Chapter 48- Gearing Up and Sorting Out

“I honestly thought I might have something going with Sister Su. You know, she’s got that cool elegance to her, and she said on a couple of occasions that she enjoys my company. Not something I hear a lot from jade beauties. Hit me like a thrown brick, in fact. But she never showed any interest beyond wanting to argue with me, and seemed to either ignore or dislike my flirting, so that was that.”

“Brother Wang, respectfully, why are you telling me this?” The Five Element Courtyard had a Treasure Mountain, which Tian found was just an enormous shop open to disciples. It was open to visitors too, with restrictions on what could be purchased and the understanding that there was a certain mark up.

There wasn’t any problem with the two walking from the guest house to the store unaccompanied. The internal surveillance made the distinction a bit meaningless. Besides, it was a pleasant six mile stroll. Just nice for a chat and admiring the illusory beauty of the Courtyard. Also, while Tian could believe Brother Wang had a crush on Sister Su, he would be eaten by owls before he believed Brother Wang said a single word about it to her.

“Because I don’t have anyone else to vent to, and I know you aren’t chasing her so no feelings will be hurt. Look at it from my perspective- the brilliant beauty, fragile, trapped in her wheelchair while I can stand out in front being her big, strong protector. Doesn’t that tickle the ego and swell the heart? I’m big enough, and I still feel myself inflating at the thought.”

“She is in a wheelchair because the literal walls of corpses she made screened a eight tenths dead demon for long enough that it could ambush her. And she still managed to kill it in the end. When you get right down to it, I’m fairly sure she could take you in a fight.”

Tian was having trouble reconciling the words “elegant, cool, jade beauty” with Sister Su. She wasn’t bad looking by any means. It was just the intensity of her, the way her eyes focused on you. That’s what Tian thought of. Not how she looked, or whether she was pretty, just the feeling of that relentless mind focusing down on you through unblinking eyes.

“Shh. We are talking about appearances and ego, Brother Tian. Let’s not let crude reality intrude. Yes, I was reconciled to once again suffering an unreciprocated… if not love, then affection and interest. Unpleasant, but we have all been there-”

“I haven’t.”

“You put Daoist Shu in a box and sealed it with talismans marked ‘Just Friends’ in seconds. So cold blooded, you might be part lizard. You are on the other side of this dichotomy. Anyway, WE HAVE ALL BEEN THERE, and part of maturing is learning to accept that your feelings might not be returned and coming to appreciate what you do have. But then Lil’ Mei rolls in, and she is interested. Playing a role, and playing me, sure, but I’ve seen that game too many times. There is something real there, for both of us. We know we are playing with fire, but damned if we aren’t having fun doing it.”

“Mmhmm. Yes. I understand and agree with you completely.” Tian had given up trying to make sense of his brother’s prattling. They had met Daoist Mei last night. It hadn’t even been a day. What, by all that was holy, was Brother Wang on about? He could understand why ascetics abstained from sex. It was the easiest way to avoid unwanted conversations.

“But now Sister Su is acting outraged. Now she is acting like I’m doing something unpardonable. What, exactly, am I doing that is wrong? I want it laid out plainly. I want clear instructions in unambiguous terms.”

“Hear hear!” That, Tian could wholeheartedly agree with.

“I can do better? With who? Where? And nevermind fertilizing someone else’s fields, we are still some ways from that, and I sure wouldn’t mind having Mei marry into the Wang Clan. But again, we aren’t remotely near anything like that. We are flirting, for heaven’s sake! We are just enjoying the messed up situation for what it is.” The big man stopped and looked across the enchanted landscape, his eyes settling on a cloud wreathed mountaintop.

“Is it so wrong for this Wang Shizhong to find happiness, even if he is to be denied love?”

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Tian started clapping. The pose was immaculate, the chosen scenery framed the picture beautifully, and the emotion in Brother Wang’s voice was pure. What was there to do but applaud?

“Brother Tian, you are perhaps the most caring person I know. I must trust you to be my heart tying emissary here-”

“No. Absolutely not. No chance, not on a bet, not for all the tea on ten mountains. Oh look, the store is only two miles away. I’ll just step in since we are here.” Tian activated his light body art and vanished before the echo of his voice did.

He might not know much about affairs of the heart, but he could spot annoying nonsense from miles and miles away. It hadn’t even been a day. Not even a day! What in the nine hells was wrong with people?!