The sound of flesh meeting flesh and the soft cries flowed around the bamboo grove in the back of the mountain. Cang Mu groaned as he came again. Ming Ran panted underneath him, his toes curling in the aftermath of their climax.
I know we haven't done this in a while... but how many more times..?
Cang Mu kissed him slowly, readjusted himself, and began to thrust again. Ming Ran made a small sound and held onto Cang Mu for dear life. This would be the fifth round tonight! If that wasn't bad enough, he could hear the creatures around him-- every tree, every squirrel, every bird, every passing deer. Each and every had stopped to watch these strange creatures mate in the woods.
Little cultivator, you are in the wrong position to mate.
Little cultivator, you cannot bear young in this way.
Little cultivator, are you not both male..?
Ming Ran's face was beet red, not only from exertion and arousal, but also from the constant critiques of the woodland animals. Ever since the tournament he had been able to sense the world around him so much better! Every vein of life that ran through every tree, rock, creature, even the soil, he was able to sense under his feet. With this new skill, came the ability to talk to animals. At first, this ability had been very helpful. It had gotten his Shixiong and him out of the fishing trip early. Plus, the animals seemed happy to tattle on his Shizun at every turn, making it easy to counter his pranks. Wei Ning and Meng Yu were all too thankful for the break in their master's antics. Meng Yu had now come to ask Ming Ran daily to-- smack!
"You're spacing off. Focus." Cang Mu squeezed the flesh that he had spanked and redoubled his thrusting leaving Ming Ran breathless. They both continued to chase their climax--
"You both look like you're having fun tonight."
Cang Mu instantly froze and slowly gazed up. Ming Cheng stood over them, looking nearly murderous. Ming Ran caught his breath. As mortifying as this was, he was glad his brother was here to save him from another round.
"Well, get off of him. Fun's over." his voice was like iron stuck outside in a blizzard. It burnt and stuck to the nerves. Cang Mu may have won against Ming Cheng in the tournament, however, as a brother-in-law, there was no chance. How was he this much scarier right now compared to the Thousand Years Tournament?! He all but jumped off of Ming Ran and rushed to collect his clothes. Ming Cheng wrapped his robe around his youngest brother and glared at Cang Mu.
"Listen up. You two may have become 'partners' in that tribe- the one that kidnapped him and forced him to live apart from his family for years-" he looked down at Ming Ran who looked back guiltily. Ming Cheng sighed at the confliction in his brother's eyes, and raised his gaze again to Cang Mu, "No matter what, you two haven't formed a true match in the eyes of our Ming Family. Until you have earned the right to stay by his side, you have no right to his body." Ming Cheng picked his youngest up and began to carry him into the darkness of the woods. Ming Ran caught the sway of a silver fox tail in a tree.
...
Ming Cheng's room in the Dog Peak was exactly the same as his room at the Ming Manor as well as his room in his last life. Minimalist and neat. There was a few scrolls of calligraphy hanging on the walls, both written by his own hand. His strokes were both strong and gentle all at once-- a temperament that only an older brother could have. A fierce protectiveness and overwhelming love. One scroll read "Strength" while the other read "No Regrets". Ming Ran stared at that particular scroll for a long time as his brother rummaged around for garments. The scroll was written fairly recently, but Ming Ran had to wonder what exactly had prompted his writing of this phrase. It felt like his relationship with his eldest brother-- as well as the soul of Theo-- was back to the beginning, and also not. Their relationship hadn't exactly broken, nor did they truly go their separate ways. However, it was clear that they were rebuilding several parts of the relationship, especially since the confession the other night. Ming Cheng may have known all along about who Ming Ran had been, but had he been okay with pretending otherwise? All this time? It was bittersweet, it felt like Elle was being left behind by Theo-- however, isn't this how it should be?
"Does it truly have to be him?" Ming Cheng's voice was soft. It was rare for his eldest brother to sound so vulnerable. Ming Ran couldn't help but sit beside him. Ming Cheng sighed and gave his brother the robes. "Change into some clothes first. I had them made for you in congratulations for winning the tournament, but I suppose they will do for now too." Ming Cheng got up and left the room. Ming Ran slowly unwrapped the packaging and revealed a beautiful hanfu. It was the color of autumn grass in the fields and silver thread embroidered in the shape of deer. Ming Cheng came in to check on him and nodded in approval.
"I figured that would work. Sleep here tonight. In the morning, I'd like to speak to you for a bit."
...
Morning came to find two siblings-- long lost in the way that they had been side by side for months in proximity alone. They had not been connected since the last time they had embraced before Ming Cheng had come up the the Thirteen Mountains to train. They sipped tea and ate small bites of pastries in a heavy silence. The birds outside would peek inside only to flutter off without another word. Perhaps sensing the importance of the atmosphere. In comparison,
"Brother! Why didn't you tell me you were eating with our youngest!? You keep hogging him all to yourself!" Ming Quan came and sat down. Ming Cheng glanced over at him wordlessly, and Ming Quan nearly dropped the sesame ball he had grabbed. He tried to glare back, "Don't give me that look! You're not the only one who lost a younger brother, you know! You are the only one who has been able to go and see him as you please!" Ming Cheng sighed. Ming Quan ate a few more pastries before looking to his younger brother. Time had certainly changed the image of Ming Ran that he had burned into his mind. Gone was the baby fat. His face had thinned, his stubby fingers had grace to them, he had grown taller, his eyes were filled with an emotion he had never seen in his brother until he returned to them. Tears threatened the corners of his eyes, but he would never let himself cry in front of his youngest brother. Not even now.
"Why him?" he finally managed to ask. Ming Ran peeked up at his second brother again, unable to look at him for long. Ming Cheng let out a long, suffering sigh and poured his second youngest some tea. Ming Quan bristled at the sound. "What? You're thinking it too! Why him? Why the bastard who had kidnapped you? That entire tribe held you hostage all this time! Why is it him?" Ming Ran stared at his tea. He hadn't asked himself that. Not truly. Ming Quan opened his mouth to continue, only to have a steamed bun shoved into it by Ming Cheng. The two of them watched their youngest reflect on his tea. His reflection stared back at him from the surface and Ming Ran realized that he too didn't recognize the person on the other side of the surface. When had his face changed like this and how had it changed? He struggled to remember himself.
He is not as bad as you think.
"Oh? And how so?" Ming Cheng asked, passively.
He gave me a voice.
"We couldn't have done that?" Ming Cheng asked, "You were being taught to read and write, you don't think we couldn't have communicated that way?"
You don't understand.
Ming Cheng waited for his youngest to continue, even Ming Quan was silent. Ming Ran, however, couldn't even begin to articulate anything more on the matter. Not truly. Ming Cheng let out a long, patient sigh.
"Very well. If you say so, then I will back off for now."
"Brother!" Ming Cheng cut his second youngest off.
"I will make you a deal. Soon, you will be traveling the world, as is tradition for all students here after the two year mark. They leave the mountain and find a place to settle. That or they come back to learn more at the mountain. We have both come back to this mountain for one reason and one reason alone: to stay close to you. Next week, I will leave the mountain and take my place as the successor of our Ming family. I will not be back again. I'd like you to come with me home to visit, then I want you to travel the world. However, I want you to travel on your own. Do not go with that guy. I want you to experience the world from your own two eyes. When you have the answer you seek, I want you to come back to me and Quan-er. We will sit around a table just as we are now, and we will both listen to the answer you come to. Whatever answer you come to-- so long as you come to the conclusion on your own-- is what I will support from here on out."