"It's fine." He said. "Just call me – "
"Shen Sheng." Yi Bing spoke.
" – 'Shou Wei'." The visitor spoke.
It was only Huo Ling who could hear what Yi Bing said. Although he also heard the name that the visitor has told Luo Ming and the young Luo Ye, but he knows that it was definitely Shen Sheng.
'Shou Wei'… head and tail. It can also mean the beginning and end. What is Shen Sheng planning? Yi Bing thought. If he can think of this, naturally, Huo Ling can think of this, too, with that smart head of his.
"I don't know what the specifics of his talk with shixiong, as shixiong had me leave." Luo Ye spoke. "But – " he looked at Yi Bing and Huo Ling. " – it wasn't only that time when I met him on that day… the only day that he appeared before us." He said and waved his hand, and the scene changed.
"Visitor!" the young Luo Ye called when he saw 'Shou Wei' was standing alone on the boardwalk and is silently watching the lotus flowers floating on the pond.
'Shou Wei' turned and smiled when he saw Luo Ye. "You're finally here. I've been waiting for you." He spoke.
"Huh?" the young Luo Ye muttered and tilted his head, bewildered.
It's not just him, since the others were also puzzled. What does he mean by waiting for Luo Ye? Wasn't it with Luo Ming that he has a business with and not Luo Ye?
'Shou Wei' just remained smiling. "When that time comes, you will understand everything." He spoke. "But, for now, just remember that you will see the one you are yearning for when you remember this." He said and placed a hand on Luo Ying's head.
Everyone's eyes widened and covered their eyes when a bright light flashed from 'Shou Wei's hand. "W – what is he doing? Is he trying to kill him?!" Qi Ying asked.
"If he was, then I won't be here before all of you now." Luo Ye spoke.
They all turned to him.
Luo Ye waved his hand and the scene disappeared. He looked at Yi Bing and Huo Ling. "You two must understand how I mistaken you earlier." He spoke.
Yi Bing and Huo Ling nodded. The others wanted to ask, but they know that everyone has their own secrets to keep, so they remained silent.
"But, I remembered his power and finally recognized you two." Luo Ye continued. Then, he fell silent. "I now know what he meant when he said 'when that time comes'. It meant the apocalypse. But – " he took a deep breath. " – I still don't understand what he meant by 'you will understand everything'. And – " he looked outside.
They thought that he will continue speaking, but they didn't hear him speak again. After some snacks, Luo Ye invited them to stay on the sect to rest.
"I don't know how he did it without turning like my shixiong." Luo Ye spoke when he sent Yi Bing and Huo Ling to their room while he is looking at them. "You two don't have that malevolent energy on you, so I know that you won't turn like those monsters." He said.
"Thank you for understanding." Huo Ling spoke.
"Luo daozhang should have a thought in his mind already about us, and that 'visitor'." Yi Bing spoke.
Luo Ye remained silent.
"As for the one Luo daozhang is yearning for…" Yi Bing continued. He and Huo Ling saw Luo Ye flinched. "… why don't Luo daozhang accompany us tomorrow?" he asked.
Luo Ye finally raised his head and looked at them. "You mean… leaving the sect?" he asked, surprised. "But, I can't…" he muttered.
Silence fell. Luo Ye must already know by now that it was his master and the elders of his sect that have imprisoned him here.
"Why don't Luo daozhang just give it a try?" Huo Ling spoke.
Luo Ye looked at him.
Huo Ling smiled. "You might not know if everything will change this time?" he asked.
The next day.
"Huh?" Luo Ye muttered, surprised, when he saw the mist. What's more surprising is that the mist parted after Yi Bing and Huo Ling walked. "Could it be…?" he turned and looked at the two.
Huo Ling smiled while Yi Bing didn't speak. The others also noticed the change but they didn't ask anything. They'll just leave it as a quirk of the mysterious cultivation world, regarding Yi Bing and Huo Ling as parts of it, too.
When they left the mountain, the mist and the mountain disappeared again. Yi Bing took out the two cars, and it was already a given that Luo Ye will be with the second car which Yi Bing is driving.
"Erm… his clothes…" Jenny spoke as they enter the car. "And hair." She added as they looked at Luo Ye's long hair tied by a black ribbon.
"Hm?" Luo Ye muttered and was about to enter the car.
Huo Ling heard what Jenny said and he went out of the car before he pulled Luo Ye back to the mountain, which made Yi Bing's face to turn dark.
"Woah…" everyone exclaimed and immediately moved away from Yi Bing when they saw that he is, literally, surrounded by a low pressure. Ice formed on the road and Qi Ying almost slipped had Xi Kai not catch him immediately.
"Jealous men are really scary~" Jenny said and grinned as she pulled Lan, Chichi and Rei with her together with Xiao Ru inside the car while Lu Lu and Xi Ke entered the second car with the two children.
Xi Kai also pulled Qi Ying to the first car and both sat on the driver's seat and front seat respectively. It was then that everyone saw Huo Ling and Luo Ye running back with Luo Ying already changed in their clothes. They also saw that Luo Ye's hair was cut short.
"Huh? Cultivators can cut their hair?" Qi Ying asked.
Luo Ye turned. "No. I didn't cut my hair. It was an illusion spell by Huo Ling." He answered and looked at Huo Ling.
Everyone turned and looked at Huo Ling in surprise. Then, they turned to look at Yi Bing, only to see him glaring at Huo Ling.
"You took another man to change." Yi Bing spoke.
Uh-oh. Here it comes! Everyone thought.
Huo Ling froze when he heard Yi Bing spoke. He almost cursed had he not himself back because Yi Bing is 'acting' like a jealous husband! "… he changed on his own and I only gave him the clothes." He explained.
"You didn't see him changing, did you?" Yi Bing asked.
It was Huo Ling's turn for his face to darken. "I am not a pervert!" he yelled and kicked Yi Bing after he can't hold back his anger anymore. Why is Yi Bing always doing this always?! He thought as he marched towards the first car.
"No, no, no! Not here!" Xi Kai said and grinned as he stopped Huo Ling. "We don't want to be frozen to death by your husband~" he said.
Huo Ling, literally, burned when he heard the word 'husband'. Of course, his clothes didn't burn. The fire is just surrounding his whole body.
"Ah! Hot! Hot!" Xi Kai exclaimed when the hem of his shirt was burned. Qi Ying immediately doused the fire.
"Huo Ling." Yi Bing called as he waved his hand and the fire around Huo Ling's body disappeared and snow fell around him even without a cloud. "I'm sorry. It's my fault that I got jealous." He spoke as he held his hand. "Let's go back now." He told him as he pulled him back to the second car. "Let's not waste everyone's time." He added when he saw that the other still didn't move.
It was only then that Huo Ling moved. But, he pulled his hand back from Yi Bing's grasped and slammed the door of the front seat hard to the point it almost broke. "Don't talk to me starting from now on." He told Yi Bing when the other sat on the driver's seat.
Yi Bing nodded and started the car. He then suddenly received a message on his communicator. He thought it was from Jin Wu and Mo Shi, only to see the familiar four zeros. He wanted to chuckle but then stopped when he glanced at Huo Ling's dark face.
Huo Ling sent him an expletive along with an emoji of a middle finger raised.
Northern Military Base.
"They're here!" a soldier screamed in joy when he saw two cars are approaching. "They are finally back!" he added as he shouted to his comrades about the return of Xi Kai's group before he called their general, Hu Feng's, office to report.
Not long after and the wide gates opened. Xi Kai's group was welcomed with a cheer. Xi Ke and Lu Lu felt tearing up when they saw it. They are glad that they have chosen the Northern Military Base with their son.