Atlas snapped his head, dodging a hissing palm, the wind shrieked in his ear. Sweat glistened in the air. He dipped under a sweeping elbow, closed in with a half step, his fingers grew long and serpentine and thrust in Chen Sui’s belly. Spittle flew from Chen Sui’s mouth, Atlas twisted his hand inside and gripped onto his ribs, he tugged violently. Chen Sui’s knee slid off skin, impotent, while Atlas’ own flew high and true, cracking on the Young Master’s Chin defiantly.
“Guh!” Chen Sui stumbled, he fell on all fours. He clenched his teeth bent his back, hands digging into the dirt he lunged forth, hands like spear he pierced at Atlas’ guard. Weak, yet just wild enough to give him time to breath. A move that sent a spike of searing pain up his torso.
Atlas winced when saw Chen Sui grab onto his lowest rib, it had been broken and only now did the pair realize. With a push and a pop it was back in place, still broken, of course.
Thus Chen Sui sighed and clapped once. Atlas let his guard fall as maids rushed in, an alchemical concoction was fed to the lord, his body was blow dried in a rush and a bathtub of bubbling green herbal solvents was plonked on the hard dirt behind him, his loincloth removed without him having to move a finger and he was ready to dive in that strengthening medicine to recover and grow.
“I lost, again.” He said, almost to himself. Atlas stayed at a non threatening distance away from the young master. The ends of their spars were always tense. Atlas could tell that the guards hidden in the roofs and in the trees, bristled with anger at the commoner that humiliated their master. It had gotten old days ago.
“You did. And you almost cheated as well. That would have been truly humiliating. You should thank my ancestors that I stopped you. By breaking one of your ribs.” Atlas nodded at his own words.
“I should really have you killed for this.”
“What specifically? ‘This’ is a very broad term. I demand an explanation!” Atlas pointed his finger to the skies, seeking justice.
"Everything. From your attitude, to your mocking, to the harm you caused my near divine body.” Chen Sui rubbed at his healed rib-bone. Floating in the warm viscous water, he was being submerged in it, slowly, as if the liquid had come alive and was trying to eat him.
“Sui… I’ve seen Ancient Ju in the flesh… You are so far away from Divine it makes my eyes heart when I look at you. It’s like I am being tainted by your horrid mortal visage.” Atlas joked once again, and almost chocked on his chuckle when he quiet literally felt his back warm up from the fire in the eyes of the waiting guards.
“You really know how to push all their buttons.” Chen Sui lifted his arm and signaled for his men to relax.
“If I didn’t, I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t have kept me as your little training buddy. Not to mention the chances you are persuaded with my argument for world peace increase, in my humble opinion. World Peace for Two, mind you.”
“You’re counting Eternal City?” Chen Sui raised his head from the viscous healing liquid. His sharp brows switched on.
“If it adds favor to my argument, I’ll add whatever I can.” Atlas tone was solemn. His brows suddenly twitched. His eyes glowed as his cultivation burst into life. His skin hummed and the wind went along with him. His head snapped around and he was on full alert.
It was at the rush of footsteps, wooden sandals slapping the floor and the familiar Qi signals that he had gotten prickly, there had never been an uninvited or scheduled entrant in this private domicile, other than Ancient Ju.
The rushing guest marched through the western paths and pushed paper windows apart twice before coming to the inner patio, protected with an octagon roof from above, supported by similarity eight cherry wood pillars and catered for with the Young Master’s personal budget.
“Young Master. The Patriarch has called for a meeting.” Chen Sui rocked up from his medicine bath. He left the tub and spread his arms. He was cleaned and dressed in moments, Atlas could barely see a thing as the master maids did their work at a blistering pace. All he knew was that for now he could pull no more jokes as he saw the sparks flying between the eyes of the old man that had bested Atlas nearly a week ago and Chen Sui’s gaze. Chen Sui did not speak to the old man. The two knew each other, and what a summons from the Patriarch meant. He walked towards him and was stopped.
“He wants that young man to come as well.” The old man pointed straight at Atlas, in fact he could swear he was pointing directly between his brows.
Chen Sui gnashed his teeth, a bitter crackling sounded out in the yard. “So be it.” Were the last words spoken as the solemn group of three left and with rapid pace set by Chen Sui they reached the Meeting room, a throne room for the Chen Patriarch to sit and drown himself in drinks publicly holding court where the fool was the king, and he had no crown to speak of.
It was right as the heavy double doors of red paint and studded gold, adding to the regal atmosphere of the occasion, that Atlas spotted Carius of all people passing through a small side door for guests of mortal nature with a fake mustache and beard. A costume overshadowed by the massive straw hat on his head, tinted a grass green around the edges, his hair tied in a loose ponytail, poking under the hat.
The two looked at each other, bewilderment painting their features. “Is something wrong? Wine Master Carius?” Asked the servant guiding Carius in. He responded in a thick voice that did not belong anywhere near or around Carius and his image. If Atlas didn’t know the man he would think he was truly a wine connoisseur that knew his stuff. A surety came from his baritone voice.
Atlas’ walked through the gates, losing vision of Carius, he marched on the velvet red carpet and bumped into Chen Sui, he bowed down hastily having forgotten himself in shock. Chen Sui sent him a chiding look, yet spoke not a word. He bowed his head, one knee to the ground, both fists clasped above his head, presented in obsequity.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
“I, Chen Sui, Greet the Patriarch.” He announced. Above the carpeted stairs of gaudy marble, standing in a large chair crafted of black stone, studded with gold and jade and all manner of crystals sat the Patriarch of the Chen Family, imprisoned, widowed, drunk.
He had a thick, wet beard, that grew long and unkempt from his chin that had once been clean and sharp. His eyes were dark, black, matching the black, tired, circles around them. His nose was straight, red as his cheeks which held nervous rashes, which the Patriarch scratched even in official audience. Just like right now.
He had his oily hair, clammy and unruly, which once stood straight like the point of a spear, tied in a loose bun, large locks washed over his shoulders, to his naked chest. They tried but failed to cover a large scar running from his neck to below his collarbone. Atlas argued to himself that the large scar in particular did not make much difference hidden or not, the man’s body was covered in crisscross scars, tissue that would never heal, or be healed. A Show of might long lost if anything. It gave an outlook on the once mighty warriors life.
The Patriarch dropped the enormous gourd from his mouth after a few bowlfuls of wine, most of it steeped into his beard and some sprinkled down his sun kissed skin. His brows frowned into one, thick, mesh.
His black eyes, deep as the ocean were glazed over with a mist. They swallowed Atlas hole, sent judgment upon him. A hint of the Man’s crumbling cultivation sent blood flowing from Atlas’ nose and over his lips, the methodical drip of blood on the carpet the only sound in the decadent hall. His defenses too weak against the pressure of the Patriarch’s Spirit.
“I see that you have found a new wine supplier, Father.” Chen Sui took the fire from Atlas with both hands and cast it upon himself.
“Yes… It was a heaven sent gift. He washed away my regrets about killing the previous Wine Master for his inabilities. Look there.” With fingers rough and thick the Patriarch pointed to Chen Sui’s left. There on a large spear embedded into the pink hued quartzite floor the decapitated head of the servile old man lay. Stabbed through by the sharp spear tip. Dark blood dried, gone fowl, on the shaft.
The Chen Patriarch chuckled with a low grin, he smashed his gourd on the hand of his throne, globs of wine splattered on his chest, robes, cut at the waist, and on the ground. “I know what you’re gonna ask. Drunk as I may be, I can still think. It’s that boy toy you decided to keep. You may say it is for training, but to brand him with the seal of the Personal Servant? In all my long years I have never heard of that title going to someone that is not a woman with the potential to bear children.”
“Father, It truly is for training. My duty to bear children is not forgotten!” Chen Sui kept his head bowed down. Atlas felt weird knowing he was the person referenced as a boy toy. So far he was the one playing around with Chen Sui, in their fights at least.
“Yet you still neglect that duty, as Heir. That is all I know. You don’t deal with the business, you are a grown man and yet you do not produce anything, only consume what I have built. You have given me no grand children and now threaten your position by giving me thoughts that you might even be queer. Do you miss your father’s loving fist so much?”
The Patriarch was flippant, laid back and at ease as he berated his only son. “You need yourself a Wife, Sui.” His eyes glazed, they almost grew full with salty water, but that would not be allowed of the Chen Patriarch. That’s why he had all the booze.
Chen Sui did not add anything, nor did the Patriarch Speak to him any longer. It was with a wave of his hand that the side door was opened and a man with long hair tied twice, dry and wild, a mustache as thick as an arm, and a hat so filled with straw it could fly off at the slightest wind, appeared. His abyssal eyes and curved brows a familiar sight to Atlas.
Carius kowtowed. His forehead on the carpet, right in front of Chen Sui. His straw hat folding in front of his face, hiding it from view. Carius jittered, his sweat stained the luxurious, thick, carpet. His clothes, the lightest of silks folded ten times over to create the most over the top dress anyone could find for cheap in the whole of Eternal City. This was a man terrified of the gods above him, yet with a desire to fit in with the ranks of the aristocrats.
“Esteemed Patriarch, my Don, this little Wine Master, Carius, greets you.” Carius announced himself, a soft tone of delicate ploy hidden within his act.
“Well met, Wine Master, well met. Your sudden appearance has truly been a great boon for my Clan and myself.”
“I hope I can be here to offer all the necessities of thyself and the Esteemed Chen Clan till the day I die.” The fear in Carius’s voice, which very much please Patriarch Chen, was not fake to say the least. He was out of his depth, in every single possible way.
“You better. It’s the least you can do, if you hold my Branch in such high regard.” Chortled the drunk banished lord.
Carius, of course, understood that the Patriarch was not eating up all his lies. But he had an assurance, in the spiked head of the former Wine Master.
“I see you seem to have emptied your gourd. Shall I bring you another, Don?” Carius offered smartly, he had not even raised his eyes from the ground, in this his hearing helped him hear the hollow echo of the Gourd as it was jostled and slammed by Patriarch Chen.
“A great thought indeed! You have much experience with wine, it seems I made a good choice.” The Patriarch answered with a jubilant smile. Carius stood up slowly and backpedaled through the small gate and out the other side. He returned not a second too late with another massive gourd, holding tens of liters of wine, a hard yellow wine with a strong smell and an even more acidic taste.
“I have heard you are very fond of this Huju wine. So brought it as a gift.” Carius bowed down with the large bottle shaped gourd the height of a child in front of him. It floated up and was brought to the Patriarch’s meaty hand with just a push of raw Qi. It was so dense even Carius could see it.
“Kuha! It sure hits the spot. I appreciate this gift, Wine Master Carius. I hope we have a fruitful relationship with you and your people.” The Patriarch said and dismissed the two meetings he had purposefully kept together.
Now came the hard part. Atlas new Carius had come to save him. Yet by being here he had the best hopes of persuading an ancient, a being almost at the level of a god in his plan to create a safe rapport between the people of Earth and the Eternal City. He had tried to communicate, but it would take too much time, it was too showy.
Carius hesitated to move from his spot. The Patriarch raised a brow as he gulped down egregious amounts of the strong wine. “Speak, Wine Master. I allow you to.”
“Thank you Don. It’s about an idea I have after hearing of your predicament. I want to create a place to keep the best wine, still growing in flavor up here in your personal estate, so that in any future disturbances you can still have your wine, and I can still have my head. But I understand that such matters are not of your concern. Would it be possible that I speak to your Heir about this? Keep it out of your mind. Almost like a surprise.” Carius proposed. To which the Patriarch, with but a swipe and a nod allowed it.
“GRMH, Sui. Deal with it.” The Patriarch managed to eek out in between drinking moans. His mind buzzed, his face bright red, his eyes dazed, and his nerves calm. He was plunging himself deeper into his addiction, increasing his high to new lengths. The Bliss of ignorance started to overtake him.
Chen Sui, annoyed as he was, did not show it as he took Atlas and Carius with him to his personal quarters, now saddled with work he did not want to do, work which felt immoral and unfilial to even consider. Yet orders were orders. Whether one was Heir, or Not. That was the Chen way.