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The perfect jade disc in the clear sky over Kaifeng was brilliant enough to illuminate the entire city, while the lanterns, hanging on stalls, the streetlights, and what spilled from the open doorways of the restaurants and storefronts cast a competing orange glow into the square. The city was alive with celebration and people moving in thick crowds from one attraction to the other. Over the constant hum of lively conversation, cheerful voices attempted to entice both tourists and citizens alike to the colorful and fragrant wares on offer along the side of every road. Thunder roared in the clear sky above. However, the flashes that followed were not lighting but fire in all shades of red and gold shaped like flowers, birds, and messages of love and prosperity for the new year. Kaifeng was indeed a place for wide eyes and open ears. However, Jiang Nansong’s attention was divided between the man on whose arm he currently hung and the one who followed in the shadows of the crowd a few paces behind.
His companion for the night was a rich merchant, and within less than half an hour of their meeting, the older man had already thrown around enough money to pay the rent for the Prosperity Haven mansion three times over.
“You’re so beautiful,” he said to Nansong any time there seemed to be enough quiet for the young man to hear. Then he’d gasp as if he hadn’t taken several occasions to stare into them that night, “Those eyes! How does one acquire such enchanting eyes?”
“My mother gave them to me,” Nansong would reply in the same saccharine tone each time. He craved a drink to wash the taste out of his mouth. However, he was being very careful tonight.
Every time they passed a peddler calling out about wine, the merchant wanted to stop and have a taste. Nansong would smile and pretend to drink with him. Then he’d spit, either back into the bowl, down his sleeve, or directly onto the ground while his companion talked shop. This person whom he was accompanying failed to notice that something was off, especially as the night went on and his level of inebriation increased along with the volume of his voice.
“A jade pendant for a jade beauty!”
Nansong took an involuntary step backward from the jade wares stall, where they had come to a stop. The merchant, with a self satisfied smirk, picked up and presented a pendant of pure white jade carved into a lotus blossom motif. The surprised wanderer’s hand flew to his cheek, feeling the thin line of raised tissue just under the hollow of his left eye. His mouth opened, but before he could speak, he caught the gaze of a young woman who was passing by with a broad shouldered young man. Both wore a distinctive braided hairstyle, adorned with short feathers and orange beads. Seeing this, he also took note of their attire, and he recognized that they were his seniors. The young woman nodded to him, and then smirked at the oblivious merchant. Once the duo had passed, Nansong cleared his throat and dropped his hand as his practiced smile returned.
“Gege, you’re being too kind,” he said as he slowly lowered his gaze away from the merchant’s face, being sure to flutter his eyelashes. “Much too generous.”
His chin was seized in between a thumb and forefinger, causing their eyes to meet again. Then the drunken man dared to briefly kiss Nansong’s lips, causing him to taste alcohol and whatever else the merchant had consumed that night. Without arguments, the jade pendant was placed around his neck, and before the young wanderer could thank the gifter, once again, he found drunken lips being pressed into his. He closed his eyes for a few moments and then he grabbed the grinning man’s arm, hoping that the jade wares stall would be the last distraction.
He was not to be so lucky. They rounded a corner, and the young wanderer was barely given time to blink before a rose colored mooncake was held to his lips.
“Aiya, you spoil me!”
He kept his sigh playful and his smile light, even as his hand slipped into one of his wide sleeves to become a hidden fist. He took only a nibble, causing the merchant to belly laugh.
“Are you a little bird?!”
Nansong took the cake away and offered his sweetest smile along with the dessert to the merchant, who took a bite so wide that his lips brushed against the young man’s fingertips. The smile still held, but the wearer’s back grew stiff. Somehow, he managed to find enough honey to sweeten his tone as he spoke to the older man.
“We should hurry! There are a lot of travelers tonight.”
“Alright, alright! So impatient,” the man laughed again as he offered his arm.
Nansong’s smile was tighter than he intended as latched on and started to lead the way through the crowd, pushing towards the middle of the dirt road so that it would be harder to detour towards shops and stalls.
The man to whose side he was currently chained was sufficiently handsome in his festive crimson robes with golden floral embroidery. His hair was pulled up and covered by a simple black hat, and his chin was beginning to show signs of an incoming beard to go along with the thin mustache above his lip. Because of this, Nansong was unsurprised when, at a stall selling flowers, his companion for the night wondered aloud if he should also buy flowers for his wife and daughter. Of course, this was a thought he had only after he had tucked a few pink blossoms into Nansong’s hair.
By now, Nansong had learned enough about the way the world worked to know that it was better not to act surprised or offended that he was being romanced by a married man. This merchant would be one of many who had come to the city to celebrate while leaving the wife and kids at home. The streets and inns were filled with them.
“Oh my, no sons?” Nansong glanced at his companion, who only shrugged and continued to smile at him with a gleam in his eye. The young wanderer’s tone was melodious as he asked, “Then won’t what you will expend tonight be a waste?”
“I’ve expended plenty with my wife,” the man shrugged and rolled his eyes. “What I got out of it was two daughters and three failures. If you prefer it tonight, I’ll expend on your thighs.”
Nansong giggled despite the taste of bile in his mouth, “Oh now, that would truly be a waste, Gege! But let’s enjoy tonight and not worry too much about details like expenses.”
They rounded a corner, and the merchant must have noticed that the stalls and crowds had gone scarce on their current path. Even though he did not stop walking or try to pull away, his laugh was a bit shaky as he asked, “Where are you taking me?”
“To my private entrance, of course,” Nansong winked and then poked out his lip just a bit as he hugged the merchant’s arm to his chest. “Unless you’ve changed your mind…”
“No, no!” the merchant shook his head so fast that it was almost a blur. “Please, lead the way!”
This far away from the festivities, the only illumination was the silver glow of the moon. Their path, which wound behind the various businesses of the square, had a few shallow puddles along the way, and the dirt was damp throughout it. Tall grass and thick foliage grew on the sides, while the wall of the city cast a great shadow over them.
With the crowd growing further and further away, it soon became noticeable, at least to Nansong, that there were more than two sets of audibly wet footfalls. His heart raced a bit as he turned to glance behind him. The merchant started to do the same. However, it was too late. Before he could catch even a glimpse of the assailant, he was struck on the back of the neck and fell at Nansong’s feet.
“You!” Fang Xu’s brow was furrowed and his lips became a tight line as he stomped on the fallen merchant several times before Nansong grabbed his arm.
“Brother Fang, what are you doing?!”
Fang Xu’s face softened as he reached out to cup his beloved shidi’s cheek. Unable to help himself, he pulled him closer and pressed his lips to the shorter young man’s forehead. Then his stubborn expression returned and he spat at the ground as he folded his arms.
“I saw him KISS you TWICE! He didn’t even ask if that was okay!”
“How was he supposed to know you were following us?” Nansong gave his partner in crime a smirk and a poke in the ribs, and he received an eyeroll as compensation.
“I meant you! He was supposed to ask YOU!”
“Considering what he thought I was about to let him do to me, I guess he thought he was in the clear,” the young wanderer shrugged as he leaned over the fallen merchant. Obviously, the man was from a rural village -- his coin purse was tethered to his belt right in front, where it would be easy to grab and run away with.
“Buy me a drink,” Nansong requested as he tossed the red embroidered pouch to his co-conspirator. “I need to rinse my mouth out.”
While tossing their loot up and down in one hand, Fang Xu swung his free arm around the smaller young man’s shoulders and started to walk him back towards the square, leaving their mark to sleep it off in tall foliage that grew along the muddy path of the alleyway. Nansong only spared one glance back.
“I think I feel a little bad leaving him that way. Only because that’s how you found me…”
Fang Xu’s arm pulled him a little closer, with the embrace tightening just a little more when they rejoined the festival crowd. Bringing the incident up was something that Nansong tried not to do, but every now and then, he was reminded out of the blue. His reactions to the memory varied, but Fang Xu was always the same -- protective and comforting.
“Let’s not drink tonight,” he suggested. “Didn’t you want to buy milk?”
“Oh yeah!” Nansong bounced a little at Fang Xu’s side. He then pointed, with his eyes as big as the moon, to a sign that read Jin’s Noodles. “Let’s go there! I can just rinse my mouth out with tea!”
Five bowls -- this is the amount of noodles with spicy pork the two consumed along with copious amounts of tea. Two bowls each were eaten individually, and then they shared the fifth. Afterwards, they made their way to a clear spot on the riverbank to watch the fireworks blooming in the sky and the sparklers that festival go-ers were setting off on the ground nearby. Fang Xu put his arm around Nansong, and the younger man leaned in to nuzzle against the fluff of his coat. Then he exhaled.
Even though the writings in the books that had been given to him by his elder martial sister seemed trustworthy, Nansong had been a bit apprehensive about proposing this particular idea to Fang Xu. Quoting the third volume of “Nine Mortal Ways Notes on Making Money” directly seemed to be the best approach, and so he had given his partner his best puppy eyes.
“Everyone knows Well of Heaven is famous for robbing the rich to help the poor, right?” To this, Fang Xu had nodded, and so Nansong had felt bold enough to explain the scheme. He’d followed up by making his puppy eyes appear even bigger as he looked up at Fang Xu while hugging him. “The only Well of Heaven disciple I want to partner with, the only one I can trust, is my Brother Fang.”
“It sounds like a plan!” Fang Xu had clapped, but then gave Nansong a curious look. “But why can’t I be the beauty who lures the guys into alleyways?”
Smirking, Nansong had poked his nose and replied, “Because you can’t flirt to save your life!”
In truth, the young wanderer had hated almost every single moment of the scam, most especially the part where he had to come in physical contact with the merchant he had picked up tonight. He could only hope that it would become easier for him as they pulled it off at subsequent festivals. As for this celebration, he was done for the night. Fang Xu was the only man whose lips he could stand to have anywhere near him.
Even as they cuddled, he couldn’t help but remember drinking awful medicinal tea and the way his days were spent agonizing over every single thing that happened with his body after that night outside of General’s Shrine. He was almost certain that if he didn’t have Fang Xu at his side, he’d be falling apart. Instead, he was falling further in love.
After breathing in, he slowly sighed and then contradicted himself before even speaking by wrapping his arms around Fang Xu and holding him tight. “I should get that milk and head to the base…”
His partner was absolutely no help at all. Though he replied, “Alright! I’ll wait for you back at the inn then!” he also started to gently stroke down Nansong’s back, knowing full well what this move was capable of. Sure enough, the body started to relax and his lids began to droop. Before he knew what was what, he was dreaming of being back in Blissful Retreat. In his dream, he was offering bread to a goose while Hong Xian hid behind him with her little hands holding tight to the hilt of her wooden sword.
“If we’re going to go to the Jianghu, we can’t be afraid of geese,” he was telling her. “They’re everywhere!”
He turned to look at his little cousin, but she wasn’t there, and neither was Blissful Retreat -- at least not the version of it that should be. His throat started to ache, but before he could cry, the vision of ash and ruin faded, and he realized he was lying down in a bed. In a panic, he sat up but then relaxed as he spotted Fang Xu beginning to take off his fluffy Well of Heaven coat.
“I put you to sleep. Sorry!”
Nansong shook his head at the grinning young man. Of course, with Fang Xu being the one to choose, they had ended up at one of the most luxurious inns in Kaifeng. Like most Well of Heaven disciples, Fang Xu was glad to give to the poor, especially children. However, he still received pocket money from his father from time to time, and that was what he’d spent on their boarding for the night. Nansong was used to a bed he could easily hop into and roll out of. Having to maneuver around silk curtains to crawl through the opening in the frame was such a nuisance, but since his partner was in a good mood, he decided it wasn’t worth complaining about.
“This is fine,” Nansong smiled as he climbed out of the overly elaborate bedframe. “I’ll change into my disciple robes and head out.”
Not that changing was necessary. There were plenty of disciples who walked around out of dress, especially those who posed as “elders” for the other sects in order to trick future disciples into joining. Nansong had once been tricked by the “Midnight Bladez Elder”, and he had been quite angry and a little scared back then. However, now that he understood the true spirit of his sect, he felt that he was where he belonged, and it was with a feeling of accomplishment and pride that he fastened his Brotherhood Token to his belt by the red threads and swung his cloak over his shoulders.
In the opinions of some, this cloak might pale in comparison to the majestic fluffiness of the Well of Heaven coat. At a glance, it looked tattered and torn. Few people in the Jianghu cared to look closely enough at any Nine Mortal Ways disciple in order to note the dragon motif, which was embroidered by hand with a thread of subtle gold. Where the cloak appeared to be torn, it was actually laced with ropes of crimson thread, and what appeared to be tatters were tassels. These were not the adornments of a prince or a scholar, but when he wore them, Nansong walked with his head held just as high.
While preparing to put on a silver mask with a rat face, he asked his partner, “Are you sure you don’t want to go with me?”
Wearing a Ghost Mask was a rule of necessity in the Ghostlight Market. Fang Xu was aware of this, and he was giving the mask in his partner’s hands a somewhat nervous look.
“I’ll stay here and wait for you,” he shook his head. “You’ll be with your brothers and sisters, so I’m not worried!”
“So you worry about me when I go anywhere else?”
Fang Xu had stripped down to the white inner robe worn for sleeping and was sitting on the bed, in the middle of the opening. His coat had been folded and neatly put away, but he was still wearing his pants and boots.
The Well of Heaven disciple smiled, but then began to turn rose red as his partner straddled him.
“Y-you’re the best martial artist I know! But somehow, you’re also the clumsiest…”
Nansong had been leaning in, planning to kiss him, but now he used two fingers to push Fang Xu’s forehead backwards instead. The taller man made a comical noise, as if that small gesture could possibly be enough to hurt him, and he fell backwards while pulling Nansong with him. As if they had a mind of their own, the young wanderer’s lips pressed into Fang Xu’s, and all thoughts of leaving this room abandoned him as his partner’s hot tongue slid in between the pillowy appendages. Nansong closed his eyes as his own tongue darted out to welcome the visitor. Their lips locked together, and in between hasty breaths their bodies began to move in unison as if dancing to a song they both knew well. His pants started to tighten at the crotch, and that was Nansong’s signal that he needed to stop. Fang Xu was rubbing against him, signaling that the feeling of desire was mutual. However, Nansong gently broke away and started to look for his misplaced mask.
“I have to go now or I won’t. I’m sorry…”
His cheeks and the tips of his ears were on fire. Fang Xu stood up, and the young wanderer had to quickly look away. The evidence of where things had been headed was far too present for him to handle at the moment.
“Why’re you sorry?” Fang Xu asked softly.
“I did all that, and now I’m gonna leave…”
His hand was gently taken, pulling him back to his partner, and then a gentle kiss was placed upon his forehead. Nansong’s body trembled, causing him to step away again to avoid the disciple robes he had put on with such pride from ending up on the floor.
“I’m sorry. I’m trying so hard to behave…”
Fang Xu gently caressed Nansong’s face and looked deep into his eyes as he replied, “I told you I’d wait for you. I’ll be here. Just kick me or something if I’m asleep when you get back.”
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With Blissful Retreat burned to ruins, Nansong had expected he would never again have a safe place to call home. The Coin Workshop was a dark, damp place, where mushrooms grew on almost every undisturbed surface. Yet, he had found a home and a true community within the partially subterranean base. True, he had been tricked quite a few times on his first arrival, but now that he had gotten to know everyone, there was a feeling of safety and belonging that uplifted his heart every time he returned.
Nansong had gotten milk for Little Fu and plum juice for Little Shou. The more discreet of the triplets, Little Lu, had once expressed that her preferred drink was simple hot water. However, Nansong had assumed it was only to settle the argument between her sisters. He had gotten jasmine tea for her at Fang Xu’s suggestion.
If the girls were at the base, they were usually scattered all about, and so he headed first to the main square upon arriving. Here, he was met by A-Xin, the senior sister who had written the three books from which he had gotten the partnership scheme. She, along with the duo from the festival, caught up with him near the grand shrine.
“Sooo, how did it go?” Her arm came down on his shoulders like a club while her grin stretched from ear to ear.
Before he could speak, the other elder sister chimed in, “And who’s the Well of Heaven cutie that you partnered with?”
Nansong’s face felt hotter than the contents of one of the nearby braziers as he stammered, “I… he’s…”
“Your boyfriend?”
“Luo Wuzheng,” A-Xin made a tsk noise. “Don't be so pushy! Go on, Nansong! Tell your big sis about your boyfriend!”
The teasing from the girls caused him to feel as though a scream was welling up within him. It wasn’t that they were wrong so much as he didn’t know how to process everything he felt when he thought of Fang Xu as his boyfriend. With a dash of embarrassment mixed in, his feelings were threatening to bubble over at any moment.
“He’s…” Nansong started and then cleared his throat. “He’s a good partner! A good traveling and money-making partner! A-Anyway, I should thank you, Elder Sister Xin. The advice in the volumes you gave me has been really helpful.”
“It’s so romantic, isn’t it?” Luo Wuzheng continued to tease as she leaned on her male partner’s shoulder. “The only thing better than making money is doing it with the one you love!”
“I…I…has anyone seen the triplets?!”
His elder martial sister must have noted and taken pity on the fact that his face was now as red as one of the hanging lanterns. She shrugged, “They’ve gone off again. Don’t know where.” She then paused for a moment before giving a wistful sigh, “Aiya! There’s a lot of good scams you can pull off by being a cute little girl, ‘specially if there’s three of you!”
“Don’t look at me,” Luo Wuzheng waved her hands. “I’m pushing thirty downhill!”
“Xiao Cha-Cha still looks really great for thirty,” Nansong offered with a hopeful tone. “Speaking of, I think I’ll go see him now!”
He started to hurry away as Luo Wuzheng called after him, “Bring your Well of Heaven boyfriend next time!”
His Well of Heaven boyfriend! Just earlier this year, he couldn’t have imagined that he would understand the young girls who would giggle and scream over handsome boys. Yet, now he was practically fleeing from his martial siblings because he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to hold himself back if the conversation went on for much longer.
Rather than going around to the bridge, Nansong decided to use the rooftops to cross over the river chasm. The man standing guard outside the female disciple dorm wore the standard Nine Mortal Ways garb. However, his lips were lightly rouged and there was a pink flower tucked into his hair. This was Fan Qicha, or Xiao Cha-Cha, as he liked to be called.
During Nansong’s first visit to the Coin Workshop, he had started to receive mysterious correspondence from a young woman. Being determined back then to keep his feelings for Fang Xu to himself, the young wanderer had decided there was no harm in flirting back with her. This had led to her inviting him to meet her with the request that he wear something pink. And so, Nansong had donned the only pink robes he owned, despite the fact that he despised the color on himself, and he’d gone to the meeting spot. He had actually met a woman in pink there, but she was just as confused as he was, and in fact, was looking for another Nine Mortal Ways disciple that had scammed her. Nansong had gone to the female dorms, following a clue, only to find that the beautiful lady he was there to meet was Xiao Cha-Cha!
Playing the part of the beautiful maiden was Fan Qicha’s signature con. From a young age, he had learned to do his own hair and makeup flawlessly, and he even tailored his own dresses from robes he “borrowed”.
Despite him not wearing a dress tonight, he still spoke in a higher tone, signalling that he was in a good mood.
“Oh my! My little cub has returned! But where is the cute Well of Heaven disciple? You didn’t bring him to see me?”
It took everything in Nansong’s power not to scream. He cleared his throat and went out of his way to add bass into his voice, “Does everyone know about that now?”
“Gossip travels fast in the Coin Workshop! You should know that by now,” Xiao Cha-Cha winked.
“Oh, I do,” Nansong sighed. “I wanted to bring him, but he would have to travel through Ghostlight Market for the first time. He’s a little nervous about that.”
The senior disciple raised his brow, but said nothing judgmental. Still, the young wanderer felt that he should defend his lover, and so he quickly added on, “It’s likely my fault. I told him all about Mao hour.”
“Oh my, so he’s not very brave?”
The tone was as gentle as Xiao Cha-Cha’s unwavering smile. However, Nansong again felt slightly defensive of Fang Xu. He quickly replied, “He’s brave enough when it matters. I’ll bring him to meet you soon. Please give it time.”
“The important thing is that you’re happy with him,” Fan Qicha replied.
“I am happy with him, but…”
“But?” The senior disciple again raised his brow at his junior, who was now playing with one of the tassels on this cloak.
“You said it yourself. Nothing good comes without a price, especially love…”
“Oh my! When I said that, I had literally just tricked you into believing I was a pretty girl waiting to meet up with you!” Xiao Cha-Cha waved his hand as if to knock away the words he had spoken back then. “I was trying to teach you not to go chasing around seemingly pretty faces speaking pretty words. It’s why I also reminded you that beauty leads to ruin!”
“...yeah…”
Lowering his eyes was a reaction so automatic that he hadn’t even realized he’d done it until Xiao Cha-Cha closed the distance between them and lifted his chin. The teasing gleam in the senior disciple’s eyes was replaced by sincerity and what looked like worry.
“The losses that you’ve faced were the result of the jianghu being what it is, not as some down payment on happiness. Love him. Cherish your days with him, and most importantly, make lots of money with him!”
Nansong felt himself blushing as a smile took over his face. He was in love and he was happy -- there was no denying what everyone could see.
“I should get back to him. Xiao Cha-Cha, I was wondering if you could give these gifts to Fu, Lu, and Shou when you see them?”
The elder disciple nodded as he accepted the simple gifts that Nansong had bought for the triplets, chuckling at the sight of the bottle of milk. Recently, there had been a small controversy in the base. Someone had made the mistake of spilling Little Fu’s milk. Since being told that milk makes little girls grow taller, drinking it was her obsession, hence the gift.
“This, I’ll guard with my life,” Xiao Cha-Cha spoke dramatically as he hugged the milk bottle to himself. “Go on then, Little Cub! Give your Well of Heaven cutie a little kiss and tell him that if he doesn’t take care of you, he’ll find a tiger at his heels!”
“I will,” Nansong chuckled as he gave a respective salute to his senior brother.
As he walked away, he could hear Xiao Cha-Cha speaking to himself, “Thirty years old -- the age of a tiger on the prowl at his prime! Perhaps I should hunt for my own Well of Heaven cutie…”
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Fang Xu had left all of the lanterns on for Nansong’s return. The young wanderer found him seated at the desk with a sword manual in front of him and his head drooping. When Nansong cleared his throat, the young man’s head snapped up. His wide eyes saw the face of his partner and his lips immediately spread into a sleepy smile. Fang Xu stood, and Nansong came behind the desk to put an arm around his waist. They walked to bed together, and once the older of the two was seated, the younger pulled the boots from his boyfriend’s feet. Then, after his own footwear was kicked off, they curled up on the bed in each other’s arms without bothering to completely undress. Nansong tucked his head under Fang Xu’s chin, and within five minutes, the couple was sound asleep and peacefully dreaming of each other.
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But of course, back at the Coin Workshop, it was chaos as usual. Having finished his shift, Fan Qicha had met up with A-Xin and the others to have a few drinks while shooting the breeze. Because the Coin Workshop was open to visitors, none of them were surprised to see a masked Well of Heaven disciple walking by. However, it did remind them of their junior brother.
“Tonight, he proved that the tactics in the notes are still solid,” A-Xin said as she raised her cup. “It warms my heart to see someone so sincere.”
“He’s a good little cub,” Fan Qicha nodded as he did the same. “Still naive, but he’ll learn.”
“Of course he will!” Luo Wuzheng cheerfully raised her cup. “To Nansong!”
As they all drank to him, they were approached by someone that they would assume to be a visitor, based on the fact that he wore normal clothing instead of the Nine Mortal Ways attire. He also wore a Ghost Mask, and so they would not be able to describe his face when asked later on.
“Excuse me,” the stranger spoke politely as he bowed. “Did you say Nansong? Is he here?”
“Who is asking?” Fan Qicha frowned.
“An old friend,” the mysterious stranger answered. “So he was here? He’s a Nine Mortal Ways disciple now?”
Fan Qicha stood and held out his arm, “Sir, let me walk you to the bridge.”
A-Xin and Luo Wuzheng exchanged confused glances, but neither of them stopped their fellow disciple from hastily escorting the stranger away from the pub and back to the long bridge that connected the Coin Workshop to the Ghostlight Market area. When he returned, Qicha sat down slowly and held his cup with a heavy handed grip.
“Cha-Cha, did something happen?” A-Xin asked while waving a hand in front of his face.
“Oh my, maybe I am like an overprotective mama tiger,” Fan Qicha used his melodious tone as he began to fan himself. “But something doesn’t feel right…”