41 The White Snake Goes to See the Sorcerer

"What now?" LiYue asked softly as Zhi ChangNing's head rested against her chest. She wrapped her arms around the husky, smiling sweetly into her hair. The husky was out cold from the effects of the poison within the alcohol. 

All royal guards were either sprawled out over the round table or lying sideways over the white snakes, unconscious and drooling slightly in their drunken state. Shapeshifters had good endurance when faced with liquor. But when there was added poison within, they wilted like flowers once the snow fell. 

"We have the keys," LiAi said, dangling all four heavy keys in her hand.

"What about these guards?" LiChun asked, supporting JingYi up with her shoulder. The rooster was heavy and a head taller than her, so the posture was awkward at best. But LiChun didn't complain.

"It shouldn't take long," LiangLin said as he circled the table and snatched the keys from LiAi, his eyes shining with satisfaction. LiAi was side-eyeing him hard and noticing it he quickly brushed away his smile. "I will just ask - I mean - torture answers out of that sorcerer, and be back in no time."

LiangLin was ready to run for the door when LiAi reached out and pulled him back by his ear. Wei KaiJun slipped out of her lap and crashed on the floor, but no one paid him any attention. 

LiangLin was withering in pain, curling his back to reach his sister's height, or his ear would rip off. His sister's ear twist was as painful as his mother's!

"51," LiAi purred, her voice sweet as honey as she gave his earlobe a sharp pinch with her fingernails.

"A-ah! 25th sis, show mercy!" LiangLin cried out, unable to understand why he was punished this way. 

This was unfair!

A dangerous note swam in the depths of her tone, threatening, as LiAi said, "Why do I feel like you did all this more for your own benefit than to help QingYu?"

LiangLin stopped his squirming as LiAi graced the nail over the head. She didn't actually hit it straight on. He truly wanted to help QingYu… Getting to meet XueYa was just an added bonus!

"Answer me, 51!" 

"Yes! Maybe! I don't know!" LiangLin whined as he felt his ear tear-off inch by inch. "I do want to help QingYu!"

"See? It's not hard to be honest," LiAi said, letting go of his ear.

But LiangLin stood rooted in his position, too pained to straighten up right away. "Ow... why did you have to make it so painful though?!"

A loud smack sounded against his skull, and LiangLin nearly saw stars. 

"As if you would tell the truth if we asked nicely!" LiAi said, waving her fan in her hand. When LiangLin hurried to scuttle out of her reach, she finally turned her attention to the monkey, KaiJun, drooling by her feet. "Ah, he weighs like a pig, but at least he's cute. But not cute enough for me to carry him! He can stay there until he sobers up."

LiAi was so cruel, but LiangLin thought it best not to voice this little fact out loud or he might be dead sooner than later.

"Lin'er," LiBai said, pulling his attention away from LiAi. His oldest sister moved Yu Zhong to sprawl out over the table. The ox's gigantic figure covered half of the round surface when LiAi stood up and walked over to LiangLin. "I will go with you. I will subdue the guards there while you… interrogate… the sorcerer."

LiangLin didn't like the pause there, but he wouldn't say no to her help either. Nodding excitedly he turned around and hurried out of the main hall. The road to Crescent Moon Hall was engraved into his mind by now. And his thighs itched to speed up and reach it as soon as possible.

Before LiBai could run after him, the other sisters nudged at her.

"Don't let him do anything stupid, sis," LiChun whispered. "Remember what mom and dad said. If he falls for the sorcerer, his immortality-"

"Will belong to the sorcerer's. I know," LiBai said. "Don't worry. It will be fine. LiangLin is smarter than we give him credit for. He is not in love, just confused."

"You were always the optimist among us, sis," LiAi scoffed but shut her mouth under LiBai's glare.

"Sis," LiYue drawled as she ran her fingers through ChangNing's hair, twisting the strands between her fingertips. "LiangLin already ran out of White Lotus Hall."

"..."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The sun was still high up as LiangLin came to a halt, his heart beating dents against his ribs, trying to break free of his chest. His breath came out raspy and laboured. In the end, he had run full speed to the place. But now that he stood before the tightly closed doors, he realized, he couldn't step in. Not before LiBai arrived.

Goddammit! LiangLin kicked his feet. Should he run back and carry LiBai? What took her so long? When he was still seething to himself over the situation, LiBai had walked out of the cluster of trees. She stepped past him unnoticed and pushed the doors wide open as if they weighed nothing.

Before it registered in his mind, the guards inside were already drowning under LiBai's enchantment. So drowsy, they were on their knees before her. Even the guards up ahead, standing by the doors were rubbing at their eyes, trying to clear their thoughts as their minds grew foggy.

"Well?" LiBai said as she turned to him, her perfectly plucked brow arched and waiting. "You want me to carry you in and offer you to the beast, or will you do it yourself?"

LiangLin realized his jaw was slack from awe and quickly closed his mouth.

"Sis, I don't know what you are talking about..." LiangLin felt his cheeks heat up as he hurried inside while LiBai pushed the doors closed behind them.

Why was everybody acting as if he had alternative motives to meet that sorcerer? He was here for QingYu! LiangLin felt the irritation mounting as he skipped the few stone steps up to the building and shoved the still staggering guard out of the door's way.

He just wanted to see - no - ask the sorcerer how to undo whatever had come over the emperor. Zhang YaYun didn't seem to be himself, as if he was under a spell. XueYa was the sorcerer who studied zodiac gods, so he should be aware of these animal spirits, too! That was the only reason LiangLin was here! 

LiangLin hissed under his breath as he punched the keys in their rightful places, so forcefully he almost broke them. It was all that damn foxes fault! Otherwise, he wouldn't be here in the first place!

Damn Yating! That furry dirt ball! When he would get YaYun to snap out of his little spell, LiangLin was going to skin that fox and wear it around his shoulders like a scarf!

LiBai reached his side as the last of the metal brass locks hit the ground with a 'thunk'. LiangLin pushed the doors open and stepped into the darkness, leaving LiBai behind. Even though he could barely see ahead from the little light that shone through the open doorway, he found his way towards the door on the far wall easy enough. He had memorized the place the last time he was here, bleeding over the Zodiac stone bed with YaYun - for nothing. 

LiangLin reached for the door partly hidden behind the dark curtains. To his surprise, there was no need for a key. The door opened without much force, silently as if the hinges were freshly oiled. 

His breathing quickened as he pushed the door wide open, anticipation making his skin itch and his steps rigid. A soft, warm hue of the candles quivered over the stone walls, lighting up the stairwell that led down to where XueYa must be imprisoned.

LiangLin hurried down the stone steps. The air around him grew moist and cold the deeper into the ground he went, but it didn't hinder his excitement to see XueYa. He had been thinking about the sorcerer for weeks on end, and now, he could finally see him.

At first, he was filled with resentment whenever he thought about the sorcerer. But now, LiangLin was unsure what this feeling was anymore. But he surely would know once he could see that piece of shit of a sorcerer with his own two eyes!

LiangLin came to a halt as he reached level ground. His eyes immediately fell upon the figure strung over the cross. The man was leaning forward, kept in place by ropes that dug into his wrists and ankles. Ink-black hair cascaded before his face like a curtain, hiding away his visage. A large patch of dried blood was visible over his shoulder. 

LiangLin felt a prick of pain in his heart as he gazed over the pitiful figure. He wanted to see XueYa, but not like this.