The Stone King's Lover (石王的愛)

Chapter 5

Wen Reian

2004 years after The Long Night

Sanlín City

<Hidden Fairy Inn>

Reian woke up to Xie De and Jin Yu's nervous whispering from the other side of the room. He knew they were talking about him, so instead of getting up, Reian kept his eyes closed, quietly listening...

"If Wen Rei really is Jin Songcai, does that mean he won't live with us anymore?"

Jin Yu's doubtful tone was met with Xie De's confident one; "Of course he will still live with us! What makes you think any different?!"

"...so Xie Yi-jun won't take Wen Rei with him?"

Reian opened his eyes, wishing he could run to his friends and tell them he wasn't going anywhere. He wasn't Jin Songcai, and he definitely wasn't Xie Yi-jun's lover!

The idea itself made him cringe! Hmmph! Never, not me!

He didn't know how to tell them that though, so he ended up just waited patiently for their conversation to be finished.

"I heard that Jin Songcai was the greatest healer that ever lived!" Jin Yu murmured.

"Honestly," Xie De sighed. "I don't think I'll ever understand why a cultivator as talented and clever as him got involved in the war. I mean, wasn't Xie Yi-jun only King for two years at the time? He was the youngest King ever! Who'd follow someone like that into a battle that was so clearly a lost cause-"

"Maybe they had no choice!"

Wen Reian only realized he was the one who had shouted when he found his friend's startled eyes blinking at him in silent shock.

A'Yu looked embarrassed but Xie De just smiled and crossed his arms.

"Ah, you're awake."

Reian was annoyed. For some reason... he couldn't tell what it was that had upset him so much about Xie De's words, but he could feel his ears already turning red with anger. Trying with effort to breathe and unclench his fists, he managed to reply through gritted teeth;

"None of us were alive at that time, so we can't make assumptions about what the war was like. Besides, wasn't Meng Bai a horrible tyrant that killed thousands of his own people for no reason?! Maybe Xie Yi-jun and Jin Songcai were fighting against him because it was simply the right thing to do! The odds never favor the underdogs..."

A nervous glance from Jin Yu at the door alerted Reian that someone else had entered.

He felt the cool grey-ish aura that always emanated from Master Hao, but before he could apologise for his loud outburst, the man was taking his cold hands in his warm ones and smiling thoughtfully.

"Reian, you are very wise." His master patted his hands gently. "It is true, the only ones who will ever know what happened in those days are the people who lived through them. Fortunately for you, one such person remains."

Then Master Hao turned to Xie De and Jin Yu. Both boys had their hands behind their backs and were staring nervously at the ground.

Letting go of Reian, their master sighed, looking suddenly contemplative, before moving toward the door. Before leaving, he called back to his disciples...

"There will be no talk of such things around the young King. If I catch any of you gossiping or sharing rumors, it will be the copying rooms for you."