ZHAO-YI
After that magical moment where everyone had forgotten all the bad things that had happened in the last few weeks, only because of their Commander's impulsiveness in kissing the great demon after waking up from his deep unconsciousness, it was time to return to reality and all the difficulties it brought with it. For Zhuo Yi Chen, it was time to hear about the things he did when he was controlled by Bing Yi and face the punishment he deserved for his actions, even when he had not been aware of them, but they were still done by his body.
Feeling the tension rising in their young Commander, the team of friends fell silent as they stared at each other, waiting for someone to break the sudden change on atmosphere and seriousness on their Commander's handsome face. But no one really wanted to be the one to give Zhuo Yi Chen the account of what had happened inside their Demon Hunter Bureau, let alone what his ancestor had done to Wen Xiao and Ying Lei, which thankfully didn't end in tragedy.
"Just tell me what I did when I was controlled by Bing Yi. I need to know..." Zhuo Yi Chen broke the silence himself and looked at them in return.
"Xiao Zhuo, where you aware of Bing Yi's control on you?" Zhao Yuan Zhou asked, almost horrified, at the thought that his beloved could suffer a worse fate than him, and witness everything Bing Yi did without being able to stop it.
"No. I was not aware of anything that happened after Li Lun broke my sword and nearly killed me, but I was told I was possessed by my ancestor's blood as my body began to undergo the process of my demonization which is still incomplete. You see, while I was trapped within my own consciousness, Bing Yi and I connected as if we were part of the same soul, and it was then that he told me he did things he wasn't proud of with some of my friends... so now, tell me what he did while using this body."
The silence grew heavier as his words lingered inside his bedroom and Wen Xiao looked at his childhood friend with a mixture of sadness and pity, as did Ying Lei, who subconsciously tried to avoid Zhuo Yi Chen's gaze when the other fixed his sights on him, suddenly fascinated with the small pond inside the Commander's bedroom.
"Ying Lei... tell me..." Zhuo Yi Chen ordered and the young mountain god was about to find an excuse to leave the room, when someone else took the sad task upon himself.
"Xiao Zhuo, don't force him to tell you. If you really want to know, I can show you," Zhao Yuan Zhou offered in Ying Lei's place, which was a great relief to the mountain god, as he didn't want to be the one to make Zhuo Yi Chen as miserable as the great demon was after finding out what he did when his mind was taken over by the malicious energy on the blood moons.
"No. That would be too cruel, Xiao Zhao, but if he need to know, I will tell him myself, but after asking everyone to leave us alone," Wen Xiao said as she looked at Zhuo Yi Chen as if asking for his approval.
"Wen Xiao, it's okay if you want to tell him, but not alone. The last thing I want is for what happened that night to repeat again. I'll stay by your side and make sure he keeps his distance from you and Ying Lei," Pei Si Jing said, approaching her with an almost defiant expression.
"I have no idea of how badly I acted against you before, but I assure you, promise you, Pei Si Jing, that I will not be possessed again. That one time, Bing Yi possessed me was because he had just awakened after centuries of suppression inside a stone, back when chaos still ravaged this world. I'm aware that night he was still acting like a chaos demon use to kill, but everyone here knows that the great dragon was no ordinary demon and that even Nuwa wished to preserve him with that single drop of blood. Now that we are in the process of uniting, he will not take control of me against my will unless absolutely necessary. I will never knowingly harm any of you, and even less now that I'm back to be myself." Zhuo Yi Chen coldly told her.
"I know how protective you are of Wen Xiao and I am glad that she takes you as her guardian to protect her from anyone who wants to harm her, including me too, but I am still your Commander for the short time I have left. If even after this promise you have further objections, then so be it and I will accept Zhu Yan's offer." He finish saying, which only make the tension in the room raise.
"Xiao Zhuo, you don't need to promise any of that. We've been friends for so many years, and as your aunt, I couldn't protect you from harm before the Cloud Light Sword broke. Sister Pei knows that what you did was beyond your control and will understand that we must close this sad chapter before moving on to the next. Besides, there's no such thing as the short time you have left... because we are a family, and as one, we will all do whatever it takes to save you from being destroyed by something you didn't ask for. It's also my fault that the five-colored stone broke under Li Lun's power. If I had been stronger then, I could have prevented everything that has forced you into this fate. I'm sorry..." she said as she walked over and hugged him tightly.
"I'm not afraid of you, and I never will be, Xiao Zhuo..." She whispered, and unable to contain himself, Zhuo Yi Chen held her just as tightly, and he broke into her warm kind arms and wept uncontrollably.
The others watched in relief as Zhuo Yi Chen unburdened himself with the goddess's kind words. Zhu Yan even wiped away a tear, happy that perhaps now his beloved could forgive himself for something he didn't want to happen and put that dark chapter of his life behind him. Perhaps what happened to Xiao Zhuo was also a message from the gods to him; to do the same and stop blaming himself for everything he did, only in body and not in soul.
"I'm sorry too... for hurting you... because now I know I did hurt you... forgive me... you know I would rather kill myself than lay a hand on you..." He whispered to her as he sobbed into her shoulder.
"Of course I know... you have always been a beautiful man with a soft and pure heart."
"I'm not pure anymore..."
"Why? Because you kissed a white monkey?" Wen Xiao teased him and Yi Chen smiled as he subconsciously looked at Zhu Yan, who looked moved and offended at the same time.
"About that... Wen Xiao, I... sorry..." He closed his eyes and buried his head deeper into her shoulder, both embarrassed and in pain.
"What about? The kiss? Xiao Zhuo, you can have him all you want if that's what you have hidden in your heart, although I don't know why will you doom yourself like that so willingly. He is too troublesome for a kind beauty like you. Maybe you should sign a contract with him like I did, so he can keep his hands and lips to himself."
"I hear that." Zhu Yan sighed, but Yi Chen blushed.
"See? He even eavesdrop on others so shamelessly."
"I'm not eavesdropping. You are talking in public."
"I asked to be left alone."
"Alright then, as you wish, my dear goddess."
"I'm kidding. I think is time for the two of you to actually have a heart to heart talk. Xiao Zhuo..." She gently let go of him and cupped his face in her hands.
"Don't feel bad for loving someone you think you shouldn't. Your fates have been intertwined for so long that everything else pales in comparison. I give you my blessing as your friend, aunt, and goddess. I too have my own destiny to follow, and it's not with a perverted monkey like him. Though I guess it's my win in the end." She smiled at him, and Yi Chen smiled back, eternally grateful for everything she did for him, for her kindness, her warmth, and her understanding.
"Thank you... I mean it." He said with his heart completely open to her.
"There's no need to be thankful. In fact, it's good that things turned out this way so we can both better understand the depths of our hearts. Although I hate to admit it, the monkey got there first."
"You're welcome." Zhu Yan snorted, and ignoring him, Wen Xiao stood up and bent down to kiss Xiao Zhuo on the forehead before turning to the great demon.
"You're not jealous, are you? I'm still his aunt, so I can do that much to my beloved Xiao Zhuo, right?"
"I prefer my kisses somewhere else, so that's perfectly fine with me. You can give them as much of those as you want, I approve." The great demon teased her back with a wide smile.
"Oh, for heavens sake! You!" Zhuo Yi Chen shouted in outrage and Wen Xiao laughed as she walked past Yu Zhan, feeling completely liberated.
"Then I will keep my eyes on your kind for him, oh great monkey demon..."
"It's an ape!"
"Oh, please, never mind that. Pei Si Jing, I leave her in your capable hands... take care of her." Zhuo Yi Chen told the archer as Wen Xiao smiled fondly at her.
"Of course." Pei Si Jing smiled and Wen Xiao extended her hand for her dear sister to take.
"Come, let's leave them alone for a while," Wen Xiao said, extending her hand to Ying Lei as well, who took it with visible affection. There was a reason Wen Xiao had been chosen as the next Baize Goddess, and Ying Lei was very proud of it. The woman was more than deserving of her title.
AN: Oh my, how did it turn from a heartwarming moment to a perverted comedy at the end? I guess is the lack of sleep. LOL. Thanks for reading and I hope you like it.