Chapter 75: The Operation to Save the Sect Master
Xiao Sui obediently did as she was told, looking at her with a puzzled expression.
Ning Qi slowly walked up to him, placed her palm on the undulating black line, held his Adam's apple, and leaned down to kiss his lips.
She only dabbled in it briefly, leaving before he could develop feelings for her.
Xiao Sui clearly felt it wasn't enough, and tilted his head back to touch her, but Ning Qi pressed him back down onto the couch.
"Don't rush."
She straddled him and shifted slightly.
Xiao Sui's breathing immediately became very rapid, and she could feel his heart beating fast, like drumbeats pounding against her.
Ning Qi wasn't in a hurry. She carefully examined his body, pulled up his arm, and looked at the scars on it. They felt uneven to the touch. "How did this happen?"
Xiao Sui turned his head to the side and whispered, "It was cut with a knife."
Ning Qi laughed angrily, "Of course I know it was cut with a knife, why would I do that?"
Xiao Sui pursed his lips, not wanting to answer.
Ning Qi raised his hands above his head, tied them tightly to the headboard with his clothes, and said coldly, "If you don't talk, this will continue. I won't let you go."
The author argues that the work must stand up.
Xiao Sui moved his wrist, but his clothes were tied very tightly. He was now no different from an ordinary person without any cultivation, and he really couldn't break free.
He paused for a moment before saying, "I can see you when I'm losing blood."
"You're hallucinating from blood loss!" Ning Qi exclaimed, then pinched his chest. "Don't do that again. You have to live to see me, understand?"
"Hmm," Xiao Sui responded in a muffled voice, his rapid breathing still unable to calm down.
Ning Xi looked at his chest again, where there were many old scars overlapping his heart. She pointed to it and asked, "What happened here?"
Xiao Sui's chest rose and fell in sync with her fingertips.
“Same,” he said casually after catching his breath a few times.
Ning Qi poked his chest. "How is it the same? This is your heart's blood, the most damaging thing to your vital energy, do you know that? Just to see hallucinations and hurt yourself?"
She rubbed his old wounds, noticing his fair skin beginning to redden, and said, "Promise me you won't hurt yourself again."
Xiao Sui shifted his body restlessly, "...I promise."
Ning Qi gently patted his face, "Say it all."
"I promise not to harm my body."
Ning Qi was slightly satisfied, lowered her head and kissed his wound, sucking on it gently.
With his hands bound, Xiao Sui could only crane his neck and let her do as she pleased, whispering, "It tickles..."
After a long while, Ning Qi finally raised her head and looked at her masterpiece. The fair skin peeking out from between the black lines had turned into an alluring red, and at first glance it looked like it was swollen.
His eyes were closed, his muscles tense.
Ning Qi shifted her body and said to him, "Alright, it's your turn."
Xiao Sui opened his eyes in astonishment and saw her leaning close to him, lowering her head to his cheek, and then covering his eyes with her palm. His head was under pressure, and his nose was suddenly blocked. In the shadows, she instantly deprived him of all his senses except hearing.
In the suffocating darkness, his five senses were instantly amplified to their maximum, filled entirely with Ning Qi's presence.
Like a fish stranded on the beach, he raised his chin, rubbed his nose against her, opened his mouth, and used his nimble tongue to search for his water source.
Xiao Sui's cheeks gradually became wet, and Ning Qi grabbed his hair, letting out a sigh.
When the white light flashed, several fragments suddenly flashed through my mind, including one of Xiao Sui wearing a black hood.
From her perspective, which was similar to hers now, she looked down at his body, which glistened with sweat. The muscles in his neck were taut, and his body was covered with black markings, exuding a wildness. His hands were pressed against her lower back, like arrows ready to be released.
The image flashed by, and she tried to grab it but couldn't.
When did this happen? She was certain she had never seen Xiao Sui look like this before.
When Ning Qi opened his eyes again, it was already bright daylight. He stretched and snuggled in Xiao Sui's arms. The demonic mark on his body had faded considerably, while the one on his face had completely disappeared.
Those magical imprints, like the receding tide, allowed her to see more clearly the traces left from yesterday.
Ning Qi blushed slightly. She hadn't noticed it yesterday, but she hadn't expected herself to be so intense.
Her gaze then shifted to the scar on his chest, gently stroking it. This spot... was where one could draw blood from the heart.
She suddenly looked up at Xiao Sui, who had already opened his eyes, and said, "Ten years ago, my fake prescription required heart's blood as a medicinal ingredient. The blood wasn't provided by you, was it?"
Xiao Sui paused for a moment, then said, "It's no longer important."
Ning Qi immediately understood, "Why didn't you tell me back then?"
She thought it was Yan Chongyan's blood that had been poured out. If it were Xiao Sui's, she would never have treated it so casually. No, she would never have let Xiao Sui take her heart's blood.
No wonder Yan Chongyan always drew blood for him before giving it to him. He looked perfectly fine; it wasn't his blood at all.
How come she didn't notice it back then?
“You kicked me out back then,” Xiao Sui said dejectedly. “I didn’t want to offend you.”
——
Xie Jingyan came to Huaguang Sect. He had never returned since his ascension. If there had been no successor, he would not have come back.
His appearance caused quite a stir. Several elders respectfully invited him to the council hall and summoned Xie Xiyue and several of the main disciples.
Seeing that Xie Jingyan showed no particular expression other than a hint of nostalgia, Xie Xiyue cupped her hands and said, "Immortal Lord Jingyan, I am the leader of this operation to rescue the sect leader."
The other elders were shocked. "Princess Yongxi, how could you go to such a dangerous place?"
"If you go, how will we explain it to the emperor?"
Xie Xiyue said, "I am one of the disciples with the highest cultivation in Huaguang Sect. Now that the sect is in trouble, I am hiding inside to avoid danger. What kind of talk is this? You don't need to mention my status as a princess. I am not a princess. Princess Hexi is. Only she deserves this title."
Several elders looked at Xie Jingyan with troubled expressions, clearly indicating that such arguments had occurred many times before.
Xie Jingyan was well aware of Xie Xiyue's attitude. Before his ascension, the emperor had already ordered the return of the real princess, but unfortunately, she refused to go back or acknowledge the emperor as her father, preferring to stay in Huaguang Sect.
Unable to reunite with his daughter, the emperor blamed Xie Jingyan for his poor upbringing. Xie Jingyan was speechless with anger. Fortunately, he soon ascended to heaven and never returned to this place.
But four or five years have passed, and he really didn't expect that Princess Yongxi would be so determined, refusing to acknowledge the emperor even now.
All eyes were on him. Xie Jingyan cleared his throat. "I will participate in this operation, so you can rest assured. I have also brought several celestial servants to assist me. I hope we can successfully rescue Chongyan, deal a heavy blow to the demon race, and avenge everyone."
"That's wonderful!" The elders beamed with joy.
Xie Xiyue frowned. "I've heard that demons can also be infected by corpse demons. Now that corpse demons are rampant in the mortal realm, is it really caused by demons?"
"Who doesn't know that after that woman died, the Demon God retaliated against cultivators, turning them into corpse demons and releasing them to wreak havoc on the people, which is why the mortal realm is what it is today? Princess, how can you speak up for that demon?"
Xie Xiyue glanced at him with displeasure. "It's not 'that woman,' it's Princess Hexi. Show some respect."
The elder choked and fell silent.
"Alright, let's not discuss whether Xiao Sui caused the current situation. The main task now is to rescue Chong Yan, isn't it?" Xie Jingyan said. "Let's work together to develop a plan to ensure that this operation goes smoothly."
All eyes turned to him again. Xie Jingyan took out a map. "This is a map of the Demon Palace from many years ago. It may be very different from the current one. I need someone to infiltrate the Demon Palace to provide us with information so that we can carry out our operations more easily."
“But none of the men we’ve sent have managed to infiltrate undetected,” one of the elders said.
Xie Jingyan said, "Actually, I already have someone I like."
Everyone asked him who he was.
He looked at Xie Xiyue, "But I wonder if the princess will be willing to release them?"
Xie Xiyue asked in confusion, "Me? Who is that?"
Xie Jingyan smiled slightly, "Your current maid is Miss Qianyu."
Xie Xiyue was stunned.
“She used to be Ningxi’s maid, and she had a very good relationship with Zhizhi, the maid of the Demon God. Moreover, the Demon God cares about Ningxi and would not kill her former maid. She is the most suitable person to provide us with information.”
"No," Xie Xiyue said. "This matter is too dangerous; I cannot let her put herself in danger."
“But Miss Qianyu herself has already agreed,” Xie Jingyan said.
Xie Xiyue frowned. "You contacted her privately?"
“Princess Yongxi, I am willing to go to the Demon Palace.” Qianyu’s voice came from outside the council hall, and she quickly walked into the room.
“Do you know that Xiao Sui has completely changed now? You can’t expect him to still have any feelings for the past,” Xie Xiyue said.
“I know,” Qianyu said firmly. “Please allow me to enter the Demon Palace first.”
One of the elders said, "But Qianyu served with the Demon God in the past. What if she betrays us..."
“No, the princess was killed by the Demon Lord, and Xiao Sui went to join the Demon Clan. I hate him so much, how could I possibly join him?” Qianyu’s eyes were filled with tears. “Besides, over the years, Aying and Ashen have become corpse demons. I have an irreconcilable hatred for the Demon Clan and am willing to do my part.”
"Okay." Xie Jingyan nodded approvingly.
All eyes were on Xie Xiyue.
Qianyu said, "Please."
Under the expectant and pleading gazes of everyone, Xie Xiyue finally nodded reluctantly in agreement.
The plan to storm the Demon Palace was taking shape. Xie Xiyue walked out of the council hall. The sky outside was just beginning to lighten. They had been discussing the matter for a whole day and night.
Qianyu followed behind her, and together they returned to Ningxi's former courtyard, where Xie Xiyue now lived.
Xie Xiyue's expression was complicated. After the princess died, all her guards and maids were punished by the emperor for failing to protect her. Qianyu was punished the most severely and was to be sold off.
She intervened and insisted that the emperor agree to let Qianyu become his maid.
"I saved you not so that you would fight the demons to the death," Xie Xiyue said.
Qianyu said, "I know you saved me for the princess, and now I am entering the Demon Palace for the princess."
"The demon lord who killed the princess back then has been torn to pieces by Xiao Sui. He was forced to become a demon. He owes the princess nothing."
“It wasn’t just the Demon Lord who killed the princess, but also the demons. The princess died fighting against the demons. But Xiao Sui colluded with them and even became their leader. He did this to betray the princess,” Qianyu insisted.
The two had already returned to the courtyard. Those who had once been here were either gone or dead. Apart from Qianyu and Ayu, everyone else was nowhere to be seen.
Xie Xiyue sighed and stopped arguing with her.
——
Since the night Ningxi took the initiative, Xiao Sui finally stopped keeping her locked up, and she could go anywhere in the Demon Palace.
But Xiao Sui always followed behind her.
When she was in her bedchamber, Xiao Sui would summon people to the courtyard outside the bedchamber to discuss matters. When she went to the back garden, Xiao Sui would call people to the back garden. He would not hide anything from her and would be with her almost all day long. The two of them were practically inseparable.
But even in bed, he remained very restrained.
Ning Qi suspected that he was too insecure and always worried that he was not doing well, so she decided to give him some time to adjust.
After some uneventful days, the Right Protector came to invite Xiao Sui to the dungeon, saying that several more Huaguang Sect cultivators had been captured, one of whom claimed to be a former maid of Princess Hexi.
Ning Qi rushed to the dungeon before she finished listening, and sure enough, she saw Qian Yu.
She is thinner than before, but looks to be in good spirits.
Before Ning Xi could speak, Qian Yu was momentarily stunned when she saw her and called out, "Princess."
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Author's Note: Ayu, a man who didn't appear much but survived to the final round [glasses], lives a peaceful life of washing clothes, sewing clothes, and cooking every day.
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