Destinies : Connected by Fate✔️

Chapter 23

"Ah-Zhang! Your eyes!" The Yuanjian exclaims, reaching for the human, but the latter stops him with his hand over the prince's chest.

Moments pass in silence. Noticing that Zhang did not look like he was in pain, YiHuang does as instructed.

Slowly, the glow starts to dissipate; Zhang directs a reassuring smile towards YiHuang. He reaches for his companion's hand and strokes the underside of his wrist as if to inform the latter that he is alright.

However, only after the glow completely dies does YiHuang breathe a sigh of relief. He throws his arms around the human and reprimands, "Don't ever do that again...I forbid you to scare me like that again!"

Zhang chuckles, "I am afraid I can't comply, your highness. For one, I can't control it, and for the other, they are an asset. The more I know about what I am dealing with, the better chances we have of coming out of this in one piece."
YiHuang frowns.

"My apologies," Zhang adds, not sounding the least bit apologetic, "I mean, we can come out of this situation without casualties."

"Ah...yes." The prince agrees, "What did you see?"

"The facility is intact. Whoever the assailant was working for did not want us to succeed. They know that time is of the essence here. There were no casualties," Zhang closes his eyes, pursing his lips in a thin line, he adds, sounding unsure, "But there is something wrong. They seemed confused...disoriented." He contemplates for a few before adding, "I think it is safe to pay them a visit now."

*****

Wanting to avoid being detected, YiHuang and Zhang take the long, much more crowded route to arrive at the destination.

The lady that had let them in the day before opens the door. Looking slightly disheveled, she narrows her eyes suspiciously, "Yes?"

"We are here to speak to Professor Kwan. It's urgent." YiHuang quirks his brow when she pretends to not recognize him and continues to stare. Not wanting to waste time, he repeats the hand gesture from the day before.
The lady lets them in, and soon they are in Hu Kwan's presence.

"YiHuang! Why have you brought an outsider here!" The elder demands, his face darkens. His words take the duo by surprise.

"But Professor, " YiHuang starts, but Zhang beats him to it. He bows low, "I am his apprentice, Sir. I have pledged my loyalty to him."

"What sort of apprentice have you picked, Ah-Huang! How dare he talk out of turn!" The elder shakes his head disapprovingly.

YiHuang catches on quickly, 'Professor Kwan's memories have been tampered with!' He too bows, "Please, pardon his insolence. He is from the south. He is not well versed in how things work here. I am at fault for not teaching him. Please punish me instead."

YiHuang's words act as a balm on Hu Kwan's wounded pride. He huffs. "Rise. I hope that despite his lack of manners, he is worth being taught by you." He waves his hand dismissively, "Anyway, it's been a while since we got a chance to catch up. What brings you here?"

YiHuang's mind races. He realizes that mentioning the sabotage of the facility would only make matters worse. He comes up with a new plan. He gives the elder a tight-lipped smile and scans the room. He leans in and whispers, "Professor Kwan, please keep what I am about to tell you a secret and pretend like I have shared something personal with you. Pretend that you are busy and can't entertain us at the moment. Please meet me at the Sky Station rejuvenation center at ten. Make sure you go about your business as usual. Professor, I have had another vision. I can tell with certainty that within three days, the wormhole will appear and a day after that..." he leaves the sentence unfinished and leans away.