Book 10: Chapter 18: Could and Should
“You’re not going to participate?” asked Sen.
Auntie Caihong glanced at him before returning her eyes to the sky, where the figures of Uncle Kho and Master Feng were swiftly disappearing. He’d assumed that there would be extensive discussions about how to approach the mortal and sect leadership. There was not. Both of the elder cultivators had assured him that they knew what to do. While Sen had doubts, he also lacked any experience to draw on that would qualify him to offer advice. He’d experienced a brief moment of worry for their safety and then felt foolish for the thought. They weren’t invulnerable, but the odds that the spirit beasts could assemble a force capable of killing either without extensive planning was almost preposterously low. He hadn’t been sure what Auntie Caihong would do. She had gone hunting for that cabal of demonic cultivators, after all.
“This isn’t really the sort of thing I’m best at,” she said. “Besides, someone responsible needs to be here to make sure that nothing happens to Ai.”
“Yes,” said Sen dryly. “If only she had a father.”
Auntie Caihong nodded in agreement and said, “Oh, that would definitely help.”
Sen knew better than to take offense. In years past, his eyes would have missed the tiny quiver around her mouth or the slight increase in tension around her eyes. He might have felt a stab of hurt at what sounded like an offhand judgment about his love for and care of Ai. With senses and a mind honed by advancement after advancement, those all but invisible signs of suppressed amusement stood out as sharply as lightning against a cloudy night sky. Sen rolled his eyes and let his gaze fall onto Ai. She sat on the back of that sky monster she’d adopted and was waving wildly at the elder cultivators who had surely passed far beyond her sight.
“I’ll see what I can do about that,” offered Sen thoughtfully. “Perhaps I can buy one for her.”
Auntie Caihong let out a brief huff of laughter.
“I’m pretty sure I saw a few for sale in the market just the other day,” she offered.