Chapter Seven: Home (Lan's POV)

*******WARNING: Possible triggering events ahead for the next few chapters!********

The once boastful Lord now trembled at my feet, begging for forgiveness as Xinyi'er read off each crime he had committed. The villagers off to the side had remained silent, and Kai had risen to his feet once Xinyi'er showed the many papers she had collected of the Lord's misdeeds.

"...Bribery! Lastly, slavery." At the last crime, everyone went silent; even the little weed stopped his blubbering. Slavery was a severe crime in the Yi Kingdom, though still new as it was brought into place by the Crown Prince a few years back when he was fifteen. Though young, the Crown Prince left no room for negotiation in what was considered slavery and the penalty for such an atrocious act.

Death. Death by beheading awaited this Lord for selling his own villagers in the name of sending them off to wealthy families to work as servants so they could support their family back home. Honestly, all of his crimes were heinous, but this one. It made my blood boil to the point that I wondered if Lan had nearly gone through something similar.

I stared at the mess of a human at my feet before clicking my fan shut. "We will inform His Majesty of your crimes, Baoman Zhu. Then, in the same dungeons you kept your enslaved villagers, you will await his verdict," despite my voice keeping its same hushed icy tone, it seemed to echo in the silent hall.

My robes rustled as I stood up to leave and directed Xinyi'er to guide the villagers out of the room. I wanted out of this hall, and I still needed to find whatever was calling to the ghouls before it got too late. However, I failed to notice the Lord's growing distress, and before I could react appropriately, Zhu had thrown himself at my legs to plead for his life. The sudden extra weight made me lose my balance, and I toppled over onto my side, knocking trays of food to the ground.

The intense wave of nausea and panic had me frozen in my spot as the ex-Lord clawed at my robes, ripping the seam at my shoulder in his delirious state. I couldn't move, but I didn't need to. My Qi was swirling around me in an agitated haze, ready to impale the person who would dare to touch me. I wanted him away from me, I wanted his mouth to cease calling my name, I wanted his putrid breath out of my space.

My vision blurred as fragmented memories of the original Lan flowed back into place. Groping hands, the pain, the cries, the many eyes that watched and surrounded me. It was too much to take in at the moment that I almost missed the blur of a leg flying out to kick the ex-Lord square in his jaw, sending him tumbling backward into the seats.

My unsteady gaze focused on two silhouettes that stood in front of me, a protective boundary with a fierce murderous aura. I couldn't make out Xinyi'er's face, but I imagined she was livid. However, I could make out a little of Kai's face, and what I could see sent a cold shiver down my spine. If looks could kill, Baoman Zhu's soul would have shriveled into nothing, never to reincarnate again.

Kai's features smoothed to replace the deadly look with one of worry as he kneeled in front of me. "Master Lan, are you ok?" He spoke carefully as if speaking to a frightened deer instead of the Forest Monarch of Mount Kuangxi. His hand came up as if he was going to touch my cheek, but he paused and let his hand drop back to his side.

I pursed my lips, feeling the mask slip over my features to hide whatever other turmoil I felt. "I'm fine. There's no need to worry so much." I grumbled softly before pushing myself to my feet. I could feel Kai hovering at my side, and it embarrassed me that I showed such weakness to him. However, these memories of the original Lan were troubling. I needed to find a way to get all my memories back and maybe deal with 'our' trauma. Perhaps, I should talk to Brother Yue when I return.

I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice when Kai left my side and returned, draping some sort of material over my shoulders. At first, it startled me, and I sent a quizzical glance towards the youth.

"Your robe was ripped," was his only explanation before he narrowed his gaze to the whimpering mass of flesh. Unlike me, it seemed that Kai's face showed every emotion that went through his heart. Right now, he looked as if some dog had pooped right in front of him, and the owner had the gall to just leave it there.

The thought almost made me chuckle, and I shook my head slightly before bringing the fabric - now recognizable as the curtain that hung around the dancers' stage - closer to my body. But, that's right, I had things to do, and I couldn't be stopped by these memories. Later, I could dwell on them further, but we had work to do right now.

"Let's go. I need someone to escort us to the treasury now," I ordered to no one in particular and turned on my heel. An attendant stood by the door, trembling and cupping his hands in respect. When I stopped next to him, he hurriedly stated that he would guide us and began scurrying along the winding corridors.

Finally, we stopped at two large doors at the end of the inner hall. Even before he opened the door, I could feel the resentful aura of a demonic artifact lurking in the room. Thankfully, night had just started to settle in the sky, so I could feel the artifact wasn't as powerful as it could be. I placed my hand against the door for a moment before turning back to the small group.

"Stay here. I will handle the artifact within." I pushed the door open, and Xinyi'er sucked in a sharp breath as waves of resentment washed over the small group. While the attendant passed out under pressure, I was confident that Xinyi and Kai could withstand it for now.

I walked past more valuables than I would know what to do with, and not for the first time since I arrived, I wondered just where the ex-Lord got these. Could they have been bribes? As I moved towards where the resentment was at its densest, I channeled my Qi to battle against the negativity. A visual display of the black aura against my pale-blue aura whirled in the air around me as I came up to the artifact creating this mess.

A plain white half-mask sat amongst the other discarded treasures, a stark comparison of normalcy amidst a sea of gold and Jade. I paused and channeled my Qi to wrap an aura around my hand before picking up the mask. Slight pressure was all I needed, and my aura crumbled the mask to nothingness. The resentment dissipated within a moment of the half-mask disintegrating, and I blew a breath of relief. This was the easiest thing to take care of since coming here!

Xinyi and Kai were waiting for me outside the room, looking none the worse for wear. I nodded to them and massaged my temple as a wave of weariness settled into my bones.

"Perhaps we should retire for now. I can finish the rest of this work tomorrow," I muttered drowsily before passing the duo, adding, "Oh. Also, make sure you bring the villagers back to that room. Someone needs to finish all that food. Ah, Xinyi, make sure the Lord and his son are comfortable in their new quarters." With that, I continued my walk back to the room, leaving the pair to their business. I could hear Kai talking to Xinyi behind me, but my sleep-addled brain couldn't make sense of what he was saying. I just wanted to go to bed for a few hours.

When I entered the room, I debated just falling asleep right then, but I wanted out of these robes first. After that exchange with the ex-Lord, I felt dirty, so I asked an attendant to prepare the bath.

I don't think I would ever get used to watching a procession of servants bring in a large tub full of steaming water. Thankfully, I didn't have to ask for a tub of water back home and could, instead soak in the natural spring behind the Sect.

Home. The word was still foreign to me, but I have been using it lately when I think of the Sect. Of course, I had the small apartment before I died, but that didn't seem to match everyone's description of a home. It held no warmth to me since it was just a place where I could rest.

Dismissing the servants, I stripped out of my robes and thin trousers, carelessly throwing them off to the side before climbing into the tub. As the warmth seeped into my muscles, I sighed with relief, relaxing the tension built over the past few days.

Leaning my head back to stare up at the ceiling, I considered my next move. If Kai accepted becoming my disciple, I would need to train him. When the novel begins, a competition between the sects will start in a few years. In the story, Kai was barely prepared for the competition due to the inattentive way Lan watched over his disciples and from Su's daily harassment. It was also the first time Kai was defeated by the Male Lead, Zheng Jiahao.

I pursed my lips before blowing out a heavy sigh. I couldn't show favoritism, and Su always cared for the disciples in a boss-lackey sort of way. Would I need to leave Kai at the mercy of Su? I could always help from the shadows anyway.

Once Kai was settled, there would be one other crucial thing I needed to do. I couldn't keep thinking of Lan and 'I' as two separate beings. Especially since I was the one in this body now. I also needed to know what I was fully capable of and, bar practicing all day every day or leaving it to chance, there was a more surefire way. I would need to fully assimilate as Lan and to do that, I would need to unlock all of Lan's memories and accept them as my own.

Easier said than done. I didn't know how to even begin doing that! If I don't understand something, Brother Yue might know as the Sect Leader. It wouldn't hurt to ask him anyway.

After more thinking, plotting, and soaking, I finally decided to get out of the tub. Donning a thin inner robe that I fished out of my pack, I pulled my wet hair off to the side and went to sit at the low table just past the tub. I would call for the servants later to take the tub back; for now, I just wanted to relax and enjoy the now cold sweet tea.

A light tapping came from my door just as I was sitting down. The knock was so quiet as if the guest hesitated between each rap. Curious, I got up from my seat and pulled my robe tighter to my body, ensuring I was covered correctly before opening the door.

I was surprised by the midnight visitor, and judging by the look on the youth's face, he was just as surprised by my appearance. "Kai?"