Sore did not begin to describe how Huo Huli felt. His back felt worse than the time his mother made him carry a giant jug of water as punishment for pranking the Emperor’s other cousin by dumping a bucket of water over his head. His legs felt like he ran laps around the Anyang Valley, and not to forget, his bottom half throbbed. If he stepped or turned a certain way, the muscles deep in his belly twitched. Sitting down at the table in Aunty Li’s wasn’t any easier.

 

Seated around two tables with Huo Huli were Zhou Lieren and the rest of the disciples. He didn’t know what was worse, the ache in his body or all the proof of what he did last night was all over him. He gave Zhou Lieren quite a scolding about it, but he didn’t look at all bothered. Then there was the bite mark, which made him keep hiking the collar of his robes higher every few moments.

 

He was lucky that his brother wasn’t at the barn last night so he and Zhou Lieren didn’t have to sneak out but he was still worried that Huo Ningjing would find out. Do I look like I had sex? He chewed on his lip and stared down at his tea. They can’t smell it on me...can they?

 

No. He shook his head, realizing that was ridiculous. He suppressed his pheromones the minute he was up and ready to get dressed. This was all just nerves, and he was acting ridiculous. If he acted normal and casual, the less likely they’d suspect anything. Except...

 

Huo Huli glanced over to Zhou Lieren seated directly across from him in between Huo Cheng and Bai Luo. His intense golden eyes stared at him, watching his every move. Others were talking around them, but Zhou Lieren’s only focus was on him. It unnerved him, like he could see right through his clothes because he knew what he looked like underneath, especially with all those marks. His cheeks went aflame at the thought.

 

“...so I think we might be able to get a clue then.”

 

“Huh?” He lifted his head and looked at Zhang Yong at the end of the table.

 

He blinked and pushed his spectacles up the bridge of his nose. “I was saying that if Huo Cheng is right about a Ghost March happening soon, the people who went missing may be among them.”

 

“And we could find out what happened to them.” He stated the obvious and felt a little stupid for doing so. It was bad to not be focusing on such an important conversation, so he tried to catch up. “When do you think it will happen, Huo Cheng?”

 

Huo Cheng spoke after taking a sip of from his cup, “If my vision was correct, the day after three consecutive days of rain.” 

“That’s both vague and oddly specific,” Wu Kuan, the other Heavenly Lake sect alpha, arched a brow at Huo Cheng.

 

Huo Cheng just shrugged. “I can’t control them or what information the visions give me, nor if things in the future will exactly come to pass as it was predicted. However, a Ghost March around this time makes sense, so I believe it will happen.”

 

A Ghost March was where recently departed spirits would make a long trek to the nearest path that led to a portal to the Underworld. Now that it was a few weeks into spring, the changing of the season made sense for many souls from winter to gather and make their journey. At the end of it, they’d either ascend and get to be in one of the Upper Realms, they’d reincarnate, or...well, not have a fun time in the afterlife. It was a somber occasion that strangely resembled a festival in many instances.

 

“We know what this means will be there, right?” Huo Ningjing frowned deeply, despite having an array of appetizing plates in front of him. The facts were enough to even get him down.

 

“Demons,” they all collectively said and sighed, except for Zhou Lieren. Demons would frequently be among ghosts, either trying to lead their lost souls astray or in some cases consume them. In general, the demons were the ones that treated this Ghost March as a very merry affair, something like a festival.

 

“We’ll need some people to stay here in the village in case the March gets too close,” Bai Luo’s leg nervously jiggled under the table. Huo Huli knew that Bai Luo was probably the least experienced of the group, next to Zhang Yong. Thinking of this, he came up with a possible solution.

 

“I believe that the less people going to the Ghost March, the better. It would make it easier to slip in and remain undetected. What if Heavenly Lake stays behind and sets up barriers?”

 

“And the four of us go to the Ghost March?!” Huo Ningjing sat up, excited.

 

“No,” Huo Huli shook his head and ignored his brother’s whine. “You have experience with demons and exorcism, so you should stay here.”

 

“Are you suggesting that you’ll go to the Ghost March?” Huo Cheng raised both brows at him. He could sense the subtle question in the air - are you fit enough to go? As he opened his mouth, Zhou Lieren spoke.

 

“I’ll go with Tianshanghuo-jun.”

 

Huo Cheng and Huo Ningjing exchanged a look, and surprisingly Huo Ningjing didn’t continue to fuss. He just sat back and munched on a spicy pork pancake.

 

“Then I will go as the third.” Huo Cheng said and he looked around the table, “Are we all in agreement?”

 

Everyone nodded their heads and Zhang Yong stood up, “I’ll leave first.There are some good barriers for this type of thing in one of the books I brought with me. It’s a complex formation, though.”

 

Wu Kuan followed his sect brother, “I will help. If we can master the formation quickly, then we’ll be better prepared.” He looked to Bai Luo next, “Are you coming?”

 

“Uhhh…” Bai Luo glanced over at Huo Ningjing, and he watched the exchange curiously. Huo Ningjing just smiled and nodded, munching happily on his food. Bai Luo smiled back and jumped up from his seat. “Yeah, let’s go!”

 

He stared at Bai Luo’s back as he left, then turned back to his brother with a frown. What was that about? 

 

Huo Cheng leaned forward and propped his elbows at the table, looking between him and Zhou Lieren. “Do you have any ideas how to sneak in?”

 

“Oh, that’s easy!” Huo Ningjing piped in. “Disguises!”

 

Zhou Lieren arched his brow slightly, so he explained, “There are talismans we can put under our clothes to disguise ourselves. It is effective, but it has its limitations. The disguise can be destroyed if the talisman is ripped, catches on fire, or gets wet.”

 

“We would disguise ourselves as demons?” Zhou Lieren asked.

 

“It is fairly simple to do,” Huo Cheng ran a hand through his bands and pushed his hair back with a tired sigh. “I should get to making them.”

 

“No, you should go rest.” He reached across and took hold of his cousin’s forearm with a gentle squeeze. He continued to urge him, “I know how taxing those visions are, especially without Jia Mei.”

 

Huo Cheng’s face softened at the mention of his betrothed and he inhaled deeply that ended with a sigh. “It is hard, not having that stabilizing force. I think I will go rest.” He lifted his gaze to Huo Huli, “Thank you, cousin.”

 

Stabilizing...He peeked at Zhou Lieren who had his eyes on Huo Cheng and watched him with interest and a hint of concern in his brow. He thought of last night and while he was sore and jittery this morning, he felt...light. His head was clear and his insides ached in a different way. It wasn’t the feeling of holding his breath for too long that plagued him. Stabilizing. Was that what Zhou Lieren did for me?

 

Then, like he knew he was being watched, Zhou Lieren turned his gaze back to him. His cheeks ignited and he went back to shooing his cousin away.

 

“Go rest. I am sure Huo Ningjing and I can make the talismans just fine.”

 

“I’ll do that, but first,” Huo Cheng flipped his arm up and took a hold of Huo Huli’s arm instead, placing two fingers at his pulse point. 

 

He held his breath, wondering what Huo Cheng would find, but his cousin let go and patted his hand.

 

“Seems like you’re doing a lot better. I’m glad.”

 

“You used the toy surrogate then, dear brother?” Huo Ningjing batted his eyelashes at him, looking deceptively innocent.

 

“Xiao Huo!” He hissed, his embarrassment made him hot all over.

 

Zhou Lieren looked at him then at Huo Ningjing and asked, “...Toy?” 

 

“For omegas who are noble, we have a special toy to use during our heat,” Huo Ningjing explained, carrying on like it wasn’t a topic that shouldn’t be discussed with Zhou Lieren. Huo Huli buried his face in his hands. “We brought one along because we knew we would have our heats during the trial.”

 

There was a quiet that seemed to stretch out for far too long and Zhou Lieren’s voice sounded even deeper than it normally did, “I see.”

 

Huo Huli lifted his face up, and what compelled him to look over at Zhou Lieren at that moment he’d never know, but he saw the dark glint in his piercing yellow eyes. His heart sped up and he could feel his blush spread from his neck up to his forehead. Huo Cheng had his mouth covered and stared at the table with great interest, his shoulders shaking.

 

“I’ve never used it!” He rushed to say. Wait, why am I defending myself?!

 

“Li’er, no one here needs to know if you’ve used it or not.” Huo Ningjing clucked his tongue and wiped the crumbs off his face with the napkin.

 

Huo Cheng collected himself with a cough and looked at him curiously with a raised brow. “Why all the blushing?”

 

“I…” They can’t know. There’s no way they know what happened. “I just...wanted to remind you that I do not wish to use it during my heat.”

 

Huo Ningjing heaved a sigh, like he was weary of this argument. “Alright, if you want to suffer I won’t bother you. I’m going to Huo Cheng’s room while you’re in heat - I don’t want to have to hear or smell you because you’re too stubborn.”

 

That made Huo Huli perk up, “You won’t be in the barn…?”

 

“No! Why would I want to deal with you then? I’ll just set aside some suppressants and a tonic to help with any pain.” Huo Ningjing stood up and brushed his hands together. “Huo Cheng, do you want to come with me? You can rest in peace at the barn for a bit.”

 

“I’ll do that.” Huo Cheng stood up and waved at him and Zhou Lieren. “Don’t get too bored today.”

 

He gave a weak hand gesture like a wave as they left and curled into himself a little. He was now alone with Zhou Lieren, though there was a crowd in the restaurant today. They sat in silence and he finished his tea. Huo Huli would occasionally glance up at Zhou Lieren to confirm that yes, he was still staring. 

 

When he finished his cup, it was Zhou Lieren who spoke first. “May we go to the plum tree grove? I would like to ask questions.”

 

Questions? He blinked at Zhou Lieren then nodded. Aunty Li was too busy running back and forth that they couldn’t say goodbye to her before they left. He walked side by side with Zhou Lieren, but they still did not speak. The silence was not that awkward, but the fluttering in his heart made it hard to concentrate on anything but Zhou Lieren beside him. Zhou Lieren walked slightly ahead of him, his long legs giving him a bigger stride than himself, but he did not have to rush to catch up. When they got to the river, a question did come to mind, but he was almost too shy to ask.

 

“Um...um, L-Lieren?”

 

Zhou Lieren stopped and twisted around to look at him. He did not say anything, just looking expectantly when Huo Huli stopped beside him. Huo Huli looked down and wrung his hands together.

 

“Did you...I mean, I know we went to Aunty Li’s really quickly and I could not ask, but...but did you…” Huo Huli painfully pinched the fleshy part between his thumb and rest of his fingers to make himself spit it out. “Did you enjoy yourself?!”

 

“That is what I wish to discuss in the grove.” Zhou Lieren tilted his head towards the river, “Let us go.”

 

That’s why he wanted to talk in private? He followed when Zhou Lieren picked up the pace. Now the bubbly sensation inside him turned a little sour as he started to worry. Was I that bad? If he was, he wanted to know now rather than later.

 

“Wait,” he reached out to grab Zhou Lieren’s wrist. “If you are upset, I’d rather you say it right now.” 

 

He didn’t think he could trust himself not to cry if he was in front of Zhou Lieren alone. Zhou Lieren passed him a glance then looked around before turning his arm so he could hold onto Huo Huli’s hand that had grabbed him. He tugged Huo Huli along and walked faster.

 

He tripped at the sudden change of pace and held onto Zhou Lieren’s hand tighter to help steady himself for a moment. They were in the forest now, the almost midday sun streamed through the trees and casted playful shadows. The birds were out today, chirping away, and it grated on Huo Huli’s nerves as he grew more frustrated.

 

“Lieren, I want to talk about it---Mmph!”

 

Zhou Lieren yanked Huo Huli against him and wrapped one of his arms around Huo Huli’s waist. He was then pinned against the tree and Zhou Lieren’s free hand pushed into his hair, carding his fingers through it and angling Huo Huli’s head back. His lips crushed against Huo Huli’s, the surprise rendering him momentarily helpless. Zhou Lieren’s tongue demanded entry that he gladly gave and he was too overwhelmed to comprehend how or why his body gave in so willingly.

 

The kiss went on and threatened to pull him under further, but he needed air. He turned his head away and gasped, only to have his breath leave him once again as Zhou Lieren leaned and bit his ear.

 

“I have been waiting two hours to do this…” Zhou Lieren’s low rumble vibrated in his ear and his hands roamed over his back. “I’m sorry that I upset my little heavenly fox.”

 

“Stop calling me a fox,” he whispered, keeping his voice down despite being alone with only the trees to hear them. He didn’t need to be shy because they’d done a lot more than this in less than a day ago, but the way Zhou Lieren pawed at him through his robes made his stomach do flips.

 

“Would you rather I call you an Immortal?” Zhou Lieren licked along the exposed parts of his neck on the right side, eliciting a gasp from him. He could hear the smirk in his voice. “A God?”

 

Zhou Lieren pulled on the collar of his robe, forcing it open to expose more of his neck in order to attack it. He arched his back, his body seeking Zhou Lieren’s and he mentally cursed at how his body constantly betrayed him. His toes curled inside his boots and he stammered, trying to tease him back. “You...you don’t seem like a devout believer, Lieren.”

 

“Huli…” That husky voice was so close that his hot breath fluttered over his already overstimulated skin. Zhou Lieren pressed a kiss at the nape of his neck and his pulse quickened.

 

“If you were a God…” A tongue flicked against his throbbing jugular, making his breath catch, “...and your body was the temple...” Zhou Lieren pinched Huo Huli’s earlobe between his teeth and he whispered, his voice thick like honey. “...I would be inside worshiping you every day…”

 

His knees buckled but he had nowhere to fall since Zhou Lieren held him so securely. Even Huo Huli could tell he was releasing his own pheromones as it swirled in the air between them. His pants stuck to his thighs as slick gathered there and dripped down between his legs. He could only explain his body’s reactions that he was getting closer to his heat.

 

Zhou Lieren’s chest vibrated against his as he groaned, “I wanted us far enough away to respect your wishes.”

 

That broke him out of his stupor a little. He blinked and pulled back to look up at Zhou Lieren, confused. “Wishes…?”

 

“You said that you would rather not have anyone know about us,” He brushed some stray hair away from Huo Huli’s face. “I wanted to make sure we were in private before I touched you.”

 

“O-oh…” Huo Huli’s pulse didn’t die down, and if anything the gesture made his heart pump a little harder. Heat rose up to his ears. “I...that is very considerate of you. Thank you.”

 

“Mn,” he hummed lightly in response. Huo Huli realized how that may have sounded, so he wanted to explain himself.

 

“I-it's not that I am embarrassed by you, o-or anything like that,” Huo Huli swallowed and took a deep breath. “I just...don’t want my family to know, because involving them is…” He tried to find the right word. “Complicated?”

 

Zhou Lieren pressed his lips together and bit his lower lip slightly. He nodded before he leaned back in, looking intent on kissing Huo Huli again, but he quickly lifted his hands to cover Zhou Lieren’s mouth.

 

“Wait! You, um…” he dropped his hands, “You didn’t answer my question.”

 

A little huff came out from Zhou Lieren’s mouth and a small, charming smile spread across his face. “If you don’t know my answer by now, let me explain a bit further.”

 

Zhou Lieren slid both of his hands down past Huo Huli’s waist and took his ass in hand, kneading each cheek firmly. Huo Huli startled, jolting a little but he couldn’t go far with Zhou Lieren in the way. He squirmed a bit in the other man’s hold until another searing kiss silenced any protest he would have come up with.

 

I gave him an inch...He groaned when Zhou Lieren ground his hips into him, feeling his thick cock press against his belly. And now he takes a mile!