Eitsu's Nine Lives (永津の九生) [yuri/GL yokai reincarnation story]

44 - Yuan Wei

A/N: Since I have fallen really behind with posting chapters for this story, I'll be putting out another chapter tomorrow. Sorry everyone!

We're coming to the end of this story! There are about... two more(?) chapters to go, plus an epilogue.

So what comes next? Well, the other Tales of the Jade Road are still ongoing. Once they are finished, I will be coming back to do a rewrite of all of them. They have all been written with very little editing and relatively little planning, so a good rework is needed.

I hope you've enjoyed reading this story, and if you've like more lore or background on other characters, please check out the rest of the Tales of the Jade Road.

***

In the most northerly of the Four Kingdoms, a country known as Huang, amongst the mountains where even in the height of summer, a little snow would dust the peaks, there was a small temple known as Yuan Wei.

It was a simple and peaceful place, with many small herb and water gardens where disciples would study the properties of plants and try to mimic the little birds who would flit about in the courtyard trees.

In the early morning, just before the sun broke over the mountain peaks and bathed everything in a soft pink light, few were stirring. Gong Lau Yan and Zéyì slept peacefully in each other's arms. The necromancer occasionally snored, half-hanging off the edge of his bed.

A small black cat crouched cautiously just inside the locked door of a building in the centre of the temple complex.

"Came to see me, did you, my lucky charm?" Rei asked softly. He sat cross-legged in the centre of the empty room. "You took so long. I was sad."

The binding arrow still protruded from his back. If he moved, the wooden plaque on the end clunked against the arrow's shaft like a windchime. He flicked at the yellow paper talisman on his chest, sharply inhaling as green sparks burnt his fingers.

The cat stared silently at him, her golden eyes flat.

"I shouldn't be like that. You're here now, after all." His lazy grin was affectionate, in spite of his circumstances. "I missed you."

The cat continued to say nothing.

"Precious one, when my sentences are over, let's go back to Chup-tuk. I miss the time when it was just the two of us. I have treasures hidden that no-one will ever find, so I can use them to build you a new palace there – Oh, I never did tell you, did I? I wanted it to be a surprise... I built a few shrines and palaces for you, you know? But you kept running away, so I could never show them to you. You'll live in luxury, my treasure. I'll always provide for you."

The cat stared.

"What do you think?" Rei's light brown eye caressed her tenderly. "Come back with me."

The cat stood, turned, and transforming into a dark smoke, filtered through the crack under the locked door, leaving Rei alone once more.

*

They had left Yomi almost two months ago. The dragon delegation had immediately departed for their ocean palace.

"Thank you."

Two people crouched down beside Eitsu. The one that had spoken was the dragon, Gong Lau Yan, who had evidently chosen not to follow her kin. The other was the woman Zéyì. Eitsu shrugged and stood, preparing to walk away. "I didn't do it for you."

"We know. You did it for Tsubaki, didn't you?"

Eitsu halted mid-stretch. She looked at the two women, one mortal, one divine.