Leaving his son and the armies of his sect behind, Dou Bao flew through the air, riding upon the shaft of a giant arrow. Many people looked up into the air to marvel and exclaim at him as he passed by, gossiping about the powerful figure who had just passed by. Dou Bao maintained an upright posture and a stoic countenance, showing off a strong and confident demeanor. Yet, on the inside he was feeling quite pleased with himself for prioritizing the creation of such a flamboyant and recognizable magic device for his transportation. He had always regretted that the factions of the Chong Clan had blocked him from purchasing a prestigious flying ship. He was also quite happy that they didn’t use Flying Ships anymore so he could show off with a much easier to afford flying device.

It took a few hours for him to cross through a few territories and reach his destination. A city that wasn’t in the Yeying Shan Sect’s territory, but it also wasn’t too far away in order to allow for easy communication. That’s because this is where Dou Bao’s third son had been sent.

The boy had little talent with cultivation and even less work ethic. Once he’d identified these qualities, he sent the child away to a neighboring territory. Then this disappointing son could live out his life in comfort yet also be out of sight to keep from tarnishing his father’s reputation and prestige. Dou Bao also didn’t want the poor kid to be living in the shadow of his talented and useful siblings. He’d raised enough children in the past to know that just created resentment and opened the door for infighting. It was especially annoying when one of the more talented ones was killed by the less talented ones that were too thirsty for power. It was such a waste. He also didn’t want to impact his karma too greatly or create any vengeful ghosts so he couldn’t just kill off the useless ones.

This third son of his was sent off with a butler to act as a caretaker and bodyguard, which Dou Bao considered to be the end of things. The only problem was that this third son of his was from his wife and the little princess couldn’t bear to be separated. She went to visit her ‘special’ child multiple times a year, and from the events this time it seems that all these visits have given the child a bloated sense of ego.

Dou Bao’s flying arrow landed in a small courtyard. It disappeared into his Storage Ring just as his ears were flooded with a loud and pained wailing. He frowned and walked towards the noise, wanting to put an end to it as quickly as possible. One of the things he hated most about the little princess was the sound of her crying. It was just so very grating, like nails on a chalkboard. He waved his hand and a burst of Qi flung the doors open in front of him. Inside the room there was a woman who might be pretty if not for the bright red around her eyes and the tears soaking her face. The blush on her cheeks was splotchy and smeared from her tears and her lipstick was in an equally chaotic state.

“You look dreadful. Get yourself together and tell me who has the boy.”

The woman broke into further sobs, and she started to try to speak, but there was so much blubbering involved that Dou Bao just sneered at her, “Enough, you’re useless.”

Then he turned around and left the room. He ignored his wife and her hysterics as a group of servants followed in his wake like a school of fish. He walked into an empty sitting room and lowered himself into a seat and turned to one of the servants, “Give my wife something to get her to sleep, I can’t stand all that wailing.”

Then while the first servant was rushing off he turned to the second one, “You. Tell me what has happened.”

The servant who had gained his attention seemed terrified, not expecting to be called upon in this capacity. Yet, after a moment, the servant took a deep breath and a look of determination appeared in his eyes. He stood up straight and spoke rapidly, “Sir, the Young Master left in the morning to get breakfast at a restaurant. That is what he told the madam, but he actually went to his favorite brothel as he does every morning. He was with the Head Butler as always, as well as two servants. In the afternoon, one of the two servants returned to the house carrying a box. Inside the box was the severed arm of the Young Master as well as a letter demanding the ‘boy’s great father’ to head to a local teahouse to retrieve the rest of him.”

Then the servant who had been speaking pointed to one of the others and panto-mimed a gesture of opening a note. The servant saw the motion and then quickly pulled out the letter and offered it to Dou Bao with a bow. The letter was not nearly as simple or polite as the servant explained it. There were many veiled references to himself as a great father and powerful man, and it also explained in very impolite terms that if he arrived after sunset then he would only be in time to pick up the pieces that remained.

“What else do you know?”

“A few went to investigate the situation, but anyone that entered the teahouse has not returned and those who stayed outside can’t see anything. We have questioned some of the other teahouse patrons from earlier in the day and it appears that the Young Master was threatening someone very loudly and then without realizing what happened all the teahouse patrons found themselves outside.”

Dou Bao wasn’t sure how to handle that bit of information, but he took it to be exaggerated rumors. After asking a few more questions of the others to see if he’d missed anything he nodded to the servant that had been speaking, “You are far more capable than you appear. Good. Come, show me where this teahouse is, we don’t have time to waste.”

He leapt out of his chair and walked back out into the courtyard with the servant on his heels. With a wave of his hand an arrow appeared in mid-air and then it rapidly grew in size until it was as wide as a tree trunk with its shiny point aimed towards the sky. Dou Bao hopped onto the angled arrow, but the servant was at a loss on what to do. Then Dou Bao turned towards him and waved his hand, sweeping the servant up in a few strands of Qi and placing him onto the arrow behind him. The bands of Qi remained around the man and held him on the sharply angled wooden pole as it shot into the sky.

As if launched from a bow, the huge arrow arced into the air, drawing a curve through the sky. It flew up and then came back down again near the center of the city in the general area of the teahouse. The flying arrow slowed down and Dao Bao called to the servant, “Which way?”

The servant was too scared to speak, so he could only point towards a building on the ground. Twisting in the air, the flying arrow altered its trajectory and came to a stop in the air over the crowded street. The many people walking the street or operating a stall were amazed by the sudden appearance of a powerful person. Especially when the powerful person leapt off the flying arrow and then carried another person through the air with bands of glowing Qi power.

“Is this it?”