The Wicked Disciple Has Fallen Into Demonic Possession, And The Master Can No Longer Withstand It! - Chapter 16

The soft sensation on his lips deepened, and Yan Jue’s mind went blank for a moment. He tried to open his eyes but found his vision obscured by a hand covering his face. It only occurred to him afterward that his first kiss was gone.

Because the person was A-Ye, it did not feel too terrible. However, he wondered why A-Ye would kiss him. The kiss did not last long. Yan Jue remained as still as a wooden statue throughout the experience, feeling the hot breath on his face. He did not know how to react or if the other person was even awake. He feared that if he struggled, the situation would become incredibly awkward for both of them.

Due to his extreme nervousness, Yan Jue held his breath until he nearly suffocated. His head felt light from the lack of oxygen, and he did not even realize when the other person had pulled away. When he finally opened his eyes, he saw that the youth had already put his mask back on. A pair of deep eyes watched him steadily as if waiting for a reaction.

Yan Jue instinctively bit his lip. His eyes were slightly misty as he looked at the boy with uncertainty. “A-Ye, are you thirsty?” he finally managed to ask.

Qi Yelan was stunned by the nonsensical question. Thirsty? He let out a soft, helpless laugh. Was there anyone more foolish than this man? Would he think someone was just trying to keep warm even if they went much further? When he was in his true form as the Demon Lord, Yan Jue had resisted him fiercely. Why was he so accepting now that he was someone else?

This was the first time Yan Jue had heard A-Ye laugh, though the sound seemed to mock him. Before the boy could answer, Yan Jue moved to get up. “I will go find some water.”

Before he could stand, he was gently pressed back down. “Do not go. I am not thirsty,” A-Ye said.

“Then why did you?” Yan Jue’s words trailed off. His hands were clasped over his chest like a startled squirrel, and his dark hair spilled across the mat, making him look particularly vulnerable. He could not bring himself to view A-Ye as someone like Qi Yelan, yet he did not know how to face him.

Qi Yelan watched those gentle eyes looking at him with such innocence and lack of defense. A thousand different emotions swirled in his heart. His subconscious told him that he could not go further, not now. Even if Yan Jue might not resist, it was not right. This was not his true self. The thought that this fool could be taken advantage of by someone whose face he had never even seen made Qi Yelan inexplicably angry. He even felt a flash of regret for the impulsive kiss.

To Yan Jue, the man beneath the mask could be anyone. He would never suspect it was actually his disciple. Realizing this, Qi Yelan withdrew his hand from Yan Jue’s chest and turned away. “Go to sleep,” he said.

Yan Jue lowered his gaze. Once the boy’s back was turned, he clutched his chest to steady his racing heart. For a moment, it felt as though his heart would burst through his ribs. The night remained deep and long, like ink spreading into the sea.

As dawn approached, Qi Yelan opened his eyes behind the bronze mask. He stood up and looked back at Yan Jue, who was curled up in a corner. He took off his outer robe and draped it over the boy before quietly leaving through the back window and into the forest.

He walked two kilometers until he was well beyond Lu Wu’s sight. Only then did Qi Yelan slowly remove the mask. Beneath it was a youthful face that resembled his true self. Soon, that face and his entire body began to shift. He transformed from a lean youth into a tall, powerful man.

As his true form returned, his wounds healed at an incredible speed. The bandages became nothing more than tattered rags, replaced by his black silk robes. Qi Yelan no longer hid his demonic energy, allowing his aura to spread through the woods. The Demon Lord had arrived.

This news spread through the local demons within minutes. A few nearby spirits arrived first, trembling under Qi Yelan’s heavy pressure. They cursed their bad luck for crossing paths with him while he was in such a foul mood.

“Where is the Vine Demon?” Qi Yelan barked. The fury in his eyes looked ready to swallow the small demons whole.

“The Vine Demon was just here,” one stammered.

Qi Yelan did not waste time talking. He issued a direct order, “Bring him before me.”

The small demons scattered to search. Within a short time, a person with disheveled hair and covered in mud was brought before Qi Yelan. The Vine Demon saw the murderous intent in the Demon Lord’s eyes and fell to his knees. He showed no fear, though his body swayed like that of a dying man.

Qi Yelan looked at the transformed Vine Demon as if he were a lifeless object. His voice was cold. “Who instructed you? Speak or die.”

The Vine Demon looked up through his long hair, met Qi Yelan’s gaze, and then quickly looked down. He remained silent.

Qi Yelan let out a cold snort. With a flick of his fingers, he gripped the Vine Demon’s thin neck. “Did I not tell you all that he is not to be touched?”

Facing Qi Yelan’s rage, the Vine Demon slowly lifted his head. Beneath the long hair was a face that could belong to either a man or a woman. “My Lord, I wanted to live,” he whispered.

Qi Yelan narrowed his eyes, and his grip tightened. “It seems you want to die instead! Do not forget that I saved you. Is this how you repay me?”

The Vine Demon burst into a sudden, eerie laugh that echoed through the forest. “If not for him, how would I have ended up like this? It is all because of him. I hate him!”

Qi Yelan frowned at the demon’s crazed words. “What are you talking about?”

The Vine Demon stopped laughing, leaving only hatred on his pale face. “If not for him, how would my hundred year Bodhi form have ended up as ruins?” He began to struggle, craning his thin neck to stare at the sky. His words were full of bitterness. “Immortal Qingyan! I curse you. May you never ascend. May you fall into the depths of hell and be consumed by fire after you die!”

The curses continued, but Qi Yelan stopped listening. His fingers sank into the demon’s flesh. To this day, he still could not stand to hear others insult Yan Jue in his presence. He was the only one allowed to hate Yan Jue.

He knew better than anyone that he was the one who caused the drought and that the infamy belonged to him. As for the Vine Demon, he was born from the resentment of the Bodhi tree and should never have existed. The Vine Demon struggled one last time and looked at Qi Yelan’s furious face.

Qi Yelan said coldly, “You are an abyss of resentment yourself. Do not blame others.”

The Vine Demon used his last breath to look at Qi Yelan with a look of pure pity. “My Lord, we are the same. Your end will be even worse than mine.”

Before the demon could finish, Qi Yelan ended his life. However, the phrase “we are the same” made him feel an unearned sense of dread, even though he knew it was just the bitter words of a dying creature. Without evidence, suspicion meant nothing, but as more people suspected, baseless guesses would eventually be treated as truth.

The Vine Demon had clearly mistaken Wen Fuchen for Yan Jue.