“This piece of junk?” Mu Yi caught the bag in his palm mid-twirl and held it up. “We plucked this off that high and mighty omega.”

 

“Yeah,” Fan Su lifted his hands to Mu Yi, who tossed the bag to him now. He opened the small drawstring open and dumped the contents on the floor. The green and yellow leafy herbs showered down like snow. “Right before we gave him a taste of his own medicine.”

 

A buzz hummed between his ears and his heart pounded. They were responsible for this? He looked between his two sect brothers as he clenched his fists. “What did you do?”

 

Mu Yi sat up on the bed and his weasely, smug grin matched his shifty little eyes. “Just what Fan Su said. We bought some stuff from the market that was guaranteed to, uh, how did the shopkeeper put it?”

 

“It was some drugs that would guarantee that we’d have a good time with an omega.” Fan Su made a lewd jerking off motion near his crotch and cackled along with Mu Yi.

 

Zhou Lieren crossed the room in two strides and grabbed the front of Mu Yi’s robes. He hoisted him up onto his feet and brought his face close, hissing, “Why would you do that!?”

 

Fan Sus leaped up and Mu Yi grabbed his wrist, twisting out of his hold with a firm shove, but Zhou Lieren didn’t budge. “What’s your problem?!”

 

“What is your problem!” He yelled, his blood pressure rising. They thought nothing about the possible misery they would bring and showed little remorse, angering him further. “Why would you bother hurting someone like that?!”

 

Zhou Lieren flashed back to Huo Huli’s terrified face, crawling away from him in the alley and pleading not to touch him. The memory of his sobs still tore at his chest, and seeing him in such agony would haunt him. Heat rose from deep in Zhou Lieren’s gut as his anger grew and his heart squeezed as tight as his balled up fists.

 

“It was his own stupid fault,” Fan Su grunted and stood beside Mu Yi. “He shouldn’t be showing off, trying to say he’s better than all of us.”

 

“Yeah,” Mu Yi glared at him, his lip curled. “He needed to be taught a lesson. He should know that just because he can do all those fancy tricks, he’s still nothing but an omega. I bet he’s somewhere right now crawling on the first alpha he found!”

 

Nothing but an omega. Those words made Zhou Lieren recall the compliment he tried to pay Huo Huli the other day, and this is what meant when he rejected Zhou Lieren. Being told that he was talented despite being an omega was the same as Mu Yi’s disgusting words right now, because it implied that being an omega was a bad thing, and Huo Huli was anything but bad.

 

The corners of his eyes stung, and his jaw ached with how tight he gritted his teeth. While Zhou Lieren didn’t think he wasn’t any better than his two sect brothers before, he knew that he was different now that he understood Huo Huli’s words.

 

The living are scarier…

 

He glared at the other two alphas. Mu Yi and Fan Su snickered, chittering away like two monkeys. Without a second thought, Zhou Lieren grabbed Mu Yi by the front once again with one hand and raised his other arm. Mu Yi’s eyes widened when his fist made contact right between them. Fan Su reeled back, giving Zhou Lieren enough time to throw Mu Yi onto the ground and get on top of him.

 

His body ignored the pain, focusing on the one task he had in mind. He punched him again in the jaw, hoping to make sure he could never laugh like that again. The skin he kept pummeling turned black and blue, but he didn’t stop until Fan Su tackled him off Mu Yi. They rolled around while Mu Yi writhed and cursed between swollen lips. Fan Su landed a blow on Zhou Lieren’s cheek and pain bloomed across the side of his head.

 

He pushed that new pain aside, his sole duty now to exact some sort of vengeance, however small. He could never repay for all the things Huo Huli selflessly did, but he could start with this. Blocking Fan Su’s next strike, he gained the upper hand by hitting Fan Su square in the nose with his elbow. He used the momentum to flip their positions and he returned the blow to the side of his face with one of his own.

 

Zhou Lieren’s knuckles were scraped raw by now but he only stopped when Fan Su coughed up a bloody tooth. He stood up and staggered away, wiping his own blood off from his chin. He turned around just when there was a pounding on the door.

 

“Hey!” It was the Innkeeper, and he knocked again. “What’s all that noise in there?!”

 

He didn’t bother to answer and just hauled Mu Yi and Fan Su’s bags to the center of the room. The two men were slowly getting upright, but Fan Su fell back against the ground, unmoving. Mu Yi sat up, his upper body swaying in circles like he was dizzy.

 

“Wha da fuk duh yuh fink yo doin?!” The side of Mu Yi’s face was so swollen his speech was affected. His left eye was shut, his lip split and blood trickled out the corners of his mouth.

 

“I’m throwing you out, that’s what I’m doing.” He picked up each man by the arm and dragged them to the door. The Innkeeper kept pounding and Zhou Lieren kicked it open.

 

The old Innkeeper stumbled and hit his back against the railing across the landing of the second floor. He gawked at Zhou Lieren as he dragged the unconscious Fan Su and a flailing Mu Yi to the stairs. He carelessly let Fan Su fall against the steps, and Mu Yi was able to get some footing but Zhou Lieren’s grip on his arm was steadfast.

 

Bai Luo stopped in the doorway of the inn, a small roast pigeon on a skewer in one hand and a jug of wine in the other. Several patrons gawked at Zhou Lieren, but no one intervened.He stopped in front of Bai Luo who stood in the way.

 

“Well?” He almost shouted, “Aren’t you going to move?” 

 

Bai Luo blinked a few times before taking a bite out of the bird and moved away. He watched on with interest as he chewed the meat. Before Zhou Lieren stepped through the door, he spoke to Bai Luo once more.

 

“Go upstairs, get their bags, and meet me at the main road.” As soon as he finished his order, he dragged the two sect brothers along through the village.

 

“Yoo pfay fuh dis!” Mu Yi screamed through clenched teeth. Either from being so sore that it was forced shut, or through his rage, Zhou Lieren didn’t quite care.

 

Fan Su started waking up by the time he made it past the market. Villagers came out from the stores and stalls, staring wide eyed as Zhou Lieren walked the long stretch of road towards the front of the village. He stopped when Aunty Li called out.

 

“What’s the meaning of this?!”

 

He dropped Mu Yi and Fan Su onto the ground like they were sacks of used linens and turned to Aunty Li. Elder Ming was next to her, and behind them were more villagers who came to watch the spectacle. He pointed to the other two disciples.

 

“These two poisoned Tianshanghuo-jun and I’m kicking them out.” He looked at each of their faces, “Any objections?”

 

Huo Cheng pushed through the crowd, his face contorted in rage as he made his way over but Aunty Li was closer and had a lead on him. She rushed past Zhou Lieren and raised her broom over her head and proceeded to beat the two with it. Helpless, the two former sect brothers yelped and flailed on the ground.

 

“You dirty, rotten, rude little scoundrels!” Aunty Li unleashed a flurry of curses and insults as she proceeded to beat them.

 

He stepped far away from it, standing beside Huo Cheng who also watched. Bai Luo came jogging up with a bag in each hand, panting hard. He stopped on Zhou Lieren’s other side and blinked.

 

“What’s going on?” Bai Luo blinked again and looked at the two of them, his head tilted like a confused dog.

 

“They hurt Huo Laoda.” He held out an arm to keep Bai Luo at bay when he tried to charge forward, his nostrils flared with his big, panting breaths. “Stop. I think this is enough.”

 

Bai Luo settled down but grumbled his protests. Aunty Li, though up there in age, could handle herself. She broke out into a good sweat, the bristles in her broom nearly gone from how hard she hit it against Mu Yi and Fan Su. She went back to stand alongside Elder Ming, and he took the bags from Bai Luo’s grasp.

 

He came up and planted himself firmly between the Seven Star sect disciples and the village. He tossed their bags at their feet and glared down at them.

 

“Go back to Tiger’s Grotto and don’t bother coming back.”

 

“You can’t do this!” Fan Su snarled, exposing his teeth which now had two oversized gaps in it. When he tried to stand, Zhou Lieren lifted his leg and pressed the heel of his boot into the other’s shoulder to kick him back. Fan Su tumbled back to the ground with a grunt.

 

“Get out,” he repeated himself, and he wasn’t going to a third time.

 

Mu Yi staggered to his feet, glaring through the swelling in his face. Fan Su got up too and continued to yell.

 

“You’re doing all this because of some stupid ome--”

 

He didn’t let Fan Su finish his sentence. He swiftly removed his sword from its sheath and swung the blade up as he did, releasing a blast of blue energy in the shape of a crescent moon. The pulsating blast cut through the space between Fan Su and Mu Yi with a boom, carving out a scar in the earth that was at least half a meter deep and five meters long. One of the two bags was caught in the crossfire. It and the contents inside exploded into the air, tossing up singed bits of fabric, money, and other burned materials that scattered. The arc faded into sparkles that flickered like little stars blinking out of existence.

 

A collective gasp came from behind him while Fan Su and Mu Yi stared dumb struck. Mu Yi did an excellent impersonation of a fish with his lower jaw bobbing up and down wordlessly. He did not like throwing around qi strikes because he relied mostly on his martial arts skills to get by. His Shizun taught him to not throw his abilities around, and to cultivate privately, but Zhou Lieren considered this to be an appropriate time - no one would dare insult Huo Huli in front of him now.

 

He only needed to lift his sword a small fraction for Fan Su to dive for the remaining bag and run. Mu Yi still gaped for a few seconds longer before realizing that the space where Fan Su once stood was empty. He looked back at Zhou Lieren and immediately whirled around and ran off after Fan Su. 

 

He maintained the position for a moment longer, watching the two former sect brothers retreat. Once he was satisfied that they were not coming back, he sheathed his sword and turned around. He was stunned to find both Huo Cheng and Bai Luo with matching looks of shock with mouths agape. The other villagers, Aunty Li and Elder Ming included, looked impressed and were all smiles.

 

Huo Cheng blew out a breath and ran a hand through his bangs before waving Bai Luo along. “Okay, it’s getting dark. We should resume our watch posts…”

 

Most of the people dispersed, while several came up to thank him. He wasn’t used to so much attention, so he just bowed and smiled as best as he could. Aunty Li promised him a cake for tomorrow, then she walked away with Elder Ming. The only person left behind was Huo Ningjing, who apparently joined at some point. His eyes twinkled from the light of the lantern he held, grinning ear to ear.

 

“You’re off to a good start, Shidi!” Huo Ningjing rocked back and forth on his heels. “I think you deserve a hint for next time.”

 

“A hint…?” He was unsure if he was being tested again.

 

“Listen carefully.” Huo Ningjing stepped closer and dropped his voice down to a whisper, “When my brother recovers, ask him to teach you something.”

 

“You want me to ask your brother to teach me something? For what?”

 

“To seduce him, dummy!” Huo Ningjing smacked his belly with the back of his hand, and he winced. “Oh! Oh, I’m sorry. You are injured...I have some things in A-Ming’s room, follow me.”

 

He arched his brow and didn’t have to say a thing because Huo Ningjing huffed and rolled his eyes.

 

“It’s not like that, I still have my virtue. Have you seen the man? He breathes and he gets a papercut.” Huo Ningjing pointed a finger at him when he chuckled, “You don’t get to make fun of him. Only I do. He’s my A-Ming, not yours.”

 

Zhou Lieren held his hands up in surrender, and once pacified, Huo Ningjing motioned for him to follow. Both of the twin Huos must have powers, because right when the weight of his decision started to sink his shoulders and his chest tightened, Huo Ningjing reached out and patted his arm.

 

“Don’t worry, Shidi,” he reassured him. “You’re in good hands.”

Omega Mini-Theatre 2

 

[Somewhere, deep in Huo Huli’s dreams]

 

“Mmm...don’t kiss me, or I’ll wake up.” He mumbled, but soft lips kept pressing against his forehead, then down to his nose, and just grazed his lips.

 

He opened his eyes and stared up into Zhou Rong’s deep golden eyes. His handsome face was smiling at him, looking down at him with such adoration that it made his heart threaten to burst. He swallowed nervously and moved to sit up in his bed, but stopped short when he realized his surroundings.

 

His bed was outside, sitting in the middle of the peach trees back at the training grounds. Little blossoms and petals scattered around them, looking almost intentionally placed in a perfect circle surrounding the bed. He turned back to Zhou Rong.

 

“Zhou Rong, what is--” He choked on his words and jerked back in surprise. Zhou Rong was completely naked and atop his head were two thick, furry black ears. They curved and pointed up like a wolf’s and they even moved.

 

“Mm?” Zhou Rong tilted his head slightly to the left, blinking at him. “Tianshanghuo-jun, what’s wrong?” 

 

“You…” A shadow moved around behind Zhou Rong, hovering over his shoulders. He grabbed the top of Zhou Rong’s head and pushed it down to see what it was. “A tail!”

 

His eyes tracked the movements of a big fluffy black tail as it wagged left and right. He was caught so off guard that he didn’t realize Zhou Rong had wrapped his arms around his middle until it was too late. He was pulled towards him and he was flush against Zhou Rong’s long, lean body.

 

“Shixiooong…” Zhou Rong whined softly then buried his face into the crook of his neck. He hummed loudly and the black tail tail thumped against the bed as Zhou Rong gently laid him back down on top of the blankets. His teeth scraped along Huo Huli’s shoulder, which also was bare.

 

“W-what!” Huo Huli looked down between them, realizing he was naked now too. He pushed on Zhou Rong’s shoulders to put some distance between their bodies and he stared up, wide eyed, and distracted by the ears. “Zhou Rong, knock it off!”

 

“Li’er…” Zhou Rong looked down at him with a dangerous, hooded gaze and a smirk that exposed a sharp canine. “Li’er, you will take care of this Shidi, won’t you?”

 

I’m dreaming. I have to be dreaming. Huo Huli’s pulse quickened, and he laughed nervously. In all his dreams, Zhou Rong had always been quite forward, but this one was quite literally a beast.

 

“Zhou Rong, Zhou Rong…” Another nervous laugh escaped him as Zhou Rong raked his fingers up along his torso, sending shivers up his spine. “P-please, let’s talk first, yeah?”

 

This wolfish Zhou Rong tilted his head the other way now, his inky black hair spilling over his shoulder and tickling Huo Huli’s chest. A pointed black nail traced a line down the center of his abdomen, making his muscles ripple underneath and clench. He let out a sharp gasp.

 

“Aren’t I being agreeable, Li’er?” There was a definite pout to his voice, but the predatory gleam in his eye didn’t fade.

 

“V-very! Very agreeable - ah! - Zhou Rong!”

 

“Li’er…” Zhou Rong bent forward and pressed into him, his hips crushing against his. He hissed and bit his lip to hold back a sound that wanted to come out. “Li’er, I want to do something...”

 

“I-I have an idea of what you want to do!” His body felt flush as Zhou Rong spread his legs wide. This wasn’t the first time he’d been this exposed in a dream, but it didn’t get any easier. Out in the middle of the outdoors on a bed with a half man half wolf beast on top of him was a new thing for him, definitely.

 

“Li’er, this humble junior wants…” his nails traveled along his stomach again and lazily swirled around his navel, “...to put a baby right here.”

 

A copper bell rang in his head, sounding an alarm. He bolted upright and pushed on Zhou Rong’s broad, muscular chest. “Are you crazy?!”

 

Those strong arms captured him again, squeezing him close as Zhou Rong dipped his head down and nipped at the top of his bright red ear. “Yes, Li’er. I am so crazy for you. I only want you, and I want to see how pretty you are with my baby in you.”

 

A moan replaced his protests as Zhou Rong slid his hand down to the small of his back, dragging his fingers across it while his mouth sucked and nipped at his ear. Dream Zhou Rong knew all the sensitive parts of him - where on his body to touch, what made him moan, and just how to tease.

 

Dreams are truly unfair!

 

“Zhou Rong...Rong’er…” He started to pant and he struggled to keep his hips from rolling forward against Zhou Rong, hissing whenever his cock bumped against the other’s. He’d never seen it before, so he never really looked down at Zhou Rong’s waist in his dreams. He could only feel the hot shaft against his and slick pooled at the juncture of his thighs.

 

“Li’er, let me in here…” Zhou Rong slid his hand down farther and fingered his wet hole, swirling his finger just around the edge of it, threatening to breach it. “Let me in here and knot you.”

 

He shook his head, but it came out more like he flopped his head side to side. Zhou Rong persisted, barely pushing the tip of his finger in. His body spasmed and he rocked his hips back, desperately seeking his fingers. His own fingers dug into Zhou Rong’s shoulders, and when the man growled, the rumble shot a spark of electricity up his spine.

 

Oh no. He really liked that sound. Really really liked it.

 

“Li’er…” He growled again, “Let me in here.”

 

“I…” His lip trembled as he tried in vain to regain composure. He was so close to saying yes, every inch of him yelling at his subconscious to let him, but his fuzzy brain couldn’t make a decision. “I…”

 

Zhou Rong turned his head slightly to brush his lips at the corner of his, his throaty whisper managing to make him wetter.

 

“Li’er, I’m going to knot you and fill you up with so much—” his voice changed to his brother’s, Huo Ningjing, mid-sentence, “—medicine!”

 

In the dream he was startled so hard that he launched himself out of the bed, hitting the floor with a hard thud. Huo Huli jerked awake on the floor, his brother knocking on the door.

 

“Li’er! Are you awake? I said that I have your medicine.”

 

He clutched the sheets he was tangled up in close to his body and his voice cracked, “L-leave it at the door!”

“Really?” There was a huff followed by a oh well and his footsteps shuffled away.

 

He waited until it was silent before he lifted the sheet up and stared at the face of his erection still leaking precome across his stomach. He dropped the sheet and pushed his face into it to muffle his strangled cry. When he was done, he slumped back against the floor in defeat.

 

“I’m going to have to meditate for five years to get that image out of my head…”