Book 3: Chapter 46.5 - Wonderful Days |
The axe missed by an entire foot of distance.
Yin Hu didn't care, because he wasn't actually aiming.
The Axe of Eternal Obliteration and Destruction carved a crescent of displaced air through the courtyard. It caused red and black streaks in the air, but otherwise didn’t do much. The axe completed its arc and Yin Hu planted his rear foot, pivoted, and swung again in a lazy backhand that would have cut a mountain range in half if it had landed on anything… Yin Hu didn’t know that.
Wielding should have been impossible to…
Ta Rae, on the other hand, shrieked, the sound came from every leaf simultaneously. A rustling full-canopy scream of arboreal terror that bounced off the courtyard walls and scattered a flock of birds from the neighbour's roof three buildings over. The Demonic Spirit Tree of Ancient Primordial Foundings, Grand Elder of the Hu Clan, had ripped its roots from the packed earth with a wet sucking sound, showered dirt across the stone tiles, and bolted.
The tree moved on its root ball like a spider on too many legs, each root finding purchase and pushing off in a gait that was equal parts horrifying and hilarious.
It careened around the courtyard's perimeter, branches flailing, roots pumping, and leaves shedding in a trail of green and silver that marked its panicked circuit like breadcrumbs. The teapot clutched in a few of its thickest branches, held tight against its trunk the way a thief clutches stolen goods while fleeing the scene of a crime they absolutely committed and would commit again given half a chance.
Yin Hu jogged after it in an easy, unhurried pace.
His robes billowed behind him and the axe rested across his shoulder.
Ta Rae rounded the eastern wing corner and its root ball caught on a flagstone.
The tree stumbled and lurched forward. Its branches pinwheeled for balance while the other four clutched the teapot tighter. A spray of tea erupted from the spout and arced through the morning air in a golden parabola that caught the sunlight and, for one brief, beautiful moment, looked like liquid treasure raining down upon the courtyard.
It splashed across the dirt and tiles… Which absorbed it instantly much to Ta Rae’s horror.
Yin Hu grinned.
The expression cracked through the Ancient Being persona like sunlight through storm clouds. It was a wide and genuine smile that he afford himself now that no one was in the courtyard except a single tree currently on the floor mourning the loss of the pot of liquid gold.
Yin Hu continued the game. "Give the pot back, you greedy bastard!".
He planted the axe head-down on the stone and leaned on the handle.
Ta Rae recovered its balance and stood back up. Its trunk straightened and branches reorganised themselves into something approaching dignity. The teapot, miraculously still half-full, was repositioned against the trunk in a grip so tight the ceramic creaked.
Every leaf on the tree turned toward Yin Hu.
He could read the expression after months of cohabitation with a sentient tree, he'd learned to interpret the angle of leaves, the tension in branches, and even the subtle shifts in bark texture that communicated emotional states no botanist had ever catalogued.
This particular arrangement said: I regret nothing and I would do it again.
Yin Hu laughed.
Ta Rae's leaves rustled in indignation.
The tree extended a single branch, slowly. The branch held the teapot's spout over one of the cups still sitting on the table from the session with Patriarch Duan. Tea poured in a thin, steady stream. The branch retreated, set the pot down, and then nudged the filled cup toward the edge of the table closest to Yin Hu.
A peace offering.
Yin Hu wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.
He walked to the table, the axe with a flick of his wrist, and sat on his lounging chair.
He picked up the cup and Ta Rae vibrated at the accepted proverbial olive branch.
"You're still in trouble."
The vibrating stopped. Every branch went rigid. Leaves angled downward in maximum contrition.
Yin Hu took a sip, it was at perfect temperature.
The tree had been maintaining it even while fleeing for its life across the courtyard at speeds no rooted organism should achieve. Even in the grip of existential terror, Ta Rae's priorities remained unshakeable.
Tea first, survival second.
Greedy, selfish, annoying, picky, and now a thief. What's next? Is it going to start demanding specific blends? Refusing to shade me unless I upgrade from Jasmine to whatever ridiculous preference it develops next week?
He took another sip and let the morning settle.
The courtyard was quiet. Furrows from Ta Rae's panicked sprint carved the packed earth in a circuit that would need filling. Leaves littered every surface in a carpet of silver that made the place look like autumn had arrived six months early and targeted a single courtyard only.
Yin Hu leaned back and closed his eyes.
The distant sounds of the city filtered through the walls.
Merchants setting up stalls and disciples sweeping courtyards.
A dog barking at a dojo master, the same dog with the same dojo master. The same opinions, expressed daily, and without resolution.
Yin Hu blinked.
The usual rolling thunder that was the thousand of disciples practicing his one-two boxing technique was missing.
Thats weird. Maybe they have a day off or a holiday. Wonder where the girls are now…
The thought drifted through his mind unhurried. They had Wu Xui and Zhong Da to keep them safe. Him overly protecting and watching over them would be a negative and hurt their personalities. Some lessons needed to be learned through this once they were old enough. Thankfully, the couple were trustworthy.
He considered it for a moment.
Both of them out there, growing and becoming their own people.
This was exactly what he wanted.
Yin Hu smiled into his cup as the thought of the chaos they could cause unchecked.
Nah. My girls are well raised. They won't cause any issues.
He took a long, satisfied sip.
It's not like they'd do something insane. Attack the Merchant Emperor? Fight against whatever Calamity everyone's been losing sleep over? Build competing armies within the same city? Conquer the criminal underworld? Start a war at the river docks?
He chuckled at the absurdity.
I raised them better than that.
Ta Rae poured him a second cup and Yin Hu drank his tea.
The sun climbed higher above Yellow HearthStone City.
The tree stole a sip when he blinked.
He pretended not to notice.
The End.
