Yun Chun tried opening his eyes but he couldn't see anything clearly. He felt a big metal chain tied on his wrists. Both his hands were hanging. The same sickeningly sweet smell filled the room. It was mixed with the smell of iron, blood and sweat.
He concentrated within himself to find that he still only had ⅕ of his powers.
He had to wake up, his friends...oh right, his friends, were they still here?
He tried looking around with unclear vision but all he saw in the dark and his own hazy eyes was silhouettes of two being tied with their hands hanging, like him. After he concentrated again, he felt the faint Water and Fire energy too.
He was sure it was Feng Jia and Li Chao.
He hears footsteps and talking sounds.
"The Sect Leader sent letter saying he'll come here to check up by himself "
"Why is he bothering himself? We could get rid of those weaklings."
"Idiots, they are the last surviving people of the real Clans. People haven't noticed because the five clans didn't make any public appearances but if they were to somehow escape, the Goddess's efforts will all be in vain and she can kill all the Sect Leader including us."
"Yes yes, that scary woman. Aye, don't talk about it, don't talk about it."
He heard the footsteps stop.
"It's good that all of them are under the influence of the Hazing Scent, unconscious. Let's go and rest."
"Yes yes, catch up on sleep. Dealing with these hiding Clan people is exhausting. Haa."
"Don't worry, my friend. After these people are taken care of, everyone can rest assured."
The sound footsteps went further away.
Yun Chun couldn't remember how many times had it been that they were locked up like this.
The last surviving people of the real Clan? Yes they were exactly that.
It would be a lie to say that Yun Chun had never wished for all of these people to disappear from his life. All the people of Clans. All of his own people. They had made him an empty person. Because of them he had to see the most precious person of his disappear, in front of his own eyes. They-
He thought he wouldn't feel anything no matter what happened in the Clans. But now that they really had disappeared, a sad feeling flowed in his heart. Prickling pain spread in his heart.
They had disappeared from the world itself.
He had returned from his Journey to Humanity to the Air Clan just for the offering ceremony. He knew he couldn't live there on the very day at Hyacinth Mountain.
So he wanted to get over it quickly but when he got there.
He remembered all the new people welcoming him but after he drank the water they gave him, he became unconscious. When he woke up, he was in this room. That day he could see well, he saw Feng Jia and Li Chao whose head hung down as they were unconscious. He wanted to call them but when the gust of the Hazing Scent invaded his senses, he couldn't speak any more. His vision blurred too.
This room was too dark for him to know how many days it had been, but he could make out from the way, his arms and legs felt heavy like it was a burden on him that it had been more than 2, 3 days.
Was he going to die like this?
Will he be able to see him again, if he dies?
If that's the case then he could die happily.
He smiled with great effort but again fell unconscious.
Yun Chun regained his consciousness after he heard the clinking sounds of the Metals, like someone was…..tampering with the chains. He tried lifting his heavy head and looking but he couldn't and his head drooped down again.
He felt like the chains on his had been cut. He felt leaning against something strong but warm.
At that moment, he smelled something nice. Like herbs with citrus and sweets. A familiar smell.
He thought he died. Because he finally felt relaxed. He let himself relax as he fell into a deep slumber, probably on the way to meet Yan Wang.
Yun Chun felt warm, like he was draped in a quilt? and slept on a silk bed sheet?
Huh!
Yun Chun sat up and looked around. He was in a room, well equipped, with warm sunlight and light cold breeze coming from the winter.
No matter how he looked at it, it didn't feel like Underworld, then maybe-
The door to his room opened and a man entered. From the way he dressed, he looked like a wai-
"Oh, customer, you're finally awake. You seem to have met nice Young Masters who brought your poor self here."
"Ummm, where is this?"
"This is the famous Liao's Inn. It is the most famous Inn in this region. We serve the best of the best. Best food with the best room, let's not forget, best of the best service. I am Manager Xu, I manage the conditions of these best rooms."
The Manager's eyes shined as he said that.
Yun Chun oh-ed.
The Manager looked at him for a while as his eyes turned those of pity as he said,"I understand, you must have been wondering how you came to sleep in this best Inn. I understand that you have been offered kindness. I understand that you must be sad as it won't last long."
He patted the confused Yun Chun on his arms and said, "This big hearted brother Xu will help you. I'll give you a job after you kind saviours abandon you."
Yun Chun opened his mouth to speak but he was patted hard again and Manager Xu spoke, "No no, don't. No need to thank me. You are poor, incapable and I have capability and a bit of money. Nothing to be grateful for."
Now Yun Chun went speechless so he just stared at Manager Xu.
"Till then, enjoy yourself well. Eat well and sleep well here. You may not get to experience luxury again. I'll send you warm water to take a bath."
Manager Xu went and a bit later some workers came with warm water and asked if he needed help bathing. Yun Chun sent them away.
"You guys didn't help him bathe?"
"Manager Xu, he sent us telling us he could do it alone."
Manager Xu sighed, "Poor man, how could he when he must have not even seen a bathtub to bathe in? It's okay, you guys go. Let him be comfortable."
Yun Chun looked in the mirror before taking a bath.
No wonder the Manager had been talking to him like that. He really looked homeless. Well he literally was but still.
He felt something at his waist, it was the very small Qiankun pouch which his Master had given him.
He took out the lotus bath oil and put one drop of it in the water.
He rested for a while, breathing the favourite sweet smell of lotuses. He felt the muscles in his body relaxing.
"Seems like these things she gave me could also be handy."
He came out of the bath and dug inside the Qiankun Pouch that his Master had made for him as a farewell gift.
"Kid, see. It had many pockets inside it for different sections. As you like it. Now you don't have to have a pouch inside the pouch. You can just have everything in a different place, in the same pouch. Since this pouch acknowledges the Master, even if you drop it, it'll come back to you always. Also the supplies inside it will never run out. No need to thank this talented and thoughtful Master of yours."
He laughed as he remembered his Master's word.
After digging into the clothes' pocket, he wore the simplest of those robes.
A gray robes with with flowy sleeves and small silver pattern at the border. It was quite simple but elegant.
He dried his hair with a spell and used the golden butterfly to pin the two strands of his hair.
Yun Chun feels someone's presence in the room. Summoning his fan, Dong Feng in his hands. He swiftly stood in the opposite of the presence.
A young, lean guy with his arms folded and blue sword in his hands looked at him with pouted lips and curious eyes.
"Who are you?"
Yun Chun asked.