He breathed frantically, his chest throbbing with pain. Although the strike hadnāt been aimed at his life, it had still heavily injured him. Fu Junling wasnāt the Great Sage reincarnated for nothing. To think he had the ability to challenge Xie Huai.
The people of the world said that the Great Sage was full of mercy and compassion and lent his aid to all, and even his passing had incited earth-shaking calamities and raging fires because of the heavenlyĀ Daoās grief, to the point that the world had been thrown into disasterā¦ā¦ Looking at it now, rumors couldnāt be trusted after all. Perhaps it was precisely because heād committed some kind of atrocity that had infuriated the heavens that heād been smited by the old man up above.
Fang Li wasnāt clear on what had happened tens of thousands of years ago. Perhaps the Great Sage had been a good person in the beginning and had once done good things, but heād really lived far, far too longā¦ā¦ At least, the person whoād reawoken nowā
āWasnāt the merciful and compassionate saint in the rumors, but an emotionless person who stood up on high and looked down with contempt on all living things.
As for why Yan Sui had been able to so coincidentally enter the secret domain and so coincidentally bring the jade talismans back to the Great Sageās reincarnation.
As the only Unified Dao true immortal in ten thousand years, the Great Sageās tricks were inscrutable and profound. Perhaps he had ways to deceive fate and re-enter the cycle of reincarnation without destroying his karmic ties. Perhaps Yan Sui had only been a stepping stone for his awakening.
When Fu Junling had revealed his own identity, if not for the fact that Fang Li had prepared himself, and furthermore, that he wasnāt the real Yan Sui, his consciousness would probably have been shaken, allowing Fu Junling to winā¦ā¦
Fang Li let out a gloomy sigh.
Regardless of whether it was the original book or now, even until his very death, Yan Sui hadnāt known the truth. But to Yan Sui, that wasnāt necessarily an unfortunate thing.
Yan Sui couldnāt forgive himself for bringing disaster back to the Windbearer Sect. He had already been in so much pain after causing that incident. If he were to know that everything had already been set in stone much earlier, that the moment that heād personally handed the white and black talismans to hisĀ Shixiong, he would cause theĀ ShixiongĀ whoād cared for and cherished him to disappearā¦ā¦
If he were made to face everything in person right now.
How much pain would he be in?
Luckily, Yan Sui wasnāt here anymore, and there was no need for him to know of these things, either.
As for Fu Junling.
He hadnāt been able to obtain the jade talisman from Fang Li, and now that his identity had been revealed, at least, there was no need to fear his hidden schemes.
Fang Li exhaled.
He looked around him.
The familiar sleeping quarters put him in a daze for a moment. Just how long had he been unconscious to have returned all the way to Hollow Ridge?
He recalled that when heād fainted, it had been Xie Huai whoād caught him, so it had been Xie Huai whoād brought him back. Then where had Wu Yimei gone? But Xie Huai shouldnāt make trouble for Wu Yimei.
Heād been caught sneaking off by Xie Huai again, and this time, heād even been caught at the scene of the crimeā¦ā¦ Fang Liās face paled a little from guilt. Xie Huai must be at the peak of his anger right now, right?
Fang Li took a deep breath and pushed the door open softly.
He couldnāt be more familiar with Hollow Ridge, but Xie Huai was sure to have placed down a barrier. He wouldnāt let Fang Li leave so easily.
Fang Li wandered around the palace aimlessly, waging war with himself in his head. To run or not to run, that was the question. If he was to run, he might get caught, but if he didnāt run, he was sure to be flayed aliveā¦ā¦ This really was a dilemmaā¦ā¦
Right, now that his identity had been thoroughly revealed, forget the fact that Xie Huai had known long ago, even Fu Junling was aware. Fu Junling definitely wouldnāt let things go so easily. It would still be best if he went to get his weapon first. His lifebound spirit weapon, the black stone halberd, was still there.
Restoring his strength was very important right now. With his lifebound weapon in hand, he would be able to fight against Fu Junling next time.
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Fang Li acted. He snuck around toward the bamboo building in the back, but as soon as he crossed the palace walls to the forbidden area, he saw a white silhouette standing all alone at the edge of the bamboo forest.
From amidst the bamboo trees, Xie Huai glanced at him impassively.
This fellow, heād been waiting here with net in hand!
How had Xie Huai known that he would come here after waking up?
Fang Liās mind went blank for a moment. His body acted faster than his mind, and he turned to run, but before heād taken two steps, his wrist was caught firmly in Xie Huaiās grip, and he was pressed against the wall.
There was a faint, tender smile on Xie Huaiās cool face, but the depths of his eyes hid a trace of madness. He leaned closer, his voice low and hoarse. āYour Excellency, where do you still want to run to?ā
Fang Li met Xie Huaiās obsessive, murky eyes and trembled. Immediately, he deflated like a balloon and said in a very low voice, āI wasnāt running, I was taking a walk.ā
āOh?ā Xie Huaiās tone was meaningful. He pulled gently, fastening Fang Li in his arms, his lips brushing softly against Fang Liās ears as he said mildly, āI said before, if you let me discover that youāve tricked me againā¦ā¦ā
Fang Liās heart was cold. Of course he remembered those words, but at the time, heād also had no choice. If he hadnāt agreed, he wouldāve immediately been done. It really hadnāt been said from the heart!
But no matter how many reasons there wereā¦ā¦
Lying was lying.
Fang Li lowered his head without a word, his expression incomparably downcast, like a child whoād been caught red-handed.
Xie Huai gazed at the young man in his arms.
Heād long anticipated that Fang Li wouldnāt stay put and was sure to run, and before he left, he would very likely come here. The pain and anger accumulating in his chest tormented him, and heād made up his mind not to let this person off so easilyā¦ā¦
But when faced with his interrogation, Fang Li didnāt argue or make excuses at all. This appearance, as if heād lost his soulā¦ā¦ It was as if nothing mattered to him, as if there was nothing that he cared about anymore.
Just like nine years ago.
Without a single attachment to anything in this world.
Xie Huaiās chest suddenly throbbed. He remembered that Fang Li was injured right now, and it had been done by his most belovedĀ Shixiong.
But that person stopped being yourĀ ShixiongĀ a long time ago. Heās no more than a ghost with yourĀ Shixiongās memories whoās lived for thousands of years and has come back through the cycle of reincarnation.
If he were really still yourĀ Shixiong, how could he bear to hurt you like that?
But for Fang Li, he must not be willing to believe everything that had happened inside the ruins. It must be a terrible blow that he could hardly withstand. Xie Huai couldnāt help but remember the youthās admiration and fondness toward hisĀ ShixiongĀ in the illusion. But the person that heād most cared about had heartlessly tricked him and hurt him.
Heād watched him suffer a thousand torments, unable to climb back up, then trampled his sincerity into the mud.
Xie Huai could practically feel Fang Liās pain as his own, and his heart almost softened.
Butā¦ā¦
Since when have you felt the least bit of heartache for everything Iāve suffered?
Besides, is this the reason you let yourself fall, deceiving and hurting others without restraint?
At this thought, Xie Huaiās heart chilled. He told himself not to pity this person, it wasnāt worth it at all. He closed his eyes fiercely, wanting to say something ferocious, but in the end, his lips only moved without making a sound.
He only tightened his arms, holding this person tightly.
In the midst of his daze,
He seemed to have returned to that dark, gloomy underground. In the ruins, the youthās body had been ice-cold. He couldnāt find the way back, and despair had been drowning him bit by bit. At that time, Xie Hai had been the only one to keep him company, to keep him warmā¦ā¦
Even if it was only for a moment.
It was fine.
Even if he couldnāt get a single response for everything that he gave, without any of it even being knownā¦ā¦ He still didnāt want to see him suffer.
Fang Li was held tightly by Xie Huai. After a long while, he carefully raised his eyes.
Heād originally thought Xie Huai would sort him out. After all, heād been the one originally at fault, and looking at Xie Huaiās appearance just now, he definitely wouldnāt let him off lightlyā¦ā¦ But Xie Huai only held him tightly without speaking.
Xie Huaiās embrace was very warm, putting one inexplicably at ease.
As if, no matter when or where, as long as you needed it, he would stay by your side, not letting you be aloneā¦ā¦
This kind of Xie Huai made Fang Li feel even more guilty.
And he finally made up his mind.
He didnāt know how to respond to Xie Huaiās feelings, but there was one thing that he had always understood clearly, which was that he didnāt want to hurt Xie Huaiās heart.
Fang Li took a deep breath. His eyelashes quivered, and he said, word by word, āBefore, I was the one who was wrong. Whatever you want to do, itās all fine.ā
Xie Huaiās expression froze slightly, and he fixed his eyes on Fang Li.
The young manās complexion was a little pale, but his eyes were clear and bright and calm, with a hint of resolution.
But there was no trace of his earlier avoidance.
Xie Huaiās heart suddenly sank. He opened his mouth slowly. āOh? Even dual cultivation is fine?ā
Fang Li pressed his lips together and very, very slowly, and with much difficulty, nodded.
If thatās what you want, if that can clear away your anger, I can agree to you.
Besides, he could even give his life away to Xie Huai. Wasnāt it just dual cultivation? What was so impossible about it? When he thought about it like that, it seemed like it wasnāt that hard to accept, eitherā¦ā¦ Oneās boundaries were probably pushed step by step just like thisā¦ā¦
Whatever the case, it was just the fall of the blade. If it was dual cultivation, then so be it!
Xie Huai saw through Fang Liās thoughts.
A chill swept through his chest, his whole body cold as if soaking in an icy abyss. Haā¦ā¦ So you donāt care about anything at all anymore? Does that personās betrayal give you this much pain?
And so? If I said that I wanted your life.
Would you agree without any hesitation, giving your life to me, and having me kill you once again?
A viciousness suddenly rose from the depths of Xie Huaiās eyes, the pain making his expression ferocious.
He really hated this person to the extreme.
This utter indifference, in this world, other than yourĀ Shixiong, thereās no one you cherish, not even yourself. When have your eyes ever seen anyone else?
You want to clear all debts so simply,Ā just like that. How could that be possible?
A low, bone-chilling laugh of unclear meaning leaked out of Xie Huaiās throat.
Fang Li had gathered his resolve and agreed to dual cultivate. He didnāt know why, but he suddenly thought of the original story, which he hadnāt thought about in a long time. He recalled all the colorful ways Xie Huai had been done this and that to, and his ears couldnāt help but turn red. Blasphemous, how blasphemous, the original story was long gone. Why was he still thinking up nonsense?
Those things couldnāt possibly happen!
Just as Fang Liās mind was in utter chaos, he heard Xie Huai finally speak. His cool, clear voice fell into Fang Liās ears, leisurely and irreverent. āIf you want me to let you off, itās not out of the question, but everything that Your Excellency did to me back then, Iāll return in kind.ā
Fang Li: ?
What did āreturn in kindā mean?
Were they not going to dual cultivate right now?
Xie Huai gazed at the young manās surprised and perplexed eyes, his lips curving coldly with derision.Ā Are you that impatient? Did you forget that youāve just been injured by Fu Junling?
Fang Li was brought back by Xie Huai in a daze, and then Xie Huai left.
He didnāt intend to run, either.
Anyways, Xie Huai could do whatever he wanted. If he wanted to kill him or dice him, he could do as he pleased.
Fang Li sat in the room by himself.
But what did Xie Huaiās āreturn in kindā mean? At the time, heād besieged Xie Huaiās sect in order to bring Xie Huai back, but right now, Fang Li didnāt have a sect, nor did he intend to run. Xie Huai wouldnāt need to go to such trouble on that front, right?
And then, heād kept Xie Huai by his side, pretending to dote on him, forging marks on him, and even humiliating Xie Huai in front of his subordinates.
But it was just the two of them on Hollow Ridge right now. Who would Xie Huai show it all to?
Fang Li thought things wouldnāt be so simple.
After about half aĀ shichen, Xie Huai returned again, a bowl of medicine in his hands.
Fang Li finally remembered that he was still injured. Before preparing his revenge, Xie Huai had even remembered to make medicine for him? Fang Liās emotions immediately become complicated again. There was even a last meal before the execution, Xie Huai really was too particular about things.
Fang Li didnāt stand on ceremony. He picked up the bowl and drank it dry.
As the spiritual medicine entered his body, it alleviated the pain in his chest. At the time, Fu Junling hadnāt intended to kill him, so there was no threat to his life. After a few days, it should heal.
Then, Fang Li looked up at Xie Huai, waiting cautiously for Xie Huai to act.
But Xie Huai only glanced down at him and said, āSleep.ā
Fang Li: ?
Things definitely wouldnāt be so simple!
But Xie Huai left as soon as he was done speaking. Fang Li furrowed his brow and fell into contemplation for a few moments. He could only take things one step at a time, so he simply laid down in bed. Perhaps it was the medicine taking effect, but after not too long, he thoroughly sank into a deep sleep.
ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦
Fang Li slept very deeply that night.
In his dreams were those sinuous scenes from the book, seemingly becoming reality. He became Yan Sui, and he was currently doing this and that to Xie Huai. Xie Huaiās cool, celestial, and indifferent face was suffused with passion. Xie Huaiās ink-black eyes were fixed on him, his pale lips slightly parted, and he suddenly seized hold of Fang Liās hand and lifted his head to meet himā¦ā¦
This dream was really too shameful.
Fang Li felt his neck itch, as if feathers were brushing past over and over. He struggled to wake up, but it felt like his eyelids were heavyā¦ā¦
Finally, he let out a muffled groan and slowly opened his eyes, then blanked.
It couldnāt be that he still wasnāt awake?
Xie Huaiās cool, flawless face was just before his eyes, a nearly indiscernible smile at the corners of his lips. His fingertips just barely flitted across Fang Liās collar, and he suddenly bent his head down, and a kiss fell softly on Fang Liās neck.
Fang Li reflexively wanted to push, but he found that he couldnāt lift his hands. His entire body was limp and powerless, as if all of his strength had been sucked dry.
What was going on?
A dense mist permeated the room, and the scent of sandalwood entered his nose. Amidst the white mist, Xie Huaiās face appeared even more indistinct, so beautiful that stirred up oneās very heart and soul, but Fang Liās heart was chilly. He finally knew why he had no strength.
This room had been lit with sedative incense.
As luck would have it, it was even the same type that heād used on Xie Huai before.
But at the time, he had taken antidote pills every night, so the poison naturally wouldnāt affect him. But now, the person who wouldnāt be affected by the poison had become Xie Huai.
Was this what Xie Huai had meant by returning in kind?
Who wasnāt an expert at lighting incense?
As his mind wandered, his neck was bitten fiercely, and the pain made the corners of Fang Liās eyes redden. He revealed an aggrieved, dissatisfied expressionā¦ā¦ Back then, heād pinched Xie Huaiās neck for the sake of faking marks, but heād used his hands, okay?!
Yet Xie Huai was using his mouth. Wasnāt that a little overboard?
How could Xie Huai not tell what Fang Li was thinking? The corners of Xie Huaiās lips hooked up teasingly, and he said slowly, in a hoarse voice, āIn the eyes of the world, this is precisely how you destroyed my name. Your Excellency, now that youāre paying back what you did back then, you havenāt forgotten, have you?ā
Fang Li immediately averted his eyes with a guilty conscience.
Forget it, forget it, you can do whatever you want!
Xie Huai gazed at Fang Liās averted eyes and his embarrassed, faintly flushed face. So, youāre this unwilling to be touched by me? He laughed coldly and gripped Fang Liās chin, meeting his misty, damp eyes, and kissed him fiercely again.
ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦
Xie Huai had said that he would return in kind, and sure enough, he was returning in kind. These days, the sedative incense never stopped burning.
Fang Li could only let Xie Huai do as he pleased.
It just had to be that although the incense made him unable to move, it wouldnāt completely knock him unconscious. Being toyed with by Xie Huai night after night, starting from some point, as soon as he closed his eyes, Xie Huaiās tender kisses would appear in his mind as if thoroughly etched into his brain, so that even if he wanted to forget, he couldnāt.
And because he couldnāt move.
Xie Huai had to personally help him eat, drink, and change. All of it made Fang Li extremely embarrassed.
Fang Li couldnāt help but recall in detail, had he been this excessive back then? He had only faked some marks, and he had always been careful to maintain a proper distance, and even the sedative incense had been because heād been afraid Xie Huai would kill him. Xie Huai seemed to be acting a bit unreasonableā¦ā¦
But when he thought about it some more, heād brought a massive army to besiege Cloudbank Keep, captured Xie Huai in front of everyone, stolen away his lifebound spirit sword, and sealed his cultivation, keeping Xie Huai by his side to humiliate him without restraint and making the entire world misunderstand him. If one were to really tally it up one by one, he himself had still been the more unreasonable one, so he immediately lost the courage to complain. He was a big, strong man, heād said heād let Xie Huai do whatever he wanted.
It had just been a few days, how could he not be able to do it already?
He could!
Today, Xie Huai had prepared another table full of extravagant dishes for Fang Li, and they were all dishes that he liked.
But Fang Liās eyes were full of distress.
Eating was also a difficult task. Right now, he couldnāt even lift his hands, and he needed Xie Huai to feed him.
Xie Huai ignored Fang Liās desolate expression and pulled him into his arms, slowly and leisurely feeding him, occasionally touching the young manās lips, occasionally brushing past his ears suggestively.
Although he didnāt make any unreasonable movements, it made Fang Liās face and ears turn red.
After finally finishing a meal with some difficulty, Xie Huai finally showed mercy and returned Fang Li to the divan. With a wave of his hand, he cleared everything away, then took out a jade bottle and put it in front of Fang Li.
Fang Li looked at Xie Huai doubtfully, not understanding what was going on this time.
Xie Huai looked at him meaningfully, slowly opening his mouth. āBack then, Your Excellency used the love parasite on me, but abandoned me for seven days and nights, causing me to suffer a pain worse than death. Tell me, what should I do so as not to disgrace what Your Excellency did to me back then?ā
Fang Liās hairs stood on end one by one. No way, right, this definitely wasnāt fine! It would be better to kill him!
But he thought some more. The Hehuan Sect sect master had died a long time ago, so where would Xie Huai go to find another love parasite? All traces of the Entangling Silk Love Parasite were long gone, so Xie Huai couldnāt possibly have one!
Although that was what he thought to himself, Fang Liās expression revealed a rare trace of unease toward what exactly Xie Huai wanted to do.
Xie Huai was watching the person before him unblinkingly.
During this period of time, Fang Li had been unusually docile, as if he really had made up his mind to compensate him. Regardless of what Xie Huai had done to him, no matter how unwilling heād been, heād endured it all, to the point that for a second, heād gotten the illusion that Fang Li didnāt actually oppose it.
But at this moment, the young man finally showed some unease. A peculiar feeling rose from the bottom of Xie Huaiās heart. He would rather Fang Li look at him like this, he would rather Fang Li be scared of him than to be completely ignored, as if nothing he did to him matteredā¦ā¦ Xie Huai knew it wasnāt right of him, but he couldnāt control the dark side of his heart from growing day by dayā¦ā¦
Xie Huai closed his eyes.
But, in the end, it was only a thought.
Forget the fact that he didnāt have the love parasite, even if he did, he wouldnāt be able to bear using something like that on Fang Li. It was just that in the end, he couldnāt be satisfied with letting him off just like that.
Xie Huai caressed the jade bottle in his hand, the corners of his lips hooking up teasingly. He said blandly, āDonāt worry, I donāt have any love parasites, but this twin-fates herb has about the same effect.ā
Twin-fates herb?
Fang Li immediately knew what this was.
Every stalk of the twin-fates herb was actually two stalks entangled as one. Its usage was actually just for stimulating that kind of thing, no different from the average drug of that type. It was just that without the parent stalk as an antidote, the effects could last for seven days and nightsā¦ā¦
Although this herb was extremely rare, because it didnāt have any impressive uses, most people wouldnāt specifically look for it. After all, there were simply too many substitutes.
Just what kind of nonsense had Xie Huai gone looking for for the sake of getting revenge on him?
He was actually pretty strictā¦ā¦
But this thing was a far cry from the love parasite. It didnāt have the ability to control someone, and it was a one-time use product. For better or for worse, Fang Li was still a cultivator. If he endured it, it would be over!
He would just take it as being poisoned!
Xie Huai lifted his hand and placed a pill into Fang Liās mouth.
The pill melted as it entered, and Fang Li laughed awkwardly. āYou can go now.ā
Wasnāt it just bearing with it?
Those seven days really had been a mistake, but sure enough, one had to pay the price for their mistakes. Since youāve already gone to this extent, leaving me alone should be fine, shouldnāt it?
But Xie Huai had no plans to leave. He wrapped an arm around Fang Li, his chin resting lightly beside Fang Liās neck as he said unhurriedly, āDonāt worry, Iāll be right here, keeping Your Excellency companyā¦ā¦ā
It looked like he didnāt intend to leave.
Fang Li: ā¦ā¦
He thought about how considerate heād been back then, intentionally leaving Xie Huai alone because he hadnāt wanted him to suffer, yet Xie Huai wanted to increase the difficulty for him.
Forget it, do as you please.
Fang Li tightly shut his eyes.
The medicine took effect very quickly.
His breathing became a bit heavy, and his powerless fingers clutched at his sleeves, trembling softly.
Xie Huai watched the young man in his arms.
The hair around his forehead was soaked with sweat, and the young man had his eyes closed in restraint, but his quivering eyelashes revealed his lack of calm inside. But even like this, he didnāt open his mouth to make a single sound. Xie Huai suddenly recalled nine years ago.
Back then, heād sunk into an endless hell. He had thought this person wouldnāt come, but just when heād nearly been unable to hold on any longer, this person had appeared before him.
He had decided to kill this person.
But this personās innocent, compliant manner.
Had disoriented him.
At the time, he hadnāt known that everything had only just begun.
After that, for the sake of this person, he would suffer inescapable torment.
It was you who did this to me first.
So, even if youāve never loved me at all, even if youāve only ever used me, Iām still going to keep you by my sideā¦ā¦ Itās fine if you take me as someone else, itās fine if you hate me. I wonāt mind any of it.
Xie Huaiās eyes darkened. With a laugh, he pecked softly at the side of Fang Liās face, feeling the young manās shiver of restraint. His voice was tender, carrying a bit of hypnotic intent, saying, āThereās no need to fight itā¦ā¦ As long as you need it, I can help you.ā