Chapter 110

Chapter 110: Chapter 110

He could have easily returned home but he had been terrified. Terrified of what he would find, not to mention, the chances that his captor would come seeking him were far too high to take the risk.

The Succubi paced around him a few more times like she couldn’t believe her eyes. "Don’t tell me the pond water is poisonous and I’m starting to lose my mind."

"With your alcohol tolerance, I doubt any poison would work on you, Qingyi." He said lightly, letting her walk around him and poke him experimentally. "Why are you all the way out here?"

Qingyi suddenly paused, her gaze fixated on the desert, past the shimmering pond. "Slavemasters," She said darkly, "I had to pretend to go on the run to stop them from pressuring Lady Lihua into agreeing to sell me."

She clicked her teeth, shaking her head in annoyance, the trinkets braided in her hair letting out a quiet jingle. "The empty-headed bastards, if I came to them to sell their children to me, how would they feel?"

Ruoxi followed her gaze, his eyes dark, "Lady Lihua is still alive?" He asked quietly, the trembling in his voice hard to miss.

Qingyi’s anger dissipated, her pale pink eyes drooping in sadness. "She is. We all are. How did you escape?"

"I hate to interrupt the reunion," Asael stepped out of the shadows, eliciting another scream from Qingyi. He pretended not to hear her, "Caedos sniffed out Fiends, do you know them before he rips them apart?"

Qingyi sidled closer to Ruoxi, "That’s a Shadow Demon," She whispered in alarm.

"He’s a... friend." Ruoxi forced out, putting a protective arm around the Succubus. "Caedos is welcome to hunt them down." He tagged on, "They’re slavemasters."

That was all Asael needed to hear before he disappeared into the shadows again.

"A Vampire summoned me from the Holy City," Ruoxi revealed easily, falling quiet when Qingyi wrapped her arms around him. "I’ve only been free for a short while... I’m worried." He breathed out.

"I haven’t seen a Holy Demon since you were taken. Lady Lihua says there are long periods they can’t leave their holy city, before then, we’ll figure something out. Come home."

Ruoxi glanced down at the expressive eyes staring up at him, a rattling howl ringing out. It swept over the oasis like a tangible thing, so deafening that it was difficult to tell its origin.

Qingyi had just been about to step away from the hug but she clung to Ruoxi’s arm at the sound of the howl, looking around. "What was that?"

"A Hellhound, he’ll get rid of the slavemasters." He explained, absentminded. To return home, could he do that?

"Another friend?" Qingyi asked in her lilting voice, "You’ve already made so many strange friends."

"And you’re still as unrefined as ever," He countered without any thought, it felt like he had fallen past the years he spent in that glided cage and landed back home.

Qingyi snorted and pulled away from him, rolling up the flowing sleeves of her delicate half-blouse to wash her hands in the pond. "There are too many refined Demons. Lady Lihua says I’m a breath of fresh air."

"Don’t drink that," Ruoxi stopped her when she lowered her head for a drink, catching her by the back of her blouse and lifting her out of the water.

Qingyi lightly landed on her feet, following him without question when he walked towards the lit palace, looking around in wonder. "I didn’t expect to run into such a magical place in the middle of a wasteland. I was just about to grow faint from thirst."

"It belongs to the Vampire." Ruoxi explained shortly, impatient to get to the lanterns on the veranda. He needed to see Qingyi properly again, the color of her eyes and how her nose scrunched up when she said something annoying.

"Where is he?" She asked nosily, looking around.

"In the Hells, on a trip." He answered, slowing to a stop when they arrived at the palace, walking past a part of the garden to get to that point.

Qingyi smacked into his back, walking closely behind him all this time. She held her forehead, pale pink eyes wide in surprise. Her surprise wasn’t from his sudden stop, but it was from his turning around to stare at her.

"Your eyes..." She frowned, trailing off. She lifted a hand to him and without asking he lowered his head so she could place her palm to his forehead.

"Your energy is chaotic," She murmured, "If you paid attention during lessons you would know how to resolve it." She scolded him, taking his hand to lead him into the palace.

Ruoxi’s smiled, the expression slanted. "Do you even know where you’re going?"

Qingyi paused like she was just realizing that herself, letting go of his hand so she could make him hold hers instead. "Lead the way."

"Not yet," Ruoxi stopped her, guiding them to a veranda instead. "I’ve been like this for centuries, a few hours more won’t kill me." He said calmly, getting comfortable on a reclining chair.

Qingyi did the same, muttering even as her bent knees parted the slits in her skirt. "And I’m unrefined, you couldn’t even offer me a seat."

"You’re very laidback for someone on the run." Ruoxi accused her.

She sat upright, a furrow in her brows. "Will your friends not be able to deal with the slavemasters?"

Ruoxi winced at the other Demons being referred to as his friends, "They will," He reassured her, "So we just need to wait for their return."

They didn’t have to wait long, Asael appearing out of the shadows. Qingyi fell for it a second time, muffling her screams a little too late.

Asael wore a wry expression at her scream, "They’re dead," He reported without inflection.

"Where’s Caedos?" Ruoxi asked, his expression going sour at the thought of Dulce returning to find his precious Hellhound harmed.

"Cleaning up by the pond," The Shadow Demon filled them in, keeping the finer details to himself like how he stayed on the fringes the entire fight because he knew Dulce would be distressed to learn that one of them had gotten hurt.