Chapter 8: The Kings Decree

It was a tense silence that followed Lady Seer’s entrance into Wei’s room. In that moment, she looked like the feeble old lady she was supposed to be and not the energetic old lady he had come to know. Her eyes were deep, knowing and filled with a sadness of having experienced something similar. In that moment Wei felt that she seemed to know him better than he knew himself. What could I have told her to make her look at me like that? A deep worry covered him and he felt a sense of tightness in his chest- a difficulty breathing and a sick feeling, like he had swallowed something rotten.

I need time. To think and remember, or at least calm down.

Lady Seer I am sorry you waited so long to talk to me while I was asleep. Doubly so, because I wasted your time, on a day a valuable client was coming. I ruined your plans for the day and for that I am sorry. I will quickly step into my bathroom to change and will be out in a second. Perhaps if we make our talk short we can still make it to your appointment.” Wei said in an optimistic tone. Wei felt incredibly guilty for making Lady Seer late to her appointment – so much so that he was willing to go to the House of Fortune without showering despite his love of cleanliness.

Lady Seer smiled a thin smile and settled down into a comfy chair (Wei’s favorite) while waving her hand.  “Don’t worry about it, I know how you love to take long baths, take your time. I’ll be waiting,” she said wiggling slightly as she tried to find the perfect posture in his comfy chair. Wei was about to voice an objection until he saw Lady Seer skimming through a book that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. His objections died immediately after seeing Lady Seer’s casual conduct. She seems like she really is in no hurry. Why is that I wonder? After observing Lady Seer’s demeanor Wei was sure there was no hurry. Lady Seer was the only person he had met in his life who had a reason behind every action she did.

Perhaps she really can see the future. Yeah as if! I really need to get a hold of my whimsical thoughts. Always going off into the weirdest theories. With a smile and respectful nod toward Lady Seer, who seemed completely oblivious to it, Wei entered his bathroom and started to bathe. As he immersed himself in the cold-water Wei closed his eyes and enjoyed the numbing effect the water had on his small cuts and scrapes curtesy of the Ancient Forest. Although Lady Seer had given him as much time as he needed, Wei still quickened his process and within fifteen minutes he was done.

Drying himself off, he tied his hair into a ponytail and looked into his side closet. Many months ago, when he had first stepped into Lady Seer’s manor he had found his main closer full of very beautiful very expensive clothes – all of them worth more money than he had ever seen in his life. The materials were much better quality than his coarse clothing and fit extremely well.

But Wei felt that they didn’t suit him. So, he put them into his small side closet.

Now as he looked into the spotless and well-lit closet, Wei had a desire to try out his fine robes. Hands brushing across the many clothes, he looked at each piece of clothing, before moving past. At the far end of the closet hanging alone – separated from all the other pieces of clothing, was a golden silk robe, that was the most exquisite of them all.

After his encounter with the heavenly treasure he had noticed his thoughts and tastes had changed slightly. It was a subtle thing that Wei could’ve easily missed if he didn’t have such particular tastes. A strong sense of pride and arrogance had started to show in his thoughts and actions. Even demeanor.

Today this robe suited him. So, he wore it.

Exiting the closet, he headed back into his bedroom. Madam Seer was still seated in his favorite chair, so Wei sat down on the edge of the bed and waited for her to finish her reading. The silence was a comfortable one and Wei entertained himself by thinking about his future life as a cultivator. Idly tracing his finger across his bedsheets Wei was slipping into a state of complete relaxation when a cough interrupted him.

Looking up he saw that Lady Seer had finished reading her book and that she was looking at him expectantly.

“So, how did you suddenly get that book in your hands? I swear I was watching you the entire time and I never noticed a thing.” Wei asked in a hopeful tone.

“Trust me it will be more fun if you figure it out yourself. If I tell you it won’t mean as much.” She assured him. “If you say so, never mind that then, Lady Seer what happened to your appointment today? Did you reschedule? Asked Wei.

Lady Seer gave him a blank look. Again, she’s looking at me weird. What the hell did I say to her?

With a very straight face she told him “I didn’t reschedule my appointment,” Didn’t reschedule the appointment? but she always completes her appointments, she’s never missed one in all the times I’ve known her. So that means—

Seriously?

“Lady Seer, what time is it?”

“Finally, noticed huh, not surprised with how dark your room always is. Its late night. I met my client hours ago. You slept through last night and all of today.” She informed him.

“Wei, what you told me yesterday I shall keep close to heart, but I urge you to gain better control of yourself. Yesterday you spoke like a drunk, mixing truth and lies and saying whatever came to mind. No matter what you do in the future such lack of control will be a crippling weakness and will only cause you problems,” she warned him.

Wei was badly shocked for as long as he remembered he had done his utmost to keep his thoughts carefully guarded, telling precious little to other people even if they spoke for hours. Wei rarely spoke to other people but when he did he was a great conversationalist.

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He was a master of talking a lot and saying nothing.

The fact that he had divulged whatever he had to Lady Seer despite knowing her for only little over a year was worrying. Even the few traders and merchants he had talked to for years hadn’t gotten a single personal fact out of him for all the time he’d known them. This is very troubling, it seemed that my great luck in gaining a heavenly treasure wasn’t only a great fortune but also a great trial. No matter, good and bad often come hand in hand. I have to get better at managing these changes to my personality as they occur, since their obviously too subtle for me to tell in advance.

“Lady Seer who are you? You are very wise and witty, smart and wealthy and the most dangerous person I’ve ever met. I’ve lived with you for over a year now and yet I know almost nothing about you. I don’t even know your real name. Why is that?” He asked her intrigued by the mystery which seemed to surround everything about Lady Seer.

Lady Seer seemed to think on the question longer than Wei expected. If she were going to tell him something she would’ve already told him. If he were conversing with anyone else he would’ve expected them to be thinking about how much to tell him but with Lady Seer it was completely possible that she would tell him nothing just to test him.

Lady Seer was still keeping silent when a knock sounded outside Wei’s door. “Lady Seer, young master Wei. May I come in? a polite female voice asked. “Come in,” Lady Seer said. A beautiful middle-aged maid entered the room, respectfully bowing to both Wei and Lady Seer. “What is it? Wei and myself were having a rather important conversation,” Lady Seer spoke sharply. “I’m very sorry my Lady, I know better than to disturb you when you are speaking to someone, doubly so at such a late hour but something very urgent has come up. A young royal and his retinue are demanding entrance into the compound. The captain of the guards is stalling him but he sent me to let you know.” She replied quickly.

Lady Seer’s expression remained unchanged dismissing the maid “thank you for the quick explanation Biyu, you may go.” The maid bowed low and mumbled a few words while hurriedly retreating. The door closed behind her with a loud click. Seeing the questioning look on Wei’s face Lady Seer gesture for him to follow her downstairs. Keeping up with Lady Seer’s swift pace they quickly exited the manor and headed towards the gate. The tall gate towered high, protecting the resident and seeming impenetrable. Lady Seer walked with a strong sense of purpose her momentum unstoppable. Wei looked at Lady Seer from the corner of his eye trying to glean anything about their mysterious guest from her expression. Her face told him that whoever had visited was not expected or welcome.

Lady Seer seemed to be able to tell immediately what he was doing, she gave him a thin smile and chastised him “don’t try to read me Wei.” With a bashful smile Wei looked away appearing embarrassed for being caught in the act. What a wily old lady. Even without direct eye contact she could still tell I was looking at her. After gambling for a while Wei had picked up several small tricks that were guaranteed to work on most people. However most of his ‘big’ tricks were taught to him by Cheng Chao - an old merchant and the most amoral old man Wei had ever met.

One of the tricks Wei had picked up was reading peoples expressions to guess what they were thinking, most people who looked closely at people could discern something from the face of a person but reading someone required careful attention to details and also very accurate guessing. It also required making massive leaps in logic.

Wei was very good at reading people. But sometimes it took a little longer than he would like. Most people he could figure out fairly quickly, but Lady Seer was one of the few who was very difficult. He even looked at her out of the corner of his eyes and he was still discovered. Most people could only tell you were looking at them if you did it very obviously and for long periods of time.

Apparently, Lady Seer was not most people.

They reached the gate and found the situation was very tense, the twenty or so guards Lady Seer employed had all drawn their weapons and looked ready to spill blood. The reason was quickly made apparent well that explains the maid’s nervousness. Standing in stark white armor was a group of thirty imperial guards. They were all outfitted with the same standard short sword and silver helm. They stood professionally in a small triangle formation around a young man who was idly fanning himself even though it was late at night. He had a handsome face with a strong jaw and short spiky hair. He also looked completely unconcerned with the violence that could explode out at any moment.

If the insignia on his robes and carriage didn’t say he was royalty. His demeanor did. He stood arrogant and unconcerned amidst the chaotic scene as if no accident or mishap could happen to him as long as he willed it. And for good reason, because he was in the City of Chen and surrounded by the elite members of the imperial guards.

The imperial guards only served to protect the royal family. They were separately trained and had nothing to do with the imperial army or the imperial enforcers. Their only job was to defend the royal family, they were trained in a defensive sword style that had no methods of attacking. Rumor was that they were meant only for protection and that nothing had ever happened to a royal family member under their watch.

They lived only for their charge, and it showed. Despite Lady Seer’s guards having drawn their weapons the imperial guards hadn’t moved a finger, keeping in formation and awaiting the command from the young man. Wei was intrigued. Which member of the royal family is this? His guards are so well trained, they’re like dogs! Most imperial guards would have tightened formation and drew their weapons the moment ours did but not these ones. Lady Seer obviously knows him.

His mind running through many possibilities thought Wei put a politely interested look on his face and waited for Lady Seer to welcome him. But Lady Seer clearly had no intention to do a single thing. With a snide look on her face Lady Seer called out in a mocking voice “If it isn’t your highness third prince Chen Zi. Why have you graced this humble fraud with your presence this fine evening?”

“Lady Seer as sharp tongued and abrasive as ever I see. You are looking wonderful as always. So sorry to come to your abode at this time but I would like you to accompany me to the royal palace. And before you refuse I am not asking you for my own sake. I know you have no problem offending any of the royalty except my King father and so I have brought proof.” He assured Lady Seer.

Smoothly pulling a letter from his robe he showed the cover of it to Lady Seer who calmed down visibly upon seeing it. Wei read three words on the paper in a red script. It read ‘By My Hand’ without being told Wei could tell what it was.

“The Kings Decree,” Wei heard a guard breath out in fear and reverence. The Kings decree was an absolute order that no one could disobey within the Kingdom of Chen. It was as natural to obey the Kings Decree as it was to eat and breath. Everyone just did whatever it said, unconditionally.

“Don’t worry, it isn’t just you, every person of importance in Chen has been summoned to the royal palace.” He consoled Lady Seer in a completely sincere tone.

“Did I look worried? Keep your words of consolation for people who appreciate them, and tell your guards to stay away from me and my son. I don’t like the look of them, now let’s go” she snapped.

“Well you heard Lady Seer, let us be on our way,” the prince said to his guards. “Yes, your highness,” they said in concert.

So, climbing onto a carriage Wei and Lady Seer took off, following the third prince and his guards, heading towards the royal palace at a slow and leisurely pace.

“What do you think the meeting is about?” Wei asked Lady Seer. “You know I don’t know, why would you ask?” she answered with a question of her own.

“No reason, just wanted to annoy you I guess.” Wei replied with a smile.