Less than three days since the Spirit Master announced that he was going to wed, the news had spread to the cultivation world, like the wind it was uncontrollable, moving of its own accord.

Big names and nameless cultivators from various sects gathered to talk about the impending marriage, as though they were discussing a matter of great importance, not that a union of two strangers wasn't that important, but putting aside their duties to gossip was something else all together.

"Fan Qingshan is getting married?! Didn't he say that he wanted to fully devote his life to ascending G.o.dhood! What could have made him change his mind?!"

"Who knows, I heard his young disciple went into seclusion after the news broke out. Wouldn't one think that he should be out there giving out congratulatory greeting, instead of locking himself away in the name of cultivating?"

"So you also think it strange too, that he chose such a time to go into seclusion?"

"You can never count on master-disciple relations.h.i.+p going smoothly anymore. See! What do you call that if not jealousy?"

"I heard those two were inseparable, whenever you find one, you will surely find the other. So sad to see such a relations.h.i.+p breakdown so easily."

"Fan Qingshan solely asked for him and no other to be his disciple, when many fought to be taught by him. What a shame!"

"What else can we say, when one has a bad heart, it is bound to show, sooner or later!"

"Let's hope that he comes out more sensible and uphold the path of righteousness."

"Hmm..we have to wait till that time. What a pity! I bet Fan Qingshan will be so disappointed not to see him there."

"Well, what else can he do? Drag Han Hulin from seclusion?! That will only make him a laughing stock. Tongues would wag at such a disgraceful display!"

By this time the discussion was beginning to die down, but the incident still remained in the minds of many. As some speculated that what led to it was merely a fall out between master and disciple, others thought it was probably because Han Hulin was unaware of Fan Qingshan's wedding and chose that time to cultivate in seclusion. It was a question that could not be answered, they all thought that the relations.h.i.+p between the two was rock solid and nothing was ever going to shake the bond between them. It was unheard of, for a disciple of that nature not to show up at such an important ceremony of his master.

Cultivating in secret was not the problem, but being inflexible was what the ignorant ones among the cultivation clans spoke of, even after the ceremony was done and over.

Many years pa.s.sed after this, there was barely any mention of the unseemly way of Han Hulin, the incident was almost totally forgotten, except for the occasion mention here and there and the record of it in the sect's library.

--------------------------

Seven Years later...

Han Hulin could hear a voice in the background, it sounded like those of a little child and, as he struggled to get up from where he laid on the bed of moist gra.s.s.

"Father! Who is that man over there?"

After he came out from his self-imposed seclusion, Han Hulin hadn't seen anyone since he got out. He still maintained residence in Fan Qingshan's courtyard which was far off from the rest of the other sects courtyard. His head was spinning from the oncoming voice that belonged to those of a child, as ears raised in attention.

"Rou'er! Don't disturb the man, he is fast asleep. Come with me."

The little girl dressing in a pink robe, looked at her father with an innocent look in her eyes, as she did what was asked of her, raising her hand to hold onto her father's firm hand.

"Yes Father!"

The two walked hand in hand, leaving Han Hulin where he was on the soft green gra.s.s, looking for the world as one that was in a peaceful sleep. His dark lashes cast a gentle shadow over his jade fair skin.

The cloud was exceptionally bight with sound of chirping birds, that perched from one tree to the other, their bright colored feathers of yellow and pink short peaks from a tiny rounded body that held glittering dark orbs in their socket. Tiny dark pink talons gripped onto the branches of the trees where they perched on.

The wind blew gently around, creating a peaceful ambience. From where he laid with his eyes closed, Han Hulin could tell who the voice belonged to, it was none other than his master Fan Qingshan!

Stretched out with eyes closed, as his hand lay on both side of his body in the "usual" sleeping position that had been molded into him, right from the time he had been under the wings of his master. As though he was still asleep, Han Hulin strove to control his breathing so as not to give himself away that he was awake.

"I can't believe it is Fan Qingshan himself!"

"Who was that little girl?"

"Is she his child?"

"Come to think of it, we haven't crossed path in seven years!"

"To think we would meet like this, is really the work of fate."

"Did he come to see me after such a long time?"

All of this kept going through the mind of Han Hulin, when he saw he no longer heard the sound of their feet anymore, he rolled to his side, still pondering on the reason for his master's visit. His mind took a quick s.h.i.+ft, as he thought on if he had kept the place tidy enough for Fan Qingshan, when it came to cleaning and keeping everywhere tidy, he left it to his junior disciple to take of it. No matter how much Han Hulin begged to have a servant or two do the clean up like what other masters provided their junior disciples, Fan Qingshan adamantly refused to allowed such practice, believing that it will make the body lazy and the mind dull. Therefore, Han Hulin had no other choice but to be the only junior disciple that cleaned the Hall of Solitude.

He couldn't bear to look at himself in the mirror, as his appearance would be considered unsightly to his master, who prided himself on the teachings of austerity, clarity and all forms of virtue. Han Hulin could not remember the last time he had taken a dip to cleanse his body, or washed his hair. Inwardly cringing at what Fan Qingshan would say on knowing the state he was living in, he wanted to continue pretending to be asleep, until a familiar voice came through, loud and clear.

"Han Hulin! Get up right now! I know you weren't sleep! I'm ashamed to let Ruo'er know that you were once my disciple!"

If the ground could open, Han Hulin wanted to jump right into it and never come out, he didn't hear the oncoming footsteps of his master. Things couldn't get any worse than this, as Han Hulin squared his shoulders in antic.i.p.ation of the harsh rebuke he knew was coming his way.

Han Hulin wanted to run and hide from Fan Qingshan, even though he could not see what his face looked like, he guessed splashes of bright pink would be competing with his usual jade skin.

He pushed up from where he laid and began walking towards his master, with head hanging low to slowly approach a man of impressive bearing, he no longer wore the usual white robe that Han Hulin remembered from those years under him, instead he wore a green robe.

He didn't know why, but all of a sudden he felt as though his heart had closed up, as tears burned at the back of his lids, threatening to fall at the slightest push. Han Hulin knew he had to face his fears and get used to the fact that his master was already a married man. Raising his head to see how he really looked, although time had pa.s.sed, little if any had changed in Fan Qingshan, he still had the same air that he carried about with him, his countenance and the outward look was exactly the same.

"He still as handsome as ever!"

The thought went straight through the head of Han Hulin, looking in disbelief that the looks of his master had not waned with time. As he kept walking his mind kept s.p.a.cing out, feeling as though it was only filled with air and nothing else.

"Why is he here? I feel so happy I could run and scream in joy! May be something important must have forced him to come see me, is that the reason why he is here?"

Putting one foot in front of the other, until he got to a respectfully close distance from where Fan Qingshan stood. "Lin'er, why does it feel as though you are unhappy I came to see you?"

Hearing the voice of Fan Qingshan threw Han Hulin back to the past again, where they both ate together, trained together, went to the mortal realm together, did almost everything together, which was what other masters and junior disciples did, but he didn't know why those moments felt more to him than just the routine life of a cultivator. The exception being taking baths and going to sect meetings where other sect leaders gathered to discuss matters of great importance.

Nothing in Fan Qingshan's expression made him, think that his disciple harbored anything, but admiration as Han Hulin kept it all in his heart, to say a word about it would only lead to an early exit out of the hall of Solitude and permanently shunned by the cultivation world. Han Hulin knew that his master was waiting on his reply, when he hadn't spoken.

"I'm not displeased to see you, the hall of solitude is yours and I'm only here for the time being until a new spirit master is elected."

As Han Hulin spoke, his fingers played with the silver pendant that hung from his robes, this wasn't unnoticed by Fan Qingshan whose lips curved up in a small smile, as it also reminded him of a peculiar nature of his disciple.

"Lin, come here!"

Han Hulin thought that he was close enough to his master, but hearing the command to draw closer, made his heart skip many beats, even though he wasn't sure how he will all turn out, Han Hulin did as asked and closed the gap between him and his master.

Han Hulin felt his stomach somersault, but he knew that it wasn't from hunger, he could see the clear iris of Fan Qingshan, the light colored eyes served as a trap, luring the soul of his disciple. Not that he knew the impact of what their close proximity was doing to Han Hulin, he took it a notch further by patting the other on the head, while that went on Han Hulin tried his hardest not to squirm at what his master was doing to him.

"It looks like you have grown an inch taller, but you need to do something about your body, you look too skinny!"

"..."

His senses was on high alert, as a faint blush spread across his face, puzzled by what he saw, Fan Qingshan said, "Why? What is the matter? Are you still reading those books again?"

Clearly misinterpreting the cause of his disciple's discomfort, it wasn't that he was thinking of the ill.u.s.trated erotic book his master caught him reading, one time during an unannounced visit to his room at the hall of Solitude, but because his mind and heart was ensnared by Fan Qingshan!

"No...I don't read them anymore....ever since you warned me against it."

The look on Fan Qingshan's face showed that he doubted what his disciple said, but decided not to pursue it further, instead he switched the conversation to a different direction.

"Truth be told, I didn't just come to see how you are doing. I need a favor of you, can you look after Ruo'er? It's only for a few days while I go along with other sect leaders down the mountain to tackle the rising tension between immortals and mortals. I know it is asking too much of you, but you are the only one that I trust to look after Ruo'er, her mother is on a night hunt with other female cultivators, you were the first person that came to mind."

From the time Fan Qingshan lightly touched the head of his disciple, Han Hulin struggled to steady his heart from beating too fast, nothing worked faster in bringing him back to his senses, at the mention of the child belonging to his master, Fan Ruo. Han Hulin didn't know what to feel at that moment, he wanted to throw his head back and laugh bitterly, the words that echoed in his mind over and again was, "He only sought me out to keep an eye on his daughter, that's all I am to him? Where hr mother's family?"

Unlike Fan Qingshan, his wife was a woman he met during one of those times they visited the mortal realm together, although the cultivation world didn't look favorably on a union between a mortal and immortal, yet he still went ahead and brought her with the permission of her parents to world of cultivation, after performing a simple wedding in the presence of her parents in the mortal realm. Although none of the cultivators showed up at the earthly wedding, but many came to the one held at Zhai mountain. Han Hulin kept looking at his master, unsure of how to respond to such a request.