70 The main character

Sikong Ren bore all the hallmarks of a stallion main character. He was tall, handsome but still had that friendly, approachable look about him. On top of that unfair appearance stat, Sikong Ren was completely and totally OP. And whenever his power and strength might come in short, his luck would always be there as a safety net as though it were some ridiculous plot device.

In short, he might as well have been the main character in this entire world or something. There was a time when Zhang Wang scorned him but now… He supposed Renren was okay.

Well, he was still annoying.

Sikong Ren matched Yu Yanlin in height and stared down at Zhang Wang with those sharp eyes boring down at him. He was not angry. Sikong Ren did not anger easily. But there was this strange blankness about his gaze that gave Zhang Wang the impression that Sikong Ren might be able to discern every and anything…or nothing at all.

It was jarring, to say the least.

"Ah! Hello, my very uncute Shidi. It's been months and you still treat me so cruelly," Zhang Wang tilted his head as he greeted the Master of the Strays. 

Hou Ruyen giggled lightly and stood on Sikong Ren's side. She chided Zhang Wang with a soft tone while continuing to glare at the demon king. "Xiao Yun, when will you learn to be as well behaved as your good Shidi here? Did you know he led the assault on both the Palace of Sins and the Unholy Garden Temple? Just where had you been during that time?" 

Sikong Ren spoke as well, "I'm curious too. You said you'd infiltrate the Palace of Sins but you weren't there in the end. To be honest, we all thought you had died." A quick glance was shot Yu Yanlin's way but he said nothing.

"Ahahahaha… I really did go you know…" Zhang Wang was painfully aware of the fact that it was the one and only demon king beside him. If a fight were to break out between Yu Yanlin and Sikong Ren…

That wouldn't be pretty.

But he was suddenly reminded of something else, a particular detail mentioned by Chu Changying a while back. Zhang Wang couldn't help but ask, "Is it true that you killed the Cruel White King at the Palace of Sins?"

Sikong Ren's head tilted slightly, "I did."

Zhang Wang inwardly frowned. Sikong Ren was a lot of things but a liar wasn't one of them, aside from when he was up to mischief. And Zhang Wang had a feeling that this wasn't something worth joking around about. He wanted to ask more, but the Master of the Strays already veered the conversation onward to other things. "So who is this?"

"..." Yu Yanlin stood there quietly. It wasn't the first time the two met but it was the first time off the battlefield. A cold tension saturated the air, stifling all around them.

Hou Ruyen was unaffected and answered first, "Bai Hu, apparently Xiao Yun's lover."

"Bai Hu…" Sikong Ren tested the name out, glaring at that blindfolded man without rest. "Why is it that you seem so awfully familiar? Have we met?"

"..." Yu Yanlin took his time to bow. He softened his voice a little, to distract from the familiarity that his tone would no doubt incite, "I fear not. I am Bai Hu of Xianggu. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Master of the Strays."

Sikong Ren rubbed the back of his neck though his expression remained usually blank, "Even your voice is familiar. Strange. I'm sure I'll figure it out eventually."

On the side Zhang Wang was smiling and trying really hard not to sweat bullets. He laughed and said, "To think even Shidi could be imagining weird things...You must be tired from your travels."

But Hou Ruyen eagerly spoke up, "Let us not be mistaken. The strangest thing here right now is the fact that Zhang Wang has a man with him that he claims to be his lover. Do you really think you could get away with a lie so blatant?"

Yu Yanlin was once again summoning attention. Zhang Wang wanted to rip his own hair out… How was he going to shake off Sikong Ren's vacant yet piercing gaze this time!? He cuddled close to the demon king, drinking in Yu Yanlin's heat as he rested his head on the demon king's shoulder.

"We're super lovey-dovey. How could you ever doubt us? You can even ask Sect Leader Sikong! He surely has many detailed accounts of our love since he loves to invade my privacy so much."

"Zhang Wang," Sikong Ren spoke sternly, "First of all, I don't want to hear about your love-making. Second of all, Shizun is right. The face that you're loyal toward a lover is too weird. A man at that. I did not know you had such interests."

As always, the way that Sikong Ren was with words was blunt and concise. It never failed to strike Zhang Wang's nerves. "Hey! People can change."

"That's highly questionable," Hou Ruyen pointed out. "Especially in regards to yourself, Xiao Yun. If you so wish to change perhaps you should follow better examples. You were never a good disciple."

"...Ouch." Zhang Wang sighed miserably.

"Are you two not tired?" Yu Yanlin stepped up, unafraid of the tension and the threat of being discovered. "There's no need to gang up on Zhang Wang."

Hou Ruyen raised a brow, "I cannot tell if you're a good actor or if you're being disrespectful and foolish. I will forgive you because we are strangers but do remember that this Immortal of a Thousand Blossoms in still my disciple."

Zhang Wang scratched the back of his head. She never used that excuse before when they'd had a cordial relationship.

Well, that was then and this was now. If Sikong Ren was the Master of the Strays then Zhang Wang was the Master of Ruining his Relationships.

A sour feeling welled up inside him.

A visceral fear that his relationship with Yu Yanlin might also turn bitter came into light. He groaned at the thought and summoned the spotlight onto himself.

"Zhang Wang," Sikong Ren's voice was cutting, "Her personality aside, she really is your Shizun so please don't forget that. And you," he turned to Yu Yanlin, "I understand that Zhang-gege is your lover but this is none of your business. Please stay out of it."

Yu Yanlin fearlessly replied, "I won't."

"What?" Sikong Ren tilted his head. While Zhang Wang blinked stupidly. Was this really happening? Yu Yanlin had been so calm and unproblematic up to this point! What was going on now!?

"I won't stay out of it. This is my business too."

Sparks flew between them, neither wanting to back down.

"W-Wait a second guys, let's just reach a compromise okay?" Zhang Wang stuttered.

Sikong Ren stubbornly replied, "No."

And Yu Yanlin was no better, "Most certainly not."

Zhang Wang was at a loss and looked at Hou Ruyen for help.

But that sneaky Shizun of his was smirking pleasantly and seemed more eager for the sparks to fly between the two alpha males.

And Zhang Wang was left to his own devices, barely holding himself back from yelling at them both.

In the end, he failed.

The Immortal of a Thousand Blossoms exhaled loudly as he filed the memory away. At least it was quiet now in the night, with only darkness that stretched across the sky…

Until he saw a flicker of light reflecting on the dense gray clouds overhead. It was coming from the direction of the village. Interest piqued, Zhang Wang ran in that direction.