“I had planned to, warn you, that there are, hot spring snakes here.”
I turned my head, and the side of Tunshe Nalin’s face was mere inches away—I was leaning into his embrace, and just a slight movement closer, and I could kiss the dark, curly hair at his sideburns.
The tip of my nose was filled with the faint scent of ancient incense silently emanating from his body, which, when heated by the moist heat, mixed into an extremely alluring hormonal smell.
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom… I heard my heart beating irregularly.
The snake was released and slid into the water. I shrank back, and suddenly, the cold, hard gem on his waist pressed against my lower back. It made me realize how ambiguous it was to be lying so close to him without clothes. This position was too passive, making me uncomfortable. I instinctively tried to push myself up, but after just having taken a bath and being startled, my body went limp, and I couldn’t summon even the slightest bit of strength.
A chill ran down my neck as his cold fingers gripped it. Tunshe Nalin’s voice sounded in my ear: “You and that evil spirit, you’re afraid of, since the ghost marriage has been completed. You’re bound to it for life, and there’s no going back.”
I shuddered, turned around, and grabbed his collar. “What did you say?”
“I said that the ghost marriage, between you and the Corpse God, has been completed.”
A chill penetrated deep into my heart. I shook my head, wanting to laugh but unable to: “That’s fake, it’s just a ritual. Tunshe Nalin, don’t make jokes like that, it’s really scary.”
He sneered coldly. “Are you this, afraid?”
I frowned. “…Of course, I’m afraid!”
I’d be scared to death just by marrying a human being, let alone an evil god!
“Then, do you still dare to agree to them?”
“Your Corpse God Lord should, should not exist, right?” I swallowed and looked at Tunshe Nalin. “Besides, aren’t I doing all this just to… paint you.”
My neck was gripped even tighter, and my half-kneeling body was lifted, bringing me closer to his face. My heart raced, my breath became shallow, and I couldn’t say a word. Although I couldn’t see his eyes and had no proof, I could feel his gaze on my face, like a wildfire, burning and raging, as if he really wanted to… kiss me.
I nervously swallowed and then saw him slightly lower his head. His gaze seemed to slowly trail down my neck, finally landing on the vibrant and alluring “Bridal Mark” on my chest.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his adam apple move, as if he felt thirsty. The fingers gripping the back of my neck pressed deeper into my damp hair. A thought involuntarily flashed through my mind—was I, in this state, unintentionally sparking his desire?
For some reason, a sense of being consumed by fear surged from the depths of my heart. I anxiously clutched his collar, my legs trembling, and I found myself wanting to escape.
But what-what am I escaping for? What is there to be afraid of?
With Tunshe Nalin’s personality, would he take the initiative to do anything to me?
I couldn’t answer my own question. The urge to run felt like a natural instinct when facing danger—and right now, it was Tunshe Nalin who made me feel that threat.
“Tunshe Nalin… I’m a little cold.” I followed my instincts, letting go of his collar and reaching for the clothes scattered beside me. And suddenly, my neck loosened, and he got up.
I slumped in place, momentarily dazed, until a bundle of clothes was thrown over my head, startling me back to my senses.
Dazed, I pulled the robe off my head and saw that Tunshe Nalin was already facing away from me, waiting by the entrance not far off. For some reason, the inexplicable fear in my heart disappeared, replaced by a wave of frustration.
What am I doing? I ruined such a good atmosphere!
In that situation just now, wouldn’t it have been perfect to share a kiss with him?
As I got dressed, I glanced at my chest, where the “Bridal Mark” seemed to have become more vivid. Thinking of what Tunshe Nalin had said about “the ghost marriage has been completed” earlier, a sharp discomfort gnawed at my heart.
No, it can’t be true. He must have been trying to scare me.
This isn’t even a tattoo; how could it be impossible to wash off?
Once I get back to the city, I’ll definitely be able to wash it off completely.
When I reached the entrance of the cave, trying to ease the awkwardness, I quickly thanked him, “Tunshe Nalin, thank you for saving me again just now.”
He didn’t respond, instead binding my wrist and leading me back along the narrow cliffside path we had come from. I followed him closely, my heart still racing as I recalled what had just happened. I touched the back of my neck, still feeling the lingering sensation of his fingers tightly gripping it.
Did I overthink?
He wasn’t feeling any desire for me; it was just that I wanted to wash off the “bridal mark,” which went against the taboo of the Corpse God Lord he worships. He must have been angry for a moment, and that’s why he acted this way toward me, right?
Lost in my thoughts, we finally returned to the suspended building. It was just at sunrise, and I was stunned by the first rays of dawn breaking over the distant mountains. I wanted to stop and watch, but my wrist was pulled tight, and Tunshe Nalin yanked me into the shadow beneath the building.
Seeing him push open the massive bronze doors, preparing to lead me into the darkness, I stopped in my tracks. “Wait, Tunshe Nalin, don’t you want to watch the sunrise?”
“Sunrise?”
I nodded. “Wait for me here!”
Without waiting for his response, I sprinted into the building, relying on my memory to navigate the winding corridors. After a while, I found the room where I had been staying. I grabbed some paints and brushes and returned to the door.
To my delight, Tunshe Nalin was still standing at the door. I smiled at him, “Wait for me.” With that, I rushed out into the snow, took out all the containers of mineral paint, and picked up the thickest brush. Facing the rising sun behind the Suwajia Mountains, which were slowly unfurling rays of light, I knelt down on the white snow, using it as my paper, and began to paint with wild abandon.
I hadn’t expected that the rainbow-colored pigments, a gift from the heavens, would appear even more vibrant on the snow than on white paper or canvas. The deep purples, reds, oranges, and bright yellows layered and blended together. I was both astonished and overjoyed. Looking toward Tunshe Nalin, I pulled his figure out of the darkness and, with a single stroke, placed him into this world’s most beautiful dawn light. “Tunshe Nalin, look, the sunrise.”
He stood silently in the darkness, and I couldn’t make out his expression. So, I got up and walked toward him.
“Did you see it?” I reached out and grabbed the pendant on his belt. “Tunshe Nalin, come here, look, the sunrise I’m giving you…”
“Bang”, my body was suddenly thrown backwards, my back hit the bronze door unexpectedly, my chin was suddenly pinched by five cold fingers, and one of my hands was also held above my head. Thick hair blocked my vision. I looked up in shock, but I couldn’t see Tunshe Nalin’s expression clearly. I only felt my cheek being rubbed by a cold, soft object. “Why…”
He seemed to be gritting his teeth, his voice almost breaking, unusually hoarse. “Why…?”
“What? What did you say?” I tried to struggle, but he pressed me down so firmly that I couldn’t move.
The fingers gripping my chin began to trace my face, from the corner of my eye to my lips. “Why am I…”
“What?” I was thrown into a state of panic by his actions. Suddenly, everything went black before my eyes as my lips were abruptly and forcefully covered. “Mmm!”
I never expected Tunshe Nalin to suddenly kiss me, let alone with such intensity. His kiss was completely different from the light, fleeting one from before. His sharp canine teeth caught my lip, and like a wild carnivore, he fiercely sucked and kissed it.
The feeling of being consumed returned without warning. My scalp tingled, and my whole body trembled, as if it were my first kiss and I didn’t know how to respond to him. My other hand, which was free, fumbled blindly to his chest, grabbing his collar and twisting it into a tight knot.
Suddenly, a sharp, screeching sound of metal scraping echoed in my ears, and I jumped in shock. The force gripping my wrist and his lips both pulled away at the same time. My knees gave way, and I collapsed, sliding to the ground. Dizzy and breathless, I tilted my head back.
“You clearly aren’t…” Tunshe Nalin took a step back, then turned and disappeared into the darkness.
“Tunshe Nalin?” I instinctively reached for his hand, but it was violently slapped away.
“Don’t follow me…” His tone was icy.
What the hell… I slid to the ground, breathing heavily for a while until I regained my composure. I touched my swollen lips, and my fingertip came away stained with a hint of blood.
I pushed myself up, using the door for support. My palm brushed against something, and I turned my head to look. To my surprise, I saw five deep dents on the thick, hard copper door, covered in intricate engravings. They looked as if they had been carved by iron claws. Had Tunshe Nalin left these marks just now?
His strength is truly terrifying…
I ran my fingers over the five claw marks, unable to understand what his question earlier meant. Why did he suddenly kiss me so forcefully, then turn so cold and leave me behind like this?
After packing up the pigments, I drifted back to the room, feeling like a wandering soul.
As I expected, Tunshe Nalin wasn’t there. A basket filled with flamestone was placed by the table, and the painting he had asked me to touch up was still laid out on the table. It was a bit damp, but the colors had become even more vibrant.
Back on the bed, I lay there for a moment, but I couldn’t fall asleep, tossing and turning. The pillow still carried the lingering scent of the incense from Tunshe Nalin, stirring a restless unease in my heart.
I sat up and lifted the pillow. With a “thud,” something rolled off and landed beneath the bed.
I looked down in surprise and picked up the small paper tube, about the width of a finger, that had rolled beneath the bed.
Isn’t this… the small painting I gave to Tunshe Nalin?
How did it end up… under the pillow?
I sat there, racking my brains to recall, and suddenly an idea flashed through my mind—wait, this seems to be… the thing that fell out of Tunshe Nalin’s clothes the night before last?
He accepted it and even… kept it on him?
