Chapter 108
Wu Heng clung tightly to the tree trunk, trying to steady his weakened body. Shi Xuan effortlessly lifted him, his arms strong, holding him high, and Wu Heng instinctively wrapped his legs around his waist, his arms around his neck, surrendering his weight completely.
“Doctor Wu? Doctor Wu, come sing with us!” a voice called out from the distance.
Wu Heng froze, his body tensing, his legs tightening around Shi Xuan’s waist. He patted his shoulder urgently. “Put me down! Quickly! It’s He Yunxiao!”
He Yunxiao wasn’t like Li Hao and his friends, he was Xi Xi’s father, his senses heightened, more attuned to the supernatural, and if… if he saw…
Shi Xuan’s arms tightened around him, a low groan escaping his lips, “Trust me, he won’t.” A possessive urge, he didn’t want anyone to see Wu Heng like this, his vulnerability, a secret treasure. He held him closer and kissed him deeply, silencing him.
Wu Heng heard their soft moans and then a frustrated sigh as He Yunxiao walked past. “Huh? Li Hao said he was here…”
“Doctor Wu? Where are you? Left already?”
Not finding them, he gave up and walked away.
The sound of his voice, his footsteps so close, made Wu Heng’s grip tighten, his strength gone, a blush creeping up his neck.
He leaned against Shi Xuan, his head on his shoulder, his fingers clutching his shirt. “Should we… go home now?” he whispered, it was just a casual gathering, after all, not a formal school event, and they were adults now, mentally at least, they should follow their hearts.
Shi Xuan’s lips brushed against his forehead, ‘Are you sure?‘
Home, too many people, his grandfather, back now, his father, behaving like a child, gaming on the new console Shi Xuan bought for him, You Jin probably staying at the clinic again after closing late, “There’s that… pill… by my bedside…” he murmured, his face burning.
Shi Xuan’s arms tightened around him, “Su Da Yi’s gift. There’s no rush,” he thought, and in a swirl of black mist, they were in the underworld, bypassing his private bath, directly to his chambers, his treasure in his arms again, “Our first time… because you wanted me… and I wanted you,” he whispered, Wu Heng’s body, pliant and yielding against the soft mattress, his eyes closed, the gentle pressure of his lips a welcome weight. From his eyes to his lips, down his slender neck, a tingling warmth spreading through him, soft moans escaping his lips as Shi Xuan’s hand found his, their fingers intertwined, Wu Heng opening his eyes, seeing the dreary underworld sky, a few stars, a gust of wind, rustling the leaves, an unsettling beauty, suddenly comforting, and Shi Xuan, usually so cold, was a furnace now, his own heart racing, his legs kicking involuntarily, soft cries and whispers of protest lost in the moment, a gentle reassurance, “Almost,” and then release, his Yang qi, Shi Xuan’s Yin, merging.
No longer opposing forces.
Wu Heng spent several nights there, Yama, the King of Hell, reportedly taking a leave of absence. The ghosts whispered among themselves, their lord, even busier now, after his return from the mortal realm, ruling the underworld, managing the family business in the human world.
Such a heavy burden.
He deserved a break.
Wu Heng, his body aching, started a live stream. Yama’s residence had its perks, excellent internet access.
He stretched his neck, wincing slightly, “Thank you for your concern, I’ve submitted my application, Beijing Medical University,”
The netizens, as expected, “Doctor Wu, isn’t that a love bite?”
“Holy crap, it’s real!” they all noticed,
“So, who’s the lucky one?” their interest piqued, and Wu Heng blushed, embarrassed, a cold hand suddenly on his shoulder, pulling him closer, icy lips against his neck, a whisper, “Live streaming again? Aren’t you tired?” He had taken a few days off, his first day back at work, inspecting the Mountain of Knives, and Wu Heng, his face flushed, “Someone’s… watching,” his voice a soft murmur, and the viewers, their excitement palpable, It was him, the handsome one, Wu Heng, knowing that Shi Xuan had learned to control his Yin qi, felt it now, like a reminder of last night, the dark energy swirling, mixing with his own, he quickly ended the stream, his face burning, remembering the ache in his lower back, imitating Shi Xuan’s gentle touch, their lips meeting, a deep kiss, Shi Xuan, a low chuckle, pulling him closer, their embrace, tender now, not the fierce urgency from earlier.
Young and passionate, these two.
“So this is the underworld? Holy shit, I can’t believe we’re actually here,” Li Hao said, staring around in wonder, Wang Dong clinging to him, excited but also terrified, he had debated going, his friends all insisted, a life debt he couldn’t refuse, They dreamt of a underworld official informing them they have earned a trip to underworld. 3 days, two nights. Courtesy of their performance. As payment.
They could even take their phones to take pictures and videos, summer vacation had started, time to return to normal. The Black Hairs had become their old selves, Green Hair, Yellow Hair, and White Hair. Tears welled up in their eyes, reading the message, their individualities back, after merging into that single entity for so long, having seen ghosts wasn’t scary anymore, even the underworld now seemed… like an interesting tourist destination, a rare opportunity, even for Xuanmen practitioners, they needed a ritual for this. Wristbands given to them, a safety measure, no chance of getting lost, not with Xi Xi either. Their trip was arranged perfectly, they first visited Tang Xueshan, their “Ghost Sister.” Who had changed, and now they were taking a tour of the Underworld Sea on a luxurious, and exclusive. Private, tour group. With Lai Jun, now the Intern Judge as their guide, the internship rotating between the many candidates. Lai Jun, restless, always eager to impress his boss, had volunteered during his off days, “Unimaginable,” he would say, describing it perfectly, his own chances of becoming a judge improving. They were on the underworld cruise ship now, trying their hand at fishing.
Wang Dong stared at the fish swimming among the bones on the seabed, strangely docile, their tails brushing the skeletal remains, unafraid, his voice filled with trepidation, “We… we’re going to eat those fish? Shouldn’t we? I don’t… I wouldn’t dare…”
Lai Jun, the Intern Judge, glancing up from his tablet, ‘No. Those are the souls of those who lingered in the human world. No guidance, no acceptance of their deaths. They couldn’t board the reincarnation ferry and drowned, their memories fading as they became the fish you see here. So… when the Yin messengers come, it’s time to let go. There are no second chances.’
Then, smiling cheerfully, ‘This is the new tourism project I proposed. It’s quite fun, and it helps clear the increasingly crowded sea. Catch them, and they return to the underworld system. You’ll even earn merit.’
Not food then, those words sparked their competitiveness, merits were currency here! Their brave deeds during New Year’s Eve earning them this trip, the currency of a good future.
They stood at the railing, their fishing rods cast, no bait required, fish swarming towards the hooks, a desperate plea.
This was a fisherman’s paradise, and Lai Jun, the Intern Judge, seeing their excitement, his own joy immeasurable, making them work for free under the guise of entertainment, everyone benefiting, like those tourist traps in the human world, he was so clever! A judgeship, within his reach.
They fished for a while, and after taking a break…
“What are those ghosts doing?” Zhou Yi asked, pointing at a long procession in the distance.
‘Seems like… a wedding procession,’ Lai Jun replied, uncertain.
Underworld weddings were traditional, unlike the western-style ones popular now, the paperwork incredibly tedious. He had only seen a couple in all his years there, “So many gifts!” he exclaimed. A seemingly endless line.
Lai Jun looked at the ghost guards in official attire, ‘…Are they going to Chengde Medical Clinic? A marriage proposal for Wu Heng?‘
Li Hao: “??”
Who? For whom?
“Are they crazy?! Don’t they know he’s with Shi Xuan?! That Yama, abusing his power, stealing someone’s boyfriend…” his rant trailed off, seeing the figure emerge, dressed in a Yama’s black robe and crown, an imposing presence, a familiar face,
Li Hao quickly changed his tune. “Forget what I just said.”
They all wanted to cry. This… this was the ordinary Shi Xuan?!
If only they knew his position they wouldn’t be having heart attacks each time he appeared in their life.
He Yunxiao was dumbfounded, his neighbor, the King of Hell?!
They had avoided him like the plague, his Yin qi so terrifying.
He quickly turned to Xi Xi, “You knew?”
Xi Xi, “Yes, Daddy. Big Brother Da Bai and I both knew,” she replied.
“Why didn’t you say so?!” They almost roared.
Xi Xi, “You didn’t ask,” she said innocently.
They: “…”
Who the hell would ask that?!
They looked at the imposing young man, their usual casualness gone, uncertain, should they kneel?
Shi Xuan, ‘Don’t bother.’
Hearing that, they relaxed, friends outside of business dealings.
Li Hao, staring at the mountain of gifts, complained, “Shi Xuan! Seriously! We’re bros! Going to propose to Wu Heng, and you didn’t even tell us? We would have gone with you!”
They agreed, he had no family to support him, bros were there for such things.
Shi Xuan, watching the busy ghost guards, ‘I just found out myself.’
News of Yama’s upcoming engagement had already spread through the underworld before even they knew.
But… this was good.
Strange, festive music, ghosts lined up outside his residence, their gifts a seemingly endless procession.
Shi Xuan at the front, Zhou Yi and the others following, some ghosts scattering red packets filled with underworld currency along the way, a wedding tradition, and Shi Xuan saw it, Chengde Medical Clinic, so close now, red lanterns swaying in the wind, the young man inside, waiting, his family beside him,
“Wu Heng, I’m here to ask for your hand.”
Marriage, too soon. An engagement, just right.