"Ummm" Wei looks at me mischievously as we exit the shop "back there..." he clears his throat and I turn to look at him. Walking closer to him, he takes a step back and I laugh inwardly. Oh the game is on.

Backing him against the wall of the shop, in a relatively dark alley, I bring my lips close to his ear and I hear a tiny gasp from him "Wei Ying, I think the surname Lan suits you" I pause as I cherish his breath against my neck "but you'll send my uncle back into coma" I move away from him and in a impassive face I continue "so unless you really want to, don't joke about this". I walk away and grin. Take that.

A few seconds later as expected, he walks by my side "Hanguang-Jun" Wei coughs "so what did you want to talk about?".

"Hm, this actually pertains to you. Do you remember Xiao XingChen?" I ask as we continue our way to the Chang Clan's house.

"Oh yes, he is Song Lan's friend. I think you must be unaware of this but after our brief encounter from before, Song Lan helped my Shijie when we we're on run from then Wen Clan". I look at him and he smiles, the sadness in his eyes is something that haunts him. He misses his family.

"That's a story for some other day, carry on Lan Zhan" he urges and I oblige.

"About 10 years ago, after the fall of the Yiling Patriarch" I pause and it pains me to even think of the state of affairs back then "brother informed of what had transpired. Apparently, Chang Clan's entire Sect was killed when the sect leader was away on a night hunt. Xiao XingChen, who was young back then, wanted to help the people who were suffering. He found out what happened at the Chang house and vowed to bring them to justice.".

"Lan Zhan, please continue" he looks eager and I nod "He did find the culprit and captured the assailant. That was also the time when Jin GuangShan passed away and being the only heir alive of the Jin clan, Jin Guang Yao became the chief cultivator. He promised Xiao XingChen that the assailant would be served justice and Xiao XingChen believed him. He had no reasons not to"

"Who was the assailant?"

"Xue Yang" I confirm and Wei's eyes widens.

"Jin Guang Yao made Xue Yang a guest in the Koi Tower and Xiao XingChen was unable to do much because later Sect Leader Chang changed his statement. In the meanwhile, Song Lan's sect was annihilated, his eyes were lynched. Xiao XingChen felt the responsible and thus removed his eyes and gave them to Song Lan".

"Oh my, but how does all this add up?"

"Xiao XingChen's sword was used to kill Song Lan's clan. After Xiao XingChen gave away his eyes, nothing was every found about him".

"So is he dead?"

"We don't know".

"What about Xue Yang and Song Lan?" Wei enquires and I shake my head "we don't know".

"Lan Zhan"

"Hm"

He turns to me "Where were you when all this happened?" His question is innocent but the answer is not something I could ever share. I would never be able to reveal that I was incapacitated. I merely look away "My brother was handling the affairs with Jin Guang Yao" I did not lie.

We reached the Chang Clan's house but we knew nothing would be found in there and so we proceeded towards the cemetery behind the house. Whilst there, I was about to say something when in my peripheral, we both found a man digging a grave.

"Hanguang-Jun" Wei Ying wispers "do you see that?" and I nod.

Unsheathing my Bichen, I used it to to disrupt the grave robber, when under the aura of Bichen, we see the man donning a mask and a black aura covering his face. He strikes back quickly and it surprises me. He knows Bichen. Not wanting to back down, a fight ensues, like him his sword is also masked so that we're unable to find its origin. When he knows he can't win against us, he uses his teleportation talisman and vanishes into this air.

Wei sprints towards the body left behind by the grave robber and we find what we had already expected. It's the torso of the hand. Quickly taking out a new soul trapping pouch, we secure the torso too.

"Hanguang-Jun, it seems they were following us" Wei comments and I agree with him. They have been observing our moves. As Wei Ying walks ahead of me, a small dread creeps into my heart. It won't be long before his identity is revealed and when that happens, I hope I can protect you.

"Hey, we're back" Wei Ying announces to the waiter from before who was keeping up his promise to look after the jars of liquor, Wei had left behind.

"Yes yes, see they're all here" he places his hand around Wei's shoulders and pulls him towards the table.

My hand around Bichen's hilt tightens and if the laws of Gusu weren't so strict, by now he would have been a different person. Rather not a person at all.

"I am leaving" I glare at the waiter who is taken aback and Wei Ying grins.

"Alright, alright, I am coming" he picks up the jar "thank you so much for your hospitality, we may come back for more" he smiles at the waiter.

Come back for more? Yeah right. Why don't you stay here forever. I don't wait for him, I walk out and he soon joins me.

"Why the long face, Lan Zhan?" he nudges my shoulders and I don't pay him any heed. Walking ahead, we come accross an Inn. Upon entering, I see the inn keeper "Do you have any rooms available?"

"Yes, would you require one or" he looks at Wei Ying "two?" and before I could answer, Wei jumps in "One please".

He shows us to our room and then walks away.

"Wow Lan Zhan, this is pretty" he looks around and grins "and they have only one bed" he laughs and looks at me.

"Shameless" I mutter and his laughter resonates around the room. It melts my heart. Keep smiling and laughing, Wei Ying.

He walks over to a table and pours two cups of liquor "Come, sit Lan Zhan. This isn't Cloud Recess, so there aren't any restriction here".

I sit next to him and watch the cup. I remember a time when I was drunk and what ensued is a mark that I would bear for eternity.

"Let's have a drink, Lan Zhan" there is a mischievous glint in his eyes. He wants me drunk.

Taking the cup in my hand, I look into his eyes. He's surprised. He thought I would deny.

Should I tell him the truth?