Xuan Jian settled into his usual seat in the living room, only to spring back up almost imdiately, leaving Min montarily bewildered.
Without hesitation, Min followed his master as they briskly made their way to a larger reception room nestled within Blooming Courtyard.
As they took their seats, Min patiently waited for Xuan Jian to gather his thoughts and dispel the distant look that had montarily clouded his eyes.
In that quiet mont, Xuan Jian found himself engulfed in a flood of mories—mories of shared monts with Xuan Yang and Xu Feng, mories that painted the walls of the living room with vibrant hues of nostalgia.
Each recollection, whether tinged with the warmth of happiness or the shadow of pleasure, held a precious place in his heart. The "couch," as Xu Feng called it, was once a simple piece of furniture, now it bore witness to the cherished monts they had shared as a trio.
Lost in contemplation, Xuan Jian couldn’t help but scrap the notion of remaining in this place, where Xu Feng’s presence still lingered in every corner.
In the middle of all the bittersweet mories, a realization dawned upon him. Perhaps their departure from this familiar sanctuary was necessary, a step towards healing and forging a new path forward. The pain was so raw, but he didn’t want to leave Xu Feng behind...
An end always held a new beginning.
"When we leave Dongzhou, how do you feel about being left behind?" Xuan Jian’s voice was steady as if the entire mont had been a fignt of both their imaginations.
Min wasn’t shocked, and took the entire thing in stride. His master was grieving a lost mate. He hadn’t known Xuan Jian since birth like Jie and Bo. He was one of the n picked up and trained to beco a shield within Dongzhou’s borders.
He had a strict seal placed on him from the clan Jie and Bo hailed from, a clan that served the Torran.
He knew about his master’s and his brothers in arms Jie and Bos’ secrets, but he couldn’t discuss this knowledge with anyone outside of their brotherhood, not even their seemingly newest mber, Xu Hu Zhe, or the seal would take his sanity.
Even without the seal, Min would never speak. Never.
He would never betray his master or his brothers.
This life was the one he was blessed with, and if he had the choice, it would be the one he chose too.
Xuan Jian, had saved him from the streets. The small little 6 or 7 year old child was still a sight engrained in his mory. At the age of 7 Min joined the teens, Jie and Bo, and the only other mber at the ti, Jia, who was around his age.
Together they served the 6 or 7 year old master Xuan Jian for over a decade.
Other than Jie and Bo, they were all poor street urchins picked up from across Dongzhou, all hailing from different Kingdoms but with a small amount of latent immortal bloodline and strong cultivation potential.
As strong as Xuan Jian could find in the barren continent.
Without Xuan Jian picking them out, and Jie and Bo training them tirelessly, they would have lived and died on the streets.
"If the master wants to stay behind, this one will stay behind. If the master wants my life, this one will offer up my life." Min spoke with certainty, the more relaxed tone he occasionally used with the servants of Nanshan Estate was carefully put away.
He ant every word he said.
"I will leave you, Liu, Jia, and Jun to watch over Nanshan Estate when we leave Dongzhou." Xuan Jian was serious but not detached. These were his people. He wouldn’t leave them behind without a good cause.
This was a place Xu Feng loved greatly, it needed to be protected when they passed through the border.
"Thank you." Xuan Jian was grateful for the sacrifice. The four n were natives of Dongzhou, but their potential had grown in leaps and bounds since they began being nourished by Xu Feng’s plants and foods.
They had potential even outside of Dongzhou’s borders now, but he needed to leave behind people he could trust to—
"Does this an those of us left behind can take brides and start families?" Min’s usually confidant voice was a bit hesitant as he inquired.
Xuan Jian’s forehead furrowed a bit as if the other man was speaking another language, one he barely understood. ’Marriage?’
That was sothing they weren’t thinking about in the past. Even as he knew the four n under him were of marriageable age.
The Xuan family would shoulder the costs to the governnt for them to remain unmarried. The cost wasn’t nearly as high as that for won or gers as the push for n to marry wasn’t as strong.
"Yes, you and your brothers should marry soon. You should start families of your own." Xuan Jian smiled, he couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of this. His n had been suffering in silence. "It’s about ti for you to marry, isn’t it? You and Jia both."
Min’s face reddened slightly before he gave a respectful bow to his master.
"You have to let see your children in the next 5 years." Xuan Jian said with true joy in his voice. He wanted to see their families. These n had been his family for over 13 years now. "I will take care of any and all costs."
"This one will work hard," Min mumbled before clearing his throat. He was the one who asked, yet now he was so ashad.
"Ahem, master. Here is the mask I ordered." Min presented a rather delicate mask. Delicate but with power dripping in every line.
It wasn’t made with local materials like the one Xu Feng had commissioned for Xu Hu Zhe, the source of the items used were directly from Xuan Jian’s possessions procured from the world beyond Dongzhou.
It wasn’t made with so rare materials, but the tal was around the sa grade used in Xu Hu Zhe’s mask with spiritual power imbued within it. The leather was also white and of fine quality.
It was a beautiful twin for Xu Hu Zhe’s mask, but made more delicately to complint Xu Zeng’s features and the color of his hair with the silver of the tal peeking through intentionally to bring the look together.
"Good. Very good." Xuan Jian’s smile didn’t waver as he took the mask from Min. This would be a good mask for Xu Zeng.
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