An Unexpected Visit
The next few days for Daiyu, who had finally woken up after a month were anything but peaceful. The Great Demonic Doctor, Luo Kang, visited Daiyu everyday to probe her for answers and check on her condition. Her nanny, Lishu, refused to part with Daiyu even for a moment which made Haoran quite angry.
"Why is that old hag clinging to you like you're a newborn? Oh my word, when are you ever going to get to work on your martial arts? I swear, if you don't throw her out by tomorrow, I will blast her off myself.." Cheon Haoran fumed the moment Lishu left the room to get Daiyu's lunch. He had been persistently complaining about Lishu's clingy behavior.
"I will make sure to tell her today. It is quite suffocating for me as well." Daiyu sighed and looked outside the window wistfully. She longed to go out and begin her training, especially since the Qi flowing within her body made her feel stronger than ever.
"Princess! The Lord- The.. The Heavenly Demon.. Is on his way to see you." Lishu, who had gone to the kitchen, ran back the moment she heard that news. The Heavenly Demon had last visited Daiyu on her ninth birthday, more than three years ago. This visit could very well solidify the Princess's position within the Demonic Cult.
"What…?" Daiyu's head turned blank when she heard the news. She had never expected for her father to come see her.
"We must dress you up! Hari, go get the blue dress princess got for her birthday this year. You! Bring out the Princess's jewelry. We must make our lady shine today." Lishu dragged Daiyu around and dressed her up while she was blanked out, almost as if she had been hypnotized. By the time she came back to reality, she found herself sitting in front of a mirror as the maids worked on her.
Daiyu's long black hair had been styled and adorned with ornaments, and her deepset black eyes contrasted with her pale skin. The blue dress was made out of luxurious silk with a golden phoenix embroidered on it. She looked like a true princess, which made her heart thump with uneasiness. She could not find herself in that reflection.
"You really scrub up well, kid." Haoran was looking at the scene unfold with strange eyes. "I never had a good relationship with my father so I have no idea what you're thinking."
'I have no good memories of my father either. I met him three years ago last time and it was extremely awkward.'
Daiyu could speak to Haoran telepathically if she wished to since they were connected. At her words, Haoran smirked and let out a loud chuckle.
"Well, my father tried to murder me thirteen times before I dragged him off his high and mighty throne."
At his words, Daiyu fell silent and she walked to the reception room with anxious steps. She had no idea what to expect of her father.
"The Lord is already inside. Please go in, Princess." Lishu patted her head before leaving her side. Daiyu took a deep breath and opened the door to the reception room.
"Welcome to the Black Jade Palace, Father." Daiyu gave her respects to the Heavenly Demon, who was sitting with an upright posture.
"Get up, Daiyu. I just wished to see how you were doing since I was informed about your recent ill health." Her father spoke in a clear yet authoritative voice befitting of the Heavenly Demon. Daiyu raised her head to see him staring at her.
"I am feeling well now, father. Thank you for honoring me with your presence." Beads of sweat had formed on Daiyu's forehead but she succeeded at sounding strong and stable.
"I have brought some gifts to congratulate you on your recovery."
"Thank you, father. I shall make sure to use them well."
The conversation died there and neither of them made an attempt to take it any further. The awkward atmosphere made Daiyu feel suffocated. Suddenly, a quiet chuckle brought her out of her reverie.
Haoran was now sitting next to her father and laughing about the situation. Daiyu could see the similarity between him and her father. They had a similar face cut and the same long black hair. Even though her father had black eyes, they closely resembled Haoran's amethyst ones.
"How awkward, the both of you." Haoran smirked and cocked his head to look at her father. "So this is the latest Heavenly Demon? This guy is quite strong. Of course, I was much stronger than him when I was alive."
'Can't you leave for sometime?'
"Well, I can but I wanted to see this awkward exchange go on. Well, since you really want me to leave, I shall. However…" Haoran's arrogant smirk turned a little softer before he spoke up again.
"This guy doesn't want you dead, at the very least. Maybe you can talk things out, after all." Without any further explanation, Haoran vanished into thin air, leaving Daiyu to wonder what he meant by that.
Her father could sense the change in her expression and he began talking again.
"There is something I must ask you, Princess Daiyu."
"Yes?" Daiyu responded hastily. She wondered what he wanted to ask her to come all the way here.
"Did you eat anything strange before you fell unconscious?" The Heavenly Demon's eyes were fixated on her face, almost as if they could look into her soul.
"N-not that I can remember." Daiyu spoke nervously. She tried to stick as close to the truth as possible without revealing anything.
"I see." The Lord fell silent for a moment before speaking again.
"Daiyu… I hope you can forgive me for everything." The sudden shift in his tone made Daiyu fall into a frenzy. She had never expected her father to say those words and she had no idea what she was supposed to say in that situation. Neither did she know about the wrong he had committed that warranted an apology.
"I wished to keep you safe so I sent you to live at the Black Jade Palace that I had constructed in your honor after you were born. Your mother, Hongnan, was someone I cherished. After her death, I had to look for ways to keep you away from the rotten core of the Cult but it seems I failed to do that as well. For that, I am truly apologetic." Daiyu could hardly breathe after listening to her father. His gentle voice was something Daiyu had longed to hear deep down.
"Is there anything you wish for? I shall do my best to do it for you." Those words brought Daiyu back to her senses and she clenched her fingers tightly. That was the opportunity she had been looking for. However, she had no idea it would present itself to her so easily.
"If the Lord's words are true, I would dare wish for the Lord to allow me to learn martial arts." Daiyu spoke carefully. Where she had no idea what to do with her father's sudden confession, she had to focus on getting what she wanted first.
"Martial arts? Why do you wish for that?"
"I shall make my own path to gain recognition and support. No matter what you do, there will alway be someone who will undermine me or try to harm me. I believe that I can do well if I'm given the opportunity to prove myself." Daiyu looked into her father's eyes with a burning resolution.
The Heavenly demon was taken aback by the request. He had never asked Daiyu to pursue martial arts since her mother hated the way the Jianghu operated. He wished for Daiyu to grow up healthy and marry a man she loved. However, he could finally see how shortsighted he was. There was no way she could have grown normally with the wolves trying to tear her down.
"Ho? Then I shall assign you an instructor. You can begin your lessons after two weeks." The Heavenly Demon had a strange expression on his face. The more he looked at Daiyu, the more he was reminded of her mother.
'I wonder when this child grew up so much.'
"Thank you for giving me this opportunity father." Daiyu bowed before her father to show her gratitude. However, she felt odd not acknowledging what her father had spoken about earlier. Even though she could not let go of her sadness and resentment immediately, she wished to at least build a relationship with her father.
"What is it?" Her father asked, as if he knew that she was thinking about something.
"I.. have no idea what to say about what you spoke about earlier. However, if it is okay with you, I would like to spend some more time with my father. If it is not burdensome, I hope we can have tea every now and then when time permits it." Daiyu was not sure if she believed her father but she wanted a chance to get to know him.
If she was going to be a target of his wives either way, it was best to solidify her position first. What better way to make her presence known than gain favor from the Heavenly Demon himself?
"If that is what you wish for, I shall try my best to arrange it. Now, I must take my leave but… Daiyu. You must be careful. I have no idea what these people might be planning." The Heavenly Demon stood up and looked at his daughter with a regretful expression. There was no excuse for his neglect but there was no other way he could have protected her. However, he knew that he couldn't hide her in a corner anymore. His child was ready to spread her wings, and he wanted to do his best to support her.
******************
"Lishu, the Lord has given me the permission to pursue martial arts and an official instructor will be assigned to me soon. However, I wish to build up my strength in the meantime. That means, I will be going to the forest everyday and I don't want anyone to follow me." Daiyu finally sat down to have a troublesome conversation with her nanny.
"Princess! You have just woken up. I cannot let you do anything that can put you at risk anymore. It was my fault that you suffered so much." Daiyu had already expected Lishu to push back. However, she had no intention of letting her nanny win.
"I won't be safe even if I stay still now. Lishu, I know you care about me, but you must trust me. I will only be going to the forest clearing that isn't too far away and I won't stray from there. However, you must not follow behind me or ask someone to tail me. Else, I shall run away without saying anything the next time."
Lishu knew that the princess had already won this debate. She also knew that hiding Daiyu wouldn't work anymore. She let out a deep sigh and closed her eyes.
"Alright, Princess."
Now that Daiyu was free to roam outside, she was excited to start her training the next day. However, little did she know the hell that was waiting for her.