Xie Linfeng looked into those calm, distant dual-colored eyes that seemed entirely devoid of emotion, and for a fleeting moment, he felt as though even his soul was about to be sucked right in.
As fellow beings of the Demon Realm, why did this man evoke a completely different feeling in him compared to anyone else?
In a daze, he asked a rather foolish question: “Who are you?”
The other man fell silent. Instead of mocking his loss of composure, he merely gave him a calm look for a moment and then turned to leave.
Xie Linfeng stood rooted to the spot, a dark, sinister murderous intent surging wildly, completely overshadowing that trace of lingering doubt.
This man had touched Shen Zaixin. He wanted to… he desperately wanted to kill him.
Meanwhile, just as Shen Zaixin stepped into the long corridor, he was called out to by someone resting inside the pavilion at the center of the lotus pond.
He turned his gaze back, a rare warmth surfacing in his eyes: “Senior Sister.”
Jie Yuhua’s footsteps paused slightly. The long-unheard, familiar address brought a daze over her, and it took her quite a while to collect her thoughts.
The young man before her was dressed in brilliant red, his brows exuding an effortless charm, and the lingering flush at the corners of his eyes made it easy to guess what he had just been experiencing. However, Jie Yuhua merely smiled gently: “I want to take you somewhere. Do you have time?”
Shen Zaixin raised an eyebrow in mild surprise, turned around, and leisurely strolled behind her. The two walked in silence, yet the atmosphere was exceptionally harmonious.
After walking for about a quarter of an hour, the figure ahead stopped, tilted her head, and smiled at him: “Look.”
He followed Jie Yuhua’s line of sight. Amidst the illusory vegetation, a towering tree with lush branches and leaves nearly blocked out the cold, bright full moon. Bright orange-yellow everlasting lanterns and red silk ribbons were hung all over the branches. As the northern wind swept past, the leaves rustled, and the tiny points of light on the branches flickered on and off yet never went out, looking precisely like the festive temple fairs of the mortal realm from their youth.
At just a single glance, he felt a vibrancy from it that the Demon Realm had not experienced in thousands of years.
“It doesn’t belong here.” Emotion could not be discerned in Shen Zaixin’s eyes as he said flatly, “Nightless City has no sunlight; it won’t survive three days.”
Jie Yuhua stood side by side with him and whispered softly, “It will. This is a tree born for the Demon Realm; it grows only in the night and doesn’t need sunlight.”
Shen Zaixin stepped a bit closer, his slender fingertips brushing against the rough tree trunk, and muttered under his breath, “Is that so? What a pity…”
A pity what? The rest of the man’s words were blown away by the wind, so light that no one could catch them.
“Oh, right.” Jie Yuhua suddenly remembered something. “Regarding Yun Shi’s identity, it is indeed as you guessed: he has no origin and no destination, as if he simply materialized out of thin air in the Demon Realm.”
“Mm, I know.”
Back then, the legitimate heir of the Xie family died a tragic death in the Huaxu Secret Realm. Even though the Xie family discovered the clues that Shen Zaixin had deliberately manipulated to mislead them, the news of Xie Heng being brutally killed by a Demon Realm envoy was spreading like wildfire; if they didn’t make an issue of it, they would inevitably be criticized by others in the future, given that great aristocratic clans always cared most about their reputations.
Five years ago, the Xie family united with the other three major clans to cross the Unending Sea and make a formal denunciation against the Demon Realm. Shen Zaixin, as the Demon Lord, did not show his face, instead directly dumping the matter onto Yun Shi and Xiao Fang. He watched everything unfold from the shadows, and his suspicions regarding Yun Shi’s unfathomable strength grew even deeper.
152: [Just relying on a display of unfathomable strength isn’t enough to make you spend this much effort investigating his identity, is it?]
“Before going to the Huaxu Secret Realm, I used Xie Linfeng to practice my cultivation for three days, but three days later, I saw scratch marks and whip marks left by me on someone else—on Yun Shi’s body, in the exact same positions.”
As he spoke, a flash of deep contemplation involuntarily crossed his eyes. Such a coincidence, conversely, would not leave any traces to be found on Xie Linfeng. How truly interesting.
152 clearly missed the point, saying with a numb expression: [Leaving aside what you did to the protagonist during those three days when I was blocked and offline, what on earth did you do to see marks on Yun Shi’s body? Do people in your Demon Realm not wear clothes?]
Shen Zaixin said innocently, “It was merely a superior’s care for a subordinate.”
152: [Heh, I’ll believe that ghost of yours!]
Three days later.
The Qingyun Tournament was jointly held by the four major clans, the Canglan Sect, Penglai Island, and Qianshan Sect, aiming to inspire the younger generation of cultivators through sparring while unearthing promising talent.
As for the deeper reason, it was the undercurrent of rivalry and checks-and-balances among the aristocratic clans and sects.
On the final day of registration for the Qingyun Tournament, Xie Linfeng rushed alone to Canglan City at the foot of Canglan Mountain, filled with lingering resentment. Without that person by his side, this mortal atmosphere held virtually no attraction for him. After registering his identity and name, he headed straight back to the inn.
The young man lay on the couch, turning his head to gaze through the lattice window at the bright, clear full moon in the night sky, lost in thought. Tomorrow was the Qingyun Tournament—would Shen Zaixin really come to see him?
Thinking along these lines made it even harder to fall asleep.
In truth, with a cultivator’s proficiency at his current level, he had long ceased needing sleep to replenish his physical strength. Perhaps because that man loved to sleep late every night, amidst their scarce moments of sweet companionship, he had inadvertently picked up the same habit.
Yet with the bright moon hanging high at this moment, he didn’t feel an ounce of sleepiness. Since he couldn’t sleep, he might as well go out for some fresh air.
Sometimes surprises arrive in such an unpreventable manner.
Just as Xie Linfeng flipped and flew up to a certain high rooftop, his gaze was immediately drawn to a flash of red on a rooftop not far away.
It was Shen Zaixin!
He channeled his spiritual power to fly toward that person, yet lightened his footsteps upon landing.
Only when he drew closer did he realize that the person who was usually arrogant, domineering, and afraid of nothing in the world was actually wearing a half-face golden mask right now. It exposed only a fair, delicate chin, his scarlet lips straight without a curve, and his eyes—usually smiling and unrestrained—were calm as he quietly stared into the distance, deep in thought about something unknown.
“What are you standing there for?”
He had just wanted to quietly accompany him by his side, but who knew that the man had already sensed his presence. Xie Linfeng immediately sat down beside him with eyes full of joy.
His gaze inadvertently swept across the man’s soft lips, his eyes darkening. He wanted nothing more than to kiss him under the moonlight.
Shen Zaixin appeared so real at this moment, as if baring his cold, ruthless inner core. Clearly, he ought to feel distressed and disappointed, yet his heart could not stop rejoicing over such raw authenticity.
“Why are you wearing a mask?”
Shen Zaixin withdrew his gaze from the distance, casting a sideways glance at him: “Oh.”
Xie Linfeng: “Er?”
“This lord has no obligation to answer your boring questions.” Shen Zaixin said indifferently, “Judging by your appearance, you’ve already got the championship in the bag. If an accident happens and ruins this lord’s grand plan, I’ll flay your skin alive to feed a new dog.”
The young man’s eyes flickered slightly, and he casually remarked, “To skin someone… do you have to take their clothes off first?”
152: [Host, when you were in seclusion in the secret realm, did you leave your smutty books behind in there?]
Can this male lead even be saved?!
Shen Zaixin: [Which book are you talking about?]
152: [Hmm.]
“It seems you’ve learned quite a bit in the secret realm these past five years.” Shen Zaixin cast a meaningful look at him and let out a scoff, “This lord wouldn’t mind stripping you bare, putting a dog collar on you, and parading you through the streets. Want to try?”
The young man’s handsome face flushed red, belatedly realizing what shameful things he had just spoken of. If he were stripped bare and paraded through the streets for all to see… putting aside how humiliating it would be, Shen Zaixin would definitely never want a furnace-vessel whose body had been seen by others. Wouldn’t his plan to ascend to the position of Demon Empress go down the drain then?
“Can’t you just strip for me to see?” the young man asked, suppressing his shyness, his deep eyes filled with innocent hope.
Shen Zaixin was rarely left speechless by him. Taking a deep breath, he suddenly leaned close to his ear and said suggestively, “What makes you think there’s any part of you this lord hasn’t seen?”
Xie Linfeng’s heart sank. He suddenly thought of the two figures entangling each other in the blossoming acacia tree on the day he left seclusion, yet he didn’t dare question it to his face, so he could only lower his head, enduring the sour stings of jealousy.
So, even without innate spiritual marrow, Shen Zaixin would still share intimacy with others.
Therefore, was it truly because he hadn’t done well enough?
The young man’s thoughts were written entirely across his face, and Shen Zaixin could tell at a single glance. In truth, it wasn’t as if he liked him all that much; he was merely curious about Yun Shi’s identity, after all. Such a mysterious figure was best suited for exploration.
Every single instance of indulgence and exploration—the restrained obsession and madness deep within the other’s otherwise tranquil eyes—was the catalyst that excited him the most.
He thought that man understood him far too well, knowing how to pique his curiosity, how to attract his gaze, and even knowing every single gesture that could please him. He was quite literally a well-behaved dog tailored specifically for him.
At this thought, the corners of Shen Zaixin’s lips curved into a pleased smile.
That trace of a curve deeply pierced the young man’s eyes. The person he held in his heart was sitting right beside him, yet his mind was dwelling on another man, and who knows what kind of uninhibited thoughts he was having! How could he possibly endure this?
The moonlight softened the man’s eyes and granted him immense courage. Hesitating no longer, the young man leaned forward and kissed those lips he had missed for so long.
152: [Oh, wow.] Truly, living a long time is wonderful; I actually get to witness the day my host gets forcefully kissed.
As expected, what goes around comes around.
The intense, predatory masculine hormones enveloped him. Shen Zaixin had never been so soberly aware that the pitiful little wolfhound from before had grown up.
His entire body was pulled into the young man’s embrace. The other’s broad palm carefully cupped the back of his head, fingers weaving through his hair. A tongue-kissing technique that was both skillful and somewhat rough made his scalp tingle, forcefully and gently robbing him of every trace of sweetness between his lips.
Just as things were about to spiral out of control, Shen Zaixin snapped back to his senses. He loved excitement, and he loved watching those chosen-by-heaven lose control and go mad for him, but he did not like being led into falling and sinking together with them.
He was an absolute controller; he could never accept the other party attempting to guide his emotions. Even the most pleasurable release had to be granted by his own permission.
As the young man attempted to deepen the kiss, Shen Zaixin abruptly pushed him away and dealt a fierce slap across that handsome, sharply chiseled face.
“You dog, you spent five years in the secret realm and forgot your manners entirely.” He said coldly, acting completely unreasonable and tyrannical.
Yet the young man was driven even more wild with passion by this slap, as if he utterly adored his cold and ruthless side. He obediently knelt before him, took that jade-like hand, and pressed it against his own red, swollen cheek. His gaze was profound like a lone wolf holding back in restraint, but his tone was that of a tail-wagging dog begging for mercy: “I beg Master… to dote on me.”
152: [What kind of trash male lead is this? Truly unwatchable!]
A wave of silent electronic chimes drifted across his mind, signaling that the system had resolutely blocked the outside world and gone offline.
The chill in his heart was dissolved by the young man’s pitifully pleading gaze. Shen Zaixin finally curved his lips with a rising sense of interest, lightly patted the man’s face, and asked, “How would you like this lord to dote on you?”
Because of his words, the eyes of the young man kneeling before him grew even deeper. He watched the man’s Adam’s apple bob eagerly up and down, and heard his voice lower and grow hoarse: “Just like before—humiliate me, trample upon me.”