SES Chapter 186

Chapter 186

That night’s coming together and parting were left to fate. Beneath it all ran an undercurrent of unease—emotions stirring, deliberately suppressed.

News of Luo Ren’s injury spread, but like Mu Dai’s kidnapping, it had to be kept from Huo Zihong and the others. Aoki hadn’t returned, so Zheng Mingshan took his place, staying at the bar. When he saw Huo Zihong, he explained politely that Master Meihua Jiuniang was gravely ill and intended to pass on some of her most closely guarded techniques to Mu Dai. For that reason, Mu Dai was staying with her in seclusion—no visitors, no outside contact.

So that was it. Huo Zihong felt slightly reassured. Old Madam Mei was famously stubborn; it did sound like something she’d do. No wonder Mu Dai couldn’t be reached these past couple of days.

Still, Huo Zihong couldn’t quite settle down. Privately, she confided only in Uncle Zhang.

“Lately, I just don’t feel right. I keep thinking something’s happened. Ever since Luo Ren let that Japanese guy move in—don’t get me wrong, I’m not being petty about letting someone stay—but he’s Luo Ren’s friend. Luo Ren’s place is huge and empty, so why doesn’t he stay there? Why move into the bar instead? Don’t you think that’s strange?”

Uncle Zhang nodded. “It is strange. And that old man Zheng—Phoenix House was doing just fine, and he shut it down without a word. Then he disappeared. Can’t get in touch with him at all.”

Huo Zihong sighed anxiously. “At first I thought Luo Ren was solid, but now he seems… off. If he keeps being like this, I won’t feel safe entrusting Mu Dai to him.”

Then she added with another sigh, “And it’s not just them. Even our own people are acting weird. That Wan San—he’s run in and out more than ten times tonight. What’s he up to?”

As she spoke, Wan San jogged out the door again.

What was he up to? That story started with Cao Jiefang.

After hearing from Uncle Zhang that the fake act had turned real, Wan San became frantic, like an ant on a hot pan. Part of it was genuine worry—after spending so much time with Cao Jiefang, he really had developed some feelings. But most of it was fear that Cao Yanhua would come after him with a vengeance, since the whole idea had been his.

So before word got out, he hurried to do damage control.

That earlier “lost chicken” notice had been completely inadequate. He redrew it, made dozens of copies, and posted them everywhere. He left his phone number and raised the reward to 800 yuan. To make it clear the chicken itself wasn’t worth coveting, he even added a line: My elderly mother relies on this chicken for daily companionship; it is an irreplaceable source of emotional comfort. I beg kindhearted people to return it.

In other words, the 800 yuan was for its emotional value, not because the mountain chicken was actually worth that much.

A high reward brings out all kinds. That night, people came nonstop—every sort of weirdo imaginable.

Some showed up carrying big roosters. When they were turned away, they complained, “Aren’t they all chickens? Yours is gone anyway—just make do with this one.”

Others actually brought mountain chickens. When told it wasn’t the right one, they were asked to wait. A while later, one guy came back lugging a whole cage of mountain chickens. “Take another look—any of these resemble it? I’ll sell it cheaply. Five hundred! Three hundred—how about three hundred?”

Wan San was so angry that he wanted to kick the cage over.

Fortunately, so much else was happening that night that neither Cao Yanhua nor Yan Hongsand thought about Cao Jiefang for the time being.

They sat beside Zheng Mingshan, the atmosphere suffocatingly tense.

Yan Hongsand’s eyes were red as she spoke. “Leopard is vicious enough to shoot Luo Ren. She definitely won’t go easy on Mu Dai.”

She wiped her tears away, imagining Mu Dai already whipped hundreds of times, branded with red-hot irons.

Zheng Mingshan said nothing. He hadn’t anticipated things spiraling this far. After finishing surveillance on the three bamboo-filled residences, he’d called Luo Ren, but no one answered. Eventually, Aoki called back and briefly explained what had happened.

In all his years on the road, Zheng Mingshan had seen every kind of situation. Yet in the end, he’d been fooled by a little girl who hadn’t even lost the smell of milk.

He smiled bitterly. Thinking back, a chill ran down his spine—the girl must have been thoroughly brainwashed.

He returned to the residence again. It was empty. They’d left in a hurry; a book lay abandoned on the coffee table, its pages fluttering in the breeze, as if mocking his rare misstep.

Cao Yanhua exploded. “My little shifu’s been kidnapped for days now, and now Brother Luo’s been taken down too. You’re all capable, you can fight—and you won’t let us go in. So now we’re just supposed to sit here doing nothing? No way!”

He slammed the table and headed for the door. Zheng Mingshan barked, “Cao Yanhua, where do you think you’re going?”

Cao Yanhua jutted out his chin. “Cats have their paths, rats have theirs. I’ll find my own way!”

At dawn, Mu Dai heard the door open.

She dragged herself up from the floor, groggy, barely able to open her eyes. Leopard must have mixed something into her food—drugs that caused dizziness and stupor. Of course, she would. A woman like Leopard would never let her eat and drink freely and regain her strength.

The door swung open and Leopard walked in. From Mu Dai’s angle, she could see Leopard’s long, straight legs and her gleaming high leather boots.

Mu Dai didn’t bother glaring at her. Even that took strength, and strength was precious—steel that had to be used on the blade’s edge.

Leopard squatted down in front of her. “I saw Luo. He’s not dead. I passed along your message.”

Mu Dai said nothing. She pushed herself upright and leaned against the wall, finding a more comfortable position. “What do you actually want?” Her voice was weak. “You’re so confident—why be afraid to tell me?”

Leopard chuckled. “I’ve never hidden it from you. I told you—I want to break Luo’s spirit.”

“And what else?” Mu Dai raised a hand, pointing at the eye the Leopard kept covered. “Doesn’t this have something to do with the Murder Slips?”

That Mu Dai brought it up herself surprised Leopard slightly. She didn’t deny it. “I know you’re hiding five Star Slips.”

“Then what are you waiting for?” Mu Dai actually laughed. “Kill Luo Xiaodao, take the Murder Slips, and be done with it.”

Leopard laughed too. “That would be boring.”

Mu Dai sighed. “Just like in TV dramas.”

“What?”

“All those villains—they always die because they talk too much, stall too long, and insist on playing some special little game. I think you’ll be the same in the end.”

“I’m different.”

Mu Dai tilted her head back and smiled at her. “Everyone thinks they’re different. And then they die.”

With that, she lay back down, curling up with her head resting on her arm.

Suddenly, there was a soft thud. Leopard dropped something beside Mu Dai’s cheek.

Mu Dai opened her eyes. It was a hardcover children’s rhyme book, bilingual Chinese–English. The page was open to one titled in English Hey Diddle Diddle, translated into Chinese as How Curious, How Curious Indeed.

A nursery rhyme.

A cat played the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon.
The little dog laughed to see such fun—
What a wonderful thing to do.

An illustration showed a cat playing the violin and a little dog laughing so hard it held its belly.

“I promised Luo that if he found you quickly, I’d give you one spin of the wheel.”

Back in the Philippines, she’d had specially crafted wheels—exquisite, like works of art. Here, everything had to be simplified.

She pointed at the cute animals in the picture. “Go on. Pick one.”

Mu Dai didn’t move. “What does it represent?”

“Your fate. I told you—you’re a potent ingredient. I just haven’t decided what form to package you in yet.”

“Aren’t you planning to brainwash me?”

A secretive smile crossed Leopard’s face. “That’s old-fashioned. I have something newer, more interesting.”

She leaned down, her voice dropping to a whisper. “A little cruel, though. Even someone like me finds it hard to stomach.”

“So I’ll let you choose. We’ll see what heaven decides. If you pick it, I won’t hesitate.”

Is that so?

Mu Dai looked again at the picture—the violin-playing cat and the laughing dog. Behind both lay unfathomable expressions. Two fates. Neither good—only bad, and worse.

Even someone like me finds it hard to stomach.

Which one?

Mu Dai extended a finger and pointed at the cat with the fiddle. “That one.”

For just a moment, she noticed Leopard seemed displeased.

If you’re unhappy, then I’m at ease.

Mu Dai said nothing more. She pushed the book aside and closed her eyes again. Dawn hadn’t fully broken yet. By her usual schedule, it was still early. She needed a bit more sleep.

After a long while, she heard Leopard ask, “Why didn’t you choose the little dog?”

Mu Dai smiled faintly. “People have their quirks. I don’t really like dogs.”