My eyes widen at the neglected cups sitting on the table.
‘Is this Kunlun Lang Gan?’ I say.
Yue Gui nods. ‘You have an excellent nose, Lady Jing.’
Gigi glances down in surprise before lifting her steaming cup with great reverence. ‘I’ve only had this tea twice before, both times at Queen Mother of the West’s summer party. It’s harvested once every five hundred years from her ancient Lang Gan tree. Baba hoards his Kunlun Lang Gan like a greedy child and never shares.’ She inhales the delicate aroma. ‘I am honoured by your generosity, Special Emissary.’
Ah Lang whistles and lowers his head in a bow. ‘Abundant gratitude for your generosity, Special Emissary Yue Gui.’
Tony inclines his head as well. ‘This is indeed an honour. Manifold gratitude for your generous hospitality.’
Yue Gui blushes, waves her hand. ‘May sherrrr. Tea is a drink to be shared. Big Wang insisted we treat you as the most noble of guests and I was happy to oblige.’ She picks up the two folded letters in front of her, and her demeanour becomes serious. ‘Now that we are refreshed, let us get to the matter at hand. We have received instructions from both the Jade Emperor and Yan Luo Wang regarding the vampires’ request for assistance.’ The first letter bears the Celestial Seal of the Realm and the Jade Emperor’s distinctive seal, each character stylised to resemble birds with beaks, eyes and tails. She unfolds it and reads:
‘Imperial Decree
I am in receipt of Special Emissary Long Yue Gui’s report detailing:
– the hijacking and kidnapping of my daughter Lady Gi, Qian Lang, Lady Hu Xian Jing, Tony Lee, and Lord Aengus;
– the subsequent assault on my daughter Lady Gi and Qian Lang;
– the discovery of Lady Hu Xian Jing’s long-lost paternal family; and finally,
– the request by the vampires of House Durand for the realms of Tian to assist in their search for the missing vampire Romain de Durand.
The transgressions by House Durand are great and many, including the dishonourable behaviour which resulted in their expulsion and subsequent ban from all of Tian and the mortal lands under our purview.
Under normal circumstances, their request would be refused. However, in conscience, we must consider that Romain de Durand is Lady Hu Xian Jing’s own noble father, missing for the last hundred years. Discernible in the serendipitous meeting between Lady Hu Xian Jing and her vampire kin is the will of Tian. We also note House Durand’s respectful submission in owning their transgressions.
Therefore, we consent to assist in the search for Romain de Durand. Venerable Yan Luo Wang shall coordinate and will be in touch with further instructions.
The ban shall also be lifted with the following conditions:
– approval to enter Tian and the mortal lands under our purview must be obtained from the Ministry of Rites prior to travel. Any approvals shall be made on a case by case basis, and may be withdrawn at our sole discretion.
– only Aliénor de Durand and Marianne de Durand may make such applications on behalf of themselves and other members and vassals of House Durand. Further, they shall act as guarantors for any other vampires included on such applications.
– any vampire visiting Tian and the mortal lands under our purview shall behave in accordance with the principles of Tian or risk instant expulsion.
We show the greatest condescension and manifest our kindly indulgence in granting their request. End Decree.’
Yue Gui folds the letter, and picks up the second one. This one carries Big Wang’s personal seal. She sips her tea, then reads:
‘Manifold gratitude for your tireless efforts in locating my cherished daughter, Lady Jing, and her friends. I have read your report. We will join the search for Lady Jing’s father. However, sharing what we find with House Durand is conditional on full repair of any damage to the Immortal Express and all its fixtures, fittings and furnishings, return of the passengers’ luggage, as well as an oath never to interfere with our persons and belongings again.
If their luggage and belongings are damaged or unusable, please provide an allowance for Lady Jing, Tony Lee, and Lord Aengus to replace what they need. The Jade Emperor also provides an allowance for Lady Gi and Ah Lang, though he said Lady Gi was not to replace more than the sixteen luggage trunks she brought.
In order to begin investigations, please send us the dates of Romain de Durand’s arrival and departure in the Middle Kingdom, where he travelled, and any other useful information. It would be better if you and Ahn allowed Lady Jing and her friends to work with the vampires. I’d prefer to keep you both off their radar.
I await your further report.’
‘The vampires will be happy,’ Ah Lang says. ‘They’ve been waiting a long time to search for their missing family.’
Yue Gui pulls a small square of folded paper, and presses it into Tony’s hands. ‘Mr Lee, this is for you.’
The seal on it is Big Wang’s. I watch Tony read it, hoping Big Wang isn’t scolding him or saying anything embarrassing.
‘What does he want?’ I say, striving to be nonchalant.
