Too Far Apart

5. Feeling Something

The wailing started. At first, it was like a woman sobbing in the distance, then it was louder, hiccuping, sharper until the sound just kept rising higher and higher, barely differentiating between a scream and a cry.

Sect Leader Lan immediately pulled out his Xiao and began to play a tune at such a soothing pace that it would put the most malicious natural calamity at ease. Jiang Cheng had grown up with Wei Wuxian and had seen him play an instrument, all tunes he had heard from mind to wild, nothing compared to the peaceful melody rising into the air from the xiao in jade hands.

The sight before him was a reverence from the god themselves. Jiang cheng wanted to scowl at his own romanticising thoughts for the beauty before him but he found himself incapable of producing a scowl. The tune alone, without the magic, would have lulled him forward. He didn't know he had inched forward until Sect Leader Lan's eyes moved to him and they seemed to smile. He could see the smile in his eyes even as his lips sighed air into a perfect melody. He had also failed to notice the wail subsiding to a sob.

The enchanting sight before him was a presentation from gods themselves. He understood the beauty everyone talks about for some reason his heart ached as he realised how far apart he was from the man before him.

Sect Leader Lan lowered his xiao, still looking at Jiang Cheng as he stared back. Shameless, he told himself as soon as the melody vanished into the night air. He could only get his wits back once the spiritual magic of calmness lifted. He had been staring shamelessly. He turned in the direction of the sob and walked away several steps to mask his face heating up in embarrassment.

Silently, the four of them followed the sound and came to stand before a tree. As a Sect Leader, Jiang Cheng watched the older man step back and he turned his attention to the problem at hand.

A naked woman sobbing. Not naked, instead she was covered only in leaves and vines, her beauty, despite her sadness was otherworldly, a bright sheen reflected from the moonlight. This wasn't a ghoul but this wasn't a human either.

"A tree spirit." Sect Leader Lan called from some distance away, making him feel peaceful and calm again.

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Lan Xichen watched silently as Master Tao and Master Jin debated heavily on how to send the spirit back to her world permanently. Have her be a part of nature once again meant having to soothe her feeling enough for her to fall back into sleep and into her natural state. Master Jiang silently stared at the sobbing figure, eyes fixated, unblinking, looking thoughtful and calm.

Sect Leader couldn't deny the woman's enchanting appearance. It was natural for all of them to be charmed but he didn't like Master Jiang looking at her like that. He looked at the others, also looking at the woman, now talking about the best path to be a music cultivator. He knew they would come to him. Putting her to rest would need the high cultivation that neither of them had and even more so from a musical instrument.

He felt Liebing at his waist and let his thumb glide along with the mouth, soothing his uneasiness as the other two approached him while Master Jiang approached the woman. No one dared go near her, only asked for her story as she spilt her tale between sobs.

"Sect Leader Leader we think the best course would be to put her to rest, to sleep, so that she can go back to her natural state and be a peaceful nature spirit once again."

Sect Leader Lan smiled at them, he wanted to pursue this course too but he put his heart aside and looked at Master Jiang who was kneeling before the woman. She had stopped sobbing now.

"Are there any other options available?" Sect Leader stood and walked ahead to see what the conversation was about. He heard them as he neared.

"Maiden Siyai. Why are you crying?" Sect Leader Lan heard for the first time the softness in Master Jiang's voice.