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Meng Yao liked living in the Unclean Realm.
A lot of responsibilities since his promotion, some advantages, and all in all a better quality of life for him.
Among the advantages was the fact that he could train properly to become a cultivator. The only problem being that, if he was particularly good at meditation and energy based cultivation, the physical training was more complicated for him.
It wasn’t that he didn’t like it, but Meng Yao was aware that compared to the Nie he was, to put it nicely, delicate. Less muscle, less stamina and less intent to become as big and burly as most of his sectmates.
Which was probably one of the reasons why some of them didn’t respect him at all.
Interestingly the longer time he passed as viceroy, the more people seemed to respect him. Without him needing to destroy anybody with any of his schemes.
Apparently the Nie Sect really respected competent people. Meng Yao wasn’t really the same type as most Nie disciples but since he was doing his best to make the Sect run correctly, he was given a bit of leniency and appreciation for his body’s shortcoming.
Especially since he told their Sect Leader that he would paralyze him for 3 weeks if he didn't rest for at least a week when a yao had nearly gutted him on a nighthunt.
Apparently being able to blow off in their sect leader’s face was an action worthy of the utmost respect from a majority of the Sect.
Mostly at least, nowaday he would say that his supports in the sect were 50/50.
There were still some people who didn’t appreciate him, but most of those ignored him. Which was okay, if they could all be professional then fine. He could even endure a bit of teasing of his poor physical performances, because he could recognise that the Nie style of fighting really wasn’t his forte.
No, the real problem resided with…
“Hey Whore!”
Those guys.
Meng Yao kept a slack face and continued to move like he had been instructed.
Truth be told Sect Leader Nie had given him a training regime adapted to his constitution and current advancement, and Meng Yao was following it to the letter. His Sect Leader was doing him a great honor and he didn’t want to disappoint him.
The only concession being that he tried to avoid coming to the training ground when he knew that this particular set of people would be there.
“Damn really going at it hu? Don’t you have guests to prepare rooms for instead of taking space reserved for actual cultivators?”
Really they were a bunch of thugs, just trying to rile him up. He knew that. Just more or less 15 people led by the captain of the guards. Or more like the 3rd Captain of the Guards.
“Yeah I don’t think training will help a bastard like you to go anywhere!”
High in the chain of command but not high enough to be able to get toe to toe with the new viceroy of the Nie Sect. Which was probably partly why he always tried to antagonize him.
“After all nothing that you can do to change the fact that you are really the scum of the earth.”
Meng Yao would not respond and would not give him the satisfaction of complaining to Sect Leader Nie.
He would be just and right and deserving of Sect Leader Nie approval. Even if he sometimes dreamed of murdering this bastard slowly and in a way that couldn’t be traced back to him.
Finishing his last move, Meng Yao got back in a neutral position and got closer to the water bottles.
“Oi stop ignoring us!”
The voices were closer now but Meng Yao chose not to respond again. It really wasn’t worth it.
Someone struck his back making him stumble into the water bottles that were at the disposal of the disciples' training.
Making a lot of them stumble and spill their content on the ground.
Which attracted a lot of attention.
Among which, the attention of one of the hallmaster, who approached them.
“What happened here?”
The guards seemed to trip over themselves to explain that they were answering one of Meng Yao’s insults, but the hallmaster holded his hand in front of him to silence them.
“Actually I saw what happened. I just wanted to know how you would respond. Meng Yao, these men insulted you and demonstrated a desire to damage your reputation, how do you want to handle it?”
Meng Yao blinked. What?
“What?” the exclamation came from him but also from the group of guards and some members of the crowd that had assembled around them.
The training master sighed a little bit.
“They insulted you, you can decide how you want them punished for it. Especially since it sounds like a recurring problem.”
Meng Yao breath hitched. He could … decide how these men would be punished?
Really?
He knew he had some power as a viceroy, but really? Or was it one of those custom that demanded honor in all circumstances even for the lowest of the low?
What could he ask as a compensation?
Would it even work?
“Why not organize a duel on their honor?” one of the other hallmaster interjected.
Huh?
This hallmaster wasn’t one that looked kindly upon Meng Yao, unlike the first that intervened. Which was partly why Meng Yao tensed at hearing him intercede.
“Yes”, continued the man,” Since it seems that the problem stemmed from some enmity between Zhong Tu and Meng Yao, then a hand-to-hand duel on their honor would bind the loser to respect and obey one command from the winner. That would resolve the problem quite nicely wouldn’t it?”
Yes it would resolve the problem. But that wasn’t really fair was it? Meng Yao was way smaller and his cultivation very weak compared to the Captain of Guards.
A whisper was beginning to be heard among the crowd about the objective unfairness of the situation.
An unfairness that only existed due to Meng Yao’s weakness.
He would have probably decided on something else. He should have decided on something else.
But among the discussions going on around one struck him.
“Do you think he's finally going to try to get off his back and work honorably for his wage?”
“Or maybe his servicing of the Sect Leader is sufficient for him?”
He could endure being disgraced, he knew that a lot of people overlooked him. He was aware that a lot of people attributed his promotion to his pretty face rather than to Nie Mingjue’s integrity and kindness.
They could insult him but really? Insinuating that Sect Leader Nie had raised him up only for his own pleasure?
“Let’s do it this way then” exclaimed Meng Yao with a smile on his face.
------------------------------------------------
Nie Mingjue was doing some paperwork.
It wasn’t that the Sect Leader hated paperwork. But really, except for Meng Yao , nobody liked paperwork and he was actually pretty sure that his right hand man liked it just for the feeling of a job well done.
So here he was, while Meng Yao was training, doing paperwork.
Really it was so much more simple since Meng Yao organized it. It still wasn’t fun but not as excruciating as before.
Really, Meng Yao was a godsend. His help was invaluable.
Mingjue knew that the life of his aide wasn’t really all easy in the Unclean Realm but little by little he seemed to gain the respect he deserved.
Sometimes Nie Mingjue wished he could intervene, but if Meng Yao didn’t come to him about his problems then the Sect Leader couldn’t. He had already shown too much favoritism to this young, inexperienced, incredible young man.
Also he didn’t know if Meng Yao would appreciate the gesture of his Sect Leader sneaking behind his back to protect him.
Mingjue knew that Meng Yao could defend himself or ignore most of the barbs against him but the Nie was always worried that it would come to more.
Meng Yao was soft, small, maybe a little devious but if the taunts ever got physicals, the Sect Leader wasn’t sure that his aide could handle himself with his level of cultivation and training.
Or maybe he was too taken by the smaller man's dimples and gentle ways to really see him as a threat.
They would still have to train him to be sure that he could at least defend himself.
Afterall if Meng Yao was to stay at his side then…
If he had to be honest, Nie Mingjue could admit to himself that he had promoted Meng Yao as his assistant more to spite the guards that were so dishonorably mocking him than really because of his capacities.
At least at first.
And then he had really discover the extent of his new viceroy competence. Really this man would make any sect proud and Nie Mingjue didn’t really feel guilty for letting his feelings get away from him to the point of thinking of offering courtship to the smaller man.
Nie Mingjue interrupted this dangerous path of thought. He knew that his aide's deepest desire was to rejoin his father in the Jin Sect. The Nie were more or less a stepping stone. Nie Mingjue knew that. He was hoping that in his desire to accomplish his mother’s wishes Meng Yao wouldn’t stir away from the good man that he presently was.
Maybe once their stations were closer he could ask for a courtship. That could be a good idea, like that he would be sure that he didn’t pressure his aide in anything.
But Jin Guangshan was a smarmy bastard and would probably not help his son until he was able to prove himself, which could take years or even never happen.
What then? Did Nie Mingjue need to be patient or should he just…
WLHAM!
“DA-GE!”
“HUAISANG WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?”
“MENG YAO HAS BEEN DRAFTED FOR AN HONOR FIGHT AGAINST ZHONG TU!”
It was only the reflexes that he had developed till birth that saved Nie Huaisang from being trampled by his own brother in his haste to get to his viceroy.
—----------------------------------------------------
Nie Mingjue couldn’t believe that this was happening.
He had arrived at the training ground in record time but apparently too late to stop the organization of the fight that would probably end his viceroy career in his Sect.
He decided to approach Meng Yao. He needed to know.
“You do realize that if Zhong Tu wins he could ask you to leave the sect?”
Meng Yao, who until then had been hunched on himself in a corner of the unofficial ring, looked up at him, his smile just a little tense.
“I know.”
“You could have chosen something else. I could rescind the honor duel. I'm the Sect Leader we could…”
“Sect Leader Nie, are you telling me that you don’t believe in my competences?”
Are you telling me that you don’t believe in me?
Mingjue hesitated.
“I … I know you can defend yourselves but he is…”
“Bigger. Stronger. more experienced all around?”
“... Pretty much yes.”
Meng Yao smiled again, but this time it seemed a little smug.
“Sect Leader and everyone here seems to forget that even if I never wielded a saber before coming here it doesn’t mean that I don’t have any experience fighting.”
The two Nie brother looked at one another and then at Meng Yao.
The viceroy sighed.
“Trust me. I’m gonna be okay.”
--------------------
He wasn’t okay.
The fight hadn’t begun long ago but Meng Yao wasn’t okay and indirectly Nie Mingjue wasn’t either.
His poor aide was being beaten up quite badly. A lot of punches and kicks seemed to hit their target and he could see Meng Yao wavering already.
At some point, Meng Yao landed right in front of him and Huaisang and it took everything in him to not just cradle the smaller man into his arms and punch his own Chief of Guards in the face.
But it was an honor fight, so once again he couldn’t intervene.
Huaisang presented a handkerchief to Meng Yao who accepted it.
He could see him soak up the sweat accumulated on his face.
He was hunched a bit on himself, tired, done.
I’m stopping this right now !
The only thing who stopped him from intervening was Huaisang’s hand on his arm.
But before he could interrogate his brother the fight ended.
Fast.
Very very fast.
Later Nie Mingjue would remember what happened in stark detail but at the moment it seemed to happen in less time needed to take a breath.
Zhong Tu had sent a punch at Meng Yao and the smaller man had made an escape maneuver behind him. In a move that seemed very simple he had dislocated the guard shoulder before spinning back to evade another punch.
When Zhong Tu got back on the offensive next, Meng Yao had warded off most of them and responded in kind with a lot of punches in rapid succession.
When the guard staggered a bit backward, seeming really out of it, Meng Yao had sent a powerful kick to his sternum.
Which sent the man out of bond in a heap of limbs.
A silence fell on the whole courtyard.
“Where the fuck did that come from?”
Nie Mingjue would like to know too.
Because this tiny, very attractive, simple, cute man. Just. Destroyed. A. Man. Twice. His. Size.
He was very happy that he was wearing a full, heavy type of robes because he was pretty sure he had a boner.
Before long Huaisang had exploded into applause and most of the courtyard with him.
Actually Meng Yao seemed more dazed by the acclamation he was receiving than by the fight he just won.
Their eyes met and the smile Meng Yao sent his way must have been the most sincere and bright he had ever seen on the man.
And then the voice of one of the hallmasters was heard above the crowd.
“Hum I think someone should take Zhong Tu to the infirmary. From what I see he has a dislocated shoulder, several broken ribs and a dislocated jaw.”
Silence again.
“Wait really?” Nie Mingjue was even more surprised now.
Tiny man who apparently could kick ass. Hard.
Damn he wouldn’t say no to be trapped under him.
Probably unaware of his Sect Leader’s thought, the hallmaster continued.
“Yes. Obviously Meng Yao won!”
Cheers resounded again around them.
“But seeing the state of his opponent the announcement of Zhong Tu’s penalty will have to be postponed until he is cognizant enough to understand the terms of it.”
The cheers died down a bit but the racket took up even more loud after a moment.
Finally able to approach his aide, Nie Mingjue advanced in the middle of the crowd of admirers that Meng Yao suddenly was the center of.
He placed a hand on his shoulder making the younger man tense a bit.
“Good job.”
A look of contentment passed on Meng Yao’s face, accompanied by a very pretty blush.
“Let’s get you patched up.”
“Yes Sect Leader Nie!”
-------------------------
Once the healer left the Sect Leader’s study, Meng Yao and the Nie brothers were left alone.
“Whoah… just Whoah! A-Yao where did you learn to fight like that?”
Nie Huaisang was still very excited after the fight and had apparently decided to grill his friend to get answers to all of his questions.
“Well… it might not be appropriate…”
An hesitant Meng Yao was rare since his promotion. Seeing him like that meant only one thing. It had to do with his past and his mother's profession.
“You don’t have to talk about it if you don't want to.” Nie Mingjue really didn’t want Meng Yao to feel obligated to explain anything to them. He didn’t owe them anything.
“Well it’s just…” He took a breath to give himself courage apparently. “ When you’re born in a brothel the more you grow the less your mother is authorized to pay for you, must it be for the food or any other amenities. So we’re given a choice. Finding another source of income to pay for ourselves or ... being put to work…”
“Hum work with …”
“With clients, yes, basically it’s one of the ways the madam used to get new young recruits and let’s be honest once you did it even once you are considered working and a contract is easily drafted since most of them don’t know how to read. In my case since my mom teached me I was doing the bookkeeping for sometime but at some point…”
The silence was longer this time so Mingjue decided to cut to the chase.
“They tried to pressure you by withholding the job you were good at to make you work like your mother.”
“... yeah. They were also hinting at some very unsavory things and I just wanted to find something else to pay for my rent. I found this fighting ring in some inn. So I just observed for some time and tried to see if I could participate.”
“How old were you?”
“Not sure… 10? 11? I was young and small so of course they didn’t want to let me participate against a lot of people but I could fight sometimes and bet my winnings the rest of it. I won quite often with the bets but it took me a lot of fights before I was able to take down practically all of my opponents. I rarely lost that type of fight after the age of 13. I mean, it got to the point where I had more trouble taking down someone my own size than someone bigger so... ”
“... Then why were you struggling at the beginning of the fight?”
The everlasting smile on Meng Yao’s face got a little tense at that question.
“Well…”
Mingjue frowned a little bit. What now?
“Huh… I betted on myself sometimes and well I needed people to bet against me to increase my gain…”
“...”
“...”
“... And if I were to win too easily nobody would want to fight or bet against me, so I took the habit of letting my adversaries and the public think the punches landed in the right places but really it wasn’t that bad.”
“...”
“...”
“...”
It was Huaisang who cracked up first. Followed rapidly by the other two men.
Their laugh and giggles resonated in the room for quite sometimes before Nie Huaisang got himself under control to declare:
“You’re devious A-Yao!”
“Yes… yes he is… I normally don’t really like this type of falsehood but in this case I suppose it was the lesser bad of the bunch.” admitted the Sect Leader.
Meng Yao seemed relieved at this. Did he really think that I would judge him for trying to find a way to not be sold into prostitution?
Nie Mingjue musing and Huaisang’s giggles were both interrupted by Nie Zonghui’s arrival in the study.
“Viceroy Meng, your help is needed at the gates. Some merchants are having a dispute and I’m not sure if anybody else could stop them without making the situation worse.”
“Oh! Yes! I will take care of it now. Is it perchance about the Iron that was to be delivered today?”
“I think so, yes.”
“Thank you.” Meng Yao bowed deeply in this way of his. “Sect Leader, Huaisang, Nie Zonghui, I’ll see you all in a little bit.”
And with that the small man left the room.
A moment of silence followed until Huaisang took a deep breath.
“Dage!”
“Hm?”
“If you don’t seduce Meng Yao, I will!”
“What?!”
“Yeah I mean have you seen him. That was so fucking sexy!”
“Huaisang!”
“What? I know you think the same! Admit it Dage, this morning you looked like you were going to fuck him in the midle of the ring in front of everybody!”
“HUAISANG!”
“Whaat?”
“If you don’t shut up I will ask Meng Yao to teach you how to fight and to supervise all of your training. If he can fight like that then so can you!”
“...”
“...”
“...”
“...”
“Well, if Sect Leader does not wish to make a move, I will certainly take it upon myself to fulfill all of Meng Yao’s needs. And if not me I’m sure that they’re will be a lot of volunteers after what happened this morning. ”
“ZONGHUI!”