A Divergence in Fate
(Feng Ni Tian Xia)
Beiyue tip-toed around the Princess Royal Mansion. Looking around to see if someone was here. She did not registered the presence behind her.
It was a man with long silver-white hair and blood red eyes, with diamond-shaped black marking at center of his forehead. Dressed in black and red clothes. A dark red sash wrapped around his waist, hold an ornate sword.
"And pray tell me, o child of mine, why do you act like a thief in your own home?"
"Eeep!" Beiyue was surprised and fell off. She quickly rolled and sat up at sight of the man. "Father!"
Yunli stood there, looking unimpressed with his hands crossed over his chest. He raised an elegant silver eyebrow. "Well? Do tell."
"It uhh..." Beiyue stammered. Okay. How should she worded it?
"Huang Beiyue."
"Umm... Ijustfoundtheblackbeastjadeandnowitsmine."
"Speak slowly, daughter. Speak slower."
Beiyue fiddle with her finger. "Umm... Father, do you remember you sent me to Fog Forest to obtain some Biling Fruit? Well, the thing is... I was attacked by the Wuling Ice Bird and I kinda fell off from a cliff." She flinched when Yunli's Ki flared and the temperature around him rise drastically. "Wait, wait! Let me finish! I grab something to stop my fall... and I discover the Black Beast Jade."
The angry ki disappeared. "Truly?"
"Truly." Beiyue take out the thing from her Space Ring. "Here. It's the real deal, right?"
"Hm." Yunli hold the ornate black jade in his hand. Running his Ki through it. "Indeed it is. Do you smear your blood over it?"
"Yes. By accident, though. And I used it as additional energy boost to defeat the Wuling Ice Bird. He is my summon now."
"Mm. Good girl." Yunli patted Beiyue's head, which make the girl extremely happy. It was rare occurrence for her father figure to giving out praise, leave alone head pat, so she cherished it the most. "Now, go take a bath. You reeks."
"Hehe... alright father."
"And before that, call your newest Summon. I want to talk."
"Alrght."
One Wuling Ice Bird appear, and then Beiyue went to have a bath. Her father was strict on hygene. She was not allowed to have any meal, leave alone dinner, if her hands are dirty. And truth to be told, she need a warm bath after what happened today. She just hoped her Father won't terrified the hell out of her newest summon.
With Yunli, he looked at the Wuling with unimpressed look. "Do you mind to use other form? Beiyue surely gave you enough ki to assume one." He won't admit it, but it irked him when he had to look up just to have conversation. Half because it wounded his pride a bit, half before it was pain for his neck.
A burst of Vitality and Ki surrounds the Ice Bird, and when it dispersed, a youthful teenager stood in its place. His hair is silver, but with blue hue, and he has green eyes. Dressed in white and icy blue clothes with green sash around his waist. His clothes was covered in thin ice in several area, such as shoulder.
"Who are you?" The now human-looking Wuling asked. "Are you her other summon too?"
"It's impolite to ask for name before introducing yourself. Do you have a name yet?"
The ice-clad youth nodded. "Indeed. Master gave me name [Bing]."
"Ice. An apt name, even if it simple." Yunli nodded. "My name is Yunli, and yes, I, too, am her summon. Her very fist summon in fact."
Bing look interested. "You are far more powerful than me. How did she tame you?"
"By being sticky limpet." Yunli sported an annoyed look. "She somehow develop an ability to sense me, and would found me without fail whenever I am near her. And by near I mean the twice distance from this mansion to outer gate. It was a chore to peel her off from me, I just give up entirely. Next thing..."
"...she calls you Father." Bing finished, more amused than anything. "Hilarious."
The glare Yunli gave was enough to melt a rock. Good thing Bing was more than mere rock. The Wuling just raised his hands in surrender.
"Alright, alright, I got it. So? Who was the other guys? Surely not only us and that Wolfie."
"The Wolfie, as you call her, is a 5-Star Thunder Wolf, Caixia. There's also an Moonshone Owl named Fei. Also, a Fying Water snake named Hui. You already saw Caixia in her True Form. You'll saw others during dinner, in Human Form. It was something Beiyue wished, and we all respect this wish of hers."
Bing hummed. It was rare for a Spirit Beast to assume human form. Only the strongest of the strongest who was able to. And yet, because of his new Summoner wished so, he could assume human form.
"How did she have so much summon? I know for a fact having TWO itself is damn near impossible, yet she has five, including myself."
Yunli smiled. "She's gifted. She love Spirit Beast more than she love human. and I may or may not have a hand." Being Spirit Deity means Beiyue's Cultivation level skyrocketed once they made pact. Looking back at it, while it was annoying, he never once regretting it.
Bing grinned. Interesting. Looks like he was in for fun times.
"Okay. How did I know who is who?"
"Color scheme. Mine was Black, Caixia was Yellow, Fei was Gray, Hui was Green, yours will be Blue."
"Got it."
Yunli watched Bing sauntered in, exploring the Mansion that from now onward is his home. Truly, Beiyue was so attached to her Summon more than she did to humans, her own kin. Unless said human named Dongling, the current Emperor, and Official Geng; she rather have limited exposure to them.
Sigh. While this means once she enroll into Lingyang school come next spring, she may be a Eight-Star Summoner in get go. Yet her social skill will get herself killed. Perhaps he should told her to hold back and enroll into Imperial College and study. She only know mathematics and calligraphy because she still oversee Qinghe province.
Thinking about that pissed Yunli off. Stupid worthless Thief... lucky thing he booby-trapped the entrance and yard. And some location inside the mansion. Just to be triple sure.
~X~
For the Xiao Family...
The Princess Royal Mansion was BANE to their existence. After Princess Royal die, as far as they know only two people lived there. Beiyue and her maid. Somehow the two of them managed to take care of entire mansion by themselves, never once asking for help. What's worse? Beiyue inherit Miyang County from her mother, and she herself was bestowed with Qinghe County since born, making her very rich, out-riches the Crown Prince! When the Princess Royal die, the Xiao planned to use her innocent and gullible world-view to steal the Provinces from her. Sadly, Beiyue somehow know this and attempt to hide the papers and officials. She succeeds with Qinghe, but failed with Miyang.
They waited for her to give up, but she never did.
Once they send some Warrior to forcibly take it from her, as what a child no-good in Martial Arts can do against a Silver Rank Warrior, leave alone a half dozen of them? Yet for some reason the Princess Royal Mansion was booby-trapped. The Warriors returned, beaten black and blue and swore to never stepped a feet there, ever.
The Xiao send other Warrior. A gold class this one. Still the same result.
They finally hired a Sorcerer to tried to located and disband the trap, yet the sorcerer gave up.
The reason was the trap always changed. One day it was Fire-based. Next day, it was pit and arrows. The day after next day it was Ice based. Then something foul launched. Then slippery road. Sticky road. Thunder-based. Wires. And so on and so on. The sorcerer said, when he handed his resignation form, that they (The Xiao) had better luck predicting when the Storm coming with a bloody bucket stuck on their head, than try to guess what the Trap of the Day was.
The Xiao finally got the hint. You Have Been Warned, Enter at Your Own Risk. They reluctantly left Beiyue alone. Never saw her unless in rare time she got out to her County. And even then, only brief glimpse of her.
Regarding Miyang, Xiao Yuancheng have no interest in County Affair, and handed it to Concubine Xue, in hope this can further Yun's future as a Summoner. By this, he indirectly spurned Concubine Qin and earned her ire.
Concubine Qin may be the Third Concubine, but she bore Xiao their Childe. Heir and Future Family Head. She also still has connection through her father, Counselor-in-Chief Qi, even though her stunts twenty years ago had made her lose some of it. By all account, it should be HER who gained the County, as she had knowledge how to manage it even if it was limited. Yet her husband gave it away to a former maid? Blasphemous!
When Concubine Xue show off her newest dress and accessory, as well boasting how Yuancheng loved her more, and Yun now able to access the Pill for Cultivation thanks to the money, that was the last straw.
Concubine Qin withdrew her power from the Xiao. Telling her connection, unless they agree with Xiao Yuancheng, to not helped him. She also spread word at how Yuancheng preferred a Former Maid who betray her own Miss, a Lowly Maid at that, over Woman who is Noble by Birth and mother to the Childe. Making herself sounds like victim and unloved (not a hard job here since that probably was the truth). She also moved out to Moon Pavilion with her children, and swore that she would raise them by herself.
As one final "Fuck You" to Yuancheng, she refused his visit. Slamming door on his face and saying "Go to your Beloved Concubine!"
A woman scorn is something to never underestimate. Yuancheng and Xue just made enemy out of her.
She was not the only one scorned. Her children, Zhongqi and Rou, was equally vexed and furious. Zhongqi even more so. So what if Yun was a Summoner while he was a "mere" Warrior? She was a woman, he was a Man and Childe! A Trueborn as Princess Royal doesn't have a son. He Mastered the Flaming Fist Technique in span of two weeks when normally someone need at least a month.
Was it enough? Nooooooo...
It's Yun this or Yun that. Yun... Yun... Yun... Always Yun!
When he moved out to Moon Pavilion, he was even more vexed. He start taking out jobs just to vented out his anger and frustration. Killing two bird with one stone. His anger abated, even if only a bit, and the mission is done. He didn't take into account how a Gold Warrior saw him in action and offer to taught him, so that his emotion won't got his ass handed.
After years of training, Zhongqi was now Silver Warrior, bordering Gold. All by his own merits. He only told his Mother and Sister, who was very proud of him, and withholding information from his Father.
Rou, too, was no slouch. Like her brother, she train herself to bones just so she got advantage when she finally made her debut. When asked about what kind of teacher she want, as their mother had connection and thus she and Zhongqi can choose their teacher, Rou want the strictest but very capable teacher their mother can provide. As a result, she was Bronze, almost Silver Rank Warrior, and a Beginner Pharmacy. So far she could make only "Low" level pills, because dang it the materials was hard to come by. She planned to refine her skill more when she come to Lingyang College come next spring.
Let see who will have the last laugh. She, or Yun.
Rou was betting heavily on herself. Yun maybe Three Star Summoner, but her fighting skill SUCK. When she discover her summoning talent, she drop out the warrior training, resulting in half-baked fighting skill. If Rou and Yun were to fight in martial arts only, Rou was confident she can use Yun to mop the floor.
She only have to be patient a bit more. Just three weeks and she can show Yun who the boss is.
Ling? Beiyue? Pssh. Not worth it. Ling was an idiot and her social faux pass years ago is still Fresh. Poor Concubine Fang. Beiyue? She more interested in managing her County, and pissing her off mean pissing off the Emperor.. She knew a lost cause when she saw one.
Plus, she don't want to walk into death trap that was Princess Royal Mansion. She isn't suicidal!
TBC
