Ugh. That accented voice made the vein in Huo Huli’s forehead throb. He rubbed at it as he turned around to face the demon from his past.

 

“What are you doing here?” He asked Takeshi, the foreign dog demon that he once exorcised. Why does everything feel like it’s happening all over again?

 

Takeshi was a proud dog demon that stood just a tiny bit shorter than Zhou Lieren. He was dressed up this time since he last saw him, wearing a dark purple suikan with his silver lining the insides of his sleeves that the belt he wore around his waist. His pants were black and tucked into tall brown leather boots. His hair, while still white, was cropped short with a small tail, making his slightly pointed black ears prominent. One ear flopped over, still making him look like a kid.

 

“I should be asking you that question, Tianshanghuo-juuuun…” Takeshi dragged out the honorific in a mocking manner. His yellow eyes glinted mischievously and his thick tail flicked behind him.

 

“Who is this?” Zhou Lieren growled and stepped beside Huo Huli. He didn’t miss the way Zhou Lieren slightly positioned his leg to be in front of Huo Huli, prepared to shield him. Great, now I have to deal with two alpha dogs’ tempers. 

 

“Ignore him,” he said to Zhou Lieren and tucked his pinwheel in his robe then linked their arms to turn them around. “He’s a nobody who’s name means big penis.”

 

Takeshi’s voice rose like a howl, “It does not!”

 

“Oh?” Huo Huli blinked innocently at Takeshi, feigning ignorance. “I thought you spelled your name with the characters robust length. I simply thought you were over compensating.”

 

“It’s Takeshi of the Kuro Clan and it means robust WARRIOR!” Takeshi’s shouting drew unwanted attention now and Huo Huli straightened his spine. The dog demon glared at him, his lip curled and showing a large canine.

 

He squared his shoulders, putting on a regal air. Huo Huli stuck his nose in the air and with a dismissive whip of his hair he tugged on Zhou Lieren’s arm. “Whatever. We will leave first--”

 

“Not so fast.” The fox demon he’d seen earlier suddenly appeared in front of them. He was closer in size to Huo Huli, both in frame and height, but he had more of a masculine appearance with a deadly edge in his sharp blue eyes.

 

The demon’s long black hair shone like laquer and was pulled back into a high ponytail. Atop his head were two white ears tipped with blood red tufts. He wore a robe that appeared black but when the light from one of the ghost lanterns caught it, it shimmered a dark red. Behind him were three tails, alert and bristled. 

 

An arm wrapped around his waist and Huo Huli was tugged back by Zhou Lieren. They stood in between the two real demons, the fox to the front, and Takeshi in the back. He ignored Zhou Lieren’s protective stance and turned slightly so he could keep an eye on both of them.

 

“You gentlemen seem to be attracting a lot of attention,” the fox demon’s smooth, charming voice didn’t match his glare. “Which one of them is Tianshanghuo-jun?”

 

Takeshi stuck his chin towards Huo Huli. “The omega, duh. Boss said it’s the omega he wanted.”

 

Boss? His eyes narrowed at Takeshi. Since when did Takeshi work for anyone? The last time he saw Takeshi was when he possessed that woman who was deemed a witch. The dog demon was just a pesky nuisance that whined for attention, not a henchman. Zhou Lieren’s grip tightened around him and Huo Huli pinched his arm, but he didn’t release him. 

 

Whispers from the crowd that gathered grew louder, and Huo Huli couldn’t spot his cousin amongst them. Takeshi held out his hand, his black nails curled into claws.

 

“Come with us, and no one has to get hurt.”

 

“Bold of you to assume that we would be the ones getting hurt,” Zhou Lieren’s voice was as hard as stone and his eyes flashed, looking every bit the demon he was disguised as.

 

Huo Huli’s gaze flicked over to the crowd once more in search of Huo Cheng, but he caught sight of some demon children instead. An eerie breeze blew in, chilling him to the core, and it turned his attention towards the road. 

 

A large group of see-through figures appeared far in the distance walking down the road. The Ghost March! The mist around their feet was thick and heavy, and the march was heading towards them. He cursed mentally. If we cause a scene here, it could disrupt the march and hurt bystanders. 

 

“Come on and let’s get this over with,” the fox demon said. Huo Huli ignored the growls between the three alphas and pulled out a talisman from his jade colored sleeve.

 

“Forget this!” He threw the red strip of paper to the ground and a burst of smoke covered them. The two real demons coughed and covered their noses, allowing them to escape. He grabbed Zhou Lieren by the wrist and leapt forward to make a mad dash towards the trees. He didn’t let go until Zhou Lieren was running along with him.

 

“Why did you do that?!” Zhou Lieren didn’t so much as yell, but Huo Huli could hear the irritation in his voice.

 

“There’s too many eyes and if we disrupt the march, all of this will be a waste!” A loud hiss sounded behind him and Huo Huli looked over his shoulder just in time to see the large blue fireball torpedoing through the air at them. “Look out!”

 

He pushed Zhou Lieren to the right while he jumped upwards, dodging the fiery blast with a twirl. The ball hit a tree that was in front of them and exploded. Zhou Lieren took out Yuexia and stabbed the ground with it to slow himself down from being thrown back by the force of the attack. He slid back, cutting a jagged line into the earth until he stopped.

 

Huo Huli was also hit with the blow back, but he dropped his weight and spun towards where Zhou Lieren landed. He took out a fresh set of talismans and threw three of them forward as soon as his foot touched the ground. The paper crackled with lightning, sticking to the air like it was strung up on a wall and a large electric barrier protected them from a second blast. After it absorbed the attack, the talismans turned to dust.

 

The fox demon appeared a few yards away from them, holding a blue flame that hovered in one of his clawed hands. Suddenly Takeshi appeared, jumping over the fox demon to end up between his demonic comrade and them.

 

“Hey! This isn’t what we agreed to!” Takeshi yelled at the fox demon, which made Huo Huli even more curious to what was going on. “The boss said to bring him in alive!”

 

“That human said the little omega was powerful, so there shouldn’t be much of a problem if we play around a little.” The fox demon said in a chilling tone laced with malice. “I’m curious to see how mighty he is since he wants to dress up like my kin!”

 

The fox demon threw his hand forward and the next blast rushed towards them with Takeshi in the direct line of fire. Thankfully the dog demon had enough sense to dodge it with a tumbling leap and Zhou Lieren lifted Huo Huli by the waist and did the same. Mid-air, Zhou Lieren flung a wave of dark blue energy with a swing of his sword. It raced towards the fox demon who then disappeared at the last second. 

 

Zhou Lieren let go of Huo Huli the moment they landed and both cultivators went on guard. Takeshi fumed, “Get back here!”

 

Huo Huli spoke out of the corner of his mouth to Zhou Lieren, “You take the dog, I’ll take the fox.”

 

“No,” Zhou Lieren hissed in protest. “Isn’t he the one trying to kill you?”

 

“Exactly, which means you’ll only be--” The fox demon appeared inches from Huo Huli, swinging his right hand claws downward towards him. “--in my way!”

 

Huo Huli dove backwards and somersaulted away. The fox demon’s Quick Step was lightening fast and he disappeared again only to cross the distance in a blink of an eye. His pretty face beamed with a wicked smile as he prepared to strike. Huo Huli withdrew the blade Tian Shang Huo from its hiding spot in his belt and met the large set of claws with a clang.

 

They exchanged blows like this several times as Huo Huli tried to lure the fox deeper into the forest and thus further away from the march. He could see flashes of blue light and the sound of metal on metal as Zhou Lieren engaged with Takeshi. Huo Huli’s attention strayed to Zhou Lieren at the wrong moment and a set of fox claws raked down his front, tearing some of his robes and the illusion talisman into ribbons. The red pinwheel, now splattered with blood, fell to the ground in splinters. His disguise fell apart like the left panel and sleeve of his shirt, holding on by the thread of the tie at his side. Gone were the fake ears and tail, and his hair turned back to waves. Now three long claw marks marred his flesh, trailing from his shoulder to his chest. 

 

“Ha!” The fox demon barked a laugh as Huo Huli’s blood oozed from his wounds and stained his once beautiful robe. “And they call you a skilled exorcist - The Heavenly Fire of Anyang. I know Buddhist priests with more talent than you!”

 

Huo Huli narrowed his eyes and his fingertips burned, itching for release. They mentioned a human - could it be the demonic cultivator? Could he be watching? If this was the case, Huo Huli couldn’t afford revealing too much of his power. He blocked a few more strikes and tried to scan as much of the environment as he could while fighting with the demon.

 

He managed to force back the fox demon and it jumped back. The demon stood where he landed and raked Huo Huli over with a scornful glare. “What do we have here?” 

 

Looking down, Huo Huli realized that with the talisman gone the illusionary layer of skin that concealed all the purple and yellowing love bites and fingers along his body was gone. Huo Huli gasped and clutched at the remains of his tattered robes together, his heart pounding.

 

The fox demon lazily turned his head and Huo Huli followed his gaze. It ended with Zhou Lieren who was deeply engaged in a fight with Takeshi. Yuexia glowed black as it blocked against Takeshi’s katana, sending bursts of light and sparks in the air each time the blades crossed. The fox demon’s eyes fell back onto Huo Huli and he lifted his blood covered claws up to his mouth and licked at them with a hum.

 

“So the little Anyang Saint has a lover…Quite an enthusiastic one too, by the looks of it.” Cold blue eyes took in Huo Huli’s frame once again. Back was his villainous grin that pulled his lips wide and exposed his fangs, looking more feral than his human disguise in that moment. “It would be a shame if something happened to him.”

 

When or how Zhou Lieren shifted from simply being a fellow disciple to something more, Huo Huli did not know, but what mattered most was the evil gleam in the demon’s eye. It was one thing to try and threaten him, but a whole other to do it to Zhou Lieren. That heavenly fire in his veins boiled and Huo Huli glared at the demon. 

 

A blue flame engulfed one of the demon’s hands and he pulled his arm back, preparing to throw it in Zhou Lieren’s direction. Time slowed for Huo Huli as he moved and his senses zeroed in on the fox fire that swelled. In a heartbeat he went from meters away to in front of the fox as he shot his hand forward. Huo Huli ducked and swung his blade upward, slicing the air with a burst of white fire that sizzled.

 

His white blaze swallowed the fox’s blue flames with a woosh! that dispersed it. The demon’s look of shock changed to horror as Huo Huli drove his free hand forward and snatched him by the neck. As soon as he took hold, Huo Huli picked the demon up with his momentum and with a wave of oppressive energy behind him, he slammed the demon into the ground. A loud boom sounded when the demon was shoved flat on his back by Huo Huli, and the ground beneath them formed a concave from the force. The trees nearby had splits running up the center, cracking their trunks open like peeled husks.

 

Huo Huli pinned the fox demon to the ground by the throat and glared at him. The demon gasped for air and was momentarily too stunned to do anything, and by the time they blinked, Huo Huli raised his blade high.

 

“You are a few hundred years too young to try and mess with me,” he said coldly and twirled his blade around and brought the hilt down, cracking it against the demon’s forehead. A puff of smoke burst out and now in Huo Huli’s hand was a limp little white fox that he held by the scruff.

 

He would never outright acknowledge his bloodthirsty desire to kill the demon because he knew that the cultivator could be watching. He already revealed his hand a bit too much, and there was no need to do more. Instead, he simply sealed the demon into its animal form, rendering him rather pathetic. Like his bow, the bladed version of Tian Shang Huo was designed for exorcism and dispelling evil. Huo Huli stood up and glared at the unconscious beast before stepping out of the little crater he inadvertently made. 

 

He followed the sounds of metal on metal clanging to find Takeshi and Lieren still engaged in a fight. Lieren had Takeshi on the defensive, forcing him to jump, dodge, and block strikes at the last second. It really did look like two dog demons in an epic fight, but Huo Huli’s patience had worn out.

 

“Takeshi!” He called out and held Takeshi's little friend up and dangled him about. “You better quit while you’re ahead or I’m calling your brother-in-law!”

 

That made both of the men stop and look at him. Takeshi winced when his eyes fell on the fox demon, but he paled considerably at Huo Huli’s words. In a flash, Takeshi disappeared, leaving not a trace behind. Lieren looked prepared to follow, but Huo Huli raised his other hand.

 

“Stop, Lieren. Can you help me with this?”

 

Zhou Lieren obliged with a scowl on his face. Huo Huli walked up to him and Zhou Lieren immediately sheathed Yuexia and took off his outer robe. He draped it over Huo Huli’s shoulders, which he was grateful for. When he started to fuss over his injuries, Huo Huli stopped him.

 

“Thank you, Lieren. I’m okay, they are already healing.” He smiled softly at the alpha. Maybe it was because of the ears or the concerned look on his face that made him want to do it, but he patted Zhou Lieren on the head. He didn’t look particularly offended, so Huo Huli went ahead and handed the fox to Zhou Lieren. “Can you hold him for me? I need to do a formation in order to send him back.”

 

“Send him back?” Zhou Lieren took the demon by the tails, “Why are you bothering to send him back? I’d rather kill him now.”

 

“Oh, don’t worry,” Huo Huli laughed as he stepped back. “He’s going to suffer a much worse fate.”

 

Huo Huli slid his hand over the wounds on his chest which were healing at a surprisingly rapid rate. He gathered as much blood on his palm as he could before flinging his hand out, scattering blood droplets in front of him. Before they could fall, he shut his eyes and held up two of his bloodied fingers and concentrated.

 

Drops of his blood zinged across the air and formed the shape of a suspended hexagram. Like spilled ink, his blood slid towards the center, connecting the corners of the hexagram together before stretching out into various characters. He focused on reversing them, thus changing the origin of this formation, and one corner of his blood formation lit up into white flames that ignited the rest of the shape like lines of gunpowder until the whole shape crackled.

 

The hexagram lowered down to the ground and the white flames morphed into a pure white light tinged with a golden glow. Huo Huli let out a breath and dropped his hand before looking at Zhou Lieren.

 

Zhou Lieren frowned, “Isn’t that…”

 

“Diabolism? In its foundations, yes.” He held out his hand to take back the demon, but Zhou Lieren just looked at him. Sighing, Huo Huli went on to explain. “It doesn’t summon, but sends back. It is a fairly uncommon exorcism technique, but it is a few characters off from a summoning formation.”

 

“Do you use this often?”

 

“This technique in particular?” He shook his head. “No.”

 

He took the demon from Zhou Lieren and tossed the unconscious fox into the formation. The golden glow pulsed then extinguished itself by spreading little bits of light that looked like fireflies across the area.

 

Zhou Lieren’s eyes lingered over to where the formation once was, “How did you know that demon?”

 

Huo Huli groaned, hoping to avoid this conversation, but he went along with it. “Takeshi was - and still is - a fledgling little demon who possessed a poor old woman a year ago. I exorcised him, and in the middle of it, his brother-in-law came.”

 

The narrowed, jealous stare from Zhou Lieren was accompanied by an arched brow, “And who is he?”

 

“Well, you see...Takeshi possessed that woman because he was arranged to be married to the little sister of the, um…” Huo Huli sucked in some air through his teeth and he was reluctant to say, but he did. “The Devil King.”

 

The Devil King was a thousands of year old devil beast that Huo Huli had the misfortune of running into. He was handsome with blood red eyes, sleek white hair that shone like the moon, and red lips that looked a little too much like blood. No one really knew what sort of beast he was, though Huo Huli had his guesses. None of which he had a chance to confirm, however.

 

“You met the Devil King?” Zhou Lieren’s eyes went wide. Huo Huli tried to calm him down by waving his hands and shaking his head.

 

“It was no big deal, honestly. He said his name was Murong Bei, but that is a lie.” Huo Huli shrugged. He wasn’t too sure why a devil would want to name themselves after a clan leader and call themselves humble. “I think he picked that name to trick humans, but all he wanted to do was get his brother-in-law back because he skipped out on the wedding.”

 

“You didn’t have to fight him?”

 

“No, not at all.” Huo Huli rubbed the back of his neck. “I, ah...apparently, he crossed with an ancestor of mine, who I’m named for.”

 

Huo Huxian was a woman named after the Immortal Fox Woman. She was a legend in the sect and had tremendous skill, but she mysteriously disappeared in her prime. It was a little muddy on how directly related he was to her, but apparently it was enough of a resemblance to enchant the Devil King. What made the encounter unfortunate was that the Devil King flirted with him voraciously and insisted Huo Huli call him Uncle. Like Zhou Lieren, he went so far as to compare him and Huo Huxian to real fox demons. Why do I attract males who are obsessed with fox demons?! Huo Huli rubbed his temple and lamented internally.

 

He carried on with his story, “He was very appreciative that I caught Takeshi and that I did not kill him. Murong Bei said my hair was much like Huxian’s, and that if I gave him a single strand he would lay waste to any demon or devil I asked, no questions asked, except for his relatives.”

 

The glower was back on Zhou Lieren’s face and his illusionary tail stood on end. His pointed black ears swiveled forward at attention. “You...gave him a strand of your hair?”

 

“Don’t make it sound like a big deal!” Huo Huli put his hands on his hips. He was quite fed up dealing with a bunch of alpha attitudes for the day. “Thanks to me doing that, I sent that fox demon over to him to be dealt with.”

 

Zhou Lieren’s glare traveled back to the spot where the hexagram was. Rolling his eyes, Huo Huli stepped back into his line of sight. 

 

“You don’t need to make such a stink over a few demons and devils. Takeshi isn’t even strong.” Saying that outloud, a thought came to Huo Huli. “In fact...you’re significantly stronger. How come you weren’t able to overpower him?”

 

That deflated Zhou Lieren’s dog ears and they folded flat. “He avoided my more powerful blows with his speed, and I knew if I unleashed Yuexia I would cause too much destruction. But…”

 

“...but?”

 

“He…” Zhou Lieren looked either unsure of how to say it or that he didn’t believe his own words. “He knew my sword technique, which doesn’t make any sense.”

 

“Your techniques?” This also confused him. At Zhou Lieren’s nod, his unease grew. Is it possible that Takeshi was the one that has been watching us? That was one way to explain his ability to pick up on their fighting techniques. Everything during this trial made little sense, and just as they found more clues, the more elusive the answer seemed.

 

“Hey you two idiots!”

 

They turned simultaneously and spotted Huo Cheng rushing up to them. Huo Huli quickly wrapped the large over robe tighter around his body, going so far as to lift up some of the collar to make a hood over his head. His cousin caught up to them and stopped to take a breath.

 

Huo Cheng spoke between pants, “You two...know how to...cause trouble…” Huo Huli opened his mouth to explain but Huo Cheng brushed it off. “We can’t waste time. I have to show you what I found.”

 

His cousin pulled out a red spirit trapping bag from the inside of his sleeve and opened it. The inside of the satchel glowed white and a thick mist emerged. It slithered in the air until it touched the ground and morphed into the shape of a human.

 

In front of them was a young man about their age, and judging from his height he had to have been an alpha. His clothes were fairly plain and a little frayed at the edges, showing that he was probably a commoner. Even though he was somewhat translucent, Huo Huli could see that he did not look damaged or dismembered, but there were bags under his tired eyes.

 

“He is the reason I was able to have that vision of the cultivator when we were on our way here,” Huo Cheng looked at the spirit and nodded to him. “Tell them what you told me.”

 

“I...I am just called Cheng. I was an orphan here in Baoshen.” His voice rasped like his throat was parched. He gestured to Huo Cheng, “I heard his name was the same, and I used as much energy as I could to call him.”

 

“Are you the soul of the person we found at the mine?” Huo Huli’s chest squeezed in sympathy. The body was mutilated so it was skinless and fed to the jiangshi, making it a cruel ending for a very mild-mannered soul like Cheng.

 

Cheng nodded, “That was the body my soul was in, yes, but it wasn’t my body.”

 

Both he and Zhou Lieren stared. He wasn’t sure he understood, so Huo Huli carefully asked. “Your soul was in a different body?”

 

The young alpha nodded, his fists clenched at his sides and his lower lip trembled. Huo Cheng spoke next.

 

“That is why his soul wasn’t at rest when we took care of the bodies at the mine,” Huo Cheng explained. “He can’t find or sense his body either.”

 

Zhou Lieren whispered beside him, “Then...that could mean his body has been moved or…”

 

“The spirit that belonged to the body with the jiangshi is still inside Cheng’s body…” Huo Huli finished Zhou Lieren’s thought for him. “But...how…”

 

A Soul Transference was unheard of in his generation, as there were only three occurrences ever recorded in the history of cultivation across the country. In all cases, it appeared to be fate and the high level skill of a cultivator that was attributed to it. This was not like possession where one spirit forcibly joined or overtook a spirit already occupying a body. Two people would have to die at the same time, and they had to be fairly close by. As each soul left the body, the strong cultivator’s soul would transfer to the other’s body. 

 

At least, that’s what the stories said. Huo Huli’s heart jumped in alarm.

 

“Is the cultivator we are after in your body?!” He asked, but Cheng shook his head no. Huo Huli persisted, “I am sorry I have to ask, but what do you remember?”

 

“He..he wore a mask, and he captured me and another alpha.” Cheng began, his voice unsteady. “The body I was in was a cultivator but he did not have robes that I recognized. The masked man experimented on us after he switched our souls.”

 

Cheng pushed up one of his sleeves and presented his forearm to the three of them. Black lines traveled like veins along various sections and traveled up higher underneath his shirt sleeve. 

 

“The masked man took pieces of our meridians…” Cheng lowered his arm and shook his head as if anticipating their next question. “I don’t know why, but...but when he was done, he skinned us.”

 

“But why would he do that?” Huo Cheng pushed a hand through his bangs, visibly shaking. This revelation was extremely upsetting, and none of them were unaffected. 

 

Huo Huli considered that he may have the answer, “He wanted to be extra sure that even with the jiangshi, the bodies would be unidentifiable. If a cultivator or priest came across the discarded body and saw that the spirit attached did not match the body, it would be too big of a clue.” Huo Huli looked to Cheng to confirm his second thought, “He can’t destroy spirits, can he?”

 

“I can’t speak to his skill, but it felt like he’d been doing this a long time...if he’s damaging our bodies for the reasons you say, then perhaps he can’t destroy a spirit.”

 

“If he could destroy them, he would have destroyed you during this time.” Zhou Lieren nodded to him, “I think Tianshanghuo-jun’s theory is sound. It could also explain his collection of drought corpses. A body and spirit mutilated and tortured in such a way would leave behind a lot of wrath...”

 

Huo Huli wanted to reach out and touch Zhou Lieren’s hand because he was touched by the trust and backing from him, but he didn’t want to reveal anything to Huo Cheng. He agreed with Zhou Lieren’s thoughts as well. He asked the spirit one last question.

 

“Cheng, is there anyone we should tell what happened to you? There is absolutely no family?”

 

Cheng’s frown was deep, “No, absolutely no one. I think that’s why he picked me? I think he’s been watching the village for a long time, but..I…” Cheng sighed and put his head in his palm. “I made myself an easy target anyhow. I boasted about leaving and striking out on my own because I was sick of washing dishes at Aunty Li’s.”

 

“Cheng, we came because there were reports of other people missing,” Huo Cheng stepped towards the spirit. “Can you remember them? Were any of their circumstances like yours?”

 

Cheng rubbed his forehead before dropping his hand down to his chin, his brows furrowed in thought. “I didn’t see them where he kept me, but they were men around my age. Most of them had no families, but two were like me and wanted to leave the village.”

 

“He’s targeting people who would essentially not be missed so quickly,” Huo Huli pulled the robe around him tighter, feeling a sudden chill. “This is a very cruel person we are dealing with. Cheng?”

 

Huo Huli waited until Cheng lifted his head up to look at him, “Thank you so much for your incredible help. Without you, we would not have known anything from the start.”

 

“The thanks shouldn’t all go to me…” Cheng hung his head, “The body had some of Huang Zixiao’s golden core remaining, and that is the only reason I could do it. He...he deserves the credit.”

 

“Did you say Huang Zixiao?” Zhou Lieren’s normally passive face paled. “That body was Huang Zixiao?”

 

“Do you know of him!?” Cheng stepped up to Zhou Lieren, reaching out but his incorporeal hands could grasp nothing. “Can you send word to his family? Please!?”

 

Huo Huli stretched an arm out from under the robe and touched Zhou Lieren’s arm this time. He could feel Zhou Lieren’s muscles twitch under the contact, but it settled as his face relaxed into a frown.

 

“Huang Zixiao was a powerful Seven Star disciple who defected three years ago. I assumed he stopped being a cultivator, but I would never have expected him to fall prey to this.”

 

“Was he really that strong?” Huo Cheng tilted his head.

 

Zhou Lieren paused for a moment and his lips pressed together. Huo Huli knew this face meant he was thinking about what he wanted to say. On it’s own volition, his hand gently rubbed the spot on his arm that he touched to reassure him.

 

“In remembering what he was capable of, I would put his strength and ability at one step below Tianshanghuo-jun,” Zhou Lieren’s gold eyes slid over to him. “While he was certainly closer to Master level, he was not as skilled.”

 

His cheeks went hot at the blatant compliment and he quickly pulled back his hand, retreating into the robe covering him once again. Zhou Lieren looked back at the two Chengs. “He defected because he disagreed with some of the sect’s teachings. My Shizun and two other leaders argued on his behalf because he came from a respected family, but ultimately Sect Elder Mu banished him. Did Huang Zixiao reveal any details of his capture to you?”

 

Cheng lowered his eyes. “I..we never actually talked...we were immobilized during our confinement with an enchantment. The only reason I know his name is because when our souls transferred, there was a tiny bit of it that I could feel from his golden core. It contained a memory of his family, and they said his name.”

 

Zhou Lieren hung his head too, “Then he must have left with them…”

 

“A whole family left the Seven Star sect?” That was surprising to Huo Huli.

 

“No,” Zhou Lieren took a deep breath and sighed. “He defected because he brought in an omega lover and had an omega child in secret. Omegas are forbidden in Seven Star, and most of the leaders considered this sacrilege.”

 

Huo Huli shuddered. He hadn’t realized how deep the sentiments Mu Yi and Fan Su carried. “But your Shizun stepped up for him, right?”

 

“Yes. They were sworn brothers, but beyond that Shizun argued that he was from a good family and had an excellent reputation.”

 

Maybe there are some Seven Star members that are reasonable. Huo Huli sighed and stepped up to Cheng.

 

“We promise to look for Huang Zixiao’s family and let them know. I will also make sure a stela with your name is made, and your body taken care of should we come across it. Your brave spirit can rest at ease, Cheng.” Huo Huli took out the Tian Shang Huo blade and touched Cheng’s forehead with the hilt. “Go back to the Ghost March then cross over, and take this blessing with you to the next life.”

 

A little gold light glowed from Cheng’s forehead then disappeared. Cheng stepped back away from them and cupped his hands to bow to them. “Thank you.”

 

The faint outline of Cheng’s body blurred and his body returned into a mist-like state, starting from his feet and traveling upward. His gentle smile was the last bit that they would see before the mist fully formed and carried itself away in the air. Huo Cheng sighed and wiped a tear from his eye as he turned to Huo Huli.

 

“You look like shit,” his cousin snorted.

 

“Thanks,” Huo Huli rolled his eyes. “Let’s head back and I’ll tell you what happened on our end.”

 

Author’s Note:

 

Takeshi’s name is spelled with these characters: 壮武 - making Takeshi “robust warrior.” In Huo Huli’s insult, he is implying that one of the characters is “length” 丈 which is also Takeshi. He is taking “length” to infer “penis.”

 

Alpha Mini-Theatre 3

 

[Later that night, in Huo Huli’s room]

 

“Why are you pouting, Lieren?”

 

Zhou Lieren lifted his head up from the pillow to look at Huo Huli. He was standing beside the bed with a comb in hand, brushing out his long hair. Zhou Lieren’s eyes followed along the combs path, admiring the waves as they stretched and bounced back. 

 

“Well?” Huo Huli turned to face him now, his shapely brow arched in an amused expression.

 

“I can assure you I am not pouting,” he said and laid his head back down to look up at the ceiling.

 

“But something is bothering you, isn’t it?”

 

He waited a moment before he grumbled, “...why did you give your hair to the Devil King?”

 

“What?” The bed shifted with Huo Huli’s weight as he sat on it. His head appeared above Zhou Lieren, blocking his view of the ceiling as he looked down at him. “Speak clearly.”

 

“Why did you give your hair to the Devil King?”

 

On top of the pinwheel he purchased for Huo Huli getting destroyed, he had to learn that a mangy devil beast had to have been entranced by Huo Huli’s beauty. Who wouldn’t? With a piece of hair, there was no telling what a devil or demon could do with it. Besides the obvious perverted reasons, they could use it to lure Huo Huli into a trap, or put it on a puppet to control him, or...or…

 

“Not this again,” Huo Huli sighed and sat back on his heels, kneeling on top of the bed. “If I had known you’d be this upset, I probably wouldn’t have told you.”

 

Huo Huli held up a hand when he was about to protest then got off the bed to reach for his bag. He pulled out a white cord used for talismans and used his comb to section his hair. Curious, Zhou Lieren sat up to watch.

 

With the head of hair at the base of his skull, Huo Huli took the tail ends of a small section from there and weaved a tiny braid about five inches long. He materialized the bladed Tian Shang Huo in his hand and cut the cord to tie off the braid, then cut the thin braid from his hair. He sat back down on the bed and handed Zhou Lieren the thin braid.

 

“There. You officially have more of my hair than any other being in the world.” Huo Huli’s blade disappeared from his hand and he tilted his head at him. “Happy now?”

 

Zhou Lieren took the strands and held them delicately between his fingers. They shone brightly like it did on Huo Huli’s head, and there were faint bumps within the woven braid where his waves were the strongest. A piece of braided hair was not a simple gift to give, and Zhou Lieren could not help but wonder if it meant that Huo Huli was formally recognizing their relationship.

 

He chose his next words very carefully, “Would you like me to braid my own hair in with this?”

 

Huo Huli blinked and nodded, “If you’d like, though your hair is a lot darker than mine. It’s yours to keep, for all eternity now.”

 

His chest burned with the hard ba-dump that rattled in his chest. Zhou Lieren’s self-control threatened to break at that moment, so he reached over and carefully placed the braid on the small table beside the bed.

 

“Lieren…” Huo Huli frowned, “Why are you looking at me like tha--AT!”

 

Zhou Lieren yanked Huo Huli towards him and rolled so he was pinned under him. His body flushed at the contact of their skin and he bent down to nip at Huo Huli’s neck.

 

“You said it yourself,” he whispered. “I’ll keep it for all eternity.”

Chibi Theatre 3

 

[Somewhere, in a layer of the demon realm]

 

Devil King: Where is my dear wife? ( ˘ ³˘)♥

 

Huxian: ....

 

Devil King: Ah! My precious! Why won’t you let me give kisses? (๑•́ ₃ •̀๑)

 

Huxian: *sigh* Yes dear.

 

[suddenly, a portal opens in the ceiling, and a beat up fox demon falls through and lands onto the floor in a heap]

 

Fox Demon: ◝(๑⁺᷄д⁺᷅๑)◞՞ uuhhhhh where am I?

 

Devil King: What is this?! (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻ Who dares to enter my hidden lair!?

 

Huxian: ...it’s not that hidden if it is the only palace in the demon realm, dearest.

 

Devil King: *sniffs* Wait. *sniff sniff* This smells like A-Huli’s blood.

 

Huxian: ???

 

Fox Demon: Huh…? *coming to* Where is that stupid omega?

 

Devil King: Oh...oh I’m going to enjoy eating you. ✧w✧

 

[Back in the real world]

 

The Author: Ha, Huo Huli has no idea that he’s basically agreed to marriage. 

 

Huo Huli: Huh? ⊙﹏⊙

 

Zhou Lieren: It is a common custom that couples braid their hair together as a symbol of commitment, and sometimes it means an intimate embrace. ♥‿♥

 

Huo Huli: That was never mentioned in any dual cultivation manual!!! (╬ ಠ益ಠ)