I exhaled slowly, pushing the cup of poison away from me, preparing myself for the inevitable shift in atmosphere. "You must be Wan Shun."
The effect was instantaneous and dramatic. "Shit! I've been found!"
In one fluid motion, Wan grabbed Mei's untouched cup of hot tea from the table and hurled its contents directly at our faces. Time seemed to slow down as Jian, Liangyu, and Qinyue, bless them, dodged perfectly as the hot brown liquid missed them by inches. I froze at the heartbreaking moment of betrayal, as the scorching liquid hit me square in the face. I fell backward off my chair, screaming in pain as the heat seared my skin.
Wan didn't stick around to apologize. He rushed towards the entrance, his robes flapping, desperate to escape.
Jian and Liangyu quickly got into their stances. With a stomp of their feet, the ground rumbled. Thick, gnarled tree roots burst through the floorboards at the entrance, weaving together instantly to form an impenetrable wooden wall.
Qinyue grabbed Wan's collar mid-sprint, yanked him off his feet, and slammed him to the ground hard enough that I heard the air rush out of his lungs. Then she delivered a slap across his face that echoed through the shop.
Mei had moved protectively in front of Yanyin, holding the girl close and frozen, just watching the chaos unfold with wide eyes.
"Quit screaming," Longwei said with impressive disinterest. "I healed your face."
My screams slowly reduced to a whimper, and then silence, as I realized the pain had gone. I blinked, wiping the tea from my dripping chin. I looked at Wan, who was now pinned under Qinyue's boot, under a whole new light.
"Oh, you're so done," I growled, standing up and brushing off my clothes. "Get him on that chair."
Qinyue hauled him up like he weighed nothing and deposited him roughly on the chair he'd been sitting in moments before. Jian and Liangyu worked together, summoning more roots that wrapped around Wan's torso and limbs, binding him securely to the wooden frame.
I approached him with the intent to kill. My patience had evaporated along with the tea on my face. "I can't believe I vouched for you, you crazy fuck!!"
"Vouch for what?" Wan asked in confusion, trembling in his bonds.
Qinyue raised her hand. Her palm ignited with a crackling ball of orange fire. "Want me to burn his face as payback?"
Liangyu gave me a side-eye, leaning against the table. "Nah, how about we just hand Wan another cup of his tea so he can go for round two at Ziyang. Our ideas suck anyway, right? Way too violent?"
Wan took a gulp, staring at the fireball. "Look, I can explain-"
"Shut it," I said, leaning in close enough that he could probably count my teeth. "You'll now only answer what we ask of you. Fail to comply, and I think you can take a good guess at what she'll do to you." I gestured toward Qinyue, whose flame was still burning merrily.
"Alright. Alright!"
"Now," I said, straightening up. "Tell us how to infiltrate the Bastille."
Wan sat in silence for a moment, his eyes widening as realization struck him. "So... you're all here to break someone out?"
"Of course not," I replied with exaggerated cheerfulness. "We're planning to get into the prison for a holiday. Thought we'd enjoy the amenities, maybe get a nice tan in the courtyard. Why else would I ask you for information about a fucking prison?"
Wan stuttered, blinking rapidly. "I'm sorry- I mean- look… if you're here about the prison, I can't give you any information. I just can't."
"What do you mean 'can't'? Ain't you the one who built it?" I asked, squinting at him sarcastically.
"I did. It's just… giving you that information is more of a moral and professional issue."
I stared at him, mouth slightly open. The audacity of the guy! So now he's got moral issues. They didn't seem to bother him while throwing a whole cup of boiling hot tea on my face moments ago!
"Gotta hand it to him," Liangyu said, shaking his head. "Dude's got some fine professional integrity."
"Uh-huh? Let's see how long it takes for us to break it. Would love to see him taste his own medicine." I nodded towards Qinyue. "Up the heat."
She walked towards Wan with her palm on fire. You could see Wan's face melting in fear before she even got to him. The sweat started to bead on his forehead immediately. Qinyue loved every step, though. She took her time, walking as slow as she could, letting the sound of the crackling fire fill the silence.
It's really the frightening anticipation that breaks a man more than the actual pain. Would I do anything it takes to get information out of someone? Even if it means violent torture? Does the end really justify the means? Maybe. Maybe not. But I wasn't gonna sit down pondering moral philosophy. The life of a possibly innocent man was at stake. And Yanyin's big innocent eyes didn't seem to get any less powerful at convincing me to go to extreme lengths.
Qinyue drew closer, but it was like Wan's mouth had been sewn shut. He pressed his lips together so hard they turned white.
Was the information really that valuable? Why wouldn't he talk?!
Her palm began moving towards his face now. He started to lean back, straining against the roots binding him.
Hey, fuck you for judging me! I didn't really want to torture the man! I mean, it never really went past the fear stage to get them to talk usually. It worked perfectly fine when we did it to Zhang at Ironbell and a million more times when we were kids. Same trick, ain't it?
Her palm was merely inches from his face now. Wan looked at each of us desperately, searching for some trace of mercy in our expressions. But obviously I couldn't let him know I was on the very edge of stopping this whole thing. Me, Liangyu, and Jian put on the best poker faces we could manage, smiling like we loved it.
Not Longwei though. That sadist was smiling from the bottom of his heart.
Mei had closed Yanyin's eyes with one hand while shutting her own. The atmosphere in the shop seemed to darken despite all the lanterns still burning.
We'd heal him afterward, no problem, right?
A single inch closer now.
But it surely wouldn't hurt any less.
Half an inch. Wan squeezed his eyes shut so he wouldn't have to watch his own impending agony.
"Alright, STOP!" The words burst out of me before I could stop them.
"Oh, thank God!" Qinyue sighed a massive breath of relief. She instantly extinguished the fire in her palm. "I really don't think I would've been able to do it. The guilt really does creep up on you when you're not acting out of impulse, huh?"
The rest of the group visibly relaxed, shoulders dropping, breathing easier. Longwei though, let out a groan of profound disappointment.
I gave him an incredulous look. But hey, what else would you expect from someone who has no problem mutilating a person by dragging them through solid ground?
"Look, Wan," I said, stepping forward, my voice softer now. "We're not monsters. Despite appearances. We're just some good people hoping to rescue an innocent man. Just tell us what we need to know and we'll be on our way."
Wan nervously licked his lips, his eyes darting between Qinyue and me. "I don't mean to offend you or anything... but… maybe you could try and submit a petition of release to the government?"
We collectively stared at him in dead silence for a long moment, and I watched understanding dawn across his face.
"Or not," he squeaked, looking away, realizing how stupid that sounded. "But I can't really be an accomplice in this illegal endeavor of yours."
"Who's even gonna know?" I asked, throwing my arms up in exasperation. "You just gotta keep your mouth shut. It's literally that simple."
"Who's gonna know? I don't know, maybe the government? Since I'm the only person outside who knows about the loophole in the design? And if they start investi-"
"So there is a loophole."
Wan bit his tongue hard. "Maybe you guys can pretend you didn't hear it?"
I rolled my eyes so hard I saw my own brain. I was trying to think of other ways to make him talk that didn't involve arson.
That's when Mei joined in.
"If I may, I think I might be able to be of help," she asked me softly, raising her hand.
Surprised as I was at the unexpected offer from her, I indulged. "Be my guest."