Qui Yang

Rui Yan

Shadow Sect Branch Quarters

Qui Yan sat in a luxurious seat at the head of a table with his eyes closed in concentration. His brows were wrinkled and his left eye twitched every five seconds.

The other five people seated castes wary glances at each other but kept quiet, knowing not to disturb their master.

The door to the room suddenly banged against the wall and a young boy rushed in calling out which effectively broke the master's concentration.

The five at the table groaned in despair.

'Jiao!'

They all screamed at him in frustration.

The master slowly inched his eyes open with a sigh.

'Jiao, how many times have I told you to not come in here?'

The little boy was no longer brimming with excitement and the beaming smile had vanished.

He looked down at the ground and his head hung in shame.

'I'm sorry father,' he whispered in a sincere voice.

Qui Yang shook his head but couldn't help the smile that made its way to his wrinkled face.

He had been trying for hours to locate the cause of the strange feeling he'd been getting.

For a few days he'd been getting a bizarre phantom burning pain.

After this happening he felt a powerful aura that was shrouded in darkness close by. That was the sole reason of him even visiting Rui Yan.

He had a inkling that those two things were linked somehow. It would be too much of a coincidence if they were not.

Just when he had come close to piecing the puzzle together Jiao rushed in. He had even felt the aura getting closer, so close it felt like it was right in his palm.

He couldn't blame him. He had been very busy working with the sect and his son hardly saw him for personal matters.

'What is it, Jiao-er,' he asked him.

The boy's eyes suddenly lit up again like he remembered something.

'I have two people I want you to meet, father.'

Qui Yang's eyebrows rose and so did the brows of everyone else in the room.

How would the Young Master meet someone if he hadn't been out?

Qui Yang motioned to Jiao and he dashed out to return later- at a much slower pace- with Xueyu and Bao Wei.

Two hours earlier...

Everyone stared at the two people who steadily made their way through the crowd. Stopping here and there to look at little trinkets and just to take in the village.

One was a heavenly man with a face carved by the gods and the other was a quite pretty girl whose beauty was obscured by the unkempt dress she wore.

They seemed to be minding their own business, chatting animatedly as they moved along.

'So who is it you have to meet?'

Bao Wei's curiosity got the best of him.

'My father only told me his name, Qui Yang. He said if anything ever happened to them I should look for Qui Yang,' she muttered back to him.

'Qui Yang? The Qui Yang?'

Xueyu felt a spark of hope bloom in her chest.

'Do you know him?'

Bai Wei scoffed.

'I wish and so does every other person in the Nether and Ethereal Realm.'

She wrinkled her brows and Bao Wei sighed.

He explained it all to her as they walked through the bustling street.

'Qui Yang is the only one who has broken through to the Celestial Realm at just the age of 50.'

Xueyu face didn't change as she waited for the punch line.

'Fifty? Huh? That's quite a long time. Not that impressive,' she brushes it off.

Bao Wei was shocked.

'Little girl are you mentally fine? After all my teaching this disciple has still learnt nothing?'

'The previous man who broke through to the Celestial Realm took 90 years to do it. For Qui Yang to break through at just 50, it is a rare phenomena.'

Xueyu mouth formed an o.

She whined in frustration.

'It takes that long to break through?'

All hope of standing on the peak of the heavens died with that realisation.

Her shoulders drooped and she slumped forward.

Bao Wei was confused at her reaction.

Sometimes he simply did not understand the girl.

Because her head was held down Xueyu couldn't see the speeding figure that was coming straight for her. Of course Bao Wei-as usual- was caught up in his own mind and so when he realised Xueyu had already been knocked to the ground.

The flying figure had also been thrown its back from the impact of the collision.

Xueyu groaned as the pain from the previous back injury started to start afresh.

Bao Wei helped her to her feet then looked over at the young man who had gotten up and was dusting himself off.

'I'm so sorry,' he apologised.

'I was in a big rush and wasn't even looking where I was going.'

Xueyu frowned at him.

He looked to be around her age but a bit older.

'Next time watch where you're going so this doesn't happen to someone else,' she chided.

'I will. I will. Let me repay you as a form of apology. I'll give you anything you want,' he said in a rush.

'I doubt you have anything I'd want,' she replied.

He scratched his head watching awkwardly as Xueyu straightened herself and hobbled off.

'So where would I start looking for this Qui Yang?'

The youth heard Xueyu's question and a bulb went off in his head.

He creeped up behind Xueyu and Bao Wei then stuck his head between theirs.

'So you're looking for Qui Yang?'

Xueyu glared at him and in a dismissive tone said, ' Get lost.'

He stopped and gripped his heart.

In the middle of the street he lifted his eyes to the sky and let out a wail.

Both Xueyu and Bao Wei turned and gave him funny looks.

'Bao Wei do you think we should quickly run away from this madman,' she whispered softly.

Bao Wei only nodded his head and then they both got to speed walking away.

Jiao felt wronged.

He only wanted to help and they were running away.

He jogged until he caught up to them and blurted out, 'Qui Yang is my father.'

They didn't give him a second glance and just increased their pace.

'I'm serious,' he whined.

Xueyu stopped abruptly.

'Really,' she asked not believing him.

'I'm Jiao. The only son of Qui Yang.'

'Well if you're his son then he must be here. Why don't you take me to him?'

Xueyu presented him with what she was sure would be a challenge.

You can imagine her surprise when Jiao only shrugged and agreed.

'Follow me.'