Reborn as a Human Cauldron, But I'm the Top - Chapter 53

Chapter 53: Stealing a Kiss ~

Normally, a few fox spirits would walk past this palace, but now it was eerily quiet.

This was all Qing Li’s doing; she had designated this area as a restricted zone, forbidding any demons from passing through.

The air after the rain was fresh. Some cherry trees were planted outside the hall. The pink and white blossoms clustered together, dampened by the rain and adorned with dew, creating an indescribable beauty.

Shen Yirong didn’t notice anything amiss. She raised her arms high for a stretch, sighing contentedly, “So relaxing. The scenery here is really nice.”

Shen Yirong wanted to stay here longer, but since Song Yin had mentioned it, they were definitely preparing to return to the Demon Palace. The scenery there wasn’t as good as this.

She leaned on the windowsill, cupping her head and looking at the view outside, saying very reluctantly, “Revered One, how about we return to the palace later?”

She waited for a while but received no answer. Shen Yirong looked back and found Song Yin sitting stiffly on the edge of the bed, her face unusually grim, biting her lip and saying nothing.

Shen Yirong thought this expression looked familiar, like she was constipated, but how could an immortal have this problem?

Especially a top-tier demonic cultivator like Song Yin.

After much thought, Shen Yirong concluded that the person was angry again.

Shen Yirong instinctively thought her words had upset the other party, so she changed to a pitiful expression and prepared to approach and apologize.

Song Yin was internally cursing the fox spirits while desperately maintaining her sanity. From the corner of her eye, she saw Shen Yirong walking over.

“You, Mmm~” Song Yin hurriedly bit her lip and then released it. “Don’t come closer.”

Shen Yirong obediently stopped. She looked at Song Yin’s serious face with confusion.

She thought she had heard something, but now she suspected it was an illusion.

Looking again, Song Yin’s hands were placed on either side of her thighs, gripping the edge of the bed forcefully, her knuckles white from the strain.

The bedding and sheets here were red, while Song Yin was dressed in white clothes. She lowered her head, biting her lip, enduring either rage or pain.

Shen Yirong recalled how the other party had not treated her like a person all these years. Whether it was rage or pain, enduring it for too long was self-harm.

But now Song Yin was using her body, perhaps she could use this reason to persuade her.

Shen Yirong watched for a moment before slowly walking over. Only when she got closer did she notice tears in the other party’s eyes—a mix of confusion and struggle in the tear-soaked gaze.

Deep in thought about something, Song Yin actually didn’t reject her approach.

However, after getting closer, Shen Yirong smelled something unusual. It felt like inhaling throat lozenge-flavored air; her entire lungs felt icy cool, and her mind became much clearer.

How strange.

But this must be some kind of medicine. Shen Yirong waved her hand, using a cleansing spell to remove most of the medicine on the bed surface, and collected the remaining residue into a bottle.

Shen Yirong used spiritual energy to check her body.

The body was fine, even in better condition than before.

Shen Yirong whispered, “Strange.”

Shen Yirong reached out, intending to check Song Yin as well, but was shoved away.

“Don’t touch me.”

Song Yin squeezed those two words out of her throat. Speaking and moving eroded her reason, allowing crazy, indecent thoughts to invade her mind.

Especially just now, the simple brushing of the back of her hand against the other party’s palm almost made her gasp, even though it was a very ordinary action.

Shen Yirong only thought the other party was angry. She moved closer again. “Revered One, if you are unhappy, we can return quickly.”

Feeling someone nearby, her reason dissolved faster and faster. Song Yin felt like she had been drinking—her mind was unclear and her whole body felt uncomfortable.

This torturous sensation was unbearable. She wished she could abandon this body to find relief.

Song Yin heard her own voice in her mind saying: Why the fuss? Isn’t this exactly what you want? Surrender to your true self.

Her lips were bitten pale. It was agonizing.

Yes, if I don’t resist, I won’t have to endure any of this. After everything ends, I can get my body back, instead of waiting a year.

Demonic cultivators always took what they wanted; they wouldn’t waste thought on others.

“Yes, you are her master, and she is your cultivation vessel. You don’t need to consider her feelings, Song Yin. Give up resisting.”

Song Yin’s hazy mind recovered a bit of clarity. She scolded, “Shut up!”

She is not a cultivation vessel; she is my Master.

Shen Yirong was startled by her sudden outburst. Just as she instinctively moved to apologize, she saw the other person collapse onto the bed, her eyes unfocused.

She instantly understood something. Her face changed, and she reached out to take the other party’s pulse.

Spiritual energy circulation was normal. No external injuries, no internal injuries. Nothing at all.

Shen Yirong was not a professional medical cultivator, but this fox palace couldn’t possibly lack a physician. She anxiously ran outside, but her arm was grasped by someone.

At this moment, Song Yin looked a little pitiful, “Don’t go, Ah~”

The hazy look in the other party’s eyes reminded Shen Yirong of her own drunken state in the mirror.

Sure enough, Song Yin hugged her tighter, repeatedly mumbling, “Don’t go.”

Shen Yirong felt her face flush slightly. This was like watching herself act out in a drunken frenzy, but because she knew the person was Song Yin, her embarrassment was mixed with another emotion.

With a slight blush, she rescued her arm. Before she could move away, Song Yin hugged her again.

After several cycles of pulling away and being hugged again, Shen Yirong finally couldn’t take it anymore.

Before Song Yin could pounce again, she shouted, “Freeze!”

Shen Yirong’s face was bright red. She straightened Song Yin and laid her flat on the bed.

The immobilized Song Yin could still move her eyes, and her gaze followed Shen Yirong, revealing a hint of grievance.

Shen Yirong dared not delay. She quickly said, “Wait for me, I’ll be right back.”

She rushed out the door to find Qing Li.

In the room, Song Yin weakly watched her retreating figure. The touch just now had burned away most of her reason.

Before, she could maintain composure using spiritual energy, but now she could do nothing but let herself fall.

Shen Yirong went out and first scanned the area with her spiritual sense. She couldn’t see very far, but it was enough to cover the entire Fox Palace.

After searching, she didn’t find Qing Li. Shen Yirong secretly cursed, “Bastard!”

She walked farther away before seeing the fox demons in the palace. The demons still hid when they saw her.

Shen Yirong didn’t take it seriously, only thinking they were afraid of Song Yin’s face.

She stopped a fox demon and urgently asked, “Is there a physician in the palace?”

The fox demon shook its head, “The palace physician is out on a house call, not here right now.”

Shen Yirong grew more anxious, “Are they all out? Where did the nearest one go?”

The fox demon only shook its head, “I don’t know.”

Shen Yirong almost couldn’t contain her anger. She remembered there were some spiritual medicines in Song Yin’s spatial ring. She quickly opened the space, but looking at the bottles and jars in the corner, she fell silent again.

To treat an illness, one must first find the cause, but she didn’t know why Song Yin was like this, rendering the pile of elixirs useless.

Just as Shen Yirong was getting desperate, Su Yu’s voice rang out in her mind.

[Does Master want to help her?]

Su Yu’s voice sounded reluctant. She had been silent earlier, wanting Song Yin to suffer, but seeing Shen Yirong’s anxiousness, she couldn’t bear it.

The anxiety in Shen Yirong’s heart finally subsided. She was delighted: You know what to do?

Su Yu reluctantly hummed. She finally understood why Jiang Xue had that attitude.

Shen Yirong didn’t care about that. She hadn’t been out for long, but she felt like a long time had passed.

She asked very anxiously: What should I do?

Su Yu didn’t know how to explain it. She stammered: [Well, find someone to dual cultivate with her.]

Shen Yirong’s pupils contracted. She hadn’t expected to return to this problem after all the detours.

She awkwardly twitched her mouth: You’re not kidding me, are you?

“Why would I joke about this?”

Shen Yirong’s heart sank. Unwilling to give up, she asked: If I don’t interfere, can she get better on her own?

“Uh.”

Shen Yirong understood. Which immoral demon put this stuff in their room?

And this was the Demon Realm. The only creatures that could be called “human” were her and Song Yin.

Moreover, not long ago, Song Yin had said that the current her was “not qualified.”

Shen Yirong always felt that if she really did anything with the other party, Song Yin would definitely not reward her when she woke up and reclaimed her body.

But…

Shen Yirong felt like she was being roasted over a fire, and she recalled what Jiang Xue had said earlier.

Shen Yirong’s gaze gradually firmed, and she started walking back.

When she returned, Song Yin had surprisingly broken free from the immobilization spell, and the clarity had returned to her eyes.

The bedding was messy. Clearly, Song Yin had been tossing and turning before she returned. Sweat-soaked hair clung to her cheeks.

She slowly raised a hand to cover her face, seemingly embarrassed by the situation, but quickly let it drop in helplessness.

Song Yin gritted her teeth, “Leave. I can solve this myself.”

She had figured out the medicine. This substance targeted the soul directly. If so, it was easily solved.

Shen Yirong frowned and asked, “How does Revered One plan to solve it?”

Under these circumstances, Song Yin could still let out a cold laugh. It only showed how terrifyingly strong her willpower was.

“I’ll directly refine the soul and force the poison out.”

Su Yu immediately cried out: “She’s a psychopath! Why is she torturing herself!”

Shen Yirong frowned. She also knew what soul refinement meant.

The cultivation world was relatively harmonious now. In the chaotic era before, various immortal sects fought intensely for territory.

The Soul Refinement Technique was a method used by immortal sects for forced interrogation back then. Although this technique could purify the soul, the pain was beyond description.

Those who couldn’t endure it would be instantly annihilated.

Shen Yirong stood by the bed. Her human scent caused Song Yin’s carefully maintained sanity to start collapsing again.

She bit her lip, trying to push Shen Yirong away, but she couldn’t move her at all. She was furious: “Get out!”

This weak, breathless “Get out!” held little deterrence.

Shen Yirong looked at the struggling person. Seeing that the other person was about to say more harsh words, Shen Yirong lowered her head and blocked the other person’s lips.

She clearly saw the shock in Song Yin’s eyes.

Song Yin was somewhat incredulous, “You, why?”

Although she knew about dual cultivation, Shen Yirong didn’t know exactly how to proceed.

She looked at the current, disheveled Song Yin, “I want to save you. Please teach me, Revered One.”

Song Yin couldn’t believe her ears. She slowly turned her head, her trembling voice full of mockery, “Didn’t you not want to dual cultivate with me? I was kind enough to let you off, yet you are so ungrateful.”

More harsh words, but what Shen Yirong didn’t expect was that the other party was actually considering her feelings.

Considering the feelings of a lowly cultivation vessel.

This was utterly unlike the Demon Lord.

Shen Yirong forcefully turned her head back, compelling her to meet her gaze, and only said two words: “Teach me.”

The aggrieved feelings Song Yin had managed to suppress were about to surge out again. Her whole body was weak, only her mouth remained stubbornly hard.

“I don’t need your pity! I can handle it myself.”

Shen Yirong grasped her wildly flailing hands, calling softly, “Revered One.”

The struggling person froze. The current Shen Yirong was very serious, and this call of ‘Revered One’ carried a hint of command.

It sounded unexpectedly delicious.

The potency of the poison seemed to instantly double several times. Song Yin couldn’t help but groan softly.

Song Yin opened her mouth and bit down on Shen Yirong’s knuckles, but in the end, she couldn’t bring herself to actually hurt her.

She looked at Shen Yirong’s calm and composed appearance, and the darkness and possessiveness in her heart crept up again.

“Heh, you need me to teach you even this.”

Seeing Shen Yirong remain so calm, Song Yin’s heartbeat quickened.

She no longer suppressed her instincts, pressing her face against the back of Shen Yirong’s hand.

“Let go of me, I’ll teach you.”

Song Yin guided Shen Yirong into her sea of consciousness, a vast and barren place.

Song Yin’s soul lay in this collapsing world, eyes closed, looking disheveled.

She slowly opened her eyes, “Come here~”

Su Yu was sent out by Shen Yirong. Full of frustration, she went to find Jiang Xue again.

Night was gradually falling, but this was the fox demon’s territory. While floating on the road, she was constantly chased by curious small fox spirits.

Su Yu fled all the way until she reached the foot of Jiang Xue Peak. She gasped for breath and looked up, seeing the elegant figure of Jiang Xue, who was standing at the peak, watching the moon on the horizon.

Sensing Su Yu’s aura, Jiang Xue smiled at her: “Did your Master kick you out?”

Su Yu flew to Jiang Xue’s side, whining like a puppy, “Yes.”

“Next time, remember to be more discerning.”

Su Yu, who was seeking comfort, became more aggrieved. She muttered, “You are really annoying.”

Jiang Xue merely chuckled, “I am a sword spirit, not a person.”

Moonlight passed through Jiang Xue’s body, but Su Yu noticed that her body seemed to have solidified a bit.

Dual cultivation was a form of paired cultivation, and it was much more potent than ordinary paired cultivation.

It seems Master’s strength is increasing.

Su Yu circled Jiang Xue a few times. She suddenly accepted the fact that Shen Yirong and Song Yin were together. “Jiang Xue, you don’t have to die.”

Jiang Xue only said, “If Master is unwilling, my disappearance is nothing. The path she walks now is much smoother than before. Whether I am here or not is the same.”

Su Yu was not so generous. In fact, she had lied earlier. She became Shen Yirong’s personal sword because she didn’t want to leave her Master, not because she had defeated many other swords.

The blue light spot flickered slightly. Su Yu transformed into her human form and sat beside Jiang Xue. She hugged her knees, her voice muffled, “I always feel scared.”

“Scared that Master will follow Elder Yun’s path?”

Su Yu, who had buried her head, looked up. She looked at Jiang Xue’s profile and couldn’t help but sigh, “You didn’t secretly learn mind-reading, did you?”

Jiang Xue chuckled, “Because I understand you very well. You used to say that Master and Elder Yun were the same kind of people. Now that they have done similar things, you are bound to worry.”

Su Yu was speechless, only playing with small stones on the ground.

Jiang Xue patted her shoulder, “Little Yu, you were wrong about one thing from the start. Master and Elder Yun are not the same kind of people, and Song Yin is also different from Mei Xin.”

Su Yu didn’t understand so much. She just kept playing with the stones. She threw a pebble, caught it on the back of her hand, then tossed the backhanded pebble high, catching it before it landed.

Even after all these years, she still didn’t understand.

Why did Yun Huiming, who had always protected Mei Xin and was even indulgent towards her, suddenly decide to kill her?

She couldn’t help but sigh, “People are too complicated. It’s better to be a sword spirit. I do whatever Master tells me to do.”

While she was sighing, Su Yu saw a fox spirit sneaking past the foot of Jiang Xue Peak.

The back was too familiar. Su Yu shouted, “Qing Li!”

Qing Li’s back froze. She hesitated for a moment but still flew up to the peak.

“Adult Jiang Xue, and this… Adult?”

Qing Li didn’t recognize Su Yu, but could roughly guess her identity. She hadn’t expected to be recognized even while wearing black clothes and a layer of disguise.

Seeing her like this, Jiang Xue smiled and asked, “Planning to run away?”

The fox spirit with a guilty conscience’s tail drooped. She had initially planned to use the night to flee to the Dragon Clan for refuge, but halfway there, she felt it wasn’t right.

Song Yin was a lunatic. If she left, the wrath would inevitably be vented on the remaining fox clan. Although she was timid, she was still the Queen of the Fox Clan; she couldn’t abandon her people.

She forced a smile, “That was the idea, but the remaining fox clan cannot withstand the Demon Lord’s wrath.”

Su Yu felt this demon lacked the demeanor of a Queen. In fact, her true character was so timid it was hard to describe.

But this fox demon was genuinely kind to her Master. Su Yu felt the other party’s shortcomings didn’t matter. She asked quite familiarly, “How did you get to this position with that personality?”

Qing Li sighed. Since she wasn’t going to run, she simply sat down beside Jiang Xue, resting her fox head on her hands and watching the shooting stars.

“It was Shen Shuci from the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets. She told me the Fox King was severely injured and instructed me to seize the opportunity to exchange souls with the lonely King, finding a way to make the White Fox Clan fight amongst themselves.”

Jiang Xue frowned, “Shen Shuci? People from the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets never intervene lightly. The White Fox Clan can only hire peripheral people. Why would a Vice Pavilion Master help you?”

Qing Li also couldn’t figure it out, but it seemed the other party didn’t have any malicious intentions.

Qing Li shook her head in defeat, “I don’t know, but if I could see her again, I would ask her to divine how to avoid being beaten to death by the Demon Lord.”

Su Yu awkwardly smiled nearby.

She remembered that person named Shen Shuci was having her heart pierced.

And it was done by someone under the Demon Lord.

Shen Shuci couldn’t escape that fate herself, so how could she help others?

Su Yu silently lit a candle for Qing Li in her heart.

Suddenly, it started raining again. This rain was heavier and more prolonged than the one in the daytime.

Raindrops fell swiftly, violently hitting everything on the ground.

The wind was also fierce. The suspension bridge between the two distant peaks creaked loudly.

Leaves and raindrops harmonized. Cherry blossoms fell onto the ground and soaked in the water.

The first ray of light in the morning kissed the cherry blossoms floating in the puddles.

Shen Yirong was also woken up. She raised her hand and remained silent for a while, then suddenly felt a warm breath on her neck.

She turned her head and saw Song Yin. The other person was sleeping soundly, seemingly immersed in a dream, unwilling to wake up.

Normally, Shen Yirong would only sigh about how beautiful Song Yin was, but after what had happened, her state of mind had changed.

She remembered the other person’s look of tilting her head back and biting her lip in her hands. She also remembered those eyes being filled only with herself.

She also remembered the other person losing her mind and calling her “Master.”

Shen Yirong thought she had been recognized, but it seemed not.

Before entering Song Yin’s sea of consciousness, she had asked the sword spirit, and a few disguises had been placed on the soul. Song Yin shouldn’t have recognized her.

Shen Yirong sighed softly. This was too rebellious, but for some reason, she still wanted to hear the other person call her that again. But no matter what she did, Song Yin refused to say it again.

Suddenly, Song Yin’s eyelashes fluttered slightly. Shen Yirong quickly pretended to be asleep.

Song Yin slowly woke up, feeling very weak.

This weakness was not physical; it was an extreme mental fatigue. The culprit was lying beside her, sleeping exceptionally soundly. And not only was she sleeping soundly, but her cultivation had also increased.

Song Yin felt a wave of irritation, but the redness on her face was from embarrassment.

She thought this person had taken all the benefits; she had to get something back.

As she thought, Song Yin’s eyes gradually became dark and dangerous.

She slowly leaned in, looking at Shen Yirong’s tightly closed eyes.

Shen Yirong, pretending to be asleep, felt a slight panic. She remembered the second time she met Song Yin after being reborn, Song Yin had fiercely threatened to dig out her eyes.

Shen Yirong hadn’t actually seen anything that time, but this time, she saw everything.

It’s over. Is she settling scores now?

Shen Yirong was so nervous she wanted to run away immediately, but she didn’t feel any killing intent, so she suppressed the impulse.

Song Yin got closer and closer. Shen Yirong’s heart seemed to be trying to jump out of her chest and escape first.

Something like a butterfly landed on her forehead.

It was Song Yin’s kiss.

But this was just the beginning. The butterfly landed on her eyelids, and then moved down to her lips.

The other party seemed to want to continue but hesitated and drew away.

Unexpectedly somewhat innocent?

Shen Yirong’s mind was scrambled. She vaguely recalled the other party’s reaction.

She started questioning the other party’s harem again.

But if Song Yin didn’t establish a harem, wouldn’t the world still fail to proceed in a normal direction? Then why had she gone through so much trouble before?

Shen Yirong felt she was overthinking.

Shen Yirong was lost in random thoughts, but Song Yin’s face was blushing again.

She had originally wanted to be more outrageous, but if the movement was too loud and woke the person, what face would she have left?

Stealing a kiss was too beneath her status.

However, she was very close to Shen Yirong now, and she didn’t need to fear the other person suddenly opening her eyes.

So, she looked very earnestly at this face that haunted her dreams.

Song Yin reached out and played with Shen Yirong’s eyelashes, as if trying to count exactly how many there were.

Seeing that the person still showed no sign of waking up, Song Yin felt a surge of unprovoked annoyance. She let out a cold snort and got up.

Shen Yirong felt the movement beside her. Song Yin stepped over her to get off the bed.

“Plop!”

A sound of a heavy object falling, followed by Song Yin’s quiet curse: “Hiss! D*mn it!”

It turned out the heavy object was Song Yin herself.

She felt Song Yin glare at her intensely.

Shen Yirong dared even less to open her eyes. She continued to pretend to be asleep.

Only after Song Yin’s aura disappeared did Shen Yirong dare to open her eyes. The sword spirit, who had been chatting idly outside all night, also returned.

She transformed into a blue light spot and bounced on Shen Yirong’s shoulder, “Master, you’ve got your body back.”

“Mm.”

Shen Yirong suddenly remembered that her spiritual ring and the All-Seeing Mirror were still on Song Yin.

Just as she was thinking this, Song Yin returned. The other party’s face was cold, and she didn’t notice the light spot on her shoulder.

“Aren’t you getting up yet?”

Song Yin, standing by the bed, had returned to being the aloof Demon Lord. But Shen Yirong was no longer as afraid of her as before.

She sat up, letting out a soft hum because she sat up too quickly.

The aloof Demon Lord suddenly changed expression. Her face slightly shifted, and she asked in a cold voice: “Where does it hurt?”