A solved Case and newly formed Bonds

hen yan watched Bai Ying yue's light sleep. He had laid down with his back against a rock, right in front of the tree where the horse was tied, and held Xiaodan between his folded arms. He could see the restlessness under his eyelids.

He himself sat a few meters away, his gaze gliding from the young man to the protective circle he had created. Within a few hours, the miasma had soaked through the talismans and made them rotten. The golden bells had tarnished and made no sound. Zhen yan stood up and sat cross-legged in front of Ying yue, and with whispered words he let some of his own magic flow out and created a circle around her that the miasma could not break.

The demon took a deep breath and looked at Ying yue behind him. His sleep became calmer, he slid deeper into his dreams and soon he relaxed. The horse whinnied softly. Zhen yan turned around again and let the black wafts of mist disintegrate into dust as soon as she approached.

It was indeed unusual. As a young demon, he had visited Fushan once, several thousand years ago. It had been a pure, holy mountain. Due to the naturally occurring stream of Yang energy, it had been a flourishing, pure landscape.

Blossoms of plum, cherry and apple trees had lined the foot of the mountain, clear streams and mirroring lakes had wound through the jagged peaks. At the very top, one was as close to the gods as nowhere else in the world, and this place was supposed to have produced something like this?

That was just as unlikely as the demon realm ever becoming a god-like place. Something, someone must have corrupted Fushan, not only that, he must have defiled the source of the Yang River itself. If he shared this thought with Ying yue, he would surely set out to find the demon responsible, but the fact was, no one knew better than Zhen yan himself, no demon, not even he, would have the ability to do that.

Dawn broke and Ying yue woke up at the crack of dawn. When he opened his eyes and saw Zhen yan sitting right in front of him, he jumped and felt around. Zhen yan gave him a reproachful look.

»You always think the worst of me,« he sighed, playing theatrically.

Ying yue looked embarrassed to the side, Zhen yan was right, except for a few small taunts, the great demon left him alone as far as possible. Nevertheless, he overreacted every time Zhen yan was too close. He stood up.

»Control your magic!« Ying yue reprimanded him and untied the horse. Zhen yan sighed and stood up as well. So that was the thanks he got for protecting him all night long? He sat down behind Ying yue on the horse's back again, giving the young man his space. At some point, when he was no longer so on his guard, he would not let him get away. With a confident grin on the demon's lips, they rode on.

They reached the borders of the Fubai senlin in the evening, when dusk was already falling over the valley at the foot of the mountain. With every mile they had covered, it had become darker and colder. The miasma soaked through their clothes and swirled in their heads, clung to their bones and corrupted everything to the core.

As expected, several clans had gathered. Colorful tents with a wide variety of crests grew like trees out of the ground. The protective circles around the camp were significantly stronger and of higher quality, they were constantly renewed and the effort of the magicians responsible for them was clearly written on their faces. Before they went through the makeshift camp, Ying yue Zhen yan asked him to give the jade pendant back.

»What will keep me quiet then?« Zhen yan grumbled, reluctantly giving him back the white pendant with the silver tassel.

Ying yue's ears turned red and a pink tinge spread across his cheeks as he glared at the demon nonetheless. His eyebrows knitted as he tied the jade seal back onto his belt. »The seal of the Bai family may only be worn by family members and ...« he hesitated briefly and cleared his throat before continuing, »people related by marriage. It is not intended to tame demons!«

»Oh ho!« the demon said, flashing him his most charming smile. ‚And you trusted me with this valuable piece all this time?' he said softly, locking eyes with Ying yue. The young swordsman squirmed under his gaze, but then ignored his innuendo and instead tied a bracelet made of red threads and blessed prayer bells around his wrist.

He had been working on it during the breaks since they left Shuisheng. Of course it had no effect on the great demon, but he looked at it lovingly and seconds later there was no trace of his crushing aura.

»Better?« he asked. Ying yue looked directly at him, when he scaled down his magic and his presence was no longer so overwhelming, he occasionally managed to look at him directly. Emerald-green eyes rested on him and his full lips were curved into a friendly smile. The wind gently tugged at his black hair and billowed the simple black hanfu with the embroidery. It smelled of spring blossoms, mixed with a heavy, sweeter scent that Ying yue couldn't place.

He had smelled it once before in the demon's estate when the incense burners had been lit. His heart beat up to his throat as he looked at Zhen yan's pure white skin. He looked like a cold statue carved out of stone, but his face and eyes glowed with life.

With a jerk, he turned away and stepped over the boundary of the protective circle, followed by Zhen yan. As expected, the demon didn't even flinch when he passed through the carefully drawn protective circle that dozens of highly skilled magicians had built in laborious detail.

Some greeted Ying yue kindly, but frowned when they saw the tall man who followed him. They stopped in front of a large tent made of dark blue and silver fabric. The guards in front of the tent bowed. »Bai Gongzi!« they greeted Ying yue.

Then one of them slipped inside to announce him. After a few seconds, a young man rushed out. He had his black hair tied in a braid, and a silver hair band fluttered in the wind. His clothes were lighter and of higher quality than Ying yue's, but they showed the same colors and embroidery.

»Lingxi?« Ying yue exclaimed in surprise. His heart sank, so Bai An rong had sent him after all. But the young, lanky man with the sword at his hip and the bow on his back seemed unharmed. Bai Lingxi glared at him angrily; the family resemblance was unmistakable, he had the same long dark hair, which he wore tied up in a braid, the same dark eyes, and his eyebrows were drawn together in anger. Nevertheless, Lingxi met him with open hostility.

»Where have you been?« he asked angrily. ‚Mother was already hoping you were dead.' He hissed. Zhen yan involuntarily took a step forward, but Ying yue raised his hand with Xiaodan barely noticeable and held him back. He was used to his brother's hostility. Thanks to Bai Furen, his father's first wife, who hated him deeply for being born by a concubine, his younger brother was also not on good terms with him.

The fact that he was the legitimate heir of the Bai Clan didn't help either. Nevertheless, Ying yue loved his little brother and had made it his mission to protect him and the family legacy. He didn't mind being ignored or insulted.

He was not introduced as a family member to guests or on official occasions, he had earned his name among the demon hunters and even there he avoided drawing too much attention to himself and his family name. Lingxi was still too young to understand that his anger was unnecessary. Even if the head of the family, their father Ying yue allowed a wedding, then only far below the station of his second son.

»I was injured while hunting on Wushan and couldn't leave for a while,« he explained. Lingxi snorted, his gaze fell on Zhen yan and he eyed him skeptically.

»Since when does the Bai family tame demons?« he asked belligerently. »We kill them, without exception. You should get rid of your pet before father finds out about it.«

»Isn't he here?« Ying yue asked in surprise, ignoring the order to kill Zhen yan. Lingxi snorted. ‚Of course not, he sent me ahead and Yi Qianbei!'

Bai Ying yue involuntarily took a step back. Yi Rui qin was the captain of his father's army. He trained the swordsmen, including Ying yue. He made it clear with every training session that he didn't think much of the child of a concubine.

He was a man he didn't want to run into if he could help it. Even though he was getting on in years and his blows didn't hurt as much as they used to, every fiber of his body rejected the encounter with him. So he quickly changed the subject.

»Wang Bing wen sent me here to help in Shuisheng,« he said curtly. Lingxi narrowed his eyes.

»Do what you want,« he waved off. ‚The fighters of the individual clans are going out in teams and advancing further and further. We will destroy as many demons as possible so that the forest can recover,' he replied. Then he left him with another disapproving glance. When he was gone and they had moved away from the Bai-tent, Zhen yan broke the noisy silence in Ying yue's head.

»This won't work,« he remarked. Ying yue turned his head slightly; he was on his way to one of the makeshift tents set up for helpers on the edge of the camp. »What do you mean?« he asked disinterestedly. »Just kill as many demons as possible in the hope that you can strengthen the Ying River that way. It's not the demons that are the problem,« Zhen yan said, looking at him firmly. Ying yue frowned. »Then what?« he asked. »If it's not the demons that are corrupting the forest, then what?«

»It is the demons who are being corrupted. By something on Fushan. It is not the Yao who are defiling the mountain, but the other way around! Something on this mountain is corrupting the Yao!«

Ying yue eyed him skeptically. »You only told me half the truth about Yian, too,« he said slowly. »Are you planning on only giving me bits of information again?

Then I'll kill everything that comes before the blade of me and Xiaodan, according to the order. Or do you want to be honest with me?« he asked sharply. Zhen yan shot him a dirty look. It made him angry when Ying yue categorically organized everything in black and white. He followed orders, but didn't think outside the box, even though he was perceptive enough to notice things that remained hidden to others.

It was as if he had been forbidden to think for himself. Without saying a word, he approached him, well aware that he was violating the rule of staying three steps behind him, and came very close to Ying yue. »And if you kill all the demons in the world and below the Daiyu plain, it won't solve your problem. You can't change the nature of man. Out of all the hatred, envy and resentment, out of all the negative feelings, greed, hunger for power and intrigue that mortals love to weave, you will create twice as many Yao as you kill.

As long as you live, there will always be the devilish Yin energy alongside the Yang energy. The one cannot exist without the other and must always be in balance. Just slaughtering demons won't preserve the natural harmony, and sooner or later you will only conjure up the same disasters over and over again. Lake Yinhu?

Without me and the scraps of my knowledge, you would have given Bai Ying yue the perfect foundation for the birth of more great demons!« he said in a dangerously trembling dark voice, pushing him further and further back.

They had already entered the tent and Ying yue kicked the low table on which an incense burner and a tea set were placed. »Perhaps you should practice a little gratitude and humility!« Zhen yan said, and with a fluid movement, his hand shot out and clasped Ying yue's neck with his claws. He pressed the swordsman against him.

With one hand on Xiaodan, the other clinging to Zhen yan's hanfu, Ying yue had compressed his lips into a narrow line and was breathing quickly.

»Was I too tame?« Zhen yan asked more gently. »Should I have taught you more respect and decorum for a great demon?« He traced his index finger across Ying yue's features before gliding down his neck, over his collarbone. »I am reluctant to fight you, but I fear I shall have to be a little more insistent with my intentions!«

He bent Ying yue's head back and licked with the tip of his tongue over his Adam's apple and chin before he, without hesitation, pressed his lips on Ying yue's. He seized the moment when Ying yue froze into stone, reached for Xiaodan in a flash and threw the sword on the ground, and with another smooth hand movement, he untied Ying yue's white hair band and tied the swordsman's wrists together.

»Stop it!« Ying yue hissed angrily. He tensed his muscles, and although the band dug deep into his skin, it didn't give way. It was made of the same material as his tear-proof clothing. »Zhen yan,« he called out softly, so as not to attract anyone's attention outside the tent. Fascinated, the tall demon listened to Ying yue's strong, rapid heartbeat and looked at the pink-tinted face and the red tips of his ears.

The demon turned him around and now pressed him on the bed with his back, while he snuggled his body close to Ying yue. He gently stroked the young man's open, disheveled hair, his cheek and lips, before supporting his head and pulling him closer. Ying yue tugged violently at his bonds, but no matter how hard he tried, he simply couldn't get the knot undone.

Zhen yan had pushed one knee between his legs, so that Ying yue couldn't even kick at him. Helpless, raging with anger, he had to endure the tender, burning touches. His whole body trembled with rage, his muscles vibrated and his blood boiled, yet he felt Zhen yan's fingertips and the coolness of his skin clearly. The smile had vanished from the demon's face, instead, his lips parted slightly as he traced Ying yue's nose and cheekbones.

When he traced Ying yue's lips with his index finger, he opened them slightly. Before the young man could close them again, he leaned forward and kissed him. Zhen yan's lips were hot and soft, he slid the tip of his tongue into Ying yue's warm, moist mouth and performed a provocative dance with his tongue. Involuntarily, Ying yue opened his mouth even further, gasping for air.

Zhen yan tasted sweet and heavy. The demon's breath mingled with his. A heavy, stabbing pain shot through Ying yue's abdomen and he pressed his legs together, but only pushed Zhen yan's knee further up, which in turn pressed against his most painful spot.

Tears stung his eyes. A hot pulsation welled up in his loins, the sharp, sweet pain pricked like needles into his hard shaft.

Zhen yan must be magically controlling it. How else could something like this be possible? He was a man, and that was disgusting. Nevertheless, Zhen yan easily broke through the barrier that Ying yue had created with his tightly clenched teeth and penetrated deep into his mouth.

He felt Zhen yan's breath in his mouth, the warmth of his skin, tasted him and smelled the scent of plum blossoms. Ying yue swayed and almost lost consciousness. Finally, he pulled himself together and bit down. Zhen yan pulled back and held Ying yue's chin tightly with one hand, while blood gushed from his mouth. His eyes flashed ominously.

»Stop it!« Ying yue gasped. Zhen yan bent down to him and looked deep into his eyes. »And if I don't?« he growled threateningly. Behind him, Xiaodan hummed and vibrated ominously. »Stop manipulating me,« Ying yue demanded. Zhen yan's gaze slid from Xiaodan back to Bai Ying yue. His old smile stole back onto his lips as he bent over him again and wiped his blood from his chest.

He rubbed his lower belly against Ying yue until the latter could hardly stand it anymore. He didn't know this kind of pain and it was so intimate, so personal. »I'm not manipulating you, you're in full control of your body and senses, my dear!« Zhen yan whispered in his ear.

Ying yue couldn't manage more than a painful groan. He buried his teeth in Zhen yan's shoulders, but the latter unperturbed slid his hand under Ying yue's skirt and belt, until he got hold of the cause of his pain. »Don't you dare,« Ying yue gasped.

»Not today,« Zhen yan whispered back, and he took hold of the hard, hot shaft that pulsated in his hand. He rubbed it carefully and gently at first, before increasing the speed and intensity. With his other hand, Zhen yan released the band and reached for Ying yue's hands, lifting them over his head and forcing him to stretch to get a better grip.

Ying yue was forced to either stare at Zhen yan from this humiliating position or close his eyes. With an effort, he suppressed the guttural sounds that built up inside him. This couldn't possibly be his own feelings. The cool, slender, long fingers of the demon held him tightly, while he massaged him rhythmically and listened in rapture to every sound that escaped Ying yue's throat.

The swordsman's head was spinning, it seemed impossible to stay in control of his senses, again and again his mind drifted away, he felt himself bending towards Zhen yan and at the same time tried to pull back. Everything hurt and at the same time something had felt so good. He gritted his teeth and suppressed a scream.

The torture lasted only a few minutes before Ying yue felt how the waves of desire and excitement within him could no longer be stopped; it was like a line he crossed, from which there was no turning back. As if struck by lightning, he snatched Zhen yan's hands away and clung to the demon's arm, but it was too late, he felt the explosion of lust and blood between his loins, it rolled over him, and he spilled into Zhen yan's hand.

Ying yue breathed heavily as he sank deeper into the mattress. The rage inside of him had given way to shame. He was ashamed of what had just happened. His ears rang and his blood rushed, tears dripped onto the pillow. Ying yue hid his shame under his skirt and when Zhen yan leaned down to him, he slapped him hard across the face.

»I'll kill you,« he growled angrily. Zhen yan grasped Ying yue's chin and forced him to look up. »You asked for it,« he snapped back just as angrily. »Of course not,« Ying yue defended herself and swallowed. »You came,« Zhen yan hissed.

»Did I have a choice?« Ying yue hissed back. »Why do you resist so vehemently against something your body has known for a long time?« Zhen yan asked and gave me a gentle, tender kiss. Both felt the tremor in Ying yue's body and the increased heartbeat. »Does it matter to you that I'm a man or a demon?« He asked.

»Your whole existence disgusts me,« Ying yue replied and freed herself from Zhen yan's grip. He stood up, only to be pushed back onto the bed by the demon. Hot kisses covered his face, his neck and his lips. He would have liked to have burned the feelings that welled up in him again. Stabbing himself in the heart, but nothing more than a sound of pleasure came over his lips.

»Good!« Zhen yan whispered in his ear. ‚Let's see how long you can play the unapproachable,' Zhen yan said in a dark voice, then he finally left him and left him alone in the tent. Ying yue rolled out of bed and huddled on the floor. With trembling fingers, he wiped himself clean.

He could hear his heart beating in his ears. He hadn't reckoned with Zhen yan's sudden change of direction. Ying yue had grown accustomed to the teasing, to the demon raising him, even to the constant fleeting touches and the fact that he called her his wife when they were alone.

But that Zhen yan would actually go that far? Ying yue gagged and a shiver ran through him. His skin tingled from his scalp down his back and at the same time, his stomach turned over when he thought about how little he could do about it. Until recently, he had considered himself an excellent swordsman and a talented demon hunter. But Zhen yan put him in his place with his mere

existence. He hadn't been able to stop him from following him, and he wouldn't be able to stop him if the demon decided to give up the game and simply lock him up in his estate until he got tired of his games. But what made him most angry were these feelings inside him.

He had always known his place, he had always known that there was never anyone who trusted him and whom he could trust. Even an arranged marriage could never have erased this loneliness in him. And yet he had not just silently accepted the presence of Zhen yan, he had enjoyed it. He had been happy to have his company.

A little more each day. He didn't want him to leave, even after... Ying yue tilted to the side and huddled like a shrimp. The fabric of his trousers was still damp. Tears dripped onto the floor while his face pulsated with shame. He hated himself and at the same time tried to convince himself that he hated Zhen yan, but didn't want him to hate him.

He wished he would disappear, but never left him alone again. Fever rose in him as he drifted off into a fitful sleep, curled on the cold floor. Zhen yan's cool hands had exhausted him.