The Endless Promise

101. Payback!

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'This was not how it was supposed to go!' Luoyin thought bitterly, watching brilliant fireworks explode above Yue City, each one, a loud but silent insult to his dignity...

...
..
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It all started at dawn.

Two lovers had spent the night tossing and turning - not in each other's arms, but in neighboring courtyards, separated by walls, furniture, designs, and most importantly...

Their own minds!

Having not slept for two nights in a row, Luoyin had prominent dark shadows beneath his eyes, yet he was presently training in his courtyard, spinning in graceful arcs, and his sword was sweeping or striking out with almost every move, his brilliant blue aura fanning outwards.

He rose up into the air with a graceful spin, and brought his sword down in a swift swing, sending a fierce wind across the entire courtyard.

The aura faded and he floated down, his feet gently touching the ground.

By now, he had remastered everything the original Luoyin had ever learned, and combined with his own knowledge of cultivation, he had created several new moves and techniques, all based on immortal cultivation, but optimised for mortals.

The results were truly powerful, and he might have leveled the whole household with that simple move, if his courtyard wasn't sealed within his crystal shield!

But his mind was currently on other matters...

'I must confess my feelings to Yanyan!'

But how did mortals go about this?

Was he supposed to write poetry? Leave her flowers?

Or was it more practical to offer rare pills and herbs?

Or to hunt for rare beast cores?

He tried asking Meng Qiu.

"Ahem! Er... Meng Qiu, I have a friend who seeks to confess to a certain lady! What can this friend do?!"

Meng Qiu beamed at him. "Master, you cou-!"

"Ahahem?!"

"Ah, your friend! Your friend could gift the lady with a poem and a beautiful flower arrangement! Ladies love flowers!"

'Should it be so simple?' Luoyin wondered.

That was the same as immortals then, and as he had a natural affinity for every plant that grew, his flowers certainly wouldn't be 'simple'!

"Ahem! That's all!" Luoyin said aloud. "Why don't you go and inspect the shops today? Umm?"

It wouldn't do for Meng Qiu to be around and witness him arranging flowers!

.

A little later, Luoyin already had a brilliant array of flowers before him, including a few out of season which he had regrown with his essence!

Then in a beautiful dark blue vase, he carefully placed two deep red camellias tied with a silk thread to symbolize 'Eternal Love', a single crooked branch of plum blossoms with a few pale pink buds, symbolizing 'Resilience', some wisteria vines for 'Devotion', draped loosely over the rim of the vase, a gently crushed sprig of osmanthus to symbolize 'Sweet longing' with its faint fragrance, and then a large white lotus front and center, to symbolize a 'Pure Heart'...

'All done!' Luoyin beamed at the arrangement with some pride.

After that, he carefully wrote some words on talisman paper, then cast a spell on it, burning it over the flowers, and watching the ashes sink into each petal and vanish.