ITOTIABSAM | The Immortal on Liuyun Mountain | 157
Gu Cong's ears burned as if on fire, his spine stiff as he stared straight at Xie Ye. In an instant, he understood his recent abnormal behavior.
He didn't care how others saw him. He only cared about his image in Xie Ye's eyes.
He hoped to appear mature, stable, trustworthy, and reliable in Xie Ye's eyes. He wanted to be someone Xie Ye could rely on, someone who could accompany him to escape from the predetermined plot.
So much so that when faced with Shen Qingshu, the white moonlight from the original plot, he would even secretly compare himself with Shen Qingshu. However, after hearing Xie Ye say the agreement was void, he couldn't help but feel secretly happy.
...
Jealousy.
Resentment.
So, these peculiar feelings weren't just born out of pity, after all?
The roots of Gu Cong's ears burned red like boiled shrimp, yet his brain calmly processed thoughts, analyzing himself rationally. After a while without any response from Xie Ye other than his gaze, Xie Ye mistakenly thought he had been too abrupt and had frightened the child. He was about to casually ease the situation when Gu Cong grabbed his hand.
"Let's talk outside."
As the door opened and closed, the night breeze rushed in. Ma Shitou, shielded by the soundproof barrier, seemed to sense something in his sleep and clutched the blanket tighter, rolling over.
Previously, Xie Ye had teleported them to the Ma family village in a few steps, afraid of losing Gu Cong, so he had been holding onto him. But this time was different. The young man wasn't passively enduring, nor did he politely grasp Xie Ye's wrist. Instead, he tightly held onto his fingers.
Bathed in the moonlight, Xie Ye let Gu Cong lead him, weaving through the paths until they finally stopped by a shallow stream.
—Gu Cong had intended to take Xie Ye to the small courtyard they had previously stayed in, the most secluded corner of the village. Unexpectedly, as they passed by, he noticed that the lights were on inside. It seemed the village chief had lent it to someone else.
So, the small stream often used for washing clothes during the day became their new choice.
Ensuring that no one would disturb them, Gu Cong suddenly stopped, turned around, and asked, "Do you really like me?"
The sudden stop was a bit abrupt, but thankfully Xie Ye had strong control over his body, preventing him from crashing directly into Gu Cong's arms. Since they had already kissed, Xie Ye had nothing to hide and answered openly, "Yes."
In the past, it was always Gu Cong who made straightforward confessions, so it was a refreshing change for Xie Ye to hear it this time.
However, despite receiving this affirmative answer, there was no joy on Gu Cong's face. It seemed he was struggling with how to continue, his brows slightly furrowed.
In a whisper, user 1101 typed: Uh oh, is this going to go wrong? Why does it feel like someone rejecting a confession in a TV show?
"Did I scare you?" Xie Ye speculated, sensing that Gu Cong, who had just come of age, might not be sure of his own feelings. He raised an eyebrow as if probing for confirmation.
With determination, Gu Cong opened his mouth, displaying a demanding tone that was rare for him in front of Xie Ye. "Is it really me that you like? And not someone else you're seeing through me?"
Otherwise, given Xie Ye's temperament, how could he have kissed him and entrusted his true feelings to someone like Gu Cong, whose origins were unclear, after only a few months of being together?
Xie Ye was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected Gu Cong to be so insightful. There were indeed times when, just after Xie Ye's consciousness had moved into the puppet, he would occasionally think of the entertainment industry through Gu Cong's face, recalling their first meeting in a previous life.
There was no way around it. In the subsequent worlds, Gu Cong would always be a little older, with the same features but a different temperament, and Xie Ye's lover would constantly be in front of him, causing even Xie Ye to become distracted.
But to be jealous of himself... how could he explain that?
"Never mind." Gu Cong, always keeping an eye on every subtle change in Xie Ye's expression, he suddenly felt deflated. Despite holding his neck stiffly, he gave off an air of dejection.
Cursing himself for being so weak, his hand moved disobediently, encircling Xie Ye's waist and pulling him into a tight embrace. "Anyway, since you've admitted to liking me, you're not allowed to take it back."
Not wanting to leave any unnecessary barriers in Gu Cong's heart, Xie Ye started to speak, "Actually..."
"No 'actually'," Gu Cong interrupted, resting his chin on Xie Ye's shoulder, uncharacteristically stubborn. "I don't want to hear it."
"But..." Xie Ye began, only to be cut off by Gu Cong's warm lips pressing against his own.
Gu Cong, inexperienced but determined, initially bumped noses with Xie Ye's equally prominent one, eliciting a low, pained grunt from Xie Ye. Adjusting his position, Gu Cong found his mark.
Progress was swift.
However, having never been intimate with anyone before, and having only received brief demonstrations from Xie Ye, Gu Cong's kisses were tentative at first. He hesitated, like a small animal nuzzling against Xie Ye's lips, conveying a sense of youthful innocence and reverence.
Despite harboring some grievances, Gu Cong refrained from venting his frustration even in their intimacy. The night air was cool, but Xie Ye's heart felt warm, encouraging him as he softly parted his lips in response.
Breaths intertwined, the warmth and moisture pulled Gu Cong in, guiding him to delve deeper. He could distinctly taste the faint metallic tang in Xie Ye's mouth, as if Xie Ye had bitten his tongue to stifle a mouthful of blood in front of the protagonist.
Momentarily startled, Gu Cong worried that Xie Ye might be in pain. He attempted to pull away, but was gently restrained by Xie Ye's arm wrapped around his neck. "Where are you going?" Xie Ye's lips were still connected to Gu Cong's, their breaths mingling, their silvery threads intertwining.
Xie Ye's voice was no longer as clear as before, now muffled and hoarse, perfectly complementing his mesmerizing phoenix eyes.
In that moment, Gu Cong forgot about wanting to pull away. He held Xie Ye tightly by the waist and murmured softly, "Endure it for a bit."
...
The endurance of a cultivator's breath-holding ability far surpassed that of an ordinary person's, but Gu Cong was still a puppet. Ultimately, he had to outlast Xie Ye. It was only when Xie Ye threatened to tug at the strings connecting them did Gu Cong reluctantly release him, ending the overly prolonged kiss.
The young man, who always detested showing weakness in front of others, was now clinging to his shoulder, clutching his clothes, fingertips turning white, lips crimson and glistening, breathing shallowly and discreetly.
Gu Cong suddenly felt curious. He wondered if the young man's ears, hidden behind scattered strands of hair, were as hot as his own.
But Gu Cong dared not move. It felt as if tiny electric currents were coursing through him. Despite having a body made of wood and stone, his lower abdomen was inexplicably warming up, pulsating as if in spasm.
Unable to bear it, he closed his eyes and tried to recall the calming verses from the scriptures that the original owner, Song He, had learned in his youth. However, before he could even recite a few lines, he heard Xie Ye say:
"There is no one else."
"I have only ever cherished Gu Cong in my heart, always."
Although Xie Ye had yet to fully understand the truth about Gu Cong in every lifetime, his feelings for Gu Cong were unquestionable.
Throwing intuition and reason out of the window, without waiting for Xie Ye to explain further, Gu Cong lowered his head and solemnly kissed the young man's hair. "I understand. If you say so, then I believe you."
Xie Ye pursed his lips in response.
Gu Cong always seemed to be like this, always giving him unconditional trust no matter what he said or did.
"Perhaps the fusion of our primordial spirits..." Xie Ye's words trailed off weakly. Subconsciously searching for a way to convey all the past truths to Gu Cong, Xie Ye suddenly sensed the urgency in the breath above him.
In hindsight, he remembered that in the cultivation world, the fusion of primordial spirits was an even more intimate act than dual cultivation, only practiced by a small number of deeply affectionate partners.
Realizing he had jumped the gun, Xie Ye straightened up abruptly. "It's nothing, let's go back."
But Gu Cong didn't move, his amber eyes staring deeply at him.
"Maybe we should wait a bit," Gu Cong's throat was dry and hoarse as he tightened his arms around Xie Ye's waist once again, sounding both complaining and coquettish. "Master, could you please be quiet for a moment?"
Xie Ye felt like a stone thrown into a pond, causing ripples of memories about dual cultivation to surge in Gu Cong's mind. He was feeling extremely uncomfortable.
The distinction between intimacy and distance meant that the native puppet and the creature from Mount Liuyun were naturally incomparable. As the roots of the bound puppet strings gradually heated up, it seemed to transfer the warmth from the young man's body to Xie Ye, causing his muscles to tense up, freezing him in place.
…
As the sun rose and set, the next day, Ma Shitou opened his eyes only to find himself alone in the room. Seeing clearly that Mr. Xie had been injured last night, he didn't say much, but worried that something might have happened to the two of them. He quickly washed his face and hurried out the door.
Fortunately, his worries proved to be somewhat unnecessary. With an important guest staying overnight, the village was bustling early in the morning. From afar, Ma Shitou saw a white-clad youth surrounded by a group of disciples from the Qingfeng Sect. Who else could it be if not Mr. Xie?
Squeezing to the front was Lin Yao, a junior sister from the Qingfeng Sect. It wasn't that she was attracted to Xie Ye's beautiful face, but rather she always admired strong individuals, especially such rare living ancestors, making it a precious opportunity for her to see one.
To be honest, Xie Ye didn't enjoy overly noisy environments, but he wanted to experiment and see if low-level cultivators would go crazy because of him.
"It seems that outside Liuyun Mountain, as long as they don't believe you're an immortal, it's fine," quickly scanning the spiritual fluctuations throughout the venue, 1101 concluded, "Indeed, what people fear isn't Xie Ye himself, but rather the legendary tales that have been passed down for nearly ten thousand years."
[What's this? Fear conjured up in the mind?]
[No wonder no one can easily defeat the strange immortal.]
Who could easily overcome the fear that stemmed from within themselves? Except for the protagonist group.
"Elder, what brings you here?" It was quite unusual for multiple powerful figures to gather in a small village like Ma's Village. Seeing no sign of displeasure on Xie Ye's brow, Lin Yao carefully chose her words, probing, "Is it to hunt demons and eradicate evil, like Senior Shen?"
Standing by Xie Ye's side, Gu Cang felt a bit stifled.
The girl was beautiful, with a smile that couldn't be restrained even by the plain Daoist robe. Upon closer inspection, it was evident that her style was similar to his own.
Most importantly, Xie Ye unexpectedly deviated from his usual behavior and talked with her.
"You're mistaken," Xie Ye said, nodding towards Ma Shitou seen in the distance outside the crowd, then continued slowly, "I came here to find Shen Qingshu from the Wuliang Sword Sect and the wandering cultivator Qin Ji."
"For revenge."
"And claim the corpse of my Daoist companion."
Author's note:
Lin Yao: ?!
0 Comments
Post a Comment