<u>Chapter 4: Farewell</u>


    Just outside one of the smaller gates of the Xin clan, a girl’s voice confronted Xin Shi. The voice was timid, so unlike her usual self;


    “Little Shi, you must write, ok? Let me know if you need anything…”


    “Y-yeah… maybe?”


    “What do you mean, maybe!”


    Xin Xui was saying farewell. With tears in her eyes, Xin Shi could not bear to look at her. To him, the separation might not be a big deal. It could even be a welcome, since the bullies were no longer there. However, seeing Xin Xui being all teary made him feel a bit awkward.


    In such a minor occasion, there were not many, some seven servants and ladies in the Xin family, those who were close enough to lady Shu Fen, said their farewell. Lady Shu Fen’s maid was there too, but apparently she had other matters to attend. Seeing her fidgeting, lady Shu Fen patted her head, assuring her.


    “It’s alright, take care of your parents…”


    “My lady, I…”


    Apparently, she was about to say something, but held her tongue in the last second. Shu Fen sensed something wrong, but she decided not to dwell in it. Instead, she hugged her.


    “For your service all these years, thank you…”


    “…My lady,”


    The young maid fell silent, before returning her hug while sniffing. Shu Fen had her suspicions, but now she confirmed it. This maid of her… had her circumstances.


    Soon, they finished their farewell. They would leave the clan for many months, yet there was no ceremony, as if their leave from the clan was nothing special.


    Not that they expected anything.


    “Madam, we’re ready.”


    Uncle Cui said to lady Shu Fen. By his side, eight guards stood ready to guard the lady and Xin Shi in their journey. While the family did not favor lady Shu Fen, there was still protocol to consider. She managed to get enough to hire these men, being the widow of Xin Jian, a direct son of the clan.


    Moreover, these men were not strangers…


    “It will be a long journey. We will be troubling brother Cui and companions,”


    “Huhu, don’t mention it, my lady. The late master took care of us, our family during our hard times. This debt, none of us shall forget. Now, we shall be with you during your hard times, Milady.”


    “Em, I am thankful, all of you,”


    Xin Shi and lady Shu Fen boarded the carriage. As they began their journey, the sniff and cry of those sending them away accompanied them. Xin Xui was in tears as she waved them;


    “Little Shi, don’t you dare forget to write…”


    The carriage was soon a good distance away from the clan. As Xin Shi turned to look at the faraway Xin Xui, his heart felt as if being pricked by a needle. There were times when he doubted her sincerity, but… With her voice continuously sounded all the way till they could barely see them, he felt a bit sad. She was a bit noisy, and busybody, still…


    “Take care, sister Xui… Stay healthy, stay… happy.”


    He whispered towards her direction. She was his dear cousin, and his closest friend. No doubt, she could never hear that.


    When Xin Shi and lady Shu Fen’s party was too far to be seen anymore, Xin Xui stopped her shouting.


    As if something unseen hit her, she turned quiet. Her right cheek still a bit blue, the pain was a constant reminder. She closed her eyes, recalling the event two weeks ago; when she protested to her father… And when she, for her first time, angered him to the point of slapping her hard. She was almost sent flying…


    That was when she knew;


    “Power… without it, you can’t decide anything.”


    Her palms opened in front of her, shaking. The helplessness she felt, from being so weak, not even able to influence her father, bore down deep into her. The soft, teary eyes from before, opened with a fire burning within.


    “If power… is what I need, then power… shall I, Xin Xui, have,”


    Her soft palms, she clasped them into fists. Within this thirteen-year old girl, a rather dangerous intent sprouted.


    <hr>


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    When the clan building was no longer visible, lady Shu Fen took a look at the blue sky. The blue sky was wide, as if having no end. In a way, for her, it resembled a lake, a blue lake.


    ‘Sister… did the letter arrive? Will you…have you forsaken me, just as I did you?’


    She shook her head. Recent events turned even her mood a little gloomy, for how could she ever doubt her sister? She herself was selfish, but her sister was different. She was loyal, a true cultivator treasured highly by the sect.


    …


    On the fourth day, after leaving a certain town beyond the mountain, inside the carriage, Xin Shi realized something. Taking a map below the seat, he checked them over. Seeing him, his mother simply smiled;


    “Is something the matter, Shi-er?”


    “No, mom… I just had this feeling a few hours ago… But now I’m confident, yes. I think we take the wrong road?”


    “…Hurm, what makes you say that?”


    “See, on this map… there should be a wide road right after passing through the bridge over the gorge. But, it’s only rough mountain road for hours… I think we make a mistake here, at this junction. At this rate, we’re heading for a different town. Yep, I’m certain. Let’s discuss with Uncle Cui,”


    “Good work, finding that out. Your mother is proud of you, but you don’t have to disturb your uncle. He didn’t make a mistake,”


    “Didn’t make a mistake… What do you— Wait, this… mom, did you change the route?”


    “Yes, we’re heading for a different place.”


    Xin Shi turned silent, before asking;


    “…Not the temple, why?”


    “Hu hu, my son, did you study the location of the temple?”


    “Erm, it’s situated near a town filled with hot springs. It is said to be an ideal place for recovery—”


    “Good, what else? What about the temple itself?”


    “The temple…”


    Having his mother saying that, he studied the location of the temple. It was quite near to the town, yet isolated, with winding mountain road so small it did not even register well in the detailed map.


    “Mom… the more I study this location, I can’t help but think… No, not possible right? What good would mountain bandits rob the place? There was nothing there— Ah!”


    “So you realized?”


    “No way… the elders, they wouldn’t be so shameless, so brutal?”


    “…Situated on top of the mountain, there’s no populace there, aside from a few monks shying away from outside world. None of the monks are real cultivators, so the place pretty much lacks any security. The reason mountain bandits didn’t go there was pretty much because… monks didn’t have any valuables, afterall,”


    “They… purposely put us in harm’s way?”


    “Yes, and I don’t think they would just wait for any accidents… Why wait when you could trigger it yourself?”


    “This…”


    Xin Shi still found it hard to believe. True, he felt alienated and being hated for whatever reason all his life. However, the clan still had rules. While children often broke the rules, he never heard about any elders doing so. Within his young mind, it was almost impossible;


    “Mom… the elders… Can they really do that? Wouldn’t they incur ancestor’s wrath?”


    “They can. It’s just a matter of when and where. That, I’m confident. As for your ancestor, he already secluded himself away. Even if he managed to know about our ‘accident’, by that time, there would be nothing left to investigate. Besides, we’re too far from the clan already,”


    “Then, mom, if you realized this, shouldn’t we at least alerted ancestor? Surely he will believe—”


    “That his sons and nephews were planning a murder of their own kin? Did you forget what happen to your father?”


    “That—”


    “His death was suspicious, but your ancestor will not move without evidence. That applies to our situation as well. And, even if I plead to him, I was just an outsider to him… Now that his beloved son was no more, he refused to see anyone, anyway. Not even his other sons.”


    That was right. Whatever happened, required conclusive evidence. A mere suspicion was not enough. Instead of helping, it would just worsened the overall situation. The Yuan Yin ancestor of Xin clan was righteous, but a rather uptight person. He would not entertain any thought without evidence, much less when it involved his own kin committing such heinous crime.


    Such bias was normal.


    “Shi-er, you are still young, so I prefer you not to know about the dark side of the world.”


    “Mom, in two years, I’ll be fifteen, and will be considered an adult. Didn’t you always say so? Always be prepared.”


    “…Yes, perhaps this is a proper time to teach you more about this… As you know, always be prepared. See the motive, and see things in many different views. And if the whole situation seems weird, it’s best to investigate them thoroughly first. Being prepared is always better than being taken in by surprise.”


    Hearing his mother’s reasoning, Xin Shi realized just how lacking his thinking was. He did learn a lot from her, but now, he realized the importance of investigation, and analyzing things in every possible views.


    “Then… the place we’re going?”


    “A city, and my hometown… The Red Blossom city, a city directly under supervision of the Blood Oath sect. We should be there in four more days.”


    “The Blood… Oath sect?”


    “Em, my former sect, the sect your aunt and I grew up in.”


    Hearing so, Xin Shi’s eyes turned round and wide;


    “My aunt? The sect you grew up in? Mom, how come you never mention these…”


    She smiled at his question.


    The smile hid a painful past, the reason why she never spoke of it to her son. Her late husband knew how she felt, so he never raised the issue to his son as well. Together, they buried the painful past, the result of their love.


    “It’s going to be a rather long story… Are you still going to listen?”


    “Em, we have days ahead of us. This way, I won’t be bored,”


    “Huhu how true. Being cramped in this carriage, some old stories ought to do the trick… How should I start? Hm, it all begun in an old orphanage in the city we’re going…”


    <hr>


    Many years ago…


    Lady Shu Fen was Xiao Shu Fen, a one-year old baby who drifted on a large river in the middle of the Red Blossom city. She was in a cradle, which the river flow carried right into the city. She was fortunate, for the cradle was shielded by a powerful charm, protecting her from the dwelling river beasts and violent flow which sometimes appeared out of nowhere.


    An old couple who ran an old orphanage in the city outskirt took her in. From the written letter addressed to her in her later years, she found out that within the cradle, there were only two notable things. The charm, and a locket with a certain symbol with a craving on the back of it. On it, the words were carved below the symbol;


    Shu Fen


    The old couple did try to find out who her real parents were, to no avail. Nonetheless, they kept the charm and locket safe. And the locket, lady Shu Fen kept it with her all the time since receiving it when she was fifteen. Seeing Xin Shi’s eyes inquiring it, she took it out from her bosom.


    “Here, I never showed it to you before…”


    “Wow…”


    The design was intricate, and on the back of the silver locket was a symbol of Two-Headed Golden Bird, engraved within, in such details. Below the bird, was the word, Shu Fen.


    “…Again, how come you didn’t even tell me this before mom…”


    “I just didn’t think it matters. This is your first time seeing it, right?”


    “Em, I saw the chain you’re wearing, but I never thought it was such an important object.”


    “Hmhm, perhaps it meant nothing. I did try to search, but there was nothing. My parents probably didn’t want me,”


    “Mom, there’s no way that’s the case!”


    “Eh… why are you so rebellious all of a sudden?”


    “I’m confident that’s not the case. If they didn’t want you, why must they go through all the trouble, to put on a powerful protective charm on you? That’s the prove that they, at the very least, love you! Besides, the locket, don’t you think it served as identification of sorts? It’s not easy to make this one, with such details. Why put something like this on you? This cost a fortune. It must have meant they wished to search for you later!”


    “Hmm… Makes sense. So my Shi-er is smart enough now, huhu… I didn’t realize you’re all grown up,”


    “Of course I’m smart, I’m your son,”


    Patting his head, ever so softly, she continued her story. It was in that orphanage, when she was six, she met her… The one she called her sister, and the one who called her, big sister. The one so named…


    “Shen Ai,”