A Shady Trickster with Unreadable Eyes!

"What?" Fook Yu unconsciously blurts out loud, in response to the pale orchid demon's accusation.

His utterance inadvertently draws the attention of this brown-robed man seated at the bar, when he glances over his shoulder with a big-eyed, curious look; which, in combination with his pouty lips, grants him an unenviable likeness to a monkey.

"What what?" the man returns in a mocking voice. "Can we help you, oh traveler?"

Fook Yu draws a breath. "Well…"

'This random chimp-looking guy is really a cultivator?'

A natural fear rises within him--harkening back to his previous life as an ogre--his first instinct being to read the man's eyes, to determine if he possesses a high spirit rank, however--

They're completely sealed!

He watches for a while, expecting them to eventually open--

All the while noticing the monkey-faced man's brow is squinting, like he's trying to recognize Fook Yu from somewhere. Doubtless, to his own detriment.

So, feeling pressured, Fook Yu spouts the first sensible thought that enters his mind:

"I hear...you're a bounty hunter."

"Mhn. That's right, my friend. It's not something we hide."

"But, do cultivators scare you?"

He shakes his head, frowning. "No! Not at all, friend." Then he flashes his teeth in a mischievous grin, before whispering closely: "In truth, we specialize in hunting cultivators--charging bravely, when most would flee in fear!"

Fook Yu is pleased. "Perfect, because as it happens it is a cultivator that I am searching for."

The man's face at once lightens up. "Oho? You've come to Wu Kong for business?" He gives a shrill laugh, the upper corners of his mouth stretching back obscenely as he does. "Come sit with we, and tell we your name."

Fook Yu obliges, shifting uncomfortably under Wu Kong's eager gaze as he clears his throat.

"I...am Han Yu. I was ruthlessly killed by someone in a past life, and now that I've been reincarnated I seek my revenge against that person." He procures a bag of coins from his pocket, slamming it down on the counter as Wu Kong observes in delight. "There is good money in it for you, if you can provide me with information leading to their whereabouts."

Wu Kong wags his head several times, his eager eyes greedily glued to the bag of money, muttering "yes yes, of course we shall help" then looking up, consulting Fook Yu: "Describe this person to we! We have walked many roads, and have an excellent memory."

"Well." Wu Kong bit his lip, hesitant. He didn't want to admit to having been killed by a little girl, even if they were a high spirit rank cultivator.

However, as he's considering this, something dawns on Fook Yu--

"Say, what year is it?"

Wu Kong's brow flattens, adequating to a confused look.

"I ask, because I've only just had the thought--" Fook Yu says, pausing to stare with his mouth wide open in shock at the epiphany he's had. "Until now, I only assumed I was transmigrated the instant after I was killed, but in reality--"

"578, in the divine holy calendar." Wu Kong interrupts him to reply as he cooly sips more beer, causing Fook Yu an even greater startle.

"Fifty years," he says in an awed whisper, as he leans back in his barstool, gawking and clutching his head in a daze. "It means my spirit was floating in the void for fifty years after I died, before I was given this new body." 

He sits upright, fixing his incredulous gaze unto Wu Kong. 

"So, for all I know, my killer…"

Mei Rei Mei...

"Could already be dead!"

Fook Yu lowers his head, groaning deeply; the air of a defeated man about him, as Wu Kong is left to frown...drumming his fists against the bar counter in awkward idleness.

After a quick glance to be sure Fook Yu isn't looking, he snatches a coin from the bag that was still on the table.

He holds up the coin, yelling "bartender!" 

And, beaming, he hands it to the tough woman behind the counter, saying:

"I'll have another!"

Adding, while giving Fook Yu a pat on the back:

"And bring one for my new friend here!"

…

I've barely had a moment to stew in my sorrows, when suddenly the rowdy patrons of the restaurant fall deathly quiet. And as I lift my head to look around to see what is the matter, it's broken by a rugged voice yelling:

"There's nowhere for you to run now, you monkey bastard!"

I look to see a man standing in the doorway: One who is MASSIVE, like he eats several whole fully grown pigs a day! So incredibly tall, that he has to duck to enter through the establishment!

With a single look, it doesn't take my special capacity for reading people to know he is a fearsome warrior based on the steel ox-horned helmet he wears, and nothing in the way of a shirt--with his big brown gut hanging out and entire body decorated in scars from previous battles. His weapon of choice is a crudely hewn axe of stone, tall as the average man, which he easily wields in his muscular arms built as thick as tree trunks.

Three normal-sized goons are flanking him, armed with machetes and sharing in his shirtless ruffian appearance, cackling and jeering like a flock of crows guarding their right to a fat, juicy carcass.

I shift my eyes to Wu Kong, who's grinning to himself in amusement.

"Another friend of yours?" I question.

"This one is a mercenary captain--Fa Ta Sol being his name," he replies, rising from his barstool with a fearless air and turning to take one last swig from his mug, before facing the monstrous man again. "We have been sneaking into his camp the last few nights, just to have our fun."

"'Your fun!?'" Fa Ta Sol yelled, pointing angrily at Wu Kong. "Is that what you call tearing apart the entire camp and poisoning our well, so that all my men would have diarrhea for a week?!"

I look sharply at Wu Kong, as he's breaking out into laughter. "Is this true?"

However, he doesn't pay me any mind as he asks, "what about you, Captain?" And pauses, wiping a joyful tear from his eye. "Did you shit your brains out too?"

Fa Ta Sol is growling, like a spirit bear interrupted during its devotions. 

"Why, you--"

The earth rumbles and quakes with his gigantic, long strides that end in thunderous stomps--

While he's lifting up his axe, in both arms--

Only to have the bladed head become caught against the low-hung ceiling; as Wu Kong stepped out from his shadow, with a tip of the sun-shielding bamboo hat he wore…

Huh? Wait a second--

Since when did Wu Kong wear a hat?

I touch the top of my head, finding only my hair--

Eh?! That's MY hat he's wearing!

He snatched it from right off my head--the speedy devil!

Even as a fellow cultivator, I am amazed: he had managed to take my hat and appear at Fa Ta Sol's side, both in the span of seconds, and without either of us noticing!

It's so impressive that Fa Ta Sol even calmly lowers his axe, looking impressed.

His laughter sounds like a landslide. 

"You're certainly quick on your feet, ape." He admits. "In fact, I would be willing to absolve you of your crimes--if you pledge yourself to me now!"

Wu Kong tips his--err, MY--hat again, basking his entire in pitch-black shade.

Cooly whispering, "not a chance." Then beginning to walk toward the door, as he continues: "let us take our fight elsewhere, so that you'll have more space to swing that big, ugly butcher's cleaver you call a weapon around."

"Huh! What the hell did you just say?!"

"Didn't hear me, huh? What's wrong? Is there too much lard stuffing your ears?"

'I'll rip you limb from limb, ape!"

Still seated at the bar, I watch as Wu Kong then dashes, rolls and leaps out of the restaurant in a primal frenzy of howls and shrieks, with Fa Ta Sol and his cronies giving chase; listening until the noises fade leaving only silence, as the scared and confused bar patrons cautiously pick themselves out of their hiding places underneath tables, checking that it's safe again.

So, what the hell just happened?

That cultivator, who looks suspiciously like a monkey…

Could he really help me find Mei Rei Mei?

If she's still alive--like if maybe she'd managed to achieve immortality through cultivation--she could be anywhere in this world, and I should make use of every tool at my disposal to locate her, if not to learn of her ultimate fate.

Simply knowing for certain she was gone from this world would bring me contentment.

As for now, it's time to catch a monkey.

Not to mention, that crazy bastard ran off with my hat!

I chug down the rest of my drink, rising from the bar, as I blindly reach for the bag of coins I'd placed on the table while negotiating with Wu Kong earlier.

Oh great, divine sages, don't tell me--

But I look, and it' s true:

My bag containing all my money is gone!