Deception

"I won't give you my answer now. I need more time to think about it- is that alright with you or whoever's in charge?"

Wang Qipian nodded understandingly.

"No problem. Just remember to use that pendant I gave you to let us know."

"One more thing. From your actions tonight, it's obvious that you have a good enough understanding of the Nightwatch and the way it operates already- why do you need a mole? From what I've seen, you should already have a method to detect Nightwatcher movements, right?"

Wang Qipian grinned slyly.

"All I can say is that we do not have anyone particularly close to the highest ranking cadres. But perhaps more importantly than that is that since almost all of the Nightwatch's top end has gone off to war, it's become much easier for us and other forces to have their way within the walls of Cang'An city. You've experienced it yourself already. When they have dozens of cultivators at their disposal, it is hard to keep track of them all, regardless of whether we use insider or outsider methods, but with the measly few they have left, it's not even a challenge."

Strangely, this conversation was one that made Wuxian feel the most comfortable since arriving in the future. Despite the potential veil of shadows and deceptions that masked the truth, he'd begun to acclimatise to that way of thinking and worryingly, or perhaps encouragingly, he'd begun to enjoy it too. Maybe it was also Wang Qipian's demeanour and his logical words that coincided with what Wuxian thought that formed the cherry on top, but he couldn't be sure.

At the very least, it felt good to be wanted. Even if it was a transactional relationship, for the first time in a while, Wuxian had something he could offer and the rewards he'd receive would directly enhance his own strength and by extension, his safety.

'And… I finally get to talk to someone who isn't weird.'

"Very well." Wuxian said, cupping his fists cordially. "I'll take my leave now- keep in touch." 

 He stowed the Northern Dark Edge and turned to leave.

"Hold on, I'm not done!" Wang Qipian called after him. Using his techniques, he elevated himself to the rooftop where Wuxian had just stood moments prior with a single jump.

Looking back in confusion, Wuxian was met with the sight of Wang Qipian bowing low. It was undoubtedly the lowest one could bow, bordering on kowtow territory.

"W-what's the matter?" He asked, his befuddlement noticeably making its way into his voice.

Remaining low, Wang Qipian cupped his hands in front of him.

"The second reason I am here is to thank you in my personal capacity. Previously when we fought, you freed me from that gu insect. Though it may not have been intentional on your part, the fact of the matter remains true. If you had not done so, I would be enthralled to this day, forced to carry out the bidding of that gu master. Please accept my bow."

Still startled by this abrupt display of principle, Wuxian struggled to react or find words to say. Only after a while when Wang Qipian had raised himself up did he finally seem to regain the ability to speak. Though Wang Qipian was within striking distance, their previous negotiations and his shows of goodwill had been enough for Wuxian to no longer treat him as a hostile individual.

Since Wang Qipian had been magnanimous and counted Wuxian's attempt to kill the former out of self-defence, it would be ungentlemanly for him to respond in kind.

"After you escaped being impaled, you had the chance to kill me, but did not. In a sense, we can be considered to have already repaid each other's debts. You and I are even and we owe one another nothing." Wuxian replied.

However, despite his polite words, bordering on formality, he couldn't help but feel positive inside. Perhaps this was a ploy to endear him to the Twilight Order, to lure him into some sort of deal with the devil. Perhaps.

Regardless, Wang Qipian seemed to be intent on conveying his gratitude, shaking his head at Wuxian's attempt at distancing himself.

"Maybe, maybe not. In my heart, I still feel as though I owe you- for cultivators on the path of the Great Dao, these things are not easy to dismiss with mere words. I have seen many cases of past regrets forming inner demons and ultimately resulting in disaster. In the future, you may count on me for a single favour."

Touched, Wuxian couldn't help but smile.

"You? Pardon my disrespect, but you and I are separated by a single realm. I will soon catch up to you." He joked, though his words contained some truth to them.

"Indeed, but you may also hold onto that favour for the years to come. Who's to say that one day, you won't need the help of a Golden Core, or an Origin Spirit cultivator… besides, it's not like my cultivation will remain stagnant. By the time you reach Qi Condensation, I might already have formed my Golden Core." Wang Qipian grinned.

The two sides saluted each other a final time, feeling a sense of mutual respect for one another. As Wang Qipian vanished off into the darkness, Wuxian couldn't help but think back to that strange encounter he'd previously had at the Weeping Willow just a few weeks before.

"Heaven's will… huh?"

Spending a few minutes looking up in a daze, Wuxian eventually snapped out of his stupor. He quickly pocketed the silver moon pendant into one of his interspatial rings before making his way back towards the Weeping Willow where Shui Qianyue, Wan Qiushou and the rest of the Nightwatchers were still investigating.

Partway through his journey, he suddenly realised something.

'My original intention in obeying Shui Qianyue's orders and chasing after Wang Qipian was to prove my innocence by obtaining a kill or at least a few wounds… from my current appearance, it's obvious I haven't gotten entangled with anyone. While I could say that I wasn't able to catch up, in the end, they still won't be able to trust me. I even ended up consorting with their enemies too. In that regard, I suppose, it's right for them not to trust me after all, though I have only done so out of necessity and partially out of their urging.'

With a sigh, Wuxian skidded to a halt, jumping down from the roof and behind a wall to conceal himself from any potential onlookers. Hoisting the Northern Dark Edge up gingerly, he carefully slashed it down at his thigh.

The black uniform he wore tore with barely any resistance, the treasure weapon's blade cutting into Wuxian's flesh like it was a soft piece of tofu. Letting out a hiss of pain, Wuxian clenched his teeth and began activating Natural Spirit Blood.

After a few minutes, the pain began to fade and though the wound was still not completely healed, it was obvious that he'd sustained an injury. 

'Clear up the evidence.' 

He span the Northern Dark Edge across his arm, causing whatever blood that stained it to spray off into the grass before him. He wiped the blade off using one of his sleeves for good measure, before continuing on his journey back to the Weeping Willow.

Now, it would undoubtedly take much longer to return. Every other step caused a jolt of pain to run up through his leg, but fortunately, Effortless Flow made it so that he could still travel quickly despite the reduced number of strides.

After a little longer, Wuxian finally made it back to the cordon where city guards stood idle. There was a whooshing sound from above, prompting him to look up, only to be met with Wan Qiushou's falling figure.

Dusting off his robes after landing, Wan Qiushou looked Wuxian up and down a few times, his gaze stopping briefly at the wound on his leg.

"How did it go?" He asked, a tinge of concern spotting his otherwise toneless voice.

Wuxian mulled over his words for a moment. Obviously, he couldn't confess the truth, but lying did not come naturally to him, so a compromise in the form of a white lie was ideal. Additionally, being a little vague would be a better choice, since the fewer details he provided, the harder it would be to spot fact from fiction. Of course, it would be easier to earn the Nightwatch's trust if he provided more information and greater detail, but it would also make it harder for him to remember each and every intricate lie, until eventually he'd trip himself up.

"It was the white robed man from last time. We got into a confrontation and I had to retreat. I sustained this injury as a result."

Perhaps it was due to some of the sophistry Wuxian had often heard from his father in the past, where Sihai Xia would use his social finesse to trick gullible merchants and dignitaries into signing various agreements or buying things they didn't need.

The first sentence he'd said was the truth- Wang Qipian was in fact the person they'd gotten into a fight with before. The second sentence was a white lie- their confrontation was not of the physical sort, but of a verbal one instead. Wuxian's first few words with Wang Qipian had been stand-offish, since he was at the time treating the other man as hostile. As for the retreat part- there was nothing wrong with that either. Due to the complex and context-reliant nature of their language, the same words often meant different things in different scenarios.

Of course, a retreat in a military situation was just that- pulling back and repositioning to a better location, if not directly regrouping or resupplying. In this case, he was merely pulling back, which fitted the more colloquial use of the word 'retreat'. Finally was the injury that he'd inflicted upon himself.

Again, it was another white lie. He had in fact sustained the wound as a result of his and Wang Qipian's verbal 'confrontation', since they had not gotten into a fight as Wuxian had previously expected, so naturally he had to harm himself to prove that he'd been in battle.

And the beads of sweat that lined his face were just the icing on the cake. It turned out that running at full speed with such a wound on his leg caused him to perspire much more than usual, since the previously effortless set of movements that constituted walking and running were now each riddled with agony. 

Who's to say he didn't build up all that sweat from fighting rather than from a self-inflicted injury?

"It's good to see you in one piece." Wan Qiushou said. "We should report this to Shui Qianyue. Let's go into the Weeping Willow."

Sending a glance at the line of armoured city guard ahead, Wuxian nodded.

"Let's. After you."

They had no trouble getting past the city guards- their uniforms and golden badges prompted the men to lower their heads in a humble manner and make way well in advance. Fu Yumao was nowhere to be seen. After liaising with the guards after their initial arrival, she must have either gone within the building or hidden herself in the darkness above one of the many rooftops that lined the streets.

Soon enough, Wuxian and Wan Qiushou managed to find Shui Qianyue standing in the centre of the main hall of the first floor. The woman in question turned to see them arrive with a look of puzzlement on her face.

Wan Qiushou took the initiative to speak first. 

"Wuxian got into a fight with that Wang Qipian who had disguised himself as a bronze badge Nightwatcher."

Shui Qianyue blinked in surprise. Turning to look at Wuxian, she noticed the large wound on his leg that was actively healing as seconds passed.

"You really chased after him? I did say that you didn't have to go if you didn't want to." She said in a somewhat uncaring manner.

Wuxian looked at her with a neutral gaze, though his eyes that might previously have been tinged with some level of longing or attachment were now cold and slightly unfriendly. He directly ignored her words, changing the topic.

"The enemy was significantly stronger than me. They had planned that ambush from the start- I'm lucky to have escaped with just these wounds."

Wan Qiushou frowned in response. "Why didn't you call for reinforcements? Surely they didn't have enough men to defeat all of us at once?"

Wuxian evaded the question slightly. He directed a gaze at Shui Qianyue's face, causing her to feel slightly ashamed.

"I believe that Wang Qipian belongs to the Twilight Order. Their organisation- their cult, consists entirely of cultivators. Pardon my bluntness, but there's little your martial practitioners would be able to do against them."

Without giving the two the chance to ask any further questions, lest he slip up and expose himself or say something rude in the heat of the moment, Wuxian decided to directly excuse himself.

"I have gotten more than I bargained for tonight. I shall see myself out- farewell."

He cupped his hands in a half-hearted salute, before striding out of the Weeping Willow without looking back. His robes billowed behind him, the Northern Dark Edge adding a hint of chilly valiance by just being there. The nearby bronze badges lowered their heads subconsciously, subdued by Wuxian's determined aura, while the nearby serving girls and working girls didn't even dare to look up.

After he left, the room remained quiet. Shui Qianyue looked at the floor with a complex gaze, seemingly shaken from what had just happened. It didn't take a genius to figure out that if she and Wuxian were previously friends, with perhaps the potential for more, things had gone far past that in a single night.

Wan Qiushou looked at her with a strange expression, unknown thoughts passing through his mind. He could not fathom what had occurred between Wuxian and Shui Qianyue- their relationship leading up to this point had been fairly normal, but things seemed to have changed in the blink of an eye.

Eventually, with a few looks backwards, he excused himself and returned to his post, leaving Shui Qianyue to mull things over in silence.