"Young master, did you fail to meet your father?"

  Granny Sha and Chen Yinying were both waiting for him to return when Ling Yun suddenly entered the room. One look at him and they realised something had gone wrong.

  There was a deathly calm expression on his face but they could feel the fury radiating from him. His muscles tensed, his fists tightly clenched, it was like he was desperately holding back the storm inside him.

  "My father was poisoned. It was no disease, someone deliberately tried to kill my father."

  There was a sudden silence after his pronouncement. Granny Sha was shocked that someone from the clan would try to kill the patriarch while Chen Yinying just looked at Ling Yun wth eyes filled with concern.

  "Young master, are you sure? The doctor said that-"

  "What the hell does that quack know?! He couldn't even help me or my sister!"

  Ling Yun yelled, his control on his emotions slowly unraveling. Granny Sha took a step back in fear. She had seldom heard Ling Yun raise his voice like that.

  "Calm down. I know you must angry but lets take a step back and think about what to do next."

  Chen Yinying was by his side, her hand lightly rubbing his arm to comfort him. She had seen her fair share of troubles and knew the best thing to do was to remain calm and collected.

  Ling Yun didn't answer and started chanting the Serene Ocean sutra. Instantly the turbulent fog cleared from his mind. From what he deduced, it must be a rank 1 poison. It would be an overkill to use a higher ranked poison on a Qi Refining cultivator. Also it must be something uncommon otherwise the village doctor would've identified it.

  Ling Yun didn't know any healing arts or much about poisons so he couldn't directly cure his father. But suddenly he had a brilliant idea. In the inheritance of Mu Feixue, there was a pill called Hundred Poisons Cleansing pill. Excluding some rare poisons, it could purify all rank 1 poisons. Although it was difficult to refine, this was his only chance of saving his father.

  "I have to go the Grey Mountain. There I can find the ingredients."

  Ling Yun didn't realise he spoke out loud causing confusion. Granny Sha started to think what he meant but Chen Yinying quickly put two and two together, understanding that he was going to refine an antidote.

  Without explaining further he turned back to the door, ready to venture outside to the mountain when his footsteps suddenly halted.

  I can't leave my father unguarded.

  During his reunion, he had sensed from his Third Eye that someone was spying on them. Not wanting to cause a commotion to alert others, he had ignored the spy. But now Ling Yun feared that if he left, the one behind the poisoning might take this chance to assasinate his father.

  Damn it, what should I do? If I stay here to watch over father, I can't gather the ingredients. But father hasn't got much time left. I have to go- no I can't leave father again! It was my fault father got poisoned because I left. I can't take the risk. If something happens to father because I wasn't here, then I would never forgive myself.

  Then what choice do I have? Why am I so useless?

  "Ling Yun, Ling Yun"

  A firm squeeze in his shoulder broke him from his troubling thoughts. He titled his head and saw Chen Yinying looking at him with worry.

  "I don't know what problems you are facing but you don't have to shoulder them all alone. Tell me so I can help you. Trust me."

  "Trust you?" Ling Yun scoffed and swatted the hand on his shoulder away. "I don't even know you."

  She was always hiding behind a curtain, never showing her true self. Ling Yun didn't care. He never wanted her trust because in this world, there was no such thing. Brahma had already told him, it's use and be used.

  She is offering to help me because she must wants something from me. But right now I'm getting tired of this. Let's just ask clearly and end with this game. Depending on what she wants, I can make a deal.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  "You don't have to tell me anything. Just tell me what do you want from me?"

  ***

  Chen Yinying saw him staring right into her eyes. At the tavern he had shared his past and opened up with her. But now he had again retreated back in his shell. Unlike her who hides because she wants to protect herself, Ling Yun unconsciously keeps a distance because he is afraid. Afraid to trust someone. He wants to get closer but couldn't.

  Again he was trying to maintain a distance, wanting to keep their relationship as a business deal. Before she would have welcomed it but now her feelings have changed.

  "My name is Chen Yinying and I am the current head of the Joyous Harmony sect. I own the Thousand Fragrance Palace."

  She could see his eyes widen in astonishment, not believing she would tell him the truth. She had set out on this journey to get close to him, to know what kind of person he is and to convince him to refine pills for her. Simply put, she wanted to make him a business partner.

  But after the time spend together, what she really wanted from him was-

  "Ling Yun, I want to become your friend. So please believe me, I really want to help you."

  He looked at her without a word, his blue eyes seemed to be searching her soul for any sign of duplicity. Without any fear, she held his gaze without flinching. She had enough of secrets, enough of maintaining a facade. It was slowly suffocating her. Earlier he had tried to take a step closer, now it was her turn.

  You will risk harm to save strangers so in your moment of trouble, I want to be the one who saves you.

  "Are you serious? Why are you doing this?"

  His voice was shaking a little as if he couldn't understand what made her reveal herself.

  "I know. I had once promised myself to never get involved in the affairs of others. Even now, some part of me is admonishing me for carelessly revealing my secrets. But my senior sister used to say that humans are not meant to be alone. We can't help but want to get closer to someone, anyone. No matter how cold we pretend to be, we are always drawn to the warmth and Ling Yun, I'm drawn to you."

  Time seemed to be frozen as both of them seemed to be lost in each other gazes. Pink was reflected in blue like a peach blossom flower floating on the surface of a serene lake. One was looking for signs of something while the other was ready to bare everything.

  They both were awakened from their trance by a slight cough from Granny Sha. "Young master what are you waiting for? She had confessed her feelings from the bottom of her heart and you are making her wait. Answer her quickly."

  Never had she blushed harder in her life as she realised how suggestive her words were.

  It's like a maiden's confession of love, don't tell me he really took it that way.

  Afraid to meet his gaze, she tried to look from the corner of her eyes and found he had turned his away, hiding his face from them. Even though she couldn't see his face, she spotted the red flush on the back of his neck.

  He is so embarassed that he can't even look at us.

  Suddenly finding this all too funny, she burst into peals of laughter. Ling Yun turned around and with just one look at her face, he joined in with her and both of them continued to laugh freely as the tension between them dissipated.

  After they both stopped, with a smile on his face he said, "I have to go outside to gather ingredients. Can I leave my father to you?"

  He wasn't questioning her intentions, just asking whether she was strong enough to handle any trouble coming her way.

  "I promise not a hair on your father would be harmed in your absence. Take your time to search without worry."

  His smile grew wider. "You aren't calling me master now?"

  She huffed at his attempt to tease her. "How can I call my friend master? If you accept me as your friend, you have to call me Yinying."

  "Okay, I'm counting on you, Yinying." With these final words, he left the room. She kept watching his back as long as she could till he disappeared in the darkness. The image of him smiling at her kept running in her head.

  When he smiles, he looks so nice.

  She shook her head, now was not the time for these things. Her expression tuned serious as she made her way towards his father's room.

  Let me see who dares to break the first promise I made to him.

  ***

  "So Ling Yun infiltrated the clan with a lady friend?"

  "Yes. He visited his father and now he had left the clan."

  Ling Jihua sat with three other cousins who were close to him. A servant stood infront of them as he told them everything detail what he had witnessed. He was one of Jihua's spy who informed him of every movement in the clan. A few days earlier, Jihua had specifically instructed him to watch over the room where the patriarch was staying and inform him of anyone who meets him.

  "Is that lady friend still here?"

  "Yes. She hasn't left. Don't worry young master, my little brother is keeping an eye on her."

  With a grim expression, Ling Jihua looked at his three cousins. "Even though I warned him, that cripple still dared to come here. He must be planning something."

  "You are right, big brother. He must have some evil designs on our clan."

  "Yeah, what else can we expect from him? He is the brother of that evil spirit."

  "Brothers I have a favour to ask." Ling Jihua said in a slightly louder voice getting their attention. "I want the three of you to capture that girl. Do it without causing any commotion."

  "Why big brother Jihua? Shouldn't we alert the elders?" One of them asked, confused by his decision.

  "I want to deal this matter by myself. I am going to be the next head of the clan, how long am I going to rely for every little thing on my father. Or are you scared of a single girl?"

  "Who said I'm scared?" Feeling miffed, the cousin spoke up. The other two also voiced their support. "Leave it to us, big brother Jihua."

  "Excellent. You three take care of her. I'll be going outside to deal with that cripple once and for all."

  Little brother, I told you to quietly leave this village. Why couldn't you help yourself? You just had to get involved.

  Well fine by me. My father had ordered me to ignore you before but I always wanted to show you your place. Time to learn a lesson from your elder brother.