Warning: Mild abuse and body horror.
──── ୨୧ ────
All that took place after Tao Hua's outburst happened so fast, and it felt as though there wasn't even a second for him to catch his breath.
Against the crown of his head, Master Tao furiously grabbed Tao Hua's hair, leaving him with no choice but to brave the usual punishment. Something he'd experienced time and time again, and the very actions that made Tao Hua realise just how small he truly was.
He laughed bitterly at his own incompetence, angering his father more.
Dangling, he flopped his arms, indicating his resignation and understanding of father and son. Not once did he try to fight back against him. How could he? It had already started, and there was nothing he could do to prevent this pitiful image of himself—one he tried to hide so desperately after leaving Siyue Town.
But…at least Shan Si was safe. Tao Hua always felt the words of a story held more impact than a slap to the face, or the squishing of his cheeks until they turned purple ever would. In a way, he always held a small amount of power over him.
"Insolent brat of a fucking child! Who do you think you are?! Do you even know what mess you even got yourself into?! Do you?!" Master Tao screamed, lacing his fingers through the black strands, the bones protruding against his aging skin. "Huh?! Do you know just how much you're stomping all over your own mother's legacy?!"
The anger flushed his face cherry red, and his eyes pinpointed on Tao Hua. Nothing else seemed to matter, making it apparent just how much this man hated his own son.
And the tone of his voice...utterly lethal.
"All this talk about games and toys…just how delusional have you become?! Playing house with some criminal who's only using you—"
Sharply gasping, Tao Hua readied himself for the tug that always followed Master Tao's embrace. It always happened, without-a-doubt, even if it sounded as if his father somehow bit his tongue.
But nothing happened, as if they were suspended in time. Tao Hua cautiously lifted his gaze while Master Tao's head slowly rolled to the side, both sets of eyes landing on the hand that had grasped his wrist.
"You're right," Shan Si said, the veins in his hand ever prominent. "Lord Tao is right."
Like a pin plunging into water, Tao Hua's heart plummeted. He stared up at the cold and desolate face of Shan Si, never once looking back at Tao Hua. But his father, being a man of sheer skepticism unlike his son, never took the bait of Shan Si's statement.
How he wanted this man dead.
"Your dear son is parading around with a criminal. Just what kind of father are you?" Lifting Master Tao's reddening wrist, his other hand carefully and unhurriedly removed each finger from Tao Hua's hair, like picking out spikes from a cactus. "With a thief who plunders the things necessary for mortal man's survival, no less. A greedy immortal who doesn't give a fuck about anyone else. Isn't that right?"
As soon as the fingers were successfully disposed of and untangled from Tao Hua's hair, Shan Si held them up high. His thumb pressed into Master Tao's palm, his fingers long enough to round the wrist.
"What…"
No matter his effort, Master Tao was a man of the mind—he lacked any skills in martial arts, and was only above his own son in terms of strength.
There was simply no fighting against the renowned bandit of Zhonglai. All he could do was narrow in on the skin that touched his, his eyes trembling.
"You're also right that I'm using him." Shan Si twisted his hand forward. Master Tao's face froze, watching his own knuckles approach further and further toward his forearm. "To be honest, he's the only one able to keep me in check, and I've come to realise that I'm nothing without him. So perhaps I'm not as apathetic as you once thought."
"You have...got..." Master Tao spat a helpless laugh. "Him?!"
Staring at Shan Si, whose chilling gaze remained on Master Tao's wrist, Tao Hua's lower lip quivered.
"Tao Hua...Tao Hua's lady friend. Cover your ears."
Both Tao Hua and Gui Chang looked at Shan Si, confused, while his father merely spat another laugh.
"It's an order."
Tao Hua immediately listened without argument, covering his ears.
"So that's what it takes to make you listen, huh?!" his father accused, a look of disgust and disbelief shot straight at Tao Hua.
Shan Si's orders were seemed fruitless in preventing him from hearing a thing--it only muffled. But in a way, it felt as though he was still protected from the horror unfolding and his father's cruel words.
Gui Chang, on the other hand, didn't abide. She just furrowed her brow, refusing as if she had something to prove in being able to handle what was about to happen.
"Hah, I guess the stars never do look away from you, do they, Lord Tao? Lucky man, you won't be dying today," Shan Si suddenly quickened his shove, pushing Master Tao's wrist further back than humanly possible. "The purehearted must always remain purehearted. Don't rest well and keep an eye on that cure of yours."
Crack.
Tao Hua watched as Shan Si completely snapped the wrist of his father, hands firmly pressed against his ears, somewhat cringing at the sound of bone's breaking.
Through his teeth, Master Tao inhaled, sounding like the screaming of a boiling teapot. The moment Shan Si removed it, letting the useless piece of flesh flop exactly as Tao Hua's hands once did, disgust contorted his expression pale.
Scrunching his nose, Shan Si reached over to the second outer robe over Tao Hua's shoulders, wiping his hands.
"We'll have to apologise to Fang Jian later…for burning her gift and all."
As soon as he was satisfied, he reached up to Tao Hua's hand and took one from his ears. Entwining their fingers, Shan Si let out a satisfied huff, his lips twisted upward.
But the moment their eyes met, and Shan Si caught Tao Hua's dazed expression—one that was trying to process too many things all at once—Shan Si's expression immediately fell.
He looked displeased, and for some reason all Tao Hua could think about was how pitiful his own father made him look in front of Shan Si, and that Shan Si finally saw just how others viewed him. The one person he never wanted to see that side of him.
"We'll talk later," Shan Si said, soon tugging Tao Hua away from the utter shitshow about to take place. Tao Hua lowered his eyelids and nodded, haltingly struggling to keep up with Shan Si's stamina. However, that moment of shame passed the second he took one final look back at the group.
His father was cursing, calling out to whichever guard was around. He looked exactly like the mess that had been explained to him in the tavern. It was…sad.
And Gui Chang? Though wary, she had a smile on her face, waving off Tao Hua, watching as he left with the one person who could actually protect him from his father.
Finally, she could lay to rest the resentment she had towards herself for being unable to do anything that night at the banquet, many moons ago. At least this way, she knew it wouldn't happen again, not to someone who did nothing to deserve the poor treatment.
This situation ground her worries to dust. Guilt was such a terrible thing; it never looked good on anyone.
But Tao Hua couldn't accept these circumstances; her life was still as important as his. He darted his head toward Shan Si, who had accelerated their escape, shoving people out of the way and paving a path for Tao Hua. Though he was stumbling trying to keep up, Tao Hua exasperatedly yelled, "We can't leave her!"
No response.
They entered the market street from earlier, running past the flower stall from earlier. Shan Si, as they flew past it, took his sword and knocked down the awning over every last bit on that table. Tao Hua just watched in complete horror.
But the hollering of the mother, leaving behind her daughter, and those around all died out as they continued down the street.
"Shan Si!" Tao Hua cried. "We have to go back for her! M-Miss Gui! H-He's going to take it out on her! Shan Si!"
Over and over, Shan Si continued to neglect Tao Hua's demands, concentrating on navigating the streets toward…well, Tao Hua wasn't really sure! They were going in the direction opposite to the main gate they'd once entered on a caravan!
In the middle of the crowd, Tao Hua's feet skidded as he tried to tug Shan Si's arm back, making things harder than they really had to be for this escape artist.
"Shan Si—Please—hold up! PLEASE—oof!"
Just then, his body slammed into Shan Si. Tao Hua stumbled back, rubbing his face with a small whine until hands clasped his upper arms. Fingers wrapped around them, spread out, pushing them towards Tao Hua's torso.
Eye to eye—peach to pale—Tao Hua was faced with a complicated face. It was heartbreaking, mixed with the same spices as when his father had tried to exploit Shan Si earlier.
It was an expression rarely worn by him, to be honest, and this time, its victim was none other than Tao Hua.
In the middle of that bustling crowd of merry-makers, freshly made food, and warm light, Tao Hua found himself feeling the smallest he'd ever felt staring at Shan Si. He hunched his shoulders inward, his chest elevating as he tried to keep his freezing breath steady.
"Why?" Shan Si asked quietly. When Tao Hua parted his lips to reply, nothing came out. He wasn't sure how to respond, truthfully, but Shan Si wasn't necessarily looking for an answer.
"How do you think that made me feel, Tao Hua?!" Shan Si shook him. "Why can't you ever think about yourself?! There's nothing fucking wrong with being selfish! I…I gave you so much time to run away! Didn't I…?"
Breathing had become a thing of the past. Tao Hua's eyes widened each time Shan Si's voice rose.
"I…" Tao Hua choked. He wanted to take a step back, but even if he tried, Shan Si just tightened his grip. "I'm sorry."
"That's the problem, Tao Hua!" Shan Si urged. He was like a glass heart, ready to break at any moment, and the cracks were already sprouting the more he spoke. "You don't have to be sorry—you don't have to put yourself through that for me. What did you think would happen after that stunt you pulled?! Did you think everything would work out, and you'd be fine? Did you?! What if I hadn't showed up?!"
Tao Hua didn't reply—he couldn't, not with the hyperventilating that began. Once more, he silently apologised, the rims of his stinging. No matter how much he tried to hold it back, not wanting to guilt Shan Si or appear weaker than he already had, Tao Hua simply failed.
He couldn't stop, and his eyes blurred the more he tried to face Shan Si.
The horror struck Shan Si's expression cold, causing every bit of his heart to drop. He feared that if he let go of Tao Hua, this man would disintegrate into a puddle of his own guilt.
Or perhaps be forever lost to him.
So, he carefully asked, "Were...you aware of how your father was going to act out in such a manner?"
Chapter end.