Chapter Text
Taliei stood quietly in the corner of the Crimson Tea House, teapot balanced in practiced hands. The rain outside blurred the bustling streets of the imperial capital, but inside the teahouse, warmth and conversation flowed as freely as tea.
Heroes shared tables with assassins. Government officials exchanged polite conversation with wanted criminals. Rivals who would gladly kill one another tomorrow discussed food as though they were old friends.
That was the first rule of the Crimson Tea House. Leave your grudges at the door.
Located in the capital of the Phoenix Empire, the imperial family rules all of the central plains and beyond in the land of Xi’an.
She does not remember her current life as Taliei, but she does remember a past life… a life of heroes and villains, humanity fighting a large golden man named Scion, and giant monsters called Endbringers. Her life was a girl, maybe in her late teens, a few years older than Taliei, called by many names. Skitter and Weaver are the most commonly used names.
A girl who endured so much hardship and sacrificed her life to stop a god called Scion. How was she repaid for saving countless worlds? Death. Two bolts of metal to the back of the head, like putting down a rabid dog.
Then she woke up as Taliei, lying in the Teacher’s bed five days ago. Found her half dead from starvation, and took her in as a serving girl. She has not left yet.
She cannot claim to understand her former life. Nor even why she has some of the memories, but she swears, if only to herself, she will not live a life of regrets. She may have memories of her previous life, but she is not that girl. She is Taliei, and that is who she will be.
Taliei has peach-like skin. Her hair is dark with curls. Short and only down to her lower neck. The teacher said keeping long hair if you are not a fighter is a recipe for disaster. Just another way for those with ill intent to hold her down. Her eyes are a light shade of green. An unusual color for those who do not absorb the mystical energy Qi in their bodies. She wears the simple red three-piece robes of the tea house. On her dainty feet are simple black slipper shoes.
She goes about her day as a fourteen-year-old serving girl. Wake up, do her morning routine, sweep, clean the tables, and wait at the tables to take orders from the first customers. She keeps her head down and comments to herself. Especially since the tea house serves martial artists who will literally kill to keep their secrets.
One evening, it was raining in the imperial capital. Taliei was serving a bandit simply titled Great Tiger. She lost count of how many times she rolled her eyes. Marital artists sure love their titles.
It’s a slow day. They only have about five customers enjoying their warm tea and soups. All masters of their respective martial arts, although she does not know who or what kind.
Taliei is listening to this braggart of a bandit who is bragging about how many people he killed for fun. Since she regained some of her previous life memories, she has developed an aversion to the pain and death she caused. Yes, for survival, but never took pleasure in it.
She is hyper-aware that she is surrounded by killers of all paths every day, but that doesn’t mean she has to be as casual about it as most of the people in this land are.
“Brat! Are you not listening to me, you worthless girl?!” The man yelled. He’s a big man, potbelly really. His yellow robe is offensive to her eyes. Even as a teenager, she can tell his robe is dirty. On his hip is a rusty sword. What kind she does not know.
She stopped listening to the man halfway. Something about wine, when obviously they do not serve wine. Suddenly, the bandit laid his dirty hand on her shoulder.
On instinct, before she even thought about it. She tried to reach her power. For her passenger. She didn’t feel it. She does not know why she tried. All she knew Qi existed, and it could do amazing things, but nothing like-
One of the customers stood up and pushed back her chair. She wears a deep purple set of robes with two visible daggers. “What the?! My Spider Hunt technique activated!” She leapt at the so-called Great Tiger, and before they all knew it. Her two daggers are kissing the bandit’s neck. The woman trembles and tries to move away, but she can not. Like something is controlling her body. Yet she shows no fear, but curiosity, and maybe a bit of annoyance, but no true anger. No one wants to be angry in the tea house.
Taliei blinks.
The bandit breaks out into a cold sweat. “No! I didn’t do anything!” He instantly moves his hand away from Taliei.
The woman's body stumbled, but through her experience, she caught her footing. “What in the underworld was that?” She mutters, but everyone heard it.
All the customers froze. An elderly Shaolin monk, who was sipping tea, opens his cracked eyes. “I sensed no Qi.” He said.
The other three people agreed. The woman, a man wearing green robes, and another man wearing black robes with a straw hat.
The teacher steps outside the kitchen. A tall man with scars littering his wrinkly skin. He has long silver hair that falls down his back and an equally long silver beard. His old brown eyes stared at the scene before him. The Great Tiger bandit is standing in front of Taliei and pleading for his life. The woman, who is an assassin, looks down at her unsheathed daggers in curiosity.
His eyes see the child shake. Her hands are shaking with what he recognizes as fear. Why? He does not know. But he is her Teacher. The man who saw an orphan and took them in because they were hungry. Now he had to look out for her again. “Taliei. Child. You may rest for the evening. I will clean up.” He said gently.
After a solid minute, Taliei turned to him and bowed. “Thank you, Teacher.” She swiftly walked away from the customers and up the wooden stairs in the teahouse.
As soon as the girl was upstairs. Teacher eyes turned to the collective people staring at him. They stare back. “I saw nothing.” The scholar suddenly said. He is the man in the green robes. “I must have been exhausted from reading all night.” He stood up and bowed. “Thank you, Teacher, for the tea.” He placed the silver coins on the table, then walked out.
The bandit bows and runs out in fear. Never coming back. The other man walks out. Leaving the monk and the assassin woman.
The monk sips his tea. “This child never felt Qi?” He whispers.
Teacher shook his head. “No, Abbot Lidao. Or at least that is what she claims. She said she does not remember her past, just that she is an orphan and was starving.”
The woman looks at her hands. “Teacher. May I request a proper introduction to the girl when she turns fifteen? She may have an innate understanding of my Sect poison-based techniques.”
“Amitabha. Om Amideva Hrih.” The monk said. “Ah, I apologize, Miss Assassin, but the child does not give the impression she enjoys violence.” The Abbot said. “In fact, she may be a great healer.”
“So says the old war Buddha.” The woman turned to the monk. “You carved a bloody path to the demonic cults in the past fifty years before you became Abbot Lidao, and yet you dare sprout a sutra of compassion?”
Teacher strokes his beard as the two lightly bicker. This is common in his tea house. All he wanted was to make great tea and food and share it with others. Yet the martial world does not give happy endings. “I will consider it. Please leave.”
The woman and the monk stop. They bowed, placed money on the tables, and left.
Teacher turned his head to stare out of one of the windows at the rain outside. “Hmm, what a curious child you are…” He murmurs to himself.
To be continued