Clearly, the physical actions between the two were exceptionally intimate, yet their atmosphere exuded a sense of detachment, resembling harmony in appearance only without true accord.
“How many years have you been on the mountain?”
Bai Qiuluo abruptly asked this seemingly random question. Hearing this, Shen Wang shifted his body slightly, settling into a more comfortable posture.
“Master, it has been ten years, three months, and twenty-four days.”
Shen Wang stated the exact time down to the day. Suddenly, he reached out, hooked a lock of Bai Qiuluo’s long hair, and began twirling it idly around his fingertips.
At a loss for words, Bai Qiuluo found the silence within the cave growing somewhat awkward.
“System, isn’t something wrong with this plot? Look at the villain playing with my hair is this even remotely appropriate?”
Dearest host, what does this have to do with the plot? Isn’t this entirely a habit you fostered yourself?
Xiao A munched away with a crunch, and appearing to grow tired of melon seeds, produced a bag of cyber-potato chips from goodness knows where.
The silver-gray chips looked thoroughly unappetizing, and the crunching sound grew noticeably louder.
“Master, please partake of the frost flower first. This is a token of your disciples’ sincerity; I implore you not to let my efforts go to waste.”
The way Shen Wang phrased it made Bai Qiuluo sound like some ungrateful ingrate.
Retracting his hair, Bai Qiuluo cast a solemn, steady gaze at Shen Wang.
“Your master intends to enter seclusion for a period. Cultivate diligently on your own.”
Accepting the frost flower, Bai Qiuluo muttered inwardly as his thoughts wandered.
“This Demon Lord must have taken the wrong medicine. He hands over a thirty-thousand-year-old frost flower just like that, without even leaving any hidden traps inside.”
Vigilant and sharp, Shen Wang keenly detected something amiss from Bai Qiuluo’s inner voice.
The frost flower bore a seal; there was simply no way Bai Qiuluo could have known it was thirty thousand years old.
Furthermore, Bai Qiuluo was already aware that he was an avatar of the Demon Lord, which meant Bai Qiuluo still harbored secrets he knew nothing about.
‘Master, just what other secrets are you hiding beneath that surface? You truly make things more and more anticipated for me.’
“In that case, this disciple will not disturb Master any further.”
Propelling himself up from Bai Qiuluo’s lap, Shen Wang straightened his posture. His fingertip seemed to brush accidentally across the back of Bai Qiuluo’s hand, lingering just long enough to give a brazen stroke to his knuckles.
The motion was exceedingly faint, touching and retreating instantly, so swift that Bai Qiuluo almost mistook it for an illusion.
Yet due to his heightened skin sensitivity, even that minuscule brush was magnified infinitely.
He could actually feel Shen Wang intentionally pinching the tip of his finger.
“…”
“Can this really be something a Demon Lord would do? Is he perhaps a fake avatar?”
Though still muttering internally, Bai Qiuluo’s lowered hands moved very honestly behind his back.
Clearly, he had no intention of leaving any further opening for Shen Wang to take advantage of him.
With a light chuckle, Shen Wang showed no mind. He offered a formal bow before turning and departing from the dwelling.
Inside, Bai Qiuluo ingested the frost flower. Possessing mutant ice spiritual roots, a thirty-thousand-year-old frost flower held boundless, miraculous utility for him.
Not only would it purify his spiritual roots further, but it would also elevate his cultivation to the next level.
Half a month later, when Bai Qiuluo emerged from seclusion, Shen Wang was there to greet him the very first moment.
Today he wore white once again, but upon closer inspection, one could observe a distinct detail.
His attire bore an uncanny resemblance to the cloud-pattern embroidery on Bai Qiuluo’s robes, even down to the exact cut and style. From a distance, the two looked as though they were dressed in matching couple’s attire.
“Congratulations to Master on exiting seclusion. Your cultivation has undoubtedly advanced by leaps and bounds.”
Bai Qiuluo’s cultivation had reached the peak of the Integration stage, leaving him merely a step away from breaking through to the Mahayana stage.
“Mm.”
Nodding rather indifferently, Bai Qiuluo let his gaze linger on Shen Wang for a brief moment before withdrawing it with cold detachment.
“Did I see things? Why do I feel like the clothes Shen Wang is wearing are quite similar to mine? They practically look like matching outfits.”
Though unfamiliar with the term “couple’s attire,” Shen Wang could easily decipher the underlying sentiment.
“Master, I have prepared some refreshments made entirely with my own hands. I wonder if Master would grace the pavilion with your presence.”
Bai Qiuluo rubbed his fingertips unconsciously. Recalling the delicious treats Shen Wang usually produced, his mouth immediately began to water.
Watching these subtle gestures, a gentle, shallow smile bloomed in Shen Wang’s eyes.
They say that to master a person, you must first master their stomach.
Bai Qiuluo’s palate had long since been spoiled by him, and all his meals were personally prepared by Shen Wang’s own hands.
He had figured out Bai Qiuluo’s preferences down to the finest detail, understanding the exact meaning behind every single glance and minor movement.
Believing he still projected an image of cold indifference, Bai Qiuluo was completely unaware that he had long been thoroughly studied and figured out by Shen Wang.
“Very well.”
Nodding in agreement, Bai Qiuluo quickened his pace slightly as he headed toward the pavilion.
Following closely behind with a doting expression, Shen Wang had already cast boundary restrictions over the entire peak, ensuring no outsider could perceive the events unfolding within.
The array of pastries laid out emitted an alluring sweet fragrance: plum blossom cakes that were sweet without being cloying, and osmanthus cakes brimming with rich floral aromas…
Various pastries sat upon the table with glossy, appetizing lusters, accompanied by a pot of clear tea.
Taking his seat, Bai Qiuluo found everything within his line of sight to be his favorite treats. Extending a jade-like finger, he picked up a piece of pastry and popped it into his mouth.
His lips carried a deep, ravishing crimson shade. As the yellow osmanthus cake slipped between them, Bai Qiuluo instinctively extended the tip of his bright red tongue to lick his lower lip.
Shen Wang’s gaze remained locked fixedly on those thin lips, longing to draw that prominent lip-pearl directly into his mouth.
Suddenly, he felt a flicker of jealousy toward the piece of osmanthus cake that had just been consumed by Bai Qiuluo.
“Master, these past few days I have gained a sudden insight regarding my breakthrough to the Golden Core stage. However, it seems I have encountered a demonic obstacle; unless that inner demon is eradicated, I will never be able to pass through the tribulation.”
“Your inner demon tribulation has arrived remarkably fast.”
Raising an eyebrow in mild surprise, Bai Qiuluo noted the anomaly. Normally, inner demon tribulations were trials encountered when cultivators stepped into the Nascent Soul stage.
However, certain uniquely blessed cultivators of extraordinary talent occasionally encountered inner demon tribulations upon entering the Golden Core stage as well, which ultimately served to solidify their state of mind far more securely once overcome.
Yet, as for believing that the Demon Lord’s avatar could genuinely be troubled by an inner demon tribulation, Bai Qiuluo didn’t buy a single word of it.
“Master, it seems I have developed inappropriate desires toward someone I ought not to.”
Gazing unblinkingly at Bai Qiuluo, Shen Wang kept his lips pressed into a tight line, his brows furrowing with a hint of unease.
“Master, I know I shouldn’t harbor such feelings toward him, but I simply cannot control myself. Please, Master, teach me what I should do.”
Shen Wang played the part of a troubled Foundation Establishment cultivator to perfection, wearing a deeply worried expression as he broached the subject.
“Based on your description, it would seem you have fallen in love with someone.”
Indeed, the irresistible pull of the plot.
Shaking his head inwardly, Bai Qiuluo relied on preconceptions driven by the original storyline to automatically assume Shen Wang had fallen for the female protagonist.