Meaty Platter

Everyone! Stay away from the wine in the cups!

(A fire that does not burn hot...)

(Who did this... and what are they up to?)

—!

Blaze...!

What's going on? What's with all this ruckus?

This is bad! I heard some kind of demonic fire broke out at the banquet! No idea how it happened!

The guards have the dining area surrounded. No idea what's going on inside, or if His Majesty is hurt...

They're talking about... cutting the Feast short...

...

Lin Qingyan...!

We've been notified of unknown persons infiltrating the Feast. We will now be conducting an inspection.

I ask that everyone stay where they are and not move. Please cooperate.

(Dammit... What the hell happened over where Leizi is?)

(This is bad. I can't leave her to fend for herself. I need to go take a look...)

You there! Stop moving!

(What do I do what do I do? I can't get in a fight here!)

(No time to think, dammit!)

After her!

First Battalion, Fifth Battalion, seal off the southern entrance! Seventh and Ninth, close the northern gate!

Everyone else, sweep the palace from south to north. If you find anyone suspicious, arrest them immediately.

Our intel says there are at least two culprits working together to ruin the Feast, so take care!

So many guards... What a pain.

What kinda trouble did you manage to get yourself into here, Leizi?

Sounds like you haven't gotten caught yet, at least... So where the hell are you?

Tsch... This palace is way too big...

Why're you here?!

Shh—

I thought you two just wanted to ask His Majesty to reopen the case? How did it come to this?

I don't know either! That fire's not our doing!

But the timing...

You need to leave, right away! There's no talking your way out of it if they find you.

What I need to do is save Lin Qingyan!

...

...Let me go look for her.

How can I ask you to do something that dangerous?!

I'm more familiar with the Forbidden City than you are. Even If I did get caught, I'll have some leeway to explain myself.

Don't worry. I'll find her.

But...

You still don't trust me. What, still angry at me?

Of course not—

Head to the southern exit, before the guards seal it off!

We'll meet up at that restaurant once we're all out of here.

...Okay.

You take care too.

Wait, did the soldiers manage to get a good look at you?

Err... Yeah, I think so.

That's... not good.

Oh, I know! Let's swap clothes. Come on, get them off.

I saw someone running away up ahead! Over there!

*Sigh*...

The dining area's been cleared out... Deputy Minister Lin wouldn't be here.

But who started all this at the Feast...

I hope Blaze managed to make it out by now—

...

Why is she here?

These two...

Is this fate at work?

Looks like it's not too far away now...

Wonder how things are going over on their side...

Found you...

Who's there?!

So it was you.

Damn... That's one hell of a sword!

You're not dressed like your average soldier. What are you, a general?

Save the chatter.

So you're the one Lin Qingyan has been hiding behind her back... But why would she bring you to the Forbidden City?

Err... So I know it's impolite to barge in on someone else's banquet, but would you believe me if I said we didn't mean anything bad by it...?

What I'm trying to say is that this is all a misunderstanding...

There is no misunderstanding here. The Imperial Guard have been searching for you for forty years.

You are her descendant.

What are you talking about? Whose descendant? Who's 'her'?

All this time you've been hidden away, and nobody thought to tell you about your history?

Haha, got me there... I'm pretty curious about it, not gonna lie. Anyone I can ask about it?

But seriously, the Imperial Guard? Looking for me?

Forty years ago, only a single child was unaccounted for in the family of a treasonous mandarin.

You... What are you talking about?

Blaze... I need to confirm something...

You were born in 1062, in Victoria, right?

Yes. From as far back as I can remember, I lived in Victoria.

Your father seemed to have been spending a lot of time pursuing a certain 'truth' in the last few years of his life.

What if... you found out everything around you was one big lie...

Wha...?

Y—You're talking nonsense! Bi zui!

You are a person of interest. We'll figure out what to do with you after questioning.

Come with me.

Forget that!

...

(Gah—!)

You're no weakling, it seems. I might not be able to take you in without hurting you.

If you don't wish to be harmed, then surrender immediately.

I'm not in the mood for jokes right now!

(Panting heavily)

Didn't I tell you... to save yourself if... something happened...?

...Lin Qingyan.

Your deeds at the Judicial Review Office are worthy of my respect, Deputy Minister Lin. And I was kind enough to remind you before.

It seems you have decided to completely ignore my warning.

I am perfectly aware what I'm doing. I don't need your reminders.

You know who she really is. Yet to go so far as to protect the descendant of a traitorous mandarin...

Why?

For the truth. The truth you are all too afraid to talk about.

Lin Qingyan!

What are you two talking about...? What do you mean... I'm the descendant of a traitor?

My dad... Who is he? Why did he die...?

Forgive me. I was planning to tell you everything after tonight. But it seems now is not a good time.

I will make it up to you later however you like. Provided we make it out of here alive, that is.

She will be coming with me tonight.

As long as I am here, she will not.

Forget that. You will need three of you to simply obstruct me.

Lin Qingyan!

Go already!

Where...?

...

She yet lives.

It's you—

Stay your steps, Mr. Ning. Come no closer.

You never saw me tonight, and she never left the house.

She... But why...?

She intruded upon the Feast of a Hundred Delicacies. She was with that girl when I discovered her.

If she had run into anyone else, she would not still be alive.

Impossible...

Forty years... I can't believe it's you again...

Forty years ago, you left her here. Now, you save her life once more, save her from a terrible fate.

Fate... This must be fate...

There's no escaping it. There never was.

I did not leave her here for her sake. It was you who saved her, Mr. Ning.

You once swore an oath to never let anyone know the truth of this case in exchange for her name. But it seems you are now wavering when it comes to past vows.

...

The True Lung will know of tonight's events.

The choice is yours, Mr. Ning.

I must be going mad...

It's autumn. Why do I hear cicadas...?

Ah—!

Where... How did I get here?!

Oh, finally awake I see.

I knew you were one tough Feline. Look at you, as lively as a fin on a line.

Jiang was making a fuss about calling a doctor. He was shouting so hard he forgot what time it was.

How long was I out... Wait, where are they?!

Lin Qingyan... Did Ning Yin come by here? I... Seriously, how did I get here?

Alright, slow down. I don't even know where to start with all these questions.

Last night I was on my way to the night market to get some cheap veggies when I found you lying down in the middle of the street. Thought you were drunk at first.

I was worried you'd freeze to death or something, so I brought you back here.

You were cursing up a storm in your sleep, hypocrite this, swindler that, and a lot more besides... Tsk, I don't know where you managed to learn such creative Yanese.

The Ning Yin you mentioned, and whoever this Lin Qingyan is... Never seen them before, so I dunno if they were here.

I...

I need to go find them—

Whoa, whoa, where're you going?

The Forbidden City.

I just saw a whole bunch of guards patrolling around there. You think you can still get in?

I don't care. I have to go—

Who d'you think you're going to find, after having lost yourself like that?

You... What are you talking about?

Just speaking the truth here. You lost yourself, yeah?

You don't know where your self has gone, where it's wandered off to. You hear a few words from someone else and wouldn't you know it, you barely even know your own name, much less who you are.

Such absurdity...

A tangerine seed is blown from Jiangnan to Jiangbei, where it takes root and yields fine fruit. What let this seed grow so well wasn't Jiangnan or Jiangbei, but decades worth of rain and sun.

It's ultimately the same fruit. Jiangnan and Jiangbei might not be the same place, but an orange is an orange. Doesn't matter where you eat it.

All things begin, all things end. There is the outer truth, and the inner truth. Once you figure that out, then you can get back to asking your questions.

You... Do you know something about all this? What do you know?! Tell me!

Weren't you trying to find authentic tangerine cakes?

I think I know how to make those.