Yi City Arc Continuation | XueXiao (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 7

"D-daozhang....Wake up!"

Upon hearing those words, Xingchen slowly gained his consciousness.

He tried to sit up but was struggling. He felt insane amount of pain around his wrists.

Suddenly, he felt someone helding his arms. That person also helped him to sit up properly.

"Daozhang! You are finally awake!" That person said with a concerning voice.

Xingchen cupped his wrists as he groaned with pain. He still remembered what happened last night.

He wanted it to be just a nightmare, but the pain on his wrists were the proof that it really happened.

Xingchen stumbled as he tried to get up on his feet.

"Ahh Daozhang. Take some rest. Master Song will bring you medicine! Just bear the pain for a moment please!"

"A-Yubin? Is that you?" Xingchen squinted

"Y-yes Daozhang. It's me!" Yubin smiled as he touched Xingchen's shoulder.

Xingchen felt relieved he raised his hand to touch Yubin's hand.

Yubin's eyes darkened and he quickly removed his hand from Xingchen's shoulder. It felt like, he didn't want Xingchen to touch his arm.

"A-ah Master Song is here!" Yubin got up and Song Lan entered the room.

"Xingchen! Are you ok?" Song Lan's voice echoed.

"Zichen...I am so sorry. Yesterday-"

"It's fine. You are wounded. Let me treat them first." Xingchen felt warm as a small smile appeared on his face.

"Z-zichen...Am I in Coffin Home?"

"Yes, You are in Coffin Home, Xingchen. At least, you didn't die from the cold while laying on the ground inside the forest." Song Lan spat out. Xingchen felt a sudden pain on his chest. Song Lan was never rude towards him. He made a terrible mistake.

Song Lan kneeled down as stared at Xingchen's wrists "Your hands need to get treated immediately!"

He carefully took Xingchen's hand on his own. He pressed the herb medicine on Xingchen's wrist gently as he hissed from pain.

"I was in the forest last night...H-how am I here?" Xingchen asked with a pained voice.

"Yubin saved you." That's the only thing Song Lan managed to say. He wanted to ask so many things. Ask him where he was, why he went out alone and so much more.

But, he didn't attack Xingchen with questions. He was already injured.

"A-Yubin? A-Yubin?" Xingchen called out for him. But, no one answered.

"He is waiting outside. Umm, done. Just don't use your wrist too much." Song Lan finally finished applying the medicine. He got up and went near the door.

"Do you want some soup?"

"A-aren't you mad at me, Zichen?" Xingchen's voice trembled.

"I am bringing some soup for you." Song Lan sighed as he went out of the room.

"W-wait..." Xingchen tried to get up. His feets were hurting too.

Song Lan already went outside. He saw Yubin sitting beside one of the coffin as he was staring at the floor.

He walked slowly and stood in front of him. Yubin felt his presence as he immediately got up and bowed down.

"Master Song, how is Daozhang? Is he ok?" Yubin asked with a worried voice.

Song Lan nodded his head and gestured him to go inside the room where Xingchen was. Yubin nodded as he went to see Xingchen.

On the other hand, Xingchen was trying his best to get up by using his feet but, they were throbbing. The only way to get up was by pushing himself up using his hands.

Without any thought, he pressed his hands on the ground and tried to get up. His body weight fell on his hand which made him feel extreme amount of pain. He immediately fell back.

"Daozhang!" Yubin ran to Xingchen and held his shoulder. "Are you ok? Just sit down please. Didn't Master Song tell you to rest?" Yubin protested. He helped Xingchen to sit properly again.

"A-Yubin...Zichen said that you saved me. Where did you find me?" Xingchen asked.

"I found you in the forest near Yi City!" Yubin answered.

"What were you doing there?" Xingchen asked. Yubin started to shutter a bit.

"A-actually, I-i don't have any place to live....Sometimes, people are kind enough to let me stay in thier home. Besides that, I live around the forest." Yubin said. He was sweating by now.

"Oh..Did you hear any strange noises at night?" Xingchen asked again. Yubin was being hit by countless questions. It made him uncomfortable.

"Y-yes. It came from deep inside the forest. It happens often. Sometimes, I feel scared to even live there. But, I don't have any other place to live...." Yubin sighed.

"I understand....I want to tell you something...T-thanks....and Sorry...."

"Why Daozhang? What did I do?"

"Thanks for saving me, A-Yubin. If you weren't there, I would've died from cold....And, sorry for letting you go yesterday. You could've just told me that you don't have a place to live." Xingchen protested.

"It's fine, Daozhang. I was homeless since I was a kid. I am used to it...By the way, what happened to your wrist? Looks like, a wild animal tried to eat them."

"W-what?" Xingchen felt shivering sensations on his spine again. A cold breeze hit his face. His mind started to become hazy again.

'It wasn't a dream. I really met someone in the forest. That person pinned my wrists tightly which made them bruised. That person had Jiangjai.

A sword won't get unsheathe if it isn't done by it's owner. That means, that person was really Xue Yang?

If it was Xue Yang, why didn't he kill me when he first saw me? Is he really here?' Xingchen kneeted his eyebrows as he thought himself. Fear started to possess his mind. He couldn't let Xue Yang ruin this village again.

"Yes! Thank god I went inside the forest to fetch some fruits. It was so cold. You were wrapped with a warm cloth. Or else, I can't even imagine what would happen." Yubin shivered.

"Warm cloth? But, I didn't bring anything with me-"

'Why did you sleep now, Daozhang?...we have more fun things to do~' Xingchen's head ached when he heard this voice in his mind. He clearly remembers this voice. He doesn't want to hear it again.

"I don't know why... Anyways, I should go and tell the villagers that we have to cancel the party!" Yubin was about to get up but, Xingchen was quick enough to grab his wrist.

"Ah!" Yubin winced with pain as he quickly removed Xingchen's hand.

"What happened A-Yubin? My wrists are wounded. Not yours!"

"A-actually, i slept on my hand the whole night. It feels kinda sore." Yubin shuttered.

"Oh...be a little gentle with yourself. And, you don't have to cancel the party. I will attend it."

"What? No, Daozhang. Your hands are wounded!"

"It's fine. I will be ok. Just go and arrange  everything."

"But-" Suddenly, Song Lan entered the room with a soup bowl.

Yubin frowned and bowed to both of them. He left the room without making another noise.

"Xingchen, your soup is here." Song Lan carefully placed the soup bowl in front of Xingchen and was about to leave.

"Z-zichen...I need to ask you something....Do you know where Xue Yang is?"