nevertheless;

最先動情的人 剝去利刃 淪為人臣 我愛你 蒼涼雙眼 明月星辰 不遠萬里 叩入心門 Chang Sijun (常思君). Chang Ning (常宁). Minor Clan. Twenty-three. OC for xiuxiancrp

[sijunxx]

;escape

[sijunxx]

jinziyuxx‌:

(...)

The ascending gem shook violently in the air, as if on the verge of explosion. Ziyu clutched Sijun’s hand painfully tight, squeezed her eyes shut, and buried her face into his chest.

“Change of plans,” Sijun said breathlessly. “We are not going to wait for Nie Jiuli at the foot of the mountain. I don’t know what this thing is, but I have a bad feeling about it.” He stole one more look at the unsettling gem before resuming down the path. The earthquake had not stopped, but they were not far from safety. At this point, Sijun was suspecting the entire mountain might collapse due to the thing those dumb cultivators must have released.

They better find a way to calm it down, he thought, because it wasn’t just their lives at risk. There were villages underneath this mountain and should the entire thing collapse, how many of them would be caught under the debris?

“Come on, Ziyu!” Eventually, he released Xueli so the dog could run on her own. She was faster anyway. With that hand freed, he was able to pull Ziyu onto his back so they could continue. “Don’t look back,” he instructed based on gut feeling.

Maybe father was right and he shouldn’t have left the forest. Somehow he managed to survive the woods alone for years upon years but the moment he stepped into civilization he was dealing with this sort of mess.

Whatever, it’s worth it. He told himself. At least if he dies here, he’ll end up buried by the mountain next to someone beautiful.

[sijunxx]

;escape

[sijunxx]

jinziyuxx‌:

(...) “I know we can’t help them,” Ziyu shook her head. “But I also know they’re in danger, and–I hate being so weak!” 

For a while they just hugged it out, all three of them. Despite being young and sheltered for her entire life until several weeks ago, Ziyu was showing a lot of resilience. The fact she was able to think the situation through and realize the importance of retreating showed her intelligence. Sijun was thankful that he didn’t have to argue about this.

“Come on, let’s go.” He led the girl and the dog towards the path down the mountain. “Walk in front of me.” Sijun switched himself to the end of the line, letting Xueli the dog lead the way. He stole a glance behind him, spotting nothing but the persistently thick fog. For once, he was glad that he couldn’t see everything because judging by the noises from both human and demon, it must quite a battle.

If only his core wasn’t so damaged, then he could be helping. Now, even drawing his sword was difficult.

Oh, how he hated this.

The noises became quieter, then gone. Sijun wasn’t sure if he was officially too far away to hear or if the demon had been defeated. Once again, he turned to look and this time, he realized the fog had dissipated. Before he had a chance to smile and share the good news with the rest of his party, the ground began shaking. “What the-” He managed to censor himself in time for his lady. “We have to move!” There was a crack forming on the earth. “Now!” He grabbed Ziyu by the hand and scooped up the dog from the ground. Ignoring her dog highness’s wiggles of displeasure, Sijun ran like hell to put distance between their group and the widening crack.

“What did they do?” He didn’t mean to sound accusatory, but that thing in the air looked anything but normal. “Is that some sort of cultivation treasure?” Sijun stopped running to stare at the thing that emerged, squinting in an attempt to see its details during this earthquake.

[sijunxx]

「solitary confinement.」

[sijunxx]

xxhuiye‌:

(...)

He shook his head, feeling overwhelmed by the surge of emotions once again as he stepped forward to tightly embrace the other boy around his shoulders. He refused to leave him alone. “Foolish is what you are if you think that I would leave you here on your own.” He whispered, chin pressing against his shoulder. “I promise to never turn my back on you for as long as I live.” 

He must know this is goodbye. Sijun thought as he shut his eyes, leaning into the embrace. Sian had always treated him well - in fact, he was the only one who did other than mother. Even as a child, Sijun felt it, the unexplainable animosity which many members of his household regarded him with. It was as if he was born cursed to be despised by the entire Yueyang Chang clan, even though he had never done anything against them.

Sian wasn’t huge on physical affection. He showed his love in his eyes, sometimes with his words. Sijun always whined for hugs as a child and he only received it a handful of times. He couldn’t remember the last time his brother initiated a hug, let alone one this tight.

He is being extra generous because he knows we will never see each other again.

His heart started beating fast from fear.

If gege doesn’t leave, father will come and get him. Lock him up, and then next time he manages to sneak out, he will see my corpse.

But Sijun didn’t want to end up a dead. He was barely a teenager still - his life had just started!

“W-what if we run away?” He wrapped his arms around Sian’s waist and crushed the other closer. “I heard there are demons in the forest. I will die if I stay here. Father will come and get you if you don’t go home by the time the moon rises. Let’s leave this forest together now while we still have the chance and go to...Yunmeng. I heard there are beautiful lotus flowers there and lots of pretty ladies. We can...give ourselves a different name and live there. Maybe learn to swim...” His eyes glowed as he imagined the situation. It would be a new start.

Granted, the chance of the two of them - kids - making it to Yunmeng was slim, but the goal would be worth fighting for, right?

“O-otherwise...” Because he knew this was a strong commitment. All their life they’ve been taught to obey their elders and do as they are told. Sijun had a rebellious streak in him to begin with and even he found it hard to ignore father’s direct commands. “I want to just die now. Please, I don’t want to get eaten by demons. You can kill me, then at least I will have someone to watch over my body as my soul departs.” Did Sian have his sword? He patted along his brother’s waist. “Is Xinghai on you? Is it?”

[sijunxx]

;escape

@jinziyuxx

It took a while, but they found each other again.

...Actually, let’s not lie, it was Xueli who did most of the work.

“I am sorry,” he said, because Ziyu was owed an apology. “I didn’t mean to run off like that. I just...” Heard my father. Whom I still love even though he treated me like nothing but a cockroach found underneath his feet. “Did you hear voices?” Sijun reached out and ran his fingers through Ziyu’s hair, letting the smoothness of those dark locks ease his frayed nerves.

“You know, it’s impressive.” Sijun did his best to smile, though his lips were still pale. “Your hair is still so soft, even though we’ve been on the road for weeks.” The Jin ladies must be born with some superior genetics for their beauty to be unmarred by a difficult journey.

The next to receive affection was Xueli, who was the true protector of this team. Sijun opened his arms to the spirit dog and she stepped into them, nuzzling against his face. He sighed into her fur, rubbing both of his hands along her fluffy side.

“This mountain is dangerous, A-Yu. I know you want to talk to your Jiuli-gege desperately, but we might not survive if we stay.” He approached the topic with a gentle voice, trying to keep the conversation light. Sijun hated discussing uncomfortable topics such as death around Ziyu, but she was a growing girl with her own ideals as well as determination - she deserved to know the truth. “I think we should get off the mountain now and wait for Nie Jiuli at the foot. What do you think?”

[sijunxx]

;judgment call

[sijunxx]

xxjianglian‌:

(...)

“sijun! snap out of it.” he exclaimed, letting zidian go back to his wrist and shaking sijun intensely back and forth (think of constant shaking back and forth like a tree). 

There was a streak of light, just as he thought there would only be darkness left for him. Purple in colour, it encircled his waist like a snake and pulled him backwards.

Sijun felt a strong urge to laugh but whether or not he actually did it was a mystery. He was too deeply confined in his own mind, rediscovering the ugly tidbits of his pathetic life. All the people he loved who hated him, all of the ones he burdened and disappointed. “I shouldn’t be the one to die,” he whispered to himself. “It should be the rest of them! I didn’t do anything wrong. I never did anything wrong!” His voice raised in volume until he was screaming into the thick fog.

A pot was boiling over inside. Dark, sticky liquid pushing against the porcelain lid. A few droplets splattered out, burning the hand holding down the pot lid. It hurt and he wanted to let go, but if he did, everything would ooze out. Was he ready for that? Were they ready for that?

Someone was calling his name. He hated that name. They were also shaking him rather aggressively. Which was helping with the incoming insanity but also making him want to throw up. Lesser of two evils, Sijun supposed.

He forced his eyes open with effort and moved them towards the other person. The face was a familiar one, but he couldn’t quite recall the name in his current state. Interestingly enough, with each shake, there was a soft, pleasant sound coming from the other male. Like...a bell ringing? Ah, that’s right. Yunmeng Jiang sect. All of them had a bell that tinkered so soothingly.

Slowly but surely, his mind restored to its former clarity.

“Lian gege.” He was glad at least someone wanted him to live. “I am okay. Don’t worry.” Sijun was surprised by how tired he sounded. Guess battling one’s inner demons was just as difficult as exterminating actual physical ones. “Thanks for saving me.” He tested his limbs to check if they were all intact. “Have you seen anyone else?” As soon as his brain capacity returned, Sijun began worrying. “What about a girl? She was with me just a moment ago. She is about this tall...” He gestured vaguely. "And she has a dog with her.”

[sijunxx]

;judgment call

Ning’Er.

He was too young to hold onto anything other than blurry fragments of a memory. According to his mother, his father dropped by on that night unexpectedly. Sijun was only a feverish toddler, clutching onto the end of his father’s robes out of desperate desire for attention. To his mother’s surprise, he was not brushed aside for once and his father actually scooped him up to comfort him.

Sijun only recalled being called by his name. Not the one his mother gave him but the one the public should know him by. It was not the best of names, considering his father was the type to enjoy poetry. He named Sijun’s brother Huiye, painting a vivid image of stars against the night sky. Sijun, meanwhile, only got Ning, which meant peace.

“Ning’Er!” The voice called out again, this time with a hint of frustration. A part of Sijun knew this was a trap, yet he found himself running towards it regardless. He wanted to believe his father had come to look for him and that hint of anger in the voice actually made him feel..happy. If father was angry, that meant he still cared about Sijun, right?

I will forgive you, Sijun thought. For treating me like shit all my life. For not being at my mother’s death bed to see her off. For abandoning me to my own fate in the forest for all these years.

Just once, don’t disappoint me. Let me have this one thing.

His next step did not land solidly - half of his foot hung in empty air, but there was no way to stop. Moment was driving him forward, into the dark void and towards his death. 

“Sijun,” whispered another familiar voice, so close that it could be right against his ears. Accompanied by the loud sound of wings flapping, this attempt at deception was even easier to see through than the first, but that didn’t stop Sijun’s heart from twisting with pain. “Die.” His brother’s voice told him. “Just die.”

@xxjianglian

[xxweixiaoyu]

.stress relief

[sijunxx]

xxweixiaoyu‌:

(...)

he’s not paying attention to where he’s walking, so it’s no surprise when he bumps right into someone. “oh- sorry!” he hurriedly apologises, bowing quickly. “i’m sorry i just walked in, but this place is just too pretty!”

What’s this, a potential customer?

The House of Lanterns was known for its pretty door greeters and Sijun happened to know it was Miss Orchid who was assigned to the post tonight. She must have gone to freshen up, because otherwise there was no way this young man would have walked into the House without her clinging to his arm.

Well, as a member of the House of Lanterns, Sijun supposed he should do his duty and attempt to help the business thrive. “Don’t apologize~” He wasn’t exactly a trained professional, but he’d watched enough sisters do this to pick up some tricks. Sijun removed the pear he was snacking on from his lips and dropped it onto an empty dish on the nearby table. He wiped at his mouth, making sure there was no small bits left behind before putting on a bright smile.

“Welcome,” he said, taking the young man by the hand. “To the House of Lanterns. You will find that the flowers inside are even prettier than the ones outside.” He swept his free hand across the air grandly, the same way the sisters always did as they walked customers through. “Come sit and have a cup of tea. Tell me what kind of ladies you like and I will find one for your company.” Sijun tried to assess how rich this individual might be and judged by his robes that his money pouch was likely only half full. He won’t call down the sisters, then, to let this one pick.

“What traits do you like in a companion?” Sijun led the customer to one of the tables and bid him to sit. One of the other workers handed him a pot of tea along with cups and he took them gratefully. “If you like them gentle and beautiful, our lady Peony is available. If you like them spicy and experienced, sister Orchid can show you a good time. She also likes handsome men, which, you definitely are.” Never hurt to slide in a compliment, especially when it was well deserved. “What’s your name, little gongzi?”

[sijunxx]

「+5 karma points.」

[sijunxx]

xinfengxx‌:

(...)

It was once again Xinfeng’s turn to voice his curiosity towards his unforeseen companion.

“Sijun-gongzi, you mentioned you are still homeless?” A faint trace of concern in his gaze. “Where, may I ask, do you intend to go now?”

This Lan disciple reminded him of a bird he saw several years ago. It had navy feathers on its head and a blue beak that was only one shade lighter. Its body was pure white and small, but the most notable detail was its long, ribbon-like tail. Such a bird did not look like it belonged in the forest and Sijun spent the longest time just watching it, mesmerized by its beauty. He wanted to get closer, but was worried about spooking it.

The fact he had a whole grandma on his back helped because believe it or not, hands were important tools in flirtation and he was severely limited due to the fact they were occupied.

“Xinfeng ge~” He called out smoothly because at least, he still had a mouth. “I am indeed still homeless - why, did you change your mind about adopting me?” Sijun tilted his head, trying to gauge the other’s reaction and determine if he dared to take a step further. So far, Xinfeng was amazingly patient with his advances, did that mean they weren’t unwanted?

“I am just joking! I don’t want to be your brother at all,” he drawled, implication clear. Unfortunately, knowing the prudish Lans, it might just fly over the other’s head. “I am heading to the Baijing mountain, actually. There is someone I need to speak with there - got a message to deliver.”

“Where, son?” It was the granny’s voice. “I don’t think that is a good idea. Did you not hear about what happened?”

[sijunxx]

「+5 karma points.」

[sijunxx]

xinfengxx‌:

(...)

Xinfeng’s eyes trailed to the elderly woman resting on Sijun’s back. “Grandmother, are you injured?” Xinfeng glanced at Sijun, his gaze softening in approval. “Is this young cultivator helping you home?”

This Lan gege really was too kind. Sijun almost wanted to tell him that it was fine, he knew what a mess he left behind and Gusu Lan sect was as likely to be worried about him as they would a stray dog. Lan gege probably didn’t want to scare him and that was why he made the situation sound more favourable than it actually was - what a gentle soul.

If Sijun had a tail, it would be wagging enthusiastically now.

“She twisted her ankle,” Sijun said, and the elderly woman nodded in affirmation. “She lives just up ahead so I figured I’d help her out.” Ooh, did Lan gege call him a young cultivator? Such a wonderful title, sadly, one he shall never obtain. For a moment he considered saying nothing, and let the other assume he was one. After all, it beat being a homeless nobody.

Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), that moment passed quickly and with a sigh, Sijun decided to tell the truth. “I am not a cultivator.” Mother said honesty was important, especially between people who were close to each other. Sijun wanted to befriend this Lan gege and the other seemed like the honourable type who wouldn’t appreciate being lied to about things like this. “I don’t think I will ever become one either. You see, my core got damaged pretty much as soon as I got it and...” Actually, perhaps this conversation should be saved for a later time considering he still had a delivery to make.

“Walk with me, Lan gege?” He smiled invitingly before continuing down the path the granny pointed out. “It’s not fair, you know - I’ve told you my name, and you’ve not returned the courtesy.”

[sijunxx]

「+5 karma points.」

@xinfengxx

He was used to waking up early in the morning, just because that was when the birds liked to sing. Now, even without their songs, Sijun woke up naturally around dawn. Ziyu was still sleeping peacefully when he left the inn - he decided to let her continue slumbering because they had a difficult journey yesterday. He thought they lucked out, having been able to purchase a horse, but Ziyu didn’t seem accustomed to riding.

He supposed he should have known. After all, she showed up in the market dressed in silk, with pearls and gold in her hair and ears, around her wrists and neck. Ziyu was definitely a runaway lady and while she refused to tell him much about her family, Sijun had observant eyes and a sharp mind.

What family could afford to dress their daughter like this? Which family favoured the colour gold and was known for its people’s beauty? Which family often gifted their children spiritual dogs, because one of its former sect leaders was saved many times by one? The clues were starting to align, but Sijun didn’t allow himself to think too hard upon them because...who would ever want to realize they were going against the powerful Jin sect, right?

Yeahhhhhh, he might be in some next level shit-

“Are you not tired, my child?” The old woman he carried on his back took out a handkerchief and carefully dabbed at his forehead. Her touch was so gentle and kind that for a moment, he was thrown.

“Don’t worry, granny,” he replied once he recovered from the shock. “I don’t get tired very easily.” Sijun was grocery shopping and found this elderly lady with a twisted ankle. He offered to carry her home, just because he had time and energy to kill. After a moment of contemplation, she agreed. Sijun was carrying her and she was holding onto his grocery basket - it was a perfect plan.

He made a turn as she requested and stopped in the middle of his path. There was a man in pristine white robe, discussing something with one of the street vendors.

See, if first time was a coincidence, then the second time could be called luck - now Sijun only needed a third time before he could declare this man his destiny. “Lan gege!” He called out, running towards the man - not too fast because he didn’t want to jolt the old woman. “Do you remember me? It’s homeless Sijun! We met a while ago in the...Lan sect dungeon.” Actually, perhaps he should have not reminded the other of their first meeting. After all, Sijun didn’t exactly clear his name by the time he left Cloud Recesses.

[sijunxx]

My battery is almost dead and I need a place to stay for the night! （ ＴДＴ）

Won’t someone please take me in for the next few hours? I promise I will make it worth your while~ ♡ Scroll right for a quick demonstration of my skills. I know, those stir fried noodles look divine - only took me twenty minutes to rustle up too.

[sijunxx]

不忘初心，方得始终

Stay true to yourself.

[sijunxx]

「solitary confinement.」

@xxhuiye

“I did nothing wrong.” One by one, he pushed those words through his clenched teeth. His eyes were dark with anger and glistening with hatred. “I will kill him one day. Cut him into pieces and feed him to the dogs.” In a society ruled by filial piety, there was no greater crime that the one he was promising to commit.

Outside of the poorly framed windows, the wind howled. As the sky darkened, warning the arrival of the night, the chill came. The fear that had once been kept away by the blazing flame of his rage was creeping in. Subconsciously, Sijun’s fingers tightened around his brother’s arms, his nails digging into the other’s thin robe and threatening to enter flesh.

Stay, his body silently willed his brother, but his mind knew what the right thing to do was.

"You...should go.” He whispered, eyes unblinking as he forced himself to loosen his grip on Sian, one finger at a time. The forest wasn’t safe, especially at night. Besides that, their father was already in a foul mood and if he found out Sian had sneaked out to visit the trash that he had thrown out of the gate, there would be more than a beating waiting for him as punishment. It was perhaps impressive, for a twelve-years-old boy essentially abandoned by his own father to think this clearly, but he had no choice. Now that his mother was gone, he had no one left to love except for Sian - nothing was more important than his brother’s safety.

“I will be f-fine,” he reassured, putting on a smile that looked more like a grimace. “Fine.” There was no stutter the second time around, which he was proud of himself for. “Just, promise you won’t forget me here?”

[xxmingyan]

&&winter nightmares

[sijunxx]

xxmingyan‌:

(...) “you don’t seem to be from the lan sect.” too carefree, she thought to herself, giving him a light once over with an icy glare. “the weis, perhaps?” he definitely had the propensity to possibly be a part of that sect, considering how his eyes had wandered when he’d first met her. mingyan huffed lightly, untucking herself from her position on the rock, a yelp escaping her lips as pins and needles filled her foot, causing her to dangerously wobble. 

“what are you doing out here so late?” 

Ah, so she was not buying his just here for the moon excuse. What a shame, that was really the best one he came up with.

As much as he was honoured to be considered a disciple of the Wei sect, for that one was indeed his favourite out of the major five, Sijun didn’t actually want to risk claiming such in case they’d run into one soon. He did just overhear that the Lans had extended invitations to a lot of Wei sect kids, after all.

“I am from a minor clan,” he eventually said, which was conveniently also the truth. “My family is really poor and we are on the brink of ruin, so I thought...” Sijun was getting so into his own tale that he nearly missed the lady’s movement. Luckily, he did not, otherwise he would have missed this golden chance to make physical contact.

Wrapping his arm gently around Mingyan’s waist, he manfully resisted the urge to look at her chest again because he had a feeling that would earn him a punch through the gut. “...I should try to find myself a lady of wealth to wed so my family can be saved. In exchange, of course, I would give her my entire heart.” He looked down, letting the moonlight bring a softness into his usually sharp features as their gazes locked. “That, is the whole story.” Mostly false but still.

“My apologies,” he said, releasing her and stepping back. “I was trying to help you regain your balance. In hindsight, I should have grabbed your arm. That would have been more appropriate, wouldn’t it?” He glanced over, trying to gauge her reaction. “I am truly sorry, please don’t be mad, lady Mingyan...” Sijun should probably take his leave soon, except he liked hanging out with beautiful people way too much and actually wanted to stay in this conversation. “What are you doing out here? I was pondering over which lady to court...surely you are not out here thinking about the same thing?”

[xxdaiyu-blog]

criminal behavior.

[sijunxx]

xxdaiyu‌:

(...)

Her good mood turned into concern when his expression changed, “No..I haven’t seen him. Are ok?” She only grew more concerned with his later comment, moving to grip his forearm, “Are you in trouble, brother?”

Yes, he was in trouble, but did he really want to bring her into it? Daiyu was a passionate girl and when it came to the people she cared about, she was willing to do a lot to ensure their safety. Through pure luck of the past, Sijun earned himself a place on the list of people she valued, but she did the same to him. He was a nobody hooligan who would one day turn into a handful of good-for-nothing ashes. She, on the other hand, still had a clan that relied on her pristine reputation. Besides, wasn’t she engaged to an inner Jiang disciple?

No, Sijun shall not risk her standing with the society.

“I am not in any trouble!” He laughed, keeping his tone light and playful as always. “I was just dying from how much I miss my brother and thought I’d infiltrate the Lan sect to pay him a visit.” He was lying again, but since it was for a good cause, it should be fine right? “You know how much I love my amazing, caring, smart, beautiful, gentle older brother.”

“How are you doing, other than showing off your intelligence?” Sijun casually diverted the topic, to hopefully something she was more interested in discussing. “Your betrothed, is he here? Handsome? I met a Jiang earlier and he was gorgeous. I wouldn’t mind doing that one every night for the rest of my life.”

[sijunxx]

「wrongfully accused.」

[sijunxx]

xxxiaojian‌:

(...)

He took a quick glance at his palm. It appeared slightly inflamed from the shock. Something was wrong. “Instead of lamenting over your personal problems, why not focus on telling me the truth? You’re wasting your time on someone who will have no sympathy for you.”

His hand hurt - did this bastard electrocute him somehow? See, that was the issue with fighting people, they had a lot more nasty tricks up their sleeve than monsters or demons.

“I never count on anyone’s sympathy.” Sijun switched his sword to his left hand, giving his tingling right a break. “If I did, I would be dead like you are about to be.” He made another swipe at the man, looking like he was aiming for the neck but in reality, he was going for the shoulder. Though this cripple was annoying, Sijun didn’t actually want to kill anybody.

Although, he might be worrying about too much because this guy likely had three times his skill.

“The truth is,” he said, once there was some distance between them again. “I woke up and was going for my morning stroll. Saw the dead guy and decided to cut him open.” His chest was starting to burn a little, enough to put perspiration on his forehead but luckily not more than that. “I was trying to figure out how he died. Honestly, though, it’s probably stupidity because why the hell would a Jiang inner disciple wander in a random forest full of creepy shit by himself? Anyway, I thought I would verify.” There, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help him gods. Still a bit far-fetched but Sijun would believe it if he was the other guy.

“What? Did you think I was trying to eat him or something?” He demanded, actually baffled. “Please, I have better taste than that. If I have to resort to cannibalism, I think you would make a much finer meal.”

[sijunxx]

「guilty as charged.」

@xxnianzhen

So he was running and stripping at the same time, with a cut on his face from a certain someone’s ill temper (justified, but still!). He hastily changed from his own dark clothes to flat-ass Lan beauty’s pristine white robes and Sijun must admit, he had a little trouble. Let’s just say, thank goodness the Lan sect people enjoyed having loose clothing because otherwise he wasn’t sure if he could squeeze his manly glutes into the skinny Lan babe’s outfit.

He put on all three layers, only to realize he must have stolen outfit from an actual Lan instead of a guest disciple. Since he was running out of time, Sijun decided to just strip off the two outer layers and throw them away, working with his single layer of white robe. It was sort of indecent-looking, but it was getting dark and from a distance, he’d look fine.

Now, to find someone to help him because he had no idea where the exit of this bloody mountain was.

Sijun scanned his surroundings, trying to find someone gullible kind looking to assist with his escape plan. Sure enough, there was one, a cute little kid with round face and innocent eyes.

“You there,” he called out. “Please help me.” Ah, shit, he was supposed to have made up a story by this point, eh? Time to improvise again. “I need to leave Cloud Recesses. It is my sick father, you see, I received word just now that he is not doing well and...” Actually, were Lans even allowing letters to be sent? Were there any letters delivered today? Ahh, there might be holes all over his story. “I heard it from this bird.” He waved down a crow from one of the tree branches. “I can speak with birds, you see, they deliver me messages.” The story was drifting away from its main focus, which was the ill parent, but Sijun had a feeling the kid was more into his bird speech talent.

“So, can you point me to the exit please, and not tell the Lan instructor? I don’t want to disrespect him, but I am really desperate.” He pretended to wipe away a non-existent tear, only to have his hand come back bloody. Oh right, he still had a cut on his face. “I must have hurt myself while running through the trees.”