23. Determined
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Meanwhile, after his meeting with Lord Xu, Luoyin had returned to his quarters.
"Laoying!" He called and Yinying appeared, looking rather annoyed.
He looked bigger than the previous day, and Luoyin raised an eyebrow.
"I've been growing slowly since your cultivation last night." Yinying explained, but never changed his expression.
"Ei?! Why don't you try assuming human form?!"
"I need your permission to do that!"
"Laoying! I've said you don't need my permission for something like that!" Luoyin said, waving him away. "You have my endless permission, so transform, transform!"
There was a poof, and the black tiger disappeared, to be replaced by an old man with sleek gray hair, woven into a long braid, and robes blacker than any night.
"Laoying! You can finally transform again!"
"Don't try to distract me! You surely know I'm annoyed!"
"Ehehe!" Luoyin grinned. "Laoying, I'm also annoyed. You also know I won't act without good reason!"
"Then let's hear it! What is your reason?! The man had released you, so why did you suddenly ask to wed the enemy?!"
"Laoying, calm down! Someone might hear you!"
But Yinying scoffed. "I've also regained the power to make myself seen and heard by only who I choose."
"Hmmmm. This is good. This will come in handy..."
"Don't change the subject!"
"Hao hao! calm down, calm down!" Luoyin sat on the bed. "When I woke up beside Xu Weiyan, I caught a glimpse of 'Luoyin's' final memories.
"As he died, he felt guilty that he couldn't protect her. He realized his brother already planned to bring Xu Linhua in as a concubine.
"Zhang Furen also likes Linhua, and Linhua has all the servants on her side. Luoyin felt like he had thrown Xu Weiyan into hell by refusing their wedding, but it was too late."
He drew back his sleeve and waved a hand over his wrist. The Spirit-binding Seal appeared and revealed that the arrow pointing inward had half vanished.
"Zhang Luoyin's grievance is that he didn't marry Xu Weiyan! This happened after I proposed the marriage, and I suspect it will completely disappear, once we're married."
Yinying shook his head. "Hao! But how could you just jump in? You've tied your life down to protect the worst of humans!"
"Tch! I didn't jump in! Rather, Immortal Kai came and forced me to take responsibility!"
"But she killed you." Yinying simply said. "And she cast those on Caoyang into mourning. What about your brother? You know he has surely wept his eyes out by now! What about Immortal Bao? And what about -?"
"Stop there." Luoyin quietly ordered.
Yinying sighed. "I'm not lecturing you for nothing. By attaching yourself to Xu Weiyan, You've drawn unwanted attention, and you're beside your killer!"
"I won't marry her for free." Luoyin said. "You saw what happened this morning. Can we ever be safe in this place? Only Lord Xu can bully Lord Zhang into allowing me move out of the Zhang Manor.
"Marrying her will 'kill two birds with one stone'..."
.
That night, Lord Xu and Luoyin met with Lord Zhang to discuss the turn of events and Luoyin's property.
"You unfilial son!" Lord Zhang accused. "Your father is still alive, yet you want to set up a separate residence outside!"
Luoyin bowed respectfully. "Father. This useless son is merely leaving the roost. Isn't it good if the 'Disgrace of the Zhang family' finally leaves?"
"Who said so?! You are still a son of this household, no matter what!" Lord Zhang seemed passionate about stopping Luoyin, but Luoyin wasn't moved.
'Hmph! He's like this because I'm marrying Xu Weiyan, and because he believes Sect Leader Xu is interested in me!'
Luoyin bowed again. "Father. I have been absent from this family for more than a hundred days. If no one sought me out or wondered about my well-being in that time, it shouldn't be a problem if I leave the household for good."
He said it merely to get his way, but the guilty look on Lord Zhang's face made his heart break anew for Luoyin.
Not even one person had searched for him, as he lay dying in that cave!
Xu Fengyan, who had no idea that Luoyin had been missing for so long, looked at Zhang Guo incredulously. 'How didn't he search for his own son?!'
"Ahem! Zhang Guo." Xu Fengyan began. "Actually, I will beg your forgiveness and understanding on this issue. I'm the one who asked Xiao Yin to leave the manor."
"Xu Feng!"
"Zhang Guo, a bird will do everything to protect its eggs, and even wild animals won't let anything harm their young.
"In the same way, a father can only do his best for his child. My Yan yan was dishonoured within the walls of this manor, so how can she live here? Even the servants will laugh behind her back!"
That simple statement was a gentle reminder that Weiyan's dishonor had happened under Lord Zhang's roof.
And by the next morning, Luoyin had been given the deed and the keys to his Yan River property...
"Woohoo!" Yinying rejoiced after hearing the news. He was in his human form and was packing up Luoyin's meagre belongings. "This household is full of so many hateful people! It's good that we're leaving!"
"'Woohoo'?! Laoying, won't you act your age?!"
"Hmph! You're not young either!"
"Ei?! I'm a twenty-three year old youth!"
"Ha! Then I'm merely around seventy!"
"That's still old!"
"Come here! Let me bite you!"
"Surely not in that form!"
"You-!" Yinying transformed into his tiger form and proceeded to chase Luoyin around the small room!
.
.
At the same time, in the Xu Residence,
"Sect Leader Xu! The 1st Young Master Zhang is here to see you!"
"So early? It's barely dawn!"
Still, he prepared himself and went out to meet Zhang Cheng.
"Father-in law!" Zhang Cheng greeted him with a kowtow. "Forgive me for intruding so early... Father-in law! Please take back your decision to wed Xiao Yan to my younger brother!"
Xu Fengyan sighed and shook his head.
"Xiao Cheng, get up." Xu Fengyan sat himself. "This isn't the outcome I wanted either, but letting her marry Xiaoyin is the best option."
'Hmph! He's already referring to that trash as 'Xiaoyin'!' Zhang Cheng thought, feeling rather annoyed.
"But Father-in-law, I love Xiao Yan! How can we let someone so great just marry someone like Luoyin?! If possible, I would still like to bring her in as my legal wife! The Future Madam of the Zhang Mano-!"
Xu Fengyan raised a hand.
Something about the way Zhang Cheng talked annoyed him, especially since he had said 'Legal wife'. That made it clear that Zhang Cheng would probably bring in a concubine after Weiyan!
Xu Fengyan had always preferred the households with just one Lady, and he was suddenly rather grateful to Luoyin.
Still he smiled and said, "Xiao Cheng, you know a gentleman's word is binding. I already promised Xiaoyin that he will wed Yanyan. The one you should persuade is Xiaoyin himself, or even Yanyan.
"Xiaoyin might never agree, but if Yanyan herself says she wants to marry you, then I'll consider it."
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Noon, Xu Residence.
Xu Weiyan sat by a serene garden pond, a pipa cradled in her lap.
The scene was filled with beauty and flowers, as petals flew about, and colourful fishes swam within the pond.
Weiyan's fingers glided across the pipa's strings, sending a delicate melody forth which made the maids and servants ooh and aah, as they paused to listen to her.
"Wah! She's like a fairy!" One whispered, not daring to interrupt such a marvellous tune.
Even Zhang Cheng stopped in his tracks.
Xu Weiyan sat in one of the inner Xu garden Pagodas. She wore a light blue hanfu, with sheer white veils that cascaded to the floor, and her long black hair was unbound, teasing his eyes to stray to her willow-like waist.
In the sunlight, her hair had a beautiful sheen to it, and everything from her wide eyes to her nose, to her perfect lips, made Zhang Cheng readily admit that no girl he had met could hold a candle to Xu Weiyan.
And with her many skills, Xu Weiyan was really like some immortal fairy.
Zhang Cheng had been attracted to Xu Weiyan pretty early on, but Xu Weiyan never gave him the light of day, even though most young ladies chased after him.
She was polite whenever he tried to approach, but after a short greeting, she bowed and excused herself.
'Why is it only Xu Weiyan who doesn't look in my direction?!'
And yet she had once followed Luoyin around.
He couldn't accept it then, and he wouldn't accept it now.
'Xu Weiyan can only belong to me!' He decided, and marched forward...
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