100

Ying Jun

Shaking his head no, he cleared his thoughts of the woman's entrancing eyes.

"I do apologize." Ying Jun said as he cleared his throat. Never had he ever let a woman affect him this quickly or completely. "Please repeat what you just said."

"What happened downstairs would never had happened had you trained your staff to let people come talk to you, when they are feeling belenovent." Akari told him. "Because of your rules, the deaths of several men were gone within a moment's time. You should consider in the future to at least ask your future guests what their names are and the reason why they came to your establishment."

Ying Jun sat there quietly as he listened to the woman lecture him on how to conduct his own business. He held his anger down as he endured the humiliation he felt.

"I could have been in and out of your establishment within five minutes had your waiter listened to my request to speak to you. However you just had to make things so difficult for me to have a few words with you that I had to kill to get your attention." Akari sighed. "Even though you think you are the best in society, just below the King. Know that there will always be someone better than you. And as your luck will have it today, that someone is me."

Ying Jun's eyes became harden again. The arrogant woman was still attacking his honor, his business, his people, and his pride. He must endure her insults!

"As to why I came to your establishment, I wanted to ask you about one of your clients." Akari told him, finally moving on to the real reason why she was there.

"I am unable to release any information on my clients." Ying Juns said.

"Are we really going to do this again?" Akari asked him. "I just killed your people and your guest. Do you want me to make you squeal again to remind you that you have no free will to deny me?"

Ying Jun's jaws tightened at Akari's words. The side of his jaw was twitching as if it was all he could do to keep his anger from showing.

"Who?" Ying Jun finally asked after he calmed himself down enough to speak politely to the woman in front of him.

"Lord Rin Noboru." Akari told him. "Have you seen him since yesterday?"

Ying Jun's eyes enlarged for a moment before quickly hiding his surprise. Never would he have thought the mage was looking for Rin.

"Why do you ask?"

"Answer me and I'll tell you."

Ying Jun sighed heavily before telling her the truth.

"Lord Rin came to the Eight Stag bar for only a moment. It was as if he was looking for someone. When he didn't find the person who he was looking for, he quickly left."

"What time was that he came here?"

"It was just before dinner." Ying Jun answered truthfully. "Now... are you going to tell me why you are looking for Lord Rin?"

"He's missing. His parents are worried and has tasked me to help find his whereabouts." Akari told him half of the truth. She reasoned that Jing Yun was at least deserving to know why she created such a scene in his establishment. "Would you know where else he might be?"

Jing Yun sat back with his thoughts hidden from the mage. He had quickly became friends with Rin four years ago and considers Rin one of his close friends. If he was missing, he needs to let the mage know possible place Rin might be in. However, he didn't really trust the mage in front of him. He didn't know who the mage was and if she was really tasked by Rin's parents to find him.

"I might know a place where he might be." Jing Yun said as he looked up to the beautiful woman in front of him. "However the only way I'll tell you this location, is if you tell me how you know Lord Rin."

"My parents and his parents are long time friends. Rin and I also grew up together."

Ying Jun's eyes lit up with knowledge of who the young woman sitting in front of him was. Over the years, Rin slowly opened up to Ying Jun and told him of his best friend and first love Akari Ayame. The genius with four abilities and one of them was violet. Lady Akari had left to train with her mage teacher and he didn't know when she would be back. Rin confided in Ying Jun that he still had feelings for Lady Akari and was in the process of breaking it off with Kiko Lehar.

"Apprentice Mage Akari." Ying Jun said as he stood up and bowed to her. "Please accept my apology for tonight's events. It was my poor rules and arrogance that caused the demise of several men. Had I known who you were, I would have granted you an audience and not dely you as we had today."

Any connection he could make, especially with a mage, he wanted to do anything to ensure that it did not sour or turn Apprentice Mage Akari away. Although her first impression of him was not great, it did not mean that he could improve of her opinion of him.

"Where do you think Rin could have gone?" Akari went back to the reason why she was there. Her patience were long gone by now and just wanted to meet up with Dean before heading back out to search for Rin.

"There's a bookstore not too far from here. He goes there all the time. Speads hours there after work, on days off, when he's bored. I could always find him there when I need to speak to him."

Akari's patience ran out the moment he mentioned the bookstore she already went to. What a waste of her time and energy. Akari quickly stood up and when her hand reached the doorknob Ying Jun jumped to his feet and spoke to her.

"Please let me know if you found Rin. I have been a friend of his for four years now and I am also worried for his welfare."

Akari opened the door and left his sight without looking back. Her exit was as swift as her entrance. She was like a fresh breeze that blew through his life and on the way she left a pile of bones and death trailing behind her. She was exactly the kind of woman he wanted. Even if she was his friend's first love. Ying Jun was determined to take Apprentice Mage Akari away from Rin even if it meant breaking his friendship with Rin. Apprentice Mage Akari was worth more in power and prestige than Lord Rin Noboru.