The tavern was dimly lit. Hai Bodong still had his head lowered, his carving knife gliding lightly over a hide map as though he had not heard the newcomer speak. He was old, his white hair hanging in disarray over his shoulders, his worn gray robe covered in dust. No one would have guessed that this was the Jia Ma Empire's former Ice Emperor, a Dou Huang expert who had once fought Queen Medusa head-on.
"Ice Emperor, stop fussing with that and light a pipe for this young master!"
At those words, Hai Bodong's carving knife stopped abruptly, its tip cutting a crooked tear in the hide. He slowly raised his head, a sharp gleam flashing through his cloudy old eyes as his hawklike gaze shot toward the young man sitting with one leg crossed over the other, watching him with an ambiguous smile.
The atmosphere in the shop abruptly froze.
The three Dou Wangs from the Heavenly Mansion quietly shifted half a step toward the entrance, subtly blocking the escape route. Zi Yan looked around curiously, utterly oblivious to the invisible pressure in the air. Instead, she pattered over to the counter and reached out to rummage through the colorful maps.
Hai Bodong's gaze lingered on Fan Tian's face for several breaths before sweeping over the three men behind him, then the little girl with her impossibly fair, delicate skin. After a moment of silence, he set down his carving knife, rubbed his rough palms against his apron, and slowly stood.
"Little brat, what did you call me?"
His voice was hoarse, carrying the chill of years of weathering wind and frost.
Fan Tian was not offended. He tapped the tabletop twice, and one of the Dou Wangs standing farther back immediately shoved the chair-wiping Dou Wang behind him.