed a scared moan. It couldn¡¯t be helped, the memories of her grandmother withering away in the seniors living still haunts her to this day. The way she looks at her own granddaughter like some stranger on the street kept cutting at Keekee¡¯s life strings. Imagining Martial Kim staring her like someone she met on the street the first time...twisted her heart for some reason. Martial Kim felt like he was sentenced to hang. Many believe, it was best to die with a full stomach ¨C but he lost his appetite completely. ¡°...I shall return home.¡± The young master said, a curt response. --- How though? I have yet to find a way home? I searched the mountains high and low, I still cannot find that nameless pavilion, nor the two moons. Am I stuck here, in this strange world? Am I going to spend the rest of my life here? If only I had the confidence to back up my words right now! I feel so much like a reckless fool! Martial Kim rose to his feet. He finally realized, he over stayed his welcome in the cabin. It was time to end everything here... But. ¡°Slow down, Kim.¡± Prof. Stone grabbed a shoulder and guided the young master back to his seat, ¡°You couldn¡¯t even tell me where you¡¯re from. Let alone how you got here. So, how are you going back like this? With the way you are right now?¡± ¡°..................¡± --- I have fought countless of warriors up and down the Jade Dragon River of the martial world...yet why do I feel so defeated in front of this man. His words forged of pure wisdom and cut into my heart deeper than any cloud iron sword. Why can I not bring myself to fight back? Prof. Stone said, ¡°Look. I know we don¡¯t know each other well and we more or less got off on a wrong foot. I¡¯ll do what I can to help. If not for your sake, at least for Keekee.¡± ¡°M-Miss Keekee? Wh-what does she have to do with this?¡± ¡°The fact she is taking care of you. Like you¡¯re a lost child she found wandering the streets.¡± ¡°.....¡± The young master blushed, but wanted to retort...no chance really. ¡°Kim. Keekee¡¯s got a full time job, has her own personal life, and not to mention she is running back and forth from her apartment to this place to make sure you don¡¯t hang yourself. Do you have any idea, how above and beyond the call of duty she¡¯s been as a Good Samaritan?¡± ¡°.........¡± ¡°Not going to lie, in this day and age ¨C there¡¯s no way a girl would let a stranger like you crash in her place... You know, stay over. That¡¯s only a plot hook you see in those Korean Dramas.¡± --- Wait...all this time...have I been nothing but a burden to Miss Keekee? Because...I am who I am? Prof. Stone then hit the final nail in the coffin, ¡°Kim. You and I both know, Keekee is too young to be responsible for your well being. It¡¯s not fair for her.¡± Keekee wished she could retort, but it¡¯s true. Why else would her parents agree to put her grandmother in a senior home. Even she felt guilty for nodding along with that plan. An invisible weight crushed into Martial Kim¡¯s shoulders. He lacked the strength to even sit up, let along stand up. Everything he believed in, everything he thought about himself, just fell apart like a sand castle. A knight-errant of the people ¨C bah, he can¡¯t even use this world¡¯s fire and water! A sleuth of the martial arts world ¨C tch, he was framed for murder from the beginning and sat in jail! A hero of heroes ¨C don¡¯t make us laugh....... Martial Kim beat himself over it all. Now, what could he do? Should he accept Prof. Stone¡¯s offer and seek for ¡®help¡¯? Or, should he cut ties and turn away from their good will ¨C to free them of a burden? PAVILION - Chapter 35 (Freedoms Skyfall) Martial Kim has experience as a doctor, having travelled the lands of the Jade Empire and had tackled many strange medical cases here, there, and back again. Granted, he was no divine healer who can raise the dead or cleanse the world of plagues, but he has been well known for finding the root of poisons and toxins and develop means to counter them. However, never in his life had he ever played the role of a patient...or, a test monkey for the sake of medical breakthroughs for that matter. ¡°Blehgghbg¡ªAaghg!--Balbrbhbk!?¡± ¡°K-Kim calm down. I-it¡¯s just a Popsicle stick! You¡¯re not choking! B-bear with it a bit longer!¡± One trial... ¡°AAAGH! MY EYES! MY EYES!¡± ¡°R-relax! Relax! It¡¯s just a penlight! He¡¯s just checking your pupils!¡± ...After another... ¡°WH-WHAT IS THIS MAN SHOVING INTO MY EAR! GET IT OUT!¡± ¡°Ho-hold on! It¡¯s just a otoscope! I-it will be over in a¡ªOW OW OW! STOP CRUSHING MY ARMS!¡± ...And another. ¡°P-Professor...W-why are you about to put me in a coffin!? Wh-why is it making suspicious noises!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called an MRI and it does that. Now hold still PLEASE!¡± Time, after time, after time, after time. Sigh. Even if Martial Kim made the right choice to seek help, little did he expect he would be punished from it from head to toe. It can¡¯t be helped and no one is to blame for this torment ¨C he lives in a world where he never existed until a few days ago. So it was obvious he had zero health records, zero baseline, zero body check. So might as well do all it all at once while he is here. ¡°Professor, this doctor. Why is he not heating the acupuncture needle to sterilize?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an injection. He already swabbed your arm to sterilize it. Now hold still. It¡¯s just a mosquito bite, you won¡¯t feel a¡ªDO NOT JUDO FLIP THE DOCTOR!¡± Ladies and gentlemen who hates injections, avert your eyes and cover your ears. For Martial Kim¡¯s scream was enough to blow out the eardrums of heaven and earth! --- WHAT DID I DO IN MY PAST LIFE, TO DESERVE THIS PUNISHMENT!? AAAAAAAH! ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...Are you...still mad Kim?¡± ¡°No professor. Of course not.¡± ¡°You say that, but I can still hear the grinding of your teeth.¡± Martial Kim was well versed in the art of etiquette and manners, so of course he would not be direct with what he was truly feeling (not to mention it was a matter of face!). But even a prim and proper gentlemen has the right to be petty and passive aggressive at the best of times ¨C especially what the young master has been through. --- If I had known these ¡®test¡¯ were like this, I would have baptism by lightning than be poked around like some animal! Fortunately, Professor Stone was an understanding man. So what better way to cheer up an angry martial artist, than to drive him to a place for food and drink. ¡°Trust me, Kim,¡± Prof. Stone tried to avoid glancing at the glare in the rear view mirror, ¡°I know a cozy little cafe that sells the best coffee. Made with freshly ground beans and stirred with skimmed milk, nothing like the powder stuff the police station serves in a cafeteria. You¡¯ll love it.¡± ¡°.......¡± ¡°...You-you¡¯re not gonna judo throw me out the window, right?¡± ¡°.......¡± ¡°... You know what let¡¯s just park riiiight over here. Just for safety sake.¡± Although Prof. Stone¡¯s sedan was well insured, he didn¡¯t want to leave anything to chance ¨C he WAS essentially carrying a ticking time bomb¡ªer martial cultivator. The second he put his vehicle in parking, he and his friend stepped out of the vehicle to have a face to face chat. Well face to face, but the forensic chemist only got the side profile of the young master. ¡°Listen, Kim.¡± ¡°I am fine.¡± ¡°Then look me in the eye and say it again.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°I mean no offence professor, and I know you mean well ¨C but how dare those people call themselves doctors and physicians! They lacked any empathy, any sympathy, no human emotions! Why, they did not even bother to look me in eye despite my severe condition! What is wrong with your doctors in this town? In this era!?¡± ¡°C-calm down. Calm down. They¡¯re probably jaded from the fact they see what, 20, 30, 50 patients a day? And not to mention the absurd amount of paperwork and¡ª¡± ¡°Unacceptable! I know a physician in a small town who treats nearly a hundred people a day, be it local or travellers, and always remembers their names. Caring, kind, polite! And let us not forget those torture tools they used on me!¡± ¡°Kim!¡± Prof. Stone snapped, but surrendered with a weak smile, ¡°Times are different. Everything is electronic and digitized. Medical practices have changed from apothecaries, mortar, and pestle, for the better. Now doctors in hospitals can save more than thousands of people per day. And better recovery rates than the dark ages.¡± ¡°.......¡± ¡°You have absolutely no idea what electronic or digitized means, do you?¡± ¡°Professor. Please do not make up such ridiculous names at a time like this.¡± ¡°Ever heard of wi-fi?¡± ¡°What does marrying a wife have to do with medical standards!?¡± Sigh. Prof. Stone got more than he bargained for in being a Good Samaritan himself. In his line of work he has dealt with all kinds of people, within the police station and the criminals they arrest. But never had he met someone more stubborn than Martial Kim ¨C he was like an ox! So the forensic chemist kept thinking, what was the best way to warm the young master into modern society. Alas, this wasn¡¯t as easy as adjusting a new fish in a fish tank. So he had to use a lot of brain power to solve this problem. But like any other human being, the brain can only go so far without a shot of coffee. ¡°Okay how about this,¡± Prof. Stone proposed, ¡°You and I get a drink and we¡¯ll talk it over. Heck, I¡¯ll explain to you the advancement of medicine from the medieval ages to the 21st century. I feel you would be interested in the many leaps and bound that has helped humanity live a more comfortable and longer lifestyle.¡± ¡°Are you sure about that, professor?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You praise technology like gods, yet have you looked around you. Everyone has their heads down, looking at those glowing stones in their hands. Wherever I go, there is always loneliness in the tightest of crowd. Power of isolation triumphing over the spirit of community. Just look at this city, so grand and splendid but no one is admiring the artistry and the...........................¡± ¡°...Kim?...Earth to Kim?...Oh god, did you have a stroke? Speak to me man!¡± Calm down everyone, the young master didn¡¯t blow a brain vessel. Rather, he trailed off as he heard something. He had trained his ear to pick up certain sounds no matter how noisy the environment was. He even closed his eyes to extend his focus from the conversation, into the streets, and to connect to the ambient world around him. ¡°Professor. Do you hear that?¡± ¡°More teeth grinding, other than that¡ªKim wait! Come back! Where are you going!?¡± Was Martial Kim fed up with the argument? Or he had something important to do? Oh wait, what was that falling from the sky? It¡¯s about to land on top of someone in the street! Martial Kim kicked off into the air, flying over to catch it! ¡°Oh sh¡ªKIM!¡± Prof. Stone may have seen one or two high flying kung fu movies before, them and their wire-fu. Even now, he believed the ghost trap used on the Chief Commission was done by some elaborate wire play ¨C but never did he expect the young master to lift off higher than a pole vaulter on sheer willpower! CATCH! Good work Martial Kim! Right out of the air like a fleeting swallow!...Wait, is that a¡ª --- A brick? Where did this come from? ¡°Kim!¡± Prof. Stone shouted, ¡°Incoming! More above!¡± ¡°What!?¡± Martial Kim gasped as he noticed several more bricks raining down from him. No time to think, he must act! The young master used his inner energy to flip up into the sky, catching, swatting, and drop kicking various bricks from hitting anyone in the room. Sometimes he would sweep some civilians out of the way and hide under covers and shed. One of them got so scared, they bolted across the street like a spooked deer! HONK! HONK! Watch out for that car! ¡°Brace yourself!¡± Martial Kim swooped and slapped a palm of inner energy into the one person, launching them flying off the street. But there was no time for him to leap away from a car ¨C especially when it was faster than a horse carriage! HONK! HONK! SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH! Oh gods, can¡¯t look! Can¡¯t look! ¡°...KIM!¡± Prof. Stone raced over and checked the front. Any blood?...No. Any dents on the front of the car...no? A corpse under the¡ª ¡°OH SWEET JESUS!¡± ¡°Professor,¡± Martial Kim greeted nonchalantly, despite being stuck under a murderous car, ¡°Is everyone alright?¡± ¡°Is everyone¡ªAre YOU alright?¡± ¡°Yes...Why, did I do something wrong again? Why the foul mood?¡± ¡°Sorry, not used to talking to people under a car¡ªCome on and get out from there! It¡¯s dangerous!¡± Prof. Stone yanked Martial Kim from under the vehicle, the latter covered in dirt and some oil grease. It seemed Martial Kim noticed, he touched the black stains on his face and gave it a sniff¡ªEeeew... --- What is this black substance? So oily in between my fingers. This scent reminds me of the same oil used in explosive clay balls deployed by assassins. Or, even resources Fire Monkey Gang use for their flame weapon tactics. Uuugh, it is not coming off. Better question, what was going on? Why are there bricks falling from the sky out of the blue? ¡°An accident?¡± ¡°An accident?¡± Sometimes, one would believe Martial Kim and Prof. Stone were reincarnated twins. Clearly they both suspect the same thing. ¡°I don¡¯t see any construction going on.¡± Prof. Stone uttered under his breath, ¡°Neither did a truck drop any bricks along the way.¡± ¡°Even if the buildings in this area seems old,¡± Martial Kim noted, ¡°they are not degraded in a way to start wilting like flower pedals.¡± ¡°Actually, Kim, look. The colour of these bricks, are completely different than the buildings in this street.¡± ¡°Indeed, professor. And if my eyes do not deceive me, these bricks look oddly new compare to our surroundings.¡± It didn¡¯t take long for the reincarnated twins reach the same conclusion. ¡°This is no accident.¡± ¡°This is no accident.¡± Who could have done this? What was the motive? Who was it meant for? Little did the two realized, this very case would spark a series of adventures that would push their trust in one another to its absolute limit! PAVILION - Chapter 36 (Freedoms Test) Martial Kim was confused. Granted, he was an experienced investigator in his own right. He has cracked many cases back in the Jade Empire, in and out of the martial arts community. His own prowess was a beacon of inspiration of other warriors and knight-errants who fight the never ending battle for truth and justice. However, he found himself mind-boggled with the foreign procedures the local authorities employ in their own investigation. It can¡¯t be helped, the difference in detective culture was staggering. And he was only able to bear the tip of the iceberg during his time as being seen as a framed suspect. This time, he was getting a first hand experience as the police and forensic units were at work. ¡°Professor Stone, if I may ask a question. What are those yellow ropes the constables are using?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh you mean the police cordons?¡± ¡°Police...cordons?¡± ¡°Yeah. We usually set them up around the crime scene, to keep people out.¡± ¡°...Why the hassle? Why not place guards at every corner? Human eyes should be faster than strolling around the air to fence it off. Right?¡± Prof. Stone chuckled, ¡°Our predecessors all thought the same, but they smartened up when they realized how easy it is for nosy people like reports, journalists, or even the killer themselves, can sneak in between guards unaware. The yellow cordon helps, both us investigators and the crowd, to visualize this area is off limits. If they cross that line, we are authorized to charge them for disrupting an investigation.¡± --- Ah...A visual cue to keep unnecessary people out. And to protect the integrity of the scene... Such a convenient method. I should do well to memorize this. Would prove to be useful knowledge when I return to my world...IF I can return to my world that is. Prof. Stone also added, ¡°This also allows us to prevent any contamination of the evidence.¡± Martial Kim raised a brow, ¡°Contamination, how so?¡± ¡°Simply put, if we had people throwing trash, dropping phones, or even stepping onto valuable evidence ¨C the authenticity would be destroyed and would make our work ten times harder. The more ¡®sterile¡¯ we can maintain the scene and it evidence, the faster we can figure out the truth without sifting through garbage.¡± --- Oh. This man has a good point. Another lesson learned... I wonder, if this man is a teacher on the side. His explanations are impeccable. Martial Kim would be taking mental notes of what he was seeing and listening. He did however, spare some brain power to think upon this case, ¡°We conclude that these bricks falling from the sky were intentional, that means the killer is probably nearby¡ª¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not jump to conclusion.¡± Prof. Stone chuckled, ¡°The first principles of forensic science, is to look at the crime in all avenues based on the details provided by evidence. Was it really a murder, or a frame up? Was the evidence there to begin with, or falsified and planted? One thing I learned in my line of work: people lie, evidence does not. And it is best to keep an open mind while looking at said evidence and come up with plausible theories. That way, we avoid missing any small details that could be crucial to the case.¡± --- That...is a good point. Slower, yes, but it does minimize mistakes. Granted, I was a bit hasty with Fae Fae¡¯s case and pointed fingers at her deplorable brother. Now that I think about it, I nearly framed Fae Fae¡¯s ex-lover for her murder until I noticed his hand was crippled... Hmm. Prof. Stone inspected the area for a moment, ¡°Given our circumstances and interest of time, we should narrow down most hypothesis to the most plausible. The bricks clearly do not belong in this area and fell down with some intent. We can deduce, for now, there is some level of foul play. Before we focus in on the exact motive, let¡¯s try to figure out where the bricks came from exactly.¡± Martial Kim nodded and followed the forensic chemist in inspecting the buildings around them. East, West, they looked more or less the same. Regardless of difference in height, each of them across the street were at least six stories high of apartments or office spaces. ¡°Could be either one of them,¡± Martial Kim contemplated. ¡°West side...¡± Prof. Stone eyed both buildings. ¡°or East side.¡± ¡°Perhaps, you can have your men and women search both buildings. From bottom to top, floor to floor, and find any traces of bricks that were tossed out a window or so.¡± Prof. Stone tried not to laugh too hard, ¡°How long would you think it would take to pull that off?¡± Martial Kim used his hand and finger as an abacus to calculate the manpower, resources, speed, and efficiency ¨C based on what he¡¯s seen so far, ¡°A full day. I predict at most some hours after nightfall.¡± ¡°Hey Kim. Wanna bet, I can figure this out in under two hours?¡± ¡°...Oh? You sound rather confident.¡± ¡°Damn right I am! Hahaha!¡± --- Does the professor possess some sorcery or magical trick to find the answer? A form of Divination and Scrying. Perhaps, if I had possessed a higher cultivation, I would be able to pull off some form of psychometric and learn of these bricks involvement prior the incident. Alas, this world halved everything to bare minimum. I should feel blessed, I did not arrive as a cripple. Intrigue of what trick or knowledge the forensic chemist held under his sleeves, the young master accepted the challenge between them. Now, Martial Kim would fold his arms and watch the show to see who was the better sleuth in this situation. And Prof. Stone ¨C called a friend. ¡°Eva. I need you to set up a Fall Physics Experiment. Meet you at the fire station!¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. --- Fire station? What does visiting a burning building have to do with this case? Of course everyone know what a fire fighter was. Martial Kim himself knew, but he never at all recognized it as a profession. Don¡¯t get him wrong, where he came from ¨C anyone in the village or town capable of grabbing water from a well to smother the flame was enough. There were no station, no personnel, or even training to fight fires. When it happens, the whole community ¨C be it the local butcher, tailor, doctor, or even constable, night watchman ¨C all would holler FIRE, bang away at gongs or pots to sound the alarm, and chuck buckets of water at the chaos. Nothing like a well-paid government job specifically to save people from burning buildings. That¡¯s why we can¡¯t blame Martial Kim for being in awe like a little boy when he witnessed his first fire station in life. --- Incredible! This place is more a military fort than anything else! Are those soldiers? What are they hauling on their backs like shells. Those helmets look difficult to breath in. OH! Wh-what is this, this giant red wagon on six wheels!? Is that a bridge of water they are shooting off!? And those watch towers, good gods, they certainly seen better days. They¡¯re blacker than charcoal! How in the world could it still stand from being set on fire over and over? Is this place under constant attack? By who!? So many questions in a single setting, Martial Kim wanted to be greedy and ask them all at once. But he focused on the mission, the case, so that was priority number one. He always wanted to know ¨C what was Professor Stone¡¯s secret weapon in solving this case? ¡°Professor. Your crew members, what is the point of playing with sand in a time like this?¡± ¡°They¡¯re making a sandbag. We¡¯re trying to match it with the weight of the bricks back at the crime scene.¡± ¡°Whatever for?¡± ¡°To figure out which building in the street did it come from, if not the exact floor.¡± The Prof. Stone pointed at the blackened tower. ¡°This building is to train fire fighters in scaling stairs while carrying heavy equipment. Under certain circumstances, our forensic unit often borrow this tower to figure out how high or which floor a body fell and to simulate whether it was an accident, suicide, or murder.¡± --- Oh! A training tower? Not a sentry tower? So that is why I do not see any archers on the top. Wait, there are still people moving through those stairs. ¡°That¡¯s Eva and the others,¡± Prof. Stone answered the young master¡¯s curious stare. ¡°We¡¯ll start small and work our way up.¡± He then faced the blackened tower to say, ¡°Alright Eva. Whenever you¡¯re ready. I got eyes on you.¡± ¡°...Professor.¡± ¡°Yeah Kim?¡± ¡°If you speak that softly, your friends cannot hear you from that distance.¡± ¡°That¡¯s...what walkie talkies are for.¡± ¡°Walkie...what?¡± Prof. Stone wiggled the communication device, click click, in his hand and tried not to bully the clueless young master anymore. Instead, he focused on the tower ¨C specifically the band of forensic technicians who prepped a sand bag over their heads. On his count, threw two one, they toss. Faaaaaaaall. Splat. It totally missed a big X mark taped on the ground by several meters. ¡°Too close to the ground,¡± Prof. Stone talked into his walkie talkie to his team. ¡°Try sixth floor.¡± Move, move, move. Ready. Set. Throw!...Faaaaaaall. Splat. ¡°Huh. Still not enough. This means we know which building it came from?" Martial Kim raised an eyebrow, not taking his eyes off the forensic technicians darting up the stairs, ¡°That is true. One of them is only six stories. Even if you threw hard from the room, the brick wouldn¡¯t make it that far from where it fell on us.¡± ¡°You know Kim,¡± Prof. Stone paused in coordinating the experiment to sneak in some words, ¡°You sure you¡¯re not a cop? Or some kind of law enforcer? You give me that impression.¡± ¡°...Cop?¡± ¡°Ah. Who am I kidding. Probably don¡¯t know what a microwave is.¡± --- Oof! Ruuuude!...What is a microwave? Prof. Stone sucked in the air and went, ¡°Okay Eva. Three. Two. One...Go!¡± Throw!...Faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall. ¡°Oh! Oh! We got a bingo!¡± Prof. Stone raced over to the X mark on the ground and crouched down. A big grin was on his face when he clearly saw the sand bag punching the X-mark in the face. ¡°Looks like the brick were dropped from the 8th floor!¡± --- Incredible. He truly figured it out. And it has not been, what, less than an hour worth of travelling!? Prof. Stone saved his celebration for later as he quickly pulled out his phone and made a speed dial, ¡°...Detective Fraulein, yeah it¡¯s meet. 8th Floor! The building on the East side of the road. Check all the rooms facing the street. I¡¯ll follow up with more details after I get back to the lab.¡± Martial Kim found himself staring, dumbfounded. --- This is truly an eye-opening moment. The average methods back in the Empire would take at most a day or two to figure out. But this foreign version of forensic science is on a completely different level. Incredible. I cannot imagine how much time, resources, maybe mistakes would be saved... Where did the professor learn all of this! If only Martial Kim realized such knowledge was readily available as a bachelor and masters degree in any university ¨C or the internet. ¡°Excellent work, professor,¡± The young master clapped in admiration, ¡°You cracked the case before the day is over!¡± ¡°We¡¯re not out of the woods just yet.¡± ¡°...There...are no trees or forests around us, professor. Everything is just stone and metal buildings.¡± ¡°What I mean, Kim, there¡¯s still one more problem.¡± Martial Kim shrugged, ¡°Problem? All there is left is to arrest the culprit. Surely Detective Free...Frow...the lady detective would be able to handle figuring that out.¡± Prof. Stone replied, ¡°What if the detective came across 20 potential suspects?¡± ¡°Simple. Ask each and every one of them precise questions, to isolate the likely culprits. In the end, interrogate them to force a confession. Is that not how it is done?¡± ¡°...I¡¯ll do you one better. The answer ¨C is in the palm of your hands.¡± --- ...I cannot tell if the professor is teasing me or trying to hint a riddle? Either way, I feel I am being made fun of. What forensic magic and wisdom does Prof. Stone have to bestow onto our hero? PAVILION - Chapter 37 (Freedoms Teacher) In our previous chapter, Professor Stone mentioned the solution of this case could be found in the palm of the hand. What was the answer? Well, Martial Kim figured it out before they took a car ride out of the fire station. ¡°Professor. If it¡¯s just finger marks you need, why make it sound so complicated?¡± ¡°Because it is complicated Kim. Normally if the finger prints were on a flat surface like a doorknob or even the handle of a kitchen knife, then a simple brush and scan would do. But this brick isn¡¯t as even as you think and it¡¯s probably been through something to make prints less visible to the naked eye.¡± ¡°So what now? We are at an impasse? And Where are we going exactly?¡± ¡°The forensic lab. We¡¯ll figure it out there...Also Kim, seat belt! I don¡¯t want a friend from work to pull me over and give me a ticket!¡± Martial Kim always believed he was always up to date with the latest and greatest in forensic science discovery. The moment he caught wind of a new findings, he would fly over to be the first to take a sip of this freshly made soup of knowledge ¨C faster than any government agent could get their hands on. Mystery has always been his passion, thus keeping up to par was always a necessity. However, the second Professor Stone brought him to this ¡®forensic lab¡¯ ¨C the young master realized, he was out classed by tenfold. ¡°Professor! Wh-what are all these? The ones that are glowing with symbols and making a strange noise.¡± ¡°Lab equipment. We rely on them in sorting out chemical analyst, identify D.N.A. and finger print matches, as well as examining details at microscopic level¡ªPlease! D-don¡¯t touch them! Th-they are very delicate¡ªKIM!¡± Martial Kim thought he died and ascended into a divine realm of forensic science he never dreamed of seeing. Everything around him from gizmos and gadgets called for his attention, tempting him to touch their buttons and switches so he can see what they can do! However, there this one machine he paid close attention to. ¡°...Professor. Why are you steaming the bricks? Please do not tell me, we are going to EAT the evidence to gain insight!?¡± ¡°...Just...how Dark Age are your memories right now, Kim? This is a fuming chamber. Not a microwave to heat up dinner.¡± --- I do not know what is either. That response is not helping! Martial Kim raised an eyebrow and leaned in to examine the fuming chamber closely. Essentially it was a large box made of metal and glass with various hinges and buttons to control the mechanisms. He watches as a small dish of some paste was turning into steam like smoke and fill the insides with a white fog. The smoke would lick all over the brick ¨C and to his astonishment. --- F-finger prints are appearing? Like some kind of magician¡¯s trick? How? ¡°That,¡± Prof. Stone pointed at the dish of paste, ¡°is cyanoacrylate. Also commonly known as super glue.¡± ¡°Su-super glue?¡± ¡°Yep. You¡¯d think this would be used to fix things like glass, toys, arts and craft, or even wood working in construction. In terms of forensic, steaming the superglue helps for particles to stick onto the residue left in finger prints. So in a sense, it can be seen as a magic trick ¨C for your case that is.¡± ¡°And you just steam it? Like a tray of dim sum or pork bun?¡± ¡°...S...sorry that analogy...is just too much for my brain to imagine.¡± Martial Kim continued to watch as more and more black finger prints started to show up across the brick. While the steam and wisp meandered inside of the chamber, a curious idea came to mind. ¡°Professor, where can I get this device?¡± ¡°Pfffff. You thinking of buying one of this like a car? Nice try. This is dedicated for labs and police investigations. Not like any person off the street could buy this like candy in a 7-11.¡± ¡°..........¡± ¡°...Sorry. Too many modern references. Uuuh.¡± Prof. Stone stroked a finger across his chin. ¡°Government restricted. Only forensic offices can acquire them.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Martial Kim would have thrown in the towel, but he reworded his question to see if he can receive some sort of enlightenment, ¡°So, if not a machine ¨C all I have to do is steam this super glue or what not inside of a dim sum tray?¡± ¡°Hah. Nice try, Kim. You think this can be as artistic as cooking? If someone reaally wants to ghetto workshop this, they¡¯re gonna need a large glass jar or plastic box to contain all of this inside. The process is only effective when the steam is filled in a vacuum or air tight environment.¡± ¡°And where can one find this super glue?¡± Prof. Stone shrugged as he watched the timer on the fuming machine slowly count down to zero, ¡°Well almost anywhere: hardware stores, local grocery, arts and craft, home depot¡ª¡± ¡°........¡± ¡°...For someone as Dark Age as you, could go with tree sap.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Martial Kim raised an eyebrow, interest rising in his voice, ¡°Tree sap you say?¡± ¡°Back in the day, if not fish or horse glue, some people use certain sap or resin from trees as a form of adhesive. If I remember, pine trees seems to have been a common source before we could create glue artificially.¡± Martial Kim nodded with a hum, ¡°I must say professor, you seem to be well versed in various field of konwledge.¡± ¡°Ah. I just love reading. And I¡¯m the paperback person, can¡¯t stand reading eBooks off a tablet. I love the feel of flipping a page, you know?¡± --- Finally someone who speaks my language! DING! The fuming machine chirped a done noise and Prof. Stone took out the brick on a metal tray as if retrieving a freshly baked cake. Obviously it didn¡¯t come with a tantalizing smell, but the results on the brick alone were more than enough to make their forensic minds water with eagerness.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Prof. Stone furrowed his brow, ¡°Hey Kim, can you be my second pair of eyes. I feel like, I¡¯m seeing things.¡± Martial Kim leaned over, ¡°One two...I count three fingers, one thumb... Actually, where is the fourth finger?¡± ¡°If I am not mistaken, the position of these three fingers in oppose to the thumb look like the digits from middle to the pinky... Meaning, the index finger print is missing. But for what reason?¡± The young master would look around and pick up something similar in shape to a brick ¨C a tissue box. And he held it with one index finger off the surface. ¡°An odd way to hold it, if you ask me. Unless, it is a special technique I am not aware off.¡± ¡°Even football players are taught to use all fingers for maximum throw efficiency, so definitely not some trick shot...Unless.¡± Prof. Stone placed the tray down and tapped his chin. ¡°Either the culprit is missing a finger due to an accident or¡ª¡± ¡°The finger is covered,¡± Martial Kim interjected as he remembered something from Fae Fae¡¯s case. ¡°There was a suspect who had to cover her hands, to hide the swelling caused by an allergic reaction to Deadwood Worm toxin. Perhaps, this culprit suffered a similar condition and bound their index finger with a cloth!¡± ¡°...Suspect? Deadwood worm toxin? Kim, are you really a cop?¡± The young master was about to answer yes as easy as breathing, however he remembered his situation and where he was. Even if he told the truth, there were just too many details that would be seen as unbelievable. So for the interest of time and convenience, he was forced to tell a little white lie. ¡°I...read it in a book...You know, paperback.¡± ¡°Ah. A fellow reader!¡± Nice recovery, Martial Kim! Even if he wasn¡¯t entirely sure what the term paper back or eBook meant, he thought reusing something Prof. Stone enjoyed would help smooth out the conversation and make the latter none the wiser... --- Are not every book in the Jade Empire made of paper and string? Why specifically call them paperback? A book is a book! Prof. Stone didn¡¯t waste any time and he delivered a report to a certain detective. In fact, the young master heard her voice in the laboratory! [Detective Fraulein speaking, what is it Stone?] ¡°Oh!?¡± Martial Kim gasped. The martial artist would have known if anyone was sneaking up on them. The only exception if this enemy was a master of all masters, which he doubt the detective was to begin with, so he would have surely realized she was in their presence. But the more he looked around, the more he couldn¡¯t see that trademark frown or the person in question. ¡°Detective,¡± Prof. Stone went on, as this was just an every day occurrence, ¡°What¡¯s your status?¡± [We got a handful of people, but there¡¯s too many to figure out who did it. You got anything for me?] ¡°You¡¯re looking for someone who either has a missing index finger, or it¡¯s covered up in bandages. Left handed even, hope that narrows it down.¡± [One moment.......yeah, I think I see them.] Martial Kim was like a cat chasing after a laser dot pointer. Where is Detective Fraulein? Where is her voice coming from? If only he realized Prof. Stone was talking to the detective in question over the phone, the device set on the table and switched to open conference speaker. ¡°Pro-Professor.¡± The young master finally spoke up, ¡°I do not see the detective. I-is she invisible?¡± [...Stone, why does that voice sound familiar...wait¡ªWHAT IS HE DOING THERE WITH YOU!? EXPLAIN!] Prof. Stone panicked and fumbled for his phone, ¡°What? You¡¯re breaking up. Kkkkkk. Can¡¯t, hear, you, tunnel. Kkkkkkkkkkk.¡± [DON¡¯T YOU DARE HANG UP ON ME! WHY IS PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER ONE THERE WITH¡ª] CLICK. End of conversation. This left Martial Kim in silence. Even amongst the ambience, the loudest noise he could hear were his internal thoughts. --- Professor Stone is not a martial artist, but today he showed the hollowness of my strength. The intellect and experience I carried like a sword, is nothing more than a toy blade in the face of true masters like him. How shameful of me, most shameful. When a swordsman faces off with a laser rifle, no one can blame the former falling into a pit of depression under the weight of ABSOLUTE defeat. The same feeling fell upon Martial Kim¡¯s shoulder... and in doing so, it lifted something up from deep in his mind. --- Wait. Professor Stone seems to know everything. I wonder, with all this advanced science and technology ¨C would he know of a way to send me back? To the Jade Empire? Back to Moon Tavern... I cannot give up, not at this critical moment. There is only one thing I can do, to turn the tables into my favour! So Martial Kim used his ultimate move! ¡°Master! Please take me as your disciple!¡± ¡°K-Kim!? Wh-what are you doing!? Qu-quick get back up from your knees!¡± Not only did the young master humbly kneel before the forensic chemist, he would go as far as kowtowing before the man. Clock! Clock! Clock! Every deep bow, his forehead would hit the ground ¨C a sign of absolute sincerity and determination! ¡°Please, Master, accept me! I wish to learn from you!¡± ¡°L-learn!? Learn what? YOU¡¯RE the kung fu master, I should be the one doing the bowing!¡± ¡°Please, teach me the ways of your forensic techniques! Your science! Everything in this world!¡± ¡°Jesus Christ, Kim! D-don¡¯t be so over dramatic! Get up, everyone is staring!¡± Prof. Stone would try to drag the young master up to his knees. Little did he know, Martial Kim knew the 1000 Pound Iron Stance ¨C nothing can move him; even a bull would knock themselves out if it charged him. Mountain solid. ¡°Kim! Kim!¡± Prof. Stone gasped with every failed haul, ¡°I know you lost your memory and you want to speed up back to modern times, but there¡¯s no need to be this drastic! Please, stand up! Y-you¡¯re making us look super weird!¡± ¡°Nay! I shan¡¯t rise until you accept me as your disciple! Master!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that! People are going to get weird ideas! Come on Kim, stop kidding around!¡± ¡°I am most serious!¡± Martial Kim kowtowed again with a CLOCK noise, a notable bruise on his head this time. ¡°I seek your guidance! I may be unworthy in your eyes, but please let me learn from you as your student!¡± ¡°Kim! Don¡¯t say that! It¡¯s not about being unworthy or...Oh god,¡± Prof. Stone ended up kneeling to meet with Martial Kim, a tired sigh but a hopeful one, ¡°Kim. People call me professor, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the best person to be called your instructor.¡± ¡°Master,¡± Martial Kim pleaded in earnest, ¡°If it were not for your wisdom, I would have forever carried the title of a serial killer. Nothing I could have done would have saved myself. Looking back at it all, you are my benefactor. I owe you my life and honour.¡± ¡°K-Kim. This is a bit¡ª¡± ¡°Please! Master! I beg you!¡± ¡°...............................................................................One condition.¡± ¡°Anything, Master!¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t call me Master. Everyone will give me strange looks. C-call me something else.¡± ¡°Shifu!¡± Prof. Stone face palmed. ¡°Th-that makes me sound like I¡¯m a seafood platter!¡± Martial Kim wracked his brain for a better name, ¡°Then...please, let me call you Teacher!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m fine with that.¡± ¡°Thank you, Teacher!¡± Aaaah. It looks like Martial Kim has hope, in finding a way back home! And all it cost was his dignity! Worth! PAVILION - Chapter 38 (Coals Calling) --- Is this...a Buddhist Temple? Strange. How did Martial Kim ended up in a place by this? Why was he surrounded by various golden statues of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Guardian Spirits? The young master somehow found himself wading through a soft mist within an ancient temple. He walked passed a series of busts crafted in the image of great Buddhas, protective bodhisattva, and fearsome spiritual warriors and guardians. He even saw a group of monks in bright yellow robes and sun orange cloth, drumming on wooden bells in soft prayer. --- How did I get here? Was I not in the other world? Did I return somehow? Up ahead, he immediately spotted familiar faces!...Oh! Why, it was Martial Red Sister and Martial Yellow Sister. Why, they were amongst many other friends and allies of Moon Tavern? But why were they all gathered in this Buddhist temple? Why were they crying? --- D-did someone die? No, it cannot be? Wh-who? How!? Questions filled his head, but they were drowned out with an even bigger problem --- Martial Blue Sister...I do not see her at all? Even if she hides in the crowd like a mouse, surely I could spot her out at a glance. There is no way I can ever miss her bright blue hair of hers! Martial Kim rushed in with a panicked stride and tried to get everyone¡¯s attention. Who died? Where is Martial Blue Sister!? All he got were sob sob sob this and sob sob sob that. --- Please, someone answer me! I must know, who is the deceased. Where is...Oh ¨C Martial Blue Sister! There you are, thank good.......Wait...wh-why are you holding that!? Martial Blue Sister was alive ¨C but not thank goodness. She was adorned in full white mourning attire with a black band wrapped around her arm. She staggered out from a curtained room, carrying something small and heavy in her tiny hands. An urn full of human ash. A name was painted on the name cloth, in the best ink in the empire. ¡°Martial Kim,¡± Martial Blue Sister wept while cradling the urn, ¡°Do not worry...we¡¯ll...we¡¯ll keep you company. To the end. We¡¯ll make your exit grand and noble... We will miss you so much.¡± --- N-no. No...NO! Everyone! I am RIGHT HERE! Please, do you not see me!? I am over¡ª It is useless Martial Kim. No matter how you scream and dance in front of their face, how can they recognize you ¨C if they can easily walk through your body like a curtain. One by one his many close friends and greatest allies all march through his chest like a cloth door, bowing in tribute and wailing his name as they left his person behind. Was this...truly the end of his story? ¡°Martial Kim...it¡¯s you.¡± Oh finally! Someone recognized him in this mayhem of a reality! Hopefully¡ªW-wait, these hands on his face. Why are they so cold? I-is that blood, dripping on the floor!? Wh-who is this!? --- F-Fae Fae!? The Courtesan and Sword Fairy of Celestial Dreams Brothel enveloped the young master in a deathly embrace. Nothing more than a beautiful corpse caressing his face with hollow love and blank passion, her lips red with her blood and eyes painted with ashen make up. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you, Martial Kim.¡± --- No! Fae Fae! You are supposed to be alive! I saved you! You should be living a new life outside of the Capital! H-how did you become like this!? Th-this is not right! There has to be some mistake! ¡°Fear not,¡± The beautiful corpse whispered as she rubbed her greying cheeks against his shoulder, ¡°I will be by your side, as your bride. We shan¡¯t be alone.¡± Martial Kim believed this was a mistake, but nothing he could say or do could stop him and his ¡®betrothed¡¯ from sinking into the floor of the Buddhist Temple. To be one with the bitter darkness. ¡°Martial Kim....Martial Kim....Kim....Kim............KIM!¡± ¡°K-Kim! W-wake up! Please wake up!¡± ¡°OH!¡± ¡°KYAAA! I-it¡¯s alright, i-it¡¯s just me!¡± ¡°...M...Miss Keekee?¡± Oh thank heavens, it was just a dream¡ªrather a brutal nightmare! Every fibre in Martial Kim¡¯s body screamed to return home, to see for himself what his home world has become in his absence in the alternate reality. Alas, even if he ran out into the cold night as is ¨C he knew it was impossible to find his way home. It isn¡¯t like the Nameless Pavilion and the two moons were waiting for him like a taxi ride. ¡°O-oh my god, Kim! Are you okay?¡± Keekee would wipe her hands all over the young master¡¯s face to calm him down. ¡°Y-you¡¯re drenched in sweat! I-I woke up to the sound of your panicking, I-I just didn¡¯t realize it was this bad!¡± ¡°...I...I am fine. Th-thank you M-Miss Keekee.¡± Finally Martial Kim realized, just how soft and warm the film assistant¡¯s hands were on his face. Tender and¡ª ¡°Ah, um, M-Miss Keekee. N-no need to worry, y-you can unhand me now. Please!¡± ¡°That...must have been a really bad dream.¡± Keekee uttered, ¡°I-I¡¯ve never seen you afraid like that.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°I-it is nothing.¡± ¡°Nothing? Nothing!? And I thought I was the one who has sleep problems, but you just... Tea. I¡¯ll make you some Chamomile tea to calm your nerves.¡± Martial Kim nodded, tea would be excellent at this time. ¡°W-wait. It is near morning. And you have work. You should return to sleep before the sun fully rises from the¡ª¡± Nope. Keekee rushed to the kitchen in a blink of an eye and already shoved a kettle on top of the stove to boil up the water...and it was after she turned on some kitchen lights, did Martial Kim realize what she was wearing. Tank top and shorts that look more like panties than proper pants. People would go ¨C why not just sleep in a nude!? Hence why Martial Kim choked, covered his eyes, and buried his face into the blankets. --- Gods. Please be merciful. Kill me now. Nah fam. Before he could consider taking responsibility in seeing Keekee in her ¡®vulnerable night gown¡¯, the film assistant ushered him over and brought about a fresh pot of tea. Along with-- --- Wh-what is she doing? Milk and sugar!? Th-that is a waste of tea! It will corrupt the quality! Alas, Oriental Tea and Western Tea function completely different. So seeing Keekee mix her tea with cream and low sweet was no different than mixing a soap bar and laundry powder into a cup of water. Sip. ¡°Aaaah. See!¡± Keekee chirped. ¡°Nothing like a hot cup of Chamomile to ease the nerves!¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Wh-what? Is there cream on my lips?¡± --- Please, do not say it like that. ¡°B-by the way, Kim.¡± Keekee leaned into the table, propped on her bare elbows. She didn¡¯t know why the young master was avoiding eye contact, so she had to lean her shoulders and chest about to get a good look at him. ¡°D-did you remember something?¡± ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± ¡°R-remember what Prof. Stone mentioned, about recovering from Amnesia? S-sometimes, visions in your dream could actually be fragment of your memory. I-if you recall anything from before, i-it¡¯s a sign you¡¯re getting better...But, for you to scream like that.¡± ¡°I did no such thing.¡± ¡°Kim. I practically heard you from the other end of the cabin. And I TRY to be a heavy sleeper. So? Did you remember something?¡± Martial Kim thought to himself. Should he just tell her the truth, he doesn¡¯t have this amnesia problem. Or just...tell her what she wants to hear. Which was faster, to put her to sleep? ¡°I...started to remember...my friends.¡± Martial Kim regretted his decision. ¡°I...Um.¡± ¡°You miss them?¡± Keekee asked, unaware this was helping the young master¡¯s terrible lie. ¡°I do,¡± Martial Kim nodded, this time honest. ¡°I do miss them.¡± ¡°Do you remember, what were they like?¡± ¡°...Capable warriors, each and every one of them. Whenever I came across a problem or puzzle, I could always depend on them. They are my...comrade in arms so to speak.¡± Keekee smiled. She relaxed, knowing her friend was getting better; even when he cringed at the taste of the foreign tea. She felt so at ease, she started to rock her bare feet under the table. Perhaps she was too easy going, her toes often tapped into the young master¡¯s shin. She often wondered, why were the tips of his ears turning so red. ¡°That¡¯s cool, you know, Kim. I always wanted to have hardcore gamer friends!¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°Yeah! Well you said warriors and comrade in arms, you guys must have been like an eSports team playing fantasy MOBAs. Oh oh, maybe you play Last Fantasia 15, yeah that hit Online game where you raid dungeons and fight mega bosses as big teams!...Streamer community, perhaps?¡± If the young master had seen a certain meth drama, he would surely go: Keekee, what the hell are you talking about? ¡°Hahah.¡± Keekee snapped her fingers. ¡°I¡¯m pretty close, right? I wonder, what video games do you play ¨C if-if you weren¡¯t in ¡®character¡¯ all the time. Fighting games? Strategy games? Classic shooters?¡± ¡°...Yes.¡± ¡°So? Which one?¡± ¡°...Yes.¡± ¡°Kiiiiiiiiiim!¡± Keekee couldn¡¯t help a giggle and sipped at her creamy sweet tea. Actually, she realized she didn¡¯t need any of that. Somehow, a sip of water would feel sweet as strawberries for some reason. She couldn¡¯t resist playing with her tea cup, a delicate finger dancing around the rim. ¡°Say, when you get your memories back ¨C you know all of it...Would you stay here? In this town I mean.¡± ¡°...I plan to return home, eventually.¡± The finger slipped and fell into the lava that was hot tea. Keekee muted a yelp from the scalding touch, hiding it with a stiff smile. ¡°O-of course! I mean, can¡¯t live in grandma¡¯s cabin forever right? Hahaha. You probably got a home, a family, girl.........friend?¡± --- Why is she stiff all of a sudden? It is like I am about to interrogate her. I wonder, was I too direct in my previous response about returning home. Ah, perhaps I insulted her hospitality... Still, I cannot lie to myself ¨C this world is not for me. Ah, I cannot look at her. Not with those eyes. They remind me of the kittens straying around Moon Tavern for a piece of food. It was in his thinking, did he realize something. --- If I left, what would happen to Keekee?... What am I thinking? She already had a proper life before she met me. A job, a house, her own goals. She should be find without me... Right? ¡°H-hey Kim.¡± Keekee called out, her finger curling in her hair. ¡°Um...If you¡¯re free today, do you wanna...do stuff together? S-serious stuff, of course! Prof. Stone mentioned you need to be exposed to more 21st Century stuff. So I can totally help! Can show you around the city, take you to the library¡ª¡± ¡°I, uh, very much appreciate your initiative, Miss Keekee. However, I recall you had to work today.¡± Keekee made a quick text on her phone and done. ¡°Called sick!¡± ¡°Miss Keekee, you need not push yourself to¡ª¡± The young master was cut off, by a gentle finger touching his lips. Keekee smirked, ¡°No ¡®ifs¡¯ ¡®ands¡¯ or ¡®buts¡¯. I¡¯m used to multi-tasking. How else do you think I worked my way to film assistant!¡± For 10 seconds, Martial Kim fell in love with this strange girl... Only to burn those inkling feelings away in his heart. Any seedling would surely bloom into a tragedy at this rate. --- For someone as sweet, kind, and beautiful as Miss Keekee, surely she would have a lover in her life. ¡°.......¡± ¡°......¡± ¡°....Fmffmfff¡ª¡± ¡°Oh sorry!¡± Keekee finally remembered her finger on the young master¡¯s lips and reeled it away. ¡°Ahaha, sorry I just got carried away. Silly goose me.¡± --- Silly goose? Where have I heard that before? RING RING RING! RING RING RING! --- Aaah! That noise again! What exactly is that!? ¡°K-Kim! Kim! D-don¡¯t panic! Th-that¡¯s just my phone, see!¡± Keekee was panicking herself ¨C afraid the young master would weaponize her grandmother¡¯s fragile tea cups! - and quickly ended the ringtone by answering a call. ¡°H-hello?....Oh Professor Stone! Good morning!¡± ¡°Teacher? Where? I-I do not see him.¡± Keekee stared, before returning to her call, ¡°Yes, what is it?...Uh huh...Oh...Oh wow, that¡¯s close by. Uh, yeah, I¡¯ll get him there! See you in a bit!¡± It was Martial Kim to stare as he still can¡¯t find Prof. Stone anywhere in this cabin. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Work called!¡± ¡°Oh. I take it, they did not believe in your sick leave. Then, I will not keep you from heading to your duties.¡± Martial Kim politely excused himself from the table ¨C only to be grabbed by Keekee. ¡°N-no, Kim! It¡¯s your job! Prof. Stone needs you at a crime scene! Bottom of the hill! I¡¯ll take you there on my bike! Come on!¡± What strange murder mystery will the flustered young master walk into this time!? PAVILION - Chapter 39 (Coals Bedroom) There were so many things Martial Kim wanted to address: the police vehicles blaring horns and flashing red and blue lights like some kind of ghostly animal; the designs of a modern house compared to that of a straw hut or wooden mansion; not to mention the incredible amount of lights piercing through the darkness was beyond the power of a torch. It all happened in a whirlwind as he was forced to stumble through one line after another. It was upon reaching the house inside, did he realize the weight of it all. --- A mother and a child? Such a tragic sight so early in the morning. In looking for Professor Stone inside of the crime scene, the young master ended up stumbling into the bedroom, where most of the attention buzzed about. There, on the bed he found two bodies: a woman cradling her son in her arms. Honestly, they looked like they were deep asleep, even with all these officers and forensic technicians walking passed them with much commotion and flashing lights. A sinking feeling hit the young master in the gut, nailing it to the floor. ¡°There you are Kim!¡± Professor Stone called out when he spotted his protege in the crowd. ¡°Here use this.¡± ¡°I-I am fine, Master¡ªI mean Teacher. This is not the first time¡ª¡± ¡°No. I mean, put this on. It isn¡¯t the corpse smell that I am worried about.¡± ¡°Wh-what are you putting onto my face, Teacher? It is rather tight!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a face mask. It helps to filter out any smells or particulates in the air from getting into the lungs. There was mention of a sort of gas leak, so better safe than sorry.¡± ¡°You say that, Teacher, but it is quite¡ªcough¡ªdifficult to breath with this alone. I-I can feel my own breath scraping my eyes! A-and are those pieces of human skin!? Why are they coloured blue!?¡± ¡°No, no, no, Kim. These are gloves, made of a rubber like material¡ªlong story. We put them on, so we don¡¯t leave our own finger prints in the crime scene. It also prevents any skin-contact infections or bacteria in a medical setting, but we¡¯ll get to it later. Stay close to me.¡± ¡°Y-yes¡ªcough¡ªTeacher.¡± Face mask and gloves. They sound and look so simple to use. For Martial Kim, they were as straight forward as a Rubik¡¯s Cube. It was like everything he did, every step he made, the forensic chemist had to give him a crash course. Perhaps it was good fortune. Prof. Stone did not mind to answer even the silliest of sounding questions. They were curt, given the situation, but he never failed to explain what was what for the young master out of time to keep up to date with his surroundings. --- Odd. The walls in the bedroom are pitch black like ink. Yet, the walls outside were a soft peach blossom pink. Am I seeing things? Martial Kim was neither hallucinating or seeing illusions. After double checking, he did realized the bedroom and living room were divided by an odd contrast in colour. Specifically in the bedroom, the closer he inspected the black colour ¨C the more he realized it wasn¡¯t paint at all. --- Soot? Why does this pattern look familiar? It reminds me of traces left by a smoke bomb, but this is a deeper colour. I wondered what happened here? A sort of shinobi-style assassination? As if to answer his question, Prof. Stone hailed a certain officer over to get those details. ¡°Officer Roland! Good morning. What have you?¡± Officer Roland had seen many things in his career, more bad than good. However, no amount of training and on-the-field experience prepared him for a jumpscare of a life time. The moment he laid eyes on the young master, he had to drop into his best karate stance to brace himself! ¡°Oh sh¡ªYou¡¯re that Kung Fu Master who whooped out asses!! Wh-what is he doing here!?¡± Prof. Stone tried to play it cool, ¡°He¡¯s with me. He¡¯s...my apprentice, so to speak. Perfectly harmless.¡± ¡°Harm¡ªSir, you can¡¯t be serious! I thought Detective Fraulein was kidding when she told me but¡ª¡± ¡°The case, good officer. Ahem. What do you got?¡± Officer Roland threw a warning glance at Martial Kim for a quick second. When he felt the war was over before it begun, he tried to read the scribbles written on his notepad. Alas his quivering voice wouldn¡¯t stop showing weakness. ¡°Victim is a Single Mother, age 45. She has an eight year old Son...Only child.¡± Prof. Stone and Martial Kim gave a wary glance at the bodies as the coroner was examining them in the side of the room. The forensic chemist then went, ¡°Who found them?¡± Officer Roland glanced at his notebook, coughing at the smell despite wearing his own face mask, ¡°Caller is a teacher¡¯s aide from the kid¡¯s school. She handles those with special needs and the Son is one of them. She claimed the Mother called the school yesterday, to ask for sick leave on her son¡¯s behalf. Didn¡¯t give a reason, so it got the teacher¡¯s aide curious. The lady called the home, but no one answered and came to see for herself.¡± The officer glanced at his surroundings and sighed, ¡°Knocked on the door, no answer. She noticed the smell of smoke coming from the front door and got scared, so she dialed 911. After the firefighters broke the door open, a patrol unit took a look and...called this in.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Martial Kim wanted to be helpful and be less of a burden. But clearly he didn¡¯t understand 9/10 of what Officer Roland just said to paint a full picture in his mind. Teacher¡¯s aide, special needs, phone call, why firefighters, all that. Obviously he couldn¡¯t bring himself to interrupt and ask questions, so he tried to be useful and look around. That was when his eyes laid upon something that was sitting next to his foot like a waiting dog. ¡°Kim?¡± Prof. Stone asked when he noticed the young master¡¯s silence. ¡°You found something?¡± ¡°Teacher. Is it customary in this city, to cook inside of the bedroom?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What?¡± Prof. Stone and Officer Roland had to echo each other when Martial Kim came up with that question. Then they figured out what the young master had been looking at. ¡°This pot of coal,¡± Martial Kim pointed. ¡°When I came in, I noticed this lavish dinner set out on the table outside. I presume the Mother had cooked them for her and her Son. This is making me wonder, if the households in this city lack a kitchen or¡ª Officer Roland chewed on his lip and pointed at the pot himself, ¡°That, would be the murder weapon.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Martial Kim couldn¡¯t hold back a gasp. ¡°How can a cooking stove be a murder weapon? Please search properly, constable, this cannot¡ªMMFFHFM!¡± ¡°Excuse us, Officer Roland. Teacher conference, real quick.¡± Prof. Stone dragged Martial Kim to a corner of the bedroom and tried to shush his pupil from throwing a tantrum. Once he felt the latter was calm enough, he let go of his mouth. ¡°Carbon monoxide poisoning. That could be the cause of death.¡± ¡°Carbon what, Teacher?¡± ¡°You see Kim. When coal burns, it releases a toxic gas into the air. When inhaled it can cause damage to the body, and when breathed in too much it can kill you out right.¡± ¡°Impossible! Everyone I know have always used coal to cook! Why, we also use it to keep us warm through the winter! To hear that it can kill us, preposterous! We would have known that!¡± ¡°Y-yes, that was back in the good old days. But people later found out, when burned in closed spaces it can actually kill. Essentially suffocates you to death without proper ventilation. Even now, there¡¯s actually places in the world where people buy large amount of coal to commit suicide by smoke inhalation, since coal is readily available in stores and cheap to acquire from local stores. It¡¯s also cleaner and painless compared to slitting the wrist, if you get me.¡± ¡°Wh...what!? I-I cannot believe what I am hearing! A method of heating food, a suicide weapon!?¡± To us, that was common knowledge. To Martial Kim, it was telling him everything he knew was a completely lie. Why in fact, before he left Moon Tavern he still remember cooking a dish or two for his customers ¨C with fresh coal. --- D-did I dodge a guillotine!? For being alive after relying on it so long? It cannot be! The sooner I return home, the faster I can warn my friends or else...Oh god. How I dread, seeing bodies fill the kitchen floor the moment I step back into Moon Tavern! ¡°Here, take a closer look Kim,¡± Prof. Stone ushered his apprentice over and pointed at the door. ¡°See the crack under the door? It¡¯s stuffed with rags. Windows all locked and closer. Zero ventilation. These signs alone shows how determined this mother was, to commit suicide...but the question is, why the child as well?¡± Officer Roland checked another page, ¡°What I gathered from the teacher¡¯s aide, the Son had high functioning disability. The type where he had to rely on others to just eat, drink, care for him. Not exactly the independent sort. Judging by all the photos of the Single Mother and Son together, and the heap of toys he got, clearly the Mother loved him to bits regardless. My guess, she was scared to leave him alone in the world so¡ª¡± Martial Kim could not help and retort, ¡°Still, there is no need to drag the child with her. Would she not have relatives to take care of him!?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Officer Roland shrugged, ¡°Based on shared testimonies amongst the neighbours, they all claim the Single Mother has been living on her own with just her Son. No visitors, no known relatives, almost isolated. Granted whether or not they do have family in or out of town, or if a social worker following their case for that matter, is left to be seen in further investigation.¡± ¡°What about a Father? Where is he?¡± ¡°Did...you not hear me say Single Mother?¡± ¡°If she is a widow, just say so!¡± Martial Kim yelped, only for Prof. Stone to pull him aside again, ¡°T-Teacher?¡± ¡°Sorry to break it to you,¡± Prof. Stone winced, ¡°Single parenting is a common practice in this day and age. A woman doesn¡¯t need a husband, and a man don¡¯t need a wife to raise a kid. I-it¡¯s complicated, but this is normal.¡± ¡°Normal? Normal!? Raising a family is a commitment between lovers! Children are a product of their bond and are a responsibility shared by bother father and mother! This is nothing like playing a game of Xiangqi Chess by yourself!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Holy Matrimony, till death do us part.¡± Prof. Stone uttered, trying to calm down his companion, ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s hard to explain in a few minutes. Sadly I have to say, it is what it is.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll tell you in more details later. First, we got a case to follow.¡± ¡°...Yes, yes of course teacher.¡± Martial Kim uttered. Although he felt his mentor encourage him with a pat on the back, none of this made his spirits the better. Not only was the death of a mother and child weighing on his heart, all these strange cultural...blasphemy crawled under his skin like cockroaches. --- Honestly, is there nothing sacred in this world!? Where is the honesty, the honour, respect and... Who am I kidding? The people here live this life as easy as they breath. Who am I, from this so called Dark Age, be the judge of their lifestyle... Teacher is right. The case takes precedent. Honestly, over 10 years of experience and I have fallen back on my knees as a newbie. I need to re-evaluate my ability to sleuth. ¡°Cheer up,¡± Prof. Stone smiled, ¡°There¡¯s much to learn, young Padawan.¡± ¡°...P...Padawan?¡± What will Martial Kim find out? Was this a suicide, or a murder? What clues would he discover to figure out what really happened in this very house? Better yet, will the young master be able to handle the truth at the end of this case? PAVILION - Chapter 40 (Coals Living) All the windows in the house were locked. Every curtain in the house was closed. The door was locked from the inside and showed no signs of forced entry. So signs of any form of ransacking. Nothing particularly out of the ordinary stolen. At a glance, the officers would conclude this was most likely a regular suicide. Martial Kim wondered, why everything felt wrong in such a normal looking house? Although he wasn¡¯t used to this sort of modern life style, these outlandish furniture and home entertainment, his instincts were biting him as hard as a hungry tiger. For now, he kept his thoughts and words to himself while under Professor Stone¡¯s wing. As much as the young master was grateful the forensic chemist allowed him entry in such an important crime scene, he can¡¯t be arrogant enough to step out of line ¨C especially when the victim was a lonely mother and her troubled child. --- Be it the Jade Empire or this strange new world, they are still people who were born and thrived in life. Who had memories and smiles. It is unfortunate, these constables are not taking the matters seriously, even conducting idle chatter in the corner. Deplorable. Alas, I am not the one in charge and there is too many questions and blank answers I have yet to grasp to create a proper deduction. For now, I will act as an extra pair of eyes and ears for Teacher. While the forensic chemist was occupied in coordinating and collecting key evidence, Martial Kim tried to be useful and look at places least likely to be paid attention to. For instance, the dining room. --- The layout of this house is completely different than regular residences back in the Jade Empire. It seems even the commoners in this world live lavish enough to have a separate rooms to dine, lounge, and recreation. And all these furniture are just so...out of place. Is this a mirror? I can barely see my own face in the reflection. That¡¯s because it¡¯s a TV. Not exactly a Smart 4K by the looks of it, but a decent 40¡± HD TV. What drew his full attention, however, was the dining table in general. ---- I was right. The victims did have a lavish meal. Now the question is: was this last meal to prepare them on their trip to the Nether Realm...or was it interrupted? The table had a lot of plates and take out boxes. So much so, a simple sneeze could easily knock any one piece off the corner of the table. There were a lot of meals and tastes to choose from: Spaghetti, pizza, rotisserie chicken, potato salad, hot dogs...multiple bags of fries¡ªis that microwave mac and cheese there? Served alongside a box of spilled animal crackers? My, what an expensive looking platter of sushi! Cup noodles as well? Baked pasta¡ª --- Th-this is enough to feed a family of 10. There is simply too much to be finished in a single sitting. And look at all these leftovers and scraps, they are enough to feed a group of house servants. All of it gone to waste, left to rot and smell. I wonder, is this a common habit amongst the people in this world!? The young master was out of line...but he¡¯s right to some extent. People can be wasteful, especially with food. But the amount of spare. But the amount of spare bites and portions were phenomenal for a Single Mother and an eight year old Son. Big hungry eyes but small stomachs? --- I feel nauseous. I have heard of dying with a full stomach, but this amount is ridiculous! He tried to get some fresh air from the sit of spoiled food and walked into another room. The tightness of the space and the tiles made his footfalls audible in his ear, like he was trespassing in a hallway.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. --- Is this a bathroom? It looks fancier than the one in Miss Keekee¡¯s log cabin. Oh? This bathtub is filled with dirty laundry? Drowning in water, and is that a hint of soap I smell. I wonder, if the people here repurposed their bathtubs for laundry? I mean, sounds more convenient than a group of housewives marching to the nearest river for half a mile and cleaning dirty clothes in the stream. Maybe I should ask Miss Keekee later, how she keeps her clothing clean. Although he was not used to such modern bathrooms, he wasn¡¯t a fool when it came to noticing something out of the blue. For instance, a little tag of some sort was sticking out of a cabinet in the bathroom. Curious, the young master took a look inside. --- How do you read this? Chalbee¡¯s? Plocky? Dori...Dori-Tatos? Are these food? Snacks perhaps? What are they doing in a storage like this, inside of a bathroom? Oh gods, do not tell me the victims are so fascinated with food, they eat while they bath or...Urgh. Martial Kim tried to block out the imagination of snacking during...other business, before he emptied his guts. The last thing he want, was to make a mess in the crime scene like some new blood constable who saw their first corpse. Eventually, he staggered into another room of interest. --- Oh. So they do have a kitchen? How foolish of me, to think even people in this world would prepare a meal in their bedroom. Not even the Emperor of the Jade Dynasty himself would allow his servants to roast a boar in his bed chambers. Shameful, most shameful of me... Wait, something is not quite right in here. This feels completely different than how Miss Keekee organizes her own kitchen. Tip of the iceberg. The kitchen sink was filled with dirty socks soaked in nose-burning bleach. The counter top was covered in a series of stains mixed with caked sauce, frothed soda, and...other questionable liquids that it just transformed into freak oil painting of some sort. What took the young master by surprise, was an arm hanging out from one of the dish cabinets...only to realize it was just a sleeve! As they say, curiosity kills the cat. Martial Kim opened the curious dish cabinet¡ª ¡ª And an avalanche buried him alive. ¡°PFFFTOOO! PTOOO! UURGH! UUURGH!¡± Laundry. Piles of laundry. From tops, bottoms, underwear, and other articles of cloth he never knew existed. A wretched stench as foul as a dog¡¯s burp. --- What is wrong with this family!? H-how can this woman live in such conditions ¨C and while raising a child? I doubt this is the standard amongst other people here! No one can blame Martial Kim for thinking like that. It hasn¡¯t been a month and he has been swamped with new culture, technology, if not living standards. Was this truly an anomaly? Or a normal way of life? What was the answer to the question of this death? A murder in disguise? An innocent suicide? How could a Single Mother care for an eight year old Son under such strange living conditions? Why were they alone like this? Why did they have no help, no relatives? What happened here!? PAVILION - Chapter 41 (Coals Comparison) --- Death by coal stove. Snacks in the bathroom. Dirty laundry in the kitchen. A massive meal for two. What are their connections to the victim¡¯s death? Who could have done it? Was it really poison gas from the coal, or is the real death masked by something more sinister? These questions have been haunting Martial Kim all day. There has never been a moment where he could stop thinking about the possibilities and the many deductions. However, he failed to grasp ¨C with the way he was thinking using ¡®old school¡¯ techniques, it wasn¡¯t possible for him to reach the most accurate conclusion. That was why he tried to draw on as much knowledge from Professor Stone in the forensic lab, listening to every explanation. Alas, he was being too hasty. Just taking small cups of knowledge, he tried to force a breakthrough in his head. Obviously, Prof. Stone was no fool ¨C neither was he a parent to point out the young master¡¯s mistakes. So he decided to have a change of pace, and invited the young master to dinner at his own house. At least, to commemorate their apprenticeship. He also invited a guest star, in hopes to lift Martial Kim¡¯s spirits. "Kikkeriii! We¡¯re here Professor Stone! Thanks for inviting us!" ¡°Heeey! Keekee! Kim! Welcome! Come on in, make yourself at home!¡± Keekee was dressed up. Obviously nothing like overalls and a tank top, neither anything showy like a ball room dress. The best casual drip she could muster from her closet: open shoulder sweater with long sleeves hiding half of her hands, a velvet skirt with some sparkle like glitter on the hems, and of course matching pantyhose! Not to mention, she happily kicked off her fancy boots. Classy or not, pain was pain, and she only wore them on special occasions. Martial Kim on the other hand...sigh. ¡°Oi oi oi,¡± Prof. Stone snapped at his protege, waving a pair of cooking tongs. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°T-Teacher. Did you not just say, come in and make ourselves at home? Why so defensive?¡± "Shoes!" "Yes. I am wearing them." "My house, my rules, shoes - off! Off off!" ¡°...Oh yes. Right. Apologies, Teacher.¡± Martial Kim stumbled and sighed as he neatly put his shoes aside...in fact he spared a moment to fix Keekee¡¯s boots to stand up properly next to his, before coming into the house. The first thing he absorbed, was the layout of his teacher¡¯s house. --- Although there are some slight difference in shape and size, the layout are almost similar to the victims. Multiple private rooms, separate spaces for different activities, even the furniture and what not. Ah, he also has a mirror that I can barely see my own reflection... But why is it, the moment I walk in, Teacher¡¯s house feels right. As it should be? ¡°Alright, you two lovebirds are free to look around.¡± Prof. Stone laughed as he ushered his guests in ¡°But hands off the bottle ships, or I¡¯ll murder you ¨C joke joke, Kim. Sarcasm, you-you know that right? Anyhow, I got a kitchen to attend to. So, go on, have fun. No canoodling.¡± ¡°W-wait! Teacher, we are not...Lo..vers...¡± Martial Kim felt his words fall apart like a brittle cookie. One glance at his partner, and they broke eye contact with rose cheeks. ¡°This um...this house looks different than your grandmother¡¯s cabin.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh yeah.¡± Keekee fumbled a hand through her freshly curled hair, smoothing out any tangles and brushing them away from her clean face, ¡°Like I said, my grandma was like super ¡®old old school¡¯. So it would make sense there is a difference.¡± ¡°Is...this how houses in this world normally look?¡± ¡°World?¡ªOh yeah, yeah. I mean. It¡¯s no Beverly Hill Mansion, but yeah people live like this. They also live in condos, apartments¡ª¡± ¡°Condors? Apart what?¡± ¡°...Wh-why don¡¯t we sit down and watch TV! Wh-what do you like? Drama? Action? History? I-I mean, the last one puts me to sleep but if you like it, Kim, we can watch it together! Yeah!¡± Martial Kim was struggling between reality, his mind, and his past. Literally three worlds mashing together. Should he be more serious and think about the case; or should he try and understand how modern culture and living work; maybe figure out if there is anything here he could adapt back to the Jade Empire for the people to get a taste of this common luxury.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°K-Kim. I um...¡± Keekee rubbed a hand across Martial Kim¡¯s back to console him. ¡°H-how was your first day at work?¡± ¡°Huh? O-oh uh it was...decent?¡± Keekee grinned at the lie. The only reason why she was here was because she got the full story from the forensic chemist. Still, the young master was making an attempt to make her feel better ¨C at least his mind isn¡¯t entirely on the case, hopefully. Now, best to get them both comfortable. After setting Martial Kim on the couch, she would poke her head into the kitchen, ¡°Prof. Stone. Do you mind if I use your bathroom?¡± Prof. Stone was in the middle of pan frying several hearty looking steaks with a pair of tongs. He gave a hum and answered, ¡°Mi Casa, Su Casa.¡± "Thanks!" And Keekee ran off, only for the young master to intercept her like a hawk. "WHOA!? K-Kim? What?" "Miss Keekee. Teacher did not give you permission." "...H-he just did." Martial Kim didn¡¯t mean to be rude, but etiquette was etiquette, ¡°Teacher answered neither Yes nor No. It would be improper to borrow a room without¡ª¡± ¡°Oh! Ooooh! Silly silly Kim!¡± Keekee laughed and slapped a hand across the young master¡¯s chest. ¡°Mi Casa. Su Casa. It means My House is your House, in Spanish! S-sometimes we use expressions to answer each other, so he gave me the go ahead!¡± ¡°.......Ah...F-forgive me. Miss Keekee, I did not mean to offend you.¡± ¡°Oh come on, we¡¯re friends right, Kim? Besties! Nothing you do bothers me at all! No cap!¡± ¡°...Besties? N-no cap?¡± Martial Kim tried to ask what those terms meant, but the film assistant hurried to the bathroom. Before the young master turned away¡ªhe lunged at her like a hawk again, right before she could close the door. ¡°Miss Keekee.¡± "Sorry. I did not mean to startle you. I would like to ask: may I join you? In the bathroom?" ¡°I need your help,¡± Martial Kim explained, ¡°There is something, I would like to understand. In the bathroom. I hope, if you could help me clarify something. Mi casa su casa.¡± ¡°K-Kim that¡¯s not how it...uh...Suuuure?¡± Keekee was not really sure about this, but not like the young master caught her with her pants down to her ankles. She hadn¡¯t even touched the zipper on her skirt yet. Since she can hold it, she spared him a few minutes and gave him a general overview. ¡°Mirror. Bathtub. Shower head. Toilet roll¡ªI don¡¯t see how it¡¯s different than the bathroom back in the cabin. What are you asking for exactly?¡± ¡°This,¡± Martial Kim pointed, ¡°That was not in our cabin, right?¡± ¡°...Oh! The medicine cabinet? Ah, no wonder you didn¡¯t recognize it. We do have one, only it has a mirror. Prof. Stone¡¯s is just wooden doors.¡± ¡°Medicine cabinet?¡± Keekee would pull open the doors to the cabinet to reveal its contents. Martial Kim looked up and down...not a single thing looked edible inside. ¡°Yeah,¡± Keekee answered, ¡°Painkillers, skin cream, box of bandages, Q-tips. I mean, the medicine cabinet back in the cabin is roughly the same ¨C well granted, it has some make up and¡ª¡± ¡°You...keep medicines inside of this bathroom? Not an apothecary or shelf outside? Would not the moisture from the bath spoil the medicines from the moisture and humidity?¡± Keekee crossed her leg, trying to get comfortable ¨C and trying to hold her bladder, ¡°I mean, everything comes in special bottles to keep them dry inside. Some airtight. And often tucked in boxes. I mean, everyone puts medicine in these cabinets ¨C easy to find in an emergency. See, we even put a first aid kit like this in here.¡± ¡°...What about something edible? Food? Biscuits?¡± ¡°Huh? Ew, no. That¡¯s just wrong...S-speaking of wrong, c-could you um...Uh.¡± Martial Kim stared...until he recognized the way Keekee was dancing on her toes. ¡°Oh heavens! Forgive me!¡± ¡°Thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanks!¡± The second the man was out of the bathroom, Keekee slammed the door and locked it. Outside, Martial Kim raced away before his immaculate ears could hear the waterworks and he braced against the wall of shame...or just a regular wall in this case. --- How thoughtless of me? I was focused on finding the answer to the riddle from this morning, I completely forgot my surroundings. ¡°Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiim.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Martial Kim twisted around, no time to hide how red his face was. ¡°T-Teacher!¡± Prof. Stone gave his protege a SUS look, clapping his tongs like a crab claw, ¡°What were you doing in the bathroom, with Keekee?¡± ¡°.................................................................I had a question.¡± ¡°Oooooooooh. A questioooooooooon. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.¡± --- Please Teacher! Stop looking at me with such judging gaze! At this rate with Martial Kim¡¯s head in the clouds, it was only a matter of time before his reputation would be as worthless as finely grounded sand. Sigh. PAVILION - Chapter 42 (Coals Heart) Martial Kim wasn¡¯t the only one haunted by questions. Even the experienced Professor Stone was dazing off into space in between his cooking. Like mentor, like apprentice, both of them cannot seem to let the curiosity of this case go as easy as releasing a balloon into the sky. Granted, the forensic chemist had experienced to multi-task, so his steaks may not be PERFECT they are JUST RIGHT. Perhaps, he was thinking too deep by himself ¨C he didn¡¯t realize his protege was messing around behind him. ¡°JESUS! Kim! Do you not make a noise when you walk!?¡± Blame his Inner Energy Skills, making him lighter than a feather. ¡°Forgive me, Teacher.¡± Martial Kim bowed, ¡°I tried getting your attention, but you were occupied. I hope you do not mind if I¡ª¡± ¡°I do mind. Now close those cupboards. Go on!¡± Prof. Stone shook his head ¨C but changed his mind when he realized what Martial Kim was doing. The young master had been opening ALL of his kitchen cupboards. He was staring at all the sauce bottles, pots and pans, stacks of plates, and other kitchen inventory and wares that were tucked inside the upper shelves. ¡°Teacher,¡± Martial Kim chanced to ask, ¡°Where do you normally store dirty clothing?¡± ¡°... See that machine at your knees, the one with the big round glass eye. That¡¯s what we call the washing machine.¡± A sigh and he put his cooking on low heat. Perhaps a short break from reality would do him some good as he joined his protege staring at his own washing machine. Martial Kim tried to pull the faux glass cover open, but he didn¡¯t realize there was a safety lock. All it took was for Prof. Stone giving the door a sharp tug, to bypass the lock. The young master could not resist shoving his head inside, as if checking the interior of a chimney for traps. ¡°How do you fit inside to wash clothing?¡± ¡°Very simple,¡± Prof. Stone tried not to laugh too hard, ¡°We toss in dirty clothing inside, close the lid, and let the machine automatically wash it.¡± ¡°...Automatically!? Wi-without labour, or even servants?¡± ¡°Yeeeeeeeeeees,¡± Prof. Stone hummed with a coy grin. ¡°Just one press of a button, and boom. Dirty clothes in, clean clothes out. To sum up, it fills up with water, dispenses soap at certain times, and it spins the clothing around to wash them.¡± ¡°F...Fascinating. Where can I acquire it?¡± ¡°Almost everywhere that sells appliance has them nowadays.¡± ¡°E-everywhere!?¡± Martial Kim gasped, just shocked by the convenience of AUTOMATED laundry; wished Moon Tavern had one! That would save everyone so much time and energy! ¡°H-how difficult is it to procure one?¡± ¡°It¡¯s affordable to any working family. In fact every house comes with their own washing machine, and a machine to dry things automatically. It¡¯s as common as dinner plates and forks these days.¡± --- Are these people in this world living in a technological miracle? Is EVERYTHING automated? ... If it is readily available and super convenient, then why has the victim not used it? Instead stuffing them into kitchen cupboards and the sink? A new style that I am not aware of, or something more? ¡°Teacher. Would you agree storing dirty clothing in cupboards be¡ª¡° ¡°Crap! My steak, talk to you later. Out, out, ouuuut!¡± Prof. Stone ushered his protege out of the kitchen and tried to save the steaks from turning charred. ¡°Go and keep Keekee company! Go on! Be a good lover boy!¡± Prof. Stone reveled in the silence once more. This time he was more focused on his cooking as it was near the final stages of¡ª "TEACHER! TEACHER!" "GOD-DAMN IT!" Professor Stone buckled from the sudden scream and his first instinct was to turn off the stove. Armed with his cooking tongues he raced out. "What happened? Please don''t tell me you blew a lightbulb, Kim! I told you to stop playing with them!" What the forensic chemist didn¡¯t expect, was Martial Kim trying to escape the house! Why, he was carrying Keekee in his arms ¨C as if rescuing her from a burning building! "TEACHER! STAY BACK! IT IS DANGEROUS!" "...This is my house, and you''re telling me to stay back. What''s the matter?" "TIGER! TH-THERE IS A TIGER IN YOUR HOUSE! WE HAVE TO RUN! HURRY COME WITH US!" "........................................" A tiger in his house? Surely he would know whether or not a big violent cat would have broken into his own home. However, sweeping glance and he saw nothing like a wild animal pouncing and thrashing about. Even Keekee looked confused and shrugged back. That was when Prof. Stone heard some noises around the corner. His gut sank deep into a hole. He then APPROACHED the danger! [ROAAAAAAAAAAR! ROOOOOOOOOOOOAR! HIIISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!] Prof. Stone stared down the tiger screaming in his living room. It thrashed at him as he gave a deadpan stare to its threats and warnings. A sigh, and he picked up the remote control. Click. [ROAAAA¡ªResidents reported strange sighting of red lights streaking across the sky earlier this afternoon, followed by an eerie humming. The police have yet to release a report, but rumours indicate¡ª]Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Prof. Stone dropped his weapon of victory back onto the coffee table and celebrated with a pinch to his nose bridge. Martial Kim staggered back, ¡°T-Teacher. H-how did you slay the tiger? A-and without a sword!?¡± ¡°Keekee,¡± Prof. Stone mumbled, ¡°You teach him. My steaks are calling me.¡± And stormed back into the kitchen to calm down. Only to poke his head out to add, ¡°And please. Baby steps. Baaaby steps.¡± A nod back and once Keekee was set back on the floor, she picked up the remote. She started to flip through channels, every flashing image making the young master¡¯s eyes widen to cartoons, newscast, football, television drama, etc. ¡°Miss Keekee. H-how did you¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s called television, Kim! It¡¯s a form of entertainment! Completely harmless!¡± Keekee tried to ease her friend and sat him back down, rubbing his back as if soothing a startled infant. ¡°Uuuh. P-people in other places do recordings and then br-broadcast them on here, on the T.V. set. It¡¯s not real¡ªwell not physically. It¡¯s not like anything will jump out and...you know.¡± ¡°...Re...recordings? Like, the black lanterns you use, back in the camp where we first met? I-I remember, your Director captured a piece of my soul and seem to be toying with it in a small viewing hole. Something about cinnabar, or cinema.¡± ¡°Huh¡ªOh yes! Yes! Exactly! W-we have actors play out the scene, we record what they do, organize the scenes we clipped, and then have it play as a full moving picture story on T.V. Like a couple of shows going on right now, my team had a part in! I-it¡¯s kind of like stage play, only we capture it and play it somewhere else ¨C anytime, anywhere. N-no souls involved! Yeah! C-clear?¡± --- Clear as mud, but this concept of moving pictures... Like, making a still image animated on a canvas? Fascinating. Keekee tried to take it slow and steady to get the idea across. Every time she gently changed the channel, Martial Kim was introduced to a whole new world within the screen. World War 2 planes dog fighting in the sky, their loud RATATATATA machine guns spooking him; a black and white noir detective chasing a suspect through an alley, making Martial Kim wanting to help and chase along side; to even the appearance of a giant sci-fi spaceship diving into hyper speed towards the screen! ¡°MISS KEEKEE! WATCH OUT!¡± No matter where he was, or what sort of complication the young master was in ¨C Martial Kim was still a hero at heart. That is what Keekee admired about him. So she didn¡¯t at all complained when he shielded her body with his ¨C even against the S.S. Centerprize of the Cosmic Federacy. ¡°...It¡¯s okay silly goose,¡± Keekee would stroke her hand through the back of the young master¡¯s hair ¨C feeling she was comforting a brave child. ¡°Nothing is going to hurt me, not while you¡¯re here. Hahah.¡± --- Again, that name. Silly Goose. I wonder...should I ask? Curiosity got the better of Martial Kim and his opened his mouth. RING-RING-RING! RING-RING-RING! "K-Kim! Again it''s my phone, d-don''t panic. Okay? We''re good, we''re good! Safe!" Keekee quickly switched to a peaceful kid show channel and rummaged into her purse to grab her phone before it spooked Martial Kim any further. "Hey, what''s up?" "Up?" Martial Kim pried his eyes from the colourful cartoons to glance up. "...Just the ceiling, what¡ª" "Uh-huh. Yeah?" Keekee continued the conversation on her phone, speaking to herself - well in Martial Kim''s perspective that is. Her voice would lower into a hush as she walked to a corner, nodding and replying. "Can''t this wait. I''m busy right now. Yeah, okay? Got to go, bye." She ended the phone and turned around to¡ªSQUEAK! "God! Kim! Wh-when were you behind me like that!?" "Miss Keekee, I really need to ask. Who are you talking to every time the device sings?" "Huh?...Oh! Uh. This is a phone!" Keekee waved it about for her friend to see. "Did I mention it? I-I can''t remember if I did, but essentially. I can talk to anyone." "Anyone?" "Yeah! Like a friend, my boss, whoever! Why, even Prof. Stone called me today - to take you to the crime scene remember?" Martial Kim did recall the incident, "So, this...phone. You have one? Prof. Stone has one?" "Almost everyone does really." --- Oh? Everyone has a phone? And this device can call anyone, regardless of distance and timing...then. Martial Kim asked, "How easy is it to obtain this phone?" Keekee shrugged, guiding her friend back to sit down on the couch, "Anyone who could afford it. I mean, even the poorest of family would have at least a home phone, or a smartphone like this? I mean, even if they don''t there''s still public telephone booths." --- Interesting. To think everyone have access to some sort of long distance communication, without a dove or messenger. Gods, the efficiency of this phone held in the hands of generals or even warring martial sects - unfettered coordination within minutes... In saying that, this also suggests someone like the victim would have the same level of communication technology. So convenient, yet why did she not use it to contact anyone to care for her child? Keekee wasn''t a mind reader, but somehow her next comment answered some question, "Yeah, if not a friend, phones are handy to call for help." "I-is that so? Like reinforcements in a battle?" "Wh-what? Oh no. More like police, paramedics, fire fighters¡ªYou know, that kind of emergency." --- So even if the victim truly had no friends or family, she still had means to contact anyone professional enough to handle the matter. So why? Was she truly eager to end her life with her son... or perhaps... "Miss Keekee, another question. If I were to disarm you of your phone, would you still be able to call anyone for help?" "Eh." Keekee winced at the thought. "Phone still needs someone to press the buttons, you know to call someone. See, this dial pad? I still have to type in 9-1-1¡ªN-no don''t touch the numbers!¡ªt-to get someone to help me. Even if I have say - you, on speed dial I need to still use the phone. Not like I can wave my hand in the air and voila it does it by itself - not yet anyway." --- Was the victim ambushed in the middle of dinner? Her phone removed from reach? And everything was staged to look like a suicide? "K-Kim. You okay. You look rather tense. Wh-why don''t we just watch something else! As if you''re into cartoons and¡ª¡± *Click* [ROAAAAAAAAAAAR! ROOOOOOOOOOOAR! HIIIIIIIIIISS!] "TEACHER! TEACHER!" Prof. Stone just got the steaks on a plate when he yelled, ¡°KEEKEE! BABY STEPS!¡± ¡°EEP! I-I¡¯M SORRYYYYYYYYYYY!¡± When will Martial Kim ever return to his normal life, he wondered? This world, was just too much for him to stomach. PAVILION - Chapter 43 (Coals Dinner) Martial Kim can¡¯t remember when he had a proper meal. Not that Keekee never gave him any food. More like, a growing young master could only survive so long on burgers to go, ready to make pancakes, hard crusted pizza pie, and microwavable dinners. The film assistant lived a busy life, barely any time to take up cooking lessons, let alone man a wok to make stir fried rice noodles and chicken on command. Not to mention, take out was getting more and more pricey ¨C yikes. Martial Kim never complained, not openly. Tonight however, he felt like he was repaid in full. That was until he cut into his dinner ¡°Teacher. There is something wrong with this meat. It is raw!¡± ¡°...Kim. Please tell me, you know the true beauty of a medium rare steak...right?¡± Martial Kim stared at the fabulous pan-fried meal in front of him. Even as he fumbled with a fork and knife ¨C wishing he could use chopsticks again ¨C he can¡¯t help but stare at perfectly cooked steak with some polite disgust. --- Impossible. Teacher is an intelligent and well cultured man. There is no way he would serve uncooked meat! Surely any master of the house would punish their servants in serving the guest raw meat! Professor Stone on the other hand, tried not to face palm. His right hand DID have a steak knife after all and stabbing himself in the eye would make him look like a fool in front of his protege. Remembering about Martial Kim¡¯s ¡®condition¡¯ he tried to be patient ¨C but it was clear the veins in his foreheads were about to burst like an overworked dam. ¡°Kim. Relax. The beef we produce in this era is perfectly safe. A Grade.¡± ¡°You say that, Teacher, but cow meat is nothing like sashimi!¡± ¡°I get it. It¡¯s gonna be an acquired taste. But trust me, this steak is perfect! See? Hmmmmnnn. So succulent and juicy. Nice and toasty on the outside, nice and warm on the inside, and so juiiiiicy. Why, if I cook it beyond well done ¨C the meat will turn into chewing gum!¡± ¡°Teacher with all due respect, you could just cut the beef into paper like strips for a more balanced cooking! Stir-fry it along with some green beans, onions, a bit of ginger and¡ª¡± Keekee squeaked ¨C because she was smack dab in the middle of the food wars. So she picked up her glass of wine to interrupt with a ¡°CHEERS! T-TO BOTH OF YOUR GUYS!.....Ahahaha...ha...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...Teacher.¡± ¡°Okay Kim, look. Just, give it a try. I swear, you won¡¯t blow your intestines out. Worse case scenario, I¡¯ll just put it in the over and bake it until the inner pink is all a liver brown. Happy?¡± --- As if I truly have a say in all this... Then again, I should not be disrespecting Teacher¡¯s cooking. It is clear, there are even different cooking cultures in this world compared to mine...Still ¨C raw cow meat!? It is still too absurd. It took a bit to convince Martial Kim to honestly try the steak. The smell and sights were pleasant to the nose and eyes, but the young master could not shake off the feeling of pink meat rolling about in his mouth. Chew once...chew twice...chew thrice...gulp... ¡°...Still feels raw.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hide that smug look. You know you like it! I see you cutting your second and third piece!¡± Prof. Stone laughed as he ate his steak. ¡°If you can¡¯t trust the food, at least put some faith in me ¨C your instructor. Why would I mislead you! Now come on, pick up a glass and cheers with us! Keekee¡¯s arm must be tired in raising her cup. Hahah! Joke joke! Cheers!¡± ¡°C-cheers.¡± Martial Kim fumbled between his dining utensils and his glass of wine, but he was able to manage with a bit of Keekee¡¯s help. After tapping their glasses together in a familiar celebration, the young master took his first step into the world of Western wine. --- Oh my...such a strong fruity flavour. Nothing like the crisp touch of rice wine. Huh...Why, I can sense a series of herbs and berries mixed together. Interesting. It is not pure rice and sugar. And this colour, such a rich blood like hue. I wonder, how do the people here make it. The fermentation process, tastes different as well. Curious. ¡°Chateau Canevault, 1996,¡± Prof. Stone chirped as he cut a piece of steak for himself, relishing in the taste he made, ¡°One of my favourite red wine brands. I usually save it for special occasions.¡± ¡°Like right now!¡± Keekee added in, trying to defuse any left over tension between mentor and pupil. ¡°I mean. Not going to lie, th-this feels like a dream. Feels like only yesterday, Kim was taking out the police to protect me. Now we¡¯re sitting here together just, having dinner like neighbours!¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Prof. Stone chuckled back, ¡°They say fate can be a fickle mistress. You never know what strange plans she has up her sleeves. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°Oh yeah! Like, everything was totally out of the blue. Oh, you should have been there when he showed up on set, Kim was like super cool. Flying all over and doing these sick flips and¡ª¡± A lovely conversation was formed at the table. Candid, relaxing, zero frustrations. A lot of back and forth, chit chat, daily life, what they saw in the news and on social media... Hold up. It was only 30 minutes in, did the group realized ¨C only Keekee and Prof. Stone were the ones chatting. Granted, their conversation was normal, but when you add Martial Kim not saying a word ¨C it made the atmosphere rather awkward. ¡°Kim?¡± Keekee waved a hand over her friend¡¯s face to snap him out of thinking, ¡°You really can¡¯t stand medium rare huh?¡± ¡°Is this all?¡± Martial Kim asked, his eyes focused on the table. When Keekee raised an eyebrow, the young master gestured at everyone¡¯s plates. ¡°Is this all we are having tonight?¡± Prof. Stone just frowned, but tried to play it cool with a grin. So he pretty much had a shattered snarmile on his face. ¡°What? You were expecting a five course meal? Perhaps a basket of bread with goose liver pate, or even soup for appetizers. Should I break out the candle lights for your lovebirds? Hmm?¡± Martial Kim shook his head. ¡°No. What I meant was: is this all we will be having for dinner tonight. The each of us?¡± Nothing out of the blue really. They each had a plate of the basic starch, vegetable, and protein combination. No more, no less. The moment they would clear the plate, that was dinner. No seconds. At most dessert, but nothing extravagantly bloated. --- Normally people where I come from would have at least three dishes and a bowl of herbal soup. Well portioned for individuals or a small family... But here, everyone eats one plate and call it a night... Then, what was the reason for such an absurdly large dinner among the victims? The amount of food they had could feed a small village... Clues, clues, more clues. Yet not a single answer that made sense at this point. What was normal? What was abnormal? What would stand out? What would be ignored? In the end, Martial Kim felt like he wasted a good celebration, just thinking on this puzzle that failed to provide a viable answer sheet. By the time he truly re-connected to reality dinner was well over ¨C and he wanted to jump out of his seat in the couch! ¡°!!! M-Miss K¡ª¡± ¡°Ssssh.¡± Prof. Stone shushed, sweeping up the empty plates and wine bottles from the dinner table. ¡°You¡¯re little tiger escape stunt worn her out. Let her sleep.¡± ¡°B-but! But!¡± Martial Kim panicked and with good reason. Somehow, Keekee ended up laying her head across his shoulder on the living room couch with the young master. A simple after dinner chat with Prof. Stone before she drifted off from the hearty food, lovely wine, if not mental exhaustion from babysitting a full grown man out of time. A sleeping kitten, that was the sound she was purring from her lips. All nice and snug against the young master¡¯s shoulder. Martial Kim, the gentlemen, could not resist the temptation of brushing some loose hair from her wine-rose cheeks. Even if Prof. Stone didn¡¯t warn him ¨C Martial Kim himself felt waking the film assistant like this was a sin of all sins. ¡°So, what¡¯s on your mind, Kim?¡± Prof. Stone quietly shuffled over in house slippers and flopped down in his favourite chair. After getting all nice and cozy, he sipped at a glass of wine and smacked his lips to savour the taste. ¡°No doubt, the case from this morning, huh?¡± ¡°...You knew from the beginning, I take it?¡± ¡°Well I hate to rub salt in your wounds, Kim, but you¡¯re an open book. I suggest you learn how to put on a Poker Face.¡± ¡°..P...Poker Face?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll teach you that philosophy, later.¡± One more sip and the forensic chemist placed his cup on the coffee table¡¯s coaster. He smacked his lips, this time trying to come up with a good line, ¡°I admire your enthusiasm, Kim. I truly do. However, you have to know when to draw the line between work ¨C and pleasure.¡± ¡°...But Teacher. Clearly there are some suspicions regarding the death of the Single Mother and Son. We cannot just¡ª¡± ¡°Think of it like this, Kim.¡± Prof. Stone swiped something from a desk and pulled at it. ¡°Your mind is like this elastic band. You stretch it out the more you think, and think, and think, and think¡ª" SNAP!...The elastic band exploded and vanished into the air. Prof. Stone sighed, ¡°You get the point?¡± Martial Kim nodded, shameful most shameful. ¡°I do. And Forgive me for wasting¡ª¡± ¡°In saying that, let me get my work tablet.¡± ¡°T-teacher! Wh-why counter me with such hypocrisy all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Oh come ooooon, Kim. Are you really the type of person who would could sleep soundly like Keekee when you don¡¯t know the answer to a riddle?¡± ¡°...I really need to learn this Poker Face technique you mention.¡± ¡°Stay right there. I¡¯ll be right back. Don¡¯t wake her up.¡± Prof. Stone rolled his eyes and patted his disciple on the shoulder before shuffling to a room to pick up something. But in the last minute, he poked his head out into the hallway to say, ¡°Not gonna lie. I¡¯ve been dying to hear what you¡¯ve been thinking. Oh don¡¯t give me that look ¨C you were ready to turn my house inside out to find the answer. You¡¯d think I wouldn¡¯t notice!?¡± After collecting the key pieces, what was the hidden truth hidden behind the locked door!? PAVILION - Chapter 44 (Coals List) Party dinner for two; snacks in the bathroom; laundry in the kitchen cupboards; pot of coal in the bedroom. What were the connection between these out of place clues? Tonight, the answer would be revealed. But first, Martial Kim faced a puzzling new lesson. ¡°T-Teacher. H-how am I able to view the crime scene ¨C from the insides of your home no less!¡± ¡°This, is called a digital tablet. It¡¯s essentially a computer shrunken down into the size of a small magazine. People can read books, watch videos, surf the internet, or in this case take pictures and view them instantly...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...You didn¡¯t get a single word I just said right?¡± ¡°N-no. O-of course I did. It can...do all that.¡± Professor Stone wanted to facepalm, but he really can¡¯t blame the Martial Kim. The young master literally skipped - what - centuries worth of progress of communication technology. From telegram, radio walkie talkie, the first phone, the first cellular phone, the first Apple iPhone ¨C now even computers and tablets can contact people through Skype, FaceTime, Zoom, or even Discord. So trying to COMPRESS all that information for a clueless martial arts cultivator like this was a bit taxing. It¡¯s not like there was this supreme manual that allowed Martial Kim to absorb all the modern knowledge to become a peak techno-immortal. So, the food forensic chemist just hand waved it. ¡°We usually take pictures of the crime scene, in its fresh authenticity, before we start moving things around or shifting the body. That way we can review these pictures even when we clean up the site and remove the body.¡± ¡°I-incredible. This is far more accurate, and precise, than scribing the description onto a scroll!¡± ¡°Well as they say Kim, a picture can tell a thousand words.¡± --- More like, this...tablet, is like a mystical window connected to a single point in the past. Why, everything looks exactly as how I saw it when I first arrived before the sun finished rising from the mountains. If only there is a way, I could reuse this back in Moon Tavern. This would surely make my future investigations more convenient! The master and disciple discuss details of the case, all the while Keekee was quietly snoozing against the young master¡¯s shoulder. Perhaps, she felt this warrior was a big and fuzzy teddy bear ¨C she couldn¡¯t resist curling her arms around his, to snuggle comfortably. Boy, did Martial Kim had a DIFFICULT time focusing on his job! ¡°So,¡± Prof. Stone said as he focused on his tablet, shifting through different pictures. ¡°Detective Fraulein found the suicide letter.¡± ¡°Th-there was a letter!?¡± ¡°Ssssh. Don¡¯t wake up Keekee. Yes, there was. After being analyzed by specialists, the paper wasn¡¯t forged and it was used with a pen we found in the house¡± ¡°Wh-where is this letter, in this window? Please show me.¡± Martial Kim tried to lean in, but he had a maiden balanced on his person. Fortunately, the tablet was so convenient ¨C not only did it show a scanned duplicate of the suicide note, Prof. Stone could ZOOM into the writing with a simple gesture of his fingers! --- Th-this really is like a magical window! The young master squinted at the writing, and blurted out, ¡°This handwriting is far too messy to be normal. What if this woman was coerced? Perhaps threatened with her life and she wrote in fear?¡± Prof. Stone answered, ¡°I thought so too when the detective showed me. However, our graphologist¡ªEr, someone who specializes in analyzing writing¡ªmentioned: this writing is normal for the woman.¡± ¡°N-normal? How so?¡± ¡°It seems after we compared to her previous writing: journals, signatures, and whatnot ¨C it seems she¡¯s had this poor handwriting for a long time. In saying that, this isn¡¯t a matter of terrible quality.¡± ¡°Th-then what do you suggest?¡± ¡°Medical influence.¡± ¡°You mean, she was drugged? By whom?¡± Prof. Stone rubbed the top of his bald head to think it over, ¡°My team found some pills near her bedside table. Some of them are sleeping pills ¨C you know to make the suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning less painful. There were other types of pills that I am waiting a reply from toxicology.¡± ¡°Poison perhaps?¡± Martial Kim wondered. Before they could continue the conversation, Prof. Stone¡¯s home phone started to ring. He swiped it up as fast as he could before the second ring could snap awake the sleeping Keekee. The forensic chemist talked to the other person on the line, exchanged a few words...and there was a glow in his eyes. Click, end of that conversation. ¡°Teacher, it looks like you received good news.¡± ¡°Well technically good for us...but not good for the one of the victim.¡± ¡°Wh-what do you mean? Sounds rather ominous now that you put it like that.¡± ¡°The other medications I mentioned: it¡¯s to treat Schizophrenia.¡± ¡°...Sky...Pardon?¡± Prof. Stone rubbed his temples before balancing his elbows on his knees. A solemn look grew on his face, as if he was about to break the news to Martial Kim his dog died ¨C if he had one that was. ¡°Schizophrenia is a mental disorder. Or sickness for your perspective.¡± Prof. Stone explained, ¡°It affects how someone thinks, feel, or even experience the world. I¡¯ll spare you the technicality, but essentially your brain isn¡¯t working properly and it started to activate different signals when it shouldn¡¯t. This would lead to creating hallucinations, hearing voices, and suddenly develop ideas and beliefs that don¡¯t match with reality. Worse case scenario, it can also lead to severe delusion.¡± ¡°Delusion,¡± Martial Kim had that word rolling in his mouth as if it was a sickening candy he wanted to spit out. ¡°I understand now. Snacks in the bathroom. Laundry in the kitchen. The Single Mother was not right in her mind to begin with.¡± ¡°Exactly. My friend from the hospital just called: the Single Mother had been suffering this disorder since she gave birth to her child. Most likely post-partum depression...You know what that means right?¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°I...believe so.¡± --- This time I am not lying. I have seen severe mood swings prior and post a mother giving birth to a child. Granted, it is considered rare ¨C that or the family usually keep it behind closed doors ¨C but I do see the connection between these mood swings leading to this Sky...I really need to learn the calligraphy of these ¡®mental disorders¡¯. Or I will sound like a complete fool! ¡°So,¡± Prof. Stone hummed, ¡°The Single Mother has been on medication and has been in and out of the hospital due to self harm, or neglect of self during her periods of delusion. Now granted, it seems she has been making a steady enough recovery in the past few weeks as her child grew older. My guess, her maternity instinct kicked in real good to give her some lucidity.¡± ¡°You say that, yet I find it terribly shocking how no one cared for her. It was mentioned, the victims never had much of visitors since they moved in that neighborhood. Is that not true, Teacher?¡± ¡°Social worker, mental care nurse, buuut then again ¡®busy schedules¡¯.¡± ¡°Then why suicide? If you said yourself, the Single Mother had been on the road of recovery, why end her life along with her precious child? I mean, what mother would want their child to suffer like that?¡± ¡°This...is where I had been stumped.¡± Prof. Stone suddenly switched to another picture on his tablet and showed it to Martial Kim. ¡°Here, take a look at this one.¡± Martial Kim didn¡¯t know whether to hold this tablet like a book, or a baby. For all intents and purposes, this ¡®magical window¡¯ could very well shatter in his finger tips the moment he would touch it. After some assurance he held it aloft and tried to hold it as if he would a rolled out scroll. The screen, however bullied him, as the auto-rotate function misunderstood the angle of how he held it and the image kept turning left and right like a wheel. After a crash course in tablet handling ¨C he conquered the bully. ¡°(1) Contact the school to call sick for Son; (2) Have a big meal with Son; (3) Lock all doors...and windows and stuff a cloth under the door crack; (4)... Feed take the sleeping pills with Son; (5) Burn...the coal...Teacher, is this a to-do list. It is oddly well thought out.¡± ¡°Hah! Even you think that. It¡¯s been bugging me all day, not going to lie!¡± Prof. Stone snapped his fingers as if he found the answer to a great idea, ¡°Think about it Kim. Mother calls the school to notify her child will not be attending class the next day, why: it¡¯s to delay the discovery of their death as long as possible.¡± ¡°...Oh, you are right Teacher. If they died without warning, surely the school would be alert a lot sooner than planned.¡± ¡°In the end, a kind heart teacher¡¯s assistant felt something was off. Thank goodness for her, or else the evidence would have been days old by the time anyone found the corpses. And don¡¯t you think it¡¯s odd, how someone who lived a life of confusion could make such a detailed list.¡± Prof. Stone needed a short break and sipped at his wine, before adding, ¡°Coroner said they¡¯ve actually been malnourished for a while. I deduce, they¡¯ve lived off on pure snacks and junk food ¨C the very thing you found stuffed in the bathroom medicine cabinet. It just so happen, the night they commit suicide ¨C was the best dinner they had. So why the sudden change in lifestyle?¡± Martial Kim¡¯s eyes widen, ¡°Someone instructed them?¡± ¡°It seems likely.¡± ¡°Then, this would suggest whoever instructed them would benefit from their loss... Could it be¡ª¡± ¡°The ¡®father¡¯ that has been missing from this picture the whole time?¡± Prof. Stone grinded his teeth while thinking, ¡°We turned the entire house inside out, nothing to suggest a marriage partner of any kind. All the photos were just the Single Mother and Son. If our deduction is correct, this ¡®father figure¡¯ may have already left the family picture as both the Single Mother and Son had mental disorders ¨C not every man can accept that.¡± ¡°Shameful, most shameful.¡± ¡°Most likely Detective Fraulein will check the victim¡¯s married records in the morning. Then she will follow the lead from there. No doubt, this could be a clear cut case of insurance fraud.¡± ¡°Insurance fraud?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s common to see cases when a spouse murders their marriage partner, feign innocence, in order to claim money from their death.¡± ¡°Th-that is despicable! Is nothing sacred in this world? Marriage is an oath, a bond of eternity between lovers! To kill your soul mate for the sake of gold ingots or even treasures of the world ¨C completely unacceptable!¡± ¡°W-wait, Kim, where are you going? Calm down, or you¡¯ll wake up Keekee!¡± ¡°To hunt down this missing father that abandoned his family! For out, out of convenience! So what if they had flaws, it is the husband¡¯s sworn duty to protect them and support them!¡± ¡°Kim. Kim. Just, hear me out. It¡¯s a possibility, we don¡¯t know if the father is really involved. And besides,¡± Prof. Stone had to sit on the edge of his seat, ready to tackle Martial Kim the second he so much as gets up. ¡°We¡¯re Forensic Investigators. We¡¯ve done all we can. I¡¯ll text Detective Fraulein, about the medical report and toxicology. It would be her turn to carry on the torch in this investigation.¡± ¡°B-but Teacher! We have to capture this villain!¡± ¡°We are Forensics. We aren¡¯t police. We don¡¯t have authority to arrest anyone. And our priority is to find the truth, and let the police follow up. Clearly, you don¡¯t like it one bit ¨C but we still have many other cases to follow up.¡± ¡°.......¡± ¡°I hate to say it, Kim, but just today ¨C there¡¯s already cases of a skeleton flushed out of a sewer; determining if a hiker¡¯s death was an accident or murder; and not to mention a bank being robbed in the afternoon with the culprits at large.¡± --- Never have I felt this conflicted before. Is it not simple, to do the right thing? Knight-Errants should not fear the law or consequences, so long as they believe their actions brings justice to the people and the gods. Cutting down villains by the sword; capturing petty thieves from disrupting the peace; even hunting down cultivators who abuse others for their own gain. ¡°Kim.¡± Prof. Stone hummed, trying to ease the tension. ¡°Police, forensics, coroners, almost everyone is working as a team to uphold the law. This isn¡¯t the Wild West, where everyone takes the law into their own hands, not any more. We¡¯ve moved away from those days that made the definition of ¡®justice¡¯ all grey and blurry. There are clear cut rules and regulations we need to follow. As much as I want to catch this villain, our real priority is: ... Is the evidence that they leave behind, that must be brought to light.¡± ¡°........Forgive me, Teacher. I meant no ill will with my temper.¡± Prof. Stone gave a nod of understanding and patted his protege on the shoulder. ¡°Not going to lie Kim, I love detective work, but my mother would freak out if I were to carry a gun with me. So, I dedicate myself in forensic investigation. We can solve mysteries by looking at the evidence. So let¡¯s focus on that, finding the truth in the clues left behind.¡± Martial Kim did the one thing he failed to try since he became a knight-errant: stop and think about it. --- My experience. My beliefs. All of it are nothing but smoke and ashes at the mercy of this society¡¯s breath. Teacher is right, I am no longer a Knight-Errant of the chaotic martial world. I am his disciple in forensic science. Why, were it any regular martial arts master ¨C he would surely strike me with a cane for acting against his will and principles. Teacher has every right to be disappointed, yet he has been nothing but patience and consoling. This world, it is only now I truly come to appreciate how different life is. Martial Kim took a moment to glance at Keekee, peacefully asleep. --- Will I become as comfortable as you in this strange new world, Miss Keekee? Will I be able to keep up with someone like you, who was born and raised in this strange society? Just be comfortable in living a life here? Prof. Stone is right. There were just too many cases to explore, to pursue and discover. Alas, if this story were to look at every single mystery ¨C it would become as thick as an Encyclopedia Britannica. Thus, the next case worth mentioning would have the truth ¨C written in the sprays of blood! PAVILION - Chapter 45 (Blood Face) Hey! Have you heard of the news? What? You haven''t? It''s blowing up all over in social media! Everyone is tweeting, re-tweeting, and commenting it about it like a wild fire! Everyone is adding their own spin of the tale, trying to come up with creative ways to deduce the truth of the mystery ¨C all the while trying to get likes and subscribers. Could it be, a drain worker who got left and forgotten? Perhaps, this could be connected to that one cold case, where a famous actress suddenly disappeared after her concert? Maybe, it was the victim of mafia retaliation? Spicy stories were spinning left and right. Everyone coming up with their own answers and boasting ''their take is the legit scoop - no cap'' However, the world and the police fail to figure out one simple question from the beginning. The victim was found as a pile of bones stuffed in a ragged duffel bag. As if there were any ID cards left on their person. Even if it did, it would have been washed away, along with a couple of their ribs and femur. Literally down the drain. Other than the fact the skeleton was female, what else was there to identify this person? Fortunately, Professor Stone had many friends in his field that can solve virtually any answer. All it took, was a bit of time. And was the wait worth it! "Teacher! Th-this is incredible! Just a week ago, this was just an empty skull. Now, I am staring at a full human face. What is this technique called?" "Forensic Facial Reconstruction. A 19th century Swiss anatomist named Wilhelm His invented this technique. Was made famous when he reconstructed the face of the legendary musician, Johann Sebastian Bach, with just his skull. So generations later, people know how the legend looked prior his death. An uncanny process, but super effective in times like this." Martial Kim stared in awe of this lifeless head on a stand staring back at him. The face of a young and beautiful lady, gazing with the eyes of a dead fish. The young master felt obliged to move the strands of her wig from her face ¨C but remembering this person was once a skull he thought against it.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°If this was how the victim looked like, then her death was truly a tragedy. So young and innocent looking! Perhaps, a whole future ahead of her. Yet she was tossed away like garbage, kept in the dark and buried in the water. Shameful, most shameful!¡± "Which begins our second problem." "Teacher? What makes you say that?" ¡°The body is completely decomposed. We¡¯re still looking for the other bones from her body. Even if we have a D.N.A. sample from her bone marrow and teeth to trace her through digital records ¨C we can¡¯t figure out when or how long she¡¯s been dead for.¡± Martial Kim said, ¡°Is that not simple? Corpses usually become skeletons roughly 2 to 3 years after burial under the right conditions. Surely we can look back within the time frame and check any missing persons case with someone that matches the victim¡¯s appearance.¡± Prof. Stone gave a flat chuckle, "You said yourself, under the right conditions." "What do you mean? "The body was stuffed in a bag and kept buried in the drains. The darkness, humidity, moisture, not to mention the heat spikes in the summer, all play a key factor in speeding up decomposition faster than normal. And I have yet to calculate the flowing water in this case.¡± Something clicked in Martial Kim¡¯s mind and he grimaced, ¡°Ah of course. The current of the drain would have torn off any rotted flesh that clung onto it, and even bleach the bones to make them appear even older within a short period of time. As expected of Teacher¡¯s careful deduction.¡± ¡°Hey now, this isn¡¯t the time to be shining my shoes, you little rascal. Hahah. Come on, let¡¯s bring this to Detective Fraulein and see what we can do from there.¡± ¡°Perhaps I should stand outside of the office this time. She gives me the impression of a tiger ready to kill whenever I show up.¡± Prof. Stone packed up some documents with a laugh, ¡°Ah don¡¯t worry about her. She¡¯s all bark and no bite.¡± ¡°You say that, but I feel more confidant if I bring an iron shield!¡± A nameless skeleton that could have been dead for less than a year? How will Prof. Stone and Martial Kim approach this peculiar case? What lesson will the young master learn this time? PAVILION - Chapter 46 (Blood Cellar) Even if the police finally had a face to work with, finding the name and identity of the skeleton was still like searching for a needle lost in the ocean. In saying that, God bless the digital ocean called the internet. The moment they posted it on their social media pages, all sorts of hints and sources came flooding in. Of course 80% of them were just flame posts, slander, or even insults to how the reconstruction looks compared to a real human. However, we all know there is always that 1% hidden in the corners of the web who have this incredible knack to out do a government spy or even the greatest of private detectives. The second the police received the best hint, Detective Fraulein did not waste another second and took command of the direction. First things first. ¡°Alright Kung Fu boy, you know the drill. You--¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes. I am to say nothing unless spoken to; stay away from you for more than 5 ft; and don¡¯t get in your way when you¡¯re asking the questions. The usual, yes?¡± ¡°You¡¯re god damn right.¡± Detective Fraulein didn¡¯t want to ease up, not one bit. And it was evident with how sharp she made her turns while driving. While on the way to their next location, she can¡¯t help but feel a sense of unease ¨C she blamed it on Martial Kim who wouldn¡¯t stop mocking her with a sly grin through the rear view mirror. Even if the young master sat in the backseat ¨C it felt like a guillotine was hanging right above her head. ¡°Honestly Kung Fu boy,¡± Detective Fraulein frowned, ¡°Don¡¯t you get tired listening to Stone droning on and on and on. Blah blah this, and blah blah that.¡± ¡°Hahah. How would you like me to answer that question, Madame Fraulein? Teacher is sitting right next to you. If I didn¡¯t know better, I feel like you¡¯re setting me up for a trap.¡± ¡°Stop calling me Madam! Makes me feel old! What is this, the 19th Century!? I told you many times, just call me Detective!¡± --- ¡®Madame¡¯ is a respectful way to address wise and mature women. Although, everything this woman does screams the opposite of wisdom. And age has nothing to do with titles. What is the detective on about? Sigh. This padawan still has much to learn. Prof. Stone tried to defuse the tension, but can¡¯t help but chuckle himself, ¡°So Detective, what did you find out about the Drain Victim?¡± ¡°Girl was on a student visa,¡± Detective Fraulein sighed as she paused to focus on turning her car about. Someone tried to cut her off in the lane, so she spooked them by hiring the police sirens. Look at them run. ¡°A lot of students and professors at the local college recognize her. One thing led to another, we got an address. Turns out she had been living at her relatives house, an Uncle and Aunt. My guess, cheaper than a dormitory or renting a place out.¡± ¡°Judging by your tone it seems you have some reservation towards this fact.¡± ¡°Come on, Stone. Don¡¯t you like playing the detective? The relatives never bothered to file a missing report. Victim just disappeared without so much as a peep. Of course I have some reservations towards this matter.¡± Detective Fraulein was practically hissing for a different reason now, regardless if any civilian vehicle was getting in her way or cutting corners in traffic, ¡°The body had been dead for at least six months, rendered to nothing but a pile of bones. Obviously you know better than I do ¨C any key evidence would have been swept under the rug. So when I go in to question the Uncle and Aunt, I got nothing to hit them with.¡± Martial Kim raised an eyebrow, ¡°Mada¡ªI mean, Miss Detective. I was under the impression the const¡ªpolice in this town were forbidden from using physical violence, to force a confession.¡± Detective Fraulein nearly turned her head a full 180 to glare at him ¨C like a pissed off owl, ¡°You¡¯ve heard of metaphor, right?¡± ¡°Apologies. The realism in your tone fooled me.¡± Prof. Stone rolled his eyes and waved the fight down with his hands, ¡°Detective, you focus on getting answers from the Uncle and Aunt. Regardless of the situation, the fact they left no report of a missing niece already raises some alerts so surely you have some leeway in the conversation. Let Kim and I handle the hard part.¡± Detective Fraulein turned her eye glare on her companion riding shotgun, ¡°That confidence sounds above standard forensic protocol.¡± ¡°Well as Kim often put it, I do know a magic trick or two.¡± The detective didn¡¯t want to look at the rear view mirror. Seeing the master and disciple exchange coy grins made her sick to her stomach. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! The last house the drain victim ever lived in was a bit of a cozy cottage ¨C well, cozy for a family of two. Barely enough elbow space to squeeze in a third, let alone a niece from overseas. In saying the, the atmosphere inside the cozy cottage said otherwise. ¡°Teacher, this place is neat and tidy...yet why do I feel like I just entered a cemetery?¡± ¡°Sssssh. Don¡¯t let Detective Fraulein hear you ¨C or the Aunt in that matter. Good lord, just seeing them stare each other down is like either one of them is using a standing mirror. Come on, let¡¯s look around.¡± Martial Kim tried to keep his eyes on his mentor, but every now and then he would sneak glances at the detective questioning the owners. Right from the get go, both of them had their arms crossed. --- What did Teacher call this? Blocking behaviour. Micro-expressions on the body in reaction to conversations and stimulus. Seems the Uncle and Aunt want nothing to do with this investigation, yet they can¡¯t stop being sour at the search warrant the detective is waving in her hands... Reading these expressions have proven to be a valuable asset in times like this. Prof. Stone had his own thoughts on the case as he looked around the cottage. Every now and then he picks up photos from the stands, eye the decorative plates in the cupboards, and stroked a finger across the spines of books on the shelves. Martial Kim followed his mentor¡¯s gaze, ¡°I may not know any better, but I take it these owners are more traditional?¡± ¡°Traditional? Hah,¡± Prof. Stone tried not to snort too loud, ¡°More like old school. The whole place screams quiet and classic with a touch of vintage. Any more and I would feel like I¡¯m walking into a Baby Boomer place. The Drain Victim was a young girl, in the prime of modern society ¨C a total Zoomer.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. The classic generational gap.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Prof. Stone raised an eyebrow, ¡°I am surprised, you know Baby Boomer and Zoomer. Memories came back?¡± ¡°Miss Keekee taught me.¡± ¡°Seems that¡¯s not the only thing she taught you. I never mention this sooner, but you¡¯re starting to use contractions in your speech.¡± ¡°Me? Contractions? That can¡¯t be possible, don¡¯t you think?¡± Prof. Stone tried not to show his thoughts when the young master used ¡®can¡¯t¡¯ and ¡®don¡¯t¡¯, compared to cannot and do not like he usually does. So he distracted himself with the case. ¡°Seems the relatives aren¡¯t that close to the victim or their parents. Take a look at these photos: only two pictures of the Aunt and her Sister, and the one photo here with the Aunt¡¯s sister carrying her babe ¨C the Niece.¡± ¡°A complicated family structure?¡± ¡°Well. If you have two families living in different countries...it be more than a simple generational gap.¡± ¡°True.¡± Martial Kim nodded. The young master would take a moment to scan the walls, the floor, every nook and cranny. Prof. Stone simply smiled, ¡°Give it up Kim. If this cottage actually saw murder, the evidence would have long disappeared.¡± ¡°Shameful, most shameful. It seems time hasn¡¯t been our ally in this case.¡± There wasn¡¯t much for Prof. Stone to comment. As much as he would want to listen in on Detective Fraulein¡¯s questioning to know more about this story hidden in the walls, he remembered he had a job to do. So he took his protege and his team to search everywhere. First floor, second floor, even the basement. Speaking of basement, it was one of those classic underground cellar ¨C you know, the doors in the ground and the stairs diving into the depths of the earth. When they pull the ball bead string to switch on the light, they were surrounded by a swarm of dust. The sight itself was enough to choke them. ¡°Cough! Cough. Teacher, is this a workshop? Underground?¡± ¡°A lot of these cottages in town date back from 1900s, so having a storage space or even a working area under the house is not unexpected. Mind the cobwebs ¨C that one above your head.¡± ¡°Oof. Looks like it¡¯s been a while since anyone came down here.¡± ¡°Yet...some areas look oddly clean.¡± Martial Kim raised an eyebrow, holding up his sleeve to block the dust in the air, ¡°What do you mean? Look at this work bench. Inches of dust. I dare not sink my finger in it, even if I am wearing a glove.¡± ¡°I mean, look at the floor.¡± Prof. Stone tapped his foot, making a short echo. ¡°Everywhere under the light is well swept, but the space under the work tables, even storage, are thick with dust.¡± ¡°Yet, cobwebs are evident... Meaning it should have been left alone for years, but was used recently?¡± Prof. Stone would eye the many tools hanging on the racks and nails in an orderly fashion. Everyone was arranged by category, smallest to biggest, and many of them look like they¡¯ve been left sitting there for ages. ¡°Kim, do you see that hammer? Can you pass it to me?¡± Prof. Stone received the tool he requested from his protege and he gave it a look over. ¡°The others are layered with dust, and some loose webs. This isn¡¯t.¡± Martial Kim thought for a moment, ¡°Wasn¡¯t the drain victim found with a fracture in her skull?¡± ¡°Indeed. And it was a dazing blow.¡± ¡°And the Drain Victim, she died from her neck snapping, yes?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Prof. Stone chewed on the insides of his cheeks, ¡°Technically the coroner found those two evident wounds, but he can¡¯t tell which is the cause of death. Just a pile of bones with nothing organic to figure out which killed her.¡± ¡°So...the murder weapon could be¡ª¡± ¡°Anything. Yeah Kim.¡± Prof. Stone then hefted the hammer in his one hand, ¡°Kim. You mentioned time is not our friend today, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Well sorry to say this but you¡¯re kind of wrong. Time may have been helping us all along. It¡¯s just been waiting, in this cellar, for us to find it. So could you do us a favour and head up stairs, grab something from the forensic van. I got a trick up my sleeve.¡± What new skill with Martial Kim learn, to find the writing in blood lost to time!? PAVILION - Chapter 47 (Blood Box) The incident happened more than several months ago. If the murderer, or murderers, were smart enough in this day and age they would have surely cleared any traces of the crime as thoroughly as possible. And with the passing of time, even anything small or over looked would have been buried in the dust and lost forever. Yet, Professor Stone was confident in finding the answer several months later. ¡°Teacher, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you. What are these silver boxes your team always carry?¡± ¡°On the surface, they look like regular metal suit cases. To forensics, it¡¯s our secret weapon.¡± Professor Stone thumbed the sides of the suitcase, making both locks pop off at command, and opened it like a treasure chest. In fact, ¡®treasure chest¡¯ seems to be appropriate, as Martial Kim was exposed to a myriad of devices and chemical equipment he had never seen before. There were too many to address, or even describe, and the details revolving around their purpose would involve a whole new Encyclopedia Britannica volume. So, the young master could only focus his listening skills on the ones his mentor was about to introduce. ¡°Kim, grab me that hammer you just showed me a moment ago. Yeah that one.¡± ¡°What is that small fluffy stick, and that sheet of paper?¡± ¡°Cotton swab, or Q-Tip, and a paper filter. Watch closely, because the ¡®magic¡¯ only happens once. All I have to do is spray some chemical on the hammer, swab the Q-Tip on some places, rub it on the paper filter like so, give a couple of drips of this solution aaaaand--¡± ¡°Oh! The paper is bleeding!¡± Martial Kim watched as the blank white surface of the paper disc slowly turned a bright shade of crimson. Just when he though the whole disc would have been soaked in scarlet, it only stopped ¨C or was trapped ¨C right in the small circumference in the center of the paper disc. ¡°You see, Kim,¡± Prof. Stone explained, ¡°This is a rapid testing kit. It allows us to check to see if any potential murder weapons had any blood. Even if they washed the murder weapon with water and soap, the chemical residue of blood would still linger. Granted it¡¯s not 100% accurate, but saves us time to get some answers while we¡¯re at the crime scene.¡± ¡°Incredible. To think you can reveal the invisible, without any sorcery!¡± ¡°Honestly Kim, the more I hear about your obsession for magic and the arcane, the more I am led to believe you used to be a street magician like David Copperfield or something.¡± Prof. Stone called for a forensic technician to collect the hammer as evidence. While several officers came down to start taking photos of the cellar, the master and disciple ended up staring at the ground. Martial Kim crouched down to touch the concrete floor, ¡°Should we use the same rapid test, to check the floor for any blood.¡± ¡°Not to rain on your parade, Kim, but the rapid testing is good for small objects or small sections of surfaces. This is an ENTIRE floor we¡¯re talking about. Finding perhaps a spot of blood is like playing Minesweeper.¡± ¡°M-Minesweeper?¡± ¡°Er. Needle in a haystack in other words. No, we need the big guns.¡± Guns? Martial Kim wondered, what does the weapons the police carry on their hips have to do with forensics? It was when Prof. Stone asked him to grab one more thing from the forensic van and bring it to him. The young master watched as his mentor assembled this new box with a hose on the front and flicked on some switches on the back ¨C making the face light up like some sort of robotic elephant. ¡°Put these one, Kim.¡± ¡°Whatever for? I don¡¯t need glasses. I have perfect vision!¡± ¡°These goggles are not to help you see better, they¡¯re to help you not go blind.¡± Martial Kim didn¡¯t understand what his mentor meant, but he put them on anyways. Cold hard plastic with a strange amber tint. Although he had no trouble seeing through the lens, the face it constricted his face made him a tinge claustrophobic. That was when Prof. Stone revealed the truth behind both those goggles and the elephant like box. His eyes widen at a brilliant blue light shooting out from the tip of the hose, lightning up the concrete floor. ¡°Teacher, this is? Oof. Even with these goggles, the light is as bright as the sun!¡± ¡°Ultraviolet light. It was developed in the early 20th century and it has been known to make certain substances that would normally be invisible to the naked eye, completely visible. Such substances would then react and give off this fluorescent glow, like: bodily fluids, semen, invisible ink, scorpions if you can believe it, and especially blood.¡± Prof. Stone would move high and low across the basement workshop, scanning the area with the UV light hose in his one hand. ¡°Given it¡¯s practical uses in forensics, it was adopted as a crime fighting method in the 1930s, allowing us to track blood trails or reveal things that have been hidden in plain sight. And it is BECAUSE ultraviolet light have the same intensity as sunlight ¨C keep those goggles on you at all times.¡± --- Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable. To be able to harness the power of the sun in the palm of your hand, shining a light to reveal the true nature of hidden truths and lies. This is a sort of power even the great Emperor of our Jade Dynasty would desire. To think such grand ability was this convenient, and applied to criminal investigation. Honestly, even with Teacher as my guide ¨C I simply cannot keep up with everything I am seeing with my own eyes! The forensic investigators took a good hour to examine the floor. Every nook and cranny was not spared. Why, they even double checked with any other tool hanging on the shed. Martial Kim was expecting a ghost of a glow to leap out at them the moment the U.V. light shone onto them...but...A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°...Teacher, are we expecting something to happen with this ultraviolet light? It¡¯s been a fair minute.¡± ¡°Should be. If this was the murder scene, there should be some remnants of blood splatter somewhere on the floor...unless.¡± Prof. Stone chanced to rub a finger across the floor and check the thickness of the dust, comparing it to the thickness on the ancient looking tables. ¡°Damn. They must have used bleach.¡± ¡°Bleach?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s available in every household.¡± ¡°Every? You¡¯re not suggesting, that everyone can be a killer and erase their tracks, right Teacher?¡± ¡°Wh-what? Oh no no!¡± Prof. Stone objected with a wave of his hand, ¡°Bleach is a cleaning agent. Often used to kill germs and bacteria ¨C er, very infections ¨C super effective in sterilizing floors and removing any pests. The smell, on the other hand, is a whole can of worms. Bleach is strong enough, to break the remnants of blood down to the molecular structure...M-meaning, it can erase blood stains entirely.¡± Martial Kim hummed with a frown, ¡°To think, even the mighty ultraviolet light would have a rival of equal power.¡± ¡°You...can say it like that, Kim.¡± Prof. Stone pursed his lips as he looked around. ¡°Looks like the trail¡¯s gone cold at this point.¡± ¡°Whatever do you mean, Teacher? We have a murder weapon yes? The hammer you used the rapid testing on. You confirmed, it is blood.¡± ¡°I hate to say this Kim, but the rapid test is to give us a head start to figure out if anything is the murder weapon. We still have to bring it back to the lab to confirm, for sure, it is human blood and that blood sample belonged to the victim. I mean take a look around you.¡± Prof. Stone gestured to everything sharp and dangerous in the room. ¡°This is a workshop, someone¡¯s bound to cut or hurt themselves and have blood stains on them. Normal hazards, as you call it. Second, the rapid testing cannot differentiate between animal blood, or even certain types of flower pollen. So who knows if the owner once smashed a rat to death with that hammer.¡± Martial Kim felt fire burning in his stomach and he tried to quell the flames with a straight voice, ¡°So what? That¡¯s it? We are to walk away? Nothing here will help us discover the truth?¡± ¡°Well if there was any signs of blood on the floor, or the walls, this would give us MORE reason to believe something happened here. But with what we can see now ¨C it looks like the owner, or owners, did a terrible job cleaning up. Only scrubbing one place and not anything else.¡± ¡°Surely, there must be a trick in your sleeve ¨C or in your forensic armaments, that could prove these relatives are the murderers!¡± ¡°Kim, Kim, Kim, slow down.¡± Prof. Stone pulled his protege to the corner before anyone could over hear his outburst. ¡°Look. I know you¡¯re angry, especially what happened to the Drain Victim.¡± ¡°How could I not? Young and innocent, clubbed on the head and her neck snapped in two! If she didn¡¯t die instantly, she surely would have suffered. And what about her dignity, being stuffed in a drain like so!?¡± ¡°Ssssssh...I hear you. But as a forensic investigator, we can¡¯t go jumping on stage and point who is the killer. Our job is to collect evidence and make a plausible deduction, for Detective Fraulein to find the killer. And she isn¡¯t stupid, no doubt she¡¯s trying to tear a new one into the relatives. She has her job, we have ours.¡± Martial Kim was seething at this point. It was only by looking into the calm within Prof. Stone¡¯s gaze did he realize his rash emotions was getting ahead of himself. He used a meditative skill to calm his inner flame and try to find the same peace a lake would carry on a sunny day. ¡°Still, Teacher. There has to be something more we could do.¡± Prof. Stone patted his protege, ¡°There is. Between you and me, I feel something happened in this cellar. Look at how dusty this place is, yet the floor is cleaner than the cobwebs. We got to keep looking, don¡¯t rush it.¡± ¡°Yes Teacher...¡± Martial Kim would follow his mentor¡¯s lead, trying to look for anything that could shed light, or glowing light for that matter, to what happened to the Drain Victim. However, curiosity got the better of him and he chanced to ask. ¡°By the way, Teacher. This ultraviolet light. Where could you get one?¡± ¡°Oddly, you can get them any where?¡± ¡°W-what? Your secret weapon is public?¡± ¡°Nooot, exactly,¡± Prof. Stone gave one more look around as he continued. ¡°There¡¯s all sorts of ultraviolet light products in the industry. Some used to sterilize meat before putting them on shelves, and hand held wands to check for money forgery ¨C as the bills we use have secret ink that show up to determine if they are the real deal or made from a printer.¡± ¡°...So...your ultraviolet light is different? A closely guarded secret I hope.¡± ¡°Kind of, but yeah the ultraviolet we use for police investigation are heavy duty and closely circulated within the law enforcement community. So I doubt even if you went behind my back and open your own forensic company you can¡¯t just up and order this online. You need credentials and¡ª¡± ¡°T-Teacher! I would never betray you! I am not that kind of person!¡± ¡°Relax, relax. I was joking. Breathe. Breeeaathe.¡± Prof. Stone pat his protege on the shoulder to assure him. ¡°There is an alternative, much like the ghetto superglue with tree sap method: Rice vinegar.¡± ¡°R-rice vinegar?¡± ¡°Yeah. I read some investigators in the past, when there were no such thing as ultraviolet light or even rapid testing kits, they use splashes of rice vinegar to reveal any blood that may have been washed away. Now granted, modern forensic does not condone that method ¨C as it would contaminate the blood and may ruined the D.N.A. composition in the blood stain. So sure, you can still see the blood ¨C but you can¡¯t tell if it matches the victim or not.¡± --- Rice vinegar...I wonder, if I could try that when I return home to Moon Tavern. Surely this technique, along with everything Teacher taught me, would be valuable in my future investigations...My future, huh. The workshop in the cellar gave the forensic investigators no further clues to work with. So they had no choice but to pack up and leave. Just as they were on their way to the surface, Martial Kim lagged behind ¨C not because he wanted to triple check the potential crime scene again. --- Why do I feel so hopeless? The thought of returning home? This sensation in my heart, am I finally realizing how homesick I have become? I wonder, how is everyone faring back in Moon Tavern. Is Martial Blue Sister taking care of herself? She¡¯s simply too scared to ask others for help. Is Martial Red Sister butting heads with her friends? I¡¯ve always warned her to keep her hot temper in check. Oh god, Martial Yellow Sister? Is she getting into more trouble without my supervision......And I wonder if Fae Fae and Inspector Lee are also¡ª Creaaaaaak¡ªSNAP!! ¡°OH!¡± ¡°Huh? KIM! WATCH OUT!¡± Halfway up the stares, Martial Kim felt his hopelessness tip him off his feat. The ground under him gave out with a snap and he could see the world spinning around him. The last thing he saw ¨C was his own blood splashing across his eyes. PAVILION - Chapter 48 (Blood Foot) While chaos was going on in the cellar from hell, things weren¡¯t as smooth in the cottage of heaven. ¡°This is the lord¡¯s house and it shall stay pure and just! Right husband?¡± ¡°Y-yes. What the wife said.¡± ¡°....¡± Detective had spent a good hour questioning the Uncle and Aunt and it was clear from their exchange who truly wore the pants in this household. Every now and then, the detective had to be crafty enough to ¡®politely¡¯ interrupt the Aunts impromptu sermon ¨C or else this questioning will carry onto the next holy Sunday. ¡°Just like that? You let a young girl walk out of your house. Alone, with no money?¡± ¡°Feh,¡± The Aunt snorted as she sat in her throne ¨C sorry, her ancient couch. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say penniless, detective. That girl, always shuts herself in her room, playing with these ¡®streams¡¯, and walking out with enough confident to buy a new bag that¡¯s hot on the mall shelves. I half suspect, she has been selling her body online, just so she can get an easy going life. The nerve of her. The body is the Lord¡¯s temple, it is sacred by all accounts. I questioned her on it, many times¡ª¡± Detective Fraulein frowned, ¡°There¡¯s more than one way to earn money through the internet, and it need not be OnlyFans, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°What do I know? I am just an ¡®out of date¡¯ hag ¨C as that little witch calls me. Hmph!¡± ¡°And you? The Uncle. What have you to say about this?¡± ¡°Er, uh. Well, detective, you see...uh,¡± The Uncle felt cramped even when the couch could fit a good three people. He constantly shifted here and there as if trying to find a spot in the cushions to stop having those old springs poking at his bad back. ¡°Our Niece always caused a storm with her Aunt, arguing every day. I-I stay away from it. N-not like anything I can do. I-I don¡¯t understand how my Niece thinks.¡± Detective Fraulein then asked both directly, ¡°Did either of you ever contact the victim¡¯s mother ¨C your sister, I might add Miss Aunt. Or rather, did the mother ever called you to check up on her during the time the Drain Victim was missing?¡± The Aunt rolled her eyes, ¡°I may be old fashion, but I¡¯m not senile. Everyone has a phone. Everyone knows how to use an email. There¡¯s no need to call us directly. The Uncle scratched at his forehead, ¡°Y-yeah. What she said.¡± ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± The detective then pulled out a sheet of paper and placed it on the coffee table that looks like it was made from a twisted tree stump. She gave it a good push to make sure the owners of the cottage got a good look. ¡°This is from your phone company. There¡¯s been at least 100 calls coming to your house, international line ¨C exact same number. I doubt you can bear all that constant ringing day in and day out. Don¡¯t tell me you both lost your hearing.¡± Before either the Aunt or Uncle could say a word ¨C the phone next to them rung. The Uncle instinctively reached over, only for the Aunt to instinctively slap his hand away as if ¡®keep the hands off the merchandise!¡¯. She realized, it was a terrible decision ¨C but her composure said otherwise. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. The beating of the phone chimes continued to haunt the cottage. Over and over again...When the phone gave up, the owners let out an exhale of reli¡ªOh there it goes again! ¡°That should be enough, Officer Tanner.¡± Detective Fraulein waved a hand. One of her officers then tapped his phone off, muting the home phone entirely. The detective took a glance at the old phone, specifically¡ª ¡°Hmm. You must have paid a pretty penny for that premium phone package. I can see the Caller ID services hasn¡¯t failed you. It even tells you my officer¡¯s full name. My guess, easier to know when to pick up the phone and when to turn a blind eye...or deaf ear.¡± The Aunt and Uncle had various emotions flutter across their face. Was it shame, disgust, anger, fear? The feelings looked so complicated, it might have given an FBI Criminal Analyst a run for his money. ¡°The hell is wrong with you both!¡± Detective Fraulein slapped the table to spook her enemy. ¡°This girl is barely in her mid 20s, studying in a brand new country for the first time, and relying on her only family here. Now look what happened to her - dead and buried in a ditch! How can you act like this was a matter of spilled milk on the carpet!¡± The Aunt retorted, ¡°I am a Good Samaritan. I sacrifice my time to watch over my sister¡¯s child. But the little witch treated me like some evil step mother! She spits on my generosity and drives me up the wall! Good will or not, there was only so much I could handle! She¡¯s not my little girl ¨C isn¡¯t that right husband!? ¡°E-er. Yeah. Yes. Exactly! Wh-what the wife said.¡± ¡°Honestly, you two! I should¡ª¡± Detective Fraulein was only an inch away from grabbing anything close to a phone book to slap them both ¨C metaphorically ¨C when an officer came rushing in. A quick whisper into her ear ¨C and she bolted out. ¡°Someone watch these two clowns!¡± Detective Fraulein dashed out of the cottage, shoving through a crowd in the backyard, and was about to dive down into hell. ¡°Kung f¡ªKim! Stone! Did you call for an ambulance!?¡± ¡°No need, Miss Detective.¡± Martial Kim rose from the dead. Rather, he stumbled out of the cellar stairs ¨C bearing this ugly gash across his one cheek. Half of his face, down his neck, and drenching his suit, was covered in fresh blood. It looked like his throat got slashed by a butter knife, yet he had this casual frown on his face. ¡°You,¡± Martial Kim wiped some blood that dripped into his lips. ¡°You need to take a look.¡± Detective Fraulein clutched her heart to brace herself from that bolt of shock, before peering down the cellar stairs. ¡°...Oh god, Stone is that Kim¡¯s blood?¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Professor Stone was at the very bottom of the cellar stairs. His one hand was waving the U.V. light across the last three steps on the way down. A faint glow ghostly glow blinked under the light ¨C a splash of blue nebula. ¡°This blood is older, caked into the wood.¡± Prof. Stone spoke up, ¡°There¡¯s also sign of smearing. Most likely attempts to be wiped away with a rag and bleach.¡± ¡°Jesus,¡± Detective Fraulein dove into hell. She wanted to get a better look herself, ¡°Was the girl dismembered in the cellar?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know, whoever did it cleaned the concrete floor thoroughly. However we¡¯re lucky. No amount of bleach can remove blood stuck on porous material. In this case, wooden steps. And if I am not mistaken, the blood stain isn¡¯t from arterial blood spurt, it seemed to have pooled out. Maybe slowly.¡± Before Detective Fraulein could ask a question, Martial Kim came in behind her to deliver the answer, a solemn look in his eyes. ¡°One of the steps were loose,¡± The young master explained. ¡°No railings to grab on and no chance to recover from the tumble. I was lucky, my head avoided single a nail that was hidden in the wood... The Drain Victim however...¡± Detective Fraulein clutched her skull out of instinct, ¡°Stone. I thought you said her head was bashed in and her neck snapped in two!¡± Prof. Stone nodded, but, ¡°The coroner could not determine the true cause of death... However, this discovery would suggest ¨C the Drain Victim for some reason fell down the stairs and hit her head, maybe on this very nail. In an angle that would not have been obvious for the coroner.¡± ¡°W-wait, wait, wait.¡± Detective Fraulein pinched her nose bridge to get her mind together, ¡°Assuming she died here ¨C how did she get in the first place? Based on what I found out about her, she would rather spend her days in the mall with friends than help out with chores or carpentry work.¡± Martial Kim¡¯s slash on his cheek started to ripple, like a dog baring his hackles, ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask her Uncle and Aunt? The cellar had been chained and locked up since we arrived.¡± Everything started to click, in both the police and forensic investigators mind. Without further ado, the detective dragged the cottage owners out. Someone was going to answer for this and answer good! ¡°Wh-what the devil is that glowing down there!¡± The Aunt hissed. ¡°Er. Uh. Ah.¡± The Uncle kept rubbing a hand across the top of his head. ¡°W-we don¡¯t know anything about this! S-s-someone must have broken in and--¡± --- Shameful. Absolutely shameful! Do you really think, you can walk away from justice with just a few excuses!? Just as the Knight-Errant was about to deal with this injustice personally¡ªProf. Stone took over. ¡°Your feet betrayed you,¡± said the forensic chemist. --- What was that? Feet can betray their owner? Wh-what does Teacher mean? Prof. Stone marched up to the Aunt and Uncle. ¡°No matter whether or not you are a professional con-man, or really good a poker, the moment you feel cornered ¨C your body¡¯s instinct is to angle your feel in the best angle of escape. See, your feet are already facing away from me and towards the gate fence. Exactly how a rabbit would point their feet away from a Lion right in front of it.¡± --- This...is this what Teacher mentioned? Micro-expression? The same technique used by these special investigators, the F.B.I. he calls them? Despite his dripping wound, Martial Kim was more in silent awe in how his teacher handled the situation. It was clear there was spite in the forensic chemist tone, even his eyes were that of a viper, but never once did he lash out like a prideful tiger or showing off like some kind of feral animal. Or a storm billowing, in preparations for great rain and lightning to follow. ¡°Furthermore,¡± Prof. Stone scoffed as he pulled up an evidence bag he just used. ¡°I found this lock of hair. Thanks to whichever one of you did the cleaning, you swept it right under the steps; protected in the shadows. All I have to do is do a simple D.N.A. check, and confirm the Drain Victim ¨C your niece ¨C had once been trapped and wounded in the cellar. No amount of lies you make can save you ¨C for evidence does not lie.¡± ¡°I-It was an accident!¡± The Uncle blurted out, ¡°I-I told my wife d-don¡¯t hit her! Don¡¯t hit her! Sh-she wouldn¡¯t listen!¡± ¡°N-No officers, wait!¡± The Aunt screeched and punched her other half with a bony fist, ¡°That little witch was trying to have an affair with my husband! Kept seducing him, tempting him! Dragged him down the cellars so they can disgrace our wedding vows! I-I was protecting my husband from that she-devil!¡± Detective Fraulein rolled her eyes in disgust, ¡°Oh come on! Both of you together are well over 100 years old! A 20 something young girl would have the hots for spineless creep like your husband!? Hah! I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he was the one who dragged the Drain Victim down there to feel like a real man! No thanks to a miser like you!¡± Martial Kim watched as Lies and Truth blurred into an ugly grey. The more he watched the argument, his fist would clench and his teeth would grind...but he endured. Why? Because he kept reminding himself: this was Not his world. Not his rules. Not his way. Most importantly, he promised his mentor to behave himself...still, man, this feeling was insufferable. The moment Detective Fraulein dragged the relatives away, to get a proper story back in the station, did Martial Kim realized he had been holding his breath the whole time. ¡°It¡¯s okay Kim.¡± Prof. Stone patted his protege in the back, ¡°You can let go of your fists now, or else your blood pressure will kill you.¡± ¡°...Teacher.¡± Martial Kim wanted to nod, but he lost the energy to do so, ¡°Are you going to tell me, this is where our job ends, right? That there is nothing more to be done for the Drain Victim?¡± ¡°Actually, there is something we can do.¡± ¡°Wh-what is it, Teacher. I-I am willing to help!¡± Prof. Stone smirked, trying not to show how proud he was ¨C or else his protege will get cocky. Hah. ¡°What¡¯s your typing speed?¡± ¡°...T-Teacher?¡± ¡°We got to right up that report for the case right? How else can Detective Fraulein put the charges on the right people. Come on, I¡¯ll give you a crash course with Mavis Beacon.¡± ¡°...Thank you Teacher. I feel better.¡± ¡°Hahaha. Kim. If there is one thing I believe in: people lie, evidence does not. Always remember that and trust in the clues you find.¡± ........... So. What do you think? Who was right? Who was wrong? What was the real story? Take a moment and stand in the shoes of a detective. What do you believe truly happened in that cellar? PAVILION - Chapter 49 (Smoke & Rage) Who¡¯d ever thought Martial Kim would survive long enough see the first snow in the modern world. It was only when he touched the snowflakes falling from the sky, did he realized he had forgotten about returning home until now. Case after case have tried him, tested his wits and mettle, if not challenged his morality and sense of justice. Who¡¯d ever thought he people here lived a complex life of petty conflict within global peace; greed and corruption in the era of prosperous technology and communication; and so much hate and vile in a ¡®digital space¡¯ that could be used for the greater good and let creativity blossom. Truly, his new life and understanding were too vexing. And it was because of rough times like this, would he often wake up in cold sweat wondering ¡®What was Moon Tavern?¡¯. Another year ¨C no, another month more and the Martial Kim of the Martial Arts World would cease to exist. Only Office Kim working from 9 to 5 on minimum wage would remain. --- Gods. It would truly be a day of reckoning if I ever forget who I am... But every time I look into the mirror, my reflection feels so foreign to me. What can I do, to give confidence to my doubts? In the end, he never truly gave up. Rather, he realized he could take advantage of this society and their incredible wealth of knowledge. In following Professor Stone, the young master became enlightened with advanced physics and science that are beyond the realm of the mortals. Einstein¡¯s Theory of Relativity; Wormholes; Time Dilation; Travelling at the Speed of Light; Quantum Mechanics; String Theory; Membrane Universes; etc. Yes ¨C he had absolutely no freaking clue how any of them work, let alone comprehend their complex science. However, Martial Kim believed with time and hard study he can master their secrets like some sort of martial arts scripture. Not to mention, he DID pass the Imperial Examinations and scored top 10 amongst the civil and martial scholars. Those types of challenges were as difficult as a Master¡¯s Degree test (more or less). Surely these complex science would be but a trifle (hopefully). However, little did he know that ¡®wealth¡¯ wasn¡¯t exactly found in a library. ¡°Miss Keekee, this is incredible! What do you call this device again?¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh it¡¯s a cellphone ¨C well, we also call it smartphone if you wanna get technical.¡± Keekee wasn¡¯t in the mood to cook today. Neither was she hungry for some take out. So she lounged on the couch in her grandmother¡¯s cabin while eating one bag of snacks after another. She didn¡¯t want to be a bore, neither did she want to be seen like a junk food eating pig in front of her friend it¡¯s just that...she really needed it. Meanwhile, Martial Kim found god in Samsoon Cosmos 29+. In the Jade Empire, the writing system of their literature was always in the form of column by column, from top to bottom. So it was common for well learned young masters like Martial Kim to roll up books like a scroll in one hand and turn the pages left to right with the other. But ¨C with this newfound power, he learned the secret of the finger flick! How such a small gesture saves up SO much time and energy! Look at the pages whipping by ¨C wheeeee! ¡°This is remarkable! Absolutely remarkable!¡± Martial Kim can¡¯t help a yelp ¨C the Christmas child bouncing in his voice, ¡°To think the knowledge of the world could be found in the palm of my hand. Everything has been written and re-written in near real time, a cultivation of history¡¯s finest intelligence!¡± ¡°Hnn. (Munch munch).¡± ¡°And look at this, the amount of detail is staggering! Not to mention these life-like illustrations. You call them photographs, right? Using some sort of technological device to capture the moment ¨C like a scene straight out of time! The words, the photos, they speak a thousand things to me second by second!¡± ¡°Hnn (Munch munch).¡± ¡°...Although. It would be very helpful if these flashing images and animation do not get in my way. You referred to these annoyances as ¡®ads¡¯ correct?¡±This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°Hnn (Munch munch).¡± ¡°.........Before my bed, lies a pool of moon bright; I imagine, that is is frost upon the ground; I look up and see the moon shining bright; and I bow my head, thinking of home.¡± Oh a famous poem! Well said, well said! Now, what is Keekee¡¯s response to it all? ¡°Hnn (Munch munch).¡± ... This wasn¡¯t the first time Martial Kim would drone on about his excitement while others would fiddle with a finger traps or bolt awake in their seats with drool caked on their lips. The first culprit he could think of was his own disciple Martial Yellow Sister. Despite her eagerness to become a renown detective like Martial Kim, her patience was thinner than the first ice forming on a pond. Naturally, he would rectify this with a bonk on her head...however. The messy frown on Keekee¡¯s face spoke volumes. The young master chanced to ask, ¡°Miss Keekee. Is something on your mind?¡± ¡°Hnn (Munch m¡ªout of ammo).¡± Keekee groaned when she realized the bag of chips she held in her hand was well devoured minutes ago. She struggled to find a new prey within the pile of trash on the coffee table. Like a bloodhound sniffing a fox out. Before Martial Kim could properly address this. Ring-Ring. Ring-Ring. Ring-Ring. Ring-Ring. Ring-Ring. ¡°Oh Hello? Teacher?...Hello?¡± Ring-Ring. Ring-Ring. Ring-Ring. Ring-Ring. Ring-Ring. As the young master had a few crash courses in how to operate a smartphone, in the end of the day he would always be defeated by his rivals called parents and grandparents. He couldn¡¯t even recognize that fact that was not his ringtone! ¡°Teacher? Teacher? Speak up? I can¡¯t hear you if you keep making my phone sing!¡± Keekee, on the other hand, was digging through the trash to find her phone, ¡°I-it¡¯s mine one second.¡± After a quick wipe of her hands on her overalls she plucked out her phone, glared at the number, and forced a smile on her lips. ¡°Yes sir? What can I¡ªYeah...uh-huh.¡± ¡°Miss Keekee, I am right here¡ªAh yes. Phone. Phone.¡± Martial Kim remembered why she kept talking to herself and in thin air, so he gave her some privacy and tried to distract himself in the kitchen. ¡°.........................................................................................................................¡± However, the silence from his friend tugged at his curiosity. He had to eavesdrop or he¡¯ll never sleep soundly. ¡°........................Yes sir.......I know.....I¡¯m sorry....I¡¯ll get it do¡ªne...Good bye.¡± The last part was a waste of time, as the call was cut earlier than she prepared. Because of that, it was completely understandable for Keekee to chuck her phone into her couch and kick her coffee table with a strained¡ª ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH! DAMN IT AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALL!¡± Alright. Not that strained. ¡°FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA¡ª¡± Keekee kept kicking the leg of her coffee table, to get every ounce of emotion out through her heel or toe. After 10 good drop kicks, she sucked in the air to try and piece her soul back together. Then, she wanted to scream so bad ¨C as if she was shoved into a horror house. ¡°OH! K-KIM! G-god! I-I-I am so-so-so sorry you had to see that! I-I-I¡¯m not that k-kind of person! I-I swear!¡± ¡°......................¡± ¡°P-please yo-you got to believe me! I-I am totally not what you just saw. I-I can expl-lain!¡± ¡°...................Oolong, or Jasmine?¡± ¡°Wh-what?¡± ¡°Apologies. I believe I was trying to say your Chamomile or Earl Grey.¡± ---Poor Miss Keekee. What in the world would cause her to feel like a cornered animal? She¡¯s always been smiles and laughs...Perhaps only around me? Now that I think about it, she has always been acting on my best interests. Has she ever paused to think for herself? The young master would ponder on this for a while. ---What emotions does she face, when alone? What thoughts does she keep, behind closed doors? It is not my place to pry, but given the fact we live under the same roof ¨C I have yet to truly appreciate who she really is...How shameful of me, most shameful. Guess, this was a good of time as any to properly get to know each other after a busy week. PAVILION - Chapter 50 (Smoke & Promise) The young master had seen many things in his life, both back in the Jade Empire and in this Strange New World. From violent criminals, to helpless victims, to shocked survivors, all sorts of witnesses, to even the lightest and darkest of the Martial Arts World. This was the first time he felt shaken, seeing Keekee break down like that. To others, that out burst was no different than a spoiled princess lashing out at her servants for not getting her way in life. To Martial Kim, it meant something for Keekee. She truly had the look of a guilty child kneeling before their parents and pinching their ears in disgrace. And she wished she didn¡¯t have to address it so soon. The film assistant tried to get the words out, only to distract herself with the tea her friend made. It¡¯s odd, how she used this tea bag a thousand times, straight from the grocery store on sale in big boxes. Why did it felt warmer and sweeter than usual? Not even a drop of honey or sugar. ¡°Kim. I¡¯m¡ª¡± ¡°Why do they call it a ¡®smart¡¯ phone?¡± ¡°A-ahuh?¡± Martial Kim tried to distract her from her thoughts. ¡°How clever is this phone device we own?¡± Keekee stammered, trying to get her mind out of a gutter, ¡°B-because, th-these are actually 10 times more advanced than the first generation of communication. L-like back in the old days, you can only use phones to make calls. Over time people can send short digital messages through rudimentary text. Now, our phones can do nearly everything from uh, uh: phone calls, texting, video call, organizing, clock and timer, surf the internet, watch online movies, listen to music, a-and play games.¡± The young master stared at his phone, ¡°Astounding. To think society have cultivated a skill far greater than I could ever imagine, in the form of...this. I am most thankful, that Teacher and yourself presented this to me as a gift.¡± ¡°H-hey, you¡¯re welcome!¡± Keekee smiled. ¡°I-I mean. Better than running around hunting you down, right? Now we can call you whenever and easily find you!¡± ¡°Hunt for me? What have I done?¡± ¡°...God. You¡¯re so cute Kim.¡± A modern boyfriend would laugh it off and crack a joke or two back. For someone as reserved as Martial Kim, he gave an obvious reaction. ¡°K-Kim?¡± Keekee stammered once more. ¡°You okay? Wh-why is your face red?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m fine. Cough.¡± A modern girlfriend would shrug it off that strange reply ¨C and that was exactly what Keekee did. ¡°By the way um...How is your job? W-with Prof. Stone?¡± ¡°Excellent!¡± Martial Kim replied, happy to change the subject. ¡°I still feel like, I am living in a dream. Learning all sorts of new science, techniques, and technology that would benefit exacting justice for victims and fight against villainy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad, Kim! Really glad for you! I mean, do you know how hard it is to find a job you love?¡± ¡°Indeed. No doubt you must thrive in your line of work. Enacting fantasies and putting them on what Teacher calls the big screen. Or little screen...I cannot remember which.¡± ¡°...................................................................................................Yeah. Uh...Yep.¡± Martial Kim noted that silence once more. Thus, it allowed him to make the connection from the earlier incident. ¡°Would you like to talk about it?¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°T-talk? About what? I¡¯m fine. Perfectly fine. Hahahaha! I-I don¡¯t know why my voice is coming out all squeaky, but seriously¡ªI¡¯m good.¡± A chill crawled up Martial Kim¡¯s spine. Period. ¡°.......It¡¯s...it¡¯s just...it¡¯s my boss, the Director.¡± Keekee made a hissing noise. Not that of a snake ready to lunge, but a balloon slowly losing its air and falling from grace, ¡°I just¡ªUuugh! I don¡¯t know where to begin with this man! He can be such a slave driver, believes he is the king of his own world, but now he¡¯s...he¡¯s....Kim, the man¡¯s practically¡ª¡± Ring-Ring. Ring-Ring. Ring-Ring. Ring-Ring. Ring-Ring. ¡°Ah.¡± Martial Kim heard the electronic chirping and gestures go ahead. ¡°I¡¯ll let you answer that Miss Keekee.¡± ¡°Wh-what do you mean, Kim. That¡¯s your phone.¡± ¡°Hmm?...OH RIGHT!¡± The young master never fumbled so hard. Even with his peak human reflexes, he nearly dropped his own phone from his pocket. Can¡¯t blame him, he has yet to buy a rubber case for easy handling. ¡°HELLO? TEACHER? HELLO!? OW! HELLO!?¡± ¡°K-Kim. Kim! One second!¡± Keekee reached over to: (1) turn the phone right side up; (2) review how to press the green symbol and slide it to the right¡ªRIGHT, not left!; (3) rip off the plastic covering from slicing his cheeks. ¡°HELLO? TEACHER!?¡± Martial Kim ¡®spoke¡¯ into his phone. ¡°WHAT DO YOU MEAN, TONE IT DOWN? HOW COULD YOU HEAR ME FROM SO FAR AWAY!¡± Once more Keekee came to the rescue. She put the phone on speaker. ¡°Hey, Professor!¡± [KEEKEE!] Prof. Stone yelled back through the speaker, legit [Please tell Kim to stop shouting! My ears are going to explode!] ¡°BUT TEACHER¡ª¡± [KIIIIIM!] Keekee tried to hide a giggle, she really did. But this was something straight out of a sitcom series. After orientating both parties in a proper phone conversation, she sat as middleman¡ªer woman¡ªto make sure both side don¡¯t go to into a makeshift screaming contest. [Kim.] Prof. Stone cleared his throat before he went on. [Detective Fraulein called. We got a case to attend to.] ¡°Yes! Teacher! I! Am! On! My! Way!¡± [...Kim. I can hear you perfectly. No need to speak at 1/4 speed. And stay put. I¡¯m driving so I¡¯ll come over to pick you up. Keekee¡¯s cabin right?] ¡°H-how did you know!?¡± Martial Kim was legitimately spooked. Was someone spying on him, the whole time!? [Oh please, Kim. Nine times out of 10, young men in love could always be found hanging out at their girlfriend¡¯s place. Where else would you two lovebirds be? Making out in the park?] Keekee blushed and failed to to hide a silly grin. Martial Kim blushed, and failed to not scream, ¡°M-making out? What does that mean!? A-and Teacher, you don¡¯t understand. She is not my¡ª¡± [Tunnel, see you in a bit.] Click! Off. ¡°Teacher! Hear me out! Miss Keekee is¡ª¡± The film assistant couldn¡¯t help a smirk as she covered her hand on his phone to stop him, ¡°You should go get ready.¡± ¡°B-but. Miss Keekee. You wanted to say something, about your Director.¡± ¡°Kim. You job is more important. No ¡®ifs¡¯ ¡®ands¡¯ or ¡®buts¡¯! Now go go!¡± ¡°Er. Uh. Thank you, Miss Keekee. And, I promise when I get back, I will hear you out. Properly... M-Miss Keekee? Why that look? D-did I offend you?¡± ¡°Kim. Don¡¯t make a girl a promise, if you know you can¡¯t keep it.¡± Martial Kim curtly replied, ¡°Have no fear. I always keep my vows.¡± Keekee gave him a warm grin, ¡°Then go gettem tiger.¡± And there the young master went, off on another adventure. Meanwhile, Keekee kept her eyes on him, through the door, through the tall uncut grass, pass the fence, to the car, down the hill...and even when she could no longer see anything like his silhouette. The only thing that kept her company, was the tea Martial Kim made for her. Keekee couldn¡¯t bring herself to finish drinking it. She felt, she would lose his warmth if she did...yet, if she left it alone and untouched, it would turn just as cold. Ah, what a vexing dilemma. PAVILION - Chapter 51 (Smoke & Garage) ¡°Why the long face Kim?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing teacher. I¡¯m fine.¡± Professor Stone didn¡¯t know which to worry more. The traffic jam blocking him from reaching the crime scene in time, or the mopey looking person righting shotgun. As much as he wanted to multitask, he had to keep one eye on the cars in front of him to keep close to their trunks ¨C while his other eye kept glancing at the constant flow of texts racing up across his phone mounted on the dashboard. Sponsored by Detective Fraulein.
The forensic chemist gave a double sigh. ¡°As much as we are in a hurry, seems like we got a bit of time. You wanna talk about it Kim?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not me, that needs talking to.¡± ¡°Who? Come on Kim, staring out the window with that sad puppy expression is not an answer.¡± --- Miss Keekee. Even now I can¡¯t fathom what turmoil she is going through. Maybe, I shouldn¡¯t have left her alone, especially when she looked so vulnerable. And in saying that, I don¡¯t know if I have any right to talk about her troubles to Teacher. Even if we all know each other, Miss Keekee has right to her privacy... Confucius once said: ¡®a gentlemen should be ashamed to let his words outrun his deeds¡¯ and avoid gossip at all times. ¡°Kiiiim. Earth to Kiiiiim. Come in Kim.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m...already in your wagon¡ªEr car.¡± ¡°I mean...Never mind.¡± Prof. Stone wanted to face palm, but it seems the road congestion was clearing up so he had to press harder on the gas pedal to keep up. Moving at the opposite of light speed. ¡°I figured it out. You miss Keekee already.¡± ¡°W-wait what?¡± ¡°Come on, Kim, you both can¡¯t play coy with me. It¡¯s typical, for two people in love wanting to spent 24/7 with each other. If not holding hands, kissing, or even going out on dates, there¡¯s that urge wanting to keep in touch with them through text and whatever.¡± ¡°T-Teacher. Th-this sounds most absurd. This is a misunderstanding, from the beginning!¡± ¡°Misunderstanding my foot. I see the way you look at her. She is a pretty girl after all.¡± ¡°Teacher! Please!¡± ¡°Fine, fine! And consider yourself lucky, the crime scene is right up ahe¡ªOoooh...that don¡¯t look good.¡± ¡°What? What happened?¡± Prof. Stone wiped a hand over his eyes, but he put his professional game face back, ¡°We¡¯re gonna need to mask up for this.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Martial Kim nodded. ¡°Another suicide by coal victim?¡± ¡°Worse.¡± The garage of the house was completely trashed. The officers wished it was attacked by rotten eggs, trash, or even a raging pizza stuck on the rooftop. No, the damages they were dealing with made the all other troubles nothing more than scratching an itch. Why? Well it wasn¡¯t the fact the garage was darker than the belly of a chimney. It wasn¡¯t even the fact the garage door was completely incinerated and dripping with slag. And don¡¯t worry about that expensive looking car all torched up. Whoever occupied that torched car was glued to everything. THAT BAD. Today, of all days, Officer Roland wished he called sick. ¡°Officer,¡± Prof. Stone came up from behind, making sure he had a THICK N95 mask cupped to his face, ¡°First burn victim I take it?¡± ¡°No.¡± The Officer Roland groaned with a twisted look on his face, ¡°But the smell is never a pleasant experience, if you get me.¡± ¡°Fair enough. Mind giving us a sit rep?¡± Boy was Officer Roland gladly obliged. He took the forensic chemist and his protege a few steps out of the messed up garage, to grab himself some breathing space. ¡°Phew. Firefighters were called to put out the flames around 7:10 in the morning. After a few hours, they found the car had someone inside. We identified the Burn Victim to be the owner of this house, his garage ¨C so definitely not some random person trying to hot wire a car.¡± Prof. Stone nodded, ¡°Any idea how the fire started?¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Preliminary fire report suggests a faulty wiring, one of the heaters inside. As the garage had a lot of flammables, the sparks may have touched something it shouldn¡¯t and then POP, up it went.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Detective Fraulein? She¡¯s been blowing up my phone for a bit.¡± ¡°Ah about that.¡± Officer Roland cleared his throat. ¡°She told me to let you know ¨C you¡¯re late.¡± ¡°...Pffff. Sounds like her.¡± Prof. Stone snorted. The officer bowed his head in apology, despite being the messenger. ¡°Otherwise, she¡¯s on her way to the airport.¡± ¡°Airport? Was she that mad, to up and leave town?¡± ¡°Hah. Good one sir. She¡¯s gone to pick up a relative of the Burn Victim. His brother, and lived with him. She was contacting next of kin and found out he was on his way back from a business trip. So she took a couple of officers to go and pick up the brother and get some information.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Prof. Stone then finished putting on his gloves and tightened his mask, ¡°I guess this is where we come in. By the way, where¡¯s the coroner? I half expected they be here earlier than us.¡± ¡°My guess stuck in traffic, heard some a DUI (drunk under influence) crashed into a fire hydrant and caused a big mess.¡± Officer Roland shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ll let you know when the coroner arrives.¡± The forensic chemist thanked the officer and started to get to work. Fortunately his forensic team already had a head start, so he took his protege to focus on the more out of the ordinary things inside of this torched garage. Martial Kim, meanwhile, was having a small flashback. --- Why am I reminded of Fae Fae¡¯s case...Oh yes, her former lover was afraid her ¡®death¡¯ would connect back to him, so he tasked the Fire Monkey Gang to steal the palanquin she last rode on and set it aflame. Judging by the colour, the smell, and thickness of the smoke, a sort of powerful fuel to turn the wooden palanquin to complete ashes within minutes... I wonder. Perhaps Martial Kim was having too hard of a flashback, he lost sight of where he was going and he bumped into his mentor. ¡°Ah. Forgive me Teacher.¡± ¡°Kim. Don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯re thinking what I¡¯m thinking.¡± ¡°Foul play?¡± Prof. Stone snapped his fingers ¨C only it got muted due to his rubber gloves, ¡°I thought this felt fishy.¡± ¡°You mean smelled fishy, but given the circumstances it¡¯s the smell of a terrible roast.¡± ¡°Yeah. No one can ever forget that stench of a smoked human.¡± Prof. Stone would crouched up and down to inspect the melted car car. Although not his first time, seeing the corpse ¡®welded¡¯ into their driver¡¯s seat ¨C all black and charred like a crisp log ¨C was still an uncanny visage. Martial Kim would lean over his mentor¡¯s shoulder to get a better look, all too familiar with these types of victims ¨C especially in the chaotic and lawless Martial Arts World. ¡°By the way, Teacher. Officer Roland mentioned something caught fire in this room. Clearly this garage have very little wood, nor cloth, and I don¡¯t see anything like vats of oil to trigger a flame.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Prof. Stone got back up to his feet and showed the young master around the garage, pointing at anything half dead or BARELY survived in the fire. ¡°Almost everything you see in this place is flammable. Look at this: oil-based paint cans; compressed gas canisters; tanks of air to refill tires; of course spare bottles of lighter fluid, oil, and etc.¡± ¡°Seriously!?¡± Martial Kim gasped. ¡°What are these people in this era trying to do? Blow themselves up? Why store all these menacing items in a single space? Are they asking to turn into ashes?¡± ¡°Not unless people follow proper precautions, Kim! And almost everyone follows a certain level of safety. Besides, these products are used to repaint the house, lubricate equipment, very common in the household. So long as you don¡¯t like light a match or even smoke in the garage, they¡¯re perfectly harmless.¡± ¡°I beg to differ! Even I keep a supply of wine in an isolated cellar to prevent fire from every going in there in case of an accident.¡± Prof. Stone wanted to rectify this detail...but he let the young master live in his ¡®dream world¡¯ a bit longer. ¡°In saying that, something definitely triggered a series of reaction. That one flick and cause the chain of dominoes to tumble into each other...Questions is what?¡± Martial Kim examined the floor, equally as crisp as the corpse in the car, ¡°Didn¡¯t Officer Roland say something about a faulty wiring...What IS faulty wiring, Teacher?¡± ¡°Ah. In short, almost everything we use nowadays require electricity. Some you can power with pre-made batteries, but majority of the products have a wire you plug into the wall ¨C which is connected to a local power grid.¡± ¡°So, this wire you speak of draws energy to power itself?¡± ¡°Thank god you¡¯re a fast learner Kim, saves me a load of information dump.¡± Prof. Stone would look for the source of the flame and walk around the car, ¡°You be surprise how most fire cases are caused because the protecting wrapping of wires get worn out from friction and time, or chewed up by rats, and energy leak out. If one isn¡¯t careful, sparks can leak out. Or straight up electrocute people to death, but that¡¯s a whole can of worms.¡± --- So essentially the vital necessities in life not only grant people luxury, but can just as easily take away their lives. What a vexing paradox? Should I be happy, the people in the Jade Empire live simpler lives? No television to spook them? No phone to distract them? And no internet to corrupt them?... Sadly the benefits supersede the shortcomings. ¡°Essentially,¡± Martial Kim tried to piece the situation together, ¡°This faulty wiring truly did catch any of these items on fire, caused a violent chain reaction that ignited everything else that is volatile and...Teacher?¡¯ The young master stopped pacing ¨C because he realized the person he was supposed to be following lagged behind. He would wonder, why was his mentor stuffing his head inside of the car of all things? Wouldn¡¯t the closer you are to the source of the terrible smell, the more pungent? Surely even with N95 Masks, there was no way it could block out 100% of the ¡®cooked¡¯ smell. What distracted Martial Kim from addressing this, was Officer Roland coming over. ¡°I¡ªcough, cough. Uugh.¡± Officer Roland wanted to spit the taste in his mouth, but wearing a mask inside the perimeters of a crime scene had their limits. ¡°I asked around. No one saw anyone around the house, or neighborhood prior and during the incident of the fire. It just went KABOOM, woke everyone out of bed, and 911 was flooded with calls from this area. I double checked the fire reports, no one mentioned of a suspicious person entering or leaving the perimeter. So, looks like this was all an accident.¡± ¡°Officer Roland,¡± Prof. Stone finally spoke up, ¡°Care for a wager?¡± ¡°S-sir? I-isn¡¯t the case rather obvious? Unless, you have some part time experience as a coroner?¡± ¡°Nope. But I am willing to bet, this was no accident. This man was murdered, he was set on fire.¡± Oh? Murdered before set on fire? What proof did the forensic chemist had? What could have been the murder weapon to prove this theory? Martial Kim couldn¡¯t help but wonder, what was this new forensic trick his mentor had yet to show him? Or, could Prof. Stone be bluffing to try and look cool in front of the officer...Nah, it couldn¡¯t be...could it? PAVILION - Chapter 52 (Smoke & Dust) Officer Roland wasn¡¯t a fan of video games, always thought they were a waste of time. That or he was forcefully raised to believed that. Although he knew how to play Chess and Poker, he never really cared much for spending his idle time with such entertainment. Betting, however, was a different story. ¡°Murdered? Before he was set on fire?¡± The officer chuckled and cupped his hands under his bullet proof vest like a hand warmer, ¡°Never took you for a psychic, sir.¡± ¡°No psychic, no parlour tricks,¡± Professor Stone laughed. ¡°How much are you willing to put down, on accident.¡± ¡°Weeeeell...Fifty bucks sounds like a sure win to me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re on.¡± Prof. Stone shook gloved hands with Officer Roland, to seal the deal. Then he asked, ¡°Rather confident in your words. Why is that?¡± ¡°Pffft. Don¡¯t mean to be rude sir, but as Sherlock Holmes would say ¡®it¡¯s Elementary Dear Watson¡¯.¡± Martial Kim cocked his head, like a cat. --- That name. Sherlock Holmes. It keeps coming up, from when I was arrested to even through my forensic studies. I wonder, who is this man they keep referring to ¨C and with much reverence. And is ¡®Watson¡¯ truly Teacher¡¯s full name? Officer Roland show his trump card called a police notebook and opened a specific chapter in his findings, ¡°Burn Victim is a fanatic for cars. Always spends his days fixing, maintaining them, and has done some exceptionally beautiful make overs. Why, he¡¯s done a few favours for their neighbours and helped them to save up some expenses before taking them to a mechanic shop. Now granted, this man is about to enter his 60s, even his last photo had hair whiter than this morning¡¯s snow. I take it, he¡¯s at the age of dropping things or forgetting crucial details and¡ªwell, look what happened to him now.¡± Martial Kim was about to object, or lecture Officer Roland to not jump to conclusion. One half grin from Prof. Stone was enough to keep him in the sideline and zip his lip. Officer Roland adjusted his belt, feeling lucky today, ¡°Not to mention, it¡¯s starting to get more than nippy. No doubt the man had to pull out a heater to keep the garage warm while he worked. Given how old everything is in this garage, no doubt a wire or two got frayed and...Well.¡± The officer exchanged glances with the forensic chemist and young master, both staring back. ¡°What!?¡± Officer Roland yelped, ¡°Come on. I did say no one came in or out of this area last night. No sound of gunshot, even his neighbours didn¡¯t hear any scuffle or fight. Clearly this is any other accident, we get it all the time. I know I¡¯m right on the money!...Also, if you guys would excuse me. Duty calls.¡± Officer Roland stepped out of the conversation, only to come back, ¡°Ah yes, Prof. Stone. Keep that 50 bucks warm for me, will ya?¡± ¡°Oh. Of couuuuurse.¡± Prof. Stone chuckled. Once the officer was out of ear shot, the forensic chemist turned to his protege, ¡°Kim? What do you think?¡± ¡°I believe foul play,¡± Martial Kim answered confidently. ¡°The garage doors, the car and its windows, even the glass bulbs in the lights above us ¨C each and every one of them melted and disfigured. This would require a large amount of heat that cannot be naturally possible. I do not know how potent these flammable objects in this room are, but to create such destruction within a short amount of time ¨C and isolated in just this garage ¨C tells me it was man made.¡± Prof Stone gave the young master a big thumbs up, ¡°Smart boy. I thought the exact same thing when I came in here. With a fire this terrible, the next door neighbours should be lucky it didn¡¯t make it farther than the hedge. And my team mate mentioned: the fire fighters found the garage door closed, or closed position given how it¡¯s melted through like paper. Essentially when the fire started, this entire room acted like a makeshift oven.¡± ¡°In order to raise the temperature and destroy everything. In a short period of time.¡± Martial Kim checked around him. ¡°The question is, was this a means to murder someone in a deadly trap? Or to erase evidence...Actually, teacher. How do you know, if the victim was dead before he was set on fire? Even with my experience, I have trouble telling at a glance.¡± ¡°Magicians never tell the audience their secret! So I¡¯m going to show you.¡± Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Martial Kim usually learned on the field. Acquiring knowledge and insights in the moment had always been an effective learning tool for him, especially when it came to criminal investigation. It is always a good idea to be part of the crime scene to get a feel and clue of what happened. So, the moment he was dragged back to the forensic lab to learn this new answer ¨C it threw him off kilter for a bit. ¡°Teacher...are those...rats?¡± ¡°Yep. Freshly donated from the local science university!¡± Prof. Stone brought a serving of two well roasted rats on a tray. Although serving is a bit of an exaggeration, the young master cannot unsee the sight of these two cooked rodents being brought to him as if it was tonight¡¯s dinner. The forensic chemist set them on a counter top and said, ¡°These are lab rats.¡± ¡°You mean, just sewer rats?¡± ¡°Oh noooo, noooo. Science can be dangerous, so there have been some companies and organizations who breed a certain type of rats or mice which we use for specifically testing. Regular rats out in the world are full of diseases, lice, and what not and would totally ruin the authenticity of experiments.¡± --- Breeding rats? I cannot fathom. They bring plague and misfortune to towns and villages, if not pests. Sure, some doctors use rats they capture to test the efficacy of poisons...but to actually breed them to ¡®study¡¯ and ¡®test¡¯ on...it¡¯s such an absurd concept. There was also one more thing that bothered the young master, ¡°Teacher. Isn¡¯t this a bit inhuman? How burnt they look?¡± Prof. Stone sighed, ¡°Not going to lie, Kim, science is never easy. Sometimes it involves sacrifices and it¡¯s our job to minimize it as much as we can. In saying that, if my theory is right, this sacrifice would become invaluable evidence that no lawyer or judge could ever refute... Y-you get me?¡± ¡°...Yes...a necessary evil.¡± Prof. Stone patted his protege on the back, ¡°So as you can see, we burnt two rats. This one was burnt alive ¨C sorry Kim. Now, look at the insides of its mouth.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all black. Caked with soot.¡± ¡°Exactly. And like any animal in danger it would struggle for its life, correct? As it is trying to escape, the rat would constantly inhale more oxygen than normal, and in doing so it would inhale a lot of ashes and smoke into its lunges. If we conduct a full autopsy, you would see the interior of its lungs would be grey or black as its tongue.¡± ¡°...Right...I see why this was necessary...But why burn two rats alive?¡± ¡°Aha!¡± Prof. Stone chirped as he brought up the second rat, ¡°What do you see inside this second one¡¯s mouth?¡± ¡°Oh! It¡¯s pink. H-how come? Would it not be struggling as well?¡± ¡°Why struggle, when it¡¯s dead to begin with.¡± Prof. Stone¡¯s response spooked the young master so he added, ¡°This second rat was already terminated ¨C humanly of course ¨C before setting it on fire. Because it is dead and unmoving¡ª¡± Martial Kim had realization flicker across his eyes, ¡°No struggle. No quickened breathing. No ashes inside of its mouth!¡± ¡°Exactly, Kim! If the Burnt Victim was really alive when the fire hit him, we would see a ton of ash inside of his nostril and mouth. However, I saw his nose was more or less clean. Even if this man had a talent for holding his breath for hours ¨C why do that when he could have been trying to save himself?¡± The forensic chemist went on to add, ¡°What man alive would casually wait inside of his car for help, surrounding or even consumed by the fire, instead of running for his life? Even the neighbours didn¡¯t hear a cry for help or scream when the fire started. And do you remember, how he was sitting ¡®straight¡¯ in his vehicle. Why, even his entire back was clean of any soot or ashes by the time the coroner cream peeled him off the car.¡± ¡°Indeed Teacher. I see why you were so confident, even going as far as putting a wager with Officer Roland... Ah. Curious, was the victim¡¯s mouth full of ash?¡± ¡°Lips were melted shut,¡± Prof. Stone drummed his fingers on the counter top. ¡°In fact, I¡¯m waiting for a call from the coroner as we speak¡ª¡± Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. ¡°Oh. Speak of the devil.¡± Prof. Stone quickly answered the call. He kept speed running through a lot of the side explanations of the report, in order to skip straight to the one answer he wanted to hear. Was the mouth black with soot, or pink with nothing? Place your bets! PAVILION - Chapter 53 (Smoke & Messages) Officer Roland was 50 bucks poorer that day. Although the victory called for high fives and fist pumps, it was sadly short lived. ¡°Teacher. If you¡¯re right, there¡¯s still a problem.¡± ¡°How can a dead man sit in a car and start a fire...right.¡± Professor Stone and Martial Kim had to dig for the truth, literally. The forensic team brought back as many materials and evidence they could gather from the victim¡¯s garage. Whether they survived or had been pasted against the floor, they were carefully extracted and organized on groups of tables to create one major display the size of a small pool. The two had to do multiple circles to fish out certain items in the pile, trying to search for the right answer despite how well organized and categorized everything was. ¡°Fire fighters confirmed: the flames started with a faulty wire,¡± Prof. Stone said as he shuffled through cooked items, ¡°The best way to hide a murder: everyday accidents.¡± Martial Kim tried to help sifting through everything, but if it wasn¡¯t the fact they were black and well done ¨C he had no freaking clue what each item were or how they worked. So he had to just dig through like a dog, not sure what they were looking for ¨C but wanted to be helpful! ¡°Teacher, what is this?¡± ¡°A portable heater.¡± ¡°And what is this?¡± ¡°A portable heater.¡± ¡°Both of them? But why do they look so different!?¡± Prof. Stone snapped awake from his searching and joined his protege. Martial Kim was struggling between a box like machine and something akin to a small hand held torch. The first thing the forensic chemist did, was pick up the hand held one and waved it around like a concert wand. ¡°Oooooh! This one is one of the newer models, just released two months ago. Yeah. These babies are lighter, easier to use, and doubles as a light source compared to older models. See this dial ¨C god, the numbers melted with each other ¨C yeah this dial controls the intensity of the light...Wait you said there¡¯s both?¡± The investigators then took a look at the one shaped like a box. ¡°Oh my god, this is what my GRANDPARENTS would use. You see Kim, these are more suitable for inside the house than a garage. Heats up like HARD, feels like you¡¯re face is burning within 45 minutes if you sat in front of those ¨C I always hated them... Which is weird, because it¡¯s not THAT cold in the past few days.¡± ¡°Also, Teacher,¡± Martial Kim can¡¯t help tilting his head to examine both heaters like a confused cat, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it make more sense to use the new one, over the old one?¡± ¡°...You¡¯re right. Why, the newer version pretty much makes the second obsolete. So why are there two of them?¡± The forensic investigators isolated those two items to another table so they could get a better look. They also called in some forensic technicians and specialists to help out, thinking there might be big hidden in these two items. Prof. Stone held aloft the small heat/light lamp, ¡°The wire looks relatively new. Even if half melted, no one has found any historical damage to show it was broken or cut prior the fire starting. And these new products usually have a fail safe the moment there is a power leak.¡± As much as Martial Kim wanted to be of use, he had absolutely no clue how the box heater ¨C or any heater for that matter ¨C worked. Switch, dial, wire, everything went through one ear and out the other. And it wasn¡¯t that he was a lazy student who didn¡¯t pay attention, but even if he focused everything was essentially Egyptian to him. ¡°There you are!¡± Prof. Stone cooed. ¡°The wire was cut, very fine. Fortunately the fire didn¡¯t destroy this piece of evidence entirely.¡± ¡°Well this certainly narrows down what happened. The killer murdered the victim, placed them in the car, and activated the heater to cause a fire. Then left.¡± ¡°...........¡± ¡°Teacher, why the frown?¡± ¡°How did the guy leave? Didn¡¯t Officer Roland said, no one saw anyone going in or out of the house last night? Clearly there was no second fire victim, so ¨C how did the killer start a fire and disappear without a trace?...Oh. Dear god, is it that late already!?¡± Martial Kim raised an eyebrow, until he saw the colour of the sky. If it wasn¡¯t a fine amber by the time he looked out the window, it was about to become a deep blue ocean above his head ¨C dark and cold. Prof. Stone clicked his tongue, ¡°As much as I should call it a day, the fact of ¡®how and when¡¯ did the killer start the fire is going to keep me up at night. I feel like, the answer is staring me right in the face... Ah, Kim if you like you can head back and¡ª¡° ¡°I want to continue helping, Teacher.¡± ¡°Really appreciate it Kim, but what about Keekee?¡± ¡°Hmm? What about Miss Keekee?¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Prof. Stone just straight up facepalmed, ¡°Hello. You guys are dating! Wouldn¡¯t she be worried, that you haven¡¯t called or gone home to see her.¡± Martial Kim failed to hide a blush, ¡°I don¡¯t want to interrupt her work. Her responsibilities are too important. However, I could go back to the cabin to let her know I¡¯ll be a little late.¡± ¡°Wait, wait, wait.¡± Prof. Stone had to lunge over the table just to grab his disciple from LITERALLY walking a mile or two on foot to tell someone, ¡°Just send her a text!¡± ¡°A what?¡± Prof. Stone face palmed again. This time he made it his other hand. ¡°Yes, Kim. Text! Please tell, me Keekee taught you!¡± ¡°.............................................................Yes.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t doubt her, but I doubt you!¡± Prof. Stone half laughed half snapped. ¡°My guess she told you but it fell out of your brain through your other ear. Give me your phone, come on!¡± Martial Kim was hesitant. Although he was not fond of struggling to use his phone, he was reluctant to hand it right over. It was HIS phone after all, hate it or not it felt like cutting a piece of his flesh to a stranger. Then again, it was near impossible to say ¡®no¡¯ to his mentor. So he surrendered without a fight. What he didn¡¯t expect was how fast the deed was done. A few thumb taps and boom, message sent and the phone was returned to his hands. Barely more than two and a half blinks. ¡°...Teacher, what are these symbols you added in the bottom of the message?¡± ¡°Oh those are called Emojis. Specifically heart and kisses....Heh.¡± ¡°Ah...Wait¡ªH-heart and kiss¡ªWHAT!?¡± Martial Kim¡¯s eyes were glued to the screen as he had to read the cryptic message 10 times.
¡°TEACHER! H-HOW COULD YOU!?¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome lover boy! Hah!¡± ¡°Quick! D-do something, you have to stop the message! Sh-shoot the magic messenger if you have to! O-or M-Miss Keekee will misunderstand completely!¡± Prof. Stone rolled his eyes, ¡°Kim. Taking it slow is respectable ¨C but if you keep dragging your feet through the mud, you¡¯ll lose your woman to boredom. You gotta roll for initiative, show her you mean business. Take action, be assertive every now and then!¡± ¡°I-I appreciate the advice ¨C but it¡¯s not THAT necessary right now!¡± That¡¯s it! All lines have been crossed! Martial Kim couldn¡¯t handle this embarrassment any longer. He had to set the record straight, now or never! Even if it meant burning a bridge or two, he had to protect Keekee¡¯s pride as a chaste maid! BZZZZZT! BZZZZZT! BZZZZZT! BZZZZZT! ¡°Oh my phone! HELLO? HELLO! MISS KEEKEE! IS THAT YOU!? HELLO!?¡± Prof. Stone face palmed a third time. Yes, with both hands. ¡°Kim, calm down. That¡¯s not your phone. It¡¯s that over there.¡± The forensic chemist pointed to a machine nearby, one of their forensic equipment. Another group of scientists and examiners were trying to pull any finger prints from any surviving materials from the fuming machines. The buzzing noise kept going until one of the technicians pressed a button and opened the door to retrieve samples. ¡°T-Teacher. What was that sound, exactly?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a timer.¡± ¡°A-a timer?¡± ¡°Yeah. Like a microwave or oven, some people set up a timer and when it ends it buzzes................Kim you¡¯re a god damn genius!¡± --- My emotions went in and out of hell in a few blinks of an eye. How is this relevant of me becoming a peerless martial god!? What got Prof. Stone all worked up? The forensic chemist raced back to the table and swept up the old clunker. He gave it a few turns in his hand and cracked a lottery winning grin. ¡°I thought so! Kim come over here! See this dial! It¡¯s a timer!¡± ¡°It is?.......Wh-where is the timer image?¡± ¡°Ah. Right. The timer you see on the fuming machine is digital. This timer is based on analog clock, like the ones in our office. In fact, this old timer functions like adjusting the time on a classic clock face. So whenever it hits a certain time, say 6:30 in the morning or in the night, the heater would automatically turn off and then switch off after a period of time!¡± ¡°.........¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you see Kim!? This is how you can start a fire, remotely!¡± ¡°OH! You mean, like a time-based automated trap?¡± ¡°...SURE! Sounds close enough!¡± Prof. Stone shook at the clunker of a heater as if a magic eight ball! ¡°This is how no one saw anyone coming or going from the Burn Victim¡¯s house during the incident. After some set up beforehand, the device can independently switch on, leak power through the cut wire, onto something super flammable, and start a chain reaction!¡± ¡°A-and the killer could have formed an alibi by the time the flame began...¡± Martial Kim gasped, ¡°How fiendish. Who could it be!?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s an answer left for the detective ¨C but!¡± Prof. Stone whipped off his gloves and tagged his protege to follow him, ¡°Time to pull an all nighter to narrow down suspects for her! It would take a certain level of intelligence and understanding of electronics to pull this off, so we¡¯ll focus on that area!¡± ¡°Indeed! I¡¯m right behind you Teacher!¡± ¡°Good man!¡± In all the excitement and eagerness to seek justice for a stranger, Martial Kim failed to realize something far more important was waiting for him in the future. PAVILION - Chapter 54 (Freebirds Calling) What was night life like in the modern city? Martial Kim always wondered. Usually he would sleep in early, because that was what everyone in the Jade Empire would do. The moment the farmer finishes his work ion the fields and fill his belly with a warm meal, he flops to bed and snores. Even the most genteel of scholars would read a book or two until their eyes feel heavy, puff out the candle and sleep in their bed before the leaping moon leaves the tip of the mountains... ...That, and there really was nothing much to do when night fell. Life in the Jade Empire wasn¡¯t like the 24/7 casinos of Las Vegas, Lan Gwai Fong bar streets in Hong Kong, or even the nightly luaus for Hawaiian tourists. Besides, everyone grew up believing only assassins, vagrants, vagabonds, ruffians, or even criminals would lurk in the shadows of the night. To carry out misdeeds that should never see the light of day. So, Martial Kim didn¡¯t know what category to flag such a ¡®naughty man¡¯ like Professor Stone, who was well past his ¡®bed time¡¯. ¡°Teacher, what was this place called again?¡± ¡°Cheers and Beers Pub. My favourite place to hang out after a long day of work. Come to think of it, Kim, I should have brought you here sooner. I had an inkling you would love places like this!¡± The young master had travelled far and wide during his early days wandering the lands of the martial arts world. He had his fair share of visiting tea houses that serve in-house liquor, hearty taverns, and of course the numerous winehouses on and off the roads. With those memories and experience in mind, how else would Moon Tavern thrive in the Capital City. Why, it even evolved to become a gathering place for many martial arts masters, young and senior, to bring their sworn brothers and sister to celebrate life and victory, or even rivals touching wine cups to resolves disputes. So looking at things right now, this hang out also doubled as a good learning opportunity. The young master was captivated by the design, the architecture, the clients that the pub served, and the functionality of this food and alcohol service. --- That window hanging above the bar, is that what i think it is? A television? I thought they usually reside in the house? Out here in public, wouldn¡¯t it be a distraction? And why is everyone crowded around it, as if a courtesan was dancing with her clothes off? And what is with their cheering, the moving images simply projects a man kicking a ball into a net. What is so fascinating about that? And the noise, gods! Still the atmosphere was decent, don¡¯t you think. Professor Stone seemed to agree with that. ¡°Come on Kim, raise a glass! To Beer o¡¯Clock!¡± ¡°To uh...Beer o¡¯Clock?¡± German Lager. Nothing like the rice wine he had drank back in the Jade Empire ¨C and he was a fanatic about wine. This alcohol had a strong and curious flavour that swirled in his mouth, making him smack and lick the foam off his lips with mixed delight...well mixed because-- --- What did they ferment in this drink? Clearly not rice, the taste is completely different... I wonder, if they even use the same process. It¡¯s completely different even to the red wine Teacher shared with me. Curious, most curious. I wonder, even if I do figure out the key ingredient, would I be able to replicate this drink with normal means? The drinks, the cheers, the singing, and the haze in the air was quiet a scene. Never before had the young master seen such chaos and melancholy mixed in with joy and relaxation. Loud, mostly loud, louder than any vagabond back home...but it was fun. In saying that, Prof. Stone had this worried look on his face after downing half his drink. ¡°Come on, Kim. You still can¡¯t let it go?¡± ¡°...Teacher. The Burn Victim was killed over an inheritance. By his own flesh and blood brother. Do you really think, I can truly put this case to rest in my heart?¡± ¡°Yes. Yes, I know you¡¯re not used to this type of thing, but killing for family fortune has ¨C and possibly always will be ¨C a major motivation of murder in our society. Too common to be funny.¡± ¡°Fratricide, Teacher. It was fratricide. All for the sake of wealth?¡± ¡°Brother or not, being neck deep in debt can spur a man to do all sorts of strange things. If it¡¯s not for money, it can be for women, or even petty revenge. And you should forget about it, Kim. File is closed and done, the suspect arrested and will be put to trial soon. We¡¯ve done our duty.¡± ¡°Still...¡± ¡°Kim. I brought you to my favourite pub to celebrate our success. Not mope and grope.¡± ¡°....¡± ¡°What!? It rhymes!¡± ¡°Teacher. You¡¯re drunk.¡± Martial Kim sipped his beer. He had more things to say, to get it off his chest, but in the end he knew he shouldn¡¯t be the one to spoil the party. So he did what his mentor always taught him: roll with the punches. ¡°By the way, lover boy.¡± Prof. Stone popped some roasted peanuts into his mouth. ¡°When are you tying the knot with Keekee?¡± Martial Kim choked, ¡°Teacher! Wh-what are you talking about?¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°You know perfectly well what I mean. Surely you two lovebirds have reached the stage where you go down on a knee and ask her the big question, right?¡± ¡°..........¡± ¡°...Kim. Why the stare?...Don¡¯t tell me you completely forgot about Keekee!?¡± ¡°Of course not. I just do not see myself in her future.¡± ¡°Tell me straight. Is this a fling for you?¡± ¡°NO! Absolutely not! I-I respect Miss Keekee, as an equal! N-not as an object of, of...raw intimacy!¡± Although Prof. Stone had some faith, he still couldn¡¯t keep a sigh from coming out, ¡°Kim. Kim, Kim, Kim. I respect the fact you are taking things nice and slow, worthy of praises ¨C but if you keep dragging your feet in the mud, you¡¯ll lose your girl to boredom!¡± Martial Kim didn¡¯t realize he was stammering at this point, ¡°N-nonsense! Miss Keekee and I get along just fine as they are.¡± ¡°¡®Fine¡¯ my foot. When was the last time you two been on a date?¡± ¡°...................¡± ¡°Movie night out?¡± ¡°...................¡± ¡°Dinner at some fancy Italian restaurant?¡± ¡°What is Italian, Teacher? A district?¡± Prof. Stone face palm, breaking his personal record of face palm collections. ¡°Oh my god, Kim. Do you want to be single?¡± Martial Kim just pouted, not commenting on this dangerous question. ¡°You got to do something for your lady. Else she feels you don¡¯t care. Doesn¡¯t have to be grandiose, or expensive, something as simple as giving her flowers, o-or telling her how much you love her. Even a peck on the cheek...make her feel wanted!¡± ¡°I do make her feel wanted.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°By protecting her.¡± ¡°Hah. Is that all you can think about? Your Kung Fu?...Give me your phone...Give me your phone, that¡¯s an order!¡± Although Martial Kim could easily flip the forensic chemist off his bar stool, over the bar counter, and into a cupboard under the desk...he surrendered his phone with difficulty. Prof. Stone swiped it up and he pressed some buttons. Before anyone could stop, or change his mind, he pushed it back to Martial Kim. The screen glowing with some words the young master had to squint to read. ¡°I called Keekee for you. You¡¯re welcome.¡± ¡°TEACHER! YOU¡¯RE REALLY DRUNK! THIS IS BEYOND THE PALE!¡± Prof. Stone hooked an arm around his protege while waiting through the ringing, ¡°Kim. Oh my buddy Kim. We have a chance to turn this around in your favour. Tell Keekee that you miss her and invite her out to drinks! Why in fact, a whole dinner set! I haven¡¯t had any food since we sealed the deal on the Burn Victim, so let¡¯s all eat out tonight!¡± Martial Kim was trying to figure out how to cancel the call, but being the peerless martial arts cultivator that he was ¨C he failed miserably. And it wasn¡¯t like the phone had meridians he could poke and freeze it with an Acupoint Pressure Move, that would be silly. ¡°T-Teacher. I-it¡¯s late. I don¡¯t want to disturb her rest!¡± ¡°What do you mean late, Kim? It¡¯s only 9:45 PM. We still got time to get some food and party at a club until 1 in the morning. Not like we got work tomorrow.¡± ¡°S-still, Teacher this isn¡¯t a good idea! What if she says no and¡ª¡± The ringing stopped, because a voice picked up the call. [Keekiriiii! Wassup, it¡¯s your best friend Keekee!¡ª] ¡°M-Miss Keekee! A-apologies for disturbing you. I¡ªEr, Teacher and I were wondering if¡ª¡± [¡ªso leave your message after the tone. Beep.] BEEP. ¡°OW! M-Miss Keekee, you don¡¯t need to make a loud noise like that......Miss Keekee? Miss Keekee hello? Miss¡ªT-Teacher. Why are you taking my phone away? D-didn¡¯t you want me to call her out?¡± ¡°Kim. It¡¯s a voice mail.¡± ¡°...And?¡± ¡°Meaning, call again until she picks up. Don¡¯t take no for an answer! Be assertive!¡± Martial Kim never felt this cornered in his life. It was like the fighting tiger inside of him chose to say ¡®Welp, I guess I¡¯ll die then¡¯. His hands were shaking trying to hit the dial button over and over, palms sweating close to puddles or a tiny river if this kept up. Every ring, every voice mail, every heart beat nearly drove the young master mad. And all he was doings was calling out a girl for drinks. [Keekiriiii! Wassup, it¡¯s your best friend Keekee! A little tied up right now, so leave your message after the tone. Beep.] BEEP. [Keekiriiii! Wassup, it¡¯s your best friend Keekee! A little tied up right now, so leave your message after the tone. Beep.] BEEP. [Keekiriiii! Wassup, it¡¯s your best friend Keekee! A little tied up right now, so leave your message after the tone. Beep.] BEEP. ¡°Kim! Kim!¡± cried Prof. Stone as he reached over to his protege, ¡°That¡¯s enough. Do you want to blow up her voice mail?¡± ¡°...Teacher. I have no hidden weapon nor skill to make a remote detonation.¡± Prof. Stone cracked a heavy sigh. He stole his protege¡¯s phone once more, only this time instead of dialing he was typing with his thumb. A few seconds and he gave it back to the young master, and took a sip of his beer as a reward. ¡°...TEACHER! PLEASE STOP SENDING MORE KISSING AND HEART SYMBOLS TO MISS KEEKEE! I-if this continues, I-I may have to marry her on principle now!¡± (Oh. How scandalous of you, Martial Kim, to be ¡®flirting with a girl through text¡¯. Oh la la.) ¡°P-Please," the young master pleaded, as if for mercy, "Can you cancel this message again! Before it reaches Miss Keekee¡¯s eyes!¡± ¡°Rule number one Kim,¡± Prof. Stone hummed. ¡°If the girl don¡¯t pick up the phone, send in the marines.¡± ¡°...The what!?¡± ¡°I meant text. Sorry, Beer o''clock got me a bit. Everyone looks at their text, it¡¯s innate. It¡¯s kind of like baiting a fish with a live worm or goading a greedy man with gold coins.¡± ¡°Both are completely different creatures to begin with! I can¡¯t just¡ªOOF!¡± Oh dear god. What ran into our young master? It seems, the young master had a sudden encounter with a fair maiden...but... Was this person a jade skinned beauty touched by the heavens?...Or a timeless ghost? PAVILION - Chapter 55 (Freedoms Ghost) ¡°Teacher. Is it the beer playing tricks on my eyes, or is a Ghost trying to flirt with me.¡± ¡°...Oh. My. God. It¡¯s Candy Bloom!¡± ¡°Th-that doesn¡¯t answer my concerns!¡± Martial Kim had to rub his eyes multiple times before he could trust in what he was seeing. Standing right next to him was a lady in white. A coil of satin cloth of the highest value hugging the curves of her body (how envious). A curtain gloss of natural curls hanging down her bare shoulders and the valley of her spine. Rouge danced upon on her full lips as graceful as a ballet. And the icing on the cake was this expensive wide brim hat holding cloth roses. A mysterious beauty so alluring, every eyes were set upon her ¨C be it male or female. And that body of hers, the perfect incarnation of the Golden Ratio. That Bust (Cat call) Those Waists (Cat caaaaall) Them Hips (CAAAAAT CAAAAAALL! HELLO NURSE!) ¡°...Teacher, is this woman your lover? Why are you staring at her as if she was an oasis in a dry desert?¡± ¡°What? N-no! Ssssh! She¡¯s celebrity! An actress! Granted she¡¯s not A-Class, but she¡¯s reaaaaally good in the movies and television drama I watch. This woman is the living personification of femme fatale!¡± ¡°...Femme what?¡± ¡°Later, Kim! Ssssh! She¡¯s talking. You have no idea how much I love hearing her voice on screen! Quiet quiet!¡± --- Teacher, I didn¡¯t say anything! The woman in white, this Candy Bloom, would make side glances at the two investigators. A touch of amusement lifting up the corner of her lips. The moment she and Martial Kim made eye contact, she blessed him with a wink and secret kiss gesture. It was to die for. --- Why am I feeling shivers climbing up my spine? Martial Kim had all sorts of emotions mixed up in his stomach, so he tried to drown it out with a casual sip of his beer. ...Speaking of mixing up. Miss Candy Bloom was thirsty. Without words or even a hand wave, she acquired the attention of the bartender by tapping the hardcover of her lipstick onto the table ¨C like the gavel of a judge. ¡°Bartender. Delight me with a Caesar Martini.¡± ...A wot? ¡°Oh come now,¡± Candy Bloom maintained the facade of a refined beauty, but there was spite gliding in her voice. ¡°Does your establishment not have raving reviews? Don¡¯t tell me, a pub like this can¡¯t make such a simple drink?...Hah. Not on the menu you say? Then it seems clear how far this pub can survive in this world.¡± --- Can¡¯t expect anything less from an experienced actress. With only a few words, a shift of her body and tone, and she can command her audience to obey her ever whim... I pity the fool who has the gall to marry such woman, let along be silly enough to fall for such a mountain flower above the clouds. ¡°Teacher. You¡¯re drooling.¡± ¡°What? No! No! I-it¡¯s the celery sticks. Full of water you know!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a carrot your nibbling.¡± Candy Bloom seemed to have used a fisherman¡¯s approach against the bartender. A little pull, slack, pull, slack, puuuuulll, slack¡ªAnd waited for the opportune moment to convince him with a hum in her voice. ¡°That¡¯s better. I am glad we can come to an arrangement,¡± Candy Bloom felt a bit bored, so she entertained herself by stealing a fresh cherry from the top of another man¡¯s drink. ¡°You might want to write this down, might do you some good...Readyyyy?¡± The way the woman in white said those words sent chills racing up and down Martial Kim¡¯s spine. So he used his internal meditation skills to try and block her out...or to avoid any human reaction to such a bombshell¡ªer jade skinned beauty. He was a genteel martial scholar, after all. He should not think of such vile bombshells¡ªer temptations! ¡°2 oz of infused vodka, 1 oz Clamato juice; 1/2 oz dry vermouth, 2 dashes of hot sauce, 3 dashes of Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, paint the rim with celery salt, smoked paprika, and garnish with bacon strips ¨C crispy.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Martial Kim did a double take ¨C mentally. ¡°Teacher. This woman, is she ordering a drink, or a full course dinner?¡± ¡°No, no. She¡¯s ordering something to drink. Very good taste, I might say.¡± ¡°...You put sauce and food, in your wine!? D-did the people here mix it into our beers!?¡± Prof. Stone nearly spat his drink out, ¡°What!? N-no! Tha-that¡¯s completely different! She¡¯s ordering a cocktail! It usually involves mixing liquors and spirits, along with a touch of other flavours ¨C fruits and vegetables ¨C to spice up the taste you know. You should try some one day!¡± ¡°You say that, but the thought of mixing Oyster Sauce inside of a Peace Blossom Rich Wine is making my stomach do flips only a Bodhisattva could pull off!¡± After a few trial and errors, Candy Bloom finally got her drink. To be honest, it didn¡¯t look as good as anyone would expect, neither was it that terrible. As for the taste, was it really good? Well, no one will know as Candy Bloom took her drink to sit in a booth ¨C in private. Every now and then she would sip her drink and enjoy the music and atmosphere, never once making an ugly face. Mostly because she knew a lot of eyes were on her, appreciating...God¡¯s work on her body¡ªer visage. ¡°Teacher.¡± Martial Kim can¡¯t help but eye the woman, not like the others with temptation in their eyes, ¡°Is this woman drunk before she stepped in? To order such an outlandish drink?¡± Prof. Stone ordered a second round of beer, ¡°Ha. You say that, but she was practically reciting a whole cook book down to the exact order and measurements.. Even corrected the bartender a few times. Sounds sober to me.¡± ¡°Still...sauce and food INSIDE your drink!?¡± ¡°Wait till you try a Screwdriver. You¡¯ll never go back to a regular drink.¡± ¡°Teacher. Isn¡¯t that a tool we found in the workshop where the Drain Victim died.¡± ¡°...Way to kill the mood Kim. I wish Keekee was here...Speaking of which. Has she called back?¡± Good question. Martial Kim fumbled for his phone and he did his best to check. After a few pointers, he was able to check how to UNDERSTAND how call history works. Prof. Stone hummed, ¡°Strange. It¡¯s already 10:15 PM and not a peep from her... Kim. Are you sure you didn¡¯t say anything to piss her off before?¡± Martial Kim surrendered, even when he did nothing wrong, ¡°Of course not! I¡¯ve been busy with the Burn Victim case, I never had a chance to properly speak to her at all!¡± ¡°There! That¡¯s the problem! You put career ahead of your girl! You¡¯re definitely going to become single, Kim! Mark my word!¡± ¡°Teacher, please! I...I need a moment. To wash my face. The beer.¡± ¡°Hey! Hey come back here you coward! Don¡¯t use the bathroom as an excuse to walk away from me! Kiiiiiim!.......Hah. Silly boy.¡± Prof. Stone shook his head and downed his beer. Since he was alone, and Candy Bloom wasn¡¯t looking, he released a short burp. Man, he really needed that, after a long day work. ¡°...Cute kids, both of them...Wish I was young and in love...sigh.¡± Ring Ring. Ring Ring. Ring Ring. Ring Ring. Ring Ring. Prof. Stone knew a phone was ringing under all the loud pub music and cheering soccer / football fans. He also knew it wasn¡¯t his phone. The reason why he ignored the ringtone, was because Martial Kim left his phone on the table next to him. It kept shaking, singing, and vibrating. Every time. Non stop. The name Keekee glowing on the screen. Ah, how cute. Seems she set up a double selfie of herself and Martial Kim as the caller ID image. ¡°Pffftt. Kim looks like he got punched by a horse.......I shouldn¡¯t pick it up. His privacy...But damn it, talk about bad timing.¡± Prof. Stone kept glancing at the bathroom alley. The second he would see his protege he would flag him down. But he started to wonder if the young master got lost within those simple 10 steps. ¡°Screw it¡ªHyello? Keekee? You got out messages? Are you free right now?¡± [........] ¡°Keekee? Hello? You there?¡± [...Are you Kim?] Oh? A man¡¯s voice? Prof. Stone thought it came from the speakers in the pub, whoever the hell was using the open mic night, or even the bartender mumbling about Caesar Martini. After eliminating all those external factors, he plugged his other ear to listen carefully. ¡°Who is this? What have you done to Keekee?¡± [Hey pal. I¡¯m the one asking the questions here. Are you the one named Kim?] ¡°...Wait a minute. I know that voice...Officer McNabb. Is that you? I-it¡¯s me, Stone from forensics! We met a few months back.¡± [Stone?...Oh yeaaaah. Back in the mountains, the Belt Rapist case. You work with Fraulein¡¯s team.] ¡°Yeah! That¡¯s it! Now, officer. The phone you¡¯re using belongs to a friend of mine. Where is the owner? Is she in trouble? Arrested or¡ª¡± [Tip of the iceberg.] The more the forensic chemist listened to the officer on the phone, the more the word ¡®worse¡¯ was written on his face. He wasted no time to end the call and bolted into the men¡¯s bathroom. Literally kicked the door open to scream. ¡°KIM! KEEKEE IS IN TROUBLE! GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE SINK, LET¡¯S GO!¡± And it was only tonight did he realize ¨C just how damn fast the young master can run when he¡¯s 100% serious. ¡°KIM! MY CAR IS THAT WAY, DON¡¯T FLY OFF THE ROOF!¡± PAVILION - Chapter 56 (Freebirds Bed) Room 3025. Room 3025. Room 3025. Room 3025¡ªWhere was it!? Martial Kim raced through the hallway of the building, receiving gasps and yells in his wake. He couldn¡¯t stop and apologize, neither could he patiently wait for people to clear his way. So he used every flying skill and evasive maneuver to hop over and slide under beds being carted around and flipping through crowds of staff and what not. 3023, 3024, 3025, 3026, 3037¡ªWait, wait, go back! Go back! It was thanks to his mistake, Professor Stone was finally able to catch up ¨C the wind completely knocked out of him. ¡°Kim! Kim! This is a hospital! You can¡¯t go running around like that! Neither can you poke your head into every room like that and spook the patients! Calm down or they¡¯ll call security on you!¡± ¡°Teacher, Miss Keekee is right there!¡± Martial Kim gasped and pointed at the entrance of the room only one step in front of him. ¡°She is right inside. Why are you stopping me from entering? A-and what are you making me wear!? I-I already have clothing on!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you see the sign on her door? All visitors MUST wear protective gown and masks before entering! If you don¡¯t, they¡¯ll just kick you out!¡± ¡°Teacher. I have faced all sorts of plagues and diseases, yet here I stand fit as an erhu fiddle. I doubt I would succumb to whatever sickness is ailing her right now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s for HER protection.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°Keekee just came out of surgery. Her immune system is weaker than most people. Something as simple as the common cold could kill her right now. If we walk in as is, we¡¯ll accidentally bring in all sorts of germs, virus, and bacteria that would make her condition worse.¡± ¡°Th-then I will take a thorough bath. As hot of water as necessary, three times if needed!¡± ¡°As thoughtful as that sounds, Kim, do you really have the patience to do all that. Right now?¡± Martial Kim felt his tongue got cut out. Prof. Stone felt the dilemma, so he made the decision clearer by gesturing the protective gown, ¡°Come on Kim. This is the best way for everyone.¡± ¡°...Yes, Teacher.¡± If elevators made him felt like he was trapped in a moving coffin, being bound up in this personal protective equipment (PPE) felt like he was forced to live in a caterpillar¡¯s cocoon. It was tight, stuffy, and constricting. It also felt awkward to move and walk in it. Not to mention, it was a robe you put on ¡®backwards¡¯ so this made it all the more uncanny for the young master. And he¡¯s not going to mention the fabric of this so called gown. Just slipping in one arm into the sleeve and he tore a gap in the elbow and wrist. How can such a flimsy layer be praised as a perfect barrier for infection!? It made no logical sense, not to the young master anyhow. ...But rules are rules. And he knew if you break them, you get kicked out. That is the last thing he wanted right now. Death and dying. Martial Kim was no stranger to the idea. He wouldn¡¯t like to call it as a friend. In the great and chaotic Martial Arts World, warriors live and die by the fist, sword, and spear, in their pursuits to becoming the next martial legend of the generation. What sort of martial arts sects could be born without some bloodshed? What sacrifices could be made without trading one life for another? And who had not lost a sworn brother or sister in the tides of battle and conflict? Wise elders often say: when the time comes, one should welcome death with a fresh pot of tea and a board ready for one last round of Weiqi Chess. To the young master, he heard this philosophy too many times to count. It came to the point of being second nature. But everything turned inside out when he walked into Room 3025. The fun loving Keekee laid motionless in her hard bed. Trapped under layers of blankets, so thick and heavy it felt like it would crush her frail body at the drop of a feather. Her entire life chained to tubes and wires crawling all over her body like centipedes would in the dirt, strange needles piercing and blemishing her chaste flesh. Any more bandages on her body and the young master would have mistaken her for a Skeleton Demon. The only sound he could hear from her was the hissing and heaving from her ventilator, along with the cold chirps of the heart monitor making small and weak lips on the screen. ¡°M...Miss Keekee...¡± Remorse and guilt dragged Martial Kim to his knees and he braced against the patient¡¯s bed. No amount of Inner Energy Skill or training could give him the energy to stand back up. Oh so many words swarmed into his mouth, but not a single sound could come out. The letters kept buzzing in his throat, over and over like a fly waiting for a land to touch rotten meat.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Miss Keekee...W-who could have done this to you? Please, please wake up and tell me!¡± ¡°K-Kim,¡± Prof. Stone tried to touch his protege on the shoulder, but was scared to trigger something by accident, ¡°No one hurt her. It was an accident.¡± ¡°An accident? An accident!? Teacher, do you have eyes that cannot see? She¡¯s practically half dead! Look at the damage upon her body. You call being assaulted until she is hanging on a thread a simple accident!?¡± ¡°I meant she wasn¡¯t attacked, not intentionally. I can assure you.¡± ¡°Then tell me, what accident could cripple her like this!? Don¡¯t tell me someone ¡®accidentally¡¯ bumped into her and she just so happened to be walking down the stairs? Miss Keekee isn¡¯t reacting to my calls!¡± As much as Prof. Stone wanted to spend the time to explain, he felt it would be nothing more than talking to a wall preparing for a great siege. So he decided to focus on other things, maybe figure out what happened...After he dealt with this brand new problem! ¡°Kim! Wait! Wh-what are you doing? D-don¡¯t pull that! Stop!¡± ¡°Teacher! Can¡¯t you see Miss Keekee is suffocating. Look at what they shoved into her mouth in her sleep. Shameful, most shameful! And these wires piercing her skin, what are they injecting? Poison?¡± ¡°Hear me out Kim! That¡¯s her ventilator! If you pull that out, she¡¯ll really suffocate!¡± ¡°Wh-what? Can¡¯t she breathe on her own?¡± Prof. Stone made sure all the tubes and wiring were not broken before answering, ¡°This hose is directly inserted into her mouth, down her throat, and right where her trachea is. It¡¯s pumping air in and out, as a mechanical assistance to breathe. As crude as it sounds, she¡¯s suffered too much damage to be able to breath independently!¡± --- You mean...if Teacher hadn¡¯t stopped me...I... The Knight-Errant nearly committed murder, that was what he was thinking right now. Over and over, the words ¡®I could have killed her¡¯ haunted him and his conscious. He tucked himself into the corner of the room, afraid of what else he may accidentally do to put Keekee in harms way. ¡°It¡¯s okay Kim,¡± Prof. Stone consoled his protege, ¡°It¡¯s alright. You didn¡¯t do anything bad. And those wires in her arm, they¡¯re I.V. lines....Er, intravenous. Essentially, it¡¯s feeding liquid medications into her body to keep her fluid balance up and....J-just trust me when I say, this is all helping her right now. S-so don¡¯t pull anything out. Please!¡± ¡°I swear, I will do no such thing! Not anymore!...So long as Miss Keekee is safe.¡± ¡°Good. Good man.¡± Prof. Stone finally let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Kim. I know you¡¯re scared right now and there¡¯s a lot of things you don¡¯t understand. I won¡¯t blame you, Keekee won¡¯t blame you. So I need you to do EXACTLY as I say while we¡¯re here. Okay? To avoid doing anything that would make you regret later...Alright?¡± ¡°...Yes! I will listen to Teacher. Every order.¡± ¡°Thank you Kim. Now, you stay here and keep Keekee company. You can hold her hand if you like, but don¡¯t touch anything else around her bed, okay? I¡¯ll go talk to the police who brought her here, figure out the full story and speak with the doctor...Can you hold the fort for a bit?¡± ¡°Be it 1000 soldiers or 1000 assassins, I will protect Miss Keekee with my life!¡± ¡°N-no. You don¡¯t have to fight anyone to the death! I-it was a figure of speech¡ªJust keep and eye on her. No fighting. Be right back.¡± As much as Prof. Stone loved his protege, there were times where it can be difficult to shrug off the things he say or respond. He had no need to be in a rush, not like the doctors could give anything conclusive so soon, but the forensic chemist felt compelled to get speed run getting answers and return back to base as soon as he could ¨C else disaster would strike. Meanwhile, Martial Kim held the fort... figuratively speaking. --- Teacher said not to make any noise to avoid disturbing Miss Keekee...yet how does anyone expect her to sleep, with all this noise racing to and fro around her room. In fact, do you even call this a proper resting room? Her ¡®door¡¯ is nothing more than a flimsy curtain. Welcome to a modern emergency room. Chaos more brilliant than the martial arts world. Despite the racket, the only sound that bothered Martial Kim the most was the hissing and heaving of the ventilators. It sounded like she was drowning in water, quicksand, and a mud pit ¨C combined ¨C and every now and then she could only scrape a few mouths of air when she struggles. It also made Martial Kim feel, every rasp was her last...until the next rasp...and the next rasp...and the next. Worse, he couldn¡¯t reach out to pull her out of danger. He had to let the suffering continue... continue... continue. --- Miss Keekee. Oh dear Miss Keekee. What could you have done to enrage the heavens to punish you like this? Such a harmless soul, innocent as the grass, yet trampled over until buried in the mud. You don¡¯t deserve this torment. Painful times like this, there wasn¡¯t more a friend or family could do. Other than touch the patient¡¯s face, stroke her head, or even hold her hand. Martial Kim can¡¯t do something like that. --- I am not her kin, neither her lover ¨C despite what everyone believes. As much as I wish her well, worry for her, I can¡¯t be brazen enough to touch her, be it the cheek or her fingers. It would be no different, than taking advantage of her while she is vulnerable. Oh Martial Kim. How much he wished to give some form of assurance to Keekee, alas he was bound by his morals. He couldn¡¯t break propriety, even if it felt like the right thing to do. --- In Moon Tavern, I have the necessary medicine, acupuncture needles, and many experts in Inner Energy Healing and medical arts that could come to my beck and call. Now, I have nothing. Not even a proper apothecary in town I could trust. And my Dragon Tooth Needles can only do so much, especially with my cultivation reduced by half. How useless I have become, nothing more than a lump sitting next to her bed... No, I can¡¯t sulk or fret, not right now. The young master pondered...and pondered...and pondered. If it wasn¡¯t the fact he had a few rounds of beer, it was both past his usually sleeping hours ¨C and dear god the nightly racket in the emergency room was giving him a headache. Can¡¯t think straight. What should he do under such familiar circumstances?...Wait. Why did he thought this was familiar? This was the first time he¡¯s been in such a modern hospital, and being in this foreign patient room closed off by a thin curtain. In fact everything was different, even the wires and tubes stuck to Keekee¡¯s body. Yet, why is it every time the young master eyed the unconscious film assistant, he felt this odd sense of nostalgia. Why does he keep thinking about her...No not Keekee. Her.... --- Wait...Her......Her....Yes. Of course, Her! Why didn¡¯t I think of this sooner!?¡± What did Martial Kim figure out? Who is this ¡®Her¡¯? What part of thinking about another woman could help remedy this situation!? PAVILION - Chapter 57 (Freebirds Patrolman) Professor Stone was no stranger to a modern hospital, unlike the clueless Martial Kim. Granted, he doesn¡¯t make it a habit to visit one on a daily basis but he was familiar with how things operated. So when the young master was struggling with all the noise, the chaos, and the running around, the forensic chemist merely took things in stride, literally. He would brace his back to the wall to allow nurses and hospital staff to push patient beds down the hall; leap out of the way when a team of expert nurses and doctors race to address a heart failure protocol; and pretty much knew the layout of the hospital to avoid winding up in the basement by accident. In his stride, he came across a familiar face. No, they were not a patient ¨C god forbid. ¡°Oh. Officer McNabb, from Motor Patrol right?¡± ¡°Nice to see you again, Prof. Stone...well I shouldn¡¯t say ¡®nice¡¯, not exactly, but you get what I mean, right?¡± The forensic chemist encountered fellow police officers, clad in reflective neon yellow jackets and carrying pearl-white helmets under an arm or two. Prof. Stone chanced upon them standing idle around the water cooler. Well idle may not have been a suitable description ¨C they seem to be vigilant, as if someone in their care was about to get shot...or escape. Most of the medical staff and visitors would stay clear of them, as if they were the living plague. Prof. Stone on the other hand dared to approach them, and even ask them an important question. Just, he didn¡¯t expect an equally vital answer. ¡°What!? Keekee got hit by a car?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the gist of it,¡± The Motor Patrolman would nod, albeit a bit solemn, ¡°By the time my partner and I arrived at the scene, boy it was bad. Like something straight out of a movie. Found her body sprawled on the asphalt. The entire hood looked like a rhino sat on it and the cracks on the windshields still make my skin crawl.¡± ¡°Who did this? Why?¡± ¡°Taxi Driver. Claimed he just dropped off some clients and was on his way back to his agency¡¯s garage, to trade his car for the night shift driver. Then all of a sudden, the victim was said to have ¡®bolted right out of the woods¡¯ and in front of his vehicle on the road. Next thing they knew, both of them were deer in a headlights. Then BOOM... As for why? Well from what I gather, purely accident.¡± Prof. Stone nodded along, trying to be neutral as he gathered more information, ¡°What makes you say that?¡± The Motor Patrolman was used to carrying multiple things while clipping his helmet under an arm. He expertly flipped out his police notebook to the right page and read off his notes, ¡°After examining the tire tracks and the angle of impact, along with force ¨C yaddy yada ¨C we¡¯re able to estimate the Taxi Driver did attempt to stop, but it was too late. We got some of your experts in traffic forensics looking into some factors if the man was speeding or right under the limit.¡± ¡°Were there any cameras that caught sight of this?¡± ¡°Hah. If there was, I wouldn¡¯t be scratching my head in how to report this to my higher ups. Nothing, not even so much as a speed camera. Barely has enough street lights if you ask me.¡± ¡°Any witnesses? Other vehicles or sightings of vehicles other than the taxi?¡± ¡°Wh-whoa, now, hold on. Prof. Stone. When did the new Chief Commissioner promote you to detective?¡± Prof. Stone sighed. He half expected to hit a wall, probably sooner than later. ¡°The victim is a friend of mine.¡± ¡°Oh shit.¡± And that was enough for the Motor Patrolman to cut some slack on roles and status, ¡°We had several squads to sweep the road from where he dropped off the clients to hitting the girl. We even went past Badger¡¯s Bridge, where he was going to to get back into town. No signs of any vehicle. When we arrived, it was just the Taxi Driver, his busted vehicle, and the vic¡ªyour friend.¡± The forensic chemist had to sweep a hand over his face and bald head to double check if this was a bad dream or not, ¡°Was there a bike?¡± ¡°A...bike? Like an actual bike, or a motor bike you¡¯re asking?¡± ¡°My friend, the victim, she usually commutes by bicycle. Rarely travels without it. Anything like that?¡± The Motor Patrolman double checked with his partner. After a lengthy conversation, the answer was, ¡°Just the girl. No bike. I mean, who misses a bike half buried in a ditch or whatever.¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°The Taxi Driver, was he drunk? Under influence of a drug?¡± ¡°Breathlyzer came back negative for alcohol. I even had him do the ¡®walk a straight line¡¯ and ¡®balance on one leg¡¯ test. Drug wise, the nurse did a blood test on him and waiting for the results. Otherwise, 100% sober... Now granted, the man is shaken up. He looked like he sat on his favourite cat to death and can¡¯t forgive himself...if you get what I mean.¡± ¡° Prof. Stone added rubbing the back of his neck to his habits of anxiety as he tried to put a clear image in his head. Usually he would have a decent picture of the whole incident in his head...but he wasn¡¯t sure if it was his concern for Keekee ¨C or Martial Kim¡¯s feelings for that matter ¨C that was making his brain processors lag. ¡°This Taxi Driver. Where is he right now? At the police station?¡± ¡°Oh no, he¡¯s here. In the hospital.¡± ¡°...Please don¡¯t tell me he is ALSO in a coma?¡± ¡°Hah. He wish,¡± The Motor Patrolman wanted to snort, but took back what he said when he remembered what professionalism meant, ¡°I mean, the man is so shell shocked he wished he was out cold right now. Nerves so bad, my partner and I had to carry him to get him admitted to the hospital. He¡¯s in one of the patient rooms, bed rest and whatever the hell nurses prick him with...You know, needles.¡± ¡°Right...Now, Officer McNabb. From your perspective, what are the odds: this was not an accident, but intentional?¡± ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa. Professor. That¡¯s, a pretty tall accusation there. What brought this up?¡± Prof. Stone folded his arms across his chest, ¡°The location of this incident is too far away from where my friend normally travels. Be it work, her apartment, or the cabin in the mountains ¨C the distance between her regular life and where she was found after the accident is drawing a lot of questions for me.¡± The Motor Patrolman pinched his nose bridge, for a different reason, ¡°Well I have a teenage daughter who should be going to school, the local library, home, and no where else ¨C but how many times have I caught her sneaking off to a movie theatre with friends on the other end of town or knocking on the doors of her many ¡®boyfriends¡¯.¡± ¡°Keekee isn¡¯t a reckless teen, Officer.¡± ¡°My point is, young woman like the victim can essentially go anywhere they want.¡± ¡°Neither is she that type of girl who puts herself at risk for a flight of fancy.¡± ¡°I mean, Professor. How would you know?¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t.¡± Prof. Stone knew, the Motor Patrolman had him there. Clearly the forensic chemist was neither a father nor boyfriend. Hell, even his protege Martial Kim didn¡¯t know much about Keekee other than her life in the cabin. Prof. Stone admitted, he was a bit too hasty......wait a second. ¡°Actually, Officer McNabb. Even if I don¡¯t know the victim too well ¨C people don¡¯t change their regular routine out of the blue. Ask yourself, when have you ever travelled farther than your comfort zone?¡± ¡°...Fair enough. Still, the reality remains ¨C the victim was caught in the middle of the road and got herself in a car accident. I hope to ask straight from the horse¡¯s mouth to put this case to rest but she¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°Still in a coma...yeah.¡± Prof. Stone clicked his tongue. ¡°...Can I talk to the Taxi Driver?¡± ¡°Professor. Gotta stop you, right there,¡± The Motor Patrolman tried to poke back, but changed his mind and went polite mode, ¡°Me telling you the case details is already putting my badge on the chopping block. You¡¯re not involved in this investigation, there¡¯s no way I have the clearance to let you go see the Taxi Driver. You should know this.¡± ¡°Hmn-hnn.¡± ¡°And besides, how many accidents like this do we get in a year? We¡¯re lucky, this wasn¡¯t a hit and run, or else this would give us more problems.¡± ¡°Hmn-hnn.¡± ¡°Come on, Professor. Even you could tell this is a clear and cut case. I mean, I know the one hurt is your friend but job¡¯s a job right?¡± Prof. Stone nodded, one last time. Then he whispered,bit ¡°.............................................The Inspector from Accident Investigation will be here in 10 minutes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be gone by 4 minutes and 59 seconds.¡± In the end of the day ¨C regardless if you are a detective, a school teacher, officer worker, or YouTube Streamer ¨C everyone loves a good mystery. And humans have this undeniable urge to pursue the answers to clear those bothersome question marks in their minds. And one of the many perks in working in forensics along side the police, is finding like minded people who wants to get to the bottom of everything, regardless of roles. ...... Still, this begs the question. Why was Keekee found so far away, on a lonely night like this? Why did she not have her trademark bike? How did she get there? Why a Taxi Driver of all things? PAVILION - Chapter 58 (Freebirds Taxi) Professor Stone always believed in following the evidence, for they can never tell a lie. But even then he would come across moments where he either has no evidence to work with or end up with blank answers. So he often cheated and tried to read the behaviour of the enemy. Something as small as a victorious smirk or sudden start and stop of tears would give him the necessary inspiration of where the key evidence would be lying within the crime scene. All of this allowed him to cultivate a strong sense of judging one¡¯s character. Why, he¡¯s used this very skill to determine the honesty in Martial Kim and the sincerity of Keekee during the early case of the Belt Rapist incident. Without it, this story would have been completely different. Granted, Prof. Stone wasn¡¯t on the same level as those experts in the criminal Behaviour Analysis Unit, but he was confident he was top 10 in judging good or bad people within this small town. However, the moment he stepped into the Taxi Driver¡¯s hospital room ¨C he wasn¡¯t sure if he was even top 30 any more. ¡°Please sir! Don¡¯t throw me in jail! I didn¡¯t mean to kill her! Honest! Don¡¯t arrest me!¡± ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa. L-let¡¯s take a breather for a bit. No one is in trouble, the police are sorting that out. Just lay down and rest.¡± God. The Motor Patrolman said shaken, but it was a complete understatement. The Taxi Driver was curled up in layer after layers of blankets within his bed. Any more and he would have been a turtle tucked in its fragile shell. He peeked with eyes wider than saucer, as if they had seen the true horrors of a real exorcism with their eye-lids taped open from beginning to end. Of course his hair didn¡¯t magically transformed into a bleached white, but his skin was only two shade points away from blending into his own hospital bed. Prof. Stone felt guilty, just talking to him right now. ¡°Sir, I need to ask you a few questions. I know this is difficult for you, but it is very important.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want this to happen! I couldn¡¯t! I just couldn¡¯t!¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t what?¡± ¡°StOp! I couldn¡¯t hit the brakes in time! Sh-she just appeared, out of thin air, a-and right in front of me! Oh god! The second she entered my lights, I-I couldn¡¯t stop the car in time! Oh god, I killed her! I killed her!¡± ¡°.......¡± She isn¡¯t dead...is what Prof. Stone would have said. Hell, anyone in his position would have said the exact same thing, to ease any guilt building up in the person. Who here has ever been in an accident, light or severe, and not felt terrible for hurting the other party ¨C let alone put them into critical care. However, Prof. Stone wanted to be ABSOLUTELY sure there was no sort of foul play or even hidden intention behind this ¡®accident¡¯. What if this was a hit? Keekee was targeted? Or a crime of opportunity gone wrong? Think about it: a girl far away from home being run over at this time of night? What are the cosmic odds? So, the forensic chemist had to play the role of villain for now ¨C much to his chagrin. ¡°After dropping off your latest clients,¡± Prof. Stone asked, ¡°you were on your way to your taxi headquarters, right? In between that and the car accident, did you see anything? Notice anything completely abnormal?¡± ¡°NO! Nothing!¡± The Taxi Driver screeched from within his shell of a blanket, ¡°I-I was alone ¨C or I think I was. No headlight behind me, no car in front of me either! Why, it got so quiet and boring I...I...uh...¡± ¡°Fell asleep?¡± ¡°I-it was only for a MiNuTe! I swear!...Oh no. Y-you¡¯re going to take away my license, aren¡¯t you! Oh no, no. I¡¯ll be out of a job! And I¡¯m a murderer!? Oh god, I-I¡¯m going to throw up!¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°W-wait, wait! Bag! Where¡¯s a bag!?¡± Oooooof. Prof. Stone may be used to blood and gore, but people throwing up was never a pleasant sight. Fortunately he rescued the hospital floor and shoved a barf bag for the Taxi Driver to...feel better. ¡°Bleegh. Uurg...I-I swear sir. I-I only closed my eyes¡ªurg¡ªfor a second. I-I didn¡¯t mean for this to happen!...God. I can still see her face! Her corpse staring at me as she hit the window screen! R-right in the eyes! Oh god! Please, sir, d-don¡¯t take me to jail! I-I never wanted this to happen! BLEEEEGH!¡± Prof. Stone winced and gave the man a moment before asking, ¡°Was she riding a bike?¡± ¡°Wh-what? B-bike?...N-no. I¡ªurg¡ªI told the officer, she came running out of the woods. Like an animal! N-no, that¡¯s not what I¡ªuurg¡ªmeant.¡± ¡°Then how did she look like, when she ran out and before hitting your car? You¡¯re the only one who would know the details.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! I-I¡ªurg¡ªtold you I shut my eyes! When I opened them, she was already running across the road! W-we were both horrified!¡± Now the question is, Prof. Stone thought, was this fear from the incoming impact ¨C or something else? He continued to ask, ¡°You said the victim bolted out, from the woods off the side of the road. Do you know what for? Are you sure, there was nothing out of the blue? No loud noise? No moving shadow? Was she chased?¡± ¡°None of it! No! I-if there was someone with her, I would have told the police already! N-not that I saw that is!¡± So, Keekee just showed up? In the strangest way possible and went out in the most brutal way possible? What reason? What would have caused Keekee to be so far away from her regular routes, to show up in a random place, and then get ran over? Not to mention, the Motor Patrolman mentioned that road was usually empty around the hour. Was this really a coincidence this Taxi Driver just so happen to be passing by, or... ¡°Why Deer Bridge?¡± The forensic chemist asked, ¡°Why that direction specifically?¡± ¡°It¡¯s...the shortest path home?¡± The Taxi Driver stared, as if asked what is 1+1 at a tragic time like this. ¡°I-it¡¯s the closest way, b-back to the taxi garage. O-otherwise, if I went back the way I originally came, I¡¯d be late to end my shift, or go home and sleep. I-it¡¯s not like Deer Bridge i-is an illegal or off the road shortcut! R-right!? I-I¡¯ve taken that way home dozens of time! N-nothing like this ever happened before! I swear!¡± And of all days, the most convenient route happened to be his unluckiest. As much as Prof. Stone wish to bring up this one in a million timing, this was more Detective Fraulein¡¯s line of work. Prodding and fishing for answers, always judging whether or not the interviewee¡¯s logic was sane and sound. That, or the Taxi Driver was an incredibly good actor... (Press X to doubt?) Alas, Prof. Stone remembered his promise ¨C he had to disappear in a few more minutes. No time to throw the book at the Taxi Driver like Detective Fraulein would...metaphorically of course. ¡°The victim,¡± Prof. Stone tried to finish up, ¡°Anything you can tell me? Did she had anything on her person? Purse? Bag?¡± ¡°P-Purse?¡± The Taxi Driver stared at the ceiling for a long bit, as if trying to search for the memories within the dots of the overhead panels and lightning. ¡°I-I don¡¯t remember. I-it all happened so fast. I mean I stayed with her until the paramedics came but...I-I dare not look at her, not after what I did.¡± ¡°...I see. Then¡ª¡± ¡°WAIT! PHONE! Sh-she had a phone in her hand!¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes! I swear! I-I didn¡¯t touch her, neither did I move her. Th-they said on the TV, don¡¯t move a body after they¡¯ve had a car crash! Spinal injury and stuff!¡± Thank god for T.V., one would guess. Then again, it had always been a double edge sword. It either feeds common knowledge, or common mis-knowledge. For now, the forensic chemist could only thank god it did some good. In saying that...Prof. Stone still can¡¯t figure out which side of the coin the Taxi Driver really stood on. The coin continued to tumble and tumble in his head, without a definite landing time. ¡°The poor girl,¡± The Taxi Driver flopped against the wall of his bed, staring at the ghost in his vision. ¡°She held onto that phone as if it were her lifeline. White knuckled. I saw the paramedics, they barely pried it away from her dead grip...And she was trying to call for someone too! S-so sad.¡± ¡°Who? Who was she trying to call? Did you see a caller ID?........................oh.¡± Somewhere, in this hospital. --- ACHOO! Good heavens. How can a hospital be this cold? Are they trying to kill Miss Keekee with a cold shock!? Shameful, most shameful! PAVILION - Chapter 59 (Freebirds Doctor) Professor Stone was used to bad news. Rather, he was used to giving others the bad news. As much as he wanted to deliver hope and good prospects, sometimes in forensic investigations such a thing can be...fleeting. And he personally has been on the receiving end of bad news so he¡¯s used to it. Just...the Doctor¡¯s report was an entirely different story. ¡°X-Rays shows fractures all over her body: arms, wrist, leg, hip. Multiple lacerations across her skin and suffered first to bare second degree burns from road rash. Ultrasound confirmed a significant amount of internal bleeding within the abdominal cavity caused by trauma to the ribs that lead to a series of pulmonary contusions. Underwent several hours of surgery and is more or less stable. Vitals signs are way below average, but salvageable. Prognosis...uncertain.¡± Prof. Stone swallowed the lump in his throat, period. Although he wasn¡¯t a doctor, having worked alongside the coroner gave him enough foundations to take in medical jargon and not get a headache. The forensic chemist then asked, ¡°Any chance¡ª¡± ¡°To soon to say when she¡¯ll wake up. Could be any time, any day, weeks, months. Perhaps a year, give or take.¡± ¡°Then what should we¡ª¡± ¡°Nothing you can do, not in this moment in time. Everything is up to the nurses and care aides. Perhaps a dash a luck.¡± ¡°What is the¡ª¡± ¡°The plan for the patient is to put her on antibiotics, opoids, neuroprotective agents, blood thinners, and of course I.V. treatment until further notice. Once she is stable enough, she will be moved to I.C.U. for close monitoring. Now, any further question?¡± ¡°Could you turn around and ask me again?¡± The Doctor in question let out a sigh and he finally turned a full 180 degree. It...still didn¡¯t helped, not when he dragged his COW...Sorry, Computer on Wheels, around him like he was holding a tray of food. Kicking the legs to lock a wheel so it doesn¡¯t escape his grip, he continued to type away at the keyboard and keeping his eyes on the screen displaying Keekee¡¯s electronic health record.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°The main concern is her head, specifically her brain.¡± The doctor rubbed the tip of his nose with a palm, ¡°If not a nasty concussion, CT scans indicate cerebral edema and subdural hematoma. The patient is lucky to be alive at this point. If she was in any worse shape, we would had to have air lifted her to the Big City outside of these mountains. And of course, you and I both know how much ¡®specialists¡¯ we have available in a backwater location like this.¡± Prof. Stone wanted to pinch his nose bridge, but he felt this conversation was a battle on its own. Mostly to fight with his own wits and not scold this doctor, ¡°You mentioned her cerebral edema, the fluid swelling in her brain... Did you do any surgery on that?¡± The doctor could only fold his arms, ¡°Despite her condition, I ¨C along with most doctors in this hospital ¨C would be against any surgical intervention to relieve the cranial pressure. Don¡¯t get us wrong, we all want to save a life with the best means possible ¨C but you look like a smart, smart man. I believe you know, the moment we start prodding into the brain territory it can become a bit finicky.¡± ¡°....¡± ¡°So, our hope is this problem will go away on its own, literally. Let the swelling in her brain subside with rest, I.V. fluid, medication, and pray the hematoma in her head shrinks and resolves itself naturally. Last thing we want is to drill her head open and she ends up losing sight, hearing, or speech ¨C and other worse case scenario.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°There is also the finicky part, we don¡¯t have a neurosurgeon of decent calibre. Like I said, she¡¯s lucky we didn¡¯t have to force her to fly to the bigger cities.¡± Is this the limit of modern medicine? Or was there more the doctors aren¡¯t telling? Was there anything Professor Stone can think of to resolve this problem? Perhaps, Martial Kim? ¡°Now that I think about it,¡± Prof. Stone mumbled to himself, ¡°Wonder how Kim is doing?¡± PAVILION - Chapter 60 (Freebirds Nightingale) Could the day get any worse? That was what Professor Stone had been mourning about. The word with the police, the talk with the Taxi Driver, and the report from the doctor. Not a single one of them gave him a shred of hope or good news. Of course, reality sucks but can¡¯t a friend hear one good thing within this big mess? Not even just a tiny drop of luck or something? Huh? Sigh. Prof. Stone felt like this was the first time he felt this lost or bothered. Maybe because, he prefer not to make it a habit to see familiar faces or friends end up in such a state ¨C be it a hospital bed or coroner¡¯s table. Touch wood, he hoped it didn¡¯t come to the latter. He believed taking this step by step would help him regain his stride. So the first thing he wanted to do was share the pain and burden with his protege... ¡°.........Dammit Kim, where did you run off to now? At a time like this!?¡± The patient¡¯s room was empty. Well except for Keekee, she¡¯s not going anywhere anytime soon. The room could easily be searched in a single glance, it wasn¡¯t that big. But Prof. Stone felt obliged to whip back some curtains and closet drawers to find where the young master was hiding. It was unlikely Martial Kim would be shying away from society like a scared puppy...but then again, he was more or less at his limit when he nearly hurt Keekee by pulling on her breathing tube. No doubt he wasn¡¯t going to live this down. ¡°....Please Kim, don¡¯t tell me you got yourself locked in the basement¡ªOOF!¡± ¡°AAGH! MY FOOT!¡± ¡°Your foot? What about my back!?¡± A nurse walked backwards into the patient¡¯s room. It wasn¡¯t some fancy trend or some special nursing procedure. It was mostly given how petite she was while towing this large and heavy mobile computer station, similar to the one the doctor was dragging about while doing his work. These C.O.W.s were essentially portable office desks. Even had a series of specialized draws carrying all sorts of drugs and medications in bottles or packages. No doubt the inventory, if not the machine itself, weighed a pretty mass. This gave the impression of a mouse towing an elephant by the drunk to walk across the road. ¡°Uh. Excuse me,¡± The petite nurse squeaked while flexing her small ¨C and half crushed ¨C foot ¡°Are you a relative of the patient? If yes, we¡¯ve been trying to contact you for a while.¡± ¡°Er uh. No. I-I am a friend.¡± ¡°Her boyfriend?...I thought he had hair.¡± ¡°..........The friend of the patient¡¯s boyfriend...I...Ahem.¡± The petite nurse gave a small shrug, before she became a whirlwind at her desk Was she a martial arts expert like Martial Kim? No, not really. She couldn¡¯t fly with inner energy neither could she swing an I.V. stand with the 8 Diagram Pole Technique. Rather, it was clear the way her hand moved to switch old and new I.V. bags, adjusting to the right flow with zero air bubble in the line, and injecting medication across various ports sticking out of the patient¡¯s body ¨C would make most people whistle with admiration. It was only when she pulled on paper towels to dry her hands ¨C did Prof. Stone realized she was finished.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Um. Miss. About what you said. You called for the patient¡¯s relatives right?¡± ¡°Technically the hospital clerk did, but again we¡¯ve been trying to contact them for hours.¡± ¡°No response?¡± ¡°All voice mail...Then again, the patient¡¯s contact information hasn¡¯t been update in years, so not sure if they changed their phone. Do you know anything about that?¡± Prof. Stone suddenly felt his heart sink into his stomach as he shook his head.. ¡°Did you check on the patient¡¯s phone? Should have came with her after the accident?¡± ¡°Phone?¡± ¡°... Is the phone missing?¡± The petite nurse took a moment to stop what she was doing, so she can release her brain power to spare a minute to think of an answer, ¡°Oh there was a phone, but it¡¯s with her belongings.¡± The forensic chemist went ah and made his way for the door, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go get¡ª¡± ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s kept under security.¡± ¡°Wh-whatever for?¡± ¡°The patient was in an accident, which is under investigation by the police. Under those circumstances we store all of the items on the patient¡¯s person into a hospital bag and keep it under lock and key within the security¡¯s office. Only the police can have access to it.¡± ¡°.....Oh riiiiight.¡± Prof. Stone knew that ¨C rather, he just remembered it. After everything that¡¯s happened in a single night, he should be lucky he still knew how to drive a car, let alone recite police procedure. He contemplated showing his forensic ID to get some perks...but no, he¡¯s already abused his authority earlier with the Motor Patrolman. And if he did dip his hands into this case, then by the same regulations he can¡¯t visit Keekee as a ¡®friend¡¯ any more. So he opted to keep his work ID asleep in his breast pocket. ¡°By the way, miss nurse. How is my friend doing?¡± ¡°From the time she arrived to the hospital, under went surgery, to now, she has yet to show any response to stimulus. No eye response, no verbal response, no movement, and barely any reaction to pupils. The doctor believe she may have suffered some brain stem injury during the accident. In terms of a Glasgow Coma Scale, she¡¯s a 3.¡± Oooof. Don¡¯t be mistaken, this isn¡¯t ranked third in an Olympic game. There was no Bronze to be won. The Glasgow Coma scale measures the level of alertness in people, usually to check for post-crash, head trauma, or even a concussion status. For instance: if you¡¯re reading this, thinking about what to eat, playing video games on your phone, AND yelling at someone through a headset at the same time¡ª ¡ªCongratulations you¡¯re a healthy 15, normal! So the second Prof. Stone heard Keekee¡¯s coma score, he could only rub the top of his head in anguish. ¡°Ooof... I take it, you removed her clothes. Are they with her phone as well?¡± ¡°That is correct...Now. If you really need to access her items, you may have to speak to the police or put in a paper form. I don¡¯t know how that line of process continues from there. Sorry, I can¡¯t help you more.¡± ¡°No no, this is more than enough...Actually. There is one thing you can help me with?¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Keekee¡¯s boyfriend...yes, the one with hair. Ahem. Have you seen him around? Do you know where he went? The bathroom?¡± ¡°No. Backdoor.¡± ¡°...Nurse, did I fumble my words?¡± ¡°Did I?¡± Martial Kim, where are you!? PAVILION - Chapter 61 (Freebirds Alarm) Where is Martial Kim? What could he be doing in a time like this? Remember last time, he mentioned a ¡®Her¡¯ person? Who could he be referring to? A lover from his homeland he often dreams about? A close friend back in Moon Tavern he confides his feelings to? Or maybe, just maybe, a wise martial arts sage in the Martial World to seek for counsel? Who could the young master be thinking right now? --- Why!? Why didn¡¯t I think of her before! Fae Fae is the answer! She¡¯s been through this EXACT situation! OH YES! Of course! The Sword Fairy of Celestial Dreams Brothel, Courtesan Fae Fae! Why, she too had been in a long coma due to unfortunate circumstances! And Martial Kim was her most responsible physician at the time. The same events replaying in a different world ¨C what are the odds! There was a chance to save Keekee!.................. .........Uh. On second thought. --- I don¡¯t understand. How many floors can this hospital be built on? This is beyond the height of a martial arts tower! Where are the exits hiding? Please don¡¯t tell me, I have to fight some sort of secret guardian just to escape each floor! This is ridiculous! Sigh. Martial Kim was still wet behind the ears when it came to this modern world. Surviving elevators was one matter, reading the maps and directional signs was another can of worms. What is M.R.I., the name of a city gate? Where was he now, Cafeteria Pavilion? And why was he thrown out of a doctor¡¯s lounge ¨C he was a doctor too! Rude! One door only lead to another room, one gate lead to another department. Even if he asked people for directions, they would ask him back...First time visitors who were also lost in the basement. And the staff. Hah. Good luck finding someone who isn¡¯t covering a double shift! Over capacity beds here, over capacity beds there, over capacity beds in the hallways! "Excuse me, sir! Where is the exit¡ªW-wait, come back!...Ah, Madame, could you tell me what is the pass phrase to open these doors¡ªWh-what do you mean I can''t follow you, I just need to... Oh. Pardon me, sir, could you direct me to the nearest...Hello?...Hello?...Hellooooo!?...Is he deaf?" No, no, Martial Kim. Those are ear buds, not hearing aids. --- I am tempted to just use a Tiger-Subduing Palm and break through the walls one by one to find my way out... But given how everything runs on some sort of electric power and what not, I can¡¯t afford breaking anything that would affect Miss Keekee... Just when all hope was lost, he finally found the way! --- Ah-ha! An Exit! It even has the name written right above the doors! Why, their letters are glowing in bright red colours! How convenient!...Just...how do I open this? Just push this red bar? Curious. Exactly. Just one push and¡ªwait wait wait...Red Bar?...MARTIAL KIM NO! RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING! RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING! RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING! RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING! --- Wh-what in the world is this violent screaming? Is that a bell? Did I trigger some sort of trap? NO MARTIAL KIM! THAT¡¯S THE FIRE ALARM....SAID: IT¡¯S THE FIRE ALAAAARM! HELLOOOOO!? LIKE ANY NOR¡ª(Oops)¡ªLike any normal human being, he would try to find the off switch for the emergency alarm trigger. And like any normal human being, he failed to stop the ringing and the mechanical screaming. People who didn¡¯t know the better reacted on instinct and scattered, following emergency protocol. It didn¡¯t take too long before Martial Kim found himself alone with the mess he started. --- ........................................................What...am I doing? Questions of our lives, really. Everyone of us could give him a hundred different answers. But none of them was the one response he wanted to hear. Even if they did tell him what he wanted to know ¨C it would be drowned out by the alarm. Or perhaps, all he needed was a tap on the shoulder. ¡°Kim! Thank god, you¡¯re alright! Been looking all over the hospital for you! Where have you been? Are you hurt?¡± ¡°Teacher...¡± ¡°Jesus, I¡¯ve only been gone for what 40 minutes? You look like you lost 10 years of your life. Come on, let¡¯s get out of here before the security comes over and gives you trouble! Playing with the fire alarms is an offense!¡± Prof. Stone would tow Martial Kim away from the scene of the crime, like any parent would after their child made a terrible mess. Never did he imagine he would reach such a strange low in his life. Neither did he expect himself playing the role of a father for the young master. As much as he wanted to lecture him, it was pointless to yell at something akin to a ghost fresh from the grave. Martial Kim had never been this pale or weak, even his own steps lacked any weight or shadow. ¡°Teacher...What am I doing wrong? Isn¡¯t there something more, I can do for Keekee? I¡ª¡± ¡°Kim. What happened to Keekee is not your fault, alright? You didn¡¯t know, I didn¡¯t know ¨C hell no body knew this was going to happen! I know you want to help, but we¡¯re not medical experts¡ª¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°¡ªI¡ª¡± ¡°LICENSED medical experts.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Kim. Hear me out. Everyone is doing what they can to help Keekee. We have to trust them, the medical staff and the hospital. You want to do more, but we can¡¯t be reckless.¡± Martial Kim was no stranger to pain. The young master knew the stabbing of a dagger in his arm, the slash of a sword through his torso, a smash of a mace across his legs, to having his bones broken and re-broken from being put into place by a drunken master. Just...never before, had he felt pain like this ¨C that feeling of helplessness. ¡°...Here. Kim. Take this.¡± Oh a kerchief? Martial Kim wondered why his mentor would give him this cloth at a time like this. He wasn¡¯t breaking out in a sweat, right? Now that he thought about it, was something dripping on his face? The young master pondered, if it were those automated sprinklers his mentor taught him about, breaking off their plugs to spray water to immediately douse the ¡®flames¡¯. Nope. All of them were still intact. So what was wet and running down his face? --- ...Tears?...A-are these actual tears?...A...am I crying!? Safe, for now. Prof. Stone would peek through the curtains of Keekee¡¯s ¡®room¡¯ in the Emergency Unit. Once the coast was clear he would close them up and stay away from the light under the cracks of the curtain. He kept his voice down, like a fugitive on the run. ¡°Doctor said Keekee will be moved to the I.C.U....Oh that¡¯s another department, intensive care unit they call it. There would be nurses watching over her 24/7, constant supervision. So we can be at east for now and go home for the night.¡± Martial Kim had closed the floodgates, long before they returned to Keekee¡¯s room. He made sure to remove every bit of evidence off his face, as if he never broke down in the first place. Good as...newish. However, he was conscious of reopening those floodgates whenever he thought of certain memories, words, even actions. ¡°Teacher. Allow me to stay. Let me keep Miss Keekee company.¡± ¡°Kim. As admirable as that is ¨C visiting hours is way over. In fact, we just sneaked behind the nurses¡¯ back while they¡¯re doing a turn over meeting, to prepare for the night shift.¡± Martial Kim resisted when his mentor tugged him on the arm. Why, anyone could tie 10 towing cattle to this young master and he wouldn¡¯t budge an inch, believe that! ¡°Kiiiim. Please, don¡¯t make this harder than it already is. I¡¯m already too tired to turn my door keys.¡± ¡°Teacher. What if Miss Keekee happen to recover over night? She opens her eyes and finds herself in a completely different place then what she remembers. Surely even you would panic waking up somewhere else, correct? The shock may harm her even further. Miss Keekee needs a familiar face, wouldn¡¯t you agree? So please, allow me to stay with her. I swear, I won¡¯t cause any trouble.¡± ¡°I trust you, Kim, but this isn¡¯t that simple. Hospital regulations. Sooner or later the nurses will either force you to leave, or worse case scenario call security to throw you out.¡± ¡°Trust me teacher. Not a single one of these people in this building are a peerless master that can hear a pin drop a mile away or can listen to count how many steps a rat would make while crawling in the ceilings. With my martial art skills, I am the breeze that strides through them.¡± ¡°...............................¡± It sounded like complete bullshit, but knowing Martial Kim it felt real. That was why Prof. Stone was speechless. What else can he say after that checkmate of a negotiation? Not like he can bribe the young master with money or lure him with some fancy food. No doubt Martial Kim can become invisible for years to come and survive on the energy of the cosmos alone... a bit of a stretch, but not like Prof. Stone understood the science of what goes on in Martial Kim¡¯s cultivator gut. So what to do? How can he convince this immovable wall to move? Can¡¯t just say flowery words to make the young master pack up and leave. It just can¡¯t...Wait a minute...Pack Up? An idea struck Prof. Stone¡¯s bald held like a lightning bolt. ¡°You know what, Kim. You¡¯re right. Absolutely right. So you stay with Keekee. I admit defeat.¡± ¡°I am glad you see things my way, Teacher.¡± ¡°Still. I feel pretty bad for her.¡± ¡°...I agree. Seeing her hurt like this.¡± Prof. Stone rubbed a finger under his nose, ¡°Oh I meant the lack of clothing and supplies she has at hand. Look at how uncomfortable her hospital gown is. Wearing the same thing all day, all night. And this blanket, ooof. So rough and course. If Keekee wakes up, she¡¯ll surely be wanting some a fresh change of clothing and a comfy blanket from home, right?¡± ¡°..........................¡± ¡°And let¡¯s face it Kim. How much donated magazines in this hospital can help Keekee pass the time? She¡¯ll want something to play with during her stay, like a book, handheld game ¨C it¡¯s not like she can play on her phone, given it¡¯s with the police right now. Yep. Keekee''s probably going to be asking ¡®why didn¡¯t you bring me anything Kim?¡¯ or ¡®Kim I¡¯m boooored!¡¯¡± ¡°...Couldn¡¯t...a nurse bring them to her?¡± Prof. Stone put the final nail in his coffin trap, ¡°You think the nurse knows exactly what makes Keekee comfy and happy? Hmm?¡± The immovable wall caved in. ¡°Teacher...We will come back to see Miss Keekee tomorrow, yes?¡± ¡°Of couuuuurse! I swear, I¡¯ll pick you up bright and early! You can bet on it!¡± ¡°How early?¡± ¡°6 AM, sharp!¡± Martial Kim grimaced, ¡°That¡¯s too late. Please make it earlier.¡± Prof. Stone felt his stomach sink, ¡°...5 AM?¡± ¡°Earlier.¡± ¡°Kim! Are you trying to kill me? If you keep this up, I¡¯ll only get one hour worth of sleep! And I haven¡¯t even eaten yet! 4:59 AM, final offer!¡± ¡°Earlier!¡± PAVILION - Chapter 62 (Freebirds Dream) Martial Kim was considered a peerless fighter. He was among the many warriors who have pushed their body and spirit to and beyond the limit. They were the type of warriors who can fight for days and nights until a victor is left standing. The type who hold staring contests for tens of hours until one blinks to signal the finishing slash. But then again, even a war machine needed to recharge their battery right? Let alone a body made of flesh, blood, and tears? So the moment Martial Kim sat down in his couch, he passed the out, period. He didn¡¯t even realize he was left sitting up, like a stiff corpse. Mouth hanging open as if to invite flies and spiders to host a house party inside. Fingers and arms would twitch every now and then, half dead and half alert as if ready to bolt at a moment¡¯s notice. What he didn¡¯t expect, however, was waking up so soon.
--- Wait a minute? Isn¡¯t this the Capital City?...Did I return home? To the Jade Empire? Impossible! Martial Kim recalled he was in Keekee¡¯s cabin, dropped right into the couch in the living room. Never did he expect to come to and find himself back in his own world, not like this. --- What is this sorcery? All of a sudden?--WHOA!...D-did they just walk through me, like a ghost?...Hold on a moment, could this be¡ª Ooooh. Have no fear, Martial Kim was in the middle of a lucid dream. Perhaps his body was so exhausted, he fell into a deep deep dream that felt all to realistic to be true. Now, as much as seeing familiar sights and sounds brought some sense of joy into his heart, he had trouble embracing this homely scene. --- This building that I ended up in front of? Isn¡¯t this the Yamen Constabulary?...Could it be? What¡¯s in the box!? Or in this case, what¡¯s in the dream building!? There was only one way to find out and the young master made his first steps forward. --- I truly am in a dream. None of the Constables, or the station guards, seem to notice me even as I walk in front of their noses. Is this a piece of my memory, or a fantasy born from wishful thinking? The piece of the puzzle he was looking for, was hiding inside of a certain room. Certain as in¡ª --- Fae Fae!? The Courtesan of Celestial Dreams Brothel and the heroine of the Death of a Fairy Case could be found laying in a cot inside of the room. Completely in a coma. It was in this moment, Martial Kim realized there were others inside sharing the room with Fae Fae. --- Inspector Lee? Martial Yellow Sister...then that means, that third person is¡ª ¡°Martial Kim!¡± Inspector Lee would call out, ¡°What are we to do? We¡¯ve kept Fae Fae¡¯s death under wraps, but we have no suspects. It would make searching for witnesses to the murder all the harder!¡± Martial Yellow Sister let out a sigh as she used her magical cloth to fix some herbs with a pestle and mortar, using her free hands to support her tired chin, ¡°I searched up and down the Capital. Can¡¯t find the source of the golden hairpin that was used to stab Fae Fae. I don¡¯t think the murder weapon is local.¡± The young master outside of the window turned to look at his dream counterpart. The knight-errant of Moon Tavern, in his full snow white hanbok and iconic hat made of jet-black horse tail and bamboo. Not to mention, long flowing hair. A youthful cultivator who relishes in the pursuit of mysteries in and out of the Martial World. ¡°I never once believed this investigation would be straightforward,¡± Martial¡ªrather Dream Kim, answered his companions. ¡°However, it is clear we have the element of surprise and secrecy on our side. I am confident, we can find the killer without the need of stirring up the mud in the river!¡± --- That¡¯s definitely me alright. I haven¡¯t learned to talk in contractions like Miss Keekee...and did I always sound this...pompous? (Ahem.) Dream Kim simply smirked with brilliant confidence, ¡°For now, Fae Fae is in stable enough condition. Still, I do ask the constables maintain vigilance and protect the victim. Even if we have yet to let slip of her being alive, I dare not give any breathing room for would be assassins to take her life a second time.¡± ¡°Worry not, Martial Kim,¡± Inspector Lee would fold his hands in a respectful salute. ¡°I have my best men and women guarding her around the hour. No one will say a word about Fae Fae by your orders. Also, Judge Oldman says you have full authority in the direction of this case.¡± ¡°Excellent!¡± Dream Kim nodded, ¡°So far, who ever wanted an elite courtesan like Fae Fae dead is no simpleton. For all we know right now, someone of great power and influence could be involved. Could be the murderer, or a major accomplice. So I ask everyone remain vigilant and keep their eyes and ears open for potential dangers.¡± ¡°Of course! The Constabulary is right behind you Martial Kim!¡± ¡°And Martial Yellow Sister,¡± Dream Kim turned to his disciple, ¡°Return to Moon Tavern and have someone look into any possible leads within the Martial World. To be able to pierce a hairpin through the bones of her chest is no easy feat. It suggests the culprit has some arm strength to make it happen. Make sure you are thorough, and discrete.¡± ¡°Leave it to me, Teacher!¡± The blonde martial artist nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll get the job done with flying colours.¡± --- And please stay out of trouble. ¡°And please, stay out of trouble.¡± Dream Kim winked. Martial Yellow Sister groaned with a roll of her eyes, ¡°Yeeeees, Teacheeeer.¡± --- ...Exactly the same situation...yet why is it with Miss Keekee, I feel my confidence fading by the hour? No resources, not enough acupuncture needles, and I have yet to spot out anything akin to an herbal apothecary in town. Martial Kim snapped out of his thoughts, when Inspector Lee and Martial Yellow Sister marched THROUGH his body. Although the young master felt no pain or discomfort, it was still an unsettling feeling ¨C especially when familiar faces walked right past him without batting an eyelash. Then, it was just Dream Kim left with Fae Fae. The young master watched his own dream counterpart use his familiar Inner Energy Skill to try and heal Fae Fae¡¯s internal organs, pouring life energy into her body and veins for her meridians to breathe with life once more. ¡°Miss Fae Fae,¡± Dream Kim cooed as he focused his cultivation with ease. ¡°I swear, we will catch the villain who did this to you. Justice will be delivered in your honour. So please, stay alive. If not for us, but for yourself.¡± Why? Why was the Dream Kim look cooler and more capable than the Martial Kim spying on him right now? Has the strange modern world dulled his edges, broken his spirit, or¡ª
¡°Hnng!...¡± Where was he now, Martial Kim wondered? All he knew was his hand pinching a nerve on his neck, to wake up from his dream.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. The electric lights, stove, faucet, and T.V.. gave the young master a blast of ease like a gust of cool air in the summer. What a relief! Still his body refused to move despite his eyes wide awake. Even when he forced himself to stand, he felt like he just escaped neck-deep from quicksand. One glance out the window and the colour of the sky told him what time it was. Way too early for the rooster to wake and make the morning call, too early for the Moon to go on its first break at work. ¡°...Earlier...Earlier.¡± Even after the fastest morning shower known to mankind, it didn¡¯t make Prof. Stone¡¯s appointment arrive any sooner. So Martial Kim had a LOT of time on his hands before anyone could wake up and go to their morning shift. So what to do? What, to, do? Maybe he can play some video games to pass the time?...Nah. He can¡¯t figure out how to turn on a Zbox even if his life depended on it. Ah, why not watch some internet videos? Bunnies in a cup and Bachelor Season X are trending... Nah, he can¡¯t figure out how to turn on a laptop even if his life depended on it. Of course, make bacon and eggs! What can go wrong!?... Nah, he can¡¯t figure out how to turn on the stove even if his life depended on it. ...Come to think of it, there¡¯s a lot of things Martial Kim can¡¯t use. So it made one wonder, how did he survive for this long? --- Miss Keekee. She did everything for me, hadn¡¯t she? Cooking, cleaning, even using the right light switch. She taught me so many things, to even how to master this world bathing system called a shower. And what have I done for her? Guilt nailed into his heart, 10 times. It wanted to make sure the reminder was always with him. --- I shouldn¡¯t sulk, not now. Teacher might feel obliged to come even earlier than we agreed. I should prepare and pack something for Miss Keekee before it¡¯s too late. Step one, finding a bag. Normally people would stuff their clothing into backpacks, sports bags, or even those full travel cases with 360 wheels to spin around on. Those are the most convenient choices (especially in a bad break up). Yet Martial Kim failed miserably at this task. And there were some perfectly good choices right in front of him, lying around waiting for him to pick up and use! Why? Why won¡¯t he use it? It¡¯s not that they have holes or stunk like a sports locker room. --- Nothing like a strong box I could use. Damn. I need to improvise. Normally people in the Jade Empire stuff their clothing into square cloths to wrap them up as a bundle. If they were richer, they could afford large and heavy strong boxes to protect their belongings and have the house servants carry them. So there was that issue. Fortunately, Martial Kim found an alternative. --- This basket should do. Miss Keekee normally store her clean clothing in it from those automated cloth cleaning machines. And it seems fitting given the circumstances. Modern bags ¨C hah, he couldn¡¯t figure out how to use a zipper even if his life depended on it! Step two, finding clothing. Technically it should be the easier task thus far. Should. ¡°...........................Gods, I can¡¯t do it. I-I feel like I¡¯m violating Miss Keekee like this! Virtue! Think about her virtue!¡± Don¡¯t laugh! This is serious! Martial Kim was born as a classic gentlemen! He just couldn¡¯t go diving into the girl¡¯s closet and grab her privacy all willy nilly! Touching a maiden¡¯s hand carelessly would already bring up conversations of an arranged marriage. So imagine the consequences if anyone knew he went into a maiden¡¯s wardrobe!? Doing so was no different than peeping at lady in her bath ¨C well, in Martial Kim¡¯s perspective! And the stress? He might as well be held gunpoint to rob a bank for crying out loud! --- The heavens will surely curse me for trespassing in her privacy like this... But why would Teacher suggest I pack some clothing for her?... Could it be, the custom is different here? And surely a scholar like him would know the consequences of a man exploring a woman¡¯s...intimate belongings...Unless, after what I¡¯ve seen so far ¨C such a propriety doesn¡¯t exist? Oooh. The dilemma. Should he do the right thing and leave the closet alone? Or commit a crime (in his perspective)? --- ...Mother. Father. O¡¯Ancestors. P-please, don¡¯t judge me! I¡¯m not a criminal! Fortunately, Martial Kim did find a work around. So long as he didn¡¯t properly see what he was touching, then he wasn¡¯t doing this with ill or lecherous intentions. The same principle as keeping one¡¯s eyes shut or back turned when a woman changed in their presence. So a blindfold solved the dilemma. Or in this case, Keekee¡¯s sleeping mask. --- OoOoOOoOOOooh...Th-these aren¡¯t exactly expensive silk, b-but they¡¯re too soft in my hands. A-and what are these strange cups? Doesn¡¯t feel like a bowl to eat from, neither are they a piece of a clay or porcelain pot. Huh. Oddly flexible. And quite big. They fill even more than my hands.¡± (DAYUM) Step 3 - everything else now. --- Teacher mentioned about hair... Oh right, Miss Keekee usually likes to comb her hair after waking up and after showering...Ah, as expected. She leaves it in the bathroom like always...Doesn¡¯t she also put something on her face? Facial cream, day and night eye repair, Idealist skin formula, so on so forth. --- ...Dear god. So many bottles...which do I take!? As many as a girl needs. Normally any guy would just sweep the entire collection off the counter and into a bag. Much like an eager boss sweeping everything off his desk so he can lay down with his secretary. Such an easy and simple gesture, one brush of an arm ¨C boom, done. So no one would blame Martial Kim if he decided to go the easy route. Instead, he chose the hard way: collect them one by one as if they were freshly born eggs. He even made sure to tuck them in between the folds of the clothing and towels. Hell, he even used the bras as a mini basket to keep them safe (you can¡¯t blame him). --- Ah right. If Miss Keekee woke up soon, surely she would get bored very quickly. Even with all the splendour of technology in the hospital, there¡¯s really nothing for anyone to do to pass the time. Doesn¡¯t she always spend her idle hours on her phone?...Hmm, Teacher told me the police have it. Shame. Maybe I can lend her my phone. Yes, that would be a good idea!...Now, Just in case. Martial Kim took it upon himself to conduct a quick side quest: find a book or two. Now normally in this era, any books would easily be downloaded onto phones, tablets, or even e-Reader devices. Only a few would actually keep physical collections of reading material, then again it¡¯s mostly Manga volumes more than classic story books one would read as children¡¯s bed time story. So it would make sense if Keekee didn¡¯t keep anything like that for¡ª ¡°Treasure Island? The Three Musketeers? Robinson Crusoe? Call of the Wild? Around the World in Eighty Days? Oh, this book even has that person that Detective Fraulein and Teacher speak highly of: Sherlock Holmes.¡± Oh? Where did Keekee keep all these books? Obviously none of them were those fancy Japanese Light Novels with a beautiful heroine ¨C with or without huge assets ¨C that capture the attention of young adult men¡ªer, audience. In fact, they didn¡¯t even have any fancy artistic cover to show the swashbuckling adventures or steamy romance hidden in the pages. Just straight up blank hard covers with chipped silver or golden letters printed as the title. Pages so yellow, it could transform into golden sand at a sneeze. Where did Martial Kim find these in a modern girl¡¯s house? ¡°...Madame. You don¡¯t mind if I borrow these, for your granddaughter?¡± Oh yes of course! This cabin belonged to Keekee¡¯s grandmother! Given her life¡¯s adventure in travelling around the world in her youth, it would make sense she collected classic books and fiction anthology in her travels to pass the time in hitching on the back of a truck and train cars. And like any belongings of the older generation, they were left alone collecting dust for a good time. That was until Martial Kim brought daylight to their faces once more. The young master stared at the ghost who smiled back at him, the grandmother¡¯s youth locked within her black and white photos. Even if it was a portrait, an image, just staring her in the eye...made him feel like he was before judgment. ¡°May you and your ancestors grant your granddaughter your blessings. To get her through her hour of darkness.¡± The photos of the past had so many things it wanted to say. Alas, even if a picture could tell a thousand words, every letter fell on deaf ears. ¡°I swear,¡± Martial Kim bowed. ¡°I will protect Miss Keekee.¡± A breeze through the window whispered back. That was all the answer the young master needed to know. When ready, he started to head out to wait for his mentor. --- Wait...Why do I feel like I am missing something? I have her clothing. Something to entertain her and... Oh...Oh of course. How foolish of me to forget such an important thing. Miss Keekee can¡¯t live with out it! Shameful, most shameful of me! What did Martial Kim nearly forget that was so important? Could it be a photograph? Maybe a childhood plushy? Perhaps, her favourite pillow? PAVILION - Chapter 63 (Freebirds Stout) Earlier is not how anyone would want to start the day. Professor Stone was amongst the sane majority, so no one would blame him if he said ¡®hah, hell no¡¯. However, he realized too late how weak his heart could be. That feeling of being unable to say no to a sad puppy. So he went through hell and heaven just to get out of bed, get dressed, get fueled up ¨C coffee and gas, whatever order ¨C and arrived at a certain cabin earlier than scheduled. ¡°...Why am I doing this?¡± God knows, but at least he¡¯s going to heaven for such grand sacrifice. And given his line of work, he raked up a lot of Good Samaritan Points right? So he was allowed to honk the car horn relentlessly without receiving divine judgment. ¡°Come on, Kim. You said earlier. Don¡¯t tell me YOU slept in of all times!¡± HONK! HONK! HONK! It was around the 53rd honk did Prof. Stone see his protege waddle out ¨C literally. ¡°Jesus Christ, Kim!¡± Prof. Stone gasped after his friend slammed the door shut. ¡°What did you do? Pack Keekee¡¯s whole house into one laundry basket!?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Martial Kim snapped back, more confused than angry, ¡°That would be impossible! I would require the manpower of the entire North Cloud Escort Company to ship her belongings in crates! Besides, I have what I need.¡± ¡°...Are you sure about that?¡± ¡°Why the raised eyebrow Teacher? I got everything you suggested: her clothing, her cosmetics, brush ¨C both the one she uses by hand and the one that blows hot air ¨C some books and even her favourite¡ª¡± Prof. Stone pinched his nose bridge, ¡°What about your phone?¡± It was Martial Kim¡¯s turn to raise an eyebrow, ¡°My phone? What does my belongings have to do with Miss Keekee?¡± ¡°Phone. Give. Now.¡± ¡°Teacher. Are you alright? You seem...I wouldn¡¯t say agitated¡ª¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you try living on 2 hours of sleep and ask me again?¡± --- Should I tell Teacher I have survived a few days days without sleep all the while pursuing a dangerous convict? Or should I just let him scold me to feel better? Neither option feels good. Being the good disciple, Martial Kim passed over his phone for Prof. Stone. The young master didn¡¯t know if he has the fastest dexterity in the West ¨C or East, North, South? - but he was sure Prof. Stone caught him by surprise with how quick he yanked the phone out of his fingers. Blink and he stabbed a wire into the bottom of the phone. A second blink and the phone quivered alive. A third blink. Charging from a big fat 0%. ¡°Kim. Let me guess: Keekee always charges your phone whenever you sleep?¡± ¡°.......................................¡± ¡°The hell man! Did you really believe phones run forever!?¡± ¡°I-I seriously thought that was how it functioned!¡± All it took was a forehead to give one last honk of the car horn. Make it a very long hooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooonk. I.C.U. Also referred to as the Intensive Care Unit. If not the Emergency Department, the I.C.U. could be one of the most stressful environments in a hospital setting. Patients that enter this domain must be under constant supervision ¨C the type where a sigh or drop of a pen could lead to a heart failure or lost of respiration. It would be usually funded and supported with the BEST gear and ADVANCED monitoring equipment available, to make sure the accuracy of life and death could be controlled by more than a hairbreadth. It would also mean those who work in this area must be the best trained nurses the hospital had to offer. Expectations to work around the clock with little to no chance to get a second wind, dealing with complications as critical as an active volcano, dive into the craziest if not dirtiest situations, and of course all the avalanching emotions that come with their friends and family. Some would call these nurses hardy, cold, even stoic, but that¡¯s all from experience. Normally people would be proud of having 10 years under their belt; I.C.U. nurses on the other hand, it¡¯s not always golden stars and fancy awards even if you do a great job. That being said, any I.C.U. could tell you the most bizarre stories that would happen to them. Let¡¯s take for instance, this Stout Nurse who was taking report from the night shift nurse ¨C regarding about a certain Keekee. Vitals signs are more or less stable, lost a lot of blood so expect frequent blood transfusion, and her status was still reading coma. People would think, caring for a patient in coma would be the easiest part of the job...it really isn¡¯t. Because it¡¯s not the immobile patient the Stout Nurse is worried about, it¡¯s the visitors she has to deal with. ¡°..... Excuse me, sir. Yes you with the basket. Are you sure you¡¯re on the right floor?¡± ¡°Oh? Am I not? I am here looking for Miss Keekee. Teacher told me to wait here while he attend to uh...what did he say? Getting a ticket for his horse wagon¡ªI mean car.¡± ¡°.....Well sir, you can¡¯t coming into I.C.U. with that. Dirty Laundry is on the ground floor.¡± ¡°Madame. You are mistaken. These are all clean, fresh from the patient¡¯s closet.¡± ¡°.....Wut all that clothing? What are you planning to do, camp here? We may have room for family and friends to sleep, but not like you can come all packed up for an RV trip!¡± ¡°I wish for Miss Keekee to be comfortable when she wakes up. I may not know exactly when, but when she does come to, I know she would be happy to wear her favourite clothing to forget that fact she is in a hospital.¡± ¡°.....All this? In this one laundry hamper?¡± ¡°Correct. Miss Keekee doesn¡¯t like to feel hot when she sleeps, so she usually wears these no-sleeved clothing and pants with no leggings. When she wakes up she fears the cold and usually slips on this long sleeve cloth she refers to as a sweater. Whenever she is on a day off, I¡¯ve always seen her wear this overlarge partial robe ¨C you refer to as a T-shirt I believe ¨C with this man wearing a bat themed costume.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°..................................¡± ¡°I know, this partial robe is rather well worn. The portrait of this cape man is cracked like dried mud bricks. Although I¡¯ve never had the opportunity to ask Miss Keekee why this clothing above all else, I usually see her washing this one more frequently than most. My deduction is, this might be her favourite wear to feel free and unfettered.¡± ¡°..... She¡¯s in Room 5, on the right. You can¡¯t miss it...Carry on.¡± You¡¯ve heard of the phrase ¡®wow, time flies when you¡¯re at work¡¯ right? Well, when it comes to the hospital ¨C space time continuum moves at the speed of light. For example, the moment the Stout Nurse finally sat down since the beginning of her shift ¨C it was well past the lunch break. And it¡¯s not easy, getting the ¡®lunch break¡¯ now, especially when you have to ¡®negotiate¡¯ with other nurses to see who goes first, else the patients would be unmanned for a good bit. In saying that, the Stout Nurse thought she was the busy one. She finally realized, there was someone 10 times busier than all the nurses combined. ¡°..... Sir. Back again? You want more hot water? This is what, your 20 - 30th time? Why don¡¯t you use the hot water from the water cooler? You know, the one with the red push button.¡± ¡°I prefer to make proper tea, which would require freshly boiled water. The ones dispensed by the machines are not adequate to release the full potency of the tea leaves...or tea bags as you call them. Not only would the flavour be wasted, the above lukewarm temperature would be rendered cold in less than half an hour.... My sincerest apologies, Madam Nurse. I would have made my own fire pit and boil a kettle of water myself, but Teacher forbade me. He didn¡¯t want me to trigger the fire alarm, or ¡®invite the fire fighters to a tea party¡¯ as he coined it.¡± ¡°..... Y-you know there¡¯s like, a vending machine like right over there. Serves both HOT tea and HOT coffee. No need for all this back and forth right? A-and I know three cups of tea would get me running to the lady¡¯s room ¨C so how could you drink over 30 cups and not walk like your bladder is about to explode?¡± ¡°Oh! The tea isn¡¯t for me. It is for Miss Keekee.¡± ¡°..... Excuse me?¡± ¡°When Miss Keekee wakes up, I know she would love to have something warm to fill her belly.¡± ¡°.....¡± ¡°Clearly Miss Keekee is in no condition to eat. My hope is she would find some solace in some hot tea. When it chills and loses its steam, I would discard it and make another ¨C with your help in fetching the freshly boiled water from your...automated kettles of course. I would never drink it, even if it be a bit of a waste. Chamomile is, after all, Miss Keekee¡¯s favourite tea. It wouldn¡¯t be right for me to ¡®steal¡¯ a taste without her permission. Don¡¯t you agree, Madam Nurse?¡± ¡°.....¡± The electric kettle was usually well guarded in the staff¡¯s lounge. Only nurses, managers, and the occasional hospitalist were privy to accessing it to make their beverages or heat up a cup noodle or two. Even now, the Stout Nurse had been fetching boiled water IN the lounge, never outside. In a way, the kettle has never left its home since the creation of the I.C.U. unit. That was until today, where it started being a room-mate for Keekee and company. What is everyone¡¯s favourite time of the day? Other than Beer o clock? End of the shift! What else!? For many, it was the only time a nurse could get a chance to sigh with relief. They¡¯ve clocked in for the day, they¡¯ve done their due diligence. Anything after that was not their problem anymore. Sure, there was the classic over time or work extension. But, was extra pay worth it? Some would hound after that with a yes, some would just ¡®nope¡¯ out of there. The Stout Nurse was one of the few who prefer to have an easy going life and a healthy sleep schedule. Her days of overtime and burnouts were way behind her, she¡¯s rehabilitated from the system. So you bet your sweet dollars she be clocking out the second her shift was over. Still, she can¡¯t leave. No, she wasn¡¯t physically chained to her nursing station, neither was she coerced to stay a little longer. Rather, she was waiting for the night shift nurse to come and take over for report so she was stuck in the floor for a little while longer. Not like she was the type to play video games and watching videos on her phone could only get her so far in attention span. So, she decided to do a little spying. A good spying, nothing illegal or improper. Room 5, Keekee¡¯s room. ¡°¡®I shan¡¯t! I shan¡¯t go back. No amount of gold or silver would ever bring me back to that accursed island! For forever in my dreams through the roars of surfs crashing upon the coast, I can hear his voice. The sharp call of Captain Flint, ringing in my soul: ¡®Pieces of Eight! Pieces of Eight!¡¯.................. Teacher. What exactly are these ¡®Pieces of Eight¡¯? They sound like some sort of Martial Arts Technique.¡± ¡°Oh. My. God. Kim! This is what, the third book you read to Keekee? And you still have no idea what they¡¯re saying. L-l-look at the title of this book: Treasure Island! It¡¯s about looking for buried treasure, Spanish Gold!¡± ¡°Teacher, honestly. Are you telling me people of this modern era would find interest about seeking foreign gold left behind by a previous dynasty? And have you not seen the power sleeping in your wallet? Merchants and government officials store their golden ingots in strong boxes, escorted by heavily armed soldiers to ward of highway bandits. You on the other hand ¨C you can virtually pay for anything with a tap of that card thing you call a Visa!¡± ¡°Kim, that still begs the question. How can you not understand the book ¨C after you just read it?¡± ¡°To be honest Teacher, I don¡¯t understand a single page of these books. This is nothing like Confucius¡¯ ¡®Four Books and Five Classics¡¯ that educates the principles of Poetry, Documentation, Traditional Rites, Divination and Geomancy, Spirit of Music, and so on.¡± ¡°B-but you were reading everything from page one to page finale with such pizzazz and gusto! Here I thought, you memorized the book like an actor¡¯s script!¡± ¡°Miss Keekee inherited these books from her late grandmother, who she holds dear in her heart. She even kept them in protected condition for all these times. I may not know which of these book is exactly her favourite, but its clear she has not thrown out any of them when she had the chance. Surely her heart lies in some of these pages. It would be a disservice to read like I was reading a funeral euology, don¡¯t you agree Teacher?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. Not once have you let me get a wink of sleep. So could you read like a boring school teacher, ju-just once!¡± Hours after her shift, the Stout Nurse was still at her workplace. She¡¯s already given report to the other nurse. And she didn¡¯t clock in overtime. So why was the Stout Nurse still lingering? In fact, why was she hiding in the staff lounge? Better question: Why was she bawling her eyes out!? All of her colleagues and close friends all took turns keeping her comfort. Everyone believed the Stout Nurse just lost a relative or her kids got into an accident. Within all the questions, the Stout Nurse barely got out the reason of her mourning. ¡°20 years of marriage! 20 damn years! And I can¡¯t get my husband to put the toilet seat down! I want Room 5¡¯s man! I want him! UUUUUUUUUUH- UUUUUUUUUUUH- UUUUUUUUUH!¡± PAVILION - Chapter 64 (Freebirds Wish) Professor Stone lost track of time completely. And all it took was a blink of a sleepy eye. The last thing he recalled was the noon light glaring into his eyes through the window. Now, it was well after dusk and any sunlight has called in for the day. Even the familiar faces in I.C.U. have been traded by brand new people, starting their night shift. The forensic chemist never felt this lost before. Granted, he always had a great sense of time, always punctual even. Now, he can''t tell if he passed out for an hour or a full year. It was confirming the date on his watch that grounded him back in reality. "...Kim, you''re not tired? Like, at all?" "I''m fine, Teacher." Meanwhile, Martial Kim couldn''t bring himself to sleep. How could he, especially when his good friend was unconscious next to him. Granted some people under these circumstances could find some good excuse to close their eyes and take a quick nap in their chair. The young master could not do such a thing, even if his body yearned for proper rest. So he busied himself during the waning hours. "Kim. How long have you been staring out the window? What? Looking for a shooting star to wish upon?" "I have been trying to read Miss Keekee''s fortune in the stars...However, it''s proven difficult given the stars here are so faint. Very difficult to see." "Huh?...Oh. Light pollution." "...Light...garbage?" Prof. Stone tried not to laugh, "Nah, not like that. As you know, our city has a lot of lights - from the streets, houses, apartments, almost everything. Even at night, we''re shining harder than a firefly. Because of that, the excessive illumination kinda makes it hard for anyone to properly see the stars. It''s not like the medieval times where you can look up and lo and behold, all the of the blinking night sky is laid out like some painting in a museum." Martial Kim tried not to show a frown, because his enemy was more technology than human, "That would explain why even squinting would do me no good." "Want a telescope?" "A what?" "...Never mind. I doubt I could sneak one into I.C.U. They¡¯ll probably panic and call for a Code Silver, thinking it was a rifle in a guitar bag or something." It''s been a while since Prof. Stone had a proper gaze of the stars above his head. Sure he would see them every night, but like he said - light pollution. At most he got good glimpse of them whenever he travelled in the mountains, but even then he wasn''t much of a star gazer to begin with. In saying that, he admired the young master trying to find even a slither of hope in the night sky. "By the way, Kim, the next star shower would be next year in May." "Wh--Teacher. I am aware you are well versed in the arts of Forensic Science, but I never took you for an astrologist." "...No just...Google." Martial Kim had trouble keeping up with the times, even when he''s been here for a good several months. Was he entirely clueless? Well with his intelligence he can pick up the gist of it. But in the end, he was really no different than a senior who was behind on the times. Struggle with a button there, fumble with a switch there, and bumble with even a simple phone alarm. A part of him wanted - nay, wished - he could master this world''s science and technology and find an answer to awaken Keekee from her state of condition. Surely with his experience in medical arts (albeit a little out dated to modern standards) he would be able to find a rare possibility faster than these so called ''doctors'' and ''hospitalist''. On that note, why do these doctors keep changing? The young master questioned. Shouldn''t there be one doctor to handle their patients from beginning to end? That''s been Martial Kim''s principle - hell, every physician back in the Jade Empire follow this rule. Even the Emperor and his family would rely on the one Imperial Physician, a life long position (until you mess up and get executed). So all this rotation, new faces every hour and every day, felt counter intuitive...Well, that was what Martial Kim thought. Alas, no one in modern times would listen to him. "Kim. You''re not a dog. You don''t have to get your hackles up whenever a male nurse or doctor touch Keekee. They''re professionals." "They fail to convince me with such confidence, Teacher." "Sigh. Any who, I''m starving. I''m going to get us some food from the cafeteria...if it''s still open. Meanwhile - don''t bite them." "Like you said, Teacher, I am not a hound." "You fail to convince me with such confidence, Kim." The moment Prof. Stone saw the words CLOSED hanging on the cafeteria, he cursed his luck. He wasn''t the type to cuss like a sailor, he preferred to act more professional than a regular street thug or college student. However, anyone would mutter under their breath when they''re walking on lack of sleep, starving, and wasted their time taking the slow elevator ride. Don''t blame him. In saying that, he didn''t expect to curse a second time in a row in the matter of a few minutes. Just when he got into his car to find the nearest take out place. "What was that Yvonne?...Holy sh--Okay, I''ll be right there. Give me 30...wait. 45 minutes. Need to do something real quick." A predicament for sure. Should he run through a red light to the nearest take out place and grab a proper bite to eat; or should he give up and just run through a red light to where trouble was calling him. Thank goodness, he asked for an extra 15 minutes. "Kim, I¡¯m back. Sorry, this is all I could get." "...Teacher, I know a proper dinner when I see one. Clearly they do not resemble pork buns or roasted duck legs. So what are these?" "Chocolate bars and potato chips...Come on, don''t give me that shrewd look! That''s all the vending machines had to offer! They¡¯re worth over 5 dollars each if you can believe it! And I got to go." "Go? Go where? Miss Keekee hasn''t waken up yet!" "There''s been a mime in town," Prof. Stone muttered in between chews of his chocolate bar. Thanks to the caramel filling, he had to put in extra effort to enunciate his sticky words. "Sorry, crime. Forensics is needed and I''m called to the meme¡ªscene." "Ah, I see." Martial Kim nodded and he made sure Keekee was well tucked into her bed before he made for the door, "Let us be off then Teacher." "Whoa, whoa, whoa." Prof. Stone nearly choked on his food as he multi-tasked in eating and dragging his protege back into the room. "You''re on a day off, remember?" "B-but, Teacher. Duty calls, no?" "Look. Kim. I admire your sense of responsibility, but... your place is here, with Keekee. Coma or not, I think you''re the only person she wants to be by her side right now." "........Will you be alright, Teacher?" "Positive. I''ll head to the frontlines, you hold the fort. Alright?" Martial Kim wished to disagree, or even disobey. But given the fact the stakes involved Keekee, his answer was obvious albeit a bit reluctant. So it took him ever ounce of willpower to just stand his ground as Prof. Stone marched off to the battlefield. It was at this moment, did the young master realized this may be the first time his mentor ever left him. Be it on case, off case, it was almost like Prof. Stone had been within him every second of his life in this strange new world. Was that feeling like a father making sure his son doesn¡¯t trip too hard, or a brother-in-arms who always had his comrade¡¯s back? It was right now did Martial Kim felt a strange sort of lightness, like he was floating aimlessly in the ocean. Neither tethered nor anchored. Even if it was warm inside of Keekee¡¯s room, Martial Kim could not shrug off the shiver crawling up his spine. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. --- I am doing the right thing, staying here and watching Miss Keekee. I know that. Yet, why does my heart ache in being left behind?...I wonder, did my martial brothers and sisters at Moon Tavern had this same uneasy sensation, whenever I charge off into the front lines and they hold the fort? Such a vexing feeling. The questions and emotions were too heavy for the young master to stand on. So the first time since he visited Keekee in I.C.U. he sat down. His knees started to shake, realizing how tired they''ve been. He could feel his calves twitching from all the energy he''s exhausted in his muscles. Eyes blinked heavy, but he refused to sleep. He wanted to stand on guard for his friend. So what better way to keep himself alive, than to distract himself. "...If only you were awake, Miss Keekee. Then perhaps, you can explain to me why this Treasure Island is so appealing to the masses..........appealing to you..........Oh Miss Keekee..." Sometimes people think talking to a coma patient was silly. But on the other hand, better than talking to a dead body, right? Prof. Stone arrived at the scene, albeit a little later than promised. Fortunately, there were just so many things going on at the scene of the crime that no one noticed whether he was super late or super early. Although he got a gist of what happened on the phone and was pretty much prepared to see something dastardly terrible ¨C what he finally laid eyes on left him completely speechless. "Jesus Christ. Officer Roland, what happened to this place!?" "I know right? It''s like whoever owned the place owed money to a hurricane. It''s a complete mess from top to bottom." The scene of the crime was held inside of a manor; think Beverly Hills style residence and replace those fancy palm trees for regular pine trees. The front doors were wide open to show complete devastation within entrance, halls, the large rooms, even up and down the stairs. Books and magazines were all tossed across tables, chairs, and floors; vases and potted plants smashed in like a hammer to a skull; furniture tossed and split into kindling; just so many problems that would require at least three paragraphs to go through! Prof. Stone can''t tell if he was too tired to brace it all, or this was just too unreal, so ended up covering a gloved hand over his gaping mouth. Meanwhile, Officer Roland just stared at the anarchy, equally dumbstruck. "As you can see sir, there''s footprints all over the place. Up and down the stairs, the foyer - everywhere. Forensics is collecting them, but I take it there''s at least five or six guys that''s been running around. Maybe more by the looks of it." ¡°This feels morel like a rampage than a break in. Anything stolen?¡± ¡°Oof. God knows. Too much of a mess to figure out what valuables were taken or left behind in the scuffle. I guess it¡¯s going to take maybe a week to figure out what the hell happened here exactly!¡± "And the body, officer?" ¡°Oooooh...You might want to leave that part for last, sir.¡± ¡°Fraulein told me the gist. But is it THAT bad?¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? Even the coroner had to step outside a couple of times to get fresh air. See! There they go again!¡± Detective Fraulein was a veteran in the police force. She¡¯s survived her version of storming Omaha Beach in the Normandy landings and endured her version of the Iwo Jima campaigns. But never in her life had she come across a living, breathing, horror scene. A sight so unnatural, she was forced to swallow her own bile, or risk exploding into her face mask (and it¡¯s those tight N95 respirators!). So it was perfectly understandable for her to jump when something touched her shoulder. ¡°FFFF¡ªSTONE! KNOCK NEXT TIME! KNOCK!¡± ¡°What do you call tapping the shoulder!?¡± Although the detective and forensic chemist often had their differences, they more or less saw eye to eye due to the........dear god almighty! ¡°D-Detective. Are you SURE that¡¯s even a corpse at this point?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know any more, Stone. Stop making me look at it.¡± Simply put, the corpse in question was nothing but a bloody carnage. Any further details and this would raise flags for all sorts of content warning restrictions. So...imagine as you will. Even Detective Fraulein had to hold up a hand to block the visage, just so she could speak straight, ¡°It¡¯s like a wolf had a rabbit for dinner but gave up halfway and left it alone. As you can tell by the flies, definitely more than a good while.¡± Prof. Stone adjusted his own face mask, but the smell still got to him, ¡°Did an actual animal sneak in through the door or was this committed by a living breathing human?¡± ¡°Hell, if someone said a werewolf did this ¨C I would believe them, hands down. Never seen a messy death like this.¡± ¡°Was the coroner able to get anything? How was the victim killed?¡± ¡°Stone, just look at this pile of torn flesh. No one can tell if this guy was clubbed, stabbed, shot, or even ran over and dumped his body out the back of a van! And there the coroner goes again to get air! At this rate, we can only get details after they do a full autopsy. There¡¯s simply too many wounds to figure out cause of death.¡± Detective Fraulein gave one obligatory glance at the corpse before wincing away, ¡°Well Kung Fu Boy? Don¡¯t you always have a smart brained opinion or deduction?...Kung Fu Boy?......Stone, where the hell is Kim?¡± Prof. Stone shrugged at first, but then, ¡°What are you talking about he¡¯s right¡ªOh right. Kim¡¯s at the hospital. Keekee got into an accident.¡± ¡°Oh shit! No way! Is she alright? God, please don¡¯t tell me the poor girl is dead!¡± ¡°No no, thank goodness, not at all...But not great either. She¡¯s in a coma. I gave Kim the day off, so he could keep her company.¡± Detective Fraulein completely forgot about the corpse in front of her ¨C rather she prefer to take her mind off it. Hearing the news, she just clicked her tongue under the mask, ¡°Damn. I can¡¯t imagine what the boyfriend is feeling right now.¡± Prof. Stone steeled himself and took it upon himself to examine the body ¨C at a distance, ¡°Honestly, I am glad Keekee has a boyfriend like Kim. The man packed her entire house in a laundry hamper if you can imagine, just to make her comfortable. Kept watch over her, like he was an Imperial Guard at the Buckingham Palace. A part of me is worried, Kim would crack.¡± ¡°...Y-you should have more faith in Kung¡ªI mean Kim. He¡¯s decked over 20 cops, broke my nose, and got out of prison with his bare hands... As if anything like this will... After my shift, take me to see them. Hey, don¡¯t give me that look! I may hate Kim, but I have nothing against Keekee. Poor girl, to think I was just talking to her a couple of days ago!...Man.¡± ¡°As much as I want to accept your invitation, I am contemplating of declining it. Don¡¯t give me that look, Fraulein. I barely had an hour¡¯s worth of sleep. I am running on coffee and energy drinks. I was planning to sneak in a few zzzs...Anyways, she¡¯s in the local hospital I.C.U., and they would have ended visiting hours by the time we finish with work. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll take you there.¡± ¡°Bright early!¡± ¡°OH COME ON, NOT YOU TOO!¡± Work, work, work. It was the only thing keeping Prof. Stone awake. Coffee and caffeine can only do so much, he needed the motivation to will himself to keep pushing through his limits. And that was investigating a crime. Specifically, a murder. What happened here? How many people were involved? How did it went from a regular break in to something only a mauling bear could do? Was this planned and looked like an accident? Or was it accident and looked plan? Without any information on the cause or time of death, the range of questions was near limitless. Of course, not like knowing the exact hour and method of death would help either ¨C there¡¯s too many mess and variables that could skew the direction of the investigation. Why, Prof. Stone and his crew had to literally tip toe around the debris as if it was a wired minefield. One wrong step and they may loose valuable forensic evidence or even disturb the space before police photographers could take pictures and scan the environment to a digital landscape for further examination. ¡°...Officer Roland was right...there¡¯s a lot of foot prints everywhere.¡± North, west, east, south, these foot prints in questions seem to go in multiple directions. Given the forensic chemist¡¯s experience, a single glance at the direction and pattern of foot prints would give him a general idea of intent of these movements. Seeing how they¡¯ve overlapped each other like back to back rush hours in a subway station, he couldn¡¯t even fathom an educated guess. Were these people looking for something? Were they trying to move valuables out? Were they trying to dig out money hidden in shoes or even drawers? Even with all the time in the world, there were too many question marks for forensic science to figure out. ¡°Oh, oh?...Yvonne, can you pass me your flashlight. I think I found something!¡± Ah-ha! A clue? What could it be? Someone hiding underneath a couch? A murder weapon swept under a table? Whatever caught Prof. Stone¡¯s attention to wave a light around, happened to be underneath a drawer. The piece of furniture was one of the few left intact and just so happen to be standing in the foyer, about 10 paces from the door. Prof. Stone had to approach it carefully, not because he thought there was a bomb inside ¨C but because of all the sharp porcelain pieces scattered in front of him. Possibly a large decorative vase got smashed in some scuffle, the scratch marks on the wall paint seem to suggest, and littered the floor like spiked traps. Fortunately, he and his forensic unit used various tools and extendable grabbers to bypass the traps and try to grapple onto something hiding under the drawer¡¯s bottom space. A full pull and tugs, and they brought it under the light. ¡°Oh. A bag? Actually, a hip pouch... Definitely seen better days, the buckle is completely snapped off. Would fall right off at this point... Hold on...why does this bag look so familiar? Where have I seen this before?¡± PAVILION - Chapter 65 (Freebirds Tablet) Where to begin? Detective Fraulein kept asking herself that very question, since the moment she stepped into the manor to the hours dipping past midnight. Even as the coroner and her group have removed the body to bring back to the morgue, the detective found herself more or less stranded on an island with no way out, metaphorically. Usually she gets an inspiration of where to take the first step but...something about this very case made her feel overwhelmed. "...God damn it. How much rooms does a man need? There''s enough for a party of 20 to sleep off their drinking session. And that''s just the first floor!" Simply put, the manor was big enough for the owner to make a killing out of his own Air BnB services. Maybe if he lived and played on the fact it was a scene of a ¡®murder¡¯, might even sell a couple of tickets for particular folks for a private tour. Real life crime story locales or haunted mansions so to speak. The benefits of its size were immense, but given the circumstances the scale was only a major detriment for the investigators. Hence why Detective Fraulein didn''t know where to start with her investigation. That moment when people become paralyzed when presented with too many choices. She had 1/4 of the police station at her disposal and felt it wasn¡¯t enough. Even if she called in more to make it 2/4, she felt the minimum time frame of completing initial sweeps would be early morning next day. It''s not like she was in a rush to go home and sleep just...all this blank stalling in her head was giving her a migraine. So she relieved some of the tension with some therapeutic shouting (very effective). "Officer Roland!...Officer Roland!...Where are you! I need a sitrep!" ¡°Ma¡¯am! Yes Ma¡¯am! Coming down right now!¡± Officer Roland could be found racing down the stair well. He had to, because it was too damn long for a slow jog. As he descended he gave a makeshift report. ¡°Second floor is completely trashed. No room spared. We found the owner¡¯s private study ¨C just as big of a mess. Can¡¯t tell if the suspects were having a Black Friday sales or what, almost anything that wasn¡¯t bolted was swiped clean.¡± Detective Fraulein was afraid of this, then she thought, ¡°What about safes? Surely a man living in such a fancy place would have a vault full of gold coins like something out of a cartoon. Big enough to swim in it if I were to imagine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just the thing, Ma¡¯am. There are safes, but they¡¯re all totalled.¡± ¡°Explain.¡± ¡°They¡ªJesus, how many steps does this stair have!?¡ªThey found a couple of safes large and small, all bashed up and cracked open like clams in a buffet table. Everything that was supposed to be locked inside, all gone. Not even a single money bill was spared¡ªUWOOP!?¡± ¡°For the love of¡ªWatch your step you clumsy fool!¡± Officer Roland always believed himself to be a careful man. ¡®Believed¡¯. So whenever an accident ever fell on his shoulder, or in this case his feet, he would always blame it on the elements ¨C or act of God. So he wasn¡¯t at all prepared to slip up at the finishing line of the long stairs. Flop, bang, boom! ¡°AAaaaaaAAAAaaaaAAAaaaaaah...My back.¡± ¡°Officer Roland. I know it¡¯s snowing outside and all, but I specifically told EVERYONE to wipe their damn feet dry before stepping into my crime scene. So don¡¯t you be billing this incident for work safe compensation.¡± ¡°B-but Ma¡¯am! I swear! I wiped my boots properly AND I have foot covers on! I...Oh crap. I broke something.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not calling the ambulance for you.¡± ¡°N-no it¡¯s not a bone! I-it¡¯s this tablet!¡± Officer Roland gasped from the sin he just committed. Murdering a human being was one thing, but smashing apart a perfectly good computer tablet was a felony in itself. What was supposed to be a beautiful 11 inch screen device ¨C that could play games, listen to music, watch online videos, and use computer programs on the go ¨C was what classy chefs called ¡®deconstructed¡¯. If this tablet was a patient rolled into the hospital: they have a cracked black eye and its spine was snapped in two ¨C perfect 90 degree fold. Hardware organs sticking out like a war wound. Computer lovers, you may scream. ¡°Officer Roland, what is with you and your luck?¡± "M-Ma''am! I-I swear, I didn¡¯t break it on purpose! A-and where did this come from!?" "Probably one of Stone''s team or something... Hey, Forensics! any of you dropped an office tablet on the floor? Well we found it, Roland crushed it under his boot!" "De-Detective! Accident or not, d-don''t just throw me under the bus like that! I won¡¯t be buried with a flag over my coffin if they up and strangle me for this! I didn¡¯t mean to break it!" Officer Roland half expected for even modern scientists to go full medieval to tar and feather him for what he has done. And he clenched his body up to brace against a slap on the shoulder or even a ''damn you'' shove. ...Nothing. In fact, the forensic team don¡¯t recognize it. And they don¡¯t need to double check, because the model they were using was sleeker, more advanced, higher processing power, and well protected with military grade casings and anti-cracking screen covers. "...Ma''am. If this doesn''t belong to forensics...could it be one of ours?" "Officer Roland, I''ll be real with you. If I ever caught you whipping out your 11 inch computer from your pockets, while on duty, I would shoot you.¡± "...Fair point." "Even if this was police equipment, only a detective like me would have it out. And that''s definitely not mine... Where did you find it exactly?" Officer Roland stuttered before he pointed where he found the device. The finish line of the stair race. Why, it happened to be the exact spot where the officer slipped and fell on his back. And now that they got a better look at it, the staircase itself was rather close to the foyer, practically pointing at it. If a kid was crazy enough, they could drive their toboggan down the stairs like a ramp, launch themselves right through the hall, and fly out front door and into the snow. Given with what the investigators have seen so far, looked like the foyer seen the most action. ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± Officer Roland wondered, ¡°You think this belongs to the victim?" ¡°Seriously?¡± Detective Fraulein couldn''t help a scoff, "You think the suspects brought their tablet to ¡®work¡¯. Come on.¡± ¡°Then why is it still here? Almost anything that may have been valuable has been swiped clean from their shelves and places. Who knows how much of a haul the suspects brought with them. Why not steal this tablet along with their catch?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see the thing is broken, duh?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I know a guy who knows a guy who also knows a guy who would KILL to get their hands on those kind of computer parts. Like the case is all busted up, but the chips and doohickeys are still in good condition, right?¡± Detective Fraulein didn¡¯t voice it, but Officer Roland made a good point. She turned and rotated the broken tablet about in her hands, as if trying to figure out which is the proper orientation of the screen. ¡°Well Officer, judging by the chaos left behind, I doubt these suspects were much of professionals. Even if they were, they must have panicked after killing the owner and grabbed whatever they could in the heat of the moment. If I were them, the last thing I would think about is picking up a piece of computer garbage ¨C not worth the effort, you know?¡± ¡°...True.¡± Officer Roland rubbed the back of his gloved hand across his chin to process that. ¡°Ma¡¯am, may I take a look at it?¡± What do you do when you find a tablet laying on the ground? You turn it on, right? Or at least hit the power button to open the lock screen and figure out who it belongs to, right? That¡¯s exactly what Officer Roland did. However, given the state of the tablet¡¯s body it was near impossible to¡ª OH! IT¡¯S ALIVE! IT¡¯S ALIVE! IT¡¯S...Oh yeah no, it¡¯s definitely dead. Totally. Officer Roland¡¯s shoulders sagged, ¡°Worth a shot.¡± Detective Fraulein swiped the evidence back into her grip, ¡°You¡¯re lucky neither of you spontaneously combusted! Anyway, get this bagged up and sent straight to I.T. Surely with all their gadgets and Silicon Valley brains they could figure out a way to retrieve the data." "Yes, Ma''am." Officer Roland nodded and he gestured for someone to hand him an evidence bag. While waiting he couldn''t help but ask, "Still. This is one hell of a collateral damage." "Agreed. Casing or not, these things are made to withstand a fall even from shoulder height. As if tablets and zPads these days would fold over like a beach towel on impact... Thoughts, Officer?" "Uh... Shield? Mace?" "Speak English, not L.A.R.P." Officer Roland took a moment to translate his ideas into modern English, "Assuming this belonged to the victim: let''s say, the bad guys broke in; surprised the victim while he was, I don''t know playing puzzle game or something, it would be instincts to hit an intruder with whatever you have your hands on, right?" Detective Fraulein toyed with the thought in her mind before responding, "Go on." "So what if, the victim ¨C whoever he was ¨C used his tablet to, you know, block a fist or a crowbar. Much like a shield. O-or maybe instead of going on the defensive, he strikes out to scare off the attacker!" This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "...One ¨C if the victim was doing something on his tablet during the moment his manor was broken into, don''t you think the screen would be facing himself? Look: the screen is smashed in. I doubt any human being would flip the tablet around and use screen first to block a deadly blow." "Point...taken." "In saying that, Officer Roland, I do give you partial marks on the mace part. If not to block an attack, maybe the victim''s tablet was used to club someone." To emphasize, Detective Fraulein stole the tablet out of the Officer''s grip and tried to club him with it herself! HE HAS COURTED DEATH! "JESUS!" Only for Officer Roland to gasp when he realized it was all just a feint. "Yeah, that would definitely fold that sucker like a book." "Not just once," Detective Fraulein added, "But multiple times. Look how smashed up this thing is. If I didn''t know better, it might have been one hell of a fight before the guy ended up like chewed Safari carcass." Finally an evidence bag was provided and the detective stowed it away before it became expose to any more elements...or used in a pseudo-murder. "By the way," Detective Fraulein asked once the piece of evidence was taken out of her grasp. "Who call it in? The one who reported the murder?" ¡°Well Detective. Riddle me this: I come to your door but never stay, bringing words from far away. What am I?¡± ¡°Someone who wants to carpool with the corpse.¡± ¡°...S-sorry Ma¡¯am.¡± Professor Stone was searching outside. Normally he would dedicate the hours into looking inside and around the house for clues before they go missing or overlooked. However, the weather forecast gave bad news and mentioned of an upcoming snow storm. Granted, they can be wrong but...why take the chance? Before the elements got out of hand, Prof. Stone thought it would be best to sweep the manor grounds for any evidence before it gets lost and buried in the snow. The house interior would be well protected, practically preserved, but anything outside was a different story. That was until he was asked an important question. ¡°The answer to the riddle? Well, Detective, that would be a mailman.¡± ¡°Oh god damn it!¡± Prof. Stone and Detective Fraulein were standing under a tree. No, they weren¡¯t K-I-S-S-I-N-G, oh hell no. Neither was it a romance scene playing out in a classic school romance manga. It¡¯s because it was the best shed to hide from the snow, like rain. Duh. Detective Fraulein blew steam into her bare fingers and kept rubbing them together. ¡°The call came in earlier in the day around noon. The caller was doing his delivery when he found the door left open. Like any curious creature, he poked his nose where it didn¡¯t belong and... Well by the time first responders arrive, they found the mailman blowing chunks.¡± ¡°Well that explains that one flower pot. Guess we can remove that off the list of things to examine.¡± ¡°Speaking of list, Stone. What¡¯s your status?¡± Prof. Stone let out a sigh, a train of smoke rolling out of the tunnel of his mouth, ¡°I can¡¯t tell if I¡¯m 50% done or 10% done. So much ground to cover and the weather isn¡¯t giving us time to check everything. And we have to tread lightly as the snow is starting to hide everything.¡± ¡°What have you found so far?¡± ¡°Still can¡¯t confirm how many people were involved in this crime, but my team did find at least one trail of foot prints. Came running out of the front door, through the grass, down the dirt hill, and onto the streets. As for any others, they all could have raced down the stone steps and leave very little prints for us.¡± Detective Fraulein pinched her nose bridge, ¡°Any signs of a get away car?¡± Prof. Stone shook his head, ¡°I found nothing like a vehicle parked in the drive way or speeding off from the sidewalk. Either their escape was parked somewhere else, or they drove away slowly to avoid leaving tread marks ¨C which I doubt the latter... Any witnesses?¡± ¡°Pffft. What witnesses?¡± A swarm of steam burst out from the detective¡¯s nose when she snorted, ¡°Manor on the left is gone on a cruise. Manor on the right has been empty and for sale for weeks! And across the street is nothing but hills, trees, and a lake! I doubt forest critters can tell me anything!¡± ¡°What about neighbourhood cameras? Surely in a rich residence like this, there would be that kind of around the clock surveillance right?¡± ¡°Yeah, but you know how fickle private security companies can be. It¡¯s going to take at least half a month before they go ¡®Okay here you go, officers, enjoy!¡¯...Ffff.¡± Prof. Stone let his friend cuss under her breath. Meanwhile he eyed the night sky, at the snow that¡¯s falling down from the heaven. He wondered, if this was some sort of challenge by fate, to test these investigators of their mettle. Or, did the heavens themselves witness something and are trying to hide it from them? ...Hah. Sounds like something Martial Kim would be thinking about? Right? Has it been that long? Taking the young master as his protege. Sure the forensic chemist shared a lot of his knowledge, but in return he learned even more than he could imagine from Martial Kim. It was like, they formed a symbiotic bond...as ridiculous as it sound. So it made sense the forensic chemist felt lonely, even when he was in company of his best friend the detective. ¡°Stone. If you miss Kung Fu Boy so much, why don¡¯t you just bring him...Oh right. Keekee.¡± ¡°Honestly Fraulein. I¡¯m not crippled, but I feel like I¡¯m missing a limb without Kim. In saying that, I don¡¯t want play the part of a villain and take him away from more important matters. Besides, Keekee doesn¡¯t have much people she could call friends.¡± ¡°Man...This is such a drag. First her accident, then this murder. All of this is giving me a new type of headache...And it¡¯s so weird, I was just talking to Keekee about a day ago too. Just...man.¡± Prof. Stone didn¡¯t know what else to say to soften the situation. Not to mention, they have a job to do, so they couldn¡¯t exactly dilly dally. Especially when the snow was working against them. ¡°By the way, Fraulein. What¡¯s that in your hand?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh this? Ah. Just a tablet we found in the manor. Thought Officer Roland broke it, but as you can see¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s seen better days... Where in the building did you find this?¡± The detective gave the forensic chemist the gist of the story. Yes, she included the whole thing about a certain officer falling on his ass. She expected to get a laugh from her friend, but instead she noticed brows furrowing. ¡°H-hey, Stone. What¡¯s the matter? Can¡¯t take a joke? And it¡¯s not like you were on the receiving end of that laugh.¡± ¡°No no it¡¯s just... You found a tablet near the foyer, right? Well I happened to stumble onto a bag. A hip pouch to be exact. It just so happened to have been swept under a drawer, in the foyer.¡± ¡°Y-you found what!? Why didn¡¯t you say anything before! Come on, where is it! I want to see this myself!¡± Prof. Stone didn¡¯t waste any time showing the way for Detective Fraulein. He had to act as her guide, the snow practically covered up any obvious trails to wherever they parked their vehicles. Fortunately it wasn¡¯t as bad as a blinding blizzard, or else the two of them could have gone in circles in a matter of minutes. Evidence Truck Number 3, that is the one they¡¯re looking for. Prof. Stone and Detective Fraulein had a couple of guards to help open up the back and allowed them to sort through the many clear totes and bins. Dragging one out, they dug through the collection of evidence they¡¯ve picked up from inside of the manor, each of them individually sealed in specialized Ziploc style bags. ¡°Should be somewhere in this bin,¡± Prof. Stone mumbles as he grabbed one item out of the tote after another. ¡°I placed it inside personally.¡± ¡°What the hell!¡± Detective Fraulein suddenly snapped. ¡°Please, don¡¯t rush me. I guess the hip pouch is at the very bottom, buried under everything else. Just need to¡ª¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the idiot who left this in evidence!?¡± ¡°...What was that, Detective?¡± Prof. Stone snapped out from his searching when he realized Detective Fraulein had her eyes on something else. Why, she was glaring at one of the other evidence bags he had removed so he could free up space and dig at the bottom of the barrel. Before he could say a word, the detective snatched it up and started to wave it around in the air. ¡°Alright!¡± She barked out loud, ¡°Which one of you knuckle heads left this lying around? Speak up? Officer Roland? Officer Tanner? Who? Who the hell left their crap all over my crime scene!?¡± ¡°Wh-whoa, whoa, whoa.¡± Prof. Stone waved, ¡°Detective Fraulein. Wh-what is the matter?¡± ¡°This, Stone! This! Can you believe the idiot who left this thing lying around. If I hadn¡¯t spotted it, it would have been mistaken as actual evidence!¡± No one wanted to admit it, but Prof. Stone pretty much knew Detective like an open book. He worked with her long enough to memorize not only every letter on the pages of her mind, but even the way the pages turn whenever she sighed or frown. This allowed him to know what buttons to press, or what landmines to side step with ease. So seeing Detective Fraulein blow up like this without warning, made him question her sanity. ¡°...Fraulein. Relax. It¡¯s just an umbrella. What¡¯s got you so worked up?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t just any umbrella, Stone. It¡¯s a police umbrella!¡± ¡°...H-how can you tell, at a glance even?¡± ¡°Because this has our station¡¯s emblem on it! See, on the cover!? This is a limited edition fold up umbrella that were given out as prizes from games and events during our station¡¯s anniversary function. Only cops would have this. This shouldn¡¯t be in an evidence bag in the first place!¡± ¡°...So what? You think one of your officers just left it about, like it was a phone or clipboard?¡± ¡°No duh! Probably left it on a table or, or on a couch. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they hung it in the manor¡¯s umbrella rack to get the snow and water off it! Idiots!¡± Prof. Stone absorbed the information into his gut, digested it, and then he turned the evidence bag around to show it¡¯s label, ¡°One of my techs stated, it was found on the ground. Near the pool of blood. Close to the victim.¡± Detective Fraulein had dumbstruck look on her face, a rare one, ¡°Wait. There is no way any right minded officer would put their umbrella down next to the body like that and do something else like tie their boot lace!¡± ¡°And if you haven¡¯t noticed yet, it¡¯s quite broken. See? One of the umbrella frame is disconnected.¡± ¡°..............................................¡± ¡°...D-Detective Fraulein? Did you hear me? Are you alright?¡± ¡°Stone...This is my umbrella.¡± Now it was Prof. Stones turn to give a double take, a rare one. Some how those simple words struck him harder than a bullet from a handgun, fired point blank. Where it struck? He had no clue, because he felt the internal damages all over. ¡°Impossible,¡± Detective Fraulein hissed as she turned the evidence bag in her hands. ¡°This is really my umbrella! How would I know ¨C it¡¯s because I won this in a bingo game! Just when I pulled it out of it¡¯s plastic wrap, I found one of the frames already broken ¨C a gimp arm! I asked for a new one, but they told me I got the last one! They only made 30 of them... So-so how did my umbrella landed in MY crime scene!?¡± ¡°Detective. Let¡¯s take a deep breath. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re in any trouble just, breathe. In...Out...In...Out...Now think carefully: are you sure you didn¡¯t bring it with you into the manor and left it somewhere?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m sure, Stone! In fact, it¡¯s impossible for this to show up now of all times!¡± ¡°What makes you say that?¡± ¡°Because I lent it to someone!¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°..........................................................................¡± ¡°Detective. Who borrowed your umbrella? Surely you have a name right? It¡¯s not like you would loan your limited edition prize to a random strange right? Who was it?¡± ¡°..............................Stone. Find the hip pouch.¡± ¡°F-Fraulein? Why the panic?¡± ¡°Shut UP and find the hip pouch! Quick! Do it! Do it!¡± Prof. Stone didn¡¯t expect this surprise page to appear out of no where, this twist ending in the book call Detective Fraulein. Forced into a corner he quickly dug through everything inside the tote bin like a dog searching desperately for its bone! Bingo! Found.......ooooooooooh. ¡°Stone. What¡¯s inside the hip pouch? I said: what¡¯s inside the pouch!...Answer me!¡± PAVILION - Chapter 66 (Freebirds Identity) The hip pouch: who did it belong to? The umbrella: who did the Detective lent it to? The manor: who else visited the place? No doubt you''ve all been dying to find out the answer. Have no fear, Professor Stone and Detective Fraulein were just as eager. In fact, their hands were still shaking when they brought everything back to the forensic lab to get a better look. The more they emptied the hip pouch and laid its contents on a display table, the more their foreheads began to sweat. "Notepad. Swiss Army Knife. Walkie Talkie. Flashlight. Extra phone batteries. USB--" "D-dammit, Stone! C-can you like, hurry up! Skip to the important part!" "...Alright, Detective. Since you''re so brave, why don''t you take over." "N-no! I-I can''t do it! I-I don''t want to be right! You do it, you got better luck!" Sigh. There is no point pushing the responsibility back and forth. It''s clear neither of them want to open the Schrodinger''s Box to check to see if the metaphorical cat is alive or dead. ...But they have to know. So, Prof. Stone played the villain today. He kept going, until he recovered: a buss pass, a security card and Employee I.D. all of them with someone''s picture...Hey, that person looks familiar...Wait a minute. IS THAT KEEKEE!? ¡°NO!¡± Detective Fraulein spat her words out with a choking noise, ¡°I-it can¡¯t be her! Sh-she would never do something like this!¡± ¡°H-hold on, hold on,¡± Prof. Stone tried to reel things back a bit, ¡°Let¡¯s take this slowly. From the beginning. Let¡¯s avoid jumping to conclusion. What exactly happened, with you and Keekee?¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t make it sound like we conspired against this random dead guy!¡± ¡°Well, Detective? Your umbrella?¡± ¡°Uuuugh. I only met the girl a few days ago. She came by my office at the station. It was the usual spiel: getting some information and references for her police movies and drama, you know? We kept chatting until we notice it raining like cats and dogs. I offered to lend Keekee my police umbrella, as I was planning to stay indoors to work over time and wait out the rain.¡± ¡°So,¡± Prof. Stone tried to plot out the timeline in his head. ¡°After you lent your umbrella, you never ran into her or had the chance to get your umbrella back. Right?¡± ¡°Not a single moment!¡± Detective Fraulein¡¯s voice cracked, a rare moment. ¡°I completely forgot about it until today. I just...I just can¡¯t believe it... I don¡¯t get it even!¡± ¡°My guess you¡¯re wondering,¡± Prof. Stone tried to help his friend sort out her scrambled mind, ¡°Why is YOUR umbrella that you lent to KEEKEE ended up in a MURDER scene, yes?¡± ¡°YEAH! This makes absolutely no sense!¡± As much as Prof. Stone wanted to pursue this avenue of inquiry he had to put a stop to that discussion. He wanted to at least let the tension, shock factor, and high emotions wind down a bit before he continued, a quick breather from the revelation so to speak. It hadn¡¯t been, what, five minutes and he could clearly see how menacing Detective Fraulein¡¯s reaction. ¡°Detective. Let¡¯s do this step by step. First, you handed your umbrella to Keekee. Second, Keekee got into an accident and ended up in the hospital... Ah. Right. Come to think of it, I would have known if she had the umbrella or not.¡± ¡°Wh-what do you mean!? Speak English!¡± ¡°Keekee¡¯s case is being investigated by traffic and accident division. Her belongings are locked up at the nursing station, and as per protocol only those in charge of her investigation could see her possessions. Since I was off duty and not part of that investigation, I didn¡¯t have a good chance to see what was with her when she came to the hospital.¡± ¡°Is that all? That¡¯s easy! I¡¯ll contact the head investigator, their chief if I have to. I know who to talk to in order to give us access... My only hope is my umbrella is still with Keekee in the hospital, and the one we found at the crime scene happens to be a double with the exact limb broken as mine! Th-then that will sort everything out!¡± ¡°... Limited edition. Only 30 made? Mostly owned by police officers. You got the last one.¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t you dare start with me, Stone! I know Keekee! I already feel like shit hearing she¡¯s in the hospital! Now that I am figuring out she may be involved in this murder case, how do you expect me to react!?¡± ¡°... Detective. Don¡¯t tell me. This is the first time you¡¯ve had a suspect close to you? Even with your long career? Now I wonder, who is the real lucky one in this situation.¡± ¡°Last thing I want to hear is you spelling it out in front of my face! And listen to what you¡¯re saying, Stone! Keekee is MY friend. She¡¯s also YOUR friend for all I know! Your protege¡¯s GIRLFRIEND! How can you not give a damn about what we just found out!¡± Prof. Stone wanted to pinch his nose bridge, but he felt it would be insulting right now, ¡°Fraulein. Please Fraulein. What would your supervisor say if he caught you all riled up like this? Knowing you have familiar connections with the potential suspect or victim will complicate things for both of you. One wrong decision and it would cost you both. Last thing I want is your superiors taking you off the case. You know how the others won¡¯t care for Keekee as much as you do.¡± Detective Fraulein¡¯s scowl was enough to give PTSD within mad dogs, ¡°Stone. I can¡¯t believe you, being all logic and science at a time like this! Do you have a heart? Aren¡¯t you angry? Upset? Do you even cry!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a robot. Neither can I be a pure human being right now. I am Forensics. And you, are a police investigator.¡± ¡°.................... Damn it!¡± If tables had feelings and a mouth, it would have screamed from Detective Fraulein¡¯s drop kick. A devastating sound that made even the hardiest of forensic technicians jump as if a bomb went off behind them. Prof. Stone was not perturbed, rather he chose not to show any reaction to the drop kick. He had to play the tough parent, to not react to a naughty child as a means to teach them ¨C this sort of behaviour was not acceptable. But at least, he didn¡¯t judge his friend. It was good, for her to get it out of her system now than never. ¡°Stone. It has to be someone else. Whoever killed the guy, m-might have known Keekee, stalked her, or even picked up the umbrella she left laying around and just...I don¡¯t know dropped it next to the body!¡± ¡°Fraulein. What if the suspect we¡¯re looking for, is exactly Keekee?¡± "COME ON STONE! Work with me! S-stop playing Devil''s Advocate! For one minute!" ¡°Keekee¡¯s accident was around Deer Bridge. If I am not mistaken, it¡¯s about a block away from where the scene of the crime is. Judging by the direction of the footsteps, assuming if that was Keekee who made them, they¡ª¡° ¡°No, no, no, NO! Stone! Stop! No more! I don¡¯t want to hear it! Keekee wouldn¡¯t just kill anyone! Never! She...she just...FFFFFFFFFFFFF...... Are you SURE she was hurt in Deer Bridge?¡± ¡°That is what the motor police told me. Granted, I didn¡¯t have a chance to drive over to that scene and take a look at it myself. So I can¡¯t give anything conclusive. But even then, if this was brought to light before a jury ¨C they would make the same logical conclusion.¡± ¡°...Because we found Keekee¡¯s belongings at the crime scene...Damn it! Even an idiot can connect those dots!¡± Suddenly, Detective Fraulein had a thought. ¡°Hold on, Stone. Think about it: why? Why would Keekee be there? Visiting a complete stranger?¡± Prof. Stone tried to recall some information off hand, but drew a blank. ¡°I doubt she could afford living in such a rich environment, right? What, strata fee and maintenance to keep the front lawn clean and trim would cost more than two months worth of my salary.¡± ¡°You bet your ass. When I first met her during the Belt Rapist, I did a full background check. With her wages, she could barely afford rent of her own apartment in a 30 unit complex in the middle of town. The only other place she stays over is her grandmother¡¯s cabin in the mountains. You know, with Kung Fu Boy Kim.¡± ¡°That still begs the question, Fraulein. How did her hip pouch and the umbrella ended up in the crime scene? ¡°...Oh...Oh hell no...No no no! Absolutely not!¡± Prof. Stone couldn¡¯t help but raise an eyebrow, ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Detective Fraulein looked had the look and poise of a lion, ready to pounce and land a kill in a single swoop. ¡°What are YOU thinking? Keekee isn¡¯t that kind of girl! She wouldn¡¯t go house calling and sell her body to rich ass holes for a quick buck! How could you think of such things!¡± There was no need to explain himself. Prof. Stone just raised his hands in surrender. He didn¡¯t think of that, SHE did. It took Detective Fraulein a moment to register what she just said and face palmed...make it double faced palm. High emotions can do weird things to people. Dead air was hurting both parties, so Prof. Stone tried to smooth it out with an important question, ¡°Any idea, who the victim is?¡± Detective Fraulein snapped out of her stupor, as if it never happened, ¡°I got Officer Roland to check it out. Won¡¯t be long until we have the answer!¡± ¡°................¡± ¡°...What Stone? Why the long face?¡ªSON OF A BITCH!...We can NOT tell Kung Fu Boy! Absolutely nothing about this!¡± ¡°My thoughts exactly, Fraulein.¡± ¡°Oh god. H-he¡¯ll kill us. No, he¡¯ll freaking use his karate to fold us like accordions, shove us in a box, into a smaller box, and ship us to Bermuda! Then fly over and smash us under his heel! I don¡¯t want that!¡± ¡°Neither do I. Which is exactly why he had to keep this between ourselves. For our mental, if not physical health... As well as for Kim¡¯s sake.¡± Detective Fraulein upgraded her double face palm to a full on burial with her fingers. She tried to rub the terrible reality off her skin and nose as if it was a dream. Alas, even if she turned as red as a tomato, nothing will change. At this point she believed they didn¡¯t need any more clues, not like this. What they needed was a sign, from above? God or not, she wanted to hear something that could answer all of their problems. The answer came stumbling into the lab, hitting his hip against a table. ¡°OW! Ma¡¯am! Sir! Thank goodness, I finally found you to. We got a name! The owner of the manor, the victim! The person is... Wh-what? Is there something on my face, wh-why are you staring? N-now why are we whispering? Are we trying to keep a secret from someone?¡± Thanks to that sign, this gave birth to: the Fellowship of ¡®Let¡¯s Not Tell Kim¡¯. ¡°...Officer Roland. Are you serious!? That¡¯s the name!?¡± ¡°I swear Ma¡¯am! I tripled check AND had a second pair of eyes to make sure I didn¡¯t spell the name wrong! I kid you not!¡± ¡°Get out. Get out of the car! Right now!¡± ¡°M-ma¡¯am. W-with all due respect, you¡¯re clocking at 100 miles per hour. I¡¯m not an action hero, I jump out I¡¯ll die!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you get for telling me the victim ¨C IS KEEKEE¡¯S BOSS!¡± WHAT!? K-Keekee¡¯s boss! No! It couldn¡¯t be! You remember him! He was the very first man Martial Kim ever met since her arrived in this strange new world. You know: ABSOLUTE CINEMA MAN! Yeah, that guy! ¡°Seriously, Keekee¡¯s Director!?¡± Detective Fraulein punched at her car horn, making the entire car flinch while racing on the road. ¡°Of all people!¡± ¡°Oh...¡± Realization settled into Officer Roland¡¯s gut, ¡°Oh this is bad.¡± ¡°No sh¡ªDamn it! GET OFF THE ROAD GRANDPA!¡± Prof. Stone has been riding shotgun the entire time, and he kept his thoughts to himself. It¡¯s rare for him to be silent in a car drive, but given how livid the detective was ¨C added on with some classic road rage ¨C shutting up and ¡®enjoying¡¯ the ride was the safest option. Why, he was concerned a simple sigh from his lips could cause the entire car to do a flip and die upside down. So he let the two police investigators squabble¡ªer, debate. ¡°W-we¡¯ll Ma¡¯am,¡± Officer Roland gripped onto...well pretty much anything in the car to keep himself from being thrown out of his seat, even with seat belt on. ¡°Th-that m-might explain wh-why Keekee¡¯s stuff were found in the house. E-especially in the filming business, surely boss and right hand man ¨C or woman in this case ¨C do a lot of work at home than the office right?¡± ¡°Please, Officer Roland!¡± Detective Fraulein drove like a hissing snake at this point, ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound like they have something going on behind the scenes! Keekee isn¡¯t the type of girl who would be caught dead loitering around in her boss¡¯s place. Neither would she shank him and ditch the place!¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°M-Ma¡¯am. I-if I may. W-we could give Keekee a call and ask her why she was there? Probably help us in figuring out when was the last time she saw the victim alive?¡± ¡°She¡¯s in a coma in the hospital. Get with the program.¡± ¡°...... Oh.¡± Officer Roland connected the dots, sort of wished he hadn¡¯t. ¡°Still, Ma¡¯am, even if we found her stuff at the crime scene, we don¡¯t know the victim¡¯s exact time of death. The coroner still hasn¡¯t gotten back to us. So, we can¡¯t tell if Keekee last saw the man before or after he died. I-it would change our perspectives entirely...right?¡± "You say that, Officer, but the timing is just too impeccable! Man¡¯s dead, Keekee is in a coma. Just too uncanny. And where do you think I can get the answers to that mystery?¡± ¡°...Uuuh...The film company? S-straight from the horses mouth...or stables of horses, for that matter.¡± ¡°Officer. One more pun, and I will personally eject you into traffic.¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am. Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± Fortunately, the car ride didn''t take long. The moment everyone got whiplashes in their seat belts, they knew they arrived. The smell of screeching tires confirmed the ride was indeed over. "Stone," Detective Fraulein hissed, hands white knuckled on the dead wheel, "Stay in the car... Is, what I usually say but..." "Say no more.¡± Prof. Stone nodded in understanding. ¡°I am ready and willing to help." The detective''s hiss turned into a ssss of relief between her clenched teeth. She would have hit herself if she said something sappy like ''help me please, I beg of you''. Alas, this wasn''t enough to calm her nerves. Even with a full crew of police officers and assisting detectives, the film company in question...well. Never did anyone dreamed they could travel around the world in only a few steps. First thing they knew, they walked through a medieval fantasy realm with flying dragons; a blooming jungle full of warring giant monkeys and mega lizards; the clouds of sands sweeping the dunes of the Sahara; to even walking through the glass tubes of an underwater colony at the bottom of the sea! Movie sets, here and there. Almost everything was made with realistic foam, paint, fiberglass, and whatever resources made available in the filming community. Not to mention the abundant blue and green walls that cut up a piece of those different world like a slice of cake. Even when it was well into the night, many bodies and hands were still wide awake and rushing about to work. Yawns and droopy eyes, but nothing a shot of coffee or energy drink can''t fix. Not to mention, their many lightings and camera flashes just made it impossible to fall asleep standing. "Good lord," Prof. Stone mumbled under his breath, "Keekee worked under these conditions? This is like, overtime heaven. Or hell for that matter." "Eesh," Officer Roland clicked his tongue at the chaos, "I¡¯m glad I made the right career choice. Otherwise if I worked their hours, I think I would knock myself out just by sitting in a chair...Do they even get chairs!?¡± Detective Fraulein stared at the mayhem in and out of the filming company and just sighed, "Crime never sleeps. Guess movie making is the same. Come on you three, we''re going to divide and conquer." Divide and conquer wasn''t enough. Even when Detective Fraulein brought in a considerable amount of helping hands to take statements, this was ¨C after all ¨C a filming company. Stage production; lighting and sound; make up artists; costumes; prop makers; stunt coordinators; camera operations ¨C and we have yet to touch upon actors, stage hands, and extras! Not to mention with all the fancy on set technology and pre-CG rendering equipment, how could we forget special effects crew and blue screen technicians... Oi, this is going to take a while. So the best approach right now, was for us to eagle vision and listen onto the interviews of the more important figures in the organization. For example, the Producer in his office in the top floor. Why him? Well he DOES own the company, after all. "Sorrow, such sorrow to hear the Director''s passing. A real shame it is. Don¡¯t you agree Officer Malone?" "........ Roland. Officer Roland. Now, ahem, could you tell me more about him? When he was alive and working here?" "Oh, he''s well loved. Everyone looked up to him. A great role model of our time! Yep." "........ Sure." "N-now good Officer. Th-there is no need to give me such inquisitive eyes... Oh who am I kidding, I pay actors to do their job, not act WITH them... Please, do know I was only thinking in the best interest of the company. We have a reputation to hold, you know.¡± "........ Then I take it, the Director is the opposite of liked. Loathed perhaps?" "Oh. Loathed. Such a strong word... But yes, more or less. You see, he''s the type of person who wants everyone to agree with him, never the other way around. It didn''t matter what background or calibre they were, or how many awards they''ve won ¨C if he sees no ''common ground'' then you''re out." "........ No doubt a lot of enemies?" "Well, Officer. Enemies is such a strong word...but I cannot deny that. Not when it''s about his death. H-how did he died by the way?" "........ Sorry. That''s classified information. Anything else you can tell us?" "Hnn. Well. When it comes to his job, he can be a bit...headstrong, to put it kindly." Seems this producer isn''t giving us much help. Why don''t we take our attention to a member of the staff? Say the Camera Crew loitering around the pirate ship set? They do work closely with the director, second to the film assistant right? "Cheap ass bastard got what he deserves: a cheap ass funeral! You know what I mean Detective...what''s your name again?" "........ Detective Fraulein. So, the man short changes you I take it?" "Shortchange? Lady, that''s tip of the iceberg that sunk the Titanic! Cheapskate, that''s more like it! Got the balls to be late with our honest pay, or weasel his way to getting more from our jobs with very little investment! You have no idea how many overtime money we lost to a dick like the Director!" "........ So I''ve heard, here and there. Other than money, how does he normally treat his staff?" "Hah! If there was ever a Geneva Convention for the workforce, this bastard would be war criminal numero uno! Never a happy day working for him! Makes us film in dangerous locations, wants to get the perfect shot with little to no safety, and he freaking calls us in 3 AM in the morning for a re-shot for absolutely no reason other than ¡®I got a feeling it could be better¡¯!" "........ You say all that, yet you''re still working for him. Are you sure you''re not biting your own hand." "Tch. Agh. Look, lady detective. My head is where it should be and I can vouch for everyone else slavin under that bastard... We ain¡¯t crazy. We all just want the credits." "........ Credits? That''s all?" "Not exactly like the line of names you see at the end of the movie. I don''t know if the Director sucked god or he''s god''s love child, but almost every movie or TV show he touches seem to get some recognition. It''s not big, but it ain''t small. Why, a lot of those before us were just nobodies ¨C but after working for the guy a couple of years, they get chances to meet big wigs in the higher filming circles and jump ship with greener pasture. Made themselves big names and brands, if you get what I mean." "........ So, you''re all doing that." "Hate to say it, but the Director has low entry standards. Practically doesn''t bother with an interview. If you can hold a camera with one hand, paint faces with one hand, or even jump on one foot, you''re in... As they say, we beggars can''t be choosers. Better than waiting on our hands for month for a reply to say ¡®sorry the position has been closed¡¯. Jerks, all of them." "........ What about Keekee?" "Huh? You mean Chick-a-dee? What about her?" Although camera men work closely with the Director of a production, it doesn''t always mean they are buddy buddy with his right hand man. Or in this case woman. Most often times, camera crew don''t bother taking orders from the assistant at all. So what better way to understand Keekee, her position, and her relationship with the Director, than some close friends in the company''s social circle. For instance, the head of the Make Up department who was busy applying alien colours and silicon to actor''s skin. "Not going to lie, good Professor, the Director treated everyone like trash. And I wished he did the same to Keekee, because she was essentially the dog he kicks whenever he felt like it... Also, mind telling your officer buddy to spell my name right?" "........ Oh yes, of course. Officer Tanner, if you will... Better. Now, I would like to ask: what is your relationship with Keekee?¡± "Co workers. We chat a lot but, that''s all really." "........ Not besties? Come on, you know we can''t write down ''you gave a shrug'' as a proper response. Why don''t you tell us in detail?" "Not much to say really. We talk, we have room-temperature coffee at the water cooler. That''s it. I''m probably the only person who ever talks to her more than 20 words at a time... Girl may be the opposite to our boss when it comes to personality buuuut... you know.¡± ¡°........ Keekee works directly under the Director, right?¡± "Duh, yeah. Even I had to be careful what what I say or do. Last thing I wanna know is my words coming around to bite me in the ass. I mean, sure Keekee is all silly smiles ¨C but who knows if her hobby involves sharpening her social daggers against people like us?... Still, we sort of pity her. We just don¡¯t say it.¡± "........ Why does she work for someone like the Director? Given her I.Q. and E.Q. being better than your boss?" "For us: fame and glory. For that silly goose: it¡¯s a dream. Keekee wants to be a director, of her own movies. That¡¯s all she ever wanted. Sadly the film industry don¡¯t bat their eyelash to someone fresh from film school and has no name ringing in their ears. In fact, out of the 10 application letters she sent out ¨C only the Director responded... No doubt you would hear from the others, how this man has no screening requirement. Anyone can come in, even a beggar who can hold a camera rig. He¡¯s been slaving her ever since because she ¡®lacks experience¡¯.¡± "........ Regarding Keekee¡¯s job and workload, was there anything in particular about her in the recent week? Any major incident?¡± ¡°Pffffhahaha. I don¡¯t mean to sound off putting to you, Professor, but you¡¯re too naive. You probably have it all nice and cozy in your fancy forensic office, working nine to five and clocking out on time. A proper 30 minute lunch break and freedom to use the bathroom without someone breathing down your neck every second. What you¡¯re asking, it¡¯s just every day in the film business. Nothing strange about going deaf from a scolding.¡± ¡°........ What about heated arguments, with the Director? Has she ever expressed her feelings against certain ideas or plans?¡± ¡°If there was Guinness World Record of no Back Talk, I vote Keekee hand¡¯s down. It¡¯s always ¡®yes sir, yes sir, yes sir¡¯. And she ain¡¯t like us, who love to make faces or flip the bird when the man isn¡¯t looking. You call it professional, I see ¡®repressed¡¯ as hell.¡± ¡°........ Surely someone as young as Keekee, she would have a limit. See that lady detective over there with the iconic frown. She blows her top off every 10 steps she make. Surely someone like Keekee would rip someone a new one, take it out on someone, or ask for a vacation leave to de-stress?¡± ¡°Vacation? In our line of work. Hah! That¡¯s like winning the lottery around here. Even Keekee knew the unspoken rules... Then again, Keekee did kinda challenged that rule.¡± ¡°........ Care to explain?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if this is anything important but... Keekee¡¯s been asking for some time off. We¡¯re closing up one film project and she thought it was a good time to bring it up. Seen her visit the Director¡¯s office, and of course she would come storming out after hearing the classic ¡®How about no¡¯... Now, unlike her previous attempts ¨C she was very persistent about this vacation leave.¡± ¡°........ Any reason why? Do you know where she was going?¡± ¡°Funny thing. She¡¯s been trying to buy air tickets. I caught her browsing for prices on her phone whenever we sneak off for coffee or bathroom... Now as for where, she hasn¡¯t even decided on. And reason?... Hah. You wouldn¡¯t believe me if I told you. ¡± ¡°........ Hahaha. You underestimate me. I am a very open-minded individual. I promise, I won¡¯t laugh.¡± ¡°Oh no. Please DO laugh. Because she told me why she wanted to go on a plane because... She said: ¡®I want to prove to him, it was possible to fly.¡¯¡± ¡°........ I beg your pardon. Him? You say?¡± ¡°Yep. Wouldn¡¯t shut up about this guy for months. From her mouth, she mentioned ¡®he doesn¡¯t believe people can fly between countries¡¯ or ¡®he¡¯s forgot what an airplane looks like¡¯. I couldn¡¯t believe the bullshit I was hearing from a silly goose like her. Who hasn¡¯t been on an airplane, or seen one?¡± ¡°........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........¡± ¡°Hmm? Professor? What¡¯s up. You look like you saw a ghost.¡± ¡°........ Nothing, nothing. I¡¯m fine. Just...do you know this person, Keekee keeps referring to.¡± ¡°No. Not by name. But, I DO know him. Why, he¡¯s that guy who showed up during our filming for our medieval flick. Wiped the floor with 200 of our extras and stuntmen. in a big fight scene. With a stick and no wires, if you can imagine! Stunt so hot, even the Director tried to hire him on the spot. Even went as far as changing the entire plot to insert his fight scene... Won some awards in some festivals, but the plot was shot straight to hell.¡± ¡°........ I need to ask. Has Keekee ever mentioned her dislike for her employer, the Director? Or, perhaps, had more than a negative comment?¡± ¡°Oh ho. Professor, I know where this is going. I¡¯ve been in enough crime drama productions to know you¡¯re thinking if Keekee killed the Director. I mean, it would be obvious right? Her being a top suspect. She is her right hand man, always taking the fall for his slip ups and bullshit, and slaves for him around the clock. I don¡¯t know how she smiles through all that like some punching bozo, but surely she¡¯s human enough to crack eventually... Wait. You¡¯re not suggesting, SHE is the one who killed the Director. I mean, haven¡¯t seen her in a couple of days but this¡ª¡± ¡°........ As of this point, we are unable to divulge any information regarding about the death of the victim, your employer.¡± ¡°Straight out of a script, good Professor. And they say movies imitates life, word per word... Look. I ain¡¯t the type to point fingers, buuuuut... There was a time where Keekee reaaaally wanted to get back at him. For being the ¡®fake director¡¯ he was, perhaps ruining him the moment she becomes rich and famous. She even went on singing about it. Saying how she¡¯ll corner him in a shower murder scene straight from ¡®Psycho¡¯, or rip through a door and go ¡®Heeeere¡¯s Keekee! Kaw-kaw, bitch!¡¯, even dancing on his grave and yelling ¡®You can¡¯t handle the truth, brother pucker!¡¯...¡± ¡°........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........¡± ¡°Yep. All beer talk, of course. As if the silly goose has the balls ¨C or ovaries in this case ¨C to even fantasize about murdering her boss. Otherwise, that would be a new world¡¯s record on its own! Right?¡± Sigh. Even after hearing so many thoughts, it was just only 1/4 of the full story. Still a long ways to go before the investigators can find every piece of the puzzle. That leaves us with more questions: Who would benefit from the death of the Director? Who had enough spite and vendetta to murder him in such a vicious way possible? What was the connection to Keekee¡¯s appearance in the crime scene? Was her car accident purely coincidence, or was there another motive behind that? Who? What? Where? Why? When? How? PAVILION - Chapter 67 (Freebirds Account) It''s been 10 hours since the police found the body in the manor. Every second, every minute, Professor Stone felt like he was suffocating. It was an odd sensation, as he was neither choked nor strangled. Yet he found it hard to breath. What was this uneasy sensation weighing his shoulders down? The man has been through many cases, yet what was it about this very case that made his hands shake. "...Keekee, Keekee, Keekee." No. The name he was muttering wasn''t the one he worried the most. Granted, that didn''t mean he lacked any care for this person. His concern was the person who the name related to. "God...If Kim finds out, how is he going to react?" Prof. Stone has seen many nightmares in his career. But somehow that one idea scared the hell out of him, even when he was in the safety of his forensic lab. *Ring-Ring* *Ring-Ring* *Ring-Ring* OH GEEZ! It was just his phone. Never before had he experienced such a jump scare in his life! "Detective, you got anything?" He asked through an ear piece headset. "I would like to hear some good news." [Well], Detective Fraulein''s voice would mumble on the other line, [I don''t know what I found would be considered good news.] "Guess you''ll just have to humour me." [The coroner got back to me, the victim died three days ago. Between the evening hours of 8 to 10. The coroner counts at most 20 stabs.] "Twenty stabs!? Geeeez.¡± [It¡¯s not firm yet, but the coroner believes the murder weapon could be a kitchen knife. One with a thick blade. Something like that Japanese Santoku style kitchen knife you often favour in your house.] ¡°My god. Sounds too vicious to be real. Whoever the murderer is, they surely had a vendetta." [Could be murdererS] "...Are you suggesting, people are waiting in line for this victim? Holding numbered tickets even?¡± [Hah!] Detective Fraulein''s laugh was loud enough to leave a ringing sound in the forensic chemist''s ear. [Tip of the damn ice berg. I got my team dig up some serious dirt on this guy.] The detective then tried to give Prof. Stone the low down. ~~~~~ No one in the company will mourn for the Director''s loss. It was that bad. Why, even the officers were able to uncover a stack of HR complaints made against his name. Why was it all covered in cobwebs and inches of dust? The answer was real simple. Believe it or not, the Director could charm a toad out of a tree if he wanted to. Negotiation skills so impeccable, he would always bring home a solid deal - at very little expense. So of course, the higher ups in the company were willing to turn a blind eye to the revolution that would stir within their walls. Wait, there''s more. The Director was famous. Rather, INfamous within his own film community. A man who had the talent to burn every bridge he touched. All it takes was working with him once, and they¡¯ll never want to hear so much as his name ever again. Short change, stealing credit, removing names when recognition was due, weaseling out of payments at the last minute¡ªEveryone avoided the Director, as if he was the incarnation of the Black Plague. And what was he like, outside of work? Classic Hollywood Trainwreck would come to mind. Booze, women, even drug abuse. Of course, the last part are all allegations that never went through. Either his lawyers swept them under the rug or the right hands were greased. Even then, such news would be buried by the constant scandal he would walk in an out. His dirt? Hah, old news compared to which star or starlet he was getting chummy with. ~~~~~ Prof. Stone wanted to say wow, but he felt like it would make his mouth sin. So he just spoke professionally, ¡°The victim is a right piece of work.¡± Detective Fraulein gave a mixed chuckle, and sigh, [Kinda makes me want to close the case as is and leave it alone. I shouldn¡¯t say this, but I don¡¯t see any merit in giving this man justice. But that¡¯s between you and me.] Of course, Prof. Stone tried not to roll his eyes as well. They were law enforcers, it was their sworn duty to arrest any and all bad guy. Buts the more he listened to who the Director was, the more he felt everyone would see this ''killer'' as a super hero. "Any potential suspects to work with?" [That''s the problem. There''s a thing call too many choices. I have a list long enough to take up two rolls of toilet paper.] "Better get cracking then, sorting their alibis out." [You don''t think I''ve done that already. To be honest, I wished I hadn''t been that diligent. Two rolls of toilet paper has been cut to half a role. I dread I will end up maybe one piece of the toilet paper left.] "...What do you mean? I thought you would be happy to have a few names to work with." [...] Prof. Stone checked the reception on his phone. Sometimes talking inside of the lab could cut him off from important conversation. Full five bars. Meaning... "Detective. This is just between you and me. You know I can take bad news. So no need to tip toe on my account." A heave sigh crackled through Detective Fraulein''s line. The forensic chemist could practically hear teeth grinding as she responded, [Keekee.] "...I thought you had faith in her." [Of course I do! But almost everyone has a solid alibi! If they''re not filming a car chase in the street, or-or doing stunt work in a rented space, or camping out in the mountains doing wide scale battle scenes - they''re back in the studio doing green screen work or whatever... So far, only Keekee doesn''t have a solid alibi.] Maybe that''s why Prof. Stone felt light headed the whole time. Wished he could blame it on lack of sleep, that would have made him feel a LOT better despite how much of a headache he had. [Hey, hey. Don''t give me that pause! I''m not giving up! I know the killer HAS to be someone within the company! Think about it, who else would know the Director''s movement better than those close to him! Sure, he''s got enemies outside of the company but even they won''t know where or what time to strike, right?] "I''m saying this for due diligence: please keep looking." [You bet your ass I will...by the way, how are things on your end?] Prof. Stone paused for a second and turned to look - at the mountain of evidence laid out near perfectly across several lab tables. Several more were currently being tested and analyzed. "...Slow, but steady." [Anything on that tablet?] "........" [Stone? Hello? Stone?] "Detective. Check your email. I just sent you something." [Huh? Why can''t you just tell me over the ph--OH COME ON!] Detective Fraulein didn''t believe what she received through her phone''s email. She thought she was seeing things, perhaps hallucinating from all the energy drinks she consumed. But no, she wasn''t delusional or suffering of grandeur. She wished she was though. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. To really confirm the reality she just saw, she raced her car all the way to the forensic lab. Time to get the answers straight from the horses mouth. Where said horse was waiting for her in the forensic tech room full of computers. "Stone, how can you joke at a time like this? Sending me Keekee and Kim''s photos out of the blue!?" "It''s..." Prof. Stone struggled to get his words out. Felt like he was going to vomit led pellets. "It''s the background, from the tablet." Detective Fraulein just...pulled at her hair. The forensic chemist continued, "We restored a portion of the tablet''s system. The moment it blinked on, even I was shocked. The more I check the contents, this tablet definitely belongs to Keekee." "No. No, no, no. Umbrella at the scene, I can understand. But her own tablet as well!? Wh-what were they doing there!? C-could the tablet actually be a company device? You know, like how you guys share your computers with everyone in the lab?" "The tablet is personalized from top to bottom. I even checked it''s surviving registry and called up some electronic stores. Keekee bought and owned this device for several years." The detective felt sick the more she stared at the photo of Keekee and Kim''s selfie. She would have laughed at Kim¡¯s awkward squint when the picture was taken, like a Neanderthal seeing a camera for the first time, but she lacked the energy to smile. "I don''t get it! I don''t get it, I don''t get it, I don''t get it at all! Why was Keekee at the crime scene? Wh-why was it banged up like we found it!?" ¡°The coroner¡¯s report mentioned about blunt force trauma, on the Director¡¯s head. Made by a flat surface, like he got slammed into a table. Most likely the weapon involved in that assault, would be the tablet. Although I found some blood and hair samples on the broken parts of the tablet, I am still waiting for a definite answer from the analyzers. If you ask for my bias opinion, the tablet was definitely used to try and knock out the Director.¡± Detective Fraulein pinched her nose bridge, ¡°Why hit him? That¡¯s essentially asking to get fired. An argument? She got fed up? But then, why would it escalate to stabbing?...What exactly happened in that manor?... ¡°You guess is as good as mine at this point.¡± ¡°D-did you find anything else, on the tablet?¡± Prof. Stone nodded, ¡°We were able to restore most of the emails before they became permanently corrupted. After reading through it, seems Keekee and the Director kept close contact with each other.¡± ¡°I mean, duh. Film assistant.¡± ¡°Indeed. Most of the previous weeks email are all work related. Casting list, supply inventory, shooting schedule, etc. Until I found the more recent messages between them prior both of them...well ending up what they are now.¡± ¡°...Hit me Stone.¡± Prof. Stone squinted at the small writing on the screen. Even if he could zoom in or expand, given the damages to the tablet the quality would easily become blurred if he moved it too much. ¡°Two topics,¡± the forensic chemist went on while reading and scrolling. ¡°Several of them are about Keekee wanting to get vacation leave ¨C you remember what I told you, with Officer Tanner.¡± ¡°Right.¡± The detective clicked her tongue, ¡°The trip with Kim...bastard¡¯s lucky to have a girl like her. Kinda makes me jealous ¨C but you didn¡¯t hear that from me.¡± ¡°Most of the Director¡¯s response have been hard ¡®no¡¯. Of course on the surface Keekee would provide a polite response, but no doubt she would be livid ¨C especially with the choice of words the Director used against her... Then, this came up.¡± Prof. Stone scrolled to the most recent message and expanded on it. He tried to focus it so both parties can get a good read. When Detective Fraulein finished first, she raised an eyebrow. ¡°Wait. Mr. Dick Head said ¡®yes¡¯?¡± ¡°On one condition. ¡®Let¡¯s resume the meeting tonight¡¯.¡± ¡°...Meeting? T-tonight?¡± ¡°Verbatim, yes.¡± Director Fraulein felt dread well up in her stomach. Any more, and she could have thrown up in the computer lab, ¡°Resume...I don¡¯t want to think, those two were having it on.¡± Prof. Stone chewed on his next work, ¡°I don¡¯t think Keekee is that type of girl...but then again, I¡¯m no expert witness on her character, especially in her personal life.¡± ¡°God. If what I¡¯m thinking is true, Kim is going to flip out hard.¡± ¡°I rather not jump too far into the future...but I see where your concern is coming from.¡± The human heart can be fickle. But then again, who knew what exactly goes on within the walls of that manor? What secrets were kept behind the door, day and night? ¡°Screw it, Stone. I don¡¯t think Keekee is that kind of girl. She wouldn¡¯t sleep with people to get her way, especially not that dick of a Director. She brought him up a couple of times in our chit chat, held her anger back but she really burning up inside.¡± ¡°Careful your choice of words, detective. If anyone caught you hearing that, you could be suggesting a potential motive. Detective Fraulein cursed, quietly, and shut her mouth with a hand. Just for a moment, ¡°I still think it¡¯s someone in the company. Just have to keep looking. Surely there must be an answer, in those foot prints we found? Any other finger prints?¡± Prof. Stone sighed, his hands slipping away from the keyboard, ¡°Don¡¯t forget. We have both a killer, and a murder weapon, still at large.¡± ¡°Oh god...this is, turning out to be the worst day in my career.¡± ¡°You and me both, detective.¡± Despite how diligent the investigators were, they were still fundamentally human. And, they were entitled to a 45 minute lunch break. In saying that, they didn¡¯t have the mood to eat...but knew they had to have something to keep their fuel going. So they just eeny-meeny-meinny picked a couple of packed sandwiches and simple water bottle as their sustenance. However, just when they were about to catch their breath ¨C their second wind came running at them. "Oh! Sir! Ma''am! There you both are! Been trying to call you both for hours! I kept getting jammed! I found something, about our victim!" ¡°...W-well don¡¯t just stand there like a Nutcracker, Officer Roland!¡± Detective Fraulein howled. ¡°Out with it!¡± Officer Roland started his report, by dropping a huge cardboard box on the canteen table. A single flop made the trays jump startled. The box was full of papers, in which Officer Roland dug through and handed them out as if he was passing out small gifts at a carnival. ¡°Bank statements of the victim. All of them.¡± ¡°The hell Officer Roland,¡± Detective Fraulein blinked at the boxes contents, ¡°How many trees did you murder to get all this paper? All this from one bank?¡± ¡°No. 10 banks.¡± 10 Banks? Legit T-E-N, 10 Banks!? Absurd! Most absurd! Yes, we¡¯ve all heard of don¡¯t put all your gets in one basket. Even then a regular citizen would have at most three banks to work with. Usually one was their main for their personal savings to sleep in; a second one for extracurricular investments or online shopping; and a third specifically to send money to the mistress behind the wive¡¯s back...right!? Right!? But 10~!? ¡°Hear me out ¨C Sir, Ma¡¯am. The Director guy, barely makes more than four figures a month. But when I look at his spendings, I am raising more than eyebrows. Just look at this: hundreds of dollars worth of premium internet and online streaming services; thousands in exotic foods and fancy entertainment places; and hundreds of thousands worth in sports cars, yachts, first class, Caribbean cruise, you name it. One bank account is his daily living, groceries and electric of whatever, but the other nine have been used to fund this man¡¯s luxury.¡± Incredible? 10 mystery accounts? What were the sources? ¡°Unknown yet, we¡¯re still trying to negotiate deeper investigation. You know how fickle banks can be. They were ¡®gracious¡¯ enough to loan us copy of the man¡¯s spending records. And if you look at it closely, the Director doesn¡¯t make much from his films.¡± How so? People all claim he is well known in the upper filming circuit, won some awards and such. ¡°Paperwork shows the Director isn¡¯t block buster material. Sure, he made some earnings from one or two films that broke box office expectations. But that¡¯s it, the rest flopped and flopped poorly. I read the reviews and maaaaan, I felt like I had to bleach my eyes from how cursed the content was. Ticket sales aren¡¯t enough to support 1/10 of his daily living expenses.¡± Then where was this money really coming from? Did the Director rob banks for a living?...Or perhaps, could he have used more underhanded methods? ¡°Could be embezzlement, could be not. The film company has eyes of a hawk when it comes to the in and out of budgets used in movies. They even hired a third external party just to manage the money used in films. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, has to go through this gruelling process just to get extra fees for stationaries or rentals. If the Director had been trying to steal pennies and dimes from them, they would know... Then again, he¡¯s really good at sleeping with the right people. I heard he has some hand holding privileges with the producer¡¯s wife, but that¡¯s just hearsay.¡± Hmm. What about from his personal life? Maybe, he was a lucky man and won the lottery exactly when he needed to? Unlikely, but still! ¡°Hah, I wish. But the man is a gambler. Big time. I¡¯m talking: slots, roulette, craps, baccarat, Texas Hold¡¯em, Black Jack, even high stakes poker. The man has touched every casino game known to mankind. A real frequent flyer.¡± Ah. Then maybe the money come from big winnings? ¡°Nope. The complete opposite. Director goes in with cash sticking out of his pockets, but always comes out without a shirt and pants. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s the worst player known to casino history or the unluckiest man alive, but he should be neck deep in debt with all the games he¡¯s been digging through.¡± Right...Wait. Should be??? ¡°The freak story is: he¡¯s not in debt. Doesn¡¯t owe anyone money.¡± Impossible! A gambler with zero debt? That¡¯s like saying all race horse can run without legs! Don¡¯t be silly, Officer Roland! ¡°I¡¯m serious, Ma¡¯am! I talked to every financial company, quick money places, pawn shops, even loan sharks for crying out load. They all say he is their FAVOURITE customer. If he borrowed money, he paid it off the next day. If he pawned a watch or cellphone, he bought it back in a few hours. It¡¯s like the Director held a world record in speedrunning his debts. I-it¡¯s insane if you think about it. And he always has enough to pay off interests. Even the loan sharks all treat him like he was some kind of money god!¡± ...Incredible. How can a gambler always LOSE yet still WIN!? ¡°No clue, but I¡¯m willing to bet it has to do something with his 10 accounts.¡± Wonder, what could it be? The source of this mystery money? Illegal activities? Money laundering? Bribery from others? Not to slander the film community, but there has been some history between movie making and crime circles. So... A-and how does this involve Keekee? Her being in the crime scene? Her umbrella and her tablet found next to the dead body of a murder? What is the connection between money and death?...Kim oh Kim, where are you!?