A Maiden's Strange Voyage

And mostly with Liao Yue giving advice. Whatever advice that he had garnered. Even if he also only appeared for an hour or so. Leaving her here.

"So, what sort of probation have they gave you?" He smiled at her. He was sitting before her. Even as he looked down at the weiqi set.

"It isn"t really probation." It was more akin to a promotion. A promotion that Feiyu thought she was ready for. He raised his eyebrow.

"I thought it was strange that teaching you this was probation. As this is the foundation of strategy." Not how it is done, but how it is taught. The basics that would allow them to gain practice in making good delicious. Even as it might not be for anything else.

"She is recommending me to become a strayer next year." In which he blinked and he understood.

"So, she did agree that our decision was sound."

"Well, she did admit that it was so. Even as we really lucked out in this regard. We only happened to avoid getting captured." He did admit that it was the truth. They had only avoided capture. Not that they would have succeeded as a certainty.

A risk they had taken. Even if it was a good decision it should not be celebrated. "I get it. It is to not encourage others to do it. And that I should not do it until it"s dire."

Even as that night he had explained his reasons why he chose to go instead retreating. It would have made more sense personally to retreat. But he had not, deciding that it was best to go forward.

He wasn"t wrong and what they had found needed Feiyu to be spurred on. "So what sort of probation are you on?"

"I"m unable to leave. Maybe for another couple of days. Since they are lacking in people who can reconnaissance." And he happened to know the city quite well. "And they still need me."

"So?"

"I wonder whether they"ll let you go with me. Since your face isn"t well known and we did well previously." She could guess that too. She wanted to see it.

"Who knows?" But both of them really liked the idea of it. "I wonder will you take me around the city?"

"Consider it repayment for joining me on my madcap scheme." He gave a smile.

"I wonder if there really a lack of skilled people? Since it doesn"t seem common to ask for us to help out." Although Dianyu hasn"t had the chance to really know all of them. But from her ability, she hasn"t seen a lot nor has she really know how they functioned.

She knew for the fact that she didn"t really know. And neither had she gotten many answers at all. Her time with Feiyu was mostly polishing basic skills and now this. Where she was teaching her. And perhaps meant that she would need to find answers elsewhere.

He nodded. "There is a lot who are out right now due to an increased volume in the activity."

"Wouldn"t that be strange?"

"It"s more for Feiyu and those up there to decide. But right now they don"t have enough even as they had never compromised their recruitment practices." It was normal to expect since this was a large commitment. She had never managed to do much while they were here.

"The exact numbers?" She asked.

"Five in Kaifeng observing the situation. Three in Chang"an, and five including me here. Our current numbers are closer to forty across the whole country. There hasn"t been any more than eighty-eight and no less than twenty." To fully build their own path was one of the hardest things she understood.

"What about those who don"t pa.s.s for the third time?" She knew that they needed to take the rest for the third time.

"They can help us if they hear anything. And are allowed to live."

"Is that how you operate at getting missions?"

"Most often it"s linked to them. It can be quite small. Or it can be revealed to have none of that influence." She remembered her first encounter with them even as she had never managed to do so again. Nor was she keen to find herself in such a situation again.

"Does reconnaissance include that?"

"If Feiyu were to a.s.sign us to it, I say it"s likely. It is a glorified messenger albeit one that has some legitimate danger. And this information is best not spread by letter."

It would raise their suspicion if they have their hand. "Especially if it is within the city. Outside they would usually default to a code."

"Why are you asking me these questions again?"

"You"re more useful than Feiyu in these matters. She hasn"t had the chance for me to ask her." He shrugged. Perhaps guessing that she was just too busy to do anything. "Well, aren"t you itching to talk to someone?"

"You"re right about that. Since she had me at my room since our outing and today was the day I"ll be allowed to walk around. Although I"m still awaiting orders."

"How about we play a round together?" The boy nodded. Even as he helped her removed the stones to what was necessary to play the game itself. And then they started. He had let her go first. That was to be expected. He had not placed any handicap knowing that she wasn"t skilled.

Even as he took the chance to seize it. The advantage of going first was the same as an ambush or knowing just where they were going to strike. Or take the first chance to attack.

He had countered the second time. Showing that he was skilled. Even as she continued to place. He had placed it outside between hers.

She would place it just above his as well. Not fully as a counter but allowing her to build around it. Even he had not but continued to fill the line. She had done what she could, realizing that he played the same strategy as she had before.

Thinking that it was easy to stop him from rising before he had managed to claim some of her pieces. And realized that she had, for the most part, ignored the pieces he was making. But she was almost done. And she took over some of the smaller pieces too.

This game went both ways. Sometimes she had the upper hand but it was still dominated by Yuan Shao. Even as she spent more time thinking of ways to get around it. There wasn"t another word exchanged between them until they were done.

"You"re not bad."

"Thanks." Even as they were completing.

Even as they found themselves looking at the one person she had never met. "We need the both of you to meet with us now."

She looked to him in which they knew why. Perhaps he was right in the sense that they were lacking in people.

--

Feiyu had been rather hesitant. But since there were so few and Yuan Shao needed a partner. And the only partner whom they could spare had been her apprentice.

Especially since Yuan Shao and Dianyu could exercise sound judgment. She had spent mostly these past few days coming through all the deployments and to see where she could cut.

So far, there was none. And from there, the earliest they could finish and come was in a couple of days. But the situation at Luoyang needed immediate action.

She knew that it became necessary for her to look to them for the time being. Yuan Shao wasn"t experienced enough to be on his own. But they could spare no one else to be with him.

"Well, I"m surprised you grouped these two together," Zhixun asked. "Are you sure it shouldn"t be me?"

"Well, we need you for something else. To accompany Yin Rui, since he needs someone who has a good scholarly background and is a man." Yuan Shao could not be considered one, as he was still a boy.

And something he was apt for, even if he had never entered the imperial examination.

"They did act together to find that piece of information. Giving me enough evidence to summon him." Pointing to the sleeping man.

He raised his eyebrow, clear that he had no idea who he was. "Who is he again?"

"It"s Liao Yue." He would not. "He is one of the best there is. The one who broke the record."

Zhixun would nod. Even as he knew full well of his behavior. Feiyu did know that being exposed to Yuan Shao who had achieved it in a similar time has made him more aware of how it would make them stranger.

And that he was aware that there was a few better to play this role than he was. He was aware of the various principles that guided the servants; and also the reasons behind every law.

"So the both of you will be on your own?"

"Indeed." Even as the man was someone who could be trusted on his own. He had been able to do much without them. So it was best to keep them as it was.

"Although someone has to be here during the day and the night. And I would need to head to the brothels eventually." He would look at her.

"It is easier for me to gather information from the entire town. It"s a place where men have been surprisingly loose with their mouths."

He would not. Even as Yuan Shao and Dianyu would make their appearance now. Yuan Shao had been confined to the house for the most part. While Dianyu was being taught the basics.

"Both of you from now on would be taking on a mission throughout the city of Luoyang." It was giving him back his freedom. They had nodded knowing it. "There aren"t enough people and so far you have done nothing to be excluded."

This was because of desperation and their youth itself. Even as they had accepted it. Before Liao Yue finally awoke. Along with Yin Rui who had been around here for quite a while after much deliberation.

Knowing that this had been where they were here. "Your job, for the most part, is to look for information with a list of contacts. I"ll be pa.s.sing the list to Yuan Shao, ensure that it is on your person at all times."
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He would pa.s.s Yuan Shao the paper. Even as he accepted it with both hands. Her apprentice remained standing until he was done. Knowing that their role was completed.

"Dismissed. For now, your job is to contact a merchant on the list and figure out whether has there been anyone in Luoyang who has been threatened."

Waiting was too long but investigating the sect which believed in fate would be dangerous. "What about my job?"

"You"ll be investigating that sect. It doesn"t matter how. Since you have remained a faded memory for them." He gave a smile. But gave a nod.

"What about you?"

"I"ll try to attract their attention at the brothel." Knowing full well what to do.

"How often would I need to report?"

"Once every few days." Even as he got up and leave, needing this as his only orders. Accepting it from her since he had not wanted to lead the operation himself.

"So I"ll be looking for any specific cases and Zhixun would be my secretary in this." It was an acceptable arrangement. All the while ensuring that it would not be dependent on a single person. Since Yuan Shao and Dianyu would not be managing to find anything for the most part. It was expected that they were going to spread the message of what was going on and keeping their ears sharp.

Since many might avoid heading to the authorities itself. Although those who do would reach him. A large reason why Luoyang could afford to have as few as two here to manage.

"And I"ll be helping to look for them by his side." In which Zhixun and Yin Rui would leave as the man needed to teach him what was necessary to help him. Just as she followed them finally closing the door. She was done with the delegation.

Now was the hard part, executing them and hoping for results.