The Fu Family
Fu Jinjing’s red eyes were adorable when she was angry. She was staring down at the man with the sackcloth over his head and had her hands on her hips.
Xiulan patted her lover’s hair and asked, “Is he a relative? We just assumed that he was seeing as he had black hair and red eyes.”
The man could hear them but had been gaged with a piece of living stone. The substance made a good gag for cultivators. The harder they bit down to try and break it the stronger it became. If it grew enough, it also had the potential to break their jaw. He started to squirm when he heard voices in the room.
Fu Jinjing spat out, “I assume he must be Fu Liwei, my half-brother. He is the only one still young enough to be languishing at the energy-focusing stage. They must have sent him to try and find me.”
When Fu Jinjing spoke, Fu Liwei stopped squirming in shock. No doubt he had thought that someone else more important had captured him.
“What would you like us to do with him?” asked Xiulan.
Fu Jinjing sighed, “I suppose we let him go after I tell him I am not going back. I was never happy in my family. The only one who treated me kindly was my uncle. I suspect that one of them had a hand in selling me into slavery, but I don’t have any proof. Anyway, if that had not been done then I would never have met you and the others.”
Xiulan nodded towards Yanlin who ripped off the cloth covering Fu Liwei’s head. Fu Liwei looked annoyed once his face was revealed. His jaw was wedged wide open. He had evidently been trying to bite through the restraint.
When Yanlin took the gag out of his mouth Fu Liwei choked and spat before exclaiming, “Dear sister! I have finally found you. The family has been frantic since you disappeared.”
He had done a credible job of keeping his tone sincere but there was still annoyance and arrogance on his face. Yanlin cut the rope that was binding Fuliwei’s wrists, and the mainland cultivator started to massage them. As if a cultivator would need to work blood back into his hands after being bound. Fu Liwei was just trying to garner sympathy.
Fu Jinjing was unconvinced and said in a brusque tone, “You already heard our conversation, Liwei. I am not going to go back with you. I do not care why the family has suddenly decided it needs me.”
Fu Liwei strained to keep the smile on his face and replied, “But sister we all miss you. Particularly, Uncle, he refuses to work until you are returned.”
Jinjing smirked and chuckled, “So that is why you are out here. The rest of the family must be starving if they cannot leech off of uncle’s work. Your mother must be desperate to continue spending the proceeds of uncle's shop.”
Fu Liwei scowled and retorted, “It is the family’s shop, not uncle’s. We all contribute to its success.”
Fu Jinjing rolled her eyes and scoffed, “Please father is nothing more than front house greeter. He does not even bring any new clients in the door. Your mother and sisters are just leeches and you could not even swing a hammer properly when uncle tried to teach you.”
Fu Liwei sprang to his feet and let his jovial mask drop, “Fine stay in the accursed backwater. Uncle should be satisfied to know that you are alive and doing well from what I can see. Perhaps you would be good enough to write him a letter to assure him of your happiness.”
Fu Jinjing walked to the desk in the corner of the room and began penning a note.
Fu Liwei was looking around the room curiously. They were in the newly constructed palace and the room was well-appointed. Even Fu Liwei looked slightly envious.
“What have you been doing with yourself?” he asked nonchalantly.
Xiulan answered in Jinjing’s stead, “She has been a most valuable business partner and ally. I am of course very protective of her.”
Xiulan flared her golden core cultivation a little to impress the point onto Fu Liwei. Probably needless intimidation and not her usual style but she had not liked the greed in Fu Liwei’s eyes.
Fu Liwei cringed back a little when he felt Xiulan’s cultivation but tried to win back some face by saying, “Golden core might be impressive here woman, but it is nothing where I am from.”
Xiulan smiled and said in a too-soft tone, “That might be true, but it is certainly sufficient to crush you like a bug.”
Fu Liwei turned back to Jinjing who had just finished writing and said, “I see your friend’s manners are no better than yours ever were. Oh, and stop teaching the Fu family style to students. The family never permitted you to spread our secrets.”
Fu Jinjing threw the sealed letter into his face and fired back, “It is not the Fu Family style. Uncle developed the style himself and he told me I could teach it to anyone I like.”
Before the argument could continue Xiulan ordered Yanlin, “Well it seems we are finished with our guest. Yanlin, drop him off somewhere near the coast. I am sure he would only get lost if he left by himself.”
Yanlin smirked and with a bow said, “Of course.”
Fu Liwei took a second to realise what Xiulan meant but before he could protest Yanlin had covered his head in the sackcloth again and started carrying him out over one shoulder.
As the pair left the room Fu Jinjing sagged into Xiulan’s arms and buried her head in her chest. Xiulan stroke her hair and asked, “Do you expect trouble from your family?”
Jinjing sighed and answered with a muffled voice, “It is hard to say. Uncle will respect my wishes but the rest will not. I cannot imagine why they would bother further though. If uncle starts to work again then they should be happy to be rid of me.”
There was a touch of melancholy to Jinjing’s voice despite the tough act she had been putting up. Xiulan lifted Jinjing’s chin and kissed her lovingly before saying, “Well their loss is my gain.”
The Fu Family
Fu Jinjing’s red eyes were adorable when she was angry. She was staring down at the man with the sackcloth over his head and had her hands on her hips.
Xiulan patted her lover’s hair and asked, “Is he a relative? We just assumed that he was seeing as he had black hair and red eyes.”
The man could hear them but had been gaged with a piece of living stone. The substance made a good gag for cultivators. The harder they bit down to try and break it the stronger it became. If it grew enough, it also had the potential to break their jaw. He started to squirm when he heard voices in the room.
Fu Jinjing spat out, “I assume he must be Fu Liwei, my half-brother. He is the only one still young enough to be languishing at the energy-focusing stage. They must have sent him to try and find me.”
When Fu Jinjing spoke, Fu Liwei stopped squirming in shock. No doubt he had thought that someone else more important had captured him.
“What would you like us to do with him?” asked Xiulan.
Fu Jinjing sighed, “I suppose we let him go after I tell him I am not going back. I was never happy in my family. The only one who treated me kindly was my uncle. I suspect that one of them had a hand in selling me into slavery, but I don’t have any proof. Anyway, if that had not been done then I would never have met you and the others.”
Xiulan nodded towards Yanlin who ripped off the cloth covering Fu Liwei’s head. Fu Liwei looked annoyed once his face was revealed. His jaw was wedged wide open. He had evidently been trying to bite through the restraint.
When Yanlin took the gag out of his mouth Fu Liwei choked and spat before exclaiming, “Dear sister! I have finally found you. The family has been frantic since you disappeared.”
He had done a credible job of keeping his tone sincere but there was still annoyance and arrogance on his face. Yanlin cut the rope that was binding Fuliwei’s wrists, and the mainland cultivator started to massage them. As if a cultivator would need to work blood back into his hands after being bound. Fu Liwei was just trying to garner sympathy.
Fu Jinjing was unconvinced and said in a brusque tone, “You already heard our conversation, Liwei. I am not going to go back with you. I do not care why the family has suddenly decided it needs me.”
Fu Liwei strained to keep the smile on his face and replied, “But sister we all miss you. Particularly, Uncle, he refuses to work until you are returned.”
Jinjing smirked and chuckled, “So that is why you are out here. The rest of the family must be starving if they cannot leech off of uncle’s work. Your mother must be desperate to continue spending the proceeds of uncle's shop.”
Fu Liwei scowled and retorted, “It is the family’s shop, not uncle’s. We all contribute to its success.”
Fu Jinjing rolled her eyes and scoffed, “Please father is nothing more than front house greeter. He does not even bring any new clients in the door. Your mother and sisters are just leeches and you could not even swing a hammer properly when uncle tried to teach you.”
Fu Liwei sprang to his feet and let his jovial mask drop, “Fine stay in the accursed backwater. Uncle should be satisfied to know that you are alive and doing well from what I can see. Perhaps you would be good enough to write him a letter to assure him of your happiness.”
Fu Jinjing walked to the desk in the corner of the room and began penning a note.
Fu Liwei was looking around the room curiously. They were in the newly constructed palace and the room was well-appointed. Even Fu Liwei looked slightly envious.
“What have you been doing with yourself?” he asked nonchalantly.
Xiulan answered in Jinjing’s stead, “She has been a most valuable business partner and ally. I am of course very protective of her.”
Xiulan flared her golden core cultivation a little to impress the point onto Fu Liwei. Probably needless intimidation and not her usual style but she had not liked the greed in Fu Liwei’s eyes.
Fu Liwei cringed back a little when he felt Xiulan’s cultivation but tried to win back some face by saying, “Golden core might be impressive here woman, but it is nothing where I am from.”
Xiulan smiled and said in a too-soft tone, “That might be true, but it is certainly sufficient to crush you like a bug.”
Fu Liwei turned back to Jinjing who had just finished writing and said, “I see your friend’s manners are no better than yours ever were. Oh, and stop teaching the Fu family style to students. The family never permitted you to spread our secrets.”
Fu Jinjing threw the sealed letter into his face and fired back, “It is not the Fu Family style. Uncle developed the style himself and he told me I could teach it to anyone I like.”
Before the argument could continue Xiulan ordered Yanlin, “Well it seems we are finished with our guest. Yanlin, drop him off somewhere near the coast. I am sure he would only get lost if he left by himself.”
Yanlin smirked and with a bow said, “Of course.”
Fu Liwei took a second to realise what Xiulan meant but before he could protest Yanlin had covered his head in the sackcloth again and started carrying him out over one shoulder.
As the pair left the room Fu Jinjing sagged into Xiulan’s arms and buried her head in her chest. Xiulan stroke her hair and asked, “Do you expect trouble from your family?”
Jinjing sighed and answered with a muffled voice, “It is hard to say. Uncle will respect my wishes but the rest will not. I cannot imagine why they would bother further though. If uncle starts to work again then they should be happy to be rid of me.”
There was a touch of melancholy to Jinjing’s voice despite the tough act she had been putting up. Xiulan lifted Jinjing’s chin and kissed her lovingly before saying, “Well their loss is my gain.”
