A LOTUS BORN OF MUD

CHAPTER 15 - LAOZI STRIKES BACK

  "Do you know what's in there?" One asked.

  "I'd rather not know, you shouldn't either."

  "Come on, don't tell me you're not curious. Just a peek!"

  BiMing strained his ear to hear better.

  "Stop!" The more cautious one exclaimed as the curious one lifted a lid. It resulted in a curse from both men as they scuttled backwards from whatever they saw in the box.

  "That's... that's gruesome..."

  They were quiet for a while before the cautious one spoke again. "Let's go, we should've never pried into masters stuff."

  Their hurried steps disappeared into the distance as BiMing stared at the wall and came to a conclusion.

  Fuck confronting whoever was coming, I don't want to stay around long enough to see what's in those boxes! Now with a new determination. BiMing began his escape.

  He reached into the space ring and drew out the whisk. He flicked it once as it landed in the crook of his elbow delicately. The air around it shimmering with the energy BiMing slowly fed it. The window was too small for his body so that left a door, and it surely won't move an inch without some force. BiMing contemplated the risks of a dramatic exit but thought, might as well as leave a trail of bodies in his wake, perhaps deter this 'master' for a bit. He brushed his hair with his fingers and straightened his attire and physically cracked his knuckles this time.

  A dramatic exit it is then. Holding the whisk firmly he flipped it back and got into a stance. A foot planted behind him, he then pushed forward with a great force and spun towards the door at a speed undetectable by the eye. He stopped a meter away from the door, dust flying up by his shoes as he flung the whisk out and the fine hairs on the end of the whisk brushed the door. And just like that, the door blasted off its hinges, careening down the hall, rattling and banging as if saying Hey my prisoners escaped! Get off your asses and go get him! BiMing gulped and stepped out of the room.  The hall had suddenly gone deathly silent. At that moment, however, BiMings eyes were caught by the boxes at his feet. Curiosity clawed at his mind as he regretfully lifted a lid with his foot.

  What he saw caused bile to rise in his throat and his vision blurred momentarily. Sick bastard... With a graceful arc of his arm, he slammed his whisk upon the box, causing it and the contents to disintegrate into dust. He did not have time to do the same to the other boxes as all door in the hallway opened simultaneously and many men filled the doorways, all staring at him with shock.

  BiMing let his disgust and rage build in his heart, his hands shook with the anticipation of lashing out at something. He took three steps back into his room, and with a running start leapt out of the room. The men collectively lunged at him, but BiMing saw them as obstacles only as he dodged and flipped, weaving through bodies as his arms drew delicate arcs in the air. One could say he danced through the crowd rather than sprinted through it. As he speedily repeated his process through to the end of the hall he backflipped and spun as he drew the whisk in a backwards arc like a cowboy with his lasso. He then whipped that hand forwards with suck force his very hair rose. 

  A force burst out from the tips of the whisk, as BiMing danced he had channelled all his gathered energy into the whisk and threw it at the crowd of men. The men were not only shocked at the fact that their supposed captive slipped through their hands like a fish but that his graceful movements had a purpose. The force knocked them flat on their asses, many knocking their heads with another.

  BiMing grimaced at them and turned to leave, pretending not to notice how something slithered out of one of the boxes he didn't get the time to destroy.

  He walked speedily as some of the stronger men began attempting to stand and give chase. He began weaving his arms through the air again, gathering energy in his whisp preparing for the man who stood guard at the door.

  His preparations, however, were unneeded when he spotted the man sprawled on the floor and none other but his disciple stood over him, shoulders hunched and... growling at the man. BiMing glanced at XiuYin who had a murderous aura surrounding him and whispered his name, so quiet he almost doubted he said it at all.

  "XiuYin..."

  XiuYin's head whipped towards BiMing, and if he didn't know better, he'd say that XiuYin's eyes looked as if they were glowing, not with the build-up of spiritual energy... but a foreboding red. The instance they recognised BiMing however, it faded as if it hadn't been there at all.

  "Lu ShiZun..." XiuYin gasped, his voice almost broke as he ran towards BiMing and flung his arms around his waist.

  BiMing staggered back in surprise not knowing what to do with his upraised hands. "Oi oi oi,  why so emotional?"

  XiuYin's head was bent and buried in the nook of BiMing's neck as he muttered, "I went to get Lu ShiZun food and when I come back you had disappeared, a passerby said a man was carried off the balcony... I panicked."

  "Tch, you brat, would I be your ShiZun if I were weak!? Don't undermine me so much... I was still a little light head from the night before...." He slapped XiuYin's head before patting it. "Now let go, you're almost a grown man for god's sake! Have a little conscience!" BiMing scolded as he pushed XiuYin off.

  "ShiZun showed little conscience last night when..." His words were cut off when he received another slap on his head.

  "Don't think you won't be punished for that but for now let's leave, I don't want to bother with any reinforcements."

  XiuYin nodded and they began their walk back to the sect.

  The 'master' who appeared at the scene later to grovelling men crying for mercy was not so happy when he discovered the escape of BiMing and the loss of his artefacts. He growled as he turned, ignoring the grovelling men and gave a silent order with a flick of his wrist.

  Swords flashed and heads rolled.

................................................................................................................................................................A/N- Hope you enjoyed!

  And regarding the comment about BiMing being a bit weak for the protagonist, I hope I made up for it in this chapter, BiMing was supposed to eventually become very powerful and hateful of the mysterious man who keeps toying with him but I wanted him to take a while to become powerful ya know, cause he's only been in this world for a year and I wanted to give our dear XiuYin some limelight XD

  Anyways, you can expect some more independence from BiMing!

  Hope ya enjoyed!