Who are you?

Man Eating Castle

---------At Qinghe---------

Lan Wangji , AnHai and the disciples reach Qinghe and decide to freshen up while waiting for Zewu-jun to arrive. Wangji had already sent a message to XiChen about coming to Qinghe to meet up and help. 

Wangji was feeling giddy inside that after so long Wei Ying and him will be going on night hunt together, will be solving mysteries together. He could hardly contain himself. It was only because of years of training and almost reclusive life that helped him to not show his inner feelings on his stoic face. Only people who know him well, well basically Zewu-jun, would be able to guess his inner feelings.

After freshening up Wangji goes to AnHai.

"You want to explore Qinghe till we wait?" Wangji asks hoping he would say yes. And they could ditch the disciples and go on the date.

"Sure, why not! I have only been to Qinghe once. It was a long time ago and under much different circumstances. I would love to just roam and explore"

"Good. We can also ask around for any strange occurrences that can help us in the case."

"Sure"

Wangji's wish was fulfilled and they went about the streets of Qinghe. 

He then told the disciples, "We will ask around about the case. You all stay in the inn and rest. Wait for XiongZhang. Call for us if need be." (Of course he was solely thinking of disciples' rest. No ulterior motives at all).

They explore around, Anhai was going about hopping from stall to stall, trying to take in all as soon as possible worried that he would not be able to take in everything before the time was up. Not that anyone was keeping track but it was his own irrational fear which had become an habit of sorts. 

He eyed the candies wanting to have them all but the money he had on him was not enough, and he could not decide on just one kind. After all he couldn't really upset the others for not being selected. It was heavy decision to make. Wangji saw this and sweeped in wanting to provide anything that his Wei Ying even looked at. Wangji bought each kind of candies for him and was rewarded with a sweet smile. 

Looking at the smile something flickered in Wangji's mind. The smile was super sweet, making him want to provide whatever this one had obviously missed in his life, but there was a dull nagging at the back of his head, 'This somehow doesn't feel like my Wei Ying's all encompassing radiant as the sun smile. Did something happen to him?'

Pushing the negative thoughts away, he focused on enjoying his time with AnHai.

Soon they came across a man selling Yiling Laozu portraits of Protection.

"Come ye come all! Protection from ghosts, yao, monsters, evil spirits. 1 for 2, 1 for 2. Its a steal. Come ye come all " 

This peaked interest of AnHai and he went up to the seller to check out the Protection Portraits. He looked at the mangy looking giant's portrait. Portrait was of a person who had receding hairline, hair loose and matted, he looked to be in his 50s, with an ever present angry look on a face that probably has never smiled with eyes strained wide to the limit, a bit more and they might pop out, they had a small bulbous nose scrunched in anger, and crooked teeth, which looked rotten even in the sketch. He was startled.  

AnHai asked, "Is that really how Yiling Laozu looked?"

The seller answered, " Of course it is. This is the copy of the original portrait made when Yiling Laozu was alive. Put one on the entrance for protection."