Chapter 125 - He Deserves To Be Happy Too

"Sir Painter! Ah Yang was right! You've finally came out of your inspirational cave huh? How have you been, my friend?"

"I am doing better."

"Hi Sect Leader Zhi," Ying Yue greeted and the man in blue blinked at him.

"You… oh! No wonder you were gone for so long! You had a child! Who is the mother, Sir Painter? Don't tell me it was Jia Le or Zhao Chi."

"Ah Zhi. Please."

"Ah, sorry. I must collect myself," the man laughed and reached for the ravenette's arm, "Come. Let us eat and speak together! Do you need a place to sleep? You may stay with me in the palace, you and your child."

"Thank you, Ah Zhi. We will not stay long."

"Stay as long as you wish, dear friend."

Ying Yue watched as the sect leader spoke happily with Wang Li and his lover doing the same. He also noted the hold on his husband's arm stayed even when they reached the palace. He bit his lips and pressed a light kiss at the side of his king's neck.

He heard a hum and felt a hand ran up and down his back soothingly.

"Eh?" The leader looked up at the sky slowly covered with rain clouds, "Is the Ghost King alright?"

Ying Yue pulled back to look over at the frown on the man's face. Glancing up to see his lover's reaction, the thinned lips and slightly narrowed eyes at the sky confused him.

"What do you mean, Sect Leader Zhi?" He asked and the man looked at him.

"Oh, have you not heard the story, little child?"

He shook his head and the leader was about to speak, but water droplets fell lightly against them before it picked up. Rushing into the palace and into a candle lit room, Sect Leader Zhi was bombarded by his people trying to dry him. Looking over at Wang Li and the child, he shrugged with an amused smile as he was relieved of his tunic and replaced with a new one.

"Of course, brother is still being babied."

"Ah Chou, could you not?"

The older man let out a laugh and headed to them. He had short dark blue hair like the sect leader, but had bright purple eyes and tanned skin. Ying Yue stared at them and smiled finally getting to meet him.

'So this is the brother. He looks so carefree… I am envious.'

"Sir Painter, looking dashing as always."

"You are still a charmer, Mo Chou."

"The mask maker did great. The red fits you, Sir Painter. A beauty. You, of course, not the mask."

"Ah Chou," Wang Li breathed out a smile and shook his head amused.

The man laughed and glanced at the blonde, eyes softening.

"I did not know you had a child, dear painter. Hm, blonde?"

'Hm.. into blondes my dear painter?'

"Ah Chou, stop flirting with Sir Painter, don't you have another conquest to achieve?"

Sect Leader Zhi teased with a grin as they went to sit down at the table. Ying Yue noticed Snow was not with them and he assumed the big cat had found his own safe place away from the rain. Maybe the snow leopard ran off to the temple for his master.

Sitting beside Wang Li, he took his teacup and blew on it.

"Actually, dear brother, you are the one who will need to find a woman soon."

"I have time."

"You are getting older," the purple eyed man gave a slow sly smirk, "Unless you are waiting for Sir Painter?"

Sect Leader Zhi felt his eyes widened and his mouth opened and closed. His older brother was wiggling his brows with a knowing look and he found himself flushing.

"What?! Brother! What are you insinuating!"

"Hm? That you find Sir Painter exceptional and beautiful."

Ying Yue watched the brothers play fighting as they grabbed one another, fighting for dominance.

"Sect Leader Zhi is a handsome man, just, kind, compassionate. Anyone will be honored to be by his side."

Eyes went to look at his lover smiling softly as he sipped his tea. Ying Yue wondered if Wang Li had… feelings for the sect leader too.

'Why must everyone love you, Ah Li?'

"Eh, you are speaking to kindly of me, Sir Painter. I do not see a reason to share my space, especially when my brother takes up most of it," the leader laughed, causing everyone to join.

"That is kind of you as well, little brother, but you and I know why you are the leader and not me."

"Brother, you know that does not matter. You are not my true blood, but you are my brother."

Ying Yue nodded quietly understanding why Sect Leader Zhi had became the leader instead of Mo Chou. He lit up when he smelt the delicious meal, making his mouth water. He felt a hand on his head and he turned to the man with purple eyes.

"Why don't you remove your mask, child? Are you hiding your beauty like your father?"

"I am not beautiful like him," Ying Yue smiled.

"It would be hard to match, but I am sure you could. Beauty such as the both of yours should rival the Heavens."

The blonde ended up laughing and leaned closer to Wang Li, who wrapped an arm around him.

"I assure you, this child is the most beautiful. I am honored to stand beside him."

Ying Yue flushed and hid his face against his lover's arm.

"Ah, then his mother must be beautiful as well. Please tell us about her," Sect Leader Zhi spoke up as he began eating.

"I do not know who his mother is."

"…"

"…"

"She… she just left him at your door? How could you not remember?" Mo Chou furrowed his brows.

"Brother… do you remember all you lay with?"

"…"

"Let us not speak of that, Ah Chou, Ah Zhi. I saw the charms around the sector and village."

"Oh yes," the leader nodded, "Heaven's Chosen had came with his brothers, the cultivators. There was a demon that had killed Sect Leader Bo. We still do not know if the demon was the one who brought demons to the North for Ah Bo to torture. I am not sure who else would."

"What if the Ghost King was the one to do it?"

"What?!"

"Think about it," Mo Chou spoke up, "All of this is happening recently. The demons and ghosts showing up and the change in weather… you know the Ghost King is involved."

"No, the Ghost King would not just do something irrational. Something must have gone wrong."

"Yes. He became crazy!"

"Why must you speak about him in such ways! He is a just king. He would not willingly-"

"Why are you taking his side?!"

"Because he had always been kind. He saved you. That is something I will always owe to our king," He smiled and looked at his tea, "To have the responsibility of death is a daunting task, brother."

The brothers stared at one another with glared and fisted hands. Ying Yue was about to speak up, but he felt the tightening of fingers at his hip.

"It is his fault."

"Sir Painter," the leader frowned disappointed.

"He is a selfish man. You may think he does what he does for the sake of others, but he chooses to take advantage of what he could. If he was doing his job, demons and ghosts would have not hurt anyone, killed parents, children, families. So I agree with Ah Chou, the Ghost King is at fault."

The navy haired man nodded in approval, but Ying Yue frowned.

"No," he stared straight at Wang Li.

"The Ghost King had to take care of the whole sectors, this whole world for many, many centuries. He protected us from ghosts and demons for many moons and he was stuck in his home, his village. He couldn't leave and he grew up knowing his role. It is not selfishness if he… if he wanted something. I say he deserves it. He deserves to be happy too."

Silver eyes softened and fingers wiped at his cheeks spreading the tears. His head was pressed against cold chest and he clutched to his lover, hoping what he said got through. When will Wang Li understand that he had done so much for everyone?

"I agree with your child, Sir Painter. See, even children care for the Ghost King. It is a sad life to live and we could empathize with him."

"Alright, I give. How can I continue to speak ill of the Ghost King when the young one spoke so kindly of him?" The purple eyed man sighed.

"Are you alright?" Wang Li asked quietly holding his head in cold hands. He nodded and his lover kissed his bare cheek and kept his hand on his.

They ate quietly after that.

When they were finished, they said their goodnights and was brought to the room where they would stay. As they settled in bed, he curled closer to his the platinum blonde and took a deep breath. Arms wrapped around him and was brought to place over the adult, while Ying Yue laid on Wang Li's chest. As he settled to be wrapped by sleep, he realized Snow was not there.

"Snow?" He mumbled against scarred skin.

"Sleep, Ah Yue. He is alright."

The lulling of rubbing against him made his eyes fluttered slowly before he fell asleep. Wang Li continued his soothing long after Ying Yue had fallen asleep. His eyes staring at the ceiling lost in thought before he felt his throat constricting.