Jiang li

Arthur's POV

Hearing the commotion, all the customer started looking at me and Jiang li.

"A trash like you shouldn't be here, don't you think so too withering flower" a sharp voice insulted and some of the surrounding people started snickering.

'This is what a cultivation world is, respect the strong but ridicule the weak' I thought while watching Jiang li slowly clenching her hands, her head down, ashamed and her eyes expressionless.

Seeing her behavior, I thought 'What emotions were those eyes hiding?'

"Let's go master yang" she grabbed my hands out of nowhere, maybe she was too ashamed to notice this but this gave the sharp feminine voice another reason to insult us.

"So you are even cheating on your fiance now!

what could be even expected from the likes of you" the voice became louder but Jiang li didn't reacted, her head down she drag me along the crowds towards the exit door.

"Aren't you leaving too soon" the same voice interrupted us at the exit but we couldn't see her face as it was block by the crowd but soon one by one gave way and an enchanting figure appeared in my vision.

Her tongue was sharper than the tip of a master crafted spear but it was undeniable fact that she was beautiful, well instead of beautiful, the word sexy suited her more and she was extremely sexy.

"Whenever you face a problem, the only answer you have is running away, how long are you gonna insult our clan's honor" she further ridiculed Jiang li

'She is also from the li clan' I thought.

she spitted her venom "Maybe you have learnt it from your mother who left you after child birth"

At the mention of her mother, Jiang li visibly started shaking and tears started falling from her eyes.

"Maybe she left you after finding out you were trash and couldn't cul-"

"Huh-" the girl voice trailed off when she found out she was flying?

"You have already said more than enough bitch" Arthur grabbed her from her collar and lifted her high in the air.

It was so fast that none of them could react on time, not even her lackeys!

"D-Do you know...who you are dealing with! " one of her lackey warned with shaky hands.

"Gentlemen, please don't cause trouble in our treasure Pavillion" an old man with a white moustache and a beard said while playing with his beard. Like a typical wuxia hypocrite, he only showed up after the hero causes trouble.

Arthur took one glanced at him and ignored him ' 5th level innate realm'

The old man's face twitched at the blatant disrespect and was ready to intervened but the woman in Arthur's grip stopped him by waving her hand.

"Let her go you bastard! " One of her brave lackey spatted in anger.

The woman in question just kept on staring daggers at Arthur without uttering a single word.

feeling her gaze, Arthur readied his fist to punch her face, he had enough of it already.

"Please stop" jiang li whispered and her hand hold onto Arthur's fist. "Please don't put yourself in trouble because of me" she pleaded and Arthur eventually released his grip and thrown her onto the ground.

*Bam*

She fell on her butt and jiang li dragged Arthur out of the building.

The Pavillion bursted out in commotion but Arthur and jiang li quickly climbed up on the carriage and rode away from the mess.

inside the carriage, there was silence as neither jiang li or Arthur initiated a conversation.

Jiang li was silently sitting with her head down, as if she was ashamed of herself.

The carriage drove on for a while and enter a small road when jiang li suddenly shouted "Stop here"

Arthur saw her opening the carriage door and instructing something to the carriage driver.

"Master Yang, forgive me but you have to return alone to the mansion. I have some work to do elsewhere" Jiang li smiled but it couldn't hide her teary eyes.

Arthur only nodded slightly, Jiang li closed the door and the carriage continued moving.

After few minutes

"Stop here" Arthur halted the carriage and instructed the driver to go back.

"Open mini map and search for jiangli"

"Found her" Arthur smiled and disappeared using shushin 'I never thought the mini map which I deemed to be useless will be helping me today'

Arthur jumped from rooftop to rooftop. The surroundings kept on changing as he moved . People were laughing and drinking together in a hotel calling each other as brothers, the shop keeper arguing with a drunkard, the city was bustling with people.

'She went quite far' Arthur though as he could see some cultivators patrolling the city with flying swords but they couldn't see Arthur as he was moving quite fast and stealthily.

[AN: like a ninja]

Soon Arthur escaped the jungle of houses and entered an open field. He stopped running and started to slowly walk his way through the green field

'Lavenders' Arthur smelled the scent of the flower in the air and he knew he was in the right place.

As he continued walking towards the scent, he could see the green field turning purple due to the countless lavender flowers blooming there. It was beautiful and he could hear a soothing music dancing in the air.

As he continued walking, he finally come across Jiang li who was seated on top of a flat rock, her eyes closed while playing the harp beautifully, lost in her own world.

The scene was breath taking and painted a harmonious picture in Arthur's mind.

'Whenever I feel sad or lonely, I always find myself next to lavenders. They soothe me. '

Arthur remembered his previous conversation with her.

Seeing her eyes still closed, Arthur decided not to disturb her and sat down on the ground.

Jiang li kept on playing the harp beautifully while the winds gently lifted up the lavender scent in the air.

The sun was slowly setting down and the sky became orange like a ripe mango.

Jiang li and Arthur sat silently with the music and the surrounding became tranquil and harmonious.

Time went on like this and after a while, Jiang li completed her song and opened up her eyes. She smiled seeing Arthur and this time it was a genuine smile.

'Looks like her mood has become good again'

Arthur smiled back.

"What do you think about my music master yang? am I talented? " she asked while smiling playfully.

"Certainly" Arthur replied and observed the harp. It was made out of special woods which were giving off faint qi energy.

Feeling Arthur's gaze, she replied

"This is my mother's harp. She used to play this whenever I cry as a baby... " she chuckled but her laughed trailed off into a bit melancholy.

"Did your mother taught you this song? " Arthur asked to which she smiled.

"Yes, I always used to constantly nag her about this"

"It's beautiful" Arthur complimented and jiang li nodded her head while smiling.

she asked a bit hesitantly "Don't you want to know why that happened before? " her head down in shame.

Seeing her peculiar reaction, Arthur replied

"I don't bother myself with other's business. "

'But you bothered yourself to save me earlier' jiang li thought while smiling.

Her eyes set on the lavendets, revealing a bit of melancholy, she replied.

"Withering flower... it perfectly describes me. "

Arthur didn't reply

"A trash who can't cultivate, my only redeeming quality is my beauty but even that is meaningless in front of time and ageing"

Arthur didn't reply

"Pitiful ain't I? useless and weak"

Tears slowly started falling off from her eyes.

"I am so weak that I can't even control my tears... " she started crying.

Arthur listened till she spoke everything inside her heart which was weighting her down and felt silent.

Then he finally spoke up

"A person born in a prominent clan without any cultivation talent, a trash indeed but not pitiful. You have endured all their scourns and rudicules till now so you definitely aren't weak. "

Arthur replied while slowly reaching out his hands towards her.

"Beauty isn't the outside appearance but what's inside oneself, you are beautiful"

Hearing Arthur's soothing voice, she stopped crying and looked at his hands.

"Pick yourself up woman because power doesn't lie in one's strength but one's way of life. His believes and aspirations, courage and heart. I experienced this myself."

Hearing his magnetic voice, Jiang li grapped his hands and stood up.

Arthur made a one hand seal and the wind slowly build up lifting up the lavender flower's pollens.

The purple pollens float in the air gently with the breeze.

Arthur looked into her eyes and spoke.

" A withering flower doesn't signify death or end. It signifies life and a new beginning just like this pollen grains flying to their new destination, waiting for the rain, waiting for the spring, waiting for a chance to bloom again"

Arthur smiled at her and this time it was Jiang li's turn to be awestruck,

"Who are you? " She asked to which Arthur replied

"Your friend"

Arthur smiled but this time, instead of being awestruck ,she also smiled back at him like the cheeky person she is.

Her hair flowing with the breeze.

The sun was setting down and the sky was turning dark. The night had arrived along with the countless stars which were shinning like diamonds laden in the sky. The bright moon painted the city in a surreal environment.

Jiang li and Arthur were slowly walking back towards the mansion, why you ask? because a while back, they ordered the carriage to go back to the mansion alone.

But Jiang li didn't hated it, infact she loved it.

the beautiful night lights of the city and the sound of people laughing and talking happily.

Both of them walk together and Jiang li was in a good mood as she was humming a song.

"Can i tell you something? " she asked suddenly although a bit hesitantly.

"Of course! aren't we friends? " Arthur replied seeing her hesitation.

"Yes" she smiled then continued

"The girl at the Pavillion was my sister...

Step sister to be precise... her name is Huan li. "

"Step sister? " Arthur asked a bit surprised

"Yes, after my mother disappeared, my father was devastated so much so that he refused to eat or sleep. His health was deteriorating so my grandfather pleaded his friend to let his daughter marry my father in hopes of saving my father's life. He agreed and my step mom was married to my father. His health started becoming good again but alas, it was not because of step mother but because of me. he wanted to nurture me, he love me very much that's why he started eating again so that he can become a good father for me.

My poor second mother was ignored and he didn't even sleep with her. His heart only belong to my mother he said but my grandfather pleaded and bowed down to my father to give my step mother the rights that a wife deserves. Reluctantly he agreed and that's how my little sister Huan li was born. "

"Does your second mother holds resentment towards you? " Arthur asked since he could guess where this was going.

"No... she is an angel who always treated me like her own daughter but the same can't be said for my sister. She hates me... and rightfully so. She saw her mother being ignored and she never received father's love as he was always focused on me. She tried her very best to win his acknowledgement by cultivating day and night, winning competitions and tournaments but father never compelemented her. He always saved his love for a trash like me. "

Her voice sounded sad but this this time, Arthur knew that she was sad for her sister and not for herself.

"I am well deserving for her hatred and can't blame her. I am misfortune in both my father's and my second mother's lives"

"Don't be so hard on yourself, I am sure everything will work out" Arthur said

"You always sound so confident unlike me yang, but I really hope so that you are right"

she smiled and both of them continued walking.

Her smile was genuine because she finally shared what was bugging inside her mind.

Her guilt conscience and burdens lessen a lot just by sharing it with her new friend.

Like this, making small talks, both of them walked slowly towards the li clan

They could see the Li clan's gate from a distance and soon reached there.

[Photo of Jiang li and bai li in comment section]