As expected, no one answered Yun Qi’s question.
Wen Zui panted with a low, hoarse breath. His hands roamed incessantly over Yun Qi’s body, and he whimpered like a young pup in heat for the first time, rubbing his chin and cheeks against the side of Yun Qi’s neck over and over.
This time, however, his movements carried a touch of uncharacteristic roughness. Frustrated by his inability to find relief, his brows knitted in discomfort, and he lunged to bite Yun Qi’s neck.
Recalling that Wen Zui had chipped a tooth not long ago, Yun Qi curled his lips into a slight smile. He quickly retracted his protective surface scales, revealing his naturally soft skin to meet Wen Zui’s bite.
“Hiss.” Yun Qi took a sharp breath. The intimate, stimulating sensation of the slight sting was foreign to him; it had been a very long time since he had sustained a superficial injury.
With a low chuckle, Yun Qi resumed guiding the spiritual energy within Wen Zui’s body. Unexpectedly, Wen Zui pressed even closer. Unsatisfied, he rubbed against Yun Qi’s thigh without pause.
Yun Qi looked up in surprise, only to see an expression on Wen Zui’s face that looked as if he were about to cry.
Yun Qi reached out to cup the right side of Wen Zui’s face, his fingers trailing lightly across his skin. “What is the matter?” he teased.
“I feel miserable!” Wen Zui whimpered spoiledly, clinging to Yun Qi and refusing to let go.
His eyes remained that eerie, crimson shade, but his entire body was flushed a beautiful pink. He looked like someone one would want to toy with carefully in one’s hands before crushing him into the dirt.
Multitasking, Yun Qi monitored the flow of spiritual energy while peeling Wen Zui’s hands off him and placing them where they ought to be.
Wen Zui blinked blankly, then, driven by instinct, began to move rapidly. Feeling aggrieved, he rested his face directly on Yun Qi’s shoulder.
Patting the boy’s head, Yun Qi noted with satisfaction that Wen Zui’s meridians were nearly cleansed. He narrowed his eyes and watched for a moment, smiling. “Ah Zui is doing very well right now.”
“Hmm?” Wen Zui responded dizzily, his eyes clouded with a thick mist.
“You look truly beautiful, and your movements are exquisite.”
Wen Zui’s muddled brain could not comprehend exactly what Yun Qi was saying, but he sensed it was a compliment. He immediately broke into a wide grin, revealing a row of white teeth.
Still, something felt missing. Wen Zui moved restlessly in agitation, biting his lip in discomfort. His eyes darted around aimlessly until they landed on Yun Qi’s soft, rosy lips. Without a second thought, he leaned in.
Yun Qi was surprised. Evading a slow moving lecher was simple; Yun Qi pressed a finger against Wen Zui’s forehead and smiled silently.
“Mm, kiss me, please?” It seemed he was truly on the verge of tears. Despite his sharp, handsome features, his expression was one of extreme piteousness, stirring a rare flicker of compassion in the snake’s heart.
“Fine. I suppose I do owe you.”
Yun Qi recalled the time he had left Wen Zui alone in the cave. Back then, the boy had looked like a pathetic fool; even in such a desperate situation, he had been calling out Yun Qi’s name. The memory caused Yun Qi’s limited conscience to ache slightly.
Thinking of this, Yun Qi smiled faintly and leaned down to kiss the mole on Wen Zui’s cheek, creating a very soft popping sound.
In an instant, it was as if fireworks had exploded. An indescribable wave of pleasure surged from the base of his spine. The blockage that had found no exit was suddenly cleared, leaving Wen Zui’s mind blank as he let out a long, relieved sigh.
As his reason suddenly returned, Wen Zui froze. His cheek was pressed intimately against Yun Qi’s chest, one hand coiled around him. The flow of the hot spring water pulsed against his body, prolonging the afterglow of his relief.
What had he just done? Him? Yun Qi?
Not only had he rubbed and touched Yun Qi, but he had also begged Yun Qi to kiss him? With his head buzzing, Wen Zui tried to bolt away, but a powerful force suddenly gripped his waist, pulling him back into Yun Qi’s embrace.
“Do not move. The spiritual energy of the celestial grass has not been fully absorbed yet. Do not waste it.”
Yun Qi’s voice was as calm as ever, carrying a hint of a reprimand, as if what Wen Zui had just done was not out of the ordinary at all.
Did he just say I moved beautifully?
At the thought, Wen Zui’s face grew even redder. He swore that if an egg were placed on his skin right now, it would definitely cook into a delicious soft boiled egg. What a mess!
His mind in a whirl, Wen Zui decided to close his eyes and play dead. Gradually, however, Yun Qi guided the spiritual energy toward his dantian. It was a profound, mysterious sensation, and Wen Zui soon became immersed in it, focusing entirely on his cultivation.
About six hours later, the once vibrant green celestial grass had turned a withered yellow. Following a surge of spiritual energy from the two of them, it crumbled into dust and vanished into the air.
Snapping his eyes open, Wen Zui discovered he had reached the third level of Qi Refinement. He immediately recalled the encyclopedia of spells Yun Qi had given him. A second later, he vanished from Yun Qi’s arms.
“Oh? You teleported away?”
Yun Qi arched an eyebrow, quite satisfied with Wen Zui’s talent. The desperately fleeing Wen Zui used several teleports to reach the tent they had initially prepared. He rolled face down into his sleeping bag, trying to smother himself.
“How embarrassing! How can I face Master ever again!” His loud howl shook the snow off a nearby pine tree. Winter birds flapped their wings and flew away in a hurry.
After rolling around for several minutes, Wen Zui finally managed to calm his heart. He touched his fully restored front teeth and began to ponder how things had ended up this way.
“Ah, I forgot to mention that a side effect of my venom is that it acts as an aphrodisiac. What do you want to do, Ah Zui?”
Those words of Yun Qi’s suddenly resurfaced in his mind. Wen Zui sat in a daze, processing the weight of that information, then slammed his fist against the ground in frustration.
“I bet Yun Qi did it on purpose! He just wanted to see me make a fool of myself!”
And he definitely was not finished too quickly! He did not want to kiss him at all! Recalling the dormant giant he had glimpsed before teleporting, Wen Zui clenched his fists. Why was he not embarrassed? Why? He had to make Yun Qi lose his composure! That way, he would not be the only one humiliated!
Wen Zui began to develop a bizarre sense of masculine competition toward Yun Qi, and a fierce fighting spirit was instantly ignited. Before he could plan his next move, the tent zipper was pulled back. Yun Qi, dressed in a white down jacket, stood in the snow, looking like a frost elf.
He looks even more beautiful now. Wen Zui stared at him blankly until his neck grew stiff.
“What is the matter? Do you find your Master to be increasingly handsome and elegant?” Yun Qi teased him playfully, but to his surprise, Wen Zui actually nodded obediently.
“Pfft.”
That laugh immediately snapped the dazed Wen Zui back to reality. He rubbed his forehead awkwardly and turned his back. “Handsome, my foot! You are just a shameless thousand year old snake demon!”
As he cursed Yun Qi indignantly, he yanked his backpack over and clumsily put on his clothes. When he turned back, he found Yun Qi still staring at him with a smile.
“What are you laughing at?”
“I just think our Ah Zui is quite cute. You have already been seen completely, yet you are still so shy?”
“Shut up!”
Tianyao Zichen Mansion, Room 1609
The two returned home awkwardly. Primarily, it was Wen Zui who was awkward. A figure suddenly rushed out from the shadows, heading straight for Wen Zui, but the boy intercepted him with quick reflexes.
“Who are you?”
“It is me, Master!” The newcomer was Mu Zhiheng. He appeared to have been waiting there for several days. His eyes sparkled as he looked at Wen Zui, and it seemed as though an invisible tail behind him was wagging into a blur.
“I have been doing exactly as the Grandmaster said! I have been running back and forth between my house and yours every day. I feel my muscles have gotten much stronger!” As he spoke, he exaggeratedly flexed his biceps and showed his watch’s exercise records as proof.
Glancing at them briefly, Wen Zui dug this cheap disciple out from the corner of his mind, his eyes widening in shock. “You run eighty kilometers every day?”
Wen Zui was absolutely convinced this kid was an idiot. He did not want such a dim-witted disciple.
“Yes!” Mu Zhiheng nodded vigorously, a pure and innocent smile on his face.
Yun Qi burst into laughter behind them. He opened the front door and beckoned to Mu Zhiheng. “Come in, Zhiheng.”
Mu Zhiheng immediately took the opportunity and happily entered the home of the Master he admired so much.
Outside the door, Wen Zui frowned, his eyes darting suspiciously between Yun Qi and his cheap disciple. Why was Yun Qi so welcoming? This seemed to be the first time he had cared so much about someone else; he even remembered the idiot’s name! Wen Zui had not even remembered it himself!
Could it be? Wen Zui’s eyes widened in an instant as a terrifying thought crossed his mind. Is he trying to take another disciple?
Absolutely not! He had not even finished teaching Wen Zui properly; how could he go off and teach someone else? The more Wen Zui thought about it, the more convinced he became that he was right, and his heart sank. Was Yun Qi repulsed by his earlier display or did he think Wen Zui lacked talent?
The mist in Wen Zui’s eyes grew heavy, like a sudden storm, causing the atmosphere around him to turn somber. Yun Qi had said that the younger one is when they start cultivation, the better. He must think Wen Zui is too old and wants a younger disciple!
Thinking of this, Wen Zui could no longer stand by. He rushed between Yun Qi and Mu Zhiheng, blocking the disciple’s view. “Zhiheng, is it? Fine. I accept you as my disciple!”
Mu Zhiheng tilted his head in confusion. He did not understand why Wen Zui’s attitude had suddenly done a complete 180, but at least it had changed for the better.
“Master is above! Please accept your disciple’s bow!”