Wu Chen's eyes slowly opened, but he made no move to rise from his bedroll. He was still in shock from his brutal actions against the Slave Master.

It wasn't the fact that he had killed the man that had him writhing in guilt. He had killed before when necessary, and they had already planned to finish the man off anyway. No. It wasn't the killing itself.

It was the way he had lost control and unleashed a great darkness from within.

No mercy, no empathy, no morality...hatred and evil intent had poured from him into the body of his enemy. What kind of man did that make him then? Was he no longer a young hero on a quest, no longer an upstanding cultivator striving for peace in the dao, but instead a dark villain standing at the beginning of his reign?

Lu Yong's deep voice drifted from the fire to the brooding Wu Chen, 'I broke open that bag of rice your friend Zhang Boyan sent with you. You should eat something.'

Wu Chen didn't bother to answer. He didn't know if he could face his Guardian after such a blatant disregard for the morals he swore to uphold. Gods...facing Lu Yong would be hard enough. How was he going to face his father and brother? How was he going to face his clan?

A shadow fell over the young man's prone form as Lu Yong squatted down beside him with a bowl of rice in his hand.

'You are overthinking again. Eat.' Lu Yong demanded sternly, his voice brooking no argument.

The young man sighed deeply and sat up. He did not raise his eyes to his Guardian, his shame wouldn't let him, but he did rip the bowl from him with a shaking hand. He stirred the rice for a moment and finally took a halfhearted bite to placate the elder.

Lu Yong settled himself on the ground crosslegged before his ward, his gaze softening as he watched Wu Chen struggle with his conscience. Wu Chen had always had a clear view of right and wrong. This had been a devastating blow to the young man.

'There are no perfect beings, Ah Chen.' Lu Yong finally said softly into the silence, 'You've been through so much...'

Wu Chen's head shot up, and his pain filled fox eyes glared at Lu Yong, 'Are you excusing my behavior with such an argument?' His ward demanded angrily.

A long sigh escaped the elder, and his own eyes closed for a moment while he shielded his heart from the self-loathing he could read in his lover's, 'No. I am not. However, the fact that you realize that your actions were not acceptable to members of civilized society means that you are not as lost as you think you are.'

'I completely lost control! Completely!' Wu Chen slammed the bowl to the ground so hard it cracked, 'When I faced the one who humiliated me, I became everything I swore I hated! I am either a hypocrite or a villain. I no longer have the right...'

'That's enough!' Raged Lu Yong, grabbing Wu Chen by the front of his robe and forcing them both to their feet in one smooth motion.

He pulled the young man close so that their noses nearly touched and growled into his beautiful face, 'Yes. You lost control. Yes, for a moment, your aura stank of destruction and darkness. Do you think that you are alone in the discovery that you are only human and can hate from the very depths of your soul? Do you think the path to the dao is a peaceful road with no mistakes and no questioning of the self? Do you?'

Lu Yong kissed his head, loosened his grip, and softly said, 'I was filled with darkness and hatred after you were taken from me. Do you see me the same way you see yourself now? Would you call me evil for what I wanted to do to your captor? Would you judge me as harshly, Ah Chen? Truly? I don't think you would.'

A single tear fell softly, and Lu Yong reached a thumb up to wipe it away gently as he gazed lovingly into the eyes of his devastated ward, 'Everyone has darkness. The dao has darkness. Not letting that darkness consume you is part of obtaining the dao. You are not a villain, Ah Chen. You are not evil. You are just a cultivator trying to find your way, and part of that way is acknowledging your dark half but not losing yourself to it. Hmm?'

Wu Chen closed his eyes and rested his forehead against his Guardian's. A slow nod finally gave answer to Lu Yong's question, and he was swiftly crushed in the arms of his lover. Arms that welcomed him despite knowing he was not perfect, that he had evil thoughts even if they were hidden deeply.

Like a drowning man, he clung to Lu Yong. Tears fell against his Guardian's broad shoulder soaking his robes, and while they could not wash his guilt away completely, they could at least soften its hard edges so he could learn to accept.

He was, after all, a human and not an emotionless god.

It took time, but eventually, Wu Chen calmed down enough to notice his surroundings. He lifted his heavy head from his Guardian's shoulder and glanced around the area. He recognized none of the features from before he lost consciousness.

They were now camped next to a rushing stream, and a noticeable incline continued along it. A short distance away, a dead forest of twisted trees could be seen. Gone were the stones and low-lying brush from before. His confused gaze turned back to Lu Yong.

'How did we get here, and where exactly are we?' He asked, his voice still husky with emotion.

Taking one last look to be sure Wu Chen was sufficiently calm, Lu Yong finally released his ward and returned to the fire to fill another bowl of rice for him. As he worked, he glanced around and explained, 'I decided to keep traveling while you were unconscious.' He pointed at a dark shadowy spot high up on a cliff above and to the left of them, 'That is where Shandian is resting.' He said, as he handed the fresh bowl to Wu Chen and began cleaning the mess from the first.

Rather than the excited enthusiasm he had expected, the most Lu Yong received was a nod of acknowledgment and a quick glance at the vague location.

With a pale face and hollow eyes, Wu Chen seated himself gracefully on a fallen log that Lu Yong had pushed by the fire and began to woodenly eat his rice.

'From here on out, we will have to go by foot. The hills are too steep for the horses to navigate safely. They will stay here while we continue. We can mark the site and return when you have the sword in your hands once again.' Lu Yong announced, hoping he could rekindle his ward's interest in his current quest.

'Whatever you deem best, Ah Yong.' Wu Chen quietly agreed. He finished his rice and headed to the stream to clean his bowl.

Lu Yong sat on the log and stared into the fire. His thoughts were torn between frustration and worry. This last leg of the journey was by no means going to be easy. He needed Wu Chen to be alert to danger and capable of fighting if the need should arise. Not only would there be natural dangers in the Serpent Mountains, but Chu Haoyu was still out there as well.

A hand fell on his shoulder, causing Lu Yong to wince. Wu Chen's fingers were like ice.

'Thank you, Ah Yong.' Wu Chen said, a ghost of a smile on his face that did not reach his eyes, 'I'll be fine with you by my side. Just give me a little time.'

Lu Yong glanced up at the spot where the cave was located and shook his head slowly, 'We don't have time, Ah Chen. The snows come early here, there are dangerous animals in these mountains, and Chu Haoyu...'

Wu Chen released him, his eyes closing for a moment before he finally nodded his agreement, 'You are right, as always, Guardian. We don't have time for weakness now. I will just have to be ready.'

Lu Yong searched his ward's face and found nothing but grim determination. He watched silently as Wu Chen turned away from him, his calloused hands pinning his hair into a messy bun as he walked to an open spot near the campsite. He soon began stretching and readying himself for sword practice.

Lu Yong nodded his approval. A little physical training would allow him to shake off some of his doubts. Wu Chen found solace in his swordplay. He always had.

As Wu Chen ran through his sword techniques, Lu Yong pulled a bone tablet from his Void pouch. He had not found the right time to present Wu Chen with the technique the Old One had gifted him at the temple. It was complex and would require all of the young man's concentration.

The tablet was old, the writing worn in parts, its edges cracked and sharp. He ran his hand over the ancient script and closed his eyes, allowing himself to feel the power humming within the bone.

He opened his eyes and watched as Wu Chen ran through his stances. His grace and ability never failed to impress the elder. The young man's swords flashed in the late morning light, and the sweat began to dampen the tendrils that escaped the loose bun as he spun into a double thrust. He really should give his ward time to regain some faith in himself.

Lu Yong glanced back down to the tablet. Perhaps, this time, he was the one who was overthinking. Did he dare risk taking the few extra days to allow Wu Chen to learn the powerful technique? He worried that his ward was not in the right mindset to truly absorb the teachings of the tablet. The backlash of a failed attempt could push him even further into that dark place in his mind.

The Guardian shook his head. Wu Chen wasn't ready for this technique just yet. He would discuss it with him after they retrieved Shandian. By then, Wu Chen's self doubts and guilt should be sufficiently lessened, increasing his chances for success.

Taking one last look at the ancient tablet, he slipped it back into his Void pouch and merely enjoyed the sight of his lover dancing with his swords.