“What are you thinking about, son?” When Elvin closed the door to their apartment, he asked Marcus: “You seem - tense about something.”

“Yeah no - it’s just a lot.” Marcus shook his head, then sat down on the sofa, rubbing his temples: “That Wuchang - what did you see when you faced him like that, Dad?”

“Huh?”

“What did you see when you stood in front of him? Or did you hear anything? Feel anything?” Marcus took out the piece of torn white fabric from his pocket - it still retained that ethereal, smooth and out of this world quality that tingled his senses. The visions he saw still had him pondering. There was definitely some meaning behind it.

“I - I don’t really remember. All I remember is this sense of chilling danger and - and this weird feeling of death.” Elvin scratched his jaw: “I don’t know how to describe it - it’s different from what I expect from a Wuchang. It’s - a death I know that I’ll never see a way back from and will be something completely new. It’s kinda - ”

“ - kinda of grandeur and holiness.” Marcus nodded: “Yeah - I guess. That is what I felt as well.” Marcus leaned back on the sofa, reminiscing the visions shared with him by the Wuchang, which seemed exclusive to him. As he continued to recall the images from the vision - the sense of something vast, powerful, pure but broken grew in his mind. And in direct and disturbing contrast to this presence of order and harmonious cycle, was the altar and the dark tendrils that killed the Black Wuchang and injured the White. It radiated something utterly corrupt, distortion of the natural and a little human emotion of devotion and regret.

“What - what are you thinking? Can I help?” Elvin asked.

“Probably not now - I’ll need to think about it a little. And maybe ask for some guidance on what information to look for.” Marcus sighed and stood up: “Alright dad, I’ll need to take a shower. I have an early day tomorrow.”

The next morning, Marcus got to the precinct even earlier than his usual time. The reason was simple: Captain Ko had arranged a meeting between him, the Captain himself, Detective Shrevas Pahaik and a city councilman, Councilman Ding.

In all these years of being a detective for the city, Marcus rarely had the chance to actually officially meet anyone who was close to higher-ups of the city, not to mention actual councilmen and councilwomen.

The captain himself was in somewhat of a more formal looking attire, and Detective Shrevas Pahaik also appeared to have cleaned himself up quite a bit, which made Marcus seem quite underdressed.

“We’re meeting a councilman, if you’re looking to advance your career in the city, being at least superficially formal is a must.” Captain Ko shrugged at Marcus when he looked at them in uncomfortable curiosity: “But - it’s not mandatory, so you don’t need to change. And I expect this meeting to be short.”

“Shorter than our train ride there?” Marcus finished up his coffee.

“Yeah, perhaps.” Captain Ko sighed.

Some man was complaining that his wallet was stolen to the train station security guard when Marcus got on the train along with the Captain and Shrevas.

“One of these days we need to do something about these train station pick pockets.” Marcus shook his head as he adjusted his borrowed tie.

“If it was easy, then it’d be solved. ” Shrevas shrugged: “I still remember when I was a beat cop, and I walk a nearby area almost everyday - I could catch one or two a week if I’m lucky. Most of the time they just retreat into the other district and I can’t do anything even if they’re taunting me right in my face. I almost got permanently suspended once, just because some local punk ran into a tea store and I got him there.”

“Yeah, I remember. ‘Disrupting the harmony between districts’, the reason was.” Captain Ko chuckled: “Sadly it’s still the case now. And it’s why people are gradually moving away from these areas, even with the easy access to the train.”

“Hello there, my friends, you want some - something exciting? ” A young man with messy hair and in a multi-pocketed dirty cloak came into the car and asked around: “I’ve got fragrances. I’ve got sticks, and I’ve got fragrant sticks if you’ll believe me. Nice and cheap! You can’t get them anywhere else! Buy some! I’ve got them real deals!”

Shrevas and Marcus turned their eyes on Captain Ko at the same time. Soliciting on the city train is a minor offense most of the time. And in most cases they wouldn’t even bat an eye. But this young man just mentioned “sticks”, a code word for weapons. If it was true, it would instantly escalate to a major felony.

Captain Ko sighed and stepped slightly towards the direction from which the young man came. And when the young man reached his side, he asked: “What kind of sticks do you have?”

The young man’s face lit up, as he pulled open the right side of his cloak and revealed a few slightly rusty canisters with tarnished labels: “This is - you’re not gonna believe it - concentrated pepper spray, made with blessed water from the temples. Good for your daily need against punks AND unclean filths.”

“Pepper spray? That’s all?” Captain Ko sounded like he was actually both somewhat disappointed and relieved: “That’s the ‘fragrant stick’ you’re referring to?”

“Yes. Yes!” The young man nodded, nervous about what Captain Ko might say: “It’s the best in the market! And besides, what’s some regular sticks gonna do when you’re being chased by a spirit, or haunted by a poltergeist, huh? With this in hand, you’ll be just fine!”

“Okay. Okay.” Captain Ko waved his hand shaking his head: “I don’t need this. Find someone else.”

“Are you sure, sir?” The young man inched closer: “These are some really good stuff! I can personally guarantee you - ”

Captain Ko flashed the badge hanging from inside of his jacket to cut the young man off. The young man was stunned mid sentence, then immediately scurried away.

“Well. That’s - creative. I guess.” Shrevas chuckled.

“Yeah I’d give them that.” Captain Ko sighed: “Too bad I don’t think it will work.”

“Hmm - you’re sure?” Shrevas took a look at Marcus: “I thought it just may - ”

“Adding other solutions or ingredients into blessed water is a mostly untested territory.” Marcus shrugged: “I know they can only be mixed with rice wine made of sticky rice, or just raw sticky rice. So - ”

A chime resounded in the car - they reached a stop in the middle of the South-Western District.