“Ah, right, I heard that the demon’s appearance is also peerless! There’s a saying that his beauty back then reached a level where it could kill people! I’m quite curious whether it’s true or false. If this Broken Sword Manor auction gives me the privilege of laying eyes on the demon’s appearance, it’ll be worth it even without a divine artifact!”
Upon hearing this, the rough man spat out a mouthful of tea on the spot, staring at his companion in shock: “Old Five, isn’t that demon a man? Since when did you get interested in men? The Heavenly Lord only formed a bond with him to suppress him for the sake of the Three Realms, what the hell are you curious about, beauty?!”
“Beauty has no gender!” Old Five exclaimed, “If you ask me, the reason the Heavenly Lord agreed to form a bond with the demon was probably influenced by his looks to some extent.”
The rough man spat in disgust: “Oh, come off it. That’s the Heavenly Lord we’re talking about, would he take a fancy to a corpse that’s been dead for over a hundred years? Even if he came back to life, it’d basically be a corpse rising from the grave; for all you know, his whole body might still be rotting away. Is your brain fried?”
Old Five clicked his tongue: “Whatever, you’re a rough brute, naturally you wouldn’t understand.”
“You understand? What the hell do you know!”
“Have you ever studied the ‘Living Spring Banquet’ and ‘Living Spring Banquet: Sequel’ by the Sage of Romance?”
“What’s that? A cookbook?”
Old Five rolled his eyes: “You deserve to be single for ten thousand years!”
“Judging by the current situation, the probability of this batch being genuine is ridiculously high! If I can get my hands on a divine artifact, staying single for the rest of my life is worth it!”
“Boss Shang’s books really sell like wildfire across the Three Realms, everyone’s discussing them everywhere.” Xie Xun clicked his tongue. “Right, the auction is in three days, so what do we…”
Then he sensed that the atmosphere between Ruan Weibai and Ye Tang was somewhat off. Although he was talkative and noisy, he still retained a shred of situational awareness. Right now, the icy, frozen demeanor between the two…
Did he say something wrong just now?
No, shouldn’t be, right?
“Honored guests, the Heaven-grade Suite No. 1 has been cleaned up.” The innkeeper rubbed his hands as he ran over to the four of them personally. “This Heaven-grade Suite No. 1 of ours is the largest luxury suite in the entire restaurant. Not only does it have a master bedroom, but it also features guest rooms, steward rooms, and attendant quarters. Plus, its soundproofing is exceptionally good, so the relative price is a bit higher.”
Xie Xun silently produced a golden leaf, and the innkeeper’s face instantly bloomed with joy: “Here is the key. For distinguished guests in Heaven-grade Room 1, we also provide room service. If you need anything.”
Before he could finish, Ruan Weibai snatched the key straight out of his hand, looked directly at Ye Tang, and uttered: “Come upstairs with me.”
Ye Tang stood up and followed him.
Left standing in place with his sentence unfinished, the innkeeper maintained his professional smile as he glanced at Xie Xun and Bai Ruogu, who remained seated in their original spots, and couldn’t help remarking: “Those two distinguished guests seemed quite in a rush? In broad daylight… being this impulsive might not be too appropriate, right?”
Xie Xun: “… That probably isn’t the kind of rush you have in mind.”
Bai Ruogu: “I feel like Heavenly Lord is so obedient to my Master, my Master truly possesses divine taming skills!”
Xie Xun: “.?”
After the two entered the room, Ruan Weibai turned around to stare fixedly at Ye Tang. After a brief pause, he asked coldly: “Explain. Why on earth did you choose to form a bond with me?”
Ye Tang replied: “Did Ah-Ruan only just think of asking me the reason for forming the bond?”
“You’d better not try to change the subject!” Ruan Weibai furrowed his brows, “I am asking you very seriously.”
This suite was indeed exceptionally vast. When neither of them spoke, the silence became terrifyingly tranquil.
“The immortal rules of Lanquique Heaven were set by Immortal Yunhe over a thousand years ago and cannot be altered. But that will never become my reason for binding you.”
Ruan Weibai chuckled with amusement: “What is that supposed to mean? Are you saying that even if I want to dissolve the bond with you and cause your body and soul to perish, you wouldn’t care?”
“You always appear calm and lighthearted on the surface, yet your guard and resentment toward people and matters are far too deep.” Shaking his head, Ye Tang said slowly, “No matter what I say now, you will intentionally misinterpret it.”
Ruan Weibai offered a self-deprecating smile, his face looking both breathtaking and fragile: “True, at worst you can just kill me. How could the Heavenly Lord possibly be foolish enough to let his own form and spirit scatter?”
Ye Tang stated: “Even if Lanquique Heaven did not have this immortal rule, I would never dissolve the bond with you, life and death notwithstanding.”
Ruan Weibai pressed forward step by step: “What if I insist on dissolving it?”
Silence hung in the air.
“Then I can only cripple your hands so you can never transcribe again; break your legs so you can never run away; and finally lock your shoulder blades, binding you by my side to guard you for all eternity.”
He spoke with abnormal calmness, so calm it sounded as though he were stating an absolute matter of course.
Not a joke in the least.
Ruan Weibai nodded, his smile carrying a trace of wicked edge: “I used to think you were just a bit perverted, but now I see you really are out of your mind.”
“However, the crazier you get, the more sincere I find you.” Ruan Weibai walked a circle around Ye Tang, then stretched out a finger to trace a circle across Ye Tang’s chest, “Turns out the lofty, refined, and aloof Heavenly Lord Yaoguang harbors such unimaginably filthy desires toward me. I bet nobody would believe it if word got out.”
Ye Tang looked at him: “Would Ah-Ruan believe it?”
Ruan Weibai leaned closer, lifting his chin slightly to gaze directly into Ye Tang’s eyes: “Not only do I believe it, I’m scared to death of it.”
Hearing such blood-soaked romantic words truly made one’s adrenaline soar!
His hand moved upward from Ye Tang’s lapel, slowly inching toward the back of his neck to encircle it with the web of his hand: “So, since Husband has already formed a bond with me, why do you always procrastinate and refuse to fulfill our duties as cultivation partners?”
“Do you truly believe I do not wish to?”
Pulling Ruan Weibai into his embrace, Ye Tang tenderly helped tuck away a stray lock of hair that had fallen loose: “That day after drinking… you spent a full half-month and more lying in bed.”
Ruan Weibai fell completely silent.
Indeed, what Ye Tang said was a fact. Without the sustenance of spiritual power, his body was like a tattered piece of cotton, looking quite puffed up on the outside, but actually entirely hollow inside, all gold and jade on the outside with nothing inside but rotten wool…
If Ye Tang were an ordinary mortal, that would be one thing, but Ye Tang’s cultivation was already nearing ascension. The previous few times had already been restraint exercised to the absolute limit, and Ruan Weibai still hadn’t been reduced to a cripple, but after that drunken indulgence, his body felt completely disassembled, and it was solely thanks to Chijiang’s immortal energy maintained by Ye Tang that he managed to barely hold together.
Otherwise, how could he have recovered in just half a month?
Therefore, the rule that immortals and mortals shouldn’t love each other really wasn’t a scare tactic; a mortal body simply couldn’t withstand this kind of tossing. Either you cultivate diligently, or you stick strictly to platonic romance, after all, not doing it kept things safe.
But if you expect everyone to stick to platonic romance from then on without any physical contact, that’s as absurd as buying a lottery ticket just to support charity.
As for demonic cultivators, pardon him, but let’s not bring up demonic cultivators. He was a demonic cultivator himself, and he knew what demonic cultivators were like, damn it, when they go at it, they completely disregard whether the other person lives or dies!
And his current physical state was probably worse than an ordinary human’s, completely incapable of cultivation, leaving him to be raised like a good-for-nothing for now.
So what?
He had to recover his spiritual power as quickly as possible. Otherwise, even if he retrieved his three divine artifacts, given the Three Realms’ fanatical obsession with divine artifacts, he wouldn’t be able to protect them at all.
What would he do then? Watch helplessly as his own masterpieces were snatched away by others over and over again?
He could never tolerate the divine artifacts he forged falling into the hands of others!
That would be equivalent to watching his own wives get plundered and carried off by strangers right before his eyes!
Human endurance has its limits, but cuckoldry tolerance does not!
“You don’t need to worry about this. I’m naturally insatiable. If Husband refuses to satisfy me, I’ll naturally go look for…”
He abruptly cut himself off mid-sentence, having keenly caught onto the sudden shift in the atmosphere.
Ye Tang’s gaze darkened, and a layer of black frost instantly spread across the entire room, gloomy and bone-chilling: “Look for?”
He merely repeated the single word in a neither-light-nor-heavy tone.
Yet this sense of oppression.
Ruan Weibai shrank his neck, momentarily under the illusion that an icy blade was resting against his throat. He swallowed hard: “Look for my little uncle, you know, for some friendly spar. You don’t mind, right?”
The freezing aura surrounding Ye Tang retreated. Looking at Ruan Weibai, he let out an imperceptible sigh and asked: “Is Ah-Ruan not planning to tell me the real reason?”
“What reason?”
Ruan Weibai feigned stupidity and innocence; he refused to believe Ye Tang would actually have the nerve to ask out loud about this.
“The reason you’d rather wreck your own body than tangle with me in bed?”
Cough, cough, cough, cough!
“You actually asked it out loud?!”
Ye Tang said: “Between you and me, we should be open and honest without concealing anything. But if you’re unwilling to say, I won’t force you. Even the closest people are entitled to their own privacy.”
“I respect you and will not coerce you.”
Ye Tang expressed it with utmost sincerity, but after thinking it over, how many times had Ye Tang coerced him?
Ruan Weibai: System, can I tell Ye Tang about your existence?
[System: No.]
Ruan Weibai exhaled: I figured as much, but why?
[System (covering its face): Because I’d get shy.]
Ruan Weibai: ?
You, an LSP (lecherous old man) who spends every single day dreaming of shooting high-definition, uncensored footage, are telling me you’re shy?
Ahhhhh, I can’t take it anymore! I’m going to sell you out right now!
“Actually, Ye Tang.”
Ye Tang interrupted: “Hold on a moment.”
Before Ruan Weibai could figure out why the man suddenly asked him to wait, he watched Ye Tang walk over to the door, throw it wide open, and then calmly take a step back.
With a loud “boom”, a group of people tumbled inward while maintaining their ear-cupping postures.
Counting heads, there were at least seven or eight of them.
Ruan Weibai: “…”
The one sprawled at the very bottom was the abacus-loving innkeeper from downstairs, while the rest were basically all dressed in waiter uniforms. After helping the innkeeper back up, the innkeeper smiled and said: “Well, you see, we just came to check if our two distinguished guests have any further instructions?”
“Ah right, right, we’re definitely not eavesdropping!”
“We still have the professional ethics of keeping secrets for our guests! You two go right ahead and don’t mind us!”
“Tested the door lock and it’s super sturdy! As expected of our inn!”
Ruan Weibai massaged his forehead.
No, why are there gossip spectators everywhere he goes?
Ye Tang: “Still not leaving?”
The crowd scrambled away in a panicked frenzy, darting around like a bunch of disorderly monkeys.
“Alright, we can continue now.”
Ruan Weibai pouted and grumbled: “Next time, the mood is gone.”
Naturally, after such a commotion, he was in no mood to explain. Besides, even if he told the truth, Ye Tang might not necessarily believe him. More likely, such an impure transactional relationship would cause Ye Tang to refuse double-cultivation with him in the future, which would mean his losses outweighed his gains.
So why on earth did his brain briefly overheat just now with the thought of selling out the system?
[System: Now that you mention it, true. Given the Heavenly Lord’s obsessive paranoia toward you, if he knew your purpose for having sex with him wasn’t pure… oh boy, the consequences would be unimaginable!!]
Ye Tang didn’t press further, leaving Ruan Weibai feeling restless and agitated instead.
“Master-father!!”
While Ruan Weibai was still fretting, he heard Bai Ruogu’s voice ringing out not far away. Looking up, he saw Bai Ruogu running over with a look of eager anticipation, his eyes shining like bright stars: “Master, I just heard locals say that tonight is the annual lantern night market! I’ve never been to one, and they say it’s super fun. Can we go take a look tonight?”
Ruan Weibai chuckled with amusement: “A lantern night market? You little brat, are you hoping to find a romantic partner?”
Bai Ruogu blinked, looking blank and dazed: “Isn’t a lantern night market for playing around? They said there are lots of stalls, with plenty of good food and fun games…”
Ruan Weibai waved a hand: “Usually places like this are definitely blind-date conventions for unmarried men and women, or else sweet young couples strolling hand-in-hand. The few of us big men.”
Then he noticed Bai Ruogu looking aggrieved enough to cry.
“A few big men can obviously go check it out too! Right, Ye Tang?”
This obedient disciple of his would drop teardrops like pearls the moment he cried, and causing trouble for others was a hassle. Kids still needed to be doted on a little; besides, it was free in the evening, so they might as well just go stroll around out of boredom.
Ye Tang replied: “Whatever Ah-Ruan says.”
Xie Xun, who had hurried over trailing behind Bai Ruogu, heard this exact sentence the moment he stood still, filling him with a myriad of complex emotions that he swallowed right back down.
Just a moment ago, the two of them had been at each other’s throats, so how did they patch things up so fast?
He had actually thought the two were about to start a massive fight and wanted to stop Bai Ruogu from coming over, but he hadn’t kept his eye on the kid for even a second before the little fellow slipped away without a trace!
Could it be that Ruan Weibai this demon truly possessed some exclusive matchmaking-taming technique? After all, his first two consorts, Emperor Ye Xiaocheng and Fierce Emperor Ye Ling, were also rumored to have loved him to the point of dying for him.
So could the Heavenly Lord’s current henpecked spouse persona actually be a hereditary family trait?
Night fell, bringing the lantern night market to life.
Whether it was because of the upcoming divine artifact auction at Broken Sword Manor or not, this year’s lantern night market was exceptionally lively. The elders and villagers from ten miles around seemed to have caught some commercial scent, extending the street length of this year’s night market by triple compared to previous years, with people setting up stalls everywhere.
Though merely a small night market, due to the unusually high turnout this year, the authorities directly took charge of maintaining order. Despite the sheer volume of stalls, it didn’t feel chaotic at all; instead, everything was neatly categorized, with games located on the East Street and food located on the West Street. Lanterns stretched along the branches from east to west all the way down, each lantern varying in shape, creating an arrangement that felt both structured, vibrant, and extraordinarily bright.
It was Bai Ruogu’s first time attending such a night market, and everything he saw felt incredibly fresh. Not daring to pull his master along, primarily out of fear of Ye Tang’s glare, he could only grab a reluctant Xie Xun to look at this and that.
Fortunately, Xie Xun was a natural chatterbox who could explain anything, and the two of them engaged in constant Q&A while having a surprisingly fun time.
Ruan Weibai and Ye Tang walked behind them. Since quite a few bold onlookers kept staring at Ruan Weibai with eager expressions, looking ready to step up and confess their feelings at any moment, Ruan Weibai simply reached out, grabbed Ye Tang’s hand, and intertwined their fingers together.
One had to admit, it was immensely effective. Regardless of men or women, the moment they saw the two of them looking like this, they blushed and turned away, and no one dared to step forward and chat them up anymore.
“You said we should be honest with each other, yet you still haven’t told me the real reason you formed the bond with me?”
Thinking it over, Ye Tang asked earnestly: “There are many reasons, which one does Ah-Ruan wish to hear?”
“Naturally, the most important one.”
Dropping his gaze, Ye Tang gripped Ruan Weibai’s hand even tighter. The subtle movement of his fingers carried a trace of youthful awkwardness, imperceptible yet impossible to ignore.
The way he spoke was as enchanting as the moonlit youth from their first encounter a hundred years ago:
“Wanting to be with you.”
Thus he spoke.
A breeze swept past, causing lanterns to sway gently in the moonlight, filling the streets with radiance.
Shadows danced under the moonlight, lanterns swayed, the surroundings were noisy, and the world was bustling.
Yet when he raised his head to gaze at him, it felt as though all creation in the universe had fallen into utter tranquility.
Even though he had rejected countless people, before Ye Tang, he couldn’t utter a single word of refusal.
He couldn’t fool his own heartbeat.
Ruan Weibai released Ye Tang’s hand, looking somewhat flustered as he avoided his gaze: “I’m a bit thirsty. I’m going to buy something to drink, wait for me here… No following me!”
With that, he turned around in a panic and fled.
So loud, his heartbeat was unimaginably fast!
[System: Host, you.]
Shut up, I need to calm down by myself!
Then he wandered around the vicinity in circles, eventually buying a stalk of sugarcane to chew on by himself. By the time he finished chewing the entire stalk until his jaw ached, he exhaled and stood back up.
Alright, his heartbeat was finally back to normal!
Sure enough, when you’re feeling out of sorts, eating something sweet helps a lot!
[System: Host, though you’re usually a master flirt and look experienced in every aspect… in reality, you’ve never actually been in a relationship before, have you?]
Ruan Weibai refused to admit defeat: What, what are you trying to imply?
[System: I’m just saying, this flustered look of yours makes me even more excited, hehehe.]
Ruan Weibai: What the heck? Spit it out if you have something to say, kid!
[System: Wow, look over there, the Heavenly Lord seems to have come looking for you.]
Changing the subject to distract him, the system prompted Ruan Weibai to turn around, only to actually spot a crowd surrounding Ye Tang. Crucially, Ye Tang had actually revealed his true facial appearance, instantly stunning countless people and drawing a growing crowd around him.
Ruan Weibai frowned, marched into the crowd, grabbed Ye Tang’s hand, and dragged him outward, shouting angrily as they walked: “I only left for a moment, how come you’re still showing off like a peacock when you’re already taken.”
“Who are you?”
That voice didn’t sound right?
Ruan Weibai froze in place, only then turning his head to inspect the person before him closely!
Although they looked remarkably alike, he still recognized him; this fellow was definitely not Ye Tang!
His eyes widened in shock, unable to figure out why he would run into him here!
“Ye Ling?!”
Ye Ling?
[System (contemplating): Hmm? That name sounds quite familiar, Ye Ling, Ye, wait, he, is he the ex-husband?]