“YOU!” Heat entered Fan Zhong’s voice as he snarled at the swordsman, vivid memories of that day entered his mind as if Fan Cheng’s blood was still wet on his clothes.

Without thinking, he struck forward, aiming an ‘Origin Piercing Palm’ at the man’s head with the brick. A sigh with a touch of sadness escaped the swordsman’s lips as he seemed to flow around the strike like water. Madness overtook Fan Zhong for a moment and he kept building momentum with his movement technique, pivoting to lash a leg at his opponent.

Half a dozen exchanges occurred in a single breath with Fan Zhong executing a blurring combination of Fan clan palm techniques, each one unable to even graze the swordsman. Every time he attacked, eyes filled with patience and sadness would look back at him, as if the opponent were observing him from the other side of the room. Finally, his speed reached a tipping point and as he pivoted to deliver a final ‘Earth Origin Palm’ his leg slipped under the force of the turn sending Fan Zhong toppling to the ground.

Before his fall could finish his mental energy rapidly worked, giving him the reaction speed to turn the fall into a backward somersault. He landed five steps away, still facing his opponent.

“That is quite the greeting. Are you quite finished, or do you need more time? If so don’t hold back for my regard, we can do this as long as you wish.” The swordsman spoke with patience and calm that even Elder Wuying would have respected, with no sign of mockery or disrespect in his voice as he gave a low bow.

“Hmph, what's the point, venerable immortal? Aren’t we like ants to you who soar high into the heavens? Do our lives even have any value to you, Most Honorable Xing Zheng?” As Fan Zhong spoke the venom and spite in his words reached a peak, practically spitting the other man’s name out.

Now that the fervor of battle was wearing off his mental energy reminded him, in excruciating detail, every last thing that had happened that day. From the words of Li Cheng to Xing Zheng introducing himself to the other immortal, not a single moment was forgotten. The memories burned into his mind, like a hot iron being pressed upon his soul.

Desperately he tried to force the memories from his mind however, his thoughts moved too fast and remembered too well. In that moment the mental energy that he had craved for so long, the very thing that he trained for years to attain betrayed him. Every moment from that day onward was a crystal clear image in his mind, preserved like the finest paintings by his increased mental capacity.

“Your reaction, junior, is understandable. However, what happened that day was not done by my hand. More than anyone else, you should know that.” Xing Zheng’s eyes revealed sadness as he looked at Fan Zhong, the image of a broken young man clinging to Li Cheng’s robe reflected in his gaze.

As the older man spoke, voices could be heard from the balcony on the second floor that overlooked the hall. Wind rushed down from above as a large transparent blur arrived between the two. Little White’s growl carried the might and pride of his heritage, causing the hair on the necks of all in the room to rise.

Before the sound finished Xing Zheng appeared in front of Little White, a single finger pressed between the massive wolf’s brow. The fearsome growl that carried all of the mighty spirit beast's might and will to protect Fan Zhong was stifled instantly as if a sword had simply cut the sound from the air. As this happened the once fierce beast slowly bled into visibility, his head lowered toward the ground as he whimpered, blood coating the white fur around his maw.

“Hmmm, good spirit beast. It seems he was busy as well.” Xing Zheng said, a slight smile on his face as he looked at the whimpering Little White “Don’t make that noise. I wasn’t the aggressor here and you know full well that the boy was in no danger from me.”

At these words, Little White raised his head, intelligence gleaming in his eyes as he looked at the swordsman. After a long moment, he let out a single bark of assent before beginning his traditional greeting of licking Xing Zheng’s face in an excited fashion. Staring at all of this Fan Zhong was startled, one had to know that Little White was immensely strong to the point where even he had long lost track of how powerful the water wolf would be in an open fight.

Even though the legends about immortals spoke of them sundering mountains and splitting the seas it was one thing to hear of such things and another to witness it. Although Fan Zhong was fairly certain that either his elder brother or father could’ve subdued Little White, to do it in such a fashion that released no shockwave or energy was awe-inspiring. The brief thought of his family caused another pang of sadness to tear through Fan Zhong’s heart; however, he used the semblance of peace that had come to him that day to push it down.

Inside him, the feelings still raged but for the first time in five years, it felt as if the smallest part of them had been extinguished. Taking a deep breath he gritted his teeth and bowed to Xing Zheng.

“Thank you for the compliment, senior. Little White has been my close companion for many years, it is an honor to hear him praised like this.” Fan Zhong did his best to change his tone to be respectful, succeeding in so much as he sounded slightly less likely to punch the other man in the face now.

“Indeed, Little White eh? You must have met him when the name fit. Now about this ‘Xing Zheng’ business...” Xing Zheng’s voice was level and a small smile started to form on his face as he spoke.

“Did I remember incorrectly? That day, you introduced yourself to Senior Li Cheng as such. Thinking about it, Xing…” Suddenly Fan Zhong’s mind almost went blank as the other man’s name finally finished processing in his mind, quickly he went to kneel while speaking. “Your highness, please forgive this lowly one, I had eyes but even when it was right in front of me Mt. Tai remained out of sight.”

Realizing the implications sent a shiver of horror through his mind. This man was part of the Xing royal family, as in the Xing Empire! On top of that, he was one of their immortal ancestors, making his mistake that much worse!

Although Fan Zhong cared little about giving face to the empire on a personal level as the remaining heir to the Fan Clan he could put the survivors in jeopardy by angering someone so important. Even a member of the Lu Clan could casually order the extermination of the entire valley let alone a member of the Xing clan asking for his lowly clan to be erased! He may have been avoiding the survivors of the Fan clan the past few years however, there was still a line he couldn’t cross in his heart.

Something that would exterminate the rest of the clan definitely crossed that line!

“Relax, I already told you it was fine.” Xing Zheng spoke while waving his hand in a dismissive gesture. “The bigger problem is that I’m supposed to be here for… private matters. Although I’d hoped to track you down it's truly blind dumb luck that we met today. That being said, I'll need you to refer to me as something other than my actual name. Clan name aside the Baroness asked that my presence here be low-key. How about… Zhang Zheng! It's brilliant don’t you think?”

“I see…” Fan Zhong said with a shaky voice as he rose, his eyebrows raising in suspicion. “Well, if that is what you wish to go by then Senior Zhang Zheng it is. I’ll be sure to refer to you as such if anyone asks me about you.”

“Good, good, in any case, it seems that you're well. In the sense that you're physically well that is. You know it’s never sat right with me what Li Cheng did that day! He had his reasons and they are his own however, his path isn’t the only one! Now that you’ve had a few years to think about it, has your mind changed? I’ll have you know that my Azure Rain Sword Sect is well renowned throughout the whole lesser region and even well regarded throughout the whole empire! Joining it would bring no shame to your clan.” Xing Zheng’s eyes sparkled with the light of a salesman who had given the same pitch many times.

“Senior, I’m sure your sect is wonderful and that the offer is sincere; however, there are still things here that I need to attend to. If my heart ever yearns to leave the mortal world, Senior's sect will be foremost in my thoughts!” Fan Zhong replied with trepidation, emotions warring in his heart as a great unwillingness to leave the valley settled upon him.

“Is that so?” Xing Zheng’s expression became neutral once again, slight hints of disappointment and sadness returning to his eyes before they once again lit up with renewed energy. “Understood young man. If it’s not too much trouble, could I have your name?”

“Oh… apologies, Junior Fan Zhong greets senior!” he hastily replied, mentally berating himself for forgetting that Xing Zheng had never been formally introduced to him. “Senior Xing Zheng, If there's nothing else then perhaps we should see to the hall staff’s safety and injuries?”

“A good name… yes good indeed. No need to worry, junior. While we’ve been speaking I inspected them with my divine sense. Nothing hurt, save for some pride and egos. Your spirit beast saw to it that the dozen or so assailants on the second floor were dealt with and no harm came to anyone there either. Now, since you plan on staying I can’t force you to go to the sect. However, it feels shameful that you’ll receive no compensation from me. It just so happens that I’ll need to be in this valley for the foreseeable future and need someone who knows the area.” Xing Zheng spoke with a casual air as he stroked his chin with a few fingers as if he had a beard, of which he did not. “Would you be willing to show me around the local places? While we journey I’ll give you a few pointers on your martial arts.”

“That… Senior, there are still surviving members of my clan. I had planned to return to them sometime soon. My negligence has been a disservice to their loyalty.” Fan Zhong’s expression took on a great sense of guilt and regret as he spoke the words, his mind remembering the faith that Fan Yong had in him.

“Understandable, however, don’t clan leaders in this area normally have to be in the Master realm? If you go now, will you be strong enough to face the other leaders of the valley as a peer and equal?” Xing Zheng replied in a questioning manner, his brows quirking upward to accent the tone.

“Indeed, it seems that even after all this time, I’m still too weak.” Fan Zhong’s expression turned to one of dejection as a sigh escaped his lips.

“Simply inexperienced junior, not weak.” Xing Zheng’s expression softened as his voice took on the tone of a consoling mentor, one that fit him well. “It seems that your clansmen have been surviving thus far. This tells me that they have strong enough leadership to continue weathering the current storm. How about this, I pledge on my sword that until you reach the master realm, this old man will accompany you as your protector and mentor. Since you're adamant about not joining the sect I can’t be your master formally, however, as we travel the valley you can learn from the various clans and I’ll be there to provide advice.”

As he said this the older man drew an opulent-looking sword that resided in an azure sheath, seemingly from thin air. Drawing the sword, he pierced it into the ground in front of Fan Zhong and knelt beside the blade. Power surged through the room as the Qi of Heaven and Earth seemed to concentrate and strengthen in the presence of the sword, infusing Xing Zheng’s oath with a heavy pressure.

“This is… too much. Senior Xing Zheng, surely you don’t have the time to-” Fan Zhong’s words were cut off as the older man met his gaze, piercing azure light glowing in his eyes.

“None of that! When a son of Xing makes an oath, he intends to keep it. Do you accept?” Xing Zheng’s tone became serious, a blade cutting through all of Fan Zhong’s apprehension.

“Yes… Thank you, Senior.” Fan Zhong’s voice shook as he struggled to take hold of his emotions, fighting the tears that threatened to overtake him.

“Good, now let us not keep the hall mistress waiting any longer.” The pressure in the air seemed to disperse as the older man rose and his voice took on a more casual tone.

As he did this Xing Zheng threw his sword into the air after which it seemed to blur and disappear from sight. Afterward, he retrieved the sword that he had been fighting the bandits, safely depositing the more mundane natural treasure blade into the sheath at his side while redonning his wide-brimmed bamboo hat before snapping his fingers. With that snap sound from the hall seemed to return to Fan Zhong as a faint hazy barrier around them vanished into thin air.

“Senior Zhong!” The voice of Cui Shi rang through the air as the woman barreled into Fan Zhong. “Thank goodness you came, I was going to fight them if it came to it, however…”

As the young woman spoke she turned a worried look towards her workers. He understood although Cui Shi would most likely be able to deal with a few bandits she couldn’t have handled them all. If she was ok wounding a few of them and trying to escape by using the workers as shields then there was a chance for her to escape however, Fan Zhong knew that she wasn’t that type of person.

“Thank you as well, Senior.” Cui Shi said as she bowed to Xing Zheng who had returned to his mysterious appearance, the brim of his hat fully covering his face. “Apologies, senior, I don’t think we’ve spoken before. Do you and Senior Zhong know each other? It seemed that you spoke after the fight, however, the air seemed… hazy?”

Cui Shi raised her hands in a defeated manner as confusion set in on her expression, struggling to describe what had happened after the bandits had been subdued. A moment of silence passed before Xing Zheng inclined his head to the young woman in acknowledgment.

“It's no matter, Young Mistress Cui Shi. I am known as Master Zhang Zheng and am a wandering martial artist of little fame or reputation. Young Master Zhong and I met some years ago when my roaming took me near the valley. Since I’m not native to the area and we know each other I was simply asking him if there was room in his schedule to show me around!” Xing Zheng lifted his hat the slightest bit to reveal a sheepish smile “You’ll have to forgive me for the slight trick of the light, years spent as a wandering martial artist has raised my paranoia you see and I value the privacy of my conversations.”

Fan Zhong’s eye twitched in irritation at the smoothness with which his newfound companion told lies. It was as if he was a dishonest con man who had been selling snake oil for generations! Thinking back on it, he felt that the pitch for Xing Zheng’s sect was too well practiced as if he had given it to dozens before and been rejected each time.

Secretly he started to wonder how famous the Azure Rain Sword Sect truly was and if Xing Zheng was truly from the royal family or just a distant clan that happened to share the name of the empire! As his thoughts drifted, Fan Zhong was brought back to the present by the sound of his name.

“In any case, Seniors Zhong and Zheng, thank you so much for your assistance today. If there is any request you have of the Cui clan I will do my best to fulfill it!” Cui Shi’s expression was sincere and the workers behind her, who had been speaking in hushed tones among themselves until now, cheered their assent at the proclamation.

Nodding in thanks, the two exchanged pleasantries with the young woman for a few more moments, vowing to call upon her favor if they ever felt the need to. Shortly, the two men found themselves in the streets of Butont making their way back to Fan Zhong’s humble abode by starlight.

“I hope my home will be acceptable for the night. It’s a far cry from a palace but comfortable enough for an honest night's sleep.” Fan Zhong said, yawning as he finished before lazily tugging on Little White’s fur to climb up onto the wolf's back.

“No trouble at all. Trust me, when you’ve spent the night meditating under a hundred meters of mud to hide from a raging thunder toad, the idea of a bedroll is comfort enough for the rest of your life.” Xing Zheng chuckled slightly while shaking his head at the memory.

“That actually happened?” Fan Zhong had just finished climbing onto his furry companions' back and looked over to stare at the living immortal casually walking through the streets with him with an expression of incredulity.

“Indeed, my master felt that I’d become ‘too used to civilized life’ to connect with the world in a more natural way. He called me to the tallest peak of the sect and whisked me a few greater regions to the east to a desolate greater region. Waited until I woke up to tell me that place would be my home for the foreseeable future and that he would be back precisely a century later on that very peak that I’d been left on to collect me. It was… an interesting learning experience” Xing Zheng’s face twisted into a slight grimace before he continued chuckling and shaking his head, obviously not all of that particular outing had been pleasant.

“Hmph, kidnapped and stranded huh? I can relate, not the immortal century-long isolation part. However, my father also left me in the forest of the southern valley shortly after I began training. It was actually where I met this adorable guy” Fan Zhong smiled as he stroked the top of Little White’s head, conflicting bits of joy and sadness mixing in his expression.

“Honestly, I’ve never felt the inclination to take a disciple and abandon them someplace strange, you know…” Xing Zheng started to talk to him about his time spent training the disciples of his sect.

Although the older man had never had a personal disciple it seemed that he did have a great deal of experience training those who had come to the sect. By the time he had finished explaining an incident Xing Zheng called the ‘Three masked cultivators triumph’ they had arrived at Fan Zhong’s home and went inside. To his surprise the immortal member of the empire’s royal family made no comments on the bareness of his home, merely finding a quiet corner of the room and double-checking with Fan Zhong if that space was ok to use.

After that Xing Zheng simply sat down in a lotus position and wished him goodnight before starting to meditate. For his part, Little White curiously strolled in a circle around the man before brushing against him in an affectionate manner. This continued for a small bit before he seemed content that the older man was ok and the spirit beast returned to the pillow pile to lay down with Fan Zhong.

Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly as contentment settled into his heart for the first time in ages. Just earlier this week it felt like Fan Zhong’s life was over, he was at his wit's end. Now, he was on the cusp of a new beginning that would see him traveling the valley in the companion of a legendary immortal.

Not everything was fixed and he still felt a deep sadness and anger within his heart, kept locked away by the calm he had found that day. That was ok though, it would just take time and dedication as all things did. Closing his eyes for the night, Fan Zhong slept soundly for the first time in over five years.