After Cutting Off Love And Emotions, I Was Pestered By The Demon Sect’s Enchantress - Chapter 47

“Go back to your own bed,” Zhu Shengxi said in a deep voice, looking coldly at the person who was lingering and refusing to leave.

After discovering that Zhu Shengxi had helped cover her tracks, Ning Xu had abandoned her previous submissiveness. She had become increasingly bold, to the point of clinging to Zhu Shengxi’s bed and refusing to budge.

A fluffy head poked out from under the quilt. Ning Xu looked at her and pleaded in a low voice, “The floor is too cold; I can’t sleep.”

Perhaps because she had been muffled under the covers, her face was slightly flushed, and her eyes were glistening as if covered by a thin mist.

Zhu Shengxi looked away, restraining her emotions. “Hurry up. Don’t make me say it a second time.”

Though her gaze had shifted elsewhere, stray thoughts still flickered in her heart.

“You clearly want to be close to her, so why not follow your heart?” Within her spiritual consciousness, a mass of black energy gathered, coaxing her intentionally or otherwise.

Zhu Shengxi frowned slightly and silently recited the Heart-Cleansing Incantation, attempting to suppress that voice that shouldn’t exist, just as she usually did.

But this time was different. The more she suppressed it, the more active it became. A sharp, low laugh rang out as the black energy continuously shifted its shape.

“Isn’t this exactly what you want? Trap her by your side, and she will never leave again.”

Who cares if she leaves or stays?

Zhu Shengxi felt a surge of annoyance. She mobilized the spiritual power within her body to gather, intending to disperse the mass of black energy in her consciousness.

Just as the spiritual power surged through her meridians and before it could reach her consciousness, a pair of hands gently circled her neck.

The gathered spiritual power stagnated for a moment, and her spell was interrupted. Zhu Shengxi opened her eyes helplessly; the person who had just been lingering on the bed was now pressed against her.

Burning body heat seeped through the thin inner garment, and shallow breaths brushed against her ear, carrying a different kind of meaning.

“Sheng Sheng, I won’t move around. Don’t make me sleep on the floor.”

The skin of the person before her was slightly cool. Ning Xu couldn’t help but rest her forehead against the crook of Zhu Shengxi’s neck. The heat on her face was relieved, but it could not quench the restlessness in her heart.

Seeing that she didn’t push her away, Ning Xu grew bolder. She lifted her head slightly, her gaze falling upon that translucent, white ear.

Closing her eyes gently, Ning Xu kissed that spot. Her soft lips traced along the bone of the ear, losing herself in the moment, unable to stop herself from holding the other woman tighter.

Feeling the scorching breath by her ear, Zhu Shengxi’s breathing grew heavier. Suddenly, she pushed her away abruptly. Ning Xu froze, a flash of bewilderment appearing in her eyes, which was immediately replaced by worry.

“What’s wrong?”

The woman before her had her thin lips pressed tight. Upon closer inspection, there seemed to be black energy fluctuating between her brows. Ning Xu rushed to support her, gently grasping her wrist to check her pulse, but Zhu Shengxi wrenched her hand away and refused coldly: “It’s none of your business.”

Her condition was clearly off. Worried, Ning Xu said, “Then send a voice transmission to your Senior Sister.”

If she didn’t want Ning Xu to know her condition, surely the Senior Sister she trusted most would be okay?

Unexpectedly, Zhu Shengxi still shook her head in refusal. Stumbling to the side of the bed, she ignored Ning Xu’s presence and immediately began to meditate to regulate her breath.

Disordered spiritual power crashed through her meridians. Zhu Shengxi let out a muffled groan, her brow furrowing deeper, showing signs of pain.

Seeing her like this, Ning Xu couldn’t help but feel anxious. During this period, Zhu Shengxi hadn’t been injured at all, so there was no issue of an unhealed old wound. She had been perfectly fine just moments ago, so how did she suddenly…

Recalling the earlier act of being pushed away, she didn’t dare to forcefully check the pulse. She could only stand aside, watching Zhu Shengxi meditate with worry.

The black energy in her consciousness had increased several times over. Zhu Shengxi silently recited her mantras, directing her spiritual power toward that spot. However, the pure and righteous spiritual power vanished without a trace upon entering the black energy, seemingly swallowed whole.

Now, I can’t even suppress it anymore.

Zhu Shengxi’s heart went cold. Before she could find a way to divert it, the spiritual power that had touched the black energy became chaotic again, rampaging through her consciousness.

Blood surged in her chest. Her face turned deathly pale, and she suddenly coughed up a large mouthful of blood.

Seeing this, Ning Xu ignored everything else and stepped forward to pull her into her arms, her voice trembling involuntarily: “Sheng Sheng…”

Accompanying this soft call were fingertips quietly landing on her wrist. Zhu Shengxi remained silent for a moment, knowing she was powerless to stop it, and slowly closed her eyes.

Disordered breath, rampaging spiritual power…

Ning Xu looked at the space between her brows. Even after meditating for a moment, the black energy had not decreased; instead, it grew even more intense.

How could this be? The techniques they practiced carried a natural air of righteousness; logically, black energy should not be able to invade, let alone remain in the meridians.

But soon, the pulse told her the answer.

The person in her arms was as pale as paper, visibly weak. Ning Xu looked down at her, unable to tell if she felt more heartache or shock and anger.

“How did you develop an Inner Demon?”

Black energy billowed between her brows. When the spiritual power returned to the consciousness, it suffered a backlash; the rampaging power damaged the meridians and caused blood to surge—this was a clear sign of a burgeoning Inner Demon.

Seeing her eyes closed as if trying to avoid the question, Ning Xu’s voice turned completely cold.

“Confused thoughts and heavy obsession lead to the birth of an Inner Demon. You took the Severing Emotion Pill; why would you still grow an Inner Demon?”

After taking the Severing Emotion Pill, one’s emotions should no longer fluctuate, making it impossible to be troubled by an Inner Demon. Yet, the dense black energy present now indicated that the demon had been circling in her consciousness for a long time—it wasn’t something that happened overnight.

In the dead silence, Ning Xu stared intensely at her, a certain answer about to burst forth in her heart.

“You never took the Severing Emotion Pill at all, did you?”

That was why the Inner Demon was so difficult to uproot. That was why, back then, she had seen the hatred hidden beneath this person’s indifference.

Zhu Shengxi coughed a few more times, blood spilling out again and slowly trickling down the corner of her mouth.

Seeing this, Ning Xu panicked in a rare display of emotion. She hurried to grasp Zhu Shengxi’s wrist, continuously channeling spiritual power into her.

Reason told her that now was not the time to dwell on those things; the priority was to stabilize the spiritual power and find a way to remove the Inner Demon.

Gentle spiritual power was injected like a warm current, smoothing out the previous chaos. Zhu Shengxi reopened her eyes. The hand channeling the power was warm and soft, and the spiritual power filling her body seemed just like that person, carrying a hint of warmth.

The person in front of her had cold sweat on her forehead, yet she only cared about channeling power. Zhu Shengxi gazed at Ning Xu and said softly:

“It’s useless. Spiritual power alone cannot suppress it.”

Since their reunion, her gaze had rarely been as soft as it was now. At any other time, Ning Xu would have been overjoyed, but at this moment, the blood on the other woman’s lips and the weak words in her ear allowed for no joy—only panic and pain.

“Then what should we do?” Ning Xu asked blankly, her heart belatedly tinged with bitterness.

She was proficient in pharmacology, yet she could not think of a suitable solution.

“Your Senior Sister Chu Yu is a famous medical cultivator. She must have a way.” As she spoke, Ning Xu reached for the communication talisman at Zhu Shengxi’s waist, but in the next moment, her hand was pressed down by Zhu Shengxi.

“There is no medicine that can suppress an Inner Demon. Furthermore, we cannot let them know right now.”

Hearing this, Ning Xu’s hand dropped powerlessly. She lowered her eyes and remained silent for a long time.

She guessed that Zhu Shengxi was planning something. She couldn’t stop every decision this person made, but she also didn’t want to watch Zhu Shengxi suffer with her own eyes.

After a moment of contemplation, Ning Xu said, “In the early stages of an Inner Demon, if it can be eliminated in time, it won’t affect one’s cultivation. Why was your Inner Demon born?”

Zhu Shengxi looked up at her for a few seconds before indifferently withdrawing her gaze. “I don’t know.”

Don’t know?

Ning Xu was stunned for a moment, then she looked at her without blinking, her expression serious. “Only by knowing why the Inner Demon was born can there be a way to remove it. Tell me the truth.”

She was met with silence.

Perhaps it involved matters of the Guiyun Sect that were inconvenient to tell her. Ning Xu thought for a moment and changed her way of asking:

“Then… did the Inner Demon say anything to you when it appeared?”

Inner Demons are born from a person’s obsessions. The words they speak are mostly seductive, yet they reflect what a person truly desires or fears.

If she could help Zhu Shengxi fulfill her obsession and solve it from the root, the Inner Demon would naturally disappear.

Ning Xu truly felt this was a good method. She looked up at the person before her, waiting for an answer.

Zhu Shengxi recalled the words of the Inner Demon—every single one was a bold, rebellious statement, and all of them were related to the person right in front of her.

After waiting a long time without a response, Ning Xu’s gaze grew puzzled. Just as she was about to ask again, she heard a perfunctory sentence:

“Rest.”

Leaving it at that, Zhu Shengxi said no more and lay down on the bed on her own.

She slept on the inner side, and the space left on the bed was just enough for one more person. Ning Xu moved lightly to the bedside, but before she even touched the bed, she heard a sudden voice:

“Ning Xu.” It carried a hint of warning.

Now that her intention was discovered, she no longer hesitated. She quickly climbed onto the bed and ducked into the quilt.

The series of movements was extremely practiced.

Zhu Shengxi: “…”

Before she could speak, the person behind her wrapped her arms around her waist, and Ning Xu’s voice followed:

“I haven’t seen you affected by the Inner Demon during this time. Was it being suppressed by you?”

Zhu Shengxi gave a soft “Mm.” The Inner Demon usually became restless in the middle of the night; since Ning Xu was asleep, she naturally hadn’t noticed.

She could feel that every time she suppressed it, the Inner Demon did not diminish but instead grew more concentrated. If it continued like this, there would eventually be a day she couldn’t suppress it. She hadn’t expected the Inner Demon to suddenly act up tonight and be discovered by Ning Xu.

After hearing her affirmative answer, Ning Xu remained silent.

Estimating that about half an hour had passed and she should be asleep, Zhu Shengxi went to untie the hands tightly circling her waist. To her surprise, as soon as she touched them, the grip on her waist suddenly tightened. The person behind her held her even closer.

“You’re not asleep?”

Ning Xu didn’t answer that. She said in a muffled voice, “The Inner Demon suddenly acting up… there must be some sort of trigger.”

Zhu Shengxi lowered her eyes, neither confirming nor denying. Then she heard her ask: “Is it because of me? Sheng Sheng, is your Inner Demon related to me?”

She hadn’t expected her to be so perceptive. Zhu Shengxi sighed in her heart and turned over, so the two of them were now lying face to face.

Moonlight poured in. The handsome face before her looked even paler, with only the lips appearing somewhat red—a result of the blood she had coughed up earlier.

Ning Xu looked at her without moving her eyes, her heart aching silently.

She had thought about it for a long time. The fact that Zhu Shengxi’s Inner Demon acted up right during their interaction meant the cause could only be herself.

The harm she had caused herself was far more than she had imagined.

Ning Xu gently touched her face and said in a raspy voice:

“I’m sorry.”

Zhu Shengxi was silent for a moment before moving her hand away. But in the next second, the person before her suddenly leaned in, and warm lips pressed against hers.

It was a cautious, light peck, like treating a long-lost treasure. Ning Xu placed her hand on the back of the other’s neck, their lips pressing tightly together in a kiss that was incredibly gentle and lingering.

As they pulled apart slightly, both could see the lingering desire in each other’s eyes. The corners of Ning Xu’s lips curled up, a brilliant smile flowing in her eyes.

Zhu Shengxi froze. The smile in her eyes was genuine, unlike the hypocrisy of the past; it was heartfelt, untainted by anything else.

“You didn’t take the Severing Emotion Pill. You still have me in your heart, don’t you?”

She didn’t expect a definitive answer; it was like a secret joy, or a self-muttered realization of relief.

Zhu Shengxi gazed at her for a long time before looking away and saying calmly, “Sleep.”

Ning Xu replied with an “Mm,” but she was unwilling to look away for a long time.

That gaze was too burning. Zhu Shengxi glanced at her and asked, “What else do you want to say?”

“Are you still going to form a bond with Ji Yanshu?” Ning Xu stared at her, desperately hoping to hear a negative answer.

During this period, she would ask this every few days, and the answer was invariably an affirmative response.

Now that she knew Zhu Shengxi still cared about her, she couldn’t help but ask again.

Zhu Shengxi looked at her, the silence lasting a bit longer than before, but the final answer was still “Mm.”

Ning Xu’s heart went slightly cold. She silently withdrew her hand from the other’s waist and didn’t dare to lean in again.

What exactly was Zhu Shengxi thinking?

A surge of inexplicable irritability rose in her heart. She suddenly remembered that in previous conversations, whenever Ji Yanshu was mentioned, the people around—including Zhu Shengxi—mostly spoke with praise.

Compared to a notorious half-demon like herself, he was indeed much better.

The previous rhetorical question echoed in her mind. Ning Xu pressed her hand to her heart, feeling miserable and powerless.

Ji Yanshu was from the Kunchen Sect, a disciple of the three great immortal sects. Even if Zhu Shengxi was forming a bond for the sake of utility, at least that person had something useful to offer.

But she was the wicked Left Protector of the Demon Sect, hated by everyone. To Zhu Shengxi, she didn’t even have anything worth utilizing.

Thinking this, Ning Xu silently widened the distance between them and didn’t take the initiative to move closer again.

Zhu Shengxi noticed her movement but still said nothing.

Ning Xu gazed at her profile, a difficult-to-describe bitterness flooding her heart.

Whether she moved closer or further away, it didn’t seem to matter to her.

Even if it were possible that Zhu Shengxi hadn’t taken the Severing Emotion Pill, she would still have become indispensable to her.

In the past, she would have certainly smiled because of her closeness and would have definitely looked after her every little emotion.

But that was only in the past. Ning Xu knew that all too well.

They could never go back to the way they were.