— • —

Chapter 6

Shao Ling arched his brows at the man who was wearing a dark green robe, his hair was tied in a high clean ponytail and his midnight black eyes were big and fierce and his eyebrows were thick and slick. The man only fixated his eyes on Shao Ling's direction with a wide welcoming smile on his face, as if Shao Ling was the only one welcome inside the Mist Temple.

The man wearing a dark green robe whose name was Huang Xun spoke with a smile.

Shao Ling didn't answer so Xin Mei spoke in his stead because she knew that her Master only came with them because he was worried if something happened when she accidentally sparked the emergency fireworks. Xin Mei was guilty deep inside because her Master was still not well so she took a step forward and started to speak,

Huang Xun shifted his gaze at her and his welcoming smile became a slight smile as he replied, Huang Xun turned his head at his companion who was wearing an old clothes.

( adding —ah before a name is considered as being intimate or close with that person. Like your family, your friend or you lover. )

The man named Yuan only looked at him and redirected his attention back on cutting woods with the axe on his both hands. Huang Xun pouted his lips in dejection and shifted his gaze back to Xin Mei, Huang Xun asked, with a faint suspicion and hostility on his tone.

Xin Mei answered.

A loud banging sound catched everyone's attention. The four of them looked at Yuan's direction who penetrated the blade of his axe in the trunk of the tree with a large force. Yuan lifted his gaze at Xin Mei and the others, his eyes radiating a faint dull red glow.

Huang Xun frowned in bewilderment,

Lian Ren who was watching them the whole time behind let out an amused grin. He took a few steps forward until he was beside Shao Ling's figure and spoke,

Yuan didn't answered. He lowered his gaze at the woods and continued cutting it. Shao Ling and Huang Xun blinked in bewilderment and looked at each other, Huang Xun apologized while scratching his head with an apologetic smile.

Shao Ling asked as he arched his brows.

Huang Xun answered,

Shao Ling nodded, His both arms moved to embrace his body because of the cool breeze that brushed through his skin. Lian Ren stared beside him and his gaze lowered at the thin plain white night robe that Shao Ling was wearing in his Pavilion. Lian Ren removed his plain white outer robe and covered Shao Ling's trembling body. Shao Ling was astonished by Lian Ren's actions and he also took a quick glance at him with a puzzled expression but he didn't dared to show it in front of his disciples.

Lian Ren said as he tried to fix the outer robe that he covered on Shao Ling's body.

Shao Ling replied with a confused face.

Lian Ren Shidi is so caring to our Shizun! Xin Mei was smiling sweetly the whole time as she peeked at Lian Ren and Shao Ling's direction. Xin Mei's smile completely disappeared when she shifted her gaze at the setting sun at the west, Xin Mei murmured with an anxious face.

Huang Xun stared at the sky that was already becoming dark,

Yuan frowned.

Huang Xun pleaded with his lips pouted. Yuan stared at him for a long time and eventually sighed in surrender.

After the night came, Lian Ren and the two slept inside the Mist Temple. The Mist Temple was quite large and there were so many empty rooms that was barely used and was filled with dust and gravels. Shao Ling also engraved talismans around the Mist temple to prevent vicious ghost from ambushing them in the night and all of them had no choice but to sleep in one room since the gate of the demon realm might be near the Mist Temple.

Xin Mei stared at her both sides. Yuan was hugging Huang Xun beside him as they slept together with a bed made of haybales and Lian Ren and Shao Ling were also sleeping on the other side with Lian Ren's outer robe as their bed mattress, Lian Ren was also hugging Shao Ling to fight the coldness in the air as they slept. Xin Mei stared at the ceiling with a forced smile on her face as she murmured.

Xin Mei was about to sleep when she heard a low wailing sound echoing throughout the Mist Temple. She stood up and grabbed her long bow and stepped outside the room then started to follow where the wailing sound was coming from. The wailing sound was sometimes pleasing to hear, then suddenly it was mixed with a horrifying rough growling sound that makes the listener intimidated by it. Xin Mei stared at the large square tile below her with a cloud symbol carved in it that looked old, for about hundreds of years.

Xin Mei stared at the large square tile below her as she murmured to herself. I can't be reckless at this time now that everyone's asleep..... And i can't just leave them here because Shizun might get worried again...... Ahh..... I have no choice....

Xin Mei get back again to the room where Lian Ren and the others were sleeping, she carefully put down her long bow and lightly jabbed Lian Ren's arms who were hugging Shao Ling's shivering body tightly, trying to give him warmth as he can. Xin Mei whispered as she woke Lian Ren up.

Lian Ren replied in a low husky voice.

Xin Mei smiled sweetly and withdrew her hand that was repeatedly jabbing Lian Ren's arm,

Lian Ren replied again.

Xin Mei stared in a daze as she nodded slowly,

Lian Ren carefully withdrew his hand on Shao Ling's body as gentle as possible, trying not to wake him from his sleep because of his unstable body. He secretly checked Shao Ling's pulse and he realized that Shao Ling's meridians were in a mess the whole time. His Shizun was just trying to mask the agonizing pain of his chaotic spiritual qi inside of him and forced himself to rush to the West town of the Yun Sect. Lian Ren took a quick glance at Shao Ling and redirected his gaze back at Xin Mei,

Xin Mei picked up her long bow again and spoke,

Lian Ren frowned. A secret passage? I destroyed the whole Mist temple on my last life time.... How come i didn't see that secret passage? Is it because i didn't actually searched through the Mist temple that time and just destroyed it? Lian Ren pursed his lips and shifted his attention at Xin Mei,

Xin Mei's eyes brightened as she spoke in a joyful voice,

Because of Xin Mei's voice, Shao Ling groaned and opened his eyes in a frown. Lian Ren lowered his gaze at Shao Ling who was slowly getting up while softly rubbing his both eyes, Lian Ren said as he pushed Shao Ling back again.

Shao Ling let a low humph and shoved his hands away from him,

Lian Ren sighed inside his mind. He still haven't changed..... Lian Ren withdrew his arms and spoke,

Shao Ling didn't answered but he still wore the outer robe beneath him. The three of them stood up and was about to walk out of the room when Shao Ling slightly waved his fingertips and a glowing golden talisman appeared on his hand. Shao Ling placed the talisman around the room and walked to the edge of the door,

Xin Mei giggled behind him Shao Ling shifted his gaze at her and didn't answered, but his lips was slightly curved into a smirk as they started to follow where Xin Mei was going. Lian Ren stared back at the golden talismans embedded inside the room that were seen through the walls, this side of him didn't changed too....

His Shizun always puts people first before himself, that's why the common folks think highly of Shao Ling wherever he goes because his morality and kindness on mortals was unchanging and amazing. His Shizun hates seeing people suffer, specially mortals. That's why Shao Ling established a town on his Yun Sect when he saw the commoners swarming around his Sect, homeless and starving. The town that Shao Ling established became larger and larger, until it was separated into five parts of the town; The North, South, East West and the Capital town of the Yun Sect.

But for some reason, on his last lifetime, his Shizun was never kind to him. And until now, he didn't knew why his Shizun was like that. The last thing he heard from him was his apology, nothing more. No explanation. Lian Ren's blood started to boil when he remembered what Shao Ling did to him but at the same time, his stomach feels fluttering from the thought that his Shizun had changed. However, he will not stop observing him.

The further they went inside the Mist temple, the louder the wailing sound resonated throughout the corners of the hallway that was covered in stone pillars. The disturbing rough growling sound was also mixed with the soft wailing sound, as if there was good then there was also a bad person or thing somewhere around the temple.

Xin Mei suddenly halted and the two also halted along with her. They stared down the large square tiles that had a cloud symbol carved at the center of it, Lian Ren took a step forward and crouched down the large square tile, he used his right hand to push the tile away and the tile was carried by him instead of being pushed. Lian Ren was surprised when his physical strength as the Frost Demon was still with him despite looking skinny but he set that thought aside and put away the tile.

— • —

黃勳

元