"Brother, if we release her she may talk about us. Besides how can we be 100% sure she is not involved!" said Ming Xia adamant about his position.
"Senior, I make the solemn vow to not talk about what happened here, if I lie may 10000 lightning bolts strike me and curse my destiny to an insufferable life!" Mei said seriously. " I also want to find Brother Ai! I haven't paid my debt yet! That can't do!"
They were all shocked by the intensity of the vow and could hear the sincerity in her voice.
"Let's untie her, we'll decide what to do next." Yang Jiang proposed.
Ming Xia just stared at Mei with dislike. "I still don't trust you!"
Yang Jiang untied Mei and gave her a pill to cure her poison. By measure of precaution they had poisoned herself with
"Feels good to be free! I thought I was going to loose my life! Big brothers are so strong!" Mei just said cheerfully, reinforcing the idea that she was an airhead. Who sound in mind would call their kidnappers "Big brothers" with glee?
"We are not your big brothers!" Ming Xia interjected. For some reason, he still strongly disliked the girl.
"Big brothers are Ai's brothers. Ai is my big brother. Big brothers are my big brothers too." Mei said logically on a childish voice.
"Let's wait for my adoptive father to come back and decide what to do next?" Ling Fu proposed.
"Did uncle said where he was going?" An Feng asked. He kept on scribbling. "Should he not be back already?"
"Father said this time he would leave for about 1 month."
"There still few days left, Uncle is very strong, there's no need to worry much." Yang said.
"Let's go back and recoup here in a few days!" In Uncle's Fu absence, An was assuming the role of leader.
"What about me? What should I do?" Asked Mei excitedly.
"Go back to your parents, the city life is not made for naive girls like you!" Ming Xia replied on a very dry tone.
"You can stay with me for the time being. We'll find a way to escort you back to your sect once our business is completed." Ling Fu said accommodatingly while sending a warning through her eyes to Ming Xia.
In the ancestral hall, the masked man had not seen Ai for a few days now and was a bit worried. His physical wounds had healed very quickly but he was pretending to be still bedridden to better observe the youth.
"Good medical skills, a pity he has no foundation but that could be trained if he had the right body for it. He has strong martial arts. Hmmm he is worthy to be my disciple."
Ai had been practicing her martial art whenever she had some time free. She couldn't afford to skimp on her training. The sight of those Buddha's had stilled fear in her for the first time. She would have never thought there were still immortal and unorthodox practitioners in this continent.
She had believed they had all disappeared since the last war between immortals and demons, 1000 years ago.
"What if Father's murderer has spiritual power as well? That won't do! I have to find a way to make that masked man teach me his skills!" Ai was reflecting.
She needed to gain more power in order to accomplish her revenge. If she couldn't, she would be betraying the expectations of her uncle and the Shang family.
"Hey Brat! Can't you feed me anything else than soups, stew and porridge? My stomach has grown tired of eating the same food over and over! I want meat!"
"Does he thinks he is in restaurant and I am a cook?!?" Still Ai didn't reply like that but just said calmly:
"Senior's condition is not appropriate for consuming meat for now. Once Senior is better, I'll cook you some meat plates."
The masked man threw a cup he had near him towards Ai head. Not only did Ai did not got hurt by the cup, she caught it and put it back on the table.
"Getting excited in Senior's condition will only impede your healing. In the the future, it would be better for Senior to maintain a Zen mentality in order to not meet the nirvana too soon."
Ai then got closer, threw to the masked man a steaming hot meat bun and left without ceremony.
"What a fine disciple, even after being provoked he still maintained a very calm demeanor." Then the masked man realized he was being called an old fart who could not withstand excitation or it would trigger him to die and go meet his maker in the nirvana!
This time, the masked men threw the cup on the door in anger while cursing. Hearing the ruckus, Ai laughed without restrain. She knew the masked men was testing her earlier, she could not feel any ill-feelings coming from him, so she couldn't resist teasing him a bit.
"Senior, remember stay Zen. Zeeeeen!" Ai added loudly which triggered another round of noises and cursing.
Ever since she was born, Ai never laughed that way. The years in the ancestral hall though were peaceful were still filled with anxiety and fear. Once they left, Ai never had the opportunity to laugh or smile again. Running away, fighting ennemies, her days were weary.
But here, in the ancestral hall, with the masked men, she felt somewhat safe, which was a very foreign feeling for her.
"Hey...hooo.... brat!" The masked men was calling for her again.
"Shang, Ai."
"Shanghai? Is that something you can eat?"
"That's my name, Senior."
"I'll keep calling you brat, it's easier to remember."
Ai knew there was no point arguing with that old fart, so she would let it pass until she gets her opportunity. Who knew it would come so fast?
"What can I do for you Senior?"
"Become my disciple!"
The masked men had decided he couldn't pass on the potential of this young youth and since he had saved his life, it was a good way to repay the favor. Who knew the brat instead of feeling grateful looked quite troubled and somehow not enthusiastic about this idea.
"How is that useful to me? Senior I don't think it is a good idea. Let's not talk about it. " Ai said, pretending to be very uninterested. Who told this old fart to be so arrogant? She would teach him!
"What do you mean not useful? Have you seen my power?!? Don't you want to be as strong as I am?"
"But this BRAT doesn't know Senior at all! Who to say Senior is a good person or not? What if is trap?!"
"Oh this brat will definitely anger him to death someday" The masked man thought. Still, the potential underlying the youth was attractive enough for him to try and reason with the youth.
"Ridiculous! Have you not seen that I tried to save you? If I was a bad person, would I even bother?!"
Ai again pretended to reflect deeply and put on a troubled expression.
"If this BRAT becomes senior's disciple, this BRAT
will have to train, follow you everywhere without freedom...still I'd rather be free. Let's not talk about it for now Senior!"
From the tone of the young man, the masked man knew he had reached a dead end and was quite disappointed. It could be seen all over his face.
"Unless..." Ai added after a moment. The face of the masked man lighted like a lantern when he heard those words.
All those years, he had striven to find a good seed but the first one he found had already been taken by another. Only the youth in front of him had found grace to his eyes. He also really wanted to pay him back. If he had a daughter, he would have married her to him but he had no descendants.
At the thought of his past, the masked man eyes became red.