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I Can Remember When

Chapter 3

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

They stay where they are for a while longer, trying to prepare for their arrival at Black Stone City, but in the end there's nothing much to do, since they don't know how they will be received. If they're lucky no one will pay them any attention at all, but when have they truly been that lucky? Once they leave, they leave Li Jin'ao behind to make his own way to Black Stone City. Their car is still too full, and it might be better for him not to be associated with them if there are people waiting for them to arrive. And it might turn out advantageous to have someone in the city on their side who's not under scrutiny.

"Do you think someone is waiting for us?" Fei Tang asks from the backseat as they drive towards the city, still holding Valley Guardian in his lap.

The silence in the car feels tense.

"Did you see that?" Ding Liu asks suddenly, instead of answering Fei Tang.

Chang Dong nods slightly, watching the distant lights that are almost certainly other cars, visible in the dark. "I think we're about to find out," he says glancing at Fei Tang through the rear view mirror.

"Yeah," Fei Tang agrees unhappily, clutching the rooster to his chest.


It turns out to be the Feather Guard waiting for them. In the end, that's not much of a surprise. It is Black Stone City after all, and they'd concluded some time ago that there's a chance that Ye Liuxi had been affiliated with them once upon a time, even if it does seem increasingly unlikely the more they find out about her. Ye Liuxi doesn't have the temperament of someone who'd follow orders. Somehow, Chang Dong doesn't think the memory loss had changed that.

(Surely, a member of the Feather Guard would not be opening the Demon Museum, no matter the circumstances, Chang Dong thinks, and quickly shuts that thought down.)

It is more of a surprise when they realise that it's the leader of the Feather Guard himself, waiting for them. It speaks to the importance of whoever Ye Liuxi had been, whether or not they're willing to take Zhao Guanshou's word that she'd been working for the Feather Guard.

Chang Dong doesn't trust the warm welcome in the least, nor does he feel particularly comfortable with the fact that they are given no choice at all but to follow the Feather Guard. The demand might be politely phrased, but it is a demand. The cars surrounding them certainly make it clear that escape is not an option.

"At least he promised us answers," Ye Liuxi says with a small, quick grin.

"Did any of it seem familiar?" Chang Dong asks, referring to what Zhao Guanshou had told them.

Ye Liuxi shakes her head shortly in answer.


Zhao Guanshou takes them all to the Demon Museum to hear the promised explanation. He shows them the depiction of the City Spirit, and explains what had happened to Ye Liuxi. How she'd been undercover with the Scorpion Eye and how she'd ended up outside the Pass. The explanation does quite neatly fit everything they've found out so far, but Chang Dong still finds himself unwilling to trust the explanation that easily.

But at least some of the questions are answered, like how Ye Liuxi and no one else is able to leave Yumen Pass. They also find out that the rest of them are different from the residents of Yumen Pass, and Ye Liuxi should be able to take them back to their world without danger.

If they're willing to trust Zhao Guanshou's word for it in any case.

After listening to the explanation, they're free to wander around the Demon Museum for a while, which is quite fortunate since they have questions that no one is willing to ask Zhao Guanshou and they still need answers. Most of the Feather Guard's attention seems to be on Ye Liuxi and Chang Dong, and they quickly try to make sure it stays that way.

As long as their guards are focusing on the two of them, they're not paying as much attention to what the others might be looking at. They've all seen the tattoo on Ye Liuxi's arm, they know what to look for.


Their whole group is finally alone in the rooms they've been given in Zhao Guanshou's mansion. After a sweep of the rooms and looking out into the corridors to make sure that the guards aren't too close, they can finally talk about what they'd found in the Demon Museum without anyone listening in on them. Chou gestures wordlessly at Ding Liu. He'd found the beast they were looking for in the Demon Museum and had pulled Ding Liu over to read the information as well, in case his own capacity for words failed him. It will be easier for her to explain.

Ding Liu swallows, looking apprehensive. She looks at Ye Liuxi for a moment, before her eyes stray down to stare at Ye Liuxi's arms.

Ye Liuxi walks over to her, sitting down on the couch next to her and takes her hands. It makes Ding Liu startle, her eyes going up to Ye Liuxi's face before lowering down to their hands again.

"Xiao Liu, I need to know," Ye Liuxi says, almost gently. Her changed attitude towards the younger woman never more obvious than right now.

Ding Liu nods shortly, lifting her gaze up again, and then looking away from Ye Liuxi before she starts talking. "It's called the Kuai dragon. It makes you… It makes you forget, Xi-jie," she blurts out, her voice almost desperate.

Ye Liuxi lets go of Ding Liu's hands, pulling up her sleeve to look at her arm. "So, this is the reason," she says quietly and Chou wishes he knew what she's thinking right now. He wishes he could make her feel better.

"Please, Xiao Liu, tell us everything you found out," Chang Dong says, his voice quiet and calm.

Ding Liu nods, looking miserable. For a moment, Chou wishes he was better with words, so he could tell them instead. The young woman doesn't deserve the burden of having to do it. But before he can manage to form any kind of words at all, Ding Liu is talking again, explaining what they'd found out about the memory-altering beast residing on Ye Liuxi's arm.


"Do you think cutting my arm off would work?" Ye Liuxi asks as she kicks the heels of her feet against the stone wall she's sitting on, shivering slightly from the chilly night air.

Chang Dong is sitting on one side of her, Chou on the other, bracketing her like they both think she shouldn't be left alone. She'd be fine on her own, but she's glad for the company. Mostly, she just likes being around both of them, no matter the situation.

They should probably all have gone to bed by now. It's been a long day. But they'd been told that tomorrow they're going to go wander around the market, and that's hardly strenuous enough that it will matter too much if they're all tired. At least, that's her excuse.

Ye Liuxi doesn't want to take her time seeing the sights in Black Stone City, but for now, she realises their best option is to go along with the Feather Guard.

Wordlessly, Chang Dong takes off his jacket, draping it over her shoulders instead. She smiles slightly, pulling it closer to her. It's still warm from Chang Dong's body heat and smells of him. It's not quite as good as having his arms around her, but it will do.

"At least you're not asking to remove my limbs this time," Chang Dong says, leaning towards her until their shoulders bump together.

She huffs and then grips her own forearm. Except Chou reaches out to take her hand instead, lacing their fingers together and squeezing tightly. He doesn't say anything. He hasn't said anything at all since they arrived in Black Stone City, but she's used to his silence. It's comforting in its own way.

"Chopping off an arm seems a bit drastic," Chang Dong says, not denying that it might work. She's not sure if she wants her memories back that much. She kind of likes who she is right now, who knows what she'd be like with her old memories.

The Ye Liuxi of before doesn't sound like a nice person. She scoffs at her own thoughts; the Ye Liuxi of right now isn't a very nice person either.

She moves a bit and Chou's grip on her hand tightens a bit like he might want to keep her arm for himself. She huffs softly and asks, "Do you want it, Chou? You could keep my arm after I cut it off."

Chou turns their hands around, so hers is the one on top. He runs his other hand along her arm, his fingers finally wrapping around her forearm, right below her elbow. She laughs quietly

"You two," Chang Dong mutters, shaking his head, before reaching out and covering both of their hands with his own.


A-He follows them to the market, along with a few other Feather Guards. It won't do to let the Feather Guard see anything, but Chang Dong still keeps an eye out in case they see Li Jin'ao. It might be too early for him to have arrived yet. He is travelling on foot, after all.

At some point, they'll have to try to get out without the Feather Guard following them. They might be able to get Geminus to help with that, he thinks; ask it to impersonate whoever ends up sneaking out, so no one will catch on to one of them missing. Maybe after they find out what Zhao Guanshou wants from them.

Well, what he wants other than to take Ye Liuxi to get a prophecy from a snake, in any case. Maybe Chang Dong is too much of an outsider, because he has a hard time putting too much faith in the idea of prophecy by snake. It sounds like superstition, even though he's coming to learn that what he deems superstition is just everyday reality inside the Pass.

Chang Dong finds himself wanting to ask Li Jin'ao about what to expect with the prophecy. Chang Dong trusts his answers about the exotic beasts far more than he does anyone else's. (Well, apart from Chou, of course.)

Perhaps, now that they can tell Li Jin'ao what the beast on Ye Liuxi's arm is, he might have some ideas about what to do about it. They need options aside from cutting off Ye Liuxi's arm. That is far too drastic a step to take when they don't even know if it would work.

They haven't been in Black Stone City for long, but Chang Dong is already wishing they were elsewhere.

They can't trust anyone here and they'll have to sneak out to see the one person who they might be able to trust. It doesn't make for a very comfortable place to stay.

The thought makes him almost want to laugh. That's more or less been their entire experience in Yumen Pass, hasn't it? A-He had been one of the first people they'd met inside the Pass, and she's turned out to be a spy for the Feather Guard. No, trust has been in short supply inside the Pass. But somehow things were still more comfortable outside Black Stone City. Maybe it's just that he feels trapped here, in a way he hadn't anywhere else.

No, so far, Chang Dong doesn't like Black Stone City too much.


In the end, they don't quite have time to find out whatever Zhao Guanshou's plans might be before Fei Tang and A-He go missing. Before they get delivered a tongue. It makes Ding Liu scream, and Chang Dong wants to yell at the Feather Guard for just showing it to them like that.

He wants to be angry at someone.

He doesn't want to be angry at Fei Tang for being stupid enough to go out alone. After all, the Feather Guard were supposed to keep them safe here.

It hardly makes it any better once they get A-He back and find out that they've replaced her tongue with another. They'd still cut hers out.

"It's a substitute tongue," someone explains and Chang Dong realises no one in the Feather Guard even seems particularly upset by it.

It turns out that now Fei Tang's kidnapper can talk to them through A-He.


Chou is, in his own opinion, a very uncomplicated person. He's not good at dealing with plots and subterfuge and whatever complications keep arising, mostly he trusts Chang Dong and Ye Liuxi to figure out such things. They'll tell him what to do and in the meantime Chou will keep everyone safe, here and now.

He's aware that the situation they're in right now is complicated. They're not entirely sure who they can trust. The Scorpion Eye, who seems to have taken Fei Tang want one thing, and the Feather Guard have their own agenda and none of it spells anything good for any of the people Chou cares about.

All he really wants to do is sink his teeth and claws into something and make them give Fei Tang back. But it's not quite that easy.

Instead, he's sneaking out of Zhao Guanshou's mansion to go find Li Jin'ao, because Chang Dong tells him they need to talk to him. Chou is the one most likely to find Li Jin'ao in a place as big as Black Stone City. It's been a while since Chou had reason to track down prey, but it's not a skill he can forget.

He knows Li Jin'ao, he knows his scent and feel, and perhaps more importantly those gnats of his have a very distinct feel to them, they will be easier to find among all the people in Black Stone City. It's still not easy, there are beasts flying over the city itself, confusing Chou's senses. There are sorcerers walking around everywhere, and even if most of them are minor ones of little power, they still make Chou wary and have their own way of distracting his senses.

But Chou won't fail. He can't.


Somehow, Chou manages to sneak Li Jin'ao inside without anyone noticing. Maybe the Feather Guard isn't bothering to keep such a close eye on them now that they know they'll need the Feather Guard's help to get Fei Tang back. Perhaps it's the fact that A-He is staying with them; the Feather Guard has one of their own there with them all the time. Or maybe Chou really is that good at going unnoticed, even when he's encumbered with someone who is not particularly good at sneaking.

Chang Dong hadn't doubted Chou when he promised that he could find Li Jin'ao and bring him here without notice, but he isn't quite used to Chou being someone who hides in the shadows, despite how he's told Chang Dong that he's made to blend in. In his own quiet way, for as long as Chang Dong has known him, Chou has always made a point of standing out.

Or he had, until they decided to go to Black Stone City, and Chou had let Chang Dong wash away his makeup and then he'd never put it back on again. Chang Dong feels a twinge of guilt. He rests his hand on Chou's arm, looking at him with worry.

Chou meets his gaze with warm eyes.

"Thank you," Chang Dong says, because there's no time for his guilt or anything else right now.

Chou nods a little and then looks over at Ye Liuxi. She gives him a quick nod, before all of them turn to Li Jin'ao. There's a lot to talk about, and they need to be done before everyone else wakes up.


It turns out that Li Jin'ao doesn't know any more about the Kuai dragon than what the Demon Museum had already told them, though he gets a thoughtful look on his face as they explain what they'd found out. It's a bit disappointing, but not really surprising since he hadn't recognised it when Ye Liuxi had shown it to him before.

When Ye Liuxi asks about cutting her arm off, he takes a moment to think about it before telling them he's relatively sure that it would actually work in removing its influence from her.

"Wouldn't it be enough to remove the tattoo?" Chang Dong asks with a deep frown. He looks at Ye Liuxi for a moment, she doesn't look happy either, but there's a determination deep in her eyes that Chang Dong isn't sure he likes. Not when it comes to this.

"It's not quite a tattoo. I think it goes deeper than that, and if you only try to peel off the skin—" Li Jin'ao stumbles for a moment, staring at Ye Liuxi's arm as if he's imagining doing just that. He clears his throat and says, "It would have time to move."

That's not good news, but Li Jin'ao is more familiar with the effects of exotic beasts than any of them, and there's no reason to doubt his assessment. Chang Dong glances briefly at Chou, who's been listening to them silently all this time. He waits for Chou's gaze to meet his, hoping that Chou might contradict Li Jin'ao's words, but Chou stays as silent as ever. His gaze stays on Chang Dong for a moment, before moving away again. It's long enough for Chang Dong to realise he's just as worried as Chang Dong.

"Jiang Zhan has the same tattoo," Ye Liuxi reminds them quietly.

Chang Dong looks at her and nods. As does Qingzhi, if those men at the inn are to be believed.

There are supposed to be three of those dragons, each with different memory-altering effects. That would account for all three, but which of them is which? Does it matter in the current circumstance what the other two are? The effects of the one on Ye Liuxi's arm seem rather clear, since it's removed the memories of her past.

"It's a Long family secret," Li Jin'ao blurts out suddenly.

Chang Dong and Ye Liuxi both turn to look at Li Jin'ao. Chou is still standing quietly by the wall, and even his eyes stop on Li Jin'ao for a moment before moving on.

Waiting. Guarding.

Chang Dong feels better for it, knowing that Chou will notice if anyone comes close enough to hear them. Chou would protect them from any threat.

"The Kuai dragon. It's one of the Long family's secrets, that's what I was trying to remember," Li Jin'ao says with evident satisfaction at finally having remembered. Then he shakes his head, all triumph bleeding out of his expression, leaving a sad sort of resignation behind. "But that means only they know how to use it."

Chang Dong and Ye Liuxi share a look. They haven't seen any direct involvement from the Long family so far, but they had been told that the heir of the Long family is the one who had pushed Ye Liuxi out of Yumen Pass, saving her life. They'd been told that she's still recovering from that incident and she's been rarely seen since.

It's hardly proof of anything, but it is another point of suspicion. There are so many suspicions, so many separate pieces of information that seem to not quite fit together, some of them even contradicting each other. Chang Dong feels like if he could only put together all the puzzle pieces correctly, he'd have all the answers they need.

"What other secrets does the Long family have?" Chou asks from where he's standing. Chang Dong turns to look at him, surprised to hear him speak. He's watching Li Jin'ao intently, and even though he hasn't moved from his position, for a moment, Chang Dong gets the impression like he's ready to rip the information out of Li Jin'ao if he has to.

Li Jin'ao doesn't quite squeak, but it's not far from it. "They're secrets! No one knows," he protests, shaking his head.

"If you can think of anything, it might be helpful," Chang Dong tells him, trying to sound a bit more soothing. He looks at Ye Liuxi and then at Chou. "We need to go talk to the others about the Sheep's Horn Cup."

They still need to get the real one back from Zhao Guanshou if they want to trade it for Fei Tang. Chang Dong isn't prepared to take the risk that the Scorpion Eye might recognise the fake one, even though none of them had noticed A-He making the switch.

Ye Liuxi makes a quick noise of agreement. Chou nods slightly and then gestures his intention to stay here with Li Jin'ao, while they find the others. Chang Dong hesitates for a moment, looking back at Li Jin'ao, before nodding his agreement. Someone should stay to keep an eye on him, all things considered.

Chang Dong knows Chou won't harm him, he has no reason to, even though Li Jin'ao doesn't look quite so convinced.


Going to Gold Mine Mountain with so many of the Feather Guard with them sits wrong with Chang Dong. It should be reassuring to have the backup, but he can't quite find it in him to trust any of them. Both he and Ye Liuxi agree that the fact that Fei Tang had been kidnapped in the middle of Black Stone City is either very suspicious or speaks of worrying incompetence on the Feather Guard's part. In either case, Chang Dong fails to feel reassured by their presence.

Still, he asks Ding Liu and Gao Shen to stay out here with them, while he, Ye Liuxi and Chou go into the mines. Part of him would far prefer to stay together, but the two of them are not incompetent and can keep themselves safe. They managed to get the real Sheep's Horn Cup from Zhao Guanshou on their own, didn't they? And someone needs to stay here and keep an eye on the Feather Guard. Chang Dong doesn't want to leave them at his back without any supervision.

Maybe it will leave Ding Liu and Gao Shen out of danger. After all, the danger should be inside the Mountain, not out here. He hopes that's true.

Why he decides to take Valley Guardian with them, Chang Dong really couldn't say. But the rooster is as worried about Fei Tang as any of them and maybe Chang Dong has been more influenced by all the superstition than he'd like to admit. Ye Liuxi gives him an amused look but doesn't say anything about it.

They make their careful way into the Mountain. There are no workers to be seen anywhere. Whether that's the Scorpion Eye's doing or the Feather Guard's, Chang Dong can't tell. Either or, he's relieved that there are no innocents around to endanger. It's bad enough to think that the people here might be forced to work, they don't need any of them to bring them more danger.

The thought of forced labour doesn't sit too well with Chang Dong. He tries to put it out of his mind, they have other things to concentrate on right now. But the thought keeps coming back, as they walk deeper into the mines.

No one tries to stop them. It seems obvious that they wouldn't, if they want to exchange Fei Tang for the Sheep's Horn Cup, but Chang Dong wouldn't have been too surprised if they'd tried to attack them on the way and take the Sheep's Horn Cup by force.

It makes for a tense walk through the narrow, roughly hewn corridors.

Then they finally find Jiang Zhan and Qingzhi, with Fei Tang trussed up and hanging above a chasm.


The Sheep's Horn Cup falls shattered down into the chasm. Chou sees the fight break out between Jiang Zhan and Ye Liuxi. He sees Chang Dong's attention focusing on Fei Tang, as he tries to figure out how to get him down. Chou knows how difficult it is for Chang Dong to ignore the fight going on and leave Ye Liuxi to her own devices. It's just as difficult for Chou.

Both Chang Dong and Ye Liuxi could use his help. His teeth itch, his jaws creaking. The need to go to them is nearly overwhelming, the needs to attack and protect both screaming inside him. Chou holds onto his reason with desperation, refusing to let it go and be swept away by his own instincts.

He forces himself to look away from both Chang Dong and Ye Liuxi. He lifts his gaze, looking beyond the chasm, at the people standing on the other side. There, a woman standing, half-shadowed, watching everything that's happening.

Qingzhi, he thinks. She isn't doing anything. She isn't a danger at the moment.

Suddenly, she calls out to Jiang Zhan, urging him to kill Ye Liuxi.

Chou can't let her go. He remembers Chang Dong and Ye Liuxi both had been convinced that they need to capture her if possible. Neither of them are able to do anything about it at the moment.

He feels his grasp on his own reason slipping. It's only been a few heartbeats. Ye Liuxi is still fighting. Chang Dong is still trying to get to Fei Tang.

It doesn't matter what they want with the woman. She wants Ye Liuxi to die. She's dangerous and Chou will stop her.

He stops holding back the change. He stops holding himself back. He's already moving as his jaws crack sharply, the pain of bones shifting and lengthening subsumed in the need to hunt. He bounds over the bridge, past Ye Liuxi and her fight with Jiang Zhan. He doesn't look away from Qingzhi, some part of him aware enough to know that he can't afford the distraction.

She sees him coming, how could she not? She tries to get away, tries to attack him with something. He ignores it, even as heat flashes against his skin, hot enough to burn away the remnants of his human disguise.

He doesn't spare any attention to the other Scorpion Eye members with her, entirely focused on her. Something sharp sinks into his shoulder, pain biting through him. He ignores it, snarling as he bares down on her.

She screams as his claws sink into her arm and then she's on the ground, his teeth at her throat and no one dares to try to stop him anymore.

That's when he hears the explosions. And Jiang Zhan's scream, "Qingzhi!"


For a moment, Jiang Zhan is distracted by Chou's attack on Qingzhi. Ye Liuxi doesn't hesitate to take the opportunity. Her blade cuts into Jiang Zhan's arm, the momentum carrying it all the way through, severing his arm right below the elbow. She can only hope that the tattoo really is in the same place as hers, there's no time to check. She just swings her knife and hopes for the best.

Even in the midst of the chaos, as his arm falls off the bridge, tumbling off who knows where, she takes a moment to appreciate the fine blade Chang Dong has gifted her. Not every knife would cut through bone like that.

Instead of screaming, like she expects him to, Jiang Zhan lets out a choked off gasp, thudding down to his knees on the bridge. She doesn't think about what she's doing when she steps closer to him, bending down a little to support him, when just moments ago they'd been doing their very best to kill each other.

She can feel him trembling as she touches him, but he doesn't react to her in any way.

"Liuxi," she hears Chang Dong's voice call for her. She blinks. Her eyes are blurry for some reason. She blinks again, lifting one hand to her own face. Her cheeks are wet.

Chang Dong's hand is on her shoulder. "Go get Fei Tang, I didn't have time to get him down. I'll see to Jiang Zhan's wound," Chang Dong says, his voice firm.

Ye Liuxi blinks. She looks at Jiang Zhan. His eyes are flicking from side to side like he's watching something, but he's not looking at them. He still hasn't reacted to them at all. One of her arms is still steadying him, just in case, and he's still shaking. She can feel the tremors going through him.

She doesn't want to let go of him and she can't even remember why. But Chang Dong will know what to do better than she does. He's the one who knows about first aid.

She nods abruptly, letting go of Jiang Zhan and stepping away. He sways a little, but stays where he is. She doesn't think he's even noticed her.

Suddenly, she realises the bridge beneath her is shaking. She looks around, and the whole mountain seems to be shaking. Somehow, she'd missed what's going on. It might not be the best idea to stay here for too long.

She meets Chang Dong's eyes and he nods at her. She nods back. He'll make sure Jiang Zhan is taken care of.

She looks over at Fei Tang, still tied up, hanging from those ropes. She looks over to the other side of the bridge. There should be a way to pull him back there, surely. Her eyes land on Chou, with the woman lying beneath him, two men standing there with weapons drawn, staring helplessly down at them unwilling to do anything that would put the woman in danger.

"Qingzhi," Jiang Zhan says suddenly. Ye Liuxi looks at him. Chang Dong is holding onto what's remaining of his arm, and Jiang Zhan isn't even trying to get away. He's just sitting there on his knees, staring up at her with sad, hurt eyes. Something twinges in Ye Liuxi's chest, but she doesn't have time for that now.

There are explosions somewhere and they need to figure out what's happening.

She hardens her expression, and then turns away from Jiang Zhan, striding over to the other side of the bridge.

"Drop the weapons, unless you want her to die," she tells the two men. There's a moment of hesitation, before their blades clatter to the ground. She looks down at the woman lying on the ground, under Chou. Most of her is obscured by Chou's larger body, but she can see her hands fisted tightly, pressed against the ground, her eyes screwed shut as Chou snarls, teeth at her throat.

She can see a bloody gash on her arm.

"Keep her there while I get Fei Tang," Ye Liuxi orders. Chou growls in response and Ye Liuxi steps closer, briefly touching his shoulder.

She glares at the two unarmed men, and they take a few steps back. She huffs and turns to figure out how to get Fei Tang down. Once that's done, they can figure out what the hell is going on outside the mountain.


She stares at Zhao Guanshou across the corridor. The Feather Guard has been forced to retreat into the mines because of what's going on outside and now here they are. Ye Liuxi smiles.

Zhao Guanshou looks at her briefly before his eyes are inexorably drawn to the woman next to her, her hands bound tightly behind her back. Chou's claws are at her throat, his arm wrapped slightly around her, waiting for her to make one single wrong move. Zhao Guanshou doesn't say anything, but she can see the effort it takes him to pull his eyes away from the woman, to look over at the pale and trembling Jiang Zhan instead, slightly behind her. Ye Liuxi doesn't quite know how to feel about him, he can remember her now, but she still doesn't remember him. So she's pushed the issue out of her mind for now. She'll deal with it when she has the time.

"I think I've figured it out now," Chang Dong says, speaking up calmly. "This was all meant to leave the Scorpion Eye in the hands of the fake Qingzhi."

She's looking at Zhao Guanshou's face as Chang Dong speaks. His expression falters for a split second before regaining its impassivity. It's impressive really how calm he manages to look.

"I'll let you and what remains of the Feather Guard go back to Black Stone City, but we'll need to keep Miss Long for a little while longer," Ye Liuxi tells him. The confirmation that she knows exactly who they have in their grasp, makes the impassive look on Zhao Guanshou's face fall away.

He doesn't even try to stop his gaze from going back to the Long heir. It's not like it matters now.

"I was going to kill her," Ye Liuxi says calmly, glancing briefly towards the woman, and Chou holding her. "But she made quite an effective bargain for her life," Ye Liuxi says, meeting the woman's defiant, angry eyes.

Three more years of Chang Dong's life is a deal Ye Liuxi could never say no to. Not once the woman had explained what she'd done to Chang Dong. She would have made the woman do it already, but there hasn't quite been the time, with all the fighting going on.

After, they'll have three more years to find a way to convince the Longs to do it again, or find another way of keeping Chang Dong alive. Ye Liuxi would put the odds on their side.

"We'll send her back afterwards," she says, looking straight at Zhao Guanshou. She means it too. She can't afford to kill this daughter of the Long's if she wants them to keep Chang Dong alive three years from now.

Besides, Ye Liuxi is grateful to her for saving Chang Dong's life, no matter why she'd done it. Maybe if she could remember all the grief she's caused Ye Liuxi, it would be a different matter, but as it is, it's easy enough to find enough mercy in her to keep the woman alive, even after she does her part in extending Chang Dong's life.

"We still have your friends," Zhao Guanshou says, looking reluctant to actually say it. But it's the obvious play to make, and Ye Liuxi can't fault him for making it. They do have Ding Liu and Gao Shen. And A-He, she supposes.

Fei Tang is the only one who reacts to Zhao Guanshou's words, making a distressed noise before getting a hold of himself.

Ye Liuxi's lips stretch out in a smile that she's very far from actually feeling. "Miss Long is far too important to you to bargain for her like that," she says.

For a moment, Ye Liuxi had wanted to tell him that the people he's holding aren't nearly as important to Ye Liuxi as this woman is to Zhao Guanshou. But it turns out that when it comes right down to it, it's a lie she isn't willing to tell. She's grown too attached to them, and she can't even truly regret it.

Zhao Guanshou stares at her, his eyes hard. "We can wait until you're done with Miss Long."

Ye Liuxi considers it for a moment and then inclines her head slightly. "In that case, we'll take A-He off your hands as well," she tells him. Fei Tang probably wouldn't forgive her if she left the girl with them, and strangely enough, Ye Liuxi actually finds that she cares about that.


They still haven't left the mines. The Feather Guard is gone, Long Zhi with them. The Silver Silkworm paired with the one in his heart is around Ye Liuxi's wrist now, even though none of them knows how to use it. It seems like the safest place for it, leaving it with Long Zhi had hardly been an option when she could use it to stop his heart at any time she wished.

Chang Dong rubs at his chest quietly. It feels no different from before. But he's not the only one who remembers that night his heart had stopped for no reason at all. He can see it in their eyes when they look at him.

Three more years of life. Two years ago, Chang Dong might have been happy to be told that his life has a clear expiration date. But now, he very much finds that he wants to live.

He lets his hand drop to his side. There's no point in thinking about it now. He has three years, and plenty of reasons to live.

"We should probably get Jiang Zhan to a doctor," Chang Dong says.

Ye Liuxi grunts slightly in acknowledgement and doesn't say anything. She stays quiet for quite a while. Chang Dong waits for her. It feels like she wants to say something.

"I feel… worried about him. But I still can't remember anything about him," she finally says quietly. She's frowning, hand stroking her forearm absently, while she looks out at nothing. Or maybe at the wall of the cave.

There's a whole story written on the walls. Jiang Zhan had showed them here, clearly hoping that Ye Liuxi would remember something. Chang Dong can easily recall his hoarse voice as he tells Ye Liuxi of their past in the mines.

They'd had to take him to rest afterwards, and Ye Liuxi had returned here. Chang Dong and Chou had followed her.

He shares a worried look with Chou. It's not hard to figure out what Ye Liuxi is thinking about. He watches her fingers tighten around her arm.

"You still want to cut your arm off?" he asks. It still seems like an extreme measure to Chang Dong. They should have demanded that Long Zhi removed the Kuai dragon, but Long Zhi had stared defiantly at them and told them that they could kill her, but she still wouldn't do it. After all, Ye Liuxi had already promised she could leave if she extended Chang Dong's life.

Ye Liuxi had nodded, and let her go. The decision had seemed so easy for her. Chang Dong can't help but love her all the more for it, even when it makes him feel guilty.

Chang Dong had seen the hate in Long Zhi's eyes when she looked at Ye Liuxi. They should have made her give Ye Liuxi her memories back, no matter the cost. They should have killed Long Zhi, Chang Dong thinks desperately, even as he knows exactly why they couldn't. They still need the Longs. For Chang Dong's sake.

Chang Dong doesn't want to kill anyone, but Long Zhi is dangerous. She's dangerous to Ye Liuxi.

"I think there are things I need to know," Ye Liuxi says seriously, her gaze focusing on Chang Dong.

He watches Chou step closer to her, wrapping his arms around her from behind and nuzzling against the back of her neck. Ye Liuxi leans back against him. Chang Dong smiles at them.

"At least wait until we find a doctor," Chang Dong tells her. If she's made up her mind Chang Dong knows he can't change it. And it's her decision to make, not his.

Ye Liuxi hums shortly in answer, before holding an arm out to Chang Dong. Chang Dong huffs, and moves closer to the two of them. He takes Ye Liuxi's hand, his fingers sliding in between hers.

"Will you still think I'm pretty if I only have one hand?" she asks teasingly.

"I don't know. You're not that—'' he starts to say, but Ye Liuxi's lips against his own cut him off. Chou's warm arm wraps around Chang Dong's shoulder.

He finds himself smiling into the kiss. Maybe they can worry about everything later.

Three months later

Chang Dong watches as Chou walks through the camp, his painted face distinct even at a distance. People give him wary looks, ducking out of his way. With all the fighting, it's been impossible to hide Chou's nature from their own people. It doesn't seem right to Chang Dong, the way people act around him, despite how he's personally saved the lives of far too many of them.

Chou always acts like it doesn't bother him. Chang Dong knows he'd tell him that the people he really cares about trust him and that's all that matters. Maybe he's right, but it still bothers Chang Dong, but there's not much he can do about it.

Telling people not to be afraid of Chou makes no difference. These people have all grown up afraid of the exotic beasts, and when they look at Chou that's what they see.

Chang Dong sighs and gives Fei Tang, who's sitting next to him, a brief look.

"You don't need to keep me company," Fei Tang says, smiling weakly. The fight over Red Brick City hadn't sat right with him. It hadn't sat right with Chang Dong either if he's honest, none of the fighting does, but he's dealing with it better than Fei Tang.

"I'll go see if A-He needs any help," Fei Tang says with a faint smile.

Chang Dong is pretty sure that the reason he isn't with A-He at the moment is because the young woman had gotten frustrated with him again. They generally get along well enough, but sometimes they end up arguing about the silliest of things. Chang Dong thinks it's because they don't want to argue about the things that really matter. A-He is taking to the war they're fighting far better than Fei Tang.

"You should do that," Chang Dong agrees and then stands up, walking towards Chou.

He meets him halfway to their tent.

He gives Chou a quick once over. He hasn't seen Chou for a while and by now it's automatic to check that he's okay. Chang Dong finds he does it to everyone these days.

Chou seems to be okay, but he notices there's a faintly worried look on his face, visible under the makeup.

"Is everything okay?" Chang Dong asks as they both stop for a moment. He reaches out to take Chou's hand. Things in Yumen Pass are different than outside, there's no reason why he can't hold Chou's hand in front of everyone. He leans in, brushing a kiss against Chou's painted cheek. It still feels weird to be so affectionate in front of everyone, but Chang Dong has missed Chou, even though he hasn't truly been gone for that long.

And maybe a part of him hopes that if he makes it obvious how very not intimidated by Chou he is, maybe some of the people around them will get the hint.

Chou shakes his head slightly and tugs him along as he continues walking towards their tent. Chang Dong doesn't ask again, just follows along quietly. Ye Liuxi should be in the tent, and if there's something Chou needs to tell her Chang Dong can wait to hear it until all three of them are in one place.

Ye Liuxi looks up at them as they approach. She's sitting on a chair outside the tent, her feet up on another chair. The fingers of her metal arm are wrapped around a mug of something. The arm is still new and Chang Dong's eyes are drawn to it for a moment. Ye Liuxi had never let the lack of an arm slow her down.

Chang Dong had eventually gotten over the guilt after some very blunt words from Ye Liuxi, but he's still grateful for the new hand, if only because Ye Liuxi is ridiculously excited by it.

The automatic way she smiles as she looks up at them warms Chang Dong's heart. A heartbeat later, her eyes focus on Chou. She straightens up, letting her feet fall down to the ground and gestures at the now freed chair.

"How is it?" she asks, looking at Chou.

Chou grimaces faintly and then shakes his head. Chang Dong looks from one to the other, waiting for someone to clarify. Chou has been of a lot more practical help than Chang Dong when it comes to waging a war.

Chang Dong can see why this is the course Ye Liuxi had set herself on, once she'd regained control of the Scorpion Eye. If they want to change things inside the Pass their choices are limited. A bloodless coup might sound nice, but that's hardly how things actually work. Chang Dong knows it, but it's hard to feel good about it.

He helps Ye Liuxi where he can, mostly in planning things.

Chang Dong and Chou both hesitate a moment next to the chair, trying to quietly decide which of them is actually sitting down.

"There are still beasts out in the desert," Ye Liuxi says to him and Chang Dong suddenly realises where Chou had been coming from. It's not the first time he's stopped to find some of the beasts, to try and solicit some support from those capable of it.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Chang Dong asks.

Chou shrugs a little, and then pushes slightly at Chang Dong, making him sit down in the other chair, before folding down to sit on the ground at Chang Dong's feet. Chou leans against his legs, and Chang Dong tangles his fingers into his hair. The ponytail is longer than it's ever been.

"You were busy with Fei Tang," Ye Liuxi says in explanation. He supposes he has been spending a lot of time with Fei Tang ever since they left Red Brick City. The fight had been— A lot of people had died.

"We got word from Jiang Zhan in Huyang City," Ye Liuxi says, pulling Chang Dong's thoughts back to the conversation at hand.

"Everything went well?" Chang Dong asks. Ye Liuxi makes a short noise of agreement.

Chang Dong knows she's still worried for Jiang Zhan. To be honest, he's worried about the man too, but giving Jiang Zhan something worthwhile to do, is quite possibly the best thing for everyone. And since they'd split their forces, putting Jiang Zhan in charge of the other half was the obvious choice.

"Xiao Liu and Gao Shen are with him," Chang Dong points out. It had been their choice to go with Jiang Zhan's people. Chang Dong suspects it has at least a little to do with the fact that Ye Liuxi had been very obviously reluctant to leave Jiang Zhan alone. Well, obvious to the few of them that Ye Liuxi was comfortable sharing that kind of thing with. They'd gone with Jiang Zhan to keep him safe, for Ye Liuxi's sake.

His words brighten Ye Liuxi's expression a little. "He better keep them safe, if he knows what's good for him," she says.

Chang Dong doesn't point out that Jiang Zhan would die before disappointing Ye Liuxi again. She knows it as well as he does. It's the kind of thing you don't say out loud.

"So, is it still Black Stone City next?" Chang Dong asks, changing the topic slightly.

Chou tilts his head back a little, looking up at him. Well, yes, Chang Dong already knows the answer to that question. If the plan had changed, no doubt both him and Chou would already be aware. Chang Dong is who Ye Liuxi talks these things through with, often while they're wrapped around each other at night, trying to sleep.

Ye Liuxi hums a small agreement instead of saying anything. Chang Dong leans over, close enough that he can reach Ye Liuxi's hand. The metal still feels strange against his fingers, the odd ridges not what he's used to, but their fingers slot together easily. Chou shifts slightly against his legs, readjusting his position.

The only other Bone Mender left is in Black Stone City and he knows Ye Liuxi wants to give it to Jiang Zhan. Giving him back the use of his arm won't change things, but perhaps it will be a step in the right direction for both Ye Liuxi and Jiang Zhan. Chang Dong's own future also lies in Black Stone City, in the hands of the Longs.

If the reasons to go to Black Stone City were only personal, Chang Dong might try to argue against it. But there's a reason so many people outside Black Stone City are prepared to fight. There's a reason why they want to put an end to the leadership in Black Stone City.

At least the fighting should be over once they have Black Stone City. He hopes it will be.

Chang Dong idly combs his fingers through Chou's hair.

"Maybe Li Jin'ao will still be there," he says thoughtfully.

Ye Liuxi hums, and reaches out to pick her mug back up with her free hand. Chang Dong turns his gaze out over the camp, watching the people in silence.

He hopes they can all stop fighting soon.

Notes:

That's it. And everyone lives happily ever after. Somehow. :D

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