The night skies were cloudy but not overcast, with the occasional cloud obscuring the moon. But the moon was very bright – very full and very bright. Looking up at it, Jiao Ziyu was inevitably reminded of numerous nights spent back at the Green Jade Peaks, and particularly those that had been spent alongside Bai Mingyue.

Mingyue might not have always welcomed his presence, but Jiao Ziyu had rarely ever been driven away. Actually, coming to think of it now, there had been that one time when Mingyue had actually been the one to seek him out, bringing along quite strong alcohol in spite of finding such things absolutely unpalatable himself.

It had been on a night much like this one, cloudy but with a bright full moon. That night had been very quiet too, much like this one, and no matter what Jiao Ziyu had tried, Mingyue had barely deigned him a look. Jiao Ziyu remembered feeling quite annoyed then, getting ignored in spite of the other being the one to seek him out. However, he also remembered wondering about what had made the other seek him out in the first place, and what could’ve possibly caused the slight tremor in Mingyue’s usually steady hands.

Because it hadn’t been another flareup of the Wūtóu poison; Jiao Ziyu had asked, and been immediately rebuffed.

Of course, it was entirely possible that Mingyue had lied – then again, Mingyue wasn’t the type to lie. In fact, when he wasn’t overly blunt, then he was the type to not just say anything – and him asking for help?

Jiao Ziyu supposed that Mingyue telling him about the Diānqié was as close as asking for help as the other would ever get. And it wasn’t a matter of pride either – not purely, at any rate. Rather, it was a result of stubbornness and fierce independence.

Because Bai Mingyue wasn’t the sort to rely upon anyone – not since his appointment as the new Peak Lord Bai, at any rate. Before that however, back in those early days, things had been quite different.

But then, then there had the incident wherein everything had changed.

The Wūtóu flower; all parts of the plant were poisonous, and very much so; the manuscripts had been quite clear about that.

A mere touch was enough to cause symptoms, and these ranged everywhere from feelings of numbness and tingling to actual heart failure.

If ingested, one would experience a burning and tingling sensation before the mouth went numb. This would typically be followed by periods of agitation, dizziness, sweating, vomiting, diarrhoea, and falling blood pressure, after which the affected individual would finally asphyxiate.

It was a fast-acting poison too; suitable for assassinations. Jiao Ziyu had handled it before, but only in its powdered form. He hadn’t exactly used it, but with his position, he had most definitely associated with people who did.

None of these people had been responsible for the poisoning incident that had started this whole mess though, and most of the network’s current operatives hadn’t been born until much, much later.

As for whether or not their predecessors had anything to do with it, Jiao Ziyu rather doubted it. They weren’t the only ones with access to said poison after all.

It was peculiar though, peculiar that the purple flower illustrated in those manuscripts could be quite so lethal, even for high-level cultivators who considered themselves to be above such things. The previous leader of the Windward Sect, former Sect Leader Yi, couldn’t have expected it, and according to testimony, he’d been too far gone by the time help had arrived.

Jiao Ziyu had always felt a bit iffy about that version though, given that the help in question had been Mingyue’s master, Bai Jixue, and that Mingyue had miraculously pulled through whereas the Sect Leader had not.

Jiao Ziyu was sceptical because he knew the former Peak Lord Bai, and if the current Peak Lord Bai was renowned for his medicinal skill, then former Peak Lord Bai had been a legend – and not even an exaggerated one. And like so many other legends, he had left this world in a quite spectacular manner, ascending suddenly right at the end of those events.

Naturally, Jiao Ziyu had been suspicious of the timing, and in many ways, he still was. Back then, he might’ve been too young to really understand what had been going on. However, he’d been suspicious and asked his master about it, and Master Jiao had confirmed what the current Sect Leader had testified: Bai Jixue had indeed ascended.

This in itself didn’t mean that the former Peak Lord Bai hadn’t been involved in the former Sect Leader’s death however – rather, Jiao Ziyu would’ve far more surprised if it turned out that he wasn’t. It hardly mattered though, especially not these days. If he had done it, then he had done it, and if he had indeed done it, then it had been an evil deed that the Heavens had either deliberately turned a blind eye to or actively chosen to reward.

The other could’ve hardly have been responsible for the poison though, because while the former Peak Lord Bai had possessed a definite streak of ruthlessness, he would’ve never allowed Mingyue to come to harm.

As for Jiao Ziyu, well, as much as he would’ve liked to protect Mingyue, he didn’t really see the need. Even while qi deviating, Mingyue didn’t need to be protected; others needed to be protected from him.

And now, Jiao Ziyu stood out in the street, staring up at the residence before him – the residence of the Red Devil and the Little Hermit, according to that woman, Li Changmei.

It was a pretty sizeable courtyard house, although it could hardly compare to those of major nobility off in the capital. However, considering the size and the style of the property in question, it really had likely belonged to one of these families at some point in time.

Since then however, new residents had evidently moved in and made certain modifications, if the massive array served as any sort of indication. It didn’t seem purely demonic in nature however, which was curious. Instead, it incorporated a surprising mixture of both regular and demonic cultivation. It also appeared to be specifically tuned to deter wraith, something that made Jiao Ziyu undeniably curious.

Other than that, the barrier also seemed to serve as some sort of alarm system, alerting the residents if anyone strayed too close to it, much like Jiao Ziyu was about to do now.

He walked up to the door, but he didn’t knock – instead, he leapt right up onto the outer wall and then from there until he reached the innermost courtyard, using qi to both propel himself forward and to slow his descent as he landed inside a medium-sized garden just as the moon emerged from behind the clouds, showering the courtyard and Jiao Ziyu with its pale light.

And as it did, Jiao Ziyu saw it, and what he saw immediately made him throw any lingering caution to the wind. He pulled out a light talisman and lit it, confirming the existence of the very recognisable purple flowers of the Wūtóu.

That wasn’t all however, because with the additional light, Jiao Ziyu now noticed something else off in one of the garden’s farthermost corners. He immediately made his way over, unable to believe this incredible luck. Because what was growing inside that pot was undeniably Diānqié, and with fully matured berries no less.

Unable to help himself, Jiao Ziyu immediately reached out, but then⸺

“I wouldn’t advise touching those without gloves,” said a voice from the shadows.

It was sound advice too, and Jiao Ziyu straightened back up, turning his head in direction of the one delivering it.

“Pardon me, I got ahead of myself,” he said. “Are you the individual known as the ‘Little Hermit’?”

There was an audible scoff from the shadows.

“Depends,” the voice then said. “Who’s asking?”

Jiao Ziyu considered it. Technically speaking, he wasn’t there as himself, wearing simpler robes and none of the other hallmarks of his origins. Still⸺ “This humble one’s name is Jiao Ziyu.”

At this, there was a quiet but audible intake of breath.

“Is that so?” the voice then said. “You’re a long way from the Green Jade Peaks, Jiao Ziyu.”

Hoh?

“One might travel far and wide for one’s desires,” Jiao Ziyu quickly countered. “This humble one cannot help but be curious though: How did the Good Doctor know that this humble one hails from the Green Jade Peaks?”

Because that was indeed a good question, as Jiao Ziyu wasn’t particularly known – not as himself, at any rate. Sure, a few of his informants called him ‘Jiao’ like they did his master before him. However, they weren’t the sort to spread it around.

Thus, someone – especially someone outside the sect – recognising him by name alone was inherently suspicious. Because no one really paid all that much attention to the head of trade and logistics, as people just sort of expected things to work as intended without paying too much attention to the people actually making sure they did.

“Does it matter?” the Little Hermit scoffed.

Jiao Ziyu supposed it didn’t. Then again, he also supposed it did. “Humour me.”

Even without getting a clear look at the other, Jiao Ziyu could sense the other’s gaze and the cold disdain that felt decidedly familiar.

“It was a reasonable conclusion,” the other finally said. “You’re clearly a cultivator, but you’re not from the Lotus Leaf nor from any of the other cultivation sects in the area. If you were, then you would’ve either worn your coloured robes on full display or a more elaborate disguise. You’re also here alone, whereas the others always travel in groups. They’re also not the sort to act humbly, even when they get caught trespassing. There’s also your accent. It’s faint, but still recognisable to anyone familiar with it.”

Familiar with the accent, huh? Jiao Ziyu smiled. “And I take it that you’re quite familiar with it?”

In truth, Jiao Ziyu didn’t really need to ask. Because, hearing the young man speak just now, he had indeed taken note of the familiar accent. Granted, there were other elements mixed into it as well, but the general undertone pointed towards the dialect of the inhabitants in the region just northwest of the Green Jade Peaks.

“Does it matter?” the young man asked again, and this time around, there was no mistaking the decided bitterness in his voice.

And indeed, it didn’t matter. Figuring out the young man’s origins wasn’t a necessity, but rather Jiao Ziyu indulging his own curiosity. And in the end, it didn’t matter from whence this young man had come, only where he would go from here.

“Good Doctor,” Jiao Ziyu said, perfectly sincere. “This is terribly insolent, but I hope that you will indulge my curiosity nonetheless. I’ve been told that the Good Doctor was brought here and kept against his will by the individual known as the Red Devil. As such, I believed the matter warranted some investigation.”

There was another snort from the shadows, although this one sounded slightly more amused than disdainful.

“You’re right,” the other then said. “That was terribly insolent. No matter what relationship I have with this ‘Red Devil’, it concerns him and I, not you or others. In any case, I’m in no need of rescue, especially not from the Windward Sect.”

The other’s voice had started out vaguely amused. However, at that last part, it had become utterly devoid of warmth, and once again, Jiao Ziyu found himself unwittingly reminded of Mingyue.

Granted, he had a distinct feeling that the young man wasn’t being entirely truthful, and together with what he had heard and observed so far, Jiao Ziyu found himself afflicted by genuine concern.

Sliding his hands up into his sleeves, Jiao Ziyu brushed his fingers against the talismans he had special-commissioned from another Peak Lord, Elder Huang. He considered it, but quickly thought better of it. Because no matter the actual circumstances, now was not the time to act upon his instinct. Now was not the time.

“This humble one thanks the Good Doctor for clarifying the situation,” Jiao Ziyu said, pulling out one of his spatial rings. “Now, if this humble one might ask: How much for six berries?”