52. The Pearl
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Weiyan's memories after Bailong's death were hazy...
She could barely remember how she got out of Caoyang, but for some reason, the Lava Serpent hadn't dared approach her on her return, and a surprised Immortal Sun Liang awaited her once she left Caoyang.
Then she had been taken to Sky Palace, where she met several immortals, all eyeing her in open curiosity.
But a few eyed her with something akin to hatred, including Sun Liang, Fei Yun, a few older immortals, and Zhurong Tianlong, the Sky emperor himself.
This was all lost on Weiyan, who remained in shock and simply stared with a dazed expression.
"He was a white dragon..." She snapped out of her shock at some point and blurted out the words in confusion. "Yin B-... Yin Xiaolong... When Yin Xiaolong transformed, he was a pure white dragon..."
There was shocked silence as they all stared at her.
But then,
"Impossible!" One of the immortals scoffed. "What do you know?! That was probably a final attempt at deception! Immortals far more enlightened than you fought him in the past, and back then I saw him with both my own eyes! He is blacker than night!"
That statement only reminded Weiyan that she herself had seen him as a black dragon at the lava sea.
"Yin Xiaolong is tricky, and likes to play games." This time, it was Fei Yun, the Fate Immortal who spoke. "There's no telling what his intent was." He glared at Weiyan.
"I advise you to act accordingly, and desist from spouting nonsense. For the sake of your mortal family..."
His words carried an underlying threat, and Weiyan kept her silence.
And eventually, her time on Caoyang began to feel like a distant, beautiful and azure dream...
..
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A tear drop fell on Weiyan's wrist, snapping her back to the present, and she wiped her face beneath the red veil.
Since she left Caoyang, she had subconsciously pushed these bitter memories away, but seeing Yin Bailo-, no, Zhang Luoyin's face had brought them pouring back, and it was as if finally facing them, forced her thoughts to become clearer, seeing the truth for what it was...
There was no way Yin Bailong was the same black dragon rampaging in the Mortal Realm.
With the recent information from the eye-eater, Weiyan was now convinced Yin Bailong was not guilty.
For one, if Yin Bailong was indeed the black dragon, then why had the cloaked woman needed Weiyan, a mere mortal, to kill him, when she could easily summon and control the black dragon?
Also, from all Weiyan had heard, Yin Bailong was far too powerful for just anyone to control, which meant he most likely was not the dragon controlled by that cloaked woman.
As to why his colour had been black at the Lava Sea, Weiyan had no answers, but she clutched her chest as her heart broke afresh at the awful memory.
The dark red blood as it stained Yin Bailong's immaculate white hair...
And then the look of utter betrayal on his face as he turned to face her...
Yet, he had protected her. He had shielded her from Lady Xia's attacks, and then shielded her from every single one of those lightning bolts.
Words could not explain the weight on her heart as these memories were replayed in her mind, merging with the memories of Zhang Luoyin, as he took off his red mask at the wedding hall...
Was this her punishment? To spend her life looking at the face of the one she had wrongfully harmed?!
A sharp pain suddenly flared in her chest as a strange orb awakened within her, filling her insides with a bright light.
She threw up blood as her qi was in sudden disarray, and she held up two fingers to control her circulation.
But the strange orb pulsed suddenly, and then vanished in an instant, making her fall unconscious...
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Across hills, rivers, valleys... Across mountains, through the skies, and through space...
Several pairs of eyes opened in Sky Realm, the instant the orb had flared within Xu Weiyan.
First was Yin Xing, the Night Immortal, who scowled in dismay.
He had been meditating in a secluded plain somewhere near the bird clan, when he suddenly felt the orb flare.
'The pearl has appeared!' He shot to his feet. 'I must find it!'
But a sudden constricting feeling sent him to his knees.
'Not good!' The pearl's presence had interrupted a deep meditation, bringing on a *qi deviation, and he struggled to get his qi under control.
(*an imbalance or blockage in the flow of qi which could lead from mild to major issues in one's cultivation or even health.)
Yin Xing's attempt to stabilize his qi were failing, and he thought he was done for...
But then he felt a soft palm connect with his back, and he threw up a bit of bad blood.
"2nd High Immortal Yin, do you have a death wish?!" A young lady stood behind him, a feather circlet on her head. "How can you be so distracted during cultivation?!"
But Yin Xing barely heard as he turned to look at her.
'It's you!' He thought, as a smile crept across his face...
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The second pair of eyes belonged to Zhurong Tianlong, Sky Emperor, and he staggered back a step.
'The Pearl has appeared...' He thought.
Just a few months ago, this would have been bad news.
But now, he couldn't help a joyful feeling which surged through him.
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The third pair of eyes belonged to Fei Yun, Fate Immortal, and those eyes lit up with pure malice.
'Finally! A trace of you!' He shot to his feet and appeared before the fate mirrors.
"The Mortal realm?" He smirked. "You really had no fear and stepped on my turf?! I will find you!"
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The fourth pair of eyes belonged to the woman in the cloak.
She stood in a vast plain, surrounded by brilliant multi-coloured grass, beneath a night sky designed with bright green and orange auroras.
'Hmph. It's time it appeared...' The wind teased the hood of her cloak, revealing just a sliver of light hair.
'I'm going to destroy you!'
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Finally, back in the Mortal Realm, Luoyin's hand slightly shook as he poured wine into two small liquor cups.
'My Dragon Pearl!' He instantly recognized the orb as it flared and then vanished, causing discomfort to spread through his entire being.
But he caught himself, right before he spilled the wine.
The Pearl's flare meant it was somehow near him, and it would surely be noticed by enemies, old and new, so his irises swiftly darted to a corner.
~"Yinying!"~ He called, and Yinying instantly jumped into action, flying out the doors.
Luoyin struggled to get himself under control, and with a few slow breaths, he was soon back to normal.
He forced the thought from his mind and lifted the liquor cups, heading for Lord Zhang.
"Father! Please accept this son's toast!"
"Ho?" Lord Zhang, who was already a bit lightheaded from fine wines, peered at his son's face. "So you still see me as your father? Didn't you fly away from the nest?"
Luoyin smiled. He had deliberately approached now that Lord Zhang was a bit drunk. "Father, I didn't mean to! You know I'm pitiful! You yourself know my history in this household... Would the Zhang servants respect me or my wife?"
"Tsk! Silly boy! Couldn't we have made things work?" Lord Zhang complained, but he waved Luoyin over, and Luoyin handed him the cup of wine. Lord Zhang's hand shook, and Luoyin caught his hand to steady it.
Luoyin's brows dipped in a slight furrow, but then he straightened and downed his wine, as Lord Zhang drank his.
Luoyin quickly refilled the two cup, lifted one, and turned to Zhang Furen.
"Mother! Before I leave the house, please accept my toast!"
Zhang Furen eyed him with a tight smile.
As one with dirty hands, there was no way she wouldn't be suspicious, and her eyes narrowed prettily at the cup.
"A-Yin, you haven't put something in this, have you?" She asked, reluctant to accept the wine.
But it was a formal setting, and it would be impolite to refuse his toast, especially as his 'mother'.
So she secretly activated a talisman to protect her, as her fingers closed around the cup's stem, but Luoyin grabbed her hand, gingerly taking back the wine.
'Hmph! Enjoy the drama!' He thought, and an extremely sad expression settled on Luoyin's face.
"Mother, I know you don't like me, but accusing me of poisoning you is too much!"
He held up the cup. "Here! I'll prove it!" And without hesitation, he downed the wine, and drank the second cup for good measure.
"Ever since my mother's death, you've not let me off for a single moment!" He sniffed and wiped away an invisible tear. "I don't know when I can finally melt your heart!"
And he turned and strode out of the hall, leaving Zhang Furen at the mercy of numerous accusing eyes.
"Isn't she too much?"
"Bullying a poor motherless child!"
"Only the heavens know what Zhang Luoyin faced in this household!"
"Why else would a son move out when his father is still alive?!"
Meanwhile, outside, Luoyin hurriedly found a hidden corner and leaned against a wall, breathing heavily.
'Did 'Zhang Luoyin' hate her that much?!' He wondered, as he straightened and held up his wrist.
In the hall, the wine had been an excuse to touch Lord Zhang and Zhang Furen.
There had been no reaction when he touched Lord Zhang's hand, but as expected, the Spirit-Binding Oath had reacted the instant he touched Zhang Furen's hand...
And it reacted violently!
Unlike the rest, this reaction had sent a burn along his entire arm, and his qi had flared in discomfort.
The Spirit-Binding seal now displayed only four arrows, as Weiyan's arrow had vanished.
Of the four two arrows were now pointing inwards, but Zhang Furen's arrow was surrounded by a red burn mark.
Luoyin turned to look towards the hall.
"Zhang Furen, your retribution is coming!"
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