7 A Night in Xiangqi

The entire brothel was booked from the top floor all the way down to the basement. Doors were flung wide open and customer poured in like water through a broken dam. Never before had the brothel had so many customers at a time. There weren't enough women to go around. But the patrons weren't lured over by the women only, it was the free wine and food that attracted them like bees to honey.

Master She was slaving away in the kitchen, while LiangLin was balancing various bottles of wine and dishes of food over his head from table to table. To LiangLin's surprise, only 48 of his sisters were working. The two eldest, LiYue and LiBai were standing guard at the gate, watching over each and every customer that entered the building. Madam She had her eyes glued on LiangLin, her timid stare drilling into his skull.

"Number 51! Over here!" His 25th sister, LiAi called, waving at him towards one of the tables in the back, near the kitchen. LiangLin nodded and painstakingly made his way between loudly drinking and groping mass of shameless customers. His behind was practically numb and bruised up by all the pinching he had received throughout the evening.

He had wanted to dump the wine bottles over these men but he held his cool, reciting in his head the mantra of 'it's our job, our livelihood, we live in a brothel!'. Another one slipped their hand under his flowing robe and LiangLin jerked, spilling some of the wine over himself.

Damn pervert! LiangLin wanted to turn around and kick the man in his face but there were too many patrons, and all of them seemed to look at him with the same drunken stupor. He couldn't tell which one of them had pinched his inner thigh. Grumbling to himself, he turned back towards LiAi and strut forward.

The table LiAi was attending to currently belonged to the man that had so generously booked and hosted the entire city of Hei'ang to free drinking. Somehow, he didn't seem to fit the scene. LiangLin had looked at him with surprise the moment he first laid eyes on the man. He seemed too modest, too – reserved.

He was greying, his eyes had a gentle, keen gaze to them. The brown of his irises looked washed out, giving them an almost exotic touch. He frankly looked like a saintly old scholar, too decent to step foot in a brothel. Only a long beard and some books were missing to complete the illusion.

The man hadn't reached out to touch any of LiangLin's sisters either. Instead, he was eating and drinking quietly, his gaze wandering around the main hall, and somehow, LiangLin noted, the man seemed to trail LiangLin's movements with his eyes, like a dog guarding its prey. But at the same time so seemed the rest of the patrons too – LiangLin was carrying the wine after all.

The man seemed to be a regular human, yet there were traces of a very strong life force. Maybe a martial artist, mused LiangLin, stopping by the table. As LiangLin put the wine and the various meat dishes on the table before him, the old man suddenly said, "It must be a burden for you that I booked the place. You have been running non-stop."

"Absolutely not, you shouldn't worry about it, my lord." The words came out in an obedient, sweet tone. One, that LiangLin had polished for years. Not many stayed mad at him after he used that tone.

The old man smiled and motioned him to take a seat but LiangLin stood rooted in place.

"Why not sit down and have a drink? A well-deserved rest."

"I couldn't possible interrupt your enjoyment. I still have various tables to tend to." LiangLin said the rehearsed lines as his eyes wandered over to their mother. LiYue had just walked inside the main hall and was now saying something to their mother. Madam She seemed to release a pent up breath and looked slightly relaxed. LiangLin unconsciously relaxed his shoulders in tune with madam She.

"Number 51. 51!"

LiangLin blinked and turned back to the customer and LiAi, who was staring at him with scolding eyes. "I'm sorry. What was it?"

"It's not important." The man seemed amused. "What is your name? Calling you, 'number 51' seems distant and cold."

LiAi looked at the man with her lips slightly parted but she held her tongue. How could they explain that the number referred to LiangLin's birth rank?

"LiangLin, She LiangLin," LiangLin said, offering a little smile.

The old man nodded with approval, he seemed to enjoy the name. "Tell me, LiangLin, are there rooms for booking within this brothel?"

The brothel never rented out rooms. Nighttime was the time for the snakes to relax and get a well-earned rest. It was widely known that Xiangqi catered to their customers in every way but that. LiangLin was about to point this out when LiAi kicked him in his knee from under the table. LiangLin got the message loud and clear as he said, "There are 50 rooms available my lord, you may choose whichever is to your liking."

"Whichever I want?" The man said, studying him closely. LiangLin smiled cockily.

"Yes, whichever you want, my lord."

"I see." There was a short moment of silence in which the man took a sip of his liquor, savouring the burning sensation within his throat. "Then which one of those 50 rooms is yours?"

"None, my lord." LiangLin managed to say the words with the same, obedient tone as his smile started to freeze. Were all these men perverts? Oh, right, they were in a brothel...

"Why is that so?"

"It is occupied."

"By who?"

"Me." LiangLin was growing irritated and it must have shown on his face as LiAi hurried to say,

"Whichever room is up to your choosing, my lord."

"Then I want room number 51."

"I-" LiangLin was ready to put up a fight when a sweet voice interrupted him.

"Lin'er, the far table on the right is out of wine." The 50th sister, LiChun came to the rescue as she bowed at the patron and pulled LiangLin away.

"You should have just stayed in your room," LiChun whispered as they together walked towards the kitchen. "What if you suddenly showed signs again?"

"I'm feeling fine," LiangLin said, although he too wished he had just stayed put. T

he brothel was in perpetual chaos. There seemed to be no end to the mess and the number of patrons flocking the building. Not to mention LiAi just promised the old geezer that he could spend the night at LiangLin's room! Although it made little difference as the perverted old fart would surely be enchanted by then and would not remember whose room he had slept in, to begin with. But it was a matter of principles!

"He has a lot of life force but seems to be harmless. As soon as the rest of the patrons leave, we can focus on enchanting him. Too much people currently to do anything about it." LiChun smiled deviously as she pushed LiangLin's shoulder with her own. "Don't worry, Lin'er, we won't sell you to an old fart. We will make sure it is someone pretty - for your first time at least."

"It better," LiangLin muttered as they stepped inside the fiery inferno that was the kitchen. Master She resembled a freshly boiled lobster, ready to shed his skin. He was furiously chopping up meat, barely missing his fingers.

"Dad, your eyebrows are on fire." LiangLin pointed out as LiChun hurried to open the window. "What is it with you closing the window all the time? Is this one of those attempts to kill yourself because of your marriage?"

"Don't say that out loud! Your mother might hear it!" Master She said, peering behind them with caution as he dapped his eyebrows with a wet towel. "Besides, I like it warm!"

"This is far from warm, dad," LiChun said as she pulled up her sleeves to help her father with the frying.

"LinLin, stop right there! We need to talk!" Master She called as LiangLin tried to carry new bottles of wine with him out the door. He stopped and peered back from behind the door.

"What is it? The wine is almost all out upstairs!"

"Let Chun'er take them, you come here and help me out."

LiChun gingerly disarmed LiangLin from the wine and dashed out, glad she was freed from the steaming hell that was their father's lair. LiangLin took her place and started stirring the sizzling pork mince.

"Son, about that bracelet of yours."

"Mm?"

"Where did you get it?"

"It was in my robes. But I don't think I stole it from anyone. I would have remembered." LiangLin frowned. How did the jade get in his possession, to begin with? Sparing a glance its way, the little jade dragon seemed to be winking at him under the glaring flames of fire.

"Have you tried shifting into your snake form after wearing it?" Master She asked, trying to sound nonchalant but failing miserably. LiangLin could hear the tension beneath his words.

"What is it? Should I try shifting now?" LiangLin asked, not liking the sinking feeling he was getting. Without waiting for his father's answer, LiangLin dropped the chopsticks he was holding to stir the meat and tried to shift. Nothing happened. All blood in his body ran cold as he tried and tried, concentrating with every single cell within his body into shifting – nothing.

"It's the bracelet." Master She said.

"I can see that! But I can't get it off!" LiangLin screeched, panic now consuming him. He had to get it off, now! He pulled at it with all force, nearly tearing his skin but the dragon only tightened further, now squeezing his wrist painfully.

"Son-"

LiangLin brushed his father aside as he frantically looked around, then he made up his mind and took hold of the cleaver his father used for chopping meat and raised it over his head.

"What the hell are you trying? LinLin!" Master She had jumped at LiangLin, now wrestling the cleaver out of his son's hand.

"I can't break it, can't take it off - let me cut the arm off then!"

"Why must you be just like your mother?!"