The Golden Duck is a name that many know in the capital city of the Azure Wind Empire.
It is an establishment that caters to the wealthy and powerful, hence it has the word gold in its name.
The word duck, on the other hand, is there because it serves the best ducks in the city.
And today is the day that I will test that declaration, as I and my companions found ourselves in front of its entrance in the western part of the city since the Blue Quilted Spirit Duck originated from the western part of the Empire.
Making our way inside we saw many tables and chairs on the first floor with one big stage on which was seated a man with a big string instrument before him.
Even before we entered the establishment it was easy to hear his notes over the sounds in the street where The Golden Duck found itself and the customers that were engaging in conversation.
On the first floor, while still catering to the wealthy and powerful, it was easier to see that it was far more designated to the powerful than the wealthy.
Every one of the Cultivators drinking and eating merrily while engaging in verbal banter stood with a proud spine as they boasted about their accomplishments.
Most of them were Foundation Cultivators in service to somebody, like the Empire, the Clans, or the Sects that were peppered around the Empire but were always behind in power scale in this Empire. Among those seated here, I found a few Jade Mercs present.
It was their iconic garb that mimicked the color of Jade that identified them.
Ignoring those that had glanced at the three ladies that just entered, I looked at my older sister.
" I take it we will be going to the upper floors? "
" Yes. The private rooms are there. " Yu Lijuan, my older sister, said. She was the one familiar with this place, after all.
Nodding to my older sister's experience, I saw her call for one of the waiters and explain everything that needed to be said, including the food and drinks that should be sent our way.
That done, the waiter pointed at the room that was reserved for us and we made our way to it.
The more people we passed by, the more men turned our way.
That is a new thing for me to experience in this life. Back at the unofficial Sect of Jade, I had become conscious of how people reacted to my presence.
Problem was, I was a known quantity there, so I was always seen as the little girl of higher standing in their eyes and nothing more.
Now, though? Now I was a proper girl in a man's eyes, and ever since I came back to this city and did my explorations, I noticed how men behave around me.
Still, while I may have piqued their interests, I was a girl with a mighty background, therefore those that did look my way usually never carried any hostility and were more reserved.
Here in this establishment though, was a completely different story.
Well, not completely, I was still ahead of them in social status, but when almost everybody in this place was a Foundation expert it wasn't as it was outside it.
With every step, I could feel them examine me as if I was a flower to be picked at their conviction. Only when our identity was discovered did those stares tone down, but they never left us.
At least not until we made it up the stairs and my older half-sister led us to a private room.
After a little talk with my older sister yesterday, a servant was sent to the Golden Duck, and this private room in question was reserved for us today, at around noon.
The private room was about three by three meters in length and width, so it wasn't that big.
The two-meter-long and a meter-wide table with pillows instead of chairs in the center of the room made it feel even smaller.
We did not need a bigger one since it would be only the three of us.
There was one positive to the room. It had a big window through which we could observe the city.
The view was pointed into the city so through the window we could see the Emperor's palace in the distance.
Besides the most obvious building, you could also see the sprawling city since most of the buildings are one-storied tall, and only the occasional two or three-storied building broke up the view.
Another change to my previous outings was the two Foundation Guards that followed my older sister.
I certainly did not need them so they stayed outside the room.
Once we were inside, Tao Fang and I were seated opposite my older sister.
When I invited her yesterday, it was a sudden event that she had not expected at all.
Especially after that first talk that I had with her mother, on that first day that I came home, I guess.
It was Lady Ye that recommended this establishment for us when I asked for her opinion about where to go and what to find.
That my sister had been here before only eased the process.
It was a bit awkward between us right this moment as we waited for everything to be delivered.
" Miss, the view from here is excellent. " I heard Tao Fang say.
" That it is. " I replied. " I am sure that was one of the reasons why this plateau was chosen and designated as the place upon which to build the capital city. "
" Maybe, but will you tell me now why you have arranged for this meeting between us, little sister. " My older sister asked.
" Lijuan, before I tell you the main reason, have you considered what the relationship should be between us? " I asked her in return. " As I have said in our first meeting, I am prepared to try to build a sisterly relationship between us, however, it looks like. But all that depends on you and your intentions. Oh, and please don't say that you will without a good reason behind your thoughts. I want the truth. "
" Ah. " My sister said. Her gaze was a bit cloudy as she spoke. " I don't know. I have thought about it, but I don't know. "
" Why not? What is hindering you? " I ask her. " Take this chance to get it all out of you. Even if you use bad wording to say it all, it will not bother me. "
With that said she looked me directly in the eyes. Her emotions spiked here and there but ultimately all she did was give a big sigh, before speaking.
" By the Heavens, it was so much easier to hate you, than this. " She said and pointed at me. " You not having any memories from before bothers me more because now I can direct my anger at you as I did before. "
" Haha " Laughing for a second, I speak. " And me no longer being the most favored, only confused you even more? Is it not so? "
" Father still, pays more attention to you than he does to me. But yes, it's nothing compared to before. " My older half-sister explained her view of our family relationship. " Only now you do not have that innocent and happy go-free attitude. You probably don't know this, but every time we met, you would rub the fact that our father loved you more than me. And the most infuriating part was, that you never even noticed that you did. "
" I see. " I said. " Well, I won't apologize for what I don't remember doing in the first place. How about this? Imagine the old me, I am sure that part won't be hard. Then think of all the memories that bothered you and just say it all out, without holding back. Say all the bad words that had been lurking in your head at those moments. "
" I… I don't think that is a good idea. "
" Oh, but it is. " I said in return. " If you have any intention of the both of us having a proper sisterly relationship, then I demand of you to do as such. In fact, I can even set up a barrier in the room that will stop all sound from leaving this room, so you can even scream to the Heavens about it. "
" You can do that? No, I… I mean that is not proper behavior. " Lijuan said, with a flustered expression and the dichotomy of behavior and desire.
" Yup, I can do it. " I said. " I knew the theory of how, just had to figure out the right method, since there are several. "
With that said I snapped my right middle finger against my right thumb and a ripple emerged from it.
The ripple fueled by Qi expanded like a bubble.
The Qi bubble encompassed every nook and cranny of the room we found ourselves in.
Due to that, the walls became the physical hold that held the temporary Qi Construct in place.
The only things that had taken my attention from the automatic behavior of the Spiritual Art were the window and the door, but thanks to the bubble-like behavior of the Qi Construct it held steady.
" There, a silencing barrier was established. " I said. " Now you can scream all you want without bothering anybody. Go ahead, try calling your guards. "
" Han, Xi. " My sister called but there was no reply from them.
Seeing them not respond she raised her voice and called again, yet no response came.
Done with that confusion made its appearance on her face. " I was told that you can't use Qi. How did you use a Spiritual Art? "
" I am not sure what you have been told but every situation has a way to be solved. " I told her. " Still, I think the problem is that you have been told that I can't cultivate or that I don't want to cultivate, to be more precise. That still does not mean I can't use Qi or Spiritual Arts. It just takes a creative mind to find the solution. "
Seeing the perplexed face on my sister's head, I had no choice but to admit in my head that I missed it. ' Too bad, there is a limit to how much I can surprise people until they get used to my actions. '
Shaking away from that thought, I give my sister a final nudge. " Start from the earliest memory you have and tell me everything that you went through. "
It took another nod to make her talk.
From then she began speaking of her childhood. How she was taught, how everybody treated her, and finally how our father treated her when compared to me.
The only disruption that interrupted her momentum was when the server came to deliver us food and drinks.
Due to the silence barrier, a funny little thing happened.
In the middle of her ranting, the door was slammed open, by one of the guards.
He had a worried look on his face, but when he saw us relief appeared, then wondered why we were not responding to him.
It took me motioning for him to come inside the room when he noticed something as he passed through the silence barrier.
Immediately his Divine Sense began to examine, but I did not give him the time for that.
A small conversation between us and the servers placed our drink and the famous duck that became their trademark.
It was a roasted marinated duck with spices.
The side dishes were sauces plus a few duck eggs.
The wine that complimented the taste of the roasted duck was fruity, in nature, and if my scarce experience with alcoholic drinks was any indication, the wine that we got was based on grapes or something that hinted at it.
Either way, once everything was served, we ate and drank.
My sister went back to speaking of her childhood and thanks to the best tongue loosener in existence, she began to truly open up to me.
That was also when the pent-up feelings began making their appearance.
I mostly stayed quiet with very little to add, after all, this was her moment, not mine.
To be honest, her ranting only confirmed some things for me.
Most people would say that children are the real wonders of the world. That, children, should be treasured and cared for. For they are incarnations of innocence and if they were not then it was the fault of the parents.
Most of that was true, and how a child turned out depended a lot on the parents and their education. After that was the environment that shaped them and finally the company that added the details to their personalities.
Yet, despite knowing all that, I had still watched videos of children being cruel in their own innocent ways, and in the worst-case scenarios becoming toxic to their parents and those around them.
' Youtube, fucking had it all. The best and the worst. '
Leaving that line of thoughts behind, I poured my older half-sister another cup of fruity wine.
***
Yu Lijuan could not remember the last time that she was able to just say what she wanted in the company of anyone other than her mother, at least not like this.
Even when she spoke with her mother, her mother always insisted that she held a certain pose of elegance, as if such things were the most important things that she needed to know.
Yet, even then, she could not remember the last time she was able to just curse anybody just for the hell of it.
She knew it was the drink that had given her the majority of the courage to do so, but she could not deny the fact that the current Jiao felt more like a stranger than a younger sister.
Maybe it was because of it, that she spoke what she spoke in her presence.
The new Jiao was family enough that she felt she could bother about her inner feelings, yet strange enough that she felt there would not be any repercussions.
" That's when I saw that smile of innocence that I hated the most. " Lijuan said with a bit of a slur in her voice, probably from the alcohol. " I knew she did not mean it like how my mind imagined it, but… it was so much easier to feel angry than it was to admit that everybody liked her more than me. "
" I see. " Her little sister murmured. With chopsticks in her right hand, she separated more of the duck and dipped the meat into the sauce, and ate it.
" After that, I was always angry when I saw her. " Lijuan continued. " But with mother always paying attention to my manners I was never able to act on my feelings. I always bottled them and it was only when I returned to my room that I would release them. But even then I had to pay attention to what I did and how I did it. If I broke something because I was not in control of my emotions, my mother would be disappointed and more lectures would be scheduled for me. In the worst-case scenario, there was punishment. "
" What kind of punishment? " Jiao asked her. " I doubt it was physical, after all, if it left scars your worth to be married off would plummet. " Yet when the words reached Lijuan felt them absent of emotion.
To Lijuan it felt as if she was reading something from a book without any bias.
" You're right, about it not being physical. " Lijuan answered. " The lightest punishment I received was house arrest. The worst was copying a thousand pages of Yan Yaozu's Teachings of our Ancestors in both Laws and Traditions. "
" Yan Yaozu? " Jiao interrupted her older sister's ranting for a second. " That sounds like a male name? Is the book about behavior and traditions as a whole or is it specifically centered around the female part of a household? "
A bit unsure why she was asking her that, as she too had read about it, but the next moment Lijuan remembered that this Jiao had no memories of that. But then she remembered how their grandmother mentioned that she had sent a courtesy teacher to Jiao.
" Did the teacher our grandmother sent you not teach you from it? " Lijuan asked the younger sister. " Yan Yaozu's book is the main book from which all the traditions are passed on. "
The next moment, Lijuan saw something click on her younger sister's face. " Oh, it's that book. I did not like how the traditions for the female household had been decided by him. Much less the way that He demanded my fealty be bound to my father, then my husband, and then my son. The words in the book denied any female involvement in anything political, scholastic, medical, or militaristic. Therefore I erased the name from my memory and renamed the book Man's Harem. "
Stunned by what she heard, Lijuan knew not how to reply to that. The book was the main staple of higher society in the Empire, and in the surrounding Empires if what she was told held.
So when she opened her mouth all that came out was one word. " Why? "
" Duh, because it is stupid! " Jiao replied.
Still not understanding why that was so, Lijuan's addled mind got stuck with the duh for a moment before she asked once more. " Why? "
" Because the world in my memories was structured differently. " Jiao answered. " There are many differences but in this case, I should mention the biggest one. One of the principles that the whole world agreed on was the Principle of Equality of Opportunity. Meaning that every child, no matter the gender, has a choice to participate in something. Whether it was to be a Politician, Scholar, Warrior, Healer, or to be a simple family caretaker. How much they achieved was up to them. "
Stunned by what she was hearing, Lijuan continued to stare at Jiao who continued speaking. "To me, it does not matter if I was in another World or if the Laws or Culture dictate otherwise. Even if I have changed my gender, I will still fight for that freedom, and anybody standing in between me and that freedom is bound to become my stepping stone into the future. "
In the end, Lijuan felt her sister's determination in her bones. Her imagination went wild for a moment, but the next moment it crashed down when she realized that she could not even imagine herself in such a position.
All her life she was taught how to behave in front of her future husband, how to influence and worship him as if he was the Sky itself.
Then she was taught by her mother how to use that very same Sky to her advantage.
Realizing this fact, Lijuan tried to remember if she was ever taught anything else, besides how to please the husband and how to manage his household.
She tried very hard, but no matter how much she tried, that was all she knew.
" Lijuan? " A voice snapped her to the present. " Don't think too much about it. You have been raised and taught the best way to survive and thrive in a male-dominated hierarchy. While it could be better, it could be much worse for women than the direct control of the husband's household. Like being slaves and breeding partners and nothing more. Trust me on this, it can always be worse. "
Shivering at that imagination, she heard her younger sister continue. " If you get rid of all the biases of male and female behavior, you will notice that over 70% of all women will turn to a caretaker path. After that is politics and social scholarly arts and only after that comes any militaristic path. The problem is not having the choice to search for the thing that speaks to one's heart. Either way, we have switched topics. Let's return to your feelings about me and our father. "
" I… I don't know. " Lijuan, the older sister, replied hesitantly. " Somehow I don't feel like talking anymore. "
" Eh, you're thinking too hard about it. " Her little sister said. " Here let me pour you some more wine. It will help you with your hesitation. "
With that said, her little sister poured her another cup of the sweet wine. " Why do I get the feeling you just want to get me drunk, so I forget everything you just said? "
" Sigh. Lijuan, I said, you are overthinking it. " Her little sister said. " If you want to talk about the relationship between men and women, seek out Tao Fang later on. I have had a similar talk with her. I am sure she won't mind helping you, right? "
Hearing the name, it took her a moment to realize that she was speaking about her personal servant, who in return looked at her and replied.
" Miss Lijuan, it will be my honor to relay all that I have been taught by the Miss. "
" Fine, but I don't think I should drink more. " Lijuan admitted.
" Look. It's been going well so far, there is no need to stop. "
" But? "
" Fine, I will tell you why it's needed. " Jiao stated. " From little, you have been taught to bottle your feelings but that is not a good thing. We, humans, are creatures of emotions and if we bottle up to many emotions we explode in some way. The drink is there to help you get around that barrier that has been built around your heart your whole life. Our problem here is not the drinking but the drink itself. It's sweet but it does not have enough alcohol, therefore we need to rely on quantity over quality. I am sure you can already feel how the drunken haze is leaving you, so drink and continue bawling your heart out. "
Cup filled with the wine, Lijuan followed the advice and drank it down.
After that, it was a bit harder for her to find the right words to continue but it did not take long, she continued.
Many words were said that she would probably regret saying later on when she was far soberer but deep down she felt lighter every time she said them.
" Has anybody ever told you why they treated the old Jiao as they did? "
" They did. " She answered. " My mother always compared the old you to a spring flower. I don't remember the name, but she always explained how such flowers bloomed and how everybody liked how beautiful they looked. Ultimately, it was a beautiful but short memory when compared to how long cultivators could live. "
" And it turned out to be true did it not? "
Thinking about it for a moment she nodded. " Yes. I had spoken to my father about you after you had left for a few months. I thought that I would finally gain the attention I wanted all this time but what I noticed was something else. That was when I realized what my mother meant. For a while after, I felt that you had finally gained what you deserved but even that passed away with you being away. What was left I don't know, and I guess here we are now. "
" And here we are now. " Her little sister repeated the words. " Do you feel better after having done it? "
" I… I don't know. "
" Alright, I guess that was too soon to ask. " Jiao admitted nonchalantly. " Either way, I am sure it was a good thing. Even if our sisterly relationship does not blossom at least this way there will be less resentment between us. "
" I… I hope so. "
" We will see how it turns out in the future. " Jiao said. " Either way, we have eaten and drunk to our heart's content, so I will consider this a good start more than anything else. "
" Why don't we settle everything and go home. I am sure some sleep will do you good. " Jiao proposed to her.
" Sure. " She replied but then she remembered something else. " Wait, did you not say that there was a reason as to why you reserved this meeting between us? "
" Hmm? " Jiao hummed and considered her options. " I did. But it can wait for another day. Let's not tarnish this event with other things. "
" I… Alright. "
" Fang, you go and settle the bill for everything. "
" Yes, Miss. " The servant replied and made her way outside only to return much sooner than expected.
" Umm, Miss, I think you should come and take a look at what is happening on the first floor. " Fang vaguely hinted.
Wondering what was happening, Lijuan stood up alongside her little sister and made her way outside the room, when the noise exploded in her ears.
" Ah, I forgot about the silence barrier. " She heard her younger sister say. The next moment she saw her point her right hand at the barrier in the room focused on what was going on.
At the same time, her voice enabled her to calmly parse through the sounds that came into her delicate ears.
That was when she realized that was being said.
" Looks like I am the main topic. Let's go down. Also, Lijuan, can you let me handle this? " Jiao said and Lijuan nodded.
Once the three girls and two guards were at the same height as everybody else, Jiao tapped the back of the first person that was blocking her way. " Hey, can you step aside? You're blocking my way. "
Feeling the tapping and hearing the voice that ignored him, as if he was a nobody behind him, the man turned around.
He puffed his back and raised his voice expecting a confrontation.
" Who dares to belittle me the Western Eagggg. Cough. Cough. I mean, I don't mind, Young Lady. Please. "
" Oh, looks like you have a better mind than somebody of your size exhibits normally. " Jiao said to the huge man who had moved aside as soon as he made contact with her eyes.
" Cough. I thank the Lady for the compliment. "
The raised voice had alerted those around, but his subsequent submission sent shivers down their spines.
When they finally looked back at who was able to make their friend change his attitude so quickly, they saw a young girl of age 16 looking at them.
Normally that would not faze them at all, but those green eyes spoke too much about her identity.
That there was another one behind her with guards that followed them only showcased their friends' quick thinking.
Moments later they too stepped aside and Jiao had a clear path toward the event that involved her.
The more she walked on said path the more the crowd around the tables made way for her.
Still, out of all the things that stood out to the crowd, it was not the two girls that belonged to the Yu Clan, it was the third one that followed after the first one.
Her clothes displayed her status as a servant but her beauty made them ignore that.
Once Jiao stood between the two warring groups quieted down, as she approached them.
Only one of them was far more used to expressing their submission.
" We greet the Young Ladies. "
Giving them a nod, Jiao focused on the other party.
Like almost everybody else in this establishment, all four of them were Foundation Cultivators.
At the same time all four middle-aged men, from their apparent looks, wore the same style of leather armor on their bodies.
" So, The Xia Clan is spreading gossip about me? What a surprise, I must say. " Jiao smirked as she said nonchalantly.
" Why are you not saying anything now that I am standing in front of you? "
" Common, you can relax, I won't be taking out my anger on you four, after all, you four are nothing but pawns of the master that you serve. " Jiao stated, but still the four men stayed silent and their grip on their swords stayed the same.
Seeing them not responding, Jiao looked at the Jade Mercs. " So who was the one that started the gossip debate? "
" They did, Young Lady. " Replied the one at the front of the group.
Hearing it Jiao observed the man closer. His reply was quick and his face was straight, so if he was telling a lie, he was very good at it.
" Actually, it doesn't matter who started it, I am ending it. " Jiao shook her head and declared. " But you people from the Xia Clan did badmouth me. Don't deny it, I heard it. For that, I will enact punishment on you. "
Immediately all four of them drew their swords.
Jiao looked at them for a second, then her smile got even bigger. Shaking her head she looked around the first floor. Her target was someone specific.
" You, Waiter. " Jiao spoke. " I am sure you have some paper and ink lying around. Go, get them for me. "
A bit stumped that he had been isolated from the young lady, he nodded and vanished inside a room.
Jiao on the other hand focused back on the four Xia Clan guardsmen. " You can lower your swords. You will not be fighting anybody. Your punishment will be to become my delivery boys. Once the waiter returns with the tools, I will write a letter to Xia Jingjie. "
" That is all? " One of them asked.
" Yes. In truth, I simply don't care what you said, or the gossip that exists because of me. What I do have a problem with is the Prime Minister's son. He and I have a score to settle. "
Saying that Jiao ignored them, and waited for the waiter, but moments later she did hear them sheath their swords.
With all that happened and was expected to happen, the crowd was silent.
If one dropped anything, its sound would echo for everybody to hear.
Moments later when they started to whisper between them, the waiter returned with the tools and placed them on the table that was used by the Jade Mercs.
Jiao nodded to him and looked at the tools in question and picked up a brush when an idea popped into her head.
" Lijuan, can you write a letter for me? I am sure your calligraphy skills are better than mine? "
At the same moment that Jiao said those words, every single person looked at the 19-year-old girl.
" I… Sure I don't mind. "
With that agreement, Lijuan sat at the table, pulled her wide sleeves back, and picked up the brush. She dipped it into the ink and prepared to write.
Smiling, Jiao spoke the words. Her idea was for everybody to hear what was written instead of it being a silent letter.
" Coward, Liar, and Killer by the name Xia Jingjie. "
Hearing it, Lijuan's eyes opened wide at the spoken words. In truth, everybody else did too.
" I… Suddenly I don't feel like writing anything for you. " Lijuan said to her little sister. But then she shrugged her shoulders and did it anyway.
Seeing the shrug, Jiao nodded and Lijuan wrote the already said words.
Once they were written Jiao continued her speech. " Three years ago you did something terrible. You killed a little girl who was madly in love with you. I am sure you can give a lot of reasons, but I simply don't care for them. That being the case, you and I need to have a meeting to iron out all the grievances. "
Lijuan dutifully wrote word for word on the white paper. " If you have the 'Manhood' to confront me, find me somewhere in the city. I will usually be exploring the city this week. With that being the case, our confrontation will be public so that you can not hide behind your father's power. "
Stopping in her writing, Lijuan looked at her smiling little sister and began to smile too as she wrote everything the said sister said.
" Now let me give you a warning as well. For every day that you ignore this warning, I will use Yu Clan's mighty financial power to start spreading rumors about you so the whole Empire will know about your true character. For every day that you delay our confrontation, one more rumor will be spread, and for every day that you delay they will turn nastier and nastier. By that moment no one will care if they are the truth or not, yours and your clan's reputation will be smeared with shit anyway. "
Stopping there, Jiao considered if she wanted to say anything more, but decided against it. She tapped the right shoulder of her older sister to signal that her speech was over.
" Lijuan, give me the brush. "
With the brush in hand, she wrote down her name. " Too bad I don't have a seal with me. Anyway, he will know the authenticity of my words once rumors begin spreading. "
Done, Jiao stared at the Xia Clan guardsmen. " You can choose not to deliver the letter, but I doubt you will. " Then she ignored them and focused on her servant. " Fang, have you settled the bill for the food and the drinks? "
Remembering that she did indeed have an order to do that, Tao Fang shook her head and looked for a waiter, and paid with the money that she was given by her Mistress.
" Good, Lijuan, let's go home. " With that said, the ladies of the Yu Clan left the silent crowd of bystanders behind in the establishment.