Xian Wu had a drink...or two...or three.

Seeing as that youngster Lai Yiteng should finally be sleeping and out of his hair, Xian Wu went out to do what any normal, functioning adult does, and left the inn to visit the nearest house of pleasure to have a few drinks and get drunk.

Wen town's streets were now darkened and subdued. The hardworking and honest crowd of daylight had receded, now it was largely those seeking to have a good night out or ambling around with nothing better to do.

Xian Wu strolled along at a leisurely pace, smoothing the hair on the top of his head with minimal concern for how it looked.

Found a big and flashy pavilion sign that read, 'Red Peony'.

Ah, this should be good enough. He went inside.

From the eaves of a nearby tiled rooftop, another person dressed in dark and slim-fitting clothes leap onto to the second floor of Red Peony pavilion and went inside a window.

In the meantime, Xian Wu who had sauntered into the store also reserved a room on the second floor. He had the money to do this because before Lai Yiteng reclaimed his wallet, Xian Wu had secretly taken out a sum for himself.

Lai Yiteng had gotten his money back, but neglected to count it and see if it added up to the correct amounts...

Xian Wu went up the carpeted steps of Red Peony while winking at more than a few pretty women on the way. Ambiguity seemed to saturate the air as they flashed smiles back, peeking behind their fans or robe sleeves at such a handsome and wild-looking man.

Indeed, while Lai Yiteng could only focus on the sloppier aspects of Xian Wu's appearance, his leisurely air provided a sort of charismatic charm to many of the others who saw him. That feathery hair, those sharp eyes, and the whimsical wardrobe of colors all combined to pull off a very 'I'm the sort of irresponsible guy that will steal your heart for a single night of joy' playboy appearance.

"Mister~" called a lady with a twinkle in her eye, blush framing her delicate face. She came up the stairway of her own accord and hung off of Xian Wu's strong arm. "Want a drink along with a gentle and soft flute song? This Hua Mei will gladly keep you company..."

Xian Wu crooked a smile as he twirled his braid over his finger.

"Alas~ I've got a prior arrangement, otherwise I'd want to spend all night with such an intelligent and talented flower." He bemoaned even more dramatically, "Yes, women are the best, for even if man has the beauty of an immortal, their inside personality will be rigid and stale."

Hua Mei gave a brief chuckle. "What a strange thing to say!" She blinked her long lashed eyes and then asked, "Oh my, could it be that this honored guest is lost in an affair with a man?"

Xian Wu shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Something like that. I just think of the days to come and suddenly ended up here, looking for a drink to quell my worries..."

He kindly removed her hands from his body and waved her away.

"Farewell, lovely lady."

Hua Mei receded with slight disappointment.

When Xian Wu entered his room upstairs, the lighting was dim, only a few orange glowing lamps around the space. A long and short table was in the center of the floor, etched with designs, and green paper blinds swayed from the wind with hints of pale moonlight seeping inside.

He had not gone two paces into the room before a black figure rushed over from behind and lunged at him. They wrapped one clammy hand on the back of his neck, exactly at a place where they could crack his spine, and the other over his eyes with tight pressure.

This person hardly had a speck of human features left uncovered.

A mask covered all of their face save the mouth and a glimmer of eyes. They wore tight gray gloves, long sleeves and trousers, and their hair was bound up within wraps of a silken scarf. However, there was one small chunk of silver hair that trailed down past their shoulder, somehow escaping the confines of clothes.

There was a tickle against Xian Wu's ear as they spoke in a light and ringing tone.

"Should I kidnap you and drag you back to Graceful Dragon Sect? Then maybe you'd start upholding your duties again, Sect Master Xian."

Xian Wu laughed flatly, wishing that this subordinate of his, Song Zhenxi, wasn't so strict on him all of the time. "I'm trying...as soon as he agrees to go back with me, I'll return."

"'Him'? That little Lushang Sect escapee?"

"The one and only."

Song Zhenxi gave a low scoff, letting go of Xian Wu before they stalked over to the other side of the table and plopped onto a lavish cushion with their legs crossed.

Their gloved finger tapped the table relentlessly. "Where's the wine? Are they bringing it or not?"

Xian Wu sighed. "Give them a second, I just ordered."

He hoped the servers would come soon, otherwise-

"You always make me wait around for you!" Song Zhenxi began an angered tirade. "Do you think I have nothing better to do as an esteemed elder of Graceful Dragon Sect besides sneaking around like a rat? I thought you were going to get from information from that Lai Yiteng about the underside of Lushang Sect, so I tracked him down. Now you've gone and squandered over a week hanging around that pretty boy! Since you can draw his portrait so well, I should've known you'd be interested in him."

Xian Wu made half-hearted placating gestures with his hands, "Now, now. I think you're misunderstanding something. How long it's taken is completely out of my control."

"How hard can it be to interrogate one youth like him?!"

Song Zhenxi had every intention to continue his rant. After all, he'd spent weeks tracking Lai Yiteng, then followed in the shadows while Xian Wu did nothing more than nurse the youngster back to health. And even today when Xian Wu sent a message about meeting at a winery late in the evening, it still took half the night before this waste of a Sect Master showed his face!

There was a knock on the door and a singsong voice called inside, "Lordships, your peony wine has arrived. Is now an appropriate time?"

"Oh, great! Hurry and come in," said Xian Wu.

Pretty ladies in trailing dresses went to the table, leaning over the two as they poured out cups full of wine, then left the jars on the table for refills.

"Would you like our services?" asked one.

Xian Wu narrowed his eyes then looked saddened. "Not today. All is well as long as we have the wine."

As soon as those ladies had exited the room, Song Zhenxi picked up a jar and started chugging it.

They hummed. "This is good wine."

Song Zhenxi was a flourishing alcoholic and thought that any wine was good. Xian Wu was much more refined as he picked up a white cup and sipped. That didn't mean he wouldn't help himself to a staggering quantity, however.

At least this way this black-clad stickler would be in a much better mood.

The two drank in silence for a while, the thick scent of liquor permeating the room and that nice tickle of hot alcohol burning in their throats and stomach.

Song Zhenxi coughed awkwardly. "Ahem. What were we discussing? ...right. What is Sect Master Xian intending to do with this Lai Yiteng fellow?"

Xian Wu shrugged and leaned back on his cushion seat, his braid swaying out behind him.

"Just as it seems, I'm going to convince to come with me to Graceful Dragon Sect."

"And why is that?"

"Because," Xian Wu said pointedly, "he's the one I owe my life to."

Song Zhenzi drank another gulp, the only visible sign of a reaction through the dark clothes was their lips twisting a bit taunt.

"Oh, really? So it's him..." now it was getting difficult to tell Sect Master Xian to be rid of such a bundle of trouble! "Can't you simply ask for the information on Lushang Sect, then reward him a sum of money and send him along his way?"

There was a brief quiet. Then Xian Wu tilted over until he laid halfway on the dark wood of the table.

"...it's not so simple."

If Sect Master Xian said it wasn't simple, then it certainly wasn't! He was the sort to undermine all issues with a wave of the hand, and when he actually admitted something was trouble, then one knew that it was BIG trouble.

Song Zhenxi readied himself to listen to his Sect Master's complaints while consuming astounding amounts of alcohol. Entire jars had already been emptied within minutes.

"Lai Yiteng is not in the best condition," explained Xian Wu. "And if I let him go off on his own, he'll be hunted down by Lushang Sect sooner or later. I can't do that with a clear conscience...so naturally I have to look out for him, right? But that's where the trouble begins..."

"What do you mean he's not in the best condition? You've healed him, no?"

Xian Wu twiddled his finger around the edge of his empty cup.

"He's got some kind of poison in his veins...I can't identify it."