Chapter 25: The Emerald Snake

“Go away, kid.” The bouncer at the door said. Zen had found out that the gambling house’s name was the Emerald Snake.

“Please, mister.” Zen said. “My father is in there. He forgot his money and he gets angry when he forgets his money.” He held out two gold coins, which was his allowance for the month. The guard immediately looked at the coins with greed. “You know, as long as my father gets his coins, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if I give you one… if you let me in.”

“Okay,” he nodded quickly. “But the mutt stays outside.”

“Forget it,” Zen said, making an exaggerated motion of returning the money to his person, one coin at a time. “Shibi is my friend. Either comes along or my father doesn’t get to spend money at your fine establishment and you don’t get your gold coin.”

“Fine,” he said, “but you better keep an eye on it.”

Zen handed him his coin and rushed in without another word, “Thanks, bye!”

Zen walked around, looking at the gambling tables and the female entertainment walking around the room and sitting at the gambling tables. He walked towards the bar, still looking around for Jun Nee. He caught her, speaking to the barman before she walked away. Zen quickly rounded up on her, standing behind her.

“Jun Nee,” he said.

She whipped around, “Wa-Wang Zen? Shibi?”

Shibi leapt onto her shoulder. “Well, Shibi seems to remember you. More than I can say for you, with the way you ran away from me.”

“I can’t be seen with you here,” she said, Shibi’s tail moving across her face.

“Then take me somewhere where you can be seen with me.”

She looked around before saying, “Follow me.” She led him through a hallway, opened the door and allowed Zen to walk through. Once again, he was in the alleyway.

“Master Wang, you can’t be here.” Jun Nee said, peeling the ape off her and handing him over to Zen.

“Back to Master Wang, huh?” Zen said. “Why did you run away from me earlier.”

Jun Nee looked away, struggling with the words.

The pendant glowing from around her neck caught his eye. “Is that a storage crystal? The last time I saw you, you said you didn’t have one.”

She faced him, anger in her eyes. “The last time I saw you, you said you would meet me again in three days time.”

“I… I was going to meet you but I was dealing with a lot.”

“And a lowly commoner like me wasn’t important enough to remember.” Jun Nee said. “I feel like a fool because I waited, all night, hoping you would come. I had lost everything in one day and I hoped you’d help me but the end…” she shook her head.

“I’m sorry, Jun Nee.” Zen said. “How are you surviving, though?”

“Do you care?”

“I do, if it means that you’re doing it by being here.” He gazed at the place behind her back. “This is not a place for you.”

“This place saved me,” Jun Nee said. “Don’t come here again, Master Wang. It would not be safe for you or me.” She turned around, getting in the club and quickly closing the door behind her.

“Jun Nee, wait!” he said reaching for her but the door closed before he had the chance. He reached for the handle but stopped inches away from it, remembering the block that was in it. He realised that the necklace around her neck acted like the emblem that allowed him to enter the academy, my grounds and his dorm room.

He was going to walk away when he stopped at the corner, hiding behind it to look at the entrance. The man he ahd been following earlier was standing before the bouncer that he had bribed.

‘I’m going to enter and find Ma Xinqi,” the man from the Red Dragon Sect said, “and you can’t stop me.”

“Maybe we can,” someone said, walking from the door, followed by more people. The group had 3 masters in it and a few lower ranked cultivators, including one who was a little younger than Hue Yi. They were all weaker than the man from the Red Dragon Sect but together, Zen did not doubt that they would be able to handle the man.

“So, this is admition of guilt?” The man said.

“This is us saying we don’t know who you’re talking about but since your from the Red Dragon Sect, you are not welcome here.”

He smiled, “Fine.” He left without putting up a fight.

Zen fell back into following him away from the place. He eventually returned to the safe part of town, much to Zen’s relief. It was getting late in the night, so he was hoping the man would lead him to his inn so he could keep an eye on him the following day.

The streets had grown quieter, making it difficult for Zen to covertly follow the man now that he did not have a crowd to blend into. He eventually followed him into an inn, and waited until he entered.

“So that is where he’s based,” Zen committed the place to memory.

He was heading back to the academy. He stopped when someone appeared from the alleyway next to him. gazing down on him was the man from the Red Dragon Sect.

“Why have you been following me?”