In hindsight, Jixue’s plan to return to the bastard’s bedchambers and attack him when he got back had been ill-conceived. Clearly, Jixue had already overexerted himself, and after snapping at a cowering servant to tell their master to come and face the consequences of his actions, Jixue had closed the doors and sealed himself in, knowing well that the Demon King had no need to enter through them.
Granted, Jixue wasn’t exactly thrilled at the prospect of being back on the other’s turf – and especially not this deep into it. However, as things were, he honestly couldn’t think of any better locations for this particular showdown.
And so, Jixue had opted to bide his time, figuring that Àiyǎn would undoubtedly turn up sooner or later – to gloat, if for nothing else – and then Jixue would have his opportunity to strike.
Lying down had been a mistake though, because Jixue had found it extremely difficult to get back up again. The wings still weighed him down, adding to the waves of pain already radiating throughout his body.
Lying there, Jixue idly wondered if he might feel better if he had the opportunity to inflict pain upon someone else – preferably Àiyǎn, because a significant portion of this was undoubtedly his fault.
Unfortunately, once the Demon King actually bothered to make an appearance, Jixue himself was in no condition to move. Even opening his eyes took definite effort, and as much as Jixue wanted to exert it simply to convey some semblance of what he felt about this whole situation, he was annoyed to find that he couldn’t!
Instead, he opted to just ignore the bastard and bide his time instead. Because once the pain dropped back to more manageable levels, somebody would die.
The coward clearly realised as much though. It was either that or Jixue’s current condition being truly alarming, given that the other had quickly brought Mingyue in to assess the situation. Jixue felt rather tempted to just snap at them both though, but was momentarily distracted when Àiyǎn suddenly stepped back out.
It brought him little relief however.
“Master,” Mingyue said. “Why did you leave? You should’ve just stayed put and allowed me to take care of you.”
Honestly, this brat⸺ “Try a more potent toxin this time around. I think I’ve had enough of breathing.”
He’d actually had enough of a whole lot of things, especially now.
“Master,” Mingyue said, tone shifting from complaining to pleading. “I’m⸺”
“⸺a petulant child, that is what you are,” Jixue said, finding his voice growing progressively weaker. “I would’ve been done and gone by now if not for your meddling, which would’ve been the best for everyone involved.”
Yes, even for Àiyǎn, because this sort of thing was just imbuing the other with a false sense of hope – and while Jixue might’ve wanted to cause the other pain, he didn’t necessarily want to be the cause of that sort of pain.
Besides, what Jixue wanted didn’t really matter, because this was after all a mission, and it was a mission just about to be completed – or rather it would’ve been, prior to recent interference.
However, System 707 was technically still in custody, and the misfortunate transmigrator as well, and thus, it wouldn’t take too long to resolve this mess once System 225 got out of whichever box Àiyǎn had managed to stash it in. And Jixue had already decided not to think too hard about how Àiyǎn was apparently capable of capturing Systems to begin with.
It was a highly disconcerting piece of information, yes, and Jixue idly wondered what certain higherups would ultimately make of it. Perhaps this was just a glitch brought about by the growing instability of this realm? Or perhaps, it was actually⸺
A cold hand touched his back, and Jixue made a noise. The hand by no means retreated though, settling more firmly instead in the gap of the fabric that had been torn open by the wings. And soon, the hand had settled right in-between them, resting right above Jixue’s spine.
“Master,” Mingyue said, his voice pitched to something akin to reassurance. “Stay put.”
Tired and aching, Jixue wanted little more than to fall into that reassurance. But⸺
He managed to force his body to move just in time to dodge the incoming needle, and in the next moment, he was already on the other side of the room with his back facing the wall, desperate instincts temporarily overriding the pain.
“Master,” Mingyue said, holding up one of his thin silver needles. “Please. I just want to help.”
Maybe so, but what would that help entail? Jixue couldn’t risk it. Jixue couldn’t⸺
“Master,” Mingyue said, slowly but surely caging him in. “I promise I won’t do anything. I just want to help you with the⸺”
Jixue’s back collided with the wall, and the sudden surge of agony sent him right down to his knees. Curling up, he shivered, wings trembling as they surrounded him. Because it hurt. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt!
Then suddenly, it was hurting a whole lot less, and Jixue was much too relieved by the fact to put up much resistance when he was suddenly scooped up and carried. Mingyue didn’t seem to be struggling much either, taking just a brief moment to readjust to the weight.
“Master,” Mingyue said, voice gone back to neutral. “Your robes are torn and stained with blood and dirt. Please allow me to put you in more suitable attire.”
Jixue narrowed his eyes at him, and Mingyue stared right back, pupils gone slit.
The other’s presence remained largely the same though, containing just the slightest fluctuation of something far more powerful hiding underneath – something distinctly not-human. It was also distinctly not-demon however, although thinking of it as such was an easy mistake to make – one that even Àiyǎn had made, way back when.
Then again, Àiyǎn mistaking Mingyue for Jixue’s kin made sense in context – because the boy’s presence had been completely saturated in Jixue’s back then, courtesy of Jixue using his blood to undo the handiwork of those Hua bastards.
As for what was the situation now, Jixue honestly didn’t know. He honestly didn’t care either, because although Àiyǎn was definitely a bastard in some ways, he did have some redeemable qualities – that much was undeniable, no matter how much Jixue wanted to deny it. Alas, the damage had already been done.
“...Master?”
Jixue said nothing, simply closed his eyes and braced himself for another onslaught of pain. And this time around, Mingyue definitely noticed, because his stoic expression did very little to hide the sudden spike of anxiety. It served him right though, honestly.
Still⸺ “I’m not dying, merely contemplating the benefits of it. Go back to your disciple. From the looks of it, I won’t be going anywhere at the moment. So...”
He trailed off, leaving Mingyue to figure out the rest for himself. Speaking took effort after all.
“I’ll leave,” Mingyue said. “But only once I’ve made sure that you’re reasonably presentable. I will not stand to see my master in such untidy attire, and much less in the white of the Lotus Leaf.”
Hah.
True to his word, Mingyue did leave after that. The other was clearly reluctant to do so though, but at the same time, also obviously anxious to get going.
Knowing the reasons behind this, Jixue made no move to stop him, nor did he tell him to hurry up and get lost. There was little point in it after all, because Mingyue would be back regardless, and telling him to get lost was the same as encouraging him to come back sooner.
Besides, Jixue did feel marginally better, wearing Mingyue’s spare sets of robes. He wasn’t wearing them properly though, as his wings remained very much in the way. Jixue wasn’t about to start cutting holes and forcing his wings through them though – a fact that he had made perfectly clear when Mingyue had initially suggested it.
Obviously, the brat hadn’t been entirely pleased with this, shown not just by a spike in irritation but also in the aggressive way that he’d stripped the bed of its topmost layer, tossing bloodied furs into a haphazard pile in the room’s farthermost corner.
Watching him, Jixue had blearily noted that a number of those furs had at one point belonged to quite high-ranking beasts – both demonic and non-demonic. If sold, they would’ve definitely fetched a hefty price – in pristine condition, that is. Now however, bloodstained as they were, they would likely never be the same again – and the thought provided definite satisfaction.
Another thing that provided some degree of satisfaction was the silky sheets that Mingyue had uncovered underneath all those furs.
They were decidedly less suitable for a nest than the latter. But Jixue wasn’t here to nest. He was here to rest, and to plot his vengeance until he had managed to muster up enough energy to get back up again. And now, thanks to Mingyue, there wasn’t much else he could do.
He wasn’t alone though. He wasn’t alone, because since his latest visit, Mingyue seemed to have stationed Jiao Ziyu there to guard him – and wasn’t that an absolutely laughable thought. Honestly⸺
“You’re of no use to me,” Jixue bluntly told him. “Go away.”
The other had no business being here – he’d already refused to do anything about the needles Mingyue had put into his back, and as such, Jixue had no further business with him.
“Sorry, Venerable Master,” the fool’s disciple told him, keeping his head lowered and his gaze carefully averted. “Is there anything else this humble one might do for you? Might this humble one bring you anything?”
Ugh.
“Yes,” Jixue drawled at last. “If you could put me out of my goddamned misery, that’d be fucking great. Failing that, you could bring me that accursed Demon King’s head on a plate.”
“I don’t think... I’m the right person to ask?” Jiao Ziyu finally said. “Is there anything else I could do for you, Venerable Master Bai?”
Hah. “Yes. Go and tell that insolent disciple of mine to go and⸺”
Jixue briefly considered asking the other to go and get Youming Jun, so that Jixue could instead ask Youming Jun to go and tell his damned uncle to quit stalling for time and that Jixue, having already gutted him once, would be sure to castrate him this time around. Jixue probably wouldn’t kill him though – because there was little telling what sort of consequences that would entail. Dismemberment also carried a certain appeal, but⸺
Opting to think little more of it, Jixue promptly told the other to scram – which the other proved very eager to do as soon as the opportunity presented itself. Jixue didn’t quite think of the other as a coward though, because honestly, this was just self-preservation at work. Besides, as far as cowards went, there were far worthier candidates in the vicinity.
The bastard of a Demon King had finally decided to show himself, and he had the gall to touch him. Honestly⸺ “I’ve already gutted you once, and I’ll⸺”
Claw-adorned fingertips slid into one of his wings, moving with and then against the natural direction of the feathers, setting the nerves alight with something quite far from pain. Jixue honestly couldn’t help the small noise that escaped him and didn’t resist it when the other spread out his wing, clearly appraising it.
“That’s a lot of needles,” the other then noted. “Can you even move?”
Releasing a harsh breath, Jixue then shook his head. In truth however⸺
“Should I get them out?”
⸺Jixue could probably get them out himself, albeit not without causing significant damage to himself – nothing that couldn’t be fixed, certainly, but something that would take a time, effort and energy to fix.
Still, this didn’t mean that Jixue wished to rely on this bastard, who only ever did anything to serve his own purposes. The other had after all made his intentions perfectly known – both to Jixue and to others – and particularly to Mingyue, who upon noticing it had become absolutely furious.
Not even he had been able to do much about it though, even if he had muttered darkly while prodding the thing; the bangle sealed into place around one of Jixue’s ankles.
Jixue himself hadn’t exactly been thrilled to discover it either, because if the other had put that thing on him while he was unconscious, then Jixue couldn’t help but wonder what else he might’ve done.
Still, he opted not to demand these answers for now, and especially not as the other meticulously began to undo Mingyue’s hard work, retrieving needle after needle and discarding them onto a nearby tray. He didn’t protest it, because soon, he was able to get back up, even though he realised that he would be in agony as soon as the last vestiges of numbness had ebbed away.
Fortunately, there were remedies to that though – remedies that didn’t necessarily have to involve that insolent disciple of his.
Granted, it would cost him some effort and a bit for pride, but⸺ needs must, and all of that, and this would likely work far better on Àiyǎn than on anyone else.
Thus, Jixue swayed, then sagged against the Demon King’s side. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but made it seem like he couldn’t and then ducked his head down and clutched his chest as if pained – and yes, while speaking took definite effort, his pain levels weren’t actually that bad, and his weakness deliberately exaggerated.
It definitely seemed to be working too, because soon, the Demon King pressed their foreheads together.
‘What’s the matter?’ the other quietly asked. ‘Can I help?’
Yes.
Get me to ‘System 225’. Please.
“Don’t worry,” Àiyǎn hummed, nuzzling into his hair. “I will.”
Bastard, Jixue privately thought.
This was honestly nothing new however. Youming Hongyan had always been something of a bastard – a bastard with some standards, sure, but a bastard nonetheless. Not that Jixue himself was any less of a bastard when everything came down to it however – and this was hardly anything new under the sun.
Besides, it wasn’t like it was a competition or anything. And even if it were, there would’ve undoubtedly been other top contenders – contenders that may or may not include certain Systems.
And true to his word, Àiyǎn really did bring Jixue to System 225 – and by default also to the other Systems – and despite his own physical discomfort, Jixue couldn’t help but feel satisfied at the sight of Systems in distress.
System 225 certainly wasn’t though – and of course, it wasn’t, because this was all going according to the other’s plan, wasn’t it?
Jixue – You Bingleng – didn’t like to be manipulated, and especially not like this.
“225,” he hissed. “I’ve been in agony for the past day and a half, and you didn’t even⸺”
The System stiffened and then quickly came running, and Jixue immediately caught it, quickly re-establishing their wavering connection.
[Sorry,] System 225 mentally conveyed. [It was necessary.]
Necessary?! “Bullshit! You⸺”
You planned this, Jixue internally conveyed. All along, you⸺
System 225 had planned this – System 225 had to have been planning this all along.
Why else would it have insisted upon using its animal companion form? Why else would it have insinuated that there might be times when they’d need to act separately? System 225 knew what would would happen if they did – what would happen to Jixue without System 225 continuously suppressing⸺
[Sorry,] System 225 mentally conveyed, finally exerting its influence over him. [This is even messier than we thought.]
[Excuses,] You Bingleng snapped. [How much did you bet on the outcome?!]
[I need more time.]
More time?! For what?! Ugh.
“Fine.” – Bastard – “Twenty-four hours.”
[Twenty-four hours,] the System agreed, speaking out loud this time around, putting additional distance in-between them.
Twenty-four hours, Jixue thought, taking the hand the Demon King offered him, allowing him – allowing Àiyǎn – to pull him back to his feet. And as the other did, Jixue finally looked at him – looked at him properly. Because this was it, wasn’t it? This was System 225’s secret masterplan.
Realising this made Jixue want to call the other out on it – or at least defy it by any means. Still, as he looked into the Demon King’s eyes, Jixue found himself feeling strangely wistful.
And as the Demon King opened up another portal and gently tugged him towards it, Jixue cast a final glance towards System 225 before following – and as he did, he quickly reflected on the emotions he could only faintly perceive through their wavering bond.
Then, once on the other side, he quickly lost track of it in favour of other things.
Instead, he looked at the Demon King – at Youming Hongyan; at Àiyǎn – and then finally thought⸺ “Fine. Groom me.”
And the Demon King readily obliged – until they were rudely interrupted, that is.
First, it was Mingyue, and then it was that damned Zilei, although the latter issue proved quite easy to fix.
[Oh, good,] said System 225, brought there by Àiyǎn. [You made it.]
“Where’s 403?” the fool asked, confused and moderately concerned.
[System 403 will remain behind for a bit longer to assist me, System 225, with a certain matter,] System 225 elaborated. [This System will send you ahead.]
And indeed, this made sense – because if Jiao Zilei was allowed to stick around, then the other might just witness some shady shit going down and thus be able to contend the sanitised version of events that System 225 was planning on reporting.
Jixue honestly didn’t care though, because soon, it would be none of his business. Granted, System 225 had yet to cut him off, but evidently, it was only a question of⸺
[Transmigrator You Bingleng.]
[This System is proud to have called you its Partner.]
Hah. “I’m sure,” Jixue said, by which he of course meant that he was sure this wasn’t actually the case. Granted, since the beginning of their partnership, they’d obviously come a long way, gradually learning and learning to accommodate one another’s temper and habits. Thus, when a maelstrom of sheer agony descended upon him, Jixue knew that wouldn’t last. He knew it wouldn’t last, because⸺
[This System... harbours no wish to see its Partner suffer.]
[This System... also wishes it could keep Transmigrator You Bingleng by its side.]
[However, such things are not allowed.]
[So, answer truthfully, You Bingleng.]
[What is your final destination?]
