Lead by scent

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AN: You guys have no idea how hard this chapter was for me. I had the monster of all writers block going on. Moreover, everything I wrote came out terribly so a lot of revision happened. Legit, the amount of times I had to restart was... UGH!!!

Super very sorry....

Like always, no editing was done so please let me know if you spot any mistakes. Thanks in advance.

*********

*Hours before*

"Are you sure about this?" Xinyi mumbled, her fingers twisting the fabric of her robes worriedly. She was giving him that look he always disliked. The one of pure concern that made his chest hurt.

"I said I'd do it, did I not?" He replied, looking away. Why must she act this way? Could she not just treat him like everyone else? Her kindness was... weird.

Ever since he'd arrived in the sect, he'd been looked down on. The majority of the disciples were from noble or at least rich families with lots of prestige and honor. To be allowed entry was a honor in itself. Xieren, however, was an exception.

He was just a child found on the side of the road. He'd been alone for as long as he could remember and had fended for himself from day one. He wasn't sure why he was taken in but was grateful for the opportunity to do more than just scavenge for food and hope to die a peaceful death.

But to his disappointment and everyone else's amusement, he found himself struggling to get very far. Simple exercises were like uphill battles to him, with him lagging behind even the youngest of disciples. No matter how hard he worked, nothing came out of it.

That's when Xinyi came into his life.

She had spotted him in the infirmary after being beaten by some fellow disciples who tried to cut his hair. He'd bitten them and they, in turn, broke one of his fingers. He'd originally only sought to get some pain killing medicine but Xinyi, the observant girl she was, notice what the medic there fail to. She offered to help him set it, ensuring that he could still use it with little trouble. She had even told him that doing it the way she observed him doing it would just make it unusable. After that, she never left him alone.

"Yes, but going into the forest alone is dangerous!" The young lady warned, bringing Xieren back to the present. "What if you get attacked?"

"I might be weak here but I can take care of myself." He assured her, confident he'd grown at least a little stronger in the last few days. He felt energized and excited, as if the stars were allied in his favor this day.

Xinyi looked unconvinced.

"Just... be mindful of your surroundings, alright?" She muttered, looking very much reluctant to let him go but knowing she wasn't going to convince him. Reaching into her pouch, she pulled out a slightly smaller pouch. At her level, she could store a few items in her Space with little effort. Xieren... couldn't.

He was not bitter about it. (AN: He totally is)

"Here, take this." She said, holding out the pouch. "This should help keep most divine beasts away, though it might also attract some but that beast rarely leaves the mountain..." She explained, which led into her muttering to herself. Not wanting to wait for her to remember that she was mothering him, he snatched the pouch from her hand.

"Thanks, sister." He called out, running to the exit before she could stop him. Xinyi stared at his back, wanting very much to follow but unable to. She could only hope he'd be okay alone.

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