Wu Lingtian watched Fan Yi in silence for a long time before speaking. “Sect Leader Fan, you are not mistaking me for someone else, are you?”

Fan Yi gave a relaxed smile. “What do you mean?”

Wu Lingtian lowered his gaze and flexed his fingers, as if suddenly remembering how they were previously broken not too long ago. “We’re strangers at most, acquaintances at best. I can count on one hand the amount of times we’ve spoken. Other than you seeing someone else in me, I can’t find another reason as to why you would go so far. Unless you have other motives for wanting to help me?”

Fan Yi observed Wu Lingtian’s expression before nodding. “You do remind me of someone.”

Wu Lingtian remained silent.

“…A long time ago, I had a friend and I,” Fan Yi paused for a moment before pulling up a small smile. “I couldn’t help him.”

“Is that why then?”

“Young Master Wu, you look down on me. I’m not merely using you as a replacement,” Fan Yi chuckled. “I am the type of person who does not like to owe people, yet I owe you three times. This, on top of the fact that you remind me of my friend, are the reasons for me helping you.”

Wu Lingtian watched Fan Yi steadily and the other man silently returned his gaze. After a long moment, Wu Lingtian finally nodded. “I’ll stay then.”

Fan Yi’s smile grew.

“However, I also do not enjoy owing people,” Wu Lingtian said. He thought for a moment. “Anything you want to know, I will tell you.”

“Didn’t I already say this was me repaying you?” Fan Yi asked helplessly.

“The few times before could hardly count as me helping. But this time, you saved my life.”

“…Then, can you tell me what happened to your sword?”

“I meant information about the righteous sects. Not about me,” Wu Lingtian replied. He shifted his position and laid back down. He pulled the blanket back over himself and closed his eyes. “Close the door on your way out.”

Fan Yi stared at the lump that was now Wu Lingtian. He picked up the tray of empty dishes and left Wu Lingtian’s room. Fan Yi glanced back at the door, but soon left to drop off the emptied dishes at the kitchen. When he returned to his own residence, he was greeted by a disciple, waiting at his door.

“What is it?”

“Sect Leader Zhong from Hall of Impartiality is requesting your visit.”

Fan Yi accepted the letter from the disciple’s hands and dismissed him. He pulled it out of the envelope and skimmed over the contents of the letter before burning it in thin air.

Fan Yi let out a long sigh. It was not as if Sect Leader Zhong was unaware of what he was currently busy with, yet he still called him over.

…Go or not…

Fan Yi stepped into his own courtyard and made his way to his study to draft up a letter.

The response was rather quick—not even taking a day. When Fan Yi read the next letter, his expression fell and he could only reluctantly pack up his medical supplies and head over to find Ren Yizhou and Tian Xiewen, who were at the training grounds.

“Sect Leader!”

“Master!”

Fan Yi softly smiled and waved to the enthusiastic disciples before stopping in front of Ren Yizhou and Tian Xiewen.

Tian Xiewen looked up at Fan Yi. “Yi-ge, are you going somewhere?”

“Mn. Sect Leader Zhong is asking me to go check up on his condition.”

Ren Yizhou lightly chuckled. “Sect Leader Zhong must have heard about Yu Lan Sword Immortal.”

“I am also thinking the same thing,” Fan Yi let out a sigh.

“After all these years, Sect Leader Zhong still treats you so well.”

Tian Xiewen glanced at Fan Yi, who looked extremely reluctant. “We’ll take care of that kid. Just go.”

“Oh,” Fan Yi’s frown only grew further. He pulled out a piece of paper from inside his lapel and handed it to Ren Yizhou, who handed it over to Tian Xiewen.

Tian Xiewen read over the medicine prescription as well as the notes Fan Yi wrote on taking care of Wu Lingtian.

“Right, also,” Fan Yi turned to the two Pillars again. “He should be able to get around and move again. Give him a few sets of clothes…make sure they aren’t red.”

“…Why not? Doesn’t he love wearing red?” Tian Xiewen asked.

Fan Yi shook his head. “He hates that color.”

Tian Xiewen watched Fan Yi leave before turning back to Ren Yizhou. “If he hates that color, then why does he wear it?”

“If you’re asking me, then who do I ask?” Ren Yizhou raised an eyebrow. Ren Yizhou stood and fixed the flowing sleeves of their robes.

Tian Xiewen instinctively leaned back and tried to take in as much of the image before him as possible. The smile on his face grew when Ren Yizhou turned around to face him.

“Not coming?”

“Where are we going?”

“Prepare dinner for our lovely guest,” Ren Yizhou turned back around and began to walk, the back of his coat dragging against the ground.

Tian Xiewen stood and followed by Ren Yizhou’s side, his smile impeccably soft as he began talking to Ren Yizhou about this and that.

When dinner rolled around, Tian Xiewen and Ren Yizhou took the congee they had made and traveled to Fan Yi’s residence. They made a turn to the right, unlike the usual left they would make to go to Fan Yi’s courtyard.

Ren Yizhou lifted a hand and lightly knocked.

From inside, they heard a nasally hum before Tian Xiewen opened the door and stepped in.

Tian Xiewen shifted to the side and lit the candles as Ren Yizhou set the tray down on the tea table.

Seeing two unfamiliar faces, Wu Lingtian’s dull eyes lifted. He stared at the strangers and took in their appearances.

Ren Yizhou appeared to be rather delicate. Their frame was covered by several layers of clothing. And their hair, which was black and silkier than any that Wu Lingtian has ever seen, was lazily pulled up into a bun and was held by a simple hairpin. Pieces of hair framed Ren Yizhou’s face that was lightly flushed from being out in the cold. He reminded Wu Lingtian a bit like a swan.

As if in stark contrast, Tian Xiewen reminded Wu Lingtian of a wolf. With every movement, no matter how gentle, there seemed to be some type of force behind it. The murderous intent from within could barely be hidden. On top of that, he continued to wear the shoulder amor, as if he were ready for battle at any moment. With his hair pulled back into a bun, Tian Xiewen’s high cheekbones and sharp features were on display.

Wu Lingtian shifted and saluted. “You two must be the remaining two Pillars.”

Ren Yizhou smiled gently in Wu Lingtian’s direction. “That’s right. My name is Ren Yizhou, I’m the Second Pillar. And he’s Tian Xiewen, the Third Pillar.”

Wu Lingtian accepted the bowl of congee that Tian Xiewen delivered into his hands and ignored the gaze that Tian Xiewen used to look at him.

From afar, Wu Lingtian exuded an exceedingly heroic aura that drew people in, yet the pressure he exuded would quickly shut the people out.

Wu Lingtian’s deathly pale complexion from a week or so ago had begun to regain its rosiness. The teardrop mole under his left eye still stood out against his sickly skin and his hair fell down in waves about his person. Obviously, this person looked so approachable, but the detachedness within Wu Lingtian’s eyes and his expression gave Tian Xiewen the same feeling of eeriness he would get when staring at a human puppet.  

“How has your stay been?”

“Sect Leader has been taking care of me well,” Wu Lingtian replied between a bite.

“That’s good,” Ren Yizhou smiled. “If you are ever uncomfortable, feel free to ask us for what you need. Our sect doesn’t lack in anything.”

“Mn.”

“Ah, right,” Tian Xiewen set a bag of clothes onto the tea table. “Yi-ge said to bring you some clothes. We figured you and he are a similar size so we just brought over clothes that he never got to wear. Once you are better, we’ll call over our tailor for you.”

Wu Lingtian was about to hum in affirmation when his eyes landed on the clothes.

White.

Tian Xiewen seemed to sense an abnormality as he was moving to put the clothes into the wardrobe. He paused and turned to look at Wu Lingtian. “Do you not like this color? Yi-ge said you didn’t like red, so I…”

“No,” Wu Lingtian’s eyes stayed on the white and black robes in Tian Xiewen’s hands. “I like white.”

“Oh,” Tian Xiewen held the clothes stiffly in his hands for a moment before putting it into the wardrobe that was completely empty, save for several sets of sleeping robes. Tian Xiewen frowned. He clearly remembered the stacks of red robes that had come along with Wu Lingtian’s belongings.

Had Fan Yi tossed them?

“Right,” Tian Xiewen closed the wardrobe and sat down beside Ren Yizhou. “Yu Lan Immortal, what happened to your sword? When we went to retrieve your belongings, it wasn’t among them?”

Wu Lingtian’s movements slowed.

Ren Yizhou could feel the atmosphere, which hadn’t exactly been at easy, tense up further. They reached out and patted Tian Xiewen on the arm. “Don’t ask about such things right now. Let Yu Lan Immortal eat properly.”

“There is no need to call me Yu Lan.”

Tian Xiewen frowned and Ren Yizhou turned their head in Wu Lingtian’s direction.

“Just my name or Young Master Wu is fine,” Wu Lingtian said.

Ren Yizhou smiled. “How could we do that? Lord Immortal is still a respected figure in the cultivation world.”

Wu Lingtian took a bite and fell silent again. “Without Yu Lan Sword, how could there be Yu Lan Sword Immortal?”

“…That is to say…”

Wu Lingtian set the empty bowl aside and turned to the two Pillars. “Could I get a bath?”

“Yes, of course,” Ren Yizhou stood and pulled Tian Xiewen along with him. “We’ll have to trouble Young Master Wu to wait a moment.”

“No trouble at all. I am trouble Second and Third Pillar with my meager problems,” Wu Lingtian replied.

Once the pair left, Wu Lingtian sat straighter and shifted to the edge of the bed. For the first time in nearly two weeks, Wu Lingtian allowed his feet to touch the cool ground. He stood up and wandered over to the wardrobe that had just been filled. His fingers wrapped around the handles and pulled them open, revealing the white fabric inside.

He reached out and carefully touched them, as if fearing they would fade into thin air in the next moment.

Wu Lingtian pulled the robes out from the wardrobe and sat down on the stool nearby.

He stared dumbly at the clothes in his hand for a long time before folding them neatly to the side and getting back into bed until Tian Xiewen returned with water to fill up the bath.

“Be careful, it’s a little hot. You might want to wait for it to cool down.”

“Thank you.”

Tian Xiewen nodded. “If you need anything, just tell us. There really is no need to be polite.”

Wu Lingtian nodded again, but stopped Tian Xiewen before he could leave. “Sect Leader…”

“He went out to see a patient,” Tian Xiewen explained. “He should be back in a few days or next week.”

“I see. Thank you, Third Pillar.”

“Mn. Rest well, Young Master Wu.”

Once Tian Xiewen left, Wu Lingtian allowed his robes to fall to the floor before carefully stepping into the water that was still a little too hot for a normal human.

Wu Lingtian didn’t seem to mind though. He pressed his hand against the surface of the water and, in the next second, the water turned freezing cold.

He closed his eyes and sank so that the back of his head could rest against the lip of the tub. His eyes caught the reflection of the blurry copper mirror, showing him the two scars that were still left on his body.

Wu Lingtian lifted a hand to brush against one of the holes that had scabbed over horrendously. His hand fell back into the water and he closed his eyes again. He silently circulated his spiritual energy through his body.

His meridians had been unsealed and his body was even generously detoxified. If Wu Lingtian had to have a complaint about his body’s condition, it would be that his clavicle had suffered some impact when the rods were being inserted into his body. As a prisoner and someone who had supposedly killed his own master, of course they would not be courteous with him.

Although the pain wasn’t unbearable, it was still troublesome.

Wu Lingtian lifted his hand and concentrated a warm stream of spiritual energy into his body. He could feel the fracture in the bones quickly heal. He inhaled deeply and stretched his arms a little. It seemed to be back to normal.

After soaking in the bath for a long time, Wu Lingtian finally pulled himself from the bath, dried himself off, and pulled on the white robes that had black lapels and silver detailing.

Wu Lingtian stood in front of the mirror and stared at his unfamiliar self. He reached for the silver crown that sat on the vanity table and pulled his hair up into a ponytail. He slipped into his black boots and stepped out into the night.

Although it was dinner time, the noises of disciples could still be heard all the way from the hill Wu Lingtian stood on.

Wu Lingtian borrowed the bright moonlight and scanned his surroundings.

He was in the middle of a bamboo grove with a serene lake separating this residence from the outside world.

Wu Lingtian wordlessly stepped onto the winding bamboo bridge and walked over the lake before taking another look.

Fan Yi’s residence seemed rather secluded. It was up on a high hill but below, Wu Lingtian could clearly see the Main Hall from where he was, as well as a few other residences that may belong to the other Pillars on another mountain. Further down slow, Wu Lingtian could just barely make out another area that carried more structures. Those might be a part of the common area.

Wu Lingtian hesitated for a moment before walking down the mountain.

The two Pillars didn’t seem to be coming back tonight and even if they were, they would only be scared a little when they didn’t see Wu Lingtian there. He didn’t have his belongings and he was still slightly injured. There was no way he would have left like that.

Wu Lingtian eventually reached a set of steps after following the path for a long time. The path was lit up by lanterns and the lanterns swayed in the wind, as if welcoming Wu Lingtian.

He slowly made his way down the steps and, in his heart, felt that Screeching Sparrow Sect was comparable to Drifting Clouds Mountain Sect.

When thinking of an unorthodox sect, the mind usually drifts towards cold, dark, and dreary. There would be little noise and little light. But Screeching Sparrow Sect was scenic and quite open. Instead of silence and suppression, Wu Lingtian could hear laughter and joyful chatter in the distance. This place was also very well lit, despite the dense forest.

Just as Wu Lingtian felt that Screeching Sparrow Sect was surprisingly quaint and peaceful, he heard a horrified shriek come from his left, followed by a ferocious roar of a large beast.

Wu Lingtian stayed where he was and watched as a child, about eleven years old, barreled out from the underbrush, followed by a few teenagers. He stepped back and watched as the child rolled down several steps and the teenagers slid about as well and fell into the bushes or down the steps.

After the bodies stopped moving, Wu Lingtian stepped down one step again and held his hand against his mouth. “Are you okay?”

The teenagers slowly picked themselves up and lifted the eleven-year-old up as well.

The little girl was about to answer when her eyes widened into the size of disks. “Mister, behind you!”

Wu Lingtian calmly turned to face the four icy blue eyes that peered out from the darkness. He took one step back and watched as a large, white lion emerged from the trees. On its back were a pair of wings that were spread out to intimidate its prey. The two pairs of eyes narrowed at Wu Lingtian’s sudden appearance. Its nose twitched.

A hot breath was snorted onto Wu Lingtian’s face.

“Sir, run away!” one of the teenagers shouted.

“That’s a Flying Crystal Lion. Once it’s angered, there is little that can stop it!”

Wu Lingtian did not move and only continued to stare.

“Why is it angered?” he peacefully wondered.

“We don’t know! When we went to feed it earlier, it was still fine, but just now, it gravely injured one of our martial brothers!”

“Mister, please get away!” the little girl squeaked.

Although the disciples all sounded very alarmed, their voices were actually barely above a whisper. If Wu Lingtian hadn’t cultivated to the point that he had, he might not even be able to hear them.

Wu Lingtian held the gaze of a lion a moment longer before lowering his head and then his posture to the ground.

The disciples thought that Wu Lingtian wanted to play dead and breathed a sigh of relief. They turned to find one of their master when they heard the lion’s roar behind them.

When they turned back around, they found that Wu Lingtian had actually began fighting the lion with his bare hands.

His movements were swift and clean, accurately blocking every time the lion attempted to swipe at him. He flew back when it seemed disadvantageous and attacked when the lion revealed a hole in its stance.

The disciples watched in a dumb silence until Wu Lingtian finally kicked the lion square in the head.

The lion seemed just as shocked as the rest of them and eventually laid down on the ground. It seemed very embarrassed. It held its paws over its head and cried pitifully. Its wings folded tightly against its body, as if searching for a bit of solace in this cruel world.

 Wu Lingtian landed back on the ground. He pressed a hand to the lion’s head and frowned a little before turning to the disciples.

He held out a thorn. “This was stuck under its belly, making it agitated. It attacked me when I got it out because it hurt.”

The disciples ran forward and stared at the thorn in Wu Lingtian’s hand. It was thick and long and was covered in blood. The edges of Wu Lingtian’s sleeves were stained by the blood already.

“Forgive us for troubling this martial hero!” one of the teenagers was the first to salute and the rest followed.

“Sir, could we ask for your name? You…you don’t seem familiar. Are you here to visit one of our Pillars?”

Wu Lingtian glanced back at the lion and carefully petted its mane. “Take care of this beast first. He seems distressed.”

“O-oh, right, right!” the teenagers rushed to help the lion off.

One turned back to the little girl. “Li Qing, help this man find our master.”

“Mn!” Li Qing watched her senior martial brothers coax the lion away before turning back to Wu Lingtian.

Her round eyes were like the moon as they looked Wu Lingtian up and down. She pulled on a pretty, cute smile and bounced down a few steps. “Follow me, Mister!”

---

A/N: 

Character info (if you do not mind spoilers): https://glowingreverie.wordpress.com/2020/05/10/screeching-sparrow-sect-character-information/