This chapter has violence in it so be warned when reading please!

Tao placed a patch over the wound on his left cheek, and all the small cuts on his back the best he could. He started to run a hot bath and left to pick out his dark gray pants, and a sleeveless white shirt with gold buttons, More casual attire for the evening. He had time before dinner would be done so he would enjoy this time to wind down and recover from today's item retrieval. Tao sank down into the bath and groaned in pain, again, it wasn't advisable to be thrown through a window so the injuries along his side and back hurt the most. Tao held his tail above the water and over the lip of the tub, he wasn't very good at bandages like that so a bit of bandages hung out of it, he didn't mind though, he had patched himself up and was on the road to healing. Or so he thought. Tao got out of the bath after a few good minutes of cleaning himself up, got dressed and left the bathroom. He was happy to get out of the icky humid bathroom and move to the kitchen and dining room. Tao was tired, more than tired, he was absolutely drained, after he ate he would go to bed. Tao walked into the dining room and saw that the table was already set, Lao De Nu sat at her end, the food sitting in front of her hadn’t been touched but everything was set and ready. She did this? Without Tao? Something was up, and Tao couldn't figure out what, so he brushed it off and sat down with the old woman. They said quick prayer and started eating, Tao and Lao De Nu were silent the entire time, Tao was too ‘out of it’ to really focus, then. “Tao, I'm sorry.” Tao’s ears peaked up, did this mean old woman just, apologize? “I’m sorry for how wretched I’ve been to you for all these years, you’re right, you do so much for me and I give you so much backtalk in return, I'm sorry Tao, I hope you can forgive me, if not now, then someday.” Tao was stunned, he sighed with a soft smile on his face, and opened his mouth to speak. The shop door opened, but they were closed, was this just a traveler lost? Or a demon of some kind? Tao didn't want to risk anything, He summoned his staff to his side and took off to the shop front, standing just behind the curtain to listen to the hushed chatter of the unwelcomed people in the lobby. “You sure this is the place?” “‘Course I am, and c’mon, look at this place you think I'd be wrong for 3 days in a row?” “Anything is possible.” They sounded like they didn't pose a threat but a chance not taken ends up failing every time. So, Tao took this chance. He stepped through the curtains that divided the shop from the living space and stepped out to the people in the lobby. “Hello, we’re closed for the night, could you please leave?” The shadowy figures turned to Tao, Demons, of all things tonight it had to be more demons. “Really now? All those lights out in front made us think that you were open, our mistake we’ll take our leave then.” One of the demons said, the other one crossed his arms and took a seat at the table Lao De Nu was playing at earlier, Tao wished he could be satisfied but that all took a turn for the worse when the demon walking towards the door started to laugh. Tao was on edge now because of this, he gripped his staff tight and got into a small steady stance. “You're funny! Almost makes me want to spare your little life, almost. Now listen here, we know that little old lady is back there, and she knows we're here, she owes us a lot of money.” “So send her out and we can get this transaction over and done with.” Tao was confused, the need for sleep, these demons talking about debts from Lao De Nu, their weird way of talking after one another? It was causing Tao a great deal of trouble trying to understand the things coming from their mouths. “Look, I'm sure that you've got the wrong place, and I'm-.” “o-oh! You two are early, too early, Let me go get your payments.” Lao De Nu was here now, and she was scuttling to get the money hidden under the floorboards, I was told to stay away from the two bulky demons and to just stand in the corner, I did, but on edge as usual. I watched as the demons took the sack of coins from Lao De Nu, almost clawing her hand in the process, dump them out on the table and turn to her. “You're short.” The one on the left spoke, the little old woman's face went pale. She stammered and stuttered trying to explain and try to extend her time to get money but the demons laughed again, and stalked towards her, Tao couldn’t just watch this woman be hurt, true she was horrible to him for years but she had her moments when it was better, He moved to get the demon away from her, he was quick but the other demon was quicker, Grabbing Tao by the hair and yanking him into a chokehold but still allowing him to breath. Tao screamed and clawed at the demon's vice grip on him, he could only watch as the old woman was backed into a corner and told to go and get everything valuable she owned, family heirlooms, old jewelry, the fine china, everything. She was reluctant to do so and the demons decided to give her some sort of motivation. The demon holding Tao body slammed him onto the wooden floor and he screeched in pain, the demons only laughed and pulled the old woman to look at Tao, who was in Immense pain. The demon holding Tao, unsheathed a parang and held it to Tao’s right cheek, Tao shrieked and tried to move away from the blade that threatened to puncture his flesh and spill the crimson liquid. He looked at the old woman with fear in his eyes,the longer she Hesitated the less time it took the demon to start cutting Tao’s face. By the time she had left the lobby the demon's blade had already left a large cut on Tao’s face, from the bottom of his cheek to the bridge of his nose. Tao was crying, desperately trying to get out of the demon’s grip, Lao De NU came back with a large sack of items and the demon got off of Tao, but not before finishing the cut to his face a thin line left up the bridge of his nose and onto his forehead. Tao rolled to the side, panting heavily and holding the side of his face. The demon who cut him wiped the blood off his parang and put it away. His accomplice had checked the bag and nodded to the other, they got what they wanted so they left. They left the old woman with nothing and Tao bleeding on the floor. It wasn't long before the old woman made a move to try and get things in order, Helping Tao with his face and cleaning up the mess in the lobby. Tao felt awful knowing that he couldn’t do his job anymore, and he knew that It was only a matter of time before the shack would be repossessed and he would have to leave Lao De Nu for good.