Bad Credit

The impostor had left the area, and so there was nothing to interfere. Through a loud cry from the cat, Sun Yin confirmed that she had gone away. She released the final hand seal and closed her mouth. She ran towards the front lines and passed by Lin Kun. When the corpses eyed on her, she spewed out the dark energy building inside her.

A surge of dark energy pulsed along the grounds again. However, instead of merely a feeling, the pulse tore the corpses in pieces. It was as if Sun Yin used the dark energy she gathered to disrupt the ones inside their bodies. With the dark energy gone, the body was nothing but a worn vessel of a corpse. The force was responsible for tearing them apart.

Sun Yin breathed loudly, expelling the remaining dark energy left in her through her mouth. She then covered her mouth with a hand, staring at the massacre before her. It was her first time to see her Cinder Army in such a state. She would cry in pain for seeing her children like this, but she was more overcame by rage. Someone was not properly using her creations, which ended up destroyed by her hands.

The night breeze had gone cold again now that the fire was out. She felt the cold sting her skin from all over before a robe was placed on her back. She turned and saw Lin Kun patting his robe to fit her shoulders.

"A woman shouldn't be left so naked in public. You should put your clothes back on," he spoke like a gentleman that his predecessors never were. She nodded before leaving his side.

In a span of a few minutes, another siege was over. However, unlike earlier, there were minimal deaths and damage. The corpses were all burned so it was hard to find the remnants of the disciples that died in the fire-stricken ground. Lin Kun stood in front of the blackened patch in the meadow where the fight happened.

"They fought well." Sun Yin could not help but join him again, with Lu Bang unwillingly following her around. She had to shed tears for her lost children at least.

"You should be tired. A lot had happened tonight." The master turned to the woman who was not even finished tying the jacket of her hanfu. He turned away. "Thank you for helping us. I do not see why you must, but… I still thank you."

"I need to see the room of your father." Sun Yin pulled her sash from Lu Bang's arm. "I need to know how many cores he found. The very least, I need to know if he found Yuanyan." She wrapped and tied the sash. "Then again, do you mind hosting me for another day? I feel exhausted."

Lin Kun turned to her with a polite smile. "Then I shall."

Lu Bang raised his hand. "Can you give her a proper handmaiden? I don't want to stay with her all the time."

The brother nodded after freezing for a second. "Of course, Lu Bang. Neither was I planning to leave you with her like that."

"Since we're at it, may I stay in your quarters, Master Lin?" She made a foxy smile despite the fatigue showing on her face. "I doubt they would question you giving me the best service there is in Huayuan."

"Why do you want to stay in my quarters?"

"Because it was the most undisturbed room in the temple."

In fact, Sun Yin was correct. The master of the sect was left undisturbed unless grave trouble was upon the city or guests from another sect arrived. Lin Kun saw no problem with it, mainly because he would be able to keep an eye on her. This vulgar, shameless woman should not be left unattended.

It was already past midnight when all had been done. Sun Yin and Lin Kun were staying in the master's quarters, Lu Bang left to sleep in his own room. Instead of lying down on the bed, the two sat on the floor in a lotus position, shoulder to shoulder while facing the bed. They decided not to sleep but do breathing exercises to recover as much energy as they could.

Four hours passed before they both felt the footsteps coming towards the room. Lin Kun got up first before Sun Yin dove to the bed. The man ignored her as he flattened the creases in his robes with his hand. He walked to the door, but the handmaiden beat him into opening it.

"Master Lin, your breakfast—" "Ah, Little Kun, is it morning already?"

Both Lin Kun and the handmaiden threw their gazes to Sun Yin who was on the bed. She untied her hair and sprawled on the bed, under the sheets. The handmaiden gasped with a hand on her mouth and a bright red blush across her cheeks. However, Lin Kun only made a waning face.

'How fast can this woman undress herself? I just let her out of my sight a second ago.' He accompanied his thoughts with a sigh.

"Yes, yes, Big Sister Yin. Please get up and be decent." Lin Kun gave up on correcting her.

However, it sounded different to the handmaiden. She managed to deliver the breakfast before running out of the room and the hallway in embarrassment. Lin Kun only watched her disappear before closing the door. He sat on his guest table and separated his share from hers.

"Lady Sun, please refrain from confusing the people around you. There will be a day that it won't be funny anymore," Lin Kun spoke without paying attention to her. However, her silence had attracted him. He turned to her and saw that she was indeed sleeping on his bed. Perhaps the comfort of the mattress forced her to rest some more.

Lunch time soon came, and Lu Bang just had to go with them. By them, he meant Lin Kun and Sun Yin. However, he ended up eating with his brother alone while watching over the sleeping maiden. The master of the sect had already tried waking her up thrice but to no success. Even the smell of food failed to rouse the Bride from her sleep.

The evening had arrived, and Lin Kun was already worried. Sun Yin had not moved from her sprawled position for hours, and Lu Bang was forced to move her limbs and place her in a decent position. The two took their dinner in his quarters once again, watching over her. They had her checked by medical practitioners, but they confirmed nothing was wrong with her. She was only sleeping.

This had continued for two more days. Nothing bad happened for the past couple of days, but Lin Kun seemed to be anxious about Sun Yin's condition. She showed no weakness before falling into a sleep designed for the dying. Did she overestimate her body by overdoing her techniques? Or was it an effect of the dark energy she swallowed that night? Questions plagued Lin Kun's mind, making him decide to lie down next to her.

She was cold. Lin Kun panicked once again. He took off his outer robe and pressed it on her before placing a second blanket to warm her. He cupped his hand on her face and felt the cold snow skin of the maiden.

"She looks like she's dead…" Lin Kun whispered as he rubbed his hand against her cold cheek. "Sun Yin… Sun Yin, please wake up."

"Still not awake?" Lu Bang entered the quarters and closed the door behind him. He sat on the foot of the bed and felt the woman's feet. "Wow, is she dead?"

"There's still a pulse, and she breathes." Lin Kun hummed before clearing her beautiful face from stray locks caused by his actions. "What happened to Lady Sun? I've never seen anyone grow so cold like this."

"Well, we haven't seen an immortal before." Lu Bang went to the other side of the bed and checked the woman's breathing by placing his hand over her nose. "Even the air she breathes is cold. Should we call someone?"

Lin Kun stared at her. He only looked up to his brother before he looked back at her face. "Perhaps we should warm her, Lu Bang. I'm a little worried about her condition. Not to mention that the Huiqi Tiger refused to leave the western gates."

The placid brother frowned as he watched Lin Kun get under the sheets and make him comfortable next to Sun Yin. "You can just say you miss your bed. No, I'm not joining you." He sat at the foot of the bed and assumed a lotus position. "I'll just keep watch. Go on and sleep. I'll knock her out if she tried anything on you."

"Don't be so cruel to her, brother." Lin Kun laughed out before closing his eyes. For some reasons, he felt the need to hold Sun Yin's hand under the cover. However, it felt like he was being drained as he slept without moving.

The clock ticked, and Lu Bang had fallen asleep as he sat in his place. Since the watcher had been knocked out, none of the brothers knew that Sun Yin was already seated on the bed. Her fingers were locked interlace with Lin Kun's. Her small smile was cast on the younger one.

As well as her eyes that had turned white like the dead.