I bit my lip as the two guards as the gate regarded us suspiciously and tugged my hood a little lower.
We were disguised right now, hiding the fact we weren’t human behind our clothes, but no doubt we would have to reveal our true selves inside.
Zhi didn’t portray any kind of nervousness, patiently waiting.
Finally, the guard stepped aside, and one handed back our invitation.
“Lady Tang has been expecting you.
Please, follow me.” The guard turned as the gate opened, and we followed him in.
The compound was large, and a few servants paused to see the two strangers walk through, towards the main residence.
The buildings here had purple roofs rather than blue, and each one was sturdy, made of solid stone.
Decorated with signs, lanterns, and architectural quirks.
Soon, I spotted the first family member, a young man who regarded us suspiciously.
Then an older woman.
Their deep violet eyes followed us as we followed the guard towards the luxurious mansion in the center of the compound.
However, none dared to impede us, and the guard handed us off to the guard at the gate to her mansion.
The new guard was equally suspicious, but he sent word to the matriarch, and led us to the audience chamber.
Once inside, Zhi smoothly kneeled, and I followed him, not quite as smooth.
But we both paid our respects to the matriarch of the family.
She sat in an ornate wooden throne, on a raised dais at the other end of the room.
Her face was deeply lined with wrinkles, but there was a sharpness to her eyes that couldn’t be denied.
Her hair was long, and done in an elaborate updo, iron gray.
With golden ornaments aplenty to complement her royal robes, a deep violet as well.
Rich violet curtains with golden patterns were behind her.
The floor we kneeled on was a rich mahogany.
A much younger woman stood beside her, with black hair and sharp violet eyes, the same as the matriarch, and the hallmark of the Tang family.
She wore a more athletic dress than her grandmother, with pants underneath, the dress a familiar violet and her pants black.
Her hair came down to her waist and was in one long braid.
The heir of the Tang family, Tang Xiu.
The matriarch addressed us.
“It seems not all visitors to the Tang family are bereft of manners.
Please, rise.
I understand you have a gift for me.”
We both stood up, and I summoned the box.
I glanced towards Zhi, unsure of how I was supposed to give it to her.
Xiu answered for me, stepping down the stairs lightly, approaching us.
I handed her the box, and she opened it up.
I felt her chi senses sweep over us and the poison before withdrawing, and she nodded.
“Grandmother, this is indeed the Xintao Snake poison that was stolen from us.” She returned to the matriarch’s side, closing the box, and holding it close.
Lady Tang’s eyes flashed.
“I see.
How generous.
Will the generous benefactors of the Tang please reveal their faces?
Then I can thank you properly.”
Moment of truth.
Zhi took a deep breath before pulling back his hood.
Xiu gasped, but the matriarch didn’t blink.
She tilted her head.
I pulled my hood down too and let my tail drop.
“How… interesting.
The two of you are not spirit beasts.
You cultivate like humans.
Tell me, do you have names?”
Zhi answered her.
“Indeed.
We are not average cultivators.
However, you may not believe me when I tell you my name, but I assure you it is the truth.”
“I have seen many incredible things over my long life.
Not much can surprise me anymore.
Go ahead and speak.”
“My name is Liu Zhihao.”
She blinked.
“… I must congratulate you.
You’ve surprised me.
Are you really Liu Zhihao?
The last I heard, the heir of the Liu family died, and his body was dragged through the streets of Jianshun with the rest of the family.”
“I used a family treasure to reincarnate with my mind, soul, and memories intact.
But I could not choose my body and was reincarnated as a monkey.”
The matriarch took a few seconds to absorb that.
“Even for me that is a little unbelievable.
Please, understand my skepticism.
You have no way to verify your identity, and I never met the boy in real life.”
Xiu stepped forward.
“If I may Grandmother, I met the young master of the Liu family once.
Liu Zhihao, if it’s truly you, then tell me what happened at the Dengshu Inn during the Young Tigers Tournament.”
Zhi immediately grimaced.
“I met Xaoge for the first time and… and I hit on you, he defended you and I ended up pouring sake all over him.”
Oh.
That’s right.
When they first met in the book, that was Xiu there.
I glared at him as he shifted uncomfortably under both my and the grandmother’s eyes.
Xiu nodded.
“You’re being far more respectful than you were that day, but I suppose now you know my real identity.
Grandmother, I believe this is the real Liu Zhihao.”
The grandmother sighed.
“I suppose it is.
However, who is the monkey beside you?
Is she another family member who escaped the same as you?”
I shook my head and answered before Zhi could speak for me.
“No, though I am a member of the Liu family, I was not a part of the family when disaster struck.
I am Liu Ming, Zhi’s wife.”
Xiu turned to the side and snorted, while the grandmother simply nodded.
“I see.
And… how can we thank you for the generous gift you have given us?”
Zhi took this one.
“We would like shelter and access to your chi formations for cultivation.
As well as… a possible alliance.”
Xiu turned sharply back to us, eyes glittering, as her grandmother leaned back in her throne, thoughtful.
“An alliance.
I presume you mean against Xaoge.
I assume you want revenge against him and the Soaring Skies Sect.”
Zhi nodded.
“We have information that can be very damaging against Xaoge if it leaks.
Moreover, he also cast aside your family after you aided him.
Don’t you also wish for vengeance against the man who sent your family into decline?”
The matriarch was silent, the only sound her tapping her nails against the wooden throne, deep in thought.
Finally, she sighed.
“No.”
Oh.
Xiu whipped towards her grandmother.
“Grandmother?!
What do you mean!?”
Xiu shrank under the matriarch’s withering glare.
“Silence Xiu.
I have made my decision.
I will not risk what little influence our clan has left for a chance at petty revenge.
However…” She turned back to us, her eyes softening slightly.
“The two of you are welcome to stay and cultivate until you reach Core Formation.
It is the least we can do to thank you for returning our precious treasure to us.”
Zhi had a sour look, and he opened his mouth.
Oh, hell no.
I elbowed him.
Hard.
He gasped and I stepped forward and bowed to the matriarch.
“Thank you for your generosity.
We shall not forget your kindness.”
The matriarch chuckled.
“No, thank you.
And while the Tang clan cannot aid you in your quest for vengeance, we do hope for your success.
Xiu, can you please take them to our guest quarters?
A rather remote one, to keep their… natures a secret.
And assign only the most trustworthy servants there.
Not a word can leak about them.”
Xiu bowed.
“Yes Grandmother.”
The matriarch pushed up from the throne, our audience over, and took the poison from Xiu.
She carried it herself as she walked out, behind the curtain.
I let out my breath and turned to glare at Zhi, who was pissed.
“What the fuck Ming?!”
“Zhi, we both know you were about to say something rude.
I stopped you because if I didn’t you might have gotten us kicked out.”
He grumbled as his eyes slid away from mine.
“Still, you didn’t have to hit me so hard.”
A chuckle reminded us we weren’t alone.
Tang Xiu regarded us with an amused expression.
“Liu Zhihao.
I never would have guessed we would meet again.
It seems you have changed much in that short time.”
Zhi sighed.
“I have.
And uh… sorry about hitting on you when we first met.”
Xiu blinked and her eyes met mine.
“It seems marriage suits you.
Please, pull up your hoods and follow me.
I shall assign you a courtyard.”
Once we disguised ourselves again, Xiu took us out of the main residence, and through the compound, to the northwest corner.
She brought us inside, and it was… pretty nice.
Clearly something used for less important guests, but it had all the necessities.
“Now, before I go and speak with the house manager about sending you some servants, I wanted to ask if you’re serious about getting vengeance on Li Xaoge.” Her eyes sharpened as she turned to us.
Zhi growled.
“Of course I am.
He killed my entire family.
Why wouldn’t I be serious?”
“While it’s true you are different from before, you’re still Liu Zhihao.
The troublemaker of the Liu family.”
Zhi winced.
“That was a long time ago.”
Xiu turned from him to me.
“Your name is Ming, yes?
Tell me, how did you become entangled with Zhihao?”
Uh… “Actually, we met during mating season.
He was the only other monkey I could find who could cultivate.
We had complimentary cultivation, so I’ve stuck with him ever since.”
“Oh.
Then you’re…”
I smiled.
“I was born an ordinary monkey, who was gifted in cultivation.”
Xiu nodded after a moment.
“I see.
And… what do you think of Liu Zhihao?”
“The two of you realize I’m standing right here, right?
If you’re going to talk about someone, you can at least try to do it behind their back.”
We both ignored him.
“He rushes headfirst into danger without proper strategy, believing he’s already immortal.
He thinks everything is below him and rarely considers other’s feelings, and he’s ridiculously proud for no reason.”
“Hey!
Ming!” Zhi was turning red, both from embarrassment and anger.
I nodded.
“He is an arrogant young master in every sense of the word.
But… he is also brave.
And decisive.
Once he makes up his mind, there is no stopping him, for better or for worse.
And he deeply cares for those close to him.
And while his past is troubled, he is striving to be honorable.
I believe him to be a far better man than Li Xaoge.
That’s why I’ve decided to stay by him and help him achieve his vengeance.”
Both Xiu and Zhi paused for a moment, staring at me.
Zhi’s eyes glistened while Xiu responded.
“Ah.
I see now.
Yes, I suppose he has changed much, as we all have over the past couple of decades…” Her eyes glazed over for a moment before she nodded decisively.
“Very well.
Thank you for your honest answer.
Liu Zhihao!”
“Uh… Huh?” Zhi finally stopped staring at me and looked at Xiu.
“While my grandmother denied forming an official alliance with you, I would like to help you in your revenge however I can.
I would like to see Xaoge brought down and to justice.
While I cannot involve the Tang clan too deeply, I can offer you access to information gathered by our spy network and some cultivation aids and treasures from my personal store.”
“You will?” Zhi’ looked at her, dumbstruck.
“That… That would be great.
But why?
Your grandmother refused to ally with us.”
“Yes, but not because she didn’t want to.
She is acting in the clan’s best interest.
Everyone in the Tang family burns at the mention of that traitor’s name.
We took him in when he had nowhere else to go, nursed him back to health, trained him and helped him get into Soaring Skies Sect.
And he threw us away as soon as it was convenient.
And… he… I want to watch him rot from a necrosis poison.
From the inside out.
Slowly.
If I help you, promise me he will not have an easy death.”
Zhi nodded, his eyes darkening.
“Oh.
He won’t.
I promise you that.”
Oh boy.
Not sure if I agreed with that sentiment.
Then again, I wasn’t a victim, so I’ll stay out of it.
Xiu let out a breath and nodded.
“I’ll go handle things and check the cultivation schedule to see when we can fit you in.
And you have the help of the heir of the Tang family from now on.
I’ll come back later to discuss the details.
I take it the two of you will want a dual cultivation formation?”
Zhi cleared his throat and looked away, embarrassed.
“Yes, a dual cultivation formation would be perfect.”
She gave us both a nod before leaving through the door.
Whew.
I sat at the small table and Zhi sat across from me.
“That was pretty tense, wasn’t it?
Luckily things turned out okay.”
Zhi sighed.
“I still wish we could have gotten an alliance.
An official one, not… the heir trying to help us without getting directly involved.”
“Think about it from the matriarch’s perspective.
We’ve got long odds against us, and the Tang family isn’t in a great position.
If things go badly, there’s a chance the Tang family could be wiped out completely.
We got the most important thing, a safe place to stay and grow our strength.
Even if they won’t directly help us, they’ll still keep our existence a secret and we can reach Core Formation without watching our backs.”
“I know.
You were right to keep me from speaking earlier.
I let my emotions get the best of me sometimes.
But still.
Ow!
Why did you elbow me so hard!?” He was miffed again, crossing his arms and turning away from me.
I chuckled.
“Come on, there’s no need to pout.
Surely a big strong monkey like you can handle a love tap from your wife.”
“Love tap?!
I think you almost broke a rib!
I can’t believe you would call that a love tap.
But since I’m such a good person, I’ll forgive you.”
I snorted.
“I don’t believe I called you a good person.
I said you were a better man than Li Xaoge.
You know, the demonic cultivator.
That’s a pretty low bar.”
Zhi looked crushed at that.
“You… you don’t think I’m a good person?”
Oh boy.
“Uh… no.
I do think you’re a good person.” I could feel my face heating up as I continued to make it up for hurting his feelings.
“You’re brave, and you can be really sweet when you want to be.
And I like the way you always look out for me too…” Wait.
I watched his face go from kicked puppy to smug bastard.
“Ugh!
I can’t believe you!”
Now it was my turn to be pissed, I turned away from him, my cheeks burning as he shuffled around the table.
“Oh, please go on.
What else do you like about me?
My stunning good looks?
My battle prowess?
My honor and bravery?” He sidled up to me, still smug, wrapping his arm and tail around me.
“Got to hell.” I can’t believe I called him a good person.
No, I can’t believe I fell for it.
How dare he make me feel guilty for teasing him!
“Oh Ming, why don’t you just admit you like me and get it over with already?” His smug face made me want to punch him.
Ugh, I hated it when he ended up being the one to tease me.
“Fine.
I like you.” Whatever.
I was over this.
I was about to push him away when I felt him freeze up.
Huh?
I looked up to see he was shocked, and he was stiff as a board.
What the… “Zhi?
Why are you so shocked?”
“You… you do like me?”
Oh my god.
I snorted and tried to contain my laughter.
“Zhi, Zhi are you serious?
We’ve, ha!
We’ve been together for twenty years!”
“Um, yeah, but that was mostly out of necessity, wasn’t it?”
Wait… “Necessity?
Are you saying you’re only with me out of necessity?!”
I saw his eyes widened and he stammered.
“Uh, w-well we haven’t exactly made things official until recently and—”
“Oh, so I’m just convenient now.
Is that it?
You’re only with me because I boost your cultivation and have a storage ring?”
“O-Of course not!
I… um… I enjoy your company too!”
This motherfucker!
I pushed up and glowered at him as he scrambled up too.
“Oh, of course, you like the sex.
I can’t believe this.
I should have left you to die in the snow when that immortal beat you half to death.
Then I could have got a normal mate and lived out a peaceful life.”
“What?!
Ming, you’re blowing this out of proportion.
We were just using each other for cultivation back then anyway!”
“No, apparently you were using me for cultivation.
All those years together, and did you really never see me as your partner until I told you about my past life?”
The blank look on his face almost made me slap him.
I snarled at him and marched towards the doors, determined to find a bedroom and stay in it until I no longer wanted to hurt him.
“Gah!
Ming wait!
Please!” He lurched forward and grabbed my sleeve.
I turned back to him, my eyes narrowed.
“Let go, or I’ll slap you.”
He jerked his hand back, off me.
“Ming, please, you know I care about you now.”
“Now?!
Zhi I’ve always cared about you.
Ever since you decided to follow me back to my troop.
Even when you’re stubborn and grumpy and… I thought you cared about me too.
And that’s why you decided to wait for me to be ready to leave.” Tears pricked at my eyes as Zhi looked stunned.
“But I guess you really just kept me around as a cultivation aid.
Don’t bother me.
I want to be alone for a while.”
I practically ran away from him, unable to contain my tears.
I found the closest bedroom and slammed the door.
I slumped onto the bed, hot messy tears finally pouring out of my eyes.
Damn it.
I knew we weren’t always the sweetest of couples, but I thought we looked out for each other.
That we were still partners.
Maybe I had just been deluding myself.
He just thought of me as beneath him, with all the other monkeys.
I was just one that was useful to him.
I cried for a while alone in the room I claimed as mine, and after crying I just laid around, feeling shitty for a while longer.
Until I heard a knock at my door.
“Ming?
I have dinner here.
Can I please come in?”
Uuuugh.
I didn’t want to see him.
But realistically, I knew we should talk.
So he can tell me sorry, I can pretend to forgive him and we can move on with our lives.
I groaned and sat up.
“Yeah.”
The door slid open, and Zhi came in with a tray, stuffed with rice, side dishes, and some beef.
Fragrant scents made my stomach growl, and het set it in front of me on the floor.
He picked up the chopsticks.
“Can I please feed you?
To try and make you feel better?”
I sighed.
“Fine.”
He picked up each bite of food and fed it to me.
Blowing on things that were still steaming or too hot to cool them down for me.
I softened a little as I ate.
He was being gentle.
Serving me, which he hated doing.
I should forgive him.
Even though a part of me still rankled at the idea.
I finished and he set the tray aside and sat beside me.
“Ming?
I’m sorry.
You’re right.
Before you told me about your past life, I thought you were just an especially clever monkey.
And that’s it.”
He let out a long sigh.
“But that was wrong of me.
You’ve always been Ming.
Ever since we first met in the forest by the lake.
Your past life shouldn’t change that.
It shouldn’t matter to me that you used to be human too, but it did because I started thinking of you as an equal then.
Like it was okay for me to be with you because secretly you were a human too.
But that isn’t right.
You’re a monkey.
You’ve always enjoyed living as a monkey, and you don’t consider your past as yourself at all.
And I’m ashamed I didn’t think of you as my partner before that.
You’ve always looked out for me, ever since we first met, and I just thought of you as some dumb monkey who was horny for me.
Even after you saved my life and we began dual cultivating together, I was ashamed because I thought sleeping with you was beneath me.
So, I’m sorry.
I was an idiot who didn’t see how much you cared about me, or how lucky I was to have found you.
I don’t expect you to forgive me.
In fact, I don’t want you to.
I was terrible to you, for twenty whole years.
So… I’ll spend twenty years trying to make it up to you.”
“You will?” His eyes were full of determination as he nodded.
“Yes.
We’ll have to spend a century or two here to reach Core Formation, so the next two decades are all about you.
Whatever you want, we can do it.
You could make me do something really embarrassing, or I can make you dinner every day.
I swear, I’ll do whatever you like, so just tell me what you want me to do.”
Oh.
My hand went over my mouth as he leveled his gaze at me.
That… that was incredibly sweet.
So sweet I could hardly believe it was Zhi saying this.
I reached up and poked his cheek just to confirm it was him and not some kind of illusion.
“You… you really mean it?
Whatever I want?”
Zhi sighed and gave me a soft smile.
“Anything.
So, what humiliating thing do you want me to do first?”
Um… I shuffled a little closer to him and grabbed his arm.
“Then… can we cuddle for a little bit?
And then have a reading lesson?”
“That’s it?
Don’t you want to make me kneel before you and apologize one hundred times?
Or maybe bark like a dog and do tricks at your command?”
I rolled my eyes.
“That sounds like the sort of punishment a cheap villain would come up with.
Zhi, I never wanted you to be the best husband ever.
I just want you to care about me and spend time with me.
I… I like spending time with you.
When we joke around and mess with each other.
When you teach me about your language or how to read.
Or even when we just lay around and do nothing.
If we’re husband and wife, then let’s act like it.”
“I guess I deserved that cheap villain shot.
But if it’s just spending time with you and being husband and wife, I swear I’ll do that for the rest of our lives.
You shouldn’t waste your two decades just on that.”
“Um… then cook dinner for me every night.
And be especially nice to me when we cultivate.
And maybe we can have some fun without cultivating too.”
“Alright, that I can do.
I’ll make you a special dinner, every night.
And we can focus on you when we sleep together.
Are you sure there’s nothing else?”
Hmm.
I smiled and looked up at him.
“Kisses.
Whenever I ask.
Like right now.
Gimme a kiss.”
He chuckled.
“That’s not a punishment.
That’s a pleasure.”
He leaned down and kissed me, gentle and sweet.
After a moment he broke it off.
I smiled.
“Another kiss.” He obediently leaned down and gave me another kiss.
“Kiss.”
“I can already tell you’re never gonna stop asking.
Please, don’t make me kiss you in front of other people.”
“Mmm.
No.
More kisses.
All the kisses.
Be super affectionate with me in front of everyone.”
He groaned.
“This is going to be a long twenty years.”
“Shut up.
More kisses.” He sighed and smiled as he reached down and kissed me again.