Book 7: Chapter 39: Arrival and Introductions

Book 7: Chapter 39: Arrival and Introductions

Fu Ruolan glared at Sen. “You invited them here?”

“No! No, no, no,” said Sen. “I just sent them a letter telling them what’s been happening to me in recent... Um, years. It’s the first time I’ve been stationary for a while.”

“You should have told me they were coming.”

“I didn’t know they were coming.”

The awkward conversation was mercifully cut short as Ma Caihong and Kho Jaw-Long descended from the sky supported by nothing but the power of their qi. They alighted on the snowy ground outside the galehouse and looked around. Uncle Kho seemed very interested in the practice hall. Auntie Caihong smiled at Sen. Neither of them seemed terribly concerned by the thunderous look on Fu Ruolan’s face, which Sen wasn’t sure was altogether wise.

“Do you two make a habit of invading other people’s territory?” demanded Fu Ruolan.

“Be still, Ruolan,” said Auntie Caihong in a bemused voice. “We aren’t here about you. We came to see Ai.”

“Be still,” said Fu Ruolan in an icy tone. “How dare y—”

Her voice choked off as Uncle Kho went over and pulled the woman into a hug.

“It’s good to see you again, Ru. Even if that temper of yours hasn’t improved at all.”

Sen stood in mute shock as Fu Ruolan’s cheeks turned bright red. Then, a lot of hazy things snapped into sharp focus. The woman’s constant comparisons to Auntie Caihong. The quiet resentment that Fu Ruolan seemed to hold for Ma Caihong. Sen had always just assumed it was jealousy over Auntie Caihong’s talent, and that may have been a part of it. As he watched the woman slap at Uncle Kho in a way that looked more playful than serious, it became evident that wasn’t all of it.

“Let me go, you lightning-wielding oaf,” chided Fu Ruolan, while she didn’t actually do that much to escape.

Sen traded a look with Auntie Caihong and saw the truth in her eyes. She knew, and she was wholly unperturbed by it. It was also evident that Uncle Kho didn’t realize it. Sen wasn’t sure he’d share Auntie Caihong’s calm in similar circumstances, but he guessed that she must have long ago worked through any doubts she had about her marriage. Uncle Kho released Fu Ruolan from the hug and stepped back. She tried to glare at him but only managed a weak, sour expression.

“You could have at least sent word you were coming,” she complained.

“To where?” asked Auntie Caihong in a slightly too-sweet voice.

The women locked gazed for a moment and universes of information passed between the two in that brief look. Sen resolved, then and there, that he would never, ever, for any reason, ask any of them a single question about what he had just figured out. There was the very pertinent reason that he simply didn’t want to know, followed by the profoundly pressing reason that he didn’t want to get involved. He’d seen what happened when Master Feng and Auntie Caihong argued. He had zero desire to be present for a similar performance between Auntie Caihong and Fu Ruolan.

This absence of desire was fueled in no small part by the knowledge that Master Feng’s self-control was substantial, while Fu Ruolan’s was not. After all, Master Feng had retained his wits enough to go take out his anger and frustration on dangerous spirit beasts. Those beasts probably hadn’t had it coming, but it was better than obliterating a small town. He had his doubts that Fu Ruolan would show similar restraint if pushed to her breaking point. Yet, the sometimes-unstable nascent soul cultivator surprised him with her reaction.

“You obviously knew where to come. You could have sent a message to him first,” she said, pointing at Sen.

“Sen is rather famous for his wandering ways. There was no way to be certain that any message we sent here would actually reach him,” murmured Uncle Kho absently, wholly oblivious to the undercurrents in the conversation as he stared at the training hall. “Sen, what is that?”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Who are you?” she asked Ma Caihong. “Where are you from? Why are you so pretty?”

Sen cut in before the torrent of questions could continue.

“Ai, this is my Auntie Caihong.”

“Your Auntie?” asked Ai.

“Yes,” said Caihong, kneeling down. “I’m Sen’s auntie, and I’m very pleased to meet you, Ai.”

Caihong reached out a hand and gently touched Ai’s hair.

“Oh, you have such beautiful hair.”

Ai suddenly found her shyness, because she ran over to Sen and hugged his leg while smiling at Caihong. Sen reached down and ruffled her hair, which made the girl giggle.

“There’s someone else I want you to meet,” said Sen and pointed. “That is my Uncle Kho.”

Uncle Kho beamed. “Hello, Ai. You can call me Uncle Kho too.”

She gave Uncle Kho a little wave before she whispered in a voice that everyone could hear, “Uncle Kho is tall, but not as tall as you.”

The two men traded questioning glances before Sen asked, “Am I taller?”

Kho got a thoughtful little frown and shrugged like it wasn’t that important.

“Probably.”

Sen heard another whisper then, one he was pretty sure no one was meant to hear. But cultivator-enhanced senses being what they were, everyone heard it.

“He’s going to get me killed.”

Whatever color Shen Mingxia had left in her face drained away as three sets of nascent soul eyes turned to her. Then, Auntie Caihong got a vaguely predatory look that sent chills down Sen’s back.

“Hello dear,” said Auntie Caihong as she stood back up. “I’m Ma Caihong. And who might you be?”

The only reply she got was a tiny, little squeak.