Ghost Du Hongmo

Foundation

Hongmo could feel the hidden guards every time she stepped into the tea house.  She could feel them follow her when she left the tea house.  So she quickly lost the the two hidden guards through the small confusing alley ways.  When she knew she lost them, she flew on to the rooftops and made her way to towards the market square.  

Hongmo planned to buy three homes in Obe.  She would have one main home that she'll live in and the other two would be her hide away homes should trouble should find her.  Hongmo easily bought her first two homes.  They were just small apartments on top of shops.  The first home was on top of a bakery near the west gate.  The location of the apartment was close to the gate and close to the nobility. 

The second apartment was on top of a clothing shop.  The location of the apartment was in the east, right in the heart of the fashion district.  Hongmo decided to to buy her third home right on the cusps of high society.  Her living there full time would give her a better chance at scouting the nobility and getting home faster.  

Upon reading the post about the sell of a medium size courtyard, Hongmo made her way to the courtyard to talk to the owner.  It turned out that the owner needed to sell the home to buy medicine for his wife who has been ill for over a year.  The doctor diagnosed her illness as poison and the money would be needed to buy the ingredients to make the antidote.   

"How much are you selling your home for?"  Hongmo asked.  

"25,000 gold coins."  The man said.  

"25,000 gold coins?  This property doesn't seem like its worth 25,000 gold coins."  Hongmo said as she looked around.  Although the outside of the courtyard looked neat.  It still had signs of neglect.  The house was only two bedrooms, two bathing rooms, a small receiving room with an attached kitchen.  There was a small detached house for the servants.  The courtyard was bare.  No garden, not even a tree.  

"It's the location you're paying for!"  Petro shouted.  "This courtyard has been in my family for over 200 years!  You can pay the price that I ask for or you can leave!"  

"I'll pay you 25,000 gold coins."  A feminine voice called out at the gates.  The young girl looked like she was 16 years old with her hair tied into a maiden's bun.  Her pink silk dress was befitting of her station, as the the dress draped off of her body elegantly.  

"Lady Sara!"  Petro shouted excitedly.  He if he could make the two girls try to outbid each other, then he could gain more gold coins from them. "Welcome to my home.  I am willing to sell you my home and give you the keys, should I get the money right away."  

"I-I don't have the money on me at the moment."  Sara confessed. "It will take time for me to gather the funds, but you know I'm good for it.  My father is the Prime Minister and you know where we live.  I just need to talk to him and he'll give you the money."  

Petro's mood dropped.  He needed the money today to save his wife.  The poison doctor told him that today would be the last day to save his wife because the poison will soon attack her heart by nightfall.  

"Excuse me, but I was here first.  I was just about to negotiate with Mister Petro here the sale of his home."  Hongmo said politely.  

"And I told you that I will only settle for 25,000 gold."  Petro told her.  He needed all the money he could get.  The cost of the ingredients were 20,000 gold coins and he needed 5,000 gold coins to start his new life with his wife.  

"But you didn't even listen to my offer."  Hongmo tells him.  "I promise it will be worth your time."  

"How dare you think you can just steal this sale from me.  I plan to gift this courtyard to my future fiancee, Prince Asano, The Lone Wolf! Do you still dare to not sell this courtyard to me Mister Petro!"  Sara shouted.  Her maids behind her smirked at Hongmo and Petro. No one dared to defy their young miss, she always got what she wanted.  

"I have 15,000 gold coins on me right at this moment that I can give to you."  Hongmo said before getting cut off by Sara.  

"Misa!  Go home to my father and ask for 25,000 gold coins."  Sara ordered.  She wasn't going to let the woman buy the house from under her.  "I'll have the money within the hour if you sell this house to me!"  

Petro looked at Hongmo and shrugged his shoulders. Hongmo scolded at the young girl and turned back to the owner.  

"15,000 gold coins and I can cure your wife."  Hongmo tells him.  "That is my offer." 

Petro's heart stopped as he heard her offer.  

"How can you be tempted at this girls words!  She's a stranger, you don't even know if she can cure your wife!"  Sara desperately shouted.  

Sara needed this house to gift to Prince Asano for his birthday party in a month.  She had her sights on Prince Asano since she was six years old.  He showed her one moment of kindness when he saved her from drowning in the pond.  And since then, she has loved Prince Asano.  She had to buy the the house for him so he could take notice of her.  She was determined to be his wife.  

"Bring me to your wife.  If I can diagnose your wife's illness and poison, you'll know I'm not lying.  You can even have the poison doctor that diagnose your wife there to be witness and ask me any questions.  Should I answer all the questions correctly, you'll know I'm telling the truth.  Which means I can cure your wife. You wouldn't even need to buy the ingredients for the antidote."  

Petro stared at the young red headed woman in awe.  If she could offer her services to his wife and cure her without having to buy the ingredients, he would accept the 15,000 gold without complaint.  

"Follow me."  Petro said as he lead the way to his wife's room.  

Sara followed behind the young woman and Petro, wanting to see for herself if the young woman can do what she said or be the fraud that she knew the young woman to be.  They entered the sparsely decorated house into one of the rooms.  Inside the darken room the smell of medicine and incense could be smelled.  Two maids moved around the room quietly, helping the woman should she need any help.  

"Go call Doctor Gu to come here."  Petro told the maid.  "I need his services."  

"May I?"  Hongmo said as she stood by the woman who lied in her bed.  Her breath slowly breathed in and out as her graying hair laid unbound on the pillow.  Her once beautiful features were darkened by the red spots on her face and body as Hongmo looked over the poisoned woman.  

Hongmo checked the temperature, heat beat and the eyes of the poisoned woman.  She immediately knew what poison was used and how to cure the poison. 

"Do you admit to not knowing anything about curing Miss Rose?"  Sara confidently said as she saw the young woman in red stand up and wait.  

"I'm waiting for the doctor to be here before I say anything."  Hongmo said.  "I don't like wasting my time and breath on repeating myself."  

"Why don't you just admit that you don't know anything!"  Sara shouted.  "That you're just trying to con these poor couple in their time of need."  

"Why don't you shut up and leave.  This has nothing to do with you in the first place."  Hongmo said angrily back to her. " You don't have the money to buy this house and Miss Rose is in no way related to you, so you don't have a say in my deal with Petro."