Side Chapter: Xuan Shen and Deng Shi (7), Running and Chasing.

After their "battle" Xuan Shen and Deng Shi had not seen each other for some time. Or rather Xuan Shen had not seen Deng Shi for some time. To some extent this was because Deng Ah was keeping the former busy. But to a much larger extent it was due to the actions of a certain idiotic-genius.

Currently Xuan Shen had just return to Qing Ruo. And the streets were full of people out to catch a sight of him, sow their appreciation and admiration or just welcome their Hero back. While most of those who came to greet him were open about it. Some distance from this group was a suspicious person, dressed in all black with a veil to match, hiding behind a wall and watching.

The "rumored" most beautiful woman in the world, the Fairy of Ruo, for some time now had been acting, no different from a stalker. Those who knew about the specifics of her actions had been feeling healthy heaping of second-handed embarrassment.

For months now the two had been playing this game of cat and mouse. Whenever Xuan Shen neared Deng Shi would shoot up and run away. And whenever he wasn't near Deng Shi would get listless and then drop what she was doing to go and look for him. But the moment she was noticed she would run off. And even though Xuan Shen was fast. With enough of a head start Deng Shi would always manage to escape.

"You know you could go a bit closer?"

Deng Shi jumped and then went completely still. Holding tightly to the wall she was hiding behind. Then in a show of "natural" movement turned around.

Deng Fu, in loose black robes with his waist-length black hair flowing in the wind, looked down at his stooping little sister. With a fed-up light in his bright purple eyes.

"Eldest Brother…"

Deng Shi stood up and greeted him, well more like acknowledge, then turned back to her peeping.

"Wouldn't it be better to see him up close?"

"I can see him well enough from here."

"Don't you want to talk to him?"

"I will, when I'm ready."

"Don't you think he…"

"Did father send you?"

Deng Shi looked back fiercely. Glaring from beneath her veil. And Deng Fu arms crossed glared back. Then he gave in with a sigh.

"… yes, he says that he'll call have him over (get you a room) and you two can go over, whatever this is."

"Do living beings get more meddlesome the older they are?"

"Our old man doesn't have that long left. He just wants to see some grandkids."

For a moment Deng Shi went completely silent. Then the faintest bit of red colored her cheeks and she wiped a bit of drool from her mouth. Before whispering;

"… not ready…"

Deciding to pretend he didn't see that. Something he was learning to do well thanks to her. Deng Fu opened his mouth, but Deng Shi immediately jumped up and disappeared from his sight. A moment later Xuan Shen showed up, dressed in the Reflecting Moon Sect attire.

Having spoken beforehand Deng Fu gave Xuan Shen a token. A 5-sided purple medallion with a gunbai on it's front and back. With the image of a moon in the corner. With chains running from each edge.

"Sorry for borrowing this."

"Just fix whatever you two have got going on."

Seeing the pained expression that came over Xuan Shen, Deng Fu softened his tone.

"If you saw how she was acting you'd know she doesn't hate you. And if it means anything you have my support. Even Jun's been calling you uncle lately."

Rubbing his hair in a frustrated manner Deng Fu tried to think of something better to say but just went with;

"All, I'm trying to say is… go after her. As her elder brother I can tell you she's just being dumb."

"Thanks."

With a light smile Xuan Shen took the token and disappeared.

***

After chasing each other all over Qing Ruo for several hours. Realizing that she ended up at the same spot they she and Xuan Shen last talked. Deng Shi finally came to a halt. Her gaze where their sword intersected and Deng Fu's voice repeating "grandkids" "grandkids" in her head. Finally caused her to stop. As she cupped her cheeks with a red face.

"Shi."

Currently caught up in her delusion Deng Shi didn't notice the approach of the person she was running from. Or the sad and troubled expression he had as he approached.

Abruptly, she was wrapped in an embrace and lifted off the ground. Though Xuan Shen quickly and respectfully let go, Deng Shi didn't and clung to him tightly in shock, well at first.

"Qing Ruo Xuan Shen, you really are as fast as they say."

As Xuan Shen and Deng Shi stood together on a sturdy branch at the end of the clearing. In the place they just stood was now an old man with short white hair. His face a storybook of scars. Dressed in tight gold and blue clothing, wielding a curved sword and a dagger. At the end of which was a torn piece of Xuan Shen's sleeve.

"I don't recall doing anything to have a member of the Brotherhood after me."

Because his focus was elsewhere Xuan Shen didn't realize what a certain person was doing in his embrace. Or that he was currently being sniffed.

Drawing his blade as he was being lightly snuggled. Xuan Shen fixed his gaze at the smiling old man.

"Honor, Revenge, Justice, Truth, Independence, Freedom, Glory or Revolution. I wonder which one you're from. Honestly, my guess is on, Glory."

With each name Xuan Shen spoke the old man's face grew paler and paler. And then he laughed.

"I don't know where you gained information on us but those names are ones only Grand Sages are worthy of speaking. A privilege you will never have."

At the last syllable, 19 more people entered the clearing. Unlike the old man however their blue hoods were up, and their face was completely covered by a golden mask.

"Though since you already know, I hope it will grant you solace. After all it is more-…"

"Annoying."

Deng Shi carelessly fired a dark beam at the center of the old man's chest. Using all he could, he barely dodged it, only receiving a light graze.

Cold sweat poured down the old man as he focused his attention at the owner of the finger outstretched at him. Then all his thoughts came to a halt.

At first, he had only registered the person Xuan Shen was holding onto as some black blob. Mostly because of how much Deng Shi had buried herself. His high evaluation of Xuan Shen and the fact the he couldn't sense any danger from the "blob" made him overlook her. But now, he was enraptured.

Despite the clothing that obscured her he could tell that the person he was looking at was beautiful, too beautiful. Something only a master artisan could produce. Something that only one gifted and experienced could draw. Something that only a special existence could look like. Something, not someone. No one could naturally look like that.

And then the questions came. How could he have not noticed such a thing was before him? How could he have wasted his existence looking at other things? How could…? How could…?

Trapped in such thoughts he didn't realize that his body was being disintegrated. The way his body cried out in pain and he was being eroded from that single graze. Or that the owner of that beauty was looking at him with eyes that valued his life as much as he would have an insect's.

Separating herself from Xuan Shen with a regretful noise. She didn't realize she made. Deng Shi turned her attention to the other "bugs" that were looking at her. Caught up in the thing she hated most about herself. None of them even had a will strong enough to resist her natural pull.

"You should jump up, but not so high you fall out the planet."

Xuan Shen wasn't sure whether or not she was joking due to her deadpan expression and tone. But went along with her anyway. In a bad mood Deng Shi moved to the center of the clearing. And those nearby with good instincts were able to snap out of their self-imposed entrapment and try to run. But even as they did, they continued to look back.

A dark pulse flew out of Deng Shi once and those who were caught in felt as if someone had thrown acid on them, injected it into their veins and fill their bones with. The pulse flew out once more and all those caught in it were still, frozen, even those who were in motion. Then the third pulse came and stayed. A dome of darkness covered the area. And when it faded there was nothing but a crater beneath the floating Deng Shi. Nothing remained not even air in the dead zone she had made.

As she landed and Xuan Shen slowly floated down. Deng Shi was deep in thought. Wondering how she could get Xuan Shen to hug her again, without being too obvious. Stuff like falling or pretending she had exhausted herself. Came to mind but she wasn't sure it would be convincing enough.

Despite all this, it took Deng Shi a month before she could be in the same room as Xuan Shen.