Daden Yaonu and XiChen were waiting for them with Uncle Qiren in the Great Hall, when Lan Zhan and Wei Ying returned.

"How is Shui?" Wei Ying asked her. He had noticed Jiang Cheng was absent.

"I've left Li XiWang with him, and your son. As it is, I have some information for you, that perhaps you might decide not to share with your daughter just yet." Daden Yaonu smiled kindly. "How is her cultivation going? Have you noticed any changes?"

"Actually, yes! She meditates for at least four hours a day, and she's definitely increasing her strength." Wei Ying gushed.

"That is good. I am not sure how the following involves her, but I would imagine that the stronger she is, the better it will be for everyone, in the end." Daden Yaonu nodded to XiChen.

XiChen immediately placed a silencing ward upon the Great Hall, effectively protecting them from eavesdroppers.

"As you know, my father is the Great Phoenix of Peace. I arranged to meet with him. While he could not provide me with any new information about Li XiWang's parents, however, he had much to tell me about Bai Hua."

"Really?" Wei Ying was excited. He hadn't been able to give much thought to this problem since they had gotten back, because he was still awaiting an opportunity to talk to Li XiWang about what happened to her on the beach, the day she had saved Lan Zhan. The truth was, he didn't want to do it alone, and Lan Zhan wasn't available before.

Lan Zhan took his hand under the table, and Wei Ying already felt so much better.

"We will talk with her soon." Ever in tune with whatever he was thinking, Lan Zhan smiled at him.

"What did your father say?" Wei Ying turned to face Daden Yaonu.

"He said Bai Hua was the famous Healer of the Heavens, and she was an immortal who was assassinated."

They were all quiet, busy digesting what she had said.

"So...what else did he say? About her? Because I thought if you were immortal, you couldn't die...right?" Wei Ying asked, quietly.

Lan Zhan pulled him closer.

"It all depends on their levels of cultivation," she told him. "However strong your core is, that will determine what happens. Our bodies are still made from the five elements; it stands to reason that they must perish. Our souls retain memory, and that is the most important thing. A person can easily be reborn and not remember a single thing from their past life, and yet, it will take only a trigger to awaken memories."

"Indeed." Uncle Qiren said, joining in the conversation now. "There have been stories, people remembering through a certain scent, or taste, and suddenly they are filled with memories of an entirely different body."

"Then, wouldn't that be true of everyone? What if we are all reborn and have no recollection of our previous lives?" Wei Ying shuddered. He looked at Lan Zhan, his thoughts completely transparent on his face.

"In most cases, it is a blessing." XiChen said. "It would be a terrible burden to recall past suffering, rendering this type of amnesia a good thing."

Wei Ying nodded, not letting himself think about where his mind had gone.

"Who assassinated her, and why?" Lan Zhan swiftly asked, squeezing Wei Ying's hand to comfort him.

"There are several theories about why. She was a notoriously strong minded woman. And highly skilled. No one could match her talents, and she never failed to cure a patient if she put her mind to it. There were and still are many rumours pertaining to her death, some of which involve the Children of the Tree."

Uncle Qiren and XiChen both gasped. Wei Ying was sure Uncle Qiren had gone several shades lighter.

This must be serious then.

"Who are the Children of the Tree? And why do you look like that?"

"Brother Wei, their name is not to be taken lightly. They are the elite, and nothing can stop them." XiChen poured tea for everyone, but he could not stop his hand from shaking.

"The Children of the Tree are highly trained assassins. They are born with a single focus, and that is to protect Mother Earth. Their first allegiance is to the Tree of Life, that is how they got their name: Shu De Haizi." Uncle Qiren stroked his beard. "I do not want you to get involved with them." He was looking at Wei Ying when he said that last part.

"Surely, all of that is over with, Uncle?" Wei Ying patted his knee.

XiChen grinned at Lan Zhan who was smiling at their exchange.

"Not necessarily. If as you said, Suanni recognised Bai Hua in Li XiWang, what is to say that they won't come after her?"

"What?" Wei Ying stood up, agitated. "They'll come after my daughter? I won't let them!"

"It is only a theory for now. Keep your inquiries secret, at least until we know more." Uncle Qiren advised.

Lan Zhan tugged his hand and Wei Ying sat down, reluctantly.

"What else did he say?" XiChen prompted Daden Yaonu.

"Just that they care not for human life. Their sole purpose is to protect the Tree, and to that end, they will kill anyone who gets in the way. They wish to preserve their way of life. Anything or anyone who tries to change that is regarded as a threat." Daden Yaonu sighed. "I'm sorry to be of no more help."

"It's quite the opposite." Wei Ying told her. "You have given us something to work with. For example, we can safely guess that Bai Hua did something to upset these people, if they're actually the ones to have killed her."

"What are you going to do?" Daden Yaonu asked him, curiously.

"You said to keep our inquiry secret, right?" Wei Ying grinned at Uncle Qiren. "Well, I know someone who can help with that."

*******

They returned to the Cold Pond after the meeting.

The children were happily swimming with Shui, playing with the water and tossing a ball around. When Shui saw Wei Ying, he abandoned the game and came up to the water's edge, smiling joyfully.

"Come. Come." He pulled on Wei Ying's robes, wanting him to enter the water.

Wei Ying normally avoided the Cold Pond, even if Lan Zhan was encouraging about it, but now he looked at his husband.

"Can I?"

"Mn."

Wei Ying kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

"No need. Will go and talk to Brother. About assistant." Lan Zhan left them to it.

Wei Ying stripped off his upper robes and got into the water. Shui was no longer interested in playing. He grabbed Wei Ying's hand and placed it on his own head, twice. When Wei Ying understood what he meant, he laughed.

"Okay, what a good boy Shui is." He began patting him on his head.

Shui curled into his chest and purred, while Li XiWang and SiZhui resumed playing.

It was much later in the evening, when Lan Zhan came to collect him, complete with dry clothes and towels for everyone.

"Do not worry about Shui, I will stay here with him." Daden Yaonu told them.

Shui had become quiet when Wei Ying was leaving, but Daden Yaonu had made him feel better.

As they approached the Jingshi, Wei Ying remembered something.

"Um, Lan Zhan? Do you mind if I come in a bit later? I'll be right here, but I need to talk to someone first."

"Mn. Be careful." Lan Zhan led Li XiWang inside, closing the door behind them.

"Hui Gai?" Wei Ying called out.

The demon appeared in an instance.

"Pengyou!" He held out his arms first. "I missed you."

Wei Ying hugged him, feeling the familiar cold scales on his back.

"You know you can visit me anytime? You don't have to wait until I call you. Which sadly, is when I need something." Wei Ying sighed, regretfully. "And for the record, I missed you too. So much."

They held each for a while. It was a nice feeling.

"Why did you call me?" Hui Gai took his hand and walked together with him to the bench.

He held his triangle shaped tail in his hands, his red tongue licking his lips now and again. Wei Ying found it...endearing.

"How have you been?" He asked first. "Are you happy?"

"I could be happier," he answered, giving Wei Ying a pointy toothed grin.

"No." Wei Ying knew what he wanted. "And you still have to fix Jiang Cheng. I know it was you!"

"I can smell him a mile away!" Hui Gai cackled.

"I have another favour to ask. It's about Li XiWang."

The demon immediately became serious.

"What about her? She seems fine." He added, after a moment.

"It's two things, actually." Wei Ying admitted. "Firstly, I need you to make discreet inquires about someone called Bai Hua. She is called the Healer of the Heavens, and she was killed by the Children of the Tree. We need to find out why, but no one must know why we want to know."

"Fine. What's the second thing?"

Wei Ying took a deep breath. His next words would change everything for the trigger happy demon.

"You must defend her life, no holding back. Protect her with everything you have, I don't care. She must be safe."

"Really?" Hui Gai looked entirely too happy at the prospect. "I can do anything? No limits?"

Wei Ying nodded. "None."

"Why?" The demon asked suspiciously. "What do you think is going to happen? Who's coming after her?"

"It's nothing I know for sure, but Uncle Qiren thinks the Children of the Tree."

"That old fart?" Hui Gai scoffed.

"You take that back, right now!" Wei Ying said, standing up. "Uncle Qiren is nice now. I like him."

"Anyway," Hui Gai avoided that topic, "you don't worry about the little girl. No one will get close to her."

"Okay. Thank you, Hui Gai." Wei Ying looked visibly relieved. "You know I love you, right?"

"Prove it." Hui Gai held out his arms, invitingly.

Wei Ying went willingly, earning a contented sigh from the demon.

"I love you too."

*****

A little while later, Wei Ying eased open the doors of the Jingshi. Lan Zhan was waiting at the table for him, having made some tea. He held his arms open too, and Wei Ying grinned.

He made himself comfortable while Lan Zhan poured him a cup. When he had the Jade's full attention, he smiled.

Golden eyes twinkled back at him warily.

"Hello." Wei Ying kissed his nose.

"Mn. Wei Ying is happy."

"Yes, I am." He confirmed. "I feel better after talking to Hui Gai. I...I told him to defend our daughter...and...and not to hold back."

"Mn." Lan Zhan sounded as if he agreed.

"You approve?"

"Mn. Our daughter must be safe. Wei Ying is right."

Wei Ying beamed at him and gave in to the ever present urge to kiss the super hot man underneath him.

"Have I told you how much I love you today?" He whispered to smiling lips.

"Wei Ying can say it again."

"I can." But he didn't, just smiled more at the growing agitation on his husband's face.

"Say it."

Wei Ying shook his head, giggling. "Now that you want me to say it, I won't."

"Are you sure?" Lan Zhan looked...threatening, but this only made him giggle more.

"Yes."

The moment that word left his lips, long pale fingers started tickling his ribs, until he shrieked, "mercy! Please, I beg you! And I love you so much."

Tears shone from his eyes. Wei Ying had somehow ended up on the floor, the Jade just centimetres away from him, staring down at this beloved face.

His cheeks were red from laughing too much,  silver eyes bright with mischief, and a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead.

Lan Zhan loved him so much right then.

"Lan Zhan?"

"Mn?"

"You know...you know what we were all talking about before, in the Great Hall? Do you...do you think we will be together in our next life?" His face was full of fear now.

"Mn."

"Really? How are you so sure?"

Lan Zhan's heart broke at innocence in his voice, the childish desire to want everything to be okay.

"I believe in you. In us. We will be together. We will."

Lan Zhan pulled him up into a warm hug. "Wei Ying must believe too."

Wei Ying sniffed. "Okay,  Lan Zhan. If you say that, I believe you."

"We are strong cultivatiors. We will be together."

"Together."