The boy's impassioned cries made Ming Yueyi's eyes grow hot. She couldn't help but swallow, unintentionally sucking on the snake tongue inside her mouth as if it were saliva.
She froze for a moment, then, as if receiving a response, he frantically cupped her face, letting out strange, excited cries: "Shijie, Shijie, Shijie… Ming Yueyi."
"Mmm…" Ming Yueyi uncomfortably pressed her throat, yet faint moans still escaped her lips.
The forked, moist snake tongue wantonly swept through her mouth, feverishly licking her pearly white teeth and the base of her tongue, moving in and out, stirring the fragrant saliva she couldn't hold back until it slid from the corners of her mouth, only to be licked away by him as it trailed down.
When his lips landed on her neck, his overly pale cheeks had gradually flushed crimson, and the edges of his shimmering, watery eyes were tinged with a hazy, feverish red. His voice, panting and murmuring, showed signs of madness.
"Shijie, it's still several months before you… before you possess me. It's so hard to wait, so hard to wait…"
So hard to wait, so hard to wait, so hard to wait, so hard to wait… Shijie.
Under the thick night moon, the boy's murmurs carried a perversion surpassing even that of a madman on the brink of frenzy.
Amid the chaotic, disorderly licking, Ming Yueyi couldn't hold back a long, whimpering moan. Her body trembled violently, and she jolted upright from the rocking chair.
She slowly opened her hazy, misty eyes, looking around in confusion.
It was already the beginning of the Hai hour.
The sky was ink-gray, the moon obscured by thin clouds, leaving only a faint, curved shadow.
And she was still in the courtyard. After Guan Qingyun left during the day, she had been overcome by spring lethargy and slept until now.
Ming Yueyi hadn't expected to sleep for several hours, and even had that kind of dream. Her body felt as if a snake had slithered over it, especially the back of her fingers, where the sensation of scorching, throbbing heat seemed as if it had truly existed.
Remembering the scale she had grasped in the dream, it must have been the snake's way of concealing its reproductive organ.
Ming Yueyi felt weak all over, leaning back into the chair and turning her face aside listlessly. Her gaze suddenly halted when she saw the scene in the courtyard.
The spring night courtyard seemed as if it had just frozen over, surrounded by a blanket of white, cold mist. On the ground were many damp, slithering traces, so abnormal it made the hairs on her arms stand on end.
Suddenly, she remembered.
During the day, when Guan Qingyun wanted to enter, she had withdrawn the Jiejie she had cast around the area and hadn't repaired it yet, so it would have been difficult to detect if something had entered.
It wasn't a dream. She had been violated by something.
Ming Yueyi, her face wooden, summoned her longsword and swept indiscriminately across the courtyard. Soon, the snakes hiding in the corners were unearthed, chopped into several segments, and scattered across the yard.
Snakes…
Snakes again!
Looking at the snakes in the courtyard, she bit her lower lip in anger. Ever since her trip to Baihua Gu, these snakes had been frantically clinging to her.
Probably because she had killed that great demon snake.
Ming Yueyi cleared the snake corpses from the courtyard and, with a cold expression, took her sword to the bamboo grove in the back mountain, digging out and smashing the last few snake eggs buried in the underground nest.
If these snakes continued to cling to her, she would bathe in realgar powder from now on.
The next day, as the Jinwu first rose, golden light filtered through the sparse bamboo leaves, falling on the woman's mist-blue skirt like a shimmering, gilded glow.
Ming Yueyi opened her eyes, shaking off the crystalline dew clinging to her hair strands, and returned to her Dongfu via Sword-flight.
After bathing and freshening up again, she hastily packed a few changes of dresses and hurriedly flew by sword to the mountain gate where they had agreed to meet the day before.
When they arrived, the sun had already reached its zenith. Two figures stood waiting on the flat expanse of bluestone.
One dressed in white, the other in crimson—both exceptionally handsome yet distinct in their beauty, each carrying an aura of poised elegance.
Ming Yueyi landed from her longsword and lifted her face, which glowed pink under the sunlight, apologizing to the two: "Sorry for the wait."
He Wujiu's expression remained as gentle as ever: "Not long at all. In fact, when I arrived, Shidi was already here."
Ming Yueyi followed his gaze.
The youth sat cross-legged on a clean stone, his slender legs folded beneath him. His jet-black hair cascaded like a waterfall over the stone, his posture dignified, his features so exquisite that even the reserved smile on his face seemed delicately beautiful.
Pu Yuemin curved his smiling eyes and said, "I didn’t return last night."
Last night? Hadn’t they parted just after meeting their master at dawn yesterday?
A flicker of confusion arose in Ming Yueyi’s mind, but then she listened as he continued calmly.
"I observed that the Milky Way was densely scattered last night, and Lingyingchong would appear at the mountain gate, so I stayed to catch a few. They’re more useful than the lanterns down the mountain."
"Shidi’s consideration is thoughtful," He Wujiu nodded. "Lingyingchong glow at night, lasting longer than lanterns. If we enter any damp caves, we won’t need to worry."
The youth extended his slender legs from beneath his robe, stood firmly on the ground, and gazed softly at Ming Yueyi: "Where shall we go first?"
Though Ming Yueyi didn’t understand why he was asking her, she honestly turned her eyes to He Wujiu.
"Last night, I went to Xiufu-feng and asked Zhang Shidi for a few Tracking Talismans. As soon as the great demon reveals even a trace of Demonic Aura, we can detect its location and seal it." He Wujiu handed the talismans to each of them.
Ming Yueyi took hers and immediately placed it into her Storage Bag.
The youth, however, seemed as if he had never seen a Tracking Talisman for hunting demons. He twirled it between his fingertips, playing with it until the cinnabar on the talisman smudged.
Noticing her gaze, Pu Yuemin lifted his eyes to He Wujiu and smiled slightly: "Thank you, Shixiong." For the useless talisman.
"Mhm, no need for thanks. Let’s head down the mountain first." He Wujiu stepped onto his sword, his snow-white robe billowing in the wind with an ethereal grace.
Ming Yueyi also summoned her longsword.
Only Pu Yuemin remained. A red-crowned crane knelt beside him, bowing its head, waiting for him to mount.
He sat cross-legged on the crane’s back, following behind at a leisurely pace.
Along the way, Ming Yueyi couldn’t help but glance sideways at him several times.
He’s too particular. Traveling outside without using Sword-flight, he even brings his Spirit Pet along.
Spirit Pets consume Spirit Stones. Even someone as poor as her, who practiced sword cultivation, couldn’t afford to keep one. It was clear his assets must be exceedingly abundant.
The youth behind her seemed to notice her frequent glances and quietly urged the crane to fly up beside her.
Pu Yuemin asked gently, "Is Shijie tired? Would you like to ride the crane with me?"
Ming Yueyi glanced at the empty space in front of him. Initially, she intended to refuse, but then she reconsidered—since he was her shidi, as his shijie, why should she stand on ceremony?
"Thank you." She nimbly leaped from her sword and settled in front of him, kneeling and sitting cross-legged.
As soon as she landed, she caught the scent of cold fragrance emanating from the youth.
Ming Yueyi inhaled for a few breaths, unable to resist turning her head to ask him: "What was used to blend this fragrance?"
"Hmm?" His long eyelashes lowered, as if he didn’t understand.
Ming Yueyi repeated: "The fragrance on you—what was used to blend it?"
Aside from her love for cultivation and earning Spirit Stones, she had a particular fondness for fragrances. Occasionally, she would distill a few bottles of scented oils to place in her room. But the fragrance on him felt very familiar to her, though she couldn’t quite place what it was.
It smelled wonderful.
Pu Yuemin gazed at the snow-white skin revealed beneath the woman's collar before him, his tone drowsy and inexplicably questioning: "Shijie, don't you remember?"
"I know?" Ming Yueyi turned her eyes to him in confusion.
His thin lips curved slightly upward, revealing a faint smile. "Mm."
Ming Yueyi sniffed carefully, still sensing only familiarity, with no related memories surfacing.
"The Golden Lotus Shijie raised was refined with snake blood," the youth behind her explained softly, his damp and cool breath seeming to seep into the collar of her wind-blown robe.
It felt eerily like a cold-blooded, boneless mollusk gently flicking its tongue against her skin.
Ming Yueyi leaned forward slightly, looking at the fair-skinned youth behind her whose delicate features were not concealed by his pale lips and teeth. Losing interest, she said, "Thank you for informing me, Shidi."
"Does Shijie want some? I have plenty." He sat with an upright and reserved posture, his palms resting on his knees, his wrist bones naturally relaxed. The prominent veins on his cold, pale skin exuded a striking, bone-deep beauty.
Ming Yueyi rarely saw anyone as exquisitely beautiful as him—from his hair to his fingertips, every part was flawlessly, almost unnaturally, beautiful.
"No need. I don't like snake blood," she glanced at him twice before shaking her head in polite refusal.
The upward curve of Pu Yuemin's lips seemed to drop slightly, though he maintained his smiling expression. Casually, he asked her, "Why don't you like snake blood, Shijie? Don’t you think its taste is sweet and fragrant?"
Snake blood was both fishy and cold.
Ever since leaving Baihua Gu, Ming Yueyi felt nauseous at the mere thought of snake blood. She wondered whether his sense of taste and smell were impaired or if he genuinely perceived it that way.
She replied coldly, "It’s not fragrant. It’s foul and fishy—the smell I detest the most."
"Hmm…" The youth pressed his lips together, lowered his eyelids, and did not ask further.
Ming Yueyi leaned against the neck of the red-crowned crane, watching as the clouds beneath grew lower, faintly revealing clusters of houses.
The anomaly had descended upon an ordinary small town called Yunzhen.
The three of them landed on a hillside not far from the town.
Although cultivators were countless under the heavens, they were rarely seen among ordinary people without Linggen. To avoid unnecessary trouble, the three concealed the Spiritual Power typical of cultivators.
Yunzhen was shrouded in an unusual haze; from above the clouds, it appeared enveloped in dark clouds, with Demonic Aura permeating the air.
He Wujiu stood on a stone embankment halfway up the mountain, surveying the small town below, nestled among mountains and rivers, giving it the air of a secluded paradise.
"There is something abnormal here."
Ming Yueyi stood beside him, also glancing downward. "Master said Shishu is also in Yunzhen."
The Demonic Aura below the mountain was thick, visible even to the naked eye, hardly indicative of a powerful presence here.
He Wujiu withdrew his gaze, frowning. "If nothing unexpected has happened, Shishu has likely sacrificed himself to protect the town. The demon sealed beneath the mountain can only remain within the town and cannot leave to harm others."
Shishu Juemingzi, like He Wujiu, was a rare genius in the Sword Dao and was once the Sword Cultivator from Fenjing Feng most likely to achieve Ascension. Who would have thought he would meet his end in an unknown town?
Ming Yueyi felt a pang of regret.
He Wujiu said, "We’ll head down to the town shortly. I’ll first search for Shishu’s remains to bring back to the Zongmen. You and Shidi must be cautious in everything."
"Understood." Ming Yueyi glanced sideways at the youth who, since landing, had found a clean, elevated rock and lazily seated himself upon it.
He was admiring the scenery below from his vantage point, his raven-black hair loosely tied behind him. If a red dot were added between his brows, he would resemble a strangely crafted deity.
Noticing her gaze, Pu Yuemin turned to meet her eyes, a faint smile curling at his lips, blurred by the golden light.
He looked so leisurely, as if he had come not to hunt demons but to wander the mountains and admire the scenery.
As the two locked eyes, He Wujiu suddenly called out "Shijie," interrupting them.
Following his trailing voice came a soft hiss, as if he had accidentally stepped on something that had bitten back fiercely.
Ming Yueyi instinctively turned her head.
She saw a snake, the color of withered leaves, coiled around He Wujiu’s leg, biting into his calf before being swiftly severed by a sword.
Once she realized what it was, Ming Yueyi quickly stepped back, stumbling right into the arms of the youth who had just leaped down from a rock due to the sudden commotion.
"Shijie," the youth said, his hand lightly resting on her shoulder.
Ming Yueyi’s entire back pressed against his chest, and she was enveloped by a cold fragrance wafting from his wide sleeves—so intoxicating that her legs felt weak.
He gripped her shoulders, pulling her closer against his chest, and cast a cold, disdainful glance at the man who had interrupted Shijie’s admiration of him.
After killing the snake that had bitten his leg, He Wujiu examined the wound on his calf.
The snake was venomous, and the blood had turned black.
Seizing the opportunity, Ming Yueyi extricated herself from the youth’s embrace, fragrant with cold scent, and handed He Wujiu a bottle of medicine. "Shixiong, this will neutralize the snake venom."
He Wujiu thanked her softly, took the bottle, and sat on a clean rock nearby to apply the medicine.
Meanwhile, Ming Yueyi studied the dead snake on the ground, lost in thought. No one noticed the youth beside her, who idly followed her gaze at the snake, his eyes filled with regret.
He wasn’t killed by the snake bite.
He Wujiu’s landing had been met with a venomous snake bite—an inauspicious start. Fortunately, the snake’s venom was mild, and the numbing sensation faded after applying the medicine.
Fearing more venomous snakes or insects, the three did not linger on the mountain and descended directly.
Upon entering Yunzhen, they found an inn to rest and stay.
After paying for their lodging, He Wujiu took advantage of the early hour to go out and search for any traces left by their shishu.
Ming Yueyi had just set down her bundle in her room when a knock sounded at the door.
"Shijie."
It was Pu Yuemin.
Ming Yueyi paused, walked to the door, and opened it. The exceptionally handsome youth stood at the threshold.
"What is it?"
Pu Yuemin lowered his dark lashes, gazing at her with a faint smile. "Shijie, Dashixiong has gone out to look for Shishu. May I come in?"
Ming Yueyi looked at the youth with curiosity. "Why do you want to come in?"
Pu Yuemin’s eyes swept over her trembling lashes, counting each one silently, his thin lips parting slightly. "The incense Shijie mentioned earlier—I’ve brought it for you."
He was referring to the scent from the red-crowned crane earlier.
Leaning against the doorframe, Ming Yueyi replied, "Thank you, Shidi, but it’s unnecessary. I don’t care for incense tainted with snake blood. You may keep it for yourself."
Her refusal was cold and clear, yet he seemed not to understand. From his wide sleeve, he extended pale, bony fingers, revealing a Golden Lotus-shaped incense box in his open palm.
"Shijie, how will you know if you like it without trying? What if you do?"
Ming Yueyi was about to refuse again, but her gaze lingered on the incense box in his palm.
The box was inlaid with a Spirit Stone, roughly five hundred years old.
The Spirit Stone she had given He Wujiu earlier was about the same age. If this stone fell into her hands and was refined in a Cauldron with Mystic Iron, the resulting Dharma Tool would be of exceptional purity.
After a moment’s consideration, she stepped aside to make way. "Come in, Shidi."
A slight smile touched Pu Yuemin’s lips as he stepped over the threshold and entered the inner room.
He did not head towards the chair nearby, but instead sat directly on the edge of the bed. Placing the scented ointment box beside him, he rested his hands on his knees and lifted a pair of eyes that seemed naturally affectionate to look at her. "Shijie, come here. I'll test the scent for you."
Ming Yueyi walked over and extended her wrist toward him.
He shook his head, pointing to the spot beside him with his fingertip. "Shijie, sit here. The ointment needs to be applied to the back of the neck for the scent to be clearly noticeable. The wrist is too faint."
"I'll do it myself," Ming Yueyi said, reaching for the scented ointment box.
The back of the young man's hand rested on the box, and her fingertip happened to touch his pale skin. He let out a soft, muffled sound.
"Shijie…"
For some reason, he seemed quite sensitive, letting out a low moan at the slightest touch.
Ming Yueyi felt a shiver run down her spine and curled her fingers back. "Sorry."
"It's fine." His slender fingers pressed down on the scented ointment box as he shook his head, his gaze toward her eyes veiled with a faint mist. "Shijie doesn't know how to apply it. Let me teach you. If Shijie likes this scent, I'll give it to you."
This was exactly what Ming Yueyi had hoped for—she had taken a liking to the Jipin Lingshi on the scented ointment box. Having him apply the ointment in exchange for a five-hundred-year Spirit Stone was such a favorable deal that she naturally wouldn't refuse.
Ming Yueyi curved her crescent-moon eyes at him, her small canine teeth faintly visible at the corners of her lips. "Then I'll trouble you, Shidi."
He smiled without speaking.
Ming Yueyi sat beside him, but when she turned her back to him, she suddenly felt a hint of awkwardness.
A man and a woman sitting on a bed applying scented ointment didn't sound very proper, especially when the young man behind her leaned closer. A fragrance wafted from his collar, enveloping her until her mouth watered.
A low, deep voice came from behind her. "Shijie, let me tie up your hair first, or the ointment might get on it."
Ming Yueyi nodded. "Alright."
"Mmm…"
Due to her position facing away, she didn't notice that after she naturally agreed, the young man behind her lowered his eyelids, his jade-like, slender fingers trembling as he lifted them. The moment his fingertips touched her jet-black hair, his pale cheeks flushed with a faint blush.
He clenched his teeth, pressing his thin lips into a straight line, forcing himself to keep the serpentine tongue inside his mouth from protruding in excitement.