The sound of the erhu rang throughout the sect. The cheerful tune matched the sunny day, allowing the disciples to more happily move around and go about with their duties. Only a few still remained dredged down by the summer heat, but as soon as they passed by the gazebo, their entire person seemed to lighten again. However, soon, the cheerful music came to an end and the disciples all heaved a mournful sigh as they waited for the inevitable heat to consume them once more.

“I should invite you over more often,” Fan Yi said as he observed the reactions of the disciples. He turned his head to look at the woman that sat opposite of him. “Your skills are as impeccable as always.”

“Sect Leader Fan, you are overpraising me again,” the woman let out a long sigh, though she happily tossed her hair over her shoulder. “You could have asked your lovely Second Pillar to play for you. They also do musical cultivation, do they not?”

“They do, but Yizhou’s specialty does not lie within that. It is always better to call upon a specialist,” Fan Yi said with a polite smile. “Miss Zhen—you are a specialist.”

Zhēn Yuèyuè (甄月月) slowly nodded. She lifted her hand and blocked her laugh with her sleeve as she batted her eyelashes at Fan Yi. “Sect Leader Fan, do you need some of my service?”

Fan Yi stood, one hand behind his back, and looked at Zhen Yueyue.

Zhen Yueyue let out a long sigh as she stood and carried her erhu along with her. “My services are quite expensive.”

“I know.”

“Can you pay them?” Zhen Yueyue wondered aloud.

Fan Yi glanced at Zhen Yueyue. “I have ways to pay you.”

“You are going to ask Sect Master Zhong again, aren’t you?” Zhen Yueyue shook her head. “That old man is far too doting of you. Whenever you ask for a loan, he just waves his hand and gives it up. What is with that at any rate? How are you two related?”

“Miss Zhen, you are overstepping some boundaries,” Fan Yi said without looking at her.

“You’re using me, yet you won’t even answer a simple question,” Zhen Yueyue sighed. “Besides, aren’t we on the same side? It’s not like I’ll sell your information to the righteous sects. They’re all a load of pigs at any rate. You and your kids are much more fun.”

“Thank you, Miss Zhen.”

Zhen Yueyue glanced around at the disciples and leaned a little closer to Fan Yi to whisper. “Fanfan, are you pretending to be serious or are you actually this serious? Sometimes I really can’t tell.”

“Miss Zhen.”

Zhen Yueyue let out an exasperated sigh. “You’re no more fun like this! I liked you better when you were younger.”

“Even a dog’s personality changes when it gets older, much less a person’s,” Fan Yi said.

“But you were so much more fun! You were such a troublemaker,” Zhen Yueyue said.

“I was a brat,” Fan Yi said.

“Oh, please, you still are. Just because you’ve gained a few hundred years, you think you’ve grown out of it?” Zhen Yueyue rolled her eyes. “But I suppose this is good. Back then you weren’t afraid of Heaven and you weren’t of earth, you felt that nothing could be your match. I guess you weren’t wrong, but it was really irritating to see.”

“If it was irritating, why did you stick around?” Fan Yi asked monotonously.

“You were good looking,” Zhen Yueyue winked.

Fan Yi glanced at his old friend and let out a laugh. He bowed his head and shook it silently as they came closer to his home.

“I heard a rumor, recently,” Zhen Yueyue said as she stepped onto the zig-zagging bridge.

“What sort of rumor?” Fan Yi asked.

“That you kidnapped someone who was on death row and brought them back because you were in love with them,” Zhen Yueyue said. She glanced at Fan Yi. “Is that true?”

“Half and half,” Fan Yi replied, not at all afraid of exposing himself to Zhen Yueyue. “I had to stall for time because Yizhou was setting up their array, so I said a load of nonsense. I did save someone though.”

“See, that’s what I thought! You aren’t the type to just admit you love someone,” Zhen Yueyue said. “But then I thought about it some more and felt it made sense. How come you would offend such a big sect for someone you didn’t love?”

Fan Yi met Zhen Yueyue’s curious gaze. “Well, I do not love him.”

“Then why? The Fan Yi I know wouldn’t do something without reason.”

“I owe him,” Fan Yi said.

Zhen Yueyue’s eyes widened. She glanced around and scooted a little closer. “You owe someone?...You? Fan Yi? The great sect leader of Screeching Sparrow Sect?”

Fan Yi nodded.

Zhen Yueyue scoffed and shook her head. “Impossible.”

“Then would you rather believe I love him?”

“I really would! How does he owe you? Isn’t he just…some kid?”

“He is Yu Lan Sword Immortal, Wan Li Sword Immortal’s last disciple, the pride and joy of Drifting Clouds Mountain Sect. He is far from ‘just some kid’,” Fan Yi said.

“Well, that’s what he was before. He’s not any of that anymore,” Zhen Yueyue shrugged. “But you’re avoiding the question.”

“He saved me a few times,” Fan Yi replied.

“…He did?” Zhen Yueyue’s expression cooled and she shook her head. “Just admit you love him.”

Fan Yi’s brows furrowed and he turned to look at Zhen Yueyue. “I don’t.”