Author: sorry this is late

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Damien caught sight of the woman first. It was strange, his gaze somehow finding it’s way to her as if by magnetic attraction. His nose caught a familiar scent, but cleaner than it was when he first encountered it. More intoxicating, more...tempting. 

He wasn’t a fool, he understood it for what it was: Arousal. 

Damien was part sex demon and he was constantly reminded of that fact over the past few months. He supposed now was simply a new ability he’d gained from that lineage. But it was strange, it wasn’t simply that he could smell her desire--he reveled in it. 

It wasn’t that he cared how much she looked at him with large eyes filled with blatant lust, it was that there was some sort of...energy....that he found very nourishing. It filled him with intense satisfaction, euphoria even. It caused his heart to quicken and a little voice in his head told him to taste her. To ravish and dominate. 

But when the fuck had he let somebody tell him what to do? As such he ignored the voice. Though admittedly he couldn’t resist teasing the woman. 

“What, see something you like?”  He asked, leaving the woman seemingly at a loss for words. She stammered stupidly for a moment before her grandfather took notice of him too and stood to greet him.

“Grandmaster Damien, you’re here. Apologies for not noticing your arrival sooner. Have you settled into your room well?”

Grandmaster? 

“...Yeah. Anyway, you get that explanation?”

The old man’s face darkened. “ Yes, indeed. It was as you said, Grandmaster.”

Damien shrugged. “ Now that that’s out of the way, we can do some introductions. You already know me, but I never caught your names.”

“Ah, you’re right.” Lin Zhao calmed his nerves in the presence of the youth and began to speak as confidently as he coil. “I am Lin Zhao, patriarch of X city’s Lin family.” Damien doubted his ears. Did he really just say X city? The hell? ”This is my granddaughter, Lin Feifei.” He gestured to the woman.” I believe you met already.”

Damien snorted. He must’ve traumatized her tonight, so that was an understatement. 

“Speaking of, I must thank you for coming to her aid in such a timely manner. I dare not imagine what would have occurred had you not….” He trailed off. He hesitated.

“Fallen from the sky? Go ahead, you can say it.” Damien replied. “Actually, that’s one of the reasons I’m still here. See, I had some friends with me back then and I’m assuming they got spat out much the same way I did. Since I’m new to this planet I’m hoping you could help me find them. Since from the looks of the place your family seems pretty influential.”

“P-Planet?”

“Realm, whatever. Can you help or not?” 

Lin Zhao’s brow creased. He had trouble keeping up with the young man’s pace. “You mentioned friends...I did indeed see other figures being spat out of the same hole you arrived from but didn’t catch where they landed. You want help finding them? For saving my family’s Feifei, you need not even mention it twice. I will lend you my full support in your endeavor.”

“Great! Alright, I’m going to bed. Good night.” Damien nodded in satisfaction and didn’t spare them a second glance as he moved back towards the door. 

“Wait, you aren’t curious about why we were attacked, or what we did with Yang Kai?” Lin Zhao was stunned. “You arrived in the middle of a virtual warzone, after all...”

“Who?” Damien quirked a brow. “Oh...right.” The twat. “Nah man, I don’t give a single fuck. Ain’t my business. Honestly if your guys fired first I’d have killed you instead.” 

….Lin Zhao, Tei Peng and Feifei collectively felt their scalps turn numb.

“Anyway, see you in the morning. Lets try to get out of each other’s hair quick, eh?”

***

The room was wholly silent for many minutes after he left. Lin Zhao was the first to break the silence.

“Tei Peng.”

“Yes, Patriarch?”

“Send Yang Kai back to his family. As is.”

“I understand. But sir...about Feng…”

Lin Zhao’s eyes hardened. “I won’t ask you to kill him, but you have one day. If I ever see him again, he’d wish he’d have died today instead of live through what unholy things I’d have inflicted upon him.”

Tei Peng nodded once. It was a great mercy. He was grateful. 

At this point, though, the usually composed Feifei exclaimed in outrage, “What? No!” Her voice dripped with venom. “Because of him I was almost defiled….how can you let that bastard live? I don’t accept that at all!”

“Young Miss…” He wore an aggrieved expression. Understanding perfectly the fury she felt for her son, he couldn't be angry at her. But at the same time, this was his son...he may be scum, but Tei Peng couldn’t bear to see him outright killed for one terrible mistake. And so he addressed Lin Feifei with a deep bow, voice this with emotion.. “I...for that bastard son’s actions, I deeply apologize on his behalf. I know you must hate him, and you have every right to, but please…! He is still my son, my own flesh and blood! Perhaps that means little to him, but its still everything to me! So I beg of you, let him go just this once!”

Feifei shuddered as waves of anger washed over her. She’d known both son and father since childhood, yet now they both seemed alien to her. The reasonable side of her brain understood the father’s plight. But the emotional side? It was digusted seeing him beg for the life of the man who nearly caused her to be raped by a group of perverted dogs. Who surely betrayed her family and likely caused the deaths of many of their men here tonight.

She clenched her jaw and tried to keep her hands still. “I should ask that man back in here to finish him off like the dog he is.” Her throat felt raw. “But fine. Do what you want...however, so will I.”

Tei Peng had a bad feeling in his stomach. “Miss, I...I don’t think I understand your meaning by that.”

Her whole demeanor grew cold. “I mean, you can leave with him.”

Lin Zhao’s face tightened. “Fei’er…” He warned. “Do not overstep yourself. Peng had nothing to do with his son’s folly/”

“He raised him. His mistakes are the father’s mistakes. As such he’ll also take responsibility.”

The man’s expression turned even harder. “You do not have the authority to dismiss my own servants. Feifei, you’re upset. I understand. But--”

“Save it.” She cut him off. “Whether I’m being unreasonable or not, I don’t care. Either they both leave, or I do. I won’t share the same roof with the father of a man who betrayed my family and almost had me gang raped. That’s simply too much to ask.”

“Fei’er,” The old man sighed. He did not blame her for her anger but he refused to fire a man for the sins of his coward son. “Please do not be difficult. Tonight has been a tiring experience for us all. Let’s get some rest and discuss this tomorrow.”

But the woman didn’t listen. “No.” She spoke chillingly. “I’ve made my stance clear, and from your words just now I’ve heard enough to know yours.” As she said this, Lin Feifei rose from her seated position atop the bed and started making her way to the door. “You may be the family Patriarch, but I am not someone who must rely on their family to live.” And with that, she walked out.

Lin Zhao could only shake his head. 

***

“Stubborn, foolish child.” Patriarch Lin grumbled three weeks later, upset over not receiving a single word from his granddaughter in all this time. He’d also failed to find his guest’s companions, discovering only cold trails, which contributed daily to his stress. He could tell his guest was getting impatient. It was partly because Lin Zhao implored him to stay at the estate instead of visiting the city as he wished. 

Damien may not listen to others telling him what to do very often but that didn’t mean he was bullheaded. When he asked why Lin Zhao replied quite reasonably. “To enter the city one needs proper identification. As the young Sir is...foreign….we have to prepare some documents and that will take some time. We may even find your friends before that, too, which would invalidate the need for them unless you still wish to explore after your reunion.”

So he was patient. He did think that his posse would have popped up pretty quickly too, but the old man was right that he did want to go out and wander the city. Could he have bulldozed his way through, or even just snuck in? Sure, but that could bring him more annoying things to deal with. As lazy as he was, he was against it for now. Besides, the Lins knew how to treat a guest! The Lin family estate was like a vacation home for him. Almost didn’t even have to lift a single hand or foot since he arrived which suited him juuuuust fine.

At the beginning of the fourth week, however,  and with still no new clues as to his friends’ whereabouts, Damien realized he’d have to spend more time on this realm than he’d thought. Even though he was treated like a king during his stay, that still didn’t sit well with him. He didn’t like feeling as if he was forced into staying longer than he wanted to. He was still fine, but distractions could only distract for so long before you got tired of it. As his patience thinned and the old man kept imploring him to stay put, he was on the verge of another massacre. 

For some reason he was more easily irritable since his arrival. The air tasted stale and lifeless, for example, and he hated it. So, yeah. He was about to fly off the handle.

Then, just as he was about to say “fuck it” and leave to tear the city apart in search on his own(not to mention explore the night life there), Lin Zhao came to him with a rather interesting new identity especially prepared for Damien’s exclusive use.

And that was the day Lin Ling Tian was born.