by J C Kang
“You were caught with your pants down,” Wen said. “Literally. Buggering one of your comrades. No wonder they were able to surprise you.”
The guard shook his head. “It wasn’t like that. We’re not like that. It was a set-up.”
A blade flashed in Wen’s hand. She swept it across the table in a precise Black Lotus technique that caught the man’s throat.
Blood sprayed. His eyes rounded as his hands shot to his neck, but then he crumpled onto the desk beside Xi.
Wen pulled the hood over her head and stormed out of the office.
Taking deep breaths, Jie leaned her forehead against the wood planks of the den. How had this happened? Why? Unlike Lilian, who’d expressed discouragement with working in the Floating World, Wen had always seemed to enjoy it. Though if she could conceal her betrayal from clan interrogators using the Tiger’s Eye, no telling how talented she really was. It was just like Lilian, hiding her skills.
Now, though, Wen was alone, save for a couple of groggy guards. She’d gotten here so fast because she’d come from the Peony Garden, and not the Trench; and if Triad enforcers were coming from the Trench, there was a small window of opportunity to eliminate her.
Swallowing hard, Jie pulled the shutters open, careful that the hinges didn’t squeak. She climbed in, and Wen’s lavender scent greeted her. She padded to the door and peeked into the hallway.
Twenty feet away, Wen was turning the corner, into the hall where the prostitutes received clients.
Timing her own pace to Wen’s tromping footsteps, Jie loped to the next door, the one to the dispensary. It stood ajar, and Jie stayed low as she slipped inside.
Popping up above the counter level, she made a quick scan of the main room. Beds were overturned, porcelain and glass pipe shards lay scattered across the floor. No people, dead or alive.
Wen’s footsteps in the hall grew closer.
Clenching a dagger between her teeth, Jie palmed three throwing stars. Even if Wen avoided the barrage, it would distract her long enough for Jie to close the distance and stab her.
Wen would reach the room in three steps.
One.
Jie cocked back her arm, ready to throw the stars.
Two.
Her heart pounded. This was Wen. Her shadow preceded her into the main chamber.
Three.
Jie ducked back down. She couldn’t do it. Not Wen.
Wen moved deeper into the room, muttering about Triad incompetence.
Jie took several deep breaths. She could do this. Had to do this.
The front door swooshed open and six sets of large footsteps hurried in. The window of opportunity had closed.
“Clear the den out,” Wen said, now sounding male and gravelly. She was using the clan’s Mockingbird’s Deception to imitate voices. “Take anything of value. And hurry. The city watch will be crawling over the place like ants once they get wind of dead bodies.”
Jie sucked on her lower lip. The city watch left the Floating World to its own devices, generally allowing the House Enforcers to rough up troublemakers. As long as the businesses paid taxes and nobody got killed, there was no reason to intervene. Now, though, there were at least two dead bodies, more if the clan Cleaners had decided to take matters into their own hands.
With nothing left to do for now, Jie crawled back through the open door, turned down the hall and into the office, then jumped through the window. She paused at the head of the alley. At the front of the den, another dozen Red Dragon Triads gathered.
Wen stormed out of the door, the lights now shining on the demon mask. She gestured toward the men. When she spoke, it was with the gravelly male voice. “Go help clean up.”
“What about you, Boss?” one said.
“I need to work off some steam,” Wen said. “And there’s a whore at the Peony Garden who enjoys a little pain.”
Jie grimaced. In her time at the Chrysanthemum Pavilion, some of the Blossoms tolerated that kind of play, but none enjoyed it. Though now, Wen was probably using it as an excuse to go home.
“But Boss, the Houses won’t be taking customers this late.”
“Oh, they’ll take me.” Wen waved a dismissive hand.
“Do you want us to accompany you for safety?”
Wen snorted. “This is the Floating World. Nobody ever gets attacked here.”
“Um…” The Triad pointed back at Yue Heaven. “What if the Fangs did this, and now plan on ambushing you?”
Jie smirked. At least one of the henchmen wasn’t stupid.
“I’ll be fine,” Wen said. “Now get to work.”
The Triads saluted as they filed into Yue Heaven. Wen set off toward the Peony Garden. Sticking to the shadows, Jie followed.
The larger picture was coming into focus. Jinjing Lumber shipped illegal yue to the Red Dragons. Lord Ting must’ve found out. Wen, knowing Black Lotus procedures, had recruited Lilian.
Once Wen had walked a block, she broke into a hobbling jog. Had she injured herself? She hadn’t shown signs of it earlier, though maybe she was hiding it from the Triads.
Just how long had she been Faceless Chang? Between her time at the Peony Garden and training martial skills, there was no way she could run a Triad operation…
Unless Faceless Chang was more than one person. With a mask, there could be any number of Faceless Changs. The only requirement would be a lack of height and the ability to mimic a gravelly voice.
The streets were deserted, providing another chance to attack. And it had to be now: they were just two blocks from the Peony Garden.
Jie took a deep breath. She could do this, Wen or not. Pausing at the corner of a building, she palmed three throwing stars and flung them in a tight spread at Wen’s back.
Wen contorted like twisted dough, her body arching in a gravity-defying pose between the paths of the stars. Only her cloak was shredded.
How could this be? Wen had never shown such dodging ability. It was like legends of the great Black Lotus masters. And facing the other way, without even seeing the incoming barrage? That sounded like the aggrandizing official histories of Wang Yuxiang, the consort of the Wang Dynasty’s Founder.
One of Wen’s legs gave way, forcing her to thrust out an arm and flip into a one-handed cartwheel. She landed on one foot, in the clan’s Dipping Crane stance. When she spoke, it was in the gravelly voice of Faceless Chang. “Cowardly Fangs, show yourselves.”
Jie ducked back behind the building. She hazarded a glance around the corner.
“No? Well, you’ve declared war. The Trench will run red with your blood.” Without any visible concern, Wen turned on her heel and headed back to the Peony Garden.
Dagger now in hand, Jie sucked on her lower lip. Like Lilian, Wen had hidden her true level of mastery. Unlike Lilian, her level far surpassed Jie’s. It would be foolish to face her now, with no positional advantage.
She sheathed her weapon. Better to regroup. Maybe sleep a few hours.
Wen removed the mask a block away from the House gates. She lowered her hood, undid her topknot, and then tightened the cloak around her. At the gates, the guards gave a respectful bow and let her pass.
Jie found the Iridescent Moon in its reliable location. It now waxed just past its third crescent. A clan courier would pick up messages from the Black Lotus Shrine in three hours, then visit the safe house soon after.
Wen would be foolish to move against the clan, and it sounded like she was more interested in the Fangs. If some Triads killed each other, the world would be a better place, anyway. Right?
Despite niggling misgivings, Jie headed back to the safe house.
Chapter 12
Tian startled awake. His dreams sent a disturbing shiver down his spine: Princess Kaiya had been whispering a joke in his ear, and when he’d turned to her in shock, the princess had transformed into Wen. Eyes half-lidded, she leaned in closer, lips parted…
He shuddered again. It wasn’t right. Princess Kaiya was his betrothed. They’d p
romised each other. They would find some way to get married, despite his disgrace and banishment… if she didn’t hate him, after what had happened. So why had he dreamed about kissing Wen? She was a pretty woman, but one he’d just met.
Sunlight streamed in through the window, the angle indicating it was mid-morning. He’d overslept, and the evil half-elf hadn’t woken him at dawn like the past few days. Pushing aside the covers, he rose from his bedroll. His neck and back ached. How he missed his fluffy bed. He shook out the numbness in his hand and scanned the little room.
Jie was curled into a ball, asleep on her own bedroll! It didn’t seem possible for the slave driver not to wake at dawn. And now, her expression looked relaxed. Gone was the mischievous glint in her eyes and the naughty grin. She looked almost… angelic.
Well, no matter what, she wasn’t supposed to sleep so late. The clan courier must’ve come and gone already. Tian knelt down to wake—
Jie seized him by the fold of his robe and pulled him down. Something cold pressed into his throat. Her sharp glare softened, and she released him. “Don’t sneak up on me like that.”
“I wasn’t sneaking.” Tian waved both hands back and forth. “I was just coming to wake you up. Wen and Yuna will be here soon.”
Eyes widening, Jie bolted onto her feet. She was wearing the stealth suit from the night before, though it had a few new dust smudges. Her head darted left to right. “The courier?”
Tian shrugged. “He must’ve picked up the messages and left.”
Jie sucked on her lower lip, as she tended to do when pondering something. Then she beckoned him.
He followed her back to the evidence room, where she stared at his layout of the Chrysanthemum Pavilion. “The second shooter… you’re sure there’s a remote possibility of her hitting Lord Ting from the edge of the veranda?”
“Her?”
Jie’s expression turned serious. “I think I know who our mysterious assassin is, but I need you to confirm this.”
Tian tapped his chin, creating a fused image of the Chrysanthemum Pavilion and the Peony Garden in his head. The shooter would have to arc the shot, and it would have to clear the top of the archway. With heavier eldarwood, even the Founder’s Consort would need a touch of luck, but… “With a yue arrow, it’s possible, but very difficult.”
Taking a deep breath, Jie placed her hand on his shoulder. “Last night, I learned that Wen is head of the Red Dragons.”
No. Not Wen. One of the few people who’d ever been nice to him. Tian shook his head. “It can’t be. It’s not possible.”
She placed her other hand on his other shoulder. “It’s true. I saw her, myself. The question is, could she have been the second shooter?”
Shaking his head, Tian plopped onto his butt. “Why would she?”
“To make money. To have power over men.”
People weren’t supposed to be like that. “But how? How could she lead Triads if she is in the Floating World?”
Jie nodded. “I thought the same thing. She was wearing a mask—”
“Then how can you be sure it is her?”
“It was her voice. She—”
Tian held up a hand. “Would Triads let a woman lead them?”
“Maybe that’s why she wears a mask. She used our clan’s Mockingbird’s Deception technique to mimic a male’s voice. Not only that, she smelled like the Peony Garden. She used Black Lotus techniques, and was even able to dodge a tight barrage of my throwing stars with her back turned.”
That sounded near impossible. Jie had demonstrated her proficiency with throwing two days ago, and it had made him squirm. He gave a slow nod.
“And to top it off,” she said, “the gate guards of the Peony Garden let her in. I suspect she might be a body double.”
Tian’s forehead crinkled. “What’s that?”
“She takes the role of the Red Dragon’s leader, Faceless Chang, when he can’t be somewhere he needs to be.”
“Like the Steel Orchids?” The Black Lotus girls all spoke of the legendary sisters in reverent tones, how they’d swapped places.
“Similar, except they were identical twins. They didn’t need a mask. As for Wen—” Jie froze, ears twitching.
Tian looked around.
Jie put a finger to her lips, then made a series of hand signals, of which only coming was familiar. She then slunk without a sound to the open door.
Someone was coming. Wen? Tian didn’t hear anything except the muffled conversations outside. His eyes strayed to the rack of toxins, organized in colored glass vials.
Jie relaxed, even before the newcomer’s shadow crossed the threshold. “It’s Yuna.”
As if on cue, Yuna slunk in and saluted with a fist in her palm. “Elder Sister Jie, I’m here for our lesson. And here’s a message from the courier. I was surprised you didn’t retrieve it already.” She held out a piece of paper, folded in an intricate pattern. She turned to Tian and gave him a slight nod.
“Where is Wen?” Jie asked, tone urgent. “The Gardener let you out without a Blossom?”
Yuna grinned. “I wouldn’t say let me out. Elder Sister Wen had to speak with the Gardener, and sent me ahead so I wouldn’t be late.”
Tian swallowed hard. It was certainly suspicious. He exchanged glances with Jie.
She took the message and unfolded it, and her eyes roved over it. He snuck a glance, but it was all gibberish.
“What is it?” Tian asked.
Jie passed it over, as if he could read it. “Details about Jinjing Lumber. It’s registered to a shell company, Jinjing Holdings.”
Did they sell shells? Tian tapped his chin.
“Their taxes don’t suggest massive windfalls from illegal yue.”
It made sense now. “Because they are moving it to the Peony Garden ledgers.”
“Laundering.” With a nod, Jie turned to Yuna. “Yuna, have you ever seen an opera mask of Yan Luo in Wen’s possession?”
The girl tilted her head. “I don’t think so.”
“What about a heavy red cloak?”
She shook her head.
Tian gave a satisfied nod. “See?”
“That doesn’t mean she doesn’t have them.” Jie shook her head. “It might be hidden somewhere.”
“What’s going on?” Confusion scrawled across Yuna’s pretty face.
Jie searched Yuna’s eyes. “Are there times when you can’t account for Wen?”
Yuna’s brow furrowed. “When she’s in the privy…”
Heat rose to Tian’s face. He fought to keep an image of Princess Kaiya in the privy from surfacing.
“…and at night, after a Hummingbird has left, when she’s sleeping.”
“Which coincides with the time I might have seen her last night.” Jie sucked on her lower lip and let it out with a pop. “Yuna, I suspect Wen might be a traitor.”
Blood drained from Yuna’s face as she shook her head. “It can’t be.”
Sniffling, Jie patted her on the head. “I know. I felt the same about Lilian’s betrayal. We can’t let it happen again.”
“But…” Yuna’s shoulders shuddered, and tears welled in her eyes.
Jie wrapped her in an embrace and stroked the back of her head.
Tian swallowed hard. All this closeness was so strange. He’d never hugged any of his three brothers before.
“What’s the matter?” Wen’s melodic voice came from the doorway.
Jie looked up, eyes widening. A blade flashed in her hand, which she thrust behind her back.
Tian followed her gaze.
Wearing grey pants and matching tunic, Wen walked into the room, slightly favoring her left leg. Though still pretty, her look was different without a dress and makeup.
Jie’s gaze locked on Wen’s legs. “Why are you limping?”
“I saw Secretary Geng, and then Lord Xun last night.” Wen rolled her eyes. “They were both particularly vigorous.”
Why would vigorous kissing make Wen limp? Tian shuffled on h
is feet.
“You entertained both in one night?” Jie asked. “That’s not normal.”
Wen shrugged. “It was chaos last night.”
“That’s strange.” Jie looked to Yuna. “Between the Gardener and Florist, all Floating World Houses run like well-oiled dwarf gears. Especially the Peony Garden.”
Tian tapped his chin. Reading people didn’t come easily, but Wen’s expression looked bewildered.
In a blink of an eye, Jie darted in and hooked the back of Wen’s knees. With a tilt of her shoulder, she drove Wen to the ground and started to shimmy up so that she sat on Wen’s stomach. Seizing Jie’s arm, Wen bucked her hips and sent the half-elf tumbling to the side, then straddled her.
“Elder Sister!” Wen said. “What’s going on?”
“You tell me.” Jie clutched one of Wen’s arms, then started to wrap her legs around it. Wen bent her elbow and rolled over so that the two girls were entangled. It looked like a wrestling match he’d once seen in a demonstration at the imperial court, between the ruddy-skinned horse riders from the northeast plains.
He looked over to Yuna, who, wide-eyed, covered her mouth with both hands.
“Please stop!” she shrieked.
The two flipped, with both securing each other’s ankles in the crooks of their elbows. Both arched their backs, faces contorted.
There was an explanation for what had happened, though. He just had to get them to stop.
There, on a rack, was the musk-scented toxin that would make a woman euphoric before she passed out.
***
Jie’s ankle burned as Wen cranked it, and she must’ve been feeling the same pain. It’d been years since they’d grappled, and Wen had improved. She’d recovered quickly from Jie’s surprise attack, and neither had since gotten the upper hand. At this rate, they’d both end up with torn tendons.
For her part, Yuna was utterly useless, just standing there screaming. Tian, was now approaching though, what little good he could do with his lack of fighting skills. He’d probably only make things worse.
He touched her. The scent of musk hung around him. The little fool had used the female toxin on her!
Her vision narrowed and her head buzzed. Then all went black.