"Wanna head back to the banquet?," Zhen Hai asked while stretching. He and Zhen Liu had watched the battle between Zhen Li and Zhen Jun Yao unfold from start to finish, and at this point, the battle was essentially over. Granted, there was still some cleaning up to do.
"Soon. I wanna see how they wrap things up at the market street."
"Right...and it has nothing to do with the fact that you want avoid answering your new fiancé’s question about whether or not you’ve done the do with-"
"I said what I said, now please respect it."
"Sure, sure...by the way, am I going crazy or is everyone from the main clan sounding different? Hell, I think I’m sounding different."
"I think it’s because we’ve been stuck speaking Tide Tongue for so many days. It’ll probably pass when we get back home."
∆∆Xiao Liu, where’d you go? I have another question for you!∆∆
"I am honestly very afraid of what happens after I answer that question."
"If her brother and father are any indication, you might lose the ability to walk."
A going away banquet was technically a weird note for the branch clan to end their journey to the homeland on, especially when it was happening simultaneously with a ruthless spy purge, but it made sense in a weird way.
Their journey started because of a melancholy promise, they got involved in the fires of combat due to the whims of their matriarch and the machinations of a bunch of assholes known as the "Fallen", and had to participate in the clean-up efforts after everything that went down.
A banquet was the only way the branch’s clan visit to Roaring Tide could end, at least, it was the only way it could end on good terms all around.
However, the thing about celebrations and tragedies are that they tend to be surprisingly personal.
One man’s worst day is another man’s best day. And in some cases, the former’s situation is due to the actions of the latter.
While both the main and branch clan of the Zhen Clan were dealing with karma associated with them and their choices, others affected by the them were doing the same.
Albeit, not always in a positive manner.
__________________________________________
Somewhere in Willow Scale City, in one of the fancier hotels’ lodges, a princess vying for her throne in a civil war that shouldn’t have been was in the middle of a conversation with the rising hope of a fallen nobility.
The two of them had become incidental friends after the attack of the Fallen Clan, and learning by complete coincidence that the two of them were sharing a hotel.
Their topic of discussion: the Zhen Clan.
"So, Miss Ecaredies, what do you think of the Zhen Clan?," Alvis de Howlite asked while sipping a cup of tea made from some exotic flower he couldn’t get back home.
"That depends. Are you talking about the main clan, who the both of us were hoping to become allies with, or the branch clan, who’s scions prevented us from doing just that?," Iona Ecaredies responded. In her hands was a small cup of rice wine, while a bottle of the stuff was sitting atop a specially made warmer that was by her side.
"Let’s say both. Feel free to choose whichever order you like."
"Well then...in regards to the main clan, despite everything that had happen during that attack by the...Fallen Clan, was it? The Zhen Clan had proven themselves every bit the hero makers and peacekeepers that their reputation suggests," Iona responded in an elegant manner, suggesting there was a bit of political politeness mixed in her speech.
"Interesting...and the branch clan?"
"Well...I can now say for certain, I understand how two of my cousins ended up getting charmed by that lot. Despite being the so-called ’shameful blemish’ in the Zhen Clan’s records, they seemed to be even better at the job of hero making than the main clan itself. A part of me is a bit jealous that they managed to sink their claws into them before I could," Iona plainly stated while thinking about a certain puppet master, a certain berserker and a certain elegant young woman. "They would’ve been excellent allies and if their parentage is any indication, loyal lovers."
"I see...," Alvis nodded.
"And what about you? What do you think of the two Zhen Clans?"
"The main clan disciples I fought in the ring were every bit the opponents I was hoping they were. Tough, clever, surprising amount of tricks up their sleeves. My only regret was that I couldn’t fight more of them on a more regular basis."
"And the branch clan? I believe you fought against and then alongside their First Young Master, yes?"
"I did...and now I can safely say that I understand completely how my distant cousins, the Wolfes, failed to bring that lot to heel. They might use a wolf as their family crest and purported themselves to be as vicious as them, the branch clan has proven themselves to be a veritable zoo of viciously strong warriors," Alvis honestly answered, his thoughts as plain as his words.
"Wait, you mean to tell me that your family and theirs have bad blood?"
"Had, and technically, that blood was between a distant set of relatives and them."
The two noble young scions proceeded to talk for a spell, switching from topic to topic, but with one shared thought in mind.
’It is a damn good thing that the branch clan is where we’re from, because it’ll make it significantly easier to get their assistance than the main clan.’
Granted, the two noble scions had wildly different reasons for thinking this...
__________________________________________
At Cozy Maple Hotel, the owner of the hotel and a certain rescued former slave girl were having a simple discussion over the act of washing dishes. Due to today being the last day the branch clan would be gracing the halls of this little hotel, Gao Ren figured he’d go all out for their breakfast and lunch. Unfortunately, that also meant a lot of dish work.
Thankfully, Pai Lin was there to assist. It was the least she could do since she was technically using one of his beds at the expense of the branch clan.
∆∆So you’ve decided to go along with the branch clan back to Stampeding Bison, right?,∆∆
∆∆Y-yes! I have,∆∆ Pai Lin nodded. ∆∆I know it’ll probably difficult and I’ll have to learn an entirely different language and cultural practices, but at least-∆∆
∆∆At least you won’t be a slave and have to worry about your old master trying to find you like an angry rodent?∆∆
∆∆Y...yes. Well...that and I wish to stay by my angel’s side for as long as I live,∆∆ Pai Lin answered while thinking about Zhen Xing. While he wasn’t the most handsome of the branch clan scions, she found his fox-like demeanor quite charming. That demeanor might’ve also been the reason why she was talking with Gao Ren so easily.
∆∆Haha, that I can understand.∆∆
The two of them continued to wash a couple more dishes together in silence, until they came to a large pot that required the two of them to work together on. At which point, Pai Lin decided to continue their conversation with a question.
∆∆What about you? Did you want to go back to Stampeding Bison with the branch clan? You seemed to like working for them and they seemed to find you equally good company.∆∆
∆∆Thought about that, honestly. Closing down the hotel and going back to the motherland does sound nice. Hell, maybe I can figure out why my grandparents left the joint in the first place...but, nah. My place is here. Someone’s gotta make sure visitors of Willow Scale can get of Bison hospitality, even if it’s a bit weird for it to exist on a foreign continent .∆∆
∆∆’Sides, ever since Patriarch Zhen Shi and his kids did their thing at the Zhen Clan arena and competition, I have been getting reservation requests up the wazoo. I may actually need to re-hire my old staff. Hope they’re open to it though.∆∆
∆∆I’m sure they are.∆∆
As Gao Ren and Pai Lin continued washing the dishes, the two of them ended up sharing a similar thought that could be summed up as the following sentence.
’It’s a good thing I ended up meeting the branch clan when I did, otherwise...who knows how my life could’ve been.’
Evidently, this shared thought demonstrated a principal in life that not many people think about.
That sometimes, even the smallest act of kindness can wildly change the trajectory of someone’s life.
__________________________________________
Directly beneath the entire continent of Roaring Tide is an underground ocean world simply known as the Abyssal Lands.
Supposedly, it has no bottom and that if one were to fall into it they’d be no escape.
However, life has a funny of surviving such harsh regions. Especially when that life belongs to tenacious people full of vengeance.
∆∆So...we lost our spy?∆∆