Yi City Arc Continuation | XueXiao (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 16

With trembling feets, Xingchen walked towards the main gate of coffin home. Without uttering a word, he slowly pushed the door open.

The moment he walked inside, he was greeted by a cheerful Yubin. The younger smiled widely as he took the packet of steamed buns out of Xingchen's hand.

"Wahh Daozhang! Thanks for bringing this by yourself. But, you are late." Yubin opened the bag up and took out a steamed bun, looking at it with hungry eyes.

Xingchen didn't respond at all, he just stood on the same place, facing forward with a slight frown.

Yubin finally averted his gaze from the steamed bun and focused on Xingchen. "Daozhang? What happened? Why aren't you answering?" Yubin scratched his head and kept staring at the older.

The Toaist Priest finally spoke up, "A-Yubin, my back is 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 hurting. Can you please bring me the same medicine from before?" Xingchen asked, faking a ached voice.

"What? That seller said one pill is enough. It didn't work? Ahhh!" Yubin asked, fury in his voice.

"Calm down A-Yubin. I am not feeling that much pain. Can you go and bring me the same medicine? Please?"

"Why are you saying please? It's my job, Daozhang! Of course!" Yubin said as he placed the bag of steamed buns infront of a coffin.

He walked pass Xingchen's still figure. He kept heading forward until he heard a faint voice coming from behind, "A-Yubin..."

Yubin stopped his track as he turned back, Xingchen was already facing him with a blank expression. "Don't hurt that seller just because his medicine didn't work..."

Yubin didn't speak up, neither he moved from his spot.

"You'll keep my words...right A-Yubin?"

Xingchen stood straight, hearing Yubin's footsteps gradually getting away from him.

He sighed loudly, perking his head up, as if he could see Yubin's figure slowly disappearing from his dark yet empty eyes.

'I told him that my 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 hurts, yet he didn't ask me anything?'

Xingchen thought as he walked his way towards a empty coffin, sanking down beside it. His ears were picking up little noises, just wanting to hear those familiar footsteps to approach him again.

He wanted an proper answer today.

His mind was telling him to leave everything and go somewhere else with Zichen. He wanted to hide himself somewhere.

A flash of terror gobbled his mind when he remembered what happened last night.

'𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘴𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵, 𝘋𝘢𝘰𝘻𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨! 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺? 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘙𝘜𝘐𝘕 𝘠𝘖𝘜'

'No, it was just a dream! Nothing else! NOTHING ELSE!' Xingchen couldn't hold back his emotions. He wanted to forget last night's events, but eventually, the bruises on his body weren't letting him forgot anything.

Xingchen's lips quivered as he lifted one of his hand and snuck it between his robes. He could clearly feel his ripped and peeled skin, along with deep teeth marks. Apparently, Xue Yang did not mark Xingchen's neck, neither any of his exposed parts. The only visible sign of torture was the red mark on Xingchen's cheek.

He slowly cupped his cheek, letting out huffy breaths, 'W-why?'

Xingchen's daze suddenly got cut off by a high pitched voice.

"MASTER XINGCHEN!"

"A-Yubin?" Xingchen immediately stood up as he rushed his way to the front door.

"I- Actually! There- A-a man-"

"Calm down Yubin! What actually happened?" Xingchen went near Yubin, patting his back to support him.

Yubin tried to calm his breath, as he tried to speak up, "D-daozhang! A man! He...was so bloody! Please come w-with me!"

Before Xingchen could say anything back, Yubin grabbed his wrist and dragged him out of coffin home.

Xingchen kept protesting, telling him to let him go. But, Yubin didn't obey his words at all. With all of his strength, Yubin kept making him walk and finally stopped after a while.

Xingchen wanted ask where they were right now, but he didn't have a scope to ask so. He could hear faint screams and voices coming from the front.

"Master Xingchen! A person almost killed Guo Ge! Please help!"

Xingchen recognized the familiar voice. It was that candy seller. He didn't ask anything back as he got led to a limp body, laying on the floor in a scattered position.

Xingchen's nose picked up the smell of blood, 𝘭𝘰𝘵'𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥.

Suddenly, the injured person shouted loudly, "NO! PLEASE DON'T BEAT ME! DON'T!"

Xingchen knelt down slowly, trying to calm him down, "Mister, please stay still. You are severely injured!"

"SHUT UP YOU BLIND M-!" The couldn't finish his sentence as he coughed out blood, chocking on his words immediately.

"Guo Ge! What are you calling him!? He is Master Xingchen!" The candy seller spoke out.

"He? M-master Xingchen? But, h-how? That boy...s-sliced my skin up...with Shuanghua..."

Everyone started to freak out upon hearing what that person said. Shuanghua was recognized by every cultivator for it's shining blade and frosty curvature. Even normal citizens worship it.

"What? Master Xingchen's sword? But, he arrived here just now! What are you talking about?"

"I saw i-it with my own eyes...H-he had Shuanghua with him. That b-boy!- ah."

"But who?"

The person couldn't speak any further. He immediately fainted, causing the crowd to scatter away.

Some people picked the man up and carried him to a doctor immediately.

"Ahh Master Xingchen, don't get bothered by his words! He is in too much pain. Don't you see? Someone sliced his top skin off by something sharp."

Xingchen finally gathered the courage and spoke out, "W-who did this to him?"

"We don't know either! He disappeared along with Guo ge's potato cart. Suddenly, we all heard screams coming from this place. We rushed and saw Guo Ge laying here, covered with blood. We didn't see any person near him either."

"He appeared out of thin air? How's this po- wait? Did you just say....potato cart?"

"Yes, he sells potato here. His cart was only 2 blocks away from mine! He is new here, that's why he didn't recognize you. I am sorry on behalf of him! I will go and look after him now. Good bye!" The candy seller bowed to Xingchen before heading off.

On the other hand, Xingchen had no doubt about the culprit. He was more then sure this time. He stood up straight and fixed his posture. Suddenly, Yubin came behind him and rested his hand on Xingchen's shoulder.

"Daozhang? Is that person ok? What happ-" Yubin was caught off guard, Xingchen grabbed him by his wrists as he took him back to coffin home.

"O-okay Daozhang, I AM SORRY! I didn't do a great job by dragging you all the way there! I won't do it again, ok?" Xingchen gave Yubin the silent treatment which he was given earlier.

After reaching coffin home, Xingchen harshly pushed Yubin at the front.

"Ouch, it hurts- why are you doing this?"

"𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶?"