A Cauldron for a Caper

Yan found Hong Wu the next day lying unconscious outside of the borders of the barrier. Visibly worried, Yan immediately went to shake Hong Wu awake. Seeing Hong Wu was unresponsive, Yan pulled out a small bamboo container with some water from the cave. Cradling Hong Wu's head in her arms, Yan poured small sips of the water into Hong Wu's mouth in an effort to help her recover. After a few short minutes Hong Wu finally came to.

Hong Wu regained conscious, but pain still wracked her body. It took a while before she could sit up and explain what happened to her the day before. Yan rigidly listened to the story, showing little reaction as Hong Wu laid out the details of her rescue efforts, the subsequent chase, and encounter with Du Hu. Hong Wu finished her explanation, Yan curtly nodded acknowledging she understood everything and said, "Then let's go get it back."

"What?"

"Yer sect token, let's go get it back."

Yan started heading deeper into the forest with rough movements. Her shoulders were held back, her chest out giving off an imposing feeling of killing intent. "Stop! You can't just charge in and fight Du Hu; he has an entire army on his side! You'll be crushed and then we'll both be stuck in the same position."

Yan sharply turned back to Hong Wu, anger burning in her eyes. Yan exploded, "Then what do ya suggest we do!? We can't get ready for the Young Dragon's Competition if yer stuck as that guy's slave. Far as I can tell, we can't go anywhere in the forest without steppin into someone's turf! If what yer sayin is true we're screwed no matter what we do, so can ya tell me how the hell I'm supposed to react!?"

Hong Wu shrunk back at Yan's outburst. Yan had never snapped at her like that before. It did not feel good. Yan sighed, "We just got started explorin outside our little safe space and now we can't move forward. I was hopin I could finally try out the Combustion Configuration, but now…"

Hong Wu felt wretched. "I'm sorry Yan. I know I let you down, but I'll find a way to fix this."

"How?"

Hong Wu nervously wracked her brain for an answer. "I-I'll challenge him in the Roaring Tigers Arena! I can bet my cauldron against my sect token."

Yan scoffed, "Ya already lost to him once. Besides, ya think he'll take that bet?"

Hong Wu's spirits sank even lower. Yan exhaled deeply before reassuring, "I suppose I can bet my flyin sword."

Hong Wu immediately rejected that idea, "No way Yan! I can't let you fight my battles for me. You can't bet your sword, not after you have worked so hard to master it."

"Well I don't see any better options do you?"

Hong Wu again sank into deep thought hoping to find a solution to their problem. After some time had passed Yan began to lose her patience. "Well?"

"I don't have a solution, but I think I might know someone who does."

"You don't mean him do you?" Yan protested.

"Yes, he'll have a solution for sure," Hong Wu replied.

***

"So that's how it is. Can you help us?" Hong Wu asked?

"Hmmm, quite the predicament indeed. I did tell you the forest was dangerous didn't I?"

"Are ya going to help us or not!?" Yan snapped.

"Easy, easy. You came to me remember? Sister Hong please assure Sister Yan that I am on your side here. It's just…this really is difficult."

Hu Huan stood in front of the two girls contemplating the situation they found themselves in. "It's poor luck that you were caught by Du Hu. He is notorious in the sect for being a rather unsavory character. His manipulative ways are well-known and the number of sect disciples under his thumb are not few."

"If he's so famous then why didn't you tell us about him sooner?" Yan spat.

"I already told you to be careful out there. You want who to be careful around and why for free too? What kind of information broker would I be if I gave away everything I knew for free, hmmm?"

"Money-grubbing bastard," Yan mumbled as she stalked off to remove herself from the current company.

"Sorry about her, she's...upset," Hong Wu apologize.

"No need Sister Hong, I understand," Hu Huan placated.

"So can you help us?"

"Me personally? No. I'm not willing to go toe to toe with Du Hu and his gang."

Hong Wu deflated at Hu Huan's answer. "So I really am left without a hope?"

"I didn't say that. I said I couldn't help, but that doesn't mean no one else can."

Hong Wu's interest was piqued. "Who?"

"There is a fellow disciple by the name of Shen Shuren that might be able to assist you. Du Hu, the poor fool, constantly tries to curry favor with her, yet she refuses all his advances. Perhaps you can leverage his lust for her against him in some way."

"How though?" Hong Wu goaded Hu Huan to continue.

"That's all you get for free. You want me to be your schemer, you need to pony up something in exchange."

"But I have nothing of value. Du Hu took my sect token," Hong Wu lamented.

"That's a shame Sister Hong, but rules are rules."

Hu Huan looked at Hong Wu with a trace of sympathy before donning his usual merchant's smile. "If you do find a way to pay me you'll let me know I'm sure."

Turning to leave Hu Huan made ready to head back to the Cloud District Exchange when Hong Wu called out to him, "Wait! I do have something I can give you, but you have to promise I can buy it back from you later."

A hint of avarice shone in Hu Huan's eyes, but he quickly hid that behind his usual merchant's smile and turned back to face Hong Wu. "That depends on the item in question. What did you have in mind?"

With a trace of reluctance, Hong Wu pulled out her small pill cauldron out from her sack and presented it to Hu Huan. In a rare fit of honesty, Hu Huan showed an expression of genuine shock. "Where did you find this?"

"Doesn't matter. Will you take it?"

"Take it? Of course I'll take it!" Hu Huan exclaimed as he reached for the cauldron.

Before he could wrap his fingers around it, Hong Wu jerked it away from his reach. "I want your word you won't sell this to anyone else but me. I want a fair price for it too."

Hu Huan smiled ruefully, "Come now Sister Hong, you know I wouldn't take advantage of you right?"

Hong Wu's expression made it very clear that she did not know such a thing to be true in the slightest. "Okay, okay. I can promise you that so long as you can come up with two-hundred and fifty merit points in three months then I will hold onto it for you, but any longer and no promises."

Hong Wu's face fell drastically. "That much!?"

Hu Huan pointed to the cauldron in Hong Wu's hands. "That is a genuine pill cauldron from the Holy Pill Sect. Anything related to alchemy that comes out of that sect is top quality stuff. If I tried to sell it to anyone else I would be able to make double, no, triple what I am offering."

Hong Wu's heart bled hearing this. 'It is truly that valuable?'

Hu Huan saw Hong Wu's hesitancy and pounced on her weakness before she had a chance to reconsider. "Do we have a deal?"

Hong Wu gazed painfully at the cauldron in her hand. "Deal," she agreed handing the cauldron over to Hu Huan.

"Wonderful! Now that we have that settled let's talk about stealing back that sect token of yours."