THE CUNNING VIGILANTE

3. Meng Po Soup

As far as he can remember, the General's face was the most unique facial features he encountered. His sturdy and firm body was more like a Greek God, full of grace and pride. His raven hair flowed in from his scalp to the General's waist, nudging from his black robes. His piercing phoenix eyes makes one shivers if got stared at and his straight nose and beautiful lips could make one fell from his charms. Li Jie was so jealous! He wished that his body was like that. Instead, he landed on a weak body, more feminine at that. He sighed as he picked two stones, rubbed it to make fire. The friction produced sparks and later formed a fire as the spark lighted the gathered leaves and branches. The fire made Li Jie's cold body warm.

"I will look for this past owner's brothers. They may be worrying right now." He whispered as he remembered the past owner's memory. Since all of his brothers looked like his fathers in the past, not to mention their same names, Li Jie will find them easily, if God lets him. He then lay in the ground as he closed his eyes, ready to enter from his dreamland.

***********

"Why did you leave Li Jie alone?! Who knows wht would happen to him if he got scared?! What will mother say in heaven that we have been careless and leaving Li Jie behind?!" Chang Bao almost blurted words like a rap. The six brothers were in their ordinary house. Not too big, not too small. Just an ordinary for seven brothers who lived in peace. Now that their youngest brother was gone, they panicked, thinking that their weak brother wandered off and kidnapped, or worse, being sold off by a brothel. Min Zhe, who was the one in charge of taking care of Lie Jie, got scolded so bad that he thought he maybe dead later on.

"I'm sorry brother! I won't do it again I promise! I got tempted by the Young master's pouch so I...Uhh...followed my hand. I never thought Li Jie got lost! I promise I won't do it again!" Min Zhe continued bowing at the furious Chang Bao, who was thinking about his weak brother's situation.

"Now, now, how about we all calm down and started thinking calmly? We need to act fast than to face your erupted head right now." Cheung Chao said calmly, but inside he was about to explode when he knew Lie Jie got lost. He was sitting in the floor with his 5 brothers who were furious of Lie Jie's disappearance.

"Erupted head?! What erupted head!? Do I look like a volcano?!"

"Did I say you're face looked like a volcano? Ahh! Bao ge's hearing is a bit slow ba!"

"Oh ho?! You dare!?"

"Stop it you uncultured yeasts! Our brother was gone and yet you two still debating whether Chang Bao's face looked like a volcano but he indeed looks like it!" Jiang Hua shouted to make his idiot brothers calm down. As expected, they both shut their mouths. He sighed as a relief and rubbed his temples. Jin Ping on the other hand sighed on how his brothers were too childish.

"How about this? No one is allowed to step foot inside the house until Li Jie's been found. We need to spread up to look for him in case he's nearby. I trust my intuition, I think he never leave the capital. But, we need to be careful. No slacking off! Bao ge and A-zhe will search for the nearby brothel in case he got abducted. A-chao and A-hua will search the rich families' manor in case he was sold off. While me and A-ping will search for nearby rivers and caves in case he got escaped and went into hiding." Tu Fai suggested, it was not a bad idea so they all agreed.

They decided, they will not step theif foot on their house until Lie Jie's been found. As for Min Zhe, they will punish him after Li Jie's been found. Poor Min Zhe...

They searched for the entire night. The rich families also got scared 'cause they heard footsteps outside their manor. They maybe thought there were assassins so their hearts shivered for the entire night. Also in the General's manor, the shadow guards were on duty for the night when they spotted two people sneaking on the General's place. They charged at them, but they were skilled in terms of fighting. They got off after the masked Cheung Chao and Min Zhe left the place. The shadow guards reported to the General but he was furious because of his concubine's escape thus the shadow guards words only passed on the General's ears.