When Leng Jin Yu left the house, he saw Qiu Ling standing among the bamboo trees, not moving at all. He couldn't help but frown. The demon king had turned up. Why was he just standing there? Shouldn't he have some kind of reaction?
He looked for Zhong Jing Yi to get some kind of clue what this was about only to find out that the person in question wasn't there. Leng Jin Yu felt a sinking feeling in his heart. Don't tell him …
He made his way over to Qiu Ling and stopped some steps away from him. "Longjun?" He didn't get a reaction. Most likely, this was really as bad as he had thought. Leng Jin Yu gulped and stepped closer, reaching out to the person left in the bamboo grove. He lightly touched his arm and called out once again. "Longjun? Where is His Highness?"
Qiu Ling turned around, his expression lost. "He … He took him away."
"The demon king?"
Qiu Ling nodded but it didn't seem as if he really understood what was going on. This was just a reflex.
Leng Jin Yu barely suppressed a shudder. Was this really the same dragon king that had fiercely attacked him when he thought that he had made his beloved break up with him? How come he suddenly showed such a reaction?
Could it be he had misunderstood? Leng Jin Yu knew it wasn't likely but he knew he had to make sure. "Longjun. His Highness is with the demon king Jin Ling right now?"
Qiu Ling nodded again, his brows scrunching up. "He took him away. He just … took him away." Qiu Ling's hands trembled. His beloved … had been taken from him. Again. Just what should he do now?
Leng Jin Yu hurriedly caught onto the dragon king when his figure swayed. He barely suppressed a curse. "Longjun, this is not the time to be like this. His Highness was taken away against his will. By the demon king no less. We have to think about what we should do to help him get back."
Even though he said so he didn't get a response.
Leng Jin Yu sighed. "We first have to inform the Nine Heavens." He looked at the sky and wanted to propose that he could go and handle that while Qiu Ling could go and inform his own people. But then his gaze swiveled back to the house behind them.
He could go and inform them. But what about Jinde then? Hadn't he told the God of War that he would stay in the human realm because he didn't want to be tied down by the responsibilities joining the God of War's palace would bring him? And now these responsibilities were in front of him again. Jinde would understand but that didn't mean that it wouldn't hurt him.
Leng Jin Yu sighed. This was about the Son of Heaven. He couldn't just leave it be. Especially not with Qiu Ling being like this.
He helped him onto the ground and crouched down next to him. "Longjun, this is important. Do you have a way of reaching the Nine Heavens? A transmission stone to reach someone in a high position? The best would be if we could reach the God of War or maybe even the Heavenly Emperor. Do you have something like that?"
He waited but once again, there was no response. Leng Jin Yu gritted his teeth. He apologized in his head and finally grabbed the dragon king's head, turning it around to him.
"Longjun. Look at me."
Qiu Ling lifted his head but his thoughts obviously hadn't caught up to him yet. He just looked at him blankly.
"A way to reach the Nine Heavens? Your … uncle-in-law? Mother-in-law? Father-in-law? Anyone from His Highness' family? Longjun, please, His Highness is in danger. You have to do something."
Leng Jin Yu frowned when he still didn't get a response. What was he supposed to do now?
"Qiu Ling." Jinde's voice sounded from behind them. "This is for your beloved. For Jing He."
"Jing He …" This name finally got them a reaction. Qiu Ling's fingers grabbed onto the next best thing they could reach which turned out to be Leng Jin Yu's robe. He held onto it, obviously not noticing what he was doing. Finally, his head lowered and his shoulders shook.
Leng Jin Yu stared at him. Was this … Was he crying?
It didn't take long for him to get an answer. Qiu Ling leaned forward, grabbing onto him in a half-hug, his claws digging into his shoulders. Leng Jin Yu groaned but didn't move. Instead, he stared at the person in front of him, a little unable to believe what was happening. The dragon king that had seemed so weird but still so strong was breaking down right in front of him, crying his eyes out because the person he loved had been taken away.
Unwittingly, Jinde's words came back to him: 'He was a child. In some aspects, he still is. He had to mature too soon but in a sense that also took the possibility of really maturing from him.'
Yes, Jinde was obviously right. This person, he hadn't been given the opportunity of a normal life. He had somehow managed to go on, one day after the other, and that had resulted in a skewed personality. A personality that was probably mostly used to cover up the scars left from his childhood.
It might have gotten better after he found the Son of Heaven but now that that had been taken away from him again … All those insecurities came back. And that without any warning. It was no wonder he couldn't cope with this. After all, he had never learned how to do so. The life he had led … It probably hadn't allowed him to do so.
Leng Jin Yu sighed and reached out, patting Qiu Ling's back. "I'm sorry. All of that is my fault. But still, you can't be like this now. We still have to save your beloved. You wouldn't want for anything to happen to him, would you?"