Back at Xianshi Inn, Jianmen was chatting with Josephine Wong, while paying close attention to the two incense sticks burning in front of him. If it was anyone else in his place, they might be able to read something else from the situation, but Jianmen was not paying that much attention to anything outside of the mere conversation, and the two incense sticks.

 

"... so, before I forget. Let’s deal with some business first.” Josephine laid down her glass of red wine, which was poured from the bottle she brought, and started looking for things in her jacket pocket: "And let me say this once more, it is always a pleasure doing business with you. My people were very impressed with the quality of your prepayment. But I still think next time you can just prepay half and the other half after delivery.”

 

"Yeah, but that prepayment was a whole piece.” Jianmen shook his head and smiled: "You should know, there’s more where it came from.”

 

"Duly noted.” Josephine pulled out a long box and a scroll from her shallow and empty looking jacket pocket, "Here you go - one piece of the very best Metal S. Mined from one of the best mines on earth, prepared by our finest craftsmen. And a copy of some of our best non-secret documentation on spirits, wraiths and fog dwellers. Don’t ask around too much, some of them care about their privacy very much.”

 

"Thank you. ” Jianmen put the scroll into his pocket and opened the box, then ran his fingers through the silver-grey metal rod inside, and then lightly tapped the rod in multiple places, causing a nice and harmonious buzzing sound to come from the rod: "Pretty good! You and your people over-delivered. ”

 

"Well. It’s our reputation we’re talking about. We aim to please and we give the best.” Josephine chuckled: "And also my people and I don’t wanna get beat up.”

 

"Hey, that pretentious asshat was looking for it.” Jianmen: "Same with his whole group.”

 

"Yeah. Believe or not. There’s more like him than those who are like me.” Josephine smiled sarcastically.

 

"So it worked out. Thank goodness.” Jianmen opened a drawer in the reception’s table and took out a flask that seemed to be made from a kind of special gently glowing glass: "Here, for you. Consider it a broker’s fee.”

 

"Oh, hmmm. ” Josephine took the flask and examined it for a while: "I’ve never had a flask before, not to mention one like this. You made it yourself?”

 

"Yes. Same quality that I made for my students, just not yet marked.” Jianmen said: "It’s kind of a really good blank slate. I trust that you can do a better job marking it as your own than I can.”

 

"Thanks.” Josephine put the flask into her jacket pocket, "Also a question for you: have you heard of something called the Stone of Negation?”

 

"No. What is that?”

 

"Huh, thought you’d know about it.” Josephine lightly tapped the receptions’ desk: "It was only recently brought to our attention that there is this… thing in the world. We had to dive into some really old records to find some very vague mentions of it. Apparently it has the ability to wipe out something from the world? Like removing it completely from space and time without a trace. ” Then Josephine leaned in and, one hand supporting her jaw while looking at Jianmen with a coy smile: "Ever heard of something like that?”

 

"Yeah, yeah.” Jianmen scratched his jaw: "I remember asking you for something like that a while back.”

 

"I’ll let you know if I hear more about it.” Josephine placed her empty glass on the desk: "How you’re feeling with your injuries?”

 

"Still hanging in there. Not fully recovered but at least I can do some basic stuff.” Jianmen answered: "If I can get a piece of this ‘Stone of Negation’, I’d be feeling much better.”

 

"Yeah yeah. You and your plans.” Josephine stood up: "How’s that going, by the way?”

 

"Not good.” Jianmen sighed: "I kinda need my students to grow fast. But not too fast.”

 

"Care to explain?”

 

"I am sensing that the time is near for me.” Jianmen looked up at the ceiling: "I don’t want to take any chances, so I need both of them to be ready to help me … If they are not ready by then, I would need to wait for the next cycle, which may never come. But… it seems like I can’t really rush them either.”

 

"That’s interesting. I’ve always taken you as the patient type. I’ve never seen you rush anything. So, besides that, why?”

 

"How much do you know about The Will?”

 

--------------------------------------------------------------

 

"Wait, you don’t remember what you did?” Jason looked Branston straight in his eye: "You didn’t remember running all the way here?”

 

"What? I - I don’t remember at all!” Branston struggled for a bit and then just couldn’t hold back his laughter: "I - I can’t - I can’t believe you bought that! Oh! You should’ve seen your face… you’re so concerned...”

 

"What?!” it took Jason a while to get that Branston was pulling a stupid prank: "You were faking? Are, you, fucking kidding me?”

 

"Relax! It’s just a prank bro!” Branston laughed and tried to pull his arm from Jason’s grab: "You’re so gloom! I just wanna lighten the mood up a little bit!”

 

"A prank huh?” Jason let go of Branston’s arm and slowly formed a fist in front of this reckless and inconsiderate streamer with the hand that grabbed him: "That was not funny, not in the slightest. And I will appreciate it if you stay streaming and not do this kind of childish SHIT!”

 

"Okay, okay! Geez.” Branston waved his hand at Adam to signal that it was not a good time to put him on stream, "How about a sense of humor?”

 

"Hey guys?” the voice of one of Branston’s channel producers’ came from the handheld radio: "And Branston? The audience loved the prank. Save some for later. Also, a lot of viewers suggested you explore room 3-5-13, it’s on the third floor of the North Wing.”

 

"Roger, Kevin.” Branston answered the radio call: "What is so special about that room?”

 

"That is the room where Nurse Shirley poisoned the three gangsters.”