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Chapter 37

A low creak was heard when Lian Ren sat on an old chair as he waited at the lounge while waiting for the sold slave's preparation. Even though the chair looks old, everything inside the lounge was antique and every furniture and decorations priced a thousands of gold taels. Lian Ren glanced left and right, anxiously tapping his index finger on the round small table while his chin was resting on his other hand. He badly wanted to summon an ice fairy to check how long he needed to wait, but after a while of deeply thinking, the sound of the door creaking open was heard followed by a manservant entering with a smile on his face while the maid beside him was holding a tray of tea and delicacies placed on a porcelain plate.

Lian Ren didn't answered. Instead, he replied with a half smile showing that he is not pleased with the poor service of the auction house.

The manservant averted his gaze and flinched. He kneeled down in a sincere way and spoke,

Lian Ren closed his eyes and heaved a breath. Of course i know that, you idiots. Do you think i'm some dumb Young Master who wanders around then buy a slave? He gestured the maid to put down the tray and the maid followed his order, lifting the teapot and pouring a tea on the cup. Lian Ren shifted his gaze at the anxious manservant and sipped on his tea,

The manservant immediately answered,

'Slave' huh..

Soon after, the door was opened by another maids and Lian Ren immediately stood up, gulping nervously as he stared at the person dressed neatly infront of him.

Wearing an ink black clothing with a white outline on it's edges and a plain black robe as an outer attire to get himself warm on the sheer cold climate of the Empire of Qiaochen, the boy still looked brave and bold, as if he's ready to face his fate no matter what outcome it would be. Lian Ren stared at the boy intently. He was very different from what Shao Ling usually looks like. Unlike Shao Ling's ivory skin with a touch of redness, the boy's skin looks nothing but a pale white color, so thin and so small. But his lifeless soot black eyes is what made him so daring and attractive to look at. The boy remained staring at him with a blank expression until the manservant and the maids bowed at Lian Ren and spoke.

Lian Ren shrugged as a response. He wasn't able to read the sign at the entrance because he only sneaked inside the slave auction house so he had no say in this situation. The manservant stood properly and spoke once more,

The clacking sound of the door was heard as the servants took their leave. Lian Ren flinched when he saw the boy stepped sideward and still wearing a blank expression on his face. Lian Ren was deeply regretting inside. The boy would've lived a better life if he the old man of the Yun Sect bought him and train him to be Master but instead, because of Lian Ren's selfishness, he ended up using the money that the Mount Hua Peak Master gave him as a gift and bought the boy instead. Urghhh! I'm such an idiot!

Lian Ren felt his hands slightly shuddering because of nervousness. He immediately clenched his fist to resist it and sat down at the old chair. Lian Ren felt like an idiot as he asked these questions.

The boy slightly tilted his head and Lian Ren was jumping happily inside when he saw that the boy slightly opened his mouth to speak,

Lian Ren paused for a while, causing the boy to remain standing and smiled again,

Damn it! Get a grip of yourself, Lian Ren! You are a frost demon! Your dignity is slowly shattering getting nervous by a mere boy! But.... Still.... This boy is..... S-Shizun...

Not realizing himself, Lian Ren was slowly forgetting his objective to find the exit of the trial. Inside his heart, it was slowly whispering. Just a little bit... Just a little bit more... I want to know more about Shizun...

He always say that he know all about Shao Ling but the truth is, Lian Ren knows just a but of them. Only the things he likes, things he dislikes, how he sleep, how he chew his food, how he looked when he was sad, how he sneezed and how his soot black eyes glistens when he cry. The truth is, Lian Ren knew nothing about Shao Ling's past. Because in the beginning, he never asked. He never bothered to know any of these because he knew himself back then that even if he didn't bother to know about Shao Ling's past, Shao Ling is still his possession either way.

But for the first time in his life, he wanted to read Shao Ling like a blank book that still needs time to fill its every pages. Little by little, the blank pages of this book is slowly being filled with words, about his story, his preferences, and even his beliefs and perception in life. Lian Ren was slowly drowning in amusement. He didn't realize himself that he was slowly getting addicted by this book as he slowly read it. He didn't knew if it would risk his life or not. Because he never cared about them.

Lian Ren was taken aback when the boy slowly walkes forward, he stared at him until the boy stopped a meter away from his small table, muttering a few words enough for Lian Ren to hear.

Lian Ren's lips was slightly curving as he responded, I thought he got his name from the former Yun Sect Master.

The boy simply answered.

Lian Ren nodded and rested his hand on his chin as he spoke,

The boy said with a low and soft voice, heaving a breath as he finished speaking.

Lian Ren was quiet for a while. The boy bit his lip and seemed to regretted that he told him his name and even explained it because according to the Slave Master, the Master who buys the Slave should be the one who give them their name and not the slave itself. The boy remained silent with a straight expression but he was anxious deep inside.

The boy lifted his gaze at Lian Ren who was staring at him. It gave him a strange tingling feeling because Lian Ren's gentle eyes was ticklish. The boy held his breath, expecting Lian Ren to be disgusted of the way he stated his name but instead, what Lian Ren said next made him dumbfounded.

Lian Ren smiled at him, pointing his finger on himself and spoke once again,

The boy tried to pronounce his name but it twisted his tongue instead because it seems hard to pronounce for him. Lian Ren saw his struggling expression and snickeres. Shizun was also struggling to pronounce my name at the first time he saw me but he got used to it eventually because i'm a troublemaker.......

Lian Ren gave him a smile and slowly stood up. Brushing away the dust on his robes and spoke with a smile,

The boy looked bewildered but still nodded and followed him from behind as they walk out of the slave auction house,

Walking far away from the slave auction house but straight to the capital of the Empire of Qiaochen, the traces of their footsteps were left from the pile of snow behind, leaving a beautiful mark behind as if it was a mark of the beginning. They ventured here and there, wandering on the dry and cold fields were no plants would grow out from its soil and no fruits would seen from the dead trees. The people living on the old and wrecked houses had no warm clothes to wear but an old thin robes. Even though frostbites were seen from their bodies, they were perfectly fine, as if they are long used to it.

The bright sun was slowly setting, and the moon was slowly rising followed by the sky slowly dimming. Lian Ren realized that they are near the capital of the Qiaochen Empire but they still need to cross the forest of pine trees. Lian Ren glanced their shadow slowly moving behind them, a sign that night is about to come. He glanced at the boy who was silently walking behind him. Lian Ren frequently glanced at him time to time to check if the boy is okay or if he is slowly tired from all the walking but the boy said no word nor complaints coming out from his lips. Lian Ren sighed, resting his hand on his temple with a distressed expression. If i didn't bid so much money like that, i would've had enough money to pay for a carriage. But unfortunately, the money is gone and i handed all the money that the Mount Hua Sect Master gave me. Lian Ren, you idiot!

Lian Red tried to fish some words but he don't know what to say to the boy. The boy glanced at him with his brows slightly raised, silently gesturing if he needs something or if something bothers him but Lian Ren responded with an awkward smile and his hand scratching on his hair.

Lian Ren averted his gaze and pursed his lips. Thank god the little Shao Ling in front of him is not a Yun Sect Master yet. If the real Shao Ling was in front of him, he would've blasted Lian Ren away becauss of his stupidity.

Lian Ren was speechless.

The boy looked at him with a slight frown, tilting his face as he answered,

Lian Ren nodded,

But you will be in the future.

Lian Ren laughed and leaned on the trunk of the pine trees,

The boy was confused. But still, he was bold enough to ask,

Lian Ren glanced at the bright moon that seems to shine brighter than usual. The stars above the night sky was twinkling, and the cold breeze from the winter was freezing enough to freeze the edges of the pine leaves.

The cold wind pass through the face of the boy who was a bit dumbfounded, making his long straight ebony black hair flew and get disheveled.

Lian Ren answered.

The boy was so confused of what he was talking about. However, Lian Ren wanted to tell him so bad, that he'll be an outstanding man. A man who is independent and strong...... A kind man.......and beautiful. He wanted to caress his hair, tell him that his suffering will be paid by a price coming from the heavens and his suffering will be the guide for him to save the weak. Because he knows how weak people suffer from everything, what they had to go through.

For some reason, Lian Ren slightly smiled. He walked a few step forward to the boy who slightly flinched by his sudden movement and stopped when they are only half meters away from each other. Lian Ren bended down, their noses brushing on each other and spoke as he stared at the boy's lifeless soot black eyes.

The boy twitched his lips, slightly tilting his head as he answered with a serious face. Lian Ren sighed. I knew you would say that.

Lian Ren posed when the boy suddenly spoke after a moment of silence.

At that moment, Lian Ren wasn't able to say anything. He stared intently in front of him, wearing a face mixed with emotions. Rage, sadness, anger, confusion, amusement, everything was written on his face to the point that it looked complicated and ended up becoming unreadable. Inside his mind, he wanted to know that reason why Shao Ling did those horrible things to him, to the point that his pride was stepped on and his emotion banished. He wanted to know the reason, not just the answer, not just the evidence. He wanted to know the reason behind it.

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Hello guys! It's been a while since i talked like this.

I apologize if i was updating too slow but i have no choice since i have to stick with my time management where updating the story is not included because i've been very busy lately cuz it's our last semester in school and we have research to do so i really have to work hard.

I will still update but i think the progress will be too slow and i'm really sorry for that (i know the pain of slow updates because i'm a reader myself but waaaaah! I have no choice ya know!). But don't worry!~ When the school is over, i'll go back updating the story until i finish all of my chinese novels! Thank you so much guys for reading my story! I really appreciate it hohoho.

Also, don't forget to check out my other stories and if you already did, Wow bitch you're awesome you found a great jewel—just kidding. Well since i have nothing to say anymore, goodbye and have a great time!~

R u n n o x

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