AS MIAO-NIANGZI PARTED HER LIPS to speak, Qiao Xian and Zhangsun unconsciously moved closer. Miao-niangzi suddenly raised her sleeves and shot two darts, their tips glinting a blackish blue: poisoned.
Shocked, both dodged. Zhangsun flicked a prayer bead with extraordinary swiftness, intent on stopping Miao-niangzi. But she was faster still—her figure flickered and vanished, reappearing several feet away in a blink.
"Stop her!" Qiao Xian cried.
Zhangsun Bodhi gathered his qi and rushed after Miao-niangzi. His palm flew out with almost his full strength behind it. Miao-niangzi's back was to him as she fled, leaving her wide open. Yet when the wind from Zhangsun's palm strike hit her, she didn't crumple; she merely faltered slightly and sped on. Even if he gathered more qi and gave chase, it was too late; he'd lost his chance. Within seconds, Miao-niangzi had vanished.
Qiao Xian rushed over. "What was that?!"
Everything had happened in an instant. Neither had expected their cooked duck to get up and fly away.
"She hid her true strength earlier," Zhangsun rasped. He'd realized it the instant Miao-niangzi withstood his attack with only a stumble.
"Impossible!" Qiao Xian refuted it on reflex. "If that was the case, why couldn't she defeat the assassin?"
"Two reasons: First, she knew we were here and wished to see which side we were on. When she saw we came to save her, she grew more secure. Second, the fact that we tried to negotiate with her proved we weren't the type to kill indiscriminately, which meant she had more room to catch us off guard."
It was rare for Zhangsun to talk so much. Qiao Xian would have preferred him to remain silent—or at least not just stand there and watch an important lead run off. Now that Miao-niangzi had slipped their grasp, finding her again would be terribly difficult.
"Now all we can do is ask the lord chief for instructions," said Qiao Xian.
Zhangsun said nothing, because he had no better ideas. After a moment, he mused, "She took my palm strike. Even if she managed to escape, she must be seriously injured."
"If she wishes to disguise herself to sneak out of the city, she won't find it easy," Qiao Xian said thoughtfully. "But mobilizing the city guard and constables to search for her would reveal our identities and alert the Jiejian Bureau, and that would affect the lord chief's plans."
"It wouldn't," said Zhangsun Bodhi.
Qiao Xian frowned. "Why not?"
"I heard the strongest martial expert under Ishbara Khagan, Fo'er, is in the city as well. He must be after the lord chief."
They couldn't know that earlier that night, this very man had fought Feng Xiao.
Qiao Xian started. "Then we must protect the lord chief!"
"No need. The lord chief is under the protection of the Jiejian Bureau. But if Fo'er has arrived, Apa Khagan's men must be here as well. Our official duties come first. We no longer have time to make trouble for the Jiejian Bureau."
Qiao Xian pondered this. "So you're saying…"
The Jiejian Bureau and the Zuoyue Bureau had always performed their respective duties independently, and their presence in Liugong City was no exception. Of course Cui Buqu hadn't brought the members of Zuoyue Bureau here for the sole purpose of hindering the Jiejian Bureau—they had their own important matters to attend to. However, after hearing of the murder of the Khotanese envoy and the theft of the jade, Cui Buqu had elected to obstruct Feng Xiao's investigation while they waited. If the Zuoyue Bureau were to find the jade first, they'd earn another merit in the eyes of the emperor.
But with the appearance of Fo'er, the situation had changed; the case of the jade must be set aside. Miao-niangzi had fled, but her flight was a lead in itself. Rather than let the Jiejian Bureau run around like headless chickens, Cui Buqu would certainly choose to negotiate and offer Feng Xiao some limited cooperation.
What Zhangsun Bodhi was saying was that, thanks to Cui Buqu's incredible shrewdness, the Zuoyue Bureau would have something to show for their presence here either way.
Qiao Xian nodded. "Then I'll have someone send word to the lord chief."
Zhangsun Bodhi raised his head in time to see a dark wisp of cloud drift over and swallow the luminous moon. The sky above them darkened.
Each understood the other. They said no more but parted ways and headed in separate directions.
***
Few people in the world were capable of harming Feng Xiao. Cui Buqu was an ordinary man who knew no martial arts and lacked the strength to truss a chicken, yet he'd achieved this tremendous feat. Pei Jingzhe's eyes had been greatly opened.
Feng Xiao could ignore Cui Buqu's hunger, but he couldn't run an investigation covered in filth. In the end, Pei Jingzhe headed to Lu Manor first to investigate, while Feng Xiao took Cui Buqu back to Qiushan Manor for a change of clothes.
Using every skill at his disposal, Feng Xiao rushed back to the manor like the wind. He'd probably expended less effort fighting Fo'er earlier. All the night patrolman saw was a black shadow hurtling toward him. Before he could get a clear look, a blistering gale had blown past his cheek and swept into the distance, scaring the living daylights out of him. He wondered if all his night walks had finally led to a ghostly encounter.
Cui Buqu wasn't much better off. He'd just been taken hostage by the monk Yuxiu, which had left one shoulder numb, and now he was being dragged along by his other arm at a sprint. Both his shoulders had lost almost all feeling. Despite his discomfort, Cui Buqu felt Feng Xiao's reaction had been worth it.
Feng Xiao's voice drifted over, a tight smile audible in his voice. "Daoist Master Cui looks quite pleased with himself."
Cui Buqu suppressed the slight curve of his lips and said, "I'm just happy for Deputy Chief Feng. You've obtained new clues in the case, so perhaps the veil will soon fall away and reveal the truth."
Feng Xiao snorted faintly. He didn't deign to reply, but Cui Buqu sensed multiple meanings contained within that snort.
First: Once I change, I'll get you for this.
Second: You've got a lot of nerve, still jumping about while you're at my mercy. Don't you have anything better to do?
Third: I'm going to make you beg for death and cry for your mother. I'll make you regret you were ever born.
Cui Buqu raised his eyebrows, entirely unafraid. So what?
When they arrived at Qiushan Manor, Feng Xiao tossed him aside without a word and rushed to bathe and change.
Cui Buqu was no martial artist. He was hauling around an ailing body and couldn't run even if he wanted to. Besides, those Jiejian Bureau cavalry, the eagle riders, were still about, so Feng Xiao wasn't worried he might overestimate himself and make a break for it. In any case, Cui Buqu would never run—he returned to his room, washed up, and asked the maid for some snacks.
This late at night, the stoves were no longer lit; it would be some time before they could cook anything. But there were pre-prepared snacks, and the maid worked fast. Soon enough, she brought a tray, along with some information.
"About the lead you gave them—Qiao-niangzi's group pursued the target but lost her. She wants to know what they should do next."
The maid was called Tang Li. The steward had given this name to her when Qiushan Manor employed her. Previously, she'd been known as Tao-niang, meaning peach. It was an unremarkable name that suited her dull appearance—there was nothing memorable about her.
All the way back when Feng Xiao had received orders to escort the Khotanese envoy to the capital, Cui Buqu had guessed Magistrate Zhao would open his private manor to host Feng Xiao. And with that, Tang Li smoothly became a woman whose poor family had sold her into the manor.
She hadn't been assigned to Cui Buqu at first. But the maid attending him had come down with a sudden stomach bug yesterday and was now bedridden with vomiting and diarrhea. The work couldn't wait, so the steward had reassigned the ever-dutiful and obedient Tang Li.
Whether she was truly dutiful and obedient or only allowing the steward to believe so no longer mattered.
Feng Xiao and Pei Jingzhe were absorbed in their investigation and paid little attention to trivial details like the reassignment of a household maid. Thus Tang Li brought Cui Buqu all the information Qiao Xian and Zhangsun Bodhi had obtained in the past two days with no one the wiser.
Cui Buqu looked contemplative. The cold moonlight illuminated his profile and lent it a hint of translucency.
Tang Li snatched the briefest look before dropping her head. The esteemed guest in residence at the manor possessed a peerless beauty and elegance. Yet compared to Feng Xiao's bright and dazzling looks, Tang Li found Lord Chief Cui Buqu more pleasing to the eye.
It was just that his complexion was rather awful.
"Was your lordship injured? Should this subordinate bring some medicine?" Tang Li asked.
"Do you know anything of massage?" asked Cui Buqu. "Both my shoulders are sore."
"This subordinate will try," she said, and stepped behind Cui Buqu. When she attempted to press his acupoints, she heard him hiss softly. "Your lordship probably pulled some muscles, but your bones are unharmed. The massage will hurt a little."
"Do what you need to do. I've always been good at enduring pain," Cui Buqu's words were self-mocking, but his tone was relaxed.
Tang Li stopped hesitating and kneaded Cui Buqu's shoulders as she continued her report. When she mentioned that Miao-niangzi had said something strange to Qiao Xian, then repeated herself in Chinese when Qiao Xian and Zhangsun couldn't understand her, Cui Buqu stopped her. "What exactly did the target say? Did she tell you?"
"She did." Tang Li nodded. Anyone who was admitted to the Zuoyue Bureau was no ordinary person, and those assigned here even less so. Tang Li obediently parroted Miao-niangzi's words. Though they'd been passed to her via Qiao Xian, she repeated them with near-perfect accuracy.
Cui Buqu sat up, completely ignoring the pain from Tang Li accidentally using too much strength in her surprise.
"Lord Chief?"
"It's Goguryeon. Qin Miaoyu is from Goguryeo, and the Jade of Heaven Lake is certainly on her person."
How are you so sure? Tang Li was befuddled, but she didn't press for answers. Cui Buqu's theories were always grounded in reason, and besides, it wasn't her place to ask.
Sure enough, Cui Buqu said no more.
In the meantime, Feng Xiao had finished bathing and dressing, and now sent someone to hurry Cui Buqu along. Cui Buqu was satisfied—he'd eaten the snacks and his shoulders had loosened up nicely. He rose and went to Feng Xiao without further delay.
The change of clothes had not improved Feng Xiao's mood.
When Cui Buqu arrived, he found Feng Xiao holding a letter and a token. The letter was a scant few lines saying Pei Jingzhe had been kidnapped and inviting Feng Xiao to visit Huyang Forest to ransom him. The token was the one Pei Jingzhe always carried with him, belonging to the Jiejian Bureau. Separated from its owner, it proved the letter was no empty threat.
As the saying went, "Xiang Zhuang's sword dance is for the Duke of Pei." The true target of this maneuver was obvious—they weren't after Pei Jingzhe at all, but Feng Xiao. And presumably, the Jade of Heaven Lake.
"Oh for the love of—he never accomplishes anything, yet he can always make things worse!" Feng Xiao cursed.
"Fo'er?" Cui Buqu speculated.
"Perhaps." Feng Xiao rubbed his fingers together, and the letter crumbled to powder.
"You're going?"
"What else can I do?"
Cui Buqu was surprised. "Deputy Chief Feng doesn't seem like a man who values sentiment and righteousness. Yet he cares so deeply for the life of a subordinate!"
"His father saved me once."
Cui Buqu shook his head. "That still doesn't seem like you."
"Then in your opinion, what should I do?"
"Send them a reply: kill him if you wish."