Abrupt Decisions

Hua Zhao really wanted him gone, didn't he?

Xue turned away from the young man and went to gather the Body Tempering Elixirs he had stored in one of the chests. "I'm afraid your advice shall go unheeded." He glanced at the boy trying to speak up and cut him off. "I don't really need someone advising me on what to do or not to do, thank you though."

Hua Zhao remained silent after that.

Xue then separated some of the Body Tempering Elixirs but left the rest in the chest as he presented it to the human. "I hope this number of elixirs suffices you." It was more than enough to last him for a long time if he used it sparingly.

"I hope the money suffices you." Hua Zhao remarked, a slight jab of his own.

It was too reckless to trade blows, instead people could hurt with words more than fists could do. He managed a smile. "Someone once told me that you cannot buy everything with it… but I do hope it does." It was a silly thought, how much would he need to give Chan Lee to have some more of her time?

If classes were that important to her, he could definitely choose to let it go. But these events during weekends? He'd surely want them to go.

In the meantime, even Han Jing seemed to have gotten caught up with the wonders of the elixir—he wasn't visiting but Xue was actually glad of that.

For the first time in his life… he wanted to be a little more selfish.

It was such a weird thought.

The ones around him had always praised him for his kindness, for his ability to take care of Chang'e while separated from the earth and heavens. So it wouldn't be bad to want something for himself, right?

"Hey?" The child didn't like being ignored.

"Oh, right. The elixirs, here they are." He managed to give the guy a smile. It didn't matter that this person wanted him to disappear. In all honesty, what mattered was that Chan Lee wanted him here.

"...you're not planning to make your most famous elixir, are you?" Hua Zhao asked.

Once again, the concern sprung up. He chuckled. "Are you now interested?"

"No."

And like Chan Lee, this man gave the same answer. It was a miracle that many ages ago, people sought the pill for immortality but now they didn't want it?

"Cultivation is difficult work, the heavens do not easily let one ascend there..." Hua Zhao gave him a meaningful look. 

Xue sighed inwardly, he wasn't the one who chose to be rewarded. He had been brought out of the earthly realm thanks to one action while others struggled against the heavens and its tribulations. But that had been his fortune…

"But now I notice that you're changing the topic back to me again, I hope you don't consider it." Hua Zhao frowned once more.

"One can only hope." He answered with a smile.

Hua Zhao kept the chest in his spatial ring, a device Xue would have liked to purchase as well. "Where did Chan Lee go today? It's a surprise she left you." The man asked.

It was like a stab in the gut.

"She had to go somewhere."

The guy raised a brow. "Oh, she didn't tell you?"

It was another direct attack against him.

"It may have slipped through her mind, but I do know for a fact that she's going to her new work today." Xue explained with a tight smile. He probably shouldn't have answered.

"Work?"

"Yes, work." It was a bittersweet word. He admired her decision to spend her time on it… but he had a feeling that she only did it for his sake.

There was no other reason for her to take it otherwise.

"I assume you're the one to blame?" Hua Zhao asked.

He frowned and motioned to him. "I'm trying to make it up to her, by engaging in this." It was his first time making elixirs and pills to be sold.

"Ah yes, getting my money."

"I'm not simply asking though—I've given you more than enough."

"You didn't give me everything though, which is a surprise since I told Chan Lee that I'd be buying everything." He nodded toward the closet behind him.

"Those are personal reserves."

"... I doubt you need Body Tempering Elixirs, you're not making Chan Lee drink them are you?"

He doubted she would even consider a drop. "If you must know, I have also given some to her neighbor."

"What?!"

His voice was loud enough to make him wince. "I trust Han Jing has enough discretion—"

"The side effects!" Hua Zhao massaged his forehead. "And more than that, what if somebody else sees him using it?"

"No one, he's only doing it to improve his physical health."

"It's dangerous if he meets people who can identify the liquid, or he does something that reveals the capacity of ingesting the liquid."

Xue raised a brow, "I understand your immense wish to keep the peace in your city, but I'm positive that Han Jing will not fail to keep it a secret. Miss Chan Lee trusts him."

Hua Zhao sighed. "Perhaps she trusts him enough to tell where she is working?"

"...I'm not sure."

"Regardless of whether it slipped her mind, she should have at least told one. The city is safe but it's better if someone still keeps an eye on her."

"And that person is you?"

"Who else is fit with the role?" Hua Zhao shook his head. "It can't be you, you're no warrior or cultivator. As I've said earlier, it'd be best for you to leave as you could endanger her."

"These are not enough then?" He raised his wrist to show the bracelet. He didn't really like wearing it, but he had to. "You told me that these are enough to restrain my spiritual aura to not alert beasts and even cultivators."

"You've encountered Liu Guiren, he can be a dangerous enemy." Hua Zhao frowned.

The memory of the young master they've encountered at Chan Lee's university returned to him. "Is he your enemy?"

"As I've told you before, we have differing values but we're not opponents, we're trying to keep the peace around here." The man sighed.

"Then you could possibly be an enemy then, following your logic." Xue chuckled. "If this person could harm me, then you could do as well if you wanted to."

Hua Zhao glared at him. "I'm interested in protecting individuals who are not involved in this world of ours! Don't think otherwise! People like Chan Lee are best left alone, but Liu Guiren is willing to not abide by the rules to get what he wants. If a single word of you being from the heavenly realm goes out, he'll hunt you down!" 

Han Jing's earlier assessment of the man to be dangerous seemed to be true then. Xue had been hoping for otherwise, "Well, he knows I associate with you, I'm sure he wouldn't bother me." As he said that, even he knew that it was a little naive.

"You're an unknown individual, no name, no date of birth, and your strange looks—he would have already figured out that you're not human."

"With the money I have, wouldn't it be easy to purchase those? I'm sure you could have gotten some kind of cultivator's tool for concealing my appearances if it was that strange prior." Xue frowned.

"...you can purchase them, and I know someone, but they'll be asking questions." Hua Zhao frowned. "That's why I've decided to not bother. Liu Guiren won't immediately strike if he sees no value in you."

No value? "I'm the—" 

"Spirits are quite abundant, and they even deal around here. At most, he'd assume you're a new spirit coming from some secluded mountain, but he knows that you're associated with Chan Lee." Hua Zhao's brows furrowed together.

It was as if he simply remembered this now.

"Why are you still here then?" Those words left his lips too easily.

"What?"

His heart raced but not in the way it did when he was at Chan Lee's side. He tried to recall their previous conversation last night and the ones before that but found nothing of note. "I haven't heard Chan Lee mention him at all, but who knows if they've already encountered one another!"

"Don't give me an outburst, you're already asking me a favor." Hua Zhao narrowed his eyes at him. "Liu Guiren may have already has his eyes on her, but he's not one to act recklessly."

Xue pinched the bridge of his nose, the man was right. It was because he couldn't do anything on his own. "...I'm sorry, please find her. Perhaps we are overestimating the man but it'd be best if one can still check her." He had to hope, that this mistake wouldn't cost them gravely.

Hua Zhao left after that, no other words needed. Perhaps, it was because he was concerned of her as much as he was.

And now he was left, plagued with his thoughts and the familiar silence. He held back a smile and shook his head. And here he thought that he was already doing enough but the tiny incident at the university slipped his mind.

It wasn't his fault that the people were somewhat forgettable.

But he really should have considered it more.

Once again, he had to rely on the practitioner

...but couldn't he do it by himself if he really wanted to?

Would he really just sit here and do nothing? Wait for the young man to return with Chan Lee in his arms? The city wasn't all that big, surely he could find Chan Lee all by himself?