BOOK 8. Zhao Yunlan is a detective in a newly formed department dealing with strange crimes, but there are only three detectives and they don't have an office. Chu and Daqing work for Yunlan but their loyalty is to Black Robe who agreed to live...
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Yunlan called his staff into the office and explained everything that Wei had found out and waited for questions, but there was silence while they continued to stare at Yunlan to see what he was going to suggest.
"Firstly. Shen Wei has suggested that I play dead for a while and I'm willing to follow his idea. I can still be here and travel without being seen. We have a new secretary starting tomorrow and I'll instruct her about what to say to any visitors who come expecting to talk to me."
Now the questions started about how he was going to travel without being seen, obviously Lin Jing asked because everyone else knew.
"Guo Ying or another guard will bring me." Yunlan explained, which wasn't enough for Lin Jing.
"I think that I've proved my worth here in this office and I still feel as if there are a lot of things that are being held back, even if you don't want to tell me, I won't leave but it would feel nice to be trusted and not doubted. I might even have better ideas if I knew what our full capability was."
Yunlan leaned on his desk with his elbows as he looked at Shen Wei who half smiled and nodded, and he realised that Wei was going to shock Lin Jing with some surprises, so he signalled to Chu and Daqing to step back nearer the side of the room.
Lin Jing watched the movements and was instantly worried that he had been too forward, but had no idea why the two members of staff had moved away from him. Shen Wei called on Guo Ying who had been standing in the corner out of sight and recognised his prince's sense of humour which hadn't been shown for a very long time. He approached in his full black outfit with a half mask and made an overly gracious movement of respect in front of Shen Wei with his head bowed, mainly to hide his smile.
"Summon the guards. Loudly please." Shen Wei asked without the trace of a smile in front of Lin Jing, but half grinned at Yunlan when he stood and moved his seat backwards to make more space for their arrival. Chu and Daqing instantly moved behind Yunlan's seat because they knew what loudly meant. Unfortunately Lin Jing sat where he was , until he saw the small layer of clouds forming around his feet and he grabbed his seat and dived behind Yunlan to join Chu and Daqing.
The clouds multiplied and darkened as they arose towards the ceiling with loud rumbles of thunder which shook the building and vibrated through the floor where Jing was standing. Bright flashes of ultraviolet lightning illuminated the clouds which looked similar to a stormy sky and Jing watched as the remaining guards stepped out one after the other. They were all identical, in long flowing elegant black robes which moved in the slight breeze, from the top of their generous hoods which partly concealed their simple gold edged half face masks to their highly polished shoes.
They advanced and dropped to their knees in respect to Yunlan before rising and turned, waiting for Black Robe to appear. Yunlan had questions which he knew were not going to be answered so why ask, but he would find out at some point.
