Little Purple

Hu Zi's long black hair fluttered as she hopped from roof to roof, her dark purple hanfu blending into the night. The black clouds that covered the sky began to fade little by little, revealing the twinkling stars behind them. Hu Zi started her wing navigation, finding it much easier as the rain had stopped pouring.

Hu Zi finally arrived at the crime scene and was shocked to feel the wreckage around her. Just what happened here?

She glided in the air for a bit before landing perfectly beside Shou. He was lying weakly facedown on the ground.

"Master?" Hu Zi said, tilting her head. She squatted and reached out her hand, placing it against his clothes. She only felt coldness emitting from Shou's back. "Master Shou?"

She proceeded to press her fingers against the skin below Shou's ear, feeling for his pulse. When she was unable to find that steady rhythm, she frowned. Next she felt for his breath using her wind but even then she did not get anything.

Beginning to panic, she quickly pushed Shou's body and rolled him over until he was facing upward. Leaning down, she placed her right ear above his chest.

After a moment of complete silence, she was finally able to hear his weak heartbeat. "Master!" she cried in relief and quickly pressed Shou's acupoints.

Shou suddenly coughed and a mouthful of blood spurted past his lips. As his eyes opened and adjusted to the sky's dim light, he thought to himself that his own power had really got him this time.

"Master! You idiotic Master." Hu Zi's whole body was covered in cold sweat. "How did you become like this?" She checked his body again and was horrified to learn that his internal organs were damaged, possibly due to the overuse of his energy. "Hold on!"

Hu Zi used the healing wind on Shou, also using it to clean up some of the mess. Placing Shou's left arm around her neck and steadying his body, she jumped onto the roof, using the winds to help her carry him despite her small frame. Most of the shops in the marketplace were closed, so she could only hope that Fa Sui was still up. Fortunately, the place where she had found the unconscious Shou wasn't too far away from the Hu residence.

Shou, who was laying his head weakly against Hu Zi's neck, began to regain a bit of his power after he got her energy from the healing wind.

"Xiao Zi..." Shou weakly called.

"Shh, don't talk. Save your power, we are almost there," Hu Zi said.

"Mmm. Xiao Zi, I am sorry…" Shou said before falling asleep.

"...Idiot."

Hu Zi turned to the side and opened her eyes. Unfortunately, it was still dark for her. She could not see Shou's face, nor feel it. She signed and quickened her pace.

Finally reaching the Hu residence, she directly headed to Fa Sui's room and felt the presence of her two sisters, Zhi Yu, Falcon, and Fa Sui in front of the office.

"Doctor Fa!" Hu Zi shouted. Fa Sui, whose face was already pale, glanced up and saw Shou's condition.

"What? What happened to him?" Fa Sui jumped up, rushing to Shou and quickly checking his condition. "It does not look to be the same case, but..."

"Same case? What do you mean?" Only then did Hu Zi sense Hu Ye's presence inside the office. "Fourth Brother?"

"Third Sister…" Hu Cheng Se came to her and took her hand. "That… Ye'er, Fourth Brother, he…"

"What is it?" Hu Zi said anxiously.

"He…" Hu Cheng Se trembled and her already red eyes began damping once more.

"What happened to him? Did he catch a cold?" Hu Zi said.

"We only hope it is just a cold," Hu Bai said as she handed Hu Cheng Se a handkerchief. Looking down to Hu Cheng Se's trembling feet, she could imagine the bruises hidden beneath her hanfu. "Second Sister, you are already very tired. Go ahead and rest for tonight. I will help Doctor Fa take care of Fourth Brother."

Hu Cheng Se's protests were covered by her cries. She had never looked so weak than she did in this moment. "I am worried, First Sister. I…"

"I know, I know, but we can't afford another patient."

Hu Zi was curious as to what happened. Once she finished checking on Shou once more, she slowly came into the small patient room where Hu Ye was and saw…

------

"Oh, you are here already." The black cloaked man met the black cloaked lady outside of the city gate in a dense forest. "Did you meet the old couple?"

The lady faced the black cloaked man and smiled. "Yes."

"How did it go?"

"They said they did not know now anything about the case."

"Hmm."

"Sir, I think the rumor is true…"