Bei Shang woke up early in the morning with a banging headache and a burning temperature.
He didn't need the doctor to tell him that he was running a fever, With all the stress of making sure his head wasn't cut off during Kate's tantrums, watching out for assassins and ghosts that might attack Mitch, trying to keep Nick safe while he's recovering from his aura backlash; all this were enough to make him fall sick.
Now the only thing was where the hell could he find a doctor in the demon realm?
" I'm so tired " He mumbled and sat up slowly; he then turned to the side and shook Nick awake " Wake up "
Nick snapped open his eyes like a sudoku, Bei Shang almost jumped out of the bed in fright.
Seeing that Nick was looking confused at his fright, Bei Shang raised a hand and patted his head.
Nick smiled before grabbing his hand and rubbing it against his face.
Bei Shang suddenly felt his heart was infused with sugar.
Nick have been quiet and obedient, he didn't plan or say horrible words, he didn't yank his hair or force him to do anything, he just held his hand and followed him around; responding softly to him.
He was supposed to be happy but Bei Shang felt insecure. He has just 2 days to enjoy this rare softness.
"Nick …" Bei Shang mumbled before putting his head on Nick's shoulders, Nick wrapped his arms around him and started to pat his waist in comfort.
Although he wasn't speaking, his presence and action clearly said ' You're safe with me '
"Should I take you to someone who can help?"
This was the first time he'd heard Nick speak since he started following him. His voice was calm and gentle.
Bei Shang nods his head. Nick stood up, wrapped him with a blanket, and carried him bridal style. His footsteps were quick but steady going to who knows where.
This was the sight that greeted Winter when Nick knocked on his door early in the morning.
His son was carrying a mortal, the wo…no man was dozing off in his arms; his face was red as if he was having difficulty breathing.
" Dad, my husband has a fever... please use your healing power on him"
This was the first time, Autumn was approaching him after the aura backlash incident without trying to attack.
"Come in "
Winter quickly opened the door, Nick carried Bei Shang inside and placed him on the bed.
Winter checked his pulse first and seeing no abnormality started to search his internal body.
Winter was a bit special because he inherited some of the powers of his goddess which included healing mortal people. Since there were almost no mortals in the demon realm, he had never gotten to use the power.
His primordial energy was snow so he wanted to warm the temperature for him first before probing his inner mind but instead something else happened. Bei Shang's soul warmed his energy gently and circulated it around his body, when it was done, it gave his slightly depleted energy back to him.
It was like a kind of recycling method, just like a tree would absorb elements and then return them to Mother Earth.
Winter clenched his fists.
Tree spirits are very rare, only a tree spirit every 1 million years. And the possibility of that tree spirit gaining consciousness was as low as the gods starting to get along.
The only tree spirit he knows of is the demi-god Taohua and he died before Winter was created.
The only possibility of this mortal having a tree internal spirit is as if he's the reincarnation of the demi-god.
He shook his head at that conjunction, tree spirits were pure and uncorrupt, how can the general be in the body of a yin mortal?
He felt a type of energy and he went curiously towards it. The energy first dimmed before suddenly hitting his internal organs with a force.
Winter found himself on the ground, his throat squeezed and he couldn't help but taste that metallic liquid.
Bei Shang sat up in shock "King Winter, are you okay?!"
Winter rubbed his lips and stood up. His gaze was severe.
"Tell Nick to go outside"
Bei Shang blinked in confusion " What?"
"Or you know what? Let's discuss this here …who are you? What's your purpose with my child?"
"I'm his wife…"
"Lies "
Bei Shang started to tremble, King Winter was a primordial Huli Jing which meant he was more perceptive than others. He had wine and dined with demons and gods.
He probably had him figured out.
"I'm his brother-in-law, he told me to help him replace his late wife so I did and…"
Winter raked his fingers through his forehead.
" I'm surprised to hear that but that's not what I'm asking you …like who are you? Why do you have the primordial energy of General Taohua?!"
Bei Shang froze as the wheels on his head started to work, it was hinting at something but he didn't know why, a sense of existential dread started to rise in his chest.
"Primordial energy? " Seeing Winter was about to leave, he grabbed him by the sleeve "You said primordial energy!!! Am I also a demon?"
Nick looked confused, then as if feeling a kind of threat from his Dad, He pulled Bei Shang from Winter's hand range and put him behind his back.
Nick glared at him.
Winter took a step back, trying to suppress the murderous rage in his heart.
Have the gods not messed with him enough? It wasn't enough his child had to go through the pain of remembering resentments from his past lives, now he was thrown in front of a reincarnated god and even protecting him out of his own free will.
No .. don't tell him that his child was that tragic half-demon!!!
He heard something crack, King Winter had just broken a table out by squeezing it too much, his body was trembling.
"King Winter…"
"If you're him then my child is …." He looked at Nick, and his face turned even whiter " No No no you have to be kidding me !!!"
King Winter then turned around and ran out of the room. Bei Shang stood up and ran after him.
"King Winter, please wait !!! Let's talk"
King Winter didn't stop, instead, he went outside and then screamed to the heavens. Since it was in the morning, the officials and attendants were in morning court but the guards stared at their king in confusion.
"What did I do for you to make my life a fucking joke ?! I have only him and my daughter left !!! Why did you have to make my son him?!!!"
The heavens started rumbling with an undercurrent of thunder. The guards seeing this trembled and ran inside.
Bei Shang looked at the thunder cloud feeling a familiar presence, his body moved uncontrollably toward the cloud.
Winter was still shouting at the heavens, tears were starting to run down his face, angry tears.
The thundercloud itself seemed to feel Bei Shang's presence and then started to move towards him ignoring Winter.
The thundercloud stopped right in front of him and then started to rumble.
Bei Shang could feel the familiar headache coming.
He saw a younger version of himself running, then he stopped in front of a cherry blossom tree similar to the one in his subconsciousness.
There's was a woman dancing, her legs were dainty as she moved with the wind, and her white dress was frilly so it was raised and dropped, moving with her rhythm.
As if feeling his presence, she stopped and stared at him; She looked like the most beautiful being in the world, but the most striking thing was her smile. A smile he felt he would do anything for.
Bei Shang felt his throat was squeezing, he didn't know why but he had the urge to cry.
All of a sudden, the thundercloud started to rumble but instead of with gentleness like earlier, it sounded angry.
Bei Shang looked at his back, Nick was right there also staring at the thundercloud. He didn't look calm, Instead, his fists were clenched against his sides and he looked a bit wary of the cloud.
Then the thunder threw a bolt at Nick.
Bei Shang didn't know why he ran towards Nick. After all Nick was a demon and he could take care of himself, besides nothing have ever come good out of helping him .
But his legs moved before he did , he didn't even know how he was somehow faster than the bolt.
All he knew was that he pushed Nick aside and let the bolt hit him .
The electricity that ran though his body made his spine hurt , he could feel the long term pois
on bubbling in his body and he couldn't help but cough blood.
The last thing he remembered was Nick grabbing him and gathering him into his arms.