They Are Archenemies, But They Have A Child - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Vow-Binding

Inside an abandoned wooden shack.

Cloud Qingwu leaned against the doorpost, his brows tightly furrowed, watching Leng Lici calmly cleaning the bed. He found the scene bizarre, and the worsening headache was pushing his patience to its limit: “You intend to sleep on this bed?”

The situation was critical. Finding this hidden and vacant shack was already a blessing in their misfortune. He didn’t understand why this half-fox had to be so finicky.

Leng Lici’s movements were also slowed by the pain, but even so, he stubbornly insisted on cleaning the bed, which was covered in dust and leaves.

However, things did not go as planned. Without the convenience of magical power, this task was simply beyond human strength. The bed wasn’t clean, but the accumulated anger in his heart was at the critical point of explosion.

Swoosh!

Just as he was about to chop down the infuriating wooden bed with his sword—

A relatively clean indigo-blue cloth was placed on the right side of the bed.

The cloth looked somewhat familiar.

Cloud Qingwu’s eyes were filled with impatience. He raised his right hand and said sarcastically: “Be my guest!”

Leng Lici scrutinized the clothing for a long moment, then flipped the hem of his robe and sat down.

Cloud Qingwu took a deep breath and sat on the left side of the bed. He glanced at the makeshift nest of straw not far away; the infant’s crying was even weaker than before.

The current situation allowed them no more hesitation.

The two closed their eyes simultaneously, summoning their consciousnesses.

Perhaps familiarity from the previous attempt, or perhaps the main body’s will was no longer antagonistic, but the moment the red and white forms separated from the bodies, they charged toward each other without hesitation, determined to integrate the other as part of themselves.

The incense of fierce fire and the clear scent of the snow mountain suddenly burst open in the narrow, dilapidated shack.

Red mist climbed around the white mist like a vine, weaving a giant net, intending to firmly confine the other beneath it. The clear aura of the white mist suddenly became sharp, and the calm mist body fluctuated violently, seeking to break through the confinement.

Cloud Qingwu’s brow furrowed intensely. He fiercely gripped the corner of the robe resting on his knee, forcefully suppressing the growing, undeniable urge to attack.

The restless white mist quieted down, transforming into a Bai Ze slightly smaller than its true form. The Bai Ze lowered its head, gently rubbing the red mist缠绕 around its body. It extended its barbed tongue, licking the red mist repeatedly, the intimacy imbued with comfort.

A tingling itch, spreading from a point to a surface, disrupted the rhythm of Leng Lici’s usually stable breathing.

The dominant red mist also had to soften its force, transforming into a red fox.

The red fox, unwilling to be outdone, unfurled its eight bushy tails, enveloping the Bai Ze within, and lowered its head to rub back.

As the red and white licked and nuzzled, their distinct scents merged. A fragrance akin to mint erupted from the mixture, quickly filling the entire shack.

The two sitting opposite each other breathed with increasing difficulty. Sunlight filtered through the cracks, and the heat seeping from their foreheads reflected tiny flashes of light.

Leng Lici raised his neck with difficulty and groaned softly, the golden demon insignia on his forehead bright and dazzling.

Bang!

Eight tails rushed out from behind him, spreading out in a relaxed posture. Interspersed with red and black, they encircled their master’s body.

Tear.

Cloud Qingwu’s brow tightened. Hearing that muffled groan, the hand gripping the corner of his robe subconsciously tightened even more. The originally neat hem was already terribly wrinkled. This action now threatened to completely tear it apart.

A faint flush covered his pale neck. His slender tail swept back and forth behind him, seemingly trying to alleviate the heat in his body, but ultimately in vain, leaving only shifting light and shadows.

After an unknown duration, the faint golden sunlight was gradually overlaid with warmer tones. The room darkened. The two distinct scents in the air weakened simultaneously, and the merged scent of mint aggressively spread outwards from the shack’s center.

The infant in the swaddling clothes greedily inhaled the clear fragrance. Her purplish-red cheeks gradually regained their rosiness, and her crying ceased.

A twin lotus, split in two, appeared separately on the side of Leng Lici’s ear and Cloud Qingwu’s collarbone, symbolizing the formation of their temporary companion contract.

However, the red mist and white mist, which had almost completely integrated, showed no intention of separating. They wrapped around each other, caressing every inch of the other’s body, reluctant to part.

The mental pleasure brought by the consciousness collision threatened Cloud Qingwu’s line of reason. He suppressed his breathing, which was nearing loss of control, wanting to open his eyes to confirm the child’s status. As long as he confirmed the child was safe, he could immediately stop this physical and mental torment and rescue himself.

The moment he opened his eyes, his breathing involuntarily hitched. He couldn’t move his gaze from the person in front of him.

The person who usually exuded a gloomy aura now had his eye-corners tinged with a beautiful color. The golden demon insignia on his forehead was unusually bright and radiant. Two black tails loosely wrapped around their master, while the red tails spread out ostentatiously in the air, like Mandarava flowers blooming in the abyss.

A pair of golden deer antlers flickered faintly on the youth’s fair forehead.

“What are you looking at?”

A cold but unmistakably hoarse question suddenly broke the silence.

Cloud Qingwu’s chaotic thoughts shook. He immediately looked away, and the next second, fiercely recalled his consciousness, filled with annoyance.

What madness had possessed him just now? Even if he always had a slight appreciation for beautiful things, what did that have to do with this demon in front of him?

It must be the influence of the consciousness interaction!

“Seeing how far you’d sink into indulgence,” Cloud Qingwu regulated his disordered breathing and looked back, feigning composure.

But then he remembered that this was futile. The two of them now shared a temporary companion contract. Even a half-effective one meant their emotional fluctuations were almost transparent to each other during the seven-day period, even capable of mutual influence.

Just as he thought, Leng Lici felt the annoyance. This somewhat soothed the repressed anger caused by the unfamiliar sensation in his body. He withdrew his demon consciousness, chin slightly lifted, but still maintaining an air of indifference: “The dignified Yuanjun of the Celestial Realm has such a peculiar fetish. Why don’t you look in a mirror?”

“You—!” A cyclone stirred in Cloud Qingwu’s blue eyes. The corner of his robe in his hand tore a little more. He tightly pressed his lips together, waves surging in his heart, but for a moment, he couldn’t find suitable words to refute.

He wasn’t sure what he looked like right now, but…

His gaze was firmly locked on the person opposite him, filled with vigilance. Now was not the time for a fight.

Unexpectedly, although Leng Lici’s words were provocative, his body did not move an inch. The information transmitted through the emotional link clearly showed no intention of starting a fight.

As if satisfied that Cloud Qingwu had nothing to say, he simply looked away.

The subtle sense of triumph wafting through the temporary contract caused Cloud Qingwu’s precarious robe corner to finally sever completely. He closed his eyes.

Forget it. I’ll let him off this time.

Seeing that Cloud Qingwu made no move, Leng Lici’s tense body relaxed slightly, but only slightly. The strangeness in his body left him rigid. If he were to fight now, he might not have the upper hand.

He looked away, his eyelids slightly lowered. In the eyes shadowed by darkness, the vertical pupils hadn’t dispersed. He mercilessly bit his tongue, as if it weren’t a part of his body. With the pressure of his teeth, a trace of blood oozed from the tip of his tongue. The bloody taste and stinging pain rushed in, quickly dominating the sensation in his entire mouth.

The tactile sensations and untimely desires left by the demon consciousness were entirely driven out. The burning body gradually began to cool down.

But…

Leng Lici’s brow furrowed. His body was still like dry earth, unable to sense a trace of spiritual power.

Just a moment ago, he had clearly felt abundant spiritual power flowing through his body.

He conjured a hand seal and looked at the bone sword lying on the ground.

The bone sword remained motionless.

He looked up at Cloud Qingwu, his gaze defensive, only to find the other person was also looking at him.

Clearly, he was facing the same problem.

“You, go get her.” Leng Lici’s tone was cold and hard.

Cloud Qingwu frowned, making no move: “I am not your subordinate.”

The golden eyes darkened, the cold light sharp as a blade.

The blue eyes were calm, invulnerable to attack.

Their gazes scanned back and forth, but neither moved. The situation reached a deadlock.

“It’s here!”

“Charge in!”

A commotion sounded outside.

!

The eyes of both men widened in surprise. The tails dragging behind them swooshed and retracted.

Leng Lici’s eyes narrowed. He was about to get up. Compared to being caught, what did a little physical oddity matter? But his body clearly had other ideas.

Thump!

He managed to get halfway up before his simultaneously numb and soft legs automatically gave out and put him back down.

Leng Lici: “…”

He glared resentfully at his legs, intending to try again.

Cloud Qingwu shot Leng Lici a look of mockery, then unhurriedly straightened his right leg first, followed by his left, taking care to keep his robe hem covering his legs throughout the process, striving to maintain a dignified appearance.

The intruders were likely mortals. If there was a misunderstanding, he could simply explain.

Although he thought this, the slight flush on his ear tips refused to fade at the thought of what had just transpired here.

Before he could fully stand up, Leng Lici had already gritted his teeth and forcefully lifted his legs, using brute strength to get off the bed.

The noise outside grew closer, followed by a “Bang!”

The door was forcefully pushed open.

“Ah, the child is there!” The leader was a middle-aged farmwoman, dressed in a dark blue, right-overlapping jacket, with a black head wrap adorned with various silver ornaments at the head wrap and neckline, unlike the attire of the Central Plains.

The moment the farmwoman entered, she immediately ran toward the child.

The remaining four men, also dressed in foreign attire, rushed toward the two men by the bed with long knives in their hands.

Leng Lici’s eyes darkened. He picked up the bone sword from the ground and swung it toward the nearest man. Although he lacked spiritual power, his movement still carried the murderous intent to kill with one strike.

“Wait!”

Cloud Qingwu, who had been dazed until then, snapped back to reality and rushed forward, blocking the sword aimed at the man with his body.

“What is the meaning of this?” Leng Lici’s eyes grew darker, as he subtly assessed the person in front of him and the group of unexpected mortals behind him.

Seeing this scene, the men holding weapons were visibly surprised, and their knife-wielding actions froze in mid-air.

Cloud Qingwu took a deep breath, turned to look at the leading man. The man had a pair of gentle almond-shaped eyes, so no matter how sharp his gaze was now, he appeared less aggressive to others, exactly as he was in his memory.

The familiar clothing style and familiar features gave him a sense of temporal disorientation.

It had been a long time since he had seen this young face.

“Meng Huang?”

He looked at the person in front of him, his voice shaky, carrying a hint of disbelief, mixed with a trace of rejection and two parts of hope.