All We Needed Was The Annoying Stranger

Jiang Ziming at this, began to tinker with his sword, which he held on his left side, still unable to extract it. Damn, he didn't think that man of unknown age would really accept!

Jiang Ziming: «you-! Take back what you said, immediately!»

He paused for a moment, noting, or rather staring seriously, at the still nameless stranger. His eyes were on the major, in which he saw what we call sparks.

Jiang Ziming: «my clan isn't as you describe it...»

A little pout formed on his lips. At that situation, Wen Xiaoyun raised both eyebrows in amazement. Had he been too direct? It didn't seem like it at all!

He sighed looking at him, or rather examined him, from head to toe, as far as the hood of his tunic allowed. After all it was a new generation, there was still so much for him to learn... On the one hand he was curious to see when and how his abilities would develop over time.

Wen Xiaoyun: «Anyway, could you now, let me pass?»

Jiang Ziming: «no! I will not take any step back! Admit you're wrong, and I'll let you go!»

He had once again insisted in a somewhat irritating way to the ears and to the thought of the immortal. The young boy clenched his fists, loosening his grip on the handle of his sword. Wen Xiaoyun could only roll his eyes: «Why should I withdraw words that are right?».

He hated to admit it but, that little boy was really a small and young rebel, a rascal with a lively character: he was hitting him like a dark and unknown spell. He seemed to be very inconsistent but, in Wen Xiaoyun's eyes, he was even more funny each time. Jiang Ziming puffed out his cheeks attacking him, not with his sword, but with his hands, trying to put into practice his few fighting skills with his bare hands. At this Wen Xiaoyun opened his eyes wide, acting and blocking him in every possible way, while also being very careful not to hurt him. He stifled a chuckle at the childishness with which that little boy was dealing with him, as well as the fact that he was still quite poor at martial arts. He managed to lock both of his arms, bringing him with his back against his chest. Jiang Ziming tried to wriggle under that grip, snorting, subsequently hearing the stranger speak against his ear: «You should train harder, kid». As soon as he finished that sentence, he shoved the child forward so that he almost tripped over his own feet. The disciple Jiang turned to him complaining: «you-!».

Once again the figure of 'him' flashed to the mind of the young Immortal: he remembered that precise moment when he was making fun of him. He had reacted in almost the same way as that unnamed disciple. They had met just that way, they had started their relationship in the wrong way. Wen Xiaoyun was still a young boy and in some ways immature, he enjoyed teasing 'him' as only he knew how to do... In the end, he fell victim to his own tricks, leading him to experience that feeling of passion and affection called love. He began to change for 'him', to be a better person just to have the honor of being able to live up to 'him'. 'His' company made him really happy, and it only took one smile from 'him' to make him shiver all over his body: to make his heart tremble. It was at that moment that a question brought him back to reality: if that boy was really the person he was looking for?

He widened his eyes at the very idea.

It was certainly a possibility but... To be sure, he would have to study him even better and more closely. Wen Xiaoyun at this point, shook his head slightly, sighing: surely he would never let it pass and, a little idea, was created in his mind. Act as he had acted in the past in the face of such behavior.

A perfect excuse.

Wen Xiaoyun: «you wanted it».

So, thanks also to the strength he had in his body, he took the boy on his shoulder just as if he were carrying a sack of potatoes and began to advance straight to the inn pointed to from the beginning. Jiang Ziming's eyes widened like his mouth. He had frozen in place. For a moment all he could do was stare at the ground. His cheeks turned red.

Jiang Ziming: «you-! ugly- ah, let me go!»

He started kicking violently with his arms and legs, trying to free himself from his grip... Without success.

Jiang Ziming: «you can't do it! I'm one of Yujiang's future cultivator, it's worth my reputation!»

Wen Xiaoyun chuckled with satisfaction. Even as that little boy kept moving to keep him from falling further, he tightened his grip slightly. He had reacted just as 'he' had reacted to that situation in the past, albeit in a different context. The previously created test was passed with flying colors.

Wen Xiaoyun: «yet, I said it politely. It's only your fault and your stubbornness».

He kept carring him like that for quite a while, he was light, just like a leaf.

Wen Xiaoyun: «If you had let me pass, I shouldn't have behaved like this by now, little brat, don't you think?»

Jiang Ziming continued to punch him in the back. Damn, how could a random nobody treat him like that?! What if his aunt finds out? It would have turned out to be a total disaster.

Jiang Ziming: «hey you! Put me down or- or... I'll curse you ten times! Ah, I will make sure that you are banned forever from all kinds of places and territories!»

For him those blows were strong enough to knock him to the ground, but for Wen Xiaoyun, it was like feeling a flower resting on his body. He laughed lightly at that phrase.

Wen Xiaoyun: «curse me? Ah, little brat... I don't think you really know what it means to be cursed. If you want one day I'll tell you, if you survive all this»

Jiang Ziming didn't give him any weight, his goal at the moment was to squirm, to pull himself on him, just to try to firmly grab his hood to yank it and force him in that way to put him down to earth. The Phoenix Master was feeling like that the little boy was trying to escape that strong hold but, he never expected him to do it by pulling and folding his clothes! With his free hand he tried to keep the hood still: it was quite difficult without the use of both hands, in fact if you were attentive, you could see some strands of his hair as white as snow moved by the fresh wind of the evening that was about to settle down on the earthly world. Poor Jiang Ziming kept pulling his clothes in vain. Just because it still didn't work, it didn't mean it would never work!

If anyone who knew him would see him in that state, he surely would die of shame. Most certainly that being that was carrying him around like that, wasn't human! He hadn't even paid any attention to his comment. It didn't make any sense to him.

Arriving at that moment, Wen Xiaoyun admitted to himself that this could become a good opportunity to be able to completely hide what he had within himself for so many years: as a new man, or at least, in front of that new generation of people. A distraction, precisely.

He laughed silently at what he thought… he wanted to see the expression and reaction of that little boy who still held a sack of potatoes on him.

Wen Xiaoyun: «Oh look, there is the leader of the Jiang sect...»

He joked. Obviously the Jiang clan leader wasn't there... it was just one of his good jokes to make fun of him again. He felt the need to have fun with him, somehow, as if he couldn't resist his own nostalgia. At that sentence the young disciple Jiang opened his eyes wide. Oh no, he was really dead now!

He started kicking again, wriggling harder and harder; it can't be, it couldn't be true!

Jiang Ziming: «huh?? What are you saying! Don't go towards him, avoid him, in every possible way, you-!»

He was fidgeting and moaning at the same time. It was certainly better to be seen by him than by his aunt, but it was still very embarrassing!

It was so difficult for Wen Xiaoyun to remain serious at the moment. Really, this kid had been great! Surely one of the aspects that he needs to improve over time is that he doesn't believe everything he is told or, in the future, many people could take advantage of it and not in a positive way. Wen Xiaoyun shook his head slightly in amusement, unlike that poor young disciple Jiang. In the end he satisfied him, placing him on the ground: a relief for the other, if it weren't for his embarrassment. He took him by the shoulders and turned him so as to point out to him a small inn still open, in which laughter noises could be heard. Finally he could enjoy some good wine!

He patted him on both shoulders, causing him to open his previously closed eyes due to that feeling of shame he had begun to feel.

Wen Xiaoyun: «You offer me some wine, right? Oh, you're so kind, thank you».

When he passed him to reach the entrance of that structure, he finally managed to let go of another small laugh... coughing slightly to recompose his serious he was just before. At the same time he turned to the other as he reached the steps of the inn. He was sure that, at that moment, that stupid kid hated him with all his heart: «ah come on, you don't need to cry like a baby»

Jiang Ziming sniffed very angry. He wasn't crying, but he was certainly on the way: shameful behavior could lead to his leaving the academy, something his parents surely wouldn't appreciate. He had to be strong for them but, with people like that guy in front of him, it was almost impossible not to get angry! He really wanted to kill him in any way possible!

He was menacingly staring at the man in the brown robes like a murderer, so he nearly tripped over the stairs of the inn.

Jiang Ziming: «I hate you, whoever you are, I will hate you for life! I'll never forgive you! I hope that all the food you receive for the next five years will stop in your throat!»

He whimpered as he slammed his feet to the ground, subsequently entering the structure indicated by the other. Not even he knew why he had accepted that invitation, or rather, why he had let himself be carried along with him as the person who would pay both of them!

Once inside the inn, Wen Xiaoyun sat at the table as if nothing had happened, waiting for the waiter to take their orders. He still had a smirk on his face, then shrugged as he poured some wine into the cup, which arrived a few minutes later: «You don't know me, and you hate me already. Do you want to add yourself to the list of people who want me dead? Ush, it's quite long I warn you, you'll have to wait your turn... even if, with your temperament, you wouldn't even be able to scratch me» said the older of the two, patting him on the forehead with a snap of his fingers.

Jiang Ziming: «who wants you dead! If I wanted you dead, you would already be on the ground in the company of your own blood!»

He snorted, pouting a little, rubbing the hit spot on his forehead. The comment of "you have no chance", passed from ear to ear, leading him to change the subject: «and then I can't kill you! First you have to apologize for what you said»

Wen Xiaoyun found himself exchanging various glances with the person he had in front of him, then covering his mouth with his sleeve as a sign of respect, to drink in one gulp only the wine that filled his bowl. After that gesture, he took the jar of wine back in his hands, and poured himself another portion of that liquid.

Wen Xiaoyun: «do you know that power gives the head of many people? Ah, the people who crave it are growing every day»

He paused before completing his sentence to give more attention to the gesture he was making. The young disciple Jiang raised both eyebrows in confusion... Now what did such a sentence have to do with it? Besides being a hateful monster, he was also crazy!

Very perfect.

Once Wen Xiaoyun saw his own bowl filled, he was able to conclude the previously opened speech: «In any case, I cannot apologize for something that has proved right up to now over the years»

Jiang Ziming: «and what exactly is right!»

He suddenly slammed his hand on the table. A sharp pain ran all over his palm, making him bite his lower lips but, despite that little detail, he was determined to talk to him again.

Jiang Ziming: «that I'm stubborn? Okay, I am, I can allow you to think this since we don't know each other but, that the cultivators of the Jiang clan are violent and short-tempered, no! I can't allow you to speak ill of them! They aren't... They're stubborn only because they care about protecting this territory! They would be willing to die to protect the people they love! They can even go against the emperor himself to carry out their idea and you know why I'm telling you this, ah? Because my parents were part of it and, in order to keep this land protected from the evil minds of the people, they gave their life!»

He looked down so he didn't notice how weak he was right now, how much he wanted to cry. Wen Xiaoyun stopped his every movement upon hearing those words.

Yeah, what could he know: that was another generation, different from the one in which he had grown up. In short, the only thing he knew how to do was walk between the world of mortals and the world of immortals. But now his memories had stopped again at that event: the death of a loved one is the most terrible of all.

Wen Xiaoyun: «I'm sorry»

At this the young disciple Jiang raised his head slightly. He didn't understand if he was referring to what he had revealed to him without thinking, or what he wanted his apology more resentful than him. He snorted when the other ruined that atmosphere.

Wen Xiaoyun: «but if you want me to apologize to you, I'll have to see with my own eyes that I'm wrong»

Jiang Ziming: «...»

Jiang Ziming: «you're really hateful»

He crossed his arms in front of his chest. Actually, that stranger only irritated him more! He was tired of engaging in offended behavior on his own! Did he want war? Well, he would have offended him in any way he could!

Jiang Ziming: «tsk, you're really rude and uncivilized! Most likely super ugly too since you're hiding behind that cheap hood. That's right, most likely that's exactly why you're wearing it, because you're ugly! Now I've said what's right too! Ah, and that's right because I say so! What are you going to do about it mh?»

At that most likely spontaneous sentence, Wen Xiaoyun imitated the beginning of a small laugh: «Oh, what a dirty-mouthed kid» he said, then reaching towards hia face, so as to pull his tender and soft cheeks: they looked exactly like those of a child. When he let go of his grip, he went back to pour himself another glass of wine.

Wen Xiaoyun: «if I took off this brown tunic, instead, you would be bent on your knees in front of me»

Jiang Ziming: «...»