Chapter 51

Chapter 51

Fang Xiaojie's performance was actually quite commendable, evident in the continuous efforts towards improvement under Director Wang's critiques. This latest filmed production surpassed its predecessor – a VCR about a haunted well – in both the authenticity of its scenes and the dedication of its actors.

Wei Xi was engrossed in his viewing when suddenly, the television screen went black, and the enthusiastic cries from the speakers came to an abrupt halt. The room fell into an eerie silence.

Wei Xi turned to his second disciple, who was holding the remote control, and asked, "What is it?"

The second disciple merely hastily stood up to retrieve the DVD from the player, preparing to toss it into the trash can. Seeing this, Wei Xi hurriedly climbed out of bed to intercept him. "What are you doing? We haven't finished watching it yet!"

A sharp crack echoed.

The CD had been snapped in half by the second disciple, who spoke through gritted teeth, "It's time to rest."

Wei Xi's eyes conveyed, "How rebellious can you be?"

The second disciple met his gaze but didn't offer any further explanation. As the light flickered, Wei Xi could have sworn he saw a faint flush on the disciple's ear.

Although the television was turned off, the scene and sounds lingered in the viewers' minds as if they were still present. After a moment of silence, Wei Xi felt an unexplained rise in temperature in the room. The second disciple, sensing this, discreetly lowered the air conditioning by two degrees.

Wei Xi watched as his disciple cast off his air-conditioned coat, loosening his collar as if the jacket were suffocating him. But after removing it, he was left with only a loose black T-shirt, causing concern to arise: "Aren't you cold?"

The second disciple ignored him, silently discarding his coat and heading for the door with arms covered in grotesque scars.

Wei Xi asked, "Where are you going?"

Shuo Zong opened the door, and before closing it, his low voice echoed through the crack: "To tidy something up."

Tidy what? Packing luggage?

Confused by the vague response, Wei Xi was relieved when his disciple didn't take long. He returned in about half an hour, appearing as if he had just exercised, with veins popping out on his arms from under his short-sleeved shirt.

As Wei Xi opened the door, he faintly heard distant cries, somehow familiar.

"Make sure the door is closed," his disciple said calmly. "It's getting late, and there's a breeze in the mountains."

******

Wei Xi never doubted his disciples' words. Acknowledging with an "oh," he promptly closed the door. "It's late. Since you don't want to watch a movie, you should rest early."

Shuo Zong glanced at the large double bed behind him, then at the two distinct blankets on it, and nodded in approval.

After his brief departure, his emotions had stabilized significantly. The strange, amorous atmosphere in the room had dissipated, and without Fang Xiaojie's ridiculous movies, there shouldn't be any more –

Wait a minute.

Staring at Wei Xi, Shuo Zong asked, "What are you doing?"

Wei Xi took off his coat, revealing the loose white long-sleeved shirt underneath. He grabbed the hem of the shirt and lifted his arm effortlessly, shedding his last piece of upper clothing. Now bare-chested, he was left wearing only a dark pair of jeans. Placing his hands on them, he turned to ask matter-of-factly, "Aren't you going to shower?"

Shuo Zong gazed at the transparent bathroom wall and Wei Xi's exposed, fair chest. " ... No."

Wei Xi felt somewhat troubled. His disciple was being rather careless; clearly, he was sweating.

Life outside the mountains was much more convenient. In the mountains, he enjoyed water but was lazy and not afraid of the cold, so he usually just soaked in the streams. Occasionally, due to Wei Dedao's special requests, he would light a fire to boil water. However, after descending the mountain, he realized how easily accessible hot water was and developed the habit of bathing twice a day at the Wei household.

Looking at his disciple, Wei Xi hesitated to speak, wanting to set an example and correct his hygiene habits. But it was clear that his disciple had no intention of learning; after refusing, he promptly returned to the window, burying his head and gazing at the dark hills in the night as if there were some fascinating view hidden there.

Shuo Zong changed his mind. Forget it, Wei Dedao didn't like to bathe or change clothes either. Humans all had their quirks.

Thus, he no longer dwelled on it.

Shuo Zong had initially planned not to pay attention, but as his gaze lingered on the distant mountains, his ears seemed to have a will of their own, picking up every subtle sound in the room without missing a single detail.

The rustling of fabric being removed, the metallic zip of jeans being pulled down and the thud as they landed on a wooden surface, footsteps – Wei Xi was probably walking on bathroom tiles without slippers, his steps light and tapping, followed by the crisp sounds of various plastic bottles being opened one after another, evoking the image of him curiously sniffing at the hotel's toiletries.

He was like a child with endless curiosity.

But it wasn't like that before.

Shuo Zong leaned against the windowsill, opening the window to let the biting winter mountain breeze brush against his face, stirring up a flood of memories.

That was truly a very, very long time ago, when the world was not as it is now, though the mountains and rivers remained unchanged through the ages. Back then, such dense forests were commonly used as hidden abodes.

Everyone had their own secret hideaways, filled with rare treasures and precious artifacts, carefully guarded and cherished. Yet, Wei Xi was an exception.

He had never been one to hoard possessions, thus his hidden abode was perpetually empty, serving only as a place for destruction. Driven by his nature, he roamed about, plundering and devouring whatever he could seize without any regard for consequences.

Cruel, ruthless, and lacking in reason, Xia Shouren's assessment of him was not without merit. He was even fearless of death, hence daring to venture into any territory, as evidenced by how he once forcibly bit off the tail of Xia Shouren.

As for himself?

Shuo Zong took a moment to recall, but he couldn't even count how many times he had clashed with Wei Xi. Their roles were different, and their stances had always been in conflict. Back then, Wei Xi's strength was far greater than it was now. Every encounter was a battle of life and death, so as sworn enemies, they both aimed to vanquish the other whenever they fought.

He had even questioned the Heavenly Dao multiple times, wondering why an existence like Wei Xi had been allowed to come into being. Until one time...

Shuo Zong's brows knitted deeply as he thought about that point.

At the same time, there was a strange sound coming from behind him. Lost in his thoughts, he had forgotten his previous intention to hide and turned around instinctively.

"..."

Wei Xi hadn't started bathing yet. Through the glass wall, Shuo Zong could clearly see him crouching over the sink, turning on the faucet, and gulping down water with his mouth wide open.

Damn it...

This shocking sight erased all of Shuo Zong's reminiscence. He rushed into the bathroom and turned off the tap. The sight of Wei Xi desperately drinking tap water stirred up a long-lost anger within him: "What are you doing?!"

However, after the water was shut off, Wei Xi didn't seem to realize his mistake at all. He straightened up and, surprisingly, politely offered, "Disciple, are you thirsty too? You can have a drink first then."

Shuo Zong met his gaze, gradually becoming aware of something from Wei Xi's attitude. For a moment, he truly felt that he had been utterly foolish for seriously recalling the other's past actions.

Silently staring at the ceiling for a while, Shuo Zong didn't want to do anything but sigh. After a moment, he fetched a bottle of mineral water and handed it to Wei Xi. "Tap water isn't safe to drink. Tell me if you're thirsty in the future."

It was unclear whether Wei Xi had taken note of this, but he slowly twisted off the cap and drained the bottle.

He had always eaten like he was in a race, and that habit remained unchanged. His swallowing speed couldn't keep up with his drinking pace, causing some water to overflow from the corner of his mouth. It trickled down Wei Xi's slender jawline, along his long neck, passing by his visibly bobbing Adam's apple before pooling into a shallow puddle on his collarbone.

Shuo Zong's gaze followed the trail, catching a glimpse of a faint pink hue. Startled, he quickly looked away as if burned, only then realizing the current situation.

Wei Xi had already removed his jeans, standing on the tile floor in a white brief, barefooted. With a narrow waist and slender legs, his athletic build was apparent, even though his abdominal muscles were not yet well-defined. Despite his rigorous exercise, his body was still astonishingly fair, seemingly emitting a soft, warm glow under the bathroom's yellowish light.

Shuo Zong exhaled, feeling the room's temperature rising again after its temporary drop.

As Wei Xi finished the water, he tossed the bottle aside and headed for the bathtub behind him. Turning on the faucet, he bent over to test the water's temperature, then turned back to ask, "Disciple, would you like to join me for a bath?"

Without sparing a glance at the curve of Wei Xi's posture, Shuo Zong hastily declined and left the room.

Wei Xi sighed. If his disciple avoided him like the plague, he must really dislike taking baths.

Shuo Zong emerged to find the situation no less distressing. The sound of splashing water echoed from the bathroom, and steam began to blur the transparency of the glass walls. However, as his gaze swept over the frosted glass, he found no solace in this obscuring effect. Under the illumination of the lights, Wei Xi's every move was projected as a silhouette in real-time, leaving much to the imagination as the details became indistinct.

Shuo Zong averted his eyes, only to catch sight of the shattered DVD lying in the trash can, broken into two halves. He covered it with a tissue before collapsing onto the sofa, exhausted.

A wisp of steam sneaked out from under the door, carrying the fragrance of shower gel. It enveloped his body, warm and damp, hauntingly persistent.

He closed his eyes.

******

When Wei Xi finished his bath, he found his second disciple sitting on the sofa, still in his clothes, seemingly already asleep.

How could one sleep sitting up? He hurriedly approached and shook the person. "Lu Que? Disciple?"

The disciple, jolted by his master's movement, promptly bounced up, sitting straight with no trace of sleepiness in his eyes. Their gazes met briefly before the disciple quickly averted his eyes, almost grinding his teeth as he said, "...Put your clothes on."

In the past, when he lacked clothing, Wei Xi wouldn't hesitate to hunt naked in the mountains. Now, in front of his disciple, he was equally unashamed. But since his disciple had made the request, he still wiped his dripping hair with a towel and turned to walk towards the open suitcase by the bed. Bending over to choose, he asked his disciple behind him, "…Where did your senior brother put my pants?"

Shuo Zong gazed at the unsuspecting way his buttocks clenched and unclenched as he searched, ".................................."

Behind him, a loud noise echoed, but Wei Xi didn't receive a reply. Turning his head, he found the sofa empty, and the small coffee table in front of it had been knocked askew for some reason. His disciple was rushing towards the bathroom with the speed of the wind.

Wei Xi was taken aback. "Where are you going?"

The bathroom door slammed shut, and his second disciple's tone was inexplicably irritable. "Taking a shower!"

Didn't he just say he wasn't going to?

The sound of running water soon filled the air. Wei Xi's confusion didn't last long before he was cheered up again. Holding up the underwear he had finally found, he thought to himself, This is all thanks to my excellent guidance.

*****

In the bedroom, two separate beds were made with distinct boundaries. Naturally, Wei Xi chose the one on the outside. The current situation in the mountains was still unclear, and as a master, he must always protect his disciples.

He took off the sect leader's token that hung around his neck, intending to place it by the bedside. Before setting it down, he hesitated and examined it more closely.

On the back of the token was an intricate incantation pattern. Slowly, Wei Xi's finger traced a circle around it.

This object had been unusually warm today.

Was this left behind by Wei Dedao? And where had he gone? Wei Xi clearly remembered that on the day the old man died, he couldn't find any soul in the mountains.

Wei Xi tried his best to explain this abnormal phenomenon, but he knew too little about such matters. His fragmented memories offered no useful information. After all, as Wei Dedao said, he was once a wandering soul, so how could he have known these things?

However, Wei Xi vaguely felt that the jade pendant, which had been dull since he came down the mountain, seemed slightly more lustrous than before.

After pondering for a while, he placed the jade pendant back on his pillow.

Perhaps he was just seeing things?

*****

His second disciple soon finished his bath and emerged from the bathroom with an expressionless face. The cold vapor emanating from him made Wei Xi sneeze. "Did you use cold water?"

The disciple hummed in response, not bothering to explain. He walked straight to the end of the bed and leaned against the inner side, creating a vast distance between them.

Wei Xi couldn't help but wonder what he had done wrong. This second disciple was different from the timid first disciple. Since being taken into the sect, they had attended many execution grounds together, but the disciple had never shown such tension.

Unfortunately, after much thought, Wei Xi still couldn't figure it out and could only conclude that his disciple disliked bathing, hence his displeasure after the shower.

He thus shifted closer with a clear conscience, now certain that his disciple was genuinely nervous. The young man immediately noticed his movement, frowning as he looked over. "What's wrong?"

Wei Xi pondered for a moment, unsure how to soothe him. He could only softly explain, "Master is hungry."

Shuo Zong gazed into those eyes reflecting the shimmering light, falling silent for a long while before extending an arm. "Come here."

Only after reaching out did he realize that the current feeding situation was fundamentally different from usual. In the past, they stood while doing this, but now they lay on the same bed. Furthermore, Wei Xi clearly wasn't someone who paid great attention to dining etiquette...

Sure enough, upon receiving permission, Wei Xi immediately climbed out of the covers. Ignoring the offered arm, he instead pressed his entire body against Shuo Zong, inhaling deeply and roughly against his skin.

Shuo Zong was clad in a T-shirt, and the chilly skin on his chest was vigorously grazed by Wei Xi's warm nose, leaving him completely stiffened.

Wei Xi, however, didn't feel the slightest bit excessive. After taking a deep inhale, he continued to rub against his master as he used to, unintentionally drifting towards the nape of his neck due to their positions.

The neck housed major arteries, where blood rushed vigorously, making it one of the most yang-filled areas on the human body. The sensation of absorbing yang energy there was fundamentally different from doing so through the palm. The moment Wei Xi leaned in, he felt engulfed by the scorching warmth and intense yang aura, as if standing at the seashore, only to be suddenly hit by a massive wave.

Wei Xi's appetite was instantly provoked, causing his eyes to turn crimson red in an instant.

Shuo Zong sensed a sudden surge of excitement in him. Then, his face pressed tightly against Shuo Zong's neck, sliding around while his breath, hot enough to seemingly scorch the steel-like skin, left Shuo Zong feeling vulnerable.

Staring wide-eyed, he began to feel something was amiss. He reached out to push Wei Xi away, but instead, his hand grasped the other's slightly damp curly hair. The moment his fingers intertwined with the strands, his grip unconsciously softened, becoming gentler as he asked, "Wei Xi?"

Hearing his name, Wei Xi let out a low hum. Pressing against the skin before him, he could feel the pulsating artery beneath it. If this weren't his disciple, he would have bitten down without hesitation, regardless of the consequences.

But it was precisely because this was his disciple that he hesitated to exert too much force, leaving him in a state of unsatisfied hunger. His face was almost pressed entirely against the other, yet the heat generated from their skin-to-skin contact only exacerbated his discomfort, clouding his senses further. Ultimately, his appetite took control, and he opened his mouth involuntarily.

The instant his sharp teeth touched Shuo Zong's skin, the latter felt a chill run down his spine.

Just as Wei Xi was about to bite down, his instinct as a teacher pulled him back, halting his action.

With the skin between his teeth, unable to bite or gnaw, he became increasingly agitated. In frustration, he flicked his tongue heavily against it.

At the touch of his tongue, a surge of vibrant yang energy rushed into his mouth in a quantity vastly different from what he was accustomed to through mere scenting. It momentarily left Wei Xi disoriented, followed by an even more intense craving.

This method of consumption was incredibly efficient!

Satisfied to the point of feeling weightless, Wei Xi's mind swam with bliss. His only thought now was to consume more, much more.

In that instant when he was licked, Shuo Zong's body froze. After a brief moment of emptiness, he suddenly felt a weight on him. Instinctively reaching out, he realized he had wrapped his arms around Wei Xi's waist. The younger had already fully climbed atop him, buried under the covers, pushing his head eagerly against Shuo Zong's neck while his tongue soaked the skin at the side of his throat.

Shuo Zong remained silent, his hand still entangled in Wei Xi's hair as he turned to try and communicate with him. "Wei Xi! Wake up! Wei Xi!"

Wei Xi stirred at the sound of his voice, shrinking back as the warmth of Shuo Zong's breath brushed against his ear. Slowly, he lifted his eyelids to look at him.

His eyes were filled with the savagery and ferocity of an animal, yet somehow, despite the instinct to protect his disciple being incredibly strong, he hadn't bitten down yet.

Shuo Zong was taken aback by his gaze, as if transported through time by that familiar stare, frozen in another era.

It was clear that Wei Xi wasn't fully awake. As he responded to the sound, his mind began to process more, searching for more sustenance. His tongue traced the now-heated artery on his disciple's neck, licking upward in small movements before finally biting down on the disciple's chin, starting to nibble meticulously. After a while, he released his grip, following the scent of yang energy to its richest source.

He licked the corner of his disciple's mouth, but the tightly pursed lips denied him entry. Impatient, he opened his teeth and chomped down on the lips irregularly, still unsatisfied, letting out a low growl of frustration.

Lifting his eyes, he saw his disciple's tense expression, his gaze sharp and piercing as if it could penetrate one's soul, conveying a complexity that he couldn't decipher.

"Que'er…" Seeing his disciple's face, Wei Xi finally came to a bit, loosening his teeth. He leaned in, struggling to maintain his sanity, pressing his cheek gently against his disciple's side. "...Master is hungry."

He felt his disciple's palm cover his head, fingers threading through his hair, his entire body taut like a steel board. The moment he spoke, the pressure from the hand on the back of his head increased abruptly, followed by a tightening around his waist, lifting him off the bed where he had been lying prone.

It seemed like a reluctant gesture.

Wei Xi faintly recalled the stingy manner in which his disciple used to extend his hand to offer yang energy in the past. With his mind now ruled by hunger, his frustration only intensified.

Suddenly, a weight pressed down upon him, and the scent that had recently departed drew near once more. A blazing breath brushed against his face.

Gazing upward, Wei Xi found his second disciple's face mere inches away, his expression unusually irate, staring at him with intense, unyielding eyes.

The air in the room was so thin that it made breathing a laborious task.

Wei Xi's vision turned pitch black.

The lips that had just been elusive were finally captured again and again with profound intensity.