77. A formidable barrier (Part 5)

"You blockhead, did you do something naughty while I was asleep?"

In the quiet night, because of the contract, her unique and vibrant aura was amplified and enveloped her.

In a corner of my heart, a strange impulse welled up.

He shouldn't have done that.

Was it because this spirit beast's body was too close to her? Or was it because of the soul-binding spell that had penetrated deep into her soul?

He noticed that her hand, resting on the pillow, had her fingertips slightly curled. He hesitated for a moment, then very slowly and gently brushed his index finger against it.

The warm, soft touch, carrying her scent, stirred up that burning desire within me once more.

It was so quiet that he could hear her slightly trembling breath and his own increasingly uncontrollable heartbeat.

Just once, is that alright?

Once the thought arose, it grew wildly, overwhelming all reason. He held his breath, propped himself up slightly, and answered in his heart, "Yes."

He lowered his head, his body briefly covering the person on the bed, and then, with restraint, his lips touched the corner of her mouth.

It was just a fleeting touch, devoid of any lust, only an almost pious, cautious approach, mixed with long-suppressed desire that finally revealed a hint of longing.

One touch and it's over.

It was so fast it felt like an illusion.

He quickly stepped back and returned to his original position. His heart was pounding in his chest. He closed his eyes tightly and forced himself to calm down, but the more he suppressed it, the more turbulent the impulse became.

Meanwhile, a burning pain, like flames, gradually began to surge in his mind. The Dao Heart Tribulation Seal sealed on his mind was like a red-hot branding iron, burning away his regained rationality once again.

Deep within his consciousness, only a single thought remained.

No, that's not right. That last time shouldn't count. It was too fast, too light. It was just a light brush, not even a kiss...

One more time, is that okay?

The answer he received was acquiescence.

He leaned down again, his fingers clenched into fists, bracing himself on either side of her. He slowly lowered his head and gently pressed his lips against hers, pressing them hard against hers.

Unlike the first time when he only tasted it briefly, he clearly tasted the sweetness overflowing from between her lips, like the crispy shell of the candied hawthorn he ate on the long street.

Her lips were soft, like mushy hawthorn berries.

He even thought that if she could open her eyes at this moment, and glare at him angrily as usual, and stab him, this despicable little man, with another sword.

The churning pain in his chest might allow him to temporarily forget the pleasure he was experiencing at that moment.

Coincidentally, just as he had imagined, she seemed to sense something in her sleep. Her eyelashes trembled violently a few times, and the hand resting on the pillow moved, her fingertips brushing against his clenched fist.

He froze, almost thinking she was about to wake up. But she just snuggled deeper into the pillow and didn't open her eyes.

Why? Why won't you open your eyes?

He thought to himself.

So, doing it again wouldn't be too much to ask, would it?

Just this once, is that okay?

His hand, which was supporting her from the side, hadn't even been withdrawn yet, which made things convenient.

He took her lips into his mouth; the soft touch was indescribable, unlike anything he had ever seen.

He prayed silently, again and again, "Wake up...why aren't you awake yet..."

If she discovers it, then his momentary indulgence will not be considered despicable.

However, his movements were too gentle; he merely brushed against her lips lightly and then slowly sucked, not daring to exert any force.

His breath caught in his throat, and even his heartbeat seemed to be stolen by that soft touch. The sweetness on her lips, mixed with the unique coolness emanating from her, lingered between the two of them.

She seemed disturbed by the excessive closeness, unconsciously letting out a soft hum. The sound was so soft that it blurred the burning pain in his mind for a moment.

He should leave.

But he has already decided... this is the last time.

He closed his eyes in near despair, then opened them again, a dark undercurrent churning within them. His arm, supporting him at his side, trembled slightly, not from exhaustion, but simply because…

The almost bursting desire was being fiercely tugged by the burning sensation brought on by the Dao Heart Tribulation Seal in the spiritual platform. The original heart was imprisoned, yet it was involuntarily indulging in it.

Finally, the burning sensation in his mind felt like it was burning his whole body, and he staggered to his feet, almost unable to stand.

No…no, not here. The last shred of reason told him, and he abruptly retreated, stumbling and running away into the distance.

"Ugh—!" He finally got away from the small courtyard, let out a muffled groan, and his knees slammed heavily onto the ground.

The burning pain that I had forcibly suppressed or even numbed by the brief pleasure during the kiss had now spread to every part of my body, almost causing my tendons and ligaments to burst.

What's even more terrifying is that the greed and delusions that kept growing in his heart, no longer suppressed by the calamity seal, roared and rammed into his soul like a ferocious beast breaking free of its cage.

So this is the beginning of "falling into the wrong path".

It wasn't a sudden fall, but a descent into depravity through knowingly doing the impossible, a conscious awareness of one's spiritual power slowly draining from the body.

How much time had passed, the red maple still burned silently under the moonlight. He leaned against the trunk, slumped down in a pile of fallen leaves, and quietly let the dim red on his forehead fade and disappear...

"You look so different, I almost didn't recognize you."

He suppressed his breathing and slowly turned his head.

Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the branches and leaves, illuminating the silhouette of the newcomer. His dark hair was tied up with animal feathers; it was none other than the sect leader, Lin Ge.

At this moment, she was quietly looking at him, her gaze unlike the scrutiny and inquiry she had shown in the daytime hall, but rather a complex look of understanding mixed with knowing.

She suddenly chuckled softly, "When Elder He reported the details of the contract during the day, I had some doubts about whether it was the Heart-to-Heart Mantra of the Discipline Hall. Now, seeing the situation, it is far from that simple."

"If Qianzhong knew that his beloved grandson, the future head of the Discipline Hall, had fallen from grace and was even weaker than a mere Nascent Soul cultivator because of a female cultivator, I wonder what he would think?"

"I..." he began, his voice muffled by the blood filling his mouth.

But he still thanked them, saying, "Thank you for not pointing this out, Sect Leader, in the main hall."

Lin Ge snorted coldly, "Although I am not on good terms with Qian Zhong, I am still somewhat on good terms with Lou Yunya. Compared to how wooden you were years ago, you are now somewhat like Lou Yunya."

"But even so, you should know that I have a long-standing grudge with Qianzhong."

“Therefore, I can pretend that I never met you here tonight, and I can temporarily suppress Elder He’s doubts,” Lin Ge said slowly, his voice carrying a hint of warning.

"But there's one condition..."

Lou Tinglan met her gaze, and after a long while, slowly nodded.

Meanwhile, inside Tingfeng Garden, on the bed...

Ran Qinghe suddenly opened her eyes, raising her hand to suppress the inexplicable palpitations in her heart. These palpitations seemed to originate from the contract that had just been signed.

She sat up abruptly, looked around, and saw that the sleeping wooden figure on the couch was gone, and her lingering sleepiness vanished instantly.

Could it be... the dream I just had?

Without hesitation, she rolled off the bed, not even having time to put on her coat, and pushed open the door, following the faint, almost imperceptible connection.

Just then, the two people in the maple forest seemed to notice something at the same time, and their eyes turned towards the direction of Tingfeng Garden.

Lou Tinglan's expression changed slightly as he tried to sever or suppress the connection between the two, but his current state was so bad that he couldn't suppress the contractual connection that had just been formed.

Lin Ge reacted even faster. With a wave of her sleeve, her spiritual power spread out silently, like a huge veil, enveloping the area where they were, along with the dissipating aura.

"If I remember correctly, the Heart-to-Heart Technique was originally intended for imprisoning criminal cultivators, so there should be a distance limit?"

Lou Tinglan lowered her eyes and replied, "Yes, she may have sensed the pull of the contract..."

He forcibly circulated his spiritual power, disregarding whether he would suffer a backlash, and tried his best to contain the spiritual power that had dissipated due to the shattering of the tribulation seal.

Seeing this, Lin Ge sighed and said, "Fine, since you've already agreed to work for me, I'll give you a hand." The surging spiritual energy finally began to weaken... until it dissipated.

Near Tingfeng Garden, Ran Qinghe stood on the cold stone steps, slightly out of breath. The inexplicable connection in her heart had come fiercely and gone abruptly.

She looked around. The night was deep, and the shadows of the maple leaves were heavy. Apart from the faint light of the lanterns and the sound of footsteps of the night patrolling disciples in the distance, there was nothing unusual.

The vivid throbbing she felt just moments ago has vanished without a trace, as if it were merely a remnant of an overly realistic dream she had while she was fast asleep.

Was it really... a dream?

That vague yet lingering warm touch... was it really a dream?

She shook her head, suppressing these chaotic thoughts, and returned to the corridor. She bent down and picked up the snow-white little beast that had quietly returned at some point, curled up in a ball and fast asleep. Its body was soft and warm, and its breathing was even. Except for the red down on its forehead, there was no trace of it, and it showed no abnormalities.

She vaguely felt that it was a little heavier.

She cradled it in her arms, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the soft down on the back of its neck. The inexplicable emptiness and flutter in her heart just now weighed heavily on her, lingering there.

The night breeze swept through her thin nightgown, and she finally stopped lingering. Holding the warm little beast in her arms, she turned and went back inside.

The door closed gently behind her. She lit a candle and then noticed that the small table, which had been placed squarely, seemed to be slightly tilted, as if someone had accidentally pushed it gently.

Could it be... that someone has been here?

The flickering candlelight stretched her shadow long as she began to scan every corner of the room: the dressing table, the screen, the window lattice… Finally, her gaze returned to the slightly crooked little table.

There seemed to be a faint trace of spiritual energy remaining in the air, so faint as to be almost imperceptible, yet it subtly resonated with the newly formed contract deep within her mind.

She gently tapped the head of the sleeping little beast in her arms:

"You blockhead, did you do something naughty while I was asleep?"