"Must you always sleep?" Lee stared at Azure on his shoulder as he questioned.
Azure just licked it's claw indifferently, at his stage of cultivation, he couldn't understand human language, until he gained spiritual intellect, which was still a bit far for the young Azure. But it could still comprehend some of Lee's words, even more than it was meant to. One thing Lee had noticed was that Azure was quite intelligent than usual beasts.
"Ok" Lee said as they continued down the street, but he already had a change of intentions.
********
"Finally!" Lee sighed in relief as he stared at the fading shadows of Springdove and Fred as they walked towards the clan with the blurry image of Azure gently seated on Springdove's shoulder, he couldn't take Azure along, as he didn't want to bare himself where he had to visit. Azure had been with him for so long that some people recognised him with the beast.
Lee raised his foot and walked back towards the Gathering Point.
In few breaths the callant had arrived back at the Gathering Point, Lee walked down the streets, and rather than following the paths that seemed ideal, he began to move through alleys that seemed to be inhabited by paupers, the extreme low class of the city, who couldn't afford any decent accommodation or feeding, it was some sort of Ghetto.
As Lee took steps in the alley several eyes gazed at him, some began to shiver with fear, as to them nobles like Lee were like gods, seeing Lee walk their alleys, felt quite starling, though it wasn't unusual it still always kept them off balance.
Lee expressionlessly took steps as he swept his gaze on the hunger stricken people, it didn't serve has ecstasy to him, as naturally he wasn't a ruthless person. But some things were quite beyond control, in a country with millions of people and a martial world that it was, the struggle was great and everyone couldn't be treated well. It was even some sort of rule though it wasn't laid down, it was in practice, which was; without talents, perseverance and determination, the martial world wasn't a place you could live comfortably in, even Lee at some time would leave Vine city, his comfort zone, to adventure the martial world and at this time, Lee would be left alone, and only with enough skills would he not end up like the people that lived in the alleys.
"Big brother" A doughty lad walked towards Lee , with a bright smile on his face, his hair was unkempt, and his face felt as though it was rubbed with grease, the lad didn't seem to be much younger than Lee, but from his expression he referenced the latter like it should be to an adult.
"Brother what's your name?" Lee was stupefied, but he didn't show it on his face, for someone like the callant to be able to approach him with no sort of evident fear, was quite erratic.
"The name is Teofangs, I can be of service to you, anything you want, as long as you offer me something enough to feed my family and I" Teofangs said as he bowed towards Lee, this time there was some sort of trepidation embedded in his voice.
"...." Lee couldn't help but sigh pensively, now he knew why the lad was as forward as that, he had been approaching people who passed this alleys with this same manner of conveyance.
Lee kept his hand into his robe and brought out a silver coin which he tossed towards Teofangs, the lad excitedly caught it.
"Get me a nice mask, and Quill ink, I would be waiting for you here" Lee uttered, the silver coin was more than enough for what he needed, but he decided to still give the lad. He wasn't scared of the lad fleeing, because he knew the lad wouldn't, it was easy to tell that Teofangs was the type who was bonded with family.
"Ok Big Brother!" Teofangs with great enthusiasm bowed and dashed out of the alley, thoughts of how well his family and he would be well fed danced in his head.
.......
"Hmm" Lee stared at the ordinary looking mask, and the Quill ink on his palm, the ink was actually the blood of a mystical beast, which was mixed with certain ingredients to become the ink which was then sold. It is used for painting garments, or to write some special letters and messages or sometimes it was used to draw emblems, but Lee wasn't planning to use the ink for any of this.
Lee was not disturbed by the ordinary look of the mask, he wasn't going for a beauty show off.
Lee brought out another silver coin and tossed it towards Teofangs. "Keep the change" Lee smiled as he uttered. He was referring to the remaining bronze coins left from purchasing the mask and ink(one silver coin=one hundred bronze coins).
"Thannnnnkk yooouu...you Big Brother" Teofangs was stupefied as he stared shocked stiff at the silver coin on his hands, he had expected Lee at most to have gifted him all of the remaining bronze coins. But a whole silver coin, it was priceless to the likes of Teofangs, it could sustain them for more than a month without him having to beg at all.
"Big brother, may I know your name and your clan, I promise allegiance to you, I would do whatever you say!" Teofangs fell on his knees and began to bow at Lee's feet.
This for sure caught attention, but nobody cared or even dared to come close, so deep was the fear for people like Lee, cause at their anger they could be easily exterminated.
"You never saw me" Lee uttered as he placed the ink in his robe, and with a flick of his hands the mask was already glued to his face.
Lee raised his foot and in few breaths had left the still bowing Teofangs.
Lee walked straight out of the alley, to the naturally thought ideal place of the Gathering Point, but this time with a mask on.