Chapter 168 - Demon Blood

"We could play him a song! That always makes me feel better."

"Bake him the most delicious meal!"

"Dancing."

"Oh, he likes fighting! We should have duels before him."

"Eh? Who said he likes fighting?"

The voices of the children were a good distraction from the way his nephew was curled, stuffed against the big cat. Ying Yue pet Snow, who purred and nuzzled closer to the pinkette. He glanced over at Wang Li up on the roof with his silver eyes closed. What was his husband thinking right now? Was he upset at his nephew or his eldest brother?

The night came too soon.

Wang Li was drinking his ginger infused tea quietly and Ying Yue moved until he was pressed up against his lover's side, staring at his door. Soon, the redhead and the pinkette will arrive and he worried it would not end well. He barely had his husband with him and he didn't want to be apart from his lover once again.

He felt a warm palm slide down the back of his head to lightly grip his nape. He turned to Wang Li and his husband leaned in to kiss his lips.

"All will be fine, beloved," his king whispered against his skin.

"How are you certain? I cannot help but worry, Ah Li. I do not wish to be apart again."

Wang Li rubbed his ear as his silver eyes softened.

"No amount of time-"

"-can make me forget who I belong to... I know, my love."

"I see you remembered."

"It is all I hear for many centuries."

They kissed again and again, before Wang Li kissed across his cheek to chuckle darkly against his ear.

"Then I should give other words for you to remember."

"W… What?" Ying Yue had a hand on his husband's thigh and another against the beating organ.

"Remember this, my beloved wife," his husband's free hand ran up and down his inner thigh, "The time I spent with you, touch you, and taste you will never satisfy me enough. I am not whole without you."

Ying Yue flushed bright red and he covered his face. His husband really knew how to talk and though he loves it very much, it always made him feel weak and malleable. He heard his lover laughed and pulled his hands away from his face to place on his king's.

"I belong to you, Ah Yue. Always."

"I as well," Ying Yue breathed out vulnerable and feeling naked.

"You belong to the world."

His golden eyes blinked at his lover before frowning. He was Wang Li's wife, so that meant he belonged to his husband. Opening his mouth, he was about to speak when the knocking sounded at his door. He glanced at Wang Li and they stared at one another for a moment before he sighed.

"Come in."

Xu Lan and his father entered. He was cautious of his raven-haired uncle, and opted to sit beside his good, kind, blonde uncle. He held onto his uncle's arm, not once removing his eyes from the Ghost King. Ying Yue felt the tightening and he laid a hand to pat his nephew's head, but the pinkette did not even blink.

"Lan-er. You have questions. Ask them," Wang Li drank his tea and Ying Yue felt fingers dig into his arm.

"You are the Ghost King."

"… yes."

"You caused the Great Death."

"Yes."

"You killed many innocent people."

"Yes."

"You… you were stopped."

"… yes…"

"You were dead."

"I was."

"Why are you here? How are you here? Why would you come here when we are supposed to stop you?!"

Wang Li placed his cup down and turned to the pink haired boy.

"I came to be with my wife. Ye Wu brought me back from the dead. If any of you were to stop me, I will welcome it, but know I will continue to return to him."

Xu Lan slammed the table and shook his head in disbelief.

"Those stories, the ones Uncle Mo would tell me, are they true? Any of it?"

"Yes, but your uncle has a tendency to exaggerate," the redhead stated and his black eyes turned to him.

"Father! Why are you not upset? Why are you not stopping him?"

"From what? What has he done to be stopped?"

"He killed people! He will do it again!"

"Xu Lan," Xu Ling spoke quietly, "He paid his dues and your uncle had too. We mustn't judge him of his past sins. It died with him," the redhead's voice hardened, "But if any harm shall come to anyone, Ghost King, no matter how much love my brother has for you, I will do what is needed."

"So will I!" Xu Lan moved to sit beside his father before the man in red. The Ghost King just stared at them blankly, before there was a slight nod of agreement.

"I accept."

"I do not."

They turned to the blonde who was looking down, clutching his knees.

"I will not let any harm come to Wang Li. I cannot bear to be apart from him again for so long. Brother, nephew, if I must, I will protect him with my life."

Ying Yue stared with determination in his golden eyes at his family, to have them look back with widened eyes. He felt fingers tug his hair and he turned to his husband. Silver eyes searched his face, before he leaned into the kiss on his forehead.

"But… Uncle Yue-"

"What happened, during the Great Death, was my fault, Lan-er. I am to blame," Ying Yue admitted and he heard the pink-haired man inhaled sharply.

"What?! No. That can't be true. Father?" Black eyes turned to look at the redhead who was staring with a deep frown.

"The blame is mine, Ah Yue," Wang Li pulled away and interlocked his fingers with his wife's, "Do not take what is my responsibility."

Ying Yue opened his mouth and Wang Li shook his head.

"Xu Lan. I will tell you the story and you may decide what you wish to do."

The pinkette nodded, the redhead closed his eyes, and the blonde squeezed his hand.

"I was chosen by the Heavens to become the Ghost King, to bring forth chaos, be the barrier between Netherworld and the Surface realm where humans live. When I found out my mark was moved, I did not understand the purpose of it. Ye Wu, the demon I befriended, explained to me more than what my purpose was. I made the promise to be a part of his family, to let the Netherworld and Surface world combine," he closed his silver eyes.

"But there was a pull against my heart every so often and I thought about what it was. So when I felt it again, I pulled harder and your uncle arrived at my door."

Ying Yue furrowed his brows. That wasn't right. He understood Wang Li had told him he knew about him, forced him to love his king, but Ying Yue never needed to be forced. Loving Wang Li was as easy as breathing for him.

"I knew from the moment I saw him, he was a chosen. Ying Yue was gifted to stop me and I was not willing to lose," Wang Li thumbed the ring around his wife's finger, "What I did not realize, was how strong our connection was and although Ying Yue loves me, he would never be truly mine."

"Ah Li…"

"So I held on, gripped him to me as long as I could. Took him away from his family, took him away from his purpose, taint him in many ways and when I could no longer have him, when he slipped away from me," Wang Li's hand gripped tight, "I completed my task. I killed everyone, even my own family, my wife, even your mother."

Xu Lan's entire body screamed like his heart. He punched the Ghost King and felt arms around him, but in his blindness, he threw whoever it was away from him. His fists continued to connect with skin. This… His uncle was evil! Evil! He was the reason Nuying left! He was the reason his mother forgot about his father. He was he reason his mother forgot him!

"That is enough!"

His blonde uncle cried out gripping his wrist. He scowled and turned his glare to look at the Ghost King. The man in red was bloodied and breathing heavy. He pulled wrist away from the blonde and though he was still angry with the raven-haired man, he cannot kill him. He shouldn't.

'But I want to. I want to kill.'

"Done already?" Wang Li grinned with bloody teeth, "Pathetic."

The pinkette screamed and stood, grabbing a willing Wang Li up. He threw the man in red against the wall, against the table, everywhere he could. He wanted blood, more blood. Calling for his blade, he went for the kill only to be stopped by another. Growling, he pushed harder but the blade was solid and it glowed so bright. He winced and squinted, still fighting for dominance, Xu Lan was knocked to the side losing his balance.

"Zhang Xu Lan! Get a hold of yourself! Now!"

The sound of his father's disappointment, anger, and worry laced together through his mind. His mind jerked to memories of his father being upset with him, memories of hugs and smiles. His father… his father-

Xu Lan threw up. The bile of blood leeched out of his lips and wrecked his body with coughs. He could hear his father's voice speaking to him, feel his father's hand holding him steady, but he couldn't stop. Just like before, he felt a sense of lightheadedness.

Palms held his face and he blinked the tears away as the coughing receded.

"Have you told him."

"No."

"Tell me what?" He mumbled as breathing became easier for him.

"…"

"Father?"

"You have demon blood."