Glaring up at him, Tao Hua's hand extended further toward the side of Gui Cheng's trembling body. He tried to keep his expression fierce, but none of it seemed to bother Master Tao.
Realistically, when did it ever seem to bother him?
Certainly, he was out of his mind to even try measuring up to his father; running away would have been easier. But each time he thought of Shan Si, or glanced beyond the swaying lanterns, further down the street, a reminder would blare in his mind why he felt the way he felt.
Then, toward Gui Chang's clearly frightened stance, Tao Hua decidedly doubled down, turning back to the source of his newly found ferocity.
Master Tao kept his composure sharp with his hands tucked behind his back, and eyes flatly moving from Gui Chang to Tao Hua. In that moment, midst the muffled conversations of people passing by and gently gusting winds, the corner of Master Tao's lip ticked up.
"It's been a while, Tao Hua, and quite the treat to see what this man has taught you. Talking back to the person who sacrificed everything to raise you? I'm not shocked in the slightest and it's a shame I failed to protect you from it," Master Tao tutted, shaking his head. Holding up his hand, he beckoned toward Gui Chang. "Come. There's no reason to be coddled. Since when have I ever harmed you?"
Feeling the muscles in her back tense, Tao Hua could feel the fear emanating from the terrified girl. But he was no better—his own hand trembled against her waist, crawling along the sash of her hanfu like the legs of a spider, dampening it with his sweat.
This scene was no better than witnessing two kittens cornered by a dog, one cowering while the other had its tail raised skyward, like a sword piercing the sky, its fur prickling tall.
But she didn't move, and instead, her foot gratingly grazed along the bricked ground.
"Ah." Master Tao's head tilted toward Tao Hua, his lips twisting mockingly. "An hour with my son, and he's already rubbed off on you this much? Tao Hua, do you now understand why my methods have always been so harsh? Managing a child who refuses to listen or appreciate your efforts. Where did I go wrong? No, perhaps the fault doesn't lie within me, or either of you--"
"Where is he?!" Tao Hua interrupted aggressively, his fingers now clamped around her waist. "St-Stop! Don't act like you don't know why we're here! Where is he?!"
"Oh?" Master Tao just stared at him, amused. "Here I thought the two of you were attached by the hip, why are you asking me?"
"Answer!" Tao Hua demanded, his breathing erratic. He refused to take Master Tao's words as gospel, finding himself more and more angry the further his father dragged things out. "I…I don't want to play whatever this is…just fucking answer!"
Gui Chang wasn't sure what confidence struck Tao Hua, he'd always been the type to grin and bear the abuse and manipulation, then cry later. In fact, she denounced it a bit, desperately wanting to toss him away and urge him to escape. However, it was as if the fear locked her in place, and her throat had gone dry.
In all her experience, a simple explanation wasn't enough to justify the last few months in the Tao Estate, and neither had the ability to go up against Master Tao. Now, he wasn't a strong man in comparison to those in the imperial guard, or those devout to the Dao, but he was still leagues stronger than Gui Chang or Tao Hua.
It was hopeless in her eyes, but she'd also be lying if the sentiment didn't make her feel a tad safer. Just what had he been doing these last few months?
"Play…?" Master Tao addressed slowly and in an eerily calm manner.
The look in his eyes, regardless of his feigned stillness, wavered. They suggested the narrowed gaze of someone ready to switch between noble and bandit—jerky in the way they shifted between each person.
"Is this the result of growing up without a mother?" he pondered before shaking his head through Tao Hua's insistence. "It can't be that either; such would suggest I hadn't supported my own child. This certainly has to his fault—Zhuan Hua's gentle and soft child has become so feisty. Suggesting that I'm playing…please."
"I…asked you a question," Tao Hua stammered, his face tightening. From his father's reactions, he began to finally see just what Gui Chang meant by his mental state.
His father didn't enjoy whatever version of his son was, and it was clear to Tao Hua that he was trying to reel it back to normalcy.
But he didn't budge, not once. He yelled another, "Answer!"
"Lower your voice, child." Master Tao's face blanked. The sooner they got this over with the better—perhaps he should have killed this child of his sooner. "Are you really still yearning for attention? What? Did you not manifest enough of it already?"
He desperately tried not to give in to his father's commentary, but each statement was like a poisonous arrow shot straight to his heart. It made the world around him spin, with Master Tao being the focal point.
"Twenty years old is a bit too old to be playing games—you've had your fun; it's time to come home. Things have already been chaotic enough because of you; why continue making other's lives miserable? You as well, Gui Chang. Come."
Because of me…? He watched as Master Tao's arm extended forward, yet he couldn't seem to do anything to fight against the overcrowding thoughts plaguing his mind. Was this a losing game, maybe? Simply a fight he couldn't win or a life he couldn't escape.
He watched the hand, feeling as time slowed down. Because…of me--
But before Master Tao's could reach Tao Hua, something answered his silent prayers, nudging at this middle-aged man's cheek and squashing it against his lower lid. Tao Hua's heart skipped a beat, and he could finally breathe again.
Side-glancing, Master Tao saw the end of a plainly decorated scabbard, housing the hilt of a black and gold sword, a red string swaying with a coin on one end, and a piece of soft pink fabric on the other.
Holding that sword in place was a man, and his expression was rather childish and disgusted. Fortunately, the scabbard was a spare in terms of disguises, so throwing it out posed no issue.
A sleek and dark eyebrow raised, challenging the annoyance of Master Tao at his arrival. In a low voice, the newcomer cautioned, "You look like a sly old fox, so I'm sure you know exactly where to put those hands."
"Right." Master Tao lowered his hand, his eyes glaring sharply, but the newcomer paid no mind. In terms of strength, Master Tao was aware he wasn't capable of besting this man.
All he could do was grin and bear the shoving of his sword, just as his face was shifted back and forth—from one side to the other as the man scrutinised him.
"He must get his looks from his mother."
"Oh, but you get yours from that uncle of yours," Master Tao replied, bitterly smiling. "Personality and all."
"I look better." Indifferently, Shan Si glanced up before looking back down at Master Tao. "Since when?"
"Quite a while."
Between the two, Tao Hua found himself unable to comprehend their conversation, as if both were talking in a foreign language. His father knew of Wan Mie?
But even so, his shoulders eased listening to Shan Si, and his presence was enough to calm him down. He was safe, and that was good.
So, he kept his eyes locked on what calmed him down most and what grounded him. The hand around Gui Chang's waist also loosened, but he still managed to keep it there and remained by her side.
Perhaps this was his way of telling her things would be fine, even if her shivering stature said otherwise.
"Took you long enough," Shan Si plainly stated. Nudging the scabbard against Master Tao's cheek, he held up his other hand. In it was a gold hairpin, adorned with metal sticks made to look like blossoms. Its beauty was enough to dazzle amidst the twinkling lights.
"Mind explaining to me why the palace was vacated?" Shan Si asked cooly, but before Master Tao could respond, he shot his head over to Tao Hua. At first, he was relieved nothing had happened to him; however, that changed.
Every bit of calmness and intimidation he harboured melted into indignation.
Unsure how to respond, Tao Hua just stared back at him in silence, wondering what it was that he had done wrong to elicit such a childish expression.
This continued even when the pale eyes shifted downward.
"The…fuck…?" Shan Si sneered.
Glancing down in unison, Tao Hua noticed that Shan Si's eyes were focused on the hand around Gui Chang's waist. He blinked a few times before unclasping it as swiftly as possible, merely hovering it over the fabric.
Staring down at his hand, Tao Hua's brows furrowed.
Was he…not taking any of this seriously?
Looking back up at him, Tao Hua tried to hold back a laugh. From Shan Si's reaction alone, that was enough to tell Tao Hua he didn't look at Master Tao as big a threat as the other two. So, he entirely removed his arm, holding it to his chest.
What an oddly reassuring image.
"That's what I thought."
Toward the two, Master Tao helplessly laughed, as if he couldn't believe what he was witnessing, but that completely flew over Shan Si's head.
"It was only an hour. Let's be clear what that means: almost two incense sticks. You obviously know how long both are, right?" Shan Si blabbered on, and with each aggrieved statement, his sword shoved more and more into Master Tao's cheek. "Not long."
Just as Master Tao lifted his hand to swat away the scabbard, Shan Si whipped his head and added more pressure. A small reddish-blue spot was slowly starting to appear given how persistent he was.
"Don't think I'm done with you either." Shan Si wagged the hairpin. "Did you really think I wouldn't figure out your intentions? Sacrificing the last relic for a twenty-year-old boy?
He squinted at Master Tao's poker face. "Why?"
Chapter end.