9 Under Scrutiny

When Yun Da Xia took a step outside Wolfsbane Pavilion, the hairs on her body stood to attention.

She bore a bitter smile. They didn't even bother to wait 'till she put more distance between them to begin their pursuit. They really looked down on her. A sigh escaped her lips. She couldn't blame them; as she was right now, even she doubted her plan would work. A plan which was more like a rough outline. It all banked on the hope that they were blindly confident that she didn't suspect a thing, and a certain set of circumstances. The rest would be raw improv.

However, there was no other choice but for her to try.

Her feet propelled her through the still busy streets. Pretending to look at the offerings on a fruit stall; her eyes darted towards the tops of buildings. Satisfied none were stationed above, she continued on her path. Every so often, she swung her head to look at different products in the diverse shops. She strained her ears to detect any footfalls that fell to the same beat as hers; occasionally glancing by the corners of her eyes when she a shadow shifted by her side.

If she wasn't mistaken, there were at least three men on her tail.

Although the sky was beginning to darken and merchants were beginning to pack up their stalls; the area was still fairly dense. It would be a decent enough cover for her. Playing the role of a curious customer, Yun Da Xia stopped by a stall which she had been eyeing.

This stall wasn't anything special. Bolts of fabric hung from wooden pegs; a table like base holding them up. Four wheels were attached to its bottom, a handle fastened to the side for convenient transport. Many people had been drawn to the shop for the bright hue of the textile, but what drew her was the man running the business.

Unlike the other merchants that simply operated by receiving money and bidding their customers goodbye, the middle aged man running the fabric shop held a pad of paper. Every time someone purchased an item, he wrote down the order and had his customers sign. Yun Da Xia had sighed in relief, happy that she had actually found someone that practiced this method.

Now was the time for the execution; the time when everything could easily go south.

Her fingers ran through the edge of a bright red fabric; the softness of it greatly appealing. She turned to the merchant, flashing a smile. "Uncle, I would like to purchase this please."

The man grinned, happy to have made another sale before closing up. "Of course, Young Lord. Let me just write this up for you." Scrawling the characters denoting the product with a piece of charcoal; he handed the receipt to Yun Da Xia. "Please just sign on the dotted line, sir."

She quickly scribbled a few lines on the paper and returned it back to the man. "Please double check if I signed it in the right area." She advised.

The merchant quickly glanced at the parchment and paused. His eyes flashed towards the customer before him; taking in the young man.

He scratched his beard, "Apologies to the Young Lord! This old one made a mistake with inputting the price of this bolt. Instead of this number being three, it should be five."

A business man was still a business man after all.

"I understand." Yun Da Xia nodded without a care. Although five hundred gold coins was a large chunk of her currently limited wealth, she really didn't have any position to negotiate the asking price.

Her newly minted accomplice's face broke into a wide smile, folding the pad in his hands and placing it in his robes. "Young Master has a good eye. This is a beautiful bolt of fabric. Many women have come to admire it but can't afford the cost. The woman sir gives this too is incredibly blessed." The old man made small talk while he wrapped the bolt in brown paper and twine.

"If you want to treat her, I know a good restaurant right by here. It's called The Life Long Noodles by the road. It's got a big yellow sign so you wouldn't miss it. I always go to eat there after a tiring day like today. My good friend Jiayi works as the head chef there. Makes the best soups in the continent. Mention me when you go, she just might give a discount." He winked, passing her the parcel.

Yun Da Xia blinked in surprise. His words were smooth and told her everything she needed to know.

Why did it feel like this was this not his first time attempt to smuggle a person?

"I see," Wasn't this a bit too easy? She had been prepared to jump through a few more hoops. "I'll check it out then."

A little dazed and highly concerned that everything went smoothly; she hugged her purchases to her chest. She waved goodbye to the old man, moving towards the direction he gestured towards. Her footsteps were replicated by the pavilion lackeys. They vanished into the crowd along with her.

He whistled a joyful tune while packing his things; happy to be on the receiving end of a small fortune. Although he did not need for much under the care of his own master, having more spending money was always a good thing.

That young lad was an unfamiliar face. He would need to report this when the debacle was over. At the very least, he was certain that he hadn't done anything against his role as his master's servant. Since day one of their employment, all of his master's subordinates had memorised the faces, backgrounds, and abilities of everyone who was considered an enemy or possible enemy to their house.

An unremarkable figure walked parallel the old merchant, only a few feet apart in the bustling people.

The merchant continued to muse over the boy's intentions. Was he a criminal on the run? A player trying to avoid a spurned lover? Perhaps like his master, an heir trying to avoid responsibilities?

The drama played out in his mind.