Chapter Text
Xiao Xingchen felt him placed his chin against his shoulder while his hand gripped his other shoulder to balance the weight out.
"What are you making?"
He smiled, tilting his head in Xiao You’s direction. He almost replied to him if it wasn’t for A-Qing pipping up from the table.
“Why are you asking a dumb question? You’re not blind! Can’t you see that Daozhang’s making soup?”
Xiao You detached himself from him and turned around to bicker with A-Qing. “There are lots of soup dishes, Little Blind. How should I know what kind he's making? Does he even know what he's making? Or is he pouring water and vegetables in and calling it soup?"
“Daozhang is a great cook! Better than you. Your dishes are disgusting!” She made spitting sounds. “What weirdo thought it was a good idea to put sugar in everything?”
“Hey!”
Xiao Xingchen chuckled behind his sleeve as his two charges bicker. He stirred the contents once and brought a sample to his lips, only tasting it once it cooled down.
“Xiao You.” He called, breaking up the squabbling in the process. “Dinner is ready.” Xiao Xingchen could almost hear them sticking their tongues out at each other before Xiao You moved to set the table.
Xiao Xingchen took his seat, smiling in A-Qing’s direction as he reached out to smooth the crease between her eyebrows. “You shouldn’t make that face.”
She turned away from Xiao You’s direction and grumbled under her breath. “I don’t like him.”
He chuckled. “You always say that.”
“He bullies me!”
“That’s because you deserve to be bullied.” Xiao You said as he set the bowls down.
“See?!”
Xiao Xingchen couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t say that, Xiao You. Be nicer to her.”
“I’m nice.” If Xiao Xingchen still had his sight, he knew he would see the teasing smile tossed his way. “Be careful,” Xiao You tapped the bowl, letting him know where it was. “It’s still hot.”
“Ah! Why didn’t you tap my bowl?” A-Qing complained.
“You already heard it when I set it down.”
“You—!”
Xiao Xingchen laughed, feeling the warmth bubbling in his chest. He never thought he would feel what it was like to have a home again, someone who would wait for him at home and keep him company through night hunts.
He smiled and blew on his soup. Although there were things he regretted and people he missed, he wouldn’t give up this second life he made with his two companions.
“Leaving again?”
Xue Yang looked back, seeing Xiao Xingchen turning his head in his direction. Xue Yang looked down at the bowl of soup in his hand and back up. "I have to feed the strays, so they don't try to come and steal our food."
Xiao Xingchen smiled. Xue Yang no longer felt like he wanted to rip that expression off his face, but he felt strangely uncomfortable whenever that smile was aimed at him. “Xiao You does so much for us and care for the strays.” He chuckled behind his sleeve, sounding amused.
“If it’s not me, then who would? It would be dangerous if you or Little Blind got bitten trying to fend them off. What if you get sick?”
At if her nickname summoned her, A-Qing tapped her way into the room to shake her stick at him. "I will strike them! And Daozhang is fast, he wouldn’t let no mangy stray hurt him. Don’t look down on him!”
Xue Yang rolled his eyes as Xiao Xingchen reached out and pat her head. “Do you want me to come along?” Xiao Xingchen asked, his face scrunching up in concern.
But Xue Yang quickly waved him off. "I won't be long, and besides, I can handle myself." He stomped the floor. "See? My leg's all healed, thanks to Daozhang.”
Xiao Xingchen hesitated, thinking it over before a gentle smile pulled at his lips. “Come back soon, Xiao You.”
Ah, there was the strange pang in his chest, sweet like candy, but sharp and bitter like blood. Xue Yang quickly made his way out the door before he could dwell too far on that.
“Get bitten by the dogs!” Little Blind called out, but he was already out the door to bother a response.
He slipped between buildings, almost skipping to a soundless tune. The fog was heavy, but the town was empty. It has been for the last four years.
He entered one of the houses in the far corner of the town and sealed the door shut behind him. Lighting up one of his fire talismans, he lit a lamp and set the bowl on the table. Silencing talismans covered the walls, and Xue Yang wondered if it was time to replace them.
Chains rattled, snapping him out of his musing. He felt his smirk widening. “Don’t be mad. I forgot that you were here. Look, I even brought food this time! Xiao Xingchen made it, not for you, of course, but I'm willing to spare some since I'm in a good mood." He turned in his seat, smiling sharply.
In the middle of the room, bounded from his wrists to ankles by chains, was Song Lan on his knees. While his mouth was seal by talismans, his eyes were glaring hatefully at Xue Yang.
Xue Yang left his seat to approach the man. “It already has been a year, what’s the use of looking at me like that. Aren’t we close?” He sneered and then laughed at Song Lan’s futile struggle against the chains.
He retrieved the bowl from the table and then pulled the talisman from his mouth. Even with the talisman off, Song Lan could not speak, for he had no tongue. And Song Lan had learned a long time ago that he would not give Xue Yang the pleasure of him expressing his anger through incoherent sounds.
“Don’t be that way.” Xue Yang held the bowl under his chin. Song Lan glowered at his intentions. Xue Yang nudged the bowl against his chin again. “It’s been ten days since you last ate. You can’t depend on inedia forever. Are you going to let your dear friend’s work go to waste?”
He smirked when Song Lan finally made his decision and tilted his head forward. Song Lan drank messily, the lack of a tongue would do that, but it was always amusing to see the usually clean Daozhang with food dripping down his chin.
Xue Yang couldn’t help but pat his head and praised mockingly, “What a good dog.”
Immediately, Song Lan jerked his head back, spilling some of the soup from the bowl from the force of it. He growled at him, eyes ablaze with his hostility.
The smile slipped off of Xue Yang’s face as he stared into those eyes coldly. “If you’re going to be that way…”
Song Lan’s head snapped back from the force of Xue Yang’s grip. Xue Yang pried his mouth open and poured the contents in, not caring for the mess as Song Lan choked and spluttered. The chains rattled as he tried to pull away.
He let Song Lan catch his breath as he set the bowl down before he forced Song Lan’s head back and poured water down his throat as well. Despite Song Lan’s attempt to swallow it quickly, he still spluttered, making it spill down his chin and drenching his robes. At least he was clean, although the stinky Daozhang didn’t appreciate his efforts in keeping him alive.
Even as he was catching his breath, he continued to glare at him through those soft brown eyes. Xue Yang felt tempted to pluck them from his head.
He gripped Song Lan’s chin and tilted it up to examine his face. He scoffed. “I find your eyes really irritating.” Xue Yang tapped a finger near an eye and drew circles around it as Song Lan shut his eyes and tried to jerk his head away. “But they’re not yours, are they?”
“Xiao Xingchen is much happier now.” He said, rubbing his thumb gently over his eyelid. “He stopped crying every night. Clearly, he doesn’t need you to come into his life and ruin everything. Not after you said those things to him.”
There was a sharp intake of breath, and Xue Yang grinned.
He leaned in close, covering Song Lan’s eyes with his hand and whispered, “You don’t deserve these eyes.”
Xue Yang sealed Song Lan’s mouth and left, sealing him back in the dark.
With the evil thing doing the grocery and Daozhang taking care of things at home, A-Qing spent her time running in the streets and fooling the civilians in the nearby towns. Upon going home early, she was bored. So, she decided to take the long way home, skipping and swinging her bamboo stick in the same way she has seen Daozhang do with his sword.
She was humming a happy tune and then halted in place. There was a faint rattling of chains that made the hair on her skin stand up. Clutching her stick to herself, she looked around, seeing nothing but the dense fog and abandoned homes.
The chains rattled again, this time louder accompanied with a groan. A-Qing broke into a run, running as fast as her legs could carry her. She swore the sounds of chains trailed after her, making her heart clenched in fear, but she didn't dear look back.
“Daozhang!” She cried when their home came into view. “Daozhang, help!” She stumbled over her stick and squeezed her eyes shut as the ground came up to her, only to fall into Xiao Xingchen’s arms.
“A-Qing? What’s wrong?” Daozhang asked, a frown ruining his usual gentle face.
She gripped his arm tightly and buried her head against his chest. “There’s something strange over there! It was groaning and making weird noises!”
Daozhang looked confused for a moment before breaking out into a smile. “Are you sure it wasn’t the wind?”
A-Qing shook her head. “I swear something is there! It was shaking fiercely!”
Daozhang frowned again. Pulling A-Qing to her feet, he nudged her in the direction of their home. “Stay here. I’ll go and see what is going on.”
But A-Qing wasn’t going to let Daozhang go in blind, not when the evil thing hasn't returned from his trip. She grabbed his arm. "Let me show you the way, Daozhang!”
“It’s dangerous.”
“Daozhang can protect me, and I can stay out of the way!" She knew Daozhang would give in, and by the way he sighed, she knew she won.
“Lead the way, A-Qing.”
A-Qing smiled and held onto his arm as she tapped her stick in front of them.
As they grew closer toward the edge of the town, the sounds of chains rattled once more, making A-Qing tighten her grip on Daozhang’s arm. He gave her hand a reassuring pat before detaching it from his arm. Motioning her to stay, he stepped forward, sword ready in his hand.
Unlike the frantic shaking from earlier, these were creaks, almost inaudible if it wasn't for the quiet road. Daozhang listened carefully, following the sound until he walked up to a house and pressed his hand against the door.
“Daozhang, be careful!” A-Qing whispered loudly. He turned his head to smile at her then returned to inspect the door.
“This door…” Daozhang took a step back and raised his hand. He drew something in the air and aimed it at the doors, forcing them open.
Inside was pitched black. The sunlight could only reach so far. But from when she could see, a few yellow papers were sticking to the walls. The sounds of chains instantly stopped.
A-Qing hurried to Daozhang’s side as he tried to listen for any sound. “Hello…?” Shuanghua gleamed brightly, banishing the darkness as they venture forward.
A-Qing stifled a gasp when she saw the person in the room, his arms stretched out on either side, his wrists were chafed and bloody from the chains that dug into them. More chains were wrapped around his legs, binding them together. His eyes were squeezed shut, and his head was turned away as if the sight of light pained him.
Daozhang reached out tentatively, his fingers poked the stranger’s head, tracing his features when they stopped at the yellow papers where his mouth should be. Daozhang moved his hands along the stranger’s arms and cut through the chains once he found them.
A-Qing finally let out a squeak when the man collapsed to his knees, almost falling flat on the floor if it wasn’t for Daozhang who caught him. “Daozhang? What’s going on?”
“There was someone trapped here.” He said as he pulled the papers away from the man’s mouth. The man immediately groaned and shifted, almost curling in on himself. "Don't move too much," Daozhang instructed gently. The man's eyes snapped open, and they focused on Daozhang. His expression was a mix of fear and relief.
“You’re safe now.” Daozhang reassured him. “Can you stand?”
The man grabbed Daozhang’s hand, and A-Qing raised her stick, ready to beat him if he did anything funny. But as he drew something on Daozhang’s palm, Daozhang paled.
“Zichen…? Is that you?” Daozhang reached out with trembling hands to cup the man’s face. “W-what happened to you? Zichen… speak to me.”
“Daozhang! Don’t cry!” A-Qing scrambled closer as red spots began to form on Daozhang’s bandages.
Zichen made a garbling sound and brought Daozhang’s fingers to his throat.
Blood started to drip from Daozhang’s eyes, and A-Qing wanted to scream at the man to stop hurting Daozhang. But she doesn’t. She kept silent as Daozhang held the man in his trembling arms. “Zichen… Oh, Zichen… Who did this to you?”
Zichen wrote on Daozhang’s palm again. Daozhang’s face turned ashen. “X-Xue Yang? He’s here? Where—”
“There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you two.”
Zichen froze, eyes widening at the figure in the doorway. A-Qing turned to see the evil thing lazily holding onto his sword, and she couldn’t help but make a face at it. The cursed thing never failed to draw shivers down her spine.
“Xiao You.” Daozhang turned his head in his direction. “Thank goodness you’re here. Please, we need to hurry home and get everyone far from here.”
“Why? And who is this?”
"There's a very dangerous person around here, and I'm afraid that I can't protect you three when I go against him. And this is my…" Daozhang paused, looking complicated before he finished. “My friend. He’s injured, so we need to get home to treat him.”
Zichen desperately pointed at the evil thing, but upon realizing that the two of them were blind, he slumped in defeat. Unfortunately, Daozhang mistook his friend's frantic movements as something else and attempted to soothe him. The evil thing grinned darkly, looking furious at the same time. A-Qing clutched her stick tightly when she figured out what Daozhang’s friend was trying to say.
There was a cold chill running through her body as Xue Yang walked past her, pretending that he cared for the man that suffered under his own hands.
Betrayal and horror waged war within her before anger was the only thing that ran through her veins.
“Alright, do you want me to carry him?” The evil thing offered.
Daozhang shook his head. “No, let me.” He stood up, shifting Zichen’s weight in his arms. Zichen gripped Daozhang’s robes, but whatever he wanted to do was futile when Xue Yang gave him a look that could kill a man.
“You’re safe.” Daozhang whispered to him.
A-Qing bit her lip and trailed behind them as they quickly headed their way to the coffin house. Think, A-Qing, you smart girl, think!
After a few minutes of walking, A-Qing screeched and tumbled to the ground.
“A-Qing!” Panicking, Daozhang spun around, ready for any signs of danger. “Are you all right?!”
“Ow…” A-Qing gripped her leg and cried. “Daozhang! My leg! I think it’s broken! Daozhang, come look!”
Xue Yang frowned in her direction. “I’ll go.”
“No!” A-Qing slapped the ground and wailed. “I want Daozhang!”
“Listen, you brat—”
Daozhang stopped him with a smile. “It’s alright. I’ll check up on her. Go back home and get the supplies ready, Xiao You.”
Xue Yang thought it over before he shook his head. "No, I'll stay here in case something happens."
Daozhang nodded and headed her way. Setting Zichen down, he reached out in her direction. “Where are you hurt?”
A-Qing checked to see that the evil thing was looking elsewhere before grabbing hold of Daozhang’s hand tightly. “Daozhang, we have to run.” She whispered urgently, her eyes darted toward Xue Yang to make sure he wasn’t watching them.
Daozhang frowned in confusion. “Why?”
She gripped his hand tighter. “That thing, the evil thing, he’s Xue Yang!” Beside her Zichen stirred, a flickered of hope appeared in his dead eyes.
Daozhang’s breath hitched, then he shook his head. “Impossible. He, he’s not—”
A-Qing hated that she made him so distressed. She bit her lips and squeezed her eyes shut. “Daozhang, I’m so sorry. I lied. I’m not blind. I saw Daozhang’s friend trying to warn you.”
She wanted to hug Daozhang tight when bloody tears slipped down his cheek. He turned to Zichen. “Zichen. Is it true?”
“He nodded.” A-Qing answered for him.
Daozhang inhaled shakily and breathed deeply. He wiped his tears away and gripped his sword. “A-Qing, when I say so, take Zichen and run.”
Zichen’s eyes flashed in panic, reflecting A-Qing’s feelings. “Daozhang! What about you?”
“I’ll take care of him and find you later.” Daozhang said, assuring them Before either of them could fight him about it, Daozhang stood up and walked toward Xue Yang. A-Qing gritted her teeth but turned to throw Zichen’s arm over her shoulder.
“A-Qing, now!” Daozhang called out, and the last thing she saw when she looked back was the surprised look on the evil thing's face as Daozhang stabbed him.
Xiao Xingchen wanted to cover his ears to Xue Yang’s venomous words. But if he tried, he could hear the teasing voice of the nameless man as he joked and draws laughs out of him.
How could he hold onto those lies when his hands were slick with his sins? In falling for a man with no name, he also blinded his heart. He recalled feeling the frantic pulling on his robes, and now he knew those were pleas of mercy.
Heartlessly, he sliced them down, robbing them of life.
Memories of the three of them laughing around the table were once so sweet, but now it tasted like ash.
Ah. He was so foolish to think someone like him deserved a home.
Xue Yang’s laughter rang through the air, sounding so much like the nameless man that he cared for.
It was all a lie.
Blood spilled over his fingers. What was more blood on his hands if he slaughtered villages in his blindness?
Everything went silent, and Xiao Xingchen gratefully let the darkness take him.
A-Qing refused to tell Song Lan what happened to Xiao Xingchen. All she insisted was to find a place to hide and get to one of the main sects to get Xue Yang executed.
Song Lan covered the windows to their room and waited for A-Qing to come back from her trip to the stream. After being trapped in the dark for a long time, the harsh sunlight bothered him, even when it attempted to sneak through the cracks.
A finger brushed his cheek, roughly rubbing the grime there.
Song Lan flinched, eyes darting around the empty room.
Lips pressed lightly against each eyelid. His touches, although gentle, burned like brands along his skin.
He wasn't back there. Song Lan had to remind himself as his fingers rubbed against his wrists. He was far away from the dreaded cage. And yet, Song Lan hated that he couldn’t get him out of his head.
This gloomy room wasn't doing him any favors. He needed to get out. His fingers picked at his barely healed wrist as he quickly made his way to the door and threw it open.
He froze.
Xue Yang smiled at him. The blood on his skin was still fresh. Dread bubbled up Song Lan’s throat as the fear made him lose control of his limbs.
Xue Yang reached out and cupped his cheek, rubbing his thumb fondly under his eye.
He grinned from ear to ear, barely containing his manic energy. “I found you.”