3seed

Fate's Attendant 1.31

Added 2025-09-22 23:04:01 +0000 UTC

Little Ruyun sat on the steps of the salon with Auntie Ling beside her. The young girl held a children’s book between them, pronouncing the words associated with the pictures. Often, she stumbled—before the family’s troubles, she’d been mostly learning how to manage a household—but Auntie Ling was surprisingly patient and determined to learn the People’s language.

An order from the spirit beast was as good as an order from the courtyard’s master. Little Ruyun told herself so, or else she’d feel guilty for not helping her mother prepare the day’s meals. There was also the laundry to do later and an outing to the storerooms to pick up more rice flour.

Yet, her mother had excused Little Ruyun from these chores. It had been this way since the first time Hong Fei had left Auntie Ling behind to run his errands. As soon as the courtyard’s master was gone, the spirit beast would dig out the books hidden under the cushions upon which she slept and drag the young girl over to read them.

Children’s books were rare. It was a wonder Auntie Ling had acquired them. The other servants were still telling tales of how the spirit beast had visited the estate’s library to demand them from the staff there. The Young Mistress, Yu Ning herself, had apparently been passing by and intervened on Auntie Ling’s behalf.

The books, as precious as they were, only held so many words, however, and Little Ruyun would soon be forced to use the world around them to teach the People’s language. She thought about walking through the courtyard, naming all the things in it. She might even, in the spirit beast’s company, tour the estate doing the same. There were a handful of other servants her age who would bite their tongues in jealousy at the sight.

That… wouldn’t be so bad, she thought. Little Ruyun also wondered if she should ask her mother for a slate and chalk.

Auntie Ling stilled, her fur rising in alarm. Then, in the blink of an eye, she rushed to lay down under the cherry tree, placing her head on her paws as if sleeping. Hong Fei walked through the doors a moment later. He had a guest with him.

That Auntie Ling! Little Ruyun was left on the salon steps alone, no doubt looking like she’d been reading a book and shirking her responsibilities! Her face heated as she rushed to stand and straighten her clothes. The book—

“Oh, Little Ruyun,” Hong Fei called. “Where’s your mother? I have someone to introduce.”

Kang Lian came out from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a cloth. She tucked it into her belt and gestured for Little Ruyun to join her in welcoming the courtyard’s master back. He’d gone out much earlier than they’d expected and returned just as quickly.

Little Ruyun didn’t dare drag her feet. She came forward with her hands behind her back.

“This is Sun Han,” Hong Fei said gesturing to the young man. “He’s joining us as my secretary.”

Sun Han smiled. If Little Ruyun weren’t so preoccupied, she might’ve thought him handsome.

“I greet you both,” the new secretary said. “Hong Fei has let me know your situation, and you can be assured of my protection, as well as his.”

“Our gratitude. We welcome you to the courtyard,” Kang Lian said, bowing.

When Little Ruyun remained standing, her mother dragged her into a similarly deep bow. The book behind the young girl became exposed.

“What’s this?” Sun Han asked. “Do we have a budding scholar in our midst?”

Little Ruyun’s blush deepened. Mortified, she intended to explain, but a huff from Auntie Ling caused her glance toward the giant badger. Her cold stare silenced the young girl.

“Y—Yes,” Little Ruyun forced herself to say. “I mean, no. I just wanted to improve my reading, so as to not lose face for the courtyard when working with the other servants.”

“How honorable,” Sun Han said.

Hong Fei nodded, but his mind was apparently elsewhere. He said, “That’s fine. You can request the resources to support these studies. A sword is only as good as the mind and body of its wielder.” His gaze sharpened. “For the morning, put the rest of your chores on hold and retrieve your finest clothes. There’ll be messenger arriving for me later. I’ll want you both with me when I receive it.”

“Afterward, where will I be staying?” Sun Han asked.

“We can clean a room for you this afternoon,” Kang Lian offered. “Will that be all right?”

Sun Han smiled again. “Yes, more than enough.”

“Good,” Hong Fei said. “I’m off to change my own clothes, then. I want everyone ready as soon as possible.”

###

The courtyard rushed to fulfill his command, and then everyone waited for the messenger to arrive. Kang Lian sat with Little Ruyun by the kitchen, the two of them reading the children’s book together. Auntie Ling just happened to be close by, so that she could both hear the words being spoken and see the images on the pages. Her fur had already been combed, and it gleamed in the mid-morning sun.

Meanwhile, Hong Fei and Sun Han sparred unarmed in the courtyard’s open spaces—lightly so as to not stain their clothes with sweat or dirty them from rolling on the ground. The motions made them seem like they were dancing.

“A soft style,” Hong Fei said, for only the two of them to hear.

So far, Sun Han had avoided his attacks with gentle deflections, refocusing them back toward him so that he was constantly being put into his own way. The footwork was circular, with the characteristics of both wood and water. Hong Fei found himself adopting a similar style. He drew on his family’s techniques to match the scholar.

Sun Han maintained a neat defense, whether he received punches or kicks, aimed high or low.

“Switch to attacking,” Hong Fei commanded.

Like the tide turning, the scholar amplified the intensity and his subtle movements changed—from redirections to attempts at grapples, joint locks, twists, and throws. Though the two of them moved slowly, there were occasions when Hong Fei only narrowly escaped the traps set by Sun Han. The fighters were equally matched when unarmed.

“And support?” Hong Fei asked, delighted.

“Hold still,” Sun Han replied, and his palm struck Hong Fei in the chest.

Qi billowed from the strike, spreading through Hong Fei’s body.

“The technique is one I developed in my previous life,” Sun Han explained. “With it, my own fighting skills diminish, and I empower my allies instead.”

Hong Fei grinned. He felt like he could fly and was tempted to spar with Sun Han in earnest. He might even cast the Hong family spells again. Yet, the fighters broke apart when they heard a knock at the courtyard door. They saluted each other, bringing the spar to an end, as Kang Lian went to see who it was.

A senior servant stood out in the corridor. “The dūtóu is requested to attend a meeting in the visitor’s hall.”

###

Hong Fei marched through the estate, his people following like a parade line. Auntie Ling continued to create murmurs wherever she went, and Sun Han added to them. It seemed to those watching that the back courtyard was filling up, and none of the staff in the dūtóu’s employ appeared to be simple.

Word had already spread that a messenger from the city had come for him. An unusual number of people were gathered in the main courtyard, this despite the weather shifting for the worse over the past handspan of the sun.

The day was turning broody; the sky spit rain. It was only a few sporadic drops, but there was the promise of more later. The branches of the courtyard’s trees shook in anticipation, or perhaps it was fear. Wild Green Island was known for the severity of its typhoons.

Notably, Yu Yong was present. He’d taken the seat with the best view of the visitor’s hall, and Mei Hua was with him, her hair tied up in colorful ribbons. The two had their heads close as they whispered to each other.

Yu Yong’s expression brightened at Hong Fei’s appearance. He pointed, and the whispers came with greater enthusiasm. Mei Hua nodded along, her eyes tracking the approaching parade. Hong Fei chose to ignore them both, focusing instead on the task in front of him.

Like the other buildings on the estate, the visitor’s hall was raised a step above the ground to avoid flooding. Past a large sliding door, the main room was organized into two areas separated by a decorative screen. To the left a handful of chairs and couches had been set facing each other, with adjacent side tables made of mahogany. To the right of the screen was a large table, also of mahogany, polished until it shone, meant to be used for working meetings. The chairs for it had been tucked under the table’s surface to indicate it wouldn’t be used for the day.

Both sides of the visitor’s hall were sumptuously decorated, fit to impress a prince should one deign to visit. There were paintings of the city and the surrounding landscapes, tapestries woven in intricate patterns, and even the ceiling’s beams had been engraved with images of birds, either roosting or in flight.

In the sitting area were Steward Zhang and the messenger. Hong Fei had wondered if Beitang Rong would come himself, but no—the messenger was an older woman with gray-flecked hair and a straight spine hinting of an unwillingness to bend. The insignia on her collar indicated she was a deputy clerk for the city.

She sat forward on a plush settee, leaving a gap between her and the cloud-leopard-fur upholstery. A full cup of tea steamed on the side table. The plate of colorful sweets beside it was similarly untouched. The messenger gazed straight ahead with pursed lips, either pretending or truly aggrieved to be kept waiting.

Opposite her, Zhang Dehua sipped from his cup. For once, he’d dressed for the occasion—wearing a creamy yellow shirt and a black pair of pants, both of which were covered by a silk robe in a deep, rich brown and hemmed by a thin line of bear fur. His steward’s keys hung from a snake-skin belt, the scales banded in a light and dark pattern unfamiliar to Hong Fei.

Protocol dictated that Hong Fei enter the visitor’s hall alone, but he gestured for Auntie Ling to join him inside. The others, he instructed to wait at attention in the courtyard.

Steward Zhang hid a smile at seeing the deputy clerk distance herself from the giant badger. It forced her into leaning against the back of the settee.

He cleared his throat and said, “This is our dūtóu, Hong Fei, and his spirit beast companion, Ling. While this,” the steward’s hand waved toward the messenger, “is Deputy Clerk He of the Office of Crime and Punishment. She has a commendation for you.”

Hong Fei saluted, then turned to bow to the messenger.

In return, the deputy clerk’s lips lifted from her teeth like a horse afraid. “Get that thing out of here,” she said, her eyes locked onto the giant badger.

Hong Fei’s brows lifted in surprise. “I can assure you—Ling is tame. More than that, she was as much involved in aiding the Beitang family as I was. The two of us worked together to rescue—”

Before he could continue, however, the deputy clerk stood, grabbed a scroll case wrapped in red ribbon from the pouch at her side, and threw it on the ground at Hong Fei’s feet. She seemed ready to bolt for the door, except Auntie Ling was in the way.

Zhang Dehua shot to his feet. “You dare!”

The steward had been mild-mannered on every other occasion Hong Fei had seen him, but he was now a mountain rumbling. A touch of the man’s qi filled the air; the feeling sharpened and focused on Deputy Clerk He. “Pick that up,” he demanded, “and present it with the dignity due to a ducal house.”

“I came here with a message for a man, not a beast!” the deputy clerk protested “We are not like the barbarians to the south—”

Steward Zhang interrupted her, his voice cooling dangerously. “Ling is a retainer of this house, like any other. You will either treat her as such, or I will file a complaint with the city’s overseer.”

Fear and anger warred on the deputy clerk’s face, but she complied in the end. Carefully, as if in the presence of a viper, she reached down to retrieve the scroll case. Her words were clipped as she said, “In honor of the grace Hong Fei has shown to the House of Beitang, he is awarded this commendation.” She thrust the case toward him but didn’t approach.

Hong Fei was forced to step forward to take it from her. Normally, she would’ve opened and read the commendation on his behalf, but the deputy clerk clearly had no such inclination, so he undid the ribbon and immediately caught the gold tael that fell out. It was stamped with the image of a ruby swift on one side.

The text on the letter detailed the heroism of his actions in a flowery language at odds with Hong Fei’s nature, but he was ready to read it aloud anyway. Before he could do so, however, Steward Zhang took the letter and read it for him with a voice infused with qi.

Not a single person in the courtyard couldn’t hear him. No one dared speak while the steward read of how Hong Fei had saved the Beitang dowager. Then, after Zhang Dehua finished, he turned on the deputy clerk. “Your business here is done. Get out and don’t come back unless it’s with a formal apology and compensation for the disrespect you’ve shown to our retainers and the house.”

The steward signaled Hong Fei with his eyes, and the dūtóu gestured for Auntie Ling to clear the door. The deputy clerk fled without another word. She didn’t even look back as she went out the gate.

Zhang Dehua had watched her leave, then turned his gaze on the staff. Much too mildly for their seeming comfort he observed, “Don’t you all have enough work to do?”

The courtyard emptied as servants recalled tasks in need of doing. Even those who weren’t on duty suddenly appeared compelled to find something better to do than stand in the steward’s gaze.

Hong Fei gestured for his own servants to stay. He noted how they’d gone stiff in outrage at the deputy clerk’s behavior.

At the steward’s invitation, Hong Fei took a seat, a different one than where the Deputy Clerk He had been sitting. Auntie Ling went to lay down on that recently emptied settee, and she lipped the uneaten sweets into her mouth.

Steward Zhang made himself comfortable again. “That was a strange choice of messenger. Did you perhaps offend Clerk Beitang while saving his grandmother?”

“I didn’t think so,” Hong Fei said, shaking his head, though that had certainly been the most unusual commendation ceremony he’d ever participated in. “She didn’t seem honored to be here.”

“No, likely not. Her family is allied with others antagonistic to the Yu’s. That was why I mentioned she was a strange choice.”

Hong Fei put himself in the clerk’s position, the gameboard before him. “How odd,” he muttered, moving the pieces in his mind until… he nodded slowly. There was at least one reason why Beitang Rong might want to draw the attention of the Yu household toward one of his staff. There was a decent chance that Deputy Clerk He was a Rock Knife spy in his office.

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