After Feng Xiao had agreed to the disguise, he demanded Cui Buqu take the role of his husband, Master Ye Yong. Thinking it would be good for a laugh, Cui Buqu agreed—but before they'd been on the road half a day, his heart was filled with regret.
Alas, regret was one ailment for which there was no cure. He had no choice but to endure. Now that Qiemo was in sight, his ears would finally experience some peace.
The city of Qiemo was a significant link between east and west, but it was far from the Central Plains. The Sui dynasty had been established for only three years, and in that time, most of the imperial court's energy had been directed toward the Khaganate and Southern Chen. They had no thought to spare for this small oasis town lying in uncertain territory. Even so, last year the emperor had decreed that Qiemo be made an official county under his rule. He'd had a county office set up and sent a magistrate and soldiers to guard the city in a display of the might of the imperial court. The act sent a clear message: though Great Sui had yet to take the territory firmly in hand, they hadn't relinquished it.
More than thirty years ago, when the Western Wei dynasty had conquered the Kingdom of Shanshan, the king of Shanshan led his people in an exodus and settled down in Qiemo. They had established their own influence here in the intervening years. Merchants traveling between the Central Plains and the Western Regions inevitably passed through Qiemo, and many stopped there to rest. Over time, this important waypoint had become an arena where three factions vied for power:
The first was Gao Yi, the magistrate appointed by the Sui dynasty.
The second was Xing Mao, a descendant of the king of Shanshan.
And the third was Duan Qihu, a wealthy merchant from the Western Regions.
It was obvious how the first two came to power. Gao Yi had been sent by the Sui dynasty to stake a claim on the city. Though he was only a county magistrate, he'd brought soldiers to back him. Next was Xing Mao: though their kingdom was no more, the king of Shanshan and his descendants had held sway over the city for three generations. Xing Mao was his eldest grandson, and it was said that the Shanshan diaspora within the city revered him as their king.
As for Duan Qihu, he'd gotten his start as a common bandit. This man had roamed the Western Regions in his youth, plundering settlements and striking fear into the hearts of decent folk. Merchants passing through the Western Regions had two options upon meeting him: pay up or lose their lives. Later, Duan Qihu retired from banditry and settled down in Qiemo. His reputation, however, remained—no one dared underestimate the notorious former bandit of the Western Regions. Duan Qihu dabbled in business both aboveboard and underground, and his influence within Qiemo was deep and unshakable.
Compared to the latter two, county magistrate Gao Yi was no doubt the weakest.
Or so things stood when Cui Buqu's group entered the city of Qiemo.
People of all ethnicities—riffraff and common folk from every trade—mixed in Qiemo's busy streets. Such a bustling populace, combined with the complex interplay between three powerful factions, meant tiny Qiemo was even livelier than Liugong City.
"Dage, let's find an inn first and get some rest," Qiao Xian urged Cui Buqu upon passing through the gates. "It's too late in the day to travel any further. We can stop here for a couple of days before setting off again."
She was currently disguised as Li Cong, a family friend of the Ye clan, taking his wife A-Lian to Kucha to conduct business. Qiao Xian too was naturally tall and slender. When dressed as a woman, she appeared untouchable—celestial even—but right then, she was transformed. No one knew what she'd done, but she'd managed to add bulk to her slim frame, and her facial features had undergone drastic change. Her skin was now as coarse as the average man's, and there were even short whiskers on her chin. If she was to tell anyone she was a woman, they likely wouldn't believe her.
Yet the true art of disguise lay not merely in changing one's appearance, but in changing one's voice and accent, mannerisms, and actions to become another person entirely. That level of transformation was beyond what even Cui Buqu could achieve, yet Qiao Xian had done it. Her current accent was that of a born and bred resident of Liugong City.
She waited for Cui Buqu's nod, then instructed their guide to recommend a local inn.
"It doesn't have to be the grandest, but it must be the most comfortable," she said. "My brother's health is poor; he needs good rest." Her voice was brash and booming, clashing completely with her previous chilly demeanor. Even Feng Xiao, who'd grown accustomed to hearing her speak this way over the course of their journey, shot her another glance.
Had she still been that aloof and icy beauty, she could have expected to draw attention or even harassment. Now, she had no such problem. If anyone here was to draw attention, it wouldn't be Qiao Xian, who'd practically switched faces entirely, or the matronly Jinlian. All eyes would be on the fair lady Feng Xiao.
The guide wasted no time leading them to an inn. "You Hans won't be comfortable at the inns run by Kucha or Shanshan people. This inn has been open five or six years; I've guided several groups who stayed here."
Jinlian had passed through Qiemo on her way from the Khaganate to Liugong City, but she'd had guards to take care of everything then and hadn't troubled herself with the details. This time she was with Cui Buqu, so again she didn't bother with them. She merely nodded, ready to follow Qiao Xian inside.
"Wait," Cui Buqu said suddenly.
The rest of the group stopped and looked at him.
"What's this?" Cui Buqu pointed toward the inn's entrance, where a wooden sign was nailed to the door pillar. The sign was the size of an infant's palm and carved with a crescent moon, upon the bottom point of which was perched a swan.
Few people noticed such a small sign when entering the inn, and even if they did, they didn't think much of it. Within the Central Plains, plenty of guest houses opened multiple branches and marked them with their personal emblem. They'd simply believe this moon was a similar trademark.
The guide smiled. "You're from the Central Plains; you must know many inns use their own symbols."
Cui Buqu's expression was indifferent. "We asked for a comfortable inn, not an inn that will bring us trouble. That swan—you brought us to one of Duan Qihu's inns.1 Did his people bribe you?"
Foreign merchants were always susceptible to cons or other mischief, especially when traveling anywhere for the first time. Due to the complex politics of Qiemo, even booking an inn was tricky. Duan Qihu and Xing Mao had a pervasive influence that ran through the entire city. They controlled not only inns, but horse and donkey rentals, restaurants, and other necessities of travel. Jianghu wanderers had little to fear from such places, and various opportunists and criminals purposely chose to stay at Duan Qihu's inns—in this way, they could avoid the eyes of Sui officials as they trod in legal gray areas and peddled in various kinds of information.
But as for law-abiding merchants and common civilians, it would be best to avoid such establishments even if it meant staying at a more expensive inn. Cui Buqu's group had nothing to fear from this place, but they weren't looking for trouble—it was much better to keep a low profile. If they were to maintain their guise as honest citizens, there was no way they could stay in Duan Qihu's territory.
The guide hadn't expected Cui Buqu to be so knowledgeable. He laughed dryly. "Just trying to save you some money, my lord."
Qiao Xian stepped forward and clapped him on the shoulder. "Bring us to a safer inn."
The gesture was understated, but the instant Qiao Xian's hand landed, the guide felt a burst of excruciating agony. His face twisted, yet when he tried to cry out in pain, he discovered he couldn't make a sound. Only then did he realize how severely he'd misjudged these merchants. This group had seemed entirely ordinary and inconspicuous, but they were no easy marks.
"If you can't do it, we'll find someone else," said Qiao Xian.
The guide didn't dare equivocate; he nodded furiously, fighting back tears.