22 A Storm Is Coming (1/2)
At the early hours of the day, the streets of Zao Kingdom's Imperial City were already filled with noise and life. There was the strong smell of fresh buns being boiled on a small stand at the side of the street, the loud voices os merchants all around trying to attract unsuspecting costumers walking around the street... A man promising accurate divination and good fortune from shaking and choosing a couple os wood sticks...Even the sweet and warm taste of caramel coming from the corner of the street, where an old man slowly designed beautiful animals with melted sugar, seemed to twirl on the air.
There were various ladies from different families talking in small groups or wandering around on the company of a high ranked made, all of them walking side by side with beggars, servants and peasants trying to sell their fruits and vegetables to some of the better known restaurants in town.
Zao Wang Guo's (N/T: Kingdom) Capital City was the kind of place where a malnourished, hungry child could stand side by side with another one, wearing golden threaded clothes, and no-one would give it a second thought.
”There is much riches to be found on the Lands of man... Where hundreds walk over thousands that make'm able to stand”.
”I still remember when I taught you this verse” a familiar voice said, cool and silky like a night breeze over his skin ”I also remember warning you not to repeat it lightly.”
Eyes slowly opening to the bustling street market, Fei Hong kept his back rested against one of the large, radish columns of the Tea House.
”So, you are really back” Foi Hong said in a low voice, watching the other man with eyes still a bit unfocussed ”It's been a long time.”
”So it has” the newcomer agreed, keeping a distance of a few steps between them ”I've been meaning to talk to you.”
Fei Hong studied him with a guarded expression, his mind, turning furiously in an attempt to guess the reason that brought him back to the city just a couple days after General He returned in secret. The possibilities, none of them were good – even more considering the lack of money to try and control the situation on the borders.
Besides, he was finding hard to concentrate on anything beyond the sudden tightness around his ribs, and the deep ache pulsing on the middle of his chest at the sight of those exotic bluish eyes.
”Da Shao Ye?”
The young master blinked, releasing the breath he didn't even know he had been holding as he turned to his aide in relief.
”Did you find anything?” he asked Ye Qi with a slightly anxious edge to his voice, careful not to be overheard by the bystanders chatting close to the building.
”Sir, this... ” the young man stuttered, looking uncomfortably to the side where the second man stood, watching their interactions with calm amusement.
Looking back for the briefest of moments, Fei Hong dismissed Ye Qi's worries.
”Just say it. Don't need to care about Great Daoist Master.”
”Sir!” Ye Qi agreed reluctantly, giving another side glance at Daoist Master, as If trying to choose the right words ”Sir... A-hem... there was indeed a fighting on the street.” he stopped again, fidgeting ”People are saying a girl put herself between the Crown Prince and Great Daoist Master... Just as he was about to use the Cloud Shattering technique...”.
”I understand.” Fei Hong mumbled, shivering internally at the image of his sister facing that kind of power ”And about the girl... Are they saying any names?” he asked, fingering the handle of his sword.
There was no saying the magnitude something like that could take once on the gossip mill, but as long as his sister's name was not being thrown around alongside Gueng Xi's, he would not intervene.
From his place near the front entrance of the Tea House, two steps bellow the two Masters, Ye Qi gulped nervously, his face going a few shades whiter as he considered his next words carefully.
”Hum... You see, Xiao Ye...” Before he was able to finish, however, that same velvety voice spoke once more, his tone slow, almost lazy as he approached Fei Hong, resting a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
”There is gossip every day, but if no one listens anymore, the gossip will die. Fei Hong” Great Daoist Master called, his eyes burning directly into the Jiang's young master's dark orbs ”sometimes, letting the river flow, is the best way to deal with the flood”
Fei Hong felt his entire body tense at the contact, before slowly relaxing once again, his bright eyes slowly cooling down once more... He shivered, stepping back and out of reach as his gaze hardened, turning into the glazed, icy surface of a mirror.
'I had almost forgotten' he whispered to himself in a resigned tone 'Fei Hong, Fei Hong, didn't you already learn from last time?!'
”Ye Qi” he called suddenly, his voice faltering almost in perceptively ”you can leave now. Just make sure to keep an eye on the situation. If there's anything... Anything at all, you come to me. Do you understand?”.
”Sir!”. Ye Qi acknowledge, a worried expression crossing his face as he watched both men measure one another, an uneasy feeling beginning to his stomach as he turned to leave.
As his aide finally left, Fei Hong rested his strained shoulders once more against the red pillars.
”You shouldn't have done that”, he commented on a detached tone.
”The kid has improved” Master agreed, unfazed ”There was no harm on indulging him”.
”It was reckless” Fei Hong retorted ”Do you even know what could happen if the Crown Prince had been hurt?”.
Instead of looking offended, however, the Great Daoist Master just smiled softly.
”I suppose this's what was missing” he mused, his fingers playing with the slender, jade flute always attached to the belt around his waist.
”Don't play games with me Ah Ren” Fei Hong said, his voice sounding strained to his own ears ”Why are you really here?”
Suddenly, just like the curtains falling at the ending of a play, all joy had vanished from Daoist Master's face, his angular cheeks and pointed eyes suddenly looking much older and wiser without that naive glint of happiness smoothing his sharp edges.
”The change that is coming... You need to prepare yourself.”
Fei Hong nodded slowly, barely conscious of his action as a debilitating cold started spreading through his body like venom.
”We still have time” he whispered back ”You said it yourself more than once. Things will happen when they are supposed to.”
Daoist Master just looked at him, an old sadness sipping for the briefest of seconds onto his eyes, disappearing almost as quick as it had shown up. Before he could manage to say anything back, though, the loud sound of applause coming from inside the Tea House brought both men's attention back to the Tea Brewing Competition, just as Jiang Qing Shan's tea was finished and served for Tong Zhi Ruo and a few selected nobles under unabashed praising.
Fei Hong breathed deeply.
”A wolf raised between dogs will still be a wolf, just as a phoenix raised between chicken, will always be a phoenix.” he muttered to no one in particular, his eyes still set on his sister with a deepening frown.
”You can change the appearance, but inside, the essence will always be the same.” Daoist Master agreed in a thoughtful tone, watching closely for Fei Hong's reaction ”Don't be too hard on your sister. Some things... We are just not able to understand in this life”
The words echoed through Fei Hong's thoughts for a few seconds like noises on a tunnel, without sense or meaning whatsoever. The frustration and tiredness of everything that had been happening to his family was coming to the surface with a vengeance, finally taking his toll on him.
”Fei Hong” Ah Ren called again ”Let it go”.
Slowly, as Daoist Master's meaning seeped through the haze on his mind, Fei Hong felt like being plashed with cold water, the cool feeling washing all the annoyance and frustration away. Turning to glance at his friend, he released a deep sigh.
”I just wished she could be more cautious” he said in a defeated tone ”I thought that after everything that happened on the Manor she would understand... She would learn to retreat”.
He had thought Qing Shan would finally be able understand the crushing need to let someone else take the spotlight in order to survive.
”Love and understanding, even though they can walk side by side, are not always the same” Yi Ren said with a sad expression ”No-one questions your devotion to your family, Fei Hong... But if you want to survive what is to come, you have to try and learn to accept. To understand your sisters are flawed.”
”I know” he agreed easily. Still, it was hard not to resent what could be so easily seen as selfishness...