Candleholder

...A black goblet.

Was this the cup she drank from...?

......

Miss Li...

Sir! Do you need something?

Can you describe the guest just now?

Of course... I could never forget a Forte hunk like him...

Prepare two boxes of pastries and pay Miss Ning a visit.

If Miss Ning meets with the Forte there... come back and let me know.

Very well, though why aren't you—Uhh... My apologies, I shouldn't have asked. I will go right now.

......

Benefactor, I asked around, and it seems we'll arrive at our rendezvous point if we follow this path up the mountain.

But suppose we really don't find anyone there, what should we do?

Then we'll just have to go back to the Liang estate to find Mr. Lee. He said Magistrate Liang asked him to look into the goblet's owner. We should help him out.

But what if Miss Du spoke the truth, and it was indeed a man of renown who seeks the cup...? Would Magistrate Liang truly know nothing of it?

But would that all of this was a mere premeditated conspiracy, why would Magistrate Liang need to go through the trouble and put on such a show?

It's not like we haven't ever seen any big shots ourselves.

You mean the boy who claimed to be a Messenger...?

Haha... If only the Doctor was around. We could've just handed all this trouble off.

*Sigh*... I miss the dorm's soft beds.

*Sigh*... Why must we always mix ourselves up in trouble...?

Finish your tea... It's time to go.

Hm...

Should be around here...

Hot water coming through. Out of the way—

Hm! Watch out!

(Rim Billitonian) —Strewth! Don't scratch the paint, cobba.

...Hm?

A letter? From just now...?

It's past the rendezvous time. They really didn't come.

What should we do now? We don't know if Benefactor Lava has been to the office...

......

Perhaps we should wait a little longer?

*Sigh*.

Or we could meet up with Mr. Lee first—Hm?

Gkh—!

An Ink Spirit...?!

Hold on, hold on! Can those things leave the scrolls?

I have no idea myself...

Hey, little guy. Where did you come from? Where's your owner?

Gkhaa!

Hey, no biting! Let go! Let go!

You're the one who provoked it.

Bitey, that's enough.

Owie—!

Dusk!

We ran into a bit of trouble. You'll have to bear with me talking to you this way.

Trouble...?

Don't worry about it. It's nothing you can help with.

In Shangshu, we ran into some court envoys who're investigating what happened at Mount Hui-ch'i in Kou-wu City... They said they're from the Sui Regulator.

Tsk... I thought Nian would have everything sorted out by the time she came knocking on my door.

It seems I should've kept my expectations low with the way she goes about things.

Did you fight them?

Heaven forbid we should try to tussle with the mandarins... Not that we would've won if we'd tried, haha...

They mentioned you and Nian, but it didn't seem like they were looking into you two too seriously.

They came to Shangshu on a different mission.

I don't know about that... Do you have any clues?

It's got something to do with a black goblet.

Black... goblet.

We're helping a certain Mr. Lee to look into the cup's master too. The cup looked like it had a pattern on it... Much like the trinket that Nian gave Benefactor Lava.

Heh.

A cup... No wonder something seemed strange... I have a pretty strong hunch as to who that cup belongs to.

She can help us with quite a bit if we actually manage to find her. At the very least, she can help me keep Nian's mouth shut.

Dusk! Get out here already! The old fart's rambling away, he's really pissing me off! It's your turn!

Uhh... Is that Nian?

You must've misheard.

Heavenly forge—

P-Perhaps we should keep you no longer?

You said you're looking for the master of the cup, weren't you?

Find her before the mandarins do. Persuade her to help us.

At the very least, drag this out until we get to Shangshu. Don't let the Sui Regulator take her away.

I'm counting on you.

......!

Hm, we're back...?

Benefactor, is it just me, or does this baffling trickery of Dusk's really come in handy?

It's not worldly Arts anyway, so don't bother trying to learn it.

But it is convenient, I'll give you that.

You're looking for a pavilion?

I'm guessing that a pole-carrier like you, having come up and down the mountains so many times, the range here must be like your own backyard.

Let me tell you, then. The Three Mounts and Seventeen Peaks are full of pavilions, be it old rest stops or newly built scenic spots.

It's tough to find a specific one.

You can do it.

It'll take a lot of work, and I get paid by the trip, you know...

Not like anyone across the world would work for free.

Indeed. Here's your reward, then.

You're from Lungmen?

Yes, what should I call you, kind sir?

The name's Shang... Like Shang-Qie.

What do you want me to do for you? Be your guide? Or do you want me to find somewhere that fits the description and report back?

Time is of the essence. It'll be for the better if we can split up.

You're not from around here... and you're with a boatman?

I've spent a very long time in the rivers, and I am familiar enough with the area.

The rivers are nothing like the mountain roads.

They're both in Shangshu.

......

You can skip the Bieli, Ziyun, and Qingluan Peaks. They're just small peaks that people back in the old days decided to count toward the Seventeen Peaks.

Very well. We're actually focusing our search today on the Qujiang Peak here.

I'd appreciate if you could find me some clues before sundown... and please do look out for any towns with famous wine shops while you're in the mountains.

Wine?

Aren't all those who frequent pavilions connoisseurs of drink? They're always passed out drunk in them.

I'll ask around, then.

Much thanks.

We'll meet in the teahouse there in the evening, then.

Very well.

See you.

Well, if you aren't a casual guy. You pulled a random person off the street and asked them to help you. Aren't you afraid of getting duped?

I'm a detective. Gotta take a risk every now and then.

Can we trust him?

Just barely. He got attention from all the shopkeeps along the road. That means he's got decent relationships.

A pole-carrier who would swindle this little money wouldn't have such a good reputation in the neighborhood.

Besides, it's better than searching blindly.

You have a point... Where do we head next, then? Any clues?

A mysterious person that our magistrate insists is in Shangshu, their whereabouts unknown nonetheless, wouldn't hang out in a normal town like this.

So much of the problem lies in the cup.

Besides... If someone's bent on getting their hands on this no-name goblet, it only means that this little trinket is the key.

Master Shen, suppose the two of us run into the thieves from the other day. Do you think we can fend them off together?

*Sigh*, I've spent a few decades on the rivers, and the only thing I've ever worried about is how my grandchildren are doing in school. I've never fought anyone, and it would be quite the problem if I ever ran into a bandit.

All I can do is be your tour guide, kid. If you're worried, you'd better go to Mr. Liang soon and have him find you a bodyguard or two.

You haven't ever needed to lift a finger in your line of business?

I've been boating on the rivers for a few dozen years. I've never gotten myself into any of those hairy situations.

I can guarantee your safety if we run into some wild beasts on our journey through the mountains...

But with all the construction around the mountains the past couple years, you won't come across any beasts.

So there aren't any wild beasts... but are there any creatures with metal plates on their backs?

Now what's that about?

I don't know myself.

Where did you see that?

I saw it...

Ao...?

...right here.

This... this is...

Ao!

Hm, it's gone...

You scared it away...

Hey.

Need something...?

Do you have the cup?

We work for Innkeeper Zheng. He has a small eatery in this town as well. He wants to treat you to lunch.

......

Run!

I really don't understand what Miss Du and the innkeeper are thinking. This is such a pain in the ass...

First, they want us to steal the goods, then they want us to ensure no one makes off with it, and they even want us to get in the employer's way... Hm?

Hey, get up. Take a look over there...

......

......

......

Stop right there...!

Hello, sir. How may I help you?

Uh... Umm... I'm traveling right now, but I lost my wallet. I don't know nobody here. Think you can help me out?

Did all of you lose your wallets together?

N-No, we... uh... we couldn't all be bothered to bring our backpacks with us, you know? So we put our cameras and wallets and whatnot all in one bag. It's the bag that we lost.

We ain't gonna ask much from you. Just head back down the mountain and call the cops at the hotel there. I promise it'll be worth your while. Please, help us.

......

Look at the time already... Sundown here comes early, huh?

Nothing, mate, how do we get to the Liang estate again?

This way, Benefactor...

Shangshu's streets and alleys are vivid and colorful. There's a certain charm to gazing out at the mountains in the distance and the markets below from atop the skyscrapers here.

It's an entirely different scenery than what you'd find in Kou-wu.

Right. It's got a nice vibe, and the view is great. Not to mention, when the wind blows, you can sometimes smell the rust.

Am I right?

It has been a while since my blade was last unsheathed. How could it possibly rust?

You need us for something?

Of course... Rhodes Island has gotten too involved.

So you've been digging up dirt on us?

Here's a Yanese idiom you might like, Miss Kroos. 'Justice casts a wide net.'

A medical company that strives to rescue all Infected and sees them as equals, regardless of their race, status, and wealth—

—Even the purest of mountain springs must be no match for Rhodes Island in purity.

Thanks for the compliment.

Oh, please don't get the wrong idea... I didn't mean that as a threat.

After all, if Rhodes Island was a dishonest organization, you two would be in jail right now.

In other words, I would like you two to see our current situation as a form of trust.

Should I say thanks?

However, Infected should not be wandering about in such a bustling part of town out in the open. Safety remains a concern, after all.

Would you follow me? Let's take this somewhere else.

......

(What should we do, Benefactor? This kid's sketchy through and through.)

(Not necessarily, and it's not like we have a choice...)

Sure, let's go somewhere else.

Very well. I see you two are of formidable talent as well. I'll wait for you at the top of the tower to the north in a quarter hour.

Is that what you guys call qinggong in Yanese martial arts?

More or less. Of course, considering his martial prowess, he's no normal man.

Alright, fine... He's extraordinary, actually.

I don't see you get this serious often.

Haha, you jest, my benefactor. I'm always solemn and serious about every last detail.

To possess such fine skills at his age... He must have studied under a distinguished master to hone his extraordinary talent. Even that might be an understatement. His abilities are likely beyond our imagination.

Like I was saying, if he had that bull of a mandarin for a bodyguard, he is not to be taken lightly.

They know about Nian and Dusk. Obviously, they know about Mr. Lee too.

Dusk said... We have to find the goblet's master first.

Getting involved with a Yanese mandarin, though... Amiya's going to chew me out when we get back...

*Sigh*, if only the Doctor... Guess we can't always count on the Doctor, huh...