Wupei's streets were drowned in the colourful lights, cast from a multitude of different hues of lanterns. Wei YueQin carried a restless AhXin in her arms, rocking him back and forth to calm him down as she walked under the low hanging lights.
A sweet scent of steamed buns and corn wafted over her way, making her mouth water. The wind caressed her skin with its cool touch, but she didn't pay it any attention. Her eyes were unfocused as she wandered around without an aim. AhXin was playing with her free-flowing strands of hair, oblivious to what was happening around him.
They had arrived in Wupei, the city of Lanterns, two days ago. During their travel, MingYu hadn't stirred once. Instead, his condition had worsened to the point he was teetering between life and death.
YueQin couldn't help but feel guilt gnawing at her senses, turning her numb to the colourful world around her. She had bitten him. ZhiYi had said something about ghoul's bite being poisonous.
A snap of a string above her grabbed her attention, and she moved out of the way in time as a large lantern crashed into the ground, catching up in flames. The surrounding people hurried to put the fire out, while some worried if she and the child were all right. YueQin nodded, her heart still beating furiously from the sudden incident.
She held AhXin closer to her chest, covering his head with her hand. Looking up, she could see the string had been cut cleanly in two. An icy shiver brushed over her back, and her body tensed. Someone was staring at her.
YueQin turned around, trying to catch a glimpse of whoever was watching over her like a predator. But no one gave her the time of the day. The people already forgot the incident. Feeling uneasiness settle in her mind, she hurried down the street. Walking behind the shop tables, she kept herself close to the buildings, taking cover under the low swooping roof railings.
Her steps halted as she reached the inn they were staying in. Looking over the street, her eyes caught on the third window on the left. ZhiYi had left the window a little ajar, letting the cool night air in. YueQin bit down on her lip, stalling instead of walking over to the inn.
Even down here on the street, she could pick up the smell of rotten flesh, mingling within the scent of fresh vegetables and steamed dishes. Her senses had heightened, only a little sniff and she could scent the air like a dog. It was getting worse. MingYu was nearing death's door. She just hoped PingZe returned soon.
-
ZhiYi moved away from the window. He had stood there for a while now, trying to clear his mind and senses from the horrid smell. He expected ZhouYan to appear any minute now. The hill myna had been gone for days. It had taken much longer than ZhiYi had anticipated.
They had travelled to Wupei purely because Ye WeiRu's sect grounds weren't far from here. ZhouYan should have been back within a day's travel. But no one awaited for ZhiYi on the windowsill. Another day passed, another day closer to MingYu's untimely death.
ZhiYi moved quietly in the darkened room, guided only by the weak gasps for breath from the bed. ZhiYi sat down on the edge of the mattress, and brushed his hand over his face, scratching his palm with the developing stubble over his cheek. He hadn't looked in the mirror for days now. He must look like a savage at this point. But ZhiYi didn't give it another thought. His eyes were only concentrated on MingYu.
Fresh bandages were already tainted with the black liquid that oozed out of the wound. Another set of compresses laid ready and waiting by ZhiYi's thigh. He would have to change them again, soon. The wound had festered, and flesh had pulled back, reaching for his elbow.
ZhiYi had tried to mend the wound with everything he knew. Acupuncture, medicine, even transferring some of his cultivation powers to the man, with the risk of erasing any lingering energies of a Heavenly being, but none of it helped. Whatever was in YueQin's bite was incurable.
ZhiYi had had to force water through his lips to keep him at least hydrated. The youthful, plump lips had turned purple and chapped to the point of bleeding. Sunken eyes exaggerated the already hollow cheeks and ashy skin. MingYu mumbled in his slumber, but ZhiYi couldn't make out what he was saying.
He ran his finger over MingYu's healthy hand. MingYu was cold to the touch, like a corpse. Taking hold of his hand, ZhiYi warmed it up between his palms, massaging it to get the blood flowing. He couldn't let MingYu's body deteriorate any further, or it would become irreversible. ZhiYi froze in place as he felt a finger twitch against his hold.
Suddenly, MingYu's entire body convulsed. He gasped, lifting his head from the pillow before his body went limp and fell still again. ZhiYi's heart ceased to beat when MingYu's eyelids fluttered, then snapped open. The bright brown irises had turned hazy, as if a fog had settled over his unblinking eyes. ZhiYi's posture tensed as he slowly released his hold on the man's hand, unsure of what to do.
If MingYu had turned to something non-human from the bite, ZhiYi would have to subdue him, or worse, kill him. Pushing that hopeless thought away, ZhiYi said,
"MingYu?"
The eyes rolled in their sockets until they cast downwards, stopping over ZhiYi's face. He blinked, once.
ZhiYi held his breath as his hand reached for the bandages by his leg, ready to bind the man down if he launched for an attack.
But instead of moving, MingYu croaked, "Wang ZhiYi?"
Like a wave of hope had crashed over him, ZhiYi's muscles eased. MingYu was ok.
"How are you feeling? Thirsty? Hungry?"
MingYu's eyes suddenly sharpened, the haziness was gone in a blink of an eye, replaced by a guarded, piercing stare.
"Why are you here?"
Eh? ZhiYi blinked. What did he mean, why was ZhiYi here? Where was he supposed to be?
"MingYu, you are hurt. We are in Wupei. You've been out for three days."
MingYu's brow twitched, his lips pulled into a tight line. He looked pissed.
"Who is MingYu?"
ZhiYi's lips parted, but he was at a loss for words. What was going on? Did MingYu hit his head when he fainted?
MingYu gnashed his teeth and tried to sit up. He moved too quickly, swinging his body to the side. He yelped as he moved his wounded arm and, shocked by the pain, nearly fell off the bed. ZhiYi caught him in time, clasping him in a tight embrace, careful not to touch the wound.
MingYu looked down on his arm and screamed like a mistreated young mistress.
"You piece of shit! You did this to me, didn't you? Is this payback for shooting you in the chest?"
ZhiYi's jaw dropped. He was too shocked to say anything. His brain had stopped working.
MingYu didn't seem to care as he raged on,
"I brought you back and healed you! I said it was an accident! You jumped in front of my prey! It's your fault! You should be crawling at my feet, begging for my forgiveness!"
ZhiYi regained control over his tongue and managed to whisper, "Wu... TianLan?"
"It's the crown prince of Wu to you, asshole! Did you change my clothes? You saw me naked?!" MingYu's voice had become so shrill, ZhiYi could feel his eardrums being pierced.
"But, how, I-" ZhiYi began.
"You kidnapped me, didn't you?!" MingYu ran his eyes over ZhiYi and hissed like a wild animal as he kicked and squirmed. "What? So now you are a robber?!"
"What? No! I-" ZhiYi halted as he realised he must look like someone one met in a dark, shady back alley, with his stubble, uncombed hair and dishevelled robes.
"How could you bring me into such a lowly place?! I'm the prince!"
"But, MingYu-"
"Just wait until mother and father hear about this! I will have your head on the platter!"
ZhiYi was so confused. He was starting to wish MingYu had become a bloodthirsty monster, instead of this screaming creature in his arms.
"Wait, you misunderstood-"
"AnChen! SunLiu! Save-"
ZhiYi pressed his hand over MingYu's mouth, silencing him for now. He couldn't let the man alert the entire inn house, screaming like his virtue was being taken. His ears couldn't handle any more of that grating voice.
MingYu tried to gnaw at his palm, scraping his teeth against ZhiYi's skin, but he kept his hold. The sharp nails on his healthy hand were digging into ZhiYi's chest, tearing the skin into little crescent moon shaped indentations.
ZhiYi's mind was in chaos so he didn't feel the pain left behind by MingYu's nails. Emotions battled inside him, fighting for dominance. He was scared that MingYu had vanished. Was he gone for good? What happened? On the other hand, he was beyond the moon and back happy that Wu TianLan had returned. His Wu TianLan. His heart jumped with joy, nearly breaking through his chest.
Glancing down at the man in question, who was wriggling like an earthworm to get out of his hold, ZhiYi was met with murderous bright eyes that were shooting daggers at him. The fingernails turned from digging to clawing at his shoulder.
ZhiYi's mind settled on a proper emotion to be in. He was scared shitless that it was the young Wu TianLan, of all people, who decided to return from the dead. Why was it the crown prince of Wu? Just why?! Meeting him all those years ago was annoying enough!