Liberi Reader

One noon tea.

Alright! Take a seat, Master Shang!

Why so late to work today?

Met an old acquaintance in the morning.

Which acquaintance?

Lungmenite.

Fine day. Fancy meeting you again, Master.

What, still looking for that pavilion?

You helped me considerably by narrowing things down, but I'm still meant to find a person and not just a pavilion, so there's yet more to do.

Is that your sweetheart, sitting over there?

What...?!

Ahem. No, I'm not that brave...

Oh, your daughter, then?

I hardly seem the fathering kind, don't I?

That's true.

Hey, what did you just say?! Me and that Lungmenite conman are what?!

A man and woman going up the mountains at this hour, in early spring. Nothing else to do, probably.

I—

Master Shang, your noon tea.

Thank you.

Noon tea? Not sure if it's noon yet.

Every Shangshu pole-carrier gets two free servings of tea in the mountain teahouses. A noon tea in the morning, a sunset tea in the afternoon, each with some small sides.

The taste of a free tea is always fine.

It's tea, nothing more.

But it's in the mountains, see. Mountain tea's always a bit more expensive. And if it's complimentary, you've made out like a bandit.

You manage your books well.

Are the shopkeepers really that kind, though? Is it all out of benevolence?

The authorities subsidize it, duh.

...And you'd know?

My home happens to be a food service establishment too. Of course I've got some idea.

...I see.

Are you close with the Shangshu authorities?

Have been since Mr. Liang took up office.

The last few Shangshu governors were about construction, civil projects, developing the mountains and forests—not just recovering the city from all its troubles, but breathing even more life into it.

Maybe Governor Liang Xun thought the city was renewed enough when he came in, because his agenda was peace and love for the citizens instead... Whatever you think of this, you've seen nothing yet.

......

You're wise, for your young age.

My dad does business. It's all just osmosis.

You have a fine father.

I've finished my tea. I should be on my way now.

See you again, Master Shang.

See you again.

—Hey! Lee, what's he doing with the goblet?!

Not sure. But he's got no motive to hide, hanging it off his belt for anyone to see. It's like...

He's asking for someone to come at him?

Ignore it. Let's have some tea ourselves, and see how this plays out.

Waiter! Two pots of tea, and two of the shredded meat noodles.

I'm not having anything.

I'll be eating them both.

Your two pots of tea, sir. The noodles will be a bit longer; we're busy today.

Thank you...

Ao?

Why follow us all the way here?

Phhh... ao!

Hey. Lee. I'm going to ask you something, and you can't laugh.

Did that teapot—just move by itself...?

Shredded meat noodles—

Whoa! Mind it, sir, I'm carrying your noodles here!

Aoww?

What the hell is this?!

Careful!

Huh?

Urgh!

—Hey, are you okay there?

The stuff in the kitchen, the cloth and the brushwork... they're all... jumping out!

Yaaagh! What is that?!

Fire! Fire, this monster's on fire!

They're charging at us.

Hey, Lee! Tell me what the hell's going on?!

So the rumors about that goblet were true... There's too many people in here, let's move!

How do we reach young Lee?

He told us in the letter he left. After we meet up, we find him at the summit of Qujiang Peak. If he's not there yet, we wait until sundown.

Good. We'll stick to it. We can't let the goblet fall into anyone else's hands.

Benefactor, how should we respond to those Ink Spirit-esque manifestations from earlier?

Chances are it's linked to the cup... We'll rendezvous with Mr. Lee first.

Oh!

Aoww—

Benefactor, would you say they've—er—proliferated?

Hm? What breed of beast is this? Why have they been everywhere for the last two days?

We've been surrounded, haven't we...

Ao!

Oh, you're feisty ones.

—There's no other way! Benefactor, you and Master Shen take your leave for now, and I'll handle these miscreants!

—You alright with that?

They act more or less as the Ink Spirits do. Reason says I should cope.

Master Shen! This way!

......

What troubles you? You seem so ill at ease.

Nothing.

Your brows always wrinkle when you worry for people.

Do they?

They do. Who garners such concern from you, my Lord?

I'm worried for that friend of mine.

What has become of him?

He's gotten into a gamble.

One you asked him to take.

...True.

Are you now remorseful?

I still believe this was the best option.

I'm simply not sure...

You are very clever, my Lord.

I wouldn't claim to be.

I just chose a stupid method.

Is every beast in Yan like this?

......

......

Ao?

Hm? Light? Oh, don't worry... mm, I'm happy as long as I have you all with me.

Still, though...

...?!

Drill! Keep a hold on it, now!

Completely new Yanese beasts... you might just make for some unexpected traps!

Dear me! What's going on? Did I offend some horror in recent times? Why are my days filled with contesting these menageries of creatures?!

—Oho?!

Wrrao!

...On closer inspection, these things are...

Wrr—

(Damned—)

Close call.

Are you hurt, sir?

You must be... from the other day—

Don't ask.

......!

No need to be so cold, Uncle Taihe...

—!

Would you know where these things arose from?

Wherever the goblet goes, Waregeists spring up. Ironically, it's proving the Sui Regulator's conjectures.

Does this mean...

Mind your words, young man.

As you instruct, Uncle Taihe.

Wrrao—wrr!

(These sprites—er, Waregeists... are they scared of these two? No, is it specifically the boy that cowers them...?)

*Sigh*...

Take a look at these Waregeists. How many incidents like this have we had?

Ten, twenty-five, and a full sixty years ago, with several more still.

While we have wrongdoers wreaking havoc with Originium Arts on occasion, things really don't come any better than this.

But Sui in the end is Sui, and a beast in the end is a beast. If your people carry intent to harm the realm, then Heaven knows how great the disaster will be.

Ao—

The Sui Regulator has no desire to see such things come to pass.

Which is why we need to settle this millennium-long mess swiftly and cleanly.

—

...No more than detritus.

Those things... reverted back into common wares...

Mr. Nothing.

...Hmm.

Please, convey this to Ms. Kroos for me. I want her to reconsider what I've said.

We can be on good terms regardless. Even if she should ultimately have her own considerations, my side still has a matter it wishes to entrust to Rhodes Island irrespective of position.

I can assent to passing it on, but why didn't you convey this to her yourself when the moment was ripe?

Haha... well, at that moment...

I was a little tensed up. I didn't get everything out.

Lord Zuo.

Well, then... It seems we can't delay any longer. Mr. Nothing, we bid you farewell.

Seems tense?

So a young nobleman who scampers about with the Deputy Imperial Censor in tow has a case of the nerves?