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  - I didn’t know where else to go. – Well, Luo Binghe though. Not that has night had been boring or anything but things were definitely looking up now. Having the head of one of the most powerful clans in the area drop half-dead on his doorstep at, he checked, 5:21 in the morning did tend to change one’s plans for the day. He rolled his shoulders and grinned. This was going to be fun.

  Although… Nowhere else to go. And the man looked positively beaten up, judging by the speed with which the dark red stain was spreading on his fine, fine plush carpet. He let the smile slip from his face, kneeling to check where the blood was coming from. He knew Liu Qingge couldn’t simply be reduced to such a state, had seen it with his own eyes. Unlike most clan leaders nowadays who liked to rest and discuss politics, and send their hordes of disciples if things escalated, the Bai Zhan lord tended to lead his army. And cut down the most enemies.

  He was the only one who could, Luo Binghe considered while rolling the unconscious man to his front, hold his own against him. Not win, of course, but if he didn’t have the unfair advantage of his mixed heritage…Maybe they could be equals then. Maybe. Not that it mattered. Liu Qingge was old, experienced, powerful and reveled in the heat of the battle. It gave Luo Binghe immense pleasure to dance with him, sword to sword, until they were the only ones standing on the battlefield. And then, until he was the only one standing, with the other warrior battered at bruised at his feet. This, on the other hand, this was something else.

  He found the source easily, Liu Qingge’s weird obsession with white shirts making it a piece of cake to locate where all the blood was dripping from, but when he pulled the soaked fabric from his waistband, he frowned. There was no cut, no bones sticking out, no blades that he could see.

 - Master ? – He pressed on the flesh in front of him, looking for the fresh blood. – Master ?

  It was a tiny puncture. Not a cut, definitely not a stab wound. Why was it bleeding so much ?

 - Master…? My lord ?

 - Do you want to be locked in your other form for a month ? – Zhuzhi Lang showed he could read a situation for once in his life and kept his mouth shut. Luo Binghe wiped the mess on the small of Liu Qingge’s back with a cleaner part of his shirt and pressed again. The area around the little hole in the skin was bruising fast, uneven marks turning darker and darker blue with the ones closest to the would going almost black. And the blood kept dripping. – What do you want ?

 - Is this the Bai Zhan lord ? – How had his father held his temper so long, Luo Binghe wondered. True, the other demon was a relative but their race wasn’t exactly big on family. Had it been loneliness ? Probably. Otherwise, he couldn’t imagine his father voluntary spending time around someone this…stupidly dedicated.

   He got up. Some kind of poison to take him down and stop the blood from clotting. Whether the poison would kill him first, or the bloodloss, only time would show. Wiping his hands on his pants, Luo Binghe looked up and down the body on his floor. While Liu Qingge wasn’t the only one holding the line, he was a major player when it came to who controlled the city and the area around it. The Bai Znah lord was always out there, in the forests and fields and rivers, usually waiting in ambush or closing portals. Without him, the city would be left without its first line of defense. And once the outer wall was breached, the rest would be easier.

  The fragile excuse for peace they had right now was too thin. Transparent. They cleared each other’s messes while avoiding full on war. But if the lord of the most powerful defensive power fell, well, the scales would tip. A lot. He licked his finger absentmindedly. Even if the city didn’t straight up fall in his hands, he would have the control over the sects and clans. He would be the one they were forced to consult and obey. Another finger. That didn’t sound too bad.

 - Get him in the red room. Chain him. If he wakes up and cuts someone’s limb off, they are going to have a much bigger problem than missing appendahes the moment I hear of it. Understood ?

  Judging from Zhuzhi Lang’s quick nod, he had been understood. Good. If anyone of his was stupid enough to get close enough to a man like Liu Qingge and slow enough to let themselves get caught, that would be nothing more than natural selection. And he would finish the job. Though if the warlord currently bleeding out on his carpet managed to get that close to a demon while chained, said demon probably wouldn’t be conscious long enough to see what Luo Binghe would do. Liu Qingge was famous for a few things –his medieval teaching methods, his unholy beauty and his bloodthirst when in battle. Not cruelty, Luo Binghe smiled lightly, never that. Not like him. But while the man was efficient and quick, he was merciless when he needed to be.

  He turned on his heels and headed for his office, listening carefully. If the warlord woke up, the whole mansion would shake and, if it happened while he was in the hands of his subordinates, there would be blood spilled to the sounds of screams. After a few minutes of silence he closed the office door behind him. Quiet. Whatever they had gotten into him would be able to take down a high demon lord, he bet. Time to make a call.

 - My lord. – Mobei Jun bowed slightly. His…servant, walking a step behind him, bowed deeply and wouldn’t look him in the eye. Luo Binghe nodded at them and turned to lead them down the hallway. Behind him, Mobei Jun walked without making a sound, only the vague feeling of frost he gave off serving as evidence he was close. Shang Qinghua, on the other hand, was as loud as a horse in the silent house. A human would barely hear his steps but for someone with Luo Binghe’s senses, he could count every breath and heartbeat. It was good he was there with his master, though, that was what he’d been counting on.

  He didn’t look around but he could tell the house was empty. The lesser demons were afraid of the lord of the Mobei Clan because of the tales of their conquests and those who had witnessed the rare sight of the present Lord in battle knew better than to be in his presence. Even better.

  Down and down they went, through several locked doors which, he knew, wouldn’t hold a determined high demon or a sect leader. Or, he almost smiled, one very specific clan lord. The fact the locks were unbroken told him all the needed to know about the warlord’s condition. He would be either close to bleeding to death or…

  Luo Binghe pushed the last door open. The low lights bathed the room in cold white light but even that couldn’t hide the deep red walls. The Red Room. What a joke.

  Unlike the rest of the dungeon, he’d kept this cell clean of clutter or unnecessary torture devices on the walls. That was not the purpose of the room.

  On the opposite side, as deep in the corner as possible, Liu Qingge was curled so tightly his ponytail was covering most of his body. In the dead silence the broken wet breaths of the warlord were loud enough that even Shang Qinghua paused right behind Mobei Jun.

  Luo Binghe checked his watch. Six minutes. The Bai Zhan lord had been with Zhuzhi Lang and then alone for six minutes. Mobei Jun was more than efficient when called urgently, and his assistant…slave…probable lover was never too far behind. And for six minutes the marble floor was slippery red, with the size of the puddle around the warlord being more than worrying. He’d checked the wound and it had been tiny. How had the man bled so much in such a short amount of time…? And how was he even breathing ?

 - Check him. He’s got a puncture wound near the base of his spine and lost lot of blood. - Shang Qinghua glanced at him but, as usual, the man simply did as ordered and didn’t ask questions. Luo Binghe pushed the door closed and checked his phone. Nothing. Nothing from his people working undercover in the clans, nothing official, nothing from the few lords who did their best to keep some sort of contact with him to pretend the peace was real and permanent and not just a thin ceasefire. Nothing even from his Shizun who was polite in front of people and downright familiar when alone. At least he would had texted him if something was up. But no. Nowhere else to go…

  Shang Qinghua kneeled by Liu Qingge, making only a slight grimace as the blood soaked his pants, and carefully tried to force the unconscious body to loosen its muscles. Luo Binghe glanced to the side for half a second. Mobei Jun was standing still as a statue, which, with him being the lord of the clan of ice demons was more than fitting, and not even blinking. Luo Binghe knew that if the warlord woke up now and lashed out, things would get ugly really fast. Mobei Jun was usually unnaturally placid for a demon, cold and collected, but if there was even the tiniest danger to Shang Qinghua, he got…violent. He never would’ve called them but the demon lord’s lover had the uncanny ability to soak any useful information and stumble upon the rarest of ingredients. Which was why he was the unofficial doctor Luo Binghe relied on in some very specific situations.

  True, he had his healers, with their various skills and centuries of experience, but not only would Mobei Jun’s little plaything never utter a word about what he saw or did, he had the kind of luck that started bad in every situation and always ended in the best possible way. It lacked logic or an explanation which was why Luo Binghe was very, very careful with how often and in what cases he required the services of the other man. But this one was definitely one of those cases.

  In addition, only Zhuzhi Lang had seen Liu Qingge, and now the two newcomers. Him calling Mobei Jun in the middle of the night was nothing odd and said demon’s servant coming with him was the norm. Nothing out of the ordinary, at least for the eyes of everyone else. Nobody else would know.

 - Difethine. – Luo Binghe turned to the kneeling figure. Beside him, Mobei Jun stood even more still.

 - What ?

 - It’s a variation of Difethine. Or, it’s pure but the dose is extreme. - Shang Qinghua stood up, giving a single disgusted look to his ruined clothes, and stepped over the puddle of blood.

 - Explain. – Pulling his hair in a ponytail, the man obviously stalled and the only reason Luo Binghe didn’t break a few bones was the tightly wound energy he could feel from the demon beside him. It would turn ugly. Although he had never been patient and the human was definitely testing him. He could feel his claws dig in his palms and was getting closer and closer to taking an eye or two out when Shang Qinghua met his glare. True, it was for a second, followed by him almost hiding in Mobei Jun’s shadow but it had been enough. He narrowed his eyes.

 - Can you stop it ? – The human stared back for a moment before sighing.

 - He’s a powerful man. I would recommend a general antidote, something that clears the blood and the stomach. The external bleeding has stopped so he’s definitely fighting it.

  He heard the unsaid “but”. Opening his palm, he felt cold satisfaction from the way Shang Qinghua’s eyes dropped to his claws. Good. He wasn’t in the mood for half-truths.

 - He’s bleeding internally and also from his nose and from his gums. No matter how powerful he is, it took him down fast. He slipped way too quickly and his energies are all mixed up.

 - How. – He didn’t even try to shape it as a question. It was an order and the human understood. Even better.

 - His own healing is close to nonexistent. – He glanced to the still body on the floor. – General healing with focus on his stomach and lungs, and a strong antidote. He should make it.

 - Should ?

 - If he was a human, he’d be dead in the moment the poison got in his body. It’s working against him and he’s barely holding up the way it is. – He shrugged. – I can’t promise anything.

  Luo Binghe nodded lightly, retracting his claws. Slightly.

 - How fast can you get the antidote ? - Shang Qinghua exhaled loudly.

 - If we use a portal, I should be back in under ten minutes. – Ten minutes. It wasn’t long but he remembered what had happened in six.

 - Does he have that long ? – He made sure to keep his voice clear. Let them both understand he wasn’t in the mood for guesses or shots in the dark.

 - Yes. – The human was more or less under Mobei Jun’s arm in what looked way too close to a hug but his voice was sure. Shaking, yes, but also confident.

 - Go. – And then he turned to the man laying by the wall. Barely registering the sound of the door closing, he dropped on one knee.

  Poison. The proudest warlord of the most violent clan, and whoever had went for his life had used a poison. Made sense, he thought, because as far as he knew the only one who had bested Liu Qingge was him. Nobody else. Not the men who had trained him, not the man’s sister who had trained with the best of her sect from way too young age. Not the man who had trained him, he remembered. His Shizun was a man of many talents but he hadn’t gotten anywhere close to winning over Liu Qingge. It was only logical to use such methods. Poisoned… Even to him, as a demon, it was a low move. No honour, no pride. No win over an enemy. Nothing.

  If someone was going to take Bai Zhan lord, Luo Binghe thought, it would be him. It would be the two of them in a battle, as always, it would be fast and painful and sizzling, only they would take it one step further. Nobody else deserved the honour to spill his blood and when he found out who had dared to try…There was a reason his father had left him everything on this side of the portals. Some lowlife had tried to steal his hunt. His game. The ultimate trophy he had been chasing for years. There would be blood, definitely. Screams. He lowered himself and moved the unresponsive body until he got the man in his arms. He would make whoever had tried that sorry, them and their entire line three generation forward and back.

  Going through a hidden door in the red room, he carried the warlord up the stairs and in the empty bedroom linked to his. He wouldn’t allow anyone near his prey, not until the balance was back and the scales were even again. Removing Liu Qingge’s clothes took way longer than it should’ve but the blood had partially dried and he cursed throughout the entire process. A light knock on the door made him look up, thin sheet in one hand. Judging by the fluttering heartbeat he could guess…

  - Come in. – He knew Shang Qinghua wouldn’t hear, considering how the man was knocking on the door of his own bedroom, a few walls away, but Mobei Jun would catch his words. And he was right. The door creaked lightly and then he could hear the rhythmic footsteps approaching. Dropping Liu Qingge’s ruined clothes to the side, he barely paid any attention on how they burst in dark flames, not even ash remaining to touch the shiny wooden floor. The spelled sheets would take care of the rest of the blood on the warlord’s face and back.

  In the living room in his personal quarters Shang Qinghua and Mobei Jun were carefully not speaking, just waiting. Good.

  The human looked a bit surprised but he still quickly schooled his expression.

 - Here. – The vial was made of black glass and looked solid. And small. Luo Binghe raised an eyebrow.  Shang Qinghua sighed again. – Three drops in a liter of water. Get him to take six drops a fay. He should be fine after one full day, don’t give it to him for longer than a day and a half.

  - You are going to give it to him. And if he dies, yours will be the corpse that will hang from the roof. – He’d never hung anyone from the roof but that simply because his subordinates tended to do what he told them to and not give him any reasons to follow up on the threat. This time, he heard Mobei Jun take an audible breath…and then exhale just as slowly. Smart. The ice demon was older and more experienced than him but Luo Binghe’s sheer amount of raw power made mockery of every other demon’s. And they all knew it.

  Shang Qinghua only pursed his lips for a moment and looked around. Taking a tall pitcher of water, he sloshed it for a second and then counted three drops from the vial. Whatever was in it turned the water brilliant blue and the human walked past him, giving him a wide berth, disappearing in the other bedroom.

  In the sudden silence of the room Luo Binghe couldn’t stand still. Dropping in the one comfortable armchair, because he couldn’t have people who dared to storm his private quarters be comfortable before they got kicked out and/or had limbs cut off. It was just rude of them so he was allowed to be rude back. But he had one good chair just for himself and right now he needed all the comfort he could get.

  A few tense minutes later, Shang Qinghua came back, pulling the door closed behind himself. He and Mobei Jun shared a look and Luo Binghe didn’t even have to order them to have them sit across from him. The human made another grimace, probably because of the terrible chair, while the demon showed no reaction. He would have to work on that.

 - Speak. - Shang Qinghua’s eyes wandered for a moment and then focused somewhere over his left shoulder.

 - It was Difethine, I was right. I checked him and the antidote is already working. He survived the worst. – A shrug.

 - So he will heal ? – Luo Binghe leaned back, keeping his eyes on the human’s face. If he dared to even consider lying…

 - Yes. He will vomit blood and cough it up, probably, but that’s normal. – He would what ?

 - In what situation is that…normal ? – He kept his tone calm but the human obviously caught the meaning and sat a little straighter.

 - He had an internal hemorrhage for way too long. Almost drowned in his own blood. It’s in his lungs and stomach. It would have to come out. The antidote will close the lesions but the blood can’t stay in there. But he should heal fast. His system is getting stable and is working on repairing itself.

  Good. That was good. No nameless worm had managed to steal his trophy. He was still going to be the one to have the ultimate victory.

 - What was it ?

 - My lord ?

 - How did they poison him ? - Shang Qinghua crossed his fingers.

 - It was in his food. And a small dose injected, but that happened after he started to lose it. Probably on his way out of the building he was in.

 - A spell ? He should have detected it. – The human shook his head. – Not a spell ?

 - It’s a complicated chemical compound but it’s more…

 - Tell me, Shang Qinghua. – He leaned back, crossing his legs. Keeping his voice calm and low. Tapping his lip with a claw. Let them see how much in the mood for a lecture he was. – Was it not a spell ?

 - It’s ro… - The human shook his head. – It’s rat poison. Forbidden for humans to use on rodents but…

   Luo Binghe was not listening. Rat. Poison. Not even some rare poison from the skin of an animal seen once in a millennium. Not even something made from the tears of a spider and the hooves of a butterfly. Not a solution that took years to brew under clear moon and over demonic fire. No. Some little vermin, some lowlife, some squirming worm, had dared to try and take out the most powerful warlord history knew, the most distinguished warrior and peerless beauty, Liu Qingge…with rat poison. For that sheer disgrace, they would die. Violently. He would personally see to it. With his own bare hands. That kind of insult, well, he couldn’t let go. And he didn’t want to.

  Getting up, he turned his back to Shang Qinghua  and Mobei Jun and went to pick a book. He had another day of waiting coming so he had to get comfortable. Once Liu Qingge was back in his previous condition and the battles would be once again fair, he would hunt down whoever had planned this. And he would make them suffer. A lot.

 - My lord ? – He turned to look at them, almost surprised they hadn’t left yet. – Um…

  Shang Qinghua opened his mouth and then closed it a couple of times before finally bowing and almost running out of the room. Mobei Jun kept the silent stare for another second before leaving and pulling the door shut behind himself. Now that he was alone, Luo Binghe took the glossy new copy of The Voynich Manuscript he’d bought last week, a thick blank notebook and several different coloured pens, and arranged a couple of tables and a chair by Liu Qingge’s bed. And got to work.

   He’d gotten his affairs to work pretty smoothly by themselves. Add some scared to death into loyalty subordinates and one got quite a well-oiled machine that didn’t need him 24/7. He still walked the portals as often as possible and went to every little fight between his side and everyone else, but with the flimsy peace in place he had time on his hands. And while he still meditated enough to keep everything on working order, he’d found out that simply relaxing kept his energies just as neat. So, trying to solve the mystery of a book it was. He’d covered most of the current languages and enough of the dead ones to think he had a fair chance. And he’d always loved puzzles. Pulling a black pen, he carefully copied the first half of the paragraph he’d been on and tapped his lip. It almost made sense…

     Shang Qinghua had said no more than three doses. There would be no need ever for that. After the second dose of the antidote Luo Binghe checked Liu Qingge’s body, touching as lightly as possible with his own energy. He most definitely did not want to disturb whatever patching up was going on on that front. Mobei Jun’s assistant had said the physical shock had messed up his energy, not the other way around, but he was still careful. Just in case. And while checking, he found…

  Ah, yes. He closed the book and put everything where it belonged. There would be no need for a third dose, indeed.

  Pulling up the chat on his phone, he ordered dinner and went to check the mail on his desk. Who would’ve thought that being a demon lord would include so much paperwork ? He shook his head. At least those were all important letters. He remembered, from his time at Qing Jing, that all the lords and leaders dealt with paperwork that had, at that time, reached all the way up to his chest while piled on the floor. He did not envy them for that, that was for sure. While he, he had a little less to go through.

  Request for asylum…He checked the sender’s name. Unfamiliar. Read it backwards. An Ding had no idea how things worked, did they ? The letter burst into flames. Moving on. Trade deal suggestion. From someone who obviously thought he had no idea how mathematics worked. Flames. Someone complaining about the last batch of opiates being…cloudy ? He moved the letter to the side to check later. Another request for asylum. Didn’t demons learn ? Flames. Another…

  He was in the middle of composing an official response to Lao Gongzhu to deny his clan access to the caves and portals east of the city, just because he could, when the hidden door in his quarters slowly slid open. The lord of Bai Zhan in all his glory, draped in black and white, hair up and jacket unbuttoned, stood there, looking more than mildly suspicious. Luo Binghe allowed a little smirk to show.

  He knew how he looked. Black on black on red, mark glowing in red and black hair curling down his chest and back. In his chair, behind his huge desk, he knew he made an imposing picture. Liu Qingge probably wasn’t impressed but he had to be at least surprised.

 - Qing-xiong. It’s good to see you awake. – The warlord narrowed his eyes and stepped in the room, letting the door close behind him.

 - Luo Binghe. Would you like to explain ? – He knew the only reason they were still talking was because his guest was missing Cheng Luan. Otherwise, he bet they would’ve destroyed half the room already. But this Liu Qingge, the one forced to behave and be proper, he liked that. The other man obviously seethed, which was normal since he probably had no idea what had happened. And had woken up in the middle of his enemy’s mansion, practically in his bed. Luo Binghe would be pissed, too. But now, with the way the roles were set, he would enjoy the advantage he had.

  Leaning back in the tall chair, he slid a strand of hair behind one shoulder, enjoying the way the warlord’s eyes followed his hand. Looking for weapons ? Probably. He didn’t blame him.

 - You came crawling to my doorstep, Qing-xiong. – He saw Liu Qingge take a deep breath. Ah, yes, being teasingly familiar while still keeping the pretense of propriety. A man raised with tradition probably wouldn’t appreciate that. – Told me you had nowhere else to go. Was I supposed to let you bleed to death on my front lawn ?

 - Watch your tone. – He allowed his full smile to show, fangs included. Not as obvious as with some other demons because of his mixed heritage, he knew they still added to his…visage. Raising his hands in mock surrender, he waited. – What did you do ?

 - What could have I done ? I got you in, gave you antidote.

 - What do you want ? – He let his hand fall on the desk. Liu Qingge was almost vibrating, obviously ready to run and go back to hacking things up with his sword and be merciless to his disciples. – In return for the antidote and the…time. What do you want ? - He was right to want to go, of course. So Luo Binghe didn’t try to keep him waiting.

 - For you to thank me. – Ah, there it was. People and demons alike sang odes to Liu Mingyan’s ethereal beauty and yet as someone who had seen her without her veil, he couldn’t understand what was so amazing. She was a lovely woman, true, but just that. Now this, this was pure and unadulterated beauty. Liu Qingge’s face was nothing short of perfection and the fury…The fury only made him more alive. He truly was a war god in all of his glory and Luo Binghe knew what the response to his offer would be. And it made his blood boil. – That’s all.

 - Just that ? – He was looking for a catch. Of course there was one. Luo Binghe wouldn’t allow a favour from his rival to just go to waste. He would make him an offer wouldn’t accept and then hold the debt over his neck for as long as possible.

 - Just that. All you have to say is “Thank you for your help, my lord.” That’s it. – And then he watched the colour rise on the warlord’s face.

 - You want me to call you “my lord”. – It wasn’t a question so he didn’t feel the need to answer. It was a statement of disbelief. As he knew it would be. – Not going to happen.

 - You can’t say it ? It’s just one little sentence, Qing-xiong. Is your pride really worth that much ? I’m sure you’ve heard what happens if you owe a demon.

 - I’d rather do that than call one such as you “my lord”. – Luo Binghe was sure that if they’d been outside, Liu Qingge would have spat on the ground. And then pulled out his sword.

 - So we have a deal ? You agree to owe me for the favour of saving your life and giving you an antidote ? Your choice. – And then he waved. – I’m sure you know how to find your way home. Qing-xiong.

  It was a clean dismissal and he knew in any other situation they would be at each other’s throat. But the power difference was way too great and the Bai Zhan lord just breathed heavily for another moment before huffing and leaving the room, slamming the door for good measure. He grinned again. A debt from Liu Qingge. Most people and demons would do a lot worse than kill for that honour.

  Three weeks later, after only a few mild arguments here and there, Luo Binghe found himself in a conference room with all the important leaders. The official-looking invitation had arrived a few days ago and based on the tone it hadn’t been a suggestion. It had been an order. And while he’d always accepted those more like guidelines, he’d been curious. He also hadn’t seen Liu Qingge since then, no fights that had occurred had been big enough to call for the interference of the Bai Zhan lord. And now they were all there, throwing glares around. The warlord himself was leaning against one of the walls, his mood obvious based on his heavy scowl.

  That at least answered a question he’d never really asked before. Why Liu Qingge didn’t have an army of little sisters hanging on every word and gesture. Because he was pretty enough to have shrines built in his honour. The answer ? The scowl was probably scary enough that seasoned generals cowered before it, especially when paired with the warlord’s reputation. And all of it was fairly won, too. Luo Binghe almost clicked his tongue. They were all fools. True, he would be the one to kill him in the end, but they weren’t even trying. And they were all on the same side, too. On the good side. Liu Qingge glared some more, only this time the victims were the sect leaders. The highest of the high, the most noble of all the nobles. What a joke.

  - May I have your attention ? – Luo Binghe turned with the chair to Yue Qingyuan who was standing up and obviously waiting for silence. He hoped things ended quickly. His father had let it slip, definitely on purpose, that a demon warlord, distantly related to Mobei Jun, was leading a small but elite army to the other side of one of the portals he himself used for stock. The end they were supposed to storm was right above a lake with extremely rare kind of ivy that gave strong and long lasting but otherwise harmless hallucinations. If one got their dose right, or course. But since that specific substance was one of his main businesses, he really didn’t want the lake disturbed. And he also didn’t want some random demons on this side of the portal. He was thinking about what he would want from Liu Qingge and having some demon lords running around would mess the plan up. – Thank you.

  Yue Qingyuan paused for a moment, looking around.

 - We have received troubling accusations. Recently, there was an attempt against the life of one of the lords currently present. – Luo Binghe raised his eyebrows. He wouldn’t. Yue Qingyuan wouldn’t really announce to everyone that Liu Qingge, the proud war god, had been… - Liu-Xiong was poisoned by an undiscovered individual and I was told we are lucky to have him with us today as his fight with the poison was difficult but he overpowered it and is, again, in peak health.

  He did. Luo Binghe shifted his eyes from Yue Qingyuan to Shizun. Who was looking right back at him, question clear behind his fan. The man had ditched the robes with the times but he still carried his paper fans around. True, Luo Binghe had seen the damage the leader could do with a paper fan, so there was a good reason. But now he was doing it purely so people wouldn’t see his face. Good thing Luo Binghe would read him like an open book.

  Liu Qingge, on the other hand, was turning darker and darker shade of red. Above the pristine white shirt and black jacket his face was slack in disbelief. He didn’t even look angry, more like scandalised. That was the worst possible outcome from the whole ordeal, since the warlord’s death had never really been an option. All things considered.

  Yue Qingyuan wasn’t done. With all eyes on Liu Qingge, the Cang Qiong master continued.

 - I would like to ask Luo Binghe if he has any information on the circumstances of the attack.

  It took him a second to actually realise what the master had said. Hand on Zheng Yang, he almost jumped to his feet but a sharp crack stopped him. The heavy wooden table, solid and shiny, was split in the middle, a shiny silver dagger with a white and black tassel gently swaying in the still air. It had sunk in the massive wood to the hilt.

 - Everyone here knows that’s impossible so why even mention it ? – The war god had found his anger. Luo Binghe sank back in his chair though he kept his hand on his sword.

  - It’s impossible for the demon who constantly attacks you to have taken part in the plot to murder you ? - Lao Gongzhu was really starting to get on Luo Binghe’s nerves and not only because he still allowed his daughter to do whatever she wanted in one of the most prestigious sects out there. The man was getting more and more repulsive by the minute and he considered the unanswered requests on his desk. Oh, he would definitely be clearing those out the moment they finished whatever this excuse for a meeting was supposed to be.

 - Yes. – The Huan Hua leader actually hiccupped. Liu Qingge slid his eyes along everyone, meeting their stares and not flinching. – He would never sink that low. If he would try to kill me… - Dark eyes met his and he smiled, showing his fangs. – He would do it face to face. – The warlord stood up and opened the door. – He’s too proud for anything else.

  And with that, he left, slamming the door behind himself. Well. The war god knew how to make an exit. And that explained why he’d been at his door. Liu Qingge believed he was more or less the only one who would never try to poison him. Because he would try to decapitate him instead in ten out of ten cases. Comforting.

 - Well, gentlemen. – His Shizun got up gracefully. – I believe we are done here. Now, if you don’t mind…

 - We still haven’t resolved the case with the attempted murder of one of the clan leaders ! - Shen Qingqiu let his eyes rest on the unfortunate lord who had spoken. The current leader of An Ding seemed to swiftly reconsider his life choices as his Shizun stared without blinking or changing expression. The man was actually shaking. Luo Binghe shook his head. Where was the discipline ? He had been a disciple not so long time ago but they had definitely let everything go. How disappointing.

 - If Liu-Xiong doesn’t want us to pursue the case, who are we to argue ?

 - But someone still tried to kill him ! How can we know that we’re not next ? – That was enough. Luo Binghe had letters to burn and prisoners to interrogate. This was a waste of time. Standing up, he waited, enjoying the full effect of the terror on the An Ding leader’s face. Good, good.

 - If their first target was the Bai Zhan war god, do you honestly think you would be next ?

  One of his minions gurgled to his left and he called Zheng Yang, crossing it with Cheng Luan in the last possible moment. Green fire burned behind him, cracking rocks tumbled down the slope and he spun, barely avoiding getting his eye taken out. Liu Qingge in all his glory was more aggressive than usual. It had been three days since that terrible meeting with the other lords and Luo Binghe had gone to placate a disagreement between the demons at one of the portals and the cultivators claiming they didn’t have permission to be there. Which led to him threatening said cultivators which, in turn, had led to the Bai Zhan warlord being summoned.

  And that was how they had ended in the current situation. The young disciples had gone somewhere, the lower tier demons had run off in a different direction and Liu Qingge was being rash. Luo Binghe parried, feeling the power behind the hit to his shoulder and then twisted, catching on Cheng Luan and sending it flying from its owner’s hand. Without slowing down, he finished the movement with an elbow to the stomach and the edge of Zheng Yang under the warlord’s chin.

  For the first time ever…he had Liu Qingge in such a position. The warlord was breathing heavily, chest rising, and with the emerald fires cracking around them, there was nobody else to help. Or, he though, leaning forward, to even see.

  The victory…It didn’t feel like a victory. He frowned, face so close to Liu Qingge’s that he could see count his inly eyelashes. The victory hadn’t been real. Hadn’t been earned. Because it was obvious the warlord’s mind had been somewhere else. Usually, at the end of their fights, the Bai Zhan lord would end up in a compromised position, dance away from it and leave with his head high, even though they would both know what had ended on top. This time…His head was still high but it was obvious what had happened. He was without his sword, back to the rock and Zheng Yang pressed to his neck.

  Luo Binghe had won. There would be no evading it, no running from it, no pretending it didn’t happen. He had caught his prey fair and square. He had stalked and prowled and ran after it until it had tired. And how he had to collect his trophy. The ultimate prize. The war god of Bai Zhan.

  He pressed a little more, seeing the thin line of blood dripping down his jade skin and Zheng Yang’s blade. They were both covered in cuts, bruises and blood, and yet this one thin trickle…It looked wrong. It didn’t belong there.

  He knew that the other man’s life was his. But the desire to take what was his by right just…wasn’t there. Why ?

  Liu Qingge raised his chin a little more, eyes defiant. Waiting for the killing blow. A debt owed. The war god’s life in his hands, twice. The Bai Zhan lord’s beating heart in his palm, twice. And he understood what he wanted.

 -  I am calling my debt, Qing-xiong. – Liu Qingge’s lips opened in confusion. – You owe me. In return for your life that I saved I want you… - He leaned forward again, sharing breath, feeling the heat of the forest fire and the flesh in front of him. – I want you to really give me your best every time we meet again. From now on. And don’t forget. – He pushed himself with a palm on the rock, stepping back and sheathing Zheng Yang. Feeling the tip of Cheng Luan on the back of his neck as it slowly retreated. Without interrupting or hurting him. – You owe me your life. Twice now. You have to obey.

Epilogue

  - So, did they find out what was with the whole plot to kill Liu Qingge ? – Mobei Jun sighed and pulled Shang Qinghua tighter under the heavy cover. His human was way too delicate in certain aspects.

 - It was Xiao Gongzhu.

 - The daughter of the sect leader…? – Mobei Jun just hummed in agreement. – But why ?

 - Who knows ? Apparently, she’s always had issues with clan and sect leaders who made her father look bad. And who held Luo Bignhe’s interest even for a short amount of time. It was a simple plot but since she’s a known figure, nobody questioned her presence at official dinners or restricted areas. – He shrugged. – She didn’t have access to any complex poisons and she knew Liu Qingge would be able to sense a spell. So she chose a terribly simple plan.

 - I have to say, it was doomed from the start. - Mobei Jun waited. His lover obviously had more to add. – She actually pushed Luo Binghe away from herself and in the hands of Liu Qingge. That’s twice she’s done something like that now. That girl just has terrible luck with men. Unlike me.

 - Come here. I am getting cold. – And with that, he pulled his lover fully under the covers and on top of him. Lucky, indeed.