The rings of the pewter staff clicked against the hoops as MingYu stepped out from the inn with PingZe hot on his heels. The moment ZhiYi and YueQin had disappeared out of sight, MingYu had thought it best to take a brief walk and visit LongHai. It had been a while since he had seen this poor-fated brother of his. And since ZhouYan hadn't returned to this day, he must be dying of boredom in his stall.
PingZe was trailing behind him, lost in his thoughts.
MingYu smiled to himself. He had never seen PingZe so worried about anything. The man had always been carefree, and, frankly, a pain in the ass to anyone who met him. And people both loved and hated him in equal measures because of it.
"PingZe?" MingYu said as they walked down the street, towards the stalls they had left LongHai in to be taken care of.
No answer.
MingYu turned to the brother and saw PingZe was frowning harder now. His eyes were on MingYu, but his mind was somewhere else, as MingYu waved the pewter staff in front of his face, sending the rings jumping in their hoops.
No reaction.
This brat was like a walking corpse! MingYu thought, and since he's only working arm was busy holding the staff, he decided to kick PingZe in the shin.
PingZe snapped out of it with a surprised yelp, startling the passersby. He shot his eyes back over to MingYu, and the familiar grin returned to his lips as he seethed,
"What is it, brother?"
"What's weighing on your mind?"
"It's not important," PingZe said with a pleasant smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.
MingYu grew more curious but didn't want to press on it any further. Instead, he changed the subject.
"You've stayed with us longer than usual. Bored with your little trips already?"
PingZe stiffened slightly, and MingYu arched his brow. He had a feeling something was off. Usually, after spending a few days with them, PingZe would be off without notice. But here he was, watching over MingYu like a substitute mother hen.
"It's safer here. We should stick together." PingZe mumbled, nodding to himself. "Shouldn't wander around aimlessly."
What had gotten into this brother? MingYu thought. He hadn't made new enemies on his wanton trips, had he? But even then, PingZe always handled those issues with ease. He wasn't a worrier.
MingYu's lips quivered as he tried to suppress a smirk. PingZe really did something he was scared to face, didn't he? He would have to ask ZhiYi about it later, he if anyone would know the real reason behind this.
The two of them came to a halt before an enclosure. LongHai stayed in the back stalls, with a rooftop and a little haystack bed to sleep on. To MingYu's surprise, PingZe stayed behind, not willing to enter the building.
"I stopped by yesterday, and he tried to kick my family jewels off. I think I should stay out here."
MingYu shrugged, sure that of all the people LongHai loved to release his pent-up anger on, PingZe would be the one who deserved it the most. He handed the pewter staff over to the demon and stepped inside.
The further in he walked, the mustier the air became until his senses were overwhelmed with the scent of animals and all that came with them, fogging up his mind. If he was LongHai, he would want to kick peoples kidneys out too! He would have to talk to the owner and get LongHai a pen near the outdoors.
LongHai was leaning against a wall when MingYu finally found his way to the donkey's side. Sad, droopy eyes looked up at him, almost pleading him to just end his miserable donkey life. MingYu felt a sharp stab in his heart as he saw the state LongHai was in.
For an animal who was used to this kind of life, this was only a shelter among others. But for an imperial general, this was worse than a death sentence.
"How are you, brother LongHai?" MingYu asked as he reached his hand over the railing, brushing LongHai's mane with his fingertips.
The donkey curled his lips, huffing as a protest, but showed no signs of aggressiveness. LongHai was becoming tame. Being a donkey must have gradually sunk in and trampled on his pride.
"Why not step inside the pen?" A voice of an elderly man asked from behind MingYu, making him almost jump out of his skin.
"Wha-!" MingYu yelped as he straightened up and turned to look at the source of the voice, but he saw no one.
"Down here," The voice said, and he cast his eyes downwards.
The man barely stood up to MingYu's chest. His back was hunched over from years of caring for the stalls. A pleasant smile was on his lips as his hazy, unfocused eyes beamed up at MingYu.
"How are you feeling, MingYu?"
"I'm fine, thank you," MingYu said, then a blink later his brows furrowed, and he hooted, "I'm sorry, do I know you?"
MingYu was quite sure he would remember a man this height and covered in horse manure. How did he know MingYu's name?
The man chuckled. "Yes, and no. Depending on which one of me you are referring to."
MingYu opened his mouth, then closed it. A headache was knocking at his brain cells as it made its presence known.
"I don't know you," MingYu finally said. His healthy hand reached up by itself to rub at his temple in distress. The day was just getting weirder by the minute.
"Did you like my story from earlier?"
The words were said lightly, yet it sent chills down MingYu's spine.
"You are the storyteller?" MingYu snapped, his curiosity was now in full alert, pushing any wariness to the back corner of his brain.
"Yes, I'm what they call, Da Siming."
MingYu bit down on his tongue. Da Siming, the Master of Fate, shovelled horse manure as his side job in the Mortal Realm. Who would have thought?
Da Siming seemed to read his mind as he said drily, "This is not my real body, MingYu. I'm merely borrowing it to reach out to you."
"But why? What do you want from me?" MingYu asked, not even questioning anything anymore. At this point, LongHai could start talking, and MingYu wouldn't even flinch. Strange stuff seemed to happen no matter where he went.
Besides, what was wrong with these brothers of Fate? They just appeared before MingYu, demanding from him this and that. First the Divine Guide, now Da Siming!
Da Siming didn't answer his question, but instead asked, "Did you enjoy your life as Wu TianLan?"
MingYu was taken by surprise by his question. He leaned his back over LongHai's stall fence when he said, "I don't know since I only remember TianLan's 14th birthday."
Da Siming chuckled, shaking his head. "So, the demon doctor's potion is working slower than I expected."
"What is going on?" MingYu hissed, annoyed that answers were dangled before him like treats, but pulled out of his reach as he was about to snatch them. Frustration was wreaking havoc within him.
"I wouldn't have appeared, if not for everyone, from Heaven down to the Mortal Realm, trying to foil my plans." Da Siming said sternly, his cheery facade melting away. "I came to make sure of certain things."
"What is it with you and your brother? You seem to cause me more headache than give me answers." MingYu grumbled.
The old man shrugged his slumped shoulders, a wicked smile gracing his lips as he leaned over his shovel.
"I might carry the title of Master of Fate, but I'm not really a master of anything, I just watch over it, and sometimes, when the right moment comes, change it a little."
MingYu's eyes sharpened at the words. So it wasn't the Divine Guide, who was messing with him, it was his brother, Da Siming!
"You!" MingYu thundered, pointing his finger at the old man. "What do you want from me, exactly?"
"We had a deal, Qing MingYu," Da Siming whispered. Yet his tone was dangerous, and MingYu quickly retracted his hand as if the man might bite it off any second now.
"You were the one who came to me, asking me for help. In return, now you help me."
"I don't understand," MingYu whispered. His mind was in chaos. He had no memory of asking any help from anyone. The last thing he remembered was him stamping away the mission and punishment scrolls in Heaven. What deal? What did he need help in?
"I can't descend from Heaven, so only you can help me. I gave you what you wished for, for a price."
MingYu rubbed his eyes, too confused to utter even a word.
Da Siming sighed, his voice heavy with melancholy as he pushed from his shovel, wringing the handle in his hands. "Things never go as planned, but I managed to get you where I needed you, inside ShiBai's body. But I didn't expect you to lose all your memories, and I didn't expect the punishment from Heaven to turn out like this." Da Siming shot his eyes to MingYu's idle arm, frowning with disdain.
"Indeed, things never go as I planned. Having both arms would have been ideal."
"Mind telling me something useful? What deal did we make?" MingYu screeched in frustration. The deadweight by his side swung with his every movement, and he had an urge to just chop the arm off.
Da Siming gave him a wary smile as he shook his head. "Not all things should be revealed. My brother learned it the hard way, and now I must fix his mistakes."
"Just tell me, what is this punishment?" MingYu pleaded, his voice trembling as the weight of the unknown pulled at him, making his mind spin in circles.
"Pull through it, MingYu, and I promise, at the end, when you feel like giving up, Heaven will reward you."
"How do I pull through it, if I don't know what is going on?" MingYu asked, but the old man blinked at him slowly, as if waking from a deep slumber, before he said, "I'm sorry, young master. Did you say something?"
Really, Master of Fate?!
MingYu wanted to kick the entire building down in his rage-filled state!