- Chapter Start –

Over the next half hour or so, Tianji Hall receives six visitors.

Yun BiQiu, Guan HeMeng and Su XiaoYong arrive first and are brought to the main terrace where Fang DuoBing and his family are waiting. As soon as introductions and greetings are over, Guan HeMeng steps forward, his expression tense.

"Where is Li LianHua?"

"At Lotus Tower, Guan-xiong," Fang DuoBing tips his head in the direction of the plum tree grove below them. "But not to worry, he and A-Fei should be back soon."

He keeps the smile on his face even when Su XiaoYong shields her eyes with a hand and peers in that direction, as if she can see what's going on inside that tiny white structure.

"Is it true that Di-mengzhu went to see the Emperor?" Yun BiQiu asks. In the moonlight, his face looks almost white.

"It is indeed, Yun-yuanzhu." Madam He's smile is, for want of a better word, smug. "He succeeded in getting back the Styx Flower!"

Fang DuoBing is sorely tempted to make a comment about a proud mother hen, just to get back at her for teasing him with Princess ZhaoLing earlier. Probably not a good idea with so many onlookers though. Instead, he goes over to the table and opens the wooden box with a flourish, beaming when Yun BiQiu, Guan HeMeng and Su XiaoYong crowd around at once.

"This is the real Styx Flower?" Guan HeMeng asks, voice sharp. "Not many have heard of it and those who have are half convinced it's a myth."

"That would include me," Yun BiQiu admits and looks up at Fang DuoBing. "Where on earth did Li LianHua find such a rare treasure?"

"I doubt that Li-mengzhu knew what the Styx Flower looks like, let alone possessed the means to conduct the extensive search it took to find it," a deep and unfamiliar voice states.

Everyone turns to see three men stepping out onto the terrace, escorted by a stony faced Zhan YunFei and Tianji Hall's captain of the guards, hands resting on their sword hilts.

"The credit of the Styx Flower naturally belongs to our illustrious leader of the JinYuan Alliance," the oldest of the trio claims, dark beady eyes daring anyone to contradict him.

"Yao mo!" Fang DuoBing exclaims. "Also, Wu Yan and… hm, you look familiar."

"Allow me," Yun BiQiu says in a hard voice, "the one in the middle is King Xunming of Yama, one of Di FeiSheng's four most trusted lieutenants. He was broken out of Baichuan Academy Prison 188 on Xiao ZiJin and Qiao WanMian's wedding day. The one on his right is the Drug Demon who…" He falters, a spasm crosses his face before he continues, "… who created the Bicha poison which I gave to Li XiangYi."

The atmosphere turns stilted and frosty at once with tense looks being exchanged. Then Wu Yan steps forward and offers a formal bow.

"I am Wu Yan. We have come here on the order of our zunshang, Di-mengzhu."

Still, no one moves until Madam He claps her hands once with an affable smile on her face.

"Well then! Any loyal friend or subordinate of Di-mengzhu is welcome in my home. Come, come, let's not stand on ceremony. It's a cold night. I'll call for refreshments."

"Yes! Everyone, please take a seat." He XiaoFeng takes a leaf from her sister's book and ushers them over to the table. "Fang XiaoBao, for shame!"

Fang DuoBing freezes, in the midst of tussling with the Drug Demon over the wooden box. King XunMing lifts an eyebrow, amused, while Wu Yan looks embarrassed.

"Fine, he can have it," Fang DuoBing mutters with a toss of his head.

With a triumphant grin, the Drug Demon cradles the box to his chest and starts stroking it with long thin fingers.

- o –

A short while later…

"You are injured," Guan HeMeng observes, breaking the stilted silence that had fallen over the table. His gaze flicks from King XunMing's face to his chest and then down to his hand, curled around a teacup.

Wu Yan, sitting between them, leans forward a little as if to prevent Guan HeMeng from snatching his friend's wrist to check.

"Guan-shengyi is most observant," he says politely. "Xunming-xiong is recovering well with Yao Mo's help."

"I am fine," King Xunming adds with a smile that doesn't reach his eyes.

"Oh?" Guan HeMeng takes in the sheen of sweat on his brow and the sharp tension in his shoulders. "I only need a few seconds to prescribe a far better remedy than what you're currently taking."

The Drug Demon, still cradling the box, glares at him. Fang DuoBing and Su XiaoYong stifle snorts while the others exchange wary glances. Zhan YunFei's hand inches towards his sword hilt again with a resigned air as if expecting a skirmish to break out.

King XunMing returns Guan HeMeng's gaze steadily.

"It is none of your concern, but a few weeks ago, I went to meet zunshang at Di Fortress with the Styx Flower I'd taken from Shan GuDao. Zunshang told me to give it to Li-mengzhu, but Jiao LiQiao tailed me and triggered the poison she had put inside my body without my knowledge. My meridians exploded and zunshang… zunshang was injured."

His jaw clenches, eyes briefly closing as the teacup shatters in his hand. Su XiaoYong startles with a squeak.

"If not for Wu Yan who found me and carried me on his back to Yao Mo's hideout after they took zunshang away, I wouldn't be here today."

No one says anything. King XunMing looks down at the shattered porcelain and then at Madam He.

"My apologies. I will reimburse you."

"Oh no, please - think nothing of it!" Madam He waves it off as He XiaoFeng calls for a maid to clear away the mess and bring a new teacup.

"Did you cut your hand?" Wu Yan mutters out of the corner of his mouth.

"No. Stop fussing," King XunMing mutters back, looking discomfited to see Su XiaoYong's round eyes on them. Biting his lip, he turns to Yun BiQiu.

"Yun-yuanzhu, the peace treaty signed by zunshang and Li-mengzhu ten years ago was destroyed, thanks to the machinations of Shan GuDao, Jiao LiQiao and the Wansheng clan who sowed discord and distrust on both sides. I recently witnessed both our leaders agreeing to put the past behind them and work together. Rest assured, you are not the only one tricked by that snake into injuring your beloved leader and having to live with the shame."

Yun BiQiu stares at him in shock, eyes turning glassy. He swallows and blinks a few times.

"I do not wish to downplay the significance of Di-mengzhu's injuries," he says after a moment, "but he has since healed whereas Li LianHua has not."

"He will." Guan HeMeng, seated beside him, gives his shoulder a squeeze. "We have the cure now."

"Exactly!" Fang DuoBing gives an emphatic nod. "We should work together. That's why A-Fei - uh, Di FeiSheng asked you three to come here, right?"

He gets three eye twitches in return.

"Zunshang asked me to bring Yao Mo," Wu Yan says with a reprimanding note in his voice, "but XunMing-xiong insisted on accompanying us."

The two of them exchange a look and then King XunMing nods.

"And in the interest of fostering goodwill…"

Leaning forward, he slides his forearm across the table towards Guan HeMeng and pulls his sleeve up just enough to expose his wrist, ignoring the Drug Demon's offended squawk.

- o –

The sudden leap into the air, followed by a heart-stopping swoop, is dizzying. Li LianHua keeps his fingers tightly linked behind Di FeiSheng's neck, feeling like he's left not just his stomach at the terrace of Tianji Hall, but his lungs as well. Maybe even the rest of his organs because he feels weightless.

For a moment, he considers closing his eyes just in case dizziness turns to nausea, but a different urge keeps them open, keeps his face turned forward to see where they're going. It could be the wonder of Di FeiSheng's confession – so typical of him, direct with an insult thrown in – or the miracle of him returning alive and safe with the Styx Flower – but Li LianHua feels so light.

Like he could fly to the moon and stay there. Or like he's no longer tethered to this weak-

Di FeiSheng lands near the small stream behind Lotus Tower, boots touching the grass with barely a rustle. His breath is quicker than usual as he looks down at Li LianHua in his arms.

There are no trees here to filter out the moonlight. Di FeiSheng's face is half in shadow, but Li LianHua can make out the ridge of one eyebrow, the sweep of those ridiculously long eyelashes and one side of that cruel mouth, softened in a wry smile.

"Now I know where that brat gets his ridiculous sense of timing from."

Li LianHua chuckles and unlinks his fingers, even giving a slap to Di FeiSheng's chest.

"We were at their home, after all."

Di FeiSheng lets him down, hands lingering at his waist to offer support… or to keep touching him. Unable to put his own arms down, Li LianHua ends up holding those muscled arms. He's glad that the closeness from before, heavy and sweet, has followed them here.

"I was worried," he admits.

"For me? Oh, what little faith you have." Di FeiSheng's tone is both mocking yet tender. "Am I not the strongest martial artist after Li XiangYi? I'm sure you've heard of that man."

Li LianHua attempts a chuckle, but fails, still feeling a bit choked up from before. He blinks a few times when his vision blurs. Di FeiSheng stays silent, allowing him time to choose his words.

"You already know that I spent the past ten years," Li LianHua swallows when his voice wavers, "searching for a body that wasn't there. When I woke up this evening and found out you'd gone to the palace, it felt like I was right back in the past - searching for something I might never find, only now, I have so little time left."

It's hard to squeeze the words out from his throat.

"If you didn't come back. If you threw away your life trying to get back the one thing you searched so hard to find, the one thing I gave away…"

Warmth escapes his eyes and he shakes his head.

"What would you have done?" Two calloused thumbs whisks over his cheeks.

Instead of replying, Li LianHua slides his arms around Di FeiSheng's neck and presses close to him. In turn, Di FeiSheng wraps his arms around his back and buries his face in Li LianHua's neck, breaths hot and unsteady. Li LianHua closes his eyes against the minute tremors as if Di FeiSheng is desperately trying to keep from crushing the fragile body in his embrace.

"Li LianHua, does this mean…"

"Shh."

"Li LianHua." Di FeiSheng raises his head, face looming dangerously close.

Under that burning gaze, Li LianHua lifts his face, blood rushing through him and roaring in his ears. Di FeiSheng dips his head and their lips meet just as Li LianHua feels more tears falling from his eyes. Also from his ears, trickling down his neck.

There's a puff of breath against his lips and Di FeiSheng jerks back in shock.

"Li LianHua? Li LianHua!"

The last thing Li LianHua sees through a reddish film, is the look of growing horror on Di FeiSheng's face.

And then nothing.

- Chapter End -

A/N: Thank you for reading! I swear this has a happy ending so please don't come after me :)

mengzhu = director
shengyi = doctor
xiong = older brother (formal)
yao mo = drug demon
yuanzhu = court director
zunshang = my lord