As the next two weeks flew by, they were well into the second month of their trial. Despite it being calm, and there had been no reports from anywhere else about missing alpha males, they weren’t any closer to solving the mystery plaguing the village. Their time spent was split between helping the village with practical things, the occasional night hunt to try and get clues, and practicing.

 

 “Let’s go over our suspects once more,” said Huo Ningjing, sitting beside his brother on the ground with a piece of charcoal and paper. “I am still putting Mu Yi and Fan Su at the top of the list.”

 

Zhou Lieren wasn’t opposed to keeping them there either, but Huo Huli sighed, “It is unlikely, Xiao Huo. How could they deal with the jiangshi and do those things to Cheng and Huang Zixiao?”

 

Huo Ningjing grumbled with a pout and scribbled on the paper, “That’s why we have to get more clues!”

 

They were all gathered by the river closest to the barn. It was one of the more secluded areas that still allowed them to be within close distance to the village should anything happen. Zhou Lieren had been staring at the twins as they spoke, though he was supposed to be going over Huo Clan sword techniques. Given that Takeshi learned Seven Star’s, Zhou Lieren decided to brush up on more than just one sword manual in order to not be caught off guard like that again.

 

“Hey, big guy, eyes over here.” Huo Cheng clanged his sabre against Yuexia to get his attention. 

 

Zhou Lieren responded to Huo Cheng by facing him and tapping his blade back. Huo Cheng’s sword was a fierce looking sabre, which had a secret name that not even his cousins knew. So far, it exhibited a lot of behavior he’d seen from Yuexia and Tianshanghuo-jun, and otherwise wasn’t that mysterious. According to Huo Huli, Huo Cheng was a top swordsman in the clan, and that Zhou Lieren should consider it an honor that he was sharing this knowledge.

 

Huo Cheng led him a little away from the bickering twins to show him some motions. After pausing and casting a quick glance towards them, Huo Cheng edged closer to Zhou Lieren.

 

“Hey…” He dropped his voice low, “What’s going on with my cousin?”

 

“Hm?” Zhou Lieren finished a maneuver and turned his head to glance at Huo Huli. He had a giant bowl of peppers that he got from Aunty Li that rested in his lap, and with a cloth in hand he was picking them up and eating them raw. Other than the frown he had towards his brother, there didn’t seem to be anything wrong. He blinked back at Huo Cheng. “There isn’t anything going on.”

 

A blonde eyebrow arched high, “Uh-huh. His energy is...different.”

 

That he could understand and explain. “I did tell you before he had a breakthrough…”

 

“Mmm..it feels more than that,” Huo Cheng tapped the flat side of his blade against his chin, his gaze lingering on his cousin. “There’s a lot of yin just...in and around his area.”

 

Zhou Lieren kept his face neutral. He didn’t want to explain the ins and outs of their sexual activities, so he answered as vaguely as possible. “Huo Huli did say he felt less congested. Perhaps his meridians are just balancing out.”

 

Huo Cheng squinted like he was considering this, but shook his head. “It feels a bit different, but I am not getting any visions about it, so I’ll drop it for now. However,” he pointed his sabre at Zhou Lieren. “You need to get better at this move. It’s super basic, and you’re failing at this.”

 

He tried to not get annoyed at that, but he huffed. “Your techniques are the complete opposite to ours. I don’t expect to master it in a day.”

 

“I don’t either, but…” Huo Cheng closed a fist and stepped up to Zhou Lieren to knock on the top of his head like it was a door. “You need to get the principle in here first. Huli said you practiced detachment?”

 

“He talks about me?” That was the thing Zhou Lieren focused on immediately. 

 

Huo Cheng rolled his eyes, “Of course he does. Don’t worry, we are still pretending like we don’t know.”

 

He nodded in understanding. Huo Huli did not want to involve his family, nor appear to be playing favorites, which Zhou Lieren respected. “Before I answer your question…may I ask you, how does one marry someone with Huli’s status?”

 

Zhou Lieren had never really seen a wedding, nor any customs for marriage. Well, that wasn’t all the way correct. He had seen a wedding procession once of a bride in a sedan, but that was it. Huo Cheng’s eyebrows flew up and he blinked at Zhou Lieren, then to Huo Huli, and once more at Zhou Lieren.

 

“You’re very serious about this, aren’t you?” He asked, and Zhou Lieren nodded. Huo Cheng’s face softened and his easy going smile was back. “Well, typically a person’s parents will ask Huli’s parents if they can marry. Parents that are nobles often look for a match that will benefit them or their child. You give your birthday and gifts, and eventually if everything is a yes, you get married.”

 

He soaked this information in, though he was stuck on parents and gifts. He had no parents and  money to his name, only the possessions he could carry. Zhou Lieren was sure that he was kicked out of Seven Star, because there was no way Mu Yi wouldn’t tell his uncle about it. So far, all that he had going for him was that he was a cultivator, strong, and in love with Huo Huli. Zhou Lieren rubbed his chin with his hand as he thought it over with a frown. Would I be good enough for Huo Huli?

 

“Hey,” Huo Cheng rested a hand on Zhou Lieren’s shoulder and squeezed. “If you do want to do something like that, I can put in a good word for you with his parents. Honestly, I think they’d be happy to finally marry him off.”

 

Having a relative of Huo Huli’s support eased his mind a bit, but he couldn’t brush away the small nagging bit of worry. He clapped a hand over Huo Cheng’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

 

“Thank you. Now, as to your original question, yes, I practiced detachment.”

 

“Well then,” Huo Cheng lifted his hand and flicked Zhou Lieren’s forehead. “That ends today.”

 

Zhou Lieren frowned and rubbed the spot where he was hit while Huo Cheng stepped away to face him with his sword drawn.

 

“It is said by the ancestor of our sect that the most powerful and the most dangerous feeling is love.” Huo Cheng swung his sword in the air, “But like the rising and setting of the sun, love is an unavoidable force and can become violent when abused or resisted. We balance this by practicing compassion and emphasizing the hope to protect lives rather than destroy. Therefore we nurture our heart fire to bring balance to the other centers in our body.”

 

This made a lot of sense, as he had witnessed from the Anyang Huo Clan’s actions and deeds. They performed medicine and exorcisms, helping the common people rather than taking. From just seeing three of their disciples, it looked like the Anyang Huo Sect did in fact put their beliefs into practice.

 

Huo Cheng continued, “Dual cultivation is an easy fix for many people, and it is just as likely to be abused. For us, it is more than just a means to appease the fire nature we cultivate. It is also the ultimate expression to those we love, and it forms a bond that is a source of great strength behind our attacks.”

 

Without warning, Huo Cheng leapt forward and brought his sword down on Zhou Lieren. He managed to block at the last second, but he didn’t have a chance to counter. Huo Cheng’s rapid series of swings made it impossible to get a move in edgewise, and all he could do was brace his sword forward.

 

“The basis for all our movements,” Huo Cheng spoke between blows, “is attachment. Each time I swing, I’m thinking about those who I am bonded to.” His menacing sabre clanged with each strike he landed on Yuexia, “I’m thinking about the people I want to protect, like my family.”

 

Clang!

 

“The villagers.”

 

Clang!

 

“You and the other cultivators.”

 

Clang! The long curve of his sword started to glow a bright red. Zhou Lieren dug his heels into the ground to fend off the attacks and Yuexia’s hilt dug into his palms as he tightened his grip. Each strike felt stronger than the last as Huo Cheng continued. A heat seemed to emanate around Huo Cheng, one that was strong enough to make Zhou Lieren sweat.

 

“My Jia Mei.” Clang, clang, clang!

 

Huo Cheng locked swords with Zhou Lieren and stared at him over their blades. His arms shook from the force and he leaned his weight in order to not be pushed back. There was a fierce determination in Huo Cheng’s icey blue eyes as he looked at Zhou Lieren like he was an enemy.

 

“Do you get it now?” Huo Cheng asked, “My attacks would be nothing without them. If you insist on not having anything, you might as well be swinging a stick when trying to use our forms.”

 

He tried to understand the rationale behind Huo Cheng’s words. On the surface, Zhou Lieren knew that he had a deep attachment to Huo Huli already, and that he wanted to protect him fiercely. It was difficult for him to find a way to merge that with his attacks, as years of practicing one method made it hard to undo all at once.

 

As if sensing his struggle, Huo Cheng leaned forward to bring his face closer to Zhou Lieren’s, “Think about how much you like my cousin.”

 

“I love him,” he corrected with a grunt. Huo Cheng just snorted.

 

“You think he’s pretty, huh?” He asked, and Zhou Lieren nodded. “Think about his smile.”

 

It took little effort to think of Huo Huli’s face in his mind’s eye. The serene expression on his face was permanently etched into his mind, followed with a beautiful glow that surrounded him. Zhou Lieren’s muscles relaxed, but he still held his ground. His mental image of Huo Huli shifted, his soft lips pulled into a small smile. 

 

Huo Cheng’s voice dropped to a threatening whisper that loomed over the image of Huo Huli, “Now how would you feel if I went and cut off his head right now?”

 

Something instinctive rose to the surface in Zhou Lieren’s mind and body as Huo Huli’s smiling face disappeared completely. He pushed forward, knocking Huo Cheng back and Zhou Lieren turned his arm around to swing Yuexia upward in one of the strikes Huo Cheng taught him. Dark matter wrapped around his blade, adding to his force. Huo Cheng blocked by bringing down his sabre, a wave of flames emanating from it that met when their swords crossed once more.

 

The inky blackness that radiated from Yuexia collided with Huo Cheng’s fire, creating a friction that made his teeth chatter as he tried to follow through with his swing. Sweat beaded down Huo Cheng’s brow, and he too looked like he struggled. Suddenly two talismans latched themselves onto both of their blades and a burst of bright white light made Zhou Lieren drop his sword and shield his eyes.

 

As quickly as the light appeared, it disappeared just the same. Zhou Lieren blinked through his blurred vision and saw Huo Cheng rubbing his eyes as well. His blade was nowhere to be found and he turned towards Huo Huli and his brother. He swiped the back of his hand over his eyes one final time and it cleared.

 

The twins each had a talisman in hand and looked ready to use them again if needed. Huo Ningjing had a pout, while Huo Huli glowered like he was prepared to give a lecture. His stern look was nullified by the pepper sticking out of his mouth, however.

 

“Stahp fyfing yu too.” Huo Huli spoke around the pepper before lowering the talisman and taking the pepper in hand and crunching a piece off. Besides him was Yuexia, stuck fast in the ground close to Huo Huli like it was guarding him.

 

“We aren’t fighting, it’s sparring.” Huo Cheng scoffed and rubbed the back of his neck. He glanced at Zhou Lieren, “Now you’re onto something. Practice that exact swing a few times and I’ll show you a bit more next time.”

 

Zhou Lieren nodded to Huo Cheng and rubbed his wrists. He felt more sore than working out for an entire day, and by Huo Cheng’s stretching, he figured the other alpha was too. Zhou Lieren walked up to Huo Huli and knelt down beside him. Huo Huli happily munched on the peppers and held one up to Zhou Lieren.

 

“Wahn wun?” He asked as he offered it. 

 

“I don’t know…” Zhou Lieren examined the dark red pepper. “Is it spicy?”

 

Huo Ningjing leaned towards them, “Very spicy. I don’t know why Huli is just eating them like they are rock candy.”

 

Huo Huli huffed at his brother and finished another pepper, “I just felt like eating something spicy.”

 

“I’ve never actually tried spicy food,” he commented out loud. It was more accurate to say that he didn’t remember eating spicy food since he ate a mostly bland diet in the Seven Star sect since he ate what Shizun ate. As a small child, he probably did eat spicy food, but those years were long forgotten.

 

“What?” Huo Huli gasped. He stared at Zhou Lieren, wide eyed, and his mouth slightly agape. “I...well...would you like to try a little? I mean, it’s not great for your first, but--”

 

He quickly butted in, “I enjoy all my firsts with Tianshanghuo-jun.”

 

His tone was laced with innuendo, which he knew Huo Huli caught by the way his cheeks turned the same shade as the peppers. If looks could stab someone, Huo Huli was shooting a hundred daggers at Zhou Lieren. He smiled at Huo Huli and took the offered pepper.

 

He bit off half of it and quickly realized that it was a mistake. It was like a hot iron set itself down on his tongue and a heat swelled through his nostrils. Huo Huli blinked at him while he started to pant. Zhou Lieren dropped the pepper and sputtered the remaining bits out of his mouth. How can Huli eat this?! 

 

Zhou Lieren jumped onto his feet and ran to the river. He dropped down to his knees and dipped his face into the gentle stream with his mouth wide open. He sucked in as much water as he could to rinse his mouth between choking on the lingering spice. Each time he lifted his head up and spat out water, he could hear the roar of laughter behind him. 

 

His mouth calmed down a bit, but the tang of spice lingered at the roof of his mouth. Panting, he sat back on his knees at the riverbank and wiped a hand across wet face. Zhou Lieren looked back at his small group, still laughing delightfully. Huo Huli’s smile was as radiant as ever, though he tried to cover it with a hand.

 

Rising to his feet, Zhou Lieren walked back towards the Huos. As he drew near, he could feel the inescapable pull he had towards Huo Huli, like he was permanently tethered to the other man. He sat back down next to Huo Huli and let out a sigh.

 

“I’m sorry,” Huo Huli said with a smile. “I should have told you to take a tiny bite.”

 

“No need.” Zhou Leiren shook his head and dared to share a slight smile in return. Huo Huli’s eyebrows lifted in surprise, and his lips stretched into a larger smile that made Zhou Lieren’s heart thump.

 

Though it went against everything his Shizun taught him, the thought of severing his attachment to Huo Huli left a pain in his chest. From now on, he did not think he could ever rid himself of his precious fox.