"Are you sure you will be okay, Tian? It might be better for you to stay in Huainyi at least until your Qi has fully replenished," Madame Tao worried as she helped the master tie up his clean robes.
Master Yin sighed, "I have to go back and tell my mother what happened, she might be in danger too."
The old woman was saddened about their departure but understood why they had to leave so soon. She only wished for the little boy she had always looked after to be safe, but she knew he was a man now. A man who needed to protect his family.
"Just be careful, okay?"
Master Yin smiled softly and placed his good hand on her shoulder. "We will be fine, I promise."
Song Mengyao walked into the room, cutting their conversation short. The clothes he had been given were not as exquisite as his ruined robes, but the baby blue beautifully complemented his complexion. In fact, had the prince walked out in even the cheapest robes, Master Yin was certain that he would still look divine.
"Still a little big, but you look better in them than Tian ever did," Madame Tao chuckled, adjusting the robes slightly so that they looked a little less baggy.
Master Yin would have come back with something, but he couldn't fault the old woman's words; the prince really did suit the colour much more than he ever did.
"Thank you, for everything."
Madame Tao smiled brightly and took Song Mengyao's hands in her own. "Look after him for me. The road ahead will be a dangerous one."
Song Mengyao nodded, silently promising her that he would do as she asked. He had already been too much of a burden to Master Yin, but no longer. He was determined to get them back to Qingyi in one piece, even if he had to fight every step of the way. Although, as long as they were careful, it would be possible to travel back safely.
"Come on. We need to leave now, or he'll leave without us."
Madame Tao had managed to arrange transport for them. They would have to ride in the back of a wagon to Taizhou Inn. It was only half of the distance back to Qingyi, so they would be on their own from there, but it was more than they could have ever asked for.
As the wagon rolled along, Master Yin leaned back and closed his eyes, wishing to give the prince some solace while he meditated. Although, he was soon talking again. "Perhaps we will be able to play a game of Go at the inn."
Song Mengyao hummed, warming to the idea quite quickly despite the interruption, as he had begun to rather enjoy their games together. What had started out as something he felt forced to partake in had become a pleasant way to pass the time.
The journey was a quiet one, a few hours rolling down the road in the back of the wagon. Despite the bumps and occasional words from Master Yin, Song Mengyao had managed to meditate peacefully for most of the ride. His head was healing faster than the master's hand, he simply needed to be wary of getting an infection.
Yin Jianguo, on the other hand, had slept for most of the journey. No matter how hard he tried to hide it, his energy was depleted, and he needed to restore his Qi in case they were to encounter danger on the road back to Qingyi.
By the time they arrived at Taizhou Inn, Song Mengyao had thought about a great many things. How his relationship with Master Yin had developed into something almost comfortable in the time since he was taken as a hostage by the Yin Sect. It was strange to now see him as something akin to a friend as opposed to the stranger he used to be.
"Welcome," the inn owner greeted the two men the moment they walked in, eyeing up their posture in hopes that it would convey how rich they were.
Song Mengyao glanced around, somewhat ignoring the conversation they were having as Master Yin began to haggle for a pair of rooms. It was a nice inn, one that certainly had enough business coming through from the lower classes. Any rich man would simply pass by in their carriage straight onto one of the adjacent cities, unbothered by the few extra hours on the road.
There were not currently many guests. A few traders and perhaps a farmer or two. The guests who did catch Song Mengyao's eye were the boys, clearly younger than himself, dressed in fine wear and all donning the same pale-yellow headbands.
Disciples of the Sun Clan?
"Alright, have a seat and I'll send it out."
"Oh, and bring some of your finest wine!" Master Yin exclaimed before turning back to the prince and directing him to a nearby table.
Without a complaint, he sat down. "We're drinking?"
"We have been through an awful lot these past few days. Besides, you look too tense," Yin Jianguo explained, hoping to convince the prince that it was alright for him to unwind and relax for a while.
"Here you are. Our best wine and warm stuffed buns." The inn owner brought out their food and drink personally, knowing that it would be best to serve them well if he wished for them to come back and spend more money there in the future.
With a grin, Master Yin took the bottle of wine from his hands, leaving the innkeeper to place the food down himself while he began pouring two cups. He passed one to the prince, who brushed his hanging sleeve to the side so that it would not fall into the liquid, before delicately lifting it to his lips.
It was bitter. Certainly not to his taste, but he sipped at the liquor quaintly before placing it back down on the table to grab a stuffed bun.
Master Yin, however, gulped the entire contents of his own wine down in one only to scrunch up his face at the taste and slam the cup back down onto the table. "This is their best?"
"It's a small inn between two large cities. The only people stopping here are those who cannot afford a carriage to shorten the journey," Song Mengyao explained, although he figured that much was obvious as they had not needed to stop for long on their way to Huainyi.
Master Yin knotted his brows and glanced around, his eyes landing on the group of young boys that had caught the prince's eye earlier. He leaned forward in order to whisper across the table, pointing a finger over to the dignified group. "Then what are they doing here?"
That was a question Song Mengyao had wanted the answer to as well. It was something that had been bothering him since they had arrived. A group of disciples from the Sun Sect, who were presumably travelling without an elder. Either they had gotten lost somewhere along the way, or they were waiting for their elder to return.
The answer to their question came much sooner than they had expected when a rather unusual young woman came bursting into the inn. Her eyes were pure white; her long, dark hair was matted and full of dirt. Her clothes were plain and ragged, full of scrapes and tears. A straw hat hung loosely against her back. A farmer.
With her head hung low and shoulders hunched over, she lifted a shaky arm. Her long, pale finger pointed toward the disciples of the Sun Sect, who had already jumped from their seats and drawn their swords.
Everything in the inn went still as she stood there. Her body tugged this way and that, her pigeon-toed feet bending at an unusual angle. An unsettling howl rumbled out from deep within her throat and she lept, hurling herself towards the disciples with clawing hands.
Song Mengyao had already sprung to action, stepping in front of Master Yin with his sword drawn. This was no ordinary woman, nor was it any ordinary attack.
Now he understood why the Sun Clan had sent so many young disciples into the middle of nowhere. They were not on a break from their journey, the inn had always been their intended destination.
"W-We killed it. Didn't we? Sun Liwei, you said we killed it!" One of the young disciples cried out, cowering behind the other boys.
"I- I don't know. I thought we did..." The boy presumed to be Sun Liwei scratched his head, only to quickly jump back again when the woman lunged for him.
As their game of cat and mouse continued, Master Yin stood to stand beside Song Mengyao. His hand was scratching at his chin, deep in thought as he hummed. "Looks like our friends here were sent to dispatch an evil spirit."
Song Mengyao nodded in agreement and turned, gesturing for the rest of the people in the inn to step back. Then, with one finger extended in the air, Yin Jianguo stepped forward.
"Excuse me," hearing a new voice, the spirit snapped its head towards him, "Ah, good. I've got your attention."
The woman snarled, creeping towards Master Yin as she decided whether he was a serious threat. The spirit could sense his diminished Qi, which was certain as she soon lunged towards him. Song Mengyao jumped in front, pushing her away with the flattened side of his blade to avoid harming the body the spirit was inhabiting. If there was anything left of the poor girl within, then he wished to cause her as little pain as possible.
Master Yin took ahold of Song Mengyao's shoulders, speaking by his ear, "Priestess' Palm."
The young prince knew exactly what he was being told to do and quickly passed his sword back to Master Yin before channelling his inner Qi. With his slender hands at a ninety-degree angle, he shoved them forward into the girl, forcing the spirit possessing her to part with the body.
A black mist came out into the room as the girl collapsed to the floor, whirling around their heads before disappearing from view. Master Yin ran, quickly shutting the doors to the inn whilst Song Mengyao cast a ward around the building.
The Sun Sect disciples watched on in awe, all too shocked to move. Until their leader stepped forwards. "Who are you? What did you do?"
The boy looked no older than sixteen with a soft face, slightly chubby cheeks, and fiery eyes. He seemed arrogant, although Song Mengyao doubted that he could be any more so than Master Yin.
"Miss, are you alright?" Song Mengyao was already by the victim's side, carefully helping her sit up.
Master Yin took it upon himself to speak with Sun Liwei, "I'm Yin Jianguo, of the Yin Clan, and this is Song Mengyao, the Third Prince of Shiyanyi."
The young woman rubbed the back of her sore head. "I- W-What happened?"
"You were possessed by an evil spirit. How do you feel?"
All eyes turned to the woman, every man in the room seemed concerned for her health.
"I-I think I'm okay. I just feel a little-" Before she could manage to finish the last of her sentence, she turned over, hurling onto the floor.
Master Yin too knelt by her side, rubbing circles into her back until she was done. "He just forced the spirit from your body. I'm afraid you'll feel unwell for a little while."
"What of the spirit? Where has it gone?" Sun Liwei questioned, youthful eyes darting around the room.
Leaving the woman to Master Yin, Song Mengyao climbed back to his feet and crossed his arms over his chest. "It hasn't gone far. In fact, it could still be in this room. I sealed the inn so it cannot get out, but unfortunately neither can we. It will need a new host soon though."
"You're saying it will possess one of us?" One of the boys exclaimed, looking around worriedly at his friends.
Master Yin helped the young woman to her feet and escorted her to a chair, allowing her to rest, before turning to the disciples. "Perhaps. Unless it has already found a host."
The calmness that resided with the two men comforted the civilians in the room. The farmers in the corner had already come closer, assuming that the distinguished disciples of the Sun Sect, along with the famed Master Yin and Third Prince of Shiyanyi, would protect them from such evil. The young woman was still feeling far too unwell for any trace of fear to linger, but she too felt safe now that there were Qi bearers with them.
Although, this calmness did not translate to the disciples of the Sun Sect, who were only more alarmed to be trapped inside with such a spirit. Especially, when it was a spirit that they already believed they were rid of.
"I-It might already have a new host?"
Master Yin hummed, rubbing his chin again as he looked around the room. "Has anyone seen the owner since this girl came in?"
Startled, the disciples began searching for a sign of the man. It was true, he had gone back into the kitchen before the possessed girl arrived and had not been seen since. It would have been too risky for the spirit to possess someone in the room as Master Yin would certainly have caught wind of it. No, this spirit was clever, and it had only taken a second for it to find its next host.
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