Ah yes, this day – week, month, whatever – just kept on getting better and better, didn’t it?
“Uh...” Jiao Ziyu honestly didn’t know what to say. He also didn’t really want to look away from this sudden newcomer, but he still chanced a quick glance at Youming Jun.
The half-demon was holding his half of the bun in one hand while the other was inside of his sleeve, undoubtedly ready to draw his sabre.
Jiao Ziyu himself though, he was honestly not sure what to do. Because if neither he nor the demon bastard had managed to sense the other’s presence before the other was right upon them, then they had to be pretty damned⸺
“So,” the stranger said. “What is a Peak Lord of the Green Jade Peaks doing all the way out here, and with the Demon King’s nephew of all people?”
Uh⸺ “I can explain?”
Also, how did the other know about that?! How did they know about both of those things?! Also⸺ “...Do I know you?”
Because Jiao Ziyu wasn’t that well known outside of Green Jade Peaks, and he was positive that he would definitely have remembered meeting a Lotus Leaf Sect master who’d not only ask such frank questions but also steal food and share it with a demon!
Still, somehow, he got this feeling, this niggling feeling⸺
“How did you know?” Youming Jun asked, eyes were narrowed in suspicion.
The strange cultivator clicked his tongue, and soon thereafter, a small white creature emerged from his sleeve. It quickly attacked the remaining part of the bun, devouring it in no time. It appeared to be a white ferret – a spirit beast of some sort? Well, whatever it was, it made Youming Jun’s qi flare up dangerously.
In the next moment, the latter moved, and the creature let out an alarmed squeak as Youming Jun swung his sabre, clearly aiming for it, but then⸺
The veiled cultivator caught the blade, stopping it in its tracks using the fan. The movement did make the veil flutter though, giving both of them a glimpse of the face previously hidden behind it. The stranger was young and of indeterminable gender, and almost hauntingly beautiful, and – in Jiao Ziyu’s case – also shockingly familiar.
“Hoh,” said Bai Jixue, eyeing the blade with a mixture of keen interest and evident disdain. “Why hello to you as well, dickhead. How’s life as a sword working out for you?”
The cursed sabre glowed and shook in response.
Youming Jun stared at it, his face pale and his eyes wide. Jiao Ziyu rather imagined that he himself looked similarly alarmed, because what in the actual⸺
Jiao Ziyu had questions, so many questions. Granted, he was apprehensive, suddenly coming face to face with the former Peak Lord Bai, but at the same time⸺ “You’ve aged, Venerable Master Bai.”
There was a bark of laughter at that, and the weimao came off, confirming that yes, Jiao Ziyu’s eyes had not been deceiving him. Because that was undeniably the supposedly ascended Bai Jixue, looking young but far older than he had looked back when he had supposedly ascended. Also⸺ “Why are you wearing the same attire as the masters of the Lotus Leaf Sect, Venerable Master?”
The smile directed his way was bright yet somehow also incredibly chilly. “Would you wander these lands in the green of the Windward Sect, Little Ziyu?”
Well, probably not. Then again⸺ “I’m not entirely sure where this is actually.”
“The Borderlands,” Youming Jun spat, still holding his sabre but looking like he would much rather not. Jiao Ziyu could relate to that, because if his own blade turned out to be some old acquaintance – friend or foe – of Bai Jixue, then he would’ve probably dropped it right then and there.
Actually no, he wouldn’t have dropped it, but rather set it down very carefully and probably apologised profusely for any previous disrespect.
“The Borderlands, huh?” Bai Jixue huffed, reaching for his weimao. “Figures.”
Wait⸺ “Venerable Master, when exactly did you⸺?”
“He hitched a ride with us!” Youming Jun spat. “We could’ve drowned because of him!”
“Hah,” Bai Jixue said, putting the weimao back on his head, completely disregarding the blade still pointed at his person. “I would’ve fished you out before then,” he continued, knocking his closed fan twice against the blade, which lit up and vibrated in turn, clearly communicating something.
Jiao Ziyu was curious, but at the same time, he wasn’t entirely sure that he even wanted to know. Still, ‘I would’ve fished you out before then’, huh?
This meant that Bai Jixue must’ve had ample opportunity to fish them out beforehand, but that he hadn’t really bothered, thereby saddling Jiao Ziyu with all the work. Considering the person at hand though, Jiao Ziyu probably shouldn’t be all that surprised.
“Then, if this humble one might ask, what was Venerable Master Bai doing over at the Lotus Leaf Sect?”
He wanted an answer. He wasn’t necessarily expecting one however.
“I was looking into some things,” Bai Jixue said, unfolding the fan and fanning himself with it. “Then I sensed you people and figured I’d rather deal with you than with the scriptures.”
‘Deal with’, huh?
“Are you here to sabotage us?” Youming Jun asked quite frankly, sabre still in hand.
“To sabotage your rescue mission, you mean?” Bai Jixue said, still fanning himself. “Not really. I might even consider helping you out. Not for free though.”
Jiao Ziyu honestly couldn’t help but consider the irony, casting a meaningful glance at Youming Jun. Because that particular line did sound rather familiar, and going by the expression on the other’s face, the Demon Prince almost definitely thought so as well.
“What do you want?” Youming Jun asked⸺ no, demanded to know. It was a tone that Jiao Ziyu wouldn’t have taken with Bai Jixue, ever.
But instead of bristling, the immortal in question simply snapped his fan back shut. Then he said: “System 707. Ring any bells?”
Jiao Ziyu had experienced various situations throughout his life – some of them enjoyable, some of them tedious, some of them painful, and some of them awkward. However, he didn’t believe that he had ever – and potentially would ever – again experience the general awkwardness of the situation currently at hand.
“So... I hear that you and Mingyue are an item now.”
It wasn’t a question. Nevertheless, Jiao Ziyu had hoped to be able to avoid this particular topic altogether.
“We are,” he offered up, because while he would rather not discuss it, he figured that lying about it would’ve probably turned out far, far worse for him in the longer term. He didn’t look up though, focusing on preparing the food. Because having something to do and somewhere else to look definitely helped.
Jiao Ziyu wasn’t sure much time had passed, but the sun had long vanished behind the mountains and they had yet to make it any farther than this. Then again, there were reasons for that; these were the Borderlands, and what lay beyond these mountains was the Demon Realm, and it wasn’t a place that one ought to enter carelessly.
Even Bai Jixue, who had always seemed so much larger than life, seemed to acknowledge this, albeit not so much with his words as with his actions.
In addition, it would’ve also been foolish to enter the Demon Realm without bringing along someone possessing more than a passing familiarity with its flora, fauna, customs, and political factions.
And indeed, they did have such a person, but the Demon Prince was currently out of commission – and effectively dead to the world. It wasn’t all that strange though, considering the other’s highly dubious decision to go up against one Bai Jixue.
Rather, the strange part was the fact that the Demon Prince wasn’t dead, and instead using the immortal’s lap as a pillow with the other casually running fingers through his hair while the white ferret from before lay curled around its master’s neck.
The scene would’ve looked quite tender to anyone just stumbling upon it. Jiao Ziyu however had witnessed the events leading up to it.
As ever, medicinal cultivators were terrifying.
“A reckless idiot,” Bai Jixue commented without any particular fondness. “I’d thought he’d develop a tiny bit more sense being raised by his mother, but clearly, I expected too much...”
The immortal trailed off, leaving Jiao Ziyu’s head spinning with a whole slew of questions. Because⸺ “This humble one was under the impression that the boy's mother killed the boy’s father and later on attempted to assassinate the Demon King though?”
And if that was really the case, then the lack of sense was also on the mother’s side, no? The father’s lack of sense had – as far as Jiao Ziyu knew – mainly extended to his choice in who to sleep with after all. Then again, given the phrasing just now⸺
He looked up just in time to see Bai Jixue blink.
For a brief moment, the immortal looked truly taken aback. Then, he actually burst into laughter. “Really? Limao did? When?”
The fact that the immortal apparently knew Youming Jun’s mother not just by name but apparently intimately enough to skip out on any titles was startling. Then, of course, there was the hinted familiarity when it came to the father; a human, and most likely a cultivator and a reasonably powerful one at that, if Youming Jun’s qi reserves hadn’t been inherited solely from his mother’s side. Someone from another sect? Someone from the Lotus Leaf?
Well, that would’ve certainly been a scandal of quite some proportion; someone – potentially even a venerable master of the sect – getting seduced by a demoness and presumably absconding.
It would’ve been a serious scandal, and it would’ve undoubtedly sent ripples across the cultivation world, no matter the efforts put into keeping it under wraps. Because even while under strict instructions not to talk, people tended to talk, and in certain situations and in certain company, tongues tended to get rather loose. And from that point, it was only a matter of time before rumours began to spread.
However, Jiao Ziyu had absolutely no memory of such an event – not within the time frame that might’ve been relevant in this case, which was weird.
Swallowing, he snuck a glance at the half-human half-demon hybrid resting his head on Bai Jixue’s lap.
Coming to think of it, there was undeniably something about the other’s face, evident now that it wasn’t only unmasked but also relaxed.
“I don’t know,” Jiao Ziyu answered honestly. “He only mentioned that he’d gotten the sabre from his mother, and that he suspected that she’d used it in the assassination attempt.”
“Hoh?” Bai Jixue hummed. He offered up no further comment however.
Food finally ready, Jiao Ziyu went through the motions of serving the venerable immortal first before getting a portion for himself.
The person who would’ve probably needed sustenance the most was still out of it though. Maybe that was for the best however, at least for now.
Cradling the warm bowl of soup in his hands, Jiao Ziyu contemplated his options. He likely shouldn’t ask, but⸺ “Did you know him?”
“Did I know him?” Bai Jixue’s smile was like a knife. “Yes, unfortunately.”
The crimson blade, discarded off to the side in that earlier scuffle, lit up and vibrated, clearly displaying its sentience, and Jiao Ziyu swallowed, steeling himself. “Were you close?”
“No, dickhead and I were not close,” Bai Jixue said, and the blade rattled. “As for you however...”
The blade stilled, and for a brief moment, so did Jiao Ziyu’s heart. Fighting to keep his hands steady, he put down the bowl of soup before turning fully towards the sabre lying there on the ground. Because the tug of familiarity was stronger now, intermingling with the horror of dawning realisation.
Because there was one – just one – high-calibre cultivator who’d gone missing under unclear circumstances in the relevant time frame, and it was one that Jiao Ziyu happened to know very well.
“...Master Jiao?”
