Chapter 35
Lin Yi stood a short distance away, his posture straight and composed, while the other four remained seated on the ground before him. The sunlight filtered through the trees, casting shifting patterns across their faces as the air settled into a quiet, attentive stillness.
"Tell me about yourselves," he said calmly.
His gaze moved first.
"Wuming."
Wuming didn't look up immediately. "Xuan Yin Wuming," he said, voice steady. "I want revenge. I am the heir of the Xuan clan."
There was nothing more.
Lin Yi didn't push.
His eyes shifted. "Yinghua."
Yinghua straightened slightly, her tone lighter but firm. "I want to become a great Renshou… and a medic."
Lin Yi gave a small nod, acknowledging it without comment.
Then—
"Wei Zhi."
A brief pause.
Wei Zhi's eyes lifted, cold and unwavering. "…I want to be able to shut people's mouths. Forever."
Silence.
Weiyang blinked.
Yinghua froze.
Both of them stared at her as if she had just said something far more dangerous than intended.
Lin Yi didn't react immediately, but his gaze lingered on her, quietly urging.
Wei Zhi exhaled faintly. "I mean… people who disrespect." Her tone didn't soften, but it clarified. "I want to be strong enough to silence them. Their expectations. Their judgments."
Her eyes didn't waver.
"I don't follow anyone's rules. I want to prove that."
A small pause.
"…Is that enough?"
Lin Yi nodded once. "It is."
Then he turned slightly.
"Weiyang."
Weiyang leaned back a little, his earlier energy returning as he spoke, almost grinning. "I want to be strong," he said brightly. "Like the Western Tianquan Yu Huang."
He paused for effect.
"And then surpass him. Become him."
Lin Yi gave a quiet, thoughtful hum. "I see."
He turned as if to move on—
"Wait," Yinghua called out, tilting her head. "What about you, Shifu? Your introduction?"
Lin Yi stopped.
For a moment, he didn't respond.
Then he looked back.
The light caught his eyes—
Silver.
Clear and fluid, like water reflecting the sky.
The faint movement of his robes stirred with the wind, and for just a second, the air around them seemed to shift with him.
All four of them felt it.
Even Weiyang, sitting there with his slightly messy orange-blonde hair brushing his upper back, straightened without realizing it.
Lin Yi's gaze moved across them.
Calm.
Unreadable.
"…Another time," he said simply.
And turned away.
Lin Yi paused, then let out a faint breath as if dismissing the question. "Me?" he said lightly. "What is there to know about me?"
He turned as if to leave.
But he didn't get far.
Two hands stopped him.
Wuming caught his wrist from one side.
Wei Zhi from the other.
Both grips were firm—silent, but not something he could ignore.
"Where do you think you're going?" Wei Zhi said flatly.
"Tell us too," Wuming added, his tone just as steady.
For a brief moment, Lin Yi simply looked at their hands on him.
Then—
He smiled.
"…Fine."
They let go.
Lin Yi turned back to face them fully, his posture relaxed again, as if nothing had happened.
"I am Lin Yi," he said. "No special clan. No special power."
Weiyang snorted lightly. "Yeah, right."
Lin Yi's gaze shifted to him, calm as ever.
"I am a Tian Zi," he continued.
The air stilled slightly.
"All teachers who are assigned disciples… are called Tian Zi."
Weiyang tilted his head. "So basically—just a teacher."
"Just a teacher," Lin Yi repeated.
But something about the way he said it—
Didn't feel just anything.
Wuming's eyes narrowed slightly, as if trying to see through that simplicity.
Wei Zhi didn't speak.
Yinghua watched quietly.
And Weiyang, after a second, leaned back again with a small grin. "Still sounds boring."
Lin Yi didn't react.
But the faint curve at the corner of his lips remained.
Lin Yi had barely finished speaking when Yinghua suddenly straightened, her expression turning unusually serious.
"You all might not know this," she began, glancing between them, "but Tian Zi isn't just 'a teacher.' It's the highest rank among Renshou in the empire—and in the academy too."
Weiyang blinked. "Huh?"
Yinghua continued, counting lightly on her fingers. "It starts with Xin Zi—new students. Then Xue Zi—learning students. After that Zhang Zi—battle students. Jian Zi—elite students…"
She paused slightly, her tone lowering with emphasis.
"And finally—Tian Zi. Heaven rank."
The air shifted.
"That's the last stage before entering the real martial world," she added. "After that, you graduate into actual ranks outside the academy."
Lin Yi didn't interrupt.
He just listened.
Yinghua glanced at him briefly before continuing. "It's the same for Dao Shi as well. Once someone becomes a Tian Zi, they either move forward after years… or remain one. Because Tian Zi isn't just a rank—it's a force."
A small pause.
"In the empire, they're respected. In other empires… some are even feared."
Silence followed her words.
Then she looked at the others, her tone softening again. "So being a Tian Zi is a really big thing. You shouldn't take it so lightly."
Weiyang slowly turned his head toward Lin Yi.
Then—
A grin spread across his face.
"I knew it," he said, almost smugly. "You're a big shot."
Lin Yi didn't respond.
Weiyang leaned forward slightly, still looking at him. "You really tried to pass it off as nothing."
Across from him, Wei Zhi and Wuming remained quiet.
But their expressions had changed—just slightly.
Not shock.
Not surprise.
Just… confirmation.
So it wasn't just a guess.
Wei Zhi's eyes lingered on Lin Yi for a moment longer.
Wuming's gaze sharpened, more focused than before.
Neither of them spoke it out loud.
But the thought was the same.
…Now we're sure.
Lin Yi clapped his hands once, the sound crisp in the quiet air. "Enough," he said. "Let's go. I'll give you all a treat."
That was all it took.
Weiyang's entire face lit up.
"Seriously?!" he said, already on his feet before anyone else could react.
Lin Yi had barely taken a step toward the path leading to the city when Weiyang fell into step beside him—no, not even beside him, slightly ahead, half-turning as he walked, talking, moving with that same restless, bright energy.
There was something oddly… light about the way he walked.
A bounce in his steps.
Loose, careless, almost like he couldn't fully contain himself.
The kind of energy that didn't think too much.
Just moved.
Yinghua watched him for a second—then laughed softly, covering her mouth.
Wei Zhi exhaled through her nose, shaking her head. "…He's ridiculous."
But there was no real irritation in it.
They followed anyway.
Wuming walked slightly behind, beside Wei Zhi, his gaze drifting forward.
Weiyang and Yinghua had already closed in on Lin Yi from both sides, talking over each other, pulling his attention back and forth without pause.
"Shifu, what kind of treat?"
"Is it food? It's food, right?"
"You didn't answer me—"
"Wait, I asked first!"
Lin Yi's head turned from one side to the other, his neck subtly shifting as he tried to keep up with both of them at once.
Wei Zhi watched for a moment.
Then said flatly, "At this rate, his neck is going to hurt."
Wuming didn't look away from the scene ahead. "…These three are exhausting."
Wei Zhi let out a quiet laugh. "You're sick of everyone."
He didn't deny it.
But his gaze lingered.
On them.
Weiyang's bright, unrestrained grin—his hair catching the sunlight, the orange-blonde strands glowing faintly as he moved.
Yinghua's voice, cheerful, light, always responding, always matching his energy without missing a beat.
They moved like that naturally.
Effortlessly.
Like it was nothing.
Wuming's eyes narrowed slightly.
Normal people…
They had no idea.
How quiet darkness could be.
How still.
How… peaceful.
And yet—There was something about this.
About them.
Annoying.
Loud.
Too bright.
And still—Something that pulled at the edges of his thoughts.
…Like sunlight. Some people just make you feel better when you are around them. They are like sunshine to your soul and fireballs of happiness. Always ready to boom—boom.
There's a theory they say when you give someone sunflowers, you should always give two because when the sun shines bright, sunflowers face the light. But when the night falls, they turn to face each other, finding light in one another.
But its also okay to bloom alone.
His gaze shifted again, just for a moment longer.
Two of them.
One with dark pink hair.
The other—wirh That irritating, glowing smile.
"…Tch."
He looked away.
But he didn't fall further behind.
Not this time.
They were all seated at the restaurant, the warm glow of lantern light settling over the table as the quiet hum of voices filled the space around them. Outside, the night had deepened, the sky clear enough for the moon to be seen through the open windows.
Yinghua sat beside Wuming, occasionally glancing at him, though he remained as distant as ever. Across from them, Weiyang had already leaned toward Wei Zhi, completely ignoring the food for now.
"Hey," he said, resting his chin on his hand, looking out for a moment before turning back to her. "Do you think the moon's pretty?"
Yinghua answered immediately, without even thinking. "Of course. Everyone does."
Weiyang waved her off. "I wasn't asking you."
Wei Zhi didn't respond at first.
Then she turned her head slightly, her gaze meeting his.
"I don't."
Yinghua blinked. "What? Why?"
Wei Zhi didn't answer her.
Instead, her eyes stayed on Weiyang. "Answer my question first," she said. "Then I'll tell you."
Weiyang tilted his head slightly. "Fine."
Wei Zhi's voice was calm, but there was something heavier beneath it. "Do you think the moon curses itself… when it sees its own reflection?"
For a moment, Yinghua actually paused, thinking.
Wuming didn't move.
Weiyang, however, didn't answer immediately.
He just looked at her.
Properly this time.
His usual careless expression faded just a little, something quieter taking its place. His hair had fallen slightly over his eyes, the earlier energy settling into something more focused.
Then he spoke.
"The moon has scars," he said simply. "But it still shines in the dark."
A small pause.
"Scars aren't a limit."
Wei Zhi didn't look away.
Weiyang continued, his voice steady now. "You're thinking too much."
Another pause.
"There's nothing in this world that can destroy you more than your own thoughts."
Silence followed.
Yinghua slowly leaned back, watching the two of them, her expression shifting into something thoughtful.
Wuming's gaze flickered once toward Weiyang.
Just once.
Then away.
Wei Zhi held his gaze for a second longer.
Then she turned slightly, looking back out toward the moon.
"…Still not pretty," she said quietly.
But this time—
It didn't sound the same.
A quiet sound broke the stillness.
Wuming laughed.
It wasn't loud—but it was there.
"See," he said, his voice low, almost amused, "even the fool knows, Wei Zhi."
Weiyang immediately frowned. "Who are you calling a—"
"Shut up," Wei Zhi cut in flatly, not even looking at either of them.
Wuming's lips curved just slightly.
Weiyang clicked his tongue but didn't push it further this time, leaning back in his seat instead. "Unbelievable," he muttered, though there was no real annoyance left in it.
Yinghua glanced between the three of them, then let out a small laugh under her breath. "You all sound the same now."
"No, we don't," Weiyang said instantly.
"Yes, you do," she replied.
Wei Zhi didn't argue.
Wuming didn't deny it.
And for a moment—
The tension that usually lingered between them felt… lighter.
The waiter arrived quietly at their table, placing the menus down with practiced ease. Lin Yi took one and began scanning it, his expression calm as always.
The others followed.
The menu was… extensive.
Soups lined the first section—fish ball soup, wonton soup, beef brisket soup, seaweed and tofu soup—each more tempting than the last. Then came the heavier dishes: hot pots, dumplings, sweet and sour beef, Sichuan hot pot, mapo tofu, cream stew, Peking duck, honey sesame chicken.
And then—
Desserts.
End of 35