AN ABERRATION FROM THE HIGHER PLANES

Xiao 'Li' had heard about some crazy eccentrics out there, but she'd never thought she would meet one so soon. Heavens be damned, the golden-eyed youth had gone from laughter to tears faster than it takes for the eye to blink!

For that very reason, the young scion had not reacted at first: she had been too engrossed in exploring the strange mental map of the eccentric figure in front of her.

Then, all of a sudden, her world turned upside down.

"Eh?"

Xiao 'Li' blinked her emerald eyes once, twice, her smile increasingly awkward as she suddenly felt weightless. Without warning, the summer night sky filled her vision, revolving like a spinning top.

The Xiao youth made her best efforts to adjust her body as she landed, but the grip around her wrist was unbelievably sturdy and allowed no resistance. She struggled, but the ground fast approached, relentless.

After what felt like an eternity of vain toil, she finally felt a slight impact on her back.

"Kah," Xiao 'Li's dark purple lips parted as a gasp left them. However, other than the sudden shock, she strangely felt no pain.

Adrenaline, maybe? Or perhaps, she mused as she struggled to stand up, her regal robes might have cushioned the fall well.

"Dear me, I'd like to see anyone get out unscathed from that throw if I didn't intend it so. Now then, back down you go."

"Ah!"

And just as she had managed to flounder back up, a sudden force struck the back of her knees, and Xiao 'Li' found herself folding like a chair. Once again, she was met with the pavement.

Xiao 'Li' lay on the ground in disbelief, her eyes wide and her chest heaving.

"Perfect. Now then, again from the top. Let's reintroduce ourselves." Cheng Hao knelt by her and, with eyes narrowed into two crescent moons, smiled knowingly. "This time, better do it right, fellow disciple 'Li'. We're roomies with no secrets after all."

Immediately, the girl's emeralds blazed, incensed. She rolled on her side and glared at Cheng Hao, resentfully spitting through gritted teeth, "You, you...!"

"Is something wrong, fellow disciple'Li'?" The golden-eyed youth raised an eyebrow, appearing disappointed "It's not that difficult-"

"What was that for??? I could have gotten hurt, badly! Jerk!" cried the young lady, on the verge of tears. Her face was red, and even more than embarrassed, she felt frustrated.

"As if. I held you reeeal tight." The boy's golden eyes held a trace of amusement as he pinched her cheek, "I wonder when you Brightfolk started being this cheeky. Wouldn't your Olden God feel heartbroken watching you lie and deceive?"

"...Eh?" the purple lips gaped.

'Did he just-'

"Of course, with 'His' blood flowing in your veins, it naturally backfired, and stupendously so. It just isn't in your nature to deceive. How many decades did it take Little Lan before he stopped smiling at each falsehood? At least he was aware of it, but you..." Cheng Hao clicked his tongue in distaste.

"Y-You-You-" Xiao 'Li' stammered, at a loss for words.

'Hold on for just a sec-'

"What were you thinking, even? With your disposition, would you have considered it a success if you managed to hide it until the sun rose? Foolish kid, we're going to be living under the same roof! Now then, from the top. Nice to meet you, my name is..." Cheng Hao motioned for her to continue.

But there was no response.

'This boy, how does he know these things? He's… dangerous!'

Instead, Xiao 'Li' had nimbly somersaulted backwards, hurrying to put some distance between the two of them. She bared her pearly teeth at the youth as if by some animalistic instinct. Then, her slim fingers went to her bosom in an elegant, rehearsed motion. There, they firmly grasped around a tiny, golden brooch-

Not.

"!!!!!"

'Where… AH!'

Her expression finally fell, as a familiar gleam dancing atop the boy's fingertips caught her eye.

"Judging by this payment, it would seem like your Ancestor is requesting the full course. I'm surprised." Cheng Hao eyed the brooch in his grasp knowingly. He had snatched it first thing, having immediately recognized it for what it truly was.

The dull, golden blow of Immortal Essence Blood was unmistakable to him. Especially so, when the lotus hairpin had been acting restless for the last while. Having at long last met something its peer in terms of league, superior even in terms of sheer quantity, its bothersome buzzing was getting increasingly annoying, even.

"Looks like Little Lan has particularly high hopes for you. That, or He miraculously got over his jealousy during our time apart."

The youth turned, and the poor Young Mistress of Xiao was looking back at him, her emerald eyes watery and her dark purple lips trembling. Her tiny nostrils occasionally flared as she suppressed her sobs. She appeared utterly defeated.

The Essence Blood of her revered Ancestor, lost just like that...

With a loud thump, her legs gave way and she felt light-headed. She grieved in a fetal position, "Lord Ancestor, your esteemed essence... I have failed you-"

"Stop making me look like a bad guy already, you cheeky brat. This was meant for me to begin with!" Cheng Hao lightly kicked her face-up as she grovelled.

"Agh!" a crystalline cry rang out, and tears fell as the young lady was forced to sit upright.

"Now then… Tell. Me. Your. Name." A round of 'affectionate' pinching ensued.

"Ou-Ou-Ou-Ouch! It's, It's Xiao-"

"If you say 'Li', you brat, I'll keep pinching your pretty cheeks until people mistake you for a jester's hamster."

"...it's Wu. My name is Xiao Wu."

"Well, isn't that a pretty name? It's very nice to meet you, Xiao Wu of the Xiao Clan," the golden-eyed youth smiled endearingly. He carefully dusted her dirtied robes, gently helping her stand and even wiping her damp face with his sleeves. Witnessing the swollen, blazing cheeks and red, teary emeralds, he announced contentedly while waving the golden brooch before her eyes, "I'm, Cheng Hao, the master personally employed by your dear Ancestor."

The emerald-eyed girl was left speechless by the sudden revelation.

"Now then, call me Brother Hao!"

"...But, I don't trust your words?"

"...Really, now this cheeky, little-"

...

Sometime later, Xiao Wu knelt with her head hung low, and her cheeks even redder and more swollen.

"Again now."

"I-I'm very, utterly sorry for getting caught lying, Brother Hao..."

"No, no, no! It's not that difficult! Repeat after me, I'm sorry for 'lying'! I hereby promise to be honest henceforth!"

"But, it's not... That's..."

"Yes, it's a lie! That's the whole point! Now again, try."

"I, I'm not sorry for getting caught, I'm sorry for lying. I hereby promise to, maybe, perhaps, not lie as badly from now on-"

"And, promise broken."

"Ah! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-"

"You Brightfolk, really..." Cheng Hao massaged his glabella with a loud sigh. His eyes of vibrant gold then scrutinized the young girl. His gaze softened at the clueless kid that Xiao Lan had sent his way.

A forgiving people, yet never forgetful. They remembered all, including their worst grudges and greatest pains, yet chose to absolve. Even as the blood diluted, their disposition never changed. Such were the Brightfolk.

Then again, it was that very same characteristic that had brought Xiao Lan to take in the Evil Saint's revolutionary theories like a sponge. The moment he deemed a single teaching of his correct, the Young Master of Xiao proceeded to blindly follow the rest. Eventually, the image of the starry-eyed youth that always preached the truth was deified in his pure, emerald eyes.

For bad or for good, it was a disposition for learning unmatched across the countless planes. With the right teacher, that is.

"We'd be here a whole fortnight, so forget about it for now. We should head to our residence before it gets too- Ah, wait just a second. I'm a tad curious about something."

Cheng Hao suddenly sat down and crossed his legs. He then instructed, "I'm going to check on something first. In a while, you might feel something probing. Try not to resist."

"...Ok, Brother Hao."

"Good girl," he chuckled and gently squeezed her tiny nose, prompting a small pout.

"Then, here I go". And with those few words, his Will invaded the young girl's Sea of consciousness.

Xiao Wu felt it clearly. As if a cold current was moving about deeper and deeper in the back of her eyes. However, while it wasn't pleasant, it wasn't too uncomfortable either. She merely felt the urge to shut and massage her eyelids, but came to the conclusion that this was what the boy had warned her about. She fought the impulse and tried her best not to blink, at which Cheng Hao praised her again, "Good kid, you're doing amazing."

Xiao Wu proudly puffed her red cheeks at that.

The strand of Will swum expertly, proceeding quickly and deftly into the depths of the Sea. There, hidden in a remote corner, it came to a hurried stop. An invisible wall was blocking its way. A... seal of sorts.

Cheng Hao raised a brow at this finding. He contemplated for a short while, only to chuckle as if having encountered a delightful inside joke. Then, he decisively grasped onto the broch of dull gold.

At that moment, the Evil Saint made his move.

Like that, the seal couldn't impede Cheng Hao anymore, and a wonderful sight entered his eyes…

Meanwhile, Xiao Wu had a different kind of chill go down her spine. She couldn't quite explain it, but she felt as if something was not quite right. As if the world had shifted slightly.

If she had to put that feeling into words...

'As if a big Lie had been uttered just now.'

Yet, nothing seemed to have changed. If anything, she could only be sure that the brooch of dull gold appeared to have dimmed somewhat.

By the time Xiao Wu raised her head, Cheng Hao seemed to have finished his inquiries. The golden-eyed youth before her had a complex expression as he studied her reaction. Noticing her emerald eyes full of curiosity, he cleared his voice. Then, he vaguely remarked, "Isn't it a bit early to entertain a Path, Little Wu?"

"Eh? What's a path?"

"To you right now, it's the paved road beneath our feet. Let's go home." Secretly, Cheng Hao was greatly disturbed as he dismissed her question.

'To think she'd detect an Immortal's means... How horrifying.'

The tips of his fingers were even trembling in anticipation.

'So this is why you would go about it in such a roundabout way. And here I thought it was simply meant as a joke from my Dao Companion.'

'If anything, you wanted to warn me not to let her advance carelessly.'

'Little Lan, what a dreadful monster you have sent over…'

After this one display of immeasurable talent, Cheng Hao was very much looking forward to her Qi Apparition.

'I'm more and more glad the Reverend Stage pushover is taking care of it, otherwise, I wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully tonight.'