The wind was surging high in the precinct of Wei house, billowing with such rigor, such vehement surge as to throw of any obtrusive steps out of its bound. The men around looked in their billowing cloaks, holding shaking lanterns and umbrellas as if to pierce the walls with their urgent eyes; some men looked in their threadbare clothes and freezing limbs at the shadowed boundaries of Weijia and its ominous looking door and imperiously grave looking guarding lions’ statues.

There were calls for more men at certain intervals, but no men seemed to appear as if the call had fallen into deaf years, or most likely, been cut short in its journey to its intended listener. Each man was – in that roaring glory of raging storm that only seemed to crush down above the Wei house and its surroundings – a mere island, gloomily surrounded by many of its kind but non to harken its call. 

The thunder blew more vigorously. A moment of respite wasn’t heard or seen in those blinding flashes that seemed to pierce the sky and sew it in noticeable patches. There were more shouts and cries among the nobles and tramps alike, and in the city’s merchants and foot soldiers, in their flower sellers and bread-winning manual laborer's. There was murmur akin to the whole city coming to a wake on that one thundering call. 

On the streets near where Wei mansion stood, there one could garner some traces of a stampede just past; one that had left a few unconscious bodies lying about and some bleeding, groaning men. There were cries of agony, some cheering of humorous partings and jocular delight at being spared by the ‘huge lizard of a creature’ or was that a ‘snake spirit from the texts of the old’ that had been once put to sleep by a generous monk and had now found its way past restrictions – some said, it was the Wei people who had broken the law and let them out of their lair – and was showing its rage over its imprisoner (precisely the Wei family people).

The town seemed to have found its way into these safe precincts, where the wind didn’t roar too thunderously or billowed so horribly as to leave no flesh intact or bone attached, as was the case near its door and fortressed walls. 

If you looked at the abuzz ground per chance at that moment, you would not find it very different from a festival or a moment of rejoicing, or a fair. But a glance above the Weijia would instantly bring the miraculous to the front of the mind, so far separated from the mortal muddling’s and morose mundane that the earlier image will appear to be a dream.

There was a being, so far removed from the dwelling humans on the ground, that one would never attach any links of it ever being a part of its common populace; what a shame, such a repugnant being to be born of a human mother and cuddled and coddled in human arms and let to be nurtured among two limbed beings growing in grace, learning modesty and becoming a fair maiden, gratuitous in manner and charming in her deportment – once upon a time, when the gravels of time hadn’t born her such injustice as the skin of a reptile, or snake or such like as it had done, smudged upon her. 

Amongst the raging and thundering and bellowing of purple thunders amongst black and purple clouds, the figure of that reptilian stature seemed to have shed all its shame and now stuck in all its nakedness in front of the world, being hit and ruptured, healed and once again broken by the striking thunders. The figures skin was horrendously burnt as a human coke, if exhumed at unfortunate combustion; no eyes, no noes or toes or even limbs could be garnered of the gruesomely truncated stub. But it had a tail. Yes. This very particular growth had allowed it to be distinguished so easily from its brethren’s breathing down below. 

It also had a growing feathery appendage sticking from its back making the figure appear as a whole as if to were a deformed kind of flying lizard. 

“Chiir!” 

Another blow to the poor head of the black lizard, blowing a huge amount of its flesh with its burning power. There were many similar places on its face, as if the face (if it had been there once) was blown apart in chunks by these very perpetrators. There was no breath of relief taken in the interval when once more a thunder struck the figure and took of a huge chunk of its floating tail. 

This was perhaps the nearest moment of a show of weakness and displeasure on the part of that deformed figure, because the whole body shook with such clamor, such force had taken a hold of that trunk and that tail and that small growth on its back that it all broke out in pulsing fury, pulsating agony of being so razed and shamed. 

In the inner compounds of the Wei-house, quite separated from all the hullabaloo of its residents, of its many milkmaids, and caretakers, and house-keepers of several courtyards or of the servants nervous and crying faces, or fainting willow-like dainty figures of peerlessly blossomed concubines and their sheltered children hiding in the bosoms – sticking out their curiously brave small faces, often, from the shades of the cloak of their nannies or stewards; far from the residents, stood the observing figure of a child, with her two eyes looking grave yet indifferent in their stale inconsideration. 

There were no signs of any other besides the pond. His lordship, the current head of the Wei family, indisputably the well renowned erstwhile third-grade official in the court of his majesty the current emperor of the holy dynasty of the prospering kingdom in his highness’s auspices – the very kingdom named Daxia – had been a-panicking, and a-frolicking about the premises of the north pond, amongst its waters like a maddened sprite in search of some respite, and then finding no such clue in the muddied waters of the pond, in its many fluttering blooms of water-lilies and lotuses, and with no additional aid from his surroundings in the darkened night having no trace of moonlight; his lordship had been just a while before shouting here at everyone along the lines of– “call your men we are attacked, call your men we are under threat” and abuzz about some hocus-pocus, some weird prayers to a lord that no one in his side or behind him on whosoever’s ears those words fell could make out, either its particularity nor the nature of that god from whom he sought this ‘forgiveness’. 

A little of his antics and then the bunch had followed like loyal followers of a maddened king who was leading his entourage towards his next destination of which only his eyes and feet could tell a clue of. Such had been the maddened state of his very greatness, the lord of Wei house, a while back in time. Which had amused the tiny lady sitting on the floors of pavilion with her feet dangling in front, taking seldom shot at the water with tiny pebbles which were heaped into a pile besides her – a small amusement of a small heart – and looked above her head at the flying figure being thunder struck. 

The concubines of the Master Wei Houyu and his many offspring did stay, though. Unmoving in their small tract of land, murmuring in hushed voices behind their screens and under the shadowed light of red lanterns or bigger, brighter yellow paper ones. Everyone of the faces was uneasy, unsettled. But unlike the ruffled appearances of the many noble men outside the walls who had their beards and long hair thrown in handful bunches, distorting their well kempt appearances; unlike those men, these women inside appeared to be quite settled and proper in their modest and many layered brocaded clothes. 

If one looked closely, one would notice that the grounds around the northern side of whole of Wei house had been shielded from waves of wind onslaught, or in general any penetration from the thunder strikes. The creature named Wei Cuihua may have been ongoing her thunder tribulation meant to erase her existence, but the tiny lady sitting besides the pond, was quite well sheltered in the pavilion and didn’t let all this come in between her present amusement. 

As this all was peculiarly amusing to Wei Zhiruo as was the deep sated injury and fiery struggle that she saw in that pitiable creature’s face, making her shine like a beacon upon the starless sky, nothing less than that.

Wei Zhiruo had given her sister the aid to undergo through this, if she kept to her raging heart, and true to her inborn spirits and keep it intact before the rage of heaven. Wei Zhiruo had given her sister, a small drop of her blood and an enchantment – not for safeguarding, not for protection from external attacks or anything defensive in nature, no.

She had given an enchanted drop of her blood, which she believed would reinstate in her sister, what she thought was a trace of bloodline that she happened to garner from the polluted remnant of her sister’s soul state (the big yellow pupiled giant if one recalls), a bloodline from the monster clan – surprising as the mound of spiritual stone vein – a bloodline of ‘lizard family’, not a snake’s mind you.

With this, throughout the thunder tribulation, Wei Cuihua will remold her body and cast her human shell, and wraith spirit; all the influences will be blessed under the holy thunder and burned into a bright, new existence that could be recognized by the heavenly rules. If not recognized, then not as abhorred as her present state.

This had been a deal, recognizing which Wei Cuihua must take a pledge, pledge her obeisance, her mind and soul, to her liege, her sister (observe, not in blood, as Wei Zhiruo doubted any of Jiang mother’s daughter were related to her now) so that one day she might take the heads of her enemies. It was a fair trade. If leaning on any side, it must be on Wei Cuihua as her small body took a whole realm as her enemy. What ambition!

“Chirr! Boom!”

The three hundredth seventy third strike, six hundred and a couple more to go. This will take the whole night. Wei Zhiruo counted and decided to harvest the bunch of lotuses in the pond and then steal a way from the sight to the small palace under it which was still charging in full blow and giving out spiritual energy. 

Her call to the world’s consciousness had fallen into deaf ears. 

She abandoned that line of thought and decided to steal that treasure itself. Along with it she could try extracting the spiritual energy from the vein as much as possible. Looking at the state of this mortal realm, she had an inkling that she could harvest even the most precious "Spiritual veins Condensed Spirit" in its midst. Or even its seed. Though she had nowhere to save them for now, who can tell about that later. By later she means, after she had owned that treasure Buddhist relic. She could hoard a lot in those empty chambers. 

The little lady took a peek at the women huddled in the corner near the pavilion, never venturing to this side as if a force made them unaware of its very existence and threw a stone with her hand. 

“Plop!”

There was no response from anyone to this stoned enquiry. It was considered safe to venture the further ideals. This was a great proposition, if it could be handled with utter perfection in its execution. It will bring a large amount of profit to the poor little child’s hand. She could reap a bunch of reward for her devotion to this cause since her arrival to this world. Those monk in the shadows had done so much, how could the honorably superior cognizance of little lady allow her to leave such relishing leftovers for other hunters to reap a benefit off. She wasn’t that big hearted yet. 

*    

Far from the little amusing darling throwing her bunch of stones and pebbles, amusing her dear heart; still farther from the silent northern grounds with its sprawling orchards and ponds and silent, windless, pasture for cattle’s and gardens for amusement for pretty ladies of the household filled with people – far from that safe, silent corner, with shuddering walls and blowing roofs and falling cornices, stood the main hall of the Weijia.

As if the wind had decided to take a dig at the roots and foundations of these quaint walls and sturdy wooden pillars, there were great shakings and pillaging and rocking’s of all kind going on. The onslaught of this attack from the vicious wind was so great that many a piece of roof had blown away to no one knows where. 

Unfortunately, it had left the raided hall open to further attacks from wind and shower – as it had already poured a great deal in there from amidst the green and purple thundering black clouds. It was not a nice day to make a call to Wei house, but many people were standing rooted in that hall, as if they had special invitation of some equally auspicious event that was to unfold. 

“Your highness, the Wei lord, once upon a time, and only that time, I had the pleasure to make acquaintance with you. Though it might not have been a nice meeting between us – from your side included, or it might even escape your memory at this moment of that chance meeting that fateful night, I once again reiterate my hands towards your acquaintance, my lord, a hearty gesture you can appreciate.”  

“You – you – are not welcome here.” Came a groaning voice. “Guards!”

“Now, now, come my lord. You might as well give us fellow some chance of your refined association. We might appear to be nothing but tramps in your sight but what can we say. Look at your state, and look at this pristine wall of Wei family that has been standing on a pile of bones for so many ages. Look at their shattering bricks, and stones and all that masterful masonry, my lord. Look! Look as the sky falls through past the broken roof tiles as you lay groaning and aching of betrayal. Was this a nice present my lordship? A nice, greeting gift from – yes, what do you call them, the ‘survivors’ of your great cause.”

“What you say, I – I – don’t – understand – you – lie!” There was much more painful exertion in this utterance. The listener might have heard it, or seen the scene of it clearly in the light of hundreds of shaking lanterns. There were many hands holding them. There were equally the same number of swords shining in that yellow sheen coming out of the lanterns. 

There were no heavily embroidered brocade curtains lying orderly and shading the open windows from sight as normal days. Some of them had come undone by wind, some by human force. Some were lying at the muddied feet of many black robed and cloaked men, getting sullied from dirt and grime in their ornately designed vestiges.

The high pedestal where the head of the clan takes his rightful seat was left strewn with piles of corpses, bleeding through their mouth and their opened stomach and falling out intestines. The blood and the occasional branches that flickered inside through opened holes in the roof made the appearance of the grand central hall more than unwelcome to the guests.

But the intruders perhaps didn’t mind this slovenly appearance as some of them took their time and smeared their bloodied knives and swords, and occasional daggers into the hanging tapestries showcasing the flowing and pristine peaks and pines of snow-clad western mountains, or bunched a few precious writings of some old sages hanging to the sides to wipe their hands as kerchiefs. Earlier all these ornate articles had been aiding in putting the air and charm of grandeur to this old and very noble house of history as old as the kingdom, maybe even older. 

Someone broke out in a peal of shrieking laughter. The shadows on the walls shook fervently as many laughs joined it, along with dancing lights.

“You jest my lord, you do. It has been several years, but less than a decade, since the lordship held his office in the premises if southern towns of Antai with your bosom friend Master Xiu Li, I might remind, if you care to remember? Unfortunately, after your two kind souls’ departure the town was visited by a catastrophe in the form of attacking bandits. Here, Hong Tao, look at his face. Such a simpleton and a kindly sort of chap! Not even in his adulthood in this world, torn apart from his loving grandmother and kind sister. What he, and that means us as well, what we all didn’t realize at that time through our weaknesses was the great trade that had taken between you, my lord – as I take your pardon to bring this shadowy carcass of your elsewhere glorious service days – a trade betwixt you and these den of bandits for a sum of ten thousand gold coins. Sold!”  

“And we speak of Heshun or the chaos that was done a mile away from Jinghai in the village of Hong clan. Here my lord, look at that pretty lady, the prettiest that was ever born in any town of that standing, such precious trusting eyes of her lady Chunhua you didn’t mind when you slaughtered her clan on the suspicion of a spreading disease – a disease, you all, a disease if nothing else – and which in our investigations turned out to be what? Yes, a pestilence of your ordering that haven’t even taken root in most of those slaughtered."

"Or lets talk of the one in the folds of burning mountains of Anshui, your highness, so many quaint mansions and quaint looking old people, with their twirling lutes and kind gazes, sprawling meadows and running rivers where I spent my youth wandering about – razed to ground. It was treason this time. Forests and lands ruined, people displaced. And by the orders of his majesty, you all, listen, to what I say. Hear, hear. Don’t understand nothing. You jest, my lord, you jest.”

There was no other sound in the whole hall as the man behind the silver mask spoke to the one, who laid flat on his stomach holding his intestines from spilling out. There were several gashes on this old face, cushioned in long white hair, with many wounds on his mouth as if they had taken many a blow from several hands before he was brought on his feet. The posture too still remained in a predatorial stance as if it might jump at any chance.

“An Lin it is time. He is still ready for a fight. I tell you, give him his last blow.” Wei Huoyu looked gravely at the distressed state of his father and the burning fire in his eyes, cautioning his friend. His hand held a machete glistening with some dark liquid in the light. There was a grim light in his eyes as well as a strange madness over his usually jovial features. 

“You bastard! You pest – the scorn of ancestors, you came to burn my Weijia – you, unfilial bastard! What haven’t I given you over the years, begged for your pleasure, yet this is what you return to me? It would have been better if I had choked you the moment you bestirred on this earth and cried your first cry! You – you, ah, my lord I seek your forgiveness for my Wei clan! We have erred greatly! My unfilial blood – no my lord, I don’t take him as a son no more – this thief had stood between me and my duty, my lord. I beseech ye, I beseech your kindness, to my Wei clan – my Lord bless this servant of yours as I seek forgiveness for falling short on your safekeeping duties –”

“Kill him, An Lin, there is no meaning in delay.”

“Why? You tell me for what reasons a son betrays his blood-father? Satisfy your dying fathers wish and let me hear what grave injury I have caused you to bestir such commotion and still with the hands of these traitors! Wei Houyu, if you ever ate of this Wei clan, than you will take back your sword right now. Surrender to lord, he is kind – and I – beg –”

“There is no need of all that father dear. Your words, at this moment cause no vexation to my already dead heart. You must have known this coming when you stood between me and Wangqing that night. Forced me to this madness of watching a piece of myself die before me!”

There was along stretching silence after this resolute declaration. Wei Houyu stood straight, raising his head to let the light clear out in the angles of his bones and create shadows that murkily drenched his face in maddened obsession. His eyes gave way to previous irksome emotions to such bright light – lady Chunhua couldn’t make herself take her eyes off of him. 

“You –

“Yes, father, I am. I am such a fool who might kill and die for a maiden.”

“You – 

“Yes, and this reason is sufficient. Not the assault on my dear daughter, nor the killing of her or creating a monster of her – what could you expect from a stone hearted man birthed from your own blood? I gave the last trust to my wife – my soul and you tore it apart. How could you have not seen this coming?”

“Good, good, good. What a play! You dyed your hand with your father’s blood for a mere outsider? Killed and destroyed the Wei clan for that woman? If I knew this day would come, I would have let those men have their way with her and do it before your eyes, to see how much your true love –

The macheted removed the head from its shoulder. There was no sound after that. The curtains were drawn and the chamber was set to fire. The fire flared open in the dampness of falling rain drops. The fire raged, and wind blew flaring it, and rain fell in torrents and settled a little bit of its rage. This went on and on, till the whole main hall had caught such a fire that not even the torrential shower could settle its burning heat. There were cries from the surrounding, shrieks of death and panic, people hurrying and scurrying away from one corner to another. There was rage and more rage in the flames. And the wind blew harder. And the men in black hurried away one after the other. 

But between all this, one figure remained standing in all the blaze looking struck with his own hands and fingers as they were died red. There was still the ring placed as ever before in his hands so worn off from his daily caresses. The hand that wore that ring raised the machete in the air and before a word could be said more, it mercilessly struck with the same force as it had done previously. The fire began to lick his clothes. 

“No! Houyu!” A lady’s shriek echoed amongst the blazing walls. “No, let me go, I must save him. He's still in there.”

Yet there was no one reaching to that bleeding man on his knees as he saw the blood seeping through his stomach, through his own mouth and neck and feel the pulse of life beating out of his reach.

Here, here. Soon, he will be in his lovers’ arms. Will she look at him with shame of love as she had done under the brocade veil of their wedding night? Will there still be her mellow smile as in those eyes he had seen in his youth? Her tolerance of his fault, her bravery, her care, her kindness, her pity on his broken self… ?