“What happened?” 

The words were stern, but they came from a soft voice that were directed at Lian Yuexia. Looking up Lian Yuexia met the jade eyes for the first time since his sight had returned. Lian Yuexia stopped and looked at the man who asked him the question. He never really looked at the great Master Qinglong. 

No longer was he wearing the torn clothes from the temple but now he was wearing dark green clothes with red hems. The belt around his waist looked like it was sloppily hand made by someone who didn’t know how to sew. It was even darker, almost black, with a hint of blue, the final layer of the belt was a dull red rope. He had cleaned up while Lian Yuexia was going through an illusion that was impossible for him. Lian Yuexia looked at him then went to the forest and back to Qinglong.  

Lian Yuexia walked past him with closed eyes and straightened back. “Nothing happened I fell into a pond that is it.” Lian Yuexia’s hair was still dripping with water as he started to walk forwards. Zhan Xinyi took his coat that was draped on his arm and wrapped it around Lian Yuexia. 

“You are shivering. You’ll catch a fever at this point if you stay in those clothes.” Lian Yuexia looked up at Zhan Xinyi’s face. The sharp eyes that had looked that of a snake held concern made Lian Yuexia uncomfortable. Quickly walking past Zhan Xinyi Lian Yuexia started towards the inn so he could refresh himself.  

“It doesn’t matter. The Young master is suffering worse than I am. I must go see him tomorrow.” Lian Yuexia told Zhan Xinyi who followed behind watching Lian Yuexia’s nape which was a light pink. They walked a bit until a conversation caught Lian Yuexia’s attention.  

“Didn’t you hear that the young master of the Qinglianpai sect can't be served by anyone with spiritual energy. They had to bring in people with no affiliation with the sect since they wont hurt the Young Master.” Lian Yuexia head turned to them and saw it was a newer disciple who had recently been accepted through marriage. He was still considered an outsider of the Sect so how does he know about the inner sect affairs. Lian Yuexia didn’t walk to the inn anymore but towards the people conversing now. 

“You didn’t hear this from me, but I heard the young master is suffering from spiritual corruption.” The one who married into the family was quiet about what he said but the other gasped. Zhan Xinyi saw that Lian Yuexia had frozen over what was said and was listening to the conversation. 

“That is terrible. From what I heard nothing but those who are close to ascension and pure of heart can help him. Do you know how bad it is?” asked the other person. The outer disciple waved him closer and cupped his mouth to try and hid his answer. 

“ive seen him. The Young master doesn’t have long. His body is turning black. I think he is becoming a demon.” The outer disciple was picked up and turned towards grey eyes. The table flipped over as the other person backed away from Lian Yuexia. 

“Young Master has been afflicted with demonic corruption? And why are you not seeking help from others instead you bite the hand that feeds you.” Lian Yuexia confronted the outer disciple. After the shock of suddenly being picked up he returned to his senses and smiled at Lian Yuexia. 

“Really you are one to talk after being missing for more than a month. Not only that you ran off with your Demonic lover Qinglong. Shouldn’t you be looking at yourself servant! You abandoned your position and are letting the young master continue to suffer so. You should just sacrf-akkk” Zhan Xinyi had taken the outer disciple from Lian Yuexia by the throat to prevent him from saying the last of his sentence. The jade turned to crimson as he was angered at the word sacrificed even being mentioned.  

“Master Qinglong don’t kill him. Please don’t do this.” Lian Yuexia was upset that the outer disciple was gossiping but to have him by his throat with his feet off the ground. He grabbed onto the arm that held the outer disciple.  

“Please Do-n’t ki-ll me de-mon.” begged through choked words of the outer disciple. Zhan Xinyi glanced at Lian Yuexia. It was like long ago when Lian Yuexia was wronged for another thing and asked for the mercy of the one who tried to frame him for stealing precious books from his own clan. A sigh came from Zhan Xinyi as he threw the man to the ground.  

“Be thankful for him or else you would’ve been killed. Be lucky for any of them or else I would’ve burned this world long ago.” Zhan Xinyi pouted as he turned around and crouched to the ground.  

“Would you just leave me alone. I am not your old lover. I am not Master Zhuque please just let me be. I do not need you to guide me everywhere. Here let me help you up.” Lian Yuexia crouched down to help the outer disciple up from the ground. As he helped the Disciple up Lian Yuexia dusted off the dirt and made sure the man was clean. This was a habit developed from helping so many children up in the village.  

“You... You are cleaning me off why? You are normally cold and ignore everyone.” The outer disciple looked at Lian Yuexia confused. Lian Yuexia stopped when he was caught cleaning the dust off and turned around. 

"Doesn’t matter you shouldn’t gossip. When you return be sure to take a bath, you stink of liquor and perfume. The Young master won't like it when he wakes. Master Long is not my lover, and I am going back to check on young master and then I will leave.” Lian Yuexia looked at his hand due to the dirt in his wound that now stung. When did I get this? He thought. Not realizing it was the wound created at the time he fell in the water. “I’m going back to the inn. If you wish to find me, I’ll be there tomorrow until, I’ll make my way to see the young master near dusk.” That coldness returned and Lian Yuexia walked to the Inn with Zhan Xinyi following behind like a puppy. Pulling out a necklace, Zhan Xinyi looked at Lian Yuexia’s back seeing it, making him grasp it. I’ll give it to him at the I'm if he keeps the pearl on him then it will be alright for now. He will cancel out the feeling for now. Zhan Xinyi looked at the black pearl that seemed to shimmer lightly. It should also make him feel better too, at least until I find our swords and his fan. 

They made it to the Inn and returned to the room that they had been renting for the week. Making up to the room Lian Yuexia picked up a towel to try and dry himself off. A bundle of clothes was put in front of him.  

“Here I got these for you. I figured you wouldn’t want to be wearing someone else’s clothes that I stole.” Zhan Xinyi looked at Lian Yuexia who was still having mixed emotions on the inside. Yet the cold smile that was holding its place had faded, and those grey eyes that usually held nothing, but a calm light filled with confusion and anger. Knitting his eyebrows together, Lian Yuexia stood up and stared at Zhan Xinyi.  

“Why me? Why did it have to be me? I do not understand this lowly one cannot be the great Master from hundreds of years ago. Now you follow me like a dog! All I wanted to do was help my master advance, I wanted to protect the sect why did you choose me Master long. I am not your lover I never will be!” Zhan Xinyi stepped back hearing the outburst from Lian Yuexia, as this was the first time he had experienced once from him. As the one he knew was always calm and collected and never needed to use anger or needed to yell to get his point across. Seeing that it shocked Master long Lian Yuexia took a step forward as Zhan Xinyi took another back. 

“I will never be your lover. And it would be impossible for me to have any memory of you if I was reborn. Would you be able walk along the Naihe River for that long and not drink the oblivion wine then you must be mad.” Lian Yuexia pushed Zhan Xinyi into the wall. “Everything was okay! I was alright! Now I am the evil of this world because I did not die. It does not matter to you all you want is your lover.” The storm clouds in his eyes calmed into the moon as Lian Yuexia retreated from Zhan Xinyi.  

“You should rest you sleep first.”  

“When I sleep, I am put in a coma. I am fine, I never needed much sleep in the first place. Master Long stop looking at me like I am your dead lover I am not.” Lian Yuexia didn’t know why he was expressing his anger at Zhan Xinyi, nor did he know why he was telling him anything, but he knew this person was the person he needed to tell all this to.  

“I follow you because I protect you. I tell you each time you are him even if you deny it. You have a strong sense of family and the need for protecting others.” Zhan Xinyi looked at Lian Yuexia his sharp eyes had softened significantly to show he understood that this was all difficult. He swallowed when Lian Yuexia said he would never be his lover. 

“That would be so if you were to walk the river. I would not know because I can never walk that path alongside mortals or you. I cannot drink the Oblivion wine to get rid of the memories that I so desperately wish to.” A soft smile, tears that threatened to fall made Lian Yuexia’s heart hurt. Zhan Xinyi’s face started to show the defined scales of a dragon as he was in an emotional state.  

“If getting beaten and insulted daily is okay and getting your back torn open by a disciple’s discipline whip is alright then fine you can go back to it. But if being called evil because you don’t want to die for sealing away someone you don’t believe is evil in the first place is evil…...Then Lian Yuexia be evil.” Zhan Xinyi grabbed Lian Yuexia by his shoulders and stared into his eyes. Holding on tight to Lian Yuexia Zhan Xinyi wanted to reassure him.  

“Then I must be a madman. You can yell, threaten and try to push me away but you are him. Or else that seal would not have lifted that day. until the day you remember me, I will protect you.” Zhan Xinyi tied the pearl around Lian Yuexia’s neck and put a seal around it so he couldn’t untie it. “Keeping this on you will help on with your fevers and it will keep you warmer during cold nights.”  

Looking at the little pearl it was a bite sized donut shaped but it was blue and green and shimmered with barely any light. Lian Yuexia couldn’t feel any medicinal properties from it but when he tried to take it off, he couldn’t. On the inside Lian Yuexia was hurting, he was confused, and his heart was being torn apart and there was this sinking feeling in his stomach that he only felt when the Sect leader said his courtesy name. I am just going to disappoint you. he thought.  

“You will only be waiting for the impossible Master long. Please leave me be.” Lian Yuexia looked back at him with cold eyes and a still water face. Zhan Xinyi looked at those cold eyes and saw they didn’t have anything for him not a single drop of emotion just an emptiness or fullness of the moon. 

Hiding his injured hand behind his back, Lian Yuexia clenched his hand to force the wound open and make it bleed. The stench of the pond and the blood would already have been mixed so it wouldn’t matter if more blood were introduced. Lian Yuexia was just using the pain to help him. 

“Alright I will leave. But call for me if you need anything.” Zhan Xinyi let go of him and walked to the door. Opening the door, he stepped through it. He looked back to Lian Yuexia. 

“It is not your fault.” 

The door shut leaving Lian Yuexia alone. His eyes were big from what Zhan Xinyi said. “It is not my fault?” It was said like a question to himself as he started to laugh lightly, that turned into a light cry, but no tears could fall. “It is my fault. A lot of things are my fault it is because I am the Omen with white hair.” Sinking to the floor Lian Yuexia wanted to cry but he couldn’t cry anymore not like he had when met his grandmother for the last time. It felt like swords were being pierced through him and his heart was being torn to pieces within himself. He wept quietly to himself not a single tear dropping, but on the other side of the door Zhan Xinyi listened to Lian Yuexia weep to himself. He wanted to go in and comfort him but know his presence would only make it worse as Lian Yuexia had been forced to face so many things at once without a proper explanation.  

Raising his hand, he put it on the door and gently put his head on the door frame to stop himself from going in, but to also ask for the help of his brother-in-law. Going downstairs he ordered some fruit wine and peanuts.  

The night ran long as they stayed in the inn and away from each other almost like a quarrel between lovers. No one in the restaurant questioned why the one in dark green was drinking nor just looking at the moon.