act19mini

Sir, you've gotten what you came for. Why bother taking anyone's life?

Who the hell are you? When did you seat yourself?

If you'd have my name, it's Yun Qingping. I was just passing through on my travels.

I've been sitting here since noon, actually. You were just so fixated on the secret tome, I naturally didn't enter your sight.

Catching sight of the elusive boy, Hu Jun grips his dagger tight, but following a moment of thought, he lets go again.

I have no reason to fear you. I 'treated' all the water in this teahouse. You should be poisoned too.

You wouldn't need to fear me anyway, sir. I'm just a scholar who couldn't even truss a featherfowl. There's nothing I could do to you in a fight.

But you insist on saving these people?

Yes. I ask for you to look down on them with kindness, and not to kill again.

These people are not good people.

If he'd gotten the tome just now, he would've silenced everyone else all the same—he even said so himself, just now.

They may be utter scoundrels, but surely your heart is still a good one, sir. So why sully your own innocence for them?

Just hand them to the authorities, and justice will take care of them as a matter of course. As for the secret tome, I'll swear to keep my mouth shut.

How about it, sir?

The way you talk reminds me of my friend. He's a good person. You must be too.

But for now, I cannot trust you.

I won't kill you, but I will ask you to step forth, so I can tie you up.

*sigh*...

You didn't want trouble, and yet trouble's come knocking.

No noise. Or else all four of you are dead.

(Cooperative nod)

Excuse me, is this teahouse closed for the day?

Dear Auntie Qingyan,

I hope this letter finds you well.

I heard about your resignation. I don't know of the specifics, but I admire you deeply for your courageous act. No wonder Mother always exhorts me to follow your example.

To make a long story short, I have something urgent I want to entrust to you in this letter.

An old friend of mine, called Yun Qingping, came with me to Baizao. We've been due to return and report back to the Sui Regulator. But three days ago, he went missing.

My friend is a very careful person. Going AWOL like this is unusual to say the least. I fear for the worst.

Based on the clues I've found, he was last headed out of the city via the north edge, in the direction of Mt. Mang, same as your return trip to the Tianshi Bureau.

I was going to search for him myself, but the Sui Regulator has been inundated lately, not to mention whispers of another incident in Father's army. I'm all but stuck here.

You're the only one who can help me find my friend's whereabouts now, Auntie. I've enclosed a photo of him with this letter. If you find him, I beg you contact me ASAP.

Yours in due deference, Zuo Le

Blessings:

May your health be sound, and your vacation merry.

P.S. Please show up at our next reunion dinner, Auntie. I'm sure Father and Mother are eager for the story surrounding your resignation.

That morning...

The nerve of this boy. Now he's sending me on missions...

...'Courageous act', what nonsense...

No respect for elders...

Before she knows it, Lin Qingyan has set foot into this strange town.

It's a rustic one, low buildings littered about. Few wander the streets. The scene here is a still and peaceful one.

Did Mt. Mang always have a town like this at its foot?

This is odd. I lost signal as soon as I entered. I didn't think the Tianshi Bureau had missed any nearby towns with its signal towers...

Young lady, young lady—

Hm?

Young lady—I've never seen you before. Are you from outside? How rare, how very rare.

Correct... Are outside visitors infrequent here?

They used to be. Lately there's been more.

I'm not surprised. The entrance to this town is very remote, and not marked on any maps to boot...

Sorry, do you happen to know the way to the nearest Tianshi Bureau?

Tianshi Bureau, Tianshi Bureau—can't say I've heard, can't say I've heard.

Can you point me to the road out of town, then? I didn't take full note when entering, and I lost the way I came by the time I thought to look back.

Out of town, out of town—I don't know, I've never been out.

You don't know?

Slow down, slow down—have a pancake, take your time, look around. Everything is done when it's done. No rushing it.

I'm assuming you live here? How long have you lived here for?

Me, me—yes I do. I've been here ever since a pastry lit the first fire in my belly.

Lit a fire? In your belly...?

*ahem*... Thank you, I'll keep looking.

Young lady, young lady—pancakes, fresh from the oven. Have one.

No thanks, I'm not hungry... Did you just dig that out from your pocket? That pancake is oven-fresh?

It's done now, well-done now.

Ouch! This is scalding! You were holding this to your chest—?

No rushing it, no rushing it. Go back to looking, young lady, until you're heated through just right.

Excuse me, wait!

Eight thousand nine hundred and ninety-one. Eight thousand nine hundred and ninety-two. Eight-thousand...

Ah.

Careful! Are you hurt?

Gaze fixed on the ground, a young woman walks headfirst into Lin Qingyan and promptly tumbles straight to the ground, where something falls out of her clothes.

Lin Qingyan immediately checks her over, then turns to look back, only to find the old man with the pancakes is nowhere to be seen.

Umbrella, my umbrella... Mister told me not to let go of my umbrella...

Here. And this letter. It fell out of your sleeve.

The girl hurriedly takes her umbrella, then with difficulty stuffs the letter back in her sleeve.

Lin Qingyan looks to the clear blue sky.

Try and stand up, young miss. Let me help you.

(This girl's so light...)

How far did I count just now?

Er, eight thousand nine hundred and ninety-three?

Eight thousand nine hundred and ninety-four. Eight thousand nine hundred and ninety-five...

Young miss, are you alright? Do you need me to take you home?

Home? I can't go home, I promised to meet him at the tofu stall—

Ah... oh no, he told me it was a secret, to protect it with my life, not to tell anyone even if they beat me to death!

Did you hear that? Did you hear about my secret meeting with him at the tofu stall?

That's your personal business. Let's say I didn't hear.

Thank goodness, I'd rather not get beaten to death—where did I count up to?

Eight thousand nine hundred and ninety six? What are you counting?

He told me to count to nine thousand when I go to meet him, and once I do—oh no, I said it again! I'm going to get beaten to death!

If I'm not missing something, I think 'beat you to death' is just a brand of Yanese hyperbole...

Unless you're telling me, Miss, you believe your life is in danger—

Eight thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven, eight thousand nine hundred and ninety eight...

Er...

Eight thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine, nine thousand! It's time! I'm off to see him—

There's... something strikingly odd about the people in this town...

...What's this? Is this... It's the letter that fell out of her sleeve.

'CLASSIFIED SCOOP, NOT FOR PRYING EYES'?

Wait, Miss!

Hu Jun, Hu Jun—I'm here to see you!

Shh, quiet. This way.

Hu Jun... Why did I have to count to nine thousand before seeing you? My lips are chapped from counting out loud now.

I had no other choice. That's the only way you know to keep track of time.