Sen was briefly worried that Jing had decided that they’d all just stay at the palace as the guards led them deeper into the city. Debt or no debt, Sen would have fled entirely if that was the situation. That would be a hell not worth enduring. Mercifully, the guards led them to a very familiar inn. Sen had stayed there with Falling Leaf and Lo Meifeng. Jing had also visited him there, although it was surprising that the king’s memory was good enough to recall that. It seemed like there ought to be more pressing things occupying the man’s mind. The idea of just settling into a room in a modest little inn helped to soothe some of Sen’s agitation over the whole situation. That lasted until they went inside, and Sen discovered that Jing had secured the entire place for Sen’s stay.

“How long has the inn been,” Sen sighed and, almost against his own will, finished, “secured for?”

The innkeeper, who was finally back on his feet after Sen had insisted that kowtowing wasn’t necessary, stared at the floor as he answered.

“I was told to hold the inn for you as long as you require its use. We were paid in full for three months.”

Sen felt a bit of gorge rise in his throat. Three months? Just what in the thousand hells does Jing imagine I’d do here for three months? He worked to keep his horror at the prospect of a months-long stay off his face.

“I see. I was well-pleased with your inn when I was last here. I am sure your fine staff will take excellent care of us during this stay as well.”

The innkeeper didn’t look up, but he did straighten. Sen could see the man’s cheeks lift with a smile.

“Yes, my lord,” said the innkeeper.

Sen went to correct the man, thought very hard about it, and resigned himself. He would, no doubt, be subjected to similar treatment for his entire stay in the capital. Just live with it, he chanted in his head like a mantra. Just live with it. He spared a glance for the guard captain, who was peering around the common area of the inn. He didn’t seem happy.

“Captain?” asked Sen.

“This is not an easily defended place.”

Sen frowned at the man.

“I’m not sure I understand.”

“We’re your escort in the city. We’ve also been tasked with securing this place during your stay.”

Sen could not, for the life of him, figure out what Jing was playing at with all of this. Sen drew the guard captain aside because he didn’t expect the man would like what he was about to say.

“Captain, I mean no disrespect to you or your men. I’m certain that you’re all very brave. However, if a fight comes to me here, I expect all of you to run as fast as you possibly can. I also expect you to take the people working here with you.”

The captain tried to put on an affronted look, but Sen could see that he understood the reality. A fight that came looking for Sen would be a fight between cultivators, and that was no place for mortal guards and soldiers. The captain offered a grudging nod.

“I’ll see it done,” said the man in unhappy tones.

“Good. Now, that being said, I would not be surprised if someone tried to sneak a mortal into here to, for example, poison us all. I would be very grateful for anything you and your men can do to prevent that. I’d not see people die for the bad luck of being in my vicinity.”

The guard captain stood a little straighter after hearing that. Sen had wanted to assuage the man’s pride a little by giving him something to do, but it wasn’t a meaningless task either. While he harbored some doubts about whether any poison that a noble house could get their hands on would act quickly enough to kill him, the same wasn’t true for everyone else at the inn. Things that Sen could just ignore until he got around to working up an antidote or shrug off entirely might kill Shen Mingxia in seconds. Wu Gang probably wouldn’t fare any better. Only Glimmer of Night and Long Jia Wei might be able to withstand something like that for long enough that Sen could do something for them. And that was a gamble he didn’t particularly feel like taking for no good reason.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

The guard captain offered Sen a deep bow and said, “We will not fail you in this.”

Sen inclined his head to the man before he turned his attention to the poor fools who had been caught up in this madness due to pure proximity to him. Shen Mingxia and Wu Gang both looked a little… Sen tried to put a word to it, but nothing seemed quite right. It wasn’t shocked, exactly, nor was it fearful, but it seemed like it might be related somehow. They had picked a corner and stood there together, putting up a united front. Long Jia Wei was easier to read. He looked ill. Sen supposed for someone who had been an assassin, this day would have been a nightmare. All those people looking at him, noticing him, and no doubt people from the sects and noble houses noting him as someone to look into. He’d probably been fighting an internal battle not to run away and disappear into the darker corners of the city the entire way to the inn. Only Glimmer of Night seemed wholly unaffected. He’d found a chair, sat down, and was taking things out of a storage ring to look at them for a moment before storing them again.

“My lord,” said the guard captain, “once you’re settled, the king has asked that you come and meet with him.”

“Of course, he did,” grumbled Sen.

The man’s eyes went a little wide at Sen’s lack of respect and obvious annoyance at the king’s wishes. Sen sighed. He supposed he should show a little deference to the king, at least in front of the man’s guards.

“I’m just tired,” said Sen. “Let me speak to the others for a moment, and then we can go.”

Sen pulled aside Shen Mingxia and Wu Gang and told them not to go wandering until he had a better feel for what was happening in the city. Long Jia Wei was given very different instructions.

“Did you ever do any work in the capital?” Sen asked.

Long Jia Wei gave him a guarded look.

“I did.”

“So, you have some contacts in the city? People who might be able to shed light on the situation?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Slip out of here after I’m gone and talk to those people. I’d like at least a bit of an idea of what I’m up against when the assassins start coming for me.”

“Don’t you mean if?”

Sen gave the man a flat look and said, “Are you trying to play naïve for my benefit?”

Long Jia Wei risked a self-deprecating smile.

“I’m just not looking to give you reasons to change your mind about me.”

Sen went to say something cutting and then changed his mind.

“Yeah, that’s fair.”

“Why would you trust me to do this?”

“Oh, I don’t. I have contacts of my own in the city. I’ll be asking them as well. I’ll see how closely the information lines up.”

Sen thought that the Long Jia Wei might be offended or shocked. Instead, the man gave him a look of surprised respect.

“Very wise,” said Long Jia Wei. “I’ll see what I can learn tonight”

Sen walked over to Glimmer of Night.

“I have to go see the king. I can’t really stop you from going out into the city, but—”

Glimmer of Night immediately shook his head. “Too many people. And I’m tired of this human disguise. I’ll stay in whatever room they give me.”

“Fair enough,” said Sen.

He was glad the spider didn’t want to go exploring immediately. The inn was by no means a secure place, but it also wasn’t isolated. Anyone who tried to get in here by force was going to get noticed. Plus, he’d already felt the cultivators taking up station to watch the place. He expected at least one or two of them were sent by people who felt, well, maybe not friendly, but friendly-adjacent toward him. Friendly enough to alert him if something were to go terribly wrong at the inn in his absence. He walked over to the guard captain.

“Lead the way.”

Sen kept his spiritual sense active as they moved toward the palace. This would be as good a time as any to try to kill him. He was alone, save for the guards. He was both relieved and mildly surprised when nothing happened. He was clearly expected at the palace because getting through the gates was little more than a formality. Sen did note that some of the palace guards gave him hard looks. He hadn’t been to the palace in a few years, but his last visit had been bloody. He’d also left more than a few guards unconscious. He supposed he couldn’t hold it against them if they were still holding that against him. Despite those hard looks, Sen did withdraw his spiritual sense. While an attack was still possible, it was far less likely at the palace.

If nothing else, it would invoke the wrath of the sect leaders in the city who placed a certain value on maintaining at least the appearance of cordial relations with the mortal leadership. A cultivator brawl in the palace would decidedly undermine that façade. He was also aware that the sect leadership here knew full well that Master Feng, to say nothing of Auntie Caihong and Uncle Kho, would descend on the capital with blood on their minds if he was to die. It was by no means a perfect shield, but it would help to inhibit the stupidest behaviors. Sen was swiftly led into familiar hallways and then asked to wait outside the doors of the throne room. The guard captain slipped away for a few minutes before the door was opened from the inside. Sen was already talking as he walked in.

“I hope you appreciate this, Jing. Do you have any idea how many bastards I had to kill just to get—” Sen’s words died in his throat as at least a dozen pairs of eyes turned to look at him.

Sen allowed himself an unnecessary cough before he turned to look at the man sitting on the throne. King Jing looked much the same as Sen remembered Prince Jing looking. The lines around his eyes were a little deeper. Sen spotted a few gray hairs that hadn’t been there before. All in all, though, the man looked healthy. For Jing’s part, he maintained a look of gentle reproval, but there was an amused twinkle in his eyes.

“Um, I mean, greetings, your majesty,” said Sen, offering a formal bow.