(3) Father's Past

"If they came seeking revenge, then why didn't they simply poison him outright? What was the point of a muscle-weakening powder?" Guo Huilian clicked her tongue in disbelief—she'd never imagined that her godfather, a man of such unmatched martial prowess, could have once fallen victim to such carelessness.

"Naturally, they didn't want Father to die an easy death. As long as Father was rendered powerless to fight back, they could subject him to whatever humiliation they pleased, with no fear of retaliation."

Guo Huilian's eyes went wide with shock. These so-called righteous, orthodox sects, unable to defeat him through honest means, had resorted to such underhanded schemes instead—how utterly treacherous and cunning, truly unworthy of the title "righteous and orthodox" at all.

"Afterward, they severed every tendon in Father's hands and feet, one by one, and locked him away somewhere, giving him neither food nor water, intending to let him wither away and die on his own. Even in the bitter cold, they took delight in dousing Father with filth and excrement, subjecting him to every possible degradation..."

"Ah..." Guo Huilian covered her mouth with her hand, and beyond the shock, she felt a genuine ache in her heart as she listened, tears welling in her eyes before she even realized it. "Can such people even be called human?"

"There was a blood feud between them that could never be washed away—the deaths of parents forced upon them, entire clans driven to the brink of extinction... Who was right and who was wrong in it all? Who could say for certain?"

Tian Xu let out a sigh, took a sip of tea, and continued, "Long before this, when word first spread of a young man who, single-handedly, had left several great sects powerless to stand against him, Father had already taken notice. A young man of no prior renown, bursting onto the scene and making a name for himself in a single stroke—such a rare martial prodigy naturally drew attention. Later, when his men reported back the wretched state in which Father had been left, humiliated and abandoned, Father didn't hesitate for a moment—he took Uncle Xiaoba and a group of subordinates and went to rescue him at once. Unexpectedly, Father showed not the slightest gratitude, refusing Father's help outright, and even turned a cold, hostile face toward him. Father paid it no mind, brought him to the Xinma Inn to be washed and fed rice porridge, and then, together with Uncle Xiaoba, pulled him by handcart all the way to Medicine King Valley to be treated by Uncle Da. It's said that Father was eighteen that year, my father sixteen, and Uncle Xiaoba only eleven—that was the chance encounter that first brought the three of them together..."

"The Xinma Inn?"

"Father was once the foremost figure holding sway over intelligence networks across the entire Tang empire—from the surveillance of officials at every level down to the gathering of public sentiment among the common people, and every major event stirring through the martial world, all of it eventually made its way into Father's hands. The Xinma Inns were scattered throughout the length and breadth of the Tang empire, serving as the crucial backbone through which messages were relayed. But the manor's own Xinma Inns today are quite different from the ones Father once ran—Mother, after careful planning, redesigned them entirely around what would offer the greatest convenience for the caravans' comings and goings." Guo Huilian's eyes lit up—so the Xinma Inns had originated with Tenth Brother's father, not with Aunt Xi at all. It was only now, after all this time, that she finally understood.

"Father recognized in him a fellow hero, and couldn't bear to watch such a heaven-gifted talent be humiliated to death in such a way. Though his temperament ran to cruelty, it hadn't come from nowhere—from childhood he had suffered every manner of humiliation, harbored deep grudges, and had no one to love or guide him, and it was this that had shaped him into who he became—and it was for this reason that Father decided to step in and save him. For doing so, Father was even reprimanded by Emperor Xuanzong himself, accused of acting on his own authority without leave, and was docked three months' salary as punishment."

"Ah... your father held high office in the imperial court?" Guo Huilian cried out in astonishment—this was truly more than she had ever expected. She never could have imagined that Tenth Brother's father carried such a background. No wonder he'd said his own identity was so unusual...

Tian Xu smiled and continued, "Father's rank wasn't especially high, and yet he had the privilege of moving freely within the imperial presence, and held in his grasp every manner of dark intelligence from every quarter—and so even ministers ranked among the Three Excellencies would show him a measure of deference whenever they crossed paths with him."

"Truly remarkable..." Guo Huilian marveled, and meant it wholeheartedly. Tenth Brother had clearly come from such an exceptional background, and yet he lived his whole life with his true identity concealed—for what purpose, exactly? Aunt Xi was a woman of such formidable vision and strategy that she surely could never have misjudged the situation so badly—if she had chosen to do this, she must have had ample reason for it, and it surely had everything to do with Tenth Brother's father's ordeal of nearly fourteen years of torment. But she herself was merely a girl who had only just come of age—how could she possibly grasp the great currents of the realm that had shaped these past few decades? Especially when it came to the workings of court politics, of which she knew absolutely nothing—Father would never speak of such matters of state in front of a young girl like herself.

"Your father took his place at court at only sixteen years of age, and earned the trust of the Emperor himself—truly a dragon and phoenix among men." Guo Huilian held up her thumb in praise toward Tian Xu. "Handing out porridge to refugees scattered and displaced by war, extending a helping hand to a caravan under attack, and showing such kindred sympathy toward a father he'd never even met, going so far as to save his very life and dignity—small wonder he was able to win a wife as accomplished in both virtue and talent as Aunt Xi, and to raise a son as devoted and deeply loyal as Tenth Brother has turned out to be."

Hearing Tian Xu's account today, Guo Huilian felt something click suddenly into place—why Aunt Xi had governed her household by benevolence and righteousness, and why she had built her whole life around those very principles. Beyond the breadth of spirit and vision Aunt Xi herself naturally possessed, she had, of course, also been shaped by her husband's influence—the two of them were truly kindred spirits, partners bound by shared purpose, a match made by heaven itself! This couple had managed to transform a man who had once been cold-hearted toward the world and cruel toward others, and he had spent the greater part of his life protecting Yueyue Manor in return. Guo Huilian felt a pang of real regret—she hadn't even had the chance to meet Aunt Xi in person. What a woman she must have been, to inspire such devotion! And yet she also felt herself remarkably fortunate—to have met Tenth Brother, and to have earned his true and sincere affection—she was truly grateful from the bottom of her heart for how heaven had watched over her!

"I'm hardly as fine as you make me out to be. If I were, wouldn't you have agreed to marry me long ago, instead of dragging your feet over a simple pair of pendants?" Hearing Guo Huilian's praise, Tian Xu found himself growing a little bashful, his ears flushing red without his quite realizing it. And yet even in his own embarrassment, he couldn't resist teasing her a little more.

"You... you... you..." Flustered and mortified by Tian Xu's teasing, Guo Huilian found herself momentarily unable to speak, raising a fist as if to strike him.

"Such a fierce temper you have—and here you once tried to ambush me with that little grappling technique of yours. If I hadn't trained in martial arts since childhood, how could I possibly have dodged it?" Tian Xu laughed and continued, "For the sake of every other man's safety, you really ought to just marry me..."

"You..." Guo Huilian seethed with frustration. In all the years she'd known Tian Xu, she had never once seen him behave so mischievously—it was as though all the boyish playfulness he'd never gotten to express before had come pouring out at once. Her heart raced with irritation, yet there was nothing she could do against a man as tall, strong, and thoroughly trained in the martial arts as Tian Xu—and to think, just moments ago she'd been praising him, only for him to turn around and tease her mercilessly!

"Hmph!" Guo Huilian turned her face away, stamped her foot, and crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to acknowledge this Tian Xu who had so suddenly gone off script. "Keep dreaming..." she said, indignant.

"If I'm to dream, then the dream wouldn't be beautiful without you in it."

Tian Xu had, it seemed, thoroughly let his guard down, for such bashfully sweet words now came tumbling out of him without the slightest hesitation. Guo Huilian was utterly stunned—so this was the side of Tian Xu that emerged once he was free of Father's watchful eye? She pouted and huffed, "Such a smooth talker!" Then she rose to her feet, puffing out her cheeks, and marched straight out of the private room.