Xian Wu the stalker

Xian Wu motioned with a finger over his lips at Mildew to keep quiet.

The crow just puffed up his breast and nuzzled his sable head and orange beak into his chest, as though also tired from the long jog.

Silencing his footsteps, Xian Wu took a moment to steady his breathing that had been quite rampant from the extended exercise before approaching forwards.

He first saw a few small stone shrines cast over the grown, green moss and lichen growing all over them. Next he saw larger statues of gods and goddesses, pasted with faded and torn prayer charms. Then taller shrines appeared between the maple trees, many of them tilting to the side from tree roots that grew under their bases.

Eventually there was one large shrine with a fat buddha half crumbled into rubble in front of it. A corner of blanket was seeping out around its wide girth.

Lai Yiteng was sleeping behind the buddha, his whole body was crammed and curled into the space of the shrine that was only about one meter wide. His head was buried into his arms and his breathing a touch too shallow. Despite Lai Yiteng's androgynous appearance, he was a decent height for a man, so Xian Wu did not know how he found sleeping in such a cramped place comfortable...he also noticed that Lai Yiteng had stolen a set of his clothes.

Xian Wu just sighed lightly.

Well, isn't it all right as long as he's alive?

The only reason Lai Yiteng had not awoken to Xian Wu's entrance was because he'd used his martial technique to move silently as possible and didn't exude a killing aura that any assassin would carry. Moreover, he was exhausted from the earlier battle and his own illnesses, and ended up falling into a deeper sleep than he intended.

Hm…well…Xian Wu was a little afraid to wake him up.

Lai Yiteng probably would not be pleased that he'd been followed. Xian Wu was deliberating over how to make a claim to his innocence when there was a loud noise.

"Caw, caw, caw!" said Mildew vociferously.

Xian Wu spun around, he saw nothing he needed to be warned over. Then he glared at the crow.

"…why? You're supposed to be intelligent. Seriously, what's your problem?!"

"CAW."

Xian Wu felt a killing intent appear right next to him and bent backwards just in time to avoid the fast slice of a knife. Lai Yiteng's knife. The younger had cut at him from the ground, his eyes still a little unfocused and bleary.

While still half asleep he'd attacked Xian Wu without any reserve!

Xian Wu put his hands up and backed away.

"Er…um, I can explain. I wasn't leaning over your sleeping body to be creepy or anything. I swear I meant no harm."

Lai Yiteng squinted his eyes as he woke up fully, then scrutinized the enemy in front of him. He took a few breaths to still the alarm and irritation he felt, as waking up to the sight of a shadowed and tall figure hanging over you was naturally an unpleasant thing. Was it too much to ask for a few hours of sleep?

Oh…it was Xian Wu.

Why was he here? Didn't he understand that he wanted to be rid of him?!

Lai Yiteng grit his teeth and barked, "You stalker!"

Xian Wu grimaced. First Song Zhenxi called him a stalker, and now even Lai Yiteng…ugh, he'd even been promoted to 'gege' just before, and it had been so cute. How did he get demoted to 'stalker'?

"Hey now…I came because I was concerned-"

"Stalker," Lai Yiteng struck out at him with a whistling kick, "don't you see I don't want your concern anymore? Scram."

"Now now now," Xian Wu could only scratch his head and grin, "you're suspicious about all that what happened yesterday, I see...but I thought I was going to teach you Graceful Dragon Martial arts. I'm fully willing to do so, why would you give up the opportunity so easily? I can explain the stuff from last night…"

Lai Yiteng furrowed his brow, but he stood up a little straighter, sheathing his dagger.

Perhaps Xian Wu was right. Maybe he should at least allow him a chance. He always wavered over this matter because he swore to himself not to foolishly trust others again, no matter what. But in the end, who would not desire at least having one person to trust a little?

"So…" started Xian Wu, "last night I only borrowed some of your money to go drinking…that's all."

"Hmph, you were so drunk, do you even remember what happened?" Lai Yiteng had tone saturated with dubiousness. "Don't try to trick me. I know that the amount of silver you used would surely buy a substantial amount of alcohol. Are trying to tell me you drank it all by yourself? Truthfully confess those you were with that night."

Xian Wu was in a tight spot. He uh…didn't really want to confess the deep waters Lai Yiteng was caught in right now. He didn't want to tell him that he was planning to get him to come back to Graceful Dragon Sect as soon as possible. The time for that just wasn't right.

Well, time for some skillful deceit.

Ah, but what could he lie about that would trick Lai Yiteng? What would he be able to believe? The perfect idea came to the Sect Master like a bolt of lightning.

"I didn't meet anybody; I just bought a girl to accompany me!"

It was painfully quiet. Lai Yiteng scowled at him, then crossed his arms with disgust.

In fact, Xian Wu was sad that he had to make up such a lie. He didn't actually sleep around casually! Why? Because long, long ago, his shifu, Song Fanxi, had always been an incorrigible playboy.

Xian Wu had picked up some of his nastier habits like drinking from him, and his Shifu always slept with the prettiest women at the brothels, too. They were all over him because of the tales of glory that he spun.

But this story went the way one would expect, his shifu eventually knocked a girl up.

The woman didn't want to marry Song Fanxi at all, she just wanted to push the baby off onto him. Now he had to take responsibility for the child and pay all the money necessary to make sure his little offspring didn't end up in a brothel just like the Mom! That was how Song Zhenxi came into existence as Xian Wu's younger disciple-sister. Song Fanxi had even dotingly given her the character 'Xi' in her given name, meaning bright and warm, just like his.

Song Zhenxi, even as a little girl, however, had never been bright and warm. She was irate and a full blown pessimist. Glasses always half empty with her.

His shifu described it as 'fate'.

Xian Wu, on the other hand, had always been horrified by this experience as he imagined himself having to take responsibility and raise a child out of nowhere. Or what if he caught a weird disease because of how often those ladies slept around? He didn't want to be a father at a young age or contract syphilis!

Realistic worries like these quickly disillusioned Xian Wu from the playboy lifestyle. He should not spread his seed easily. It should be treasured and planted at the right time.

While there were times he drank with pretty ladies hanging off his arms, enjoying their singing and dancing, even his drunken self would usually refuse any one-night stands. He's only slept with random women four or so times, so he considered that a pretty clean record.

It pained Xian Wu's pride to tell Lai Yiteng that he slept around left and right like a flower-picking man, but it was a necessity at this moment!

He just gave a somewhat thin smile and added, "You know how men are, we have our needs…"

Lai Yiteng gave him a deadpan stare that Xian Wu felt was piercing his soul.

Cold sweat ran down his neck and goose flesh broke out. Wow he needed a bath after all that running he did today…

"That makes sense," Lai Yiteng finally replied. He did not believe Xian Wu fully, but at least 75%. After all, it was just in Xian Wu's character to go sleep around and drink. Did he not have the time of his life when Lai Yiteng first saw him at Pleasure of Jade?

Xian Wu gave a relieved smile and was given a condemning look in return.

"Haha…" he laughed flatly, desperately wanting to change the subject. "So…when we discussed it last, we were going to find a secluded spot, and I would teach you the martial arts, no?"

"Yes, I know a place, but I don't want you to know where it is."

"Yi'er…you're kind of demanding."

Lai Yiteng enthusiastically took out his favorite rope. "Don't try anything funny," he said seriously. "Let me tie you up and blindfold you as we travel there."