Heaven's Golden Finger - Chapter 38: Chapter 38

Shun wasn't sure who he was most out of patience with. Shirong Shidi was certainly up there, but he'd been rapidly dropping down the lists. Shun's father, playing word games and not really answering the questions Shun desperately wanted answered, was higher.
Then there were the demons trying desperately to win his favor. Their dancing was clumsy, their singing abysmal and the fact that Shirong Shidi looked half-inclined to join the fun was aggravating. Admittedly, they were also highly amusing but right then wasn't the time for amusement. Shun had things to do.
Liang Ren was towards the top of the list as well. That he'd come to their rescue was a point in his favor. That the theft he'd committed, good intentions or not, had resulted in Shun's arrest, very much not. When Shun pointed that out, however, Liang Ren had flapped his hands dismissively, saying, "That had nothing to do with me."
To be fair, the half-fox demon was right. Shun couldn't be sure, but he thought it was probably Sect Master Qiong, looking for an opportunity to be rid of someone he'd long wanted gone. Which was why the man was pretty nearly at the top of Shun's list of people he wanted to yell at.
It was unfilial of him, but he had to admit his mother was the one he was most aggravated with. It ought to be the Sect Master, but Shun had had years to come to terms with the old man's hatred. He'd never even met his mother, had thought her imprisoned or dead. To know she was neither and had never even tried to contact him was painful. Infuriating. And not just a little bit hurtful.
"I don't suppose mother said a word about my contacting her?"
"She said you have to deal with other things first. Something about finding the truth of the prophecy, or something. What prophecy, by the way?" Liang Ren stood on one hand, nibbling at a bit of fried tofu. "She wouldn't tell me."
It surprised Shun that Liang Ren didn't know and he said so. "It's Master Zhan Kui's prophecy, for me and Shirong Shidi. 'Blessed by Heaven and Earth, the Chosen One will bring forth a forest to restrain the rising of the Demon King.' It also says 'The Demon King will rise from a burning lake to avenge those who slighted his mother, and only the Chosen One can subdue his rage.'"
Liang Ren frowned, flipping back up right and shaking his head to resettle his hair. "Chosen One? You mean the one who commands chaos?"
Shirong Shidi, who was sitting and watching the other demons' antics like a small child being entertained, looked over, "More like drags chaos after me like a herd of hungry suburb wolves."
That was another of those terms and Shun looked sideways at his Shidi, brow raised until he added, "Kai Oh Tee. They're like wolves, though, just smaller and stragglier. One of them's supposed to be a lot like the Monkey King."
Someday they were going to have to see if Shirong Shidi could let Shun see more of that other life of his. For now, however, he noted, "Being followed by the Monkey King's minions might be quieter than this lot."
His comment only made the other demons dance and sing louder. Apparently they thought it was a compliment. Who knew, maybe it was? He turned his attention back on Shirong Shidi. "As for you commanding chaos, I've yet to see any sign of it. If you think you're going to restrain me the way you currently are...."
"You could restrain me.... ah... sorry... I didn't mean to...."
It took several long seconds for Shun to take in the younger boy's meaning and by then Shirong was blushing brightest red. Liang Ren howled, a series of fox yips that set all the demons rolling and laughing as well.
"When do you come of age?" Shun knew the answer perfectly well but asked anyway.
Shirong Shidi stared at his knees. "I... think it's a month. I've lost track of the days."
It occurred to Shun that he had, too. Still, he was fairly sure his Shidi wasn't quite an adult yet. "Then don't say things like that until you do."
That made Liang Ren yip even louder as Shirong Shidi asked, "Then it'll be okay afterwards?"
Somehow, Shun controlled the urge to swat his Shidi. Instead he focused on the situation at hand, turning to Liang Ren. "We were told the Revered Predecessor has been abducted and were heading for Houttan City to try and find him. If you and yours want to be useful...."
"Of course we do. Uncle Kuikui is the best. Can't let someone go thinking they can take Meng Huang Shang's own son and all."
Shun managed not to question either the overly familiar name or the claim that Zhan Kui was Meng Huang Shan's child. Instead he told the fox demon, "Then all of you go. Search for clues. Find out who took him and where."
To his surprise, given how little the demons had listened to his demands to stop their nonsense, they obeyed implicitly, rushing off so fast all that was left were the bits of fur, feathers and scales scattered behind them.
Once the demons had left them, Shun had Shirong gather what was useful from Liang Ren's camp. To his surprise, among the things left behind were two horses, their tack and feed waiting beside the animals.
The animals weren't as well trained as the horses General Ishalan had loaned them but they didn't seem to mind Shun's serpent blood. Likely they were used to demons already.
"Should we take them?" Shirong Shidi asked, stroking the bigger and heavier gelding's nose. "I mean, it feels like we're supposed to."
Ordinarily Shun would have refused, but he had the same feeling. Noting the smaller one had a familiar sigil on her tack, he agreed. "That's the mark of the Demon King," he told his Shidi, indicating the dragon-mark spiraling outwards from darkness; jaws wide, fangs bared. "My mother's mark. Now mine."
Shirong Shidi eyed him. "So you're accepting it? Your being their king, that is?"
"If I don't, there'll be a huge fight over who takes my place. Where do you think the war would be fought, given the demon realm is still mostly sealed?" They'd gotten in through Shirong Shidi's peculiar luck. Other demons could not.
Accepting the statement without argument, Shirong Shidi set to preparing the horses for riding while Shun gathered other useful items from those left behind. Really, it was mostly just a jumbled mess of clothes, eating and cooking implements, various bits of shoddy jewelry, story scrolls and - oddly enough - an odd little toy with three slanted pieces of bamboo attached to a stick thrust through a small basket. Three carved monkeys clung to the sides of the basket, their expressions varying between outright terror, resignation and curiosity.
"A bamboo flyer," Shirong Shidi told him when he brought the thing over. "Here." He held the stick between his palms and spun the thing around, sending the thing flying into the air. It flew around in widening circles, then finally landed a few yards away. "I doubt it's any use. We may as well leave it, Shixiong."
"How did you know what it was. That other life?"
Shirong looked thoughtful. "I... no. I think it was this one. Before I came to the sect." He closed his eyes, obviously trying to remember. Smiled. "Yes. It has to be this life. I was little, just starting to walk. And someone, I think my mama, set one of these flying. It was just a stick and some wings, but that's all you need. I tried so hard to chase it and landed on my fat face."
The expression on Shirong Shidi's not at all fat face now was a mix of sad and amused. It never occurred to Shun before now that his Shixiong might remember life before Leifeng Sect. That he might remember his mother and miss her. He fetched the toy. "We don't need it, but we don't have to leave it, either. Whomever it belonged to might like it back and it'd be ruined if we just left it here."
A flicker of emotion in Shirong Shidi's eyes told Shun he'd made the right decision. Yet another thing from their past that needed to be addressed. What'd happened to Shirong Shidi's family? Why had his father left him at Leifeng Sect? And what happened to him since then?
Having gathered what was useful, the two of them cleaned up the mess left behind, putting everything away inside a single tent. Shun didn't know if his demon followers would come back for their things but that was no reason to leave everything scattered. Hopefully someone would find the remnants and make good use of them.
"If we don't go, we won't make Houttan City before nightfall," Shirong Shidi said finally. "We shouldn't delay anymore, Shixiong."
Delay? Had he been delaying? Perhaps he had. They were going to have to seek out a mad god and get answers from him somehow. Preferably without going mad in the process.
They had quite enough troubles as it was.
Most of Houttan bore a strong resemblance to Pamir; rolling hills covered in thick grass. Pamir was dryer, however, with stretches of stone outcroppings and small forests. There were fewer trees in Houttan and a great many flowering bushes. The scent in the air was sweet with greenery and water.
White Snake river ran through the rolling hills, deep and narrow near its source in Kunlun Tian, broader and narrower the further it flowed into Houttan's basin. A pretty river, its bed was covered in fine white sand, no doubt the source of its name. Shun found himself wondering if it had any association with his mother. She was a white snake as well, after all.
They crossed the river several times before they finally came in sight of the huge lake at the center of the kingdom. White Dew Lake, its pure white sand tinted pink by the late afternoon sunlight. Broad, flat and slightly ruffled by the breeze, it was covered in lotus plants, with a single island at the center. Houttan's tent city surrounded the lake, a great scattered mess of cloth and hide tents put wherever their owners could find space.
This wasn't the first time Shun had been to Houttan City and the mess still made him distinctly uncomfortable. He'd a terrible yearning to make everyone move their tents and resettle themselves in proper lines. It wasn't his business, though, and he simply tightened his lips and guided his horse along the jagged line of a roadway, headed for one of the city's few permanent structures.
"Where are we going?" Shirong Shidi asked.
"We'll stay the night at the Purple Star Inn." Shun indicated the building, rising huge over the much smaller tents. Four stories tall, sprawling across the landscape, the Purple Star Inn was considered the safest place in Houttan. Its owner frowned on fighting and had ways of enforcing his desires. Blood enemies could stay under its roof, even share a table, and not fear for their lives.
When Shun told Shirong Shidi about the place, the boy murmured, "Auspicious Scholar...." Noticing Shun's raised brow, he added, "That's the name of a country in my other life. It's considered neutral territory and enemies aren't allowed to fight. They do, of course, but they're not supposed to."
"I've no doubt the same holds true at the Purple Star," Shun admitted. "But its owner is a powerful cultivator and his guests are a great deal safer there than most inns."
"Which means it's probably pretty expensive," Shirong Shidi pointed out. "You don't usually like to waste money."
The operative term was 'waste'. "Safety isn't a waste. I've no doubt we're doomed to more and bigger trouble in the future. But whatever we can do to alleviate it is vital."
Shirong Shidi had no argument to offer so they continued through the streets, ignoring the clamor of merchants and food-stall cooks and buyers and thieves. The noise was familiar enough by now and Shun wasn't interested in the chaos surrounding them. Fortunately, it wasn't interested in them, either.
The Purple Star Inn was surrounded by a small garden full of bushes and flowers. Peonies, roses, wisteria, jasmine, cherries and peaches. All filling the air with a glorious scent that hid the odor of the surrounding streets. Shun couldn't help noting that several of the plants shouldn't be blossoming together and guessed it was the owner's work.
They left the horses with the stableboy and a large gold bell for payment, then entered the building to find it just as gorgeous inside as out. More flowers. Water flowing through small channels in the dining hall. Lanterns glowing softly against sheer fabrics in a riot of colors. Someone was singing in the distance, as well as playing a guqin.
"Young Masters seek dinner or a place for the night?" a young woman asked, her demure features belied by her calm and steady gaze.
"Both, if possible."
"Three gold bells per bed, plus another gold bell for each room. We have rooms with up to four beds, should that be required. Breakfast is complimentary. Lunch is five copper bells, dinner ten. Snacks are 1 copper bell per plate."
Shun thought about it. Decided not to put extra temptation in his Shidi's way. Shirong was controlling his desire admirably, but there was no point in making him work harder at it. "One room with two beds would be seven gold bells, then? With two dinners to be sent to us for 20 copper bells."
"Correct, Young Master. Shall this one order space prepared and dinner served immediately?"
"We'd like a bath first. Send a tub to our room so we can clean up."
A bow. "This servant obeys." She gestured at a small boy and gave quick orders. "Lead our guests to the White Jade room. I will order a bath sent up right away."
As they followed the boy through the main hall a familiar pair of eyes met Shun's. Master Qiong, sitting in the dining hall with a dozen Leifeng Sect Disciples. The man didn't move. Didn't send his disciples to fetch his wayward juniors over. He just smiled, a cold, dangerous smile that told Shun exactly where they stood in relationship to each other.
The question was, would Master Qiong dare the wrath of the Purple Star's owner? Or would he wait and come after Shun and Shirong Shidi later.
There was no doubt in Shun's mind they'd find out soon enough.
Shirong: So... my birthday's coming soon, right?
Shun: I know where this is going.
Shirong: Does that mean I can have a birthday cake with buttercream frosting?
Shun: I don't even know what that is.
Shirong: I'll get you the recipe. It'll have to be really big, though.
Shun: I hesitate to ask, but... why?
Shirong: So you can fit inside.
Shun: I told you I knew where this was going