Wang Xiaomie returned his gaze to the tomb passage behind him, where a few little monsters had come to a halt in despair, crying in muffled voices to indicate that they did not want to part beneath Wang Xiaomie's gaze.
"Whine~"
"Whimper~"
Wang Xiaomie glanced at the gathering of monsters that people may term ugly and horrifying, and displayed warmth that he didn't even notice. He knelt, and the monsters from Mu Yi to Mu Shi rushed over to him, rubbing and circling around him.
Wang Xiaomie waved to them, rubbing their large heads one by one.
"Now, now, go back."
"Whine~"
Wen Fengjin smiled as he bowed his head. He'd already seen that it wasn't just Mu Yi and the others who were coquettishly intertwined, but Wang Xiaomie was also reluctant to leave them, so he didn't drive the little monsters away. Instead, he mocked Wang Xiaomie, saying, "Children’s mother[1], it's time to go."
Wang Xiaomie unwillingly stood up and walked outside the tomb palace, hand in hand with Wen Fengjin.
One step and three turnarounds[2]. Every time he turned around, Mu Yi and the others raised their claws and moved forward a little to try to follow him, but they were forced to stop in the same spot in the end due to the command that must stay in the tomb palace to protect it.
Several sets of wet scarlet beanie eyes stared at his back.
Wang Xiaomie: "..." F*ck, I want to cry.
He resolutely took a few strides forward and didn't glance back. He silently squeezed his fist after taking several large steps alongside Wen Fengjin.
"If you are certain, Fengjin, it doesn't matter even if you sacrifice someone else. We must live and return."
Wen Fengjin's unusually long and narrow eyes flashed, and his lips curled up, "Naturally."
His shixiong will always remain in his grasp as long as the blood sacrifice between them exists, no matter when or where. In another way, the deepest shackles were also the safest assurance.
When they eventually arrived at the surface, Wang Xiaoie took over the backpack that Wen Fengjin had been carrying the entire route. Inside, there were a few changes of clothes and a mobile phone portable charger strewn about with miscellaneous things. They changed into modern clothes, and Wang Xiaomie booted up his phone from the power bank while looking up and questioning the man whose eyes were always on him.
"What happened to bringing the coffin this time? If you make a mistake and miscalculate, it's easier to bury me right away," half-jokingly, he said.
With a half-smile, Wen Fengjin seized Wang Xiaomie's collar, forcing the other person to look up. He bowed down in front of Wang Xiaomie's astonished eyes. Their lips connected, and Xiaomie's lips were fiercely crushed.
It was a fast and hard kiss. The softly gorgeous man's head was covered in silver hair that fell like a waterfall and felt cool on his face. Wang Xiaomie was having trouble breathing as a result of him, so he swallowed several times too quickly, causing his mouth to become numb.
Wang Xiaomie’s Adam's apple slid up and down, and the man lifted him up like a toy, sucking and nipping the round throat bone.
Wang Xiaomie bit his bottom lip but made no sound. He couldn't help but wipe his neck after they parted since it felt itchy.
"I didn't bring it since I'm certain we'll return here. And even if I make a mistake, I'll still be able to let you return here. Understand?" He inquired.
Wang Xiaomie's face was a little red, and he couldn't help beep beep at him, "Bullshit! As if I don't already know you? If you kick the bucket, the person you’d want to kill as you drag your last breath would be ME!"
Wen Fengjin's smile broadened. His lips were moist from the kiss, and he cocked his brows in a perplexed expression.
"Shixiong, how can you believe that? Don't you know I adore you?"
"Haha!" Damned freak, it's because you f*cking adore laozi that laozi's terrified, okay? Do you think I'll relax my guard just because you pretended to be a lazy toothless tiger for a few days?
Bah!
Wang Xiaomie rolled his eyes: "Can you let me live alone as, err, a zongzi? You can let me do things you don't know about in places where you can't see me? Perhaps you'll find someone to be your "wife's friend"? You think I'm stupid, Wen Fengjin!"
He had recently ignored Wen Fengjin and thought that Wen Fengjin had changed into a good guy, but last night, while he and Wen Fengjin were discussing a strategy, he tossed and turned in the coffin, feeling more and more suspicious the more he pondered.
He knew everything about Wen Fengjin after regaining his memory, and Wen Fengjin was truly—
Nothing good even as a teenager!
Devoid of conscience and by nature sinister, dissolute, unruly, and anti-social.
He was a white dumpling with sesame filling and would smash Yi Yan without saying a word.
It was basically saying "I love you~" in the same tone as "You dog, I'll blow your head off~"
What Wen Fengjin, who made a comeback after dying, enjoyed watching the most was revealing his cloven foot[3] a bit to those righteous people, and then giving the other party the greatest despair when the other party is exhilarated thinking that the 'devil' is about to be slaughtered...
[What could be more thrilling than watching your opponent's hope turn to despair?]
Wen Fengjin said this while standing in a pool of blood. Those besieging the Demon Lord thought their spy had discovered Wen Fengjin's base camp, but the spy was killed by Mu Yi on the first day he arrived after being skinned and interrogated to death.
People with overflowing confidence and hope ambushed them, but they were swiftly slaughtered by the overpowering cold arrows.
Wen Fengjin then walked into the pool of blood while holding him, who was already very ill. The man, who was as sweetly gorgeous as the devil, smiled contentedly. He squinted and smiled as he stared at the individual on the ground who was still breathing and glaring at them with angry and unwilling eyes. Wen Fengjin had instructed him to pay close attention...
He stated, "Shixiong, listen. Isn't this shattering sound wonderful to hear?"
Wang Xiaomie realized he was referring to the sound of hope shattering.
Wang Xiaomie was holding back at the time, or he would have peed on his leg.
At the time, he confirmed one thing. Wen Fengjin should rename himself Wen Lunatic[4].
"Wait a second!"
Remembering this incident, Wang Xiaomie went wide-eyed and clutched the tip of Wen Fengjin's long silver hair, questioning, "Since you've known Yi Yan's identity since you went to Bai Yu's residence that day, did you purposefully let Bai Yu..."
Wen Fengjin’s pale pink lips were hooked like a sickle.
Everything was self-evident.
Wang Xiaomie: "...Wicked, you’re too wicked!"
Damn! He'd been wondering how Wen Fengjin, who had initially refused Bai Yu living in his home, had suddenly changed his mind! So he was conspiring at the time!
Wang Xiaomie yanked his hair viciously and bared two zombie puppy teeth. I badly want to bite him!
"Are you going to learn how to bark?" Wen Fengjin asked with a smile, raising his eyebrows. "And you want to bite me as well? Oh no~ I'm going to experience domestic violence~"
Wang Xiaomie: "..." There! There’s that cute darkness!
Between biting him and then being beaten, or restraining himself and not being beaten, Wang The Timid decisively chose the second option. He sprang up, furious, and grabbed the phone to call Bai Yu.
He had contacted Bai Yu the day before yesterday to ask him to drive over, but he had no idea where he was now.
"Xiaomie," Wen Fengjin said abruptly, "if Bai Yu..."
"Alright! I know; I’ll be on guard!" Wang Xiaomie cut him off, not wanting to be too suspicious. "How can Bai Yu, who is such an upright guy, help Yi Yan in doing those things?"
"Do you have that much faith in him? Even more than in me."
Wang Xiaomie's mouth twitched as he noticed Wen Fengjin's quickly cooling expression. "Are you a buddy of dear old vinegar? In a nutshell, be pleasant to others. I'd rather trust my pals than doubt them."
"You will be let down." Wen Fengjin stated unequivocally.
Wang Xiaomie exhaled a sigh. In his heart, he had already calculated the worst. He'd always thought Bai Yu was a good person, but what if Yi Yan was deceiving him?
The call was answered.
"Hello, Da Bai? It’s Wang Xiaomie."
… … …
A white pickup truck was parked at the foot of the inaccessible mountain road, but there were numerous track marks nearby, and Bai Yu had also come across a few middle-aged men bringing construction cement to the summit.
They claimed that a wealthy individual insisted on constructing a temple on the peak. They were all hired laborers from neighboring villages engaged by the contractor.
"That boss has promised to pay for the repair of the nearby mountain roads in addition to building a temple. The old man in our village who guards the ruined temple is also welcome to relocate here."
"I'm not sure who wants to spend money on our poor valley!"
The tanned middle-aged men joked and continued to carry the goods to the mountain.
Bai Yu's gaze was stunned as he looked at their laboring backs as they walked away.
Isn't Xiaomie the one who was constructing a temple on the mountain? Humans are thinking about harming humans, whereas zombies are thinking about temples and road repairs. What the hell is going on here?
The mobile phone near Bai Yu rang as he rubbed his reddish eyes. He felt something pressing against his throat as he looked down at the phone and noticed that the caller ID said 'Xiaomie.'
"Hello."
"Hello, Da Bai? It’s Wang Xiaomie. Where are you?"
"Ah, I'm at the foot of the mountain. The car won’t go up, so I'll wait for you here. Do you have a lot of stuff with you? I'll come over and help you carry it." Bai Yu opened the car door while holding the phone.
"No need, no need, Wen Fengjin says we’re almost there. We’re not carrying any stuff this time." On the other end of the phone, Wang Xiaomie laughed openly and kindly as usual, "Just stay there and wait for us. We'll be there in ten minutes."
"Okay..."
He replied, then the phone hung up.
Bai Yu's face was frowning. He set down his phone in a daze and picked up the water bottle next to him, as well as a common small plastic prescription bottle from his pocket. The small medicine bottle bore a Vitamin B2 label, and upon unscrewing it, there were also regular yellow pills inside.
But Bai Yu just stared at it, as if it were some great scourge.
While in a trance, he seemed to have returned to that day, when Yi Yan informed him that his grandfather had been killed by a drought demon. His last hope had vanished, and he had sobbed bitterly in Yi Yan's presence, abandoning his usually strong demeanor.
"Don't think about it. I will handle those things, and I should do them alone." Yi Yan muttered: "I’m the one who lost my head to tell you this. As long as you live the life you want… My only..."
"Only what?" Bai Yu raised his head from his arms, failing to hear Yi Yan clearly.
But Yi Yan just shook his head and hugged him again.
"No, it's nothing."
"........."
"By the way, Bai Yu, can you... do me a favor?" Yi Yan fixed his gaze on him. "For the sake of humanity's future stability and to avenge Teacher Bai Cheng, I must destroy the hidden danger of the drought demon. You get what I'm saying, right?"
Bai Yu was unable to refute him. His grandfather was the one Yi Yan wished to avenge, thus he should be grateful and assist him.
"What do you want me to do? I'll help!"
Yi Yan’s face was full of joy when he heard this, and he pushed Bai Yu away slightly.
Bai Yu felt relieved to see Yi Yan finally face him without a serious expression, but what Yi Yan said next struck him like lightning.
Yi Yan: "What I need you to do is very simple. Bai Yu, I’ll give you a bottle of medicine, and you’ll put it in the water that Wang Xiaomie drinks six times. Don't worry, it’s unique. Even Wen Fengjin can't find it."
"No way!" Bai Yu's eyes widened, and his voice rose instinctively, "Why are you dragging Xiaomie into this?! I can't do it!"
"Calm down and pay attention to what I'm saying." Yi Yan frowned and calmed him in a relaxed manner. "How could a strong craftsman like your grandfather die in obscurity back then? Wen Fengjin and his companion are familiar with the drought demon. Do you dare to guarantee that he wasn't involved?"
Bai Yu lowered his eyes: "I..."
Yi Yan continued, "This medicine is not lethal. Bai Yu, I'm going to kill the drought demon this time. Isn't it asking too much of me to be passive instead of taking precautions to contain Wen Fengjin just in case?"
"Can you guarantee that if I don't do this, I won't become another casualty like your grandfather?"
"I must exact my revenge! And monsters must also perish!"
"The journey to Qishan is extremely risky. If I lose contact... Everything in this place is yours. I've written a suicide note..."
The early morning light softened the man in the cyan robe and immaculate braid in front of him, and the years had bestowed a calm and peaceful halo on this attractive man.
Bai Yu couldn't imagine the scene where he was brutally murdered.
He could also not guarantee that Yi Yan would not be the next victim.
But he was aware that he didn't want Yi Yan to be harmed...
"It truly won’t hurt him?" Bai Yu heard himself ask in a weak and trembling voice.
"Of course not." Yi Yan hugged him hard, "Trust me once!"
"Okay..."
I trust you.
Footnotes:
[1] A colloquial term used by Northerners for addressing a child's mother.
[2] An exaggerated expression of reluctance to part. It essentially implies "looking back three times for every step."
[3] Unmasking one’s nature.
[4] 闻风尽(Wen Fengjin) and 闻疯子(Wen Fengzi). Fengzi means lunatic/madman.