A Wuxia Tale: Blades and Flowers

Obssession and Insecurity

(GENERAL WANG)

"Are you really our Wang Hua? Maybe you are our Wang Dao passing to look like our daughter." Dayu asked on wonder as we sat together while taking stock of our daughter's appearance who stood before us.

To say Hua looked dishelved is an understatement. One of the sleeve of Hua's robe is missing. Ripped from the whole thing. Her slim arm is exposed. There was a long gush on it. Hua's hair is sticking all over. There's a slash on her skirt and sash. A bruise on her left cheekbone. And some scrapes on her knuckles.

She is a sight, alright.

"I'm really sorry," Hua mumbled humbly again.

"Stop apologizing and tell us what happened," I said, my tone going tight. I'm already wondering who dared put their hands on my daughter to get her in this messy state.

"LiAn and I were delegated to clean in a room but LiAn got confuse and opened a room where people are still drinking. It was an honest mistake. We apologized profusely but someone took an interest on us and called for us to enter. We didn't want to at first but the courtesans inside pulled us in and things went bad from there,"

"How many men were inside that room?" Dayu asked.

"Seven. They look like public officials and noblemen." Hua said. "They try handing us drinks but LiAn and I refused. We were there to work. But someone suddenly pulled LiAn on his lap and I just...reacted."

"Meaning you got angry," Dayu sighed tiredly. Hua's small nod was her only answer to that.

I have another worry in my head. "Do you know these men's names? If I lined up men in front of you, will you recognize them and point them out to me?" I want to know these men and kill them. If I can't kill them, I'll just break some of their bones. I'm angry enough that I am considering fabricating anything to arrest them.

Hua might have read the intent behind my questions because she winces. "It's alright. I think I already taught them the lesson they need to learn. But there were damages in the brothel and..."

"I will pay for those damages," I said quickly.

"Captain!" Dayu glowered at me. "We are trying to..." he sighed. "Look at your daughter, she had a brawl in a brothel. Dao never went home like this...look at her!"

"I am not Dao," Hua muttered defiantly.

"Yes, because you are worse than him." Dayu growled at our daughter. "I'm not stupid to think that your brother never had incidents when he is having a merry time with his friends but at least he has the decency not to show his face to us when he was in a fight. But you...for heaven's sake, Wang Hua...you are a lady!"

"Dayu ah, stop." I put a hand on my lover's thigh to stop him when I noticed the hurt that passed on our daughter's eyes.

Hua sniffed, "Do you prefer it if I didn't come home tonight? If I spend the night outside somewhere else?" Our daughter looked up from staring at the floor. Her stubborn streak in full display at her face. "I came home because I know I am safe here. We were accosted tonight. Men who think they have rights to our bodies, touched us. I came home even though I don't want to leave LiAn in that place. But the madam and the courtesans there coddled my friend. They promised me they will keep LiAn safe because she is one of their own. What about me? I came home to my family yet instead of asking me if I am alright, you get angry at me. Why?! When did you two stop caring about me?"

With one angry tearful sniff, Hua gave us disappointed look before running to her room.

"Hua!" I called after our daughter. I turned to Dayu who looked away with that tight set on his face. They are both giving me headaches.