Chapter 44: Victory!
"Thank you, oh, thank you, young master. This slave will always be grateful to you! I will serve you with my life if needed!"
Once again the pathetic man, apparently his name was Dong Jin, was kneeling and hugging the legs of Xin. Now the boy wasn't even a bit hesitant in shaking him off. However, he still was persistent in praising him. Tears were flowing from his clean and slightly womanly face. Turned out he was at least several years younger than the mask showed, about eighteen of nineteen. When the mask first came off Xin expected to see something more shocking, but no, he was pretty normal. A usual rich young master. What a letdown.
"We should get going."
Said Maha while seeing Mo Guang off.
"We taking him?"
"Yes."
"I will be helpful, young master, I will, I promise!" Said the man while trying to make a smile. Xin's eyes slightly twitched. It was a long time since he was called Young Master, pleasant memories, but with a nasty fly, that was spoiling all the ointment.
"…okay."
It might be annoying.
"Let's go." Said Maha to him.
"Yes, madam!" Nodded the man and for a second Xin expected him to go on his fours, but surprisingly, the man walked like a normal person with his head straight. Seems like not everything that smells and looks like a dog is one.
…
…
…
By the time the elephant appeared in their view, the yellow shine has already covered all things. Almost evening already. Xin suddenly felt very tired; what an eventful day it was. Thinking about it now, he has actually done something impressive. Saved someone! Became a hero at such a young age! With help, of course, but without him, that pathetic little creature that for some reason insisted on carrying his "sabre" would have been dead by now.
Future biographers surely will be impressed. Not that it mattered much.
"The entire army skipped a day." He suddenly said aloud, finding it rather strange.
"Yes; seems like it cannot function without Mo Guang. Their management is quite inefficient."
"Surely it is, madam!"
"Stay silent." Maha's calm voice gained unusual coldness. Seems like she also was getting annoyed with that person.
"Yes, madam!"
"Now that you know the way, go find a lake and take a bath. You can have this as a protection."
She gifted him her blue flag.
"!" Dong Jin eagerly nodded and disappeared into the trees.
After that, the elephant lowered his horn and lifted them to the top. Then a bit more walking and finally the familiar room. A bit stuffy air for they have left the window closed. Xin immediately opened it and sat opposite Maha. Their eyes blinked.
"You said you want to be more informed. Therefore I will explain to you what you have not heard."
Xin's interest went up. During the whole deal she spoke several times with the man, and now the content of these talks was about to be brought to light. Literally
"This man is from the Dong clan, I am not sure how the social structure of your country works, however, I know they are rich."
"Dong? I've heard of it." Xin's face brightened, for the first time he will be the one explaining something to Maha. He tried to recall everything he knows about the famous moneybags.
"The Dong Clan is from the west, they control sea trade or something. They are very rich and own very large amount of property in the capital. I think. They have very good relationships with the Left Minister, the daughter of their patriarch is married to his son."
That is all he could remember from the Modern History book Shan forced him to memorize. A short paragraph out of almost several dozens of pages concerning the Dong Clan.
"I see. From what I have learned, he comes not from the main clan, but from a branch. His family are bodyguards for the main clan, however, his mother was in… illicit relationships with the heir of the main clan. He is "a bastard who had never known hardship". That what he said."
"Sounds good."
"I can not judge. However, later he found this life unsatisfying and ran away to serve in the army for some time. During a scouting assignment, he was "tricked" by his teammates and left alone. He was lost in the forest and then got captured."
"Sounds pathetic."
"Yes." Maha's eyes blinked.
"It does."
"Hey, hey, master elephant, please, lower your horn! Let me get up!"
Suddenly a voice came from the window. Xin felt the urge to close it.
Maha totally ignored it.
"I had to take him with us. Otherwise, very likely that they would have killed him. I said that I wished to question him about the human's society. What is more, he can be useful. With him, you will not have to gather food anymore."
"Thanks."
He felt truly grateful. Maybe he will be able to taste some real meat now. They won't feed him wastes right?
…right?
"But, I don't understand something."
Xin decided to ask the question that has been troubling him for some time now.
"What is it?"
"Why did they lie? I mean, it would have been bad if the beasts got to know that there was infighting, but why lie to us?"
Maha went silent for several seconds. They slowly said:
"I understand what you are talking about. They admit that their society has problems; they wish for our help, however, they risk and lie to us. They could have said there was an internal conflict, that they were just trying to deal with it using that human as a scapegoat... they are enemies already, after all. However, they chose to lie."
"The answer is simple; their regime is founded on lies, on fear. Slowly by steady, they are forgetting how it is, to tell the truth, to admit. They have chosen the easy way out, not only they don't trust their subjects anymore, they do not trust anyone. They cultivate their lies because they do not know what else to do with it. In a way, the Emperor of Mo is a pitiful person..."
Suddenly, a tremble sounded.
"Wait, sir elephant, it's not what you think, I was just trying to get up. Please save me!"
"…"
"…"
…
…
…
In the end, Dong Jin was placed to sleep outside, he was too afraid to climb on the elephant after the incident, and there wasn't enough space in their room anyway. Sleeping on the back of the beast would have been even worse.
After dealing with all that stuff Xin started cultivating. Qi was gathering around his body and slowly entering his meridians, filling them bit by bit.
After several hours, when it became completely dark, he slowly opened his eyes. A hesitant look appeared on his face.
Should he go visit the old man? Well, there wasn't much choice with his sabre in captivity. But should he tell Maha of it? There was no reason to hide it, and even so, he wasn't sure about it. He knew she wasn't sleeping, but still, the night makes you more careful about rising sound.
"I'll go for a walk." He said and quickly went out.
He will tell her tomorrow, right.
The boy jumped from the Unicorn Elephant and heard an unfamiliar snoring. Dong Jin, like a kid, was lying with his palms under his head.
"…"
The boy walked more silently, trying not to wake him up. Gladly, it seems he was too tired to react.
Xin went to the place he met the old man earlier, that little ravine. He was sure he'll find the old guy there. Along the way, he saw many fallen trees. What has happened here? His steps slowed down but then speed up. Just in a case, he took out his blue flag.
Finally, he saw the familiar dead tree. Gladly, it was still safe so he managed to recognize the place. He sat down and started waiting.
"What are you doing brat." Sounded almost immediately. Xin lifted his head. The old man was in the exact same place as the night before, his gown shining with the same blue.
"You have time and wasting it like that. Why aren't you practicing your sabre?!"