Ling Yun was coldly sweating as he watched Xie Lan, Fan Wen and the other Xinfaxian Sect people pace back and forth in the middle of the night. He finally decided to ignore his current disheveled appearance after he was roused from his sleep by his uncle and then was brought to the Yunxiao Inn with Yu Wen leading them.
That day, his uncle has lectured him when they went home telling him that he was disrespectful to Cheng Sheng and he lacked tact. Ling Yun is a smart child so he realized his mistake and felt very regretful. Just when he was about to look for Cheng Sheng to apologize, Ling Xi told him that something has happened to Cheng Sheng and no one can tell what is wrong with his body.
Thus, only Ling Yun who has special eyes might be able to tell what happened to Cheng Sheng.
"This…" Ling Yun muttered as he stared closely at Cheng Sheng's soul, then at his meridians where his qi is flowing.
Everyone's ears perked up and they all started when they heard him spoke.
"What happened to him?" Zheng Fu Gong asked.
He Run is biting his nail since he is the most nervous because only Cheng Sheng can save He Shun's life, and also the Zhongyang.
"Although it was very, very, slowly… but…" Ling Yun blinked and his glowing pupils returned to normal. "His qi… it should be flowing faster than the last time I saw him." He answered.
Because of his special eyes, he could also see the qi in every person's body. After he had adjusted with this eyesight of his, and then became a cultivator where he can use his eyes more, it became a habit of him to look at a person's qi, and then the flow of qi in their body. Thus, naturally, he has also looked into Cheng Sheng's qi.
And that was what he had seen as the most beautiful flow of qi in his entire life. Those little specks of light moving sluggishly … who could have known even Cheng Sheng's qi reflected his lethargic personality? But, even if they move sluggishly, it reminded Ling Yun of a calm river smoothly flowing where the fishes that could be seen through the clear water are sleeping soundly at the bottom.
It was peaceful.
"Xiao Sheng's… xiao Sheng's cultivation is now improving?!" Fan Wen exclaimed as he gasped.
His voice pulled Ling Yun from his thoughts.
Everyone's eyes brightened. "This is good news!" they exclaimed and cheered. Who could have expected this windfall in the midst of the recent series of unfortunate events?
"Is it true?!" Ling Xi asked Ling Yun.
Ling Yun nodded. "Though it's very slow…" he muttered.
Yet, no one minded this matter of being slow or fast. As long as Cheng Sheng's cultivation recovers!
"That's why I didn't sense anything in his body… his qi is flowing very slowly." Xie Lan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. His disciple's qi is really just like his disciple!
"Lethargic… ai." Fan Wen helplessly smiled.
"Pft… hahahaha." Li Tian, Feng Mo, Lei Ling and the others laughed.
The other sect leaders and elders also can't hold it back anymore and laughed. Ah… what a beautiful moment this is…
…
In the middle of the night, Fei Yinzi, who felt his strength returned after a day's worth of rest, was awoken when he felt a heat by his ear. He slowly opened his eyes and reflexively touched where the heat is touching him, only to suddenly feel a tiny, round object.
"Hm?" he sleepily muttered and sat up on the bed before he snapped his fingers and the candle was lit.
Light flooded his room and he pinched the tiny, round object by his ear as he sat. This is the earring that his master has given him after the elimination stage. Why is it burning to feel? He thought. Is there something special with this earring?
Thinking this, he suddenly felt happy. Then, he went back to sleep after he felt that the earring stopped burning.
…
In the meadow where it was daytime all the time albeit there was no sun, Fei Yin opened his eyes then looked at the pathway in between the trees which is both the entrance and exit of this space. While he stayed inside Bai Tan's space, he is recalling the past and his memories all stopped at that battle against Wu Ran.
Well, the start of the battle. Although Fei Yin felt that he recalled everything, he also felt that he is missing something. Something important. With this thought, his brows can't help but knit. He is Cheng Sheng's lover so he could feel that Cheng Sheng was hiding something from him, and his instinct tells him that something is related to the important thing that he has forgotten.
Then, suddenly, he felt a familiar aura outside the space. Who could it be but his own aura? But, when he recognized it, he thought why could his aura be outside when he is inside Bai Tan's space? There's only one explanation to this.
His soul has split… or, a part of his soul split from him. He is missing a part of his soul. His soul right now is incomplete, thus he can't recover all of his memories. He also noticed that some of his personality was missing. For instance, him being the earnest and serious Fei Yin – the model da shixiong of Cheng Sheng. Currently, he only has his other, hidden personality which is teasing and playful, though only towards Cheng Sheng.
This missing part of him… it's definitely that one that he sensed outside the space!
Fei Yin's eyes narrowed and, feeling that he had recovered fifty percent of his strength despite his soul being incomplete, he flew to come out of Bai Tan's space. But, suddenly – BAM! He hit something. He reflexively closed his eyes. "What…" he muttered and opened his eyes, only to be shocked when he saw that the exit was closed!
What's happening?! Why is the exit closed?! He always can come out of Bai Tan's space. Cheng Sheng doesn't restrain him, even if he has something he is hiding from him. Fei Yin knows that Cheng Sheng thinks that the more one hides, the more they would look obvious to the other so Cheng Sheng let Fei Yin does anything he likes.
Yet, right now, the exit is undeniably closed. Is it because… something happened to Cheng Sheng?!
His eyes widened in shock. "Bai Tan! I know you can hear me! You have a consciousness. What happened to Sheng?!" he asked as he yelled at the sky. "What happened to your master?! Tell me what happened to Sheng!" he said as his chest heaved up and down in panic and fear.
Then, suddenly, he heard a familiar voice. "Yin-er?" it was Fei Lin.
…
Outside Bai Tan's space, Fei Lin was smiling while Xi Ling is curiously looking at the white blanket before him. He poked it but didn't feel anything special to it. He also couldn't see the space of the Shapeshifting Blanket.
"Is there really a space inside this blanket?" Xi Ling asked Fei Lin.
Fei Lin nodded. "It is currently locked because of Cheng Sheng's condition." He spoke before he turned to Bai Tan. "Yin-er, you can hear me, right?" he asked. "Don't panic. Cheng Sheng is fine. You can't come out right now because his cultivation finally started to change. It is improving." He explained.
Fei Yin who is inside the space froze. Then, he suddenly fell on his knees, feeling weak after his tense body relaxed. "I see…" he muttered as he smiled. "Sheng… you scared me – " he muttered and closed his eyes.
"Yin-er…" Fei Lin called. "Right now, everyone's around Cheng Sheng, protecting him because he is currently defenseless. Bai Tan supposedly should be there, too, as his spiritual tool." He spoke. "But, right now, Bai Tan is here. It flew to where I am. This…" he muttered. "I think, Cheng Sheng feels that it's hard for him to tell you what happened during the battle against Wu Ran. Aside from him, only I is closest to you as your brother." He took a deep breath. "So, Yin-er, since Cheng Sheng sent you to me, he thinks that it's about time for me to tell you everything that happened… starting from five years ago." He said.
Fei Yin started and he raised his head. He tapped the 'wall' of the space. As expected, Fei Yin saw Fei Lin and Xi Ling outside. He can see them, but the two seemed to not be able to see him. He stared at Fei Lin's face and realized that from the time he returned, he has never looked at his 'elder brother' for more than ten seconds. Because, for him, he isn't really Fei Yin, and that only to Cheng Sheng he belongs.
However, Cheng Sheng made him realize all these years that this thought of his… it should be before. Now, he finally felt a sense of belongingness to this world.. He finally felt connected with others, too.