14 Painful Memories

-Yunlan-

They continued down the stairs for what seemed like hours, but in reality, it only took between ten to fifteen minutes, until they reached a wider chamber. That part of the temple was in better condition that the rest seen so far. The floor was still black, but lustrous and dustless, the cold of the mountains never reaching that far down, nor the time itself.

There were a few thick columns, supporting the temple above, that were surrounded with torches still burning bluish white. The tall walls had numerous gorgeous drawings crafted over the surface along with some ancient runes Shen had never seen before, although a few did resemble that of those in his bracelet. The ones that Yunlan engrave in the beads.

"Go ahead babe, explore... this is your area of expertise. See if you can find some answers out of this place." Zhao urged him to try looking for the history behind them, the things from their past they had lost through the reincarnation system. The things they had forgot in their journey that moved them forwards to endless generations.

Shen Wei approached the nearest wall, unable to contain his excitement, for which Zhao smiled as he watched his lover looking at the wall like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. He looked like a kid with a brand new toy and it was such a pleasure to see him study the wall with a calming peace that reached his heart. Ah, he loved the man, no doubts.

"Come here Yunlan... see if you can read this." Shen Wei said, making him go out of his mesmerized trance in which Wei have him. He approached the wall, but he hugged his professor from behind first, then moved him forward along with him to have a better look at the runes. Shen Wei blushed madly, his body just inches from the wall. He was expecting something more perverted from Yunlan, perhaps another fast kiss on his neck, but to his surprise, the Chief simply moved one hand to touch a rune engraved on the polished stone wall, while the other remained over his waist.

"Do you know the meaning of the rune?" Shen asked, as his heart hasten inside his chest for the proximity of Yunlan's body behind him, his warmth a temptation to his senses, the intimate touch over half his waist, very distracting to his attempt to focus.

"It kind of look familiar... don't know the meaning thought." Zhao said, but as he pressed his fingers over the rune, he felt a strange surge of energy. "Shen Wei, put your hand over mine." Yunlan instructed and he was pleased when Wei didn't hesitate to do so. Then, they intertwine their fingers, while pressing them over the rune.

"Do you feel it?" Zhao asked, whispering on Shen Wei's ear, which make him blush further, yet he did felt a strange energy coming from the rune.

"Yes... I feel the energy left behind this writing. The drawing above tell the story of a god, a young one that wonder the earth. I think he meet a boy on his journey and for some reason he followed him around long enough to grow into a man..." Shen signal to the pictures above the runes.

"I think the boy grow up to be powerfully as well and he slayed beasts... or perhaps demons, to protect the god he fall in love with along the way. See their hands... They are..." Shen Wei stopped as he realize the true mining of the drawings.

"They are holding hands the same way we are now... and the boy most be the Ghost Slayer... his power dark, yet his heart pure. I have no doubts, that was you in a past life..." Zhao finish for him.

"Kunlun... the god is Kunlun, your original self, the god who owned all mountains. You are the protector of this place..."

Just then, the runes on the wall flared to life with a greenish light, just like the same way the beads on Shen's bracelet had done before, only that this time, all walls flared with the intense light. Yunlan pulled Wei away from them, at the same time some ghostly images manifested all around them.

"The guardians..." Shen whisper, but guardians or not, Zhao wanted Wei away from them, so he keep pulling him back to the stairs, but soon Yunlan realize the stairs were gone. He couldn't see them anywhere around, actually the temple itself transformed into something else.

"Shen Wei..." Zhao whisper to him, looking around completely lost. The place was now darker, only illuminated by a thin twister made of an impossible long flame, right in front of a red tower.

"This is like when I pass out at the top of the cliff. The tower, the door to hell..." Shen whisper back, having a look to the guardian soldiers watching the tower.

"Shen Wei, behind us..." Shen turned to look behind, to the two figures that were approaching the tower. His shock was great when he saw the fragile figure of professor Ouyang. He looked older, stressed and unfocused. By all means he looked quite ill, so he instinctively try to reach the professor, but failed as his hand simply pass through him, like if he was nothing more than a ghost.

"This is a vision of the past..." Yunlan said, pulling Wei back close to him, as they follow the professor stumbling with the uneven ground.

They watch him come closer to the tower and kneel to one side. He put a tired hand over some runes, the same they had just see in the temple and after looking at some notes from another red notebook that somehow looked familiar to Shen Wei, the professor took out a vial of what looked like darkened blood.

For an unknown reason, watching that vial make Shen Wei's heart run even faster than it had a few seconds ago, just by Yunlan's closeness. Somehow he knew that something horrible was going to happen, something that was going to change his life forever.

"Yunlan..." Shen Wei whisper in such stress, that Zhao held him back, wishing he could protect him from all harms, wathever physicals or emotionals. He guessed they were watching what happen to the professor before he was killed and the last thing he wanted was for his Wei to actually witness such tragedy.

"Don't look Shen Wei..." But he just couldn't help it. He saw the professor throw the vial at the left side of the door, the little blood splashed down dark, like it was kept liquid, but in fact it was quite old. Then the professor read the engrave at the left side, making the tower shake with strong energy.

The guardians around the tower came to life and and moved to intercept the professor, to strike him down before the first seal was broken, but then the other figure that had stayed behind came forward at a frightening speed, dressed with an elegant winter red coat with black boots and pants, her long dark hair untied, flowing as she calmy slashed all guardians that came near the professor with a wierd black sword.

As Shen Wei have a better look at the woman, who was clearly a demon without doubts, his face completely paled in shock, his body shaking in a pain it was indescribable.

"Oh no... no, no, no, no... Oh please no..." Shen whisper as new tears fell down his cheeks, making Yunlan inwardly panic.

"Wait Shen Wei... what's wrong? What's happening to you? Shen Wei!" Zhao yelled, as his lover escaped his hold to run forward, faster than he thought it was humanly possible and with that Dao sword of his, which he summon it from out of nowhere, he moved masterfully to slash the woman without a single trace of hesitation.

"Shen Wei!!!!" Zhao run after him, completely shocked that he would attack someone so fiercely, but just like it happens before with hand on the professor, Shen's sword passed through the woman, not making a single scratch on her impeccable cloths.

"Aaahhhhh!!!" His pained yell that deeply resonate in the huge cave like, broke Zhao's heart and as soon as he reached him, he held him tighter, no letting go of him even when he struggle to get free.

"Shen Wei! Please calm down... My Wei... please stop..." He keep repeating the words, as more tears fell. "Please my Wei... talk to me... tell me... My Wei... please..." It took him a while to actually fully calm his lover, but when he did, Shen Wei turned to hug him back.

"What happen? Can you tell me?" Zhao asked worriedly. Gently rubbing his back and kissing the crown of his head.

"That demon... she was the one who kill him..." Shen Wei whisper over his shoulder, as his heart bleeded with intense pain. A pain he had experienced long ago, when he was younger, a pain of deep loss he didn't want to experience ever again.

"Who, babe?" Zhao dare to ask very softly.

"My brother... My twin brother Ye Zun. She was the one responsible for my brother's accident. I will never forget that face... she killed him... that demon killed him and the blood used on the seal was his. She kill him to brake my seal, the Ghost Slayer seal."

AN: 😢 Don't be sad dear Wei, Yun lan is there for you. Thanks for reading, more revelations of Shen past in the next one