The Demonic Clan of Yiling (MDZS Fanfic)

Mixed Signals (Pt.4)

It didn't take them long after walking into the city to be bombarded by corpses. To their surprise there were far more than the information let on and each of them had at least 10 engaged in a battle.

Xue Yang had been forced away from the group and was struggling to get back. The corpses weren't as dangerous as Wen Ning but there was a lot of them and combined with the corpse dust that was filling his lungs Xue Yang was starting to feel tired already.

He slashed down with his sword, similar to the way he had with Xuanyu the day before in training, and several corpses collapsed. Their resentful energy floated out of their chests and towards Xue Yang's sword. It absorbed it and Xue Yang felt the power surge up his arm.

Four more corpses came charging towards him and he got back into his fighting stance. He launched himself at the first one and sent his blade straight through her chest and then across her neck. The other corpse went for his arm with it's disgusting long nails. Xue Yang swung his sword around and sliced off her hands before going for the head again. The other two began closing in as he struck down the second. They were fast and he barely had time to react. Suddenly a corpse shot from behind him and grabbed the other two by their scalps forcing them to the ground.

They howled as the corpse pounded their skulls into the ground and Xue Yang turned to look in the direction of the group. 

"You're welcome." A-Qing shouted over the roaring of corpses. Of course she had already managed to control them. Her way of channelling resentment was the most effective when in battle.

Just as he thought this, he watched 3 corpses from the crowd she was fighting drop to the floor for a few seconds and then rise to start protecting her. She needed no words, tunes or extreme focus to manipulate her puppets. She had learned how to incorporate dance into her fighting style. If she channelled her thoughts and power while she fought, corpses would be under her control within seconds. It was quite amazing. Especially when you considered she had only been dancing for 2 years and practicing demonic cultivation for three.

As Xue Yang took down another couple of corpses and coughed up something nasty due to the corpse dust, he heard a flute start playing and knew Xuanyu was behind it. 

When Xuanyu first joined the clan he wasn't sure what he wanted to use for his cultivation. By that time both Xue Yang and A-Yuan had already started to stray from Wei Wuxian's flute and he thought he had to too. But when Wei Ying explained that it was up to him, Xuanyu picked the flute as he already had some skills in that area. And so with Wei Ying's help he also quickly became the second best flute player Xue Yang had ever heard in his life. Not that he had heard many...

"Quit showing me up!" Xue Yang yelled jokingly at the two and A-Qing scoffed.

"If you got your shit together then maybe we wouldn't have to!" She shouted in reply.

Xiao Xingchen let out a small chuckle from where he fought and in a split second appeared in front of Xue Yang. His long hair and white robes flowing. His sword shining in his hand. Xue Yang couldn't help but admire him. 

"That was hot gege!" He cheered and Xiao Xingchen's face flushed but he did not smile. A-Qing quickly joined them and shoved Xue Yang's shoulder harshly.

"Stop flirting with him!" She grumbled. "Can't you see he's not interested."

"What do you know? You don't even know what it's like to be interested in someone!" Xue Yang shot at her as he killed yet another corpse.

"Actually..." Xiao Xingchen said with his back to the two teenagers. "I'm married." 

Xue Yang felt his jaw drop for a second but quickly recovered and smirked.

"You don't have to lie gege. I was only messing around. If it makes you uncomfortable then I'll stop." He explained, but Xiao Xingchen shook his head.

"Thank you Xue-gongzi, but I really am married." 

"To who?" A-Qing asked curiously once she finished off the last corpse they were fighting.

"Was that not clear? I'm surprised, everyone always seems to know the minute I tell them I'm married." Xiao Xingchen mumbled to himself. "Song Lan and I have been married for almost 3 years now."

Xue Yang barked out a laugh against his will.

"I should've known!" He chuckled. "Most people don't like me when we first meet, but he seemed ready to skin me alive when Xuanyu introduced me! Oh shit, that's funny." He hiccupped and Xiao Xingchen smiled.

The three of them walked over to where they could hear the flute playing and the sound of meatal connecting with flesh. They weren't in a rush because the other two didn't sound like they were having too much trouble. The sword strikes rang out in a relaxed pattern and the flute tune was mellow. 

"You and Mo-gongzi seem to have a close relationship." Xiao Xingchen mentioned to Xue Yang who perked up at the mention of Xuanyu.

"He's my closest friend." Xue Yang grinned, but A-Qing giggled and shook her head. The two men gave her confused looks and she only smiled cheekily.

"Xue Yang's in denial." She explained to Xiao Xingchen. "He says Xuanyu is his closest friend, but he's actually in love with him."

"I am not!" Xue Yang yelped and clasped a hand over her mouth. Where did she get such ridiculous ideas from!? He couldn't be in love with Xuanyu! He just liked to be around him and to touch him... But that was only because they friends! Best fucking friends! 

Xiao Xingchen chuckled as Xue Yang pulled his hand away from A-Qing's mouth after she bit it. The three of them rounded a corner, Xue Yang trying to grab A-Qing to bite her back, and saw Song Lan cut down the last of the corpses he and Xuanyu were fighting.

The moment Xuanyu saw Xiao Xingchen laughing at Xue Yang his face dropped and he looked away to examine the corpses.

"The corpse powder is too thick here. I'm afraid that we all may have corpse poisoning." Song Lan explained to the three new comers. 

"Oh don't worry about that" Xue Yang waved a hand and reached into his robes to pull out the vials Wen Qing gave them the day before. The two men gave him a sceptical look when he offered one to each of them and Xuanyu quickly stood up to help out.

"They're not poisoned." He said taking out his own vials. "Wen Qing. That is to say Doctor Wen or Madam Qing gave them to us. They're antidotes. If you drink them after the powder is in your system then it will exterminate it and prevent further corpse poisoning for 24 hours at most." He explained and downed the liquid in his vial just to prove a point.

Both A-Qing and Xue Yang followed his lead, leaving only them to exchange nervous glances. After a few seconds Song Lan sucked in a breath and threw back the liquid, pulling a face at the unpleasant taste settled in the back of his throat. Xuanyu smiled slightly. The two of them weren't used to Wen Qing's foul tasting remedies and hadn't built up a tolerance to Wei Ying's awful cooking like them. It was expected for them to pull a face. It was just that Song Lan was such a serious person that such a face looked funny on him.

Xiao Xingchen smiled slightly while waiting for the full effect to take place on Song Lan before the other man nodded to show that it was safe and Xiao Xingchen also threw back his vial. he was a little more dignified than Song Lan, and that got under Xuanyu's skin a little, but he too pulled a face to show that he didn't like the taste.

"Alright!" A-Qing grinned now that that was done. "It's time to hunt some demons!"