CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT
"Your back!" Shan Xuefei called out the moment she saw Yuan enter the gate.
She squinted her eyes as she saw Yuan staying in the shadows with both his hands inside his trouser pockets.
"Why won't you come in?" Shan Xuefei asked, bewildered.
"Mother." Yuan called out with a hoarse voice.
Shan Xuefei's heart ached with concern hearing the tiredness in his voice.
"Come in. I will cook for you. Why don't you wash first?"
"Rest first." Yuan took a glance inside the common room.
"Father?" He asked.
"Your father is in the study. Are you not going to eat?" Shan Xuefei frowned.
"Tomorrow. Thank you, mother." Yuan said and made his way to the study.
Shan Xuefei looked at Yuan's fading back.
Yuan and Feifei have the same look in their eyes. They are both....spiritless.
Puzzled, Shan Xuefei still decided to make buns and boil some eggs. In case Yuan gets hungry, there is food on the table.
If not, it can be heated tomorrow.
Shan Xuefei still can't help but think how her son and Feifei share the same mood.
Strange.
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Arriving at the study room, Yuan knocked once then entered.
"Father." Yuan greeted.
Yu Quibai looked up from the ledger he was working on. Seeing Yuan, a smile lit his serious face.
"You're back!" Yu Quibai was so happy that he immediately stood up and met Yuan halfway.
He held Yuan's arm and pounded his back to express his joy upon his return. After two slaps on Yuan's back, Yu Quibai looked at Yuan with worry.
"Are you hurt? I can smell blood on you." Yu Quibai examined Yuan from head to feet.
Aside from his travel worn appearance, there is nothing unusual. Except for the hands he is hiding.
"I will get a basin of warm water." Without any further question, Yu Quibai left the study room.
Yuan sighed as he took his hands out from his trousers pocket. He looked at his bloodied hands and thought it would be all healed before sun up.
He can already feel the pull of new skin as it slowly stretches out, almost completing the process of healing. Superficial injury heals fast but the bones need some time.
Striding straight to the shelf where the wine was placed, he poured himself a cup. Filled it to the brim.
He drank his drink in one big swallow. Then poured another. Taking the cup with him, he sat on a one person bench and closed his eyes.
He is tired.
He almost killed his horse a couple of times with the way he was testing it to its limits. Always running with little rest. Barely stopping.
He will treat the horse better next time. The horse brought him back home earlier than expected.
He went to see Feifei first without rest but he was met by a nuisance trying to nab Feifei away from him!
Its been two months. Two long months without seeing her.
When he heard footsteps, he stilled his breathing. Sensing it was only his father, he relaxed.
When he heard the footsteps getting closer, he abruptly directed his attention towards the door.
Then came his father.
Yu Quibai put down the basin, pitcher and cloth wipe he brought. Then he looked at his hands.
"Its healing already?" Yu Quibai asked in surprise. "Much faster than before."
"uhm."
Yu Quibai gave Yuan a peculiar look.
"Son, don't hurt yourself next time."
Yuan quickly looked at his father with doubt in his eyes.
Yu Quibai laughed.
"Who else can hurt you but yourself? I know what you are capable of. And I haven't met anyone as talented as you."
Yuan remained silent as he washed the blood off his hands.
Catching sight of Yuan's almost empty cup, Yu Quibai walked to the shelves. He took two bottle flask of wine and gave one to Yuan.
He took a seat and directly drank from his flask while watching Yuan meticulously washing off the blood from his hands.
"You came back faster than I thought. Progress, good?" Yu Quibai asked.
"No, we lost the track. I opted to regroup than blindly search Barûk with uncertainty. Aside from that, there are still some other things I need to deal with. But to find out the exact location of the General the Barbarians kidnapped, I will authorize a dispatch on a force of excursion teams to reconnoiter the Barbarian plains. Then, I will resume the hunt." Yuan released a long sigh.
"Your Master, does he know about your Elder Martial Brother's difficulty? He wouldn't want you to get yourself entangled with military affairs. Neither do I."
"I don't want to muddle through with their business. I just need to get Elder Martial Brother's brother-in-law. And that's it. If it wasn't for the camaraderie and brotherhood between us, I wouldn't want to involve myself on this troublesome task. I already have enough issues on my table as it is."
Yu Quibai snorted. "Who in their right minds would undertake the task of snatching back the General from the harsh plains of Barbarian territory? If only Yingshan Kingdom has the power to let these Barbarians obediently stay in Barûk."
Silence.
"Barûk is a harsh country to live. If Barûk is a land easily cultivated, these Barbarians might stop harassing our borders." Yuan grumbled distractedly.
"These skirmishes back and forth between our Kingdom and Barûk is annoying." He added.
"As it is, I want to complete this task as soon as possible. I don't want to catch the attention of both Military and Imperial Officials. With luck, these Barbarians might enlighten us with useful details and provide guidance on where the General is being held captive."
Yuan stopped and glanced at his father.
"We captured some Barbarians along the way and had them imprisoned. Maybe the ones I arranged to interrogate them has already wormed something out from these Barbarians."
Yu Quibai had a far away look on his eyes as if remembering something from his past.
Yuan gave his father his silence.
After awhile, Yu Quibai faced him with a cryptic look on his face. "If you are in trouble, you know who to look for in Gyffes. They will be loyal to you for life."
Yuan stared hard at his father. Nodded then hummed. "uhm."
"Was there any trouble while I was away?"
Yu Quibai frowned, thinking.
"None. Your mother missed you and kept asking why you are not at home lately. I just told her you are in town busy with official business." Yu Quibai laughed as if remembering a joke.
A flicker of distrust appeared in Yuan's eyes.
Yu Quibai waved his hand left and right seeing the skeptical look on Yuan's face.
"Both your mother and sister thought you already have a woman installed in your townhouse. They are both thinking the "official business" is a marriage business. They may now be anticipating the arrival of a new family member." Yu Quibai guffawed.
Yuan : !!!!!!
Yuan felt like being flayed alive by his father's statement. And his father's laughter is getting on his nerves.
Somehow, Yuan can't help being nervous for some reason.
Woman in his townhouse??!
He is not in trouble, is he?