Chapter 565: Never an answer, always a question
“That’s enough…I remember the rest now,” Zhen Hou stated as he lifted palm as if signaling to stop.
[Oh? Very well.]
With a snap of her chitinous fingers, the scene of the assassins of the Dreaming Flower Clan preparing for an ambush suddenly stopped like a paused movie screen.
The imposing face of the person in red was frozen solid in an expression that suggested command and power, a sharp juxtaposition to the look of sheer terror on the smaller Zhen Hou’s face.
The old Zhen Hou let out a deep sigh as he stared at the frozen scene, unconsciously touching the scar on his forehead.
He didn’t need a play-by-play to remember what happened next, despite having apparently repressed this memory all this time.
Zhen Hou didn’t remember all of the names and details, he was four at the time, but he did remember the important broad strokes.
After these assassins, bounty hunters, whatever, finalized their plans of ambushing Zhen Shi and Bai Hua, two of them moved to open Zhen Hou’s and his brother’s cages. Which was about the same time that his older brother finally regained his consciousness.
Zhen Long did not appreciate being kidnapped and being used as a hostage, so like any reasonable child at this age in such a situation, he started to try and free himself via wiggling about, kicking and even managing to get in a surprise headbutt in an attempt to break free.
Stirred on by the sight, Zhen Hou tried his best to mimic his older brother and attempt to break free as well, acting equally if not even more violent in terms of his actions.
Unfortunately, neither of their attempts went as planned…or well for that matter.
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The one holding Zhen Long didn’t have to do much in regards to keeping Zhen Long still, simply tightening his hold on the boy was enough to get him to stop squirming. Granted, the boy’s screams of defiance turned into those of pain.
Zhen Hou actually had it even worst, because he had managed to get himself free by straight up biting the arm of the guy that dragged him out of the cage. He managed to get about three feet away from the cage before the man recovered from his shock and swung a wild fist into Zhen Hou’s head.
*CRACK!*
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Zhen Hou could barely even let out a yelp as the pain from the blow was too much for his little body to bear, an injury made even worst as the blow knocked him into a nearby wooden support beam.
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Zhen Hou lost his sense of balance as the throbbing pain on his forehead was a bit too much for the four year old to bear.
The last thing he recalled feeling physically was a sense of warm liquid running down his face, followed by an unceremoniously loud thud to the floor, with the last thing he recalled seeing was the sight of his parents busting into the ship’s hold.
He wasn’t entirely sure as his brain was rather rattled at this point, but he swore he could feel the air vibrate from the sheer fury radiating off of his parents.
After that…happily ever after!
Zhen Hou awoke several days later, apparently the shock to his head was a bit more than what was anticipated, but the place he woke up wasn’t a cage or a questionable prison, but on a wagon next to his brother!
They were safe and sound, for their parents managed to save them before anything went wrong!
Sure, they had to move cities again, but this time it felt like it was going to be the last time they would ever have to run away ever again!
Years later he would become an older brother, he would become an aether master and he would become the father of four beautiful children and hopefully a grandfather someday soon!
He should be happy, he literally had a life many others fight and die for!
Fight and die for.
Fight and die for…
Fight.
‘I…basically have everything a man could want out of life and then some on top of that…so why is it that my heart says otherwise?”
At this point in time, the ship hold faded away. It was soon replaced with open skies, warm sands and buildings that Zhen Hou was much more familiar due to coming from his more recent memories. Of course, he wasn’t in the right head space to fully appreciate these details right now.
The debonair bug woman(Lacerage), however, could enjoy these finer details. As such, the debonair bug woman made her way over to a table and chair that would’ve normally be part of a cafe’s space, and sat herself down.
She had a feeling she was going to be sitting here for quite some time.
“Why?”
[Pardon?]
“I asked…why,” Zhen Hou repeated before elaborating further.
“I understand that you’re some kind of spirit thing meant to help me get stronger or something, which is why I am asking, “why did you show me a past that I had repressed for all of these years?”
[Hmmm, that is a very good question…,] the debonair trailed off for dramatic before answering. However, she didn’t give a straightforward one.
[Let me ask you something. After that evening, after that event, you ended up learning something from it, right? Or rather…the event left a scar upon you, right?]
“Learn something? A scar?,” Zhen Hou repeated with a confused voice, “I mean…I guess so? But I don’t see how that’s-”
[And with that scar,] the debonair interjected, [did it teach you that violence is never an answer and that being agreeable and passive is probably safer in the long run? Even if it means ignoring opportunities that might end in violence?]
“That…”
As soon as the debonair finally spelled it out for him, Zhen Hou realized what this moment was all about: providing context to his life.
Traumatic events are funny like that, that even if someone doesn’t remember them to the finest details, they will always leave some kind of “scar” that can drastically change one’s perspective of reality or personality altogether.
Zhen Hou hadn’t really thought about it up until right now, but even though he was a warrior, an Aether Master to be boot, he didn’t really commit to the whole…fighting thing.
He would hunt aether beasts, sure, and will defend himself or his family if he has to but… that’s it.
Zhen Hou didn’t accept duels because he thought they were dumb [dangerous].
He didn’t accept invitations to go exploring wandering ruins because he believed the risk outweighed the rewards.
He didn’t want to travel half way across the world because he had a feeling that whatever they had plan wouldn’t be enough and it would all end in brutal, terrible violence.
“Huh…”
It was a very strange sensation, having one’s entire life suddenly put under a new light after recalling some distant memory that was repressed for so long.
“So what are you saying? That I should be more violent? That I should throw myself into battle more and pick fights that I don’t need to?,” Zhen Hou asked, thinking that maybe this is what the debonair was driving towards.
[Hah! No!]
Only to be caught off guard by the debonair laughing over such a question.
[Not even in the slightest, Mister Bear, I showed you that moment because I wanted to show you that violence isn’t an answer, but a question! One accompanied by the words, “when is it right?”]
“I…what?”
The debonair at this point got up from her seat and walked right up to Zhen Hou in order to stare at him in the face.
[Violence is never an answer, but a question. That question being this: When is it right to use violence?]
“What the fuck?”
For all intents and purposes, this question sounded incredibly dumb to Zhen Hou…but…for some reason…he couldn’t help but to think about it deeper.
“When is it right to use violence? I guess when…”
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=Oh! It appears your uncle finally came to the realization Lacerage was pushing towards. Took them long enough.=
‘Yeah, okay, cool, but we kind of need to get the fuck out of here because I’m hearing footsteps coming here and I’d rather not be here when Lacerage pops out of his head.’
<=Fair enough.=>
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“…huh?! Where am I?! Where’d you…huh? Did…I fall asleep in a chair? When did that happen?”
After going through a rather insane dream-like experience, Zhen Hou found himself waking in the hotel lounge’s chair.
In one hand was a glass full of whiskey, while a bottle of the stuff was sitting on a small table by his side.
Did he fall asleep while drinking, he wondered.
“Huh…perhaps now I should go to-”
“Huh? Zhen Hou? What are you doing down here?”
“Oh! Hey,big brother.”
But before Zhen Hou could return to his room his older brother came in just at the same time.
“I was just about to… actually, do you want to share a drink with me? I know it’s late, but-”
“No need to ask me twice. I always actually planning for a nightcap myself.”
“Excellent.”
