Beyond The Mud [MDZs]

chapter 25

"A core? " Song Lan knew what a core was but why would he have a core?   

"Yes. And it's quite strong compared to your age." Xiao Xingchen boosted him with a smile. But it was not well received by Song Lan,

" What are you talking about? I am not cultivating a core." All his life Song Lan had hated cultivators. It were either spirits or cultivators which deprived his siblings of their parents.

"Then how can you unsheathe Fuxue? " Xiao Xingchen was confused. He knew Song Lan wouldn't lie but why wasn't he aware of his own core? Did Master Guang not teach him about the the cultivation terms? Maybe because he hated cultivators? Then why was Master Guang trained him to cultivate a core? 

" It's my father's blade." Song Lan reasoned.

"Was your father a cultivator as well? " 

The thought had appeared time and time again in his mind, about his parents about his blade and about how he came to the Temple. Song Lan abruptly got up to look for Master Guang.

Since he went with Lin Qi, he was going to  take longer than usual. But Song Lan couldn't wait that long,  He ran to the downtown. it was the first time he had went there all by himself. There were cultivators, there were villagers, there were elders and children. 

He was looking and looking and looking but he wasn't searching. He was running, he was escaping. All the flashes of memories he had been having for couple of days started to bead into a string. 

He remembered!

Song Lan broke down in the middle of the street. People gawked at him as they passed. He bawled hysterically among the crowd. He didn't care, the realization was too painful for him. In the ugly state of his mind he heard a clear sound,

"A-Lan!" the faint sound came from behind. The white boy looked almost identical to the snow.

"A-Lan" Xiao Xingchen was breathless. Was he looking for him all this time? Xiao Xingchen leaped into Song Lan in the middle of the street. 

"I told you not to call me that." Song Lan said wiping his tears.

"You didn't tell me what I should call you either."  

When Song Lan immediately got up and ran outside, all the children startled. Xiao Xingchen calmed everyone assuring them that everything was alright. Ying Shu ushered him to go while he would look after the children. 

Xiao Xingchen was new to the place, he didn't know where could Song Lan go. The crowd was overwhelming but his eyes constantly traced him (SL). And there he was, in the middle of the street, broken like a child and lonely like the snow.

"Song Lan" he (SL) whispered. 

"Song Lan" he (XXC) followed.

Song Lan smiled through his cries. He bridged the gap between them and joint their foreheads. The time froze when the snow fell ever so gently.