Chapter 76
Si Lan woke up the next evening. Upon waking, he noticed that his body felt completely normal—no pain, no stickiness. The only discomfort was a throbbing in his head, as if someone had hit him with a club.
Rubbing his head, he sat up and lifted the blanket to check his body. Even the bruises had been tended to. His body was clean, as if nothing had happened.
If not for the intensity of last night’s events, which had left an indelible impression on him, he might have thought it was just a dream.
Haowei was not in the hall, but two incense sticks were burning, their faint scent masking the lingering strange odor.
Although he had nearly passed out towards the end, he vaguely remembered Haowei carrying him back to the hall and the two of them continuing there.
Si Lan patted his head and couldn’t help but sigh.
Dragons are naturally lustful.
The ancient books hadn’t lied to him.
He ground his teeth, thinking that this man was becoming more and more revealing of his true nature.
As he was lost in these thoughts, the door creaked open. He looked up and met the gaze of the person entering. Despite having spent so much time together and being so intimate the previous night, they both blushed and looked away.
Haowei broke the silence first. “How are you feeling? Any better?”
Haowei remembered waking up in the morning to find Si Lan muttering unconsciously. When he leaned in close, he heard Si Lan cursing him.
Blushing, he took care of everything, afraid that he would be scolded even more when Si Lan woke up.
Si Lan didn’t want to deal with him, so he lay back down to sleep.
Haowei placed a bowl of dark herbal medicine by the bed and advised, “The doctor said you fainted because your essence was too depleted. You need to replenish it.”
Si Lan’s brow twitched, holding back his irritation.
If you can’t speak properly, don’t speak at all. What do you mean, “you fainted because your essence was too depleted”?
Seeing no response, Haowei hesitated and asked tentatively, “Are you having trouble moving?”
Si Lan clutched the blanket, struggling to keep his emotions in check. His body had been cleaned by magic, showing no traces and feeling no pain, so what inconvenience could there be?
He wanted to roar, to question, but felt it wasn’t worth making a fuss over such things. He lifted the blanket, revealing his head, and forced himself to speak gently, “Did you have a relapse last night?”
“…”
“That madness you get in your spiritual core.”
“No…” Haowei looked at him, puzzled.
“Oh, then why did you act like you lost your mind?” At that time, as soon as he opened his mouth, his voice was drowned out by Haowei’s actions, leaving him unable to say a complete word to stop him.
“…” Haowei.
Haowei cleared his throat and coaxed, “I told you before, a true dragon is different from other beings. If the essence isn’t completely released, it can cause a backlash in the body’s qi, damaging the meridians.”
Si Lan’s face clearly showed disbelief. He got out of bed without even looking at the bowl of dark medicine.
“No normal person could handle your condition. Fainting is natural, don’t listen to the doctor’s nonsense.”
“Alright…”
Though he agreed, Haowei still felt that Si Lan needed to replenish his energy. After all, he had lost so much blood on Yingzhou Island before, it was only natural for him to be weak. But this little wild chicken seemed unwilling to admit it.
Si Lan’s expression froze for a moment as if remembering something. Then he turned, glancing at Haowei’s lower body.
Although he had been somewhat disoriented, he had seen clearly that the scales around Haowei’s other “little Haowei” were missing. Before, when little Haowei appeared, that scale would automatically move aside like a door. But now there was nothing around, just faintly visible pale flesh.
Thinking of this, Si Lan’s gaze moved to the jade pendant at his waist, his face turning strangely red.
When he had initially received Haowei’s reverse scale, he had excitedly rubbed and examined it, even sniffed it. Now he wanted to die from embarrassment.
Luckily, he hadn’t bitten it to test its hardness back then.
Si Lan blushed deeply and asked, “Your… your reverse scale, where exactly is it from?”
Haowei saw his expression and knew Si Lan had seen it last night.
He felt embarrassed too. When Si Lan had asked for the reverse scale, he hadn’t wanted to give it, but seeing Si Lan’s determination, he had secretly plucked it when no one was around.
He had decided to never transform into a dragon again, planning to keep this secret forever. But yesterday, Si Lan had insisted he transform…
Haowei coughed lightly, awkwardly saying, “It’s exactly as you saw and thought.”
“…”
Si Lan had thought the reverse scale might be from Haowei’s chest or near his claws, never imagining it would be from such a hidden place.
He suddenly felt the thing hanging from his waist was scorching hot, his body stiffening, unsure whether to be angry or embarrassed.
“You…” After a long hesitation, he removed the “accessory” engraved with floating clouds and cranes from his waist. Holding it in his palm, it felt as heavy as gold, causing his arm to tremble slightly.
“Can you still reattach it?”
“I can. You don’t want it anymore?” Haowei said, his jaw tightening, eyes fixed intently on Si Lan.
Si Lan’s lips twitched. In a small voice, he said, “I didn’t know… I didn’t know it was your… um… so important to you. If I had known, I wouldn’t have asked for it.” He certainly wouldn’t have made it into an accessory to hang at his waist.
Just the thought of Haowei transforming into a white dragon, flying in the sky without that scale, made Si Lan blush even more.
“…” Haowei.
This was the first time someone referred to that scale as his underwear.
“Since you’ve already carved it into an accessory, just keep it.”
“No, no, I really didn’t know it was that important to you. I only asked for it out of willfulness,” Si Lan said, placing the scale back into Haowei’s hand, his face growing redder by the moment.
No wonder Haowei had such a strange expression when he asked for the reverse scale.
This person was willing to go as far as removing his scale and never showing his dragon form again just to fulfill his request. Si Lan had already received that heartfelt gesture. Nothing could be more precious than that sentiment.
Afraid that Haowei might refuse, Si Lan quickly added, “I don’t want it anymore. I’d like celestial wine as a token of betrothal instead. If you have the heart, use that instead.”
Celestial wine was abundant in the Heavenly Realm.
Why would Si Lan suddenly ask for this…
Haowei, understanding, clenched the scale tightly in his hand. “Alright.”
Si Lan didn’t know how Haowei convinced the Heavenly Realm gods, but they accepted the union between the Heavenly Realm and the Demon Realm.
Three days later, Haowei, accompanied by Yuwudao and eighteen other immortals, came to the Demon Realm to propose.
Eighteen days later, Haowei declared it a good day for marriage.
Si Lan felt it was too fast. Just as he was about to protest, his voice was drowned out and lost in his chest.
“Too fast? I’ll slow down then.”
“That’s not what I meant by slow.”
“Oh, then should I speed up?”
“…” Si Lan.
Thus, Si Lan, in a daze, agreed to marry Haowei.
To demonstrate the equality between the Heavenly and Demon Realms, the wedding ceremonies were held in both realms.
In the morning, it was held in the Demon Realm with just a few peak lords as witnesses, and everything went smoothly. However, in the Heavenly Realm, they encountered some issues.
In Yuqing Palace, with Taiwei deceased, Haowei’s mother had long secluded herself in Tai Xia Palace, half a recluse, not concerning herself with worldly matters. So, without any elders, the Goddess Mother presided over their wedding.
A wedding between two men was not much different from a traditional wedding between a man and a woman.
Both Si Lan and Haowei wore tailored red wedding attire, their faces radiating unique charm under the festive garments.
Si Lan, fair and clean, had a face like uncarved jade, exuding a gentle and harmless aura when he smiled. Haowei, on the other hand, looked like a cold mountain, his handsome and stern features resembling frost kissed by the morning mist.
Each holding one end of a red ribbon, they walked toward the high seat. The hall was filled with various immortals.
Though Si Lan didn’t look at them, he could sense the eyes on him, filled with confusion, shock, and even despair.
With sharp ears, he overheard the whispers of young immortals.
“The bride is so beautiful.”
“No wonder His Majesty insisted on marrying him…”
“Even someone as aloof as His Majesty has fallen…”
Si Lan pressed his lips together, pretending not to hear anything, and glanced sideways at Haowei. Haowei, sensing his gaze, looked back.
Both of them smiled.
On the high seat, the Goddess Mother, seeing their affectionate gazes, couldn’t help but smile. She stood up, about to speak, when a sharp cry from outside the hall rang out, piercing like a crane’s call.
“Stop!”
Everyone turned instinctively to see a group of seven-colored phoenixes descending slowly, transforming into beautiful women.
Leading them were two phoenix princesses, Ju Zhu and Qu Yu.
The Heavenly Realm had not invited the phoenix clan to this wedding.
So their sudden arrival caused the atmosphere to tense, with everyone’s gaze shifting between the phoenix clan and Si Lan and Haowei.
Haowei’s face turned cold as he signaled Yuwudao to remove them.
Yuwudao, leading heavenly soldiers, was about to act when Ju Zhu knelt before the Goddess Mother and quickly spoke, “Goddess Mother, I am here to expose his deceitful intentions towards the Heavenly Realm.” Ju Zhu pointed at Si Lan, instantly drawing all eyes to him.
Si Lan’s eyelids drooped, his face showing a hint of menace.
He knew Ju Zhu wouldn’t be content. It seemed she planned to ruin him on his wedding day. A cold smile played on his lips as he waited to see what she had in store.
The Goddess Mother was momentarily stunned, her mind racing as she recalled Haowei’s previous words: male, from the Demon Realm, and married three times.
The Divine Mother felt a pang in her heart. Given the situation, what could still be hidden?
“Ju Zhu, please speak.”
“Divine Mother, it is well known that years ago, Si Shaoxun broke off his engagement with our Divine Phoenix clan to marry a common bird. Later, they had a child, claiming this child was a Divine Phoenix. However, in reality, the child inherited his mother’s true form—he is nothing but a common bird.”
As Ju Zhu spoke, she sneered at Si Lan, hoping to see him embarrassed and panicked. However, Si Lan’s expression remained unchanged, which made Ju Zhu think he was just pretending to be calm.
“Ju Zhu, where did you hear this? Is it reliable?” The Divine Mother asked slowly, her expression unchanging.
“Divine Mother, I learned this from his subordinates, Lu Zhijun and Li Qing. He has been in the Demon Realm for over a thousand years and has never shown his true Divine Phoenix form. Someone even saw him revealing grey feathers, resembling a common bird.”
Ju Zhu continued, “The Divine Phoenix undergoes nirvana using the Glass Purifying Fire. If he truly is a Divine Phoenix, he wouldn’t fear this fire. Let him walk through the Glass Purifying Fire, and the truth will be revealed.”
Hearing this, Haowei’s expression changed slightly. Though Yujia was the ancestor of the phoenixes, he didn’t know if Yujia feared the Glass Purifying Fire. He had never publicly disclosed Si Lan’s true form as Yujia, fearing it would attract the greed of the Six Realms.
Though they were the rulers of the Heavenly and Demon Realms, hidden dangers were harder to guard against than open threats. Si Lan could easily become a target.
Thus, he had hidden Yujia’s true form to eliminate the threat at its root. If Si Lan must walk through the fire today, it might be better to directly reveal that he is the last Yujia in the world.
The Divine Mother remained silent, her gaze falling on Si Lan for a moment before turning to Haowei with a subtle expression.
In the grand hall, the immortals all looked at Haowei with a similar subtlety.
Haowei was about to speak, but Si Lan spoke first, “If I successfully walk through the Glass Purifying Fire, what will Princess Ju Zhu do?”
Ju Zhu was certain Si Lan was not a Divine Phoenix. In their two encounters, she hadn’t felt the Divine Phoenix’s pressure from him, whereas the first time she met Si Shaoxun, she couldn’t help but dance and present herself to him.
Confidently, Ju Zhu replied, “I am willing to let you decide my fate.”
“You are a Divine Phoenix princess. I dare not decide your fate lightly. How about this: both of us walk through the Glass Purifying Fire together, what do you say?”
Ju Zhu’s face turned strange, not understanding Si Lan’s intention. As a Divine Phoenix, the Glass Purifying Fire was nothing to her. Why would he want her to go through it as well?
Seeing her silence, the immortals began to murmur.
“This seems fair, both go through it together.”
“Since it’s fair, why is the Divine Phoenix princess hesitating? Perhaps…”
Hearing the discussions, Ju Zhu’s face darkened, and she immediately agreed, “Fine.”
Haowei looked at Si Lan, his brows slightly furrowed, silently questioning him.
Si Lan nodded at him reassuringly. Haowei still felt worried and wanted to transfer a bit of his aura to Si Lan to help him. Sensing his intention, Si Lan comforted him through their mental connection.
“Haowei, I’m really fine. If you transfer your aura to me, the immortals in the hall will notice, and it will only confirm the claim that I’m not a phoenix.”
“Are you really not afraid of the Glass Purifying Fire?”
“Mm.” Si Lan blinked. “Did you forget? I still have a pair of phoenix wings. If the fire comes at me, I’ll use my wings to block it.”
Haowei said no more, but his facial muscles remained tense.
Soon, an immortal servant brought in the Glass Purifying Furnace.
The furnace’s blazing flames emitted intense heat, occasionally spouting through the gaps—these were the Glass Purifying Fire.
Ordinary beings couldn’t get close to this fire; even touching the furnace by accident would result in their soul being destroyed.
Ju Zhu stood up, glanced contemptuously at Si Lan, and said, “I’ll go first.”
With that, Ju Zhu transformed into a red spot and leapt into the furnace through a gap.
Si Lan followed suit and jumped into the furnace.
Everyone held their breath, waiting outside. Haowei tried to maintain a calm demeanor, his gaze fixed on the furnace.
He couldn’t see inside, so he reached out with his mind to contact Si Lan, but no matter how much he called, there was no response.
Anxiety filled Haowei as he stood up. Suddenly, the furnace lid shook, releasing sparks of fire.
In the next moment, a pitch-black, charred bird was thrown out of the furnace.
T/N: Okays, one more chapter till the last~
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
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