There is a saying 'a man should understand that he doesn't protect his partner because their weak but because they are important.'
It seemed Rui Fei had fully grasped the meaning of this statement as he pushed Ji Yao behind him protecting him from his father. If it weren't that he wasn't strong enough in the past he would have killed Emperor Rui ages ago. The last time they fought he passed out due to years of having that poison circulating in his aetherial veins.
Now that he had fully awakened with a handle on his true form he was ready to finish his father off and protect his lover. Ji Yao grasped Rui Fei's elbow before pulling him beside him.
He was silently saying, "We will stand together," when he pulled him back. Rui Fei seemed to understand this as he glimpsed in Ji Yao's direction with a deep unfathomable gaze. Seeing those red-rimmed eyes Ji Yao's heart tightened. He didn't want Rui Fei to be sad. He suddenly wished he could go back in time and happily sail the seas with his cub without involving themselves in this mess.
He should have known his father wanted to be by his mother's side and even if he saved him he wouldn't leave her. As for the keystones he should have just waited until someone actually succeeded in getting them then do what a pirate does which is to snatch and destroy. Despite this chain of thought he still knew this plan wouldn't have been plausible.
He loosened the grip on Rui Fei's arm and shifted his gaze to the two men who were eyeing them as though challenging their authority. Rui Fei's intense gaze remained on Ji Yao with his arm still in front of the man's body in a protective gesture.
He wanted Ji Yao to leave this place at least then he would know he was safe but he also knew that Ji Yao would never agree. This thought triggered a dull ache in his heart as he lowered his gaze suppressing the violent emotions wailing up inside him.
Watching this lovey-dovey scene Qilin Kai couldn't help but snort coldly. Rubbing his fingertips together he took small steps to the side as he said, "You two still think you have a chance to be together? The curtain has already been torn and your clans are about to go to war.... As your distant uncle heed my advice little Yao... Dump him now so it won't hurt as much."
After he said this his cold impassive face swept past them before he turned to Emperor Rui. "As promised I have delivered. Now that our business is complete... I have some unfinished matters to take care of," he said before vanishing into the thin air.
His unfinished business was obvious to all. Since things were like this he had to sort out Qilin Hao before they return to Niuq. She was still so weak now so how could he not take advantage?
Emperor Rui's lips quirked into a provocative smile as he slowly strode over to the boys who were giving him death stares. Unperturbed with their vicious gazes he said, "Why are you giving your father such a stinky face, huh?" Turning his attention to the pillar glimmering with a purple light next to him he reached out to touch it as though to remove it.
"I can let him and your siblings go if you simply give me what I want," he said as his hand abruptly jolted away from the keystone. Turning to face them again he said, "What I want from you should be clear.... so how about it? Do we have a deal Ah-Fei?"
Hearing this Ji Yao pulled Rui Fei behind him and said, "Not when I am still breathing," answering for Rui Fei. Tightening his grip on Rui Fei's hand he summoned his sword which he had no idea where it had disappeared to.
The sword that was being summoned was actually in Qilin San's hands which meant it couldn't answer Ji Yao's call unless he completes the connection and open the gateway. But him not having his sword didn't mean anything to him as he could still fight.
"Then allow me to make those arrangements," he said before leaping up into the air his entire body surrounded by a blend of colourful seraphic energies. There wasn't even a need to ask where he had attained all that power.
With a ready to fight stance, he looked down at the pair and said, "Since I have other things to do after this it's best I pull out all my cards and end this sooner." As he said this he made a hand signal and all those luminous energies combined into one white stream of light flowing around his body.
The tension in the air was suffocating making it difficult for one to even take a step. This might have been the case if Emperor Rui was dealing with regular people. They would have been frozen in place suppressed by his aura.
But these two weren't ordinary. The two glanced over in each other's directions and their gazes locked for a second. Ji Yao let go of Rui Fei's wrist and mouthed, "Don't hold back."
Because of this Rui Fei's gaze shifted to stare at Ji Yao's pink lips that looked so tantalizing. He gulped with his adam's apple moving up and down moistening his dry throat. Unable to hold back he said, "Can we kiss... for good luck," with his gaze shifting back and forth from Ji Yao's lips and intense gaze.
Ji Yao let out a throaty chuckle with a subtle smile before saying, "Are you ever satiated? Stop messing around." As he said this engaged his aether and leapt up to the sky to launch an offensive attack at Emperor Rui.
Rui Fei who had been denied didn't know why his urge to kiss Ji Yao grew even more. It was as though his senses were trying to tell him something. Thinking he could address the issue after they were done dealing with his father he suppressed the emotion and shot up to the sky flinging sharp blades formed from his seraphic energy at Emperor Rui.
Seeing the pair team up to fight him he sneered as he blocked Ji Yao's blazing flame aimed at him. Flipping backwards he dodged the sharp blades coming at him as red tendrils emerged from his back reaching to grab Rui Fei.
Ji Yao steadied himself and responded by stretching out his hand sending forth a vicious stream of fire burning the tendrils to ash. Emperor Rui took a step back and at the swing of his hand a razor-sharp stream of air shot out in Ji Yao's direction.
Swift to react Ji Yao crossed his arms and the blazing flame met the violent wind head-on pushing it back.. Rui Fei wasn't idle either coming at Emperor Rui on the other end.