"Oh, Uncle Tankian, what are you doing here so late?" The young man before him asked, frowning a bit. He was a local and had given him a lot of advice on many things over the last week. As such, Liang Fei (or Tankian, as he'd introduced himself as) showed quite a bit of respect despite the difference in age.

"..." He shrugged, handing the young man the package with a nod. The young man, Chang was not surprised at the lack of a smile. He'd quickly learned that this old man never smiled or even changed his expression. Not even the stormiest seas could shift the stone that made up his face.

What did confuse him was Tankian's lack of greeting. Even if it was just a short word or two, Tankian always greeted him with something. Looking him over, he noted how stiff he seemed as opposed to his normal self.

"Oi, did somebody mess with you again?" The young man asked, scowling at the thought of this uncle being harassed. Despite his mask and scars, most could tell Tankian had a pretty face. The shape of his eyes and the smoothness of his skin spoke volumes on how well was raised.

Not that he was worried though. Tankian was a tough guy, taking out a dozen men at once with nothing but his bare fists and a club. Even so...

Liang Fei shook his head, trying to reassure Chang but hoping the conversation would end soon. He had... other things to attend to.

"Ne, big brother, are you almost done?" A voice called out, the very thing he had to attend to peeking out from behind some crates. Looking back at him, Liang Fei felt his heart tremble.

Aw, don't look at me like that! He thought, trying to harden his heart. How can I chase you off if you look at me like a stray kitten!?

About an hour ago, he'd been cornered by some drunks seeking to molest him. It wasn't the first time such a thing had happened since he started living in this town. Many showed an interest in him despite him doing everything he could to prevent that. Was he not ugly enough yet?

After taking them down, he was shocked to find someone familiar appear before him. The same kid from before, though dressed differently than the last two times. The fact that they kept bumping into each other was starting to worry him.

Not so much because of annoyance, since he adored having such a charmingly sweet face around. No, at this point, it was because he was going to ruin everything if he recognized him. If he was caught, what could possibly happen?!

His lack of knowledge made it hard to fill in the blanks but most likely it would be bad. He might get kicked out or dishonored. Just thinking about being lectured by sect leader Zi Shuren made him want to run. The man's eyes were weirdly intense.

Letting out a breath, he gestured for Xieren to sit elsewhere, so he could talk. The young man himself is the reason he hadn't said a word since cursing under his breath. He feared his voice might be recognized if nothing else.

"Oi, Uncle, is that kid the reason you've kept quiet?" Chang asked, watching Liang Fei's cold eyes slide back to him. Not wanting to be caught in them, he looked back to the kid. He looked young, perhaps 10 or 12 from the looks of it but hard to tell. He had the body of a street urchin but clearly well fed. Perhaps a servant?

Liang Fei nodded, glad for Chang understanding. He(LF) really hated being rude to him(C). The younger man had helped him a great deal when he first arrived in town, showing him around and teaching him how to get a job. Like him, Liang Fei had become a messenger, tasked with delivering items and notes for people around town. This allowed him to get a feel for his new body and learn a lot from the people around him.

And he made quite a bit of cash.

It wasn't a lot but it did give him something to rely on if things went south with the whole cultivation thing. He was a practical man so he had to think of contingency plans.

"Ne, uncle you want me to get rid of him?" Chang asked, staring at Xieren leaning against a nearby wall. He couldn't be sure but something about the kid put him on edge. Years of relying on his instincts told him that getting close would lead to trouble. Whether the kid was the source of the trouble or just attracted it, he couldn't be sure but he didn't want Tankian to get dragged into anything.

(AN: Ne~ Chang can sense a protagonist halo.)

"Don't." Liang Fei said, his tone cold and sharp. While he knew Chang had good intentions, he wasn't about to allow him to harm a child. Xieren might be a cog in his plan but he was still a child and adults don't harm children. They protect them.

"R-right, sorry..." He quickly said, not wanting to get the man mad. While he'd never seen Tankian lose his temper, the tension flowing from him had him affixed to the ground. "S-so about the package...?"

"...Dropped it." He muttered, looking away.

"Eh? How come-"

"Drunks broke it."

"Ah, I see." He replied, sighing in understanding. He, too knew how annoying it was when accident happened on a run. Clients rarely understood but a fellow messenger definitely could. "You know that means you might not get paid, right?"

"Un..." He nodded, looking the same as usual. Perhaps he wasn't upset? Or maybe he expected such a response. "Good night, Chang"

"Kay." He waved, watching Tankian walk away. The kid quickly followed after him, excitement sparking off him like a flare. Just as they turned a corner, Chang saw the kid turn to him.

Deep and heavy hatred flowed in those pale yellow eyes. Chang couldn't help but flinch, his heart stopping for a second as the two disappeared from sight.

Scary.

Those eyes, like a stray dog that found someone on its territory. Sometimes, it only takes a look to get a message across and that kids message was clear.

Try and keep me from this man... The rest didn't need to be said. Like a stray, he'd tear into the invader until someone either died or yielded.

"Aiya..." He sighed, thinking of the guileless Tankian so casually taking that kid with him. "I hope you'll be alright, Uncle."

***

Liang Fei strolled down the illuminated streets, ignorant of the danger close by. Now that they were in the marketplace, Liang Fei felt a lot more comfortable. He had no issue with women, since he preferred them, but seeing them in so little clothing was a bit embarrassing. Especially since they often stopped their flirting to chat with him.

Honestly, it was weird for them to shift from 'Ne~ Big brother, want to have a good time?' in a sultry voice to 'Hey, brother, long time no see!' in a casual tone. It was jarring to say the least. Perhaps they didn't see him as a man? That was disheartening.

"Big brother, are you alright?" Liang Fei looked down at the child next to him. A single gold eye stared up at him with curiosity. "You look sad."

Liang Fei's hand twitched, his desire to pet him having to be reined in. He shook his head, trying to reassure him though he remained silent.

"Oi, Tankian, over here!" Another person waved him over. It was a middle aged woman with a jovial air about her. "You busy right now?"

Nodding, he gestured to Xieren and moved on, hearing the woman say her farewells. As they continued walking, many people stopped them to talk to Liang Fei. While he was just a messenger, he went through the effort to get to know them as he worked. Their conversations gave him a better understanding on how the world worked. Just from the week and a half he'd been living in town, he learned about how money and trade works as well as some lofty people to steer clear of or befriend.

Despite his cold exterior, most found it easy to get along with Tankian. He was obedient and very understanding, listening to those whom others would write off as crazy or talkative. He'd even give advice if he felt he could.

After finally getting free from the crowd, Liang Fei and Xieren continued to walk, the child's eyes glowing with annoyance.

"Wow, big brother is so popular." He stated, thinking of all the smiles given to the stoic man. Part of him was envious of that though he was mostly annoyed too. He had wanted to talk to him alone and yet all those annoying people crowded around him. How bothersome.

Seeing Xieren pout, Liang Fei felt compelled to get him to smile. Such an adorable kid shouldn't be sad. With that in mind, he pulled out a coin and handed it to him.

"Would you like something to eat?" He asked, leaning over to they were face to face. He then pointed toward a food stand.

"For both of us?" He asked, happy to hear this man speaking to him. He'd been silent for a while and Xieren disliked it despite not being ignored. Receiving a nod, Xieren happily ran over to the stand, though he kept his eye on Tankian. He knew the man was trying to lose him.

As he ordered his food, his ears picked up the exchange going on behind him. Someone, a child, was crying. They sounded young. Turning around, he saw Tankian crouching down beside a fallen child with a scraped knee.

"Hey, now, don't cry." He said, his face remaining still and cold even as he tried to comfort the child. He moved to pet the child but seeing his cold eyes, the child cried even louder. Tankian remained frozen as the child's mother helped them up and apologized to him. She knew him and knew he was only trying to help but... his cold eyes were really scary, even to adults. A child? It was like being tossed in a chilling pond.

As she said her piece, Tankian remained silent. Others saw him regarding the situation with steady eyes and thought he brushed it off but Xieren could see the hurt in his eyes, the slight furrow of his brow as the toddler hid his face from him. Like he was some kind of monster.

"Here!" Liang Fei looked down to see a skewer in Xieren's hand. The young boy smiling up at him. "For big brother."

"Thank you." He muttered under his breath, feeling a bit touched at the gesture. He was used to be avoided due to his seemingly cold gaze. Few seemed to be able to look past it and those few meant the world to him but it still hurt to be looked at in such a way.

Seeing Tankian's eyes shimmer with happiness at his gesture filled Xieren with excitement. Never had he felt such content in giving another person comfort or happiness. The only thing that would make it better would be... being petted.

Xieren eagerly waited to be petted, wanting that gesture for himself. Pet me, pet me!! He mentally begged, looking up at Tankian with expectant eyes.

Liang Fei, seeing this expectation, wasn't sure what to do. The child looked to be expecting something but he wasn't sure what. Giving the skewer a look, he took a bite and gave a affirmative grunt, hoping to assure him that the food was good. He then turned to move on, leaving Xieren behind to pout.

My pat~ He complained bitterly in his heart.

***

"This is... big brother home?" Xieren, staring up at the tree house before him. He hadn't expected that this man would leave outside town or in a tree but it did make sense. Tree houses were more easily defendable and had other advantages. He had just never actually seen one before.

Liang Fei nodded, offering a hand to Xieren. After a second of hesitation, the child took it and soon found himself flying through the air. Crying out in surprise, Xieren clung to Liang Fei, even though the experience only lasted a second or two. When he finally opened his eyes, they were both in tree house.

Liang Fei had wanted to explain that to protect his small temporary home from day-to-day robberies, he'd designed the place to have no means of entering other than by jumping up the tree. There was no ladder or rope and the tree was too slick from moss to climb. As such, only a cultivator like himself could enter.

As for taking Xieren in, it was a matter of principal. He wasn't sure why he was in town so late nor why he was alone but Liang Fei couldn't allow a child to wander about town by himself. What if he got hurt or some unsavory people tried to snatch him up? Thinking back to when he'd first met the boy, he knew he wasn't strong. Compared to other disciples, he was barely anything. It made him wonder what the original Liang Fei, who was supposedly his master, had done in terms of training.

"Thanks for allowing me to spend the night, big brother." Xieren said, wanting to get Tankian's attention. He wasn't sure what the man was thinking but something told him it was not the present. Especially when he began to hum to himself.

The melody was unfamiliar, sounding strange to his ears but Xieren definitely liked it. Not so much the melody itself but the sound of the one humming it. Even though it was clearly a different melody, it gave him the same feeling as when Tankian sung him to sleep. Warm and safe.

Liang Fei who had been clearing up space for Xieren, turned to him and nodded, unaware of his habit nor how it drew Xieren to him more with every note. He made some space so they could sit and relax. Xieren, happy to see Tankian pay attention to him, gleefully sat across from him, basking in his gaze.

"Ne, Big brother, about the way you fight..." He started, his eyes glowing with curiosity. Inwardly, Liang Fei cringed, wishing to everything holy and good he wouldn't ask- "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

Damn it!

Liang Fei knew his looks and demeanor made people think he wasn't the violent type and he really wasn't. If he had to option, he wouldn't fight ever since it was hard and not very fulfilling since it lead to more fights but he did fight and when he did, he fought dirty. And this was all because of his best friend.

That bastard slut made it a habit to sleep around with other men's girlfriends (though the girls at the time always claimed they were single) and had to defend himself from ambushes from jealous boyfriends from preschool to college. And because they were best friends, Liang Fei was often around during these ambushes.

Needless to say, the first time, he got the shit kicked out of him. But after many times, he learned to fight and in order to beat those stronger than him (most everyone), he learned to fight dirty. Nut shots and misdirection was his go to method of winning. Who cared if their future generations might never come? If you were going to attack someone cause your girlfriend was unfaithful, be wary that the collateral damage (LF) might harm more than your pride.

"That is..." He mumbled before stopping himself. He couldn't speak, lest he be discovered. He'd worked hard to prevent his identity from being discovered and he wasn't about to blow it. His disguise was testament to that.

Initially he wanted to just cover his face with his bangs but they weren't long enough and apparently walking around with bangs covering ones face was considered creepy so he didn't get far before being chased out. Then he wore the mask, deciding to go the traditional route but people kept getting curious about it. Eventually, he had to make up some story about having horrible burns and had to borrow makeup from the sect (He had no clue why the sect had makeup to begin with) to fool them.

Seeing Tankian once again drift off, Xieren pouted, disliking that he was being ignored. "Big brother, why won't you talk to me?" He asked, regaining his attention. "Do you dislike me? Is that it?"

"No, I-!" He started before biting his tongue. He curse his own choices. He'd cornered himself and now it was biting him in the ass. He very much wanted to talk, since there were few instances to exchange thoughts with cultivators without revealing himself. Then it hit him.

"Ah!" He said, earning a frown from Xieren. He took out a piece if parchment and quickly jotted down a note.

-What's your name?- He wrote, happy to have thought of a solution. Writing everything was a bit of a hassle but he liked writing and he rarely spoke anyway. Except-

"I'm sorry but what does that say?" He asked, frowning in confusion. Why was he writing things out?

"You can't read?" Liang Fei was now deeply concerned about this child. He was well past the age that illiteracy could be easily solved, at least in his mind. Learning now would take time and work... "No, its fine. I'll teach you."

"Teach me?" He echoed, buzzing with joy at all the words directed his way. Liang Fei nodded, pulling out another parchment to write on. How else could he write out his conversations if the child couldn't even read?

(AN: Ne, LF isn't really thinking this through completely..)

"Name?"

"Xieren!" He answered, wanting to hear big brother call him. The more he spoke, the happier he became.

At long last, Liang Fei learned the child's name. It was nice though he felt it might be familiar. Frowning, he recalled that he was in a novel, right? Was he the Xiao-Ren his sister had talked so fervently about?

Looking at the chubby cheeked child that inquiringly tried to read the simple characters on the paper with a cute pout, he couldn't even imagine it. It's not like Xieren was the only -ren in the world. The Xiao-Ren that Mei ranted about was cold, cruel and vicious, the man who would ruthlessly and endlessly torment him, Shao Liang Fei, until death was a mercy. This adorable thing before him could never grow up to be so black hearted.

"Let's start with your name then."

***

Xieren excitedly jumped out of bed, wanting to head out as soon as possible. Over the last 2 weeks, he'd been visiting the village nearby to spend time with his big brother, Tankian.

While the man was generally remained silent whenever they didn't have lessons, Xieren had learned to sneak around to get a feel for him. Even now, his voice was something he was slowly coming to adore, especially when he started singing to himself.

It was usually whenever he was working on something that his habit would kick in. Something told him that big brother was just used to listening to a melody while he was working so he hummed. Xieren wanted to help so he had asked Xinyi for a favor.

"Me? Yes, I know how to play a flute." She said, frowning into her tea. The two of them were sitting out in a field eating breakfast. Due to being harassed by her admirers, they'd chosen to eat away from everyone else. "Why?"

"I want to learn to play for someone." He replied, feeling excited. He couldn't wait to surprise big brother with his skills. The one great thing about being so disliked in the sect was that no one really noticed him coming and going, though he still had to sneak past three guards who would stop him on principal. Xinyi was the only one to notice his absence.

"Really? I didn't know you had anyone you'd work hard for." She said, pouting sadly. "Is it that person from before?"

For a second, he hesitated, not wanting to share his time with big brother with anyone but another part of him wanted to tell her everything. He wanted to share his joy with her. He wanted to tell her about Tankian.

At first, his interest in Tankian was based solely on figuring him out and his nice smell. His scent was still a pleasant mystery but as they spent more time together, he no longer felt the need to ask why he helped him.

Watching him talk and interact with others showed that he a surprisingly soft hearted person. Whenever someone was in need, he'd jump forward and help, his eyes glowing with happiness when others showed their appreciation.

Xieren nodded, his face a little red. Xinyi, seeing this got more curious.

"Is he nice?" She asked, watching him munch on his breakfast. She had never seen him so excited at the prospect of interacting with another person.

"Un, he's really nice." He replied, happy to have someone to talk to about this. It had been so long since he last spoke with Xinyi. "He's even teaching me to read."

"Eh? You couldn't before?" She frowned. "How have you been doing any of the lessons?" While Xieren was a disciple of Master Shao, he did still have to take lessons. If he didn't know how to read, then how could he get anything done.

"I know a little." He admitted, looking away. He knew lying was bad but he disliked the notion of allowing big brother to address him through written word alone. He wouldn't allow that. Not when his voice was so nice.

"So you lied. How like you." She teased, chuckling. She was glad to talk to him again. While she had been sad for a few days, she had learned to accept him, since he still chose to remain by her side. "Are you heading down now?"

"No, I still have some things to do first." He replied, pouting. While he wished he could spend all his time with big brother, Elder Zhihao still gave him tasks to do. They were mostly just delivering notes to the ladies and bring back what they gave him. He didn't get it but big brother had issues with him walking around by himself so he did the exchange himself. Apparently he was friends with those ladies.

"T-then perhaps we can do something together then? We can play!" She offered innocently, her eyes glowing with delight at the thought of spending time with Xieren. Xieren, on the other hand, couldn't help but want to toss himself from a mountain to make up for this girl's naivety.

"Please," He started, covering his face with shame. "Please think about who could be around when you say things like that."

"Eh? Did I say something wrong?" She asked confused. She'd heard her master say similar things to the sect leader so she thought it was a normal thing. Then again, Master Shuren did always refuse so maybe it wasn't what she thought?

"...No, I suppose not but..." He sighed, very much sure she was not going to get it. Really, why was he, a young man picked up off the streets more aware of the boundary between men and women than a young girl herself. Then again, it was big brother who taught him that boundary. "Never mind. What kind of 'play' did you have in mind."

"Perhaps something men do?" She suggested, her smile seemingly more jovial than before. "I heard men bond when they go to certain places together."

What kind of places are these!? He thought, a bit concerned at where this could be going.

"Even if we could, us," He gestured between the two of them. "Going together is bound to make others question our relationship with one another. I still get looks for admirers of yours as if I was about to steal their daughter from their household."

"You couldn't do that!" She laughed, amused by Xieren's pout following her statement. What was that about 'couldn't' rather than wouldn't? She could guess what was bouncing around in his mind. "Brother is too small to steal me away, let alone carry me out bridal style."

"Who said anything about bridal style?!" He cried, wanting ro defend himself but knowing that she wasn't wrong. "Moreover, don't speak such nonsense. I would carry you over my shoulder not in my arms." He insisted.

"No no, you can't do that!" She retorted, looking concerned. "If you try it that way, my feet will just drag across the ground. Don't bring harm to yourself (his dignity)like that, Brother Xieren."

"I'm not that short!" He cried, knowing she right about his height. Still to just point it out like that!

"You're shorter than me." She pointed out, cocking a brow.

"Not by much!"

"Still..."

"Anyway!" Xieren grumbled, displeased at how this conversation was going. This was not how he intended for things to go. He had to clear things up. "Even if we did hang out, it'd be bad for us to be seen together in such a place."

"Such a place?" She echoed, looking around as her mind clearly wandered. "Then perhaps I can disguise myself as a man! Then we could-"

"No way." He flatly refused.

"Eh? Why not!?" She pouted, leaning forward onto the table. As she did so her... rather generous chest pressed against her robes, showing off just how much was there.

While Xieren had no interest in her as a woman, as a male, he couldn't help but notice. But he was a gentleman so it was only after a full 10 seconds of staring that he looked away.

"You... You can't hide those... Please don't make me explain!" He cried, hiding his face in his arms. Why was this happening!? How did the conversation go from learning to play the flute to him talking about her breasts?! WHY?!?!?!

"Sorry." She said, her tone faltering as she saw her companion's expression. "I just... I wanted to spend time with you." Xieren looked up, confused at the sudden turn. "I thought perhaps if I was a man... maybe then we could get close enough that you might..."

"Might...?"

"That... you might consider me a friend." She whispered, curling into a ball to hide her reddening face. Xieren stared at her with confusion, thinking back to his words from before.

"Is that what you've been upset about all this time?" He stared at her, shocked beyond belief. Had his casual words really hit her so hard? Why? It had nothing to do with her. "Why do you care?" He asked, honestly confused.

"Because to me, you are my friend." She proclaimed, taking his hand in hers. "We eat and talk and have fun together. You listen to me when anyone else would take advantage of me in someway. You are nice to me. I just thought that... perhaps you felt that way about me but..."

"Eh? Of course I do." He replied, still confused. "Out of all the bastards in the sect, you are about the only person who is decent to me. You don't look at me with disdain or pity. How could I dislike you?"

"But you said-"

"Yeah, I have no friends. Friends can betray me and stab me in the back." He stated, his eyes cold and hollow. "They are the ones I dislike. If that is the kind of friend you speak of, then I have none and want none. But you're different, Xinyi."

"T-truly?" She stammered, tears beading up in her eyes.

"Of course." He replied. "You are not my friend but you are someone I feel I can trust just a little bit."

The young woman stared at her companion, hearing him speak and letting the feeling of relief wash over her. Part of her was a bit shocked that all this drama was just due to her friends definition of a friend being someone who was assumed to betray another but then again, this was Xieren. He was, by nature, a wary person. This much she knew. If it was him, this would be his reasoning for saying he had no friends.

In that regard, she couldn't help but be happy for herself. To get as far as she had, it had taken months of pestering and one sided conversations to get him to even sit at the same table as her. Now he at least saw her as someone he could trust.

***

Xieren strolled through town, his heart racing with excitement. So far, today had been a good day. He'd made up with Xinyi and he got started on his flute lessons, though he was very bad at it. Still, he hoped he'd quickly improve so he could play for big brother.

"Ah, Tankian baby bro!?" A voice called out to him, drawing his attention. It was the middle aged jovial woman. Smiling, she waved him over. "How are you doing today?"

Fine." He grumbled, not wanting to talk to her but forcing himself to anyway. As he spent time in the village, people started to assume he was Tankian's brother, since he stuck close by the man. Xieren had no issue with this, since it made him the closest to big brother by default. No one but him knew about his habit of humming to himself. Thinking of that, a smile bloomed on his face.

"Aw, there's that cute smile." The women cooed, enjoying the sight. Really, after a long day of work, one needed a cute thing to brighten ones day. "If you're looking for your brother, he's still out working but you might catch him in the square."

"Thank you, auntie!" He said, happy at the thought of seeing big brother again. While he might not like the people who lurked around him, they were fine when they didn't distract big brother from him.

Running to the square, he noticed a large gathering before him. Frowning, he pushed his way through, hearing loud but muffled voices from the center. One of which sounded like-

"Big brother!"