.
Wuxian looks suspiciously between his daughter and Jingyi: "What did you do?"
Jingyi pouts: "We didn't do anything."
Hweiru smiles at Wuxian: "We're in a truce."
Yuxio huffs from a distance: "Truce my butt. They've just changed what's at stake."
Wuxian eyes the woman standing behind his younger disciples: "What did they do?"
Yuxio: "They're turning the archery competition into a bet."
Wuxian pinches both their ears and turns to the squirming Jingyi: "Stop challenging a toddler!"
Then turned to his squirming daughter: "ACT YOUR AGE!"
Hweiru rubs her aching ear when Wuxian finally lets go: "Father said it was ok to join the competition."
Wuxian puts his hand on his waist, glaring at her: "Over my dead body! You barely reach my elbows!"
Jingyi smirks: "You can't possibly be mad that she wants to shoot arrows while allowing her to carry a dagger.. A very VERY sharp dagger."
Wuxian groans: "Why are you defending her? What are you betting on?"
Yuxio: "They stopped the whole 'favorite' thing and now they're at the 'top disciple' thing."
Wuxian takes a deep breath, trying to think of a way to stop this never ending scuffle. He gestures for his daughter to come closer and she does, cautiously covering her ears. He kneels to her level and holds her shoulders: "You ran away from Cloud Recesses to protect me, right?"
Hweiru nods. Wuxian smiles at her: "How are you going to protect me while you're busy competing with Jingyi?"
Hweiru's eyes widen in realization. She turns to Jingyi and says: "Mama comes first. We will compete another time."
Jingyi tsks at her then points at Yuxio: "Snitch!" Then at Wuxian: "Spoilsport."
Wuxian winks at him teasingly. Wuxian one, Hweiru two, Jingyi zero.
The plan they agreed on was clear. The city council were so happy to hear that Wuxian was in their city and kept sending him food and gifts to show their appreciation. Fortunately, Zewu Jun found the fortune teller before the faceless man had a chance to seek him out. Wuxian was sitting in the inn's eating area with his daughter in his lap, surrounded by his army of protectors as he enjoyed his second plate of spicy meat when Zewu Jun came in, followed by a man. He was the same age as Wuxian and Wangji with red hair and fair complexion. He was well built to the point where Wuxian's eyes lingered on his huge biceps. Wangji coughs loudly, warning Wuxian to stop staring.
The smaller man rolls his eyes, puts his chopsticks down and gestures for the teller who bowed in respect, to sit at his table. The man speaks first: "Divine Oracle, my name is Li Liang. I am honored to be at your service."
Wuxian blushed a little. The man before him was so handsome, he's having a hard time controlling his reaction. He clears his throat and says: "Thank you for joining us during our stay. Did my brother explain to you why we are here?"
Liang frowns: "He did. I sensed a dark energy entering our city a few days ago. I never suspected that it would be severe enough for two prominent cultivator clans and the Divine Oracle to take interest in the matter."
Wuxian chuckles nervously: "Unfortunately, my blessings force me to follow trouble."
Liang looks over Wuxian's delicate features and smiles at him: "I hope trouble never finds you."
The fortune teller found himself trapped in a trance when he stared into Wuxian's golden eyes. A few moments of silence passed by until Wangji slammed his sheathed sword on the table between them so hard, Wen Ning actually had to reach out to stop some of the plates from toppling over the table.
Wuxian sighs loudly over Wangji's over the top jealousy and continues the conversation like nothing happened: "I hear good things about your talents. Can you tell me how it works?"
Unlike Wuxian, Liang looks cautiously at the glaring Wangji while answering: "It's not as impressive as your blessings. I just sense luck and misfortune. Sometimes I'm able to see answers to specific questions if the deities allow it."
Da Ziran slithers on the table and examines the red-headed man. She whispers to Wuxian: "He is blessed like you."
Wuxian: "Seriously?"
The snake slithers back to Wuxian when the man inches away in fear: "Yes."
Wuxian: "I thought I was the only one."
Da Ziran: "He was created from a blessing. He is not chosen like you."
Wuxian nods and when he sees the people around him looking at him in confusion, he remembers that they cannot hear his snake: "Da Ziran said that he is blessed like me."
Liang: "The snake talks?"
Zewu Jun: "It's not really a snake. It's a spirit animal created by the deities for the Divine Oracle."
Wuxian watched the handsome man look warily at his snake and held in a smile: "Tell me, Li Liang, am I going to be lucky anytime soon?"
The man looks around at all the people listening into their conversation: "I don't normally do public readings."
Wuxian smirks at him: "They're not going anywhere. Especially this one." He pokes his daughter's tummy and she giggles.
Liang smiles warmly at the sweet child then reaches his hand across the table. Wangji instantly grabs his wrist in warning. The man stares blankly at him: "That's how it works. I have to hold his hand to sense his luck."
Wangji tightens his grip, clearly not happy with this situation.
Wuxian gently rubs Wangji's other arm and says: "My soul-bond, let him go."
Wangji turns to look at Wuxian. He knows that the smaller man deliberately called him 'soul-bond' to remind the stranger of their bond. He squeezes the man's arm warningly one last time then lets go begrudgingly.
Wuxian smiled apologetically at Liang and reached with his smaller hand to grab his. Liang never felt this type of energy before. It was like he was suffocating his whole life and now he can finally breathe. Something about the Divine Oracle ignites his blessings and he found himself in a strange dream..
'Liang was standing in the middle of his city. He knew that he was in a vision but he never saw it so clearly before. He hears someone ask: "Where are we?" He turns around to see Wuxian standing next to him, still holding his hand. He asks: "Am I in your vision?" Wuxian nods: "I think so. I've never had someone with me before." Liang looks around and says: "We're in the middle of the city." Wuxian: "We have to look around to figure out why we're here." Liang nods and leads the way, dragging Wuxian with him. Suddenly the smaller man stops and Liang turns to see why. Wuxian whispers: ".. that's him." Liang looks at the direction where Wuxian was staring. He recognizes the young man wearing somewhat expensive clothes: "That's the son of one of the wealthiest merchants in our city." Wuxian shakes his head: "No. That's Biming; the faceless man." Liang was confused. He knew that man, he read his fortune many times: "Are you sure?" Wuxian nods: "You might not see it, but I do. It's him." Biming moved around, not speaking to anyone or buying anything. Liang: "I think he's learning the lay of the land." Wuxian looks up at the sun and says: "I don't think this is a vision of the future.." Liang spots a group of men walking towards them, holding papers: "These are the town council. They do announcements at noon every Monday. I think you're right. This is happening now.." Wuxian feels dizzy for a second and leans on Liang. Liang holds him and whispers in worry: "Are you alright?" Wuxian shakes his head: "I think.. I think you need to let go." Liang took one last look at the faceless man in disguise then lets go of Wuxian's hand.'
Wuxian closes his eyes, feeling the colors around him mix before they start to clear up. He leans on his soul-bond for a few seconds to get his thoughts in order. He feels Wangji take his pulse and Hweiru pat his chest to comfort him.
Liang was so confused. He never sensed such clarity with his blessings. He never expected the Divine Oracle to be this powerful. It somehow impressed him and scared him at the same time. Zewu Jun puts his hand on the red-head's shoulder to get his attention: "What did you see?"
Wuxian answers before Liang could open his mouth: "We know who the faceless man is.."
.