Samangi kept multiplying, and Lan Zhan was desperately trying to think of some way he could destroy him without spilling a single drop of purple blood.

He was so tired, and this monstrosity wouldn't end. One last swing, but just then, Hui Gai appeared.

In the blink of an eye, he had assessed the situation. Lan Zhan had already dispatched the demons who had been standing around pointing their superfluous spears in his direction; but this one menace was yet to be killed.

So Hui Gai did what he knew best.

He held his hand out and began scorching the demons, one after the other, and somehow, he managed to get the original Samangi. The moment he was burned to ash, the other clones dropped to the floor, dead.

"Let's not take any chances." Hui Gai grinned, happy to be of some use finally.

He burned the rest of the bodies and the blasted the Purple blood spatters so there was no chance of Samangi ever coming back.

Then he looked around.

"Where is Pengyou? And the little girl?"

To have to open his mouth and let out the terrible words...Lan Zhan made a real effort.

"Yao Wang took Wei Ying, and Li XiWang is that way." Lan Zhan rested on Bichen for a few seconds.

Hui Gai looked formidable when he scowled. He closed his eyes and sent forth his senses to try and pick out where Yao Wang could have possibly taken his friend. There was a faint trace...but nothing certain.

******

Hongbaoshi stared at Porta Daven.

"Absolutely not. Like, never. Eww...just eww!"

"I agree. Whatever we end up paying you, it will not be the result of...services." Hongse reiterated.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained, I always say!" Porta Daven replied, cheerfully. "Some of my best encounters have been quite unexpected, I'll have you know."

Hongse could hear something fluttering nearby, and when she looked, it was the golden butterfly of the Lan Clan. She held her hand out, listening intently.

"What was that?" Porta Daven asked her, curiosity winning out.

"That my friend, is the directions you were pressing me about." Hongse replied, a jubilant look in her eyes.

"When were you pressing against me?" Porta Daven sidled up to her with a lecherous grin.

"No...no...dear Gods. Look, how much are you going to charge us to take us to Turjak?" Hongse pushed her away in disgust.

"Alright. See, I like to live my life on the edge, so to speak. So I have two methods of payment. The first is monetary, so x amount of coin. Or...you can choose to give me a mystery gift, and listen here, I expect you to keep your side of the bargain. No trying to fob me off with something useless, because mark my words, then you will really get to see him in action." She pointed to her beard, who smiled dangerously.

It was kind of creepy.

"We'll go with the second option." Hongse replied. "Except there's a slight issue of delivery."

"What issue?" Porta Daven asked suspiciously.

"Well, the guy who's going to pay you, he's in Turjak. So until you take us there, we can't pay you." Hongse winked at her sister, who was quick to play along.

"But he's great at surprises. And he has a wealthy backing. If you don't like what he wants to pay you, you can always ask for the first option."

"Alright. Agreed." Porta Daven snapped the gum in her mouth, thinking hard. "But, what's to stop him from saying no? I'll have already provided the service, and if I don’t get paid, that will certainly cause strife. If you get my meaning." Porta rubbed her shoulder against Hongse. "Whereabouts in Turjak?"

"I don’t suppose you know where Yao Wang lives?"

Porta Daven let out a stream of curses. Loud and dirty, she could have been a sailor. She started pacing, and every now and again, she'd stare at them and the colourful language would begin again.

"So is that a yes?" Hongbaoshi asked, shamelessly.

"I'm not going there. That's final." Porta Daven finally took a break from swearing, enough to say just that.

"This would be easy money for you." Hongbaoshi said, trying to smile at her encouragingly.

"You don’t have to go to him directly. Just get us in the near vicinity."

""Just get us in the near vicinity!"" Porta Daven repeated in a snarky tone. "Do you have any idea what you're asking me to do?"

"Yes. We do. But we would like to get there as soon as we can. And if you play your cards right, and help us, our friend may be so grateful, he'll pay both your prices, because you don't want to go there." Hongse said, pushing the greed card.

"Both, you say?" Porta Daven looked at both of them thoughtfully. "I need a guarantee."

The sisters looked at each other.

"Like what?"

"I dunno. Do you have anything valuable on you? Otherwise, I'll settle for services!" She threw back her head and cackled.

Hongse pulled out a scroll and a brush and some ink.

She quickly wrote some characters on it and signed it with a flourish.

"Here. Will this do?"

Porta Daven took it from her and read the contents quickly.

Her gaze narrowed, when she looked up at them both.

"It's a blood oath." Hongse explained. "I've signed it, and now you must do it too. After that, if we do not fulfill our share of the bargain, we will be in effect, cursing ourselves. It is a terrifying ordeal, make no mistake."

"Alright. But I know this is just a piece of paper. You better not try to screw me." Porta Daven clicked her tongue and signed it.

"But," Hongbaoshi said with a smirk, "I thought that was what you wanted..."

*******

And that's how they turned up in the same room as Hui Gai and a tired looking Lan Zhan.

*******

A/N

Hopefully all blood pressure indicators will be normal...After this.

Good night everyone.