Chapter 22 Tail Root Touched

Chapter 22: His Tailbone Was Touched

No one present had time to react.

Ji Ling had never held any hope for the Duzun Herb. Since Jun Xueyi had found it, it was only natural that he would use it as an antidote for himself first. However, he never expected Jun Xueyi to give the herb to him instead.

The Duzun Herb was extremely rare; within a radius of several miles, there would only be this one plant.

Finding the next one would require an unknown amount of effort and time.

The longer the hallucinogenic poison lingered, the more it would fuel desire. If it reached a point where the desire became uncontrollable, one would risk qi deviation.

Ji Wuyan watched the agitated Xiong Qun from a distance, not daring to approach. He whispered, "Where does Young Hero Jun get so many Teleportation Talismans?"

Outside, a single Teleportation Talisman cost five thousand spirit stones at the Treasure Pavilion.

Along the way, Jun Xueyi had used an unknown number of them. Besides Teleportation Talismans, there were also various other rare talismans, used as if they were nothing. Although Jun Xueyi was the most favored disciple of the Qingfeng Sect Leader, this level of spending was still outrageous.

These talismans were meant to be life-saving tools for others.

Ji Wuxing didn’t know the answer either. He just thought that the relationship between Young Hero Jun and that Young Master was incredibly complicated.

They were supposed to be lovers, in love with each other, yet their interactions resembled that of sworn enemies—to the point where Young Hero Jun’s poisoning was a result of the Young Master personally using a snake to bite him.

Yet, at critical moments, the Young Master was willing to accompany Young Hero Jun into the serpent’s belly, never abandoning each other, staying together at all times while simultaneously wanting to take the other’s life every moment.

Ji Ling used the Duzun Herb to suppress the hallucinogenic poison in his body. Once the poison was neutralized, it felt as if a thousand-pound weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Watching Xiong Qun, who was still frantically working through something on the spot, Ji Ling spoke up, "Friend Xiong Qun, let’s search together. Young Hero Jun must have taken the benefactor to find another Duzun Herb."

Xiong Qun gradually calmed down—not because of Ji Ling’s words, but because the Young Master had used the jade pendant to let him know he was okay.

Xiong Qun replied, "Alright."

On the other side, Chu Ji was taken by Jun Xueyi to a cave. Pinned under him, he struggled but couldn’t break free. Sensing Xiong Qun’s anxiety, he had just gripped the jade pendant to signal that he was safe when Jun Xueyi firmly seized his hand.

Chu Ji looked up, his provocative gaze fixed on the mask. *Go on, try it.*

What was the point of pinning him down?

Draw that sword of yours.

When Jun Xueyi had been run through the chest during the battle with the Heavenly Python, Chu Ji’s own heart had ached for ages. He wanted to see just how far Jun Xueyi would go.

Jun Xueyi watched the other’s fearless expression, feeling a stir in his heart.

So arrogant, yet so captivating—the slight lift of his eyes seemed capable of bewitching, making one willing to die for him.

Especially now, when Jun Xueyi was not in his right mind, he coldly observed every nuance of the Young Master’s expression, wondering if those eyes would still look at him the same way once he reduced him to tears.

The thought made him press down harder.

Reason told him that this was someone who had entered his life ahead of destiny's plan.

An unknown variable.

An unforeseen accident that even his destiny could not predict.

Someone capable of shattering all his expectations.

They should be cooperating instead.

He didn't want to be a predestined savior.

Whether this world lived or died didn’t concern him—as long as he could escape, as long as… it smelled so enticing…

What had the other put on?

His neck was so pale, so pale that the veins beneath were clearly visible, so pale that even a little force would leave vivid marks. His lips and teeth instinctively drew closer, inhaling softly at the side of Young Master’s neck. Young Master bathed using scented herbs, yet the scent in his hair was entirely different from the fragrance on his body—the former fresh and pleasant, the latter intoxicatingly sweet.

He swallowed quickly, only to feel a sword pressed against his chest. In a daze, he lifted his head.

Chu Ji was breaking out in goosebumps from Jun Xueyi’s simple action. At this moment, Jun Xueyi was sniffing him like a serpent, as if ready to flick out a forked tongue for a taste.

He wasn’t afraid of snakes, yet he felt an inexplicable fear toward Jun Xueyi at this moment.

Jun Xueyi was like a beast preparing to feast, his eyes slowly shifting to fix tightly on his prey.

With one hand, he pinned Young Master’s hands above his head; with the other, he traced upward from the neck, his fingers pressing firmly against Young Master’s lips. He asked, “Are you scared?”

His tone was cold and detached. Only Jun Xueyi knew he was on the verge of losing control.

Chu Ji was provoked by his tone. “Me? Scared of you?”

“Give it your best shot.”

“I’m telling you, Jun Xueyi, once the shared fate between us is broken, I will definitely make you… Mmm…”

His eyes widened. Two fingers were churning roughly in his mouth, his tongue gripped. His first instinct was to kick.

Jun Xueyi simply lifted his leg to press Young Master’s down. Even after suffering once in such a situation, this Young Master never learned—always thinking he could kick his way out at times like this.

Two ungloved fingers mercilessly toyed with Young Master’s lips and tongue, pinching the pink tip. The sensation was unbelievably soft. Unable to close his mouth, saliva trickled from the corner of Young Master’s lips. Jun Xueyi’s pupils contracted, and he uncontrollably lowered his head. Just as his lips were about to touch the saliva at the corner of Young Master’s mouth, he suddenly sobered up and jerked back.

“How pathetic. You can’t even control your drool, yet you dare poison me.” His voice was cold.

To Chu Ji, these words were the ultimate mockery. His eyes, glistening with unshed tears, glared at Jun Xueyi. With his tongue caught, he couldn’t speak, only letting out two frustrated grunts.

He couldn’t kick, and his hands were restrained.

It was worse than death itself.

Jun Xueyi’s cold voice sounded again. “Young Master, stop testing me. Stay quietly in the corner.”

With that, he withdrew his hand and tossed Young Master aside. Without looking back, he stood up and walked deeper into the cave. He couldn’t turn back—if the illusion poison took complete control, he wouldn’t be able to suppress the toxin within him, even more potent than an aphrodisiac.

If both poisons erupted together… He closed his eyes tightly.

He hated being controlled.

Loathed it.

Especially being reduced to someone who couldn’t even control his own most primal urges.

This feeling of being manipulated disgusted him. His aversion to this world surged once more as he numbly walked forward.

After a few steps, his legs refused to move. Being farther from Young Master now, the scent still lingered on his fingers. He raised his hand, bringing his fingers to his nose, inhaling the familiar fragrance, and softly brushed his lips against his fingers.

Jun Xueyi was startled by his own actions. Instantly, he cast a Water Spell, drenching both himself and the person nearby from head to toe. Shaking his head vigorously, he raised his gaze to the Duzun Herb growing deep within the cave.

Staggering, he trudged toward the Duzun Herb again.

He couldn't turn back.

Chu Ji was thrown onto a pile of dry grass, dazed and seeing stars. The sensation of his tongue being pinched still lingered. He wiped the corner of his mouth and looked toward Jun Xueyi, but before he could get a clear view, a sudden water sphere materialized out of thin air and drenched him completely.

Chu Ji reacted like a cat doused with water, shaking his head vigorously to dry off. The water accentuated the redness around his eyes and lips, making the flushed marks from earlier manipulation appear even more glossy.

He instantly bristled.

Pinching his tongue! Jun Xueyi had disgustedly pinched him while acting like someone with a serious illness!

The base of his tongue still felt numb, and the lingering pressure at the corners of his mouth made him desperately want to rinse his mouth.

Was Jun Xueyi’s hand even clean when he touched him?

He focused his gaze and spotted the Duzun Herb deep inside the cave.

There was actually another one here!

Didn't the texts say that Jun Xueyi had only found one back then?

Why was there another one here?

Chu Ji’s clothes were soaked and clung uncomfortably to his skin. Earlier, after waking up, he had used his spiritual energy to dry himself, but now the blood Jun Xueyi had left on his chest restricted his spiritual power. He couldn’t even stop his clothes from dripping.

Enduring the sticky discomfort, he headed toward the Duzun Herb.

After taking a few steps forward, Chu Ji suddenly had an epiphany: Could it be that Jun Xueyi was able to locate the Duzun Herb so precisely every time because he was poisoned?

Because he was poisoned, Jun Xueyi could sense where the antidote was.

The protagonist...

He sneered. No wonder the texts mentioned that in the original story, after Ji Ling was poisoned, Jun Xueyi initially searched for poisonous snakes instead of the antidote.

He couldn’t let Jun Xueyi obtain this herb.

Want to detoxify? Impossible.

Striding forward, he summoned his sword, intending to destroy the Duzun Herb.

No matter how beautiful this herb was, he wouldn’t let Jun Xueyi get his hands on it.

In the original story, his first confrontation with Jun Xueyi was over this very herb—the beginning of his always falling short compared to Jun Xueyi.

Today, he would rather destroy it than hand it over.

His sword was just inches away from destroying the Duzun Herb when a hand suddenly appeared and grabbed the blade.

It was Jun Xueyi.

Chu Ji’s expression remained cold. His sword wasn’t that easy to intercept.

Before he could act, he saw Jun Xueyi envelop his hand in spiritual energy, gripping the blade and pressing it against his own chest.

“We share a life bond, Young Master,” Jun Xueyi’s hoarse, mocking voice rang out.

He didn’t know which powerful figure had ensured his survival these past few days. He had thought the other was being duplicitous, not killing him even when they fell into the pond together.

But if it were truly duplicity, this Young Master wouldn’t have poisoned him.

Taking advantage of his weakness, he hadn’t hesitated to use a poisonous snake to bite him.

Jun Xueyi: “You’d better let me detoxify. Otherwise...”

If he were controlled by desire, the one who couldn’t escape would be this Young Master. His spiritual energy was restricted by the artifact at the bottom of the pond. Without Jun Xueyi’s spiritual power, the other couldn’t even open his storage ring or use any artifacts. He couldn’t kill him, and if he tried to run, exceeding a certain distance would pull him back to Jun Xueyi’s side.

In such a situation, still trying to stop him from obtaining the antidote—did the other truly want to suffer...?

He tightened his grip on the blade, allowing it to cut deep into his hand, almost to the bone. If he didn’t use such pain to remind himself, he would become nothing but a beast in rut.

He couldn't afford to think about it.

Jun Xueyi threw the sword back, embedding it at the other’s feet.

Chu Ji froze. Would Jun Xueyi die from this poison?

It seemed not. Since he wouldn’t die, why should he worry?

He raised his sword again.

A chill spread across his face as a strand of spiritual energy mixed with Jun Xueyi’s blood flew out from within him, instantly binding his hands above his head.

Helpless, he leaned against the cave wall. This was the blood Jun Xueyi had smeared on his face that day.

That bastard! He knew every single thing Jun Xueyi had placed on him was part of some scheme.

This spiritual energy felt similar to the energy Jun Xueyi had used to suck his blood when they were washed out of the pond. A shiver ran down his spine.

He had Water Essence within him. If it were purely Jun Xueyi’s spiritual energy, it wouldn’t have this effect.

A strand of spiritual energy separated from his wrist, tracing a path from his face down to his neck. The icy sensation immediately reddened the corners of Chu Ji’s eyes. The blood-tinged energy coiled around his neck before slipping inside his collar.

Chu Ji bit his lower lip but couldn’t suppress a soft moan.

So cold. He could feel exactly where the energy was moving.

It crawled down his chest and then back up. Places even he wouldn’t touch while bathing were stimulated by the icy energy, causing peaks to form. To make matters worse, his clothes were completely wet, clinging tightly to his skin and impossible to remove.

It was pure torment.

Jun Xueyi caught the other’s soft moan and only then realized his spiritual energy had gone out of control. He could clearly sense how warm the Young Master’s skin was beneath the clothes.

...He really wanted to curse.

The other had poisoned him, but the desire was undeniably his own.

If he hadn’t harbored such desires, even if the other stood naked before him, he wouldn’t have lost his composure like this.

He tilted his head back, taking a sharp breath, then bent down to pluck the Duzun Herb.

His fingers tugged hard at the roots.

...It wouldn’t come loose.

He stared at his hand in shock. The herb didn't recognize him.

His muddled mind finally cleared a little. The Duzun Herb was domineering—each person could only pluck one plant. Since he had already taken one, he couldn’t pluck this one.

Jun Xueyi leaned against the wall and slowly sat down, contemplating the possibility of just biting it off with his teeth.

The efficacy of Duzun Herb lies in the whole plant. If chewed raw, even the slightest damage to the herb will cause it to destroy itself.

He let out a defeated laugh.

This Young Master’s luck was just as bad as his.

Not wanting him to pick it, he truly couldn’t pick it now. Once he lost control, the other would suffer the consequences.

Jun Xueyi sat still, feeling his spiritual energy roaming wildly inside the other’s clothes. The other’s waist was slender, and as he thought about it, his spiritual energy drifted to that area.

Smooth, radiantly pale, with lean and firm abdominal muscles from years of sword practice.

He closed his eyes and let out a self-mocking laugh. How was this any different from doing it himself?

When he opened his eyes again, he saw that if he released the other now, the first thing the other would do, regardless of consequences, would be to kill him.

Chu Ji half-sat on the damp grass, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. Forced to feel that strand of spiritual energy lingering around his waist, he suddenly thought of a word, as if he had figured it out on his own: lecher.

This lecherous spiritual energy!

He glared at the person sitting nearby, biting his lip and saying, "Take your spiritual energy back."

Jun Xueyi replied coolly, "You’re the one who poisoned me. I can’t take it back."

His hand gripped the wall tightly. If he let go, what would roam around the other’s waist would no longer be just that strand of spiritual energy.

Chu Ji let out another sharp gasp, his eyes widening in shock. That strand of spiritual energy had just pinched his waist—cold and... shameful.

"Jun Xueyi, take it back!"

Hearing this, Jun Xueyi was grateful he wore a mask. Six simple words, when he spoke them—how could they be so enticing?

That strand of spiritual energy seemed to truly trouble the other. His voice trembled lightly, both irritated and furious.

"Get out," Jun Xueyi said, his fingers clawing at the wall until they bled. He spoke to the Young Master in surrender, "Go. If you stay here, I can’t control my spiritual energy."

He had lost.

Jun Xueyi lay down in resignation, violently channeling his Mental Technique. Spiritual energy spread out, and a layer of frost quickly formed in the cave. He formed a Water Spell with his hand, intending to freeze himself.

But out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Young Master heading toward the cave entrance. The Water Spell changed direction, landing at the entrance and instantly sealing it with ice under the influence of his spiritual energy.

Chu Ji, without spiritual energy, couldn’t melt the ice, let alone free his hands, which were still bound by the other’s spiritual energy. His heart raced, pounding as if it might leap out of his chest. He tilted his head stiffly, feeling a cold breath brush against his cheek.

He turned sharply and found Jun Xueyi staring at him like a lethargic venomous snake, deciding if he was tasty enough.

It was chilling.

Chu Ji shifted slightly to the side, but the gaze behind him followed.

He bumped Jun Xueyi with his shoulder. "Get away."

Jun Xueyi took a few steps back, tilting his head and quietly smiling. "Your meat smells especially fragrant."

A chill ran down Chu Ji’s spine. No one had ever said the protagonist would start craving human flesh after being poisoned.

He tried to escape Jun Xueyi’s line of sight, but the cave entrance was blocked. He could only retreat deeper into the cave. For every step he took back, Jun Xueyi took one forward, until he had nowhere left to go. Jun Xueyi’s aura washed over him.

Chu Ji gritted his teeth. God, being eaten would hurt—though he’d never experienced it, he’d seen wolves devour rabbits. Right now, he was as powerless against Jun Xueyi as that rabbit. "What do you want?"

Jun Xueyi’s mind was a haze. He watched the other’s lips part and close, his tongue flicking across his own lips.

Chu Ji’s scalp tingled. "I’ll pick the Duzun Herb for you!"

He’d noticed earlier that Jun Xueyi couldn’t pluck the herb.

Jun Xueyi watched coldly, neither nodding nor shaking his head, just staring intently.

Chu Ji took a deep breath. To pick the herb, Jun Xueyi would have to release him first. "Jun Xueyi, Jun Xueyi."

After calling twice, the other remained in that voracious state.

Pressed against the wall, he watched as Jun Xueyi drew closer. Soon, they were close enough to feel each other’s breath. Through the narrow gap in the mask, he saw the other’s eyes—slit pupils!

At the same time, the spiritual energy at his waist went wild again, this time reaching his upper thigh and wrapping around it. The icy sensation spread through the area, and Chu Ji’s face flushed instantly.

His breathing quickened, carrying an unfamiliar tingling that slowly spread along the muscle.

"Hey! Get away," Chu Ji could no longer maintain his composure. The strand of spiritual energy crept upward along his inner thigh, reaching a soft, boneless part. The cold made his face tremble. "Go away."

His hands bound, the sensations under his clothes were unlike anything he had ever experienced—whether discomfort or something else, he couldn’t tell. Humiliated, he bit his tongue, kept begging him to go away, to take his spiritual energy with him.

But it was pointless.

Those slit pupils still stared at him as if he were prey. Jun Xueyi hadn’t moved an inch, instead closing the distance. Chu Ji immediately stopped yelling. Now, even the slightest movement of his lips would brush against Jun Xueyi’s chin. The other’s mask pressed against half his face, cold and hard, much like the spiritual energy wreaking havoc in his trousers.

Being wrapped by a snake—trembling and fear only excited it more.

He didn’t want to be afraid, but the unfamiliar sensations were controlling him. His legs gave way, and he slid down the cave wall, his face scraping against the other’s mask. The stinging pain was forgotten under the wave of unfamiliar excitement.

His hands were still raised above his head when a hand gently hooked his fingers. Jun Xueyi had crouched down.

Chu Ji no longer had the energy to curse. His lips parted slightly, and he could only pant heavily.

The redness at the corners of his eyes spread to his ears, his gaze dazed.

Jun Xueyi reached out but saw the other bend over, resting his head on his knee, breathy whimpers rising and falling.

...He’d grown ears.

He gently touched the other’s cheek—it was feverishly warm, a stark contrast to his own cold hand.

He knew why the other was like this. Because his weakness was being teased by his spiritual energy, even those beautiful eyes had gone unfocused—yet they were still beautiful.

If there were ears, would there be a tail?

He reached into the other’s clothes under his terrified gaze and felt a furry, soft texture.

There really was a tail.

Chu Ji’s eyes reddened, panicking. "Jun Xueyi, get away! Let go! Don’t touch me! Go away!!"

Jun Xueyi paid no heed, stroking the tail he couldn’t see. The fur wasn’t as smooth as a cloud cat’s—long, fine and fluffy, very warm, and very soft.

His other hand reached for the other’s ears.

The fur on the ears was also fine and fluffy. So hot-tempered, but every part of him was soft.

He could only distract himself this way, to keep from untying the other’s clothes, from imagining how fair and tantalizing the skin beneath would be.

His hand slid from the base of the tail to its tip, his fingertips brushing against the other's thigh.

He instantly pulled away, not daring to touch, not daring to imagine.

Struggling to lose himself in the soft fur.

Returning to the base of the tail, his fingers circled the area while his other hand gripped the ear. What would happen if he were to take it into his mouth, to bite the warm ear?

If Young Master's ears and tail were bitten, would he kill him?

He couldn't control it anymore. Not wanting to be controlled by desire, he could only steer that desire elsewhere.

Overwhelmed with pent-up desire, he frustratedly kneaded the soft fur in his grasp, alternating between light and heavy pressure. The strand of stray spiritual energy couldn't be withdrawn and now throbbed in time with his hand, sometimes gentle, sometimes firm.

After working it for a long time, that strand of spiritual energy became coated in a scalding, warm, sticky fluid—not his own, carrying a hint of sweetness.

...Jun Xueyi looked down and saw Young Master with eyes red-rimmed, his lips bitten bloody without a sound. When Jun Xueyi glanced over, Young Master forced out a few words through clenched teeth.

"I hate you."

Jun Xueyi's movements halted, and the strand of spiritual energy stilled as well.

Was it the first time he'd been touched? Had he never even pleasured himself?

Had he never even had a nocturnal emission?

It appeared he hadn't.

He didn't dream.

But from today onward, perhaps he would.

He gazed at the other's tear-tracked, hate-filled eyes, then averted his gaze to the bitten, ravaged lips—like crushed rose petals dripping nectar, sweet and intoxicating.

He bent down, unable to restrain himself, and was about to touch those lips in Young Master's hazy state, when suddenly Young Master's eyes flew wide open.

"Jun Xueyi, I hate you to death."

He froze, a turmoil rising in his chest.

At this moment, Chu Ji was consumed by crushing shame from his body's reactions, especially since the one violating him was the person he despised most. Yet his body honestly relayed every sensation to his mind.

His ears...

His tail...

Had become this person's playthings.

Chu Ji was so enraged that his mouth filled with blood. Before he could turn away, he saw Jun Xueyi suddenly turn his head and spit out a mouthful of blood.

Jun Xueyi had turned away, but Chu Ji was still splattered with blood. Disgust, combined with his earlier suppressed fury, made him spit blood as well.

"I'll kill you."

Jun Xueyi had no time to listen. He vomited blood repeatedly, each time the blood a different color. He shut his eyes tightly—the hallucinogenic poison was being expelled. After the last mouthful of blood, he slumped immediately against the person before him.

Chu Ji, with red-rimmed eyes, a tear escaped from the corner of his eye onto Jun Xueyi's lips.

He stared at that Duzun Herb, so disgusted he felt sick.

...What difference was there between being handled this way and being killed?

He'd rather be killed.

At least if he died, Jun Xueyi would die too.

But if he and Jun Xueyi died here together, they would truly be buried together.

Jun Xueyi pushed himself upright, calmly looking at the other as he said softly, "Young Master, there's still one poison left undetoxified. What is the antidote?"

The hallucinogenic poison was detoxified, but his earlier loss of control had caused the previously suppressed poison to flare up. The effects of the aphrodisiac surged.

The current sensations told him that his earlier loss of control and desires had nothing to do with this poison with aphrodisiac properties.

Jun Xueyi slowly rose, catching the tear from the corner of his mouth with his tongue.

Gazing at the cold-faced person whose eyes held only hatred, he fell silent for a long time. "If we don't detoxify this, you—"

His words were cut off.

Chu Ji said word by word, "Take your hand out of my pants."