The instant Li Lun fell into the snow, Ying Lei approached him and shook him to see if he would react. However, Bai Jiu's body was completely relaxed, unconscious. Without a second thought, Ying Lei lifted his young friend's light body and carried him to the nearest room he could find within Mount Kunlun. Pei Si Jing initially followed him, but then decided it was prudent to warn the great demon about what had happened and that Bai Jiu was there, still possessed by Li Lun, except now he was free of the poison.
She found Zhao Yuan Zhou still with Wen Xiao. They were talking in low voices, as they always did when they were together, as if whispering secrets to each other. They had no real romantic relationship, but their friendship ran deep, and Pei Si Jing always counted on the great demon to help Wen Xiao when she couldn't. She was about to knock on the door when Wen Xiao's voice told her to come in, and so she did. She found Wen Xiao still in bed and the great demon sitting on the edge.
"What's wrong? Where's Xiao Zhuo?" He asked, hoping they would both return together instead of just her.
"Things didn't go as expected, and we have something urgent to attend to right now," She said, and the great demon abruptly stood up.
"Is Yi Chen alright?" Was the first thing he asked, and despite herself, Pei Si Jing smiled. Of course his first concern would be his handsome lover, and why not? Everyone knew that their relationship was deepening day by day, and there was nothing wrong with that.
"He was fine when I left. The commander can take care of himself. However, Li Lun arrived here just a moment ago and after... something happen, he fainted right outside the main gate. Ying Lei brought him over, but I think you should know before the commander returns. I know there are mixed feelings between you and Li Lun, so this is your only chance to resolve them before Zhuo Yi Chen takes him out of Bai Jiu's body for good with his Cloud Light Sword." She explained and Zhu Yan looked at Wen Xiao for a moment before she nodded in understanding, and he hurriedly left.
"Thank you, Si Jing, for warning him before Xiao Zhuo returned. They may be enemies now, but they were friends for centuries, and that's very hard to forget, even when they're now at odds. Xiao Zhao has a kind soul and doesn't want to kill him without giving him a chance at redemption, just as Xiao Zhuo did to him. This is a good opportunity to clear up misunderstandings and start afresh," Wen Xiao said, and Pei Si Jing nodded.
"How are you? Is your condition worsening?" Pei Si Jing asked, and Wen Xiao invited her to sit where the great demon was while she patted the bed beside her.
"I'm fine, don't worry. Tell me more about Li Lun, what happened to make him faint? Did he succumb to the poison already? Why did he come here?" Asked Wen Xiao in a row, but that made her realize that Ao Yin had told Li Lun something she didn't want to believe and if it was true... then she wasn't sure how Wen Xiao was going to take the news that for her to be saved, either Zhuo Yi Chen or Zhao Yuan Zhou would have to die instead.
She was sure that if both men knew the way to save her from her poison, neither of them would tell the other and choose to sacrifice themselves in silence, when Wen Xiao would hate and regret it for the rest of her life. In that impossible situation, there was no way out without someone dying, and to be honest with herself, she was tired of repeating that same pattern over and over in loop.
Why couldn't they just do what heroes in stories always do? Fight against the evil master, win the war, and have a happy ending? She didn't like tragedies, she already had enough of them, not to mention Wen Xiao, Zhuo Yi Chen, and Zhu Yan. They all deserved a comfortable life, so why was it so damn difficult to achieve something so simple?
ZHU YAN
Ying Lei stood beside Bai Jiu's resting body, observing him with a variety of feelings that Zhu Yan could read like an open book. The little mountain god felt great affection for the young doctor and he was certain that, given more time and a few years, they could even become more than just friends. However, Li Lun's interference was only complicating things more than they should have been and escalating what should have taken its own natural course.
"Little mountain god... what happened?" Zhu Yan asked him, and Ying Lei wasn't sure what to tell him.
What Li Lun and Ao Yin had inadvertently revealed in their last encounter was a bombshell that could explode in so many ways that it was hard to predict the outcome. He was sure that if he told the great demon what he had witnessed, he would try to take the poison out of Wen Xiao, but also, if Zhuo Yi Chen found out too, then he would do so as well, not wanting his lover to die, as he was already quite determined to avoid that even at the cost of his own life. So what to do, tell him or not? Or maybe it was Wen Xiao who would take things into his own hands? Oh, why was it always so complicated? He thought as Zhu Yan stared at him, already aware that his struggle was not a simple one.
"Ying Lei... if you can't tell me because you're conflicted, I can always take that memory from you. Yi Chen is immune to my spells by my own choice, but that doesn't apply to you." Zhu Yan took the option out of his hands and Ying Lei sighed in true relief. If the great demon forced its way into his memory, whatever happened next was not his fault, so he closed his eyes and let Zhu Yan use a spell on him, taking away that particular memory and seeing it with his own eyes.
"I see... Please don't tell Xiao Zhuo about this and buy me some time if you can. I have unfinished business with Li Lun before he brings Bai Jiu back." Zhu Yan said, and Ying Lei couldn't help but feel guilty.
"You know he doesn't want you to die. He's made that clear more than once." Ying Lei was still trying to convince him.
"I know, but letting him die isn't an option either, is it?" Zhu Yan asked, and Ying Lei looked at him sadly.
"No," he whispered. "But perhaps there is another way... Bai Yi is a great doctor, perhaps when he wakes up, he can make his own antidote."
"Antidotes are complicated... perhaps there aren't any. Not even his mother could find one."
"Zhao Yuan Zhou, this can't be the way this ends. So many have already sacrificed their lives for us to come this far..."
"We don't make the rules..."
"That's funny coming from you. Since when do you let others make the rules for you? Weren't you and the commander going to break your curse? No matter what others think, as a mountain god, I refuse to believe we have no choice but to continue choosing between you and Zhuo Yi Chen. I'm also half demon, half god, so I can remove the poison from her as well."
"You won't, and I'll make sure of it. I already owe your grandfather a debt that I couldn't repay even if I lived another thirty thousand years. Ying Lei, even though I haven't shown it much to you, since you sometimes go too far with my Yi Chen, I assure you that I still care about you. Besides, think how sad Bai Jiu will be if he wakes up and finds you gone. I assure you, he won't be pleased at all, none of us will, and even Yi Chen will agree with me."
"But I don't want either of you to die!" Ying Lei shouted, and Zhu Yan's expression softened with affection.
"Thank you for the offer... truly, it is an honor to have such a caring great mountain god by my side, but you are the old man's grandson, and you have already lost too much..." Zhu Yan moved his hand to form a seal and cast two consecutive spells on Ying Lei, which Ying Lei felt take root deep within his core to ensure the commands will hold.
"Live. Protect." Zhu Yan whispered before turning around and leaving.
Perhaps he had overdone it a bit with Ying Lei, but it was for his own good, and no matter how the situation turned out, he couldn't take any more of old Ying Zhao than he already had, and he was sure that Yi Chen wouldn't mind. Well... since things were already so bad, Zhu Yan headed back to the stone table where he and Yi Chen had shared a drink the night before. It was the perfect place to end one relationship where he had started another, even if the nature of said relationships was different, as he was madly in love with one and felt a little guilty and regretful about the other.
He was sure that once Li Lun woke up, he would go look for him there, as he would make sure of it by releasing what little energy he had left. In his earlier conversation with Wen Xiao, he had told her his plan and she would make sure that the others, including Yi Chen, would follow suit. Once Bai Jiu was free from Li Lun's control, he would spend one more night with his beloved before going to Wen Xiao and transferring the poison to himself. It was not the plan he wished for, but it was the only one he could tolerate, as he would prevent Yi Chen from doing so at all costs.
Therefore, he summoned a Go board with the black and peach polished stones and began arranging them on the board in such a way as to give Li Lun a huge advantage should he wish to exploit it. Zhu Yan knew that no matter what happened, it would be final and Li Lun would either accept his offer or reject it. He preferred for Li Lun to choose redemption, but if he didn't, then it was up to Yi Chen to make him yield.
Li Lun did not take too long to appear and Zhu Yan sat up straight and waited patiently for the young man to sit opposite him and he did so. Once facing each other, Zhu Yan stared at Bai Jiu's face and noticed the huge difference in his appearance under Li Lun's control and the one that most closely matched his personality, which was his own. Everything about that Bai Jiu was dark, from his hair, clothes and energy, it was quite pitiful and he hoped that after today, he would return to normal and annoy Yi Chen to no end. It was always amusing to see Yi Chen's hair being pulled and he even missed the boy's screams.
"Here we are again, Zhu Yan... sitting on opposite sides when, once upon a time, you even gave me your true eye. Isn't that sad?" Li Lun asked as he use it on its rightful owner.
"It is, which proves that life is unpredictable." Zhu Yan said as he look at the real Li Lun. On him, all that darkness felt right and even gave him an air of elegance.
"How long has it been since we played Go so peacefully like this?" Li Lun asked, staring at the board.
"Sad to say, but I don't remember anymore." Zhu Yan whispered.
"Is Zhuo Yi Chen the only thing you remember now?"
"We've never played Go together, so no."
"Oh, I'm sure you have something better to play with him than a boring game."
"True, but I still cherish the old days."
"That's a lie."
"Really? Then why do you think I brought you here?"
"To plot against me. After so much time among humans, you've surely learned their dirty tricks."
"I belong to a team where there's no room for tricks, let alone dirty. As with everything else with life, there is good and evil in every species. The only difference between one and another is the choices you make of your own free will."
"But I never wanted to be like humans, that was your dream, not mine."
"Yet you associate with the very humans you despise and end up alone, inside a child."
"You play your games, so I played mine. In the end, only one of us will win, while the other will lose everything."
"Li Lun... did you forget? It was you who once told me we can draw too." Zhu Yan said softly, tears threatening to spill out.
"Draw?"
"Yes... you still have a chance to make up for it. Part of what you did was my fault, so I'm willing to give you a way out, just like the chance those beside me gave me."
"You were always surrounded by caring friends, you lucky bastard."
"It wasn't luck, but sincerity. You can make true friends too, Li Lun... it's just that your approach isn't right."
"Alright, then tell me how?" At that, Zhu Yan was silent for a moment as tears streamed down his cheeks.
"There is a way... but first you have to leave Bai Jiu's body and let him free." Zhu Yan said, and saw how his old friend felt even more hurt by his words.
"Leave? I don't have another host, so will you give me yours?" Li Lun asked almost spitefully.
"I can't do that..."
"Of course you can't... Zhu Yan, so your idea of my redemption is what? That I die?" He asked as more tears fell from Zhu Yan's eyes.
"Not exactly die, but..."
"Liar! If you had cared for me as much as your current friends, you would never have asked me to die!"
Li Lun, wrapped in his dark robes that billowed around him, exuded an aura of hatred and resentment. His eyes shone with betrayal as he summoned his dark energy, a whirlwind of black and blue smoke emanating from his entire body. With a ferocious shout that echoed off the stone walls, he unleashed a gust toward Zhu Yan. The ground trembled beneath them as the energy collided with the stone table, shattering it into countless fragments that exploded.
Zhu Yan reacted instantly, his body fluttered into action, dodging the debris flying toward him. He mustered his own dark energy, the remnants of his strength coursing through him like wildfire, hoping it would be enough to withstand Li Lun's relentless attack until Yi Chen arrive, for he would sense that fight and rush to his side. With every ounce of willpower ignited within him, Zhu Yan counterattacked with swift blasts, each one resonating with a dark red smoke that contrasted sharply with Li Lun's darkness.
The two exchanged blows in a frenzy of movements, but soon Zhu Yan felt himself fading away under Li Lun's relentless onslaught. Just as Li Lun's demonic energy surged forth again, aiming to send Zhu Yan flying into oblivion, Zhu Yan braced for impact as he soared into the air, helpless against the pull of gravity. Suddenly, strong arms caught him just before he touched the ground. Relief assailed Zhu Yan as he spat blood on the floor, but it didn't matter. Yi Chen had arrived and he was glad to be in his safe arms, firmly hold against his chest.
"Zhu Yan! Are you alright?" He heard Yi Chen's worried voice, but he just tried to breathe more easily.
"Did she tell you about the plan?" He asked Yi Chen in a whisper.
"Yes, but..."
"Zhu Yan! You're just a shadow of your former self, no different from a human! You're no longer worthy of being my opponent!" Li Lun shouted, interrupting Yi Chen, making him mad.
"That's fine by me, Li Lun... because from now on, I'll be your opponent." He said defiantly, his gaze raised. There was no fear in his eyes, but anger at Li Lun for having hurt the one he loved so blatantly.
"Be careful Yi Chen... he is strong, but that's Bai Jiu's body." Zhu Yan warned him.
"I know, Wen Xiao... take care of him. Ying Lei, protect them both." Yi Chen said as he left Zhu Yan with her and moved forward, summoning the power of his Cloud Light Sword, which shone brightly in response to his fury. His steely determination shone in his bright eyes, as he prepared to face Li Lun. By his side stood Pei Si Jing, fierce and unwavering. Her hands skillfully nocked an arrow, ready to strike.
When the battle begins, Li Lun unleashes a torrent of demonic energy. With a swift movement, he summons twisted, vines from the cracks in the stone, writhing towards them like animated serpents. Then, he launched a kick to the side, but Zhuo Yi Chen was ready and simply blocked it with his forearm. Pei Si Jing fired her arrow, its trajectory slipping with deadly precision between the triangle of his arms and Bai Jiu's floating body. He wasn't afraid of the arrow, for he trusted her completely, but it was scary of how easily she could have killed someone else.
"Focus on Bai Jiu! I will get you an opening!" She shouts as she exchanged a glance with Zhuo and released more arrow just as vines lashed out toward them. Her arrows flew true and struck Li Lun's sprawling vines one by one.
Li Lun moved like a puff of smoke, his body fluid and agile, dodging Yi Chen's desperate sword strikes. Although, each blow sliced through the air with lethal precision, Li Lun remained elusive, a dark figure intertwined with nature itself. Vines twisted around him, thrumming with life and anticipation, ready to strike at any moment. Yi Chen's heart pounded as he dodged another thrust.
As Yi Chen lunged again in another attempt to at least stop him, Li Lun seized an opportunity. Suddenly, Pai Si Jing screamed, her hand caught in one of the vines. She teetered on the edge of danger as another vine slithered toward her throat like a snake about to strike. Just then, her brother appeared like a storm breaking through the clouds. With swift precision, he drew his sword and slashed at the vine before it could touch her.
"Get back!" He shouted to Pai Si Jing as she stumbled away from danger, her eyes wide in shock but filled with gratitude. Their bond shone brightly in that moment, a reminder that even amidst chaos and fury, family ties were unbreakable.
Meanwhile, Ying Lei stepped forward, chanting softly under his breath and making a seal with his hands. He pointed his hands at Li Lun and summoned a seal that shone with a golden glow. It shone brightly as it expanded, attempting to envelop Li Lun in its containment spell.
But Li Lun wasn't easy to contain either. With a sweep of vines, he momentarily broke Ying Lei's sea, dark energy crackled around him as he responded with gnarled roots that shot out at him. Suddenly, Pei Si Heng leaped forward, deflecting the vines with swift movements befitting a master.
"Focus on freeing Bai Jiu!" Pei Si Heng urged Zhuo Yi Chen as he deflected another attack aimed at Ying Lei. The bond between them was palpable. Each of them fighting to free a dear friend from a cruel prison that had kept him confined for far too long.
Yi Chen seized upon this moment of diversion and charged forward with determination blazing in his eyes. He raised his Cloud Light Sword high above his head, but once again he could not give the killing blow and Li Lun mock him.
"The Bing Yi Sword Technique is powerful, but failing to land the finishing blow is your downfall, Zhuo Yi Chen." Li Lun said with a murderous gleam in his eyes, sending out several vines at once to dispatch him once and for all.
"NO!!!! YI CHEN!!!" Zhu Yan cried in horror at the sight of so many vines about to attack him. He wished he could protect him with his life if necessary, but he couldn't, as his spells were useless against him and he couldn't teleport. However, it was Ying Lei who lunged in front of Zhuo Yi Chen, ready to be stabbed to death. But, to everyone's surprise, all the vines bounced off the reddish barrier that suddenly covered Ying Lei, with the protection Zhu Yan had thrown at him earlier during their previous argument.
"For the heavens, that was so close!" Ying Lei exclaimed as he touched his chest to check if he was unharmed and sighed in relief when he saw that he had no injuries.
"Ying Lei, how...?" Yi Chen asked, but seeing a real opportunity, he pulled Yin Lei closer to quickly whisper his plan in his ear.
"Alright, let's try it!" Ying Lei shouted as he lunged at Li Lun. His barrier activated every time he tried to kill him, causing Li Lun to retreat in fright for the first time, but Pei Si Jing stopped him by shooting more arrows and Pei Si Heng attacking him with his dagger, giving Ying Lei time to catch him in his arms. Once in his hold, he activated the containment spell for insurance, while making sure to keep Bai Jiu glued to his chest.
"Now, Zhuo Yi Chen!" Ying Lei shouted and Yi Chen infused his Cloud Light Sword with the power to extract Li Lun's spirit from Bai Jiu and lunged forward, easily breaking through the containment barrier and stabbing into the young doctor's stomach, just enough to absorb Li Lun's essence into the sword.
Wen Xiao ran toward them with a tree root in his hand, showing it to Li Lun for the first time. The pagoda demon recognized it immediately and subconsciously looked at Zhu Yan in the distance.
"What did you do?!" He screamed, a torrent of blood gushing from his mouth from the exertion of being stabbed with a powerful magic sword that absorbed his essence.
"The pagoda tree is your primordial tree. If you extract your inner core from Bai Jiu's body and transfer it to the root, after cultivating for a hundred years inside the sundial, you will be able to regain your human form in a very short time." Wen Xiao explained, and Zhu Yan approached to finish what he had started.
"I told you I had a way... you were too impatient to listen to me..." Zhu Yan said, approaching Yi Chen for support, which he offered with his free hand.
"Unfortunately for you, you will now be forced to." Yi Chen said as he saw the black and blue energy cover the steel of his sword. Li Lun chuckled.
"Fine, let's draw this time..." Li Lun whispered as he looked directly at Zhu Yan before all his energy was absorbed by the Cloud Light Sword. Then, Yi Chen touched the root in Wen Xiao's hand with the tip of the sword, and the demonic essence was transferred back to its origin.
Bai Jiu's body collapsed onto Ying Lei's, who lifted him in his arms while Yi Chen healed his superficial wound. The mountain god then looked at Zhu Yan.
"I owe you my life and Bai Jiu's. Now I understand why my grandfather gave his life for you. Thank you. My grandfather's sacrifice was not in vain, and I will do my best to honor his wish and help you achieve a happy ending." Ying Lei told him seriously, but Zhu Yan clung even tighter to Yi Chen.
"Do you hear that, Xiao Zhuo? The little mountain god is making advances at me now..."
"Oh, forget what I said, I take it back." Ying Lei almost rolled his eyes and walked away with the person he cared the most right in his arms. The others laughed for a moment, glad that this chapter of their lives was finally over.
AN: Ah, Ying Lei LIVES!! Hurray! I manage to save him, now I need to save Bai Jiu! Another warning that next time Zhu Yan undress Yi Chen he is going all out, no filter! Thanks for reading, until next time take care.