SOULLESS

"Where have you been?" 

Evenor stood in the foyer of the inn along with the others. As soon as she strode inside she was met by them. "I was just strolling in the market." She said and looked around at the others behind him. Her gaze went toward the females standing behind Evenor and some beside their soulmates. All of them were dressed nicely and looked beautiful. They looked delicate and fragile, the incident which just occurred a few minutes ago has her thinking about stuff she never thought about.

She could not help but glance down at herself. 

She was rather dressed like the men here. 

She looked up at Evenor and found him staring at her with a frown. 

"Ah-uh, are you fellows proceeding somewhere?" She asked and Evenor passed her a gentle smile. "Yes, We are heading to the main hall of the sect. Since the wedding is arriving soon almost all the guests are here. Marco has arranged a gathering up there before the wedding." Evenor said and Megara slightly withered. She didn't look quite pleased with Marco's decision about the gathering before the wedding, especially when the Linya Clan is here.

"We were waiting for you to arrive so we can leave together." Evenor let out.

Blossom faintly smiled and shook her head.

"I'll pass." She said and Evenor frowned. His face was no longer gentle and calm but rather he had a deep frown on his face. Without a word, he turned around and looked at others.

"Chief Zale already went up at the mountain, you all can proceed behind him, we will meet up there at the hall," Evenor said and all of them nodded before walking past the two of them.

Blossom's side gazed at them as they walked past her before looking up at Evenor.

"Why didn't you go?" She asked and he sighed before stepping closer to her. "I heard that the Linya Clan arrived," Evenor said and Blossom nodded. Her hands were behind her back and her stance was straight.

"Did you know that they were arriving?" She asked and he quickly shook his head in denial. "None of us knew about it even Chief Zale was unaware. If we or even Marco was sure that he is coming we wouldn't tell you to come for the wedding." Evenor said and She sighed, lowering her gaze.

"Yes, that's why I'm not going." She said and all of a sudden he grabbed her shoulders making her look at him. 

"I know you didn't wish to come here in the first place but you did it for Marco. Now when you are actually here and won't go up there he might come down himself to bring you to the gathering." 

"Blossom, does those whispers bothers you?" He asked and she shook her head. She gulped and removed his hands away from her shoulders, stepping back. She could see his gaze, she could read him and he was hurt. She kept pushing him away and he doesn't even know what he has done to offend her. 

"I don't care about those people but Linya will be there too." She said and he pursed his lips in a thin line, lowering his hands and awkwardly massaging his palms together.

"Are you scared of him?" He asked and she slightly chuckled. She lowered her gazed and parted her lips.

"It's not like that....it's simply that...with what face do I stand in front of him." 

"No, it's been over a decade now. Let's not think about him and think about Marco. You can avoid Linya." He said and kept coaxing her, in the end, she had no choice but to agree. 

She cannot always run away from the deeds she did back then.

Both of them stepped out of the inn, she didn't even bother to change into something nice and just strode through the market beside him.

Her pace fastened as she walked past the brothel, her gaze wandering on the veranda and she did not find that clingy girl there. Since all of these maidens were without mates, they could somehow easily spot a man with no soul mate, maybe that was the reason the girl approached her. She may have sensed that Blossom was a virgin but she does have a mate now.

Out of nowhere.

Since there are not many people without soulmates it must be very hard for them to fill up their stomachs. Sometimes men with soulmates also come here but only god knows for what sinful reason. What's the point of the marks when they can't control their lustful greed? Having no mate is better than having a mate, it was Blossom's opinion.

She found some of the girls waving her way, no they were waving at the man beside her. She slightly raised her eyes and glanced at him through her long lashes. Just as she expected, he did not spare those girls any glance. His face was gentle and blank but his footsteps were even faster than hers almost making her laugh.

Soon they arrived in front of the hall and exposed their identities to the guards at the entrance of the hall before stepping inside the hall which was buzzing with laughter and the smell of liquor was everywhere.

She quietly followed behind Evenor...' not to her surprise most of the people were gaping at her and whispering things to each other.

No matter how many decades pass by, whenever she shows up in such places past incident becomes fresh as if it was just yesterday. 

She kept her face stern and her eyes cold just like her usual self. "Look at her, she is even worse than before." 

"How can a person like her be related to an innocent person like Chief Zale?" 

"With what face is she here?" 

Where there were people throwing daggers at her there were also some of them, who greeted her happily.

"It's been a while since I last saw you. You've become a strong woman." Chief Azure of the Healer Clan spoke up. He was an old man with white hair but his stance was strong and straight. Megara slightly bowed at him with respect and passed him a faint smile.

"Chief Azure has become old but is still stronger than the new generation." She said almost making him bust into a laugh. He coughed twice to kill his laugh before chuckling gently.

"You are as straightforward as always. Beauty like her mother and ruthless like her father." He said and she faintly smiled. Her parents were well known in the martial arts world, old people like Azure were aware of Blossom being their child but the young ones were unaware and judged her by the past.

While she was talking to Azure a group of three people approached her. It was Evenor who went away to get Marco and his wife. 

"Blossom" 

Marco stepped forward and almost taking her in a hug but due to circumstance and the label of chief on his head he kept his distance like a professional martial artist. 

Azure excused himself and went away to greet others. Marco slightly bowed at her making her smirk mockingly at him. She also bowed at him and his respective wife who was dressed in a fancy robe. The fancy fabric set perfectly on her delicate sculpture.

"It's been so long since I last saw you," Marco said and she kept a faint smile on her face. It was so vague people could not tell if she was really grinning.

Since the two men here were aware of her personality did not point it out and carried on with the discussion.

She eyed him from head to toe and spoke up.

"You have changed a lot too but you are still a  deviant." She said bluntly making Marco almost flinch. He said glancing at his soulmate before passing Megara an awkward chuckle.

"What...What are you saying?" He asked and kept blinking his eyes, telling her to shut up. No matter how many years go by or after how many years they meet, their friendship will always remain chaotic.

"I mean, what's the point of having a brothel right in the front line of the market?" She asked and he stopped blinking. He passed her a deadly glare before softly gazing at his soon-to-be wife, slightly tensed up. Evenor could hardly control his laugh and nudged Blossom on her arm, telling her to spare the poor man.

"That...that's because you know that ahh...there are not many people without soulmates, giving those girls a place at the back side of the market will be like taking their two times meal. They have nothing to do with the martial arts world and are poor and orphans and also without mates. I could only help them by giving them the front line." 

All four of them fell into eerie silence. Blossom glanced at Evenor and even he was slightly surprised. No matter if he was deviant or not, he was still a good and responsible leader.

This thing rang a bell in her heart. 

She just reckoned him by his past even though he has changed and is only loyal to his woman...this explains all these people will also evaluate her from her past no matter how much she has changed or suffered.

She cleared her throat and passed him a faint smile.

"You are a good chief." She said honestly, she rarely lied. Marco's smile brightened as he bowed at her. "Getting a compliment from Master Megara is worth an evil stone." He said and all of them chuckled except of Megara who just smiled.

Marco looked at her and then at Evenor.

"When are you two ge-"

Before he could complete his sentence the main door of the hall opened up. The hall which was bustling with laughter fall into an error silence and Megara understood that Linya Clan has entered.

After a whole decade, they have shown up in a gathering. 

What does this mean? 

Why coming out of the shadows all of a sudden?

"Looks like my Cousin is here. You guys settle down at your respective spots." Marco excused himself and told his wife to go back to her place too before he went to meet Evandros. For some reason he didn't want to introduce his soon-to-be wife to Evandros, he didn't even properly introduced her to Megara.

Shrugging it off she quickly walked towards her spot, Evenor following her behind. They sat down on their respective spots on the cushion. On her right side was Master Shin and on her left side was Evenor. Chief Zale was sitting on Masters Shin's side while the remaining were citing behind them. 

There were many powerful sects and Clan's chiefs present after all Cross squad sect was included in the top five sects along with Liberation Front Sect. In Clan, Linya Clan was the most powerful one.

Everyone settled down in their respective spots one by one as Marco was welcoming his cousin. Some people on the opposite line kept glancing at Megara whispering things to each other.

Evenor noticed and wanted to grab her hand to comfort her but he decided not to. She did not look uncomfortable as if she was used to it. He could not help but pass a sharp glare to the people sitting opposite them. They were just some lowly masters under high but neglecting Chiefs. The one who noticed his gaze did not dare to look her way again.

Marco's soulmate was sitting on the throne beside Marco's throne on the stage. She looked nervous and kept fidgeting with her fingers. Megara kept her gaze low. Not because of her green eyes, there were many people with green eyes even though there are a few people with green eyes who did not belong to the scarlet blossom Clan.

Her green eyes were not the problem here, her entire presence was.

She could see his boots passing from in front of her as he settle down in his respective spot along with his few masters. He sat on the opposite line and his spot was the very first one. If it was not Marco and someone else he would have given his throne to Evandros to sit on but Marco treated him just like he treated others. 

Maybe because he was his cousin. 

She gulped and poured down some liquor for her, pressing the edge of the small cup near her lips and swallowing down the liquor.

Her left hand which was resting on her lap was tightly clenched into a fist beneath her wide sleeve.

While she was pouring another sip for herself, she heard Marco speaking. She picked up the cup and looked at Marco who was standing near his throne, bowing three times in a row. 

"Everyone...I'm more than pleased that you all are here for my wedding. All the respective Chiefs and masters have allowed me to show

 my 

appreciation." He said and raised the glass of wine in his hands. 

"Please give us your blessings." He said and everyone raised their glass of liquor giving him blessings including Megara.

She gulped down the sip and pursed her lips in a thin line. She put the cup on the table in front of her and grabbed some nuts for herself. 

She paused midway and raised her green orbs, the nuts almost slipped out of her hands when her eyes met his cold ones. 

Evandro's Linya sat on his respective buffers opposite to her, the very first one in the line. He sat so elegantly but his elegance was pressed down by his dangerous aura. An aura that one would never like to face but couldn't help and spare a glance. 

Once her eyes met his dark void orbs she felt her heart skip a beat. 

Why must he look at her? Is he suspicious of her? Suspicious? She wagers he knows that she was the one who took one of his evil stones. Having green eyes and a pausing power, someone foolish can also not avoid it and the man in front of her is too smart for his own good.

It was stupid of their sect to even think about snatching a stone from him. She doesn't know why her uncle brought such a thing up and when he did she told him to look for the remaining stones rather than possessing those that Evandros Linya already had but she was easily cornered by other masters.

Why is he not attacking the liberation front sect? 

Maybe because it's one of the strongest sects and even a power like Evandros Linya cannot easily make it fall.

Why is he sparing 'her'?

What is his motive? 

She lowered her gaze and started eating her nuts. Forcing them down her throat but could hardly do it. All of a sudden she heard a deep voice, it was soothingly deep and calming. This voice belonged to the leader of the Linya Clan.

He drew everyone's attention towards him easily.

"Since my cousin is getting married...I would also like to say something." He said and everyone nodded at him. Some dogs even licked his shoes pestering him with their glib tongues.

"A soulless man like me...suddenly had a soulmate mark." 

A shiver ran down her spine. Her grip tightened on the cup she was holding. Her knuckles turned white as she hesitantly raised her green orbs but dropped them down once their eyes match.

He was looking at her.

Is he going to expose her?

If that happens her already bad reputation will be ruined beyond rehabilitation.