A little Tease Before The Sadness
Hei Xiazi was laying by Xiao Hua's side as he had done ever since they started the journey together, simply resting instead of sleeping, when he notice Mop recollecting food from others backpack's while they sleep, most probably to run away on his own. That alone was laughable, because how could he manage to get away from the tunnels infected with deadly snakes alone? He guesses that the man was really an idiot to his core, aside from been a scaredy cat of epic proportions.
Having the advantage of wearing sunglasses, he could watch the man without Mop noticing his eyes where fully open. Xiazi even whisper Mop's name as he turned away, but Xiao Hua, who was also not really sleeping, quiet him, giving him a hush 'let's settle it out there' that make Xiazi smile. Yeah, it was time to have some fun and after letting Mop walk ahead for a bit, both of them go after him, with Xiazi taking a little shortcut to intercept Mop first.
The first thing he did was to take out one of those baby snakes that Yaba Zhang threw away from Wu Xie's back and he discretely take and hide on one of his pockets to tease this very man that was getting on his nerves from time to time. Then when Mop came into view, he show it to him, making him yell like the coward man he was.
"Snake!!!!" Mop shouted with everything he got and was about to run back to the camp when Xiao Hua intercept him shortly after.
"Mop... where did you wanted to go, if this little thing scares you to death?" Xiazi asked.
"I... I just don't want to die... and this is getting more dangerous by the minute... Mr. Black, Master Hua...please spare me!!!" Mop begged on his knees.
"Alright then... you want us to spare you, but you go ahead and backstab us all the time, then steal food from your own crew, then left as if nothing happen. Now let me ask you a question, what can you possibly do on your own, when it's already crazy in here with soooooo many snakes that can kill you at any time? Are you some kind of superhero we don't know off? Do you even have Qilin's blood for that matter? There are far more things than scary snakes out there. What about corpse eating bugs? Can you handle them too all on your own? I think that's certain death for you." Xiazi asked, already having fun in scaring the man even more.
"Oh, no, no, no...." Mop whimper.
"You know what, Master Hua, what about a little bet between us. It's been a while since we had one." Xiazi said to Xiao Hua, who smirked back.
"Alright, go ahead." He said.
"Wonderful, so... I bet ten thousands on this man not reaching a kilometer before he gets kill by a bunch of snakes." Xiazi mocked, as Mop tremble quite terrify and Xiao Hua smiled wildly in turn.
"Are you serious? That's an easy win. I bet twenty thousand for just five hundred meters at best." Xiao Hua teased back, enjoying the playfulness after so many hardships on that trip.
"Ah, damn it... you are probably right. I got my hopes too high for this one. He is so easy to get ambush... and the snakes even call his name, so he is definitely on demand among them. Oh, well... what is done is done, right?" He asked Xiao Hua, which looked very pleased with scaring the man.
"Yep, no backing down." Xiao Hua assure him and Xiazi came closer to pass an arm around Xiao Hua's shoulder, happy that he didn't pull it away.
"Then... you there Mop. Please make me a favor for saving your sight before and make sure to stay alive for a kilometer. If you need a good knife, I can certainly sell it to you at a very good price. All for your survival... go on... off you go." Xiazi urged Mop. who tremble even more.
"Mr. Black... I'm not going..." Mop keep shuddering.
"What do you mean, no? That was what you were going to do just a minute ago. I'm only asking to let me win this little bet while you do your business... You see, twenty thousand is too much to lose in one go. Master Hua is rich, so he had no problems with money, but I have to work my arse to hell to earn my livings. Just stay alive for long enough to earn me some money as a gratitude to save you before, okay?" Xiazi added and seen the exaggerated desperation on Mop's face, Xiao Hua was tempted to laugh. Hei Xiazi was such a good teaser...
"No, no, no, no... I don't want to die yet."
"Come on... I will make sure you are properly bury, instead of been taken by the snakes to be a host and fill your belly with their little babies, like Wu Xie." At that, Xiao Hua, elbow Xiazi on his ribs, who was force to let go of him.
"Don't involve Wu Xie in this." Xiao Hua warned him.
"Alright, my bad, Wu Xie is off limit. He is a lucky one to have his personal army called Zhang Qiling. With such a powerful backing, he can go whatever he wants no matter how much of a danger magnet he is. You, however are less lucky... just go already." Xiazi teased deeper.
"Please don't make me!! I will stay, I promise!" Mop shouted desperately.
"So you are staying now?" Xiao Hua asked disappointed.
"Yyyyee... yess!! I'm staying." Mop assured them.
"You are no fun." Xiao Hua said.
"Damn it, it ended so soon..." Xiazi said also in disappointment, then once again reached for Master Hua's shoulder to guide him back to the camp.
"You are really too much..." Xiao Hua told Xiazi as they walked back.
"But you were enjoying it, right?" Xiazi asked.
"Maybe..."
"Oh, Master Hua, I saw you both smirk and smile..."
"Alright, I did, let's just go back. He probably wake up the whole camp with his yelling."
"What about a very little kiss before reaching the camp... I'm sure another pair in our group had done it too. Hell, they even disappear to have their own little love nest."
"Leave Wu Xie alone and no, I will not kiss you and talking about that, get your arm off me too." Xiazi sighed as he did what he was told.
"You are no fun either..." Xiazi whisper between teeth and Xiao Hua slightly palmed the back of Xiazi's head.
"You are too forward."
"Ah... I see... then, do I have hopes for an eventually, if I leave you alone for a while...?" Xiazi whisper and turned to look at a slightly blushing Xiao Hua.
"Who knows... I'm going ahead. Make sure Mop doesn't get killed in his way back." Xiao Hua evaded and Xiazi smiled, as he turned back to watch over the stabbing idiot.
Wu Xie
The shouting did indeed wake the others and it was decided to keep ongoing to whatever place that tunnel lead them and keep on walking for a few more hours until they finally reached the end of the tunnel on a small space with no apparent exit in sight, just an abrupt dead end.
"This goes nowhere, it's a dead end." Pan Zi said as he illuminate the place with his flashlight.
"Maybe the entrance collapsed with an earthquake." Wu Xie said.
"I have seen this before, let's look down." San Xing suggested and they did, finding that the ground was too lose, sandy and away from the desert to be simple natural in a closed space. Xiao Hua even tapped the ground to see if it felt odd, with perhaps something hidden under.
"Sandy soil, which means there must be something..."
"It's hollow too..." Xiao Hua ended for San Xing.
"Then, let's water it." Xiazi suggested.
"No, water is precious to us right now. Anyone feel like emptying the bladder?" San Xing asked and immediately Xiao Hua was disgusted, while Xiazi smiled.
"Sure, sure..." Xiazi said and they gather in a circle, all expect Xiao Hua, Wu Xie and Zhang Qiling.
It was Xiaoge's silent objection with that penetrating gaze he had at times when he may not like something that make Wu Xie turn away on the circle of pissing men. Of course he smiled as he heard the smelly spirt falling into the soil (which make Xaio Hua even more disgusted) and looked at Qiling who was as undisturbed as ever, standing by his side looking away.
Xiaoge could really be cute at times and Wu Xie wonder if Xiaoge didn't want for others to see him more intimately or Wu Xie seen others the same way. Either one, it was interesting to say the least, as Qiling was overprotective of him most of the time, a bit physical at others, at rare occasions a hint jealous and now, even against unnecessary exposure of his most private part. He was cute indeed.
Once the 'watering' was over, they make a hole big enough to go down easily and be on their way once again into more tunnels with Wu Xie at the lead this time, as he obviously didn't trusted his uncle to go ahead and yet again disappear from sight, as he usually did all the time. Xiaoge was of course, right behind him all the way to some kind of old tombs of holes.
"Don't touch them, they are mud cocoons. It's bad luck to disturb their rest." San Xing said to Wu Xie when he was about to touch one, driven by his curiosity, before he pass him.
"All of these holes really are filled with bodies?" Wu Xie asked as he gave them a better look.
"Yes. Large scale constructions in ancient times always cause big casualties. Those unfortunate enough, were bury like that, in mud, as the construction keeps ongoing. Scary, right?" Xiazi said and Wu Xie simply looked away.
"I just hope we don't end up like that." Wu Xie said and Xiazi smirked.
"I doubt you will... worry not." Xiazi whisper to him as he looked at Xiaoge and Wu Xie blushed a bit.
"Xiaoge come look this!" San Xing called from a bit further in the tunnel and Wu Xie walked toward him as he was follow by the rest.
There, San Xing was illuminating a writing in the rock wall, one that Wu Xie knew by heart and that it belonged to none other than Zhang Qiling, by his side. Wu Xie looked at him, trying to decipher if Xiaoge recalled about leaving his mark in that place, but saw nothing but a slight confusion on his face.
"Xiaoge... this is your signature, your mark... do you remember doing it?" Wu Xie asked anyways.
"No." Xiaoge said softly.
"Well, it means he was here before." Xiazi pointed.
"Obviously, but even if he doesn't remember, at least it points that we are going in the right direction... and it doesn't seems like a mark for danger." Wu Xie said.
"It may..." Xiaoge whisper as he looked his own writing.
"For snakes?" Wu Xie asked.
"I don't know..." Xiaoge answer.
"Forget about it, let's keep going." Xiao Hua suggested and so they did until they reached another bigger space in which they decided to have a rest. This time, Pangzi finally wake up and Wu Xie sat by him and try to make him feel better by rubbing his chest.
"Pangzi, it was about time." Wu Xie said as he keep the rubbing.
"Tianzhen... do you want me to die again? Xiaoge is right there... stop that."
"You ungrateful little... ah, do you know how much troubles we got when you pass out?"
"Ah, sorry, sorry, you are a true brother... and I really mean brother." Pangzi said, looking at Xiaoge, who slightly smirked.
"Idiot, he knows what we are. Do you feel better now?" Wu Xie asked.
"Like crap, but hey, I'm still alive, which is what matters the most, right? It means that fate is on my side, lucky me." Pangzi said and Wu Xie smiled in agreement.
"Lose some weight or I will leave you behind next time." Wu Xie warned him.
"Yeah, yeah... what happen? Is that Master San or I'm imagining things?" Pangzi asked as he looked behind Xiaoge, who stood in front of both him and Wu Xie.
"Yes, a lot happen, you were bitten, we were corner by a snake wave, then washed away by a whirlpool into an underground tunnel where uncle third was close by, luckily for you with the antidote in hand." Wu Xie resumed.
"Ah, the stars moves in my favor..."
"Eat something and drink. You need your strength back as soon as possible. This is still a dangerous place." San Xing said to Pangzi, as he threw him a military ration, that Pangzi catch.
"Thank you Master San." Pangzi said weakly.
"Don't mention it." San Xing said and after Pangzi was brought to life with food and water, they resumed their journey to find the Queen Mother's palace. However they came to another dead end when they enter a round chamber filled with vines.
"Again? Why the road keeps ending so suddenly?" Wu Xie asked himself.
"There must be a hidden passage somewhere, find it." San Xing demanded and the group started looking for something that could point at a hidden entrance or trigger, when another wave of snakes show up from the small open water tunnels all around and chaos was served.
Xiazi stayed close to Xiao Hua in order to keep him safe, but his Master Hua also busy himself to protect him in return. The same thing happen with Pan Zi protecting San Xing and Xiaoge to both Wu Xie and Pangzi. In the mess, they scattered as they fight and try to get away from the snakes wave and in the chaos to keep themselves alive the group separate at some point. In the pandemonium, even Qiling had a hard time keeping Wu Xie close as he sliced or throw several snakes away from them at the same time, while trying to also save Pangzi in the process. It was so chaotic that soon Wu Xie went too far from him as he try to lose the ones coming at him, eventually getting lost in the cracks of the tunnels they had missed before with snakes following his trail.
At some point Wu Xie stumble in his mad rush in the tunnels and fell on the ground, conveniently over a small puddle of mud. Grabbing his lucky strike, he used it on his face to save himself and ran until he saw those old open tombs. He made a small prayer to them and got into one to shelter himself from death. To his relief, Wu Xie saw as the snakes following him pass his hiding place and away from where he was.
He sighed, once again apologizing to the mud cocoon for disturbing the rest of whoever was inside the mud coffin and was about to go out when he found himself face to face with a woman that bend down to have a better look at him from where he was laying.
"That's bad luck." The woman said and Wu Xie was instantly out, like if his arse was suddenly on fire. Then Wu Xie give the woman a deeper look and came to the conclusion she was the very elusive Wenjin that had been following them for a while, however, before he could ask her name to be completely sure of it, someone else was yelling his.
"Wu Xie!!!" The desperate call of Xiaoge, make him look away from the woman and into the running figure of a slim tall man dressed in black that hug him as soon as he have him close enough.
"Xiaoge... are you okay? What about Pangzi? And my uncle?" Wu Xie asked in a rush as he rubbed Xiaoge's back in hope to reassure him he was fine.
"Lost them." Xiaoge answer and let go of him to focus on the woman watching them.
"Chen Wenjin." Xiaoge confirmed for Wu Xie.
"I knew it, so it is you." Wu Xie said, now wondering why she was there, patiently waiting for him when she had been so elusive before.
"Follow me. What I am about to tell you is meant only for you two to hear." She said and started walking into a hidden crack, not looking back to see if she was been followed, which of course, she was.
AN: Because it's getting long and not even getting to the promise part, I decided to cut this chapter here, to focus more on what is coming and the emotions that will cast on Wu Xie and how Xiaoge will try to help mitigate the pain for his lover. So I may update twice today, if I finish the second part before midnight. Wish me good luck. Thanks for reading and see you soon. 💖🥰😘😊