Chapter 300 - Unwelcome Visitors

Firuzeh and Char Char walked along the path around the outside of the estate, admiring the natural beauty of the bamboo forest that provided both a sense of tranquility and privacy.

“The original Lord Noga— the one who united Kumin and Huan and won the War of Five Kings—“ Char Char hesitated slightly as she processed the knowledge that she had learned in school with her Exalted understanding of Lord Noga’s immortality, “Declared that superstitions were unproductive and old fashioned, and set out to educate his citizens to be scientific and rational.”

“Yes, that does seem to be something unique about Kumin.” Firuzeh nodded.

“Does this mean where you’re from the people know the purpose of the rituals? Is ‘superstition’ something invented by Lord Noga?” Char Char wondered.

“Not at all.” Firuzeh smiled, “Most people in other lands don’t have a lot of spiritual knowledge. They rely on religious texts or priests to provide guidelines, and pray to the gods.”

“Mmm.. In school I learned that there were a lot of different gods in the past. People also prayed to minor gods and spirits.” Char Char explained, “But now most Kumin citizens pray to Lord Noga, if they pray at all. I guess he wanted to make sure he was the only one being worshipped by his people?”

“Most regions have a primary god that they worship. For many gods the prayers of worshipers serve as the base of their power, and also allows them to remain aware of what is happening around the world.” Firuzeh nodded, “But this isn’t true of all gods. Some gods don’t guard their territories jealously and are fine with their followers worshiping others. There are also gods that restrict their followers from spreading their name, keeping only a small loyal group of followers.”

“What god do you follow?” Char Char asked.

“The Sun God.” Firuzeh said with a smile.

She hesitated there, just a little. Char Char smiled back as she sensed the slight problem with Firuzeh’s answer. Does this mean that mysterious entity is watching and listening to her response?

“The Sun God… Where is He from?” Char Char asked, having never heard of such a god in her studies. “I don’t think anyone in NianXing worships Him.”

“They wouldn’t. The Sun God was primarily worshipped in Ying Chu, which was destroyed by NianXing in the War of Five Kings.” Firuzeh said plainly.

Hearing the name of the nation of Ying Chu, Char Char recalled the memory of the conversation she had with Lyssa and Reid in the forest, before the first failed resurrection of the God of Life. Back then she had learned, to her shock, that NianXing had caused the destruction of both Fuha and Ying Chu. At the time she had trouble processing this information, but now she understood that what she learned in school and what actually happened in history were not necessarily the same.

“I heard no one lives in Ying Chu anymore.” Char Char said, “That… um… it’s now called the Ashlands. And that it’s Lord Noga’s fault.”

“It is and it isn’t.” Firuzeh said. “Lord Noga defeated the Sun God, and it was the Sun God’s death that razed the nation of Ying Chu, but whether it was Lord Noga’s intention or not—”

She paused, stopping herself mid-sentence before shaking her head, “Well, it’s hard to say with such ancient history.”

There again. It’s like she was reprimanded and told to stop speaking. Char Char once again caught the unnatural break in Firuzeh’s speech. Come to think of it, Firuzeh has always felt a little mysterious and guarded… Could it be because of this entity?

The bamboo forest ended abruptly as they emerged onto a lush green plateau on the east edge of Gold Hill. A small path wound through a garden filled with white lilies, manicured trees and a peaceful, bubbling stream.

In the distance the waterfall at the north could be clearly seen, with its billowing white water falling out of sight into the bottom of the valley. The upper and middle layers of the city were in clear sight, circling the city. To the southeast a taller, round hill could be seen with glimmering estate buildings overlooking the valley. That was the prestigious Jade Hill, which was occupied by only two families compared to the six that currently lived on Gold Hill that Char Char was currently on.

A door-less stone gate with an ornamental roof marked the ‘entrance’ to the garden. The sound of wind chimes twinkled across the garden, blending with the natural sounds of birds and the wind.

They walked along the path, occasionally passing servants who were tending to the garden, but were otherwise alone.

At a certain point on the path they reached a high point, giving them a broad view over not just the garden they were in but also even onto the other estates across the valley. The figures of men and women enjoying the summer day could be seen throughout the valley.

As she looked out at the scenery Char Char found herself feeling like something was not quite right with their surroundings.

“You notice it too.” Firuzeh said, “There’s something off about this estate.”

“All those other gardens are full of visitors. But this one is empty.” Char Char said with a frown, “When we passed by the servants, I felt like they were watching us from behind our backs. At first I thought they were just curious since we were new visitors… But I can’t help but feel like they feel that we are intruding.”

“I felt it on the way in, too.” Firuzeh said softly, “It’s very curious that the family welcomed us so warmly, yet the servants seem to think of us as enemies… As a Saboteur, it feels like there’s some secret hidden beneath the surface.”

“A secret?” Char Char furrowed her brows.

“A rift between the servants and the family, perhaps. It could just be the typical drama found in rich households…” Firuzeh nodded, “Hopefully nothing that will stop us from finding this shrine.”

They wandered through the garden for an hour, not finding anything of note. The sun was descending toward the horizon when a servant came down the path and informed them that dinner was soon to be served, and that their master, Corbin, had requested their presence. She invited them to return to the compound.

Strange, why would Corbin want us back early? We’re just bodyguards, there’s no reason for us to be present for dinner…

Firuzeh and Char Char shared a look before following the servant back.

The servant was silent as she led the way back, but just as they reached the entrance to the compound she turned and asked Firuzeh, “Miss, if I may ask— How long does your master plan to stay with us?”

“It’s not for me to decide, but I believe we’re only here for dinner.” Firuzeh replied.

“Ah, thank you.” The girl gestured for them to enter. She bowed her head, but not before Char Char caught the flash of relief on her face. “Please, come this way.”

Once again, Char Char had the distinct impression that she was unwelcome, and that the servant girl wanted nothing but for her and her companions to leave as soon as possible.

They were received by an old woman with gray hair and a simple robe. A red satin sash indicated her status as the head of staff. Beside her were two maids who were holding neatly folded silk robes.

“Kind guests, please change into this attire. The master has requested your presence at dinner as honored guests.”

Char Char and Firuzeh smiled politely and moved forward to receive the robes.

As Char Char passed the head of staff, she felt the old crone’s eyes stabbing into her from behind. The hateful malice in the woman’s gaze set off Char Char’s sixth sense so clearly she felt as if she had been targeted by some Exalted ability. Her body tensed up as she fought the urge to turn to face the woman.

As she picked up the robes from the maid, she couldn’t help but sneak a peek at the old woman. A polite, subservient smile was plastered on the head of staff’s face, hiding her true feelings behind an icy exterior.

“We have prepared a guest room for you to change in. Once you are ready, please follow Su Yong to the dining hall.” The head of staff bowed and excused herself.

As she turned to leave she folded her arms inside the long sleeves of her robe, hiding her hands within the fabric. Char Char’s spiritual intuition lit up as the outline of an object appeared in her spiritual vision.

A small golden chain was wrapped around the head of staff’s arm, hidden beneath the sleeves. At the end of the chain, a small disc hung, dangling from her thumb and forefinger like a pendulum.

Char Char’s ears pricked up as she sensed the faintest rhythmic ticking coming from inside the disc.