Why do you look like that?

Yun Heng examined the binding array in his sea of consciousness. The light it exuded turned it into something grand, yet it was something beneath its might. The lines of the array overlapped with unending twists and turns. Beautiful yet deadly. He tried to probe it but threads of unseen power flicked his touch away. The strange youth caught Yun Heng's glance. The youth smiled as if he caught Yun Heng being a disobedient child.

Yun Heng observed the two strangers in front of him. Although they both look harmless, he didn't let his guard down. One of the most unreliable things in this world is a person's look. Someone might look soft and delicate and they could stab you in the back without hesitation. He could see that the girl, Nea, had some martial training from her precise and sharp movements. The strange youth, on the other hand, was far more worrying. He was completely at ease with everything to an unnerving degree. His pale skin, keen blue eyes, and white hair made him look ethereal yet untouchable. His presence in Yun Heng's sea of consciousness added several layers of wariness in Yun Heng. His priority was to gather information regarding his origin and current situation. However, how could he know whether the information that he found was true or false if he could not remember anything? At the moment, his best option was to stick with these two questionable strangers….

"Come to think of it," Nea pipped up, looking at the youth, "You haven't told me your name."

"Name?" The youth tilted his head, "A long time ago... a friend called me White."

Nea looked at White dubiously. "White? Because of your hair? Is he naming a person or a cat?"

White chortled. "Well, it is true though. When I gained the ability to change shape, I took the look of my friend. He was so annoyed and ordered me to change. After a round of persuasion, he agreed but told me to at least changed the color of my hair."

"Why white?" Nea was stunned. Usually, people got panicked when they saw white hair on their head but this guy decided to turn all of his hair white….

"Because of my creator, she had white hair and this pair of electric blue eyes. Since those two were the only ones that I saw in my early days, I based my look on them. Have you ever seen anyone like me? Be thankful of your chance to set your sight on my beautiful visage."

'You look weird,' Nea's expression said.

"Change it," Nea said. "If you look like that, you will draw too much attention."

"What's wrong with attention?" White asked.

"There is a war going on; being too attention-grabbing will only bring trouble. Change your appearance! Or better yet, turn back into a marble."

White frowned. "No way. First, I hate being carried around. Second, my real body is in Yun Heng. What I am now is merely an apparition. If we are talking about drawing attention, won't Yun Heng also bring trouble? For someone like you to even know his face, other important people will also know who he is."

Nea blinked and glanced at Yun Heng. "Maybe he should cut his hair?" she mumbled.

"Out of the question!" White said. "Don't you know that people from Great Yue believe that one should not cut their hair because of filial piety? Besides, how dare you to cut that beautiful hair?"

"It's just hair," Nea replied flatly.

Yun Heng could feel the beginning of a headache, wondering if it would be better to be a wandering amnesiac than deal with these two.

White huffed and said, "I can put an illusion on him."

"Won't someone notice?" Nea asked.

"Do you forget what I am?" White crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "I am the divine weapon. How can ordinary mortals see through my illusion?"

Nea asked, "Then what if we come across someone who is not ordinary?"

White replied, "I will notice it if someone like that comes close."

It would be preferable if Yun Heng could get his hands on a human skin mask. The materials required to create such a mask flitted through his mind. He could felt the shadow of memories as he crafted one. Alas, he didn't have any materials nor tools to craft such a thing.

Nea looked at Yun Heng in askance.

"I don't mind," Yun Heng replied. Besides, he could test the limit of White's power like this.

White smiled in satisfaction and snapped his fingers. The threads of power in Yun Heng burst out and created a warm thin layer that covered his whole body. It sunk unto his skin and disappeared without a trace.

Nea made an 'ooh' sound and turned to White. "Wow, it seemed you are not completely useless."

"Brat," White flicked her forehead. Nea gave her an affronted look as she covered her reddened skin but White didn't pay her any mind. He put his hand in his sleeves and pulled out a hand mirror and gave it to Yun Heng.

"You have an interspatial storage?" Nea asked.

Although interspatial storage was not one of a kind treasure it was still not easy to acquire such a thing. Interspatial storage was usually crafted into a ring, a bracelet, or a pouch. If someone was a rogue cultivator they could get through their life without ever touching it. One usually gained it through connection. A member of a clan or a disciple of a sect could receive it as an acknowledgment of their accomplishments.

Yun Heng gently took the mirror. His hair was no longer left unbound and now it was tied into a high ponytail. His sharp eyes turned a bit more rounded, erasing the cutting edge of his gaze. The shape of his face also became a bit more rounder. His red garb had changed into black. He looked like an ordinary person.

"Shall we head out?" White dusted off unseen dust on his clothes and stood up.

"What about you?" Nea asked. "Don't tell me you are going to stroll around while looking like that."

"That's easy!" White clapped his hand. He disappeared for a second before appearing once more. White now wore a pale blue hanfu. Long black hair half tied into a bun while the rest fell to his shoulder. Although his eyes were still blue, it was no longer as piercing as before. "What do you think?" White twirled.

"Why do you look like that?" Nea asked, exasperated.

"Brat, you complained how I look before and now you complain again?"

"But do you have to wear that? And what's with your hair?"

"Why not? I think the Great Yue has a great sense of fashion. Why can't I emulate them? And I'm currently fond of having long hair. Though, it is a pity that it is no longer white."

"You don't look like someone from the Great Yue!" Nea protested.

"Let's just say that I'm mixed blood."

Nea looked like she wanted to hit White but only sighed in the end.

White pat her shoulder. "Calm down, even if we get in trouble I can easily get us out of it."

Nea's expression clearly showed that she didn't put much faith in him.

They set off immediately. Light began to unfurled from the horizon as they ambled through the forest. Nea and White walked at the front with Yun Heng watching the rear. They chattered senselessly, often poking fun at each other. Yun Heng stayed out of it. It was almost midday when they finally saw a small city. From the architectural style, it appeared that they are in the Great Yue territory. The villagers shot them a mix of curious and cautious glances.

"I think you should've also changed my appearance," Nea whispered.

White said. "No worries, no worries."

It was indeed rather strange to see two people from Great Yue hanging around a foreigner. Especially, in a time of war. Fortunately, the villagers merely resorted to stares and did not escalate the matter. They found a teahouse and ordered some snacks and tea. Nea immediately sunk her teeth into the steamed buns. Yun Heng joined her but with more restrain.

White idly stroke a silencing seal on the table with his finger. The qi around them trembled for a second before it resettled. They could still hear the chatters around them but none could hear their conversation. Yun Heng was impressed. It took a lot of mastery to be able to activate a seal without sealing materials.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Nea asked White who was playing with his cup of tea.

White smiled. "I can't eat. I don't have a physical body, remember?"

"Ah… you have never tasted any food, then?"

"I'm self-sustaining."

"Sounds horrible. I would rather die than not being able to eat any food."

"Brat."

Yun Heng tuned them out and focused on their goal for entering this tea shop. One of the best ways to gather information was through gossips. There were several other people in the teahouse. Most of them were merchants passing by.

"Ai-this war when will it end?" A middle-aged merchant sighed, waving his fan idly. "I can't understand why many people are so itchy bathing this world in blood."

"We're just small people. There's no point in trying to understand those who sit on a throne."

"I heard there is a strange disease breaking out."

"Hush! I want to hear none of it."

Two people came into the teahouse, cutting the conversation short. Both of them looked young and wore simple clothing. However, it didn't escape Yun Heng's notice that these two were more than they seemed. He was sure that they were cultivators. Their steps were light and they were using the breathing technique. The two settled on a table a bit far from them. Yun Heng caught White's gaze. White's eyes were curved, amused. His finger rhythmically tapped the table.

Nea kept eating but she stole secretive glances at the two.

Yun Heng sipped his tea.

*

A/N: Check this series on Tapas if you want to see the illustration :)