The young man had a fair skin that contrasted against the rich color of his robes. His thin lips in the shade of a light rose were curved up in a triumphant smirk, his almond shaped black eyes searching the crowd carefully as he held the snake in his hand. As Zhen Lixin's gaze shifted to the man's face, a brief pause filled the air-- or, so he felt."Would anyone like to pet him?" The young man asked, his voice slightly deep with a touch of gentleness, his tone mischievous and playful.His words hung in the brief pause, anticipation building among the crowd as some people stared at the snake's yellow pearl-like eyes, while some stepped back, and the air was filled with murmurs and no answers. Until..."Can I?" Zhen Lixin asked loudly, lifting his hand boldly and gaining the young man's attention."Oh!" The young man's eyes lit up as his lips curved up into a smile. "Of course, my lord," he said as he stepped over to where Zhen Lixin was."I wouldn't do that if I were you," Ling Hun commented.A faint smirk came to Zhen Lixin's lips at her comment, and he noticed the people around him step away. He focused back on the black snake coiled around the man's wrist, its scales shimmering, and the man's dark eyes glinting with anticipation. Zhen Lixin folded his fan and lowered it, his other hand reaching out to touch the head of the snake. The tension hung in the air as the man waited patiently for Zhen Lixin's move.As his hand got closer to the snake, it suddenly hissed, its long tongue sticking out. Honestly, Zhen Lixin's soul almost jumped out of him, but then he gathered all his courage. Amused by his determination, the man watched him gently touch the head of the snake with two of his slender fingers. The snake lifted its upper half as it kept Zhen Lixin's touch on its head.Suddenly, the snake started moving, slithering its way down the young man's arm, its upper half wrapping around Zhen Lixin's hand. The people around them gasped, their attention heightened, but the man remained still. Although Zhen Lixin was startled, seeing the man's composed self, he stood unmoving as the serpent moved up his arm, its touch smooth against his skin and sending shivers down his spine.The young man playfully quipped, "I think he likes you," as he gently retracted his hand, his dark eyes fixated on Zhen Lixin."I very much hope so," Zhen Lixin thought, maintaining a slightly awkward smile as the snake wrapped around his hand in a coil, its cool and firm touch sending a shiver coursing through him.He lifted his arm as the snake coiled around, his wide sleeves falling down to his elbow. For a moment, the snake lifted its head and stared at him, frozen. Zhen Lixin felt the gazes of everyone around him and he suddenly began to feel uncomfortable. He lowered his arm, his gaze returning to the man who held his gaze fixed on him."His eyes..."The man's eyes reminded Zhen Lixin of a dark night, only lit by tiny stars. His eyebrows were softened, a soft smile on his lips, but his eyes confused Zhen Lixin. They were saying something-- something he couldn't understand, but he wanted to."What about them?" Ling Hun queried in his mind.Seeing that Zhen Lixin was done holding the snake, the young man stepped closer to him, holding a wider smile instead of the soft smile he had before. He gently took Zhen Lixin's hand and held it softly, and Zhen Lixin felt an unfamiliar sensation in him."Ling Hun, would you happen to know who he is?" He hastily asked Ling Hun, burying down the strange feeling upon the touch."I only recognize people by their aura. This person's aura is unrecognizably common," Ling Hun answered nonchalantly.The young man held Zhen Lixin's hand for a moment, studying their intertwined fingers, then lifted his gaze to focus on the shimmering black snake. "Return now," he commanded.The snake, however, seemed like not wanting to let go of Zhen Lixin, for it kept itself coiled around his arm, its eyes staring into the man. The soft look in his eyes vanished, replaced by a glare, and the snake slowly began to slither away from Zhen Lixin's hand into the man's hand, its hesitance visible. Zhen Lixin chuckled softly as he watched the snake slither up the man's robes and disappear. The man let go of their hands gently and Zhen Lixin looked up at him."Does he have a name?" He asked, fixing his sleeves while opening his fan.The young man smiled and replied in a soft voice, "Xue."He then, turned away from Zhen Lixin and walked over to the center to bow at the people-- a sign that his performance was already over. But, not completely over. As the crowd began to applaud, he stretched his hands out. He brought them back together in a slow pace, his eyes closing, his face serene. With a twist of his palms, a sphere of deep hue materialized, levitating between his hands. He spun the sphere with his palms as it floated in between, and held it above his head. Then, he lowered his hands to his sides, the sphere split into two and floating above both of his palms.With a seamless grace, he placed one foot behind and spun around, balance maintained on the other foot as the dark spheres lifted from his palms, twirling effortlessly around him. He opened his eyes, a smirk tugged at his lips. He clapped his hands and raised his index and middle fingers of each hand, and rotated his left hand 90 degrees clockwise, so it seemed like he was pointing at the crowd in front of him. Just as he did so, the dark spheres narrowed and lengthened, and they began to shoot thin, black swords towards the crowd. Zhen Lixin's pupils shrank, a mist of light blue color unnoticedly coming up from his clenched fist. The audience gasped in terror, some bolting in their desperation to escape, while others crumpled to the ground, paralyzed with panic. Just before the deadly swords could strike, they froze mid-air, suspended. Those who had fallen on the ground were at the verge of crying, the women tugging their chest."Ling Hun, are you sure he's really common?" Zhen Lixin queried, his eyes widened in shock, but Ling Hun remained eerily silent.In the dead silence with tension filled in the air, the young man's scoff echoed. The swords retracted and flew towards the young man, and suddenly, he jumped. As everyone-- even the ones who were still on the ground and Zhen Lixin-- stared at him with wide eyes, he lightly stood on the hilt of one sword with one leg. Then, he jumped onto the blade of another sword that was floating in the air.He leaped from one sword to another, each transition smooth and seamless as the crowd stared at him speechlessly. Finally, the sword he was at last standing on was lowered, and he jumped off of it onto the ground. The other swords were engulfed in a black smoke, and they vanished along with the smoke. The man took the sword that was floating into his hand and bowed, and his performance was really over now.Though, there were no applauds this time, the air heavy with the weight of trepidation. Those who were on the ground struggled to their feet, their paces pale. As if accepting no applauds as his fate, the man turned away from them and began to walk away after keeping his head bowed for a while.The crowd began to disperse, but Zhen Lixin wasn't even moving a muscle of his body, his gaze locked on the man who was walking away, his hand tracing the black sword. Zhen Lixin's gaze momentarily went over to the coins splattered on the ground everywhere, and some random people were picking them up hastily."He didn't even take his money..." Zhen Lixin thought as he returned his focus to the figure."Zhen Lixin," Ling Hun finally spoke up."Did you see that?" Zhen Lixin asked, his voice tinged with disbelief and fascination as he subconsciously began to fan himself."I can't see," Ling Hun replied, and there was something about her tone that made Zhen Lixin anxious. "But, it would be for the best if you don't encounter him anym- Zhen Lixin, are you listening to me?!""I want to know him better!" Zhen Lixin yelled in his mind as he ran towards the man."I was saying that you shouldn't!" Ling Hun yelled back, her usual flat tone completely gone. "Zhen Lixin, turn back right this moment, and-""Pardon!" Zhen Lixin called after the man, his words resounding across the emptying street. The man turned his head to look at him over his shoulder. His eyes lit up as a smile came to his lips upon recognizing Zhen Lixin, and he stopped in his step, turning back to face him.Zhen Lixin panted for a moment after reaching him, and opened his fan to fan himself after a long inhale. "Do you- uh, you didn't take your money with you," he said, eyeing where the man had performed before.The man chuckled with a hint of embarrassment before saying, "Oh, I don't perform for money.""Oh?" Zhen Lixin's eyebrows lifted in surprise. The man focused on his sword and Zhen Lixin also gazed at the sword, which had begun to be engulfed in the same black smoke as before. He watched the sword vanish and returned his attention to the man when he spoke."It's often out of boredom," he said with a light smile."Ah," replied Zhen Lixin, his gaze travelling across the man's form."It's not too late to turn away," Ling Hun reminded him with a tinge of urgency in her voice.However, Zhen Lixin ignored her and continued, "It was very impressive."The man nodded in appreciation, a genuine smile tugging at his lips as he said, "I'm glad my lord liked it."In return, Zhen Lixin offered him a warm smile and said, "If you perform again, anywhere, I would very much like to see it.""That's very kind of you, my lord," the man replied warmly."No need for honorifics," Zhen Lixin said, slightly lowering his fan. "I'm Zhen Lixin.""As my lord prefers," the man replied with a nod acknowledgement and said, "I'm Yu Xuan."Just as Zhen Lixin was about to speak, the ground beneath them trembled, vibrations coursing through their surroundings. His gaze fixed on Yu Xuan, seeing the sudden change in his pupils before the softness in his eyes disappeared as he steadied himself on the ground. Though Zhen Lixin was shaken at first, he managed to stand steadily in a moment, gripping his fan tightly. All around him, the air filled with panicked screams and gasps as objects crashed to the ground, chaos ensued.As the rumblings intensified, another surge shook the ground, the force even stronger. Yu Xuan's head turned to the side where the rumbling was coming from, and Zhen Lixin followed his gaze, when he suddenly lost balance. Yu Xuan managed to catch him right in time before hitting the ground and steadied him back. Their eyes met briefly, and Yu Xuan seemed to examine their surroundings, assessing the situation."Now, it's become too late to turn back," Ling Hun said, her deadpan tone returning."What is happening?!"