Love Is Gone (A Wei Ying and Lan Zhan Story)

Juniors

Once I was assured that for now we were all safe, I turned around and asked, "How are the ones who inhaled the powder?"

It was SiZhui who answered, "Not too well it seems Master Mo. They are starting to have trouble standing up!"

It was fortunate that, after finishing off the wave of walking corpses and leading away a gravedigger, nothing else came to disturb them. The noise of the bamboo pole didn't come out to make trouble either.

"Come here and gather around me."

The remaining disciples gathered around and counted themselves off. Nobody was missing. Feeling Lan Jingyi's forehead I frowned. It was warm. Same was the case with others too.

Should I tell them the truth?

"Show me your tongue Jingyi? Ahh." Like a parent cajoling their child, I opened my mouth and he complied with my request. Just as I suspected, he was poisoned.

"Congratulations Jingyi! You're under corpse poisoning."

Balking at my sarcasm Jin Ling yelled, "How can you congratulate someone?! This is a serious matter!"

Well Jin Ling, when you have lived two lifetimes; all this is such a trivial matter. Grow old like me and you'll learn. Of course, I couldn't say such things to the young boy. His uncle would kill me if he heard me spouting nonsense.

Ignoring Jin Ling's outburst; SiZhui was worried for his friends, "Master Mo, will something happen to them?"

Answering to Sizhui's concern, I spoke the truth, "Nothing at the moment. But when it goes into the bloodstream and travels all around the body and enters the heart, then nothing could help anymore. Do you want me to cure it?"

Everyone nodded and I grinned inwardly. Kids; they're so easy to scare.

"If you want to cure the poison, then listen to me very carefully. From now on, all of you have to behave and listen to whatever I say. Every one of you." I pointedly glanced at Jin Ling. It was fun to irk him a bit.

Though they didn't completely trust me; them feeling the effects of poison was enough to follow my every word. Lan Zhan, they're so easy to tease. I laughed inwardly.

"Master Mo, what should we do?" For some reason I liked this boy, Sizhui. He was nice, most obedient, and least worrisome one. His composure reminded me of Lan Zhan.

"At the moment, we definitely won't be able to leave the city. So, let's knock on few doors and ask around."

They didn't want to knock on doors. The houses like the city was eerie. That was the only word to describe this place. But, having promised to follow my orders, they abided by the rule. The group had to do what they were told.

Listening to my instructions, from house to house, they knocked on the doors. Jin Ling pounded for awhile, and when he didn't hear any response from within the house, his voice got aloud from frustration, "There doesn't seem to be anyone inside this one. Let's go in."

Rolling my eyes at his impatience, if anyone ever doubted who his uncle was, looking at the boy now, no one would ever dare raise their objection.

"Who told you to enter if there wasn't anyone inside? Continue knocking. We need a house that does have someone residing inside. Knock properly and don't be rude."

With a huff he continued to move on. Every other household had its door shut tightly, refraining from opening no matter how hard we knocked. The more Jin Ling knocked, the more annoyed he became, but the amount of force he exerted had clearly lessened.