Chapter 4 By Chance

The sword was sheated back and with no further words he looked at me like nothing happened a few minutes before. With just one glance it felt like he is looking deep into my soul. Looking at him, no expressions can even be taken to his beautiful face, I was intrance with his looks, his eyes is as cold as eyes and the more you make eye contact to him the more I can feel that I am being suck into a black hole with no way out.

"ZI YANNNNN" Shouted a voice I know very well. At that time, it's like a cold bucket of water was splashed to my whole body and right then and then I came to realize what exactly happened.

Once she is already inches towards me that she hold me tightly and hugged me numerous times. I know my Aunt is very worried for what had happened and wanted to keep on checking me if I was fine or not.

After the inspection she turned to the gentleman who just silently looks at us. She bowed numerous times to the person you just saved us a couple of minutes ago. "Young Master, thank you for saving my niece."

While my Aunt reapetdly expressed her gratitude for saving me. I, on the other hand, keeps on glancing at him and could not make my mind of what had just happened. Everything happened so fast that my mind is still at lost. The shock that I should have felt earier came running as of seeing that those bastards got this far and this low to anduct me ​​and for one of the Young Master's of the Wang came in and saved me made my day the worst day at the same time the best day of my life.

Zi Yan, "Thank You." as I bowed at him. I, as well, expressed my gratitude for his help.

With simple bow he accepts our appreciation to him. "No need." he gently said to us yet his voice and tone is as cold as ice.

We just expressed our sincerity he even exchange a brief conversation with my Aunty. He excused himself and went to the people he is with which gathered around him immediately with out them being asked and one by one they informed him that everything is already taken care of.

In the commotion earlier, some junior cultivators help the ordinary people to leave the Manor unharmed at the same time the others are meeting the swords of the members of Shin's. Because I was busy looking for Aunty, I wasn't aware of their existence. Not until they gathered around in one corner did I see that they are a group of cultivators.

After all the reports was made and they made sure no danger will once more come. They have already decided to leave the place. The cultivators were just passing by and their actual intention is to do a night hunt in the near Mountain. They just happen to have a wee hours before their Night Hunt starts and decided to enter the Manor to have a simple tea but before they could even sip their tea. Commotions started to happen because of the Shins.

After hearing those. The Owner of the Manor accommodate them with a tea but they have casually rejected her since they already need to get ahead of their journey. And thus they went away with out their tea.

My Aunt looked at me still worried but at the same time a smile beamed to her face. "How was it?" she asked me.

My brows immediately knitted. "What do you mean?" I asked her back.

Aunty, "Being saved by the Second Master of the Wang's? How was it?" you can see on her face a mischievous grin.

I gazed at her indifferently. "Aunty." I started with my words. "The person saved me since I needed help. Let's not put meaning on it."

She giggled and looked at me. "Zi Yan, that's one of the Wang family. The Second Young Master of the Wang Family to be infact."

She really did emphasize the words Wang everytime she says it. "I know." I simply answered her while making my way to the owner of the Manor.

"Madam." I gazed at her very apologetically. I know that I was the reason her place was tarnished. "I'm really sorry."

She waved her hands out, in her eyes I could not see a trace of hatred from me. "Don't mind it. This is not your fault." Though she said those words with assurance you, her face is still at loss with the situation that had happened. Specially, with the Manor being turned upside down things are ment to be all messy and things got destroyed when fights escalated. This does not happen often and yet the one time that the Shin visits, this kind of disaster hits the Manor.

I looked at her and felt more bad about what happened. I know she doesn't blame me for what happened but you will also feel ashamed. "We all know that is not true. They came because of me."

She looked at me and smiled. "You're not to be blame for what they've done. They're just too entitled to their first name that a simple rejection is like a slap on their ugly faces. And if I'm the one to be questioned I also don't want you to go with them."

"We all know them Zi Yan. You know this isn't just the first time they'll do this to us." Aunty repeated what had happened.

ZiYan, "Madam, I'll just pay for the damaged equipment and I'll just replcae the damaged ones here at the Manor." that's the best thing I can come up as a compensation for what happened.

She looked up and he held my hands a smile broke to her lips. "Zi Yan, not because you earn a lot does not mean you can say that to me." I can feel that she's trying to loosen up the atmosphere. "Like I told you. I don't blame you for what happened and especially I didn't asked you to pay for the damages here. We have excess money saved up on your performances that we can use to replace all broken ornaments here."

We have already forseen these kind of disaster to happen in the past when the Manor started being flocked with various people around other Cities and Towns. With people who have different personalities coming in one place intend to have bad bloods and might end up on a simple arguments or fights. The Manor came up with like a saving funds incase that we will be needing it in the future. I just didn't expect that we will be using all the savings in just one day.

ZiYan, "Madam."

"Besides, they're would be a lot of people who will help us fix the Manor. We'll fix everything in no time." she assured me. Worries already faded on her beautiful face.

While we are talking, we heard noises coming up the grand hall. Feets stepphing up and rushing adding with voices familiar calling our names with hysteria.

"Madam, Aunty."

"Zi Yan."

"Madam ?."

"Zi Yan, Aunty."

Madam, "And the first batch of people who are gonna help us are coming." she smiled and waited for all the Maidens who are looking for us come near us.

Mei Ling, "How are you, guys? Where you hurt?"

"Did they hurt you guys?"

"Madam, are you fine?"

"They didn't hurt you guys, right?" I don't know how to come up with them. Wether to be touch with their gestures or just laughed at their worried looked.

"We are all fine." Madam broke the commotion of everyone. And looked at the others. "How bout all of you? Where you all not hurt? Did you guys check if any of you are missing?" With her tender look at us made me feel a motherly love. What I loved about this Manor is that the owner treat everyone like her own Family. The others who worked here also treats everyone as their own brothers and sisters.

That's the reason why I stayed here the warmth of this place makes me safer than in any place. Even though a lot of renowned Manors offered me amounts that is incomparable of what I earn here. Still, I choose to stay since I already found a family in this group of performers. I am more comfortable working with the people around here that I don't want to change things even though from time to time their is arguments that is totally normal on a household. I wouldn't change anythinh at all, besides being in a prestigious Manor can attract more attention and we don't want that to happen.

Like thinking about it, in a second thought if I'll be on one of the prestigious Manor there might be a big chance that I'll be reading myself in the history of Ancient China as the best performer that ever lived. That doesn't sound bad at all me reading myself once I returned back to my own time. Thinking further about it once more something crossed my mind, now, it is the dark side of it that people who are greatly admired and praised in Ancient China died young.

I shriek with the tought of me dying early than expected. "Zoraya, you need to live longer." I calmed my own heart.

"What?" Aunty asked me when she heard me talking.

Zi Yan, "Nothing." I smiled at her. I brushed the thought. I still want to live longer.

With that said we all silently started working on fixing things that were all been damaged on the fight. One by one we removed the damaged ones and fixed what could still be repaired and others are already writing what seems to be things that we need to buy once more. We have regular customers who also volunteered to help us clean and repair the Manor.

I am just about to throw the garbage when I heard some of our regular customers helping us out talking about what happened today.

"The Shin Sects are really overreacting to what they are doing. They think that they own all the land they are treading on."

"I know what you mean." one of them agreed. "There will also come a time when those Shins will fall. And when that happens, this town will really experience peace once more." Answer of the other gentleman.

"I could feel like that's about to happen. The other Sects of Cultivators are already turning their backs on them. In no time a coup will start."

"In my time the Shins were not like this. Do you remember the former Head of the Shin Family YuRen Gao Shin and his Ancestors started the Shin Shang Sect with a good heart. When the care of Shin was only transferred to the power of his son Yu Wen Shin. The Sect turned one hundred degree and now even his first born son YuRang Shin is following in his father's footsteps."

The old man explained how the changes in ShinShang Sect happened. The Shin Sect are not inherently bad before since they were one of the oldest Sect in the cultivation world. Infact they were the ones admired by the small Sect because of their numbers and their Mantra. But when YuRen Shin left the world, that his Third Son YuWen Shin argued with his second brother who their father choose to be the New Head of the Shin. YuWen raised a coup with his own army and killed his own brother to have the ShinShang Sect. YuWen Shin's cruelty and greed, became apparent in his day of coronation. He killed all those who opposed to him and forcefully sat as the Families Head. Since then the Mantra of ShinShang Sect has changed and that was two decades ago.

The Manor was also closed for a few days due to the incident. It's a good thing that it didn't take that long to fix it since after a week, the Manor was back to business once more. Madam had a grand opening and the whole town as well as the surrounding towns found out. With it's re-opening the Manor is once again rich in light and fun.

On the night of the opening I just finished my performance and immediately sneaked away from the Manor. I know that many other guests want to talk to me or ask me to sit at their table. Something I don't want to be in with. The Manor is a Performance Area and not a Brothel. Also, I don't want to force myself smiling and talking with other people. No offense with those people, I am happy that they keep on coming and watching our performance and them enjoying the moment is what we only provide. Beyond that, is no longer our job of expertise.

After I managed to sneak out of the Manor. I didn't go home, I thought that since my Aunty was still at the Manor and she's with Madam having fun with others why not should I also enjoy myself. I decided to go to my favorite stream and take a much awaited rest. I really really needed at least one good rest after a few days of being suffocated with people constantly watching every move I make.

"This place is really celestial." I sighed to myself. This stream is my favorite spot here in the City not only because it is behind the Manor mountain but also because this stream is hidden so very well that only few people come here in the morning and especially at night which. All you can hear is the melody of the falls running down the stream and the chirping of trees when the wind blows combine with fireflies and the moon's shine at night. This place could be called as a enchanted place it gives you a different vibe. It' a place where I can go when I need to be alone and wants to just unwind. It's like this is the place where I can recharge myself.

I have already started removing my outer layer and the only thing left in me is my inner-wear. Then, I went down into the water and started soaking my hair with the warm water. After a much awaited time I doused my whole body and swam, even at night the water was still warm just right for bathing. As I was floating around I saw the round moon which was twice its size and brighter than before.

With out thinking I felt my self loosing into a deep thought. Actually, it's not bad to stay here. To be exact I am even more comfortable here than in my time. My life is quieter than ever and I can definitely say that I have outrun from my problem because it is impossible for it to catch up with my past here in history. Isn't it ironic? I shackled with the thought of me wanting to stay here.

I throw the thought of me not leaving this place no more. One day, I will return to my own world and the problem is still waiting for me. It is better not to rely on something we know the result. I just started humming while approaching the waterfall where there was a stone table that shaped like a stage. While singing, I also started dancing. I've been doing this for a long time, it's like a escape door on my thought.

"I saw you on the crowd of people. Once our eyes met it's gaze, the world stood still. Like we are just the two people on the world." I hummed to the song I just created upon the moonlight. While I am enjoying myself, a sound of a stick being stepped down alerted my senses. I immediately stopped what I am doing. Trying to locate where in the area did I heard the noise.

"Who is that?" I boldly question whoever is watching me.

For a few more minutes, no one answered my question. When I spoke again, a shrill voice broke the silence of the night. "Zi Yan."

Zi Yan, "It's just you Mei Ling." I took a deep breath as I recognized the person who called my name.

"I knew it. You're here again." she scolded me as she approached the waterfall. "Don't you know that the people in the Manor are worried about you? They are trying to look for you everywhere?" She scold me with her finger pointjng at me.

I swam closer to her. "Put your finger down." I called her out. "Didn't you read my letter? Didn't I say I was going here." I answer her.

She ignored what I said and still as bashful as she is. "Do you think I have a time to read your letter when I have much more thing to do at the Manor. You went up here with out informing Aunty and now she is in hysteria looking for you" she angrily explained to me the situation that is happening in the Manor. "Get up here." she commanded.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm coming up." I answered her and I ascended to the water. She even came over and took my outer-wear to give it to me.

"I really don't understand you sometimes. You're the one who is always being chased with bad luck but you don't seem to know what's going on. Maybe you want me to remind you of what happened in the past days to us?" its criticism of Zi Yan's actions is not because I hate her. I'm just worried about my friend's actions. The way she moves and acts like there's no danger awaiting for her, it just ticks me off. As if there was no Sect who wanted to sweep her away.

She just waved her hand and continued to get dressed. "If with every move I make, I'll feel afraid of what might come. What's the point of living when I'm constantly afraid of my life. There would be no fun in life if I live in fear. Isn't it?"

I only sigh on her statement. "I didn't say to live your life in fear. It would just be nice for all of us if we would be cautious. Not just the Shin Sect but other individual as well are already being aggressive on their actions. Next time we will not be as lucky as we did in the past." I warned her with all my heart.

"What are you scared of? When that thing happens, we'll think about whether we can survive."

I just winced at her comment. I didn't realize my hand had risen in the air and pulled her hair. "Living the way you are right now will kill the others first because of worry. Let's go back now before Madam and Aunty will call the whole town to look for us."

Zi Yan, "Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Will you let go of me?"

Mei Ling, "No! Not until we get down this mountain." she insisted on grabbing my hair.

Zi Yan, "Then atleast grab my hand rather than my hair. Would you like me to be bold?"

With that, both of us started going down the mountain and into the town. Where bright lights are beaming and voices of people are being heard even though it is already late at night. Stalls are still open in this time of hour and the street are still as busy as ever.

Mei Ling, "When Aunty sees you, I'm sure she'll be mad at you again for what you've been doing"

Zi Yan, "I haven't felt any peace for a few days. Isn't it possible that I can unwind somehow."

"Peace?" She smirked at me. "Do you want me to give you peace?" In her words there is a meaning on a different level.

I rolled my eyes at her. "Nevermind."