Enough Time

There were voices, whispering slowly into my ear while I fell asleep, I tried ignoring it but the whispering got louder by the minute and I couldn't understand a word that was being whispered to me, they didn't seem like actual words, more like a chant and the more I tried being ignorant, the louder the whispering and I clasped both my hands on my ear to clear those horrifying whispers away. Why do I feel like something was calling out to me? It felt like these chants were signs of someone calling out to me, it held some kind of malice and for some reason, it terrified me. The chants didn't stop and I turned the other way, how do I make it go away?!

My mind was immediately distracted when I felt a hand pull me close into a shielding hug more like to calm me down.

"Whatever it is you hear, ignore it." My master's voice was what I heard next as he whispered softly into my ears and I hugged him back trying to ignore those noises and enjoy the comfort of being in my master's arm. Truly, the noise immediately stopped like I never even heard a thing, my eyes fluttered open and I met those beautiful dark eyes gazing at me, a soft kiss landed on my lips before he pulled back to gaze at me once more.

"Are you alright?" He asked while smoothing my hair up and the noises earlier were still fresh in my head, well it felt like they were.

"Qui Shan, am I cursed?" The words escaped my lips before I even realized what I had just asked and a disturbing expression flashed across his eyes, one I have never seen his eyes before and he pulled me even closer making me rest my small head on his chest but I could tell he didn't want me to figure out those expression I had just seen in his eyes.

"Why would you say something like that?" He asked.

"I….don't know." I really didn't know why something like that even crossed my mind, I couldn't remember the chants anymore but I know I heard something related to chants.

"I felt like something was calling out to me." I added. "Something dangerous, I don't know how dangerous but I know I felt something like that, a chant or something I….."

"It's okay." He stroked my hair lovingly more like trying to ease the tension arising inside of me, I tried to erase the eerie feeling and remain in my masters protective arms.

"There's noway you're cursed Shanxia, whatever it is you might assume you heard, ignore it, it's just your mind playing tricks, there's nothing for you to worry about." He assured me by placing a kiss on my forehead and he wouldn't let me look at him for some reason but I trusted him enough to believe his words, I must be silly, why did something like a curse even cross my mind?

I smiled and wrapped my arms around him too tilting my head up to look at him.

"You're right, I must have hallucinated something again."

He smiled caressing my cheeks with his fingers and I snuggled my face into those hands of his when something else crossed my mind.

"I completely forgot, there's one more thing I wish to tell you." I said and he didn't speak like he was waiting for me to say it.

"MingXia is now part of master Baozhi's team for the hunting ground tournament." I informed and he gazed at me in a puzzled manner.

"MingXia?"

I nodded. "She's suddenly part of the team and although I want to think positively about her reasons joining Baozhi's disciple for the hunting tournament, I can't shake off the feeling that she might do something." I admitted. "Or maybe I'm the one whose just overthinking the whole situation and…."

"You're not overthinking anything." He finally spoke up. "She nearly attacked you the day you came here and falsely accused you, it's not your fault you think she might have other motive behind it but I don't think you'll have to worry about her on this tournament." He held my hand placing a tender kiss on my palm. "She'll be too bothered on dealing with other sects and getting the prize than bother you, Baozhi's disciples are currently the strongest so my thought is she's possibly trying to use them to her advantage. I don't think you should be worried about her but do be careful."

I nodded with a smile and I liked it when he showed me just how much he cared for me.

"I feel like the luckiest disciple." I added making him gaze at me like he was lost on my words.

"It's rare to find masters who care so much for their disciples safety like this."

My master, finally understanding what I meant chortled at me like I just said something funny.

"Shanxia dear, you seem to have not realized that I only behave this way with you and no one else." He admitted and truly, I was starting to realize that now, I remembered the way he spoke to Master Baozhi and Zaoxhu when they first came here and also the way he interacted with MingXia's master the other day. He chuckled in a low pitch tone as I mused over it.

"You'll get to see the other side of your master today."

His words left me confused and I furrowed my brows at him. "Meaning?"

"You don't know?"

I stared blankly at him. "Know what?"

"Other sects will be showing up at Mount Xuandu today." He started and I blinked at him.

"What?"

"They'll be arriving today, for the hunting tournament and all master's as per the rules have to be there to welcome them." He didn't sound excited at that, almost like he's being forced to show up and I snickered at his disgruntled expression.

"Come on, I bet it wouldn't be that boring."

"You have no idea."

"Well, are all the disciples going to be present?" I asked and he gave a slight nod in response.

"It's important for you all to be there."

"Then once it gets boring, we can sneak out and go do something fun then." I added with a mischievous smile playing on my lips, at this kind of gathering, surely there's going to be a long speech and I don't think falling asleep would be allowed in such gatherings.

"You've always been the sneaky type but I don't think you can escape this one, the celestial sovereign is also going to be present so sneaking out would be a huge risk, don't even think about doing it." His words totally killed the playful mood inside of me, it would have been fun to actually sneak out while no one was watching. I sighed and gazed out through the window.

"It's still dark." I muttered gazing out at the twinkling stars that remained pin pricked on the dark blue sky. He stroked my shoulders up and down with his fingers and I tried not to let the tingling sensation evolve me once again, my body has already frightened me enough tonight and I have to keep my mind focused on something else but that was an impossible thought cause I had the man who has clouded my thoughts right beside me, holding me close as we remained bare under the sheets.

"More time for you to get some sleep." He said, placing a loving kiss on my forehead. "You'll have a lot to do once the sun rises."

He was right about that but for some reason, I was scared of falling back to sleep but I didn't want to dwell on those annoying chants, like my master said, probably my mind trying to mess with me and I had my master close to me as he held me in his protective arms, I had no reason to be afraid. I closed my eyes and slept off with a smile lingering on my lips.