WangXian Forever Book 8

Chapter 82 Prince of Darkness

Hui Gai turned around slowly.

He made sure to make his eyes big and round as if he was scared. Internally, he was scoffing at having to pretend so much, but above everything, he was a professional.

But what he saw had him stepping back unintentionally and it was only due to the quick reflexes of this massive Demon who caught him easily by the arm and swung him to safety.

"Watch it! Or you'll meet the same end as him." He nodded towards the mess still disintegrating in the cess pit of acid and sulphur. "I'm going to miss him." The massive Demon added, looking wistful but not too sad about the demise of his friend.

What is it about these guys? Hui Gai wondered in his head, unintentionally talking to Zago. Why are they so big? What exactly are they eating? Elephants?

Hui Gai had seen his fair share of demons. They came in all shapes and sizes and for the most part, especially his "army", they were quite good natured. Mostly all they wanted was food in their bellies and a good time, although they had a proclivity for getting into fights, they were mostly harmless.

But these demons...the Sleeping Sickness one and this guy? Hui Gai suspected he had another agenda entirely...and it involved Rumi.

For now, he pretended to play dumb.

"Who?" He asked as if he did not know whom the Demon Master was referring to.

"Hunshui Bing." The massive Demon nodded again towards the remains of the Sleeping Sickness Demon.

Huh...he had a name...Hui Gai thought.

Who cares? He's dead and good riddance! Zago snorted.

There was something sad about that though...Hui Gai thought. Despite the fact that he too wanted to put an end to that nasty piece of work, especially with how he had treated him because he thought he was a little kid, Hui Gai still felt the Sleeping Sickness Demon was like that purely because of wrong choices...mostly because he had followed the wrong sort of person.

If good traits were not encouraged or even shown, how could that Sleeping Sickness Demon be hated just for his ignorance? Surely his Master was more to blame? Of course, a person had to be held accountable for their choices but just because he had been too stupid to make better ones...it was a pitiable circumstance.

He could feel Zago thinking about his thoughts.

Good.

Awareness was the beginning to leading a better life, and Hui Gai didn't care what anybody else thought. He knew from his own personal experience that if thoughts dictated action, then one had to make sure and exercise control.

But now, he was under the tight scrutiny of this overgrown Demon Master.

What are you gonna do now, Fatty? Hui Gai thought uncharitably.

In truth, all he wanted to do was kill this guy and eliminate any threat to his family, and get back to his friends. In this, the impatience was real.

But who was to say that even many years down the line, someone else would turn up with the same agenda and put Rumi at risk again? Hui Gai wasn't going to take any chances.

So for now, he was going to have to suck it up.

"My name is Heian Wangzi." The massive Demon said.

Hui Gai heard Zago splutter out a disbelieving laugh.

Prince of Darkness?

Apparently this guy liked ostentatious names.

Hui Gai kept his face absolutely neutral.

"Do you know what your name is?" The Demon cackled with delight.

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

Wei Ying was still trying to process everything they were saying.

"So you're telling me my children are here?" Wei Ying looked around again, this time urgently. Shen Qing had just said it was a dangerous place...

"No...they were taken back by Hui Gai." Wen Ning hurried to tell him. "He's a good friend."

Wei Ying smiled, covering his racing heart with a single hand. He nodded fondly.

"We should go back home...see what's happening there." He looked at Lan Zhan.

"Mn. Fly or teleport?" Lan Zhan demanded, also eager to see the mountains of Gusu again, where their loved ones were.

"Teleport. We can practice flying later, my love." Wei Ying kissed his cheek lovingly.

"Mn."

"Will you join us?" Wei Ying asked the Dragons. "And I want to thank you...I saw the array...I know how much you must have helped us." He bowed low to both Shen Ling and Shen Qing.

They gave him tired smiles.

"It was nothing we wouldn't do again, given the chance Young Master." Shen Ling was certain. "But it may be better if we rest a while here. It will not take long for us to recuperate and regain our strength. We have never been here before and there is an ancient connection...maybe one we should explore." They bowed back.

Wei Ying turned to Suanni.

"And you, my good friend? Will you come with us?"

Suanni growled like he was upset, but he couldn’t resist licking them both again.

"Alas...I am being summoned elsewhere. But we shall meet again, dear ones." With that, he wriggled on his haunches and then shot up into the sky.

Lan Zhan was busy wringing out his poor white handkerchief, sodden with Celestial saliva. He was not amused.

And Wei Ying was getting a bath as soon as it could be arranged.

"Well then, let's go home." Wei Ying beamed at both him and Wen Ning as he took both their hands in his. "But Lan Zhan...we have to come back here...after all...we have a connection too. Can you feel it?"

Lan Zhan nodded reluctantly.

He could feel it.

But any place that held danger was a place he didn't want Wei Ying to be in, no matter how strong he was now.

Wei Ying could go around lifting mountains and Lan Zhan knew he would still be worrying about him.

It went hand in hand with loving this beautiful man.