10 The Snake Charmer

The sorrowful tune of the flute being played seeped through the walls and crept in from the open doors. She LiangLin froze, not by his own will but by his unconscious mimicking of his mother's motions.

Madam She stood rooted in place, her eyes hazy, and tinted blood-red. His sisters who had flooded the room with him all stood in the same, frigid way, with crimson irises and lips parted.

The tune took a sharp turn from sorrowful to that of menacing, sending air vibrating around them. LiangLin watched as first his mother's then his sisters' lips turned downwards into an angry curve. The further the tune progressed the darker their expressions became until they were outright snarling at nothing. Their skin had now hardened and taken on the scaly pattern. The blue mosaic ran from their chin down their neck and abdomen. The tune was controlling them, yet, it had no effect on LiangLin.

LiangLin blinked, a rustling motion had awakened him from his awe. LiangLin moved like a lightning bolt, he turned around and with just a few leaps, jumped over the man who was trying to get up on the bed, pinning him down with his elbow over the man's throat.

The man's eyes widened in shock. He hadn't expected the tune to not work on LiangLin.

"What did you do?" LiangLin hissed, his tone venomous and ready to strike. He was trampling the man with his lower body, knees pressed down the man's sides, crouching over him like a beast. "Where does the music come from?"

The man turned deep red but only grimaced. This further agitated LiangLin and he admitted more weight over his hold, pressing the man into the mattress. His previously seductive, shy prostitute act was now long gone and forgotten. "Answer me, or I will snap your head right off!"

Bluish purple tinge started to spread over the man's face and with much effort, the man groaned, "Can't… breathe!"

Oh, right. LiangLin loosened his hold but proceeded to fist the man's robes by his collar and shake him like a madman. "Who is playing the flute? What have you done to my family?"

"Why isn't it working on you?" The man snapped instead of answering his question.

LiangLin stopped to smack him over his nose before proceeding to shake the man some more.

"Answer me, you perverted asshole!"

"I-"

The tune stopped as abruptly as it had started, and LiangLin halted, his hold loosening as he turned to look at his family. The man under him took advantage of his faltering moment and shoved LiangLin off. Pushing LiangLian down on the bed, the man pulled LiangLin's hands over his head in a tight hold. Using his body to press LiangLin in place, the man rubbed his now reddened nose with his free hand, sneering down at LiangLin.

"You should be glad my nose is unharmed, or I will take more than just your body."

"…" LiangLin flushed under the embarrassing position and the words. He crinkled his brows, berating himself for reacting this way. He should be kicking some balls in, or in the least, be ripping them out instead of blushing like a blossoming youth! He squirmed like a worm but the man placed his hand over LiangLin's chest, pressing him down, holding him in place. LiangLin couldn't budge. How could this be? LiangLin could carry a full-grown pig without breaking a sweat, this guy wasn't that big, to begin with. They seemed to be built the same; tall, lean muscles, long luscious hair, pretty to look at-

LiangLin hissed and pulled at the hold over his hand in frustration. After wriggling and pulling, it moved only an inch to LiangLin's dismay. If any of the other zodiac animals heard of this, the snake gods would be the laughing stock of the entire city. The guy was like an unmovable mountain!

LiangLin turned his pleading eyes towards his family, but they were still standing like statues in the middle of the room. The white scales now covered them from head to toe.

Turning back to the one-eyed bastard, LiangLin spat, "What do you want from us?"

"Are you a prude and deaf?" The man murmured as he moved his hand from LiangLin's chest to brush the strands of hair away from LiangLin's face. He dipped his face down, and LiangLin cringed, closing his eyes, but the man merely whispered in his ear. "Your body belongs to me."

Hot breath tickled his ear, and to LiangLin's annoyance, a delighted shiver ran down his spine in response.

That's it! The guy is going to die! LiangLin decided as his own humiliating reaction crashed over him like piles of rocks. His nose flared as he started to toss with renewed vigour. The man chuckled as he used both hands to hold onto LiangLin's arms.

"Oh, a feisty one. I like it."

"Go. To. Hell!" LiangLin tugged at his wrists with each word but failed miserably in freeing himself.

"I won't be if I get what I want." The smirk was so pompous and charming, LiangLin wanted to gauge his own eyes out. How dare he let himself be dazzled by those perfectly aligned white teeth!

"Why are you doing this?" LiangLin fell still, gathering his strength. For now, he should try and distract this guy.

The man's eyes squinted as a wide smile broke over his lips. LiangLin didn't like the expression. It seemed to entail something disgusting, and LiangLin really didn't want to know.

"Cause you and me, equals eternity."

LiangLin gagged. He had never heard anything so repulsive and his work demanded him to work with a lot of sleazy men!

"You got your eye poked out for saying these shameless things, didn't you?" LiangLin said after he had swallowed down the puke that was trying to come out.

"Not many get to hear them. You should be flattered." The man said, still retaining that smug grin.

All LiangLin's snappy remarks were brushed under the carpet as a commotion broke out outside the room. Running steps could be heard and as the two watched, master She rushed into the room with the cleaver in his hand, raised and ready to strike. When he saw the shameful position LiangLin was in, his face flushed red, then all the blood drained out before it rushed back full force, turning his face purple from rage.

"Who are you? Let him go!"

"Dad!" Hope flooded through LiangLin's veins, pumping vitality into his limps as he trashed with full force. To his surprise, the hold over his wrist loosened and he freed his arms, punching the man off of him. LiangLin scampered up, then realised why the man had yielded so suddenly.

The old geezer, who had booked the entire brothel, stood behind his father with a black bamboo flute in one hand and a sharp knife in the other, pressing the edge against master She's throat.

"Drop the weapon." The old man said as he pressed the knife closer, gracing master She's skin.

The snakes' skin was strong, it could withstand most weapons. His father was not in danger, LiangLin reminded himself as he took a step closer. The knife nicked master She and a trail of blood formed down his collarbone. Master She dropped the cleaver. LiangLin froze, his blood ran cold. How could this be? Who were these people?

"I suggest you surrender to me willingly." The man said as he sat on the bed, still having that pesky smirk over his face.

"What do you want?" Master She said, his eyes wide with fear. LiangLin tried to step closer but the old man held the knife in a fatal angle. LiangLin shrunk back, stepping away from the two.

"I want his body." The younger man pointed at LiangLin in a grand gesture.

"You hypnotised my family and hold my dad captive just to sleep with me?" LiangLin fumed. Although, LiangLin had to admit he was flattered that someone went through so much trouble for it. And it was someone rather handsome and strong too- but still! What the hell?

His conflicted thoughts were drenched with cold reality and thrown outback as the man's smile wavered and he said,

"No."

This guy… Another type of flush enveloped LiangLin as he shot an evil glare towards the guy.

"XueYa, be quick with it. I don't know how long the snake charm can hold up." The old man said, his voice strained and timid.

"How many times have I told you to not call out my name, uncle WeiJie? You really want to cut that tongue out, don't you?"

LiangLin's lips curved into a sinister smile. So the one-eyed bastard was called XueYa.

"XueYa? You are that XueYa?" Master She's voice came out shrill as his eyes widened into saucers.

"Dad, you know him?" LiangLin snapped, as his glare shifted between his father and XueYa.

"His father is the greatest sorcerer who ever lived." Master She sputtered, his face turning dark from hatred. "The man who brought the dragon god's race to extinction."

The smug grin had disappeared from XueYa's face. LiangLin had expected him to sneer, and taunt them over the fact that he was the famed son of the terror that cast a shadow over the zodiacs' lives. But XueYa's face was expressionless, calm, collected. Not even a curve resembling a smile graced his lips.

"Let's wrap this up," XueYa said. WeiJie nodded and removed the knife. He stabbed master She in the back with a sharp silver needle that had been dangling by the flute. LiangLin cried out in shock as master She's eyes rolled up his skull and, shifting into his pure white snake form, collapsed on the ground.

"You." XueYa pointed at LiangLin now. "If you surrender your body, I will spare your family and never return to Hei'ang again."

"It's a fair price to pay," WeiJie said quietly.

"Are you out of your mind?" LiangLin shouted as he hurried over his father's limp body and checked on his mother and siblings. They were either unconscious or in a trance, but otherwise unharmed. Turning back to XueYa, he snapped, "You said you don't want to sleep with me. How the hell am I supposed to surrender it then?"

The familiar smirk returned, as XueYa's lips first twitched then stretched into a grin. He sauntered over and pulled LiangLin's hand up, revealing the dragon bracelet on his wrist. "Simple, just tell the bracelet, you are willing to surrender your body."

This guy was out of his mind, thought LiangLin. But he had no choice. His family was in danger, and not just them, but the entire Zodiac community of Hei'ang were in danger of getting this man's wrath upon them.

Pulling his hand free of XueYa's hold, LiangLin eyed the bracelet, gnawing at his lower lip. How was the bracelet going to take his body? Was it a spirit possession tool? Was this all an elaborate joke? Casting his eyes over his frozen family and father, LiangLin swallowed the lump forming in his throat and brought the bracelet closer to his lips. His eyes shot up to look XueYa in the eye with profound hatred as he said,

"I am willing to surrender my body."

It happened so suddenly, LiangLin had no time to react. The dragon bracelet came to life as the dragon raised its head and opening its jaws wide, bit down on his arm. LiangLin opened his mouth to cry out but he couldn't produce a sound. He could feel a piece of his soul break away, leaving behind a terrible void before his surroundings darkened. His knees gave out from under him and he fainted.