WangXian Forever 5

Chapter 55 Festivity

Li XiWang could hear music.

It was faint and soft at first but gradually becoming louder until it was an actual disturbance. She opened her eyes and saw the still burning fire. Hui Gai would toss the odd log onto the burning pile of dead wood now and again, the orange flames dancing in his red eyes.

The ground beneath her ear began to tremble with the force of whatever was making that noise, and of course, now she was completely awake. So she sat up, rubbing her eyes. She crawled over to the demon and lay down, her head in his lap.

Hui Gai was secretly ecstatic by her show of trust, and he began to comb his fingers through her hair, soothing her.

"I can't sleep." She yawned, closing her eyes again. "Can you hear that noise?"

Hui Gai hummed his answer, too engrossed in what he was doing to answer properly.

"Wasshup...? Wei Ying sat up, bleary eyed and confused. "Who's having a party?" His eyes were still half closed as he looked in all directions.

"They are people of the night." Hui Gai replied, quietly.

Li XiWang sat up too, all sleepiness fading.

"Are they having a party?" She whispered loudly, her big eyes large and round with wonder. "Can we go see?" She asked.

"Parties mean merry making...and merry making, well that requires something special." Wei Ying also wiped the sleep from his eyes. "Do you want to go explore?" He asked his daughter.

"Yes, please!" She beamed back, even when he put his finger against her lips.

He yawned and stood up, taking care not to wake Lan Zhan.

"Shall I come with you, Pengyou?" Hui Gai asked, concerned.

Wei Ying shook his head. "If Lan Zhan wakes up, and he probably will, soon, then you'll have to tell him where we are. Plus she might do something to him while he's asleep." He looked to where Zhitiao was fast asleep.

Hui Gai grinned at him and settled back, one leg balanced upon the other.

"Not while I'm here."

Wei Ying smiled back and took hold of Li XiWang's hand, waving bye as they walked away.

"Be very quiet, little rabbit." Wei Ying whispered to her as they neared the sounds of the night.

Fireflies greeted them, dancing along their way, lighting up the hidden path. For there was a hidden path, cleared of thorny branches and stones, soft enough to walk on without their boots.

Wei Ying held out a hand and a single firefly flew into his palm, its tail a greeny yellow pulsing light. They paused as he held it closer to his daughter so she could see it better.

"Do you know, little rabbit?" Wei Ying whispered, in awe of this tiny perfect creature, so trusting of them. "They only live for one or two years, but look at how beautiful they are! Their lives means something. Look at how magical these woods are, just because of their light."

She nodded, her eyes shining in the dark, lit up only by her close proximity to this light in his palm. She lifted a finger to its face, and it touched one of its feelers to her, before suddenly taking off. She missed it already.

And there were so many more of them, flashing lights to guide them along.

Night time in the woods was a different experience during the day. Now, all the creatures who remained hidden or asleep then, woke up and created a symphony of their own.

The sporadic hooting owls, coupled with the chorus of cicadas and the odd cricket filled the otherwise general quietness, and if not for the song getting louder, they would have heard the shrill and shrieks of nocturnal animals.