Phoenix in the Moonlight

But the problem was, the official had crossed Xin's father, incurring his wrath. The more they dug in, the worse the situation seemed. One of her subordinates had entered the gambling house, pretending to be a girl in need of work. She was promised a position as a servant in a prominent family but never seen after her report.

They didn't assume the worst in the beginning, but then when they followed the trail, the gruesome truth was revealed.

Xin was not righteous, far from it. But she hated when someone she had molded with her own hands was taken away from her. She had spent years on these young girls, and she simply vanished.

She had written a letter to her father about the matter. The old man had advised her to look into the gambling house and find evidence. Not to act too rashly and only take steps that were necessary.

She had to make a scene so that the authorities started to look into the place, nothing more.

Tonight was the night she would do it.

"I will leave in the middle of the night. Tonight is the new moon, no one dares come out than those addicts. Bai'er, you come with me." Bai'er nodded. "Mian Mian, find out the gossip in this house. Who is in power? Who is our enemy? And most importantly, who is this Young Master? I want you to find out."

Her cheery personality helped her blend in with the crowd and talk to people easily. While Bai'er was good at sneaking in material information, Mian Mian was better at talking to people and induce them to tell her all their secrets.

She left after giving them explicit information.

When she entered Wang Yifeng's room, he was reading a book. He didn't look up even though he knew she had come.

"Did you tuck the children in?" His tone was doting. She looked at him as she sat at the edge of the bed. She didn't reply immediately, so he looked up, interested. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

"Mian Mian is not used to the courtyard. After I service you, may I return to the courtyard to accompany her?" she asked, looking meak.

"Acting pitiful doesn't suit you. Demand as you will," he said lightly. "Prepare me for bed before you leave, that is all I ask of you." He was disappointed that their first night living together couldn't be spent in each others' arms, but he understood that she had responsibilities.

She helped him with his clothes, slowly stroking his arms and skin as she did so, teasing him even though she couldn't finish what she started. She smiled in her heart, feeling his muscles flutter where she touched him.

Lastly, she untied his hair and let it cascade down his back. She used her fingers to comb through it, making sure all the knots were gone, before she set them on his shoulder.

"Young Master, let me take you to bed."

"Such provocative words. Do not utter them if you can't fulfill," he told her without much thought or anger. He pretended to fall asleep and held her hand while he did so. When sleep slowly dragged him down, he felt her retreat her hand from his and leave without a word.

- - -

The woman wrapped herself in men's clothing, a long black garment. She arrived in town at midnight. She walked down the middle of the wide road, her pace neither fast nor slow. Her steel toed-boots followed one another, a metronome in motion.

She carried herself without concern, her shoulders square and jaws set. Her hair was neatly tied back in a men's style. The darkness of the surroundings cast a shadow on her pale skin. Her deep-set eyes reflected nothing but darkness. They appeared to be devoid of color, the pupils and irises one black mass.

When she arrived at the crossroads, she did not hesitate. She took the road that forked to the left, knowing the way to where she was headed. She paused as a guard approached on a horse. She moved to the side, giving way. She looked straight ahead and lifted her head high to ward off any unwanted attention. The horse slowed, the torch in the guard's hand swept in her direction, illuminating her pale face. She looked at the guard, a middle-aged man with dark hair and a mustache that suited him. He wore a uniform and carried a token that identified him.

The guard nodded at her, and she nodded back, knowing that the man harbored no ill-will or suspicion. The woman allowed the guard to go his way.

She could see the lights of the gambling house in the distance, its harsh light turning everything around it yellow. When she arrived at the edge of the building, she stopped, noticing that the street was devoid of any humans. She walked in without hesitation.

"How can I help you?" The young man at the counter wore casual clothing. He looked about her age and quite handsome.

She said nothing. She smelled burnt food and cheap perfume. She had to cause a scene and this silence didn't bode well for her mission. She turned and closed the wooden doors of the gambling house, making sure to lock it.