The Vicious Beauty Faked His Death Three Times [Transmigration] - Chapter 38.1

Chapter 38: Quarrel

Lin Qinghan raised an eyebrow as he looked down at Ling Yanhe kneeling on the floor. His expression was flippant and triumphant, completely oblivious to the ambiguous atmosphere spreading from such a sensual scene.

Ling Yanhe knelt on the floor and looked up at him. Those dark eyes had long since lost their usual stillness; now, like a turbulent deep sea, a new storm was brewing within them.

Clearly in the subordinate position of being restrained, he at this moment resembled a fierce wolf, making one inexplicably feel a sense of being invaded.

Lin Qinghan chuckled, about to apply more pressure with his foot: “Am I not right… Mmph!”

His ankle was suddenly seized. Lin Qinghan was yanked and slid, his whole body falling backward. It was only thanks to his quick reactions, reaching out to brace himself against the bed, that he didn’t fall off.

So hot.

Lin Qinghan looked over in surprise. The other person looked back at him as if sensing his gaze, those black eyes filled with desire, as if wanting to devour him.

The heat was so intense that Lin Qinghan abruptly withdrew his gaze. He immediately wanted to pull away, but the stinging pain in his heart suddenly drained his strength. The hand gripping his ankle possessed terrifying power; he was completely caught and could not break free at all.

Lin Qinghan was thoroughly captured.

“I didn’t realize you were this thirsty, that even a man could make you lose your mind like this. Truly… hideous!”

Lin Qinghan felt his scalp tingle. His heart was suspended high because of Ling Yanhe. He hurriedly cursed, attempting to provoke the other to avoid the intense and strange sensations he was bringing.

But Ling Yanhe merely let out a light laugh and looked up at him. Those black eyes held satiety and playfulness, making Lin Qinghan’s heart sink. Then, the other lowered his head and continued his actions, ignoring him, leaving Lin Qinghan’s punch to land on cotton.

The fragile arch of his foot was pressed, again and again, causing Lin Qinghan’s body to tremble along with it.

It was too much…

Lin Qinghan gritted his teeth, refusing to let out a sound. The control of his body had been forcibly snatched away; he could only be like a drifting boat tossing on a stormy sea, where a single wave could crush and swallow him.

Too wretched, Lin Qinghan thought, gasping for breath.

The positions were reversed. Now, the one holding the power of choice was Ling Yanhe. Feeling the other’s ruthless and unreserved movements, Lin Qinghan once again had a real sense of the crazy protagonist in this novel.

Once the other seized an opportunity, he became like a pounced-upon prey, with fangs already at his neck, life and death no longer up to him.

Too overbearing…

The undeniable sensations muddled his thoughts. In a daze, Lin Qinghan abruptly remembered that cold pool. The bone-chilling frost mixed with the delayed pain of bone-shaving attacked him, spreading from his limbs and bones, forcing him to unconsciously let out a groan of pain so faint it was almost imperceptible.

The fierce movements suddenly stopped. Lin Qinghan looked over in a daze and met Ling Yanhe’s eyes filled with desire. He abruptly turned his head away to avoid that naked gaze.

Seeing this, Ling Yanhe had no intention of letting him go.

Those hot hands meticulously and forcefully rubbed his ankle, kneading the tender skin, and then, as if teasing, slid upward along the straight calf, causing that long and powerful leg to tremble slightly.

“Ling Yanhe, I will definitely kill you…”

Lin Qinghan gritted his teeth, his knuckles turning white from gripping the bedding. Intense hatred wrapped in anger surged up, like a fierce fire setting him completely ablaze.

He was answered by ragged, low-pitched gasps and increased force, forcing him to close his eyes in resignation and indignant shame.

Perhaps he himself didn’t notice, but a drop of crystalline, hot physiological tear slowly slid from the corner of his reddened eye.

The fine thread on his wrist had climbed up at some point, gently catching that tear.

“Don’t cry.”

Lin Qinghan lay on the bed, still not recovered. The sensitive arch of his foot was burning with pain, stings striking his nerves, reminding him of what a shameful thing he had been forced to do.

Falling into a pit, Lin Qinghan was in a foul mood. With a dark face, he stared at the shadows in the corner, having already sliced Ling Yanhe into a thousand pieces in his heart.

Bastard! Madman! Scoundrel!

He was actually pinned down and made to do such a humiliating thing?!

Powerless to resist, the fury of being manipulated rushed to his heart, making Lin Qinghan feel nauseous.

Perhaps because he was too exhausted, Lin Qinghan’s anger eventually succumbed to sleepiness. Lying on the bed, his breathing soon became steady as he drifted off.

The candles in the room were extinguished, leaving only darkness.

The person kneeling by the bed stared intently at the figure hidden by the bed curtains, his restrained hands curling slightly.

Lin Qinghan’s sleep was not peaceful. Before sleeping, he had tucked the quilt tightly to block that person’s nauseating gaze, but under the increasingly vigorous fire in the room’s stove, it became a tool of torture.

Before long, a layer of thin sweat appeared on his body.

Frowning, Lin Qinghan kicked the quilt down. The bedding slid to his waist, and his clothes loosely covered his body but, due to his movements, hid nothing. His fair and smooth skin was exposed, rising and falling slightly.

The fine thread on his wrist moved at some point, sliding down from his wrist and lightly brushing across his rising chest before vanishing beneath the bedding.

“Mmph…”

Lin Qinghan suddenly curled his body up, tiny beads of sweat appearing on the tip of his nose. He looked as if someone had grabbed his vitals, appearing entirely defensive and pained.

A breeze blew, making the paper window move slightly.

Abruptly, Lin Qinghan opened his eyes. His beautiful eyes hadn’t regained focus, looking blurred, the corners still flushed with red.

The bedding was suddenly thrown back. Lin Qinghan grabbed the thing causing trouble on his body and threw it out.

The fine thread merely drifted in the air before flying back to Lin Qinghan’s side, wrapping around his wrist before his eyes. After obediently tying a knot, it pressed against his skin, looking entirely well-behaved and obedient.

Looking at such a thick-skinned thing, Lin Qinghan’s eyelid twitched.

Shameless!

The bed curtains were yanked open. Lin Qinghan got out of bed with a dark face and walked to Ling Yanhe in a few steps.

As if he had expected it, Ling Yanhe looked up at him at just the right moment, his brows slightly raised, the playfulness and mockery in his eyes undisguised.

Looking at those greedy eyes, Lin Qinghan’s anger was masked by a forced calm. He looked quietly at the person before him and slowly leaned down.

Warm breath sprayed on his neck, but Lin Qinghan didn’t even blink, staring straight at Ling Yanhe, then raised his hand and lightly patted the other’s face, “You lecherous brat.”

The insult was heavy, but Ling Yanhe’s breathing suddenly quickened. He looked at Lin Qinghan, the naked suggestion in his eyes obvious: “I’ll help you.”

His voice was low and husky, with the unique flavor that comes after first tasting desire, now lowered and softened to entice Lin Qinghan to make a decision.

“No need, I am not like you.” After saying that, Lin Qinghan stood up, not sparing even a fraction of a glance for the other, and walked straight into the inner room.

Suxuan Pavilion’s service was good. Every girl’s room was divided into an inner chamber and an outer chamber. The outer chamber was the girl’s normal living area, while the inner chamber was equipped with a large wooden tub and a storage-type water system dharma treasure nearby.

Lin Qinghan played with the stone-shaped dharma treasure for a moment, and soon the wooden tub was filled with cold water.

Despite the bone-chilling cold of late autumn, Lin Qinghan sat in the wooden tub without blinking. The coldness enveloped him completely, helping him suppress the rising desire.

He felt nothing for matters of romance, whether before or after transmigrating into the book. It wasn’t that he found such acts of “life’s great harmony” unspeakable or disgusting; he simply wasn’t interested.

Such things were even somewhat boring to him.

Lin Qinghan leaned against the wooden tub, looking down at the water’s surface.

Therefore, he didn’t understand the source of Ling Yanhe’s desire. Regarding a person who liked to build a harem, Lin Qinghan wasn’t so stupid as to think the other truly had some unspeakable, dirty feelings for him.

That would be too narcissistic.

A person as suspicious, paranoid, and full of dark sides as Ling Yanhe likely held disgusting thoughts toward such matters of men and women.

The fact that the other could do such things without changing expression or even with tireless enthusiasm was likely just out of curiosity, or the knowledge that no matter how he humiliated Lin Qinghan, the man couldn’t escape.

It was truly very unpleasant. Recalling the youth’s eager expression, Lin Qinghan felt an unprecedented nausea.

Ling Yanhe was treating him entirely as an object to play with.

The palms submerged in the icy water burned, faintly flickering with the appearance of a seal.

Lin Qinghan remained expressionless, quietly feeling the sensation of the barrier being attacked by spells.

Logically, he should be in pain. That barrier was connected to his source; every strike was a blow to his primordial spirit. Yet his expression was normal, only the stinging in his heart hadn’t faded.

This situation of being controlled by others made Lin Qinghan feel incredibly loathsome.

To be honest, when he saw the hack author’s outline, he had thoughts of admiration and liking for Ling Yanhe. A protagonist with a dark side always evokes the affection of those who are oppressed and restrained. Just looking at the outline, Lin Qinghan could imagine how big this book would become.

Unfortunately, before he could read it, he entered the book to experience it personally. If he could have been friends, master and disciple, or even strangers with Ling Yanhe, the other would still be a character with a fresh, shining setting in his heart.

But Lin Qinghan happened to get the villain script.

He couldn’t say how the two of them had reached this point. Ye Zhaoyan had once asked what his relationship with Ling Yanhe was. At the time, Lin Qinghan only felt the hostility between them was immense; he hadn’t actually thought deeply about the reasons behind it all.

Now, Lin Qinghan understood.

Their relationship was unequal. Ling Yanhe had been the superior from beginning to end; from the very start, the other had held his life force. The fine threads in the other’s hand were tied to the joints of Lin Qinghan’s limbs, eventually connecting to that fragile heart, deciding his life and death.

From the start, the negotiation Lin Qinghan envisioned was wrong. Partners, allies—all were illusions.

Ling Yanhe didn’t need to care what their relationship was, because Lin Qinghan’s life had long been in his grasp. Life and death were just a matter of a single thought for the other.

The other was willing to spend the patience to play along with him in these few instances merely because he wanted him to lower his guard and hold him completely in the palm of his hand.

Lin Qinghan suddenly let out a light laugh. It was destined from the start that he would lose in the first clash with Ling Yanhe.

The flashing seal in his hand suddenly dimmed. The burning sensation no longer appeared.

Lin Qinghan looked to the side.

A crack was pushed into the paper window by something, and then the gap became larger. Lin Qinghan didn’t intervene, just watched silently.

After a lot of effort, the hardworking fellow finally squeezed into the room—it was a gray sparrow.

The small sparrow blinked its round eyes, looking around the room, then suddenly flapped its wings and flew toward Lin Qinghan. When it got close, it stopped on the edge of the wooden tub, its claws firmly gripping the rim as it watched Lin Qinghan quietly.

Lin Qinghan looked down at this sparrow. Around its neck hung a slender jade whistle, and inside the clear jade body was a drop of crimson blood.

The sparrow stood obediently on the wooden tub, curiously observing the giant before it, its dark round eyes full of inquiry.

Suddenly, a slender hand rose from the water. The sparrow flapped its wings, a bit wary, but dared not fly away.

The next moment, the hand dripping with water droplets grabbed the sparrow. The tiny bird shrieked at the sudden action. The sharp, thin sound had no effect, and the hand began to tighten gradually.

The sparrow finally realized something was wrong and began to struggle desperately.

The disparity in strength was immense. Not only was its effort in vain, but it also lost many feathers due to its movements. The entire bird looked wretched.

The hand choking it did not loosen but continued to tighten. The sparrow began to counterattack recklessly, its beak opening to bite down heartlessly on the slender fingers. Blood flowed from the wound it bit, dripping one by one into the water, staining the clear liquid red.

The large hand did not withdraw, and the sparrow gritted its teeth and bit hard, as if wanting to perish together with the hand holding it.

Gradually, the tightly biting long beak loosened, and those round little black eyes completely lost their life. Under Lin Qinghan’s gaze, they slowly turned blood-red.

“Bang—”

The talisman hidden in the bird’s belly suddenly took effect, exploding violently. Internal organs and flesh splattered everywhere.

“Clatter.”

The jade whistle hanging around the sparrow’s neck fell to the floor.

Lin Qinghan did not raise his hand to wipe away the tiny bits of flesh stuck to his face. He looked at his right hand.

The opponent had struck ruthlessly, having placed at least three explosion talismans inside that bird. His slender right hand was now mangled, white bone visible at the fingertips, looking terrifying.

Lin Qinghan just stared at it calmly, as if that hideous, frightening hand belonged to someone else.

The recovery speed of a God Transformation stage demon is much faster than that of a normal person. Lin Qinghan could even see how the flesh regrew and adhered to the white bone, eventually returning to its original form.

Perfectly intact, without even a single wound left.

The sparrow bit hard, and even the explosion talismans inside it detonated, yet it only injured his right hand, which grew back in a moment.

Truly a meaningless death.

Fingertips wiped away the splattered flesh. Streaks of blood were left on Lin Qinghan’s jade-like face. Such a terrifying scene, because of those unnervingly calm eyes, sent a chill down one’s spine.

Lin Qinghan cleaned everything up, then bent over to pick up the jade whistle covered in blood.

Perhaps, in Ling Yanhe’s eyes, he was just that sparrow that died randomly. Lin Qinghan raised his hand to wipe the blood off the whistle, his eyelashes lowering to hide the madness in his eyes that reached the extreme of calm.

His thin lips curled slightly, looking heart-stoppingly beautiful under the moonlight.

“Big Brother! Where did you go yesterday? Why didn’t you tell me? You made me worry for nothing.”

Wen Leyou had been waiting at the sect entrance since early morning. After looking left and right, he finally saw Lin Qinghan return. When he saw him coming, he immediately stepped forward, pushing aside Ling Yanhe standing next to him, and hurriedly grabbed Lin Qinghan’s sleeve. He looked left and right until he confirmed Lin Qinghan didn’t have a single scratch, then let out a sigh of relief.

“Where is Xueqiong?” Lin Qinghan asked.

Hearing this, Wen Leyou was a bit dissatisfied. He was the one who had been tricked, yet he received no comfort at all. He had originally planned not to tell Lin Qinghan out of spite.

But when Wen Leyou looked up at him and saw the faint dark circles under Lin Qinghan’s eyes and the obvious fatigue between his brows, his heart ached, and his anger vanished instantly. He hurriedly said: “Big Sister should be in her palace. A lot of scrolls have piled up in the Hundred Demons Sect over the last few days, and she’s waiting to process them.”

“Mm.”

Lin Qinghan responded, raised his hand to pat his head soothingly, and left.

Wen Leyou felt a burst of happiness at being comforted. Just as he looked up, he saw Ling Yanhe’s figure. His smiling face instantly slumped, and he looked crossly at the person in front of him: “Big Brother is so exhausted, and you, as a servant, don’t even know how to look after him!”

As the words fell, Wen Leyou felt a sharp wind strike him, and he shivered for no reason.

After shivering, Wen Leyou felt a bit ashamed. He had actually lost face in front of Big Brother’s servant?!

Although this person was very powerful and he couldn’t win against him, and Big Sister had already told him the person wasn’t Big Brother’s servant but his friend, how could he lose face in front of a stinking Immortal!

At this thought, Wen Leyou immediately straightened his back, wanting to scold the person in front of him on Lin Qinghan’s behalf, but when he looked up, Ling Yanhe was gone.

He immediately searched but only saw Ling Yanhe’s back. The green hair ribbon on his high ponytail completely clashed with the black clothes he wore, and that hair ribbon looked more and more familiar the more he looked at it. He felt like he had seen it somewhere before…

Suddenly, Wen Leyou’s face turned pale.

He remembered Lin Qinghan was wearing a green hair ribbon yesterday. Today, Big Brother’s hair ribbon seemed to have turned black.

Coincidence, it must be a coincidence. Maybe Big Brother’s ribbon fell into an inkstone and got stained black? Wen Leyou comforted himself.

Lin Qinghan didn’t know he had worn the wrong hair ribbon. He hadn’t rested well last night. Although people at the God Transformation stage don’t need to rest, he had endured a whole night of spell attacks and needed time to adjust.

When he got up in the morning, he casually grabbed a strip to tie his hair, completely uncaring whether the ribbon’s owner was himself.

“Grand Sect Leader.”

Lin Qinghan nodded to the minor demon who bowed, then walked quickly into the house.

Hua Xueqiong was sitting at a table processing a mountain-like pile of booklets.

Although the Hundred Demons Sect wasn’t a formal sect, it had been established for one or two hundred years and couldn’t truly be left to run wild. But she and Wen Leyou didn’t know how to manage a sect, so they could only copy the model of the human imperial court.

Even though the booklets sent up were mostly trivial matters, it was a way of managing the sect in the Hundred Demons Sect.

“Big Brother, you’re here.” Hearing the approaching footsteps, Hua Xueqiong pulled herself away from the booklets and looked up at Lin Qinghan.

Lin Qinghan nodded to her and raised his hand to stop her from standing: “I’m just here to say a few small things. I’ll leave in a bit.”

Hearing this, Hua Xueqiong didn’t argue and sat back down naturally. Since the Winter Banquet, Hua Xueqiong felt that the Big Brother in her heart had returned, and the restraint she felt when she first met Lin Qinghan was gone.

“Big Brother, please speak.”

Hearing this, Lin Qinghan pulled a transparent jar from his sleeve and placed it on the mountain of booklets.

The jar was filled with water, but Hua Xueqiong knew at a glance it wasn’t ordinary water—it was Celestial Spiritual Water, which can only be obtained from a Spirit Spring.

Spirit Springs are the source of spiritual energy in the immortal realm. Small Spirit Springs only support the growth of immortal fruits and flowers, while Large Spirit Springs are used for cultivators’ cultivation. Small Spirit Springs are scattered in every corner of the immortal realm; you can see one almost every step you take, which isn’t unusual.

But Large Spirit Springs are different. A hundred years ago, they were not rare items like Small Spirit Springs.

However, a hundred years ago, the Heartless Demon Lord led the demon race to attack the immortal realm. Although they were eventually suppressed beneath the abyss, it caused immense damage to the immortal realm, the most serious being the demon aura invasion which caused many Large Spirit Springs to dry up.

Now, Large Spirit Springs are hard to find, mostly held in the hands of the Lingxiao Sect and the six great immortal families. Some are hidden in other regions, mostly in dangerous and obstructed places.

This Celestial Spiritual Water was obtained from a Large Spirit Spring and was the best for nourishing souls and primordial spirits.

Hua Xueqiong looked at the jar and could vaguely see a transparent primordial spirit through the water—looking closely, it seemed to be a small segment of a vine.

“I am leaving this in your care. It once helped me, and I promised I would find a new body for its remaining primordial spirit.” Lin Qinghan paused, then continued, “But I’m afraid I cannot handle it personally. I can only entrust it to you and Leyou to help me repay this favor.”

Hua Xueqiong froze, understanding Lin Qinghan’s meaning.

“Big Brother is truly being formal with us.” Hua Xueqiong lowered her eyes to take the jar, but it was held down by Lin Qinghan’s hand. She was forced to look up at him.

“I’m leaving,” Lin Qinghan said.

Hua Xueqiong’s heart suddenly sank. She had long known she couldn’t keep Lin Qinghan and had prepared herself, but hearing him say it still made her eyes redden involuntarily.

“When?” Hua Xueqiong asked hoarsely.

“In three days,” Lin Qinghan said calmly.

He was planning to tell Ye Zhaoyan about this in a bit.

Hearing this, Hua Xueqiong nodded blankly, pursing her lips without speaking.

Lin Qinghan just watched her quietly.

“Next year, can Big Brother still spend the Winter Banquet with us?” Hua Xueqiong asked with a choked voice.

Lin Qinghan lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on the jar: “If it wakes up and wants to leave the Hundred Demons Sect, give it its freedom.”

Hearing Lin Qinghan avoid the question, Hua Xueqiong’s nose prickled. She hung her head and didn’t look at him, only nodding in response.

“Take this.”

A bracelet fell before Hua Xueqiong. She looked at the jade bead on it and looked up abruptly: “This… is this Big Brother’s Soul Bead?”

Lin Qinghan nodded.

A Soul Bead is a unique item of the demon race, condensing a strand of demonic power into a bead. It allows the person who receives the bead to know if the Demon Lord is alive or dead.

Hua Xueqiong suddenly burst into tears. She clutched the bracelet tightly, the Soul Bead hard and pressing painfully into her palm, yet she could only feel its warmth.

That represented Lin Qinghan being alive.

As long as he was alive, they could meet again.

A demon’s life is very long, hundreds or thousands of years. As long as they wait quietly, they will eventually see the day they drink and talk happily at a Winter Banquet again.

This was the best and most reassuring gift Hua Xueqiong had ever received; it was Lin Qinghan’s promise to her.

Only after leaving the room did Lin Qinghan stop and look up at the maple tree in the courtyard.

The leaves on that tree had all fallen, leaving it bare and quite ugly.

But looking at this ugly tree, a memory that didn’t belong to him surged into Lin Qinghan’s mind.

The Hua Xueqiong and Wen Leyou in the courtyard were still very small, looking only fifteen or sixteen in human years. The two were standing under the tree arguing over a piece of cake, even looking like they might come to blows.

“Big Brother bought this for me!” Wen Leyou said with a pout.

Hua Xueqiong ignored his wails and directly moved to snatch it.

Her demonic power was above Wen Leyou’s; with almost a single move, she had the cake in her hand.

Wen Leyou stared at the cake crumbs on his hand for a moment, then reacted immediately, and tears began to fall with a “pah-tap.”

Hua Xueqiong looked at him and also showed a bit of indignation. She looked in confusion at the weeping Wen Leyou: “This cake was a reward from Big Brother for me learning the Nightmare Moon Technique. I already gave you some; you were the one who ate the portion set aside for Big Brother in one go while I was out. This piece absolutely cannot be eaten by you!”

Hearing this, Wen Leyou froze, his crying stopping abruptly. He stared blankly at Hua Xueqiong: “How could I have eaten Big Brother’s portion…”

With that, his eyes reddened again, and he was about to cry.

A flash of green suddenly appeared, looking helplessly at the two in front of him, and pulled another portion of cake from behind his back.

“This time I will divide it—three portions.”

The helpless voice fell, yet it stopped Wen Leyou’s crying.

“Big Brother, you just keep pampering him!” Hua Xueqiong said indignantly.

The man shook his head gently and produced a hairpin from his hand, holding it before Hua Xueqiong: “Not just him.”

Hua Xueqiong froze, her gaze moving from the man to the hairpin. She took the hairpin and turned away, grumbling reluctantly: “This time I’ll reluctantly forgive him.”

The image stopped. Lin Qinghan withdrew his gaze.

Once the Host completes the task, all traces of the Host will be replaced.

Hearing the system’s notification, Lin Qinghan remained expressionless.

If he died, the Soul Bead containing his demonic power would go out.

But the Soul Bead given to Hua Xueqiong contained Baichun’s demonic power. Baichun was staying in his sea of consciousness, and he had inevitably picked up a strand of its power.

In the original text, Baichun basically had no role in the later stages. Now it had become a bit-part cannon fodder that only appeared in one or two chapters of the original text. The life or death of an NPC without scenes was undetermined.

That Soul Bead might never go out.

—

“What are you reading so intently?”

Shen Miaomiao slammed the storybook shut, looking warily at the newcomer. After seeing Wen Leyou’s figure, she breathed a sigh of relief.

“You scared me to death!” Shen Miaomiao patted her chest and said with dissatisfaction.

Seeing her like this, Wen Leyou became even more curious. He leaned over to see the book in Shen Miaomiao’s arms, but was slapped back by her.

“Sit properly. This book is something I specifically asked a minor demon of the Hundred Demons Sect to go down the mountain and buy behind A-Yan’s back. I’ll let you see it quietly, but you aren’t allowed to spread it around!” Shen Miaomiao said mysteriously.

At this, Wen Leyou’s curiosity was completely piqued. He nodded and leaned toward Shen Miaomiao to look at the words on the book.

The Evil Flower Demon: The Domineering Demon Lord’s Forced Love

Wen Leyou’s eyelid twitched. He looked at Shen Miaomiao in confusion and asked in an incredulous low voice: “What is this thing?!”

Shen Miaomiao shot him a side-glance, and he immediately retracted his expression under her glare.

“What do you know? This book is currently famous all over the immortal and human realms. I only got this copy because I ordered several minor demons to wait at a stall.” Shen Miaomiao pouted, looking rather proud of herself.

“What’s written in here?” Wen Leyou asked curiously.

Seeing this, Shen Miaomiao raised her eyebrows and began to recount it to Wen Leyou, not noticing a flash of black not far from the pavilion.

“It’s about a Demon Lord and a little flower demon. The Demon Lord is ruthless, and wherever he goes, not even grass remains; almost no one dares to approach him, except for this weak flower demon. This flower demon is the Demon Lord’s personal guard, responsible for his safety. But his real identity is an informant sent by the demon race to monitor everything the Demon Lord does and wait for an appropriate time to kill him. However, this flower demon falls in love with the Demon Lord while being with him.”

“Why?” Wen Leyou asked at the right time.

“Familiarity breeds affection!” Shen Miaomiao said loudly. “This little flower demon was arranged to be by the Demon Lord’s side since childhood and saw the Demon Lord grow up. One would surely have some feelings for him.”

“And then? Does the little flower demon still plan to kill the Demon Lord?”

“Of course. The flower demon lurked by the Demon Lord’s side for years and never found a chance to strike until one day he ran into the Demon Lord’s weakest moment. At that time, the Demon Lord was in the process of a breakthrough; the flower demon only needed a small move to destroy a hundred years of the other’s cultivation. He did act, but when the blade was at the Demon Lord’s neck, he hesitated. Because he found he had fallen in love with the Demon Lord and couldn’t strike.”

“But the Demon Lord didn’t know and thought the flower demon was a traitor. He was enraged by the betrayal and threw him directly into the dungeon, using all eighteen kinds of torture just to force the flower demon to reveal the person behind him. But the flower demon was loyal and said nothing, so he endured one torturous day and night after another. Finally, when he was about to die, the Demon Lord appeared and placed a death-substitute curse on him, letting the flower demon stay by his side.”

“Why did the Demon Lord change his mind?” Wen Leyou asked.

Shen Miaomiao thought for a bit: “Perhaps he felt a trace of compassion for this guard who had accompanied him for years, or perhaps he needed the flower demon. I think it’s the latter, because the Demon Lord’s cultivation was damaged and he was too weak, causing the demon realm to be turbulent. He lacked someone he could use by his side, so he targeted the flower demon. Because the flower demon’s blood could stabilize his mind and help him recover faster.”

“But the flower demon had already betrayed him once,” Wen Leyou frowned.

“But he placed a death-substitute curse on the flower demon,” Shen Miaomiao said. “If the flower demon thought about killing the Demon Lord, he would suffer a backlash. I feel if the Demon Lord hadn’t lacked usable people, the flower demon might have died in the dungeon.”

“Afterward, the flower demon stayed by the Demon Lord’s side to handle rebels in the demon realm. During this time, the flower demon took hits for the other countless times, and even after the Demon Lord was ambushed, he himself broke a branch and destroyed half his cultivation just to save him. But the Demon Lord had no reaction when he woke up, instead feeling that the flower demon’s demonic power stored in his body was too dirty.”

“The flower demon didn’t care; he only wanted to stay by the Demon Lord’s side to atone for his sins, even if he was hurt by the Demon Lord over and over, even to the point where he couldn’t fully maintain his human form—he didn’t leave.”

“Until one day, the Demon Lord went into a frenzy and forced the flower demon into dual cultivation. Only then did the flower demon’s heart truly die. Finally, he took a fatal blow for the Demon Lord and died completely. After that, the Demon Lord suddenly realized his love for the flower demon, and then the flower demon was unexpectedly reborn and met the Demon Lord again when he was about to start over. The two met again, sparks flying, a lingering ill fate.”

“Why did the flower demon’s heart die because of dual cultivation? Hadn’t he already gotten the body of the person he loved?” Wen Leyou asked in confusion.

Shen Miaomiao paused: “Being forced by your beloved to be treated as a male prostitute—anyone would be disappointed. Just like in the immortal realm, being treated as a furnace by the person you love; normal people wouldn’t like that identity.”

“Why did he seek death?”

“Because he had finished atoning for his sins. A person whose heart was already dead had no more attachment to the world and chose to leave.”

Shen Miaomiao replied immediately. After she finished, she suddenly turned to look at the speaker.

The voice hadn’t come from Wen Leyou, but from Ling Yanhe, who had stood beside her at some point.

As for Wen Leyou? That kid had snuck away at some unknown time!

Seeing this, Shen Miaomiao’s anger flared. She also wanted to take the chance to slip away, but the book in her hand was snatched, abruptly stopping her.

“What are you doing?!” Shen Miaomiao wanted to snatch it back, but the other slightly raised his hand, preventing her.

“If you’re this malicious, watch out or A-Han might leave quietly one day too!” Shen Miaomiao said indignantly.

By “leave,” she meant Lin Qinghan no longer serving this great Buddha and seeking a new life.

Hearing this, Ling Yanhe’s eyes suddenly darkened.

Seeing him like this, Shen Miaomiao folded her arms and continued to add fuel to the fire: “Don’t think A-Han won’t leave you. He’s done so much for you, and you still argue with him all day. Even a clay figure has a temper.”

“Give me the book quickly, or I’ll go to A-Han and speak ill of you!”

“He will not leave,” Ling Yanhe said coldly.

Shen Miaomiao snorted: “How do you know? Has A-Han ever said so? Although you haven’t used those disgusting curses like the Demon Lord in the book, nor have you done things to chill A-Han’s heart, your behavior is too malicious! A-Han loves freedom; if you’re always this hot and cold with him, watch out or he won’t be good to you anymore!”

The surroundings instantly grew cold. Before Shen Miaomiao could investigate, a wild wind rose, making it impossible for her to open her eyes.

Her face went stiff from the wind, and she hurriedly pleaded: “If you stop this wind, I’ll tell you how to save it!”

It was a sentence of no hope, but the strong wind truly slowed down. Shen Miaomiao slowly opened her eyes and met Ling Yanhe’s face, which was so gloomy it looked like it might drip water.

“Speak.”

The sharp voice fell, yet Shen Miaomiao felt a surge of joy.

She was happy for A-Han’s future happiness!

Under his gaze, Shen Miaomiao cleared her throat: “First, you can’t be so fierce to A-Han.”

Before Ling Yanhe’s knife-like gaze could fall, Shen Miaomiao spoke again: “Don’t say you aren’t staying cold-faced and not talking is also fierce! You should smile, smile when you talk to A-Han, understand?”

“Are you an idiot?” Ling Yanhe frowned.

Shen Miaomiao shot him a look but didn’t argue: “Second, after you make someone angry, you have to coax them. A-Han is someone who responds to softness, not hardness. You just need to follow his lead.”

“How?”

Shen Miaomiao raised her eyebrows: “Naturally, give him what he likes! Give him whatever A-Han wants or needs.”

Whatever he wants, whatever he needs…

Ling Yanhe looked down at the carp jumping in the pond.

It seemed time for the Gu parasite to act up…

“Of course, there’s a certain way to give gifts—for example, no forcing, no threatening. A-Han must accept of his own free will. The most important point is that you absolutely, absolutely must ask A-Han’s opinion. His opinion is very, very important!”

As she spoke, Shen Miaomiao looked up to ask if Ling Yanhe understood, but saw only air.

Ling Yanhe was long gone, leaving only a book on the stone table.

“Why is this person in such a hurry…” Shen Miaomiao grumbled.

Xiao Wu stood outside the sleeping palace, pacing back and forth anxiously.

The Grand Sect Leader hadn’t returned last night. He had waited outside for a long time. Recently, the Grand Sect Leader had been unwell; now that he hadn’t returned, he was anxious, fearing something had happened. He hadn’t even eaten much dinner.

How could dinner be as important as the Grand Sect Leader?!