Lìngxiāo nodded innocently, trusting the man completely. "I.. do trust you."
"If something or someone distracts you when you are already a master of everything," the man smirked and pointed forward, "understand this is it. This is not distraction. It is destination."
Lìngxiāo felt a bit confused by the speech, but it did touch him. The words.. sounded just right. And this man—a totally different thing. Both strict but also interesting and carefree at the same time. He wondered why this man had everything good as he thinks a man or father should have, yet he lives alone only with Lìngxiāo—and even saved him before the Yùn Xi citizens almost killed him.
"No worries~" the man said casually and proudly, placing his closed hand fan on his own chest. "I will teach you every point you need to live in this cruel world. Follow my lead, boy."
The clear confidence just sharpened Lìngxiāo's already strong belief in him. He nodded sharply once more, even more determined than before, balancing his overflowing excitement.
After at least thirty more steps, they came to the upstairs. The man stood in front of a grand door made of polished dark wood, a silver half-moon symbol carved over the handle.
"Here we are." The man smiled thoughtfully.
Lìngxiāo blinked, hesitating. "But.. the door is closed, shù fu. How will we get inside without drawing attention..?"
"Do not worry, boy." The man took out his silver pocket watch and looked at it. "Just a few seconds." Then he put his hand fan into his robe and raised his empty hand. As he counted, he curled his fingers one by one. "Five, four, three.. two.." He kept his last finger up for a single second before snapping it with a teasing grin. "One!"
Lìngxiāo tilted his head. What will happen so perfectly in time that even shù fu knows it this well..? Why is he so talented without even trying..?
He slowly turned left and then right. This part of the corridor was much quieter. He couldn't guess what event might happen.
"What would—" Before Lìngxiāo could whisper his question, a gentle footstep echoed down the corridor.
Someone is coming.
'Oh Lord! I am not ready yet!'
Lìngxiāo's heart squeezed, eyes wide, shoulders tense. For a second, he forgot he was invisible. He took a long breath through his mouth, trying to shake the feeling that he was now a thief at work.
"Shh. He is coming. Step aside. No bumping." The man pulled Lìngxiāo to the side.
When they moved away enough, a young man—not more than in his early twenties—perhaps older then twenty five—walked past them, with brilliant white long hair. His eyes were gentle gray, and he carefully carried a tray of herbs and vegetable soup.
Lìngxiāo was left watching him. He was unlike any other young man he had ever seen—even though he wore a casual white robe like any caretaker. The hair was.. uncommon. He felt like a white rose which had grown without care but still lived by nature's grace.
'He is.. stunning.. like a guardian angel from legends..'
'I wonder what his name is..'
Lìngxiāo didn't notice his mouth had fallen open at this natural yet uncommon beauty. Or perhaps he hadn't met enough people yet to know what stood apart from others and what didn't.
"Close your mouth. Bugs will get inside.." the man lightly pushed his jaw back up. "The main attraction is inside. Not this gentleman you got stuck on."
Lìngxiāo blinked back to reality and straightened his posture, noting quickly. 'Maybe he really is just a caretaker gēge.. but he.. feels right. Like he and I.. the same..'
"Come on." The man pulled him into the majestic room before the grand doors closed.
His breath caught faintly as he followed him inside. The room looked like it belonged to a young crown prince, not just any heir. Undeniably, it was a younger child's room—it had more supplies than Lìngxiāo had ever seen, had, or even thought he needed. Toys, showpieces, crystals in a jade bowl like a kitchen play set.
'They.. really are too rich..'
Undeniably beautiful—and distracting for a boy like him who had only ever played with shells.
He was torn between exploring this beautiful small world and focusing on the reason he had been brought here. So, trying to be an adult, he focused back on the white-haired boy.
"Xiǎo Wàngjī, you still have not woken up from your bed?" The white-haired man said with a soft smile, lightly cooling down the soup and mixing a few liquid herbs into the main herb.
Lìngxiāo and the man slowly moved closer to the bedside where the caretaker sat. A blanket was tightly wrapped around someone very small.
Lìngxiāo took an extra tip-toe closer to the bed, full of curiosity and fondness. The kid might be the young heir he had heard about.
"You no mā. Gou away." The little boy mumbled from the blanket, sounding somehow sad but trying to hide it.
It pained dull into Lìngxiāo's chest. His eyes lowered at the edges, the unremovable smile freezing as if its heartbeat had stopped. 'Is he.. trying to hide his sob at this tiny age..? Poor boy. Why is he sad? Why is he even pushing away his nanny?'
"You guessed right." The man spoke, gaze fixed on the scene. "This young boy is the caretaker of this little child. Only eight. And this child is the only official future Patriarch of the upcoming generations—Hàng Wàng Wùjī."
'It really is him..' Lìngxiāo nodded thoughtfully. He couldn't help but ask the man quietly, as if they would hear them. "But.. why is he sad? What did you want to show me, shù fù?"
"That is one of the points I wanted to show you, boy." The man said with a faint smirk. "Just wait and watch. Answers will flow to you like a wave of pleasure.."
Little Lìngxiāo didn't fully understand the metaphor, but he decided to pay attention—after asking one last thing for now. "Who is this gēge..? Do you know him too?"
"He's Làncǎi." The man calmly answered, gaze too focused on the young boy who was speaking softly to little Wàng Wùjī, trying to pull down the blanket without forcing. "He rising healer. Also much young. Only twenty eight. But for his livelihood, he recently started to work as a caretaker for this little boy."
'He's so older then me..but it made him more stunning..'
Lìngxiāo looked at the man with more interest now. He had heard about healers too. They had their own struggles—just like exorcists—different from cultivators. He could picture a bit of Làncǎi's struggle, just as he was doing with his own path.
'Recently?' He thought about it for a second, a finger lightly over his bottom lip.
'Does that mean something recently happened inside the clan—and now they needed a caretaker for the child..?'