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004 - A Drink Under the Moonlight
🕑 Added 2024-07-03 17:41:39 +0000 UTCQin Yun didn’t remember much of the meeting with his father as most of it was just him rambling about face and reputation, something he couldn’t care less about. In fact, he took great pleasure in shaming them. To him, the insults and slander thrown his way were nothing more than children bickering over pointless things.
As you might recall, Qin Yun was several lifetimes older than most elders. His way of thinking was simply brought by the passage of time, and even he couldn't escape it. Time wore down everything, just as the wind and rain wore down the earth. It was simply the natural way of the world. It was Dao.
As you might expect, most of that meeting was related to his upcoming marriage. Still, not much was revealed when Qin Yun asked about his bride, either because not much was known or they simply wanted to keep him in the dark. Qin Yun strongly suspected the latter.
Once again, he couldn't wait for the day, as it would prove highly entertaining. From what he could pry out of his father, the woman was the same age as he was but worlds apart regarding talent. Rumours mentioned she was poised to attempt to break through the Void Core Realm; however, something happened, and she was forced to give up. As for the details, they were vague, to say the least.
Qin Yun didn't bother asking for more information, as the result could easily be inferred by the fact that this marriage was agreed upon in the first place. Still, Qin Yun hoped that his bride would have quite the tale to tell; he was sorely lacking in entertainment at the moment.
Most of Qin Yun’s waking moments were spent avoiding his responsibilities. It wasn’t that he was a jerk—okay, he was—but most of the tasks given to him were asinine, at best: things better left to the servants in charge of the clan's maintenance—things better left to professionals. How would he appear if he was seen stealing their jobs from them? He was only doing them a service, really.
As for what he did with his newfound free time? What he knew best, of course. Experiment! Qin Yun had many theories he wished to probe the depths of, and many things to inquire about.
Despite all his lifetimes, Qin Yun never changed much. Maybe his personality was deeply ingrained in his soul, but he never felt the urge to deviate from who he was. He had long accepted that he was flawed and had no intention of striving for perfection.
It wasn’t that perfection eluded him; quite the contrary. With his wealth of experience and all the time in the world, what couldn’t he accomplish? No, perfection frightened him somewhat. What would he do once he achieved it? There would be nothing to strive for, only endless boredom.
Still, Qin Yun figured that achieving perfection in cultivation was acceptable as he could always start over if he eventually reached the top. Qin Yun wasn't a man without ambition; he simply never let it show.
As the duo finally exited the compound, the sun had long gone to bed, and night had blanketed the clan. Only the sparse light of torches fought against the darkness while they walked upon the empty streets. Just as Qin Meihui mentioned that she was leaving, Qin Yun held her back by gently holding her wrist.
"How about a drink, for old time's sake," Qin Yun said as he smiled slightly. "I have some thousand-year-old Dwarven Fire Wine."
Qin Meihui frowned slightly, looking deep into Qin Yun's eyes. Yet Qin Yun's smile didn't falter, and she didn't struggle from his hold. A moment passed, and then her scowl turned into a charming smile.
“While I don’t know what Dwarven means, You’re on!” She exclaimed with a playful expression.
The duo quickly made their way to Qin Yun's secluded hut, ensuring they wouldn't be spotted by anyone for fear of spoiling their fun. If Meihui was spotted with him at this hour, Qin Yun had no doubts that some unsavoury rumours would be spread about him. Something akin to how the poor girl was forced to keep him company or how he somehow forced himself on her despite Meihui being two whole realms higher than he was. No consistency whatsoever.
As Meihui reached his courtyard, she stripped herself of her shoes and skipped barefoot into the tall, soft grass. While Qin Meihui was a young adult with many responsibilities, that didn't mean she didn't have a childish side. While trying to meet all the expectations placed on her, she had lost most of her childhood to gruelling practice.
Qin Yun watched her play within nature, with a slight smile on his face, as slight rays of moonlight piercing the veil of clouds ended their journey on her soft and radiant skin, illuminating her beauty. Qin Yun felt akin to a father watching his young daughter make the most of her youth.
Noticing his old man’s gaze again, Qin Meihui scoffed as she stuck her cute tongue out before sprinting toward the pavilion at the centre of a small pond within the courtyard. Qin Yun shook his head as his smile grew slightly larger before slowly following her.
Qin Meihui skipped through the shallow pond as she felt the water's soft, fresh coldness on her feet. Her thin dress fluttered lightly in the night breeze, making her look no less than a fairy.
Qin Meihui first reached the pavilion as Qin Yun used a small bridge. Unlike with his house—ready to fall apart at any moment—Qin Yun had meticulously restored the pavilion to its former grandeur.
As if on cue, when both sat upon a wooden bench within the pavilion, facing the largest part of the pond, the thin clouds receded from the sky, letting the moonlight illuminate the night. Upon the shimmering watery surface, three round objects of different sizes were reflected as if a mirror of the sky.
While Qin Meihui was mesmerized by the magical sight, Qin Yun extended his hand, lightly touching the invisible black object. Two jugs of wine materialized from thin air, and he poured a cup for both himself and her.
Qin Meihui carefully watched the liquid in her hand before slightly taking in its scent. She was pleasantly surprised by its aroma and chose to take a sip of this most peculiar wine. Qin Yun's smile was mischievous as he knew his companion had never tasted anything like this.
An intense burn emanated from her throat as the liquid went down to her stomach, yet the sweet taste made her lips ask for more. With each sip she took, a feeling of euphoria overwhelmed her, yet soon enough, her cup was empty, and she couldn't help but glare at Qin Yun as if he had kidnapped her firstborn.
Qin Yun could only shake his head slightly amusedly before pouring another cup, which she drank just as fast as the first.
The duo slowly wasted the night away, mostly with pointless talk. Yet, sometimes, they let the silence linger between them as they appreciated the world's Dao. While their cultivation was much too shallow to comprehend the intricacies of the natural laws, with just observations and slight reflections, Qin Meihui could feel the chains of her bottleneck slowly disappear as if dust in the night breeze.
Amid the laughter of their small talk and the comfortable silence, Qin Meihui felt her strength increase as a hazy lotus platform appeared above her head. The rotating lotus was a mix of deep blue and green, and with each passing moment, its ethereal nature slowly subsided, becoming evermore real.
A small bud appeared on the platform, displacing the three leaves already present, before it burst into a flash of coloured light, illuminating the night sky above Qin Yun’s courtyard. Qin Yun waved his sleeve, prompting the small black box to rise above Qin Meihui. The box rotated slightly, bursting into a black curtain, engulfing all the light as if a giant maw rendering the very sky.
With the light taken care of, the lotus platform rotated faster and faster until a fourth leaf emerged from the bud, prompting Qin Meihui's ascension to the 4th level of the Foundation Building Realm.
"Congratulations," Qin Yun whispered softly as he raised his glass to Meihui, sporting a slight smile.
Qin Meihui remained in a state of enlightenment for a while longer before the light extinguished and the lotus disappeared entirely. All that remained was Qin Meihui slowly opening her eyes as a joy-filled smile graced her lips.
She turned to face Qin Yun and opened her mouth to speak, yet no words came out. While she had always known she was on the verge of a breakthrough, none had come as easily as this one. She knew it was somehow thanks to him, yet his expression at this moment made her reign in her joy.
“What are you gazing at so intently?" she asked softly.
Qin Yun's gaze was locked upwards, fixed on the three celestial objects overpowering the night sky. His smile was gentle, if somewhat sad, and filled with nostalgia. Hearing her inquiry, Qin Yun slightly shook his head, then looked her in the eyes, admiring the depths of those jewels.
Slightly embarrassed, Qin Meihui turned away, humphing slightly. Qin Yun chuckled, but then a slight melancholy overpowered him as memories of days long gone assaulted him.
“Those sights only made me remember old memories,” he said with a slight sadness.
“You talk as if those were tales from before you were born," she said curtly, less than pleased to hear such a vague answer.
With a slight smile, Qin Yun replied, "I might be inclined to tell you the truth in the future."
“Why not now?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“You aren’t ready to know the truth,” he said as if stating facts.
Qin Meihui scoffed but didn’t push him further, knowing she wouldn’t get an answer on this day. After refilling her cup, she asked what was truly on her mind.
"How do you feel about your upcoming marriage? I wouldn't have thought you would be the first of us two to get married."
Qin Yun turned to face her as an eyebrow lightly rose before a playful smile appeared on his lips. He waved his sleeve in front of his face, obscuring his features for but a fraction of a second. Yet, when he revealed his face again, his familiar and ordinary facial features had significantly changed. Gone were the slight imperfections of his skin and the asymmetry of his bone structure, replaced by what one could only liken to perfection.
This was but a side effect of his cultivation technique. With each step he took upon the road of perfecting the Body Strengthening Realm, his body rid itself of all faults and weaknesses until it reached perfection.
To avoid garnering attention from the clan, Qin Yun had a habit of distorting his facial structure to become only slightly more handsome than the average man. Obviously, Qin Meihui was aware of this, and Qin Yun saw no reason to hide when it was only the two of them.
“Are you jealous?” Qin Yun asked with a playful tone as his face inched closer to hers, eventually whispering in her ear.
Qin Meihui’s ears soon took on a red hue as embarrassment overwhelmed her heart. While what she felt for this man wasn't love, she couldn't deny that she held a slight interest in him, but she was all too aware that all he felt for her were familial ties. At most, they could be counted as close friends. By this point, she held no expectations in her heart, yet she couldn’t let this man go. He seemed to always tease her with the hope she had renounced long ago.
Qin Yun knew her heart well, but he, too, felt attracted to this woman. Yet, he had to set some boundaries, as he knew himself best. The world itself couldn't bear the weight of his unbridled self. If he were to let himself go completely, all that would remain would be dust.
Still, even though they wouldn’t share the pleasure of the flesh, if she was willing, they could share eternity. Qin Yun was more than willing to walk side by side with her. They weren’t mortals; the urge to procreate wasn’t the driving force of cultivators’ relationships.
As if to drown her sorrow and embarrassment, Qin Meihui drank cup after cup while Qin Yun simply accompanied her silently. While his upcoming marriage might threaten to upset their relationship, Qin Yun would do his best to prevent it.
