Taoist Master

A Thousand Candles

Boasting. It was all that was on her mind as she allowed the maids to dress her. Mo Yuan had called her a boaster and it hadn't gone down too well, but as the young girls lifted the beautiful royal blue silk dress over her head, one that Fei Wan had specially made for her, she couldn't help but notice how boastful it also was. And the longer she dwelled on the maids, the silk dress, the opulence of her chamber and even the enormous arena used solely for breaking in horses, it seemed that the whole world was boastful including Mo Yuan despite the nonchalant air he chose to convey.

Palaces decorated in gold gilding, the finest of silks, chess games carved from moon jade, the rarest of gems that had once started a war, and just a short cloud jump away, you could easily visit the many dragon lairs where only the most rarest of beasts could be bought and sold as easily as taking a walk through enormous gardens filled with all manner of rare flora and even rarer birds.

Even the maids were a boastful extravagance and to her mind an unnecessary one. Staff, she had never seen the likes of, roamed the halls all hours of the day and night, they filled the skies and bowed to their masters every whim including her it seemed. Because these maids refused to make eye contact having deemed her so far above them while continuing to fuss over her appearance which was the only thing on their minds.

Yet all she had was a small den, a tree sprite that felt more like a brother than a servant and the peacefulness of the grove when she wanted a change of scenery. As for her appearance, she wore simple pastel gowns and simple wooden hair pins. And for her, it was more than enough. Not even her people bowed and scraped the way these maids were doing the moment she moved to look at herself in the mirror which they were now quietly angling into position for her.

"I can do my own hair, there is no need for your assistance." she smiled at them only to frown when one of them picked up the brush while another dragged the heavy teak chair forward so she could sit down.

"That was an order. I wish to do my own hair." she tried again and this time, the one with the brush raised her head to fearfully glance towards the door, before turning her pleading soft brown eyes upwards.

"My Lord King has given us instructions to serve you alone My Lady. Please allow us to assist you." she whispered fearfully before dipping her head back down and not daring to utter another word.

Dumb founded and unsure how to take their fear, Bai Qian quietly sat down though she was livid. Such opulence and poor use of soul energy was such a tragedy and a waste, but she did not try to argue again seeing as all of them looked so close to tears, that she just didn't have it in her to cause them trouble. Instead her mind moved to Mo Yuan.

From what she knew of him, he lived a solitary life on a mountain temple with his own form of servants and that being his Disciples. They might be students, but she knew as well as the rest, his boys also catered to his every whim. He might have considered himself free from desires and a humble monk, but his robes were rich celestial silks, he was revered by the entire world and treated as such wherever he went and she knew without a doubt that he used the staff to fulfil his every desire when he visited other lands.

In fact, the man only had to open his mouth, and all heads lowered, knees hit the floor and his every command quickly obeyed. But what had her simmering angrily at the hypocrisy was the ease in which he could order people about without thought and yet maintain the humble air of a monk that he liked to convey.

Of course the reverence was real, and he had earned his place at the top of the ranks, but she did not think he had the right to deem her boastful for enjoying her time with the stallion, when he was no different to the rest of the hierarchy. In fact, to her mind, he was just as boastful and prideful because he absolutely used his high rank to its full extent everywhere he went.