Seeking Solace

Chapter 21

 
Chapter 21:

  Jing Yu still had the talisman, which was tucked in his robes on his chest, activated. 

 He opened his mouth to say something, probably to Lan Xuan first, but he wasn't sure himself. 

Xue Yang tapped him, a frown on his lips. Jing Yu tilted his head in confusion. Xue Yang rolled his eyes, muttering, “don't waste your spiritual energy on them.” He bared his fangs in a menacing grin. 

“What do you want?” Xue Yang questioned them, acting bored and asking to place himself as a barrier to Jing Yu which…was unlike him Jing Yu felt baffled, and blinked at the other's back multiple times. Not only that, the action in itself spoke volumes. 

He quietly gauged the reaction of Lan Xuan, Xiao Xingchen, and Song Lan. They all seemed completely shocked, as if they knew Xue Yang and couldn't believe how he was behaving right now. 

Jing Yu watched Xue Yang closely. He didn't think the others saw him as anything other than…well a person who supplied his insufferable habit of eating sweets where he wanted. And he also now had a proper roof over his head and a room at Jing Yu’s home, which wasn't anything super extravagant. 

And it seemed, outside of the memory viewing where he witnessed Wei Wuxian's memories and the humiliation of Jin Guangshan, he and Xue Yang had been spending a lot of time together. 

Jing Yu also realized that was out of the norm for him. Jing Yu was a rogue cultivator and traveled to places where people needed help, or helping on night hunts. He didn't stay still for too long, he always had to keep going. He never stayed in one place, especially when he wasn't needed. 

But he's subconsciously spent so much time here…without realizing it and…that was dangerous. 

He wouldn't deny missing the Nie Sect, and missing Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang, who had been as close to a family to him he'd ever known. But he couldn't stand like Nie Mingjue when things were happening that he felt he could stop. Yes, he suffered some heavy losses, and nearly lost his life but it wasn't in his nature. Like the wind, free and flowing, he wanted to travel and help people in need. 

Jing Yu thought of Nie Huaisang and smiled. Nie Huaisang had never had any interest in cultivating with the Nie Sect sabers and maybe that was a good thing. He might like having a fan as a weapon, much like himself. Jing Yu chuckled. It would certainly be his style. He had given Nie Huaisang a lot of fans over the years before he had left the sect. 

He wondered how the both of them were fairing from the memory viewing. 

“We were in the area and heard about a vicious Yao that was somewhere near the outskirts of the town and wanted to investigate. And we heard there had been a riot not too long ago and wanted to see what all the commotion was about.” Lan Xuan spoke, but not unkindly. 

Jing Yu was impressed. They were both similar in temperament. He felt glad to see that despite what Lan Xuan had been through, he still hadn't changed, even if he didn't remember him. 

“The matter of the riot has been solved and the situation settled. It is no cause for concern, I can assure you. The yao on the other hand, I am less certain about.” Jing Yu had admitted. 

And he had the feeling they were looking for more than that and it had something to do with Xue Yang. 

The three came closer and Jing Yu noticed that Xue Yang seemed to tense up even more and he was staring at Xiao Xingchen with a glazed look in his eyes. The other said person was also acting seemingly strange, along with his companion. It was as if they were suddenly ambushed with an onslaught of memories. Their expressions were worrisome.