They all exited from the room as Weng was still unconscious. The Mage shaman went through a different hanji screened door along with the others as they dispatched.
Zhulong caught sight of Azure exiting the house and he followed after her, for her safety and partly because he wanted to stem a conversation. With all the unexpected events transpiring, he barely had a good chance to spend time with her.
He exited the house and his golden eyes narrowed at her figure sitting on a fallen thick tree branch and gazing up at the dark grey skies covered with a blanket of shimmering stars.
Th hooting of owls resonated in the valley and the cricketing of insects filled the air.
She whipped her head back to catch sight of him as he proceeded and took a seat next to her.
"You shouldn't be out here alone, besides aren't you exhausted from the long walk and fight?" Zhulong queried as he observed her reaction intently.
"I'm fine. It's just a bad habit, I always gaze at the starry skies before I sleep or else, I can't." She explained with a tiny smile crossing her lips before it disappeared.
"It's a rather nice habit." Zhulong remarked and an unnerving silence followed as the air around them grew heavy.
"Zhulong, why did you act like you didn't know me when you helped me out of the carriage? It felt like it was the first time you saw me." Azure blurted with a faint voice as she averted her gaze from the sky to stare into his golden eyes.
Thick darkness resolved in the valley, although he could see her face clearly, every line and angle of her facial features were engraved in his mind.
He pondered on what he could possibly tell her to satisfy her curiosity.
"I would never forget you. The blood from your wound was affecting me then and I was hungry. Hunger makes us act....well, different." He lied smoothly and her brows furrowed slightly as she peered her eyes into his.
"Oh, I thought so, you were behaving really disorientated." She said with a thoughtful nod.
"Can we talk? About us?" Zhulong asked with a firm voice as he locked his gaze with her and he saw her lashes flutter as her gaze wavered.
"T-Talk about us?" She repeated with a slight stutter.
"I should have never given up on you and I know right now, its too late to regret but I will not give up on you for a second time. I know I'm not deserving and you have every right to hate me." Zhulong said while she listened without a word.
"You didn't give up on me Zhulong." Azure said with a faint voice beneath her breath ass she lowered her face.
Zhulong's brows creased in confusion, he hadn't regained his entire memories on the precise things that had transpired between them, but from what Xuan told him, he had given up on her without a fight which seemed to stick inside his head, until then.
"I pushed you away because it was a forbidden match that would anger even the gods, your brother Weng strongly stood against us, we're not meant to be, we never were." Azure said with a slightly cracked voice like splinters running on the wood they sat on.
"Don't say that." Zhulong said with ticked jaws. She had pushed him away because of the ludicrous theory that they couldn't be together and mostly, because of Weng. If only Weng was gone, then it would be easier for them both to live a care free life after the war with the monsters.
"It was all in the past, so we should forget about it." Azure said with a strained voice and a trace of pain residing in it.
"You're asking me to forget about you, I'm afraid I can't do that." He said and she turned numb for only a split second as she stared at him speechless.
"Your brother is right. We'll only disrupt the balance of nature if we end up together and I don't want to jeopardize the world's safety for my selfish needs." Azure stated firmly as she shook her head lightly.
"Nature has never been balanced, it always ends up altered to an unbalanced state. Unbalanced nature is what makes nature balanced." Zhulong stated out and an amused chuckle erupted from her lips making her look more ethereal as the moon enacted its silvery glow on her.
"That makes sense when it shouldn't." Azure said with a charming smile grazing her lips.
"It actually does. Similar to the way there's no light without darkness or good without evil. In this case, there's no balance without an unbalance." Zhulong remarked with a sarcastic smirk and she scoffed in slightly impressed.
"Maybe you're right, but as a guardian, I have responsibilities to fulfill and a kingdom to protect alongside your brothers and the other guardians. I wouldn't be helping anyone if I made nature unbalanced." Azure remarked.
"I know I sound selfish but sometimes, its okay to only think about yourself." Zhulong said and her face whipped to face his as she averted her gaze from the starry skies.
"Maybe you're right." She muttered beneath her breath and her voice floated with the wind.
Silence ensued and they both gazed out at the starry dark skies. It was odd how he enjoyed the silence with her rather than filling it with meaningless talks.
"Phoenix and Xuan are having a sexual relationship. I'm informing you because I want you to be mindful around Phoenix. It's apparent she doesn't like you, yet she feigns a friendly act." Zhulong blurted out.
"I was aware all along. Just because I look like a delicate damsel doesn't mean I'm stupid or naive." She snapped almost instantaneously at him.
"I never said you were stupid or naive." He said with a flat tone and she let out a soft yawn.
"Right. I'll be off to bed now, that's enough star gazing." Azure said and sprouted up her feet as she proceeded into the traditional house.
"Good night then." He said.
"Good night Zhulong." She said with a sleepy voice before exiting from his sight.
Zhulong sat there alone for a moment after she had retired to sleep. Malicious thoughts ran through his mind and he abruptly sprouted on his feet as he hauled into the house with stealth movements.
Everyone had retired to bed apparently, so he was likely the only one awake which seemed to be a perfecting time for his devious plan.
He strode through the hallway and took an intersection as he progressed toward Weng's room.
He scrutinized the empty hallways and when he was downright sure about no one occupying it, he gradually slid the hanji screened door open.
His figure occupied the room and the dim flickering torches illuminated the light on him, making his shadow manifest on the ground. His eyes narrowed to Weng who was lying stiffly on the low mattress with the Yang laying atop his chest.
He hovered above him as he stared down at him with dark eyes swirling with murderous intent.
It would be difficult to incriminate him with murdering Weng as there would be no evidence to do that and eventually, all suspicions would naturally point to the strange old woman which he didn't mind.
A sadistic smirk manifested on his lips as he extended his hand out to detach his head from his neck. His hand was only a few inches away from his head until Weng's eyes abruptly shut open to reveal a pair of daunting black ones, but he didn't flinch or emit any sort of startled reaction as he stood there unmoving.
Weng gradually sat up on the mattress before his gaze averted to Zhulong's with creased brows.
"Trying to kill me in my sleep?" Weng scoffed as he clambered out of the mattress and wore a robe hanging on a stand.
"Dang it! I should have been a lot faster." Zhulong cussed loudly as he smacked his lips in disappointment.
"You missed your chance baby brother." Weng drawled with a mocking smirk playing on the edge of his lips.
"I'm not your baby brother." Zhulong emancipated on every word firmly as he peered into Weng's black eyes.
"I heard every single thing that was said, and also when you wished I would go to hell, but baby brother I won't go to hell without taking you with me first. You belong in there as much as I do." Weng remarked with a dreary tone as a sarcastic smirk grazed his lips while he scrutinized his eyes around his surrounding.
"We're in the Mage shaman's house." Weng muttered to himself as he looked around.
Silence reigned in the place for a moment.
"You do realize its treason. Trying to murder the king?" Weng drawled as he locked his unfaltering gaze with him.
"Don't threaten me, I hadn't even spilled your blood yet." Zhulong said in a cold tone.
"It's not a threat and you admitting to it warrants for a punishment for attempted murder and treason." Weng stated out in a rather serious voice.
"I never admitted to anything, I was only watching over you." Zhulong said with a crooked smile and without waiting for a reply, he exited the room.