The young man, who called himself Xing Ming, hurried angrily through the night-time streets of Chaisang, repeatedly smacking his lips. He had been told over and over again not to reveal a single word.
He was so lost in thought that he didn't even notice the man in white standing in his way. He only looked up a few meters in front of him. The figure looked like a god in his white robe that glowed in the night and his golden-brown hair. He smiled kindly, but it did not reach his eyes.
Xing Ming quickly turned around and stumbled back. In the middle of the night, no young deities were met in Chaisang. But he didn't get far when another tall man blocked his path.
If the first one was a god, this one had to be a devil. His black robe and long hair blended into the darkness, leaving almost only the mesmerizing scarlet eyes shining in the darkness. He also smiled, but there was no trace of friendliness. Xing Ming stumbled back a few steps.
"A word, my friend!" said the First, placing a hand on his shoulder from behind. Xing Ming flinched so violently that he stumbled and fell down.
"W-what do you want from me?" he stuttered fearfully. Qing Lai crouched down in front of him, while Zhi Cheng stood still and looked at the coward with raised brows. He certainly hadn't traveled all the way to Duifang on his own initiative.
"You've made me curious," Qing Lai said, turning the young man's chin so that he had to look at him.
"What, or rather who, drove you to the Valley of Ghosts and why?" he asked kindly.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Xing Ming blurted out. Zhi Cheng sighed.
"Better you talk voluntarily before we have to ask more insistently," he remarked, bored. Qing Lai had scrutinized the young man closely and now pulled a purse with distinctive embroidery from his belt and lifted it so that Zhi Cheng could see it.
"I'm curious," Qing Lai confessed.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but it was something like this; you were ordered to fetch goods from Duifang, which are most likely traded on a black market. You were paid handsomely for it, but you got greedy. Most people do, don't be ashamed," he added with a sideways glance at Zhi Cheng, who just rolled his eyes.
"You diverted some of the goods, which is why your employer felt compelled to monitor the trade route from Chaisang with new personnel. Which leads me to ask, though, why are you still alive if you stole from your boss?" He tilted his head.
"Extortion!" remarked Zhi Cheng from above. Occasionally, illegal goods such as bones, hair and blood were smuggled back and forth between the worlds by yao and ghosts. Zhi Cheng himself had had no interest in this, after all, it was how some of the comforts of the mortal world reached Duifang. Like tea, food and pastries. Not to mention the silk for his royal robes.
Without trade, no country could flourish and prosper. But what was so valuable that the wealthiest man in Chaisang could be bribed with it?
Xing Ming had listened to Qing Lai's succinct explanation with his mouth open and now closed it again. He shook his head vehemently and refused to say anything. Qing Lai's pressure on his shoulder became heavier and he felt a slight tingling sensation in his arm.
"I've paralyzed your right arm, if you don't want to talk, I'll paralyze all your limbs one by one. I'm sure it won't be a pleasant life in the future," Qing Lai threatened softly.
Zhi Cheng observed Qing Lai's expression and voice. He wasn't lying, but he was sure he wouldn't really cripple such a poor wretch for the rest of his life. However, the bluff alone was enough to make the coward talk.
"Bo Chao, it was Bo Chao. I don't know what it was. I was only entrusted with a box and there were various cloth bags inside. I was afraid that I would be thrown out of the way after my work was done, so I kept some for myself as life insurance," he confessed.
"But I don't have it anymore. As soon as the wages Bo Chao gave me were used up, I sold the bag at a high price," he said. Qing Lai frowned.
"Probably for a ridiculously low price if you paid it willingly," he said.
"Whatever it was that you were transporting, it must be of great value," he pondered. Qing Lai patted him gently on the chest and Xing Ming fell into a deep unconsciousness.
He placed the young man on a pile of flour sacks in an alley and then strolled back to Zhi Cheng.
"Do you have any idea what it might be?" he asked as the two of them watched the rising sun. The night was over. Zhi Cheng sighed and shrugged his shoulders.
"To be honest, Brother Qing, no. There are some things that are illegally smuggled from Duifang to the mortal world. But I've never heard of anything like that," he confessed.
"But I think this Bo Chao knows more," he remarked. Qing Lai nodded.
"I think we should introduce ourselves to him!" he said in a good mood.
It didn't take long to locate the estate of businessman Bo Chao. It was a magnificent building, brimming with gold and frills. Ten marble steps led up to the huge gate made of dark cherry wood and iron fittings, in front of which imposing guards had posted themselves.
Zhi Cheng and Qing Lai sat down in front of a tea room on the other side of the street and watched the hustle and bustle around the estate. Messengers and servants were constantly darting in and out of a side door, all looking rushed and very tired.
Occasionally, Bo Chao received a valued guest who was allowed to pass through the gate. Then they caught a glimpse of a wide front garden paved with ginkgo trees, fountains and gardens.
Around midday, Zhi Cheng was losing badly at chess to Qing Lai while enjoying the much tastier tea, Bo Chao left his estate. He was an incredibly corpulent man. His hair was tied in a tight knot with a magnificent crown.
His silk robe stretched across his stomach and his tiny eyes stood out in his puffy face. Although Zhi Cheng and Qing Lai pretended to be engrossed in their chess game, they did not miss the slightest detail.
He was carried down the steps in a sedan chair by burly men, only to be hoisted into a waiting carriage. The horses pranced restlessly as they felt the weight and snorted.
"Chess!" Zhi Cheng announced jubilantly. Qing Lai picked up a white piece and placed it on the board. Zhi Cheng's laughter died away.
"And mate," Qing Lai replied. The ghost king clicked his tongue in frustration and snapped his fan shut.
"You're playing unfairly, Brother Qing," he grumbled.
"Not you at all, Brother Zhi, you're not concentrating," Qing Lai rebuked with a laugh as he tipped the tiles back into the bowl to play again.
Zhi Cheng shook his head. If only Qing Lai was half as distracted by his brilliance and good looks as he was by him. The shining hair, the sparkling eyes, the flowing robe in the summer wind. He cleared his throat and pushed such thoughts far away from him.
"I don't feel like it anymore," Zhi Cheng announced abruptly.
"Because you keep losing," added Qing Lai.
"And because we're running out of money. The board is rented by the hour and your money is slowly running out like sand between your fingers," he added. Qing Lai nodded.
"We should go to a bank to replenish our gold reserves, and we should take the opportunity to find out how to get into the estate," Qing Lai suggested.
They would have liked to follow the businessman, but he had hired his own army of mercenaries, so it would be difficult to get to him unseen. If they managed to get in, they would be sure to catch him unawares.
"We still have the surprise attack," Zhi Cheng suggested.
"Not as long as we have another option," Qing Lai warned him. Zhi Cheng sighed.
After Bo Chao was out of sight, they stood up and strolled through the city. Chaisang was huge, there was more than one bank in a city like this, not counting the shady ones. Qing Lai felt distinctly uncomfortable as he presented a jade seal and was immediately led to a private room. Zhi Cheng looked at him from the side.
"So you wanted to show off, did you?" he remarked mockingly. Qing Lai smiled painedly.
"I wouldn't do it if it wasn't necessary. But your gold has run out and we don't know what's coming. That's why I feel compelled to tap into the state coffers," he said nervously. State coffers? He was surely referring to the financial resources available to his brother and General Xiao Xiangyu.
"I didn't think I would be allowed to serve a civil servant twice in one day," the man laughed as he counted out the gold. Qing Lai took notice.
"The general was here?" he asked in astonishment. The man nodded as he polished the gold taels and set them out.
"Yes, as far as I know, he set off towards Uidong this morning to get to the bottom of the matter with the highwaymen. Thank heavens the emperor finally sent someone," he said with relief. Qing Lai nodded and beamed at Zhi Cheng.
"You see, I told you he would come!" he exulted. Zhi Cheng returned a wry, snide grin.
Even if your beloved brother is finally here, it doesn't change the fact that he's late, he thought angrily, and his heart felt a small, jealous twinge.