The surroundings became quiet. The communication talisman having been caught, Shen Liuxiang, under the gaze of anger-filled black eyes, raised his eyebrows slightly, the corner of his mouth turning slightly.
“What are you doing, scolding me?”
The young man’s voice was clear and bright, and there was a hint of grievance in the way he emphasized the words ‘scolding me’.
Zhou Xuanlan was stunned, the anger on his face involuntarily completely disappearing: “…I wasn’t scolding.”
Only then did Shen Liuxiang curve the corners of his lips, moving closer to him: “I just took one communication talisman and sent it to the Imperial Palace, I didn’t do anything else.”
Zhou Xuanlan’s gaze slightly changed. Communication talismans were extremely fast; it probably wouldn’t take long for Emperor Xingchen to receive the news and come.
Judging by Shen Liuxiang’s manner, he would definitely want to return to the Imperial Palace once Emperor Xingchen arrived. With Emperor Xingchen’s strange temperament and methods, it was feared that he would never let Shen Liuxiang leave the Imperial Palace again in this lifetime.
Zhou Xuanlan’s heart sank slightly. If Shen Liuxiang wasn’t willing to return after leaving, then…
How could his reverse scale leave him even half a step?
Shen Liuxiang raised his lips as he approached, about to speak, when everything went black before his eyes and he fainted.
Gold-threaded bed curtains hung on both sides, and on the spacious bed lay a handsome young man, as if fallen into deep sleep, dark eyelashes lowered, breathing light, shallow, and prolonged.
Zhou Xuanlan held a cup of tea, his face calm as he took a sip, no emotions discernible on his face.
In fact, at this moment, his mind was in chaos, his gaze falling on the figure on the bed, not knowing how to handle the situation for the time being.
This was Cangxue Residence. When Zhou Xuanlan had the thought of hiding Shen Liuxiang away, this place involuntarily came to mind.
Bringing the person to this place, Zhou Xuanlan instantly understood.
Cangxue Residence was located amid the endless mountain ranges of the Eight Cardinal Realms, naturally isolated from the outside world, difficult for anyone to find. Not only that, but it was also surrounded by a sight-confusing array, so that no matter from the sky or the ground, any gaze would only see natural scenery blending with the mountains.
Being inside, one was completely cut off from the world.
If he hadn’t guessed wrong, he had planned to trap Shen Liuxiang inside Cangxue Residence long ago but had delayed implementing it, perhaps because… his master was more obedient than imagined, making it unnecessary.
Zhou Xuanlan put down the teacup, his well-defined fingers reaching out to touch Shen Liuxiang’s fair cheek, his gaze obscure.
The moment he sensed something unusual about his primordial spirit, Zhou Xuanlan vaguely knew that this disciple might really be him.
It was incredible, and he had felt some jealousy.
Back then, when his meridians were completely severed, going fro
m the universally flattered leading figure of the new generation at Qinglin Sect to a person who had lost all cultivation, overnight, everyone’s attitude towards him underwent a drastic change, revealing all their ugly faces.
Everyone couldn’t wait to step on his head.
He was ostracized, framed, punished, thrown into a demon beast’s belly… he had tasted all kinds of suffering, as if a person had fallen into an abyss, darkness boundless, unable to see anything, only a constant feeling of falling and despair.
The young man shouted until his voice broke, but no one extended a helping hand. From that time on, Zhou Xuanlan stopped trusting anyone.
Fortunately, he later discovered why he had lost all his cultivation—he was a descendant of the dragon clan, reconstructing his blood and bones.
He quietly recovered his cultivation. During this period, Su Baiche was the first to approach him, protecting him in every action. But Zhou Xuanlan already trusted no one, examining everything with a suspicious gaze. Before long, he discovered Su Baiche’s strangeness; this person seemed able to know things in advance, appearing at the perfect time and place around him.
Zhou Xuanlan pretended to be grateful while watching Su Baiche perform like a spectator from below the stage.
This person indeed presented him with a good show. Most of the prominent figures in the world were infatuated with Su Baiche—even Ling Ye, Emperor Xingchen, Ye Bingran, and others were jealous over him. More ridiculously, everyone treated Zhou Xuanlan as a romantic rival.
Zhou Xuanlan saw through everything, certain that Su Baiche had a secret. But before he could discover it, he opened his eyes here.
If he hadn’t appeared here, he would have already left this continent; the original world had become utterly boring to him. For sixteen years, he had thought the same of this world, planning to leave through space-breaking after finding the other half of the dragon eggshell.
But now, it seemed his feet had been caught.
The moment he discovered the reverse scale was on Shen Liuxiang, Zhou Xuanlan instinctively felt something was amiss. This person held his fatal weakness, yet he felt strangely at ease, as if certain the other wouldn’t have the slightest thought of threatening or harming him.
Later events proved this to be true.
When thrown out of the sleeping palace, Shen Liuxiang only sulkily laid out his bedding in the corridor. When confined to the spiritual pavilion, he just vented by throwing paper objects at him.
With the reverse scale in hand, a casual light cut on it would be enough to severely injure Zhou Xuanlan to the point of being powerless to resist, yet… he had been extremely good to him.
Zhou Xuanlan clearly knew that Shen Liuxiang treated him like this because he believed Zhou Xuanlan was his disciple, but he still couldn’t help sinking into it, even beginning to envy the former Zhou Xuanlan.
Having his demon race identity exposed in the cultivation world would have resulted in a fate even worse than losing all cultivation, yet the master by his side had saved him regardless of the consequences.
Zhou Xuanlan couldn’t help but think, if his master back then had been the current Shen Liuxiang, perhaps he wouldn’t have had to lick his wounds alone in countless cold nights, accompanied by despair.
When he discovered the anomaly in his primordial spirit, a joy he dared not admit surged in Zhou Xuanlan’s heart.
Since he had nurtured Shen Liuxiang’s primordial spirit, perhaps everything now was created by himself for himself. The Zhou Xuanlan he envied so much might be himself, and the person before him might also belong to him…
But these were all just conjectures. Zhou Xuanlan eagerly sought the dragon eggshell following the traces from his previous life, but couldn’t find it for the time being.
And he had to face a fact: Shen Liuxiang had too many people around him and in his heart. Perhaps one day, he would leave for someone else.
Once this suspicion arose, it took root in his heart uncontrollably. There was even a voice firmly saying that in his master’s heart, he wasn’t the most important, that he was dispensable…
Zhou Xuanlan frowned, his body filled with a cold, fierce aura.
Bringing Shen Liuxiang to Cangxue Residence was good; this way, he would only have him from now on. No need to worry about losing him, no concern about Shen Liuxiang leaving someday. In this place, he couldn’t go anywhere, could only stay by his side.
Zhou Xuanlan stood by the couch, slightly bending over, gazing attentively at Shen Liuxiang, saying to himself: “Master will stay here from now on.”
The young man on the bed, his black eyelashes trembling lightly, in his hazy consciousness, sensed the hand touching his cheek. Finding it somewhat familiar, he slightly turned his face, unconsciously nuzzling against the palm.
Zhou Xuanlan’s eyes darkened, his fingertips tightening.
Having just managed to calm the heat from last night, now a small action had ignited his whole body, as if a fire had been lit in his heart.
Zhou Xuanlan’s gaze was deep and dark. After a silent moment, he lowered his head and lightly touched the rosy lips.
He had intended to just taste briefly.
But Shen Liuxiang slightly opened his eyes, his phoenix eyes staring at the face so close to him, both hands encircling Zhou Xuanlan’s neck, first holding the person, then looking to the side to find they were in a completely unfamiliar room.
“Where is this?” He remembered sending the talisman, approaching Zhou Xuanlan, and then fainting.
Shen Liuxiang pressed his lips together, meeting Zhou Xuanlan’s intense gaze, suddenly smiled, like catching a cat stealing fish: “You stole a kiss from me, do you like… mmph.”
Before Shen Liuxiang could finish, his mouth was sealed by thin lips. Zhou Xuanlan suddenly lost control, his fingers embedding into Shen Liuxiang’s soft black hair, holding the back of his head, lowering his head to grind against the soft lips.
Shen Liuxiang had just awakened, his mind not yet fully functioning, and was kissed into confusion. Until a crisp sound reached his ears.
The black waistband with gold trim was thrown to the ground by a slender hand, the jade buckle hitting the floor by the bed, making a crisp sound in the room.
Shen Liuxiang’s eyes widened slightly. Realizing what Zhou Xuanlan was about to do, his breathing became irregular. Nervous after many years, his jade-white hands instinctively pushed against Zhou Xuanlan’s chest, but having just woken up, his body was soft and without much strength.
Soon, his two slender, fair wrists were grasped and pressed onto the brocade mattress. Shen Liuxiang struggled without result, aware of the burning breath pressing on him, his expression rarely showing panic.
Zhou Xuanlan bit his translucent, soft earlobe, waiting until it showed a color like dripping blood before slowly releasing it. His thin lips kissed the reddened ear root, following the slender neck line, leaving ambiguous marks on the fair neck.
The golden gauze curtains hanging on both sides unconsciously rippled with the movements on the bed.
The young man on the couch, his elbow cushioned by a pillow, half his face buried in the crook of his arm, moistened black hair sliding down his bare white back, biting his lip, slender fingers clutching the sheet, occasionally tightening suddenly.
The disparity between Soul Formation and Foundation Establishment realms, as time passed, was displayed vividly.
After several hours, Shen Liuxiang was somewhat on the verge of collapse, his fair cheeks wet, unclear whether from tears or sweat, his whole body trembling, confined in Zhou Xuanlan’s embrace, being fed a medicinal pill.
It was only now that he knew to coax him, calling him “Master.”
Hearing the long-missed words “Master,” the young man became much more docile. Zhou Xuanlan knew he liked hearing it, so he whispered by his ear, tirelessly calling him in a deep voice.
But as he kept calling, he began to feel a bit jealous.
His chest pressed against Shen Liuxiang’s fair back, his thin lips approaching his ear, asking in a hoarse voice: “Master, who serves you better?”
Shen Liuxiang didn’t realize at first, but once he understood the meaning, his face flushed red, and he wanted nothing more than to kick the person off the bed.
Is there such a thing as comparing yourself with yourself!
Zhou Xuanlan, seeing no reply for a long time, brazenly asked if it was him.
Shen Liuxiang couldn’t bear it anymore: “Get lost.”
Zhou Xuanlan narrowed his eyes slightly, held him tightly, and the previously energetic young man suddenly couldn’t speak.
The activity on the bed continued endlessly, who knows how much time passed in the outside world.
When it was finally ending, Shen Liuxiang’s fingers scratched several bloody marks on Zhou Xuanlan’s arm, desperately biting his neck and shoulder, his throat emitting trembling sobs. Once his slender waist was released, his body went limp and he fainted.
When Shen Liuxiang woke up, he had changed into a clean undergarment. The moment he tried to rise, his waist felt sore and weak, causing him to fall back onto the bed.
He took a small breath, and after a good while, finally managed to sit up.
Just as he was looking around, footsteps were heard from outside the door.
Zhou Xuanlan, carrying a bowl of hot porridge, walked to the bedside. Shen Liuxiang was indeed hungry, but he smelled the porridge aroma in the air and felt something was strange.
As Zhou Xuanlan sat on the edge of the bed, Shen Liuxiang poked his head out to look at what was in the bowl, then widened his eyes. He wanted to ask what this dark thing was, but when he opened his mouth, he found his voice hoarse, almost unable to speak.
Zhou Xuanlan stirred with the spoon: “I made it myself, Master, have a taste.”
Shen Liuxiang pressed his lips together, and although he was quite resistant internally, he still gave his disciple face by opening his mouth: “Ah~”
A spoonful of porridge fell into his mouth, and Shen Liuxiang was stunned. Unexpectedly, it had some flavor, overall slightly sweet, with some spiritual herbs added.
Shen Liuxiang opened his mouth.
Zhou Xuanlan’s thin lips curved slightly, his gaze softening, and he fed him another mouthful.
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(advanced chapters available on kofi)
OwO
Thank You for the new chapter ♡(ŐωŐ人)