Guardian: The Broken World

-Shen Wei-

Under Zhao's firm command, Shen Wei had no other choice but to let the monk escort him outside of the office that he had been kept in, and quietly be lead through the corridors. He knew that this time, it was inevitable to meet Zhao Yunlan as Professor Shen Wei. The circ.u.mstances had forced him to slay the demon who had been sent from hell to search for him, braking the wards of the teacher's dorm in which he resides.

Although he knew fully well that the sudden attack in a place with a strong protection ward was nothing more than a cheap trap arranged by his twin brother trapped in hell, he could not help but fall for it. It was not in his nature to let innocent humans be slaughtered by such a heinous creature just to keep his identity hidden from the man he wanted to protect.

Being imprisoned in the deepest part of the underworld never stopped Zun from setting him up, randomly. Shen has always been careful when fulfilling his duty as the Ghost Slayer; always trying to keep his energy hidden when hunting down those who crossed the border and dared to break havoc in the human realm. He was aware that Zhao knew he was active somewhere, always hunting ghosts or demons in the shadows, never too far, yet never too close either. But this time he wasn't able to sense the demon breaking the protection wards of the University on time, thus unable to prevent involving himself as Professor Shen Wei.

By the time he had sensed the demon, it had already broken the wards and had started making havoc in the dorms. He barely had enough time to prevent the poor, injured night guard from getting killed by the hungry demon. The commotion caused by their unexpected fight had already attracted the attention of a few of his colleagues, and was thus, forced to use his energy more than usual and slay the troublesome demon before he could be discovered; marking the kill as his, without any doubts.

He knew that this time, the damage caused by the demon's release, by Ye Zun, would attract Zhao Yunlan like a moth to the flame, because there was just no way would he let pass such an opportunity to investigate a case that could lead him to finding more about the elusive Ghost Slayer of legends. He had work hard in pulling off his disguise as a scholar through the years, teaching traditional Chinese, with a vast knowledge of history, which allow him to work as the Ghost Slayer when in need, but outside the Order of the Guardians radar and away from Yunlan.

However, that was all in the past, because he could not avoid the coming of the Chief Guardian to him, the gentle Professor who only taught Traditional Chinese in the Dragon City University. So he quickly approaches the other Professors and claims to have come out of his room to see what had caused all the noises, blending in effortlessly.

That way, he could avoid giving explanations to the Chief Guardian, about his disappearances for long periods of time, because the gods knew he could not tell the man he had loved for centuries the reason he was lost to humanity for such a long time. Because he loved him so dearly, it was better if he never find out about his curse or how he got it in the first place, back in the time of the war between demons and gods.

In all, he expected Zhao to show up at the possibility of finding the Ghost Slayer, but it seems he had underestimated Yunlan's recognition of him. Chief Zhao's grand entrance had been made with a 'Xiao Wei', followed by the obvious interest Yunlan had for him. He was sure, that even if Kunlun had unconsciously stir inside the Chief Guardian when in his presence, making Zhao call him by the sweet name, he had not awake. His human reincarnation, however, was now shamelessly flirting with a 'stranger' like him, making him wonder why he felt such impulse.

Offering him to join the Order was an offer, he had to resist for more than one reason. One, because only those whose names could be writing by the brush of virtue could join the order, meaning only those who could reincarnate and had souls could join. Thus, as the Ghost Slayer, Guardian of the Underworld as well as a tainted half-god who cannot be reincarnated, he could not join the Order. Second, because of who he was, attempting to write his name name with the brush of virtue was forbidden. He didn't even know what could happen to the ancient book if he ever try it.

"We're here now. Thank you for accompanying me. You can go back to Chief Zhao and help him out with the investigation. It should be safe now that the Guardians are here to restore the wards, right?" Shen asked as he stopped in front of the door of his room, with a smile.

"Of course! The wards will be restore in no time, especially since Chief Zhao wants to protect a certain Prof…" Lin Jing stopped midway. What the hell was he doing? He almost implied that his perverted Chief was going an extra mile for someone he just met, which was… well, true, but he would not dare say something that could scare off the Professor, lest he wants to be in deep trouble with Zhao or worse, get his bonus cut off. So Lin nervously gave the Professor a respectful bow before rushing away, like his life depended on it.

"Kunlun… just what kind of a man have you returned as, this time?" Shen asked himself while amusingly watching the monk hastily disappear into the small corridor. With a relieved sigh, he turned to open the door to his room and just as he closed the door behind him, a deep pain pierced through his left shoulder, making him fall to his knees. With only his hands keeping him from the floor, Shen Wei pants in agony, just before a male figure suddenly emerges from the thick black smoke that had risen in the middle of the room.

"Your Honour!" The man cries out. The intense pain kept Wei distracted, keeping him oblivious of the arrival of his right hand man from the Underworld. The tall and slender figure quickly approached Shen and helped him up, guiding him to the couch to lie down on.

"Shuzhi, what are you doing here? This is not the time for you to show up and even less with a portal. Zhao is here, he would definitely notice the dark energy used." Shen said with a frail and low voice full of pain.

"This place still has traces of the strong energy you used to fight the demon. The little energy I used to come here is nothing compared to yours. Besides, I used the concealing talisman that the Saint gave me." Chu Shuzhi explained, kneeling next to the couch.

"Don't call him Saint… you know it makes him feel nervous and unworthy…" The Professor weakly scolded with closed eyes.

"Why unworthy? I think he is deserving of this title. I have never seen so much virtue or white energy in a human in all my few thousand years of living between realms. This guy may be a complete idiot and a good for nothing scaredy cat, but he is the closest being to a Saint that I have ever seen and the fact that he can ease your pain is more than enough proof of it." Chu argued, but Shen had no energy to keep up with the discussion. He too agree with Old Chu, but it was Guo's choice to ask no to be called like that, not his.

"Never mind that… Chu, the time has come for you to act as my envoy…" Shen says in a low voice, trying to ignore the pain coming from his thousand year old wound.

This man, which most people consider him hard to approach, because of his intimidating appearance, always wearing black and nasty attitude with common humans, was in fact a Zombie King who came from the depths of hell. He had once made a grave mistake of killing a young and innocent soul, serving 300 years as punishment for it. It would have been extended to infinity if it were not for the legendary Ghost Slayer noticing his potential and recruiting him as his envoy. It was because Shen save him that Chu serve him with great loyalty.

"Your Honour, I don't mind being your messenger. I owe you that and much more for saving my life, but as you know, I do not think of Zhao Yunlan highly. It has been the same with all his reincarnations…"

"You don't need to be his best friend… just help him out for me; help him when he needs it."

"That would be too frequent, now that hell is active again. I am more concerned about your wellbeing, because you have been too close to him. This will only hurt you more… it's hurting you right now." Chu said with visible concern in his voice.

"This is not Yunlan's fault. I was the one who took the cursed stab meant for Kunlun. The decision was mine and mine alone, so you should stop hating him for something he had not control over."

"But your Honour, it is his fault that you have been mortally wounded. Regardless of what you have done for him, even risking your life for that idiot Kunlun, he still was too distracted to even notice he was in danger, leaving himself vulnerable to Ye Zun's attack. Also, if he had been more aware of your presence, he would had notice that you were about to take a mortal wound in his place. He still almost kill you no matter from which angle you look at it…"

"Chu Shuzhi! Hold your tongue! I forbid you to…" Shen is interrupted by the sudden surge of strong dark energy, alerting him of something big approaching from the Underworld. "Hell hounds…" Shen whispered in disbelief.

The Underworld consists of many levels, where impure and tainted soulless creatures, born from the fire stolen from the mighty god of the mountains that lived in a hierarchy. The upper levels of hell harboured weak and less dangerous ghosts, spirits and ghouls. These ones the Guardians dealt with on a daily basis. However hell hounds were from a deeper level, sharing it with the most vicious and wicked creatures ever created from the fallen god with an intense d.e.s.i.r.e of vengeance.

"Your Honour, this many hell hounds cannot be handles by the Guardians alone. The University will become a slaughter ground…" Chu said as he stood up.

"Such a fate cannot be avoided now… We have to go." Shen said as he stood up from the couch. Suddenly his body gets engulfed by dark smoke which starts taking the shape of a black cloak. The air around him becomes cold and the temperature drops down a several degrees at the same time a black blade materializes in his hand.

"It's time for the Ghost Slayer to return…" Shen says. "Keep Zhao out of harm's way. This fight will be like no other for the Guardians."

"Your Honour, will you be able to handle them in your current state?" Chu asked with concern, but Shen Wei simply smiled from behind the smoke that covered half of his face.

"Let's go." A small portal opens up to the place where it all started, the entrance to the male dorm. To Zhao Yunlan, the man he had watch and love in silence.

AN: Edited version. I hope you also like this one, I have the tendency to let the characters lead me to where they want to go, so even I don't know where this story will be headed. Thanks again. 👍😄❤😍😙💝