His eyes slowly peeled open. He got up and rubbed his head, while looking around. He recognised the room, it was the room he would sleep in before he went to Goixi academy. He stretched his hands, testing himself, he could still feel his muscles a little tender from the battle with The Masked Woman.

He hopped off the soft bed and made his way to the window. He walked along the roof and looked out at the courtyard. There he could see Zen going through his forms. He had done it with them so many times that he could copy the actions from memory alone.

He made his way to Wang Zen and waited until Zen punched out as part of the form he was practising and leapt onto his outstretched arm. He could see the confused frown on Zen’s faced slowly turn to glee.

“Shibi!” Zen shouted before hugging the Scorch Ape and spinning around.

Shibi looked worried.

“Sorry, Buddy.” He said with a wide smile. “You’re probably still recovering, I’m glad you’re back on your feet.”

“Oh joy, the freeloader is awake.” Wang Lin said as she walked over to Zen.

“Mom, don’t call Shibi a freeloader.” Zen whined.

Shibi hopped onto Wang Lin’s shoulder when she was close enough.

“Yeah yeah yeah,” Wang Lin petted the excited Scorch Ape, “I know you missed me.” She looked at her son. “There are town officials in the house. They want to talk to you.”

“To me?”

She looked at Shibi on his shoulder and petted him soothingly. “I can’t coach you but whatever you do, follow your father’s plan.”

“What do you mean?” Zen said.

“Wang Zen,” an old croaky voice said.

Zen looked at the man. Before him were three men in black garb and scrolls in their arms. “Yes?”

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“We are doing an enquiry on the Commoner’s Civil War and determining the appropriate punishment for all those involved.”

“I wasn’t involved,” Zen said defiantly.

“But your father was.” One of them said as they unfurled their scroll. “Wang Ton was one of the generals of the civil war in this town. He and his army of Battle Mannequins distracted the city guards, allowing the Commoner Rebels to infiltrate the City Lord’s palace, where they killed the City Lord.”

“Yes, and the Overlord’s forces as well as the West Lord was needed to take them down.” Zen said, pride beaming in his voice. The country was ruled by the Overlord, who appointed Four Lords, East Lord, West Lord, South Lord and North Lord who had free reign to go wherever they pleased in the country and enforce whatever agenda they wanted as long as it built stability to the Overlord’s country. Normally, only powerful and notable individuals are chosen by the Overlord to be one of the Four and it took one of them to defeat his father.

“How much of your father’s plan did you know of before its execution?” one of them asked. “You did visit him before the Civil War began, so you must have known something.’

“I…”

“Tell us the truth now,” one of them said. “And you will not be punished too severely.”

“Before you threaten my son with punishment,” Wang Lin said, her body language seemingly nonchalant as she petted Shibi and did not spare a glance to the three men, “why don’t you recount what happened when my son visited Wang Ton.”

Another scroll was opened. “According to records from the Red Dragon Sect, Wang Ton, got in an argument with Wang Zen that escalated into a physical fight where Wang Ton brutally beat his son.”

Zen flinched at the memory. “Yes, that happened.”

“What was the argument about?”

“My brother.” Zen said.

“Ah yes, Wang Hun,” another scroll opened, “He too was accused of treason and executed by the Red Dragon Sect.” The man closed the scroll with a sigh. “Like father like son. We wonder if the rot does not go to the core with this family.”

“I’ll remind you that I am a member of the Jao family,” Wang Lin said, walking beside her son and glaring at three. “Yes, the crime is the same but if you examine the details, assuming the Red Dragon Sect are even brave enough to provide the details of my son’s mur… crime and execution, you’ll see that they are different, no connecting agenda to thread them together.”

“Fine,” he lamented, “and apparently you and your father had an estranged relationship.” Another said. “Yes, it seemed you and your father did not like each other at all.”

“That does put him above suspicion.” Wang Lin said.

“Yes, but it does not change the fact that the Wang family has to be punished.” The man said. “First, the Wang family must be forced to pay 10 000 Spirit Coins.”

“What?” Zen said. Though he was not sure of the family finances, that seemed like a considerable chunk of the Wang fortune.

“And, as of this moment, the Wang family will lose their status as nobles.”

Zen stepped back from utter shock.