They crossed into the Demon Realm without much fanfare, moving quietly now that Youming Jun had shoved his noisy sabre back into one of his spatial rings.
Jixue didn’t feel particularly bad about it though – not by any means.
Granted, Zilei had been stuck inside of that sabre for quite some time – but that didn’t make the other any less annoying. Besides, Jixue rather doubted that the other would have anything useful to add, given that the other’s information was bound to be many, many years out of date.
Besides, Jixue had found a far better and more useful source of information – and that was Youming Jun.
And suddenly, the ever-blooming Great Cherry Blossom Forest lay before them, tacky and grotesque as ever. The trees were dying though – and in Jixue’s private opinion, they were not dying nearly fast enough.
“They’re not at the palace,” Youming Jun finally concluded, having spent the last few minutes trying to pick up the trail.
“What do we do then?” Jiao Ziyu asked.
“If we target the palace directly, then we can forget about stealth,” Youming Jun said. “I can’t think of a more efficient way of drawing out Hua Hongzhu, but if I do it, well...”
The other conjured up some flames simply to illustrate his point.
“It wouldn’t be my first time torching this place, but I’d rather not,” Youming Jun said. “It’d give people the wrong impression about me and my ambitions.”
Hoh? “And you suppose I’d let myself to be used in such a manner?”
“Yes,” the brat shamelessly admitted. “I’d like to use you very much.”
Honestly, the gall; Jixue could clearly see the family resemblance.
“You know,” he said, grabbing a fistful of hair as he leaned in. “As much as I appreciate bluntness, I don’t particularly appreciate being viewed as a tool. A proper ‘please’ might take you a long way.”
It might, but it might also lead absolutely nowhere.
“Then would you please consider helping me out, Venerable Master Bai?” the brat asked, not cowed in the slightest.
Honestly, the gall. “I refuse.”
It wasn’t that he opposed the cause. But⸺
If Jixue were to do it, then Jixue would much rather just do it for himself – and since System 225 had nothing to say against it, he quickly relocated to the treetops.
Once there, he swiftly brandished his fan, pointing it towards the heavens – towards the clouds – and then swung it in a wide arch, releasing the first of many cold winds. And soon, soon there was snow – beautiful snowflakes whirling through the air – and Jixue felt as though he could finally breathe again.
“Someone’s coming,” Youming Jun reported from down below, but Jixue only turned his head just enough to catch a glimpse of the pathetic delegation as it stepped into the clearing, shivering, their teeth clattering.
Jixue would let the demon brat deal with them. Instead, he would deal with this, and then he’d be able to move on – such had been his intention, at least.
However, the mention of spiders and caves inevitably drew his attention, and Jixue quickly made his way back down, landing in their midst. “The Blue Mountains?”
The Hua delegation visibly cowered – like they should. Jixue had no intention of halting the blizzard however – because they could freeze to death for all that he cared, and he’d definitely derive some satisfaction from it if they did.
“I know where they are,” Youming Jun suddenly said. “I’m going.”
Jixue ought to go as well, but⸺ “Wait.”
Reaching into his sleeve, he pulled out System 225, holding it by the scruff of its neck. “Take this one along.”
System 225 did say that they might have to act separately after all, and now seemed like an excellent opportunity to do just that. Because right now, Jixue couldn’t leave – not unless he wanted the blizzard to cease, that is.
As for Jiao Ziyu, Jixue quickly ensured that the other would not fall victim to his own curiosity, thereby preventing him from becoming a future liability – and from coming to harm in general. Because given the other’s apparent importance to Mingyue, how could Jixue not feel some degree of responsibility for him?
And indeed, this place wasn’t without danger either – which was something that Jixue recognised. However, something that Jixue also recognised was that right now, he was the greatest threat, and actively recognised as such. He didn’t particularly get to enjoy it though.
He didn’t particularly get to enjoy it, because no sooner had Youming Jun disappeared through a dimensional rift before another appeared, spilling no small number into the clearing – demons far more suitable for the current climate, wearing armour and bearing arms. However, these weapons remained firmly at their sides as they instead moved to surround them, forming an obvious circle around them.
The circle remained open towards one end though, and it was the direction facing the portal. It didn’t remain that way for long though, because soon, two more individuals stepped out, following which the portal vanished behind them. Jixue was intimately familiar with both of them – one voluntarily and the other significantly less so.
“Mingyue?!” Jiao Ziyu gasped.
And indeed, the other’s eyes were not deceiving him. Because that was indeed Mingyue. And standing there, right next to him was none other than⸺ “You...”
“Me,” said the bastard, amber-coloured eyes gleaming as he bared his teeth in a smile. “Long time no see, Little Xue.”
This fucker⸺ “Spare me your drivel, you son of a bitch.”
How dare he? Jixue had more or less expected him to appear at some point, but how dare he – how dare he drag Mingyue into all of this?!
“I can assure you that there were no bitches involved in my conception, Little Xue.”
Hah. “Really? Did you ever meet your mother?”
Jixue could insult the other all that he wanted – and it was well-deserved, honestly! And how dare he! How dare this bastard bring Mingyue to this place?! The other’s motives were perfectly obvious after all – leverage – but how dare he?! Jixue had always known the other was a bastard, but he’d at least thought the other was a bastard with some standards!
Gritting his teeth, Jixue willed himself to calm down. Because the act of bringing Mingyue here had as much to do with leverage as it had with provocation, and Jixue couldn’t afford to lose control of his emotions right now.
Logically, he of course recognised that Mingyue was unlikely to come to any harm, even standing next to that bastard. Emotionally however⸺ “Little Yue, come over here.” ⸺it wasn’t enough.
The way that Mingyue paused to look at the bastard for permission only added to his ire – to the instinctive terror.
The distance in-between them was not great, and yet, it took a good moment before Mingyue stood before him, now fully grown. Truly, it had been too long, and although there were no obvious signs of Mingyue having come to any harm, Jixue still felt the need to make sure – and thankfully, the brat seemed to understand this, presenting him with his wrist.
Taking it, Jixue quickly checked for any obvious anomalies – finding none, save for a slightly elevated pulse.
Relieved, he then pulled Mingyue into his embrace, unable to hold back the urge now that the other was standing right in front of him. It had been too long, truly – long overdue.
Last time around, there’d been little time for a proper goodbye – little opportunity either for that. But, perhaps this time around⸺
No, this was no time for sentimentality. Jixue realised this, and yet, when Mingyue hugged him back, he found himself unwilling to let go. Instead, he allowed himself a small sigh, holding back the urge to bury his face into the crook of Mingyue’s neck. Because now was not the time. They were in enemy territory, surrounded, and now was not the time.
Jixue kept a wary eye on the Demon Bastard, who was still standing there, smiling, clearly waiting. It didn’t matter though, because soon, Jixue would be leaving – this time never to return. Because this time around, there’d be no body left behind, and given the increasing instability of the world in question⸺
A sudden pinprick startled him, and he immediately pulled back, having just enough time to give Mingyue a disbelieving stare before everything suddenly went dark.
Poison, he first thought, then venom – a paralytic and evidently a strong one, given that it immediately made it very hard to breathe. Jixue vaguely recognised it though, recognised it as the venom belonging to some demonic insect – some sort of wasp. He’d been stung by one on a previous occasion, and he vaguely recalled warning Mingyue against it.
Once stung, a regular human would die within minutes, and most cultivators would have about an hour at most before they suffocated if treatment was not administered in time. Jixue obviously wouldn’t die though; even with his head spinning so much, he realised as much. This wasn’t an attempt to kill him. No, this was⸺
“Don’t waste time,” Mingyue said, and Jixue felt it – felt himself get picked up.
Àiyǎn, he thought, struggling against it. But then, something – a piece of cloth – was held over his nose and mouth, and even though Jixue vaguely recognised the pungent smell on it, he couldn’t keep himself from breathing it in.
“Just rest,” Mingyue whispered. “Master, let me take care of everything.”
And everything went still and quiet and dark.
Jixue didn’t know how long he was out, but he regained consciousness with a soft curse. Because he should’ve expected this – or if not expected then at least taken it into consideration!
“Sorry,” the bastard told him, stroking his hair. “It was Mingyue’s idea, you know – the poison.”
Of this, Jixue had no doubt – but that in itself didn’t mean that the other was off the hook! “You⸺”
“Sorry,” the bastard said again, tugging at Jixue’s clothing, laying bare the area that Mingyue had struck – right below the nape, in a blind spot that Jixue wouldn’t be able to reach easily on his own. “I’m going to suck out the venom.”
Huh? That didn’t sound like something Mingyue had intended, and as far as dealing with the venom went, there were certainly other ways – ways that didn’t carry as much of a risk for the other. Jixue pointedly didn’t question this however, simply shuddered as the bastard leaned over him to press his lips against the puncture wound where it still remained, stubbornly unhealed.
Then, those lips covered it completely, and Jixue couldn’t hold back the noise that suddenly escaped him – a gasp that sounded mortifyingly needy even to his own ears.
“I just wanted to talk,” the Demon Bastard murmured, in-between licking the wound with that undeniably abrasive tongue. A graze of teeth followed, leaving Jixue immensely aware of the weight on top of him and the heated exhales against his skin.
“Ah, yes, talk,” Jixue scoffed, glaring at him as much as his current position would allow. “By poisoning and abducting me. Really friendly conversation.”
“Technically, Mingyue was the one doing the poisoning,” the other said. “Besides, if we hadn’t done this, you would’ve either just killed me or left, no?”
He wasn’t wrong, per se. That said however⸺ “Being put through this kind of humiliation isn’t going to make me any less keen on murdering you. And you clearly didn’t have the guts to try and take me without resorting to such tricks. Coward.”
But the bastard just smiled. “I don’t have the guts, you say? I’d call it learning from experience. Last time was a close call.”
Ugh. “You call this learning from experience? To me, you don’t seem to have learned anything at all!”
Well, other than to resort to more extreme measures, that is.
Jixue finally managed to get back up, to get up onto his knees. He didn’t manage to dodge when the bastard reached out to thread fingers through his hair though.
Jixue swatted at him, of course, but the bastard didn’t back down – instead, the other caught both of Jixue’s wrists, holding them gently but firmly against his chest before reaching out anew, stroking the side of Jixue’s head and neck with the most infuriating look of tenderness in his eyes.
“What are you doing?” Jixue finally asked, because what⸺?
“Little Xue, I’ve missed you so. Did you miss me as well?”
What?
Jixue just stared at him, even as that hand strayed closer to his mouth. He briefly contemplated biting it, but ultimately decided not to. Instead, he closed his eyes, exhaled, and then finally said: “Like an enduring toothache.”
“Hoh?” the bastard hummed, deliberately obtuse. “Did missing me feel like having an enduring toothache or did you miss me as much as you would an enduring toothache?”
Well⸺ “Take a fucking guess, dipshit.”
The bastard hardly seemed deterred though – no, it was rather the opposite. “Call me Àiyǎn, just like old times.”
Ah. Ha ha. Ha. “Sure thing, Àiyǎn. You damned eyesore.”
“Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes yourself, Little Xue?” the bastard responded. “Though, to be honest, you’re not all that small anymore, are you?”
He wasn’t, but at this moment, this was a fact that brought him little joy or use. Instead, Jixue narrowed his eyes, internally cursing the other’s existence.
“You know,” Àiyǎn said, finally releasing his hold. “For a supposed human and a supposed male, you always did have an abnormal amount of Yin energy... How others failed to notice is beyond me.”
Well, people had a tendency to see what they wanted to see, and to turn a blind eye to just about anything, really. But⸺
Jixue suddenly noticed the patches of iridescent plumage, and suddenly he understood. No wonder he felt like absolute shit then, the venom notwithstanding.
“You’re running dangerously low on Yang energy,” Àiyǎn bluntly informed him. “If nothing gets done about it, then that body of yours won’t⸺”
Ugh. “I’m aware! That’s why I was trying to finish things quickly.”
Yes, and with the completion of the Mission Objective, Jixue would no longer have any need for this body, and⸺
The scent of blood immediately drew his attention, promptly derailing that earlier line of thought. It wasn’t his blood though. It was⸺
His head was jerked back, and Àiyǎn lips collided with his, sealing in the startled gasp as he tasted the other’s blood on his tongue. He didn’t understand – he couldn’t make sense of it – and the blood and qi made his head spin. He couldn’t resist it either, couldn’t push back as the bastard drew him in, resting Jixue’s head against his shoulder, which had suddenly been laid bare.
The other’s intentions were a lot clearer to him now, but⸺
Even without looking, he could tell that the bastard was smiling. How utterly infuriating.
“If you think... this in any way absolves you... you’re sorely mistaken.”
It was getting more and more difficult to speak – difficult to even form words. Jixue should just convey his thoughts directly. At the same time though, he shouldn’t, because he didn’t want Àiyǎn anywhere near his⸺
“I’m not looking for absolution,” Àiyǎn murmured. “Only for a solution.”
A solution? For what? But what did it matter, honestly? Jixue had no time for this. Jixue had a mission to⸺
A sudden flare of demonic qi startled him, and in his weakened state, Jixue reacted purely on instinct. He sank his teeth into the shoulder in front of him, biting down on it hard enough to break skin – which was exactly what the bastard had intended, going by the palatable satisfaction that nearly immediately flooded his senses.
Then, it was quickly buried under an even stronger influx of blood and qi – this one soothing but no less potent.
Don’t worry, the other seemed to tell him. Trust me.
And again, everything fell away.
