Voyage With The Pirate King

Ji Yao's head was spinning for a moment as he struggled to process this new piece of information. He wiped away the blood from his nose before neatly arranging his clothes.

Is this how it was going to be like each time they hunted down these keystones? Was he meant to face off with a powerful opponent every time and get his ass kicked till Rui Fei comes to the rescue?

He found that playing the damsel in distress and the hero being someone younger than him was a little annoying. After this, he vowed to improve his strength and at least be able to rescue himself. This Nocru who forced him out was definitely of Qilin descent. The seraphic energy was familiar though it was tainted with something dark and sinister.

Unlike Huishe Yue he wasn't in a dungeon or anything remotely close to that. He was somewhere isolated or it appeared so. His clothes were something out of this world and on his forehead was a symbol of a flame glowing brightly as he spoke.

Ji Yao was starting to wonder if each keystone was in someone's possession and if they had to fight each time to get it. The more this thought lingered in his mind the more his head throbbed so he stopped worrying about it and decided to take a break and try and relax otherwise his migraine might end his life.

To pass the time he started messing around with the dog emperor's stuff. Like a bored teen, he started opening drawers touching anything and everything showcasing his human side. He wasn't looking for anything in particular as he flipped through everything.

Somehow he managed to find a rectangular shaped wooden box with a full set of sable calligraphy brushes neatly arranged in order. Ji Yao couldn't resist running his fingers over the brushes.

Gone were the days where he didn't care about anything. The days were his father would take care of everything and all he had to do was paint and draw his days away. Yes, he practised with his father but for the better part of his life, he was immersed in his work. He always thought his father would be around but it turns out that wasn't the case.

Sighing, he shut the wooden box planning to put it back when he saw a neat arrangement of jade tiles in his peripheral view. Curious he turned around and took the wooden tray.

His brow creased when he flipped one jade tile over. On it was a name and when he flipped the next one there was another name. On the entire tray, there were twenty tiles and each had a name.

This inexperienced teenager couldn't figure out what was happening for a long while that is until Rui Fei showed up out of nowhere. He was carrying a tray full of fragrant dishes and a porcelain bottle of some sort. Ji Yao looked up at him a little surprised.

He had thought Rui Fei would like to spend the last day in the capital torturing his grandfather which is why he didn't actively seek him out. Turns out he was playing housewife bringing his special someone a meal.

"I was going to come to the hall just now..... you really didn't have to," said Ji Yao but in truth, he was a little happy to see him. Somehow he prefered it this way dining alone with Rui Fei.

Rui Fei ignored him as he placed the tray on the table. His gaze was focused on the jade tile in Ji Yao's hand. Surprisingly, of the two of them it was Rui Fei who knew what those jade tiles meant. He sat next to Ji Yao with their shoulders rubbing against each other as he asked, "What are you doing?"

Ji Yao rubbed the jade tile with his thumb as though caressing it. His actions were innocent but to Rui Fei, it was equivalent to Ji Yao caressing the owner of that name. His logic was flawed but there is nothing to be done about Rui Fei's broken rational thinking when it came to Ji Yao.

"I am flipping tiles... I say, what do you think this game is all about?" he asked curiously studying the rest of the tiles. Well, here is an answer for him. It is a game called who gets to service the husband tonight with over twenty participants versus one man.

Rui Fei pursed his lips as he grabbed one of the jade tiles took a brush, dipped in ink and took plain paper then wrote his name before pasting it on the jade tile. He then took the jade tile out of Ji Yao's hand and gave him the one he had pasted his name on it.

"There, you can only flip this tile," he said as he took the rest of the tiles and walked over to the window to throw them away. In fact, he had an even better idea. He would carve a jade tile with his name and give it to Ji Yao. That would be the only jade tile he is allowed to flip.

Ji Yao silently watched Rui Fei throw away the tiles before he stormed out of the room disappearing beyond the threshold. He looked down at the dishes in the tray and glanced back to the door with a puzzled look.

He wasn't certain if he should wait for Rui Fei so they could eat together or simply dig in. Just as he was thinking it over this he heard a eunuch wailing outside. That could only be Rui Fei's doing. Since he was busy Ji Yao decided to pour himself a drink while waiting.

Rui Fei was indeed the culprit torturing a eunuch outside. Well, it wasn't exactly torture because all he had to do was show an ugly expression and the eunuch would faint. The eunuch was one of many that served the emperor.

Now he was being forced to carve two jade tiles in a short period. Thirty minutes later Rui Fei walked back to the room with two jade tiles, one written his name and the other written Ji Yao's name. When he got back Ji Yao was peeling off the paper on the jade tile with a shimmer in his eyes.

Rui Fei paused in his tracks and asked, "You don't like my name on it?" He said this hiding the jade tile behind his back. If Ji Yao disliked it then what more one with his name carved in.

Ji Yao's cheeks were a little flushed presumably from the alcohol. He shook his head and said, "No, I want the paper, not the tile. The tile is too ugly," with a slight smile.

Rui Fei, "..."

'Aww... a drunk Ji Yao is so cute,' he thought as he swallowed down the impulse to pinch the male god's cheek.

"Mn, here have this one," he said handing him the tile as though presenting a treasure, "Now you can only flip my tile.." It was a treasure indeed.