In the villa district of University Zone Three, inside a crystalline residence built in the sci-fi style of The Hive, Dou Tianli sat sprawled on a soft sofa in pajamas, watching a television drama with great interest. The show playing was Tom and Jerry, currently at the scene where the cat chased the mouse. When Tom got his nose caught in a mousetrap he had set himself, Dou Tianli could not help but laugh, finding it exceedingly amusing.
"What a stupid cat," Dou Tianli said with a laugh.
Just then, a floating holographic screen popped up before Dou Tianli. A bald monk and a Taoist priest with a crooked hat appeared on it. The bald monk chanted a Buddhist invocation and said, "Amitabha. Boss Dou, this monk has come to mooch off you." The crooked-hatted Taoist priest beside him said, "I had nothing better to do, so I came to beg for a bowl of wine."
Dou Tianli snickered and pointed at the two of them. "You two. Come in."
Within Marquis Manor, there had originally been the "Two Guests," the "Four Beasts," the "Eight Generals," and the "Sixteen Guardians." Ever since Long Ming had defected, only the "Three Beasts" remained. These "Two Guests" referred to this monk and Taoist priest. Both had once had proper names, but those names had gradually fallen out of use. Now, the monk was either called Monk or "Drifter," while the Taoist priest was either called Taoist Priest or "Gambler"—though he was not fond of gambling at all. He simply insisted on using that name. Within Marquis Manor, the two were figures equivalent to elders, with exceptional standing. They generally did not concern themselves with affairs, though there was not much for them to concern themselves with anyway. In their own words, they were