Shedding the Cicada Shell?

Lu Guiyan stood dazed for a good while before she was certain her ears had not deceived her. She glanced between Mo Beidou and Sun Qian, inwardly marveling. True experts really were built differently; every word that left their mouths was astonishing. For a moment, she had no idea how to reply. Once Mo Beidou gathered his wits, he managed a bitter chuckle. "Little Sixtee—ahem, Shuwen, the Fierce Tiger Gang is no ordinary foe. It's perilous beyond measure. If the few of us go barging in, I'm afraid it will be a one-way trip." Under normal circumstances, Mo Beidou would have snapped, *Little Sixteen, stop fooling around.* Yet now Fang Shuwen was here on Lu Guiyan's heavy coin, treated with the utmost deference. He could hardly trade on his status as eldest senior brother to cost his junior brother face. Naturally, he had to watch his tone. Fang Shuwen offered a faint smile. "Now that the problem is staring us in the face, we either solve the problem or eliminate the one causing it. Hiding might work for a time, but not for a lifetime. "Still, I'm merely offering a thought. A guest defers to the host; whatever we do in the end is for the Young Chief Escort to decide." Lu Guiyan felt there was truth to Fang Shuwen's words. Unfortunately, the gamble was far too dangerous. Had her father been here, it might have been different, but she herself likely lacked the standing even to stand before Fourth Master Qin. When the time came, far from resolving the problem or the person posing it, they would be the ones dealt with instead. After conferring further, everyone decided to rely on a diversion. The method was simple: shedding the cicada shell to slip away unnoticed. Lu Guiyan had not brought many people on this trip. They would hire a matching number of local drifters, dress them in Lu'an Escort Agency livery by tomorrow morning, and have them depart through the northern gate as soon as it opened. That was bound to draw the eyes of the Fierce Tiger Gang. Meanwhile, the actual members of Lu'an Escort Agency would change into ordinary clothes tonight before the city gates closed, slipping out in separate groups. The trick lay in exploiting the time difference. So long as they quietly departed Guangning City, the decoys posing as them come morning would surely snag the Fierce Tiger Gang's lookouts. Knowing so little about the actual situation, those decoys would also feed the gang misleading impressions of the agency's movements. Normally, the party meant to draw attention moved first, leading the gang to reasonably assume the real agency contingent remained in the city. Little would they suspect that after a night's march, the true escort was already far away. The plan was straightforward, leaving plenty of room to maneuver, but it also held many variables. Guangning City was firmly within the Fierce Tiger Gang's sphere of influence; some of the street folk might well be answering to them. Of course, others recognized only silver and cared for nothing else. This task should have fallen to Sun Qian, whose seasoned prudence made him far steadier than Mo Beidou. Yet for reasons unknown, Lu Guiyan ultimately entrusted it to Mo Beidou. Fang Shuwen watched from the sidelines throughout, never offering a word. Before heading out, Mo Beidou hurried over to find Fang Shuwen. "Little Sixteen, you shouldn't have gotten mixed up in this mess." Mo Beidou's expression was laced with worry. "Chief Escort Lu recognized my worth and took me in. Along the road, he's saved my life more times than I can count. For the agency's sake, I can cast life and death aside. But you're still young, Little Sixteen..." "Huh?" Fang Shuwen looked at Mo Beidou in mild surprise. "So that's why. Here I thought you'd taken a fancy to the Young Chief Escort." Mo Beidou's troubled face instantly darkened. He raised an exasperated hand to cuff the back of Fang Shuwen's head, only to halt halfway and let it drop with a helpless sigh. "If your Eldest Senior Sister-in-law caught wind of that, neither of us would see another peaceful day." Fang Shuwen grinned broadly. Mo Beidou was the oldest of them and had been married for several years. His wife had a fierce temper, but she possessed a kind heart. Back when Fang Shuwen had been struggling for food and clothing, she had often told Mo Beidou to bring him meals, and now and then invited him home to eat, sending him off loaded with leftovers. So while Fang Shuwen's joke was spoken in jest, it also carried a subtle reminder. Seeing his reaction, however, it seemed he had worried for nothing. Mo Beidou looked Fang Shuwen up and down. "Then again, our Young Chief Escort truly is a fine young woman, bold and heroic, yielding nothing to any man. She's actually... quite a match for you. How about I act as a matchmaker on your behalf? She may be a year older than you, but an older woman knows how to care for a husband." Married men always loved playing matchmaker. For reasons beyond his understanding, Fang Shuwen's mind drifted back to the look in Zhou Qingmei's eyes when they had parted. He shook his head instinctively. "Forget it. I'm still young... not looking to start a family just yet." Mo Beidou snapped back to the matter at hand. "How did we get sidetracked onto this? Little Sixteen, are you truly determined to meddle in this affair? Don't do it on my account. Even if I die for the agency, it will be a worthy death. Don't go being foolish." Fang Shuwen knew he couldn't appease him without an explanation, so he said, "Rest assured, Eldest Senior Brother. While your safety is part of it, I have my own reasons. You needn't worry. And what do you mean, you dying is fine? If you die, what becomes of Eldest Senior Sister-in-law?" "And just what reasons do you have?" Mo Beidou asked, looking at him with doubt. "That I can't tell you." Fang Shuwen smiled mysteriously. "All right, Eldest Senior Brother, go on and see to your business." Hearing this, Mo Beidou could press no further. He left just as anxious as when he had arrived. Taking advantage of the interval, Fang Shuwen returned to the inn to fetch his belongings and settle his bill. After returning to the escort agency's lodging, he waited for roughly two hours before Mo Beidou came back as well, reporting that everything had been arranged. The most crucial element of the plan was keeping their evening departure hidden. Were they exposed prematurely, the decoys would be rendered useless. Only by proceeding with extreme caution could those meant to draw the Fierce Tiger Gang's attention truly divert their gaze. To that end, not a single trace of their earlier appearance could remain. Even the bamboo hat upon the young gentleman's head had to be removed. Fang Shuwen stole a few glances at the youth, noting the fair skin and rosy lips. *Could this kid actually be a girl?* The escorts of the Lu'an Escort Agency were a capable bunch, and among them was one proficient in the art of disguise. Spending a bit of time on each person, they altered facial features just enough to leave them looking vaguely familiar yet unrecognizable, before slipping out of the city in separate groups. Fang Shuwen, Mo Beidou, and Lu Guiyan traveled with the master and servant. Sun Qian and the remaining escort masters and attendants split into three distinct routes. After a few minor hiccups, they all managed to blend into the evening crowds and make it past the gates. This was thanks in large part to the Fierce Tiger Gang not knowing their whereabouts after they entered Guangning City. Had the gang known, they would never have needed to comb through the medicine shops for leads in the first place. They finally rendezvoused five li outside the city. A head count showed that every single person had arrived safely. Lu Guiyan breathed a sigh of relief and led the company forward under cover of darkness. The trek was difficult. The night sky was profoundly dark, devoid of both moon and stars. While it was not quite dark enough to swallow one's hand before one's face, the terrain made for stumbling, uneven footing. After marching for half the night, they had covered less than twenty li. Fang Shuwen looked up slightly. After walking a bit farther, he caught the faint flicker of firelight filtering through the trees ahead. With it came the clash of cymbals, the clang of gongs, the thrum of drums, and an elusive singing that drifted between the beats. The sounds rose and fell, intermittent and spectral, carrying an ethereal, eerie chill...