Qing lai peered cautiously out from behind the trees. The Chugai River was a raging torrent, and in the middle of the night, its black waters were at their most dangerous.
"I don't think that's a good idea!" he muttered.
"Why not? It's the best way to get into the city unseen, Brother Qing!" remarked Zhi Cheng. He had also leaned forward, and his long hair tickled the tip of Qing lai's nose as he crouched on the ground. He brushed aside the black curtain of mist and sighed.
"I agree with you that we can get in unnoticed at the slum docks looking the way we do right now, but have you thought about how we're going to cross the river?" Qing Lai asked doubtfully. His light hair and golden eyes looked reproachfully at Zhi Cheng. The Ghost King cleared his throat and tapped the bridge of his nose with his fan.
"I'm sure there are some smuggler boats here. The looters wouldn't have carried their stolen goods through the open city gates," he replied.
Qing lai looked around. Zhi Cheng's reasoning made sense, even if it was questionable that he could understand it so well. Still, if there were smuggler boats, they were well hidden. Zhi Cheng pointed down the river.
"You look over there, I'll look here," he instructed him. Qing Lai sighed as he got up and scanned the riverbank.
Zhi Cheng stomped through the man-high reeds on his side and slid across the wet ground. After a while, he bumped into something hard. When he pulled on it, he hoisted a small, upside-down nutcracker out of the water and turned it over. It was dirty, smelled terrible, and would barely hold the two of them.
A rope was firmly anchored at the front. It looked as if the thieves usually loaded their loot into the small boats, which were then transported across by cable car from the other side.
"Qing lai!" Zhi Cheng called softly. A light brown tuft of hair poked out of the reeds.
Qing lai eyed the vessel suspiciously, but he couldn't think of anything better if they didn't want to go through one of the massive city gates and be recognized. So he climbed in and pulled Zhi Cheng behind him onto the boat.
It swayed dangerously, and when they pulled on the rope together, it moved only very reluctantly and very slowly.
The almost full moon illuminated the black surface of the water so that it looked as if the stars were sparkling at their feet. When the boat bumped against one of the dilapidated, weathered jetties, Qing lai helped Zhi Cheng out first and then himself.
They ran as fast as their feet would carry them across the jetty and only stopped when they were standing on solid, stationary ground. Both of them took a deep breath.
"See, Brother Qing, everything went like clockwork," said Zhi Cheng, breathing a sigh of relief. Qing lai nodded.
"Like clockwork," he echoed skeptically.
Zhi Cheng led the way, rummaged a second purse out of his belt, and threw it cheerfully into the air.
"First we need something new to wear, then I'll treat you to dinner!" he said happily. Qing Lai frowned, looking anything but satisfied.
"You stole more gold?" he asked doubtfully. Zhi Cheng automatically clutched the purse closer to his chest.
"That's mine!" he defended himself. 'None of it is stolen!' Qing Lai sighed.
"It's already nighttime, most of the shops are closed." Zhi Cheng grinned broadly as he relaxed a little. Qing Lai wouldn't take his money away from him again and throw it away.
"Leave Brother Qing to me!" said the Ghost King cheerfully.
Although he didn't know the city, he led himself and the pacifist wrapped in rags purposefully through the narrow alleys and streets. He followed the whiff of ghost qi that hung in the air. Although Duifang was the headquarters of most ghosts and few ever left the valley, there were some who built a life for themselves in the mortal world through black magic and alchemy.
The night was warm and dry, and although clouds were already gathering, the long-awaited rain was slow in coming. It smelled of garbage, rotten food, and excrement.
Qing lai, who seemed unaffected by the smell, looked around attentively. Zhi Cheng suddenly stopped abruptly in front of a small, squat shop where the lights were still on.
"Brother Zhi, you are about to encounter some spirits. Please be friendly," he warned him. Qing Lai spun around.
"Please, what?" he hissed. But Zhi Cheng had already stepped through the taut curtains and thrown his money pouch onto the cluttered, scratched counter.
Behind it sat a grumpy ghost. His head was that of a boar, with enormous tusks and bloodshot eyes. He had the upper body of a man, but hooves and stubborn calves peeked out from under his work clothes.
At this late hour, he had already removed the magic that concealed his true face, and so he jumped up in horror when the tall, handsome ghost king entered his shop. Only those who could perceive ghost qi were able to find him at this late hour.
He opened his mouth and closed it again, then opened it once more when Qing Lai stumbled into the shop behind Zhi Cheng. His gaze fell on the boar, and he froze.
"Darling, do we have customers?" a high-pitched voice chirped, and a plump, stocky woman emerged from the back of the shop, which was also the living quarters. She flinched when she saw the visitors.
"Oh my goodness!" she cried in alarm. She looked almost normal, except for her yellow-pink fan-shaped ear tips and the bright green beak that replaced her nose and mouth, which seemed somehow out of place.
Qing lai was the first to recover. He folded one hand into a fist and bowed politely.
"Good evening, I would like to use your shop. Do you have anything new for my friend and me to wear?" he asked politely.
"Oh my goodness!" The woman's voice rose an octave higher, but she was clearly taken with the tall, slender pacifist. Zhi Cheng cleared his throat and gave the boar an icy smile.
Your wife had better pull herself together, he thought, before pointing to his purse.
"Please!" he demanded curtly.
The boar, who did not recognize him as Chengzhu but nevertheless recognized him as a powerful spirit, nodded and took the bag with trembling hands. Then he nudged his wife and put a finger to his tusks to signal her to be quiet.
Then he led the two through the narrow, warm, and dimly lit shop. Robes, silk, and lengths of fabric were piled everywhere.
"Do you gentlemen have any special requests?" asked the boar in a deep, vibrating voice. Zhi Cheng glanced at Qing lai with a raised eyebrow. He was allowed to start.
"Um, I prefer simple white clothing. A simple robe would suffice!" he said. The boar nodded and, with a practiced eye, pulled out a long, snow-white robe.
"And you, sir?" asked the boar, nodding toward Zhi Cheng. Zhi Cheng had been looking around and now took a deep breath.
"I prefer darker colors!" he said, tugging at a black fabric embroidered with red maple leaves.
"I'll put something together for you," suggested the boar. 'My wife has prepared a bath for you. You should wash first. In the mortal world, people are very rich!' he remarked.
"We definitely should!" Qing Lai agreed with relief. Zhi Cheng pricked up his ears.
"What? Together?" he asked, slightly helpless. The boar tilted his head, probably not understanding the problem. Qing Lai did the same.
"I've already seen you naked, there's no need to be ashamed, Brother Z..."
"Now? Right here? Of course, where do we go? There? Yes, yes, come, my friend, come!" Zhi Cheng interrupted him eagerly and dragged him along. Even though most of the spirits knew him by his title, Chengzhu, he didn't want to take any chances.
The boar's wife watched them for a long time as they disappeared behind the transparent silk curtains and removed the rest of the clothing that still clung to their bodies.
Zhi Cheng was the first to slide into the warm bath, which had been roughly carved out of stone. Qing lai followed suit shortly after. Just two men taking a bath, thought Zhi Cheng, keeping his eyes tightly closed. There's nothing wrong with that, it's completely innocent.