Water Mirrored Moon - 水鏡月

Part I - Born of the Water Moon: 5. Out to Play

As promised, a few days later Yang Ming Xi travelled into town to find a foreign trader or shop that would take the pearls. It would be best to avoid official money changers and jewellery shops, and a foreigner would likely ask fewer questions, but if not, he still had connections he could use.

The town was on a road that connected to the trade routes of Xiyu, so there was a good chance that someone would trade. While only a two day journey to and from the mountain, Cui Xi had yet to visit since she had come to Tiansheng.

Master Yang did not think there was any harm for the two girls to go to the market and enjoy the sights while he conducted business. As it was, there was an apothecary that he had to see in town, and he was long overdue to visit with the owner of the shop.

Master Yang and his daughter had habitually gone every few months, but it was Cui Xi's arrival that had delayed the most recent trip. It could be delayed no longer as Yang Mind Xi had promised a selection of herbs to the shop owner. Moreover, a certain letter had to be delivered.

It was decided that they would stay at an inn and then walk back to the mountain house the following day. Before the sun had risen, Yang Ming Xi loaded the little donkey that was kept in a corral off to the side of the house. Checking that the baskets were properly secured, he patted the donkey in satisfaction.

A moment later the front door opened, and he was surprised to see Cui Xi walk out with a straw hat on her head. He peered to look at her. Stumbling back a bit, his eyes widened at her face. He then picked up the lantern that he had put onto the bench, and raised it high to shine the light on her.

"Does this work, Yifu?" she laughed, her eyes bending into crescents. Using the tools in her prized make up kit and some contouring techniques, she'd managed to make her features more angular and changed the shape of her eyes with shading.

Yang Ming Xi looked at the freckled, dark skinned face of a girl he didn't quite recognize as Cui Xi. He also noticed that she'd done something to her eyes, making them look more narrowed. It wasn't an ugly face, but it certainly wasn't the face of the young girl to which he had grown accustomed.

He stood silently gawking at her in the darkness. Yang Ming Xi had only seen the face changing technique used by hidden masters of wulin* and the secret guards of the capital. He never expected that this strange girl would know the art of face changing.

On closer inspection he could see that it was an expert use of some painted substance, not a true skin changer's art, but his heart still squeezed. A person who could use face changing was normally a skilled assassin.

Cui Xi, noticing that Master Yang's colour was a little bit off, suddenly became self-conscious.

"Not good?" she asked, her expression faltering.

Pearls and face changing...that girl!

"Da!" A'Yu laughed, startling him out of his stupor. "Isn't it clever?" she smiled, grabbing onto his arm. "A'Xi didn't want to stand out so much."

Xiao Yu could see her father's strange mood and didn't want A'Xi to be upset.