Mu Hanyang laughed angrily for a moment before screeching, “You’re just a dirty and despicable monster! Do you even deserve to touch him?!”
“It’s not up to you, a loser, to decide whether this Lord is worthy or not,” Long Yin retorted.
Seeing that the two of them were about to quarrel like little children, Feng Qingyun acted completely oblivious to it, even having the leisure to enjoy a cup of tea. As for his sister, the poor girl’s face turned as pale as a corpse while she explained tremblingly: “Brother, I had no idea!”
“It doesn’t matter,” Feng Qingyun said softly before she finished speaking. “I don’t blame you.”
On the other side of the room, Mu Hanyang was on the path to losing his mind. Turning his head towards Long Yin, he seemed to want to say something: “What are you saying, you piece of…”
His next words were probably not suitable for children. The renowned Lord Mu spent all his free time mingling with mortals at the foot of the mountain, so the vocabulary he reserved for swearing was naturally not as shallow as Feng Qingyun’s. Seeing that things had the potential to spiral out of control, Feng Qingyun turned his head to look at him, managing to stop his rampage with a single sentence: “Lord Mu, did Hua Ying not tell you the whole story?”
Mu Hanyang actually stopped when he heard those words: “…What?”
“The thing… About your lover,” Feng Qingyun looked at him and said.
At that time, Hua Ying should have heard the dialogue between them, even hearing Feng Qingyun call Long Yin his Dragon God. For those who had no idea about the inside story, it might sound like a joke between two lovers, but for Mu Hanyang… Those words would reveal the truth in an instant.
And yet, Mu Hanyang was stunned by the entire conversation. After regaining his spirit, he suddenly asked eagerly: “Have you seen her here, in the Demon World?!”
Since he acted like that… He probably didn’t know the truth. Long Yin laughed out loud, in equal parts mocking him for his stupidity and also acting amused by his lack of common sense. Finally, he picked up the teacup that Feng Qingyun had just poured for himself and took a sip.
Feng Qingyun looked at Mu Hanyang with pity but did not answer his question directly. Instead, he said, “Stop wasting your time here and go look for her. Maybe the two of you could rekindle your relationship.”
…That was naturally a lie. “She” had long been annoyed with him, preferring to die rather than look at him once more. How could there even be a day for the two of them to rekindle their relationship?!
Feng Qingyun simply wanted to divert Mu Hanyang’s attention, using her to try to change the subject. After all, as long as he mentioned that person in the past, Lord Mu would always jump like thunder. But at this moment, Mu Hanyang was only distracted for a moment before calming down. “I’ll go look for her, but not now,” even his tone of voice sounded a bit strange. “I have seen my heart clearly, Qingyun,” he continued. “She is my past, but it’s you who’s my present and future. I’ll definitely bring you back!”
Such a shameless attitude almost made Feng Qingyun laugh. He had no idea that his beloved Miss Yu and his little brother were one and the same person, but still had the guts to come here and pretend to be faithful. What was up with his righteous attitude of “abandoning the past and embracing the future” without even asking the people involved?!
It was truly ridiculous!
Long Yin was not as elegant in demeanor as Feng Qingyun; therefore, he sneered outright when he heard those words. He opened his mouth and wanted to curse, but Feng Qingyun stopped him by grabbing his wrist. “Lord Mu is really good at joking,” although Feng Qingyun said that, there was no visible amusement in his eyes. “How I continue living my life still has nothing to do with you. You’d better go and find your lover.” After saying that, Feng Qingyun lost interest in continuing the conversation. To give Long Yin even more face, he grabbed his teacup back and even took a sip, not at all disturbed by the fact that they were using the same one. Then, he raised his hand to dispel the illusion.
However, Mu Hanyang said coldly, “Qingyun, just a few days in the Demon World, and you grew arrogant. It’s really not like you.”
Feng Qingyun paused, suddenly realizing that something was wrong. He immediately looked up and frowned while asking, “What have you done?!”
Mu Hanyang didn’t answer his question, only saying vaguely: “Little brother, you’re always one step behind.”
Long Yin frowned slightly, and red spells started flashing at his fingertips. In an instant, his Demon Palace was completely wrapped in his magic breath, bringing everything that happened inside to his attention. As for Feng Qingyun, he suddenly had an unknown premonition. After looking at Bai Ruolin, his heart jumped. “What have you done to my sister?!” he desperately asked.
“Relax, I’m a righteous cultivator, not one of your little demons. Do you think I’ll be willing to kill my closest relatives?” Mu Hanyang asked before continuing: “I’m just using her body as a medium. Don’t be nervous.”
Bai Ruolin’s face suddenly changed. She wanted to run away, but found that her body was simply nailed in place, no longer under her command. The next moment, a few inconspicuous rips started appearing on her robes, showingpatches of skin from her shoulders and arms. Feng Qingyun fixed his eyes on it, only to witness countless strange seeds full of vitality pouring out of his sister’s body. He felt an extremely familiar smell coming from them, making his heart palpitate.
Long Yin’s reaction was too fast for anyone to notice as he suddenly pulled out his sword. It was the first time in this lifetime that Feng Qingyun saw the Demon Emperor’s sword, but there was no time to appreciate its beauty. He raised his hand and pressed it on the other man’s wrist, trying to suppress the unease in his heart. “Wait,” he said. “Those seeds seem to be connected to my blood.”
Long Yin’s eyebrows jumped. “…Connected to your blood?!”, he asked in complete disbelief.
Bai Ruolin also looked suspiciously at the things coming out of her body.
It was at this moment that Mu Hanyang opened his mouth. “Qingyun, have you forgotten?” he asked in a gentle tone. “Come back, brother. The Xiān Gōng Sect is your home.”
As soon as his voice resonated in the room, the seeds fell to the ground. Then, they germinated at high speed, with roots breaking through the jade bricks of the Demon Palace, giving birth to ferocious vines. However, what was shocking was that the appearance of those vines was exactly the same as that of Feng Qingyun’s!
In everyone’s stunned eyes, the roots started twisting and turning on the floor, creating a certain magic formation that lit up like fire. After that, it was time for the flower buds to open, full of blood and emitting a certain aroma that made Feng Qingyun’s body turn cold. There was no mention of that aroma in his memories, but of course, there was no need for it to be. After all, he was way too familiar with the smell of his own blood.
At the urging of those strange flower buds, Feng Qingyun felt the blood in his veins turn to raging magma, eager to reunite with its master even if it meant tearing his body to pieces in the process.
Long Yin grabbed his wrist and began to convey demonic Qi to him without hesitation. However, as soon as he noticed the riot in his body, the demon, who never changed his expression, not even in the face of the heavenly Dao itself, finally lost his composure. “…A blood deed?!”, he almost screamed.
“Mu Hanyang…” Feng Qingyun had a splitting headache. For the first time in his life, he squeezed some curses from between his teeth. “You despicable and shameless bastard, when did you place a blood deed on me…?!”
“Blood roses naturally need blood in order to break through the soil.” Mu Hanyang looked straight at him and continued: “Qingyun, whose blood do you think poured on you on the day you sprouted?”
In between the pain and the raging fire in his body, the truth finally came to light. Mu Hanyang had long known he was a blood rose, even using his own blood to feed his seed, only to then keep the secret for the next three hundred yearsand not tell him a single word! Keeping him in check, starving him, and delaying his cultivation for hundreds of years, maybe even the stubborn love he felt for Mu Hanyang was the result of them being linked by a blood deed!
And now, Lord Mu’s intentions were as clear as day. Forcing Feng Qingyun to recognize his master by consuming the body of his sister as a medium!
It was simply… A way to train and subdue a spiritual pet!
Since ancient times, the human race has had a way of forming contracts with spiritual entities, be it magical beasts or even demons. Generally, blood was involved, and if the demon accepted it, it was regarded as them recognizing a master, leaving a lifetime brand engraved in its bones. However, for adult demons, especially one that was close in cultivation to the Demon Emperor himself, forcing him in such a way was simply a means to kill him.
However, Feng Qingyun was a spiritual plant, and a blood rose at that. He never willingly accepted Mu Hanyang’s blood as a seed, never consenting to form a contract with him… And he also never expected that Mu Hanyang, someone he considered his own relative, would use his blood to shackle him before he even had the chance to fully germinate!
With a blood relative as a medium, and after centuries of Feng Qingyun using that same blood as the basis of his entire cultivation, there was no surprise that being exposed to it would make him lose control. If it weren’t for Long Yin holding him tightly, he probably would have long knelt on the ground, begging for forgiveness.
As for the perpetrator of it all, Mu Hanyang said in a depressed and almost crazy tone: “Stop struggling and come back home, my rose.”
Despite his own ability to properly bloom, those strange rose buds seemed not have that issue, with several of them opening up at the same time. A new, fresher wave of aroma spread all over the Demon Palace, making Feng Qingyun cry out in pain. His body almost subconsciously fell to the ground, eager to start crawling and embracing those vines. But the next second, a magnificent demonic breath unfolded, and the power of the Demon Lord uncontrollably surrounded them, forcefully suppressing those bloody roses. Luckily, there were things that Mu Hanyang did not know…
…Things like exactly how much of his blood Long Yin willingly fed his rose. And yet, in front of such a powerful foe, Mu Hanyang didn’t even glance at the Demon Lord. Instead, he looked straight at Feng Qingyun with unprecedented paranoia and solemnity in his eyes, repeating: “Qingyun, you’re mine! It’s time to come back!”
The two strongest forces in the entire cultivation world competed silently in the sealed Demon Palace, with Feng Qingyun stuck in the middle. At the critical moment, Bai Ruolin finally managed to move, taking out her sword and looking at Mu Hanyang with a face full of blood and tears. Despite still being under his control, her strong will allowed her to fight back for a second, choosing to slash her sword against her own neck. “Sect Leader, back off!” she raged.
Mu Hanyang stopped when he saw her desperately hurting herself, and there was finally a crack of panic in his expression. That split second of distraction also allowed Feng Qingyun to regain some reason. He gritted his teeth, gasped, and whispered: “Long Yin…”
At the moment he was most helpless, he actually dared to shout the name of another man! Mu Hanyang’s panicked look sank again, and the unspeakable jealousy that washed over his mind distorted his face. At that moment, he seemed to have finally made a certain decision.
As for Long Yin, Feng Qingyun only said his name, but he clearly understood what he meant. He raised his hand and attacked, but it was not directed towards Lord Mu. Poor Bai Ruolin only had time to whimper before losing consciousness and falling to the ground with her sword.
“This is between us… Don’t you dare involve Ruolin!” Feng Qingyun took advantage of his brief moment of being sane and pulled out his own sword, stabbing it into the ground in front of him. Gasping, he looked at Mu Hanyang and squeezed out: “You… Wait for me!”
“I will. I’ll wait for you to come back home,” Mu Hanyang answered. At that moment, the compulsion of the blood deed came back in full force. Feng Qingyun’s ears buzzed, and he could no longer hear anything. His body felt light, light enough to climb over everything, his own sword and all, only to meet the blood that called him from afar…
… He should have welcomed it with joy and no hesitation. After all, it was the same blood that nourished his soil, allowing him to be born into the world.
And yet, he hesitated.
Because, in addition to the strange and familiar aroma of the original blood, there was also an extremely enticing smell right next to him. The memory of germinating and sprouting through the earth was rather foreign, so long ago that he could hardly remember it. But the memory of his delicious prey was still vivid.
Under the influence of the blood contract, he fell into a dilemma, torn between the two sides. Seeing he was losing control over Feng Qingyun, Mu Hanyang’s face changed slightly, so he immediately grabbed his sword, slashing at his own arm. The blood flowed along the rose vines that covered the entire floor of the Demon Palace, tearing Feng Qingyun’s soul to pieces and bringing him excruciating pain. At that moment, his primordial body seemed to have picked a side, but Long Yin’s rage was not to be underestimated. Holding on to Feng Qingyun’s right hand, he raised his sword and threw it, breaking through the void and directly smashing the Main Hall of the Xiān Gōng Sect, thousands of miles away. Countless disciples looked up in a panic, only to see that the sky canopy was simply ripped in half, and a terrifying demonic Qi pressed down on them, threatening to burn everything to the ground. Despite being shocked and scared, every righteous cultivator was also familiar with who that magic breath belonged to. The Demon Emperor, Long Yin!
The fear in the bones made everyone jump on their swords and try to flee to safety, with some of them even colliding in the air. However, the demon had no business with them, and his sword also failed to split the Main Hall in half completely. At some point, it suddenly stagnated, blocked in place by an invisible power. In the depths of the Main Hall, even if he managed to counter that attack, Mu Hanyang was still affected, never imagining that the Demon Emperor could be so strong as to directly attack his real body from such a distance…
…And, through the blood connection he had with Feng Qingyun, he clearly felt that if the demon and the spiritual plant were allowed to merge any further, Feng Qingyun would eventually completely surpass his control.
At the moment he panicked, Feng Qingyun indeed broke free from his shackles. It was only now that Mu Hanyang finally realized that if he hadn’t planned a surprise attack, he would have never been Feng Qingyun’s opponent. And, if he were allowed to actually bloom, maybe no one in the entire Righteous Path could qualify to be his opponent.
If he failed to bring him back to the Xiān Gōng Sect and shackle him now, there was no hope of doing it in the future! Mu Hanyang suddenly made up his mind, and his sword came out of its sheath once more. This time around, he cut his wrist, and the purity of his blood aggravated the blood deed. Feng Qingyun’s main vine finally came out of his primordial body, with several of his buds vaguely looking up in his direction.
However, Long Yin sneered, and his power suddenly unfolded, even more dreadful than before: “Coming to this Lord’s territory and daring to touch this Lord’s people, you really don’t know how high Heaven is,” he arrogantly said.
While the two sides competed, the flower buds on Feng Qingyun’s main vine were indeed swayed in Mu Hanyang’s direction, but there was no next move. Feng Qingyun took a deep breath and grabbed his sword, pulling it out of the ground with a terrible headache. Mu Hanyang’s heart jumped violently, and he immediately wanted to control him to drop the sword, but it was too late.
Feng Qingyun raised his hand and gently waved his sword, and those poor buds who dared to look in the wrong direction swiftly fell to the ground, disintegrating into splotches of blood all over the bedroom’s floor. They were his own buds, connected to his own soul, and supported by his own essence. Once destroyed, it was unavoidable for Feng Qingyun to spit a mouthful of blood.
The two men who were engaged in fighting changed their faces at the same time, and Mu Hanyang’s voice even cracked when he shouted: “Qungyun!”
However, Feng Qingyun’s face was as white as paper. He could no longer hear any sound, but he still looked straight at Mu Hanyang’s face, while struggling to stand up. After wiping the corners of his mouth, he sneered and returned Mu Hanyang’s previous words: “Senior Brother, you’re always one step behind.”
The next moment, he swung his sword and slashed at his “master”. Since his cheap master did not understand human words, maybe cold steel could make him get it!
Mu Hanyang’s face changed, and time seemed to slow down.
“Qingyun!”
At the critical moment, a hand appeared out of thin air and grasped the blade of his Linshuang sword. The palm was immediately cut, and fresh blood started flowing down the blade. The swaying vine, which was confused just a moment ago, happily wrapped around the man’s arm and greedily started sucking at his wound. Feng Qingyun used up all his strength and, unable to fight back, his sword fell to the ground. The blood deed engraved in his bones seemed to make him submit, but the fresh and delicious blood that constantly filled him wrapped his every thought in comfort. His eyelashes trembled slightly, and, in a haze, he looked at the approaching man in front of him, vaguely guessing what he wanted to do.
No, I’m sorry… You just recovered and now, because of me…
Whatever little reason he still had left, mixed with unspeakable guilt, made him want to escape, however… His hunger still pushed him forward. Feng Qingyun’s body was about to collapse, but even if he were to turn to dust on the spot, he still understood the expectations and desires in the eyes of that man. Long Yin knelt on one knee in front of him and, just like that day, he gently bowed his head and exposed his neck to him without reservation.
Witnessing such a scene, Mu Hanyang’s eyes were about to burst, and he immediately squeezed his wrist, trying to use his blood to snatch Feng Qingyun’s attention. However, no matter how magnificent the power of a blood deed was, it still wasn’t as attractive to Feng Qingyun’s main vine as that demon.
“When I asked you before, you couldn’t choose between the three versions of me. However, between him and the me in front of you, you should be able to choose, right?”, the man coaxed in a low voice. “Come here, Qingyun.”
It was the first time Long Yin called his name. Feng Qingyun’s heart suddenly trembled, and his precarious reason collapsed in a flash. His emerald green vine covered in plump rose buds hugged the man’s shoulders, climbing to the side of his neck and gently lingering there, just like a careful lover. As for Feng Qingyun, he took a deep breath and tremblingly raised his hands to press on Long Yin’s chest, unaware whether he tried to push him away or welcome him closer. Biting the tip of his tongue to the death, he tried to exchange the pain for a brief moment of clarity.
He couldn’t… He already hurt him so much before…
But just as always, Long Yin seemed to see through his small movements. After a “tsk”, he simply pinched Feng Qingyun’s chin and kissed him, right in front of Mu Hanyang.
“——?!”
Mu Hanyang opened his eyes wide and looked at the scene in front of him in shock. Feng Qingyun’s insignificant struggle also stagnated as Long Yun pried open his lips and teeth. At the moment the tip of their tongues collided, Feng Qingyun’s reason snapped, and his mind exploded with a bang. His main vine stabbed down, and the familiar, delicious blood poured into his branches, bringing infinite comfort and joy. Feng Qingyun raised his face and sobbed unconsciously, but he still took the initiative to open his mouth to accept the intruder.
Some rumors stated that blood roses should never be allowed to feed; otherwise, they would become addicted. As for the method of feeding, it was the same for blood, flesh, and even more so, essence.
The current situation was the best example, as Feng Qingyun had no reason left at all. He raised his hand and hooked it around Long Yin’s neck, begging to be allowed to suck his essence. From Mu Hanyang’s perspective, he could even see the small, red tip of his tongue, eagerly licking at the demon’s mouth like a spoiled kitten.
And yet, under that seemingly harmless scene, there was bottomless hidden danger. Mu Hanyang had never seen such a promiscuous look on Feng Qingyun’s face, so eager for pleasure that he was losing his mind.
In his memory, his younger brother had always been restrained and gentle…
…He hadn’t even shown him his flower buds.
He could see them now, but it was only because he was despicably spying on him… And even his chance of spying came from Feng Qingyun’s helpless charity that allowed him to sneak into the Demon Palace. Anger and jealousy washed away Mu Hanyang’s mind. He looked at the scene in front of him with tears in his eyes, choosing to try to destroy the blood deed and push Feng Qingyun back on the edge.
However, the Feng Qingyun, who was no longer his hostage, had no heart to pay attention to him. His beloved prey, as always, wanted to tease him, deliberately suppressing his essence and unwilling to give it. Feng Qingyun’s eyes turned red, and he muttered what he knew Long Yin wanted to hear: “My Dragon God, please…”
Long Yin was caught off guard and immediately became stunned. As the saying goes, Feng Qingyun took advantage of the opportunity to hook his essence into his mouth, and his face became a little rosy.
This time around, it really was… A little strange.
Long Yin couldn’t help laughing. “This Lord heard your prayer, Little Palace Master,” he whispered. And yet, Feng Qingyun couldn’t hear what he said, just hooking his neck and gasping slightly.
“Come on, do you think there’s any god in Heaven who wouldn’t grant your wish upon hearing it?” Long Yin said as he raised his hand to rub his lower lip, wiping the liquid on it. Inside Feng Qingyun’s body, that damned blood deed was still branded into his bones, and, despite the fact that he could resist it, its influence was still there. His well-fed vine rebelled and slowly lifted from Long Yin’s neck, but still acted in a spoiled and slightly guilty manner, rubbing against its prey’s cheek intimately.
The prey was strong and delicious. If it scared him away, the loss would be catastrophic!
Seeing that, the pleased “prey” turned his head and looked at Mu Hanyang with a mocking smile. Then he said, “My good Little Palace Master, to thank this Lord for his sincerity in granting your wish, you could at least gift me a flower bud.”
Feng Qingyun’s main vine shook twice. After hesitating for a moment, he finally delivered a flower bud to Long Yin’s mouth without defense. The Demon Lord smiled with joy and, in Mu Hanyang’s angry and shocked eyes, lowered his head and gently kissed the flower bud that was obediently gifted. Then, he whispered to the person who was trembling in his arms:
“Good boy.”
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