The calm before the storm and a final briefing!

As expected, it took them almost two weeks to reach the city of Qiying. At first glance, everything seemed calm and normal. People bustled through the streets, the markets offered a wide range of goods, and the people seemed friendly and open-minded.

They had not yet entered the territory of the Gao clan, but a suspiciously large number of shadows in black and red clothing flitted through the alleys and streets. Zhen yan and Ying yue checked into the inn Wang Bing wen had recommended.

They sat down in a secluded corner at the back and waited. Ying yue had exchanged the white Taoist clothing for a black robe with silver embroidery. The demon himself had tailored it for him and imbued it with his magic. It fit perfectly, and the fabric clung to his skin almost as clingingly as the demon itself. It was embroidered with silver ornaments and red spider lilies.

Leather bracelets protected his wrists, and the light, soft fabric protected him from the summer heat as well as from the frosty wind. Ying yue took out the creamy white jade. He stroked his thumb over the smooth, engraved surface. The scarlet tassel glowed and a single golden bell hung from it. He held it in front of Zhen yan's nose. The demon took the amulet from him and looked at the self-carved image with a smile on his face.

»A love token,« he remarked gently. Ying yue choked on his tea and had to cough violently.

»You don't have to... I mean... oh, call it what you want!« Ying yue gave up. His bright red ear tips stood out against his white skin and glowed even under the black fabric of his collar, behind which he tried to hide.

Zhen yan pulled him towards her and held him in her arms for a while. Nobody could see them here anyway; you had to walk right up to them, just like the red-haired man who had just entered the inn, closely followed by a tall figure in white.

»Are we disturbing you again?« a familiar voice asked, slightly annoyed.

»Bai Gongzi,« Wang Bingwen smiled apologetically. Zhenyan let go of Yingyue and gave the fox, who had changed his appearance to that of a mortal, a dirty look.

»The where, we had talked about that, Daiyuzhu,« he remarked reproachfully. Zhen yan looked more like he was thinking about the best place to kill the fox. Ying yue turned to Wang Bing wen.

»Wang Gongzi, you wanted to see us again?« he began the conversation.

Wang Bing wen sat down opposite him. He was wearing white, as always, with a luxurious crown of hair. He nodded as he opened his fans and fanned himself in the heat. Ying yue did not miss the nine-tailed fox. But he did not go into it further.

»When I returned and explained the situation to my father, he immediately entered into negotiations with Gao Teng fei. It took some time before they agreed to organize a banquet under the guise of a joint consultation.

I'm sure they won't be able to hide for much longer. If they continue to ignore external requests, such as my father's, it won't be long before he and other clan leaders are at their door. They want to avoid that,« he explained, thanking them for the tea they had brought him. Then he continued,

»Nevertheless, that is exactly what we will do, Bai Gongzi,« he whispered conspiratorially. »Most of those present will think that this is exactly what it is, a banquet to discuss the situation. Only you, me and a few others know that it is just a pretext to be able to enter the plain. We hope to be able to seal the gate again with the help of Zhen yan,« he said, slightly out of breath. Ying yue nodded. »As soon as the festivities die down, you have to find a way out of the estate to the plain. Yian and I will create a distraction. There you have to restore the seal while we search for the tool that controls the demons,« he continued.

»If all goes according to plan, we will seal the plain and the tool in one night, thus incapacitating the Gao clan without unnecessary deaths. After that, they will no longer be able to escape the supervision of the other clans and it will only be a matter of time before they are replaced as guardians of the plain. I am thinking of a committee made up of envoys from different clans, who will jointly discuss the future of the plain.«

»You are very optimistic,« Ying yue remarked. Wang Bing wen smiled, restrained. ‚What if it's not the thought of the future that makes you fight?' he asked in return. Ying yue said nothing in reply. That was true, for the first time he was fighting for his own future. His eyes slid to Zhenyan before he stared at the table again.

Wang Bingwen pulled out a black scroll and handed it to Yingyue. He took it and unrolled it. Written in blood-red ink was an invitation to the banquet in three days. When a curious waiter approached their table, Ying yue Xiaodan demonstratively put the cloth down on the table. The waiter turned on his heel and disappeared. There were curious ears everywhere.

»We'll meet in front of the Gao clan gates in three days as if nothing had ever happened,« he quietly summarized. Wang Bing wen nodded.

»That's a nice … ow!« Yian had reached for the sword to look at the ornaments on it. There was a short hissing sound and he withdrew his hand as if it had been burned. Wang Bing wen shook his head at Yian.

»Some of the cultists' weapons have a mind and a spirit of their own, and you can't just pick them up,« he explained with a sigh. Yian nodded and put his finger in his mouth. He had learned that lesson too.

»Besides...« Zhen began, holding the sword up in front of her. »These ornaments tell a story.« The silvery sword seemed to move. The shaft hummed slightly and the intertwined decorations flowed into each other and intertwined. »The story of a flower goddess who once came to earth to delight in the beauty of the lotus lakes.

The colors of the blossoms in spring and the scent of the flowers in summer. But this goddess ultimately found something more precious than flowers on earth. She found something that the delicate little figure, with weak arms and slow legs, would run to protect on a battlefield.«

He turned the sword between his fingers and the ornaments showed a small figure running, no flower or tendril could stop it, but suddenly the ornaments crumbled to dust, Xiaodan's shaft was naked for a moment before the tendrils and ornaments returned to their place.

»What happened to her?« Wang Bing wen asked, staring wide-eyed at the glowing sword.

»She died, like every god unlucky enough to be on Black Jade Plateau at the birth of the great Daiyuzhu,« Yian replied.

»But why? What did she find that made her rush onto the battlefield?« Bing wen followed up. Ying yue took Zhen yan Xiaodan out of her hand and put it away.

‚Love!' he replied. ‚She fell in love with a mortal and wanted to save him. All that happened thousands of years ago. Let's leave the past alone and concentrate on the future and the battle that lies ahead of us,' he admonished. When Yian and Wang Bing wen had left, Ying yue turned to Zhen yan again as they entered her room.

»Were you so curious that you had to try it out yourself?« he asked. Zhen yan grinned wryly.

»I had suspected it for a while, but when the fox burned himself, I had to be sure,« he admitted. Ying yue put Xiaodan on the table in front of him and sat on the bed. It was true that Zhen yan had been able to touch Xiaodan from the start.

Ying yue had never thought about it, he had never given a demon the chance to touch his sword before, he hadn't known that it wasn't possible for them.

»This sword belonged to Xiao Lian. So the Bai clan are descendants of the man she tried to protect,« Ying yue said.

»She would be disappointed if she could see him now. This Bai An rong has nothing in common with the man she went to battle for back then,« Zhen yan remarked. »But she would be really proud of you. Xiaodan has sought out a new master after tens of thousands of years, and has chosen wisely,« he added. Ying yue undressed, down to his underwear, and let Zhen yan pull him onto the bed.

»If I could just meet her once, I would tell her thank you,« he remarked. Zhen yan pulled him close, leaving hardly any space between them.

»If I could meet her again, I would proudly show her my husband,« he whispered. Ying yue turned his head to Zhen yan familiarly.

»We already have the blessings of the gods,« he said.

»Have you gone sentimental on me, my dear?« Zhen yan laughed.

»A'yue? ... A'yue?« the demon called to him gently.

Bai Ying yue looked at Zhen yan's profile from the side. In the clear light of the sun shining through the window, his skin glowed white as snow. His black flowing hair, which he wore neatly and elegantly coiffed, stood in stark contrast to it. His bushy eyebrows were slightly raised and his dark, emerald-green eyes were fixed on him.

Ying yue's eyes swept over Zhen yan's straight nose, high cheekbones and full lips. His heart contracted painfully as he looked at the deeply attractive demon. »Am I a pleasing sight?« Zhen yan asked suddenly, his lips curving into a smile.

Ying yue had been so lost in thought that he hadn't even noticed how he had leaned further and further against him, and quickly lowered his gaze. He felt the blush cover his face and color the tips of his ears. »How mean you are,« Zhen yan laughed. »Not a kind word ever comes from your lips!« Bai Ying yue,« the demon said more gently.

»This time I'm more careful.« Ying yue almost jumped up again, but Zhen yan had already grabbed him and dragged him next to him. »Was it that... horrible?« Zhen yan asked quietly. Ying yue's head shot up and he looked directly at Zhen yan. The demon looked dejected, like someone who didn't know how to make amends.

»No, it wasn't horrible,« he answered truthfully. Zhen yan's head shot up. Shocked, Ying yue added, ‚But it hurt, okay. Damn it, I couldn't walk properly for three days, let alone ride sensibly,' he defended himself. He couldn't bear to see the devastating face Zhen yan made, it tore his heart apart. When the hell had he fallen hopelessly in love? Was it only in the past few days? No, this restlessness, the heart pounding and the nervousness had been haunting him for a longer time.

Did he already succumb to him in his estate? Carefully, Zhen yan pulled him onto his lap. Cold panic broke out in the young swordsman, but the demon just wrapped his arms around him and embraced him. After a while, he said, »I'm sorry!« Ying yue felt his breath on the bend of his neck, the tight embrace. Heat rose inside of him and he squirmed. Zhen yan sank even deeper, hugging him even tighter. »Stop,« he commanded in a rough voice.

Only now, when Ying yue's movement ended abruptly, could he feel the long, hard object he was sitting on.

»A'yue,« Zhen Yan's voice was like a dark whisper. He loosened the arms he had crossed around his lower abdomen and ran his hands up Ying Yue's hips to his chest. He automatically stretched out under the touch, so that Zhen Yan's tongue could caress his neck and cover it with kisses. His breathing quickened. The scent of plum blossoms filled his nostrils, Zhen yan smelled of plum blossoms.

A sigh escaped his throat. He knew he would, Zhen yan would take every opportunity he could, now that he no longer had to fear rejection. The demon slid under Ying yue's robe and released it from his shoulders. Ying yue trembled, not with excitement but with fear. Zhen yan paused. He swallowed, unable to let go of him.

No matter how much self-control he showed, every second that passed made it even more unbearable for him and more dangerous for Ying yue. He lifted the young man up and sat him on his lap, facing him. He ran his fingertips along Ying yue's collar. Zhen yan pulled the ribbon out of Ying yue's hair. As soon as Ying yue had blinked, he had already loosened his belt and half of his robe was off.

Although he wanted to protest again, he gritted his teeth. The demon was much more affectionate than the first time. His lips glided gently over Ying yue's neck, her Adam's apple and her collarbone. His tongue left a burning trail on Ying yue's skin. His hands wandered down Ying yue's body and dug deep into his flesh. With both hands, he pressed Ying yue's buttocks against his body and massaged his cheeks.

He pinched and kneaded her alternately, until Ying yue could hardly stand the pain anymore. Zhen yan had much more strength than a normal mortal, and in such a situation, in which he was already struggling with restraint and self-control, he had no control over his strength. »Ah...« Ying yue let out a loud cry of pain.

To appease the demon a little, Ying yue bent down and awkwardly kissed him. Even though he had improved a lot since the beginning, it still took a lot of effort for him to take this step on his own initiative. It worked. Zhen yan paused for a moment and gently caressed the red, maltreated skin.

Bolder, Ying yue's fingers slid under the loosened black robe of the demon and wrapped around his neck to pull him closer. Surprisingly, Zhen yan's movements melted under his hands and he did exactly what Ying yue wanted him to do. He boldly brushed his robes from his shoulders so that they could caress and stroke their naked chests.

»A'yue,« Zhen yan's voice was much deeper and darker than usual. His voice trembled as he buried his mouth in his neck and bit gently.

»I'll be more careful this time,« he gasped. Then he let go of Ying yue and pulled a vial out of his sleeve. Ying yue's eyes fell on it, and he eyed the vessel suspiciously. »Almond oil,« Zhen yan replied curtly. »What for?« Ying yue asked suspiciously.

»Against dryness, against pain,« the demon replied. He freed the rest of Ying yue's body from the robe and dripped some of the oil onto his hard tip. The oil felt cold for a moment, then heated up under Zhen yan's fingers as he rubbed it in, but within seconds it became an inferno. Carefully, the demon lifted his hips and laid him on the floor before pouring more oil over him and dripping it on the floor at his hips and buttocks.

Zhen yan knelt between Ying yue's thighs and wandered with his massage further and further down until he finally slowly penetrated Ying yue's back opening with his index finger. Although it immediately clenched, it didn't hurt and after a few minutes he relaxed again. With one hand, Zhen yan massaged Ying yue's hot, pulsating arousal, with the other he now carefully stretched the rear entrance with two fingers.

He penetrated deeper and deeper until his fingers touched something inside Ying yue that resonated coldly and clearly inside him. The sounds coming out of his mouth went up an octave and he involuntarily lifted his hips.

Zhen yan gently pushed him back down and held his hips with gentle pressure while he added a third finger. Trembling and covered in sweat, he watched as Ying yue's muscular body tensed under his hands, as if he wanted to fight him at every moment, but at the same time longed for more closeness.

Ying yue's voice cracked with every sigh and groan. Helplessly, his hands slid up and down Zhen yan, as if he was looking for something to hold on to. Zhen yan bent over him further, allowing Ying yue to embrace him with his arms. He felt his hot hands move over his back and the firm clasp of his legs around his hips. The hot oil dripped onto the floor as Zhen yan stretched him further and further, sliding in and out of him in rhythmic movements.

Ying yue arched up under him in protest. Finally, he took Zhen yan's hand, which he had been using to torture him continuously, and gently pulled it away from his hard shaft. His hands slid over Zhen yan's cheeks, to his hair around his head, and pulled him down to him. Their lips were only centimeters apart. Ying yue opened his red eyes. They reflected desire and lust. A dark haze of arousal had settled over them. He opened his mouth, ran his tongue over his lips and closed it again. He gritted his teeth, fought with himself before opening it again.

»Kiss... me,« he ordered quietly, restrained. Zhen yan gave him what he wanted immediately and sealed Ying yue's lips with his. He plunged his tongue deep into Ying yue's mouth. He tasted the rest of the alcohol and rice from the Lord's Supper and absorbed it all. Panting, they broke away from each other.

»Come...« Ying yue mumbled. Zhen yan smiled mischievously.

»Excuse me? I can't hear you,« he whispered back and pushed with his fingers violently. Ying yue moaned and clung to him even harder. He closed his eyes and turned his face away.

»... in... me,« he mumbled even louder, while he tried to shield his bright red head from Zhen yan. Zhen yan enjoyed the shame and his restrained hesitation. Although his self-control was at an end, he wanted to tease Ying yue a little longer. He put aside his arm, behind which the young swordsman had hidden, and gave him an intense kiss.

»I'm afraid you're not making yourself clear, my dear,« he teased him. Ying yue wrapped his arms around Zhen yan's neck and pressed him close to his body. After what felt like an eternity, he said through gritted teeth, »Take me like you did last time. Without mercy, no self-control, as hard as you can. Until I feel nothing but you,« he gasped.

Zhen yan wanted to look at him, but Ying yue didn't let go and buried his head on the demon's chest. All Zhen yan could see were the bright red tips of his ears.

»Ha,« he gasped. There was nothing he wouldn't do for Ying yue. »As you wish!« He rose and let a handful of oil flow over his hand and fingertips directly into Yingyue before she gently withdrew and pushed against him with something hotter and bigger. Ying yue was so aroused that the fear inside him didn't stand a chance of rising, his feelings, the desire and the sweet pain inside him

completely consumed the panic. When Zhen yan entered him, he felt the size and the heat, but the pain was gone. He was much more relaxed and much more heated, read the last time around the campfire. Almost immediately, the demon reached the spot that he had already driven her crazy with his fingers. Ying yue lifted his hips.

With a little practice, Zhen yan could tell from his body language where it felt good and how deep he could penetrate. He pushed hard and deep. Ying yue cried out briefly, lifted his hips and spread his legs a little more. Zhen yan let out a deep growl as he grabbed him by the hips, held on and drove him further and further into madness with hard, passionate thrusts. Y

ing yue's voice broke, the usually serious, worried expression vanished. She trembled with lust and ecstasy, caressing Zhen yan's ears and driving him on and on. Enraptured, he watched the body below him, enjoying every single thrust and taking it deep inside.

Ying yue bent more and more towards him. Zhen yan grabbed his hips and lifted her up, turning her onto his stomach with a sweeping motion and pulling his hips towards him so that his buttocks were raised into the air. Ying yue mumbled, still dazed, but Zhen yan bent over him, fixed his neck with one hand while he held his hip in position with the other, and pushed even harder this time. »Zhen yan!« Ying yue called.

The demon paused briefly, and it took him a moment to realize that Ying yue hadn't admonished him, but had moaned his name with relish. He dug his fingers deep into Ying yue's flesh and held him close. Slow at first, he thrust harder and more passionately, watching, on the edge of reason, as Ying yue's moans grew deeper and higher, telling him where he had to hit to give him the greatest possible pleasure.

Ying yue's arms, with which he supported himself on the ground, gave way. The demon let go of his neck and wrapped his hand around Ying yue's member. He massaged it along with the pleasurable thrusts. His shaft lay hot and pulsating in his hand. Soft as velvet and yet as hard as iron. Zhen yan pushed them together ever further towards the climax.

Just when he thought it would tear him apart inside. Ying yue drew in her breath sharply and a split second later Zhen yan felt everything inside him tense. Before the hot, white seed spilled over his fingers and the floor. Ying yue gasped and went limp under him.

Zhen yan carefully let him slide to the ground and withdrew from him. The traces of his climax also seeped gently out of Ying yue and flowed down the inside of his thighs. Zhen yan reached for his robe and covered Ying yue with it before lifting him up and carrying him gently to the bed. Ying yue wrapped his arms around him, wordlessly pulled the demon towards him and they both snuggled up close before drifting off into a deep sleep.