Chapter 49: The Black-Hearted Demon Lord’s Disciple x Soft, Crying Master 7 (6,000+)
Outside, the night was pitch black, so dark that you couldn’t see your own fingers.
Jiang Luoluo, as the Master, knew he couldn’t show fear. But his instinctive reaction betrayed him.
The hand Mo Yunqi held tightened, and the small figure clung closer to him.
Mo Yunqi’s lips curved into a smile as he tilted his head to look at the person beside him.
His Master wasn’t tall, nestled against his arm like a piece of jade. His fair face was delicate and beautiful, his cherry-red lips pressed together, hinting at nervousness. He looked exceptionally obedient and charming.
Mo Yunqi loved this feeling of being relied upon.
And in the cave, when his Little Master had been nestled in his arms, tears welling in his eyes, so fragile it seemed he couldn’t survive without Mo Yunqi’s protection.
Mo Yunqi’s heart stirred.
If his Little Master could always be teary-eyed and curled up in his arms, he thought, he might love him even more.
He beckoned with a finger behind them. A rustling sound suddenly arose from the ground, approaching them.
Jiang Luoluo’s taut nerves jumped.
His foot stepped on something soft and moving.
He let out a startled cry and threw himself into Mo Yunqi’s arms.
The smile in Mo Yunqi’s eyes deepened as he held the person in his arms tightly, patting his back repeatedly. “Don’t be afraid…”
“Master, it’s wisteria…”
“But it’s moving!”
Jiang Luoluo, already timid, had been traumatized by their earlier trek through the mountain’s depths. Now, he felt like every rustling leaf and swaying branch was a threat.
The atmosphere here was eerie. Who knew what strange creatures might lurk in the shadows?
Suddenly, his body lifted as Mo Yunqi scooped him into his arms. Jiang Luoluo looked up at Mo Yunqi’s chin and whispered, “I can walk myself…”
“It’s this disciple who’s afraid.”
Mo Yunqi looked down at him, his eyes filled with deep affection. “Afraid that some evil spirit might steal Master away from me…”
Mo Yunqi’s steps were steady as he carried Jiang Luoluo across the wisteria vines that snaked across the ground.
Jiang Luoluo burrowed into his embrace, fingers clutching at his robes.
An inexplicable sense of security washed over him.
As if suddenly, in this unreliable Immortal Hero world, he had found a dependable haven.
With Mo Yunqi by his side, he didn’t have to maintain his Master facade.
He could simply be Jiang Luoluo, the useless little waste of space he truly was.
The communication talisman at his waist flickered. Jiang Luoluo reached for it and patted it. “They’re nearby.”
Mo Yunqi lowered his eyelids, concealing the murderous rage that flared in his eyes.
So they were still alive?
How could they have survived?
The person in his arms jumped down, forming a hand seal and scanning the surroundings. “Over here.”
Mo Yunqi’s face was tense as he watched Jiang Luoluo’s voice brighten noticeably.
He seemed very happy.
The moment he caught a whiff of Chu Xubai’s scent, he couldn’t wait to leave Mo Yunqi’s side.
What was so great about Chu Xubai?
Was he more powerful than Mo Yunqi?
Mo Yunqi glared ahead with hostility, his handsome face darkening with a storm of impending rain and displeasure.
He should have been more decisive and just killed those two.
“Yunqi.”
A soft, small hand grasped his fingertips. His Little Master tugged him forward, muttering, “Hurry and find them, and we can return to Azure Frost Hall.”
Mo Yunqi lowered his gaze to their joined fingers and silently followed.
“Over here!”
Not far away, two figures were tightly bound to a stone wall by thick vines.
Jiang Luoluo drew his sword, and with a swift slash, two sword qi sliced through the vines, sending the two figures tumbling to the ground.
“Master!”
Xu Zhiyan’s expression was ecstatic. “Master, you came to save us!”
But the next moment, his gaze fell on the Little Junior Brother beside Jiang Luoluo, and he couldn’t help but shiver, warily eyeing Mo Yunqi. “Master, be careful! He’s not Junior Brother!”
Mo Yunqi lazily lowered his eyelids, glancing over with a casual air.
Xu Zhiyan trembled as he reported, “Master! He’s the one who captured Junior Brother Chu and me! He’s not human! He can transform! He’s a monster!”
Mo Yunqi’s gaze drifted from Xu Zhiyan to Jiang Luoluo beside him.
*Good.*
*It’s good that everything has been revealed.*
He had already obtained what he wanted anyway.
At worst, he could kill these two useless fools, steal his Little Master, and drag him back to his icy Demon’s Lair.
But his Little Master was timid. If he knew Mo Yunqi’s true form was such a terrifying thing, he’d probably burst into tears from fright.
Then he’d huddle in Mo Yunqi’s arms, eyes brimming with tears, letting himself be tainted.
Mo Yunqi’s Adam’s apple bobbed twice, a dark gleam of excitement flashing in his eyes.
When he lifted his eyelids again, Xu Zhiyan had already grabbed Jiang Luoluo’s sleeve. “Master! Believe me! He’s not human! He even emits black smoke! He might have orchestrated all of this!”
Mo Yunqi tilted his head, eagerly anticipating his Little Master’s panicked reaction.
The white-robed figure indeed raised his sleeve, but the next moment, he reached out and froze Xu Zhiyan in place.
His Little Master calmly explained to Xu Zhiyan, “No, it’s just the heavy miasma here. You must have been bewitched by the Thousand-Turn Affection Miasma, causing you to have such wild thoughts…”
His tone was extremely solemn, and even the back of his head radiated seriousness.
The expectant look in Mo Yunqi’s eyes froze.
Why did he trust him so much?
Xu Zhiyan, the loyal lapdog, had always been his most trusted confidant.
Could it be that he had become so important to him now, even more so than Xu Zhiyan?
Someone tugged at his sleeve, snapping Mo Yunqi back to reality. He met his Little Master’s unguarded gaze.
A smile danced in his eyes, and his long eyelashes fluttered. “Don’t stand so far away. Otherwise, Master won’t be able to protect you.”
It felt as if a feather had lightly brushed against his chest, sending a tingling shiver through him. His nose tingled with a hint of sourness.
Mo Yunqi nodded, gazing at the earnest face before him.
*Silly fool. You’re too naive.*
Chu Xubai, who had been unconscious, stirred and slowly woke up. He opened his eyes. “Master?”
Jiang Luoluo, preoccupied with completing his favorability-raising mission, quickly released Mo Yunqi’s hand and rushed over to his target. “Are you awake?”
“How are you feeling? Are you hurt anywhere? Does anything hurt?”
Chu Xubai shook his head, still not fully recovered from his slumber. A dazed confusion lingered in his eyes, and his cheeks flushed as he looked at Jiang Luoluo.
During his unconsciousness, Chu Xubai had a strange yet sweet dream.
In the dream, his Master appeared kind on the surface, but secretly still harbored those feelings for him. In the end… he became his Master’s Dao Companion.
Looking at Jiang Luoluo’s nervous expression, Chu Xubai suddenly felt as if he couldn’t distinguish between dream and reality.
Why was his Master being so concerned about him?
So… did he still like him?
Jiang Luoluo blinked at Chu Xubai, wondering if his favorability rating had increased slightly after all this concern.
A cold gaze prickled his back.
Jiang Luoluo turned to meet Mo Yunqi’s eyes.
The other man only glanced at him for a second before pursing his lips and turning away.
His sharp jawline was taut, clearly showing his anger.
Jiang Luoluo felt conflicted. He looked at Chu Xubai, the target of his favorability-building efforts, then at his sulking little disciple, Mo Yunqi. He realized that trying to be fair to both was wrong, and trying to comfort either one individually would also be wrong.
His small hands twisted together in indecision. Jiang Luoluo turned to Xu Zhiyan. “Zhiyan, help Xubai up. Let’s go home.”
Xu Zhiyan let out a cheerful “Aiya!” and, still unwilling to give up, continued tattling on Mo Yunqi to Jiang Luoluo. “Master, I’m really not lying! I pretended to faint, but I wasn’t asleep at all. I saw everything…”
“It was him who did it!”
Xu Zhiyan pointed at Mo Yunqi. “Senior Brother Chu, did you see it at the time?”
Chu Xubai shook his head. The spiritual energy that had struck him had been incredibly heavy, and he had collapsed instantly. Even after being unconscious for so long, he could still feel the agonizing pain in his internal organs.
He couldn’t fathom where this evil spirit had come from or why it held such deep hatred for him. He could clearly sense that in that instant, the spirit had truly intended to kill him.
Chu Xubai’s teeth chattered with cold, and he looked at Jiang Luoluo gratefully. Thank goodness, Master had arrived. If Master had been even a moment later, he might not have been killed by the spirit, but he would have frozen to death here.
“It wasn’t him. I’ll explain later when we get back,” Jiang Luoluo said, waving his hand to stop Xu Zhiyan from continuing his accusations. “Alright, let’s go. It’s time to head home.”
Seeing that he couldn’t convince his Master, Xu Zhiyan helped Chu Xubai to his feet with one hand while clutching the sword at his waist with the other, staying close to Jiang Luoluo. Just in case Mo Yunqi revealed his true form later, he would try to protect his Master, even if he was useless.
Mo Yunqi’s gaze swept over Xu Zhiyan as if his small actions were of no concern. He turned to Jiang Luoluo, his cold tone softening, “Master, the path ahead is difficult. Please walk slowly.”
Jiang Luoluo nodded.
“What difficult path… This is clearly just a delaying tactic by you, you monster!”
Ignoring Xu Zhiyan’s retort, Mo Yunqi walked beside Jiang Luoluo.
As dawn approached, a crimson-yellow sun gradually rose, dispersing some of the thick mist that clung to the mountains.
Just as Jiang Luoluo’s heart began to lighten, his sleeve was grabbed.
Mo Yunqi’s brow furrowed slightly, as if sensing something. “Don’t move.”
“Don’t move? It’s clearly you, you monster, who wants to trap us here! See? Dawn is breaking! Master will take us out soon!” Xu Zhiyan gloated. “Once we reach Purple Cloud Mountain, let’s see how you’ll continue your charade!”
The moment the words left his mouth, Xu Zhiyan raised his eyes and stared ahead. His throat seemed to constrict, his teeth chattering uncontrollably. The sword in his hand clattered to the ground, his fingers trembling violently as he pointed forward. His voice was on the verge of breaking:
Jiang Luoluo, oblivious to the danger, followed Xu Zhiyan’s gaze. His fair face instantly turned pale.
Not far ahead, a massive, crimson-yellow sphere covered in blood-red veins loomed before them.
Apparently, turning into a monster, getting accused of it, and still being the favorite is a valid career path now.
Support the translator on Ko-fi — before Jiang Luoluo starts charging tuition for emotional damage.
“It’s not black smoke, it’s just emotional support miasma.” 😌
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