Having left Gusu far behind us, Wei looks contended sitting atop of Lil'Apple as I walk by his side. A faint rattles of chains make me aware that we're not alone in this journey. He wants to be a part of this conquest and I know he's also here to protect Wei, I don't create a ruckus. We walk through the narrow mountains and I smile inwardly. This is indeed peaceful, but all too soon my steps hesitate when I hear him play his flute. More than his flute, it's the tune that he plays. The same one from before. The same which I sang for him in Muaxi Mountain.

He notices my hesitancy.

"Lan Zhan" he sounds excited "I think, I know how you recognised me!"

"Hm?" should I get my hopes high?

"If I am not wrong, this was the same music that you played for me back in Muaxi Mountain?"

"Hm"

He laughs excitedly "So if you could recognise this tune, that means no one has ever heard them?"

"No" my heart hammers.

"Who composed it?" He enquires further and this time I look at him "Me". His eyes warm and questions me "what's the name of this song?"

I look away "Not telling" my heart sinks, he does not remember.

"Well we can't have that, let me give it a name!" he thinks and then says "how about Lan Song? Or Zither? Or Zhan? Or heart?" When I don't pay heed to him, he whines and soon looses interest.

Wei Ying, I already have a name for our song and I won't accept anything else. Give it up. He's quiet and occasionally plays the flute. I must admit, he has always been an exceptional flute player. He was always good. Albeit that this bamboo is in no comparison with Chenqing but still.

Chenqing!

I wonder if I ask Jiang Cheng for Wei Ying's flute, would he hand it over? Would he be kind enough to reunite the spiritual instrument back to its master?

"Lan Zhan?" His ecstatic voice shakes me from my reverie and I look at him "hm?"

"Could you please take Lil'Apple's reigns in your hand?" He pleads.

"Why?" Lil'Apple has always been obidient, so why? "Come on Lan Zhan, save some face for me and hold his reigns" he pleads again and I oblige.

The moment I hold them, he gives me the most radiant smile and has a glazed look "Now all we need is a little one..." he mumbles and I look at him perplexed " Little one?"

"Nothing, Nothing. Just an old memory, Lan Zhan" he winks and continues to play his flute.

Having come accross a house, we stop when Wei witnesses a bunch of watermelon placed on the shelf. He picks up one and looks at me. I am about to place some money, when we hear a group of voices. Before I could react he pulls me behind the shelves, blocking their view of us he pushes me on the ground against the hays placed there. Lying on me, my eyes widen at the way we are positioned and I glare at him. He winks and shrugs as his hair falls over his shoulders and tickles my cheeks.

"What are you doing?" I whisper and he laughs "Lan Zhan, don't act so shy. It's not the first time I am above you!" He teases and I huff. That's different. That's private! This is... I look at him "Shameless" I murmur and he laughs.

He quietly listens to the couple who just entered the house and we deduct that they are the owners. The chatter is familial and warm. But I don't listen further, my eyes are on the man above me. My gaze caresses his cheeks, his ears, his jaw and his neck. My breath hitches as my heart at this very moment wants something more from him.

That's when my ears perk up when I hear the wife call her husband "Er Gege". Wei Ying quickly turns to look at me and grins "Lan Er Gege" he teases and I still. His ears are so close to mine and he teases again "Lan Er Gege" he whispers and my eyes close partially. Oh, the words from his lips.

He keeps whispering and I have had enough of the teasing, without a single noise, I reverse our position and pin him to the ground. Lips close to his, I warn "Stop". His eyes widen at our proximity and his hand comes to touch my face when I growl and he smiles "there is a hay stuck to your forehead ribbon" he pulls it out and shows it to me.

I am about to speak when we hear the wife say "Did you hear that the Yiling Patriarch is back?"

"Yes, I heard that. With all the grave digging and the corpses vanishing, I thought it was a rumour but now we have heard that he's back and is creating a havoc" the husband continues.

"I just wish he should stop troubling us and extract his revenge with who did him wrong and leave this relam again" she states frankly.

Looking down at Wei it hurts my heart to see his radiant smile vanish and in place of that is deep anguish. I pull him to me and embrace him. He gasps and slowly sinks into my embrace.

We both flinch when we hear an unholy roar and the next moment the family screams as they abandon their house. My Bichen is ready to strike down when Wei Ying pulls my lapels "Wait, Lan Zhan" he hears the roar again and nods. We leave our hideout and proceed towards the noise when a black monster walks in front of us. Instinctively I cover Wei Ying with my body to fend any attack when Wei Ying calmly questions "Wen Ning, what are you doing here?".

Noting now that the unruly monster is Wen Ning, I move away from Wei and he laughs at Wen Ning's attire. To camouflage himself, he had applied dirt on his face and covered himself with grass "Wen Ning, you haven't used your voice for so long, it sounds truly monstrous".

"Master Wei, all monsters have to look ferocious so" his eyes meet mine and quickly he starts wiping his face and tried to look presentable for...me? Laughing at his antics, Wei helps him out.

"What are you doing here?" Wei questions and Wen Ning answers dutifully "I heard them speak ill about you, I couldn't stand that so, I had to scare them".

My gaze lands on Wen Ning and somewhere in my heart I knew, on this realm if someone missed Wei Ying other man me, it had to be Wen Ning. The faith, the comradeship, the trust that they had for eachother, I wish their friendship continues till the end of time. I know Wen Ning makes Wei Ying happy and for that happiness, I shall accept Wen Ning with my whole heart.

"Hanguang-Jun" Wen Ning bows and I reciprocate. Both their eyes widen with surprise but they don't precipitate the matter.

"Wen Ning, how did you know we're here?" Wei questions and Wen Ning answers again "I have been following you".

"Since when?"

"Since Koi Tower" I answer and they both look at me.

"You knew, Lan Zhan?" Wei enquires and I answer "hm". We both turn to Wen Ning who has now cleaned himself and we observe, he's also covered in blood.

"They're not my blood, Master Wei. They are the blood of the corpses that I have been fighting with to clear your way" he answers and Wei looks at me.

"Lan Zhan, it's true. Jin Guang Yao did say that many corpses were on their way to Yiling. Now that I think about it, we did not find any. Wen Ning has been clearing our path" he looks back at Wen Ning proudly.

"Lan Zhan" he smiles once again "shall we all proceed towards Yiling?"

"Hm" is all I can answer. Watching Wen Ning and Wei Ying together, one on the donkey the other dutifully following, I smile. Hope you find happiness.

On reaching Yiling, various memories greet me. Some of them were pure and best and some painful.  This is where I met Wei and Sizhui. This is also where we parted last.

"Lan Zhan" Wei Ying looks around "do you remember this inn, I was supposed to treat you! But you ended up paying anyways" he laughs and I smile.

He talks to few vendors on the street and suddenly stopping in front of a toy vendor he looks dazed "If that child was alive, he would be fifteen". I hear that and gasp.

I look at Wei Ying to tell him the truth but he leaves and walks ahead. Wei Ying, that child is with me. You know him, my Wei Ying.

"Come on Lan Zhan, we need to reach the Burial Mountain" Wei smiles and I follow. At the footsteps, he ties Lil'Apple's reign and we enter the mountain. At the gate we find huge stones which were resurrected after he was killed. The power of the stones were to keep The Yiling Patriarch away but now that seems to be ruined. As we walk, we hear a sound behind us and we turn to watch Wen Ning hold some dark mud in his palm and mutter "Sister".

Wei Ying shifts beside me and when I look at him, a deep pain flashes in his eyes. "Come on, Wen Ning" he commands and starts walking ahead of us.

Watching him walk the same path he once was a king of, my heart hurts to see the same man so utterly broken today. He was a righteous man. Always will be. His methods are different but he's mine. I accepted that long ago.

Witnessing him talk to a skeleton on the ground and asking for the whereabouts of the people who have been taken to the Burial Mountain, I realise, how materialistic we all are. We shun anyone who is different from us, unwilling to give them a chance.

I am sorry Wei Ying. I was unable to help you back then. But now, now I am here.

We enter what once used to be his house, all charred and ruined. I remember the time from before. Every year I used to visit this place. Now, now I have him.

Just when we think it is abandoned, we hear light whimpers. Unsheathing my Bichen, we're ready for what we are to face.