With Wu Yu’s words closing off the Tournament, the spectators began to leave in droves. Some were disappointed, some were content with what they saw and maybe others just did not care about the outcome as it didn’t involve them. Then this begs the question, why did they come here if that truly was the case? Was it curiosity? Was it peer pressure? Or was it the search for something different than the mundane lives they’ve been living for most if not all of their lives?
But none of this concerned the boy right now, who was currently heading towards Li Chyou. She was walking down from the arena, her head held high and chest puffed out; a sharp contrast to Murong Fang as he looked pale from his injuries and needed to be carried down on a stretcher. Yet he still did not forget to glare daggers at Li Chyou and later, the boy when he came towards her.
As he walked towards her, the latter’s eyes lit up. She bolted towards him with a resolve he had never seen. He was about to turn his head to see if Li Yan or Li Fen was behind him when a weight fell on his body accompanied by gentle warmth. A pair of slender arms embraced his back.
His eyes widened as he looked in front of him. Li Chyou buried her head in his chest as a soft fragrance assailed his nose.
“Y-Young Miss?” he stammered out of sheer surprise.
In response, she let him go and stepped back. She looked up at him with a maiden’s expression and spoke meekly, “Thank you!”
The boy quickly smiled. It seemed she was simply that happy to have won! He chuckled, “Let’s go back home, shall we?”
She smiled radiantly and nodded, “Mn!” before walking past him. The boy stood rooted in place. Her expression this time…was beautiful; one might say it was even breathtaking. It was a wonder how she had not found someone who truly loved her.
He sighed heavily. His troublesome Young Miss kept on displaying her joy of winning the tournament. He quickly abandoned these useless thoughts once he saw that she had walked quite a distance.
He quickly rejoined her and walked a step behind her as was the norm for someone of his status. Li Chyou walked with a spring in her step, any more and it would look like she was skipping.
They quickly exited the arena and made their way to where the carriages were parked. On their way there, they saw Li Yan, Li Fen, and Li Daoyun all standing together, waiting for her.
Just like before, showing her pearly white teeth, she smiled and ran to them. Her parents held up their arms as she jumped in their embrace. Li Yan and Li Fen had to take a few steps back to stabilize themselves as they held on to their daughter tightly.
“Me too!” Li Daoyun raised her arms and whined. The others roped her into their embrace. A loving atmosphere had formed.
The boy watched from a distance with a smile. The more he looked, the more strained his smile felt. What was it that his heart felt; sharp pain or a crushing weight? Maybe the distance between him and that family was not only a physical one but also one between their hearts.
The boy shook his head and looked away. His desire to understand his past grew now more than ever. Did this pain come from loss or envy? The boy once again shook his head.
Maybe, in the future… and just like that, he stopped thinking and walked towards the carriage he came here in, albeit he took a long path to get there. As he walked slowly, a figure joined him.
Without looking up, the boy spoke, “Butler Yu, why did you come back?”
“Since I determined that the Clan Estate is safe, naturally I would come back to protect the Clan Head and his family.” The two looked forward as they walked, neither looking at one another.
The boy nodded, “Since you missed the tournament, let me just say that you did not miss much. Other than the fact that Young Miss won against Murong Fang in her match and it was canceled abruptly by the Elders of the Sects.”
“I’ve heard about it. Guess the contestants would not be getting the extra rewards.”
“All of the contestants got selected for a sect, isn’t that enough of a reward? It was only said that they would take the first three winners.”
“Well, I believe that they never thought a small town like ours would have more than two or three talents. The Murong Clan’s punishment was a clever distraction to cover up their mistake!”
“I see…” the boy’s words trailed off, not wanting to speak. The two continued to walk in silence after that. The sounds of the exiting crowd, their heated conversations, their speculations all drowned out the various sounds of nature and the two’s footsteps.
Sometimes instead of complete silence, what you need most is sound. Thoughts, both negative and positive, brew when you have nothing else to focus on. People with flaws and imperfections often think about their flaws when they have nothing to do. It is a downward spiral; full of hate and loathing.
After some time, Yu Hao spoke with a quiet voice, “Thank you!”
“I’m just doing the job I’m being paid for,” the boy shook his head. He paused before sighing heavily, “Anything else is my problem and mine alone.”
“So, what will you do now?”
Looking forwards, the boy asked, “What do you mean?”
“I mean, the Young Miss has been chosen to enter a sect. And it’s the Jade Lotus Sect; the girls there would eat you up.”
“I see,” the boy touched his chin, “It means my time serving the Young Miss is coming to an end.” The boy paused before suddenly chuckling, “If I don’t get kicked out, I’ll do whatever is asked of me. And if I do, I’ll look for a job elsewhere, though I don’t see myself doing that for long.”
“I like that arrogance,” Yu Hao laughed. “You seem very sure that you’ll get hired somewhere!”
“I don’t mean that,” he shook his head.
“Then…?”
“Find it out yourself!” the boy said those four words and closed his mouth, refusing to speak.
With Yu Hao in deep thought and the boy walking in silence, they soon found themselves near the carriages; the two parted ways as they came here in different carriages.
Nearing the carriage he came in, he saw the coachman sitting on the front chewing on a piece of straw. He did not bother the man. He sat down near the carriage and leaned back on it.
Sighing heavily, he scratched his neck. “I feel tired,” he looked up at the sky. The sky was cloudless, showing its vast blueness to the people on the ground.
“Oh, boyo!” perhaps he had heard the boy’s mutterings but the coachman turned to look at him. “You’re back?”
“Yep!” the boy nodded.
“You don’t look so good,” he remarked. “You should go rest inside the carriage!”
“Wish I could do that,” the boy smiled helplessly. Shaking his head, he continued, “But I’m just a mere butler, I can’t head inside without my Young Miss!” The boy paused before suggesting, “Let me just sit here and close my eyes for a bit. Call me when the Young Miss!”
“Well, she’s here,” the coachman pointed to the distance. The boy followed his finger and saw Li Chyou walking towards the carriage.
The boy hastily got up and dusted his pants. Li Chyou walked towards him and stood in front of him. She placed her hands on her hips and stared at him angrily.
“Is something the matter, Young Miss?” the boy asked in a low voice.
“You left me there!” she puffed her cheeks in anger.
“Well, I thought you’d like the privacy!” the boy spread his hands innocently.
“At least, stay somewhere close by! Do you know how much I had to search around for you?”
“Not at all,” the boy denied her argument. “You came here straight away!”
Li Chyou simply stared at him. Not wanting to back down, he stared back. An awkward staring contest formed between them. But soon she looked down and smiled cheekily, “You’re right! I knew you’d be here!”
“Then, shall we go?” the boy gestured towards the carriage.
“Let’s go!” Li Chyou nodded and was about to climb in the carriage when the two heard hurried footsteps behind them. Li Chyou looked surprised when the two looked behind to see who it was. It was Wang Meimei!
Li Chyou looked at the latter warily as she spoke, “What are you doing here, mil- hyaah!” before she could insult her, the boy had pinched her sides. Li Chyou snapped her head around and glared at him with resentment.
The boy simply smiled, “Let’s be civil now!”
“Fine,” she grumbled and turned around to face Wang Meimei once again. “What do you want?” although she was not outright insulting her, there was still hostility in Li Chyou’s tone.
Wang Meimei smiled bitterly as though she had expected such aggression. She suddenly bowed and yelled, “I’m sorry!”
Li Chyou looked stunned as she tried to process what just happened. She subconsciously looked towards him and saw him smiling slightly.
“W-Why?” Li Chyou stammered as she looked at the bowing Wang Meimei with a dumb look on her face.
“Although I knew you were drugged, I still did nothing!” Wang Meimei spoke in a guilty tone. “For that, I’m sorry!”
Li Chyou stared at her in silence. Soon after, she sighed and scratched her head. With a pause, she spoke, “…in the first place, you had nothing to do with it. So, why are you apologizing?”
“I-Isn’t it wrong not to have warned you?” Wang Meimei looked up at her, her eyes seeking forgiveness.
“It doesn’t matt-” before Li Chyou spoke anymore, the boy cut her off and spoke, “It certainly is, Young Miss Wang! But first and foremost, you are of a rival clan and have no obligation to do so.”
He paused as Wang Meimei looked at him, “But your feelings show your sincerity. There is something else you want, isn’t there?”
“Uh, y-yes!” Wang Meimei nodded repeatedly like a chicken pecking on rice.
“She wants something?” Li Chyou turned around and looked at the boy, wanting an answer.
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“She’s probably here to make amends and friends,” the boy spoke in a calm tone.
“F-Friends?” Li Chyou exclaimed in surprise before turning back to look at Wang Meimei who looked surprised that he got it right.
“Is he saying the truth?” Li Chyou asked her whilst pointing at him.
“Mn!” she nodded meekly.
“But I don’t w- hyaah!” The boy once again pinched her side before she could finish her words.
“Don’t be hasty, Young Miss,” he pulled back his hand kept them clasped behind his back. “Why not give her a chance? She seems-” he looked at Wang Meimei who was still bowing, “-sincere in her words.”
“Umm…” Li Chyou touched her sounds as she mulled his words over. She looked at him again and asked, “What should I do?”
“Well, for starters, you can stop her from bowing.”
“R-Right,” she nodded and looked back at Wang Meimei, “Stand straight!”
Wang Meimei slowly stopped bowing and stood upright as she looked into her eyes.
Li Chyou sighed, “Well, I have nothing to forgive you for-” she looked at Wang Meimei whose expression had fallen and smiled mischievously, “-but I can try to get along with you!”
Wang Meimei’s jaw fell agape as she looked at Li Chyou in shock. However, that shock turned into joy as she jumped and pulled the latter into a hug.
“Thank you!” Wang Meimei exclaimed in joy.
“H-Hey!” Li Chyou was caught off-guard by this sudden turn of events. She struggled at first before calming down. She hesitated whether or not to hug her. In the end, she hesitantly put her hands on Wang Meimei’s back.
Wang Meimei let go of her and took Li Chyou’s hands into her. With sparkling eyes, she said, “Let’s take care of one another in the sect.”
“Sure,” she nodded. “Then I’ll visit sometime later.” Li Chyou and Wang Meimei bid each other farewell as the former boarded her carriage with the boy.
The coachman whipped the horses as the carriage began to move down the road. The boy and Li Chyou sat on opposite sides. He opened the window, letting the sunshine and wind into the carriage.
Leaning his head on the windowsill, he closed his eyes.
After a while of silence, Li Chyou asked, “How did you know Wang Meimei wanted to make amends?”
“Guessed,” without opening his eyes, he replied concisely.
“So, why did you ask me to accept her without confirming it?”
“Because the two of you will be part of the same sect. Befriending her would mean one less enemy and one more ally.”
Once again, silence descended upon the carriage. Other than the vibrations of the carriage, the gentle whistling of the wind, and the rustling of trees, the carriage seemed silent. A strange peace had formed.
Unwilling to let this situation persist, Li Chyou hesitated and asked, “…is something the matter?”
“I’m just thinking of the future, Young Miss.”
“What do you mean?”
“Young Miss, you’re smart. Surely, you know what I mean.”
“…you won’t have a job once I leave.”
“Maybe, maybe not. Who knows? Maybe I’ll be in charge of something else or tasked to do odd-jobs now.”
“I’ll ask my mom for something.”
“Does Young Miss want me here?” he finally opened his eyes and looked at her.
“I…” she opened her mouth but no words came out. The boy smiled and turned to look outside the window. People walked by; mothers and sons, families, husbands and their wives, young lovers, grandparents and so much more.
The boy closed his eyes. Peace. Is it not what I desired? Then is it possible to gain anything else? Probably not. Then what can be done? Repress my desires in this animalistic world. What kind of life would be best? A mundane one. Then…shouldn’t there be meaning in living life? What sort of meaning do I want to find within the mundane?
The boy yawned. Under the constant vibrations of the carriage, the boy fell asleep with his head leaned on the windowsill. The carriage continued on home, leaving Li Chyou with her thoughts.
Half an hour later, the carriage parked in front of the main gates of the Li Clan Estate. The boy opened his eyes and groggily sat up. Rubbing his eyes, he stood up and got off the carriage after the carriage. It was already noon. He yawned and looked around.
He turned around and asked, “Shall we go, Young Miss?”
“I do,” Li Chyou muttered but at this distance, he heard it.
“What do you mean?”
“You asked me what if I wanted you here,” Li Chyou spoke firmly. “I do want you here.”
The boy simply stared at her in silence. After a few seconds, she started fidgeting and looked at the ground, unable to look at him in the eyes.
The boy suddenly yawned. Looking at her with sleepy eyes, he nodded, “Well, that’s good!”
Li Chyou was dumbfounded at his sudden answer but quickly composed herself and asked, “You look tired. Well, I guess half an hour of sleep is too little.”
The boy shook his head lethargically and smiled.
“That was the longest sleep I’ve ever had.”
----------------------------------------
A Few Days Later
The Sects gave each inducted contestant a few days to say their goodbyes or tie up any loose ends.
And Li Chyou certainly used these days to the max. She spent less time on anything else and more time on her family. As such, he indirectly got more free time; not that he did anything new with that free time. Just chat with his friends among the servants, sleep or cultivate. An endless series of repetitions.
He did not mind such a life. It was what he was looking for. Wasn’t it?
Anyway, today, the allotted time given by the Sects has come to an end. An envoy from the Jade Lotus Sect will come to the Li Clan Estate and pick Li Chyou up.
To that extent, Li Yan and the others stood in front of the main gate as the Jade Lotus Sect’s Envoy came in a luxurious carriage. So, luxurious that it in fact made people wonder if this luxuriousness was really needed for a mere envoy. But this also served as a showcase for the Jade Lotus Sect’s wealth. Instead of wooden windows, there were pink, silk curtains. The sunlight penetrated the curtains just enough to reveal the silhouette of the person inside.
Aside from the coachman, on each side of the carriage, three people were marching. All of them were females and looked battle-hardened. The onlookers gaped at the majesty that radiated from this procession.
The carriage gradually came to a stop in front of the gate. Li Chyou and her family wore respectful looks as the coachman got up from the driver’s seat and took out a set of stairs before placing them at one of the sides. After he was done, the silhouette gently moved their slender arms and pushed the curtain to the side.
When the person inside, alighted from the carriage, the people from the Li Clan were shocked. It was that cold-faced but coquettish Elder Rao! A Sect Elder had personally visited them?
Li Chyou and the others bowed slightly and cupped their fists, “Senior!”
Elder Rao walked down the steps and stepped foot on the ground. She looked towards the bowing Li Clan members, “Rise!”
The Li Clan members slowly stopped bowing and stood upright. Elder Rao walked directly towards Li Chyou and grabbed her chin. Her cold face stopped inches away from Li Chyou’s. She moved Li Chyou’s head by her chin as she inspected her.
Before anyone could react, Elder Rao planted a kiss on Li Chyou’s lips! Li Chyou's eyes widened as she processed what was happening. The others were all looking at this with flabbergasted looks.
The boy’s lips twitched under his heavy mask; the two male members of the clan spying from afar high-fived one another as they rejoiced. Hell yeah, yuri!
Li Daoyun looked at the entire thing and thought it looked fun! She hoped Li Chyou would do it with her too!
After a long kiss, their lips parted under the dumbfounded gazes of the others; a string of saliva broke. Elder Rao licked her lips and looked at Li Chyou with predatory eyes[1].
“With that the first part of your induction to the sect is complete!” Elder Rao announced. “Are you ready to leave?”
“Y-Yes!” Li Chyou replied blankly. It seems she still hadn’t registered what had happened.
The boy rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath. My God, I fear for my nine-year-old body. With this, he now learned that there was never a shortage of perverts in the medieval era!
Li Chyou took a deep breath and shook all unnecessary thoughts from her mind. She turned around and walked towards her family. She hugged each of them, shedding a bunch of tears.
Finally, she walked towards the boy who watched on with lazy eyes. She stood in front of him, her eyes brewing with emotion. Finally, she pulled him into a hug.
He accepted it with his arm at his side. He hesitated a bit before lightly patting her back. When she let go, she looked at him angrily and puffed her cheeks. She grumbled, “Can’t even give me a proper send-off!”
“Well, if I did anything more, Master would probably chop my head off!” He smiled lazily. Though she couldn’t see it from underneath his mask, she knew from his curved eyes.
She smiled mischievously, “That’s true!” However, she dropped her playfulness and said, “Well, this is goodbye!”
“Don’t worry, we’ll meet again!”
“Really?” she seemed doubtful, “How do you know?”
“You should ask that Elder over there.”
“Fine, I will.”
With that, she walked towards Elder Rao. Although she was empty-handed, all her things were stored inside the Space Ring on her finger.
She walked side by side with Elder Rao. The latter asked, “Who was that boy?”
“He was my butler,” Li Chyou replied honestly.
“Heeh~” she hummed in interest, “You seem close to him?”
“I am,” she smiled beautifully.
“Why is he wearing a mask?”
“That’s because…” Li Chyou hesitated before saying, “his face causes problems.”
“Really? Now, I’m really curious!” Elder Rao turned her head over and looked at the boy. She gazed long into his lazy eyes.
Suddenly, she snorted in annoyance and started walking again.
“What’s wrong?” Li Chyou asked with a puzzled look.
“He looks like those bastards who make the women do all the work!”
This did not answer Li Chyou’s question at all. Not wanting to dwell on it, she asked what was on her mind, “Elder, can I visit my family?”
“Why not?” Elder Rao spoke casually, “We’re not those Taoist bastards who ‘sever all worldly attachments’!” She made air quotes when saying that.
“Is that so?” Li Chyou sighed in relief.
“Let’s go!”
The two boarded the carriage and it drove off. The Li Clan members present there all watched the carriage go further and further. Li Daoyun bawled her eyes out. That was not particularly notable when the Li Clan Patriarch, Li Yan was doing the same.
The boy looked at the carriage until it went around the corner. After that, he yawned and left. He walked towards his room.
Silently, a figure joined his side as he walked back to his room. The boy stopped and bowed, “Mistress.”
Indeed it was Li Fen and not Butler Yu like always.
“I’m just here to tell you something,” Li Fen looked at him playfully.
“And that is?”
“Since Li Chyou is gone, that means you have no job,” she spoke in a suspenseful way. But instead of getting anxious, he looked at her with half-opened eyes.
This caused her to deflate, “You know, you’ve changed a bit. You feel…lazier now!”
“I do feel sleepy most of the time now. But that’s beside the point. You were saying?”
“Right,” Li Fen nodded, “You’re going to be my butler now!”
“Wha-” The boy was startled by this sudden revelation. So much so, that it brought liveliness in his otherwise lazy eyes. “But you already have-”
“Those maids just serve me. They are in no way my ‘personal’ maids.” She narrowed her eyes at him, “What? You don’t wanna be my butler?”
“No, no!” he hurriedly shook his head and bowed, “I’ll be in your care, Mistress.”
Li Fen nodded in satisfaction. She then paused and looked at him, “Did Li Chyou leaving really hurt you that much?”
“Nope!” he shook his head, “We’ll always meet again.”
“What if she never comes back again?”
“That would hurt Mistress more than me. Besides, as long as she’s alive, there’s always the chance to meet again.”
“That’s quite optimistic of you!” she remarked.
“We simply cherish the idea of ‘goodbye’ without knowing what a true farewell is,” the boy spoke with melancholy.
“And what’s this ‘true farewell’?”
“I don’t know,” the boy shook his head. He shrugged and laughed mirthlessly, “Maybe the past me could tell you. But who knows? He doesn’t come out anymore!”
Li Fen looked at him silently as he spoke. After a pause, she said, “I don’t care about your past. Isn’t it the current you in front of me?” She took in a breath and smiled, “And to me, this place will always be a home to the ‘you’ in front of me!”
He stared at her in silence before whispering, “…thank you!”
She did not say anything in response. With that, he turned around and left. Li Fen looked at his back view and disappeared from the spot.
The boy pulled down his mask and inhaled deeply. At times like these, he was grateful to have an excuse to wear a mask. At least, they wouldn’t see this strained and fake smile on his face.
He went into his room and mulled over Li Fen’s words in his mind.
It’s home to the current ‘me’, is it? He looked around his room. There were no big changes from when he came here first. It was plain and could be given to someone as is if he ever died or lost his job. He sighed. Let’s decorate. Let’s make this my home!
Thump!
He staggered and grabbed onto the chair. He clutched his head as he started sweating. His head felt as though it had been hit with a hammer. He inhaled and exhaled. After some time, he stood up steadily. His breathing had calmed. It stopped hurting or rather, it hurt less.
His head still thumped but to a degree, he could tolerate it. He sat on his bed, confused.
What’s happening? He scratched his head. Was there something to cause this? I said ‘home’ and this happened. No wait, I thought ‘home’ and this happened. I just thought of it again!
He waited. His nerves were all tense as he waited for the pain. But there was nothing! Sighing heavily, he lay on his bed.
He closed his eyes and waited for another mundane day.