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- Chapter Start –

At Chongwu camp dungeons…

"Pei-jiejie, you need to go back to the Demon Hunting Bureau," Bai Jiu said urgently. "Fan-daren is a demon now. Wen-jiejie may need help."

"You're right. Where's Zhen Mei?" Pei Sijing looked around, eyes sharp once more although still reddened.

"Dead." That single word felt oddly heavy on Bai Jiu's tongue, as did the sweet with the bloodstained wrapper that he had tucked inside his belt. "Pei-gege killed him."

"Good job, didi," Pei Sijing praised. "Let's go. Wen Xiao could be in danger."

"You two go on ahead," Bai Jiu told her. "There's something I need to do first."

Before he died, Zhen Mei told him that Wen Zongyu was now immortal and would be reborn again and again from the Ever-burning wood's ashes. His words prompted a memory in Bai Jiu's mind, something he had read, something that could help Zhuo Yichen, Zhao Yuanzhou and Li Lun who were battling Wen Zongyu at the Kunlun Mountain Temple right now.

"What is it? It's not safe to stay here," Pei Sijing said.

Bai Jiu shook his head, feeling more anxious with each passing second.

"It's urgent. I'll explain everything later." He started backing away. "Please go to Wen-jiejie. I'll be fine."

"But-"

"I'll stay with Xiao Jiu!" A familiar voice rang out.

The trio turned to see Ying Lei hurrying towards them from the staircase.

"I rushed over here as fast as I could," he says, panting a little.

Despite his worry, Bai Jiu felt the tight knot in his stomach loosen a bit.

"Alright," Pei Sijing agreed though not without some reluctance. "Take good care of Xiao Jiu."

"Be careful, both of you," Pei Siheng added.

As the siblings rushed off, Ying Lei turned to Bai Jiu and rubbed his hands together.

"Alright. What do we need to do?"

"Follow me, quick." Bai Jiu gave a brief explanation about Wen Zongyu's phoenix energy and the Ever-burning wood as he led the way, almost running, to the furthest corner of the dungeons.

"What's an altar doing here?" Ying Lei asked. "That's a painting of Zhu Rong, the God of Fire."

He took a step nearer, but Bai Jiu grabbed his arm.

"That altar should hold the Ever-burning ashes, but there's an invisible barrier here. I can feel the energy."

"So can I. Right, let's go!"

In unison, they stepped forward with hands outstretched. Something gold shimmered. In unison, they yelped in pain and snatched their hands back to find their fingertips reddened and stinging.

"Ow. That's a powerful barrier," Ying Lei said, shaking his hand.

"It doesn't matter. We have to get through it." Bai Jiu pulled out the little bells he had snatched from Zhuo Yichen's hair ribbon earlier and gripped them tightly in his hand. Taking a deep breath, he stretched out his other hand. The barrier shimmered once more and pain stung his fingers. It reminded him of the time he had accidentally picked up a metal pot of simmering medicine with his bare hands.

"Ow!" Bai Jiu looked at his fingers where blisters were starting to form.

"Xiao Jiu, we can't get through this." Ying Lei looked fearful.

"We must! Xiao Zhuo-ge and Da Yao are fighting Wen Zongyu. They'll die if he keeps getting reborn!"

Clenching his jaw, Bai Jiu thrust out his hand. Fire burned him at once, sizzling through his arm like lightning. He screamed and felt himself yanked back.

"Stop it!" Ying Lei had grabbed him around the waist and was pulling him away from the barrier. "I can smell your skin burning, it's horrible."

"Let go of me!" Bai Jiu started struggling at once. "Xiao Zhuo-ge has always protected me. I want to protect him too!"

"Listen - my containment spell should be able to protect you from the barrier."

Bai Jiu stopped struggling and looked over his shoulder at him, wide eyed.

"Oh."

"Yes, so stop being so impulsive," Ying Lei scolded. "I know your Xiao Zhuo-ge means more to you than anything, but there are-"

He broke off and exhaled, releasing Bai Jiu.

"Never mind. Focus," he mumbled to himself. Putting his hands together, he pointed both index fingers upward. A golden cage slammed down over Bai Jiu.

"Alright. You can move now. Carefully."

Bai Jiu took a step forward. The cage moved with him and the edge of its pagoda roof touched the barrier, causing a loud spark that made him jump. He stopped breathing and looked around, but nothing else happened.

"Good." Pressing both hands flat against the inside of the cage, he pushed hard. The barrier resisted with another shower of sparks. With a grunt, he pushed with all his strength, even with his head against the cage, trusting in Ying Lei's spell to protect him.

With an ear-splitting screech and an explosion of sparks, the cage breached the barrier. Squeezing his eyes shut, Bai Jiu pictured Zhuo Yichen – calm and capable, smiling and reassuring - in his mind's eye as he forged forward, one tiny step at a time.

All of a sudden, the cage wavered, letting in a sliver of energy from the barrier. Bai Jiu cried out as it burned his face and sleeves.

"Hurry, Xiao Jiu," Ying Lei cried. "The barrier is burning through my spell, I can't keep it up much longer!"

Drawing a deep breath, Bai Jiu let out a yell that bounced around the confined space and off his eardrums, and shoved with all he had. For an agonising heartbeat, it felt like nothing happened… and then he was through. The containment spell vanished, causing him to tumble to the floor.

On his hands and knees, he turned to look back at Ying Lei in the sudden silence before turning to the altar before him.

"The ashes!" Springing up, he lunged for the solitary bowl resting on a stand and swept it to the floor. A cloud of fine grey ash rose in the air and he inhaled a mouthful before someone pulled him away. Later he would realise that the barrier had broken, but right now, he couldn't breathe. The powdery ash coated the insides of his mouth and throat, dry and fiery. He fell to his knees, gasping for air.

"Xiao Jiu!" Ying Lei crouched beside him and patted his back. "Are you alright?"

Bai Jiu shook his head, still making pathetic, wheezing noises.

"You shouldn't swallow that ash, you're part tree demon." Ying Lei sounded panicky as he jumped to his feet. "You need water. There's a moat here, but I don't think its drinkable. Stay here, I'll be right back!"

Dizzy and lightheaded, Bai Jiu barely heard him run off. He rummaged in his belt for one of his medicine bottles. His burned fingertips brushed against something hard and he pulled it out to squint at it. The bloodstained sweet from Zhen Mei. Unwrapping it with clumsy fingers, he popped it in his mouth. The tart citrus taste triggered his saliva glands and moments later, he was able to swallow and breathe once more.

Gasping and coughing, he collapsed on the floor.

You may have saved my life, Zhen-ge, so thank you. Xiao Zhuo-ge, I hope you and Da Yao are alright. But why was Li Lun there?

The last bit of adrenaline faded, leaving Bai Jiu all too aware of the stinging burns on his face and arms. His entire body hurt and he felt so very, very tired. With a sigh, he closed his eyes.

- o –

Zhuo Yichen found himself back at the Chongwu camp dungeon. The eerie silence, coupled with the flickering light from the torches was unnerving as was the unmistakable smell of burnt flesh. Icy dread settled in his belly as he turned the corner. What he saw made his heart lurch and his stomach heave. He looked away at once, unable to face the heart-rending sight of Bai Jiu lying on the floor with his eyes closed and horrific burns on his face and arms.

New tears welled up in Zhuo Yichen's eyes and spilled over. He was too late!

After a few aborted breaths, he forced himself to go over, to kneel down beside Bai Jiu's body, barely noting the upturned bowl beside him. Gently, he placed a shaking hand on Bai Jiu's outer robe, his pained gaze following one reddened arm and then he saw something glinting in the tight fist. Carefully, he pried the fingers open and found himself holding the tiny bells from his own hair ribbons.

Memories flooded his mind, Bai Jiu telling him that he felt braver and could move forward with those bells in his hand, Zhuo Yichen giving him leave to hold them whenever he felt scared.

He broke down crying.

"Xiao Jiu, I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

I failed to protect you.

Blinded by tears, he removed his cloak with shaking hands and placed it over Bai Jiu.

"Ge will take you home." He bent down and wrapped his arms around the body… which moved.

"Ow." Then, "Xiao… Zhuo-ge… is that you?"

- o –

"Xiao Jiu, I brought water!" Ying Lei ran up, out of breath and carrying the jug of water he had snatched up from the guards' quarters. Probably less than half remained in it after his mad dash back here. Then he blinked.

Bai Jiu had tears running down his face, but he was beaming at him over Zhuo Yichen's shoulder.

Ying Lei came closer, frowning. Zhuo Yichen was crying too, but while he had shed pretty tears when Ying Lei lay dying (hewasdying at that time), he was outright ugly crying now - gasping, heart wrenching sobs only half muffled in Bai Jiu's shoulder.

Ying Lei sighed and shook his head. He supposed he should accept the fact that Zhuo Yichen would always be Bai Jiu's favourite gege. After all, he considered Zhuo Yichen an older brother too. He went to kneel beside them, putting the jug on the floor so that he could rest a hand on each of their shoulders.

"Xiao Zhuo-daren, Xiao Jiu, let's go home."

And by home he meant the Demon Hunting Bureau, of course.

- Chapter End -

A/N: Thank you for reading! I absolutely adore the cute and sweet interactions between ZYC & BJ and forced myself to endure repeated viewings of the painful parts of episode 32-34 to get this out.