A Thousand Lotus

Three men on top of their horses stopped in front of a large wooden building, far in the north. Among the men who got down of their horses were Jiao Yu's adopted father, Sheng Xiao and his right hand man Tie Yu, while the remaining other man was Tie Yu's junior, Mu Yu.

Sheng Xiao and his men had been traveling for hours just to get to the headquarters of the Sacred Moon's Pavilion.

The Scared Moon Pavilion is a renowned organization for dealing with the troubles of the nobles and the wealthy ones. They hire assassins, spies and even criminals with bounties on their head, just to satisfy their client's wishes and for their own.

It could be said that the Sacred Moon Pavilion was the enemies of the law but unfortunately, even the royal family has dealings with the organization, making anyone to not recklessly move against the Sacred Moon Pavilion.

Inside a vast room, several men in black robes stood in both sides and at the center was an old man in the age of Seventy three.

The man sitting at the center was the Senior Master, Li Chen who facilitate Pavilion and orders everyone there.

There are many rumors going around the Senior Master, some says that he was a former leader of a large bandit group in the mountains, a general from another country and an immortal. But no one knew what the truth is and no one is brave enough to ask the Senior Master of his past.

The men standing on both sides of the room was just some of the Masters of the Pavilion. Sheng Xiao was not familiar with them nor had he engaged any casual conversation with them.

Cupping his hands, Sheng Xiao greeted respectfully, "Sheng Xiao and his men, greets the Senior Master!"

Li Chen waved his hand and suddenly the men in the vast room slowly dispersed and went outside of the room. Apparently, the meeting was adjourned by the arrival of Sheng Xiao.

Sheng Xiao didn't move from his position and only when Senior Master Li Chen released him from it, did he stood upright.

"What is the father of 'Tiger' doing here?" Senior Master Li Chen asked as he gripped the top of his staff, "I heard you already relinquished your position to your child and has no reason to come and see me or to set foot on the Pavilion. So what are you doing here exactly?"

The words of Senior Master Li Chen was full of intimidating aura that could make anyone doubt their next move and forget their purpose, but Sheng Xiao's didn't come there without reason and has greater purpose to risk in setting foot there

Though the words of the senior master was not wrong, Sheng Xiao was only forced by the organization to transfer his position to Jiao Yu as an aide to the organization or they will come after his life and Jiao Yu's.

He remembered how the higher ups threatened Jiao Yu with his life and came up with the idea of transferring his status to her after seeing Jiao Yu's capabilities.

Sheng Xiao brave himself and willed himself to speak, "I have come here...to revoke the contract of my child."

The room fell into a deep silence, the only thing that could be heard is the breathing of the two and the rustling of their clothes.

And Senior Master Li Chen did not respond, making the silence in the room elongated.

After a while, Senior Master Li Chen raised his eyebrow and said, "Contract?

Sheng Xiao nodded and firmly said, "The organization have once said before, that becoming a part of the organization means having more legs to the spider but when one leg is taken out, the spider becomes disabled." He stopped for a short moment before continuing, "Also, the senior master once said that anyone in the organization can revoke their position."

"Are you using my own words against me?" Senior Master Li Chen hostilely glared at him, "Correct. However, I also mentioned that, if anyone wants to revoke their contract, they must give something of their own which equals to their worth."

"I deem the 'Tiger quite worthy and valuable to the organization. I wonder how you're going to make up for it?"

Just as the word was said, Senior Master Li Chen saw Tie Yu standing behind Sheng Xiao while carrying a small mahogany box with a golden lock.Then, he saw Sheng Xiao lifting the lid of the box and inside was a very good-looking amulet. It was a two coiling dragons amulet, one made from gold and the other in silver. The eyes of the dragons were made from South Sea Pearls.

The twin coiling dragons appeared so majestic and beautiful that once it was brought of the box, it gave a bit of reflected lights through out the room.

Senior Master Li Chen's breath was caught as he could not digest what he was seeing right now. He did not know how Sheng Xiao was able to get his hands on that but he could tell that it was not a fake and it was the genuine Two Heavenly Dragon Pearl.

Stuttering, Senior Master Li Chen stood up in his seat, "H..How did you get that?"

Sheng Xiao saw how the twin dragon was doing to the senior master and impassively said, "It doesn't matter how I got this. If you want this, give me the contract of my child."

All Sheng Xiao wanted was to free Jiao Yu from the dark path he thought he pushed her to. And with the Two Heavenly Dragon Pearl, he will free her from the chains restraining his daughter.

.............................

A man who believes in freedom,

Will do anything under the sun,

To acquire, or preserve his freedom. --Malcolm X