‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍" running helterskelter like idiots must add to our job descriptions! We are in atleast five locations daily! ", Dejang joked with Liuhe writing a report for Meiyang's father.

Though they were seating like this being very causal, Liuhe had not once raised his head . Dejang was so close to him that he couldn't help but imagine ugly things. As for his company, he was having quite the snack. It has been a while since he absorbed from a non-demonic source. Although he hates doing this to Liuhe , he might get sick if he doesn't feed and it's not like he is doing any extreme damage.

A knock arrived and both of them raised their heads to the sound. Before long Shejin entered the room along with Zhihuan.

Zhihuan bowed for respect and remained close to the door. In less than five seconds, he was already petrified. The same feeling was emanate in Shejin but he would never let Dejang know that he is scared . Atleast even if he can detect it, he is going to pretend otherwise.

Speaking of Shejin, he wasn't wearing his causal kitchen uniform but rather the royal guard's attire. From head to toe he was dressed in shades of blue and black. His hair was tied back with a silver lined hair crown. His leather boots had a blue rope for aesthetic appeal. Furthermore he was wearing an emerald talisman which was not in sync with his theme implying that it must be given by someone.

Dejang felt an overload of energy since everyone was horrified of him . He would have left had not Shejin once again displayed a rare level of courage by walking towards Dejang. Not only that , he strode close to him that Dejang could smell tulipwater all over him . His eyes journeyed across Shejin's body and he saw the talisman. The decoration's lack of coordination to the outfit plus the tulipwater must imply that it belongs to Yongsun.

Suddenly he felt unnaturally angry. Yongsun is always with Shejin and on that day that he attacked the worker, it was obviously for Shejin and now he got to dress him this pretty then insulted the beauty by adding his token on him. Isn't it considered a form of territory marking when an official gifts another individual their talisman?

Shejin greeted the two cultivators and looked at Dejang who was staring daggers at him.

He couldn't understand that look on Dejang's face. It was mixed with rejection, understanding and regret. Sort of like someone who lives in a desert and decided to grow their favorite flower but the flower died. Shejin is very aware of Dejang's power more than Dejang thinks but Shejin is also very aware how much it impacts him. There is no doubt in mind that every single individual that Dejang has meant was inclined to fear him.

Dejang knows that Shejin looks at him differently, he knows that he acts bold when he actually wants to run away. But everytime they met he kind of wishes he could tell him not to be afraid. Howbeit no matter how bad he wishes to say those words, that's just trying to scald water. Maybe he is being foolish, maybe he is being to ambitious but is it wrong that he wished that this fear coming from Shejin isn't his but rather someone else's.

Even when he doesn't want to believe it, the only way Shejin could look at him like this yet linger around Yongsun all time is because he fears him. It's times like these when Dejang hates being a dream cultivator

Shejin felt a sudden heaviness so he turned his attention to Liuhe. Apparently these two had came because Yongsun wanted to know how the sect was handling things and to inform them that an official from the south sect had come to examine the Zhao-cultivator who had attacker a worker . Added to the that, the royal house demands to know what is keeping the whole sect preoccupied here.

If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

A medicinal scent emerged into the room and soon followed Meiyang. Although he saw Shejin and his stunning physique, he acted indifferent to him by addressing Liuhe first!

' did he just ignore him? ', everyone except Dejang in the room had a common unspeakable thought. What colonized Dejang is the fact that Shejin's fear is diluted such as his own emotions about him everytime they meet.

Liuhe dictated everything and not once did Meiyang turn to look at Shejin. Afterwards he said that he will finish writing the report and Meiyang can carry the duplicate back to the king .

He agreed and he left the room!

Zhihuan stepped outside as fear was getting the best of him while Liuhe went back to burying him head in the paper.

Shejin pondered whether or not he should look at Dejang but ended up deciding not to. Furthermore his legs carried him out of the room . Beside it being unexpectedly cruel , it was very tiresome!

***

Shejin went to the back of the house where Meiyang was preparing a remedy for NaiWen's injured ankles. The strong medication hung all over the house so it was easy to know where Meiyang was or could have possibly gone.

As he wandered around, he spotted Meiyang in the backyard next to a tree. He was mixing things spanned across a table .

Shejin casually went there . Despite he trying to engage in small talk, Meiyang pretended he didn't exist. Without a response from his company, curiosity got the best of Shejin and so he reached for a shiny cup when Meiyang abruptly grabbed his wrist and raised it from the object

" Why were you at the inn ?",he gritted his teeth while asking

" ...",

" I smelt the prince's perfume in Enlai's room and the next thing I saw is you downstairs!",

Shejin was shocked. He is always around Yongsun and his garments must have picked the scent during those times that it almost seems like he is wearing it. So right now since Yongsun picked today's clothes and had Shejin wear them in his room, that must mean that he smells like Yongsun

" Why did you ignore me?",. Shejin exploded , changing the topic altogether . Whether or not Shejin was referring to at the inn or just right now in the company of the other cultivators is quite unclear.

" Should I acknowledge a spy such as yourself?" He tightened the grip on his hand.

Shejin was startled but understood Meiyang's grounds. It was awfully suspicious for Shejin to be in Enlai's room and listen to their conversation like that. Moreover Shejin had to have a connection with Enlai to go into his room .So other than being a spy , he must be someone who has a significance in Enlai's life or in the story between the Mang and the Yee's.

" Mr Yee's first wife is a daughter of the Mang's. Her brother is Enlai's father. Yee was supposed to marry the next generation daughter being Baisu but fell for First miss. No one knows why he brought home the two of them! ",

"Current miss Yee and the baby? ", Meiyang asked as if he believes Shejin .

" the baby had sudden illness after birth . And Yee refused to marry Baisu after sending his wife to the pit...",

" Ahem!! ", Liuhe coughed by the door leading to the house .

He held out the paper to Meiyang who told him to give it to Dejang as they are living together.

Liuhe shrugged his shoulders. Meiyang let go of Shejin's wrist and he walked off. He didn't want to admit it but for some reason Meiyang was acting very erratically today . And he hates it when people do that.

Shejin fixed his clothes and he went back to the house. As soon as he did that, he found Dejang leaning against the wall .

His face seemed to have dried up from the last time they met. His eyes seemed more puffy and distant. Naturally he would want to avoid him but that seems too harsh.

" Have you eaten?", He asked sweetly and Dejang nodded.

A chill went down his spine and his palms felt itchy. An urge to throw-up mixed with one to open his mouth confused his center of gravity .

Shejin walked off and once again the thought of whether to turn back reoccurred. For this reason his footsteps gained weight, inertia and stubbornness. As his pace slowed, his heart rose.. his vision got blurry but before his muscles could melt, Shejin picked his pace again and without looking back , he disappeared.

' I may have an idea why I feel this way but I just wish it stops! ', he thought to himself as he gawked at Shejin's back.

All his life , people have always walked away from him,, showed him their backs and feed his nostrils with the scent of their departing footsteps. From his martial sister all the way to the cultivators of the west sect with the masters included. To avoid the feeling of being unwanted, he isolated himself. Of course there were others that did try to be brave but in the end they couldn't be courageous long enough.

All they did was leave ! Just like Shejin just did , they would hesitate and just when he thought they would turn around, they just keep on walking away.

The number of times he has wished that one of them would just turn around are countless but all have been unfulfilled. He wore a mask so that they would be less scared of his face but the mystery it created just made them even more petrified of him.

Of course maybe the fact that he scared people to death before is what scares the others but it's not like he wanted to hurt anyone and he was just thirteen!

" I feel like he is going to kill me but I don't want to be scared!",Shejin whispered to himself as he could feel Dejang's gaze on him

Dejang turned to walk in the other direction!