Langxia opened his eyes to a ceiling he had not fallen asleep to. He heard soft murmuring, not too far from where he laid, but when he attempted to get up, a heavy hand held him back down. His eyes narrowed and he lifted his head and met a pair of cold, icy eyes.
“…Bai Aosun? What are you doing here?” Langxia asked, his voice coming out as a soft croak. He cleared his throat softly and tried to get any moisture, but was unable to.
Bai Aosun sighed and handed Langxia a cup of water. “I came because I was asked to. Congratulations, I suppose.”
Langxia watched him steadily with suspicion in his eyes. He finished the cup and set it aside. He lifted his gaze and watched as Gui Yin walked over with Xun Yunding following him.
“Are you allowed to move around right now?” Langxia asked.
Gui Yin looked as if he were holding back all his anger. “You…are really great.”
The sarcasm didn’t fly past Langxia.
“He’s fine,” Xun Yunding said. “You’re also fine. You’re both fine. Congratulations on ascending to the next stages, both of you. As a doctor, I will say that you are both extremely reckless and it’s a miracle you both survived.”
Langxia stared blankly at them until Gui Yin pressed his hand against his forehead.
“He’s still running a fever,” Gui Yin said worriedly.
“It’s natural,” Bai Aosun said. He was standing to the side with his arms crossed as he eyed Langxia. “After all, it’s not every day someone swallows a dragon core.”
“I didn’t.”
“But it chose you,” Bai Aosun said, his eyes narrowing.
Langxia looked to Xun Yunding. “What does that mean?”
“You currently have a golden core and a dragon core within your body,” Xun Yunding said. “It’s normal for spirits and demons and the like to have more than one core. I suppose we should thank Heavens—ahem, I mean…thank your luck that you’re quite special. Otherwise, you would have combusted. But don’t worry. This won’t affect you at all. It’ll just give you, um…more opportunities.”
Langxia stared at him before he suppressed a groan and held his head.
Gui Yin frowned and glanced at Bai Aosun and Xun Yunding. “Why is he still like this? You said he would be fine.”
“Lord Ninglan, the body has to get used to the foreign object,” Xun Yunding said. “In fact, he’s lucky that it’s just a high fever. He’ll really be fine once the fever disperses.”
Gui Yin turned back to Langxia. He felt a slight ache in his heart. He massaged Langxia’s head silently as the man’s eyes closed.
“Well, if that is all, I will be taking my leave,” Bai Aosun said.
Langxia watched him go and turned to Xun Yunding after the heavy doors closed. “Why’d you invite him over?”
“He’s the only dragon that doesn’t despise you,” Xun Yunding said with a mild shrug.
Langxia sighed and leaned his head against Gui Yin’s chest. “Now, I owe him one.”
“Better than burning your brain stupid,” Gui Yin scolded. He gently brushed a hand over Langxia’s head. He turned back to Xun Yunding. “Is there anything we can give him to stifle the fever?”
“Nope. He’s just going to have to sweat it out. Treat it as another one of heaven’s trials,” Xun Yunding said with a shrug. “Anyway, if that is all, I will be returning to my humble abode.”
“Call A-Qi in,” Langxia mumbled.
Xun Yunding clicked his tongue. “Brat. I’m your guest! How could you order me around?”
“Please.”
Xun Yunding rolled his eyes. He threw his sleeve. He was far too lazy to deal with this man.
Once the heavy doors closed again, Gui Yin sighed and sat down. He cupped Langxia’s face and looked at him carefully.
“You’re so stupid.”
Langxia slowly smiled. He raised his arms and draped himself over Gui Yin. “Sorry, I couldn’t keep my promise.”
“What promise?” Gui Yin asked with a small frown.
“I said that when I woke up, I’d be next to you,” Langxia said. “But it was the opposite.”
Gui Yin let out a loud huff and squeezed Langxia in his embrace. “That’s what you’re worried about right now!?”
“I’m fine,” Langxia said.
“You have a new scar on your back—did you know?” Gui Yin said. His hand trailed down Langxia’s back, tracing an irregular pattern. “It’s from the lightning. Lord Xun says it’s the Heavens’s way of making you remember this lesson.”
“What lesson?” Langxia murmured. “That I can survive Heaven’s wrath?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Gui Yin frowned. He lightly pinched Langxia’s ear. “This is serious!”
“P’w jirb rfglber,” Ojcuzlj rjlv. Lf mibrfv tlr fsfr. “Pa’r cba ilxf P tjnfc’a regnlnfv yfobgf. Ktfs’gf wjxlcu abb ylu bo j vfji bea bo la.”
Xel Tlc vlvc’a xcbk ktja ab vb klat atlr wjc. Lf gfrafv tlr mtlc jujlcra Ojcuzlj’r rtbeivfg jcv qegrfv tlr ilqr. “…Glv la tega?”
“Wouldn’t you know?”
“I meant the tribulation. I wasn’t awake…so, I didn’t feel anything.”
“It was okay. Like sticking your finger into an electrical outlet,” Langxia said.
Gui Yin was taken aback for a second. He burst out laughing and shook his head. The comparison that didn’t belong to this universe caught him off guard. His laughter faded and he was left with a fond, but bitter smile.
“Don’t do that again.”
“Do what?”
“Risk your life like that.”
“If I didn’t have a hundred percent certainty that I would survive, I would have found another way to go about it,” Langxia said. “If I really had died because I was protecting you, you would have felt guilty. I don’t want that.”
Gui Yin pursed his lips. His grip on Langxia grew tighter. “…Thank you.”
Langxia smiled and rested his head against Gui Yin. “I was just doing what I should.”
Gui Yin chuckled. He lowered his gaze as his fingers gently caressed the lightning scar that trailed up Langxia’s neck.
The two men sat in silence for a long time before Gui Yin spoke again.
“…Er’lang, can you call me ‘A-Yin’?”
Langxia frowned. “Why?”
“Just say it once,” Gui Yin said.
Langxia’s gaze flickered to the man beside him before landing on the ground. “A-Yin.”
Gui Yin’s lips curved into a smile. He buried his head against the crook of Langxia’s neck. “Thank you.”
“…Qinle, what did you see down there?” Langxia asked.
Gui Yin noticed the edge to Langxia’s question. For a moment, he wondered if he should even tell him. He was still unwell, after all. What if he did something rash?
But the silence drew on, only confirming Langxia’s suspicions.
“What did he do?”
“…Nothing. He just said a load of nonsense.”
Langxia pursed his lips and pulled Gui Yin away. “Really? That’s it?”
“Mn. The backlash was because his appearance made me remember everything. His words…were obnoxious, but he didn’t do anything to hurt me,” Gui Yin said. He thought about it for a moment before adding, “He might have even saved me.”
“…But?”
“But when I saw his face, I wanted to throw up,” Gui Yin said. He met Langxia gaze. “That’s really it.”
“Alright,” Langxia said. He pulled Gui Yin into a hug again and pressed his head against his chest. He rested his chin on the top of Gui Yin’s head and stared blankly ahead. “Don’t worry. I won’t let him get to you.”
Gui Yin chuckled. He wrapped his arms around Langxia’s waist. “I’m fine. I think…I don’t think I’ll react as strongly next time I see him.”
Langxia hummed. He rubbed a hand up and down Gui Yin’s back. “I believe that.”
No matter how many horrible things Qiao Ceng had done, it was in the past. Gui Yin was different now. He would never let something like that happen again. And…even if it did, he would never react the same again.
“Langxia, can you say my name again?”
“A-Yin.”
Gui Yin smiled. He dove further into Langxia’s embrace. “I like the way you say it better.”
“Shall I continue to call you that from now on?”
Gui Yin’s nose scrunched. “No. I don’t have particularly fond memories with that name.”
His given name had been a courtesy name given to him by his Shizun, while the given name “Yin” had been given to him by his parents. Until he had found his place in the world, that had been the only name he had. And when he had been with Qiao Ceng, that was the name he was called. Although it would represent a more intimate relationship if used by another person, it only made Gui Yin’s stomach turn at the thought of another using that name in such a way.
He much preferred “Qinle”, the name his Shizun gave him. It was the name few people used and they were all people who were dearest to his heart.
“As you wish,” Langxia said.
Gui Yin pulled back and pressed a hand to Langxia’s forehead. He frowned. “Do you feel uncomfortable?”
“Not really,” Langxia said. He leaned his face against Gui Yin’s hand and closed his eyes. “Just let me stay like this a while longer.”
Gui Yin hummed. His thumb stroked Langxia’s cheek as his gaze softened.
Langxia normally acted spoiled in front of Gui Yin, but there was something different about this. Rather than doing so ironically, it felt more sincere. This was someone who was truly reliant on him at this moment. The thought made Gui Yin’s heart flutter slightly. He shifted closer and kissed him.
Langxia’s lashes fluttered open. He met Gui Yin’s gaze and slowly smiled. His hand snaked to the back of Gui Yin’s neck and he pulled him in again.
The doors creaked open.
Gui Linghuo marched in with Yankui quickly following him. A-Qi abandoned the door and stepped in as well.
The word “shizun” had yet to leave Gui Linghuo’s lips when he fully registered the scene in front of him. The young man quickly spun around and pulled Yankui towards him in the process. Yankui stared at him confusedly.
“What are you doing?”
“They—we—we’re interrupting,” Gui Linghuo said.
Gui Yin quickly pulled away from Langxia. He had a hand placed on the other man’s chest. He gave Langxia a warning glare and glanced at Gui Linghuo and the others. He looked at A-Qi, whose jaw was on the ground, and awkwardly cleared his throat.
“Are you here to visit your Yìfù?” Gui Yin asked.
Yankui looked at Gui Linghuo oddly and pushed his hands away. He jumped out from behind Gui Linghuo and jogged over. “Yes! Lord Xun told me that Yìfù was ill, so I wanted to come over to see. And since Linghuo’s session was nearly over, I waited for him to come over together. I’m sorry for being late.”
“It’s fine,” Gui Yin said with a small smile. “He just woke up.”
Yankui beamed. He snuck a glance at Langxia. “Are you…okay?”
“I’m fine,” Langxia hummed.
“But you have a fever,” Yankui said. He looked at Gui Yin. “Is it really okay?”
“He’s fine. He just needs to sweat it out and he’ll be good as new,” Gui Yin said.
“What about you, Shizun?” Gui Linghuo asked.
“Me?” Gui Yin blinked at the boy. He slowly dragged his gaze to Yankui. “What about me?”
“Lord Xun already told us that you were also injured,” Yankui awkwardly said. He quickly waved his hands. “I didn’t say anything!”
Gui Linghuo walked over with a raised brow. “Are you saying you would have hid it from me if my own Shizun was injured?”
“Depends on how injured,” Yankui stubbornly said. He glanced at Gui Linghuo’s disapproving look and tilted his chin. “If Laoshi doesn’t want me to tell anyone, then I won’t even tell you. You make the most fuss anyway. It’s not like he’s dead or still comatose. It’s not a big deal.”
Gui Linghuo sighed.
It was clear that the two of them had had a similar conversation before.
Yankui pouted and turned to Langxia and Gui Yin. “Right?”
Gui Yin lightly coughed. “That um…”
He glanced at Gui Linghuo. Because Yankui was so much shorter than his disciple, Gui Yin could clearly see his expression over Yankui’s head. His brows were raised high, almost as if warning Gui Yin to not agree. He softly shook his head and continued his disapproving look when Yankui looked back.
“Um, no,” Gui Yin said. He smiled softly. “It’s not right to hide your injuries from others, even if you know you’ll survive. It’s because other people want to worry and care for you. Um, sharing your injuries is a form of trust. As for…if I had told you to keep it from Huo’er…I wouldn’t be mad if you had told him. Since I’m okay, telling him would actually be an act of reassurance.”
Yankui stared at Gui Yin blankly. He frowned and looked to Langxia, whom he thought would share a similar philosophy to himself.
Gui Linghuo desperately looked at Langxia and pressed his hands together. His lips crying out a plead.
“Even if you survived your injury, you should tell those you trust that you were injured,” Langxia said. “In a case where the injury left behind a side-effect or a lasting defect, it would be better for the others to know so that they can cover you. It’s for the betterment of the team.”
Yankui frowned, but he slowly nodded. “I suppose…that’s true. Then, I’ll keep that in mind.”
Gui Yin and Gui Linghuo both stared at Langxia, but the man had already turned away. An awkward expression was clearly on his face.
“But what if there really isn’t any lasting defect?” Yankui said.
“If not…” Langxia’s voice trailed off. He thought about it for a moment before looking at Yankui seriously. “Have you ever had someone fret over you?”
Yankui thought about it and shook his head.
“It feels nice. If you’re injured, they’ll care about it and you’ll instantly feel better,” Langxia said. “You should try it next time and see if you like it.”
Yankui’s eyes lit up. “Then, I’ll try it next time.”
Gui Yin suppressed a sigh of relief, while Gui Linghuo slowly closed his eyes.
One was raised with the strong belief that everything was fine as long as you hadn’t died while the other two had gone through their entire lives hiding their injuries. With these three huddled together, discussing whether or not to conceal their injuries, Gui Linghuo really didn’t know what to say.
“But Shizun, you didn’t answer this disciple,” Gui Linghuo said.
“I…I’m fine,” Gui Yin said. “I’ve recovered. Lord Xun told me to take it easy for a while though, but you know me—I’m strong. Even if I take it easy, I can hold out against any enemies.”
Yankui blinked blankly and turned to Langxia. “Then—”
“I’m also fine. Once the fever passes, I might even be better than before,” Langxia said.
Yankui breathed a sigh of relief. He smiled. “As long as you two are okay, then that’s good.”
Gui Yin chuckled. He turned to Gui Linghuo. “Then, what about you?”
“This disciple has been meditating in the Springs this entire time. Lord Xun said that I will soon be well enough to return to Yunjing Pavilion. However, I have to visit again every few months to control the excess that cannot be removed right away,” Gui Linghuo said.
Gui Yin breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good.”
“You should stay aware though,” Langxia said. “The trial isn’t over yet.”
Yankui glanced at Langxia. “Yìfù, are you a fortune teller? I feel like you always say mysterious things.”
Langxia offered a smile. “Something like that.”
Yankui fell into his own thoughts, but he didn’t ask any more questions.
Langxia glanced at A-Qi, who had been waiting patiently to the side and softly cleared his throat. “I need to speak to A-Qi alone.”
Gui Yin stood. “Alright. I’ll come by again later.”
Langxia nodded.
He watched as Gui Yin herded the two children out of the room and finally turned to A-Qi. “Where’s Jinyun?”
“She said that she didn’t want to come back,” A-Qi said with a sigh. She stomped her foot. “You don’t know how scared we were when we saw the emergency flare! We thought something happened to her. Luckily, it wasn’t anything. And it was smart of her to use it so that we could come pick up Master and Lord Ninglan.”
“She still doesn’t want to come?”
A-Qi shook her head disappointedly. “She doesn’t like Kunlun all that much.”
“It makes sense,” Langxia said. He smiled sardonically. “I don’t exactly like Kunlun either.”
A-Qi hesitated. She glanced at Langxia and lowered her gaze again. “Then…Master, what do you think about moving back—”
“Out of the question,” Langxia said. “Our Huigu Palace will remain in Kunlun. We no longer need to stay in the desert.”
“Yes, Master,” A-Qi said.
“Or do you like it better in the desert?”
A-Qi smiled wryly. She was born in the desert, unlike Wu Feng and Su Wen, but that didn’t mean she had any lingering attachments. Her parents had abandoned her and an orphan in the desert was as common as the sand the people stepped on. She garnered no pity and, instead, invited dislike. If it hadn’t been for Langxia, she would have become an experimental subject of Qi Du Cult, just like many others.
“Huigu Palace is my home. Where Master and Huigu Palace are is where my heart lies,” A-Qi said.
Langxia hummed softly. “That’s good.”
A-Qi observed Langxia for a while before she lowered her gaze. “How about we try convincing the Young Miss again? Perhaps—”
“No need. There will come a time where she will willingly set foot in the Upper Realm,” Langxia said. “There is no need to rush it.”
“Yes.”
“Also,” Langxia met A-Qi’s gaze, “take the Red Serpent’s Eye to Jinyun.”
A-Qi’s eyes widened slightly. “You mean, the gift that Grannie Li gave you a long time ago in return for a favor in the future?”
Langxia nodded. “I paid it by saving her granddaughter. I should return her belongings to her last relative.”
A-Qi bowed. “This servant understands.”
the kids are here ٩( ᐛ )و i dont wish Yankui any injuries, but i do want him to be doted upon a la hurt/comfort style…… theyre all so cute alchsknd
he needs to learn the love of being cared for one day ;v; thanks for reading!
I like the interaction between the kids and Qinle and Langxia