21 The Forbidden Temple

-Yunlan-

Zhao Yunlan wake up the next morning before sunrise, feeling like he was been watched, which wasn't far from the true, because Lóng Hún was staring at him, so intensely that wake him up. He looked down at his lover, but Shen Wei was still resting peacefully on his arms, probably still tired from performing a godly seal, as a human. He smiled proudly at his strong lover, before he kiss Shen Wei's hair and try to untangle himself from his tight grasp, but each time he tried to move away, Shen Wei moaned, pulling him even closer.

"Just wake him up, we need to talk before going back to town." Lóng Hún suggested, and although he would have want for his Wei to rest for a few more hours, there were things he needed to tell him. Things that his godly self had told him before waking a part of him. The hunting wasn't over yet and to be honest, it was not going to be an easy one, now that he knew the identity of the demon woman in red.

"Shen Wei... babe... Xiao Wei... wake up..." Shen Wei moaned some more, but still burry his head on Zhao's chest.

"He must be quite tired." Lóng Hún said in a softer voice.

"Of course he is... When I came back and saw him in such a bad shape..."

"You just came back in time."

"A second later and I would have lost him..."

"But you endure your own awakening in time to save him, which is the reason he is here with you now. Still, you know it's not over yet. He can rest back in town, in a real bed, softer than that sleeping bag."

"Mmm, I guess... Shen Wei..." Zhao tried again, this time he kissed his soft neck, then his closed eyes and finally, gently pulling his head up, he kissed his tempting lips. Feeling the warm and soft touch over his lips, Shen Wei, responded to the kiss before opening his eyes.

"Good morning, Xiao Wei..." Yunlan whisper and was gifted with a handsome welcoming smile.

"Good morning, Yunlan..." Shen whisper back, blushing slightly, in the moment he notice Lóng Hún annoyed gaze over them.

"Seriously, you two are too passionate for my taste..." Shen blushed even more, which make Zhao smile.

"Don't mind him, my Wei... you look cute when embarrassed and even more so when been passionate." He blushed even further.

"You are going to give him a heart attack one of this days... come with me, both of you, we need to talk in private."

"Wait, Guo! How is he?" Shen said as he hastily sat, earning a shoot of pain from his arching body. Yunlan put a hand on his back, so he would not fall back, as he looked a bit dizzy by the sudden movement.

"Don't worry, he is fine. You were far more drained than he was. The kid's energy in in a league of his own, always was. Get up, we have some pressing matters to discuss." Zhao stood first, so he could help Shen Wei and keep an arm on him, just in case he felt dizzy again. Although he had restored a great deal of his energy and fully heal him, he was still lacking more energy to entirely balance his wakened side.

They followed Lóng Hún down the stairs to the underground temple, as they did before, holding hands. However, as the place didn't hold good memories for Shen Wei, Yunlan try his best to release the tension from his lover with a slight healing touch. As they approached the widen area, Zhao put one of his arms over Shen Wei's shoulder to keep him closer.

"Zhao Yunlan, last time you couldn't read the runes in this place. What about now?" Lóng Hún asked as the runes shine back, as they did before with the dragon's touch. Yunlan then focus on reading around the walls, confirming what the remnant of Kunlun had told him inside the void in which they kind of fusion together as one.

Back in that void, what little energy was left of the god Kunlun had told him that to awaken enough of his dormant power, he needed to withstand his soul and absorb him fully into himself. The process was actually very painful, because even if they were essentially the same person, past and present, their energy was unbalance, as his was mostly human and Kunlun's was a god, even when he was only a small fragment of the original Kunlun left behind.

He had screamed his heart out, feeling as his entire body was on fire, as memories from his past assaulted his brain and his body absorbed the god's energy. He felt like he was been made anew by fire and was very close to faint, but thinking he needed to save Shen Wei, his past and present lover, he embraced the pain and reconstruction of his energy. The sooner, the better, because he didn't knew how much time Shen Wei had before draining himself to death.

"Yunlan? Can you read it all? To be honest, I can understand some parts, but not everything." Shen Wei said at his side, making him come back to reality.

"Ah, yes... this temple tells many stories from the time in were the gods walked the earth. It tells the story of when hell was created and the demons expelled from earth. However, not all demons were sealed away inside the tower. Some manage to escape as gods and demons battle with each other. One particular demon, was severely injured and leave the fight before the seal was performed."

"You mean the demon woman?" Shen Wei asked, looking at the shining runes all around the walls.

"Yes. Her name is Yuan Jun, queen of the demons." Shen Wei widen his eyes in surprise, as he didn't expect to be dealing with a queen of all things.

"She was injured in battle at the beginning of time, I was the one who did it, when I was a god, but she escaped before I cold seal her away along with the rest of the demons. The Ghost Slayer, however, killed the king which was the reason the demons could be sealed in the first place. Once they lose their ruler, the war was easy to win, but unfortunately you became her target of vengeance and we all know that a women's grudge can last an eternity." There was understanding in his lover's eyes. He knew now why she killed Ye Zun and the professor.

"So she target me not only for the seal, but also because I was the one who killed her lover, as the Ghost Slayer, centuries ago..."

"Yes, she patiently waited, keeping herself out of the god's radar, not only because she wanted to break the seal when the time was right, but because she wanted for you to suffer. The reason she killed your brother was not only to take his blood, which was the same one that flows through your veins, but also because she wanted you to experience loss and pain. To be honest she try to kill me once too, when I was younger, but back then you sensed me in danger and sent your guardians to protect me." Shen Wei looked confused, so he wanted to explain further, but that will mean he will need to tell him about the journal his father left behind. However, the dragon, knowing he was in a pinch came to his rescue and added...

"When you were twelve, you have a very vivid nightmare in which you yelled Yunlan's name in your sleep. Your father, been a man who worries for his son's sake, wrote the name down and investigate it. After that, your father found your lover's father and they were in contact, until your brother was killed."

"What? I know my father had many secrets, but how could I have known Yunlan's name at that age? I didn't even knew he was around at that time." Yunlan pull him closer, affectionately holding him.

"Of course you didn't knew I was around, what you did, was made completely unconsciously. You were too young and our lives had not crossed yet, but instinctively, you were always aware of me even back then and you save me that night... for which I deeply thank you now." He kissed him, as passionate as ever, ignoring the fact they were not alone.

"Yunlan... Lóng Hún..." Shen Wei murmur against his lips, his lovely face already tinted with red.

"Oh, don't mind me, I had almost seen it all between the two of you..." Long Hun said sarcastically. So, Yunlan reluctantly let go of his lover and pointed at a part of the wall.

"Breaking the seal had two purposes. One, remaking it would take a lot of energy she knew you didn't have as a human. It took the Ghost King and myself quite the toll, so there was a possibility you may drain yourself to death, then the seal would remain open, until eventually stronger demons could brake it completely. Luckily, you had the kid and your guardians to help you. Also, your will was strong... otherwise..." Zhao kissed his human Ghost King on his left temple, in gratitude for still have him alive and well by his side. Shen simply closed his eyes, unable to resit Yunlan's care, as he also kissed his forehead and then he was going to move a bit more down.

"I agree... This Ghost Slayer almost didn't make it. So, it was a good attempt on his life." Lóng Hún said, trying for the two lover's to focus back on the problem they still need to face.

"So, what's the second?" Shen Wei asked, as he reluctantly turned to watch some more drawings in the shining walls, of what looked like an underground temple, although Yunlan still kept a hold on his waist.

"To buy time. Keeping us here for a while, fighting demons, then dealing with the seal, will give her an advantage to achieve her real goal." At that, both Shen and Lóng Hún look at him in wonder.

"What do you mean? Do you actually know what her real goal is?" The dragon asked first.

"Yes. As I absorb the small remnants of the god Kunlun... "

"Wait, you did what?!" Shen Wei asked with worry, making the dragon roll his eyes yet again. Those lover's were definitely something else in their own right.

"Don't worry babe, I'm still the same pervert, only a bit upgraded, the same as you."

"But Yunlan, integrating with a god, even if was just a small fraction..." The kiss came just in time, Lóng Hún thought as he watched Zhao dismiss his lover's worry with a quick one. At that rate they will not get anywhere anytime soon.

"Mmm, my Wei... I'm just me and I am fine. There was not time for me to wake my dormant side in time to save you, it could only be forced and speed up..."

"What you did must have been painful..."

"If it is for your sake, it's worth all the pain of the world." Shen stared as his lover, not really surprised, because in his place, he would had done the same and more if necessary.

"Oh, come on... Just said it before begin kissing again..." Lóng Hún intervened, making Shen Wei blush ten times harder than usual. Zhao simply laughed, hugging his lover, so he could burry his embarrassed face on his chest.

"Alright, alright... she is after the forbidden temple. A temple long lost, capable of granting a human immortality and a demon a God's powers. She most had look for it for centuries, but failed, as it's burried underground somewhere and guarded by Nuwa's seal, which is ten times stronger than ours."

"I have hear of that legend before..." Lóng Hún begin.

"It's not a legend. I assure you it's very real..."

"Then where is it?" The dragon asked eagerly.

"That's the problem, no one knows were is it. Nuwa buried the temple, along with the strong energy it held and it had been lost ever since."

"Then it must be on the desert..." Shen Wei whisper, with his eyes close in concentration.

"You sense her there?" Yunlan asked.

"Yes... It's faint, but I can tell she is somewhere inside the desert. Close to a ghost town..."

"Ah babe, you are awesome, ghost town it is..." Zhao said before rewarding him with another quick kiss.

"Oh, great... I hate deserts." Lóng Hún shiver.

"Still, that's our next stop." Zhao said, portaling them back to the others. It was time to hunt down the elusive vengeful queen.

AN: Thank you for reading. The last adventure is coming, hope it had been a good journey so far.