Patiently waiting for the Grandmaster's return, Chi Cheng fiddled with the sleeve of his robe. It was no surprise that the Grandmistress of the Chi clan would arrive eventually for he had made the grave mistake of tasting Han Xuelian's blood.
"This is going to cause trouble for her because I don't have the seal… " Laying on his back, Chi Cheng rested a hand over his eye. "I was foolish! It would've been better if I bit my own arm or shattered my teeth."
Piling over the heap of worries weighing over his thoughts, Chi Cheng added one more burden. He prayed fervently that she would restrain her anger and negotiate calmly, but knowing the nature of her constant unruly temperament, he had little hope.
"Ah-Ran?" Chi Cheng slowly sat up on the bed when he heard the room door open.
Chi Weiran strolled in, casually closing the door behind him. With reddened and puffy eyes, he looked at his older brother with a pensive expression. He approached the bed, sitting down on the cushioned stool.
"Ah-Ran, were you crying?" Chi Cheng reached out his uninjured arm to cup his younger brother's face.
"No…" Chi Weiran mumbled, averting his gaze. "Yes…" He looked at his older brother briefly. "They didn't want to let me see you!"
"Ah-Ran, I'm sorry it must have been difficult. I caused you a lot of worries." Chi Cheng smiled fondly, placing his hand behind his younger brother's head and bringing it closer so that their foreheads could touch. "I'm proud of you for doing so well, but unfortunately I wasn't able to witness your skills."
"That doesn't matter!" Chi Weiran exclaimed quickly, breaking away. "You got hurt because of me, didn't you? You used the earring to control my horse, didn't you?"
"I didn't." Chi Cheng lied. "The headband would have detected it so Shan Liying was aiming at me."
"I promise I'll take better care of you…" Chi Weiran lowered his head shamefully.
Witnessing Chi Weiran's determination and his discouraged demeanour simply because he felt responsible for his older brother's condition, reminded Chi Cheng of his past self and the older brother he once admired and followed blindly.
'You're just like me, Ah-Ran…' Chi Cheng wiped the remnants of tears from Chi Weiran's eyes. 'So I promise I will never betray you… like how I was betrayed by my dear brother.'
*******************
In all his years of glory and chivalry, Han Xuelian had never faltered in the presence of anyone. Not even the esteemed Emperor who commanded his every move could make him waver with fear. Yet, the Grandmistress seated across from him, glaring at him with fiery eyes that looked as if they were ready to tear apart his soul, made him shift uncomfortably.
The Grandmistress had not spoken a single word since her unexpected arrival. She stormed into the Han clan's estate accompanied by her aide and a few disciples, the reason for her visit still unknown.
"You've arrived a whole week early. I didn't expect to see you so soon after we met at the palace for the Emperor's summons." Han Xuelian was the first to break the silence. "I haven't even completed the physical tests."
"If you are slow in your tasks, that leaves little to be expected from you." The Grandmistress clicked her tongue irritably, folding her arms while she closed her eyes; refusing to look directly at Han Xuelian. "Have you become incompetent since you've returned from your journey?"
'I can't tell her I postponed the next test because of Chi Cheng… ' The Grandmaster's last nerve twitched, taking a direct strike to his pride from the Grandmistress's words. 'As usual, her tongue is a blade…'
"How many years after my departure was it you finally became a Grandmistress?" Han Xuelian asked nonchalantly, an underlayer of mischief in his tone. "Was it ten or five? I don't quite remember."
Han Xuelian's effective counter had certainly struck a sensitive topic. He contained himself from laughing at the almost visible vein popping up on the Grandmistress's forehead. Her eyes flickered open immediately, hissing as she banged a fist on the oak table; making the teacups and trays tremble.
"You-" She started, but Liwen quickly grabbed her arm; shaking her head disapprovingly and the Grandmistress complied. "I want to see my son." She demanded.
"I must decline." Han Xuelian humbled his reply to appease her brewing anger. "Having the Chi disciples' mentor here a week early will only give them an advantage. I have no intention of accusing you of doing anything to ensure that your sons pass this course, however, I'm obliged to comply with the regulations."
"I want to see my son." The Grandmistress repeated, ignoring any words that came out from Han Xuelian's mouth.
After all, listening to pointless ramblings was not her forte.
'Did she even listen to a word I said…' The Grandmaster tapped his finger softly on the table, leaning forward. 'Why is she even here in the first place? Was she informed that something happened to Chi Cheng?'
The Grandmaster denoted that the women of the Chi clan were not to be trifled with. In service to the Emperor as a covert force in dealing with the Empire's internal threats and providing intelligence through their blood divinations, the Grandmistress had more authority at her disposal than he was pleased with.
However, just like all the other clans, she was a loyal lapdog who couldn't defy her dear master, the Emperor. Han Xuelian on the contrary, was more influential in the Emperor's affairs, enough to earn himself multiple enemies.
"Grandmistress Chi Yulan," Han Xuelian's humble attitude flattened, his polite smile disappearing. "You stormed into the Han estate unannounced and by force, we still received you. I will not accept your demands on my turf. We will accommodate you until we need you at the next set of tests, but you cannot see your sons or interact with them."
Chi Yulan's gaze narrowed, her blood boiling dangerously with fury hearing that her demands weren't met. She reached for the ruby earring on her left ear, fiddling with it to calm her nerves.
'Ah-Cheng… I need to know whose blood you drank and why before our family seal is triggered and the Emperor notices…' Chi Yulan gritted her teeth, realising that the situation would only become more dire and she refused to give up.
"Do you have something to hide, Han Xuelian?" Chi Yulan raised an eyebrow, studying his reactions and expression attentively. "The Grandmistress of the Blood sect has come to visit her two disciples. You're withholding them, should I take it as you're holding them hostage, for treacherous reasons?"
"I cannot bend the rules for you, Grandmistress." Han Xuelian's tone deepened, merely a breath away from growling. "Return to Chiyun Mowu or wait one week, the choice is yours."
"I choose to tear apart this place until I find my sons." Chi Yulan decided firmly, rising to her feet with an air of arrogance as she jabbed a finger in the Grandmaster's direction. "If it's a war you want, I'll gladly give it to you."
"You're a hound with a leash." Han Xuelian gestured to the seal markings on Chi Yulan's forehead. "What can you do?"