25 The Blossom Pavilion

He turned around and watch the elder strode towards the small pond, grazing his fingers upon the wooden fence of the small-scale bridge, leading to the main door of The Blossom Pavilion.

As soon as he walked through the bridge, So Eun gaped blankly at the waving flowers and their delicate blossoms, having been caught by the gusts of wind, it swings tenderly and gracefully as if they're greeting their master.

His instincts made him stop thinking and stared vacantly at The Blossom Pavilion, he didn't know what the air had brought them. The wave of the breeze seemed to hold an indescribable warmth.

But when So Eun intended to delve into it, Rong Wang interjected.

"Something wrong?" The elder raised both his eyebrows, widening his eyes, and lightly turned to properly look at So Eun.

Before So Eun was supposed to answer and not even a minute has passed, Rong Wang knew something was bothering him. The kid was frowning while his head tilted a little on the side, intently scrutinizing the azalea blooms behind the elder.

He followed his gaze and turned his head. So Eun immediately noticed that and thus acknowledge his question.

"Nothing of the sort. I was just mesmerized by the flowers." He lowered his head before silently following him at the bridge. The elder then glanced at So Eun who stood beside him.

After a while and the silence had settled in, he couldn't help to look up at the elder.

"What I said earlier is still up." The elder uttered after the stillness. Beaming at So Eun before fetching something inside his bamboo-colored sleeves, So Eun didn't quite grasp what he meant by that and once again distracted by the elder's white exquisite fan.

Even in the way he opened it smoothly was elegant and careful. The elder looked at him again and smiled smugly.

"Producing medicinal herbs isn't just my forte. Creating a spiritual weapon sure is a tough and never-had-been-done-before achievement. No one in my generation even follow a pioneer's lead." The cultivator sighed deeply as if struggling in emotional distress, waving his fan in front of his face. At this point, So Eun didn't know what to think about him.

He pressed his lips in a thin line, and he too heaved a sigh. Unknowingly, this whole time, Rong Wang had been watching him secretly and with a suppressed laugh in his mouth, his eyes giving the mirth.

He burst out with laughter, throwing his head backward. So Eun beside him with a little distance between them flinched and looked at the elder with a horrified face.

And in a split second, the elder repressed his giggles into his mouth, raising his snow-white fan to cover half of his face. "What I said was to gift you any flower you want. If you aren't satisfied with that yet, then I can construct you a spiritual weapon on your 18th birthday." He hummed pleasingly at himself before finally walking towards the main door. So Eun caught up to him fast this time.

"Oh, with that. I'm completely fine with a single flower. Because I'm afraid if a bouquet of them were taken care of by me. Most of them will die." He smiled weakly while staring at the intricate designs carved on the main door. Rong Wang pushed on it and step foot inside, but before So Eun had to step over too, a white fan was entrusted on his front, blocking his way inside.

He looked up at the elder with his mouth slightly open. Contrary to his lively manner just minutes ago, his face showed his bothered expression.

"What's with the unnecessary mood?" He asked, with his left eyebrows slightly rising. So Eun blinked at him and nervously clasped his hands behind him. The elder didn't fail to notice that, so he smiled warmly before speaking in a gentle voice.

"They wouldn't die, even if you aren't capable to take care of dozens of them. It's not your fault. Those pieces of plants are just dramatic, forgetting to water them in one day, instantly resulting in their weak leaves drooping down. I can't understand them sometimes. So, don't think of it thoroughly, and let's head in." He patted his shoulder before going further to the Pavilion to light up a gold silk lamp.

So Eun didn't even think of it that thoroughly. Forming bit by bit that this elder's status' isn't just dubious, even his personality is a bit complicated. With mixed traits of amusing and foolishness.

He silently laughed at him in his head, quite liking the first impression of this character. Then he paced forward and pursued the elder right in front of a golden-polished table, complex patterns engraved on its side, and a bunch of tomes with scrolls upon it.

So Eun looked with an enthusiastic feeling, his face bearing a fascinated expression. He strolled around the table gradually, and only stopping in front of a thick book, a calligraphy number 18th plastered on its cover.

He stared at it for a while, and a bundle of words forced its way onto him. At the same time, So Eun caught on something, and he called out for the elder, who was cleaning his thing on the side.

"Elder, what do you mean by giving me a weapon on my 18th birthday? Why 18? That is a very long time. What if you--" He hadn't finished his sentence when Rong Wang suddenly emerged from the dark corner of the building and went straight to the golden table.

He immediately organized his books, piling one by one on his hands, the large book with the '18th' carvings on it was swept up too. So Eun confusingly watched him clean the table off, sliding his stuff. Earlier, the way he walked around the courtyard was still graceful and dignified, aside from his occasional laughter and jokes, right now, So Eun was kind of puzzled by the elder's hasty actions.

He was about to ask him what's with the hurried manner when Rong Wang stopped in his tracks. And gradually turned around to face him, his lips pressed in a thin line.