Wu Yong found himself walking past the Xue manor but he was stopped by a familiar face. Slightly irked by the sudden appearance of the bird shop owner, he turned on his heels to escape. Under his breath, he muttered colorful curses. He could feel the short man hot on his trail and he wondered if he should teleport again. Should he reveal himself to the strange shopkeeper looking for a son-in-law?
"I caught you! Young man, why are you in such a hurry? I just wanted to give you another bird because I felt you misplace the raven." The desperate man shoved a new cage towards the handsome man in dark clothing. Out of the many suitors he brought to his daughter, she took interest in the latest victim. "You left such a lasting impression on me that I created a painting of you. My daughter loved it more than the rest."
"I apologize, I am a busy person." Wu Yong moved to catch the bird cage before it slipped to the ground. Instead of a raven, a cute canary chirped into his face. Wu Yong hid a smile and looked down at the shop owner. He sees the older man unroll paper and Wu Yong groaned before he saw the painting. If the owner flaunted the image created right after a single meeting, this would be the second time Wu Yong got painted. He thought it was more disturbing since they just met.
"The canary I gave you is not cheap so keep it beside you at all times. If you must go, I will let you leave and if the heavens wish it, we will meet again. My daughter will wait for you. Our home is in the east side." The shop owner slapped Wu Yong on the back, acting like they were already family. The older man started walking back to his shop. There was a small spring in his steps. "My name is Lu Yu but if I am not at home, ask for Lu Fei Xing. She is my wife."
"I will keep that in mind," Wu Yong said kindly. He smiled as nicely as he could even though Lu Yu had his back to him. The wind blew harder and Wu Yong took that as a sign to seek shelter. He looked up at the cloudy sky, guessing that the sun will set soon. His legs moved automatically, leading him to the Xue manor. "I should not be here. I also do not have a place to go and I am penniless. Oh my, what should I do?"
"Oh!" A nasally voice shouts from behind Wu Yong. The shadowy man turned around to see who interrupted his thoughts. Bu Xin waved timidly at the man overflowing with power. The student of the Xue Sect looked like he just returned from a ride in the forest. Bu Xin tapped his stallion on the back twice, staring at Wu Yong as he does so. "It is you! Are you a cultivator looking for the phoenix couple?"
"I consider myself a rogue, not a cultivator. I am in quite the situation because as I was traveling to Jirong a group of bandits ambushed me. They stole my horse and money so I cannot find lodging in the inns I usually stay at. Do you think that your patriarch would allow me to stay the night?" Wu Yong attempted to smile sweetly. He gave up once he recalled how bothersome Bu Xin was in the past.
Xue Xian Tou would never let uninvited outsiders inside his home, Wu Yong knew that but he still asked. He balled his fists, realizing that if he does not go to the Demon Sect in Youming, he would have to rely on the family who hated him. Even if Xue Xian Tou allowed a man in black a place to rest, Wu Yong knew that problems will arise.
"Bu Xin! What are you doing outside?" A strong voice thundered from behind the walls. Xue Xian Tou stepped out through the archway with his hands held behind his back. The powerful cultivator paused, clearly tensing up. The leader of the prestigious Xue Sect narrowed his eyes at the stranger. "Who is this? His level of cultivation is high."
"What?" Bu Xin exclaimed in shock. His eyes were wide as if he had been pushed toward the gates to the Netherworld. The student faced Wu Yong, studying the man in shadowy clothes for the second time. To him, the man looked very normal and plain. "How could a wandering rogue be a powerful cultivator? Master, he was asking for a place to rest since he had been robbed recently."
"Oh?" The scowling old man raises a grey eyebrow. He looks ready to attack but all he did was sigh. The head of the sect nodded and pulled his student closer to him. "It must be the Tiger Bandits again. They have been lurking around Jirong, striking lone travelers during the night. The only thing I wonder is that I feel strong energy in you. How did the bandits manage to ambush you? Twenty of those men would not be your match."
"Teacher, may I say something?" Bu Xin spoke up suddenly. He saw Xue Xian Tou eying the man in black and the cold look unnerved him. What was his master thinking about the traveler? Bu Xin gulped down his nervousness after his teacher nodded for him to talk. The student grinned, "I do not know if this man is truly powerful but I would like to see him tested. It would be interesting to meet a powerful rogue, right?"
"But how?" The tall man swished the sleeve of his robe, looking like a dark dragon snaking through the air. Wu Yong kept his composure, thinking of a way to avoid being tested. "I heard that Wu Yong broke your Sacred Stone. Apparently, students can no longer use the stone and must visit the Li Sect for their stone. I do not know any other way to test my strength and it has been a while since I last fought. No method would yield accurate results."
"It is shameful that word about the matter of the Sacred Stone had already spread throughout Jirong." The sect leader sighed to express his deep sorrow. For dramatic effect the old man slowly shook his head. "Yes, it is true that lunatic boy ruined the stone. He perished recently but the stone is still broken. We believe it was the works of strong sorcery. That testing method is gone but one glance at you and I can see you know how to teleport. A high level cultivator knows how to travel without moving limbs."
"You want him to teleport?" Bu Xin gasped in surprise. He had never seen anyone carry out the mystical action but all cultivators knew the level of difficulty associated with the method. Bu Xin had heard teleporting is tougher than breaking through Divine stage to reach Godly Stage. The Xue Sect disciple shook his head in disbelief. He spoke kindly but the doubt was clear in his voice. "There is absolutely no way he can teleport."
Xue Xian Tou shrugged, starting to believe his student. The man in black looked hesitant so it was obvious he may not be as powerful as the sect leader thought. "It is absurd but do you remember the idiot was able to cultivate overnight and in the wrong sequence? I cannot remember the party at Zhengyi Pavilion which makes me believe anything is possible. The Righteous Council is scouting new talents and I thought I would recruit him since he is poor but has a powerful aura."
The leader nudged his student through the archway of the Xue manor. The older man urged the boy to read the newest set of books taught during the week. The student was reluctant to leave his teacher and the stranger but he left nonetheless. Xue Xian Tou turned to face Wu Yong, smiling kindly. "I can see the exhaustion on your face! I will ask my servants to prepare a room for you to stay. My humble abode may be too crowded for a lone rogue, I apologize in advance."
"No, no," Wu Yong held out his hands. He felt flustered after hearing such strange words being said to him. It was even stranger coming from the leader of Xue Sect. As far as Wu Yong knew, the old man would never apologize because it would be the same as admitting incompetence. If Xue Xian Tou knew who he was conversing with, he would never speak so kindly. Knowing this, Wu Yong smiled and thanked the older man.
"I will be off then. My wife and son are waiting for me to eat, I will send a basket of food to your room soon." Xue Xian Tou waved a servant over and ordered the young boy to escort the rogue to a vacant room. "He will serve you during your stay. If you need items or directions, just ask him. He may not look like a fighter but he will be able to protect you. I doubt you need a guard but just in case."
Without giving Wu Yong a chance to reply the old man glided across the courtyard, heading to his house where the Xue family gathers twice a day to eat. Wu Yong followed the young servant to the guest houses, wondering how long he would want to stay in this damned house. He saw familiar servants walking around and it felt odd being able to walk through the house without gaining unwanted attention.
The servant slides open the doors to the first guest room, politely inviting Wu Yong into the room. The calm boy shut the doors behind the guest and stood straight as a pole beside the door. The guest waved him over to the bed which flustered him. The startled servant shook his head, "I cannot. Servants should attend to their assigned person but we must stay beside the door at all times. Just tell me what you need and I will fetch it."
"Is standing beside shut doors something like being posted in an army? I did not know the sect was so fussy about dividing people." If the guest had to be honest, he experienced the Xue Sect and their ideals for years. He would know more rules than the average visitor since he used to live with it. "Tell me, are you afraid of a stranger like me?"
"Well," The servant said timidly from across the room. He scratched his neck, trying to guess if the shadowy man wanted to hear the truth or white lies. The servant smiled weakly. "You are wearing dark clothes which is not uncommon but I assume it is hot during the day. That is the first thing that caught my attention. I also feel your power yet you claim to be a weak rogue? I doubt that you cannot sword fight. I do not remember you telling us your name either."
"Shall we clear up these suspicions?" Wu Yong attempted to smile but the servant shuffled in his spot. When he was still the lunatic Wu Yong, male servants would kill to get out of the Forbidden House. He remembered those moments clearly and he recalled seeing this servant at least once. The poor soul looked more scared after hearing the question. "I do not harm flies."
"It is true that I can harm humans easily but I prefer to keep my power a secret. Many men would love to join a righteous sect but that is not my style. I would rather be a lone wolf wandering through the territories of bigger packs." The servant is shaking by now but Wu Yong continued. He did not see how intimidating he looked to the boy. "I am kind when I want to be. The Xue Sect has no reason to be wary of me."
"You do not believe me?" The pout on his face was so out of place the servant had to look away. Wu Yong grinned as he lay on the bed, relishing the new feeling of not sleeping on cold floors or ripped straw mats. "I will only be staying for a day or two. After that, you will not have to serve or fear me. I have not eaten a meal since I was robbed days ago. Can you get me a bowl of rice?"
The servant snapped out of his trance, slowly turning back to face the resting man. The boy nodded enthusiastically as he was glad to have an excuse to leave the room. Without a word the boy left the strange man to rest alone. The servant took a second to press his back to the door, holding a hand over his chest. He tilts his head to the side, "He is more terrifying than young master Xue."
Wu Yong heard the servant whisper to himself and felt like he had been pricked. He was used to being avoided but he would rather be a lunatic than a scary person. He shrugged the flying thoughts away. Being a villain should be better than a dull pushover. While he fiddled with the black sashes of his clothes Wu Yong created a rough plan for the next year.
First, he would establish a new identity in the Xue house. Next he would take up the offer to stay with the family of the bird shop keeper. He might even meet the daughter of Lu family if her parents are still eager to find a son-in-law. During the duration of his stay in Jirong, he would secretly study the dark arts. He hoped to grow whilst planning his trip to Youming where he will meet the people he will lead.
Wu Yong wrapped up his final thoughts and tucked his plan to the back of his head. He thought about closing his eyes but he felt something was amiss. With wide eyes he sat up, "Where is the servant? I sent him to get rice a while ago, he should have been back by now. Did he run into trouble?"
Wu Yong shook his head and pulled himself out of bed. His mind conjured the worst scenario and his legs rushed to the door. He knew that if anyone in the Xue family lost their temper the first victims of their rage would be servants. The first place they would go is Forbidden House. Now Wu Yong is dead they would target people in the kitchens as it is closest to the house of the masters.
The door flung open and Wu Yong had to sigh in relief. The servant was carefully balancing plates and bowls of food. The position of the dishes must have been difficult to keep while walking throughout the house. Wu Yong hurried to help the boy. He flicked the roof of his mouth with his tongue to show his dissatisfaction. "I said a bowl of rice. What is all this?"
"The chefs told me to bring these. I think Master told them you are a guest and they prepared these." The servant furrowed his eyebrows as he watched the odd man strange the plates on the tea table. He did not think the man in black would fuss over him bringing more food than what was asked. "If you do not like the side dishes and wish to keep the rice only, I can return it."
"No, I bothered you and the chefs enough. I will keep the food." Wu Yong said as he plopped down onto a wooden chair. Unlike the old stool in Forbidden House, this mahogany chair must have cost a fortune. The wood felt very luxurious and even the painting was stunning. The various food and comfortable chair was strange to him. "If servants of the Xue Sect are the same as the other sects, you do not have enough food to eat. It is a shame when left over food is thrown to the garbage."
"What? Are you trying to convince me that you are a kind person?" The boy is flustered again. In all his years working as a quiet server he had not met a guest who cared about servants. The men he often served were either prestigious or plain perverts with money in their pockets. "I do not trust rogues and I cannot touch the things you touch."
"Oh? But I did not touch half of these plates. Come and eat just a bit, I will make sure you do not get caught. If anyone accuses you of breaking the rules I will take responsibility." Wu Yong smiled as the boy sat across the table. He knew the servant was reluctant yet he pushed a plate of honey glazed pork away from him and closer to the boy. "This may be the only opportunity for you to eat. Use it wisely."
The boy shyly thanked the man, staring at the food. Even if he was starbing, how could he eat without utensils? The plates surrounding his arm were full of meats drenched in sauces or wet vegetables and soup. The boy looked up from the food. "I am not hungry."
"Wrong, you lack eating utensils." Wu Yong flipped the chopsticks in his hand so that the tip gripping food is facing him. The man smiled once again, scaring the poor boy. "I can eat this bowl of rice with my hands but it is hard to eat meat with fingers. Stop staring and take it before someone comes. If that happens I will have to use my energy."
The young boy finally realized that the man had good intentions. He took the pair of wooden sticks gratefully and started picking morsels off of plates. The boy noticed the guest ate the rice with his hands, completely unbothered. This irked him for two reasons. "I find it strange. Why do you eat plain rice when there are other foods to choose from? With hands too? Do you not care about your dignity?"
"When I was still on the road I only ate rice. I guess I am accustomed to consuming taking in rice only that these other dishes do not look appealing anymore." Wu Yong grinned upon seeing the confused servant. "Call me a lunatic if you wish. I think that there is no such thing as dignity. The children born to rich family have a lot of it when they crush poorer ones? Me using my hands is just another way of eating. It gets the job done which is getting the food into my mouth."
"So that is how it is? We used to house a madman named Wu Yong. He ate a bowl of rice each day and you requesting a bowl of rice reminded me of him. He also cared not about his behaviour and image." The boy shook his head solemnly. He did not sense the man in front of him tensing up but he did notice the change in expression. "He is dead now. What is your name?"
"My name is similar to that lunatic. Instead of Wu, it is Su. My name is Su Yong and as you already know, I am a rogue. I will not ask for you name since servants are not allowed to disclose theur personal information." Wu Yong felt his heart beat rapidly, realizing he should change everything about him. The lies of his life were piling higher each time he spoke!