Chapter 34: The Necklace

Zen sat on his desk. The sun was streaming in from the outside, catching the blade of the Zen Blade, which was placed next to the mask. The two gifts he had received from his father and his most prized possessions. The black mask, with a red widening line that began at the left eye hole and ended where the mouth should be, which hid 9 levels of ones cultivation base. The short sword, which still held a fine edge after having basically cut through concrete. He then gazed at the necklace in his palm, which reminded him of Jun Nee. Nodding to himself, he swept the items into his Storing Crystal before walking out of his dorm room, ensuring not to wake Shibi

-

Zen brought the necklace before Jiahai for his inspection.

“When I took it, I was thinking I could use it to gain access to the Emerald Snake and rescue Jun Nee but I also remembered that it’s a storage crystal. I tried getting at it bit found some resistance.”

Jiahai held the stone, allowing his qi to enter it but found a barried keeping him from emptying it out of its contents. “I’ve heard of this,” Jiahai said. “Its has a block on it, one that will destroy the crystal fi you try to force your way through it. It’s a safety precaution, just in case it gets stolen.”

“So we can’t find out what is inside?”

“We can’t but I’ve heard rumours that there are criminals who can bypass and nullify this kind of block on storing crystals. But where’d we find someone so unscrupulous?”

“I may know someone.”

Jiahai nodded, “Do you want me to come along?”

“No,” Zen shook his head. “But I do have a favour to ask of you.”

-

For the second time in a few days, Zen found himself before Yang Tai’s door. He wrapped his knuckles on the worn door. This time Yang Tai opened it himself.

“3 seconds?” Yang Tai said. “This is starting to be a bad habit of yours.”

“Can I come in?”

Yang Tai smirked, “Why not?”

Zen was seated at the same place again. The room was full with Yang’s friends who drank and spoek merrily to each other about yesterday’s festivities. They paid attention to Zen when he sat amongst them.

“So kid, what is it you wat this time?” Yang asked sitting across him. “You want to ask more questions on dangerous crime lords?”

“No, I have this storing crystal,” Zen produced the crystal and placed on the table. “I want to find out about it but I can’t get past the barrier inside.”

“You pinch this from someone?” Yang asked as he took up the necklace and studied the crystal embedded within. “Stealing is bad for a nobleman.”

“It’s not like that!” Zen waved his hands nervously.

“Yoh, open this.” Yang Tai handed the crystal over to one of his friends who closed his eyes in focus.

Zen frowned at this, “Shouldn’t you entrust the task to someone more… sober.” He said noticing the man’s drunken demeanour.

“Beggars can’t be choosers,” Yang Tai smirked.

The man focused on the crystal before it glowed and red small spheres of light appeared at on the table below dropping two coins. These were no ordinary coins, they were white and had wisps of steamy energy rising from their surface.

“Spirit Coins,” Zen breathed… before the hands of the people around shot at the Spirit Coins. There was a chorus of moaning as the arms withdrew to find that they had grabbed at nothing. Yang Tai smirked, holding the slightly glowing coins between his fingers.

Spirit coins were valuable. They were difficult and costly to make. The process to making one required the cultivator to give up a part of their cultivation base and only the most skilled cultivators could actually make them. one could even consume a spirit coin like a medicinal pill to improve their own cultivation base but most cultivators used them in trade as one spirit coin was worth 1000 gold coins.

“Who the hell did you steal these from kid?” Yang Tai said.

“I can’t say,” Zen answered.

“Come on, you’re in a lot of trouble if you pinched this from someone.” Yang Tai said. “Tell us and we may help you. If you don’t, we’ll keep the necklace along with the spirit coins.”

“So you were going to return the spirit coins to me?” Zen gazed at the spirit coins in Yang Tai’s hands as greedily as everyone else in the room.

“We’re going to my room and then you’re going to tell me everything,” Yang Tai said, clutching the spirit coins and hiding it from everyone’s drooling sight.

Feeling he had no choice, he followed Yang Tai to his room where he told him everything about the man from the Red Dragon Sect, Ma Xinqi and most importantly Jun Nee.

“For a weak kid, you sure make a lot of powerful enemies.” Yang Tai said. “I’ll keep these for now.” He returned the spirit coins in the necklace before pocketing the jewellery. “In the meantime, if you want to survive, I suggest you keep your head down.”

“I can’t do that, not when my friend still needs my help.”

“Well soon, you’ll be the one needing help.” Yang fished out a cloak from his closet. “Wear this to hide yourself and always watch your back. If this is really from Ma Xinqi, then they’ll be people looking for it, meaning looking for you.”

-

Jiahai waited at the food court. It had been hours since he was there, waiting… hoping to run across a certain someone. He finally appeared, walking leisurely with hands in his pockets.

“Mister Hue Yi! Mister Hue Y!” he rushed to him.

“Oh its you…” Hue Yi arched an eyebrow past his dark curcular glasses, “Chu Hai, right?”

“Chu Jiahai,” Jiahai clasped his hands and bowed. “I have something for you.” Jiahai handed Hue Yi his Bingo Card.

Hue Yi looked at the blank card as Yang Tai;s information filled its white space at its touch. “Hmpf, so Wang Zen is actually returning something that belongs to me? That’s a surprise.” Hue Yi looked at Jiahai. “Have you been waiting here the whole day? Hoping that I would pass by to get some food?”

“Everyone has to eat once in a while.”

“True,” Hue Yi smiled, “Though I should give you guys my address to avoid such things. However, I;m scared you kids will stalk me.”

“We won’t,”Jiahai assured. “Wang Zen also has a request of you.” Jiahai handed him a letter.

“Really? Hue Yi said as he opened the letter and read its contents. “He wants me to find someone? I think Wang Zen misunderstands what I do. See, I don’t find people, I find out about people. They are two different things. And anyways, I’m usually paid for what I do. If he thinks I’ll be his errand boy and do this for free…”

“Actually, he did say he is willing to pay you, with this.” Jiahai handed Hue Yi a mask. “If you do what he asks of course.”

Hue Yi turned the mask over in his hand as he studied it. “This mask, it is no ordinary mask, isn’t it?”

“It has the ability to hide 9 levels of the wearer’s cultivation base.”

“Well that’s quite useful.” Hue Yi said. “Such a precious trinket. This request of his must be really important.”

Jiahai nodded.

“I seem to have misjudged Wang Zen, if he can produce and part with items such as this.” Hue Yi turned his sight to Jiahai. “Although it’s out of my comfort zone, tell him that I’ll do it. If the mask is my payment.”