Mornings in the Divine Capital usually came with the first wisps of cooking smoke and the last beat of the night watch drum. But for the Red Light District, where Yihong Pavilion stood, this was the moment when the night's fading embers finally gasped their last.
The hungover patrons drifted out in twos and threes, one hand braced against the walls. The air reeked of stale makeup and wine lees.
Amid the dreary morning light, a large group came marching toward them.
At the head strode a man in battered Fish Scale Armor, a Steel Saber at his waist, his steps brisk and forceful.
Behind him followed a rich young master as fat as a ball, a stooped old man with shifty eyes, and a burly fellow as imposing as an iron tower.
"Punishment Department?"
The squad's chilling, bloodthirsty aura hit a few drunks head-on, sobering them up in an instant. They scrambled to huddle against the walls, terrified of catching the bad luck of this band of Living Yamas.
At the entrance to Yihong Pavilion, a few yawning servants were getting ready to take down the door panels and close up.
A glimpse of black in the corner of his eye made the head servant's hand jerk. The door panel slammed down onto his foot.
"Argh—!"
He didn't even have time to feel the pain. With a voice like a cracked gong, he sprinted inside and shouted, "Mama! This is bad! Mama! Officers from the Punishment Department are here!"
His shout sent the girls and patrons who were still awake into a panic.
The carved windows on the second floor slammed shut one after another. Several men in disarray forgot all about their dignity, clutching their clothes as they fled for the back door.
In the main hall, Mama