Immoral Monk

Qing MingYu didn't know much of Tiang'an, but streets filled with rowdy men, scantily dressed woman and the ever lingering waft of liquor and sex was not what he had expected. He held his gaze firmly at his feet as he clung to LongHai's reigns tighter. Just breathing in the air felt sinful.

Broken pieces of smashed wine bottles littered their path. LongHai was huffing with disdain as he pranced around the sharp fragments, careful to not sway the basket AhXin was in.

A thin veil of flush spread over MingYu as he threw secret glances ZhiYi's way, prying to see if the man was as bothered of the surroundings as him.

ZhiYi seemed unaffected. The hems of his white ropes swayed gently as they walked along the busy streets. He was looking for a place for them to stay in.

Eyes seemed to stop at them for brief moments, as the people mused over how a monk strayed into a city like Tiang'an. But the stares soon halted, and the people went on with their lives. Few things shook the outlaws.

MingYu was so concentrated on not seeing anything he might regret later, he almost failed to notice that ZhiYi had stopped in his tracks.

"Wang ZhiYi, you are visiting Tiang'an too?" A commanding voice of a woman startled MingYu, and he turned to look up and flinched.

In front of him, a three-story tall building was littered with red and gold lanterns. A billboard bigger than anything he had seen before in his life had golden letters plastered over it, Huixiang. It was not the building that got MingYu to jump; it was the barely dressed women leaning over the balcony railings, with their bosoms covered in a see-through fabric. The ladies had strongly powdered and rouged faces, with their hair in the most extravagant concoctions. They were flailing their long, delicate hands, brandishing different coloured handkerchiefs to call for customers.

MingYu hastily averted his eyes, now burning red from the sight above him. He carefully lifted his eyes to look at the woman who was addressing ZhiYi. He was scared, and somehow slightly peeved to see if she was dressed to the minimum, too. But she was dressed the most tamely to his relief.

Faded light blue robes were properly fastened, a yardstick was resting against her shoulder. An unruly head of hair and piercing eyes startled MingYu. She looked almost menacing if she didn't have a polite smile on her face.

"Zho LanLin! Still as strict as ever, I see. I just arrived in the city." ZhiYi said pleasantly. Zho LanLin had her eyes on MingYu for an uncomfortable length of time, but it held no unpleasant feelings like Zhu ZongYing's. There was only a tinge of playful curiosity in them.

"You brought a monk." She sounded disapproving as she turned her narrowing eyes on ZhiYi. Tiang'an was no proper place for those who sought enlightenment. "And here I thought I had misinterpreted only PingZe."

"PingZe was here?" MingYu said in surprise. How did the brother know they were heading for Tiang'an?

"He came by a few days ago. I thought you travelled together."

"We haven't seen him in weeks. We parted ways in Lunan." said ZhiYi, as surprised that PingZe had somehow appeared in Tiang'an before them. "Where is he now?"

"I don't know. I drove him off the premises and never saw him again. He has been acting weird. Last time he came and wanted to see tattoos." LanLin said. Her hand held out the yardstick and stopped one of the patrons, who was hastily trying to leave the building. She beat him over his shoulders, and the man fell on his knees, groaning. LanLin turned her eyes to the patron, "We don't appreciate customers who take and run without paying. We are doing honest business here."

Picking him up by his collar, LanLin kicked the man back inside. She turned back to the two, "I'm sorry, I need to take care of some urgent matters, but if you stay here for long, drinks are on me." With that, Zho LanLin disappeared into the building with her yardstick flared and ready. Pained squeals erupted within the brothel as if a pig was being slaughtered.

"So, you come here often?" MingYu was smiling as they stepped down the stone steps, back to the street. The smile was infectious, but the tone of voice used seethed with hidden menace. LongHai was staring at ZhiYi with delight in its lazy eyes, as if noticing and fully enjoying the storm that was brewing beneath MingYu's smile.

AhXin cried on cue, saving ZhiYi from any further interrogation. ZhouYan fled as soon as the bird heard the scream. MingYu quickly fished the baby out of the little basket and cooed, "AhXin, don't cry, are you hungry?"

The boy refused to eat, instead; he was screaming his lunges out in the middle of the street. ZhiYi was smiling expectedly.

For weeks now, AhXin refused to be carried by MingYu, only quieting down in ZhiYi's arms. MingYu looked miffed but refused to relent the baby.

A crowd gathered around as they heard a child screaming. Someone called out, "A monk as a father? Now that's immoral."

"No wonder a monk appeared in Tiang'an!"

"Where's the mother?"

"Probably busy working in one of the brothels."

A howl of laughter broke out amongst the crowd. MingYu wanted to punch the last guy in his smug face, but even though the man was a head shorter than MingYu, he was at least two times wider and covered in scars. A tattoo was present on his face. A mark of a prisoner.

ZhiYi motioned MingYu to give him the child. The crowd quaked at the sudden change of parenthood. AhXin instantly quieted down as MingYu reluctantly placed him in ZhiYi's arms.

"Oh, so this guy is the father!"

"He is in mourning."

"So the wife died."

"Tough luck, kid."

After shouting their condolences the crowd dispersed.

A widowed father wasn't as interesting as an immoral monk.

MingYu was moping all the way to the inn and up to their room. AhXin looked pleased as ZhiYi carried him the entire way. The two man had to share a room now that a baby was involved. MingYu had fallen asleep from tiredness with screaming AhXin in his clutches so often, ZhiYi felt it much safer if the two always kept watchful eyes on the little one.

"I named him, but he seems to like you more," MingYu mumbled, and sat on the bed. He looked around the room. A table for four was situated next to the doors, there were two windows on both walls, with the bigger one opening over the main-street.

ZhiYi's lips curved into a gentle smile. "AhXin is a demon. Of course, he would like to be carried by the likes of him instead of Heavenly beings."

MingYu knew this. ZhiYi had repeated it at least a hundred times already, but he still felt left out. It was disheartening. Whenever he tried to hold the little boy, the child would start screaming as if MingYu would strangle him. AhXin was quiet in MingYu's arms only when he was fed. Frankly, MingYu felt like he was more of a cow with milk than a co-parent at this point.

MingYu's thoughts were suddenly disrupted when something rasped at their window. He jumped from the bed and instinctively moved in front of ZhiYi and the baby. They were on the third floor. Things rasping on the window that high was definitely not normal. The two of them stared at the bigger window, and again, a rasping, clawing sound came through, now stronger and more frantic than before. Exchanging questioning looks with each other, MingYu walked over and yanked the window open.