Jian had to admit as the day wore on that Jinghua had been right. Once he was attired as a rich young master, the two of them were able to stroll through the shopping district without attracting so much as a dirty look. Jinghua's beauty still captured many eyes, and Jian received his fair share of envious gazes, but now that he looked the part nobody dared to treat him as outright unworthy. The pair of them received attentive and solicitous service at every boutique they visited.

True to her word, Jinghua was not willing to purchase everything at once and have done with it. Instead, they commissioned a robe here and an outfit there, one or two at every store. Jian gradually got used to the sensation of being measured, though part of him wondered why they couldn't simply have gathered the appropriate set of numbers from the first shopkeeper and then handed them over at each fresh stop.

In order to fill the idle time, the two of them drifted back to their one point of common ground and began swapping stories of Meirong's antics. It soon became clear that simply knowing Meirong wasn't the only point of familiarity. Jinghua seemed to have taken on what used to be Jian's role as the caretaker who followed along in Meirong's wake and tried to clean up the mess she left behind. It was hard for Jian to fully enjoy the amusing tales of Meirong's troubles at the sect considering the state of their relationship, but part of him was glad that she had found such a reliable friend. Although, considering that Meirong's ability to find trouble had increased along with her cultivation, he was a little worried that she was being left to her own devices for so long at Baolei Town.

However ambiguous his feelings, the stories did help set Jian's mind at ease in one respect. He had devoted more than a few sleepless nights trying to figure out Meirong's aim in coming to the Guo family as she had. Now, though, reminded of her personality, he felt he had been overthinking it. She had done as she willed because she willed it. Trying to read a deeper meaning into her behavior was futile.

The shopping continued to the point that Jian began to worry that his artificial heart wouldn't be able to keep up. Fortunately, with the help of a little focused meditation he was able to keep going until dinner. It was strange, dining alone with another woman with his fiancee's blessing. He couldn't imagine that many women would be happy with their betrothed spending a whole day alone with a woman like Jinghua.

Not that her behavior was at all inappropriate. Indeed, she was the very soul of propriety. Having spent enough time together, Jian was well aware of her charm, but to be honest he thought of her more like a sister or a friend than a love interest. It was easy enough to stay on his best behavior even without considering the fact that in his physical state making unwanted advances on a competent cultivator would inevitably end in death or humiliation.

All in all, dinner was a relatively quiet affair. They were both drained after such a long day. It was a companionable silence, and Jian nursed the hope in his heart that he had gained an ally who might help to moderate Meirong's future acts of caprice.

They had separate rooms in the hotel for the night. The clothing they had ordered had begun to be delivered by the time they were done with dinner. By the time Jian was ready to leave the next morning, the entire bounty of their shopping trip had been packed away in his hired carriage. 

Jinghua had left earlier, but only after she arranged for Jian on her way out. For his part, he put his disguise in place, complete with a new, dignified set of silk robes. A fine rented carriage was waiting for him, driven by one of Meirong's servants. As always, Jian moved slowly, with the care of an old man with aching joints. It was only partly an act. After the previous day, Jian didn't want to put too much stress on his body as it labored under the burden of his artificial heart.

Jian found himself missing a conversation partner as the chariot continued back toward Baolei Town. While it was a fine conveyance, the ride wasn't quite as smooth as it had been the previous day, so a nap was out of the question. Besides, he had slept quite well at the hotel. Despite his disguise, he wasn't actually so old as to require frequent naps. With nothing else to do, he withdrew the scroll Meirong had given him and began to read.

It took Jian half the trip to decipher the technical language in which it was written and begin to understand what it was telling him. Once it finally sunk in, he had to set the scroll aside for a moment and look out the window at the passing landscape to settle himself. The material inside was disquieting on several levels.

Jian had long been familiar with the idea of other planes of existence. It was the goal of all cultivators to transgress the bounds of mortality, ultimately culminating in ascension beyond the mortal plane. He hadn't imagined that the nature of other planes was something that would ever concern him, and certainly not during his first century of life.

According to the scroll, phenomena such as the demonic miasma of the Devil's teeth and the bloody mists of the Verdant Doom were not natural occurrences or even the result of some ordinary twisting of spiritual energy. Instead, they were caused by other planes drawing too near to the mortal plane. Each plane attempted to overwrite the rules of the other at these intersections. The scourge of the bloody mists was a mere side effect of a foreign plane attempting to enforce its own rules.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

Besides being terrifying in its own right, the further implications were even more unsettling. Whoever Jian was investigating, they would necessarily be working hand in hand with extra-planar forces, presumably attempting to further the attempt to take over a portion of his own plane, in exchange for power or riches. It was hard for Jian to wrap his mind around the level of depravity required to accept that sort of bargain.

He would have thought that such a person would be openly off-putting to others in their day to day lives, and yet the mists were spreading and Meirong's initial cursory investigation of the situation had come up empty. Jian was up against a foe who was willing to go against the natural order and well practiced at hiding their true nature.

Part of him had been looking forward to the fun of pulling the wool over the eyes of the movers and shakers of Baolei Town. The information on the scroll was a sobering reminder that he was embarking on a mission that was deadly serious. Not that he couldn't enjoy himself, but he'd need to be cautious around the sort of person who didn't scruple at this kind of atrocity.

Jian took a deep breath and turned back to the scroll. Once he was past the background information, the latter section of the scroll had helpful notes concerning the types of formations that had been designed to interact with other planes. Not enough for Jian to put anything of the sort together himself—not that he would—but enough that he could recognize such formations for what they were should he encounter them.

He had finished with the scroll and put it away by the time the carriage first rolled to a stop. Jian looked outside to find Shan waiting for him by the side of the road, together with a trunk containing his belongings. Shan worked together with the driver to secure his luggage on top of the carriage before hopping inside.

Shan looked at Jian for a moment, then sighed. "We're really doing this?"

"We're being paid," Jian said, then paused. "Well, I'm being paid. I'll pay you."

Jian knew that Shan had tagged along partly to keep him safe, but he had always done his best to make sure that their trips were mutually beneficial. In order to complete Meirong's mission, he had dragged Shan into an arduous task for which he wouldn't receive any reward. Meanwhile, Jian was receiving a valuable reward. It was only fair that he spread some wealth around.

"The money's not the point," Shan said. "Do you really want to work with her?"

"What I want hasn't had much to do with my life for a while," Jian said, then shrugged. "If cooperation will get her to come with me to her grandfather and call off the engagement, then it's a small price to pay."

Jian hadn't set out on this trip expecting to join forces with Meirong. Once her grandfather had set forth his terms for ending the engagement, though, it was inevitable that he would at least have to try to get her to cooperate. The level of cooperation they were engaging in was more extensive than Jian had ever imagined, but it wasn't like he was against working with her in principle.

Shan didn't look fully persuaded, but didn't press the point. "Are you sure you can do this?"

Jian nodded. "We'll only do what we can do. If we can't find anything without risking our necks, then I'll hand back the living jade and we'll walk away."

Jian had signed up for this whole endeavor in order to secure a quiet life with all his ties to Meirong honorably severed. He wasn't so desperate that he would take serious risks to his own safety just to benefit Meirong. As soon as the danger outweighed the gains, he would give up.

Shan sighed once more. "At least you're still a little sensible."

Jian bit back his instinctive reply. He'd always been sensible. Sometimes he wondered if his friend understood the concept of a calculated risk.

"Do you understand your role?" Jian asked. He was confident in his own ability to bluff. Shan's generally honest nature was usually a blessing, but it was a little worrisome for the situation they were soon to face.

"Yeah, yeah," Shan said. "Grandson to the great master Zhou."

Jian nodded. "You'll be speaking for me most of the time."

He wasn't too worried about that side of things. He and Shan knew each other well enough that spoken instruction was largely superfluous. Jian would be able to get his point across without resorting to speech.

"Listening and watching, too," Jian said. "You'll be able to wander around the compound a lot easier than I will."

Shan nodded. "Servants are always beneath notice."

"Don't push it, though," Jian said. "If you see something suspicious, remember it, but don't take any risks following people around."

"I know, I know," Shan said. "I'm not the guy who decided it was a good idea to ride down a rockslide. I know my limits."

Jian waved a hand dismissively. As long as Shan was careful, it wasn't worth quibbling over their shared history.

They rode together in companionable silence as the carriage navigated its way through Baolei Town. They finally clattered to a halt just outside the city lord's compound. Despite his confidence, Jian found himself holding his breath. Riding straight up to the gate and expecting to be admitted was rather bold.

"He's finally here!"

Jian relaxed when he heard Meirong call out. It was a relief to be able to benefit from her willfulness for once.