By the time Lìngxiāo reached the safest part at the base of the mountain, rain had started heavily with thunders.
Lìngxiāo quickly took out his mirror within the run, his fingers moved with purpose with each symbol he had made: infinite, crocodile eyes, and spider.
The mirror pulsed with faint light. "Have you missed us, Gōngzǐ?"
"Long time no see~"
The curses purred.
Lìngxiāo spun the mirror with his own pace. The mirror moved up sharply and then down. "I have no time." He bit the words.
"Alright, alright. We are coming~"
"What is your order?"
"Seal the mountain." Lìngxiāo ordered.
Two male curses floated out, said in union, "On progress!"
"Get off from my way! I'm high ranked too." That same female one said proudly as she gripped the summoned one's head—who was about to go as the third one.
"You little thing—!" The curse was pushed back inside, didn't even get the time to peek outside.
The female one giggled and flew out, her gaze meeting Lìngxiāo's. Lìngxiāo just looked away, his body language urgent and firm, having no room for fluttering right now—more than usual.
"Didn't hear~" the curse pouted mockingly when Lìngxiāo looked away before the other two males at the work.
"Oh, savage lady, are you not?~" one of the released male curses purred while flying high up.
"Heh. I am." She replied with a sharp, feminine grin. "It is a new generation. I could have my own harem by now. But you know I'm stuck on that single humble man."
"No hope for you." The one with blue skin and eight eyes teased.
"He is not easy to get. That is why you run behind him~"
"I would win. Because I never lose." She said, determined. "And..I intentionally got caught because he is interesting and his orders do not feel insulting~"
All chuckled mischievously before moving in three directions, creating a multi-layered invisible shield around the whole mountain—with the open space which goes to the sky so that the thunder doesn't land anywhere else but at this empty, people-less mountain to prevent any disaster.
But the female curse worked more on the animal lives here, creating another stronger shield over the normal animals only—because the yàos could survive on their own.
The animals' ears lowered in alert of danger, watching the curses work as the opposite of what they are known for.
Somewhere unknown to normal people's knowledge, the wild common peacock yào flapped its wings, standing high with a sharp cry. Others—mostly females—paused from whatever they were doing and started to run in the same direction.
The one screamed—stared at the trembling sky. Its black eyes tracking everything. Then it ran behind others like a leader protecting its group before even thinking about itself.
All of them started to head toward large tunnels they had built on their own for this kind of problem. All kinds had their own separate tunnels so that they never met with another type to even pick up a fight.
Small bird yàos cried out in union before taking flight in their large groups, not going up to the sky but moving to the town, getting mixed with normal birds.
The people of the town—where rain hadn't started yet—watched from their windows, peeking from half-open windows while the sleeves of their robes flowed roughly by the slaps of the wind.
"The birds seem too frightened."
"Maybe the storm would be too strong."
A few children outside pointed at the birds, looking at the mountain a little far from here where the storm rumbled the most.
"Children! Go back inside." Elders quickly started to take their children back inside, shutting the windows tightly.
Within a moment, the streets were left empty like no humans lived here.
On the other hand, Lìngxiāo stood at a space where trees were high and the ground was just enough.
"All done, Gōngzǐ!!" The female curse called, winking at him.
"Remind me." Lìngxiāo said to her, signaling her to remind him whatever he might forget after this ritual.
"Your order, my head already on your hand!" She replied as she flew away again, positioning herself at the base corner of the shield to keep it steady.
Lìngxiāo nodded once, his eyes no longer natural golden-brown but fully glowing golden. His hair started to float upwards like any divine being.
'This needs to be done before he finds me out.'
His heels hit over the ground like a small but powerful earthquake, the jade-formed hand raised up high, glowing like a dark sky full of tiny stars and golden secrets, his fully soaked robe fluttered by the speed of the wind which kept growing.
A large golden circle had started forming under Lìngxiāo's feet, swallowing him whole. His jade hand released a powerful thunder, hitting right into the already rumbling thunder in the sky. The shield sent it back, dispersing it into the distance.
The sky rumbled harder than it ever had. The thunder fell with a sharp cracking sound, breaking the ground, making the mountain crumble.
His eyes shut. He spoke to the female curse through his thoughts. 'Is he safe?'
His bamboo hat flew away from his head.
But the female curse raised her pale hand, the air obeyed her and brought it closer to herself.
"You smell great, Gōngzǐ." She giggled to herself and wore it herself as if Lìngxiāo had just placed a crown on her head, licking her dark lips with her long tongue.
She focused downwards when Lìngxiāo's words reached her. She watched Chóng Fēi with quite interest before replying with a smirk. "Perhaps enjoying himself, Gōngzǐ. Sliding down towards you with a banana boat. You may not stress. We would remove the clues of your qì as soon as you are done."
'Alright..' Lìngxiāo closed his connection of mind with her again, only the bond remained as always.
The curses worked on their own. They seemed to be drinking the negative energy being released from Lìngxiāo too like wine.
"Why does he taste so good? I want him to fuck me." The female curse mumbled almost dreamily. Her white eyes softening just lightly as if a snake's pupil had grown big.
At this moment, something moved past from her side, effortlessly coming inside the shield.
"Pathetic whore." An unknown male voice mocked.
It made her pause and stare at the space with silent confusion. Her white eyes wide.
Then she yelled at the other two curses. "Oi, manwhores! How dare you call me a pathetic whore?! Whore was fine. WHY pathetic?!"
The other two curses from the other two corners blinked at each other like everything was going above their heads.
"I did not say anything." They both said in confused, suspicious tones, an eyebrow raised.
Her eyes twitched, her tone bitter. "Curses lie. But I hate lying too because my Gōngzǐ hates it too. Admit it or do not tangle around me with sweet words at night. I would not melt just because I like you two."
"We did not say it!" Both males yelled again, almost panicked by her threat.
"Perhaps you have heard any gûi whose grave is here," the three-eyed one said.
"I would have felt its qì long ago if it was!" She said again. "It felt like a curse. High rank one. But I cannot be sure which grade. It was confusing to catch easily."
"Curse? High ranked? Here?" Those two curses echoed, dumbfounded.
"So what? Perhaps it came to choose any vessel among yàos. It is a normal thing," the eight-eyed one said.
"I know! But HOW. DID. It manage to come inside this shield which is not totally made by our qì but Lìngxiāo Gōngzǐ's??? It is suspicious. Strong too." She pressed more, her pale face red like color had been thrown on her face.
The curses looked at each other. Their eyes less dangerous, more confused.
Then the eight-eyed one said simply, "Perhaps Mō Qīn."
The three-eyed one added, "Have you forgotten? He might look like a warm one but he is the first ranked curse he had ever captured. He does not stay tangled around his neck for no reason. He has earned his place. Besides, he was told to meet here."
The eight-eyed one muttered, "Why do you not try to earn this place instead of jealousy? You are high ranked enough to understand it. Do high ranks do anything like other curses??"
She paused like her mind was racing on the fact while staring at them with wide, burning eyes. But she seemed sure with her belief too. "It was NOT his voice. I have argued with him enough to at least know this!"
"He might have used one of his collected voices," the three-eyed one added, bored, rolling his eyes.
"Wait," the eight-eyed one said again, pausing dramatically, now teasing. "Or are you missing your centuries-old one-night-stand curse whom you never were able to satisfy? Nor he was too free or open to compliment how much you have always been a fireball??"
Her face filled with embarrassment and anger at whatever they were talking about.
"Forget it!!" She groaned.