Blue Phoenix

by Tinalynge

  Hui Yue was greatly satisfied with the young boy’s reaction as a smile played on his lips. “You have an incredible talent for cultivation, but your path will be anything but easy. You are strong; otherwise, you would have died long ago. Pack your things and come with me. We have somewhere we need to stop by on the way back.” He said, but neither Jo nor Lao seemed to move an inch.

  Seeing the quizzical expression on Hui Yue’s face, Lao shrugged his shoulders. “We have nothing inside the shed. We sleep on the ground in these clothes.” Hearing this, Hui Yue understood that they were even worse off than he imagined. Nodding his head he turned around and started walking hurrying to leave the poorest part of town.

  Jo was frightened as she followed the larger man. Fortunately, Lao held her hand in his, and she managed to calm down a little. Seeing that she was now more relaxed happiness could be seen on his face. He never dared imagine that one day a man would appear out of nowhere and take him to a better place. A place where he could start a new life. Deep within he felt he owed Hui Yue his life already.

  “Well, we can’t go speak with my friends until we get you tidied up,” He said while scratching his chin and with a decisive nod did he guided the two kids towards a tailor. Entering the shop the clerk behind the desk instantly frowned but upon seeing Hui Yue, he dared not say anything.

  “I need seven sets of clothes for each of the children,” Hui Yue said with decisiveness which did not allow for anyone to question his authority. The clerk who had frowned before instantly nodded his head. He quickly found robe after robe and quite a few dresses. Looking at the children, he shook his head.

  “Excuse me sir, but we cannot let them try on the clothes when they are so dirty; however, if you pay an extra fee of fifty silver for each child, we have a spa resort two streets away from here. You could go there and get them cleaned up.”

  Hearing this and looking at the high-quality fabrics that the clerk had found he nodded his head. “Lao, Jo, follow me. Let’s get you two a good warm shower.”

  Entering the spa both children’s eyes went wide with disbelief. Lao could not remember if he had ever had a bath before, and he knew that Jo had not had one during the time he had looked after her. Lao was shocked when he saw how Hui Yue casually paid a hundred silver coins to the owner of the spa for the two of them. He could still not fully understand why Hui Yue was willing to pay so much money for someone he had never known before, even someone who had tried to steal from him, but he also knew that it was unwise to ask. If he asked too many questions, perhaps this rich noble would change his mind. Lao would do anything to ensure that Hui Yue did not change his mind.

  As soon as they entered the spa, a group of women came to lead Jo into a bath, but only after Lao promised to pick her up soon did she follow the ladies. Hui Yue, on the other hand, followed the men who took Lao towards the bath.

  They entered a gigantic room where a massive pool was. The scent of flowers wafted up from the warm water, and Hui Yue smiled as he saw how Lao’s face turned slightly sour. After never having taken a bath his entire body needed to be cleaned, and he, therefore, needed to enter the incredibly warm water.

  Looking at the grin on Hui Yue’s face Lao held his breath before he ground his teeth and went into the warm water. At first, he felt like the water was scalding his entire body, but soon he felt comfortable, especially when the dirt loosened from his skin.

  It took more than two hours to clean the two children completely. Their hair now had a shiny gloss to it, and their skin was white and rosy. Looking at these two kids, Hui Yue purchased two bathrobes which the kids wore as they returned to the tailor. The moment they entered through the front door, the clerk smiled greatly as he picked up one dress after another together with multiple robes. Trying all the clothes on, the children were allowed to pick seven sets of clothes. Hui Yue could not help but laugh when he saw how little Jo was filled with excitement as she picked out one dress after another.

  Seeing the happiness in his sister’s eyes, Lao felt enormous gratitude in his heart. He was so happy that a giddy smile appeared on his face. He had never before seen her with such an expression. He felt drunk on happiness and swore in his heart that he would train hard so that he could be of use to Hui Yue in the future, that he would be a genius of the younger generation.

  After having purchased the clothes, two of the fourteen sets of clothes were not packed away; instead, they were worn. Little Jo could not stop swirling around, looking at the green dress she was wearing, looking at the yellow belt around her waist and the intricate pattern that was shown on the robe as well.

  Even Lao had a straight back as he walked out from the tailor. He no longer felt like a thief. “This must be how young masters feel,” He mumbled to himself as he rushed after his benefactor.

  Hesitating for a moment he looked at Hui Yue, and although he did not wish to make the older man question his choice, Lao could simply not understand the reason for all his kindness.

  “Why are you helping us this much?” He asked in a low voice, but although the voice was low, Hui Yue heard it. He stopped in his tracks before squatting down and looking at the young boy in front of him.

  “When I touched your wrist earlier, I checked how strong your cultivation talent is, and it is stronger than even my own talent.” He said while patting the smaller boy’s head. “I look at you as an investment. You are a diamond in the rough,” He continued. “Your talent is simply breathtaking, but you need someone to help you cultivate. We can help each other. You can help me when you are strong, and I will help you while you are weak.”

  Hearing this Lao understood that it was not merely an act of charity and understanding that he would be needed later a heavy stone was lifted from his heart, and smiling he nodded his head.

  “Well since it is like this, follow me to meet up with a friend of mine. I need to get my hands on some information,” He said with a smile on his face and continued walking at a pace slower than before. After walking for a bit, he noticed little Jo eyeing all the different food stalls, almost salivating over them. Laughing he went towards a stall selling meat buns and purchased two bags of five each which he handed over to the kids.

  Both Jo and Lao were shocked upon receiving the bags but at the same time, their stomachs were growling so loudly that they could do nothing but stuff it into their mouths. They felt so much happiness from eating these buns that it was impossible to explain. In order to understand one had to know how terrifying it was to always be starved for food. When suddenly they were offered enough food to fill their stomachs, both children almost broke down and cried from happiness. This was the first time in their lives that they had ever experienced what it was to be full.

  Watching the two children eating their fill, Hui Yue couldn’t help but grin. Although this could be considered charity, he had his own reasons to show charity. He truly believed that if he groomed Lao, the young boy would eventually become a great asset for him.

  Sighing, as the children ate all their food, Hui Yue stood up and gestured for them to follow him. It was now time to visit the Black Lion.

  Chapter 334 - Investigation

  * * *

  Chapter 334: Investigation

  Arriving at the Black Lion the two children were astonished as they looked at the massive inn. None of them spoke, and both of them huddled together right next to Hui Yue afraid they would get lost if they were not near him. He gently held Jo by the hand to give her a feeling of safety.

  Entering the inn a lot of gazes shifted to Hui Yue but upon seeing who it was, no one paid any more attention to him. They had all gotten used to the young man who often came to visit Gao Yan.

  Without paying attention to anyone Hui Yue and the two kids went towards the staircase where they ascended to the second floor arriving at Gao Yan’s office. While Hui Yue was calm and comfortable, Lao and Jo were both worried about what was happening, but as long as Hui Yue was in front of them, they felt completely safe. As long as they f
ollowed him, they would be fine.

  Entering the office, Hui Yue’s eyes scanned the many desks where cultivators were making memory stones with information obtained from all over the kingdom. Some of the people who were here were travelers with news from Yueliang Province and Siban Empire. Others were from the capital or servants from the various family mansions with information that Gao Yan could use.

  Hui Yue did not pause in front of any of the desks; instead, he headed straight for Gao Yan’s. As he reached it, he looked at his friend who was completely focused on going through every memory stone that was placed on his table. Hui Yue was astonished that Gao Yan had space in his mind for all the information he went through daily.

  Waiting for Gao Yan to open his eyes, Hui Yue stood as still as a stone in front of the desk, and both Lou and Jo stood by his side saying nothing. They just waited patiently for the older friend to finish what he was doing.

  “Don’t tell me you have gotten yourself some kids.” A voice suddenly sounded out from the back of the room, “I always thought the first person who would get kids would be Deng Wu with his love for anyone beautiful.”

  Hearing the words Hui Yue turned around, and a large grin appeared on his face as he saw Rong Ming coming towards him. “This is Hui Lou and Hui Jo,” He introduced them and the moment he said their names, pride was visible on the faces of the two children while shock was evident on Rong Ming’s face. “They are your kids?!” He exclaimed with a panicked expression causing Hui Yue to laugh.

  The outburst caused Gao Yan to look up, and his face was also one of complete disbelief as he looked at the two children Hui Yue dragged with him. Giving them a thorough look neither of the kids looked like their white-haired friend, and he took some time to calm himself.

  “They are adopted by me, so I guess you can consider them my children,” Hui Yue laughed. “The Hui family is simply too small, but more than anything these two children have a talent for cultivation which beats even my own. Having such talented youngsters in the Hui family, it is obvious that they will be important for our future within Muchuan City.”

  Hearing how Hui Yue praised them, Lao’s face turned completely crimson as he looked down to the ground, and a satisfied smile was on the face of little Jo. Surprise was evident on both Rong Ming and Gao Yan’s faces. “Better talent than even you?!” They asked shocked, and the eyes they used to look at Lao completely changed. Rong Ming even patted the young boy’s head, “You are a little monster. Had you not already been taken in by someone, I would definitely do anything to convince you to join my family instead,” He sighed. “Then again, I guess I would never be able to guess how talented you were.” He continued dejectedly. Lao was completely taken aback by the words he heard, but even if anyone else came to offer him more benefits than what Hui Yue did, Lao knew deep within his heart that he would never leave Hui Yue’s side.

  “So what brings you here?” Gao Yan finally asked after shaking his head, completely surprised by the children whom Hui Yue had brought with him. “I’ve been away from town for some time,” Hui Yue started. “I am curious to know exactly what has happened these last few days. If anything has that is.”

  Pondering for some time, Gao Yan scratched his chin. “Nothing out of the ordinary has happened, but I have not received any information from the royal castle these last few days. Usually, I get visitors daily yet the last few days have been completely silent. I was planning on trying to investigate it, but I haven’t gotten around to that yet.” He said apologetically.

  Hui Yue nodded his head as he thought about what Gao Yan said. Although it was not concrete it was indeed important as no information clearly meant that something was being covered up, and to figure out that was would be no easy task.

  “It might be time for me to return to visit his highness,” Hui Yue mumbled as he nodded his head. “If you get any kind of information share it with me right away,” He said as he turned around with the two kids on his tail he left the office, leaving behind a confused Rong Ming and Gao Yan.

  Leaving the Black Lion, Hui Yue headed straight for his mansion and after approximately half an hour of walking through town, the three of them arrived at the mansion.

  Both Lao and Jo were completely shocked as they saw the massive mansion in front of them. Neither were capable of saying anything, and both of them had their mouths agape, and their eyes were widened as far as they could go. This was the complete opposite of what they were used to.

  Seeing their expressions Hui Yue chuckled slightly as he nodded to the guards greeting then, and without further ado, he entered the mansion. Although the two children were shocked, they quickly followed behind and their wide open eyes observed everything which appeared before them. As soon as they entered Hui Yue clapped his hands and instantly a maid appeared out of nowhere, bowing deeply in front of her employer and looked curiously at the two children he had brought with him.

  “Prepare two rooms next to one another for these two children,” He said with a casual glance towards the maid who instantly nodded her head and scurried away. Hui Yue was a liked figure within the mansion. He showed respect to his servants, and he was never mad.

  This caused his servants to value him greatly, but they were also very curious about him. Moments after the children entered the house, gossip about the young man having children flooded through the mansion and after only an hour the gossip had spread throughout the entire city of Muchuan.

  While gossip about him was spread like wildfire, neither Hui Yue nor the children were aware of what was being said and instead the white-haired young man showed the children around their new home.

  “I will be giving you a cultivation technique tomorrow. This technique will help you refine the essence of the heavens and the earth. This will be the start of your training, and it will be painstakingly slow. However, slow and steady wins the race; it is crucial that you take time to refine the essence as much as possible.”

  “I will be training you while I’m still in Muchuan city, and I’ll make sure that you get the best training. If I need to leave the city from time to time, then fear not, I’ll get someone else to train you.”

  Hearing the words the small boy had a mature and serious expression on his face. An expression that was in no way befitting for a boy his age, yet Hui Yue was happy to see that the child was taking him seriously.

  “Will you be leaving often.” He asked with a low voice. The voice seemed a little lost, and Hui Yue leaned downward and patted the kid on his head. “I won’t be leaving much, but it will happen from time to time.” He said. “Although I need to leave from time to time, I promise to always return for you and Jo.”

  Hearing this happiness appeared within Lao’s eyes once more, and he excitedly nodded his head. “I can start cultivating now. Please let me cultivate!” He said eagerly, but Hui Yue just laughed at him. “We’ll start tomorrow, not today. You need to rest so you will be at your peak performance when we begin,” Hui Yue explained before he dragged the two children with him to the kitchen.

  “These children are Hui Lao and Hui Jo,” Hui Yue introduced the two children to the chefs in the kitchen, “They are part of my family and as such their words carry authority. They are allowed to come and eat anytime they are hungry, but don’t give them too many sweets,” He smiled. He could only guess how terrible it was to starve, and therefore to ensure that they never starved again, Hui Yue decided to bring them directly to the kitchen. Of course to tell the chefs, but just as much to tell the children themselves that they could always get food.

  Leaving the kitchen, Hui Yue went through the park and showed them which areas he usually trained at and which ones he did not train at. This was to tell the kids where they could find him if he was not within the mansion itself.

  As he showed them the library, dining hall, and their rooms the children’s eyes shone with excitement. Everything was simply overwhelming, and they soon were starting to get tired, so Hui Yue led them to their rooms. He was not s
urprised when he saw that the two siblings entered Lao’s room. For now, they were in a new world. They had nothing but themselves to hold onto.

  Seeing that the two kids fall asleep Hui Yue summoned another servant, “I need you to go and employ a home tutor for me. These kids need to learn how to write. Hire the best one you can find. Money is not an issue.” He said, and moments after, the servant left the house heading to the teachers guild where he could find the best teacher money could buy.

  The guild was busy as always, and many customers were present. Looking around the servant was hesitant before he went to the front desk.

  “My liege is looking for the best home tutor available. The job is to teach two children.” As he spoke the entire guild became quiet as everyone looked at the servant with odd expressions on their faces. Wondering if he had asked something wrong, the servant felt a slight shiver run down his spine and only a moment after a strong man stood up and moved toward the servant.