Chasing You (Arc 8+)

Beneath the Heavens (XXVIII)

A/N: AHHH... *cough* Sorry there was a mini mix up with their attires. Wudang Xiong Sect has green robes and bamboo embroidery while Qingcheng Fu Sect has blue robes and cloud motifs. I fixed the previous chapters already... Just a heads up to clear any confusion. Thank you~!

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Fu Yemu had planned out to the best of his ability at getting justice for his mother. He was young and naive. Only being at the age of twelve, he held onto his pipe dream of bringing down this big villain father of his with the help of the 'righteous' sects. Packing Fu Aozi and his necessities, he was getting ready to take the first step. His outer appearance seemed calm, but inwardly he was disquieted. His stomach full of butterflies and his mind full of paranoia. What if his father knew but was only watching from the shadows? What if he was only playing into his father's hand and as soon as he steps out that door, he would have the same fate as his mother?

He looked at Fu Aozi who was happily munching on some buns as he was sitting on top of his bed. Usually, this wouldn't be allowed as it was improper, but this would be their last day inside of the only place they knew. Fu Yemu took in a deep breath and tied the knot on their baggage.

He walked over and crouched down in front of his little brother. Pushing back the loose strand of hair, he asked, "Do you miss mom, Zizi?"

Fu Aozi hurriedly swallowed the pieces of food in his mouth and nodded, "Yeah, I miss mom a lot."

Looking at the bun in his hands, he questioned, "Will we ever see mom again?"

Fu Yemu froze at his words. Fu You had only told Fu Aozi that Xiong Yanzi had gone somewhere far away and that she wouldn't be back for a very long time. He learned that his father's 'kind' and 'caring' heart couldn't bear to tell his son that she was dead, and so decided to tell his younger brother this lie until he was older. It made Fu Yemu want to laugh pejoratively. Is it even possible for him to feel distressed? To feel lonely? To even have any emotions toward them?

He lowered his head to conceal the hate in his eyes. He did not want to show Fu Aozi the ugliness in him. He also did not want to drag him into the murky waters. Smiling wryly, he added onto the lie, "Mom is busy, but one day, we will see her again. Don't worry, Zizi. Mother is... Alright."

Biting his tongue as he spoke those last words. He felt guilty towards his deceased mother and his younger brother. Fu Yemu couldn't bring himself to say that she was happy, because she wasn't. He couldn't bring himself to speak much about Xiong Yanzi, so how could he say that they will never see her again? That her soul was stuck inside of her dismembered body? That her body parts were spread out across the land? That their father was the one who took her away from them?

Fu Aozi gave him brilliant smile in return, "Mhm! I know father told me already. When I get older, I'll go see mom if she can't come to us."

Fu Yemu nodded his head and reached up to pat his younger brother's head, "Of course you will."

Tying their pieces of luggage on their backs, he held onto Fu Aozi's hand, "Let's go."

Happily smiling, the younger boy giggles, "Yay! We get to go on an adventure~!"

Walking out of his room with Fu Aozi, he mumbled, "Yeah... On an adventure..."

The full moon was high in the night sky, cascading its radiant cool light onto the ground. The two of them made their way to the closest wall of their sect that led to the outside and climbed over the walls. Sitting at the top, Fu Yemu took one last look at the place that he was once sheltered by; the place that was once filled with warmth and laughter. This is goodbye. He sighed and jumped off with his younger brother in his arms.

Landing on the ground, he headed towards the northeast to reach the closest large sect, Wudang Xiong Sect. The journey there took almost a week with the snail pace that they were going at. Fu Aozi was still very young and naturally, his stamina level wasn't very good, they often had to rest on the side of the road or Fu Yemu would have to carry him.

Standing outside of the tall gates surrounded by a herculean landscape of green and blue, it was a very phenomenal sight. Fu Yemu gulped as he took in the view. Never had he ventured out this far and this was his first time here. Seeing a person dressed in green robes with a bamboo motif and a jade pendant around their waist exit out of the gates, he hastily stepped forward with a sleeping Fu Aozi on his back, "Ex-Excuse me, I would like to speak to the sect leader."

The disciple scrunched his nose, "Our sect leader isn't just anyone that a mere beggar can request to see."

Hearing the denigration, Fu Yemu was astounded and hurt. Although he was a bit dirty from his travels, he was sure that he didn't look like a random beggar on the street. He also didn't think that disciples from the other righteous sects were like this. Weren't they supposed to be more compassionate? Why was it that their tongues were so sharp? Why did they even feel the need to belittle a beggar in the first place? He wanted to retort back and say that he wasn't a beggar and their sister was a beggar, their whole family was a beggar, but he held back. He didn't want any hostile relationship with this person as they were the key to getting inside.

Sucking up his pride, he ignored their words and took out his pendant, showing it to the disciple. "I have traveled a long way from the Qingcheng Fu Sect to request something of Sect Leader Xiong."

Fu Yemu was trying to be as businesslike as he could, he didn't have much time to waste and wanted to get straight to the point. The disciple sneered, "So what? Even if you are from the Qingcheng Fu Sect it doesn't make you a god. Our sect leader is not someone who answers to anyone's beck and call, especially from another sect like yours."