"You aren't mortals," LiBai whispered. The men keeping them hostage snickered among themselves.
LiangLin's eyes widened. They weren't? Without his snake zodiac, he couldn't sense any shift in the energy flow around them. To him, everyone seemed to be mortals.
"We can't charm you." LiChun sounded horrified. Her eyes darted between her siblings, squirming to be freed, but the edge of the sword hugged her even tighter.
"Let them go," YaYun ordered, but his eyes never strayed from LiangLin. They were studying him with fascination.
"YaYun, are you sure?" The one holding LiBai asked, his frown deepening.
"Yes, they aren't a threat to us," YaYun said and waved his hand dismissively.
LiangLin exhaled as the sword was pulled away from his vicinity and with a sullen 'shing', put back to its holster. He rubbed his neck, brushing away the droplets of blood. Then as he shot his eyes back to YaYun, his fist tightened, and he swung it towardshim. But this time, master Zhang had expected the punch and caught the fist in time.
LiangLin didn't wait as he swung his other fist towards that handsome face, but it was caught, too. YaYun's hold was firm as he pulled LiangLin's hands down, twisting them painfully. LiangLin tried to shake him away, but YaYun's hold persisted.
A low chuckle rumbled in his chest as he pulled LiangLin closer to him.
"This one is feisty. How did XueYa manage to steal your snake?"
"What are you trying?" LiangLin snapped as he raised his knee to knock the man in the balls.
YaYun dodged it, barely. His chuckle turned into a laugh as he let LiangLin's arms go free. He smoothed his fingers down his robes, dusting away the grass and dirt that had clung to him from being dragged across the field.
"I've travelled all the way here, just for you."
The She siblings flinched at the same time. Their father's words echoed against their skull. So, Zhang YaYun had travelled here to sleep with -
"I'd like to apologize for what XueYa has done. I want to return your zodiac snake to you." YaYun continued with a gentle smile.
"You what?" LiangLin screeched. Was this some elaborate trick to fool him? What in the world was going on? And how could that bastard's face be capable of smiling so dashingly?
His sisters threw him confused looks, but none said anything. QingYu looked miffed that all the attention was on LiangLin. He was pouting on the side, with his arms folded over his chest.
"But to return it to you, I'm afraid you must come with me to the Imperial City," YaYun said, and seeing the snakes' disgruntled faces, he hurried to add, "There is no other way to return it. We must do it over the Dragon bed."
The She siblings' faces twitched in unison.
Do it over a bed...
QingYu had become deep red like a ripe tomato as he huffed and turned his back to them. LiangLin was frozen in place. A slight blush feathered over him like a veil.
YaYun seemed to realise his words sounded lewd as he cleared his throat and said, "A stone bed, carved by the dragon gods. Not a sleeping bed."
"Oh," The She siblings sighed in unison, then they tensed and LiangLin snarled, "Why should we trust you? This could be an elaborate trick to steal my immortality!"
"He already is an immortal," LiBai mumbled as her eyes narrowed. She was studying YaYun with renowned curiosity.
"That sorcerer wasn't an immortal. How could this be?" LiYue snapped and pushed ChangChang away with her feet. The husky was by her side once more, rubbing its muzzle against her thigh.
"He isn't the sorcerer," LiBai said as she walked closer, stopping next to LiangLin. "Your energy, aura, you are one of us. A shifter." She said to YaYun. Her neck strained as she scented the air. "What are you?"
"Eldest sister, you don't think he used my zodiac animal as his own?" LiangLin said. This bastard, he was so going to gut him!
"No, not a snake," LiBai said. "Something else."
"Does it matter?" YaYun chuckled. "I'm here to offer help. If you don't want it, I might as well leave."
"Wait!" LiangLin and QingYu called in unison. YaYun looked at LiangLin expectedly, with his brows slightly raised.
LiangLin cursed under his breath. He wanted his snake back, and the possibility for it was now being dangled right in front of his face, like a treat. Whoever this YaYun was, he knew the way to get it.
LiangLin shot his eyes to QingYu as his mind worked furiously. The room was dark, lit only by a few candle lights. QingYu was staring at his proclaimed soon-to-be husband as if the man might disappear any minute now.
Soon-to-be husband...
A smile quivered over LiangLin's lips. Gods must be smiling down on him, LiangLin thought to himself as he brushed his hair over his shoulder and walked over to QingYu. Flinging his arm around QingYu's waist, he pulled the green snake close to his side, covering the flickering light behind them.
"I'll come with you." He purred at YaYun with a smile. "If you let me take my siblings with me."
"But, brother LiangLin-" QingYu started, but LiangLin hurried to cut in.
"I want my twin, QingYu and my sisters to tag along. Just to ensure you are not trying to trick me."
A satisfied grin broke over YaYun's face as LiangLin was willing to come with him. "Consider it done! We shall take our leave first thing in the morning! I will have a boat ready for us at sunrise. We should take rest for now."
---
As the snakes were left to return to their rooms, they all huddled inside LiangLin's room and shut the door tightly behind them.
"Lin'er, why did you drag QingYu into this?" LiBai snapped as she sat on the bed next to the two male snakes. LiangLin grinned as he ran his knuckle playfully over QingYu's soft cheek. "I must make sure our little QingYu will be married off properly."
"What? Really, brother LiangLin?" QingYu squealed, excitement clear in his eyes and posture.
Mischief glinted in LiangLin's gaze as he mused aloud. "Tell me, QingYu. How do green male snakes marry?"
"One spouse, bound until the rest of eternity. Neither can bond with anyone else after that." QingYu recited. Then he frowned slightly. "Ah, but I guess it differs from you guys. We don't share immortality with anyone."
Perfect, thought LiangLin as he ruffled QingYu's hair with his hand. "Don't worry, QingYu, brother LiangLin will get you a husband. But!" He shook his finger in front of QingYu's pleading eyes. "You must listen to what I say, understood?"
"Yes, yes!" QingYu nearly shouted as he clung to LiangLin's neck, nearly suffocating him.
"Ok, rule number one, don't hug me so tight!" LiangLin heaved, and QingYu immediately pulled away. Gasping for breath LiangLin straightened his back.
"Rule number two, from this day onwards, you are my twin. That means, no matter what happens, do not shift to your real form. You are a snake god, not a green snake, understood?" LiangLin said slowly, studying QingYu's every twitch of a facial muscle.
QingYu nodded eagerly. The sisters exchanged confused looks with each other as they listened to LiangLin's rules.
"Rule number three, we must look identical, meaning from this day forward, I will draw a mole under my left eye. You are not to tell anyone about it."
QingYu had a slight frown pass over his face, but the prospect of bagging a rich, handsome husband overpowered all else and he gave another agreeing nod.
LiangLin gave a low chuckle as he playfully shoved QingYu with his shoulder. "Consider him bagged!"
"Ah, I recognize that laugh. You are up to no good, are you, 51?" LiAi drawled as she leaned over the table, fanning herself leisurely.
"I won't let myself be tricked again," LiangLin said as he sprawled out over his bed and let his eyes flutter close. "He might not be the sorcerer, but he knows about XueYa and my snake. It's better to have a plan ready. They might be playing games with us."
"I wonder where that sorcerer is," LiChun said after a moment of silence.
LiangLin perked up and crawled on his elbows. "What do you mean?"
"If Zhang YaYun has your snake, what happened to the sorcerer?" LiChun said.
"They must be in on it together. This YaYun guy, he smells weird. No shifter smells like him." LiYue added. "He could have stolen someone else's immortality before. Now he is helping that other guy."
"For now, we should rest. We will find out more once we reach the Imperial City." LiBai said.