Surprisingly, the al wasn’t as awkward as Lee expected. But it didn’t go completely natural either. Both he and Xiao Lian talked about nothing but the local cuisine, while Qin Yujian only said anything if Lian directly asked her.
When they were full, silence filled the hall. Lee pondered whether he should thank for the hospitality and leave, or hang out with the couple he didn’t have anything in common anymore.
He was happy to see them together, though. Not only his efforts of playing wingman payed off, Qin Yujian had aged beautifully. Already from the statues around the city Lee knew she changed her hairstyle and lost the childish braids, but this look suited her much better.
Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t what she cared about too much. She had never looked particularly approachable, and now seed even more distant. It took a while for Lee to guess the reason, but after seeing her cut the roast on her plate, he understood.
The girl from back then had continued to relentlessly train her whole life and had transford into a deadly killing machine. Even the simple knife gave the illusion of becoming a terrifying weapon in her hand, and Lee noted he had to pay attention to not say anything to provoke her.
It wasn’t that she had turned into a monster. Exactly the opposite – Lee was thrilled to see how she lovingly wiped the sauce of Lian’s chin or smoothed his eyebrow with her thumb while smiling without thinking. The minute nuances couldn’t be faked – the two were still deeply in love.
For a split mont Lee felt jealous, but quickly recovered. This was what he dread and hoped for when saving Xiao Lian in the Blackwater fortress!
"Alright!" Qin Yujian said and pecked Xiao Lian’s cheek, "You boys have fun, just don’t do anything stupid!"
Then she got up, gave another smile to husband, and graciously left.
"I’ve got to say, you picked a good one, buddy." Lee honestly said, the mont the door behind her closed.
"I can still hear you!" Qin Yujian’s voice from behind the door reminded Lee she had probably beco a powerful elental lord.
"Sorry, Yujian, I ant to say – you picked a good one!" Despite his instincts screaming against it, Lee shouted in return. Fortunately, the laughter outside indicated she wasn’t angry.
Xiao Lian only shook his head at the exchange. But then turned serious and in his hands appeared sword, sheathed in a simple-looking scabbard. It didn’t have any handle and resembled a heavy walking stick, wrapped in a black, worn out leather.
Lee’s eyes widened in surprise, but Xiao Lian said, "You probably ca for this?"
"Not really." Lee said, "I kind of forgot about it. It’s probably a cool weapon, though."
"Cool? Lee, even I can’t grasp it’s abilities." Xiao Lian said, not hiding annoyance in his voice, "After years of long research I could only co to a conclusion that a death spark has been used to forge it, maybe even several. More importantly, I can’t craft an artifact of this level. I, the Patriarch of the Xiao clan! And you say you forgot about it ..."
"I had a lot to do, you know?" Lee said with a shrug.
"To do? While forcing this thing on ?" Xiao Lian’s annoyance grew, "Six hundred years ago a young guy showed up at the Nethermoon sect accompanied by four other individuals. He politely requested for them to hand over Soulcleaver, a sword that had supposedly gone missing seventy years earlier. According to your instructions I would’ve given it to him, but he didn’t co to ... and bathed the continent in blood."
"What?" He knew that probably the real owner of Soulcleaver might look for it, and the bath in blood part sounded fitting to the guy who tried to kill him. What he was shocked by was the tiline.
"That’s right! In his fury he wiped out every single sect and even killed Mo Tianyin, the previous sect master of the Celestial Abyss. The five people put the whole world to their knees!" Xiao Lian said, and placed Soulcleaver in front of Lee, "Little did they know that the sword was in the shabby spatial bag you gave back then, hanging on the wall of my workshop."
Seeing Lee’s eyes wide as saucers, Xiao Lian grinned, and said, "It’s obviously not your fault. But those were troubled tis. I even had to build walls around the city, just in case."
"You?" Lee asked, rembering the impressive sight of the Xiaogong city.
"Father passed away and I had to take over." Xiao Lian said.
"Sorry to hear that." Lee said, "I know you never wanted to lead the clan."
"Yes and no." Xiao Lian said, grabbed the glass of wine, and sat deeper in his chair, "We can’t be young rebels forever, can we? Except for you, that is ..."
Lee scratched his head, trying to think of a proper reply. He would’ve loved to share his secret with soone, but if it was as Xiao Lian said and more than six hundred years had passed, he probably shouldn’t. People usually don’t change, but six hundred years is a damn long ti. Who knew where Xiao Lian’s alliances lie now.
"Truth to be said, I’m glad you’re still the sa thief you were before." Xiao Lian said, "You have no clue how thrilled I was when it turned out that I correctly guessed you’ll return dressed as a woman and the fact that you hid your stuff just like you did back in the sect."
"It’s not really a complint." Lee got slightly upset, more at himself than Lian. Clearly his choices were becoming too repetitive and in future he’ll have to use his imagination more. On the other hand – was it really his fault that he tried to use the most effective tactics?
"Mhm." Xiao Lian agreed, "Good thing Yujian left, otherwise she would whip your ass. She’s still angry at you, you know?"
"What the heck did I do to her?" Lee blurted out, his brain switching to an overdrive. Not only he had never said or done anything improper towards Qin Yujian, he always tried to be polite with her friends as well.
"Not to her, to !" Lian laughed, seeing Lee’s reaction.
Then he opened his robe, showing the well trained upper body, covered in quite a few scars. In the middle of his chest, next to the heart, there was the nastiest one of them all – a dark, two-inch wide round spot. But on top of it was an imprint of a palm, seemingly covering it.
"There’s another one on the back." Xiao Lian said, "She’s upset at you because I’ve been touched by a man the way she would never be able to touch !"
"I still hear you!" A voice behind windows reminded they weren’t alone in the mansion.
Lee’s jaw dropped, but Xiao Lian shook his head and explained with a smile, "She’s an incredible wind elental lord. One of the laws she comprehended is the law of sound. You might not believe it, but she’s currently on the training grounds. And if there’s soone right next to her, they probably didn’t even hear her even though she spoke to us."
"That’s inconvenient ..." Lee said, noting he should restrain himself from farting in this house.
"How exactly did you do it?" Xiao Lian asked, ignoring his remark, "No one could explain it back in the sect and even now I have no clue. All I know is that it’s probably sohow connected to Overlord Trexian, the Overlord of the Voidforge."
"Trexian ..." Lee repeated.
The first ti he heard about overlords was from Potato in Ashland. Afterwards the shroom elental lord ntioned them, but he never found out anything else.
"Mhm." Xiao Lian nodded, "He’s one of the supre beings who rules over the universe. And it’s been said that Overlord of the Voidforge is the patron of all artisans, that’s why Xiao clan has records on him. I only put two and two together when the kid who destroyed the Nethermoon sect ca to our doorstep and asked whether we are harboring a criminal with the overlord’s mark on his right palm."
"So your father ..." Lee got a bad premonition, but fortunately it was wrong this ti.
"No, he died before that." Lian said, "Xiao clan didn’t battle those monsters. Maybe today we could, but back then I had to let them in the city. They searched it for half a month, acting as if they owned the place. Sigh ... it took over a century to wash away the sha."
"Sorry about that!" Lee said, glancing at his right palm.
"It’s my own fault for being weak." Xiao Lian said, and a piece of paper appeared in his hands, "These are the runic symbols I could discern from your imprint on my skin. I’ve been trying to decipher the aning for a long ti, but got nowhere. Maybe now you can fill in the blanks and I’ll get a bit of progress?"
"Sure!" Lee said, "But I’m afraid I won’t be much of a help. I’m more clueless than I look."
"Hahaha!" Xiao Lian laughed, "No, buddy! You’re exactly as clueless. You just can’t see your face!"
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