Starlight Forest

Feeling relieved at last, Lin Han Xin decided not to confront his tardy teammate who was looking at him from the sides. The handsome young man simply continued on with his trainings, not bothered to pay his onlooker another glance.

Chen Jun Tian lets out a sigh of relief when he saw that his team leader did not get mad when he arrived. He was actually mentally prepared for a scolding but since young master Lin did not seem to care, Jun Tian could finally feel a bit at rest. He decided to leave the training grounds and head for his team's personal living space in one of the surrounding courtyards.

It took him quite a while to find the correct courtyard since it was the farthest one among the others. Jun Tian could already hear people chatting from inside of the building complex when he reached the entrance so he took in a deep breath before knocking on the doors. A few seconds later, the red gates made a creaking noise as it was opened, revealing a tall muscular man dressed in black satin hanfu who looked surprised when he saw the person standing in front of him.

"You're here..." Ao Xia Ming shot him a questionable glare.

"Who's here?" Fei Qing Niao appeared behind his muscular teammate, eager to find out who knocked the doors. The curiosity in his eyes was soon replaced by excitement when he saw the blue-cladded youth. "Senior brother Jun!"

"Chen Jun Tian is here?" A female voice called out when she heard the commotions coming from the entrance. Bai Ye Hua soon joined the trio as she glared at her distant cousin.

"I'm sorry for my tardiness." Jun Tian gave them an apologetic bow.

"Aish... You don't need to apologise, senior brother!" Qing Niao quickly stopped his dear friend and lightly pat his shoulders as a reassurance.

"It's good enough that you came." Young master Ao slowly shook his head. "With that being said, you should help us set up this old courtyard."

"Here." With a snap of her fingers, Ye Hua brought out an empty pot and handed it to the newcomer. "We ran out of water to cook dinner since we used it all to clean up this rundown building so go fill up this pot."

"I'll go with senior brother Jun since he doesn't know where is the spring!" Qing Niao claimed as he grabbed Jun Tian by the arms, dragging him away from the other two who went back inside of the courtyard.

Jun Tian did not even have time to decided as he was dragged by Qing Niao but it was not a bad idea since he did not know where to get the water so he just lets this silly junior of his lead the way. The latter brought him to the back entrance of their courtyard, where there was the large forest he saw when he first arrived at Xing Guang campsite. Jun Tian carefully analysed his surroundings since he might need this information in the future. He noticed that there was a narrowed well-worn path bordered by lush green grass and tall trees on each side with a tattered wooden sign planted in front of the pathway, directing them towards the spring. Jun Tian did not think too much about it and sheepishly followed young master Fei while carrying the large empty pot, waiting to be filled with fresh spring water.

The two youths walked side by side under the violet horizon as the sun slowly disappeared behind the vast sea of forest. The wind rustled through the trees on the sides of the pathway and fallen leaves slowly danced along the rhythm of the cold breeze of autumn. They did not know for how long they have walked because when they finally arrived at their destination, the sky was already jet black. The never ending darkness consumed everything but there were silver stars scattered across the vault of heaven like embers of a burning fire, illuminating the atramentous curtain of sky.

Those glittery speckles twirled and danced across the eerie darkness of the firmament in various patterns, tugging at the corners of Jun Tian's lips in a way that almost made him smile. It was hard to shove aside the worries corrupting his mind but eventually, he stopped walking over the rocky path and just stopped thinking as his fears quickly crumbled to dust beneath his feet. The hatred, the failures, the pain and sufferings he had endured all these years were now lingering at a faraway distance.

Living in the bustling Tao Yuan city for these past few years, Jun Tian did not get to see these beautiful blinking fairy lights in the dark somber night but he remembered that they looked like fireflies, burning brilliantly against the black satin sky of his hometown in the Central Plains. Sometimes, when it is specially dark, these twinkling dust-like particles light up so much that their brilliance could be mirrored from one's own orbs. Should there ever be layers and layers of serene clouds hiding them, they would still shine radiantly. As the saying goes, the darker the night, the brighter the stars. It is so surreal, making anyone wants to reach up for one and keep it in a tightly sealed jar. The night sky was like a feast for the eyes, enough to warm one's heart as if those faraway celestial bodies were perfect notes on an inky music sheet, performing a sweet yet nostalgic melody, which reminded him of the endless nights from the vast deserts.

The spring was glimmering under the luminous starlight. It was peaceful and statue still, laying as flat as a mirror without a single ripple in its crystal clear water. It felt as if time itself had been frozen. The waters were as clear as the most valuable rice wine that its depths could easily be seen with one's naked eyes. The two young men were completely awed by the idyllic scenery. It was such a welcoming sight.

"Let's fill up the pot quickly and return to the campsite!" Qing Niao exclaimed, snapping his companion out of his thoughts. "The senior brothers and sisters would be mad if we take too long to bring them back the water..."

Jun Tian simply nodded and brought the empty pot towards the water surface. At that moment, he felt as if his heartstrings were being pulled by an unseen force as he caught a glimpse of a familiar person passing by the other side of the spring.