A commotion made Ying yue sit up. He had just put the finishing touches to the jade when he heard the guards calling and swords clanking.
»How dare they?« bellowed a massive, deep voice. »We come as guests and how are we treated?«
The whirring of daggers and clanking of chains filled the air. »Master, let's find Bai Gongzi and leave, we're not welcome here,« a lighter, friendly voice said.
Ying yue stood up, grabbed Xiaodan and opened the door. With a few steps, he had crossed the hallways and stood in one of the countless back gardens of the estate. He followed the noise, when suddenly a blade whizzed past his nose and knocked out a guard who had come running. He read the name engraved on it clearly and distinctly. Shengsi.
»Xueling, Wei meng!« he shouted. The rumbling died down for a moment. Wei meng leaped out of a corner and greeted him with a beaming smile from his unkempt face. »Bai Gongzi?« Xueling dangled headfirst from the pavilion's roof and turned her head to get a better look at him.
»Wang Gongzi sent us. However, your father threw the scroll he sent at us and told us to leave,« she said, dropping to the gravel. As lithe as a cat, she landed on her feet. »I'm sorry for the commotion, but Wang Gongzi has stated emphatically that you must receive this instruction at all costs,« she said, bowing respectfully.
Xueling took the golden scroll from her belt and handed it to Ying yue. When more guards came running, he stood in front of the two of them. The soldiers, dressed in dark blue and silver uniforms, surrounded them uneasily. Ying yue was effectively under house arrest, but he was still a son of the Bai family, and they did not dare to raise their swords against him.
»Where is my father?« he asked. One of the men stepped forward hesitantly. Ying yue recognized him as a former training partner, but couldn't remember his name.
»The head has retreated to the reception hall and is consulting with the officials,« he replied. Ying yue nodded and lifted the scroll.
»I'll go to my father and take them with me,« he declared emphatically, giving the men present a stern, serious look. Although they looked doubtful, she nodded and sheathed her swords. On the way through the branching corridors and outbuildings, Ying yue unrolled the parchment and scanned the message.
The head of the Wang clan, Wang Bing Yang, had appointed his eldest son Wang Bing wen as the leader of the troops against the Yao and asked for the support of all clans. All available cultists were to gather for a banquet hosted by the Gao clan to discuss how to proceed against the demons pouring out. From the Bai Clan, Bai Ying yue and Zhen yan were specifically asked to join the endeavor.
»What does this mean?« an angry voice shouted just before he reached the reception hall. Ying yue pushed the scroll together and looked up. Before him stood Lingxi's furious, beet-red head.
»You said you weren't interested in family matters,« he said angrily, glaring at him. Xueling looked up from behind Ying yue and scrutinized the wiry, slender young man.
»Is this your Didi?« she asked, with a hint of curiosity in her otherwise emotionless voice. Lingxi blushed even more when he saw Xueling. He was ashamed of his behavior, but quickly regained his composure. »Why is the head of the Wang sending for you? Just you?« he asked angrily.
»So that I can die at the front and not you,« Ying yue replied.
Lingxi's expression briefly slipped.
»Pardon?« he asked weakly. Ying yue took a step forward, followed by Xueling and Wei meng.
»This was a matter I wanted to discuss with father if he hadn't ignored me so persistently,« Ying yue began, barely holding back his anger.
»The Gao clan is surely not planning to have a mere conversation. It was Gao Hong yi who pushed me down the Wushan and tried to kill me.«
He took another step forward, Xueling and Wei meng followed again, and now Lingxi had to make way if he didn't want to be overrun by the trio.
Ying yue grabbed his little brother by the arm and pulled him into the reception hall. His father sat on his chair, above all those present, and gave his eldest son a cool look when he entered. Bai Furen immediately took charge of her son and pulled Lingxi away from Ying yue.
»I didn't allow you to leave your room,« Bai An rong said sternly. Ying yue went down on one knee in front of his father and bowed. Xueling and Wei meng exchanged a doubtful look, but decided against bowing as well and watched the scene from a few steps away, ready to intervene should the situation escalate.
»Father, please allow me to participate in Wang Gongzi's troop movement. I would have liked to tell you everything in more detail, but we don't have time for that now,« he explained. An rong raised his head in surprise. Had his son just made a request? Ying yue had never asked for anything on his own before. The man, in his mid-fifties, with grizzled hair and a carefully trimmed beard, snorted angrily.
»An rong!« Bai Deng Hui intervened. »This is a big deal, we should send Lingxi and Yi Rui qin, not him!« she said, giving Ying yue a disparaging look. »Alliances are forged there, you should send your future heir...« Bai Anrong raised his hand, silencing Bai Furen. His gaze rested on Yingyue. There was neither warmth nor affection in it. He was cold and calculating.
»Bai Furen is right,« he said.
»With all due respect, this is about troop movements, not long-winded conversations. Surely you don't want to send Lingxi to the middle of the Daiyu Plains and the hosts of the Yao,« Ying yue replied testily. Now An rong's features slipped after all.
»You take too much for granted, boy!« he thundered. ‚First you laugh at that useless demon, and then you try to stand out with your deeds in Shuisheng and the Fubai senlin, not to mention that you also hunted the demonic bride Mei Ling on your own,' he shouted angrily.
»I did what I was asked to do. How could I refuse a request from Wang Gongzi himself?« Ying yue asked in return.
»How does Wang Bing wen even dare to give you personal orders without going through the official channels first?« An rong thundered back. »I wonder who is conspiring with whom?«
»I would love to answer that question!« a calm, deep voice said. A shiver ran down Ying yue's spine. Black-green smoke rose from the ground, wafting through all the openings and cracks and winding across the floor. All those present backed away in panic.
When the smoke reached Ying yue, it wrapped itself around his legs, crawled up him and greeted him like an affectionate little pet. He slid under his robes, licked his skin and when he reached his face, hands formed on his face and gently caressed his cheek.
The smoke cleared and revealed Zhen yan, who was hugging Ying yue tightly from behind. »Ha!« Wei meng pointed at the demon. »There he is,« he said cheerfully. Xueling greeted the demon respectfully and took a step back when the smoke not only spat out him but also a second huddled figure. Yi Rui Qin was dragging himself along the ground with a groan. He was covered in blood, gasping and gurgling for air.
»He didn't even take half as many spear stabs as I did,« Zhen yan remarked smugly. Ying yue reached for Zhen yan's arm, which was wrapped around him.
»Were you badly hurt?« he asked, feeling guilty. Zhen yan grinned and snuggled up even closer to him.
»It's nothing, A'yue,« he replied. An rong had stood up, his gaze glancing back and forth between the demon and Ying yue, stunned. Never before had a demon from the Bai dungeon made it out, and there had been quite a few high-ranking prisoners.
»The honorable sword master has just told me what his plan is for the great Bai clan,« said Zhen yan, breaking away from Ying yue to reach for the wounded man.
»Please repeat what you just told me,« he said, and his friendly undertone trailed off. He looked at the man with a murderous intent that made all bystanders tremble.
»What does this mean?« Bai An rong asked, stunned.
»To be honest, I asked Zhen yan to be captured,« Ying yue replied. ‚When I met Mei ling, I also met Gao Hong yi, the man who pushed me down the Wushan. The last thing he said before he was devoured by an undead was, ‚Yi Rui qin's name,'« he said.
»I expected you wouldn't believe me, father, let alone ask him yourself.« A shadow flitted across Ying yue's face. ‚I'm sorry, but I need to know why he allied with the Gao-Clan!'
»These are unfounded allegations,« Bai Deng hui shouted angrily. »You can't prove any of your words.« Ying yue's gaze slid to his stepmother, who had buried her fingernails deep into Lingxi's shoulders.
Lingxi himself seemed too shaken by the whole scenario to say anything. That was true, and in the past he wouldn't have brought it up either. He wouldn't have told anyone that he had been pushed off the Wushan, he wouldn't have told anyone about Hong yi, and he certainly would never have asked for help.
But things were different. He now had someone who was with him, who believed him and was there for him. To his surprise, he realized that it wasn't just Zhen yan. There were also Xueling and Wei meng. Two Youxia who trusted him and his words because they had fought together and built trust. Without prejudice.
They had confronted the Bai Clan guards to deliver the message to him. Even Wang Bing wen had become a confidant, not least because it was the first time he could talk openly about everything. In fact, it didn't matter what his father or Bai Furen thought about it. It never had. He did things for himself now. He turned to Yi Rui qin.
The Bai clan was still his family, Lingxi was still one of the most important people, and that was all the reason he had asked Zhen yan to wait.
The demon would have, if it had been up to him. Just march into the estate, cut the sword master into pieces and leave. Ying yue had wanted to sort things out, he would have liked to talk to his father about everything. He hadn't expected to be able to put aside their differences or even to part on good terms. But at least he would have liked the chance to be heard.
He looked into the eyes of the man who was still seething with rage, but with much more fear, as he cowered on the ground. Zhen yan had broken his legs.
»Why?«
Black-green smoke snaked over the man's skin, but unlike with Ying yue, it wasn't peaceful or even benevolent. The skin formed blisters, burst open, and the flesh hissed under the unyielding, magical attacks. Yi Rui Qin coughed, blood stuck to his throat, and he had to cough and gag before he could get a sound out.
»We wanted to get rid of you. To make it clear once and for all that you can never become the leader,« he said quietly and hoarsely. Ying yue sighed. The same old story over and over again.
»Why the Gao clan, what did you get out of it?« Ying yue asked. Yi Rui qin looked first at Bai An rong, then at Bai Deng hui, who glared angrily at the floor at her feet, and finally his gaze fell on Lingxi.
Ying yue angrily grasped the man's chin and turned him around so that he had to look at him. The sword master wanted to spit in his face, but the blood and saliva turned into hissing wisps of smoke and Zhen yan raised an eyebrow in warning. Even Xueling and Wei meng had drawn their weapons and everyone waited tensely. Yi Rui qin laughed hoarsely.
»He and the esteemed Bai Furen had planned to get rid of you first, and then your father. As soon as the Gao clan had seized power over the families with the help of the demons from the Daiyu Plains. Your dear brother would have become the puppet of his mother and his master. At least as long as he remains obedient and doesn't ask any questions, of course,« Zhen yan replied.
»The demon lies!« Bai Furen shrieked, seething with rage, and Lingxi groaned under the strength of her claws.
»I'm pretty sure you would have believed every word he told you after he tortured me, too,« Zhen yan retorted testily. Bai An rong had kept his mouth open the whole time. He no longer knew what to believe or whom.
»Get lost!« he finally roared and pointed at Ying yue. ‚Get lost and leave my family alone. Whatever contract you made with that demon, this family won't bow to you,' he shouted, enraged. Ying yue was tired of explaining how little this family meant to him by now. He turned to Lingxi.
»It's no longer safe for you here,« he said to his little brother. He could still remember the day when he had crept into his room to his cradle. How Lingxi had smiled at him without any of the prejudices of a newborn and reached for his hand. His brother had been influenced, but he was neither as corrupt nor as power-hungry as his mother.
»I doubt that it's safer with you!« Lingxi replied, trembling.
His mother still had a firm hold on him. He looked down at his master. He swallowed, »Is that true?« he asked. »Of course not!« Bai Furen shrieked angrily and shook her son. Yi Rui Qin groaned.
»The Bai Clan, I wanted to see how far it could make it. You could have flown so high, Bai He Gongzi,« he said weakly. ‚Sometimes you have to replace the old with the new. Break new ground. I would have followed you to the end of the world.
But Gao Teng, he does not tolerate failure. Now that your brother has interfered, he will destroy the Bai family just as he does everything else that stands in his way,' he gasped.
»Shut up!« Deng Hui shrieked. Lingxi wriggled free of his mother's grip. Tears stung his eyes. His dark hair, which he wore in a high ponytail, glistened in the setting sun. The pain of betrayal by the two people he had trusted the most was deep. He opened his mouth but couldn't utter a sound. An rong had slumped down in his seat. He seemed to have lost his mind.
‚If you leave, don't ever come back, just like your brother,' he mumbled. ‚Bai Lingxi!' Ying yue shouted louder. Lingxi looked at him. His gaze broke his heart. He didn't know what to say or do to ease the pain. He had been used to betrayal, disrespect and hostility all his life, but he knew exactly how each of these stabs hurt.
»We should go now,« Wei meng murmured, giving Xueling a warning look. Xueling nodded and nudged the demon. The situation was delicate, too tense. It would take only one word, one wrong move and everything would descend into chaos. One order from Bai An rong would be enough to make all the guards rush at them.
Zhen yan would save Ying yue, but the youxia were also attached to their lives. Zhen yan understood and nodded slightly at the two. He reached for Ying yue's hand.
»Time to go!« he whispered to him. Lingxi, who was still standing there undecided and seemed to be processing all of this, was grabbed by Xueling, who jumped out, and pulled along.
Before anyone could react, she had thrown Shengsi through the air and pulled herself up onto the next roof with the chains of her dagger, together with the flyweight of a boy. Wei meng had vanished without a trace, something no one would have expected of a man of his caliber. Not even footsteps were heard, only trampling.
Zhen yan gave Yi Rui qin a final cold look. The sword master felt every bone in his body break, every blood vessel tear, and the sheer pain of every single cell in his body. Unable to scream or defend himself against it, he sank into a brief moment of eternal pain.
Just as Zhen yan had cut himself off from the world with Xiao Lian back then, he shut the sword master out of reality. Put him in a world close by, without time, without end, without death, where he would suffer the pain of his bursting body forever. Then the entire estate was engulfed in black-green smoke. It lasted only seconds, during which no one could see their hands in front of their eyes. Those who had witnessed what the smoke had done to Yi Rui Qin's skin ran around hysterically and headlessly until they realized that no harm was being done to them. Then it was all over.
The five of them, plus a magnificent black-brown stallion from the stables, had disappeared.
»Let go of me, this is crazy. How can a girl be so strong?« Lingxi tried to free herself from Xueling's grip. The petite girl with the dark hair, black battle robe and daggers that were clearly too big for her build held him tightly in her arms.
»It's easier if you stop fidgeting,« she admonished him. When they were out of sight and hearing range of the estate, she finally let him go.
»You heard what that sword master said. Do you think the scouts of the Gao clan will leave you alone just because you are ignorant?« she asked calmly.
»I'm not ignorant,« Lingxi defended himself. Xueling looked him straight in the eye. Lingxi squirmed uncomfortably; usually people would lower their gaze when talking to him. But the young woman was blunt and direct.
»I don't know you. But I know your brother as an honest and righteous fighter, and I respect that. That's why I took you with me according to his wish,« she said.
»I understand that this must all be a great shock for you. You have lost everything you believed in in one fell swoop. But you are not the only one to whom unjust things happen. All over the world, there are people who have to struggle with their fate every day, so GET YOURSELF TOGETHER NOW!« While she had spoken, she had only made things worse.
Lingxi's reddened eyes filled with tears again, and before she knew it, he had rushed off. Xueling didn't know what else to do but to send Shengsi after him, and so a few minutes later, Lingxi was unconsciously tied to a tree when Wei meng, Zhen yan and Ying yue showed up.
»What happened?« Ying yue asked, feeling for Lingxi's pulse. Xueling crossed her arms. She shrugged.
»He lost consciousness while trying to escape,« she said. Ying yue looked up at Xueling. Since his brother was not injured any further, he left it at that.
»What do we do now, Bai Gongzi?« Wei meng asked, gently lifting Lingxi's chin with the tip of his saber. Ying yue put the weapon aside.
»The parchment says we are to meet with Wang Gongzi in an inn near the Gao border. In two weeks. That's not much time,« he considered. If they left immediately, they would just make it.
»Xueling Guniang, Wei Qianbei, I beg you, to take Lingxi to the Wang clan. It will be the safest place if the Gao Teng declares war on us,« he pleaded with the two.
Wei meng narrowed his eyes.
»And you'll get the credit together with your spouses again, or what?« he snapped back. Ying yue bowed before the shaggy man.
»I don't think there will be any credit on this battlefield. I beg you to take my brother to a safe place. He's all I have left of my blood relatives. He needs time to understand what has happened. Time in a place where he won't be influenced,« he said quietly.
Ying yue saw the treetops in the distance, somewhere where the white roofs of the Bai estate were hidden. He wasn't even half as calm as he appeared to be on the outside. Even if there was nothing there that he associated with good memories or even a childhood. The thought that all of this would soon collapse, with or without the intervention of Gao Teng fei's men, pained him. Xueling finally gave in.
»We'll get Bai er Gongzi to safety and then do what we do best,« she said with a sigh. Zhen yan raised an eyebrow.
»And what would that be?« he asked lightly.
»We take care of those who are forgotten. We try to evacuate the villages and towns closest to the Daiyu Plain. You cultists hardly think about the civilians,« she retorted pointedly.
Ying yue turned away from the trees and looked at the petite and surprisingly strong girl.
»Sorry,« he said. Xueling just shrugged. She released the unconscious Lingxi from the chains and Wei meng hoisted him over his back. He looked back and forth between the large demon and the muscular swordsman. Then he grumbled:
»Good luck and don't worry, we'll crush the Yao that escape you.« Zhen yan's mouth twitched briefly, then he nodded and waved goodbye to the two as they quickly disappeared through the thicket. Zhen yan held the reins of the stallion, who chewed on some reachable leaves indifferently. This horse didn't scare anything or anyone anymore. He gently stroked Ying yue's cheek and raised his face.
»Time to save the world,« he said gently. A mischievous smile stole onto his face and Ying yue sensed trouble. Zhen yan let go of the reins and now held his face in both hands. His dark eyes slid over Ying yue's lips and nose and searched for his dark pupils. »When you said that you wanted to live with me on Wushan after all this... were you serious?« he asked quietly.
Ying yue felt him blushing. He nodded awkwardly. Yes, he had been completely serious. A smile spread over Zhen yan's usually so arrogant face. He seemed vulnerable, young and no longer like a big, bad demon. He leaned down to him and sought Ying yue's lips. He gave him a surprisingly gentle, but long kiss before he broke away.
»You heard that?« Ying yue mumbled embarrassedly as Zhen yan helped him onto the horse and sat down behind him. The demon snuggled up against him from behind. ‚I heard everything... everything!' He said emphatically and held out his hand.
Ying yue cleared his throat as he spurred the horse on to a gallop. »It's not ready yet!« he said. Zhen yan grumbled crossly.
»If you carve any deeper, the jade will become thin and fragile,« he grumbled.
»That... I... soon. Just a little more,« Ying yue defended himself and galloped along the narrow, winding paths.