The girl was skilled and light footed, but the buildings of the wealthy here were customized using all kinds of materials and building styles in the never-ending status war. She was after all in the better part of town. This made each house different and unique, and footing treacherous for those not familiar with the unpredictable roof surfaces.

The thieves highway here a whole different ballgame. One had to know the route of connecting houses, shops and their roof styles for optimum stealth and speed. Which houses had slippery tiles and which did not were important for one in his business. Also, which buildings were too far apart to simply jump or swing across. Several places needed the use of connecting trees, balconies or in some instances naked structural beams or poles to get across. It was not a simple task of simply running in a straight line on perfectly arranged tiles.

The shadow stopped and crouched behind a smoking chimney as the litter below halted before the White Lotus. Ghost crouched low in the shadows. Yup, it must be him. He supposed the man below would move to House Zhai's guest quarters when the time came.

When the tall elegant figure alighted from the carriage, confirming his guess, Ghost smiled in delighted recognition. Special guest indeed. No wonder he was protected by so many skilled guards, not that he needed any guarding. His usual calm and scholarly looks were very deceiving as intended. The proprietor of the prestigious guesthouse opened the doors himself to welcome his very, very important guest.

He should go meet the man, but first there was a matter of the girl. Ghost glanced in her direction. He now had an inkling of who she was. If the man below was Xi Xuan than the girl stalking him must be none other than his much talked about younger sister. No one else could have trailed him all the way to the guesthouse, well, no one else but a Shard of the Dark Sect.

His smile broaden. Over the years, Xi Xuan had talked about his sister so much that Ghost felt he already knew her. She was only one year younger than him at sixteen. He had to admit he had already grown quite fond of his image of her, one he had unconsciously created in his mind based on Xi Xuan's tales.

Her lively character, mischievous, independent and strong-willed yet so loyal and caring towards her brother made her seem like a dream girl. Being a Zhang, she was naturally trained from young in the family business and knew how to be discreet. She also had a temper but was quick to forgive. She sounded quite fun. However he knew that the real person may not be like his vision of her.

Ghost crept up stealthily to the girl. She was too busy spying on what was happening below to notice her silent shadow. She posed no danger to him.

"Do you know him?" Ghost asked softly.

"He's my ... huh?" a dulcet female voice answered absentmindedly before the shadow whirled around with a dagger in her hands. By that time Ghost had moved back two paces.

Her eyes widened. She stared in surprise at his uncovered face. "You!!" she blurted out. What was Xiao Jian doing here?

"Me?" asked Ghost. "Do you know me?"

She kept quiet, recovering from her slip. Where did he come from? His stance was not threatening at all, only curious ... and he was alone. Good. She relaxed a fraction; she was sure she could handle him.

She blinked and her breath caught. Her first impression that night was right. Xiao Jian was beautiful. Tonight, the bright moonlight gave him an almost ethereal quality. If she thought he was handsome before, he was absolutely drop dead gorgeous now.

Her eyes studied his face appreciatively. His high forehead and face was covered with a long messy fringe that moved with the breeze. Bright almond shaped eyes regarded her intensely, assessing her just as she was assessing him. They were enhanced by thick dark eyebrows. Prominent cheekbones and a high-bridged nose cast mysterious shadows on his flawless pale skin adding to his enigma.

She sighed inwardly, he also had that defining jawline which tapered to a sharp chin she favoured so much in men. His overall features gave him a boyish yet almost delicate appearance. How could he be so perfect?

Xiao Jian smiled, his thin lips curving up to soften his expression. Her heart fluttered.

"So ... you know me?"

"No." Even his low velvety voice was perfect.

"But you know him," Ghost indicated the man below. "Is he your ... Target?" he prompted.

His probing questions snapped her back to reality. Was this really Xiao Jian? His demeanour now was very different from when he was at the Blue Peony. He was not the playful Casanova she had met earlier but a suspicious stalker who was asking too many questions. How did he manage to sneak up on her? Her voice hardened.

"No."

Ghost tilted his head, studying her. Her voice was high, an indication of a young female. He studied her covered face and slim lithe body, assessing her professionally. She was young and had good martial arts skills but she was clearly still in training. Judging from her awkward posture on the slanted roof, this was probably her first or second attempt at navigating the high road. This girl did not belong up high, she was not relaxed or at ease on the roofs. She had probably trained on the ground before this.

Her clothes were stylish and of good quality. She was definitively from a rich background. A daughter from a rich family prancing around rooftops. In a matter of minutes, he was more than positive of her identity. Could she really be her? He had to know.

"What are you doing up here?" he asked. "It's dangerous here at night, especially for someone not familiar with the city."

"Who says I'm not from around here?" she grated emphasizing her point with her dagger. "And what I do and where I go is my business!" she retorted miffed.

"You are definitely not from around here. Neither are you a thief nor an assassin of the Dark Sect. Perhaps ... another secret guard for him?" he asked jerking his head to indicate the group below. "I got it! You're a stalker. Got a crush on him?"

"Eeeww!! I most definitely do NOT!!"

Ghost's smile widened. Her immediate and automatic vehement reaction confirmed her relationship with Xi Xuan. Only a sibling would display such utter disgust at crushing on her own brother. Yup, that must be her alright.

He spared a glance at the retreating figures below. In the few moments of his encounter with the girl, the proprietor was already bowing and ushering his guests in.

"A piece of advice. He is well guarded. You can't steal from him or kill him. He probably already knows about you."

Her eyes widened then narrowed suspiciously, "Do you know who he is?"

"Yes."

"Ahhh!" she inhaled sharply. Handsome or not, their friendship be damned.

If Xiao Jian knew the identity of the man below, he was definitely a threat.

"Then you must have followed and spied on him from up here. You're a danger to him!" she cried as she launched forward.

"No I'm not!" he protested, jerking backwards to avoid her sharp dagger. He blocked and pushed back instinctively. She cried out but recovered instantly to attack him again. They scuffled, going back and forth on the slippery tiles. Ghost sparred with her without a weapon. He did not really want to hurt her especially if she really was Xi Xuan's mei mei (little sister). But he really wanted to see her face.

Although she was quite skilled, the Shard had the upper hand. He was on home ground.

"C'mon!!" she cried. "Stop toying with me or I'll kill you."

"You can't kill me," Ghost replied calmly. "I'm under protection of the Dark Sect. If you do, you will only be asking for trouble."

"The Dark Sect? I don't believe you." She glared at him, her eyes widening in anger as she gave him her best death stare. "You are the one who should be careful claiming you're from the Dark Sect! If they knew you were masquerading as one of them, you'd be dead in a heartbeat!"

"You have the prettiest eyes."

"What?" she asked, caught off guard. What was it with this weirdo? He was so random.

"I said you have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen, especially when you're angry. Why doesn't your crush like you back?" he teased.

She spluttered indignantly gripping her dagger. Her dissipated anger came back in full force. What was it with him? He was really asking for it.

"Seriously, I'm not a treat," he held his hands up.

"I don't believe you!" she made a move forward but the sudden pressure broke a delicate tile. Her foot went through and she lost her footing.

Ghost lurched forward to catch her. She gave a little scream as she went over the side but jerked to a halt.

"I got you!" he grunted.

"I don't need your help!" she gasped but her fingers closed around his arm as she dangled in thin air. She looked down. They were three stories high.

"Hang on. I'll pull you up."

"Why save me? Let me go!"

"Too late." Ghost hauled her bodily back up and pulled her towards him in an embrace. She fitted perfectly in his arms, like they were meant for each other. She was soft and smelled like the sweetest wild flowers. Once she got her footing, he released her immediately.

The girls in the Sect did not smell or feel like that. They smelled more of leather, steel and sweat just like everyone else. Their bodies were hard, muscled and very fit. Perfume was a tool used only for disguises. The girls in the Blue Peony and the Singing Nightingale also used perfume as a tool to entice men and encourage business. They were overly smiley, clingy and accommodating, but that was their job. He understood it was all a show, not real, that it was a means to an end.

But this girl was different. She gave off a different vibe. She felt soft but tensed at her ordeal, frightened but yet brave? She smelled nice even when she was alone. Why? Why would she do that when a distinct scent could identify her? He would analyse her strange behaviour later.

The thoughts ran through his mind in the few seconds it took to haul her up and let her go.

To cover his momentarily confusion, he made a random comment.

"You're heavy."

The second the words left his mouth he regretted it. He stiffened, mortified. Aishhh!! Stupid, stupid he berated himself wincing internally. What the hell was he thinking? Damn it, how could he have said that out loud?

"Jerk!! Are you calling me fat?"

He was NOT perfect after all.

Her instant reaction was so genuinely instinctive and unexpected in their current situation that he couldn't help it; he threw back his head laughing, his confusion dissipating instantly. Seriously! She was so funny! She could have fallen and broken her leg or head if he had not caught her but she was conscious of her weight? At a time like this? She was creeping around in a foreign land after dark on peoples roofs. She could've broken her neck and died!

The angry girl gaped at him. After calling her fat, this jerk was laughing at her? Furiously she signaled. Almost immediately three more shadows made their way to her.

"Whoa! Hey! Where did you guys come from?" asked Ghost sobering up immediately. He turned to face them, gently but firmly pushing the girl protectively behind him.

"Stay back, I'll take care of them."

"What? Stay back? Who? Me? But..." she spluttered.

"I'll handle them," he repeated firmly.

Behind him, she made a face and rolled her eyes. Stupid jerk. Didn't he realize she had called them to help her? If he thought he could handle her guards, he was wrong. Dead wrong. They were specially trained to protect her.

Take him down. Don't kill him, she signed in their secret code.

The three men attacked without warning. Ghost dodged low throwing a sharp wooden shard that appeared in his hands. In one fluid motion, he spun round to fling another. Two assailants went down grunting in pain. One clutched his leg while the other his shoulder.

Without stopping, the Shard rolled getting up to stand behind the last attacker. Without hesitation he chopped hard on the side of his neck, hitting the man's vulnerable nerve point. He grabbed the assailant's collar as he collapsed unconscious laying him carefully on the tiles. He did not want any bodies to drop down to the street below.

The fight was over before it had begun.

"You're safe now ..." he stopped abruptly when he felt a sharp dagger pressing against his throat as he was getting up. It broke his skin. A thin red line appeared.

"Lady ..." the wounded man gasped. "Leave us. Run away, he's dangerous."

"Lady?" Ghost blinked in realization. "They are with you."

Before she could respond, he grabbed her wrist and twisted, locking her arm at the elbow and pulling her towards him in a back hug. She cried out, her dagger fell from her nerveless hand, skittering along the glinting tiles.

"No!!"

Slowly Ghost touched his neck, his fingers came away sticky with blood.

"I guess I'll continue our conversation another time," his low velvety voice whispered directly into her ear. "Time to go."

He let her go, giving her a gentle push. She stumbled forward. Slowly, he backed away keeping them in his sight.

Then, he was gone.