≪ Current time ≫

As I was recalling the events inside my head, Mr. Knight calms himself and looks at the master before saying, "Umm… sect master, we are not couples. Maybe you are misunderstanding something?"

"Good job for correcting the sect master Mr. Knight!" I say to myself. I gave Mr. Knight a thumbs up inside my head. Thank you, Mr. Knight, for saving my reputation as a pure girl.

And your reputation too.

"Hmmmm… maybe you are right. I think I'm misunderstanding something here." The sect master closes his eyes again as if he's going to start meditating like a monk.

He looks prett— No! I mean handsome in that state.

"Umm…" I mutter. Well, what am I going to do now? Leave the hall? Or stay here like one of those statues I saw earlier? I don't know what to do okay?

. . . . .

There was a silence for quite a while. There was no one speaking. Both Mr. Knight and the sect master closed off their eyes and mouth. It was as if the two of them are statues.

・・・

It's very awkward here. Umm, can you both please start talking and end this awkward moment? It's very uncomfortable here ya know?

Soon, the sect master opens his eyes again. Thank god this awkward scene is going to end.

The sect master raises his left palm and began drawing something on his palm. Eh? What's the sect master doing?

"Revelare." The sect master mutters something after he drew something on his palm.

Without anyone doing anything, a scroll suddenly appears in front of the sect master and opens it using both of his hands. Eh? How did that happen? I saw the scroll vanished in front of me earlier? How? Did the sect master returned back in time and stole the scroll in that time?

I don't know how the sect master did it. Don't ask me such questions.

The sect master began reading the scroll silently for while. After reading the scroll by god knows how long, the sect master closes the scroll and looks at me with doubts in his eyes. Hey, don't look at me like that. It's rude you know?

"Xiare." The sect master says my name. Yep, that's me.

"Hyare." The sect master once again says my name wrong. Ummm… that's not my name sect master.

"Xiare." The sect master repeats my name once again. Is the sect master comparing my name to the "Hyare" name? Although it rhymes, Hyare isn't my name.

"Hyare." The sect master once again repeats the "Hyare" name. Yep, the sect master is comparing my name Xiare to Hyare.

The sect master then nods at me and closes his eyes once again. Hey! Can you please stop closing your eyes off? Although you look pre— I mean handsome in that state, that doesn't mean you can close your eyes anytime you want.

Except when one is sleeping, that is.

I wonder if Mr. Knight and the sect master sleeps like mortals and low realm cultivators? I think not.

"I see… thank you for escorting lady Xiare 「Eastern wind walker Luke Solaris」". You can collect your rewards on the 3rd floor of the treasury. If the treasurer asks you, just say my name. She will let you pass." The sect master said.

"Thank you sect master. I shall now leave the hall." Mr. Knight opens his eyes once again and bows to the sect master before finally leaving the hall.

So Mr. Knight's name is Luke Solaris huh. Finally, I got Mr. Knight's name. I also got his other name too.

Eastern wind walker huh… I think I heard that name from somewhere but I'm not sure where and when did I hear that name. Weird

I forgot to tell you that Moonlight Sword Sect cultivators use their true name instead of his or her other name when talking to each other. They only use their other name when the conversation is important or they are praising each other.

Yep, Moonlight Sword Sect is different from other sects that use their other name instead. Weird right?

"Xiare." The sect master looks at me. I forgot that there's no one here except me and the sect master. Darn it! Why did Mr. Knight leave?! What am I going to do now?

"Ah yes?!" I suddenly raise my voice out because of my nervousness. Foolish me! Why did I raise my voice in front of the sect master? Fool! Fool! Fool!

I look down and look at the floor as I regret my actions. Damn it! Why am I risking my entire life right now?! Am I really seeking death?!

Secretly I glance at the sect master who's looking at me. Fuuuuuuuuu*k! I'm done for!

"Why are you bowing? Please, you do not need to bow lady Xiare. It's okay not to bow as I am not really bothered by it." The sect master said as I was looking at the flooor.

Quickly, I straighten up my body. I don't want the sect master to be mad at me.

"Haha.. you don't need to be formal. Such formalities like bowing and kneeling are the things I hate. Please, be at ease lady Xiare." The sect master laughs at me.

I silently let out sigh inside my head as I heard the sect master's words. It seems that the sect master did not mind such formalities.

But you're the sect master though? Shouldn't be the kings, emperors and the sect masters are supposed to love such formalities?

Subconsciously, I lower my guard as I calmly relax in front of the sect master.

"That's better. Now, lady Xiare, you already know why you are here right?" The sect master said.

I nod in return. As I nod back, the sect master's floating cape moves on the left side of the sect master as he sits back on his throne with his crown following his head.

As he sits on the throne, The crystals surrounding him began moving towards each other, forming a circle ring above the sect master's head as they move to each other.

A big circle ring and a small circular ring was forming. I look at these rings in amazement.

After finally completing the circle, four white swords appears suddenly at the top, down, left and right part of the circle, making the circle ring look like a ship captain's wheel.

Finally, four crimson gems appear at the upper left, upper right, lower left and lower right of the circle, making the circle look like the crown of the sect master when viewed from the top.

"It seems your fate is destined to be here." The sect master looks at me with a smile. Eh? What is the sect master talking about? Fate? What's that?

Can I eat it and increase my luck?

"Lady Xiare, I suppose you have heard of the forbidden mountains?" The sect master asks.

"Yes, sect master." I replied. The forbidden mountains are always used as a topic of a lecture by every teacher within the Moonlight Sword Sect so it's basically common sense to know about that area.

The forbidden mountains are the place where the Moonlight Sword Sect was founded. Except for the sect master, no one else can enter the area which made it "forbidden." It's obvious, right?

However, there's a reason why only the sect master can enter the mountains. It has been said that there's a mysterious force that kills anyone that goes inside the mountains. Yep, I'm not kidding.

While I was talking about the mountains, I nearly choke myself as soon as I hear the sect master's following words.

"Lady Xiare, I have a favor to ask. Can you go to the forbidden mountains and find someone there?" The sect master said while looking at me. Are you fucking kidding me? Do you want me to die?

Can you just do it yourself sect master? I want to live my life more ok?

"Although I could go there instead, there's a reason why I can't." The sect master said. It seems that he knows what I'm thinking. Well yeah, who would even dare to enter the mountains except for the sect master right?

"You see lady Xiare, this body you're facing right now is one of my other bodies which is very weak compared to my original body. If this body you're facing right now goes to the forbidden mountains, this body will be destroyed by the guardians protecting the mountains as they can sense real bodies or fake ones. Even though I want to go to that place, I can't go there as my original body is currently in the middle of a crisis. So, there's no one else I can ask but you, lady Xiare." The sect master solemnly gazes at me. It seems that he's really saying the truth.

"But why don't you ask Mr. Luke or someone? Sect master, this one is not worthy of accepting your task" I said to the sect master.

At this moment, the door behind me creaks again. Both the sect master and I look at the door and see the one who's opening it.

Both I and the sect master saw a man wearing a black coat with a veil on his face.

"Greetings to the sect master and fellow cultivator. Elder Eumi Hyare is now here." The man greets the sect master and me.

Wait… what did I just heard? Eumi? Eh? Why is Eumi here?

Just as I was thinking about Eumi, I saw a familiar face. It was Eumi. She was wearing a kimono and her hair was tied up with a hair stick. She was like a flower blooming in the night. However…

She looks like she's about to cry.

"Eh? You're also here? Why are you crying?" I look at her with a confused expression.

"Wuwu Xiare you're also here! I'm not alone wuwu!" Eumi replied back and quickly run towards me with a crying expression as if she was a lost child who lost parents.

I open my arms as she runs towards me. As she ran, she opens her arms and jumps towards my direction.

Both me and Eumi fell as I could not handle Eumi's weight. Why did you even jumped in front of me?

But enough of that. It seems she was really glad to see me.

"What do you mean?" I ask her.

"Wuwu you see, after you left, A portal suddenly appeared before me while I was walking home. I looked at it and suddenly, a bad guy dressed in black suddenly appeared behind me and abducted me. After that, the bad guy carried me on his shoulder as we go into the portal together. Wuwu I was so scared that I will not see you and my friends anymore so I fought the bad guy. However, the next thing I knew is that I am already here. Thank god you're here Xiare!" Eumi hugs me tightly as if she's not letting go of me.

The bad guy you talked about is here you know? He's even facepalming himself right now.

"I shall be going now." Said the man in black before bowing and leaving the hall. Sigh…

"Hyare." The sect master spoke, looking to me and Eumi.

"Yes, sect master?" Eumi replied back while wiping her face.

I finally realize why the sect master is comparing my name to Hyare earlier. It looks like Eumi's last name is Hyare. I see now.

But, if she's here… Then that means that the sect master wrote the wrong name in the scroll.

That also means that I should not be here right?

Oh what a coincidence this is.

"Do you remember the words I said to you last year?" The sect master asks Eumi.

"Yes, sect master." Eumi responds with the same answer.

"Your master is currently at the forbidden mountains. Do you want to see him?" The sect master asks Eumi calmly. Wait…. So Eumi really does have a master. I see.

"Wait… no! Don't go to the forbidden mountains! You'll die!" I say to myself. As I was going to say these words to Eumi, the sect master was faster than me, saying, "Here, both of you, take this. This blood moon shard will keep you two safe from the guardians that roam and kill anyone who's trespassing the mountains. They will recognize you both as a guardian like themselves.

The circle's crystal above the sect master suddenly detaches from each other as soon as the sect master end his words. Two pieces of the circle flew to Eumi's hand and mine.

"Take care of the blood crystal as no one can save you both if you both lost that crystal. Now, go find your master Hyare. Lady Xiare, please follow Hyare as she finds her master in the mountains." The sect master then rose up from his throne and began chanting something.

"Lux in tenebris quasi luna militat, Portal open!" The sect master points his hand near us. Suddenly, a weird circle forms out of nowhere. It was a portal.

As Eumi and I stand up, the sect master looks at me and Eumi before saying, "Have a safe trip." The sect master smiles after that.

"Safe tri— ehhhhhh?!!!!"

Just as was going to say "safe trip," An invisible force suddenly pushes me and Eumi to the portal.

Sigh… why am I always being pushed around?