A Gentle Black [Part 1 – Past]

[A/N: This chapter is one half of the two parts that constitute Xie Xingye and Zheng Xuan's story. Part 1 shows their first meeting and the development of their relationship, all of which occurs before the main story's beginning. The second half, i.e. part 2 that I will release whenever I manage to finish it, will show their life after the events of the main story :)]

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When Xie Xingye opened his eyes, all he saw was an absolute darkness. It pressed down on him with an illusory weight as if wanting to suffocate him. A vicious pain bit at his side, like a hungry animal chewing on his abdomen with sharp teeth.

Drawing in a silent breath, Xie Xingye tried to remember where he was and how he got here.

Ah, that's right. He had been trying to make his way to the heavenly realm's capital to finally meet Chunyi and her husband when he ended up crossing the path of that group of older demonic deities. They'd wanted to harvest his core and were planning to take turns to forcibly dual cultivate with him. Thankfully, he was able to escape from them before anything could happen, but he had ended up getting injured in the process.

Xie Xingye remembered desperately pushing branch after low hanging branch out of his way with one hand as he fled, his feet stumbling over every rock and root sticking out of the ground as he barely managed to maintain his balance. His other hand had been tightly clutching at the gaping wound on his side to halt as much of the bleeding as he could while he blearily tried to search for a place to hide and recuperate.

That was when he had caught sight of a cave mouth up ahead, sitting halfway above on a craggy rock wall. A small ledge thrust out from the cave like a lower lip. Jumping up, Xie Xingye unsteadily landed on the ledge extending from the cave. The shock of the landing had ended up tearing open his wound even more. But gritting his teeth, he managed to barely make it inside the cave before passing out from blood loss.

He remembered nothing after that.

Right now, Xie Xingye could sense that he was lying down on a makeshift mattress made of a thick cloth placed over a layer of hay for cushioning. No matter how much he looked around, all he could see was darkness. Sending out tendrils of his spirit sense, Xie Xingye understood that he was in the deepest part of a broad cave whose roof was at least six hundred meters above the cave floor.

After a few minutes of contemplation, Xie Xingye slowly sat up. Then retrieving a talisman, he fed it some energy, causing it to light up in an eerie green fire that nevertheless illuminated the interior of the cave with its bleak light. But as Xie Xingye began to take in his surroundings, his eyes met another pair of large ones staring back at him from high above.

Xie Xingye froze.

What he had taken for another pitch-black and bumpy cave wall turned out to be a huge living being. Though its exact shape was indiscernible to him in this faint light, Xie Xingye knew in his bones that this being was far more powerful and older than him. If it wanted to, it could easily crush him under the weight of its power alone.

Just what type of creature's cave had he had the misfortune of intruding into in his current wounded state?

But though that huge black being was still looking at him, it did not do anything else. All Xie Xingye could sense from it was a calm watchfulness.

Swallowing, Xie Xingye finally let himself ponder. Since he couldn't have walked over into the depths of the cave and settled himself into this makeshift mattress all on his own while he was unconscious, logically, the only other possibility was that this large black being had placed him here. Rather than killing him or just throwing him out when he stumbled into its cave, it had instead laid him to rest inside, which obviously meant that it bore no ill will towards him and might even care for his life or death.

Thinking this, Xie Xingye let out a breath in relief.

But he still wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. After all, who knew, he might just be kept here as stored food for when this black being got hungry. It was better to escape this cave while he could.

And so, looking up straight into those coal black irises, Xie Xingye opened his cracked lips and called out in a hoarse voice, "Hello. Thank you for letting me rest here, but I feel alright now. Do you mind letting me go?"

After all, seeing how Xie Xingye was surrounded by the cave walls on three sides and this black being on the fourth, it was easy enough to guess that the black being was blocking the only way out of this place.

Meanwhile, Zheng Xuan carefully studied this little demonic deity that he'd rescued. He could still scent the fresh blood seeping through this deity's wound, and yet he wanted to leave? Why? Was he…afraid of him?

As Zheng Xuan took a deep breath, he could indeed smell fear and caution from the human deity. But though Zheng Xuan was sure that he could reassure this deity by turning into his human form, it was unfortunately not possible right now.

Unhinging his jaws, Zheng Xuan finally replied haltingly in a deep and gravelly voice, "You're still…injured. If you have…medicine…then take it…and rest. You can't…go outside…right now."

Xie Xingye frowned. "Am I being held captive here? Is there a reason I cannot go outside right now?"

Zheng Xuan silently nodded and lifted the very edge of one of the wings that he was using to seal tight the cave's mouth. As the leathery wing shifted aside, a blast of frigid white air immediately forced its way inside with a whistle, bringing with it a stream of snow that quickly layered itself over that particular corner of the entrance.

In his rumbling voice, Zheng Xuan explained, "There's a…blizzard…outside."

Then he quickly blocked that little gap with his wing again, making sure that the interior of the cave remained completely protected from the elements.

Xie Xingye stared shocked at the pile of snow at the corner. So all this while, this being… no, from what he could glimpse of his wing, this was definitely a black dragon, and this dragon had been protecting him from the blizzard by putting himself in its way and closing off the cave's mouth with his own body all this while?

It was common knowledge that a dragon had high resistance against cold temperatures and their scales also protected them from most types of weather. So there was no real need for the dragon to go this far in protecting the inside of this cave unless it was to shield Xie Xingye.

Understanding this, Xie Xingye did not know what to think.

Why would anyone go this far to take care of him? And this dragon wasn't even making an issue over the big favor he was doing him. Was he really just being kind?

Except for his sister Chunyi, no one had ever shown him such kindness without asking for anything in return.

Xie Xingye swallowed the sudden lump in his throat and rummaged in his spatial storage for some medicine. Finding a bottle of healing pills, he quickly downed a few. Then getting up unsteadily, he walked to the dragon while trying not to wince at the constant pain of his injury getting jostled due to his movement.

Standing in front of the dragon, Xie Xingye seriously bowed despite the increase of agony it brought him. "Thank you for protecting me. I really appreciate it. But I am currently being pursued and I don't want to cause you any trouble. I don't want to take any more advantage of your kindness, so please allow me to leave."

As Xie Xingye remained bowing, Zheng Xuan's nostrils were filled with the scent of this deity's blood and pain as he aggravated his injury. And yet Xie Xingye showed no sign of taking it easy on himself.

For the first time in a long time, Zheng Xuan's heart moved.

He had been doubtful of how this demonic deity would behave once he woke up. As long as he didn't try to capture Zheng Xuan to use pieces of his body as materials or lead others over to him, Zheng Xuan would have been content. But this deity actually ended up being such a silly little human, showing his gratitude so openly while trying to save him trouble by asking to leave the cave despite the raging blizzard outside.

Zheng Xuan sighed and lifted his tail, which was the only part of himself he could move without letting the cold wind in, and wrapped it around a startled Xie Xingye while avoiding touching his injury. Lifting him up, Zheng Xuan carefully deposited him back on the straw mattress and said, "No need…to worry. Just rest…for now."

Xie Xingye looked up at the dragon's coal black eyes, his own eyes widened with surprise. He couldn't help but notice that this black dragon's eyes…they were such a deep and gentle black.

Already exhausted due to the battering pain in his side and the weariness left over from his frantic escape before, Xie Xingye didn't argue anymore and quickly laid down again. Though by all rights he should have felt wary and tense due to the giant black dragon looming at one side and blocking the only way of escape from this cave, Xie Xingye actually felt that his presence was quite comforting.

Soon, soft snores filled the dark space.

Zheng Xuan looked at the trusting little demonic cultivator who'd actually fallen asleep in his presence and felt a light warmth in his chest.

Since this cave was near the border of the lands occupied by demonic deities, Zheng Xuan had met plenty of them. Each of the demonic deities either scurried away in fear at the sight of him or tried to get close to him with the intention of using his mild disposition to gain his trust. Then they would attempt to trap him so that they could harvest and use his body parts to advance their cultivation or sell them to various black market organizations in the lesser worlds. There had also been those who'd wanted to dupe him or force him into a one-sided beast contract that would give the demonic deity control over him.

But Zheng Xuan was hardly a naïve one, and he had never let any of those ill-intentioned demonic deities have their way. His brutal retaliation against those kinds of people eventually succeeded in convincing the demonic deities to leave him in peace.

Now looking at the sleeping little deity, Zheng Xuan couldn't help but realize that it had been such a long time since he'd interacted with this sort of a person who wasn't trying to take advantage of him, and it was another demonic deity no less. How ironic.

Just this morning, Zheng Xuan had been looking up at the sky, praying to the spirit of Heaven to give him a purpose in life again. A few hours later, this demonic deity had stumbled into his cave, reeking of blood and fear.

Though Zheng Xuan didn't really believe that his purpose in life would be to assist a demonic deity, he'd still ended up helping him. And now, whether or not this deity was the answer Heaven had sent him, Zheng Xuan was determined to take care of him as much as the deity let him.

And so, as the freezing winds battered the back of his body and wings while the icy coldness tried to pierce and burrow under his scales, Zheng Xuan silently stood guard over the sleeping deity, his eyes holding a trace of gentle warmth.

...

This time when Xie Xingye awoke, the disorientation didn't last long. He quickly recalled what happened yesterday before opening his eyes and looking around.

The cave was now flooded with bright morning light as drafts of pleasantly cool winds blew in. Opposite to where he was lying, the cave entrance was now left wide open and unobstructed, letting Xie Xingye marvel at the scenery outside.

Everything was covered in a layer of pure white snow, from the tall trees to the craggy hills of rocks. Some places glittered golden in the sunlight while others glowed a blinding white. Spread above this landscape carpeted in snow was a brilliant blue sky, almost piercing in the intensity of its pure and smooth color.

And sitting at the edge of the cave, silhouetted against this contrast of bright blue and radiant white, was a large man.

The man sat cross-legged, his back straight, his arms extended until his wrists rested on his knees. He wore dark grey pants and a single loose black robe whose sleeves seemed to have been torn off at the shoulder, the edges unraveling into fuzzy white threads. The uncovered arms were tightly packed with muscles, just like the rest of the man's defined body. His long black hair with streaks of dark grey was swept over a shoulder and to his front.

And every part of his skin that was revealed and visible to Xie Xingye—from the little slice of his neck to the back of his ears, the underside of his jaws and also his arms—was littered with thick, crisscrossing scars.

Meanwhile, without even noticing it himself, Xie Xingye's eyes had begun greedily roving over that large and muscular back, down that compact waist and those firm buttocks, and then over those well-defined arms and broad shoulders.

Seeing all those scars only excited Xie Xingye even more. Because each of those scars showed all the ways people had tried to hurt or kill this man, and the fact that he was alive and sitting here spoke of his victory against them all. This person was a survivor against brutal odds, and Xie Xingye only felt the utmost respect for such a person. After all, as someone who'd spent time on the streets and had his outlook over life indelibly marked by it, Xie Xingye revered these types of survivors the most.

The man suddenly turned his head to look at Xie Xingye and spoke with a familiar rumble underlying his low voice, "You woke…up?"

"Yes," Xie Xingye answered in a slightly hoarse voice. Then clearing his throat, he asked, "Are you the black dragon?"

Zheng Xuan nodded. "This is…my human form."

"A-Ah, I see" was all Xie Xingye could say.

He realized that he found the dragon's human form quite attractive, and he really wished he could just go up to him and ask the dragon to sleep with him. But though this would have worked with the demonic cultivators from his world, Xie Xingye didn't feel confident enough to try it with this dragon.

Xie Xingye was not a virgin. He'd bedded a lot of men and let them bed him as well. But each of those occurrences was purely a matter of convenience and a way for him and his partner to push their own power higher. There might have been some lust in the mix, and Xie Xingye would not deny feeling pleasure during some of those couplings, but he had also never fully liked or even trusted those people. He had always taken precautions against them even as he allowed them into his bed. For him, sleeping with them had only been a necessity.

But now, for the first time, Xie Xingye wanted to sleep with someone, not because of the power they could offer with dual cultivation, but because…it was just something he wanted to do.

Just thinking about this man looming over him in bed, his naked, muscled body pressing down on him, his large hands dragging over his skin, his hot mouth descending over his lips…

Xie Xingye felt his face burning with heat as a certain organ between his legs eagerly awakened.

Fuck! When had his lust become so uncontrollable?!

But seeing that muscled back of that dragon-turned-man sitting right there in front of him tempted Xie Xingye more than he could have ever imagined.

His hands itched to run over those scars as his body instinctively softened, wanting to mold itself against a harder one. He very much wanted to go and just drape himself over that man, but would such a gesture even be welcome? As fun as it sounded now, would it even be a good idea in the long run to sleep with someone he'd just met? Because without a doubt, Xie Xingye knew that apart from gaining physical satisfaction, he would also get emotionally entangled with this caring dragon who had such gentle eyes.

Xie Xingye felt his lust and reason battling each other. What should he do?

If his Chunyi were here, what kind of advice would she give?

But just thinking about his sister, Xie Xingye suddenly felt his ardor beginning to disperse as his heart squeezed tightly. Would his Chunyi even bother to give him advice? Would she even care about him after all this time? Or had she…already abandoned him?

It felt as if an abrasive rock was scraping inside his chest, its weight pulling downwards. His eyes stung as his sight blurred with a layer of tears.

Ah damn, he had been trying so hard to not think of his sister. When he met her again, his Chunyi would have a lot of consoling to do before he acknowledged her as his sister again! How could she just leave him behind like this for so long!

But for now, it would be better if he didn't think about her.

Xie Xingye took a deep breath and let it go. It was alright. He would meet her soon and get everything cleared up, and then he could join her in her family again and everything would be as he had hoped.

Convincing himself with such words, Xie Xingye stabilized his emotions with familiar ease. He had already put away his lust, not in the mood anymore.

Getting up from the makeshift bed, he stretched. The wound on his side had already healed, but the newly regenerated tissue over it still felt a little sore and pulled a bit when he moved.

Determining that everything was alright with his body, Xie Xingye strode over to where the dragon in human form was sitting with his legs crossed.

"May I sit beside you?"

Zheng Xuan looked up at this puzzling demonic deity and nodded.

At first, he'd very clearly smelled this deity's lust towards him. That in itself was bewildering enough, what with his bulky body that was covered with more scarred tissue than skin and his all too serious disposition. But then this deity's scent changed to that of sadness and acute loneliness, the light hint of salt water reminiscent of tears accompanying it. Zheng Xuan had just begun pondering over what might have caused such a sudden change when the deity once again put away his sorrow and approached him as if nothing had happened.

How utterly baffling.

As Xie Xingye settled himself beside Zheng Xuan, he folded his legs much like Zheng Xuan had done and turned to peer at the dragon's handsome and scarred face inquisitively. In a casual voice, he introduced himself, "My name is Xie Xingye, a demonic deity as I assume you've already guessed. Who are you?"

"My name is…Zheng Xuan," he answered in his gravelly voice.

Xie Xingye noticed how the thick ropes of scars on Zheng Xuan's neck pulled as if trying to restrain the movements of his throat when he spoke and finally realized why this dragon had been having such a hard time speaking.

Averting his gaze, Xie Xingye nodded. So this scarred dragon's name was Zheng Xuan. Hmm, rather than directly using his name, maybe he should be respectful and call him Lord Zheng instead. It strangely seemed to suit him.

As they were lost in their own thoughts, a companionable silence settled over them both.

Xie Xingye couldn't help but marvel in this tranquil stillness, it was strangely soothing.

Before, his life had always been hectic. He was either running around on the streets with his Chunyi while trying to steal food, fleeing from people who wanted to capture or beat them up, or running around causing mayhem with his sister in the righteous sect, or running around learning various dark arts in the demonic sect. Later, after being separated from his sister, he had been desperately running around trying to increase his power as he cultivated and kept searching for his sister. Even after he ascended, he had continued to devote all his time trying to find Chunyi and her husband.

But now that he had finally stopped enough to look around him, he felt that appreciating the smaller things in life was a strangely wonderful thing.

When Xie Xingye looked down, he saw a blanket of rolling white stretching from below the cave to all the way in the far distance where it met the azure skies in the horizon. The air here was crisp and cool, and the ledge where they were sitting was in the shade. As the breeze gently blew over his face, a soothing peace filled the space.

Though Xie Xingye's wound had already healed by now after a night of rest, he made no mention of leaving the cave, secretly scared of what he would be faced with when he finally met his sister again. He also wanted to spend more time with this kind dragon called Zheng Xuan and maybe try to woo him. Meanwhile, Zheng Xuan also seemed content to let him stay, enjoying this demonic deity's company after his millennia of solitude.

A delicate, tenuous thread seemed to connect Xie Xingye and Zheng Xuan as they willingly immersed themselves in each other's presence, a feeling of contentment in their hearts.

In this way, days passed, and Xie Xingye and Zheng Xuan grew more and more comfortable with each other.

One day, as they once again sat on the ledge feeling the cool breeze sweep through their hair, Xie Xingye called to Zheng Xuan cheerfully, "Lord Zheng, can you tell me about your past? It seems like you led quite a heroic life before."

By now, Xie Xingye had begun speaking in his usual way, his air of seriousness and hesitance long shed away after days of familiarity.

Zheng Xuan looked at the curiosity glittering in Xie Xingye's eyes and smiled softly, his gaze holding a gentle warmth. "A long time ago…I was the captain…of the dragon queen's…guard."

Xie Xingye's eyes widened as he smiled with a hint of anticipation. "I knew it! I knew that you had some noble job before! How long ago was it?"

Using his excitement as an excuse, Xie Xingye pushed closer to the bigger man, the side of his thigh pressing against a more muscled one as he almost leaned into Zheng Xuan's body as if on the verge of embracing him.

Zheng Xuan felt his throat go dry as he felt Xie Xingye's warm and supple body pressing into him, that smiling face so close to his own as those lively dark grey eyes stayed fixed on him. He could clearly see each of those long and thick lashes framing the young deity's bright and clear eyes, black lining the edges of his eyelids. He could see the details of those two amber colored earrings adorning his ears, glowing brightly like square-shaped suns as they reflected the afternoon light. He clearly saw how that red tongue peeked out and lightly swished against those equally as red lips, moistening them and turning them glossy. An exotic and beguiling charm exuded from every line of the deity's body, enticing him to bend down, urging him to taste those luscious lips…

But Zheng Xuan did not give in to that impulse.

He could guess that the younger man was trying to seduce him with these little actions―and it was working very well too―but Zheng Xuan did not know whether he should react to it at this time.

Pushing aside these thoughts for now, Zheng Xuan replied, "It was…in ancient times. A few hundred…reigns ago."

Xie Xingye's eyes widened. That was a really long time ago, millions of years in fact! His future beloved was truly old!

"That really is ancient," Xie Xingye commented as he shifted languidly, causing his hip and upper arm to rub against Zheng Xuan's. "What type of person was your queen?"

Zheng Xuan swallowed, suppressing his awakening need as he answered in his deep and rough voice, "She was…the most noble person…I ever met. She was…the ideal Sovereign. All of her people…loved and respected her. They would all…die for her…just like she would…for us."

Hearing such effusive praise, Xie Xingye's expression darkened a bit, but he still strived to sound casual as he asked, "Lord Zheng, did you love her? Romantically, I mean."

As he heard the faint thread of jealousy in his voice, Zheng Xuan felt amusement and affection filling him. Shaking his head, he replied, "No…I didn't. She was my queen…my liege…she was my…beloved master."

Xie Xingye visibly relaxed. In a cheerful voice, he remarked, "Oh, she sounds like a wonderful person then."

Zheng Xuan's amusement grew, but he said nothing.

Not content to stay silent, Xie Xingye prodded, "What happened to her?"

In a patient voice, Zheng Xuan replied, "She went to a…lower realm…and ended up…falling in love. Her court…did not approve. They threatened to…kill her mate…and her children. So she…came back…alone. She left her…family behind."

Xie Xingye frowned, even forgetting to entice the other man as he asked, "What about you? What were you doing at that time? Did all this affect you?"

Hearing his worried tone, Zheng Xuan smiled a small, sad smile. "When the court advisors…wanted to go down…and capture her, I stood…guard over…the path. Most of the queen's guard…under my command…were killed by those…advisors' people. But I know that…none of those guards…regretted their deaths…if it meant that…they could buy time…for our queen."

A thought occurred to Xie Xingye and he quickly spoke, "Is that how you got your scars?"

Not expecting him to have guessed that, Zheng Xian was faintly surprised, but he still nodded.

At that time when he was guarding the path that would lead the court advisors to their queen, Zheng Xuan had fought like a mad beast, his weapons viciously cutting into every dragon who dared try to pass him. But he had also been constantly bombarded by attacks on all sides.

They had tried to cut into his heart, slash his throat, break his limbs, blind his eyes, crack his skull…they had tried every means to incapacitate or kill him. But Zheng Xuan had always managed to deflect them in the nick of time, making sure that no matter what wounds he bore in the process, he would still remain standing and be able to continue fighting. His queen needed his protection, and so he would protect. Nothing, not even death, was permitted to get in the way!

"Lord Zheng?" Xie Xingye called worriedly. "Are you alright? Do you…want me to stop asking about this?"

Zheng Xuan pulled himself back to the present and forced out words from his ruined throat, "I'm…fine."

Xie Xingye nodded, reluctantly believing him. After some hesitation, he asked, "What happened after that? You said your queen came back to the heavenly realm and left behind her family to protect them. Was everything settled after that?"

Shrugging his wide shoulders, Zheng Xuan answered, "Yes…more or less. She never…got to see her…family again. She also…sent away…all the surviving members…of her guard. The dragon court…wanted to…execute us…for aiding the queen…before. But she…negotiated…on our behalf. She let herself…be controlled…by her advisors…in return for our…lives. We all…scattered. I don't know…if anyone else…other than me…is left."

Xie Xingye felt distressed for Zheng Xuan. He was such a steadfast, gentle, and loyal person, and yet, because of that stupid dragon court's tyranny, he had to live far away from his people, isolated and alone. Rather than being rewarded for his service, all he had ended up with was something akin to exile. How many years had he spent in this cave, thinking about the queen who had to sacrifice herself and wondering what all he could have done to make things better?

With his brows furrowed, Xie Xingye tried to think of some way to comfort him.

Leaning closer to the older man, Xie Xingye reached out to take a long lock from among the stretch of hair that hung over Zheng Xuan's shoulder as usual, rubbing the black and dark grey strands between his fingers. As he felt the soft texture of it between his fingertips, Xie Xingye spoke without looking up, "Lord Zheng, if we had sex…will it make you feel better?"

Zheng Xuan startled at this sudden question. Though he had detected Xie Xingye's interest towards him, he still didn't think that the younger man would be this bold.

But though Zheng Xuan was tempted to agree, he still chose to act responsibly. "Do you…really want to…do this?"

Looking up, Xie Xingye nodded with a playful smile. "You've already noticed my attraction to you, haven't you? So do you even need to ask me that?"

But Zheng Xuan looked conflicted. "If we do this…we will be lovers. I will not…sleep with you…lightly."

Xie Xingye's smile turned wry. "I know. Lord Zheng, I truly do like you, and I would like us to be lovers too. I have slept with a lot of people before without strings attached, but you are the first person I am offering to give myself to in this way. Won't you accept?"

Zheng Xuan looked at the young man with a deep gaze. "You are…still young. If you tie yourself…to me…in this way…then you will be…wasting your life. I'm already…so old. I have already…finished living…my life."

Hearing this, something bright and angry sparked in Xie Xingye's eyes.

Lifting himself up, Xie Xingye shifted his body to sit astride Zheng Xuan's lap, his knees on either side of the older man's waist. In this position, Xie Xingye's head was slightly higher than Zheng Xuan's, causing the dragon to have to look up at the young deity's face.

Cupping Zheng Xuan's scarred face between his smooth palms, Xie Xingye carefully studied the other man's features.

Zheng Xuan's eyes were a deep black, like twin pools of peaceful and gentle waters that radiated a steady integrity. His face was slightly broad and his jaw firm and square. His forehead was high and his aquiline nose slightly crooked, showing that it had been broken at least once and hadn't set correctly. His lips looked soft yet firm, slightly turned down at the corners most of the time. The shape of his face was pleasantly handsome, with all the bumpy and pale scars only adding a masculine ruggedness—at least in Xie Xingye's opinion.

Taking in a shuddering breath to control himself, Xie Xingye spoke in a determined voice, "Lord Zheng, all of us in the heavenly realm have the lifespan of immortals. So how can you say that you are too old? How can you say that your life is over? That…is not a valid excuse. I do not accept it."

With his face still in Xie Xingye's hands, Zheng Xuan could keenly feel the warmth framing his cheeks and jaw. Looking up, he saw the angry stubbornness on Xie Xingye's face mixed with a hint of something else similar to worry and care. Seeing this, something in Zheng Xuan slowly melted.

Meeting Xie Xingye's gaze, he finally said, "…Alright."

Xie Xingye's eyes widened. "Lord Zheng, do you mean that we can be lovers?"

Chuffing out a rough chuckle, Zheng Xuan shook his head. "It's still…too early…to decide something…like that. Let's give it…some more time. But for now…"

Lifting his hand, Zheng Xuan cupped the back of Xie Xingye's head with a palm and slowly pulled him closer. Understanding what he wanted to do, Xie Xingye nervously swept his tongue over his lips and let his eyelids flutter closed.

Their breaths mingled and then their lips met.

Xie Xingye felt a pair of warm and dry lips pressing against his. Extending his tongue, he licked at those lips, wetting them, then lightly suckled each of them between his own. Zheng Xuan tilted his head and pulled Xie Xingye's head closer, opening his mouth and clamping it over the younger man's.

Moaning softly, Xie Xingye eagerly let out his tongue to explore Zheng's Xuan's mouth as the other man did the same. Their tongues slid over each other and caressed the inside of the other person's mouth. Their bodies instinctively pressed closer, their faces flushing and breaths deepening.

Xie Xingye felt a strong arm looping over his waist and pulling him closer. The broad palm supporting the back of his head felt too large and warm. The slick heat of Zheng Xuan's mouth and the movements of his long and flexible tongue against his own were driving him mad with need. He felt suffocated by the sheer intensity of the kiss, yet he wanted to drown himself in this heat even more.

They clung to each other tightly and indulged themselves in this exchange of passion for a few more minutes before reluctantly parting, eyes glazed, chests heaving, and their lips swollen and glistening.

Xie Xingye let himself slump forward and bent to rest his head on Zheng Xuan's shoulder, slowly regaining his equilibrium.

In a breathless yet playful voice, Xie Xingye remarked, "I guess I can make do with this much for now."

In response, Zheng Xuan rested his palm between Xie Xingye's shoulder blades, its weight warm as his rough fingers rubbed soothing circles into that muscled back. Xie Xingye basked in the comfortable and reassuring sensation and sighed happily. Though he did not get to immediately bed his dragon, he'd at least gotten him to make out with him. He would be satisfied with this for now and slowly try to let things develop further.

Recalling what they'd been doing just before this, Xie Xingye contemplated for a bit before deciding something. His voice turning serious, he spoke softly, "Lord Zheng, since you told me about your past, I feel like it is only right for me to share mine with you as well. Do you mind?"

Zheng Xuan's voice rumbled by his ear, "Tell me…only if you…want to."

Chuckling lightly, Xie Xingye replied, "Of course I want to. And after I tell you everything, even if you find me ridiculous, I'd still appreciate it if you could comfort me a little."

Though Xie Xingye's voice sounded playful as he said this, Zheng Xuan still frowned and solemnly nodded as if in promise.

Xie Xingye took a deep breath and let it out. Then closing his eyes, he slowly began, "When I was a child, I was kicked out of my house and into the streets by my family for saying that I will only marry men. Within hours of my new street life, I was being beaten up for trying to steal food. Thankfully, I was quickly saved by a girl who seemed to be very street savvy. Her name was Hua Chunyi, and seeing how strong and resourceful she was, I begged and pleaded with her until she accepted me as her younger brother and agreed to take care of me.

"We both lived on the streets and supported each other. During those days, it was uncertain whether we could get the bare minimum to eat, whether we would be able to maintain our freedom and keep evading child traffickers and perverts, whether we'd be able to find a safe shelter for a few days…and yet, despite all the uncertainty, I was happy. Hua Chunyi, my dear sister, was such a beautiful and vibrant person. She was so open and bold, yet also sneaky and intelligent. She loved me and I loved her like we were real siblings who had been raised inseparable from birth.

"Later, we joined a sect in the righteous faction. It was constraining, but nothing ever could manage to hold down Chunyi anyway. We still had fun. But then a few Elders tried to punish us severely for breaking curfew and talking back. I'm not sure we'd have survived that punishment. Chunyi shielded me from them and killed those Elders, then we escaped. We were then recruited by a demonic sect and decided to join them. Life there was a lot more freeing and let us both develop our skills far better than that righteous sect.

"But because of me, Chunyi had to end up killing the sect master of that demonic sect. She made me stay at the sect and fled while being pursued by both the righteous and demonic factions. I would have done anything to be by her side, but I also knew that it would be useless and that I would only drag her down…"

His voice remaining steady, Xie Xingye continued to speak about his experiences and how he strived to keep getting stronger, then tried his best to search for his Chunyi in vain. By the time word of her usually reached him, he would already be late and she would have already sped away to another place.

Xie Xingye told Zheng Xuan everything, from his panicked worry when he heard of Chunyi falling off a cliff and sustaining a head injury that allegedly turned her mad, to how Chunyi slaughtered her pursuers from the righteous and demonic factions before being taken away by a powerful demigod cultivator called Feng Huixin who was not allied to any factions.

He detailed how he'd desperately and madly sought more power, trying to catch up to his sister but always coming up just short, that frustrating feeling of almost having their reunion in his grasp, his fingertips almost brushing it, before that hope was once more wrenched away ruthlessly by the changing circumstances.

But finally, after his ascension, Xie Xingye was able to pinpoint Chunyi and her husband Feng Huixin's location. However, as he set off in that direction, he was once again thwarted by fate that sent those powerful and old demonic deities into his way. Those older demonic deities wanted to forcefully make use of both his divine core and his body for their own purposes, but Xie Xingye had successfully fled from them and had ended up in this cave while still injured from his escape.

Zheng Xuan's face tightened when he heard about the other demonic deities' intentions towards Xie Xingye. Something dangerous and sharp flickered in his gaze for a moment, but he quickly put it away so that he could give Xie Xingye his full attention.

Now that he was done reciting the events of the past, Xie Xingye felt strangely hollow and dull inside, but he pushed away that feeling. He slowly sat up straight on Zheng Xuan's lap, his arms extended and hands resting on the older man's broad and firm shoulders for support.

Unable to look up into Zheng Xuan's eyes, Xie Xingye instead looked down at the sleeve of his own arms and spoke, "I tried so hard and gave my all to reach this point, to finally be on the verge of finding and talking to my sister face-to-face, but Lord Zheng…I'm so scared."

Xie Xingye suddenly gave out a bark of self-depreciating laughter, then forced himself to sound cheerful as he joked, "Isn't it funny? After all this time, when I'm almost at my goal, I'm chickening out like such a coward. Chunyi will make fun of me for days if she ever found that I was dilly-dallying like such an indecisive moron."

Zheng Xuan's expression grew worried. "Enough…you don't have to…say anymore."

But not hearing his concerned voice, Xie Xingye continued merrily, "She'll probably disown me right then and there and vow to never talk to someone as wimpy as me. And then she'll chase me away and say―"

His voice filled with forced cheer abruptly cut off as Xie Xingye looked down at the small splatter of wetness shining on his black robe.

Huh? Why was there a drop of water on his sleeve?

Soon, another droplet fell from his face and added to the wetness.

Xie Xingye slowly raised a hand and confusedly touched his face. There were two lines of tears trailing down his cheeks. Xie Xingye's fingers trembled, his face turning blank.

Zheng Xuan carefully pulled the young deity close and patted his back. Xie Xingye felt a deep and concerned voice fill his ear as it comforted, "It's alright…don't say…anymore. It will be…alright."

Unable to bear this gentleness, Xie Xingye's bravado finally cracked. As his expression crumpled, Xie Xingye buried his face into Zheng Xuan's shoulder and let the sobs tear through him as his true thoughts and worries spilled out in a gushing torrent.

"W-What if Chunyi pushes me away? What if she really disowns me? W-What if she says she doesn't care about me anymore?! What will I do?! Why? Why did she leave me behind? Why did she never come back for me? I was always waiting…I was waiting so long for her! She…she promised me… Even if she ever got married and started a family, she promised that she wouldn't leave me! I-I wanted to still be a part of her family… No matter what…I still wanted to spend my life while seeing her being happy… I j-just…wanted to…stay with my sister…"

His throat growing too thick to continue, Xie Xingye stopped speaking and let out heart-wrenching cries filled with fear and deep pain, his voice ringing out uninhibitedly. Zheng Xuan kept murmuring words of comfort as he patted his shuddering back.

A few minutes later, as the sobs wracking his body gradually calmed, Xie Xingye finally asked in a small, scared voice, "Lord Zheng…does my sister not want me anymore?"

Zheng Xuan could feel his heart break.

Softening his gravelly voice as much as he could, Zheng Xuan began, "From what…you've said…you're sister…seems to care…a lot for you. If she…left you behind…then there must be…a good reason. She must also…not want to…stay separated…from you. Don't rush to…conclusions…before talking to her."

As he heard Zheng Xian's halting and deep voice consoling and soothing him, Xie Xingye's wildly beating heart slowly calmed while his tearstained face that was twisted with grief slowly relaxed.

Yes, his Chunyi wasn't the kind who broke her promises, so there must definitely be something holding her back. Maybe it was her husband, or maybe it was some other extenuating circumstance, but there was definitely a reason. His sister would definitely not abandon him just like that.

Xie Xingye felt his eyes and chest aching, remnants of his crying jag just now. He silently laid on Zheng Xuan, his head on his shoulder, and let the warm palm patting his back slowly soothe away his worries.

It would be fine. He would meet her and everything would be alright. She'd invite him into her family and they would live together again. He would successfully woo Zheng Xuan and become lovers, then husbands. The four of them―he with his beloved and his sister with hers―would live and laugh together.

And so, Xie Xingye, with the help of Zheng Xuan, managed to gradually shed his gloom.

Taking a deep breath, he slowly lifted his head. Zheng Xuan's palm on his back paused. Leaning down, Xie Xingye placed a small kiss on Zheng Xuan's cheek and smiled softly. "Lord Zheng, thank you for listening to me, and thank you for comforting me."

His eyes warm with care, Zheng Xuan spoke, "There's no need…to thank me. As long as…you feel better…that's enough."

Xie Xingye's smile grew. "See? You would make a wonderful lover. Since you keep being so considerate and kind, how can I hold myself back from seducing you?"

Zheng Xuan's eyes shone with mirth. "You don't have to…seduce me. I already…like you too much."

Hearing this, Xie Xingye's smile turned heated, his eyes growing half-lidded. In an intimate whisper, he said, "Lord Zheng, now you're the one seducing me."

Not waiting for a reply, Xie Xingye bent down and pushed his lips against Zheng Xuan's. After a moment of surprise, Zheng Xuan quickly responded.

The two men pressed together once again, their mouths melding and tongues moving over each other eagerly. Xie Xingye kissed with an almost desperate intensity, seeming as if he wanted to suck in everything of Zheng Xuan to keep for himself.

This time, Zheng Xuan let his hands roam freely, sliding over and kneading the lithely muscled body that was tightly embracing him. Xie Xingye gasped softly as he felt those broad and warm palms stroking over his clothes. He groaned helplessly at the sensation of that hungry touch exploring him and learning the shape of his body.

Xie Xingye wanted more than anything to drag Zheng Xuan to bed right now, but Zheng Xuan hadn't even agreed to become his lover yet…

Abruptly pulling back from the kiss, Xie Xingye growled. "Lord Zheng, if we keep going, I'll be very tempted to drug you with an aphrodisiac in true demonic deity fashion and then confine you to my bed for a day full of blissful fucking."

Hearing this ridiculous threat that he knew would go unfulfilled, Zheng Xuan leaned back his head and laughed, the sound rough and full of delight.

He already knew that Xie Xingye was incapable of forcing him, not just because Zheng Xuan was stronger, but because unless it involved his sister, this young demonic deity's conscience wouldn't allow him to.

Meanwhile, Xie Xingye stared as if bewitched, his eyes wide. Looking at that usually solemn face laughing so openly, his gruff voice unrestrained and booming, made something in his chest clench with wonder.

Reaching out, Xie Xingye traced the column of Zheng Xuan's throat, feeling the bumpy scars under his fingertips and the other man's Adam's apple as it bobbed up and down in time with his laughter. In a dazed tone, Xie Xingye shakily confessed, "Lord Zheng, I love your voice."

Zheng Xuan's laughter wound down as he looked at Xie Xingye's enchanted expression.

Xie Xingye continued, "I wish I could always hear you laugh like this. I…really like you."

With a smile in his eyes, Zheng Xuan said, "Let's wait for a…few more days. If you still…feel the same…then we can…become lovers."

Xie Xingye looked at him with a startled expression, then chuckled happily. "Yes! But Lord Zheng, if you think I'll lose interest by that time, then you are in for a surprise."

Zheng Xuan raised a single eyebrow. "We'll…see."

"I suppose we will."

And so it was decided.

After this, a few days passed peacefully. And each day, Xie Xingye and Zheng Xuan only grew more closer.

The previously hollow and silent cave was now filled with frequent laughter and Xie Xingye's cheerful chatter. Zheng Xuan's low voice would rumble now and then as well, answering questions or comforting his future lover whenever his uncertainties about his sister struck him again.

As they spent their time like this with joy and contentment, Zheng Xuan was finally convinced that Xie Xingye meant what he said.

On this day, as the bright blue skies stretched overhead, the snow on the ground having long since melted away to reveal the fresh greenery underneath, Zheng Xuan turned to Xie Xingye and earnestly spoke, "Xingye, let us become…lovers."

After a stunned moment, a large grin split Xie Xingye's face as his eyes glittered with happiness. "Yes! So you finally gave in!"

Zheng Xuan only chuckled, his expression warm.

"Then, Lord Zheng, shall we consummate our relationship right now?" Xie Xingye asked eagerly.

They both looked at the thin straw bed inside the cave. The lone layer of cloth over it had long since formed bumps due to Xie Xingye's prolonged use.

Coughing lightly, Zheng Xuan proposed, "Let's do it…after we get a…proper bed to…lie in."

Xie Xingye looked unwilling, but he couldn't ignore the benefits of lying in a comfortable bed to have their first time in either.

Now that they had decided to become lovers in truth, Xie Xingye and Zheng Xuan decided to go a bit further in their mutual exploration. They eagerly began to remove each other's clothes and ran their hands over one another's bared bodies. Such scenarios usually ended with one of them drawing the other to climax with their hands or mouth.

And just as usual, the pair was currently once again busy with each other this evening.

Zheng Xuan was pressed down on the cave's floor, his robe undone and the lapels pushed to the sides to reveal his firm, muscular, and brutally scarred chest and abdomen. Xie Xingye was in an equal state of undress and straddling the tightly-packed waist of his lover.

Xie Xingye was leaning down, almost lying on top of the bigger man as his mouth was melded with Zheng Xuan's. Wet sounds of lips sucking and tongues sliding sounded audibly as they were passionately engaged, their attentions keenly focused only on each other.

This was when the snide voice of an outsider suddenly interrupted them.

"Xie Xingye, look at you! You refuse to spread your legs for us but you have no qualms about fucking a scarred brute like that one?"

Xie Xingye and Zheng Xuan immediately parted, their faces flushed even as their eyes held sharp vigilance. As one, the pair turned to face the group of intruding people.

Seeing who it was, Xie Xingye's pupils shrunk with shocked recognition.

It was the demonic deities who had wanted to extract his divine core!

The one who'd just spoken was sallow-skinned with his dark hair put up in an unkempt bun. A sneer twisted his lips as his gaze looked over Xie Xingye's revealed upper body, a hint of lust quickly beginning to darken his eyes.

Of the two other demonic deities, one wore a deep rust-colored robe with a cloth mask shielding the upper half of his face. A stretch of burnt skin was revealed just under the edge of the mask. The other one had hair the color of mahogany and a carefully trimmed beard covering his jaw and mouth.

Expressions of smug glee were stamped onto all three of the demonic deities' faces in varying degrees, making it obvious that they were quite pleased with finally having tracked down their prey.

But refusing to back down, Xie Xingye bared his teeth at them and snapped, "Is it my fault that I rejected you lot for being too ugly? You obviously can't compare to my lover. Stop wasting my time and get lost."

The one in the lead who had spoken before showed an expression of angry displeasure, "Here you are running off your mouth again. Why don't come here and use your mouth for something we will all enjoy, you little whore? I'm sure you have plenty of experience with things like that, don't you?"

Zheng Xuan's brows lowered in a frown, fury burning in his eyes. But keeping his lover down with his hands resting on Zheng Xuan's shoulders, Xie Xingye indicated for him to not speak up for now.

Then in a mocking voice, Xie Xingye once again retorted against the lead demonic deity, "I would have to find your little worm hiding in its bush for anything of that sort to be possible. Rather than pestering me, why don't you all just have a merry threesome and leave me the fuck alone?"

The three demonic deities now had thunderous expressions darkening their faces. The masked one spoke up in a deep voice, "Xie Xingye, put aside your senseless defiance. We all know what's going to happen here. Throw aside your lover and submit to us. And if you want to keep your life after that, then you should just give up your divine core with grace."

Xie Xingye rolled his eyes. "Seeing you all so obsessed with sleeping with me, I have to wonder, am I really that irresistible?"

The brown-haired deity scoffed. "Stop acting dumb, you stubborn youngster. We all know that your body has a constitution suitable for dual cultivation. Doing it with you will result in a great increase in power for all participants involved. You can't tell me no one has ever used you for that before."

Xie Xingye indeed knew this. After all, this was the reason the sect master of the demonic sect he had been a part of had begun sleeping with him in the first place. But even that sect master had explained the reason and asked for his consent before they did it, unlike this lot who didn't give a shit what he thought.

"Enough chattering. I don't care what you want from me or why you want it. My answer will be the same: screw off and leave me alone."

The three demonic deities looked at him with grim faces. The lead deity spoke, "You have nowhere to run to, we are blocking the entrance to this cave. Xie Xingye, you should control your arrogance before we make you plead for mercy."

Xie Xingye sighed, then patted the large man he was still straddling. "Alright, Lord Zheng. I'm tired of arguing with these idiots now. You can go and do your thing, just don't kill them if you don't have to. Scare them until they never think of crossing our path again."

Zheng Xuan gave a rumble of agreement and began to get up just as Xie Xingye stood up as well. After fixing his clothes, Xie Xingye went to sit on the straw mattress. Pulling up a leg, Xie Xingye leisurely rested an elbow on his knee and supported his cheek on his palm, looking at the demonic deities without a hint of fear, only amusement gleaming in his dark grey eyes.

The demonic deities looked at Zheng Xuan with caution. Just who was this man to give Xie Xingye so much confidence in him?

Not caring about the three cautious gazes fixed on him, Zheng Xuan slowly stood up to his full height.

"Lord Zheng, don't let those bastards get a glimpse of that nice view. You should quickly cover up!" Xie Xingye called from behind him.

Without a change in expression, Zheng Xuan tied his robe closed with a few casual motions. Since his lover didn't want him to show his body to anyone, he would naturally obey.

Looking at the three demonic deities who had hurt his beloved and chased him down with the intention of forcing him into bed and stealing his divine core, Zheng Xuan had to suppress the raging anger in his heart as he growled, "You all…should leave."

The lead deity asked warily, "And if we don't?"

"Then I'll…make you," Zheng Xuan's voice deepened, a thrum of power underlying it.

The three deities looked at him with even more vigilance.

Unable to bear the tension in the air, the brown-haired deity let out a nervous laugh and started babbling, "I don't know who you are, but you are clearly not without power. Why should you hitch yourself to that sort of a man who regularly utilized sexual cultivation techniques to ascend in the first place? I reckon that by now his back hole must have been used so much that it'd be wide enough for all three of us to fuck him at once―"

A sudden roar blasted out of Zheng Xuan, laden with heated fury directed at these three people who said such things about his beloved lover. He might have a good temper usually, but not when it came to this!

Before the three demonic cultivators could process what was happening, Zheng Xuan's body transformed to that of a giant dragon, his scarred scales an all-consuming black that looked like a slice of the night sky bereft of stars.

The three demonic deities' eyes widened in shock.

Th-this was…that feared black dragon of the border!

And this was a being that the demonic deities had long since known to fear.

Many millennia ago, after this black dragon made his lair near the border of the territory occupied by demonic deities, many of them had come to him with ulterior motives, but none of them had survived his wrathful retribution. From then on, the demonic deities knew to stay clear of this powerful black dragon whenever they crossed his path.

And here they had come and offended him in his lair!

The three demonic deities' expressions grew even more terrified as Zheng Xuan opened his huge mouth to reveal two rows of sharp and conical ivory fangs, along with the inside of his mouth that led to the deep pit of his throat. A spark of golden yellow lit in those dark depths, swiftly increasing in size.

The masked deity stumbled back, his face going pale as he unconsciously raised a trembling hand to touch his mask. He had already been burned by fire once, he didn't want to feel that biting pain again! As he turned around to flee, the other two deities also began to try and evade.

But it proved futile.

From his wide open mouth, Zheng Xuan released a stream of brilliant flame that lit up the surroundings with its brightness. The fire hit the arm of the masked deity, the waist and buttocks of the brown haired deity, and both the legs of the lead deity, covering it all with crackling flames that seemed to vigorously dance with a malicious vengeance.

The three deities screamed and rolled on the ground, but it was to no avail. The pitch of their cries rose higher as the flames began to spread. They already knew how difficult a dragon's flames were to extinguish.

At this time, Xie Xingye's voice sounded from the back of the cave, loud and carefree, "There is a natural pond a few ways northeast of here, if you want to know~"

Hearing this cheerfully uttered statement, the masked one quickly hefted up and supported the leading one, and the three demonic deities hastily fled in the direction of the pond, blazing golden fire still trailing from them.

Now that only Zheng Xuan and he were left, Xie Xingye let his laughter ring freely in the cave. "Serves them right! Lord Zheng, you did very well. I didn't expect your control over your fire to be precise enough to burn them only partially. Let them go around searching for that faraway lake for now. By the time they manage to find it and put out the fire, I bet they'll be nice and crispy. The memory of the pain from having to regenerate from that ought to keep them away from us from now on. As expected of us, we sure taught them a lesson they'll never forget!"

Hearing the smug hilarity in his lover's voice, Zheng Xuan wanted to smile indulgently. His dragon body was too large to be able to turn in the cave without crushing Xie Xingye, so Zheng Xuan simply let out a deep sound of acknowledgment in reply.

But from his place directly behind the large dragon, Xie Xingye realized that he was able to see quite an interesting view. In a wondering voice, Xie Xingye observed, "Lord Zheng…your package in dragon form is really big, and it's so well-shaped too!"

Zheng Xuan had the sudden, inexplicable urge to close his legs as something akin to embarrassment flooded him. He quickly changed back to his human form to hide himself behind clothes.

Meanwhile, Xie Xingye noticed how Zheng Xuan's ears had turned pink and chuckled happily, but decided not to keep teasing his lover anymore.

Letting out a happy sigh, Xie Xingye let his body loosely plop down on the straw bed, his arms and legs stretched out. "I can't believe how relieved I feel now that those bastards are finally dealt with."

Zheng Xuan slowly walked to his beloved's side and sat down beside the bed. He lifted a hand and cupped Xie Xingye's cheek with his palm. "Now you have…no more excuses to…avoid meeting…your sister."

Xie Xingye grimaced. "Yes, yes, I know. I should go to her house soon and get this over with. But more than that…I also want her to meet you. She always used to caution me to not give away my heart to the first man who said he loved me." Xie Xingye gave a small laugh at that, then continued in a softer voice, "She also used to say that I was worth the best man in the world. And for me, I suppose that it is you."

Zheng Xuan's gaze deepened with warm affection. "I'm glad…you think I am…worthy of you."

Xie Xingye gave a light chuckle. "I meant that you definitely are the best man in the world, Lord Zheng."

In an amused tone, Zheng Xuan replied, "I'm happy that…you think so."

Xie Xingye could only shake his head and laugh, the sound filled with a tranquil contentment.

As Zheng Xuan stroked his lover's cheek, Xie Xingye closed his eyes to luxuriate in the caring touch of those rough hands. A few minutes later, he opened his eyes and said, "Lord Zheng, after we meet Chunyi, no matter the result, I want us to consummate our relationship."

Zheng Xuan looked into his lover's gaze, reading the solemnity and need in those dark grey eyes, and nodded. "Very well…we should find…a place to…stay at then."

Xie Xingye let out a breath and gave a jerky nod. Yes, if his Chunyi pushed him away, then he'd need another place to stay.

His fingers continuing to stroke his lover's soft cheek, Zheng Xuan reassured, "It will be…fine. No matter what happens…I'll be there…and I'll take care…of you."

Hearing this, a strange sense of vulnerability bloomed in Xie Xingye's chest. He turned his body to the side and clutched close the hand that was caressing his cheek. In a small voice filled with uncertainty, he asked, "Lord Zheng, you…you won't me leave me behind too, will you?"

Zheng Xuan felt the corners of his eyes pinch in distress. He scooped up his lover and hugged him close. "As long as you…want me, as long as you…need me…I will never…leave you."

Xie Xingye buried his head into the crook of his lover's shoulder and nodded. Maybe he really could believe his lover.

And time proved that he indeed could.

The next day, Xie Xingye and Zheng Xuan set out for the capital and headed to the Feng residence. Unfortunately, Feng Chunyi did not recognize her brother, nor did she remember him.

After a series of incidents which ended with Feng Chunyi attacking Xie Xingye in an attempt to protect her husband, Xie Xingye was pushed to the edge of qi deviation as he gave in to his heart demon. And since a full qi deviation of a deity had the potential to not only cause damage in the heavenly realm but also in many of the mortal realms, Xie Xingye was put to sleep before being sealed in a lower world.

And throughout the many millennia he spent in slumber, Zheng Xuan faithfully stayed by his side, feeding him bits of his power in an attempt to help him through his heart demon and weaken the seal on him at the same time. By the time Xie Xingye awakened again, Zheng Xuan had lost too much power to even be able to transform into his human form, having to stay in his dragon form instead. And even in his true body, he was too weakened, his power near exhausted.

After opening his eyes in an unfamiliar place in an unfamiliar world, then finding his lover beside him and understanding that he had been accompanying him all this time just as he promised, Xie Xingye felt his heart filled with affection and an endless gratitude.

He had stayed beside him. His Lord Zheng had really stayed with him all these lonely years, just as he promised.

And so, despite not having his sister by his side, Xie Xingye knew that he wasn't alone anymore.