The canyon welcomed them with a doomed entrance, with a rotted wooden plank that hung blackened, the words 'Do Not Enter' worn down to near illegibility. The canyon itself was so narrow that even two horses would struggle to travel side by side. The road was darkened by shadow even in the midst of day, the sun hung just out of reach beyond the tapered top that trapped whatever below. Perhaps it was a mistake to call this a canyon at all, closer to a narrow cave with parts that peeked out on top.
The horses whined in protest, stomping their hooves in protest. No sane creature wanders through the Half-Moon Doom's Path willingly.
"Is it wise to go forth?" Yu Yanlin asked, "I cannot believe that this is a good idea.
Zhang Wang didn't either and shot Chu Chanying a pointed glare. "This assassin of yours is in no way dangerous enough for us to come here."
Chu Changying's eyes went wide, her face unnaturally pale, "You don't understand! We have to go this way. I'm your Shijie." She said resolutely before kicking the hind of her steed. The horse, startled, reared up and whined. It only took a few steps before going back.
"D-damned horse!" She cursed and hopped off, fighting with the beast to enter the canyon mouth.
But no matter how much she pulled, the animal scoffed at her and refused to budge.
"I do not think it wants to go," Yu Yanlin pointed out.
"Most certainly, do you believe me blind, Mr. Bai?" The glare she sent to Yu Yanlin was one that could kill. Exasperated, Chu Changying let the horse go and stomped down the canyon path on foot, "Whatever!"
Zhang Wang didn't think twice before dismounting to chase after her.
Yu Yanlin was not so quick to follow suit, "It's not wise to go down this way. There must be another solution to this assassin. If something were to happen, I am not confident in my ability to protect you."
Since when did Zhang Wang need to be protected? He was rolling his eyes. "Yeah no thanks, just think of protecting yourself. It's not like I think this is a great idea either but I'm not going to leave my Shijie alone."
Yu Yanlin's eyes were covered but Zhang Wang could imagine the way a sharp brow would have quirked upward, "She will get you killed."
He only shrugged. "She's always been like this." As if that justified anything.
In the end, the horses were left at the edge of the path and the three of them went down the narrow road, walled in by tall cliffs.
The ground was not only jagged and filled with loose stones that tested one's balance but was also rife with steep inclines and declines. With all the ups and the downs, Zhang Wang was wondering just how much ground they were covering at all.
With the sun out of view, it was also hard to keep track of ticking time, the path naturally dark with endless shadow. The air was thick with an ominous tension, its origins unknown. Zhang Wang was almost waiting for some sort of mini boss to pop up around each and every corner.
But no such thing happened.
There was no terrible beast to slam through the cliff side to swallow them whole. There were no signs of that rumored assassin either and Zhang Wang was starting to think that Chu Changying concocted some sort of weird convoluted lie.
He grimaced at the thought, eyes fixated on her form carefully striding over rock crunching() beneath brisk steps. This Shijie of his advanced without any show of fear.
Could it really have been already five months since he'd last seen her? That time felt both incredibly long and incredibly short at the same time. During the time that he left, their relationship had turned more sour than he'd like to admit, the chasm between their friendship deepened when she decided that Sikong Ren was the better pick.
"..."
Okay, Zhang Wang will admit, he felt a bit salty. But even he knew that the problems between them ran deeper than having one mutual Shidi of theirs wedge himself between their previous relationship.
And if Chu Changying wasn't going to bring anything up from their history, Zhang Wang would gladly ignore it too.
Nightfall fell and nothing malicious had yet to come upon them. Still, a heavy cloud of something definitely hung around the air. Chu Changying wanted to keep going but Zhang Wang was able to take some sense into her and rest.
They were unable to find any natural shelter, no caves along the steep cliffs to protect them from the elements. But they were two cultivators and one demon and could tough out the wilderness for one or even a hundred nights. All it took was a few barriers set around them to ensure their safety and sleeping under the stars would not be a problem.
Yu Yanlin had found a way to create a small hearth with the limited materials that they had. A howling sound echoed through the hallway of the canyon but they paid it no mind. Zhang Wang shivered, only to remember that he was supposed to be playing lovers with Yu Yanlin. What came out of his mouth ended up being absurd, even he quirked up his lip in laughter, "Huhu, come over here quickly. I don't need a fire, I just need your body heat."
The demon king raised his head, only to continue to prod at the fire. An exaggerated pout stretched Zhang Wang's lips. He might be getting carried away. For some reason, it was almost fun acting the fool.
Chu Changying was not easily convinced and took it upon herself to glare at him, "You never told me where the two of you met."
In the corner of his eye he almost caught Yu Yanlin flinching as he stepped away from the fire and found a spot to sit right next to Zhang Wang, a hand's width apart. Zhang Wang rolls his eyes and motioned for him to sit closer. Closer until their sides were pressing against each other, circulating warmth.
"We met at the Palace of Sins," he answered casually, snaking an arm around Yu Yanlin's tense waist and leaned into that muscular arm.
"What?" Chu Changying's voice came out sharp.
But Zhang Wang laughed easily, "He was traveling nearby in Wanzui, I met him here."
"You were in Wanzui." Her eyes narrowed at the two of them. Wanzui was the demon city closest to the Palace of Sins. Recently it was the target of sieges and before it enjoyed traffic from both demons and humans alike. Though people did not admit to it, there were many demonic wares that were popular and sold for high prices in the human world, and there were greedy merchants that did not fear venturing to places like Wanzui for trading.
A few weeks ago he heard news of Sikong Ren happening upon Wanzui's city gates. That city was undoubtedly lying in waste and ruin. Though he wouldn't admit it to many, Zhang Wang kind of liked it there. "Yeah. I was traveling and gathering intel. Bai Hu here was escorting a merchant, weren't you, Huhu?"
'Huhu' looked down at the Immortal of a Thousand Blossoms and nodded stiffly. He was rewarded with a kiss on the lips and a teasing tongue that flickered at him but pulled away in an instant.
"Intel," Chu Changying became even nosier, "Just who were you gathering intel for? We hadn't gotten word from you in months!"
"Well, it was originally for Xiao Ren of course. Remember that dare he made with me? Ah, anyway that's not an important detail. I ended up getting swept up in a bunch of things, you know? I even stopped a whole human trafficking ring that was lead by the Dart Frogs!"
Some things were a little exaggerated and he didn't mind fabricating parts to his advantage but Zhang Wang used real anecdotes to make his lie more believable.
He was really hoping his Shijie would eventually let him off so he could sleep but instead she continued to narrow her eyes at him. But it wasn't his grandiose anecdotes of adventure that caught her attention. Instead, she asked, "What dare?"