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A new prisoner was brought to the Kingdom of Banyue. He was no ordinary captive. The State Preceptor of the Central Plains himself had fallen into the soldiers’ hands. So, Kemo, the acting ruler of Banyue, ordered his soldiers to bring the important prisoner to him immediately.
The warriors entered the throne hall first. They were tall, their skin dark and bronzed by the sun, and heavy spiked maces rested on their shoulders. They led in a slender man in a dark blue robe, the typical attire of the enemy state’s Preceptors. His hands were not bound, and he walked calmly. His posture was regal, though his clothes were rumpled and stained with desert dust. A warrior captain held a moth-wing-shaped silver mask in his hand. This mask, obviously, was part of the Preceptor’s attire.
“So you’re that famous State Preceptor,” Kemo nodded to him. “Tell me your name.”
“People of these lands call me General Hua,” the man replied, bowing his head slightly.
“Well then, General Hua,” Kemo said. “Word of your wisdom has reached us. You came to the Central Plains from far away and do not belong to their people. That means you are not bound to them by loyalty. From now on, you will stay here, and your wisdom will serve the people of Banyue. You will be given comfort, honor, and respect, but you are not allowed to leave the city.”
“My lord, I don’t…”
“I didn’t ask for your consent, General Hua.”
The captive fell quiet.
“Lord Kemo,” the warrior Captain spoke up. “There is one matter… When we captured the Preceptor, scorpion-snakes attacked us three times on the road. We fought them off, and General Hua helped us defend ourselves. But a scorpion snake bit my assistant, Banshou. He did not survive.”
“Banshou,” Kemo furrowed his brows. “He was a brave warrior. A heavy price for the Preceptor’s arrival. So,” he turned to the captive, “you follow a particular cultivation path?”
“Yes, my lord,” Xie Lian nodded. That was the real name of the one who hid himself behind the title of General Hua. The fallen Heavenly official, the Crown Prince of Xianle, the Flower Crown Martial God, and the God of Misfortune. Now he was only a wanderer who tried to help common people, but never stayed anywhere for long.
“And your cultivation path requires you to remain pure and avoid intimacy?”
“That is correct,” the captive confirmed.
“In Banyue, you must leave this path.”
Xie Lian stayed speechless, astonished, and Kemo continued.
“There is a curse on our land: demonic scorpion-snakes. They hunt the qi of people who are still virgins. They sense that special qi, rush in, and attack everyone nearby. Our young people hide in the heart of the citadel, deep within the city. At eighteen, they marry, and only then are they allowed to leave the shelter. As for newcomers... I think you understand.”
Xie Lian felt completely confused and stunned.
“Captain, take care of General Hua. Be gentle, not like the last time...”
“Yes, Lord Kemo,” the Captain bowed. He was a tall, broad-shouldered, gloomy warrior. He touched Xie Lian’s sleeve.
“My lord...” Xie Lian said to Kemo, at a complete loss. “Please wait. And why are you asking the Сaptain to do this?! Why not...” He swallowed, his cheeks flushing. “...why not a woman experienced in such things?”
“Perhaps the men of the Central Plains are ready to offer their wives to strangers,” Kemo answered, his tone sharp. “But in Banyue we care for our women. There are not many of them among us, and some men have to do such things with other men. Go. Don’t be afraid. Here, it’s not a shame, and they will not think less of you.”
“Lord Kemo!” A calm, clear voice rang out. Xie Lian, Kemo, and all the warriors turned their heads. A young man in robes as red as maple leaves leisurely entered the hall.
“Ah, Adviser Hong Cheng,” Kemo greeted him.
“I beg your pardon. I overheard your words,” the newcomer said politely. “Lord Kemo, would you mind if I take care of this foreigner? The Captain is good in battle, but not in matters that require a gentle hand. Why put a guest through needless suffering?”
At these words, the Captain frowned, but he did not argue in front of the ruler.
“Very well, Hong Cheng,” Kemo said. “So be it. Take him, and don’t waste time. If the scorpion-snakes come again because of General Hua and my people get hurt, both of you will be punished!"
Hong Cheng bowed to him and then to Xie Lian, and gestured for him to follow.
Adviser Hong Cheng wore long hair that fell in a heavy wave to hide his right eye. A small, charming braid with a red coral pearl decorated his ink-black locks. He was dressed in a long red hanfu, and his wrists were adorned with thin silver bracelets. He seemed calm, but when he turned to Xie Lian, a shadow of worry crossed his face.
“General Hua, excuse me,” he said. “We cannot go to the chambers, because it’s forbidden for now. Please follow me this way.”
They went into a small room that looked like a household shrine. There was an altar with incense, a jug, and some offerings, but no statue of a deity.
“A shrine?” Xie Lian asked in surprise. “Who is worshipped here?”
“One god who was once full of might and glory, but is now little known,” Hong Cheng murmured.
“Ah.” Xie Lian smiled sadly. “Such gods are doomed to be forgotten.”
“As long as they have devotees, they won’t be forgotten. I truly believe there will be a time when this god will shine in all his greatness again.”
Xie Lian said nothing in response. He looked around, confused, avoiding his guide’s eyes. Hong Cheng was polite and handsome, and under different circumstances, Xie Lian might have liked him. Xie Lian had never thought he would find himself in such a situation. Deep down, he had thought about breaking his vows, but he was sure it would happen only if he met a girl he loved with all his heart, and who loved him just as much. Did he really have to do this with someone he had seen for the first time, a man at that?
Hong Cheng reached for him. Xie Lian stepped back without thinking and helplessly bumped into the stone altar. Meanwhile, Hong Cheng's hands settled on his hips and gently lifted him up, placing him on the platform. This man in red seemed to be far stronger than he looked.
“Wait!” Xie Lian made one last attempt. “Is there truly no other way?!”
“I’m sorry, General Hua,” Hong Cheng replied hoarsely. “But this is the best way to protect you from harm. And the city too.”
Xie Lian could not forget that one warrior had already died because of him. Was his chastity worth the life of that soldier, who treated him with respect and even gave him his horse?
"Fine. So. I will think about it as protecting the city," Xie Lian muttered.
Hong Cheng nodded. He grabbed a jug standing among the offerings and poured a red liquid into a clay cup.
"Please, drink some wine."
"My path forbids..." Xie Lian replied out of habit, then stopped himself. He shook his head, took the cup, and drained it at once. Hong Cheng drank as well.
He slowly unbuttoned and pulled down Xie Lian's dark-blue robe, leaving the high-collared outer garment on. Hong Cheng’s hands moved calmly and carefully, but the tips of his thin fingers, unnaturally pale, trembled as they touched the ties of Xie Lian’s pants.
The fabric slipped off Xie Lian’s hips and bared everything it could bare. He squeezed his eyes shut and leaned back, bumping into the wall, but quickly straightened up. His cock, tender and sensitive, lay softly among the folds of his loosened robe. The skin was white, untouched by a hint of tan. Even when he bathed, he bared himself no more than to the waist, as palace tradition required, and only at the end did he put on dry clothes.
Hong Cheng continued what he was doing. His fingers closed timidly around Xie Lian’s cock, stroking it carefully, lifting it. The cock stayed soft because Xie Lian was terribly nervous, but Hong Cheng was patient. He fondled and rolled the delicate body part between his palms, tugging the skin back a little. The pads of his fingers traced its entire length, up and down. He touched the balls and caressed them too, even more lightly and smoothly. Xie Lian’s body had never known such treatment. He could not resist it for long. It didn’t take long before his flesh began to harden. His cock unwillingly straightened and grew. Xie Lian took a shaky breath.
Hong Cheng’s touches became more insistent. Without a word, he pulled the skin back farther back, exposing the head and tracing a careful circle around it. A clear drop appeared on the tip. Hong Cheng caught it with his finger and smooth it over. Xie Lian let out a quiet moan as his cock hardened fully and rose to its full length. It was large, yet neat, with a perfectly straight shape. Faint veins showed along the shaft.
There was more precum now, enough for Hong Cheng to spread it around. His hand slid more easily now, moving quicker, deftly and gently. Without pausing, he reached out for a jar and dripped something onto his palm. Judging by the scent, it seemed to be floral oil. Xie Lian breathed deeply, carried back by sudden memories. The aroma reminded him of his youth and the golden age of Xianle. In the Crown Prince’s temples, similar oil was often used in lamps and lanterns. That fragrance was forever tied to that era.
A faint sadness touched his soul, but his body lived a life of its own. Hong Cheng’s fingers were no longer so cold; they were warm now. Heat grew between Xie Lian’s legs, and his cock felt like it was on fire. Xie Lian dared to open his eyes to check if it was all right. He expected his skin to be red, but in truth it was only flushed pink. The tip, bright and taut, gleamed with the oil. Teasing waves of pleasure rolled from Xie Lian’s groin to his chest and down his legs, all the way to his toes.
Xie Lian had wandered the world long enough to know what happened to people’s bodies when they were doing things like that. He felt his own lower belly tighten. It was as if something huge and warm rose inside him, ready to spill out.
“Hong... Cheng...” he gasped. “Tell me, will this be enough... I mean... when the seed comes out... will it be enough to stop the snakes...?”
“Do not be afraid. I'm not going to do anything beyond that,” Hong Cheng replied. Xie Lian sighed with relief and relaxed. At that moment, the wave that had gathered inside him for so long finally reached its peak and burst into a snow-white spray, flooding everything around him. Xie Lian choked and arched back, gripping Hong Cheng’s shoulders. Pure, immense pleasure washed over him. It poured through his veins like a silver stream. His heart fluttered, and every thought left his mind, leaving a blissful emptiness.
...Xie Lian exhaled and convulsively clenched his fingers, still holding the crimson fabric on Hong Cheng’s shoulders. The pleasure slowly faded, leaving a languid warmth behind. But right after it, relentless anxiety and shame crept in. Xie Lian let go and looked down at himself. His clothes and thighs were covered with pearly drops, as well as Hong Cheng’s hands and even the edges of his sleeves.
“I’m sorry,” Xie Lian forced out.
He still could not tell whether his spiritual power had weakened. Should he have sensed it? His power was already bound by the cursed shackles, and nothing seemed to have changed for him.
“I should be sorry,” Hong Cheng replied quietly. He pulled a handkerchief from his sleeve and wiped away the largest drops of the seed. There were so many that the handkerchief quickly soaked through. Xie Lian blushed to the roots of his hair and tried to climb down from the altar. But Hong Cheng’s hands, adorned with thin silver bracelets, held him back.
“General Hua,” Hong Cheng said quietly. “I told you I won’t do anything else until you finish. But… that’s not enough to protect you from the snakes. We need to do something else.”
Xie Lian covered his face with his palms.
“I knew it couldn’t be so easy,” he said. “Well then, thank you for being… delicate… It was not so terrible… Although my path of cultivation…”
He ran out of words and covered his face again. Silence fell between them, but eventually, it felt even more awkward to Xie Lian.
“You are not from Banyue,” he said to break the silence. “What brought you here?”
“Ancient knowledge collected by the last State Preceptor,” Hong Cheng replied. “Kemo allowed me to study it if I help him get rid of the snakes.”
"Are you from the Central Plain?" Xie Lian asked.
“I’m from Xianle.”
“Xianle?!” the prince exclaimed. “You mean your ancestors were from Xianle? It fell two centuries ago!”
Hong Cheng shook his head.
“I was born in Xianle.”
He brushed the hair away from his face, revealing his right eye, and Xie Lian understood why it had been covered. The eye glowed with a dull red light, like a coal in the night’s darkness. The room seemed to turn a little colder. Evil, demonic qi stirred at the bottom of this eye.
Xie Lian gasped.
“You are not a human!”
“I am a demon,” Hong Cheng confirmed.
“You must be a very powerful demon if you can keep up the illusion of the body so perfectly.”
“Not that powerful. This body is real. And I’m still very far from true power. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here. And yet...” Hong Cheng paused. “I’m very glad I’m here, so you don’t have to deal with that… ahem, the captain.”
For a moment, Hong Cheng’s face contorted with hatred and disgust.
“Wait,” Xie Lian suddenly became worried. “If you’re from Xianle, then… no, never mind.”
“Forgive me, Your Highness,” the demon said, understanding immediately. “I didn’t tell you earlier that I recognized you because I didn’t want to embarrass you.”
Xie Lian threw up his hands.
"What a shame," he stuttered, his voice hoarse.
Hong Cheng touched his shoulder.
“No shame,” he said earnestly. “And not a single living soul will ever know about it. Not even a dead one,” he added after a pause.
Xie Lian forced a smile.
“Adviser Cheng, what else should I do?” he asked.
“You? Nothing,” Hong Cheng replied. “Unless…”
He leaned over and pulled Xie Lian’s pants all the way down his legs before Xie Lian could say anything to protest.
Against the dark ochre altar stone, Xie Lian’s pale knees and slender thighs seemed carved from precious jade. If Xie Lian crossed his legs, he would look like the statue of this temple’s deity. His legs and feet were bare, with only the bandage on his ankle that hid the cursed shackle beneath it.
“Don’t look there,” Xie Lian muttered, following Hong Cheng’s gaze.
Hong Cheng nodded.
“I’m not looking.”
He brought his attention upward again and touched Xie Lian’s exposed cock. Now his gestures were bolder, as if he was touching a musical instrument he had already learned to play. Xie Lian bit his lip. He was ruining his two-hundred-year cultivation path so suddenly and so absurdly, but the second time, it was a little easier to bear the humiliation.
Hong Cheng carefully gripped the prince’s ankles and lifted them onto the altar, making the knees bend. Xie Lian unwillingly leaned back against the wall behind him. The position was so open and therefore even more awkward. As if that wasn't enough, Hong Cheng suddenly bent down and took Xie Lian’s cock into his mouth.
“Ah!!” Xie Lian arched his lower back and grabbed at the demon’s robes again. Astonishment and overwhelming sensations gripped him. Hong Cheng held Xie Lian tight as his cock swelled right in the demon’s mouth. After a few seconds, it grew too big and slipped out from between Hong Cheng’s lips, slick and wet.
“No, don’t!” Xie Lian cried. “Why?! Don’t do that!”
“Is that unpleasant?” Hong Cheng asked, pausing.
“Just don’t!”
“I won’t,” Hong Cheng replied.
Xie Lian was surprised by such an easy acceptance. If Xie Lian had refused to obey Kemo, could he have simply been left alone too? Even if not, and all this was necessary, Hong Cheng could still use his hands alone, without doing something so elaborate!
The demon moved his palms over the skin wet with saliva. A touch like that was already familiar to Xie Lian, and he slowly gave in to the forced pleasure. There was no point in fighting the reaction they were trying to draw out of him. On the contrary, Xie Lian wanted it to end as quickly as possible.
The saliva was drying, and the movements were no longer so easy and smooth. The precum was not enough, so Hong Cheng reached for the oil again and poured some on his hands. Xie Lian had almost got used to the cool palms against his cock, but Hong Cheng suddenly slid lower and began to stroke his testicles and the delicate skin between his buttocks and then...
Startled, Xie Lian jerked so hard that Hong Cheng had to press him quickly against the wall with his free hand. Only one hand was free, because a finger from his other hand was deep inside Xie Lian’s back entrance.
“Stop!” Xie Lian cried, trying to push Hong Cheng away, but the demon’s grip was like iron.
“Shh, it’s all right,” Hong Cheng tried to calm him.
“That’s unclean!” Xie Lian gasped. His face flushed a deep red, and every muscle in his body tensed.
“No, it’s all right,” Hong Cheng repeated reassuringly. “It’s clean. See?”
He pulled out his finger, slick and smooth with oil, and held it up.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of, unless someone gets a stomachache,” he said with a nervous smile.
“Still, don’t!”
“I just wanted to make something pleasant for you.”
“Don’t!”
Hong Cheng sighed.
“Your Highness...”
“And don’t call me that in... ah, in a situation like this!”
Without a word, Hong Cheng put his finger back where Xie Lian didn’t want to feel it.
“I’m sorry, but you have to get used to it, or it will hurt later.”
“Later?!” Xie Lian shouted. “Did you lie to me? Are you lying to me now?!”
Hong Cheng sighed.
“Haven’t your spiritual powers got weaker, Your Highness?”
Xie Lian didn’t know whether it was true.
“Please, believe me,” Hong Cheng went on. “It’s only fingers, only two. Don’t be afraid.”
“Two?!”
The second finger just joined the first. Xie Lian covered his burning face with his hands and let out a sound somewhere between a howl, a cry, and a laugh. His cock went soft, but Hong Cheng took it into his mouth again. It required some time and a bit of effort, yet in the end Xie Lian could not resist, and his arousal returned.
This was something Xie Lian had expected when he was sent for the “procedure”. But Hong Cheng’s politeness and restrained behavior had made Xie Lian hope that his body would not be violated to such an extent.
Meanwhile, the sensation inside, so frighteningly strange and painfully shameful, had eased. His arousal grew hot again. Against his will, Xie Lian felt a hunger for touch. Hong Cheng held the prince’s length at the base and stroked it quickly up and down, while sucking on the sensitive head. It felt so good that Xie Lian finally couldn’t hold back a moan. This time it was a moan of pleasure, not of fear or indignity.
In the next moment he felt the fingers inside begin to move in the same rhythm as the palm on his cock. The fingers pressed against his inner wall, and this heightened his pleasure, turning it into pure bliss. The longer it lasted, the more intense sensations his body craved. Xie Lian tensed, clenched his fists, and threw his head back, breathing through his mouth. He felt exquisitely good, and the pleasure almost washed away his bitter thoughts.
The fingers inside moved faster and faster, making that inner spot burn. Xie Lian’s body trembled, vibrated, and squeezed around Hong Cheng’s fingers. All this no longer felt strange or painful. Xie Lian tensed his hips and slid along the fingers on his own. The pace increased, the fingers rubbed the inner wall roughly now. Pulsing waves of pleasure spread from that very spot.
The waves gathered in his lower belly like a heavy tide, trembling and quivering as Hong Cheng’s tongue circled over his cock’s tip, licking up the drops of precum. At the peak moment, the waves broke free, bursting out in a wild release. Xie Lian jerked his hips, pushing deeper into Hong Cheng’s mouth, and clenched hard around the fingers inside him. He wanted to keep moving, again and again, prolonging the pleasure. To thrust into that silken mouth and torment himself against the fingers that he desired so desperately now.
However, it did not last long. The euphoria gradually faded, and Xie Lian slowly relaxed. His body no longer wanted to accept any stimulation, either inside or out. As if sensing this, Hong Cheng pulled away.
Xie Lian barely caught his breath before he hastily wrapped the robe closed, brought his knees together, and slid his legs off the altar. He was in a hurry, and Hong Cheng did not try to stop him. Something strange was happening to the demon too. He bent slightly, breathing deeply, as if something was badly troubling him, and stepped aside. The demon took another swallow of wine and put his hands on the altar, lowering his head. Xie Lian glanced at him sideways. Intuition helped Xie Lian realise what was going on. During his life, Xie Lian had seen people in different states, and not all of them were pleasant, so he could understand: Hong Cheng was now suffering from desire.
Xie Lian felt a new wave of shame, despair, and the sheer absurdity of his situation. He had truly believed that this man only wanted to save him from the Banyue Captain, who would not have shown him mercy. But it seemed that Hong Cheng was enjoying what he was doing. For some reason, Xie Lian felt even worse because of it, though there was nowhere lower for him to sink.
He tried to justify the demon. The Captain of Banyue truly made Xie Lian feel fear and nausea. While they escorted him to the city, Xie Lian had already formed a poor opinion of that giant, rude man. And maybe Hong Cheng became aroused against his will? After all, he obviously felt embarrassed now. All this did not mean that he had wanted to have fun with Xie Lian from the start.
Normally, people don’t abstain from physical pleasures the way the prince did. For most people, it is an important part of life, and maybe for Hong Cheng, too. If so, here in Banyue, Hong Cheng would hardly have found a partner. Local women were already taken, and as for the men… Xie Lian knew that some people preferred their own sex, but to be honest, Banyue men were too large and too unlike their neighbors. So Xie Lian tried to convince himself that he had no right to judge Hong Cheng for his agitation. Perhaps Hong Cheng himself was a victim of local customs and the threat of the scorpion-snakes.
A sudden thought struck the prince. A victim. How would Hong Cheng know how Banyue warriors treated virgins who wandered into these lands? There couldn’t be many of them. And why did he speak of the Captain with such hatred? Could it be that Hong Cheng was the victim of this violation himself, and now he was protecting Xie Lian from it? The idea filled Xie Lian with deep sorrow and compassion. If it was true, it was terrifying to think about. He had known Hong Cheng for about an hour, but unexpectedly Xie Lian’s heart ached for him as if he was an old friend. What Hong Cheng did to the prince now, though deeply embarrassing, was pleasant and not painful. It was almost… almost like love.
Meanwhile Hong Cheng seemed to pull himself together. He turned to the prince again, his face tensed, but determined. Without a word, he placed his hands on Xie Lian’s dark blue robes to unfold them again. Then he lifted Xie Lian’s legs back onto the altar and spread the prince’s knees apart, forcing him fully open. Xie Lian already understood the purpose of this pose. It gave access to his entrance.
“Your High… General Hua,” Hong Cheng said hoarsely. “I promise this is the last step, and it is exactly what will protect you from the scorpion-snakes. And unfortunately, it will reduce your spiritual power.”
He grabbed Xie Lian’s hips and pulled him closer. The demon seemed to be in a hurry, as if he was afraid Xie Lian would argue or ask questions.
“People say kissing makes it easier. Your Highness, if you feel pain or discomfort, please kiss me."
With these words, Hong Cheng did not waste any more time. He parted his clothes and pressed something slick, large, and hot to Xie Lian’s entrance, still wet with oil, sweat, and seed. Xie Lian only had time to gasp when that “something” entered him in a single thrust.
The first thing Xie Lian felt was surprise, the second was a searing, tearing pain. Xie Lian cried out and dug his nails into his robe. The pain wasn’t as bad as what he sometimes endured in the past. He should have borne it in silence, teeth clenched, but for some reason his composure failed him now, and he barely held back moans and tears.
Xie Lian sensed his own heart pounding feverishly, while Hong Cheng’s chest was eerily quiet. So much like a living man, Hong Cheng still was not one. But that did not matter. Remembering those words about a kiss, Xie Lian closed his eyes and desperately pressed his lips to Hong Cheng’s mouth.
Maybe it was an illusion, but he really did feel better. Two trails of tears rolled down his cheeks and wet their joined lips. Hong Cheng held him tightly and gently, as a truly loving person might.
Their lips only pressed together and barely caressed. There were no wide movements and no touch of their tongues. The pain eased, perhaps because of the kiss, or perhaps because Xie Lian’s body was gradually getting used to it. His stiff shoulders relaxed in Hong Cheng’s embrace.
Hong Cheng let go with one hand, slid it between their bellies, and began to stroke Xie Lian’s cock. This time it truly took him quite a while to make it hard, but in the end he managed. Xie Lian was surprised at what his body was capable of. Once his cock grew hard, the pain in his entrance lessened. He even felt a little pleasure.
“Now you,” Hong Cheng whispered, brushing against Xie Lian’s ear, and a ticklish shiver ran over Xie Lian’s skin. The prince did not understand at first, and the demon took his hand and placed it on his cock. Xie Lian gripped himself, not daring to start stroking. He'd spent his entire life training himself not to do such things, no matter how much he had wanted to. Now, doing it himself was even harder than allowing someone else to touch him.
Hong Cheng pulled back, slipping out a little, and then thrust again. Xie Lian cried out at how unexpectedly abrupt it was. A fresh burst of pain flared through his body. Hong Cheng repeated the motion again and again. His cock, moving inside Xie Lian, created sensations so painfully sweet that it was impossible to explain.
The prince remembered the demon’s fingers, which recently had pressed that spot inside him. How thin they seemed now! Xie Lian arched his back to try to catch that spot and that feeling. At last, he moved his palm along his cock. He was barely conscious of his own motions, letting his body act on instinct. Eventually he felt how good it was, both inside and in front. The pain almost disappeared, and what remained was like burning pepper in food. It scalded, but it accented the flavor of the dish.
Xie Lian relaxed and leaned against the wall. He held onto Hong Cheng with one hand, while the other clumsily but hastily stroked himself. The demon seemed to be encouraged by this, and his own motions became ragged, sharp, and unrestrained. He moaned and breathed hoarsely as he clung to Xie Lian and caressed the prince’s arms and shoulders chaotically.
Soon he’ll spill, and it’ll finally be over, flashed through Xie Lian’s clouded mind.
The demon’s eyes rolled. A bright, beautiful, and terrifying crimson eye flashed from beneath his lashes. He let out a cry that sounded all at once like pain, delight, and astonishment. Xie Lian sensed a pulsing where their bodies met. Hong Cheng pressed down on him, pinning him to the altar, and thrust a few more times rhythmically, very deep.
Something shot through Xie Lian’s lower belly. He winced and squeezed his eyes shut. Sweat slid down his forehead. Hong Cheng breathed heavily, burying his face in Xie Lian's shoulder. Little by little, his breathing grew quieter and slower, until it faded completely. Only then did Hong Cheng pull himself back and step away.
Xie Lian straightened up and tried to find a more comfortable position. He was overcome with embarrassment when he felt something wet leaking directly from the entrance of his body. He leaned over and saw a white substance with small red trails beneath himself. It was disturbing.
“Your Highness,” Hong Cheng whispered, and knelt before the altar. His lips were right at the level of Xie Lian's groin. He closed his mouth around Xie Lian’s half-soft cock, and within moments brought it fully hard. A few minutes later, Xie Lian finished as well. Hong Cheng pulled back, and Xie Lian’s seed on the altar mixed with what Hong Cheng had left inside his body.
***
The cursed shackle had long ago sealed his spiritual powers. Xie Lian didn't know if they diminished. Ruoye still obeyed him. As for his bad luck, it seemed even less bad than before.
Kemo ordered him to find underground springs and draw up a plan for the future wells. The people of Banyue dreamed of restoring the oasis.
Xie Lian went to the library, where he saw Hong Cheng for the first time in the past seven days. Hong Cheng bent over a thick book and some scrolls, making notes with a reed pen. When he saw Xie Lian, he jumped to his feet, nearly knocking over his inkwell. Confusion and a strained smile appeared on his white face. He bowed to Xie Lian. Xie Lian nodded back and hurried off among the shelves in search of a book he needed.
Hong Cheng continued his work, fiercely writing strange symbols in a language Xie Lian didn’t recognize. Hoping to remain unnoticed, the prince watched him for a while. His gaze followed the play of shadows and sunlight on the crimson fabric, the quick movements of the graceful white hands, and the shimmering gleam of the silver bracelets.
That evening, lying in a simple but cozy bed in his bedroom, he read the book he had found. Round oil lamps under the ceiling cast a warm, flickering light over the pages. A knock at the door pulled him out of his thoughts.
Kemo and his soldiers never checked his room in the evenings, and no one had bothered him before. Xie Lian wrapped his night hanfu around his shoulders and slid the carved wooden door open. Hong Cheng stood on the threshold.
He seemed overcome by conflicting, tormenting thoughts. He asked for permission humbly, and stepped unsteadily into the room. Xie Lian, unsure how to react, moved aside to let him enter. They looked at each other, and Xie Lian felt his face burn. The heat rolled down his chest and gathered lower, settling into an aching sensation in his abdomen. He couldn’t quite understand what it meant.
“Your Highness,” Hong Cheng said, low and hoarse, and knelt before Xie Lian. “Allow this unworthy one to love you. Allow him to give himself to you, and take him as you will.”
The heat in Xie Lian’s abdomen turned into fire. A newly discovered desire muddled his thoughts. A longing for tenderness urged him to step closer. A sudden sense of loneliness made his hand touch that black hair and move it aside, revealing a frightened crimson eye, filled with hope.
***
“Lord Kemo! Lord Kemo!”
The soldier ran into the throne room. Sweat streamed down his face, and his breath caught in his throat.
“General Hua escaped!”
Kemo sprang up from the throne.
“How did you let this happen?!”
“We couldn’t do anything! The moment we started drilling the wells… water burst out from underground… and then hordes of scorpion-snakes appeared! They rushed at us, and everyone retreated — everyone except General Hua! They closed in around him with a wall, but they didn’t attack him, only us! He waved his hand and walked away, as if he was sure they wouldn't bite him. The snakes kept coming, and they're still there! We can't give chase!
Kemo clenched his teeth.
“So,” he ground out, “The General is really wise.” Kemo’s voice held anger, irritation, and respect at the same time. “We underestimated him. And the wells?”
“The wells are fine. They are full of water. General Hua didn’t make a single mistake.”
Kemo slammed his fist into his palm in irritation.
"Call Adviser Hong Cheng in here!” he ordered.
...The demon in red came to the throne, his head slightly bowed in diplomatic respect.
“You promised you'd learn to control the scorpion-snakes, just like the last Preceptor Ban Yue did! You wasted so much time, and it was all for nothing, while General Hua learnt this art in a month!”
“Lord Kemo, there's been a misunderstanding. I’m sure no one could have learnt this art in such a short time. It’s just that General Hua is a former heavenly official, and that makes him invulnerable to the snakes. He took advantage of the situation. I promise you, just a couple more weeks and I will bring the snakes under control.”
“Invulnerable? Took advantage? Prove it!”
“My Lord, to prove it we would need another heavenly official to run an experiment. Or better yet, two. But where can we find them? Still, during Xianle’s downfall, I often met heavenly officials, and I can judge their abilities with confidence.”
Kemo was clearly trying to figure out whether the demon was fooling him or really thought so. Finally, Kemo made a sharp gesture, ordering Hong Cheng to get out.
“Two weeks, Adviser. You said it yourself. Or I’ll throw you in prison and interrogate you properly! The Captain told me you don’t sleep in your room.”
“I’m a demon. I don’t need sleep,” Hong Cheng shrugged. “I spend my time in the library. So, I’m going there now. Maybe I can finish the task in just a week.”
“You’d better,” Kemo snapped, and Hong Cheng left with a polite bow.
However, instead of the library, he headed to his chambers. He stretched out on the wide bed and picked up something long, supple, and gleaming. It was a scorpion-snake.
“Good girl,” he said, and stroked the demonic creature over the head as if it were a pet. “It wasn’t so hard to tame you when I needed to help His Highness escape, was it? Now you and I have a new journey ahead. Far, far to the east, Mount Tonglu rises…”