An Unfamiliar Place

<< Tenshian Forest >>

Zhang Wei could not remember how long he had been walking for, fatigue had long begun to take over and all he could focus on was putting one foot in front of the other. After being beaten and banished from his homeland, he had done his best to bind his wounds but it was far from adequate; he lacked anywhere near the necessary skills to mend his raw open wounds let alone the broken bones.

His mind began to wander as he walked, what would his mother think when she found out he had been thrown out of his home and banished, would she worry about him? He couldn't help but sigh and grimace in pain, fighting hard to hold back cries of pain with each breath that he took, trapped in a vicious cycle that he could not escape.

If he did not receive proper treatment soon becoming a cripple would be the least of his worries, his very life was at risk and he knew it. He had gone through most of his rations and he was in a do or die situation. He had set out for Tenshian with the hopes of finding a blood lotus, a herb fabled for its mystical healing properties, rumours had been circulating that it could be found within the forest for some time though none that had set out to find it had returned. The forest was renowned for being deadly, be it either the poisonous plants which littered the forest or the deadly creatures lurking in the shadow waiting to ambush their prey.

'Is this it? Is this how I die?' Zhang Wei meekly muttered under his breath before slumping to the ground and slipping into a state of unconsciousness.

....

The painful moan of the youth quickly snapped Gu Huang out from his stupor, causing him to quickly approach the unknown boy. He knelt next to his unconscious body moving a few stray hairs from the boys face, momentarily captivated by the handsome features that he possed. Turning towards the guards he quickly barked orders at them 'Carry him to back with us, he needs to receive treatment immediately.'

The guards glanced to each other, hesitating to bring an outsider, let alone one who is wounded back with them. However, before they could voice their displeasure, the eldest amongst them spoke before giving each a knowing glance. 'Brothers, heed the young master's command.'

....

<< Du Baochi >>

An elderly voice wreathed with displeasure echoed throughout the hallway as he moved swiftly 'What was the young master thinking bringing an outsider here after all the clan has gone through, we barely escaped destruction thirty years ago and now he has brought a potential calamity back with him.'

A middle-aged man walked swiftly by the elder's side, 'Elder Yan, remember that he is just a boy, and did not witness first hand what our clan faced back then. The boy he brought back with him is young as well, I doubt that we will face trouble because of it. It is our good fortune and not a disaster, this is the first time the young master has shown any ounce sympathy for someone outside of his immediate family.'

'Hmph, we shall see about that Gu Chun, your views on your nephew are biased.' Elder Yan rebuked without falter or pause.

After swiftly moving through a complicated system of corridors, courtyards and doors expertly, they finally arrived within a guest bedroom situation near the centre of the family compound, a place where only those with the highest status could stay.

Elder Yan opened the door to find two youths within, their young master who sat on a chair next to the bed with a wet cloth in hand, and the boy who was found within the forest was placed on top of the bed. As Elder Yan entered into the room, Gu Huang got to his feet and bowed respectfully to the two men entering before sitting once more. Elder Yan simply nodding his head in response before moving to the wounded youths side, placing two fingers on the boy's wrist. After several moments his brow furrowed as he seemed to be in deep thought 'Troubling, troubling indeed.'

After a few more moments he moved to a desk and began to write on a sheet of parchment he had prepared earlier reluctantly, passing it to Gu Chun once finished 'Take this prescription to the storehouse and have them create the medicine listed, ensure that he receives it timely each day or there will be no hope of him recovering. Even with this, I can not guarantee that he will get better, his wounds are too serious and only fate knows if he will pull through.'

Gu Chun nodded his head, taking the paper to have the medicine prepared.

Once Gu Chun left, Elder Yan turned towards Gu Huang with an unfriendly expression. 'I don't know what you were thinking bringing a stranger into our home, expecting me to treat him at your beck and call. You should thank your uncle properly for convincing me to help, though you should be worried about what your father will do when he finds out what you have done, if he hasn't already.'

With that said, Elder Yan moved to begin re-bandaging and properly dressing the boys wounds.