Bonds: The Kang and The Hai

That evening both clan leaders set out with a group of their best disciples to meet in the town of Pi the next day. In order to reduce the chances of eavesdropping snoops, clan leader Kang rented out the entire inn. The two clan leaders sat alone, across from each other in the dining area of the inn. After various dishes had been prepared, and served, the clan leaders requested the dinning area to be cleared of all personal, not even their disciples were present.

"Clan leader Kang, it has been so long since we sat down for a meal, have you been well?", said clan leader Hai.

"I have thank you and yourself?", clan leader Kang responded not bothering to look clan leader Hai in the eye as he spoke.

"Yes, I've been quite well."

"I want to express my gratitude to you and your son for accompanying mine on such an uncertain assignment.", said clan leader Kang, finally looking up.

"There is no need, we are brother clans, it is no surprise they ended up lending a hand to each other. Hai Yin tells me that the young master was injured, how are his wounds?"

"Healed, he is as resilient as ever.", the handsome tight knit browed clan leader responded.

"Ah yes, he will make a fine clan leader one day.", clan leader Hai praised the heir to the Kang clan.

"Sometimes I wonder, the brat grows more obstinate by the day.", clan leader Kang squinted his eyes and clan leader Hai let out a chuckle, "As does mine, would they truly be our heirs if they did not question us?"

"This is true.", clan leader Kang agreed. "Perhaps Kang Lei should spend some time in Mount Grace."

"That could be arranged, my Hai Yin is quite the model disciple. He may be strong minded, but he would not dare disobey."

"Then maybe I will take you up on that offer, shall we get down to business?"

"Ahh yes. Between the Village of Xitang and the town of Gu, many bodies have gone missing. Unfortunately, we were not able to locate the whereabouts of the missing carriage."

"I see, I will send a small group to investigate further, perhaps there was something your disciples missed.", said clan leader Kang, picking up his wine, drinking it straight from the porcelain bottle.

A chuckle escaped from clan leader Hai's lips, "I assure you my disciples are very capable, they thoroughly searched every inch of that abandoned village outside of Gu. If something were to be discovered, then it would be because they simply knew where to look.", clan leader Hai responded.

"There is no need to beat around the bush clan leader Hai, I will not sit here and pretend I am unaware that you have been keeping a closer eye on the Kang clan. If I had any foul moves to be made, surely it would not be done in secret!", said clan leader Kang, putting down his wine bottle loudly, causing the porcelain bottle to awkwardly clink as it hit the wooden table.

The atmosphere in the inn had grown quite heavy and the tension in the room was so thick that you could have cut it with a knife as the two clan leaders glared at each other before a smile returned to clan leader Hai's handsome face.

"It was not my intention to cause you to feel singled out clan leader Kang, I do apologize. Here me when I say that all clans are being watched a little closer these days, even my own."

"I must say that I find that hard to believe considering my clans history, does that not put us first on the list?", said clan leader Kang, his deep voice quite demanding as he asked his question with a raised brow.

"Clan leader Kang, as I've told you before, without proof you are as innocent as the next clan. Do not corner yourself, when you have not been pushed into one.", said clan leader Hai, doing his best to ease the situation.

Clan leader Kang lowered his brows, the two tightly coming back together like a magnet was present forcing them to stay that way. "Very well, we shall make short work of this headache.", said clan leader Kang and clan leader Hai nodded.

***

Close by at another inn on the opposite side of the town of Pi, Kang Lei paced back and forth in his rented room when there was suddenly a knock on the door. Stopping himself and turning around on one foot, the young master power walked opening the door to see Hai Yin, standing there in that familiar off-white robe. Quickly sticking his head out of the door for a moment and looking in both directions of the hall, Kang Lei pulled Hai Yin into the room, closing the door behind him.

Kang Lei stared at the young master across from him for a moment, before looking away. Bright colors were a symbol of Mount Grace, everyone wore them, but not everyone looked as angelic as the young master.

"How are your wounds?", Hai Yin asked.

"Fine, almost healed at best. Where are they right now?", said Kang Lei walking over to the low table in the room and Hai Yin joined him.

"Clan leader Kang and my Father are currently occupying the inn on the other side of town and they've yet to make their way to the graveyard. What is it that you could not say through messenger?", Hai Yin asked.

The blue-eyed young master placed his index finger and thumb on his chin, while he thought for a minute. "When we parted ways in that abandoned village outside of Gu, there was something that I neglected to tell you."

Hai Yin furrowed his brows, "you still do not trust me.", said the young master feeling quite offended.

Kang Lei quickly looked up at the young master across from him, their gazes meeting each other's. "Uh no, it's not like that, quite the opposite actually.", Kang Lei chuckled awkwardly as he averted his eyes toward the ceiling, scratching the back of his neck.

"What didn't you tell me?", Hai Yin asked

Clearing this throat, Kang Lei placed his palms in his lap, while Hai Yin patiently waited for what he was going to say. "The man without a face is one very skilled cultivator. During our fight he had the upper hand, he could have killed me, but he did not."

Hai Yin's eyes widened as Kang Lei finished speaking, "you mean that…"

"I do, I have not been able to come to any other conclusion as to why he spared my life.", said Kang Lei, directing his attention back to his lap, nothing but worry in his mind. Hai Yin closed his eyes momentarily, if one of the men without a face were from the Kang clan, things could get ugly.

"One is not at fault until there is evidence, let us prove your theory wrong.", Hai Yin suddenly said. Kang Lei looked up at Hai Yin, the young master's brown eyes were full of determination and Kang Lei couldn't help but to smirk as he nodded.

"We must move with caution, if we are caught that will complicate things.", said Hai Yin, reminding Kang Lei that the both of them had disobeyed their Fathers orders, leaving home without permission although getting into trouble didn't amount to much when a possible war was at stake.

Waiting until it got dark, the two young masters made their way to the other side of town, positioning themselves on the roof of an establishment across from the inn their Fathers were staying in.

Crouched, Kang Lei leaned forward on the side of the building to get a better view, two disciples from each clan positioned outside the front door of the inn.

"They've been in a meeting for hours, if they don't leave now, they'll miss something." said Kang Lei.

"Do you think they are perhaps having a disagreement?", said Hai Yin, and the two locked eyes for a moment, as that could very well be the case, but as they did the clan leaders made their way to the front door of the inn, their disciples turning around to greet them properly. Although the two young masters were too far to hear the conversation being had, it didn't last long. The two groups of disciples bowed and dipped off in different directions. Clan leader Hai nodded to clan leader Kang, returning back inside the inn, but clan leader Kang simply stood there for a moment.

"What is my Father doing?", said Kang Lei as the two watched him suspiciously stand outside the inn, until Kang Yixing came walking out of the inn, saluting the clan leader. Without turning to Kang Yixing, clan leader Kang took something that was of a cylinder like shape out of his sleeve and handed it to his most trusted disciple. Kang Yixing slipped the object clan leader Kang had just handed him into his sleeve and returned back inside the inn. After the subtle sketchy exchange, clan leader Kang came down off the steps of the inn and started walking.

Hai Yin and Kang Lei eyed each other at the same time, "Should we follow him?", said Hai Yin.

"He likes to go for a stroll after he has been sitting too long, we need to find out what he just handed Kang Yixing.", said Kang Lei.

"How will we do that? We cannot be seen.", said Hai Yin.

"I have a way.", Kang Lei chuckled with a sly expression.

"…" Noticing the way Kang Lei laughed, Hai Yin figured it was probably something he would not approve of, but what choice did they have?

"Hai Yin, will you be my timer keeper?", said Kang Lei with a smile. With worry swirling in his eyes, Hai Yin nodded, having no other choice, but to agree. Turning his back, Kang Lei sat in front of Hai Yin and with closed eyes, the young master raised his hands, crossing his index fingers.

"If I am gone for longer than four minutes and fifty seconds, you must do everything you can to bring me back.", said Kang Lei.

"Mn!" Hai Yin said firmly, and with his response, Kang Lei's body jerked lightly, falling backward. Holding out one arm to catch Kang Lei as he fell against his body, Hai Yin quickly held up his index and middle finger on his free hand, summoning a spirit timer, placing his two fingers on his own forehead.

After the timer was placed, Hai Yin stared down at the lifeless young master laying in his arms, "Hurry back.", he whispered. Soul projection was a dangerous ability that all cultivators had but weren't brave enough to use. Being that many have died from it, soul projection became somewhat a forbidden technique, only used by the Kang clan. Soul projection allowed a person to transfer their soul into another being as long as it did not already possess one of its own. The caster using soul projection would gain access of that being's body and consciousness for no more than five minutes, for any longer the caster would die!

For a moment, Kang Lei felt as if he was a mere existence as he felt his soul leave his body, and in an instant his eyes snapped open to the blurred dark of the night. When his vision came to, Kang Lei looked around to see that he had taken the form of a bird. With no time to waste, Kang Lei clumsily flew toward the inn, flying was harder than he imagined it would be.

Getting use to his temporary bird body, Kang Lei swiftly flew upside, making his way to the inn. In the body of a bird, the young master's eyes were sharper, and his senses were much keener, as he suddenly got a whiff of something he had smelled before. Without hesitation he flew toward the direction of the scent of sandalwood, the familiar fragrance Kang Yixing often smelled of whenever he came out of his chambers.

Landing in the windowsill of an open window the aroma leaked from, Kang Lei quickly scanned the room before he entered, and Kang Yixing was no where in site. Swiftly flying in, Kang Lei landed on the low table in the room that was full of papers. Using his beak, Kang Lei began to awkwardly pick through the papers, "Be sure to possess something with arms next time Kang Lei.", the young master said to himself as he struggled.

After looking through the pile of papers on the desk, Kang Lei grew frustrated as he hadn't seen anything that clan leader Kang could've given him, merely maps of Tian, and Xitang's layout. Scanning the room again, Kang Lei flew over to the bed where he spotted what looked like an unrolled scroll. With his bird wings and beak, Kang Lei desperately tried to unroll the scroll that simply kept rolling back up the more he tried.

After fiddling with it more, Kang Lei discovered he could keep it somewhat open as he spread out both wings, pressing them onto the scroll with as much force as his wings allowed. Hidden within the scroll was a map of the town of Pi, two locations circled, one marked 'the cemetery', but the other location was left unnamed. As Kang Lei stared at the unknown circled location on the map, doing his best to remember the location, he suddenly got the feeling he was in danger. Jumping up from the table, Kang Lei flew into the air, to see Kang Yixing had a rolled-up piece of paper and was aiming at him. Letting out a screech, Kang Lei flew out of reach, but Kang Yixing simply jumped just missing him.

"What diseases have you brought into my room, be gone bird!" Kang Yixing yelled to the bird that was now frenziedly flying around the room.

As Kang Lei made a dash to the window, Kang Yixing swung with all his might, knocking the bird and causing it to hit the ground.

"I have you now, you vile creature!", Kang Yixing yelled as he inched his way over. Standing up, Kang Lei struggled to stretch out his wings, but one of them was stuck, it must have gotten injured from Kang Yixing's rolled-up paper of death. As Kang Yixing swung his arm once more, Kang Lei closed his eyes, he would be done for!

***

Back on the roof of the establishment across from the inn, Hai Yin sat anxiously staring at the young master lying in his arms, what was taking him so long? As Hai Yin waited, the spirit timer he had set began to sound, a lullaby like tune his Mother played for him when he was young. Silencing the spirit timer, Hai Yin closed his eyes, holding his open hand over Kang Lei's chest. Sending his own spirit energy, Hai Yin began the link, guiding Kang Lei's soul back to his body.

After a few moments, Hai Yin opened his eyes to see that Kang Lei had not yet woken up. "Kang Lei, it's time to wake!", the young master said uneasiness present in his voice. Realizing that he had only set the timer for four minutes and fifty seconds, Hai Yin began to panic, it had to have been over five minutes since he began bringing him back. Gently laying Kang Lei onto the ground, Hai Yin got onto his knees, closing his eyes, and placing both hands over Kang Lei's chest. Again, he began the spiritual link, only this time he pushed out more of his own spiritual energy.

"Kang Lei! Come back!", Hai Yin raised his voice as he sent his energy and suddenly Kang Lei's eyes snapped open. Both the young master's eyes entirely black, but as he fully returned, swirls of blue began to make their way back into his eyes. When Hai Yin could see that he had successfully brought Kang Lei back, he reached down to help him sit, leaning the young master's body against his own. With pale skin, and his body temperature quite cold, the young master sat quietly, as his hands shook violently.

"…" Hai Yin stared at Kang Lei with worry swirling in his eyes, not saying anything, giving the young master time to adjust. After a minute Kang Lei turned to Hai Yin and finally spoke, "my Father gave Kang Yixing a scroll, it was the town of Pi. One location circled was the graveyard and the other was an unknown place by a river shaped like an octagon, that is where we must go."

"…", Still full of worry, Hai Yin simply nodded, he did not know if he would ever get use to the Kang clan and their reckless ways.