Ten Miles of Red Sakura Blossoms

Chapter Seven

AN/:  EDITED!

I wasn't sure if I should add this part to the story at all...I initially wrote Mo Yuan's version of events so that I could tap into his honourable god of war character, and I actually intended to carry on from where Si Yin/Bai Qian's flash back ended. I decided to upload this anyway, because no matter how far ahead I tried to see, I couldn't see myself ever coming back to the past with these two because that's not where their drama's at... :'D  As you can most probably tell, the build up from this story is about to reach its first peak within the next couple of chapters. I hope you enjoy the read! Don't forget to vote for the chapter if you like it, and if there is any part that you enjoy particularly I would love to hear all about it in a comment! :) PS: Be warned, this is a LONG chapter!

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Mo Yuan had always felt that there was something about his little Seventeenth disciple that attracted them to each other. Not in a romantic sense, of course...Si Yin was his student, his surrogate son, and most certainly not a lady, although he had the beauty of one. Mo Yuan believed for a long time that his deep affection and protectiveness for their little Seventeenth, was merely because Si Yin was the baby of their Kunlun family. A few of Mo Yuan's oldest disciples were already teaching their own disciples at his temple, and perhaps Mo Yuan had begun to grow complacent in his old age, and that was why he had often doted on Si Yin, and succumbed to many of his little Seventeenths' whims.

He found Seventeenths' unruly behaviour rather refreshing after spending so many hundreds of thousands of years teaching more disciplined boys. All of whom would never dare to speak their minds in front of Mo Yuan, in fear of severe punishment or reprimanding. His disciples showered him with all the respect he had earned through his past accomplishments; that in no way should have concerned them, nevertheless, Mo Yuan was their shifu, so he accepted their admiration. That was why the naughty little fox that Zhe Yan had brought him had quickly earned a place for himself inside Mo Yuan's heart. All of his disciples were different, but none were more so than Si Yin. Mo Yuan treasured him.

Mo Yuan hated seeing his little Seventeenth unhappy. For the first few weeks that Si Yin had stayed on the mountain, every evening before his disciples regrouped at the end of the day to eat dinner their together, Mo Yuan would see Si Yin standing at the entrance of his temple. After the weeks had turned into months, Mo Yuan had finally decided to confront Si Yin.

'Seventeenth.'

'Si Yin greets Shifu.' Si Yin said, as an automated response. There was never any awe or pride in the way his Seventeenth greeted him, or even whenever Seventeenth spoke to him or about him. While their little Seventeenth was with them in body, his mind and his heart were never with them on Kunlun mountain.

'Is there something you want to tell me?'

'Is Shifu still angry with me for filling my senior's cushions with Pinetree needles?'

Actually, Mo Yuan was still irked, but that matter had already been dealt with earlier in the day, so there was no point for any of them to hold onto any resent.

'Are you waiting for someone? Ever since you first arrived on my mountain, you've been waiting here every evening before dinner.'

Si Yin looked at Mo Yuan suspiciously, before he leaned forward and hit Mo Yuan's arm comradely.

'Shifu doesn't need to play dumb with me. Shifu made a deal with high god Zhe Yan, isn't that right? How much longer must I stay with Shifu? I already learned my lesson, I promise, the punishment can end now.'

Seventeenth's words took Mo Yuan by surprise.

'Punishment?' Mo Yuan asked him, and Si Yin nodded forlornly. Mo Yuan looked at the empty greeting hall, and then back at the empty entrance that hardly ever received any guests anymore. His heart felt a little heavier as he finally figured out why his little Seventeenth had been hesitant to embrace his new life on Kunlun mountain.