Blood Bonds And Golden Ties

Chapter 9: Fear to Confess

[Quan Mo Ran]

They trudged through the snow. The whole landscape was blanketed in white. They now walked on a well traveled road. Mo Ran enjoyed the steady crunch of snow beneath them. Occasionally, wind would blow some snow off the branches and they would float down on Mo Ran. The whole time they walked, Xie Fei admired the knot Rui Ming gave him.

Mo Ran noticed and stared at him. .

"What?" Xie Fei asked.

Mo Ran shook his head.

Xie Fei elbowed Mo Ran. "Tell mee."

Mo Ran shook his head.

The two continued to walk.

After a while, Xie Fei broke the silence and asked, "Where are we going?"

"Guess."

"Huh? How am I supposed to know? I can't read your mind!"

"Wrong."

"Oh come on! That wasn't a guess!"

Mo Ran holds up two fingers.

"What's that mean?"

"Two guesses."

"Only two guesses? that's so unfair!"

"Not my problem."

"Let me guess, the ghost market?"

Mo Ran shook his head.

"Where else could it be? Li Qing, give me a clue!"

"Knowledge."

"Huh? What did you say? Knowledge? What does that have to do with anything?"

Seeing Mo Ran was not going to answer he huffed, "Fine. Don't tell me. Be secretive."

After walking a bit, Xie Fei asked, "Why are we heading toward Bei Pan? Is that where the mission is?"

"Business."

"Oh."

They arrived at the big city gate. By now, there was a long line of people waiting for the gate guards to check their identities and allow them into the city.

They stood side by side and waited as the sun smiled down on them.

Mo Ran crossed his arms, staring ahead. Slowly, they inched their way closer and closer to the city gate. In front of them was a man who pulled a cart of radishes.

Xie Fei bumped Mo Ran with his arm. "Look," he said as he tipped his chin in the direction of the person in front of them. "This is going to be interesting."

Mo Ran gave him a questioning look.

"Watch the show."

"Let me see your identity card," a guard wearing a silver helmet and bronze armor commanded. The man took out a rectangular piece of wood with words engraved on it and held it out to the guard.

The guard scrutinized it and asked, "Your name is Liu Yang?"

"Yes."

"And you are from Ning An?"

"Yes."

The guard glanced at the pile of radishes in the cart. "Ning An is far from here. Why did you run all the way here to sell your radishes?"

"This..." the man glanced around uncomfortably then laughed. "Sir, you misunderstand me. I am from Ning An but these radishes are not. I grew these radishes myself and have since moved from Ning An. I live not too far away and this is the closest city to sell my radishes."