Malice Hearts Yin Book 1 Part 1

Chapter 17

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

"If they are the ones working for the Zi, will this be safe....?" Yu looked at me uneasily. I had opted to bring him with me to the Shanghai Branch of the Onmyoji. None of my team seemed to be thrilled with this decision and had given me a critical, knowing look as we headed out. I am sure that if Fujiwara had been there, he would've made a fuss, but I was honestly surprised that no one else tried to stop me.

Only Haruka had tried, well, seemingly so. She had shouted "wait, stop!" but then reminded Yu that she was still wearing his clothes and asked if he wanted them back before going out.

Well, I wouldn't question it; I'd just consider it lucky no one interfered. Yu hadn't even seemed alarmed and had followed me out of the Jade Pearl without a shred of hesitation too. Simply hiring his friend to take us part of the way on his rickshaw and buying him something to eat had put him completely at ease.

Of course, that ease waned when we reached the elite district of Shanghai and came closer to our destination.

"Don't worry, I'm just going to tell them I've found the Cold Child that eluded them and that you wanted to apologize for the frostbite. They'll just think you're trying to ease any punishment you might get."

"Am I going to be punished by the Azure Dragon? And you will not leave me there, will you?"

"Of course not. Lady Miyako won't punish you. Also, I will not hand you over to them. I'll just tell them they're too incompetent to trust with you and that I am going to bring you to Lady Miyako directly."

"Oh, ok... but.... the Zi won't be happy about me getting captured."

"Exactly; they'll send people to attack us before we can bring you out of the city, and then we can take them captive and force them to talk."

"Alright but.... I'm worried for Lau and the others.... what if they attack them to encourage me to stay silent?"

"What could they tell the Zi? That someone reported a strange child, and that you got caught? The Zi will think you're too scared to say anything that could get your friends at the Dreaming Peony hurt."

The Zi would probably kill at least one of them in order to send a message for Yu to keep his mouth shut.

"Still, I'm worried.... they have been like family to me...."

"How about this, then? To further ease suspicion, I'll pretend to get distracted and you can send a 'secret message' through them, to come rescue you from us. That way, they won't think you came to us willingly. Also, when they eventually come to attack us, you can pretend to be on their side—throw some delusions at us. We'll plan what they are so that we won't get fooled by them. That way, if any of them escape, they'll tell the Zi that you're still on his side."

"That.... could work...."

"Besides, I'm sure Gui Jin is too preoccupied with Baoji's death to care much about you getting caught."

"... I, um... still can't wrap my head around that one." Yu confessed, wrapping his arms around his midsection, troubled. "Gui Jin adored Baoji, even after what he did to Gou Lian and his disfigurement...."

"He doesn't strike me as the loving grandfather type."

"He did not love Baoji so much as he found entertainment in his cruelty. Gui Jin used fear and violence to raise the Zi family into its power, and he thinks Baoji is heartless enough to carry on his will."

"What of his son....?"

"Wugui, he's violent, of course, and ruthless too, but... he has some principals and morals, unlike his father and Baoji. He won't kill or hurt people unless they earned his wrath, or it's a necessity. Both Gui Jin and Baoji go around killing the homeless as a way of blowing off steam. Wugui never hurts the destitute, unless they are in the wrong place at the wrong time."