Too! Brutal!
Mai Li had always been bold, but the unprepared Cen Moyu was asked so directly that his cheeks flushed deep red, and he nearly fainted.
“What is there to be shy about? We are demons. Mating is the most natural thing in the world.”
Even though the atmosphere in the Qingheng Sect was relatively pleasant, Mai Li could not hide his disdain for the way cultivators suppressed human desires. “A bunch of people spending all day forbidding this desire and that desire. It is boring.”
“Is your lover boring then?” Cen Moyu caught his breath and poured a cup of water to moisten his throat. As he watched Mai Li return to the room, the baby egg also rolled over from among a nest of other miscellaneous bird eggs.
“Senior Brother Tian Sui is different. He is my benefactor.”
Despite his decent cultivation, Mai Li surprisingly did not sense the extraordinary trajectory of the rolling egg. Noticing a white shelled egg roll to the side of the hand of Cen Moyu, the little sparrow let out a soft exclamation. “Where did this egg come from?”
The face of Cen Moyu turned red again.
Even though they did not chat every day, Mai Li believed this Fairy Pitta lacked a typical demonic aura. Even when someone reached the level of Mai Li, shedding that demonic scent usually required magical treasures. The demonic aura of Cen Moyu had never been apparent. Had Cen Moyu not revealed his identity himself, Mai Li might have fought him to the death when his own identity was almost exposed.
Initially, Mai Li thought Cen Moyu had some grand scheme for infiltrating the Qingheng Sect. Later, he discovered this Fairy Pitta was excessively innocent and lacked any guile. After much thought, he assumed Cen Moyu had simply fallen for the flirtatious Lu Jijun. To endure a hundred years of loneliness as a closed door disciple just to catch a glimpse of the man was truly pitiful.
Since they had both risked exposure to infiltrate a great sect for the sake of their lovers, Mai Li naturally felt much closer to Cen Moyu.
Now, seeing the face of the little Fairy Pitta looking as if it had been roasted by fire, appearing utterly distressed as his slender white fingers scratched the egg that rolled around to please him, an unbelievable thought surfaced in the mind of Mai Li. “This could not be an egg you laid with the Sect Leader, could it?”
Outside, magpies chattered. The small town under the protection of the Jixue Sect seemed to be holding a celebration today. The sound of gongs and drums made it very lively. The soft response of Cen Moyu was nearly drowned out by the noise, but Mai Li heard it nonetheless.
Mai Li was speechless for a long moment. Under the gaze of Cen Moyu, who looked embarrassed enough to cry, Mai Li burst into laughter and reached out to hold the hand of the little Fairy Pitta. “Impressive! Truly impressive!”
Cen Moyu looked at him with confusion. “What is impressive? How can a male demon give birth?”
Even if it was an egg that had not yet hatched, to Cen Moyu, it was a child. It was the being most closely connected to him in this world besides the System. Cen Moyu was full of anticipation but also filled with worry, fearing that the other father of this egg would eliminate it.
“What is so strange about that? Rabbit demons can give birth too.” Compared to Cen Moyu who transmigrated into a demon, the local bird demon was far more knowledgeable. “Do we not all face tribulations when we transform? Many die from the heavenly thunder, while others undergo great changes. I once saw a Great Horned Owl grow an extra member.”
Cen Moyu was somewhat surprised. “An extra what?”
The smile of Mai Li was meaningful. “You have already slept with the Sect Leader. Surely you are not completely ignorant?”
His eyes were full of admiration for Cen Moyu having slept with a grandmaster. For some reason, he felt a sense of pride, so exaggerated he nearly shed tears. He snatched the handkerchief Cen Moyu was using to hold the egg, wiped his eyes, and asked, “How was the Sect Leader?”
Cen Moyu hesitated, not wanting to recall those painful and shameful images. He clearly could not hide things and was thin skinned. His entire face was now flushed, like jade stained with rouge.
Even though Mai Li had a lover, it did not stop him from admiring the beauty of Cen Moyu. “Hurry up and tell me, how was it? You do not have to be specific. That is Wenren Qi after all. Although I entered the Qingheng Sect, I have never seen him.”
“They say he is an old man. Is that true?”
“Not old. Very.” Cen Moyu stammered. Since he was a protagonist, how could he be ugly? “Better, better looking than Senior Brother Xiao Jun.”
Mai Li gave an “oh.” “Then he is too good looking. I do not like that.”
Cen Moyu did not have a deep impression of Tian Sui. This Senior Brother was a disciple of Elder Jue Ya. Cen Moyu had been frightened by him several times at the mountain gate. It was not that the man was intentional; his appearance was simply terrifying. The scars on his face looked as if they had been slashed and then burned. He was out of place in the visually competitive Qingheng Sect and was very recognizable.
Cen Moyu respected the aesthetics of his friend. “Then you two?”
“I have not eaten him yet,” Mai Li shrugged. He had changed out of the sky blue Daoist robes of the Qingheng Sect. Down the mountain, he wore luxurious clothes, looking like the son of a wealthy merchant. “So I envy you. Your first taste was top quality.”
Out of the corner of his eye, the egg seemed to want to roll away with the handkerchief Mai Li had used to wipe his tears. It bounced around like a flea. “And you have a child. Impressive. Quickly tell me, what was the Sect Leader like exactly?”
“He was not good.” Cen Moyu did not dare recall that period with Wenren Qi. The tenderness accompanied by blood was the greatest tear in the peaceful life Cen Moyu pursued. Those eyes held no affection at all, which was the opposite of the intimacy he longed for. It only caused fear and made him want to flee.
Thinking of this, the little bird felt very aggrieved. “Very fierce.”
The egg seemed to sense the low mood of Cen Moyu and rolled back to his hand to offer affectionate comfort. Unfortunately, it was just an egg, rolling back and forth busily, which made one want to laugh.
“That is how it is in bed. I calculated it, and that day was the day the Sect Leader failed his ascension. How did you end up with him?”
After all, Cen Moyu liked Lu Jijun. To suddenly become the generation of the Master of his crush would make anyone depressed. “But since things have come to this, do you want to hatch this egg?”
Cen Moyu had taken in many small birds to raise in his yard and had observed them for a long time but still had no idea. Since Mai Li had arrived, his gaze toward his friend was full of hope. “Do you know how?”
Mai Li did not know what to say to him. “We have attained cultivation now. How could we be like ordinary bird demons?”
“Besides, breeding depends on who the male and female are.” Although Mai Li quickly accepted that his friend had laid an egg, it was still a headache. “If the father is Wenren Qi, the future of this egg cannot be underestimated. Its foundation and talent will surely be first class.”
The mood of Cen Moyu became even worse. “But my cultivation is low. Will I hold Little Treasure back?”
“If a child blames you, it is better to throw it away.” Mai Li clicked his tongue. “This egg should thank you. If you had chosen Lu Jijun, its status would not be as dominant as the offspring of Wenren Qi, let alone its cultivation.”
“The seniority of the Sect Leader is high. Once this child is born, a group of old men will have to be respectful to him.” Mai Li was clearly lost in fantasy. Cen Moyu did not dare think of such things. He reminded his friend, “I laid it in secret. I do not want him to know.”
“Did you not say he was looking for me with my robes? I am a demon. He saw it.”
Cen Moyu became more dejected as he spoke and looked ready to cry again. “At that time, he was scolding me while grabbing my belly feathers. Several fell out, and they are hard to regrow. I still have a scar on my stomach.”
Cen Moyu lived alone in this small yard. He had lived in the town for over half a year, and the neighbors knew a young gentleman from elsewhere had moved in and liked keeping birds. The young gentleman did not say much, only that he was married and would bring his wife and child to live there soon.
He did not hide from Mai Li and even showed him the scar on his abdomen. As a fellow bird, Mai Li felt the pain just looking at it and hissed. “Too brutal!”
Cen Moyu became sadder the more he thought about it. “He is very fierce and is the Sect Leader of a great cultivation sect. He will certainly not allow the existence of Little Treasure and me. Besides, Lu Jijun.”
Cen Moyu could not say that Lu Jijun and Wenren Qi were a match made in heaven. If they succeeded, Wenren Qi would pass his love trial and ascend, a happy ending for everyone.
Mai Li misunderstood. “I understand. You still like Lu Jijun!”
The little sparrow let out a long sigh. “The Sect Leader is just too old, even if he maintains his looks well.”
“He really is not old. He is very handsome, and his chest is very firm.” Cen Moyu suddenly defended Wenren Qi. “And very strong.”
Mai Li was speechless for a moment. “Fine, fine, I get it. Anyway, you want to leave him and protect the child so it hatches safely, right?”
Cen Moyu gave a soft nod. The System had remained silent, so he took it as consent.
“His cultivation is so high. Can I hide somewhere he cannot find me?” Cen Moyu also did not know how to hatch an egg. “I do not know how Little Treasure will break its shell.”
“The other disciples do not know, but I heard Senior Brother Xiao Jun say that his Master is going into secluded meditation again for at least a hundred years. You can run without worry.”
“But.” Cen Moyu remembered why Mai Li had come. “You said he has already sent people to find me.”
“That is why I am here to send you away.” Before entering the Qingheng Sect, Mai Li had wandered outside for a while and had a network among birds. Few of the bird tribe developed spiritual intelligence, and even fewer could cultivate into human form. “I have a friend who lives in the Demon City. Cultivators cannot enter there.”
“Thank you.”
The egg in the palm of Cen Moyu bounced twice. Mai Li stared at it for a while, reached out to poke it, and asked, “Have you named the little fellow yet?”
“I once saw a snake demon mate with a human. It was an egg at first, but after hatching, it looked like a human infant. However, that snake demon had average cultivation, and the child was mostly human headed with a snake body. It ended miserably. They say it was eaten by a demon cultivator.”
The egg seemed to understand human speech and rolled into the sleeve of Cen Moyu in fear. Mai Li laughed. “Your Little Treasure is very spiritual.”
“By the way, I heard from Tian Sui that after the old Sect Leader recovered from the grief of his eldest son’s death, he kept urging Wenren Qi to marry. He could not make it happen even until his death.”
After transmigrating, Cen Moyu only knew that the roles of attacker and receiver were set. He was not clear on the specific background. Compared to the history of Lu Jijun, Wenren Qi was more mysterious. He did not transmigrate during the youth of the other, so he knew even less. Ordinary disciples would not dare discuss gossip about the Sect Leader.
“He has an older brother? Not a younger sister?” The egg in the sleeve of Cen Moyu rolled out again, appearing very curious.
“He had one. He died in the Wangyuan of the demon race. It was tragic. That year, Wenren Qi and the leader of the Jixue Sect were still young. They both returned as different people.”
“Wangyuan.” To Cen Moyu, it did not sound like a good place. “Very dangerous.”
His lack of courage was obvious. It looked as if he would cry if someone spoke harshly to him. Mai Li usually disliked delicate demons, but for some reason, meeting Cen Moyu made him lose his standards. He began complaining about the ungrateful Sect Leader. So, what if they were demons? They cultivated diligently and did not harm anyone. Why could they not live well?
“You will never go to that place in your life,” Mai Li said as he patted his head. “Let us set off immediately.”