"I'm sorry to be leaving like this. I didn't get the chance to give you anything for your birthday." I say to Yi Fei at the gates of Invigorating Essence.
She points to her chest. "You've already given me the most precious present there is."
Oh, she means the Ruby of Eternal?
"Your friendship," she smiles.
"Ha, right... Well, if you need anything be sure to let me know."
"Of course, after all you have the Marvel Sphere. You are undefeatable now."
"Shh! We said we wouldn't talk about that, remember?"
Yi Fei laughs then says, "I was hoping Yang Zi Huo would attend my birthday celebration yesterday. That way you two could find time to talk things through."
Less than enthused, I pretend to smile. "It's fine. Me and Yang Zi Huo... are done. There's no need to bring it up anymore."
"Did something happen?"
"No." I shake my head. "I'm leaving now! I'll come visit sometime."
"Do you know where you're going? Where can I reach you?"
"I think I'm going to take a break from traveling for awhile. I just don't know where I'll be for now. I'll send word when I resettle somewhere."
I've had many homes throughout the lifetimes I've lived. Most of them were shared with Yang Zi Huo. Naturally, I've come to associate him with the feeling of home. But now...
Now that he has moved on, I have to find a new way to define home.
I don't want to intrude Chuju and her family, so Xue Hua is not a choice. Yang Zi Huo is not at Bleak Night, so it's not like I'd find that place enjoyable without him there. Shui Jing Mountain is Yang Zi Huo's treasured place and where... we...
Anyway, I can't go there.
I have no place to return to.
Invigorating Essence is a safe haven I can always reside and spend time with Yi Fei. However, with all the restrictions and Yi Fei busy with sect leader matters, it didn't feel like home. Maybe if one day Yi Fei isn't Sect Leader anymore, we can move away and live together somewhere else.
Living in a busy city like Yeguang City would be fun. But without anyone to take around on the town, it would just be incredibly lonely. A tranquil life in the country side sounds peaceful, but I'd be alone with my thoughts and that's not something I'm fond of at the moment.
Near the borders of a neighboring country, exists a town for travelers and oddities. I've stayed there multiple times and found the dusty desert storms unbearable, but there was always interesting people coming through, selling exotic goods. The woman running an inn there is a close acquaintance of mine. She wouldn't mind my presence if I offer to help out with basic chores.
With that in mind, I begin traveling west to the border.
For a few months, nothing interesting happened. I stayed with Yuan Laoban at her inn, helping with cleaning and serving the customers. I have good experience with this, remembering how I've done this type of work for Grandma in the Underworld. I miss her. I even miss Ji Nian, that nagging, old mother.
Fortunately, most of the customers are manageable. Yuan Laoban usually steps in to handle the problem people, and tends to shield me from their mistreatment.
If she only knew how badly I wanted to beat them up.
I'd much rather be the boss than a lowly server. Perhaps I'll start my own tavern and sell my wine again. I constantly waver between being the boss and a humble assistant since being boss means I'd have to bear more responsibilities and that would lead to too many headaches.
Tonight I'm in charge of cleaning up and closing. We haven't had many guests stayed for awhile. To cheer herself up, Yuan Laoban wanted to go out and spend her hard earned money. The usual auction for bidding on strange and foreign items take place at night in the arena. Exclusive to business owners and long term residence of the town, I was given admittance for working at Yuan Laoban's inn.
I, myself, planned to witness the extraordinary of the arena auctions. After living so many lifetimes, I finally have money to waste away. There is an existential worry that I'll become detached from worldly possessions and find nothing exciting anymore. My involvement with Yang Zi Huo has kept me driven with passion to outdo him, but now that it's done and over with... I feel as though life is lacking a bit.
"Hey, Yuan Laoban." I sit down next to her in a row overlooking the arena. People are already rowdy and loudly speaking over one another.
"Oh, you're here. You closed up the inn?"
"Yeah. Anything interesting yet?"
"Not really. Just the usual mystical weapons and elixirs."
We look down as they wheel a huge, square cell to the stage. Covered with a dark curtain, the seller steps out in front to start the bidding.
"What we have next is a creature of fascinating origins."
The crowd whispers endlessly, reacting to his eerie voice.
"This creature was captured by me as it pillaged a small town much like this one. I stared into its fiery eyes and commanded it to cease. Firing its elemental powers at me and my men, we subdued it with a massive net of seals. We fought it for five days until its submissive defeat. It's nothing more than a docile pet now. For the right price, I'll gladly release it into a new owner's hands. Men! Take off the curtain! Show the people this majestic beast!"
The curtain is pulled off. Voices from the crowd exaggerate shock and disbelief.
"What is that thing?" Yuan Laoban says, mesmerized by the revealing.
I can smell the overwhelming demon scent once the curtain was pulled. The enchantment on the cloth actually suppressed the demonic presence. Peering closer, the creature is no horrifying monster at all.
He is wearing tattered robes. Glowing horns of a majestic stag is visible on top of his head, his long dark hair falling loosely all around his face. He appears to be so weak, can barely rise from the ground.
"What is this, Collector Tan?! It's just a human with decorative horns? Stop trying to cheat us!" A man from the crowd in front of us yells.
"Yeah, what majestic beast?" Another adds.
"It looks nothing like a monster!"
"People! People!" The seller tries to calm the crowd. "This is just its weakened form. When angered, it will take on its true form with devastating powers."
One of his man hands him a torch. He shows it to us with a confidence. "For instance, this beast dislikes the presence of fire. It will go berserk if confronted with a simple torch."
He jabs the torch into the cell, attempting to burn the man inside. Trying to defend himself, the man stands and moves away. Gathering around the cell, men carrying torches all in unison poke the fire in to frighten him. With no corner to huddle, the man begins to heave heavily.
The crowd begins to cheer and then the light illuminates his pale face for all to see.
"That mark over his left eyes." I stand to observe. "Qin Yu?"
Soaring above the rows of people, I land on the stage. The seller, Collector Tan, is surprised by my interruption.
"What are you doing?! Get off the stage!"
"Stop it right now!" I order.
His men steps back, not knowing what to do.
"Can't you see we are in the middle of a bidding?!" He yells. "Men! Throw her out!"
They drop their torches and came at me with grimy hands. I exert my inner powers to stall them. The force lifts them all off their feet, floating them higher and higher as if they weigh less than the air. The men screech unaware of where their fate will lead.
Collector Tan stutters, "What-- What are you doing?! De-- Demon!"
Panic disrupts the auction with people running over one another to flee.
"Qin Yu? Is it you?" I ask the man in the cell. He doesn't answer and continues to stare at me with no emotion.
"I'll get you out of there."
Collector Tan steps in front of me and says, "No, you're not! I won't let you take away my merchandise!"
I flinch when blood splatters on my face. Looking to the Collector Tan's abdomen, I see scaly claws retract behind. Qin Yu stabbed him with his bare hand. Collector Tan falls to the ground lifelessly. He's dead.
Shocked, I don't know what to do. Just then Qin Yu falters over and faints. I force the heavy wooden poles off the infrastructure of the cell, leaving a big enough gap for me to enter. Grabbing Qin Yu's light body and holding him gently, I fly us out of the chaos.
I didn't know where else to go, so I brought Qin Yu to Yuan Laoban's inn. I know she would not be happy with it, and because of my interference at the auction, she would have expected me to never return and cause her trouble.
In my room, the candlelight goes out from the morning breeze.
After watching Qin Yu all night, I'm just about to fall asleep when Yuan Laoban kicks in the door.
"Yuxing, you ingrate! Why are you still loitering around my place when you created such a mess at the arena?!"
"Quiet, please. He's still sleeping."
"What? Who?" She walks over to the bed. Standing beside me, she looks pleasantly surprised. "He doesn't look too bad. Actually he's quite handsome. You know him?"
"Sort of."
She stays quiet, thinking carefully before saying, "Look. Yuxing, I like you. But Collector Tan was murdered yesterday, and the town thinks both you and this guy did it. With horns like that, he can't hide here or anywhere! Once he wakes up, you both have to leave. I mean... I'm not worried for you or anything, I'm just trying to look after my business."
I smile. "Don't worry, Yuan Laoban. I'll take him away."
Yuan Laoban is a nice person, even though her words can be harsh sometimes. I know she worries for me. I don't want to trouble her any longer than I already have.
I know I couldn't travel freely with Qin Yu. I mean his horns were really recognizable. I could try to hide them underneath a hood, but they will still be bulging out peculiarly.
"How do you do that spell?" I mutter to myself trying to remember the teleportation spell Yang Zi Huo taught me. It's been so long since I've used such high level spells.
I practiced a few times that afternoon, each time becoming increasingly easier. Confident enough, I planned to teleport Qin Yu and I out of the border town.
But where could we go?
Invigorating Essence won't allow him entrance. He is the enemy of Bleak Night...
I finally thought of a place where we could go. Somewhere safe where he hasn't totally pissed off everyone.
I teleport back to my room from the back courtyard. Something must have gone wrong with my calculation.
I'm falling!
My eyes meet his.
Qin Yu's open arms embrace me, circling around my waist. The impact of my chest hits heavily against his as he pulls me in. Much like that day in Yeguang City Theater, I'm falling into Qin Yu's arms.