1 CHAPTER ONE

The Zheng strummed in the quiet room and his eyebrows furrowed in his sleep.

What was that?

He then heard it again and again until he opened his eyes ending his slumber, he was welcomed by the warm smiles of his family standing on the right side of his bed.

"Jian Ji dear, time to wake up" his mother says warmly, he looked at her,vision blurry, he could see her bright blue robe matched with white Jade earrings on her ears, on her head was a golden flower crown, he sighed and sat up.

"Mom, I'm almost 20 why do you insist on waking me up every morning" he says with his groggy voice.

"See? I told you he wouldn't like it" another voice said, it was his brother, Xin ai.

Meet Jiang Qiang courtesy name, Jian Ji. He is 19 and the future sect leader of the Xin Mo sect.

The current sect leader, Jian Pei Xin, courtesy name, Pei Xin was his mother and his brother, Xin ai was the military's general.

The family of three ruled the supreme sect in the Nanling province, the sect riches were unmatched along with their swordsmanship skills, the sect was indeed flourishing.

Pei Xin sighed and ruffled her son's hair making him growl in annoyance.

"You're growing up so we have to spend more time together before you go seek your bride" she says ending her sentence with a sad sigh.

Jiang Ji sighed hearing this, the Xin Mo sect tradition, how could he forget. The eldest son, which is him will leave the sect to find a bride during his travels, after three months and the couple have bonded, they would return back to the groom's house and hold a grand wedding ceremony.

"Mother...it's too early for this" he says quietly. He could hear his brother scoff at the back and he ignored it.

"I know, I'm sorry, I'll leave you to get ready, we have lots of things to do" the sect leader says heading to the door.

Once she had left, Xin ai swatted his brother's head.

"What is wrong with you? Why didn't you tell her?" He seethed.

"Tell her what? There's nothing to tell" he says getting out of bed, his black shoulder length hair was in a messy ponytail matching his wrinkled sleeping wear.

"Don't play dumb with me, you and I both know you're a homosexual"

He froze, how could he ever bring himself to tell his mother that, she would be devastated. He turned to face his 18 year old brother.

"Xin ai....give me time okay?"

"Big brother, you're becoming twenty in two months, there's no more time left" he says.

Xin ai admits he was surprised to see his older brother kissing one of his inner disciples at the back of the palace and after days of listening to his brother's reasons, he sympathized with him but now time was running out and Jian Ji was not living freely.

"I know that....I'll think of something okay? You can wait outside, i have to get ready"

"Mn....I'm here for you....remember that"

"I know" he smiled warmly.

After bathing and putting on his blue robe and his hair tied in a raised ponytail tied with a blue ribbon, he grabbed his sword and made his way out.

The bright morning sun burned his eyes for moment and he regained his sight, Xin ai was leaning against a pillar looking smug.

"You dressed up today, does it mean you're going night hunting?"

"Mn, it's been a long time since i participated in one"

Xin ai smiled and patted his back.

"Good for you brother, now who will be your acquaintance?"

"Not you that's for sure"

"Awe come on, big brother"

"Nope"

The doors opened and they entered Bei Chumai palace, their mother sitting on her sect leader chair looking ethereal as ever.

"Sect leader" they bowed making her smile.

"Jian Ji, you're dressed up today...night hunt?"

"Yes mother, is there any hunt left?"

She snapped her fingers and a disciple came forth with a bunch of letters, she took them and started to read them out loud.

"We have a ghost tormenting the villagers in the main city?" She offered.

"That ghost has been vanquished countless of times, it needs a patient person so no"

She chuckled and read the next one.

"We have walking corpses in the caves stealing clothes"

"Sounds amateur"

"Okay then, we have....oh we have two murders in the Qingcheng province"

"That's the one"

Xin ai and his mother locked eyes in shock.

"Son, this case seems dangerous....take some disciples with you"

"I agree with mother" Xin ai says in agreement.

He sighed and unsheathed his sword, the silver blade clean and shiny.

"I am Jian Qiang of the Xin Mo sect, i fear no evil, i will go to that province and solve it, if i need help i will send for it"

She sighed, his determination was just like her late husband's.

"Fine, but take all the things you might need"

"Very well"

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Zhang Jian sect....

An ear damaging scream of a woman roared in the streets making the people run out of their houses in panic.

"What's the matter?" One neighbor asks hoping to help.

"You won't believe what i just saw, i saw Wei Hunan's son kissing another boy!!"

The old man's face morphed into disgust, a man kissing another man?

"How shameless, I'm sure he has caused his family to lose face"

The boy's name in their tongues was Wei Zixin Dian, courtesy name, Wei Zixin or Zixin.

Zixin is known for his naughty behaviour, his unending appetite and his love for skinny dipping, he was indeed a shameless boy but he didn't care, why? Because to him, life was meant to be lived not to follow rules that hold back your happiness.

"Look at him, shameless boy"

He heard their insults and he didn't care, he always went for what he liked and the sect elder's son was what he was going for at the moment.

He opened the door to his home, the shabby looking house was better inside than the outside. He saw his mother, Wei Hunan serving up food with a smile, his sister, Wei Yao Ying helping out.

"I'm home" he says walking towards them.

"Zixin dear, are you hungry? Come eat hmm?" Wei Hunan says with a smile.

The trio sat down and Zixin gasped looking at the meal, it was his favorite dish, roasted fish with steamed radish.

"Thank you for the food mom"

She smiled watching them eat, they were poor but Her son made sure they wouldn't sleep hungry, he would collect scraps, help people in the farms and sometimes beg for money.

A knock at the door made her sigh,

"I'll get it"

She opened the door and gasped seeing the people of the community gathering around her house.

"Where is that shameless thing you call a son?" One of them spat at her.

"Excuse me? Don't you dare call my son names at his house"

"Humph! His house? Did he build it?"

Hearing the commotion, Zixin walked to the door.

"What's going on here?"

"There he is!"

Wei Hunan looked at her son.

"Dear, did you do something wrong?"

"What? No, is that what they told you?"

"I was just asking dear"

Two people came to the front, two males, one was scowling and the other had his head down in shame.

"You, what did you do to my son? He said you kissed him!"

The people gasped again, this unnatural thing was shocking no matter how many times they hear of it.

"So? He seemed to have enjoyed it at that moment" Zixin says with his hands resting on his hips.

"Wei Zixin! Did you kiss that boy?"

Hearing his mother's raised voice took him aback,

"M-Mom....you agree with them? You think I'm shameless?" He asked, his question spearing her heart, but she has to do this, to avoid conflict.

"Yes, i think you're shameless....get out of my house"

The mob of people cheered in agreement, the betrayal he felt was unmatched to the pain of his broken heart, he ran inside the house, grabbed his things, kissed his 7 year old sister's forehead and ran out.

"We don't want your kind here!"

"Don't ever come back!"

Wei Hunan could only watch her son running off, what broke her heart was the sleeve of his robe wiping away his tears.

"Wei Zixin.....I'm sorry"