Wuxian’s gaze swept across the note from top to bottom for the tenth time. Settling his alert state, calming himself through measured breaths, he transferred his attention to the previous bearer of the note, Zhang Baofu.

The man in question, initially stunned by the magic that had just transpired - the movement of the note via ephemeral energy - was now forced to contend with Wuxian’s intense stare. Even though Wuxian was not yet a fully-fledged immortal, being only at the Qi Condensation stage, his shallow connection to the Dao and his natural bearing made it difficult for a mere mortal such as Zhang Baofu to endure such a charged gaze.

Especially for a mortal as decrepit and husk-like as this.

Constable Tie, also regaining his bearing, cleared his throat gingerly, loud enough to be heard, but at the same time conveying his lack of confidence.

Wuxian was brought back to lucidity at the sound of the chief constable’s gravelly voice, subconsciously releasing a hot and misty exhale. He blinked, clearing his mind, pocketing the note securely into his inner chest pocket. Not fully calmed, but rational enough to understand his priorities, Wuxian took a step back, giving Zhang Baofu distance to breathe.

“This note was addressed to me.” He stated matter-of-factly.

Zhang Baofu, whose throat had long since turned dry - partly due to lack of hydration and now due to what felt like a close brush with death - swallowed audibly, nodding skittishly.

“O-of course, lord immortal.”

Wuxian was slightly taken aback at the form of address, but ultimately remained steadfast. He couldn’t be bothered to correct the old guardsman, especially since this misconceived assumption of Zhang’s would undoubtedly prove to be useful.

“Who gave this to you?” He asked straightforwardly.

“I-I don’t know.” Zhang Baofu stuttered, gulping a second time. Not giving Wuxian a chance to flare up, he quickly added, “It appeared in my house after it was raided and Yawu was kidnapped.”

“Yawu is the girl’s name.” Constable Tie added helpfully, having partially regained his bearings. Wuxian shot him a look. Tie understood the message behind it. “Of course, my interruption was unnecessary. You could have figured that out easily.”

“…”

Scratching his ear apprehensively, Tie took a few steps back, saluting both men before him. “Allow me to excuse myself. I’ll go and pour some tea.”

Without bothering to wait for Zhang Baofu or Wuxian’s response, constable Tie quickly gestured at the pretty duty officer, the two of them disappearing into the back of the office.

Turning back to look at Zhang Baofu, Wuxian realised that he was coming across too aggressively, despite having already attempted to dial himself down a few notches. He was about to apologise, only to hold himself - a real immortal would not do such a thing to a mortal, especially when no real harm was done.

Or at least, that was his impression of how an immortal would have responded.

“Do you have any ideas as to who may have broken into your house?”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Zhang Baofu hesitated. It was unknown as to what he was thinking. Eventually, the man returned a delayed nod, portraying his lack of certainty.

“My house is on the turf of the Black Hand gang. Unless the newcomers on the block, the Yellow gang, decided to go on the offensive, it was likely to have been the doing of the Black Hands.”

Wuxian touched his chin contemplatively. Zhang Baofu’s quick and composed response showed that he had considered the matter long before their meeting. A natural development - who didn’t want to know the culprit behind their misfortune?

“An aggressive attack targeting someone unaffiliated with anybody influential, a mere civilian, in an established gang’s home ground is foolish. It is unlikely that this was the Yellow gang’s doing.” Wuxian corrected. Of course, there were many other reasons he could think of, but it was unnecessary for him to explain all of them to Zhang Baofu.

Wuxian’s goal was two-fold. Directly asking Zhang Baofu about these matters might make things more difficult. In the case that the man really had gotten entangled with people of influence, directly taking the role of the arrogant investigator and subtly belittling him might cause Zhang Baofu to expose himself, either through body language or through words.

And in Wuxian’s estimation, being arrogant would continue to reinforce his false persona of being a ‘lord immortal’. Acting any differently might cause any doubts within Zhang Baofu’s mind to surface.

Back to the topic. Associating with gangs was illegal in Cang’An city. Nominally at least. Unlike the big shots of the city, for a small fry like Zhang Baofu, if this association were to be exposed under the light of justice, the upturning of his house might soon become the smallest of his problems. It was natural for him to not want to admit this, especially not in front of a ‘lord immortal’.

Besides, his prior behaviour had already shown that if he did know anything else about the matter that he was not letting on, he did not want to share, leading Wuxian to this conclusion. But Wuxian was not interested in persecuting the victim, only in the advancement of the case and the potential acquisition of further leads on the gangs that might eventually shed light on the miracle cure.

Though unlikely, the involvement of the gangs might yield more than met the eye.

Wuxian’s second motive in asking the question was linked to the first. It was to gauge Zhang Baofu’s cunning, as well as his awareness of the situation. By understanding the man before him thoroughly, Wuxian would be able to gain the upper hand in their future exchanges. It was evident what sort of advantages he could gain.

Zhang Baofu’s eyes widened and he bowed slightly, “forgive my shortsightedness, lord immortal, what you say makes sense.”

Wuxian adopted an uncaring demeanour, merely placing a hand behind his back. Despite having attempted to feel the other person out, Wuxian quickly realised he was out of his depth. He had never attempted anything similar before and Zhang Baofu’s servile attitude actually backfired on Wuxian’s original intention too - it was too difficult for him to read.

He adjusted his position slightly, peeking down the corridor out of the periphery of his eyes. Chief constable Tie was nowhere in sight. It seemed that getting the assistance of a spymaster or presumably practised detective wasn’t on the table for now.

Wuxian silently cursed himself. He had created the persona of a lofty immortal who didn’t need the service of mortals, sending away the highest ranking officer. Should he immediately backpedal in front of Zhang, well, all of his earlier effort would be for nought.

‘But then again, why keep digging? This arrogant personage does little for me. In fact, portraying leniency may be more effective. Might as well drop the act now and fix things up now while I have the opportunity rather than later, where it may not be as convenient.’

Suddenly, Wuxian’s unfeeling visage and attitude changed, becoming warmer and more natural. Zhang Baofu, who felt like he was standing at trial moments before, felt as if he’d suddenly been transported into a sunny meadow.

“Let’s start over.” Wuxian offered, attempting to mimic the omnipresent half-smile that chief Li used. “And let’s get one thing straight. I am not your enemy. I do not care about what misdeeds you may or may not have done - the trifles of the mortal world are of no interest to me.”

Seeing that Zhang Baofu was listening closely, Wuxian nodded in slight satisfaction before continuing.

“I have suffered an injury caused by immortal methods, causing part of my memories to be sealed away. The note you carried has helped me remember some things from my past - it is imperative that I find out who gave this to you.” He lied. “At the same time, with my abilities, it is easy for me to rescue Yawu. All I need is information.”

Zhang Baofu’s expression morphed into one of tempered joy. He cupped his hands and bowed sincerely. Wuxian motioned for him to stop - the feeling of receiving gratitude, especially after lying, left a bad taste behind.

To clarify, however. Wuxian did intend to rescue the girl. But returning her to this Zhang Baofu was up in the air. Were he a good man with pure intentions, then Wuxian had no qualms. But no favours came freely. For an unconnected urchin like Yawu, it was easy to be exploited by others and the sceptic within Wuxian urged caution.

Despite his smile, Wuxian’s eyes concealed a calculating gaze.

‘If I am to save someone, then I shall do it thoroughly. There’s no point in fighting the wolves only to return her to the tiger’s den.”

Oblivious to all this, Zhang Baofu gave one last genuine bow. “Then your word is my command. Please instruct me.”

“Very good. Let’s not waste time.” Wuxian replied, gesturing for Zhang Baofu to return to his seat. “First thing’s first. Have you had any trouble with the Black Hand Gang that might elicit such a reaction? If so, is there any individual that comes to mind?”