Chapter 50
Si Lan pursed his lips, looking at Haowei’s icy expression, and instinctively said, “Naturally, this is how they usually break people in, uh, I mean, train them. Last year, Xue Wu picked a few people who couldn’t endure shortly after starting their duties and nearly got them killed.”
“…” Haowei.
The atmosphere in the room instantly became silent, not even the sound of a falling pin could be heard. Haowei slowly curled his fingers, unbelievably asking, “You almost got several people killed last year?”
“Ah… It’s not entirely my fault…” Si Lan hurriedly denied. “After the peak masters selected the candidates, they all had to undergo training in various places. Only those who succeeded in the training could assume the responsibilities of a demon general.”
Although he had participated in the demon general training plan, he wasn’t responsible for specific matters, so he continued, “To be precise, Xue Wu is in charge, and I assist.”
“…” Haowei.
Could this kind of thing still be divided into primary and secondary responsibilities?
Seeing Haowei’s strange and dark gaze, Si Lan misunderstood his curiosity and lowered his head, flipping through the book, saying, “If you’re curious about this, I can take you to see it another day.”
“…” Haowei.
Bang!
Haowei slammed his palm, shattering a corner of the table. He stood up, his tall figure blocking the candlelight behind him, casting a huge shadow that enveloped Si Lan, who was as small as a chick.
Si Lan was taken aback. The book fell to the ground, and he saw the tall figure approaching step by step like it carried a cold frost. Quze was about to step forward to stand in front of Si Lan but was directly swept away by a breath and thrown out of the door.
“…” Si Lan.
Si Lan widened his round “chicken eyes,” not understanding what had gotten into Haowei.
Had Lingxu’s divine injury relapsed?
“What are you doing?” Si Lan’s wings were lifted up. He was frightened and quickly kicked with both claws, but his claws were too short to reach Haowei at all.
Haowei lifted him up, squinting his eyes and saying each word slowly, “Besides the three wives you originally married, how many more do you have?”
“What does that have to do with my wives?”
“Aren’t you going to give them status?” Haowei gritted his teeth.
“I don’t have any wives!” Si Lan was half frightened and half helpless. “By the way, what does this have to do with my wives?”
“Weren’t you just selecting wives?” Haowei spoke through clenched teeth, seeing Si Lan’s current demeanor, thinking he was pretending to be crazy and stupid.
Si Lan suddenly understood everything. It turned out that Haowei had mistaken his selection of demon generals for selecting consorts. He couldn’t help but be speechless, tapping Haowei’s hand lightly with the tip of his wing. This person really had an overly imaginative mind.
At that moment, Quze, clutching his injured chest, pale-faced, entered the hall. Seeing this, Si Lan immediately asked Quze with indignation, “Quze, can you tell him what I was just doing?!”
Quze’s usually calm face showed a hint of amusement at first, but he quickly composed himself, approached Si Lan’s side while maintaining a sword-drawing posture, and said in a clear voice, “Your Majesty, you were just selecting consorts.”
“Right, I was just selecting…” Si Lan’s voice abruptly stopped. He turned his small head, looking shocked at Quze. “Selecting what?”
“Consorts,” Quze paused and continued, “This is the third round of candidates selected by the Left and Right Guardians, totaling thirty people. You will choose the final eighteen consort candidates.”
Si Lan was momentarily speechless after hearing this, exchanging a glance of disbelief with Haowei.
Haowei merely narrowed his eyes slightly, a smile on his face that carried a hint of intimidation and eeriness. It seemed as if in the next moment, he could swallow this little chick whole.
Si Lan couldn’t help but swallow nervously, finally understanding why he and Haowei had been talking at cross purposes just now. He forced a smile and asked Quze with difficulty, seeking confirmation, “Selecting consorts. When did you all secretly start selecting consorts for me?”
As the person involved, he shouldn’t have been kept in the dark about this.
Quze replied, “Didn’t the two Guardians inform Your Majesty?”
“No!” Si Lan gritted his teeth, still not moving in Haowei’s grasp, he turned in a circle, facing Quze with an aggrieved look. “How many times have I said that if you want to increase the fertility and bond formation rates in the Demon Realm, use normal methods instead of frightening everyone with consort selection for me.”
“Your Majesty, this time… the two Guardians truly intended to select consorts for you, not for the sake of increasing fertility and bond formation rates in the Demon Realm.”
“…” Si Lan.
Sensing that the person behind him was getting closer again, warm breath falling on his head, intimidating him, Si Lan awkwardly spoke up, although addressing Quze, he was explaining to the person behind him, “What exactly are you all up to? Why are you selecting consorts for me without my knowledge?”
He deliberately emphasized “without my knowledge” to create some distance from these subordinates who had done something foolish.
“If you didn’t know, why were you so interested?” Haowei clearly didn’t believe him, coldly questioning.
Si Lan chuckled awkwardly twice, “I thought those were the documents Song Cheng and Song Ye sent over for selecting demon generals. After all, they mentioned to me recently about wanting to reselect demon generals.”
Haowei remained silent upon hearing this, unsure whether to believe him.
However, Si Lan felt the pressure around him easing slightly and tentatively pushed against Haowei’s palm with his wing, crawling out of his grip. He spoke firmly to Quze, “Stop the matter of selecting consorts quickly. I’ve never liked doing such things.”
Quze glanced at Haowei and nodded, “Understood.”
As Quze turned to leave, Si Lan couldn’t help but ask, “Were all those documents just now about people coming to participate in the consort selection?”
“Yes.”
“Why are there so many people participating in the consort selection this time?” After all, in the past, as soon as news of his consort selection spread, the males and females of the Demon Realm of all ages would cower in fear and stay indoors. Why were they so enthusiastic this time?
Quze looked somewhat embarrassed, his lips moved hesitantly, seeming a bit embarrassed, “Your Majesty, the Left and Right Guardians released the news that anyone participating in the consort selection would receive Hot Fruits and have the opportunity for dual cultivation with you.”
“…” Si Lan.
Hot Fruits can change the physique of cultivators. Even those who follow the ruthless path, if they consume Hot Fruits, their bodies and minds can undergo changes suitable for dual cultivation. Moreover, the more Hot Fruits one consumes, the more peculiar and lascivious their body becomes, hence it has always been considered a forbidden fruit. However, this substance is fatally attractive to demons.
Si Lan sighed inwardly upon realizing this. He hadn’t expected Song Cheng and Song Ye to be so audacious, openly promoting this without his consent.
Suppressing his aura, Si Lan spoke coldly, “Where are Song Cheng and Song Ye now?”
Quze glanced at Haowei, expressionless. “During this afternoon’s consort selection by the two Guardians, a sudden strong wind blew in and swept them away. They have not returned yet.”
“…” Si Lan paused, finding it hard to believe. “Swept away by a strong wind?”
Their cultivation levels were quite renowned in the Demon Realm; how could they be swept away by a mere gust of wind? What kind of strange wind was this?
Si Lan’s neck stiffened as he glanced briefly at Haowei behind him. Meeting Haowei’s seemingly amused eyes, Si Lan instantly understood something.
“Heh, they… they deserve it for choosing consorts for me without authorization.” He quickly added, “Quze, take away those documents. Seeing them only disturbs me.”
Being disturbed was a minor issue; his main concern was that if he wasn’t careful, his life could be in jeopardy. With his cultivation greatly reduced and transformed into a helpless chick-like form, his life and death were entirely in Haowei’s hands. If Haowei became unhappy and decided to end him, what could he do?
After all, when the Heavenly Emperor killed an Immortal Lord, he was only punished with three cups of wine. But if the Heavenly Emperor killed him, the Demon Sovereign, it would probably be celebrated throughout the Six Realms.
If he died, perhaps only a few in the Demon Realm would mourn him, while the entire Six Realms would praise the Heavenly Emperor for his bravery and power in unifying the realms at such a young age.
Hmm.
Quze acknowledged and took the documents away, closing the doors carefully as he left.
Inside the hall, Si Lan felt a sense of relief, exhaling deeply and smiling at Haowei.
Haowei’s expression had softened from its earlier gloominess, but it still wasn’t entirely pleasant. His cold eyes quietly held a flickering flame as he gazed at Si Lan.
When Si Lan met his gaze, his heart suddenly trembled. Thoughts raced through his mind as he tried to find a topic, but instead, he found himself dumbfounded, unable to come up with anything.
Everything that needed explaining had been explained, and all that needed clarification had been clarified.
Now, he needed… He needed to explain to Haowei why he was so angry.
The relationship between them seemed to be veiled by a thin layer of gauze. Though they could clearly see each other through it, they pretended not to, not understanding each other.
Rather than seeing that gauze as an obstruction, it seemed more like a protective layer.
No need to ponder whether behind this protective layer lay joy or sorrow.
Si Lan felt uncertain. He preferred to act calmly, mastering everything behind the scenes before making a move. But Haowei’s presence was a variable, an unpredictable one. He didn’t want to gamble, sometimes choosing to bury his head in the sand like an ostrich, pretending not to understand anything.
But today, the ostrich seemed compelled to raise its head and face the storm.
“Si Lan.”
Haowei’s voice echoed in the dim hall, deep and slightly magnetic, his dark eyes fixed unwaveringly on him.
Si Lan’s heart inexplicably skipped a beat.
“Xiao Qi, it’s you.”
Si Lan wasn’t particularly surprised, having vaguely guessed at something over these days of interaction. Besides, after he had fallen into a deep sleep following the blood extraction incident, he had dreamed of many scenes he had no memory of, as if they were events from a previous life.
He had thought afterwards that it must have been Haowei’s tribulation, and what happened while he was unconscious in the mortal realm.
“Yeah,” he replied softly, folding his wings discreetly, seeming somewhat nervous.
“When I was undergoing my tribulation in the mortal realm, I had an encounter with you. But after the tribulation, I didn’t retain memories of that time in the mortal realm, so I didn’t come looking for you.”
Haowei’s words were few, and even his phrasing was not ambiguous, but Si Lan understood quite well what was being implied. His mind couldn’t help but recall the words of the fortune teller, leaving him at a loss.
What exactly constitutes a fated bond?
After assuming that what existed between him and Haowei was merely a mistake, he realized that their entanglement had occurred long ago.
Si Lan fell silent, saying nothing more, and Haowei didn’t speak either, just quietly watching him.
Time passed unnoticed, until the oil lamp burned out, plunging the hall suddenly into darkness.
Outside the window, a beam of moonlight seeped through the cracks.
Apart from the rustling of leaves in the night wind, there was nothing else around them.
Haowei reached out and pulled him close. In that moment of embrace, spiritual energy surrounded him, causing him to transform into a human form. His forehead lightly rested against Haowei’s chin.
Instinctively, he wanted to step back, but Haowei held onto his waist, forcing him to lean against him.
The tranquil moonlight seemed to flow between them, their breaths gently intertwining in the silent ambiguity of the night. Si Lan could almost hear Haowei’s heartbeat, steady and strong, transmitted through the thin fabric of their clothes.
Surprisingly, he didn’t think about anything at all; he simply quietly savored the moment.
Haowei lowered his head, his lips brushing innocuously against Si Lan’s earlobe. His body momentarily stiffened, and Haowei murmured, “When you were in the mortal realm, you liked to lean against me like this.”
After a moment, Si Lan hoarsely whispered, “Oh.”
Why say so much when he doesn’t remember any of it?
At that time, he had been shattered by Lord Chushan, his soul torn apart. The resulting puppet was likely a simpleton who understood nothing and naturally leaned on Haowei.
“Si Lan, I did go back to look for you afterwards, but couldn’t find you. I left those two puppets in the house, hoping that when you returned and saw them, you’d understand that I had come looking for you.”
But neither Si Lan returned, nor did Haowei.
Haowei took out the two puppets. In the darkness, Si Lan couldn’t see their features clearly. Haowei took Si Lan’s hand and guided him to feel the contours of the puppets.
Suddenly, an image flashed through Si Lan’s mind: in a dim cave, Haowei held his hand, teaching him how to carve a puppet.
And then, he held up the two puppets, touching foreheads, noses, and then… lips against lips.
An indescribable sadness and bitterness surged through Si Lan’s heart. It wasn’t his own emotions; it was the emotion of that strand of soul within him, influencing him.
So, deep down, he still remembered Haowei.
At this moment, a multitude of emotions overwhelmed him. His eyes reddened silently, lips parted as if to speak, but only tears fell soundlessly.
Chong Ying.
Haowei.
Chong Wei.
Round and round, it all pointed to this person before him.
He gripped the puppets tightly, buried his head in Haowei’s embrace, and reached out to tightly hold Haowei’s back. Suddenly, he felt that things like the Kaojue Mountain Fortune Teller and destined soulmates no longer mattered.
What mattered was that he recognized this person as the one.
He liked Haowei, a realization that had eluded him until now. He had thought his feelings towards Haowei stemmed from a desire to leverage Haowei’s abilities and background to avenge his mother.
But now that the veil between them had been lifted, he realized that beyond those utilitarian motives, he genuinely wanted to be with Haowei.
Though their time together had been short, Haowei had always been a steadfast pillar for him in times of helplessness, confusion, and despair. He found himself trusting Haowei more than he trusted himself.
Feeling Si Lan embrace him, Haowei’s breath caught. Lowering his head, he used a special technique so even in the darkness, he could see clearly.
He saw that Si Lan’s earlobes, face, and neck were all flushed red. His determined eyes met Haowei’s, and Si Lan’s delicate nose nestled against Haowei’s heart, their breaths mingling.
When Haowei finally spoke, his voice hoarse beyond measure, “Si Lan, let’s go to bed.”
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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