19 The Red Tower

-Shen Wei-

After Shen Wei successfully manage to rise his energy, once Yunlan became serious, knowing Shen Wei may be in danger, they go out of the bath and reunited with the others to be on their way. Lóng Hún portal them close to the tower, but not directly inside it, because the power protecting the place was too strong to use a portal inside, so they walked the rest of the way through the snowy trail, killing those few demons they encounter along the way and after walking for a while, they found themselves at the entrance of a cave.

They went in and walked for what looked like hours until they reached a bigger chamber that had some kind of temple made of stone magnificently carved inside the iced wall. As they looked up, there was a huge hole from which some snow fell inside the cave.

"Some demons escaped through there." Long Hun explained, as most of the team looked up to the hole, as if mesmerized by it.

"Talking about that, why are so little demons coming out?" Zhao asked with curiosity.

"Most of the demons left behind by the demon woman were killed yesterday. Those who remains are scattered somewhere close to the tower."

"Then can you tell us how many are left?" Da Qing asked and the dragon looked at Shen Wei.

"A few dozen... shadow demons if I'm not mistaken." Shen Wei answer as he sensed them inside the cave.

"So how can you tell?" Zhu asked.

"He was a Ghost King." Both Yunlan and Lóng Hún answer at the same time.

"How cute, they are in sync." Lin whisper jokingly to her, which earned an elbow on his ribs.

"Idiot, don't joke in moments like this." Zhu whisper back.

"So, this is it? Is this our final destination?" Chu asked as they got closer to the freeze stone temple. Guo, who was closely behind him, was holding his sleeve for dear life.

"This is the way to the tower and to the broken seal, but I don't think this is our final destination." The dragon said as they carefully walk toward the stairs, guarded by two lion's stones.

"What do you mean?" Both Chu and Zhao asked at the same time.

"Look and it's contagious..." Lin whisper to Zhu again, moaning in pain after another elbow on his ribs.

"Shut up you idiot!" Zhao shouted at the same time Old Chu did. Wang and Sang smiled, so did Guo and Shen simply sighed as he took Yunlan's hand on his.

"Seriously Lin... shut up." Da Qing added, as he nervously eyed the entrance of the temple.

"Apparently the demon woman's goal, wasn't only to brake one seal." Lóng Hún keep explaining to immature bunch of fools.

"Yep, otherwise she would had stayed to prevent us from restoring it again." Wang added.

"Exactly." Lóng Hún confirmed.

"So... this is some kind of trap?" Sang asked, as they walk up the stairs.

"Could be." Lóng Hún admitted.

"It is. I can sense something stronger pressing to break free from the other side." Shen whisper, making Zhao look at him with worry.

"Babe, you can reach that far?" Yunlan asked, gently pressing his hand.

"Somehow, yes... it's my seal, so maybe I'm more in tune with it that you are." Shen said, keeping Yunlan closer.

"So... more demons will break free?" Da Qing asked, taking out his gun again.

"I don't think so... I... I... think they are waiting for us in the other side." Shen Wei said not fully sure of it. He was talking mostly by instinct.

"How so? It's not like we will go to the other side..." Zhao said.

"Actually... we may have to cross..." They all stopped when hearing Lóng Hún words.

"You kidding me right? I will not risk Shen Wei, nor my team in a trip to hell!!" Zhao shouted, a bit angry.

"The first seal made hundreds of years ago, required two sides. The Ghost Slayer and his group of guardians went to hell to seal it from their side, while you sealed from this side and when both sides were secure and the demons repealed from coming closer, then as the god you were, you portal them out."

"Ahhhh... you should have told me about this before, so I wouldn't waste my time putting everyone's life at risk for nothing! Shen Wei is not the Ghost Slayer now, nor am I a god that can pull him out!"

"Yunlan, please calm down..." Shen Wei said, as he put a hand over his shoulder.

"Shen Wei, not even you will talk me in to such madness. There is no way I will risk your life, nor sacrifice you, even to save this tower. I rather spend the rest of my life killing the demons that comes out, that let you in!" Zhao said as he looked at him with mixed feelings, but to his big surprise his Wei smiled at him, just before he pull him to give him a soft kiss. It was a very short one that he barely had time to return it, but it was enough to actually calm him down and as Shen's face was on fire for daring to kiss him in front of the team, the others reacted on their own way.

The two women giggle, Chu put a hand over Guo's shining eyes, so he would not stare at the lovers, Lin whistle, Sang smiled, Da Qing was amused and Lóng Hún simply rolled his eyes in annoyance. He had seen those two kiss for ages. Still, Shen Wei ignored his own embarrassment and smiled at his Yunlan.

"Calm down, I'm sure there will be a way to do this without anyone having to sacrifice for this barrier. Just remember that restoring the tower will not end our journey, we still need to hunt down that demon woman and honestly, I can't let myself to be killed, nor be left behind, until the one who kills my brother and professor Ouyang is gone for good." Shen said, as Zhao relaxed again.

"So the professor scores another one..." Lin whisper. This time Zhu simply trampled his foot.

"Don't you dare say you don't deserve it..." Zhu whisper back.

"Still, the professor is quite good... he really knows how to calm the Chief's dark side." Da Qing murmur behind them and Zhao turned to face his foolish team.

"Hey, I can hear you just fine! You can say goodbye to your bonus once we go back." Zhao threatened and both of them shudder, while the rest laughed.

"Is it really the time for this? This is not a safe place yet..." Lóng Hún warned and almost as in cue, all the bracelets they wore, shined at the same time, meaning that their protections were back to shield them from the coming demons.

"Okay, bring it on... I need to vent some steam..." Zhao said as he took out his own gun, then the shadow demons came in all directions, as they were in a big chamber in the stone temple, inside the belly of the mountain.

This time, fighting shadow demons was easier, as they already knew how they hunt and their shield keep them safe when they could not avoid an attack. Shen Wei also help them, telling them from were to expect the sudden attacks, as he could sense them, so soon enough, only ashes remained and they make haste to tower.

Once in there, the greenish spectral ghosts, guarding the tower, bowed to Shen Wei as he passed them, like he was a great general in command. They make way as they walked in and saw with widen eyes the huge red thing that almost reached the ceiling. There was a thin fire twister right in front of it and as soon as he was close enough, Shen Wei use one of his biggest blades, filled with dark energy to slash it, estinguish it for good.

However, with the fire gone, the fire bats over the tower became active and fly down toward them. Wang and Sang threw some talismans to make a barrier that could protect them all, while the rest of the team fire at them, making ashes fall from the sky as if they were gray snow. Sometimes, a few bats would manage to pass their firing ring, but as they crushed against the barrier setting it on fire, Shen Wei will take care of them and extinguish it with his dark energy. They keep firing for a long time, until the last bat was turned into ashes and the ground cover with gray.

"Oh man, finally... those fire bat were hard to target, even with my perfect aiming..." Da Qing said, a bit tired.

"Shen Wei, are there more demons?" Zhao asked him, while bringing him close, to dust away some ashes from his silky hair. Shen Wei closed his eyes, after Yunlan finish playing with his hair and let his mind sense all dark energy around the tower and cave. Then he smiled at Zhao.

"None. There are no more demons around. The tower is completely clean now..." Shen Wei assured him and so, Yunlan pull him into tightly hug.

"You are so amazing, my Wei... I wish I could kiss you now, but it will be a bit gross with all the ashes." Shen Wei blushed, but did not pull away from him. The others decided to give them space and walk toward the tower, now free from demons.

"You okay, Shen Wei? Can you keep up? Do you need another infusion of energy?" Zhao asked as he gently raised his shin to have a better look at his bewitching eyes.

"I'm fine, what about you? This time you did more than I." Zhao smiled.

"As long as you are safe and well, so am I. So... what about the seal? Any idea of how to fix it?" Zhao asked as they too walked toward the red pillar.

"Hey Chief! There are some runes glowing in here!" Lin yelled and so Zhao and Wei rushed to see them.

"These are word of power, both of you should be able to read them." Wang said as she looked at the runes shining brightly green. Zhao have a better look at them and even touch them, but aside from the tingling sensation he could not distinguish a single word.

"Shen Wei? Lóng Hún? Any clues of what it said?" Yunlan asked and the dragon raised an eyebrow.

"I guess you are still dormant." The dragon said.

"Professor?" Guo asked with curiosity.

"It's an incantation to seal demons." Shen Wei said, slightly touching the rustic surface and then there was a blinding red light that make them all close their eyes. Instinctively, Zhao reached for Shen Wei's shoulder, a few centimeters away from him, but he only grabbed air. He then open his eyes to find himself in a kind of void filled with some kind of cosmos scenery.

In front of him there was a man with long hair half tied in a high ponytail. He was dressed in ancient robes, yet there were exquisite to the eye, in blue and gray. His back was facing him, yet he experience goosebumps as he watched that back. He felt a strong familiarity with the man even without seen his face. Then the man turned to look at him with a smirk, just like his.

"Kunlun..." The name left his lips unconsciously, the same way it had happen with the Ghost Slayer one.

"Indeed... and it's time for you to awake, otherwise those that had been transported to hell just now, will be lost to you." The man said and Zhao widen his eyes in horror.

"Shen Wei!!!" Was his scream, just before the whole team, minus Yunlan found themselves at the of the flaming black portal with big skulls with wings over them. Long black stairs separate the portal from the volcanic ground all around them.

"Oh hell..." Lin whisper.

"Indeed, this is hell." Lóng Hún said, earning stoned glances from the team.

"I'll be damn, what's that?" Old Chu asked as he pointed at something even bigger than the fire demon, which looked like half made with a thick column of smoke, lightings and lava rocks, opening it's huge mouth, under the infinite dark gray sky.

"Oh, we had such a welcoming demon. That's Huōshān, a volcanic demon, one of the strongest." The dragon said, as even him sallow at the massive sight.

"We are as good as dead..." Guo whisper hiding behind Chu, yet Shen Wei remained calm.

"Let it try it..." Shen said as he ready himself for another battle.

AN: Thank you.