Chapter 6 - Making Friends

 

“If you liked that first sword manual, maybe you’ll like this one?” Bai Luo shoved another book on top of the stack in Zhou Lieren’s hands. This was the sixth one Bai Luo gave him and there was no way he would be able to read all these books.

 

“Bai Luo, I don’t think I will be able to finish all these in three months. I will simply read one of these, alright?”

 

“Oh, you don’t have to give these back!”

 

“But…” He dropped his gaze at the stack between his hands. To say that he was confused was an understatement, and when he looked back up to Bai Luo, he was smiling. Bai Luo’s lopsided grin was strange on such a large man. He looked like someone who should be part of his sect, not in scholarly robes with his nose in a book. “I don’t have money for this.”

 

Bai Luo’s grin dropped and he blinked, “Why would you give me money?”

 

“Because these are your books…” He wasn’t sure why Bai Luo was having a hard time understanding this, but he wondered if maybe being able to read a lot of books didn’t make someone that smart.

 

“...and I am giving them to you! Now, they are your books.” Bai Luo’s teeth shone with his smile and he crossed his arms in a triumphant pose.

 

He didn’t outright sense some sort of ulterior motive, but it was odd. Is this a gift, or charity? Could it be possible that Bai Luo wanted to set him up for something, or did he think that he was too poor to buy manuals himself? This was all a stretch because Bai Luo proved to be a pretty clumsy person, and the idea of him being able to pull off some nefarious plot was, well, laughable.

 

He decided to ask outright, “Why are you doing this?”

 

Bai Luo’s ears turned red, eyes darting around the room and he rubbed the back of his neck. “Well...to be honest, Jing--I mean, Huo Ningjing thought you might like them, since he returned the last one you read.”

 

Huo Ningjing? This made even less sense to him. The other day it appeared that Huo Ningjing may have had feelings for Bai Luo, but then later had made a very obvious advance onto him. Is he playing us both against one another?

 

“Bai Luo--”

 

“Call me Ming! We are all brothers in arms, aren’t we? We can be familiar with one another.”

 

“Okay...Bai Ming.” He was unsure about revealing his own name, so he asked his blunt question instead. “What is the nature of your relationship with Huo Ningjing? Why would he want you to give me books?”

 

“Is it that obvious…?” The large man shrunk in on himself, rubbing his hands together and his cheeks grew a shade darker. “Well, I...we love each other, and I’m getting ready to ask his parents for him.”

 

Now Zhou Lieren was in an even tougher spot. Should he tell Bai Luo about the incident at the barn, or let the man be blissfully unaware and take the possibly cheating male wife? There was also the matter of the books themselves. Shaking his head, he set the books on top of Bai Luo’s bed and took the topmost one.

 

“I will only take one book, but I want to be clear on what the price is.”

 

Bai Luo frowned, looking like a kicked puppy. “There isn’t any price. Like I said, it’s a gift. Huo Ningjing and I just thought you’d like it.”

 

A gift...He’d never received a gift before, and he was unsure how one would thank someone properly for it. He cultivated by way of detachment, which included possessions. If this really was a gift and it was now his, Zhou Lieren didn’t want it to be damaged either. 

 

“Thank you for this gift. I would like to ask if I may keep it with you? I do not want it getting lost in my room.” He didn’t want to reveal the book-burning that the previously lent book narrowly avoided. Handing the book over to Bai Luo, he felt a bit more at ease.

 

“Of course!” Bai Luo took the book and brought it to a small end table with a drawer. He opened it and after securing it safely inside, he patted the top of the end table. “It’ll be safe and sound here, but please do feel free to consider my room like a library for you! Everything is free to look at.”

 

Zhou Lieren eyed the other two beds which were equally covered with all sorts of scrolls, manuals, and loose sheets of paper. 

 

“...are you sure your sect brothers wouldn’t mind that sort of offer?”

 

“I don’t see why they would.” Bai Luo shrugged and started to tidy up the stack on his bed as he spoke. “Hey, do you want to grab some tea at Aunty Li’s? I have to bring something to Huo Ningjing.”

 

He didn’t have anything else better to do since he declined Mu Yi’s offer to ‘patrol’ the area for some attractive women. So far this trial was more like a vacation to them, but without much of a strict routine and unable to recreate the one he had back at the sect, Zhou Lieren was sort of at a loss for what to do besides practice. With only a brief moment to consider the option, he finally nodded.

 

“Yes, I would like to join you.”

 

His simple agreement made Bai Luo’s eyes light up, which Zhou Lieren found weird, but endearing. Bai Luo picked up a small wrapped package from the top of his bed and he followed Bai Luo out of their room and down the steps to the main floor. The Innkeeper was arguing over prices with a patron, each waving fists at one another but it looked more like petty intimidation rather than an actual threat. Once they were out onto the street, Bai Luo leaned close towards him and whispered.

 

“Huo Ningjing told me the reason Elder Ming didn’t want them staying at the inn is because the Innkeeper rents out some omegas.”

 

He tripped over his own two feet and caught himself only with the grace and skill of his martial arts abilities. Bai Luo stopped and had a panicked look in his eye.

 

“I’m sorry!” Bai Luo waved his arms a little and aggressively apologized. “I didn’t mean to gossip. Or maybe you don’t know about those sorts of things? I didn’t either until Huo Ningjing told me. I didn’t know you could pay someone to--”

 

Zhou Lieren held up a hand to stop him before his rambling got any worse. “It’s alright, I was just surprised. I didn’t know that the twins weren’t staying at the inn.”

 

Is that what was going on back there? Were they arguing over prices of an omega? He knew that sort of thing existed, but he never saw it out in the open like that. He didn’t know how he felt about it.

 

“Oh, yeah, it was a big thing.” Bai Luo blew out a breath that made his lips flap and he sounded like a horse. They continued walking down the road, and Bai Luo continued with his explanation. “Huo Ningjing thinks Elder Ming didn’t want to offend them, but I think it’s because the Innkeeper doesn’t really like omegas.” Bai Luo harrumphed, lowering his voice to a grumble. “I’d like to give him a piece of my mind.”

 

The corner of his lip twitched, a smirk threatening to pop from it. He covered it up with a small cough. “And they are staying somewhere else?”

 

Bai Luo’s bun shook as he nodded, “Mhm. They are staying with Aunty Li’s son until the barn is fixed up into a clinic and they will live out there.”

 

“At the barn?” The thought pinched his stomach and he wasn’t sure if he liked that idea. The barn was a good distance away from the inn, and was one of the few structures not within the immediate village. What if something happened to them and we didn’t know about it?

 

Bai Luo went on and on about the plans for the clinic and what Huo Ningjing’s ideas were while Zhou Lieren went through various scenarios and possible dangers of having the twins live out there by themselves. He didn’t have much of an appetite once they reached Aunty Li’s.

 

A woman waved to them as they entered and Bai Luo waved back enthusiastically. Not knowing who Aunty Li was, he assumed that she was the one who owned the restaurant. Bai Luo led him to a small table by the window and let him take the seat at the head of the table. Aunty Li was by their side with tea just as Bai Luo sat down.

 

“Hello!” the woman said, smiling pleasantly as she poured them tea and set the pot in the middle. She looked to Zhou Lieren, “You are one of the disciples?”

 

“Yes, ma’am. My name is Zhou Rong, of the Seven Star sect.” He stood back up to formally bow to her, which tickled her pink. She giggled, touching her own cheek and clucked her tongue.

 

“My, what manners. Bai Luo,” she turned to him next, wagging a finger. “You should learn better like this one. He bows with more grace than you.”

 

It was true that Bai Luo was clumsy, from what little action he’d seen Bai Luo in. The scolded man hung his head and mumbled, “Sorry, Aunty Li.” He perked up again, eyes shining as he stared up at her, “Aunty Li, is Huo Ningjing around?!”

 

If Bai Luo had a tail, it’d be wagging.

 

“No, he went down to bring some brooms to the people working on the barn. Now that the roof is all fixed, there just needs to be rooms made for the twins and cleaning up.” Aunty Li poked Bai Luo on the forehead, “I’m surprised to see you aren’t down there helping instead. Are you being lazy?”

 

They continued to banter back and forth with Aunty Li giving a small lecture or nitpicking at Bai Luo’s frumpy appearance. By Aunty Li’s smile, he could tell that the exchange wasn’t that serious. The corners of his mouth turned up slightly, and he found himself genuinely enjoying the scene. 

 

Shortly after giving one more comment that Bai Luo needed to wash behind his ears better, a patron called for her. Aunty Li took the package from Bai Luo with the promise that she’d leave it on Huo Ningjing’s bed and went to serve her customers. Bai Luo sagged in his seat with a groan.

 

“I think she’s onto me and Huo Ningjing and that’s why she is picking on me so much,” Bai Luo jolted and reached across the table to grab his arm, his eyes wide. “You can’t let anyone know what I told you! My future brother-in-law will murder me.”

 

“Huo Laoda doesn’t know?” He didn’t mind Bai Luo’s touch, but it felt...odd. It was the sort of touching he’d seen between some other disciples during their time here.

 

“Have you met Huo Laoda? Of course he doesn’t know!” Bai Luo shuddered and stared at the table top, his grey eyes wide with fear and a pale sheen came over his complexion. “I think if he found out Huo Ningjing asked me to send a message to their parents, he’d skewer me on a log and roast me.”

 

A chuckle burst out from him. The mental picture was true to Huo Laoda’s character. He almost was on the receiving end of that very treatment yesterday, but thankfully he was just a few feet from where the blast landed. He’d never seen such a display, which showed either how startled Huo Laoda was at the time, or just how powerful he really was.

 

Bai Luo joined in with his own nervous laugh and groaned at the end. “I’m not kidding! His fire is white because his elemental strength is just that strong. I don’t want to be burned to a crisp! Promise me you won’t tell?”

 

Zhou Lieren had an inexplicable urge to try and touch Bai Luo, just like he’d touch him. He lifted up a hand and rested it on Bai Luo’s shoulder with a soft squeeze, hoping it was reassuring.

 

“I promise I will not reveal your secret.”

 

A funny little smile appeared on Bai Luo’s face. He tilted his head at Zhou Lieren and brought his opposite hand up over his own chest to pat at the one he had on his shoulder. “Thank you, Zhou--Oh! Wait, you never told me your birth name!”

 

He let his hand fall back to the table and he sighed. He slid his eyes down to his lap. How do I explain this?

 

“I’ve...never actually had someone call me by my birth name.” Admitting that felt wrong, like he was holding onto a dirty secret like Bai Luo was, even though he was just stating a fact. “I’ve never given it to anyone.”

 

“...Ever?” Bai Luo’s voice was so soft that he almost couldn’t hear it above the ambiance of a bustling restaurant. Zhou Lieren lifted his head up to look at Bai Luo and he was struck by the serious expression he had on his face. For all the clumsy awkwardness Bai Luo had, he managed to not look like a goof but appeared genuinely sincere.

 

“I know my name,” he began, feeling he had to clarify that first. “I was an orphan, and my Shizun found me in a village where he and some disciples were staying after a night hunt. Seven Star routinely takes orphans, and so I went.”

 

“You are adopted?”

 

Zhou Lieren shook his head, “No, not really. Orphans are at the bottom rank, so we don’t get the same privileges as the upper class in our sect. However, my Shizun made me take his surname and called me by the courtesy name he gave me.”

 

It was strange for a Seven Star leader to assign his name to an orphan, but Zhou Jiang did. After his mother passed away and he was picked up by him, Zhou Jiang was probably the closest thing to a father figure he’d ever had since he did not know his real one. He was a striking man who taught him many things, especially self-discipline and how to refrain from attachments. There wasn’t affection, but a respect between them, and he appreciated the time he learned under Zhou Jiang. He passed away just last year from a qi deviation, and with no spouse or any descendents, it was probably the reason why he had Zhou Lieren take his surname to begin with.

 

Bai Luo nodded along as Zhou Lieren spoke, then asked, “Would you rather I not call you so familiarly? I understand if you don’t want me to know your name.”

 

He had to think about that. There was no justifiable reason for him not to give his name, and Bai Luo wasn’t demanding it from him either. He realized at that moment how wide of a gap there was between him and Bai Luo, and how different they were. Bai Luo was treating him like he did with his sect brothers or the Huos, but he didn’t know how to treat him in return. Their lives were so vastly different, and he wasn’t sure just knowing a name was enough to close the distance.

 

Bai Luo waited patiently, not saying a word as he sipped his tea and refilled his own cup. Finally, Zhou Lieren said, “I was born Gao Lieren…My name was changed to Zhou when I was seven. I go by Zhou Lieren, but everyone knows me as Zhou Rong.”

 

“Do you want me to call you Zhou Lieren?”

 

“No...but not because I don’t want you to,” he rushed to explain, “Mu Yi and Fan Su don’t know my name. I don’t want them to know.”

 

With that same sincerity, Bai Luo gave a nod and pounded a fist on his chest twice, “I will keep it here, then. I won’t tell anyone your secret either.”

 

Like the book, he wanted to keep such a treasure safe and away from the hands that might try to ruin it. This felt counter to what he’d always trained for, but a little bit of attachment wouldn’t hurt. Zhou Lieren had very little in the way of possessions and he wanted to keep the precious few that he did have safe. He felt that Bai Luo was trustworthy enough to safeguard some of them.

 

He managed to pull a smile from his lips and Bai Luo wore a grin of his own and clapped him on the back. Their tender moment was interrupted by a commotion outside. Looking out the window, he could see some people running down the road screaming. Aunty Li, who was by the door, walked outside. Zhou Lieren and Bai Luo rose without having to say anything to one another and stepped out with Aunty Li.

 

A teenage girl ran up to Aunty Li, tears streaming down her flushed face. She pointed back towards the fields, “D-drought corpses! They...they started coming from the fields!”

 

Aunty Li’s face went white as a sheet and he exchanged a look with Bai Luo.

 

“The barn!” They said simultaneously to each other and then broke off to a run.