The two weeks Wan Yu mentioned long ago passed— by the end of it, he had already stacked a good supply of firewood, replaced the ratty blankets, patched up the house, and had a small stockpile of food on the ready. In the courtyard, a young tree stood near the middle.

"And this should last you some time. Don't be wasteful, forage and garden what you can, and be careful okay? Grandma is too old to do these things, but you're also young. If you have to go anywhere, always go with an adult you can trust."

In the wooden box Wan Yu handed over to Xiao Mian were pieces of copper and silver, accumulated over the past two and a half months. Careful spending ought to be able to stretch it to the end of this winter. Xiao Mian stared at it.

“Gege has to go. But hopefully this can make the transition easier.”

“...Do you really have to go?”

Wan Yu ruffled her hair before pulling her into a hug. “Xiao Mian, you deserve a happy childhood without these heavy worries, but Gege can't stay here forever. But I'll visit now and then, and I'll buy you new clothes, okay? I bet you'll grow up beautiful and all, and then I can't tease you about boys anymore. You'll have to be the one waving me over then, because then you'd look so different I wouldn't recognize you…”

Her grip around his waist tightened.

“But I'll remember you, you know. I don't forget that.”

“You better not.”

The months had turned and slipped into the early days of autumn, and yet the midmorning sun was garish as it stared down at him. Wan Yu stared at the skyline for a while, dazed, but moved on when life reminded him to— an old man passed by with a creaking cart.

Well. It was his choice to do this.

Leaving took him down the same path he’d walked numerous times before— funny, how it took a different feeling when he was leaving for good. What was not the norm, though, was a figure in blue, his back to Wan Yu—

"Ye-xiong." Wan Yu's lips pursed. "I was not expecting you to be back."

Ye Xiyang turned around, smiling. "Hate me already? I didn't think two weeks apart would create such a rift between us like that."

"I needed two weeks?" Wan Yu walked past him, step by step leaving behind the place he'd lived in for months now. "Come on. Let's go."

With a chuckle Ye Xiyang followed him, looking like he was out for a stroll.

"What is someone like you doing in this kinda place anyway? Don't you have better things to do? Don't you ever worry someone might recognize you?"

"I had help from a trusted hand, this time," Ye Xiyang said airily. "Worry not. I am capable of blending into the crowds of any town you visit and nobody could even hope to track me."

Bullshit, Wan Yu thought. It made him want to go to another poor village, just to have this man stand out with his stupid silks and his stupid fan with painted bamboos and the engraved wood and dangling dragon jade. Blend into crowds my ass. He heard several places bordering Jing country to the north were getting refugees from the civil war over the throne. Some had consumption, too. It was definitely not a place this sect leader would willingly walk into. Wan Yu, on the other hand, could just go and volunteer to construct temporary housing and start tilling the fields with the healthy refugees…

Wan Yu shook his head. No way he was going to contract a deadly disease just to run away from an infuriating rich man. Maybe he should instead test his skills and attempt to rob Sect Leader Ye. At least he could get money with that?

“Acting the part will take some time to get used to again, though,” Ye Xiyang said, thinking. “It’s been a while since I’ve had to do this.”

Wan Yu, “......” Admit it, Ye-xiong, you’re actually a 50 years old man with arthritis whose sense of youth had eroded at age 23, aren’t you?

Wan Yu had hoped that he would have a nice, silent walk so that he might process his feelings along the way, and at first Ye Xiyang seemed like he would stay quiet. This foolish illusion was, however, broken pretty fast.

“Are you still angry that I killed those people?”

As the morning inched ever closer into midday, the sun slipped higher to the sky. A passing ox cart made the two of them move closer to the tree lines. This being still rather near to the village, trees were somewhat sparse from being chopped down, so the foliage couldn’t provide perfect shade. Ye Xiyang, though, let out a relieved sigh even then.

Wan Yu rolled his eyes, before fixing his gaze on the road ahead. “What do you think?”

“I was right though, wasn’t I?”

“Do I look like I care?”

“I thought you only value objective truths, like the fact that they’re part of the evil side here means that I get a free pass for that.”

Wan Yu shot him a dirty look. “That’s just your preconception of me. Who said I was like that at all? Which part of me showed that? I gotta scrub it clean.”

So grumpy. Ye Xiyang’s lips twitched, though he did rein in the amused huff he almost let out.

"Morose?"

"Ye-xiong," Wan Yu sighed, "you need to learn how to read the mood. I look like this, you should understand and keep hush. This face means I'm not in the mood to chat, got it?"

This time, the chuckle did escape. "All right then, Xiao Wan."

Ugh. You call me Xiao Wan this Xiao Wan that, but you don’t act a proper adult, what even is the worth of your age, Sect Leader Ye? So annoying.

The trip took three days on foot. It was largely uneventful— turned out Ye-xiong wasn’t as young-master-y as he thought, seeming fine with having to camp like any other. He even knew how to start a fire without qi— at Wan Yu’s raised eyebrow, he snorted.

“I wasn’t trained in a holy cave, you know? I’ve seen the world too.”

Wan Yu sat down, flopping on the cloak he kept in his travels throughout these years. The forest floor was dry; soon, he wouldn’t have that sort of luxury, because it would be disgusting and muddy. “What next, I find out the esteemed Ye-shaoye can cook?”

“I can.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Well, suit yourself,” Ye Xiyang said.

Also, it seemed like the titles were evolving?

The town Wan Yu was heading to next was Songhe. It was, in a sense, under Vermilion Sun Sect’s protective umbrella, as it had a small outer branch in the isolated area nearby. That was what he’d gleaned after some long talks with a number of people anyhow. Wan Yu had told Du Yu’an that he would try to pass along his plight before, and while he was a tad bit behind in terms of timeline, better late than never. Anyway, Vermilion Sun Sect took ages to process things, unless you come to their headquarters and demand proper actions right then and there…

On the second day, Wan Yu’s mood had recovered. He’d returned to his chatty self, at least according to Ye Xiyang’s standards— they discussed the cultivation world, dissed some righteous factions a bit, got some more enlightenment about what the demonic faction did.

For example—

“Eh, Immortal Master Lu Kong? I don’t know, he’s pretty okay I think,” Wan Yu said, pursing his lips. “Not really someone I can relate with, but he’s fine.”

Oh, that opinion would change drastically in seventeen years.

“Do you even know what he does?” Ye Xiyang asked, maybe with a hint of genuine curiosity.

Wan Yu shrugged. “A bit. I’ve seen him, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Ah right. Your shifu is the illustrious Immortal Master Ning Shan, meeting someone of lesser rank like Immortal Master Lu Kong must not have been weird.”

Even though his delivery was light, the snideness was hard to miss. Wan Yu rolled his eyes. “Sure, phrase it like that, jackass. Shifu barely saw five other people in my entire life. The other ones don’t count, because they were idiots who thought they might as well die trying to kill him, or idiots who didn’t recognize who he was and tried to rob him.”

“They’re idiots,” Ye Xiyang agreed. “What does your shifu think about the fact that you’re so nonchalant about Immortal Master Lu Kong?”

“Hey, you’re reading dislike into my tone that isn’t present.” Wan Yu gestured out a swat, but paused midway when he remembered who he was with. Why was he acting so familiar? Eugh. “Jackass. I have nothing against him. He’s just… traditional.”

By the time Wan Yu was born and taken in, Immortal Master Ning Shan had been in seclusion atop that mountain for nearly ten years, having dedicated all of that time to dissipating Fallen Morning Star. Wan Yu had only heard of this legendary weapon, given that his shifu didn’t have pictures of it either, not seeing the point of having one— (“Waa, how come Shifu doesn’t have the ability to see the future and know that I, someone Shifu never expected to exist, would want to see what it looks like? Waa.” “...Yu’er.”) Few people seemed to know that he was there, too, given that Wan Yu really had only seen Immortal Master Lu Kong when he was up that mountain. As he travelled, he started to get a grasp on why: many of the masters now well known were of the next generation, and the ones that weren’t were deeply embedded in their sects. His shifu had never been in a sect— Wan Yu's shiye was the last survivor of his sect, and Immortal Master Ning Shan was thus only part of that sect for all of two years.

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When he was seven years old.

Wan Yu wasn’t about to count that as a real allegiance.

So his shifu had always remained neutral in the righteous faction all his life. The only other person of his generation who was more or less the same that Wan Yu knew of was Immortal Master Lu Kong. But even then Immortal Master Lu Kong was involved with the righteous faction politics— he was the head of the Wulin Council.

“When I first met him I was practicing some complicated moves Shifu made to adapt to my style. I was pretty sure that had I been the disciple of a lesser man, he would’ve criticized me for improper form.”

And Wan Yu would’ve argued that it wasn’t that fair a criticism, because throughout history, any new school would’ve been inherently deviant from its traditional origins until it became widely dispersed and thus the new “traditional”, and hey, wouldn’t the very first person practicing and teaching martial arts creating it out of nothing? And given what Wan Yu knew of himself at age 13, he would have started that argument had Immortal Master Lu Kong spoke one single word.

Proof that Immortal Master Ning Shan was transcendental in his personality and behavior? He raised Wan Yu and didn’t even kick him out by age 9.

Okay, Wan Yu wasn’t going to be that mean to himself, he was just always asking questions from the banal to the very nature of the universe itself and why they were that way. Him and traditional mindsets just didn’t merge very well.

They arrived not long after midday. After spending so many months in smaller towns, seeing the bigger ones was a bit jarring, especially after days on the road— both Wan Yu and Ye Xiyang were quiet as they entered the gates. Didn't need to make a noise, everyone else already did it for them— horse- and hand-pulled carts passed by, along with chattering townsfolk, people selling some wares. There were several people in scarlet and lustrous light gold too, walking in small groups, the embroidery on their clothes reflecting sunlight in glaring white. Vermilion Sun Sect.

“...Does your sect stand out in the crowds as much as these people do?” Wan Yu asked, now genuinely curious.

Ye Xiyang hummed, shielding his eyes from them as though it was snow glare. “No. Definitely not.”

The Frozen Dragon Sect had sky blue for its robe colors, for one, which on all known accounts was less garish than blood red. They also had official outer robes when outside the sect; black for men, white for women. Furthermore, most who were wandering outside would not be wearing their uniforms, for one reason or another.

The most immediate needs they needed to tend to was food and lodging. Wan Yu had never been here before, so he lingered in the crowded street for some moments, before picking some place that didn’t seem so crowded.

A hand on his shoulder stopped him.

“At least pick a better place,” Ye Xiyang sighed, shaking his head. He turned to a large inn from where Vermilion Sun disciples were leaving in groups of three or four. “The one you were eyeing looks like it derives half its business selling tofu.”

Wan Yu rolled his eyes so hard it actually felt uncomfortable. “This servant apologizes for his plebeian tastes, Ye-gongzhu.”

A man yelled for the crowds to part, before a horse-drawn carriage carrying some rich person galloped past.

“I heard that.”

“Gongzi.”

The cheek.

Maybe it was the hour, maybe it was just how this place was on a daily basis, but to Wan Yu’s surprise, this inn wasn’t crowded. There were about a dozen Vermilion Sun Sect disciples, yes, but the building was large enough they weren’t an overwhelming majority. Though then again, almost a dozen had left, so it probably was quite red here half an hour ago. Ye Xiyang picked a spot far from the main door, tucked near the back, and waved over a waiter. Without a pause, he ordered dishes of fish and chicken.

“Still surprises me that you order a reasonable amount of food,” Wan Yu said, picking up some peanuts. “I mean, good for you I guess. Scrape some virtues where you can find them.”

Ye Xiyang, “......” What’s with this unnecessary blow?

Ye Xiyang replied with something, but Wan Yu’s ears caught a voice. He looked around, searching for its source, then half-rose as he peered at the person.

“Huh? Is that… Eh, is that you, Yun Zisu?”

Despite all the background chatter, Wan Yu’s voice carried through. The young woman turned her head. When she saw who called, her eyes lit up, a grin blooming on her face.

“Wan Yu? That’s really you?”

Turning to her fellow disciples, she seemed to have excused herself before hopping over to Wan Yu’s table. A girl slightly younger than her followed suit, and she chuckled as the girl grabbed onto her and stuck like a limpet.

Wan Yu moved seats so that he sat next to Ye Xiyang, freeing the two chairs on the other side. Ye Xiyang eyed him at the closeness, but Wan Yu didn’t even seem to notice— he was busy moving things over so that this Yun Zisu could be comfortable. When she sat down, her grin widened, almost giddy. The honesty in her expression was simple in a way that contrasted the over-the-top luster of her sect uniform.

Ye Xiyang tried to think of a Yun Zisu in the future, but his memory was faint. He remembered that there was… someone surnamed Yun in Vermilion Sun Sect, one who had some merit and achievement, but the sect was somewhat of a joke in the demonic faction at that point. What was merit worth when it came from a righteous sect so corrupt?

“I never would’ve expected to meet you here,” Yun Zisu said, eyes sparkling. “I thought I’d have to go all the way to meet Jiejie first, ah! How are you doing? I read your letter, are you well? How have your travels been? Who is this with you?”

Wan Yu’s answering grin was wide enough to crinkle his eyes. Before he could speak though, the food arrived.

"Oh, don't mind us," Yun Zisu said at Wan Yu's look. "We just finished our own lunch, we were just lingering to chat, please don't mind us and eat well! I reckon you've come a long way."

Wan Yu started eating, picking at the chicken and vegetables. After knowing Ye-xiong for way longer than he ever wanted, he knew that the man had a preference for fish. Maybe the lakes nearest to his sect were always frozen or something— Frozen Dragon Sect had got to be built in an icy region, right? "Not that far, honestly. It's just about four days away from where I've been staying this past two and a half months, though now I'm moving on for good. Oh, oh, if you do go and see Jiejie, I have a little nephew now, he's as small as a soaked bean, bring back something for me? I made this little toy, though he's probably too young for it."

Yun Zisu laughed. "'Soaked bean' is why Lan-jiejie puts you on laundry duty so much, Wan Yu. But ah, she finally gave birth? I'm so glad. Since you’ve gone and left, I reckon she’s doing fine? But yes, this is my shimei, Tian Ling. Ling-shimei, this is Wan Yu, a very good friend of mine. We travelled together for two months several years ago, kept in contact since."

Tian Ling nodded, staring at Wan Yu. Then, after a moment, she flashed him a smile. It was shy, perhaps with a sheen of discomfort, but it was sincere. Wan Yu gave her a comforting, less brilliant smile in return.

"Shimei eh? We're in the same boat then, with Zisu-jie." Wan Yu gestured around before picking some bok choy. "Ye-xiong, this is Zisu-jie, the better half of me and my twin from another mother. Zisu-jie, this is Ye-xiong. I met him when he fell through the trees as I was chopping wood. He's lost his memories thanks to the fall, so we're on a journey to find his hometown. I have a chivalrous duty to deliver him home."

Ye Xiyang, "......"

Yun Zisu shot him a sympathetic look, to which Ye Xiyang had no way to respond. "Couldn't have been an easy thing. Are you sure he came from afar? If he fell around that area, he might've…"

Gods above, they were entertaining this bullshit, weren’t they? Ye Xiyang had to sit through this.

"Nah, he fell there because of a portal. I think he might've been from the north, but I have an errand to run here, so I came here first. Great luck, too, that you happened to be here— what's up with all these Vermilion Sun disciples?"

"Ah, you sidetracked me— stop calling me Jie, we're the same age. But what sort of errand? Is it related to my sect? And oh, we just have a small night-hunt set for tonight. These past few months have been very rainy, there have been more landslides and accidents than usual. Fields hadn't been faring too well either thanks to it, so well, you can imagine the rest… In any case, there was a surge in undeads around here. Would you like to join?"

At the mention of landslides, Wan Yu paused in his meal— his attention was grabbed. His lips thinned when he heard the rest of her words.

"Eh, it's not an internal, sect thing?"

"No, it's open to public; it's for the outer gate disciples to get experience and to spur their competitiveness. I'm just here to supervise. Ling-shimei is here to get more practical experience." Yun Zisu tilted her head. "If you'd like to join, then I'll go straight to Feng-shigu. It's cutting it a bit close, but she probably will admit you in if I vouch for you. Ye-xiong is a cultivator too, isn't he? Would you like to join as well?"

Ye Xiyang had to applaud Yun Zisu's absolute trust in Wan Yu. She didn't even ask a single question about that shoddy backstory. Ye Xiyang no longer wore silks as overt as what he had two weeks ago— though those weren't the best, they were still noticeable. The clothes he wore now were from Ru Ge, who had ten years of experience with this undercover life and chose the fabrics carefully. Ye Xiyang felt almost nostalgic upon wearing them, remembering the days he was still a disciple proving his worth, doing dirty work, donning clothes that were closer to dish rags to blend in. These robes were in no way rags, though; they were soft and comfortable, but didn't look nearly as shimmery and delicate. But even then, the obvious discrepancy was obvious.

What sort of amnesiac travelling with local wildlife Wan Yu would be so well-dressed?

“You sure? Don’t want you to start bending the rules, yanno. One of us has to remain civilized, and it can’t be me.”

Yun Zisu chuckled. “I’m sure they won’t have room to complain once they know what you’re capable of.”

Wan Yu thought about it. “If I do well enough, would I be able to have something be put higher in the priority list of the sect?”

“You’re going to use this as an opportunity to do that?” She tilted her head. “How about you give it to me, and I’ll pass it along to Shifu? It’s just somewhat a waste. I reckon it’s something too big for you alone?”

“Yeah. It’s… It’s that thing, you know the one I mean.”

The two fell quiet for a while. Wan Yu took the time to eat a bit faster— he’d stopped munching without realizing it. After a few moment’s contemplation, Yun Zisu looked up.

“Mm. I’ll let Shifu know that it’s a problem that’s growing out of control, you can write me more details later so the sect knows more about the situation.” Yun Zisu then shook her head and smiled. “Anyway, the prizes aren’t bad. What say you?”

The shimei was staring at the two of them the entire time, looking rather lost. Her wide eyes shone with something akin to frustration— Ye Xiyang, having no better things to do as he ate, couldn’t help but notice that. Huh.

“Aight,” Wan Yu said. He turned to Ye Xiyang, putting a clip of sauteed vegetables on his bowl, then another, then another. Ye Xiyang was starting to think this was related to that one cabbage head. “How ‘bout you? Though you know, it’s not a choice. Your only options are to follow me around in the dark while doing nothing, or following me around in the dark while doing something.”

Ye Xiyang, “......” The overbearing young master type now, huh, since he found out Ye Xiyang’s identity?

“I’ll sit this one out,” he said, sighing. “I just thought you didn’t like it very much when I fought last time.”

Wan Yu, “......” What fight? You just killed three suspects before we could question them unprompted.

Yun Zisu’s eyes tracked the vegetables moving to Ye Xiyang’s bowl, then both their expressions. She laughed. “Lively, aren’t you two? I’m glad you have someone to accompany you on your travels— keeps the long walks fun, ah. Shall we go get you two signed up, then, once you’re done eating?”

Wan Yu, still holding the shared chopsticks, “......” Zisu, no, this isn’t fun! This person is a creep and a bad man!!