miralunem

Despite his blurred consciousness, Feng Qingyun’s pupils still shook as soon as he was called by that name. “You…,” he muttered.

“What about me?” Long Yin asked teasingly while jokingly rubbing his finger over the swollen lips in front of him, lips that were slightly open because of shortness of breath. “Who would have thought that… The Second Palace Master of the Xiān Gōng Sect is such a beautiful monster who can suck people’s blood?”

The moment he kissed him again, the little drop of reason that still stubbornly clung in Feng Qingyun’s eyes dissipated in an instant.

After all, that was the nature of the demon clan. Just like the fox clan which was renowned for excelling at sucking human essence, half of the spiritual plants were masters of devouring human bones and blood. 

But being born to excel at something and actually doing it well were two very different things. For example, some weak demons of the fox clan often got too excited when sucking essence that their victims sometimes lost pieces of flesh as well. 

And the spiritual plants that survived on eating flesh… If they let their hunger accumulate over time, they would also long for sucking their victims dry, flesh, blood, and essence in equal parts.

And of course, that was bound to happen right now. 

At the moment when lips and teeth mingled, Feng Qingyun’s reason was completely extinguished, replaced by the instinctual behavior of his demonic nature. Therefore, his main vine continued to dig deeply into Long Yin’s side neck, greedily preventing even a single drop of blood from flowing outside. 

However, the Demon Emperor was still partially human after all. Such an inhuman pain came without warning, finally making Long Yin react by subconsciously pausing his movements, but the person in his arms seemed to be very dissatisfied with that. In his desperation, Feng Qingyun grabbed the lapels of his robe, intending to drag him down. However, his right hand was still nailed in place by himself, and the left one had limited space to move, leaving him to depend solely on his vines to subdue his “prey”. 

Caught by surprise, Long Yin’s neck was ripped open in an instant. He frowned slightly, but the next moment, his instinct was not to push Feng Qingyun away but to grab the Linshuang sword, pull it, and throw it on the ground next to him. Strangely enough, that kind of sword would never let an outsider touch it, but when the Demon Lord pulled it, it acted like his own sword, letting the man throw it away naturally and unobstructed.

Without the shackles he had set, Feng Qingyun immediately looked up and unconsciously came forward, desperately trying to kiss Long Yin despite the fact that he did not know what to do. As for the Demon Lord, any normal person would have been terrified of having his blood sucked dry, but he instead hooked the corners of his mouth, pinched the beauty’s chin, and deepened their contact.

But Feng Qingyun’s mind was not entirely there, blankly licking the intruder with no rhyme or reason. The soft and timid tip of his tongue seemed innocent, but in fact, it was abnormally dangerous. After all, getting blood and demonic Qi out of Long Yin was not enough for Feng Qingyun since what he needed was the purest essence hidden deeply in the man’s body.

He was doing everything in his power to follow his demonic nature, but tragically enough, Feng Qingyun really lacked skills when it came to bedroom matters. So he pressed and pulled a few times, but still failed to charm Long Yin into giving him what he wanted. Seeing his clumsy but adorable movements, Long Yin deliberately suppressed his essence just below the surface, bullying Feng Qingyun almost to the point of tears. The rose thorns on his arms and neck suddenly pierced deeply, almost touching the bones, but that fierce and abnormal appearance looked like an angry and spoiled lover’s tantrum in Long Yin’s eyes. With a smile in his eyes, he deliberately retreated for a moment. The person in his arms was short of breath and sobbing unconsciously, making Long Yin laugh while asking, “So anxious?”

Countless thorny vines were spreading over the blood-soaked land, desperately looking for relief. It was a scene that should have looked extremely terrible, but its charm couldn’t be hidden. The blood roses, a demonic spiritual plant that had not tasted blood in 600 years of combined two lifetimes, had multiplied to an unprecedentedly abundant point, almost covering the entire Baihua Cave. The original vegetation inside the secret realm, which had been silent for thousands of years, was so pressed that not even a single flower could raise its head at all.

But despite its overwhelming momentum, the demonic plant’s main vine was ferocious and green, but the flower buds on it still showed no sign of blooming. Long Yin took a look at that view, unable to suppress a sigh while tightly hugging the person in his arms. “If only the flowers on it would open up for me… How nice would that be,” he whispered. However, the little relentless demon in his arms was too lazy to answer him, anxiously wrapping his entire being around Long Yin’s neck. Completely resigned to his fate, the Demon Lord lowered his head and kissed him with a smile, no longer trying to prevent his essence from being consumed. 

At the moment when Feng Qingyun finally got what he wanted, countless blood-colored flower buds as small as rice grains grew on his vines in an instant, rapidly spreading out. And when Hua Ying and her companions sensed the demonic breath surrounding the ruins and rushed over to Baihua Cave, it was that scene they saw…

The overwhelmingly fierce vines penetrated the hearts of countless demons, and the corpses were piled up among the bright red flower buds. But the vines seemed to be disgusted with them. After taking a single bite, it abandoned the abundant “food” in favor of climbing over someone’s shoulders. 

The one wrapped in vines seemed to be a man. His back was wide and strong, but the rose thorns were firmly embedded in his arms and neck. And amidst such a dangerous scene, the little demon in his arms seemed to be pitifully asking for love.

The gorgeous, dangerously beautiful, and dazzling demon mindlessly devoured his prey. Everything was clear in an instant, and everyone thought that man was a lost cause. After all, anyone who was unlucky enough to be both strong and adhere to the flower demon’s aesthetics could only be seduced to death or survive long enough to see himself fall into ruin…

… And unfortunately for him, the flower demon in question looked very hungry. Nobody knew for how many years it had starved, but it for sure looked like it planned to devour the man in its grasp, blood, bone, Qi, and essence altogether. 

Despite not knowing who that flower demon was or how it managed to grow so strong, almost reaching the level of the Demon Emperor himself, seeing the still alive “prey” that was tangled in its vines prevented the righteous cultivators from abandoning the scene and running for their lives. 

It was during that brief moment of hesitation that the vines seemed to sway a little, drunk on pleasure, making everyone feel stunned in an instant. 

It was…

Feng Qingyun.

The Feng Qingyun, who not long ago used his sword to block Mu Hanyang, brazenly abandoned his sect during his Dao ceremony and fled to the Demon World, accompanied by the Demon Lord himself!

And the same Feng Qingyun was now…

A blood-devouring flower demon?! And how could he even be here?!

Hua Ying opened her eyes wide in astonishment. In her memory, Feng Qingyun had always been gentle and restrained, and even when he was completely obsessed with Mu Hanyang, he still only showed adoration and respect for him, never daring to cross the line. 

As for his identity as a spiritual plant… He had lived in the Xiān Gōng Sect for three hundred years, without ever showing signs of awakening his demonic bloodline. Since Feng Qingyun cultivated his human form, it was speculated that even Mu Hanyang had forgotten what he originally used to be. Therefore, most of the disciples of the Xiān Gōng Sect only knew that he was some sort of spiritual plant, with only Mu Hanyang’s three disciples having access to the information that he was of the vine variety. However, other than that, nobody knew the real situation. 

No one had ever seen Feng Qingyun’s true nature, and neither had anyone seen him look like that… Unspeakably dangerous and inhumanly beautiful. 

For a moment, Hua Ying even wanted to deceive herself. Maybe… Just maybe, it was a demon who deliberately transformed into Feng Qingyun’s appearance to play games with them, but with her level of cultivation… Even if she stood at a certain distance from everything, she could still clearly feel the familiar breath of that person.

It was indeed her Martial Uncle, Feng Qingyun.

Hua Ying suddenly felt an indescribable jealousy and bitterness at the bottom of her heart. Filled with uncontrollable malice, she thought that her Master had been deceived by an unholy thing, doomed to be humiliated at the hands of the dirty and non-human demon clan. As for Feng Qingyun, he had pretended to be as gentle as jade while hiding in the Xiān Gōng Sect for so long, acting completely harmless. However, as soon as he entered the Demon World, he could no longer control his corrupted heart, showing his true, disgusting face…

…And in a way, Hua Ying’s distorted idea was not completely wrong.

Feng Qingyun grew up under the upbringing of a renowned Sword Master, and Zhong Yulan belonged to the Righteous Path in the standard sense of sword cultivation. She didn’t know how to raise children at all, let alone how to raise a little demon. However, she was a serious and hard-working person, so she could only use what she knew, teaching Feng Qingyun to restrain his nature and stick to the sword.

And yet, she failed to acknowledge something. In the thousands of years that followed the ancient war, nobody had ever heard of a demon who managed to cultivate the sword path. But despite it all, Feng Qingyun did it. He followed the teachings of his Master and relied on his willpower to suppress his own strength, persisting in hard work all the way to the Foundation Building stage. 

With Feng Qingyun’s strength and determination to survive for hundreds of years, no one would have thought that he was, in fact, a blood-sucking rose, let alone one who still struggled to bloom.

Once his suppressed nature finally broke out, Hua Ying was afraid that even if her Master, Mu Hanyang, came…

…he could only come over to personally deliver his corpse.

………………

At the moment, the bright green, thorny rose vines wrapped themselves around a man’s shoulders and neck, deeply buried into his bone marrow, looking like poisoned snakes drunk on the pleasure of hunting. Watching the scene from a distance, an indescribable emotion pervaded Hua Ying’s heart, and she couldn’t help sneering from the bottom of her heart. She didn’t know which unlucky demon became Feng Qingyun’s most beloved hunt, but there was no way she would endanger herself to save him. What a joke, she thought… Forget about Mu Hanyang, even if that Demon Emperor were to come in person, maybe not even a few bones would be left of him!

However, the next moment, just as she was being disdainful, Hua Ying and her fellow cultivators suddenly opened their eyes wide, only to see that the vines seemed to have finally eaten enough. Even the flower buds on them seemed to carry the dewdrops of the morning, so delicate and plump, as if they were just about to bloom. And when the vines slowly moved away a little, everyone finally saw who that “unlucky guy” was…

The dragon demon, the Demon Emperor himself. 

Everyone opened their eyes wide in shock, filled with complete disbelief. The poor man looked completely disheveled, with ripped clothes barely covering gruesome wounds that crisscrossed every inch of visible flesh, and yet, there was no blood in those ferocious wounds. That part alone symbolised that his body had been sucked dry, making the whole situation feel even more terrible. After all, if it were anyone else, they would have reincarnated a long time ago…

…But Long Yin was not angry, even looking quite happy to be of use. Pinching the soft waist of the person in his arms, he fiercely kissed Feng Qingyun once more, right in front of his former “nephews”. And this time around, it was no longer a feeding type of kiss, but a real, ambiguous, and heavy one. 

After not having a meal for hundreds of years and suppressing his nature for just as long, the way-too-abundant spiritual power in his body left Feng Qingyun confused for a moment. Despite being sane, he was still helplessly kissed, all the way until the tip of his tongue went numb. Even the vines he did not manage to withdraw in time showed the real feelings in his heart, curling in shame all over the ground, with exposed, trembling buds. 

When he calmed down and finally regained a little sanity, he immediately lifted the hand that had been previously pierced by his own sword, weakly trying to push away the man in front of him. However, that action worked a little better than he thought. Long Yin was now as frail as a mortal with no cultivation, easily being subdued by him. 

Feng Qingyun was stunned, and his whole attention focused on the man’s chest, eagerly checking the ups and downs of his breathing. His pupils gradually focused, and the memories of what happened while his primordial body rioted gradually returned to the cage of his mind. Instantly, he knew both what he had done and the fact that familiar people were looking at them in shock, not far away. 

However, even if he were to die the next moment, Feng Qingyun still had no time to care about others at all. He suddenly sat up straight, exclaiming in fear: “You!” In both of his lifetimes, every time Long Yin had been on the verge of death, he had never looked as tragic as now. Both of his arms were covered in wounds, and the terrible one on his neck extended all the way to his shoulder, deep enough to show the bones of his shoulder blade. 

But the Demon Lord was still his cheeky self, leisurely asking: “What about me?”

“…Don’t you have ears?!” Feng Qingyun came back to his senses and felt an unspeakable anger for a moment. For the first time, he panicked enough to not be able to find his next words.

“I told you to cut off all the vines! Even if… Even if you did not want to do it, was it too hard for you to hide?!” 

“Sucking me dry and still blaming me,” Long Yin pretended to sigh. “Miss Yu, you really make me feel sad.” 

The mention of that name suddenly exploded in Feng Qingyun’s mind, and the color of his complexion immediately turned from white to red.

After a brief moment of panic, the feeling of guilt permeated his heart.

…It was he who made him look like that. And yet, Long Yin not only didn’t blame him at all, but even his words were as sweet as candy.

Feng Qingyun’s heart seemed to be pinched. He immediately grabbed Long Yin’s arm, pressing him to sit down next to the stone tablet he had been leaning on earlier. Then, touching one of the few still intact places on the man’s arm, he lowered his head and started to convey spiritual power to him. Normally, although the rules of their cultivation were different, spiritual power could still be exchanged between a demonic and a righteous cultivator. 

Long Yin let himself be pushed down without saying a word, leaning on the stone tablet with a smile. However, his attitude made Feng Qingyun feel extremely guilty and ashamed, keeping his eyes slightly closed, with trembling eyelashes that hinted at his heartbroken state. 

After the magnificent spiritual power was delivered, the effect was almost immediate, and the wounds on Long Yin’s arms soon showed signs of healing. However, Feng Qingyun still thought that the speed was too slow, so he frowned and accelerated the flow a little.

Seeing that he was so dignified, Long Yin couldn’t help but tease him: “This is not good. Why do you look like a widow who had just finished burying her husband? At least wait until I turn cold…” 

However, Feng Qingyun scolded without waiting for him to finish his words: “You can’t talk! Shut up, okay?!”

Long Yin was scolded, but not angry. Instead, he closed his mouth with a smile.

However, his loss was too serious.

Feng Qingyun’s continuous spiritual power never ceased to pour into him, but except for a little bit in the beginning, the rest was like stones sinking into the sea, with no effect at all. Feng Qingyun’s heart gradually fell to the bottom, making him anxiously bite his lip. He didn’t know how much blood he had drawn from Long Yin, letting the man actually fall so far. 

And yet, Long Yin was still in the mood to talk nonsense, saying: “My Little Palace Master, you have scolded me so many times indiscriminately… But is it that hard to just say thank you?” 

Hearing his words, Feng Qingyun’s thoughts reluctantly came back to earth, making him purse his lips for a long time.

“…Thank you.”

As expected, it was an answer that did not satisfy Long Yin. “Is that how you address me?” He asked teasingly. ” It looks like the Second Palace Master is still reluctant to thank me.” 

Seeing that he was getting inch by inch, Feng Qingyun took a deep breath and said patiently: “…Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Long Yin raised his eyebrows and answered: “Shouldn’t you thank your dragon God instead?” 

Now, Feng Qingyun really wanted to get angry. He felt that he was the one in pain, and that infuriating man was not qualified to tease him like that. Finally, he took a deep breath and said: “…Don’t take more than what I’m willing to give!”

And yet, Long Yin didn’t say anything. He simply raised his neck and presented the ferocious wound on his neck that still showed no signs of healing. 

Feng Qingyun suddenly felt suffocated. After a long time, he squeezed from between his teeth:”…Thank you, my Dragon God.”

“Two words are still missing.”

“…Your Excellency!”

Long Yin finally smiled at him and suddenly pulled back the arm that was still being healed. Feng Qingyun immediately sat up straight, almost screaming: “What are you doing?! I haven’t finished…!”

But before he could finish his words, Long Yin produced a storage ring out of thin air and presented it to him. Feng Qingyun took it, only to fall into deep shock as soon as he finished investigating it. 

“The heart of the Xuanwu, the real treasure of the Baihua Cave, and your dowry.” Long Yin said to him without blinking. “As for the wedding gift that the dragon God promised to you, I’ll make up for it when we go back. Please forgive the delay, Little Palace Master.” 

The most precious treasure, which countless people couldn’t even dream of touching, was now lying quietly in the storage ring. Long Yin still wanted to say something, but Feng Qingyun suddenly took a deep breath with red ears. He then turned his head and immediately broke the biggest flower bud from his main vine that was still not fully retracted into his primordial body.

Long Yin was stunned but didn’t have time to stop it, helplessly watching as the flower bud was forcefully shoved into his mouth by Feng Qingyun. The rosebud melted on his tongue, instantly bringing forward his lost aura and healing his wounds. No matter what was on the inside, at least on the surface, His Excellency the Demon Lord had regained his former handsomeness, no longer looking like a piece of chewed-up bone that was spit on the side of the road. 

After feeding him his flower bud, Feng Qingyun took Long Yin’s wrist again, but after detecting the still-empty response, he turned pale. It seemed that he…

Really sucked Long Yin dry!

As soon as that thought crossed his mind, Feng Qingyun took a deep breath. For a moment, he fell into despair, just about to reach his hand and pick another flower bud from his main vine. However, Long Yin pressed his wrist quickly. “Little Palace Master, your good family is still watching us.” Seeing that he was too guilty to listen to common sense, the Demon Lord had to change his words. “Feeding me your flower buds in public…” he said. “I don’t mind, but when that obnoxious niece of yours goes back and talks to someone, I’m afraid…”

The effect of his speech was basically immediate.

Feng Qingyun was also worried about that. At the moment, he finally remembered there were outsiders present, so before Long Yin could finish his words, he immediately retracted his main vine, gathering all the strange flowers and plants inside the Baihua Cave and storing them together.

And just like that, the huge cave turned into a barren land in an instant, looking extremely desolate.

Hua Ying’s face suddenly changed. The ferocious vines swallowed all the precious thousand-year-old flowers, not leaving even a single leaf for them. And yet, she still didn’t dare to say a word until Feng Qingyun got up and turned his head, facing them with a faint expression.

That look was completely different from the anxious one he showed in front of the Demon Lord, just like looking at a group of strangers. Hua Ying’s heart suddenly felt like it was stabbed with a needle-like discomfort, and even her stomach churned a little uncomfortably for a moment.

Just as she was about to call “Uncle”, she suddenly noticed the clothes they were wearing and, after realizing something, her expression immediately changed.

“You… You are that male…!”

The words “male pet” almost left her lips, but fortunately, her companions seemed a little bit smarter for once, eagerly stopping her and silently begging her to swallow those words back to where they came from. At present, Mu Hanyang was not with them, and with their cultivation… Even if they were stacked together on top of each other, they were still not enough to fill the space in between the Demon Lord’s teeth, ah! And weirdly enough, they did not notice that Long Yin was momentarily just a pretty ruin held together with magic glue. They’ve only seen Feng Qingyun feed him a flower bud, an action that seemingly healed all his wounds in an instant. Therefore, those righteous cultivators subconsciously thought Long Yin had recovered his full strength.

However, even if the Demon Lord was out of the discussion, they still did not dare to act rashly. With Feng Qingyun’s attitude of not recognizing them at all, it was still unknown what kind of fate awaited them.

After a few breaths, Hua Ying finally found a few words that did not sound downright offensive: “… It turns out that it was Martial Uncle who prevented us from buying Tianshan Jade before…”

“That would be useless for you anyway,” Feng Qingyun answered lightly.

Hua Ying almost choked on her breath, screaming back with indignation: “…eldest Brother is crippled and second brother’s cultivation is all gone, all because of that demon next to you! They were raised by you, Martial Uncle, how can you be so cruel to them?!”

And yet, Feng Qingyun asked back, just as calm as before: “Weren’t you also raised by me?”

Hua Ying fell silent as if she didn’t expect him to say that. For a moment, she didn’t know what to say.

“You have always loved alchemy. When I ordered you to practice diligently and carefully refine three furnaces every day, you disobeyed the Yin and Yang and tried to take shortcuts by conspiring with Mu Hanyang behind my back.” Feng Qingyun continued calmly in his ever-so-cold tone. “Because he gave you quality materials, did you truly believe you were a naturally born genius at refining pills?”

Hua Ying’s face turned pale when she heard her achievements being questioned, and she subconsciously argued back: “…That’s because Master believed in my talent. You didn’t!”

“Talent?” Feng Qingyun stared at her and said word by word, “Do you know what he gave you?”

The poor girl was stunned, and a horrible answer overflowed from her heart as she asked: “…What?”

“The one single bud I managed to nurture after hundreds of years,” Feng Qingyun said lightly.

As soon as those words were said, Hua Ying’s face suddenly became emptier than ever before.

“Mu Hanyang was afraid that if your cultivation stagnated, you’d be devastated, so he didn’t let me tell you. All those “quality materials” he generously gave you after ripping them from my body were for you to grow into a proud child of Heaven. Instead, he made you like this… Arrogant, disrespectful, and a complete bully.” Every word Feng Qingyun said cut into Hua Ying’s heart. “So, have I ever been cruel to you?”

Hua Ying couldn’t believe what he said for a moment, trembling with a faint spirit.

“I…I…”

Although Long Yin vaguely guessed that Feng Qingyun’s habit of cutting his vines left and right at any given time was developed in the Xiān Gōng Sect, he never thought that even his niece’s practice of alchemy depended solely on consuming his precious buds as soon as he managed to grow them.

No wonder his man couldn’t bloom for 600 years!

Thinking of that, Long Yin’s face darkened, but he really was weak and useless at the moment, otherwise… Hua Ying’s two brothers at home would really have something to cry about. As for the little, stupid girl, she didn’t know about Long Yin’s real situation, but simply looking at his terrible eyes made her almost jump out of her body.

Feng Qingyun quickly grabbed Long Yin’s wrist, stopping him from entangling with useless people. However, seeing that he had every intention of turning around and leaving, Hua Ying still couldn’t care about anything else, plucking up the courage to say: “…Uncle… Master, I’m sorry.”

And yet, Feng Qingyun answered lightly: “I don’t need it, and I don’t accept your apology. Not everything in the world can be fixed by a word of sorry.”

Hua Ying was a proud, righteous cultivator, so proud that apologizing almost took all her self-esteem, making her feel like crying when Feng Qingyun rejected her olive branch. But thinking of her poor and sick brothers far away in the Xiān Gōng Sect, she still shamelessly continued: “My brothers… They didn’t mean it. The eldest brother lost his right eye. He’s such a proud person; if he can’t see again, he’s going to die! Please, Uncle, for the sake of raising us, save him!”

Feng Qingyun finally raised his eyes and looked at her. After a while, he actually took out a Baimu fruit from his storage bag. Everyone immediately showed joy when they saw it, and only Long Yin raised his eyebrows.

The next second, however, Feng Qingyun cast a spell on the Baimu fruit right in front of their eyes.

“I remember Liu Wu said that from now on, he will practice his Master’s sword, abandoning all the things I taught him. However, he might have abolished my swordsmanship that day, but he did not abolish the cultivation I helped him achieve,” Feng Qingyun said. “Since I’ve already raised him once, I no longer owe him anything. Since you want me to help him again, he’ll have to return what he got from me first.” Looking at the Baimu fruit in his hands, he continued: “This is what he needs to regain his sight. However, it comes with a condition. After eating it, his cultivation will go back to the Qi Condensation stage. Whether he wants eyes or power, he can decide by himself.”

Hearing that, Hua Ying couldn’t help but feel a chill in her heart, panicking.

“Uncle…”

“From now on, I’m no longer your Uncle.” Feng Qingyun said as he threw the Baimu fruit to her. “Go back and tell Mu Hanyang that he doesn’t have to look for Lingsai incense anymore since I don’t plan on ever coming back.”

Realizing that Feng Qingyun had listened to all their discussions at that time, everyone’s faces turned white while Hua Ying’s brain started to buzz. For the first time, she felt abandoned, unsteady on her feet, and with heavy drops of tears in her eyes that were about to fall at any moment.

But Feng Qingyun didn’t even look at her twice, pulling Long Yin away from the ruins without looking back.

…………………

The two were a little luckier when leaving the secret realm, since as soon as they looked up, they were already in the floating mansion they rented. Feng Qingyun quickly pulled Long Yin back to their bedroom and sat him down on the bed solemnly.

“Why are you in such a hurry?” Long Yin still had the heart to joke. “Were you afraid that I was going to kill your niece?”

“She hasn’t been my niece for a long time.” Feng Qingyun was no longer shy and reserved in speech, continuing: ” With Hua Ying’s plain cultivation, she’d eventually find her demise on her own. What I was afraid of was you dropping dead in front of everyone, while still running your mouth!” After saying that, he immediately grabbed his storage bag, desperately looking inside for any kind of life-saving elixir. However, he forgot that he was a sword cultivator and a spiritual plant on top of it! There were no elixirs that would work on him anyway, so there was no need to even carry one. Therefore, he searched for a long time, going from his storage bag to the storage ring Long Yin gave him, before finally finding half a bottle of Qi replenishing elixir, which was nothing but a layer of crumbs left at the bottom of his pockets.

Feng Qingyun put that sorry excuse of a life-saving item in front of Long Yin with a cold face, planning to go and buy everything and anything he could find at the stalls downstairs. “Wait, wait!” Seeing his agitated mood, Long Yin grabbed his wrist and staggered: “I don’t even have a drop of magic breath left! Guess how many cultivators in here know what you look like and can sense your current spiritual state at the same time?!”

“I don’t care if they recognize me! Can they refuse to sell me magic potions because they know who I am?!” Feng Qingyun pursed his lips, saying harshly.

“Then I’m afraid they won’t even dare to accept your spirit stones.” Long Yin moved his hand from grabbing his wrist to grabbing his palm and smiled. “My Little Palace Master is not afraid of anyone, but they all know you came to the Demon World with me. Now you’re out there, desperately looking for life-saving elixirs while flaunting your abundant spiritual power… Isn’t that foolish? How different is that from straight-up telling the whole world that medicine is for me? The Demon Lord is in trouble, so there’s a chance to dethrone me, and once there’s chaos, your world may not be peaceful.” Long Yin pulled Feng Qingyun’s hand and pressed it to his heart, continuing: “Since I am a demon, it’s not so easy for me to die. I’ll be fine in a moment.”

Feng Qingyun knelt beside him, frowning. Seeing that he was still hesitating, Long Yin simply pulled him over by the hand he was holding, rubbing their faces together. “… Does the Second Palace Master of the Xiān Gōng Sect want the whole world to know that you sucked me dry? That, although you’re not very old, you still excel at using flawless self-taught techniques?”

Feng Qingyun’s face was hot. Seeing that the Demon Lord was still in the mood to mess with him, he knew there was nothing he could do to help… And yet, he still did not dare to push him away as usual, only retorting angrily: “…If you talk nonsense again, I will… I will…”

“Gag you!”

As a sheltered little potted plant who grew up in the most righteous sect of the entire cultivation world, Feng Qingyun really… Couldn’t swear at all. On the contrary, he only managed to look like a bluffing cat.

And of course, Long Yin was not scared of that threat. Instead, he smiled and pulled Feng Qingyun even closer, essentially positioning himself comfortably on his lap. As for Feng Qingyun, he was stunned, and his ears suddenly burned up, almost jumping up. “What are you doing?!”

“Let’s talk about business.” Long Yin relied on his own “virtues” of grabbing the entire body after being offered a finger, pretending to be serious while simultaneously clinging to Feng Qingyun’s waist. “During that illusion in the ruins, I did not see the Xuanwu beast at all, but I did see that mysterious sword cultivator you spoke about. However, I saw him fighting two other cultivators, and as soon as the illusions ceased, there was only the heart of the beast left buried under the rocks. I came to find you right after, but I was still one step too late.”

Feng Qingyun was indeed taken away by his words, and for a moment, he forgot about the embarrassing position they were in. Hearing his recollection of the events, he frowned slightly and looked down at the man who was practically lying on top of his thighs, saying, “I saw the Xuanwu fighting three immortals at first. After the beast died and took one immortal with him, that sword cultivator arrived and attacked the remaining two, using the body of the Xuanwu to support the collapsed sky.”

“Three immortals?” Long Yin raised his eyes, and a strand of Feng Qingyun’s hair swept over his cheek, feeling slightly cool to the touch. He raised his hand and curled it around his finger, continuing: “The illusion I saw showed him fighting only two…”

It was an extremely ambiguous action, coupled with an extremely ambiguous mood, but Feng Qingyun didn’t pay attention for a while. Instead, he said: “Accordingly, what we have arrived at should be scenes of different places happening at the same time during the ancient war. That mysterious cultivator, let’s assume he fought two cultivators somewhere, and then immediately rushed to save the Xuanwu. However, he was late, so he avenged the beast, used it to prevent the sky from collapsing, and left with his sword… And then Xuanwu’s corpse fell back to the earth, nourishing the Baihua Cave. But the heart… Why was it on your side?”

“Perhaps the rest of the Xuanwu was buried somewhere else. I don’t care about that for the time being. I suddenly thought of one thing…” Long Yin turned around, asking: “You were attracted by the spiritual plants inside the Baihua Cave, and you also have drawn so much essence from me. You should have blossomed directly, right? Why is there still nothing? Was it not enough to fully satisfy you?”

In fact, Long Yin seemed to be more concerned about his bloom than Feng Qingyun himself. Moreover, his words were really a little too ambiguous, making Feng Qingyun’s ears turn red. “…You should pay attention to your words,” he mumbled.

Long Yin was still lying on his lap. Hearing that, he continued to play with Feng Qingyun’s hair, cheekily saying: “Why, Little Palace Master? Do you actually understand what I was hinting at? I thought you were really innocent and ignorant.”

However, Feng Qingyun pursed his lips and said: “…I have been married for more than 300 years in my previous life…”

“Oh~” Long Yin’s tone was long, and his eyes narrowed. “I’ve wanted to ask you for a long time. Since you liked that surnamed Mu so much, how come you never cornered him in bed and used him to advance your cultivation? Was it because you were afraid he could not embrace a man? But you could have used your identity as his little Miss Yu and guilt him into letting you suck him dry… “

Feng Qingyun was feeling hot all over, stumbling over his words in an effort to explain himself: “… I did not get the chance, he did call me ‘Miss Yu‘ on our wedding night and then accused me of tricking him!” Speaking of that, he suddenly paused and frowned at the person in his arms, asking: “Wait, did you know that he was the groom in that illusion?!”

But Long Yin only deliberately said: “Who?”

“Who?! Who are we even talking about?! Mu Hanyang!” Feng Qingyun snatched the strand of his hair from the Demon Lord’s hand, staring at him without blinking: “Did you know that the person he was looking for all this time was me?!”

Long Yin responded: “Naturally. The dragon God is omnipotent.”

Feeling how ridiculous everything was, Feng Qingyun asked in anger: “…Then why didn’t you tell me?!”

“You never asked!” Long Yin’s answer was even more ridiculous. “Why would I tell you something that I was sure would make you unhappy? Remember how you acted that first time we met outside of the illusion world? You drew your sword and charged straight at me, without realizing once that I was the dragon God! What good would it have been if I told you the truth? Both you and Mu Hanyang acted according to the arrangements of that illusion, unable to change the course of events. If he were to find out that you played the role of Miss Yu, would he come crying back to you, scolding his previous behavior and professing his undying love? What would you do then? Would that have made you happy?”

Feng Qingyun’s breathing stagnated. He looked down at Long Yin for three seconds, suddenly realizing that the Demon Lord was indeed the only man who truly knew him. After all, Mu Hanyang was the one who raised him from seed to human shape. While he was full of expectations for their future together… If he were to realize it was the man he deeply loved who chose to sacrifice him for the greater good right on the eve of their marriage ceremony… Would he give up on the future he dreamed about because of an illusion? Or would he choose to unhappily move forward with the wedding and continue living his life full of resentment and doubt?

Everything that happened in that illusory world was originally about gaining experience, but in the end, it was nothing but Heaven’s arrangement.

He probably would have ended up comforting himself that everything was his fate, overjoyed that his Senior Brother loved him after all, even if it was only in an illusion…

And even if it was only when he played the role of a woman.

Feng Qingyun continued to look at Long Yin. For a long time, he couldn’t help but want to ask… Since you knew the truth, what was in your heart when you still chose to come to my Dao ceremony, and why did you leave without doing anything? But in the end, thinking that Long Yin was not the same person as he was in their previous life, he swallowed those words deep into his heart. However, as if he could read his mind, Long Yin suddenly said calmly: “Although I don’t have the memory of the past, you…”

“You must have been very happy on your wedding day, right?”

Feng Qingyun was stunned. He suddenly recalled his excited and happy appearance on the day of the ceremony, answering softly: “…Hmm. I was stupid.”

“Then I must have also been stupid. I saw how happy you were, so I must have not wanted to be the one who ruined it.” Despite not being able to recall the memories of their previous life together, Long Yin could still clearly guess what kind of thoughts he might have had.

Feng Qingyun’s heart trembled, only able to say after a long time: “…I thought that with your temper, you would have said something. Even if it didn’t work, you would have been pleased to just ruin the mood.”

“I would have been happy to ruin other people’s day, but I knew you did not want to come with me. Wouldn’t showing up just embarrass you on your happy day?” Long Yin laughed lightly at himself before continuing: “I am not Mu Hanyang, nor do I want to see you even more entangled with him. After all, I am a selfish man, but keeping my mouth shut in that situation was the most magnanimous thing I could think of. As for doing other selfish things while presenting my actions as doing good for you… That’s something I completely despise.”

When Feng Qingyun heard those words, his heart jumped violently, as if he had been slapped. However, without waiting for that moving emotion to ferment, Long Yin followed closely by joking: “Who knew that my actions would condemn you to live the life of a widow despite being married.”

Feng Qingyun suddenly came back to his senses and couldn’t help staring at him. Seeing his annoyed reaction, Long Yin smiled more happily, looking very much like an enchanting ghost who was just about to steal someone’s soul. He even raised his hand and ran his fingers over the corners of Feng Qingyun’s mouth, saying, “So the Little Palace Master has drunk so much of this Lord’s blood, but there’s still no sign of blooming. Why? Do I not suit your taste?”

Feng Qingyun turned his head to avoid his movements, answering with red ears: “…I don’t know. The flower buds have developed to maturity, but it seems that they’re still not ready to open.”

“What’s missing?” Long Yin asked.

Feng Qingyun pursed his lips, still saying: “… I don’t know.”

Long Yin finally straightened up and sat up from his lap, commenting, “Your good brother raised you like this. You’re a spiritual plant, and yet, you don’t know anything about your body.”

Feng Qingyun knew that he was at a loss, not daring to argue back, making Long Yin almost laugh at his meek appearance. “Let your main vine out and let me look at it,” he demanded.

Feng Qingyun took a deep breath, but after seeing the man’s serious expression, he still obediently did as he was told. Several bright red flower buds were hanging on his three-finger-thick emerald green main vine. The largest of them had been plucked by Feng Qingyun himself, but the remaining buds were still struggling to open up.

Long Yin frowned and gently touched the flower bud closest to him. Just as he was about to check it in detail, he was directly hit in the face by the vine.

Long Yin: “…”

Feng Qingyun: “!”

Feng Qingyun’s ears suddenly started ringing in shame, and he quickly tried to recall his main vine. As for Long Yin, his face immediately blossomed into a red mark, making him look like a hooligan who had been slapped by a virtuous lady. Rubbing his face half-heartedly, he complained: “How spirited… It looks like the Second Palace Master had long been itching to get revenge on this Lord, right?”

“…Who asked you to move without asking for permission?!” Feng Qingyun was very much a flower demon who lacked common sense. Even if he knew that spiritual plants were moody by nature, it still wasn’t good to touch them casually, right?! But after actually “slapping” someone, he still felt guilty in his heart, with no confidence in his words.

Long Yin couldn’t help but hook the corners of his mouth, thoroughly enjoying the scolding. However, after Feng Qingyun pressed his lips, he unwillingly let the man check several flower buds from his main vine. Looking at them from all angles, the Demon Lord commented, with his expression gradually becoming more serious: “From the state of your flower buds, whether it’s spiritual power or age, they should have matured a long time ago. Previously, it was because of a lack of nutrients that your flower buds could not grow. Now, they managed to grow, but remain closed…”

And yet, Feng Qingyun couldn’t hear what he said at all. He simply clenched his heart tightly, with his ears red as if they were about to bleed. After a long time, he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence from between his teeth: “I don’t know… Have you had enough?! Stop messing with it!”

Having his flower buds being turned and rubbed all over was simply a double torment of body and soul, leaving way for numbness and an unspeakable sense of shame to climb all the way to his heart. In a sense, Feng Qingyun felt that not even being stabbed with a sword was as painful.

However, Long Yin didn’t answer. After bowing his head for a moment, he actually asked a question that shocked the world, making both ghosts and Gods cry: “If it’s not the flower bud, is there a problem with your stamens?”

Feng Qingyun was stunned at once. When he came to his senses, he couldn’t believe it, mumbling back: “…What… What do you want to do?!”

“Open your flower buds and see the situation of your stamens, obviously.” Long Yin’s serious appearance didn’t look like he was playing tricks. “Your flower buds are likely to have developmental problems, or your whole plant has problems. Anyway, there’s only one way to find out.”

Feng Qingyun almost tried his best not to slap the man’s face once again, saying from between his teeth: “…Don’t even think about it!” After saying that, he immediately wanted to retract his main vine back into his primordial body, but Long Yin was acting uncharacteristically serious, pulling at it with a deadly grip. “You said that your cultivation stagnated somewhere! Your swordsmanship has continued to be refined, but you’re no longer able to advance your realm. Haven’t you thought about why? As a flower demon, your flowers will not bloom, so naturally, you can’t reach the peak either. It’s simply a miracle that you still managed to cultivate so far despite not solving this matter, but if you continue like this… I’m afraid that one day, both of us will really see the Dao, only that it will be way too late! So, do I have your permission to continue?”

Feng Qingyun suddenly stopped. Getting the opportunity to be reborn must come with a huge price, but in the end… There was still no chance for him to ascend to Heaven. So, was he willing to continue? Feng Qingyun suddenly fell silent, but Long Yin didn’t urge him, only waiting quietly. After making full psychological preparations, Feng Qingyun finally nodded. However, he regretted his decision almost immediately, as soon as the Demon Lord actually held his main vine in his hands.

The petals were rubbed open one by one, and the stamens were exposed to the air, arousing unprecedented shivers and ripples. Feng Qingyun’s pupils shrank sharply, and he pulled away, trying to escape. “Wait, wait… Long Yin! No…”

But the man still pulled his main vine, continuing to forcibly open up the buds on it. Then, with a rigorous and focused posture, he gently ran his fingertips over the young and fragile stamens.

Feng Qingyun’s pupils trembled slightly, and the bottom of his eyes was dyed with water almost instantly.

“…You!”

…………………….

T.N: This is. One. Long. Chapter :)) but I did not split it here, so enjoy

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