After the Demon Lord Lost His Memory, He Became the Immortal Venerable's Dao Companion - Chapter 20

“Zhuzhu was wrong, husband, please don’t do this, okay?”

“Thank you, Sister Yin.”

“You are welcome.”

Shen Yuzong lifted his eyes to glance at Yin Pin but said nothing. After walking a certain distance away, he sent a communication talisman to her.

[If you encounter an emergency, you may go to Chaotian Gate and find my senior brother, Zhou Jingxu. Just tell him it is a favor owed to his junior brother.]

As soon as the time limit for the talisman expired, it began to spontaneously combust before Yin Ji could even lean in to get a clear look.

“That friend of yours is really quite interesting.”

“Ah? What is interesting about her? A person like her acts one way to your face and another behind your back, with eight hundred schemes hidden in her heart,” Yin Ji grumbled dryly.

“At the very least, she is one of the only two righteous cultivators I have met who are truly loyal and righteous. I usually look down on many people, but when it comes to protecting one’s own wife, she is at the forefront of the righteous path.”

“If one cannot even protect the person one loves, it would be better to reincarnate early and become a pig that only needs to eat and excrete without needing to think.”

“…”

No, wait, how did the conversation turn into something so intense?

“Wait, then who is the second one?”

“Miss Qin.”

“…” I should not have asked.

When night fell, a hazy drizzle began to descend, with slanted sheets of rain. As Shen Yuzong closed the windows, Qi Yan sat on the bed and stared at him brazenly.

Shen Yuzong was much taller than Qi Yan, stronger, and possessed greater strength. More importantly, his character was extremely vicious. Therefore, I must send him away when the time comes.

Qi Yan rested his hands on the bed, biting his lip with anxiety, his lower legs swinging back and forth from time to time. If Shen Yuzong discovered his secret, he would have to act decisively, acting coquettishly when necessary or begging for mercy as the situation demanded. As the saying went, a hero does not fight when the odds are against him.

After securing the window, Shen Yuzong saw that Qi Yan looked distracted. This had been going on for several days; Qi Yan must be hiding something from him. However, since Qi Yan did not speak, Shen Yuzong was more than happy to accompany him in this charade.

“Cling.”

Qi Yan was startled by the crisp sound and suddenly snapped out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Shen Yuzong sitting on a cushion by the window, his fingers gently stroking the strings of a zither.

Qi Yan became interested and climbed off the bed barefoot, crawling to the cool couch on the other side. As his fingertips touched the cold strings, Shen Yuzong’s playing stopped, and he lifted his eyes to look at Qi Yan. Under this steady gaze, Qi Yan felt nervous again and lowered his head to pluck at the strings.

“Zhuzhu, do you have something you want to say to your husband?”

Qi Yan’s hand, which was fiddling with the strings, trembled, producing a long, resonant “Cling.”

“No, I do not.”

You stutter even when lying. Zhuzhu, are you really seducing me on purpose?

Qi Yan spent several days in this state of guilt until, eventually, he could no longer hold back his temper. It was not exactly a flare of anger, but Qi Yan rarely spoke so nonsensically.

“Shen Yuzong, the flowers in the backyard are so ugly. Did you plant these on purpose to annoy me?”

At that moment, Shen Yuzong was trimming the leaves; upon hearing this, he nearly laughed in frustration. Everything had been planted according to Qi Yan’s preferences, yet he was being accused of the opposite. He had anticipated that Qi Yan might choose all sorts of bizarre reasons, but he had not expected him to choose one so full of holes.

“Yes.” Shen Yuzong placed the shears on the table without refuting Qi Yan.

Seeing Shen Yuzong obey him for the first time, Qi Yan was surprised, but his confidence grew.

“Even saying ‘yes’? What kind of ‘yes’ is that? Go out and buy some nice flowers to plant instead.”

Qi Yan clutched his clothes, lacking the courage to look at Shen Yuzong. He himself felt that this excuse was not standing on very firm ground.

“Now?”

“Huh?” Qi Yan looked at Shen Yuzong uncertainly.

“I asked if you need me to go buy them now.” Shen Yuzong’s tone was peaceful, as if he had truly taken Qi Yan’s words to heart.

Qi Yan’s original plan ended there; he had not even thought about when he would ask Shen Yuzong to go buy them. He did not expect Shen Yuzong to cooperate so willingly.

“Yes. And you must pick them out for a long time while you are out, otherwise who knows if you are just buying any random thing to appease me? It would be best if you did not come back until tomorrow!”

“Very well.”

Even after Shen Yuzong walked out the door, Qi Yan had not yet come to his senses. Just like that? That was all it took to send Shen Yuzong away? Shen Yuzong is so easy to talk to! Why is he never this obedient to me usually?

However, Qi Yan, who had reached his limit, had no energy left to focus on those minor details. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and flew toward the bathing pool at top speed.

In the final second, Qi Yan practically dove into the water. As his legs touched the cool, lukewarm water, they immediately transformed into a beautiful fish tail, disappearing into the intermittently rising steam. The water in the pool was warm, perfect for Qi Yan at this moment.

But after soaking for a while, Qi Yan felt uncomfortable with the wet clothes clinging to his body, so he lay on the edge of the pool and peeled them off. Only when he was finally completely bare did Qi Yan feel relieved, a wave of ease washing through his body. Well, not entirely bare, for the jade pendant and bracelet Shen Yuzong had given him remained.

Qi Yan moved along the edge of the pool, submerging his body completely. His fish tail, still clumsy, kicked up a splash of water that covered his face. His hair was still tied in the braid Shen Yuzong had made before he left, but now it clung stickily to his chest.

Qi Yan wiped the hair from his face as if he had just discovered a new continent, slowly attempting to use his fish tail to circle in the water. It was a novel sensation; the fish tail was nothing like legs, behaving as an independent system of control. It was somewhat similar to the relationship between a cat and its tail.

As the warm water permeated his scales, Qi Yan squinted his eyes with pleasure. It was truly comfortable. His body seemed to be wrapped in a soft layer of warm air, much like the state he had been in when drinking osmanthus wine that day. Qi Yan’s face was flushed, his gray-blue eyes resembling a sea on a rainy day.

This was the scene Shen Yuzong encountered when he entered. His long black hair had become like coiled, twisted branches, dripping with moisture, and the fish tail he had not bothered to hide shimmered with a golden-blue radiance amidst the rising steam. He softened his footsteps and walked behind Qi Yan.

“Zhuzhu, did I not say you would not lie to your husband?”

In an instant, Qi Yan felt as if his heartbeat had stopped. He supported himself against the edge of the pool and slowly turned around. The moment he saw Shen Yuzong without his mask, his scalp went numb.

Qi Yan bit his lip, hid his fish tail in the water, and moved backward carefully and slowly. Shen Yuzong watched for a moment, then jumped directly into the pool without a second thought. Qi Yan screamed and hurriedly tried to dodge to the side. But the pool was only so large, and with the long fish tail dragging behind him, there was nowhere for Qi Yan to move.

“Why are you running?” Shen Yuzong leaned in close to Qi Yan’s face. In that moment, his stunningly beautiful face displayed a contradictory beauty, both bewitching and pure. His features were soul-stirring, yet his gaze and expression were those of a young sprite who had just become human.

Qi Yan’s heart was in chaos; he did not know how to answer Shen Yuzong. He swallowed hard and moved another step to the side.

Shen Yuzong’s expression was inscrutable, his eyes dark—so deep that nothing could be seen, so deep that Qi Yan felt as if he would be sucked into the vortex the moment he looked into them. Shen Yuzong leaned his body against Qi Yan’s shoulder, blocking his path.

“Zhuzhu, did you not say you were a good student who would not lie? Hm?” Shen Yuzong leaned in, deliberately using the half of his face scorched by demonic fire to rub against Qi Yan’s neck. He knew Qi Yan was ticklish, but he also knew Qi Yan felt sorry for his burnt skin.

He had once felt regret, fearing Qi Yan would despise his appearance. But in this moment, he was infinitely grateful for this scorched half-face; it was these scars that softened Qi Yan’s heart, and it was these hideous marks that allowed Qi Yan to be willing to surrender.

“Zhuzhu, speak.” Shen Yuzong touched Qi Yan’s lower abdomen, his intent unmistakable.

“I…” Qi Yan could not think of any excuses after a long time, so he could only silently pull his fish tail back to his side, ensuring it occupied as little space as possible.

“Was it not because you disliked the flowers planted in the courtyard?”

With a heavy hand, Shen Yuzong took a luscious red rose from his storage ring and tucked it behind Qi Yan’s ear.

“Husband has brought this for you. Do you like it?”

Shen Yuzong followed the line of his abdomen downward, the smooth fish scales flashing with a moist, golden-blue light in the air.

Qi Yan began to struggle violently.

“Ah… Shen Yuzong… please don’t!” Qi Yan said pitifully, tilting his head back. His hands were pinned down by Shen Yuzong’s other hand. Even if he wanted to take the opportunity to flap his tail and flee, it was impossible. He was like a fish washed ashore, struggling desperately to move its tail on the mud, only succeeding in splashing a bit of water. Tears turned into pearls as they fell into the water, and Shen Yuzong’s hair became soaked.

“Zhuzhu, you…”

Shen Yuzong’s fingers were long, covered in fine calluses. Qi Yan shook his head desperately. “No, no… please, no.”

In order to make Shen Yuzong stop, Qi Yan even took the initiative to wrap his body around Shen Yuzong’s, begging, “Husband, Zhuzhu was wrong, is that okay?”

His face was flushed, his expression shy, his voice youthful, yet his body already radiated a mature fragrance.

Shen Yuzong’s movements paused, and he looked down at Qi Yan. He was crying so pitifully, Qi Yan’s face covered in a hazy mist. Gradually, even his strength to struggle was nearly exhausted. Qi Yan began to cling to Shen Yuzong again, planting small kisses on his face, begging softly for mercy: “Husband, Zhuzhu was wrong, is that okay?”

Unexpectedly, Shen Yuzong replied, “Fine.”

“Zhuzhu, I…”

Qi Yan froze for a moment and began to struggle again, but he simply could not win. He knew that if Shen Yuzong really wanted to bully him, he would not be able to resist; he had no cultivation, while Shen Yuzong was different.

In the end, Qi Yan had no strength left and lay on the edge of the pool, feeling hopeless. His scales shared their master’s personality, quite shy and slow-moving.

Shen Yuzong watched for a long time, then suddenly knelt down, pressing that half-face burnt by demonic fire against his skin.

“Ah!” Qi Yan let out a sharp cry of surprise.

Shen Yuzong’s scars were layered, some newly grown, others not yet faded; they were far too rough.

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