PEI JINGZHE HAD ARRIVED at Lu Manor and found himself in trouble.
It was impossible for him to monitor all of Lu Manor alone. Even if he infiltrated to get an inside look, the other party was more familiar with the layout and terrain. Unless he explained his identity to the owner and had the Jiejian Bureau's eagle riders surround the entire complex, his quarry could easily slip away without him noticing.
But if he did all that, it'd spook his target. They'd flee for sure, and he would lose the lead completely.
Thus Pei Jingzhe was in a dilemma.
He'd always felt he lacked wisdom and maturity, that he couldn't solve problems the way the deputy chief could, while smiling and chatting. And if he'd possessed fantastic martial abilities like the third chief, he wouldn't have been standing here at a loss either. At the very least, he might have captured the person in black as they left Qiushan Manor.
Pei Jingzhe had just about made up his mind to sneak inside when a scream from within Lu Manor shattered the night and sent a chill through his heart.
Lanterns all over the manor flickered to life, and the murmur of its occupants swelled to a clamor Pei Jingzhe could hear through the doors. Infiltration was impossible now. Pei Jingzhe frowned.
The clatter of hoofbeats sounded from behind. Pei Jingzhe looked back: six of the Jiejian Bureau's eagle riders had followed him.
"Weren't you supposed to stay at Qiushan Manor?" said Pei Jingzhe.
The leader of the unit cupped his fist in a salute. "We come by order of the deputy chief to assist Pei-langjun!"
Pei Jingzhe understood at once. Feng Xiao had anticipated his hesitation and had sent the cavalry to prod him into making a decision. So decide he did: "Split up and surround Lu Manor. No one leaves without direct orders from me!"
The eagle riders saluted and left to take up their posts. Lu Manor was sprawling, but the eagle riders were trained by the Jiejian Bureau. Six was enough.
Pei Jingzhe was about to knock on the door when he felt a gust of wind at his back. His heart thumped, and he instinctively dodged to the side as a white light flashed past the corner of his eye and punched through the wooden door in front of him. The brutality of the attack put Pei Jingzhe instantly on alert. He drew his sword and spun to meet his opponent.
As they came face to face, he saw his attacker was an elegant figure in white robes, radiating the cold and otherworldly aura of a celestial being from the Moon Palace.
"Who is this distinguished master?" asked Pei Jingzhe.
Qiao Xian sneered. "You detained one of ours, yet you ask such a question? Hand over Cui Buqu!"
Pei Jingzhe was startled. "You?!"
He saw another person approach. It was a man dressed in black, an eye-catching figure with a bamboo hat on his head and prayer beads wound around his hand.
"Deputy Chief Zhangsun?"
Qiao Xian answered no questions. Her attacks grew fiercer as she demanded, "Where is he?!"
Pei Jingzhe composed himself and said, "I don't know what you're talking about!"
Although Lu Manor was in chaos, the family was not deaf. The noise they were making at the entrance was considerable; of course they could hear it inside. Someone rushed to open the door and was greeted with the sight of Pei Jingzhe and Qiao Xian clashing on their doorstep. They exclaimed in shock and fury, "Stop right there! Who are you—you dare fight on the doorstep of the Lu family?! Quick, get help!"
On hearing the clamor, the Jiejian Bureau's eagle riders rushed over and surrounded Zhangsun and Qiao Xian. The situation was quickly spinning out of control.
Pei Jingzhe's mind was a mess. "Everyone, stop!" he shouted, and immediately withdrew half a step to prove his intent. When he saw Qiao Xian and Zhangsun had also ceased their attack, he let out a breath of relief.
The Lu family looked out over this bizarre scene, unsure how to react. It was Pei Jingzhe who broke the stalemate. "What is Deputy Chief Zhangsun doing in Liugong City?"
It was impossible for the Jiejian Bureau and the Zuoyue Bureau to have never crossed paths. Pei Jingzhe had met the Zuoyue Bureau's two deputy chiefs, at least. Though this wasn't exactly the time to reminisce, he couldn't pretend not to recognize Zhangsun.
"Looking for someone," said Zhangsun Bodhi.
Pei Jingzhe smiled. "I have an urgent task to attend to at the moment. Once I complete it, I'll organize a banquet to welcome you both, then help you find whoever it is you're looking for. How about it?"
"Hand him over," said Qiao Xian coldly.
Pei Jingzhe guessed whom she meant, but still affected surprise. "Hand whom over?"
"Cui Buqu!"
Coughing lightly, Pei Jingzhe squashed down his guilt. "My apologies, I've never heard of any such person."
Anger darkened Qiao Xian's face. She stepped forward, ready to attack again, but Zhangsun Bodhi stopped her. "Hand him over or don't even think about leaving here tonight," he said.
Pei Jingzhe laughed. "Bold words, Deputy Chief Zhangsun! You may be powerful, but you can't beat all seven of us!"
"Try me," said Zhangsun Bodhi. His shadow flickered as he swept toward Pei Jingzhe, swifter than lightning. By the time the cavalry riders surrounding them realized what had happened, Zhangsun had reached Pei Jingzhe and was grabbing for his shoulder. Pei Jingzhe dodged narrowly, but his longsword was still halfway out of its sheath when it was forced back in by a strike from Zhangsun's palm.
Thrice he tried to draw his sword, and thrice he was prevented. Pei Jingzhe's face flushed crimson. He knew he was nowhere near a match for the deputy chief of the Zuoyue Bureau in martial arts; still, he'd never expected to be humiliated such that he couldn't even unsheathe his sword. For a martial artist, this was shameful beyond belief.
The truth was, Zhangsun Bodhi was going easy on him. Otherwise, even with the eagle riders present, he could have killed Pei Jingzhe as easily as breathing.
"Where is he?!" Zhangsun Bodhi brought his palm down, aiming for the top of Pei Jingzhe's skull.
Pei Jingzhe couldn't avoid it. He reflexively squeezed his eyes shut and cried, "Qiushan Manor!"
From all around came the shocked gasps of the eagle riders. Two rushed over, but they were too late. The wind from Zhangsun's palm strike howled—then disappeared. Pei Jingzhe opened his eyes and saw Zhangsun had abandoned his attack and was now standing in place.
Having just raced to the gates of hell and back, Pei Jingzhe stared in shock. Zhangsun Bodhi gathered his sleeves and threw his arms wide, forcing the eagle riders of the Jiejian Bureau to stumble backward.
The eagle riders who'd hurried over were elite members of the Jiejian Bureau. At minimum they qualified as first-rate martial artists in the jianghu. Yet Zhangsun shoved them away effortlessly, leaving no room for a counterattack.
That one move alone was enough to show Pei Jingzhe that while Zhangsun Bodhi might be Feng Xiao's inferior in martial arts, the gap was a narrow one. In attempting to fight him, Pei Jingzhe had grossly overestimated his own abilities.
Qiao Xian fixed Pei Jingzhe with a chilly glare. "Didn't you just say you've never heard of any such person?"
Pei Jingzhe's smile was strained. "How could I know your intentions? A little wariness is reasonable, is it not?"
"You knew Cui Buqu was a member of the Zuoyue Bureau, yet you detained him, tormented him, and harassed him. The Zuoyue Bureau will remember this debt. Once we've retrieved him, we'll take our time collecting."
Pei Jingzhe's head throbbed. "It's true Daoist Master Cui is with us, but we haven't harassed him. My lord brings him wherever he goes…"
He felt a stab of guilt, but he couldn't very well say, We drugged him with incense of helplessness and it flares up every three to five days. He's yet to recover, but our boss dragged him out this morning to identify suspects!
Qiao Xian saw his hesitation. She stepped forward and fisted a hand in his collar. "What did you do to him?!"
Pei Jingzhe hadn't expected this celestial beauty to spring over and strangle him to the point he could barely breathe. "He's fine, honestly! If you don't believe me, I'll take you there and you can see for yourself. But you'll have to wait until I've finished here—"
An angry voice interrupted them. "Excuse me, but who are you?! How dare you show such discourtesy at the doors of Lu Manor?! Hurry up and leave!"
The Lu family patriarch, Lu Ti, stood aggressively at the door, flanked by his courtyard guards. His eyes were bloodshot, his whiskers frazzled. Yet he seemed less like he was irritated at being disturbed by a late-night altercation at his entranceway, and more like he'd suffered some terrible calamity.
Recalling the scream he'd heard, Pei Jingzhe set aside his conflict with Zhangsun's group and gave the eagle riders their orders. "Surround Lu Manor. Don't let anyone leave!"
He turned to the Lu patriarch. "I am a member of the Jiejian Bureau with orders to investigate the murder of the Khotanese envoy. We've received a report that a suspect is hiding in your mansion. Patriarch Lu, please cooperate and let us search inside!"
Lu Ti reeled back as if he'd suffered a great blow. Pei Jingzhe's words seemed to strike some chord within his brain, and he finally snapped completely. "This is Lu Manor! It's not a place you can enter at will! My Lu family is diligent and frugal, and we've never conducted ourselves against our conscience in business nor in anything else. So what if you're with the Jiejian Bureau? You think you can come here and throw your weight around?! I heard you even waltzed up and arrested someone from Linlang Pavilion—but as long as I, Lu Ti, am here, you'll not take a single step inside!"
He had the look of a wounded lion roaring fiercely in defense of his territory. Pei Jingzhe and his men could force their way in, but if they did, Lu Manor would descend into chaos. This would only aid the person he was seeking in their escape.
"Please, sirs," another voice rose from the crowd. "Our master has experienced a tragic accident tonight. The young lady of the household has drowned, and the doctor is still trying to save her. Our master is deeply anxious, so I ask your lordships to show some mercy tonight. Please come back in a few days!"
The speaker was a man standing beside Lu Ti with a mournful expression on his face. His dress and manner placed him as the manor's steward.
Pei Jingzhe's heart thudded. They'd followed the trail here, and now the Lu family had experienced misfortune. It was far too great a coincidence.
He hadn't gone in, but Lu Manor had still descended into chaos. Yet he couldn't leave things like this either. He struggled for a moment but was too afraid of Zhangsun Bodhi to shake Qiao Xian off. Qiao Xian gave him a cold look, then released his collar.
Pei Jingzhe breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Lu Ti. "Patriarch Lu, I'm deeply sorry to hear about your daughter. However, your daughter's accident occurred just after we discovered a key lead in a murder case. The two may not be unrelated. It will benefit us both to uncover the truth!"
"No need! We merely wish for peace and quiet!" snapped Lu Ti.
Pei Jingzhe ignored him. He turned and instructed the eagle riders to go at once to Magistrate Zhao and have him mobilize enough constables to surround Lu Manor and stop a single soul from leaving.
Lu Ti was furious. He roared, "Looks like you're determined to cause trouble for me tonight!"
"Patriarch Lu is the one causing trouble for me," Pei Jingzhe said. "The Jiejian Bureau has an important mission, and unrelated persons may not interfere. Arrest him!"
A wave of his hand brought the eagle riders trotting up from either side. The residents of Lu Manor watched as their master was detained. The servants of the Lu family surged forward to wrest their master back from the eagle riders, and the scene devolved into confusion. In desperation, Pei Jingzhe shouted, "If anyone dares act recklessly, I will execute Lu Ti on the spot!"
This declaration stopped the Lu family in their tracks. They all looked at each other, too afraid to move.
Lu Ti had gone blue in the face. He held nothing back as he thundered, "You lot are completely lawless! Don't you know we're related to the Lu family of Fanyang? I'll bring you before the magistrate for contempt toward our noble family!"
Qiao Xian scoffed. "How many generations have passed since the Lu family of Liugong City split from the Lu family of Fanyang? Even if you were a legitimate branch of the Fanyang Lu, contempt for a noble is not a valid charge under the Kaihuang Code.16 All land belongs only to the emperor. Don't think too highly of yourself, then complain when your death comes that you don't understand why!"
Pei Jingzhe had never imagined Qiao Xian would speak up for him. He glanced at her in surprise.
Lu Ti was so incensed his eyes were rolling back in his head; he was unable to utter another word.
But this was a night full of twists and turns. Just as Pei Jingzhe was preparing to have Lu Manor searched, he heard someone else pelting down the road.
"Young Pei-langjun! What is your lordship doing here? This is terrible news!"
A man ran up, heaving for breath. Pei Jingzhe recognized him as a servant from Qiushan Manor.
When Magistrate Zhao had ordered Qiushan Manor offered to Feng Xiao, he'd sent a group of servants to attend his honored guests. These servants were efficient and capable. They never asked what shouldn't be asked, and never said what shouldn't be said. Even the fussy Feng Xiao hadn't found fault with them.
Now one of those servants was running pell-mell toward Pei Jingzhe. He cried out, "Feng-langjun received a letter saying you were kidnapped; the kidnapper told him to come to Huyang Forest outside the city. He asked this humble servant to tell the eagle riders to find County Magistrate Zhao, then surround Lu Manor and ensure no one leaves. He said he'd deal with them on his return! But…why is your lordship here? Was Feng-langjun deceived?!"
Pei Jingzhe's face paled in horror. "Did he go alone?"
The servant was still panting as he shook his head. "He took…took Daoist Master Cui with him!"
At that, Qiao Xian and Zhangsun Bodhi blanched as well.
"When did he leave?!" Peri Jingzhe demanded.
"The same time this humble servant left the manor, around an hour ago!"
Qiao Xian raged, "If he wanted to die, he could have done it on his own! Instead he's dragged our people into it!" With no thought for anything else, she rushed off with Zhangsun Bodhi toward the city outskirts, not forgetting to threaten Pei Jingzhe as they left: "If anything happens to Cui Buqu, I'll never forgive you!"
Pei Jingzhe was worn out and frazzled; now he understood how Lu Ti felt. Fortunately, County Magistrate Zhao didn't dawdle. He ran over at once, his haste evident—he hadn't even fixed his hair clasp. But Pei Jingzhe wasn't in the mood to praise him. After giving him a quick summary of the night's events, he left him to handle Lu Manor while he took two eagle riders and sped to Huyang Forest as fast as their horses would carry them.
***
The wind and snow had somewhat abated, but the interior of the cave was still frigid.
Feng Xiao had used his internal energy to expel most of the poison from his body, but residual toxins remained. His limbs were numb, and his body shook with chills.
Cui Buqu was the opposite—his body was blazingly, worryingly hot. He felt like a soldering iron as he lay in Feng Xiao's arms. It did keep Feng Xiao warm, but he suspected that if Cui Buqu's fever stayed this high, he'd give up the ghost before any rescuers could find them.
Confidants were hard to find, opponents difficult to meet—but the latter were far rarer than the former. So of course Feng Xiao didn't want Cui Buqu to die like this. He guessed that even if Cui Buqu did go, judging by his penchant for tormenting others, he wouldn't go in peace. He'd definitely have left behind a huge pile of traps for Feng Xiao to fall into.
Feng Xiao felt he absolutely couldn't let Cui Buqu die.
"Hey, say something." He patted Cui Buqu's cheek. His touch wasn't gentle, but Cui Buqu didn't open his eyes.
"You can't sleep. If you fall asleep, you won't wake up again." Feng Xiao said. He pinched Cui Buqu's wrist and channeled a wisp of internal energy into his feverish body. Perhaps this wisp had some effect; after a moment, Cui Buqu twitched, though his brow furrowed more deeply.
Still, any response was a good one. "Ququ, what do you think of my looks and charm?"
Cui Buqu's lips moved, but no sound came out.
"I know, I know. They're unmatched throughout the land. You don't have to keep praising me; I've long grown bored of such flattery. It seems you're no different from the vulgar masses. But today, I'll tell you a story from my youth."
Cui Buqu's eyes remained closed as he sighed softly, almost like a reply.
"When I was young, I traveled to the southwest and heard a story there. It was about a man from a local noble family and a beautiful woman. The woman's family was impoverished, but the man fell in love with her at first sight. He overcame every obstacle, insisting he'd make her his wife. At first, the young lady refused to believe him. She wished to marry a man of her own station and live a simple life. But the man slowly convinced her, and her heart was moved as she saw the many things he did for her. He persuaded the elders of his family, eliminated everything that stood in their way, and gradually, she fell in love with him as well." As Feng Xiao spoke, he warmed to his story. "I happened to meet that young lady. She saw my looks and charm, peerless in all the land, and begged me to do something for her. Can you guess what it was?"
Cui Buqu's face was lined with fatigue. His brows were tightly pinched as he finally opened his eyes a crack. Feng Xiao felt him shift in his arms, trying to escape. He smiled. "You must be curious. Why don't you guess what she asked of me? If you're right, I'll let you stay by my side a few extra days, granting you the precious opportunity to further admire me."
Even a dead man would have twitched at hearing that sentence, let alone Cui Buqu, who wasn't dead quite yet.
"Could you…"
"Hm?"
Cui Buqu's breathing was weak. Close as they were, Feng Xiao had to lower his head and lean in so he could hear the rest. Feebly, Cui Buqu finished, "…shut your fucking mouth?"
His thoughts were muddled; he wanted only to sleep soundly, dead to the world. But someone kept prattling in his ear, like a fly buzzing around his head. He couldn't swat it or drive it off. Cui Buqu wanted to rip that "fly's" head off and toss it far beyond the clouds—then force that irritating creature to reincarnate as a mute fly for eighteen lifetimes straight.
Feng Xiao raised a brow and said, "That's not right. How can you refer to my mouth in such a vulgar way? You should call it a 'fortunate mouth.' Everything I say is as precious as jade or gold. My words are something all yearn for, but few are fortunate to receive—yet you get to be held in my arms. This is a fortune that only comes once in three lives! You should appreciate it."
Cui Buqu didn't bother replying. He could admit Feng Xiao's face was gorgeous enough to fell any living creature, to bewitch men and women alike—but there was a condition attached: Feng Xiao must not be allowed to speak.
It seemed there was no stopping him till he finished the story. Cui Buqu sighed and reluctantly opened his eyes. All around him was unrelieved darkness. He felt another bout of drowsiness surge over him and did his best to resist his fatigue and stay awake. "…She wanted you to test her lover. She wanted to see if he could remain indifferent in the face of your stunning looks."
Feng Xiao smiled. "Just as I'd expect of the man I have my eye on! Then you must have guessed the conclusion as well."
Cui Buqu's tone was indifferent. "With your looks, if you disguised yourself as a woman, no one would be the wiser. Nations would topple before your beauty; only a scant few wouldn't be swayed. That noble son was a man like any other. How could his heart not falter in the face of such provocation? That woman wished to test the human heart and ended up dropping a stone on her own foot."
"What about you? Have you been swayed?" Feng Xiao lowered his head, his breath fanning over Cui Buqu's cheek.
At any other time, Cui Buqu would have shoved Feng Xiao's face away or moved out of his reach. But he was completely drained. He couldn't even turn his face aside, let alone lift an arm to push him off. "Just because someone's heart is swayed doesn't mean they've fallen in love," he whispered, "Feng-er, your face could sway anyone, but not every heart will become your plaything."
"Someone entreated me to test the faithfulness of their lover," Feng Xiao said innocently. "He was unable to withstand the temptation I presented; how is that my fault? The human heart will always crumble when tested. If it doesn't, it just means the temptation wasn't strong enough. Lover or spouse, parent or child—they're all the same. That woman didn't understand this truth, so she couldn't accept the outcome. She deluded herself into thinking she was the exception. Isn't that absurd?"
"What happened to her afterward?"
"Guess."
"The man had a sudden change of heart and fell for another. The woman was unable to bear it. She either fled or ended her own life. In this world, women have no third option."
"How clever you are," said Feng Xiao. "That young lady threw herself into a well. The man was heartbroken for a time, but two years later he married someone else. They lived happily ever after, a loving and harmonious union. So what do you think? Wasn't that a fun story?"
Cui Buqu didn't reply.
Feng Xiao was mildly surprised. "I didn't expect someone as cold and calculating as Daoist Master Cui to believe in true love."
"Whether true love exists or not has nothing to do with me," said Cui Buqu coolly. "I just want to know when you're going to shut up so I can sleep."
"You probably won't be able to sleep at all tonight, because I have another tale to tell you."
Cui Buqu was at a loss for words.
Feng Xiao talked most of the night. By dawn, it didn't matter how loudly he spoke—Cui Buqu no longer stirred. He was barely conscious as he weathered the incense of helplessness flare-up, but at least his temperature had fallen slightly. Finally, he was no longer radiating that blazing, terrifying heat.
However able Feng Xiao might be, by now, his throat and tongue were dry and painful. He no longer had any desire to move.
The snowstorm had calmed, and the sky overhead was a brilliant white. From within the cave, he could just make out the gilt edges of the clouds. It looked to be a cold, sunny day. Feng Xiao sighed and muttered to himself, "A whole night has passed. I'm cutting Pei Jingzhe's next three months' salary by half."
He slowly got up, then half-dragged, half-carried Cui Buqu outside. He pinched underneath Cui Buqu's nose, trying to wake him. "I'm going to carry you up. Wake up a bit. At least enough that you won't fall off my back."
Cui Buqu grunted faintly and followed Feng Xiao's instructions. He wrapped both arms around Feng Xiao and lay against his back, obedient and docile. His usual acumen was nowhere in sight.
Feng Xiao sighed again. He far preferred an awake, alert Cui Buqu. Even if every thought in Cui Buqu's brain touched off countless malicious designs, that version of him was far more entertaining than the man before him now. And more pressingly, Feng Xiao now had to carry his dead weight while climbing back up the steep slope of the plateau.
Feng Xiao muttered to himself again. "I'll cut Pei Jingzhe's salary down to nothing for the next three years. That will save the Jiejian Bureau some expense."