The flames aboard the pleasure barge soon died out. Many of the immortal sect disciples had been injured in the fighting, and several people from the city lord’s manor still remained on the boat. At this moment, however, all eyes were drawn to the two figures standing at its centre.
A scourge-slayer standing with a demon. This was truly unheard of. Scourge-Slayer Envoys had always been merciless in cutting down demons; never before had anyone seen one shielding a demon in such a protective manner.
With so many people staring at him, Lin Shijin felt afraid. He burrowed himself into Sheng Rufei’s embrace, long ears standing upright with nervous tension.
As the flames died, the patterns on the golden platform sealed shut, and murmurs rippled through the crowd nearby.
“Only the lowest-level demons can’t take human form… gege must be the lowest rank.”
“Demons ought to be killed, but he did save us just now.”
“Judging by his appearance, he might well be harmless. How are we meant to deal with him?”
The people whom Lin Shijin had rescued hesitated. They weren’t unreasonable; although demons had always inspired fear, they had just been saved by one. How could they kill their benefactor?
Opinions differed. Guards from the city lord’s manor formed several layers around their master. The city lord himself, though aware of the situation, remained silent. His attendant, however, stepped forward to speak.
“A demon has infiltrated the ranks of the Scourge-Slayer Envoys. This matter must be investigated thoroughly. Before the truth is uncovered, the demon must be taken to the city lord’s manor.”
Lin Shijin heard the attendant’s words. Taken to the manor? He refused. In the Three Thousand Worlds, a city lord was no different from a local emperor. It would be easy enough to enter his manor, but impossible to leave.
Anxiety surged in his chest, but then a gentle touch grazed his ear. Sheng Rufei softly rubbed his head, a gesture of quiet reassurance.
“City Lord,” Sheng Rufei said, voice clear and chill yet impeccably polite, “this demon has remained by my side and has never stepped beyond his bounds. Hand him to me. I shall give you an answer in due time.”
His tone was courteous, but the surrounding scourge-slayers subtly shifted their sword-edges in his favour.
The Scourge-Slayer Envoys were almost a single body in thought and action, long accustomed to following their commander. They had carved their way through storms of blood at his side, and naturally their loyalties lay with him.
Hearing Sheng Rufei’s words, the crowd gasped in surprise; some murmured in agreement.
“Yes, let it be investigated first. There’s no harm in leaving him to the scourge-slayer.”
“He saved us just now, after all. He’s earned at least that much.”
But others were firm in their objections.
“Demons must never remain in the city. Otherwise, what was the point of building the Spirit Towers? The city’s rules cannot be discarded.”
“All of today’s chaos stems from demons. Saving a few people doesn’t erase a demon’s crimes.”
“The demon race is the natural enemy of humanity. They’ve caused havoc since ancient times, unforgivable to the core.”
Accusations were heaped upon Lin Shijin. His ears drooped low, and fear crept up his spine.
Some raised further doubts.
“The chaos at the banquet, if traced back, is tied to the scourge-slayer. For a scourge-slayer to consort with demons, this defies all reason.”
“The demon must be executed. The scourge-slayer must also be re-examined.”
Feeling the youth’s rising unease, Sheng Rufei gently flicked one of his rabbit ears. He ignored the clamour of voices. The only opinion that truly mattered was the city lord’s.
The city lord, seated at the head, remained silent for a long time before finally speaking, voice hoarse and low:
“How many people did he save?”
A guard stepped forward to count. Among the rescued were not only the musicians of the pleasure house, but also many of Yixiu City’s retainers, and even members of the city lord’s own household.
There were quite a number. After all, Lin Shijin had run himself ragged. His legs were still trembling.
The barge fell silent.
“Hand him to the scourge-slayer first,” the city lord said at last. “Before his identity is verified, he is not permitted to leave the residence.”
“As for the scourge-slayer, I appointed him myself. I will judge that matter personally.”
This was already an enormous concession. A retainer stepped forward and knelt, speaking urgently.
“My lord, you must not! After the Demon Immortal Calamity, the city cannot harbour demons. They are the source of corruption. They must not be allowed to remain!”
Lin Shijin’s newly settled heart clenched again. He clung to Sheng Rufei’s robes, feeling the warmth beneath them, ears stiff with fear.
The city lord remained silent. What he had declared could not be taken back.
“My lord—!” the kneeling retainer tried once more, but the attendant stepped forward, making a small gesture. The retainer instantly held his tongue.
The city lord had already given his verdict.
Sheng Rufei offered a slight bow, left the aftermath to the baby-faced youth, and vanished from the spot with Lin Shijin in his arms.
They left the barge unhindered. From mid-air, Lin Shijin glanced back. The golden platform still glimmered faintly, its array flickering with broken points of light, the glow slowly fading into the darkness.
“Shixiong… are we going back now?” Lin Shijin asked softly, still clinging to Sheng Rufei. He was practically draped over him, loosely wrapped around him like a soft bundle. Sheng Rufei kept an arm around his waist to keep him from slipping.
It was not an easy position to maintain, but fortunately the manor wasn’t far. Before long, Lin Shijin saw the familiar emblem of the sword Drawing the Moon: the scourge-slayer’s residence.
They entered the familiar room. It was the very first room Sheng Rufei had ever brought him to. Lin Shijin finally relaxed. With relief came pain; his injuries flared sharply.
He squirmed in discomfort. Sheng Rufei said, “I have spoken with the city lord. You will not be sent to the city lord’s manor.”
Lin Shijin knew he wouldn’t be handed over. He just hurt, especially where the demonic black mist had grazed him. It felt as though cold air had seeped into his bones, tiny silver needles pricking beneath his skin.
“Shixiong, it hurts…” Lin Shijin whimpered softly, reaching out to tug at Sheng Rufei’s sleeve, instinctively believing that Sheng Rufei must have a way to make the pain stop.
As he rolled over, he met Sheng Rufei’s eyes. Sheng Rufei watched him quietly as he wriggled on the soft couch, his cool gaze unreadable.
The young man’s fingertips pressed lightly against the injury on Lin Shijin’s shoulder, as though he could see the wound through the thin fabric. He traced along it, inch by inch, and asked in a low voice, “What did I tell you on the boat?”
The pain in Lin Shijin’s shoulder spiked. He trusted Sheng Rufei and assumed he was examining the wound, so he bit back any cry of pain. Hearing the question, his sluggish mind slowly began to recall.
Back then… Sheng Rufei had set a barrier around him and told him not to run about.
The young man pressed directly on the wound again, and tears sprang to Lin Shijin’s eyes. Meeting Sheng Rufei’s gaze, he whispered, “You told me not to run around.”
Sheng Rufei’s voice was cold. “And what did you do?”
He had heard a child crying and immediately rushed out, never returning to the barrier. Was Sheng Rufei… scolding him now?
Lin Shijin belatedly understood. He didn’t feel he’d been wrong and mumbled, “Shixiong, I couldn’t just watch them die. And I wasn’t badly hurt. I even brought everyone back inside the barrier.”
He hadn’t finished when Sheng Rufei’s finger pressed harder. A small figure in Lin Shijin’s heart shrieked in pain. He grew a little indignant, finally realising Sheng Rufei was doing this on purpose.
“It hurts,” Lin Shijin complained, inching away, lips pressed tight. “Shixiong, that really hurt.”
Sheng Rufei looked down at him. “Now you know pain.”
Lin Shijin stayed silent. He took hold of Sheng Rufei’s fingers and gently pushed them away so he couldn’t touch him again.
“You were lucky today. If I hadn’t been there, you’d be suffering more than a minor injury.”
Lin Shijin felt a touch on his cheek. His mask had fallen off at the banquet, leaving a few faint scratches, though none serious.
He could hear the concern hidden in Sheng Rufei’s tone. His earlier displeasure hadn’t completely faded, and he whispered, “I understand.”
His voice was soft, tinged with grievance.
“I’ll listen to you from now on, Shixiong.”
Sheng Rufei was silent. Lin Shijin knew now. This meant he was dissatisfied with the answer.
“What does Shixiong want me to do, then?”
“It cannot be only words,” Sheng Rufei said, eyes reflecting Lin Shijin’s face. “If you fail next time, there will be punishment.”
“Punishment” made Lin Shijin’s eyes widen. He instinctively recalled Feng Rugao’s punishments… copying scriptures, the ruler on his palms.
His rabbit fur practically stood on end. His scalp tingled. Displeasure rose in waves; his whole body radiated rejection.
Seeing his resistance, Sheng Rufei paused before saying, “I won’t strike you, nor make you copy texts.”
Lin Shijin’s ears perked up slightly. He whispered, “Then… what punishment does Shixiong mean?”
It surely couldn’t be denying him snacks or picture-books… both of which were absolutely unacceptable.
Other options could be negotiated.
Sheng Rufei’s expression remained cool, voice even colder. “I don’t yet know what I’ll decide, if you fail again.”
A chill raced down Lin Shijin’s spine. He replied in a small voice, “Shixiong, I was only joking earlier.”
He regretted it. That casual promise to obey everything Sheng Rufei said. Sheng Rufei had taken it entirely to heart.
Sheng Rufei’s indifferent gaze lingered on him, and after a moment, his demeanour grew distant.
Lin Shijin understood immediately. This wooden block was angry.
He felt Sheng Rufei was being deeply unreasonable. Yet, oddly, his earlier unhappiness dissolved. Sheng Rufei rarely showed emotion. Almost never.
To sense even the faintest ripple of anger from him was… novel. Almost amusing.
“You can’t just talk about punishing me like that, I’ll be frightened,” Lin Shijin said, touching Sheng Rufei’s fingers with his own. “I really will.”
He spoke in a very small voice, giving Sheng Rufei’s fingertips a light squeeze. Sheng Rufei lowered his eyes to look at him, and his own fingertips stiffened ever so slightly.
“Will that do?” Lin Shijin rubbed his rabbit ears against Sheng Rufei’s wrist. He was always particularly patient with Sheng Rufei, for Sheng Rufei tended to bury his concerns deep in his heart; even when misunderstood, he would only flounder helplessly, never good at explaining himself.
After a long pause, Sheng Rufei gave a soft hum of assent. His fingertips brushed against Lin Shijin’s rabbit ears. His voice halted a moment. “Next time, you must listen.”
In his view, the youth’s life mattered far more.
“All right,” Lin Shijin replied brightly. He made to nuzzle against Sheng Rufei again, but the moment he moved a sharp pain flared in his shoulder. He yelped and flopped straight back down.
Half his shoulder felt as though it had been packed in ice. A hand pressed him still. “You’ve been tainted by demonic energy. Don’t move.”
Lin Shijin nodded with tears in his eyes and lay obediently still. Sheng Rufei applied the medicine; once it was on, the pain eased, though a penetrating cold lingered through his body.
The matter at the city lord’s manor was far from over. They suspected a demon-clan scheme, yet all who had appeared on the golden platform were former scourge-slayers, long dead. No one knew what the demon clan was plotting.
The immortal sect disciples had already learnt that the Scourge-Slayer Envoys had been cursed by evil energy while purging demons. Word of this would surely spread through the city before long, stirring no small uproar.
Lin Shijin lay on the bed. After finishing the medicine, Sheng Rufei left him, instructing him to rest well.
It was deep into the night, yet Lin Shijin felt no sleepiness at all. His shoulder still ached with a ghostly chill, as though cold seeped straight from the marrow, threading slowly through the rest of his limbs.
He curled into a tight ball, icy from head to toe. Hearing a sound, he poked his head out from beneath the quilt and saw a familiar figure at his bedside.
Sheng Rufei had returned, seated beside him with his sword in an embrace, as though intending to keep vigil while meditating.
The young man wore dark robes embroidered with the motif of a long sword clasping the moon. A faint shadow fell across his cool profile. His slender fingers rested on the sword, its silver blade etched now with the pattern of a ghost king.
“Can’t sleep?” Sheng Rufei lifted his lashes slightly, his gaze settling upon him.
Lin Shijin mumbled in reply. He felt so very cold, and what he wanted most was to sleep in Sheng Rufei’s arms. His shixiong’s embrace was warm and safe; nestled there, the cold would surely stop biting.
But he was too shy to say so outright. Clutching the quilt, he fidgeted this way and that. He liked being held by his shixiong… so much so that, without thinking, he wished he could stay in his embrace always, the way he wished he could always have his favourite sweets.
Sheng Rufei listened to the rustling movements on the bed. He could hear the youth shifting and rubbing about. Curled into a small mound under the covers, the boy was little more than a round bulge, with only a pair of rabbit ears occasionally poking out.
After a while, he quietened. Sheng Rufei withdrew his gaze… only for the youth to start fidgeting again.
A soft rustle came from beside him. Looking over, he saw Lin Shijin’s delicate face emerge from the brocade quilt. Then, the youth tugged gently at the hem of his robes.
His voice came out low and soft, tinged with shy embarrassment.
“Shixiong… I’m so cold… c-could you… sleep with me?”
