Chapter 12:The Devil's Offer.
"It's exciting to see you like this, stomping on your stupid ego, having you begging under me like the little helpless rascal you're,"Changsun Yue flashed him one of his signature psychotic smiles and finally released him.
The boy wrapped his tiny fingers around his arm ,the pain of whatever had been done to his arm lingering there. The wound had gotten worse and he had to treat it again. Ma Chen after spending a whole hour to convince Situ Heng to allow him to tend to the wound,wiped the blood off his friend's injured arm and wrapped a piece of cloth around it.
Despite the excruciating pain Situ Heng felt,Ma Chen finally lulled him to sleep. In the middle of the night,while the boys were asleep, Changsun Yue carried out his plans as usual without worrying one of the boys might actually catch him. He wasn't worried about getting caught,he just wanted his business to run smoothly and night time happened to be the convenient time for it. He had done it several times before,after delivering he would even go into forests to collect wildflowers and other fragrant plants that he needed to make his perfumes.
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In the morning,the two younger boys woke up later than Changsun Yue. They didn't expect to sleep so comfortably considering the situation they were in.
"Yue Shi Xiong,good morning,"Situ Heng greeted,his voice laced with amusement.
"Good morning little toad,"Changsun Yue replied with the same tone. He loved giving people degrading nicknames just for the thrill of it.
"Last night I had a nightmare and finally I managed to wake up. I looked around but one of the mattresses was empty.So I wondered where has Yue Shi Xiong gone ? Is there a secret room that he sleeps in? But then this hall doesn't have any extra room. So I'm still wondering where Yue Shi Xiong was,"Situ Heng narrated his sarcastic story with a smirk tainting his face. Last night he was deep asleep and Ma Chen was the one who found out about it first and woke him up and informed him . He was planning to use it against Changsun Yue.
"What do you think Shifu will do if I give him this precious information?" Then his eyes decorated with mischief, sarcasm and excitement flickered towards the older in the room.
"Little toad, you're very alert indeed. If I didn't want you to find out,I wouldn't have gone out last night. Wouldn't it be interesting to squeeze out your pathetic life and get rid of your nosy ass?Now that you have dirt on me,why should I keep you alive?"Changsun Yue threatened in a low dangerous yet slightly sultry voice. Plus his beautiful psychotic smile,the mischievous glint in his dark eyes ,someone would think the context was a romantic one if it weren't for the choice of words. Changsun Yue then stood up and walked towards them,his facial expressions communicating his intentions vividly.
"Stay away from me!"Situ Heng screamed and rolled over and stumbled while getting up. Lucky him that the door opened and other disciples came in to deliver their breakfast. As usual a bowl of soup and two steamed buns.
"What kind of breakfast is this?"Situ Heng cringed spitting the spoonful of soup he had consumed,"It's so tasteless."
"Heng,you should try to eat it . There won't be any lunch being delivered,"Ma Chen informed him.
"What?! That's so unfair."
Situ Heng forced himself to eat the food for his own survival. Ma Chen was right - lunch wasn't delivered to them. Situ Heng squirmed on the mattress, soothing his grumbling stomach that was now demanding his attention. He kept tossing and turning on the mattress. He knew he shouldn't but he couldn't help but take glances at Changsun Yue's untouched breakfast. He tried to ignore it but he couldn't anymore. He sneakily stretched out his arm to reach for the bowl of soup and steamed buns but the owner yanked them away before he could even lay a finger on them.
"If you're not eating them can I have them?" Situ Heng requested.
"Shouldn't you go tell Shifu about the precious information so he can release you from your suffering?"Changsun Yue mocked him.
Changsun Yue carried the bowl of soup and buns and walked towards the window to throw them away. Situ Heng knelt behind him tugging at his robes begging him to let him have the food. Situ Heng couldn't believe he would be on his knees begging his enemy for a bowl of tasteless cold soup and buns.
Changsun Yue ignored the boy's pleas and took his time pouring the soup out like someone pleasurably pouring wine into a glass. He tore the buns into pieces and threw them away.
"Little toad it's quite enjoyable watching you from this angle,"Changsun Yue smirked.
"Why didn't you let me have it?" Situ Heng questioned,tears welling up in his eyes.
Changsun Yue walked away leaving the boy still kneeling, clutching on his stomach.
"Little toad,let me ask you, if you're given lamb skewers together with handmade noodles with soybean paste and walnut cake or hotpot with thinly sliced beef,tofu and vegetables together with sesame dipping sauce and Chinese rice wine what will you choose?" Changsun Yue asked making a fake thinking face. He was enjoying torturing the starving boy after mentioning sumptuous meals.
"The hotpot one,"the boy said weakly. He was tired of Changsun Yue's torturous games but he knew the older would make him talk even if he didn't want to.
"Good choice. Come here,"Changsun Yue gestured him to move closer.
The younger helplessly crawled towards him. Changsun Yue got his bag that was covered unde the quilt and opened it displaying different kinds of cakes and snacks- osmanthus cakes, jujube cakes, candied hawthorns and walnut cakes.
"Choose the ones you want,"the older offered extending them towards the needy boy.
Situ Heng blinked several times before coming into terms with the reality that the cakes were real . Their aroma filled the place making his stomach grumble loudly. He cautiously extended his arm and pounced on them with his hand, afraid that they will be snatched away from him.
"Just take the ones you think are enough,"Changsun Yue said in a softer voice to reassure the boy. Situ Heng stuffed the cakes in his mouth like a starving wolf , crumbles of cake dirtying his lips and cheeks but that didn't matter at that moment.
"You..."Changsun Yue pointed at Ma Chen,"Come here,"Changsun Yue ordered.
Ma Chen let his feeble legs carry him towards Changsun Yue and he was given the same offer.
"Yue Shi Xiong,the cakes are so sweet,"Situ Heng exclaimed,now eating a candied hawthorn.
"If you come with me tonight, you'll get to eat whatever you want."
"Even the hotpot that you mentioned?" Situ Heng asked in disbelief.
"Of course. I know a place that serves meals all day and all night long. If you're willing I'll show you the secret spot."
"I'm in ,"Situ Heng said excitedly,not taking much time to consider the offer or even analyze its pros and cons.
"What if we get caught?"Ma Chen asked worriedly.
"I will help you guys disguise yourselves. I will guide you on how to manoeuver through the sect's mechanisms."
"Okay,"the younger boys agreed .
That was it - they were hooked already. The devil's offer was too good to resist. Rather than suffer in the Disciplinary Hall eating bland food while getting attacked by mosquitoes occasionally, they'd rather sneak out with their meticulous sect brother and get a sumptuous meal that they hadn't been able to have for a while since the training started.
Changsun Yue was considering on creating a win-win situation out of it. He would get the boys to satisfy their desires, get them hooked to a point of no return and recruit them as his henchmen to help him deliver the perfumes on the days he didn't feel like delivering. The cakes were just bait to lure them to accept his offer and the fish caught it.
When night came,the three boys got ready and snuck out of the sect and the devil delivered his end of the deal.