Li Bai waved a hand, muttering to himself as he led Li Jinglong and Hongjun further down the street. The fragrance, faint moments ago, became increasingly potent as they approached a brothel with a plaque above the door that read House of Peerless Beauty.
“Once we go in,” Li Jinglong whispered in Hongjun’s ear, “be careful what you say.”
Hongjun nodded. He’d already forgotten why they’d come. “Can we have Taibai-xiong stay the night later? I want to talk with him some more.”
Li Jinglong felt a headache coming on. What can you possibly talk about with a drunkard? Li Bai was drunk more often than he was sober, and even in his rare moments of lucidity, he never discussed poetry. Occasionally, when inspiration struck, he would dash off a poem, then immediately start drinking again. With a few notable exceptions—Wang Lun,11 for example, with whom he bantered and drank—he rarely spoke very long with anyone.
“Whatever you want,” Li Jinglong said. “Keep an eye on him; make sure he doesn’t draw that sword.”
Hongjun nodded, and the trio walked into the House of Peerless Beauty. It was a lavishly decorated establishment, yet there was not a single patron in sight. Within the main hall, four flights of stairs led down to a sunken central area, in the middle of which sat a man in black.
Catching sight of him, Li Jinglong cursed internally. They knew we were coming.
Hongjun was shocked, too, but for a different reason. The man was extremely dashing. Despite his delicate features, he had none of the naivete of a young man, nor did he exhibit the sharp, warrior-like aura of a man like Li Jinglong. Hongjun had met many good-looking men in his life, but this fellow, with his willowy brows, defined nose, deep-set eyes, full lips, and skin as fair as his eyes were black, was the most handsome of them all, the embodiment of beauty itself.
Around him gathered a crowd of stunningly gorgeous women in luxurious gowns. The sight brought to mind a meadow of flowers in bloom, wreathing a man so handsome he was nearly divine. It was almost too much to take in at once.
“Marquis of Yardang,” the man said by way of greeting. “Welcome to my humble establishment.”
Li Jinglong smiled. “Forgive me for skipping the pleasantries. How did you know I’d come here today?”
“I have my ways, naturally.” The man was speaking to Li Jinglong, but his gaze was fixed on Hongjun. “Let’s be friends. My name is Wan Jue, but you can call me Xiao-Wan.”
Li Jinglong narrowed his eyes. “Where are your brothers?”
“Wine. Lust. Greed. Wrath.” Wan Jue selected a cup and held it out to Li Jinglong. “You should’ve already figured out who I am, Marquis. My eldest brother is busy in the city, so why don’t you have a seat? He’ll come when he’s done with his business, and we can all have a chat.”
Wan Jue was so handsome Hongjun couldn’t help peeking at him a few more times. Yet he felt nothing toward this beautiful man; after all, he was Li Jinglong’s now, and to him, the man he loved was the most handsome of all. Wan Jue’s face was near perfect, but it left him cold.
Li Jinglong looked around with an easy smile before settling down on the steps opposite Wan Jue.
“Ladies,” Wan Jue said, “shouldn’t you make our esteemed guests comfortable?”
The lovely girls flanking Wan Jue glided over to surround them on the steps. Hongjun glanced at Li Jinglong, wondering if he would be tempted, but Li Jinglong appeared entirely unruffled.
Li Jinglong scanned the girls. He was certain all of them were yaoguai, but he couldn’t guess their original form. This scent… Could they be flower yao?
“As grateful as I am for the hospitality, I imagine you’ve lured us here because you have something to say,” he began. “Let’s get straight to the point.”
“Don’t worry,” Wan Jue said. “I won’t offer you wine made by my eldest brother.”
Li Bai, silent since he sat down, suddenly perked up. “There’s wine? Bring it here!”
The women started. Tentatively, one asked, “Li Bai? Are you the poet Li Bai, sir?”
“Yes, yes.” Li Bai waved distractedly. “Where’s the wine?”
“Ah!”
“Li Bai!”
“Master Li Bai!”
And that’s enough from all you yaoguai! Filled with rage, Hongjun snapped, “Stay away from Taibai-xiong!”
Wan Jue, too, was surprised to find the situation spinning out of his control. The flower yao in the hall all flocked toward Li Bai, while even more hurried downstairs upon hearing the others’ shrieks, clamoring, “Li Bai’s here? Where is he?!”
The room exploded with chatter as Wan Jue yelled, “Shut up, all of you!”
“Li Bai—” The yao crowding into the room were all on the verge of tears, overwhelmed with emotion. One of the girls said, “I thought I saw you in the garden a couple days ago. I can’t believe it really was you!”
“Ah—okay, okay…”
“I love you so much, Li Bai!”
“I love me, too… Now, where’s the wine?”
A girl hurried over with a jar, imploring, “Won’t you please compose us a poem?”
“I’m not in the mood right now.”
The group of tittering girls surrounded Li Bai, completely ignoring Li Jinglong, Hongjun, and Wan Jue. The three men looked at one another, speechless.
“You need to put in more work, my friend. Your looks aren’t enough to rein in these yao,” Li Jinglong quipped. “A couple more years of cultivation ought to do it.”
Hongjun stifled a laugh as Wan Jue looked daggers at Li Jinglong. “The guest you brought with you today has nullified my powers. It can’t be helped.”
Tired of beating around the bush, Li Jinglong demanded, “Where’s the divine kun?”
He scanned the hall, weighing the situation as Wan Jue considered his question. The girls here were all yao in human form, but he sensed that they weren’t that powerful. If worse came to worst, he’d have no trouble finishing them off. The gu ape sitting across from him was a thornier problem, but if he teamed up with Hongjun, who could trap the insects in his pentacolor sacred light, they should have nothing to fear.
“That’s a valuable piece of information. What are you offering for it?” Wan Jue’s smirk was charmingly wicked. “Marquis, before I left Chang’an, my third brother—Greed—took pains to remind me that I should let you state your price.”
Was this true? Countless thoughts flitted through Li Jinglong’s mind. Wan Jue’s side had likely guessed someone from Yaojin Palace would try to rescue the divine kun, but there was no way they had predicted the rescuer would be him. They were bluffing.
“What does the governor want?” Li Jinglong asked.
Wan Jue slapped his thigh. “Quite straightforward, aren’t you, my lord?”
“Master Li Bai…” one of the girls simpered.
“Stay away from him—and don’t pull his hair,” ordered Hongjun.
Finally, Wan Jue lost his temper. “That’s enough!”
The girls quieted, but from their dreamy stares, it was clear they remained fervent in their devotion to Li Bai. The poet was in his forties, yet he didn’t look his age; he had a trim figure and wore an unruly beard like an unkempt vagabond’s, which somehow only added to his free-spirited charm. On top of his good looks, his considerable talent and great fame instantly made him the center of attention.
“He was in the tavern just outside,” Hongjun said. “Haven’t you seen him around?”
“We aren’t allowed out!” A girl pouted.
“That’s right! We can’t take a step out this door!” Another girl shot Hongjun a scathing glare. “We heard he was in the Galaxy a few days ago, but no one let us out for a look.”
“Well, I brought him here,” Hongjun said.
“So what?”
“So if I hadn’t, you wouldn’t have gotten to see him.”
“What do you want?”
“I don’t want anything,” Hongjun said. “Just give him some space and stop throwing yourselves all over him.”
Li Jinglong and Wan Jue had ceased exchanging barbs and gotten down to business. Wan Jue said flatly, “The governor wants the nightmares currently residing within this boy. You can exchange him for the divine kun.”
“I’ll think about it—give me some time. Hongjun, Taibai-xiong, time to go.”
“Yessir!” Hongjun chirped.
The yao girls sighed in disappointment. Li Bai took two more gulps of wine before swaying to his feet. Li Jinglong gripped his arm to steady him as he stumbled, and the trio made for the door without another word.
“Marquis of Yardang,” Wan Jue said. “You can’t touch me—and vice versa. I advise you not to go looking for trouble.”
Li Jinglong turned back, studying Wan Jue with narrowed eyes. He suddenly remembered the man named Wen Bin currently recuperating on the Department’s premises, and realization dawned.
He nodded politely at Wan Jue, and the three stepped back into the street.