Shock rippled through Yetao like a stone cast into still water. Of all the questions racing through his mind, only one demanded immediate voice: "Does Lu know about this?"
Yuchen's simple head shake was a universe of unspoken complexity.
Confusion and anger battled within Yetao. For a moment, suspicion flared. Could Yuchen be hiding his true identity to harm Lucas? But something in Yuchen's unwavering expression, something in the history of their past interactions, held Yetao back from immediate judgment.
"Care to explain?" The request hung between them, sharp as a blade.
A small laugh escaped Yuchen—unexpected and disarming. "What's funny?" Yetao's glare was a perfect blend of cute indignation and fierce determination.
"I thought you would throw hands at me the moment I revealed my identity," Yuchen teased. "I didn't know you had this maturity in you."
Yetao's response was immediate and fierce. "If you're trying to escape by making me angry, then I'm sorry to disappoint you. You've failed." His voice carried the confidence of his fox heritage. "I know a person with evil intentions when I see one. Don't underestimate a fox's perceptiveness. And I'm not dumb enough to believe that you'd come yourself and expose your true identity to me if you have ill intentions"
A warning followed, delivered with adorable seriousness. "But if you really escaped from my suspicious radar and are thinking to harm Lu, then be ready to face my wrath."
Yuchen's lips curved to form a smirk. "You're unpredictable," he mumbled.
The interrogation continued. "You know why you're going on these missions?" Yuchen probed.
Yetao's response was pure, innocent confidence. "Because Lu is bored and likes adventures—just like me. I know it. That's how we became friends," he declared, completely unaware of any deeper motivations.
Yuchen's teasing was merciless. "See? One minute you're acting mature, and the next minute you're dumb."
Yetao's reaction was instantaneous—a gasp of indignation, teeth clenching in adorable anger, embodying the perfect blend of fierce determination and childlike emotion.
The space between them crackled with unresolved tension.
"Did you really believe that?" Yuchen's words dripped with amusement. "I really don't get how you survived this world until now. Must've been because of your aunt."
Yetao's indignation flared. "You're hell-bent on making me angry today. Or are you testing my patience?" His fierce gaze could have melted stone.
"Calm down, kitty," Yuchen teased. "I'll do some briefing, so widen your ears."
The "kitty" comment set Yetao's teeth on edge, but his curiosity burned brighter than his irritation. He remained silent, ears metaphorically perked.
Yuchen's explanation unfolded like a carefully crafted scroll. "The wolf lord maintains order among demons. Any disturbance or suspicious activity gets eradicated—either directly or through undercover investigations. You've been aiding him in these missions, and so am I."
A deeper motivation emerged. "My father wanted peace to exist in both realms, especially for the fox clan. Since he can't personally accomplish these things, he sent me a century ago. You don't have to worry about me harming the wolf lord."
Yetao's mind worked to process the information. "So you're here to monitor Lu? To keep him in check?"
"Half right," Yuchen clarified. "I'm monitoring and aiding him, ensuring he solves things properly. If he tries to betray his role, I don't need to harm him. His own curse will handle that."
"A curse?" Yetao's voice trembled, vulnerability etching itself into every syllable.
Yuchen's tone softened, tinged with a sadness that seemed to transcend the moment. "Once he attempts any forbidden act that could disturb the peace in the demon realm, his curse takes effect. Immediate punishment follows."
Seeing Yetao's fallen expression, Yuchen quickly added, "But you don't have to worry about this guy. He's got an incredibly strong sense of justice. He could never even approach an evil thought, let alone disturb this realm's peace."
A hint of a smile played across Yetao's features. The weight of centuries of friendship crystallized in his next words. "Yes, he'd never do that. I've known him for more than 300 years. He can never think of anything evil."
Yuchen's lips curved into a relieved smile, his eyes dancing with a mixture of amusement and underlying complexity. "So," he drawled, head tilting at a playful angle, "are we clear on everything now? Any lingering questions kitty?"
Yetao's gaze narrowed, sharp as a blade's edge. A sardonic smile played at the corners of his mouth. "I never realized you could be so... talkative," he said, each word carefully measured. "Or were you deliberately concealing your true self along with your hidden identity?"
The challenge hung in the air between them.
Yuchen's laugh was quick and sharp. "I've always been exactly who I am," he retorted, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "You were simply too dumb to notice."
Before Yetao could launch himself forward in mock anger, Yuchen dissolved into thin air, leaving behind only the ghost of a laugh. Yetao stood momentarily stunned, then muttered a string of colorful curses under his breath. "That infuriating, impossible—" he began, before catching himself.
In the main hall, Yetao's aunt waited with barely contained anxiety, Yuchen already present and looking maddeningly composed. When Yetao entered, he could feel Yuchen's barely suppressed amusement radiating from across the room. He shot a venomous glare that would have wilted lesser beings, but Yuchen merely shrugged, rolling his eyes with an exaggerated nonchalance.
"Yetao," his aunt's voice trembled slightly, "have you made your decision?"
A wave of guilt washed over him—a silent acknowledgment of the secrets brewing just beneath the surface. Yet his resolve remained unbroken. He nodded, watching as relief softened his aunt's worried features.
"I know you'll always follow my guidance," she said, her words landing like a gentle weight on his conscience.
Yuchen's shoulders shook with suppressed laughter, earning him a murderous glance from Yetao that promised retribution. "Yuchen will escort you to the iceberg mountain tomorrow," his aunt continued, oblivious to the silent battle of wills. "There, you can purify any energies that might have been... tainted by the demonic miasma in our realm. I was planning to take you there next week since we have unresolved conflicts in our clan loaded. But fortunately, Yuchen arrived"
Her hand came to rest on Yetao's head—a gesture of both affection and blessing. "You'll ascend just like me Yetao" Yang mi smiled.
As they bid farewell, Yetao's final glare at Yuchen spoke volumes—a promise of future confrontations, of unresolved tensions simmering just beneath the surface.
Yuchen found Yetao's bristling adorable—like a kitten baring its claws to a lion, all fierce and barely contained energy. His smile was soft, almost indulgent, as he brushed off Yetao's irritation with practiced ease.
Night draped itself over the fox hill, a velvet cloak studded with starlight. Yetao lay restless in his bed, excitement for his adventure to the ocean dancing beneath his skin. Unable to contain his anticipation, he slipped out of his cave, drawn by the ethereal beauty of the night.
Two crescent moons hung in the sky, their silver smiles casting a gentle luminescence across the landscape. They seemed to wink at Yetao, conspirators in some secret celestial joke. He found himself smiling back, a reflexive gesture of connection.
The rustle of leaves broke the midnight silence. Yetao whirled, muscles coiled, ready to defend—only to find Yuchen emerging from the shadows.
"Why are you here?" Yetao's voice was a mixture of wariness and curiosity. "Came to start another argument?"
Yuchen raised his hands in a gesture of peace. "Just walking," he said simply. "Sleep evades me tonight."
They wandered aimlessly, moonlight painting their path in silver and shadow. Yuchen seemed lost in thought, his usual playful demeanor replaced by a profound melancholy that seemed to weigh heavily on his shoulders.
Yetao, unable to resist, broke the silence.
"Why do you look like that?" Yetao asked and Yuchen was confused as he replied with another question, "Look like what?"
"You look like an old grandfather," Yetao teased, "with worries so deep they've etched themselves into your very skin."
To his surprise, Yuchen smiled—a fragile thing, more pain than mirth. "Can you tell that I'm troubled?"
Something shifted in the air between them. The playful banter dissolved, replaced by an unexpected vulnerability. Yetao, surprising himself, offered a lifeline. "If something's weighing on you, I'm willing to listen."
A soft, almost inaudible mumble escaped Yuchen. "I get why that man's so devoted to you," he said, so quietly Yetao almost missed it.
"What was that?" Yetao asked.
"Nothing," Yuchen deflected. "Just family matters."
Silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken emotions. Then Yuchen's question came, sharp as a blade: "What would you do if your father had abandoned you?"
Yetao flinched, memories and possibilities colliding in his mind. He chose his words carefully, aware of the delicate terrain they were navigating. "I've never known my father," he said slowly. "But I believe no truly loving parent would abandon their child—not without profound reason."
Yuchen's laugh was bitter. "What if the reason was that the child was too strong?"
A philosophical challenge hung in the air. Yetao considered carefully. "Wouldn't extraordinary strength mean extraordinary trust?" he countered gently.
"Then why," Yuchen's voice cracked slightly, "won't he even let me speak to my mother?"
The pain was raw, unvarnished. Yuchen's usual bravado had fallen away, revealing the hurt of a child longing for connection.
Yetao's response was soft, almost tender. "Sometimes," he said, "ignorance can be its own form of love."
The moonlight continued to pour around them, silent witnesses to this unexpected moment of shared vulnerability.
"Have you heard of the story, 'Hidden Dragon Child'?" Yetao's question hung in the moonlit air, soft yet laden with meaning.
Yuchen's eyes grew distant, remembering. "The tale of the dragon mother who masked her child's power and entrusted him to a commoner?"
Yetao nodded, his voice taking on the tone of a storyteller. "She concealed his enormous powers, knowing he could become a target for both immortals and vengeful spirits. So profound was her protection that she never revealed her true relationship, even as her son recognized her. By raising him among common folk, she allowed him to develop and control his skills, free from watchful threats and oppressive expectations."
A contemplative silence stretched between them. Yuchen listened, something shifting in his expression.
"When a parent strongly ignores a child," Yetao continued, his words measured and gentle, "it could be either to protect them or to develop their potential. It could never be pure hatred."
The words struck Yuchen like a subtle blade, making him flinch imperceptibly.
Yetao, having delivered his insight, bid a quick farewell. "Think on it," he said simply, leaving Yuchen alone with his thoughts.
Alone under the moonlight, Yuchen's mind raced. His lips curved into a smile—tentative at first, then growing wider. "Could it be because of the other immortal sects?" he murmured to himself. "They always wanted to challenge me in everything."
Realization dawned slowly, like morning mist lifting. Yetao's words resonated deeply, offering a perspective he'd never considered. "Why was I so slow to understand?" A soft, self-deprecating laugh escaped him.
His heart raced, cheeks flushing with a complex mix of emotions as he remembered Yetao's smiling face under the moon when he said those words "This is getting dangerous," Yuchen whispered, though whether he meant his newfound understanding or the emotions stirring within him, even he couldn't say.
The night continued its silent vigil, watching as personal revelations unfolded beneath its starlit canvas.
The morning light filtered softly through the cave's entrance as Yetao embraced his aunt bidding farewell, her worried eyes tracking his every movement. Yuchen stepped forward, offering reassurances that felt slightly hollow and they took off from the fox hill. Something had changed—a tension hung between them like an invisible thread.
Yetao noticed Yuchen's peculiar behavior immediately. Yuchen seemed unable to meet his gaze, his eyes darting everywhere but directly at Yetao. "What's gotten into him?" Yetao wondered, a furrow of confusion crossing his brow.
At the entrance, they encountered Lucas. Suddenly, Yuchen transformed—his posture becoming rigid, his movements precise. He bowed to Lucas and announced his intention to prepare the teleportation scroll with a formality that felt entirely out of character.
"Now that's what I call a 360-degree turn," Yetao mumbled, equal parts bemused and bewildered.
Lucas, perceptive as always, sensed the shift in dynamics. "I know Yuchen's clever enough to help you slip past your aunt's watchful eye," he probed. "What exactly happened?"
Yetao's mind raced, grateful for their pre-arranged explanation. "He's escorting me to an aura purification area," he replied, forcing a smile that he hoped looked natural. "My aunt sensed no deception, thanks to his abilities."
Lucas looked suspicious for a moment but ultimately chose to let it go, his smile returning.
The teleportation scroll whisked them away, depositing them at the entrance of the snake clan's territory. An expansive ocean stretched before them, its salty breeze carrying whispers of ancient mysteries. Soldiers stood at attention, and a distinguished man stepped forward.
"Welcome, Wolf Lord," the man announced formally.
Lucas waved away the formality with a casual smile. "Drop the titles, Jackson gege. We're here to relax."
Yetao looked confused until Yuchen leaned in and whispered, "He's the snake lord. Be on your best behavior."
Immediately, Yetao bowed—a gesture of respect that came more from Yuchen's warning than any inherent protocol. Jackson's warm smile suggested he appreciated the gesture, even if it seemed slightly forced.
The ocean continued its endless rhythm around them, a silent witness to the complex dynamics unfolding at its shores.