The Lotus and the Flame Volume 3 Life Among the Clouds

Empathy Continues

Lan Zhan held Yin Yan's pulse lightly and began to watch her subconscious open up to him. Lan XiChen stood by ready to break the connection if either seemed distressed in any way. Dr. Yue was fascinated by the way they were working so seamlessly together. They seemed relaxed and Yin Yan's determination to find her past, if possible, was awe-inspiring to all 3 men in the room. It strengthened their own resolve to help in any way that they could.

"Xiao SongShu! " Her mother's voice sounded different, tense, and nervous. "Come into the house immediately, Please!" She dropped her book and slid from her swing at a dead run.

She had watched the Palanquin as it approached from a distance earlier. A tall man, stern-looking and dressed in white, with richly embroidered red flames creeping up the arms of his tunic and a vivid sunburst embroidered across the back, descended. She and her brother were immediately sent out to the yard and ordered to play outside. That usually meant stay until we call and do not enter otherwise. 'Today, this tone from her mother alerted her to trouble. 

She entered cautiously and saw her parents standing in front of the stranger who was seated in the best chair. He had an arrogant and casually cruel face. Her parents looked frightened. The small girl struggled to master her fear. This man was dangerous and she was terrified to her very soul.

"Uncle Wen. This is our eldest child and only daughter, Wen Qing. Qing, please bow, humbly, to your Uncle Wen Ruohan, Sect Master of the Qishan Wen Clan." Instinctively she did a low and perfect kowtow to him and won a tight and approving smile.

"Step forward Young Qing."

She forced her knees to stop trembling and approached. Wen Rouhan reached out with a hard hand and grasped her small chin between his thumb and forefinger. Even with just those two digits, she sensed he could snap her neck if he cared enough to do so. He studied her face and stated, " You want to be a Doctor, like your father."

She nodded. 

"If, one day, you are given the opportunity to do so, would you  leave to study elsewhere?"  

She nodded. She grasped that this man held the power of life or death over her family and that only submission would save them all. Her submission. She bit her bottom lip making every effort to please. These adults had suddenly made her normal, quiet life n unsafe and frightening place to be, all in a matter of minutes.

There was a faint noise behind the kitchen door and a shy boy peeked around. Mild and gentle eyes stared at the stranger. He was motioned forward. He had jammed his thumb in his mouth, seeking a primal comfort as he leaned against his sister's leg, hiding his face and not daring to look at the stranger.

"This is your brother, Ning?"

She nodded and instinctively placed herself before her brother in a protective stance. The man smiled to himself as he saw the movement. The child was strong, protecting the littler and less impressive boy. This was a good leverage point for the future. The boy was obviously a little bit out of touch with the normal flow of the world and depended strongly on the sister. He immediately discounted him as anything more than a pawn in these dynamics.

"You may leave and continue your book. Please take Ning with you."

Qing hurriedly grabbed Ning's tiny hand and ran for the yard, breathing heavily and completely terrified. This man stank of evil and she knew, on the most primal levels, that she would have to be very careful if Ning and she were going to survive in the future. She could not wait to escape his presence.

At this point. Yin Yan interrupted. "Lan Zhan. I do not think I should continue further. Is this enough to establish my identity?"

"Yes," Lan Zhan said. "If your desire is to find out who you may be, then this is enough, if the desire is to have the memories return naturally, we will need to stop now. Using Empathy can continue later."