The Endless Promise

23. Determined

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Meanwhile, after his meeting with Lord Xu, Luoyin had returned to his quarters.

"Laoying!" He called and Yinying appeared, looking rather annoyed.

He looked bigger than the previous day, and Luoyin raised an eyebrow.

"I've been growing slowly since your cultivation last night." Yinying explained, but never changed his expression.

"Ei?! Why don't you try assuming human form?!"

"I need your permission to do that!"

"Laoying! I've said you don't need my permission for something like that!" Luoyin said, waving him away. "You have my endless permission, so transform, transform!"

There was a poof, and the black tiger disappeared, to be replaced by an old man with sleek gray hair, woven into a long braid, and robes blacker than any night.

"Laoying! You can finally transform again!"

"Don't try to distract me! You surely know I'm annoyed!"

"Ehehe!" Luoyin grinned. "Laoying, I'm also annoyed. You also know I won't act without good reason!"

"Then let's hear it! What is your reason?! The man had released you, so why did you suddenly ask to wed the enemy?!"

"Laoying, calm down! Someone might hear you!"

But Yinying scoffed. "I've also regained the power to make myself seen and heard by only who I choose."

"Hmmmm. This is good. This will come in handy..."

"Don't change the subject!"

"Hao hao! calm down, calm down!" Luoyin sat on the bed. "When I woke up beside Xu Weiyan, I caught a glimpse of 'Luoyin's' final memories.

"As he died, he felt guilty that he couldn't protect her. He realized his brother already planned to bring Xu Linhua in as a concubine.

"Zhang Furen also likes Linhua, and Linhua has all the servants on her side. Luoyin felt like he had thrown Xu Weiyan into hell by refusing their wedding, but it was too late."

He drew back his sleeve and waved a hand over his wrist. The Spirit-binding Seal appeared and revealed that the arrow pointing inward had half vanished.

"Zhang Luoyin's grievance is that he didn't marry Xu Weiyan! This happened after I proposed the marriage, and I suspect it will completely disappear, once we're married."

Yinying shook his head. "Hao! But how could you just jump in? You've tied your life down to protect the worst of humans!"

"Tch! I didn't jump in! Rather, Immortal Kai came and forced me to take responsibility!"

"But she killed you." Yinying simply said. "And she cast those on Caoyang into mourning. What about your brother? You know he has surely wept his eyes out by now! What about Immortal Bao? And what about -?"

"Stop there." Luoyin quietly ordered.

Yinying sighed. "I'm not lecturing you for nothing. By attaching yourself to Xu Weiyan, You've drawn unwanted attention, and you're beside your killer!"

"I won't marry her for free." Luoyin said. "You saw what happened this morning. Can we ever be safe in this place? Only Lord Xu can bully Lord Zhang into allowing me move out of the Zhang Manor.

"Marrying her will 'kill two birds with one stone'..."

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That night, Lord Xu and Luoyin met with Lord Zhang to discuss the turn of events and Luoyin's property.