Chapter 12 (2/2)
”Wasn’t I the same? But when the time comes, one has to admit their defeat.” Guan Xing looked at Fan JiJing: ”Third s.h.i.+di, what do you think?”
Fan JiJing looked at Hua HuaiXiu, then Guan Xing, and stayed in a daze for a while before he could speak again. ”Eldest s.h.i.+xiong, don’t tell me that you are saying…”
”To make you the successor of zhangmen,” Guan Xing said sonorously and forcefully.
Hua HuaiXiu felt his heart sinking heavily.
One following the other, they walked along a path surrounded by flowers.
It was already deep into the night.
Hua HuaiXiu slowed down his steps intentionally or unintentionally but noticed that Fan JiJing never caught up. In the end, he could not help but stop completely and look at him helplessly.
Fan JiJing also stood where he was, glancing back innocently.
Hua HuaiXiu asked, ”Why don’t you come closer?”
Fan JiJing replied, ”The path is too narrow. I’ll step on the plants by the sides.”
In fact, even though the path was narrow, it was not impossible for two people to walk on it side by side, although there would be some shoulder-knockings for sure.
Hua HuaiXiu curled his lips and said, ”Have you made your decision for that thing?”
Fan JiJing said in a low voice, as if he was begging for mercy: ”Cousin.”
”You really want to be zhangmen?” Hua HuaXiu's heart tightened.
There was a second of blankness on Fan JiJing's face, but he then murmured, ”I don’t know.”
Hua HuaiXiu turned around in a self-mocking way: ”As a disciple of Jiuhua, how can you possibly not want to become zhangmen?” Originally, he thought Fan JiJing was going to argue about it. In his mind, Fan JiJing was not the kind of person that coveted fame, wealth, power or influence. In fact, the Fan JiJing in his eyes had always been a silly person. But this time, no reply had come from behind him for a long time.
He looked at the flowers along the roadsides.
The red flowers and green leaves were hiding within the dark night and had somehow become one in color, making it impossible to distinguish them.
The sound of hurried footsteps came from the other side. Although a vague figure still, both Fan JiJing and Hua HuaiXiu recognised that it was a disciple of Song BoLin.
Hua HuaiXiu thought of something quickly and held back the gloating feelings that quickly crowded upon his mind as he said in a low voice, ”Maybe your s.h.i.+shu has received some news.”
Fan JiJing replied under his breath as well: ”Cousin doesn't want me to be the zhangmen?”
Of course.
Those two words were so close from escaping his tongue.
But seeing that the disciple had already come close, Hua HuaiXiu had to change his words ambiguously: ”I'm just worried that you'll have a hard time adapting.” The internal relations.h.i.+ps in the Jiuhua Sect were probably too complicated for Fan JiJing to control.
The disciple walked up to the two and saluted: ”Fan s.h.i.+xiong. s.h.i.+shu invites you over.”
Hua HuaiXiu motioned with the raise of his eyebrows.
The disciple replied respectfully, ”Master only invited Fan s.h.i.+xiong, not Hua Gongzi.”
Hua HuaiXiu asked, ”I just want to ask that it's really late already, Song Daxia hasn't slept yet?”
The disciple said, ”Master is still waiting for Fan s.h.i.+xiong.”
Hua HuaiXiu said, ”By the way, I was just thinking about taking a walk to the residence in the back. I hope Song Daxia doesn't mind.”
The disciple went blank for a moment, then said, ”But it's really late already…”
”Isn't Song Daxia still awake as well?”
The disciple turned to look at Fan JiJing for help.
Not knowing what to do with him, Fan JiJing just called, ”Cousin.”
Hua HuaiXiu looked with askance at him. Under the moonlight, his bright countenance showed somewhat a chill that was not usually seen on him.
The rejection that was already on Fan JiJing's tongue was forcibly changed into an invitation: ”Let's go together.”
The corner of Hua HuaiXiu's mouth curved up as he was unspeakably pleased with himself.
Fan JiJing shrank his shoulders, brushed past him, and walked ahead to lead the way.
Hua HuaiXiu said it was a casual walk, but in fact his legs never stopped going around Song BoLin's residence in circles.
It had been one incense worth of time since Fan JiJing went in. Usually he would not be concerned, but since Song BoLin asked to see him in such a haste right after Guan Xing mentioned about electing him as the next zhangmen. Although he might've not known about the conversation they had with Guan Xing, one should always guard against evil intentions from others, especially in places with strange atmospheres like the Jiuhua Sect.
Many thoughts flashed across his mind. For example, what if Song BoLin was indeed the murderer and wanted to kill Fan JiJing? Or what would be the best way to rescue him if Fan JiJing called for help from inside?
Just as he became increasingly more restless from all these imaginations, the door opened from inside with a creak.
Fan JiJing slowly came out from there.
Hua HuaiXiu's heart lightened. As he was about to come out from the corner however, his body suddenly froze the moment he lifted his foot.
Under the moonlight, Fan JiJing was pacing out slowly with his back to Song BoLin's room. There were faint traces of a smile both in his eyes and at the corner of his lips.
He could not tell exactly the meaning behind that smile, though it certainly was neither simple nor honest.
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