There was no way that Jiang Bai could win - he was merely at the Sky Rank as a qi cultivator, and Jiang Yao's cultivation was so high that there was no need to even compare them!
"Is this what you, the one I look up to, has fallen down to?!" Jiang Bai hissed out, his white hair flapping from the tension between his and Jiang Yao's qi. He was not going to back down, even if the man holding him up by the collar was hundreds, thousands, millions of times stronger than him!
Jiang Yao narrowed his eyes at the words, his hold on Jiang Bai tightening. "Fallen? Is that how you see me and him, Jiang Bai?"
His enraged gaze seemed to pierce through the white-haired youth's soul, the coldness seeping into Jiang Bai's body as he could put up almost no resistance. He was actually the luckiest out of his group - the others had by now fallen on the ground, most of them unconscious. Of his group, only Fu Chen was able to stay awake against that frost, being the only one to witness the confrontation between the infamous Seventh Prince and the young Ninth Prince!
Jiang Bai's white hair fluttered in the frost, clenching his teeth as he held the other's gaze. "There's no way my brother would fall so low but protect some worthless human!"
"Worthless?!" Hissing out, Jiang Yao threw his brother at the nearest wall, his figure becoming even colder, the frost becoming an ice storm around him.
He looked like an ice devil, out to murder - though if one looked past the ice they would notice that the room itself wasn't harmed at all. Clearly, the power was restrained.
"Well, what else is he to you than a mere plaything?!" Jiang Bai stood up from the rubble of the wall, wiping a faint trace of blood from a scratch on his skin. "He might be pretty and all that but why treat a mere plaything like him like royalty? Have you been blinded by your lower half, brother?"
"Plaything?!" Once more, Jiang Yao's hand found itself on Jiang Bai's collar, the knuckles white, showing just how much force he was restraining back. "How dare you call Xiaoxiao a plaything?!"
"Well, what else is he! Do you believe he actually is someone you can spend the rest of your life with?"
Even though his body was groaning from pain, both because of the hit he sustained against the wall and Jiang Yao's iron-like hold, Jiang Bai still remained stubborn, refusing to back down.
Seeing that Jiang Yao was briefly without words, Jiang Bai clenched his teeth once more. "He is abusing your momentary blindness and benefiting from your confusion! Don't be cheated by someone like him!"
"So this is how you see him?" Suddenly, Jiang Yao laughed coldly, the ice storm intensifying once more. "You think that he is using me, you think that he is a scheming and ruthless being just because you have not met someone as pure and innocent like him before? Xiaoxiao and I are in a pure relationship, don't go splashing dirty water on him just because you cannot understand what it's really like to be in love!"
"As if a ruthless demon like you know what it's like to love someone!"
The moment those words left his mouth, Jiang Bai's body was instantly thrown against another of the walls, crashing into it like a lifeless doll. This time he couldn't help but cough a mouthful of blood as his heart beat wildly and he circulated his qi to try and help himself up.
"That's right! Demons like you don't feel love! Are you so lost in that illusion he's cast that you dare say that?!" the Ninth Prince stared stubbornly at Jiang Yao.
There was no way he would believe such nonsense!
Yet, as if he had heard his thoughts, Jiang Yao spoke out, the ice storm around him becoming even more violent. "How can't I feel love? Am I not allowed to? Am I not allowed to?! Answer me!"
"Just because you've barely left the nest doesn't mean you can tell me who I can love and why!" he flicked his sleeve, sending the ice around him at Jiang Bai, a faint golden hue flicking in his black eyes.
He was truly infuriated by how his brother treated Luo Xiao - somehow, mentioning Luo Xiao in a negative life was bringing out his cold, merciless side. Not even his brothers would be spared were they to provoke him and once Jiang Bai noticed that faint golden flicker, he finally couldn't resist, even with his innate stubbornness.
Now Jiang Bai was finally feeling fear, his expression showing that he was giving up. Even with the wounds and bruises that were starting to appear from the impact with the walls he hadn't submitted but noticing the golden hue in Jiang Yao's eyes was the deciding factor.
"If you dare once more ignore Luo Xiao and not protect him, I'll come back and this time it won't be just you to feel my wrath! Consider yourself lucky, Jiang Bai!" as soon as he noticed the sign of giving up, Jiang Yao waved his hand, causing the ice to instantly dissipate, almost as if it wasn't there in the first place.
Though, Jiang Bai couldn't say that it wasn't - he could feel the cold still in his body, lingering as a faint warning to do as Jiang Yao ordered.
And with that, Jiang Yao turned around and left the house, disappearing from view. All that was left from his presence were the gradually disappearing ice traces and the bruises on Jiang Bai's body.
Jiang Yao didn't care what was to happen to Jiang Bai - he knew the other would handle himself appropriately, even if what he had just done was considered by many to be bullying his juniors. Well, he really didn't care about it. After all, there was someone else in his mind as he flew through the Academy before gracefully stepping down in front of Luo Xiao's home.
Mo San, who was waiting for Mo Si to come back, instantly knelt down as soon as he saw Jiang Yao appear in front of him. He couldn't believe that Jiang Yao came there himself - then again the other possibility was Mo Si never making it back.
"Master!"
"Mo San, keep guarding," Jiang Yao dismissed the man from kneeling, though not before giving him a cold look which made cold sweat appear under Mo San's robes.
There was no way his master was not going to punish the two of them once it came time for that. It was unavoidable.
Thankfully, someone else was on Jiang Yao's mind - his dear Xiaoxiao, of course.
The formation outside the home stood no chance against Jiang Yao who simply walked in without the barrier even moving. It wasn't meant to stop someone at his level after all.
"Xiaoxiao!" As soon as he entered the little house, Jiang Yao called out to Luo Xiao, who was currently meditating.
The demon prince, of course, knew where Luo Xiao was in the home, but since the other was studying spells he didn't dare burst into his room. Unwanted disruption of that state in which Luo Xiao was could lead to serious backlash but just calling out to him would be fine as then he would be able to gradually leave that comprehension state.
And that was the way it happened as only a few minutes later Luo Xiao opened the door, his eyes widening as soon as he saw Jiang Yao.
"Jiang Yao!"
Luo Xiao didn't realize it but his face very clearly lit up as soon as he saw Jiang Yao in front of him, showing how he truly missed being next to the over a week and a half they had been separated for.
Luo Xiao walked over to Jiang Yao, his eyes taking in that so familiar face in front of him. However, just as usual, he didn't have any time to react by the time Jiang Yao's arm was around his waist, pulling him close for a tender, loving kiss.
"I missed you, Xiaoxiao..." Jiang Yao muttered, his distressed and angry feelings vanishing like melting snow as he held Luo Xiao in his arms, kissing him lovingly.
What did Jiang Bai know about love? Jiang Yao didn't care to know as he had judged that no way was it a normal attraction to Luo Xiao that he held inside his heart. It was something much scarier and it took him in its grasp more and more with each passing day and he could not resist it.
Luo Xiao couldn't find it in himself to respond to Jiang Yao's words with his own - I missed you too - they were stuck in his chest, though his eyes spoke them much more clearly than he would have been able to say them.
Only once their lips separated did Jiang Yao notice that gaze though, smirking a little. "My little Xiaoxiao missed me as well, I see..."
Those words which once more seemed to read deep inside him made Luo Xiao blush deeply, looking away slightly. "... Maybe."
That made Jiang Yao laugh quietly before patting Luo Xiao on the head. Then he looked around, narrowing his eyes at the rather basic house in which Luo Xiao lived. "Why do you live in such a shabby home... So unfit for you, Xiaoxiao. I'll talk to the Principal to arrange you in a much better place."
"No, it's alright... I like it here."
"What?"
Luo Xiao pursed his lips slightly as he looked at Jiang Yao and then the home. "I think it's nice... I couldn't possibly handle a more luxurious place..."
This was one of the few times he had declined something from Jiang Yao. Truly, Luo Xiao liked it in the small house he was provided. A bonus of it was that nobody really hanged around in the region was it was mostly empty - he had barely seen anyone walk in and out from the other houses nearby.
That meant that not many would bother him there, unlike in the more luxurious private houses where those with high status lived. Luo Xiao could guess that if he went there even more trouble would come his way and therefore had completely settled in the place given to him without even thinking of moving.
"Mmm..." Clearly, Jiang Yao still wanted to put him in a much nicer place, at least by his standards, but the gaze that Luo Xiao gave him finally made him give up. "If you say so, Xiaoxiao."
While he himself wasn't really keen on letting him live there, if Luo Xiao really wanted it then, at least for once, Jiang Yao would have to raise his hands and let him be.
"I'm still going to stay the night here!" Jiang Yao declared as he grabbed Luo Xiao's hand and pulled him towards the bedroom. "Come over here, I can't let the day go to waste."
And with those words, Jiang Yao dragged Luo Xiao over to the very uncomfortable, according to the prince, bed as uncaring whether their clothes got wrinkled he sat down, pulling Luo Xiao for another kiss, this time much more passionate.
Jiang Yao forgot about Jiang Bai as if nothing had ever happened when Luo Xiao sank in his embrace, finding it very comfortable and warm as he had missed its warmth for those last days.
Meanwhile, Mo Si and Mo San had reunited, both somewhat relieved but also oddly scared as they never knew when Jiang Yao's punishment would come to them. Both of them had become more alert, refusing to show another fault in front of their master - either they protected Luo Xiao or most likely lost their lives.