VAGRANTS
Fear and Waterfall

Yin Chen stood on the edge of the abyss, turning his back to Ling who was enthusiastically explaining his point of view regarding the incident in the morning. Starting from the changes in the form of Orochi to the arrival of NeZha, all he explained clearly. Even his fear was writhing at that moment he asked Yin Chen the burly monk. "I've never been that scared before. In Orochi's eyes, I couldn't see any mercy, there was only a murderous lust that was too strong as well as pure. It was as if I was in a face-to-face clash with a demon who came straight from hell."

"Doesn't that make it exactly the same even identical to your old self?" Yin Chen looked back, then smiled. "When I saw Orochi, I saw Qi Ling."

Ling rounded his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"If your heart is attached to something, you won't be able to pull out your sword." Yin Chen picked up a piece of twig, then flipped his body. "Too preoccupied with a leaf, then you will forget to look at the tree. Focusing too much on one tree will make you forget about the forest. Look at it as a whole. that's what it says really see."

"Really..see?"

"Now, fight me in a life-and-death fight." Challenge Yin Chen suddenly. The bald man put on a cheerful face made Ling not take it seriously.

"Is this a test?" Heeled.

"Yes, right. Attack me with the intention of killing you." Yin Chen's.

Ling pulled out his katana, then mounted the perfect slashing horses. "I don't understand what you're up to, but I won't underestimate you either." He said, considering that Yin Chen had really punished himself with the most shameful punishment in the universe.

As the wind stopped crashing, the gazes of the two locked onto each other, as well as the callused fingers that had fused with the weapon. Yin Chen said: "Oh, yes. About Qi Yuan..."

"Huh?"

A piece of twig hit Ling's head tightly until it made him bow in pain. "Hahahahaha, if this were a real fight, you would be dead, wouldn't you?"

Ling was upset. "But you're lic-"

"No." Ling Correction in the heart. Yin Chen who was puzzled by Ling's drastic change in attitude just silently watched. "It was a valid attack. To achieve victory, to survive...! the attack was a fair and valid attack."

"And I was fooled by the easiest trick in the book." Ling put his sword back in the sheath, then walked away. "Tens of dojos, thousands of opponents, defeated 4 Apotheosis and his students, and survived the fight with Susanoo making me someone who Arogan!!"

"Redirected with just Qi Yuan, what am I doing? I'm like a boneless bastard!" Ling jumped into a nearby lake to awaken himself from the realm of arrogance. "How is Qi Yuan, how is Chou Yu, how are you with Shengcun village? Did I really forget about myself?"

"Hey, what are you thinking? the water's freezing, you know." Said Yin Chen from the top of the cliff.

"I'm going back to Shengcun village." Cetus Ling, while wiping his long hair onto the earlobe.

"Why all of a sudden?"

"I must put an end to my fear of death. I will say goodbye to those I love and consider it a place to go, so that I can return to the fight in full force and not be afraid of it." Firm Ling. "During the journey, I will try to humble myself. So that I never considered myself high, and demeaned the world."

Eunchae who heard the sudden decision was about to refuse. But Yin Chen held him back, and said: "I support your noble path, but on one condition, take Haerin with you."

"Haerin?" Ling and Eunchae.

In the morning, Eunchae asks about the division of the team, and why Ling should go with Haerin. Then Yin Chen explained about the function and weakness of Haerin and Feng Lian's bond as well as their goals. "Ling may need Haerin's regeneration, but I definitely need Feng Lian's telekinesis power as well as your Hocrux summoning power." Light Yin Chen. "We're going to go back to hunting down Orochi, while Ling is going to face his unfinished past."

"Not finished?"

"Ling ran away from his past, and it turns out the past can catch up to us so quickly." Yin Chen.

"But why Haerin?"

"Haerin's and Feng Lian's blessings were a danger sign for both teams. If Feng Lian died without being attacked, Ling was in danger. And vice versa." Yin Chen glanced at Feng Lian, then looked back at her footsteps. "We should be able to make the most of our weaknesses. Understood?"

...----------------...

Somewhere in the middle of the dark forest to the village of Shengcun, Ling again met a waterfall that he had passed. The waterfall looked very creepy, but Ling recalled his main goal which was none other than fighting fear itself.

He chose to stop there and sit under the waterfall. Each drop of waterfall that hit Ling's body felt like a stone throw of the citizens he had ever got.

Ling growled in pain, Haerin who saw him from the riverbank could only look at him pityfully. She occasionally asked Ling to stop and warm herself up, but the man refused. It will sit there for much longer, even until the sun is replaced by the moon, and the stars flood the sky with their beautiful charm.

At one point, the man jumped out of the waterfall due to a fear of uncertainty. Fear of pain, fear of death.

He glanced towards the edge, seeing Haerin's sleeping figure embedded, faithfully waiting for him.

Ling refocused himself, and went back into the waterfall until the morning arrived.

The waterfall had taught him many things about calmness, courage, and also catching a cold. Haerin ended up massaging the man's tense shoulders until Ling's body felt lighter.

They then continued their journey accompanied by the sound of nature that shook the forest. Haerin often looked at Ling in silence with his two unique eyes that resembled a cat, and Ling did not mind that at all. He felt even more happy and happy, he liked to return that gaze with an anxious feeling.

Occasionally Ling pinched Haerin's cheeks, stroked his black hair, and hugged his tiny body from behind while enjoying the magnificent view of the starry sky from the shallow riverbank that continued to flow noisily.

"Cran."

"Hm?"

"What's in Shengcun village?"

Ling played Haerin's hair with a smile, "Home, family, and many stories."

"Can you tell me one of those stories?"

Ling nodded, then put on a comfortable position. "I used to have a friend..."