The grip on her wrist was immense; Sang Ruo felt a sharp sting from the pressure.
Her first instinct was that she had been caught red-handed. She lowered her eyes uncomfortably, her voice hardening slightly. “I was only checking your injuries.”
Upon reflection, she realized that was exactly what she had been doing. Her confidence returned, and she turned her head to look at Rong Ji.
A fire crackled in the cave. Half of Rong Ji’s face was lost in shadow, her eyes slightly hooded, and her expression unreadable. Sang Ruo’s spine instinctively stiffened.
This Rong Ji was a stranger to her.
She was no longer the girl from Sang Ruo’s memories who smiled all day long. Her features had matured; her gaze was distant and cold, her lips habitually pressed thin, and her brow furrowed with the heavy authority of one long accustomed to high status.
The way she looked at Sang Ruo was no longer the warm, defenseless gaze of years ago; it was as if a barrier stood between them.
Sang Ruo suddenly realized that while the past ten years were merely a few lines of summary from the System to her, for Rong Ji, they were a tangible, grueling passage of time. Ten years can pass in a flash or drag on forever, but it is more than enough time to change someone beyond recognition.
Sang Ruo couldn’t help but wonder: What am I to Rong Ji now? A long-lost old friend, or a traitor who trespassed into the God-Worshiping Land?
“Let go of me.”
Suddenly losing interest, Sang Ruo tried to pull her wrist back. It did not budge.
“What are you doing?” Sang Ruo frowned, but in that instant, the strength on her wrist surged. Caught off guard, she was yanked directly in front of Rong Ji.
They were too close.
She watched as Rong Ji leaned in slightly. Her expression remained distant, yet her actions were the complete opposite. Like a great beast marking its prey, Rong Ji bit down almost savagely, leaving a teeth mark on Sang Ruo’s lower lip.
“Mmph!”
Sang Ruo gasped at the sharp pain, but she did not even have the presence of mind to be angry. She was utterly stunned.
Was Rong Ji kissing her?
Yes. Although it was rough, it was undeniably a kiss.
She called out frantically to the System in her mind: “Is there something wrong with her state of mind?”
The System responded with a panicked shriek: 【I cannot see! It is all censored on my end! What did she do? Is it a side effect of that pill?】
Useless thing, Sang Ruo thought. Failing me at the critical moment.
But it seemed she was even more useless herself. Because it happened so suddenly, she froze and forgot to resist, which, to an aggressor, was nothing short of encouragement.
Rong Ji used her other hand to tilt Sang Ruo’s chin up, her soft lips forcing their way past her teeth. With this intrusion, Sang Ruo’s mind turned to mush. Her hands rested on Rong Ji’s shoulders, unsure whether they wanted to push her away or pull her closer.
The Great Heavenly Demon rarely found herself in such a disheveled state. This was different from the previous medicine-feeding or simple brushes of the lips; she felt as though her very essence was being invaded, her softest parts forced open to the other woman.
By the time Rong Ji let her go, Sang Ruo’s cheeks were flushed crimson and her lips were glistening.
After a long moment, she managed to claw back her senses. The System said this was a side effect of the pill, but what kind of side effect is this? An aphrodisiac?
“Do you even recognize who I am?” Sang Ruo realized her voice was incredibly hoarse.
This time, Rong Ji answered her: “A-Ruo.”
As she spoke, Rong Ji tilted her head slightly and raised a hand to Sang Ruo’s lips, stroking them gently. “A-Ruo came to see me.”
The tone sent a shiver down Sang Ruo’s spine. The current Rong Ji was definitely not right.
“Wake up. This is not an illusion, and it is not a dream. I have already killed Helian Yun; you are out of danger.” Sang Ruo frowned. She found it strange; if Rong Ji recognized her, why was she still kissing her?
“Not a dream,” Rong Ji murmured to herself, then suddenly smiled. “That is wonderful then.”
Before Sang Ruo could say another word, Rong Ji grabbed her by the shoulders and pinned her against the cave wall.
Their lips met again.
By the time they parted, Sang Ruo was breathless.
Rong Ji chuckled softly. “A-Ruo, you have not entered my dreams for many years. Whether this is a dream or reality,” she reached out and undid Sang Ruo’s neatly tied sash, “this time, I will not let you go again.”
“I often thought that a being like you would never stay for anyone. Did you go off to do other things? Or were you helping someone else?”
“I waited for you for so long. When will you finally see me?”
Rong Ji’s eyes were light in color, and she gazed at Sang Ruo with an intensity like flowing honey.
Sang Ruo’s hand, which had been clutching her sash, faltered. Her heart felt as if it had been pricked by a needle. She had been impulsive back then. If only she had told Rong Ji her plans, if only she had not made those casual promises.
In that moment of hesitation, Sang Ruo lost the power to refuse. Her clothes fell loosely around her.
Rong Ji’s slender, jade-like fingers slowly reached inward.
“Later, I understood,” Rong Ji whispered. “Waiting brings nothing. I will not wait anymore.”
Raven-black hair, soaked with sweat, clung to her pale, smooth back. Sang Ruo bit her lower lip, suppressing the sounds in her throat.
The next second, warm fingertips pried her teeth apart and slipped inside.
“Do not bite,” Rong Ji’s voice was raspy and laced with a different kind of sensuality. “If you bite through, it will break my heart.”
After several rounds, Sang Ruo’s thoughts were sluggish. She looked dazed, her beautiful dark eyes clouded with a misty film, like water-soaked grapes. During the act, Rong Ji loved biting the small mole on her neck; that patch of skin was rubbed red, looking extraordinarily erotic.
By the end, Sang Ruo felt like she was dying. I am a pure and simple Great Heavenly Demon! Why must I endure this?
Her fingers tightened around the clothes scattered on the ground, only for Rong Ji’s fingers to slide between hers, locking their hands together.
The wood on the fire had burned out, leaving only glowing red embers. When it finally ended, Sang Ruo was exhausted and fell into a deep sleep against the stone wall.
She did not know that after she fell asleep, the other woman watched her for a very long time.
When Sang Ruo woke up again, she found herself in a soft bed. The bed curtains were thick, blocking out most of the light.
She had slept well, but her entire body was sore and weak. Her mind went blank for a moment before the memories of last night flooded back. She froze, her mind going blank once more.
After a long while, she asked, “System, do you know what happened yesterday?”
The System’s voice sounded weary and aged: 【I was locked in the “little black room” yesterday, but given the circumstances, I can guess. After your encounter, the target seems to have recovered from the pill’s side effects. She brought you back here and even went to check on the ice coffin herself.】
“Ah,” Sang Ruo murmured. “I see.”
The System sighed along with her.
After a moment, Sang Ruo said with certainty: “So it was a side effect of the pill.”
System: 【? If that is what you want to believe.】
Sang Ruo slowly buried her face in the pillow. Suddenly, she felt something hard against her wrist. She lifted her hand and found a pitch-black bracelet. It was actually quite beautiful. “What is this?”
The System answered honestly: 【That is a Demon-Suppressing Ring. It can seal the cultivation of any cultivator below the Mahayana stage. There are not many rings that can suppress high-level cultivators; this was likely custom-made by a specialist. It is very rare.】
Sang Ruo: “?”
Just then, the door to the room was pushed open. Sang Ruo heard someone walk in.
After a moment of self-abandonment, she reached out and pulled back the thick curtains. The person outside happened to look toward her at that exact moment.
“Rong Ji?”
Sang Ruo only then realized how hoarse her voice was.
Rong Ji placed a tray on the table. “You have slept for a long time. Do you want to get up and eat something?”
She was smiling gently, appearing exactly like the Rong Ji Sang Ruo was familiar with. Sang Ruo was almost fooled, if not for the Demon-Suppressing Ring on her wrist.
Seeing Sang Ruo glance at the ring, Rong Ji’s smile faded slightly, but her voice remained warm. “Our last meal together was not finished.”
Sang Ruo knew Rong Ji was referring to the meal interrupted ten years ago by Helian Yun’s prison break. This hit Sang Ruo’s weak spot. She lowered her eyes for a few breaths before dragging her aching body out of bed.
Rong Ji took an outer robe from a nearby cabinet and naturally helped her put it on. Sang Ruo inexplicably allowed it; if Rong Ji was bold enough to do it, Sang Ruo felt she would look cowardly if she resisted. The Great Heavenly Demon had a strange sense of competitiveness in this regard.
During the meal, Rong Ji’s behavior was impeccable. The food she brought was all of Sang Ruo’s favorites, and she even peeled the shellfish, placing the meat directly into Sang Ruo’s bowl.
Ten years ago, Sang Ruo would have been touched by how filial her disciple was. Now, it just felt increasingly bizarre. Rong Ji’s calm exterior was like a thin layer of ice over a surging dark current.
“Try this snail meat. See if it is still how you remember.”
Sang Ruo looked up, interrupting her. “What is the meaning of this thing you put on me?”
The chopsticks holding the snail meat paused. For a split second, the smile on Rong Ji’s face vanished. But she quickly recovered, placing the meat in Sang Ruo’s bowl. “A-Ruo, just stay here and live with me. Do not leave again, alright?”
System: 【!】 Sang Ruo: “…” System screamed: 【Host, look! What does she mean by that?!】
Sang Ruo’s face remained wooden. “Yes, it means exactly what you think it means.”
Seeing that Sang Ruo did not speak, Rong Ji was not annoyed. “Then I shall take it that A-Ruo has agreed.”
At that moment, someone knocked on the door to report something. Rong Ji smiled at Sang Ruo. “Someone is causing a bit of trouble; I need to go handle it.”
Sang Ruo watched her silently.
Rong Ji’s smile did not waver. “Will you be bored being alone? I will have Shijiu and Jilan come over to keep you company in a moment.”