Heavenly Soul

It had already been around a year since Qinghe woke up from the healing pool, and each of his days was filled with bliss.

―Except for those occasional times when he had to stay separated from his lover.

For the past few days, Wei Xiang had been staying in the mortal realm to take care of a few urgent matters for the Order of Sentinels, leaving Qinghe to wallow in his beloved's absence gloomily even as he busily a.s.sisted his parents with their work.

This night, Qinghe finally managed to get a few jars of very strong and sweet-smelling wine from his mother and decided to drink away his sorrows. Maybe if he got drunk enough, he'd forget to feel lonely for a while.

But even after finis.h.i.+ng a few jars, when Qinghe laid down to sleep in a drunken daze, the empty coldness beside him was still very apparent. The unfilled side of the bed seemed to be taunting him with the lack of a certain person that he liked cuddling into every night.

Qinghe blinked sadly. He still missed his Xiang very much…

Why did his beloved have to leave him for so many days?

His melancholy suddenly turning to discontent, Qinghe puffed up his cheeks that were flushed red due to his inebriation.

He didn't like this! He wanted to rub his face against his Xiang's hair and snuggle into his Xiang's warm embrace! And if his Xiang wasn't here, then he'd just have to go find him!

And so, Qinghe messily put on an outer robe and tied his belt, not remembering to fasten his hair before he pulled on his boots. Then, after picking up the last unopened jar of wine left and hugging it to his chest, Qinghe determinedly jumped out of his room's window and unsteadily walked to the Feng residence's transportation array, the crescent moon above silently accompanying him.

After reaching the platform with the transportation array, Qinghe crouched down and impatiently slapped his hand against the formation and drunkenly demanded, "Take me to Xiang! Quick, quick!"

As he erratically let his spiritual energy flow into the platform, the array glowed a bright silver as if its lines were made of condensed moonlight. With a flash, it immediately transported Qinghe into the mortal world.

But as the lines of the array dimmed, it was revealed that the place where Qinghe had been slapping the stone platform had fine cracks spreading from it. It appeared that Qinghe hadn't remembered to hold back his strength and ended up damaging the formation instead. But the cracks quickly healed themselves at a visible rate and the stone became smooth and undamaged once more.

However, since the transportation formation had been yet to heal when Qinghe used it, the destination it sent him to might not be the place he had expected to end up in.

...

Meanwhile, in the Obsidian Courtyard in the demonic faction's Nine Gems Sanctuary, Hei NingYu softly closed the door to his and Chen Xiande's bedroom behind him before turning to the Elder who had dared interrupt him in the middle of the night.

"Elder Duan, this better be very important."

Seeing the playful smile and dark eyes of his Sect Leader, Elder Duan gulped nervously and spoke in a frantic whisper, "Sect Leader Hei, this is indeed very important. An enchanting spirit is trying to ensnare victims using its song and bewitching appearance in our forest!"

Hei NingYu narrowed his eyes. "Explain."

Elder Duan let out a breath and began, "I've received several reports this past hour about a strange and beautiful being singing in our forest and luring in the people who were pa.s.sing that way. But thankfully, since the people targeted were all demonic cultivators with relatively strong abilities, they were able to resist the pull and rushed to come and report to me. Sect Leader Hei, I think it need not be said how dangerous it could get if we let this being roam free. But most importantly, we have to handle this matter before it spreads that we let some unknown creature breach the border of our dark arts faction and make its territory in our land!"

Hei NingYu wanted to sigh. In a firm voice, he ordered, "Gather some people who might be useful against this creature and meet me at the edge of the forest near the alchemy and research facility. We'll set out immediately to deal with this."

Nodding, Elder Duan quickly left to do as told.

After checking that Chen Xiande was still peacefully asleep on the bed, Hei NingYu immediately headed towards the meeting place. He wanted to finish this matter as quickly as possible so that he could get back to sleep beside his cute little sheep.

And so, a few minutes later, a group of four people—three Elders and one Hei NingYu—headed off into the dark forest to find and take care of this mysterious being.

"It has to be a siren on land, I tell you!" an Elder with a small white dot in the middle of his forehead declared.

"No, this is definitely a fox spirit or a flower spirit. I have experience with the kind of spirits that do mischievous things like this in forests with excessive yin energy like ours," refuted another Elder, his hand with three fingers waving in the air confidently.

The white-marked Elder scoffed. "When did fox spirits or whatever start singing to lure in victims? The ones most seen with this attribute in folklore are sirens!"

"So what? One of my disciples saw this creature and was sure that it was male!" the three-fingered Elder countered.

"Who told you that sirens could only be female? Male sirens are statistically more commonly seen. There have been at least two hundred sightings of male sirens in this year alone. On the other hand, how many people have seen singing fox spirits?"

The Elder with three fingers replied, "And how many of those two hundred sirens did people see in forests rather than the sh.o.r.e or at sea like―"

Elder Duan quickly interrupted the quarreling Elders, "Elder Ling, Elder w.a.n.g, enough! Listen! I think we can hear its singing."

The two Elders immediately shut up and listened with all their might. And sure enough, threading through the sounds of the forest's nightlife was a lilting voice humming a melody.

The voice was smooth and clear as it hummed a cheerful tune, flowing easily like water and suffused with an innocent joy. But as it echoed within the confines of this dark and dreary forest, it gained an eerie layer of melancholy, as if it was being hummed by someone who was seeking to hide their sadness by singing cheerfully.

But as he carefully a.n.a.lyzed it, Hei NingYu realized that he did not detect any bewitchment or spell in the voice or the song at all.

The three-fingered Elder w.a.n.g softly murmured, "I think I've heard this tune before… I think it's called 'A Drunken Revelry' or something along those lines. But whoever is singing it seems to have made a lot of changes to the tune to fit their mood. It actually sounds very…pleasant, much more so than the original song."

The others digested this piece of information with thoughtful frowns.

Maintaining absolute silence after that, the group carefully walked in the direction from which this voice issued, seeking to follow it to its source.

Fifteen minutes later, Hei NingYu and his group suddenly spotted a few wolves heading their way while whimpering and cowering away from something in the distance, slowly backing in the group's direction.

This pack of wolves had pelts in various shades of light brown and grey, and they looked hale and without injury. These were the wolves that Hei NingYu himself had raised in the forest, and after being introduced to Chen Xiande, the wolves had taken an even greater liking to their caretaker's 'mate', always running over to be spoiled by him like eager little puppies.

These wolves were usually very vigorous and playful, and in the case of intruders, they would growl and bare their teeth to frighten them, but would do no harm. Despite their good tempers, these wolves were generally very curious and brave, so Hei NingYu and the Elders couldn't help but wonder what had reduced them to this state.

Frowning, Hei NingYu walked up to the pack before crouching down and rubbing a palm over the lead wolf, slowly soothing it. Realizing that he was here, the other wolves also rushed up to him and pressed into his body as if silently seeking comfort from his presence.

Hei NingYu took some time to ease their fears and sent them off to play in another direction before continuing with more caution. Since this being was able to so easily intrude into his domain and even alarm his wolves to this degree, it must not be an easy opponent.

With caution tightening their faces, the group continued onward, their journey uninterrupted this time.

Finally, in the distance, they saw something. It was a white figure sitting lazily on a wide and st.u.r.dy tree branch that was situated three meters above the ground. One of his legs was folded up while the other dangled down, waving to and fro leisurely. He seemed to be clutching something close to his chest with both arms wrapped securely around it.

As they got closer without alerting the seemingly clueless creature, they were able to make out more details.

This white-robed being's hair flowed unbound, his outer robe only loosely wrapped and tied around him. The thing being held in his arms seemed to be an unopened jar of wine.

Suddenly, the figure stopped humming, lifting his head and looking at them without a hint of surprise as if he had long since sensed their approach.

But what shocked the group even more was his exquisite face. It was ethereally beautiful and exuded coldness, yet his cheeks were flushed with a warm, bewitching pink. His eyes were wide and dewy, seemingly due to intoxication, and glistened with a pure, childlike curiosity.

The three Elders gulped. This was truly an enchanting beauty, but could it be that they were already under his spell? Because there was no other way they would be able to see such a person in such a place, now would they? Maybe the humming till now really had been some sort of spell that had managed to affect them without alerting them all. Thinking all this, the Elders couldn't help but feel even more cautious.

However, after seeing that familiar face and confirming his ident.i.ty, Hei NingYu sighed and immediately let down his guard. In a flat tone, he called, "Feng Qinghe."

The white-clad figure perched on the tree branch blinked at him with confusion, his eyes dazed. "Sect Leader Hei? Why are you here?"

Hearing this, the three Elders gaped. This person was…Feng Qinghe? Wasn't he that newly-ascended second disciple from Heavenly Peak Sect who also happened to be the Grandmaster's son and the new leader of the Sentinels', Wei Xiang's, lover?! And he was also their sect leader's lover's junior brother to boot! What was he doing here in this forest of all places? Couldn't he have just visited his senior brother by entering through the front door like a normal person?!

As the three Elders freaked out, Hei NingYu calmly replied to Qinghe, "Why wouldn't I be here? This forest is a part of the demonic faction's territory, after all."

Qinghe showed a look of understanding. "Ah! So that's why there's so much demonic energy."

Hei NingYu smiled wryly. "Indeed." Then after a moment of hesitation, he asked, "Do I want to know why you're sitting up there?"

In a solemn tone, Qinghe answered, "To avoid more wild barkies."

Hei NingYu looked at him with a blank, uncomprehending expression. "…I'm afraid I don't understand."

Qinghe frowned and tried to explain despite his wine-addled mind, "There were lots of wild barkies. I don't like wild barkies. They're hungry and mean and also rude and noisy. I won't give them my wine."

As Qinghe protectively patted the wine jar he was hugging, Hei NingYu looked even more lost.

A drunken Feng Qinghe seemed simple, but was also surprisingly hard to understand.

Sighing, Hei NingYu asked for clarification, "Xiao Feng, what do you mean by that? What are these 'barkies'?"

Qinghe seriously pondered for a while as he tried to find the words he wanted, then said, "Barkies are puppies. Grown-up puppies."

Hei NingYu's eyebrows went up as understanding dawned. If 'barkies' were dogs, then in that case, 'wild barkies' must be…

Suddenly, a wolf's howl rang out, piercing the night and paying homage to the full moon in the mortal realm.

Though the rate of the pa.s.sage of time in both the mortal and heavenly realms was roughly linear, due to their varying ages, the phases of the moon in the two realms usually did not coincide.

As the wolf's howl spread through the forest, a few other wolves also started adding their own voices to create a haunting multi-layered symphony.

Turning his head in the direction of the loud howls, Qinghe showed an expression of distaste as he muttered, "Stupid wild barkies. So noisy!"

Hearing this, Hei NingYu smiled amusedly. This Xiao Feng was really too adorable when he was drunk.

"Say, Xiao Feng, what did you do to the wolves you must have seen just before?"

Qinghe froze for a moment, then showed a guilty expression and hugged the wine jar closer. "I…I only used a little wind to shoo them away because they were being all barky and growly before."

Hei NingYu's amus.e.m.e.nt grew as he saw how the young man averted his eyes as if to hide his bad conscience.

"I see," Hei NingYu replied. Then softening his voice, he rea.s.sured him, "But the wolves weren't hurt at all, only spooked a bit, so don't worry."

Qinghe blinked at him with wide and hopeful eyes. "Then…they are okay?"

Hei NingYu nodded.

Qinghe sighed in relief and slumped forward, hugging the unopened jar even tighter and rubbing his face against the cloth covering its mouth. In a small voice, he muttered, "Yes, that's good. Wild barkies are mean, but it's only because they're hungry like us."

Hei NingYu tilted his head, not understanding. But seeing Qinghe's sad expression, he decided not to ask anything for now. It was more important to resolve this situation of 'the bewitching beauty' in the forest and take care of his lover's drunk junior brother.

Therefore, Hei NingYu began to cajole, "Xiao Feng, why don't you come down? We can go and meet your senior brother, then you can go to sleep in a nice and comfortable bed. Wouldn't you like that?"

Qinghe blinked and wearily rubbed his itchy face. He did feel tired.

And so, nodding in agreement, Qinghe lightly leapt down from the tree branch and landed beside Hei NingYu. Looking around cautiously, he tugged at the hem of Hei NingYu's sleeve and asked, "Will there be more wild barkies?"

Hei NingYu suppressed his amus.e.m.e.nt and answered seriously, "No, I sent them off to play far away. They won't interrupt us on our way, so don't worry."

Qinghe obediently nodded and rubbed his face with the back of his closed hand again. He felt a little bit sleepy. Hmm, he really wanted to snuggle up with his senior brother and sleep on a soft and comfy bed.

All this while, the three Elders maintained absolute silence. Elder Duan had been so panicked as he'd reported to Hei NingYu about the 'enchanting spirit' in their forest, and the other two Elders had been so heatedly arguing about what type of creature it could be. And finding the true nature of this being only made them feel strangely embarra.s.sed about their own exhibited excitability in front of their Sect Leader.

And so, as they accompanied Hei NingYu and Qinghe on the path out of the forest, the three Elders tried their best to hide their presence.

Soon, when the group reached the forest's border, the three Elders immediately gave their greetings to Hei NingYu and fled, feeling like they did not have the face to stay any longer.

Once the Elders left, Hei NingYu led Qinghe to the Obsidian Courtyard and walked in.

"There are several guest rooms you could stay at. Do you have any preference, Xiao Feng?"

Qinghe showed an expression of dissatisfaction as he shook his head. "No! I want to cuddle with Senior Brother!"

Hei NingYu showed a complicated expression, but nodded. He'd leave the final decision on this to his little sheep then.

By now, sensing his lover's absence, Chen Xiande had long since awoken, silently waiting for Hei NingYu to return. So he wasn't exactly surprised when the door to the bedroom opened and his beloved strode in.

But what did surprise him was how his junior brother was also following behind Hei NingYu.

With wide eyes, Chen Xiande asked, "Junior Brother?! What are you doing here?"

Qinghe yawned, then answered in a soft voice. "Sleepy."

Seeing Qinghe's disheveled state and the jar of wine he was clutching to himself, accompanied with his flushed cheeks and dazed look, Chen Xiande immediately understood that he was drunk.

Sighing, Chen Xiande only nodded. "I understand, but why are you here in our bedroom?"

Hei NingYu answered amusedly from the side, "Your junior brother wants to cuddle with you. Isn't he adorable?"

Qinghe puffed his pink cheeks and nodded. "I want to cuddle and snuggle and sleep on the soft bed!"

Chen Xiande felt his face melting into a smile of its own accord as he saw his junior brother behaving like a cute little child. And if this cute junior brother of his wanted to cuddle with him, how could he refuse?

"Very well, why don't you take that side and NingYu will take my other side?"

Qinghe yawned once again before agreeing, "Okay."

And so, Chen Xiande laid back down in the middle of the bed while Hei NingYu occupied his right. After being reminded to remove his shoes, Qinghe placed them by the door and unsteadily climbed up the bed to lie on Chen Xiande's left, the jar of wine still held securely within his arms.

"Junior Brother, you should leave the jar on the floor," Chen Xiande advised.

Qinghe looked at him with pleading eyes. "But it's mine!"

Chen Xiande let out a chuff of suppressed laughter, then said, "But if you or I twist in our sleep, then isn't there a chance of the jar being squished and getting broken? Or maybe you'll let go of it while you're sleeping and it'll roll off the bed and smash onto the ground."

Looking horrified at that thought, Qinghe immediately twisted to place the wine jar on the floor and near the wall so that it would be safe.

Smiling warmly, Chen Xiande patted Qinghe's head. "Good."

Qinghe smiled happily at being praised. His senior brother was so nice!

Then remembering something, he lifted himself up and peered at Hei NingYu anxiously. "Sect Leader Hei, will the wild barkies come here and be noisy again?"

Hei NingYu smiled helplessly. Just how worried was he about the wolves?

"No, they won't bother us here," Hei NingYu rea.s.sured patiently.

Qinghe let out a breath in relief and plopped back down, wriggling towards Chen Xiande and half-hugging him to snuggle into his warmth.

Chen Xiande affectionately patted his junior brother on the back and asked curiously, "What are these 'wild barkies'?"

Hei NingYu answered in Qinghe's stead, "He means wolves. Xiao Feng seems to dislike them for some reason."

"Oh? Why?" Chen Xiande curiously asked his junior brother.

Qinghe sleepily blinked up at them. Seeing that even Hei NingYu had lifted his head up and was looking as if he wanted to know, Qinghe decided to explain.

"Back when I was in that mean place, that orphanage, the wardens once decided on a new punishment for the children who disobeyed them. They took us to the forest and there was a deep and wide pit there. At the bottom of the pit, there were a lot of wild barkies. They were thin and looked sick. We knew that they were

"Then one of those mean wardens singled out one of us for a demonstration. It was a boy who always shouted and cursed at them and always tried to get out of doing what the wardens ordered. So they took him to the edge and pushed him into that deep pit."

Hei NingYu pressed his lips together while Chen Xiande's eyes grew wide, his face whitening at what he knew would have happened. This…this was too horrible a fate, both to experience and witness, especially for children.

Qinghe voice was soft and his dazed eyes sad even as he spoke with a hint of childishness. "That boy screamed and sobbed for a long time while the wild barkies tore him up and ate him. He struggled and fought a lot and tried to climb out, but the wild barkies bit him and dragged him to the center before a lot of them gathered on top of him and covered him up. There were a lot of wet noises and crunch-crunch sounds, then the boy became silent and stopped moving. All the children looked very scared and some even started crying. The wardens were laughing though, they thought it was funny. They're very, very mean. But after that, not many ever disobeyed them. Being pushed into that wild barkies pit was too scary."

After recounting the memory, Qinghe curled his body unconsciously and began lightly chewing on a corner of his sleeve with a look of distress. He didn't like thinking about that time.

With sorrowful eyes, Chen Xiande pulled his junior brother to him in a hug. "It's okay, you aren't there anymore. You don't have to think about it anymore."

But they all knew that it wasn't that easy to leave the past behind, especially when it came with such a shocking and brutal image.

Though Chen Xiande wanted his junior brother to simply forget this memory, Hei NingYu decided to continue speaking about it. "Xiao Feng, did you also feel scared at that time?"

Chen Xiande frowned up at his lover, but Hei NingYu kept his gaze fixed on Qinghe.

Leaning up from his senior brother's comfy hug, Qinghe blinked up at Hei NingYu. "I was scared at first, but after a bit, I wasn't that scared anymore. But I was very afraid that Yan Lin would get pushed down there. Yan Lin is too good, so he won't even hurt the wild barkies if they hurt him. I was afraid he'd get all eaten up."

Chen Xiande looked at his junior brother with surprise while Hei NingYu only nodded as if he'd expected this.

In an even voice, he prodded further, "Xiao Feng, what would you have done if they really did push Yan Lin in?"

Qinghe frowned and answered matter-of-factly, "I would also jump down. Yan Lin doesn't know how to fight, so I would have to go and help him."

Hei NingYu's gaze bored into him. "But if you did that, you'd both get eaten, wouldn't you?"

Rubbing his face to push away his tiredness, Qinghe replied, "No, I'm not like Yan Lin and I didn't act stupid like the other kids. When I saw that boy being eaten up and heard the mean wardens say that they'd push us in too if we didn't behave, I already started thinking up strategies."

After resting his head back down on the pillow and s.h.i.+fting to find a comfortable place, Qinghe continued, "They didn't dig the pit properly so there was lots of loose soil. I studied the pit's walls and knew which rocks I could pull to make a lot of sand fall on the wild barkies. I plotted the paths I could take to climb out most easily and deduced the places that would have better and stronger footing. I also made sure to remember which wild barkies had which injuries and weaknesses so that I could take advantage of it if I ever fell down there. Almost all the wild barkies were sick or hurt. They are also very pitiful, just like all of us children in that mean place."

Seeing Qinghe's eyelashes lightly tremble as his mind kept thinking about that dreadful orphanage, Chen Xiande once again began stroking his back in an attempt to comfort him. In a firm voice, Chen Xiande said, "NingYu, that's enough. It isn't necessary to bring up all those wretched memories. Let him sleep."

Hei NingYu nodded. "I understand." Then, turning to look at a drowsy Qinghe, he spoke in a soft voice, "Xiao Feng, I'm sorry that I made you think so much about your past."

Qinghe sleepily shook his head. "It's okay…I don't…mind."

Sensing his senior brother's worry on his behalf and feeling his comforting touch on his back, the tired Qinghe felt his eyelids becoming heavier and heavier as he sank deeper into the bed. Soon, the blissful darkness of sleep pulled him under, filling him with a sense of peace.

But within half an hour, Qinghe dazedly woke up again. Beside him, Chen Xiande and Hei NingYu were deep asleep.

It seemed that Feng Chunyi's wine was quite potent, for Qinghe was still as drunk as he had been earlier in the night.

Sitting up and rubbing his eyes, Qinghe yawned and stood up unsteadily, yet soundlessly. After all that talk about his past, he suddenly remembered that Yan Lin must still be scared of the wild barkies. In his drunken stupor, Qinghe felt like it was his duty as Yan Lin's friend to go and comfort him while rea.s.suring him that he wouldn't let the wild barkies hurt him.

And so, picking up his beloved jar of wine and putting his shoes back on, Qinghe silently exited the Obsidian Courtyard and the Nine Gems Sanctuary, making his way towards Yan Lin while using his wind to speed up the process.

...

The small and cozy bedroom echoed with loud snores that Yan Lin was desperately trying to ignore in an attempt to gain at least a little bit of sleep.

Unfortunately, sleep seemed like a distant dream for him, elusive to the point of being completely unattainable.

Ever since eight and a half months ago, Zhang LiYing had developed the habit of snoring, and it only got worse the more her stomach grew.

Just as Yan Lin was wondering whether he should just give up and start his nighttime project of wood carving as usual, a series of loud bangs suddenly shattered the quiet and thundered through the house as if someone was pounding on the cottage with a giant hammer.

Yan Lin hurriedly sat up as Zhang LiYing also awakened.

"Ah-Lin? W-What's that sound…?" she asked, her voice thick with sleep.

Yan Lin gentled his voice and replied, "I think someone is knocking on our door."

Zhang LiYing frowned, alarm beginning to suffuse her expression as the loud banging continued. Hurriedly getting up, she decided to accompany her husband to see who came to make trouble at their door at this hour.

And so, the pair of husband and wife hurriedly strode towards the door, aiming to reach it before whoever was on the other side ended up breaking it.

Yan Lin quickly pulled open the door and began, "Who is it, making a racket like this at this hour―"

Cutting off his grouchily uttered statement, Yan Lin gaped in astonishment.

"Q-Qinghe?!"

What was his friend doing here this deep in the night after not showing up for the last eight months or so? And why did he appear to be drunk?

"Qinghe? Why are you here? Is something wrong?" Zhang LiYing asked worriedly. "Whatever it is, you better come in first."

Regaining his composure, Yan Lin also opened the door wider to invite his friend in.

Qinghe dazedly walked into the familiar cottage and heard the door close behind him. This time, he thankfully remembered to leave his shoes by the door.

Hugging his jar of wine close with an arm and rubbing his itchy face with the other, Qinghe drowsily explained, "I didn't want Yan Lin to be afraid of the wild barkies."

Yan Lin only looked at him confusedly, but still went over and rubbed his little friend's head. "Thank you for coming all this way to look after me. I'm fine."

Qinghe dazedly nodded.

Seeing that Qinghe was unsteadily waving on his feet as if he'd fall asleep right where he was standing, Zhang LiYing softened her voice and asked, "Would you like me to prepare a bed in one of the empty rooms?"

Frowning, Qinghe asked, "I can't cuddle with Yan Lin?"

Smiling, Yan Lin spoke, "I don't want to leave my wife alone right now, but with Ah-Ying being this far along in her pregnancy, I'm afraid there's no more s.p.a.ce left on our bed either."

Hearing this, Qinghe peeled open his heavy eyelids and looked at Zhang LiYing properly for the first time. Seeing her large and round belly, his eyes widened in shock, his sleepiness abating for now.

"Is there a baby in your tummy?" Qinghe asked disbelievingly.

Zhang LiYing forced down her laughter at his expression and nodded. "Yes. Do you want to feel it?"

Qinghe looked at her uncomprehendingly, but slowly walked over and put his hand into her extended palm.

Taking Qinghe's hand, Zheng LiYing placed it on her belly and said, "Sometimes the child moves, though not as much at night. Can you feel it?"

Qinghe's already wide eyes widened further as he felt something small push and roll against his palm from within her belly, then lazily draw back.

"…I…I think I felt the baby…" Qinghe spoke with equal parts wonder and bewilderment.

Seeing this, Yan Lin laughed. "Maybe the baby likes you. Qinghe, Ah-Ying and I have long since decided to make you the child's G.o.dfather. Is that alright with you?"

Qinghe stood stunned for a moment, then frantically nodded. "Yes, yes, I would like that very much! I promise that I'll also take care of the baby and bring it lots of tasty candy and sweets and…and…lots of toys!"

The pair of husband and wife felt startled at such an enthusiastic response, but also very warm. If they'd told this to Qinghe when he was sober, he would probably have hidden his joy while simply smiling and nodding in acceptance. In a way, they were glad that they got to see his cute reaction.

With a cheerful smile, Yan Lin said, "Alright then, I'll quickly go and prepare a place for you to sleep for now." Then he set off to do just that, leaving his wife to keep his drunken friend company.

Chuckling, Zhang LiYing lifted a hand and brushed it over Qinghe's head just like her husband usually did. Ah, it was so soft and round. No wonder her husband liked to pat his friend's head so much.

"I'm sure you'll make a great G.o.dfather," she said, her eyes s.h.i.+ning with both happiness and mirth.

Qinghe solemnly nodded, then asked, "Can I hug the baby?"

Smiling widely, Zhang LiYing patted her belly affectionately and agreed easily, "Yes, you can."

And so, crouching down in front of her, Qinghe carefully wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his face to her round belly. He felt that he could almost hear the little unborn person inside moving and breathing through viscous liquid and the several thick layers of tissue. He could almost feel the m.u.f.fled vibration of a tiny heart beating. But rather than feeling disconcerted by this, Qinghe merely smiled softly, his face easing into warm lines.

This…was strangely peaceful.

Being in Yan Lin's home always made Qinghe feel comfortable and welcome. There was a sense of tranquility and hominess here that he seldom felt in any other place. And now, hearing that they were willing to let him be a part of even their future child's life, it filled Qinghe with joy and contentment.

Seeing how Qinghe looked as if he'd doze off while hugging her belly, Zhang LiYing patted his head once and spoke, "You look so tired. Why don't you go and lie down? Ah-Lin must have finished readying the bed and the baby will still be here when you wake up."

Blinking his heavy eyelids, Qinghe nodded and reluctantly got up. Led by Zhang LiYing, he entered a small, darkened room with a freshly readied mattress on the floor. At the side sat a workbench with several pieces of wood, some half-carved, along with a few tools for woodcarving and some natural paint.

Letting out a long yawn, Qinghe walked up to the bed and tumbled into it. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he felt the soft darkness of sleep beginning to envelop him.

With a warm smile, Zhang LiYing laboriously bent down and covered Qinghe with the worn quilt. Then stretching and ma.s.saging her back after the exertion, she slowly walked out while supporting her belly with a hand.

In the dark room, Qinghe opened his eyes and remained lying on the bed. Though the clouds of drowsiness still misted his mind, he still kept thinking about Yan Lin and Zhang LiYing's child.

Though it was possible for two men to have a child with some additional help, Qinghe was not interested in it. In fact, he even feared the thought of another life growing inside him, because it would mean that he was sharing his body with another, and to a certain degree, also sharing his control over it. Even if he wanted a child, his body would instinctually reject it and cause complications, because that was how deep his need to maintain control over himself was entrenched into him. Any thought of losing that control, except when he was with Wei Xiang, would cause him to automatically panic. That was simply the way his current self was.

But thankfully, his Xiang also seemed to understand it, so he had never tried to bring up that topic again after that one time when he, Wei Xiang, and his father had been discussing things in his room after the second stage of the Hundred-Year Tournament.

Qinghe sighed and got up. After thinking all this, he felt too restless to have a peaceful sleep, so he decided to make something for his friend's future child.

Walking up to the workbench and sitting on the stool set in front of it, Qinghe chose a small knife with a strong and sharp blade and an unused block of wood, then began whittling the wood, patiently letting it take the shape he wanted before carving in the details.

Soon, it was done and Qinghe even finished painting it before drying it with his wind.

Standing up, he looked out the small window and out into the night in a daze.

As he was thinking about babies and his Xiang's understanding regarding his att.i.tude just now, Qinghe finally remembered why he'd come down to the mortal world in the first place. And despite the many detours, he realized that he still missed his lover very much.

Therefore, Qinghe once again planned to set out to cuddle with his Xiang.

However, thinking how the Sentinel headquarters where Wei Xiang would be right now was actually like his in-laws' house, Qinghe pondered. Shouldn't he take gifts of some sort when going to visit his in-laws?

But what gifts could he give the Sentinels?

Qinghe tilted his head and thought seriously, then brightened as an idea struck him.

And so, retrieving his wine jar and hugging it to him once more, Qinghe snuck out of the quiet cottage after putting his shoes back on. He knew just the place where he could find some gifts!

The next morning, when Yan Lin and Zhang LiYing came to check on Qinghe, they found that the room was empty. The quilt was neatly folded and placed on top of the equally as neat bed. Placed on the workbench to the side, there was something new that Qinghe must have made himself during the night.

Walking up to it, Yan Lin studied it with wide eyes.

It was a cute and chubby wooden fish the size of an adult's palm. Its details were exquisite while the fish itself was carved to be blunt with no sharp edges at all. Its eyes seemed to contain an affectionate warmth while its mouth seemed curved in a happy smile. It was painted in mild colors yet with eye-catching contrast that a child was bound to find attractive. The paint used was also the natural, child-friendly kind that Yan Lin had kept ready by the workbench.

Despite his intoxication, it seemed that Qinghe had still taken care of every detail perfectly so that the child who played with this toy wouldn't be hurt.

Thinking this, both Yan Lin and Zhang LiYing could only marvel and feel that they had made the right choice is asking Qinghe to be their child's G.o.dfather.

...

After a long day of politicking and administration, the exhausted imperial couple of the Xing Long Empire was finally on their way to retire in the emperor's bedchambers, seeking to spend some pa.s.sionate time together on the dragon bed.

As Ping Nian and his wife finally arrived near the door to his bedroom, they opened the door without ceremony, with the empress stepping in first.

But barely a moment later, she stepped out and looked at her husband with a scathing glare. "Your Imperial Majesty, have you tired of your wife so much that you're now playing around with exceptional beauties to the point of showing your favor for them so blatantly by inviting them into your bedroom?!"

Ping Nin blinked at his wife. "Ah-Ju, what do you mean?"

Narrowing her eyes, the empress spat, "Why don't you go in and see for yourself?"

And so, Ping Nian had no choice but to enter his bedroom with trepidation. But the sight that greeted him left him unable to react.

"…Lord Feng?" Ping Nian exclaimed with shock. Then his expression darkening, he asked politely, "May I ask what you are doing in my bedroom, and on my bed no less?"

Sitting cross-legged on the dragon bed with his shoes still on, Qinghe blinked away the wisps of encroaching sleep and focused his attention on the man in front of him. "Nian Nian, I'm here for the payment."

Ping Nian's mouth twitched. What was with this affectionate way of calling him?!

On the other hand, after hearing her husband's address, the empress quickly figured out Qinghe's ident.i.ty as the cultivator who had previously helped with the rebellion before practically handing over the throne of this empire to her husband. And currently, no matter how one saw his current appearance, he was obviously drunk and in a somewhat unclear state of mind. Understanding this, the empress's worries about her husband's infidelity were easily laid to rest.

In a soft voice, she asked, "Lord Feng, what do you mean by payment?"

Qinghe puffed up his cheeks and declared, "I helped him with getting the throne, so he should give me payment!"

Ping Nian's face immediately turned solemn. Though this Lord Feng seemed to be drunk, Ping Nian knew that he should take this seriously. After all, he should have known that nothing came for free, and as the other person had helped him gain such a monumental thing as an entire empire, even if he asked for the palace itself, Ping Nian felt that he had no choice but to bend his knee and offer it to him with both hands.

Ping Nian took in a breath and let it out, then spoke in a grim voice, "Very well, then. What do you want?"

Qinghe blinked and rubbed his face with a closed fist. Ah, his face felt so tired. He wanted to cuddle with his Xiang and sleep in a warm and comfy bed. But before that…

Looking up at Ping Nian, Qinghe showed four fingers and proclaimed, "I want five jars of wine!"

"…" Ping Nian looked at him speechlessly for a moment, carefully studying the four fingers Qinghe was holding up before correcting in an uncertain tone. "Do you mean you want four jars?"

Qinghe looked at Ping Nian as if wondering how he let such a stupid person become an emperor in the first place.

Reading his expression, Ping Nian felt his head beginning to ache.

Qinghe shook his head and explained, "No, I said I want five jars, but I already have one." Saying so, he patted the jar he was hugging before he continued, "So you should give me four more jars, then I'll have the five jars I want. That's why I was showing four fingers rather than five."

Then, as if emphasizing in case Ping Nian didn't understand, Qinghe showed him four fingers again.

Ping Nian sighed and ma.s.saged his head while his wife looked as if she was greatly enjoying her husband's frustration.

Her eyes dancing with mirth, the empress said, "Then I'll go and get four jars of the best wine we have from the imperial cellars. Is that all?"

Qinghe nodded his head and yawned, covering his mouth with the back of a hand.

Shaking her head, the empress quickly strode off to find someone to bring the wine. Within minutes, Qinghe was given the four jars he'd asked for and he put it away in his storage s.p.a.ce. For a moment, he contemplated putting the jar he that had been holding all this while in his spatial storage as well, but decided to keep hugging it. Feeling its by-now-familiar shape pressed against his chest comforted him somewhat.

Now that he had gotten what he wanted, Qinghe got up from Ping Nian's bed and directly walked up to the large window at the side, aiming to jump out of there.

In a dry voice, Ping Nian asked, "Lord Feng, you do know that you can use the door to exit the building, don't you?"

Qinghe paused, then turned to look at him as if his already low opinion on Ping Nian's intelligence was forced to lower even more. "To go outside, I'll have to walk through so many doors. But if I just jump out the window, then I can be outside immediately. So why should I waste my time with all those doors?"

And so, leaving behind a Ping Nian who had on a helpless expression, Qinghe smoothly leapt out the window and quickly made his way out of the palace grounds.

Meanwhile, in the emperor's bedchamber, the empress's laughter rang out loud and cheery at her husband's expense.

Ping Nian could only sigh in defeat.

...

The full moon glowed bright and round in the sky, overlooking a world gone quiet as it rested after the bustle of the day. The air was fresh and cool, the wispy mists drifting in it s.h.i.+mmering with reflected moonlight.

Currently, it was a few hours past midnight.

With silent yet purposeful steps, Qinghe strode into the Sentinel compound.

Stepping inside, he looked around for a conspicuous s.p.a.ce. Then recalling something, he directly headed towards the training area and chose a prominent place to set down the four wine jars he'd just collected from the imperial palace.

There, now this should be a suitable way to give make sure that all the Sentinels saw it when they woke up tomorrow morning.

Then, retrieving a sheet of paper and a brush already dipped in ink from his spatial storage, Qinghe seriously thought about what to put on the paper. He was just about to decide on writing that this was his gift to his in-laws, just like he had considered before, when another idea struck him.

With gleaming eyes, Qinghe happily wrote something on the paper, dried it with his wind, and pasted it onto the wine jar in the middle. Though this concept was old and not used much in current times, with this, they should know that Xiang was definitely his! It was final!

Feeling gleeful, Qinghe made his merry way to Wei Xiang's room and impatiently waited for him.

About an hour later, a weary Wei Xiang slowly made his way towards his room.

His workload these past few days had been too heavy as he tried to finish enough work so that he could spend more uninterrupted time with his little lover in the heavenly realm. But this also meant that he'd had to leave his Qinghe alone for longer than either of them wanted.

Sighing, Wei Xiang turned to stride into the corridor reserved for him due to his status as one of Feng Huixin's direct disciples. But as he walked further in, Wei Xiang felt as if he could hear his little lover's voice calling for him through the mostly soundproofed door to his room.

Wei Xiang frowned, then redirected his attention to his soul bond. Sure enough, he really could feel his Qinghe's presence from his room.

As Wei Xiang quickened his steps, he couldn't help but wonder why his beloved was calling for him so loudly. Rus.h.i.+ng towards the door, he quickly opened it and looked over at the situation inside, then heaved a breath in relief that there was no danger.

With puzzlement, Wei Xiang studied his little lover.

Qinghe sat on Wei Xiang's bed, his outer robe messily tied and his long hair unbound and tousled. His legs were spread out in front of him as he sat without his usual grace. His face was flushed with intoxication as he waved unsteadily despite being seated.

Clutching a jar of wine to his chest, Qinghe had closed his eyes tightly with his head tilted back as he yelled at the top of his lungs:

"Xiaaaaang!

"Xiiiiiaaaaang!

"Xiaaaaaaaaang!"

Closing the door behind him, Wei Xiang spoke with a helpless smile, "Love, I'm here. You don't have to keep calling for me anymore."

Qinghe abruptly cut out his shouting and opened his s.h.i.+ning eyes. "Xiang!"

Walking up to his adorable little lover, Wei Xiang said, "Yes, I'm here."

Qinghe quickly put the jar of wine aside and opened his arms demandingly. Wei Xiang obediently went to give his drunken beloved a hug.

Unsatisfied with just wrapping his arms around his lover, Qinghe wrapped his legs around Wei Xiang's waist as well. Giggling cheerfully, he stated, "Now you're all mine! You can't leave me!"

Feeling his previous tiredness floating away as warmth and affection filled him, Wei Xiang patted his beloved's back and played along. "Yes, you've caught me."

Qinghe sighed happily and buried his head in Wei Xiang's chest uncaring of the sharp embroidery on the uniform scratching him or the hidden weapons poking him. His Xiang was finally with him. He could finally breathe easy again. Everything was finally alright with the world.

Wei Xiang bent his head to place a kiss on his little lover's hair. "Qinghe, I missed you."

Blinking, Qinghe squeezed Wei Xiang tighter and said in a sweet voice, "Xiang, I missed you a lot too!"

Wei Xiang chuckled. "I gathered as much."

Qinghe wriggled excitedly in his lover's embrace. "Xiang, I love you!"

His expression softening even more, Wei Xiang pressed his face into his beloved's hair and drew in the familiar and comforting scent of mint. "I love you too."

Qinghe felt his face growing increasingly heated. In a shy voice, he asked hesitantly, "Xiang…do you want some of my wine?"

After all, the reason he had been carefully protecting and carrying around that wine jar all this while was because he wanted his Xiang to taste the super tasty wine too!

Wei Xiang smiled softly and rubbed his beloved's head as he said, "Yes, thank you for sharing it with me. You're such a good little lover, aren't you?"

Leaning back, Qinghe smiled happily and nodded. Yes, he was such a good lover! See, he was even sharing his precious wine!

And so, Qinghe took the jar he'd placed beside him on the bed and solemnly handed it to his lover.

After retrieving a cup from his storage s.p.a.ce, Wei Xiang poured some of the wine from the jar for himself and took a sip…

…and felt as if his insides were being coated with bubbling hot magma.

Coughing, Wei Xiang managed to squeeze out, "Q-Qinghe…what kind of wine is this?"

Qinghe worriedly patted his lover's back and answered, "Oh, this? It's Mother's. She said that it was some type of flower wine that's a little strong."

Wei Xiang could only shake his head. Why did everything belonging to his mother-in-law end up being some kind of brutal weapon?

And yet, Wei Xiang still finished every drop of it without a word of complaint just because it was something his beloved had so lovingly given him.

After he was done coughing and sputtering due to that caustic liquid that his mother-in-law had the temerity to call wine, Wei Xiang took some time to compose himself again. Then looking at the concerned and confused face of his beloved, he couldn't help but smile as he asked indulgently, "Love, is there anything else you want us to do? I'm fine, so don't worry and just tell me."

After all, for his little lover to come looking for him while drunk, he must have missed him quite a lot even while sober. Wei Xiang thus wanted to make amends.

Qinghe squinted his eyes and studied his beloved before believing that he was alright.

"Then…let's cuddle!" Qinghe immediately said, looking at him with eyes s.h.i.+ning with antic.i.p.ation.

Laughing helplessly, Wei Xiang nodded. "Alright, but let me take off my uniform and equipment first."

As Wei Xiang began doing just that, Qinghe impatiently bounced on his b.u.t.t while chanting, "Xiang, faster! Faster! Faster!"

As soon as Wei Xiang finished removing everything except his innermost robe and laid down on the bed, Qinghe let out a happy squeal as he speedily shed his own outer robe and plopped down beside his lover, clinging onto him like an enthusiastic octopus.

Wei Xiang let out a helpless laugh. "Is there anything else my sweet little lover wants to do?"

Qinghe's eyes brightened once again. "Xiang, I want to snuggle into your hair!"

With raised eyebrows, Wei Xiang contemplated this request. Then lifting his head, he swept the long stretch of his now unbound hair from under his head and spread it onto his beloved's pillow.

His eyes s.h.i.+ning at the thick layer of silky black hair draped over his pillow, Qinghe happily rested his head on it and rubbed his cheek over it with an expression of pure bliss.
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Even as he felt the light tug and pull on his scalp as his little lover played with his hair, Wei Xiang merely smiled, letting Qinghe indulge in it to his heart's content.

Slowly, the vigor and excitement Qinghe felt at finally being able to cuddle and play with his Xiang melted into a soft and warm sensation that seemed to be coaxing him to sleep.

Qinghe sighed peacefully. "Xiang…I'm sleepy."

Wei Xiang brushed his lips against his little lover's forehead. "Then sleep. I'll be here."

Qinghe smiled a small and soft smile as he languidly blinked open his eyes. "Hmm…I want to sleep on you."

Wei Xiang cooperatively s.h.i.+fted to lie on his back and said, "Alright, come on then."

Unsteadily, Qinghe climbed on top of Wei Xiang, his head resting over his beloved's chest, right over his heart, and his legs tangled with his lover's long ones.

Curling a hand near his head, Qinghe sleepily muttered, "Now the wild barkies will have to…get through me….…before they…get to….…you…"

As Wei Xiang looked at his little lover confusedly, Qinghe had already drifted off into a deep and restful sleep.

And this time, he didn't wake until morning.

...

Early the next day, when the Sentinels woke up and went over to the training areas for their usual morning training and exercise, they spotted four jars smelling of sweet and very high-quality wine sitting in a very conspicuous place with a paper stuck to them.

After they evaluated the make of the jars and the light fragrance exuding from it, some of the Sentinels quickly recognized it as a valuable and treasured wine that had been given to the imperial family by famous wine brewers from one of the faraway island nations as a sign of goodwill. To find four whole jars of it here was quite a shocking thing, and the connoisseurs of wine among the Sentinels couldn't wait to find out who these jars belonged to and plead for a taste of this wine.

Itching to know more about why such high-quality wine was placed here, the Sentinels eagerly read what was written on the paper stuck to one of the jars.

Flowing across the paper were neat lines of exquisite calligraphy saying:

"I'm giving these four jars of wine to my in-laws, the Order of Sentinel, as dowry for Wei Xiang. Now Wei Xiang is all mine! ―Feng Qinghe"

Stunned silence blanketed the s.p.a.ce for a while before chuckles inevitable started sounding.

"Was Little Bro drunk last night?"

"How adorable! Wei Xiang really lucked out with finding such a cute lover!"

"Hehe, I can't wait to show it to our dear Officer Wei. I bet he'd be tickled silly"

And so, when the couple finally made their way to the training area after a round of morning exercises in bed, they were faced with the overly gleeful faces of the other Sentinels who delightedly showed them the paper.

As Wei Xiang read the paper with raised eyebrows and a smile growing with amus.e.m.e.nt, Qinghe buried his reddened face in his hands, with only the tips of his flushed ears peeking out.

What the h.e.l.l was he thinking when he wrote that embarra.s.sing note?! Why did he feel the need to give the Sentinels wine as 'dowry' in return for claiming his lover?! What was even going through his mind at that time?!

As Wei Xiang's deep and happy chuckles filled his ears, Qinghe very vehemently swore to himself that he would never drink his mother's wine ever again!