At the Patriarch's Chamber
I stood once again in front of the grand door. I knocked. "Patriarch, Young Master Zaitian requests an audience."
After a few breaths, the door opened quietly. I took a deep breath, then stepped through without Mei — her presence wasn't needed, nor allowed, inside the chamber.
I looked around and realized I wasn't in the hall I'd seen him in before, but in a courtyard, with a few of the clan's servants whose realms I couldn't sense or perceive, though from the faint aura around them I could tell they were all dragons. The strangest part was that their outfits were noticeably different from other servants I'd seen so far — they looked more like assassins to me than servants.
One of them, a woman with a thin scar running from her ear to the corner of her mouth, approached and bowed respectfully, her voice polite and welcoming. "Young Master, follow me. The Patriarch is waiting for you."
"Lead the way," I said, still emotionless. She bowed again, respectfully, then led on.
Without a second thought, I followed, quietly taking in my surroundings. Unsurprisingly, the courtyard was decorated in a way that reeked of wealth and excess — the floor made of Heaven and Earth stones, the gardens filled with rare immortal flowers and trees of every kind, from peaches to avocados and beyond. Every ten steps, without fail, another servant stood waiting, bowing each time I passed.
*My dad really knows how to enjoy himself*. I ignored them, still taking it all in.
"Just turn left, Young Master, and you'll find the Patriarch," the servant said, stopping politely.
"Hmm." I kept walking.
The moment I turned left, I saw my old man, the Patriarch, seated on a cultivation mat, deep in cultivation.
He opened his eyes. "Look who we have here — so you've come. I believe you have something to request from me, since that's the only time you ever visit."
"Dad, you can't really blame me," I said, trying to sound normal and composed in front of him.
He studied me for a moment. "You really are unbelievable. How's the bride the Clan arranged for you? Gorgeous, right?" I could hear the fatherly gossip creeping into his tone.
"My fiancée — she's everything except one thing that's off. She acts like the world revolves around her. Shows off, boring, and arrogant. Can you believe it, Dad." I have to admit, my dad really knows how to make someone comfortable around him — when he wants to, at least. Which is rare.
"Come sit down here, Zaitian," he said, pointing at the grass in front of him.
I looked at the grass, then at him. "You can't be serious, Dad," I said, still standing firm where I was.
My old man just looked at me, and with a gentle wave of his hand, I found myself sitting on the very patch of grass he'd pointed at. My expression was anything but friendly — my perfect posture and garments, ruined by his "polite" little wave.
He pretended not to notice my irritation. "Your fiancée reminds me of your mom, you know. The way she tilts her chin up when she's about to say something stubborn — your mother did the exact same thing. She's quite a talent, too — beautiful, respectful. If she isn't the perfect woman for you, who is? And I heard you played a trick on her."
*So she really did report it. What a gossip she is*. "Dad, I didn't play any trick on her. Honestly," I said, still playing innocent.
He gave me a knowing smile. "Zaitian, I didn't know you had the nerve to lie to me now."
I stayed quiet — another word out of me and I'd be doomed for a lifetime.
"For playing tricks on your fiancée, and for lying to me — once Xue's stay here has elapsed, you'll spend a full month visiting the library after every training session with Elder Mo Xuan," he said, with total finality.
"Yes, Dad."
"I assume you're here about the beast eggs that accepted you. You have my permission to take all three, but I'll need to give the Elders a proper explanation, before they start thinking I'm monopolizing the Clan's resources for my own son."
*Monopolize, my puny foot — you're clearly just handing me a quest. After all, who's going to stop you.*
"If you win the title of the Clan's Son of God, those beast eggs stay yours. If you fail, be ready to hand them back to the Clan. Agreed?"
"Yes, Father. Not that I really have a choice," I said, tired.
"Good. Train hard — the tournament won't go easy on you just because you're my son."
"I'll do my best not to disappoint you, Father," I said coolly.
"You may go. Try visiting your dad more often, all right?" he said, already dismissive.
I stood, brushed off my clothes, and bowed. "As you wish, Father." A respectful bow.
"You can head straight back to the Clan. Your maid should already be collecting those eggs."
"But Dad, how am I supposed to get back? I don't even know my way through this maze of an estate," I said, as tired as if he'd just asked me to sacrifice my puny life for the world.
He gave me a weird look, like he'd spotted a second head growing on me that I couldn't see myself. "You should really visit the library, Zaitian," he said, and waved his hand again.
*Great. My own father thinks I'm an uneducated bumpkin. I'm never going to live this down*.
The next thing I saw was myself, standing back in my own private courtyard. I stood there for a moment, staring at my own front door.