A LOTUS BORN OF MUD

CHAPTER 30 - AFTER

  BiMing felt sore all over. He couldn't feel one of his legs, his chest was in immeasurable pain and when he opened his eyes.

  He could barely see.

  Everything was a blur of colour, he could make out the faintest outlines but that was it. At first, he panicked, he sat up and looked around frantically trying to see a clear shape somewhere. But he could only see blurred colours.

  He breathed in heavily. His eyes... He could no longer see properly...

  BiMing brought a hand up to his face and sighed. He rubbed his face repeatedly and could only sigh again. "If this was the price for killing that freak then it's worth it!" He muttered to himself.

  Just then the door opened and BiMing snapped his head to the source of the sound. "Ah... You're awake..." A tired voice said. A voice he recognised.

  BiMing attempted to stand but fell back to the bed. "You... HeGui what are you doing here! Where am I?"

  "I carried you to my home after... after what happened. You were on the verge of death, broken leg, cracked ribs, external and internal bleeding. And... your eyes."

  BiMing's hand reflexively came up and touched his eyes. "Why?"

  The blurred image of HeGui moved around before she answered. "I... I won't tell you all of it but things happened and I saw exactly how far Uncle's plans went... they bordered on being demonic acts. I couldn't bring myself to blame you for his death..."

  "My eyes... what can you tell me about them?"

  "Uncle blew blue snake poison in your eyes, you won't go blind but I don't know if you'll ever regain full sight. The rest of you I can fix but your eyes are beyond my abilities."

  And so their chat ended like that.

  BiMing remained bedridden for half a year for his injuries, save his eyes, to completely heal. 

  He did not thank HeGui, nor did he scorn her. He simply was able to stand one day by himself and left.

  He informed the other sects of his leaving and answered no questions before he left. He didn't know where to go or what to do, so he began life as a wanderer. Going in whichever direction the wind blew with no purpose or ambitions. But he had one simple wish, for XiuYin to live well.

  And so, with a long walking stick to help him avoid hitting objects, he could not identify in its blurry image, he set off, leaving the mountain.

THREE YEARS LATER~~

  "Excuse me sir, could you tell me where this town's apothecary is?" A young looking man asked a passerby, his walking stick extended.

  The passerby looked this man up and down and was dazed by his beauty, his hair that reached his thighs was as glossy as it was black, his skin though slightly browned from the sun perhaps from travelling was clear as could be. Pink lips, straight nose and straight forward eyes, this man was truly a beauty as he was handsome. Though the passerby thought him a little dim because of his question. "Don't you have eyes? It's right here," He said, gesturing behind him.

  The man smiled and nodded, "Many thanks," He said before the stranger walked off.

  "Many thanks, my ass... people can be so rude ah..." BiMing exaggerated as he walked towards the green looking building that was gestured at. 

  When he felt the door he pushed it open and cautiously walked inside.

  A clear voice of a young girl called out, "Hello customer! Hoe can I help?"

  BiMing walked towards the voice and replied, "Hello young lady, I'd like my eyes to be looked at."

  The young girl looked at the beautiful man's eyes and said, "No problem, you'll have to wait a while though, I haven't learned about optical medicines yet. I'll call for my mother. Sit there... oh wait, let me lead you." And she came out from behind the desk and took BiMing's hands.

  BiMing sat down and thanked the girl as he squinted and tried to make out the shapes around him as he often did. He wondered at that round object on the table in front of him for a long while when another voice called out. One that made his heart stop a beat and ache as if hands were wrapped around it.

  "Little sister, here are the fresh herbs from the field, pass them on to mother please."

  "No problem big bro... Oh wait, can you escort that pretty man over there to mother's medical room please, she should be here in a bit and I have to make a trip for another patient." The young girl asked as she began packing.

  "Yeah..." The man replied before walking towards the lone figure sat on a line of chairs.

  BiMing's eyes were in pain, they often were when tears appeared. But this time he couldn't stop them as they freely flowed down his face. BiMing saw the blurry figure approach and rubbed at his eyes.

  The man approached the 'pretty guy' but frowned when he got nearer, it looked like he was crying as he was fiercely rubbing at his eyes. He walked over quickly and grabbed the man's hands.

   "You shouldn't rub them." He said in a calm voice.

  BiMing stared helplessly at the blurry face in front of his. "...sorry."

  The man eyebrow twitched as something pulled at his mind. That voice, that phrase... they rang a bell somewhere deep down within him and for some reason he felt incredibly angry. After calming himself, he said, "It's alright... What's your name?"

  BiMing wondered what to say, he so desperately wanted to touch XiuYin, talk with him, laugh with him... But there was no way to undo what he had done so he simply stabilized his emotions and voice before nonchalantly replied, "I'm BiMing."

  The man frowned and answered in return, "I'm XiuYin."

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A/N- Wowwww... so many chapters today... perhaps I'm relieving my stress through writing because my 15 hour exam starts tomorrow hahahahahaha....

Anyways, apologies for the short chapter...

Look forward to the coming chapters hehehe...

hope you enjoyed XD