"Halt!" Hong Zhao heard a guard yell at the entrance of Rantori Village. "What is your business here?"
"Respected elder, we have found this lowly child in the middle of the forest on our way home from receiving our cultivation method from Elder Li Huo." Li Wuhan bowed to the guard. As he did, Hong Zhao followed suit, but he didn't speak a word. "We are going to my father's estate to introduce Hong Zhao and hopefully to receive citizenship for him."
"Little Li Wuhan and Li Wei huh?" The guard looked down to the young children. "You finally got your cultivation methods, you had better work hard to bring honor to your family." He smiled and pat Li Wei on her head and finally gave Hong Zhao a once over. "You might want to get a change of clothes from one of the vendors on the way to see your father." He looked at the young child's robe made of midnight fur. He then noticed that some of the fur moved and then he saw Shadow's head. "Is that a shadow panther?"
Hong Zhao bowed to the guard in respect, but on the inside he wanted to openly laugh at the guards slack jawed expression. "Yes elder. I tamed him in the forest where big brother Li Wuhan found me." He brought himself back up to full height. He then pet Shadow's head while looking the guard in the eye. "I am deeply in debt to big brother Wuhan and sister Wei for all of their hospitality and protection." He reverently looked at Li Wuhan and Li Wei. If one were to guess, they would think he truly did owe them his life and not the other way around.
Li Wei's eyes grew big. She and her brother had nothing to do with why he was here. He had just offered to tag along after saving their lives and increasing their cultivation with medicinal pills they would never have been able to afford themselves.
The guard looked at the Li children with newfound respect. "Maybe you have already started to bring honor to your family." He pointed through the gate behind himself. "You know where to go," He said gruffly. "Make sure to get a change of clothes before seeing your father."
The guard let the children pass through the gate and Li Wuhan led Hong Zhao through the streets. As they continued, Hong Zhao noticed many men and women walking the here and there. They were either checking stalls which were set up on either side, or bringing their wears home. Li Wuhan brought Hong Zhao to the side of the street and put his hands upon his shoulders. "What you just did for me and my sister," He smiled friendly. "I will never forget. Thank you.
"I will not be seen making trouble for anyone while I am within the village." Hong Zhao vowed honestly. "Now could we please go find the shop for clothes?" Shadow yawned, showing long glistening white teeth to emphasize his point. "We should not keep the elder waiting."
Li Wuhan and Li Wei brought Hong Zhao to the nearest clothing shop. Hong Zhao paid close attention to the customers in front of them. He didn't want to take out too much money to pay with. The more wealth he showed, the more likely he would be targeted later on.
"That will be one silver and twenty two copper, sir." A melodic voice rang from the other side of the sales booth.
"Here." A young man slammed the money on the booth and took a finely made silk robe. "I hope you choke on it!" He pushed past Hong Zhao and his friends with a huff. "Step aside, commoners." He looked at Hong Zhao's panther robes and sneered in disgust. "I guess they'll let anyone in Rantori Village nowadays."
Li Wuhan held his tongue, yet his glare never left the young man. Li Wei stayed behind her brother until the other was out of site. "Sorry about him." He let his glare fall as he looked back at Hong Zhao. "That's the village elder's grandson Huang Yi. He thinks the title gives him the ability to walk all over others."
Hong Zhao met Li Wuhan's worried look and smiled. "Words are words." He said simply as he walked up to the booth. He didn't see Li Wuhan's face as a moved forward. The young boy had never met someone with such a well controlled temper. If it were him that the scorn were pointed to, he may not have been so cool about it.
Hong Zhao made it to the front of the line and looked smiled at the merchant. "I'm sorry, we don't have any scraps of fabric yet. If you come back tomorrow, we might have a few." She obviously thought he was a beggar from his shaggy appearance. Just as she was about to shoe them away, she saw Shadow draped around Hong Zhao's shoulders. The shadow panther raised his head and opened his mouth slightly, showing his long pointed teeth.
"I'm sorry to bother you, miss," Hong Zhao bowed slightly to the saleswoman. "I was wondering if I could take a look at your selection of robes." He took out two silver and put them in front of her. "Whatever this may get me?"
The saleswoman looked from Shadow to Hong Zhao and then to the two Li siblings. Then her eyes drifted to the silver. It was more than the village elder's grandson had put down for his own clothing! When she had seen the shadow panther, she knew the child must not be ordinary. Not many could tame a fierce beast, especially not one of his age.
She then took a look at Hong Zhao's clothing. She examined every piece that she could see. He could tell she was deep in thought on what might impress him. She even went so far as to look at the makeshift shadow panther shoes he had made months ago.
Opening a trunk behind her, the saleswoman laid out the quality cloth which the two silver could cover. Hong Zhao noticed the same fabric that the young lord had purchased, though his tastes were never towards the light fabric. He felt that such fabric was only used to draw attention to the wearer. With this in mind, he mentally crossed out many of the fabrics. Going through her inventory, he finally spotted one that he liked. "I want this one." He pointed at a satiny black fabric with gold embroidery.
"That's a very fine choice young lord." She nodded her head at the fabric. "It is the skin of the midnight serpent, a very light weight but durable fabric. It's easy to move around without being heard. It's also very dressy." Taking out a robe from another trunk, she eyed Hong Zhao's height and handed it to him. Then she opened another trunk and took out a golden band and a pair of new black boots with gold lining and put them on top of the robe. "The boots are on the house," she smiled as she looked Hong Zhao in the eye. "I can respect someone who can make their own clothes in a pinch." She bowed slightly to Hong Zhao in respect. It wasn't every day she met a five year old that could make his own clothes. "Thank you for your purchase!
Hong Zhao gave her a big toothy grin before placing one more silver coin on the booth. "It was my pleasure." He then put the clothing in his storage ring before turning back to the Li siblings to finally leave the stall.
"She was nice enough." Hong Zhao laughed a little at the situation and waved at the saleswoman
"Nice enough?" Li Wuhan glared back at the woman. "She basically called you a beggar off the streets. If I were in your shoes, I'd have my father here to put her in her place."
Hong Zhao raised an eyebrow at Li Wuhan. He sometimes forgot that this friend of his was still a child. "Pride is good in small doses, but big brother Wuhan, look at me." He turned a few times and showed his panther suit. "Do I look like someone who should have come into a lot of money? I think it's an easy mistake to make. Don't you think?"
Li Wuhan looked at the young boy and really took in how he looked. Hong Zhao's face was smeared with dirt and blood. His hair was messed with twigs sticking in it. His toothy grin basically made him look like he lived in the wild, which of course, he did. "I can see what you mean. Maybe we should get you cleaned up before meeting father."
"Father is really going to like you!" Li Wei giggled as she ran off in the direction Hong Zhao assumed their home was located.
"If he's home that is." Li Wuhan sighed. Hong Zhao could see in his expression that he was holding something back, yet he didn't push. He knew anything that might need explanations could come later. "Maybe we can have Shadow put somewhere so he doesn't scare the village."
"If it's all the same, I'd like to keep Shadow with me." Hong Zhao pet his shadow panther's neck while he followed Li Wuhan down the street.
The further into the village they went, the more stares Hong Zhao received. Apparently having a wild savage looking youth was somewhat of a spectacle for Rantori Village. Most of the villagers were finely dressed in silk or some equivalent to. They all looked down their noses at the three children that seemed to be making their way into the more prominent side of town.
"Are they lost?"
"I think they might have gotten turned around. The beggars are at the beginning of town, They don't look sophisticated enough to serve me dinner."
"Did you see the kid in black? He has a freaking panther on his back!"
Li Wei and Li Wuhan both looked worriedly at Hong Zhao. If he did break out and call them idiots, they would back him. But if they could avoid the trouble, they would. This was their village after all, and their father was not of normal standing. There was still much that they didn't tell Hong Zhao for fear that he may not accompany them any longer.
Hong Zhao looked as if he didn't have a care in the world. He kept his head up, as if he were in awe of the large buildings in front of him. Yet he didn't care about them at all. He had seen much the same structures withing the Forbidden City in China. Instead, what he cared about most was the people's reaction to him. He was carefully analyzing the personalities within the village and coming up with a map of the main powers. He could tell the ones who looked down on him slightly might be in positions of power, while those who outright scorned him must be the followers of the others.
Unknown to the Li siblings, Hong Zhao had been thinking of a plan to enact after settling down within Rantori Village. He had told Li Wuhan that he would not be seen making trouble for the village, and that was exactly what he would do. He would not be seen.
While others complained about the appearance of the three youths, none of them directly confronted them. Instead, they took one look, turned to their friends to talk, then peaked over their shoulders to see whether Hong Zhao turned in embarrassment for not knowing where he was.
"Don't worry, we're almost there Hong Zhao." Li Wei grabbed him by the robe and pulled him forward with a smile. "Our father loves having guests."
"I hope not to intrude." Hong Zhao returned her smile. Soon he would be able to call this village home. Soon he would be able to help the Li clan. "I can't wait to meet him."