Shen Liuxiang’s consciousness was hazy, his body as if it had entered another space, no longer feeling like his own, so exhausted that he was too lazy to move even a finger.
After an unknown amount of time, buzzing noises sounded all around, as if they had already left the secret realm and were in the Demon Capital.
Shen Liuxiang’s dark eyelashes trembled slightly, his head nuzzling against the shoulder he was leaning on, finding a comfortable position, and continuing to sleep.
Subsequently, the noise disappeared from his ears.
Zhou Xuanlan cast a sound isolation spell on the person in his arms. Seeing him fall back asleep, he then raised his head to look at Ao Yue, who had grown rounder, with a smile at the corner of his lips: “Something the matter?”
Ao Yue said: “I think I’m fine, you’re the one with issues.”
Everyone knew that the demon kings had gone to the secret realm to seek the demon pill. Originally, everyone was guessing which demon king’s hands it would ultimately fall into. Unexpectedly, not long after the secret realm opened, those outside saw a red light cluster fly out, matching the description of the demon bone pill in ancient texts, and disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Obviously, the demon bone pill had escaped from the secret realm, and everyone returned empty-handed.
A group of demon kings searched for a long time in the rainy secret realm without any gain. After emerging with helpless expressions, they learned of this matter, and their faces all darkened, as if they had been played by the demon bone pill.
At this time, Zhou Xuanlan, mixed among them, appeared distinctly out of place.
He was holding a slender figure in his arms, his typically cold face constantly revealing a hint of a smile, his handsome features carrying undisguisable joy.
If everyone hadn’t seen the demon bone pill fly away with their own eyes, they would have thought that this sacred pill of the demon realm had fallen into the hands of the Ninth Demon King.
…What was he so happy about?
After all, Ao Yue had watched Zhou Xuanlan grow from a youth into the current Ninth Demon King and was somewhat familiar with him. He rubbed his chin, glanced at Shen Liuxiang, whose soft, fine hair covered most of his face, and looked thoughtful.
Not injured.
If he were injured, Zhou Xuanlan shouldn’t be this happy. Could it be…
Ao Yue immediately sniffed and discovered that the aura on Shen Liuxiang was identical to Zhou Xuanlan’s, completely mixed together. He couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise: “You and the Evil Ghost Immortal Lord…”
“Zhou Xuanlan—!” Before he could finish, an angry shout came from behind.
Ao Yue’s words were interrupted. He turned his head in puzzlement to see an elegantly dressed, handsome man, sword in hand, rushing over angrily.
It was Xu Xingchen.
After parting with Shen Liuxiang, Xu Xingchen returned to his lodgings and very seriously completed his task, staring at the scroll without blinking until evening. Discovering that Shen Liuxiang still hadn’t returned, when he sent people to look for him, he learned that he had mixed in with the demon kings and entered the demon pill secret realm.
Xu Xingchen was quite angry, ate several awakening pills, and forcibly stayed up for two or three days, constantly watching the movements of the other two scrolls.
This morning, as he rubbed his bloodshot eyes, staring at the scroll, feeling somewhat aggrieved, he heard that everyone had come out of the secret realm. He immediately rushed over to seek justice from this unreliable elder brother.
It was agreed that he would be responsible at night, hmph, but instead, he went off to play.
But Xu Xingchen hadn’t expected that Shen Liuxiang would be motionlessly carried in someone’s arms, seemingly in an unconscious state.
Xu Xingchen’s heart sank. In this situation, he must have been seriously injured in the secret realm. Looking again at Zhou Xuanlan’s smiling expression, he was instantly furious, his headdress nearly tilting from anger.
“What happened to my elder brother? Was it your doing?!”
Zhou Xuanlan was silent for a moment: “Master is tired and is resting.”
Xu Xingchen: “?”
He calmed down, rolled up Shen Liuxiang’s loose sleeves, wondering why he was wearing ill-fitted clothes—had he run out of money?—while extending his finger to his slender, fair wrist to check his internal condition.
Except for particularly active spiritual energy circulation, there was nothing unusual.
He brushed aside the black hair at the side of Shen Liuxiang’s face and saw that his complexion was rosy and his appearance was excellent.
Confirming that he wasn’t injured, Xu Xingchen breathed a sigh of relief, then snorted coldly, mumbling to the sleeping person: “I haven’t closed my eyes for several nights, and I’m not as tired as this.”
Zhou Xuanlan said: “Are you relieved now? I want to take Master back to rest.”
Xu Xingchen nodded: “Fine, let him sleep.”
After speaking, he reluctantly extended his hand to take Shen Liuxiang, “Give him to me, you don’t need to make the trip.”
Going back to rest naturally meant returning to their lodgings.
But Xu Xingchen hadn’t expected that Zhou Xuanlan would drop a “Master is coming to my place,” and with a flicker of his figure, disappeared, taking Shen Liuxiang away right under his nose.
Xu Xingchen: “Stop!!!”
He immediately gave chase, but halfway there realized he didn’t know the way, so he turned back, placed the sharp Xuanhuang Sword across Ao Yue’s neck, and smiled coldly: “You’re in this together, right? Take me to your lair.”
Ao Yue: “…”
By the time Xu Xingchen finally found them, Shen Liuxiang was sleeping soundly on the soft couch. He had originally intended to take him back, but seeing this, he had to change his mind and found a lounge chair to move beside the couch.
After lying down, he unrolled the scroll and used magic to suspend it in midair, so that Shen Liuxiang could see it as soon as he opened his eyes, “Don’t think about slacking off, even if you’re asleep, you still have to watch.”
When Zhou Xuanlan entered the room, the person on the lounge chair had his eyes narrowed to a line, head tilted back, drowsily looking at the scroll.
Zhou Xuanlan drove him away: “You go back, I’ll watch it.”
The scroll was of great importance and confidential. Xu Xingchen wasn’t comfortable entrusting others to monitor it, so he had been personally handling it these past few days. Hearing Zhou Xuanlan speak this way, he instinctively shook his head in refusal, but then suddenly remembered that Zhou Xuanlan knew about this matter.
He changed his mind, rubbing his eyes and saying: “If that’s the case, you substitute for Shen Liuxiang.”
Having said this, Xu Xingchen intended to go back and sleep. As he reached the door, he remembered something, rummaged in his storage pouch for a while, took out a small jade bottle, and handed it to Zhou Xuanlan, “Later, apply this medicine to him.”
Zhou Xuanlan: “Apply what?”
“Haven’t you noticed?” Xu Xingchen tilted his neck, pointing at the figure on the couch. “His neck has two or three red spots. He must have been bitten by mosquitoes in the secret realm. Apply some medicine for him, otherwise it will be itchy and painful, and he’ll be very uncomfortable.”
Zhou Xuanlan was silent for a moment, then nodded. Only then did Xu Xingchen leave with peace of mind.
When the door closed, Zhou Xuanlan placed the jade bottle on the table, walked to the bed, his gaze falling on the slender, fair neck, his eyes inscrutable.
The kiss marks had faded considerably and would completely disappear before long.
Zhou Xuanlan took off his outer robe, got onto the bed, and pulled the person into his arms. After a moment, he couldn’t help but bury his head in Shen Liuxiang’s neck and shoulder, covering the visible marks again.
Now, the red marks on the snow-white skin once again became clear and eye-catching—at least they would no longer be mistaken for insect bites.
In the evening, Shen Liuxiang’s eyelashes moved slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes to see a familiar neck and shoulder, noticing the remaining teeth marks on it.
Shen Liuxiang was stunned for a moment, his cheeks suddenly reddening.
At this time, the arm around his waist suddenly tightened, causing an explosion of soreness and pain that spread from his waist throughout his entire body.
Shen Liuxiang couldn’t help but let out a muffled groan, his phoenix eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at the culprit, opening his mouth to say: “…”
After speaking, he was stunned. He cleared his throat, tentatively calling out Zhou Xuanlan’s name, but these few simple words were extremely difficult to speak, his voice hoarse beyond belief.
Shen Liuxiang: “…” He had lost his voice.
He blinked sadly, and was then fed a green pill. “Master, don’t speak. Let your throat rest for a while.”
Shen Liuxiang raised his barely audible hoarse voice, mumbling: “But I can’t hold it in.” Not being able to speak made him more and more uncomfortable, and the more uncomfortable he felt, the more he wanted to speak.
Zhou Xuanlan chuckled lightly: “Master can use his Nascent Soul.”
Shen Liuxiang’s eyes brightened. The next moment, the palm-sized Nascent Soul landed on the bedding, struggling to stand up and raising both hands to straighten the small golden crown that had tilted on his head.
Due to the large amount of spiritual energy nurturing his primordial spirit recently, the Nascent Soul’s intelligence had matured by about a year, and its appearance had also slightly changed. The soft, white cheeks had become smaller, the baby fat gradually disappearing, and the facial features becoming more delicate.
Being suddenly forced out of the dantian, it wasn’t silently angry as usual.
Its whole demeanor exhibited the essence of docility.
Shen Liuxiang almost felt that this wasn’t like him. He gestured with his chin, and the Nascent Soul standing in his palm said to Zhou Xuanlan: “Want water, want snacks, and want story books.”
Zhou Xuanlan’s lips curved: “This disciple will go prepare them.”
After the Nascent Soul reported a series of snacks it wanted to eat, he got up and went out to get these things.
Shen Liuxiang finished drinking the water, casually set down the teacup, and lay on the bed, not wanting to move at all. The room was too quiet, and when bored, he couldn’t help but recall what had happened in the cave dwelling, immediately turning beet red.
Shen Liuxiang shook his head, quickly throwing away those memories, and began to tease the small Nascent Soul.
Father Emperor had said that as the Nascent Soul’s consciousness gradually recovered, the memories engraved in the primordial spirit would emerge with it.
Shen Liuxiang pinched the Nascent Soul’s little cheeks, surprisingly finding that it didn’t resist. Previously, it would definitely pout unhappily and try to slap away his hand, but now, it just obediently sat on the pillow, allowing him to pinch it.
It wasn’t jumping around as usual, always trying to be naughty.
Shen Liuxiang and the Nascent Soul were connected in mind. When he calmed down, he immediately sensed the sadness lingering in his heart. He stared at the Nascent Soul, silently asking: “What’s wrong?”
The Nascent Soul was silent for a long time, its two small hands on its knees clasped together, saying quietly: “I, I don’t have a mother anymore.”
Shen Liuxiang’s mind was shaken. The original body lost his mother at four years old?
Shen Liuxiang inexplicably felt saddened, showing an expression identical to the Nascent Soul’s. After a long while, he raised his hand to pat the small Nascent Soul’s head, “I understand.”
The memories the Nascent Soul had of being four years old were very vague, only vaguely knowing that it had lost its mother that year, but it had lived fairly well, with a gentle-tempered woman always taking care of it, and seemingly having a playmate of the same age.
Shen Liuxiang’s long lashes lowered, sending the teary-eyed Nascent Soul back to his dantian. No wonder it looked like a frost-bitten eggplant.
He rubbed his black hair, remembering the important matter at hand, and looked up at the scroll suspended in midair. It showed that the other two scrolls were at a distance…
Shen Liuxiang: “??”
Why were they overlapping?!
Shen Liuxiang’s eyes suddenly widened, and in the next moment, a figure appeared in front of the bed.
The newcomer wore light cyan robes, standing tall, with two scrolls hanging at his waist. His gaze fell precisely on Shen Liuxiang.
The face, gentle as jade, subsequently revealed a slight smile.
“It’s been a long time, Junior Brother. Are you well?”
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Thank You for the new chapter ( ๑ ᴖ ᴈ ᴖ)♥
Wait, who is that???(●´⌓`●)