Devils Roll The Dice, Angels Roll Their Eyes

Chapter 5 - Temptation

"Lady, the sun's already set. You sure you're gonna be safe out here?"

The question took a moment to reach its intended destination. Yanfei was lost within a world of her own contemplations. She had been for most of the trip.

It was still hard to believe how quickly the situation at Yanshang Teahouse had devolved. One moment, she thought she'd found the chink in the owner's armor. For just a second, it felt as if there was valuable information to be gained, with a bit of underhanded play.

The next, those she was wagering with heard her murmuring under her breath. Things like "Should be a high card soon" and "Guess it's time for big bets." If the legal expert lacked anything to compete in a world of chance and skill... it was the ability to keep her thoughts to herself.

Soon enough, she was being pursued by a few very angry gamblers who didn't take too well to potential cheaters. Soon enough, she had to be rescued by the very person she came there to gather dirt on. Soon enough, she realized how delicate of a game it was that she'd sat down to play.

Since then, she'd mostly resigned herself to meeting with Hua on the teahouse manager's terms. Any more wrong moves might scare away the one target she had. Not having a move to make... had left her just a tad bit sulky.

When the replays in her head paused to let the man's question in, she had to hold in a laugh. She didn't have a clue about how safe this whole operation was. Though, the woman had Adepti blood in her veins, a Vision burning red at her side. Her demanding curiosity left unchecked was a far more dangerous proposition.

"I'll be just fine, thank you for asking," she spoke, a polite brushing off. A bright smile and nod were added, in almost overly enthusiastic fashion.

Either way, the carriage driver who brought her there seemed to buy it. Pleasantries were exchanged. Yanfei stopped to watch, as the wooden cart disappeared into the night.

Her last glimpse at the chestnut horses' strides came with a sigh. As the image was lost to the foothills of Jueyun Karst, Yanfei turned away from the home of the divine. Rather, as she knew well from the histories and legends told by her parents, she gazed upon the resting place of the damned.

Her surroundings weren't wholly unknown to her. She'd been to Tianqiu Valley and the Blackcliff Mines many a time, mostly to settle labor and safety disputes. Ever since the Chasm's mines were declared off limits, resources had been limited. To keep up supply, miners had been forced into more dangerous, unforgiving circumstances. It was a hard truth, but Yanfei faced it regularly.

Even so, this place always had an aura that made her uncomfortable. Perhaps it was about the shadow that the Chasm cast upon it. Yakshas, dragons, soldiers, heroes. All had marched across these plains on the way to their demise. Even the passing of centuries couldn't remove the sheer tragic weight that only increased as one moved toward its center of gravity.

As of now, though, the only disturbance she could physically sense was croaking. A few frogs in the river far below broke a bright, moonlit silence. It was eerie; even at this hour, there should have been a few people making noise. Miners manning the riggings, patrols making the rounds. A peep would've been comforting, but no such noise came.

As Yanfei made her way further into the mining camp, toward the operation's headquarters, this only became more unsettling. She couldn't even see Millelith soldiers manning their usual posts. She kept walking, afraid to verify if those who should be asleep in their tents were.

The pyro wielder followed the main path, cut through the slope with dirt and gravel, towards its end. Surely, the authorities would be at the terminus. They were mandated to keep at least two guards there, to avoid any unauthorized entry to the Chasm. Hua's game had to begin before that point.