ALL HIS LIFE, Feng Xiao had seldom found himself pushed to his very limit. This was one of those times.
He'd been a prodigy since childhood, achieving twice the results with half the effort in both academics and martial arts. The things ordinary men spent their lives seeking without success were child's play to Feng Xiao. When it came to the Jiejian Bureau, his authority had been personally bestowed by the emperor. Wheresoever he went, none dared challenge his brilliance, and whatever difficulties arose, his wits and intelligence were sufficient to handle them with ease.
This was the first time he'd been too cocksure, too careless, and had fallen into the trap someone else had laid for him. Though he hadn't lost his life, it had caused him some serious grief. Fortunately for him, he still didn't have it as bad as Cui Buqu. No matter how dark one's mood, nothing lifted the spirits quite like seeing someone worse off than oneself.
So it was that, as Feng Xiao watched the completely insensate Cui Buqu, he began humming a jaunty tune. "If you still refuse to wake up," he said between bars, "I'll leave you here and go back to the city by myself."
He climbed onward. "Actually, now that I've taken a closer look at your face, while it's not even a thousandth so lovely as mine, it's rather outstanding compared to the great unwashed."
And a little later: "Cui Buqu, Cui Buqu, no matter how I urge you, you won't go… That probably isn't your real name."
Feng Xiao leaned back against a rocky ledge and squinted at the dawn sun as it rose from the east, staining the clouds and turning the pale sky a brilliant red-gold. In the distance the mountains rose and fell, silently recounting the passage of glorious eons through this land, and the smoke of wars past.
He nudged Cui Buqu with his toe, giving the fallen man a light kick. "Don't you think it's a pity to miss such a beautiful scene?"
Naturally, Cui Buqu didn't answer.
Had he been conscious, he might have picked up a rock and stuffed it into Feng Xiao's mouth to stop his chatter. But right then he only lay quietly next to Feng Xiao. If not for the dawn light pouring over his face and provoking a frown of discomfort, he would have looked like he was immersed in a sweet dream, unable to wake.
Feng Xiao had mentally docked the totality of Pei Jingzhe's salary for the next five years, yet the latter still hadn't appeared. Feng Xiao sighed softly and began to consider transferring Pei Jingzhe to the Jiejian Bureau's remote base in Qiemo.
"Your complexion is poor. Let me help you," he said to Cui Buqu. An idea seemed to occur to him, and his face lit up with joy. "In the old days, people used to enjoy drawing on their eyebrows. Now we can share the joy of painting on faces. A great reimagining of an old tradition, if I do say so myself."
Cui Buqu's lashes trembled slightly, as if he was trying to open his eyes yet couldn't find the strength. But he wasn't a man who gave up easily. Heaven had come for him many times, and every time it had left him his frail, flickering life, clawing his way back to the light. Though he was left wandering on the banks of the underworld, even the reaper's soul-restraining chains couldn't drag him through the gates of hell.
He'd never lost before. And he wasn't going to start now.
He opened his eyes.
Above him was a vast world of azure skies and an extraordinarily beautiful face. "You're awake," Feng Xiao said, sounding pleased. "How do you feel?"
Cui Buqu tried to move his fingers and found he was still without strength. It was practically all he could do to lie there like a corpse. Perhaps it was the touch of the sun's first rays, but he no longer felt cold. The early morning breeze skimmed over his face, filling him with a profound sense of peace.
If only that aggravating man were a little farther away, it would've been perfect.
"Are you thirsty?" Feng Xiao asked.
Obviously he was. He'd gone a day and a night without water; at this point his throat was practically on fire. But he knew Feng Xiao wouldn't help him for nothing.
Sure enough, Feng Xiao smiled. "Call me 'Daddy' three times, and I'll use my internal energy to melt some snow for you to drink."
Of course he'd take his revenge. He'd only been waiting for the opportune moment. Cui Buqu decided to get it over with. He opened his mouth without hesitation: "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy."
His voice was rough and grating, but he got the words out.
Feng Xiao took a handful of snow and got to work. The snowmelt seeped through his fingers, dripping into Cui Buqu's open mouth.
Cui Buqu wasn't as fastidious as Feng Xiao, who would rather die of thirst than accept melted snow mixed with sand. After swallowing a few mouthfuls, Cui Buqu's throat felt much better.
"My dad's dead," he said.
Feng Xiao eyed him. Seeing as Cui Buqu was at death's door, he decided to be magnanimous and let it slide. After all, if Cui Buqu really did die, Feng Xiao would have a hard time finding someone anywhere near as interesting.
"Give me a couple more mouthfuls," Cui Buqu said. As long as someone hadn't had anything to drink, they could endure their thirst. But the moment they drank, their body would demand more.
"It's so dirty, yet you can stand to drink it." Feng Xiao pursed his lips but picked up another handful of snow and melted it for him.
"I've drunk water dirtier than this before," Cui Buqu said coolly. "After heavy rain, there are puddles on the roadside. Have you seen them? People come and go, stepping in the puddles, and the mud from their shoes mingles with the water. I've drunk even that kind of water."
Compared to that, snowmelt was indeed much cleaner. When someone was in truly dire straits, they could eat rotten food and drink stagnant water—rainwater from a puddle was nothing. But Cui Buqu had never felt those experiences worth bragging about, so his tone remained neutral, as if he were talking about his meals for the day.
"Chief Cui," Feng Xiao said suddenly.
Cui Buqu blinked. His expression remained unchanged—but that blink was enough to confirm Feng Xiao's guess.
"The great and mighty chief of the Zuoyue Bureau has been lurking beside me all this time. In order to hinder my investigation, he even sacrificed his body to poison. Your resolve is unmatched—I'm quite blown away!"
"Would the chief of the Zuoyue Bureau risk his life for this endeavor, let you drag him out of the city, and almost perish as a consequence?" Cui Buqu asked.
Feng Xiao was all smiles. "Others might not, but you definitely would. Someone like you never bows to adversity, nor submits willingly to others. As long as you're in the Zuoyue Bureau, no one else can stand above you. Daoist Master Cui, you've deceived me for so long! You're truly so capable!"
There was no way to deny it, so Cui Buqu no longer bothered to make excuses. "The head of the Jiejian Bureau himself traveled to this remote border city; what's so special about me coming with my ailing body and precarious health?"
Feng Xiao smiled again. "If I killed you here, not a single soul would know. I could throw your body down the cliffside and let the wind and sand bury it. Even if your men found this place, they wouldn't find any evidence. From then on, the Zuoyue Bureau would no longer pose a threat to the Jiejian Bureau. What do you think?"
"Not a bad idea. However, I'm not the only capable person in the world. In time, a new leader of the Zuoyue Bureau would emerge. Killing me is pointless."
"But there aren't many as intelligent as you. Even dragging around your half-dead body, you set stumbling blocks for me at every turn. If you were gone, I'd have a lot less to worry about."
He reached for Cui Buqu's neck.
Cui Buqu looked back at him indifferently. His gaze was calmer than the sky, blissfully unconcerned.
***
Qiao Xian and Zhangsun dashed all the way to Huyang Forest without pause, Pei Jingzhe and his eagle riders at their heels. But when the group arrived, they found the area deserted. Careful searching revealed traces of a battle.
Now everyone was in the same boat; there was no time for further disagreements. They split in three directions and began to search.
The blizzard was howling, and their shouts were snatched by the wind. Qiao Xian and others had their martial arts, but they weren't any kind of winged deities. The longer they spent running about in the snowy night, the more anxious they became. Qiao Xian fretted that Feng Xiao had already used Cui Buqu as a meat shield, or that he'd met with some other dire misfortune.
The vast wilderness, the mighty Gobi Desert, the endless horizon. It seemed like they'd never find their way back. They searched until the black of night paled into the white of day, until the wind and snow subsided. At long last, Qiao Xian found Feng Xiao and Cui Buqu huddled behind a snow-covered boulder.
Feng Xiao was fine, sitting leaned against the boulder. He was tired but still alert. He cast Qiao Xian and Zhangsun a lazy glance when they appeared, completely unsurprised. "Finally. Another few minutes and your Daoist Master Cui might have been an icy corpse."
Before looking at Cui Buqu, Qiao Xian retained some composure. But the instant she looked, rage exploded over her face.
Cui Buqu's face, his forehead and cheeks and even his neck, were covered in words. The handwriting was strong and lively, each brushstroke carrying the elegance of a master calligrapher—but that was beside the point.
The point was the content.
"I, Cui Buqu, owe Feng Xiao a life debt. When I see him in the future, I must call him 'Daddy.' Let this be my evidence. Should I refuse, may I be struck by lightning and perish of thirst; should I flee from my fate, may I break my legs first."
Before Qiao Xian could erase the words, Pei Jingzhe, who'd scurried after her, had already read them aloud.
The corners of Zhangsun Bodhi's eyes and mouth twitched. He bent down to try and wipe the words on Cui Buqu's forehead away with his sleeve but found the task tremendously difficult.
From the side, Feng Xiao said coolly, "Don't bother. That kind of mud is everywhere here. Once dissolved in water, it's nigh impossible to get off. I tried it several times before I wrote on him. If the life debt he owes me could be so easily erased, how would this demonstrate its sanctity?"
Cui Buqu rolled his eyes.
Qiao Xian didn't say another word; she drew her sword and lunged at Feng Xiao. Pei Jingzhe sprang forward to stop her, and the two eagle riders with him also stepped forward to protect their lord. Another fierce battle was about to erupt.
"Bring me back," Cui Buqu cut in. "Zhangsun, your hat."
Zhangsun Bodhi removed the bamboo hat that never left his head. He silently put it on Cui Buqu, then heaved him onto his back.
Feng Xiao didn't stop them. He waved cheerfully. "Daoist Master Cui, take care; I'll visit you in a few days. Don't forget the life debt you owe me."
Cui Buqu's smile didn't reach his eyes. "Oh, I'll remember it for eight lifetimes."
The tangled knot that had formed between them over the past few days was nowhere near unraveling.
***
Qiao Xian could tell Cui Buqu had relaxed after seeing her and Zhangsun. It wasn't something outsiders would notice—but she'd been his subordinate too long not to recognize his likes and dislikes. Someone as wary and guarded as Cui Buqu only relaxed for a very special reason, and Qiao Xian and Zhangsun were fortunate enough to have become one.
They had no interest in exchanging pleasantries with the Jiejian Bureau; the moment they recovered Cui Buqu, they left. Feng Xiao didn't intervene—he needed some time to recuperate himself.
The murderer of the Khotanese envoy had yet to be brought to justice, and the jade had yet to be retrieved. Thanks to Cui Buqu's plotting, the Göktürk warrior targeting him had been misled into attacking Feng Xiao. But then Feng Xiao had brought him outside the city, and Cui Buqu found himself in a three-way ambush that almost ended in his total defeat. In the game between the Zuoyue Bureau and the Jiejian Bureau, neither had achieved victory. Both sides beat a temporary retreat, making tallies in their own mental ledgers and waiting for the day they could settle the score.
On the return trip, Cui Buqu fell asleep on Zhangsun's back.
Zhangsun Bodhi's shoulders were steady as he walked, and Cui Buqu felt not a single bump or jolt.
"The lord chief appears to have been poisoned," whispered Qiao Xian.
"Mm," said Zhangsun. He'd already detected the strange aroma. "It's incense of helplessness."
Qiao Xian was taken aback; anger instantly darkened her face. "The Jiejian Bureau did it. How dare they?!"
Zhangsun was silent. Feng Xiao's reputation as a disagreeable man with questionable morals was well-known. Zhangsun wasn't remotely surprised he'd used such a method on their lord chief.
"Don't make any move. Wait and see what the lord chief has to say. He must have a plan for this as well."
***
Cui Buqu slept for a full two days. When he woke, his entire body felt heavy and limp. There was no part of him that wasn't exhausted. Only his mind was unusually clear, perhaps because he was finally well-rested. The moment he opened his eyes, he was alert. He called over Qiao Xian and Zhangsun.
"What have I missed in the past few days? Have Apa's men arrived?"
When the maid brought in chicken soup, Cui Buqu refused to let anyone feed him. He took the bowl himself and sipped slowly. Qiao Xian and Zhangsun had already made their inquiries and were only waiting for him to wake so they could report.
"Apa Khagan's envoy arrived in secret yesterday. We have him settled in already; now you're awake, you can meet him," said Qiao Xian.
Cui Buqu nodded. "And what's happening at the Jiejian Bureau?"
"Feng Xiao had Magistrate Zhao lock down the entire city to search for the Goguryeo woman Qin Miaoyu, the one who fought us that night. There was also the accident in the Lu family. The night you and Feng Xiao left the city, Lu Ti's daughter drowned. Her body is still at the county office. Feng Xiao is busy searching for Qin Miaoyu, so he ordered men to surround Lu Manor; no one is allowed out. Lu Ti is furious. He wrote a letter to his distant relatives, the Lu family of Fanyang, asking them to intercede with the Jiejian Bureau."
At this point, Qiao Xian paused. "There's one more thing. Yesterday, I caught a glimpse of the number one Göktürk martial artist, Fo'er, in the city. He seemed to have noticed me as well, because I was unable to tail him."
Though the city was currently under lockdown, that wouldn't stop an expert like Fo'er or Go Nyeong from sneaking back in if they wished.
"He must have received word that Apa Khagan's envoy arrived and realized he'd been misled. Go fetch Apa's envoy here. Then stay close to me in case Fo'er attempts something."
"Yes," said Qiao Xian.
She'd expected Cui Buqu would meet immediately with the envoy of Apa Khagan, but to her surprise, he seemed more interested in the affairs of the Lu family.
"What happened to Lady Lu? Tell me."
"It's a long story," said Qiao Xian.
Lu Ti's daughter was his only child, and he'd adored her beyond measure. She'd been the apple of his eye, the pearl in his palm, and he'd yearned to give her all that was wonderful in the world. He couldn't stand the idea of his daughter marrying into another family, so the moment she came of age, he sought a husband to whom he could pass the Lu family's business and inheritance.
The young maiden Lu had a cousin: Su Xing, whom Feng Xiao and Cui Buqu had encountered at Wuwei House. His parents had passed early, and he lived and studied at Lu Manor. He was of an age with Lady Lu, and they made a perfect couple. It was only natural that they developed feelings for each other. Privately, Lu Ti felt Su Xing's fate was too full of hardship—he had lost both his parents already—but his daughter loved him. The fact that Su Xing had no family to whom he owed loyalty also meant he was uniquely suited to join the Lu family. Lu Ti had arranged for them to marry two years from now.
But recently, Lu Ti had reconnected with the branch of the Lu family in Fanyang for business reasons, and the two sides had exchanged letters and visits. Upon meeting the young Lady Lu, one of the elders of the Fanyang Lu family became enamored of her and offered to play matchmaker between Lady Lu and the young son of the Wang family of Taiyuan.
The son of the Wang family was two years older than Lady Lu, a talented young man with great academic achievements. Several of his uncles served as officials in the imperial court. Everyone expected the young man would follow in the footsteps of his elders and become a minister. His future was bright, his prospects boundless.
The lad's noble background and excellent character made him hundreds of times more desirable as a son-in-law than Su Xing. Lu Ti had changed his mind, but Lady Lu was unwilling. The ever-gentle and obedient Lady Lu quarreled fiercely with her father and threw a tantrum. She had drowned that very night.
It was the same night the Jiejian Bureau's eagle rider had pursued a suspicious figure to Lu Manor. The incident with Lady Lu must have occurred at almost the same time.