Wei Ying was putting off talking to Li XiWang.

He could talk to her about anything and everything, just not what he was supposed to. Every time Lan Zhan asked him, he would shrug it off, saying she wasn't ready, but in truth, he wasn't ready.

How would she react? Would she be frightened or scared? Or would she accept his plan as the best course of action? And all the while he delayed, the ever present threat of another attack loomed on the horizon, a silent danger gnawing away at his insides.

Zhitiao had stopped eating or drinking anything, two days had passed already.

Wei Ying was worried about her too. Not just the fact that she didn't trust them at all, hence her extreme reaction to the truth serum, but if something happened to her, they would bring about a sure retribution from her sisters.

And Wei Ying hated inviting trouble.

He had already worked closely with the ward casters of Cloud Recesses, and even earned their praises; they had reported back to his XiChen-Ge full of good things to say about his suggestions.

Wards and talismans were his forte after all, and Wei Ying never minded sharing what he knew with those who needed it.

But, today was the day.

He woke up with a new resolve; that today he would talk to Li XiWang and tell her everything he knew so far.

So when her teacher left for the day, Wei Ying sat down next to her.

"What's wrong, father?" She asked him, immediately.

Wei Ying sighed. Was he that easy to read?

The walls of the Jingshi seemed to close in on him, making him feel jittery in response.

"Can we...shall we go for a walk?" He suggested instead.

She nodded and stood up, slipping her little hand into his bigger one, when they left. She tugged on his hand, and when Wei Ying looked at her, she gave him a beautiful smile.

Perhaps they did not need words then, because Wei Ying read many emotions in her expression. She was smiling just for him, but it was to tell him not to worry. Her eyes held a little bit of fear, and resolve to deal with whatever he was going to say.

His little girl was so brave.

Summer in Gusu filled Wei Ying with joy. Flowers bloomed everywhere they looked, hidden in the tiny nooks and crannies of the mountainside. Wei Ying breathed deeply, noticing the many floral scents, mixed in with the essence of Cloud Recesses.

Even as a child of merely sixteen, he had appreciated the magnificent beauty of this place, never imagining that it would become his home permanently.

Green lush leaves decorated the many varieties of trees upon the higher slopes, this well trodden track giving them a glimpse into the healing qualities of where they walked.

Silence settled comfortably upon them, as they walked, enjoying the warmth of the sun on their faces, cooled by the mountain air. Wei Ying found a tree stump, wide enough for them both to be seated, that someone had cleverly levelled out.

"Let's sit over there." He pointed at it with his free hand.

Li XiWang obediently sat next to him, playing with his fingers in her lap. Her face was so full of trust, and love, that Wei Ying half expected himself to abandon his plan...but, the words of his uncle came back to whisper in his ear.

Fear can be paralysing. Embrace change with open arms.

So it was now or never.

"So...Li XiWang, I have to tell you some things." How to begin, he wondered, searching for the right words.

"Is it about you thinking Cloud Recesses might be attacked soon, because those tattooed freaks think I'm the threat? Or is it because they can raise the dead, as many as they like? Or that they can get through the wards?" She beamed at his face, shocked that she already knew most of what he planned on telling her.

"How do you know all this?" Wei Ying finally asked her.

He was scrutinising her face, looking for any sign that she was worried or stressed, but...there was nothing.

"Hui Gai told me. Well, actually, " she drew out the word. "I made him tell me."

"Really?"

"Really!" There was a black flash, and the demon appeared.

He took one look at Li XiWang and rolled his eyes.

"Why?" Wei Ying asked, shoulders slumping because the adrenaline was slowly pumping out of his system.

"She noticed you were worried for a long time. And you wouldn't exactly tell her anything important. So she asked me." The demon licked his red lips.

"And you didn't stop to think there might have been a reason I didn't say anything?" Wei Ying stared at both of them.

Hui Gai looked down, but kept glancing at his partner in crime.

"But father, you were worried about nothing." Li XiWang took his arm. "See? Now we can just sit here and enjoy this beautiful day."

He tried to glare at her, but she giggled, and then of course, it was a lost cause. They both started laughing and then Wei Ying pounced, tickling her until tears leaked out from her burgandy eyes.

"Stop! Please! Stop!" She cried, still hiccuping with laughter.

When they had calmed down, he finally asked her a serious question.

"So what do you think we should do?"

"I think your plan is great, actually." She told him confidently. "If you take me away from here, they won't gave a reason to attack. Except, well, the one who's still here. Of course, if she came with us, that would be fixed."

"What do you mean?" Wei Ying asked her, but he was glaring at Hui Gai. Is there nothing you didn't tell her?

Hui Gai grinned enigmatically at him and returned to examining his nails.

"Well, I might not be here, but they might still come for her. So we should take her with us. It makes sense." Li XiWang added, cheekily.

"What if she escaped?" Wei Ying asked, beginning to like this plan.

"Hui Gai won't let her. Isn't that right, Hui Gai?" She asked him directly.

"Indeed." The demon smiled with all of his pointy teeth.

Wei Ying thought they both were enjoying themselves far too much.

"When should we go?"

She was about to answer, when her eyes closed.

Wei Ying stared at her, his hand just inches away from her shoulders, when she opened them again. But this time, her eyes were silver white.

With her first finger, she touched the centre of Wei Ying's forehead.

Bam!

He was in another place.

The sun shone high up in the sky, and far away in the distance, Wei Ying could see a cerulean blue, waters shimmering in the light. He looked around to see himself standing next to a broad tree, its trunk larger and wider than any he had seen before. This was a weeping willow, its branches extending far and across, reaching for the ground again in order to plant new roots, for new life.

Fields tilled and ready for planting surrounded him. Orange groves and orchards to his left, and then a herb garden to his right. He saw children playing with an old woman. Was she their grandmother? But the way she sat, and the way she played with them, belied her age. She was more spritely than SiZhui.

When she turned to face him, a smile playing on her lips, Wei Ying forgot how to breath.

She was a carbon copy of what Li XiWang would like in maybe twenty years time.

"Come and find me. This is where my heart lies."

The voice echoed in his mind, even as the connection was broken.

Wei Ying opened his eyes to find Lan Zhan staring worriedly at him, while Hui Gai had caught Li XiWang just before she passed out.

"I'm sorry, Pengyou. I did not know what was happening to you." Hui Gai gestured with his eyes at Lan Zhan.

Meanwhile, Lan Zhan had been trying to make some rogue traders see his point of view, when the demon had appeared.

"My friend is in danger." He had said and grabbed Lan Zhan's robes, teleporting to where Wei Ying looked as if he was in serious trouble, gasping.

They separated the two immediately, now taking care of them both.

"You did well, demon." Lan Zhan said, not looking at him.

Wei Ying still looked dazed. Lan Zhan took his pulse, just to make sure.

"Lan Zhan, I think...I think she was trying to show us where to go." Wei Ying stood up but his legs were still shaking, so he sat back down again.

"Let's go back." Lan Zhan told him.

"I will take her." Hui Gai picked up the still unconscious girl and vanished.

Lan Zhan picked up Wei Ying and mounted Bichen. Wei Ying held on tightly, unable to let go of the image of Li XiWang from his mind. How was it that Bai Hua looked the same as his daughter? How was that possible?

The only difference was their hair. Bai Hua had all white hair, but Li XiWang only had one lock, that had changed since her first transformation.

When they reached the Jingshi, Wei Ying held onto Lan Zhan, who could not understand why Wei Ying was so shaken. But patiently, he held his husband close, waiting.

After a while, Wei Ying looked at him.

"I can't tell you what I saw. You have to perform Empathy. I want you to see."

Lan Zhan nodded.

"Can...can XiChen-Ge be there, too? I would feel much better if he can look after us." Wei Ying returned to the safety of his arms.

"Whatever it is, we can solve it together." Lan Zhan told him.

Together.

It was such a wonderful word.