The Untamed 2: The Unlikely Hero -Book 1-3

12. Plans

PLANS

They spent the next hour discussing business, both of them relaxed and at ease in conversation. They traded stories they had heard about the demon, and began to formulate a plan as to how, and where, they would find it. It had been surprisingly easy for them to communicate with each other. and they teased one another with witty comments here and there, trying to outsmart the other.

It turned out that they had both heard very similar stories, and that it had stretched over a vast amount of territory, from Yunmeng, almost to the Nie territory. They had been amazed at just how many bodies had been stacked up over the months.

"I would be surprised if the Nie sect hasn't already had problems, if the demon has been moving this far, for so long." Huang Jin said.

"Yes, it would not surprise me if Nie Huaisang has been trying to keep it quiet, if he did have problems."

The doors to Hanshi suddenly opened, and Lan Xichen walked in, closing the doors behind him.

She had been completely shocked to see the man from the cold spring pond walk through the doors. A soft smile and his gentle eyes meeting hers for a brief moment, before he gracefully walked up and bowed to them both.

Jiang Cheng and Huang Jin rose quickly to return the formal bow, and they all sat down at the table.

It took all of her power to still her shaking hands as she poured the tea for him, and she avoided his eye contact. Oh my gosh, he was real...

"Lan Xichen, it is nice to see you out and about. It has been a long while, has it not?" Jiang Cheng said, raising his tea cup to his face.

Huang Jin visibly tensed. Lan Xichen...oh god...She had totally thought he was a ghost or some kind of vision earlier. She never in a million years would have thought that the man who she had talked so casually to, was the current leader of the Gusu Lan Sect.

Ohhh god...I'm dead.

When she finally did look up and make eye contact with him, she saw none of the sadness from before. The gentle smile on his lips and the softness in his eyes, was genuine, and there was not even the hint of the mask he wore on his face from before.

Xichen laughed softly, "You are quite right, it has been awhile since I have been out and about. I am happy to say that I have had time to reflect, I feel it is only right to return and help where I am needed." Lan Xichen said calmly, the gentle smile still on his face, as he nodded to Jiang Cheng, and then turned to her with a knowing glint in his eye.

"I wanted to say thank you, for your kind words, and your beautiful performance earlier. It was rude of me to leave before introducing myself." He lowered his eyes in embarrassment, but quickly looked back at Huang Jin, "I am sorry for that. My name is Lan Xichen, courtesy name Zewu Jun." He said, bowing low to her.

Huang Jin was utterly flustered; she didn't think that he was going to respond like this. She bowed quickly in return.

"You don't...You don't have anything to apologize for. I was very rude for saying what I said. It was not my place." She continued to bow low, her eyes glued to the table, a flush on her cheeks.

Xichen immediately moved forward and touched her arms, lifting them up. "You have nothing to be sorry for. Everything you said was true and I appreciate you being so honest." Xichen said, his eyes locking with hers. "It was what I needed to hear." Xichen said, the meaning behind the words felt heavy in the air.

She could tell that he was being serious.

Huang Jin smiled and nodded her head the flush on her cheeks even brighter now. She had always been blunt and tended to say whatever came to mind. A lot of times that got her in trouble but she always meant the best.