22 Preparations For A Journey To The West

-Shen Wei-

After Zhao wake up the others and have a warm energizing bath and a change of clothes, they gather at the entrance of the temple with all the equipment packet up again, to be portal by Long Hun close to the town. They walked a few miles in the snow, as Lóng Hún explained to them than in the Kunlun Mountain, time doesn't exactly passed the same, as in the rest of China.

They all wonder just how much time had passed, hoping it wasn't too much of a gasp, like months or even years. At the end, they eagerly walked to reach the town and sighed in relief, when the town was finally in sight. As they walked in, they found out that they have been missing for two weeks and a half, although it wasn't entirely surprising for the residents, because many had gone up and never return.

Many thought they die, as only the guide returned, telling the town he had seen a dragon swallow the three professors he was escorting down, although later, Lóng Hún explained that he had portal the rest of the professors back to the city, to keep them safer and out of the way. Then, they had rented a few rooms to stay for the night, mostly because Yunlan wanted his Wei well rested before another big fight and they also needed to look for information about the part of the desert Shen Wei sensed the red queen.

"Less than a month ago, the small Oil City in West China was attacked, by some strange creatures killing a lot of people when watching a play in a theater. Most of the structures of the town were destroyed by said creatures and many soldiers were sent to the desert to hunt them down. However, none of the troops returned alive. This information was classify, never reaching the public, so not to cause a massive panic." Lin said as his fingers flew over his computer, now back in line.

"So she was there before we went to the mountains. I guess, that's why the military was involved in the search ahead of us. They already knew about the demons and have their own plans, which our dragon mess up with before they could even begin." Lóng Hún smiled mischievously.

"They were in the way and I did save them..." He reminded them.

"So, this forgotten Oil Town, no one hear of it before, is the place we are looking for?" Zhao asked, looking at Shen Wei. They were sat in a long table, outside their Inn. Big umbrellas shading them from the hot sun.

"Probably... I can't pinpoint her exact location in the desert, but if I have a guess... it's around the west area, which is where this small town was before it was abandon and right now it must be a ghost town, as I feel it." Shen said.

"Well... coincidently, the military sent another team to the desert, yesterday. They are to gather information of the creatures, as well as to exterminate them by any means posible. They were even given silver bullets to use..." Lin announced, reading the new information he just cracked.

"Idiots, they are not warewolfs, despite their looks. Only weapons charged with a special kind of energy can actally kill them." Lóng Hún said, a bit amused by how humans reacted to the unknown.

"Oh come on, give them some credit, because at least they didn't give up too easily." Sang protested.

"Fool, they are just sending more food to those demons." Da Qing objected back.

"Yep, no doubts." Chu reaffirmed.

"By the way, why this demon queen had not gain a god's power yet? She is ahead of us by a month." Zhu asked.

"There are more than one layer of barriers protecting the whole place. Nuwa created seven levels, before burry the temple quite deep. The Oil Town must have a weaker barrier atop ground. She probably break it using the same blood that broke Shen Wei's seal. I granted the Ghost Slayed a bit of my divinity, making him a half god, because he was my lover and the rightful owner of my heart. So, even as a human reincarnation, my Wei's blood still carries that gift I so lovingly grant him in each cell. The same way I carry a god's blood in a more dormant state. It should be powerful enough to give her access to the first layer and probably to a second one, but the third should be stronger, rejecting even Shen Wei's half god's blood. I sincerely doubt she had advance further than two layers."

"So, she's waiting? I mean, she is waiting for us to go there and break the barriers for her?" Wang asked.

"There is the possibility of that. Both Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan will go crazy if something were to happen to their other half. Hurt the former Kunlun god, for example, and the Ghost Slayer will destroy the world, if that meant save him." Shen Wei blushed, taking Yunlan's hand, as he offer it to him under the long table.

"I wouldn't go that far... I would gladly give my life to save his, but I will not put the world in jeopardy to save him." Shen said, but the others snickered, probably doubting his words and Zhao smiled.

"Come on guys, he is so serious while saying that. You know him so little, he is indeed telling the true. Shen Wei may love me greatly, but he would not put other people in danger, not even for my sake, because he knows I will not wish for it."

"Then I'm glad he is better than you, because you went all mad because the professor needed to go to hell to restore the seal. 'I rather spend the rest of my life killing the demons who got out, than to let you in', remember?" Lóng Hún asked, as the other laughed and Shen blushed like mad.

"Hey! I did give up on that idea." Zhao defended himself, as Shen Wei still blushed.

"Of course you did, it was the professor's kiss who calmed you down." Zhu remained him, making Shen Wei even more embarrass.

"She is wasting her precious time, if she plans to use Zhao Yunlan as bait." Old Chu said.

"You bunch of idiots are so cruel to the one you should be protecting. Aren't you suppose to be my guardian's? Honestly, I rather have Shen Wei's lovely ghosts."

"Regardless of her plan, we need to take her down now. She is too dangerous to allow her close to the temple for much longer. Zhao Yunlan, can you portal her to hell?" Lóng Hún asked.

"I can, but I will be tricky. I couldn't seal her away last time, because she escaped before we create the seal, she knows I have a similar power now, so she is not going to give me the chance. I can tell you, she was quite powerful centuries ago, she must be even more so now."

"So, what should we do? Do the dragon portal us there or we go the old way, camels and all?" Da Qing asked.

"I can try portal you all close, but there is a very wide area of the west desert in which portaling will not work. Also, the one who can sense the queen's location at all times is the Lord of dark energy, Shen Wei, so I believe it is his call." Everyone looked at the professor and Zhao smiled. He was beginning to be such seek out leader. Shen Wei ponder on the idea for a bit, then he looked at them quite seriously.

"The militaries are going to be involved this time. I'm sure they all will be killed if we left them on their own and honestly, I don't wish for more lives to be taken by her. We can use some camels and search for them, them portal them back to safety, if they are not inside the part in which no portal can be used. Once they are out of the way, we travel straight to the ghost town and finish this." Shen decided and Yunlan pat him slightly on his back, proud of his lover leadership.

"Alright, you hear him, loud and clear. We move to the desert tomorrow morning, so prepare yourselves for a big one and have a good night rest. I will make a few calls, with our contacts in the west, to have a better idea of what's happening around the area, then as soon as the sun rises, we leave via portal."

Zhao said, taking his cell phone out.

"Wait, what do you mean via portal? You are not planing in portaling us straight to that grumpy old man's house, right? He is going to faint, is he see us pop out of nowhere at his house door." Lin said.

"Man, that that would be something to remember." Da Qing said, laughing.

"He had seen weirder things than a trick of the desert. His house is out of town, which suits us perfectly and his camels are the best, so yes, we portal straight to his door."

"He will insist in guiding us through the desert, you know he doesn't leave his beloved camels in the care of others, not even if it is you, Oh great god of good luck." Old Chu warned him.

"That's not a problem. He is a bit nut anyways..." Zhao joked.

"Yunlan! Have more respect of the elders." Shen Wei reproach him.

"Ah babe, you will see. He is not an ordinary old man and he is exactly what we need in this troubled times. Now go and slack for the rest of the day, then go to sleep. Just to remind you, having fun is good, but no drinks will be allowed, or some bonus will fly outside my apartment window faster than you can blink." Zhao said to his team, which complained about over working without the proper payment to compensate, yet they didn't hesitate to fool around for the coming hours.

Shen Wei stayed with him, as he make some calls and confirmed that a group of militaries had gone out in an 'expedition' to and old tomb, as well as to help him trace a possible route, if the eccentric old man decided to invite himself and join them.

Later that night, as they share the same bed, under the warm covers against the winter chill, holding each other affectionately, Shen concentrate even harder into find the exact location of the queen.

"Still no luck?" Yunlan asked, kissing the crown of his head, as his arms were wrapped around his professor in a tight hug, filled with healing energy.

"No. Strong waves of energy are blocking my senses after a certain point in the west. This temple should be quite something, if what I sense is just a tiny fraction of the energy buried."

"Mmm, Nuwa doesn't hide just anything back to earth. This temple belonged to the few humans that obtained immortality in the times of the gods. It was a place in which they cultivate to reach the highest level and sometimes, even gods cultivate there, absorbing the strong energy released by the earth." Zhao said, obtaining his lover admiration.

"Do you remember everything, Yunlan? From where we first met to this day?" Shen Wei asked curiously.

"I remember many things from the time I was called Kunlun and you the Ghost Slayer, but not much of our other reincarnations." He kissed his forehead. "But I have no doubts you were just as lovely, each time..." Shen Wei blushed.

"I'm sure you must have make me love you, one time after another..." Shen said, moving his head up to kiss him, quite passionately.

"My Wei... You are getting better at stealing kisses from me..." Zhao whisper as Shen was now in full control of their kiss and probably of their relationship.

"Even old fashion professor's can evolve, giving the chance and circumstances. And you had make me fall for you so deeply... You can only blame yourself for that..." Zhao laughed before kissed him back.

"Are you feeling better now? I'm trying to ease the strain in your muscles, so you won't feel too tired." Shen smiled wonderfully.

"Yes, your healing energy is making me relax... I'm honestly feeling a bit... intoxicated with it." Shen whisper before stealing another kiss from his lover.

"And hot too..." Zhao whisper, as Shen blushed.

"Yunlan... seriously, what are you doing to me?" Zhao smiled.

"The same thing you did with me at first sight... bewitch me completely..." Zhao kissed him even deeper.

"Love you..." Shen manage to whisper, between hot kisses, but soon, Yunlan's healing infusion on his body sooth him to the point of making him drowsy, until he finally fall asleep in his arms.

"I love you more than you will ever know, always had... rest well my Wei, the coming days will hard on both of us." Zhao whisper, as he gently restore his balance, until he too surrender to sleep.

AN: Ah, sorry, not much of a Weilan here, but you got two updates in one. Thank you, the adventure begins in the next one.