Azul and I walked up to the large gates of Lady Vespara's mansion, where a butler awaited us.
"You must not embarrass me, Khan, remember what I told you." I heard him, but I wasn't listening; he had repeated the same mantra at least fifty times on our way here.
The butler nodded to one of the guards, and they opened the gates for us to come in. "Welcome, Azul," he looked at me, "and you must be the hunter."
"Yes."
"Very good, come with me." And he led us through her mansion's oak-covered floors and pristine white walls to a large chamber guarded by only two large wooden doors. He knocked three times.
"You may come in."
And so Azul and I walked into a large, lit room with a grey-haired lady sitting atop a makeshift throne.
The butler bowed, gesturing for us to the same, "My lady Vespara, I have brought the tanner."
"And my skin?" I did not look up, but I was sure she was addressing Azul, "My lady," he figeted, "but I told you, we must wait for the right season before we get the skins."
She clicked her fingers one by one on the armrests of her throne. Azul hurried to finish what he was saying, "T-thats why I brought the hunter," he touched me on the arm, "he's even hunted a spirit beast before."
She raised an eyebrow at this, "So, why bring him here? You waste my time, tanning man."
'Has he not already told her that I want to negotiate?'
"Yes, my lady, you see…" and from my position next to him, I could see a large droplet of water fall to the ground. Then another. They rolled down his chin.
"...I cannot give mortal men enough money to hunt a spirit beast—there's too much risk."
"And? You would dare to trick me?" She threw a jar of liquid at his head, the heavy pieces of jewelry around her neck clanging together like bells. Azul didn't dare dodge. It smelled like perfume.
"No, no, my lady, how would I provide you the skins without a hunter to acquire me one?" He half-whimpered, half-spoke. A thin stream of blood stained his eye and travelled down to land in droplets. "I brought him here because he wants to negotiate."
My heart was racing like it was being drawn by a chariot, my face was still facing the ground, so she did not see the shock in my expression.
Had she done such a thing anywhere in the Humilis district, someone would have smacked her with a rock. 'Is this why Azul is pretending to be so humble?'
The noble lady looked to her butler, and he gestured for me to speak. She had lain back on her throne and was now stifling a yawn. "May I raise my head, Lady Vespara?"
"Go ahead." I stood to my full height, back straight, and eyes looking forward but not directly at the noble lady. The action of bowing turned a bitter taste in my mouth, but that wasn't what was most on my mind, I had to make this negotiation worth as much as I could. "I have heard from Azul that a stately lady like yourself has an extensive collection of books, the only thing that would rival it would be your beauty and your taste in decor." I pointed at the room around me and then at her necklaces.
'Tasteless.'
She smiled a half-amused smile and looked directly at me for the first time that meeting.
"A fair noble woman such as yourself would not mind if I went through her library? If I can, I'll be able to learn more about the spirit leopard. What better way to increase my chances of returning alive with your skins?"
I included the last part because from the widening grin on her face, I was not sure whether she saw me as flesh and blood like herself or as one of the wooden toys little children and girls played with.
'What did Azul say? To praise her looks?'
There was only one reason I was doing this, if for some reason she was able to free me from the clutches of Wan Cheng, then I would like to become a merchant, I'd had the idea for a while but, there was no way I would be able to get that money for the foreseeable future.
"What boldness. Tell me, how old are you?" I raised my voice to speak, but she didn't let me, "No, no, hush. You are sure you can get me my skins?" She folded her legs back across the seat, voice low, but incredibly high-pitched.
"Yes, my lady."
"You may have access to my library," she cooed, "but only for two weeks, then you must hunt the leopard. I will not wait forever."
I hesitated. 'Should I ask for more?' But now was the time. I couldn't wait to be handed what I wanted on a silver platter.
In the forest, it didn't matter if you were a fox or a bear, if you didn't hunt, no animal would hop into your jaws.
"In that case, my lady, I would also like to ask one more thing," my hands were shaking now, in anticipation, 'I'll be free.' "There is a man named Wan Cheng. He holds a contract over me. Would you be able to sever it?"
"Wan Cheng? The commander? Hah!" she laughed, "ask for something else. He answers to far higher nobles than myself." She called for a servant to bring her a drink. "You really are a bold one to enter into deals with Wan Cheng? That silver hungry snake?" She laughed so hard I was afraid she would drop onto the floor, her thin chest and arms heaving visibly with every inhale.
When she had stopped laughing, she continued, "Ask for something within my reach or leave my sight." She had returned to her cold demeanor from when we had first entered.
'What else should I ask for?' The deal with Wan Cheng was the only thing I was able to think about, and now? I wouldn't be able to get that handled. I strained my mind with thought as I felt her stare down at me, "Is it that you want me to repeat myself, hunter?"
Sweat beaded down my chest. 'What else?' I couldn't ask for cultivation manuals, and I doubted she would have them, there was only one thing I could ask for.
Money.
'In this world, cultivation was power, the next best thing was gold.' If I couldn't get the deal with Wan Cheng severed, then I would get the next best thing, "10 gold."
Azul staggered onto the ground, letting his hair mop the floor with more blood.
"As long as you get me my skins."
My eyes widened. 'Was she really going to give it to me?' "Since I will be hunting the spirit beast for you, would you be willing to give me 3 gold in advance?"
"Ignorant fool, do you know who you are speaking to? Do not push your luck, peasant." The butler surprised me by interjecting, and his mistress' face had turned to stone, "Leave. Get the task done."
The butler ushered us out.
'It was worth a try. I need to learn more.' And that would be the real purpose of the library, I'd learn as much as I could from it, and when the time came, I wouldn't be left in the dark when I started wandering as a merchant.
Huo Feng dashed towards his master's home. The closer he got, the faster he moved. The grip and anticipation of finally having enough power to enact revenge was too strong for him to say no.
By his side, the sword hummed, he didn't know if it was from his imagination or from excitement, and the man didn't care. In only a few more strides, he was there, but so were two other groups of people. He recognised one of them.
Hung Lee.
There were two others he didn't recognise. A thin, well-groomed man, with the air of royalty, and a large, dark skinned man next to him who looked like he should have been the center of attention but somehow sank into the edges of his perception.
He stopped. Huo Feng was sure he could fight Hung Lee, but he didn't know about that thin man in front of him, and there was no way to convince himself he could fight that mountain of a man anyway.
An old saying came to him, The hidden blade is more dangerous than the open sword, Huo Feng bowed to his senior, the thin man in front of him. "Outer disciple meets inner senior." Then he repeated the same greeting for the burly man, ignoring Hung Lee.
Hung Zhen, who was Hung Lee's cousin, addressed him as he was standing on top of the staircase, while his shadow servant knelt a step below. Everyone else was at the bottom of the staircase.
Hung Lee didn't dare show his displeasure.
"Inner senior, may this junior ask, where is elder Bai Sun?"
"Bastard, give me my sword!" Huo Feng ducked in surprise, clutching the treasure as Hung Lee lunged at him. He turned his feet to run, 'They've found me out! I have to leave. With the manual in my head, I can still grow more powerful.'
Hung Zhen broke out of his calm facade and barked, "Wait." But Huo Feng didn't listen, and Hung Lee was getting up again. The prince turned to his servant, "Stop them."
Like a shadow in the bright sun, the man vanished and instantly appeared next to Huo Feng, chaining him in place with shackles he had pulled out of nowhere. Huo Feng noticed his ring, 'Storage ring!'
And his face turned into one of despair, 'Father, mother, forgive me, this child has been unfilial.'
Next, the shadow servant went up to Hung Lee to stop him, but his shadow servant appeared. Now they were at a standstill.
Hung Lee ordered his servant to get the sword from Huo Feng, and his cousin did the same.
But the second both of them touched the sword, it started to vibrate with little green and white lights.
Hung Zhen shouted, "Stop." But only his servant stopped, "Daft servant, the thing is bonded to him. You'll shatter it."
And Hung Lee ordered the man to stop.
It seemed they were at a standstill.