章 39: You're in there, aren't you

He found his room in the corner of the manor, small cramped and practical.

A servant had approached him asking if his guest would like to be shown a room, to with the Immortal of a Thousand Blossoms hastily replied, "No, that won't be necessary." The poor boy's face flushed, a bit scandalized and quickly excused himself.

It was only when the boy was out of sight, did Zhang Wang's smile fall. "Let's just go inside," He ran a hand through his hair and slid open the door. He was expecting to be greeted by a layer of dust and not everything neatly tucked into place with the fresh scent of incense still lingering by. His sheets have been changed, cheap unremarkable fabric swapped out with fine silk. The familiar mess that he left on his desktop had been put away in the crevices that he didn't even know, all the scrolls and manuals that he owned were neatly stowed.

Zhang Wang let out a frustrated groan and just flopped down on his bed, that mattress soft in an utterly unfamiliar way.

He hated his private space being fondled and made a point in chasing any nosy servants away. And if he looked around even closer, Zhang Wang noticed how some of his personal belongings have either been replaced or increased. In the cheap of a random rock that he used as a beloved paperweight, there was some an exquisitely carved jade horse sitting on his desk. He couldn't help but feel that the number of titles sitting on his bookshelf exceeded what he was used to.

No doubt Siking Yong's doing. Zhang Wang scowled in mild annoyance, rolling around on the bed.

Yu Yanlin stepped inside cautiously, holding out his hand to feel the space around him. He ran his fingers across the wall and followed the window's ledge and oiled windows. "Hm, are these your quarters?" He hummed, "It's nice in here."

Zhang Wang leaped up and rolled his eyes, "Don't lie. This place could barely hold any candle to your wonderful Palace of Sins and the decadent halls of the Unholy Garden Temple. Not even in Sect Leader Sikong could ever dream of making this place even half as magnificent." He looked around and decided on the pros and cons of setting up a privacy array. Perhaps Sikong Yong would find a way to spy on him either way…And setting up the spell might make him seem more suspicious.

That would mean Yu Yanlin would have to be even more careful. He scrutinized the demon king and sighed, taking out the few high-leveled talismans he still had on his person and began setting them up around his room.

After he was finally finished setting up the array, he crossed his arms and mumbled, "It should be safe to talk in here. And please take that blindfold off in private!"

A small smile lifted Yu Yanlin's lips, almost a bit secretive. He reached up and unbuckled the blindfold, slipping it off his face. His eyes were still dark, nothing about him appeared different from an ordinary human aside from his ethereal beauty and handsomeness that lingered.

Zhang Wang gulped a little and wondered if anyone could even mistake him to be truly human? Then again, no one would ever assume that the Cruel White King might walk among ordinary mortal's, masquerading as his lover. "Yanlin," he suddenly said, capturing the demon king's attention, his gaze veering away from the bookshelf. When their eyes met, Zhang Wang had forgotten what he wanted to say.

"What do you think happened at the Palace of Sins after we left? Sikong Ren apparently claimed your head, and Chu Changying was there to witness the scene." He sat back down on his bed and motioned next to him in hopes it would encourage the demon king to act more comfortably.

Yu Yanlin took this as an invitation. A pleased little dazzle sparkled in his eyes, and Zhang Wang thought for sure it was just a conjuring of his imagination. When he'd expected that Yu Yanlin would sit at the opposite end, the demon king conveniently plopped down right next to him, their thighs touching.

He gulped but kept a smile. This much was already normal compared to what they've done with each other. With a breath, he forced himself to relax and listened to what the demon king had to say. "And here I was about to ask you the very same question, wondering if it was the result of some foul power you used on my officials, charming them all to betray me without my notice."

Zhang Wang blinked, and shrugged, wondering if it was appropriate to feel bad. "No offense, but your officials were all assholes and not that difficult to trick." Or convince.

"Alas, I didn't even see it coming. There is no way for me to know of the sorcery that happened at the Palace of Sins after our departure. I thought you would be more aware. Did you not have your connections there?"

"Hmm, I did." He did, but they all agreed to part ways after the person known as the Cruel White King had been dealt with. Zhang Wang didn't have any real, lasting feelings for those he left behind, aside from maybe Yu Xinen, who was at least an entertaining drinking partner. "But not anymore."

"Then it will be better to ask your Shijie," Yu Yanlin concluded with a nod. Zhang Wang couldn't help but notice he was leaning in quite close. "Or that infamous Master of the Strays. He is no doubt returning to Xunfeng Peak, is he not?"

"Suppose you're right…" Zhang Wang sighed. That as well was going to prove several problems that he didn't wish to address. Chu Changying had initially been the easiest person or him to talk to however now that she was holding a grudge, he'd have to soften up either his Shizun or Shidi somehow instead to get information.

A frustrated groan ripped out of his throat. He flopped down annoyed with hands raking his face. A pleasant chuckle sounded above him. Yu Yanlin leaned over, trapping him under his arms. Black hair pooled at Zhang Wang's side, boxing him in. "Perhaps that's not what you should be worrying about now."

Zhang Wang wondered if he was being provoked. Because it was working. He circled his fingers around the arm that trapped him in places, eyes locking with the demon's. A pink tongue shot out to wet dry lips, Zhang Wang felt heat swell in his abdomen. "Guess you're right about that."

He pulled Yu Yanlin down, lips parting and lashes closing in invitation. Yu Yanlin eagerly lowered him on top of the Immortal of a Thousand Blossoms.

Their lips brushed. A tantalizing sizzle stroked his nerves and Zhang Wang just about to wrap his arms around Yu Yanlin's neck and pull him down.

Instead, there was a sharp knock, someone yelling from the other side, "Hey! Immortal of a Thousand Blossoms! You're in there, aren't you?"

The voice startled him, causing him a jolt up and knock his forehead right into Yu Yanlin's.

A string of colorful words left Zhang Wang's lips as he blinked upward, his world seeming to flicker with spots of white assaulted his vision, "Who!? What?" He screeched and blinked angrily toward the door.

Yu Yanlin didn't seem nearly as startled and wore a blank expression on his face as he pulled away, languidly moving to secure the blindfold back across his face. He'd fallen completely silent by the time Zhang Wang went to snap open his door.

"What is it?" He bit out a bit aggressively at the unwelcomed intruder.

Two large eyes blinked up at him, Ariunbayar was undaunted by the Immortal of a Thousand Blossom's sour mood. "You're going to help me," she fearlessly declared. "You and that overpowered lover of yours."

Zhang Wang blinked, taken aback not only by the bluntness of her request but also by choice of her words. With a scowl, he held his nose bridge to stave off the ensuing headache. "Help you with what?" But the moment the question left his lips, the memory of their earlier encounter with Sikong Yong returned. Zhang Wang let out a long, deep sigh, "You…why in the world do you want that thing back so much anyway?"

Yu Yanlin feigned indifference as he sat quietly on Zhang Wang's bed, but his ears were curiously strained as well. He thought that the powers of the Sacred Star Jewels were already long out of reach for mankind, immortal or not.

But he couldn't quite make sense of the words that left her lips.

This time, Zhang Wang heard her loud and clear, without mistake. "It's my debugger!"

Zhang Wang blinked at her stupidly, "Just what are you even debugging?" What was the word 'debugger' even supposed to mean in a world like this?

Ariunbayar tilted her head. No one had ever bothered to ask her for a further explanation about her strange choice of words before. She rolled her eyes and said, "For my system. Not like you'd understand, though."

"What!?"