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Chapter Text

Today, Tianlang-jun was trying a different tactic to push Zhuzhi-lang away. 

“So Zhuzhi-lang has finally found what he’s looking for.” Tianlang-jun said in a teasing voice, he watched his general over the top of his latest scandalous book “This Lord is jealous, what if his only confidant leaves him for a cultivator”

“My Lord, I feel no less for you than for him” Zhuzhi-lang didn’t raise his eyes from the map he was using to work out tactics for the next stage of their plans. His tone was calm. His eyes were focused. Yet his fingernails dug into the paper before him, tearing it and making it crumple.

“Oh? But how can I be certain of your loyalty when it is divided like this? Surely it is foolish of this Lord to not send you from his sight?”

Zhuzhi-Lang lashed out in a flash like he was going to sink his fangs into his Lord’s now delicate flesh. Instead, he pushed the book down into his lap and leaned over it to gently press his lips against Tianlang-Jun’s own. 

Tianlang-Jun froze in surprise. This was a new reaction to his teasing. As he started to register the way Zhuzhi-lang trembled, he realized just how much standing by him had changed his general. The quiet jealousy that he used to sit silently with, now spilled out of him. Tianlang-jun spoke quietly against his lips.
“Finally, growing bold enough to take what you want… it will serve you well when this Lord is gon--”

Zhuzhi-lang cut his Lord’s words off, growing bolder out of desperation, pushing him to the ground and biting at his Lord’s lips. A cold tear fell onto Tianlang-jun’s face as he tried his best to understand his warm-hearted retainer.

When Zhuzhi-lang broke for air his face was screwed up in anger, fear, and hurt. His eyes shone in the candlelight, and his hair fell unkempt, and uncared for, around them both. A beautiful sight in Tianlang-jun’s eyes.

“My Lord, I do not ask for much, but do not ask me to leave you again.”

Chapter Text

Cut off from the power that sustained him. Zhuzhi-lang could feel his human form fading. He used what time he had left to run to what was left of his lord: just mangled limbs crushed between rocks, his face torn and bleeding, the pain in his body nothing compared to the pain in his heart.

Tianlang-jun called out in pain and desperation for the one whose betrayal he hadn’t yet accepted, while the one whose loyalty he’d never understood caressed his face and whispered to him.

“Shhh… I’m here… you’re not alone… My Lord, I will get you out of there… I sssss—”

He was having trouble suppressing his hissing, his fingers were starting to deform as he reverted back to his ugly, monstrous form, his fingers couldn’t continue wiping his lord’s cheeks, he could only kiss his lord’s tears away as they fell. He could only cling futilely as he lost control over his body and had to watch as horror grew in his Lord’s eyes at seeing the true form of the thing that had been touching him.

“Scram” Tianlang-jun yelled.

Zhuzhi-Lang slid to the floor and curled in on himself. Now at least Zhuzhi-lang wasn’t alone in having no one to kiss away their tears.

Chapter Text

Soft footsteps were barely audible behind Gongyi Xiao. It wasn’t unusual to feel followed in a place as busy as Huanhua Palace, but circumstances made Gongyi Xiao feel skittish about it. If the rest of the palace knew he was trying to break Elder Shen out of the Water Prison they would--

He heard a sickening crack, followed by pain blossoming on the back of his head. His hands were held above his head in one hand. Whoever was holding him was strong enough that he couldn’t struggle out of that grip. 

The man snarled in his ear, so close that all Gongyi Xiao could see was sleek black hair. “Any last words, Luo Binghe?” the stranger drew himself back to watch, his chin held high in disdain. Gongyi Xiao's assailant had something wrong with his eyes, they were cloudy as if there were a lens over them that had come loose… as if he were a snake which needed to shed its skin.

“Please, sir, you have me mistaken with someone else.”

“Don’t lie to me.” The man said and quickly ran his forked tongue over Gongyi Xiao’s wrist making him shiver in fear “you stink of rage and Master Shen… who could you be but the one tormenting him?!”

“My name is Gongyi Xiao! I h- dislike Luo Binghe for what he did to Elder Shen too! Please, sir, let me go…”

Something in the words made his captor pause. “Gongyi Xiao?” He snarled “I owe a debt to one Gongyi Xiao.” 

“I don’t think I’ve ever met you before, sir…”

“Do you recall visiting a cave with Master Shen and a mouse of a man?”

“Umm… yes? But I would remember if someone as handsome as you had been there…”

His captor paused again. “I was there…” his nails dug into Gongyi Xiao’s wrists. “You tried to kill me!”

“What? I never tried to kill any… oh… ohh…” realization dawned. This man, with the long black hair and these eyes that were familiar when he looked past the clouds … was the bloated snakeman that Elder Shen had kept him from killing out of pity.

“So you do remember me!”

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I didn’t think you were…”

“A person?” His captor sneered “of course you didn’t! Or are you just sorry because I’m now strong enough to fight back, and you don’t have me outnumbered this time?” He wrapped a hand around Gongyi Xiao’s neck.

“...Elder Shen…”

“Isn’t here to save you right now.”

“...He needs... my help…”

His captor loosened his grip a little… obviously talking about Shen Qingqiu was something that gave his captor pause. He could at least buy time by talking about him.

“I admire Elder Shen! I want to be more like him! After that lesson in mercy I have been more careful when fighting!”

“So?” His captor laughed darkly “that does nothing to change what you tried to do to me.”

“Elder Shen saved you! Please! If you feel any gratitude to him at all, let me call on that! Spare me out of gratitude to him! He will suffer if I die!”

The creature released his grip but used a sharp claw to tear through his belt, letting him throw Gongyi Xiao’s sword across the room.

“Thank you” Gongyi Xiao said before he found himself thrown against the wall again. He could only focus on the lips and teeth that tried to tear their way into his into his neck, raising purple welts on his delicate skin. His thumb came to rest on Gongyi Xiao’s chin. 

“I will spare your life, human, as repayment for Master Shen’s kindness.”

He kissed Gongyi Xiao violently, his lips bruised, his captor’s hand forcibly opening Gongyi Xiao’s mouth to allow his long tongue inside to take the human’s mouth. The tiny shrieks of surprise Gongyi Xiao made only encouraging his captor. He whispered “I will spare you, but I demand satisfaction of my debt another way.”

Gongyi Xiao felt lightheaded, relief ran through him, his nails dug into his captor’s back. This was… better… An experience he could learn from?... It might even be enjoyable… Gongyi Xiao swallowed when his captor broke for air. “Thank you. I’ll give what repayment I can… but please… I need to know what to call you, strong, merciful stranger…”

The man seemed to soften a little in confusion at the compliments “This General’s name is Zhuzhi-lang”

Chapter Text

For all Shen Qingqiu prided himself on his knowledge of monstrous beasts, he was usually wrong when it came to Zhuzhi-lang. He thought the boy was simple. His single-minded devotion to his chosen people was pure and admirable… so much unlike the unpredictable whims of Tianlang-jun. Yet it was Tianlang-jun that Shen Qingqiu had to deal with today, while Zhuzhi-lang was sent out on some menial errand.

“My Nephew thinks highly of you.” Tianlang-jun said when he gave him the bottle of perfume. “He doesn’t express these things well so accept this gift from me in his stead.”

“Oh I couldn’t…” He tried to refuse the gift but one of Tianlang-jun’s hangers on presented a small ornate jar, and another took an application stick and rubbed a few drops of the contents of the jar into Shen Qingqiu’s wrist and behind one of his ears before he could object. It smelled quite overwhelmingly of flowers, with a hint of… musk? Was that the term? He had never paid much attention to things like that. He supposed it was harmless. Once it faded from his senses he didn’t give it much thought. “Thank you, your highness… for your thoughtful gift.”

“It is my pleasure. The perfume is made only in Nanjiang, so I hope you will think of my Nephew when you use it.” Tianlang-jun had a playful smile on his lips, as if he thought he was getting one over on Shen Qingqiu. It was unnerving.

Shen Qingqiu returned to his tent, already exhausted from having to deal with Tianlang-jun and tried to take a nap. He’d dozed for some time before he was disturbed by a gentle, familiar voice asking to be allowed into the tent. It was time for his treatment he supposed. 

Shen Qingqiu watched Zhuzhi-lang’s fluid motions grow more stressed, and something odd show in his expression as he came closer, and started to undress Shen Qingqiu enough to be treated. He seemed… distracted.

Zhuzhi-lang was oddly stiff and silent as he diligently burnt out the Qingsi vines in Shen Qingqiu’s legs and feet. His fingers seemed unwilling to touch skin, and it made treating him more awkward than usual.

“Is something wrong, Xizhi-lang?”

“It… It’s nothing Master Shen should be troubled with… I am… I have it under control.”

Zhuzhi-lang breathed through his nose and seemed to be trying to talk without letting his tongue move. His pupils were blown wide but as soon as he’d dutifully burned away the Qingsi his hands returned stiffly to his lap, and he tore his eyes away from Shen Qingqiu’s exposed skin. 

That wasn’t a particularly comforting response. He reached over to try and touch Zhuzhi-Lang’s cheek. He used the hand which had been daubed liberally with the perfume before. Zhuzhi-lang scrambled back away from him. 

“Why do you smell like that?!”

“Like what… oh it’s a perfume…”

“Where did you get it?!”

“Tianlang-jun gave it to me…” Zhuzhi-lang seemed to crumple inside at that revelation. 

“Junshang likes to make life difficult for me.”

“What did he do?”

“That perfume… it… makes you smell like a female snake in the spring…”

“Oh… is that a problem?” After all Zhuzhi-lang didn’t seem to be the most heterosexual of people… maybe smelling like a woman would have a different effect.

“The… pheromones it imitates… have a physical effect on me…”

“Ohhh…”

“My body wants… to mate… with you...” Zhuzhi-Lang’s fingernails dug into the skin of his own arms deep enough to draw blood. The wounds went unheeded as he licked his lips nervously. “I will deal with this on my own… My Lord’s teasing isn’t anything you should have to take responsibility for.” His eyes gravitated to Shen Qingqiu’s lips, and his voice took on a breathy quality “But if I might ask one selfish thing of you... My problems will be dealt with much easier if Master Shen would give me an idea of what the real thing is like…” 

“The real thing?” Zhuzhi-lang wanted to… what did he want?

“Your lips…” his eyes were still trained on Shen Qingqiu’s lips. “I want to know what they feel like on my own…”

“You want to kiss me?”

Zhuzhi-lang’s eyes lit up in nervous excitement. He leaned in, and ended up looming over Shen Qingqiu, somehow unthreatening despite the situation. “May I?!”

Shen Qingqiu nodded, trying not to think about what the knowledge was going to be used for. 

Zhuzhi-Lang’s lips were cold, forceful, and needy. His hands held Shen Qingqiu tightly, he pulled his chest flush against his own with one hand and wove his fingers through Shen Qingqiu’s hair with the other. He expected his lips to be bruised, but the demon always had just enough control not to cause him pain. 

Zhuzhi-lang kissed him as if he’d never get another chance. Desperately exploring, finding better angles, pushing Shen Qingqiu’s head down into the mattress, letting up to encourage Shen Qingqiu to kiss back. They kissed until burning lungs and light heads demanded that they part, and even then Zhuzhi-lang looked at him with a look of mixed bliss, guilt and remorse. 

“Master Shen… is as lovely to kiss as this subordinate imagined…”

As he’d imagined? In the moments since being drugged like this? Or…

Zhuzhi-lang nearly bolted out of the tent to his own quarters while Shen Qingqiu was still catching his breath.

He looked at the bottle at his bedside as he tried to catch his breath, and ignore the way his own body had been affected by being overpowered like that. His mind was full of conflicting thoughts Tianlang-jun, that asshole, trying to offer him up as a sex toy to his nephew but also… it was potent… there would be no playing dumb if he used it again… tomorrow night, for example...