Author: hoenibean (Page 14 of 74)

Chapter 57

Si Lan felt uncomfortable hearing the title “God of Grief”. His lips tightened into a thin line.

Haowei glanced at his tightly pressed red lips and said, “If you don’t like him, I’ll go find him alone. You wait for me at Zhuyun Peak.”

“He’s in seclusion…”

“Yeah, we’ll just barge in.” Haowei said casually.

Si Lan fell silent for a moment, then said, “I’ll go with you.” He felt awkward to directly mention that they had been acting together for a long time. Suddenly not following Haowei made him feel uneasy.

Haowei looked up, his gaze moving from Si Lan’s lips to his eyes. “No need to force yourself.”

“I’m not forcing myself.” Si Lan raised his eyelids and met Haowei’s gaze, only then noticing they were both lying on the bed. He was loosely wrapped in a white inner garment, while Haowei’s chest was bare, bearing a red scratch mark.

Si Lan’s face stiffened for a moment. A scratch mark… How could he not remember scratching Haowei? Instead, he vaguely recalled being carried to bed by Haowei and then subjected to a chaotic nibbling, with Haowei’s voice filled with anger ringing in his ears.

“Such lack of focus deserves punishment.”

Thinking of this, he lowered his head and saw the bruised skin exposed at the collar of his inner garment, as if he had been through a lot of turmoil. Was this the punishment?

Si Lan’s face alternated between red and white, unable to help narrowing his eyes, glaring at Haowei with a hint of anger.

Seeing Si Lan just lowered his head to look at his body and then raised it up, glaring at him with anger in his eyes, Haowei knew what he was upset about. He coughed lightly and hurriedly said, “Well, let’s go together then. Yu Wuxia said, ‘The change of the six harmonies, the eight yin and yang will surely change,’ which is easy to understand. But what does ‘Reincarnation for a hundred lifetimes all fails, and this life you will also fail’ mean?”

Si Lan shook his head, but a bizarre thought arose in his mind, which he felt was impossible.

Instead, Haowei said, “Could it mean that you’ve been reincarnated a hundred times to stop Yu Wuxia’s actions?”

Si Lan remained silent.

If that were true, then his fate would be too miserable.

No wonder he gave only a penny to heaven, and heaven still brought him here. Saying something about unifying the six realms was actually to be subjected to scrutiny. If he thought nothing and was still tricked by heaven.

He held his head in his hands, deeply regretting not downloading the anti-fraud app years ago.

Haowei looked at his painful appearance and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Si Lan looked at the jade-like man in front of him and silently felt that among the myriad misfortunes, the fortune was that some of the people in the Demon Realm, and the man in front of him, had appeared in his life.

In the face of regret, it actually felt a little worthwhile.

He came down from the bed, intending to prop up the bed, but his wrists were really sore, and he almost fell over.

Haowei held his figure and his eyes were empty, as if there was some guilt in him.

“It’s better for you to rest for a day before we go to find the God of Sorrow.”

“No, we’d better go find the God of Sorrow as soon as possible.”

Although he didn’t know what Yu Wuxia wanted to do, delaying a day was a waste of a day. It was better to stop Yu Wuxia as soon as possible.

Haowei nodded, reached out and grabbed Si Lan’s wrist, and helped him rub it. He still felt a little guilty in his heart and felt that he had been reckless and indulgent last night, and he should be less eager for material things in the future.

Si Lan was unaware of Haowei’s inner thoughts, still furrowing his brow as he pondered. If Yu Wuxia had been planning these things for a long time, many previously inexplicable matters seemed to have explanations now.

For example, Zhongli once told Lou Yu that he had seen Lou Yu in a dream, where Lou Yu was his groom, which led Zhongli to fall in love at first sight upon meeting Lou Yu. Could that dream have been planted in Zhongli’s mind by Yu Wuxia, intentionally hinting at Zhongli?

And then, Dayong was summoned to the mortal realm by Pei Yu immediately after appearing, such timing being so coincidental. Perhaps the tragedy between Pei Yu and Taoyuan was orchestrated behind the scenes by Yu Wuxia.

…

He just couldn’t understand why Yu Wuxia manipulated so many people and things. What did he intend to achieve?

Si Lan’s mind was full of questions, unable to comprehend. In the blink of an eye, he and Haowei arrived at Gusha Mountain.

Across from Gusha Mountain flowed a murmuring stream, beside which hung a waterfall. Water cascaded down, creating a roaring sound.

Si Lan glanced at the waterfall and suddenly remembered the dream he had had yesterday, where Yu Wuxia had brought him to this waterfall.

Why was it so coincidental?

Si Lan couldn’t help but take a few steps forward, gazing intently.

Haowei saw Si Lan standing motionless, staring at the waterfall, and said, “This waterfall is transformed by the Mirror Pitcher, one of the artifacts of the God of Grief.”

“Mirror Pitcher… Can it see things that will happen in the future?” He remembered seeing the new Six Realms in this Mirror Pitcher.

It was a completely unfamiliar Six Realms, or more precisely, there were no Six Realms inside. Immortals, demons, and humans were all integrated into a bizarre world where there was no supreme ruler, no ants groveling in the dust.

“You saw things that will happen in the future here?” Haowei asked in return.

“Yeah, but it might also be a false image created by Yu Wuxia to deceive me.” Although Si Lan spoke to Haowei, he was also comforting himself inwardly.

There were so many highly cultivated individuals in the Six Realms; they shouldn’t be heading towards destruction.

Not long after they landed, a group of mountain guards from Gusha Mountain sensed their presence and immediately surrounded them.

These people were ordinary phoenixes and had not seen Haowei before, so they did not recognize Haowei’s identity.

But from Haowei’s attire and aura, they felt he was extraordinary, so their attitude was mild.

The leading female servant was Qingxuan, the attendant of Princess Jingzhu of the Phoenix Clan. After scanning both of them with her eyes, she bowed to Haowei. “May I ask which immortal you are? And why have you come to Gusha Mountain?”

Gusha Mountain had been closed to outsiders for tens of thousands of years.

“Haowei.” Haowei had no intention of concealing his identity. The moment he spoke his name, the faces of the phoenixes changed drastically, and they immediately knelt down and saluted.

“Greetings, Your Majesty.”

Haowei’s expression was indifferent, his voice deep with a hint of coercion. “Is the God of Grief still in seclusion?”

“Understood,” Qingxuan replied.

“I have come this time to meet Lord Xiyou,” Haowei stated succinctly, unwilling to waste words.

Upon hearing this, Qingxuan appeared conflicted. “Your Majesty, Princess Zhu instructed us to guard the vicinity of Mount Gusha and ensure that no one disturbs Lord Xiyou. Furthermore, Lord Xiyou himself instructed our Phoenix clan not to disturb their rest before secluding himself.”

Haowei’s eyelids drooped slightly at her words, his gaze turning sharp and piercing as he turned to Si Lan beside him. “What do you think?”

Si Lan replied slowly, “Since we’re already here…”

In the next instant, a formidable pressure descended upon the Phoenix attendants. An intense oppression hung over them, rendering their faces grim. They knelt on the ground, unable to move, their lips trembling as they struggled to speak.

Haowei and Si Lan strode past them directly, heading towards Mount Gusha. The mountain was enveloped in a formation set by the previous Phoenix Queen, resistant to intrusion, and breaking it would surely alert Princess Zhu.

Haowei, unsure of Si Lan’s feelings towards Princess Zhu, informed him of their intent. Si Lan nodded in response.

He wasn’t afraid of Princess Zhu anymore, now that he possessed a fragment of the Heavenly Way. Even Lord Xiyou didn’t concern him.

Haowei then used magic to dismantle the formation—a golden Phoenix illusion set by the previous Phoenix Queen. The formation shattered under Haowei’s sword aura.

Mount Gusha trembled violently as rocks tumbled and clouds of dust billowed into the sky, casting a pall over half the heavens. Animals in the mountain fled in fear, their cries echoing eerily.

When debris threatened to strike Si Lan, Haowei calmly deflected them without changing his expression, holding Si Lan’s hand. In an instant, they appeared atop the peak of Mount Gusha.

Si Lan looked at the female Phoenixes still trapped below. “Will they be injured by the falling rocks?”

Haowei replied calmly, “No one will die.”

“Oh.”

Si Lan didn’t say more. When the Phoenix daughters caused trouble at Cloud Crest Peak last time, he had received them with patience. Initially, he only disliked Princess Zhu, feeling the others were innocent. But upon reflection, he realized the eight Phoenix daughters’ easy cooperation with the Lord of the Deer implied the entire Phoenix clan harbored grievances against him, likely stemming from his father’s rejection of Princess Zhu’s advances, turning the Phoenix clan against him as well.

Since that was the case, he no longer wanted to be the good guy.

Suddenly, a Phoenix cry resounded from the distant horizon, echoing through the skies and causing all birds to sing in unison. Strange avian calls enveloped the entire mountain.

A colossal crimson Phoenix descended upon auspicious clouds. With a slender neck, a raised back adorned with intricate patterns, fiery wings spread wide, and a tail trailing like a rainbow, it merged seamlessly with the crimson sunset.

This was Princess Zhu.

Folding her wings, Princess Zhu stood before Haowei and Si Lan. Perhaps intentionally, she remained in her enormous form instead of taking human shape, offering a dignified greeting to Haowei while her gaze, brown and unwavering, fixed on Si Lan.

“Sovereign Haowei,” Princess Zhu nodded gently, her eyes never dropping, holding Si Lan’s gaze.

Si Lan discerned a hint of madness and resentment in her eyes, his own gaze darkening. Remembering her insults and taunts towards Luo Hui, veins bulged on his forehead, a hint of demonic aura swirling around him.

Haowei lightly squeezed his hand, and Si Lan’s demonic aura subsided slightly, calming his anger.

“Princess Zhu, I broke the seal on Mount Gusha only to meet Lord Xiyou. I hope you can forgive this intrusion,” Haowei said respectfully. Princess Zhu was thousands of years his senior and held a relationship with him as his elder, so Haowei had to show some deference.

Princess Zhu shook her wings and finally shifted her gaze from Si Lan to Haowei. “Your Majesty, what brings you to see Lord Xiyou?”

Haowei replied succinctly, “I have a matter that puzzles me, and I believe Lord Xiyou might provide clarity.”

“Your Majesty, to be frank, Lord Xiyou may not be able to see you at this moment.”

Haowei’s expression remained unchanged at this news, his voice lowering slightly. “What if I insist on seeing Lord Xiyou today?” Normally, Haowei would never act so impetuously; if someone didn’t wish to see him, he wouldn’t force a confrontation. But now, among the Six Realms, Lord Xiyou was the oldest and most knowledgeable among the Divine Emperors. Thus, disregarding etiquette, Haowei was determined to meet him.

Princess Zhu dared not stop Haowei, glancing at the attendants still kneeling at the foot of Mount Gusha with an uneasy expression. “Your Majesty, such actions may not be appropriate in terms of etiquette or sentiment.”

Haowei had no interest in discussing etiquette or sentiment with her, nor did he wish to waste time. He simply stated, “Princess Zhu, please step aside.”

“…,” Princess Zhu hesitated.

Princess Zhu hadn’t expected Haowei to be so unyielding. Her expression stiffened slightly before she turned her gaze to Si Lan. She knew he held a grudge against her.

Si Lan, undaunted, smiled provocatively at her. This only darkened Princess Zhu’s expression further.

Haowei took a step forward while holding Si Lan’s hand, compelling Princess Zhu to yield to them.

With the barrier around Mount Gusha breached, theoretically, Lord Xiyou should have heard the commotion outside. However, there was no response from him. Could he be at a critical point in his cultivation?

Suppressing his curiosity, Haowei sent a mental message into Mount Gusha.

“Lord Xiyou.”

He called several times but received no reply.

Si Lan sensed something amiss. “What’s wrong?”

“Lord Xiyou seems… off.”

Glancing at Princess Zhu, Haowei spoke and then proceeded to breach a corner of Mount Gusha, pulling Si Lan inside.

Observing this, Princess Zhu flew into Mount Gusha as well. Partly to understand why Haowei and Si Lan were together and whether they intended harm against Lord Xiyou.

She hadn’t forgotten Si Lan’s gaze towards her years ago—a young boy full of hatred and malice, as if he wanted to tear her apart and consume her flesh.

She still shuddered at the memory. Recently, the eight Phoenix daughters returned from Cloud Crest Peak with unusual expressions, suddenly changing their stories about Si Lan not being just an ordinary person, but a Divine Phoenix.

She found their behavior peculiar but could not extract any information from them. Reflecting now, Haowei must have threatened them.

Additionally, she wanted to know what had happened to Lord Xiyou. She had never seen him; by the time she was born, Lord Xiyou had already closed himself off for cultivation. Before her aunt passed away, she passed on the Divine Array to her, granting her Lord Xiyou’s protection. Over the years, she had been invincible in the Six Realms. However, elders of the Phoenix clan hinted that Lord Xiyou used to transmit divine messages frequently during his seclusion, but in recent ten thousand years, there had been none. Therefore, the elders suspected Lord Xiyou might have perished.

Inside Mount Gusha, there was another barrier, presumably set up by Lord Xiyou himself. Haowei noticed the barrier’s magic was extremely weak, nearly collapsing. With a gentle spell, he shattered the barrier instantly.

They descended into the depths of the mountain, where darkness surrounded them. Haowei conjured a flame to illuminate their surroundings.

Inside the cave lay only a white jade bed.

On the jade bed leaned a black figure, head bowed slightly, features obscured. They sensed little presence from him, resembling more a desiccated corpse—thin and lifeless.

Si Lan and Haowei approached slowly, standing before Lord Xiyou.

Lord Xiyou still showed no response.

Si Lan observed him and couldn’t help but look at Haowei, silently questioning if they had found the right person.

Haowei responded with a look confirming they hadn’t made a mistake; this was supposed to be Lord Xiyou.

Yet, it wasn’t as they had imagined.

“Lord Xiyou, we pay our respects,” Si Lan bowed slightly. However, the dark figure remained unresponsive. Si Lan noticed a part of his arm exposed to be turning black and couldn’t help but suspect…

With courage, Si Lan extended his hand towards the figure’s nose to check for any sign of life. As his fingers touched the desiccated body, it slowly stirred. The head lifted, revealing murky, yellowed eyes meeting Si Lan’s gaze.

“Junli, we’ve waited for you for twenty thousand years.”

T/N: Hey there! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!

I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!

https://ko-fi.com/hoenibean

Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!

Chapter 56

Si Lan remained silent as the dragon tail that had lightly touched the back of his neck slowly slid downward, tracing along his spine and tailbone…

Si Lan suddenly shivered and reached out to grasp the tail that was trying to invade further. He mumbled, “I was just a bit curious, thinking about what you said a few days ago about there being another one under your scales, cough cough…” After speaking, Si Lan’s face turned bright red, and he could only cough a few times to cover his embarrassment.

Haowei’s lips curved slightly, and his tail suddenly slapped the water, splashing it everywhere. When it resurfaced, the tail had doubled in size, water droplets falling from the white scales and creating ripples in the water.

The slender tail gently encircled Si Lan’s waist, but the tip provocatively traced Si Lan’s chest. Si Lan felt both cold and hot at the same time—the coldness came from the cool scales against his skin, while the heat was internal, his blood seemingly boiling and burning wherever the scales touched.

Haowei’s face was obscured by a rising white mist, and his deep voice carried a husky, magnetic quality, “So curious, what do you want to do?”

“Curiosity,” Si Lan replied honestly. After all, not many creatures have two of them.

Haowei was actually quite shy. Before meeting Si Lan, he never discussed matters of love and affection, let alone said such flirtatious words. But after falling in love with Si Lan, he seemed to have changed completely, instinctively knowing what to do.

No wonder the Goddess Mother used to say he was too dull and needed someone to teach him, while Yu Wudao interrupted, saying that men naturally change when the time comes, so there’s no need to worry.

It turns out that meeting the right person can indeed soften the heart, thicken the skin, and harden other parts.

Hearing Si Lan mention “curiosity,” Haowei paused slightly, a wave of heat rising in his chest, unsure if it was from embarrassment or awkwardness.

Si Lan actually considered him a subject of curiosity.

He leaned closer to Si Lan, “Perhaps this strange form of mine is meant to match you.”

“Match me?” Si Lan didn’t understand. What did it have to do with him?

Looking at his own reflection in Haowei’s eyes, Si Lan inexplicably felt he appeared exceptionally delicate and alluring at this moment. Behind him, the white dragon tail coiled, poised to strike.

He couldn’t help but nervously swallow.

“You are the reincarnation of the Child of Heaven; your body must be different from ordinary men.”

“…” Si Lan.

“You and I are destined for each other, perhaps because you are a pair, and I am a match.”

Si Lan’s face turned even redder. He had explained before that his past life as Jun Li had nothing to do with him now. If he were thick-skinned enough, he would have stripped to let Haowei see for himself.

He slowly denied, “We are not destined for each other.”

“Hmm?” Haowei’s tone rose.

“The fortune-teller said my destined one would have a demonic heart and a serpent’s courage, which doesn’t describe you.”

Haowei squinted his eyes, “When did you see the fortune-teller again?”

“Ah, just after we returned from Dayong Mountain.”

Upon hearing this, Haowei suddenly understood why Si Lan had been acting strangely. Si Lan used to always talk about how they were fated to be together, but he stopped mentioning it recently.

When they met in the Thirty-Three Heavens, Si Lan wanted to leave immediately upon seeing him. At that time, Haowei didn’t understand why, but now all the strange behavior made sense, connecting to this clue.

He wasn’t Si Lan’s fated one after all.

“So, who is your fated one?” Haowei’s demeanor seemed calm, but the scales on his tail twitched slightly, each one seemingly suppressed yet restless.

“The Torch Snake.”

“…” Haowei.

Si Lan felt uncomfortable as Haowei’s scales brushed against him. Hurriedly trying to comfort him, Si Lan said, “But that Torch Snake is dead. Besides, I don’t believe in that fortune teller’s words. Who destiny dictates doesn’t matter as much as who we choose to love.”

Haowei’s scales settled down again. He rested both hands on the edge of the pool, a strand of black hair lightly clinging to his cheek, his deep eyes like the sea. Ignoring Si Lan’s somewhat “profound confession,” he changed the subject, “What does ‘Serpent’s gall creating monsters’ mean?”

“It roughly means having snake gall in one’s body.”

Haowei’s eyes flickered gently, a faint smirk on his lips as he calmly replied, “Oh, I killed the Torch Snake back then and swallowed its gall. By that standard, your fated one is still me.”

“…” Si Lan.

Seeing Si Lan’s skeptical gaze, Haowei pointed to his own heart, saying, “My spiritual center has been affected by demonic energy, a result of an injury to my spiritual core that has yet to dissipate.”

“…” Si Lan was momentarily at a loss for words, staring blankly at Haowei. He had thought Haowei had killed his fated one, but now it seemed it had circled back to him.

“Is that so?” Si Lan’s voice trembled slightly as he murmured in disbelief. Perhaps due to the water being too warm, mist gathered in his eyes, making them slightly moist.

Thankfully, during their time on Yingzhou Island, he had steadfastly chosen Haowei, avoiding a decision he might regret for a lifetime.

“Mm.” Haowei nodded slightly. His tail pulled Si Lan closer, wrapping around his waist and abdomen, the beastly nature beneath the scales almost revealing itself.

Si Lan was still immersed in a mix of joy and shock, oblivious to the anomaly. He reached out and encircled Haowei’s waist, resting his cheek against Haowei’s shoulder. Pressed against Haowei’s chest, he could even feel Haowei’s heartbeat.

He didn’t know what to say. Life was filled with inevitabilities and tragedies, but the thread connecting them was beautiful, leading ultimately to Haowei.

Haowei’s voice was hoarse as he subtly murmured, “Si Lan, a dragon’s… can’t be interrupted. Otherwise, the dragon’s tail will be injured.”

Si Lan didn’t understand. What couldn’t be interrupted? The dragon’s tail would be injured?

Just as he was about to ask for clarification, the creature pressing against his back shifted slightly downward. In an instant, as if understanding something, his eyes widened.

What had been pressing against his back wasn’t Haowei’s dragon tail, but Haowei’s dragon… 

He hadn’t expected this white dragon to be so… shameless.

His face flushed suddenly, wanting to push Haowei away, but Haowei’s tail tightened around him even more, its agile tip like a hand, teasing his sensitive skin.

“It’ll be over soon,” Haowei murmured.

In bed, a man’s words could be true or false.

Si Lan had read many books and encountered many summaries, but in practice, he ended up believing the other’s nonsense with a frown, asking, “Will the dragon tail really be injured?”

“Mm, if the essence can’t be released, it will rush to the dragon’s tail, causing it harm.” Haowei made up.

Thinking of Haowei’s dragon tail being injured, Si Lan furrowed his brow. He knew that some monsters could indeed be harmed if they couldn’t vent, but he didn’t know real dragons were like this. He felt a bit shy and nervous. When he reached back and held the dragon creature, his arm trembled slightly.

Just this touch scared him.

It was too frightening.

Completely not like a normal person.

Indeed, Haowei’s lower half had transformed into a dragon tail, which was several times larger than a human form, making the dragon creature much larger too. It took both of Si Lan’s hands just to hold onto it.

Sensing the unusual warmth and shape, Si Lan guessed it might truly harm fundamentally, hesitating briefly before gently moving his fingers.

Haowei’s breath hitched, his eyes darkening as his hands, resting on the pool’s edge, involuntarily fell onto Si Lan’s waist, seeming to both restrain and encourage him.

Si Lan never imagined he’d one day be helping someone like this.

He thought, his head must be addled from soaking in the bath. Though muttering this to himself, his actions became urgent, causing Haowei to emit a muffled groan, whether from pain or something else, which sounded incredibly pleasing and magnetic to Si Lan’s ears.

He had only intended to glance up at him, but with blurry eyes and flushed cheeks, Haowei couldn’t resist grasping the nape of Si Lan’s neck, pressing his lips against Si Lan’s.

Si Lan froze, his movements halted. The dragon creature, displeased, nudged his palm, seeking assistance. Si Lan couldn’t help but wryly smile as he responded to Haowei’s kiss while managing the situation with the dragon creature.

Estimating a normal person’s endurance, Si Lan assumed Haowei was nearly at his limit. Yet, to his surprise, Haowei’s hand was still cramping, and the dragon creature remained unsatisfied.

Feeling anxious, Si Lan decided to playfully provoke Haowei during the kiss.

Haowei, being youthful and spirited, responded eagerly. Soon after, Si Lan collapsed exhausted into Haowei’s arms, thinking everything was done, only for Haowei to speak up again.

“There’s one more thing.”

“…” Si Lan.

He might as well just kill him.

Perhaps fearing Si Lan’s disbelief, Haowei held his hand and dipped it into the water, his voice a mix of coaxing and seriousness amid the mist, “Si Lan, help me again. Or if you’re tired, you don’t need to move; I can…”

Si Lan quickly interrupted, “I’m fine.” He was afraid of losing control to someone else, which might lead to more than just helping out.

Haowei said nothing, lips slightly pursed, head leaning against him.

In the depths of emotion, Haowei suddenly found it hard to restrain himself, “Si Lan, you smell so good.” So good that he wanted to swallow Si Lan whole, to keep him forever on his tongue.

Si Lan was unaware of any scent on himself. Upon hearing this, he blushed deeply and murmured softly, “What nonsense are you talking about?” How could a man like him smell fragrant?

Haowei buried his head in Si Lan’s neck and muttered, “Really fragrant.”

“…,” Si Lan fell silent.

Si Lan stopped arguing with him and only wanted to quickly finish what he was doing. In his heart, he complained about fate. He didn’t understand why fate would give dragons such as himself double the pleasure.

Little did he know, their double pleasure meant double pain for others.

He was almost exhausted to the point of collapse by the time he finished attending to Haowei. He vaguely thought that he would never invite Haowei to bathe again.

His dragon tail was unharmed, but his elbow was almost broken.

In the end, the one who suffered injuries was himself.

Seeing that Si Lan was truly tired, Haowei carried him back to rest in the main hall. Si Lan was now limp like a strand of silk, sinking softly into the blanket, looking like a tender bamboo shoot stripped of its skin.

Haowei stared at him with gentle indulgence in his eyes.

So easy to deceive.

Whatever he said, Si Lan believed it, foolishly cute.

If only he had known how easy it was to deceive… Haowei’s throat moved slightly, a hint of something sinister fleeting across his eyes. He should have dismantled and devoured him earlier.

He lay on the outer edge with his clothes on. Just as he lay down, Si Lan turned over and weakly held his arm.

Thinking Si Lan wanted to say something, Haowei leaned closer. Instead, he heard Si Lan say, “Yu Wuxia…”

“…,” Haowei was taken aback.

“I’ve thought it over carefully. Yu Wuxia is likely causing trouble at the boundary between the Demon Realm and the Human Realm. We should visit Linglong Mountain again.”

“When did you think of this?”

“Just now, while we were bathing,” Si Lan snorted and closed his eyes.

Haowei’s brow furrowed. While they were bathing, Si Lan was thinking about Yu Wuxia?

Haowei’s face darkened ominously. Just as he was about to say something, he lowered his gaze and found that Si Lan in his arms had already fallen asleep. He seemed quite tired, breathing slightly heavily, with faint shadows cast by his long eyelashes making his face look somewhat weary.

After a while, Haowei calmed down and reached out to touch Si Lan’s waist. “Wavering between two choices.”

He needed to sort out these wild thoughts. Si Lan needed to understand that some matters couldn’t be brought into the bedroom.

Si Lan had indeed been deeply engrossed in thoughts of Yu Wuxia. In his dream, he saw Yu Wuxia, but couldn’t discern his face, only a grey monk’s robe swaying in the wind.

Yu Wuxia led him to a waterfall in the dream. The waterfall instantly stopped and turned into a giant mirror. In the mirror appeared a new world, different from the current Six Realms.

Yu Wuxia’s voice echoed in his ears, “Reincarnation fails a hundred times, and this life you will fail too.”

Si Lan didn’t understand what Yu Wuxia meant. When he looked up to say something, Yu Wuxia’s figure gradually dissipated. He reached out to grab him, but only caught a few specks of starlight.

From halfway in the air came Yu Wuxia’s voice, “When the Six Realms change, the Eight Cycles must be replaced.”

Si Lan suddenly woke up from his dream, Yu Wuxia’s words lingering in his ears.

“When the Six Realms change, the Eight Cycles must be replaced.”

This dream… it didn’t seem like something he concocted randomly. It felt more like Yu Wuxia intentionally entered his dream to speak with him.

He had thought Yu Wuxia was hiding, unwilling to be found. Now it seemed Yu Wuxia hadn’t hidden anything at all; he had merely been playing a game of cat and mouse with them.

Slowly leading them to unravel the mystery and forcing them to take the bait.

Haowei also woke up, and upon seeing Si Lan’s dazed expression, asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I dreamt of Yu Wuxia.”

Upon hearing this, Haowei’s face grew serious. “What kind of dream?”

Si Lan then recounted the details of his dream to Haowei. The more Haowei listened, the darker his expression became.

Reincarnation fails a hundred times? When the Six Realms change, the Eight Cycles must be replaced?

Haowei suddenly understood what Yu Wuxia intended to do. As the divine strategist had predicted, Yu Wuxia didn’t seek to destroy the Six Realms but to overturn reincarnation and establish a new Six Realms.

For the Six Realms, it wouldn’t mean destruction.

But for the people of the current Six Realms, it would mean utter devastation.

Si Lan also grasped the meaning behind these words. He opened his mouth in disbelief, “How could he possibly establish a new Six Realms? Perhaps in this world, the only one who could easily destroy the Six Realms and establish them anew is the Heavenly Dao.”

Haowei cast a spell, and a three-dimensional map of the Six Realms appeared before them. He marked Xuanling Mountain, Dayong Mountain, Yingzhou Island, and Linglong Mountain on it.

According to their earlier speculation, there should be a place where the boundary between the Underworld and the Human Realm meets. Currently, nothing had happened in the Underworld, but they could still roughly mark its location.

After marking these five points, they found that they formed the five points of a pentagram, with the Human Realm at its center.

Frowning, Haowei muttered, “I wonder what this means? Perhaps only the Elder God, Zhuyou, can unravel this mystery.”

Zhuyou, the eldest god in the Six Realms, had been in seclusion for over ten thousand years.

He was also the god who indirectly caused the death of Si Lan’s mother.

T/N: Hey there! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!

I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!

https://ko-fi.com/hoenibean

Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!

Chapter 55

Before they could react, both of them were drawn into the illusion.

The scene before them rapidly shifted. The foggy surroundings gradually became clear, revealing two thatched huts at the foot of the mountain, swaying precariously in the wind and rain.

Upon seeing the familiar thatched huts, Haowei’s heart skipped a beat, as if a hand had gripped his throat, making it hard to breathe.

This was the place where he and Si Lan’s wisp of spirit once resided.

He glanced sideways and noticed that at some point, Si Lan had disappeared from his side.

In the void of the illusion, he was suspended alone, watching the scene of the pouring rain.

He slowly approached the huts, and the dark figure sitting on the threshold became clearer.

The little fool didn’t know how to tie his hair, so it was simply tied behind him with a piece of gray cloth. His eyes were red, as if he had just cried, and they were wet, staring unblinkingly at the heavy rain.

This illusion could make one see the deepest regrets in their heart.

For Haowei, the greatest regret was not returning to find the little fool back then.

Even though he could break free from the illusion and return to reality at any moment, he wanted to keep watching. He wanted to know what had happened to the little fool after he left and to see the final outcome of this regret.

The rain continued to pour, making the huts sway. The little fool, lost in thought, got up, put on a straw hat, and stumbled into the rain towards the mountain.

Haowei almost called out to him, but the moment he opened his mouth, he remembered that if he really did, he might get trapped in this illusion, so he held back and silently followed the little fool.

The rain, mixed with mud and rocks, flowed down the mountain path. The little fool, caught off guard, was knocked down by the mudslide. His knee was scr4p3d, and the strong wind blew off his hat, which was only held in place by the strap around his neck.

Grabbing onto the wild grass on the ground to steady himself, the little fool didn’t bother to put the hat back on. Seeing another wave of mudslide coming, he hugged a nearby tree, clinging to it tightly as tears and rain mixed on his face, making his aggrieved expression barely visible in the misty rain.

This made Haowei clench his fists involuntarily, closing his eyes in unspeakable pain.

Really foolish.

Why run into the mountains in such heavy rain?

After the mudslide passed, the little fool used the wild grass and thorns on the ground to steady himself and slowly crawled to the middle of the mountain, his face showing a joyful expression. He reached out to part the grass, revealing a dark cave entrance.

Seeing the cave, Haowei suddenly understood.

He had come to the cave looking for him, thinking he would take shelter here in the rain, unaware that he had long since left.

Haowei had told him many times that he was going to join the army, yet he still couldn’t remember.

Well, he was just a little fool, it wasn’t fair to expect too much from him.

The little fool didn’t find Haowei in the cave but met the Taixu Divine Lord instead. Haowei didn’t know what the Taixu Divine Lord had said to him, but the little fool didn’t leave the cave that night. He just hugged a wooden doll and curled up as if waiting for Haowei to return.

Haowei couldn’t bear to watch any longer. Turning his head away, the scene before him changed again.

It was still the thatched hut, but the little fool’s wisp of spirit seemed to be called away, about to vanish. He seemed to sense it, reaching out to grab the wooden doll with Haowei’s face carved on it. But his body suddenly convulsed in pain, his hand trembling as he tried to touch it, only for the wisp of spirit to turn into a brownish light and gradually disappear into the air.

The illusion shifted once more, now showing Lanlan’s home.

The man who should have been asleep woke up from the bed, his eyes dark like ink, resembling two black jades set in his pale face. Beads of sweat dotted his small nose, as if he had a nightmare. After sitting up, he stayed dazed for a long time.

Seeing Si Lan in this state, Haowei’s heart ached again. He wanted to reach out and touch this moment’s Si Lan, but he didn’t dare.

Everything before him was just a reflection of the past created by the illusion, designed to evoke inappropriate desires and make him sink into it.

When Si Lan woke up, Lanlan saw him and excitedly rushed to him, saying, “You’re awake?”

Si Lan nodded, his expression momentarily dazed, “I… was it you who saved me?”

“Yes, I’m your savior. You must… promise me one thing.”

“Alright.”

“I want you to marry me.”

Haowei saw Si Lan fall silent for a moment before slowly nodding, “Okay.”

The next moment was the wedding day. Si Lan was dressed in a red wedding robe, his hair tied up high with a jade crown, looking exquisitely handsome. Though he was a demonic cultivator, his aura was unmatched.

Haowei’s eyes stung at the sight. Clearly… it was he who had saved him and raised him for so long, yet upon waking, he was marrying another woman!

Moreover, he had married that woman three times, entangled for hundreds of years!

The more Haowei thought about it, the angrier he became, not noticing the flaw in the illusion. His eyes remained fixed on the scene where Si Lan, holding the bride’s hand, slowly walked towards the hall.

The officiant was chanting, “First bow to heaven and earth…”

“Second bow to the parents…”

“Husband and wife bow to each other…”

Haowei felt overwhelmed by the sea of red, so glaringly bright. As he reached out to cast a spell to destroy everything before him, his wrist was suddenly grasped. Turning around, he saw another Si Lan appear beside him.

Si Lan glanced at the scene in the illusion, frowned, and said to Haowei, “This is fake. Can’t you tell?”

Si Lan had also fallen into an illusion earlier, reliving the day he failed to save Luo Hui. However, he had easily seen through the illusion and escaped, finding Haowei only to see this scene now.

Haowei’s breath slightly restrained, he remained silent for a while before saying, “Fake?”

“Mhm, I didn’t marry Lanlan in the mortal realm.” The earlier illusion might have been real, but the latter part was fake, clearly meant to mess with Haowei’s mind.

“Then in the demon realm? You and her…” Haowei’s words stopped abruptly, his dark eyes staring at Si Lan.

Si Lan recalled that when Haowei was still a little white dragon, he had already explained this to him, but he didn’t expect him to still be fixated on it now.

He glanced at Haowei and vaguely saw a trace of black energy pass over Haowei’s forehead. Startled, he looked again carefully but saw nothing, thinking he might have imagined it.

He looked away and, while breaking the illusion, said, “Although Lanlan and I reached the marriage contract stage in the demon realm, something always went wrong right before the wedding night.” He felt wronged; he did nothing, yet ended up with three ex-wives.

Haowei remained noncommittal, his face still gloomy.

After Si Lan broke the illusion, the scene quickly returned to its original state. The dispersed demonic energy gathered again, filling most of the sky.

How strange, how did the Swastika formation break?

Haowei’s eyes sharpened, and he drew his long sword. At that moment, his heart was filled with a deep gloom. Encountering this lingering demonic energy gave him a chance to vent. His movements were swift, and his sword aura was like a stream of arrows, slicing the demonic energy into pieces. The pained screeches of the forming demon could be faintly heard.

Determined to be ruthless, even after dispersing the demonic energy, Haowei still wasn’t satisfied. He swung his sword again, slicing the tops off fifty-eight mountains. Thick smoke billowed instantly, and the terrified roars of the suppressed beasts echoed from the mountains below.

Si Lan looked at Haowei and seemed to see a trace of dark energy between his brows again. Just as he was about to speak, it disappeared.

Haowei sheathed his sword and placed the Demon Suppression Formation on the mountain peak. The beasts’ voices disappeared instantly.

Si Lan sensed something was wrong. Haowei’s emotions were very unstable; did the scene in the illusion affect him that much?

He had already explained that the wedding scene in the mortal realm was fake.

He initially planned to continue investigating Yuwuxia’s affairs but, seeing this situation, suggested they return to the demon realm to rest and let Haowei calm down a bit.

Haowei didn’t respond.

Along the way, Haowei remained silent, a nameless rage and resentment brewing within him. His mind kept replaying the scene of Si Lan and Lanlan’s wedding.

If it weren’t for him being the true dragon’s son, anyone who stole his luck and fate would face divine retribution. Si Lan and Lanlan would have long been together, sweetly in love.

The more he thought about it, the more uncomfortable he felt.

They landed on Zhuyun Peak, where clusters of golden and silver honeysuckle swayed with the mountain breeze, blooming profusely and filling the air with fragrance, seemingly mocking his irritation.

He suddenly remembered that Lanlan’s third life was as a honeysuckle demon, and Si Lan had planted the entire peak with honeysuckle for her.

Heh.

It had been hundreds of years, yet Si Lan hadn’t removed them.

He clenched his fingers, suppressing the rising anger in his heart.

Si Lan sneaked a glance at him. As they walked side by side, the setting sun cast their shadows on the ground, long and thin, their sleeves brushing against each other like they were holding hands.

Si Lan had no idea what Haowei was thinking, only sensing his low mood and unstable breath.

This jealousy was intense.

After some thought, he decided it was necessary to have a thorough talk with him.

Haowei had always minded his three ex-wives. Si Lan could understand; after all, Haowei, a virtuous and pure man, being with someone who had married three times was quite unfair.

He tentatively reached out, his little finger seemingly accidentally brushing Haowei’s hand. Seeing no reaction, he grew bolder and directly held Haowei’s hand.

Haowei’s steps paused, his facial muscles tensed, and the oppressive aura around him lessened slightly, but he still seemed unapproachable and difficult to deal with.

Si Lan steeled himself, treating Haowei as the little white dragon, coaxing him, “Don’t be mad. When Lanlan asked me to marry her, I agreed out of gratitude. At that time, my mind was full of thoughts of revenge, with no room for romantic feelings. Later, when I returned to the mortal realm after avenging myself, fifty years had passed, and Lanlan was already seventy years old when she married me.”

So, naturally, he didn’t develop romantic feelings for the first-life Lanlan.

“In her second and third lives, I only met Lanlan once before we made the marriage contract. To my shame, my mind was still preoccupied with revenge, with no interest in love, nor did I think of cultivating feelings with Lanlan. Thus, despite our entanglement over three lives, we only met five or six times in total.”

“In her fourth life, she married the husband she lost early in her first life. I was actually quite relieved. If she had married me, it wouldn’t have been a happy union for either of us, as I had no romantic feelings for her.”

Si Lan said a lot, but Haowei’s expression remained unchanged until the last sentence, when he finally turned to look at Si Lan, his gaze slightly shifting.

“No romantic feelings at all?”

“None.”

Haowei wasn’t bothered by Si Lan’s three marriages but was concerned that Si Lan might have loved Lanlan or still harbored feelings for her.

Otherwise, Si Lan wouldn’t have gone to see Lanlan before leaving the mortal realm last time.

Hearing Si Lan’s words now, the gloom in his heart dissipated.

But these honeysuckle flowers…

Haowei lowered his gaze, his lips pressed into a thin line.

Following his gaze, Si Lan saw the honeysuckle flowers and suddenly understood, “Ah, these honeysuckle flowers, I always forgot to remove them. What flowers do you like?”

Haowei didn’t speak for a long time. After a while, he said nonchalantly, “No need to bother, honeysuckle flowers are fine.”

“Oh,” Si Lan responded, glancing sideways to see that Haowei’s expression had softened. He secretly let out a sigh of relief.

Dealing with a true dragon’s temperament was really tough.

Like serving an emperor, he had to treat Haowei with utmost care.

He needed to find a way to turn the tables and make Haowei follow his lead for a change.

At that moment, Qu Ze and Xie Li were walking towards them from the mountain. Si Lan instinctively tried to pull his hand away from Haowei’s, but Haowei took the initiative, gripping Si Lan’s hand even tighter.

Si Lan couldn’t shake his hand free and felt too embarrassed to make a scene, so he forced a smile and ended up standing there, holding hands with Haowei, in front of Qu Ze and Xie Li.

Qu Ze glanced at their joined hands, his swollen face revealing no expression. “Lord, we and the two protectors have gathered enough jade fruits.”

Si Lan forced a stiff smile, replying awkwardly, “Oh, really? Then you and the protectors should personally deliver them to their families and apologize.”

“Yes,” Qu Ze replied, lowering his head and glancing at their interlocked hands again.

If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed that the overlord of the Demon Realm and the overlord of the Heavenly Realm would be walking hand-in-hand under the sunset. If he spread this news, no one would believe him, and it might even be considered the biggest lie of the year.

Xie Li, being more straightforward, stared at their intertwined hands with wide eyes, his small face a mix of curiosity and confusion.

Si Lan, too busy to care about what his little disciple was thinking, gave an awkward laugh and quickly pulled Haowei away.

After only a few steps, he heard Xie Li whispering to Qu Ze.

“Senior Brother, can holding hands like that make them have babies?”

“…”

Si Lan was speechless.

Haowei glanced at Si Lan, seeming even more pleased.

Qu Ze, half exasperated, half serious, replied, “No.”

“But in the stories, it says if you hold hands, then on the bed, yin and yang connect, and in eight or nine months, a child will be born. Just the other day, I heard them on the bed…”

Before Xie Li could finish, Qu Ze covered his mouth and dragged him away, as if fearing further disaster.

Si Lan suddenly realized that his habit of reading those romantic stories had influenced Xie Li, causing the young boy to “understand” so much at such a young age.

Talking about bed, yin and yang connecting—how embarrassing.

Even Si Lan, who had lived for over a thousand years, felt ashamed.

Secretly annoyed, Si Lan decided that Xie Li must be sent for nine hundred years of compulsory education at the Demon Hall.

Haowei, still holding Si Lan’s hand, noticed his flushed face and smiled even more.

An improper old demon lord had raised an improper little demon lord.

Once they returned to the main hall, Haowei finally let go of Si Lan’s hand. Si Lan felt an immense relief, though his fingers still tingled where Haowei had held them. It was strange—Haowei wasn’t a heater, so why did his touch feel so peculiar?

Lost in these thoughts, Si Lan noticed it was late and decided to take a bath in the hot spring at the back of the mountain. He liked to think while bathing and planned to consider how to continue investigating Yu Wuxia.

Out of courtesy, he asked Haowei if he wanted to join.

Previously, in the Eight Trigrams Formation of Extreme Sound, the proud little white dragon refused to bathe with him, so Si Lan assumed Haowei would decline this time as well. Unexpectedly, Haowei nodded in agreement.

Feeling uneasy, Si Lan kept on his underclothes and shrank into a corner of the spring.

Haowei, upon entering the clear pool, immediately transformed into his original form. The white dragon swam leisurely in the water, its scales shimmering under the moonlight. The pond was shallow but vast, larger than most lakes.

Watching Haowei swim so joyfully without even glancing his way, Si Lan felt it was unnecessary to be so reserved. He took off his underclothes, leaving only his inner pants, and soaked quietly in the pleasantly warm water.

The water, meticulously maintained by Si Lan for centuries, not only nourished the body but also enhanced beauty.

After circling the pond a few times, Haowei reverted to his human form, seemingly a bit self-conscious, showing only his upper body while covering his lower half with a coarse white cloth.

He sat beside Si Lan, resting his hands on the edge of the pool, eyes closed. Water droplets fell from his dark hair, tracing down his jawline, chest, and along his well-defined abdomen before merging into the spring water.

Si Lan stole a glance at him and quickly looked away.

The mist rising from the water created an ambiguous atmosphere between them.

Trying to ease the awkwardness, Si Lan said, “The moonlight is beautiful tonight.”

“Mm,” Haowei responded.

Though brief, since Si Lan had clarified his relationship with Lan Lan earlier, Haowei’s mood seemed much better.

The silence returned, and Si Lan sank a bit deeper into the water.

Suddenly, he felt something cool brushing against him underwater. Looking down, he saw a white dragon tail curling around his leg.

“…”

He couldn’t help but look up at Haowei again. Haowei still had his eyes closed, but two pink dragon horns had appeared on his forehead.

How odd, transforming into human form while still showing dragon horns and tail?

Oh, he suddenly remembered Haowei had mentioned that his dragon horns appeared when he was angry.

Realizing this, Si Lan couldn’t understand what had upset the little white dragon this time.

Just moments ago, he seemed to be happily swimming.

The dragon tail under the water became more intrusive, the tip curling around Si Lan’s foot. The cool, smooth scales against Si Lan’s skin sent a chill through him.

His mind flashed back to something he’d heard during their spiritual cultivation.

“There’s another one, hidden beneath the dragon scales.”

His gaze deepened as he looked at the dragon tail, his brows furrowing slightly. Only during their first spiritual connection had he felt two, but back then he was so dazed that his memory was unclear. He hadn’t encountered it since.

Haowei seemed to sense Si Lan’s gaze. His dragon tail suddenly wrapped around Si Lan’s waist and pulled him into his arms.

Startled, Si Lan instinctively put his arms around Haowei’s neck to steady himself.

Haowei opened his eyes, his dark pupils fixed on Si Lan. “Why are you staring at me?”

“Weren’t you the one getting close to me first?” Si Lan noticed Haowei’s dragon horns were even pinker, resembling two delicate coral branches on his smooth forehead. It was oddly amusing.

Was Haowei really angry?

He didn’t look angry at all.

Haowei said, “The tail just accidentally touched you.”

“…”

This guy had some nerve. Clearly, he had been teasing Si Lan with his tail for a while, yet he claimed it was accidental.

In a muffled voice, Si Lan retorted, “Really? If your tail is so uncontrollable, you might as well not have it.”

Saying this, he deliberately pinched one of Haowei’s dragon scales. Haowei’s body stiffened, and his tail doubled in size. The tail fin rose above the water’s surface, with the tip curling gently around Si Lan’s nape.

“I’m not lying to you.”

Like his dragon horns, Haowei’s tail became uncontrollable when he was aroused. The dragon horns would emerge from his forehead, and the tail would automatically seek out the person he adored.

The more intense his feelings, the more serious the problem became.

Ancient texts stated that dragons were inherently lascivious, which was not a false claim.

However, a true dragon would only lose control of their emotions with the one they loved. Haowei originally thought that soaking in the hot spring would not make him lose his composure, but he underestimated how intoxicating Si Lan’s scent was.

That sweet fragrance, mixed with the steam, entered his nostrils and seemed to merge with his very being, gradually eroding his self-control. After transforming into human form, he had kept his eyes closed, trying to avoid looking at Si Lan, which was a futile attempt to deceive himself. But he still lost his composure due to the allure.

Si Lan found Haowei’s thick skin quite amusing. When he was a little white dragon, he used to blush easily, but now that he was grown, he had become much bolder.

“You haven’t explained why you were staring at my dragon tail earlier.”

“Just a bit curious, that’s all.”

“Curious about what?” Haowei asked.

“…”

Si Lan didn’t know how to respond and didn’t notice Haowei’s dragon tail standing behind him, its scales gleaming with a silvery light, ready to move.

T/N: Hey there! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

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Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!