The Possessive Beauty Desires Me in Vain - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Baby

Outside the Projection Stone, the group of elders held their collective breath, their eyes glued to the images unfolding within.

The Nine Pools of Fortune had been nearly obliterated by the suddenly maddened Chen Hexuan. He destroyed one spiritual spring after another, drawing spiritual energy into his body like a violent tempest. His Nascent Soul was enlarging at a rate visible to the naked eye.

One elder’s expression turned grave. “At this rate, he will destroy the Nine Pools of Fortune in less than an hour.”

Despite being a forbidden ground, the Nine Pools were one of the most spirit-rich locations in the Xingzhou Sect. Without that energy, this treasure land would lose all purpose.

“That’s not the point. Shouldn’t we stop him?” another elder asked worriedly. “If he keeps absorbing energy like this, he’s likely to explode and die.”

“We don’t have time to train another candidate as suitable as him,” another noted.

Just as the elders reached a consensus to intervene, a new anomaly appeared within the Projection Stone.

Chen Hexuan suddenly stopped in his tracks. He stood still, head slightly bowed as if in thought, then clenched his fists tightly at his sides. A look of pure madness flared in his crimson eyes.

Feeling the ache radiating from his Nascent Soul, Chen Hexuan realized his connection to the barrier had been severed.

He felt a searing hatred. Despite the care he took in laying the barrier before he left, someone had broken it. He was still too weak.

He was also terrified—terrified that the little thing he had hidden away had been discovered, stolen, or harmed.

At that thought, the desire to escape grew overwhelming. He had to break out of this godforsaken place and reclaim his treasure.

Before the elders could react, Chen Hexuan let out a thunderous roar and levitated into the air.

Suddenly, a massive explosion rocked the earth. With a low rumble, the ground shuddered, the mountains shook, and the snow swirled into massive clumps before shattering apart.

The observers watched in awe as a snow-capped mountain snapped in two. Stones and soil flew into the air, carried by thousands of snowflakes, before spiraling down and crashing into the earth with deafening thuds. This scene repeated across nearly every peak.

The entire Nine Pools of Fortune behaved as if hit by a massive earthquake, with Chen Hexuan as the epicenter.

The elders stared, wide-eyed. A constant stream of spiritual energy flowed like rivers from every direction into “Chen Hexuan’s” body. He was like a bottomless pit, rapidly consuming everything the forbidden ground had to offer.

The world went dark, cloaked in a black curtain, with “Chen Hexuan” as the solitary line of white light. The elders realized—he truly intended to destroy the Nine Pools of Fortune.

One elder gripped his sword, ready to move, but was held back. The eldest, Elder Tianwen, looked at him calmly. “No need. His Nascent Soul has clearly been tempered; he won’t explode so easily. I want to see exactly what level he can reach.”

The youngest, Elder Qingyang, stepped forward with a smile. “To witness such a spectacle… I could die without regrets.”

Elder Tianwen, his hair silver at the temples, shot him a dismissive glance. “Don’t speak of ‘death’ in my presence. If you have nothing intelligent to say, remain silent.”

As he spoke, a thread of killing intent flickered from the tip of his finger, lancing toward Elder Qingyang. Qingyang scrambled to block it with his power but was still struck in the chest. He retreated with a dark expression, wiping blood from his lip. “Thank you for the guidance, Grandmaster Uncle.”

Elder Tianwen turned back to Chen Hexuan, sighing with delight. “With a lad like this, our plan will surely succeed.”

The other elders murmured in agreement, their eyes filled with shared excitement as they watched the Projection Stone.

About fifteen minutes passed. Sharp cracking sounds rang out one after another. Massive holes of varying sizes began to appear in the sky.

Chunks of the firmament fell straight down. The holes multiplied and merged until the entire sky tilted and began to collapse. The fallen fragments filled the pools.

As the last thread of spiritual energy entered Chen Hexuan, the mountains and sky fell silent. The Nine Pools were destroyed. The snow stopped, the water ceased to flow, and the world was plunged into a dead, dark silence.

Chen Hexuan opened his eyes. His normally gentle black pupils had turned a haunting, supernatural red.

Elder Tianwen’s eyes widened in shock. He squinted, murmuring, “Red eyes… red eyes… Dammit, it’s a sign of demonic possession.”

The others were startled. “But the energy circulating in his body is still spiritual, not demonic,” one elder argued. “It shouldn’t be possession.”

Elder Tianwen placed his hands behind his back, lost in thought. After observing a moment longer, he said, “It’s not possession. His Inner Demon is controlling his body.”

“An Inner Demon?” The other elders were confused.

“It seems the demon hasn’t fully taken over yet,” Tianwen said slowly. “Follow me. We must control him.”

“If we don’t eliminate his Inner Demon, our plan cannot proceed.”

With that, he stepped into the air and vanished. The others followed suit.

…

Outside the forbidden ground, the disciples of the Xingzhou Sect felt the tremors. The earth shook beneath their feet.

The younger disciples, inexperienced and excitable, began to chatter loudly. The older, high-level disciples and instructors wore expressions of deep concern.

“Silence.” A crisp voice rang out, cutting through the noise of the sword-training field. It was Fu Gufeng, the instructor and one of the few female inner disciples.

Fu Gufeng looked stern. She scanned the field, and once quiet was restored, she continued her lesson. When the class ended, she watched the disciples’ enthusiasm for their craft with a flicker of secret pleasure before she stowed her sword and left.

Walking away from the field, her gaze fell toward the vibrating Nine Pools. Her expression darkened. Remembering something, she took to her sword and flew toward the source.

…

Seeing several figures flying toward him, Chen Hexuan—just emerging from the forbidden zone—darkened. He had intended to go straight to his treasure, but more flies were coming to block his path.

The elders lined up before him. “A mere Inner Demon. Surrender now.”

Chen Hexuan’s lips curled slowly. “A few mere old geezers… and you think you can block my way?”

The elders’ faces stiffened. Elder Tianwen, certain of the Inner Demon’s influence, offered a deceptive smile. “Little friend, if you hand over control of this body, we won’t make things difficult for you.”

Chen Hexuan sized them up. “So, you intend to stand in my way?” He idly rubbed his fingertips, calculating the fastest way to swat these annoying flies.

Tianwen continued, “Why use such harsh words? We only wish to return this body to its rightful owner. Otherwise, you won’t leave here on your own two feet today.”

“We’ll see who leaves and who stays.”

Chen Hexuan lost his patience. He rolled his wrists, and his eyes darkened into a deeper shade of crimson.

…

Qi Yu looked down at the unconscious Pu Xuefeng with mounting anxiety.

Pu Xuefeng was like a dried-up lake; what little spiritual energy he had left was leaking away. If it drained completely, years of effort would be for nothing. Qi Yu tried repeatedly to transfer his own energy into him, but it was futile.

Pu Xuefeng slowly opened his eyes. Seeing a familiar figure, his heart softened. “Qi Yu… Xiao Yu…”

Qi Yu felt a pang of sorrow. He hovered his hand over Pu Xuefeng’s. “Master…”

Pu Xuefeng closed his eyes and whispered gently, “It’s all my fault… You must leave…”

“Master, don’t sleep.” Qi Yu frowned, looking genuinely distressed.

…

“Thank you.” Chen Hexuan bowed slightly toward the woman before him.

While he wasn’t afraid to fight the elders, being entangled with them was a waste of time. He was in a hurry to find his treasure.

“No need,” Fu Gufeng said, stopping him. “I’m not helping you. I’m helping Xiao Yu.”

Hearing his “treasure’s” name from someone else, Chen Hexuan stiffened, looking threatened.

Ignoring his strange reaction, Fu Gufeng continued, “Go find him. Don’t make him cry for you anymore.” She paused. “And tell him to come thank me in person.”

Chen Hexuan gave a grunt of acknowledgment, stared at her for a moment, and said, “You are strong.” Then he turned and vanished.

Fu Gufeng didn’t care for the validation. As he left, she remembered a time when no one in the inner sect believed in her. Qi Yu had sat beside her and said, “Senior Sister, the sisters in the outer sect believe in you. They always support you… and so do I.”

A small smile touched her lips, but it vanished as she turned to face the group behind her.

“Elders, I apologize for what I am about to do.” She drew her sword with an air of casual indifference, as if the powerful men before her were mere mortals.

The elders had been heavily injured by Chen Hexuan, but they still looked down on her. “Little girl, don’t meddle in the business of men. Go back to your games.”

Fu Gufeng smiled thinly, her sword humming. “Disciple Fu Gufeng. I ask the elders for their guidance.”

Today, she would show these men who was truly playing games.

…

Chen Hexuan arrived at his destination at top speed. He was met with a scene of wreckage and a familiar body. He searched for his sword first but couldn’t find it.

He walked over to Pu Xuefeng. One look told him the man was near death. However, he sensed the remnants of his own spiritual energy on him—this was the person who had broken his barrier.

Chen Hexuan’s face clouded. He tried to shock the man awake with a burst of energy, but Pu Xuefeng remained comatose. This man must have stolen my sword, he thought, his hand moving to grip Pu Xuefeng’s throat.

He could kill him with a simple squeeze, but he still couldn’t find his treasure. Pu Xuefeng’s face turned red, his body thrashing like a fish out of water, but his eyes stayed shut.

Just die, Chen Hexuan thought, tightening his grip.

At that moment, a pair of transparent hands pressed against his. Upon contact with his skin, the hands became solid. The pale skin contrasted sharply with Chen Hexuan’s sun-kissed tone.

Chen Hexuan’s expression didn’t change, but he moved with lightning speed to pull the person into a crushing embrace. He couldn’t help himself. “Baby…”

While Qi Yu was still wondering why he could touch his Senior Brother but not his Master, the pet name made his face flush. His hands, which had been pushing against Chen Hexuan’s chest, faltered. His heart softened, and he allowed himself to be held.

Chen Hexuan nuzzled into Qi Yu’s hair like an affectionate dog, his arms tight. “Baby, I finally found you.”

“Senior Brother, let go.” Qi Yu was startled and confused. This version of his brother was strange and unfamiliar. Seeing the red eyes, Qi Yu realized—it was an Inner Demon. Only those possessed by one had such eyes.

“No. I finally got my baby back. I’m not letting go. You’re not allowed to leave me,” Chen Hexuan said anxiously, trying to pull him even closer.

“Senior Brother, you have the wrong person. Look at me—I’m Qi Yu, the one you hate most.” Qi Yu felt a pang of bitterness. He pushed again, but the man was unyielding.

“No. How could I hate you? You are my favorite baby.” Chen Hexuan loosened his grip slightly to stare into Qi Yu’s eyes.

Qi Yu looked into those crimson depths and realized—his brother’s obsession was him. The strange behavior made sense now. Qi Yu didn’t know whether to be sad or happy that he was the demon’s anchor.

Noticing the scratches on Chen Hexuan’s handsome face, Qi Yu asked worriedly, “Senior Brother, why are you like this? Who hurt you?”

Chen Hexuan put on a pitiful expression. Suddenly, the scratches that hadn’t bothered him before began to sting. “It hurts, Baby. Please, love me.”

“Who did this? It’s okay, it’s okay…” Qi Yu felt a sharp pain in his own heart. He reached out to stroke Chen Hexuan’s face, careful to avoid the wounds. He whispered to himself, “They told me it wouldn’t be like this… why did they hurt you?”

The feeling of being cared for filled Chen Hexuan with genuine joy. He captured Qi Yu’s hand and began to kiss the back of it. “Don’t be sad, Baby. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

As long as you love me, I feel no pain.

Suddenly, his thumb was enveloped by a warm mouth. Qi Yu blushed and tried to pull away. He couldn’t understand why the Inner Demon would do things the real Chen Hexuan would never dream of.

Chen Hexuan kissed his hand gently, looked up, and said, “Baby, why are you so sweet?”

…

Things are getting incredibly heated! Between the elders’ mysterious “plan” and Chen Hexuan’s inner demon being absolutely obsessed with Qi Yu, the stakes are skyrocketing.