Felix forced tired limbs into a sword stance, his hand naturally going toward his hilt. A raised dainty hand made him pause and he turned to stare at Daiyu. She gave a small shake of her head. With a sigh, he relaxed, feeling his body protesting the motion.
Now look who’s expecting a fight. God damnit, control yourself Felix. I really need more time to process everything.
The guards slowed once they were thirty meters away. Felix felt his muscles tense as the guards' nervous expression.
Wait, that man in front, isn’t that the man from the gate? He even still has that ridiculous white feather.
The familiar guard waved and then suddenly sped up, narrowing the distance in a blur. He stopped only a meter away, his hands in a gesture of peace. The guards behind him sped up again to catch up.
He is stronger than I thought. I can’t believe I didn’t pay him more attention the other day.
“Guard captain Bai, it is good to see you again,” said Cixi.
Wait, when did he introduce himself? Holy shit, I need to pay more attention when people talk too.
“Well met as well,” said captain Bai. “We have been looking all over for you four.”
“For what reason do you require our assistance?” said Cixi,
“Originally I was supposed to find you four later in the day to inform you that some more information pertinent to your mission was found.” Said captain Bai, a flash of confusion flashing over his face. “However, an incident has occurred in the City and we were told to bring you safely back to your residence. Now, would you four please come with me?”
Or they are here to capture us. Yep, paranoid thinking.
Cixi and Felix looked at Daiyu. She stared at the captain's face for a moment before giving a slow nod. With a word from captain Bai, the guards formed up around them and they were ushered through the city.
Captain Bai maintained his smile but remained quiet the whole way. The other guards were not so nonchalant, giving the four of them nervous looks. Yet they went straight to their residence with nothing happening. Captain saluted and turned to leave but Felix raised a hand to stop him.
“I am sorry Captain Bai but I am a little confused.”
“How so, young master?” Said Captain Bai, giving his subordinate a look.
“Were your orders just to bring us here?” said Felix.
“Yes sir,” said captain Bai.
“And you have no idea why?”
“To be truthful, all I know is it is related to an incident down in the slums earlier today. That’s it. As for my subordinate’s attitude, well, considering the gruesome details of the report, they are a little jumpy.”
“Oh…” said Felix.
“Well, I have completed my duty.” Said Captain Bai.
He nodded and turned to join his men. Felix watched them go before joining the girls in moving toward the meeting room.
That’s strange. They just wanted to bring us here? Was that really necessary?
Felix pondering stopped as he bumped into a frozen Daiyu at the entrance of the meeting room. He blinked, looking over her shoulder to see a man standing with his back toward them, his face toward the map on the wall.
Ah shit, I knew this was a trap. Wait, those clothes… they are even fancier than that slimy aide of the city lord. Is this the backer of the ambushers?
Once again, Felix moved into a sword stance. He couldn’t help noticing how beaten their group looked, with mortal crippling bruises shown on Yang Mei’s exposed skin and Daiyu’s arm still in a sling. Only Cixi was uninjured, though there was a tiredness in her eyes.
We are fucked. Damnit, I shouldn’t have listened to Daiyu.
The man seemed unphased by their response, not even flinching at the sound of drawn steel. The moment soon turned awkward as he continued to stare at the map. Felix tried to feel for that sense of power that cultivators seemed to give off indicating their strength. He felt nothing.
Don’t tell me we just freaked out at some mortal! No, wait, that means he is an expert!
Then the man did turn, and he looked sickly. Before they could respond, he brought his hands together and gave the slightest of bows.
“Please accept my sincerest apologies. You four have encountered danger under my watch and I hope you can forgive my city's mistake.”
They just stared at him as his head remained bowed.
“An esteemed core cultivator such as yourself should not be bowing to the likes of us.” Said Cixi, stepping forward. “Especially someone with such an august position as yourself, City lord.”
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The city lord straightened with a smile but still shook his head.
“You are quite astute, young one. I am called Li Tian and no, you are wrong. Not meeting you is one thing considering your cultivation levels but allowing you to die on my watch, would not only be negligent but foolish” said the City lord. His eyes stopped on Daiyu. “Are you perhaps the young Heiress of the Onooka Clan?” At Daiyu’s nod, he let out a laugh that was more of a hacking cough. “Then my statement becomes doubly true. I doubt I would have survived the month if your uncle found out I allowed you to die here.”
“May I ask how you knew we were involved.” Said Felix trying to put on a polite smile. He failed.
“I have ways of gathering information in my own city.” Said the city lord with a slight smile. “I see the doubt in your eyes but know I wish you four no harm. In truth, things have been unstable of late. I would like to ask you four to leave the city.”
“Wait, what?” said Felix.
“Why?” said Yang Mei.
“Because I can’t afford to have you four die right now and offend your sects. The fact you were attacked today shows that things are getting out of my control.”
Daiyu took a step forward but then stood awkwardly, holding up her chalkboard with her good arm. Cixi watched for a moment before taking the board and holding it in place.
“Thank you, Cixi. City lord, we may actually know a little of why we were attacked.” Wrote Daiyu.
“What!?” said the city lord. Felix took a step back as the Cities lord cultivation became clear for a moment, there then gone again. “How could you possibly know anything? Tell me!”
“The people who attacked us were hunting an information broker we were seeking.” Wrote Daiyu, getting a surprised look from Cixi and Yang Mei. “Apparently he found out that the Young Miss of the Yang Family may be involved in the city’s recent turmoil.”
The city lord stared at them and then closed his eyes, his body trembling with rage. There was no second display of cultivation but the boards at the man’s feet began to smolder. Seconds ticked by until the moment was passed, and he opened his eyes. They were not kind.
“They will be dealt with.” Said the city lord. “Now, would you four please leave my city?”
“We do need to finish our mission,” said Yang Mei.
“Yes, the spirit beast activity in the area.” Said the city lord with a frown. “Before this, I was actually looking into the issue again and I am somewhat disturbed by what I found. It has been way too peaceful.”
“What do you mean, too peaceful?” Said Cixi. “Your aide assured us that things were fine?”
“He is good at logistics, but his understanding of the cultivation world is limited.” Said the city lord. “Such periods of peace aren’t unheard of, at least for a short period Normally such periods are looked forward to. However, looking at the numbers, I realized it has lasted longer than any period before, to a most disconcerting degree.”
“Well… What does that even mean?” Said Felix. “I am not sure we can leave if we don’t understand.”
He looked toward her companions, but Yang Mei had collapsed on a couch against the wall. Daiyu still stood but Cixi looked like she was considering joining Yang Mei.
“I don’t know.” Said the city lord. “It could mean many things, I just know that such unusual activity is suspect. Are you four sure you won’t leave the city today?”
“Well, we may but then we would be going to investigate the activity personally, not heading back to the sect,” said Felix.
“I see. Well, I am afraid I don’t know anymore.” Said the city lord. If you have any need of my help, do not hesitate to ask.” He flipped his hand, an object flying through the air to land in Felix’s hand. “That is my token. Any of the leaders in the outlying towns will recognize it and know you have my favor. Now, I need to go root out some traitors.”
They watched the city lord walk through the door, then disappear in a flash of light. Cixi released a breath of relief and collapsed on the couch next to Yang Mei. Even Daiyu took a seat at the meeting table, resting her head on the table. Felix couldn’t join them, nervous energy coursing through him.
“What the hell was that?” said Felix, pacing back and forth. He gestured a hand at the door the city lord had just vacated. “Sure, we have an idea of who is behind the attack, probably, but where does that leave us? Staying here is a death trap.”
“Felix,” said Yang Mei, wincing as she tried to adjust so she wasn’t lying on a bruise. She was not having a good go of it. “We were attacked, and we won. I am not sure you need to overthink it. With the city lord making waves, people won’t have time for us.”
“How can all three of you be so calm?” Said Felix, stopping his pacing to look at them.
“I’m not,” said Cixi, “I’m angry.
“I’m just too tired to care.” Said Yang Mei.
Daiyu didn’t even take out her chalkboard, just shrugged with her head still on the table.
Felix leaned against the wall next to the map and slowly slid down.
“I don’t mean to snap, it's just… We’ve already been attacked twice by what may even be the same group and I am not sure that will be the end of it.”
“Do you really think whoever is behind this will make another go at it?” Said Yang Mei, struggling to a sitting position. “I mean, the city lord did just say he was going to deal with the Yang Family.”
“How in the world should I know?” Said Felix, “That’s my point, we have no idea if we got the head of the snake or the head of a hydra. It’s not like we will escape unscathed if we have to fight a group stronger than the one, we just did. Honestly, I am worried about what would have happened if Daiyu hadn’t got the jump on them.”
A knock on the door caused them all to twitch, even Daiyu. She was on her feet a moment later, sword drawn while Yang Mei stumbled off the couch into a fighting stance. Focusing inward, Felix prepared a Ragnarök strike as Cixi pulled out her chakrams. They all exchanged a look.
“Seeing as you have entered our residence and only now knock on the door, would you please announce yourself.” Said Felix.
“Is that any way to speak to your elder?” Came a familiar female voice through the door.
Felix relaxed letting the prepared Ragnarök wind down but an angry gesture from Daiyu made him pause.
“Yes, and how do we know it’s you?” said Felix. “I can tell this should be the voice of Elder Zhenzhen but surely someone can imitate the voice of another with relative ease.
“Oh, you need proof?”
Felix blinked to find Elder Zhenzhen was suddenly before them, lounging on her cloud as she always did. An opaque ball the size of a human was idly being dribbled with one hand off the ceiling as she eyed the four of them. The familiar feeling of cuteness descended on them, with Cixi and Yang Mei face going slack in seconds.
“Is this proof enough, or do you need more.” Said Zhenzhen, her smile turning sickly sweet.
The cuteness was suddenly mixed with an oppressiveness. Even Daiyu’s stance began to wilt. It somehow got worse as Zhenzhen casually floated toward him, dribbling the large ball all the while. She stopped right before him. Then her free hand shoot toward his head and the feeling of death filled his mind.
“Boop,” said Zhenzhen.
Felix blinked as her soft palm tapped his nose. Even as he processed the sudden lack of oppressive power, he felt a wave of coolness from the point of contact go through him, his every ache and pain feeling like they had been massaged.
“Wha-at?” Said Felix, still adjusting to the new sense of comfort.
“Awww, that look of confusion is adorable. I could just tear those cheeks off. “