The Fate of my Soul.

Part 4

"Zhe Yan, I have gained my memories of Bai Zhi."  I inform him as he continues to write at the low table without looking up.  "I also know Si Yin is his son.  I felt Bai Zhis essence coming from him."  That made him look up, but I don't miss the slight darkening of his eyes, before he quickly draws it back.

Putting the brush down, he comes to sit next to me.  "What do you want to know Mo Yuan?" he asks.  Though he smiles, I can see he is apprehensive.

I don't waste any time, because this boy is an enigma I want solved.  "I briefly saw a shield around the boy, before it disappeared.  What is he hiding?" I ask him.  He knows I don't have enough energy to cast a simple barrier let alone lift a concealing spell, but I realize Im not going to get a truthful answer when his face suddenly becomes guarded.

Smiling at me he replies without hesitation.  "His true kinship to Bai Zhi." he says.  And though I already know of his kinship to Bai Zhi, there is something he is not telling me, and I am becoming suspicious of his secrecy.  

But I refuse to let it go.  "Die Feng informed me of the love I used to have for him, and for a brief moment I actually felt it.  It was deep and strong, so much so, I could feel pain in it.  Surely I wouldn't feel that much depth for my brothers son.  Would I?"  

Nodding that he understands my confusion, he answers truthfully.  "You had a special relationship with Si Yin and he with you.  There is something I do need to tell you, but not yet.  I want you to fully recall your memories first, or it won't make any sense to you." and that just confuses me more.

Rising to leave, he tells me to prepare myself for a trip to The Celestial Tribe.  "Di Jun has already been notified of your visit, so he is expecting you." he calls back to me as he leaves me alone to get ready.

Now I'm becoming angry.  Why can't he just tell me what I want to know, so I can be more prepared for the next time I come across Seventeenth?  I think a meeting with the rest of my disciples would be a good idea, seeing as how I got glimpses of my past from Die Feng.   

Rising to prepare myself for the trip ahead, I try to imagine what my meeting with Di Jun might entail.  The man rarely speaks and usually only in riddles, which I am not mentally prepared for.  So far since I awoke, there has been one enigma after another, and being as weak as I am, it is taking it's toll.  The sooner I get these meetings out of the way, the sooner I can go into seclusion.  I desperately need cultivation, though with a marriage ahead of me, I may not leave.

Making my way into the Grand Hall, I run into another disciple who seems to be in the middle of a prank against one of his seniors.  He has a small vial of ink which he is spreading evenly over Die Fengs seat, but I say nothing as he continues to chuckle to himself.  Once he is done, he rises and quickly turns to run, almost knocking me over.  Shocked at being caught, he drops the vial with the remainder of the ink spilling all over his white gown.

"Shifu.  I .... I  ..... " he stutters as he tries to find the words for his misdeed., while at the same time rubbing at the ink on his gown, smearing it in and making it worse, which also stains his hands which he promptly smears across his face when his hands try to cover his shocked look.

The whole scene is so ridiculous I burst out laughing, instantly bringing all of his seniors into the hall to see who would dare laugh so loudly in the hall, being a place of serenity and peace.  On seeing me standing there with laughing and my disciple covered in ink, they too begin to laugh, at their juniors obvious prank gone wrong.  

"Shifu!"  The ink covered disciple says, with a look of shocked amazement.  "I've never heard you laugh before." he exclaims as I continue to rumble at the absurdity of his actions.  As I look around, his seniors also have the same expression as they all nod in agreement, but are happy none-the-less.