Officer Zhou's mother is known to have an unclear mind. After his father passed away, his mother have become half crazy and sometimes she thinks that officer Zhou is her husband. Thus now she say Yu Bing is a girl is her usual crazy talk. For now he agree with his mother.
"Mother he ... i mean she is going ..."
"Are you going to get marry? Oh finally heaven have reply to my prayers. I will go to pray now!"
Before he say anything else he watch his mother rushing off. He sigh and look at the door way that Bing'er is still playing with the dogs. His moustache is twitching again.
"Bing'er come here. I am going to cook dinner. You go in the room first. "
He point to the door while he walk off to another direction. Hu Li walk up to the room to see a woman inside.
"Good evening madame."
She bow but the lady did not have much reaction. She walk up to see the lady staring at the portrait of a man. At that moment she see a light floater above the lady. Hu Li pat her hair like she is a child. Officer Zhou's mother look at her and cry. Hu Li hug her and let her cry. That poor woman must be missing the man she loved. After awhile she got tired and fall asleep. She put her down gently and take the scroll away. She put the blanket up and tug in the elder lady. She look at the light floater.
"Anything to say?"
A man appear, he looks like Officer Zhou in every angle. He bow
"Young master. My name is Zhou Lou Fang. I am the father of Zhou Lou Ming. The husband of Mei Man Ting."
"Have you been around her for a long time?"
"Yes young master. I cannot bare to leave my wife. She is my childhood sweetheart. We have been together most of our lives. Now i am gone, she lost her sanity."
Suddenly Officer Zhou call her out for dinner. She walk out to see simple dishes on the table in the courtyard.
"I go..."
"She is asleep."
"Oh then let's eat."
Hu Li watch the open door to the bedroom. The dead husband is still watching over the wife who is still asleep. Hu Li pretend to be hungry and eat fast. Officer Zhou seeing this also speed up on eating not to lose out on the cooked food. After dinner, she lay down and look up the sky. Tonite it's just a star in the velvet sky. She raise her arm and try to catch the star. She smile as it keep blinking. Officer Zhou who is squatting in a corner to wash the bowls look up to see his new staff laying down and raise the arm to catch something in the air. He thinks that either this person is a genius or someone like his mother, unclear in the mind.
In the morning, after his neighbour comes to company his mother, they walk to the Yamen. She is given the uniform to change. She follow them out to petrol the streets. After awhile she spot a nice rooftop to sit. She inform the leader and he permit the new staff as he is instructed to watch but not disrupt what Yu Bang wants to do. He watch Yu Bang go to the rooftop without a sweat. He instruct two men to keep watching what she is doing while he and the rest of the men continue patrolling the streets. Meanwhile Hu Li is looking at every corner. She takes out the paper windmill that is hidden in the uniform. After a long time, she see Officer Zhou walking along the busy street. She wave when he look up. She point to him and point to the space beside her. He got a frustrated look. He turn to his men and they walk off while he goes into the inn. Hu Li can see that he is siting down with tea served to him.
Everyday she follow him home and every morning they goes off to work together. Day in day out. No movement whoever is planning to do something to this city. Today she follow officer Zhou to the jail house. Inside men are screaming for the torture they are receiving. She pity them as each are not spare. Those woman have received the same sort of torturous punishments as the men. Most are dragged back to their cells, unconscious. Today there is one tied on the log, with his arms and legs tied. He stare at the one who was torturing him till Officer Zhou walks in.
"Sir!"
"Did he say anything?"
"No. "
Officer Zhou walk near the captive. His voice echo in the cell
"It is better you tell us what and why are you having those ..."
"There is nothing to say!"
"If you don't say what we need to know... when you get transfer to the Xing Bu bureau don't think you can walk out of there alive. Over here, we can plead for leniency for you. Most likely just a few hit on your bottom and you can go home after this."
"Stop your lies! I know we all can't leave here alive!"
"I can. If you speak the truth!"
Hu Li who is standing there watching know that she can't interfere with the power she have. She only can watch, in the law and rules of mystical beast is never interfered with the human's lives and the changes they choose to make. Now she only want to prevent more people dying for no reasons. She watch a man beaten while he is tied up. She see the hated in his eyes. She see some rats running around and they are trying to avoid Hu Li. She walk to a far end corner. Two rats are corner by her. She stand there and see if anyone is noticing what she is doing. She slowly bend down.
"I know you can hear me. You can pretend that you can't talk."
"Master... please..."
"I am not here to take your life. I want you both to be my ears in this cells."
"What do you want to hear master."
"Any word out for the ones who are in the cells. Anyone who comes visit them. Any papers given to them."
"Master...We... are just rats."
"Precisely. It is easy for rats to move in and out these cells. You can ask other of your kind for help. I just want information. Once it is done, i can grant you any wish."
"Any wish?"
"Any wish but one wish per rat for all those who provide information."
"Does it means that we can be a human too? Good food? Be respected?"
"Any wish you want. Spread the word. I will be back here in a few days."
Hu Li stands up and straighten her uniform. She slowly walk back to the cell where Officer Zhou is at. Suddenly he turn around after yelling at the prisoner. He see Yu Bing walking around looking everywhere. He point to Yu Bing.
"YU BING! This is not an excursion!"
"Officer Zhou SIR! I have never been in jail before, so i am just looking around."
Hu Li smile innocently while his moustache twitch again. He throw down the whip on his hands. The group of men follow him to walk out. Outside everyone is blinded by the bright sunlight while Hu Li stand there and smile to enjoy the light.