By the time Yan Ling reappeared inside Bai Shuang Hua Pavilion, it was already past midnight. The sentinels stood like statues at the entrance, their shadows stretching across the stillandlonely courtyard. Their presence outside the heavy door was a constant reminder of Yan Ling's confinement.
The familiar fragrance of plum blossoms was heavy in the air surrounding the whole courtyard including the pavilion, but it no longer calmed Yan Ling. His nerves were strung too tight, his thoughts tangled from everything that had gone wrong—and everything that had gone too smoothly.
Okay. Let's not think about that and focus on what's still left to be done! Yes! Let's fix the mess first!
He moved quickly into the inner chamber, heart hammering as he pushed aside the screen leading to his bedroom. The bed came into view but...
Empty? Where did that guard's body go? Oh no!
The duvet lay neatly folded. No body beneath it. No unconscious guard breathing shallowly where he had left him. Yan Ling's blood ran cold.
…No. No no no no.
He stood frozen for a heartbeat, then lunged forward, yanking the bedding aside as if the man might have simply evaporated into the mattress.
Nothing. Shit!
His gaze darted wildly around the darkened room.
Did he wake up? Did someone find him? Did the guards—did Li Feng—No!
Okay, I need to calm down first and do what?!. Think...yes, think something...I CAN'T!
The absurd thought of the unconscious guard having rolling under the bed ignited a spark of hope, and to check that Yan Ling needed to light up the pitch dark room.
He turned sharply, striding toward the low table where an unlit paper lantern rested. His fingers had brushed the flint just roughly when all of a sudden, he felt a foreign arm circled his waist from behind.
Yan Ling gasped. The sound tearing out of him before he could stop it as he was yanked backward. His spine slamming into a chest as tough as a rock. The exotic fragrance of frost-withered epiphyllum flowers filled the chamber, making him feel cold all of a sudden.
A shriek clawed its way up his throat as his struggles increased. His elbows jerking, body twisting but to no avail. The grip on him, only tightened with his increasing struggles.
"Who are you?! Let me go! I said le—"
"Shhh..." A presence pressed close near his nape, breath warm against his ear as a deep voice slipped in, "Where were you," the voice murmured, sounding jealous and intimate, "..all this while?"
The faint chimes of his robe adorned with little golden balls and of the ornaments he had worn, answered the question already for Yan Ling before that deep voice sounded.
His stomach dropped.
"You—!" Yan Ling choked, forcing himself to speak as he strained against the hold. "Let go! I was doing what you told me to—nothing else!"
The arm around his waist tightened a bit more making him hiss in pain and annoyance.
"Oh?" the man behind him said lightly and Yan Ling was sure he was smiling, "Did I tell you to meet Xian Li Yue, too?"
Yan Ling's heart slammed violently as the mysterious man's slightly angry voice continued,
"So," the voice continued, pleasant and dangerous, "tell me—whose idea was that? How far has your little relationship with him, progressed? And most importantly....what, exactly, did the two of you discuss for so long?"
Yan Ling's jaw clenched as he huffed, feeling quite tired and annoyed.
None of your business, bastard!
He forced his breathing to get steady despite the pressure crushing his ribs before speaking through clenched teeth,"Who I meet, what I say or who I choose to trust—those are my decisions. Who are YOU to question me?"
The silence was so heavy that only ragged breathing of a furious Yan Ling's heart, seemed to echo in the whole bed chamber.
Yan Ling tried to push the man again as there was no movement when his waist was spun around with such force that in the next instance, he found himself standing face to face with his captor.
Nothing changed around him, only that arm which was now resting at his waist from behind. Just when Yan Ling was going blind from the darkness, the mysterious man snapped his fingers once.
Instantly, paper lanterns around the chamber flared to life one after another, filling the dark room with warm golden light.
Yan Ling squeezed his eyes shut against the sudden brightness, nearly cursing in English. Once his vision cleared, he was met with the mysterious man again.
Gorgeous red monster, hmph!
Yan Ling swallowed hard thinking if he should plead or not. What if he was here to give him the antidote for free this time, maybe out of pity.
I should try at least...
But before he could speak, the man lifted his free hand with fingers forming an unfamiliar gesture, igniting golden lights at his fingertips,
"No—wait—!" Yan Ling started but the mysterious man ignored him and pressed his gestured-fingers gently to Yan Ling's right temple.
The mysterious golden waves surged into his mind, flooding his thoughts and ripping through his memories with ruthless ease.
Yan Ling's body went unconscious for the time being, his eyes clamped shut and his body seizing in place.
When the finger finally lifted, Yan Ling's head drooped forward, leaning into the inviting chest of his enemy unconsciously. It took him a while before his eyes snapped open, taking in his surrounding and quickly putting a distance from the mysterious figure.
Before he could think rationally, his fingers clawed the robes of the man, asking angrily,
"What—what did you do to me this time?!" He demanded hoarsely, rage and fear twisting together. "Get out of my head!"
The man merely smiled, staring at the huffing puppy in amusement. Yes, he stared at latter like he's nothing but a cute little harmless pet of his.
"Aww...." he said softly, as though calming an agitated child. "Did I scare you?" He chuckled as he leaned closer,
Yan Ling's fists trembled from the close proximity of the latter,
"You—!"
"Shh, listen to me first. I'm not in your head. I merely used my memory-tracking spell on you," the man continued lazily. "...only viewed what happened after you sneaked out from here."
Yan Ling froze.
Memory tracking? So he can track my memories as per his will? That means, he can easily find out about my identity...?
The implications crashed down on him like a collapsing sky. So his memories weren't safe.
Not his thoughts and certainly not even his past. This man could watch him whenever he pleased.
Yan Ling's voice came out quieter now as he felt himself small, naked and vulnerable in front of his presence for the first time. His hands releasing the collar of latter's robe, sense alert and eyes full of fear and realisation.
"Who… are you?"
The man's smile widened like he could read his thoughts and inner conflict going inside his head.
Maybe he could...
The mysterious figure released Yan Ling, stepping back with unhurried grace. His hands forming a beautiful gesture at front, followed by a beautiful mark appearing at the centre of his forehead. It was a combination of two powerful symbols, moon and flame.
Yan Ling was mesmerized for a few second until the mark burned with crimson and blue light, and soon his iris turned golden, snatching the soul from his body. His feet backed away on their own, eyes wide with horror,
"I am LongYanTao, the DragonLord of the DemonRealm, and the sole ruler of the three other realms. A supreme being, second only to Heaven itself."
Yan Ling's heart dropped straight into his stomach thinking about all the possible ways he could experience death if he managed to annoy the demon somehow.
The Dragon King of the Demon Realm?
Dragon… King?
Demon Realm?
And he's behind...m-me?
Yan Ling's knees nearly buckled—but he held himself upright through sheer spite, almost on the edge of fainting.
Long Yan Tao smirked before waving his hand casually, changing back to his normal appearance, saying casually as if discussing the weather,
"Yes, there are many realms beyond this one. We are currently standing in the Mortal Realm (Fán Jiè)—the lowest and most fragile of them all."
He took a slow, deliberate step toward Yan Ling, who instinctively retreated until his back was near the cold wall.
"The three realms under my direct rule are, of course, the DemonRealm (Mó Jiè), the DarkRealm (Àn Jiè), and the AbyssRealm (Shēn Yuān Jiè)."
The Demon Lord advanced again, forcing Yan Ling to move sideways along the wall, trapped.
"Beyond my dominion lie other great realms such as the ImmortalRealm (Xiān Jiè), the CelestialRealm (Tiān Jiè), the Marine Realm (Hǎi Líng Jiè) that thrives beneath the oceans, and the ever-shifting ShadowRealm (Àn Yǐng Jiè)."
He paused, a predatory stillness in his posture as he closed the last few feet between them. His presence seemed to block out the golden lantern light.
"But these are only the realms that are known. Beyond them exist hidden underworlds—places sealed by distance, danger, or laws even gods hesitate to challenge."
Long Yan Tao leaned in, his warm breath a stark contrast to the cold dread now gripping Yan Ling.
"Realms like the AetherRealm (Yǐ Tài Jiè), where pure energy replaces matter; the WildmythRealm (Kuáng Yě Shén Yù), ruled by ancient, untamed beasts; the HowlspireRealm (Háo Yǐng Tǎ Jiè), where endless howls echo through towering shadows; and the elusive SerineRealm (Ài Sè Líng Jiè), calm on the surface, yet lethal to the unworthy."
His gaze flickered toward Yan Ling, deep and unreadable,
"And even then, this is not everything. There are realms that have never been reached, never named—worlds that remain unknown simply because no one has survived long enough to return from there."
Yan Ling barely could digest all the facts and was already bored to death. His short memory was more than enough to only remember the word 'realm' without any prefixes. All he could think of is the demon acting like a human in front of him but in reality, could devour at any moment...wait,
Demons are supposed to eat human, right? Why does this sentence sounds wrong...FOCUS!
"You have already met more than one non-mortal being until now, keep your eyes open because there's will be more in future and mind you...." He leaned closer suddenly, saying tauntingly, "...not everyone is kind like that Li Yue guy."
Yan Ling pushed the laughing figure a bit and turned his back towards him. Then replying with a scoff,
"Obviously! You're the the prime example of evil, anyw—AHH! WHAT THE FUCK?!! STOP APPEARING OUT OF NOWHERE!"
Yan Ling's poor soul nearly flew away from the window when he attempted to slip out from his bed chamber sneakily but how could the demon have let him escape?
Long Yan Tao who had already seen though his intention, appeared in front of him out of nowhere. He walked towards him slowly making him retreat and go deeper in the bed chamber,
"You do think you're smart," Long Yan Tao said, advancing leisurely, each step forcing Yan Ling back. "Silly little human… hmm?"
Yan Ling's back hit the edge of the bed.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
"E-Everyone has a right to live!" Yan Ling blurted out, voice cracking despite his attempt at bravado. "Isn't that, like, a universal rule? Even demons should know basic ethics!"
Long Yan Tao paused before laughing out loud. His phoenix eyes forming a crescent moon shape, making his sharp handsome face stand out even more.
The laughter itself was light as a feather in tone but that only made Yan Ling's skin crawl harder.
"Ethics?" he echoed, tilting his head with a slow chilling curiosity. "You think demons have such qualities? Aren't we famous for our barbaricactions?"
"L-look, if you're trying to scare me... it's not w-working!" Yan Ling snapped, even as his knees shook violently.
Traitors.
He scrambled backward as the bed pressed against his calves. "Look, w-we can talk this out. Violence is un-necessary to be honest. Communication solves ninety percent of problems. Haven't you ruled three realms? Surely you've attended at least one seminar on conflict resolution—aaahhhhhhhh!"
Long Yan Tao didn't answer with words. He took a single step forward, and the air in the chamber seemed to vanish.
"Communication solves ninety percent of problems?" he murmured, leaning so close that Yan Ling could see the golden sparks dancing in his irises.
"Then let us communicate, little human. Tell me... why does your soul smell like a world that doesn't exist?"
Yan Ling's heart stopped.
He knows.
"Caughtyou," the Demon Lord whispered, his deep voice looming over Yan Ling's scared presence.
.
.
.
To be continued...