Light and Shadow

37 - The Destination Revealed

Xun Yu quietly sat at a table with a small cup in hand. He watched the gentle swaying of the amber liquid in the cup as he swished it around while listening to the many boisterous voices that filled the tavern. Cheng Yu was seated in front of him at the table and gingerly took a sip of the liquid from his own cup and grimaced, causing Xun Yu to look up at him with a questioning gaze.

"Master Cheng Yu, I thought that you were opposed to drinking." Xun Yu stated, earning a chuckle from the man.

"Well, I am not entirely against it. At this moment, I simply want to savor the sweetness of sharing a drink with a friend," Cheng Yu stated with a smile, causing Xun Yu smile back at him. "This old man appreciates your kind offer of sharing a drink, but you have not drunk a drop of your wine yet. Is something troubling you?"

Xun Yu placed his cup on the table and met Cheng Yu's curious gaze.

"Master Cheng Yu, I apologize for suddenly springing this on you, but I am in need of your assistance," Xun Yu replied seriously. The older man's carefree demeanor changed to one of a more serious nature as he nodded his head, signaling for Xun Yu to continue. "You have mentioned before that you frequent this tavern. Can you tell me if you recall hearing anyone mentioning a group or village on the outskirts of Luoyang that is looking to recruit new members?"

Cheng Yu looked at the table as he pondered the question. He then shook his head.

"No, I can't say that I have, but here would be a good place to find that information. Allow me to assist you. Since I visit this tavern frequently, people might be more open to talking to me." Cheng Yu stated before taking a sip of his wine and placing the cup on the table.

"Thank you immensely." Xun Yu said with a slight bow.

The two sat there for a few moments and listened to the many voices that filled the tavern. Xun Yu could hear people talking about family matters and various other topics. Someone mentioned opening a business, and another mentioned receiving a promotion at work; however, none of the current patrons were discussing the information that he sought.

As his hope began to dwindle, the door of the tavern swung open, and in walked three people who greatly differed in appearance from the other patrons. The tallest member of the group had hip length hair that was tied back in a braid and a light green colored hanfu; he also had a long scar across his left cheek, a long slender mustache that stopped at his chin, as well as a thin, pointed beard that was approximately twelve centimeters in length. The other two members were close in height, both reached the tallest man's shoulders. One wore a light blue hanfu with missing sleeves, his face was smooth and unblemished, and he wore his hip length hair in a ponytail. The other man wore a black hanfu; he had shoulder length black hair, a thick mustache and beard, and, although his face was smooth, he had two scars, one on his right cheek and one under his left eye.

The man wearing the blue hanfu appeared to be somewhat out of place when standing next to the other two members of the group, both of whom appeared to be adept at sword fighting and martial arts. The group walked up the stairs, to one of the tables situated on the top floor against the railing, and sat down, looking out into the crowd of mirthful people below. Xun Yu could hear the heavy footsteps of the man wearing the black hanfu as he walked over to the table and sat down, and he knew that this group could mean trouble if they were annoyed. Cheng Yu aimed to stand up, but Xun Yu quickly reached across the table and grabbed the sleeve of his paofu. Cheng Yu turned to look at him with a confused expression, but Xun Yu shook his head 'no' and motioned for Cheng Yu to sit down.

"Did you not see the swords that they are carrying? It's too dangerous." Xun Yu whispered to Cheng Yu, earning a nod from the man as he returned to his seat.