27 Contractual Embrace

"So, why are we here? What business do you have with the Yun Sect?" Wen Po questions as they approach the outskirts of the Yun Sect territory. He'd gotten the fact that Fang Lei was traveling here, but why?

Could it be Fang Lei is a Yun Sect disciple?

Fang Lei tenses up upon hearing the question, and he doesn't answer immediately. Instead, he's silent for a while, before murmuring, "I need to find someone, and I need your help."

Wen Po raises an eyebrow, his interest piqued. "Oh? And what kind of help do you need from this humble merchant?"

Fang Lei explains seriously, his expression clear and focused: "I can't enter the Yun Sect for various unnamed reasons… but, the Yun Sect is known to have very powerful cultivators. I need to get a person named Xu Jiyu out of there. They'll surely be hostile to us if we try to enter, as they use vicious cultivation techniques such as meditating under extreme circumstances to break through to the upper stages…"

He obviously can't tell Wen Po, 'Oh, I can't enter the Yun Sect because I'm a spirit, and they set up a spiritual array around the premises of their abode, so I'd be exorcised immediately if I tried, hahaha!'

So he has to settle with this white lie for now, even though he dislikes lying, it can't be helped. Technically, he isn't lying anyways, he's just omitting information!

He internally praises himself for his intelligent thinking! Good job, Fang Lei!

As he's holding himself up on a pedestal in his mind, Wen Po says with his trademark smirk, "So I can tell you're hiding something, but that's your business. I won't pry. What help do you need from me, my small companion?" He pats Fang Lei's head.

Fang Lei's little celebration ceases the moment he hears Wen Po's words. Ah, damn, is he really that bad at lying?! How could Wen Po possibly see through his impeccable evasion?! As Wen Po pats his head, all he has to say is: "....."

Seeing Fang Lei's apparent confusion and slight panic, Wen Po closes his eyes, wearing a wan smile. "If you use such vague language and leave out all these details, it's clear to anyone with half a sense that you're hiding something, Wang Fei." He uses the misnomer intentionally, with a hint of friendly condescension that Fang Lei didn't particularly appreciate.

"...It's 'Fang Lei', ah!!" Fang Lei retorts with an indignant glare, purposely ignoring the previous comment of Wen Po seeing through his facade. "Stupid old man, even your memory is trash! Truly befitting of an old man, ah!"

As usual, his glare doesn't faze Wen Po in the slightest as he retaliates in kind. "Ah, I'm afraid I don't remember the time when I allowed you to be so cheeky with me. Please elaborate on how you developed this attitude." Wen Po had finally snapped.

"You dare attempt to take that kind of attitude with me after I let you go so easily, when you've just finished testing my trust?" Suddenly, Fang Lei feels as if he stands before a giant. Wen Po towers over him, the taller man's imperious tone setting off warning signals inside his head as he shrinks from the unexpectedly intimidating aura he sensed.

"...I'm... sorry…" Fang Lei manages to stutter, shocked at the abrupt change in atmosphere.

"All's well. As long as you're reflecting on it," Wen Po's usual smile greets him once again, as Wen Po turns on his heel and resumes walking. "Then, tell me why I should be helping you with this? What do I get in return?"

...Looking at this situation, who was the powerful spirit and who was the human, ah?! Why did the roles suddenly reverse?!

Fang Lei definitely doesn't feel like provoking Wen Po again… the duality of a man is truly scary, ah. As they say, the fury of a gentle man is not to be taken lightly. Unlike earlier, Fang Lei's current appearance is comparable to one of a small child who'd just gotten scolded; small and docile. He quickly follows after Wen Po, "...I'll give you whatever you want, just name it. Just make sure it isn't something I can't obtain or do."

Wen Po smirks, a dangerous glint emerging in his eyes. "Anything, you say?"

Fang Lei suddenly doesn't like where this is going. "Well, maybe not just anyth—"

But Wen Po easily interjects, "Ah, too late. You said it already, no backsies. Anything as long as it's something you can obtain or do." Fang Lei hates that the merchant's shrewdness decided to appear at this very moment.

Wen Po turns around once more, leaning in and making direct eye contact with the shorter of the pair. He leans even closer. Fang Lei feels his heartbeat begin to quicken. Wen Po touches his forehead to Fang Lei's and with half-lidded eyes says, "So if I ask for you to embrace me as a wife greets her husband returning from a long journey as a reward, it's well within bounds."

Fang Lei wasn't sure he'd heard correctly.

"H-Huh!?"

Is it possible for a person's face to simultaneously flush red while filling with black lines? Because that accurately describes Fang Lei's expression at the current moment.

"You heard me." Wen Po replies nonchalantly, waving a hand in the air. "Take it or leave it."

The youth doesn't have any choice, so is he really in a position to refuse? The only person he can ask for this favor is this jackass of a merchant, ah! Fang Lei outwardly sighs and puts on a forced smile: "...Alright, I'll do whatever it is you want, old ma—I mean, ahem. Yes, I'll do it."

Oops. He'd almost insulted Wen Po again. He knows better than to call him an 'old man' after receiving that warning from earlier. No, thank you!

"Great. Let's get down to business then." Wen Po immediately withdraws a scroll from within his robes and retrieves a quill and inkwell from his bag. Within a few minutes, he's drawn up an extensive contract detailing their arbitrary agreement, leaving a relatively straight line at the bottom for Fang Lei's signature. As expected of a cunning merchant, he was no stranger to the power of the written word.

Fang Lei stares at the fresh document, his lack of understanding plain as day. Wen Po smiles wickedly. Fang Lei… doesn't know how to read, just as he'd surmised. Good thing he'd added all those extra clauses to the contract. He might just end up receiving more than an 'embrace,' at this rate.

"What is this?" Fang Lei questions, unable to comprehend the flimsy piece of paper that was presented to him. The more he stares, the more his apparent confusion deepens. As a spirit who'd forgotten about his human life, he doesn't exactly know how to read… but of course, he can't tell Wen Po this.

"This is a contract with all of the details that we've discussed. You just need to sign your name at the bottom, and I'd be more than happy to find this 'Xu Jiyu' for you," Wen Po says, the smirk never leaving his face.

The poor, illiterate youth could only receive the quill from Wen Po. Going off of his memory from what he's seen from human writing, he attempts to sign the document.

However, the fruit born of his effort is nothing but an incomprehensible squiggly line. The two stare at his handiwork for a moment.

Wen Po: "......."

Fang Lei: "......."

A sudden gale of wind blows.

Fang Lei breaks the awkward silence first, "I, uh… my handwriting is really messy."

"Is your wrist broken?" Wen Po deadpans.

Fang Lei raises an eyebrow, then twists his wrist around to check. He then shakes his head: "No, I think my wrist is doing pretty fine, thanks for asking."

"It was a rhetorical question…" Wen Po groans, his face filling with black lines.

---

The pair finally arrives in front of the Yun Sect. The ancient pagodas loom in front of them in a rather intimidating manner, but Wen Po isn't bothered by it.

Instead, he orders Fang Lei to step back as he puts on a confident smile and casually strolls up to the two young disciples on guard duty.

"Would you two young gentlemen know where I could happen to find your sect master?" He asks with a polite smile.

"Who do you think you are? Not just anyone can walk in here and request an unscheduled audience with our Shifu!" The young men seem agitated, and even appalled at the question.

"Well, can't say I didn't try to be nice." Wen Po says, with a sardonic chuckle, the corner of his lip beginning to pull back. He tilts his head first to the right, then to the left, cracking his neck. Fang Lei didn't even see what happened next. The guards out cold on the ground, Wen Po bellows, "Oi, Qin Jin! Get out here, I'm f*cking hard!"

In the distance, a window opens. "Your mother is f*cking hard! What the hell are you beating up my disciples for, you stupid little fool!"

Meanwhile, Fang Lei's face immediately fills with black lines.

What in the name of his deceased mother's honor had just happened, ah?!