Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction ❯ For one's greed ❯ For one's greed ( Chapter 1 )

For one's greed

 

Bad things are not only done by youkais submitted to their bloodlust. Bad things don't only happen in cold rainy autumn nights. It can also be a spring and plum trees blooming. Some villains read books like Lu Yu's The Classic of Tea.

Excuse me?” a timid voice asked. Hakkai turned around to look a little dark-haired woman wearing green and white cheongsam. Her expression was worried and her eyes were strangely needy.

“Who are you?” he asked gently. The woman bit her lip.

“Wei Zhin. I couldn't help but hear when you were talking about the route you are going to take and there is something you should know. Because of him,” she added and pointed Sanzo. Sanzo gave her his usual annoyed look and the woman paled a bit but stood her ground.

“In Hue Xi you will be invited to the house of Lee Li-Qin but you should not go. She kills Buddhist monks.” Now that gained Sanzo's interest.

“Why they hadn't jailed her?” he asked bluntly. He had neither use nor patience for petty rumours and that might be proved to be just that. Then again Heaven instead of helping seemed to be in habit of to saddling him with the most frustrating side tracks.

“It's a bit complex situation. Lee Li-Qin is well known for her piety and she is very fond of lohans. And I don't mean statues but the real things.” Sanzo's eyes widened a bit. He had an idea where the tale was leading. Zhin looked disapproval and Gojyo smirked at her.

“What makes a beautiful lady like you frown like that?” he asked in a playful tone. They were already leaving the town so no hope to get a laid but he never let opportunity to flatter women pass by. Zhin blushed and looked him shyly and a tad bit smugly. The red-haired man was very beautiful but still nothing kind of feminine. She was completely prudish of course but flirting did no harm, did it?

“It's body-thieving,” she said not quite as disdainful as she had intended to, mostly because her eyes were fixed to Gojyo.

“So there are monk bodies in her house?” Goku asked dumbfounded. He had no earthly clue what they were talking about. Except the fact that Sanzo was in danger. He would never miss that point.

“Ah, you see, a real lohan is a saintly monk who has given up the ghost while seated in the meditative mundra,” Hakkai began his explanation. Goku frowned.

“Giving up the ghost?” he asked.

“It means they die while meditating,” Sanzo grunted. “It is considered to be a sign from Heaven.” It was ridiculous of course. If Heaven would bother to take actions like that they would never have time to do anything useful.

“Sanzo is not in danger to be mixed up with a saint,” Gojyo joked.

“Idiot!” The paper fan made an appearance. Hakkai and Zhin sweatdropped.

“So when the deceased monk is discovered contemplating his navel, with his leg crossed and his hands lying limply on his lap with palms up the body is carefully wrapped in layers of burlap. They treat the burlap so the finished product is a saint whose preserved body will last centuries. They say that if the process is done properly and the body is placed under water it will last forever.” Hakkai continued his explanation. The joy of study was dimmed by the awe of just what kind of things people were ready to do. Even if he wasn't one to talk of taking all away and giving nothing back…

“That's gross!” Goku exclaimed and grabbed Sanzo's robe in a death-grip. He had been without anything too long to take lightly what he had got now. If some crazy woman would try and take his sun there would be hell to pay. Then Zhin talked again

“Such lohans are extremely rare but Lee has nine of them,” she stated nonchalantly. “There is a rumour that more than one of those monks died because of a knife that slipped between their ribs. Nothing has ever been proved of course. Only one has died in her house and she is very rich…” She bowed at them. “Please take care of yourselves. I don't think she would have got anything against adding a Sanzo to her collection.” It always surprised Hakkai how high regard people gave to the one bearing the title Sanzo. To them it was more of a personal name than rank. Because of the man that Sanzo was.

“You are a collector's item,” Gojyo joked. “Of course everyone needs a hobby but maybe collecting stamps would be less troublesome. Ow!” He rubbed the back of his head. There would surely be a bump. Zhin actually dared to giggle a bit.

“Well, monks are not supposed to shoot their comrades or hit them with a fan like you did in that restaurant… Maybe troublesome is the right word. I wish you luck.” Then she turned to leave.

“We are truly grateful,” Hakkai shouted after her. “You are very considerate.” Zhin waved at them.

“My pleasure to help!” she shouted back and disappeared to the crowd.

“Just when you believe you have seen and heard everything they manage to do something like this,” Gojyo said half amused half tired. Hakkai nodded his smile uncharacteristically absent.

“What shall we do about this?” he asked. He knew Sanzo loathed `self-inflicted off-guest duties that only took their time' but he knew he could coax him to at least quickly research the situation. He usually got what he truly wanted but whether he was willing to risk Sanzo's life was a delicate matter. Even though Gojyo claimed the corrupt monk wouldn't die even if he was killed.

“What do you think? No one gets away with trying to kill me,” Sanzo said like only an idiot could have missed that point.

“So we look if she'll try something,” Hakkai proposed hopefully. Sanzo snorted and Hakkai began to smile again.

“Thank you,” he simply said. Gojyo looked away and smirked a bit. If those two only knew how intimate that looked… Not that he was about to tell them.

“Thank you for what?” Goku asked. “Aw! What did I say now?”

Hakkai drove fast to avoid spending the night in a jeep. For once the road was well maintained and pothole free, no one attempted to assassinate them and even Goku and Gojyo were too lazy to pick a fight. Sanzo was in a relatively good mood and Goku's infamous claim of being hungry got just a half-hearted snort. Hue Xi was bigger than most of towns in that part of Ganzu province and the variety of inns was greater. The widower that kept the inn they chose sold them a meal but didn't take money for rooms yet.

“If I am not mistaken you will not sleep in those beds. It is already a nightfall but you will receive an invitation before the sun has set,” he told them. Hakkai just smiled and thanked him but the change of air was apparent between the travellers.

“The cat has already caught the scent of the mouse,” Gojyo whispered to Hakkai. “And it will find itself in an unexpected situation.” Hakkai chuckled softly. His habitual tiny smile was now peppered with anticipation.

“Does she think killing monks to get lohans will please Heaven?” he asked from Sanzo. “How could that ever work?”

“It can not,” Sanzo said. “Sacrificing other people's lives won't do the trick. You need to give your own and not expect to get it back and most of times even that isn't enough. Gods can be just as much bastards as humans.” Goku had the best reason to agree with that but he didn't even listen being busy to munch happily his spring rolls. It never ceased to amuse his companions how he lived only in the present. Gojyo always said that animals didn't have any sense of future but his voice used to hold a tinge of jealousy. They had barely eaten and were contemplating if they would bother to carry their packs to their rooms when a man in a leather coat entered the inn, looked around and then began to approach them.

“Honoured Sanzo,” he said respectfully and bowed to them. “Honoured comrades. My mistress Lee Li-Qin is a woman well known for her virtues and piety. She has asked me to deliver you a message. She says that it would greatly please her if you would grace her modest house with your presence.” It felt like a dance to Sanzo. They were dancing, following the beat of an unheard music or maybe a glockenspiel. He humbly accepted, saying it would be an honour. Liar, he knew Hakkai thought and smiled wryly. The other man got under his skin in a way that was far more dangerous than Goku's. He just wanted to be acknowledged by Sanzo. Hakkai was different and Sanzo had a nasty feeling that he and even the perverted kappa realised it all too well.

`The modest house' turned out to be a little palace and its mistress was waiting for them in the most beautiful hall they had ever seen. It was exquisite without being ostentatious. For some reason they had expected a young woman but Lee Li-Qin was over her forties. Still she was beautiful and had been gorgeous. She wore a long white robe that was embroidered with blue flowers and she moved with grace and delicacy. The impression was ruined only by a hungry, needy glitter in her eyes. Surprisingly Gojyo felt no need to flirt with her.

“I am greatly honoured by your and your comrades' presence,” she simply said. Even her voice was beautiful. “I don't know if you have already eaten but I would dare to offer you a meal.” Goku's eyes began to shine but Sanzo crushed his hope.

“Thank you but we have already eaten.” Li-Qin nodded and reached out tentatively.

“May I,” she asked. Sanzo nodded wondering what he was allowing. He almost withdrew when the woman touched his Sutra.

“Such a wonder,” she said and her smile was awed but also the tiniest bit greedy. She ordered her servants to bring them drinks and began a conversation with Sanzo. It was not drinking that Gojyo would have enjoyed. Only the tiniest cups of sake and the conversation was definitely over the top. At some point the woman even began to show of her knowledge of sacred places.

“The sacred mountains are five in number: Hengshan, Changshan, Huanshan, Taishan and Sungshan with Taishan leading the rank…” Gojyo lowered his head to whisper to Hakkai:

“Is she for real?” Hakkai shrugged slightly.

“So it would appear. I just hope this ends before Goku falls asleep.” The saru had kept firmly watch at first but now his eyelids were half shut and even that seemed to take all his concentration. He would have been frustrated if it hadn't been so much effort. It was absolutely the most boring danger they had ever been in. His only comfort was that their host seemed to be having hard time herself trying to cope with some of Sanzo's not so conventional thoughts. `Life sucks and then you die' obviously was a new way to put the four noble truths to her. And even torture wasn't eternal.

“Your comrades seem to be tired. Maybe my servants could lead you to your rooms. May I ask how long you intend to stay in our little town?” Now to the business, Hakkai thought. Please take good care of yourself Sanzo.

“Only this night. We are on a schedule,” Sanzo said. He alone seemed to recognise the pattern of this selfish sacrifice attempt. The woman tried to coax, he insisted and despite the danger Li-Qin wanted so badly.

“I will withdraw into my chamber to meditate,” Sanzo said and the dance ended. He had already got her.

“Good night then,” Li-Qin wished smiling.

There was a note in his bed. She seems to have an evil sense of drama, Sanzo thought reading it. `Crime produces punishment, punishment produces force, force produces strength, strength produces awe, awe produces virtues; thus virtues have roots in crime.' It was a perfect set-up, the note and only one lamp giving off dim light. Now it was only a matter of time. He wondered slightly how Li-Qin would have explained the Sutra's disappearance to Hakkai and others. Hakkai was collected, trusting and worried in his room. Gojyo was impatient and worried, Goku only worried. Sanzo was sitting in a lotus position and a clock in the wall was slowly counting minutes. Tic, inhale, toc, outhale, tic, be patient, toc, be ready. The lamp oil run out and left the room dark. After an hour his door opened without any sound. A tall form appeared in the doorway and behind his eyelashes Sanzo saw something clear and sharp in his hand. The same man who had brought them the invitation took three soundless steps, bent down and found himself staring into the barrel of Sanzo's gun.

“Bastard,” Sanzo only said.

“Do you know what the tow manager's biggest worry was?” Hakkai asked the next day from Gojyo. The road was still good and the spring morning the most beautiful possible. There was a faint scent of flowers in the air.

“Enlighten me,” Gojyo told him.

“He wanted to know that if a monk dies whilst meditating but the death is not natural is he still a lohan. On the other words are the bodies valuable.” He gave the driest smile through the mirror. Gojyo had a bad taste in his mouth.

“Man, that's worse than gross! That makes want to vomit!”

“How very human,” Sanzo said. Gojyo wasn't satisfied with that.

“What you said to him, Sanzo?” he asked. Sanzo only snorted disdainfully.

“Some swearwords,” Hakkai answered helpfully and Gojyo smirked. For that he would be easy on Sanzo that day.

“She said that she wants some verse to her tombstone,” Goku entered the conversation. “Though she screamed first when they told her they would execute her.” There was the slightest hint of remorse to be heard. Goku was a sweet child who didn't usually hate even those who tried to kill him and he easily pitied crying women. Then again Li-Qin hadn't attempted to murder him but Sanzo and that for he also felt some very uncharacteristic satisfaction. She had ended up giving herself after all and the date was set.

“What verse?” Gojyo asked.

“It was epi-something,” Goku said trying to remember the strange word.

“Epigram?” Hakkai suggested.

“That's it! It goes: 'Heaven gives myriads of things to nourish the man/ the man can only recompense with bad deeds./ Kill, kill, kill,'” Goku recited light-heartedly.

“That sums it nicely up, doesn't it? Hakkai said. They continued travelling.

“What do you think that Zhin chick will think when she hears of this? Will she think of us?” Gojyo asked.

“You mean will she think of you! You perverted kappa!” Goku blamed him.

“Keep your mind out of gutter, idiot monkey!” Gojyo shouted back.” A vein throbbed on Sanzo's temple.

“Shut up, you idiots!” he shouted. That much for not pissing him out, Gojyo thought. Hakkai laughed.