It was the first time Edelweiss had laid eyes on Jin Qichen and naturally, she only understood half of what we were saying. Ponderously, I told her about our visitor, “He is the one behind this whole debacle. A member of the group of people who wish to lay their hands on me and the Shiyan Blade. This Jin Qichen is a son from the line of the Manchus of the Qing Dynasty and so his goal is, as anticipated, the revival of the Qing Empire.”

“He came unarmed. I could have easily lopped off his head and be done with it. Why did you allow him to leave?” Edelweiss frowned and I pinched gently at her cheeks. “He’s the least of our concern for now. To put it frankly, he’s only cannon fodder for those so-called comrades of his, a daydreamer who fantasizes about of being emperor. But among those comrades of his that now remained hidden are our true quarries. One of them is my nemesis and the other is that strange but malevolent organization. So Jin Qichen is nothing but an inconsequential pawn to us and to them.”

Edelweiss nodded at my deductions. But she never once slept a wink for the rest of the night.

The next morning, Lin Feng and Chongxi came to visit me and I told them about Jin Qichen’s visit in the night and the things he said to me. “I say,” Chongxi breathed and said, “So, it was no coincidence that we encountered that strange man at the donkey burger restaurant.” A slightly more mellowed Lin Feng rubbed the bottom of his chin, muttering thoughtfully, “Well, we have already anticipated what Jin Qichen would be saying to you, haven’t we? But I fail to understand why is he here? Does he really believe that you can be bought over by this little information to provide?”

“Nay,” I cackled, “At least, I don’t think he’s this foolish yet.” “Then what do you think he’s here for?” Lin Feng asked, his head tilting inquiringly. “Well, it’s not difficult actually,” I said, grinning, “He’s just trying to sell out his cohorts. It’s helpful to his purpose. By telling us what he knew about these hindrances, he hopes that we could help remove them for him.”

There was a click of a lighter and Chongxi set his cigarette aflame. “So,” he said after a puff of smoke, “These cohorts of Jin Qichen’s are also his rivals? But why?” “What else?” Lin Feng quipped, “Jin Qichen wants Shiyan to reawaken the dragon leys for him so that he can be the ruler of China. It’s not hard to guess. He doesn’t want any other contenders vying for his throne!” That earned an assenting nod from me. “I’m afraid that could only be it. Jin Qichen himself admitted that they are partners and rivals. The purpose of the woman in black is still not yet known. But I think the goal of the Order of Pain is similar to Jin Qichen’s. They also want to reestablish a kingdom or an empire for them. Jin Qichen is by no means a naive fool. In fact, he’s cunning. He knows he lacks the strength to vanquish the Order, so he wishes to leverage us against them!”

“Oh, my God! That’s his true goal!” Chongxi exclaimed, slapping his hand on his thigh. His voice awakened Edelweiss who was just barely asleep after staying up the whole night and she sprang up, her hand instinctively grabbing for her dagger. Lin Feng scowled at Chongxi and Edelweiss, satisfied that nothing was wrong, went back to sleep.

The door to my ward opened and a nurse came in and caught Chongxi smoking. She seethed at him angrily, “No smoking allowed in the wards! Get out! Go to the stairwells if you must!” Chongxi grimaced guiltily and snuck out, leaving Lin Feng and I grinning. Lin Feng helped me to my feet and I slid off my bed where we together went out, thinking of going after Chongxi to the stairwell for a cigarette break.

We were just out the door when we saw Zheng Shuang coming with a large fruit hamper in his hand. He saw us and hurried over, saying concernedly, “What is this, Shiyan? You shouldn’t be out! You should be in bed resting!” “Come on,” I said, waving him off, “I’m not dying just yet. Gimme a break.” He sniggered and asked, “Where are you going?” I pointed to the stairwell where Chongxi was already inside. “What else? Cigarette break.”

Zheng Shuang joined all three of us, squatting in the stairwell. After a round of cigarettes, he reported, “We still have nothing about the person who stabbed you, Shiyan. It’s as if that person had vanished into thin air. I have asked the Shanggu police who have been running the investigations the entire night, yet they could find no useful information.” “There’s no need to go on,” I said, “I know who is it.” “Who?” He sputtered and I told him about the information I have gotten most recently with a bewildered Zheng Shuang looking unbelievably at me in the end. He set alight his third cigarette and said, “So, that woman who stabbed you is a descendant of that mythical Chiyou?” I nodded. “I could be the purest heir to Tribe Shennong and also the tribes of Yan Di of the South. Long ago in prehistoric China, Huang Di and Yan Di together defeated and vanquished Chiyou. So technically, what lies now between that woman and me is a feud that has lasted through the ages of Time.”

“But,” Zheng Shuang muttered hesitantly, “What if what your father said is wrong? No offense, but this sounds like a true myth to me.” “Suffice it to say that Father will never be wrong. This at least I am sure.” I said.

Zheng Shuang nodded wearily. “Well, if that is so, what plans do you have, Shiyan?” I thought for a moment, then I told him. “I need your help. To check on someone.” He straightened up excitedly with interest. “Who?” “His name is Jin Qichen. He’s a Manchurian. He’s working as a deejay, I think.” “Urm…” Zheng Shuang gasped, his brows creasing deeply. “I’ll need more details. It’s too vague. What else can you tell me?” “He should be an Aisin-Gioro, since he told me before he’s from the line of Qing Emperors and he’s from the North-east.”

“Very well,” Zheng Shuang hissed through his cigarette, “I’ll run a check on him. You’d want everything about him, no?” I nodded. He tossed the stub of his cigarette to the floor and grounded it with his boots before he left curtly without any more word.

We decided to head back to my ward where we found Big Sister already there. She was draping her coat over a dozing Edelweiss when we walked through the door and she quickly jabbed a finger to her lips, urging us to be quiet. Chongxi, however, stood at the door, staring blankly at Big Sister’s fluffy tail showing at her back and asked a question that he would later regret. “Urm… Big Sister Lan… I’m curious to know how does your tail come out when you’re wearing pants…”

Big Sister’s face flushed red at that very instant and she lunged at Chongxi like a madwoman, hitting him on the head. I quickly pulled her aside and muttered to Chongxi under my breath, “Well done, mate. Of all questions, you just have to pop this one. I had made a hole on the back of her pants when we bought it.” Chongxi broke into a dawning smile as he stared furtively at Big Sister, who proceeded to give a punch each on our heads. “What does this have to do with me! I did nothing!” Lin Feng, clutching his head, yelled indignantly but Big Sister only pouted her lips and ignored him, still very much miffed.

Clutching his head, Chongxi snickered and remarked, “You two are just upside down. Shiyan’s brand of magic is of the Fire Element but his attitude is as chill as ice. Big Sister Lan’s magic is water-based, but you’re fiery and feisty. Something’s wrong with you two, heh heh heh heh!” I giggled. Another witty joke, I mused, He maybe a maven in the skills of divination, but he clearly failed to see what’s coming for him next. Lo and indeed behold, Big Sister came at him with another blow hammering on his head.

I was discharged from the hospital one week later. Fortunately for me, my magical powers and properties, as well as the shallow depth of the wound, allowed me to heal quickly. Zheng Shuang came not long after, just in time with information about Jin Qichen for me.

I riffled through the dossier he had prepared containing every shred of information he managed to glean about Jin Qichen while lazing on the couch at the Center’s sitting area. At the very top was the heading, “Jin Qichen, male, age 29. Born in Baishan, Jilin.” The next few pages detailed his family. Apparently, his parents were long dead due to an accident, although there was not much detail surrounding the incident. Feeling something amiss, I called Zheng Shuang to asked about the lack of particulars covering the incident that robbed the lives of Jin Qichen’s parents but there was nothing he could do. I was already holding in my hands the entirety of what he could find on the system and that left me wondering if there was more than meets the eye with Jin Qichen’s background.

According to the dossier, his parents were killed when he was five. Since then, he grew up with his neighbor. Jin Qichen would later leave school after finishing junior high to become a local thug. But there was one tiny information that caught my eye. The name of the family that took him in bore the surname Na. The very same Na that Na San shared.

Na San had told me before then his family had been serving Jin Qichen’s family for generations. Therefore it was not hard for me to imagine how the adoption of Jin Qichen came to be. But I was more concerned with how Jin Qichen’s parents met their deaths.

Just when I was in deep concentration, the door of the Center clicked opened suddenly and I heard someone walking in. Giving no bother to look at the guest, I did not even raise my head, my eyes still peeled on the contents of the dossier, uttering only a tedious and uninteresting greeting, “How can I help you? We provide an array of services, ranging from fortune-telling, Feng Shui services for home and premises, astrology, handling of marriage or funeral arrangements, and even exorcism.”

The newcomer, sounding amused, merely replied, “I’m looking for someone.” I looked up, finding the voice oddly familiar and I was utterly shocked when I saw her face and I blurted, “Lu Shengnan?!”