Fanfiction3: A-Li's Three Lives, Three Worlds - Chapter 2 (Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms 三生三世十里桃花)
Chapter 2
written by LigayaCroftedited by kakashi and panda
As A-Li stood outside the foreboding entrance to the Mortal Realm’s Imperial City in Shǎnxī, ready to storm the gates inside, he couldn’t help but wonder how it all came down to this. If Si Ming wrote her in as one of the Emperor’s concubines, yet, all the text that he had written on her Destiny Ledger disappeared, was it still possible that she was inside or had another beady-eyed prospective benefactor funded her abduction?
And once he would find her, would two immortal days be too late to beg for another chance? To think he hadn’t even done much— just slept and drank— how could so much have changed in such a short time?
But another more foreboding thought came to mind.
Maybe, just maybe, they shouldn’t even have begun.
***
Seven immortal days ago.
Of all the Demon Clans, the Purple Clan was A-Li’s favorite. Not just because he got along well with its Clan Leader, Yi Mei Niang, and that the tribe was known for its extremely alluring women. No, what stood out as A-Li’s favorite feature of the clan was that they owned the best tavern the whole of Four Seas and Eight Deserts has ever had: Jiǔjiébiān [1].
Patrons of Jiǔjiébiān came from different races of the Immortal Realms. Within its walls, there was no judging whether you were Demon or Ghost or Celestial. At Jiǔjiébiān, immortals didn’t come to engage in small talk. They came to feel untethered from the daily monotony of their long lives, and the place certainly delivered.
A-Li and his small entourage arrived a bit early so at Gun-Gun’s insistence, they stayed for tea at a nearby teahouse to wait for the sun to set. A demon-servant approached A-Li as soon as he sat down, holding a tiny scrap of paper that A-Li read before crumpling.
“Tell her I’ll see her later,” he told the servant who bowed and hurriedly left.
Currency changed hands between his three companions while A-Li burned the paper using fire from the small lamp on their table. Cheng Yu had her ledger out, recording the newest bet that just came down.
With hundreds of thousands of years ahead of them, immortals tried to employ various kinds of methods to while away their time. A-Li’s Mother, for example, collected an extensive amount of theatrical plays that she had read and reread over the years.
A-Li’s friends — nay, family in every sense of the word— spent time placing bets on his dalliances. It was something that used to embarrass A-Li but over the progress of thousands of years he’d learned to be indifferent to. Today, obviously, was no exemption.
“I’ll give it to her, she’s fast. It’s as if she knew we were coming over,” Cheng Yu noted as she scribbled some more on her ledger. Just as suddenly, she gasped, eyes narrowing on Lian Song who was putting his new, small pile of gold inside his money sack. “You didn’t cheat and tell Yi Ji in advance that we’re coming, did you?”
Lian Song was still busy looking offended when Gun Gun came to his defense. “No need to fret, Jiějie [2]. I was with Lian Song Gēge [3] the whole day. I’m pretty sure Yi Ji bribed someone at the South Gate to alert her should we arrive. I should have had more forethought and betted closer to the hour.”
“That’s your fox blood getting the best of you,” Lian Song crowed. “Care to adjust your bet for tonight’s main event?”
Gun Gun shook his head, making A-Li smile with approval. His nephew was 2’300 years younger than him, which refrained Gun Gun from living life vicariously through A-Li the way Lian Song often did. Being close in age, they grew up as best friends and competitors. When A-Li started traveling the immortal and mortal realms with Lian Song, Gun Gun of course tagged along. That never meant Gun Gun agreed to everything Lian Song did. In fact, Gun Gun never really started to enjoy participating in bets until recently.
27’000 years in Lian Song’s company would corrupt anyone.
Cheng Yu declined the fresh cup of tea Gun Gun offered her but went for the ginger-topped tofu after pouring a little bit of soy sauce over it.
“My ledger’s about to be full after a month’s worth of wagers,” Cheng Yu declared. “Husband, when we get back to Jiuchongtian you need to get me a new one.”
“As you wish, my love.”
A-Li poked his finger through the roasted nuts in his small saucer. Ah, these two. He’d been around them for so long and with all that he’d witnessed, he still had to figure out what made their relationship work. True, the two were devoted to one another, and Lian Song even got rid of his harem after they had remarried. But, every now and then, the couple took on a female lover. Together.
He still had to look marital commitment in the eye but A-Li had a feeling that if and when he got married, he will be like his parents. He would refuse to share.
***
Night fell and Jiǔjiébiān finally opened its doors to patrons. A festival atmosphere enveloped the area. The queue was long but, as regulars, the bulky doormen didn’t give A-Li and his group a hard time at all.
Upon entrance, a potent feeling of elation immediately overcame their senses even without the help of expensive sensory tablets that could be exclusively purchased from dealers in this place. The dance floor was all skin and sweat from tangled bodies silhouetted between bursts of magick-imbued light. A-Li and his small entourage wove through immortals dancing with their eyes closed in ecstasy, in various stages of dress or undress, while some went for more sexually-spirited activities. Their drinks came shortly after they settled at their table. The Old Dragon, Lian Song, sported a huge grin on his face that said it all: it looked like it was going to be a good night.
Some time later still at Jiǔjiébiān, where a party could last for several days, A-Li took one last draught of his rolled cannabis leaf and stood up from bed to get dressed. After tying the belt of his all-white robe in place, A-Li reached over the bed and fondly patted his lover’s exposed left buttock cheek before stepping out of the private room.
“A-Li?”
Yi Ji, cousin to the Demon Queen and future bride of the Red Demon King’s Third Son, had been one of his lovers for the past couple thousand years. She was free and easygoing, and A-Li appreciated how uncomplicated it was between them. Sex. Pleasure. Fun. Now that she was getting married, she knew that this was goodbye. A-Li had no patience for dealing with jealous husbands nor lovers who turned extra clingy when it came to their last tryst.
Especially women who suddenly confessed to love.
A-Li stopped but didn't look back.
“Goodbye, Ji Ji.”
With that last greeting, A-Li set off downstairs toward where he last left his companions.
“A-Li!” Cheng Yu shouted, waving, before another demoness, who had danced up to her, distracted her. The two women gyrated to the beat of sensual demonic music— a far throw from the kind of music A-Li was used to in the thirty-six Heavens. It didn't take long for Lian Song to join his wife and her new playmate. Kissing, nibbling, and rubbing ensued.
And people wondered why he was a pleasure-seeker. With these two for companions and family members, his road before him had been set a long time ago.
A-Li sat down in front of Gun Gun, who had one hand conveniently lost inside the skirt folds of the pretty demoness in his lap. He grabbed his nephew’s drink from the table.
Gun Gun looked up from the breasts that demanded his attention long enough to ask, “How was Ji Ji?”
“We’ve said our goodbyes,” A-Li replied curtly and motioned for Gun Gun to not mind him.
“Don’t touch me!”
A-Li’s head snapped back to look at Cheng Yu who glared at an extremely tall and bulky demon warlord.
“Come on, little cross-dressing Celestial Miss. Come with me,” Bulky Demon teased, making another grab for Cheng Yu’s waist.
“Take your hands off my wife.“ Lian Song’s voice was flat, thus veiling his power when he grabbed Bulky Demon’s arm and flung the demon backwards. The warlord slammed against the nearest counter.
Outraged, at least twenty demons roared.
“Not again!” Gun Gun moaned, throwing the demoness off his lap so he could stand up. “Gēge, what did I tell you about making sure nothing happens to this face?”
Lian Song’s response was to squint and shake his head at Gun Gun before positioning himself in front of his wife.
A-Li laughed as he stood up. After all, what good is a drinking session at the Demon Realm without a heady fight?
However, it was imperative when involved in tavern brawls in the Demon Realm that no Celestial Magic was used and no Demons were killed, else they invite war to Juichongtian’s doorsteps. A-Li unsheathed his sword Chun Jun [4] and immediately jumped in front of three attacking demons. Still, he took extra care—shoving a table at one, counter-blocking the attack of the second while side swerving before kicking the third.
It was a good thing A-Li’s martial arts proficiency was not lacking. He had more than enough time growing up to train with his teachers because his parents were often too busy with each other to see him during the day, except for breakfast and putting him to bed. He did lack many-to-one combat practice in recent years though as even no-holds-barred sparring sessions with Gun Gun, Lian Song, and sometimes his half-demon cousins were hardly enough.
This is where the demon brawls came in handy.
Their race loved to fight.
A-Li loved to accommodate them.
There was just one little thing to consider: Cheng Yu hated fighting. Worse, she started getting distressed whenever faced with scenes of violence.
“Shūshu,” A-Li called out to Lian Song while immobilizing another demon by flinging him under his arms so he could block another incoming demon’s sword. He ran his blade against the demon’s blade until he hit the cross-guard, and caused the sword-wielding demon to stagger at the force that hit his wrist. A-Li took the opportunity to kick him hard against the stomach, flinging him to the nearest wall. “Get Cheng Yu out of here!”
Lian Song, who was busy fighting another demon with his fan, nodded. After all, he had taught the young ones the drill: if they were to avoid bloodshed, the best thing to do was to flee at first opportunity. Between retreat or war at a demon tavern brawl, retreat was always the best option.
From the corner of A-Li’s eye, he saw a rogue demon holding a sickle, about to fling the attached weighted chain in Cheng Yu’s direction. A-Li threw the demon pinned under his arm to Gun Gun and jumped to shield the distracted Cheng Yu, grunting as the iron weight crashed against his back.
Still holding Cheng Yu in his arms, he went and jumped toward the nearest cloud.
Chapter 3
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Endnotes
1. (九節鞭) - Named after the nine-section whip, a popular weapon of choice of the Purple Demon Clan2. (姐姐) Older Sister, Cheng Yu’s preferred type of address from Gun Gun.
3. (哥哥) Older brother, Lian Song’s preferred type of address from Gun Gun.
4. (純鈞劍) A-Li’s sword was made for him by his grandfather Bai Zhi Dijun and an enlightened mortal blacksmith to celebrate A-Li’s High Immortal ascension. It was often described as a unique joint creation of man and Heaven.