There’d been one egg, yes, but two chicks had come from it.
Jixue isn’t quite sure what to make of it though – what to make of them.
For one thing, they are clearly different from human offspring, even though they might’ve been mistaken for such at a passing glance – not that Jixue would allow anyone near enough to even catch a glimpse, especially not at this point.
They are still too small – too small and much too weak.
They do seem to be in decent health however, eagerly tearing into the scraps of raw meat that Jixue feeds them from his latest kill.
The red-haired one seems particularly fierce, having the audacity to growl as Jixue withdraws his hand from its grasp.
The white-haired one is a lot more subdued, eating but lacking the fierceness of the other, marking it as the weaker one, at least for now. Thus, Jixue is wary of leaving them alone for too long. Because although he has to leave in order to hunt, he worries about what might happen in his absence.
The chicks are young after all, too young to act upon anything but instinct – instincts that might very well include doing away with the competition.
Jixue needs to provide for them, needs to go out and hunt for fresh meat in order to avoid the sort of scarcity that might trigger such behaviour. But⸺
The white-haired one, Little Bái, is fast asleep, with one tiny little fist firmly attached to Jixue’s hair. Then there’s the red-haired one, Little Hóng, relentlessly pawing at Jixue’s chest and stomach. Honestly⸺
“Give it a rest already,” Jixue mutters, pushing the red-haired little hooligan aside to instead lie down on his stomach. “If you’re looking for milk, then you’ll be sorely disappointed.”
The little hooligan remains undeterred though, pawing at Jixue’s back next. Jixue figures that he would allow it though – provided the little hooligan doesn’t start tearing out feathers, that is.
Rest is a precious resource.
Jixue can’t allow himself much of it though, and even when he rests, he pays attention to his surroundings, making sure that nothing and no one encroaches upon his immediate territory and that his tiny offspring doesn’t do anything overly foolish or irreversible.
When they sleep, Jixue generally doesn’t. Because whenever they are firmly out for the count, Jixue is out hunting.
Hunting isn’t necessarily easy though. This is the frozen wastelands after all, an area that most viable prey stayed away from. And with his current situation, Jixue couldn’t stray too far either. As such, he has to employ other measures.
Crafting an ice spear, he sticks it into a nearby snowdrift and then ties a bloodied rag to it, making sure it’s firmly attached before finally letting go. Because it obviously wouldn’t do to have it blow away in the wind after all.
The scent carries far though, far across the frozen landscapes. Thus, Jixue himself needs to go no further. He only needs to wait.
Today, he doesn’t have to wait for long either. Because soon, some massive beast appears, drawn towards his location like a shark smelling blood.
It isn’t a shark though. It isn’t a shark, but rather some demon tiger of some sort. It wouldn’t be completely outrageous to assume that it might be distantly related to Àiyǎn, but Jixue honestly doesn’t care – meat is meat after all.
Getting the carcass back to his hiding place takes definite effort though, even with the use of the spatial ring. Because Jixue is exhausted and the gales are strong today, whipping him off course a number of times before he finally succeeds in making it back to the small ledge next to the entrance to the cave.
Jixue still has to grip tightly so not to get blown right off of it however, riding out one particularly vicious gale before finally making it back inside. And once inside, he pushes the small boulder back into place, leaving just enough of a gap to let some air in without letting out too much of the heat. Then and only then does Jixue shake any remaining snow from his clothes and wings, blinking rapidly as the frost still clings stubbornly to his eyelashes.
Then he shudders, a strong shiver rocking his frame. He quickly shakes it off though, retrieving the carcass from the spatial ring and dumping it over by the entrance.
For a brief moment, Jixue considers just leaving it there – for later or to rot, he’s honestly uncertain. But then he quickly moves to strip it of some of its meat before finally returning to the nest.
The remnant of his human self argues that the meat would likely taste awful, like the meat of predators so often did.
His new instincts say otherwise however, arguing that meat is meat, and that this particular meat is superior to that of any herbivore.
Naturally, the latter wins out in the end. However, Jixue doesn’t scarf it down like some savage. He eats only a small portion of it before tearing up the rest for the chicks.
Little Bái and Little Hóng both seem quite keen on it, going as far as to suck on his fingers to lap up the blood. Little Hóng also throws longing glances towards the entrance, no doubt smelling the rest of the carcass.
Jixue doesn’t allow it though and instead wraps his arms around them both as he lies down to rest. Because not only could they choke on it; they could also get a stomach ache, and Jixue is in no mood to listen to any whining. Because although he has yet to hear either of them scream, he has heard plenty of whining, especially from Little Hóng.
“Settle down,” he mutters, hugging them tighter. “Damned glutton.”
Little Hóng mewls and then purrs, the hunt for food temporarily abandoned in favour of the hunt for additional warmth.
Little Bái meanwhile goes straight for the latter, burrowing into Jixue in an ever-continuing search for warmth – it isn’t exactly warmth though, but rather qi. It’s Jixue’s qi, which has warmed and nurtured them both since their time inside the egg, and continues to warm them even now. Doing so takes a fair amount of energy, but Jixue likes to think that it’s all worth it, curling himself and his wings around them both to keep them warm.
Jixue shouldn’t sleep. He shouldn’t sleep, but he’s exhausted, and there’s nothing more left to hunt in the vicinity. Besides, going by what he can sense, the gales are increasing in strength, meaning that soon, they will be far too strong for flight.
Still, there’s something – something out there that leaves him vaguely unsettled.
For now though, it’s far too vague and distant for him to be truly alarmed. It’s also entirely possible that it’s actually nothing – just his senses playing tricks on him. Or maybe he’s just dreaming?
He most likely is, because who would even be out there at this hour, out in what is already a raging blizzard at this point? It has to be either a fool or a figment of Jixue’s imagination, and no matter which it is, Jixue will deal with them when the time comes to it.
For now though, he closes his eyes and rests, because his chicks are doing fine and there’s plenty to feed them close at hand.
It’ll be fine, probably. It’ll be⸺
“Jixue?”
Above him, there’s something – no, someone?
“Jixue?”
Above him, there’s a person – no, demon?
“Jixue?”
A warm hand brushes against his cheek, and Jixue wonders briefly if it’s really there or just a figment of his imagination. Then, something heavy drops down from above, and the hand returns.
The voice is also back, but Jixue doesn’t quite catch what it says – it sounds admonishing though, disapproving. Still, it doesn’t feel like a threat. It doesn’t feel like⸺
There’s a low growl, followed by a hiss, followed by a tiny whisper of familiar blood.
Then there’s a light – Jixue is aware of this, much like he’s aware of the chicks stirring. He’s exhausted though. He’s exhausted, and⸺ there’s a purr, and it’s Àiyǎn’s.
Little Hóng growls in response – fierce as ever. But this only deepens the purr, and then Jixue slips back under. And then⸺
Jixue startled awake, suddenly wet and flailing.
“At least it isn’t cold river water this time around,” Àiyǎn said, and while this was certainly true, getting dumped into a tub full of hot water honestly wasn’t that much better, and Jixue was annoyed, to say the very least.
Thus, he didn’t hesitate to retaliate, grabbing and dragging the bastard headfirst into the tub. The urge to hold the bastard’s head under water was definitely there as well, but alas, the tub tipped over before Jixue could really act upon it, and the bathwater spilled everywhere.
Jixue honestly didn’t care though. Because he was annoyed now, and decidedly unkeen on doing anything that Àiyǎn wanted, even though he did want a proper bath. And Jixue did want one, because he hadn’t had one in months, and desperately wanted to be clean again – even though he was willing to abstain, simply to annoy the other.
“Come on, love,” Àiyǎn insisted, trying to herd him back towards the tub. “I’ve already cleaned and put the kids to bed. You’re not joining them until you’re reasonably clean yourself.”
Hearing this, Jixue felt immensely tempted to kill him. But, after confirming that the chicks were both fine and sleeping soundly, he opted to put it off for now, opting to address other things. “I’m hungry.”
Feed me, he privately thought, too exhausted to really feel any shame in it. And what was there to be ashamed of, honestly?
If Àiyǎn intended to keep them, then he’d better provide for them; he’d better protect them. Jixue could take care of himself, but⸺
Àiyǎn left and then quickly returned, and soon, Jixue found himself draped across his lap, still dripping wet. Àiyǎn didn’t seem to mind though.
Morsels of raw meat kept appearing in-between Àiyǎn’s fingertips, and those fingers kept finding their way into Jixue’s mouth, lingering there even after the piece of meat had slid down his throat. Jixue didn’t bite down on them however, and instead waited for Àiyǎn to feed him another. He didn’t care about the meat’s origins, and neither did he care about its rawness, because after all these months, he was long past such things. Still⸺
The meat was quite fresh, heavily saturated with qi.
“Don’t worry,” Àiyǎn crooned, tilting Jixue’s face upwards. “I’ll be sure to provide.”
Seeing the smug look on the bastard’s face, Jixue very nearly elbowed him in the gut. He ultimately didn’t though.
Instead, he allowed Àiyǎn to lead him back to the bathtub, once again refilled, to wash away the blood and grime of recent months. It wasn’t necessarily a quick and easy process though, given those damned wings of his.
Àiyǎn didn’t seem to mind however, seemingly content to groom them, and to take care of Jixue’s hair as well – and that suited Jixue just fine, because he found both quite a hassle to deal with.
“You’re full of surprises though,” Àiyǎn said. “Is this a thing in your species or are you just a special case?”
That was honestly none of the other’s business though, and besides, Jixue himself was no expert. Thus, he only huffed, turning to stare back ahead to allow the other to finish up.
“It doesn’t matter,” the Demon King purred, leaning in and holding tight. “No matter the case, I’m happy. Even if it wasn’t for me, I’m very happy that you⸺”
Huh?
Jixue turned around, and Àiyǎn immediately let go, obviously trying to give him space. Well, he’d since long known that the other was a fool, but this was just, honestly⸺
Jixue pushed him down, putting himself on top. Then he looked down, and the other looked up and then smiled, curling his hand around Jixue’s neck.
“Hi there, pretty bird,” the eternal opportunist purred, quickly finding that sensitive area at the root of the wings and shamelessly taking advantage of it. “You’re still too cold. Let’s get you properly warmed up.”
It was often said that absence made the heart grow fonder, and Jixue supposed that there might be some degree of accuracy in that statement. He thought so, because while Àiyǎn was still annoying, Jixue somehow found him a lot less annoying now, after all this time. Perhaps this was just a side effect of the mating bond though, or a newfound appreciation of the other taking care of not just him but the little ones as well?
Àiyǎn left soon after that however, citing some Royal Council meeting and whatnot, all while promising to return as soon as possible.
Jixue certainly wouldn’t mind him staying gone for a while though, because he was quite comfortable where he was. He didn’t quite allow himself to fall asleep though, not yet. Instead, he found himself surveying the room, finding that not much had changed since he was last in it.
Only the bedding really came across as new, but other than that, everything was almost exactly the same, and even in the same place as before, making Jixue wonder just how much time Àiyǎn had actually spent in this room, especially during these last few months.
Had Àiyǎn gone out to look for him?
It was pretty evident that he had, because he would’ve hardly been wandering the frozen wastelands if that hadn’t been the case. But if so, then why had it taken him so damned long to find him?
But immediately upon thinking this, Jixue recalled the way that Àiyǎn had hugged him tightly and then immediately let go at the first sign of resistance.
His thoughts then drifted towards how this whole scenario had likely played out from Àiyǎn’s point of view, and then reluctantly separated himself from the chicks, getting up to walk around the room.
The bangle, he thought. Àiyǎn had put it on him, and Jixue had taken it off, clearly signalling to Àiyǎn that he had overstepped his bounds.
Then, without further notice, Jixue had left. Jixue had left and disappeared, and he’d been away for months without contact, and out of context, Jixue could certainly see how his actions could’ve been construed as a rejection, which would certainly explain why Àiyǎn had taken so long to seek him out again.
Honestly⸺
Upon locating the item, Jixue heaved a soft sigh. He briefly contemplated putting it on before quickly deciding not to, because there would honestly be no point if Jixue was the one to⸺
A sudden dimensional disturbance drew his attention, and Jixue turned around just in time to see a familiar hand pull the sleeping Little Bái into a small dimensional rift. And while Jixue stood there, still stupefied by what he’d just seen, the hand reappeared to grab Little Hóng as well.
And in the moment that followed, Jixue just stood there, staring wide-eyed at the empty bed for a good moment. Then, realising what he had just seen, he quickly turned on his heel. He headed for the doors, slamming them open without caring much for the guards that he knew would be stationed outside of them.
The two guards proved to have decent reflexes though, or at the very least the sort of instincts that allowed them to dodge just in time. Then, they stared at Jixue with wide eyes, caught somewhere in-between shock and instinctive terror. One of them did attempt to address him though, but a chilled glare quickly put an end to that.
No one dared to stand in his way. Thus, Jixue quickly found himself standing outside another pair of doors, and he quickly slammed them open as well.
The members of the Royal Council all stared at him, some of them gaping. There were others too, some fearful and others positively delighted.
One of the latter crowed something at him – something encouraging – which in turn earned cheers from all around. They were of little consequence to him though, because Jixue only had business with the one at the top.
“Hey!” Àiyǎn cried, apparently in response to the jeering. Then he got up, chicks and all.
“You’re all technically part of my harem!” he protested. “Doesn’t that mean you’re supposed to be on my side!?”
Ugh. Harems.
“Nah, you’ve reproduced,” one of the advisors countered. “If push came to shove, we’d get Limao’s kit to replace you.”
Youming Jun? But that would’ve been⸺
“And I for one would welcome our new avian overlord,” said another, and quite gleefully at that. “Can’t do much worse than our current one, right ladies?”
Many seemed inclined to agree, which said a whole lot – either about the quality of Àiyǎn’s performance or about the quality of his chosen advisors.
Right now though, Jixue honestly couldn’t care less about which it was. And so, he snatched the kids back, and then took his mate’s throne for himself. The other had made him walk all this way after all, so he’d definitely had it coming.
“Whether we replace him or not, this doesn’t really solve the issue at hand,” another said. “It doesn’t change the fact that we’re ill-equipped to deal with... that.”
At this, the Royal Council focused their attention on Jixue’s chicks, making him very tempted to hiss at them.
In a way, Jixue was impressed though, if by nothing else then by the sheer audacity of these council members, voicing such treacherous thoughts so openly.
But then, Jixue’s line of sight was suddenly obscured by a veil – and instead of tearing the weimao from his head and tossing it in the face of the one who’d put it there, Jixue just sighed and used the veil to cover the chicks as well, shielding them from view.
“Why are we so ill-equipped?” Àiyǎn then asked, taking his place beside them. “Demon King isn’t just an empty title, you know?”
Given the seeming attitude of the Royal Council, Jixue would’ve begged to differ. It wasn’t necessarily his place to point it out though, even if he did think that the title didn’t seem to command an awful lot of respect within these halls.
That was the lesser issue though, because the latest outspoken councilwoman did have a point; a point that had only just occurred to Jixue himself. Because⸺ “They’ll need lots of Yang energy growing up. More than can be found here.”
“We could still get that Yang energy though... from elsewhere?” Àiyǎn suggested, and indeed they could, but there was another option – an option that Jixue had avoided up until this point: The Green Jade Peaks.
“The Green Jade Peaks?” one of the advisors asked, frowning. "You want to stick them in the Human Realm, and with a righteous cultivation sect at that?”
Well, considering the alternative⸺
“What?” Àiyǎn said. “They raised this one just fine and this one raised another. It’s not a bad idea.”
“But would they even take them in?” the advisor argued. “And take care of them? Properly?”
If memory served Jixue right, then this advisor was the one who’d just insinuated that Jixue could hardly do a worse job as the Demon King than Àiyǎn – and while Jixue was offended on both his own and on his mate’s behalf, that in itself didn’t change the fact that Jixue was still annoyed with Àiyǎn. As such⸺
“You think they’d do a worse job than this guy?” he asked, pointing to his mate.
And no matter what she – or anyone else – said, they would be wrong – or at the very least in the wrong for displaying such insolence.
“Yang energy isn’t exactly abundant over here in the Demon Realm,” said another – an avian. “But putting them in the Human Realm seems a bit... you know? Dangerous.”
It was risky, yes, but no less dangerous than leaving them here.
“You know, there is a quite easy solution to all of this,” Àiyǎn said, putting his hands together. “I could just take a loooooong vacation and⸺”
His suggestion was quickly shot down by the apparent leader of the outspoken faction – Xunyun, if Jixue’s memory served him right.
“No, my king," she said, her tone leaving no room for argument. "You’re staying here, and the fact that you’ve procreated also stays in this room. As for you⸺”
She pointed at Jixue next. “You’re also staying, because the king gets absolutely nothing done whenever you’re off somewhere.”
Such a bold thing to say, especially given their earlier insistence that the Demon King was oh so replaceable.
Technically, she couldn’t stop him either – technically, she couldn’t stop either of them, and Jixue wanted her to be aware of the fact.
“Honestly?” she said in turn. “No, I don’t think I can stop you from leaving. But think about your offspring here for a moment, you damned birdbrain. Think about what’s best for them.”
One day, Jixue would probably kill her – and at this rate, that day might arrive sooner rather than later.
It wouldn’t be today though, and not in front of the kids – and Jixue obviously wasn’t leaving them behind either, so he promptly took them and left.
Honestly, he was done with this. Mingyue could take care of the kids – Mingyue would protect them.
Them existing in the first place was partially Mingyue’s fault after all, so it was only fair that the other shouldered some of the responsibility.
“Are you really fine with this?” Àiyǎn asked, having come to find him.
Jixue was and he also wasn’t. In the end though, it didn’t matter. Àiyǎn could take care of the rest.
