“What’s wrong?” Long Yin’s voice sounded from behind him, abruptly pulling Feng Qingyun out of that strange, indescribable state.
“Nothing.” Feng Qingyun snapped back to himself and shook his head.
Beneath Long Yin’s thoughtful gaze, he pressed his lips together without explaining and stepped into the Xiān Gōng Sect.
Long Yin narrowed his eyes and immediately followed.
The Heavenly Gate Ceremony gathered heroes from across the four seas and eight wastelands, so naturally the occasion was grand and lively. At the beginning of the ceremony, Feng Qingyun made no move. Instead, he sat quietly in a corner of the banquet, sampling the spirit fruits and spiritual wine.
However, while he accepted quite a few pieces of fruit from Long Yin’s hand, he only took a single sip of the wine. After that one taste, Feng Qingyun decided it was nothing special and refused to drink another drop. Thinking of how Mu Hanyang had praised this wine as though nothing in heaven or earth could compare to it, he could only conclude that the man had clearly never tasted truly good wine.
By the second half of the ceremony, after the disciples from the various sects had finished competing amongst themselves, it was finally the Xiān Gōng Sect disciples’ turn.
Only then did Feng Qingyun push away the fruit being offered to his lips. He calmly extended his hand, allowing Long Yin to wipe it clean before drawing his Linshuang sword from its sheath and rising to his feet.
Every eye in the arena immediately fell upon him.
Raising his sword, Feng Qingyun pointed it at the Xiān Gōng Sect’s representative on the field as if no one else existed, saying, “I challenge the disciples of the Xiān Gōng Sect.”
His arrogance made countless spectators’ brows twitch. Most assumed he would suffer a crushing defeat. Yet in the span of only a few breaths, Feng Qingyun, despite only being at the Foundation-Building stage, defeated several opponents within ten exchanges each. The audience was stunned by his breathtaking swordsmanship, and even some of Xiān Gōng Sect’s elder disciples failed one after another.
The entire crowd was left speechless.
Who exactly was this unknown young swordsman?!
On the high platform, a flash of admiration crossed Sword Master Zhong Yulan’s eyes. Through Feng Qingyun’s figure, she glanced once more toward where he had been sitting moments ago, where one seat now stood empty.
Only the seemingly unremarkable attendant remained seated there.
At that very moment, Feng Qingyun defeated the Xiān Gōng Sect’s final inner disciple with a single strike. Then he raised his sword once more and pointed it directly at Mu Hanyang.
The crowd gasped in astonishment. Even Zhong Yulan froze before turning toward her eldest disciple, who had already risen to accept the challenge. Before she could say anything, Mu Hanyang had eagerly descended into the arena.
Everyone unconsciously held their breath, thinking that if even Mu Hanyang lost, then the Xiān Gōng Sect’s reputation would suffer an unimaginable blow.
Mu Hanyang was currently one step into the Golden Core stage, a full two small realms above Feng Qingyun. Yet he considered himself a gentleman and believed it dishonorable to suppress someone through cultivation alone, so he sealed away his own cultivation, declaring that they would compete in swordsmanship.
Feng Qingyun let out a scornful laugh, twirling his sword once before raising it as he said, “Such shameless boasting… Draw your sword.”
Sword Qi erupted across the arena. Many spectators rose to their feet, while cultivators seated too close were nearly forced to cough up blood from the collision of the two sword intents. But the final outcome exceeded everyone’s expectations.
Mu Hanyang’s swordsmanship, honed over seven or eight centuries and renowned throughout the world… Managed to suppress Feng Qingyun by only two moves.
Silence fell over the entire venue.
A flower demon with no sect, no master, and no known background…
How could he possibly possess such terrifying skill?!
The entire audience was shaken, yet despite being the victor, Mu Hanyang showed not the slightest trace of satisfaction. Instead, his expression had darkened to its lowest point.
Compared to him, however, Feng Qingyun looked even more displeased.
His flowering season had already arrived, yet he’d been suppressing it because he refused to bloom here, leaving him frustrated enough already. On top of that, after fighting on equal cultivation, he had actually lost to Mu Hanyang by two moves in swordsmanship.
He was so angry he wanted Long Yin to march over and twist Mu Hanyang’s head off so he could use it as a ball, ah!
Fortunately, he remembered this was still the Xiān Gōng Sect, and the Sword Master herself was watching from above.
In the end, he forced himself to endure it.
Without offering so much as a token salute, he turned on his heel with a dark expression and strode away, but when he returned to his seat, he didn’t even bother sitting down. Grabbing Long Yin by the wrist, he dragged him straight out of the banquet hall.
Mu Hanyang had only just returned to his Master’s side when he saw this, making him pause. Then immediately turned to follow.
“Hanyang, where are you going?” Zhong Yulan blinked in surprise
“Master… I wish for that young flower demon to become my Junior Brother.” At last, Mu Hanyang voiced his true thoughts. “But his temper isn’t very good, and he’s clearly been spoiled since childhood. Once I bring him back, if he says anything disrespectful, I hope Master won’t take offense.”
Seeing the astonishing talent Feng Qingyun had displayed, Zhong Yulan herself had already begun entertaining thoughts of taking him as a disciple, so she nodded, “Very well.” After a pause, however, she added, “But be careful. I cannot see through the cultivation of his attendant.”
“I’m afraid… the Demon Emperor himself has come.”
“…”
Well, she might as well have said outright, You’re unlikely to win against the Demon Emperor when it comes to stealing someone away.
“…Yes, Master,” Mu Hanyang froze. “I understand.”
Though he said he understood, the thought haunted him the entire way there.
That man… was the Demon Emperor?
Even standing before his own Master, he had never experienced such overwhelming pressure, but was the Demon Emperor truly that terrifying? The thought lingered in Mu Hanyang’s mind, leaving him distracted even after he reached the corner where the two had gone. Only when he heard their hushed voices did he finally snap back to reality.
Feng Qingyun stood with his back toward him, while the Demon Emperor was gently cupping his face, coaxing him in a soft voice: “All right, all right. Don’t be angry anymore. Be good.”
The mighty Demon Emperor soothed someone with effortless familiarity, as though he’d done it countless times before.
“You’ve only practiced the sword for eighteen years. He’s trained for seven or eight hundred. Losing by one or two moves is nothing. There’s nothing embarrassing about it.”
“Who says it isn’t embarrassing?!” Feng Qingyun kicked irritably at one of the jade floor tiles, looking ready to explode. “I wouldn’t care if I’d lost to anyone else, but why did it have to be that surnamed Mu?! It’s driving me mad!”
Seeing him puffed up like an angry little pufferfish, Long Yin nearly laughed aloud. Keeping a perfectly straight face, he offered, half-seriously, “Then what should we do? Shall your husband help you twist his head off?”
Feng Qingyun paused before turning to glare at him. “…We’re not even married yet! Have some shame!”
“How am I shameless?” Long Yin chuckled, still cradling his face. “Then tell me, what would make my dear Highness feel better?”
Feng Qingyun lowered his eyes and pressed his lips together. After a long moment, he muttered something so quietly it was barely audible.
“What was that?” Though they were standing so close, Long Yin deliberately raised a brow. “I didn’t hear you.”
“…I said kiss me!” Feng Qingyun snapped, mortified. Grabbing Long Yin by the collar, he yanked him downward. “Are you dea… mmph…!”
Long Yin caught the back of his head and kissed him without warning, and the narrow alley instantly fell silent. Mu Hanyang stood frozen where he was, staring at the two of them in utter disbelief.
…He actually liked men!?
It was impossible to tell whether what surged through Mu Hanyang’s heart at that moment was shock, revulsion, or a secret jealousy so deeply buried that even he himself had never noticed it. He stood there like a wooden post. Only when Long Yin leisurely raised his eyes and looked at him with a half-smile, his expression openly smug, did Mu Hanyang suddenly snap back to his senses and cold sweat instantly broke out across his back.
The Demon Emperor had discovered him long ago… and had deliberately chosen not to expose him.
As for Feng Qingyun, he had one arm looped around Long Yin’s neck. Apparently dissatisfied that he had suddenly looked up, he tugged him down, intending to steal another kiss. But as he shifted slightly, he followed Long Yin’s gaze and caught sight of someone standing nearby. He froze for a moment before immediately turning his head in alarm, and his eyes landed squarely on Mu Hanyang, who stood there wearing a face full of disbelief.
The little beauty who had been asking for kisses only moments ago changed expressions almost instantly, his face turning cold as he frowned, “What are you doing here?!”
“You…” Mu Hanyang said in shock. “He’s your patron! That’s practically the same as your Master… How can you…?!”
He had always been the sort to meddle in other people’s affairs and sincerely believed he was speaking out of goodwill. After all, in the eyes of many righteous cultivators, relationships between men were already considered disgraceful enough. If there was any hint of impropriety between Master and disciple, it became something even more filthy and unacceptable.
But Feng Qingyun had never once regarded Long Yin as his Master. Hearing that, he exploded: “…None of your damn business!” He glared viciously at him. “What are you still staring at?! Get lost!”
Mu Hanyang was left speechless, so thoroughly choked off by those few words that his chest hurt. He didn’t even understand why he was reacting so strongly to whether someone he’d met only once preferred men or women, but… he simply felt that things shouldn’t be like this.
At the very least…
…that person shouldn’t be looking at him with such unfamiliar hostility.
Yet reality cared nothing for what should or shouldn’t be. This time, everything had nothing to do with Mu Hanyang anymore, so whether it was hatred or love, none of it concerned him.
To Feng Qingyun, he was nothing more than a passerby who had crossed paths with him once.
Seeing that Mu Hanyang still wasn’t leaving, Feng Qingyun narrowed his eyes. He licked the corner of his lips, his expression growing increasingly dangerous, looking very much as though he wanted to ask Long Yin to kill him. Mu Hanyang finally came back to himself and hurriedly said, “…My Master wishes to invite you. She would like to meet you.”
It was obviously he who wanted Feng Qingyun to become his Junior Brother, yet he insisted on using Sword Master Zhong Yulan’s name instead.
Long Yin immediately let out a cold laugh.
Feng Qingyun, however, was still inexperienced in the ways of the world and didn’t understand all the hidden motives behind those words. He simply remembered that Mu Hanyang’s Master was the famous Zhong Yulan, one of the very few Nascent Soul stage cultivators alive. If he refused, it would only bring trouble to Long Yin.
So suppressing the irritation in his heart, he lowered his eyes and said impatiently, “Lead the way.”
By the time the three of them reached the Main Hall, the ceremony was already nearing its end. Feng Qingyun entered alone at the invitation, while Long Yin and Mu Hanyang waited outside.
Long Yin had more or less guessed why Sword Master Zhong Yulan had summoned Feng Qingyun, but he had absolute confidence that Feng Qingyun would never stay in the Xiān Gōng Sect.
What he hadn’t expected was that before he even had the chance to mock that lovesick fool who dared dream of stealing his Little Rose away… Feng Qingyun came back out almost immediately.
But the sword-bearing beauty didn’t even spare the eagerly waiting Mu Hanyang a glance. Instead, he walked straight to Long Yin’s side and gave a soft snort, saying, “Let’s go.”
And just like that, the two of them casually left Mu Hanyang standing there as they walked toward the palace gates.
As they walked, Long Yin couldn’t help asking, “Why did Zhong Yulan call you in?”
“She said I have extraordinary talent and a naturally elegant sword style.” Feng Qingyun lifted his chin proudly. “She wanted to accept me as her disciple. She claimed that if I cultivated under her, my swordsmanship would improve tremendously.”
Long Yin asked knowingly, “And did you accept?”
Feng Qingyun looked up at him with raised brows, deliberately refusing to answer, his expression plainly saying, Guess.
He didn’t tell Long Yin that, standing inside the Main Hall and looking through the palace gates at the magnificent Xiān Gōng Sect bathed in the setting sun…
…the only thing reflected in his eyes was the person waiting for him outside.
After a long while, Feng Qingyun suddenly smiled.
“Thank you for your kindness, Sword Master…” he had answered. “But there’s no need.”
This time… I want to go with him.
Seeing him refuse to answer, Long Yin seemed to grow anxious. Holding Feng Qingyun’s hand, he lowered his head and murmured something, but Feng Qingyun merely smiled to himself, still refusing to answer.
The two of them had just reached the palace gates when quite a few cultivators glanced over, clearly surprised by their intimacy. However, Feng Qingyun ignored every stare, but just as he was about to step out of the Xiān Gōng Sect, a young man carrying a sword hurried after them.
“Senior Feng! Senior Feng, please wait!”
Feng Qingyun paused and turned around, and the youth immediately said, “I observed Senior’s sword intent just now and found it extraordinary! Might Senior be willing to teach this junior a move or two?”
Hearing someone praise his swordsmanship, Feng Qingyun couldn’t help smiling as he asked, “What’s your name?”
The youth answered at once, “This junior is Liu Wu, disciple of Master Hanyang.”
But the instant Feng Qingyun heard the name, his expression changed. “I don’t like teaching children,” he sneered. “Go back and have your Master teach you.” With that, he grabbed Long Yin and turned to leave.
Liu Wu had clearly not expected someone so beautiful to have such a terrible temper, so he stood there dumbfounded. Seeing Feng Qingyun really leaving, he hurriedly chased after him, begging, “My Master has always said that all sword paths under heaven are one family! The sword itself is a gentleman’s weapon that embraces all rivers… Therefore, I humbly ask Senior for guidance!”
Feng Qingyun seemed genuinely stunned by the same self-righteous confidence shared by Master and disciple alike. Coming back to himself, he laughed in exasperation, “What the hell is your Master supposed to be? Does whatever he says automatically become the truth? I’m no gentleman. Who’s family with you? Get lost.” Having no interest in wasting another word on the brat, he pulled Long Yin away.
Liu Wu was left standing there alone, sword in his arms, staring after them in disbelief. Before coming to seek out Feng Qingyun, all of his fellow outer disciples had told him there was no way someone with Feng Qingyun’s temperament would ever agree to teach him, yet Liu Wu had possessed an inexplicable confidence.
It was almost as though, in some previous life, or perhaps the life before that, that person had once treated him with unconditional kindness, expecting nothing in return. And so, when they met again in this life, he had instinctively believed that Feng Qingyun would treat him the same way as before.
Reality, however, slapped both him and his Master straight across the face.
His Master had been rejected. And along with him…
…he too had been abandoned by that person.
The setting sun stretched long shadows across the ground, and Liu Wu remained standing there for a very long time, unable to recover. Meanwhile, the moment Feng Qingyun stepped out through the Xiān Gōng Sect’s front gates, he had already completely forgotten about Liu Wu.
Grabbing Long Yin’s sleeve, he refused to stay another moment, looking so impatient that he practically wanted to fly straight back to the Demon Palace.
Seeing how anxious he looked, Long Yin chuckled. “Your Highness finally managed to sneak out incognito for once. Aren’t you going to look around a little longer?”
But Feng Qingyun shot him a vicious glare, and Long Yin immediately stopped teasing him and quickly pulled him into his arms.
“All right, all right. Let’s go home.”
A Golden Core cultivator could shrink the earth beneath their feet, so a journey that would have taken an ordinary Foundation-Building cultivator two full days was crossed by the two of them in the blink of an eye.
It turned out that when someone held themselves together by sheer force of will, they could suppress all kinds of physical instincts. But once that final psychological barrier collapsed…
…the entire person became like a punctured balloon.
Everything they had been suppressing for so long burst forth all at once, so the moment they crossed the border between the righteous and demonic territories and Feng Qingyun caught sight of the familiar scenery…
…his legs gave out beneath him as he collapsed straight into Long Yin’s arms.
A rich fragrance of roses instantly spread through the air, and Long Yin hurriedly swept him into a bridal carry, lowering his head to coax him: “We’re almost home. Be good. Endure it just a little longer; we’ll be there soon.”
But the person who had been perfectly fine just moments ago now seemed delirious with fever, for he couldn’t hear a single word Long Yin was saying.
His entire body was burning.
Not daring to waste another second, Long Yin immediately vanished toward the Demon Palace at full speed. For flower demons, their first bloom was always the most overwhelming.
In only a few breaths, by the time they reached the Demon Palace gates, Feng Qingyun could no longer endure it, and he directly released part of his true form, wrapping his entire body around Long Yin. From afar, it looked as though Long Yin were carrying an armful of blooming roses. Anyone who didn’t know better might have thought someone had simply presented him with flowers, but when Yue Jinshu came out to greet them, she froze in shock.
It took her quite a while before she finally found Feng Qingyun’s figure hidden among the brilliant cluster of tightly closed crimson roses. “Your Highness…!?” she exclaimed in astonishment. “What happened?!”
Buried in Long Yin’s embrace, Feng Qingyun refused to look at anyone, feeling unbearably embarrassed. Unable to explain, Long Yin merely gave Yue Jinshu a meaningful glance before immediately carrying him into the sleeping chambers.
The gathered demon attendants exchanged glances, and the same thought rose simultaneously in everyone’s mind.
…Are they about to hold a wedding banquet?
Inside the bedchamber, Long Yin had only just placed Feng Qingyun on the bed and hadn’t even managed to part the flower buds when the person who had remained completely silent in his arms suddenly seemed to spring back to life. Grabbing Long Yin, he threw him onto the bed in one swift motion.
The flower demon who had been so spoiled that he refused to bloom anywhere but home seemed to relax the instant he sensed the familiar surroundings.
Layer upon layer of crimson roses burst open throughout the room, carpeting every corner until they nearly blocked out the sunlight itself.
Emerald vines wound around Long Yin, binding him securely to the bed.
Their master then climbed on top of him, straddling his waist without hesitation.
Long Yin smiled as he supported the slender waist above him. Looking up, he found Feng Qingyun gazing down at him from above. Countless flower buds affectionately brushed against his neck, in a scene that was dazzlingly beautiful…
…yet carried an unmistakable sense of danger.
Young blood roses often couldn’t distinguish between desire and hunger.
Long Yin raised an eyebrow with an amused smile, coaxing, “Your Highness… are you planning to eat me?”
Feng Qingyun sat astride him, narrowing his eyes as he stared at him. His hand came to rest on Long Yin’s belt, but at that very moment, he hesitated. His mind, completely consumed by the urge to bloom, finally dredged up a few hazy memories.
…It’s too much. Something bad will happen.
His whole body trembled, and he suddenly began to lose his nerve. But he was far too embarrassed to admit what he was thinking. If Long Yin realized he was trying to back out at the last moment, it would be far too humiliating.
So just as Feng Qingyun steeled himself, closed his eyes, and untied the man’s belt, determined not to let himself be looked down upon, the next instant, a powerful force flipped him over onto the bed.
“…?!”
The poor little rose’s eyes flew wide with shock. The vines wrapped around Long Yin might as well have been decorations, for they couldn’t restrain him in the slightest.
Feng Qingyun had only managed to loosen the belt, not pull it free, so Long Yin calmly removed it himself. But once his robe fell open, his regal black-and-gold outer garment parted across his body, exposing the firm muscles beneath.
“…”
…Why isn’t he wearing an inner robe?!
Feng Qingyun instantly stared blankly, so captivated by the sight that he completely forgot about escaping. By the time he came back to himself and realized he’d already been stripped of his outer robe and was tucked into Long Yin’s embrace like a peeled egg, it was already too late.
Yet the shameless rogue, despite having prepared everything beforehand, still had the nerve to hold him close and ask with feigned consideration, “Is this alright?”
For the first time in eighteen years, Feng Qingyun, who had never known what it meant to yield, finally gave in. He nodded and, pressing a hand against Long Yin’s shoulder, whispered, “…Be gentle.”
It turned out that a pampered young beauty, spoiled and doted upon all his life, remained just as delicate in bed. He was nothing like the mature beauty he’d become in the future, the one who had weathered countless hardships… the one who could still curl an arm around someone’s neck in the middle of intimacy and tease them for having no strength. That older beauty looked soft and gentle, willing to indulge every request and patiently try all sorts of things several times over. He seemed so mild that anyone could take advantage of him.
But in reality, he was like a tightly shut clam.
Having suffered since childhood, he treated everyone with the same gentle warmth while never truly opening his heart. It was as though he wore a shell called gentleness, and only after patiently wearing through that shell could one finally hear his nearly inaudible sobs. Making him plead required tremendous effort, but the sense of accomplishment that followed was equally immense.
When that seemingly gentle yet inwardly unyielding beauty finally melted beneath someone, clinging to their shoulders while softly murmuring things like “My husband… more gently…” or “I… I really can’t take any more…”, anyone who witnessed it would surely sigh at how extraordinarily fortunate that someone was.
But the young Feng Qingyun, however, had grown up utterly spoiled, never having known hardship. In bed, he was a completely different story.
For all the airs he put on outside, acting as though everyone else wasn’t worth a second glance, once things had truly begun, it didn’t take long before he completely fell apart. He cried so pitifully that he would say anything, and at moments like this, he was the easiest to coax.
So under someone’s deliberate coaxing and gentle manipulation, the teary-eyed little beauty obediently called him husband, gege, and every other affectionate title imaginable. But unfortunately, the world was a cruel place.
Even after saying everything he was asked to say, he received no mercy.
Instead, Long Yin only bullied him even more shamelessly. Realizing he’d been tricked, Feng Qingyun flew into a rage.
“You lying bastard… you old ox eating tender grass… pervert… freak…!”
Long Yin nearly laughed aloud, for even while cursing someone, Feng Qingyun somehow managed to quote idioms and literary references. Deliberately cornering him until there was nowhere left to retreat, Long Yin looked at his wide-eyed, panicked expression and said with malicious amusement, “Keep cursing.”
The words caught in Feng Qingyun’s throat. Looking at the utterly spineless flower buds that had somehow leaned eagerly toward Long Yin, silently begging for his touch, he felt so embarrassed he wanted the ground to swallow him whole. So he tore his gaze away, forced himself to meet Long Yin’s eyes for three seconds…
Then surrendered.
“Long Yin…” the little flower demon swallowed nervously, trying to awaken the last shred of conscience left in the man who had raised him. “I’ve only been in human form for eighteen years… I’m not even a fraction of your age. You can’t bully me like this…”
“Eighteen isn’t that young,” Long Yin chuckled beside his ear. “Among mortals, eighteen-year-olds are already old enough to become mothers.”
At that, Feng Qingyun’s eyes widened instantly, and he seemed genuinely horrified by how unapologetically perverted that sounded. Recovering himself, he immediately tried to flee, only to be pinned beneath Long Yin once more.
Long Yin leaned down beside his ear and threatened in a low voice, “Behave. Otherwise, when your flowers bloom later, I’ll make you taste the nectar yourself.”
The threat worked every single time.
Feng Qingyun let out a muffled whimper, his body immediately going limp.
Unfortunately, promises made in bed were rarely worth believing. Threats, on the other hand, were almost always carried out.
The poor little rose was bullied until his voice turned hoarse from cursing. In the end, he was still forced to drink his own rose nectar to soothe his throat, leaving him so mortified he wanted to be reborn on the spot.
Yet stubbornness was simply part of his nature, and even after suffering through all that, he still refused to admit defeat. Clutching Long Yin’s back, he hurled every insult he could think of. Even after being made to swallow several more mouthfuls, the little beauty remained as stubborn as a mule, continuing to sob as he cursed Long Yin for being a shameless pervert and bastard.
Seeing no end in sight, Long Yin could only laugh, deciding to treat the scolding as part of their intimacy instead.
“That sounds wonderful. Keep going.” Holding him close, he smiled.
Feng Qingyun immediately raised his voice and cursed even louder, but halfway through, his pitiful voice stopped abruptly.
At that, even Long Yin froze. Quickly lifting Feng Qingyun’s chin, he looked down, only to find that the other’s pupils had begun to lose focus. The next moment, an overwhelming fragrance exploded throughout the chamber, and every single rosebud bloomed all at once.
The room became a sea of spring, breathtaking in both beauty and splendor. But in stark contrast to those brilliantly blossoming flowers was Feng Qingyun himself, whose eyes were vacant with bewilderment.
He let Long Yin gather him into his arms, and Long Yin cautiously lowered his head and kissed him. Aside from the faint tremble of his eyelashes, Feng Qingyun gave no response at all, looking almost like a doll that had been bullied into senselessness, fulfilling every dark fantasy Long Yin had ever secretly harbored.
Only after a long while, long enough for much of the fragrance to drift away through the cracks in the windows, did Feng Qingyun gradually return to himself.
Watching the light slowly return to those beautiful eyes, Long Yin was just about to tease him when Feng Qingyun suddenly looked up at him. There was an indescribable tenderness in his gaze. And… affection.
It was so unbelievable that Long Yin almost thought he was imagining things, for the word gentle had never once been associated with his Little Rose. For a moment, he genuinely wondered if he had bullied him into stupidity…
Holding him tighter, he asked softly, “Good boy… what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Feng Qingyun sighed quietly. “I was just thinking…”
“I’ve lived such a happy life.”
The tone of his voice was completely different from before, and Long Yin paused.
“Qingyun… you…”
Feng Qingyun didn’t answer. Instead, he rested a hand on Long Yin’s shoulder, leaned in, and gently kissed his lips. Long Yin was so startled he almost suspected Feng Qingyun had been possessed, yet every instinct told him this was his Little Rose.
Then… what exactly is happening?
Before Long Yin could make sense of it, Feng Qingyun whispered in his ear, “Thank you, Your Majesty… for shedding so much blood, spending so much effort, and painstakingly raising me for these eighteen years…” He kissed him again. “But our dream…”
“…it’s time to wake up now, Your Majesty.”
The instant those words fell, Long Yin felt as though something heavy had struck him squarely on the head. Everything around them warped for a fleeting instant, then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the entire world dissolved without a trace.
Eighth Heaven of the Immortal Realm, Linshuang Divine Manor.
Still clutching the immortal jade in each other’s hands, the two of them swayed slightly as the familiar interior of the divine manor came into view.
It was said that Gods could alter the fates of mortals within the limits of heavenly law. Long Yin had never put much stock in such rumors, but after settling into his new divine residence, the idea had suddenly occurred to him.
No matter what, he had wanted to try it with Feng Qingyun.
And so had come this dream, one that lasted eighteen years.
Yet calling it a dream wasn’t entirely accurate, for everything they had experienced had been real. More than a dream, it had been another possibility… The life they had always longed for, yet never managed to obtain.
Now, at long last, all of their former regrets and lingering sorrows had finally been brought to a perfect close.
Before entering the trial, Long Yin’s grandiose boasts still echoed vividly in memory, but compared to the man in the dream who had once been so timid he hadn’t even dared kiss Feng Qingyun, the contrast was almost comical.
As clarity fully returned, amusement gradually filled Feng Qingyun’s eyes.
Once every memory had settled back into place, he leaned toward Long Yin with a teasing smile, teasing, “Your Majesty… remind me again, which one of us was it who declared he’d have me calling him husband with a swollen belly before the first year was even over?”
Long Yin immediately came back to his senses. Clearing his throat, he hurried to defend himself: “I was only talking big. I’m not actually some beast without morals. How could I possibly take advantage of someone like that…?”
Feng Qingyun laughed, reaching up to pinch his cheek. “Oh, please. Eighteen whole years, and you still didn’t dare make a move. How much more cowardly could you have been?”
Seeing there was no way to fool him, Long Yin simply gave up. After all, this wasn’t the seemingly spoiled little beauty who had been utterly helpless against him. The man before him now could handle Long Yin with effortless ease. Forget teasing; even if Feng Qingyun scolded him outright, Long Yin could only obediently accept it.
Fortunately, his skin was thick enough, so with complete confidence, he admitted, “Who told the Divine Lord to like someone exactly like me?”
Feng Qingyun merely smiled without answering, allowing Long Yin to lean in and kiss him once more. Between gentle kisses, he heard Long Yin whisper softly, “My thanks to the Divine Lord… for accompanying me through this illusion.”
Smiling faintly, Feng Qingyun lowered his eyes to the immortal jade in his hand.
No… I’m the one who should be thanking you.
You fulfilled an old dream of mine.
In the end, though, he never spoke the words aloud, because he knew Long Yin could already hear everything he was thinking. And sure enough, Long Yin soon raised an eyebrow, looking every bit like someone shamelessly fishing for praise while trying to make up for having been teased moments earlier.
But before he could say anything, Feng Qingyun reached up, lightly tapped the tip of his nose, and smiled. “Alright,” he said, “today is the day Ancestor Tong Tian is being released from imprisonment.”
“I heard quite a few gods have gone to watch the excitement.”
“Come on, let’s go have a look too.”
Long Yin paused briefly before answering in a low voice, “Alright.”
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