While letting his ribs finish healing and dodging Mei Liang, John had a fair amount of leisure time. Even with cultivating in small chunks throughout the day there were still many hours to burn. Having finished the few books available and not having the force of will to memorize plants and beast characteristics for more than a few hours a day, John donned the mask of Guo Jing and went searching for gossip. He’d found a slightly more upscale tavern that catered to merchants, and while he took any financial advice with a block of salt, he began to get a feel for the local economy and infrastructure. The soil and qi density, save for a few private farms and formation aided fields, were poor in Stone Forest, so traders did brisk trade in foodstuffs from the more fertile interior of the kingdom. Poison and earth essence beast cores where as common as stones on the ground due to the nature of the petrified wasteland, so they were of course a major export, with several factors placing open bounties for volume contracts to local mercenary groups and clans. Low level spirit beast hordes where a twice a decade hazard that the army and cultivation clans where forced to contribute against, the most recent wave being ust a few years ago so not something he needed to worry about if usual patterns held. The weather here was arid but temperate, and the water table was surprisingly shallow, so other than a preponderance of dust there was few weather or environmental hazards that threatened his livelihood.

A few streets further slum side and John tried to get a hold of the experiences of the urban poor. Here he was surprised to find that the City Lord was something of a progressive thinker, or at least was advised by one. Apparently he had replaced the old lord a little over a decade ago after the bastard was caught skimming taxes with too heavy a hand while bleeding the populace and travelers with extra fees and penalties. There had apparently almost been a peasant revolt, and when dealing with standing populations of close to a million in the city and tributary villages and towns, that can lead to a lot of dead cultivators and wasted resources for the state.

The first year under Cheng Mu’s administration was strict but fair, and in the wake of his exhaustive census he had developed several social services that wouldn’t have been out of place on Earth. He used the new tax surplus from confiscating his predecessors assets and estates to upgrade the sewers and water system, put in place subsidies for common foodstuffs over cash crops, established public baths and arranged tax credits to healing houses to provide interventions in the poorer districts, and even placed oversight over rental and transient housing rates. With a healthy and motivated underclass the economy was flourishing, and men who had thought of bloody rebellion sang his praises.

‘This guy is good.’ John mused to himself as he bought a round before pretending to stumble home for the night. ‘I’ll have to check dad’s little black book… Chu Chang’s… dammit… it’s getting harder to separate my past from Chu Feng’s. I’m still John Penn, I won that battle back on day one, but we are starting to fuse a bit. At this point I’m starting to doubt whether I should keep mental vigilance over the matter, other than a few motivational issues and career tunnel vision the bleed over isn’t having much of an impact. The physical issues of being a 14 year old are much worse. It’s probably because my own childhood is such a blank slate that his memories are just slotting in for mine.’

Concerned as John was with his burgeoning identity crisis, he didn’t noticed the man who’d quickly quaffed his free drink before following John out the door. The evening cast the street in shadows and night torches and watchmen were few and far between. John took a turn down an alley that led to the main boulevard and back to his inn, but before he’d made it a quarter of the way his face was pressed sharply into the rough sandstone blocks of the building to his left as he felt something sharp pressing through the thin fabric of his shirt.

“All right little blushing beauty, drop yer purse and I won’t bleed you too badly.”

John berated himself for losing track of his surroundings as he unloosed the small pouch from inside his shirt, tossing it to the side without a moment’s hesitation. He carried just enough to make sure any thief was satisfied without getting greedy, 2 silvers worth of rings and one note, two week’s wages for a skilled laborer.

“That’s all I’ve got friend, I’d rather not bleed at all if you don’t mind terribly.”

This was John’s fifth mugging counting his previous life, but his first in this one. A piece of Chu Feng sent a flare of indignant anger but it was crushed by John’s life of cold pragmatism. He had no value for face, only his life. Hell he blamed himself for being clumsy enough to mark himself as a target. More worrisome was that this man recognized him as the bashful lad at the Wild Hare, which meant that when he only got three silvers…

“I don’t ken that you’re any friend of mine with this sham of a purse on you. Fine fellow like you that can laze in taverns and drink all day should be more prepared to stand his friends a drink, I thinks. No, for two or three taels silver I think my knife is right thirsty.”

‘Shit. Now I have to either let him fleece me deeper, run and waste qi and hope he isn’t trained, or kill this guy without showing off my hoard.’

John cursed himself for letting down his guard while fishing for information. None of what he’d learned was worth exposing himself before he had his strength up, and if he had just took the teasing he could have gotten much of it at his own damn inn.

“Well we can’t let anyone go thirsty, though I’d rather slake yours than your knife’s. I’m assuming that since you’re still talking and I’m not bleedi.. ugh… bleeding much that you have a suggestion on how to correct my poor hospitality?”

John ignored the small trickle of blood and his growing anger while he prepared to use his movement technique at the first opportunity.

“Pretty smart lad.” The thief’s voice stayed even and mocking as he reached up and ground John’s face into the building while turning him back to face the alley entrance, revealing a smiling young girl around his apparent age who waved a friendly greeting. “My young friend here is going to help the sadly drunken you to your room. For this service you will pay her handsome like or she’s like to shiv you deeply. Which would be a shame as she just happened to treat the blade with Seven Stripe Adder venom this morning, didn’t ya lass?”

“Sure did chief.” The girl chirped in cheerful affirmation. The dumber part of John, probably Chu Feng (‘Wow being indignant at one’s self is a weird sensation.’), couldn’t help but note that she was rather pretty, with a slim athletic build and sweet face. However the shimmering sheen of oil on her small dirk pulled the stammering session before it could begin.

‘Well at least combat mode is in play, small favors I guess. How do I wanna do this? I’ll not have a chance to break before she’s in knife range, and I have no defense or aid against fast acting poisons. I’m going to have to make a play with either my blade and talismans, or just hope they don’t intend to kill me after and pay her off. I have about 3 gold in ready cash under the pillow, which is a pretty big score, but… I’m worried they’re the greedy type and will try to go through my trunk… I can’t let that happen.’

John knew this was a kill or be killed world, but he hadn’t thought he would be put in this situation so quickly. His mind raced as he was posed against the girl, her hand and knife under his cloak while she ‘supported him,’ his anxiety over being forced to make this choice lending a credible pallor to his expression and a shake to his step. The man had faded back into the shadows tailing them, while the girl rolled her eyes at his apparent fear and quipped. “Oh grow a pair you big baby, I’ll not cut you if you’re smart. Sure you’ll have to run back to daddy sooner than you thought, but you’ll have learned some valuable life lessons. Like not to be careless and have money lying about, or turn into a stuttering mess around boobs. I think your gold is well worth our tuition.”

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She gave a decisive nod at her little speech, before her eyes narrowed and he felt pressure from her dagger. “And why aren’t you blushing at me, hmm? You don’t think I’m pretty like that cow Mei Liang or the slut Li Chunhua at Even Scales?”

Giving a little shrug, mind still spinning in possible outcomes and the sick thought of getting blood on his hands, John didn’t notice that he’d started to whisper. “I think you’re very pretty, but I never had my problems with women during spars. Also my parents are dead and I’m on the run from my vile murderous relatives, and I’m worried I’ll have to waste my defensive talisman killing you and your partner to hide my secrets, so I’m too distracted to be much fussed by your lithe form and lovely face.”

She stopped dead with a confused blush that quickly turned to pale blankness while John staggered a step before what he had said registered. He'd not known his soul fragments could blush, but apparantly his could as chagrin and rage echoed from within his souls.

From the shadows he heard a guffaw as the older thief called out, “Hurry up lass, I don’t care if he finally figured out how to flirt or thinks you’re flat as a boy, I want this done and us gone.”

As the girl resumed walking John could feel her knife edging into his shirt as her arm shook with tension, her breathing was shallow and her eyes kept darting his way. Seeing a chance to recover and possibly turn this situation around, John used his most insidious social-fu technique: The bribe.

“If you forget the last few sentences I will increase your payoff. Whatever score you hoped for will pale to the reality. If you try to use that information you will almost certainly die at either mine or my clan’s hands, and the elders I’m running from won’t shy from bloodshed like I do. I don’t think your partner is wise enough to let this drop if you mention it, and you will never get the drop on me like this again. Agreed?”

John’s heart hammered in his chest, and he could feel her toying with the idea of cutting him and running, but her uncertainty over whether she’d survive and the lure of gold seemed to settle her decision as she gave a slow nod and some of the tension left her arm. Her smile soon returned, if somewhat forced as she turned to him and whispered, “So tell me more about my lithe form and pretty face.”

John hoped the darkness concealed his blush, but her pleased giggle showed that once again, he was doomed.

******

John tossed the girl the money pouch from his pallet, palming two ten tael gold notes and the only talismans he’d recognized from his studies from his cosmos pouch while she was distracted. He really hoped she wouldn’t make him use them. Anyone who’s cleaned an industrial grill knows how hard soot and fat stains are to get out of wood and fabric, and immolating her would make him feel really guilty, even in self-defense.

“Please don’t take this the wrong way when I say I hope I never see you again.” John said as he flicked the folded notes in her direction, taking in the way her eyes dilated at the sum he’d casually given up, and how her eyes flickered to him, his trunk, and the money in her clenched fist. John let his qi gather on the activation symbol of the fire storm talisman, praying that she’d make the choice that didn’t leave him a murderer and an arsonist. Whatever internal calculus she was running seemed to process some final variable as she took in his resigned face, and concluded as she smoothed the notes into a cunning seam in the hem of her pants, posing for a moment with a deliberate turn of her calves, before giving him a wink and a nod before slipping out the door.

John engaged the heavy lock before slumping against the door with a sigh. He would be moving come first light, and was now determined to merge the other soul completely. The clear delination of his two halfs was what allowed the stupidly honest and naïve remnant to bubble out in his distraction. John just hoped he wouldn’t end up lobotomiized by Chu Feng’s social ineptitude. ‘You just focus on cultivating and leave people to me, brat.’ John scolded his other half, and was amused to feel himself agree.

*****

Interlude A, Like a thief in the night.

Luo Tu felt his minor tension fade when his accomplice strutted out of the Wild Hare. When he’d seen the lad venturing into the slums this afternoon he’d had an epiphany. This was an opportunity to fleece a richer target than he’d ever had. If it were any other inn than this one he would have tried his luck without relying on hired help, but Du Peng knew his face and he had no wish to tangle with the retired soldier again. He fully expected to bring in two full golds from this venture. Now it was time to tally the split and get to spending.

“You were right chief that brat was loaded and a right coward. There’s near 3 golds here and as I did most of the leg work I feel it only fair we make it an even spli…” Yao Ya’s overly cheerful voice cut off as Tu shoved her against a wall, his forearm choking her while he expertly disarmed her dirk with lantern oil smeared along the blade.

“I’m certain I offered you 20 silver and a bonus of 10 for every gold. I remember ya smiling fit to burst and ‘yes chief’ing me fit to death. I reckon that if you were smarter and kept your damn chirping hole shut you’d have 60 coming your way.” He smiled in dark satisfaction as her eyes widened while she scratched at his arm, unable to breathe. He leaned a little harder before pulling back and slapping her hard to the dusty alley floor. Watching her gasp and spit bloody froth on the ground he fished 40 silver out of the haul and dropped it on the girl.

“A little word of friendly advice girly, don’t try to fix the pay after the job. It makes the client angry something fierce, and you can only do it from strength. Nice workin’ with ya, Ya’er.”

Luo Tu walked off with his haul straight for the flower quarter. He had an itch that needed scratching, and the night was young. He chuckled as his heightened senses caught the glare and murderous intent from Yao Ya behind him before she turned and scurried off to whatever hole she squatted in these days. He never understood why Light Fingered Nine had apprenticed the pathetic girl, but he had to admit that the training had paid out well for him. Shame he’d passed before learning her the business side of things, but she’d smart up or get herself knifed soon enough. Little cunt was lucky he’d paid her at all after insulting him like that.

Tu hummed an old ballad as the red lanterns welcomed him to the Street of Orchids, the highest flower street he’d ever dared to dream of walking. First uncle had once bragged he’d spent a whole gold here in his youth, and never once forgot the experience. Time to see if that bastard’s high tales were worth the hot air he’d been spilling.

******

Interlude B- Fillial Daughters.

Yao Ya wiped the last of the dust and blood from her face, grinning fit to bust. She’d have done without the choke and the slap, but it was not the worst she had expected. Old Nine had taught her never to fight about a price once accepted unless the client had lied, and even then just to take the agreed upon offer and then turn around and rob them blind. Dumb smelly Tu never even imagined she’d made even a copper ring more.

She touched the hidden pocket in awed disbelief, once more feeling the crinkle of those incredible notes. 20 golden taels… she would never fear winter or hunger again, could move where her ‘brothers’ weren’t as like to rape, slap or rob her at a moment’s notice when her guard was down. It was like those nonsense tales the older girls in the scrum of orphans she’d run with had told, where the handsome lord whisked the poor but clever girl out of poverty to be his counselor/concubine.

Her mind wandered back Guo Jings room, no sign of the stammering, blushing fool or the shaking coward as his hand spun the notes like scraps of trash. His eyes seemed to pierce right through her, laying her greedy thoughts bare, the sad resignation as he waited for her next move, the pained resolve as his frown set.

The moment when he decided he would have to kill her.

Yao Ya shivered at the intense heat at her core as her thoughts flickered from those black iron eyes to the blush and words praising her beauty before she slapped more water on her face, and tenderly draped a scarf over her bruising neck. She would bring incense to Old Nines marker, and then she was quit with this whole damned slum.

Her fate was something bright now.