Loneliness was never something Qiuyuan was bothered by.

At times, Qiuyuan spent months without speaking to another human being whilst on his endless travels. There was only the sound of his steps as he walked on dirt paths, and the scream of his blade when it struck those who dared try to stop him. The most talking he did was with those who gave him money for completing bounties or those who served him a warm bowl of noodles after he silently laid a bag of coins in front of them.

Qiuyuan never really craved the interactions or the connections with other human beings, as he had only one focus in life right now—find the man who killed his Master and deliver death to Geshu Lin for his crimes.

The blade sings as he slides it against the whetstone. The color of jade, a rich viridian, with a pattern of bamboo leaves. His fingers are pressed against the horizontal metal, his movements meticulous. He had been at it for a while, and he would until it was finished. The moonlight shone down on the balcony of this rented inn-room, but a blind man did not rely on the light. He felt with the pads of his rough fingers and he listened intently to the right tunes. Muted grey eyes fell closed, his face titled to the side to take in the sound better. He opened not just his ears—but the mind. Careful, rhythmic, almost ritualistic.

With another scrape, the metal of the blade sung again. And again, and then again.

Admittedly, it brought him much calmness. To sharpen his blade all alone in the night after a long day, it couldn’t compare to anything else. The metal reflected his own restraint, well-kept and smooth, carefully maintained and almost beautiful—not a chip or a crack in sight.

Though, it is not like Qiuyuan deliberately chooses to be lonesome. He doesn't particularly care, as choosing either would imply he was deserving—and he knew that he wasn’t. But, there are few times where his night is not solely his alone, where the sound of his blade isn’t the only lingering noise through the air. He was not expecting a visit tonight, but he wasn’t surprised either. He merely listened as he continued, his movements never faltering.

“And you are?”

Qiuyuan spoke through the night, voice hushed but clear. He already had a feeling as to who decided to visit him, sensing their frequency far before their actual presence, but he asked anyway just to be sure.