Wu Yong and the boy sat quietly, the former watching the latter eat. The bizarre man smiled unconsciously but the servant thought he harbored strange thoughts. The boy paused and held a piece of spiced fish. "You have been staring for a while, are you attracted to men? I did not think you were that type of person."
The man being questioned turned up his nose, wincing as he placed a hand on his heart. He was not shocked the boy mistook his looking but he wanted to act flustered. Wu Yong leaned across the table, grinning like a ghoul. "So what if I am? You flatter yourself too much, I am attracted to anyone beautiful but you do not fit the requirements."
"That is good," The servant boy sighed in relief. Wu Yong could not understand the sigh but the boy was glad to know the stranger did not stare because he liked to. The boy set his chopsticks down and pat his belly. "I am full. I should clean this and go back to my post. Mister Su Yong, do you mind being left alone?"
"No, you stand beside the door and I will drop these off to the kitchen. I saw some maids carrying plates to the kitchen so I can make my way there easily. I also have someone I want to find in this house, late at night should be the best time to walk around." Wu Yong stacked the plates high and swatted the servant away when the boy tried taking the dishes away. Wu Yong did have someone he wanted to see and using the plates as an excuse to leave his room was a good idea.
The servant boy sighed behind Wu Yong but returned to stand beside the door without uttering a word. Once Wu Yong reached the doors with the plates balanced in his hands, the boy eagerly pulled the doors open. He gave the man directions to the kitchen in case something goes wrong with his memory.
Wu Yong walked past the main courtyard quickly without disturbing the plates and he could feel a dozen pairs of eyes watch his every move. A few servants marveled his excellent balancing while others judged him for carrying dishes when he should be a guest. Wu Yong focused on getting to the kitchens, looking out for Xue Liang and his parents.
"What are you doing here in the kitchens? You are not supposed to be here." Mian Biaoqing entered the kitchens behind the man carrying plates. She memorized every face that ever appeared inside the Xue manor but this new face did not ring a bell. Her eyes drift down to the plates balanced expertly on his slender arms. "Oh, you were bringing back dishes? We have servants for that."
Wu Yong placed the plates and bowls into the washing tub where three dishwashers were working. He watched the Demon girl bite into a plump plum. She was one of the few people who tried to help the lunatic Wu Yong even though her voice was never powerful. He shrugged, "I lived as a rogue so I like doing things myself. There is also someone I wish to find in this place."
"Oh," The disciple of Xue Sect crossed her arms, ignoring the dripping fruit. She circled around the man in black, observing his clothes and features. Without warning she squeezed his biceps, giggling after she felt them thoroughly. "Impressive. You should be a martial arts master, not a rogue!"
"Thank you for the compliment?" Wu Yong took her hands off his arms but the girl stared at him shamelessly. The girl followed him even after he exited the kitchen, watching him carefully. Wu Yong sighed, turning around to face her. "Do you think it is inappropriate for a young girl to follow a man like me at night time? Are you a student?"
Mian Biaoqing shook her head. Her short hair flopped onto her forehead to cover her eyes. She blew the strands away and grinned back at Wu Yong. "I am a shameless person but I usually stay in the background. I think you should be scared of me because I am a Demon. What is your name?"
"Ha! Why would I be afraid of you Demons? If I tell the full truth, I am a rogue because I fear the righteous sects. If I was not looking for someone here I would still be on the road despite my situation." Wu Yong flicked her on the forehead. The girl hissed and reacted by slapping his arm. "My name? Should I tell you my real name or the name I use on the road?"
Mian Biaoqing shrugged as if she did not care. Wu Yong copied her shrug with a small grin. "I am a rogue and my name on the road is Wu Yong. I heard there was a lunatic living in this house by the name of Wu Yong? It is a pity he died before I can meet him. Will there be a funeral rite held for him?"
"No, we only hold funerals for servants, students and the Xue family. Wu Yong did not fit into any of these categories so he would get a plain cremation. After Xue Qing Chu studies the corpse, of course." Mian Biaoqing sighed. "It is a pity you have the same name as him. He was the scapegoat for the Xue family. They blamed him for everything!"
Wu Yong nodded, pretending he did not know anything about Wu Yong the lunatic. Mian Biaoqing would never guess the lunatic she spoke of is standing beside her nor would she guess he is the new Demon King. "I see, I assume you were a bystander? I saw his body at the lake today and it was such a ghastly sight."
"Yes, it was a pitiful death." Mian Biaoqing says without grief or emotion. She waved her hand like she would throw something back. "The past is the past. People are born, live and die. Someone as insignificant as him is better off dead than alive in the Xue house. Well, Wu Yong, it was nice to meet you. I suggest you learn martial arts instead of wandering the world. Anyone can see you have potential. I should go review the textbooks, I am lagging behind."
Wu Yong nodded and watched the Demon hurry off towards the female students area. He shook his head, wondering how many people mistook her for a boy just by looking at her back. If he was truly an outsider he too, would assume she was a male. With a small shrug he set off to scout the house.
Oddly, the house was more peaceful than when he was living as the madman. Was everyone more at ease with the crazy man of Forbidden House gone? Servants were holding lanterns as they talk to each other comfortably. It was the first time he heard others speak about things other than ghosts and spirits.
A pair of women were mending clothes beside a fire and they were exchanging advice. One was struggling with raising a newborn while she and her partner works all day. The other woman was having trouble accepting a marriage proposal as she does not have a family but she loves the suitor. Wu Yong knew everyone here had a hidden story but it felt disturbing to hear all of them on this specific day.
"Did you hear? Wu Yong is dead! They said he was summoning spirits beside the river but got dragged in and died instantly." A young servant girl whispered to her group of friends. None of them were surprised.
"Ha! Who does not know that bastard finally met his end? Well, the Xue family must be celebrating for the bowls of rice they get to keep. I did not understand why they kept that useless lump for so many years." A chubby woman snorted like a pig as she laughed, kicking her thick legs into the air. Her friends chuckled to themselves.
A thin woman leaned in to reveal another secret, asking the other girls if they were ready for her piece of news. She guaranteed her bit would be shocking. Her friends pushed her to speak which brought a large smile to her face. "The Demon King has died recently. Imagine that, two unwanted people dead in the same month! The gods must be on our side."
"What? The leader of the Demon Sect in Youming? I thought he was invincible, how could he die just like that?" The tubby maid gasped loudly. This question was the question Wu Yong also wanted answered. "I think we should not talk about this. We all know Master Xue loathes the Demon Sect."
"Yes, he does." The women paused their gossiping to gawk at the tall man dressed in black. Their cheeks heated up so much that a few of them were convinced they had a fever. The women moved closer into their circle to ask each other if they knew who the man was and why he is glaring so coldly. Of course, none of them knew his identity. This stranger dared to butt into their conversation!
"It is late at night, I think it is better to talk somewhere there are less people. If Xue Xian Tou overheard your yapping he would snap." Wu Yong could read their minds easily. They were wondering how he could call their master by anything but his title. Wu Yong would not like to call Xue Xian Tou the male phoenix or leader of Xue Sect. Without allowing the women to speak he left the courtyard.
He was approaching the main entrance to see three guards playing cards beside the archway. He knew he would have to return to his room quickly to avoid suspicion. After all, his servant would start doubting him easily. Wu Yong was turning on his heel when he heard a string of groans behind the walls. The guards were still slapping cards onto the floor.
"Excuse me, do you hear something?" The man in black looked down at the guards who spoke without pausing their game. They were ignoring the man, acting as if they did not hear a word.
"Hey! I put down that 10, not you." The guard sitting against the archway screeches as his colleague rakes in the bronze coins. In a matter of seconds there us a three-way brawl. The guard who supposedly put down the highest number was fighting the guard reaping the benefits. The last guard was failing in splitting them apart.
Wu Yong sighed as he shook his head. It was a shock to see the guards so distracted and all the drama started because of a single card. Anyway, he did not have the will to intervene but he did hear the noises being the walls. He thought the sounds were from a human and that human sounded injured or ill. "Beggars usually get cleared from the manor. Would someone really be sitting behind the wall?"
He found the answers very quickly. Behind the wall was a human and it was a child wrapped in a ripped blanket. Wu Yong froze, not knowing what to do or say. He knew children are sensitive so he was hesitant to approach the kid. Children were like another specie to him since the youngest person in the Xue Sect is at least ten years old. The shivering child in front of him looked younger than that.
The dim light from lanterns lit the upper half of the child. Wu Yong could see that the kid was a boy. The blanket did not help keep the boy warm during the chilly night wind. Slowly, Wu Yong approached the boy. He felt terrified but tried his best to ignore his pounding heart and buzzing ears. "Little boy, why are you out here like this? Where are your parents?"
The boy suddenly collapsed, alarming the man inching towards him. Wu Yong gasped and rushed up to the boy, realizing he might be a beggar without a family. He checked the boy for injuries but he could not find any threatening wounds. If the boy was not attacked, could he be tired? Wu Yong waved his hands across the face of the boy, testing whether the boy passed out or faked fainting. "Hey, you should not sleep out here. Can you wake up?"
The boy did not twitch, raising alarm. Wu Yong shook the frail child frantically, knowing he should be returning to his room soon. He really should be inside Xue manor and not outside with an unconscious child. Wu Yong stopped shaking the kid, his eyebrows rising slowly. "He will not wake up but he is trembling? Could he be sick?"
Wu Yong recalled the times Xue Qing Chu checked him for illnesses and followed the procedure step by step. He felt a pulse but it really was irregular. The difference was not much to feel but he knew something was wrong. The sleeves were getting in the way so he paused to roll them up. "Alright, I checked for a pulse. He is alive but sick. What would a doctor do now?"
It took a few seconds for him to remember. Once he found the next step he could not hesitate. Wu Yong placed his right hand on the forehead to check for fever. He quickly pulled his hand back, "This is bad. How could his body temperature be this high? I need to get help. The guards!"
Wu Yong shrugged out of his outer robe to wrap the boy in more than a ragged sheet. He gulped before leaving the child, shouting even before he saw the guards. They were still playing their games, oblivious to the child in need of medical attention. Wu Yong stepped into the circle, crushing the cards and bronze coins. "Stop your game and call the doctor. A child is outside suffering from a dangerous fever. Go, every second counts!"
The three guards looked up at the man in black, clearly displeased. The man standing on their game bothered them very much but he looked intimidating. The leader of the three guards chuckled out of nowhere. Wu Yong did not understand what was so funny about a possibly dying child. His narrowing eyes shut the man up quickly.
The beefy guard threw his cards on the ground. He grinned, "So what? If you are so concerned you can go get the doctor yourself! Our job is guarding the gates, not saving rodents. Besides that, the doctor loathes being called at night. I do not have the guts to disturb him. You look like you are a cultivator. Use your healing abilities and whatnot."
"You think you are doing your job properly? Ha! What would happen if I walked straight in with a plan to slaughter this sect? You would be distracted with your card game." Wu Yong felt his cheeks burn. He could not waste time with these incompetent people so he knocked each one out by hitting the side of their neck. "Fine! You added wildfire to my burning desire to destroy this place. You have one year to enjoy your meaningless gambling. It would benefit you if you practice martial arts instead of lazing around all day."
Wu Yong rushed towards the infirmary, bumping into the young servant who should be serving him. The boy asked him where he is headed in such a rush. Wu Yong grabbed him by the shoulders. "I do not have time. The guards are passed out at the main entrance. There is a child with a high fever outside the house. I am going to find the doctor, no, I know where he should be. Go stay with the child and try to bring the fever down with cold water."
The servant nodded but the man in dark clothing was already zipping through the house. The boy sensed the urgent situation and ran to get cold water and a towel. If the man called Su Yong wanted to help a beggar child, he should help too. The boy never thought he would be helping a guest in this way.
Wu Yong slid across the floor, turning around corners to finally reach the infirmary. He slid the doors open, apologizing for waking the current occupants of the house. He spotted Xue Xian Tou at the desk for the doctor. The old man looked shocked to see a healthy person barge into his house during the night. Wu Yong skipped the formalities and apologized. "I want to ask you for your help. I found a young boy outside the house and he collapsed from a bad fever. His body could be hotter than a lantern."
Xue Xian Tou packed his box of tools and herbs. Being a doctor he could not ignore pleas for help. The old man got up from his desk with wide eyes. "Hotter than a lantern? That is dangerous! You should have brought him in. Oh, maybe not since the guards would block you. Whatever, let me check the boy."
Wu Yong pushed aside the memories he had of the doctor in front of him. He did not know the homeless boy but he felt responsible after discovering him. He also knew Xue Qing Chu treated him poorly under the orders of the Xue family. The doctor is kind towards people needing his care, he had little options when it came to the lunatic. Wu Yong swallowed, "Thank you."