The Aloof Master Is Secretly Kissed Every Night by the Paranoid Villain - Chapter 16

However, at night, when Xie Yuan removed his outer robe and lay down on the bed, he lifted his eyes once more, only to see Wen Shiqing enter the room. The man walked past the folding screen and finally sat down firmly at the tea table diagonally across from the wooden bed.

“…”

This incredibly familiar scene made Xie Yuan feel for a brief moment that he had returned to that inn room in Ling City.

“What are you looking at? Just tend to your own sleep.” Wen Shiqing picked up his teacup with a highly pretentious air once more. While putting on an act of flipping through a storybook he bought on the road, he continued with his overconfident male declaration, “A person benefits from having self-awareness. I advise you to be sensible and refrain from harboring any uncalled-for thoughts toward me.”

Xie Yuan remained silent.

After a short moment, a mocking smile crept into the corners of his eyes.

Indeed, what on earth had he been overthinking for most of the day? The root cause behind all of Wen Shiqing’s actions was Xiao Heng. It was not because of a counterfeit like himself.

The night grew deep. Listening to Xie Yuan’s gradually slowing breath, Wen Shiqing set down the storybook in his hand. He rose and walked over to the side of the bed.

Pressing his finger against the youth’s brow, he infused a strand of divine sense into him, causing Xie Yuan to fall into a deeper slumber. Then, his expression turned severe, and he commanded sharply, “Come out!”

Xuanqing soared into the air. However, it did not take the form of the little snake Xie Yuan had encountered. Instead, it transformed into a two-meter-long black python, opening its fangs to bite toward Wen Shiqing.

Mindful of the deeply sleeping Xie Yuan, Wen Shiqing did not summon the Jingfeng Sword. Instead, he utilized his spiritual energy to materialize a sword, wedging it tightly inside the black python’s jaws.

“Could it be that you are the descendant of the Heaven-Swallowing Python, Xuanqing of the Black Python Clan?”

The reason Wen Shiqing recognized him was that in the novel, this black python, Xuanqing, was the very entity that guided Xie Yuan into cultivating the ghost path five years later. However, Xuanqing’s motives were far from pure. He deliberately allowed Xie Yuan to absorb massive amounts of ghost energy, causing severe damage to Xie Yuan’s body and soul. Taking advantage of Xie Yuan’s chaotic state of mind while tormented by the ghost energy, he forced Xie Yuan to sign an agreement establishing himself as the master and Xie Yuan as the servant, manipulation that controlled Xie Yuan for an entire decade. It was only when Xie Yuan accepted the inheritance of the Demon Venerable that he broke this master-servant agreement, completely devouring and strangling Xuanqing.

Ever since Wen Shiqing learned that Xie Yuan was practicing ghost cultivation, he wondered who exactly had prompted him to do so. He thought he would seize the opportunity of staying overnight to inspect Xie Yuan’s body. Now, the moment he saw Xuanqing, everything became perfectly clear.

“Since you junior have recognized this master, do not disrupt my good fortune!” Xuanqing’s eerie blue snake pupils were filled with murderous intent and the annoyance of being discovered. He crushed the spiritual energy sword with a single bite and glared viciously at Wen Shiqing.

“Furthermore, I saw it very clearly. You are merely treating this brat as a substitute for that disciple of yours. Even if I finish him off, wouldn’t it be fine for you to just look for another substitute? If you cannot find one, this master can even help you search for one!”

“Therefore, do not poke your nose into other people’s business, or else beware of me being discourteous to you!”

“My apologies,” Wen Shiqing formed a hand seal, and his spiritual energy materialized into a sword once more. A pair of calm eyes reflected Xuanqing’s figure, “I do not accept your suggestion.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he wielded his sword and slashed toward Xuanqing.

“Wen Shiqing! For the sake of a mere substitute, you actually intend to offend a level-five ghost creature like me? I see you have truly gone mad!”

The capabilities of a level-five ghost creature closely rivaled those of a cultivator in the Lower God Realm. Although they might inferior to a highly skilled cultivator in an actual battle, they were still not to be underestimated.

Wen Shiqing had to protect Xie Yuan while fighting, preventing him from unleashing his full strength. With a slight lapse in concentration, a large chunk of flesh was bitten off his shoulder by Xuanqing. Bright red blood saturated half of his white robes, forcing a muffled groan of pain from his lips, and his face turned several shades paler.

Horizontal alignment remained fragile for both parties. Xuanqing was not faring much better; the substantial form he had condensed dissipated by more than half, and he spoke almost through gritted teeth, “Wen Shiqing, to drive things to this extent with me for the sake of a useless substitute, is it truly worth it?”

“It is worth it.”

Wen Shiqing was the type of person who, once he became aware of a matter and came to know a person, found it very difficult to just sit back and ignore it. He did not wish to see Xie Yuan manipulated by this kind of ghost creature for a decade. Therefore, he absolutely had to intervene.

Xuanqing was struck with astonishment. “I truly never imagined that you would care about him to this extent!”

Yet, the moment he finished this sentence, a malicious venom flashed through his eyes, and he dove straight into Xie Yuan’s body.

“Since you care about him so much, you will certainly be reluctant to strike and harm him. In that case, I shall occupy his body to battle you!”

“Stop!”

Realizing what the creature intended to do, Wen Shiqing immediately projected his divine sense outward, flying straight into Xie Yuan’s sea of consciousness as well.

“You are actually willing to project your divine sense out to help him!” Xuanqing looked at the miniature figure of Wen Shiqing’s divine sense rushing toward him, his eyes entirely filled with shock.

However, his reaction was also incredibly swift. He instantly mobilized all the ghost energy throughout Xie Yuan’s body to surge toward Wen Shiqing, transforming into a dark mist that blackened Xie Yuan’s entire sea of consciousness.

Xie Yuan only felt an icy chill all over his body, accompanied by a severe headache. An excessive amount of ghost energy seeped uncontrollably from his body, enveloping his form and corroding his spirit.

Under Xuanqing’s deliberate manipulation, his cruel and terrifying memories from the past rushed into his mind all at once.

At one moment, it was his mother gripping his throat, weeping and screaming, “You misbegotten creature, why did I give birth to you? You are the child of that bastard, you deserve to die, you deserve to die!”

At another moment, it was Xie Xiao walking past his blood-drenched self, cautioning the palace attendants not to soil the precious grounds of the Hehuan Palace gardens.

At another moment, it was the palace attendants grabbing his hair to stuff his head into a water jar in the depth of winter, causing him to choke out mouthfuls of freezing, blood-tinged water.

At another moment, it was himself being surrounded and attacked by cultivators, his spiritual root shattered by a single palm strike, fists and feet kicking his body, before gradually turning into ambiguous, disgusting caresses. His arms and legs were broken, his clothing torn away, and beneath his disheveled hair, his eyes were filled with an endless hatred for this world and a desire to destroy absolutely everything.

“Sign a contract with me, become my slave, and there will be no need for you to think. I will help you take revenge, I will help you kill everyone you wish to kill, and then you will win everything you desire!”

An icy voice enticed him systematically beside his ear.

Xie Yuan’s eyelids twitched slightly. His body and spirit, which had collapsed from the torment, experienced a momentary trance. Was it truly possible? Could he really hand everything over to this voice, to this entity?

“Xie Yuan!”

Suddenly, a clear, resonant voice pierced through all the fog and suffering, crashing heavily into Xie Yuan’s consciousness.

“Wake up!” Wen Shiqing’s divine sense had already been stained black by the ghost energy, yet he still mobilized all his power to shout toward Xie Yuan, who was tightly enveloped by Xuanqing, “You are the true master of your own body! Do not believe anyone’s nonsense! No one can replace you!”

It was a very familiar voice. It did not consist of the severe words of the past, but rather an anxious, genuine encouragement that looked out for his well-being.

Xie Yuan was abruptly shaken.

“You scoundrel!”

Xuanqing shrieked in terror, yet he could only watch helplessly as the miniature figure seated inside Xie Yuan’s sea of consciousness, surrounded by ghost energy, opened its eyes. Furthermore, the figure raised its hand to borrow Wen Shiqing’s power, rewriting the master-servant agreement he had drafted.

The ghost energy unique to him formed snake-like swimming patterns across the youth’s exquisite face. He clearly saw an arrogant, freezing smile hook upon the corners of Xie Yuan’s lips, delivering a judgment upon his destiny.

“Xuanqing, from this day forward, I am the master and you are the servant, unceasing until death.”