18 The End of A Starless Night

Ever since that incident, Yang YueChen was restless. No, more specifically, he had already been restless since the night before retrieving Yuan Ji's sword. However, his behavior grew more unsettling, more noticably weird. He would stare at the distance for a long time, instead of helping around in the village.

Yuan Ji inched closer to him. In the pure darkness contained within the boy's eyes, there was an inexplicable emotion. It wasn't unusual for the latter to lost focus and gaze into distance. So the water deity didn't pay too much attention concerning this issue.

A-Die knocked the bamboo seating table YueChen was sitting on softly. The boy turn

ed his head, but his eyes were still fixed on the sky. He asked, "What's it?"

[The children wanted to play with you. And some adults need additional help. I'm just passing this message to you.]

He was silent for a moment, with slight difficulties, he tore away his gaze and met the young girl's eyes instead. "How about Yuan Ji?"

[Preparing for incoming harvest season.]

"I see…" He nodded. "I'll go help the folks, are you coming with me?"

A-Die shook her head, [Unfortunately, I have to manage the shrine. If I can finish it quickly, I'll aid you, Yue-Ge.]

Red leaves danced along in the breeze, brushed past YueChen's robes and fell gracefully onto the sea of flame. They reminded him of his days in the era he was supposed to be. He stopped, lost in the track once more. The boy watched as the leaves circled around, and he could almost see a certain god playfully picking the fallen leaves and blew it to waver in the air again. His heart ached right away, not sparing him a moment to dwell inside the memory.

It felt as though years had passed in this place. Seconds became unbearably long, too long. Time was chaining him to stay still in the rising water, without rushing it, the water rose consistently. YueChen could feel he was drowning in these false hopes.

The first drop of rain brought him back to his senses. The boy immediately started to run outside the village, heading to where merchants and night guards were always be. To his surprise, no one was there.

Worried, he took a look around the village border, searching in aisles, yet found not a single soul. The rain was turning into a storm, trapping him at the outskirts of the village.

YueChen ran to the nearest shelter blindly, drenched wet and cold. He took off his outer robes and dried it as much as he could before laying it down on the hard wooden floor. Then, he searched for dry clothing or if he's lucky, a small hearth to keep him warm.

Fortunately, MiZi folks had hearths at all places and although the market areas and outskirts may not have them, Yang YueChen found one nearby. He picked up his robes and hung it near the fire. His eyes watched the crackling fire that illuminated reddish color to whatever it could reach.

The sound of storm raging outside was drowned by the soft cackling of the hearth. An almost illusory warmth crept up to his chest and spread out over his lonely figure.

YueChen waited for what felt like an eternity, imagining the sound of wind chimes ringing back in his home before he lost his consciousness.

"So, you're here."

When he woke up, the first thing he saw was blinding light. The boy immediately panicked and shied away behind a shadow.

[Yue-Ge! You're awake now?]

The boy in question whipped his head so fast he could hear a cracking sound. Yuan Ji shifted underneath him and groaned.

"Can't you stay still? You're so heavy!"

YueChen was taken aback at his words. He opened his mouth subconsciously, as if trying to counter the deity's words.

"You were trapped in the storm for like, two hours! Only after I found you, you stopped crying like a baby and snuggled on me. How shameless." Yuan Ji snorted, continuing his ramble. "And not to mention you put your robe too close to the hearth it almost got burnt. Seriously, what are you? A little baby? Grow up a bit, Xing!"

As the water deity cussed and grumbled, the one being carried stared dumbfounded at the girl walking beside them.

[Yuan Ji thought you were lost, or worse, hit your head and went missing. Thank God you were only sleeping.] She chuckled, poking at the boy's cheek.

All the poor boy could manage was "What in the absolute hell just happened…"

This promptly set Yuan Ji off. He stopped and tilted his body to the side as though he was to drop the weight on his back down. YueChen clutched at his sleeves and wrapped his arms around the deity's neck, dreading the fall.

Suddenly unable to breath, he clawed at YueChen's thighs and glared at the boy as much as he could "You! Let go of me!"

Being glared at, YueChen instinctively tightened his headlock and cried out. "Only if you stop doing that!"

[You two. Stop trying to kill each other…]

Yet, the maiden's words fell on deaf ears. Sighing, she stepped to them and pinched the boy's arms. [I'm already fed up with this. Let's go back to village, shall we?]

"Fine…"

As they walked back to the village, with Yuan Ji still carrying YueChen on his back, A-Die explained that the storm was Yuan Ji's doing and apologized for doing it.

Only after a while, YueChen realized he shouldn't be carried. So he patted the deity's arm and asked him to put him down.

The deity, of course, scoffed at the idea. "We found you almost frozen from the cold. The fire in that hearth died not too long after you slept. Walking now, I won't say it's a good idea."

Now, YueChen noticed that his feet is numb and body a little old. "I just realized…"

"You dumb little child. If we don't say it, you'll never notice it." Yuan Ji sighed, shaking his head helplessly.

"Can you stop shaking you head.."

"Why?"

"I'm getting a mouthful of hair, chicken."

"Dimwit."

[Should I take my pan to make you two shut up?]

A-Die huffed, rolling her eyes as she picked herbs in their way back to village. [Boys be boys...]

A group of men had waited for them in front of the chief's house. When they saw a certain dark-skinned girl, some knitted their brows and some scoffed in distaste. Clearly, they still thought the girl as some sort of evil omen.

Yuan Ji saw the look on their faces and his face immediately turned black.

"A-Ji, can people see you?"

"Only if they focus hard enough. I'll look like a random teenager from the bunches."

YueChen couldn't understand the concept of illusion, but he decided to roll with it. So far, he only knew that people didn't bother to look at the real god properly. They treated the real goods as a passing wind, while the fake as a treasure worth much more than gold. People less bothered him since he thought better not to take all attention and worshipping he didn't deserve.

Perhaps the vessel of the god was the first to notice that A-Die held her herb basket tight. Eyes refusing to look at anyone but anger and frustration showed in the sun-like eyes.

No wonder. The poor girl was hated to the soul by the villagers. She acted like everything was fine, like nothing bothered her. Given chance, she would run away from the stares and whispers.

Yuan Ji put the other boy down after they reached Xian Jian Zhe's hut. Like usual, the little boy who admired A-Die was there, helping the old woman.

When the little boy saw the girl, he rushed to tackle her down. "Pretty sister!" He exclaimed ecstatically.

Now that she had gotten used to it, she only patted his head and smiled at the boy. The two went inside to prepare some meal and sorts the herbs, while Yuan Ji immediately went to take care of fruit trees behind the hut.

Xian Jian Zhe put down the baskets and asked, "How are you feeling now, boy?"

YueChen nodded absentmindedly, "Good but cold."

The elderly only gave a laugh at his response and placed a basket of fruits next to him. She offered an apple to him. "The one with you, he was the one who created the storm."

YueChen took a bite, and replied, "No surprise."

Yuan Ji might had been worrying about him and decided that a good storm was a perfect solution. Which was right. The storm reminded him of the days where the deity would hug him close and sleep next to him so he wouldn't feel cold.

"So tell me." The boy stood up. "What have you two been conspiring about against me?"

Even though the fire was lighted on puddled ground, it still grew big in no time. Children circled the bonfire and laughed, while adults prepared the food and went to do some chores. Like usual, it was Yuan Ji who manned the fire.

The golden light illuminated to his figure highlighted his divine appearance and brought them back to one of the moments YueChen valued the most. The deity's serene face, his calm movements, and soft yet serious stare he had made the boy's heart ache.

No matter how he convinced himself that he didn't deserve anything, his soul kept wishing for more. More of something he didn't know. More of a desire he wasn't aware of.

And the way the deity held the children who tugged on his ponytail or clothing, gentle and loving like a mother. Or the way he just laughed as they grabbed his robes and refused to let go.

It all made YueChen felt distant. Like an outsider in this place. And he wanted to run away.

Yuan Ji had certainly became aware of the discomfort. He stared at the boy and gave him a smile when the boy met his gaze.

'Come with me to the shrine after this'

Not too long after that, all the folks gathered around the fire and began laugh heartily together. Some rather shameless and fearless grown-ups whispered one another while eyeing A-Die.

The girl ignored their stares and continued eating, once in a while, talking to the other children that stayed close to them. Parents hugged their sons and daughters like A-Die was some sort of beast that's ready to maul the young.

One persistent boy sat closer to A-Die and gave her some of his food. He was none other than that boy who admired her. To think about it… the little boy seemed to be an orphan. He was never seen with an adult by his side and somehow got fed and had a proper shelter. Nothing to be worried about.

A few rounds of liquor passed and most people had gotten too drunk they began to sing and dance, men and women alike. The later it became, the merrier.

Yuan Ji had long escaped from the bustling crowd, heading to wherever he might be. YueChen left moments later, after making sure A-Die had slept tucked under the blanket.

The path to the shrine was a rocky path surrounded by greeneries. With no light to guide him, he wandered blindly in the dark. The night was serene and peaceful, charming in a calming way.

Then, a small building of wooden walls revealed itself at the end of the path. The moon showered threads of ethereal looking light upon the shrine, the water accumulation in the small pond reflected the sky.

He swept his gaze around the shrine to find no one there. YueChen stepped up into the shrine and pushed the door gently. Inside, a number of statues stood gracefully on the altar. The biggest and most worshipped statue, that was none other than him, was placed in the middle of the hall among the offerings and faint light from incense fire. Candles burned for who knew how long, lighting the hall with strong red and yellow color.

"What are you doing?" The boy opened his mouth, as he stepped towards the statue.

The figure standing before him smirked and said. "I figured that not offering an incense to the God who protected this place is truly a rude, unforgivable thing. So, this humble me wanted to show my regards to the god."

YueChen sighed and crossed his arms. "You know you're terrible in polite wording, no?"

"At least I tried." The deity laughed and finished his prayers. "You took so long I actually mapped the whole area already!"

"Well, congrats!"

Yuan Ji squinted, "Is that sarcasm I'm detecting?"

That one last comment made YueChen lost his cool and bursted out laughing. He hugged his stomach, still wheezing, as he stuttered, "Fine—Fine! Y-you win this one! Now tell me why I should drag my being to this place!"

The other male tilted his head and grinned, "No reason."

YueChen instantly stopped laughing and stared at the deity with a deadpan look before turning around to leave. "I'm going back now."

"You aren't going anywhere" He said, reaching out to grab the youth's upper arm.

Yet, no matter how Yuan Ji tried to make the other stay, YueChen persistently advanced in a half successful strides.

Walking became more difficult with each step and YueChen ceased his effort til they reached the middle of courtyard. He took a deep breath and said in an annoyed tone, "Look, if you aren't planning anything, there's no point to hold me in this place."

"The night is still young…" The deity muttered softly.

Not hearing the words clearly, he turned to ask, "What?"

"And the moon is smiling at us." With those words, Yuan Ji turned YueChen to properly look at him. "Doesn't it remind you of that night?" Holding his hand and shoulder, Yuan Ji blew a breath to his face.

Realizing what the deity meant, Yang YueChen chuckled softly. "Oh well, unlike that night, we have no music."

"I can sing, so why not?"

With each steps they both took, the deity began to hum a series of tunes. These tunes, were extremely familiar to him.

"This song, is this Song of Joy?"

Yuan Ji smiled and sang a part as they danced under the full moon. His hand held the other gently, as if the one in his embrace was a fragile glass sculpture. His touch, lukewarm to YueChen's almost freezing finger tips, brought back memories.

{Spent thirteen years of loneliness

Meeting you was such a blessing

Heartstrings echoed in the darkness

As though singing a song

This heart couldn't abandon the last hope

Holding fast onto the the string of fate

Now that the souls met, I no longer regret a thing

The winter was unforgiving without you

Like a flame inside of this soul,

You light up the endless night

If this is farewell, I wish we can meet again

I'll fold ten thousand papercranes just to be so

Promise you I'd never forget this life

By chance we meet and by choice we part

With you, my life is something worth much more}

"You just sang my part." The boy laughed. "It's been so long, I'm surprised you still remember it."

Yuan Ji took a turn and hummed another tune, "It's not that long. To me, the dance felt like yesterday."

YueChen closed his eyes and let the deity guide him in the dance, letting only the soft humming and firm grasp on his hand and shoulder control him. There was no more words spoken between them until a crisp cracking sound from the path disturbed the silence.

The deity promptly ceased their movement and stiffened. He gave the dark path a menacing glare, ready to ambush whoever it could be.

[What—Yue-ge! Ji!]

Yuan Ji was only an inch away from her windpipe when the words 'left' her mouth. Recognizing who was it, the deity immediately backed off. "What—what are you doing here?"

[Praying?]

"A-Die! Shouldn't you be sleeping now? Why are you wandering around late at night?" YueChen stuttered, his face red.

[You weren't there.]

The deity pondered for a bit before taking A-Die's hand and dragged her back to the courtyard. "Now that you're already here, why don't we have fun together?"

And that was how the three danced til the daybreak accompanied with light footfalls and laughter.

Three days later, they returned back from playing by the river bank to armored men standing in the middle of village surrounded by the folks. Their presence could only mean one thing.

The war was coming.

YueChen's heart hammered inside his ribcage. A-Die held his hand tighter while Yuan Ji spared them a disinterested look. The deity dragged them snuck past the crowd being picked to fight the war and bystanders. However a jarring voice stopped them.

"Little boy, come with us."

It wasn't directed to him, but YueChen turned to see a teenager of age twelve to thirteen. Then he realized, almost all the men had been taken, all that's left were children, women, and the elderly. They were so desperate to the point they decided that a twelve years old would fight alongside the adults. So desperate, they had no more option.

What he said the next moment would be his biggest regret.

"Spare the child. I'll go with you."

The man in lead lifted his head and saw a youth, healthy and good-looking, wearing the finest clothing in this humble village, around his forehead a black ribbon standing up to offer himself. The youth seemed to be a son of influential family, yet he didn't hesitate at all. The bulky men nodded to the leader and he grimly beckoned to the men to pack their belonging and bid farewell to their families.

At this point, no one seemed to remember that YueChen was the Hui Le Shen, their guardian. No one remembered the god they eagerly worshipped. No one stopped the men from taking the boy into the troops. No one did something.

Xian Jian Zhe saw everything, including the wrath raging behind the mortal youth—which others, save for A-Die and YueChen, couldn't see. In her heart, the old woman wished the best luck to him.

"So. You have to play the hero?" Yuan Ji gritted his teeth. He balled his fists, face darkening. "It's not your obligation to save the boy from this doomed fate. It's! Not! Your! Obligation!"

"A-Ji, calm down. I'm just adding the number so they'll leave. Don't worry."

Yet the god stormed away without letting the other to explain any further. The latter decided to bid farewell to A-Die and Xian Jian Zhe when something bumped to his back.

It was none other than the little boy from before. He held a red tassel up to YueChen's hands and said, "For you. Thank you, brother."

YueChen accepted the tassel and patted his head. "It should be me thanking you. But, no problem!"

The boy gave him a coy smile and left.

The next hour was a blur. A-Die hugging him and cried, Xian Jian Zhe's meaningful look and words, and amulets accompanying some warning.

The sun was about to set when they all finished bidding farewells. Just as YueChen worried about the war, the deity appeared and sat down next to him in the carriage.

Feeling the stare from his side, Yuan Ji closed his eyes and barked out, "What? You think I'll abandon you, all alone?"

"I'm just surprised. I thought—"

The deity rested his chin on his hand and said, "I promised I won't ever let you be alone again. I'm not breaking that promise."

"Mnn." Smiled the youth.

Their plan, well, it was just the Retrieving of Calm Wave Strategy but this time it was for escaping the war. Using Yin energy to conceal the boy, they both thought of a proper plan. If things got worse, they would have to improvise the whole plan and they barely had the time to think up something.

After hours of travelling, they found a chance to sneak away when the carriages stopped near a mountain for a short rest. However, stopping at the place made some of them eyed the mountain carefully. Said mountain was enveloped in thick mist and emitted a strong spiritual force. The force felt off... It was discordant.

"Hurry up! We don't have enough time!" The leader shouted at the recruits, sometimes glancing worriedly at the mountain like it was some sort of danger. His eyes flickered from the mountain to their surrounding.

A man leaned over him and whispered lowly. "We should go right now. The dusk is approaching."

Those words made the soldiers anxious and they commanded the men to move faster. Yang YueChen had long taken the opportunity to run away. They didn't notice a number went missing and left as soon as possible.

The trip to mountain was strange. Bushes and trees trapped the steep path they had to run through. Every now and then the land beneath their feet would crumble, as if they were walking on a cliff. There was no sense of balance nor safety.

The mist grew thicker and it made breathing difficult, embracing the two figure sprinting up the path. Sweat rolled on the boy's forehead and dampened his clothing. The sound of heavy breathing next to him made him paranoid whether was someone except for the deity following him from the bunches.

"Don't listen to the breathing! It's tricking you! Focus!" Yuan Ji grabbed his hand and dragged him faster.

However, not only the sound of breathing, YueChen heard steady footfalls behind him. He could feel goosebumps forming on his skin and the temperature dropped a few Celcius.

"I swear they're everywhere!" Yuan Ji gritted his teeth as he swatted the mist away from them. "We need amulets or seal papers to contain them—"

His words were cut off by a stack of yellow papers smacking his face. "—and knife—"

YueChen was about to throw a knife at him when he added, "DON'T THROW THE KNIFE."

Fortunately, Yang YueChen hadn't thrown it yet. Unfortunately, throwing it may be much better than the other idea. The boy felt a tug on his collar and suddenly fell tumbling down the steep ground. Before he could think of anything supernatural doing it, YueChen heard a somewhat late cracking sound.

It was only a tree branch. The boy calmed his loudly thumping heart and started walking again. The deity waited him as he summoned a seal to light up the fogged path.

The flame burned bright in the fog, guiding them deeper into the unknown danger. Somewhere ahead them, a certain fate had been awaiting. Whispers led their footfalls to a crack on the mountain. The opening was well hidden behind the enormous rocks. From inside, one could feel chilly wind blowing towards the entrance.

Yang YueChen slipped through the crack into the cave, landing on the sturdy boulder. The moment his eyes were accustomed to the dark, his heart skipped a beat. The cave was huge, with a spring spanning almost one fourth of the cave floor in a corner. The odd thing, there was a faint glow in the depth of the spring.

Zhen Ding Lang Jian.

The light was none other than a certain mythical sword that possessed a conscience on its own.

Was it simply a coincidence or was the sword calling them?

Remembering the last time YueChen tried to claim it, he glanced over his shoulder. The deity had a mistakable expression. The pair of dark colored eyes burned with passion at the realization that the sword was a mere feet away from them. However said passion died down when he saw the glance.

It wouldn't worth risking it.

Last time was a warning, a threat.

To reclaim the sword could mean he had to sacrifice something.

A hand held his face, pulling the deity from his thoughts back to the reality. He fixed his gaze at the soft smile YueChen had. Yuan Ji instantly dreaded his choices.

"It's alright. Your sword is waiting for you, A-Ji." The vessel whispered, his voice sounded strangled with each words he said, yet he mustered himself.

"But—"

"Return to where you belong to, Yuan Ji." The boy breathed, his eyes downcast. "To somewhere you should be. To the heavens."

/But it wasn't home/

The deity reminded himself of what he wanted the most. What he pursued for years. The sword—the key to his memories and his ascension—laid beneath the surface of a spring not too far from them. This was but an easy task.

This couldn't be possibly harder than the last time.

He slowly nodded his head after mulling over the thoughts. The voice at the back of his mind spoke words he couldn't make out of, but the tone, stubborn and fearful, warned him.

Zhen Ding Lang Jian called him. And in no way Yuan Ji would ignore the sword.

Composing himself, he stepped down from the boulder with YueChen's help. Now that he wasn't viewing the interior from above, he could see that faint swirls of light danced in the air. It made the cave seem more like a night club rather than an ominous site people fear.

He took time too long to marvel at the lights, failing to notice that the boy had guided him to the spring. YueChen embraced the deity and dives into the spring.

How they managed to surface with a sword in his hand, Yuan Ji couldn't remember. He was stuck in the infinite loop of the other male held him tenderly in the depth. The pair of dull, black eyes brightened up in the dark. The way YueChen brushed a finger against his cheek was almost like an imagination.

And certainly, he failed to notice how the other stilled in the corner.

He realized something was wrong when Yang YueChen said softly. "Farewell."

And after that, he didn't make any sounds. Not even breathing. It was overwhelmingly unsettling that the deity turned around to face the other.

What met his gaze was the nightmare that would plague his nights from then on. The one who cared deeply for him knelt down with his back against the cave wall.

Fate had to be laughing at them.

Tens, twenty of pitch black phantom blades penetrated his body and painted the vessel of the god with crimson red. The body was unmoving. In one glance, one could tell he was beyond saving.

Things were registered too slow in the deity's mind. He blanked for a solid minute in shock, the sword in his hand fell down and clanked upon the rocky surface of the cave ground.

What a sick joke the fate decided to put on them.

His lips quivered, unable to produce any sound. Tears brimmed from his eyes, his whole body trembled.

This... Couldn't be real.

He was dreaming.

He would never accept this as reality.

The deity's ears picked out a heartbeat. Yet he wasn't sure whose heartbeat it was. Too loud for a dying person's, too quiet for his.

A hand grasped his arm, which he subconsciously extended in an effort to reach out to YueChen. Followed by a forceful tug that dragged him further and further from the figure in the dark. The deity fought whoever was it, screaming incoherent words, desperately struggling to free himself and save the boy.

It couldn't be too late.

If only the intruder would let him go, he could save YueChen.

In a moment of anguish, anger, and despair, from the corner of his eyes, he could make out an extremely familiar face. A face he often saw years ago.

Everything happened too fast. Far too fast, beyond his liking.

The Heavens had descended to take him back.