Agent of Hell

Xie Bian knew there was trouble coming their way even before the bride stopped before Fan Wujiu.

He had seen the tense line of his back as he accepted the silver reward from Tao Yuanming like a convict eating a last meal. There was no doubt in Xie Bian's mind that in any other circumstances he would have made the man swallow his silver until he choked on it.

He still didn't fully grasp the reason behind Fan Wujiu's antipathy towards Jade Dragon Manor, but it obviously ran deep.

"Do you know whose benevolence you're being graced with?" Wei Meiqi asked Fan Wujiu, her lovely face pinched in irritation.

Fan Wujiu shook his head. "This one is ignorant and doesn't know who young master is." He was saying all the right words, but there was nothing humble about his tone.

To Xie Bian, all of Fan Wujiu's words sounded sardonic -- mockery hidden like a blade behind every word.

Wei Meiqi saw his defiance and her expression grew darker. "This is Tao Yuanming, the sect leader of the world's foremost cultivation sect, Jade Dragon Manor. You are probably not from Longbei, but even so, there shouldn't be anyone in all of Jianghu who doesn't know this."

Tao Yuanming's handsome face showed a hint of consternation. "Lady Wei, please, I'm sure this young man meant no offense."

He would be dead wrong.

Xie Bian hurried to bow to both Tao Yuanming and Wei Meiqi.

"Congratulations to Lady Wei on her wedding, wishing her a thousand years of happiness. Thank you to sect leader Tao for bestowing gifts on these unworthy ones." He bowed again, keeping his posture straight and elegant. "Apologies on behalf of my brother, he is hard of hearing and as such has trouble communicating."

His explanation seemed to smooth down Wei Meiqi's ruffled feathers. Not that Fan Wujiu was trying very hard to sell the lie.

"I'm very sorry to hear that," Tao Yuanming said. "Our sect has extraordinary healers. Please be sure to visit our sect grounds some day, you can say that I personally invited you."

Xie Bian couldn't believe his luck. He was a genius! A once-in-a-generation, heavens-sent genius. What a great opportunity! They absolutely couldn't let this chance slip them by.

Fan Wujiu bowed stiffly. "We appreciate sect leader Tao's kindness but we must refuse."

What was he doing? Spiting at this gift from the heavens just because he was an agent of Hell? Wasn't he the one who insisted Jade Dragon Manor was somehow involved with the missing souls? Now they had the perfect excuse to walk into their sect grounds freely. Otherwise, who knew what kind of protections they against trespassers?

"Please don't pay attention to my brother, he hates imposing on other people's generosity. We will of course keep sect leader Tao's offer in mind."

Tao Yuanming smiled pleasantly. "Of course."

He finished awarding the silver pieces and returned to his seat up on the dais, Wei Meiqi dismissed them all with a nod of her head towards the attending servants who escorted them out of the hall.

Back in the room that was to work as their temporary dressing room He Ming furiously berated Fan Wujiu. "What were you thinking? You almost got us in trouble with Lady Wei! She is not the kind of person who can tolerate disrespect. It's sheer luck that sect leader Tao interceded in your favour..."

He went on in that vein for a while longer, extolling Tao Yuanming's virtues while calling Fan Wujiu all manner of names.

"I think you two should forfeit your pieces of silver to us, considering this consternation," he said, finishing his tirade with a shrewd look at the stone faced Fan Wujiu.

Xie Bian couldn't believe his ears. "Why should we do that? We earned them just like everyone else."

Fan Wujiu threw his piece of silver at He Ming, who caught it in the air. "Keep it."

Xie Bian shot him an incredulous look, and then turned to He Ming. "I'm not giving you mine."

He Ming debated insisting on it, but seeing as he already had an extra piece of silver he decided to celebrate his gains instead of mourning his losses.

Fan Wujiu finished getting dressed, in his usual, careless way and told He Ming, "We'll be going first. Thank you for allowing us to join your troupe."

He grabbed on to Xie Bian's elbow and dragged him out of the room.

Outside, Xie Bian struggled out of his hold and finished tying his plain cotton robes. "Stubborn, that was your silver."

"I don't want anything from Tao Yuanming."

Xie Bian didn't bother asking why. He'd just get a cryptic answer, as always. "Alright, we're inside the hall. Now how do we find anything about the missing souls?"

Fan Wujiu searched inside the infinity pouch tied to his waist and took out two pills, swallowing one. "We start with the servants. Who see everything but are often overlooked."

Xie Bian swallowed down the remaining pill and watched as Fan Wujiu's appearance flickered once becoming plain and unassuming, before Xie Bian could once again see the his true features beneath the illusion.

---

He Ming and his troupe were making their way towards the servant access gates of the Yu estate when a familiar voice called on to them:

"Good sirs, please wait."

Tao Yuanming approached the group in measured steps, he seemed to have been waiting for them under a nearby scholar tree, completely hidden from view under the cloak of night. His fine, turquoise and pearl robes fluttered gently in the breeze.

He Ming bowed to him deeply, hoping he wasn't about to be held responsible for that hoodlum's behavior.

"I was wondering if I could speak with the two gentlemen from before." He cast a cursory look at their group. "I'm afraid I'm not seeing them."

"They left ahead, sect leader Tao."

"Through this gate? I've been waiting here for some time."

He Ming didn't know what to say. "Well they must have, I doubt they would have been so brazen as to leave through the front gates. To be honest with sect leader Tao, those two people were just filling in for a sudden illness in our troupe. I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to tell you the first thing about them."

There was a flicker of something in Tao Yuanming's eye that sent a ripple through his refined expression.

"I see..." he cupped his hands in front of his chest in a salute. "I won't take any more of your time. Safe travels."