Qunan was a city that vibrated with conversation and sweet air, and not much had changed in just several years. The afternoon was bustling, with vendors and stalls left and right surrounded by people from all over the place. A floral scent hung about in the air; every now and then, though, Wan Yu and Quan Su would pass by a food stall and it’d turn into the heavenly smell of noodle broths, roasted meat. Laughter would drift over from tea houses, cultivators walked past chatting about Vermilion Sun Sect’s nighthunt; it was all a cacophony assaulting all senses and Quan Su looked more and more unsettled, so Wan Yu hurried to lead her to the inn way out in the quieter commoner’s quarters.
Things quieted down significantly once they left the main street, and Quan Su loosened her tense shoulders a bit. People still went about their daily lives, some kids played in the streets, but without the sudden horses and carriages coming and going, the sound of whip cracking sharp in the air, it was manageable. Wan Yu slowed down to a stroll.
“How’d you find this place?” Quan Su asked, looking around. It was not a slum, but it was pretty out of the way for outsiders merely passing by. Straight ahead was a larger street, perhaps something like a main one for this area, but instead of continuing onward Wan Yu steered her to the right, where they entered a medium-sized inn.
“Oh, this area’s actually a pretty well known hiding place for Vermilion Sun disciples,” Wan Yu said. Upon entering, he waved. “Auntie Wang, Uncle, remember me?”
The bottom floor of the inn was the restaurant area; some people were sitting around chatting and eating snacks. Some heads turned at Wan Yu’s loud voice, but three among them lit up— one was a waiter, the other two were a couple in their late forties, the woman carrying a toddler strapped onto her chest while the man sat by a table, peeling potatoes.
“Is that Xiao Yu? Heeh, I almost didn’t recognize you!” The woman came out from behind the counter; the man, however, only gave them a wave from where he sat. Leaning against the wall by his chair was a crutch— the man had lost a leg. Wan Yu grinned as he leaned forward, poking the toddler. He looked up at Auntie Wang.
“It’s been years. Just got new clothes. How is everything going here? Oh, let me introduce. This is Xiao Su.”
The couple’s eyes turned to Quan Su, and then there was a pause. She must’ve been a sight; a child so small, yet her expression was flat and stern as she crossed her arms. The sword that was tucked into her belt was almost half her height, too, and pressed against her chest— her arm’s position was meant to make her appear more menacing, but it incidentally made it look like she was hugging the sword grip, too, for comfort. The young waiter bounded over, curious.
“Picked up a kid, Wan Yu?”
“I don’t know, you tell me?” Wan Yu grinned. “Get my kid something to snack on, won’t ya? I need to talk with Auntie for a bit.”
The waiter rolled his eyes. “Whatever, sure. You’re paying.”
A half-hearted whack to the shoulder. “Yeah, yeah, when have I eaten the blood and sweat of the common folk, huh? Nothing too heavy, and don’t poke her.”
Auntie Wang and Uncle Li only looked at them in amusement before the old man took the toddler from her arms and she went to the kitchens, Wan Yu following behind.
“Why’d you come over at a time like this, huh?” she half-heartedly scolded once they were inside. “Didn’t you hear about what’s been happening around here? All those people your age being kidnapped and murdered… the government still hasn’t been able to catch the perpetrators yet, and even Vermilion Sun Sect is being very wary!”
Wan Yu leaned against a wall, crossing his arms. “I noticed it was kinda quiet. What’s this about kidnappings and murders? I’ve been out in like, the mountains and whatnot, but I was at Vermilion Sun’s nighthunt and heard nothing of this. When did it happen?”
The kitchens smelled of lard and spices still sticky in the air; it was a quiet day, and it didn’t seem like Auntie Wang had started on dinner yet. Auntie Wang let out a large sigh. “You’re not going out there, are you? But ah, it only started several days ago. It chased everyone out rather quickly, though. When Xiao Yang went out to buy groceries, he heard gossip that whoever the perpetrator was was targeting cultivators. Three Vermilion Sun disciples already went missing; they’re outer gate disciples, but the sect’s shutting its doors right now. Most of it happened around this part of town, too.”
The main street and the commercial part of Qunan was popular and always populated by people from all walks of life; this area, on the other hand, was a residential sector that just occasionally hid a group of Vermilion Sun Sect disciples or two for a couple hours. Yun Zisu explained that since there were always Vermilion Sun Sect members on the main streets, usually on an errand or patrol, disciples who didn’t want to be stared at as they ate or walked liked to go to quieter places for a meal and a good, honest conversation. In a town so close to home, Vermilion Sun Sect of course wanted to maintain its good reputation. As such, even the disciples themselves “regulated” this activity of theirs— no more than 6 to 10 people could come over to this area at one time, and there needed to be buffer time between batches. Wan Yu found it pure insanity, but that was just how things were.
Auntie Wang and Uncle Li’s place was one of the favorite spots; the food was great, and there was enough space for a group. If the Vermilion Sun Sect wasn’t allowing its disciples to leave for now, then their business would be hit quite a bit.
“I’ll… Actually, Auntie Wang, I wanted to talk with you to ask for a favor. That kid, Xiao Su, I actually met in a forest. Long story. She had been, I don’t know, but in short she escaped from somewhere and has no place to go. I wanted to ask, do you have room for one more helper?”
“Eh?”
Wan Yu had helped Auntie Wang and Uncle Li for four months years ago; Auntie Wang had just given birth and Uncle Li was hit by a tragic misfortune— he lost one of his legs from the knee down. Wan Yu and Xiao Yang basically ran the place during that period, as Auntie Wang juggled between caring for her child, her husband, and cooking. Wan Yu had left after she got a niece to come help, but who knew where said niece was now.
Auntie Wang’s expression was complex. “I… I don’t know how much I can pay her, you see.”
“So long as she has a place to stay and some food,” Wan Yu said. “If not then well, I’ll look around, probably.”
She sighed— then whacked his shoulder hard. "You little rascal. I suppose she can help clean up."
After several more exchanges, the two of them went back to the restaurant, where Quan Su was aggressively munching on some pastry while Xiao Yang, amused to no ends, sat not far from her. Whenever Quan Su moved, he jokingly pulled off some outlandish tea pouring… thing, just for the joy of it Wan Yu supposed.
“Oi, no bullying my kid. That’s my job.” Wan Yu turned to Quan Su. “Aight, for now we stay upstairs, then how bout we go out for some food, eh? Take a quick look around.”
At that, Xiao Yang’s expression grew incredulous. “Wan Yu, haven’t you heard of—”
Wan Yu waved him off. “Of course I’ll stay safe, honey.”
Quan Su, “......” Just recently divorced the rich man, now already flirting with someone else. No wonder he divorced you.
And just like that, the two of them went back to the outside world. Where there would be afternoon crowds there was only silence and empty gaps; even the children who had previously been playing in the streets were called back. On his way out Wan Yu had pulled out his wooden sword again; it sat strapped onto his waist.
“What do you think about those people?” he asked, keeping his tone casual. They were walking back to the more crowded areas, but not the main street— all that noise and bullshit could be for later. Quan Su shot him a wary look.
“Are you gonna dump me there?”
“Auntie Wang could use someone who could do some of the chores around the inn. Uncle Li sometimes has days where he can’t get out of bed from the pain, and those days it can be hard for her to juggle between running the inn, looking after her kid and making sure her husband’s fine. Xiao Yang is pretty handy and is like their son by now, but there’s only so much he can do at a time.”
Quan Su didn’t answer.
The silence stuck around as they walked, and was only broken when Wan Yu finally found the restaurant he’d been looking for. Quan Su looked around. It was pretty full, but people seemed to come and go without much delay. The smell of simmering broth warmed the air and wafted to the doorway— their stomach grumbled. Wan Yu laughed and led her in, finding a nice corner and ordering bowls of noodles for them.
Quan Su wasn’t feeling up for a chat, so Wan Yu turned his attention to the chatter in the room— and furrowed his eyebrows.
“So long as we don’t go outside, we’ll be safe, right? Hahaha!”
“Heh, moron, what are you going to do staying in this shop until closing time?”
“Can you two stop talking about that? Someone’s trying to eat here!”
“Seriously…”
Hmm. Wan Yu didn’t know the details either; Auntie Wang hadn’t left the inn in a while, having left the morning groceries run to Xiao Yang, and Xiao Yang had never seen anything himself either so all he knew was that roughly a third of the cases had been murders. There were… seven? eight cases, several of which having occurred on the same day.
A clack dragged Wan Yu’s attention back to the noodles, though, the cook having just placed the big bowls in front of him and Quan Su. The full force of richly-flavored, clear broth soup with hand-pulled noodles and thinly sliced beef, chili oil floating a warm red along with fresh, chopped herbs hit him in the face, and without wasting another moment they ate.
It was hard to unhear something once he started listening in, though. As he inhaled the noodles, Wan Yu couldn’t help but keep searching for a conversation of value— but the people here didn’t seem too keen to talk about some murders and kidnappings while eating, he supposed.
Quan Su at first didn’t seem like she could eat half the bowl— she did have problems eating a lot at first, and it took a couple days for her to get used to normal portions— but when Wan Yu opened his mouth, she held up her hand. “I want to finish.”
“Oh.”
And so they left an hour later, the sun descending below the skyline. The sky was the color of a dying flame, and people hurried back home in subdued paranoia as though the snuffing of that light would guarantee death. Still, Wan Yu and Quan Su took their time walking back, processing their large meals as they strolled. Lanterns were lit. Conversations would start in houses only to be shushed.
“Are you gonna look for who it is?” Quan Su suddenly asked. Wan Yu blinked.
“No. I have an inkling, and I don’t think I can do much about it.”
They said nothing more.
___
Daybreak found Wan Yu in the markets, carrying a large basket of produce in one arm and another of fresh cuts of meat on the other. Xiao Yang walked alongside him, looking at a long list in his hand to make sure they didn’t forget anything. Nearing the middle of the first, he paused. “Hey, we forgot the wolfberries.”
“Let’s get it then,” Wan Yu said. “Lead the way, Ah-Yang.”
Xiao Yang cracked up. “Shut your mouth, I can’t afford to be your Ah-Yang.”
Xiao Yang’s name was actually Li Yang, unrelated to Uncle Li. He was several years older than Wan Yu, but they’d worked with each other enough that they could banter no problem— lots of work to do, might as well weave in some levity in that. Their clowning around kept the atmosphere light, too, when Auntie Wang was frazzling from the stress and Uncle Li was feeling down from his loss— in short, despite all its ups and downs, it was one of the things Wan Yu retold extensively to his shifu when he came back.
“Ah-Yang, Ah-Yang, tell me more about what’s been happening?”
Wan Yu tried to nudge him, but both his cargo swayed with his shoulder’s movements and Li Yan drew away, making a face at him. They got serious again, though, when they almost walked straight into someone’s cabbage cart. “What do you want to talk about? Don’t tell me you wanna meddle. Don’t be stupid, Wan Yu.”
“Not going to lie to you here, Li Yang, but I have an inkling some of my actions accidentally led to this,” Wan Yu confessed. His voice was low and the markets busy, even at this hour. “I mean, not all of it. It was still the original folks’ fault. But I just need to know what happened, yanno? Were there really murders?”
Li Yang gave him the side eyes. “It’s probably heron-heron’s fault. Why take credit for their problem?”
Wan Yu pouted and drew back. “Ah-Yang is supremely unhelpful.”
That got him an eyeroll, but Li Yang went to a store and walked back with a bag of wolfberries. “I’m not telling you. I know what goes on in that drowned brain of yours.”
They returned to the inn before dawn, where Auntie Wang had started putting the balls of dough into the steamer for today’s breakfasts. Quan Su was watching her with rapt eyes, herself cutting the dough into the desired size. In a large bowl nearby, the meat filling sat, still warm. Wan Yu put down the baskets in his hands and peered from behind them.
“Oi! Come back out here and help me with the roof!”
“One second, young madam!” Wan Yu hollered back, only to get a sharp elbow into the stomach— “Ow!”
“Don’t fucking yell in my ear,” Quan Su hissed, stomping on his foot. Wan Yu hopped backwards.
“Yeesh, wasn’t even your ea— bye I’m going to the rooftops!”
And just like that, he narrowly escaped Quan Su’s wrath. Li Yang gave him another shake of his head as they walked to the back, where a ladder rested against the wall, a line of new roof tiles stacked next to it. Two things about living in busier cities like these: lots of animals running around, and asshole cultivators being terrible in both manners and qinggong. Wan Yu got onto the first few steps while Li Yang held up three tiles for him to take.
“Pretty sure a cat gave birth up there or something. Or a fox. Just lots of noises up there, last week.”
“Do they give birth out in the open like that?” Wan Yu wondered out loud. “You sure they aren’t just… chasing each other intimately?”
“I will throw the next tile, Xiao Yu.”
When Wan Yu reached the top, though, his eyes narrowed. Still, he stayed silent as he climbed onto the roof. The inn had three floors, with the second and third for guests. It wasn’t that big, having only six rather small bedrooms. Wan Yu and Quan Su stayed on the second floor; there was only one guest actually renting a room since this section of town got haunted by kidnappings and murder. And Wan Yu knew, too, that the other guest was a painter and calligrapher in his late 40’s— in short, a mortal, and unlikely to climb to the roof from the second floor to leave behind a paper bag from some baozi place.
Lips thinning, Wan Yu went to replace the tiles first. Six had broken from whatever happened, with another two cracking, so Wan Yu went back down the ladder to fetch more tiles from Li Yang— when he came back up, the paper bag was gone.
They’re either unprofessional, or not going to lose much if I find out they’re following me…
They couldn’t have that many options for where to go, though. To the neighboring rooftops, maybe, but that would lead to other houses which were… occupied. Or they could hide on the sides; the inn was at least one storey higher than its surroundings, and they could stick close to the wall… Wan Yu peeked down, and found no one. The other side of the building was facing the street, so that was unlikely. The inn was located in the corner, too, so two sides faced the streets. To the back was where he’d come from.
Then…
“Xiao Yu? Someone just came in, I’m gonna go to the front, all right?”
“I’ll be there in a bit!” Wan Yu hollered back. He walked more to the front of the inn— slowly, slowly… And stole a peek into the third floor rooms.
Empty.
Wan Yu squatted at the edge of the roofs, lips pursing as he thought. Several passersby on the streets below gave him odd looks. With this kind of sloppiness, there was no way whoever was hiding also did the kidnappings and murders— stealing away Vermilion Sun disciples, that was not something for the fainthearted— or those without strong backing. This was unlikely to be Celestial Alignment’s doing, either. Really, there was only one instance of Wan Yu running into someone who might’ve been… watching him and yet not trying to hide it. But wasn’t that… Didn’t Wan Yu himself think that woman in the inn that early morning was Shi Ze’s shifu?
What further business could she have with him?
