PID Chapter 104

(5/5) Extra Update ~

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The warm sunlight poured down from the peak of Du-E Mountain, enveloping both of them.

 

Xiao Mo’s tears soaked through Chu Jinglan’s robes as his sobbing voice shifted from suppressed anguish to complete collapse—and eventually faded into quiet gasps until it became nothing more than breath.

 

He cried enough for two people—as though trying to shed all of someone else’s pain along with his own.

 

But Xiao Mo knew this outburst was only the beginning. It had merely lifted the cloth covering the wound beneath—revealing flesh mangled and bloody. Healing would require much more time and effort.

 

Chu Jinglan had endured his inner demon tribulation, so even if his spiritual consciousness remained fractured and his mind unstable, he would no longer face a inner demon trying to seize control of his body. But that didn’t mean he was free from inner demons entirely.

 

Xiao Mo had regained his human form—but after all their twists and turns, it seemed that now he had become Chu Jinglan’s inner demon instead.

 

Tightening his grip on Chu Jinglan’s shoulder, Xiao Mo felt a gentle touch on the top of his head.

 

It was a kiss—softly placed on his hairline.

 

Xiao Mo trembled all over, nearly shedding tears again at that moment.

 

…Why so cautious?

 

Unable to help himself, Xiao Mo lifted his head from Chu Jinglan’s embrace just as Chu Jinglan lowered his own gaze—and their eyes met directly.

 

Those eyes, no longer masked, were indeed not the eyes of the Chu Jinglan from three hundred years ago. A young man’s emotions—love and hate—are clear and unrefined. Only time can forge such a gaze.

 

The world revered and feared him, but Xiao Mo only felt heartache.

 

Leaning forward, Xiao Mo placed a kiss at the corner of Chu Jinglan’s reddened yet dry eyes.

 

And just like that, moisture returned to Chu Jinglan’s eyes.

 

Chu Jinglan’s hand tightened around Xiao Mo’s waist, and the next kiss landed on their lips.

 

It was gentle—just a soft touch, a light caress—but it warmed them from their lips all the way to their hearts.

 

When they parted, Chu Jinglan used a cleansing spell to wipe away the traces of tears on Xiao Mo’s face. Then, he lifted Xiao Mo into his arms.

 

The sudden sensation of being carried made Xiao Mo’s heart skip a beat, but he relaxed his body, leaning against Chu Jinglan’s chest with complete trust.

 

Chu Jinglan carried him back to his room and retrieved a bottle of jade dew to soothe Xiao Mo’s throat.

 

After crying for so long, Xiao Mo’s throat indeed felt sore. He drank the jade dew gratefully and then leaned closer to Chu Jinglan again.

 

But this time, Chu Jinglan extended a finger and pressed it gently against Xiao Mo’s lips.

 

Xiao Mo’s eyelashes trembled as he looked steadily at Chu Jinglan.

 

Chu Jinglan’s finger lingered on Xiao Mo’s lips, brushing softly against them as if tracing the petals of a delicate flower. His gaze darkened, and his voice turned hoarse: “If this continues… I don’t know what I might do.”

 

Xiao Mo felt a pang in his heart. He lowered his gaze and remained silent for a moment. Just as Chu Jinglan was about to withdraw his hand, Xiao Mo suddenly parted his lips and caught Chu Jinglan’s finger between them.

 

Chu Jinglan: “…”

 

The color in Chu Jinglan’s eyes deepened instantly.

 

Following the movement of his fingertip, Xiao Mo took hold of Chu Jinglan’s hand and placed a kiss in its palm.

 

As Xiao Mo’s sleeve slipped down slightly, the golden chain on his wrist was revealed. In that fleeting moment, Chu Jinglan seemed to truly see him bound there—the image vivid in his mind. When he snapped back to reality, he had already gripped Xiao Mo’s wrist tightly and pressed him down onto the bed.

 

Xiao Mo’s jet-black hair spilled like silk across the embroidered bedding. His gaze shimmered like ripples on water, and his tear-stained eyes carried a faint redness that resembled smudged rouge—or perhaps fire—burning away at Chu Jinglan’s sanity.

 

Chu Jinglan felt as though he were being split in two. His mind remained clear, but his body was quickly slipping out of control.

 

The long-forbidden desires that had simmered within him threatened to ignite into flames. If they did… he couldn’t guarantee how much rationality he would have left intact.

 

He didn’t want to lose control while entangled with Xiao Mo because he wanted to remember every expression on Xiao Mo’s face—every reaction he made.

 

He wanted to bring him joy but never pain.

 

Every shift in Chu Jinglan’s expression fell into Xiao Mo’s eyes. Truth be told, Xiao Mo wasn’t without nerves—his hands instinctively curled slightly in response.

 

But amidst the nervousness lay an undeniable anticipation hidden within his rapidly beating heart—just as Chu Jinglan hesitated to act yet clearly yearned for more.

 

Chu Jinglan longed for Xiao Mo—and for peace of mind.

 

Xiao Mo understood this perfectly.

 

So he raised his other hand slowly and gently pulled Chu Jinglan down toward him.

 

Healing Chu Jinglan’s wounds would take time. Xiao Mo vowed to do everything he could to be good to him from now on. Seeing Chu Jinglan like this made his heart ache deeply.

 

Chu Jinglan followed Xiao Mo’s pull and lay down beside him. In his current state, he truly wasn’t in the condition to do much. His spiritual consciousness wavered between darkness and clarity, his heart pounding uncontrollably. He was barely holding himself together through the circulation of his spiritual energy. His vision alternated between black and white, and only by holding onto Xiao Mo’s hand could he feel a sense of reality.

 

Xiao Mo placed a hand over Chu Jinglan’s eyes and kissed him again. For some reason, this kiss in the darkness brought Chu Jinglan a rare sense of peace.

 

He parted his lips slightly, bit by bit responding to the kiss.

 

With his vision obscured, his other senses became sharper. He felt warmth, softness, and a deep sense of reassurance.

 

What had seemed like uncontrollable chaos in his spiritual consciousness was slowly pulled back into balance. Their kisses were light and careful, as if treasuring each other’s presence, drawing comfort from the warmth they shared.

 

Even their previously heavy breathing settled into a calm rhythm as they embraced each other, lying side by side.

 

The harsh afternoon sunlight softened into a lazy glow as both of them let go of their tension.

 

“Stay with me for a while,” Xiao Mo said softly.

 

He didn’t remove the hand covering Chu Jinglan’s eyes. Chu Jinglan closed his eyes beneath it, his eyelashes brushing gently against Xiao Mo’s palm. “I haven’t slept in many years.”

 

Although it was well past the usual time for an afternoon nap, it didn’t matter. Xiao Mo replied gently: “Then you should sleep for a bit. Whatever it is, we can talk about it after you wake up, okay?”

 

Chu Jinglan gave a low hum of agreement.

 

Maintaining this position, Xiao Mo felt Chu Jinglan’s breathing grow steadier and calmer. Only after a long while did he slowly move his hand away from Chu Jinglan’s eyes.

 

Chu Jinglan had fallen asleep.

 

Xiao Mo, too, was emotionally drained after everything that had happened today—not to mention the tears he had shed earlier. To be honest, he was utterly exhausted. His eyes were still swollen and red from crying. With Chu Jinglan lying quietly beside him now, Xiao Mo pulled his hand back, wiped at the corners of his own eyes, and nestled himself into Chu Jinglan’s embrace.

 

I’m sorry, Chu Jinglan.

 

From now on, I’ll stay by your side—I’ll keep my word.

 

Perhaps it was because he was truly worn out that Xiao Mo unknowingly drifted off to sleep as well. When he opened his eyes again, the sky outside had already turned dark. A single dim lamp flickered faintly in the room. As soon as Xiao Mo stirred awake, several more lamps lit up one by one.

 

Chu Jinglan was sitting quietly at the bedside, watching him with an expression that was calm and serene.

 

Xiao Mo propped himself up slightly as Chu Jinglan reached out to brush aside the strands of hair on his forehead. “Awake?”

 

“Mm.”

 

Xiao Mo leaned his head against Chu Jinglan’s shoulder for a moment to gather himself before breaking the silence: “Heaven’s Will came to see you?”

 

It was something Chu Jinglan had mentioned earlier in the day.

 

Chu Jinglan nodded lightly. “Mm.”

 

“So… the destruction of the old Heaven’s Will—was it because of you two?” Xiao Mo asked hesitantly.

 

“It was mostly its own doing,” Chu Jinglan explained evenly. “After accumulating strength over several cycles, it already had enough power to act. It merely granted my request to leave behind a trace of the old Heaven’s Will’s consciousness—only recently did it completely erase that trace.”

 

Underneath the covers, Xiao Mo reached out and held Chu Jinglan’s hand gently as understanding dawned on him: “Was it because of me?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Perhaps it was because he had finally found peace after centuries of waiting—or because he had rested properly for once—but Chu Jinglan spoke without any pretense this time. His voice carried genuine tranquility under the soft glow of the lamps: “I didn’t know if you would ever come back.”

 

So all he could do was everything within his power… and wait for an answer.

 

Xiao Mo closed his eyes briefly before whispering: “I’m sorry.”

 

“You came back, so there’s no need to apologize.”

 

Xiao Mo finally understood Chu Jinglan’s actions—the way he would immediately chase after him even if he simply left the mountain or stepped out of the courtyard. It was because Chu Jinglan’s heart was uneasy.

 

“Let’s renew our Dao companion mark, Chu Jinglan,” Xiao Mo said. “This way, you’ll be able to sense me at all times, and I’ll be able to sense you too.”

 

Although the Dao companion ceremony hadn’t yet begun, Xiao Mo wanted to do something now to ease Chu Jinglan’s heart.

 

Chu Jinglan turned slightly and pulled Xiao Mo into his arms. Looking at Xiao Mo’s bare forehead, he said, “Alright.”

 

“But I want a Red Luan mark. Will you agree?”

 

The Red Luan mark wasn’t just about sharing possessions—it was a mark of life and death. Once formed, it meant living together in harmony and dying together in the same grave—a true union of life and death.

 

“Why wouldn’t I agree?” Xiao Mo’s fingers brushed against Chu Jinglan’s brow. “I said I wouldn’t leave anymore—that means I want to share life and death with you.”

 

Both of them summoned their spiritual energy and essence blood, raising their hands to touch each other’s foreheads. Using their hands as brushes and spiritual energy mixed with blood as ink, they redrew the Dao companion mark on each other’s foreheads—deeper and stronger than before.

 

A red lotus bloomed on one, and a night-blooming cereus on the other, reappearing on their bodies. With the Red Luan mark now sealed, it could never be undone in this lifetime.

 

Unless their love was deeply rooted, no one would form such an irreversible Dao companion mark.

 

But for Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan, it was perfect. They didn’t need any retreat.

 

As the mark was completed, Chu Jinglan pressed a kiss to Xiao Mo’s forehead.

 

He trailed kisses down from Xiao Mo’s forehead to his nose bridge, leaving marks bit by bit until finally capturing Xiao Mo’s lips.

 

This kiss was nothing like the ones during the day—it was bold and unrestrained. Chu Jinglan parted Xiao Mo’s lips forcefully, invading with fervor and stealing his breath entirely. Xiao Mo’s hand on Chu Jinglan’s shoulder curled instinctively as he tried to respond like he had earlier in the day but found himself swept away by Chu Jinglan’s rhythm—unable to find his own pace.

 

The entirely different sensation ignited an even greater fire within him, burning him until he felt feverish.

 

When the kiss ended, Xiao Mo finally regained his breath. His body felt weak and limp as his gaze shimmered like rippling spring water—beautiful beyond words.

 

Chu Jinglan leaned close to his ear and murmured in a low voice: “I want you.”

 

Tonight, he promised himself that he would remember every detail about Xiao Mo—his every expression and reaction. His mind was exceptionally clear, ensuring that he wouldn’t hurt him.

 

Such clarity of spiritual consciousness might not come again anytime soon, and Chu Jinglan didn’t want to miss this moment.

 

Xiao Mo closed his eyes, trembling yet resolute as he climbed onto Chu Jinglan’s shoulders: “…Alright.”

 

“You can do whatever you want with me.”

 

The embroidered canopy fell with a single pull as they tumbled into its soft embrace. Beneath the flickering lamplight, their shadows drew closer until they merged completely—indistinguishable from one another.

 

Flowers blossomed; dew dripped from petals; cranes lifted their necks in song that seemed endless.

 

The canopy swayed gently before being caught by a pale hand slick with sweat. The golden chain around its wrist swayed along with it until that hand lost strength amidst uncontrollable sounds and fell softly against the edge of the bed.

 

Before it could rest fully, another hand reached out to grasp the wrist adorned with the delicate chain—pulling it back firmly without hesitation. Chu Jinglan called his name: “Xiao Mo.”

 

Xiao Mo trembled at the sound of his voice and movement. His throat quivered as he responded shakily: “…Yes.”

 

“Xiao Mo.”

 

“Mm! I… I’m here.”

 

He called again, more forcefully: “Xiao Mo.”

 

“Ah!”

 

This time, it was a long while before Xiao Mo’s voice, immersed in lingering aftershocks, came softly: “…I’m here.”

 

The spiritual fire lamps lit one after another, illuminating the room. Though the night deepened and dew fell heavy outside, the fire within the room burned on, showing no signs of stopping.

 

It wasn’t until dawn approached, when there was no longer any need for lamps, that the activity inside finally quieted.

 

Xiao Mo lay sprawled on the embroidered bedding, utterly exhausted and unable to move. He barely had the strength to lift his eyelids, but as soon as a kiss landed on them, he couldn’t even manage to open his eyes.

 

Chu Jinglan called softly again: “Xiao Mo.”

 

And once again, Xiao Mo didn’t let him down: “…I’m here, Chu Jinglan.”

 

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1 Kofi = 1 Extra Chapter