Chapter 1
Out of all the concerns and challenges he had to face upon entering the Demon Hunting Bureau, Zhao Yuanzhou never would have thought that he’d have to deal with something so… alluring, in the best way possible. As if his heart has awoken after a long slumber, experiencing its very own springtime in the most uncomfortable moment. If anyone asked him, he would swear that he wasn’t doing this on purpose, but teasing Zhuo Yichen in a dozen various ways has grown to be one of his most favorite pastimes. Not because Zhao Yuanzhou was such a wicked old demon (which, in a way, he was), but because of those thousands cute reactions he got in response, whether their leader of the Demon Hunting Bureau wanted to deliver them or not. And when he desperately tried not to, it was even more endearing and sweet and, Zhao Yuanzhou had to admit to himself, made his heart race more than just a little. If anyone asked him, he would argue that Zhuo Yichen started it first by giving him all those suspicious looks when he so much as came close to Wen Xiao, but those glances quickly turned into inquisitive stares, and then, for some reason, into shy peeks, until more often than not, whenever Zhuo Yichen laid his eyes upon Zhao Yuanzhou, he started either blushing, or frowning, or both, as if whatever he was thinking, or feeling, came into some kind of conflict with the realities of their lives.
His gorgeous Cloud Light Sword certainly didn’t make things any easier for its owner, reacting to those layers of emotions in the most treacherous ways. Zhu Yan wouldn’t be able to ignore it even if he tried. The first few times he brushed it off as Zhuo Yichen being highly suspicious of his newly made demon colleague (and Zhao Yuanzhou was acting a bit shady during those days, so Zhuo Yichen had every right to question his every move). The next few times happened in the presence of Wen Xiao when Zhao Yuanzhou was acting up all nice and smooth because he really, really wanted to make up for all those years he missed, leaving her all alone despite the promise he had made to her when they left the Wilderness. Apparently, making up for that time involved getting closer and being there for her – in whatever way she needed, he would do it. Apparently, Zhuo Yichen found that earnest desire of Zhao Yuanzhou to protect and take care of her even more suspicious than his joining the Demon Hunting Bureau in general.
Again, he was not wrong to be feeling this way. And yet, there were also those times when Wen Xiao wasn’t around, nor were there any demons or even shady people who could spike the sword’s interest and signal about danger.
So whatever is making Zhuo Yichen’s sword glow beautifully right now as they are sitting in the dimly lit meeting room which is located somewhere between Zhuo Yichen’s bedroom, that garden space he loved so much, and the general hall of the Demon Hunting Bureau, hinting to Xiao Zhuo-daren’s dedication to work or inability to separate his life from it altogether – it is something else. After all, the Demon Hunting Bureau was inside of his familial home, which left close to no personal space for its leader to spend some time on his own. Not that he wanted to, obviously, judging by the number of late-night visitors sitting at the tables filled with tea bowls, reports, and documents lying all over the place.
As Zhao Yuanzhou enters the room and sits strategically near Zhuo Yichen, testing a theory of his own, the sword starts pulsating with that beautiful light accompanied by a low barely-there sound almost indistinguishable to humans, but Zhao Yuanzhou could hear it and it felt ticklish against his skin. Zhuo Yichen stops mid-sentence, as he darts a gaze at the newcomer, making Wen Xiao raise an eyebrow at the sudden distraction that wasn’t entirely unwelcome – it’s just that Zhao Yuanzhou was late to the meeting, disregarding those ridiculous human rules about evening curfews, going out late at night, and whatnot. As far as investigations were concerned, the night was the best time to snoop around, sneak into places, and lay waiting, hidden in the canopy of a tree or walk around camouflaged by the smell of perfume and high-quality textiles of rich clothing that should have made him pass for a very presentable lord going out and about looking for some entertainment. Zhao Yuanzhou did a brilliant job of primping himself to not simply look his best, but to look ravishing, with the sole intent of collecting some useful information at the Tianxiang Pavilion as well as to check whether a certain head of the Demon Hunting Bureau would feel at least a little impressed with his efforts.
Zhuo Yichen gives him a proper once-over, taking in all the details – from the long silky strands of his hair laying perfectly on his shoulders, to the thick fur coat draping his figure, revealing only a little of his velvety dark-cherry outfit embroidered with golden ornaments of dancing peacocks and other flashy birds. He dressed to draw attention, as much as he could possibly get at the brothel without raising too much suspicion, bathing in the sea of girls who flocked to him like little hungry birds, knowing a rich bored lord seeking entertainment when they saw one. So, the perfume that’s lingering on the fur of his coat isn’t his own, of course, although the muskier undertone does belong to a very specific blend of oils he used for the exact same purpose the brothel girls would use perfume – to evoke a certain array of feelings and desires in the people around him, either to distract them, or to test them, or, in very rare cases, to seduce them. This, he had to admit, was a mix of everything and he was somewhere in-between longing for attention, trying to make friends, and simply showing off his looks to check the reaction of one particular young man, who’s staring at him with slightly widened eyes, the sword pulsating fast as if reflecting the heartbeat of its owner. And maybe, just maybe, also absorbing some of the thoughts he was having while taking in the image of this languish Great Demon sitting beside him in a cloud of sweet perfume looking posher than the most expensive courtesans in Tiandu. Not that Zhuo Yichen has had too much experience with them, but Zhao Yuanzhou could bet that he, indeed, looked more stunning than all those ladies put together (and unlike Zhuo Yichen, he has had quite a few experiences talking up those types of women and getting entertained by them in return).
“Zhao Yuanzhou,” Wen Xiao’s eyes glisten in the flickering light of the lamps and there is nothing but amusement in them, “You smell like all Tiandu brothels put together. What kind of investigation have you been doing all this time?” she casts a glance at Pei Sijing who’s looking a little startled, but the other woman quickly regains her composure, coughing lightly to hide that she, too, is a bit awe-stricken. Ying Lei looks at Zhao Yuanzhou with his mouth open like he has met a vision from a fairy tale or, more likely, from a not entirely appropriate dream. Zhao Yuanzhou lowers his eyes with a barely there streak of eyeliner that makes them especially mesmerizing and pours himself some tea, feeling everyone’s burning gazes on him, and smiles a little, as if they caught him red-handed, but not quite.
“I was, indeed, investigating the local brothels in search of one particular demoness that could cause us trouble in the future,” he says evasively, knowing that he would have to reveal everything to them eventually, for this little family of theirs, no matter how secretive its members were, didn’t take lightly to him specifically hiding valuable information from the rest of them. They still remembered his little stunt with Ran Yi and, apart from Wen Xiao, no one actually fully trusted him, at least, not yet.
“And there I thought you weren’t a dog demon,” Wen Xiao beams at him, happy to deliver a comeback line, making Zhao Yuanzhou secretly proud she’s become so adept at verbal sparring. Unlike a certain head of the Demon Hunting Bureau who seemed to be still gathering his wits that had melted into a warm puddle and were nowhere to be found, along with the ability to form words into cohesive sentences. He finally covers his pulsating sword with a hand, turning it away from the Great Demon, and manages to avert his eyes as if just looking at Zhao Yuanzhou was making it harder for him to think and talk and notice anything but him. And yet, ignoring him completely wasn’t an option, either, that’s why he darted careful glances at the Great Demon from time to time looking a little flushed, or maybe it was just the light of the lamps playing tricks on Zhao Yuanzhou. He still wasn’t fully sure that whatever he was seeing and catching in the other man’s eyes was what he thought it was, and not just his wishful thinking or some other emotions that also had a hot intensity to them, but of a different kind. Zhao Yuanzhou starts slowly pulling thick gorgeous-looking rings with precious stones off his fingers, making his movements as slow and alluring as possible, attracting some more of Zhuo Yichen’s attention to his hands. This little game of his was nearly making Zhao Yuanzhou giddy with excitement – something he hadn’t felt in years if not decades. It was something that managed to take his mind off all those sad and grim things he was carrying inside of him at all times – even if just a little. He knows his eyes are sparkling beautifully as he removes the expensive embellishments made of white gold from his hair one by one with a sensuality worthy of a lust goddess, if such a deity existed. He specifically does not look at anyone else, but Zhuo Yichen from time to time, his lips curling into a playful smile.
“If my Lady Goddess asked me to, I would become a dog demon and sit patiently at her feet. Or better still, a cat demon to sit right on her lap,” he says sweetly, making Ying Lei snort-laugh, covering his mouth, as Wen Xiao presses her lips together trying not to grin. Her eyes are sparkling joyfully, though, and sometimes Zhao Yuanzhou thinks that alone is enough to make him happy, too. At least, he used to think that before a certain someone started giving him an array of mixed signals that were too delicious to ignore, reminding Zhao Yuanzhou of his younger days when he was a bit more unhinged, exploring the human world and what it meant to be human with a tenacity of a starving man who has finally laid his eyes upon the most delicious meal in the world. Whatever the humans were feeling, he wanted to feel it, too, all of it – the good, the bad, the nasty, the beautiful, the hot, the cold, the scary, and the irresistible. He has always found the intricacies of human relationships incredibly complex and fascinating, and tried to play that game as best as he could. The love that humans experienced and the array of tension that surrounded it was unlike anything demons could ever feel. And once Zhao Yuanzhou tapped into that spectrum of emotions, his life changed forever, and along with that, Li Lun’s, and sometime later, it all bloomed into a tragedy that he still hasn’t fully recovered from yet. His mind wanders just a little, but Zhuo Yichen’s burning gaze draws him back to the reality of the present moment, demanding his full presence. Zhuo Yichen didn’t know it yet, but the Great Demon was willing to give him all the attention in the world if he so wished.
“You are as shameless as you are annoying, Zhao Yuanzhou,” Zhuo Yichen finally restores enough of his composure to get back to his usual grumpy self, or whatever role he was using to cover up for his mind going totally blank there for a few long minutes, “If you go out to entertain yourself, there’s no need to pretend it’s work-related,” he actually turns away when Zhao Yuanzhou lets the fur coat slide gracefully from his shoulders onto the floor, revealing his rich-looking clothes with a thin silky white underlayer playfully peeking from underneath heavier dark-cherry fabric. The Great Demon lets out a sigh as if offended by the mere assumption that he would go out dressed like this just to have some fun in the mortal world. Not that he hasn’t done it in the course of all those years he was exploring what it’s like to be human, but that’s definitely not something he will be telling Zhuo Yichen about if he can avoid it.
“Why, Xiao Zhuo-daren, you do think so lowly of me, my heart is bleeding, truly,” he pours himself more tea, casting a playful glance at Zhuo Yichen, and takes out a golden pin from the folds of his attire, “I may not have found the demoness I was looking for, but those pretty things at the Tianxiang Pavillion enlightened me about that old fox that has been terrorizing the decent citizens of Tiandu, according to your reports. But it’s more likely she has simply taken the bread and butter of the local courtesans and they just wanted to get rid of her spreading some nasty rumors,” he puts the pretty golden pin made in the form of a blooming apricot tree branch inlaid with small precious stones onto the table. It's sparkling beautifully in the light of the lamps, giving off a barely there whiff of delicate perfume.
“It’s a she then?” Zhuo Yichen leans in to take a closer look at the pin and Zhao Yuanzhou watches him with the exact amount of shamelessness he was accused of, if not more. If this was the game Zhuo Yichen wanted to play, he would happily oblige and become as wanton as a Great Demon possibly could.
“Of course, it's a she. Would you wear something like this?” Zhao Yuanzhou asks with a soft chuckle, making Zhuo Yichen eye him once more, and this time he looks less dazed with his beauty and more annoyed with his behavior. Teasing him was so delightful Zhao Yuanzhou nearly forgot about the case that was dropped on them suddenly, making their crew leave whatever they were investigating behind and bringing all their attention to the case of a demon fox, supposedly vicious and seductive beyond all measure, making both good men and women lose their minds over the beautiful being, ruining their marriages or, specifically, the marriage of the head of the city, whose furious wife wrote a few equally furious complaints to the powers that be, and so, their team received a hasty order to investigate the case and catch the ‘damned thing’ as fast as possible.
“I’ve heard foxes can shapeshift into both men and women. In Tiandu, there are as many male concubines as there are female ones, but you probably already know that,” Zhuo Yichen gives Zhao Yuanzhou the look as if hinting that he could very well pass for one, especially dressed like that, wearing excessive jewelry and drenched in sweet perfume.
“Why, does Xiao Zhuo-daren think I’m pretty enough for that role? You surely think too highly of my seductive abilities,” Zhao Yuanzhou draws in a little closer, looking Zhuo Yichen straight in the eyes, as if to prove that his seductive skills are nowhere to be found. Is that why the other man nearly drops the pin from his hands, pulling back immediately as if the closeness was a bit too much?
“I’m not… thinking about that,” he says, pouring himself some tea and using the movement to hide his embarrassment or whatever Zhao Yuanzhou made him feel. The Great Demon has to admit it's been a while since he made someone feel this way about him – someone who actually mattered. It was equally startling that Zhuo Yichen made him act so unnecessarily playful, bringing out his more teasing and tantalizing side. Yet here they are, both of them, playing a little game Zhao Yuanzhou never thought he’d get to play with the head of the Demon Hunting Bureau, no matter how handsome he was. That one promise Zhao Yuanzhou made him utter wasn't the brightest start of a long-lasting relationship, that's for sure.
Wen Xiao takes the pin from Zhuo Yichen’s hands and casts an inquisitive gaze at Zhao Yuanzhou as if trying to understand what this was all about. Xiao Zhuo has always been timid, but he’s never been shy to this extent. As far as she could tell, Zhao Yuanzhou has always been a little shameless, but definitely not like this, and not – with him.
“According to ancient stories, old foxes like to stick to one form they perfect over hundreds of years until it becomes nearly impeccable and truly irresistible to the opposite sex,” Wen Xiao says, examining the beautifully crafted pin that looked like it belonged to a high-status lady, no less. She wouldn’t wear something fancy like this, and she knew most concubines simply couldn’t afford jewelry like that. Pei Sijing bows down a little to look at the pin as well, and Zhao Yuanzhou notices a closeness that hasn't been there before. Not that it was his business, but it seemed he wasn’t the only one discovering something new about their companions and their affections. At least, that seems to be the case with Pei Sijing who’s sitting closer to Wen Xiao than it would have been considered appropriate at some other place, and he knows that Zhuo Yichen has noticed this, too, judging by the slightly tense gaze he gives both women, but doesn’t say anything, being a gentleman that he is. It seems that the commentaries about shamefulness and wantonness were reserved for Zhao Yuanzhou specifically, which made his heart flutter a little, for reasons yet unknown.
“My Lady Goddess is right, as always. Not only would an older fox stick to one form continuously, he, or in this case, she, would also lose the need to feed on human energies after some time. Thus, her meddling in human affairs is highly unlikely. My guess is she was making a livelihood using the best of her abilities, as to that marriage that got destroyed, hmmmm... I’m wondering what that is actually about,” he says carefully, knowing very well that human relationships weren’t always what they seemed, especially when it came to husbands, wives, and gorgeous courtesans.
Ying Lei also comes closer and sniffs the pin in Wen Xiao’s hand. His eyes become comically wide, a stunned expression blooming on his face like plum flowers in early spring. Hiding his emotions was definitely not Ying Lei’s strongest suit, which made him especially endearing and cute, but an exceedingly bad undercover agent if he ever had to work as one.
“She smells so… pretty,” Ying Lei says, casting a dreamy glance outside as if thinking of following that smell right there and then. Which, Zhao Yuanzhou had to admit, wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
“Can you find her using the pin?” Zhuo Yichen must have thought about the exact same thing, making Zhao Yuanzhou look at him with a little more fondness than it was probably appropriate, but luckily for him, the other man didn’t notice the sudden change, becoming more of a demon hunter and less of a shy young man who could be distracted by Zhao Yuanzhou’s demonic ruses and schemes.
“Oh yes, I’d love to!” Ying Lei, goddess bless his soul, wasn’t even trying to hide just how happy he’d be to follow that whimsical scent, and Zhao Yuanzhou didn’t blame him – foxes were truly magical creatures, alluring and beautiful beyond all possible measure, whatever form they took. They didn’t always rely on seduction to get what they wanted, many of them were scholars and even became advisors to human kings and generals due to their quick wit and vast knowledge about everything. And yet, feeding on lust was quite common among their kind and that was definitely one of the major feelings these beings evoked in both humans and demons.
“We’re heading out then,” Zhuo Yichen rises up and adds, upon noticing that Zhao Yuanzhou makes a move to follow them as well, “You’re not coming,” with a heavily implied ‘not when you’re dressed like this’ hanging in the air, making Wen Xiao chuckle and glance at Zhao Yuanzhou joyfully. It is hard to hide anything from her, so Zhao Yuanzhou doesn’t even try. It is also hard to outstubborn their head of the Demon Hunting Bureau, so the Great Demon doesn’t try that, either, but there is one thing he absolutely has to do before the other man leaves.
Zhao Yuanzhou gently catches Zhuo Yichen by the hand, as the younger man passes him by, making him stop and stare at him in bewilderment.
“Xiao Zhuo-daren, you need to be very careful with an ancient creature like that,” Zhao Yuanzhou picks one of the rings made with gorgeous white gold that he was wearing during his brothel adventures. It's made in the form of a dragon curled in a circle, hugging a huge sapphire that looks bluer than the depths of the Great Ocean in the Wilderness, reminding Zhao Yuanzhou both of the night summer skies and the dark-blue of Zhuo Yichen's eyes. He carefully puts the ring onto Zhuo Yichen’s index finger, while gently holding his hand and then looks him straight in the eyes, feeling that this moment is special for some reason - if not for Zhuo Yichen, then for him - definitely. As if making Xiao Zhuo wear his scent, and his thing, and his ring especially was somehow bringing them closer, like a promise of sorts that hasn't been voiced, but lingered in the air nonetheless. The other man’s fingers twitch just a little, but he doesn’t attempt to pull his hand back as he usually does when Zhao Yaunzhou reaches out to him without warning.
“Foxes are unruly creatures, but if she catches the scent of a Great Demon, she’d be more willing to cooperate. I urge you not to start a fight with her, no matter what. I’m afraid, she’s far out of your league,” he raises his eyes to look at Zhuo Yichen towering over him and uses the gentlest expression he can master – both to see the other man’s reaction and to convey that he actually cares. Which, he had to admit, wasn’t even acting at this point, and that fox was, indeed, an ancient creature. Marking Zhuo Yichen with his scent will work as a warning if she does try to attack him. As far as Great Demons were concerned, openly going against one wasn’t the wisest choice other demons could make, not in the Wilderness, where they could take their original forms, and especially not in the human realm, where they had to conceal their identities and hide their true powers. Marking Zhuo Yichen, if only just a little, as his made something stir deep down inside of Zhao Yuanzhou, something ancient and nearly forgotten, primal, and hungry, longing to touch and be touched, to see and be acknowledged in return, to feel and be felt on various levels. If simply putting a ring on him felt so incredibly thrilling, Zhao Yuanzhou could only imagine what other, even more intimate things would feel like. And once he started thinking about that, he didn’t really want to go back.
Zhuo Yichen gives him a weird look as if not knowing how to react to this, frowning at the ring on his finger lightly, but doesn’t take it off, making Zhao Yuanzhou secretly happy that this, whatever it was that he offered, got accepted, at least for now. Zhuo Yichen looks back at Ying Lei, commanding a short ‘Come’ and just leaves like that, looking at Zhao Yuanzhou inquisitively one more time before he goes. Ying Lei raises his brows as if surprised the Great Demon would actually let Zhuo Yichen go alone, and Zhao Yuanzhou winks at him mischievously. Ying Lei’s face lights up with the brightest smile ever as he winks back at Zhao Yuanzhou and hurries to catch up with their head of the Demon Hunting Bureau. Wen Xiao casts one glance at Pei Sijing and the other woman understands her without saying a word. That kind of tacit understanding doesn’t develop overnight, Zhao Yuanzhou thinks to himself, and hides his amusement behind the bowl of tea. When he raises his eyes again, Wen Xiao is looking at him expectantly as if his reaction to the whole thing has been long overdue. Or maybe, she was simply waiting for him to comment on his outrageous behavior which was still quite demure by demonic standards, he had to admit.
“So, are we coming or not?” Wen Xiao asks him, leaning in a little, a mischievous glint in her eyes giving away just how much fun she was having with whatever was going on in the Demon Hunting Bureau right now, including this case of the ‘lustful fox’ going round and about corrupting the ‘decent citizens’ of Tiandu. Zhao Yuanzhou actually smiles at her, finding the whole situation more than a little amusing himself.
“Do you also want me to look a little… less?” he asks, not even trying to hide the amount of glee he was feeling because of the effect his appearance had on one particular demon hunter, knowing perfectly well that she was also impressed, but for different reasons altogether.
“Au contraire, my dear Great Demon of the Wilderness. I want you to look as extra as you possibly can,” she moves closer and starts gently putting the rings back on his fingers, one by one, mimicking his own gesture a few moments earlier, and doing it as delicately as possible, holding his hand in hers. She’s barely suppressing her laughter when she looks at him as if saying ‘I know what you’re doing and it’s hilarious and please don’t stop.’
‘She doesn’t mind then,’ Zhao Yuanzhou lets out a small sigh of relief, having been wondering about what her reaction might be to all of this, if his suspicions about Zhuo Yichen did prove to be right. He wasn’t entirely sure what he would do about it, but at least he knew that he’d look spectacular while doing it, whatever it was.
“Your wish is my command,” he nods to her courteously and then watches Wen Xiao pick up his fur coat and carefully wrap him into it as if he was, indeed, a gentle maiden as stunning as the most beautiful courtesans of the Tianxiang Pavilion, and definitely worthy of whatever affection Zhuo Yichen was feeling toward him.
“Why do I have a feeling this fox will surprise us both,” she murmurs under her breath and Zhao Yuanzhou lowers his eyes, smiling beautifully as he takes one last sip of tea before they leave. And when they do, he looks even more scandalizingly ravishing than when he entered this room to impress one demon hunter and see where they both go from there. Needless to say, the reaction he got was everything he hoped it to be, and a little more, if you throw in that small ring stunt he managed to pull last minute to protect Zhuo Yichen. As if there was even a possibility that Zhao Yuanzhou wouldn’t tag along. As if she’d let him stay here all alone, anyway. He’s fixing his hair and attire on the go, using a few whiffs of his magic to make the elements work for him, adding a more dramatic flair with wind catching up the folds of his clothes and playing with the strands of his hair, and with moonlight caressing him whole as if it simply couldn’t let him be. These weren’t even tricks, just something to amplify his natural beauty, but Wen Xiao nodded approvingly, examining him from head to toe with a delighted smile on her face. He chuckles, now knowing very well that whatever he was to Wen Xiao, he was something totally different to Zhuo Yichen, and for some reason, it made his heart beat faster.
“I knew it was your smell on him,” Zhao Yuanzhou hears a familiar voice once he and Wen Xiao step into the beautifully decorated room of the Tianxiang Pavilion, having walked through quite a few passages filled with gorgeous girls of all sorts. Most of them were following them with entranced gazes as if they’d seen a deity grace them with their presence. Two deities, to be exact, but Wen Xiao didn’t even pretend she wasn’t enjoying the attention they both were getting. He – for quite obvious reasons, she – because of that decent amount of jealousy that everyone was feeling upon seeing them walk hand in hand in a stark display of closeness. Couples rarely came to Tianxiang Pavilion together, and when they did, local girls would rarely approach them in fear of crossing some invisible lines and breaking some relationships, just like it supposedly happened to that old fox the Demon Hunting Bureau was ordered to catch and the marriage of the head of the city she supposedly destroyed.
“Hu Xian, you’re messing with humans… again,” Zhao Yuanzhou says calmly, taking in everything that’s happening in the richly ornamented room that could very well be inside a palace and not in a brothel, albeit a very popular one. He raises his eyebrows noticing Ying Lei perched at the fox’s feet, with his head on her lap, while the stunningly beautiful woman lazily pets him as if he were a huge cat. The expression on Ying Lei’s face is of utmost delight bordering on pleasure and Zhao Yuanzhou thinks this might very well be a fight they will lose without actually fighting. Foxes were very well known for their magical abilities – seduction was in their blood and came naturally to them, being part of the whole demonic package. Withstanding it required some serious magical juices of your own, and while Zhao Yuanzhou certainly could do it, other demons, and humans, weren’t as lucky. Pei Sijing is standing on one knee not far from the woman, using her bow for support, but doesn’t have enough strength to actually shoot at the creature. She did try, though, judging by one arrow stuck in the window frame, but that was as far as she could go.
Zhuo Yichen is standing right in front of the fox, his brows furrowing and his sword out and glowing. His breathing is heavy, and although he’s still standing on his two feet, Zhao Yuanzhou can notice him swaying just a little. For a human to be able to fight the pull of this sweet energy – it was truly outstanding, even for a descendant of the Bing Yi line. The Great Demon takes a few steps forward to stand right beside him in case he needs help, feeling it in his gut that there’s no way this evening would end well. After all, he and Hu Xian did have a history, albeit not the most pleasant one.
“You know how foxes cultivate, Zhu Yan. I can’t just hide away in some mountain cave. I need them, and they need me. Isn’t that right, sweetness?” the fox, being all smiles and sultry gazes, pets Ying Lei some more, running her long fingers along the curve of his neck, getting some incoherent, yet most definitely pleased sounds in return. Pei Sijing frowns, and it is Wen Xiao who comes closer to the woman as if trying to protect her from this overwhelming power.
The fox looks as stunning as ever, her long dark hair falling loose, adorned with small golden petals and flowers, making it look like the most expensive fabric in the world. She was closer to her original fox form right now, Zhao Yuanzhou knew, remembering the woman from the days long gone when she was the former Goddess’s confidante, accompanying her everywhere. Their falling out with Wan’er had shaken the whole Wilderness, with rumors circulating around for years non-stop. That, among other things, was why he went to check up on her, attracted by the pull of both malicious energy and curiosity. Whatever the Goddess was experiencing, it was painful, and he knew more about pain than any other being in the Universe. He could feed on it, and she could spend fewer days crying, resting her head on his lap while he gently caressed her hair taking away some of the despair, and regret, and heartache that seemed to have no end. That breakup sparked up his friendship with the Goddess back in the day, but she could never fully let go of the fox, and neither did she try to. To see Hu Xian here once again, in all her glory, was not something he expected. But having heard about a fox, he almost immediately thought of her, for there weren’t many of her kind roaming around in the human world, and he knew most of them personally, including this beautiful fox-demon.
“If you try anything weird, I can feed off this whole brothel and even your malicious energy wouldn’t stop me,” she adds, her huge dark eyes sparkling with hidden fire.
With ancient beasts, it was usually one way or the other. They would either draw closer to humankind, taking up their form and learning how to feel and, ultimately, become more empathetic – that is what happened to Zhu Yan. Or they could still take up the human form, learn everything about human emotions, but would choose to use that knowledge to manipulate and feed off people. Foxes, he knew, were the only creatures stuck somewhere in-between. They had to use humans for cultivation, but more often than not they got caught up in the whirlpool of human relationships, and ended up becoming their confidantes, partners, companions, and even husbands and wives in some rare cases.
“You know this is not the way. And I can overpower you,” Zhao Yuanzhou says, hoping in his heart that he doesn’t have to, not unless they want to destroy this brothel and, possibly, a considerable part of the city as well.
“Sure you can,” the fox smiles at him, her lips a bright red color, the same as her rich attire, all made of flowy red and dark-pink fabrics, hiding some parts of her beautiful body, and revealing others. “But I will suck him dry before you manage to do that,” she cups Ying Lei’s face, and then raises her eyes to look at Zhuo Yichen, “And him, I can already taste just how delicious he would be once I unpack all those layers of longing… Or her,” the fox’s gaze finally moves onto Wen Xiao, and her expression changes as she rolls her eyes.
“Wen Xiao, did you absolutely have to come?” she asks, revealing a level of familiarity Zhao Yuanzhou didn’t expect, not from the ancient fox towards the new Bai Ze Goddess. He looks at Wen Xiao not even trying to hide his surprise, while she’s still kneeling beside Pei Sijing, supporting her carefully. The other woman is still in a haze of sultry energies no human could withstand, unless they had some magic in them.
“You know I’m part of the Demon Hunting Bureau… Ren-jiejie,” she says, her lips curling into a fond smile, making Zhao Yuanzhou utter a little stunned ‘oh’ as he notices that the fox, no matter how cunning and naughty, didn’t actually use her powers on their beloved Goddess, which, he had to admit, was a good sign, increasingly so.
Wen Xiao casts a glance at Zhao Yuanzhou, her eyes sparkling with that bit of mischief he found so endearing, which happened more and more lately, especially when she was watching him and Zhuo Yichen for some reason. The Great Demon must have had the same look on his face when he spotted Wen Xiao acting a little too intimate with Pei Sijing. It was a sight to behold, and it made his heart sparkle with rays of glee and utter happiness – for her and, ultimately, for all of them.
“A girl needs to know her demons. I may not be able to catch them, but I need to understand who I’m dealing with,” she says, not looking at all threatened or scared. She did know who she was dealing with, enough to understand that the fox would never hurt her, not in a million years.
“So… you know each other,” Zhao Yuanzhou says carefully, taking a small step closer to Zhuo Yichen whose eyes have started glowing a pretty blue color as his power was slowly drained, unable to hold up with the sheer force of the fox’s magic. He knows it is only a matter of time before he fails and Zhao Yuanzhou has to be there for him when that happens.
“You left her,” Hu Xian says looking a tad bit angry and more than a little bitter as if she didn’t do the very same thing back when she and Wan’er were still together, “A Goddess without her powers and her protector. Someone had to look after the girl,” she casts a fond glance at Wen Xiao and the other woman smiles at her like they’ve known each other for ages. The situation was getting more and more peculiar by the minute, making Zhao Yuanzhou hopeful they could all get away from it unscathed, maybe even including the fox lady.
“Since you’re all so familiar with each other…” Zhuo Yichen says breathily, and Zhao Yuanzhou has to catch him by the waist when the other man can no longer stand on his own, the sword trembling lightly in his hand, “Can you turn off this… thing you’re doing,” he doesn’t even mind Zhao Yuanzhou supporting him right now, which is a miracle on its own, and lets himself be half-hugged just to remain standing. Zhao Yuanzhou can feel Zhuo Yichen’s hand on his shoulder and the warmth of his body pressed to his. He shouldn’t be thinking about that right now, but his closeness paired with the fox’s magic was taking its toll even on him.
“Now where would be the fun in that?” the fox purrs, watching Zhuo Yichen closely as his cheeks become a pretty rosy hue and standing becomes a feat worthy of an actual hero. Ying Lei sighs dreamily in her lap as she keeps on burning Zhuo Yichen with her fiery gaze, “Is this the one, Zhu Yan? Should I start with him?” she says sweetly, her eyes sparkling with fire, and Zhao Yuanzhou can feel the room get slightly warmer. Zhuo Yichen gasps, lowering his sword, and its pulsating light becomes somewhat erratic.
“If you’re angry with me, don’t take it out on others,” Zhao Yuanzhou says carefully, knowing very well that when ancient beasts like this lose their cool, chaos ensues. The brothel won’t suffer much from some extra lust magic, but if it takes over the whole city… they won’t be dealing with just one damaged marriage after that.
“Angry doesn’t even start to cut it,” she hisses at him, and a wave of hot energy nearly knocks them down, making Zhao Yuanzhou lower Zhuo Yichen to the floor, so they end up actually kneeling before her. “Your naughty tree came to see me… thought he could lure me into an open confrontation with you using a bunch of sweet words and some of his pesky leaves. I told him to get lost… yet he still had to mess with me. But I see at least your taste in men has improved considerably over the past few thousand years,” she glares at Zhao Yuanzhou, who can’t even use his spells to protect Zhuo Yichen… or to attack the fox, not really, unless they want to wreak havoc in this place, “You made the same mistake with him that Wan’er made with me, didn’t you?” the fox chuckles softly, looking a tad bit sad all of a sudden, “You can’t harm him now with your magic… but you can’t protect him, either. What if he turns on you, what then?” Now even Zhao Yuanzhou can feel the pressure of her force that was making things softer, hotter, and more pleasant, despite the strained conversation they were having.
“My death is already promised to him. As it should be,” Zhao Yuanzhou says softly and catches Zhuo Yichen’s slightly unfocused, yet increasingly attentive glance. His eyes are full-on glowing with his bright blue power now, but it does nothing to stop that wave of heat creeping into every corner of his mind and body. Zhao Yuanzhou can see it in the way his lips part and his pupils dilate, and can feel it in the way his body becomes hotter next to his. If they continue like this… some irreversible things may happen. Zhao Yuanzhou had always thought the younger man was pretty, but right now, when Zhuo Yichen was so shamelessly staring at him, looking at his face as if it was some kind of gorgeous painting or a majestic scenery worthy of poetic praise, Zhao Yuanzhou found him nearly irresistible.
“Zhao Yuanzhou,” he murmurs, and the way he says it sends ticklish shivers down Zhao Yuanzhou’s spine like it was some kind of spell, binding him, making him even more pliable than before – for this man and him alone, “I don’t know how much longer…” he starts saying and then has to close his eyes as if just looking at the Great Demon was becoming a little too much. He’s clutching onto the fabrics of Zhao Yuanzhou’s clothes, a soft gasp escaping his chest and mouth. He’s looking more and more undone with each passing minute and soon enough Zhao Yuanzhou may simply not want to stop that magic from ruining all of them even if he has a chance.
“Tell me what you want, and I’ll give it to you. Just… don’t hurt them,” Zhao Yuanzhou finds it in himself to turn away from Zhuo Yichen looking more breathtaking than ever before, and the fox only laughs at him.
“I’m much older than you, Zhu Yan, what could you possibly give me? This is all I ever wanted,” Hu Xian gently grabs Ying Lei by the chin and lifts his face a little to look at his blessed expression, totally and fully engulfed by the pleasure magic that was unfolding further and further. Zhao Yuanzhou could already feel its waves spilling out of the room, filling up the brothel to the brim. Some of the guests will have an eventful night today, that’s for sure.
“Even Wan’er gave up on me in the end, unable to accept me like this – always hungry, always seeking for more. You cannot change one’s nature no matter how hard you try,” she says as if regretting something, and it’s Wen Xiao who moves a little as if to get closer to her.
“Ren-jiejie, we can still sort this out, if only you…” she starts saying, but the wave of that exact pleasurable magic finally finds a way to reach her, too, leaving her breathless and utterly speechless, half-hugging Pei Sijing as if she could somehow protect her from this mind-bogglingly delightful power no one in their right mind would even want to fight. Even someone as proper and righteous as Zhuo Yichen couldn’t fight it for too long. Zhao Yuanzhou, on the other hand, has never considered himself too good or too proper. And feeling the other man get more and more relaxed by his side, more excited, and slightly more unhinged – was doing things to Zhao Yuanzhou he didn’t know were still possible for him. His goodness was suddenly fighting with some darker, more delectable urges, brought out into the light by the fox’s honey-like powers.
“What will you choose then, Great Demon? Succumb to me and watch your beloveds get ruined in the most unimaginable ways, or fight me, and destroy this whole place, and possibly the whole city as well,” she says sweetly, and lays the gentlest kiss on Ying Lei’s forehead as a promise that they will get spoiled in various unfathomable ways that might surprise even Zhao Yuanzhou who has seen and experienced a multitude of things over the course of his long and eventful life. It’s definitely not the worst thing that could happen to them, but knowing how frail human hearts were, and just how much relationships mattered to them, with all those boundaries and taboos and weird little games they were playing with each other, Zhao Yuanzhou knew, deep down in his heart, that this night just might destroy them – as a family, and as whatever they managed to build over the time they’ve spent together. And when the morning comes, they might not pick up the pieces of what’s left, forever breaking the balance their team has been building carefully for so long. And he didn’t want that – not for Wen Xiao, who has just regained her ability to laugh and get mischievous, not for Pei Sijing, who has just started smiling and answering Wen Xiao’s gentle advances, not for Ying Lei, who was the cute little mountain god with the purest of hearts, not for Bai Jiu, who has found an older brother and a bunch of caring sisters, and definitely not for Zhuo Yichen, who has just started revealing his beautiful tender heart, opening up to the people around him more and more.
“I might not have a choice in this. But he still has one,” Zhao Yuanzhou says, feeling a careful touch on his cheek as Zhuo Yichen’s fingers trace his face delicately, unable to withstand the pull of the fox’s magic any longer. They’re sitting so close Zhao Yuanzhou can feel the tension in his body, as well as the desire slowly building up, sweet and pure, and more delicious than anything the Great Demon has felt in a while. He turns to look at the other man, still holding him by the waist, still being there for him, suddenly realizing, that it’s not only his death he’s willing to gift him, but also his life, and maybe some other things, too, if he asked him.
It seemed that now was exactly the time when Zhuo Yichen was wishing for all of those things, and then some more.
“He’s just a human, and a young one, at that,” the fox laughs melodically, casting a glance at Wen Xiao hiding her face in the fabric of Pei Sijing’s clothes, inhaling her scent and doing her best not to slip, not to give in to this mind-shattering power, but failing miserably. They have been intimate before, Zhao Yuanzhou knows because for them it doesn’t feel new at all, if only a little embarrassing to be like that in front of other people. He and Zhuo Yichen, on the other hand, were a totally different matter altogether.
“Look at you, you can’t even say ‘no’ to him,” Hu Xian does a gentle movement with her hand and the waves of her sweet delectable energy become slightly more intense as if she wanted them to lose it completely, fully, and totally, giving in to the honey-like current of desire, and need, and longing that has always been there, and now was just multiplied by a thousand, by a million, making it so obvious and, finally, impossible to ignore. Zhao Yuanzhou has to admit that soon enough even the prospect of getting undressed in front of this naughty fox deity would stop seeming so horrible and frustrating on so many levels. He lets go then, knowing there is only one last trick he can try, that only the combination of both his energy and his blood still have a chance to overpower this kind of magic. In fact, this is the last chance they have to get out of this mess.
“You’re right, I can’t,” Zhao Yuanzhou nearly whispers watching Zhuo Yichen lean in a little closer until their mouths are only a few inches apart, and then even that distance disappears as he feels a gentle touch of his lips, sweet and hot, yet oh-so-careful, as if even the fox’s magic couldn’t turn Zhuo Yichen into something that he wasn’t. Zhao Yuanzhou is reminded of delicate plum flowers blooming in early spring, still covered with snow, with the gentle sun shining brightly in the sky, not yet hot, but already so deliciously warm and relaxing. He tastes those lips, knowing he might not get another chance, pulling the other man a little closer, feeling the heat of their bodies rise in passionate waves and spill into each other, as if their energies, despite being so different, managed to find a type of equilibrium, a balance, and then again, and again, as their breaths mix and Zhuo Yichen opens his mouth a little more, making the sweetest little sound, so needy, and getting hungrier by the minute, his hand cupping Zhao Yuanzhou’s face, and his other hand slowly loosening its grip on the Cloud Light Sword – the only thing that could still save them.
“Xiao Zhuo-daren,” Zhao Yuanzhou's voice is low and sweet, and he wouldn’t be able to get away from Zhuo Yichen even if he tried to, watching his relaxed face and wet lips that were begging to be kissed some more, and then some, endlessly, until the end of time itself, “Your sword can dispel illusions and break all kinds of spells if only you order it to,” he murmurs, hypnotized by Zhuo Yichen’s gaze as he opens his eyes, now reminiscent of two winter lakes set afire. If ice could burn – this would be it. And Zhao Yuanzhou would have happily chosen to burn with him any other time, if they didn’t have all this extra audience and one exceedingly broody fox whose magic needed to be stopped, if they didn’t want their whole Demon Hunting Bureau disbanded after this incident. If those other people find out that their little team not only didn’t prevent this pleasurable disaster from happening, but also took part in it, well, the repercussions might be dreadful. Zhao Yuanzhou does his best to convince himself this is the best thing to do, and the only most reasonable path of action. Alas, the closeness was making his mind go sweetly blank, much to the fox’s amusement. She’s watching them, all of them, unfolding like a play, unable to withstand the very basic force of attraction that lived inside all beings and creatures, be it demons, or humans, or some other living things.
“Do I have to?” Zhuo Yichen manages to ask in a husky voice looking as if this magic was the only way for him to actually act upon his feelings, whatever they were, and once they get back to normal, if that was still an option, he will have to restrain himself once more and be that carefully composed, slightly uptight leader of the Demon Hunting Bureau, an exemplary fighter, stoic and untainted by humanly desires. Zhao Yuaznhou reads this in his eyes and it makes his heart tighten and then expand even more than before, urging him to push forward one more time to steal yet another kiss, to make this moment of pleasure last a little longer and then some more. He feels Zhuo Yichen’s mouth open, welcoming him, with his tongue becoming a little more playful. If only they had more time alone with each other… Zhao Yuanzhou gets lost for a few long minutes in the sensation of his lips and delectable sighs escaping Zhuo Yichen in-between the kisses, feeling the other man’s hand on his neck, and then tugging at the folds of his clothing as if wishing to undress him right then and there.
It’s the fox’s laughter that brings him closer to the surface of these sweet-honey waters he was sinking deeper into, unable to say ‘no’ to the need and hunger and vulnerability of the man in front of him. And to his own hunger and need to be touched, loved, caressed, seen, and felt through and through.
“You’re so gone for him, Great Demon. Both of you are,” she laughs happily, and Zhao Yuanzhou does one sane thing he can still master, a semblance of clarity running through his body and mind along with a shiver of pleasure – both from the fox’s power and Zhuo Yichen gently biting the sensitive skin of his neck, already finding ways to get closer, to draw in, melting them both even further into each other.
Zhao Yuanzhou grabs Zhuo Yichen’s sword, feeling the skin on his palm break, with hot blood trickling down the glowing blade that hasn’t stopped shining brightly even for a second. If only the sword’s owner could snap out of this steamy haze and believe that they could still have this, and more, even without the fox’s magic. Zhao Yuanzhou then bites his lower lip and finds Zhuo Yichen’s mouth once again, making him taste his demonic blood, hoping it will boost the effect of the Cloud Light Sword even further, bringing some more clarity to both of their minds.
“We can survive through this… but what about the city?” Zhao Yuanzhou says softly, his blood powering up Zhuo Yichen’s sword until it starts vibrating lightly, sending waves of its own force across the room, cold and refreshing, reminiscent of mountain peaks covered with snow and deep-frozen lakes in the midst of icy desserts. Zhuo Yichen breathes heavily, looking at him with a mixture of longing and doubt, torn between his innate desires, amplified by the fox’s magic, and his duty as the head of the Demon Hunting Bureau, a protector, and the most righteous man Zhao Yuanzhou has ever met in his life. He moves his bloodied palm along the length of the blade, watching Zhuo Yichen’s eyes grow wider for some reason, thinking that the other man looks beyond lovely with such bright-red lips covered in Zhao Yuanzhou’s blood as if it were some pretty red pigment local courtesans used for makeup. He does his best not to press forward again, watching the inner conflict of Zhuo Yichen finally reach its peak. The decision finally lights up his eyes with an even brighter glare than before as he turns around and slashes the air in the direction of Hu Xian, sending an enormous wave of freezing energy across the room and across the whole brothel as well. Zhao Yuanzhou can feel it reach further out into the depths of the city, cleansing the remnants of that love haze the fox has put on everyone in the nearest vicinity.
That alone wouldn’t have been enough to make the fox stop, but Wen Xiao rushes to their aid with her all-purpose sleeping powder designed specifically to keep demons from harming the decent citizens of Tiandu. Or themselves. Or other less decent demons, for that matter. Hu Xian loses consciousness and Wen Xiao drops to all fours, still unable to properly stand or even sit. Zhao Yuanzhou casts a playful glance at her, noticing Pei Sijing hastily adjust her clothes, covering up some bare bits and pieces already adorned with delicious little hickeys. He finally raises his eyes to look at Zhuo Yichen, who’s standing with a slightly lost expression on his face, his whole body still trembling a bit, including the hand clutching the sword firmly in its grip as if afraid to let go of it now, after the choice he made out of necessity, but not because he actually wanted to. When he looks into Zhao Yuanzhou’s eyes, his gaze is a bit lifeless and his voice sounds distant as he utters a quiet, “Thank you. I… wasn’t myself.”
Zhao Yuanzhou doesn’t avert his eyes, still sitting on the floor, his clothes just a little more messy than usual, and his lips a bright red color – from his own blood he used to awaken the other man from the magical trance. He doesn’t tell Zhuo Yichen that the fox’s magic doesn’t work that way. That it doesn’t create something that hasn’t been there all along. That’s why Ying Lei was plastered obediently on her lap, enjoying the little petting Hu Xian was giving him, longing for that bit of innocent contact. That’s why Wen Xiao and Pei Sijing had no restraint whatsoever – because they’ve already walked that path together and they simply followed the instinct that was so familiar to them. He and Zhuo Yichen… did what they felt was right at the moment, for that desire had already been there between them, even if it took them both some time to realize it. Even if they hadn’t acted upon it before.
Zhao Yuanzhou lowers his eyes, smiling graciously, and has no idea about just how beautiful he looks at this very moment, with his crimson lips and that extra jewelry he was wearing just to make Wen Xiao happy and to tease Zhuo Yichen some more, and those layers of dark soft fabric with exquisite embroidery hiding his pale skin that Zhuo Yichen was ready to caress with his fingertips all night long. Zhao Yuanzhou didn’t know all that and he dared not think about it right now.
“I know you weren’t,” he says softly, and feels a shiver run throughout his whole body when Zhuo Yichen helps him get up and touches his hand lightly as if afraid to make some wrong movement that would spark up a wave of heat between them all over again. Zhao Yuanzhou knew it could. One touch could be enough or, more likely, one gaze, piercing and burning with suppressed yearning and desire. Zhuo Yichen averts his eyes and helps Ying Lei to get up as well, watching the other man blink and look around him as if he didn’t even remember coming to this place.
“Did I miss something?” a careful grin blooms on his face against his will as he notices Zhuo Yichen’s and Zhao Yuanzhou’s bright red-coloured lips, and how Pei Sijing still looks slightly undone, and how Wen Xiao watches them both, Zhuo Yichen and the Great Demon, as if not knowing what to expect, or what to say, or what to do next.
“Nothing disastrous,” Zhao Yuanzhou manages a smile and it is Ying Lei who puts a binding spell on the fox before she wakes up, but Zhao Yuanzhou knows it won’t be able to hold her for long.
“My Lady Goddess,” he says courteously, making Wen Xiao look at him attentively, “If you care about Hu Xian at all, I hope you can talk some sense into her, once she wakes up. Believe me, none of you want to fight her. You’d want to cover up this case as fast as possible. Find her benefactors, pull some strings, dig up a few more cases to get the publicity off her back. Let her stay in this brothel if she wants to… just don’t let her loose,” he says, their surprised gazes feeling prickly on his skin. If they had the Bai Ze token, they could’ve expelled her from the human world, and she would end up the same way the last Bai Ze Goddess found her – lost, numb, malnourished, nearly wild, and hurting beyond all possible measure. Some demons were meant to cultivate in the human world by design, or at least, they had to do it for some time. There was always a choice, and this fox chose to avoid humans altogether for quite a considerable amount of time, which nearly drove her to madness. If anyone could understand Hu Xian, it was him. And that Bai Ze Goddess who was no longer with them, whose compassionate heart could accept the most hideous of beasts, if only they showed so much as a droplet of remorse for what they’ve done in the past. Hu Xian was pitiful back then, and was slowly healed by the Goddess’s endless love, care, and understanding. Until that nature she was talking about pushed her forward, back to the human realm, and the only chance of evolution and development the gods have provided for her.
“I’ve known her for years… She’s not a bad person,” Wen Xiao says, looking at the unconscious woman, still pretty beyond words, draped in soft red fabrics, her dark hair lying in gorgeous silky waves, adorned with golden petals and flowers.
“She may not be. But all actions have their consequences,” Zhuo Yichen says quietly and casts a glance at Zhao Yuanzhou who is standing draped in his fur coat, his sculpted face not betraying a single ounce of emotion. When he looks at Zhuo Yichen, the other man stares him in the eyes for a few long moments, but then has to avert his gaze, as if unable to face whatever he was seeing there.
It is Wen Xiao who takes the Great Demon by the hand and squeezes it gently as if understanding something and she, unsurprisingly, can look him in the eyes no matter what. Perhaps, all Bai Ze Goddesses were cursed and blessed to be understanding of all creatures, no matter how spoiled they were or what sins they’ve committed in the past. Ying Lei takes out his talisman to transport them all back to the Demon Hunting Bureau, including one especially naughty ancient fox who could wreak havoc with her mere presence.