Chapter 167 - Personal Issues

A chill ran down Finn’s spine as he digested Zwei’s words and the manner in which he had spoken them. There was no doubt about it, Zwei had somehow become an Exalted. What other explanation could there be for what had happened just now?

Finn did not know how Zwei had hidden his presence from Chief Vox and the two investigators, but he had a good guess.

The darkness swirling in Zwei’s eyes and the cold aura surrounding him was eerily reminiscent of Locke. Zwei had clearly overcome the shadow infection and in the process had gained a deeper understanding of the events surrounding Locke’s death.

Overcome… or been consumed by.

Locke had been compromised by Gantt. Finn thought quietly, going over Zwei’s words. This explains how Chief Vox found this location… It also confirms that he is connected to the forces working against us, and that Gantt is the mastermind behind all of this.

Zwei had previously singled out Chief Bear as the mole, but now it appeared that Chief Vox was one as well. How far did this corruption reach?

Was every Chief of Police other than Chief Fang compromised?

“The lone wolf feeds on carrion, while the pack feasts on meat.” Chief Vox said suddenly, breaking the silence.

Finn rose an eyebrow as he side glanced at the Chief. The Chief’s gaze remained forward, watching the offers examine the corpse without looking at Finn at all. His hands were clasped casually behind his back.

Finn measured his words before responding, “Twilight on the Cracked Lands, by Wu He.”

“That’s wrong.” Chief Vox shook his head in mild disappointment, “You’re not supposed to tell me the source. You’re supposed to reflect on the meaning of the passage.”

“If you have something to say, say it directly.” Finn replied, “I don’t care to play games.”

“Neither do I.” Chief Vox said.

Based on the tone of Vox’s voice, Finn assumed that the Chief was done talking to him. This was perhaps not the ideal position for Finn to be in, but it was the safest. If he cooperated, there was a chance that Chief Vox would let him go, but in Finn’s mind that chance was slim.

If Chief Vox truly was on the opposing side, there was no way Finn would be allowed to leave. Furthermore, any information or clues that Finn provided to Chief Vox could incriminate himself and Chief Fang.

Therefore, Finn resolved to remain silent. If he ended up being detained for it, hopefully Chief Fang or Zwei would discover his situation and come to his aid.

“Chief Bear is dead.” Vox said out of the blue, “He was murdered last night.”

The news caught Finn off guard, though he easily kept a straight face.

Chief Vox continued, “Two days ago Chief Bear came to me and told me to keep an eye on this neighborhood. He told me that there was suspicious activity in this area, though he didn’t specify what. Now Chief Bear is dead, and the following morning I receive a report that two individuals entered an abandoned house in the area Bear warned me about, and that even after an hour they didn’t leave.”

“Do you mean to imply something through this narrative, Chief?” Finn asked neutrally.

“If you mean to ask whether am I suggesting that you had a part in Bear’s death… I can’t say I have any evidence to support such a theory. Only a hunch.”

Of course, Finn knew nothing about Chief Bear’s death. He only knew that Chief Bear was a mole in the force. Given that his whereabouts the previous night were known and could be confirmed by multiple officers, Finn could easily provide an alibi, at least when it came to anything regarding the Chief’s death.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“If you’re trying to get me to divulge some information to ‘clear’ myself, I’m afraid that won’t work.” Finn replied.

“Of course, of course. But since you are so adamant about maintaining your mission’s confidentiality, I’m sure you understand that I can only assume the worst.” Chief Vox said, “With no additional information, I can’t let you walk free.”

“You don’t have the authority to detain me.” Finn said.

“Normally, no.” Chief Vox said, motioning for one of the officers to come over, “But under special circumstances, such as the death of a Chief, I can if I think it’s in the best interests of the nation.”

The officer raised his hand, causing a rift to form in mid air in front of Finn. The space beyond was pitch black, with no indication of where or what the rift led to.

“It’s your choice, Finn. I don’t care either way.” Vox said, “You can cooperate with me, or you can wait until I’m ready to deal with you.”

“Don’t take too long.” Finn frowned, “My superior will be looking for me.”

“If you tell me who it is, I’ll be sure to pass them a message.” Vox replied. When Finn offered no response he sighed, “You won’t even give me that? That’s too bad.”

Vox nodded to the officer controlling the rift. The black portal flew over to Finn and engulfed him. The rift closed around him and he disappeared from the physical world.

Chief Vox’s lip curled up in an impressed smirk as his eyes lingered on the spot where Finn had just been.

“He didn’t even flinch.”

~

In the Chenmai Forest, the afternoon sun shone high overhead as a long line of carts and covered carriages rumbled down a wide dirt path. Dense, wild undergrowth lined either side of the path, but the path itself was completely free of obstruction. There weren’t even any tree roots poking up out of the ground.

In addition to the carts there was quite a number of people walking down the path. Many of them were hiking in small groups, carrying small day packs, but there were also a number of people carrying materials and pulling hand carts. The caravan itself was not moving much faster than walking pace, but they waved to the people that they passed and exchanged pleasantries.

It was clear that all the people on this path were on their way to the White Maiden’s shrine. There were even a small number of people that were already on their way back after paying their visits in the morning.

A number of the workers didn’t ride the carts but walked alongside. At some point the charismatic Tua Kong walked up beside the cart that Xiang and Yuzu were riding. His talisman-covered staff fluttered in the wind as he used it as a walking stick.

Yuzu had her eyes closed and head bowed, her face hidden by the shadow of her sunhat. In her lap all bundled up was Rabbit. Xiang sat beside Yuzu as she napped against his arm.

“How is your sister and the girl holding up?” Tua Kong smiled and nodded at Xiang.

“They are doing fine.” Xiang said, looking around, “I don’t recall there being a path like this into the forest, but it looks extremely well maintained. I thought you said that you only started gathering people this morning.”

“That’s right.” Tua Kong said, “The path appeared overnight in the forest. The ground is flat and solid enough for carts to travel on, and it is free of roots or overgrowth. No one can explain it.”

“I don’t believe you.” Xiang said, his eyebrows knitting together incredulously.

“I don’t believe it either.” Tua Kong shrugged, “But here we are, walking on it. But do you know the most amazing thing? This path leads straight to the shrine of the White Maiden, which no one knew about until a few days ago…”

As they conversed, Yuzu continued to ‘sleep’ in the cart. She was not actually resting, and even if she wanted to it would be impossible.

This was because the illusory spots of light and prayer whispers around her became more vivid and numerous the further they traveled into the forest. A vibrant tapestry of fate strings laid out a golden carpet for Yuzu as she made her way to the shrine.

Pretending to be asleep in the cart, Yuzu listened intently to the prayers of her believers. To her surprise, though there were quite a number of followers praying to her for healing, there were even more who had come to thank her and show their gratitude. They shared the stories of their struggles and hardships in the past week, the loved ones that they had lost, the terror that they had experienced, the homes that had been destroyed by the vines. They prayed to her for guidance and support.

Many of these people weren’t even asking for much. Enough money to survive and pay for medicine. Reunion with their missing loved ones. Food to eat, and warm places to sleep. There was one girl who had been saved by a man and wanted to find him to thank him. Many of these would be easy to provide with just a few tweaks of the fate strings.

Yuzu mulled over the prayers with a frown on her lips. All these people were praying to her for help, and yet she was not able to help them. Sure, perhaps she could guide the threads of one or two or a dozen people. She could probably make life pretty great for a select few if she wanted to.

It was upsetting.

Who said I’d help you with those problems? Yuzu wanted to yell at them. There’s only one thing I said I’d help with, and that’s Devil eyes!

Why is this girl asking me to hook her up with her savior? Does she think the White Maiden is a love counselor?

I’m not your landlord! Don’t come to me about your personal issues!