In the Imperial Palace, inside a pavilion.
Shen Bobo nestled in Shen Liuxiang’s arms, holding an apple, the golden leaf on his head scattering bits of light as his head turned left and right, sweeping back and forth: “Father, why aren’t you talking?”
Shen Liuxiang: “Shh.”
The tense atmosphere in the pavilion had persisted for a long time.
Standing in front was a young man with a handsome face and a tall figure, just entering the Soul Formation realm. Under the scrutinizing gazes of both the Emperor and the Demon Emperor at the table, an invisible pressure enveloped him, causing cold sweat to break out on his forehead despite his back remaining perfectly straight.
Beside him, Xu Xinglian held his hand, her face showing concern.
Seeing this, Xu Xingchen’s face darkened even more.
Shen Liuxiang felt it had gone on long enough, tugged at Zhou Xuanlan to have him withdraw the pressure, then said: “You’re Lu Qingyun, right? Please sit.”
Lu Qingyun breathed a sigh of relief, his face showing a slight smile as he thanked him and was about to sit down when Xu Xingchen snorted coldly. Lu Qingyun paused, wiped the smile from his face, and obediently stood back up.
Xu Xinglian couldn’t bear it anymore: “Brother!!”
“I didn’t tell him not to sit.” Xu Xingchen tried to cover up, “I certainly didn’t transmit to him to stand there obediently.”
What’s wrong with standing for a while? If he couldn’t even withstand this bit of pressure, how could he entrust Xinglian to him?
Shen Liuxiang shook his head, told Lu Qingyun to sit down, and poured him a cup of tea: “Don’t be nervous. When I first came to the Imperial Palace, Xu Xingchen often snorted coldly at me too.”
“That’s because you suddenly appeared, and I was worried you would steal Father Emperor’s attention,” Xu Xingchen muttered, giving a light snort. “Facts proved I wasn’t wrong. Father Emperor was never so attentive to me. But later, I came to understand.”
Shen Liuxiang asked: “Understand what?”
“If I say it, I’m afraid you and Xinglian will be jealous,” Xu Xingchen picked up his teacup, took a sip, his face wearing an uncontrollable smile. “When I was very young, I slept with Father Emperor every night, but after my mother had Xinglian, I moved to live with them.”
Xu Xingchen became increasingly pleased with himself, after all, among the three siblings, only he had received such treatment. Just as he was about to lose himself in pride, he choked on his tea and came back to his senses.
His mood was quite cheerful now, and Lu Qingyun didn’t seem so irritating anymore: “From now on, live in the Imperial Palace. The spiritual energy here is abundant and conducive to cultivation. Also, I heard you like to travel mountains and rivers and want to take Xinglian with you. That’s fine, but wait until you can pass through Shenqi Mountain. Until then, focus on cultivation.”
Shen Liuxiang blinked. Passing through Shenqi Mountain would take several decades, he couldn’t help but laugh.
Xu Xingchen looked at him: “You should also cultivate quickly. You’re only at the Nascent Soul realm. How long will it take to reach the Ascension realm? Don’t you want to see Father Emperor sooner?”
Shen Liuxiang coughed lightly, thinking he didn’t really want to see Father Emperor that much.
When Di Yunyu left, he was rarely angry, and although much time had passed, Shen Liuxiang estimated that for people like Di Yunyu, emotions didn’t change or diminish with time. He probably wouldn’t have a good outcome if they met again.
Shen Liuxiang turned his head and said to Zhou Xuanlan beside him: “You work hard on cultivation. It’s all up to you.”
His cultivation couldn’t improve quickly for now, so he was counting on his disciple to save his little life from Father Emperor’s hands when the time came.
Zhou Xuanlan was stunned for a moment. Xu Xingchen reminded Master about cultivation, but Master told him to work hard on cultivation. Wasn’t this a blatant hint?
The corner of his lips curved into a smile: “Alright.” As long as Master could endure it.
Shen Liuxiang saw his meaningful smile and felt something wasn’t quite right. At this moment, Shen Bobo handed him an orange. He took a bite and heard Shen Bobo ask: “Will Father stay here too?”
Before Shen Liuxiang could answer, Xu Xingchen said: “No, he’ll return to Xuanyao Palace.”
The demon realm couldn’t be without a ruler for a day; how could Zhou Xuanlan stay in the Imperial Palace for long? Xu Xingchen snorted inwardly but said aloud: “The Imperial Palace is better quiet. Too many people are troublesome. If Elder Brother really misses me, I’ll visit Xuanyao Palace every now and then.”
Shen Liuxiang raised his eyebrows slightly: “Really?”
Seeing his dubious expression, Xu Xingchen immediately said: “What kind of expression is that? I’m not a three-year-old child who can’t live without someone!”
Shen Liuxiang: “Calming incense?”
Xu Xingchen: “…All thrown away.”
Shen Liuxiang: “What if you can’t sleep?”
Xu Xingchen: “…I’ll recite to myself that if I fall asleep, I can see Father Emperor. Otherwise, I’ll transmit to Elder Brother, or have Xinglian and Lu Qingyun accompany me in playing Imperial Lord.”
Shen Liuxiang nodded with satisfaction: “You remember well.”
“Bobo is ready,” Shen Bobo, who had slipped away earlier, returned with a porcelain basin containing cold spirit soil, looking up eagerly, “Father, don’t leave Bobo behind. Take Bobo with you.”
Shen Liuxiang picked him up: “Of course I’ll take you.”
Shen Bobo, overjoyed, wrapped his arms around his neck, the golden leaf sweeping back and forth against Shen Liuxiang’s fair neck. Zhou Xuanlan turned his head to look at this little fellow, suddenly feeling something wasn’t right.
At Xuanyao Palace, Zhou Xuanlan watched as Shen Bobo placed the porcelain basin on the windowsill of the sleeping palace, then climbed onto the bed on his own, rolling around. After a moment of silence, he asked: “Where will Bobo sleep at night?”
Shen Liuxiang: “With me.”
Zhou Xuanlan: “What about me?”
Shen Liuxiang paused: “I asked, and Bobo doesn’t mind sleeping with you too.”
Zhou Xuanlan narrowed his eyes slightly: “What about cultivation?”
Shen Liuxiang: “?” What does sleeping have to do with cultivation?
Just as Zhou Xuanlan was about to speak, a communication talisman fell into Shen Liuxiang’s hand. It was from Nan Yuequan, who had gone to hunt down Su Baiche but had let him escape.
Shen Liuxiang pondered for a moment. Su Baiche’s strength now might not be insufficient for a battle. His choice to flee was perhaps due to the symbols in his body, not wanting to cause more trouble.
Shen Liuxiang replied to the communication talisman.
At night, Shen Bobo climbed onto the bed early, blinking his eyes as he waited. After finally waiting for Shen Liuxiang to finish bathing and return to the room, before he could joyfully call out “Father,” he saw Shen Liuxiang being taken away by another person who should also be called “Father.”
Shen Bobo quickly got off the bed: “Father!”
Zhou Xuanlan turned his head and said: “You can only sleep after bathing. You go back to sleep first.”
Shen Bobo pouted, muttering: “But Father just finished washing, it’s time to sleep.”
But before he could say more, Shen Liuxiang had been taken away. Shen Bobo frowned unhappily, pondered for a while, then understood.
Demon Emperor Father hadn’t bathed yet. Since they were sleeping together, Father should indeed wait for Demon Emperor Father to finish bathing before sleeping.
…
Shen Bobo suddenly understood and returned to the bed, thinking he would wait for both fathers to return before sleeping. But as time passed, he couldn’t help yawning, and drowsily fell asleep, mumbling: “Bobo will sleep for a while first.”
Meanwhile, in the bath pool, mist permeated the air.
The young man with loose black hair was pressed against the warm jade pool wall, breathing softly, almost unable to speak: “You, you hurry…”
Zhou Xuanlan embraced him from behind, his chest against the fair, smooth back, his thin lips by Shen Liuxiang’s ear, his voice deep: “It’s Master who should hurry.”
As he spoke, ripples spread across the water’s surface.
Shen Liuxiang’s long eyelashes trembled, a whimper escaping his lips as his jade-white hand couldn’t help but reach underwater to grasp Zhou Xuanlan’s wrist: “Don’t, don’t do that anymore.”
But as soon as he spoke, dense, hot kisses fell on his back, mixed with movements underwater. Shen Liuxiang couldn’t stop trembling, his fingertips weakly scratching Zhou Xuanlan’s hand, letting out a soft cry as his whole body went limp against the edge.
Zhou Xuanlan turned him around, both hands holding his slender waist, kissing his soft, red lips, his voice hoarse: “Don’t move, Master. I’ll be quick.”
Underwater, as his legs trembled, his bare white toes curled slightly.
Shen Liuxiang clung to Zhou Xuanlan’s shoulders, his face buried in his neck, trembling all over from the heat. After an unknown time, he felt pain on the side of his leg, as if the skin had broken. He bit Zhou Xuanlan’s neck and shoulder uncomfortably, tears hanging on his black eyelashes, silently urging him on.
At midnight, the sounds from the bath pool gradually subsided.
Zhou Xuanlan carried the exhausted young man back to the sleeping palace.
Shen Bobo smacked his lips, turned over, and suddenly found two more people on the bed. He rubbed his eyes, squeezed between them, mumbled “Father” to Shen Liuxiang, hugged him, and continued sleeping.
But early the next morning, Shen Bobo found he was hugging a pillow, and Father was being held by someone else.
Shen Bobo wrinkled his nose in grievance, unhappy all day.
At night, he clung to Shen Liuxiang like an octopus, thinking this time he wouldn’t escape, but the next morning when he woke up, he was still hugging a pillow, and Father had been taken away again.
Shen Bobo persisted for half a month, repeatedly failing, the golden leaf on his head drooping.
Until one day, Zhou Xuanlan gave him an apple and asked: “Do you remember your uncle at Shenqi Mountain?”
Shen Bobo nodded repeatedly: “I remember.”
Zhou Xuanlan: “He misses you a lot since you left.”
Shen Bobo exclaimed: “Really? I miss Emperor Uncle too.”
Zhou Xuanlan nodded, patting his head: “So, shouldn’t you visit him every now and then? Otherwise, he’ll be so lonely.”
Hearing this, Shen Bobo said remorsefully: “It’s Bobo’s fault. I forgot about Emperor Uncle after having Father.”
Zhou Xuanlan curved his lips: “Good boy.”
Late at night, as Xu Xingchen was reciting to himself that he would see Father Emperor if he fell asleep, just as his consciousness was loosening, he suddenly sensed a spell arriving in his sleeping palace. His expression changed as he sat up, looking vigilantly.
In the next moment, a plump little fellow appeared, flying toward him: “Bobo has come to visit Emperor Uncle!”
Xu Xingchen: “?!”
Coming to visit him in the middle of the night?
Xu Xingchen instinctively felt something was wrong: “Did Elder Brother send you?”
Shen Bobo rolled on the bed: “It was Demon Emperor Father.”
Xu Xingchen frowned, pondering for a long time, then suddenly widened his eyes: “…”
With the usually active little ball gone, Shen Liuxiang felt somewhat unaccustomed: “Why did he suddenly want to go to the Imperial Palace? If I had known, I would have taken him when we went before.”
“I told him to go,” Zhou Xuanlan admitted, then without further ado, pulled Shen Liuxiang into his arms and bit his fair neck as if venting frustration. “Master should also have a few days that belong to me.”
Shen Liuxiang hissed in pain, but considering that Zhou Xuanlan had indeed endured for a long time, he relaxed his body, put his arms around his neck, and allowed himself to be taken.
When he really couldn’t bear it anymore, his fingers trembled as he tightly grasped Zhou Xuanlan’s arm, shaking his head continuously, his voice tinged with crying.
But Zhou Xuanlan restrained him, not allowing him to struggle at all.
When he was finally released, Shen Liuxiang’s soft black hair was spread on the pillow, his body damp with sweat, his eyes somewhat unfocused.
Zhou Xuanlan carried him to the bath pool.
Back in the soft bed, Shen Liuxiang, wearing a white inner garment, was held in Zhou Xuanlan’s arms. As his consciousness drifted, his lips were gently kissed by Zhou Xuanlan, with a touch of lingering affection.
“Master,” the deep, magnetic voice fell by his ear, “I like you, only you… Do you like me too? Will you always stay by my side?”
Shen Liuxiang was slightly stunned, then opened his eyes, summoned some strength, and flipped over to press on top of Zhou Xuanlan.
With his black hair hanging down lightly, his phoenix eyes met a pair of slightly surprised black eyes. Shen Liuxiang lowered his head, kissed the thin, moist lips: “I like you too, and will never leave you.”
Author’s note:
It’s finished! ( ̄ε(# ̄)
T/N:
Thank you to all readers who followed this incredible journey! Your support made every chapter worthwhile (´∀`)♡
To Shen Liuxiang and Zhou Xuanlan – thank you for this beautiful love story that touched so many hearts. From master and disciple to eternal soulmates, their bond transcended everything.
。・゚✧*:・゚✧
To all the characters who brought this world to life – they made this story unforgettable (◕‿◕)
The main story is complete, but stay tuned for a few extras! ヾ(≧▽≦*)o
Don’t forget to rate and review on NU~
Also check out my other translations here
Adorable! Thank you for translating! Can’t wait for the extras 🙂
Hahaha, perfect ending for the main text of this novel XDDDD Can’t wait for extras!
Thank You for the new chapter ( •ॢ◡-ॢ)-♡
Thank you for the quality translation! I really enjoyed this story.