Run tiger run

After dinner, Hu Li finds Sheng Qin again picking up his brush and writing some words. She sit beside him and ask him what he is doing. 

"I am trying to earn some money for the family."

"How are you earning money by doing this?" 

"I am copying books. The book store needs a lot of books. So i am copying the story into many books. They can sell them. I can earn money." 

"How much are you getting?"

"Each book i can get 3 coins. They sell it for 7 coins. I see it's a win situation. For i get to read the story first before the copy gets to be sell out to the public." 

"Can i help you?"

He look at her. He look for a piece of paper and hand her a brush.

"Copy this."

Hu Li look at the original book. The words look easy. So she write as per what she see. Sheng Qin's eyes got bigger and stare at the words that she had written. Hu Li proudly finish writing and hand over the paper to him. Sheng Qin stare at them and smile.

"I don't think you can help me. The words need to be the same for the entire book."

"Oh..."

She looks disappointed. Sheng Qin feels that she is sad for she can't help him. 

"Why don't you help to make breakfast tomorrow morning."

"You mean i cook breakfast?! Oh that is so easy! I can do that. Let me go tell the ladies."

She gets up happily and walk out of the room. Sheng Qin stares at the paper in front of him. Hu Li's hand writing is like a child who is learning how to write. The characters are written in every direction. Also they are big and small and the same time. He sigh but he is going to keep it. She make an afford to help him. He keep it neatly under his pile of papers and continue to copy the book. Suddenly he look up and feel a sense of fearing for tomorrow's breakfast. She never cook before, all the time in the cave house what he ate was grass and raw vegetables. She never use the fire. Is she going to 'cook' raw vegetables and some grass? The more he think of it, the more he fears grow. He gets up and yell for the ladies. 

That night, Sheng Qin is sleeping soundly. Hu Li wakes up and stretch herself. From the open wide window, she smell a stench. She look at Sheng Qin making sure he is fast asleep. She tuck his blanket tightly around him. She straighten up and climb outside the window. She slowing walk to the rooftop from tile to tile. One rooftop to another rooftop. Finally she reach the Yuen Ming Ting agency. At the rooftop, the lady Meng Lan is sitting there. Hu Li walks up slowly. Meng Lan gets up and bow. 

"Greeting master."

Hu Li is wondering why is everyone calling her master but that is not the issue on hand now. 

"So what are you?"

"I am Meng Lan, a cat spirit."

"A spirit?"

"Yes. I am originally a cat but i am given a chance by a great master to cultivate to become a spirit."

"Not a beast?"

"No master. I am not your level. I am just your servant." 

"So why are you with Yuen Ming?"

"I was just cultivated into a human form when Yuen Ming found me. He keep me and give me a home. In return, i obey him and help him to always fortune and wealth in his life." 

"So he knows your ability?"

"No master. He doesn't know. He just think that he is lucky when he gambles or signing contracts to get jobs. He feels that i am a person of fortune. Thus i am treated well."

"Since he is getting wealthy by the day why is he sending assassins to kill Sheng Qin. It doesn't make sense." 

Meng Lan look around as if she is scared. She talks in her low voice. 

"Mr Yuen Ming have a wife. She is the one who order the killing." 

Hu Li's eyes open wide. Now she knows why Yuen Ming don't have any reaction when she mentioned about sending people to the house of Yue. 

"Why does she wants to kill them all? She have a grudge against the Yue?"

Meng Lan again look around and whisper. 

"She is hard to deal with. She have lived in this capital for a long time. She is the boss here. We are all afraid of her. No one dare to go against her."

"So Yuen Ming is afraid..."

"No they respect each other. Even though they don't sleep together."

Meng Lan again look around and continue to whisper. 

"She is bound to the Yue family and she wants to break free. She wants to be fully in control. She doesn't want to be their slave."

Hu Li tilt her head. This, she doesn't understand. 

"Explain."

"The mistress is a spirit that the bound to serve all generations of Yue in this capital. She is seeking to break free of the bound."

"So she is a spirit too?"

"Yes she is." 

"What animal form is she?"

"She is ... a tiger... "

Hu Li at that point recall those slashes that Sheng Qin have all over his body. 

"Did she attack Sheng Qin and try to kill him while he is on the escort team?"

Meng Lan nod her head gravely. 

"Where is she now?"

"She will return here in a few days. She is finishing up an escorting job."

"Do you think she will come for Sheng Qin again?"

Meng Lan nod her head gravely again. Hu Li sigh and walk up and down the tilt. 

"Go back home and be safe. If she see you and ask... just pretend you don't know anything. Including me."

"She have a good sense of smell. She can smell new comers in this capital. "

"Let her come. I want to see how strong she is." 

"Meanwhile you do what you do everyday. Don't do anything special."

"Yes master. Is there any further instructions?"

"No. Just go." 

Meng Lan bow and transform into a cat. Hu Li watch her slowly walk away. 

"Meng Lan, your fur is beautiful. So is your long tail."

"Meow." She gently purr and leap to the next rooftop. As Hu Li watch her, she feels that her theory is correct. All males have their tails in front while all females have their tails behind. She is correct about that now she is curious how does a tiger looks like.