Chapter 17

"I'll tell you everything slowly and surely, but let's go home first. How does that sound?" Li Jun proposed, attempting to convince Zhao Yang to accompany him. Zhao Yang turned his head, raising an eyebrow in a questioning manner, silently urging Li Jun to understand his unspoken words. However, Li Jun seemed oblivious, causing Zhao Yang to roll his eyes.

"Lead the way," Zhao Yang replied, fully turning his body towards Li Jun. Hand in hand, they walked out of the forest together.

As Zhao Yang and Li Jun emerged from the forest, they were confronted by ten imposing, muscular men standing in their path. Li Jun's grip on Zhao Yang tightened, assuming that he was frightened. However, that was far from the truth. Zhao Yang could sense that these men were not stronger than him.

Defeating these men together would be a simple task, but he had forgotten one crucial detail—Li Jun was much stronger than him, surpassing the combined strength of all the men present. Unconsciously, Zhao Yang instinctively positioned himself in front of Li Jun, pulling him protectively behind him. This unexpected action not only surprised Li Jun but also startled the men standing before them.

Unbeknownst to Zhao Yang, who had his back turned to Li Jun, the latter wore a wide smile on his face. Witnessing Li Jun's delighted expression, the men froze in their tracks. Observing the smile on their master's face was a rarity beyond compare. They couldn't help but be impressed by how fiercely this petite man protected their master. Li Jun couldn't contain a small peal of laughter, sending shivers down the spines of the men. One by one, they kneeled before Li Jun, addressing him as "Your Majesty" in unison, leaving Zhao Yang bewildered and astonished. He turned to look at Li Jun, who simply shrugged in response.

Unable to resist, Li Jun embraced Zhao Yang from behind, enveloping him in a warm hug. "Let's get into the carriage, and I'll explain everything," Li Jun suggested, releasing Zhao Yang from his embrace. Although Zhao Yang pouted, silently wishing for a longer hug, he refrained from voicing his thoughts. Observing the man he had been searching for standing by the carriage, Zhao Yang's mind remained an enigma. Determined to thoroughly interrogate Li Jun during the carriage ride, Zhao Yang walked towards him. Before entering the carriage, Li Jun extended his hand to assist Zhao Yang.

Zhao Yang lifted his hand, seemingly about to take Li Jun's hand, but in the next moment, he slapped it away and entered the carriage, clearly showing his displeasure. He stomped inside and gave Li Jun the cold shoulder. Li Jun, unfazed by the cold treatment, found amusement in Zhao Yang's behavior. He was the only person who could treat him this way and get away with it. The ten men, however, had pale faces, as if they had seen a ghost. They had served this man, whom they considered a demon, for a long time and had never witnessed anyone treating him so rudely. They suddenly felt sorry for the small man inside the carriage. But to their surprise, their master didn't unleash his wrath. Li Jun sighed and got into the carriage.

Inside, Zhao Yang spread his legs, occupying all the seating space, and gave Li Jun suspicious looks. Before he knew it, Li Jun had grabbed Zhao Yang by both legs and sat down, placing Zhao Yang on his lap. Zhao Yang yelped in surprise, his face turning as red as a tomato due to their position.

"You!" was all Zhao Yang managed to say as he punched Li Jun's chest. Li Jun, being the dramatic man he was, put one hand on his heart while the other snaked around Zhao Yang's waist.

"My love, you have wounded this poor body of mine. How can I make you happy if my body is injured?" Li Jun asked, gazing at a confused Zhao Yang. After a moment, Zhao Yang seemed to understand what Li Jun was insinuating, and his face turned another shade of red.

"Don't worry, I can always find another man," Zhao Yang teased, attempting to provoke Li Jun. But little did he expect that he would trigger a wave of jealousy. Li Jun's hands snaked around Zhao Yang's waist, and he squeezed his plump ass, earning a small moan from him.

"I'd like to see you try," Li Jun responded with a smirk.

After their brief display of affection, silence filled the carriage. The only sounds were their breathing and the rhythmic stomping of the horse's hooves.

"I'm sorry I didn't come to find you sooner," Li Jun finally spoke, breaking the silence.

During the 15-minute carriage ride, Li Jun explained to Zhao Yang his reasons for not coming earlier. It turned out that Li Jun's mother, the Empress Dowager, was seriously ill, and the herb that could cure her could only be found in the Mu Kingdom. Therefore, Li Jun had embarked on a journey to obtain the herb. However, there was a traitor among his people, which led to an ambush and severe injuries for Li Jun. Of course, Zhao Yang already knew about the incident since he was the one who had treated him. As for why Li Jun didn't reveal his identity at the time, he believed it wasn't necessary and pointed out that Zhao Yang had also kept his own identity hidden. Li Jun, however, didn't explain why he hadn't come to find Zhao Yang sooner, only offering a knowing smile.

Despite only receiving partial answers to his questions, Zhao Yang chose not to dwell on it. He noticed that Li Jun had his hands outstretched, hoping that Zhao Yang would take hold of them this time, rather than slapping them away. Wanting to avoid any further upset, Zhao Yang grabbed Li Jun's hand as he descended from the carriage. 

Li Jun guided him into the palace through the front door, their hands still intertwined. None of the maids or servants dared to look up as they stood in a straight line, observing their presence. 

Li Jun personally gave Zhao Yang a tour of the palace, taking him to places he had yet to see. One of their stops was a grand hall where the Emperor and his subjects discussed kingdom affairs and addressed the needs of their people. Li Jun led Zhao Yang towards the throne, adorned in black and gold with a sculpted black dragon on the backrest, its red eyes seemingly piercing through. Zhao Yang ran his fingers over the cold metal seat, sending shivers down his spine. Li Jun wrapped his arms around Zhao Yang from behind, resting his face on his shoulder, a faint warmth radiating from him.

"Why did you come to the Demon Kingdom?" Li Jun asked, his face still against Zhao Yang's shoulder. Hearing the question, Zhao Yang turned around and looked at Li Jun as if he were questioning his intelligence.

"You literally told me to come find you in the Demon Kingdom," Zhao Yang replied, his gaze averted. A silence enveloped the hall before it was broken once again.

"I also came to search for my parents," Zhao Yang added. Something flickered in Li Jun's eyes, appearing, and vanishing in an instant. He lifted his head from Zhao Yang's shoulder, taking hold of his hand once more. He led him somewhere without stating their destination.