Family Tree Monument
Lying on his bed, Mu Yu mused, Everybody should have the right to pursue their freedom, but Mu Tianhe had to also account for everyone else in the clan. Though I don’t like what he did, I can’t say I’d do better if I was in his shoes. Perhaps it’s too extreme for my preference.
“Brother Feng Mu, I’m coming in.” Mu Xin opened the door and melancholically sauntered over to him. “Brother Feng Mu, I don’t know what happened, but the atmosphere at home is bizarre.”
The eight year old girl was oblivious to what was going on, but nevertheless she could tell the atmosphere at home was tense.
“Don’t worry, Xin. Your grandpa and father are just busy for now. Let them do what they have to.” Mu Yu sat up and pinched Mu Xin’s cheek. “It’ll all blow over.”
“Even Brother Hao won’t play with me, so I came to you,” sulked Mu Xin.
Recalling the mention that Mu Zhexing’s son would’ve been given, Mu Yu queried, “Xin, does your clan have any identification items or something?”
“What is an identification item?”
“You know, something that everyone in the clan carries with them or the sort.”
“I’m not sure. Oh, I like to play where our family tree monument is. I’ll show you. Come with me.” Mu Xin pulled Mu Yu in tow by the hand.
Mu Yu suspected his green stone he had since birth was proof of his lineage. The problem was he wasn’t ready to accept Mu Clan as his family. Lost in his thoughts, he arrived at a four-storey building on Mu Clan’s grounds by the time he realised it. The first flaw of the building was labelled “Ancestral Shrine”. The ancestral shrine was different to what Mu Yu imagined because seldom did clans build ancestral shrines the way Mu Clan did.
Mu Xin already headed in. Mu Yu entered after, eager to verify his lineage. The interior was circular. Instead of predecessor’s tablets, there was a big, four-sided green monument stretching four storeys up. Each side of the monument was ten metres long, each face fitted with small holes that he could fit his green stone in. Names were carved on each slot, and all the names were connected with a string.
“Brother Feng Mu, look. My name is right here!”
Mu Xin often sneaked into the building and ran to the left side of the monument. Heaven knows where she found the light ladder from. Anyhow, she climbed up and stuffed her green stone she wore as a necklace into a slot. As her stone lit up, all of the other slots glowed, starting from those closest to her slot.
“Fun, isn’t it, Brother Feng Mu?” Mu Xin brightly asked.
Mu Xin’s green stone had her name carved onto it. Mu Rongxuan, Mu Hao and Mu Xin’s names were all lined up one next to the other. There was a slot underneath Mu Zhexing’s slot was a nameless slot.
“Xin, what’s this green monument for?” Mu Yu questioned, staring at the nameless slot under Mu Zhexing’s.
“Dad said this is Mu Clan’s family tree. If my memory hasn’t failed me, Mu Clan’s first patriarch came across this green monument and decided to turn it into our family tree as he thought it was unique. After my dad was born, he carved out a small piece and gave it to me as a necklace. Dad says we place the green stones back into the monument whenever the owner passes away.”
Once the green glow dimmed, Mu Xin retrieved her green stone and placed it back in, lighting the monument back up. She jovially clapped her hand as it shone brighter and brighter.
“Xin, can you wait for me outside? I want to take a close look at this family tree monument,” requested Mu Yu, clutching the green stone hanging from his neck.
“You want to try it, too? You don’t have a family tree stone, though. Do you want to borrow mine?”
“No, I want to play hide and seek. Go outside and count to a hundred. Then, come back and in find me, okay?” Mu Yu forced a smile and proposed.
“Okay! I love hide and seek.”
Mu Xin scurried down the ladder and shut the door on her way out. Once Mu Yu could hear her counting, he bit down on his lips and placed his green stone into the slot below Mu Xingzhe’s. A green light bloomed on Mu Yu’s face, leaving him breathless and empty.
“Damn it, I shouldn’t have come here. Damn it! Why’d I have to get the script for a melodrama?” Mu Yu sat on the ladder and spaced out.
“Brother Feng Mu, I’m done counting. I’m coming for you now.” Mu Xin opened the door and brightly ran toward Mu Yu. “Brother Feng Mu, I found you!”
“Oops, I lose,” responded Mu Yu, saying to himself, I lost this game called fate when I was given this blasted clan’s blood.
Mu Yu rubbed Mu Xin’s head. “Let’s head back before your dad comes looking for you.”
“Okay.” Mu Xin led the way back with a skip.
After dropping Mu Xin off, Mu Yu sat on his rooftop, hoping the cool breeze would blow away the figurative clouds in his mind.
“Mu Yu, are you going to help them get out of their pickle?” asked the dragon vine.
“They’re in a pickle, are they? It’s none of my business. I’m not ready to be part of them… Xiaoshuai, Dragon Vine, let’s go.”
Whoosh! Mu Yu couldn’t forgive Mu Clan.
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