Chapter Text
"Could it be true? Has the Jade Qilin come to bless us all?"
"We can't be too sure. Our sacrifice has long since been memorable towards him. Ah! It's almost time, hurry and get ready before the storm arrives!"
Across the field, the figures of two children thrived with joyful smiles. The ill young master, enjoying the company he'd longed for, waved his happiness toward the other. And for a moment, with such a fragile curve of a smile, no one could really see the shadows beneath his eyes. But beside him, Fan Ba stood calm in a way that had taken months to arrive like this. The weight in his chest has also, grown even deeper.
Xie Qi gazed up at the sky. For a moment, he was happy. Actually happy, in a way he'd never been before. He wanted to keep this feeling. Keep it forever.
Maybe this was fate.
When Fan Ba stepped closer, Xie Qi's concern came immediately. "Is something wrong?"
"Xie Qi, is something wrong?"
Turning his head, he noticed the child beside him was filled with concern. . Xie Qi smiled, reassuring, "No." He smiled at him. "Just thinking." His moment of happiness was such a relief, he sat down next to him. He has become quite the center of attention for him, even the faintest cough from Xie Qi and he'd fetch his usual medicine from the residence. From his pale complexion to his weak figure, it's hard for Fan Ba to not show concern the more he looked. Months ago, that kind of closeness to the young master would've terrified him to death. Now he couldn't imagine anything else.
But there was always that thought that crept in late at night.
If this ended, if Xie Qi was taken from him..
If this is where it ends for me, then maybe death could be bearable...
"Fan Ba! Fan Ba! Look!" The boy's voice unknowingly cut through his thoughts, his voice was filled with excitement. "My blossoms finally bloomed~" The moment has passed as if nothing had happened. But moments like these, he would've been hallucinating. "I need to be careful.." Said Fan Ba, he was heavily dedicated to keep this moment with him forever. For the first time in his life, he's finally deserved something for himself after the price he had to pay to get here.
Long ago, his gambling father sold him off to the estate after his debt has far reached to his limit. Fan Ba learned quickly never to let his guard down. His hands, roughed up by the palace guards, have constantly struggled for as long as he's known. There were no exits in the palace, but no other doors would ever open to him. Ever being wanted for, there were no feelings left in him to desire such a concept.
"Ugh, make this servant go away!"
"Watch where you're going, young man; you could've stained me!"
The other servants mocked him. The family stepped over him. Walking through those halls was like navigating a minefield that shifted every single day. There was barely room to breathe. The Qi residency was filled with spoiled brats whose egos had long since exploded. There was no room to breathe nor eat, how could I be able to live like this? He thought.
Very quickly, he'd learned to hate them. Hate the Qi family with a quiet, bitter resentment that ate at him from the inside. Thus, he'd thrown himself into martial practice, convincing himself that if he was strong enough, fast enough, smart enough, he could escape this place.
And then—
"Amazing!~"
A boy in white, fragile-looking despite the fine fabric he wore, stood waving at him with a huge smile. He looked anything but healthy with the way he moved, but he kept waving anyway like Fan Ba was something worth seeing. Finally, their eyes have met.
And Fan Ba, he froze. Had he been spotted? Was this a trap? He turned to run, but the little boy called out, "Wait! Don't go just yet!"
Feeling pressured, it seemed the best possible option was to just ignore him. An order like that however, he doesn't have the privilege to disobey the Qi family even in the slightest. As he approached, he caught the smell—medical herbs?
Medicine?
A strong scent of medicine and herbs filled the air. He stepped closer, close enough that it was a little bit too close for his liking. But his eyes were warm.
"S-Sorry if I scared you, but that form just now, that was so cool!" Having first impressions with such warmth, his guard eased up towards him. "Does it hurt?" He asked, Fan Ba should've lied. He should've left. But he found himself staying silent, just watching this sick child smile at him like he mattered.
He looked over his body, there were bandages and cabinets in his room, as well as his own proper bed being a mess. However, he didn't realize how long he was staring at him before being interrupted. The ill child smiled. "I don't suggest you worry about me," Xie Qi said softly. "It's always been this way." he explained. "I've been dealing with this illness for while now, it's okay."
Fan Ba looked away, embarrassed. These people were dangerous. He knew better. To stay away as far as he could; this sick child wasn’t someone to engage with!
"Ah, y-you're bleeding.."
Suddenly, he glanced down, without realizing his arm had been bleeding from a scratch during his training. "Don't worry, I have some bandages here to take." Running back inside his room, the ill child tried his best to maneuver and find the right drawer for his injury. Fan Ba's first thought was to just run. The attention was suffocating, he didn't want to keep on talking to this poor child, he stayed here for far too long.
Desperate to leave, Fan wanted head back. He tried to turn around and walk till he was stopped once again; "Please wait! A-At least let me help!" In a desperate cry, he couldn't help but look back to realize his face.
The boy's face was soft, almost to the brink of tears. He never fully paid attention, not even to his eager cries of help. But this child.
He was different.
It can't hurt to stay here a bit longer.
Years later, leaning at the restaurant's doorway, Fan Ba found himself thinking about that moment often. How everything had changed for him because he'd decided to stay. Days once spent in warmth and quiet with Xie Qi. Or rather, Mr. Xie, as the world now respectfully addressed him.
How long has it been?
Da Days bled into weeks, weeks into months, months into years. Guests came and went, money accumulated. Laughter echoing through halls filled with joyous evenings and fantastic food. By all accounts, they were thriving from their own success.
Yet with every fortune that's granted, it each comes with own consequence.
The Mélodis family.
A mistake that has once lingered within his past has finally caught up to them. Due to a previous encounter before, they finally decided to show up with a threatening latter at their doorstep, even after years of absence. By his experience, their business is only managed through not only just pure hatred, but with money, anything is possible.
Ignoring his thoughts, Fan's gaze moved across the faces of the guests scattered throughout the dining room. He passed by each table with the same practiced smile, the same careful courtesy that had become second nature. On the surface, he was simply the manager of this restaurant, the one who kept everything running, who made sure the money was accounted for and the prestigious guests felt respected to their will at least.
Though his smile was calm, something is a miss beneath every greeting he took. Even if he didn't mean for it to show, it leaked through in small ways, buried beneath a mask he'd sworn to keep to himself.
A quiet, desperate disgust for humans.
The Jade Qilin had given him another life after everything fell apart. Another chance to keep moving forward. But in the late hours when the restaurant was finally quiet, he'd find himself wondering why it had bothered. He'd almost wanted to stay dead. For him, It's better to stay dead filled with honor than have to deal with a curse as a trade.
Those thoughts didn't matter much anymore though. What was done was done, and the past had a way of staying buried if you worked hard enough to keep it there. As he looked toward the entrance, Fan Ba stood up from where he'd been leaning and headed to close the doors for the night. He was interrupted before he could reach them.
"Excuse me, are you *hic* a servant in this restaurant? I demand to be *hic* seated!"
A wealthy foreigner, reeking of alcohol, stumbled forward awfully drunk. He held back his disgust. The stench of heavy liquor alone was enough to turn one's stomach.
Annoyed, he carefully lit up a smile. "Well, certainly. I'll call the waiter to assist you in just a moment—"
Suddenly, he was grabbed by the sleeve. The old man's sweat was enough to leave a mark. Fan stiffened, his hand clenching on instinct. "Why aren't you seatin' me already! I’m *hic* tired, y’hear~!”
Still keeping his smile, "Yes, yes—and as I said, I'll call the waiter to assist if you can give me a moment."
"That's a damn lie, you're just an assistant here! Just bring me inside already!" He let go of his sleeve, wiping away his sweat on his face. "Does anyone *hic* ever give respect around here?" He said.
The old man stepped back, scoffing with a sneer. "With you people, *hic* it makes sense."
You people?
Foreigners, such a disgusting act of humor.
"Now what do you mean by that, sir." With one last chance, he kept his smile all through and well. Just apologize and move on, nothing more than that, he thought. Redeem yourself already.
"I traveled to this place for days, you'd think I'd be deserving of some RESPECT." Staring him down, he aimed to his feet and spat right towards his shoe.
Fan's patience had lasted longer than it should have. He looked around, but the street seemed empty tonight. Without a word, he turned to close the doors behind him, leaving the drunkard bewildered.
"Hey! I told you to serve me here! Are you *hic* not listening you ch-"
"Shut up."
In a cold motion, Fan Ba grabbed the man to his collar and punctured a particular needle at the back of his neck. "What-t are you-" The needle found the pressure point below his skull before the slur left his mouth. The body fell limp within seconds, crumpled almost like a discarded rag doll.
The blood is still circulating, all nervous systems shutting down should be alright. This one stinks.
He was heavy, only struggling to hold onto him as his sweat started to drench down onto his shoulders. Fan Ba could tell this man had no experience with any work. From the clothing, the attitude, to even his skin being smooth and covered in oils, he was pig spoiled through and through.
With most guests had entered inside by now, and with the night thickening as such, no one would notice a thing.
Heading down to a carefully hidden staircase, quietly he grabbed the man and dropped him down to the floor. He looked around for something in mind, "Ah, there it is." Grabbing the rope, he tied a know for both his legs and hands. Now tied up, he then dragged him downstairs into the darkness.
At the bottom, a small bell ringed as he passed by the hallways, entering carefully. Carefully step by step, he made his way down, gaze drifting toward the ceiling.
He wouldn't be this angry at me if he found out.. Right?...
The thought echoed in his mind, unanswered. Feeling a tight pain in his chest, he couldn't allow this to exist within his heart unknowing. The door then slid right open, revealing an unexpected pristine living space.
In the basement, the room was wood throughout, carefully furnished and maintained. At the center stood a wooden table, aged and plain, oddly out of place among the expensive furniture surrounding it. Now with the right materials, Fan Ba slowly placed the man on the table, exhaling quietly so as not to be heard by the guests above. Amazing how much the human body can handle, he thought, running his fingers along the wood.
He went to the nearest box behind a shelf, unlocking it with practiced ease, revealing huge instruments of knives, a rope set, and an extra set of gloves.
The smell was worse now, sour alcohol and sweat kept on clinging to the body like ugly pork, making his nose wrinkle. He then unclothed a cloth roll inside the box, unwrapping it slowly. Inside, a metal glinting underneath revealing the them. 4 blades, thread, an axe, and a bone saw, all in perfect condition as usual, maintained with good care.
In his mind, every meal always has its opportunity to show its own glory to his visitors. A familiar greed pressed against his chest, the same greed as always becoming pounded to his heart. So much to preserve, he thought. "So much beauty no one ever bothers to appreciate their own art." He whispered, his excitement leaking through since his first strike.
Now eyeing at the meat itself, he leaned closer to the table, studying the soft give of flesh beneath aged skin. The shirt was ripped away from the old man's body, the fabric sticking to him with a stench of sweat. The old man's eyes were wide with terror, his cries were obviously there, but useless as it seems. As they muffled beneath the weight of shock and paralysis, Fan Ba noticed his fear.
"Oh don't worry now dear sir." He said, holding a scalpel to his hand, shining brightly against the light. "You should feel honored. Not everyone is invited to dine with me, you know." He smiled, as a predator might when its appetite is revealed. He saw no man at all, not even human.
It's only just fresh meat, wanting to be claimed. And eaten.
The old, pale skin seemed to sag once the knife opened away, the man's cries were too muffled to be heard. His eyes were wide, as Fan continued to let the skin bleed, letting the weight of his arm sliding off as the man proceeded to jolt.
The old, pale skin seemed to sag once the knife opened away, splitting like overripe fruit. The man's cries were too muffled to be heard below the restaurant. His eyes were wide as Fan continued to let the skin bleed, the blade sliding through with practiced precision, letting the weight of his arm sliding off as the man proceeded to jolt against the restraints.
There's no hesitation to each thread he cuts as each one was snapping with horrific ease. The wet tearing sound filled the room as it went, and each joint cracked open with a violent snap that echoed slightly. The tendons were breaking like dry rope, his eagerness for this moment has finally been exposed. He was desperate. The man's face contorted into an expression of desperation, his mouth open in silent screams, crying for relief.
Fan Ba noticed the way his body convulsed, the involuntary reactions to pain. Such happiness. Such refinery. He looked over with a smile towards the same man, he was obsessed. He reached out and rubbed his hand to his face, the gesture intimate in a way that felt wrong, consoling as what you'd assume a romantic lover would with a small pout.
"Aww, don't cry now." He said. "You'll be displaced in such a fine dinery, you'd be feasted upon many customers as they please."
He looked even closer, from face to face, an inch away from touching.
"Don't you understand? An opportunity of a lifetime like this is right around the corner." Followed with a smile, he whispered against the man's ear.
"You'll be part of something beautiful for me."
Bound to a table and unable to express his confusion or agony, he could only stay still as his insides were becoming all convulsed, his body was betraying him with every involuntary movement. The room was becoming filled with a soft, grotesque sound of bone scraping against metal, a wet rhythm that had grown used to by now. The flesh, now rotten and separating, started to cleanly slice away, the blade almost kissing it with each stroke. There was a certain rhythm to it now, it was heavily practiced and precise. Such tender meat, he thought, his hands moving with confidence It gave him a sense of pleasure, relieving his once-angered expression, nothing could amount to this feeling.
It was beautiful, Fan Ba moved with practiced precision, each motion deliberate, and then a certain cut started to squirt towards his coat, warm blood splashed across the purple fabric. "Damn it, the jade." He stopped for a second, looked around for a towel and wiped off the excess blood around his jade pin, the sudden accident made him rethink for a second.
"I need to hold back a bit, I can't get caught." He wondered, how long ago has it been? Could there have been a different path for him? Nevertheless, he continued to look down, refocusing on the work at hand.
Nevertheless, the old man has long since passed, leaving only certain limbs left to finish cleaning. His hands, covered in blood and other things he didn't want to name, moved as someone who'd done this too many times.
I hate you.
Blood started to drop beneath him, it was squirting out of each limb while flowing outside of the body in streams. That didn't matter to him, as dismembering a soul that could've once had potential. That didn't matter to him. To him, this act, this sacrifice, was the price for the Qilin's favor, and the cost of keeping Xie Qi safe.
"It's done" He exclaimed. Looking around, all that there was left was only a masterpiece that only he could suffice.
"You did such a good job Fan Ba~"
He looked back.
"Who's there?" He cried, but all that was shown was an empty room with no one but himself. Xie Qi.. He thought. The room was empty. Just him and the pieces of what used to be a man. Xie Qi would never say that anymore. Xie Qi, who smiled at everyone, who deserved better than this basement and these hands.
"He'd.. never say that now.."
As he looked back to cover up the limbs one by one, a soft smile pulled at his lips. Xie Qi would never have to know what happened down here, never have to carry the weight of it. His world would stay untainted, free from the ugliness that Fan Ba had to manage. People like the drunk foreigner, rotten from the inside out, didn't deserve to walk the same floors that Xie Qi did. No filth would be allowed in his presence. Everything around him would stay pure, stay clean, stay worthy of existing near him. That was all that mattered. That was the only reason any of this made sense. His only reason to live.
He began wrapping the limbs methodically, bundling each one with string. The head went into its own container, cradled with something close to reverence. His blood-soaked hands moved through the motions he'd perfected long ago, leaving the table bare except for the stains that would fade to nothing by morning.
I love you. I hate you. I'll do this again.
He had done this countless times before. This was nothing new. It was just another step in the process of purifying this place. He would claim it as a service to the world, one only he could provide.
The sun was already rising when he finished scrubbing. By the time the last trace of the night was gone, it was as though it had never happened at all. The restaurant above was beginning to stir.
Just then, a creak echoed above.
Fan paused. His gaze drifted upward toward the noise.
A creak from upstairs made him pause.
Xie Qi's footsteps
He's looking for me.
The soft, careful footsteps of Mr. Xie moving throughout the house. He always moved like that, light, precise, with a subtle hesitation whenever he was noticed by him. Fan Ba didn’t need to glance over to recognize it. The way he moved, dragging by his feet, the memory of each step would always be kept by him.
"I'll be right there," he muttered, very quietly towards himself.
He climbed the stairs slowly, his purple uniform pristine, his jade pin gleaming. As long as the restaurant ran smoothly, as long as Xie Qi never had to know what lived beneath his feet, everything was worth it. Every cut. Every moment. Every time Fan Ba wanted to scream and couldn't.
The doors opened to the morning light.
No more questions. Just the inevitable.