BOOK 10. There are two tales at the beginning. Zhao Yunlan is searching for a lost artefact while Black Robe is searching for the same thing in a different world. One story is partly an illusion, while the other is very real and when they merge...
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University life never changed. It was the same routine every day, going to the office, drinking tea, going to class, lunch, class and home. Unfortunately that's what Wei needed for a while, boredom. A routine that was easy to follow, and then he would be able to add something else into his day, but he needed to increase his activities gradually. In the evening, it was a different story. Black Robe took over most of the time, and it helped him work out some anger issues. They were two sides of the same coin. Wei was docile and working to improve himself while Black Robe was furious and working to calm his temper.
Guo Ying was aware of the battle going on in Wei's mind and could see small improvements, but it was a slow process of healing, and wouldn't be returning to the mansion unless there was an emergency. Even then, Wei would probably leave it to the guards to sort out.
A stranger stood at the gates and studied the building. This must be the place he thought, it was the right address but the house looked Victorian and he sat on the brick wall and read the letter from the lawyer again. It was definitely the right house and he owned half, so he tried to look confident as he approached the front door, hoping that he could have a look around the inside of the house, and maybe meet the other half owner. He sensed a low level of power coming from the protection wards, and alarm bells started ringing in his head. Why were there wards protecting this house? Normal people didn't know about these kind of things. Who exactly was the other owner? And he bravely rang the bell and waited.
Ava hurried to answer the door while she was holding one of her favourite glass vases which she intended to place in the hall, but she opened the door first, and froze as she stared at the man who smiled back at her. She dropped the vase which slowly fell and was caught before it hit the floor, and handed back to her. Ava blinked and looked at her vase before she placed it on the nearest table and spoke to the visitor.
"Thank you young man, may I help you with something?" She asked, but in her mind she was thinking, who are you and what are you doing here?
"I'm sorry, I should have introduced myself. I'm a distant relative to the last owner who lived here. A lawyer contacted me about this property. My name is Zhao Yunlan Jun, but I usually drop Jun. May I come in?"
Ava's mind came out of shock and apologised as she allowed him to enter just in time to see Guo Ying, who was descending the stairs and tripped on the last one as he saw the visitor. Ying slowly crumpled towards the floor but felt the strength of someone saving him, and he regained his posture while Yunlan stepped back.
"Thank you. Who are you?" Ying asked as he stared at the stranger, but Ava hastily answered before Yunlan could speak.
"He's a distant relative. Apparently the lawyer contacted him after we lost Lord Zhao."
Ying looked at Ava wondering why she was suddenly being so formal, was there something she wanted to tell him in private? He smiled towards the visitor and asked if he would like a tour of the house while he silently summoned a guard to walk to the hall. Guard Li slowed down when he saw the person he was supposed to show around the mansion, and nodded to Ying before he took him to the attic to work his way down through the rooms.
Ava breathed out and relaxed as she went to the kitchen for some hot sweet tea, joined by Ying who also wanted a drink.
"Who is he? Tell me again." Ying asked.
"The lawyer must have automatically searched for the next relative to inherit the house after Yunlan's death but there is something strange about him. He caught my vase before it hit the floor, as if it was in slow motion. And I never saw him move when he caught you at the bottom of the stairs. What kind of gift is that?" Ava asked as she held her mug, slowly sipping her tea.
Ying thought about the trip on the stairs. He saw it all in slow motion and was sure he was going to fall until he felt supported and he was saved.
In the attic, Yunlan was looking at the paintings and the beautiful glass roof, stunning he thought but there was something strange about the paintings. Why would the sign of death be here in a frame on the wall, when most people never knew about it, and he asked his guide.
"The collection is quite interesting, does the owner like abstracts?"
"No, not really. These are the only two paintings at the moment. He gives the artist freedom to express himself, but so far, there hasn't been any others added to this collection." Li answered.
Strange Yunlan thought, the servant can't see the other two. This house has a lot of secrets, more than he was told. How was he supposed to help someone when he didn't have all the facts and he made a mental note to speak to the caretaker when he had the chance.
" Let's move on to the next room shall we, are there any more beautiful windows similar to this, or is this the only one?" He asked Li just trying to make light conversation as they left the attic and headed downwards.
Ying was waiting at the bottom of the stairs for the new owner and tried to scan his mind as he walked beside Guard Li, but it was as if he was protected and he learned nothing, while Yunlan delivered a beautiful smile directed towards him. He knew what Ying had tried to do and felt the scan bounce off his protection barrier as he learned about his host's capabilities instead. He protects the other owner faithfully Yunlan thought and decided to find out more in his own way.
"Could I have a drink please, I've been travelling all day and I don't like the outdoor cafes at the stations?" Yunlan asked as he coughed and swayed.
Ava ran towards him and took him by the arm to sit down at her table while Ying studied him suspiciously, he didn't trust him one bit. Yunlan sat comfortably with a hot cup of sweet tea and looked at Ava over the rim, studying her most recent memories and he recognised both pain and love directed towards his other half. Ying was a bit more complicated to understand because his defences were strong, and if it wasn't for the fact that he was still recovering from the recent loss of a friend, his mind would have been closed to Yunlan's search.
Ying was the main defender who cared very much for Shen Wei, so that's his name, Yunlan thought as everything clicked into place. It was too soon to approach him, he wasn't ready to deal with anything or anyone who reminded him of his recent loss. How was he supposed to help him when he couldn't go near him? The caretaker missed that bit out when he gave Yunlan his instructions, what else haven't you told me, he wondered?
"Does the owner live here, I haven't seen a photo of him anywhere?" Yunlan asked but saw the sadness in both faces of his tea companions, and Ava answered.
"No, not at present. He lives close to the university where he teaches. He will come back one day but not for a while, he's still grieving." She said as she lowered her head.
"Then I could move in, couldn't I? My things will arrive tomorrow, it was nice meeting you, I'll see you then."
Ava and Ying weren't given the chance to disagree which they couldn't have done anyway, because he was a legal owner, and he flew out of the house as quickly as he could. He had felt the call for help in Ying's mind and wanted to see what had happened to Shen Wei. Yunlan could not teleport but he was a fast runner and knew all the shortcuts in this area. He knew he wouldn't get there in time but it would give him an insight to the problems he would be facing with Shen Wei and how to help him.
