THE PERSON IN WHITE was rather bemused. Fo'er's skill and battle lust were such that even if he failed to kill Feng Xiao, he should still have held him up. Who would have expected the foremost martial artist of the Göktürks would fail to live up to his reputation? Less than two hours had passed, yet Feng Xiao had already extricated himself and caught up with them.
"Feng-langjun's martial arts have exceeded my expectations."
"You never intended to go far in the first place," said Feng Xiao. "Of all the people who appeared tonight, your background alone remains a mystery. Doesn't this distinguished master wish to introduce themselves? Or do you wish to come and go without even leaving your name?"
"A name is just a word," the person in white said. "Hundreds of years from now, ash will return to ash, and dust to dust. Why does Feng-langjun persist in asking?"
Feng Xiao sneered. "The more someone says something like this, the more they must care about their own reputation. You're dressed in white, your clothes free of dust, so you're the kind who's deeply critical on the inside, to both yourself and others. Certainly nothing like the untrammeled image you're presenting now."
The person in white smiled. "I'm not interested in Feng-langjun's evaluation of me. What interests me is that you detained Daoist Cui and poisoned him, subjecting him to a fate worse than death. Why does he still hope for you to rescue him? Are there really people in this world who enjoy being tortured?"
"I don't enjoy torture, but compared to falling into your hands, I'd rather land in his," Cui Buqu said coldly.
The person in white said with mild surprise, "Other than the small bit of force I used to bring you away, have I not treated you with courtesy?"
"He at least has his own goals and limits regarding how far he's willing to go. You don't value anyone's life at all," Cui Buqu said.
"Oh, Ququ. It's so rare to hear you praise me in front of others. I'm overwhelmed by this show of favor." As he spoke, Feng Xiao flitted toward them.
The person in white reacted swiftly, retreating while keeping hold of Cui Buqu. They shoved Cui Buqu forward slightly, ready to use him as a shield. Unexpectedly, Feng Xiao didn't target anything vital, but instead extended his hand to remove their veiled hat.
The person in white flinched, but it was too late. Their head was bared, and a cold wind blew over them, leaving its lingering chill.
Cui Buqu coughed twice, not hiding his surprise.
Feng Xiao smiled. "So even monks are dishonest nowadays. Rather than staying in their temples and chanting scriptures, they come to steal precious jades. Which abbot are you under? I'd like a word."
The moonlight glinted off the smooth and shiny head of the man in white, and Feng Xiao couldn't help but think of a boiled egg, freshly peeled. Still in the man's clutches, Cui Buqu began coughing again. Feng Xiao glanced over; he could swear Cui Buqu was using his cough to conceal his laughter. Feng Xiao suddenly felt that he and this invalid were quite in sync.
In the instant the man in white's hat was removed, fury flashed over his face. But he quickly composed himself and said, "This humble monk has no fixed residence; he lives like the drifting clouds, free and untethered. My dharma name is a humble one, not worth mentioning."
"Oho," said Feng Xiao. "So you're a monk living in the wilds? Then you can't call yourself a monk. Who knows, maybe you're running from forced labor in the guise of one. It seems I need to take you in for some careful questioning!"
He reached to grab the man in white, but his opponent was vigilant—he'd swept back as Feng Xiao spoke, retreating a dozen paces in a single step. Feng Xiao pursued him closely, leaping after him. He seemed determined to capture the man.
The man's brow furrowed. He didn't fear a fight with Feng Xiao, but he was reluctant to waste time or use his martial arts, which would reveal his training. When Feng Xiao attacked, the man in white shoved Cui Buqu toward him, then turned and leapt away, intent on fleeing.
He'd gone only a few feet when a dark shadow fell from the sky and a longsword sang as it slashed through the air. The clouds were thin, the stars few and scattered. The moon shone brightly. By its light, the man in white saw the newcomer's face.
It was Pei Jingzhe, who'd been kidnapped by Go Nyeong. So he'd managed to escape!
Feng Xiao alone was difficult to handle, and now there was Pei Jingzhe to deal with as well. Even if the subordinate wasn't as strong as his superior, having a fly buzzing around one's head was still an annoyance. The man in white saw victory had slipped from his grasp and had no desire to linger. He spun to avoid the sword glare, and in the same motion leapt off a tree branch and touched down on a nearby rooftop. By the time Pei Jingzhe made to give chase, the man was already a distance away.
"Don't pursue him," said Feng Xiao.
Pei Jingzhe jumped down from the tree and said shamefacedly, "This subordinate was lacking. I didn't manage to capture Go Nyeong."
"He's a far stronger martial artist than you," said Feng Xiao. "Your escape from him saved me the time I'd have spent on a rescue. I should be thanking you."
Pei Jingzhe couldn't tell if these were words of praise or derision. After thinking a while, he ventured cautiously, "Thank you very much for the praise, sir. This subordinate is unworthy."
Cui Buqu piped up: "He was mocking you. You thought it was praise?"
"My apologies," Feng Xiao said. "This child is a bit silly. He's made a fool of himself."
"I'm used to it."
Pei Jingzhe, watching them, barely managed to suppress the twitch of his lips. "Sir, shall I investigate that monk's identity?"
Feng Xiao looked at Cui Buqu. "Daoist Master Cui must already know."
"I do have a guess, but I don't know if it's correct," said Cui Buqu.
"Tell us."
"The monk Yuxiu."
Who? Pei Jingzhe was bewildered. He searched his memory but couldn't remember anyone by that name appearing in the jianghu.
"He's apprenticed to the Buddhist master and sage of Tiantai Sect," Cui Buqu continued. "He rarely wanders the jianghu and is not considered one of their number. Most recently, he works for a certain eminent personage and advises them from behind the scenes."
Upon hearing the words eminent personage, a guess rose to Pei Jingzhe's lips, but he couldn't bring himself to voice it.
"The Prince of Jin," said Feng Xiao. It wasn't a question.
"That's right," said Cui Buqu.
The Prince of Jin, Yang Guang, was the emperor's second son. Like the crown prince Yang Yong, his mother was Empress Dugu. This second son of hers, however, was much livelier and more sociable than his elder brother. The crying child receives the most candy; since their eldest son didn't act cute or play pranks, the younger Yang Guang naturally drew more of his parents' affection. This was no secret in the court.
Pei Jingzhe had heard it whispered that the emperor was selecting a marshal to carry out his plan of conquering Chen and unifying the north and south. According to rumor, the empress intended to appoint the Prince of Jin as deputy marshal and send him on the expedition. If the Prince of Jin contributed to such a significant military achievement, no one would dare label him merely an unruly child the emperor and empress had spoiled since infancy. At that point, the Prince of Jin's contributions would likely surpass even those of His Highness the Crown Prince.
As the counselor to a prince with such prospects, there was no doubt that the monk Yuxiu had a promising future. An appointment as state preceptor was far superior to wandering the jianghu. Pei Jingzhe drew in a cold breath. It wasn't Yuxiu he feared, but this eminent personage behind him.
"He's a subordinate of the Prince of Jin. Doesn't he know about the Jiejian Bureau? Why would he wade into this mess?" Pei Jingzhe looked toward Feng Xiao.
"Why else? He wants the jade."
"For the Prince of…for his master?"
"Mm," said Feng Xiao. "Consider the situation. The Jiejian Bureau failed in their mission to see the envoy safely to the capital, and the jade was stolen. The first person to find it will be a meritorious subject in the eyes of the emperor and empress. It's no surprise the Prince of Jin wishes to intervene. Even the Zuoyue Bureau behind Daoist Master Cui couldn't help sticking their noses in, no?"
"The what bureau?" said Cui Buqu.
"Your attempts at playing dumb are getting quite lazy."
"Then I'll try harder." Cui Buqu adopted a look of faint surprise. "What's this now? The Zuoyue Bureau? I don't understand you at all."
Feng Xiao nodded. "Your tone needs work, but your expression gets a pass."
Pei Jingzhe was speechless.
A low rumble sounded, breaking the awkward silence. Cui Buqu said calmly, "I'm hungry."