Recesses of the Heart

12

Lan Zhan and I made our way to Tanzhou. In Tanzhou, there is a garden, and in the garden there is a damsel. The garden was originally planted by a poet who would recite poetry to the flowers, and this passion eventually created a flower spirit known as the Damsel of Annual Blossoms. After the poet died, the Damsel remained. Anyone who visited the Damsel to recite poetry well would receive a fragrant flower that would not fade for three years. However, those that recited poetry poorly would lose their consciousness before being thrown out of the garden.

We weren't going for poetry or flowers. We were going for the Yin Iron that was residing at her place. We managed to get to it before Wen Chao. We had all but one but that one Wen Ruohan already had. We had plans to take the Yin shards to my grandmother's. She knew how to dispose of them better.

As it was late, we rested at an in for the night before making our way to my grandmother's residence. Luckily we could just travel there with a token she gave me. All I had to do was channel some spiritual energy into it and a portal would open. Lan Zhan could follow as long as he held onto me.

Once we arrived at my grandmother's, she was already waiting for us. She smiled upon seeing me, "A'Ying, my boy, it's been a while," she said hugging me.

"It has," I said happily, "but I am here as promised. I brought the Yin shards and the sword. Lan Zhan is also here with me to go through his transformation."

Wai Po looked at him and smiled, "I have been waiting to meet you. A'Ying talked about you a lot when he was younger. I can see why," she said, "Can I see your hand?"

Lan Zhan complied, "Wai Po?" I asked.

She checked his vitals right away, "You have a very strong foundation. You have thought it over, you are going through with it?"

"I am, as long as I have Wei Ying, I am happy," he said.

"Good," she said, "you two will need each other in the future to make sure the past mistakes don't happen again," she then looked at the Yin shards and the sword, "I have a place for these. No matter how much tainted energy they have, they should be able to be cleansed. I have a place for things like this. I will place them there and hope it words."

"Okay," I said, "and Lan Zhan's transformation will be different from mine, won't it?"

"There will be a small difference as he still has his golden core. The outcome will still be the same though. He needs to be secluded in the cave after he takes the elixir," she explained, "you won't be able to go with him so you will be training in the meantime."

"Alright," I said.

She then came over to me and whispered, "you two already have a connection, but for this to be one hundred percent sure, may I have a small amount of your blood?" She asked.

"Sure, but why?" I asked.

"I will also get some of his and make something similar but you won't have to worry about anything, but this will help you both. It will allow you to make sure you always sense each other, even if you two are far apart. If you are hurt he can sense it and he will be guided to you. It is like creating a soul bond. That part you two will do eventually but you need to marry and dual cultivate for that. I imagine you are far from marrying yet," she said.

"I cannot die, and he won't be able to either," I said as I gave her my blood anyway.

"Even so, you can still feel pain and bleed. The same will be for him," she said, "stay here and I will get him settled."

I nodded and watched the two disappear. It didn't take long for Wai Po to come back to me. She had a small vial in her hand and had me drink it, "it won't start taking any effects until after Wangji finishes his transformation."

"Alright," I said, "so what do we do until then, how long will he be under?"

"He will be away for about a week," she said, "in the meantime, I want you to tell me everything that has happened so far."

I smiled, "of course," I said.

"Let's talk over something to eat, I bet you are hungry," she said.

"I am, and I hope we can have some of your spicy noodle, I missed your cooking," I said.

"I bet, I can only imagine what those people are feeding you," she said.

I laughed and followed her and began to tell her everything as she started cooking, "so far I am doing everything under a different name. I already know that if people knew me as Wei Wuxian, they will think of my parents. In my last life, all I would is people comparing me to them or treating me differently. Last time I wasn't officially adopted by the Jiangs and I was treated horribly by Madam Yu. Now, under a completely new name, they don't realize I am Cangse Sanren's son and they see me as a talented person. I am treated like an actual son and not abused. I saved their daughter from drowning due to a water ghoul but that was when they took me in. Even at Cloud Recesses, I am treated differently, only Lan Zhan's father knows who I really have because Lan Zhan told him everything. He has his memory from our past lives. I am so conflicted by it all, Wai Po. I want people to like me for who I really am not under a false name. I am still myself with that name but as soon as anyone knows who I really am, they will treat me differently."

I could see the hurt in her eyes, "I am so sorry, sweetheart," she said, "even though you have a different name, you still remain true to yourself and your values."

I nodded, "I did run into some troubled people though. They didn't like that I was hanging around Lan Zhan so they attacked me. I couldn't overpower them too much because I am hiding that I am immortal for as long as I can. If it comes out during the war, then it's okay, but right now, I am hiding it."

"How bad?" She asked.

"I am okay due to this immortality, but if I wasn't immortal, I'd be dead," I said, "they stabbed me several times. One knife had poison on the blade and stabbed me in the heart. I had to purposely heal that one so no one knew it. The others I left alone otherwise those boys would have gotten away with it. I am still dealing with the after math."

She pulled me into a hug, "those boys won't bother you again, but I promise you, it will be okay."

I nodded, "I missed you. When this war is over, hopefully Lan Zhan will understand, but I want to come back here and live here in peace."

"Of course, and knowing that boy, he will follow you," she said.

I smiled, "I have a feeling you are right, but I don't want him to choose between me and his sect."

"When you love someone, we all make sacrifices. It isn't like he cannot visit them either," she said, "when the time comes, talk about it."

"Okay," I said.