Fallen

Chapter 3

Xiao Zhan had seen his father angry many times since they seldom saw things eye to eye. He had seen the fire in his father's eyes threatening to escape his control and transform into physical violence. He had even seen him shouting and cursing in rage. He, however, had never seen the icy glare his father was currently directing at him.

The fact that Li Xueluo, who he thought was his best friend was standing right beside his father, looking at him with a scornful gaze made things worse. Letting his eyes roam, he discovered the figures of his two older brothers, Xiao Jiang the oldest and designated successor and Xiao Kang the second oldest son, he was somewhat relieved the rest of his siblings were absent. Nevertheless, it was the fact that Yibo was in real danger now that scared him shitless.

His mind was running a mile a minute trying to find a solution that would allow Yibo to go unscathed while he could also keep his clan safe from the ire of the heavenly warriors.

In the end, it was his father who chose to speak as he found himself unable to talk, unable to explain Yibo's presence. Even worse, he didn't know if Li Xueluo had actually told his father about the scene she had witnessed inside the cave moments ago.

He felt self conscious about how she had walked in on them having sex, but he was definetely not ashamed. He could never be ashamed of anything related to Wang Yibo.

"What's the meaning of this Xiao Zhan?" his father's voice resonated across the space that separated them..

Xiao Zhan was worried, his father wasn't alone, beside his brothers he had brought several warriors from the fox clan army and members of the council. Next to Li Xueluo, his mother stood in silence with a very worried countenance.

"He's the dragon that the Western Water Kingdom was looking for," Xiao Zhan finally found his voice. He felt Yibo shift to stand by his side and Xiao Zhan angled his body to make space for him, but not so much that he wouldn't be able to protect Yibo if he needed to. 

"Obviously," his father replied, "but this is not what I asked. I want to know what it means that you went against my orders."

"I found him at the core of the Fox Clan territory," Xiao Zhan started, he didn't see the point of hiding the truth anymore. "He was unconscious and badly hurt."

"You had a duty!" his father exploded. "You just needed to make me aware of his presence here so we could remove him from the clan's territory. Was it too much to ask?" The look on his face was one of anger and exasperation.

"It was not the right thing to do!" Xiao Zhan retorted.

"How can you say it was the right thing to do?" Xiao Jiang asked, full of indignation. His older brother was a copy of his father in terms of views and ideas. Maybe the fact that he was the rightful heir influenced his way of thinking.

"Right for who?" his father questioned, precluding Xiao Zhan from answering his oldest brother.

"For anyone! It was just cruel and unjust," he almost shouted.

"You disobeyed me! You betrayed the Nine-tailed Fox Clan!" his father declared, even angrier than before.

"He would have died if we just threw him out of the clan's territory," Xiao Zhan said in a tone akin to a plea.

"So what? He's just a warrior. Warriors are meant to be pawns in power games, and he willingly entered one. Would you prefer it was one of our own who died instead? Is this what you want, that members of our clan get wounded and die?" His father questioned.

Xiao Zhan's blood froze in his veins. How could his father be so heartless? Deep down he knew the cause Yibo was fighting for was a righteous one. How could his father not see it?