Cheng Kong awoke to the ceiling of his private residence with a splitting headache and a strange sense of trepidation.

This feeling by no means abated as he took stock of his own body and noted that Zhènglíng wasn’t in its usual spot. Instead, the sword was all the way across the room, whereas Cheng Kong himself was wearing the robes of the previous day, noticeably rumpled. That wasn’t all however, because not only did his body radiate a strange heat, but his limbs also ached with a muted discomfort. He couldn’t quite understand why however, because he could only recall talking with Elder Huang and then with Peak Lord Xiu, and then⸺

Cheng Kong sat up immediately, his heart rate picking up speed as a blurred fragment of the previous night resurfaced; a memory of him, wet and cold yet burning all at once, and of Yi Yeguang⸺

Oh no.

⸺pinned beneath him and staring up at him⸺

Oh no.

⸺with eyes of steel and his lips pressed into a thin⸺

Oh no.

Cheng Kong shook his head, trying to dispel the fragmentary image only to find another coming into focus – him in the garden of the Sect Leader’s residence, dragging himself out of the pond and then⸺ him before Yi Yeguang, looming over him⸺ then him snatching the Sect Leader up into his arms, uncaring of any resistance⸺

Oh no.

⸺then Yi Yeguang beneath him again, his head turned to one side and his eyes stubbornly averted, lips parting to say something and then⸺

⸺him down on one knee, Yi Yeguang’s hands pressed up against his chest and one of his against Yi Yeguang’s face, tilting it slightly upwards⸺ Yi Yeguang’s eyes, Yi Yeguang’s lips, Yi Yeguang⸺

By the Gods, what had he done? What on earth had Cheng Kong done?

Qi deviation lay close at hand, but he somehow managed to rein himself in. Perhaps this was all just a dream – albeit a dreadfully realistic one brought on by him overindulging in ‘liquid courage’? He wanted to believe this – he really wanted to, but⸺

Stumbling into the Sect Leader’s private residence, this feeble hope gradually faded. Because the usual wards were deactivated, and the garden looked exactly like the one he’d seen in his dream, albeit in a different light.

There was no disarray to be found though. The place was neither particularly cluttered nor particularly empty, and it was undeniably steeped in Yi Yeguang’s presence. Cheng Kong wanted to stay for a bit, simply to bask in it, but then⸺

Yi Yeguang, he remembered, and instantly felt as though he’d been doused in frigid water.

This was Yi Yeguang’s home, saturated with his presence, and yet, he himself was nowhere to be found. Instead, there was a sword and a seal and a folded note neatly laid out atop a nearby table, and upon seeing them, Cheng Kong immediately felt his stomach drop.

He was afraid. He didn’t want to look – he didn’t want to get any closer. And yet, before he knew it, he had the note in his hand and was turning it over to behold the message scribbled there.

Truly, what had he done?

He honestly didn’t know what to do. Because even though his memories remained hazy, the implications of what he did remember still remained perfectly clear, and now⸺

Bai Mingyue would kill him, no doubt, and he wouldn’t be the only one inclined to do so. Hell, if this had been the actions of another, then Cheng Kong might very well have killed them with his own bare hands. But⸺

Technically, it wasn’t like he couldn’t do that in this case as well, but he wouldn’t, because that would’ve been the ultimate cowardice; him refusing to take responsibility for his own actions.

Fortunately, there was another way –another who wouldn’t hesitate.

 

---

 

There was no real need for Cheng Kong to announce his presence. There was no need, because Bai Mingyue was already there, waiting for him.

Relieved, Cheng Kong immediately dropped down to his hands and knees and bowed down until his forehead was touching the ground. As such, he couldn’t see Peak Lord Bai’s approach as much as he could feel it.

“Get up, you fool,” his would-be executioner snapped. “What do you want?”

He wanted to atone, and this was the only⸺

A hand grabbed a fistful of hair, dragging Cheng Kong’s head up to⸺

“What did you do?” Bai Mingyue asked, those glacial eyes of his very bright and very dangerous, pupils visibly elongated. Cheng Kong didn’t really care though, and he didn’t struggle either. Instead, he just hung limply in the other’s grasp, gaze shamefully averted. But then⸺

Bai Mingyue breathed in, and almost immediately, his nostrils flared, pupils going wide before narrowing until they were like shards of black obsidian in a sea of blue-green ice. “You⸺”

Did he know? Could he smell it on him?

Well, in that case, then Cheng Kong wouldn’t have to explain. Bai Mingyue would kill him first, and then⸺

He was abruptly let go and crashed right back onto the ground – and as he did so, a certain something fell out onto the ground beside him.

Nearly immediately, Bai Mingyue’s eyes fell upon it. The Peak Lord didn’t bend down to pick it up though. Instead, he actually retreated a few steps, putting additional distance in-between himself and Cheng Kong before using his qi to retrieve the note. He then proceeded to read it, and as he did, the temperatures around them plunged even further.

“What did you do?” Bai Mingyue asked, his voice even chillier now. “What. Did. You. Do?”

Ah, this was it. This was⸺

“Uh,” another voice cut in. “Mingyue, what’s going on here? Why is Peak Lord Cheng⸺?”

It was his senior martial brother, suddenly there and suddenly so very close. And in spite of knowing better, Cheng Kong reached for him, practically begging. “Senior... please...”

Peak Lord Bai looked ready to kick him for that, but a mere glance from Jiao Ziyu had him scoff and turn away while the other crouched down beside Cheng Kong.

“What’s going on?” Jiao Ziyu asked.

“Leave him,” Bai Mingyue said. “We’ve got more important issues to deal with.”

“We do?” the other said, just as another said the same.

“Yes.” Peak Lord Bai immediately turned his attention towards the newcomer. “Is this your doing?” he asked, gesturing vaguely in Cheng Kong’s direction.

Demon Prince Youming Jun took a step forward to take a better look and then turned right back towards Bai Mingyue. “...If you’re talking about giving him an aphrodisiac, then the answer is no. If you’re talking about giving him an antidote however, then yeah, I did that.”

An aphrodisiac?

“If not you, then who did it?” Bai Mingyue asked, irritation evident.

“With all due respect, dearest Father-in-law,” said the Demon Prince. “I might’ve done plenty of things in life that I’m not particularly proud of. However, I can assure you that I’ve never ever subjected anyone to any sort of aphrodisiac. Now as for having been subjected to it however⸺”

At this, the other leered obviously in their direction, and Jiao Ziyu immediately shrank back, throwing a nervous glance Bai Mingyue’s way. The other Peak Lord didn’t seem to notice though, glaring at Youming Jun before looking beyond him.

“Anyways,” the Demon Prince said. “Yue and the kids are sleeping. Keep it down, would you?”

Huh?

“Fine,” Bai Mingyue then said, tone remaining frosty even as he reined in his qi.

“Well,” Youming Jun said next, glancing towards Cheng Kong. “So, what exactly is the situation here?”

“Shouldn’t you be able to answer that?” the other asked, presenting him with the folded note.

“Yeah, no way I’m reading that,” said the Demon Prince. “You’re the one who told me off for reading other people’s notes, no?”

At this, Peak Lord Bai narrowed his eyes and then promptly sent the note over to Jiao Ziyu and told him to read it instead.

“...Okay?” The other Peak Lord unfolded the note without looking, and then asked: “You mean quietly or out loud?”

Bai Mingyue didn’t respond – not in any way that Cheng Kong noticed, at least. But it seemed as though Jiao Ziyu had received some sort of direction, because he looked down at the note and his eyes widened at the sight of the message. “Oh no.”

“Read it,” Bai Mingyue intoned, all while levelling Cheng Kong with a decidedly unfriendly look.

“Okay,” Jiao Ziyu said, taking a deep breath. “To whomever finds this note, this Yi Yeguang appoints you to the position of acting Sect Leader of the Windward Sect... Circumstances have forced me to enter seclusion, and I cannot say for certain when I will return...? What?”

“Go on,” Bai Mingyue said, shifting his none-too-friendly gaze towards the Demon Prince next. “Read it.”

“...Thus, should my return be sufficiently delayed, and should a suitable replacement be found in the meantime, I hereby sanction that my blade, Yìfàn, is passed down to them... In this process, I wish you the best of luck... signed Yi Yeguang. Okay, first of all: Who found this note? Second of all: What happened?”

The other Peak Lord immediately motioned to Cheng Kong. However, it was unclear as to whether the other was answering Jiao Ziyu’s question or prompting Cheng Kong to speak.

Jiao Ziyu apparently chose to interpret it as the former though, given that the next words out of his mouth were: “Oh... apparent circumstances aside, congratulations on your promotion, acting Sect Lead⸺?”

“No!” Cheng Kong wanted to scream, but instead, his denial came out as a quiet wail. He shook his head, clutching it as the earlier headache returned with full force, because this, this was just⸺ “I can’t do this. I’m not suitable!”

“You know,” said the other, surprisingly calm. “In terms of suitability, I’m not really sure who you’d be competing with other than Yi Yeguang, so⸺”

Yi Yeguang. Yi Yeguang! “I’m not suitable! I shouldn’t even be allowed to live after what I did!”

A brief silence descended upon them, and although Cheng Kong wasn’t looking, he could feel the eyes upon him and the looks exchanged above his head.

“What did he do?” Jiao Ziyu finally asked, as if the others would know. Or maybe they did? Cheng Kong honestly didn’t even know anymore!

“I did... something awful to the Sect Leader,” he admitted. “Even if it was under the influence of some drug, nothing changes the fact that I⸺ I’m⸺”

The temperatures dropped back down to below freezing, but Cheng Kong smiled. Because it was better this way – it was better that Bai Mingyue killed him. It was better – it was for the best, really. Because with Cheng Kong gone, then maybe⸺

“That’s not what happened though.”

 

---

 

Startled, Cheng Kong looked in direction of the speaker, and the Demon Prince floundered slightly.

“I mean, yeah,” Youming Jun said. “That’s certainly something that could’ve happened under such circumstances and all, but... I’m pretty sure it didn’t? I mean, by the time I got there, yeah, he was dripping wet and pinning the Sect Leader to the bed and all, but... I’m positive that they were both fully clothed at that point.”

Bai Mingyue sent Cheng Kong another scathing look and then turned back to the Demon Prince. “What were you doing there then?”

“I wasn’t there for any nefarious purpose,” Youming Jun quickly said, offering up a slight wave. “I sensed a disturbance in the wards over there and decided to investigate.”

“Why didn’t you inform me right away?” Bai Mingyue asked.

“Why I didn’t inform you?” the Demon Prince repeated, folding his arms next. “Wasn’t it you who told me not to disturb the two of you under any circumstances barring a major emergency.”

“And how was this not a major emergency?” Bai Mingyue hissed.

“Because I dealt with it!” Youming Jun hissed right back. “I intervened, and the Sect Leader asked me to deal with the situation. I mean, sure, he was originally asking for you, but I made sure to let him know that you weren’t available! And I did deal with it – I got the antidote and everything, and with the Sect Leader’s blessing, I dumped this guy’s sorry arse off at his own place. As for Sect Leader Yeguang, I did ask him if he was okay and all, and he said he was fine and for me to be of use or to go away. And I did both, since honestly, he seemed to have more than enough to deal with.”

More than enough to⸺?

“Demon Bastard,” Bai Mingyue said. “What exactly gave you the impression that the Sect Leader already had ‘more than enough to deal with’?”

“Uh...” The Demon Prince scratched the back of his neck. “I mean... I kind of figured. I actually meant to bring it up with you afterwards but then I got... distracted? Anyways, I didn’t really see anything, but I sensed... something was attached to him, and seemed to be screwing with his meridians?”

Something was... attached?

“Cheng Kong,” Bai Mingyue said, turning towards him next. “You’ve been keeping track of Sect Leader Yeguang’s movements as of late. Other than anyone here, how many people have been close contact with him within the last three days?”

Lips and mouth and throat incredibly dry, Cheng Kong answered truthfully that the only person that really came to mind was Elder Huang, and that Yi Yeguang himself had summoned the elder Peak Lord to his residence.

Hearing this, Bai Mingyue’s expression darkened. Then, the Peak Lord turned back to Demon Prince Youming Jun, who visibly stiffened.

“Ziyu,” Bai Mingyue then said, still staring at the Demon Prince. “We’re going out for a bit. I trust you to stay here and keep an eye on the house.”

Jiao Ziyu didn’t seem overly enthusiastic about this suggestion. However, when Bai Mingyue looked at him, he just smiled and gestured that he was perfectly fine with it.

Then, once the other’s attention was once again focused on the Demon Prince, Jiao Ziyu focused his on Cheng Kong. Wearing a mildly sheepish smile, he patted Cheng Kong awkwardly on the shoulder, and then leaned in to whisper: “You’ll be fine. If he doesn’t kill you right away, then he’s unlikely to do so later.”

And as he said this, there was a definite glint in his eyes, and Cheng Kong was suddenly reminded of that one time when he had challenged the other to a sparring match and disparaged him for neglecting his martial arts.

Honestly, what had he been thinking? Why had he done that?

Cheng Kong had been eager to the point of being overzealous, and in Peak Lord Jiao, he had seen an acceptable target. Because even though he had never liked Peak Lord Bai, he had been aware of his own limits; aware that messing with Bai Mingyue was basically asking for death. But⸺

As it turned out, messing with Jiao Ziyu might’ve been just as dangerous – Cheng Kong had simply failed to notice it in time.

“Get up,” Bai Mingyue hissed. “And stop looking so damned pathetic, you eyesore. Once we have retrieved Yeguang, I’m going to rip you to pieces.”

Ah.

Smiling weakly, Cheng Kong got up. “...Understood.”

“Let’s go,” the other said, grabbing hold of the Demon Prince.