EIGHT DAYS PASSED without incident. Beyond sending someone to deliver medicines to the gates of the Jiejian Bureau, there had been no movement from the Zuoyue Bureau. Until Feng Xiao spotted Cui Buqu outside the Tonghua Gate on the appointed day, as promised, he'd almost thought Cui Buqu had forgotten their agreement entirely.
Cui Buqu was sitting in a carriage reading. When he saw Feng Xiao, he didn't greet him with his usual indifference. Instead, he was courteous and amiable—he even took the initiative to bow and ask after his health. "It's been eight days. How is Deputy Chief Feng doing?"
For a moment, Feng Xiao wondered if this was someone else in disguise.
They stared at each other. Cui Buqu's face was inscrutable.
Now that was the correct expression. Feng Xiao climbed into the carriage, at ease. "Not well." He sighed softly and extended his palm. "Look, the wound has yet to heal. It aches whenever it's cloudy or raining."
"The weather these past eight days has been clear and cloudless," Cui Buqu reminded him.
Feng Xiao recalled Cui Buqu's perfect memory. Face straight, he replied without missing a beat, "That's right. There wasn't any rain, but after the wound scabbed over, it ached and itched every night. It was difficult to sleep. Thinking back to that battle, that man's martial arts were truly beyond my expectations. I never anticipated that he poisoned the sword."
Cui Buqu peered at Feng Xiao's outstretched palm. A shallow scar marred the skin, just as he'd said. Though it would fade with time, Feng Xiao was a narcissist. He couldn't tolerate the slightest flaw in his appearance.
"Deputy Chief Feng saved my life. I've engraved the favor in my heart, and will never forget it," Cui Buqu said softly.
Feng Xiao blinked. He felt that Cui Buqu was acting strangely today. But after saying those words, Cui Buqu didn't continue.
"So?"
"So what?" asked Cui Buqu.
Feng Xiao was unhappy. "In eight days, you never came to thank me."
"That's because I was busy tracking down the man who wounded you," said Cui Buqu innocently.
"Did you find him?"
Cui Buqu shook his head. "He's vanished without a trace, as if he was never there. Fortunately, I managed to discover something else. Consider it my way of partially repaying Deputy Chief Feng for saving my life."
"What did you discover?"
Cui Buqu smiled. "The poison on that sword was incredibly toxic. Eight days isn't enough to purge it. I found a legendary doctor and learned some acupuncture from him. With this, I guarantee I can neutralize the poison and remove it fully from your body."
He took out a cloth bag, from which he removed a silver needle.
Feng Xiao was silent. The needle was about three inches long, with a wide base tapering to a sharp point. If it pierced him, he feared it wouldn't remove the poison, but his life. A muscle in his cheek jumped. "I've never seen such a thick needle before. Someone must have been toiling away over the past few days to make it; it looks like it cost no small effort."
"The more serious the illness, the more potent the cure must be," said Cui Buqu warmly. "You mustn't refuse treatment, Deputy Chief Feng. Here, let me prick you twice. That ought to do it."
After a drawn-out pause, Feng Xiao asked, "When did you realize?"
He'd thought his act unimpeachable. When they met today, he'd made sure his voice was feeble, as it would be after a severe illness. His complexion was pale. If Cui Buqu had checked his pulse, he'd have found it faint and fluttering. Feng Xiao had been thoroughly prepared, certain Cui Buqu would be none the wiser.
Yet Cui Buqu had seen right through him.
Cui Buqu casually threw the needle away and sneered. "Deputy Chief Feng, did you forget that the assassin left his sword behind? You were supposedly poisoned, yet the blade was clean."
The sword had been turned over to Zhangsun Bodhi at the scene. Though he hadn't been able to use it to identify the man in white, Cui Buqu was a meticulous person; of course he'd inquired about the poison.
Feng Xiao rubbed his nose. A thousand clever strategies can't make up for a single misstep. At the time, he'd been so focused on playing dead to distract Cui Buqu from what happened in the carriage that he'd forgotten all about the sword. "But I was still injured saving your life," he protested. "That wasn't fake."
Cui Buqu scoffed. "If not for that, would I be sitting here now speaking so politely to you?"
Displeased, Feng Xiao said, "Either way, I saved you. Can't you treat me a little more gently?"
At that, Cui Buqu really did flash him a gentle smile. "If not for me," he whispered, "Deputy Chief Feng would have found himself in hot water that night at Qingli Garden. So many nobles and members of the royal family were there. If you alone had managed to escape, you'd certainly have been questioned afterward. Let's consider it even."
Feng Xiao shuddered. "Fine, let's start over from square one!"
Cui Buqu sneered slightly and dropped all pretense. "I have something to ask Deputy Chief Feng."
This was the Cui Buqu Feng Xiao knew. Feng Xiao was inexplicably relieved; he waved his fan. "Ask away."
Having been exposed, Feng Xiao no longer pretended any weakness. He leaned back against the cushions, once again the languid Deputy Chief Feng who cared not a whit for rules.
Cui Buqu nailed him with a stare. "That night in the carriage, why did Deputy Chief Feng treat me with such disrespect?"
Feng Xiao feigned obliviousness. "That assassin thrust his sword through the carriage floor. If I hadn't grabbed you and rolled aside, how could we have dodged?"
Cui Buqu narrowed his eyes. "What about before that?"
"Before that," Feng Xiao said slowly, "I was listening for the assassin's movements."
"You clearly assaulted me!"
Feng Xiao assumed a look of surprise. "Oh yes, I remember! I was trying to confuse the assassin and lull him into lowering his guard. It was a last resort. Surely you understand, Daoist Master Cui?"
His face shone with righteousness, his voice perfectly solemn. He grinned at Cui Buqu, the very picture of honesty and selflessness. They looked at each other for a long moment. Finally, Cui Buqu snorted coldly and asked no more. He picked up his book and began to read.
Feng Xiao didn't fail to notice that Cui Buqu's ears were faintly pink. Suddenly he smiled.
When Feng Xiao had kissed Cui Buqu that night, Cui Buqu had struggled fiercely, his shock turning to anger as he discovered he couldn't break free. He'd been so furious his ears had flushed red. The same thing was happening now: His ears were quivering, his eyes reddened in the corners, his lips glimmering with moisture. His confused state was adorable.
It all meant only one thing. Daoist Master Cui might look calm on the surface, but his heart was boiling with fury as he plotted revenge on Feng Xiao. Even if the book he was reading was a stately work of philosophy like the Daodejing, in his mind it had probably become The Thirty-Six Stratagems.6 Having discovered this small secret about Cui Buqu, Feng Xiao silently rejoiced.
Cui Buqu refused to engage with him. He wouldn't even look up.
Each sat in their own corner of the carriage, enjoying a moment of peace with their own thoughts. For now, they had called a ceasefire.
***
As Qiao Xian's wounds had yet to heal, Cui Buqu had ordered her to stay behind. Instead, he'd brought two Zuoyue guards. Feng Xiao was traveling even lighter: He'd brought no companions at all. It was a party of four people with a minimum of luggage.
Their carriage headed east from Daxing City, traveling by day and resting at night. It wasn't long before they reached the outskirts of Anping in Boling Commandery.
Though the northern and southern regions of the Central Plains were two separate nations, the north, now under Sui rule, had been stable for some time. This was thanks to the diligent effort of the previous dynasty's Emperor Wu of Zhou, Yuwen Yong, as well as several bold and decisive measures undertaken after the establishment of the Sui dynasty. The official roads were well-maintained and safe to travel, with little risk of robbers or bandits.
They arrived at Anping late in the day, when the city gates were already shut; they wouldn't be able to enter until the next morning. Fortunately, relay stations dotted the outskirts of the city. Any travelers who failed to pass through before the gates closed would stop there to rest. Over time, a number of teahouses had sprung up, and what had been a bare handful of households had become several dozen—thus a new village was born. When Feng Xiao and Cui Buqu came up on it at twilight, it was bustling with activity.
Outside the relay station, staff had emerged to lead the horses away while the two Zuoyue guards went inside to speak to the innkeeper. Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao sat outside the teahouse, each with a cup of clear tea in front of them. They gazed out at the sun sinking behind the distant mountains and listened to the cheerful clamor of the market, drinking in the atmosphere of the place with their tea.
The teahouse wasn't large; when every seat was occupied, it quickly became cramped. Feng Xiao barely had to lean over to nudge Cui Buqu in the ribs. "Look over there."
Cui Buqu had been taking a sip when Feng Xiao poked his side; he almost spit out his mouthful of tea.
Feng Xiao sputtered a laugh. "You're ticklish!"
Cui Buqu was considering pouring the tea over Feng Xiao's head when he heard a voice from beside him.
"It's quite crowded here; there aren't many seats. Could I ask the gentleman to move a little to the left?"
The voice was as crisp and clear as the song of a valley oriole. Even without turning, Cui Buqu knew it belonged to a young maiden. He hummed and scooted a little closer to Feng Xiao before looking up at the newcomer.
The moment he saw her, he froze.