Chapter 217: Loyalties

~~~

“We have not been here for three full days, and already someone has tried to assassinate you. This place agrees with you,” Lu Mei says while relaxing on his couch.

Liu Jin stares at her.

He had expected her to be worried about what happened last night. Instead, she looks almost pleased by the attempt on his life. Proud, even.

“… I do not begin to comprehend how you can look at everything that happened and say this place agrees with me,” Liu Jin says.

“Men of great caliber are frequent targets of assassination attempts,” Lu Mei says, raising a single, dainty finger to underscore her point. “This simply means your quality has been recognized. If anything, it’s odd that people haven’t tried to assassinate you more often.”

Liu Jin grimaces as he recalls Yuan Yi’s attempt to assassinate him in the Dead Plains.

“I believe I don’t want to be recognized as a man of caliber.”

Lu Mei’s genteel laugh is perfectly melodic. “Impossible. A lion would have better luck pretending to be a house cat. Still, to think a man of your past joined Murong Bang’s army and now seeks to kill you.” Her smile grows. “How thoroughly amusing.”

Liu Jin is very much not amused, but he can see Lu Mei’s point. Out of all the people in Eastern Port City, Yun Han is the one who survived and joined Murong Bang’s army. What are the odds of that? Minuscule. Nearly non-existent.

Or perhaps…

Xun Huwen’s face flashes through his mind.

Or perhaps it was inevitable.

So long as he and Han kept rising in cultivation, their next meeting was assured. Their existences simply pulled at each other.

Like magnets.

If that is truly how things work, Liu Jin wishes his existence could have attracted someone else.

“I’d rather focus on what Murong Bang has planned for me in the arena,” he says. “For all we know, he has some sort of unwinnable challenge waiting for me there.”

“I doubt it,” Lu Mei says. When Liu Jin looks at her with curiosity, she explains, “He is clearly the sort who likes to play with others. He will not put you through a challenge you cannot overcome because that would deprive him of his fun. This works to your advantage. Situations with a narrow probability of success are your comfort zone.”

“You have entirely too much faith in me,” Liu Jin says, making Lu Mei scoff. “However, you have a point. Murong Bang seems to be deriving some amusement from this.”

Amusement. When one becomes old and powerful, one needs no reason other than amusement to do anything. His master told him that a long time ago.

“There is another factor to consider,” Lu Mei says, her face growing more serious. “Has he recognized you?”

The meaning of her question is obvious.

Does Murong Bang know his father was the Black Dragon?

“It would be pointless to send a message to Murong Bang telling him I have the Black Dragon’s son,” General Dan had explained to him before the mission. “Unaware of its contents, Murong could carelessly have the message read in front of several people. There’s no telling what that information could do if let loose. Worse still, Murong could believe it to be a lie and become enraged. No, it is better to send you without telling him who you are and rely on him recognizing you, which he will.”

“We are still alive, and Murong Bang is willing to consider our request instead of rejecting it,” Liu Jin says, thinking back to the way Murong Bang looked at him after he stood up to him in the arena.

It felt like the man was staring into his soul.

Liu Jin shivers.

“Yes, I believe we can safely say he recognizes me.”

“Good. That means he has some interest in keeping you alive, if only because he might feel you are his way of finding the Black Dragon,” Lu Mei says. She sighs. “A pity loyalty is not inheritable. This would be so much easier if the Three Heavenly Generals recognized you as their master.”

“I have no intention of ruling this country.”

“I know. I know,” Lu Mei says with an overly patient tone. “You just want to dictate its policy. Completely different things. I understand.”

Liu Jin’s eyebrow twitches.

“Even if General Dan and Murong Bang were to feel some inherited loyalty towards me, that’d still leave General He. If he is really working with those beyond the Dead Plains, I doubt him recognizing me would change anything.”

It is something Liu Jin thinks about a little more each day. The people of the Death Fashioning Scripture seem to have been meddling in the affairs of this side of the Dead Plains for many years. Could they have been at work in the Storm Dragon Empire during his father’s time?

“Let’s leave that subject for another time,” Lu Mei says, rising and holding her hand out to him. “The issue right now is whatever dastardly evil plan General Murong has planned for you, is it not? Escort me around the city then.”

Liu Jin blinks.

“I fail to see how one thought leads to the other.”

“We can hardly be expected to divine that man’s thoughts cooped up here, can we?”

“You just want to get us into trouble.”

“Possibly,” Lu Mei admits. Her lips curl into a smile, “but do you not wish to see the city Murong Bang has made with your own eyes?”

~~~

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

It does not take Lu Mei and Liu Jin long to find trouble. In fact, trouble is already waiting for them outside Murong Bang’s estate.

“Good day,” says the violet-eyed man Liu Jin saw at Murong Bang’s side last night, Bright Sword. “May I ask where you are going on this fine morning?”

There is not the slightest sense of threat coming from the man. It is not that he is weak-looking or anything of the sort. Rather, despite being in the Heaven Realm, his aura is like a calm forest. The air around Bright Sword is so peaceful it takes Liu Jin several seconds to notice the sword hanging at his side.

The moment he looks at it, the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, and Liu Jin feels an instinctive urge to back away.

“We thought we should take a look around the city,” Lu Mei says. “Surely, you will not say that is forbidden? After all, we are guests of General Murong.”

Bright Sword hums in thought.

“Guests and prisoners are little different in General Murong’s eyes, but you have a point.” Bright Sword nods. “So long as you do not attempt to escape the city, there should be no problem. That being the case. I should escort you for the day.”

“You believe we would try to escape?” Liu Jin asks. To his surprise, Bright Sword shakes his head.

“No, perish the thought,” Bright Sword says. “General Murong is convinced you will not, and he is a great judge of character.”