Phoenix Rise: XieRong - Chapter 34

Each day XieRong would wake up, have breakfast for the first half of the hour of the dragon (7.00 – 9.00), then learn the four arts from her aunt for one and a half Shi Chen.

XieRong would then use a ladder to climb over the wall of the Guo Residence, cloaked and veiled, spend some time as she wished before going to meet LiFen at the MeiYing brothel and wait for the old man to arrive.

He would always drop by when the hour of the horse (11.00 – 13.00) was about to end, not even glance at her, pick up his wine and leave.

She would then follow the old man with WeiSheng in tow.

Some days the drunk old man would try to avoid her by coming late or coming early.

On the days the old man showed up late, she would ask WeiSheng to wait with her, and on the days the old man came and left early, XieRong would go to the old man’s house and wait for him to return.

One day, WeiSheng couldn’t stop himself and asked,”Young miss, why do you want that drunk old man to be your master so badly? There will be many more men out there who will be willing to take you as their disciple without you having to follow them around.”

“That drunk old man is strong, very strong. He might not show it, but from what I saw in the ring that day, I know that he is the only man I will accept as my master to learn martial arts.”

By the end of the hour of the monkey (15.00 – 17.00) WeiSheng would leave XieRong in an alley near Weiming restaurant after which she would head home and start cultivating with FeiHong inside the Phoenix ring.

After having dinner with the family, XieRong and FeiHong would again go inside the ring to cultivate their water and wood spirit roots.

When she was bored after cultivating for many Shi Chen, she would go around exploring with FeiHong or Bai YueLiang.

As FeiHong’s cultivation grew little by little, so did the room inside the Phoenix ring. They would often use the spirit grass from FeiHong’s fields and the spring water to improve their cultivation.

XieRong would also go read about poison and medicinal alchemy from the purple and white cottages when she got the chance. Since she possessed the fire and wood elements, she could practice alchemy in secret, but she only read about it for now as she would have to get a cauldron and cultivate her fire element first.

In this manner, the week was coming to an end and the drunk old man was about to break.

He had become so irritated that he had finally thrown his bottle of wine at her, which she dodged. Of course, the bottle had been empty.

“Enough of this nonsense,” He yelled, throwing his hands up in defeat.

“Fine! I will give you a chance to prove yourself to me. Within this week I want all the weeds inside the fence to be removed.”

The old man turned to look at WeiSheng.

“But you will do this alone and while squatting down!”

The drunk old man then slammed the door of his rundown hut which was now quivering slightly. XieRong couldn’t help but think that it would collapse soon if this went on.

“Sorry, young miss, I won’t be able to help you.”

“It’s okay, WeiSheng.”

XieRong looked around the large lawn she would have to weed out.

The lawn had not been weeded out for years. There were wild grasses and flowers everywhere such that not even a speck of the brown earth beneath their feet could be seen.

“I’m not afraid of hard work. Come pick me up later,” XieRong said, as she put her cloak inside the spatial ring and began to work.

She put any weed she deemed useful in a pile, and the useless ones in another.

She had only finished a corner when WeiSheng came to pick her up.

“Young miss, it’s time to leave.”

XieRong quickly went and washed her useful pile and her hands using the water from the old man’s well. After she had dumped the useless weeds in the manure, she left with WeiSheng.

“WeiSheng, I want to offer you a full time job. In the past week, you have kept your word and come to pick me up and drop me, when you could have just run off with the money I paid you. If you are willing to make a blood bond with me, I will provide you with money and training. Will you accept?”

“Young miss, I’m honoured, but I’m afraid I’ll have to decline.”

“Do you mind if I ask why?”

WeiSheng kept his silence for a long part of their way.

“Young miss, I am the bread winner of my family. My father and mother are no longer in this world and as I am the eldest I need to feed my younger siblings. If I work for you, my siblings will be neglected.”

“How many siblings do you have WeiSheng?”

“Six others beside me.”

“How old are they?”

“The youngest is a boy about two years old, then there is a set of twin girls after him who are four years old. After them is a girl around young miss’ age, then there is a set of twin boys who are nine years old.”

“WeiSheng, I would still like to offer you a job as well as all your other siblings if they are ready to form a blood bond with me. I will provide all of you with money, food, shelter and training, however, I can’t promise that your jobs will not be dangerous. You can keep coming to pick me up and leave me as you do and give me your answer by the end of this month. How about it?”

“I’ll give it some thought, young miss.”

XieRong hurried home after WeiSheng had left her near Weimin restaurant.

Today she was going to begin training with her uncle.

XieRong couldn’t restrain her excitement to finally start learning martial arts.

The Guo family couldn’t help but notice the girl’s joyful profile as she ate dinner.

After sending all the servants away, her second aunt asked,”Why are you so happy XieRong? Did something good happen?”

“No, second aunt.”

“Then why do you look so happy?” First aunt chimed in.

“Is it that obvious?”

Everyone present nodded their heads.

-Jie, if someone didn’t notice, then that would be a problem.-

“Today I’ll start learning martial arts today with uncle! How could I not be happy?”

Her uncle laughed.

“If only my soldiers were as excited as you to train, then we wouldn’t lose to the Shan Family so often.”

“Who are the Shan Family?” XieRong asked, surprised that someone could defeat the Guo family when her uncle and elder brother were so strong.

“They are the family of Generals that protect the East,” The Old General answered.

The Old General had grown softer over the week, trying to participate more regularly in their table conversations.

“XieRong, do you know that there is a general appointed to each of the provinces except the North?”

“Yes. I also know that the Northern Province is not governed the same way as the other provinces as it has only cultivation sects, but that’s all I know.”

XieRong looked down, ashamed at the very little knowledge she had about the provinces.

“It’s okay, uncle knows it’s not your fault for not knowing.”

“I am surprised that you know as much as you do,” her elder brother said, putting a piece of meat in her bowl.

XieRong gave him a tiny smile.

“Let elder brother explain. There is only one city in each province which is treated like a capital. Each province is assigned a Duke, who is usually the emperor’s brother or a raised noble, a general and a Merchant House. The East and West province both have four noble families each, while the south, which has the capital, has six noble families.”

“Then why hasn’t the Shan family visited the Fa Family? The south general GuoZhi has come over many times. That’s how I learnt that each province has it’s own general.”

“The Shan Family hates the Fa’s,” her second aunt said joining the conversation.

“Why?”

“Before Fa Boqin wooed your mother, he tried his luck with mine and your mother’s friend, the current Shan elder’s Middle daughter.”

“Mother still married him? After he did that?”

“He was very convincing and persistent.”

XieRong couldn’t fathom how much further down the man who contributed into giving birth to her, could fall.

“Uncle what did you mean when you said that you lost to the Shan Family?”

Her uncle sighed.

“Every year there is a competition between the three general families held at the palace, and we haven’t won against the Shan’s even once in the past four years.”

“But we have big brother.”

“And they have two female versions of him,” Uncle replied.

“The competition involves both individual and group rounds. We always remain tied until the group rounds. The Shan Family’s first miss is matched by my son, but since I cannot participate and the same competitor cannot compete twice, their second young miss remains unmatched. What’s more is that she’s only three years older than you.”

“What about RuiLing?”

“I avoid fighting unless I am absolutely sure I will win. After all I have a reputation to keep,” RuiLing answered.

XieRong looked at RuiLing’s perfect posture and straightened shoulders. She was still prideful but had started to grow more accepting of people regardless of their backgrounds. She had heard the servants in her elder sister’s had started to thank the heavens for whatever miracle had caused their miss to change so much.

“When is the next competition?” XieRong asked, a twinkle in her eyes.

“In around four months.”

“I would like to participate on behalf of the Guo family.”

“Are you sure? You are just going to begin learning martial arts while the people you will be competing against have been practicing for years. You are bound to lose,” her uncle said.

“I’m not worried about the outcome, uncle. I’m participating to give it my best try. I promise to work hard.”

Guo ZiHao smiled.

“Hm, I’ll think about it.”