Chapter Text
Jimin trots along after Yoongi, who keeps a fast pace for someone who walks with such a steady gait. Maybe it isn’t so much Yoongi’s pace as the fact that he doesn’t get distracted nearly as easily as Jimin does. While Jimin’s eyes trace back and forth over the ever-changing landscape outside of Daegu, Yoongi keeps his eyes forward, his entire countenance peaceful and meditative.
He’s so sedate that it makes Jimin feel awfully mischievous. And so it’s with an impish smile that Jimin sketches out a simple talisman, his cool blue spiritual energy transforming into a thin tether between his wrist and Yoongi’s. With a smirk, Jimin stops and gives the tether a big tug, effectively pulling Yoongi to a halt.
Yoongi’s eyes fall to the glowing blue string around his wrist, then track up to Jimin with a slow, feline blink.
Jimin laughs. “What do you think? Clever, right? I invented it myself!” he says proudly.
“Ridiculous,” Yoongi mutters.
Jimin blows a raspberry. “How can you say that? This isn’t ridiculous at all! Look at how strong it is!” He gives a few tugs to demonstrate, giggling with delight as each pull makes Yoongi’s arm flop up and down. It’s very fun! “I’ve been thinking about what to call it. Does Binding sound good?”
Yoongi lifts his brow and, in a fluid motion, flips his hand around to grasp the tether. With a sure grip, he yanks on the tether soundly enough that Jimin is jerked forward. When Jimin yelps and scrambles to keep his balance, Yoongi releases a small scoff. Using the tether, Yoongi drags Jimin forward, his strength unfaltering even as Jimin digs his feet into the ground.
“Wait, wait!”
“No.”
“Hyung! You can’t use my own invention against me! This is not what Binding was created for!” Jimin whines, trying rather futilely to at least slow Yoongi’s implacable pace. The strength of Horangi disciples is really no joke, though! Why does it seem like Yoongi has only gotten stronger in the short weeks they’ve been apart? How unfair!
“Leash,” Yoongi says nonsensically.
“What?”
Yoongi turns his head just enough that Jimin can see a thinly-concealed flash of amusement on the older boy’s face. “Call the talisman Leash ,” he explains, and pointedly tugs on the tether to prove his point.
Jimin’s mouth drops open. “Yoongi-hyung!” he cries out in exasperation. “Just what are you trying to say?”
“Talismans should have fitting names,” Yoongi tells him. “This one is a leash for rascals.”
Jimin sputters, unable to come up with a suitable comeback. This hyung of his! Honestly, just when it seems he’s a bit too peaceful and maybe a bit dull, he comes up with all sorts of devious things to say!
“Yoongi-hyung!”
Yoongi resumes his previous pace, this time dragging Jimin along with him through the wooded path even as he ignores Jimin’s half-serious complaints about his character.
This hyung! His gall is outrageous , Jimin thinks with more than a little indignation. In all the time he spent waiting for Yoongi to show up, he never imagined that this is how he would be treated! And it wasn’t easy at all to convince Sect Leader Jeon about this mission, either!
It’s not that Jeon Bongjun was skeptical about Jimin’s claims - not at all! In fact, Sect Leader Jeon invited Jimin to sit down in a private, heavily-warded room in a teahouse in Daegu so Jimin could explain the situation fully. As a Sect Leader, Bongjun had some knowledge about the legend of the yin metal and he even confirmed that the Mugunghwa Sect does not possess a piece. He was slightly less willing to believe Jimin had committed himself to this mission by making an oath to a legendary Horangi Sect elder, but even he had to admit that such a claim would be too fantastical even for Jimin to make-believe.
Still, Sect Leader Jeon had tried several times to persuade Jimin, arguing that this mission is solely the responsibility of the Horangi Sect. Of course, Jimin understood this as Bongjun’s desire to protect his sect, but - well, what would happen if the Mugunghwa Sect stood aside and did nothing while the Gom Sect was making such bold overtures? Once Jimin told Bongjun about the Waterborne Abyss, it turned the tide of the conversation. In the end, after a full day of laying out his reasoning, Jimin had been granted some time to hunt down any shards of yin metal that remain in the world with the caveat that he would not bring the cursed metal back to Busan - and that Jimin would need to return before midsummer.
This last requirement, Jimin suspects, is more in deference to Madam Jeon than anything else. No doubt she is waiting at Mugunghwa Pier, ready to punish Jimin for his transgressions as a guest disciple. Even Sect Leader Jeon can put her off for so long.
Mid-summer is nearly a month away. Jimin thinks that’s quite a bit of time to help Yoongi with the search, particularly because traveling by sword can speed things up. With golden cores as strong as his and Yoongi’s, he’s certain there will be no delays.
Yoongi leads Jimin by the tether talisman for quite sometime before the talisman wears off in a slow-fading sparkle of blue energy. Jimin huffs, rubbing at the faint pink mark on his wrist as he quickens his step just enough that he can bump into Yoongi with his shoulder.
“Hyung,” he complains, leaning forward to peek at Yoongi’s placid expression. “Hyung, you’re so unexpectedly mean . Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy it! But can’t you use that attitude on someone else? I’m innocent!”
Yoongi cuts a side-eye. His silence speaks volumes.
“Okay, well, if I’m not innocent, I’m at least good-intentioned!”
“Hm.”
“No, you’re right, sometimes I do play a prank just for the sake of it,” Jimin concedes. “If I’m not good-intentioned, I’m at least pure-hearted. You really can’t argue with that!”
“Mm.”
Jimin laughs with delight. He eagerly grabs for Yoongi’s wrist to examine his skin for any marks from the tether talisman, and Yoongi allows him without even faltering a step. Yoongi’s skin is much fairer than Jimin’s, but his skin seems to be less tender - there isn’t a single flaw on his smooth wrist. Maybe the talisman only affects the caster because it draws on the caster’s energy? Something to think about…
“Are you done?”
“Huh?”
“My wrist.”
Jimin blinks rapidly and drops Yoongi’s wrist. His face feels hot, and for some reason, he can’t help but belatedly note how strong and solid Yoongi’s bones felt under his fingers. Jimin has always been compact, his limbs slender and undeniably slight, even his fingers narrow and short. On Yoongi’s wrist, Jimin’s hand had looked almost dainty in comparison, which isn’t a thought he would ordinarily have about himself.
Maybe Jimin needs to rest?
Yoongi fixes his sleeve, folding the fabric down and smoothing away wrinkles with unhurried movements. There are callouses on the tips of his fingers, his nails smooth and short. He must be very skilled with musical cultivation.
What is Jimin even thinking about? He really must be exhausted! All that waiting around in Daegu has made him nonsensical!
“Hey, hyung, when is the next town?” he asks, twisting his head around to survey their surroundings. They’re still very much on a wooded path leading to the next town south of Daegu, but Jimin has a feeling that they shouldn’t be headed to any southern territories. South is where Busan is and he has already confirmed his sect doesn’t have any traces of the yin metal. “I think we should stop early for the day and make a plan for our journey. I have a few theories about where the remaining shards might be. And I’ve been thinking about how we can track the remaining pieces better - a talisman I designed that can act as a sort of compass…”
“We will reach the next down by nightfall if we continue walking,” Yoongi answers as Jimin trails off. “Faster if we fly.”
Jimin bounces on his toes. “Let’s fly, then! Let’s race! I bet I’m faster than you, hyung!”
“Frivolous.”
“Boring,” Jimin shoots back.
Yoongi takes the time to remove his sword from his belt, summoning his spiritual energy to make the sword hover before his feet. He casts a cool, almost sly look at Jimin and says, “Overconfident.”
“Overconfident?” Jimin echoes with a frown. This proves to be a mistake, because Yoongi takes advantage of his confusion and steps onto his sword to fly away. He’s high in the air by the time Jimin gathers his wits and calls Jangnan forth. Jimin pushes his spiritual energy hard to catch up, scoffing at Yoongi’s audacity.
Really! This hyung!
Traveling with Yoongi is very fun! As with all things, Yoongi is very methodical and cool-headed, so between the two of them, they are able to pass through villages and small territories very quickly after verifying there are no traces of yin metal around. To Jimin’s delight and admiration, Yoongi also takes the time to assess these stops for any nighthunting opportunities. Jimin thinks it's really amazing how committed Yoongi is to serving and protecting the common people - and he’s thrilled that he’s found someone like-minded.
“I vow to always stand with justice and protect innocents,” Jimin declares one evening over a pot of tea, his hands clasped under his chin. His theatrics about the vow are far less serious than his promise.
Yoongi seems to be able to tell because he doesn’t chide Jimin like usually would. The candlelight in the inn casts soft shadows across Yoongi’s face, and Jimin gets to see the small, almost imperceptible smile that crosses Yoongi’s face in response.
Jimin leans forward with a bright smile. “I’m glad you agree, hyung! Let’s keep this vow together.”
Yoongi does not lean away. He takes a deep sip of tea and drops his eyes. He hums in agreement.
One of the most fun and fascinating things about traveling with Yoongi is how much better Jimin gets to know the older boy. Day by day, he learns more about Yoongi’s habits and preferences, and he revels in every new discovery with a strange, wild sort of giddiness.
Jimin thinks that Yoongi is, more than anything, very shy. Sure, he’s got a stone face and an icy personality and he’d rather say one word instead of saying ten and he’s very strict with those ridiculous rules but - he’s not unkind. In his own way, he’s very friendly once he gets over his shyness. Jimin is treated to what he thinks is Yoongi’s true personality, which peaks out every once in a while when Yoongi lets his guard down.
Usually, that guard comes down when Yoongi caves to Jimin’s goading. So who can blame Jimin for goading and teasing this hyung as much as possible? If Yoongi really minded, he would definitely say something! He’s not the type to withhold a scolding!
During the day, they travel together on foot or by sword to scan the area for traces of yin metal. When they pass through towns, they speak with shopkeepers and village heads to assess the area, just like rogue cultivators do. If there is a small hunt, they take care of it quickly - Jimin’s skills with talismans and close-range fighting pair very well with Yoongi’s excellent musical cultivation and precise swordsmanship.
After surveys and hunts are done, Yoongi will secure rooms at an inn and Jimin will wander after anything that catches his attention, from local delicacies to children playing games in the street. When Yoongi deems it time for the evening meal, something that is determined by the rigid schedule a lifetime of Horangi training has etched into his biological clock, Yoongi will find Jimin and drag him back to the inn. Often, Yoongi is quite literally dragging Jimin away, ignoring Jimin’s half-laughed protests with one large, steady hand around Jimin’s arm.
At the inn, Jimin will always arrive at a table with a warm, well-rounded meal. His dishes are often rich with spice and meat, while Yoongi’s are decidedly blander. And while Yoongi does not indulge Jimin’s desire for liquor, he does have a penchant for ordering wonderfully fragrant blends of tea. And even though talking during meals is forbidden by the Horangi Sect, Yoongi doesn’t cast the silence spell when Jimin babbles through the meal, airing every thought and observation that passes through his mind. At the end of the meal, Yoongi will often respond to comments Jimin has been making in order, as if he is keeping track of the topics that are worth talking about. Together, they will discuss the plans for the next day, and then they will depart to separate rooms.
Always different rooms, and if not different rooms, then rooms with two beds and a dividing screen. Even though it must cost more money, Yoongi is always very careful with these arrangements. Jimin thinks its a little ridiculous since they’re both men, but he also keenly remembers how flustered Yoongi had been when Jimin joined him in the Cold Pond and how flustered Yoongi is when Jimin makes jokes about sharing a bath to save the inn workers the trouble of lugging up water for two tubs.
Jimin very easily and astutely chalks this up to Yoongi’s conservative Horangi upbringing and tries not to tease about it too often. Yoongi never appreciates those jokes since he seems truly irritated when Jimin brings it up.
In separate rooms, Jimin will take his bath and struggle with combing through his unruly blond hair. He will think of the next location they should search for or a recent nighthunt. He sometimes works on talismans or takes the time to shore up his storage of talismans if a hunt has left him depleted. From the few times they have shared a room, Jimin knows that Yoongi’s evenings are more sedate, with a long time in the bath, a long meditation session, and sometimes practice on his zither. In any case, Yoongi certainly goes to bed much earlier than Jimin and rises much earlier, too.
While Jimin sleeps his manic nights off well into the morning, Yoongi follows what Jimin assumes is his normal morning routine at Horangi Recesses - namely, morning tea, meditation, sword forms, and more meditation. At mid-morning, Yoongi will enter Jimin’s room to usher him out of bed, usually with a steamed bun as an incentive. And then, after Jimin has made himself presentable, they will repeat the day of travel again.
It’s blissful. Traveling with a like-minded friend, sharing his days doing something he feels so passionate about, ending his nights with a sense of accomplishment and a full belly - there surely isn’t anything better.
In quiet times, when his mind is hushed and hazy on the edge of sleep, Jimin can’t help but smile. Did his parents live like this too when they were rogue cultivators? They must have been so happy.
Jimin wants to be this happy forever, too.
Most of the time, when Jimin and Yoongi pass through small villages, there isn’t any major trouble. On occasion, they have had to put down a stray beast or fierce corpse. Once, they had spent a memorable few days tracking and hunting a boar mutated by yin energy, and Jimin laughed when Yoongi’s spotless hanbok was splashed with mud at the end of the scuffle. But all in all, any trouble they come across is simple and easy to handle. Textbook. Certainly problems even the weakest cultivators could handle.
But the moment Jimin steps into this tiny hamlet, he knows they will find a different sort of trouble. The air is thick with tension and fear, an almost tangible amount of yin energy floating on the breeze. His skin prickles with awareness as they wander through the village gate.
“Hyung,” he starts quietly, rubbing away the gooseflesh on his arms. “Something isn’t right.”
“Mn.”
Jimin edges closer to Yoongi, keeping his voice quiet so he doesn’t draw too much attention. As he talks, his eyes wander over the wan faces of the villagers, who seem nearly haunted even though, by the looks of it, their village is well-off. “Have you ever encountered a busy market street that was this quiet?” he wonders. “Look at them. They even handle the money softly. And the children…”
“None unattended.”
Jimin nods rapidly. “Yes, yes. Usually, kids are always running underfoot. Even kids that have homes to return to at the end of the night spend hours playing in the streets, but here, even the urchins are being looked after by shopkeepers,” he notes. Jimin’s eyes fall on one ragamuffin with a dirty face who solemnly sweeps debris under a shopowner’s watchful eye. It isn’t the same kind of watchful stare Jimin got when he was a child on the streets. Instead of being hateful, the shopkeeper has a paranoid, almost fearful look as he watches after the urchin, even as he hands the child flatbread.
The ambient yin energy in this village is strong. Clearly, there is an issue. But is this the clue they’ve been looking for?
“Do you think…?”
Yoongi appears very grim as he says, “There is only one way to find out.”
In short order, Yoongi arranges for their rooms at the single inn in town. The building is humble and in great need of some repairs, but Jimin has never been one to complain. A blanket that has been slightly moth-eaten is much better than no blanket at all. And more helpfully, the innkeeper seems very eager to answer Jimin’s prodding questions once she realizes she is speaking with cultivators.
“The hauntings started two months ago,” she explains, voice quivering as she glances around as if afraid of being overheard. She places a pot of tea and two cups before them, then sits down with her work-worn hands folded on her lap. “An illness swept through the village and many people became sick, especially children. One day, the village head, Master Im, threw his wife and children out of the manner to protect himself from the illness. Of his three children, only the daughter lived for more than seven days. His wife begged for shelter for her children, but being so sick herself, she eventually took the children to the temple for comfort. One by one, the children died and Madam Im became sicker. Yet, after her daughter died, the madam regained her strength. Master Im allowed Madam Im back home, though she is still very weak and unlikely to bear children again. I’ve heard Master Im is considering divorcing his wife for a younger wife to beget new heirs…”
Jimin tilts his head. “But the illness and the deaths of the Im children aren’t the reason why the villagers are paying such careful attention to the rest of the village children, is it?”
The innkeeper shakes her head. “No…As I said, the hauntings started two months ago - after all the deaths of the Im children and the recovery of Madam Im. Several days later, children in the village became hysterical, claiming that a ghost child visited them in the night to scream and terrorize them. So many children have seen and described the same haunting that parents had no choice but to listen. Now, we watch the children at all times to protect them, especially since…”
Somewhat bemused, Jimin watches as the innkeeper hunches further into herself. Her voice drops to barely more than a whisper as she says, “Especially since the Im Manor started to fall under attack. Although there are no children in the manner anymore, each night the child ghost appears outside the manor walls and screams. Servants at the manor have been shocked with fright! Some even say all the children who died from the sickness are visiting Im Manor, blaming Master Im for not finding a doctor to treat them.”
Jimin exchanges a long, silent look with Yoongi. This is no ordinary haunting, indeed.
He turns a charming smile on the innkeeper. “Ah, don’t be too concerned! We’re here! You’re lucky enough to host two of the most promising cultivators of our generation although, between you and me, my companion is surely unmatched by anyone! Imagine, all that strength and a handsome face to match! The heavens are so unfair!”
“Jimin.”
Jimin’s smile widens as he ignores Yoongi’s chiding tone. “Just leave this to us!” he tells the woman, gratified when she seems a little relieved, if not still dubious about his claims. He waits until she leaves the room before he looks at Yoongi with both brows raised. “So, what do you think?”
“Possession is possible,” Yoongi acknowledges.
“Oh, from the temple deity? I’ve heard of stranger things,” Jimin agrees. “But then, would a deity take the form of a ghost child?”
“A remnant blessing, perhaps. Twisted.”
A blessing from a deity over a recently-departed soul. Maybe an answered prayer from a desperate child to save her mother? But if the child was too full of resentment to find peace even after a blessing had been granted, or if there was a source of yin energy within the town that could corrupt a child’s soul…
“You’ve so clever, hyung! Now we have a good place to start our investigation!”
Trusting that Jimin and Yoongi would be investigating the case, the innkeeper is keen to point them in the direction of the temple later that afternoon. The temple is on the edge of town and somewhat run-down, although the altar is well-kept with offerings and incense. Try as he might, Jimin can’t sense anything malicious about the energy of the temple. There is a faint trace of yang energy, and unlike the rest of the town, yin energy seems to be reluctant to dwell here.
Jimin places his hands on his hips, pursing his lips. “Well, I think we can safely say the temple is not hiding any yin metal,” he says to Yoongi.
Yoongi nods. “A nighthunt, then. Investigate the haunting.”
“I agree! After all, just because this haunting isn’t connected to yin metal doesn’t mean we should neglect our duties as cultivators! There truly is a great amount of yin energy in this town. We should cleanse it before we move on to safeguard against more tragedies.”
Yoongi nods, then takes the time to bow to the statue of the temple deity, his arms held in a circle as he lingers to show his respect. Jimin offers a somewhat less graceful bow, then bounds off after Yoongi as he leads them to what must certainly be Im Manor. The manor is easily the largest and most well-kept home in the village, surrounded by a high wall that has been plastered with talismans to keep away evil spirits.
Jimin rips off one of the talismans with a snort. “No wonder the ghost can’t get in. Child ghosts are usually very simple. They are too young to possess a massive amount of resentment, so this many talismans…”
“Made the problem worse,” Yoongi finishes grimly.
Jimin sighs, looking at the talisman again. The brushstrokes are weak and the paper is flimsy. Clearly, this talisman was purchased from a peddler, not a sect. “People never call for help when they should,” he says under his breath.
Yoongi’s golden eyes flicker. “Do not judge unfairly.”
Jimin rolls his eyes. “How am I being unfair? It’s true…”
Yoongi ignores him in favor of knocking on the manor gate. It takes several moments for a harried-looking servant to answer the door, and his eyes widen in fright when he sees Yoongi. Jimin waves at the servant over Yoongi’s shoulder with a friendly smile.
The servant eyes their swords and quivers on the spot. “W-who are…?”
“We must speak with Master Im,” Yoongi says directly.
The servant visibly hesitates.
Jimin elbows Yoongi out of the way. “Aish, don’t mind my partner,” he says to the servant in an affable tone. “Nobody is in trouble! We’re traveling cultivators who happened to hear about the hauntings at this manor. We were hoping to speak with the master and madam so we can offer our services!”
The servant relaxes and lets them inside, keeping his head down. He leads them to the welcoming hall of the manor, which is decorated with gaudy vases and paintings, yet also has torn tapestries on the walls. “I will call on Im juin-nim,” the servant says and backs out of the room.
Jimin flicks at the tassels hanging off one tapestry as Yoongi folds himself down at one of the guest tables, his posture unerringly perfect. “Interesting place,” Jimin comments, brushing dust from his finger. “Trying a little too hard, though, and not doing enough.”
Yoongi sighs, just barely audible.
It doesn’t take long for the master of the house to arrive in the welcoming hall. He’s a stout, beady-eyed man with an uneven beard, and he glares at them sourly. “Who are you? I didn’t ask for any cultivators. Leave!”
Jimin’s brows lift at the immediate refusal of their services. Even Yoongi twitches, betraying his surprise, and stands with that easy, economical grace of his.
“Master Im, I presume,” Jimin says, pasting on the easygoing smile he tends to use on nighthunts. “We understand you may be a bit surprised by our presence, but we were passing through the town when we heard about the hauntings going on. We merely want to offer our assistance. No charge!”
“We don’t need any help. We already have talismans,” Master Im refutes.
“Yet the hauntings have been happening for two months,” Jimin points out. He eyes the man, trying to gauge him better. Master Im is red-faced and sweaty, and has the darting eyes of a man who doesn’t want to admit his guilt. How selfish. He’d rather the whole town suffer for his misgivings than confront it directly.
Jimin looks at Yoongi, wondering what they should do now that Master Im isn’t consenting to their nighthunt.
Yoongi blinks placidly. “If you will not speak with us, then we will request time with Madam Im. She is a victim and will have useful insight.”
Jimin hides his laughter when that comment only makes Master Im bluster and blow even more.
“You don’t need to speak with my wife!” he bellows, wiping sweat from his brow. “She’s bedridden and useless. There is no problem here! Leave!”
Yoongi pins Master Im with that cold feline stare and Master Im flinches away. Tense silence lingers in the room until Yoongi turns around and leaves without a word - a very rude thing of him to do, not that Jimin blames him!
Jimin laughs a little, shrugging his shoulders. “Forgive my companion,” he says. “He just can’t deal with incompetence!”
Master Im flushes an angry puce. “You! Leave! Leave immediately!”
Jimin holds up his hands. “You don’t have to tell me twice!” He quickly catches up to Yoongi, just barely making it outside the manor walls before the servant and Master Im slam the gate behind him. Jimin turns around and frowns at the manor. Then, he looks at Yoongi, who is striding toward a tall tree across the road. “Hyung?”
“We will observe,” Yoongi says, and proceeds to climb the tree, uncaring of the risk of dirtying the white fabric of his hanbok and durumagi.
Jimin gapes up at him. “Yoongi-hyung! Are you suggesting we conduct a nighthunt without the consent of the people involved?”
Yoongi looks at him over his shoulder, one brow quirked in judgment. “You object?”
“Of course not!” Jimin says with great delight. “I want to do the same! I just didn’t know you had it in you! Doesn’t this break some rule of your sect?”
“Uphold the value of justice. Make sure to act virtuously,” Yoongi recites, easily hefting himself onto a sturdy branch. He pauses, his golden eyes flickering when he says more quietly, “Protect the innocent.”
Jimin feels a flush of warmth. Protecting the innocent is his vow - a vow they have taken together. “Hyung,” he says, for lack of saying anything else, and then follows Yoongi up the tree.
Fortunately, the sun is already setting so the night is not too far away. Unlike what the common people believe, there is no hour of the night when ghosts will appear. There are many ghosts that will appear during high noon or at dusk, and many other ghosts follow other whims. However, this child ghost seems intent to follow the same pattern, perhaps fixated on her own time of death.
It is not long after the moon has reached the highest point in the sky that a misty shape comes together to form the small frame of a little noble girl, her hair braided neatly and her sleeping clothes made of obviously fine quality. If not for the fact that Jimin knew the child was a girl, he would have assumed she was a lost daughter of a nobleman. There are signs that betray her ghostliness, such as feet that do not quite reach the ground and the way moonlight passes through her without casting any shadows.
Jimin and Yoongi share a glance, then silently descend from the tree. The ghost girl has not begun any haunting actions yet, although she does seem to pace relentlessly along the wall outside the manor. She seems disturbed by something, perhaps the talismans that are preventing her entry.
“Agasshi,” Jimin calls softly, stopping several paces away with Yoongi at his shoulder.
The girl turns around. Seeing her face, it is unmistakable that she had a painful passing. Like many ghosts, her expression is still twisted with the same tension with which she died, her eyes round and glassy, her lips bloodless and mouth gaping in a silent cry. At seeing them, the girl gives a wordless cry of alarm and runs at the walls of the manor. The talismans activate with the glare of yang energy, repelling her back with weak, if not unavoidable, force.
“Aigoo,” Jimin says, keeping his voice hushed. “Don’t be such a silly thing. We aren’t here to hurt you.”
The girl either does not hear or does not care to hear. Sometimes, ghosts are like this, obsessed with a single task to the point of mindlessness. In this case, the girl makes another run at the wall, and is again flung back by the repelling talismans. At this point, she begins to wail, a loud noise that cuts into the night with a chilling tone. She wails and wails, growing louder as she beats on the wall and the gate, growing more desperate as she is denied entrance.
The sound and sight is very disturbing. No wonder the village is so spooked.
Jimin clucks his tongue. “She’s not listening to me, hyung.”
“You are not listening to her,” Yoongi corrects. There is a faint furrow on his brow as he watches the ghost child. “Listen.”
Jimin cocks his head. But then, he does hear it - a single word, wailed over and over again. He had not recognized it before since the ghost’s mouth is forever frozen in an open gape, but the intonation is audible, even if the syllables are not pronounced. This distinction is sound is the precise sort of skill a disciple trained in musical cultivation would have. No wonder he missed it.
“ Eomma! Eomma! ” the child ghost pleads, over and over.
“Oh,” Jimin breathes. “Oh, she wants her mother…”
Her mother who is evidently bedridden, mourning, and spurned by a cowardly spouse. Her mother who is locked away from her by spirit-repelling talismans.
In ridding the world of ghosts, there are certain steps that can be taken. Liberation by meeting the ghost’s final wish; suppression by sealing the ghost’s spirit, and elimination, an extreme step taken when a ghost cannot be handled any other way.
“We should ask her what she wants from her mother,” Jimin says.
Yoongi is an honorable cultivator who follows the set precedents, so of course he nods in agreement. Yoongi summons his zither, moving his hands over the strings as the instrument hovers in mid-air. The notes of Inquiry, the ghost-communing song, plays over the street, drawing the ghost child’s attention and silencing the wailing.
The ghost drifts closer, summoned by the music, or maybe entranced by the soothing notes. Yoongi strums over several notes, then raises his hands from the zither. The ghost child places her hands over the strings, her incorporeal fingers passing through the instrument; yet all the same, new notes rise from the zither, and Yoongi nods. Together, Yoongi and the child play for several minutes, while Jimin stands patiently, biting back all of his questions. He figures, based on Yoongi’s expressions, he can fill in the gaps in the conversation himself.
It really isn’t all that surprising when Yoongi looks at him with that solemn golden gaze and says, “She wishes to see her mother one more time.”
“We can definitely make that happen,” Jimin tells the ghost. She does not respond to his voice, as if she can’t hear him. Maybe she can’t.
Honestly, Jimin has never spent too much time communing with ghosts since the only sect that can communicate directly with ghosts is the Horangi Sect. Other sects tend to focus on ghouls and spirits and beasts. Any time Jimin has encountered a ghost in the past, he has had to figure out what the ghost wanted mostly through deductive reasoning and, sometimes, miming actions or following the ghost around. Without the Horangi Sect’s closely-guarded cultivation skills, any other cultivator dealing with a haunting inevitably has to default to suppression or elimination. He’s always felt uncomfortable about this since suppression and outright elimination could harm the soul of a ghost - but what other option is there?
Now, though, nighthunting with one of the esteemed young masters of the Horangi Sect, a disciple who is known to be one of the most proficient cultivators in his sect, Jimin can get a glimpse of how much more effective it is to speak with ghosts directly. It’s a shame that only the Horangi Sect has such a well-rounded education - or perhaps a shame that no other sect has tried to come up with a method to speak with ghosts for the purpose of liberation.
Jimin claps his hands together, looking at Yoongi eagerly. “So, how do we want to do this? Just escort the little ghost girl directly to her mother, right?”
“Trespassing,” Yoongi mutters.
Jimin wrinkles his nose. “That’s a boring way of looking at it!”
“You wish to break into the manor and enter the room of a married woman,” Yoongi deadpans. “What else would you call it?”
“Yoongi-hyung, you’re making it sound so salacious,” Jimin complains. “It’s really not like that! I don’t want to see the bedchambers of any woman! I just want to liberate this tiny soul and calm the village! If not this method, what do you suggest? Wait until Master Im decides to listen to us? I have a feeling he’d sooner kick us out again rather than let us see his wife! Am I wrong?”
Yoongi’s expression pinches in obvious disgruntlement. He clearly agrees with Jimin!
“Don’t worry, agasshi,” Jimin tells the ghost child, resisting the urge to pat the child on the head. He bounces up to the walls surrounding the manor, stopping a good few paces away, then directing small streams of spiritual energy at each of the talismans. One by one, the spirit-repelling talismans turn to ash and fall to the ground. The task complete, he turns to Yoongi with a wide smile. “Let’s go!”
When Yoongi tries to open the gate to enter the manor compound, Jimin hastily grabs his arm, pulling him away from the gate and to the wall. He holds on tighter when Yoongi tries to shake him off.
“What?”
Jimin clicks his tongue. “Hyung, didn’t we just establish that we’re trespassing? What kind of trespassers come in through the front gate? You have to climb over the wall! Trust me, I have plenty of experience.”
“I know,” Yoongi says dryly.
Jimin laughs. Yoongi is probably thinking about the first time they met. Jimin happened to be trespassing via a wall then, too! Well, shouldn’t that be proof enough that Jimin knows what he’s talking about?
“I’ll go first, then you follow,” Jimin says, stepping up to the wall after releasing Yoongi’s arm. “Pay close attention, hyung!”
Deftly, Jimin clambers over the wall near-silently, landing on the other side on the balls of his feet. The courtyard is dark, save for a few lanterns. It’s not the largest manor he’s ever visited, but it’s also true that he doesn’t have a clue where Madam Im’s bedchamber is. Hopefully, the ghost girl can lead them in the right direction. It would be a shame to be caught before they can liberate her spirit.
Soon, Yoongi lands beside him with typical feline grace, whereas the child ghost passes through the wall and makes a beeline for a building beyond the left side of the courtyard. Yoongi and Jimin hasten to follow so she doesn’t leave them behind.
After hearing what the innkeeper had to say about the Im family and after meeting Master Im, Jimin had a good idea of what to expect when they meet Madam Im. And indeed, Madam Im has been relegated to a remote building on the property that has scarce creature comforts. She is not locked in, but it’s equally apparent that Madam Im has no care about her personal circumstances. She is plain and wan-faced, curled under a thin blanket with a blank gaze when Jimin opens the door. She doesn’t seem to react at all as Jimin and Yoongi enter the room.
Yet when she sees the ghostly form of her daughter, she shoots up on her bed and begins to cry. She reaches for the ghost child, sobbing harder when the ghost’s form passes intangibly through her arms. “My baby, my baby,” she cries.
The ghost child wails, the same heart-wrenching Eomma from before, trying to get closer to her mother with very little success. Jimin’s heart hurts to watch them struggle.
"Im ma-nim ,” he calls softly.
“Who?” Madam Im looks at Jimin and Yoongi with wet eyes. “Who are you? Why…?”
Jimin offers a respectful bow. "Im Ma-nim . We are cultivators. As we were passing through this village, we learned of what happened to your family. It turns out that your daughter’s soul cannot rest,” he says gently.
Madam Im looks heartbroken at this news. She weeps her daughter’s name, trying to stroke the ghost’s cheek to no avail.
“Im ma-nim, you can help your daughter,” Jimin urges, walking just a little closer.
Dark, desperate eyes turn up to him tearfully. “I can? How? Tell me how…”
Jimin tilts his head to Yoongi, silently asking for his input. After all, Yoongi was the one who spoke with the ghost child. He would know best.
Yoongi’s smooth, peaceful voice sweeps through the room. “For your daughter to be at peace, she wanted to spend one last night with you. She wanted to know that you are healthy and safe.”
“My sweet girl,” Madam Im cries. She nods, sniffling as she pulls herself together in a display of devotion strengthened by the love mothers have for their children. “Yes, of course. I’m doing well, Eun-ah. Eomma will be okay. You don’t need to worry.”
The ghost child seems to understand, fixated on her mother with an intense focus. Yet she seems to grow more peaceful by the moment, her form losing the sharp sense of yin energy as it softens, blurring at the edges.
Jimin and Yoongi step out of the room to give the mother and child the privacy they deserve. Together, they stand vigil outside Madam Im’s bedchamber, a tacit agreement to ensure the two are not disturbed. They guard the door all through the night until dawn, when the last lingering tinge of yin energy drifts away and Madam Im weeps anew.
Jimin peeks into the room to verify that the ghost child has left, and then bows deeply to the bereft mother. “Peace to you, Im ma-nim ,” he says with great respect. “You can rest assured that your daughter’s soul has peacefully entered the cycle.”
Madam Im returns the bow from her bed, thanking Jimin and Yoongi profusely. This part is, for Jimin, always the most uncomfortable. He doesn’t like being thanked for helping souls move on - he doesn’t like receiving thanks at all, actually. But it would be rude to dismiss Madam Im’s gratitude, so he follows Yoongi’s lead and simply nods in understanding until the woman seems satisfied.
Not long after dawn rises over the remote village, Jimin and Yoongi fly away on their swords.
The next town they come across is considerably bigger. Even from the air, Jimin can see the long, bustling stretch of the marketplace - and he can also sense a peculiar energy, something where yin and yang are almost perfectly balanced. Almost.
“Do you think the town is prosperous because of the fairy spirit, or was the fairy spirit drawn to the town?” Jimin asks as they idly wander through the streets. He eyes several market stalls with curiosity.
They are close to the western coast now and it shows in the collection of wares being hawked throughout the street. Definitely a lot of foreign-made things. Trade must be very good. Usually, with bigger towns like this that are without direct supervision from a sect, the situation goes one of two ways. Either the town remains unsullied due to the genuine goodness of the people and fair governing from the local magistrates, or there is a seedy belly of corruption running just beneath the surface that draws a number of hauntings from lingering resentment. With the strength of the fairy spirit drawing his focus so acutely, Jimin doesn’t know which way this town goes.
“With spirits, either is possible,” Yoongi answers quietly. “We should investigate.”
Jimin claps his hands together. “Hyung! Great minds really do think alike! I was just about to suggest the same thing!”
“Hn.”
“Aigoo, don’t sound so doubtful!”
“Distracted.”
Jimin huffs, wagging his finger at Yoongi with a pout. “I’m not distracted ! I’m observing and gathering information about the town! You know, that’s actually the first step of an investigation and - Oh ! What’s that ?”
Jimin stops in front of a stall selling finely-embroidered silk clothes, He looks at the complex design in awe, ghosting his hand over the bolts of fabric. “Ahjumma,” he says in amazement. “What is this fabric? I’ve never seen anything like it!”
The auntie running the stall smiles, sure that she’s found an eager customer, and it’s true that Jimin might shell out some coin to buy a bolt. It’s just so pretty ! He’d definitely never use it because it’s not practical - and he’s so hard on his clothes - but it’s certainly something fine enough for Yoongi! His hyung wears all kinds of finely-crafted items! How he manages to finish a nighthunt spotless is something Jimin has yet to figure out, but Yoongi would look very nice in fabric like this -
“Ah! Ah! You’re pulling me!” Jimin yelps, trying fruitlessly to shake off Yoongi’s strong grip around his wrist. Yoongi does not appear to notice and Jimin gives the auntie running the stall a helpless shrug as he is dragged away. “Hyung, don’t be mean! I was going to buy that for you!”
“Ridiculous.”
“No, you’re ridiculous,” Jimin says childishly.
Of course, with Jimin being as excitable and curious as he is, this is only the first instance of Yoongi dragging him away from a stall in the market. After the first few times, Jimin decides to make a game of it and stops looking for things he likes - instead, he starts to look for things he thinks Yoongi will like, just to see if he can move this stubborn hyung of his.
“Hyung, look! Tangerines!”
“Yoongi-hyung, what about this bunny norigae? Isn’t it cute?”
“Hyung, hyung! I see yakgwa! Let’s have a taste!”
But through it all, Yoongi does not flinch. He doesn’t seem tempted at all! Jimin can only admire him for it. Look at Min Yoongi, unmoved by worldly desires! He really is the best cultivator of their generation!
Even when Jimin wiggles away long enough to stop into a store selling erotic novels, even when Jimin tries to show a few pages to Yoongi, the older boy doesn’t so much as blink. His ears are tinged a little red, but his face and tone are deadpan when he says, “Boring.” And then he drags Jimin out of the store with a grip so firm Jimin can’t even entertain the idea of escaping, even though he does whine a little, just for the sake of it.
Yoongi really is so impressive!
Of course, Jimin was telling the truth when he said he was using this market crawl as an opportunity to assess the town. His ears are perked for any murmurings between the townspeople that could illuminate the strangely balanced energy laying over the area. That’s why he pauses and looks at a group of giggling women with great interest, much to Yoongi’s nearly palpable frustration.
“Jimin.”
Jimin flaps his hand. “Hush. Look at those women! They certainly know something,” he says wisely, nodding to himself. “Women in a town like this don’t gather around to giggle over nothing . Fairy spirits tend to favor women, you know? Either those ladies are laughing at some poor fellow, or they’re gossiping about what we’re trying to investigate.”
Jimin glances at Yoongi, waiting for his assessment, but Yoongi is cold-faced. He doesn’t look convinced at all!
Jimin clicks his tongue, resting his hands on his hips as he stares up at his hyung. “You just wait here. I’ll go see what they’re talking about.”
Yoongi opens his mouth, surely to protest Jimin’s plan, but Jimin is already walking away. He adopts an affable expression, the same one that gets him free treats from all the aunties in Busan, and waits for an opening as he nears the giggling women. Interestingly, they are all different ages and different statuses, and they all seem to be talking about a flower maiden of some kind - just more evidence for Jimin’s case!
“Excuse me!” he says brightly, holding his hands behind his back and tilting his head cutely. As a cultivator, Jimin knows that ordinary people typically regard people like Jeongguk and Yoongi with something like reverence or even fear - but Jimin has never had this problem! He’s very non-threatening! The younger women giggle and the older women look at him fondly.
“Yes, doryeong?”
“I’m new to this town and I’ve been looking for the best local entertainment. I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation as I was passing by,” he explains in light tones. “Who is the Flower Maiden?”
One of the younger girls smiles. “Oh! The Flower Maiden is a lovely local spirit. She is responsible for half the marriages in the village!”
Intrigued, Jimin makes noises of interest. “A spirit, you say? A peaceful matchmaker?”
“Calling her a matchmaker is far too simple,” another woman says.
“Rather than match-make, she sorts out the good from the bad!”
“She can tell which man will make a good husband and which doesn’t have a romantic bone in his body!”
“She knows which man will cherish his wife!”
“It’s true,” says the first girl. “My cousin has a very happy marriage because of the Flower Maiden!”
At this, Jimin’s interest in the spirit spikes. It’s true that spirits are natural products of balanced energies that can form for many reasons and from many forms. It’s not unusual at all to come across a spirit that has cultivated natural energy for thousands of years before taking human form. Spirits that have good intentions may even be able to ascend to immortality to become one with the gods, although this is very rare. More often than not, good spirits will dissipate once they have served their purpose, while bad spirits will harness resentful energy and will need to be eliminated by cultivators. It seems that the spirit in this town is a good one - and a romantic.
“How does this Flower Maiden tell the good potential husbands from the bad potential husbands?” he asks, and listens closely as the women explain in fits of giggling and wide-eyed awe at the amazing tale.
Apparently, the Flower Maiden is most active during the spring and summer months. She resides in a fine manor that once belonged to the benefactor of this town; when the benefactor was still alive, he dedicated a garden to his deceased wife and his devotion moved the spirit of the flowers until, upon the benefactor’s death, the flower spirit gained enough power to take a human shape, although only temporarily. The flower spirit made a vow to help the people in this town find true love, the same type of love the benefactor shared with his wife. The flower spirit assesses suitors based on their poetry skills, which is evidently the height of romance. If the suitor is deemed worthy, the flower spirit will appear in human form and gift the man with a flower to give to his beloved, and then the couple will be blessed with a happy marriage.
Of all the spirits Jimin has ever heard of, this is probably the nicest one. No wonder no sects have heard about her - she is a good spirit doing good work. It’s just a little unfortunate that her overwhelming energy is enough to potentially cloak the mark the yin metal, if any has been hidden here.
“Ah, I understand!” Jimin laughs. “This Flower Maiden is amazing! Should I try my luck, do you think?”
The women all laugh. “You’re very handsome, doryeong! You would make a good husband!”
One girl twirls her hair. “Are you…staying in town for long?”
The other ladies laugh at her and she flushes to the roots of her hair. Jimin doesn’t really understand why.
“My companion and I are only passing through,” he tells her, then nods his head to Yoongi. The women all look behind Jimin and their giggles and delighted gasps increase. Jimin feels a little smug about it. His hyung really is a sight to behold!
Yoongi is so tall and broad, with an ethereal beauty like unmarred jade and moonlight. In his light-colored hanbok with his neat, midnight black hair and a silver sword at his side, he looks like the type of gallant gentleman that would save a maiden in a story. Jimin can see why the women are swooning!
Except, as Jimin looks on, Yoongi looks up. Their gazes meet for several seconds, then Yoongi’s eyes flicker, his brow furrowing minutely. He looks down and kicks a pebble, turning away with a tiny frown.
Jimin laughs. His hyung can be really funny for such an upstanding guy!
“So, could I see the Flower Maiden today?” Jimin presses, turning back to the women. Some of them give him a knowing look, even as they tell him anyone can try their luck at the flower-filled mansion not too far away. Jimin thanks them profusely and excuses himself, sketching a polite bow as he does, much to the amusement of the ladies.
Jimin skips next to Yoongi, bumping their shoulders together. “Hyung, guess what? There really is a fairy spirit here!”
“Mm.” A pause, and then, “Should not flirt openly.”
“Huh?”
“Could lead others on.”
Jimin lifts his brow. Is Yoongi scolding him? “It was just a little friendly chatter! No flirting! Trust me, none of those ladies took it seriously!”
Yoongi narrows his feline gaze, obviously disproving.
Jimin lifts his nose, crossing his arms over his chest. “I wasn’t flirting with you , anyway,” he mutters. “It was just a little fun and it gathered the information we need…”
Yoongi quickens his pace.
“Ah! Hyung! Wait for me!” Jimin hurries after Yoongi’s longer strides and explains what he knows, walking toward where the balance of energy is most even-keel. Yoongi nods along and Jimin thinks that they both agree.
The balanced aura of the Flower Maiden is strong enough to mask the yin energy running rampant through the town. But while there’s no reason to exorcise the fairy spirit, he and Yoongi really should investigate the undercurrent of malice and resentment in the area. This might be the very thing they have been looking for. Speaking with the Flower Maiden first would be a good first step. If anyone would know about bad energy in the town, it would be a spirit.
The flower-filled mansion sits at the end of a street and is indeed inundated with blooms of all kinds - many flowers that he has never seen before, too! Foreign blooms, possibly. But while the flowers are lush and fragrant, the mansion itself is a little run-down. Clearly, nobody human has lived here for several years, and of course, a fairy who can only temporarily hold a human form would have no need to keep a house in shape.
“Flower Maiden!” Jimin calls as he and Yoongi step into the courtyard. “Flower Maiden, could you speak with us? It’s urgent!”
Nothing. Not even a petal twitches.
“Poetry,” Yoongi reminds him.
Jimin snaps his fingers. “Ah, right!” He clears his throat with a mischievous smile and launches into a rather poorly-constructed poem with themes that are raunchy, to say the least. He delights in the way Yoongi’s eyes widen in shock and has to break off his recitation of the poem, clutching his stomach as he laughs. “Hyung, you can’t blame me! I really can’t remember any good poems!”
“Try harder,” Yoongi tells him.
Jimin pouts. “Hyung, why don’t you try? It’s harder than it looks to recite a poem off the top of your head!”
Of course, in the next few moments, Yoongi disproves this claim. He effortlessly recites a long, rather romantic poem about separated lovers. It’s not exactly the kind of bland, stuffy reading material that can be found in the Horangi libraries, so Jimin figures this must mean Yoongi is secretly a very romantic man. He must read poetry in his idle time! It’s the last thing that Jimin would ever expect - he kind of thought Yoongi only trained or meditated, but now look at his hyung!
When Yoongi is done, Jimin claps in approval. And he is not the only one that has been moved. Further in the courtyard, a stirring of energy and a rustle of loose flower petals reveals a gorgeous maiden. She would look human except for the delicate green tint to her skin, the peach of her eyes, and the vibrant violet of her long hair.
“Your poetry is very good,” she says to Yoongi, and her voice is as soft as the wind.
Yoongi bows in respect.
Jimin, on the other hand, bounces on his toes. “Flower Maiden! What about me? Did you like my poem?” The Flower Maiden glares at him. Jimin only smiles wider, unbothered by her disapproval. After all, no woman could be more disapproving of Jimin’s very existence than Madam Jeon. He presses on now that he has the fairy spirit’s attention. “Truthfully, Flower Maiden, we’ve come to ask you a few questions. We’re on a quest and we noticed a strange concentration of yin energy in this town. Now that we are standing in your courtyard, it’s clear that you have cultivated with yang energy. Would you happen to know anything about the darker energy here?”
At this, the Flower Maiden appears less hostile toward him, although not entirely trusting, either. She looks between Yoongi and Jimin, then sighs. When she speaks, her voice is even softer than before. “I have been here a hundred years, and in all that time, this town has been peaceful. This is a place where lovers can meet and live happily. But…some weeks ago, a strange incident happened. For several days, nobody would visit me. The people were too shaken up about an attack on the sect here -”
“Sect?” Jimin interrupts. “What sect? We haven’t seen any cultivators?”
“A small sect,” the Flower Maiden says. “They would visit me frequently to make sure I was not harming anyone. I have not seen them since the incident occurred, and as I cannot leave my courtyard…”
Jimin looks at Yoongi with open confusion. “Is there a sect here? I know this town isn’t under any Great Sect’s jurisdiction, so I suppose it’s possible…”
Yoongi appears to be in deep thought. “...Gwan Sect.”
“Yes!” the fairy spirit agrees. “Gwan Sect! A whole clan!”
“And now they’re all missing?” Jimin wonders. “How does that happen? Or rather, what happened?”
The Flower Maiden shakes her head. “From what the townspeople have said, I can only fear the worst…”
Jimin fears the worst, too. It’s no small thing for something to happen to a whole sect of cultivators - even a small sect.
But the Flower Maiden cultivates with primarily yang energy, and there is a strong residue of yin energy in the town, and now a small sect has suffered some type of tragedy. From the pinch around Yoongi’s eyes, his hyung is thinking along the same lines.
It seems they have finally found the trace of yin metal they’ve been looking for all this time.
Together, they bow in respect to the Flower Maiden and promise to look into the incident. The Flower Maiden kindly invites Yoongi back to recite more poetry, but notably does not extend the same offer to Jimin.
“Yoongi-hyung, you know, the Flower Maiden liked your poem a lot,” he says, trying to lighten the heavy mood, nudging Yoongi’s side as they leave the courtyard and the fairy spirit behind. “Your future wife will be so lucky!”
Yoongi stiffens and glares at Jimin hotly.
Jimin blinks rapidly. “What? Do you disagree? But you’re so handsome and good! Any wife will be very lucky!”
“Ridiculous,” Yoongi spits, speeding his walk again.
Jimin easily catches up. “Okay, okay! I’m sorry! I mean, everything I said was the truth, but you clearly aren’t ready for marriage!” Yoongi’s dark look could freeze even the most active of golden cores. Jimin shivers and shrinks back, laughing a little nervously. “Ah, it’s okay hyung! Really, marriage isn’t for everyone! Hyung? Why are you walking so fast? Hyung!”
Yoongi resolutely ignores him.
Jimin blows a raspberry. Really, this hyung is so sensitive about the strangest things!
By now, Jimin and Yoongi have been in this town for the whole afternoon. It’s a little odd that it’s only now that they are learning about a missing sect, but then - common people do have a habit of staying away from cultivators and staying out of cultivator business. It makes sense that the common people wouldn’t be talking about something happening to a sect on the street, whereas an attraction such as the Flower Maiden would be a prime source of gossip. The only problem is that, if the townspeople aren’t talking about it, that means Jimin and Yoongi will have to dig for information.
Jimin swings his arms at his side, thinking about the next step they should take. And then his eye alights on a sign for a tavern that claims to have the best wine in the country. Having tasted Emperor’s Smile, Jimin knows this claim must be a lie - but it is a good opportunity.
“Let’s get a drink,” he tells Yoongi.
“Jimin.”
Jimin rolls his eyes. “Don’t be so rigid. A drink isn’t always just a drink, you know. I promise this isn’t just an excuse so I can drink! Come on, hyung,” he urges with wide eyes. “Just trust me?”
Yoongi sighs, looking very reluctant even as he follows Jimin into the tavern. Inside, the tavern is cool and shaded, a welcome relief from the summer heat. Jimin finds a secluded table and flops down on the cushion, his inelegant sprawl a mighty contrast to the stiff, upright posture Yoongi maintains.
Jimin taps on the table twice to call the attention of a waiter. “Three jars of your best wine!”
Yoongi looks at him sharply, disapproval clearly radiating from his hard stare.
A young boy, no older than thirteen or so, quickly bustles over to their table, his plain face open with wonder and shock. “Doryeong,” he greets with a quick bow. “Are you sure? Three whole jars? It’s very strong!”
Jimin laughs away the young boy’s concern. “Of course, I’m sure! Let me tell you, among my peers, I’m the best drinker there is,” he brags, catching Yoongi’s eye with a smug grin. “Nobody has ever beaten me. Right, hyung?”
Yoongi’s golden eyes flicker. “Hn.”
Still, the young waiter looks doubtful. He hugs a wooden tray against his chest and says, “Doryeong, you may not know this, but our wine is the strongest in three territories. No ordinary person can tolerate it!”
“Hyung, what do you think? Am I ordinary?” Jimin prods.
“No,” Yoongi says flatly.
Jimin laughs, hitting his palm against the table. He looks at the waiter with twinkling eyes. “There, see? I’m not ordinary! Ha!” Seeing that the waiter is still reluctant, Jimin leans forward, drawing the younger boy in with a conspiring whisper. “Hey, why don’t we make a bet? If I can drink three jars and still stand, you can owe me a favor!”
The waiter shakes his head in disbelief. “Doryeong, if you can drink three jars and still stand, I’ll take your last name for my own.”
“That’s a deal!” Jimin laughs, and the waiter bustles off. Jimin leans back on his hands, glancing over at Yoongi’s disapproving scowl, subtle as it may be. “What? What’s wrong.”
“Should not flirt without intention,” Yoongi scolds again.
Jimin wrinkles his nose. “Hyung, no ! I wasn’t flirting! He’s just a kid - he’s younger than Jeonggukie! I’m not as bad as Kim Kyongsoo!” he protests with a whine. The Jasujeon Sect Leader is infamous for flirting with anything that has a pulse - it's why he has so many unfortunate bastards, most of them still unclaimed.
“Do not gossip.”
“Yeah? Then don’t read into things too much,” Jimin retorts. He waves vaguely in the direction of the waiter. “You’re thinking too much. I was just being friendly. Trust me, if you spend a little money and act friendly, workers at places like this will tell you anything. And they’re the best sources of information because places where drink flows freely always have loud mouths willing to tell a tale or two.”
“More gossip,” Yoongi says.
Jimin rolls his eyes. “This really is the best way to get a lead. Really! Trust me!”
Yoongi still looks doubtful, but he doesn’t say anything when the waiter returns with three jars of wine. Jimin wastes no time in popping the cork of a jar and taking several long swallows of the strong wine, mostly so he can amaze the young waiter, who is lingering to watch Jimin with a gaping expression. Jimin makes a show of smacking his lips with appreciation.
“The wine is very good!” Jimin praises.
The waiter nods a little dumbly.
Jimin takes another swig and side-eyes the rest of the tavern. Then, he leans closer to the waiter and says, “To tell you the truth, we’re traveling cultivators. We’ve been looking for a good nighthunt. Have you heard about anything strange or spooky happening recently?”
The young boy looks nervous, glancing over his shoulder. “I’m really not supposed to…”
“Don’t worry about it. We can make it worth your while. Right, hyung?” Jimin asks, looking at Yoongi expectantly. When Yoongi merely looks back at him with a blank face, Jimin huffs and reaches into Yoongi’s belt to remove his coin purse, and from that, removes a few silver coins to give to the waiter.
The boy clutches the coins close, tucking them away quickly.
“So,” Jimin presses around another swig of wine. “What have you heard?”
Properly motivated, the young waiter has plenty to say about the Gwan Sect who had been “massacred all in one night”. The boy talks about screams coming from the sect compound several weeks ago and about how nobody has seen any Gwan cultivators ever since. The boy even mentions in covert whispers how some of the townspeople are glad the Gwan Sect is gone since apparently, they’d made a habit of bullying the common people. Eventually, the waiter is called away by the tavern owner, leaving Jimin and Yoongi to stew in this new information.
“What do you think?” Jimin asks.
Yoongi’s answer is simple. “Investigate.”