Chapter 68: Epilogue (3)
Morning shine pierced through gaps in the ceiling of an old barn. A long-haired handsome youth was lying on a haystack, soundlessly sleeping.
The door opened with a crack and a sneaky shadow went in. She walked toward the youth, brushed her long blond hair and leaned to him. However, suddenly...
"Good day, Miss Bai."
Her body shivered and she stepped back, looking into his deep black eyes.
"Good morning, Xin! Why are you sleeping in your workplace? And my father says that you are a diligent worker, ha."
Quickly, she shook off her embarrassment, even though her cheekbones were still completely red. Nevertheless, even that was hard to see because of her very long hair.
"Sorry."
The youth smiled, and for a second the girl's heart fluttered. She puffed her lips and said:
"You, you should return to work. Bye."
Then she quickly ran out of the barn. The striped sunlight dancing on her golden hair.
"Work, right…"
The youth took a scythe from the ground and walked out of the barn.
The golden sunlight of late summer blinded him outside. Then, once his vision cleared up, he saw a far-stretching field. The wheat was wavering like waves of a golden ocean under a pleasant warm wind. He breather in, filling lungs with warm air and walked toward his workplace.
Everything was slow this day, the sun unusually bright. Only the youth wasn't sweating, he never sweats, and that was quite an issue for the golden-haired girl who once tried to help him with that. Her disappointment was great back them.
Thinking about it the youth slightly smiled and made another slash.
"Brother Xin, brother Xin!"
A voice of a young boy sounded from the side. The youth looked toward the road, seeing a golden-haired kid running to him.
"What is it, Young Master?" The last words he said in a peculiar fashion, as if in italics.
"Xin, have you heard? There is news from the frontier!"
The boy sounded excited as he leaned over the fence, staring at the still working youth. He mouth was wide open displaying a gap in the place of a front tooth.
"Tell me about it, Young Master."
"Our army won! But that isn't all things; while they were fighting some very strong black wolf appeared and summoned an army of dead walking corpses!"
"Corpses are by definition dead, Young Master, you can avoid saying it."
Said the youth still absorbed in his work.
"Yeah, but… agh, doesn't matter. Listen, then a great old warrior appeared and he and the wolf had a fight in the air! They were of Heavenly Realm." Excitedly said the boy.
"It's Heavenly Synchronization, Young Master." Calmly corrected the youth.
"Synchronization, right, but it isn't all. They were fighting like crazy, the sky itself was cracking, and at the end, the wolf died! But the old man was also almost dead. He then stood up, looked over the army and said: You were saved by… Wei Lao!"
The scythe froze.
Shan lifted his head, looking at the boy who still was narrating, displacing something with his hands.
"Wei Lao?"
The boy stopped whatever he was saying, also looking back at him, very excited and surprised that the youth finally showed some interest.
"Yeah, he was very strong, had two sabres and was striking like the night itself!"
"Two sabres…"
Just slightly, but Shan's lips trembled.
"What happened to that old man?" He asked, looking at his hands.
"He died, I guess."
The boy continued to talk, but the youth couldn't hear him anymore. His head was clouded with many memories; his heart was as if in flames.
He whispered, so silently that only he in the entire world could hear it:
"Grandfather…"
…
…
…
"Everything well that ends well."
A man in a black garb was standing on a stump, his hands behind his back. Xin couldn't see his face, but judging by his voice he was smiling right now.
"I think we learned a lot this month, my friends."
He turned back toward him and Maha. The three of them were standing in a dense forest. It was already a day since Xin led Ying Zheng here, but then he just said something about some urgent stuff to do and left the boy and Maha alone.
They had to spend all the time in a formation made by him, and naturally, that formation wasn't allowing much space (Ying Zheng didn't know any "external defense only" formation) so at least Xin was currently unhappy with that guy.
"Stop with that nonsense and let's go."
Maha's was too, judging by her tone.
"Let's, let's, but you missing much not listening to me here."
"It does not matter." She said.
"At all." Added Xin.
"Bullies, both of you. But true, if we spend any more time here I will have to replace our tablet from 4 years to full 6. That's it, I guess."
Ying Zheng waved to the forest, and for a second Xin saw two long bunny-like ears somewhere in the greenery, but once he blinked they disappeared.
Without any further words, Maha entered her basked and Xin lifted his share of the load. Sadly, the unicorn elephant ran away at some point, so they didn't manage to steal him as Xin was hoping initially. The weight on his back was twice as bitter because of that.
One thing, however, they have found…
"Young Master, Miss, Master, wait for me!"
Sounded a sharp voice and a lad with a white and smooth face ran out of the trees. The panic could be seen on his face.
"I'm sorry, I got lost searching for a toilet and then…"
"We don't need details, servant. Take it."
Ying Zheng threw his backpack at Dong Jin who barely caught it.
Initially, Xin thought that guy would return to the human's lands once given a chance, but for some reason, he insisted on joining them. Ying Zheng wasn't particularly against it; he only said that he won't feed him and that Dong Jin will have to carry their stuff. The guy immediately agreed.
After thinking a bit, Xin also threw his load at him.
"T-thank you, young master…"
Said Dong Jin, his face hidden under a mountain of baggage.
"No need."
Simply answered Xin, and their company started walking.
It was strangely new at first, but soon the familiar soreness permeated the boy's legs.
There still was a long road ahead.