ZhiYi's shoulders slumped as he crumpled under the words. Ye WeiRu couldn't help but smile at the sight.
"I can't cure him, but I can try to stop it from festering any further, and he might survive for a while. ZhiYi, get up. PingZe, you can stay kneeling, would teach you some well-deserved manners."
PingZe huffed but didn't dare to complain as he hurried to crawl up with his brother.
Ye WeiRu had now returned to MingYu's side. He flicked his fingers, and a talisman slipped out of his sleeve. As it burned a small leather pack appeared in its place.
The pack unwrapped itself, and dozens of different-sized needles with a scorpion tail handle came to view. Another flick of his wrist and a pillow crammed itself under MingYu's arm, lifting it up in an angle, bringing the wound into view in its full ghastliness.
MingYu squirmed from the pain but never came to. With what Ye WeiRu would do next, it was better if he stayed unconscious.
Ye WeiRu picked a dozen of tiny needles from the pack and with rabid motion, arranged them to hover over the blackened flesh. They stood upright in a straight line from MingYu's elbow down to his wrist. After Ye WeiRu was satisfied with how they were positioned, he snapped his fingers, and the needles broke off their handles and plunged inside MingYu's arm, right down to the bone.
MingYu's eyes ripped open as he jerked awake, howling in pain.
"Hold him still!" Ye WeiRu snapped, and all three rushed to hold MingYu's trashing body. "This one will hurt the most. Close his eyes!"
YueQin held her hand over MingYu's eyes, covering his sight. Ye WeiRu motioned with his hand, and the leather pack burned itself away. Another talisman sprang out of his sleeve, and as it burned, a long, thin needle came to view. The needle was at least ten inches long. The three looked at it in horror, but dared not to make a sound in fear of scaring MingYu.
"Pull him up to a sitting position."
ZhiYi pushed MingYu's body up and held him steady, while YueQin's hand hovered over his eyes. PingZe was holding his feet in place, preventing him from kicking and squirming.
MingYu's breath came out ragged as his skin slicked from sweat, but he was in too much pain to say a word. Instead, he bit down on his teeth, hissing through the waves of pain that washed over him.
Ye WeiRu pulled MingYu's undergarment down, revealing his upper torso. He set the needle over MingYu's shoulder bone, and it stood still, waiting for Ye WeiRu's command.
"Keep him motionless. Qing MingYu, take a deep breath in."
MingYu shook as he took a trembling breath in. Before he could fill his lunges, Ye WeiRu snapped his fingers, and the entire needle plunged through his shoulder, down to his elbow. A blood-curdling scream filled the silence before MingYu's body turned limp, and he fainted over ZhiYi's chest.
Ye WeiRu gestured them to put him down. Reassessing the wound, he nodded with approval. The blackened flesh no longer oozed, and his fingers were returning to their normal colour. Under Ye WeiRu's command, the blanket tucked itself over MingYu.
"The effects of the bite are slowed down by the poison within the needles for now, but I can't tell how long he will live. Since he is a deity, he may survive longer than mortals. But at most, a few months without an antidote. He won't be able to use that arm ever again."
ZhiYi looked relieved, and Ye WeiRu gave him a stiff nod. "I would advise you to keep him uninjured. It could be the death of him. He will be unconscious for a few days, and I will need a blood sample from her." Ye WeiRu motioned at YueQin.
YueQin watched in awe as Ye WeiRu drew out a small bottle from his sleeves. It hovered in place as he drew a needle and pricked the vein on her wrist. Bright red blood dripped to the bottle like a stream of a lake until her skin mended itself, and the bottle returned to Ye WeiRu.
"How can we repay you?" ZhiYi asked as he wiped the sweat on MingYu's forehead.
Ye WeiRu hadn't answered when a cry broke out, and something sinister flashed in his eyes. He turned around with a smile that could freeze over a lake. "There is a baby?"
ZhiYi jumped up from MingYu's side, but before he could move towards the basket, YueQin and PingZe had already moved between Ye WeiRu and the baby.
Ye WeiRu's eyes glinted in the dim lighting.
"You all act like I will hurt the little one. Move aside, I want to see."
But PingZe and YueQin stood still. Ye WeiRu hated to repeat his commands, so he flicked his finger and the basket slid out behind the two and stopped before his feet.
ZhiYi moved closer. "Master Ye."
Ye WeiRu ignored him. He dug the boy out from under his many blankets and held him up like a prize. He smiled as he held the boy close and inspected him. AhXin looked at him with curiosity, but he didn't seem scared.
He clasped the boy in his arms as he looked at the three coldly. "Turning such young children is against our rules. How did you get him?"
"We didn't turn him, master Ye. It was Lan Guan-Yin." PingZe said as he stepped closer, scared the old man would disappear with the child.
Ye WeiRu's stature stiffened as he heard the mention of the name. His shadow seemed to grow larger.
"How did she do it?" He took a seat at the table. AhXin was pulling at his bony fingers and stuffing them in his mouth. Ye WeiRu didn't seem to mind.
"She used 250 acupuncture needles and several talismans to keep the baby's mother's body alive for him to feed on." ZhiYi sat down next to him, his eyes fixed on the boy.
Ye WeiRu clicked his tongue with dissatisfaction. "It can be done with fourteen needles and ten talismans. She is still as cruel as ever, I see." Then he turned his attention back to AhXin. "Still no teeth showing, healthy boy, quite a tight grip. He seems hungry, has been gnawing at my fingers nonstop. Should be glad he hasn't grown teeth yet. My blood wouldn't be good for digestion, even for a demon. It's poisonous, yes it is." He said the last part only to AhXin and even pinched the boy's cheek lightly. AhXin continued to drool over his fingers.
"So the parents are dead?" Ye WeiRu said indifferently.
ZhiYi stiffened. "No, I'm his father."
"I meant his actual parents, ZhiYi. Don't take me for a fool." Ye WeiRu's melancholy voice sounded threatening.
ZhiYi shifted uncomfortably in his chair. His hands itched to snatch AhXin back from Ye WeiRu, but he sat still.
"Yes, master Ye."
"He would make a great repayment, don't you think?" Ye WeiRu pondered as he brushed over the boy's fluffy hair. "I can turn him into my apprentice, teach him everything, my successor."
"No, master Ye, you can't!" ZhiYi said. "We will find you a suitable successor as repayment, but AhXin is just a baby!"
"What if you fail?" Ye WeiRu mused aloud. His ominous smile returned. "How will you repay me then?"
"We won't fail, I promise, Master Ye." ZhiYi pressed, he wouldn't give AhXin up. Ye WeiRu's cold eyes studied ZhiYi, then he slowly handed AhXin to the relieved father.
"Good. But if you fail, I will come back for the child." Ye WeiRu made no move to leave. He turned his eyes over to YueQin and PingZe.
"Sit down."
The two scrambled to take a seat at the table. After a moment of silence, Ye WeiRu started, "Has anyone been hindering your journey?"
A frown fell on ZhiYi's face. "I don't understand."
"The disciplinary sects are on the move." Ye WeiRu said severely. "Was AhXin part of the journey?"
ZhiYi nodded.
Ye WeiRu sighed, "So it is then. You should be very careful, ZhiYi. Just because me and old Fan have grown a liking to you over the years, doesn't mean we can help you or protect you endlessly. We are old. The others will cause you trouble."
The brothers exchanged wary looks as Ye WeiRu continued, "But old Fan told me the son of Su Lang is a good kid. I'm glad. Others may hinder your journey. You know supreme sect leader doesn't take kindly to gods. You had to be in love with one."
ZhiYi unexpectedly blushed under Ye WeiRu's honest words. YueQin shot glances at ZhiYi, but stayed quiet. PingZe had a stupid grin on his face, which he failed to hide.
"The Xiedu and Niujiao sects are only small working sects, we have no manpower. You are on your own." With that, Ye WeiRu stood up to leave, but ZhiYi held him back.
"Master Ye. I still need your help with one thing." ZhiYi hurried to say.
Ye WeiRu raised his brow. "Aren't you a little shameless, ZhiYi? I just helped you, and already you ask for more?"
ZhiYi pushed on. He had to.
"Master Ye, MingYu has come to a few times after the bite, but he has forgotten who he is. He only remembers his life as the young Wu TianLan."
Ye WeiRu's face twisted into a haunting smile as he chuckled for the first time, ever, in front of the two brothers. They didn't know if they should fear his hollow laughter or not.
"You are telling me, of all the people you've encountered over the thousand years you've wandered the land, you fell for the same man twice?"
"ZhiYi has a specific taste," PingZe said with a grin.