Chapter 38
“……” Si Lan.
Haowei’s lips twitched, as if suppressing a laugh, and he sat up, supporting himself with his hands on the bed. Si Lan stumbled and fell between Haowei’s legs, quickly flapping his wings to steady himself.
“Cluck cluck……”
“……” Si Lan.
To everyone’s surprise, he made clucking sounds as he spoke, startling himself and quickly covering his mouth with his wings.
Seeing this, Haowei’s smile deepened. He lifted Si Lan from the bed, lowered his eyelids, and asked softly, “Awake? Any unusual symptoms?”
Si Lan suppressed the urge to cluck, coughed lightly, and replied, “I’m fine.” Perhaps due to transforming into his original form, his voice had become somewhat childish, with a hint of softness.
Haowei extended his hand to check Si Lan’s spiritual state, “Rest well for half a month, and you’ll recover.”
“Mm.” It seemed he would have to find an excuse to seclude himself for cultivation again.
“How about Song?” Haowei inquired.
“You still care about him,” Haowei raised an eyebrow at Si Lan’s response.
Si Lan, oblivious to any oddity, continued, “After all, I used so much blood to save him, I certainly have to care.”
With that, Si Lan jumped off the bed. However, due to not transforming into his original form for many years, he misjudged the distance and crashed into the ground, nearly breaking his neck. The pain made him cluck involuntarily.
Haowei reached out and lifted him up, his eyes cold, “Can’t you use your wings?”
“Been too long.” Si Lan said awkwardly.
Perhaps years of hiding his true form had instinctively deterred him from living as his true self. Even when alone, he rarely revealed his true form, let alone use his wings to fly.
Haowei carried Si Lan to two clusters of wisteria. The thick, intertwining roots and overlapping branches made them inseparable, like twins nurturing each other from root to leaf, from birth to death.
“Your Majesty…”
Seeing Haowei carrying Si Lan, Song Cheng shook the wisteria vines, and a branch extended towards Si Lan.
Si Lan rubbed against him with his wings. Song Cheng seemed a bit shy, his branches and leaves trembling slightly. In the next moment, Song Cheng became angry, rolling his branches and leaves to envelop Song Cheng entirely. Whatever Song Cheng wanted to say was silenced.
In mid-air, one wisteria vine tightly entwined with another, accompanied by faint “umm” sounds.
“……” Si Lan.
It seemed this life-and-death experience had significantly deepened the bond between these brothers.
Suddenly, Si Lan’s vision went black as someone covered his eyes, a faint fragrance wafting around his nose. He was lifted, and Haowei’s emotionless voice sounded near his ear, “No peeking.”
“……” Si Lan.
Why did this scene feel so familiar?
He used his wings to push Haowei’s hand away and met Haowei’s ink-black eyes, feeling a slight pause in his heart.
This proximity was too close, with Haowei’s breath almost touching his forehead and gently trailing down his nose. The warm breath felt like gentle hands stroking his feathers.
Feeling uncomfortable, he jumped out of Haowei’s arms, flapping his wings to fly, and this time, he didn’t fall down!
He couldn’t help but cluck with laughter.
Some things, though seemingly useless, still had their uses.
Haowei looked at the “wild chicken” before him, excited because he managed to fly, with a hint of helplessness in his eyes. Was this Demon Sovereign also getting dumber because his original form weakened?
Acting like a child, silly and naive.
Si Lan flapped his wings, circling around Haowei, as if showing off that he could fly. But his body wasn’t fully healed yet, and just as he was enjoying himself, suddenly the world spun around him, a sense of weightlessness surged up, and he fell unexpectedly.
Haowei’s hand swiftly caught his spine, as if holding a chick, and placed him back on the bed.
With his wings folded across his chest and his breath weak, Si Lan felt dizzy, his head spinning as if the bed was rotating, making him uncomfortable.
Looking down at him, Haowei’s voice was cool, “If you’re weak, don’t fly recklessly.”
Si Lan tried to roll his eyes at Haowei, correcting him, “I’m not weak, just a bit dizzy.”
Men can be ugly, they can be defeated, but they cannot be weak.
Haowei’s lips curled slightly, saying nothing, and then transferred some spiritual power to Si Lan.
Si Lan immediately felt a warm current spreading from his brow, enveloping his body and even every feather, making him extremely comfortable.
He couldn’t help but close his eyes and hummed softly, “Thank you.”
If he remembered correctly, Haowei had also infused him with spiritual power last night.
Although this little white dragon was proud and fierce, his nature was not bad. He truly was his destined husband…
Thinking of this, unbidden, Lan Lan’s words echoed in his mind.
“He’s quite good-looking, but he’s not a local. I heard he stayed briefly in the village for refuge or something. His name is… Chong… Chong Ying, that should be his name.”
Chong Ying… Was it him?
Si Lan had intended to quietly investigate and then ask Haowei about it, but his cultivation loss now hindered his investigation. Yet he couldn’t bear it in his heart and asked, “Haowei, have you ever stayed in the human realm?”
“Why do you ask?” Haowei looked at the huddled brown-feathered Si Lan on the bed and asked in return.
“Oh, it’s just that yesterday, Lan Lan told me that years ago, someone named Chong Ying saved me. I was thinking, could it be you…”
Haowei’s eyes flickered, remembering something, and his facial expression slowly tensed. “Did she say anything else?”
“No, just that the person’s name was Chong Ying, which sounds similar to your name.”
After Si Lan finished speaking, there was a long silence from Haowei. Si Lan raised his head to look at Haowei, noticing his contemplative expression.
“Do you think… we might have known each other before…” Si Lan added.
Haowei lowered his gaze and met Si Lan’s eyes slowly. “I did indeed undergo the human realm’s tribulations, from the eighth to the thirtieth year of Yu Dynasty.”
Si Lan covered his mouth with his two wings in astonishment. “I fell into the human realm in the twenty-fifth year of Yu Dynasty.”
“…”
After their conversation, both fell briefly into silence.
“Do you remember picking up a wild chicken from the lake back then, oh no, Yujia?” Haowei shook his head, not having those memories of the human world.
“I don’t remember. Did you see me back then?”
“I didn’t see you. I was unconscious at the time, and when I woke up, I was on Lan Lan’s chopping board at home.”
“…” Haowei.
It seemed like their entanglement was only this much, but Haowei always felt it wasn’t that simple.
The first time he suspected there was a connection between him and Si Lan was in the Jiyin Gossip Array. The destroyed wooden puppet in the illusion phase looked like Si Lan upon closer inspection, although his identity was unclear. Haowei didn’t tell Si Lan about this.
Furthermore, during their last intrusion into the scripture repository, Taixu Shenzun said a lot of strange things. It seemed like Taixu Shenzun had known Si Lan long ago, rather than mistaking him for someone else.
Perhaps the tribulation experiences recorded in the Purple Wei Jade Disk had quietly changed at some point.
“Your Majesty.” Qu Ze’s voice suddenly came from outside, interrupting the thoughts of the two in the room, “Peak Lord Li Qing of Xianya Peak is here to seek an audience.”
Li Qing, like the Lord of Lu, was dissatisfied with Haowei’s position as the Demon Sovereign and had assisted behind the scenes in the previous trouble caused by the Lord of Lu.
Si Lan glanced at his current appearance. “What is he doing here?”
“Your Majesty, he has come to apologize on behalf of the Lord of Lu and insists on seeing you, or he won’t leave.”
Si Lan covered his face with his wings and sighed helplessly.
The Peak Lords left by Chu Shanjun always came to stir up trouble from time to time. This “apology” must be some new trick.
Now that he had turned into a “wild chicken” and couldn’t maintain his human form, meeting with the other party would inevitably reveal his identity.
Just as he was worried, Haowei cast a phantom form technique, creating an invisible barrier around him.
Inside the barrier, he still looked like a wild chicken, but from outside the barrier, others would see his human form.
Si Lan was immediately delighted. “Thank you, Haowei.”
Haowei’s cultivation was higher than Li Qing’s, so he doubted Li Qing could see through it.
Haowei responded with a faint “Mm” upon hearing the thanks.
Always attracting trouble and always being troubled by trouble, such was the life of this Demon Sovereign.
He wondered what kind of unfortunate fate awaited him in the Purple Wei Jade Disk.
Zhu Ri Pavilion.
Si Lan sat askew on the high seat, one wing propping his head while the other gently fanned the air.
Li Qing entered and bowed respectfully, “Greetings, Your Majesty.”
”Li Qing, what brings you to me?” Si Lan shifted to lie in another direction, head resting against the chair back. His wings fluttered lazily, his expression one of contentment.
But to Li Qing, this sight seemed peculiar. He couldn’t understand why Si Lan kept shaking his fair hands intermittently.
Fanning himself?
Li Qing’s lips twitched slightly, forcing composure. “Your Majesty, after Brother Lu’s reckless actions last time, causing you trouble, I’ve been feeling remorseful. And Brother Lu himself wishes to apologize. Therefore, I’ve brought eight handsome men to present to you.”
Si Lan’s wings paused, curiosity written across his face. “Eight… handsome men?”
Beside him, Hao Wei lowered his head, casting a faint glance at Si Lan.
”Yes.” Li Qing clapped his hands, signaling the entrance of the handsome men waiting outside the hall.
Eight elaborately dressed men entered in single file, each originally a peac0ck spirit. Tall and slender, they exuded an air of aloof elegance, yet their eyes and expressions carried a seductive charm, a mix of reluctance and willingness.
As they entered the hall, Si Lan felt the room brighten.
Their beauty was breathtaking, each one a masterpiece.
”Your Majesty, what do you think?” Li Qing smiled knowingly, aware of Si Lan’s fondness for “beautiful acquisitions,” and thus had sent these handsome men.
In truth, these men were Li Qing’s operatives.
As long as they stayed, they would eventually uncover Si Lan’s vulnerabilities.
Si Lan’s gaze swept over each of the men. He had to admit, Li Qing had chosen well. These men were fair and delicate, yet carried themselves with dignity and allure, igniting a desire to conquer in one’s heart.
However, Si Lan had no intention of taking them in just yet.
”Li Qing, I appreciate your kindness, but I plan to seclude myself for cultivation soon. I fear these beauties may feel neglected. Please, take them back with you.”
“Your Excellency, you needn’t worry about this. They already admire you and are content as long as they can stay at Zhuyun Peak. As for whether you’ll favor them or not, that depends entirely on you. If you like them, you can seek them out. If not, just treat them as little birds you’ve taken in.”
Si Lan realized that today’s “blessing” was unavoidable. Hesitating, he said, “But I don’t keep idle people at Zhuyun Peak. I’ll arrange some tasks for them; I’m not sure if they’re willing.”
“They’re naturally willing.” Li Qing responded with a smile, not hesitating to agree on their behalf.
As long as they could work, they would inevitably come into contact with Si Lan’s secrets.
“In that case, I’ll accept your kind offer,” Si Lan said with a grin.
Upon hearing this, Li Qing quickly bowed and took his leave. “Your Excellency, I’ll not disturb you any longer. These eight beauties will stay here to await your orders.”
“Alright.”
After finishing his words, Li Qing left the hall with a smile, unable to hide the scheming look in his eyes.
It seemed that Si Lan wasn’t very smart after all, easily swayed by beauty.
If he’d known this earlier, there was no need to seek out a divine phoenix last time. A handsome man would have sufficed.
Si Lan looked at the group of beautiful men in the hall, then turned to Haowei. Haowei’s expression was unreadable, his eyes deep and revealing nothing.
Si Lan then looked at Qu Ze. “Qu Ze, does the Nanfeng Pavilion need more people recently?”
Qu Ze was startled and hesitated. “I… I believe it does.”
“Good. Then take these eight men and have them work there. They can also contribute to the economy of the Demon Realm.”
Qu Ze was confused, not understanding what economy meant, but he comprehended the first part of the instruction and quickly withdrew to carry it out.
After everyone had left, Haowei asked, his mouth taut, “What kind of place is the Nanfeng Pavilion?”
“It’s a place for performing arts,” Si Lan replied carefully.
In the Demon Realm, customs were liberal, and indulgence in pleasure was common. Relationships between men were not unusual, and thus, establishments like the Nanfeng Pavilion, which catered to men, were widespread.
Haowei paused, and upon realizing the connotation of the pavilion’s name, his expression became strange.
The debauched Demon Realm truly had everything.
It seemed that the Demon Lord was quite familiar with these things.
Haowei’s gaze turned cold as it fell on Si Lan’s face. Si Lan, sensing his stare, instinctively said, “I’ve never been there.”
“Oh.”
The atmosphere suddenly grew silent, and neither knew what to say.
Si Lan thought about how, under normal circumstances, one man in the Nanfeng Pavilion could earn two thousand pills and ten thousand magic crystals a year. So, eight men would bring in sixteen thousand pills and eighty thousand magic crystals, a considerable income.
Li Qing’s unintentional act had turned out to be a good deed.
Haowei, on the other hand, was pondering why Si Lan felt the need to explain himself without being asked.
Si Lan always seemed eager to explain himself. Why so many explanations?
Did Si Lan really see him as his destined one?
How amusing.
Aside from descending to the mortal world and enduring deliberate hardships, no one had ever dared to predict his fate. That fortune teller must have been talking nonsense, deceiving Si Lan.
Si Lan intended to flap his wings and take off, but after just a few flaps, he suddenly felt dizzy and started to fall. Fortunately, Haowei caught him by the wings and lifted him up.
He panted lightly, his little claws tucking in due to nervousness.
“Your body is still weak. Don’t run around,” Haowei admonished.
Si Lan’s face darkened, but with his face covered in feathers, it was hard to tell. He pecked Haowei’s hand with his beak, expressing his dissatisfaction.
“I’m weak, not fragile.”
Haowei, indifferent, carried Si Lan like a chick, taking him back.
Si Lan felt Haowei was too rough. He used to cradle the little white dragon gently, but now Haowei was carrying him by his wings as if he were a chicken.
However, Si Lan was indeed very weak at the moment, his head heavy and muddled. He didn’t have the energy to complain. Once Haowei brought him back to his room, he collapsed weakly onto the bed.
Haowei glanced at him, closed the door, and left.
Si Lan’s injuries hadn’t fully healed, but his life was no longer in danger. There was no reason for him to stay in the Demon Realm any longer.
Moreover, he wanted to return to the Heavenly Realm to investigate the unresolved issues between them and the unanswered riddle from the Buddhist scripture at Dayong Mountain.
Xie Li descended on a cloud of seven colors, arriving at the palace door just as Haowei was coming out.
Xie Li, wringing his little hands, glanced furtively at the closed door and asked Haowei, “Is the Exalted One awake?”
“He just fell asleep,” Haowei replied, looking down at the little child. “Why are you looking for him?”
“Um, the Exalted One owes me candy. Yesterday he didn’t give me any. Four pieces a day, so now he owes me eight pieces,” Xie Li mumbled.
Haowei suddenly recalled what Si Lan had told him through the spell.
“Candy shouldn’t be eaten in excess; it causes tooth decay. But I can give you three pieces a day.”
“I only give Xie Li two pieces a day; you get one more than him.”
It turned out Si Lan was actually giving Xie Li four pieces a day, not two.
Xie Li was getting more candy than him!
Haowei’s expression darkened immediately.
This smooth-talking Demon Lord… he had been deceiving him all along!
What else was he hiding?
With this thought, Haowei conjured the two colorful tail feathers and asked Xie Li, “Do you have these?”
“This…” Little Xie Li stood on tiptoe, squinting at the feathers. “I don’t have them.”
Haowei’s face relaxed slightly as he put the feathers away.
At least there was something others didn’t have.
Haowei said nothing more and transformed into a white cloud, disappearing into the distant sky.
Little Xie Li scratched his head, watching Haowei’s departure. “Why did the Exalted One give him the locator? And two at that,” he muttered.
After grumbling, he plopped down on the steps, planning to wait for the Exalted One to wake up. But he waited until evening, and the Exalted One still hadn’t woken up.
Qu Ze returned, riding on clouds, holding a jug of celestial nectar. He saw Xie Li dozing off on the steps, a smile appearing on his lips. He handed Xie Li some sweet fruit he had picked from the mountain.
This fruit was juicier than regular fruits and sweeter than candy, with a crisp texture. All the little ones in the Demon Realm loved it.
“Thank you, senior brother,” Xie Li mumbled through a mouthful of fruit.
Qu Ze patted his head. “Don’t bother the Exalted One about the candy. He needs to rest well.”
“Okay,” Xie Li nodded obediently, biting into the fruit. “Is the Exalted One alright?”
“He’s fine.”
“And what about the Right Protector?”
“He’s fine too.”
Qu Ze looked up at the two intertwined wisterias in the distance, a rare hint of embarrassment on his usually stoic face. Though he knew wisterias grew together, seeing the two of them entangled day and night still surprised him.
Last night, worried about the Exalted One’s illness, he couldn’t sleep and paced outside the hall. He saw one of the wisterias fondling the other, causing its leaves to shake uncontrollably.
Such a sight was truly improper.
There was no need to guess; he knew the improper wisteria was Song Ye.
At this moment, Song Ye, unaware of being disliked, was immersed in his intimate interaction with Song Cheng, relishing his brother’s presence and warmth. He even thought this life-and-death tribulation was worth it.
He hadn’t dared to tell Song Cheng that he had hidden his injury, thinking it would be better to die and be remembered forever by his brother than to face his cold indifference daily.
He extended a tendril to gently cradle the wisteria flower’s top, as if holding a lover’s face, gently caressing it.
Song Cheng’s voice turned hoarse with irritation. “Song Ye, what are you doing?”
“Brother, are you about to bloom?”
Wisterias, regardless of gender, all bloomed.
“Song Ye, take your hand off.”
Song Cheng extended a tendril to push Song Ye away. Just as he was about to, Song Ye let out a pained cry.
“Ouch, my leg hurts…”
Song Cheng immediately withdrew his tendril, knowing Song Ye might be faking, but he couldn’t take the risk.
“You’re so kind, brother.”
“I’m not your brother,” Song Cheng retorted, a bit petulantly.
By human standards, they were merely companions, climbing the same trellis, their bodies entwined, but they weren’t truly brothers.
“Alright, you’re so fierce.”
“I see your energy seems to have recovered well. I don’t need to stay with you.”
“Brother, my leg really hurts.”
Song Cheng’s heart softened again. He extended a tendril to gently wrap around Song Ye’s main stem. Song Ye seemed very happy, his leaves rustling in the night breeze.
Song Cheng ignored him but subtly adjusted his branches to allow Song Ye better access to the moonlight.
As night deepened, Song Cheng grew tired. As he drifted off, he heard Song Ye’s voice again.
“Brother, you once said you’d listen to everything I said.”
Song Ye had repeated this sentence at least dozens of times today in Song Cheng’s ear, to the point where his ears felt numb.
“Brother, I want to know, why did you start hating me later? Did I do something wrong?”
Song Cheng’s drowsiness vanished instantly, feeling the cool moonlight seep into his leaves, wrapping around his body. He remained silent, but his leaves drooped.
Song Ye’s breathing seemed to halt, not daring to move, waiting quietly for his response.
Just as Song Ye thought it would be like before, with Song Cheng remaining silent, Song Cheng’s clear voice came through the leaves.
“It’s not that I hate you; you disgust me.”
“How could that be?” Song Ye quickly denied.
“Song Ye, you once said disgusting things to me.”
Song Ye fell into deep thought upon hearing this. Had he ever called Song Cheng disgusting?
All he remembered was that Song Cheng had taken his chance to cultivate and spent every day with Lord Chushan, which had made him furious.
Everyone on Mount Qi thought he was angry because Lord Chushan preferred his brother, but in reality, he was upset that his brother no longer saw him, caring more about Lord Chushan and cultivation.
At that time, he might have said harsh words to his brother, but he never truly believed his brother was disgusting.
“Brother, could there be a misunderstanding? I never thought you were disgusting…”
Song Cheng’s leaves suddenly rustled, as if losing control, his voice trembling.
“Actually, you were right. I am disgusting. I took your chance to cultivate, and during closed-door cultivation with Lord Chushan in the cave, I thought I could become stronger. But I never expected Lord Chushan to use me as a cauldron.”
That unbearable period, which Song Cheng had deliberately avoided recalling, now surfaced, bringing back the realization that he had never truly faced that humiliating experience.
Locked in the secret chamber by Lord Chushan, he endured endless torment without dignity, unable to tell Song Ye. He had to pretend to be happy about his cultivation every time they met.
Even when faced with Song Ye’s cold mockery, he couldn’t reveal anything. But one time, Song Ye had followed him into the secret chamber. By the time he noticed, Song Ye had already fled in panic.
He wanted to chase after Song Ye, but Lord Chushan restrained him. When he finally found Song Ye, covered in wounds, and reached out to him, Song Ye pushed him away, calling him disgusting.
It felt like falling into an ice cave, freezing his heart. Just as Song Ye said, he truly was disgusting.
He didn’t deserve to be with Song Ye anymore.
From that moment, he distanced himself from Song Ye.
It wasn’t until Si Lan defeated Lord Chushan and rescued him from the secret chamber that he found solace. Si Lan was the only one who, after seeing him in that filthy place, covered him with his own clothes, preserving his last shred of dignity.
Moreover, Si Lan had never looked at him with disdain nor spoken about his ordeal to anyone else.
This was why he admired Si Lan so much.
Song Ye was stunned by Song Cheng’s words, momentarily speechless. He had never imagined Song Cheng had gone through such an ordeal. Back then, consumed by jealousy, he had followed Song Cheng into the secret chamber.
He vaguely heard voices from inside, unable to distinguish them clearly. He wanted to get closer to see but was discovered by Lord Chushan, forcing him to flee in fright.
If only he had dared to look inside then, perhaps his brother wouldn’t have suffered so much.
“Brother, even now, you’re still lying to me. Back then, Lord Chushan intended to use both of us as cauldrons, didn’t he? You knew it all along, so you did everything to protect me, making Lord Chushan target only you…”
Song Ye couldn’t continue.
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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If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield
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