6 What Family Heirloom?

A few more hours had passed since Sun Yin found herself in the shelter of the Huayuan Lin sect. Lin Kun had gone away for official businesses regarding the attack. Most disciples were still in their breathing exercises, but some were already out and about.

Sun Yin was loitering the halls, looking at the abundant floral decoration of the Huayuan Lin sect's temple. She then found Lu Bang drinking again by the open full-size windows of the halls. One could oversee the training grounds from there. The maiden walked to his side and sat down next to him. She stared at the juniors practicing their sword arts.

"You must miss doing those things." She hummed, not sparing him a gaze.

"When I met you, you said you want to leave. Why aren't you leaving yet?" Lu Bang huffed before chugging another jug down. He wiped his lips with the back of his hand. "Don't tell me you're expecting to be fed."

"Why not? I saved some of your brothers." She chuckled before leaning to his arm next to her. "I heard about your story. I didn't know you were really brothers by blood."

"Why are you still talking to me?" Lu Bang turned to her, hand waving as if shooing her away. "Go on and rest till dinner is served." He was visibly irritated.

Sun Yin pouted before smiling at the training juniors at a distance. "I want to know what happened to your father, Lu Bang. I have a feeling something is wrong with this picture."

Lu Bang only shook his head. "Don't poke your nose where it doesn't belong." However, he found no energy in his hand to lift the jug. He only stared at the dark abyss from the mouth of the jug.

She noticed his pause. She hummed, tilting her head to the side nearer to Lu Bang. "That yellow sword. I might have to take that."

"No. That's an important piece of family heirloom to the Lin sect." Lu Bang huffed, finding the strength to take another gulp of the alcohol.

"You saw what I did to that sword, didn't you?" She turned to him. "I don't know about you, but I won't have my dear Buyue become a heirloom of some other family. I created him from the ashes of my sect—"

Lu Bang choked on his drink. He banged against his chest to help him take the liquid out of his lungs. Sun Yin felt his back and pressed a part to make him expel more than he could. He ended up vomiting most of what he had just drunk. However, he still turned to Sun Yin even with saliva trickling down the corners of his mouth.

"From the ashes of what?"

"Oh, my, how disgusting!" Sun Yin used her sleeve to wipe his saliva off of his mouth and chin. She then hummed with a smile. "My sect is against the use of the dark arts. I burned their dead bodies before I started raising the dead. Instead of scattering their ashes, I forged it into my own flying sword, Buyue." She brought her hand down and looked at the juniors. "Seeing it not by my side when I woke up was painful. Seeing it being owned by someone else was even worse.

"When it started its infamous [Skin Dance], you must probably know that I can control that sword." She turned to him. "There should be no one else who could control my Buyue. Your father must have done something to it so that your brother would be able to do so." She also turned away and hummed with a hand on her chin. "Owning the sword of the Bride, being accused of treason, and being attacked by the Cinder Army…

"Don't you think this could be all connected?" Sun Yin batted her eyelashes at Lu Bang. "What if your father is… connected to me?"

He looked away from her. "…You forgot about your hunch back in the city. Are you saying that the person controlling the Cinder Army is after Fenqi? And he knew that my father hid that sword under the guise of a family heirloom?"

Sun Yin nodded. "Buyue lost his graceful front, but I know my sword when I see him. I need to have him back." She covered her mouth with her sleeve. "If you don't want me to keep on using you as a stepping stone."

Lu Bang glared at her again before shaking his head. "No. I'm not stealing Fenqi. It's a treasure that my brother earned."

"Too bad. Guess I can't be making friends too soon." She pouted and kept her silence. She then stood up and walked to a direction. She did not make it far before she felt her wrist being grabbed by someone. She turned and saw Lu Bang glaring at her.

"Whatever you're planning, don't. I'll talk to Lin Kun. If he understood the situation, he might be able to hand it over."

Sun Yin only smiled at him. "Thank you, Lu Bang."

It was already dark when Lin Kun had come home from the meetings. He was too exhausted that he even passed on dinner. When he came to his quarters, he saw Lu Bang and Sun Yin waiting for him. He could only smile at them before entertaining them.

"I must admit; I am really tired tonight. I might not be able to entertain you long, Miss Sun." Lin Kun kept his civil smile despite what happened the last time they talked.

"It's okay. I apologize for my rudeness earlier. I should know better than anger you, Master Lin." She bowed a little as if living it up to her cover. She then straightened her back. "Master Lin, may I see Fenqi? I saw earlier that you seemed to have… lost control of it for a moment." She read through his shocked expression. "I know a lot have thought that you have unlocked its power, but in reality, you lost control. I know a fearful face when I see one."

Lin Kun held Fenqi which was hanging by his waist. He shook his head. "Fenqi… is a dangerous sword. It wishes to devour whenever it leaves its sheath. It's not out of greed, but I refuse to take it—"

He froze as he felt the sword inching out of its sheath slowly. He looked down to see his reflection at the blade of Fenqi, its golden glare staring back at him. Lin Kun let out a horrified gasp as the sword made its way out of its sheath. Lu Bang dashed to his brother's side, pulling out Xiangwei as if he could protect Lin Kun.

Fenqi danced in the wind above them, making loud swishing noises. Soon, it went down slowly and laid on the two open palms of Sun Yin. The maiden smiled at the sword which bright golden glare just dimmed as if becoming mellow.

"There, there, no more forced labor for you, Buyue." She stroked at the blade. She lifted her gaze at the two men. She even turned away Xiangwei with her hand. "Don't point your sword at me, you idiot. Anyway, Buyue asked to be released from the bounds… of a soul thread?"

"Buyue?" Lin Kun frowned at the woman across the table. "What do you mean? Who are you?"

"Are you ready to hear the answer to that?" Sun Yin grinned.

"Lu Bang, who is this woman?" Lin Kun turned to his brother who knew. He only received a troubled hiss from him. The master then frowned at her again. "Who are you? What do you need of the Lin sect? Are you an enemy?"

Sun Yin chuckled and caressed her sword. "Being an enemy to the Lin sect was so fifty years ago. I only came here because you were attacked by my children without my knowledge. You even possessed my sword and dared to call it a family heirloom. Now, now, why wouldn't I be interested in you?"

Lin Kun's eyes slid to the side to glance at his brother before looking at her again. "Fifty years ago? Your children? You're… the Bride of Corpses?"

The maiden only nodded.

Instead of rampaging, Lin Kun stayed calm. Even if he had no grip on his sword, he had his brother next to him. It made him feel more comfortable and stronger. He took a deep breath. "By the way you talk, you don't seem to be responsible for the attack today."

"No. Your brother was right. Never did I attack a city." She hummed. "And you saw it, didn't you? No one was singing, and the corpses do not regenerate." She raised Buyue with both hands. "Not only my Cinder Army, but even Buyue and Yuanyan had been stolen from me. If it was indeed me—the Bride of Corpses, then your little city would have been destroyed in less than thirty minutes."

Lin Kun could not call her out for her belittlement; it was probably true. Then again, she had no proof that she was the Bride; neither did he have the proof that it was not her. The master of the sect stared at the supposed family heirloom.

"My father had always told me that Fenqi was a sword that only we should hold. Perhaps, the reason was that it was tainted by the Bride of the Corpses." He sighed and raised his left sleeve, revealing a string mark on his wrist. "We are allowed to control Fenqi through a soul thread. I shall assist you in setting it free."