“What do you mean he’s of the Divination Realm!?” Xia Tao hissed, “The Old Man said he was of the Mind Awakening Realm!”
“The Old man’s a physician, Young Master Tao. He knows nothing about Martial Realms!” Son Meng said hoarsely, holding his chest.
Xia Tao turned, eyeing Pei Jin up and down. Something’s missing He thought He looked at his hands, and waist, noticing his sword was gone. It seems I hired two buffoons! Tao thought, “That sword I gave you cost forty silver coins. Where is it?”
“Bo Kung took it from me, Young Master.” Pei Jin said.
“Useless, absolutely useless!”
Xia Tao continually paced around the forest, dead leaves crunching beneath his feet as he balled his hands into fists.
As his mind began to wonder what he should do next, he pondered who this Shi Kung was. “Are any of you familiar with anyone called Shi Kung within the Jianghu?”
“I’ve never heard of a Shi Kung, Young Master, but there’s a Shi Qiu.”
“Shi Qiu?”
“Yes, He’s the heir of the Emerald Sky Palace.”
“Emerald Sky Palace?”
Pei Jin and Song Meng eyed each other confused, which only infuriated Xia Tao. “What” Tao growled.
“You aren’t familiar with the Jianghu Young Master?”
“Of course I am!”
“Young Master.” Song Meng said calmly. “The Emerald Sky Palace is one of Three Pillars of the Wulin.”
Xia Tao bit his lips and gnashed his teeth.“I know that, I just couldn’t remember their names!”
“Understood.” Pei Jin said, looking at him confused.
“What fighting style does this Shi Kung use?!”
“I’m not sure Young Master Tao, I’ve never fought anyone with his fighting style before. The most martial artist within the Jianghu is known to me. But I’ve never come across an expert like this.” Son Meng said.
“…could he be part of the Golden Bowl Sect?”
“Unlikely, It’s a self-taught style, he was able to separate us with orthodox strikes. It was like fighting a rabid beast.”
“Yeah, The most frightening aspect of his fighting style was the way he harnessed his Qi with each strike.”
“You sensed it as well?” Song Meng asked.
“Yea.”
“Sensed what?” Xia Tao asked.
Pei Jin turned to Tao, looking him dead in the eye. “He was holding back. If he wanted to, he could’ve killed us instantly.”
“Humph…I see.” Xia Tao said.
Dust began to flack up as the leaves he’d been stepping on finally buried themselves into the ground.
The green robes Tao wore began to absorb the dust like a feather, forcing him to puff his robes on occasion. He pulled his fan from his waist and began fanning what little grime tried to caress his face.
Xia Tao propped himself up against the tree and sat, looking into the ground as Pei Jin and Song Meng stood there, waiting for orders. Who is this Shi Kung? Xia Tao asked himself. These warriors never heard of him, yet he’s of the Divination Realm.
Which meant the possibility of him being a hero in the Jianghu was high, but why wouldn’t anyone know him?
Was he banished from his sect? Or are they on the run from them for taking in the child? Xia Tao mused. “This doesn’t make sense.” He said annoyed, “…unless Shi Kung isn’t his name, it’s an alias.”
“Young Master?” Meng finally asked after five minutes of silence.
“We need to get rid of ‘Shi Kung’. I need that child!” Xia Tao snapped, tapping his feet on the ground.
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“Young Master.” Son Meng said, “Why do you need Shi Kung’s daughter? Is she special?”
Xia turned to him, he didn’t say anything, but he allowed his eyes to do the speaking. Then, he spoke. “I’m not paying you to ask questions, Master Meng. However, if you can get me the girl in three days, I’ll double your taels.”
Pei Jin and Son Meng’s eyes lit up, as if a fire had blazed up providing a new lease of life, warming their bodies and souls. “Understood Young Master, but Pei Jin and I are not enough, we need a few more men, then we might be able to take him down.” Son Meng said.
“Or we can request the services from a Divination Realm practitioner?” Pei Jin added.
“Enlisting a Divination Realm Master is problematic. They are only two in Shaanxi and both of them are my father’s bodyguards.”
“Will they be willing to help?”
“No. They only serve my father.”
Pei Jin and Son Meng nodded, “If the Young Master allows it. We can get eight additional men, that should be enough for Shi Kung!”
“I’m not paying them. You, will pay them out of what I am paying you.”
“That. Is not a problem Young Master,” Son Meng said, greed laced within his eyes.
“Now, GET ME THAT CHILD!” Xia Tao said firmly.
“As the Young Master commands!”
Pei Jin and Song Meng left in an instant, leaving Xia Tao alone. He stayed underneath the tree, contemplating how he’d gotten here, but frustration was the only thing that answered back.
He rose from his seat, pacing back and forth again, feeling as though his father never truly wanted him to succeed. “He changed the deal,” Tao said bitterly. “He wants his remaining taels in seven days, which seemed unfair.
It was, but Xia Tao was nothing but a bastard in his father’s eyes, so he knew, this would be the only chance he’d ever get to establish himself away from him.
“I can’t escape my fate.” He whispered softly. “Then, I will make my own!”
Xia Tao then spent the next two hours contemplating his next move. As calming as the forest was, he still couldn’t come up with a resolution without force. So he finally decided to head back to the Red Lantern.
As he was making his way back, he realised that this was the longest he’d ever been without Jushi following him, but since that day his father came to him, he finally understood where Jushi’s loyalties lied.
“I always knew that bastard was a traitor! Xia Tao said, pulling his fan from his sleeve pocket. “You’re going to be the first one I eradicate once I gain what is MINE!”
◆◆◆
As Xia Tao entered his cellar-office. He stalked himself up the short staircase that led to his desk and dipped his hands into the opal basin.
The water sent a cold shock up his arms, which made his bones tingle for a moment. He ignored it, splashing his face with a hand full of water and sipping some of the water than ran off his face.
He snatched up the cloth from off of his desk and began dabbing his face lightly feeling as though he’d been outwitted by a mere warrior. “I need that child. If I don’t sell it, I’ll have to listen to my father for the rest of my life!”
Tao plunked himself in his chair and began ruminating on what his neck move. He knew that ‘Shi Kung’ had already left.
He considered having Pei Jin and Son Meng follow him, but that would’ve only served to court their death. Something he didn’t need right now.
A thought came to him, but he didn’t like it, but it was the only possible option left for him. “I might need Jushi to deal with Shi Kung. He’s of the Mind Awakening Realm, maybe…just maybe he can fight him.” He said aloud.
“No…Jushi isn’t enough. I need more men. Men that would incapacitate him so that I can take the child and retreat…yes, that’s what I’ll do.”
“Young Master Tao!” A young courtesan said, barging into his room, beads of sweat running down her face. Tao didn’t answer, but he allowed her to look at him for a few seconds before she shied her down.
“Yes?” He said coldly.
“Young Master Tao! We’ve been looking all over for you!” Chen said.
“Get to the point Chen Wu!”
“The old man physician was attacked, Sir!”
“What does that have to do with me?” Tao said, palming his temples.
“He was attacked by a tan Martial Arts Master in tattered clothes. He was also carrying a child with him.”
“A child?” Xia Tao said …did Physician Qing tell him about me? No…I hid my face with a mask and wore a cloak, there was no way he knew it was me.
A bell chimed off in Xia Tao’s mind and made him flustered in an instant. It never occurred to him that Shi Kung still had business with the physician, after all, he banned him from ever showing up in the Red Lantern Tavern again.
Then, he sent two men to his room, if it were Xia Tao he would leave, if it were, on top of that, he went snooping around offering a job.
I’m such a fool! He cursed. Xia Tao darted down the stairs and bypassed Wu Chen in a blink of an eye.
He ran down the basement hallway, flickering the torches and ascended three flights of stairs until he made his way towards the hallway that led to Shi Kung’s room.
The moment he reached the end of the hallway patron and courtesan’s eyes peered him up and down as if their eyes were moths drawn to a flame.
Keep your calm Xia Tao! He said to himself, increasing his pass walking down the hallway.
He reached the end of the hallway, seeing the damage of the battle between Shi Kung and the hired warriors.
As Tao’s eyes traced up, he noticed the shattered roof and the craters on the floors and walls, making the red hallway seem like a cave.
He ignored the taels that kept appearing in his eyes, reminding him of the cost it’d take to repair this one corridor.
Tao pushed the haggard door that led to Shi Kung’s room, feeling it creak from a mere tap. The door slanted and began to fall on Tao, but he caught it before it fell.
He pushed it up against the wall and walked into the room. Everything lay bare in front of Tao as his eyes searched through the entire room.
The bath barrel was drained, leaving a musk-like scent. whilst the table which sat in the middle of the room had damp cloths littered around it.
The bed on the left side of the room was empty, and the window was open, the sun beaming in as it had a mission to burn away the moisture that was left on the window sill.
Tao stood there, feeling a hollowness swirl within him, as he began to gnash his teeth whilst his anger began to roil within. He had three days left before he left. THREE DAYS.
He tried calming himself but the fury that spun within him for ten seconds finally bubbled over. “I LET THE LITTLE DEMONESS GET AWAY, HELLS FURY!”