Death Scripture

Shangguan Fei prepared to return to that tavern that night to catch rumours after spending the night safely, that he would handover to the Dragon King as part of his assignment.

His two bodyguards disagreed.

Han Fen was irritated. He said,"why do we have to go there? It's not interesting. Let's go somewhere else."

Han Fen was well suited for men's wear and did not need make-up at all but onlya fake beard. She looked more like her part when she was angry but only her voice remained a girl's.

Theywere standing in the streets of the craftsman's area, surrounded by tents and pedestrians whenShangguan Fei anxiously looked around and said, "Han Fen, are you afraid that people don't know you are a woman? I'm sorry if you dont care."

"No one recognises you. What's there to be embarrassed about. Why do you always cometo this place anyway?" He added.

Han Xuan looked angry but Shangguan Fei was not afraid of anything. After days of getting along, he had understood these women's characters. Han Xuan was direct and there was no wayone wouldbe rough with her, she had to be persuaded and was very easily fooled whileHan Fen was just like a child, few words of praise could make her smile.

"I didn't want to tell you this, but I will say little if you need to know. Some of the customers of that tavern are very suspicious. They might betroops close to the court. Make friends with them and you'll have all the information. alright ?" He said to her.

Han Fen hesitated to believe and asked,"which ones? why don't I recognize them?"

"The tall and heavily builtyoung man thatshakes his head everytime he drinks." Shangguan Fei said as he tossed his head forcefully nearly hurting his neck, rubbed it wice and continued, "That one too that everyone's pretty afraid of. Not too tall, very strong and strikes the table each time. Then there's that one, slightly older but very stable, barely drinks.Ifit'snothing, the three are very reputable and worth understanding."

Shangguan Fei looked at the two women dressed up as bodyguards intently.

Han Fen grew up in Tunfeng Gorge and had never entered a tavern. He admitted his lack of experience and thus believed them almost completely. "Yes,their very special those three, I was still thinking which one Miss would choose. I would prefer the first. Tall and young." He said.

The young lady's fiance was dead and Han Xuan had been wanting to choose another one for her.

Shangguan Fei almost blurted out, asking Han Fei not to fight with him for it butsmiled strangely and said,"I am confident that I will be able to make friends with one of them tonight and makehim spill the beans on everything, completing the Dragon King's task."

Han Xuan was persuaded and turned to her good friend, Han Fen to ask,"what do you say? Do we still go there?"

Han Fen was not a beauty by conventional standards but still, she had to dress up carefully to be a man. Even so, she had been trained and was able to emulate a man's voice well, speaking gruffly when she needed. She answered,"Anywhere is fine with me. Shangguan Fei has worked hard for days. We must let him sleep with a man."

Shangguan Fei had thought that those two bodyguards must have beenunder his control and did not expect Han Fen to come up with such a sentence. He blushed and moved his hands without stopping, as if batting a flying insect. "You, don't speak nonsense. I did not think of sleeping with anyone." He replied.

Han Xuan's doubts rose again and asked,"Shangguan Fei is a man, how can he sleep with another man? He is no child, can't he sleep alone?"

Romancewas one of the trainings of the New Moon Hall. Though Han Fen was innocent, she knew aboutthese things. She said, "No, two men sleeping together would be like... the Miss in your house and uncle doing that thing after they are married."

"This... how is this possible?" Han Fen was shocked and said loudly thata few passers-by turned to look around them ,curious about this bearded man.

Shangguan Fei blushed and turned red as blood said angrily,"You two, shut up. How can a woman say such a thing. It's unthinkable."

Han Fen was puzzled and said, "What can I say, I always do what I can and always help. Delightful touches are usually used on women. I've been wanting to know ifthey worked on men. Let's try."

Han Fen was so eager that her voice changed toa female oneagain.

"Let's not go there tonight, let's go somewhere else." Shangguan Fei said angrily. He finally understood why everyone said New Moon Hall was filled with crazy women. This Han Fen was not easy to deal with at all.

Han Fen was puzzled and did not understand where shehad gonewrong and added, "Not going anymore? I see that the short fat shopkeeper seems to be very interested in you."

Shangguan Fei did not wish to go anymore.

Han Fenhad partially understood butintended to be scornful and continued,"No, where we will go tonight is upto us to decide even though you have your own agendas."

"You two are bodyguards and I'm only... forget it, you guys decide." Shangguan Fei was stressed and only wished to leave the place as they were getting more and more conspicuous.

"Han Fen, where do you want to go?"

Han Fen's eyes brightened. "Wang Zhang, I want to see what Lao Hanwang's concubines look like."

"We are collecting information for the Dragon King, not here to play," Han Fen said sternly.

Han Fens martial arts were far superior to hers but this time, she was like a child who had done something wrong, and shrinking herself, she said: "Yes, then you decide."

"Let's walk around in the craftsman area. We have not gone to the slums of the south. Let's go there tonight."

Shangguan Fei regretted giving up the choice to others and said quickly,"Tonight? Why don't we wait for the day, it's not quite safe there."

"No, I have decided. Follow me." Han Xuanreplied as shetook big strides and took the lead,Han Fen following closely behind.

Shangguan Fei sighed and trotted, running after his own bodyguard and said softly. "About the tavern's business, don't spout nonsense when you're back, especially not in front of Long Fanyun."

The three entered the slums' area in the wee hours. Most of the place had turned dark and was dead quiet as if everyone had slept already. Shangguan Fei sighed a breath of relief and said, "You see, the shops in this area don't open at night, we should have come in the morning like I said."

Shangguan Fei was not to be luckythat night. Just after he had spoken, someoneflew from a tent nearby, then burly man poked his head out, spat heavily and said hoarsely, "If you want to eat for free, don't come here."

"It's here." Han Xuan said delightedly. She had been upset thinking she had made a wrong decision.

Shangguan Fei did not like this place. In the past, he had hated the squalor in the Southern City when he was still in Jade City. The slums' area was even worse than this. They had only walked a short distance and had already stepped three times into puddles, his boots were getting wet.

"What information can there be?" Shangguan Fei complained in a low voice, following the bodyguards and peeking left and right.

The man who hadflown out was still lying on the ground like he'd been badly beaten and suddenly struggled to lift his head, revealing a face dripping with blood which shocked Shangguan Fei. He grasped Han fen's arm tightlyand asked worryingly,"Your martial arts skills are not bad, are they?"

"Yes. Well, in fact, my Walking Cloud Rain technique..."

"You don't need it for tonight. We can talk about it later. Remember theDragon Kingassigned you to be my bodyguard so you have to protect me all the time." He continued.

The old tent was dimly lit, and the atmosphere therewas completely different from that of the craftsman's area. More than a dozen guests sat at the table in silence and drank sullenly. People at the same table even seemed to be strangers to each other. The shopkeeper was the big burly fellow who threw people and stared at the guests expressionless as if they owed hima year's worth of wine money.

Shangguan Fei pretended to be relaxed, leaned in and said, " Business looks good. Serve what good wine you have. We brothers will be drunk tonight!"

The shopkeeper was vigilant, taking out three big bowls from the under the counter, carrying them and filling each of them and said, "Fivecoins of silver."

Shangguan Fei did not know the market price and felt it was cheapbutdid not quite understand how three bowls of wine could amount to five silver coins. He nodded and took out three or four taels of silver andsaid generously. " Everyone will get a bowl, allon me."

This was very effective in the slum area's tavern and won applause everytime. But the people here did not seem to understand the ways of the world and everyone did not seem to hear or say a single word of thanks.

The shopkeeper frowned, picked up the silver and looked at it carefully under the light before holding the wine jar reluctantly and pouring wine for each one of his guests.

Shangguan Fei felt increasingly uncomfortable and said in a small voice. "The people here do not like to talk, let's go somewhere else."

Han Xuan did not like the strange atmosphere of this place eitherand agreed, given they had already come to the slums.

Only Han Fen did not care and was looking at the shopkeeper with enthusiastic eyes. He was pouring wine for his guests and sizing each of them up.

Shangguan Feigulped downa mouthful of wine that was sour and puckery, almost puking. He said loudly,"Tonight, Old Li is giving us a treat, how could we have forgotten? Stop drinking, it's still not too late to go."

Shangguan Fei walked out of the tent and no one sent for him or stood in his way. He finally put down his worries and realised there was nothing amiss about this small tavern. It was a false alarm. As long as he had money,he wasnot afraid of being unwelcome anywhere.

He lifted the curtain halfway and found that the bodyguards had not followed.

Han Xuan was still standing near the counterand Han Fen had walked infront of a table of customers. Before Shangguan Fei started to give orders, she spoke in a man's voice asking, "Aren't you a killer of Fort Jin Peng? What are you hiding here for?"

Shangguan Fei was shockedhow they had chosen a nondescript tavern so randomly, this being the first time they hadbeen in a slum. They had actually bumped into a their killer, but didn't know it yet.

He knew Han Fen would not admit her mistake. The disciples of New Moon Hall were experts at identifying killersof Fort Jin Peng.

Theguests who had been questioned by Han Fen looked to his left and right saying,"You have gotten the wrong person. Where did you find the killer?"

It was too late, the killer's identity had been revealed and no one had given the orders, not even a voiced hint. Theguests stood upand pulled out their weapons.

Shangguan Fei didn'tfor the duel to start. He'd already jumped out of the tent and ran towards the slum without regard for his life. The two bodyguards howeverdid not, because they could defend themselves.

A terrible scream that rang from the tent behindShangguan Fei frightened him thathe slipped and almost fell.

This screamwas like an incantation that lifted the banas suddenly, everyone ran out of their tents, brandishing their sabres, hackingone anotherlike madmen.

Shangguan Fei's path was blocked, there were people everywhere. His heart almost stopped, he did not anticipate that his sudden change of mind would have brought such dire consequences.

It was not till the next morning that Shangguan Fei, who was covered all over with blood knew the truth: He had beencaught in the largest riot , the slum district of the Dragon Court had seen in decades.

That night, the cries of the killings were heard from near and far indeed,Gu Shenwei and his subordinates' guards waited sternly and were ready to guard the camp of Fort Jin Peng acrossthe road.