Since arriving in the human world, Li Lun could say that he hadn't had any real time to rest or take a break with all the crazy things those humans came up with at every turn. Although he had to admit that this time the forest demons had acted too recklessly, whether due to outside influence or their own violation, he didn't trust humans very much either. He knew that humans liked to take advantage of any opportunity to do terrible things, and he was sure that Zhu Yan had created that open door in his anger, so he had asked Zhuo Yixuan to take him with him when he returned to the Citadel to explain things to his superiors.
That's why he found himself walking toward the Demon Hunting Bureau with him, even though the last thing he wanted was to enter a human town with everyone staring at him every step of the way. He had to admit that their gazes were not hostile, but rather curious and a few women even smiled at him, yet none of them had tried to approach him, but walking among humans made him uneasy, even though the person next to him was sending out calming waves to sooth his mood and evident distrust.
Yixuan had told him about the group bond, and Li Lun had asked for time to think it over. Although a bond of that level would bring him some notable benefits, he still needed to thoroughly analyze it in the long term. A permanent bond should never be taken lightly, no matter how good it seems, as there are always consequences to bonding with someone, even if they don't seem obvious at first glance. He didn't mind being linked with the Zhuo brothers which he have a degree of trust on them or even Zhu Yan, since they had known each other for so long, but he wasn't sure about being linked with the others, and anyway, it wasn't like they could do so right away since Zhu Yan was now 'sealed' in his room on the third floor for who knows how long.
They climbed the long stairs to the Bureau, where numerous demon hunters greeted them respectfully. A man Yixuan had called Fan Ying was waiting for them at the top of the stairs with a smile that, while not insincere, was at least somewhat forced. He was told that the man had dealt with Zhu Yan before, so he was more or less comfortable with his presence. However, Li Lun didn't exactly seem happy to be there, so to the humans, he seemed more imposing than Zhu Yan, even if Zhu Yan was a lot stronger than him.
"High Commander Fan Ying, I came to inform you of what happened and what we have learned since our last conversation regarding the search for the dragon god Bing Yi. This is Li Lun, the great demon we spoke of earlier, who had come to aid us in our quest. I assure you that he is someone Zhu Yan trusts, as I do, and although he has had his doubts about human sincerity, having witnessed some of our worst behavior over the centuries, he is still willing to help, as previously foreseen by the Baize goddess." Yixuan introduced him with a slight bow in a sign of respect, but Li Lun didn't move at all, not even to greet him with a simple nod.
"I see, come in. There are some things we must discuss." Fan Ying said, leading them to a room where they could talk privately. Once inside, Fan Ying cast a sealing spell, just in case, as the Citadel, although independent, still served the king, so it had spies everywhere. Li Lun was glad that at least this man was smart enough to keep the conversation private.
"Zhuo Yixuan, tell me what that was. I know Zhu Yan's warning was for the demons, but if you could explain things further, that would be wonderful. Before this display of fury from Zhu Yan, we had seen some unusual behavior from the demons, but nothing that threatened us more than usual, which was why we didn't act more forcefully against them so as not to jeopardize our truce with Zhu Yan." Fan Ying said as he sat down and gestured for the other two to do the same.
"You're right to fear Zhu Yan, because he's quite terrifying as a demon. I know his charming personality and love for humans make him seem tame, but you had no idea how deadly his true nature can be. There's a very good reason why he was chosen to guard the gate to the demon world and why other great demons fear him enough to stay inside. Even I struggled to stand in the forest while he unleashed his demonic pressure, and that wasn't even a ten percent of what he can do, as he only used his dragon form, which is very powerful, but nowhere near his strongest." Li Lun said, and Fan Ying gulped.
"I can see how strong he is. Don't worry, we won't think he's easy to manipulate, or at least not us, the demon hunters who have been fighting against them for decades and want this war to end for good. We owe a lot to Zhu Yan for protecting humanity from the demons on the other side and also from the demons in this forest. Before we met him personally, there was a legend passed down from generation to generation among the demon hunters of this Citadel, about a small white monkey that was considered a good omen for all who saw it, as whenever they saw it around the forest, no demon would attack the hunters for thousands of miles or even days."
"Back then, we didn't know that this small white monkey was none other than Zhu Yan, so when we found out it was him, he became our symbol of protection and we are very grateful for having saved the lives of many hunters, even if it was just by his presence, as no other demon would come near when he strolled through the forest, not coincidentally when one or more units needed that rest when seriously injured or at their limits. He gave us a respite and a break for our tired bodies for centuries. I am an honorable man and as long as I am in charge of this Citadel, no demon hunter will ever act against him, nor will they even want to, as he made a very good impression when he came here last time and our demon hunters like him quite a lot." Fan Yin assured him, but Li Lun wasn't satisfied with that.
"It's fine that the demon hunters in this Citadel respect him, but I know how scheming humans can be, and after such a display of power, some humans with a hidden agenda might think they can take advantage of it, especially when his lover is a young human hunter who can be used against him."
"Li Lun!" Yixuan protested, but Li Lun wasn't finished yet.
"This Citadel is one thing, but humans have such a complicated system of command that not always go along with the same view. Your king might see Zhu Yan as a threat after what he did in the forest, even though all he has done so far is protect humanity. I fear they will use your brother to try to manipulate and subdue him, or who knows what else. However, before any of you humans think of doing anything like that, let me warn you that Zhu Yan cannot be manipulated, as he has been blessed by the three major gods, one of whom was the creator of humanity, and if you ever try anything against him or his destined lover, you humans will receive divine punishment. If you want confirmation of this, you can ask Nuwa herself, as Zhuo Yixuan is directly connected to the heavenly realm, and I am sure she is listening to every word we say here right now." Li Lun said, and as if on cue, Yixuan's eyes flashed gold, while a strong golden energy was released with a huge smoky golden snake coiling around the room, as proof that Nuwa was indeed listening.
Then Yixuan, still under Nuwa's control, stood up and extended his hand. Golden flames burst from his palm, and several objects emerged from the heavenly fire. The first was a golden pendant, the second a heavenly seal, the third a jade bottle, the forth a golden sphere and the last a small bell.
"I have foreseen that the king might want to take advantage of my son, Zhu Yan. Although Ying Long was the one who blessed him with his blood, Zhu Yan is as dear to me as he was to him, for I too blessed the energy from which he was born. This pendant will protect you from those who wish to harm or use you. Be sure to wear it at all times, and no court minister will be able to gain control over you. This seal must be presented to your king if you are ever summoned into his presence. This will remind your many kings that their rule comes from the heavens, as they like to proclaim far and wide, and that the heavens will judge them according to their sins if they ever stray and act only to serve themselves rather than the people or for the good of their world. I once made a mistake that led to war, but I will not allow my children to cause further harm in my name. This bell is for the protection of this Citadel from both greedy humans and demons. Simply throw it into the sky outside this Bureau, and the bell will protect anyone who remains faithful to humanity and expel those who do not. And finally, the pills inside this bottle..." She took a golden pill from the jade bottle and offered it to Fan Ying, who was understandably deeply surprised by the presence of the mother of humanity, widely revered in the human lands. He took it in his hand and bowed to her.
"Call for a night of celebration in the Citadel, and inside a large jug of wine, place the pill and give all the hunters wine from the jug to drink, which will never be emptied. This will protect the hunters against the demons if they rebel and try to exterminate them, as they will not receive mortal wounds, so make sure all the bottles are filled with this wine. The remaining pill is for those within the Zhu Yan dimension." She offered the bottle to Li Lun, who took it and safeguard it on his robes, while staring intently at her golden eyes. It was unsettling that, even though it was Yixuan's body, it was her voice that spoke.
"Great demon Li Lun, this child will be free from my influence as soon as this matter is resolved. I know you see me as your enemy in the past war, but I assure you that I am not and never have been. The reason demons complain that the world Ying Long created for them is not as luxurious as the human world is not because he look down on his own kind, but because the seal that was meant to contain Ying Long's power of creation was stopped before completion, and the energy leaked directly into this world. If we manage to seal the demonic realm completely, you will enjoy a world even more beautiful than this one. The war did not happen because we gods hate you, but because you gave in to your corrupt side and massacred millions of humans, both wicked and innocents alike. This made us realize that you could no longer share the same world, so Ying Long created a better one for all of you to live in peace."
"The bond that was offered to you, please accept it. Not because I said so, but because it will give you more than you can imagine. It will open a door you believe was close and give you the one thing you have always seek. When you first cross path with Ying Long, back when you had barely take human form, he saw your future and seal it inside this..." Nuwa said as she offer Li Lun the small sphere, which was the last of the items she summon. Li Lun hesitate for a moment to take it, but he did it anyways, placing it on the inside of his black robes too.
"If you have ever wished to be truly happy alongside someone who loves you just as you are, without questions, this is your opportunity, your choice. Have a look at the future Ying Long envisions for you and decide if it's what you desire or simply nonsense created by an ancient demon god, as you once called him. Nothing is set in stone, and that future may never come true if you discard it, but if it tempts you, hold on to it and don't let go. Take good care of him, all my children within Zhu Yan's dimension are trustworthy and will never harm you. They were carefully chosen for that reason, as a sign of our desire to bring a peaceful end to a war that should never have happened." She said, and once she stopped wielding her influence over Yixuan, Li Lun found himself catching him with his strong arms before the man could fall to the ground.
Then Yixuan spat out a little blood as he was released from her sudden possession on him, and he looked up at Li Lun, who was still holding him in his arms while looking at him with mixed feelings that Yixuan couldn't decipher, as they quickly faded away.
"Hey, are you okay? Your brother was pretty hurt from Bing Yi's possession." Li Lun asked him, as Yixuan wiped the blood from his mouth and smiled at him.
"It's not that bad, but... You knew, Li Lun? About my connection with Nuwa?" Yixuan asked the pagoda tree demon, who smirked at him in amusement.
"I wasn't sure, just guessed as much. The spell you cast during our first meeting, for example, was created by Bing Yi, meaning only a god could perform it, yet you did it as a human, without learning it and with relatively little effort, which should have been impossible unless you had someone powerful backing you up. Also, the flower I gave you affected your brother's core, while yours didn't, why is that? The answer for me was that there's someone else protecting you, if not Bing Yi, who is sealed and your connection to him is weaker than your brother's, nor Ying Long, who sacrificed himself for the demons, then who?" Li Lun asked, and Yixuan, understanding his logic, smiled quite pleased with his wits.
"I guess that leaves Nuwa. You're very cunning, Master Li Lun." Yixuan teased him as he wrapped an arm around his shoulders, not caring that Li Lun didn't seem to be in any hurry to let him down.
"Enough about the Master thing. The point is, what I suspected is confirmed, and you are her human vessel, meaning she will be ware of what happen until we resolve Cheng Huang's problem. Fang Ying, do as the goddess said and use the bell to show humans that this man in my arms as well as those in Zhu Yan's mansion cannot be touched, not even by the king himself. I assure you, as I've personally witnessed, that heavenly retribution is so destructive it could turn your imperial city in a pile of ashes in the blink of an eye." Li Lun warned, and of course, Fan Ying knew this very well and was even happy to have a very good card in his favor if things got complicated and the king tried to take the opportunity to try something more drastic.
"Of course, the goddess's wish is my command, please lead the way..."Fan Ying said as he looked at them both.
"Li Lun... you can take me down now..." Yixuan said, a little embarrassed. It was one thing to be seen like this in the presence of a friend, but it was quite another to be carried like a bridegroom in front of the entire Citadel population, as the Bureau was the tallest building in the Citadel and easily visible from the main gate.
"Why would I do that now, if this clearly shows that you are affected by her possession?" Li Lun asked, somewhat amused, seeing Yixuan's face finally show that rosy hue that was almost permanent on his younger brother with all of Zhu Yan's teasing. And to Yixuan's dismay, Li Lun used his power to open the gate and left with him still clinging to the great demon like a lost child.
At the top of the long staircase, Li Lun stop, attracting the attention of all the nearby hunters, especially when Yixuan's white robes was visibly stained with blood. Fan Ying took out the golden bell he was holding and rang it once.
"Listen to me, demon hunters of this Citadel. We have been blessed with the presence of the mother of humanity, the goddess Nuwa, whose Zhuo Yixuan is now her vassal, and she has blessed our fortress with her protection so that nothing will happen to us until this war is over. Here, fellow hunters, witness the power of our goddess and her will!" Then Fan Ying threw the bell into the sky, and the small bell, a sacred gift from the goddess Nuwa, leaped into the sky and rang with a sound that shook the heavens.
Inside the fortress, the demon hunters stopped in awe. They witnessed a magnificent transformation as golden radiance transformed into a celestial seal, with countless divine symbols that danced in the air like starry whispers. Then a colossal serpent emerged from the celestial light, its scales glittering like precious gems. This majestic creature coiled around the Citadel, its gaze piercing the hearts of all who dwelled within.But this was not just a display of divine beauty, it was a judgment. The great serpent, embodying the wisdom of Nuwa, scrutinized every soul within its reach. It blessed those whose intentions were pure, those who were ready to protect and defend, marked those whose hearts harbored deceit and malice with a rejection seal.
Those who came not to help, but to plot for their own gain were mercilessly expelled through the Citadel's four gates. With each expulsion, they were met not only with rejection, but with an unbreakable seal of exclusion from the sanctuary the goddess wanted. The gates slammed shut behind those few, that were forever barred from entering.As tranquility returned to the Citadel, bathed in the lingering glow of Nuwa's blessing, those who were left stood united. They felt an unwavering purpose, guardians chosen by fate and divine will, to fulfill their sacred duty against the forces of darkness. The bell had not only heralded protection but had also strengthened their resolve to remain vigilant against any threat that dared to invade their homes. In the mist of cheers and cries of celebrations from been protected by the gods, Li Lun and Yixuan disappeared in a whirlpool of leaves.
AN: Sorry, sorry, I promise some heat, but this got in the way first, but worry not, I will double update so you can have your heat right away and not wait at all and as a bonus is a double heat!!Enjoy! ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥