Chapter 108 - My Costar And I Were Tricked

Yao Shen can't be sure that Qing Yu is going to talk about him, but he'd bet that anything related to one of the ghost kings, and a demon king is bound to have left an impression.

Qing Yu sets down his teacup and smooths the fabric of his robe over his legs. "There are many tales I could tell, but I think a new arrival like young master would never have heard about something like this. It happened centuries ago."

Yao Shen still doesn't know how much he's risking by being here, if he'll be recognized, and if news of his visit will ever make it to the ghost kings. Si Wang thinks they're on the same side now, but who knows how long that will last for.

It's best not too draw too much attention to himself, so Yao Shen simply nods, indicating that Qing Yu should go on.

"Not long after I joined the brothel, we received an illustrious guest. It was expected that I would wait on him, as I was a renowned courtesan in life, and was proving equally successful in the Fragrant Peony."

It's not hard for Yao Shen to imagine that, and Qing Yu doesn't say it as if he's bragging, merely stating a fact. He's objectively beautiful, and while his robes are fine, and his gestures and mannerisms refined, he doesn't wear any makeup, or try to accentuate his features in any unnatural way. His only accessory is that pink line around his neck.

He's clearly aware of his own attractiveness, and very sure of himself. Even so, his tone grows bitter as he continues his tale. "Madam expected it to be me, but instead, someone neither of us had ever seen before was already in the room, entertaining the guest who, by then, didn't want anyone else."

Yao Shen's teacup is almost empty, but he still pretends to take another sip. He knows it's unbecoming, and that he should know better than that, but Yao Shen can't help but preen a little. Qing Yu is probably the most beautiful person he has ever seen, and Xin Hulei stil preferred him.

Qing Yu doesn't notice his odd behaviour, too involved now in his recollection. "We had no way of knowing at that point, but that mysterious courtesan was the tenth king."

At this point Yao Shen thinks it's safe for him to show some interest. "Really? Why would he do something like that?"

"Young master, when I was alive I didn't concern myself with what went on the Emperor's mind, likewise, after I died, I behaved in the same way when it came to the ghost kings. If the Emperor had the mandate of Heaven to rule the mortal realm, so too have they to rule the Underworld." He shrugs. "As a humble subject, all I can do is bow my head and obey."

Well, Yao Shen will die before he recognizes the divine right of kings. Alive, ghost, demon or otherwise. He is amenable to call Xin Hulei 'king' but only in the context of extremely kinky sex, which he has already outlined in his spreadsheet.

Besides, Qing Yu's extreme show of modesty doesn't convince him. If he was so respectful and uninterested he wouldn't be here telling Yao Shen all this.

"Perhaps the ghost king had already met this illustrious guest?"

"That is a common theory. Some say Shi Wang fell madly in love with this guest after seeing him only once, and did everything in his power to arrange a meeting. He saw the opportunity when this guest came to our establishment, and disguised himself as a courtesan."

"Very dramatic," Yao Shen says with a nod. "This tale wouldn't be out of place in an epic romance novel."

One corner of Qing Yu's lips curls up. "Young master would think so, if it wasn't for the betrayal."

"Ah, yes, I did ask for that too."

"After several days of passion, the illustrious guest who was actually a demon king, laid a trap for Shi Wang."

Yao Shen gasps. "A demon king? That sounds dangerous."

"It was. The Demon King convinced Shi Wang to get a precious relic for him, something that would allow him to wreak havoc in the mortal realm."

Yao Shen nods. "That sounds like something a demon king would do."

Qing Yu gives him an odd look, and Yao Shen decides to dial down his riveted audience act -- clearly it's not his best work.

"Thankfully, someone intervened and switched out the relic for something else. Of course, the demon king found out, and when he returned he was looking for revenge."

"Who switched out the relic?" Yao Shen cuts in, interrupting Qing Yu mid-sentence.

He gets another odd look, this time because Qing Yu doesn't understand why anyone would interrupt a tale when its about to reach the climax.

"Young master will forgive me, but several details are lost to time," Qing Yu says, his tone impatient. "Many of these events I have heard only as second-hand accounts."

Yao Shen apologizes for the interruption and bids him to go on.

"Shi Wang had no idea of the switch, and he was happy to welcome the demon king once again. But this meant he was completely unprepared for the demon king's brutal attack." He pauses to heighten the dramatic tension, something Yao Shen is familiar with as well, whenever he's delivering his lines and needs to stop in the middle to look heavily into the middle distance.

Qing Yu does an abridged version of that. "On that day, the Fragrant Peony was almost destroyed, and Shi Wang was lost forever, killed at the hands of one who had promised to love him." Qing Yu's pale hand touches his neck, as if feeling a distant connection with poor, gone for good, Shi Wang.

Yao Shen is a little offended on Xin Hulei's behalf. How dare Qing Yu compare him to one of his former patrons?

He drains the last dregs of his tea, and sets down the teacup with a loud clink. "Thank you, Master Qing, for such a wonderful tale, it exceeded all my expectations." Yao Shen reaches across the table and takes Qing Yu's hand in his, a gesture that startles him but that he doesn't try to escape from.

"I'm still confused about a few details, however."

Before Qing Yu can say anything, Yao Shen flips his wrist around and presses down on two acupoints. 

Along with a stack of bills, Yao Shen also asked Si Wang for the instructions of the 'Persuasion' skill. 

He expected it to come in handy when it became necessary for him to get honest answers out of the good people of Youdu.

"Who switched out the relic?" Yao Shen asks again, gazing into Qing Yu's eyes.

This time, Qing Yu's answer is different. "I did."

"Why?"

His gaze empty and fixed on a spot above Yao Shen's shoulders, Qing Yu says, "As soon as the demon king came to the Fragrant Peony, I was entrusted to spy on him and Shi Wang."

"Who did you report to?" Yao Shen asks.

"Si Wang."

Yao Shen goes very still. It doesn't surprise him. The fourth king/ System, hasn't been secretive about his desire to capture Xin Hulei, but it does shock him that he was going behind the other ghost king's backs even back then.

He always assumed that all other ghost kings agreed to send him to the Fragrant Peony -- apparently not.

"Did any of the other ghost kings know about your assignment?"

Qing Yu shakes his head. 

"Did Shi Wang truly die that day?"

"I don't know."

"The demon king was injured that day, who injured him?"

"I don't know."

Yao Shen lets out a frustrated groan. "Who knows then?"

"Si Wang, he was in the room with them."

Someone who absolutely will never volunteer that information.

Yao Shen might be a lot of things, but he isn't stupid enough to use the Persuasion skill on the same person who gave it to him.

A thought hits him suddenly; Si Wang wasn't the only person who saw everything.

"How can someone get back their memories?" Yao Shen asks, holding Qing Yu by the shoulders.

Qing Yu frowns for a moment, and then his features smooth out into blankness once again as he says, "Meng Po takes the memories of those who are about to reincarnate. She keeps them all. The world's best history record."

Yao Shen asks Qing Yu where he can find Meng Po and he tells him, but his expression is growing more restless, as if he's trying to fight Persuasion's hold.

"I'll leave, and you'll forget everything I asked you. You'll only remember telling me the tale." Qing Yu nods in understanding, his eyes still vacant. "You'll remember that I left you with a kiss and the promise of a speedy return."

While Qing Yu mumbles the words, "you leave me with a kiss," to himself, Yao Shen makes his exit. 

Once he gets his memories back from Old Granny Meng, he'll know, once and for all, what happened that day.