Following Luo Chao, we stay a solid few yards away, making sure to not lose sight of him as he stumbles on his feet and into people.
"He's such a lightweight…" Bai Xiu complains as she takes another bite out of a wing. "Shouldn't he know that and stop his outrageous drinking already? All it does is get him into trouble."
"I think the idiot likes it."
"So he's a stupid masochist."
I nod, "Yeah."
Reverting our attention back to Luo Chao, we manage to view the slight of him falling over his own feet into a woman's bosom, only to be shoved onto the ground.
"Hands off you drunk pervert!"
The woman gives Luo Chao a solid kick in his injured arm and he throws up onto the floor, knocking at the very least, some of the drunkenness from his drowsy state.
Taking a moment to recover, Luo Chao gets up and looks around, going to a nearby food store to order a meat bun to help absorb some of the alcohol. Once obtained, Luo Chao looks around once more, spotting the same group of women, completely missing Commander Gu walking alongside them as he continues his pursuit.
"Holy shit, is he still following them?"
Bai Xiu takes a single glance at me, noting my worried and panicked expression. "What's wrong? He's just doing his usual antics."
"You see the kid walking alongside that tall beautiful woman?"
Bai Xiu peers over the crates, looking at the group before frowning, "Which beautiful woman, they all look beautiful."
"The tall curvy one with snow white hair and a veil, you idiot."
Bai Xiu does a look back, nodding in understanding as she ogles the Ice Witch's ass. "I see, I see. Would."
"Jesus christ… No wonder you and Luo Chao are such good friends." I pause, grabbing Bai Xiu by the arm, pulling her back down behind cover. "That's the Ice Witch, and the kid next to her is our division commander."
Bai Xiu takes a long, hard moment of pieces as footsteps fade by our hiding spot. Opening her mouth, Bai Xiu attempted to yell and shout in surprise but I had covered her mouth in time.
"Shh… Quiet. Lets just follow him and make sure he doesn't get killed."
Now in a hushed tone, Bai Xiu claps back. "What do you mean make sure he doesn't get killed?! Are you going to fight the Ice Witch and your commander for his life?!"
"No. I'm simply going to get on my knees and beg."
"Oh. Yeah, that could work."
Turning our attention back to the half drunk Luo Chao, we move from hiding spot to hiding spot, making sure to keep an eye on him as he continues to follow the group of women. After a while, Luo Chao follows the group into what seems to be a high end brothel.
Following him inside, we walk straight onto the main floor filled with people drinking, making out, publicly doing the deed. It was here that Luo Chao stopped following the group of girls that went upstairs and instead shifted down onto the main floor to look for someone to be with.
What is Commander Gu and the Ice Witch doing in a brothel..? Why are they going higher up?
Tapping on Bai Xiu's shoulder, I lean over and whisper to her. "Hey, could you keep an eye on Luo Chao? I've got something I want to check out."
"Only if you give me some gold."
I turn over, giving her a blank stare. "For what?"
"Women. You bring me to a brothel filled with hot women and you expect me to keep my hands off them? Yeah right. Now hand over some."
Sighing, I pull out the bag of gold tokens, handing her a few before taking chase after Commander Gu and the Ice Witch upstairs.
Further and further up, all the way into the top floor which was guarded by guards, so making the smart choice, I stayed on the floor below doing the best to listen in on the two.
At first, all I could hear were slight whimpers and small chuckles, but soon after I could hear the Ice Witch talking.
"Gu Xing… How is your Ki? It's flow is still limited by the Yin Body Type."
There was a pause before the Ice Witch continued to speak, or perhaps she was talking with the quiet voice of Commander Gu.
"Darling… I understand you made Tue-Mei give you harder missions in order to grow, but you're pushing yourself too hard. You made sure the missions are hard enough to push yourself but not get your squadmates killed. You need to take better care of yourself."
———
"You don't have to do it, Gu Xing. You can let me hunt down the Orthodox's monkey. You just need to get better and work on improving your Yin Body Type condition."
———
"Yes, I'm aware of the rat's tailing us. But you seriously need to get that condition checked out, who knows what'll happen if you see too many stars disappear."
Upon hearing her obvious bait, I couldn't help but book it back down the stairs, pushing my way through the crowd to find Bai Xiu and Luo Chao, warning them of our presence being known.
I call out for them, "Luo Chao! Bai Xiu!"
After a little more wandering, I find the two in a booth together with a woman by each of their sides.
"Let's go, we're in danger."
"Danger? The only people in danger here are the women I'm going to bed!"
The girls cheer along Luo Chao's outrageous saying, pouring another cup of wine and clink them in a toast.
"Fucking idiots…" I mutter under my breath.
Commander Gu has the Nine-Yin Body Type which explains his proficiency in the Yin arts… But how is he still alive? Could it have been the aid of the Ice Witch?
———
—————
After our run in with Commander Gu and the Ice Witch at a brothel, two weeks had passed. Everyone went off back to their respective families and friends, spending whatever time we had left before what could possibly be our last mission.
Bai Xiu's forehead was warm, her eyes were a little swollen from the tears she had shed earlier.
"Please return alive."
"No promises."
Bai Xiu raised her foot and stomped her heel into my toes, a jolt of pain and shock causing me to let go of her clasped hands.
"Promise me that you will return."
"I promise."
Not wanting to drag on a painful moment any longer, I quickly rose to my feet. The sounds of chirping birds and flowing water coming from outside of our window on the peaceful morning. The scent of wood and smoke billowed from the kitchen.
The first step I took out the door was the lightest step of them all. And each and every step I took farther away from home only became heavier with the weight of death looming over me.
Our mission was none other than to kill the Orthodox's monkey.
Circulating the Qi through my body, I quickly arrived at the 4th Division's estate where everyone was already lined up. Muscles tense and thoughts running astray. Everyone here was afraid to go into battle.
The missions we had done before this were secluded, we created a battlefield where there was none. Yet here we are, lining up to step into hell to hunt a monkey.
Luo Chao turned over to me as I stepped next to him in line, "Hey, got cold feet? Because our commander sure does."
"Even at a time like this you're still cracking jokes? Sometimes I wish you would die in battle."
"How harsh of you." Luo Chao takes a stab at my side with his elbow before Commander Gu eventually rises from his circulation.
"Is everyone ready to leave?"
The entirety of Division 4 salutes our commander. For he shall freeze hell over for us, we shall provide our blood to the frozen ground.