The Awakening of the Awakener

Spying

The Senior Disciple was confused. What was Lu Ping doing? First he shows up back at the lodge early, but seemingly perfectly fine, and yet there were blood on his inner robes, which he took time to clean, careful to do so at night when practically nobody was around, and now he had that token. XiFan was almost certain that the token had been on one of those fighters that he and the rest had fought, why did Lu Ping have it? In order for him to take it he would have to had been there but he had not, someone would have seen him surely if he had. 

More than just that, however, XiFan was worried. He was worried for more than one reason but it was clear that whatever had happened to cause Lu Ping that injury, and to leave him the token, it was pretty bad. He would bet that the Black Bandit had been the one to do both, and it would not really surprise him all that much. Whatever the reason, he was clearly unnerved and frightened. About something. Those tears are not easily faked, and not only that but Lu Ping would not be one to cry even if it were to save his life unless there was actually something wrong. Something had to be incredibly upsetting. He wondered what it was, he could not think of much, and Lu Ping had seemed so joyful and naively happy when they had returned. It was clear that something had happened, however, and not something easily shoved off. Furthermore, whatever injury it was that he had sustained was bad enough that it had drawn blood, and not just a little blood. It had also needed to be bandaged, something that XiFan knew that Lu Ping would not do himself unless he did not want anyone to know. Su Tang he doubted would allow him to hide such an injury and would probably drag him to the infirmary yet such a thing had not happened.

XiFan saw the way that Lu Ping was gripping the token. Whatever it was clearly was distressing him greatly. He did not know if he wanted to jump in and rip it away from the other's hands just to keep him from continuing to shed those tears. For all that he may play otherwise, he did truly care for Lu Ping and Su Tang. Lu ping especially. 

When Master had brought them into the Wind Takers...Su Tang was exhausted and malnourished but it was Lu Ping that he was frightened would not survive. The other had struggled as well, greatly, but he had managed in the end. He had been covered in lashes, old ones, new ones, some but a few hours old. It was a terrifying sight, and XiFan had not expected for him to make it. He had by some miracle it would seem, managed to pull through, and then it was some sort of horror show. He had been so petrified of both him and the Master. Ripping himself from the bed and when XiFan had tried to get close it was as though the boy was expecting him to beat him mercilessly. 

Not that XiFan would even do such a thing in a general situation, but especially not when he was so injured he could barely stand. Then when Master had said that his sister was waiting for him outside it was as though he had been reborn into a new world. He had seemed so surprised. It almost made it seem as though he had not expected her to survive. Which was absolutely ridiculous considering she was barely even harmed while he had a multitude of injuries. If anyone should not have survived it would have been him. 

XiFan could not quite explain why he felt so protective over Lu Ping. He knew that the other was hiding something that was certain. He wanted to know what exactly it was that Lu Ping was hiding, and he seriously doubted that he had no martial power whatsoever. Nobody would be able to recover from such severe injuries so quickly should they have no martial power, he had to have at least a little. Even if it was not very strong, there had to be something, there was just simply no way that he managed to survive and heal so quickly without it. 

Still, this was probably the most unnerving. Lu Ping was not one to cry. He had never been. He kept his emotions under lock and key at all times and it was somewhat frightening to think at the best of times. To see him so helplessly emotional, it was somewhat unnerving and frightening given the fact that it was just not something that Lu Ping was. Granted, he should not have been following Lu Ping, it was just something that he had taken to doing quite often lately, and he knew that it was a problem. of course he understood that. Eventually he would likely be caught, either by Master or by Su Tang, or even Lu Ping himself. It was a bad habit, or so it was becoming. 

He could not bring himself to regret it, however, with this new set of information. There was something that was concerning Lu Ping, and had him stressed enough that he would dare cry over it. If there was something that had managed to make Lu Ping actively cry, then it was far more dangerous that it would seem. Lu Ping did not just cry over nothing. 

Worry began to tighten as XiFan made his way slowly to his own room. The fact remained that Lu Ping had been injured, quite badly, and yet none of them had noticed. He had stated that it was a bad idea to include him in the attempt to rescue the girl for Master, and yet XiFan had denied it, and refused to allow the other to not tag along, it would be unbecoming for one of their disciples to refuse to participate in their missions. 

He just did not really know what he was thinking now. He should have been more careful, and he should have left someone to stay with Lu Ping. he had been incredibly irresponsible in regards to Lu Ping's safety. All because he was bitter. XiFan had to remember that Lu Ping had his secrets, but so did he, and so did practically everyone at the Wind Takers. They were all hiding or running from something or someone, or had nowhere else to go. They all had their own problems and they were taken in by the Wind Takers. He knew that Lu Ping's secret was far more...complicated and likely dangerous, yet he also needed to remember that even though he was curious, currently, Lu Ping was a member of the Wind Takers, and as such it was important for him to be taken care of. XiFan had not really been doing all that great at his job.

Perhaps it was time to start.