𝐱𝐮𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐚𝐨 - 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭

4. White Covered In Pure Blood

"Daozhang Xiao, wait!", Xue Yang run like a child that just started walking behind Xiao Xinchen and stopped him. It was already dark, the sun could no longer be seen, and night hunt would begin. All the generous cultivators would be out in the woods to help mortals kill evil corpses.

"What's wrong, my friend?"

"I want to come with you...I won't disturb you, I will only watch because I admire you!", Xiao Xinchen raised an eyebrow and laughed.

"Your messed walking makes you hilarious and I won't aim well. Maybe when you feel better."

"No, I will walk normally this time, listen to my footsteps!", Xue Yang disagreed and made a few more steps towards him.

"You still have a long way to walk like before."

"I am sick of this place, though. Please take me with you. And you can't just leave me with a child every day..."

Xiao Xinchen stood there and thought for a moment. Finally, he accepted his request and they left their house to A-Qing.
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The two cultivators came to a halt in front of a small neighborhood. Xiao Xinchen informed Xue Yang that a family in that area had requested that he use his abilities to kill some fierce corpses. The other people had already left, but this family couldn't because they only had one house to stay in.

"You stay here, don't enter this neighborhood", Xiao Xinchen spoke to Xue Yang with a sincere way. "If anything happens, shout."

"No need to worry, Daozhang. They won't notice me, before you kill them..." His plan had already started, and nothing seemed to go wrong. The first revenge for those idiots was finally onset.

Once Xiao Xinchen disappeared in the foggy area, Xue Yang got in too. He walked for a bit until he found the only house with lights. He glanced through the window and saw two men, a woman and two children. 'How miserable for them. I'll have to kill the kids too so Xiao Xinchen will think he came too late. But what am I saying? He will kill them, not me.'

'It's time for a change, dear... Friend. And it's for the best.'

He covered his face with the black aura of his sword and entered their house.

"Are you the Taoist...?", the one man said hesitantly. Hearing this, Xue Yang could only laugh about their casualness.

"Are you blind too? Daozhang Xiao is coming for the final round!" He put out his sword and aimed it at the woman.

The family immediately screamed for help. But it was too late. Xue Yang would never wait for their begging and he cut the three adults' tongues at once. The two little kids couldn't even cry or scream from the scary scene they witnessed.

However, the one of them starred at his family's murderer in the eyes and asked "Why did you do this?". Xue Yang's creepy smile disappeared instantly and he focused at him with disgust, "Your parents didn't deserve any happiness! They really asked your favourite Taoist for help but they kept talking shit behind his back!"

He finished complaining and left the house while the spirit of his sword cut the tongues of the young family members too. He started running as fast as he could while his bloody sword was following him like a subordinate. Xiao Xinchen's voice calling him made him stop running and walked towards him with a bright smile.

The fog started decreasing and Xue Yang put his sword inside its pouch so the Taoist won't be able to smell the blood on it.

"Is everything good, my friend?"

"Sure, I haven't seen any corpse yet, how about you?

"I already killed some, so let's go find the family that invited me here..."

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Standing in front of the family's doorstep, Xiao Xinchen moved his hand in front of Xue Yang to prevent him from making a step forward. "It's so quiet, you should stay here. My sword has found fierce corpses inside."

"Okay, I'll be waiting outside", Xue Yang whispered at him and made a few steps back.

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After a few minutes, Daozhang Xiao went out of the house with a victorious smile.

"That's the spirit, Daozhang Xiao!", Xue Yang yelled at him while clapping his hands, making Xinchen beam.

"I was watching you from the windows and I can tell your sword seems to be very unique. You must be lucky to have something like that in your condition."

"Yes, you can say that I guess. It shows me the target and I can do my job correctly."

Xiao Xinchen walked towards Xue Yang. He seemed to notice his bad walking getting worse. "We need to return, do you think you can handle it? Should we rest here for a bit?"

Xue Yang smirked and shook his head, "My friend, I don't want to disturb you with my wounds, so let's return...", without getting to finish, Xinchen held his hand and he guided him under a big tree.

"Lay here, I want to rest too", he let out a sigh and sat down first. Xue Yang looked at him wondering how he already got tired. He always remembered him as a person with high stamina from the fights he had with him. He would be able to avoid him after a long fight. All these thoughts of the past were only a burden for him and, while rolling his eyes, he sat down, next to his sworn enemy, starring at him while smiling from relief. All things went well. Really well.

'Xiao Xinchen, you have no idea what you've done, but I won't let you know that.'

'It will be our little secret.'

"My friend?", Xiao Xinchen's voice put an end to his daydreaming, "Daozhang?"

"Let's talk about something, time won't pass faster otherwise."

Xue Yang sighed.

"So... I've been wondering when you are planning to go back to your brothers...",Xue Yang let out a "huh" showing his confusion. "I assumed you must have a family..."

"I don't know my purpose, so I go here and there. I don't have a particular home to stay at, nor real family to take care of, if you think so..."

"So it was a coincidence finding you here, right?"

"Exactly, I haven't even heard of this town before. And I wish I still didn't know it."

"May I ask why?"

Xue Yang thought for a while. Is it because he almost got killed?

Is it because he bumped into him?

Or is it that the people here reminded him of the ones he knew from his childhood?

Not even a month has passed and he already got sick of this place,like everyone did there. Everyone still stayed in that Coffin Town because hard life made them to. Some stayed because of the poverty, some for just a few days as travellers, and some just because they wanted to forget and move on. Loneliness would cover every person that didn't have anyone by his side there. Just like Xiao Xinchen.

He lived alone for a few years, but now he feels like he has a family. Someone special to protect. He didn't know that he needed them until he met them. And he hopes they stay by his side every day.

"Daozhang Xiao, this city is really chaotic, there's nothing entertaining here."

"And the people here... How do you still care about their lives when they treat you like that?"

"I know it's difficult to understand how I feel...Maybe I do it for my own happiness...Because this place is indeed depressive."