Zhu Luli felt the ground underneath her feet and swept a gaze across the entrance of the Zhu Clan’s compound. There was a tightness to her throat, a sort of crawling that slithered down her back. Odd how a few years could erase something so familiar from her mind and replace it with a lingering nostalgia.

Bits of her early life surfaced in wavering waves in her memory as she took in the grand gate that stood guard here for hundreds of years, its face still in pristine condition. Beyond, rows of servants and clan members lined up in excruciating respect, heads bowed and eyes planted at their feet.

She could see some familiar faces among them, people who had kept her company for long years when she was young. She had played and laughed and cried with them, gossiped whenever a scandal popped up in the capital. Years passed as they slowly, without noticing, grew apart, and her position took control. She never quite understood it then, but one day, when she passed the age of sixteen, everything had changed.

She was the Patriarch’s only child. She was a respected genius. All across the capital, people expected grand things from her, feats that other rival clans’ geniuses would often perform. But the worst was her own Father—or rather, his shadow. The Heavenly Scholar. Surely his daughter couldn’t be someone normal.

Indeed, she wasn’t. She had proved herself time and time again, dealt with those so-called geniuses like one might deal with an unruly child. She showed them the truth, and they didn’t like it. Slowly, she hauled the mantle of her father over her shoulders and carried it with confidence, and slowly she lost herself in the process.

Those were now all in the past. Zhu Luli returned to her clan as born anew.

She laughed when she saw Zhu Xiang there in the lines, her third-generation cousin from a distant line of the family. They used to eat and sleep together before her Father decided it was time for her to act appropriate. Zhu Luli had barely seen her after that.

Now she ran, and she bounded, and she wrapped her arms around the blinking woman, took her in, and patted her on the back.

“I missed you!” she said, her laughter ringing loud. “I missed you!”

Zhu Xiang shuffled uncomfortably in her arms, eyes widening as she stared around her in panic. Her gaze strayed to the Patriarch, and she froze, knowing not quite what she should do.

Zhu Luli pressed her back harder into her own chest and cherished her old friend. She wasn’t the Young Miss of the Zhu Clan anymore. She was the one true Zhu Luli all these people knew before.

“Brings tears to your eyes, eh?” Brother Lou’s voice came from behind, confident as usual, caring not whether they were in the presence of one of the strongest clans in the whole Empire. Zhu Luli saw him tap a hand over Brother Lei’s back and shake his head. “You can’t blame a man for being emotional. I’ve always had a soft spot for reunions.”

“You just miss your old man, that’s all,” Brother Lei said, chuckling. “Give him some time. I’m sure we can bring that pair here, right, Master Qiang?”

Zhu Qiang was staring with narrowed eyes at her side when he came to himself. He said absently, “Yes… We can arrange that.”

“Mighty generous of you, Sir,” Brother Lou said. He clasped his hands and bowed his head. “Please take good care of us.”

“What?”

“He didn’t mean it,” Brother Lei said hurriedly, yanking Brother Lou by the arm and pulling him back to straight. “We can take care of our own.”

“Sure you can,” Zhu Qiang said, gazing at Zhu Luli with an empty look. “Sure you can…”

They moved on.

......

Little Yao was squeaking with her claws on Little Mei’s head, fluffy tail swinging, white teeth clanking as Lei and others stared at their… new house. Or a mansion? A manor? What do you call it when the house is a sprawling mess of hallways and rooms and porches around the back?

“A little too much, don’t you think?” Lei muttered, feeling the kids behind him stir in a way a group of overly excited cats might at a mountain of fish. “You can get lost in this place.”

“I’d like some privacy, if that’s what you’re saying,” Fatty Lou said and swept an arm across the entrance, the side of his lips curled in a smug smile. “I say we deserve this after all that chaos. Time for the rewards now. A mansion and a restaurant. They didn’t give us any coin, though.”

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

“Master Qiang said we have to earn that ourselves,” Snake muttered as he strode forward, looking up at the swirling staircase that led to the second floor. “Big Brother Lei, what if we rent some of the rooms here?”

“I’m not sure we’re allowed to do that, Little Snake,” Lei said. He’d also considered the idea, but the Zhu Clan was a closed community on its own, and everyone had their designated houses in the compound—a sort of hierarchy that showed the importance of each family.

Over five thousand people lived here… When you think about it, it’s not that different from a cult.

“Shut up already!” Zhu Luli’s voice came from behind, and Lei saw her flick Little Yao on the nose with a finger. “Tell your new buddy to get you there. You’re not my spiritual pet anymore. You barely look me in the face.”

Little Yao squawked and swept a claw at her face, to which Zhu Luli responded by taking a big step back. What was strange was that Little Mei kept petting the squirrel on her bottom all the while, as if she was supporting her in her own way.

“What’s wrong?” Lei said a moment after. “Is she hungry? I can cook something—”

“That’s not it.” Zhu Luli pinched the bridge of her nose. “She wants to gather her group back, but I can’t let her. Dealing with one stubborn squirrel is hard enough; dealing with a dozen of them… I can’t go back, Brother Lei. That’s a dark space in my mind.”

“She just wants to say hi,” Little Mei said, innocent as ever. Little Yao squeaked at her face, beady eyes glinting. “She says that she will keep quiet. Teacher Luli, can you please allow her? She missed her friends.”

“Ah…”

“Let her be.” Lei smiled. “It’s not helping that you two keep bickering back and forth. You’re the older one here. Don’t let our squeaky friend here get to your head.”

“You’re talking as if she’s this innocent, cute squirrel that stuffs nuts in her cheeks. You’ve seen her claws, haven’t you? Spiritual beasts are masters of manipulation. Browntails are even worse! They get you hooked with all the fur and the chuckles, but when you’re not looking, they’re concocting a terrible ploy in their tiny little cauldron to mess up your life. They just enjoy the chaos. Trust me, I should know.”

“Must be tough,” Fatty Lou said sadly. He took a step over to them, nodding his head as if he understood. Oh, how he understood well the troubles of the Young Miss. Zhu Luli’s lips curled in expectation as if she was waiting for him to comfort her. But instead, Fatty Lou placed a gentle hand over Little Yao’s head and patted her softly.

“I’m sorry. It can’t be easy to deal with someone like her. Want a cookie? I still have some left from the last time.”

“You!” Zhu Luli jabbed a gleaming finger into his face. “You’re supposed to be on my side! Why are you consoling her?”

“Anger issues and an explosive personality. You’re a catch for any man in this Empire, Sister Luli, but you’re scaring this little squirrel. You are a terrible master,” Fatty Lou said, sounding greatly disappointed. Then he looked down at Little Mei.

“Look how they get along. Beastmaster or not, Little Mei is a better fit for her than you. Leave it. Forcing it won’t change anything.”

Lei rubbed his neck tiredly. After all the talk about the Zhu Clan they had during the journey, he expected a certain change to happen to Zhu Luli when they arrived here. She had some deep traumas about her childhood, after all, but it seemed the only thing changed was her tolerance toward Little Yao. She hadn’t left any.

“Little Yao,” he said, the squirrel perking up at his voice. “You can go, but please don’t do anything out of line. It’s our first day here, and I don’t want any trouble. We have a lot on our plates. And Sister Luli, I want you to take a deep breath. You might be back in your clan, and I know it can be hard, but we’re still here. On your side.”

“Try to relax a little, he’s trying to say,” Fatty Lou chimed in. “Let the squirrel do her thing. They’re not supposed to live here in a damned house, anyway. To think that not only you whisked her away from her place down in the woods and brought her here, but you’re also not even letting her play with her friends. What’s a squirrel supposed to do? She isn’t a slave, is she?”

“Enough,” Lei said, taking a breath in. “We’re all weary from the road. We need a good rest. Let’s pick our rooms, shall we? I want one with a porch view.”

“Uh,” Zhu Luli mumbled, but in the end, she let go and joined them as they moved toward the right wing of the mansion.

.....

The room had everything Lei could ask for, or even some things he didn’t know he missed. There was a faucet with hot water, a bathroom adjacent to the room, and a giant bed upon which rested a score of pillows, all puffed up and smoothed out in a way only a hotel bed could provide.

This was a five-star room, and Lei wouldn’t even have to pay anything.

To the back, double mirrors faced the porch down below where a stretch of forest came into view. The grass had been mowed beautifully, reflecting the sunlight in a sea of green. He couldn’t even see the city from here. The Zhu Clan had claimed a part of the capital as their own and established a little paradise here.

“You deserve this,” Lei said, feeling a sudden weight around his shoulders. It was just yesterday he’d been sleeping on a bed of straw, in between the broken walls, with a view of ruins through the cracks. It was just yesterday he’d opened his eyes to this strange world and found himself lost.

Now he had a family of his own, friends he could rely on, and a new restaurant. Sure, there were some things he had to be wary about, a mystery about those rotten bastards and the capital that was the din of lumbering beasts. There was also the case of the sect he was supposed to be a part of, but today, he decided to enjoy himself.

Up on the bed, the fluffy blanket cuddling him round, pillows soft like a mother’s touch against his cheeks. He dug his way down, flinging his robe away with one hand, letting the bed claim him for once.

Then he was lying, facing the ceiling, mouth curled in a smile that spread all across his face. This was life. And it was worth living.

We start tomorrow. We’re going to pick up where we left off.

He let out a hearty laugh. Tomorrow Master Qiang would send a clan member to see them to the restaurant, show them around, and help them settle down. He already had a few ideas about the menu but would decide when he got a better understanding.

Being a true Immortal chef… That was the dream now.

…..