"Ah, the lantern festival?"
The lantern festival was an event that took place only once a year in the village. Based on occasional various farmers' conversation over the past years, it's to celebrate a year's worth of harvest and to hope for another good one for the next year. Usually, when this event took place, Shen Yuan would climb on the tallest place he could find and watch how the normally quiet village, turn into a bustling place with activity. At the darkest hour in the evening, the people would send these little lights into the sky, making it similar to the stars above.
Luo Binghe had abandoned his sword practice and followed Shā Huálíng's example in going to where Shen Yuan was. Shā Huálíng's hand still held onto Shen Yuan's robes, "Shifu, can we go? We've been working so hard for the last weeks," after a second thought, she continues, "it sounds so much fun. Didn't you tell us we have to get to know each other better? If we go, I think we'll do that." She looks to Shen Yuan determinedly with puffed-out cheeks.
To save her for her poor choice of words, Luo Binghe adds, "There's a lot of variety of foods for Shizun to try; I know you have been wanting to try other types of human food." Shen Yuan suddenly became even more curious about this festival than before. Food just as good as Luo Binghe's, count him in. "Oh really," Shen Yuan asks them both amusingly with a quirked eyebrow.
Two heads nod vigorously in reply. "Hmm..." He teases them with anticipation, "I'll think about after today's work, how about that?"
Shā Huálíng groans. "Again? We just finished sparring..."
"No ifs, and, or buts about it," he pushes the two in the opposite direction, even with the way Shā Huálíng was trying to make herself glued to the floor, "off you two go, these spars aren't just for show."
Shā Huálíng just huffs in annoyance. While Luo Binghe goes without any resistance, used to the slave driver known as his Shizun.
Underneath Shen Yuan's facade of cheeriness, he was deep in thought. Stuck more like, he did want to go with his students to the festivals, but the problem lies with going into the village. He was afraid to put it plainly. The idea of leaving the only place he's ever known and going into a new environment scared him. Shen Yuan eyed the two small gremlins in the distance giving their all in trying to impress him. It would've been humorous, if not for the inner turmoil he was facing. Hah, he needs some fresh air.
It would be best to head back to their home first he supposed; there was nothing for him do anyway. A quick word to let them know he was leaving and that once they are done they can also come back, he withdraws quietly into the trees. He continues to ponder on about the festival, touching his scaly cheeks while doing so. Soon his steps reach the mouth of the cave he peers into it, eyes landing on an item he hasn't seen in a while. His mask.
It lies innocently near his hoard. Each step of his echos in the silent cave, he soon stands within reach of it. A hand reaches out and lifts it with ease, he gently caresses the patterns that decorate it. The idea he had many weeks ago came back, he found a solution for his scales. Now comes another problem though, Shā Huálíng. He may have a mask to hide his appearance, but she does not. He'll need to be a bit creative to hide her demon mark. He does have an idea in mind, but he'll have to see if Shā Huálíng is agreeable to it.
Speak of the devil, he hears loud footsteps approaching from behind him. Was he lost in thought for that long?
"Shifu, we finished all of our exercises!"
"Have you reconsidered, Shizun?"
Shen Yuan turns around to face the two, with the mask in hand. "I may have." Shā Huálíng looks ready to burst with excitement, "Let's get ready now! Finally, I can't stand here any longer---" Shen Yuan smoothly cuts her off, before she could say anything else.
"Huálíng, there is something I need to tell you. Binghe, stay here." Shen Yuan takes her hand and goes somewhere deep in the forest where Luo Binghe couldn't see and doesn't come back until much later with a returning disgruntled Shā Huálíng. Luo Binghe notices immediately the once glowing red mark on her forehead was gone, covered up with some sort of clay material.
"Why do I have to have this stupid paste on my face," Shā Huálíng whines while getting lead back to the cave.
"It's for the better; I'd rather you be a little bit uncomfortable than to be chased away by the villagers."
"This is still stupid." Shen Yuan just lets out a long-drawn-out sigh. There was no point in arguing with her. Surely, he was growing grey hair by now with how much stress he has to deal with these kids. He never asked to be a single parent!
"No more complaining," he chimes. "Binghe, you're used to these festivals are we suppose to bring anything?" Luo Binghe was stilled for a moment before regaining himself, "Just some money will do, Shizun."
"Alright, that could be arranged," he fastens the mask and advances forward to grab a bit of the gold coins from his hoard. Then placing them in a pouch. Hopefully, this is enough. And tightens the pouch on his hip.
Taking the first step out of the cave, he sees the two haven't moved yet. "Well kids, are you ready," he asks, teasingly.
"Hmph. Of course."
"Yes, Shizun."
"Good, let's get going then." The journey to the end of the forest felt neverending. The lush trees and familiar plants gave him comfort, but as he got closer and closer to the less dense parts, he grew more nervous and anxious. This anxious feeling didn't go away as they reached just at the edge of the forest, where the village is located. It was subtle, but he felt a small firm hand on his back. He turns slightly to see Luo Binghe smiling up at him comfortingly, and he smiles back, as a way of saying thanks. Taking a deep breath, he steels himself and strolls forward.
The smell was what hit him first. It was unusual compared to the crisp air of the mountains, but it wasn't unpleasant in the slightest. Laughter ranged from children, even younger than Shā Huálíng and Luo Binghe, as they ran down the streets, where multiple food vendors were set up. Shen Yuan stood there dumbfounded for a moment, just trying to take everything in one at a time. "Shifu," he gets shaken out of his haze, "I want what that girl is eating." Shā Huálíng points to a little girl carried on the back of a man; the girl had a stick with some sort of pastry on it. Shen Yuan scans the area for the vendor that carried the pastry and found them near a small bridge just a few steps away. He was just about to go there when he heard a yell from behind him.
Luo Binghe had fallen to the ground, no, pushed to the ground. Two boys, around his age, stood behind him with smirks adorning their faces.
"Seems to me like you didn't learn your lesson, stupid bastard."
"Yeah, who said you could show your face here again. Didn't you learn your lesson?"
Ah? Were these the ones that trapped Luo Binghe in the net before? Shen Yuan looks them up and down, they weren't much. One was on the scrawny side, while the other was more on the burly side.
"Hey, who do you meanies think you are knocking my senior brother?!" Shā Huálíng, who was just moments ago clinging to Shen Yuan's side, was standing right in front of the fallen Luo Binghe, with hands pointing directly into the boy's direction, accusingly. In his mind, he was secretly cheering Shā Huálíng on. His little girl was making him so proud right now; he pretends to dramatically wipe an imaginary tear from his covered face. Ah. Look at how fast they grow, he reminisces.
Oh, dear, it looks like they are getting a crowd.
Like the teenagers that they are, the boys suddenly turn bright red, real flustered.
"W-what's your name," The burly one asked, "my name is Jian Bo."
"I don't care what your name is, don't come near my senior brother ever again!"
The scrawny one only gives her a condescending look, "Or what? It's not like you could do anything about it." Shen Yuan could just see it coming, he could just see how Shā Huálíng's body suddenly turned rigid as though a predator ready to pounce any moment now.
"Oh really," her sickly sweet fake voice rang out, "well I hope you like the taste of my fi--"
"What's going here?" A new voice was heard from behind the crowd. The crowd parts for the person that just spoke, a young boy clad in yellow with a plain but mild appearance. He looks like a young noble, Shen Yuan thought, but now wasn't the time for that. He had to get his students away while the people were focused on the new person. He was about to do so until Shā Huálíng opened her mouth again.
"These two are trying to bully my senior brother!"
"Jian and Xiu shidi, what is the meaning of this?"
"What she said wasn't true! We were only passing by, right Bo?"
"Uhhh...yeah! Yeah, we were passing by and we knocked into this bastard." The boy surnamed Xiu hissed in a breath, seemingly also stepping on the other boy's, Bo, feet in the process. " Ouch, what?!"
The boy named Xiu hisses out a quiet, "Shut up." And then both seem to have fallen into silence. The boy in yellow looked at them, unimpressed.
"Go and apologize to the two now, shidi. What you did was an embarrassment to the sect."
"But, Gōngyí shixiong we didn't do anything wrong, we only bumped into them on accident."
At the corner of Shen Yuan's eyes, he sees a woman dressed in fine purple robes topped with a hat that covers her face. She moved to stand behind the boy in yellow robes, whispering in his ear. The young boy thinks over her words and goes over to where Luo Binghe and Shā Huálíng and apologizes. This shocks both his sect members and Shen Yuan's students.
"I apologize on behalf of my shidi, they are still immature and inexperienced. I will make sure they will receive fitting punishments for their deeds, once we get back to our sect. But now, we have to leave; please accept this as an apology." Surnamed Gōngyi hands Luo Binghe a small pouch and leaves with his whole entourage. The crowd soon dispatches after this debacle, leaving only Shen Yuan, Luo Binghe, and Shā Huálíng. The fuck just happened?
"That was interesting," Shen Yuan attempts to break the confusion in the air.
"Very." The two students answered at the same time.
"Are you alright, Binghe? Did they injure you anywhere," Shen Yuan finally begins to fret over his student.
"You know shixiong if they ever try to mess with you, just tell me." She pats her arm to indicate her 'muscular' figure. "I'll beat them black and blue." Shen Yuan quietly turns his head away, to laugh in private at just how precious she looked at this very moment. He peeks to look at Luo Binghe's face and see him also smiling.
"Okay, so does that mean Shimei will be my protector from now on?"
Shā Huálíng smacks her chest in confidence, "Of course!"
"Okay."
Shen Yuan hates to cut their bonding time, but he had to. "So how about we get Shā Huálíng that pastry now? You did a good job today, Huálíng." He gets a soft ' yes ' from Luo Binghe and an excited one from Shā Huálíng. As he was purchasing the two pastry, he was about to pay the vendor the gold coins he had but was stopped by Luo Binghe.
"Shizun, that's too much! Here this is how much you have to pay," Luo Binghe reaches in his recently given pocket money and takes out six bronze coins, hands it over to the vendor.
"You gave me too much boy," the vendor was about to hand two of the coins back when Luo Binghe says, "I'll take one more of the pastry, please."
"Oh well, why didn't you say so before, here you go, three freshly made pastries." Luo Binghe reaches out and takes the offered pastries from the old vendor woman. He thanks the woman and hands over two of the pastries to Shen Yuan and Shā Huálíng, both of whom quickly take big bites into them.
Luo Binghe also takes a bite out of it, though his bite was much smaller than the other two, trying to savor the flavor of the sweetened bread. It had a hard crush on the outside, but on the inside, it was soft and fluffy. Pretty good. He thought. Shen Yuan and Shā Huálíng were done before he was.
"Shifu, can I go play with those children over there," Shā Huálíng was turned facing the direction of a group of kids in the near distance. After contimplating, Shen Yuan just went ahead and gave her the ' okay ' to go, but before that, he gave her a talisman that lets him know where her location was. "Okay, come back once you're done."
"You two have fun," and off she goes. Without even looking back, oh look at how grown she's become, they grow up way too fast.
He turns to Luo Binghe. It has been a long time since the last they ever were alone with one another. "Got any nice places for us to watch the lanterns, Binghe?"
Luo Binghe brightens up and nods at Shen Yuan. Luo Binghe takes Shen Yuan's hand and leads him away from the buzzing town to a remote spot in an open field. Not a single person was in sight. "Shizun can take off his mask now; it must feel uncomfortable."
Hesitant at first, fearing there could be someone lurking around doesn't take it off until about ten minutes later, seeing that there is no one here. They both settle down in the tall grass and watch as the first of lanterns float up into the vast sky. A steady stream of lanterns soon floats up as well, painting the dark sky with such dreamy lighting. Shen Yuan was memorized with just how beautiful it was, this was much better than watching them from the forest. It looked more surreal up close.
"Binghe, I know I haven't been the most truthful about this."
Luo Binghe turns away from the illuminated sky and looks at his Shizun, fully attentive.
"I have a secret to tell you," he pauses as though in thought on how to word this, "Actually, I'm not a dragon."
"..."
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