WangXian Forever Book 8

Chapter 57 Ruse

XiChen knew Jiang Cheng was fuming, that he was on the cusp of livid. He also knew he was pushing his luck because had it been anyone else, Jiang Cheng would have shown them his displeasure with abandon.

Zidian would have sparked to life within seconds of the Sleeping Sickness Demon leaving.

And he would have found it extremely funny if he wasn't so exhausted already. They both were.

He reached for Jiang Cheng's hand and was a little alarmed to how it felt cold; Jiang Cheng made no attempt to hold his hand back...and XiChen wondered if he had finally pushed his husband over his edge of patience.

It took Jiang Cheng precisely five excruciating minutes to finally snap.

"How could you?" He muttered angrily.

"How could I what?" XiChen asked him, brightly.

"How could you promise to give that little boy over to that...that monster?" Jiang Cheng snarled. "I hate being compromised as much as you do...but that is such a low thing to do."

XiChen tugged on his hand.

"When talking to demons, every word is essential. It's like a binding verbal agreement. They can and do contest every breach." He said, managing to keep calm despite the tiredness in his bones now. "Tell me again what I said?"

"You said...if our elders agree..." Jiang Cheng thought back. "He must be allowed to say goodbye in an appropriate fashion...then he said, three days...and you said five because he's gotten used to living here...must be given time to adjust." Jiang Cheng let go of XiChen and folded his arms across his chest.

"Exactly!" XiChen could barely contain his amusement.

"I don't get it." Jiang Cheng scowled.

"Alright...I'm going to put that down to fatigue." XiChen stepped forward and kissed his forehead. "At no time whatsoever did we mention a name...that's the first thing. We could have been talking about...I dunno...Hui Gai for example...misunderstandings can happen at the best of times...right?"

"You fucking genius!" Jiang Cheng grabbed his face and kissed XiChen senseless.

His lips were on fire as he stole their breath, each slide of silky skin a torture because they both needed desperately to rest now.

When they parted, amethyst eyes were sparkling with love.

"And that's not all..." XiChen added, deciding he could be as smug as he liked right now.

"What else?" Jiang Cheng took his hand and they continued towards the Hanshi.

"Well I mentioned if our elders agree...so at this point we could just tell him they said no. And what exactly does 'goodbye in an appropriate fashion' mean anyway? Rumi could decide to throw a ten year party and there's not an ounce of anything that demon could do." XiChen was almost bouncing in glee.

"I married a loquacious intelligent genius...." Jiang Cheng leaned in to kiss his cheeks with every word of praise. "Smart...no, brilliant..." kiss "gifted," kiss "talented," kiss "man."

XiChen laughed fondly.

He pushed open the door of their home and lit a candle. Daybreak on the mountains meant it was still dark outside.

Quickly they removed their outer robes and then settled down to sleep finally.

"I'm sorry for doubting you." Jiang Cheng mumbled in his drowsy state. "That was...so bad....for me...I love you."

XiChen kissed his forehead and tightened his arms around him.

"No need to apologise. It's nice to know that you have my back if ever I sway from the correct path. Good night, my dear."

Then he too, sank into a deep sleep.

************

Wen Ning followed Gu Xing all the way to the far end of the rope bridge. When they stepped off the last plank of wood, Wen Ning felt such a relief, it was almost physical and he half expected the rickety structure to collapse after being used for the first time in so long.

Here, there was a marked difference here but Wen Ning couldn't say exactly what was putting him on edge.

This place was older than old...possibly as old as the first people to walk on earth.

It was cold too...and must have been severe enough for him to notice it in the first place.

There was a silence...kind of unnerving because in places like this, there was at the very least a few birds calling to each other, and other sounds of nature making herself at home. Even the wind was too quiet.

Mists swathed all around them drifting in the breeze and disorientating him, though Gu Xing seemed unbothered. He walked straight ahead into it and it seemed to part for him, though it did no such thing for Wen Ning.

There was a point when he thought he had lost sight of the yellow-eyed man but it turned out he was merely waiting for him.

As the mists finally drifted aside, Wen Ning saw a huge, dark mountain peak rise up above them.

"Here, we must part ways. I am not allowed past this point." Gu Xing told him. "Your friends must be up there...it is the only possibility." He pointed upwards towards the icy tip of the mountain.

"Can you tell me anything else about that place?" Wen Ning asked him. To be fair, he had been expecting something like this, though he couldn’t say why.

There were no guarantees once he had left his home, but he owed it to Young Master Wei to go on and see...find out what was happening.

"No human, including myself is permitted to cross this line." Gu Xing waved his hand and a golden thread appeared to circulate the base of the mountain. "Perhaps we will meet again...but I doubt it." Gu Xing bowed.

Wen Ning bowed back, but kept his eyes on the man. He walked away without looking back, leaving Wen Ning alone here, looking up at the highest peak.

He wondered how long it would take to get all the way up there. And what if there were other barriers in his way? Something else to prevent anyone from ascending?

There was only one way to find out.