15 Not a Name for Nothing

The cold sensation in Lin Kun's hand was gone, but he was feeling sick. He weakly opened his eyes that morning, only to find Sun Yin seated on the bed. She was looking outside the window as if it was open. With her hair flowing down, she looked more heavenly to Lin Kun's eyes.

She was beautiful; it was not like the brothers had denied that. It was just not something that would attract them to women. Perhaps it was out of the grudge against beauty, wherein their beautiful mothers had caused them pain without them blaming the women.

"Ah, you're awake," Sun Yin spoke in a mellow voice as if she was not the energetic woman they knew. Her head moved, but her face was still hidden from his view.

"Yes, yes, so are you, Lady Sun." Lin Kun smiled for a second before tugging on the hand holding hers. He was quite embarrassed for being caught holding her candle-like fingers. However, she held onto him like metal smelted into his skin. "Lady Sun, can I have my hand back?"

"I'm sorry, but can I hold you for a little longer?"

"I see. I don't mind." Lin Kun answered, but he was feeling like he was seasick.

His body felt like he was at sea—that his head was swaying. He had ridden boats before, and he hated the feeling. His other hand flew to his mouth, calming himself and keeping himself from vomiting. There was also this weird stench coming from somewhere.

Sun Yin then moved to lie down again. "Please don't be so loud. Lu Bang will wake."

"I'm sorry." He apologized despite not knowing which loud sound she meant he made. It did not take long for him to understand.

Next to him lied Sun Yin, but she was not the Sun Yin he remembered sleeping next to. Her hair lost its natural luster, and her snow skin had turned gray. The elasticity was also gone as well, leaving her skin wrinkled and loose. Her beautiful eyes that were hazelnuts had become white all over. Lin Kun was horrified to see a corpse next to him.

But she was talking to him, wasn't she? There was no way he was imagining it. He deserved a reward for not reacting on the outside. He could have fainted thrice inside him mind though. Then again, her stiff fingers continued to have a firm hold on his hand.

"I forgot this happens whenever I unlock the Sun curse on my body." She chuckled using her normal voice. "Am I freaking you out, Master Lin?"

"Freak out wouldn't be the word I'd use to describe this feeling." He could have died thrice. Lin Kun was not scared of corpses; it was just the idea that the person he lied next to suddenly turned into an undead.

"Since you're feeding me Yang energy, I would be normal sooner." She moved her face away from his sight. "Thank you for not screaming."

"Ah, yes." It was no secret Lin Kun was horrified.

He managed to sit up and kept his hand connected to the Bride. He turned to see his brother who was caught having one of his eyes open. He was awake the entire time, and Lin Kun had no idea whether he should sell out his brother or be rude and keep it as a secret. Sun Yin clearly was trying to hide her image from Lu Bang.

Perhaps the same thoughts crossed Lu Bang's mind. He sighed aloud and popped his neck to relieve it from future spasms. "You reek like rotten meat. Is that going to go away soon enough, too?"

Sun Yin only hummed in response. Lin Kun was hoping she would be surprised at least.

"Probably not the best place to eat breakfast." Lu Bang got off the bed, leaving the two in the room.

"Do you hate being seen like this, Sun Yin?" Lin Kun chose to use her name as if creating familiarity. He had no choice but to lie down again.

"You still have your golden core. You can recover whatever I take from you in a day or two." Sun Yin chuckled, her grip on his hand worsened.

Those were the only words he needed to understand why Sun Yin did not want Lu Bang to wake up and see her as such.

It was already evening, and Lu Bang had not checked up on the two again. He was seated in his spot overseeing the training juniors. He was about to drink the last drops of his jug when a soft thing collided against his back. Needless to say, it made him drop the jug and choke at the liquid that played around his throat.

Arms wrapped around his neck, and an annoying voice whispered at his ear. "Lu Bang, how dare you avoid me for a day?"

"You stink." That was all he got out after wheezing. He turned to his side where Sun Yin's face was, only to pull back a little since her face was too close. "Back to your funny face, I see."

"Funny face?! How dare you address such a pearl like me with those words?!" She feigned her shock and offense taken. She then broke into giggling before snuggling the man again. "Ah! I feel so relieved having my energy back!"

"And Lin Kun?" Lu Bang tried to get his breath out, using an arm to break her hold.

"Hm, that's a good question." Sun Yin hummed as she eased her hold and just rested her hands on Lu Bang's shoulder despite having her chest pressed against his back.

In fact, without words, they both imagined him passing out in the middle of a hallway.

"We should pick him up," they said in unison.

However, in contrary to what they thought, Lin Kun was feeling well, working on his table. He had a guest over, seemingly discussing something with one of his senior disciples. He sat behind his desk, eyes not gazing at Lin Dong.

"Perhaps you could start now, Lin Dong." He organized the papers, reading through some of them. "Again, why did you not tell me that a demonic beast had been spotted nearby the city?"

"It was just a level three. No need for you to panic, Master Lin." Lin Dong sat in a lotus position as if being disciplined by the master of the sect. "We could handle it properly."

"And yet, it was followed by a level six. If I slept through the night, what do you think I would wake up to?"

Lin Dong kept his silence. Lin Kun brought his gaze up to see his subordinate's troubled face.

"Lin Dong, this is the last time you will not let me know—"

"That woman, Sun Yin…" Lin Dong interrupted the master. His fist balled in rage. "Who is she really? How can she take on so much dark energy and even had the ability to repel the Cinder Army? Never had I heard of a person who could fight against the Bride of Corpses like that."

"She is only sufficient because we are fighting an impostor." Lin Kun hummed as he kept on watching his actions. "Lin Dong, the woman in red is never the Bride but a mirage. Someone is fooling the Society that we are indeed at war with her again. However, it doesn't mean that we are not at war."

Lin Dong stared at his master. He could only stare at him, to be more exact. Actions were being played in his head that he wanted to do, and yet he just stared at Lin Kun. He then took his gaze off and spoke softly, "Tell me, Master Lin. How sure are you that we are indeed not fighting the Bride of Corpses? What if she just lost her powers due to arrogance and ill training?"

"The Bride always fights with her full power. She never underestimates her opponents, and so she has never been arrogant. She moves and executes her plans with precision. Failing to level the same city twice is nothing like the Bride. What else should I say to you?"

"Master Lin, with all due respect, you have never seen the Bride. Even Lu Bang was too young to remember her exactly as she was." Lin Dong kept his head bowed down. "These books could be exaggerations of her success."

Lin Kun pulled out Buyue from his sheath and showed him to the subordinate. "Lin Dong, have you seen Fenqi before? You know that this sword can only be wielded by me, the inheritor of Lin Guwei's Gold Orb. If it was such an important and powerful weapon, then why was it not written in our records?"

The subordinate lifted his head and stared at the blade which felt like it was staring back at him. He saw his reflection in the blade, and even though he was showing a fearful face to Lin Kun, his reflection was grinning at him.

"It is because this sword, Fenqi, that our late master treasured so badly"—Lin Kun let go of the sword, and it flew to line its blade next to Lin Dong's neck—"is actually Buyue, the infamous sword of the Bride. If she cannot take it back from me, then she is an impostor."

"B-Buyue—"

"As its name suggests, he dislikes the disloyal." Lin Kun sighed, interlocking his fingers before him. "So Lin Dong, now that you know what they want from you, tell me… what do you want from the Heici Xu sect?"