The next morning, many things happened simultaneously on both floors of Zhu Yan's mansion, starting on the first one, where Zhuo Yixuan awoke to the pleasant surprise of finding Li Lun, embracing him throughout the night. Which was unusual, as Yixuan usually woke up alone, even if Li Lun came to him and stay for a while. Once he fell asleep, the handsome great demon, would kiss his forehead and leave the room.
"Li Lun..." Yixuan whispered as he opened his eyes to look at his lover, and beautiful black pools of eyes gazed back at him. Then, a gentle smile graced his face, and Li Lun delicately brushed a stray hair from one side of his head.
"Hi there, are you alright? How are you feeling?" Li Lun asked, looking at him with genuine curiosity, which made Yixuan laugh, instantly.
"Why are you asking me that, of all things? Should I be asking you the same, oh great demon Li Lun? After all, we both made love to each other." Yixuan asked cheerfully, while Li Lun responded with a chuckle.
"Hey, don't blame me for being awkward first thing in the morning. I already told you I'm just starting to learn how to interact with humans in a more, less great demon way. That's why I get out of your bed before you wake up," Li Lun complained, and was about to let go, but Yixuan pulled him back toward him, to where he belonged and give him a quick kiss to pacify him.
"Alright, that's fine... And to answer your question, yes, I'm fine. More than fine, I haven't felt this good in a long time. And you..." Yixuan gently touched Li Lun's nose with his finger, "...you're the reason, of course." He finished, and Li Lun playfully pretended to bite his finger, but Yixuan quickly retrieved it, laughing. Then, Li Lun pulled him closer and kissed him repeatedly with fatherly caresses, which only made Yixuan smile even more, trying to stop him.
"Li Lun!" he laughed as his demon kissed his neck and then down his shoulder.
"I like it when you smile and laugh... honestly, it's such a beautiful sight." Li Lun stopped teasing and looked at him again.
"I like your smiles too, but we should get up. I slept longer than usual..."
"That's because what we shared last night, finally brought you what you were looking for. So you slept quite soundly. By the way... there's something I need to confess to you..." Li Lun pulled Yixuan atop him, effortlessly, and Yixuan's long, loose hair cascaded down his back, ribs, and arms, like silky black waterfalls. The only thing that hide his skin from Li Lun's view.
"Can you wait until I get dressed?" Yixuan asked, gazing at the magnificent naked demon beneath him.
"I may not have Zhu Yan's one-word spell-casting prowess, but I have my own ways... though I must say, I like what I see right now." Yixuan laughed again.
"Me too, very much... but I have responsibilities to attend to outside this room, and so do you, right?" he asked, and suddenly, Yixuan was enveloped in a cloud of dark blue demonic energy, feeling a set of clean robes, magically covering his entire body in multiple layers, as if he had dressed itself.
As Yixuan looked down at himself, now sitting on Li Lun's lap, dressed in his usual black hanfu, he chuckled to himself at the fact, that his great demon had chosen to dress him in shades of green and brown, in both dark and light tones. The fabric was soft, and he had a green hairpin in the shape of leaves, with two thin silver chains falling along his long hair, similar to the chains Yichen like to wear.
"What? Don't you like my choice?" Li Lun asked playfully when he saw Yixuan look at himself in surprise. "To be honest, I think they suit you. As a pagoda tree, I'd like you to wear my true colors. And besides, it makes you look like an enchanted fairy." Hearing that, Yixuan raised an eyebrow mischievously. He was asking for it.
"Oh? You like fairies? Don't tell me you have a Fey lover waiting for you, somewhere in the demon world. Wait, do they even exist?" Yixuan asked teasingly.
"They do, but not in a realm that humans or demons can reach. And no, I don't have a thing for fairies, and I don't have a Fey lover, but I do have a very handsome golden dragon deity sitting on my lap right now. And he's not just my lover, since I claimed him as my husband last night." Yixuan's previously amused smile, vanished instantly as he looked down at Li Lun. Then, the great demon was overcome by a wave of panic emanating from Yixuan, when he realized that if he had claimed him—as Zhu Yan had been previously warned against doing, for the sake of their mission—they had put them all at risk.
It was something Yixuan would definitely fear to such a degree of panic, as he had always put the well-being of others before his own. However, Li Lun wasn't angry that he feared that his happiness might bring them imminent doom. That was just who he was, even if he didn't like how selfless he was. Therefore, he too sat down and hugged Yixuan while trying to reassure him that everything was alright.
"Don't panic, Yixuan, it's not what you're imagining. My claim wasn't physical, so there's no visible mark on you, nor a demonic scent that other demons could detect, or give them any indication that I'm linked to a human in the deepest way two souls can unite. It was an emotional soul mark, one that only you and I can feel... well, Zhu Yan can too, but that's due to the binding spell and nothing more. So, no, there's nothing to fear. This won't jeopardize our journey to the Crystal Valley." Then Li Lun heard Yixuan release the breath he was holding and relax once more in his arms.
"Yixuan, your happiness will never cost you a thing. You really shouldn't be so selfless. You deserve more, you deserve this level of fulfillment without feeling burdened by duty. Please, cherish yourself more." Li Lun whispered those last words as he released him and cupped Yixuan's face in his hands, then kissed him. A deep, long kiss, meant to show him, that he could be happy without consequences, and Yixuan responded to his kiss with relief, with love and gratitude.
"I'm sorry I panicked so suddenly... so... are we really married, in a demon way?" Yixuan asked, once their kiss ended.
"We are. It wasn't planned, I assure you, but inevitable, given how we were both handling things. You need me, you longed for me for years, even if you didn't know I existed. I felt the same way, so in the end, I couldn't resist. Blame the damned gods if you want to blame someone..." That made Yixuan laugh happily again.
"There's no one to blame anyone. Very well then, my husband, tell me, should we get married in the human way too? If Xiao Chen ever finds out I married you behind his back, he'll be furious with both of us." He could already picture the chaotic scene in his mind, which made him smile.
"He might be a little annoyed, but he won't mind, as long as he knows it makes you happy, and I think I can show him proof of that, since I don't think you've ever laughed as much as you did this morning..." Li Lun's words lingered, and Yixuan couldn't disagree with his statement because, thinking about it, he was absolutely right.
"Alright, let's go now, or my brother might be tempted to come looking for me if he doesn't find me already sitting in the dining room having breakfast." But Li Lun just laughs.
"About that... I don't think anyone will wake up at their usual time this morning. We might even be the first ones out..." And with a quick expansion of his senses over their bond, Yixuan realizes that he was actually right.
"I'm going to make some tea. Come on, we have a whole new life ahead of us, to deepen our marital relationship and many more nights to enjoy it..." Yixuan teased as he got up from Li Lun's lap and out of bed, closely followed by his brand-new husband.
Meanwhile, in another quiet room of the mansion...
An excruciating headache, was the first sensation Pei Siheng experienced, after regaining consciousness that morning. This was unusual for him, because he was only just starting to feel again. He moaned in agony, sensing the warmth of the blankets above, and the softness beneath him, as everything around him spun, even though he was lying in a huge bed.
"Damn it, I definitely got drunk..." he whispered as he finally opened his eyes, seeing his room faintly illuminated by the rising sun.
From the little light filtering through the paper panels of the shoji doors, it was still early, which relieved him, as he would have time to sneak into the kitchen and quietly prepare himself a hangover drink, made of water and honey. That way, he would, at least, look less wasted in his sister's eyes, and a hot bath would do the rest, to relax his stiff muscles he had recently regained.
Without further delay, he sat up in bed and, while placing his hand on his side for better support, he came into contact with a cold, hard metal object that should never be there. Looking down, Siheng saw that the 'metal object' he had touched, was actually Yun Guang in his normal sword form.
"Huh? Yun Guang? What are you doing here?" Siheng asked as he picked up the beautiful ancient sword to examine it better, not expecting an answer, but then... a series of images began to play in his confused mind, and with horror and panic, he threw the sword he was holding, which clattered to the floor with a loud noise. Woken up so abruptly, Yun Guang shifted his form back to human, and sat down on the cold floor, as he stared at Pei Siheng with disbelief and anger.
"What the hell is wrong with you? Why did you throw me like that? I may be a sword, but I deserve better treatment than this," Yun Guang complained, but Pei Siheng was now staring at him with a flushed face.
"You! —he pointed at Yun Guang with a trembling hand— You, you shameless... I should say the same! Are you sure you are not Zhu Yan's sword? What did you do to me last night?!" Siheng shouted as he recalled the events of the previous night.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Surprised by the sudden outburst, Yun Guang looked at the young man as if he had grown a second head.
They were getting along so well after their conversation, and then, they had fun sneaking into the kitchen, just like they had planned erlier. They basically tiptoed in, stealthily and quiet, doing their best not to disturb the cute couple innocently kissing in the backyard.
Upon entering the kitchen, barely illuminated by the faint candlelight, Siheng stumbled over the leg of one of the tall chairs surrounding the kitchen island and nearly fell face first, but Yun Guang grabbed him by the waist and prevented him from falling, while both felt their hearts pounding at the possibility of being discovered. Luckily, the sound of the chair was muffled by Zhu Yan's soundproofing spell, so the loud sound, was not heard, and they sighed in relief. Yun Guang then realized in amusement, that they were acting ridiculous, as there was no need to behave like thieves in their own home.
"This is silly. Why are we tiptoeing in, to grab some wine? It's not that Ying Lei forbade anyone to drink it, and he certainly make a lot, so one or two bottles less, won't make much difference. There's also Zhu Yan's spell, so as long as the windows and doors are closed, which they are, no one will know that we went in and out." Yun Guang explained to the man that he was still holding.
Siheng, realizing that, indeed, Zhu Yan's spell was active, and that even if they threw a party in the middle of the large kitchen, the two lovers outside wouldn't hear anything, make him burst into laughter as Yun Guang helped him up, and then let go of him.
"Sorry, Yun Guang. It seems like I have been hiding from everyone and living in the shadows for far too long. Let's grab some bottles and go back to my room. Come on." This time they walked normally and, after taking what they were looking for, they hurried out, laughing at their foolish antics.
As they climbed the stairs, Yun Guang made sure to infuse a little more power into Pei Siheng's bond to make him feel more alive than before. The process of changing the structure of his wooden body was not easy, as it required a lot of divine power to transform every fiber into flesh. However, as it was the will of the gods, he was able to speed up the process, cultivating within his sword dimension and channeling the energy directly through his thread.
It worked wonders, giving him the opportunity to train with the others, although he still lacked in power. Nevertheless, something was better than nothing, and almost a week later, there was real progress, and he was glad it had worked.
Once inside Pei Siheng's room, they opened their bottles and drank, while telling each other stories of their past. Siheng told Yun Guang about his childhood with his family, about how strict his parents were in his education and training as a future demon hunter. He described how difficult it had been for him, as his body was weak and sickly, while his sister had to train twice as hard, to compensate for his shortcomings.
Overall, it was a sad story. A family of demon hunters who prided themselves on their achievements, that end up forcing the children to shoulder life's responsibilities far too soon. However, his good relationship with his sister kept him grounded, and always striving to improve, if only to ease her burdens. In time, he recovered his health and worked harder, but not hard enough to save his companions or himself. And so, amidst Siheng's sorrowful memories and Yun Guang's longing, they both drank heavily, heedless of the fact that Ying Lei's wine, though sweet, was surprisingly strong.
Little by little, the stories continued, and their minds began to cloud. Yun Guang was a sword, but part of him was bone and blood, so in his human form, his senses could be affected, as happened many times, when he passed out together with Ying Long, completely drunk, while Bing Yi had to take care of both of them, not to mention Zhu Yan, who was still as mischievous as ever. Then, as the last bottle began to empty... something else, completly unexpected happen.
Yun Guang, now fully aware of the chaotic last few hours, before they both passed out, looked at Siheng in more amusement than horror, as the young man bluhed under his deep gaze.
"Do you remember now?" Siheng asked, blushing even more, and rightly so.
To answer the question, yes, he did. At that time, the situation started to heat up, with so much alcohol in their systems. Then, Siheng began to play his flute, which always brought him great joy, a joy he needed to dispel the oppressive atmosphere, and Yun Guang danced, at his request, to his music. He performed an ancient sword dance, one that Bing Yi had performed a few times for Ying Long, but at a certain point, Siheng stopped playing and stared at him intently, as if in a trance. Then, he too wanted to dance, which marked the beginning of an impending disaster.
Why was he like that? Because, drunk on wine, Pei Siheng could barely take a few steps in the right direction, which meant he was constantly tripping over his own feet. It was hilarious to watch him fall so many times, but every time Yung Guang tried to help him up, Siheng would burst into laughter and mumble nonsense. He said things like how handsome he thought, Yung Guang was, of how a sword could move with the grace of a dancer, when he was drunk, or how he emitted a divine blue aura that made him look like a god.
Then it happened. In one of his many attempts to lift him and lay him down on the bed, which he finally managed to do, Siheng dragged him down, and Yun Guang fell on top of him. Normally, that wouldn't have been a problem, just a minor mishap, but he was incredibly heavy. He had always been a sturdy sword, and although in his human form he appeared slender, he was actually a mass of metal, concentrated into a compact form. This meant that when he fell on top of the poor young man, who was just beginning to feel all sorts of sensations after a long time of feeling nothing and barely being able to breathe, his weight completely knocked the wind out of him.
Innocently, Yun Guang tried to replace the lost air with his own, so he used his mouth to transfer air, which Siheng mistook for a kiss.... but even if he had thought it was a kiss, it would have been enough to push him away a little. However, instead, Pei Siheng pulled him closer and demanded more. Heat was already spreading in both of them, so in the end, Yun Guang give in and by the time Siheng pass out, half of their clothes were thrown into the floor and he turn back into his sword form.
"Alright, I admit it, some things got out of control, but it all started with a misunderstanding." Yun Guang tried to explain his actions, although he was already certain the young man wouldn't understand it at all.
"A misunderstanding? You... you kissed me!" Siheng exclaimed, blushing even more.
"It wasn't a kiss, well, at least not the first one. You turned it into a kiss and even started undressing me..."
"I didn't!" Siheng shouted with wide eyes, but on second thought, it seemed like he actually had done that, because his mind was muddled and Yun Guang was so attractive, and they got along so well, even sharing similar experiences, like not being humans, but spirits trapped in vessels. Although Yun Guang was content with his life, he could not deny the fact, that he had remained dormant for centuries, trapped in the inner dimension of his core, alone and lost, until Zhuo Yichen brought him back to life.
"You did it," Yun Guang retorted, and Siheng became even more flustered.
"I was drunk! You could have stopped me... I... I was confused, you were too close, too attractive... Damn it! Why did you have to be so hot?! Can't you look more normal? It's sinful!" Hearing such an argument, Yun Guang burst out laughing. What kind of accusation was that? Being too attractive was sinful? Then, all the gods and demons were destined to meet in hell, which was very funny, if you take it seriously.
"Don't laugh! It's embarrassing... that was my first kiss! And the first time anyone has touched me or tried to undress me..."
"You tried to undress me first!"
"But you're a sword! You could have easily freed yourself from my grasp... or my hands..."
"I didn't see anything wrong with that. Besides, let me remind you that I was also drunk, not to mention that I've been alone for longer than Zhu Yan is alive."
Pei Siheng felt terrible hearing that, but at the same time, he was very confused. Even after they both removed a layer of clothing, he took pleasure in the kisses and caresses, even though he knew he was intoxicated. But what did that mean?
Death, naturally, since Yun Guang was not an ordinary sword, but a divine one, and his present master was a very impulsive young man... and he was about to wake up without the sword, he always carried with him everywhere.
"Damn it! He's going to kill me!" Siheng panicked again as he struggled to get out of bed.
"Who?" Yun Guang asked, watching him as he almost fell again, with one of his legs tangled in the sheets.
"Who else? Your master, Zhuo Yichen!" And this time, it was Yun Guang who cursed, realizing that he was right and that his time was running out. His master was an early riser and was probably already looking for him right now. So they both rushed towards the balcony that connected all the rooms, hurrying to return Yichen's sword.
Just as Siheng was about to open the sliding door to push Yun Guang inside, someone else opened it for him, and he suddenly found himself face to face with Zhuo Yichen, which sent a chill down his spine.
"Having fun, are we?" Yichen asked with amusement, staring intently at the two of them, while behind him, Zhu Yan laughed hard.
AN: Oops. LOL, you got caught! 😂😂😂 Thanks for reading, and I hope this helps you understand a little better, the differences in the various types of relationships and how they work or click, even if they seem to appear out of nowhere. Until next time, please take care.