Phoenix Rise: XieRong

"Ha, HaHaHa," the prince started to laugh. He thought the girl who knelt before him was very amusing.

XieRong looked up at the prince confused. She couldn’t understand why he was laughing but felt the slightest of hopes spark in her heart.

"Little girl, what’s your name?"

"XieRong," she replied, still a little unnerved from everything.

"What’s your family name?"

"Forgive this lady, this lady can not tell you that yet."

"Can’t or won’t?" The man asked as he bent down to her level.

"Wang ye, this lady can not tell you yet," XieRong replied again, not knowing any other way that she could reply which wouldn’t give her identity away.

The prince looked at the troubled look in her eyes and knew that there was something she couldn’t tell him no matter what, so he decided to let the matter go. But the girl was too dangerous to be kept around. He’d make sure she left the capital like she’d told him by the hour of the rabbit (5:00am to 7:00am)

"Get up, little girl. Tell my little brother what medicine you want and where he should deliver it to you. This prince will make sure that it reaches you during the hour of the tiger (3:00am to 5:00am)," the prince said as he got up and moved towards the door.

"But big brother, she threatened to poison me!" The little boy said as he pointed his finger at XieRong who was standing next to the counter.

"And there will be many more who will threaten you to find out our location. If you can’t escape a girl not much older than you then you should stop helping me. What’s the use of your cultivation and martial arts if you don’t use them?" the prince scolded, as he shut the door behind him, leaving a wronged young prince behind.

XieRong felt bad for the boy.

"I’m sorry, I just did what I had to do. I didn’t know you would get scolded because of me."

The boy turned and glared at XieRong. It was because of her that he got scolded by his brother whom he loved the most.

"I don’t care if you’re sorry just tell me what you want and leave."

XieRong felt irritated. If he had just shown her the shop in the first place then she wouldn’t have had to threaten him.

"Fine, I want three liang of hundred year old ginseng to be delivered at ChuanLi restaurant."

"60 silver taels."

XieRong removed 15 taels, tossed the old lady’s pouch to him, put her money in the spatial ring and stormed off.

XieRong was in a terrible mood as she left the shop and made her way to the back alley from where she came. She was glad that she’d accomplished what she’d set out to do, but wasn’t so happy about how helpless she’d felt through out the day. XieRong was so lost in her thoughts that she hadn’t even noticed that she was out of the narrow street until the commotion to the side brought her out of her reverie.

On the small set up stage there was a shabbily dressed man addressing the crowd that had gathered.

"This next merchandise is a bit fiesty, but nonetheless a feast for the eyes," the scraggly man said as he pulled the boy’s face towards him.

XieRong looked on at the spectacle from a corner. She knew she had to leave, but she was extremely curious as to what had gotten the roaring crowd so silent.

XieRong saw the slave merchant manhandled the little boy no older than her. She saw two little girls around her age standing in line with the older slaves, holding each other’s hands and looking at the stage with fierce determination.

Even in the dark, XieRong could make out their will to live.

The fire light just made the shadows of the thugs that were gathered more prominent. This was no crowd for a lady, let alone a little girl like her, but XieRong had to be brave. She would have to do this sooner or later. She needed people that were loyal to her and her alone.

"This slave was captured from the borders of the Middle continent. Seeing what a beautiful specimen he is I’ll start the bid at 50 silver taels."

XieRong sneaked behind the stage. The auction master had let go of the boy and was busy increasing the bid.

The boy was kneeling in shackles near to where she had crept to.

"Listen to me quietly and don’t turn around. I guarantee that you won’t be auctioned off if you follow as I say," she whispered to him.

"Adjust your shackles if you understand."

"How do I know you aren’t like the rest of them?" He whispered.

"You don’t, but it’s either me or them. Don’t talk anymore and decide fast, do you want me to save you?"

The boy pulled his shackles in reply.

"Good, now listen, I’ll put some poison on your back which will give you red sores, they’ll be uncomfortable but won’t hurt you. You need to act like you’re extremely sick, make it as believable and dramatic as possible. Make them believe you brought a dangerous disease from the Middle Continent. Buy me a little time then I’ll take care of the rest. Do you understand?"

The boy adjusted his shackles again and XieRong began to work.

She looked at the harmless looking weed in her hands and brushed it on his back and arms.

"Done, you can start in about two minutes."

By the time XieRong was done, the bid on the boy had slowly risen to 150 silver taels. The greedy auction master coaxed the crowd into increasing the sum, not knowing how much of a loss awaited him.

XieRong crawled on all fours towards the line of slaves. Her cloak hid her well, making her one with the shadows. She avoided the torches as much as she could and thankfully for her there weren’t all that many as what all of them were doing was illegal and no one wanted their faces to be seen. The Emperor had banned auctioning on slaves. They were all to be sold through the slave markets at certain times during the day.

XieRong didn’t have a hard time convincing the girls. They were willing to take their chances with XieRong very much to her surprise.

The boy in the chains had already started their little show.

"It hurts! It hurts!" He yelled, as XieRong quietly snuck back into her corner.

The crowd had begun whispering.

The furious auction master raised his hand to hit the boy.

"Why you!"

"Don’t touch me or you’ll get infected."

The Auction master stopped dead in his tracks. He asked one of his cronies to bring a torch. Upon seeing the red sores on his arms he backed off. To say the crowd was furious was an understatement. XieRong snickered in her heart.

"Ah please, please. I didn’t know he was faulty goods! Otherwise I wouldn’t have tried to sell him."

"Let’s bring the other goods on stage."

"How can we trust your goods after this?" Someone shouted from the crowd.

"Yeah, what if they’re all infected!"

XieRong had her cue. She pushed her way past the crowd and climbed onto the stage making sure her hood covered her face.

The crowd was momentarily stunned to see such a young girl amongst them.

"Young miss, who are you?" The Auction master asked hopefully.

"It doesn’t matter who I am. My master sent me here on his behalf. He said that if he came here personally then all your customers would leave."

The Auction master looked at the girl before him in wonderment. How powerful must her master be if he could make the crowd leave with just his presence?

"I know medicine. What this boy has is a deadly disease from the middle continent."

"Young miss, do you know a cure for this disease?" The Auction master asked politely, rubbing his sweaty palms together. The gods above had helped him!

"Sadly, no. But my master is researching diseases from the middle continent. He would like to buy this boy and the other infected slaves for five silver taels each. If you agree, then I will tell you some good news," XieRong said as her heart rejoiced. Her plan was working!

"I agree! I agree! Now tell me what this good news is?"

"First, give me all the infected slaves and their contracts."

The auction master hurriedly told the other slave holders to inspect and bring the infected slaves and bring their contracts.

Once XieRong had gotten what she wanted, she turned to the crowd and said,"All of you present here should not worry. The disease is only spread by touch. If the slaves are not showing any symptoms now, then they are all healthy to be auctioned off."

The crowd rejoiced. They could continue their entertainment for the night.

The Auction master looked at the angel the gods had sent before him.

"Miss, you have saved me today. I will only charge you one silver tael for each of these slaves you’ve bought."

"Thank you, Auction master. I will take my leave," she said, as she laughed at him in her heart.

Once the shackles were undone she lead the freed slaves to ChuanLi restaurant.