14 As soon as possible

Yu Yanlin was sitting in the corner of the room, which was mostly empty aside from basic furnishing.

Juhua was somewhere else right now, probably following Beast Master Wei around to feed those evil buffaloes.

Zhang Wang approached him, making sure his steps were heard clearly. When he knelt down in front of the demon king, he took a moment to observe the person in front of him. It was impossible to make out Yu Yanlin's expression. He was slumped over with his back against the wall and breathed in long, calm breaths.

When Zhang Wang reached over to untie the gag bit in his mouth, he got no growls or noises of complaints, just a subtle shudder that he could feel under his finger tips. A trail of saliva glistened from the bit to Yu Yanlin's lips. Zhang Wang gulped, remembering Beast Master Wei's words.

"Sorry," he said again, "Uh, how are you feeling?" Probably not well. But Zhang Wang was at a loss of what to say.

He watched the way Yu Yanlin tensed and slacked his jaw, testing it after suffering in that position for too long. He licked his rosy lips, which were already shiny with spit and Zhang Wang fumbled for a cloth to help him wipe his mouth and chin.

"I do not like this," Yu Yanlin eventually sighed, shoulder sagged. "I wish to be untied."

Zhang Wang frowned. He thought about this too, perhaps Beast Master Wei wouldn't mind after all. She didn't seem that mean or cruel to Juhua despite her words. However when it came to Yu Yanlin's face…

He was afraid those features were too recognizable. "But your face uh,"

Yu Yanlin shook his head, "No, I…I understand." His head hung in defeat, "It is…strange but I will wear the blindfold. I simply wish for my hands to be untied. And…this…" he swallowed, "leash." The word hissed out hatefully.

"...Oh."

"...But it is your choice. After all, I am just--"

But Zhang Wang cut him off before he could complete that sentence, "Yeah, no it's fine." He reached up for the collar first, fingers brushing against a long pale throat as he unclasped the thing from the back.

The way the demon's Adam apple bobbed as the collar came undone was oddly alluring and Zhang Wang wasn't sure why he was staring so much. He shook himself out of the strange thoughts and then reached down to untie the cuffs around his wrists. Red marks were left there.

He was almost fearful at first, that the demon would retaliate violently but then Zhang Wang remembered that Yu Yanlin did not have power greater than an ordinary human.

Right. He should be able to give back some of that power.

Zhang Wang wet his lips.

Yu Yanlin was ignorant to the thoughts and developments in the Immortal of a Thousand Blossom's mind. He sighed in relief and rubbed his sore wrists, "Thank you."

But perhaps the words were spoken too soon.

A delicate finger traced the line of Yu Yanlin's jaw and he jolted at the sudden ticklish sensation, "What is it?"

"I'm going to try giving you some of your demonic energy back, okay?"

This didn't sound like a bad idea but then why was Yu Yanlin having an apprehensive feeling in the bottom of his gut? He acquainted it with the whole blindfold situation, "Yes that seems sound."

His chin was tilted upward and oh, Yu Yanlin understood where this was going.

Soft lips descended upon his own, assertive but not too aggressive. A flicked his lips, and Yu Yanlin accepted the invitation with a gasping breath. A soft tongue invaded his mouth and brushed over his teeth. He met that tongue with his own, pulling it down into his mouth and sucking on it. A pleasant warmth spilled out in his chest and Yu Yanlin's arms instinctively reached up and pulled Zhang Wang down, closer.

Zhang Wang had only meant to kiss him a little, just a little exchange of bodily fluids! That's what Beast Master Wei told him would work.

But when strong arms pulled him down, an itch of playful annoyance flared within him. He chuckled against the mouth below his. Fingers wrapped around the demon's head, ghosting along the edges of the blindfold secured in place. He gently pulled on long silky locks, forcing Yu Yanlin to tilt his head back and gasp.

Zhang Wang shifted, positioning himself on top and pressed down more aggressively, not shy to use his teeth to catch the tip of a warm, eager tongue.

Excitement festered and bloomed, traveling in thick surges through his veins. Tongues entangled and he felt how Yu Yanlin's chest lifted and brushed against his. Fabric rustles as hands traveled down the expanse of his back.

Heat rose.

And a lewd, honeyed groan was drawn out of Yu Yanlin's lips. A fire pooled in his gut and Zhang Wang drew himself back suddenly as if burned.

Shit! He got way too carried away! All he meant to do was share a little bit of body fluid and call it a day. A stuttering whimper drew out of Yu Yanlin's lips. They were pink now, swollen and Zhang Wang had to gulp and look away.

Shit, since when did he care about a guy's lips?

It was even like Yu Yanlin was pretty or anything… Sure he was frustratingly gorgeous, tall and handsome with an angled jaw and a long pale neck but what was so interesting about a person who was so unmistakably a man!? Not to mention the hands that had wound around his neck were big and wide, the chest that pushed up against his were not with a single ounce of softness…

Ah, seriously there was nothing good about this situation at all! Zhang Wang wiped at his lips vigorously with a heavy scowl. He coughed, awkward, "So…um, did it work?"

"Work?" Yu Yanlin's voice was a little hoarse. Zhang Wang tried to pretend that it wasn't at all sexy, "O-oh. I understand now. So that's how the energy is exchanged..."

He couldn't tell if there was a hint of disappointment in that calm lyrical voice or maybe he was just delusional. Zhang Wang finally decided he needed to peel himself off the laps of the demon king and did as such.

The demon king reached into his robes and pulled out the illusion talisman. Then it was handed back to Zhang Wang.

It was warm with body heat and Zhang Wang ignored that in favor noting how the demon king maintained his human appearance. It was a decent disguise. He couldn't pick up any traces of demonic energy and there was no obvious layer of spell work that laid itself on top of Yu Yanlin's body.

"Not bad." A small smile pulled on those rosy lips. Zhang Wang might have been staring. "Hm, I could live with this."

And Zhang Wang wasn't sure if he agreed.

Because that would mean he would have to keep exchanging bodily fluids with this damned Yu Yanlin!

No! How could he, Zhang Wang, have to deal with kissing a guy continuously on a regular basis? What about his pride? Did his system want him to go curved or something? Hah! As if. He needed to get rid of this contract as soon as possible!