Nie An scratched his head. He was about to speak when he suddenly dodged around Nie Asreal and the moment he saw Yi Lian looking exhausted and hanging onto the wall, he froze.
Nie Asreal also froze but quickly became enraged. "Don't say a word. Go deliver my message and if they tell you to come talk to me again because they are too scared of having their souls consumed then you will tell me that first. Go."
He didn't need telling twice. Nie An shot off, looking back every so often until he was out of sight.
Yi Lian stepped forward. "I didn't know you were so authoritative."
Nie Asreal rubbed his face in frustration. He gave Yi Lian a once over to check his condition then grabbed his hand tightly before pulling him back through the corridors.
Yi Lian struggled and struggled, but he didn't look convincing. He just tugged him back and tried refusing to move. He did this over and over, making them stop all together but before Yi Lian sat down on the floor like a tantruming child he was pulled away again.
Nie Asreal was already not in a good mood so after Yi Lian's new attempt at swinging from his arm he simply stopped, picked him up over his shoulder and continued to walk.
Yi Lian's face was bright red, he clutched at Nie Asreal's back and spoke, "Let me down- this is so undignifying!"
Nie Asreal chuckled, "Alight. How about this then?"
He pulled him down so that his legs were around Nie Asreal's waist and his arms were laced around his neck.
Yi Lian gasped and shook his head vigorously. "No- Nie Asreal please I don't like closeness."
Nie Asreal snorted. "Lies. In the past maybe but not now."
Yi Lian wailed, "Fine! But I cannot be seen like this, neither you."
He saw suddenly that they were back in the room. Nie Asreal kept one hand on Yi Lian's back as he locked the door this time. He threw Yi Lian onto the bed and looked at him like an exhausted parent who had spent the day chasing them around.
Nie Asreal, "You know Sect Leader Yi I have been awake for over a week now. Will you make this easier and take off your robe?"
Yi Lian's eyes widened. He unconsciously pulled his outer robe a little closer. "Stop calling me that! Why do you need my robes?"
Nie Asreal sighed. "You need to sleep. In any scenario I need to access your head and it's easier if you fall asleep on your own."
Yi Lian nodded and complied. He took off his robe and handed it to him. Nie Asreal took it and placed it back on it's hanger.
Yi Lian, "Don't you need to sleep?"
Nie Asreal pulled a blanket over Yi Lian and sat down on the edge of the bed. "I will sleep. I can work during dreams too. Call it multitasking."
Yi Lian nodded and closed his eyes. He got the idea that the more of these memories he could obtain the more he would understand. There was little logic to fighting him anymore. He trusted him, that much he knew, so having him see him like this was little bother to the mind, maybe to the body, but not the mind.
So as his eyelids got heavier, the world melted.
----------------
Yi Lian sat cultivating in Immortals Valley Top's forest. This part was particularly full of spiritual energy but there was one problem.
"Yi Xien."
Lantern got startled by the sudden noise and accidentally got his sword stuck in a tree from his miss swing. "....Yes your Highness?"
Yi Lian opened his eyes. "Tell me about Nie Asreal."
Lantern's eyes widened. He gave one last tug of his sword before it finally slipped out. "His Highness's brother told me not to talk about him."
Yi Lian sighed. Of course he would have told Lantern not to bring it up. "But I'm asking you. It won't harm me to know who he is or what he is doing…"
He thought for a moment he sounded a little like a stalker.
Lantern, "He's The Nie Sect Leader's second son."
Yi Lian's eyes lit up. He said enthusiastically, "Yes, a second son like me!"
Lantern continued, "He is here with his other two brothers to gain some knowledge but Second Young Master Nie seems to be already very wise. It has made his Highness's brother look a bit foolish over the past week."
He could definitely imagine that. Yi Jian, though he was very powerful and thought he was all knowing, wasn't anywhere as knowledgeable as his brother. Yi Jian was all talk and Yi Lian was… no talk. Yi Lian never showed off this power or his physical power so no one knew how much time he devoted to gaining such power and knowledge.
Yi Lian soaked up the information and hummed, "So he is smart, high status and handsome."
Lantern's eyes blew wide. He quickly sat down opposite Yi Lian who was making the lotus position basically purposeless. "I never said he was handsome... "
Yi Lian pursed his lips. "I would like to dine in Petrichor Hall tonight."
Lantern blinked slowly. "...Why?"
Yi Lian didn't reply, only closed his eyes and slipped back into meditation.
-----------
Yi Jian was slightly enraged by the news. He told the cooks to make the best quality of food in hopes to have Yi Lian come to dinner more often but he knew it had something to do with Nie Asreal. Just this day Nie Asreal had corrected him several times, got caught daydreaming but when asked a problem he still solved it in great detail- he was completely enraging to be around in Yi Jian's opinion. He couldn't understand his brother's fascination with him at all. Little Yi Lian just kept to himself, only showing signs of interest in mundane and innocent things but this time it was with the most bothersome person Yi Jian had ever met.