Chapter 135

Chapter 135

No matter how reluctant, for his brother's heir status and future wealth and glory, Norris had no choice.

With tears, he picked up the dagger from the ground, gritted his teeth, and cut his face. Blood instantly seeped out, trickling down his cheek.

"Is this enough?" Norris asked, trembling with fear, worried that Shen Wang might find it unsatisfactory and demand more cuts.

"That will do," Shen Wang glanced at him. "Remember how you feel at this moment and hope you never do such a thing again."

Norris's face was in excruciating pain, and he couldn’t stop crying, continuously nodding his head.

Bunil also breathed a sigh of relief, understanding that Shen Wang only wanted to teach Norris a lesson. He tugged at Norris, "Thank you for your generosity."

With that, the matter was concluded.

Bunil then had Norris sincerely apologize before taking his troublesome brother to the hospital.

Once it was just Shen Wang and his group, everyone couldn’t help but laugh and tease.

"Shen Ge, who knew your charm was so irresistible, enchanting a young boy to such an extent."

"And a good-looking rich second generation at that..."

"Luckily you, Shen Ge, are a cultivator and didn’t suffer a loss. Otherwise, we would have been in big trouble."

"This trip has been a lesson; we were too lax and got caught off guard. We must be more vigilant in the future..."

"Being abroad, there are rivals everywhere. It’s best for everyone to stay cautious."

Everyone laughed and joked around, and Shen Wang chuckled along, feeling a bitter pang in his heart.

Everyone thought Norris had just attempted to drug him and failed, unaware that he had lost something far more precious. Yet, this was not something he could openly talk about, like a mute person suffering in silence, unable to express his pain.

Thinking about last night's events and the suddenly strange behavior of little brother Hei gave Shen Wang a headache.

After a few jokes, Bo Yu noticed Shen Wang's discomfort and suggested, "Brother Shen, why don't you go back to your room and rest a bit?"

"Yeah, Brother Shen, you haven't seemed energetic all day. Is there something wrong with the medicine? Maybe Elder Bai should check it for you."

Faced with their concerned gazes, Shen Wang cleared his throat and said, "I'm fine, I'm just... a bit slow to react. A good rest will do."

The others quickly chimed in, "Then you should go back and rest..."

Gu Dongting stepped forward, standing beside Shen Wang: "I'll walk you back to your room."

"It's just a few steps away, no need to accompany me," said Shen Wang uneasily, but upon meeting Gu Dongting's gaze, he fell silent instantly.

The two returned to the room in silence, neither of them speaking.

Walking side by side with Gu Dongting in the past, even in silence, Shen Wang rarely felt awkward. He felt only calm and peace. But this time, his heart was filled with discomfort.

After a few steps, the distracted Shen Wang accidentally bumped into Gu Dongting's shoulder. He instinctively stepped back and apologized, "Sorry, I..."

"Why are you being so polite today?" Gu Dongting's eyebrows raised imperceptibly, his expression carrying an almost undetectable smile.

Shen Wang stammered, attempting to change the subject: "I was thinking about the medicine Norris used..."

Gu Dongting listened intently.

"Logically, it shouldn't have affected me." As he spoke about this, Shen Wang's embarrassment diminished somewhat, his confusion genuine.

Last night, when Norris came to offer a drink, his mind was elsewhere, and unfamiliar with foreign liquor, he drank without any guard... But the drug Norris used shouldn't have had any effect on him.

Just like with drinking, he could get drunk without control, but if he wished to stay sober, he would never succumb to drunkenness.

Initially, his mind was clear. Why did he suddenly lose his reason?

Gu Dongting's gaze shifted, "Maybe it's because you were unguarded, and that's why you were susceptible."

"Impossible," Shen Wang asserted, "Just like a seasoned drinker won't get drunk on a cup of fruit wine, this aphrodisiac is no more effective on me than a cup of fruit wine."

When exactly did he lose his reason? Shen Wang pondered deeply for a long time, finally recalling it from his memories.

It was upon seeing Gu Dongting, or rather, Xiao Hei Ge... He smelled that familiar scent unique to Gu Dongting, and thus, he let down his guard.

As Shen Wang reminisced, his nose seemed to be enveloped again by that strange, sweet fragrance.

He subtly moved closer to Gu Dongting, not detecting any scent, as if the fragrance in his memory was an illusion.

Gu Dongting noticed Shen Wang's slight movement. He stiffened slightly and said, "Did you feel unwell last night? I thought you just went to sleep in your room."

Shen Wang's thoughts halted abruptly, and he couldn't continue speaking. He chuckled dryly, "Indeed... I went to sleep as soon as I returned to my room."

Regarding last night's incident, Shen Wang truly didn't know how to broach the subject to anyone, especially to Gu Dongting. It was particularly hard for him to articulate.

Both of them looked ahead, their gazes not meeting, and soon they reached their respective doors. They parted as usual, each returning to their own room.

Back in his room, Shen Wang had instructed the servants not to tidy up, so everything remained as he had left it.

The disheveled bed, the pillow on the floor, spoke of the morning's rush... Shen Wang sniffed, and there was that faint sweet scent.

Living in the space, he hadn't noticed its scent. In the morning rush, Shen Wang thought the fragrance he sensed last night was an illusion, but now...

After a day and a night, with the window still wide open, the fragrance in the air had faded greatly. It was not as overpowering as before, subtle and faint, more like the scent he remembered, uniquely belonging to Gu Dongting.

Shen Wang stood at the doorway, his expression utterly bewildered: What exactly happened last night?

Did Gu Dongting really come over? But his demeanor today showed no signs of irregularity.

Shen Wang faintly felt as if he was walking in a fog, seemingly just a step away from the end, yet he couldn't see the finish.

Meanwhile, just a room away, Gu Dongting also stood at his door, motionless for a long time, his expression fluctuating.

After an indeterminate amount of time, he slowly started moving, changing his clothes. His exposed skin was immaculately smooth and clean, bearing no trace.

Beneath the cover of his clothes, his body was covered in mottled marks, including a particularly noticeable fingerprint on his slender waist, glimpsed briefly as he changed.

A single glance was enough to imagine how the owner of those hands gripped his slender waist, making escape impossible.

Shen Wang was hurried in the morning, and though Gu Dongting appeared calm, the reality was not much different. He had merely applied medicine to the visible parts of his skin and used his spiritual energy to erase the apparent marks.

For the deeper stains hidden under his clothes, Gu Dongting had just managed to use a dust-removing charm to cleanse the dirt, then appeared in front of others as if nothing had happened, still bearing the traces on his body.

Only now did he have the time to properly clean himself, addressing those deeper impurities.

The castle's decor was extremely luxurious, each room having its own bathroom, fully equipped, including a huge mirror covering the wall.

Gu Dongting had no desire to soak in the bath. Standing under the showerhead, his long hair became wet and clung to his body. He casually brushed his hair aside, about to use his spiritual energy to lighten the red marks on his body.

But after a long pause, he stopped himself, allowing those ambiguous marks to remain.

"He fell for you first, but it was I who got him first." Gu Dongting's lips curved into a slight smile. Looking at himself in the mirror, it seemed as if he was talking to himself, yet also as if competing with an unseen person.

With his words, a faint exotic fragrance wafted through the air.

Gu Dongting had a natural physical condition that emitted a unique fragrance, which could stir the desires of those with weak wills... Every time his condition acted up in the past, he had to endure it alone in a dark room.

The young and naive Gu Dongting believed that this condition was a trial given by the heavens – to toughen his spirit and labor his body. But all sufferings were external; he had family who cared about him, elders who sought remedies for his condition. Compared to most people's suffering in the world, he was already extremely fortunate... He never resented the heavens.

Later, Gu Dongting's family met with tragedy, and the secret room prepared for him ceased to exist. For some reason, his condition flared up more frequently, forcing him to hide in the deep mountains and forests... At that time, he was overwhelmed by resentment.

He hated Tang Jiu, Gu Manting, Wei Jiujiu, and even more, he hated the heartless fate and destiny.

Now, Gu Dongting could control his condition. He thought that this condition wasn't entirely useless; at least, it could help him obtain the person he wanted.

As for whether the other party was willing... Gu Dongting had learned over the years that one must firmly grasp what they desire, never letting go even in death.

The only certainty in this unpredictable world is what you hold in your hands.

Water droplets fell on Gu Dongting's head, winding down his face, passing over the teardrop-shaped mole beneath his eye, accompanying his faintly reddened eyes, like a tear stained with blood.

"An idiot who can't even understand his own heart."

Amidst the soft sound of water, a low curse echoed.

That night, both Shen Wang and Gu Dongting remained awake. In the deep silence of the night, they listened to the sounds of insects and wind outside the window, thinking about many things, yet it felt like they thought of nothing at all.

Tonight's moon wasn't as round, hanging coldly in the sky. Shadows ran swiftly in the darkness, light-footed yet filled with killing intent, disrupting the peaceful night, as if even the wind carried a hint of malice.

Shen Wang, as if having a premonition, stood up to look outside. He saw a dozen familiar shadows rushing towards the castle, their intention clear.

"Why are there so many werewolves?" Shen Wang exclaimed, instinctively going to find Gu Dongting.

As he opened his door, Gu Dongting also opened his. They looked at each other and said in unison, "Enemies are attacking, wake the others."

Gu Dongting, unusually, had changed out of his usual strict and formal white robe into a simpler, thinner white ancient garment. As he turned, Shen Wang thought he saw a faint red mark on the nape of his neck beneath the clothes.

Shen Wang's heart skipped a beat. When he looked again, there was nothing there, just a stretch of unblemished skin.

Shen Wang wasn't sure if he had seen incorrectly, or if the mark had been covered by the clothes... But if such a mark really existed, what could it be?

A mosquito? The thought crossed Shen Wang's mind, but he quickly dismissed it. Gu Dongting's sword energy was sharp and intense, repelling insects and vermin.

For some reason, a certain image suddenly flashed through Shen Wang's mind.

It was he who pinned Xiao Hei Ge to the bed last night, biting his neck like a wild beast from behind... Shen Wang's face flushed red, hurriedly suppressing this untimely memory.

The werewolves moved incredibly fast. By the time Shen Wang and Gu Dongting woke everyone up, they had already reached the castle.

A long, piercing howl echoed around the castle, followed by a continuous series of wolf howls in the night, sending chills down the spine.