The nine-tailed fox shows some ankle

Reaching the village took them a surprising amount of time. Wu Yun knows they are getting close as soon as he starts seeing rice fields and other crops. The humans are fairly incompetent hunters so they have to grow their own food, usually outside their cities' and villages' borders, because they can't even be bothered to walk very far to find it.

They meet some humans on their way to the village gates, either walking on foot, or on carts being pulled by large oxen. These men nod at them, the small ones, the children, sometimes wave and make a lot of noise.

"Don't you think it's awful that they use animals to do their work for them?" asks Wu Yun, pointing at nearby oxen pulling a cart with a sharp blade through a fresh field.

"They are so small and weak, what else can they do?" Lan Tian answers him with a shrug.

"You're very tolerant of the humans, why is that?" asks Wu Yun.

His words seem to offend Lan Tian who sputters for a moment before answering. "Are you implying that I like them? Because I don't, I'm a majestic dragon and all creatures are beneath me."

His righteous indignation sends Wu Yun into a fit of giggles. "Well, your magnificence was easily fooled by little old me. I ate almost all your pearls."

Lan Tian huffs. "You did not, I ate most of them."

"Uh-uh, whatever you say. Why were you guarding those pearls anyway?" Wu Yun thinks that knowing more about the pearls might help them learn how to return to their original shapes.

"I don't know, they just appeared one day, and I thought I might as well look after them, because they looked nice." Admitting this seems to be somewhat embarrassing for Lan Tian because he turns his head to the side, to avoid looking at Wu Yun.

"That's it?" Wu Yun finds Lan Tian a very confusing being. Who does things just because?

"Didn't you wake up one day and decide to kill the Jade Emperor? How is that any different from me deciding to guard the pearls?"

Then again, he does have point, so Wu Yun shuts his mouth.

They finally reach a tall wall and wooden gates marking the entrance to the village. The wall is coming apart in places, and the wooden gates, despite their imposing size, show some signs of wear and tear. Wu Yun can see the sun shining through some of the beams, and most of the metal latchings have disappeared.

Over the gates a wooden plaque reads "Town of Yangli".

"Yangli has seen some better days," Wu Yun says, and then realizes. "Hey, I can read that!"

At his side, Lan Tian looks up at the plaque and nods. "I can read it too. Maybe it's because of the pearls?"

Wu Yun shrugs, he doesn't really care about how it's possible, only that it is. He walks through the town gates, pulling Lan Tian behind him by the sleeve.

"Let's go find something to eat, I'm starving," he says, while dragging Lan Tian, who's more interested in examining the masonry and woodwork of the town walls than in what lies inside.

The town is more lively than its decrepit outside led him to believe. The streets are narrow and cobbled, and all manner of people, animals and carts, traverse through them. Compared to the serene quietness of the forest where he lived as a fox, the noise is deafening. The sights however, are a feast for the eyes. From the colourful robes of the townspeople, to the banners and plaques announcing a myriad of different shops, Wu Yun doesn't think he has seen these many colours ever in his life.

And the smells! Some sweet, some sour, some fresh, some downright rank, but all interesting and new. Above all others a scent catches his attention, it's delicious and he can't immediately identify it, but it makes his mouth water.

Wu Yun, pulls on Lan Tian's sleeve and chases after that magical scent. It leads him through alleys and dead-ends until he finally reaches a squat wooden building, which seems to be the source of the smell. The double doors are wide open, and inside he can see tens of people sitting around low tables, eating still steaming food. Above the door the plaque reads, "Old Lao's restaurant".

Wu Yun walks in, largely ignored by the rest of the restaurant's patrons, until a man in an apron and cotton cap approaches him and Lan Tian with a smile.

"Welcome, guests to our humble establishment. Where would you like to eat?"

Wu Yun casts his eyes around the available tables, and spots a free one across the floor, on an open deck facing the tranquil waters of the canal running through Yangli.

"That one," he says pointing at the table.

"Ah, esteemed guest, I'm afraid that table has been reserved," the waiter says, bowing several times. His face contorts into an expression of consternation that confuses Wu Yun. What does he mean the table has been reserved? There's clearly no one sitting there.

"I want to sit by the water," he insists, walking towards the table.

The waiter stops him with a hand on his chest. "Esteemed guest, I'm afraid we--"

Lan Tian pulls the waiter's hand away from Wu Yun and grips his wrist in his fist. "He said he wanted to sit outside." He's several cun taller than the waiter, and looks down at him with a penetrating gaze, as if he's going to incinerate him on the spot.

The waiter shrinks down on himself, and then looks again at Wu Yun, this time he seems to take notice of his finely made robes. "Ah of course, please excuse my impertinence. The young master and his servant may sit wherever they like."

The waiter bows several times, but Wu Yun is already walking towards the table. He sits down on the pillow, and then thinks better of it and removes his boots. He rearranges himself so one leg is bent under the table and the other is dangling over the deck, almost touching the water's surface.

Some of the other guests take notice of his unusual sitting position and start whispering among themselves, one of them even points at his bare calf.

Wu Yun writes it all off as humans being weird, and pours himself some of the liquid in the pot already set in the table. It tastes herbal but pleasant, Wu Yun realizes he knows this beverage is called tea.

In front of him, Lan Tian also pours himself a cup, and drinks it all in one go. "Why did that man think I was your servant? If anything you should be my servant."

Wu Yun scoffs and fills up his tea cup again. "Why should I be your servant?"

"Well, you're shorter."

That is true for both Wu Yun's current human form, and his previous fox form, but he doesn't think that has anything to do with it. "But I'm smarter."

Lan Tian, is instantly furious. It's amusing to Wu Yun how easy he is to goad. "How dare-"

He is interrupted by the appearance of the waiter, who flinches again as soon as he sees Lan Tian's murderous gaze. "A-are the honoured guests ready to order?"

Wu Yun waves him off. "Bring us everything."

The waiter's eyes go round as bowls, as he looks from Wu Yun to Lan Tian. "Are the honoured guests sure?"

Lan Tian pins the waiter with a cold stare. "He said-"

This time the waiter doesn't wait for him to finish speaking before beating in retreat. "As the young master wishes, I will bring your meal right away."

Wu Yun watches his retreating back and reaches a conclusion. "You know, I think a lot of humans must be hard of hearing."

Lan Tian hums in agreement.

True to his word, the waiter brings their food shortly after. He starts piling plate after plate on the squat table. Due to the lack of space he even starts stacking some of them on top of each other.

"Please enjoy your meal," he bows and smiles wanly at them before leaving in a hurry.

Wu Yun has to admit that as much as he enjoys maligning the humans, their food does look appetizing. There's a whole selection rice dishes peppered with brightly coloured vegetables, stir-fried noodles in sweet smelling sauces, and at least five varieties of fish and meat dishes, in rich broths or with crispy skin peeling off in flakes.

He's so enchanted by the spread in front of him that he doesn't even notice that he knows many of the cooking methods employed for each dish. He picks up the two chopsticks placed horizontally on top of the empty bowl in front of him and starts eating, mimicking the actions of the other restaurant patrons.

Wu Yun is able to pick up how to eat with the two thin bamboo sticks much easier than he expected, but while he can mimic the human's eating habits, he completely ignores their table manners.

Pretty soon he has all manner of sauces and broths running down his chin. The other guests are starting to look at their table in a mixture of awe and horror.

A well-dressed woman audibly gasps when he wipes his dirty chin with the back of his hand.

Lan Tian is eating with equal gusto, but noticing the mess Wu Yun is making of himself, decides to tip his head back and lower the food into his open mouth with the chopsticks.

For two times the waiter considers approaching their table to let them know they are upsetting the other guests, but every time he looks their way Lan Tian catches his eye and glares at him. The poor waiter decides that a scolding from his boss is better than facing the fury of the man with the cold amber eyes.

After eating half of the food on their table, and then some, Wu Yun leans back with a satisfied sigh and rubs his full belly.

"I ate a lot, I don't think I can walk now."

"I'm not going to carry you."

"Who asked you to?"

Their plates have sat picked clean for some time, when the waiter finally approaches them again.

"Are the esteemed guests ready to pay?" he asks timidly.

"We don't have any money," says Wu Yun getting up from his pillow.

He notices his hands are still sticky, so he leans over the side of the deck to dip them in the canal water. He lowers himself further to splash some water on his face.

"We're going now," he says, rubbing his wet face dry with his wide sleeve.

The waiter sputters and stammers in place, before finally saying. "I'm sorry, but no one can leave without paying."

"He said we didn't have any money." Lan Tian grabs the front of the waiter's robes and lifts him from the floor.

The waiter tries to pry Lan Tian's fingers away from his clothes in a desperate bid to free himself, but all he manages to do is get himself more tangled. "I'll call the guards, you absolutely must pay!"

"What's the meaning of this?" asks a voice that sounds oddly familiar to Wu Yun.

He turns around and sees the same youth from the river. His delicate features are twisted in displeasure as he points a folding fan at Wu Yun. "Look, Meng-er, they're wearing our clothes!"

Behind him appears Meng-er, the taller of the two, with a thunderous expression to match A-Tan's. "They were also sitting at young master's usual table."