It took several moments for Liao Xing to come to grips with his realization from his beloved student's words. Once he had, it took countless swallows to down the stone that block his throat so that he could manage a few words in disbelief.
"That-Xianmei... you're saying she has...." He fell silent while being unable to tear his eyes away from the coffin made from the Ice Trees of the Ice Forest. Had he chosen that material to preserve her on the journey home? Did this mean her death had been a recent thing? How had his beloved disciple found her? Liao Xing had many questions falling to the edge of his tongue, but he couldn't manage to speak a single one after descending into silence.
Pain flashed across Paoxiao's golden eyes while he bit his tongue, unable to bring himself confirm, aloud, the death of his sister. Taking a deep, shuddering, breath to press down pain that lance through his heart, he begged. "Elder, just open the entrance... we can hash out any grudges later. Xianmei needs-"
"Okay..." Elder Liao Xing quickly interrupted. In the face of this heartwrenching truth, how could he dare to continue on with his grudges? All thoughts of catering to his need for vengeance against the wrongs brought upon his dear pupil ebbed as a sense of dispair numbed his body. With a careless flick of his wrist and soullessly muttered words, he brought down the veil blocking the entrance from view.
His moss-green eyes flicked from the coffin dressing Xianmei's body from view to the wavering entrance of the village as it gradually appeared clearer each second. The busy streets, the playing children, the beautifully constructed houses and well-kept stores painted the picture of a prosperous and harmonious village. The laughter, the peaceful expressions, the utter lack of discord, the wonderful utopian-like world he helped to create, that often brought peace, couldn't turn away the complete despair that washed through every part of his body.
Liao Xing lifelessly walked through the threshold, the feeling of the others' cheer and well-wishing at his return not absorbing into any part of him. "You lot follow Little Xiao, his place should be able to accommodate all of you. I'll get things ready for Little-" he swallowed a couple times to beat back the croak in his voice. "I'll get thing's ready for Little Mei's...." He didn't finish it. He couldn't speak her name in the same sentence as "final rites," still struggling in coming to terms with her death.
The elder, after speaking his piece, trudged on ahead. His head hung low, the usual youthful energy he displayed, absent; thus the other two elders of the village, as they excitedly rushed to greet Paoxiao, didn't notice his presence at all.
Both, like Elder Liao Xing, were rather youthful looking elders; bearing a sense of agelessness to their features. The wisdom of their eyes as vast as the seas, yet the youth of their skin as supple as a child's. While those of the Spirit Realm wouldn't bat an eye over it, it was rather difficult for a human to reconcile this appearance to an elder of anything.
Although, at the moment, these two elders looked anything but what they were as they scrambled forward. They were like a couple youths meeting a dear friend after long days of parting. Although his golden eyes were tired and hollow from grief, Paoxiao managed a smile as he strode forward to meet them part way.
The two elders didn't notice this as they barreled ahead, eager as they were to see their dear disciple. It had been nearly a year since the last time they had seen him, that the two were beside themselves with worry.
The one on the left, dressed in dark blue robes with golden vine and leaf embroidery, was Elder Liao Ying. The one on the right, dressed in dark grey robes with bright green vine and leaf embroidery, was Elder Liao Ping. The three elders of You Yun Village were three brothers, nearly identical in looks save for their eyes.
Elder Liao Ying had his mother's striking blue eyes. Elder Liao Ping had his father's enchanting golden eyes. While Elder Liao Xing had a mix between his father's and mother's, born with both striking and enchanting moss green eyes. Eyes that made him quite popular with the women that cross his path.
The first to reach Paoxiao, who was pulling a cart like a pack-mule, was Elder Liao Ying. Incensed at the sight of the Slaving Binding contract he suddenly saw around his neck and then, in turn, angering even further over his laboring away like a slave, the blue-eyed elder slugged his pupil across the face.
"Bastard!" He cried. "You disappear for months on end, only to suddenly turn up as one of the contracted, you-!?" Shocked surprise spread over his youthful features as the neatly trimmed, black, beard around his mouth shook slightly. A trembling finger soared, accusingly, toward Paoxiao's nose. "Unfilial bastard! You really have no eyes for us elders that raised you like our own. Not even having the heart to send word that you found Xianmei, or even that she had a child during those years she went missing."
Paoxiao, already stunned with the hit to his face, was completely floored with the final irately spoken sentence. He gaped at his elder as if he had suddenly sprouted another head or two. "What. Are. You. Talking. About!? What child!?" How come he couldn't recall picking up a child when he found his sister's remains?
Liao Ying snorted contemptuously. "You think everyone is as stupid as you, huh? I'm talking about him, you can't hide it from me, I'd be able to sense it from a hundred li away."
Looking to where the blue-eyed, dark-haired elder pointed, everyone felt their jaws drop. That can't be real can it? No, it was simply impossible.
Just... impossible.
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A/N:
So... my mom, being the cute but absent-minded person she is, forgot to pay the internet bill when she was paying all the bills. She then spent that money, which she thought was extra leftover money, on X-mas things.... so we've been without internet and will continue to be until the 22nd or 23rd. Cause everyone gets paid at the end of the month, unfortunately.
The only reason I'm able to post these few chapters -got more to post, but no time to post them and explain this- is because my bro (who stops home every other week for laundry) came and I caught him before he was rushing out to get to work. He's really hard to get ahold of, always so busy, but I'm gonna try and see if I can get him to come back sooner so I can use his hotspot again.