Ling Bo sat there, beneath the cooling shade, calm and collected.

He observed the courtyard crowded with hundreds of young and impulsive youths, watching their every move with eerie attention.

There was the typical bevy of snotty divas, prattling about whatever with their friends while a flock of brainless tramps orbited around them, white-knighting for the smallest of reasons. The typical arrogant brats that would want to make you kiss their shoes if you look at them funny.

*BANG!*

One of many startling blasts erupted from the stage, and your Average Joe got sent flying over the ground before coming to a skidding stop at the outer edges of the plaza.

Teeth broken and blood dribbling down his swollen lips the boy refused to yield and stood up, diving back into the heated moot, ferociously.

With the droves of people clumped together a few disputes arising in the heat of the moment was only natural, hence Ling Bo didn't pay them any further notice. He went back to his introverted self, blind and mute to the outside world, only once or twice barring a smile as Little Xi came running, placing down some dry, salty snacks and fresh beverages.

It tasted bland and Ling Bo nearly gagged on his first mouthful but Little Xi strongly reminded him of the niblets nutritional value and how they would quicken his recovery.

Ling Bo could only thank her with a wistful smile, praying for forgiveness to his future self that would sooner or later have to gobble all this hearsay wonder-food up.

***

While Ling Bo resumed abutting on the tree, unaffected by the jeers and cheers, jibs and quips of his fellow disciples, the lofty maiden Qingya Xue made her descend.

For their idle chatter to go uninterupted Wou Shi Xue configured an exact carbon copy of Qingya right by his side, between the moment the real Qingya moved and this fake doll took its place not even a second elapsed. For now they had them all fooled.

***

Qingya still wrecked her brain over a possible explanation for why her grandfather would even let her talk to such lowly commoners, much less this obvious derelict of his clan.

Already from afar she felt his strangeness, an oddity amongst his peers.

He sat down in broad daylight, yet a part of her somehow, someway, could not pick up on his presence. At first she blamed it on her own ego, that her subconsciousness did not deem this person worthy of further observation or even interaction; though that was an evaluation even a bit extreme for her.

But later on, right now in fact, as she peered down on him like a goddess incarnate, although she could see him with his eyes, she couldn't actually 'see' him.

It was beyond strange, as even mortals without a speck of dao -this powerful seed of divinity- carried a certain 'presence'.

The heavenly laws would churn and coil around them, the absence of any divinity whatsoever lodging their mortal shells into the ethereal backdrop.

They were like bubbles drifting through the water. Pockets of emptiness.

But this boy, he defied her knowledge.

Nature itself, mother of life, weaved through his frail body, and like a single, magnificient unit he sat there; encompassing the earth, the sky, the trees and the wind.

This boy was enmeshed into the heavens themselves but most sadly of all, probably ignorant of it.

Qingya could only lament this kid's bad luck. To be reared in a destitute hicksville, suffering terrible plight just because everyone here was ignorant of his constitution.

For an instant there Qingya was truly tempted to take this boy home, and groom and nurture him. It might not be the most powerful physique of all but at least he would make for a mighty warrior.

Startled by this ambiguous thought Qingya tidied out her mind. 'Take a boy home like a stray dog, what would mother think of that?!', surprisingly it made her voice a stuffy chuckle.

Landing behind the beech with neither a crackle nor a crinkle Qingya leered at the boy from a few feet distance.

'Do I really have to?', she thought and looked up to her grand-father, solemnly leaning in his seat with a glare in his eyes.

She gulped, 'I guess I do.'

"I wonder what yours truly, Saintess Qingya Xue, is doing here, so far away from her gilden throne high up in the skies. Tired of looking down on weak and pitiful mortals?"

Qingya started, like a naughty child caught with her fingers in the cookie jar. She came round the trunk to be confronted by an archly smiling Ling Bo.

"Who would have thought, the mighty princess has enough courage to stand on the same earth as we do... Ayaaaa, what a world we live in. I better stop breathing lest your majesty be polluted by my very breath.", Ling Bo leaned further into the shade, relaxing on the slightly mossy ground.

After being caught off-guard Qingya had many thoughts to process, for one, how did he feel her presence? But the indignation she felt, after his words set in, incinerated every question to him she would have ever had.

"Y-You! Who do you-!", before she finished her sentence Ling Bo raised a hand and cut her off, motioning for her silence.

"Listen up. I know full well who you are and who I am. Both the future heads of our respective sects. Alas, right now you, girlie, are standing on OUR turf. So I beg your pardon but wipe that arrogance off of your face real quick! Where do you think YOU are right now?"

With so much asperity in his voice and the tranquil wrath bubbling beneath his eyes even Qingya felt guilty. Not many could see past her mask but this boy sure could. And what he saw didn't please him. 'Just like grandfather...'

"So, from your silence and not starting a bloody massacre I can assume you won't erradicate me and my whole clan in a bloody conniption..." -Ling Bo scratched his chin in contemplation.- "Which you would normally do, direct or indirect, but not now. You can't." -Hit by a sudden epiphany he smacked his forehead.- "No way! You are not here on your own volition but that of your grandfather's. And by taking an educated guess, from the fact that my head has yet to roll on the floor, his instructions were with friendly intentions in mind, weren't they? Nothing you can do then, Miss stick-up-my-ass! A Saintess? Pah! You are just like all the other arrogant brats that sooner or later get themselves killed."

Once more Qingya reeled back, silent throughout his whole rant. Of course she was ignorant of Ling Bo's cicrumstances, namely that he had seen such plot in the past countless times already. Why would a beauty like her even THINK of getting closer to a complete no-name?

It would be a mind-boggling conundrum that would leave philosophers riddle on for centuries.

There was virtually no reason why she would approach him, no reason apart from his special trait, which he was completely aware of, and Ling Bo made full use of it.

Qingya composed herself after a short while of introspection, what that boy and her grandfather said rang true. Pride would sooner or later be her downfall. After all, how many undying existences were hiding in plain sight at this very moment? Countless! And they could all unmake her with a thought.

"I- I didn't- *HIC*!". Looking for the right words to say Qingya tried to mouth an apology but instead she voiced and incomparably crestfallen sob.

"I- I am just- *HIC* just... Uuu... Uhhhuu... Uaawwhhhh...", before Ling Bo had the time to react, reach out, or do anything at all, Qingya broke down into a sobbing mess.

In a flash she hid her wailing figure behind the tree and cried all by her lonesome, while Ling Bo could only stare holes into the air, both in wonder and in confusion.

"I- Umm... I didn't mean to... to..? Uhh, sound so harsh. I- I was just.. Uhhh...", He couldn't even formulate a coherent sentence so shocked was he.

Realizing how snarky he had been, as well as the impact his few words likely caused to her fragile ego, left him appalled. Because this could spell doom.

This girl wasn't born with a silverspoon in her mouth, but one of gemstone and moonlight, he wondered for a moment if she even had to wipe her own ass once in her life.

He could already envision how an enraged Wou Shi Xue descended upon him, tearing him limb from limb. Therefore, cautiously, he watched the old man from the corner of his eyes.

Austere as ever but with a dangerous glimmer to his half-closed eyes the elder remained seated, waiting for their little dialogue to finish before meting out judgement.

'Not good... Not good at all...', Ling Bo's thoughts stumbled. Just how was he to remedy the situation?

How could he ever have guessed that a dozen words, not even a sliver of the verbal-bashing he had prepared, would hurt this miss before him. This shouldn't have happened! She should get angry, maybe pout or something like that, but not break down into an unsalvagable mess wrecked by emotional trauma.

No, the stories never told of such a frail beauty! She should stand above his words, make a bet or two and see if he can actually stand up to his own words, maybe even threaten him with whipping or other forms of torture! Not... not... not THIS!

'What do I do? What the flying fuck do I do?!'

Cold sweat pooled on his neck and brow, he had no time to waste! What he needed to do was to soothe the crying damsel, so that the dragon -being her grandfather- won't burn down his home, like in some hero epos. He might survive the brush with death, but Ling Bo would rather stand on the safer side of things.

Cue Little Xi walking into the courtyard, another platter of foods teetering atop her head as she chittered and bounced around with ruddy smile.

All grin and bubbling happiness she set the tray to the ground, lifting the other, empty plate into the air and stalking away. Suddenly she stopped, listening on her tiptoes while her head glanced from side to side. Finally her eyes rested on the tree Ling Bo said against, and she curiously cocked her head.

"Ling-Ling... someone's crying, no?", she wondered out loud and carefully peeked around the massive trunk.

All the while Ling Bo's heart was thumping in his chest, his palms sweaty and legs like noodles. 'Oh god, what if Xi sees her?! OH NO!', when had someone like Qingya Xue been so humiliated, and with spectators now as well.

But before he could rush over to stop the little critter Xi she was already face to face with the sulking Qingya.

Gaping her tiny mouth Little Xi turned around, puffing her cheeks and shooting an accusatory glance at Ling Bo. "Did you make Miss Xue cry? How dare you! Bad Ling-Ling! Bad!"

Ling Bo just stared slack-jawed, and even Qingya perked up. Lan Xi still maintained her cutesy glare, but Ling Bo couldn't help himself but imagining a huge question mark popping up above her head.

'This may just work.' He thought.