WangXian Forever Book 8

Chapter 50 Gu Xing

Gu Xing watched them carefully with his yellow eyes, and for their part, none of the cultivators could tell if he meant them harm or not.

He had said that this wasn't the end, and given his name but not much else.

The children were hesitant to talk to him though, because he held both his weapons like a practiced master and this ledge they were all standing upon was too narrow for fighting should it come to that.

"Why have you come here?" He asked, shrewdly.

SiZhui stepped forward and Wen Ning placed himself slightly in front of his body. The last thing they wanted was anything to happen to any of these children. Wen Ning knew he would not be able to face his Soul-Brother if even a hair on their heads was harmed., especially this one.

"Uncle Ning...it's alright." SiZhui said, softly. He smiled at him in that soft way of his and Wen Ning was reminded of another time, another place when this same man was a child, clinging to his leg and smiling up at him.

On SiZhui's other side, Jin Ling was clutching his hand tightly.

"It's probably best to tell him the truth." SiZhui said.

He had thought about it and understood that even if they told him why they were there, what was he going to do? If he attempted to cross the rickety rope bridge, then they would follow.

Gu Xing said nothing but there was a cat-like twinkle in his yellow eyes.

"What do you know about dragons?" SiZhui asked him.

"Ha!" Gu Xing clearly had not been expecting such a question and it had obviously taken him by surprise. Enough to startle him. "It might be a better question to ask me what don't I know about dragons. A shorter answer for sure."

"I'll stick with the first one." SiZhui replied calmly.

"I haven't spoken to anyone in so long...this is quite refreshing." Gu Xing chuckled. "Let's make this an interesting conversation then. What do you wish to know?" He slung his sword onto his back fastened by a belt that hung from his left shoulder in a loop around his right hip.

The children and Zhitiao relaxed marginally but Wen Ning remained on high alert.

"Do you know of any dragons making a cocoon before? Or having one made around them by something else?" SiZhui was trying not to let hope bleed into his words.

But if Gu Xing was a walking encyclopaedia on dragons then maybe they could get the answers they so desperately needed.

"Cocoons? Like butterfly cocoons?" He scratched his chin. "Never heard of that before. I know some species of dragons molt...very much like snakes and lizards. Everything I know, came to me through personal experience and my last teacher, my uncle. My family come from a long generation of GraveKeepers. The eldest son of our family has the honour of staying here until his replacement comes to relieve him."

"But what happened to you?" JingYi stepped forward, eyeing his ragged robes. "Where's your replacement? You look like you've been here for such a long time!"

Since Wen Ning refused to budge and Zhitiao was trying to hold him back, JingYi had to peek over Wen Ning's shoulder on tippy toes.

There was a flash of sadness across his face, but Gu Xing masked it quickly.

"I do not know." He sighed. "I cannot leave without another taking my place...but while we're being honest here, I can say that it's not such a bad life. I doubt I will want to leave even if someone turns up."

"But what about your life?" JingYi felt so sorry for him. "Didn't you ever think about finding a nice girl...or boy...and settling down?" He glanced at his own fiancé.

Zhitiao threaded their fingers together, knowing exactly why he was asking this of Gu Xing. Only recently, JingYi upon reflecting on their up and coming wedding, had confided in her that he never thought he would marry in the first place. But then suddenly Zhitiao had arrived in Cloud Recesses and that was that.

"No...in all honesty, I have not. When a novice GraveKeeper first arrives, they are taught to practice meditation of the highest degree. They are made to understand through experience, what the fabric of the Universe is made from. They are on the cusp of immortality and from then on, they must cultivate it to remain there. Our minds are free from desire and worldly pursuits." He explained patiently.

"But...why? What exactly do you do here? What does your job entail?" JingYi couldn’t help himself. His curiosity was increasing the more this stranger divulged of himself and his strange monk-like life.

"We look after dragons. From the moment a pregnant female arrives, we nurture them and look after their sacred eggs until they hatch. That is how I made my first and only friend. His name was Zhi Zhi Zuo Xiang."

"Squeaky? Really? Who named him?" JingYi swallowed a laugh.

"I did." For the first time, Gu Xing looked stern. "That was the first sound he made."

JingYi sobered quickly.

After all, they did not know who this stranger was. Or what could set him off. Both SiZhui and Jin Ling became serious too.

"Tell us about him? If you can." SiZhui asked, again spreading calmness by his tone.

Gu Xing visibly relaxed.

"His mother died just as he crawled out of his egg. It was a big egg too, and I knew that whoever came out would be spectacular...and he was. His body was a dark blue colour while his mother's was a deep green, and I suspected that his father may have had the same colouring. But Zhi Zhi's belly was white, as white as clouds on a summer's day. He was already huge, my size if I remember correctly, when he was born. Usually, babies just born drink their mother's milk, but as she had just passed away, he tried to suckle but there wasn't enough." Gu Xing did let the tears fall then. "I often wondered that if I had ventured out and brought back a few cows...would it have made any difference? But I was not allowed to leave."

"Then what happened?" Jin Ling didn't want to admit it, but he was fascinated with this weird guy.

"The lack of milk meant it stunted his growth and he was unable to develop his wings. Thus, without flight, he too could not leave this place." Gu Xing explained.

The children looked around them, half expecting a massive land-bound dragon to come galloping towards them at any time.

"Where is Zhi Zhi now?" JingYi ventured, trying not to worry.

"You walked through his body. Or what used to be. And I...I live in his skull...what remains of it."