The scent of tea drifted through The Tower, mingling with burning sandalwood incense. Its steaming warmth dispelled Hell's distinctive stench of blood and sulfur.
Wei Jianye and Beelzebub sat on opposite sides of the table.
Beelzebub stood on his chair, a white chess piece pinched in his chubby little hand. He watched Wei Jianye's expression warily, then cautiously placed the piece in a corner.
Wei Jianye casually pried at Beelzebub's other chubby little hand, and another piece fell out. He said calmly, "If you're going to cheat, could you at least be less blatant about it?"
Beelzebub immediately wilted. Sounding both aggrieved and utterly convinced he was in the right, he said, "You already saw me cheating. Can't you go easy on me?"
"I, Wei Jianye, am an upright man. I have no reason to go easy on anyone."
Beelzebub widened his watery eyes. "But I'm still a child! Why won't you care for the young?"
"And I'm an old man! Why won't you respect your elders?"
While the two argued-
Bang, bang, bang.
A knock sounded at the door. Without waiting for either of them to give permission, the wooden door to the room in The Tower opened, and a tall, beautiful figure strode brazenly inside.
He wore daring clothes with Hell's particular brand of debauchery, sporting waves of bright red hair and a tail with a heart-shaped tip. He looked like a textbook succubus.
"Hey! Who let you in? Don't you know how to knock, Asmodeus?" Beelzebub shouted, his face flushed. "Mammon said we can't let you get close. Get out!"
"Can't I even be curious about what you're doing?" Asmodeus asked innocently, shooting Wei Jianye a flirtatious wink.
Wei Jianye was already over a hundred years old, long past the age of hot-blooded passion. More importantly, once