Wangji sat upright in bed as Cloud Recesses grew ever quieter. His senses told him it was nine o'clock, but he couldn't sleep now, he had work to do. Going over to his belonging, he grabbed his Qiankun pouch that was now stained with soil, mushed begonias and a few other undesirable things.

I might need a new one, he thought as he rummaged through it.

After a moment, he pulled out a pair of black and orange robes. He wasted no time in slipping them on. Looking down at himself, he now had the appearance of a somewhat well-off young master.

They were average robes, but the point was not to garner too much attention.

Taking his sword, he opened the window and slipped outside.

Weaving his way through the courtyards, he escaped Cloud Recesses with ease. Not wasting a moment, he opted to hop on his sword and fly down the mountain instead of walking down the endless stone steps.

It's safe to say that if there were rules and speed limits in place for sword-flying, Wangji would have received about eighty tickets right there and then.

Wangji arrived at the docks and waited patiently. After a few minutes, a small canopy boat came by right on queue.

The nine fifteen one way to Tangshan.

As it stopped at the dock like it always did, Wangji pulled up his neckline so that half of his face was now covered by the orange fabric.

Without so much as a word, he stepped onto the boat and handed the ferryman two silver taels.

The man simply tipped the edge of his shoddy-looking sedge hat in thanks and started rowing.

The journey to Tangshan was rather speedy, they were on a good current, Wangji could tell as he dipped his hand into the water from time to time as the river mouth got wider and wider.

They were closely followed by a group of minnows, which Wangji could see under the surface of the water.

He gave the slightest of smiles as he dipped his hand in again, and the minnows seemed to be drawn in.

The lights of Tangshan were in sight now. They'd arrive in about ten minutes or so, so Wangji mentally prepared himself as they started passing boats as the river mouth got smaller.

Despite the similarities between Tangshan and CaiYi Town, the former is known for its boisterous inhabitants who often stay up late.

Wangji carefully weaved his way through the busy stalls, his sword held underneath his long sleeve, doing his utmost to be inconspicuous.

The Opiant Tavern, The Opiant Tavern, where was it?

How hard could it be to find?

Apparently, hard. Ten whole minutes had passed, and he still had no clue as to where it was.

But his introverted self would be damned before he asked anyone for directions.

He was about to give up and have a small mental breakdown right then and there when, if by god's grace or hell's punishment, he heard a voice from behind him.

"Young Master Wang!" Li Choujiao's rumbustious voice called out as the man came bundling towards him.

Wangji wasn't too sure how he managed to recognize him, despite his best efforts against that.

"Ah, I knew it was you, good fellow! There isn't a single person in Tangshan who stands as stiffly as you do!" Li Choujiao laughed while he jovially patted Wangji on the back.

Wangji gave him a look that one might give to a piece of dog excrement stuck to the bottom of one's shoe, but the man was perfectly undeterred by it. Maybe it was because half of his face was covered, but he doubted it.

"Just what are you doing loitering around like this, good fellow? Taking in the sights, I suppose?" The man gave a mirthful laugh, while Wangji's eye twitched.

"Don't tell me you're lost?"

Wangji didn't answer, but he didn't need to.

" Never mind then, we both should really get going. I don't think I can afford to be late again." He huffed as he led Wangji down a street.

They walked through the street while Wangji did his best not to attract attention, but the way Li Choujiao was pointing out every small detail like some self-appointed tour guide wasn't helping much.

"Oh, yes. Did I mention that Wenren Jing's fried dough stick stand is the only place to have a late-night snack, and I mean the only place, good man? " He laughed, while Wangji repressed the urge to roll his eyes to the sky.

" Ah, we're here!" Li Choujiao suddenly proclaimed, which made Wangji slightly jump.

They were faced with a rather average-looking tavern that was neither opulent nor run down, but perfectly in the middle.

And the inside was the exact same, just an average-looking tavern with average-looking people sitting down eating average-looking food.

But it was too unsuspicious.

Wangji pulled the cloth over his face even higher.

"Well, let's take our seats. I assume you brought along what was required, good fellow?" Li Choujiao said as they both sat down at a table.

Wangji nodded and took the small bag out of his robes and placed it on the table.

Li Choujiao looked like he wanted to see what was inside but recoiled his hand, and shook his head.

A waiter came up to them with a wooden tray under his arm. Instead of asking them for their order, he took the bag without any words.

Wangji looked at Li Choujiao with a half eyebrow raise, as if to ask what that was all about.

Li Choujiao put a hand up to tell him to wait. Wangji's eyes followed the waiter as he went behind a curtain and didn't come out for a few minutes.

Surely, they didn't suspect him.

Did they?

"Not to worry, good fellow. They're just taking their time, I'm sure." Li Choujiao tapped his fingers on the table, which showed Wangji that he also had no clue. Which just made him even more nervous.

Sooner or later, although a lot later than Wangji would have liked, the waiter returned. Although this time a tall man followed him in dark green.

He looked about the same age as Li Choujiao, if not a bit younger. He had a clean-shaven face and sharp features. His robes were simple but elegant dark green with about five or six layers to them, but they didn't look bulky. Despite his stern appearance, he only had a few wrinkles under his single-lidded fox-like eyes.

The man sat down at the table and simply stared at Wangji. Wangji stared right back at him, not blinking once.

"Uh, yes, this is the Young Master Wang I mentioned." Li Choujiao said rather skittishly.

Ah, so there is someone who he's scared of, Wangji thought, not breaking eye contact.

"Hm, is that so?" The man said in a disdainful tone that was more directed at Li Choujiao rather than at him. His voice itself was pleasant and sort of androgynous, with his voice raising a half octave on occasions.

Li Choujiao sunk his head into his shoulders in what was actual deterrence, which Wangji didn't think was possible coming from him.

"Young Master Wang, was it?" The man ignored Li Choujiao and spoke to Wangji, this time in a much more amicable tone.

"You're rather resourceful for someone your age."

Wangji knew exactly what he meant, but he raised his eyebrow.

"Mn, You're from CaiYi Town, correct?" The man asked, looking Wangji up and down.

Wangji nodded.

"Ah, I see." The man's eyebrows lifted in surprise, as if he had just solved a difficult puzzle and everything fell into place smoothly.

"You're very resourceful, Young Master Wang." He nodded once more, but his gaze was intense and evaluative this time.

Wangji wasn't deterred in any way; he was the reigning king of staring at people uncomfortably.

This made the slightest smile appear on the man's face, as he nodded ever so subtly.

Wangji picked on up these things a lot better than most and responded with a very particular eye twitch.

"Well, Young Master Wang, welcome to Flame Chamber." He said and placed a pendant on the table. It was a green jade and rose quartz-inlay pendant with the Flame Emblem on the front and a white tassel hanging on the end.

Not hanging around any longer, the man left while Wangji stared at the pendant on the table.

He did it. he actually infiltrated the Flame Chamber. They didn't suspect a single thing, and now he was a member. It was only a matter of time before Flame Chamber would burn to ashes.

"Ah, I knew he would take a liking to you, Young Master Wang." Li Choujiao clapped his hands together, ruining Wangji's triumphant inner dialogue.

"How do you like the design? I suggested it myself, not bad, ey? I thought you looked like a rose quartz sort of person. "

Wangji did like rose quartz, not that he would ever admit it to him.