AN: One of these days, I've gotta get around to making a proper cover for this story. I love Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian as much as the next girl but I want it to be my own thing.

Also, sorry for the wait, had some writers block since things are straying from my original plan so some major revisions had to be made. Thanks for the patience.

*****

Liang Fei had eventually left Xieren to his own devices, since he had matters to attend to elsewhere. He had hoped he'd hear some kind of response, since he had been doing his best to encourage the young man yet all he got was silence.

For whatever reason, his best student was almost always in a daze. It was concerning to Liang Fei, since such actions were bound to lead to problems for the child.

“Second uncle.”

He had heard how such obliviousness could lead to dangerous outcomes. What if he got lost? What if he got cornered by some hooligan!? Truly, he had to teach Xieren to pay more attention to his surroundings.

“Second uncle?”

He did briefly wonder where he’d gone wrong with him. All his other students were aware and active but not Xieren for some reason. Constantly, the young man would stare at him in a stupor, making him worried the child was struck dumb. But how come? Where did he get this lackadaisical attitude from-

“Second Uncle, are you listening?!” Xinyue called out for the nth time since noticing the older man staring into space. She knew he wasn’t listening, it was clear as day, yet she couldn’t help but call out.

Liang Fei blinked at her, wondering why she was speaking so loudly. Was that a thing nieces did toward their second uncles? Perhaps fantasy novels held different standards?

Must be. He concluded, nodding his head sagely. As usual, he failed to notice his own flaws and just assumed others were the ones who was strange.

(AN: this is probably another reason he wasn’t super popular with girls)

Xinyue held in her grimace, not sure how to respond to the man. This was their first meeting yet she felt strangely tired just talking to him. He was very different from what she expected.

Shao Liang Fei was not her blood related uncle but a dear friend of her own father, so they were seen as family. Her father had been gracious enough to allow her to visit her second uncle in his stead since he was too busy with other matters. She had been excited to meet the man her father saw as a brother since he (her father) was notoriously hard to please.

Yet the man before her was nothing like what she expected. The aura around second uncle was like a deep and still pond, drawing you in and almost lulling you to sleep. He was very stoic, to the point where not a single thought could be seen on his face or in his eyes. Even when she had drew him from his thoughts moments ago, his expression remained serene.

It was a bit bewildering.

It was only because Xinyue was a noble miss and raised to remained poised that she didn’t show how flustered she truly was. Still, faced with this man, she was glad she hadn’t come alone. It might be too much to deal with by herself.

“Second uncle, we were discussing Father.” Xing He stated, sitting beside his cousin. Unlike her, he had met this uncle before so he felt a bit more comfortable.

At least, he thought he would. This man was different from what he could remember but he couldn’t say why. Looking him in the eye, he felt a strange sense of unease. Unconsciously, he touched his wrist.

“Yes.” Liang Fei remained aloof, not noticing at all how awkward he was making his two guests. The two flinched, a bit taken aback at the silence that followed. Was that it? That wasn’t the reply they expected and now they were at a loss. Were they supposed to repeat themselves? Push for a response? What?

“E-eh? I…” Xinyue looked at her cousin, hoping he’d say something, since they had to convince their uncle to visit. Their father valued second uncles opinion but the man refused to reply to letters.

Seeing him now, they began to think he perhaps had just forgotten to reply. That seemed like the most believable explanation.

Just then, they distantly heard the front door slid open as a voice called out.

“Shizun!?” The young voice echoed through the small estate, his footsteps drawing ever closer. Xing He frowned, confused as to why a disciple would just casually burst into an elders home. Watching Liang Fei indifferently sipped his tea, he concluded this must not be a rare occurrence.

“Do you just let anyone enter your home like this, second uncle?” Xinyue asked as the footsteps drew closer.

Liang Fei too began to wonder if perhaps he’d made the wrong choice leaving his doors open to anyone. While he adored his students and being needed, it was a bit of a hassle to have people just waltz in with little to no filter or thought of his affairs.

It’s like I never died at all. He thought wistfully, thinking of how his sister or his friend would just burst into his room and talk his ear off.

(AN: I keep imagining that all stars meme from Shrek.)

“Shizun!” The door slammed open, revealing one of his disciples, panting heavily. He looked around the room, his eyes landing on Liang Fei and his two guests. “Shizun… Uh…”

“Tell me what happened.” He took a sip, already having a feeling he knew what was about to be said.

“Y-yes!” The young man bowed. “Shizun, Xieren-Xiong is about to fight someone in the courtyard.”

Inwardly, Liang Fei sighed, feeling a bit tired now. He had been expecting that but to have it confirmed was a bit…

“I see.” He sighed, closing his eyes. That was a bit quicker than he had expected. It had barely been an hour since they parted.

“S-second uncle, do you know brother Xieren?” Xinyue asked, her hands clenched around her fan. She wanted to run out to see the young man but to do so know would be rude to the man before her.

“He’s my disciple.” He answered, watching the young miss’s eyes widen. He was more surprised that she knew Xieren at all. The youth hadn’t mentioned her. He wanted to ask where they’d met but figured it was none of his business.

“Aren’t you going to stop him then?” Xing He asked, frowning.

“Why?” He retorted, cocking a brow, the most expressive he’d been since they had started speaking. Liang Fei turned his gaze to the disciple standing by the door. “I assume he was challenged, correct?”

“Yes.” He nodded.

“Then why should I get involved? He is strong enough to face against a fellow sect members.” He replied, feeling a bit torn. The teacher in him felt he should stop the fight since fights were supposed to be wrong. But on the other hand, he very much wanted to Xieren to beat the crap out of the one who bullied him.

Liang Fei was a believer in the age old wisdom of ‘eye for an eye’, so the thought of his student defending his honor was gratifying. In fact!

“But I will attend, to supervise the match.” He said, standing up and turning to Xinyue. “My apologies, but I must attend to my duties. Please wait for-”

“May I come with you, second uncle?” Xinyue interrupted, jumping to her feet

“Brother Xieren and I, we…” She started to explain but stopped, not wanting to waste time explaining her feelings for the young man. They’d only met once before but his image stayed with her despite everything. “I can’t help but feel partly at fault for this.”

Thinking about it, Xinyue concluded that his opponent had to be her idiot brother, He Qiang. He probably remembered Xieren from town and decided to take his frustration over not being included in the discussion with second uncle. He was immature enough to satisfy both petty desires at once by getting into a fight.

“If he’s fight who I think, I definitely have to be there.” She said, straightening her back as she stared up at the man before her.

Hm, so she does know Xieren. Liang Fei thought, his expression remaining calm. How curious. Looking her over, she stared up at him with an eager expression, wanting to get his permission to come with him. But why?

Then it hit him. Xieren had mentioned having gotten into the fight due to defending someone he cared for. It wasn’t Xinyi, since it seemed romantic so perhaps… Could it be Xinyue?

He couldn’t say just yet but this just added another reason to go.

***

Xuejie was feeling quite out of sorts as he watched his best friend walk to his opponent. He knew this was how things would end. Humiliating an arrogant guy like He Qiang in front of so many, what other conclusion could there be but this.

What he felt confused about was all the little inconsistencies that were adding up. Xinyi and Xieren being just friends.

The Story was not progressing the way he remembered.

Thats right, Xuejie knew this was a story, a fantasy novel he’d transmigrated to after dying. It was one he’d read a little before he died, though he never got to finish. Perhaps his desire to see how things would end was why he was sent here.

That and that weirdo system seemed intent on getting rid of him. He thought, grimacing as he recalled that wistful and lazy ball of fluff yawning as he spoke, flatly telling him he was getting reborn cause “I don’t know, maybe boss likes humans like you? Shi~ I wanna nap so go away now~”

***

Elsewhere, both far and close by, a single ball of fluff was floating in endless mist.

[Shi~ I’m so glad I managed to get a good host like that…] It stopped, listing to the side. [Who was that guy again? Well, whatever~ He’s gone so I did enough. Now for a nap, Shi~]

As the fluff ball slept, those under its care blindly struggled to get anything done, because it was too tired to bother check on any of them.

***

Recalling that, Xuejie wanted to spit blood but he was quickly drawn back to the present as the fight began, both young men holding out a wooden sword. Originally, He Qiang had wanted to draw their blades but Xieren, ever the obedient disciple, stated that such actions were against the rules.

Xuejie and a few others watched, eager to see how things would end. Xieren, the top disciple under Sect master, Shao Liang Fei facing off against this stranger, a youth arrogant enough to dare reject freely offered food. Yet he was clearly very strong, as he had managed to easily shove those holding him aside.

This arrogant man was strong, so they worried their Xiong wouldn’t be able to protect their honor. Their hearts were fully behind him, wanting him to win.

Xuejie was the only one calmly watching, since he knew how things would go. This was all according to the plot anyway. Even though there was some uncertainty in the details.

Like why did Xieren know He Qiang? While the protagonist’s time in the sect was vague, one of the major events was his duel against this young master. Some argument ensued and they fought. As was usual, Xieren struggled against his stronger opponent but with the encouragement of his beloved Xinyi, he pushed through and won.

But Xinyi wasn’t his beloved presently.

Xuejie still didn’t understand why but things had changed. If only Xieren’s time in the sect wasn’t brushed over with a ‘the times spent there was like a summer breeze and passed just as swift’, Xuejie would be able to spot what had changed.

“Hah, such a weak man dares challenge this young master.” He Qiang proclaimed, swatting aside Xieren’s strike. His hands buzzed from the impact but he remained determined. His opponent smirked, amused by the younger man before him. “If you wish, I could be kind enough to allow you to beg forgiveness. Just apologize for daring to stand before me.”

(AN: Just a note, I’m shit at fight scenes so… yeah)

Xieren struggled to his feet, glaring up at the young man before. This arrogant peacock was stronger than he had thought. He was clearly stronger than his Shidi and perhaps even his seniors. Yet Xieren refused to give up.

Not because of his sect.

Not even because of his pride.

But because of Shizun. His words still echoed in his head.

When you beat this guy and the other finalists, you’ll be allowed to travel with me on my mission and we can spar as much as you’d like.

Beating this guy was just his first step to spending more time with his master, to having him all to himself. There was no way he would allow himself to lose.

With renewed vigor, Xieren struck first, catching He Qiang, who was still bragging, off guard. He stumbled slightly, giving Xieren the chance to strike.

The crowd watched, eager and excited as the match got more heated. Xuejie kept his eyes on the crowd, trying to spot Xinyi. Her entry was the turning point, where Xieren would end things.

“Is the fight still going on?”

Xuejie jumped, his heart almost leaving his chest at the sudden appearance of their master beside him. As he caught his breath, he took the man in. Xuejie couldn’t recall much about this guy, other than his death scene. He was a very minor character, almost to the point of being an unnamed cannon fodder character.

Yet studying under him all theses years, he couldn’t imagine why the protagonist would kill him. Yes, he was strange and strict, but he wasn’t bad. Just weird~

If anything, being his disciple reminded him of his time in school when he was alive.

“If you wish to stare, there are more interesting things happening than my face.” Liang Fei stated, drawing Xuejie from his thoughts. He sighed. Why were so many of his students staring at him like that? Was he too being struck dumb?

“Sorry, Shizun.” He said, bowing. His gaze went behind him, his eyes widening as he saw two youths standing there. Not because they were good looking, since that seemed to be the standard in this novel. No, it was because they were two of his fave characters in the novel.

Su Xinyi and Yun Xing He.

One was his favorite love interest, besides the lovely Xinyi obviously and the other was one of the cooler little brothers. So mature and cool yet fiercely loyal to the protagonist. The scene where they swear to be brothers was Xuejie’s favorite scene in the novel. Just remembering that scene made him excited, just barely suppressing the urge to rush over and beg for an autograph.

While Xuejie was trying to recover from his fangasm, Xieren had noticed the new arrivals. That strange girl from before, the one with the fan and the clingy disposition was there. This was unsurprising since her idiot lackey was his opponent. His true surprise was seeing her alongside his master. They stood close, their sleeves nearly touching.

He had to put a stop to that!

Just when he took a step forward, his opponent attacked, nearly hitting him as he jumped back. A low growl escaped his lips. this bastard was standing between him and Shizun!

While no one was sure what had happened, they felt the air change, as if stepping from a warm house to the freezing tundra. All eyes were on the fight, that had now escalated and shifted. Where once Xieren was just barely getting any hits in, it was now He Qiang who was struggling just to dodge.

The match was soon finished, with Xieren pinning He Qiang to the spot with his sword to his neck. Unseen by all but his opponent, his single visible eye glowed with malice and disdain.

“Stay down this time.” He growled, turning away to face the crowd. Said crowd was briefly left in show, unsure what had happened. The shift had happened so fast, many couldn't keep up. By the time they realized it, the match was over.

Not caring about the crowd at all, Xieren rushed through the masses, seeking out his master. While he couldn’t see the man anymore, his scent was enough for him to find the stoic man. He was near Xuejie and those two annoying people.

At this moment, Xieren made a choice that changed everything. While his decision was quickly made and was purely practical, the consequences of this choice would have him cursing his past sense for being so stupid.

His instincts were forefront in his mind, telling him that he must separate that girl from his master. His logical mind agreed but quickly saw that grabbing Shizun would not only be incredibly rude but a fools errand since Shizun was stronger than him. There was no way he could move him.

So when he reached them, before Xuejie could call out a greeting, Xieren moved past him and grabbed Xinyue’s arm to pull her away. The lady was surprised but flushing red from being pulled. Xing He looked ready to attack and Xuejie looked on impassively, curious as to how things would go.

Liang Fei was surprised to say the least when he saw Xieren Rush over with a determined look on his face. Yet rather than greet him, he took hold of his niece and pulled her away. So they must know one another then.

Everyone watched with bated breath to see how things would go, no one paying any mind to the once arrogant peacock in the courtyard who struggled to his feet. His departure was unseen, for no one cared anymore.

Instead, their attention was on Xieren, Xinyue and Liang Fei. No one was sure what was happening but they were eager to watch and see. A moment of silence fell between the three, with Xing He and Xuejie allowing the event to unfold from the sidelines.

Xing He wanted to involve himself but a steady hand from Xuejie stilled him. For reasons unknown to him, he took the younger mans silent warning.

“Xieren.” Liang Fei reached out a hand,

“Don't touch!” He snapped back, pushing Xinyue further back. He didn't want them touching. If they got too close, Shizuns scent might rub off on her. Or worse, hers would rub off on him. Such a thing would be terrible!

Watching his display, all could only gape in amazement as Xieren put himself between the two. As far as they could recall, the only girl Xieren chose to touch was Xinyi but the two were very familial in their way of acting. This though, was a different reaction, one that screamed of jealousy and staking a claim of the involved party.

It was at this moment that everyone came to the same conclusion, even the ever ditzy Master among them.

Xieren must have fallen for the lovely Xinyue.

***

Soon after, Liang Fei departed from the sect to start his mission. He had wanted to properly bid his students farewell but refrained since he was behind schedule anyway. Since he chose to travel by carriage as opposed to using his sword, it’d take him longer to arrive at his destination.

As such, he couldn’t wait any longer and left before the sun had set. The next morning, the students were shocked to see there was no dreaded red pot on the serving table. Xuejie and Xinyi just shrugged it off but Xieren spent the rest of the day scowling at the far wall.

Days later, Liang Fei had arrived at his destination. It was a distant town, brushing the edges of their country and filling the air with the smell of flowers. It was a pleasant scent yet so hard to get things done.

As expected, the people were wary. Every new face was a possible enemy since rumors of the dark cultivators had reached even this far. The notion that the Tianjian sect was the only one aware was definitely dubious.

Liang Fei adjusted his mask as he strolled through the town. He’d chosen to disguise himself again, since he didn’t want to draw attention to himself. He was already a new face, he couldn’t add on that he was also a cultivator on top of it.

So to make things easier, he took on his old persona and used it to blend in. Surprisingly, the people of the town was less suspicious of masked men with unclear scars than of random cultivators showing up at their doors. Liang Fei felt this was very strange but didn’t question his luck.

“Oh, Tankian, there you are.” One of the store owners called out to him, his toothy smile bringing warm feelings into Liang Feis heart. Seeing this man so old yet full of life filled him with determination.

“Uncle.” He greeted, his tone steady and level as always. The people in town had gotten used to him over the last few days, no longer expecting long responses from the steady eyed man.

“Are you here to buy something?” He asked, showing off his wares. Liang Fei had been using his steadily earned cash to buy his way into their clerks hearts. Not shockingly, it worked. “It’s a bit early though.”

Liang Fei shook his head.

“I wished to talk to you for a bit.” He replied, relaxing as he kept his eyes on the street.

“Oh? You want to share a drink with this old man?” The older man offered, his smile sly and jovial. Again, Liang Fei shook his head.

“It’s a bit early for that, don’t you think?”

“Nonsense!” He scoffed, waving the notion off like a fly. “This town is basically dead since there is little of interest here.”

“Perhaps another time, we’ll share that drink.” He offered, hoping to speed things along. If he let uncle continue on, he’d never get the info he needed.

“Fine. What did you want to know?”

“Have there been anyone unfamiliar in town?”

“Besides you?” He huffed, cocking a brow. “Probably. People pass through here all the time. Few stay though.” He said, his tone suggesting something unsaid.

“Has there been a lot of folks staying then?” He ventured, his attention now fully on the conversation This was news. He hadn’t noticed any people unfamiliar with the town as of yet. Those he asked remained adamant that no one but him had entered the town since he’d arrived.

“You’d be better off asking Old Jin that. He runs the Inn at the edge of town.” He pointed to the far off building down the street. It was hard to miss, it being the largest building in town. “ Best place in the town but the man is a stickler that’d charge you for breathing.”

“I know of him.” He huffed, thinking of Old Jin. Talking to him was difficult, since he legit charged for the time spent talking to him. While he was a valuable source of information, Liang Fei could barely afford to ask for directions, let alone get info for his mission.

“Why did you want to know?” He asked, narrowing his eyes slightly. “Are you waiting for someone?”

“Correct, but I don’t know them personally, so I have to do it this way.”

“Oh? A rendezvous?” He guessed, his expression relaxing into a smirk. “I didn’t think our Tankian was the type.”

Saying such things, Liang Fei felt a bit embarrassed. He truly wasn’t the type, at least as far as he knew. Others would say otherwise but that would come later.

“I suppose I’m full of surprises.” He said, pushing off the wall. The old man waved him off, only looking back to the street when Liang Fei was out of sight.

Liang Fei briskly walked down the street, the hot air making him wish he could take off his mask and breath. Unfortunately, he could risk being recognized so he’d have to suffer. Sweating slightly, he veered off into a nearby alleyway, getting shade from the harsh sun.

He had just gotten cool enough to venture forth back into the heat when he heard a crash nearby. It was faint by mortal standards but Liang Fei could hear it loud and clear. Concerned, he ran deeper into the alleyway, somewhat forgetting where he’d intended on going.

Perhaps he had found his target?

After a minute of running, he sensed someone coming from around the corner only to run into them. Instinct had him wrap his arms around the person, taking the brunt of the impact. A brief glance down and Liang Fei was met with a familiar pair of eyes, or better said, a single visible eye.

“Eh?” He couldn’t help but utter such a response. How else was he to respond to seeing his student here of all places? The Sunjin Conference shouldn’t be over yet. “Why are you here? I though-”

The crash of footsteps drew nearer and Liang Fei felt Xieren flinch in his arms.

“Shi- Brother Tankian, save me!”

*****

AN: Okay, so things should be a bit more consistent since I've managed to get things back on track again. Sorry~

Also, just a note but the system present in this chapter isn't Q. System Shi is just a terrible system as well.