"Do you expect the poor waiter to clean up the mess you just made?" asked Liu Zhuyu, frowning.
The waiter was already walking towards them with a rag and bucket in hand. Zui Chunlai spared Liu Zhuyu a mocking smirk and got up from his pillow and took the rag from the waiter's hands. To everyone's surprise he started mopping up the spilt wine himself.
"Ah, honoured guest, please don't." The waiter got down on the floor as well, trying to wrest the rag from Zui Chunlai.
"Don't worry, I'm happy to clean up after myself." He delivered the rag and bucket into the flustered waiter's hands as soon as he was done. "Could you tell me your name?"
No other guest had ever asked his name, not to mention one this handsome. The waiter flushed from his neck up to his eyebrows, and bowed his head. "This lowly one is called Tan Fei, pleased to make your acquaintance young master."
"Little Tan, have you noticed anything unusual in Qi An in the last couple of days?" Zui Chunlai sat back down and motioned for Tan Fei to sit with them.
The waiter was initially apprehensive, looking over his shoulder to see if he could spot his boss.
Xue Xiangsi had to begrudgingly admit that while Zui Chunlai was annoying, he wasn't an idiot. Well, Xue Xiangsi wasn't a fool either. He began to fill up a bowl with a selection of food from their spread, and offered it to Tan Fei. "Please sit with us. We are cultivators and just arrived in Qi An, we'd like to know if our help is needed anywhere."
Tan Fei finally conceded and accepted the bowl of food from Xue Xiangsi, sitting down on his knees. "Thank the young masters for their kindness. Our little city is usually very peaceful but something unusual did happen yesterday."
"Tell us all about it," said Zui Chunlai, propping up his chin on his closed fist, his tone suggestive.
His attempts to put Tan Fei at ease sounded to Xue Xiangsi like flirting. The poor waiter was redder than Zui Chunlai's robes, his thin fingers could barely hold on to the chopsticks. It figured that one so shameless didn't know how to approach someone without coming on to them.
"Uhm, there is an important merchant family in Qi An, the Lei family. They usually donate a lot of money to the local temples, and for the cleaning and decoration of graves during the Double Ninth festival. But two days ago, they let all their servants go, without any explanation, and haven't been making their usual preparations for the festival as well."
"Has anyone seen any members of the Lei family since then?" Asked Bai Yunkai.
Tan Fei was startled by his grey milky eyes. Even unseeing they seemed to bore into him. As if by losing his vision the cultivator in front of him had gained access to another type of sight. Like most common folk Tan Fei admired cultivators as much as he feared their power.
He swallowed drily before answering. "No, great hero, they haven't been seen since."
"Can you tell us where we can find the Lei family?" Yan Huaxing asked, barely lifting her eyes from the bowl she was holding.
"And the dismissed servants? Do you know where we can find them?" Liu Zhuyu was less composed. Her eagerness like that of a bloodhound that had caught on a scent.
Tan Fei's head sunk deeper into his shoulders under Liu Zhuyu's intense scrutiny. "Some of the literate servants were able to find jobs in the Red Peony brothel, the large building by the canal. The Lei mansion sits near the city gates, it's a very large estate, you can't miss it." He lowered his eyes. "I'm sorry, but that's all I know."
Xue Xiangsi couldn't help feeling like Tan Fei was too nervous for someone being cordially invited to share a meal with outsiders interested in the comings and goings of his town. Zui Chunlai was also looking at the waiter with narrowed eyes, his gaze inquisitive.
"Thank you, you've been a great help," said Bai Yunkai with a nod and a gentle smile. Despite his smile the space between his brows was knotted in concentration. He too thought there was more to the story than Tan Fei was willing to share.
---
Bai Yunkai paid for their meal and they left the restaurant. They hall stood outside the Hare's Burrow without knowing what to do, until Bai Yunkai walked into a narrow alleyway behind the inn. The four of them followed after him like confused ducklings.
"I'm going to the Lei residence, to try and understand why the family was behaving oddly. Two of you should try to discreetly follow Tan Fei once he leaves the restaurant, and the other two should go to the Red Peony, to find out more from the dismissed servants," Bai Yunkai said in a lowered voice.
"Chunlai and Xiangsi will go the brothel." Zui Chunlai volunteered immediately.
"No, I'll go with my shidi to the brothel, you and Yan Huaxiang can follow Tan Fei," said Liu Zhuyu.
"Young miss Liu is engaged, it wouldn't be proper for her to be seen in a brothel," said Yan Huaxiang, showing more emotion than ever had since their jurney started.
"I believe young miss Yan is right. Sect leader Liu wouldn't approve, if I let Liu Zhuyu and Xue Xiangsi go to a brothel," said Bai Yunkai, amused.
"Then it's settled, me and shijie will follow Tan Fei, and Zhu-xiong and young miss Yan will go to the brothel." Privately, Xue Xiangsi was disappointed about not seeing what the brothel might be like. But he'd rather not have to stomach Zui Chunlai's company.
"I... I also can't go the brothel," Yan Huaxiang said suddenly, a faint blush colouring her cheeks.
"Ah, that..." Bai Yunkai lifted his right hand to his lips as if he might bite his thumbnail, but stopped himself. Meanwhile, Xue Xiangsi was pointedly, and desperately pulling on his left sleeve. "Would young miss Yan, kindly reconsider."
"No."
"As a betrothed couple, it wouldn't be inappropriate for me and Xiangsi to visit the brothel. I'm sure sect leader Liu would agree." Zui Chunlai took the opportunity to try and dislodge Xue Xiangsi's hand from Bai Yunkai's sleeve, and hold it.
Xue Xiangsi batted his hand away, and clung harder to Bai Yunkai's sleeve. "Shizun, you can't leave your adorable disciple alone with this hungry dog," he pleaded. It was really a pity that Bai Yunkai's blindness prevented him from seeing the troubled look in Xue Xiangsi's red-rimmed eyes and his pouty moue. It had never failed him in achieving his goals.
But Bai Yunkai couldn't see Xue Xiangsi's heart stirring display, so he just patted his hand kindly. "My adorable disciple is very crafty, I'm sure he won't let the dog bite him. His shizun will make it up to him."
It was then that Xue Xiangsi had an idea. A terrible idea that could potentially cost him, but would most definitely amuse him.
"Then, will Shizun give Xiangsi a kiss when he returns?" he asked, tapping his cheek.
Xue Xiangsi cut his eyes to Zui Chunlai quickly, eagerly anticipating his reaction. His ever-present smirk was gone, and a thunderous look overcast his dark eyes.
Xue Xiangsi bit down on a pleased smile, and tugged once more on Bai Yunkai's sleeve. "Just a little kiss on the cheek would lift Xiangsi's spirits after this tribulation."
Everyone was struck mute for a moment, after Xue Xiangsi's shameless display. Especially Liu Zhuyu, who knew Xue Xiangsi liked to act spoiled with their teacher, but had never suspected he held deeper feelings. Honestly, she was a little disappointed in him. Everyone in Snowfall Peak had a crush on Bai Yunkai. He should have known it was hopeless, instead of making a fool of himself like this.
It was Bai Yunkai who broke the silence with a crystalline laugh. "My adorable disciple grew up when I wasn't looking." He patted Xue Xiangsi's head affectionately. "Be good, and be nice to young master Zhu."
To all of them he turned and said, "we'll meet here again in three hours to share our findings. Be discreet."
---
Discreet wasn't a word anyone would use to describe Zui Chunlai and his fiery red robes. Xue Xiangsi felt like everyone was staring at them as they walked toward the Red Peony. He saw a vegetable seller flinch and hold his hand in front of his face to block the glare in his eyes, only to realize with a dumbstruck look, that he had been blinded by the glint of the sun on Zui Chunlai's headpiece.
The only small mercy was that Zui Chunlai was too annoyed to talk. He remained that way until they reached the Red Peony and were ushered in by the middle-aged madam.
"Welcome, esteemed guests, please let me know how Sisi can be of use." Madam Sisi said, fluttering the scarf in her hand, and at the interior of the Red Peony.
It was large building, composed of large atrium with a stage were a young man was playing qin while a girl played the xiao. There were four floors in the Red Peony, and they all had balconies with private viewing rooms with privileged views to the central stages. Colourful muslin drapes hung from pillar to pillar, giving the entire space a dreamy sensual quality. Flower arrangements with red peonies brightened every corner and decorated the private viewing rooms. The scent of freshly crushed flowers was almost overbearing.
Xue Xiangsi sneezed.
"Is esteemed guest, feeling sick?" Madam Sisi asked, concern lining the eyes she had tried so hard to smooth over with generous layers of powder.
"He's fine," Zui Chunlai said curtly. "We would like a private viewing room. We heard that some servants from the Lei family have been dismissed, bring them over to entertain us."
Madam Sisi's unctuous smile froze on her powdery face. "That...those children are very unpolished. We have others that have better voices, and can recite lovely poems or play instruments for the gentlemen's entertainment. I'm afraid you'd think poorly of our humble establishment if we let those uncouth servants attend you."
"We'd really like to see them, if Madam would be so kind," Xue Xiangsi insisted.
Faced with their insistence Madam Sisi had no choice but acquiesce, and led them to private room on the second floor, fluttering her bright pink scarf this way and that as she listed all of the Red Peony's amenities.
Xue Xiangsi had to admit he was very disappointed with how unremarkable the brothel looked. In his imagination he would see people in various stages of undress as soon as he crossed the threshold, and all manner of lascivious acts. Instead it mostly looked like a place where attractive people sang and played instruments while rumpled academics looked on with wistful gazes. All in all, Xue Xiangsi was finding the secular world much less exciting than advertised.
They sat around a low wood table, facing each other. Madam Sisi immediately served them each a cup of a fruity scented wine.
"I'll come back soon with the entertainment the young masters requested."
Xue Xiangsi tapped his fingers on the tabletop and looked around the room, trying to ignore the tension between himself and Zui Chunlai.
The silence soon grew oppressive, against his expectations he was the first one to break it. "She was acting just as weirdly as Tan Fei, didn't you think?"
"Maybe she'll be more forthcoming if Xiangsi asks for a kiss."
Xiangsi couldn't help but laugh at his sullen expression. "I don't know what you want, Zui Chunlai, but if you think I believe for a second that you're actually jealo--"
Suddenly, the sound of dozens of feet hitting wooden stairs cut through the pleasant melody of the qin. They were in a hurry, and they were coming for them. Xue Xiangsi's hand flew to the hilt of his sword.
A strong kick broke through the paper screen door to their private room, and seven people clad in black and wearing masks, rushed in.
Madam Sisi stood by the ruined door, clutching her pink scarf, and pointing wildly at them. "It's these two, they were the ones asking questions! Please tell the Crimson Shadow that I followed his orders!"