I didn't know how the rest of my time passed at Xie Lun's hall. When my feet took me back to Bai Ye's gate, I didn't know how I got there either.
Wen Shiyin's master must be the one who argued for my spot on the trip to the Jade Temple. Everything made sense now—from the uneasy look Bai Ye had when he mentioned the message, to his hesitation when he showed me Wen Shiyin's technique before the tournament. Back then, I had thought that he was feeling awkward showing it to me because the style was too feminine. But now that I thought about it … It was all because of the master that invented the style.
She had admired him for over two hundred years? How could such persistence not touch him? Even if he didn't reciprocate her feelings initially, how could he not have warmed up to her after all this time?
Or … did he?
Xie Lun's words echoed in my ears again: "They don't usually see each other because their halls are on different peaks, but when everyone gets to stay close together on this trip …"
Had she and Bai Ye only been kept apart because of … a lack of opportunity? Would this trip really bring such a change between them?
I wondered what Wen Shiyin's master was like. She was an immortal, so she must be strong, with the power and will to be a true match for Bai Ye. She probably was beautiful too, and she had been in love with him for much, much longer than I had even lived … I clenched my hands and dug my fingernails into my palm.. What did I have over her to keep Bai Ye at my side?
I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't realize how long I had been standing at the gate until it creaked open in front of me. Bai Ye stood on the other side, his brow knitted slightly.
"I heard you quite a while ago," he said. "What's wrong? Why didn't you come in?"
"N-Nothing is wrong." I lowered my head, trying to hide my thoughts and picked a most plausible lie. "I was too carried away thinking about … if it'll be alright to use Twin Stars at the Jade Temple."
The concern on his face eased. "I'll be there to watch over everything. No need to worry." He stepped aside to let me in and closed the gate behind us. "On the bright side, being at a different sect would mean that the Gatekeeper won't be giving you any more trouble. He cares about Mount Hua's reputation more than anything else, and he would only help to defend you if anything happens at the Jade Temple. So will every other master from Mount Hua."
That was an unexpected response to my hastily made-up excuse. "I thought only Master Teng Yuan and the Gatekeeper knew about Twin Stars' past," I said. "How would the others …"
"Everyone knows it's a demonic sword now, after what happened at the tournament. They might not know the full story behind it, but if a demonic sword draws too much attention from the public, it will harm Mount Hua's reputation regardless, and no one would sit back watching that happen."
I nodded as we strode across the yard and sat down at the tea table, and I suddenly wondered how much Wen Shiyin's master had heard about Twin Stars before. If she had admired Bai Ye for such a long time … would she have found out more about his past than others did?
"What about … what about the person that wanted you on the trip … the one that persuaded the Gatekeeper to leave me on the list? How much does … he or she know?" I ventured, hoping that the question flowed naturally enough from what he said so that it could hide my true intention, meanwhile carefully watching his expression to see if I could catch a glimpse of his reactions.
But all I caught was an arch of his eyebrow. "Did you hear something while you were out today, Qing-er?"
"N-No", I stammered, though I knew my expression had already betrayed me. "I mean, I …"
He raised a finger and knocked me on my forehead. "I already told you this wasn't about Twin Stars. It's the person that you want to probe me about, isn't it? What gossips did you pick up from Xie Lun?"
I rubbed my forehead where he knocked and bit my lips. He knew me too well, and I couldn't possibly hide any thoughts from him. "Senior Xie mentioned … something about Senior Wen's master," I admitted in an almost inaudible voice.
"What about her?"
"… That she … she …"
He sighed. "I should've told you if I knew you were going to find rumors instead. Whatever story you might've heard …" He paused, that slight awkwardness returned to his face as he picked the words to explain it to me. "The fact is that … she almost became my disciple when she first came to Mount Hua. It didn't happen in the end, but the time she had spent at my hall … might have affected her too much, and she hasn't gotten over it since then."
My eyes widened as he spoke. She had stayed here with him just like I have, and almost became his disciple just like I did? How long did this last?
His hesitance at mentioning this history suddenly stabbed me. If he didn't have feelings towards her as well, why would he feel awkward mentioning her every time? Maybe Xie Lun was right indeed … If circumstances were different … would things have turned out differently between them?
The hurt must've shown on my face, as Bai Ye sighed again and reached over to me, brushing his fingers lightly over my cheek. "Don't look at me like that, Qing-er," he said softly. "I never meant to hide this from you. If you want to hear, I'll tell you everything about it."
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