Middle of the Road

The moment Fang Lei entered the throne room, the King had been awaiting him.

"Speak." The King orders in a serious voice, but then he stops as if remembering something. He quickly corrects himself and instead asks, "Can you tell me what you found out about Xu Jiyu?"

Fang Lei is completely shocked—was the King ordering him or politely asking him? He should really make up his mind, ah!

"I have managed to follow his tracks. It seems that he's on his way to the Yun Sect with Liu Jian. But it will be rather difficult for me to follow him in there—they are not a Sect to trifle with. If I so much as step into their boundaries, their talismans will surely harm me." Fang Lei answers with a slight frown, creasing his brows.

Indeed, how could he follow Xu Jiyu into a location full of cultivators who can easily exorcise spirits, ah? Don't even think about walking in, his very existence would be erased!

"So it's like that…" The King murmurs under his breath, a thoughtful expression on his face. "I see… then, perhaps you can make a human acquaintance? I know you dislike humans, but bear with it for a while and make a friend. Then you can ask them to go inside the Yun Sect for you and find Xu Jiyu."

Fang Lei's mind immediately reels back to Wen Po's face, Wen Po's abs, Wen Po's—

—Fang Lei decides to clear his mind of his train of thought and smiles, "Ah, that's no problem. I can bribe someone to do it, as long as I get more money..."

And to get money, he has to find either a job, or sell something valuable that the young man has.

Because he definitely can't ask Wen Po! After the merchant left the tavern with a cold demeanor, he doesn't dare think the man even wants to see his face anymore. But… what was with that mark? Was it something so bad, that it would make Wen Po angry if someone were to touch it? Tsk… such a stingy old man. He'll never understand humans.

The King feels a bit guilty, making his subordinate do all of this work. In the past, he wouldn't have cared about others, but after being by Xu Jiyu's side and taking his lessons to heart for a short while, he feels much more… empathy towards others.

"No need to overwork yourself. Just make a friend, don't be so stubborn. Being friends with a human isn't bad…" The King says, a small smile appearing upon his lips as he thinks about Xu Jiyu.

It isn't bad?!

If you really think about it, Xu Jiyu has the King of Spirits wrapped around his finger, ah! That's so much power such a weak human has at his disposal, and who knows what Xu Jiyu would make his King do?

Truly sad, ah… his King was definitely whipped… but he dared not to voice it out loud.

Fang Lei coughs, "Well… I'll consider it. Thank you for your kindness, my King."

The King hums, still in a daze as he daydreams about Xu Jiyu. "Mm."

Fang Lei can't help but roll his eyes at the sight. As expected, it goes unnoticed by the King. So he shakes his head and asks, "Then, I'll be returning to the human realm. It will be morning soon, and I cannot allow the body I'd picked out to wander around. Please excuse your servant."

The King, still not paying attention: "...Mm."

Fang Lei sighs and gives up on having a conversation with the King. Once the King gets into this kind of daze, it'll take at least another hour before he returns to normal. So Fang Lei excuses himself and promptly exits the throne room.

The King, sighing wistfully: "....Xu Jiyu."

---

"Thank you," Fang Lei says to the innkeeper, bowing. Even though he's a spirit, he isn't as oblivious as the King. Obviously since he's followed the King around in the human realm for so long, he was able to observe their mannerisms carefully and act accordingly. Plus, he was not bound to the Spirit Realm as he was a free spirit that could wander as he had the King's permission.

"Take care, young lad!" The innkeeper replies enthusiastically, not realizing that Fang Lei was one of the people he yelled at last night for 'flirting' upstairs.

And then Fang Lei departs from the inn, he hears someone shout, "Wait a minute!"

The spirit recognizes that voice, but he doesn't stop. Instead, his flight or fight instinct kicks in and he immediately begins to speed up, pretending as if he didn't hear anything.

'Don't look back. Don't look back. Just keep walking….' Fang Lei chants in his mind, making his way downtown, walking fast.

"You there!!" The voice is obviously directed towards him, but Fang Lei once again ignores it.

'Walking faster!!' Fang Lei screeches inside his mind. 'Can't stop, won't stop—'

"Oi asshole, you tried to feel me up last night!" Wen Po roars, pointing at Fang Lei's back. This stops Fang Lei dead in his tracks, his face filling with black lines.

All of the villagers around immediately look at Fang Lei, whispers arousing among the crowd. He whips around and claps a hand over Wen Po's mouth with murderous intent. "Stop pointing in public and I swear on the King of Spirits' name, I will kill you if you ever accuse me of such a shameless thing ever again."

Wen Po raises his hands in surrender, still smirking under Fang Lei's hand. "You're still awfully close to me for someone who's so ashamed of groping another man though." He mumbles through the makeshift gag. Fang Lei's ears are burning at this point.

"Shut up!" Fang Lei hisses, before quickly retrieving his hand and looking off to the side. Then, he glares at the bystanders and shoos them away, "Go away, there's nothing to see here!!"

The bystanders, aww-ing: "How cute…"

Because Fang Lei was just simply too adorable, ah! How could they look away from the youth who was attempting to look murderous and scary, but only ended up looking like a loveable child throwing a small tantrum.

But they decide to smile and nod at Fang Lei's words anyway, lightly trying to appease him.

One villager says with a teasing tone, "Alright little one, we'll be on our way. You have fun with your lucky lover."

Usually cut-sleeves were looked down upon, but who could hate such a precious youth like Fang Lei?

Now both Fang Lei's ears and cheeks burned red, and he only harrumphs and turns away. Since Wen Po decided to follow him… then, fine! He'll use him!! Although he has no idea why the man had a change of heart over night....

Fang Lei reaches over and quickly grabs Wen Po's hand in his, and only says: "Let's go, stupid old man."

Since they've already misunderstood their relationship, then even if he does this, then it wouldn't be weird in their eyes! Hmph!

"I'm not even that old, how rude! Is that any way to treat a companion? Have a heart!" Wen Po whines, not entirely seriously, but still achieving the desired effect of a small amount of guilt from Fang Lei.

He looks over at the man, while still pulling him forward. His longer gait was easily keeping up, it even seems like he might be shortening his steps. Rich, violet orbs gazed back at him as he drank in the man's features. By Fang Lei's estimate, he's in his early twenties, but his body was—Fang Lei shakes his head. Stop thinking about that, he mentally chastises himself.

"How old are you actually then?" An irritated tone permeates past the question itself.

"I'm 28 years old… also… we've been standing in the middle of the road for the past few minutes. You were kind of spacing out and looking at me really intensely, so I didn't want to bother you, but how long are we going to be doing this?"

Just as Fang Lei's lips part in preparation for his flustered response, a momentary gale of wind tears his words away. Wen Po turns to face him once again, his face scrunched up after their brief battle with the elements. His dark, straight hair is tousled, and he looks slightly annoyed.

Fang Lei's eyes widen, and he suddenly feels the immense urge to die. But then he once again remembers he's already dead. Damn it.

Wen Po continues, "Seriously, can we get going?"