The Challenge of the Masters

⊱⊰ 34: Lotus Flower [Revised] ⊱⊰

The door creaked as Xu opened it and entered the area. The trio followed him.

As Arisa examined her surroundings, she found herself in a large room with white walls that had streams of flowers with light shades of pink beautifying their surface. Arisa recognized the lotus flowers right away and noticed that they were used as decoration around the room.

Various furniture filled the area, from chairs with fluffy seats to desks that had small vases exhibiting more lotus flowers. What caught Arisa's interest was a dark statuette standing on a small table by the wall. The figure was of a woman standing on a pond, holding a flute and lotus flowers.

"Ah, Xu," said a quiet voice across the room.

Arisa shifted her view to her front. Several steps away from them, she spotted an old man in white robes tidying up the documents on his desk. The man's animal ears that blended with his gray voluminous hair could be barely seen.

"I'm surprised to see you wandering around so calmly," continued the old man. "I thought you would be busy with your team to help with security for today's event."

"My team isn't on duty today, grandfather Liu," said Xu. "Today I'm free to watch the event as a spectator."

Liu grabbed more papers, readying them to put them on a shelf. "Is that so?"

Xu nodded and gazed around as if he was looking for someone.

"Where are the others?" he asked. "Their help is needed."

Liu fixed his glasses. "Most of the healers went to their respective teams to use their abilities for this special event. Mika and I are the only ones left in our usual roles, but she left for a bit."

"Oh," said Xu, glancing over his shoulders, "then, until Mika shows up these fellows will be under your care, grandfather."

Xu invited the trio to walk forward. As they approached the table where the old man was located, he looked at them with fascination.

"Interesting," he said, looking at each of them. "Who are these curious-looking younglings?"

"They are friends of Garoh," replied Xu. "He met them during the trial in the Forbidden Lands."

Liu gazed at Xu. He then glanced at the trio with a smile spreading across his face.

"Then that means you've met my lovely granddaughter Nala," he said cheerfully.

Arisa nodded. "Yes. She's been a wonderful friend and skillful member of our team."

As Liu smiled, Arisa saw him wiping a tear before it fell down his cheek.

"I've always seen potential in Nala, ever since I found her and her brother wandering in the streets trying to survive," said Liu, his voice quiet. "When I adopted them, I was proud to see her grow an interest in the healing world. She definitely would have become a great healer."

Arisa's brows raised. "Nala was adopted?"

Knowing that she herself was adopted, she was surprised to hear that a close member of her team was also an adopted child. She wondered what happened to Nala's family for her and her brother to wander around the streets alone.

"Yes," Xu replied, his tone quiet. "My sister and I come from a small village, far from the capital."

Arisa gazed at Xu, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Our parents were our only family," continued Xu. "After they passed away, we wandered around the country, trying to survive. We met grandfather Liu when we begged for food and he ended up adopting us weeks later."