It was not obvious. However. Lackadaisical silver eyes watch the man below deck exchange the fourth greeting with those of the upper deck with a tame expression plastered upon his face. His pose elegant and prideful. The sword at his waist, still jangling with only a single ornament. Not even jade could be seen on his person unless taken out personally by the gentleman. When questioned why he wore white, the gentleman merely offered a heart rendering smile and bypasses the trial with ease. Laughing pleasantly and raising his cup of wine as if it were tea to his lips. His actions so serious, it were as if he were born with said beauty engraved within his bones.
In spite of his best efforts, those silver eyes watching him from the shadows narrow quietly. Only she knew, this man had never sat and drank with such refinement in their youth. Though he had proper manners, he had always moved with lackluster effort oozing from his very soul. Exposing his personality thoroughly for any who wanted to see more beyond a handsome face. He only got away with it because of his good looks, but refinement was bred and practiced. Pleasure for the gestures and their intentions, dignity and seeking perfection even when taking a sip of water.
As children, his actions of leaning over the table and pulling her hairpin from her loose braid, wearing a teasing smile, had been done more than once. Each time the girls dared to take her in and do something with her, it was always him at the end of the day who would reach over no matter what. And laugh softly and infuriatingly while twirling her stolen hairpin in his hands. Peering at her gently while uttering annoying words. "Our Junior Sister looks better without these little things." Now, this child had grown into a man who could laugh gently at anyone, could drink alcohol and maintain civil boring conversation without others without growing impatient despite them not being his Master nor elder brother.
It was the first time, she saw with her own eyes without a filter that Ling Da Chuanli, had become a man. Not a child who had only ambitions of following the Heartless Dao. Not a teenager who loved to concern himself about her every single action or injury without an ounce of real care within his cold heart or took her as his duty. But a man who had grown pass their childhood into his destiny. Pursing her lips, Chao Bai tore her gaze away from his brilliance, not knowing why she kept looking even when his blinding figure had already been burned into her retinas.
"My Lady, towards the east is another disturbance." Touching her onyx earring, subtly acknowledging Erlang's report. Since Hou Yi had somewhat recovered from his first bout of sickness, her responsibilities had lessened significantly. Thus, in order to give both the youngsters and the human's some peace. Chao Bai increased the amount of time she spent out at sea. Intimidating and wrestling with overconfident spiritual beasts who challenged the returning descendant of the Silver Sea. For the small trick of hiding within Jiang Tengyi's aura could only hide her so well from those who shared even a smidgen of blood ties with her clan. With how comfortable she seemed with the salty waters, Ming Tao and Erlang had their suspicions already on what spiritual beast Chao Bai was. They weren't that dull.
Out of all the spiritual beasts, why would these beasts be so eager to consume or chase after Chao Bai specifically? Nonetheless, she was one of them. And most importantly, if they could guess this much, then their Master most definitely already knew and deliberately helped her cover it up as well. Chao Bai turned around without lingering, straightening up on the mast and jumping down silently into the roaring seawaters beckoning her. Across her skin, for only a second, a flicker of iridescent scales rippling below her collar. Red jade, like a shooting star, gravitating into the ocean with her. "Sir Nuan?" Da Chuanli, peers at the empty mast above for a few moments, pondering quietly to himself.
Snapping out of his thoughts, the gentleman sent the merchant an apologetic look, "Ah, apologies, I became lost in my thoughts for a moment recalling something from the past." Hearing this, the merchant absentmindedly looked over Da Chuanli's white clothing once again before deciding it was better to not speak carelessly anymore. "May this junior ask sir if that bodyguard has appeared recently since that day?" At the mention of the god of war aboard his ship, the merchant visibly stiffens before answering Da Chuanli's question while looking around them with some caution.
"Occasionally in place of the maid he would deliver food for his young master, but otherwise, my people also haven't seen him around much." I don't know much, it's better if you don't either. Catching his hint, Da Chuanli naturally smiled in reply before stating he was somewhat tired and wanted to check in on his companion. Thinking he had been saddened by the past, the merchant sent him off with a few words of comfort. Sitting in front of the studious Jiang Tengyi, Da Chuanli tugs the depressed Chi off his wrist settling her in the middle of the table casually.
"Isn't it too peaceful these pass few days?" Flipping a page of his book Jiang Tengyi didn't find anything odd and said as such. "Not many beasts go out of their way to attack ships with cultivators if they have even a semblance of intelligence. That serpent most likely held a grudge or just especially hated humans." Pinching the mouth shut of Chi who was about to threaten him with her harmless fangs, making even Jiang Tengyi feel somewhat distressed for the snake when he glanced over. He stated rather blatantly without fear of being overheard by others, "You are being naive on purpose. What sect has a young master so precious they would send a master to protect him besides you? Doesn't it make you curious?"
Feeling pity for the snake, he slapped the hand pinching the twisting snake with a light click of his tongue. "Tsk. Bullying your master's spiritual pet all day, don't you have any shame?" Releasing her and looking over innocently at the other, Da Chuanli didn't feel bad at all for his actions. "I've been doing it all this time, and you only intervene now? Did that serpent make you fearful?" "Ahem. Anyway, as long as they do not have any ill intentions towards us does it matter whether they are doing things behind our backs or not? You have a sensitive spiritual sense, so in tune with your body you are that you can imminently sense something when it's off. If you can still sit here and play your master's pet, then what do I need to fear?"
Somewhat taken aback by his trust and honesty, for a moment the impassive Ling Da Chuanli's expression froze. Being stared at by his friend like that, Jiang Tengyi felt a bit embarrassed, clearing his throat. "What is it?" Under his scrutiny Jiang Tengyi became more and more uncomfortable, however, when Da Chuanli finally looked away his eyes crinkled lightly with his grin. Some odd familiar twinkle overtaking his mind, like a memory long buried beneath heavy snow. "Nothing. You just reminded me of my-....of someone I knew in the past." Even if he was dull, these words obviously intrigued Jiang Tengyi as Da Chuanli never liked mentioning the past even in front of himself.
Having an inking already on whom this person was already, but still wanting to know more regardless of this mysterious girl who could have his stoic friend memorized so thoroughly. He thought since Da Chuanli brought it up himself he wouldn't mind talking more and took advantage of this fact. Hurriedly following up with a question, not daring to let the subject die out so quick. "What were they like? It sounds like you two were really close if they trusted you to this extent too." Close? Da Chuanli was startled by his assessment for a moment, wearing a baffled look on his face before laughing happily. It was a breezy, genuine and endlessly warm laugh filled with not well hidden fondness.
However, knowing the ending of this tale already, Jiang Tengyi only felt his heart squeeze painfully with pity at the obvious yet fleeting joy which flittered over his friend's expression just now. "Pfft-Hahaha! Close? I suppose you could call us close, she wouldn't be happy to hear it though. She was always pretending in front of our master. Pretending to be a docile little lamb, giving into the whims of our juniors. Taking care of their grievances and pains, guiding them when they were lost, diligently practicing both her arts and sword to please our master." Conflicted, Jiang Tengyi took a moment to imagine such a person. The legendary daughter of Wang Minglan.
Beautiful. Generous. Patient. Diligent. Talented. This type of girl who was the dream child of others was called a pretender by her Senior Brother... He didn't know whether it was a testament to their bond or Da Chuanli deliberately slandering her to others. He also didn't dare question Da Chuanli's memories of her, even if he doubted the authenticity of his statements against such a beloved ghost. "...I recall your master had banned his daughter from leaving the mountains, was it to protect her from being taken advantage of?"
Recalling those days, Da Chuanli when asked this didn't hide anything, saying with a mild expression. His fingers pinching Chi's mouth a bit too hard, making the poor snake twist out of his hold aggravated. "No, Master didn't have the heart to ban her, it was I who prevented her from leaving back then." Stunned by his admission, Jiang Tengyi forgot to respond, only sending his "gentle" companion a baffled look. "Chuanli-" "The relationship between her and I, had too many labels, unbefitting of cultivating any genuine affection." Sending him a small smile, the young man across from him wore a peaceful expression. Jiang Tengyi could easily see reassurance and indifference within that gaze. But who knew what the unpredictable and illusive Ling Da Chuanli hid beneath such a solid mask?
When he was about to call him out on his lies, Da Chuanli's expression sharpens and he held a hand up for silence. "Quiet. Someone's coming." *DUNK! "Sir-" The whispers were fierce and unintentional, only to be forcefully shushed by the other party whose heavy footstep thumped towards the room across them. Their whispers harsh and hoarse, faint staggering and only a single whimper of alarm escaped the maid before being silenced again. As he raised a hand for Jiang Tengyi to remain seated. Using light steps he inched further towards the door only for a heavier thud to echo "L-" "Escort them off the ship at once. My spiritual essence will last until you reach shore, go." Blood.
Da Chuanli frowned and as he made to open the door, it was the other party who suprisingly made the first move. Their cabin door burst open as the maid who typicallly could only be spotted traveling between the kitchen and cabin of her young master rushed inside to take the hand of the equally stunned Jiang Tengyi. Startled, Jiang Tengyi who had been about to stab the other froze mid-action staring at the "maid" with wide eyes.
"Sis Erlang?" "Young Master we must abandon the ship with all hast. Forgive me for my disrespectful actions." Sticking Chao Bai's prepare talisman ontop their hands, with a flicker of light the two, one sitting and one kneeling, turned into spectrals of light barreling through the window board into splinters. "..." Da Chuanli's sword which had nearly pierced Erlang's back had also frozen in time, just a hair's distance from hiting their intended target who had already escaped. "Hou Yi." From behind him, he heard the guard's ardent and stern call. Not even flinching when that illusive "young master" who had left the room across them who knows when in the chaos took his wrist.
Lowering his head apologetically, his grasp firm as he slips a similar talisman ontop of his own hand. "Young Master Ling." Sheathing his sword, Da Chuanli stood there calmly as he felt a rush of spiritual energy emerge from the talisman running over his whole body. His eyes by chance or fate, breifly shifting over to the man left behind who despite standing straight, leaned on his sword subtly while peering at them leave quietly. His sharp brown eyes holding neither tension nor concern, only bleak calm. Much like Da Chuanli. Whether it was an illusion or a sideeffect of the spell, a strange flicker of silver light gleamed within that guard's eyes before being replaced by sand and sea.
Seagulls, thunderous waves, a slow restless dawn, salty wind. And, not a single sign of another human being.