Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Immortality is a strange thing.

Despite the passage of time over the last decade, Wen Kexing did not feel very old. Nor did he feel vastly different from before, with the exception of strengthened meridians and a stronger body compared to its old state from the demonic martial arts he practiced. He can remember many things as if they had happened just the day before rather than years ago. Some were not very pleasant, yet some were good.

He remembers the first time he saw blood.

It had been from a patient his father had been treating who had come into contact with a toxin from a rather venomous snake that was causing his seven orifices to bleed. The man had been bitten during a hunt in the deep recesses of a forest from unknowingly stumbling into the reptile’s den. The creature was a strange snake that they had never encountered before, possibly foreign to their lands. His parents had worked together frantically to administer an antidote only to have thankfully discovered a drug that slowed down the effects of the venom, allowing the man’s meridians to re-heal the damage sustained to his body.

The young boy loathed the smell of blood though wholly unbothered by it. He remembered pinching his nose with a disgusted expression when his father asked him to dispose the bloodied rags and the crimson stained water bowl. He had chuckled as Wen Kexing stuck out his tongue and scrunched up his nose at the strong rotted iron smell.

‘Xing-er,’ he had said, ‘blood is nothing more than a part of your body. Without it you would die.’

‘But it’s so smelly! How could something so smelly give me life?’ Wen Kexing had complained which elicited a hearty laugh from his father who petted his shoulder affectionately.

‘Xing-er is like his mother. Our Miaomiao makes the same face too when she dislikes something.’

His mother would them come, hands on her hips while her body posed elegantly like a sturdy willow tree, her mouth pressed to a line and brows furrowed at his father’s teasing, ‘He clearly takes after his father. Look how shameless he is! So what if I didn’t like blood?’

He remembers the first time he witnessed death.

Fate had the misfortune for him to witness it on his parents. Till then he had never killed, he had never really seen death but he understood what it entitled. Wen Ru Yu and Gu Miaomiao had never lost a life in their career, hailed as the most skilled healers of their sect and saved countless lives from death’s grasp only to on day fall into it instead.

Some would say it may have been ineffable; death visits us all in the end – how could a child bear this knowledge?

The malicious smiles on the ghoulish faces of the Ghost Valley inhabitants and their chief as they leered over the small child who felt far too much rage to spill more tears over his fallen parents. A poisonous kind of anger that spilled from his little frail form as he trembled, eyes narrowed and mouth twisted into snarl like a cornered animal, refusing to give them any satisfaction.

Of course he was as scared as he was angry. His small body shivered in fear and didn’t dare do anything too different. The smell of blood was strong, painting both of his parents completely as they were brutally murdered. It coated his hands, robes and his mouth as the Chief forced him to consume his own kin with a sick sort of satisfaction.

‘A little lunatic,’ the man croaked looking at him, then on deciding who his new soldier would be. ‘Lunatic’

Lunatic Wen.

Since then death had been nothing more than something familiar to him. As familiar as breathing in and out. The smell never bothered him again.

However, he also remembers the first time he witnessed what love looked like.

The plum blossoms and safflowers had bloomed beautifully that season and his mother loved plucking a basketful to help the make rouges with the workers of the valley. It was a sort of hobby for her and she enjoyed it. It was also the time where she would like to sit out during the day and watch the petals fall while she sewed.

His father would always be next to her, never too far away. Wherever his mother stood, his father was always nearby, often gazing at her as if she held his soul while her hand; always communicating to her in small ways. A tap to her cheek when she was worried, a hand on the waist if she was feeling fatigued or when they were in private as they spoke with their heads almost pressed together.

His body pressed to her shoulder as they walked side by side on the street when he was protective of her. The smile lines of his face deepening when he looks at her with overflowing love and pride when she worked.

Every time Wen Kexing looked at his father’s face at the way he looks at his mother, it was so full of love and devotion it make his little heart filled with joy.

‘Wǒde méihuā’ his father would call his mother affectionately.

‘It is good to spoil those you love, Xing-er’ his father once told him when he asked him about love. ‘We all face hardships in this life, but you will only meet your zhiji once in this lifetime. When you, take good care of each other – both of you faced many hardships before finding each other after all.’

That was what his parents would do; they always took care of each other even in the smallest ways.

‘Tough women like clingy men,’ his father once said with a smug smile only to be elbowed harshly by his mother who had a scowl on her face.

‘What nonsense are you telling him? You spoil him,’ she would reprimand. Of course, both father and son could tell she was never serious for her eyes were always soft and her smile lines were always visible on her cheeks even as she pretends to be upset. Sometimes you could find her indulging his overbearing teasing silently with a small smile.

If his father looked at her as if she were his soul, she looked at him as if he were the once who had hung the many stars in the sky. Her face always glowed with love and content when she was with him.

This is what love looks like, he would think as a child. ‘This is what it means to have a zhiji.’

Who knew he would find his own in the future?

Perhaps fate could be kind its own way, he was blessed with his beloved when he thought he didn’t deserve one for all the sins he dipped his hands in.

He remembers when he first fell in love.

It had always been his zhiji from the very start.

Till then the Chief of the Ghost Valley had been a master of his craft. He knew how to elicit the sins of man; lust, greed, anger, jealousy. Over the years he grew up in the valley with the omnipresent eye of the Tragicomic ghost Luo Fumeng, he observed the darkest parts of mankind and learned how to use it to his will.

Mortals were thing more that leaves in water, swept away with the current each day. He had bedded many people, many beauties from the richest places all his life but it was nothing but a game. There was nothing more.

Until he met Zhou Zishu.

Even with the grime that clung onto his cheeks with the stubble that surrounded his mouth, the false tan on his face and neck to the greasy hair on his head, Wen Kexing new this was someone special and of great beauty. He was not like any man he had ever met, so stern yet so full of life and power churning within those phoenix shaped eyes as he sunbathed that fateful day.

Of course it had been lust at first. A game of who could finally succumb to the other.

After such a long period of such mundaneness he was delighted to meet a challenge. He would win and claim a night with the man in his bed as his prize before going on his merry way to carry out the chaos he was destined to create. Wen Kexing had never intended to stay long; he was simply bored and wanted a little excitement.

Yet the deepest crevices of his heart couldn’t help but be drawn to the man who seemed so sardonic and cold yet bearing a soft heart that was well guarded within a wall of ice. Even while being a shell of the man he would have been once, he protected fiercely and regarded the world with a sage sort of wisdom while aiding those who needed help.

Despite the odds he chose to rescue Zhan Chenling, an orphaned boy whose entire clan was murdered and was spoilt in some ways. He could have left the boy completely, he could have chosen to remove himself from the affairs the boy’s life was entangled with. Yet he took care of the child (albeit reluctantly at first), refusing to abandon him to the harshness of the world and protected him with the fierceness of a lioness while teaching martial arts to the boy sternly.

He could see a bit of himself in the boy. Naïve, clumsy and heart filled with fear yet burning with determination to prove himself to the world and avenge those he cared about. The boy was so eager to please his new master, tailing him around like a little pup following its mother while Zhou Zishu would reprimand him.

Zishu’s mouth may seem unkind, but his heart is soft. A-Xu always nags and frowns, but he gives the most care and attention. A-Xu may look angry, but he always forgives.

He couldn’t help but offer a few words for the boy while indirectly teasing the other man, ‘Don’t be so discouraged. Your shifu doesn’t really mean all that. Don’t you know? Tough women like clingy men.’ 

The boy had given him a mystified expression in response to which Wen Kexing added, ‘Where there is a will, there is a way.’

Chengling seemed to have imprinted himself on them, the trauma of having lost his parents fresh and raw leaving him to latch onto the only thing that gave him a semblance of comfort. He could understand his fear – the fear of being abandoned and unloved.

The more he spent time with them, the more his heart grew like a little sprout taking root in the darkest parts of his soul and blossoming into something so delicate and precious.

He remembers how his breath was stolen away when he saw Zhou Zishu reveal his true face, a cold beauty with features that seemed to be crafted from jade with thick lashes that soften the sharp lines. Wen Kexing had felt his heart flutter madly within his ribs as if it wanted to burst, turning his mind blank and his tongue into lead before saying somewhat stupidly, ‘Have I ever told you that I like men?’

Zhou Zishu, a man who pretended to be harsh only to reveal a tender heart during their most intimate moments, drinking wine and baring each other’s sorrows that left them raw and vulnerable.

Zhou Zishu, who care not for the world or its trials and was ready to die in atonement for the sins he believed to have committed that haunt him for so long, denying himself the kindness he deserves.

His A-Xu who loathes walnuts and held him gently as Wen Kexing opened his heart to him and showed the ugliest parts of himself and his past. The innocent blood he spilt, the revenge burning in his veins and the blackened slate of his status as the Chief of the Ghost Valley. Even with all his sins and his mistakes, Zhou Zishu, his wonderful A-Xu, never once judged him, never hated him. He stood by his side and held the fragile pieces of his soul with so much care that it ached.

He defended him without a second thought, Bai Yi steady held in front of the many people who wished to kill him. Wen Kexing knew to the core of his soul that this man, the beautiful stern faced man was his soulmate and the one he wanted to spend the rest of life with him till they were old and grey. For the first time in his life, there was nothing more he wanted than the man who in the darkest nights smiles at him so gently and so full of understanding that he knew ‘this was what home feels like.’

After all the pain and suffering that they had faced, they finally found each other and he knew he wanted to spend every day spoiling the man he loves with everything that he deserved and more.

There’s nothing wrong with spoiling those you love.

Why dwell in the sorrows of the past once gone?

They had each other and that was enough.

Now the sun had risen up on the mountain, making their surroundings glow, Wen Kexing took a moment to stare up at the face of his special person whose face was soft in sleep. His cheek was pressed against Zhou Zishu’s chest snugly who had seemed to have held him in a loving embrace, one hand behind his head and the other on his back. Not that he minded; it was his favorite position to sleep. It allowed his the warm his arms around the other’s slim waist and entangle their legs, pressing each other as close as humanly possible.

‘Qīn’ài de’ Wen Kexing thinks to himself as he gazes at his soulmate. ‘My one and only.’

Often he would absently stare at the Zhou Zishu’s chest, reminiscing the ‘Nails of Seven Apertures for Three Autumns’ that were once lodged into his flesh and slowly tearing away his lifespan. He was forever grateful to Bei Yuan and Da Wu for saving him. Perhaps even that old monster Ye Baiyi, but he will never tell him that – not directly.

The former Lord of the Heaven’s Window disliked getting up early. However this suited him just fine, it gave him a good moment to admire his beloved’s face that was soft in sleep, lashes brushing the apples of his cheeks with his face glowing in health since his recovery. Wen Kexing feels his heart so full at the sight. As if sensing he was awake, Zhou Zishu’s eyes fluttered before opening slightly aiming a half-lidded curious look at Wen Kexing who was contently staring as him from his chest with a lovestruck expression.

Despite the sleep that heavily clung to his eyes he raised an eyebrow in question, “Lao Wen, are you trying to harass me in my sleep?”

Wen Kexing smiles, “My A-Xu, can I not look at the man I love? How can I not admire how beautiful he looks in the morning light? I am only a simple man.”

That earns him a sharp pinch making him yelp. “Stop sprouting nonsense at this hour. Have you no shame?”

“A-Xu, after everything we’ve done together, why are you so embarrassed? Don’t you remember last we–ouch!” Zhou Zishu pinches him again, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry A-Xu! I won’t do it again.”

They both know he would very much do it again.

With a furrowed brow, Zhou Zishu says nothing more about it, neck and ears slightly pink as he huffs and closes his eyes shut, “Go make me food. That boy of ours must be starving himself as well.”

That was a sign that he was feeling embarrassed and unsure how to feel which was fine for Wen Kexing. If anything it was quite endearing how his A-Xu never really knew how to handle affection when given. Chuckling, he pressed a kiss to his warm sleep soaked cheek before gently extracting himself from the embrace to sit up. Then he felt a tug on his robes.

Surprised he looked down to see Zhou Zishu, eyes still closed with a small smile gripping his robe despite his pink ears, “Lao Wen, is this how you treat your husband? After waking me up so rudely, don’t you think you should kiss me properly at least?”

Wen Kexing felt a rush of joy and giddiness flood his body at the sweet gesture before letting his mouth stretch into a wide grin, “Ah of course. This wife apologizes, I should give my A-Xu all the kisses he deserves shouldn’t I?”

With that he leans down and tenderly kisses his beloved who instantly relaxes while cupping his cheek with one palm. Lips pressed and noses brushing Wen Kexing felt an indescribable sense of peace filling the quiet morning with the warmth of his soulmate’s palm against the side of his face.

Once they broke the kiss they stared at each other for a moment, the man’s eyes were filled with a silent sort of awe as he bore his ink-black eyes into the other in reverence. They seem to twinkle with life under the morning light as he spoke softly while stroking his face and hair, “I can feel you.”

The sentence lodges unexplainable feeling deep in Wen Kexing’s soul that made him tremble with many emotions mixing within; pain, sadness, relief, love and joy all cacophonously stirring beneath his ribs. Those words alone were too powerful in their meaning, a reminiscent of the time the man before him was awaiting at deaths door.

Those nights where his body was pulsing with pain and racked with cold sweat while dangerously ill. When Zhou Zishu had confessed he was losing his senses, he felt something inside his heart rip in sorrow. The night they lay atop each other, he barely flinched as he lodged his teeth deep into the flesh of his wrist, almost gnawing through bone. Even as it bled profusely, he had felt nothing.

Nothing would compare to the pain of seeing the one you love rot away before your very eyes even as you begged the heavens not to.

 As Zhou Zishu was in a coma for three months after the treatment, Wen Kexing felt helpless all over again. What was the point of all the power if all you could do was see others suffer? As he watched the man he treasured so dearly lay immobile a dark part of himself wondered if he had been dead after all. The deep fear of losing the last bit of warmth he had in the world lurking in the crevices of his heart.

He stares at his zhiji, letting his hand feel his face to his heart’s content as he watches the awe hidden in his A-Xu’s eyes.

“Good,” Wen Kexing says, drinking in the other’s tender look like a man stranded on a barren land, filling those torn pieces of his heart and recreating something anew, “thank you.” Those words would have more than a thousand meanings to them.

In return, Zhou Zishu gifts him a beautiful smile that turns his eyes to crescent moons and deepens the smile lines of his cheeks before pressing another delicate kiss on his lips that made his heart soar.

Breaking this kiss Zhou Zishu retracts his hand and turns his body away under a façade of indifference when he tries to initiate another, “Now go make me food you insatiable beast.”

Laughing Wen Kexing accepts his fate and finally (and a little reluctantly) gets up and washes himself up before donning a deep blue hanfu and headed to make food for himself and Zishu. As he passed he saw Chenling practicing his kungfu diligently, his face scrunched in concentration. He swallows the urge to make mischief and opts to silently watch the boy instead.

Since they first met, the young man had significantly improved over the past few months, especially for a boy who had not trained well since the young age. Part of the reason lied in the boy’s exceptional meridians that were wide and strong like a roaring river, vitalizing his body giving him better strength than a normal child. Both a blessing and a curse; while it meant he would be a genius in his martial arts, it also meant it would give him a lot of trouble to master.

The boy had turned fifteen not too long ago, yet there were still traces of baby fat that clung to his cheeks giving him a look of child-like innocence with a firm jaw and good shoulders. He will be almost the same height as his A-Xu very soon. Wen Kexing was certain he would grow to be a fine young man.

“I see you’ve been working hard Chenling. You’re form is much better,” Wen Kexing praises.

The boy pauses and looks to see the man before his face broke into a wide smile, “Shishu! Good morning!”

The white haired immortal smiled at the boy, “You will be mastering the arts in no time. Your Shifu will be pleased.”

“Y-you really think so?” asks Chenling rather timidly as if he couldn’t fathom the thought. Wen Kexing chuckles at this while approaching the boy to give him a pat on the back in encouragement.

“Why not? Do you think your Shifu is heartless? A-Xu may seem harsh, but he sings nothing but praises when you are not looking. Don’t be fooled by his sternness.”

“Shishu…” Chenling drawls with a pointed look, one that he had now a tendency of giving whenever he felt that Wen Kexing was slightly exaggerating the truth, an expression frighteningly similar to his shifu. The boy was starting to mimic some Zishu’s habits; the idea both delighted and terrified him.

The older man lets out an apologetic grin, “Aiyah, I wasn’t lying. He truly does think you’re doing well. Don’t think too much about it.”

The boy smiles before looking at the sword clutched in his hand, “I hope so. I know Shifu isn’t cruel, but,” he looks up at the man with hopeful eyes, “I just really want to be as good as you both. Then I could make both Shifu, you and my parents feel proud. I want to repay the efforts of all those have helped me.”

The confession makes Wen Kexing pause slightly, staring at the young man who was now blossoming into adulthood and eager to please those he cared about. Zhang Chenglin, despite being spoilt by his family, was a boy who went through much grief with the series of events caused by the Glazed Armor that rattled the cultivation world. The former chief of the Ghost Valley had always felt a pool of guilt forever swirling in his gut as he felt partly responsible for the death of his family – even of the boy had long forgiven him.

Would things have been different if he had never initiated the mess with the Amory? Would Chenling have lived a better life then?

Yet as he stared into the eyes of the boy, the feeling of protectiveness and affection could not be ignored. The boy will always have a special place in his heart. Despite the cruel turn of fate he will never regret meeting the boy.

With a paternal smile he gently pats the boy on the head as a father would to their son, “Silly child, we are always proud of you, no matter your path ahead.”

The child beamed at him with teary eyes before wrapping his arms tightly around him in a hug that startles Wen Kexing slightly before melting into the embrace. He could feel the corners of his eyes sting at the deep nostalgia that filled him, reminding him of the same young child he used to comfort just like this for many years. His A-Xiang was more feisty, but end of the day she would bawl in his arms for forgiveness like any mischievous child would after punished. The very thought made him tighten the embrace, a promise to not lose another.

‘I will treat him as my own,’ Wen Kexing vows silently, ‘You will never feel abandoned again.’

“What is this? Lao Wen, were you bullying my disciple?”

Both males turn to see Zhou Zishu standing near with an amused expression on his face. Wen Kexing took a moment to admire his lover’s graceful figure donned in pure white robes with his slender waist cinched with a blue sash; he looked like a delicate beauty, a deity walking amongst mortals to which his mind could only compare him to the old idiom ‘bì yuè xiū huā’ (hiding the moon, shaming the flowers).

He aims a placating smile, “A-Xu, how could you accuse me of such a thing? After all the trouble I went through to reassure our son that he was progressing well with his martial arts?”

Zhou Zishu rolls his eyes before looking at Chenling who was resolutely avoiding his gaze, hastily trying to wipe his tears. He slowly approached the boy before asking, “Have you been training diligently?”

The boy immediately straightened himself as a soldier would, “Yes Shifu! I practiced everything you taught me over a hundred times!”

“Hundred is not enough,” Zhou Zishu says sternly, brow furrowed and mouth firm, “a martial artist must commit himself to learning his art more than a thousand times if so. Fear a man who had not learnt a thousand arts, but practiced his art over a thousand times. You must not allow yourself to waver.”

The boy hardened his face in determination before kneeling before his Shifu in respect, “Yes Shifu! I’ll practice more than a thousand times and get it right. I swear!”

Zhou Zishu clicks his tongue in irritation before touching the boy’s bent shoulders, “Who told you to bow? Just remember what I have told you now and keep good on your word.”

Chenling rose up, eyes timid and form slightly wilted despite the promise set in his bones. He was a man of his word, he constantly proved himself that despite the many trials he faced.

Zhou Zishu then pulls the boy to a gentle hug and made the child melt immediately at the warmth. He had always felt his guardians embraced him with the sturdiness of a mountain, firm and unyielding with raw power that thrummed in its veins, yet it was also so warm and gentle. As sturdy as his Shifu was his embrace was as tender as that of the first flakes of snow, holding him so gently it made him nostalgic of his late parents which made him feel like a child once more. He pressed his face on the older man’s shoulder feeling comforted by the embrace.

Slowly his Shif extracted himself from the hug as he looked at the boy, the corner of his mouth upturned in pride, “You are doing well Chenling, never think otherwise.”

Biting down his tears the boy gave him a watery smile, “Yes Shifu. Thank you.”

Wen Kexing smiled at the two of them, skillfully wrapping an arm around the other man’s waist which didn’t go unnoticed by the latter, “Did I not tell you? Your Shifu is very proud of you. Silly child, worried for nothing.”

His A-Xu gives him a sidelong glance to which he replies with a teasing grin. The lingering affection hidden in their eyes don’t go unnoticed by the boy who quite enjoys it in away. Then Wen Kexing announces loudly, “We should all eat out today! It’s such a beautiful morning, why waste it inside?”

Zhou Zishu frowns momentarily in order to protest before noticing the identical doe eyed hopeful expression on both his disciple and his zhiji’s faces. Suddenly it became very difficult to refuse – since when did they bare the same expression?

Swallowing his resolve and his pride he merely sighs before allowing corner of his lips to turn upwards in content, “Alright,” instantly the two men perked up in joy, “but this time, Philanthropist Wen, you will pay from your own purse.”

Wen Kexing places a firm kiss on his cheek to which earns him a protest and a sharp pinch from his squirming beloved, “Anything my A-Xu wants he will receive. This husband will be sure to treat you well.”

“Who is the husband? Stop sprouting nonsense in front of the boy, he will also become as shameless as you,” Zhou Zishu protests, now chasing Wen Kexing slightly to beat him. The latter merely laughed with love drunk eyes and a teasing smile as he pleaded,

“Aiyah I’m sorry, I’m sorry A-Xu!”

Chenling watches the exchange with a happy smile. His parents were rather different compared to these two pair of lovers, but with every glance and every tease, he knew they were like a pair of swans, destined to be together. He knew despite the scowl on his master’s face at his Shishu’s teasing, his eyes were still soft with affection while the corners of his lips deepened the smile lines of his face. He liked it; he felt it was nice to see his stern shifu smile, especially with eyes filled with unspoken love.

Soon they all gathered themselves up and went down the mountain to visit the nearby town.

It was a quaint populace with humble traders and farmers flourishing the streets with food and arts and other fine crafts. It was certainly not as rich and varied as Yueyang, however it was a beautiful little town. Wen Kexing, Zhou Zishu and Chengling only went down the mountain once a year to visit the town, not wanting to draw unwanted attention from the Martial Arts world.

The waters of the canals were an emerald green, glittering in the sun with boats that lazily floated across, filled with sweet smelling fruits and eye catching crafts. Both Chenling and Wen Kexing had eager childlike joy on their faces that made Zhou Zishu laugh softly.

As they reached crossed the bridge to see the waters underneath Wen Kexing felt a rush of familiarity before tugging his zhiji’s robes, “A-Xu, do you remember when we first met?”

Zhou Zishu looks at him amused, “When do you mean Lao Wen?”

“Aiyah, don’t you remember? It was a sunny day just like this, you were sunbathing on the edge of a bridge similar to this one, dressed in blue rags and with that ridiculous disguise while you cradled a gourd of wine. Don’t you remember?”

His A-Xu aims an unimpressed look, “How could I forget? You harassed me from then onwards.”

Wen Kexing aims a false wounded look, “Why I would never! It was fate that brought us together! Even our little Chenling was right there was right there when we all first met; the boy even gave you a few coins and a name token.”

Strangely enough they were fated in many ways. Destined to be together since they met.

To his left, Chenling seemed to have a happy smile.

However, there was a sensitive topic that hung over them like a shroud over the past five years. More often than not the memories were never fully discussed, old deaths still bleeding freshly every time they recalled the past. To Wen Kexing, the last deaths in the final battle of the Ghost Valley of Mount Qingya was a memory he never wanted to revisit, it built a bitter feeling inside his veins and haunted his mind during his dreams. To reach a figure but to only achieve a mere brush of fingertips.

Gu Xiang had been young and vivacious. She had her whole life ahead of her; she constantly worried and fussed over him, fell in love and wanted to build a life for herself. It was the life he had deeply wished for her since she came of age in the rotten harshness of the Ghost Valley. It was all ended with a gust of wind on an ill-fated day.

Little girl he raised was now no more than a nameless soul now lost in the wind.

‘Who could have ever guessed between the two of us, in this lifetime, it was this old monster that now lives on?’ he thought bitterly to himself as he stared at the waters below the bridge with a somber expression.

Zhou Zishu watched his lover closely, the reminiscence evoking a blank look on his face he was all too familiar with. It was no one’s fault in the end yet who could watch their loved one lie in torment deep in their minds? He turns to Chenling who seemed to be worried if he had been the cause for his Shishu’s shift in mood.

“Chenling, why don’t you go ahead and make reservations for us at the nearest inn? We will meet up by the floating market down the bridge later,” he says with a knowing look that the boy immediately understands.

“Yes Shifu!” he bows before leaving, not without glancing back at the two of them in worry.

Zhou Zishu then nudges his partner who stared transfixed at the water below. He then places himself in front of the man to catch his gaze only to feel his chest constrict slightly at the lost yet pained look in his eyes that were now tinged with pink in its corners. He places his hand on his chest and speaks softly.

“Lao Wen, are you alright?” despite knowing the answer he had to make sure.

Wen Kexing slowly turns his head to lock eyes with his soulmate whose ink colored eyes searched his own, devoid of pity or judgment but gentle understanding. The pain lodges itself in his throat rendering him tongue-tied and pitiful. A part of him burns in shame at how easily he succumbs to sadness like a child – he was a grown man, tears were pointless to what was already lost.

“She would be quite angry you know,” Zhou Zishu says idly with a soft look in his eyes as he leans against his shoulder, a rare precious moment of closeness under the public eye. The warmth from the other loosens the misery trapped in his lungs.

He looks to his side to see the other look at him in a slight teasing tone, “She would nag and scold you for being so gloomy, then she would ask if I had anything to do with it and beg me to make you feel better.”

That wrings a light laugh from his lips as he felt the sorrow lessen under his sternum, its grip lost and replaced by the visage of his lover who now wears a grin, cheek endearingly pressed against his shoulder. Wen Kexing falls in love all over again.

“You’re right,” he finally says, voice bearing more clarity even if it lacked its previous luster, “she would whine and scold me incessantly if we wasted the day wouldn’t she? Silly girl.”

As his mind had calmed, Wen Kexing felt himself revel the moment of closeness; an anchor that never let his soul wander off beyond the darker waters. As his heart lightened, his urge to make mischief only increased. Zhou Zishu then felt a shameless hand curl once more around his waist, a little lower than decent, only for to see the other bear a light seductive grin, “How would you make me feel better A-Xu?”

Feeling his ears flush at the implied innuendo, the other merely elbows him in the chest with a scowl, “Shameless! Here I was trying to be nice to you, this is what I receive?”

Somehow, the light banter makes Wen Kexing’s heart feel at peace. How could he not when he sees his lover’s face flush so easy at the slightest tease? The glimmer in his eyes when he sees how he was able to make him feel better?

Heart and mind at ease he places an apologetic kiss to the soft hair to which the other man seemed to allow, “My A-Xu, I’m sorry, I was only teasing.”

Zhou Zishu glances at him for a moment and suddenly moves forward several cun[1] before looking back to give a coy tilt of his head, eyes twinkling in mischief, “Come along, husband. There’s still much to be done during daylight.”

Wen Kexing blinks at the sudden change in atmosphere that curled around his partner’s retreating figure. It was quite so very rare that his A-Xu would ever call him husband instead unless their minds were intoxicated by alcohol or when he occasionally reciprocated his flirting leading them to wrestle in bed at night. The feeling of a thousand wildflowers blooming spread through his body in excitement and anticipation, “Do you mean? Wait a moment, are you actually– A-Xu! Wait a moment!”

Of course, nobody could see the smile on Zhou Zishu’s face as he listened to his lover cry out indignantly while asking a thousand questions a few feet behind him.

They had met up with Chenling as promised, the boy had been slightly wary due to the earlier mishap, however his young face had lit up joyfully to see his Shifu and Shishu in better spirits albeit the latter seemed to be whining and looking at the other expectantly. He decided it was a matter best left between their dynamic.

The rest of the day had been spent with great delight, Wen Kexing watched as their disciple’s face shine with happiness as he eagerly drowned in the sights of the small town and the items they had on display while his zhiji stood by the boy, making soft comments and indulging him with a paternal expression on his face. It was an imagery he wanted to carve beneath his eyelids to observe for the rest of his life. The delight in Chenling and the beautiful smile on Zhou Zishu’s face while the morning light draped over their figures; a powerful sense of protectiveness and adoration filled him. He had to spoil them.

‘Try this Chenling, these fruits are so fresh!’ he would tell the boy or, ‘those figures are well crafted, do you want one as well?’ and ‘take whatever you want, don’t be shy. Your Shishu will treat you today.’

As for his beloved he would say, ‘A-Xu, what do you think of these? Are you hungry?’ or ‘A-Xu, you need more robes. Why don’t you try these lovely ones?’ and even ‘These jewelry seemed to be good quality. A-Xu, won’t you try one for me?’ and occasionally a frivolous line or two, ‘The color really brings out your eyes! Not even the loveliest flower could compare to your beauty my dear A-Xu, why are you frowning?’

Despite his protests Zhou Zishu’s body and face betrayed his happiness as he secretly indulged the other’s needless teasing and suggestions, the sheer action making Wen Kexing beam till the muscles of his face began to ache.

However, one had to notice the air of restlessness that permeated the air as the day went by as if everyone were anticipating something with great excitement. Many stalls had bright red and gold lanterns hung from every roof, white and gold banners decorating the streets while the inns seemed to be rapidly filling up, eager civilians young and old rushing and bustling about buying things and making preparations. The smell of flowers and spice filled the air with a sort of saccharine sweetness that filled one’s blood with hunger and excitement.

Naturally, Wen Kexing had to be curious as anyone would. “I wonder what is happening about the village? A festival perhaps? But I cannot think of one in this time of year, what do you think A-Xu?”

Zhou Zishu’s eyes darted all around in curiosity as well, “Perhaps it’s a village tradition the locals are eager for. Though I don’t know what sort of festivity it could be either.”

“Shifu, Shishu, do you think we should ask someone?” Chenling suggests, eyes glued to the sights before him. There were stalls where they made osthamus cakes and white steam buns that made ones mouth water along with many paper butterflies. The food looked ever so inviting.

Chenling continues, “They seemed so excited, it must be quite important.”

The two adults agree and reach their inn where they sat down at the modest table and called in the server who eagerly approached them with a plate of osthamus cakes for free.

“On the house,” the man said with a pleasant smile on his youthful features, “it is a special time of the year for us, please enjoy it.”

Wen Kexing lets out a polite laugh, “Many thanks to you brother. These look scrumptious.”

The man brightens, “It’s nothing, it’s nothing! It is one of our specialties, is there anything else the young master needs?”

Zhou Zishu decides to ask, “Could brother please tell us of the festivities that are happening in town? My family and I are new here, I’m afraid we have no idea of such.” The address made Wen Kexing feel euphoric while Chenling seemed to be noticeably brighter.

The server bows in humble joy before he notices Zhou Zishu, his eyes briefly roamed his face and expression suddenly turned sweeter, “Ah now worries. This humble one will be happy to tell you all you need. You see, you have come just in time for the Qiān Zhǎn Dēngjié[2]. Our humble village has been in debt to our patrons for almost eighty years. They have become our deities and they have protected our lands for so long; this festival pays homage to the lord and his lover who bring luck and prosperity to us.”

The former Manor Lord’s eyes widen in mild interest. Along with that, he noticed his beloved’s expression growing thunderous at the shameless eyes of the waiter who gazed at him in deep interest. He bit down a playful grin as he tilted his head slightly as if greatly interested, “Oh, lovers you say?

The server’s tone grew more saccharine as he spoke to Zishu, “they were said to be like a pair of swans, living an eternity together. Can you imagine?”

Wen Kexing cuts in loudly, “Of course I can.” In emphasis to his point he wraps his hand firmly around Zhou Zishu’s waist while placing a bold kiss on the apple of his cheek, “How could I not when I’m married to the most beautiful man right here?”

The man in his arms simply gives him a blank look that betrayed the flush on his ears, “Lao Wen, behave. Where did you leave your manners? This kind brother was telling us about the festival.”

“A-Xu, can I not boast about my wife?” the man whined comically as he shamelessly pressed his cheek on the other’s shoulder, “even after spending so many years with you I only fall deeper and deeper.”

“Shut that motor mouth of yours. You’re embarrassing yourself with all this nonsense.”

“A-Xu… You know very well what you’re doing” Wen Kexing said.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Zhou Zishu replies with a sly look in his eye to which the other’s face darkened slightly. The tension suddenly permeated between them making the present company feel slightly embarrassed. A short pause hung as the server blinks, mouth agape as he looked between the men while Chenling pressed his mouth shut in a desperate urge to smother his laughter.

Taking pity on the man the boy decides to intercept, “Two rooms please, and we would very much like to go for this festival.”

“Ah..yes…” the server says unintelligently before scurrying away in shame.

Once he left Zhou Zishu breaks the tension filled atmosphere with a sharp pinch to man in blue, “Look at what you’ve done, you’ve embarrassed the poor man.”

“What was I to do? He was undressing you with his eyes right in front of me even after you said we were family! If any one were to be shameless, it is him!” Wen Kexing argues, brow furrowed in distaste as if the server’s very existence gave him a bitter taste in his mouth.

To this Zhou Zishu lets out a soft laugh, “Lao Wen, drinking so much vinegar isn’t good for you.” He gives a gentle pat to the head full of snow colored hair which instantly relaxed his face like an overgrown pup. Wen Kexing feels silently pleased with himself.

As the sun was setting, the glow from the red and white lanterns were more visible, each its own miniature sunrise as the night fell. The streets grew in noise as music and laughter spread across with many people dancing and children playing with each other, bashful young couples giving each other gifts while older ones were standing side by side in content. It was a beautiful sight indeed under all the lanterns. The little family of three went out the inn (after Zhou Zishu and Chenling had emptied the entire plate osthamus, much to Wen Kexing’s amusement and joy) and roamed the streets that was filled with color.

Music filled the air, sharp and sweet that uplifted their spirits and called every soul to dance in merriment. Chenling seemed to be brimming in excitement at the sight of the older children playing and laughing. Noticing this, Zhou Zishu gave the boy a gentle nudge which earns him a doe eyed look of hope, “What are you standing around here for? Go enjoy yourself.”

Chenling’s face broke into a beaming smile to which Zhou Zishu shares on of his own, “Thank you Shifu!”

They watched as the boy rushed out to join the nearest little group of boys and girls that seemed deeply absorbed in a game of pai sho[3] and loudly placing bets with each other. Wen Kexing takes the opportunity to plaster himself to Zhou Zishu in an almost protective stance while enjoying the other’s presence.

The man had taken a habit of never leaving the other no further than five feet away from himself, always hovering and standing close by with barely a hair’s width of space between them. Despite Zhou Zishu making a complete recovery and finally removing themselves from the dark tangles of their past, he couldn’t bring himself to relax or bear the thought of his beloved too far away from him, the fear of losing him permanently still raw and fresh in his mind. Zhou Zishu does not mind this; he quietly accepted the gesture and steadfastly reminded him that he would never abandon him.

“Look at our Chenling, already making new friends. Soon he will find a nice girl and want to get married. Before we know it he will move away from us and have a family of his own!” Wen Kexing laments dramatically despite the pride gleaming in his eyes. Zhou Zishu chuckles.

“Of course, we cannot look after him until he is an old man. Eventually he will settle down.”

He looks at his partner slyly, “A-Xu, don’t tell me you don’t miss him.”

The former Manor Lord scoffs but says nothing, his eyes betraying his true emotions. To this point he practically looked after the boy since his sect’s passing, they had become a parental figure towards him. An anchor that steadied the young man who was now indelibly attached to them like any orphaned child would have. Zhan Chenling would forever be their boy, no matter his blood.

Wen Kexing suddenly felt an indescribable feeling as he watched the happiness coloring Chenling’s face as he enjoyed himself, little children stumbling and giggling, bright eyed and mischievous. A thought that felt too raw and precious to even indulge but he simply had to tell, “A-Xu…”

Zhou Zishu, his A-Xu, turns to look up at him with his head titled so sweetly, “Mm?”

His mind felt as if melted to mush and sunk back into the earth, never to be found again. Under the light of the thousand lanterns that lit up the sky like stars his zhiji was glowed beautifully, the sharp angles of his face soft and eyes so tender. He looked at him with those pools of obsidian expectantly as if patiently waiting for his wish. Wen Kexing couldn’t believe that this man still chose to love him even with all the blood in his hands and the sins he had made.

“I…,” he faltered slightly, heart drumming powerfully in his ribs leaving the words to stick themselves in his throat.

Zhou Zishu’s face now colored with slight concern, “What’s wrong?”

Just as he was going to speak a swift rustling sound cut through the air making them both part slightly, muscles tense in alert. The sound could have been insignificant to mortal senses, but both men’s martial arts were well defined and trained that they could pick it up. They looked at each other in worry before they wordlessly came to an agreement. Abandoning the lights of the festival they rushed into the night towards the darker parts of the city where the light did not reach.

The celebration had taken place towards the center of the town leaving a number of places darker and abandoned while others went to participate in the merriment. As they went closer they could hear muffled yelling and frantic discussion. Then suddenly a feeble cry rang through the night that instantly raised their hackles.

With great caution they slowly turned into an annex in the darkest part of the valley behind the last few settlements of houses that was only lit by moonlight. A woman crouched on the ground, knees digging onto the soft earth and her hands clutching a bundle of brown cloth that seemed to struggle feebly. Her face was bruised and dirty with her hair falling upon her shoulders, yet her eyes burned with a fierce determination intermingled with sorrow. When she locked eyes with them her face contorted to a look of pure fear.

“GET AWAY!” she screamed. The two men felt more confused.

Seeing that they weren’t moving she opened her mouth to yell again, but no sound came out. Instead she now glared at a new figure that had stealthily appeared beside her, sword glinting in the moonlight as it was held against her throat. The man, who was dressed in midnight colored clothing, let out a harsh chuckle.

“I knew this was all it took to get your attention,” he says, “I must admit you both have such excellent qinggong I could never find a trace of your steps. But yes, I finally caught you.”

Wen Kexing frowned, warily glancing at the woman and the blade and the bundle in her arms. Beside him, Zhou Zishu was quietly calculating if they had a chance of removing the woman from the madman who suddenly began laughing out loud.

He bore no colors of any sect, small eyes like sesame seeds yet filled with greed and malice and a small mouth that was pulled to a smile that was too big for his round face that made him seem like a leering hanged ghost. The image sent a shiver down Zhou Zishu’s spine in deep disgust.

The man continued in a merry tone as if he were addressing old friends, “I knew you both had to be alive. For many years I spent searching and searching, how fortunate I must be to have finally have you right before me!”

Wen Kexing felt his own face contort in displeasure by the second. His eyes then became blank and his smile became jade as he spoke, “Why brother, do we know you by any chance? It seems we have a new friend, A-Xu.”

 Zhou Zishu did not care for frivolous wordplay, “What is it that you want?”

“What I want?” he says manically, “I want everything! The power! The knowledge! I know you must have it! Hand it over now and I will be consider you forgiven.”

“What the hell are you blabbering about?” Zhou Zishu bites harshly. Beside him, Wen Kexing can feel his anger bubbling to the surface, standing close to his soulmate in protection.

The man’s eyes bulged, “WHAT I WANT? I WANT THE ARMORY!”

The very mention sent a feeling of ice down from their head to their spine. The two lovers exchanged equally concerned looks. The chaos for the armory had died down shortly after the death of Zhao Jing and the Scorpion. No one decided to bring it up again due to all the blood that had been spilt on behalf of the innocent and the dirty hands of the greedy. It was becoming quite clear that no one could be trusted with it hence the subject became its own kind of taboo; it was never brought up again.

It hadn’t meant that there weren’t those who refused to let go. Particularly from those surviving from the battle on Mount Qingya, minor soldiers with lost dreams and dead sects or perhaps delinquent men who heard the tale and wandered around the world in hopes of finding the armory. Their dreams were worth only fool’s gold as they threatened and searched endlessly. Little did they know the armories whereabouts and its lock had been destroyed permanently by the pair of soulmates on the unanimous decision that it was too risky to be left alone in the world.

“The key to immortality and endless riches! The power waiting to be held in my grasp,” he continues with a mad expression, “you must have. You must! You must! Give it to me!”

“As if we would,” Zhou Zishu says. His face hardened like stone with phoenix eyes sharp like a vulture eyeing its prey.

Wen Kexing scoffs loftily, “Ha, as if we would willingly hand it over to you even if we had it. You might as well kill yourself, shàoye.”

The man’s face reddened in anger, “SHUT YOUR MOUTH YOU FILTHY PIECE OF DIRT! HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME, VALLEY MASTER!”

The address makes Wen Kexing’s face darken, mouth curled in a cold smile, “Ah, so you do know who I am. This humble former Valley Master is very honored that you remember me.” Beside him, Zhou Zishu’s face turned to ice as the insult.

“Watch your tongue,” he all but sneers at the man who throws his head back and laughs.

“I don’t care! I don’t care! But,” he grabs the woman by her hair eliciting a painful scream from her and more feeble cries from the little bundle in her arms. The sound tugs the two immortal’s heart strongly as they now eyed the man warily as he pressed the blade against her neck making thin beads of blood manifest. “Give. Me. The. Key. To. The Armory!”

In an attempt to be a voice of reason Zhou Zishu said, “Whatever you’re looking for doesn’t exist. It only brings misery to all who seek it. Just let it go.”

The man scrunches his face as if he ate something rotten, “Let go? Just let go!? Ptui! So all the rich and privileged men in world can dare seek it but I can’t? What is so special about you eh? Why not me?!”

His grip tightened on the woman who whimpered but still said nothing, tears dripping from her face steadily. Wen Kexing could feel the anxiety for the woman’s safety tense his zhiji’s body, a similar feeling growing in himself. The man had clearly lost his mind and was endangering the woman and child. Yet despite their fear their bodies were relaxed and eyes alert which seemed to bother the man greatly.

“I know who you are, Zhou Zishu,” the man continues almost venomously, “or is it Manor Lord Zhou? Perhaps the great leader of the Tian Chuang[4]? How is it that you and that dog can dip your hands wherever you desire but if I attempt to, it is immoral and pointless!! I refuse!!”

Zhou Zishu seemed wholly unbothered by the address while Wen Kexing felt mildly amused. With a flutter of his fan that he had carefully pulled out, he schooled a false thoughtful expression, “I have been called many names, but this is a rare one,” his grin grew sinister, “I’ll be sure to carve it on your body when I kill you.”

 The man spat on the ground and yelled, “I don’t care! I don’t care! Give it to me!”

‘He sounds like a spoilt child if you ignore the madness,’ Wen Kexing thought in distaste, “Good brother, it’s destroyed. Left in pieces and scattered by the winds, did no one tell you?”

The man blink slowly as if stupid, “What?”

“Destroyed,” Wen Kexing supplies cheerfully, “broken to bits and thrown away.”

The man stumbles, grip on his sword loosened which made the woman’s face relax slightly and he stared at the ground in disbelief. The words had finally sunken into his skull leaving a constipated expression on his face. He began muttering under his breath.

“Gone? It cannot be gone. It was there, I was there. It must be there. How could it go? Why me? Why is it destroyed?”

Suddenly he screamed loudly before hacking his sword through the woman’s throat with no remorse. Blood blossomed from her torn throat and she collapsed onto the ground in a heap, the squirming bundle slowly soaking in blood and held in her arms tightly. The man however kept screaming, waving his sword frantically.

“IT’S GONE! WHY IS IT GONE!” he howls, “AFTER ALL MY EFFORTS!”

He glares at them furiously, “I even used that stupid woman as bait; I killed that bitch of a wife when she tried to betray me only to have failed!!”

Unbeknownst to him, the faces of the two immortals had darkened greatly, their gaze unnerving as they watched the man who began charging at them while screaming a litany of curses enough to blacken white stone, “YOU FILTHY ANIMALS! I’LL KILL YOU!! I’LL KILL YOU ALL!”

“Enough of this,” Wen Kexing growled and with a swift move of his fan dodged the man’s uncoordinated lunge and severed his throat effortlessly. He then fell onto the ground with his face frozen in a petrified expression.

Wen Kexing scowls at the dead man, “Such a waste of time. We could have been enjoying the festival by now; that little idiot must be worrying about like a headless hen.”

He turns to see his zhiji not by his side which made him frown, “A-Xu? Where did you go?”

Turning around once more he sees that Zhou Zishu had gone forward to the corpse of the woman who clutched her child tightly in her arms. Slowly he approached as well.

Meanwhile man looked at the woman with an expression akin to pity and sorrow; for not being there on time and for not being able to save her in time. He then looks at the bundle in her arms that began crying louder, squirming frantically that it tugged his soft heart. Gently he loosened the death grip of the woman and extracted the bundle from her. There in the blood soaked rags lay a small child covered with specks of blood, wailing tearlessly.

Wen Kexing felt a rush of nostalgia looking at the child. Something just like this happened over seventeen years ago, his little A-Xiang abandoned in the world just like this before he decided to take her under his wing. A pliant and small child she had been, to a frail young boy it seemed like the weight of the world had been placed in the form of something so precious. Looking at the squirming baby, he felt a deep sorrow ache to his bones.

Zhou Zishu stared wordlessly at the child. Wen Kexing silently knelt close them and pulled out a clean handkerchief from the folds of his robes and before wiping the baby’s face and shoulders clean with a painstaking gentleness. Once done the child stopped crying, their round eyes shining as they looked between the two men curiously.

“These rags are too dirty,” Wen Kexing says his voice suddenly hoarse. Zhou Zishu nods before placing the child gently into his trembling arms, stripping off the blood soaked cloth and throwing it aside. The former Valley master stared at the child with a look mixed with awe and sadness all at once. The child was so light in his own arms, so fragile that he felt even the slightest pressure could crush them.

He looked up to see his lover take off his white outer robe leaving him in his white inner robes to cut it to pieces to make a more clean swaddle for the child. With skillful hands he dressed the child before taking them back to his arms and stared at them for a long moment.

Zhou Zishu never had the chance of raising children. He had never held one in his life nor watch over a baby. Yet as the little thing squirmed slightly in his arms, its fists clenched and face filled with wonder as it stared intently at his own he felt an unnamed emotion curl up in his chest and nestle itself deep within his ribs.

Swallowing the feeling he looked to see Wen Kexing pressed close, his broad shoulders enveloping them like a mighty rampart with his eyes unbearably soft, “Xiao meimei, why are you looking at my A-Xu so much? Do you find him as beautiful as I do?” he says with a silly smile that makes Zhou Zishu scoff, yet a fond smile tugging the corner of his mouth.

“Lao Wen,” he warns.

“Why? Look at how enraptured she is! She surely has good taste,” exclaims Wen Kexing, “she too can see how pretty my A-Xu is. But he belongs to me little meimei, so you can’t have him.”

Zhou Zishu rolls his eyes despite the laugh threatening to escape his lips. “Enough of your gibberish. How do you even know it’s a girl?”

“I raised A-Xiang, didn’t I? I am sure of it.”

Zhou Zishu merely raises an eyebrow before looking at the bundle in his arms, unaware at how his soulmate was engraving the sight in his mind. “We should take her to a physician and examine her for any injuries.”

Wen Kexing hums in agreement before looking at the body of the mother lay bleeding onto the ground, “We should at least give her a proper burial.” He then looks at the corpse of the madman that was sprawled on the grass, “and feed that one to the dogs.”

The other nods in agreement, “I’ll take her then. Meet us back at the inn.”

Wen Kexing looked slightly unwilling to part ways yet he nods resolutely before watching the two of them depart towards the center of town. He glares at the corpse of the madman in particular, “You really ruined my day.”

Half an hour later with his robes freshly dusted and bodies disposed, he headed towards the center of the town once more where festivities were still continuing in full swing with a few people now drunk and singing various songs and folk tales. A part of him wishes the pest from earlier hadn’t showed up at all, he and his zhiji had missed most of the festival because of that menace! He cursed the dead man once more.

Upon entering the inn he runs into the server from earlier, the sight making a sour taste in his mouth as he wore plain smile that made the man pale slightly. “Could you perhaps lead me to my room? I don’t want my lovely spouse to miss me for long.”

The man stutters with a string of pleasantries before bowing his head low and leading him to the room where he was greeted with a dear sight that made his heart sing. Zhou Zishu seemed to be rocking the child slowly in his arms as an elderly woman with a head full of iron colored hair, calmly gave him instructions. Despite the awkwardness in his body and the doubt on his face he looked so natural with the child in his arms, the sight bringing back that indescribable feeling a tenfold in a suffocating way that almost drove him mad with joy and desire.

Hearing the opening of the door Zhou Zishu looked up to see him.

“Lao Wen,” he says in greeting. Wen Kexing beams, “A-Xu.”

The old nurse looks up at him, “Ah, you must be the father then?”

The Former Valley master sputters in an undignified manner while his soulmate stiffened with scarlet ears and neck. The woman doesn’t bat an eye.

“I see. Never mind, there are options for the future,” she mutters, “Did you find the child?”

“Yes, her mother was said to be killed but we aren’t sure of her heritage,” says Zhou Zishu with a thick face, completely disregarding the previous commentary. The woman nods to herself before taking the small wrist and examining her.

“Her pulse is good, she seemed about six months old now. A little malnourished, I will have a local midwife come feed her first thing tomorrow morning. Since none of you lactate I will have the dried milk substrate prepared as well, it’s in powdered form so it will be easier to feed her. I can only give two gourds worth for now, feed it gently,” she instructs, “but she is old enough to eat solid foods as well so I recommend feeding her congee for her meals.”

Both men diligently remember the information. “Thank you lǎo nǎi nai[5],” Wen Kexing says, as he stands close by the pair that sat comfortably on the bed. The old nurse nods once more.

“Now laoshi,” she says, “are you going to keep the child?”

The question earned her a silent pause with both men looking at each other with a faces painted in doubt and uncertainty. The old nurse looked somber but understanding as she said her next words carefully, “Raising a child is not an easy feat for those wander on unsteady grounds. They are indeed delicate things and need a loving home with loving parents to shelter them and protect them through sickness and health.”

Zhou Zishu stared at the child in his arms for a long moment. “I will come back in the morning, you have till then to decide. If you are unable to take matters to your own hands I will arrange for the child to be given away,” she continues. The man’s arms subconsciously tightened around the child who was now babbling mindlessly without a care in the world.

Wen Kexing answers for them, “Thank you for everything. We will make our decision in the morning.”

The old nurse nods curtly before taking her leave, leaving the two men alone in their room. Once the door shuts, he slowly moves to sit beside Zhou Zishu who hadn’t taken his eyes off the little one since the nurse’s departure. He wordlessly lays his head on Wen Kexing’s shoulder, both equally enraptured by the sight of her.

“She’s so small,” he whispers quietly, “it feels like she could break at the slightest touch.”

Wen Kexing lets out a soft chuckle, “She is.”

“Was it like this?” he asks carefully, “when you found A-Xiang?”

The other hums thoughtfully, “Not really. She was a bit bigger than her, being three years old. But she was still just as doe eyed as this one, so obedient too. For a boy for thirteen, she seemed like the tiniest thing in the world.”

They both stared at the babbling child for a long moment. “A-Xu…”

Zhou Zishu turns to look at him, “Lao Wen?”

“What if…” the thought felt ridiculous, possibly even insane but it clung to his mind and consumed his soul that he had to say it, “what if we kept her?”

Zhou Zishu blinks, his partner’s uncharacteristic nervousness and stuttering surprising him, “You want…to keep her?”

Wen Kexing nods, eyes soft and hopeful even though unsure. The former Manor Lord stares at his lover before looking at the child in their arms. Both of them had the same fears and doubt; the fear of failing the child, such a small frail little thing, or perhaps even failing to protect her from the perils the world hide from the naked eye.

With a child in their presence, the reality of the world suddenly fell upon them like stone. The dangers that lurked, the many uncertainties that lay hidden. Their Chenling had barely survived, the trauma of losing his family clung deeply within his mind for a good few years before he finally learned to let them ago. Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing did not have innocent pasts either, both hands touched the blood of many innocent and guilty alike. Could they really raise a child?

The more they watched her babble with eyes full of innocence and curiosity, the more they the maddening urge to protect her as she grows within their ribs. A mad urge grew within Zhou Zishu. To tickle her small sides and see her laugh, to hold her close to his chest and never let her go, or to press kisses all over her small chubby cheeks.

He smiles softly at the child before transferring the babbling little thing into Wen Kexing’s trembling arms. The man’s face was full of wonder as he excepted the girl who lifts her head up and stares at him for a long moment in interest before a beautiful smile stretches on her dear face as she let out a squeal of delight, grabbing a stray lock of pure white hair.

The former Valley Master feels his breath hitch and eyes sting slightly at the sight; unbeknownst to him Zhou Zishu looked at them with overflowing tenderness.

‘We can keep her,’ Zhou Zishu tells himself confidently, heart full of fondness as he watched Wen Kexing’s lip slightly tremble as he smiled at the little one who made more cooing noises. ‘A girl of our own.’

He looks at his beloved, who had now slightly red eyes, smiling at him lovingly, “Why not, we raised Chenling all this time didn’t we?” he looks at the child who seemed so tiny and snug in the broader man’s arms, “how about it xiao meimei? Would you like that?”

She turns her head smartly hearing the sound of his voice and looks at him with that adorable doe eyed expression. She babbles once more very enthusiastically as if she were trying to tell him something interesting.

“ma…ma…mama…” she babbles as she tries reaching for Zhou Zishu’s robes with her little fist, completely ignorant at the man’s gasp and Wen Kexing’s burst of laughter.

“A-Xu, looks like she thinks you’re her mother,” he laughs in utter delight.

Zhou Zishu scowls, “What nonsense are you sprouting now?  How I am the mother? I’m not a woman!”

“But our little xiao meimei seems to recognize you as such. How can it be nonsense? I didn’t make her say it,” Wen Kexing teases relentlessly.

“Wen Kexing!”

Unrelenting, Wen Kexing hold the baby closer to his face and whispered theatrically, “He’s very shy little one, he’ll get used to it soon. My A-Xu is secretly very nice.” The baby giggles at the action that slightly melted Zhou Zishu’s resolve to beat the man for encouraging such. He decides to allow them to indulge in their fun, just this once – there was plenty of time for her to adjust after all.

Just then the doors burst open revealing a frantic Chenling whose face was painted in worry and panic, “Shifu! Shishu!”

“Aish, little idiot. Why are you in such a frenzy?” says Wen Kexing in amusement.

The boy falters, “I…I heard something peculiar but I didn’t take much note of it. Once the festivities were ending I looked for you both but…you…weren’t t-there.”

The smiles on the immortal’s faces morphed into one of quiet understanding as they shared a look. Zhou Zishu immediately pats the space beside him in a silent invitation to which the boy gladly accepts, pressing himself against the sturdy form of his Shifu and feeling the earlier anxiety washing away from his bones.

After noticing their appearance, Chenling was spiraling. Almost two hours past and his guardians were nowhere in sight eliciting a terrifying sinking feeling deep within his chest that spread from his head to the tips of his toes like ice. He didn’t know where they were or what they were doing but he let his body go on its own, frantically searching any place he could find. The memories of his lost family was still a raw nerve to his mind, he couldn’t help but wonder that despite their excellent martial arts whether one day fate would claim them as well. Given the chaos of the events that happened with the Glazed Armor he hoped he wouldn’t be abandoned once more like many of his father’s martial brothers did.

As he laid his head upon his Shifu’s shoulders, the numbness fades from his body while his muscles felt less twitchy and more relaxed. A hand gently patted his head, “Silly boy, were else would we go? As if I would ever leave my disciple just like that.”

The boy relaxes before his body tensed at the curious babble of the little one who seemed very intrigued by the newcomer. Chenling looks between his Shifu and Shishu in confusion, “Shifu…there’s a baby…”

Wen Kexing laughs, “Little idiot, have you never seen a baby before?”

Chenling looks enraptured by the girl who was now gazing at him in deep interest. She breaks into a fit of giggles that brings a smile to the young man’s face, completely charmed.

“She’s so small,” he says in wonder, “Shifu, where did you find her?”

Zhou Zishu shared a look with Wen Kexing before speaking, “She was orphaned on the street. Her mother had passed and handed her over to our care.” Along with a madman who sought out the glazed armor like any fool would, the man thinks while deciding that the boy did not need to know that extra detail.

Carefully he extends a finger to poke the baby’s soft cheek, “She’s so cute!” Chenling exclaims before looking unsurely at the two men, “are we…going to keep her?”

“Of course, what else are we to do with her?” Wen Kexing says, “is she not adorable? You were once just like this you know.”

“En,” says Chenling, eyes drinking in the sight of the baby as a parched man in a desert would. The very sight blooms a bud of fondness within Wen Kexing along with a desire to tease.

“Silly boy, you are now her Ge and her shixiong, you should kotow yourself to the heavens and vow to protect your new shimei,” he states seriously earning himself sudden panicked look and a nudge to his ribs, “Ouch! A-Xu!”

His lover takes the little one from his arms and frowns at the man disapprovingly, “Stop scaring the boy with your gibberish,” he aims a firm look towards the older boy who subconsciously straightened his spine at the attention, “Chenling, he is not wrong. If we are to take in this little one, we will all need to watch over her diligently. What do you think? Would you like to be an older brother?”

Chenling stares for a long moment before his eyes reddened and his lips were pressed tightly as if suppressing a hundred emotions that threatened to spill from him.

He had lived as the youngest child of three, his older brothers much older and wiser than he ever could have been. Zhang Chengfeng and Zhang Chengluan were excellent in their martial arts and in their manners of diplomacy as expected as the eldest sons of Zhang Yusen and as future heirs to the Mirror Lake sect. nothing was ever much expected from Chenling, he was treated leniently albeit a little pampered. However, his brothers were never cruel; they often teased him and sheltered him that he grew up with a deep admiration and respect for them.

As the youngest he could never fathom the trials they bore and the duty they shouldered fearlessly as they were ready to defend their family and their sect as lions would prowl their domain from wandering animals. He had always wished he had their skill.

Since the fall of his sect he never got a chance to even bid them farewell nor aid them in the battle against the Hanging Ghost. They gave their lives to ensure the secrets of their clan wouldn’t fall into the wrong hands and stayed resilient in the face of danger.

Now, after everything had passed, as he looked into the eyes of the little girl who nestled her little head on his Shifu’s shoulder babbling incoherently with little cooing noises, Zhang Chenling felt an inkling of what his older brothers would have felt and the powerful need to protect her from the perils of the world. Fate had somehow gifted him a new family, and now a new life under his care – he vowed he would defend his shimei, his meimei; that he would protect her at the cost of his own life.

He looks at his Shifu, eyes heavy with emotion, “Yes Shifu. This disciple would like nothing more than being an older brother and will do everything in his power to protect xiao meimei.”

As if understanding his words the girl squeals loudly in delight causing thick tears to finally trail down his cheeks, eliciting a fond look from his guardians. Wen Kexing pulls the boy closer by his shoulders in a comforting manner.

“Aiyah, little brat. Why so many tears?” Zhou Zishu reprimands mildly, watching with boy furiously scrub his cheeks to remove the tears stained.

“I’m not sad Shifu,” he says thickly, “I’m just…overwhelmed. I…”

Wen Kexing smiles softly at the boy, “They are happy tears?”

The boy nods furiously, “I feel…so happy Shifu, Shishu…”

The two men were filled with fondness as the hugged the boy, Zhou Zishu using his free arm as he held the baby in the other. 

They would always be family, whether by ties or blood. As the music in the air sang across the night and the thousand lanterns illuminated the sky, their family of three had another little life to cherish; come hail or storm they would prevail and would continue to care for another with love that only grew.

Bonus scene:

Gu Nianxiang loves snow for no particular reason.

The little child, only eight months, loved to knead the powdery ice within her chubby fists and kick out her feet to watch it spray. When soft snowflakes fell she squealed loudly in joy, her hands clapping and wiggling where she sat with uncontained glee. The cold never seemed to bother her the slightest.

Zhou Zishu loved watching her play.

As he watch the little child squirm in his arms filled with laughter he felt a thousand flowers bloom inside him and spilling out in waves at his child. It still felt surreal – she was their child.

The first few weeks since adopted her had not been very easy. Particularly on Wen Kexing and Chengling’s side. The two men had been walking on eggshells, so unsure and afraid of failing at the slightest thing. Wen Kexing would make sure her milk was properly heated, her utensils thoroughly cleaned and the only the healthiest vegetables cooked for her congee. He refused to let the child sleep in a crib of her own, not that Zishu had minded, it was quite nice to have the child sleeping between them.

He was almost never more than two feet away from her unless he was sure that she was with Zhou Zishu and they both were resolutely safe. He took painstaking detail into preparing her meals and her clothes. It was more difficult for the child the first few nights as she would wake up at the odd hours of the night wailing and utterly inconsolable. While it hindered their sleep, they would wordlessly take turns at holding her and walking around the manor till she settled.

Chengling on the other hand seemed to be overly anxious for her safety every time her watched her play, never letting her fall or would spend watching her play in the snow for many hours as if it were his sacred duty.

“Meimei, don’t eat that. You will get sick,” he would say. He would worry at the slightest inconvenience, much like his Shishu. Zhou Zishu could laugh if it didn’t irritate him at times.

But it didn’t mean he as any better.

If Wen Kexing were obsessed for her food and safety, Zhou Zishu was overly anxious about her hygiene and feeding.

As someone who had never looked after a toddler, the man couldn’t help but worry whether he was doing the right thing. Did she eat enough? Is she cleaned thoroughly? How many times had he washed her things? Is she too warm?

A thousand ceaseless questions running through his mind as he was eager to make sure that she was well cared for. The old nurse during her visit laughed at their anxiousness before reassuring them that they did not need to do so much. Of course, there were days that the child would still wake up and cry in the middle of the night. She sobbed in such a heartbreaking manner that it struck a pain deep inside Zhou Zishu that he wished he could take away any discomfort or pain that tormented her little mind and body. One particular night, he took her in his arms and decided to sing to her, for the first time in many years since his youth.

The clear moon shines brightly by night,

and the crickets chirp by the eastern wall.

Ursae Majoris indicates that winter is coming,

and the crowded stars, how clear each one is!

White dew wets the wild weeds,

as the cycling seasons suddenly change again.

Autumn locusts trill between the trees,

and dark birds leave for more suitable places.

Formerly we were disciples of the same school,

rising high beating six quills.

But you ignored our intimate friendship,

And abandoned me like a footprint behind you.

In the South is the Winnow Basket, in the North the Plough,

and the Draught Ox will not bear its yoke.

Without the solidity of metal and stone,

What benefit is there in empty reputation?[6]

The song was of melancholic nature, he does not remember where he heard it from but he knew the song well. As he had finished the baby’s cries died down to small whimpers, her little fist was clutching his robes tightly as if afraid to let him go.

Much like someone else he knew, he thinks amusedly as a pair of solid arms embrace him from behind and a chin on his shoulder.

“A-Xu, why are you awake?” Wen Kexing rumbles with his voice thick with sleep, “did she wake you again? You should have let me handle her.”

He pressed a kiss on his shoulder before pressing another on the child’s cheek, shaking the dregs of sleep  in his eyes to look at her properly, “Aren’t you a handful little one, what’s troubling you so much?”

Zhou Zishu was very tired. He could feel the throb of a headache within his temples from the noise and the lack of sleep and was very much ready to snap at anyone or anything. Yet in the presence of his beloved who embraced him reassuringly and the sweet face of his daughter, how could he stay irritated for long?

Wen Kexing felt the most peaceful during sleepless nights like this, holding the man he loved between his arms while listening to him sing softly in the darkest of nights with their child nestled right with them. He could watch his A-Xu hold the little one while singing lullabies for the rest of his life.

Together, just like this, they would fall back asleep in bed; with Nianxiang gripping Zishu’s robes and a strand of his white hair while he wrapped his arms around them both, never once letting them go.

Zhou Zishu thinks the girl loved the snow because it matched the color of her father’s hair.

Whenever Wen Kexing held her, she would tug the pure white locks and beam in uncontained joy while the man would let her tug and pull as she pleased. The Former Valley Master of Mount Qingya was utterly smitten by his daughter.

While she adored her father, she had a penchant to sticking close to Zhou Zishu. She would stay pressed against his sternum or shoulder while babbling, refusing to let him put her down even for a moment with Wen Kexing being the only other substitute. Not that either men minded it much, they refused to stay away from her as much as she did.

When they visited the village by the mountain once more they would earn many looks from the townspeople who would gush at the child and be utterly swayed by her charm. Nianxiang loved looking at the sights all around her. They did make a dear sight with the child dressed in blue and white with lilies embroidered on her little robes (Wen Kexing spare no effort into making sure she had the nicest robes) matching her parents and her brother as they walked along the street.

Surprisingly, one day as they had taken their usual visit to the village they heard a small commotion at a nearby restaurant. Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing shared curious looks before deciding to see what the commotion was. There sat a man draped in pure white robes and a large blade strapped to his back, inhaling a bowl of food next to a larger stack of empty bowls and plates. The server seemed frantic and nervous.

Ye Baiyi set his bowl down with a loud thud and a flourish before looking at the poor server, “I want a plate of gyoza.”

The server bowed quickly, “Yes, yes! O-of course laoshi. Right away!”

As he turned, the old immortal noticed the pair and frowned loftily, “So, it’s you two. What are you doing he-”

His attention landed on the child in Zhou Zishu’s arms who was mimicking Wen Kexing’s displeased expression on her little face. He blinks slowly and looked between the two of them.

“So, one of you finally got knocked up,” he says bluntly that made both men choke of air and flush red with Chengling trying to suppress his laughter.

“This is why I don’t like you,” Wen Kexing argues loudly to which Ye Baiyi rebuts, “Who would like you either? Only a fool would stick with another fool.”

Wen Kexing scowls deeply, “How dare you insult A-Xu!? You old monster.”

“Ungrateful brat, did you forget who helped save your A-Xu?”

“You–”

Zhou Zishu decides to cut off the two of them, feeling tired of their endless bickering, “Ye Qianbei, why don’t you join us for a meal? No need to argue amongst yourselves.”

The elder regards Zhou Zishu thoughtfully with his gaze wandering over to the child who was still now more interested in her father’s hair, incessantly tugging it with her small fingers. He shakes his head and stands up.

“There is no need. I have repaid my debts, there is no need for you to trouble yourself with my business,” he says sternly but not unkindly.

“We don’t want you near anyway,” Wen Kexing grumbles. To Zhou Zishu’s internal amusement Nianxiang mimicked the man’s tone as she babbles more eagerly as if she wanted her share of the conversation; she had taken to a habit of mimicking their facial expression and tone when listening to them speak.

The display catches Ye Baiyi off-guard for a moment, eyes soft for a second before it vanishes in the blink of an eye.

“A bold child if I ever saw one,” he says nonchalantly, “what is her name?”

Before Wen Kexing could open his mouth Zhou Zishu beats him to it, “Her name is Gu Nianxiang qianbei.”

“Hm,” he hums thoughtfully, “where did you find her?”

“She was abandoned on the street when her mother had passed. Her father was a madman and no one of importance,” he says which earns him a short nod.

Ye Baiyi looked at the child one last time before turning his back on them, “Take good care of her. Children are fragile things. She will be fine.” He then looks at Wen Kexing, “and make sure you don’t do anything foolish.”

Using his free arm to hold his lover who was releasing a string of protests, Zhou Zishu bows with his head respectfully, “Thank you Ye Qianbei.”

The man regards him with a nod before calling loudly to the server nearby, “You there! You can place my tab on this one here in blue. I will be leaving,” he looks the child one more time before storming off.

Wen Kexing felt extremely wronged, “That old monster! He ate all that food like a pig and left me to pay for it!”

While he found the situation amusing he sighs, “Lao Wen, calm down. I’ll pay for it, Xiang Xiang and Chengling will be hungry.”

With a frustrated huff he sits at the table with flutter of his robes and glared at the stray dirty dishes on the table as if they had greatly wronged him. Zhou Zishu patted him gently on the head, “Look at you, you are frowning the same way Xiang-er does when she’s fussy. Come one, lets enjoy our time here.”

Wen Kexing pouted before the sullen expression melts off his face at the sight of their daughter mimicking the same expression while pressed against his zhiji. “Fine, I’ll let it slide this once. He better not show up in the future.”

Unfortunately he did in fact visit. The day ended up with Wen Kexing and Ye Biayi rebuilding the broken section behind the manor for the next two week with the former banned from their bedroom for three nights. 

Bonus scene 2: 

Zhou Zishu hates getting up in the morning. Unfortunately, the little one snuggled against his chest didn’t seem to care.

It was not even mao shi[7] yet and the girl began squirming in between him and his lover making small whining noises. She whined for a good minute before she began to climb onto his chest as if he were a mountain, her limbs wobbly and unsure but her face determined. Once atop she began to fall to the other side, which was prevented by a strong hand that scooped her from his side and placed her back between them. This time Zhou Zishu turned to his side, his face towards Wen Kexing who was still blissfully unaware, so that their bodies would act as a rampart to stop her from escaping.

Undeterred, the girl using his body as leverage lifted herself once more but this time she draped herself onto his side as a support and looked around while twitching and stomping. Then she slid back down and began wiggling at little. By now, Zhou Zishu very much wanted to succumb to the deep throes of sleep, however the slightly wet chubby little hands that were touching his face told him otherwise.

“Mama…maa…” she babbles, trying to get the man to open his eyes. Zhou Zishu felt himself scowl at the address. The child still had not stopped calling him that much to his embarrassment and Wen Kexing’s delight.

He tries to ignore the insistent hand at first. The child continues to babble and gurgle more.

“Mmmamma…mamama,” she says incoherently with little cooing noises that was melting his resolve.

He finally opens his eyes to see the baby now siting right beside his face with big doe eyes while drooling slightly, her small hands so gentle as they touched and poked his face. Once seeing him awake she smiled and giggled more.

She bounces on her bottom as if dancing to a tune in a silly manner than made a soft laugh escape his lips, “Xiang Xiang, what are you doing?”

The baby laughs in delight, melting away the irritation in his veins.

Zhou Zishu decides that perhaps waking up in the morning isn’t so bad afterall.

Terms used: 

[1] Is a traditional Chinese unit of length. It represents inches.

[2] Chinese for ‘Festival of a Thousand Lanterns’

[3] A kind of board game that’s a mix of checkers and chess; taken from Avatar the Last Airbender.

[4] The Chinese name for Window of Heaven

[5]lǎo nǎi nai: a term used to address an old woman respectfully (usually used by children) | also used to say paternal great-grandmother.

[6] The Clear Moon Shines Brightly by Night – from Ninteen Old Poems

[7] Mao shi: Chinese Zodiac Time; In ancient China, people divided a day and night into 12 time periods, each equaling to the present 2 hours. They also gave each time period a zodiac sign, named Chinese zodiac time. Mao Shi is the 2-hour period between 5 and 7 a.m – related to the Chinese fairy tale [Moon goddess Chungha], Jade Rabbit inside the Moon Palace is still working with herbal medicines