AN: Apologies for the late update. This apple has been distracted by anime and drama's. I might have recently joined a fandom that involves owls and it might have influence this chapter a bit.

******

Xieren had gone to bed in the most pleasant mood. His beloved had been very good to him over the last few days, spoiling him in ways that he was sure meant he'd made some progress.

Shizun gave him 'goodbye kisses' without having to be asked.

Bringing him a hellish brew he called 'coffee' to his office.

Even letting him play around and touch him in said office when no one was watching.

Truly, it was the best few days of Xieren's life. While his master's face never changed, he could tell the man was also enjoying himself.

So when he woke up alone in bed, he was only mildly upset.

When he learned that Shizun wasn't in the castle at all, he was mad.

When he learned that Shizun had waltzed out the capital's gates hours prior, he was furious.

His good mood was taking quite the beating. Yet those who told him this news were in a worse state. How were they to know the human wasn't allowed to leave?! Their king had doted on the man for weeks now so who would dare go against the human's wishes?

This left Xieren in a rage, seeking out the one person he knew had something to do with this.

***

Hours prior

"You want to do what now?"

Xuejie had been watching over Liang Fei all morning. The man had been standing outside his bedroom for god knows how long, waiting for him to leave.

Having that kind of jumpscare so early in the morning took a few decades off the man's heart.

Yet hearing the man's request was even more concerning.

"You said before that Xieren has my sword, correct?" Liang Fei pressed, watching Xuejie nod. "May I have it back? I need it."

"I hear all that but why do you need it?" He cried as he led the man to the sanctum. That place was filled with Xieren's most prized possessions. The only one allowed access was Xieren but Xuejie, being a reader, knew how to get in too.

He would take that to his grave if allowed.

Liang Fei said nothing, following Xuejie. What he wanted was a means of defending himself. While his cultivation had risen with the 'help' of Xieren, he was absolutely helpless in a fight. He could take down a mortal but in this world, how often would the threat he'd be facing be that simple?

He needed his sword back, even if the thing was nothing but a club.

When they arrived, the sanctum was curiously already open. Neither man questioned it, as it made things easier. Within, there was a lot of stuff. Books and paintings that looked vaguely familiar to Liang Fei. Hadn't he read most of these books already?

"Over here!" Laing Fei turned back to Xuejie, waving off the sense of nostalgia as he followed after the man.

Encased in an ornate coffin, he felt a familiar buzz go through him. It was a familiar feeling, one he'd grown used to feeling whenever he got too far from the blade.

He supposed he should be thankful. He had gotten a few years (weeks) free from this clingy sword. A whole decade in the eyes of others but to Liang Fei, it had only been a few weeks since this sword followed him to the grave.

Did it have to be so loyal? Could it not just leave him be?

Within the coffin, the sword slammed against the lid, seeking out the closest aura to its master. The being wasn't itsp master, in body or soul, but it was the being its master had accepted to take his place. The sword might refuse to be drawn but it would be obedient to its master's will. The blade could only seek this person out after years of empty silence in the universe.

All of this went unnoticed by the two men, who stared at the shaking coffin.

"Wow, it's... reacting to you." Xuejie marveled as he drew closer.

"Did you think it wouldn't?"

"Not really, no." He answered candidly. "Your soul isn't Shao's so I didn't think it'd react to you."

If Liang Fei was being honest, he was surprised too. If not for the fact that most enchanted swords belonged to a living person, he might have tried to use something else. Last time, he at least had Shao's body but without it, he was shocked that the blade reacted like usual.

It was a strange sword, it seemed.

"I've never been able to draw the blade," He explained as he took it from its resting place. It was cold to the touch and Liang Fei felt a sense of relief as he held it. "but I could still use it."

"How?"

"I'd whack people with it." He replied, demonstrating it by waving the sheathed blade with ease. Despite having never held a blade in his original body, he felt no awkwardness as he swung the sword.

His years of training with a sword wasn't just muscle memory, it seemed.

Xuejie, meanwhile, could only watch with aghast as he digested everything his ally had told him.

"You used a respected article of combat like a flyswatter." He said with a grimace. "You really are not meant for this kind of world."

"Were you not complaining to me yesterday about holding a funeral for your life without wifi?"

"You can't expect a modern guy to go without the internet without mourning its loss!"

At that, Liang Fei had to concede. He too missed the conveniences of modern life. He'd gotten used to it over the years but he still missed the fun stuff.

Mainly music. He had a good memory but the thought he'd never get to hear his favorite songs again was heartbreaking.

Both Xuejie and Liang Fei sighed at the loss.

***

The two soon exited the sanctum, their moods complicated. They had been lucky that Xieren was sleeping in or else they would have surely been caught already.

Yet the quiet mood changed as soon as Xuejie learned why Liang Fei wanted his sword back.

He planned on going to the border to deal with the rebellion/coup thing. By himself.

"Why? Why do this to me?!" Xuejie pleaded, looking near tears. "Do you know what Bro will do to me when he finds out I let you go alone?"

"You could accompany me." He suggested, almost rolling his eyes at the man's dramatics.

"And make him think we eloped or something? Why not toss myself from a cliff now? It would be a lot less painful a death."

"Must you be so dramatic?" Liang Fei sighed as he packed his things. He probably wouldn't need too much. "Xieren wouldn't do anything to you over me. He's a good boy."

Is he your lover or your pet? The man thought before recalling when he walked in to see Xieren tied up. He decided then and there that this line of thought should stop immediately.

"Look, I'm all for secret missions and cool stuff like that but think of Xieren." And me! "He'll be really worried," And furious. "If he finds out you left out of nowhere like this. At least tell him where you're going."

"He'll try to stop me."

"Yes, but-"

"I want to be of use to him." He continued, standing firm. "He's been nothing but good to me so I can't just leech off him without giving something back."

"Then just stay beside him." He tried, wanting to scream in frustration. Xuejie was struggling with his conscience. Should he get involved or not. Xieren had made very little progress it seems and Liang Fei was clearly not getting the hints Xuejie was leaving him. He'd tried to press but nothing seemed to get through this man's thick skull.

Apparently, it was perfectly normal for a straight guy to regularly have sex with another man. Even when the straight man was the one to start the relationship.

Clearly, this guy was either an idiot or really trusting of Xieren's words. Xuejie had yet to figure out which was the case.

"Staying with him isn't possible." The elder proclaimed, confirming Xuejie's thoughts. This guy was a stubborn idiot.

"Fine!" He sighed, giving up. Their relationship wasn't any of his business anyway. "Then how are you getting there? I at least want to make sure it's safe."

Xuejie would have gone with Liang Fei but he couldn't leave the capital again without He Qing and if that guy got involved, Xieren would definitely find out.

Yet to his horror, this supposedly wise man thought that traveling by carriage was the best means of getting there.

"Couldn't you just fly there?" He suggested, confused. "We do have flying swords and al-"

"No."

"No?"

"Absolutely not!" The elder snapped, his glare intensifying.

"But-"

"No buts! I will take a carriage."

"But that will take so long if you do that."

"Do you know what will happen if we fall?" He argued, moving closer. Xuejie stepped back. "We will suffer massive trauma. Bones broken, organs ruptured, skin torn to shreds!"

"That probably won't happen though-"

"And if we do survive the fall, what then?" He interjected, cornering Xuejie. "Months in rehab, struggling to do the most trivial task!"

"Again, I don't think that will be a problem."

"And that's even if we do survive. We won't. I won't. I will die. Absolutely, I will die!"

"...L-Liang Fei, are you scared of heights?"

"It's not unreasonable!" He snapped, slamming a hand on the wall.

"I didn't say it was!" Xuejie cried, holding his hands up in surrender. From his response, Liang Fei had clearly had this conversation before. " But perhaps you should at least try it? You need to get to the border fast and going by carriage will take twice as long at least."

Liang Fei said nothing, clearly reluctant. Xuejie wondered if he should risk going with Liang Fei. Looking at him, he was probably the type to travel by land regardless of distance.

But if he got too far away from He Qing...

"I will go by carriage." Liang Fei stated, his tone heavy with finality. "It's for the best if it takes a while. I need the time to myself anyway."

"You're not avoiding Bro, are you?"

Liang Fei flinched but hid it well.

"Never. I just..." He looked away, unable to look Xuejie in the eye as he spoke. "I need to search for something and it might be good if I have a few days to look."

"Search for something? Ah, were you given a task?! By the Q guy or whatever?" He asked, looking envious. He grumbled. "Ah, you are so lucky! Shi is useless as a system."

"Considering both our positions, I fear we might both be suffering from a useless system." He shot back.

"That's true." Xuejie nodded. "Oh? So then the reason you asked me all those tactics before was because of your 'task'?"

Thinking back to Liang Fei's desire to help Xieren, Xuejie concluded that that was his task. Xieren was the main character after all so of course he'd be tasked to help the guy.

Liang Fei nodded, not wanting to complicate things by explaining.

"That makes sense." He continued, nodding in understanding. "I suppose that explains why you tied him to the bed before too, right?"

"..."

"..."

"...Yes."

"Why such a long pause?!"

"Such matters... Perhaps it would be best not to have them so openly.

Liang Fei and Xuejie were both men from the modern era, so talking about sex was no big deal to either of them. If anything, the conversations they shared were quite wholesome compared to the vulgarity Liang Fei was used to hearing.

But how was he going to say such things when the subject was so close to home? While his relationship with Xieren was strange, it was also too intimate to share such details with others.

As for why he had restrained Xieren to their bed... It could be argued it was to get the man to rest properly. Xieren was someone who slept late (mostly because he refused to go a single night without holding onto his elder) and woke up early.

Liang Fei had really been worried about this bad habit and scolded him about it. The insolent man had spoken conciliatory words but continued to do it anyway.

So as punishment, he tied him to the bed. Afterward, he'd been exhausted and fell asleep before he could untie him. He had thought that Xieren would break the bonds himself and go on as he had been before.

Yet to his surprise, he didn't. Until Liang Fei came in to untie him, Xieren remained where he had been left, obediently waiting for the elder's return.

At the time, Liang Fei had assumed it was because he had ordered Xieren to do so, so he didn't think much about it. But if he was to be honest with himself, he had felt a little happy to have woken up in Xieren's embrace.

Waking up to the steady beat of his lover's heart pressed to his ear as the warm sun illuminated them both was... a strangely relaxing moment. One he had come to look forward to without meaning to.

He had gotten used to waking up alone and had missed the younger man's warmth. Usually, he could sleep anywhere but after so long, he felt strangely cold sleeping alone. So when he woke up to see Xieren was still there...

He'd been really happy then.

***

After a lot of arguing, Liang Fei had to compromise. While he refused to fly to the border, Xuejie did convince him to use a divine beast to pull his carriage. The change was minute but his trip would end considerably faster than if he chose to use a regular horse.

The beast was... terrifying at first but after feeding it something he assumed was an apple, he found the creature to be quite pleasant. It wasn't cute but it was adorable when it purred.

He later learned that going by carriage really wasn't the best plan of action, as the road became untreadable. In order to get to the border, one had to cross over a mountain, which had no paths large enough for a carriage.

At that point, the carriage had to be abandoned and have Liang Fei ride on the beast's back. While considerably taller than a horse, it was basically the same.

The beast was an odd mix of creatures, with a furry body and wings like a bird but with a feline head topped with large bovine horns. On its forehead was a third eye that always seemed to be open and watching out for dangers.

It'd jump over ravines and scare away predators, making the trip smoother. Sure, Liang Fei would bury himself in its fluff whenever it had to fly over massive ravines but at least he had the comfort of softness as he told himself he wasn't going to die just because he was somewhere high up.

He could now see why Xuejie said flying was the easiest method. There were many places where his carriage would have been useless.

All in all, this method of travel was preferable considering his task. He needed to find a plant but it wasn't for Xieren like he'd told Xuejie. No, it was for himself.

His hands went to his neck, his fingers easily finding the cool stone that had rested quietly around his neck for weeks. It pulsed under his touch, telling him he was close to completing the ritual.

For a while, he'd forgotten all about the pendant around his neck, since he hadn't been given the next steps yet. If not for the cool steady pulse he felt from the stone, he might have forgotten it was magical at all. Yet after completing his last assigned task and receiving the phoenix feather, he got a new task.

Retrieve a certain plant from the Darklands to complete the next step.

This was the reason he wished to leave the capital so badly. Taking care of the matter at the border was just his way of justifying his trip for the most part. He felt a bit bad for misleading Xuejie on why he was searching for the plant but it couldn't be helped.

He really did want to be of use to Xieren but he was only a liability at this time. He was too weak to stand next to Xieren. He wanted to fight with the man rather than have to hide behind him.

As such, he needed that plant so he could regain the strength he used to have.

Just then, he heard someone scream. Despite his lack of strength, Liang Fei rushed toward the sound, his beast reluctantly following after him. It might not be as smart as its master but it knew better than to let anything happen to Liang Fei.

This guy smelled heavily of its master and it didn't want to suffer if the man got hurt somehow.

Some distance from their campsite, they came upon a small child atop a hill being cornered by wild beasts. Liang Fei only noted the pale white hair atop the child's head before his body fell over and out of sight. Neither of them had noticed that the hill was a cliff and rushed forward.

"Fluffy, get them." Liang Fei ordered, running past the beasts with slightly enhanced speed. He was nowhere near as fast as even Xuejie but he was faster than a mortal.

The Divine beast, having been dubbed fluffy a while now, did as it was commanded, tearing the wild beasts under its massive claws. Its wings extended, fending off attacks until it was alone, the corpses of its opponent scattered about it like fallen leaves.

Fluffy felt proud of its accomplishment and turned to Liang Fei to receive its deserved praise. Yet all he saw was that crazy guy hanging off the edge of the cliff.

Its heart stopped as it rushed over to lift the man and the child in his arms to safety. Had he jumped off the edge just to save him?! Was he stupid? If this guy died, it would be following close behind.

Fluffy didn't want to die because of this guy!

As the beast inwardly sobbed at the frustration it knew it was going to suffer by this human's side, Liang Fei and the child were observing each other.

Liang Fei just saw a cute child, though the white hair and red eyes was a bit of a shock. Yet thinking about it, he was reminded of those albino rabbits he often saw through pet store windows.

He was super cute~

Under Liang Fei's intense glare, Suyan shivered with apprehension. He wasn't sure what was going or why this human was traveling with a divine beast but he could only be thankful he'd been saved by this guy.

Human or not, this guy was really cool. Even when they were in danger, he didn't look scared at all. Somehow, despite hanging off a cliff, this guy's expression remained calm. Suyan was impressed.

Meanwhile, Liang Fei was freaking out internally as he only then realized how high up they were before.

I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. These words had been echoing in his head until his feet hit the ground once more. Even afterward, he clutched the child's hands tightly as he settled his heart.

Ah, that was too scary!

***

After Liang Fei settled his heart, he led the child to their campsite as Fluffy returned to its post at the edge of the camp. The elder had taken to using his companion to keep an eye out for predators as the beast didn't seem to need to sleep.

The beast had three eyes so it was always watching something. Unseen by the elder, its third eye was trained on the child sitting next to its human.

"What is uncle doing out here all alone?" Suyan asked, frowning as he looked around the campsite. "It's not safe for humans."

"Were you not just hanging off the edge of a cliff after being cornered by beasts?" He shot back, cocking a brow.

Suyan, as prideful as any young boy, shook his head. "I was fine!"

"You almost died."

"So did you but you weren't afraid either." He snorted, looking miles braver than he did at that time. He could only bluff as he refused to be the scared one when compared to a human.

Liang Fei, meanwhile, quietly served them food. He could tell the child he had been terrified but chose not to.

Suyan continued. "I'm a super-strong demon, stronger than anything."

Seeing the puffed up child, Liang Fei just thought that this kid was adorable and wished he could hug him. Yet that would be rude so he could only sigh with regret.

"But you haven't answered my question yet, uncle." The child grumbled as he ate his soup. It was delightfully spicy and he found himself asking for seconds.

"My name is Han Liang Fei. I came looking for a village." and ingredients.

"Han?" He echoed, frowning at the curiously uncommon but familiar name. "Ah, are you lord Han? The human merchant?"

"You heard of him?" Liang Fei had learned quite a bit about Xieren after living with him. One being that he used the name his master had given him to secure trade between the darklands territory and the unconquered lands.

"Every demon knows about him." Suyan explained, rolling his eyes. "He's the reason the darklands have humans, to begin with."

Liang Fei felt a rush of pride for his student just then. Xuejie had told him that the original plot had a similar conflict since the humans were mistreated when Xieren took over. The inclusion of the friendly 'human' merchant seemed to have made things better for the most part as it created a bridge between the humans and demons living under his rule.

Who knew the elders' haphazard naming would have done so much good in the future?

It also turned out that Han was not a common surname in this world so there really was only one person who had that name.

At that, Liang Fei could help but feel a bit embarrassed. He hadn't noticed until recently but he ended up giving Xieren his own surname as an alias. It had been the first thing to come to mind at the time. Now he somewhat regretted it.

Sharing a surname like this... wasn't it like being married?

A more outwardly expressive man might have cried out in shame as this realization came to mind but Liang Fei was anything but. No, he instead just glared at the campfire, confusing the small child with his silence.

Did this uncle just like to glare at things?

The conversation between the two settled into more general things. Suyan introduced himself and offered to help Liang Fei as thanks for saving him. When pressed on why a child was wandering about in the woods alone, Suyan clammed up, not saying a word.

There was a more complicated reason it seemed.

The conversation dried up after that, as the elder wasn't a good conversationalist at the best of times and Suyan no longer wanted to talk. They soon went to bed, with Liang Fei offering Suyan the spot closest to fluffy. The season was warm but the nights were still cold.

That and even the mighty divine beast was unable to keep the sleeping elder in one place at night.

Suyan wanted to refuse, not liking how the beast had yet to look away from him but the option of having a warm place to stay was too tempting to refuse.

Liang Fei had a makeshift sleeping bag so he was comfortable sleeping by the fire.

***

An hour passed but the elder remained awake. He couldn't help but wonder how Xieren was doing. It had been only a day or two since he'd left yet he missed the man.

Was Xieren eating properly?

Was he getting enough sleep now that Liang Fei was gone?

Was Xieren upset he'd left without a word?

Liang Fei had told Xuejie that it'd be silly to think Xieren would be upset yet he couldn't help but wonder if that was the case. He didn't want Xieren to be upset but he somewhat liked the thought of being missed.

But it was also best for him to leave for a while, even if he was missed.

He had told Xuejie his reasons for leaving were to complete a task and that wasn't a lie. He really did need to gather a few ingredients for the last step of the spell. Going out to find them was the only way he'd get his strength back but...

That wasn't the only reason.

The true reason was less... straightforward. Liang Fei had been feeling strange lately, wondering if he was being carried along. His sense of control was drifting and unlike the other times, his heart wasn't comfortable with the shift.

Even now, thinking about his lover bound and blinded, his heart raced when he stared down at Xieren. Even though his eyes were covered, he could feel the intensity of Xieren's gaze on him. It was... a little scary.

No one should be looking at him with such a heavy and... emotional look.

*****

Extra: Liang Fei's fear of heights stems from an incident that occurred when he was a small child. At some point, the newly walking LF was climbing on top of something tall and fell, breaking his arm. His mother was terrified and cried as she and his father took him to the hospital. She thought her baby would die at the time and kept crying for hours. Obviously he was fine but the incident stuck in his mind, despite never really being able to remember the incident. After that day, he associated falling from someplace high with dying.