Chapter 109 - Why Are You Hiding

"I… I am sorry. There was someone that ran in here. I need to stop him."

The man in red pointed in a direction and Ying Yue nodded.

"Thank you."

He followed where Sir Ghost pointed and heard footsteps running with him. Glancing behind him, he saw the man with the mask was following him. He wanted to tell the man to stop, it would be dangerous, but it would only lead to him missing the killer.

'I will protect him.'

He continued to run forward through the cavern, as the walls narrowed before they reached an opened area. His feet slowed as his heart skipped. He blinked his golden eyes and he bit his lips as they quivered.

"Ah Li…"

It was him. His husband was in front of him with a warm smile and soft silver eyes. His heart was jumping, wanting to escape to his lover. His lips curled and he took a step forward.

Fingers clutched his wrist.

He looked over at the man with the mask, who was holding him back. The man was staring at his lover and he glanced at his husband to see the soft smile flattened.

"Sir Ghost. This is my husband. Why are you stopping me?"

The hand tightened.

'Lie. Ask.'

"What?"

Sir Ghost turned to him with his finger pressing deeper onto his shoulder, writing words in a flurry that he was unable to catch them all. He stared at the tension on the demon masked man's shoulders. Forehead creasing, he opened his mouth prepared to calm the man down, but Sir Ghost flew back hitting the cavern wall.

"Sir Ghost! What are you doin-"

Before he was able to finished his words, his husband forced his mouth on his.

Gasping, the force clinked their teeth together and his lover continued to lick into him. Hands clenched on red garment, he shut his eyes. Smell… no smell washed over him and his body was on alert. Hands were cold on his robe, seeping through to chill him. The way this man kissed… it was not like Wang Li.

Opening his eyes, he pushed away, but the man held on. Trying to pull back once more, he did not budge. Getting upset, he sent out his energy to his palms and pushed it against the man in red's chest. Gasping for breath, he watched the man stumbled back before narrowed silver eyes stared at him.

"Who are you?" Ying Yue asked wiping his lips.

The man did not reply and he stepped back toward the groaning man with a demon mask. As he stepped back, the man that looked like his husband stepped forward, eyeing him like a prey.

"You killed Sect Leader Bo. Why?"

Still no reply and he offered a hand behind him to Sir Ghost. He felt a hand wrap around him and he helped pull the man up, with his eyes still on the imposter.

"Why are you not speaking? Do you think pretending to be the Ghost King will make us hate him?"

"…"

'Dead. Face. Steal.'

Ying Yue nodded in agreement.

Face stealing ghost. He remembered Wang Li told him this ghost was notorious in taking the form of a forlorn lover. Then, it would suck the life from the human and eat their souls. He remembered telling his lover how terrible that was.

['It is,' Wang Li nodded, 'It shall never starve if it were to ever escape the portal. Humans, demons, even the Heavens wish for the person they love.']

Ying Yue stared at the imposter and thinned his lips. Calling for his sword, he stood before Sir Ghost and watched as the imposter's face scowled.

"You've tricked me into thinking you are the Ghost King, but my husband is not dead. You made your mistake, imposter."

A grin spread and its skin started to peel off revealing black purplish goo on the ghost.

He was holding a familiar looking sword in his hand and rushed forward. Ying Yue blocked the blade and his eyes widened to see the name etched into the sword. Letting out a growl, he swung hard and focused on defeating this ghost that looked like his husband, this ghost that somehow had Wang Li's sword and handkerchief.

The ghost swung and he blocked, but was unprepared for the wiggly third arm that shot out of the skin to punched him in the gut. His hair was pulled back and he sent out a ball of energy at the ghost. It removed itself from him and jumped back, but the char of shoulder was seen on the enemy.

He landed a hit.

Holding his sword before him, he infused it with his light energy and swung it in a circle before him, before rushing in. The ghost was screaming from the brightness of his burning light, but it continued to fight against him.

The ghost howled loudly, as skin fell apart to reveal a blob of goo pulsing purple. It no longer had the sword and Ying Yue stepped forward with a frown, ready to send the ghost back.

However, an arm shot out to pull Sir Ghost to him, using the man as a shield. Ying Yue paused and he looked alarmed, but that quickly disappeared when the man with the mask stabbed the ghost with Wang Li's sword.

"Do not kill it," he called out as he rushed forward to the screaming ghost.

He pressed a hand to the ghost's skin who was writhing and groaning. Once the ghost was gone, he took a deep breath and turned to the man beside him. Sir Ghost looked at him before handing him his lover's sword. Ying Yue held it in his hands and smiled, but he was even more worried now.

Wang Li without his sword… what did that mean? Did something happen to his husband?

He glanced at the man who winced and he quickly tied the sword to his side. Helping Sir Ghost to sit against the wall, he felt around where the pain was. He earned a hitched of breath and he quickly grabbed the medicine his brother left him before travel. He popped open the bottle and paused before the man's full mask.

Fingers wrapped around his hand, holding the medicine bottle.

Sir Ghost pulled the hand down and he felt a thumb ran over his skin. Kneeled before the man in the mask, he looked at their hands. His heart uptake and he swallowed deeply, as his face flushed. Clearing his throat, he pulled his hand away.

"This is medicine, Sir Ghost. It will heal your wounds."

Fingers touched his cheek and his eyelashes fluttered. Smooth and cold slid to tuck his blonde lock, making his heart stammered. He felt a finger moved against his cheek.

'Fine.'

"You're hurt, Sir Ghost. Please-"

'Beautiful.'

"…"

'Thank you.'

"What for?" He whispered softly.

'You.'

Ying Yue wished he saw the man's face. Everything in him was too relaxed, too free, too comforted from being beside Sir Ghost. He shouldn't feel this way. He shouldn't care for him in this way, but…

"May I see your face?"

'Why?'

"I need to know. Please."

Fingers pulled away and he held the man's wrist and kept it in place. There was no one else that made his heart race this way. There was no one else who made him feel so safe. There was no one else who could make him want to be beside.

'No.'

His fingers tightened around the man's wrist.

'Sorry.'

"Do I know you? Tell me, Sir Ghost. Do I?"

The man did not move for a moment and he thinned his quivering lips.

'It had to be him. It had to be.'

"I need to know… please… Ah Li."

The man in the mask peeled his fingers away from his wrist and Ying Yue bit his lips and looked away. Forcing out a laugh, he shook his head and placed his hand on his face. Taking a deep breath, he turned back to Sir Ghost and sent an apologetic smile.

"Sorry. I think I might be sick."

He blinked slowly at the man sitting against the wall and found his head tilting, or maybe it was Sir Ghost. He wasn't sure.

He fell against the man suddenly and heard a groan, but all he could think about was how the smell of plum blossoms and wood filled his nose. He nuzzled closer and pressed his nose up against the curve of cold neck with a sigh. He felt hands at his shoulders, trying to push him off, but he made a wounded sound and pressed closer.

"Ah Li, why are you hiding from me?"

He mumbled groggily and his body felt as if it was a sandcastle being washed away by the waves. He felt fingers in his hair and a hand rubbing his back.

"Is it because I left? I am sorry. Forgive me… I love you so much."

He mumbled and felt his eyes closed in arms that are cold and a smell that was familiar.

When he woke, he sat up quickly on alert. Looking around, he found himself in a familiar room, a familiar smell and…

There was a body beside him.

'Ah Li?'