After praising Yuan Jin for a good while, the two returned to the inn they had spent the night before in.
The sky was already dark outside.
Seeing the familiar figures, the old housekeeper was cheered.
"Noble Masters welcome ! It's so nice you come again." The old man said and rushed to book their rooms.
"Master Bai Hua left without a word." Qin Su finally spoke.
"En."
The two seated themselves for a simple meal.
"The sword," Qin Su spoke, pointing at Song Cheng's side. "Isn't it..?"
"It's his." Song Cheng answered, guessing his question.
"What do you plan to do with it?" Qin Su asked.
Song Cheng looked down at Guang Sheng and gave a little smile.
"Hold it for a while." he spoke to himself.
After their dinner at the inn, Song Cheng went to his room. Although fatigued and worn out, he couldn't sleep.
So much had happened so quickly ever since he returned to the mortal world. It felt fleeting but yet still in step.
Sleepless, Song Cheng walked out of his room. Maybe he'd take a little stroll towards the lake. Without a final destination in his mind, Song Cheng lended a lotus shaped lamp from the inn and headed out.
A soft breeze blew outside, playing with his hair. The light in the lamp flickered for a moment but soon braced against the air.
Song Cheng walked through the trodden path towards the lake downhill.
The lake now glowed silver in the moonlight, instead of golden.
Canopies hung overhead, as if protecting Song Cheng in some way and small shrubs and grasses hosted crickets and insects singing a solemn song.
Walking down the path, Song Cheng felt at home, as if he knew the road like a friend but in his heart, he knew it was different. Nothing that he knew existed anymore here.
Song Cheng finally escaped the small path and was greeted with an open meadow bathing in moonlight.
The lush grass swayed lightly in the breeze and in a short distance, there was a little building.
Walking closer to it, the building seemed like a temple. Song Cheng raised the lamp to look around. The temple courtyard was filled with flowers bushes, probably camellias, standing in a beautiful bloom.
Next to them stood a little pomegranate tree, devoid of fruit.
The temple plaque was hidden behind the pomegranate leaves. But Song Cheng knew where he was.
It was the Temple Of A Thousand Maidens.
Curious, Song Cheng stepped towards the entrance. The door however seemed to be closed. Knocking once softly, Song Cheng opened the door.
The door left a little creaking sound as it opened. With the lamp in his hand, Song Cheng walked inside, looking around. In the middle of the temple was a statue of a woman praying desperately to the heaven, her face full of tears.
Above her, two undefined sillehoutes came down from the heaven.
Song Cheng wanted to laugh at the statue. It was so lame. He wondered if it really was a temple. And if it was, it didn't make sense.
Surprisingly, on the altar was a pile of fresh fruits, burnt incense sticks and ash.
Next to it a silver mask. Song Cheng picked up the mask. Looking at it under the lamp, the mask was engraved with small flowers on the sides and a little swallow sat on the nose of the mask, making it look exotic.
"Who's there?" A cold voice enounced.
Suddenly, a strong hand grabbed Song Cheng's wrist, making the lamp in his hand crash on the ground, almost killing it's light.
The lamp flickered once more but determined to burn, it steadied the flame again.
Song Cheng recognised the voice well by now.
"Master Hua." He whispered.
Bai Hua's grip around his wrist loosened. The fallen lamplight hid his face in the shadows.
With his over hand, Bai Hua took the mask away from Song Cheng's hand and put it on effortlessly.
"Ah, I didn't expect Xiao ge to be here at this hour." Bai Hua spoke, bending down as he picked up the lamp from the ground and handed it back to Song Cheng.
"I-I didn't mean to bother Master Hua." Song Cheng spoke embarrassed.
Although he knew that Bai Hua visited the temple often and nobody else could enter, he couldn't hold back the curiosity of what his own temple looked like.
"Xiao ge doesn't bother me. Afterall, it's your own temple. You can come and go as you will." Bai Hua spoke, crossing his arms over his chest, a soft smile playing at his lips.
"I wanted to thank Master Hua but you left without notice." Song Cheng reasoned vaguely.
"I had to take care of the little ghost Jingjing and ZiYi. For now, they are restrained under Hua Shou. They don't have any killing intent." Bai Hua explained.
" As for the thanks," Bai Hua bent down to Song Cheng's face level. In the lamplight, his eyes seemed to be sparkling golden, just like the lake.
Smiling he added further, "Xiao ge still owes me a hair ribbon."
Song Cheng couldn't help but give a little smile away, fading in only a glimpse.
Remembering, he pulled out a fine white ribbon from his sleeve.
"I don't know if suits Master Hua's likes, but this is what I have." he spoke as he offered it to Bai Hua.
Accepting it at once, Bai Hua loosely braided his long raven hair on both sides and tied up a small bun over the top of his head, finally doing a butterfly knot, letting the long ribbon hang down his back gracefully.
"I think I like it." He spoke gently, running his hand over it's soft fabric.
The lamp in Song Cheng's hand flickered lifelessly, but this time it finally died down.
Bai Hua made a little fire seal and hung it up at the temple ceiling, lighting the surroundings.
Song Cheng had imagined the temple to be full of dust and dirt, but it rather looked anew.
He then walked over and grabbed a prayer mat, spreading it on the ground, he took a seat.
Song Cheng followed suit.
"Since you are here, I hope Xiao ge doesn't mind. I'm used to living alone." Bai Hua spoke dubiously.
"Not at all."
"Actually, I'd been meaning to ask. Does Master Hua knows the Legend Of A Thousand Maidens?" Song Cheng asked.
"Hmm. The Duo That Saved A Thousand Maidens." Bai Hua spoke gently.
A while later, he added.
"It's a courageous thing to do. It's one of Xiao ge's treasures."
"I'm much gratified, but it's not only me. Many thanks that Master Hua takes care of this temple." Song Cheng spoke, rather embarrassed.
Bai Hua smiled.
"If there's something in need to be done, somebody will do it. I'm just somebody." He chuckled.
"This sword," Bai Hua spoke, suddenly spotting Guang Sheng "does it belong to you?"
"It does not. But it is a brilliant sword." Song Cheng answered, yawning along to avoid further questions about.
But in reality, now Song Cheng really felt sleepy. The moment he began taking to Bai Hua, he wanted to lie down and sleep.
"Looks like Xiao ge needs to get rest." Bai Hua spoke.
"..."
"Xiao ge, this is mortal body. You must treat it kindly.
"..."
"A walk to the inn is uphill. You can rest, nobody comes here."
"I'm grateful to Master Hua but what about you?" Song Cheng asked.
"I'll watch you sle-" Bai Hua murmured, before eating up his own words.
"I'll watch out while you sleep."
Speaking this, he headed out.
That night, Song Cheng finally had a beautiful dream in so long.
It was a late evening in the spring. Flowers and fragrance filled the garden in his house.
"A-Cheng. Come help me pick some camellias." Song Mi called him.
Song Cheng, who had been polishing Lan Tian heeded to his sister's call.
The garden was full of flowers. Particularly camellias. There were red, white and pink little flowers in sight everywhere.
The maidens of the house walked along Song Mi, picking up camellias, putting them into different baskets.
"Song Jie! Song Cheng! What are you doing?" Lu Feng called, walking over to them.
His handsome appearance wasn't hidden and those white robes against his jade white skin made him look like a god. It wasn't a surprise when the maidens began to blush and gossip.
"Master Lu. We're picking camellias." Song Mi replied with a gentle smile on her face.
"Let me help you." Lu Feng volunteered and took the basket from Song Mi's hands.
Song Cheng shook his head.
"Song Cheng here! This is for you." Lu Feng walked upto Song Cheng.
In his hand was a little pink camellia, the color of blush and a sincere smile played on his lips.
Song Cheng raised his brows while the maidens and Song Mi giggled at him.
"Wh-why are you laughing?" Lu Feng asked.
"Master Lu doesn't know? A pink camellia symbolises love and it's longing." Song Mi spoke and laughed again.
"Well, where there's love, there's longing." Lu Feng spoke as he shoved the flower into Song Cheng's hands.
When Song Cheng woke up, a single pink camellia laid next to him.
***