After the Stand-in Hugged the White Moonlight's Thigh Tightly - Chapter 40

Chapter 40: “Senior Brother, Be Normal!”…

The two walked forward under the scorching sun and yellow sand. The swirling sand made it difficult for Ruan Mingyu to keep his eyes open.

Song Chenxi walked in front of Ruan Mingyu, allowing him to hold onto his sleeve, which offered a slight improvement.

After walking for a long time, they finally saw traces of a lost ancient city in the distance.

They quickened their pace, but just as they were about to arrive, a sudden gust of flying sand and rolling stones hit them, accompanied by an inexplicable whirlwind.

“This is spooky, a strong wind out of nowhere,” Ruan Mingyu muttered.

“Looks like we are close to the monster’s lair,” Song Chenxi speculated.

The wind violently flapped their clothes. The force was extremely strong. If he wasn’t holding onto Song Chenxi, Ruan Mingyu felt he would be blown into the whirlwind.

However, the situation unfolded exactly as he feared. The wind grew stronger, seemingly having eyes, heading straight for them. Ruan Mingyu quickly tightened his grip on Song Chenxi’s sleeve. In the midst of the raging wind, Ruan Mingyu tore off a large piece of Song Chenxi’s sleeve but still couldn’t stop himself from being swept into the wind.

Song Chenxi was casting a spell to stop the tornado. When the surroundings calmed down, Ruan Mingyu was nowhere to be seen.

Ruan Mingyu was dizzy and disoriented from being carried away by the wind. When he regained consciousness, he found himself beneath a twisted old tree. Around him were the ruins of an ancient city, only broken walls remained, all marked by wind erosion.

Ruan Mingyu looked up at the towering giant tree, thinking ten people couldn’t hug it. He squinted and saw a massive bird’s nest in the giant tree.

Ruan Mingyu didn’t hesitate. He immediately lit a yellow talisman to inform Song Chenxi of his situation, then grabbed his sword and scrambled up to the bird’s nest.

Inside the nest were several unhatched eggs. Ruan Mingyu looked at the eggs, which were taller than himself, and thought if he made egg-fried rice with them, the whole village could eat. No wonder the monster was catching people—it was preparing food for its young. One person was definitely not enough for this harmful creature. He wondered how many more people would suffer later.

He just didn’t know where Ayihan was hidden.

Everything visible was yellow sand. Ruan Mingyu thought for a moment and continued climbing higher. After searching for a long time, he finally found Ayihan tied up with hemp rope and suspended from a branch of the tree trunk.

Ruan Mingyu quickly said: “Ayihan, don’t panic. I’m here to save you.”

Ayihan, who had just shed tears of joy thinking she was saved, suddenly widened her eyes in terror: “The monster is back! Run!”

After finally finding the person, Ruan Mingyu certainly wasn’t willing to leave just like that. He glanced back, seeing a gigantic bird flapping its wings and swooping towards them. Ruan Mingyu hardened his heart, cut the rope with his sword, and jumped off the tree with Ayihan.

The giant bird returned, seeing him trying to take its prey. It spat out a stream of fire. Although Ruan Mingyu dodged in time, his hair was scorched by the passing flame.

The giant bird could actually speak human language.

“Put down my prey!”

Ruan Mingyu protected Ayihan, showing no intention of giving up.

“You choose to harm a pregnant woman to raise your own children. A monster like you is utterly vicious. If you have any conscience left, let me take her away.”

After speaking, Ruan Mingyu felt foolish. Talking reason with a monster was definitely useless.

As expected, he only heard the giant bird roar: “Then you stay here too!”

Ruan Mingyu hid Ayihan behind a nearby wall, then took his sword and began fighting the giant bird. Ruan Mingyu’s arm grew sore from fighting, but the monster didn’t appear injured at all. Just one bird was hard enough to deal with. If another one came, he truly wouldn’t be a match. He might even become food for the chicks in those bird eggs. Ruan Mingyu couldn’t help but place his hope in Song Chenxi, wishing he would arrive quickly.

After all, fighting was not his specialty.

After battling for a while, Ruan Mingyu thought he couldn’t drag this out. He quickly mounted the bird’s back and stabbed his sword into its wing. The bird cried out in pain and quickly tumbled in the sky. Ruan Mingyu let go of the feathers he was clutching and quickly leaped to the ground. Fortunately, he ran in time. Not long after, the bird flapped its wings twice and crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Ruan Mingyu coughed uncontrollably from the dust. He sighed in relief and went back to comfort Ayihan: “Sister, don’t worry. Since I came, I will definitely take you back.”

Ayihan was teary-eyed: “From now on, you are my little brother. If you ever need anything, just say the word.”

Ruan Mingyu scratched his head: “I don’t need anything. How about you send me more nang when we get back?”

Ayihan: “You’ll have plenty of nang! From now on, whenever you want some, just come to my house and take it.”

Ruan Mingyu carried Ayihan on his back, ready to leave, but before he could celebrate too soon, another giant bird arrived. This bird was much larger than the previous one. When it spread its wings in the sky, people on the ground couldn’t even see the sun. The sky instantly went dark.

Just dealing with the first bird had exhausted Ruan Mingyu. With another one, Ruan Mingyu wondered if he was meant to survive, but he had no better option. He hid Ayihan again, then faced the pressure, raising his sword to charge.

This bird had a higher cultivation level. Ruan Mingyu was out of breath after only a couple of moves. Fortunately, he had many magical treasures in his pocket. He quickly summoned various artifacts, which prevented him from being swallowed by the giant bird.

Gradually, Ruan Mingyu’s strength failed, and he was at a disadvantage. The bird seized the opportunity, its talons like scimitars, slashing towards him. Ruan Mingyu couldn’t dodge this time. The sharp claws tore huge bloody gashes across his body. Ruan Mingyu sucked in a breath of cold air; it hurt like hell.

He quickly fed himself a hemostatic pill.

Now he could only stall, wait for Song Chenxi to arrive.

Although he couldn’t beat the giant bird, Ruan Mingyu was good at dodging. While dodging, he cursed, his mouth not idle: “Evil bird, of all things to eat, why do you eat people? Your grandfather Ruan Mingyu will execute you today on behalf of the heavens…”

He chattered incessantly, cursing the giant bird fiercely.

The giant bird became enraged, desperate to catch Ruan Mingyu, but the flames it spat out were dodged every time.

Ruan Mingyu dodged for a long time, but eventually his strength gave out. His footwork slowed down by a beat, and the giant bird’s sharp talons grazed him, leaving his body covered in bloodstains.

The giant bird spoke human language: “You despicable cultivators! We have no enmity with you, yet you try to harm my wife!”

Ruan Mingyu chuckled coldly: “No enmity? Your wanton taking of mortal lives is enmity to me. Those who disappeared before probably can’t be separated from you either.”

These words angered the giant bird. It slammed Ruan Mingyu to the ground with one foot. Ruan Mingyu spat out two mouthfuls of blood, yet smiled fearlessly. He felt a bit unwilling. He hadn’t brought the person back, and he was about to die here.

A huge sharp talon, curved like a hook, lunged at him. Ruan Mingyu desperately dodged to the side, but the talon still pierced his shoulder.

Ruan Mingyu let out a cry of agony, which sounded extremely mournful in the empty desert.

Blood instantly gushed from his shoulder.

Ruan Mingyu was afraid of pain and death, but now he was about to face both.

Ruan Mingyu came with the purpose of saving Ayihan. To save a person completely, he coughed up two mouthfuls of blood, gathered the last of his spiritual power to create a teleportation array, and sent Ayihan back.

After doing all this, Ruan Mingyu collapsed onto the ground and closed his eyes. At least he did a good deed before he died. It was worth it.

However, the expected pain did not arrive. He heard a sharp sword edge tearing through the air, followed by a loud bang that hurt his eardrum. Something plummeted from the sky and crashed to the ground.

Following that, everything around him fell silent. Ruan Mingyu couldn’t hear anything—neither the giant bird’s roar nor the sound of the wind sweeping over the sand. Everything was gone.

When Song Chenxi arrived, he saw Ruan Mingyu covered in blood. How did a person so afraid of pain endure this?

He had promised he wouldn’t let Ruan Mingyu get hurt again. Why did he have to suffer all this?

Song Chenxi could no longer control himself. He completely demonized, turning fully into a demonic creature. From now on, he could no longer hide among cultivators or people. But it didn’t matter. He finally gained the power he desired. Nothing could obstruct him anymore. Anything that stood in his way would be completely eliminated.

Ruan Mingyu opened his eyes and met Song Chenxi’s gaze. He rushed over, held Ruan Mingyu in his arms, and began to heal his injuries.

Ruan Mingyu found it difficult to move even a finger, yet he could still joke: “Senior Brother, the medicine is in my left sleeve. I’ll trouble you to feed it to me.”

Song Chenxi’s eyes were blood-red, seeming about to shed tears. He kissed Ruan Mingyu’s forehead, comforting him in his own way.

Ruan Mingyu could still joke with him at this time.

“Senior Brother, you said you never cried. You’re such a faker. It can’t be helped. Who told me I’m your Junior Brother? Alas, I’ll pretend I didn’t see it.” He gently wiped away the tear that slid from Song Chenxi’s eye with the back of his hand. “It’s nothing, a small injury. I won’t die.”

Song Chenxi bandaged the wound on his shoulder. Ruan Mingyu had been putting on a brave front, pretending to be fine, but now he stopped pretending. The pain was so intense that tears instantly streamed out.

“Senior Brother, gently. It hurts…”

“Didn’t you say it was a small injury and you were fine? You suffer needlessly to save face,” Song Chenxi mocked lightly.

“…” Does he get to save face, but I don’t? Ruan Mingyu felt indignant.

“From now on, when you’re with me, hold on tight. Don’t let go again,” Song Chenxi whispered.

Ruan Mingyu didn’t answer him, just smiled, but he felt his smile probably wasn’t very attractive right now, having cried so much and being covered in blood and grime.

Together forever? Probably not possible.

Ruan Mingyu’s first love was freedom, his second was money. As for Song Chenxi, he could probably rank third, but he still had to give way to the first two.

…

Ayihan was frightened but was fine, and the baby in her womb was safe. Ruan Mingyu successfully brought Ayihan back. Her family was very grateful and sent them many things overnight. Ruan Mingyu saw his house filled with nang, blankets, milk, and mutton, and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“Where is your brother?” Ayihan also wanted to thank Song Chenxi properly, deeply moved that both brothers ventured into the desert to save her.

Ruan Mingyu paused: “He’s busy with something. Anything you want to say to him, just tell me.”

Ayihan: “Please tell him thank you for me.”

Later, Ayihan’s family still wanted to send more things, nearly filling their house. Ruan Mingyu repeatedly expressed his gratitude and then closed the door, seeing them off.

Finally, having sent off Ayihan’s family, Ruan Mingyu hadn’t even had time to take a breath when Song Chenxi emerged from the closed room. Previously, his demonized state would only last a few hours. Since returning this time, Song Chenxi had been acting strangely, constantly in a demonized state. His pupils were red, and strange patterns crawled across his face. He clearly wasn’t normal. Ruan Mingyu didn’t dare let him go out to see others in this state. Otherwise, within a day, the news of a demonic creature living in his house would spread throughout the small town.

Song Chenxi came out and hugged Ruan Mingyu from behind. He leaned his head to kiss the side of Ruan Mingyu’s neck. Feeling the touch on his skin, Ruan Mingyu flinched and pushed Song Chenxi’s head away.

“Senior Brother, be normal!”

“Am I not normal enough? I let you interact with others and obeyed you by hiding in the house. What else do you want from me?”

“…” The fact that he can say these things already proves he is not normal…

Song Chenxi now resisted anyone getting close to Ruan Mingyu, seeing malice in everyone’s eyes.

“Can’t we go back to how things were before?”

“Before?” Song Chenxi’s face was unreadable. He played with the ends of Ruan Mingyu’s hair in his hand.

“Before, I was overly cautious. Now, I do whatever I want. I’ve decided: tonight, we will become Dao Companions.”

Ruan Mingyu’s heart raced. What outrageous things was he saying? His face was flushed with panic: “You can eat the wrong medicine, but you can’t say the wrong things. Senior Brother, stop joking! Let me go quickly! Give me some time, I’ll go make you some medicine. You are seriously ill!”

Song Chenxi smiled, his eyes twinkling: “No. There’s no time.” Saying this, he picked Ruan Mingyu up, carrying him horizontally, and kicked open the bedroom door.