C113 (1) - Serenity

". . .Me ? Connected to the failure of this senior's heavenly tribulation ?" Xuhan tried to laugh despite the furious thumping in his chest .
"Sect master, that sounds a bit far fetched, don't you think ?"

Fang Xie silently stared at him with maximum possible intensity in his gaze . Xuan Zi leaned forward and said, "I did say it was unlikely, but my knowledge of heavenly tribulation says that this can be the only plausible reason . So you tell me, disciple ; what should I believe ?"

"That this senior is retarded and we shouldn't believe him at all. . . ?" Han Xuhan muttered, his expression darkening with every syllable .

"Hm, That's fair," Fang Xie said with a thoughtful nod, getting Xuhan's hopes up . But then he kicked it down by adding, "but if old Zi could do that, he wouldn't be having this conversation with ya right now ."

"Look," Xuhan began speaking, his mind on overdrive. "That day, I simply went to visit the orphanage I was used to live in . I don't know you, neither do I have anything to do with your tribulation . I grew up in that place since my birth and the first time I came into contact with the world of cultivation was a few months ago during the sect's disciple acceptance ceremony . The fact that you've had a few hunches during your episodic craziness while we met doesn't mean anything in a logical sense !"

"If it meant something, Xuan Zi wouldn't be able to stop me from experimenting on you until I figure out what it exactly is ," Fang Xie replied in a heavy tone .
"The fact remains that a cultivator of my level would rarely have wrong instinctive reactions in a situation like this . The only significant incident I've encountered in the recent times is my failure during the tribulation which is well known for damaging a cultivator's spirit, soul and the memories of the tribulation . And then I met you while I was recovering . Somehow, your very existence makes me reel in shock and anger inside . I cannot ignore such a massive instinctive response !"


"And this reminds me of something strange, disciple ," Xuan Zi said with a frown .
"Had you really grown up in an orphanage in your hometown, Fang Xie should have met you before that incident considering how long he has been stationed here . At the very least, he should have been familar with your face, yes ?"

Xuan Zi's question was directed toward Fang Xie this time, who blinked in response, a hint of surprise appearing behind his gaze .
"Indeed, I know almost everybody in that town..." Fang Xie muttered in a worried tone .

A bone chilling cold wave ran through Xuhan's spine . He did not like the rabbit hole this investigation was leading them into .

"Disciple Han, did your orphanage have a name ? Could you tell Fang Xie about a few of its key characteristics so that he can identify your origins ? That would be an excellent way to wash off some doubts he has on you ."

Even though the room was lit with bright, warm daylight Xuhan felt like he was sitting inside a dark cave facing two terrifying monsters . One wasn't particularly interested in him. . . But the other one's motives ran far deeper than just interest or curiosity .
And the thing that scared him the most was. . . Xuan Zi was quite possibly the latter .


"The orphanage was named Sunflower Garden ," Xuhan said in a low voice .

Xuan Zi turned to observe Fang Xie's expression, and his eyes gained a cold layer of emotions instantly as he heard Fang Xie's reply .

"There is no such orphanage in that town ."

". . . ."

The room sank into a deep, silent duel of mental battles , a three-way war of lies and deceit .

"A claim so simple can easily be verified ," Xuan Zi said in a grave tone .

Fang Xie chuckled . "Be my guest . It's your disciple who's lying . You'll be just wasting everyone's time ."

As Xuan Zi got up from his seat, Xuhan finally gathered his thoughts from the chaotic mess they'd been rendered into .

It was time to minimize the damage harsh reality had caused . Truth, lies, nothing mattered too much. . .for now . The important thing was to take control, at least a certain degree of it and drive the flow of events in a way that could only benefit him in the long run . The fact that the mystery of his orphanage had been compromised so fast and so easily was a sign of how difficult the task ahead of him was . He could not rely on luck to cover his tracks . In fact, he had to actively ward off his atrocious bad luck . Survival was his goal, and trying to deceive these old monsters in front of him would only make that harder .

So far, his interactions with the two senior cultivators had gained him a vague overview of the power dynamics between them .

Fang Xie was a member of an 'organization' from the so called celestial realm . Xuan Zi, a leader of a sect, could clearly not offend this organization that could send powerful cultivators to monitor whole planets .

But in the same vein, Fang Xie was definitely wary of Xuan Zi . Xuhan did not know if it was Xuan Zi's personal ability like his unknown realm of cultivation or whether Xuan Zi's background was so intimidating that someone with Fang Xie's background and rank would show him respect . Clearly, Xuan Zi was the only obstacle stopping Fang Xie from outright kidnapping Xuhan from the sect .

So what if the issue with his orphanage got leaked to these people ? At his current power level, Xuhan was in no way fit to solve the mystery by himself . Maybe Xuan Zi, whose goodwill toward him wasn't absolutely zero, could help him. . . ?

By the time Xuan Zi had reached the door, Xuhan made his decision .

"Sect master, I think it is unnecessary to validate my words . Senior Fang Xie isn't wrong . There is no such orphanage in my hometown ."

Xuan Zi turned to look at him with an unreadable expression . Fang Xie simply snickered .

"But there once was ," Xuhan added calmly, his gaze radiating confidence and honesty .

Those long hours he had spent practicing his acting skills in front of his mirror sure had been useful !