“You’re gonna have to leave…” Xing said firmly, eyes stern as a nail. The feline-eyed woman pushed herself by Xing, ignoring his words and annoying him. Didn’t I pay for privacy, just a second ago? He huffed to himself.
Xing grabbed her by the arm before she could make her second step inside his room, then squeezed. “I’m sorry my dear, but I believe you have the wrong room.”
The feline-eyed woman twirled in his arm, running her hand around his neck, then stroked his chest hairs in small circles. “Does it look like I have the wrong room?” She said, tilting her head.
She’s beautiful, Xing thought noticing how lissome her lips appeared as she smiled at him.
The feline eye woman’s face was small, petite, delightful and quite pleasing to see. Her high cheekbones, made her face seem even more seductive up close.
She turned left, showing a hint of shyness which emanated into her red cheeks as she blushed.
Any man would want her. Xing too, if he was his old self, but those days were finished.
Xing fought his urges, with all his might. The suppleness of her soft skin, was like forcing a cushion of skin away, a cushion you wanted to bury yourself into.
She forced herself onto Xing’s chest, even more, letting her breast touch his chest. The exotic musk scent of her body fluttered into Xing, making him lick his lips.
He wanted to caress her, but reality struck harder than a lightning bolt. “Mistress…” Xing said firmly.
“You can call me Ju,” Ju said, twirling his chest hair. He’d never been rough with a woman, he always treated them delicately, but whoever this Ju was, left a sore thought in Xing’s mind.
“Ju, can you kindly leave? My daughter is sleeping and I’m not interested.”
“Liar.” She said, whispering into his ear.
Ju raised her leg against his stomach, then slowly let it fall to his thigh. The smooth texture of the satin robes filled Xing’s mind with desire. It’s been a while since he felt a woman’s touch, not since Anqing, but no. He couldn’t. Not now. Not today.
A cold gust of wind burst through the window, hitting him in the back, and quelling what little desire he felt for Ju. He ground his teeth from the bitterness of his thoughts, then smiled. “I might be lying, but as you can see, my daughter needs me.”
Xing grabbed Ju by the shoulders, making her stand up correctly. He grabbed her by the arm and drag-scorted her from out of his room, shutting the door behind him with a thud.
“Ok. Maybe, just maybe…this wasn’t a good idea.” Xing said, feeling the wind send cold ripples throughout his body. “What did I get myself into?”
After finishing his shower, Xing plunked himself on the bed. The moment his back felt the soft feathers of the bed, his body began to sink into the bed. He outstretched his right, trying to grab the wafting white veil of the bed.
Xing felt as though he was falling into the bed. He tried grabbing out with his right hand, but it wouldn’t move. It was too tiring.
He turned to his right, feeling a brief bout of inertia, then pushed himself up. He heaved heavily and dabbed his forehead, and turned left, ensuring he didn’t wake the child.
She was sound asleep, which made him smile. “I'd gladly sleep on the floor, but she might roll off the bed.”
Xing rolled off the bed with a thud and propped his head up against the bed and crossed his leg. his was the position he was used to whilst sleeping in the wilds to sleep.
Those days were now a thing of the past unless he couldn’t find a proper place of abode.
As Xing propped up against the bed, his mind linger on the child and Susu. He didn’t think Susu would’ve given up so easily, but he surmised the Master had spoken to her in actuality. “Now, she’s with me.” He added.
In truth, Xing didn’t want to take the child with him, but between Xing and Susu, the child would stand a better chance, especially if he reached the Qi Perception Realm.
Xing never sought glory or fame, but he did what he deemed was the right thing in his eyes. He was never cunning nor careless. He, however omniscient when the circumstances required him to be.
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But only if I were Yun Yan would still be here...my son would still be here. Xing thought.
◆◆◆
An hour passed and sleep still didn’t bless Xing with rest, despite the rain spattering against his window sill. He sat on the floor nodding back and forth, but thinking about what his next step would be.
He said that he’d raise the child in Sichuan, but he wasn’t sure if it was a good idea. “Going to Sichuan might not be the best,” Xing admitted, thinking about whether he should make his way through the province. “It’s vast with farmland all over. It isn’t as crowded as the East, South and North of Huaxia, but because of that, the Imperial Soldiers’ presence isn’t as stressed. Bandits roam freely compared to the rest of Huaxia.”
If the Imperial Family have still settled Sichuan, the province would be the calmest out of the eight provinces.
Xing wasn’t worried about bandits, he could deal with those. Nor was he worried about cultist or immoral characters. His main concern was feeding the child and raising her as any man would love his daughter to be.
But I need a woman for that, she needs to grow up with a woman around. Susu...she needs you more than she needs me.
After a long thought, Xing finally decided on what he’d do once entering Sichuan. “I’ll build a little shack at the bottom of a small mountain. It might not be grandiose as Mount Emei, The Kunlun peaks or Mount Tai…but I’m sure there’s one in Sichuan for me to cultivate and be a good father.”
Xing kicked himself up from the ground and sat right next to the child. He began removing her robes and sighed as he did so as he was unbelievably tired.
As he unwrapped her from the robes, he noticed something wrong with her. Her face was pained but she didn’t cry and her chest was moving in and out as if she struggling to breathe.
Xing, placed his hand on her chest, feeling feel her struggle for the first time. His heart crept into his stomach, and his hands began shaking.
The child began panting and sweating frantically. The warmth of her chest was abnormal unlike his own. Cold? He asked himself, hell’s fury, she got wet in the rain!
Xing wrapped her back into the quilt. The moment the linen shirt fell over his head, a loud crack of thunder bellowed in the distance. “Not now!” Xing hissed, flustered.
He ran to the bathtub, checking the buckets of water hoping they were cold enough to cool her down but found none. He’d used all of them in his bath.
The door stood in the corner of his eyes and his frustration swelled. Xing knew that he would need a fresh bucket of water with some fresh clothes, but he also needed a physician to check on her.
At this point, saving her is of utmost importance, even though it may be a simple cold.
Xing shot through the door passing, men and women alike, who toyed with each other. He reached the end of the corner and sprint down bypassing all the fine art that stood on the wall.
He reached the staircase, looking down hoping to find the hostess, but she wasn’t at the front desk. Men and women bypassed him like a sour grape, wrinkling their noses at him as he stood there, indecent. “Woo! Seems you’ve come out to play” Xiao Ju said, grabbing his hand.
He stiffened, then caught himself, he drew his lips into a smile and then eyed her. “Play? Sorry, I can’t do that. However, if you can get me the best physician here in ten minutes, there are three silver stones in it for you”
Ju’s eyes gleamed as if she’d just seen a Young Master throwing silver stones at her. She licked her lips and nodded. Her surly smile was seductive for some reason, but with fright pulsing through Xing’s veins, he dared not spare another second on lust. “Please,” Xing added, smiling through his teeth.
The woman pinched his bicep and then smacked him on the chest playfully. “I’ll be back in five.”
“Thank You!” Xing said, He turned and made his way back to his room, realising he’d left the child alone in a brothel. You fool, Susu will have your neck if she finds out.
Xing turned the corner hastily, then caught the hostess coming out of his room, shutting the door. I wasn’t gone that long Xing thought.
The corridor was filled with both men and women, playing with each other, but in Xing’s mind, only one person mattered, and that was the hostess that led him to his room. Did he see her? Xing asked, himself.
He mentally calmed himself, whipping off what little beads of sweat he accumulated rushing outside, and swallowed deeply.
He flashed his best smile and licked his lips. “Missing something?” Xing asked the hostess.
She turned her nose, walking by without saying a word, but Xing grabbed her arm squeezing it as firm as he could without hurting her. “I’m not available,” She said, trying to pull herself free. “Especially to the likes of you.”
Xing laughed, ignoring the insult then nodded. He stepped towards her reminding her of the height difference between them, then brought his face down, levelling his face with hers. “You’re not worth five copper coins lass. So keep that pissant attitude to yourself. Now that we have formalities out of the way. I’ll ask you one more time before I break your arm. Are you missing anything?”
The hostess dressed back, flashing a ruffled expression across her face, but calmed herself instantly. It made her look confident, confident enough to disregard Xing’s threat. “What’s your question ruffian?” She gawked, drawing the eyes of everyone in the hallway.
“Are you being bothered Hostess Li?” A man said to Xing’s right. Xing’s turned, looking him up and down. The man had three women at his side. Xing began surging his Qi within his body, ready to explode.
Li, the hostess chuckled a laugh and then eyed Xing again. “Hardly…” She said, pulling her hand free with effort. “Don’t you have someone to take care of?” Hostess Li scoffed, then walked off.
Xing smiled indignantly at the man, showing his teeth. “She’s right.” He said gruffly, then stomped his way down the hallway entering his room.
He clicked the door behind him and felt a smidgen of anxiety hit him. Why was she here? He asked himself, did she truly not go in?
Those were the question he asked himself whilst he wait, waiting on Xiao Ju to return, a return he hoped would be soon, or he’d have to watch his little girl breath heavily as ever…all because he couldn’t find shelter.
Xing considered storming through the rain again, but with the child nestled in his arms breathing heavily those thoughts left him in an instance…just once he would have to rely on someone.
Someone he barely knew and trusted.