Beyond The Mud [MDZs]

Chapter 31

[Group Juniors ; Continuation chapter 20]

The mountain top was his favorite spot, it made him feel at home. The breeze was cooler there and sun set sooner there. The water of the pound was different than the water fall. It would probably be the most noisy place in Cloud Recesses. The Lan was sitting on the grass with one of the rocks to lean on. He was folding the end of his ribbon to make flower out of it. He was bored.

"Jingyi!"

"Zizhen!" the lan let go of his flower ribbon.

"Thank you for coming." Ouyang Zizhen said as he sat next to him. He observed their surroundings for a while then asked,

"Where are the others?" 

after some pause, Lan Jingyi asked,

"Have you ever fallen in love, Zizhen?"

Ouyang Zizhen choked on hearing this. 

"A-are you in love, Jingyi?!" 

Lan Jingyi gave a huh! expression to Zizhen, 

"Jin Ling confessed to Shizui."

"What?Already?" 

"What do you mean already?" Jingyi asked.

"Because it was obvious." Just like Lan Jingyi and Lan Shizui were together most of  the time, having associated sects made Ouyang Zizhen and Jin ling somewhat together. And being the observant lad that he was and a romantics on  top, made it easier for  Zizhen to figure out. 

 Heat rose to Lan Jingyi's face. Maybe he knows...

"H-have you fallen in love, Zizhen?" Lan Jingyi asked again, this time in a softer tone.

"I have." 

He shouldn't have asked. For a while there was silence and sound of the wind, even the water in the lake was hushed. If they were in cloud recess, it would have been easier to cope with reticent. 

"Who?" Lan Jingyi clutched the ends of his ribbons tightly. 

Ouyang Zizhen scratched his cheek with a finger, trying to mask his flushed face. Who could he make an adorable face for? 

"Maiden A-Qing" Ouyang Zizhen confessed.

"A-Qing!? you mean, the one-"

"I know she's dead." Ouyang Zizhen stated with a sad face. Lan Jingyi was somewhat relived.

"Do you know why I always end  up fighting with my father?" Ouyang Zizhen asked but answered himself.

"Because I've been studying something."

"Eh?"  The Lans would beg  Jingyi to study, something.

"I've been studying Jiaohuan." 

"You're what?" Lan Jingyi almost bit his tongue. Who wouldn't? after all, the things Zizhen was studying were a taboo for cultivators to study.

Jiaohuan was originally Yilling Patriarch's theory but it comprised of Hun and Po, the soul dualism belief of the cultivation world. When a person dies, The Hun leaves the body while Po stays in  the body. Much like Yang to the Ying, a person's soul was Hun to the Po. 

"Hear me out idiot!" Ouyang Zizhen took out the scriptures from under his robes, page after page of theories and scribbles and arrays. He had been working hard.

"I know the cultivators are not to meddle with the souls but that's  all I have been thinking. If Hanguang-Jun can wait for 13 years and play inquiry why can't I do something as well?"