All of the puzzle pieces slot neatly into place when he heard that last sentence and Bai Mei’s concern made a whole lot more sense, still, it by no means cleared up all of his confusion. After mulling it over for a moment he decided to just ask.
“So what did you want to talk to me about?”
There was quite the stretch of awkward silence as Xu Long stood there waiting for a reply, finally it was broken when the female instructor asked a question of her own. “Why are you not concerned in the slightest that I have brought you out here to end your life for what you tried to do to my little brother?”
Xu Long smiled at her. “Firstly, because we are inside the Academy and as I am sure you are even more aware than I am, just because no one can see us doesn’t mean no one can see us and you don’t strike me as either stupid nor impulsive. But even if we were in a more unfavorable situation for me I would still not be worried because you also don’t strike me as suicidal nor reckless enough to not have considered the consequences to your clan should I die by your hand.”
There was another long silence before she responded. “Stupid, impulsive, suicidal and reckless, you don’t think that aptly describes almost fostering a deep hatred with the Lou Clan by decapitating their youngest son?”
“I can see why you might think so.” Xu Long thought for a moment before continuing, “let me put it this way, you are upset because I attacked a member of your family, well Xu Xing is my family. Now imagine you are sitting in a restaurant minding your own business and someone approaches your table, first they insult your family member and after you warn them not to continue doing so they attack said family member in response. Tell me, are you going to stop at that moment and consider that person’s backing and the ramifications of defending someone you love, or are you just going to act?”
Her response was almost immediate. “Just because it is not reasonable for you to have considered the ramifications for your actions in the heat of the moment doesn’t mean that those ramifications cease to exist.”
“That’s fine, I will deal with any fallout that my current realm affords me the ability to handle, for anything above that I will just have to rely on my own backing.” Xu Long placed a hand on the hilt of his sword. “That being said, should you wish to fight me when I have caught up to your realm of cultivation I will gladly accept.”
Once more there was a long silence, but ultimately it seemed this instructor chose to completely ignore that last statement. “Why did you immediately go for the kill against an opponent that you clearly outmatched and could have easily subdued?”
Xu Long stopped and thought about his response for a moment, he knew why he had reacted the way he did. Despite the fact that Xu Xing’s circumstances denied her the opportunity to cultivate properly and thus have some modicum of ability to protect herself in this dangerous world she still followed him outside of the valley and effectively put her life in his hands. He had sworn that he would protect her, especially during this period in which she was somewhat, not totally, but somewhat helpless, maybe she didn’t think much of it but to him it was something he took very seriously. Nothing would happen to Xu Xing while he had the power to prevent it. The problem was that now he was not sure he wanted to share this information with the older sister of the young man he almost killed.
After a little thought he decided on a course of action. Simply replying “I’m stupid and reckless” before he smiled at the young woman.
She once again left a long pause before responding. “Very well, you can go and choose your accommodations for the year.”
Xu Long nodded his head and then turned and started leisurely walking back down the path that they had traversed. The young instructor just stood there watching him walk off in silence, by the time Xu Long was a decent way down the path a man with a sword hanging from waist who looked to be in his mid to late 20’s appeared beside her.
“What do you think, Xiaoqing?”
She looked at him for a moment before answering, “he’s certainly an anomaly, apart from that last answer he wasn’t lying or putting on a front. If you weren’t paying attention to him and my father hadn’t informed me who enrolled him into the Academy I would think that he is utterly delusional, now I have to concede that he may only be slightly delusional.”
That elicited a hearty chuckle from the man. “He is certainly not lacking in confidence.”
“It is more than that, I couldn’t tell if it was ignorance or naivety but he seemed utterly unaware of just how strange it was that I was not there to retaliate for his attempt on Jian’s life.”
The man smiled at her comment. “I imagine it is a little of both, he was raised in isolation, apparently the moment he arrived in Tianyun City a few weeks ago was his first encounter with anyone other than those who raised him. That being said he does seem very confident in his backing despite the fact that apparently he has no idea that the old man is here watching him.”
The young woman showed the first crack in her deadpan expression as her mouth hung open slightly. “He’s here?”
The man smirked at her facade breaking, even if ever so slightly. “I offered him my room so he can use the Grand Formation to watch over the boy. Which reminds me, you don’t mind if I continue staying with you right?” He asked as he stepped closer to her and put his arm around her waist.
Almost instantly her deadpan expression returned. “You say you want to stay with me but we both know what the arrival of this young man means, your time in this realm is coming to an end.”
The smile on the man’s face faded and he brushed his finger down the jawline of the young woman and gently held her chin so that she was looking up into his eyes. “Our parting was an inevitability, Xiaoqing. One that I never lied to you about, that being said, I will be here for some time yet even if this boy works out like I hope, don’t you think it better that we cherish the time we have left?”
“I’m not so sure that I want to share a bed with the master of the young man who almost killed my younger brother.”
That elicited a chuckle from the man. “Come now Xiaoqing, did you really think I would miss the slight twitch in your eye when the boy just assumed that you would be upset about what happened to your brother, like it never crossed his mind that you are largely indifferent or maybe even a little glad that the brat finally kicked and iron plate.”
“Don’t assume you know what is in my mind.”
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
He smiled at her. “I don’t need to assume, my little firecracker.” He then lent down and pulled her into a kiss, she punched his chest lightly at first before eventually surrendering to the all too familiar passion that ensnared her in the first place and kept her putting up with his often infuriating personality.
He finally broke the kiss and looked into her eyes, “so can I take that as a yes?”
…
Bai Mei watched the confident blindfolded young man follow the older sister of Luo Jian, who he had nearly decapitated just a few days ago, seemingly blissfully unaware of who she was. She had stopped herself from warning him about following her given the fact that they were on Academy grounds and his safety was all but assured, still, she couldn’t help but worry.
As she was lost in thought, a look of concern on her face as she watched the two walk away back down the path they had arrived on, she was pulled out of her daze when she heard a small, almost timid voice from behind her.
“Big Sister Mei, do you remember me?”
She turned her head when she heard her name and saw an adorable looking young girl who was more than a head shorter than her and looking at her a little nervously, seemingly fearful about the response that she would receive. She needn’t have been though, for although they had not seen each other since they were young children and Bai Mei probably would not have recognized her immediately if it weren’t for the very distinct feature that gave away her lineage and thus her likely identity almost instantly. A lovely pair of purple eyes that were looking up at her.
“Zhao Hualing?”
The young girl’s face lit up when she heard Bai Mei’s response, she nodded her head vigorously with a big smile plastered on her face.
“I knew you would remember me.” She then turned to the other young woman that was standing a little behind her that Bai Mei had just noticed. “See, I told you.”
When Bai Mei saw the other young woman she instantly recognized her lineage, which was even more distinct than the purple eyes of the Zhao, the young woman was as pale as snow and had pure white flowing hair. Instead of answering Zhao Hualing she merely smiled at her then looked towards Bai Mei and gave her a small nod. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Bai Mei, I am Chen Meixiu.”
Bai Mei returned the nod. “The pleasure is mine, I have never met anyone from the Chen clan before.”
She then turned her attention back to Zhao Hualing. “What are you doing here Hualing? You should have barely turned 13, why did you awaken so early?”
The big smile plastered on Zhao Hualing’s face faded almost instantly, she looked down at the ground and mumbled her answer. “I didn’t want to be there anymore, so I stole an Awakening formation and did it myself in secret.”
Bai Mei was more than a little shocked when she heard the young girl, she knew that she was slightly ostracized by the other children of the Zhao when they were young children which was partly the reason that Bai Mei and her became friends in the first place, but things must have deteriorated quite substantially for her to take such drastic measures. Seeing the dejected Zhao Hualing looking at the ground sullenly, familiar feelings began to well up in Bai Mei and she took a step forward and wrapped the young girl in a hug.
“What’s done is done Hualing, you’re here now and I am happy that the two of us will get to go through the Academy together.”
She felt the young girl tense instinctively when she first wrapped her arms around her but then quickly relax as she returned the hug with great enthusiasm, almost crushing Bai Mei with her tiny vice-like hold.
Bai Mei let the young girl hold the hug for quite a while, before she finally had to gently pat Zhao Hualing on the back. “Hualing, I am going to need to breathe again at some point.”
The young girl immediately jumped back like a frightened puppy, a slight tinge of red on her face. “Sorry Big Sister Mei…”
Bai Mei smiled at the girl. “It’s fine.” She then looked between her young friend and her pale companion that had barely made a peep the entire time and asked. “So how did the two of you meet?”
Zhao Hualing looked at the pale young woman with a small smile before returning her attention to Bai Mei. “We were staying at the same inn in Tianyun City, her and her uncle saved me from some mean drunken men who were hassling me and we became friends.”
Bai Mei could imagine the situation perfectly, in fact it was not unlike the scene that produced their own friendship, there was just something about Zhao Hualing that seemed to make her a magnet for bullies and yet also attract those that felt the need to protect her. Giving Chen Meixiu a knowing smile, Bai Mei nodded her head at the pale young woman before returning her attention to the young girl.
“So what took you so long to come and say hello to me?”
Zhao Hualing fidgeted when she heard the question, seemingly searching her mind for the right answer, but she never got the opportunity as her quiet and pale friend uncharacteristically answered for her.
“She kept talking herself out of approaching you, saying that she didn’t want to interrupt you and your lover.”
Both Bai Mei and Zhao Hualing turned their heads in her direction in a fraction of a second, Bai Mei looking scandalized by what she heard and looking more than a little red in the face, Zhao Hualing looking at her incredulously, the look on her face screamed ‘how could you betray me like this?’.
Bai Mei was the first to recover. “He is not my lover!”
Both Zhao Hualing and Chen Meixiu just stopped and looked at her, both of them seemingly unconvinced by Bai Mei’s insistence. As the silence of their stares and complete lack of belief started to overwhelm Bai Mei, Zhao Hualing took pity on the young woman who she looked up to and adored and decided to attempt to divert from this particular topic.
“Anyway…how about we go and choose our lodgings?”
She quickly realized that this was not a very good diversion to suggest when the look on Bai Mei's face turned a little awkward, seemingly struggling with whether she wanted to voice her response or not. Ultimately she decided that she didn’t have any other reason that she could give and decided to go with the truth.
“Actually, I am going to wait for Xu Long to return.” When the words left her mouth she could already see the small smiles appearing on both of the girls faces so she quickly moved to explain.
“It is not what the two of you are thinking, I am worried about him. When we were in Tianyun Xu Long got into an altercation with Luo Jian, the youngest son of the Luo Patriarch and almost killed him, now he has been called away by Luo Jian’s eldest sister. Intellectually I know that she won’t do anything to him in the Academy grounds, assuming of course that she is not insane, but I still want to make sure he and Xu Xing are alright.”
When she had finished her explanation and the two girls were still giving her knowing smiles, she was exasperated and decided to just ignore the implications of their looks.
“You girls can go ahead of me and choose your accommodations though.”
The smile on Zhao Hualing’s face was instantly wiped off and she looked like a kitten that had had its tail stepped on. “Absolutely not! We will wait for you Big Sister Mei.”
She then realized that she was talking for the both of them and sheepishly turned her head towards her new friend and asked. “Right?”
Chen Meixiu just gave her a small nod and a slight smirk at her enthusiastic outburst.
With a big smile on her cute little face Zhao Hualing looked back towards Bai Mei. “So Big Sister Mei, since we have the time, why don’t you tell us how you met this boy.”
Bai Mei, resigned to her fate, decided to tell them the story while they waited for Xu Long to return, hoping that after they had heard the story they might stop giving her those small knowing smiles that were starting to get under her skin.