Chapter 87

The stormy, crashing kisses violently struck his heart, waves endlessly rising and falling, churning with the sound of water…

Song Qingshi couldn't bear it any longer. He whimpered, "Stop, stop…"

Feng Jun finally released his lips, moving slightly downward to punish him by enclosing his Adam’s apple, circling it twice with his tongue, and fiercely branding it with a hickey. Then, he loosened his grip.

"Ah—" Song Qingshi involuntarily arched his back, letting out a soft cry. He quickly pulled his hand away and pushed aside the person who still intended to taste further. "I’m not ready for this."

"Why?" Feng Jun stared intently, his crimson eyes burning with terrifying intensity. His rationality was stretched to its breaking point; if the answer wasn't right, he would descend into uncontrolled madness.

Song Qingshi helped him straighten his outer robe, then adjusted his own clothes and smoothed his tousled hair. Frustrated, he said, "This is serious. If we go further, we must become cultivation partners. I feel like I like you, but my memories are a mess, and there’s so much I’m unsure of. I need to figure things out before I can touch you."

What if, during his amnesia, he had carelessly entangled himself in romantic debts, been a scoundrel, committed crimes, or accumulated debts? How could he possibly be worthy of becoming Feng Jun’s cultivation partner? How could he take advantage of him?

Moreover, he felt he should discuss such an important matter with Mr. Yue. Mr. Yue treated him so well, like a closest kin. He felt a strong sense of trust and closeness towards Mr. Yue.

Feng Jun’s anger, stemming from his desire being interrupted, receded. He asked blankly, "You lost your memories, yet you still like me?"

Why? He had changed his appearance, even dressed as a woman.

"I don’t know, but I feel something for you," Song Qingshi said, kissing his cheek lightly. Remembering the affection written in that notebook, he smiled. "Perhaps… no matter how many times I lose my memory, no matter how you change, I’ll always fall for you at first sight." He couldn't escape the other’s grasp; whenever he saw him, he just wanted to leap in.

Feng Jun thought for a long time before gently touching the hickey on his Adam’s apple and apologizing, "I was too rough. I…" He didn’t know why he had acted so badly. He had intended to take things slowly, but given the chance, he had taken advantage of the other’s reluctance to struggle, pushing further and almost consuming him entirely.

Song Qingshi said, "It’s alright. I liked it."

Feng Jun knew he would unknowingly say such provocative things, so he suppressed his rising desire. He wanted to tell him that they had already done these things before, that forgetting didn’t matter—he could just acknowledge it. They could start anew, first becoming cultivation partners, formalizing their bond, and then figuring out the rest.

But… how should this be reconciled?

He hesitated…

Song Qingshi asked bluntly, "Feng Jun, who exactly are you? I feel like you must have another name. What was our past like? How did we meet? And why did we separate?"

Feng Jun met his clear eyes and felt that long-lost suffocation return.

How could he possibly answer: *I’m Yue Wuhuan—scorned, disgraced, trampled by the world? We met at the Golden Phoenix Manor, that den of iniquity, where I was a slave, forced to serve guests, and you saved me from suicide? I am a madly obsessive lover, mentally ill, wanting to do many excessive things? My feelings ruined your Dao heart, shattered your Nascent Soul, and took everything from you. We separated because you chose me—the wrong answer—and were punished by the system, your memories erased? And now, I want to replace your new mission target?*

He didn’t want to be Yue Wuhuan. He didn’t want to face the past or the mistakes. He wanted to start over…

"I don’t know," Feng Jun murmured, gripping his sleeve tightly, head bowed in agony. "Please, don’t ask, alright? I like you—I really do. You said I could be willful…"

When had he become so greedy? His desire for more had grown almost boundless. He wanted everything—a pure version of himself, a clean youth, a pure love. Even if it had to be obtained through lies, it didn’t matter.

With a smile bordering on cruel, he answered, "I’ve forgotten everything about the past. Not a single thing remains."

The lie was obvious to anyone, but he wanted to force the other to accept it.

"Don’t be sad. You can be willful," Song Qingshi understood his feelings and stopped pressing, comforting him gently. "If my memories bring you pain, then… let’s just leave them be…"

Feng Jun asked softly, "A fresh start?"

Song Qingshi affirmed, "A fresh start."

Since the other wanted to begin anew, he would court him properly this time, date him seriously, and once the lingering shadow of unease in his heart dissipated, he would buy a ring, propose properly, and strive to be a good cultivation partner.

Feng Jun once again tasted extreme pleasure. Inhaling the scent from the other’s neck, he controlled his breathing. "I can still hold back."

Since he was so content, he would temporarily set aside the final plan. Those two troublesome fools could also be dealt with using gentler methods.

Song Qingshi took out pen and paper and began writing a letter.

Feng Jun glanced over and saw it was addressed to Mr. Yue. Surprised, he asked, "Why are you writing to him?"

"He’s very close to me, a reliable elder. I like him a lot," Song Qingshi said, gnawing on the pen thoughtfully as he wrote. "Now that I’ve found someone I’m serious about, I want to tell him. When we become cultivation partners, we’ll need a witness, won’t we?"

Feng Jun’s joy suddenly plummeted…

He had a feeling that once the truth came out, he might be ruined.

If he eliminated Mr. Yue first, could he cover this up?

But… how to kill him?

What if Song Qingshi grieved?

…

Song Jincheng lay in bed, shivering beneath the blankets.

Though he was good at nothing else, his vision and perception were unnaturally sharp—and his luck was unusually terrible. So, when he got up to use the restroom, he spotted eerie shadows in the opposite window.

It was clearly Miss Feng Jun dragging the child called Xiao Bai into the room. Then, the window shook, and the shadow of a giant serpent, nearly filling the entire room, appeared. He almost screamed, thinking Miss Feng Jun had been eaten by the snake—but then… Miss Feng Jun’s shadow reappeared beside the serpent’s, and it grew taller, like a man’s. Countless terrifying vine-like shadows extended from him, coiling tightly around the serpent’s vital spot…

The shadows of the man and the serpent vanished in an instant.

He hid behind the window crack, rubbing his eyes for a long time, wondering if he had imagined it.

A long while later, the door opened, and Miss Feng Jun strolled out casually. Song Jincheng was about to sigh in relief when he noticed—as Miss Feng Jun closed the door—what seemed like a massive white snake tail flickering inside the room. Exactly like the serpent they had encountered during the day?

But there was no serpent shadow on the window.

Was this… a barrier?

Just what kind of person was Miss Feng Jun?

Song Jincheng was terrified into a quivering mess. He watched helplessly as Miss Feng Jun carried a bowl of ice dessert toward Song Qingshi’s room, unsure how to rescue his brother from a monster’s clutches…

Steeling himself, he pretended to pass by Song Qingshi’s window casually and peeked through the slightly ajar gap—only to see Miss Feng Jun passionately kissing Song Qingshi, the latter dazed and utterly enchanted, completely unaware of the beauty-snake he had tangled with.

*Brother, wake up! That’s a monster disguised as a beauty! A man half a head taller than you, who can easily subdue a giant serpent! You can’t conquer him—you’ll only be devoured! According to my senior sister’s novels, monsters like this will probably pin you to the bed, force you into submission, do all sorts of unspeakable, cruel things, and maybe even eat you afterward! This… is a human tragedy!*

Song Jincheng nearly fainted…

Don’t blame him for lacking the courage to charge in and save him—even if he did, it’d be a two-for-one deal, utterly futile.

He could only pray silently that this monster sought lust, not life. If Song Qingshi was still breathing by morning, he’d try to rescue him and flee.

*Ah, why is Brother Qingshi so unlucky? Losing his memory and cultivation is one thing, forgetting his goddess’s name is another, but to attract something so terrifying… His luck is even worse than mine.*

Tossing and turning, Song Jincheng stared at Song Qingshi’s door until dawn, but Feng Jun never emerged. He sighed mournfully, certain that Song Qingshi had been tormented all night and was probably beyond saving.

After some thought, he decided to write to Mr. Yue, detailing everything he had witnessed. If this letter became his last words, he begged Mr. Yue to console his parents and slay the monster to avenge them both.

Song Jincheng secretly sent the letter via Messenger Bird, then hid under his blankets, awaiting his tragic fate.

By midday, Feng Jun finally emerged from the room, satisfied, and headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

Seizing the chance, Song Jincheng sneaked in to check on Song Qingshi. He found him lying exhausted on the couch, wrapped in brocade, hair disheveled, eyes red and vacant, with a deep hickey on his throat—clearly having suffered through the night. Putting himself in the other’s shoes, Song Jincheng imagined how devastating such an experience must be for a man and hurried to console him, "Brother Qingshi, stay strong. There’s no hardship that can’t be overcome."

Song Qingshi turned around and saw him, managed a bitter smile. "It's nothing, just a bit difficult…"

Song Jincheng, seeing his forced cheer, was on the verge of tears. "You've suffered."

Song Qingshi reassured him, "Don't worry, I'll get used to it gradually."

"Don't adapt!" Song Jincheng grabbed his hand urgently. "I've already prepared the luggage and spirit steeds. Let's escape before that guy returns!"

Song Qingshi was dragged along in confusion. Last night, after they had opened up to each other, Feng Jun had given him many of the latest pharmaceutical studies and intriguing Rune Array diagrams. The two of them had huddled under the covers, poring over them excitedly all night. Pharmaceuticals weren't difficult for him—he could grasp the theories just by looking at the formulas. However, the Rune Arrays proved much harder. He felt outdated, falling behind, and knew he would need to put in great effort to slowly adapt and relearn.

Song Jincheng urged, "Hurry, or it'll be too late."

Seeing his urgency, Song Qingshi also felt a sense of crisis. "Alright, I'll go get Feng Jun and Xiao Bai."

Song Jincheng almost passed out and wanted to explain.

Suddenly, the window was pushed open.

Feng Jun fixed him with a terrifying glare.