Actually, the four had wanted to go to sleep after their first breakfast together. The night was long for all of them and Lan Zhan had a lot to process what he learned from Wei Ying. But when Youn and Ali saw the bathroom with the large bathing pool, they were eager to take a bath in the crystal clear water.

Like everything else in this desert, the floor of the temple and the base of the bathing pool were warm. And because the sun had already risen and its warm rays shone through an opening in the temple ceiling into the water of the bathing pool, the water was pleasantly warm when Youn and Ali stepped into it. Wei Ying also joined them, while Lan Zhan watched in amusement as the three splashed and clowned around in the water.

Lan Zhan looked at Wei Ying with special attention. At the sight of him, Lan Zhan felt that his blood, which had become cold in his veins, had been completely replaced by the feeling of love, and now flowed hotly and intimately through his body. And he also felt a burning love in his heart, an unbeatable passion for Wei Ying.

Thinking once again of the bonding ritual with Wei Ying, he felt a gentle tingling sensation on his wrist. He lowered his gaze from Wei Ying to his wrist and saw a thin red sparkling ribbon attached to it. His gaze followed the ribbon and he was not surprised that it ended at Wei Ying's wrist. It was the fate ribbon that connected them and had probably connected them since his birth.

Seeing this ribbon, even for a brief moment, gave him an incredibly relieved feeling. Because now he knows that no matter what the future may bring, they will always find each other again. Because this red shining fate ribbon cannot be cut by anything else than death. No scissors, no knife, no matter how sharp, is able to cut this ribbon.

"Lan Zhan! Come join us!" Wei Ying shouted, giggling. Lan Zhan, snapped out of his thoughts, smiled. He stripped off his clothes and joined the three in the bathing pool. He slid over to Wei Ying, wrapped his arms around him and kissed him. He didn't care if Youn and Ali were watching them. Because at that moment, he just wanted to kiss his beloved Wei Ying and hold him in his arms.

"Hey Wei Ying. Who is that?" Youn asked, pointing to the big statue in the middle of the bathing pool.

"This statue is the image of the eldest son of the God of the Underworld." Replied Wei Ying.

"Even though I'm more into the cute guys, I have to admit that he was a very handsome man. I'm sure many found it hard to resist him." Youn opined.

"Not was. He is handsome. He didn't die. And you're right. Many women fell in love with him at first sight. And many men, too, I'm sure. However, he gave his heart to only one. The beautiful cat goddess Bastet. But she never returned his love. Not because she didn't like him, but because of their fathers. Because she is one of the daughters of the sun god Re. And between the sun god and the god of night, his father, there was a bitter war."

"So he always stayed alone?"

"No. He had many affairs with women and men. He had real orgies with women and men. But he also had two favorite people who were always by his side and shared his bed every night. A man and a woman. And only he was allowed to touch them, kiss them and sleep with them. He was so fond of them that he kept them with him until they died of old age. Their lifeless bodies he buried behind the temple."

"And after their deaths, he must have had new favorite people, right?"

"Of course Youn. He couldn't sleep without his favorite people."

"And how do you know that so well?"

"You don't have to know everything Youn." Interjected Lan Zhan. Youn understood what Lan Zhan was trying to tell him and nodded. Youn and Ali dried off and retreated to the chamber Wei Ying showed them earlier.

Lan Zhan pulled Wei Ying to him on his lap as soon as they were alone in the bathing pool. They kissed each other with such fervent passion that they forgot everything around them and surrendered to the uncontrollable lust of their bodies. Hands that touched each other, caressed and seemed to be everywhere at once. Tender kisses on their bodies.

Their moaning sounds filled the bathroom and echoed off the walls. The water of the bath, splashed and spattered around their bodies. The bodies united in deep love for the first time. Intimately connected as it is reserved only for lovers. It is not just sex. For it is the love of two immortal beings destined for each other by fate.

And at the moment when their lust was at its greatest, Lan Zhan had a vision about the past. He saw the bathroom of the temple, when it was still a lively place, where people laughed and celebrated. He saw the man whose image stands as a statue in the center of the bathing pool. He saw this man embrace another man, whose face he could not recognize, kiss him on the forehead and say, "You are my little brother. And among all my siblings, my love for you is the greatest. That is why I protect you from all the evil that exists in this world. You, my little brother, are the sweetest and most beloved of all the children who are descended from the God of the Underworld. Even our father loved you the most. And if any harm were to come to you, our father would let this world and all who live in it burn until there is nothing left. That is why I must protect you until you meet your true protector. Now be a good boy. Call your sisters to come and wash you."

As unexpectedly as the vision came, it ended before Lan Zhan was able to see the youngest brother's face. But he didn't even need to see it to know who the youngest son of the God of the Underworld was. Even though the latter has not yet confided his true identity to him. Nevertheless, and thanks to the story Wei Ying told him, he knows.

"I love you Wei Ying. I love you so much that I don't care who you really are." He whispered in Wei Ying's ear as they both reached their sexual peak.

Wei Ying sank exhausted into his arms, gently stroked Lan Zhan's cheek and replied, "I love you just as much my beloved Lan Zhan." They kissed each other until Wei Ying fell asleep in Lan Zhan's arms.

Lan Zhan carried Wei Ying in his arms to Wei Ying's chamber and laid him carefully on the bed. He lay down beside him and Wei Ying immediately snuggled up to him. Lan Zhan kissed Wei Ying's forehead and whispered, "From now on, I will protect you. For now I am your husband." He then closed his eyes and smiled as he fell into a deep sleep.

When the two woke up, the evening sun had already been visible in the sky. They spent another hour at the temple with Youn and Ali, then Wei Ying took them back the same way they got there. First to the Vatican archives, where they returned the stolen documents just as secretly as they had taken them. Then to the inn to their room.

In the inn's room, Lan Zhan and Youn packed their belongings. Ali had none, so he helped Youn. They stayed only this one more night before they left again on the first ship to leave. Shortly after their arrival at the inn, they heard that there was going to be another war. Lan Zhan therefore wanted to get Youn and Ali out of the country as quickly as possible before the war started and they could be in danger.

Of course, they could have spared themselves the weeks-long sea voyage with Wei Ying's special ability. But that would have been a risk. After all, people would have started asking questions when they suddenly came back without having gotten off a ship. Especially because the new port is very close to the village and many villagers work at the docks. They load and unload ships, trade with the sailors, or they buy and sell their goods there.

Before they left, they had just gotten some clothes for Ali. With these new clothes, he no longer looked like a slave boy, but like a fine gentleman. Still, just because his skin color is black, they only wanted to sell Lan Zhan a third class ticket for Ali. Only when Wei Ying explained to the ticket seller that Ali was Youn's personal bodyguard and must always be near him, did he give in and sell Lan Zhan a first class ticket for Ali as well.

After one last night in Rome, the ship departed from the port early in the morning. Lan Zhan and Wei Ying stayed in their cabin while Youn and Ali stood on the deck watching the ship leave the port. They even waved to the people at the port who were saying goodbye to their loved ones who were also on the ship. The two of them laughed and just acted as if they knew any of the people.

After a week on the high seas and the same view, the sea below them and the blue sky above them, gray clouds appeared that evening. Within an hour, the sky was covered with gray clouds. The wind freshened and created high waves that crashed against the ship's walls, rocking it back and forth.

Ali, who was born on a slave ship, slept peacefully and carefree. But Youn was not well at all. He suffered from severe seasickness and had to vomit again and again. Even the strong anti-nausea potion did not help Youn. Finally, out of concern for his foster son, Lan Zhan could think of only one solution to help Youn. He gave him a strong sleeping potion. However, it was so strong that Youn slept for two full days and woke up with a severe headache. In addition, he immediately felt sick again. This was because the bad weather had continued.

Since Youn immediately felt sick again, Lan Zhan had only one idea left to help him. But for that, he needed the help of Wei Ying. He asked him, with his special ability, to go off the ship with Youn until the weather calmed down. While he did not like asking Wei Ying to do this, it was for Youn, his foster son.

Wei Ying immediately agreed. Lan Zhan and he said goodbye to each other with a heartfelt kiss, then Wei Ying disappeared into the shadows with Youn. Fortunately, no one from the crew ever entered the passengers' cabins or counted them. Therefore, it was not noticeable that the two were no longer there.

While Wei Ying and Youn were away, Lan Zhan spent time with Ali and began teaching him Chinese. Ali learned with enthusiasm and was able to speak and understand his first sentences after only three days. Lan Zhan also began to teach him how to read, write and do calculations. Something that was still reserved only for the rich and powerful.

The days came and went, but the bad weather persisted. Even when the cloud cover broke and the sun shone through, it did not take long before the cloud cover closed again and it began to rain again. The storm, however, had remained incessant. Sometimes stronger and sometimes weaker. But still strong enough to make the ship rock.

Lan Zhan had not seen his Wei Ying for almost two weeks now, and every single day seemed like a whole year. Days and nights suddenly seemed to have grown so much longer in an almost eerie way for Lan Zhan. That's how much he missed Wei Ying. But at least he could feel him on the inside.