Dai Yang couldn't help being amused, he laughed loudly at Er Yuen's adorable reaction.
"Hahahaha well never mind, won't tease you anymore. It's nice to see a cute face like this that I forget myself. I beg your pardon, I didn't mean to harass you"
Er Yuen stuttered, the young man in front of him, seemed his age may not be far above him. But acting like any other adult. Er Yuen straightened his seat again, not knowing what to say, better to eat the sweet potato instead and get to sleep after this. He looks decent, he wont do anything weird while he's sleeping, right?
Dai Yang still couldn't take his eyes off Er Yuen's sweet face.
"Um, what's your name? Where do you live? It must be in the Lotus Valley, right?" Dai Yang asked.
While chewing the sweet potato in his hand from being too hungry Er Yuen nodded.
"Emm" but he narrowed his eyes looking at Dai Yang with sharp eyes.
"Why should I tell you my name? And where I live, what if you have bad intentions?"
Dai Yang who was chewing a sweet potato almost choked, he glanced at the persistent young man sitting in front of him.
"Well if I have an evil intention why wait until then and take you home? Better if we stay here"
Er Yuen pulled his body back warily, whether the stranger was serious or joking he couldn't tell the difference.
"Eh, what do you want?"
Dai Yang couldn't stop laughing.
"Hahahaha, alright I was just joking. Please pardon me. Um, my name is Yang Lang, you can call me the kind-hearted brother Yang, or the handsome brother Yang"
Er Yuen took a close look at the young man. From his clothes, he looked like a decent young master, like A Ning when he returned home. His face is clean and handsome. His Teacher ever said, that if demons or criminals generally had an ugly face, he was probably just an ordinary person.
"Eh, I'm Er Yuen"
Dai Yang thought
"Nice name, suit to your cute face, Yen Yen" Dai Yang took Er Yuen's hand and kissed it.
Er Yuen brushed off Dai Yang's hand.
"Not Yen Yen, but Er Yuen" he protested, but Dai Yang grabbed Er Yuen's hand again, Yuen's eyes widened, and he had nowhere to go.
"I prefer to call you Yen Yen, my sweet Yen Yen"
Er Yuen pushed Dai Yang's body away.
"Eh uh, Brother Yang, please don't get too close"
Dai Yang didn't care, he continued forward until Er Yuen had no room to escape anymore.
"Yen Yen"
"Ekh Brother Yang!"
...…
The sun shines brightly. It appeared between the leaves of a tall tree in the courtyard of Elder Oei's hut, which was an unusual morning. Several large horses were ready in front of the yard. A Ning and his two juniors were seen ready on their horse, as well as Mei Lan and A He.
"Search around the border of the Black Valley and I, a Mo and a Li will search near the border of the Cloud Valley. A Yuen might cross the border and forget the way home" said A Ning.
Mei Lan approached on her horse.
"Brother let me come with you."
A Ning shook his head.
"Don't, Mei, we have to split up otherwise it will be difficult to find a Yuen. A He is very strong you don't have to be afraid if you meet bandits on the street"
Mei Lan pursed her lips. As they prepared to leave, from the small path appeared Elder He Tao, who walked leisurely with his hands behind his waist. He furrowed his forehead to see what a lively yard that early morning was.
"What are you guys doing? Go somewhere in this early?"
A Ning greeted his teacher who was approaching the still-thinking Elder Oei.
"Good morning Uncle Teacher"
"Big Brother" called He Tao after the old man seemed to not look at him. That's unusual.
Elder Oei turned his head.
"Yuen'er hasn't gone home yet since yesterday afternoon."
Just hearing it, He Tao's eyes widened.
"What? Why didn't anyone tell me about this? Where did that kid go? You are a senile old man, why don't you go and look for him?."
Elder Oei glanced at his younger brother, why was he the one panicking?
"We did. Last night we searched but couldn't find him, so this morning we want to try to find it near the border. Who knows if he is stuck there and can't go home because it's already late"
He Tao looks so worried.
"Oh, this old man. Then where are you going to look for, Ning?" He Tao exclaimed. A Ning pointed to his right.
"We are going to the Cloud Valley, Master, maybe little brother accidentally crossed the border"
He Tao thought.
"Yeah, we all go there, maybe he went there to look for his lost item. Mei Lan, give me your horse, you just stay here"
He Tao stopped under Mei Lan but the girl didn't move.
"No, I want to look for a Yuen"
"This brat, don't be stubborn, why do you have to come along? Just get down"
Mei Lan pulled her horse's reins away from her Uncle Teacher.
"No, I'm going, uncle teacher can find another horse"
He Tao held back his anger. He put his hands on his hips when he saw Mei Lan's face, which was fiercer than him. A Ning approached after whispering to his younger brother A Li who then got down and led his horse towards his teacher.
"Teacher, A Li could stay and Teacher can use his horse"
He Tao was still looking at Mei Lan with sharp eyes. The girl was stubborn as usual, she being too pampered.
"You spoiled brat"
Mei Lan just rolled her eyes.
"Oh shitty teacher uncle"
.....
The path exits the forest area bordering the Cloud Valley. Dai Yang, carrying his big black horse with a stout body, treaded a small path on either side which was filled with dense vegetation, leading to the Lotus Valley.
Dai Yang rode the big horse with Er Yuen in tow together in one horse. Dai Yang is just being cunning. This morning, while talking to his subordinate Pai, he was able to get one more horse for Er Yuen, but he deliberately rode the horse together with the boy.
"Em brother Yang, can we speed up the pace? If I don't come back until noon, Teacher will be so worried and send someone to look for me."
Dai Yang carried the horse casually. Just once in a while enjoying the fresh air that morning, he grabbed Er Yuen's hand which was right behind him, and wrapped it around his waist.
"If you want to me ride faster, hold on to my waist tightly. I'm afraid you could fall later"
Er Yuen couldn't say no when the young man pulled his hand and wrap around his waist. The horse is big and tall, he's right, he might fall if he's not holding on tight. He finally held on tight.
"Let's hurry up"
Dai Yang smirked, he stomped his feet a little so that the horse moved a little faster than before.
"Hiaa hiaa!"
The big horse galloped down the small path leading to the Lotus Valley steadily. Leaving the mossy ground around the Cloud Valley. The border just right in the corner, not so far after all.
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