Having wrapped up his visit to Zhen Jun Yao, Zhen Liu opted to simply wait outside of the dical hall while Matriarch Zhen Xun Tian finished her own visit with Elder Zhen Tinh.
Zhen Liu had no idea who this guy was exactly, or what he looked like, but he already had a bad feeling about the man due to the incident involving his new hamr.
A part of Zhen Liu wanted to thank the old bastard for providing him such a useful new weapon, while another part of him wanted to cave their skull in. Unsurprisingly, the kaijin wanted to do that latter option.
[Are you sure you don’t want us to exact beautiful, bloody revenge on the old fogey, maestro?,] Hurricroak asked. [I’m pretty sure in his current state, one good twist of my claws and his neck would snap like a dry noodle. Quick and painless with an option to claim a fresh trophy afterwards.]
’I’d rather not do that.’
[I one ti read sowhere that overdosing on a sedative is can cause soone to die in their sleep,] Spring Brawler added. [Euthanasia was the term?]
’Let’s not do that.’
[Just...freeze...him...solid...one...quick...break...]
’Alright, let’s dial back the murder talks a bit. I’m trying to leave this place without blood on my hands...well at the very least, without even more blood on my hands.’
[While that is an understandable desire to have more lord, I don’t think you have to worry about this particular man’s blood on your hands.]
’That was unnecessarily ominous, why?’
[It looks like your great grandaunt has already sullied her hands ahead of ti.]
’I...is this the part where you tell that Matriarch Zhen Xun Tian is about to walk up to with her hands covered in blood?’
[Well...it’s not just her hands covered in blood.]
’What do you an by-
Before Zhen Liu could ask his question, the aforentioned matriarch had exited the dical hall and began to walk towards Zhen Liu.
The branch clan scion was about to provide a small greeting of acknowledgent, as was proper etiquette, but stopped when he Zhen Xun Tian’s current state. Evidently, Nepherage was not exaggerating about her being covered in blood.
From head to toe, Zhen Liu could make out tiny splatters of blood that seed to decorate the matriarch’s clothes like a pattern of cherry blossom petals. Granted, those tiny droplets of blood were overshadowed by the re prescene of the liquid crimson dripping off of her hands.
Zhen Liu had the impression that she had just murdered the absolute hell out of Zhen Tinh, but she didn’t seem like the type to murder a hospitalized man in his bed...right?
As if the sensing Zhen Liu’s thoughts, or at least reading his expression, Zhen Xun Tian opted to explain why she was covered in blood.
At this mont in ti, Zhen Liu opted to not tell Zhen Xun Tian about his suspicions of the man nor was he going to tell her about the things he and the kaijin had found in the man’s room.
Instead, he opted to tell a little white lie...or to be more accurate, he was going to tell her how the man was about to bury himself in a massive hole.
__________________________________________
Hours after the incident in the aether treasures vault, the branch clan found themselves, once again, in a banquet thrown together by their main clan counterparts.
Unlike last ti however, which was a frosty welco to say the least, this ti it was significantly more friendly, a lot warr and a touch more casual.
Was this change in attitude due to the stellar performance of the branch clan scions during the family competition?
Yes.
Was it due to the ritous service the branch clan showed during the Fallen Clan’s attack?
Probably.
Or was it due to the fact that a mber of the branch clan was now engaged with a daughter of the Imperial Family?
Probably.
Regardless, where once was a rift born from a cri of love and passion, was now a repaired bond between distant relatives.
Of course, not everyone in the main clan was open to the idea of making nice with their branch clan counterparts.
Then again, not every mber of the main clan was loyal in the first place.
In fact, one mber of the main clan was using this banquet as an opportunity to make a rather clandestine eting in the greater parts of Willow Scale City.
...
Under the cover of darkness, with only the moon and stars as his light, Zhen Jun Yao made his way through the backstreets of Willow Scale City, taking care not to be seen by anyone. After all, it would be a very look for a mber of the Zhen Clan to be seen associating with, let alone eting with, a mber of the Fallen.
’Its a damn good thing that crazy painted hag decided to throw a banquet now of all tis for those branch clan bastards. Gave a chance to sneak out undetected.’
Technically speaking, Zhen Jun Yao should’ve been resting in a dical hall bed right about now for a head injury. A self-inflicted injury, sure, but it was still an injury.
But, in the mont Zhen Liu delivered that ssage about the "eels by the canals", Zhen Jun Yao suddenly felt a lot better.
That was because the ssage Zhen Liu had delivered to him was actually a password of sorts. One ant to notify him that his contact within the Fallen was coming to et with him.
The only problem was that he had no idea what this eting was even about.
’With the way things are now, they could be aiming to punish for my failure to activate the [Ghost Fla] bomb...or maybe they’re trying to recall so that they can coordinate another attack? We did manage to recover the war elder after all...dammit! There are too many possibilities, I hate this, why can’t sry just send a ssage explaining what they want?’
Maybe it was due to their desire to remain hidden, perhaps it was due to their own paranoia, but the Fallen Clan had always been incredibly cryptic in regards to their plans of attack. At least in Zhen Jun Yao’s experience.
The Fallen never sent him any clear plans of attack, never any items that had to be prepared ahead of ti until the last possible mont.
When that mont arrives, whenever it was, they would always send soone to give him so coded ssage to co and et so they could finally tell him the plan in the fullest.
It was incredibly frustrating to be sure, but it also proved incredibly effective at making it very difficult to detect.
Words were rely air after all, which makes it easy to lie about what was heard or even outright deny them. That being said, there were tis when Zhen Jun Yao was actually caught in the act, but the [False Dream Jade] helped to cover his tracks. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t have such assurances this ti around.
’Whatever the reason the Fallen has to summon this ti around, it has to be important for them to risk doing it so soon after their failed attack...right?,’ Zhen Jun Yao thought it himself as he got closer and closer to the eting place, which were the Willow Scale City canals at the fish market district.
The ssage he was given was simultaneously ant to be taken at face value, but with the hint of a riddle.
As Zhen Jun Yao arrived at the fish market district, he could see that all of the usual vendors and booths that were open in the day had finished closing up shop for the evening.
Nary a candle, lantern or aether light could be seen as Zhen Jun Yao entered the area.
’The canals aren’t too far from the district’s entrance. I don’t even need to be stealthy about this. I’m just going to walk straight to the canals from here and-’
*Clatter*
’Sobody’s here?!’
Instead of screaming a challenge and flaring his aether, Zhen Jun Yao quickly turned around with his hands ready to strike.
However, nobody was there when he did.
’...guess it was a cat.’
Spoiler alert: It wasn’t a cat.
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