Warning: VERY disturbing imagery (gore) involving children
-----------------------------
Sleep?
What was sleep? Zhang Wang forced himself up before the break of dawn, groaning miserably as fatigue weighed down heavily on him.
Though, his nether regions felt rather pleased and satisfied. Wait no. He wasn't satisfied. He wanted more.
"..."
Okay, but didn't he go a bit overboard? Even calling it 'a bit' felt like he was wallowing in denial or something.
Zhang Wang was immediately overcome with a feeling of wanting to slam his face into the wall. He almost did exactly that, his mind sleep-addled and confused. But just as he was about to slam his face into the wall next to the bed, a wide hand slipped in between to stop him of his follow.
A rumbling groan slipped passed his lips. When he looked up, he saw Yu Yanlin standing by the bedside with his hair neatly combed and tied up and blindfold fitted smug over his calm face.
That tranquil visage sure looked amazing when desperate and flushed. A tingling feeling traveled southward and Zhang Wang really regretted not slamming his head into the wall.
"Will you wake her up?" Yu Yanlin asked, snapping Zhang Wang out of his dangerous thoughts. He flinched at the words and remembered he was still sharing a bed with little Juhua who was curled up at his side.
Zhang Wang sighed as he looked down at the little girl. He was never good with crying children. He didn't really know what to say to her and decided it was best to just be a coward. Hopefully, Juhua will find a better person to latch onto.
He bent down and pressed a kissed on he brow. But as he was getting up, a little hand grasped onto the hem of his sleeve.
"Where are you going?" An innocent voice croaked, with a sob cracking the edge of her words, "Are you going to leave Juhua behind."
His felt stricken. Helplessly, Zhang Wang sat back down on the bed. He did his best to explain, "The world is full of bad and evil things."
"...I know."
"It's not safe for Juhua to be out there."
"...I know," she repeated as she chewed her lips, "But I don't care! Juhua has nothing. She has no one. I just want to stay with you and…" her little eyes veered at the tall tiger demon that stood vigil by their side.
Zhang Wang took her little hand in his and kissed the back of it like she was the most precious jewel, "I promise to make the world better and safer for Juhua. And then I'll come back and get you, how about that?"
A sniffle came out, tears beading at her eyes. But she held her sobs back. She looked down. "But…"
"I promise okay, I'll come find you when the world is better."
"I…don't believe you."
Zhang Wang sighed, but he was suddenly struck with inspiration. There was a white jade bracelet around his wrist that was more suited for a woman's than a man's. Unlike many of he other accessories that he wore, this one was not gifted to him by a random woman that came and went from his life. Instead, it was an item that had a much deeper meaning to him.
He plucked the bracelet off his wrist and put it in Juhua's hands, "This is a very important treasure to me," he explained, "my mother told me to take care of it when she went a long, long important trip."
Small fingers caressed the curved of the bracelet. Juhua had never seen or held something as beautiful or treasured before. Even her young mind could understand this object was both precious and powerful.
"Since I need to go on a long and important trip, I'll leave it in Juhua's capable hands for now. Take care of it well because I want it returned to me, okay?"
"..." Hesitantly, the little girl nodded.
"Good, you're such a good girl." He pressed another kiss on the top of her head.
Juhua sniffled, "You're a deadbeat."
Zhang Wang chuckled and flicked her forehead, "Don't be saying that about your elders. It's rude." But he did not refute her.
By the time they finally left Mount Hannu, dawn had broke.
"Did you mean what you said?" Yu Yanlin only asked when the ranch had disappeared far behind them, the mountain's base parting their sights.
Even if he was being vague, Zhang Wang knew what he was referring to. Would he really right the world and return to little Juhua to retrieve his one family heirloom? He couldn't really respond with yes, nor could he respond with no. So he hid the anxiety in his heart with a casual shrug, "Who knows."
Yu Yanlin did not inquire further and Zhang Wang was free to hum a pleasant tune.
Though they were far from the front lines, he couldn't help but feel a calm had swept over the land, a promise of a changing of eras. Even if Zhang Wang was a jaded person and did not believe that peace would last so easily, it did not mean that he wasn't excited, even for something temporary.
All that excitement drained away quickly when they came upon the entrance of a village they had intended to stay for the night.
At the entrance where five tall stakes and the bodies resting on them were at varying staged of decay. From a glance, Zhang Wang could tell non of these people were pure in their human-heritage. Two of them were children, not much older than Juhua.
A banner hung below them, with letters scribbled barely legible. It read something akin to 'victory over devils!'
But those mounted on the stakes with their bodies pierced black, red with blood and scars of torture were not devils.
People seemed to have long forgotten the difference between a devil and a demon. Even sects tended more often than not to gloss over these details nowadays.
Zhang Wang was going to be sick when he saw an emaciated leg twitch. The vacant eyeball lifted in his direction while a raven pecked at the child's decaying shoulder.
Gods, he was still alive.
Zhang Wang couldn't take it anymore and drew his sword, piercing the boy's heart to finally end his suffering.
This entire time, Yu Yanlin only watched silently.
A rare rage overcame him, Zhang Wang was ready to march into the village an raise havoc. But a large hand clasped onto his shoulder to stop him. "Don't. This is not the way."
His teeth were clenched. Zhang Wang threw the hand off him and glared at this cold demon, "And you claim to understand this tragedy without even knowing right from wrong? Do not lecture me on my actions when I only set out to bring justice."
He could not discern Yu Yanlin's expression behind the blindfold, but the demon king, as always, was frustratingly calm, "I understand it. In the end, demons and humans are not so different."
Those calm words swayed Zhang Wang with their magnitude and sent his heart into disarray. And though there were moments his emotions flared loud and visceral, Zhang Wang was far from being a hotheaded person and preferred to act logically with reason.
His hands, curled into fists, trembled at his side and hated to concede. But Yu Yanlin was right.
"Fine," he spat out bitterly before turning his back on the village and walked away with wide angry strides.
But soon the anger would sink into depression.
A lingering upset that had no reprieve not even for twenty years of time.
Zhang Wang almost wished that he had never been reborn into this world.
It would have been better simply to have remained dead.
For this world was ugly and twisted, abandoned by the gods.