Chapter 6: The Unexpected

The Emperor of Yan smiled, watching the now-grown princess before him with doting eyes, though a cold glint flashed deep within them. That brat was exactly like his father; even at such a tender age, he knew how to bewitch people. With this thought, the Emperor spoke gently, "Qianqian, I have already addressed the court. That boy, Xunqing, has been betrothed since before he was even born. With so many brilliant young men in the capital, how about I find you a better match?"

Yan Qianqian pursed her lips, looking up with teary, pleading eyes. "Father, good Father, I only want Shen Xunqing! Just issue an imperial decree and bestow him upon me! Please?"

At her words, the attendants behind the Emperor lowered their heads. The Emperor remained smiling. "Behave, Qianqian. As a princess, you are far above someone of Shen Xunqing’s station. You are my most precious treasure; I will certainly find you a suitable match. Now, go back; I must return to my memorials."

Yan Qianqian had no choice but to nod. As she watched the Emperor depart, she stomped her feet in frustration. "Abominable! These mortals are nowhere near as good as those in the Demon Realm. I don't believe it!" She gritted her teeth and hurried away.

After she left, the Emperor stopped and addressed the empty air. "Investigate! Find out exactly who that orphan of the Shen family has been in contact with lately." That talk of a pre-birth betrothal was pure nonsense; he wanted to see what kind of waves this orphan could possibly stir up.

***

Shen Manor.

Shen Xunqing had just stepped down from his carriage. Only Black Slave was waiting at the door. He had grown accustomed to seeing Yan Yunqing waiting with a foolish grin these past few days; his absence left a strange emptiness in his heart.

As Shen Xunqing looked at Black Slave, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over him, and his body swayed uncontrollably. Just as Black Slave moved to steady him, Shen Xunqing shook his head and stood firm. He pulled out a handkerchief to cover his mouth. "Where is he?"

His voice was hoarse. Shen Xunqing allowed the taste of blood to linger before removing the handkerchief, which now bore faint traces of red.

Seeing this, Black Slave frowned in displeasure. "Master..."

Shen Xunqing shot him a cold glare. "My affairs are not for you to comment on!"

Black Slave gritted his teeth and suppressed his emotions. "Understood." He thought to himself: *In only a few days, this mortal shell of the Master's will have nothing left. When the time comes, I must persuade him to stop. Forcing himself to remain in this fragile, mortal frame will surely damage his spirit. As for this 'Madam,' if he is of no benefit to the Master, such a burden should be disposed of.*

Shen Xunqing had only taken a few steps past him when he seemed to read Black Slave’s mind. "If you dare touch a hair on him, I will destroy everything you hold dear, regardless of the bond between us."

Black Slave froze. For a long time, he stood staring at the spot where Shen Xunqing had vanished, whispering, "As you command." *What is to be done? What kind of being is that man to have the Master so utterly obsessed...*

Shen Xunqing returned to his room. It was empty. He slowly lay down on the edge of the bed, closing his eyes to rest. Where had Yan Yunqing gone? He shouldn't know his way around the manor yet, and Black Slave hadn't answered when asked. Could it be that he had already...?

*I see.* Calculating the time, it was indeed due. The memories of Yu Huan within Yan Yunqing should have begun to awaken. Had the imperial examinations accelerated the process? Being subjected to such stimulation made it possible.

As he pondered this, Shen Xunqing drifted into a deep sleep. Black Slave kept watch outside, as always.

As night fell, a dark figure approached the room. When the person was but a few steps away, Black Slave blocked the path. "You cannot enter."

The person was Yan Yunqing, whose memories had largely returned. "I will not harm him. Besides, my business with him has nothing to do with you."

Black Slave was momentarily stunned. The person before him seemed to have regained his memories, yet there was something different about him—his tone was much like the Master's. Black Slave lowered his hand and allowed him to pass.

Yan Yunqing closed the door and saw Shen Xunqing leaning against the headboard, fast asleep. His sleeping face was rare in its gentleness, completely unguarded. Yan Yunqing sighed, murmuring, "Why must you do this? The previous two lifetimes were mere coincidences. Even if you took them to heart and pursued me, the ending remains unchanged. With your cultivation, you know this."

Hearing this, Shen Xunqing realized the memories had indeed returned—not just those of Yu Huan, but also how he had arrived in the mortal realm and his experiences during these trials. He remembered everything.

Shen Xunqing opened his eyes at the perfect moment. He was secretly amazed: whose blood array had provided the power to break the soup brewed by Meng Po, causing Yan Yunqing's full memory to return? It was truly a grand gift.

"I am an invalid now," Shen Xunqing said with a light, airy smile. "If your words cause my condition to worsen, I wonder if the Little Yama King would take responsibility?"

Yan Yunqing did not seem surprised that Shen Xunqing knew his identity. Anyone capable of following him into the mortal realm could not be simple. "I have seven lives remaining in the mortal realm, excluding this one, and this life is coming to an end. I fear I cannot take responsibility for this. You would be better off asking someone more capable."

Shen Xunqing’s eyes narrowed, his smile unchanging. He grabbed Yan Yunqing’s hand and pressed a kiss to it. "I only want you."

Yan Yunqing remained unresponsive, but the temperature in the room plummeted. A thin layer of frost covered the objects around him, save for the space immediately surrounding Shen Xunqing. Yan Yunqing frowned, but Shen Xunqing pulled him closer, causing the frost to melt instantly. He dragged Yan Yunqing onto the bed, pulled the quilt over them both, and wrapped an arm around his waist, one leg pinning Yan Yunqing’s legs down.

Shen Xunqing closed his eyes. "Enough. Don't make a scene. I'm tired; keep me company for a while. We can talk when I wake."

Pinned to the bed, Yan Yunqing stared blankly at the canopy. In his thousands of years in the underworld, he had never encountered such a shameless person. He felt as though he had invited a massive disaster upon himself.

Outside, Black Slave kept watch, his mind churning. *What now? I knew anyone who could capture the Master's heart would be trouble. Being a man is fine, but why does it have to be the Little Yama King? If this isn't handled correctly and leads to a dispute between the Underworld and the Master, what then? Although the Underworld and the Master are usually on good terms... no, I must find a foolproof plan. And this must be kept from the other four freaks, or the Shura Hall will be turned upside down.*

"So that's it! Our Master actually likes..." Chi, who had appeared from nowhere, began to say, but was promptly gagged by Black Slave. Chi struggled violently but to no avail. *You barbarian, let me go!*

Chi glared at Black Slave, eventually resorting to telepathic transmission. Black Slave asked, "What were you going to say?"

*Isn't it just that the Master fell for an immortal undergoing a mortal trial? Is that any reason to treat me like this?* Chi continued to glare in protest.

*An immortal?* Black Slave thought, *I clearly overestimated his intelligence.* He released Chi and continued his watch, thinking, *I should stay away from Chi in the future; I wouldn't want to catch whatever he has.*

Chi glared at him for a long while before huffing and leaving, his back looking slightly desolate. *Fine, I’ll just go back to the Shura Hall. Here, I have to work and get bossed around by Black Slave. My other brothers and sisters are much better. What should I do? Suddenly, I miss them so much!*

Back at the Shura Hall, Mei, Wang, and Liang all sneezed simultaneously, a chill running down their spines. All three thought at once: *Ugh, don't tell me that idiot Chi, who went out to run errands for the Master, is thinking of us? How disgusting...*