Interlude: The Father’s Tale Part IV

~~~

The Xiao Sect’s compound could roughly be divided into three concentric areas.

First, there was the outer zone, which was just behind the main gates. It was a spacious area with plenty of open space. The living quarters of the Outer Disciples were located there. Beyond that, there was the middle zone. It had about as much area as the outer zone, but the structures there were far more elaborate in design.

Next was the inner zone. While smaller than the two previous zones, it more than made up for it in quality. The buildings there were impressive even by the standards of the Xiao Sect. Even the air there felt purer. No doubt, it was a place only Core Disciples and above were allowed to enter.

The three zones were separated by checkpoints. Of course, with Xiao Nan accompanying them, Li and Liu Jianguo had no problems getting through them. Perhaps, if it had not been so late at night, they’d have caused a bigger scene, but at this hour, most people were already asleep.

Well, almost everyone was asleep. Liu Jianguo had caught more than a few gazes peeking at them from the darkness. Disciples and servants who were still up at this hour.

“This one has never been in this part of the compound before,” Li whispered to him once they crossed the final checkpoint. Despite the situation, his excitement was palpable.

Liu Jianguo could understand why.

The main house, located at the very center of the Xiao Sect’s compound, was an impressive sight.

Even though they called it a house, the place was more like a palace. It was certainly large enough for one. The structure could be seen all the way from the outer districts of Eastern Port City. It was a circular building several stories high with tiled roofs and a foundation of marble stone. The many steps that led to its doors would have intimidated anyone who grew up in Eastern Port City.

“Follow me,” Xiao Nan said. “I don’t think this needs saying, but it is already too late for either of you to turn back.”

Li swallowed loudly but kept walking.

The guards at the doors tried to object. They put up more of a fight than the other guards, but Xiao Nan managed to get them to step out of the way all the same. Liu Jianguo had to admit the level of respect the child commanded in the Xiao Sect was impressive. While it was expected of the lower ranks to cave in to the demands of those up high, higher-ranked servants were expected to exercise a little more discretion.

If the people who worked at the main house were obeying him so easily, it meant he was quite something.

However, their good luck couldn’t last. As Xiao Nan started leading them deeper into the mansion, a voice rang out behind them.

“Young Master, what is this I hear about you bringing in an Inner Disciple to our main house?”

Liu Jianguo’s lips pressed against each other as he turned around. The man who had spoken to them had a head full of grey hair and a neatly-trimmed mustache. He had a square chin and a naturally stern face. However, that wasn’t what was most noticeable about him. Instead, it was that the man wasn’t wearing the clothes of a servant. He also wasn’t dressed like a disciple.

He wore robes of dark blue and gold. That, combined with the Qi the man was emitting and Li’s rapidly paling face led Liu Jianguo to a single conclusion.

This man was an Elder of the Xiao Sect.

“I am fairly sure Elder Gang is wise enough to be able to discern my actions,” Xiao Nan said, not seeming to care that he was in front of an Elder. “This Inner Disciple here has acted out of concern for Uncle and brought a doctor to us.”

“A doctor?” Elder Gang asked, looking at Liu Jianguo.

The man’s gaze was nothing Liu Jianguo would have had trouble dealing with in the past. However, he was a cripple now. Meeting it would be seen as disrespectful, so the doctor bit his tongue and lowered his head while he felt the Elder take his measure.

Naturally, the man found him wanting.

“This man is a cripple,” Elder Gang said. There was no anger or spite in his voice. His tone was the same one would use to describe the weather. “You allowed a cripple into the main house.”

“This Xiao Nan knows that well,” Xiao Nan replied, nonplussed. “However, a doctor is a doctor. Am I wrong?”

“Child, do you have any idea what you have done?” Elder Gang asked, irritation finally creeping into his voice. “What do you think would happen if word of this got out? How many Outer and Inner Disciples watched you leading this cripple here?”

“Honored Elder,” Xiao Nan replied. “This Xiao Nan respects your age and wisdom, but this Xiao Nan must remind you that Uncle’s illness is already the talk of Eastern Port City. A cripple won’t make them talk more than they already are. Besides, we already brought in Doctor Wu, and he was useless. If Uncle wanted the people to stop talking, he should have asked aid from the outside.”

“Young Master,” Elder Gang said with great patience, “you are unfortunately still young. As such, you are unable to appreciate the wisdom of Patriarch Zheng’s actions.”

“Oh?” Xiao Nan crossed his arms. “Letting yourself die is a sign of wisdom? Please, honored Elder, do enlighten this foolish child. Perhaps, we should try walking all the way to the center of Poison Fang Canyon together, so that we may become the wisest in all the lands.”

Elder Gang’s face flushed with genuine anger. Liu Jianguo felt his body ready itself on reflex. An instant later, his mind reminded him of how useless that was. As he was now, there was no way he could defend himself. He was effectively at the mercy of their tempers.

What a revolting thought.

“You foolish, impertinent-”

“Now, now, what’s this? Don’t tell me the two of you are actually arguing so close to Patriarch Zheng’s room? Do you wish to cause him further discomfort?”

The softly spoken words were enough to stop Elder Gang.

“Elder Hui,” Elder Gang said, a measure of calm returning to him as he greeted the new arrival. “You are, of course, right. My apologies. I had forgotten myself.”

The Elder who had spoken looked older than Elder Gang. He had a head full of white hair and a long beard. His face was round and had a patient expression.

“It is okay, Elder Gang. No doubt, you were just acting out of concern,” Elder Hui said. His grandfatherly gaze was then turned to Xiao Nan. “And you, Little Nan, You have been quite mischievous tonight.”

Even with two Elders in front of him, Xiao Nan refused to back down. He stared back at them, completely unrepentant.

“Ah.” Elder Hui shook his head. “What shall we do with you now?”

“What shall we do?” Elder Gang echoed. “Is it not obvious? We should throw these two to the Punishment Hall.”

Besides him, Li took in a sharp breath.

“Yes, that would be the proper thing to do, but I don’t think it’d be for the best. No doubt, Xiao Nan will just find someone else to bring here,” Elder Hui said, stroking his beard as he looked at the child in question. “You see, Elder Gang, I believe Xiao Nan’s actions here were brought about by how much he cares for Patriarch Zheng. This is how he expresses his frustration. If we turn these two away, he’ll just act out in another way.”

“Then, what shall we do? Surely, you are not suggesting we let these two see Patriarch Zheng?” Elder Gang asked in outrage.

Elder Hui shrugged.

“Why not? They cannot make the situation worse, and they have likely already been seen. Whether these two see Patriarch Zheng or not, people will say they did either way. Why not just let it happen to get this out of Xiao Nan’s system?”

Elder Gang glared at Elder Hui. He glared at Xiao Nan, and he glared at Li and Liu Jianguo.

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Then, after much glaring, he made his decision.

~~~

Xiao Zheng’s room was bigger than Liu Jianguo’s house.

In the center, there was a spacious four-poster bed made of delicately crafted wood. Red curtains separated the one resting there from the rest of the world. The Elders and Xiao Nan had gone into the room first to explain the situation to Xiao Zheng while Li and Liu Jianguo waited at the doorstep.

They talked in whispers. If Liu Jianguo strained his ears, he might be able to hear them. However, there was no need to bother with such things. Knowing what they were saying would not change the outcome in any meaningful way.

Beside him, Li was frozen in place. It was only to be expected. In Liu Jianguo’s experience, people usually didn’t react well to facing their own mortality so openly.

After a few minutes of whispered conversation, Elder Gang finally deemed them worthy of addressing. He looked at them and spoke a single word.

“Enter.”

Li didn’t move right away, so Liu Jianguo was forced to nudge him, snapping him out of his fear-induced trance. With slow steps, the two made their way inside the room.

“Stop,” Elder Gang said once they were within fifteen steps of Xiao Zheng’s bed. At once, they stopped and kneeled on the floor for good measure.

In situations like this, there was no such thing as being too respectful.

“So, young disciple, I hear you have brought a doctor,” the man behind the curtain spoke. His voice sounded strong, but Liu Jianguo knew better than to be deceived by it. He had dealt with entirely too many patients to be so easily fooled.

The man’s voice was that of a sick person pretending to be strong.

“I-It is a-as you say, honored Patriarch,” Li stuttered the words out, bowing his head even lower. He took a deep breath, hoping to calm himself down. “My friend here is a great doctor. This lowly disciple thinks he can help honored Patriarch.”

Xiao Zheng’s answer was delivered without hesitation.

“He is a cripple.”

Something threatened to rise within Liu Jianguo at those words. No, it wasn’t even the words themselves. It was the way these people said them. They didn’t say it as an insult. They said it without heat or spite.

They said it as a fact.

That made it hurt more.