Chương 361: Chapter 307: Connection

~~~ Lord Feng Shang of the Eternal Flame Clan. The oldest son of Patriarch Feng Zhang. A man with an exceedingly sterling reputation and one of the strongest cultivators on this side of the Dead Plains. Her biological father. When Lu Mei was in the Red Sky Pavilion, Lord Feng Shang was a shadow that loomed over her whole existence. When she joined the Eternal Flame Clan, she finally had a face to attach to the name, but his presence remained as remote as ever.

Even when the truth of her parentage became known, Lord Feng Shang made no attempts to contact her. Now, he's right in front of her. With only a small table between them, the room they are in feels unbearably small. Lu Mei desperately wants to look away, but that would be showing weakness. Thus, she focuses all her attention on Lord Feng Shang. There is a touch of severity to him, a dash of maturity in the lines of his face that make him look distinctly unlike his brother despite their many similarities.

His red hair and golden eyes are the same as hers. It would not have been that way in the past. However, as the Eternal Flame within her has grown in power, her Feng features have gained prominence. Now, even a casual observer would be able to tell Lu Mei and Lord Shang are related.

"Daughter," Lord Feng Shang says, speaking for the first time. It annoys Lu Mei that she cannot quite hide her flinch.

"This meeting has been long overdue." Lu Mei laughs harshly.

"Overdue? Lord Feng Shang, it has been two years," she says. Her tone is far more hostile than is prudent in the presence of such a powerful person, but Lu Mei cannot quite control her emotions right now. The Eternal Flame within her is too active.

"I have never been in your position, but I would think that finding out one has a child should evoke a minimum level of interest."

"True enough," Lord Feng Shang says. His voice is as calm as hers is heated. His aura does not fight against hers. It merely receives.

"At first, I was surprised. Then, I was in denial. However, it only took a little thought to realize there was no lie in Lu Junjie's declaration. You are my daughter." Once again, her heart trembles. Daughter. The world should not have such hold over her, but it does.

"You call me daughter, but why have you waited until now to approach me?" Lu Mei asks, not having missed the significance of this meeting. Lord Feng Shang is in Imperial Cloud City as a representative of the Eternal Flame Clan. Perhaps Lord Feng Gui sent him so that he might witness him succeed where he failed, but that is not the issue. As long as he is here, any meetings or conversations he might have with any of the participants can be dismissed as official tournament business.

In other words, Lord Feng Shang can meet her face to face because he has a convenient excuse.

"The reason should be obvious enough," Lord Feng Shang replies, bringing his hands together.

"I am a married man, and I do not wish to give my wife more cause to hate you than she already has."

"She sent assassins after me when I was in the Storm Dragon Empire," Lu Mei says darkly.

"That matter cannot be proven," Lord Feng Shang replies automatically.

"Even if she had, Feng Zhuo acted swiftly to prevent any unfortunate outcomes. As I knew he would. However, had I publicly gone to you, my wife would have never let the issue end with such a sloppy attempt."

"Am I supposed to believe the great Lord Feng Shang is scared of his wife?" Lu Mei asks. Spite drips from her every word.

"Not at all," he replies.

"It is far more simple. I did not wish to have to kill my wife as a result of my own infidelity. That would be far too unfair to her." There are few times in Lu Mei's life when she has been left speechless. She wants to call Lord Feng Shang a liar, but his words have a heaviness to them that does not leave room for doubt. His aura, previously contained within his body, fills the room with pure intent. If he publicly associated with her, Lady Feng would grow angry and try to kill her.

In that situation, Lord Feng Shang would choose his progeny, illegitimate though it might be, over his wife. Lu Mei supposes she should feel flattered, yet it is another reminder of the complicated nature of her existence.

"I am tired," Lu Mei says, finally looking away from her father's face.

"Because I was born your bastard daughter, my existence has only invited conflict. Say your piece and be done with it, Lord Feng Shang. There is no need to pretend we are anything but strangers."

"If only it were that simple," Lord Feng Shang says, looking at her with far too much pity for her liking.

"I have done you a great wrong, daughter. My weakness might have given you life, but it has been a curse upon it. It has denied you the simple joys that should have been yours from the start. Perhaps the best thing I can do is to stay away from you."

"You have been doing that so far," Lu Mei counters.

"What has changed?"

"You already know," Lord Feng Shang says. Lu Mei looks down. She knows. She understands. Core Disciple. Participant in the Crimson Cloud Tournament. Eventual wife of the Emperor of the Storm Dragon Empire. Wielder of the Eternal Flame. Lu Mei could go on, but there is no need to. Simply put, she has become far too successful. If she were a little less talented. If she were a little less capable. Lord Feng Shang could ignore her. Alas, that is not the case.

"Without needing my help, you have become prominent in the Eternal Flame Clan. When the tournament reaches its conclusion, your name will be known among the Four Great Sects and beyond. In mere decades, you and your progeny will hold great power and influence within the Eternal Flame Clan. Anyone with eyes can see that," Lord Feng Shang says.

"Feng Zhuo was wise to go to you. However, his presence will no longer be enough to protect you. The enemies you attract will be my enemies." And the enemies of an Emperor are not something either she or Qing Jin can stand against. Not yet. Feng Shang's face softens.

"That is why I am here, daughter. I want to make it clear that you will be under my protection." It is tempting to merely accept. However, what will become of her if she does? The protection of an Emperor means much, but what good is it if it will invoke the ire of another? Can she really risk making an enemy out of Lord Feng Gui? Considering the forces on Liu Jin's path, can she really afford to not have as many options as possible? Can she turn down her one chance to connect with her father? Lu Mei does not know.

"Is that all you wished to say, Father?" He sighs.

"Unfortunately not. My wife is due to arrive soon." Lu Mei frowns.

"This will be unpleasant, won't it?"

"Indubitably so." ~~~"Wonderful! You're here already! It is a pleasure to welcome you to our estate!" Fu Lihua greets Liu Jin and Xiao Shuang with open arms and a big smile. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

"It is a pleasure to be here," Liu Jin says. Now that he is not sneaking in like a thief, he can truly appreciate the beauty of Divine Frozen Palace's estate. The mansion in the center of the property is a flawless mix of wood, stone, and glass, and the yard around it is covered in blue flowers that give off a pleasant scent.

"Emperor Qing Jin, I saw you at the banquet, but it is a pleasure to formally make your acquaintance," says Xiang Rong, the prince of the Crimson Cloud Empire. He and Fu Lihua stand beside each other at a distance that cannot be called anything other than intimate. Physically, the man looks much like his father, albeit younger. Xiang Rong holds himself with great poise, but Liu Jin cannot help but notice he lacks much of his father's presence. Perhaps that's only natural.

The Crown Prince is only a few years older than him, while Emperor Xiang has lived multiple centuries.

"Likewise, Prince Xiang Rong," Liu Jin says.

"Fu Lihua speaks fondly of you." Constantly. Annoying. Insistently. The Crown Prince is clearly the older girl's favorite subject, and she has no end of things to say about him. Some of those things were interesting. Many were things Liu Jin would have been better off not knowing. Judging by the look on Prince Xiang's face, he is not completely unaware of Liu Jin's thoughts.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Fu Lihua asks with a cheerful look on her face. Her pink robes flutter as she jumps ahead.

"Come in! Come in! The cooks have been hard at work! Master spends so much time in meetings that they do not have many opportunities to display their skills. You have made them very happy, Your Majesty."

"But I come here all the time!" Prince Xiang Rong protests, pointing at himself. Fu Lihua beams at him.

"Dear, you come here for many things, and many of those involve your mouth. However-""Lihua!" the prince hisses, putting his hands over Fu Lihua's mouth. His face is redder than the Crimson Cloud floating above the castle. Liu Jin and Xiao Shuang politely ignore the two and keep walking until they reach the main dining room. It has a large round table with several chairs around it. A man waits for them there. Though he can still be called handsome, time has begun to leave its mark on his face.

"Greetings," he says with a kind smile.

"This one's name is Tie Leji. I am one of Lady Shao Zhilan's husbands."

"I have heard of you," Liu Jin says.

"All good things, I hope," Tie Leji says as they take their seats.

"Exceedingly so," Liu Jin says, recalling what Song Daiyu said about the man with him.

"I have been told you are a man of great wisdom and character." Tie Leji laughs.

"You flatter me too much, Your Majesty."

"Not at all," Fu Lihua says as she enters with the prince at her side.

"Heaven knows what would happen here without you. The Divine Frozen Palace owes you a great, never-ending, constant debt. Where is my master, by the way?"

"Still preparing a few things," Tei Leji says before turning to Liu Jin.

"Do not take offense at her absence, Your Majesty. With the tournament's final stage so close, it will not be long before other members of the Five Fairies of the Divine Frozen Palace arrive. It makes things quite hectic around here."

"I remember my master mentioning something about that," Xiao Shuang says.

"I suppose we shall see her soon enough." It is impressive, Liu Jin thinks, how aggressively neutral Xiao Shuang manages to sound at the prospect.

"Indeed, we shall," Lady Shao Zhilan says as she enters the room. It is the second time Liu Jin has been exposed to the effects of her Qi, yet they are no less interesting because of it. It is somewhat similar to Lu Mei's ability to evoke lust by infusing her Qi with the right emotion. However, what Lady Shao does is simultaneously both more subtle and more overt. It is almost like a command, an immutable law of reality that leaves attraction to her as the only viable option. Not that it matters.

It cannot affect him.

"Oh dear, it seems we are missing one," Lady Shao says, turning her veiled face left and right. Liu Jin knows it is a tradition of the Divine Frozen Palace to wear veils, but he wonders what the point of it is when Lady Shao's dress is made of such thin material and clings so tightly to her body. By contrast, Fu Lihua wears no veil, yet her pink robes are considerably more conservative.

"Little Xiao Shuang, where is your brother? I thought he'd be joining us."

"My brother wisely delegated this matter to us, Lady Shao," Xiao Shuang replies, inclining her head.

"Rest assured, we are here to represent his best interests."

"Xiao Shuang, dear, why did you feel the need to call his actions wise?" Lady Shao asks, her smile a little tight.

"It is wise to avoid situations that would cloud one's judgments. I thought I would need to convince him not to come, but he came to that conclusion all on his own," Xiao Shuang says before smiling.

"As his sister, I am proud." Shao Zhilan stares at Xiao Shuang's smiling face for two silent seconds.

"You are definitely Meng Yue's student." Shao Zhilan says, making Fu Lihua laugh.

"You're so funny, Sister Xiao. I must introduce you to Granny Zhao as soon as possible."

"You will do no such thing," Lady Shao says right away, no doubt glaring at her disciple through her veil. She turns to Liu Jin. Her presence washes over him but does nothing, making her sigh.

"What exactly have I done to deserve this level of distrust?"

"Dear, if you were in their position, would you not have done the same?" Tei Leji asks, putting a hand on her shoulder as she sits beside him.

"Rather than distrust, consider it a sign of respect towards you and-" It happens in an instant. It is a moment of vacillation. Tei Leji's body sways, his chest contracts, and his muscles spasm.

"-love towards young Xiao Fang," the man finishes seamlessly. The whole thing began and ended in the blink of an eye, gone so quickly that most miss it. Those who did not can believe they imagined it. However, Liu Jin knows what he saw. The sudden attention Lady Shao has on her lover only reinforces it.

"I suppose so," Lady Shao says, her hand over Lei Teji's. Her veiled face seeks Liu Jin and Xiao Shuang.

"However, do realize I never had any intention of tricking the young heir into unfavorable conditions. We have put a lot of time into our alliance with the Xiao Sect. I would not spoil it with base trickery."

"I would not dare imagine it, Lady Shao," Liu Jin says.

"Think of our actions as nothing more than concern for our family."

"So sweet," Fu Lihua says.

"Speaking of our alliance, where is Sister Shen Mi?" Xiao Shuang looks away.

"She had… matters of clarity to attend to." ~~~ Xiao Fang is not nervous. It is the twelfth time he has to tell himself that in less than a minute. Clearly, that is a sign of how calm he is. There is nothing for him to be nervous about. Xiao Shuang told him she would let her know. All that is left for him to do is wait. It is simple. Easy. He is not nervous. Several minutes and countless repetitions of his non-rattled demeanor later, a cold mist falls upon the roof, dying it in white. Out of it, she appears.

Xiao Fang has always acknowledged Shen Mi's beauty. However, there is something almost ethereal about her tonight. The mist clings to her body like a veil, making her form appear hazy to his senses yet also enhancing it. Xiao Fang thinks back to all those times she mentioned how men who saw the women of Divine Frozen Palace would spend their lives forever pining after them. He'd often scoffed at the notion, but now he can almost believe it.

"This is where you wished to meet?" Shen Mi asks, turning left and right. Xiao Fang does not need to see past her veil to imagine the disdainful look on her face.

"We are in the middle of changing accommodations," Xiao Fang says.

"Besides, I doubt you'd have wanted to talk in the same room as Big Nose."

"True enough." Xiao Fang does not say anything back, and Shen Mi does not try to start a conversation. Xiao Fang feels the silence urging him to speak, yet all the words he planned on saying are suddenly nowhere to be found.

"I want to apologize," he says at last.

"Oh?" Shen Mi tilts her head. If she is nervous in any way, she is hiding it much better than him.

"Whatever for?" As expected, she is going to make him say it. Xiao Fang wishes they were fighting again. Shen Mi is so much easier to deal with when she is violent.

"When… when you came to bid me goodbye," Xiao Fang starts, cringing at how hesitant he sounds, "I… did not realize what you were trying to tell me. I said things that were-""You were an idiot," she says bluntly.

"I was an idiot," Xiao Fang says.

"The idea that you could be interested in me never crossed my mind. How could it?" Xiao Fang takes a deep breath and uses the time to order his thoughts.

"When we first met, I thought you were incredibly annoying," he says. He can almost feel Shen Mi narrowing her eyes at him.

"Is that supposed to be part of your apology?"

"I am going somewhere with this," he promises.

"You were high-handed and arrogant, and you never let me forget my inferiority compared to you. Any decision I made was a mistake. Any success I had was an excuse for you to point out my failures. That was our relationship." Xiao Fang is so focused on his words he does not notice how Shen Mi squirms when he mentions her past behavior.

"However, how could it be any other way?" Xiao Fang continues.

"You left a life of luxury in the Divine Frozen Palace to accompany me in my quest, and your rewards were danger, scarcity, and bleakness. Despite that, you stayed by my side for years. That is how exemplary your loyalty to the Divine Frozen Palace is."

"Not just to the Divine Frozen Palace," Shen Mi says softly.

"If I had earnestly asked my master, she'd have allowed me to return to her side. I did not. First, because I was stubborn, but after a while... I started thinking your journey was worth watching. I was too harsh on you at the start. For that, I apologize."

"No, you were right," Xiao Fang says.

"I… I am happy… joyous that you feel affection toward me, but even now, I still have nothing to offer you other than danger, scarcity, and bleakness. Reclaiming the Xiao Sect will change that, but it will still be nothing compared to what you'd have in the Divine Frozen Palace."

"Xiao Fang, that is not-""That will change," Xiao Fang declares.

"I promise you this. One day, to be of the Xiao Sect will be a greater honor than to be of the Divine Frozen Palace. I will make you happy that you deigned to look in my direction."

"... You idiot, I already am." ~~~