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[fanoperator]

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The rumors had reached Huaisang of a foreign doctor visiting his lands, but that wasn’t yet any more significance than a curiosity. Still, being foreign, skilled, and at least comfortably moneyed was reason enough for interest, and reason enough for Huaisang’s people to extend an invitation for him to attend a banquet.

It was a small banquet, of no particular significance and no guests from outside of the Nie lands aside from this foreign doctor. As like any unit of government, there were local dignitaries (by blood, wealth, or merit), and many of them were loud or opinionated, taking up much of the attention of the banquet. As a minor guest, Hannibal was seated near the back of the hall and mostly ignored by all except for a few curious attendees.

Huaisang glanced over toward Hannibal more than once, but never addressed him beyond the bare minimum of polite courtesies acknowledging and welcoming him.

The food was rich, with plenty of meat and liquor, and there was some musical entertainment. Several of the attendees brought up issues of local politics, trade, or self-interest, and Huaisang handled most of these with his performance of helplessness, showing confusion and deferring all action, promising only to discuss it with his advisors or to have it handled by his bureaucrats. Some dissatisfaction was expressed among the dignitaries about how nothing ever got done in the Nie Sect because it was all always caught up in red tape, and yet Huaisang agreed to nothing and promised nothing, allowing everything to be absorbed into his bureaucratic defenses so that he or his aides could sort it out.

When the banquet ended, Huaisang disappeared through a door at the back of the room and the guests began to trail out, with a few servants lingering to direct the guests toward the exit. But before Hannibal could entirely leave the palace compound, a bureaucrat approached him and drew him aside, leading him to a quiet antechamber before politely extending an invitation from the Sect Leader to return for a more private dinner the next evening.

Upon that evening, Hannibal was shown to another formal hall with similar tables set on either side of a central aisle, with the sect leader’s table laid at the front. It was a much smaller hall, and yet still very large for a dinner for two, and nearly ten feet separated their two seats.

Sweeping in like the lord of the manor that he was, Huaisang nodded his head politely to Hannibal in greeting and then took a seat behind his own table at the head of the room. “Good evening, Lecter Xiānshēng.”

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[il_mostro]

Count Hannibal Lecter, 3rd of his line, was a Doctor and Cultivator trained in the arts of Roman medicine and spiritual Cultivator, had grown bored in his Castle in the Baltic Lands. His wife Wilhmena had died after three years of marriage, and left him with an heir and a daughter besides to carry on his name. The son was grown, Hannibal Lecter the 4th, and his daughter was married off to an impressive Italian Count.

So, he left the lands and the castle to his son, took as much gold as he could carry, and went off to travel the Silk Road. Offering his services as a doctor, then a cultivator. He had only gone twenty miles from home, when he came across his first round of fierce corpses surrounding what looked like an elaborate ritual, written in the old languages. He managed to kill the corpses and find the unfortunate individual in the center of it, an older sage who clearly had revenge on his mind ... too much of it. The formation had been done without finishing the final details, and then? He died, a victim of the trap he tried to lay.

Hannibal finished off the fierce corpses, and then took the scrolls the man had been trying to use. They were dirtied, but even he recognized the words 'demonic cultivation'. So of course, he studied it. He studied all the other scrolls he found, but every single one of them led him to one place. One country. One area. So off he traveled along the Silk Road, until he reached the place called The Middle Kingdom.

He helped heal the son of one of the minor sects, and found himself invited to dine at the largest sect in the region - Qinghe Nie. He sat at the table with the same kind of useless squabbling he had heard about his own table, years ago. He simply enjoyed the cuisine, eating delicately with his chopsticks. Most left him to his own devices, only asking him to pass a plate of meat. Surprised that he understood, perfectly. Why travel to a place when you have not mastered their tongue?

Only once did he glance up the long banquet table to see that the young master Nie was looking at him intently. He met the gaze without flinching or looking embarrassed, merely tipped his chin down. A smile lingered on his lips as he went back to his food - clearly the pretty young master of this fortress had never seen a man of his ilk before. How interesting.

Even more interesting was the invitation to come the next night, which he did. In the smaller hall, with a large table between them. Hannibal didn't even flicker surprise - he knew enough of politics to see what was happening here. Instead, he bowed deeply to the lord of the manor as he came in, keeping his eyes cast downward. "Good evening, Sect Leader Nie."

[fanoperator]

"Such a pleasure to host such a distinguished visitor to our region," Huaisang greets him in return. "Thank you for your company tonight, Lecter Xiānshēng. It is rare that I enjoy the company of anyone from such distant climes. I hope the food will be to your taste."

Sweeping his hand in broad invitation, Huaisang lifts his glass in toast. "To your health, Lecter Xiānshēng. I confess I am eagerly curious to learn more of your origins and reasons for visiting our humble region."

[il_mostro]

Hannibal bowed again at the smoothly flattering greeting, rather surprised. From what he noticed yesterday, the young master seemed more inclined to flutter. Like one of his birds in their golden cages.

Yet now he was ... cool. Collected. Alluring. Hannibal raised his cup up and held it appropriately, before dipping his head down. "I will be pleased to tell you whatever you desire, Sect Leader Nie ... as I am hoping to learn more of your culture as well."

[fanoperator]

"It would be our pleasure to accommodate that," Huaisang replies, smile sweet and cheerful as he knocks back his first drink and proceeds to nibble on his food. His manners are flawless, careful only to take a bite after he's asked a question so that he can chew while Hannibal responds. "I am certain that our local doctors would be thrilled at the opportunity to exchange knowledge. If you have some time to spend, I'm sure you'll find no end of scholars eager to exchange their experiences for yours. Will you be staying long in the Qinghe region?" If Hannibal has intended business with any of the other sects, Huaisang absolutely wants to know about it.

[il_mostro]

"Thank you, Sect Leader Nie. Your generosity has been well spoken of, and I see proof of it before me." Hannibal bowed once more deeply, before he delicately began eating with the chopsticks before him. He fell into the rhythm of eating and then answering, just as his host was. "I would like to learn medical processes, certainly, and whatever I could study of your cultivation techniques as well."

[fanoperator]

"It would be our pleasure to host you, then, and I would be glad to hear of your travels. I've never met anyone from quite so far away. What is it like in your homeland?" Huaisang smiles hopefully, helping himself liberally to food and drink so that Hannibal will also be able to drink and relax as he pleases. "And how do our beauties here compare with those from your homeland?"

[il_mostro]

Hannibal dipped his head low, bowing deeply in the manner of his own home country. A hand pressed against his chest, bowing down, before he straightened in his seat once more. "My homeland is nearly as cold as your own, in winter. Thick blankets of snow. However instead of mountains, we have miles and miles of tree covered hills. In the summer, all that is a green blanket of grass and flowers, and the lakes are clear as the sky."

His lips twitch slightly, before he looks thoughtful, "Male or female, my Lord? There is a bevy of both - and the differences between them are like night to day."

[fanoperator]

Huaisang's eyes sparkle with delight at the question, brightening with hope that Hannibal has such an interest in beauties of both types. "Both," he says, but his eyes dip closed with pleasure and then open slowly, intentionally seductive but still tasteful and restrained about it. "But perhaps you might tell me more about the men that you have found most irresistible."

He licks his lips, shy but excited, and then ducks behind his sleeve to drink and to hide his blush.

[il_mostro]

"Ah, well ... our women are fuller of figure than yours. Their hair ranges in color as well - as black as night, but some have hair as bright as gold. Some have hair that is warm brown, like sunlight across wood. A few precious ones have hair like fire." Hannibal smiled, taking up his cup to sip it carefully. "I have a weakness towards those with dark hair - men and women alike. There is something about black silk running through my fingers ... I find very appealing."

Another long sip of wine, before he continued. "When it comes to women, I prefer those of smaller stature, but full figured. Some reaction of my blood, truth be told. As for men ... I find those possessing more delicate features, those men who would be considered beautiful instead of handsome, to be what pulls my eye to them."

[fanoperator]

Huaisang listens with interest as he talks, drawn to the low rumble of Hannibal's voice, his intriguing accent. Blushing by the end of Hannibal's little speech, Huaisang sucks on his lower lip, slightly entranced by the idea that Hannibal meant him, specifically.

Lifting his fan, Huaisang tilts it so that he can pretend to whisper behind it at Hannibal, even though they're the only ones in the room and Hannibal is several feet away from him, so his volume isn't really lowered. "How would you go about seducing one of those?"