Cannibalism! Xitaqa attacked! New Teacher!

Despite the lack of gratitude, heroes are heroes. A couple days later, the band of rescuers, led by Beatriss, Tetsukichi, and Bangqiu, made additional forays into the stockade and the dungeons beneath. They rescued one villager who was trapped in a box with a rabid wolf. Though traumatized by the experience, he was fully conscious and responsive. Once he was returned safely to Quitokai, showed great happiness to be together with his family. He also shared some disturbing news. There were still scores of prisoners in the dungeons below the stockade. Now that the Black Flowers had been largely been driven away, the dungeon was controlled by a band of cannibals.

The heroes returned the very next day. There was a message waiting for them. Written in black paint on the door leading to the dungeon, the message read, "We have enjoyed hosting you, monkey king! Today we will sample your hospitality in Xitaqa!" Bangqiu read this as a threat to his subjects, the baboons and convinced the others that they must return at once to Xitaqa-- the home of the baboons on the plateau.

Just as Bangqiu had feared, the Black Flowers had attacked. A small group on horseback had appeared from nowhere, ridden into the city, broken into the first house they came to, and killed most of its occupants, fleeing before the baboons could mount a counter-attack.

From this Bangqiu surmised (without evidence, and incorrectly) that the attackers were based in "ghost tower," a 40-foot structure in the middle of Xitaqa, and without visible occupants except birds that nested in its top story. Remembering the Marquessa had a twin sister, Bangqiu reasoned that she must be inside the tower, and had directed the attack. Bangqiu led the offensive against the tower. Although the front door triggered an electrical shock, he endured the pain and pushed the door open. The others followed him, coming to a second door that turned out to not be a door at all, but a sentient, shape-changing, killer, a mimic, if you will. Naron and others sustained minor injuries as his comrades battered the door into arcane goo. The party made their way up the tower, pausing briefly to appreciate dry fountains, and dusty fox-headed statues. At the top, they encountered an odd, but affable old man with a wispy beard, and wearing the plain black uniform common among clerks back in Zipang and also favored by Saisho. Although surprised not to encounter Marquessa's sister, Bangqiu was grateful to meet the wizard he hoped would become his new teacher. Bangqiu presented Sakatha's spell book, and was generally forthcoming about its undesirable effects. The wizard, whose name Kyo, answered that he was familiar with the hazards presented by studying ancient and felt qualified to effectively counter them. He was willing to agree to the bargain proposed earlier-- the book in exchange for tutelage-- but wanted one other thing. After he had educated Bangqiu, he would, from time-to-time, send messages in his dreams. He would teach Bangqiu how to answer these message-- and he would expect timely responses. Bangqiu agreed. Seemingly familiar with Bangqiu's abilities, Kyo asked him to report for lessons the next morning-- by way of the roof. The trapdoor would be open.

The next morning, the trapdoor was, of course, not open. Bangqiu pried open a shuttered window and received a bouquet of magic missiles for his efforts. Bangqiu returned to the ground and sought help from Ju-Mei. The dutiful priest tended to Bangqiu’s wounds and was persuaded to be lifted to the tower’s roof and wait for Bangqiu’s signal. Bangqiu returned to the ground and then climbed the tower by the stairs. As he reached the top, once more interrupting Kyo’s study of the lizard king’s book, he shot a magc misile out the window as a signal to Ju-Mei. Shùlí! the priest commanded-- and Kyo was held fast. Ju-Mei began chanting to break the book’s hold on Kyo; Bangqiu opened the trap door and lifted the old wu-jen a Ju-Mei completed the ceremony and as the effects of the Shùlí spell was wearing off. Only slightly abashed, Kyo locked the book in a trunk and congratulated Bangqiu on completing his first lesson.

Over the next few weeks, he would teach Bangqiu to receive his dream messages and also how to assume the form of a bird or other animal.