Bai Ye's voice was low and soothing. "Lian, please. It's for your own good."
But Lian was unmoved, his arms crossed over his chest. Mochen laughed, shaking his head. "You're as stubborn as a child, Lian."
Lian's face flushed, but he refused to back down. Bai Ye sighed, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Fine. I'll feed it to you myself."
And with that, Bai Ye scooped up a spoonful of the antidote and brought it to Lian's lips, his eyes sparkling with a mischievous glint. Lian's eyes widened, and he tried to push Bai Ye away, but it was too late. The antidote was already sliding down his throat, leaving Lian spluttering and coughing in protest.
Mochen explained, "The antidote will make you feel slightly drowsy, Lian. You must force yourself to sleep, or it won't work properly."
Lian shook his head vigorously. "No, I won't sleep. I won't."
Mochen's eyebrows furrowed in surprise. "What do you mean, Lian? You need to rest."
Lian's voice dropped to a whisper. "I have nightmares."
Bai Ye's attention snapped to Lian, his eyes narrowing with concern. "What kind of nightmares, Lian?" he asked, his voice low and soothing.
Lian glanced at Mochen, then back at Bai Ye, his eyes welling up with tears. Bai Ye understood, and with a gentle nod, he asked Mochen, "Could you give us a moment?"
Mochen excused himself, leaving Bai Ye alone with Lian. Bai Ye crouched down in front of Lian, his eyes locked on Lian's tear-stained face.
Lian's voice cracked as he spoke. "When you sent me back to my master... I was panicked. I thought you were gone. I cried myself to sleep, and I had nightmares of you covered in blood... I thought I'd lost you, like I lost my parents. I don't even remember them, but I remember the pain of losing them."
Bai Ye's heart ached as he listened to Lian's words. He hadn't realized the depth of Lian's emotions, or how much their brief separation had affected him.
Lian's tears flowed freely now, his body shaking with sobs. "Please, Bai Ye, don't leave me. I'll be good, I promise. I won't disobey you anymore."
Bai Ye's face softened, and he gently patted Lian's hair, his touch comforting. "I'm here, Lian. I won't leave you."
Lian's sobs slowed, and he looked up at Bai Ye with pleading eyes. "Will you... stay with me while I sleep? I don't want to have nightmares again."
Bai Ye smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Of course, Lian. I'll stay with you."
With a gentle smile, Bai Ye scooped Lian up in a bridal carry, despite Lian's protests. "I'm a man, not a woman! Put me down!"
Bai Ye just chuckled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "You're not too heavy for me, Lian. Besides, you need to rest."
As Bai Ye carried Lian to the bedroom, Lian's protests grew weaker, his eyelids drooping as the antidote took effect. Bai Ye laid him down on the bed, his eyes never leaving Lian's face.
"I'm here, Lian," he whispered, his voice a soft promise. "I won't leave you."
As Lian lay on the bed, his eyelids drooping, he suddenly reached out and grasped Bai Ye's sleeve. He looked up at Bai Ye with pleading eyes, his voice barely above a whisper. "Can you play the guqin for me?"
Bai Ye's expression softened, and he nodded, his long fingers moving deftly as he summoned the guqin. The instrument materialized in front of him, and he sat down comfortably, his fingers poised over the strings.
"Play the same tune you played the other day," Lian requested, his eyes drifting shut. "The one I heard in the forest."
Bai Ye's fingers began to dance across the strings, the melody flowing like a gentle stream. The music was hauntingly beautiful, and Lian's breathing slowed, his body relaxing into the calm atmosphere.
As Bai Ye played on, his fingers striking the strings with precision and grace, Lian felt his worries and fears melting away. The music was a balm to his soul, soothing his heart and calming his mind.
After a while, Bai Ye glanced over his shoulder, his eyes meeting Lian's peaceful face. Lian was fast asleep, his chest rising and falling with slow, even breaths. Bai Ye's fingers stilled, and he smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
With a wave of his hand, the guqin disappeared, leaving behind only the faintest whisper of its melody. Bai Ye stood up, his movements slow and deliberate, but as he turned to leave, he stumbled and fell back onto the bed, his body wracked with a sudden, violent cough.
Bai Ye's hand flew to his mouth, his fingers clutching at his robes as he coughed up blood. Lian, oblivious to the commotion, slept on, his peaceful expression a stark contrast to Bai Ye's sudden distress.
Just as Bai Ye's coughing fit seemed to be subsiding, Mochen burst into the room, his face etched with concern. "Bai Ye! What's wrong?" he exclaimed, rushing to Bai Ye's side.
Bai Ye's eyes met Mochen's, his gaze weak but urgent. Mochen's face paled as he took in Bai Ye's condition, and he quickly moved to support his friend, helping him to sit up and catching him as he swayed dizzily.
Mochen led Bai Ye to another room, careful not to disturb Lian's peaceful slumber.
As they settled down, Mochen's expression turned serious. "Bai Ye, why do you insist on playing the guqin? You know it's a trap set by the Gods."
Bai Ye's smile was faint, but his eyes sparkled with nostalgia. "The guqin was my mother's, Mochen. She taught me how to play it, and it brings me peace."
Mochen's eyes narrowed. "You find peace in it, but you've never played it for yourself in a long time. Why now? You've played it three times in a short period. The guqin is an instrument of the Gods, and this one, in particular, holds significance as it belonged to your mother, the Goddess of Mercy."
Bai Ye's gaze dropped, his voice barely above a whisper. "Lian couldn't sleep without it."
Mochen's eyes widened in surprise. "You're telling me that you played it for him? All those times?"
Bai Ye's silence was answer enough.
Mochen's expression turned stern. "Bai Ye, I'm the one person you should confide in. I'm struggling to find ways to treat you, to restore your immortality. If you don't get treated, you'll die. You'll be mortal, vulnerable to the whims of fate. I'm finding cures for you, but you must also keep yourself alive, especially if you want to protect Wen Tianlian."
As Mochen mentioned Tianlian's name, Bai Ye's eyes snapped up, his gaze locking onto Mochen's. For a moment, they just stared at each other, the air thick with unspoken understanding.
Bai Ye's nod was almost imperceptible, but Mochen caught it. He nodded back, his expression softening. "I'll find a way to restore your immortality, Bai Ye. But you must promise me one thing: you must take care of yourself, for Tianlian's sake, and for your own."
As Mochen finished speaking, Bai Ye's eyes fluttered closed, and he sat cross-legged on the floor, his fingers intertwined in a complex pattern. He took a deep breath, focusing his energy, and began to hit specific acupoints on his body, stimulating his inner healing mechanisms.
Mochen watched, his eyes filled with concern, as Bai Ye's body began to glow with a soft, ⁸ light. Bai Ye's heritage as both a God and a demon gave him unique abilities, but it also came with its own set of challenges.
As the son of a Goddess and the Demon King, Bai Ye's existence was a delicate balance of divine and demonic energies. The Gods had banished his mother, separating her from her son, and had forbidden Bai Ye from wielding any divine weapons, lest he suffer the consequences.
The guqin, an instrument of the Gods, was one such forbidden tool. Each time Bai Ye played it, his immortality waned, his divine energy seeping away like sand between his fingers.
Bai Ye's meditation deepened, his inner energy coursing through his veins as he worked to expel the clotted blood from his chest. Mochen waited patiently, ready to assist his friend as needed.
Finally, with a soft gasp, Bai Ye's eyes snapped open, and he hit his chest again, dislodging the clot. Blood spilled from his mouth, and Mochen rushed to his side, helping him clean up the mess.
As they finished, Bai Ye's face relaxed, his breathing slowing. "I'm fine, Mochen," he said, his voice weak but reassuring.
Mochen nodded, his eyes still filled with concern. "You need to be more careful, Bai Ye. Your immortality won't exist and if you keep using the guqin."
Bai Ye's gaze drifted away, his thoughts hidden behind a mask of serenity. Mochen knew better than to press the issue, but he couldn't help but wonder what secrets Bai Ye kept hidden, and what lay behind his enigmatic smile.