CUI BUQU HAD ENDURED the incense of helplessness through his extraordinary willpower, but it still damaged his body. He was frail to begin with, and the effects of the incense were like piling frost atop snow. His condition, already bad, grew worse. The next day, he touched his forehead as he woke and knew his fever had returned.
He exhaled a slow, scorching breath. He'd grown accustomed to the feeling, but that didn't mean he enjoyed it. No one wanted to live under the eternal torment of illness. But as he couldn't escape, all he could do was endure.
A set of clean robes had been left at his bedside, along with a thick coat. Pei Jingzhe must have sent someone to fetch them; Feng Xiao would never bother with something so trivial. Cui Buqu put everything on without hesitation, bundling himself up tightly. Water had been prepared for him in a side room, and he used it to wash. Only then did he leisurely exit the room.
Outside, Feng Xiao had long lost patience with waiting. He sent Pei Jingzhe in to hurry Cui Buqu up. Pei Jingzhe had privately also thought Cui Buqu too slow, until he saw him: his complexion was even more pallid than the day before, and he was coughing feebly into his fist. Pei Jingzhe felt a prickle of guilt and gentled his tone. "Are the clothes suitable, Abbot Cui?"
"They're just right. Thank you."
Pei Jingzhe smiled. "We won't be eating breakfast at the manor today. My lord is taking us out to eat."
"How unexpected. Ever since I awoke, I've been hoping for a sumptuous meal. It seems I'm finally getting it."
Pei Jingzhe laughed awkwardly. "You only woke up yesterday. You shouldn't have anything too rich or oily."
Cui Buqu watched him. He could see this man's skin wasn't half as thick as Feng Xiao's. Cui Buqu's face didn't so much as twitch as he nodded, and he didn't embarrass Pei Jingzhe further.
When Feng Xiao saw them walk out, he clicked his tongue. "Must you dawdle like a maiden being wed when putting on your clothes?"
Most people's faces flushed with a fever, but Cui Buqu's paled instead. Wrapped in a white coat and standing in the snow, he practically faded into the landscape.
"My host is a cruel man," he said coolly. "He poisoned me yet wouldn't let me eat. What can I do?"
Feng Xiao seemed to be in a good mood. He smiled cheerily and said, "Then you're in luck today. A new restaurant just opened in the city, and they hired Maiden Hong as the chef. You've lived in Liugong City for two months; surely you've heard her name."
"Maiden Hong of Hong's Flatbreads?"
"The very same."
Hong's Flatbreads was a famous bakery in Liugong City that sold baked flatbreads. It was managed by the Hong family patriarch and his daughter. Remarkably, both father and daughter were skilled cooks, and though their sign only mentioned the flatbreads, all their dishes were delicious. Their name was known throughout the city, and it was said even traveling merchants from Qiemo would visit Liugong City just to taste their cooking.
Cui Buqu had eaten there once as well. The food was indeed extraordinary—broth simmered from bones, with noodles fine as strands of silver. The noodles were boiled before being added to the broth and served along with a ladleful of the Hong family's braised pork sauce and a sprinkle of green onions. Even on the coldest winter days, such fare warmed and comforted the body. Their dishes were in no way inferior to those one might find in the capital.
Unfortunately, the Hong patriarch had passed away some time ago, leaving Maiden Hong to run the business by herself. Everyone had gossiped about it, saying a woman was too delicate to handle such work, and that Hong's Flatbreads's days were numbered. Most had expected Maiden Hong to become the concubine of a wealthy family and be kept inside the house—there would be few chances, they lamented, to taste her delicious dishes ever again.
But to the astonishment of all, Maiden Hong made a fresh start. Rather than choosing a luxurious life, she accepted an invitation to become a chef at this new restaurant.
Thanks to Linlang Pavilion's auction, members of the jianghu walked up and down the streets, openly carrying their weapons. Ordinary civilians gave them a wide berth, but Feng Xiao acted like they weren't even there. With Cui Buqu and Pei Jingzhe in tow, he cut through a street toward the restaurant.
It wasn't unheard of for a martial artist to flout the law by dint of sheer power. All capable people had an arrogance about them, and those from the jianghu were no exception. Experts were rarely modest or open-minded, and indeed, most of the martial artists walking the streets were prideful young men.
Some walked in groups of three to five. Though they weren't all wearing the same uniform, the jade pendants at their waists and the scabbards across their backs were identical. These groups were usually from major sects. Others walked alone, their expressions cold and forbidding. These tended to travel solo and have short tempers. And there were still other groups where men and women walked and laughed together. The women's faces were cheerful and confident, their steps nimble. These were the young sons and daughters of influential martial arts families, out to train in the world.
Cui Buqu's gaze swept over them. A single glance was all he needed to discern everyone's backgrounds and approximate temperaments.
"Don't forget why I brought you out, Abbot Cui. Show me what you're capable of."
Cui Buqu couldn't resist rolling his eyes again. "This humble Daoist has yet to eat breakfast; he lacks the strength to speak."
Feng Xiao chuckled. "If you're good and play nicely, we'll crack the case faster and you'll be free faster as well. Is there any benefit to squabbling with me?"
"If I remember correctly," Cui Buqu said coldly, "yesterday, you told me that if I was willing to cooperate, you'd consider neutralizing the poison. You didn't say you'd neutralize it for sure. I was suffering under the effects of the poison yesterday, so I lacked the strength to argue. You want me to play nice with you based on such ambiguous promises?"
Feng Xiao fished out two porcelain vials from his sleeve, each the width of a finger, and held them out before Cui Buqu.
"I'll give you a chance. One of these bottles is empty, while the other is a neutralizing agent that will free you from the incense's torment for three days. Whether or not you pick the correct vial is up to you. Now don't say I'm not good to you."
There was a burning sensation in Cui Buqu's chest, as if a fire had kindled to life there. It wasn't yet a blaze, but the pain was unbearable, the agony eating down to his marrow. Thousands of invisible hands scratched at him, pricking and numbing—this was the poison wreaking havoc in his body. Though the pain of the dormant poison was less excruciating than when it flared up, it was more than enough to keep him on edge.
But he didn't touch the two vials. He didn't even glance at them; he simply pressed his lips into a tight line and kept walking.
"How can a man be so stubborn!" Feng Xiao exclaimed in surprise. "My kindness has completely gone to waste!"
Cui Buqu sneered but said nothing. A temporary antidote to this drug was as good as drinking poison to quench thirst. Feng Xiao wasn't being kind at all—it was obvious he wanted to wait for the poison to flare up again before he'd try to trick him into revealing more.
Seeing that Cui Buqu refused to take the bait, Feng Xiao simply shrugged and stashed the bottles back in his sleeve.
They walked on, and the new restaurant soon came into view. On the banner hanging by the door were written two characters: Wuwei—Five Flavors. People thronged at the doors; it seemed quite busy.
Pei Jingzhe had made a reservation. He skipped the line and gave his name as soon as he walked in; a waiter immediately came over to guide them to a semi-private room.
The restaurant didn't look particularly large from the outside, but the inside seemed an entirely different world. As Pei Jingzhe and the others followed the waiter down winding corridors, they realized the restaurant had purchased all the nearby shops and merged them into one. The resulting space had been divided into a main hall and smaller, semi-private rooms. The moment they entered theirs, the noise of the hall faded. Flowers and potted trees were arranged artfully around the room, creating a luxuriant atmosphere.
"The owner must have significant backing to invest so much in this place," Pei Jingzhe said in amazement. "Whose money was it, the Cui family of Boling, or the Li family of Longxi?"
Liugong City had originally been a small border town. No matter how prosperous it became, it couldn't compare to the extravagance of the capital. The itinerant merchants passing through usually stopped here for no more than a few days to trade before continuing on to their ultimate destinations. If not for Linlang Pavilion's auction, the restaurant would rarely have been this busy.
When he heard Pei Jingzhe's question, the waiter turned his head and smiled. "This esteemed guest has surmised wrongly. It wasn't the Li family or the Cui family. The owner is a local. He's worked long and hard all his life and only wishes for some good food, so he invited Maiden Hong specially to be the chef. You gentlemen are in luck today! Maiden Hong has been experimenting with some new dishes."
He led the trio to their table. There were four in the room, one already occupied by a well-dressed young man and woman. Behind them stood several maids and servants from their household. Though the room wasn't fully private, it was spacious enough that even with four tables it didn't feel cramped.
Feng Xiao put in his order, and dishes began to arrive one after another. Maiden Hong couldn't have been the only cook, but her crisp and lively style was evident on every plate.
"Snowy noodles with braised pork, pork trotter soup, hibiscus and vegetable soup, Hong-style flatbread. Eat whatever you like and stop saying I'm cruel. Surely I'm treating you well enough now?" Feng Xiao pointed out each dish with his chopsticks, then asked for three bowls of lotus seed soup.
It wasn't the season for lotus seeds, and Liugong City wasn't plentiful in lotuses to begin with. These seeds were transported from the south over thousands of miles, then wind-dried and preserved throughout the entire winter. The price of those three bowls of soup was probably more than the rest of the dishes combined.
It was the lotus seed soup that finally loosened Cui Buqu's tongue. He looked at the couple dining at the other table. "That woman's name is Lu. She's from a wealthy local family, and it's said they trace their lineage back to the Lu family of Fanyang. If so, they lost contact with the main branch long ago. Lady Lu's father is named Lu Ti, and his principal enterprise is antiques pawnshops; they say he has branches all the way in Jiangnan. He's the richest man in Liugong City and a savvy businessman."
He spoke just loudly enough for Feng Xiao and Pei Jingzhe to hear, but not so loud the other table could pick up a word.
Feng Xiao was quite pleased with Cui Buqu's tactfulness. It was rare for them to be speaking peacefully like this rather than at loggerheads.
"Is that man also from the Lu family?"
Cui Buqu shook his head. "The man is Su Xing, Lady Lu's older cousin. His parents passed away several years ago and his family's fortunes fell into decline. He sought refuge at his younger cousin's house, and Lu Ti sponsored his studies. They say Lu Ti wishes to have him as a son-in-law. If all goes well, that pair will be married within the next two years. Lu Ti has no sons, so Su Xing stands to inherit the family business."
"Then this Wuwei House is also owned by Lu Ti?"
"Of that I'm not sure," said Cui Buqu coolly. "After all, I was locked up for several days; I may have missed a lot of news."
He'd seized the chance to take a jab at Feng Xiao, but Feng Xiao acted as if he hadn't heard. He picked up a flatbread, broke off a small piece, and popped it in his mouth. "This flatbread is delicious, but it's rather chewy. Someone who's been poisoned or is recuperating from an illness generally wouldn't be able to eat it even if they wanted to. Would you like a piece, Buqu?"
Cui Buqu said nothing.
Pei Jingzhe stifled a laugh and quickly looked away. His eye caught on the young man at the neighboring table, who was picking up a piece of vegetarian goose and placing it in the girl's bowl. "Miaomiao, you love this dish, don't you?" he said warmly. "Here, have some more."
"Thank you, Cousin." The girl's voice was filled with unconcealed delight.
People of this era were quite open, especially here in the north. As long as they were chaperoned by family members and remained in public, unmarried men and women could be fairly intimate without drawing criticism. Pei Jingzhe was about to turn back around when he heard Feng Xiao speak loudly to Cui Buqu.
"Ququ, you love this dish, don't you? Here, have some more!"
Pei Jingzhe had been about to swallow his mouthful of flatbread, but on hearing this, he almost spat it back out.
Cui Buqu was even more uncomfortable. He'd just raised his chopsticks, ready to take more food, but now he stopped dead, the chopsticks hovering midair. The corners of his mouth twitched as his delicate face suddenly turned savage.
The young man, too, couldn't fail to notice Feng Xiao mimicking him. He looked furious. "Distinguished Master, we don't even know each other, so why are you trying to provoke us?"