21 21-Bothered

"Hello, who are you? I do not think I am familiar with your face." A young man slapped Wu Yong's shoulder after greeting the new student from Xue Sect. He carefully held his uniform's edges to keep the skirt from touching the road. The waved the green fabric like a pair of butterfly wings around his legs. "If you are uncomfortable, my name is Xu Rong*."

"I am always uncomfortable speaking to people I do not know but it is nice to meet you, Xu Rong. I am Su Yong. Not to be mistaken for Wu Yong, the former young master of Xue Sect!" Wu Yong lifted Xu Rong's manicured hands, wondering how the delicate flower boy could possibly be a student of Li Sect.

"Su Yong," Xu Yong mused to himself as he places a hand under his chin. He curiously pointed at Dark King Sword hanging from Wu Yong's belt. "What is its name? I assume you are a new dark magic wielder. The path you chose must be the most difficult."

"Yes, I am a dark magic wielder but I am also a follower of the cultivators. I will stay on the right path no matter what I am. As for this blade's name, it is 'Dark King Sword'. Have you ever heard of it?" Wu Yong raised an eyebrow, holding the sword in its sheath. He held his breath as the man speaking to him shook his head.

Xu Rong took a moment to walk with Wu Yong in silence, watching the students in front of them tease each other. The student of Li Sect continued stealing glances from Wu Yong's direction. "You know, you look dark but you have an enchanting face. Like a king of shadows."

"Well," Wu Yong carefully picked his words. "I have been told I look handsome but evil. I appreciate you thinking I can be a king of shadows with my looks. You are handsome yourself, Xu Rong."

Xu Rong pats his face lightly, wrinkling his nose as rouge from his cheeks stuck to his palms. The student shouted when an older student turned around and tapped his cheeks. "Do not touch the face!"

Another student moved to touch Xu Rong's silky hair.

"Do not touch the face! Never touch the hair!" Xu Rong swatted two pairs of hands away from his face and head, shuffling around until he stood behind Wu Yong, using the tall man as a shield. He knew his human shield worked as the older men scurried away after a single glare. "They are so annoying! Always teasing me by threatening me!"

"I don't think them being playful is threatening. You should appreciate your brothers while they still wish to be around you." Wu Yong slowly shuffled away from Xu Rong, slightly annoyed by the Li Sect disciple. He did not wish to interact with cultivators while he walked to Zhengyi Pavilion.

Xu Rong followed the new Xue Sect student, trailing behind him like a secret admirer. He studied the man's strong back and long raven hair. He wondered what a strong and beautiful man could seek in Xue Sect. The power felt by the student was enough to land the man in a position in a cultivation group.

Perhaps, Xu Rong thought to himself, he could be the first teacher of the dark arts in the Cultivation Association. Or he could be a deadly assassin working under Cìkè of Cultivation. Xu Rong felt the man was hiding his true power by starting as a low student of the sect's young master.

"Dark King Sword," Xu Rong repeated quietly under his breath. He could not understand the ghost of a feeling in my guts. He felt as if he had heard the sword's name mentioned during the reign of the previous Demon King.

Xu Rong snapped his fingers behind the owner of the intriguing sword. "Aha! Dark King Sword belonged to the slain Demon King! I am so sm-"

"The Demon King's old sword?" The student slapped a hand to his mouth, stopping in his tracks to stare at the man walking in front of him. Xu Rong held a hand to his chest, feeling the air in his lungs quickly escaping. Even when he was pushed by impatient travellers, he stood still. He watched the man calling himself Su Yong.

"What are you thinking about that you mentioned Demon King and his sword?" Mian Biaoqing piped up from behind the Li disciple. She grinned to display her sharp teeth. "Xu Rong is your name, correct?"

Xu Rong nodded slowly, then he recognized the girl standing before him. He started to laugh and accepted her lifted hand to give her a hearty slap. "It has been a while, Demon Scholar! Tell me, who is the man from your sect? He is intriguing."

"The man from Xue Sect?" The girl tilted her head. "Well, which one has caught your eye?"

"The dark, brooding man walking without conversing with anyone," Xu Rong lifted a delicate hand to point at the new student of Xue Sect. He then used the same hand to stroke his glistening hair. "I introduced myself to him and I wonder how he is in your sect."

"What, is being in the Xue Sect such a bad thing?" Mian Biaoqing teased him with a poke on his arm. "You almost joined our sect but your family preferred the Li Sect."

Xu Rong's shoulders drew together as he slouched, shuffling along. "I hate being a student! So, who is he?"

"I don't know him personally," the young girl started to say. She chuckled when her companion looked disappointed. "He is Xue Liang's apprentice and he is a dark magic wielder -like me! I heard he comes from a fishing community, but nothing else is known about him."

"He is going to be at the banquet, right?" Xu Rong tilted his head, gasping when the dark man turned to shoot a glare. The student shuddered, "He's intimidating and rude! Are you certain he is learning under Xue Liang? I feel Xue Liang would kill him rather than teach him."

"Why do you think that? Well, Xue Liang is quite excited to find a promising student after rejecting half of his father's sect. He must have been waiting for the right man and Su Yong fit the role well enough." The girl shrugged, tugging at her short hair. "He isn't a Demon which intrigues me more than anything else."

"Please stop talking about me," Wu Yong turned around to point two fingers towards Xu Rong and Mian Biaoqing. He did not appreciate hearing them talking behind his back even when no insults were made -yet. "If you want to inquire about my life and identity, I invite you to ask me directly. Don't guess who I am or start rumours."

Mian Baoqing and her friend nod quickly, shuffling away from the brooding man. They had sensed his discomfort when his facial muscles clenched, locking his face in place. The man named Su Yong must have developed a grudge against them and the pair shuffled further away from him.

"How can these cultivators annoy me more in my new life?" Wu Yong muttered beneath his breath, as soft as a breeze. Despite the constant itch to leave the pilgrims, he clenched his fists and walked on into the pavilion's courtyards. He needed to see his predecessor.

With the annoying cultivators, he will greet the former Demon King and he will also pledge his loyalty to the Demon's spirit. Wherever the Demon King is, Wu Yong hoped the powerful man could guide him until he finds his throne.

***

Xu Rong: Xūróng (虛榮), translates to 'vanity'. He is a beauty from Jirong, the face of Li Sect as he is handsome. Sometimes, he dresses as a woman for fun. He knows people love him and this also fuels his narcissism.-Google Translate (Chinese, Traditional)