Chapter 78, the final chapter: Going home to get married, my senior brother and I...
Xiao Huaiyuan raced against time to immerse himself in Fu Ming's divine consciousness. The vast and boundless sea was no longer tightly closed to him, allowing him to easily pry it open.
Fu Ming's body should have been just an empty shell, but it was more than that.
This is Xiao Huaiyuan's secret: the inner demon vows to leave behind a small wisp of each other's souls, which is why he was able to successfully summon souls before.
However, what he saw when he delved into his sea of consciousness was not a familiar scene.
The sun is shining brightly.
Beneath the lush banyan tree, a handsome young man sat cross-legged on the stone steps, reading a novel. He had a nearly melted mung bean popsicle dangling from his mouth, and a black and white dog lay beside him, wagging its tail happily.
So Fu Ming was busy flipping through a book with one hand and petting the dog with the other, his exposed calves were dazzlingly white.
From Xiao Huaiyuan's purely ancient perspective, the architecture here seemed a bit odd, and his senior brother was dressed rather scantily. Perhaps it was too hot, because Fu Ming had even opened his loose collar to fan himself, his collarbone faintly visible, glistening with sweat.
When Xiao Huaiyuan deliberately passed by here for the third time, Fu Ming finally looked up from his novel and gave him a puzzled look.
"Who are you from? I've never seen you before."
"The Xiao family of Qinghe," Xiao Huaiyuan replied honestly.
"Never heard of it, did you just move here?" Fu Ming closed the book, and Xiao Huaiyuan noticed the title printed on the cover: "Chronicles of the Primordial Devouring Heaven Demon Lord".
After listening to Xiao Huaiyuan's story, Fu Ming rested his chin on his hand and patted Xiao Huaiyuan's shoulder with great sympathy: "So you're an orphan. You can call me brother from now on, I'll protect you."
Xiao Huaiyuan then realized that he was a full inch shorter than Fu Ming. He had clearly been taller than his senior brother ever since he came of age, and his senior brother always cared about this.
Fu Ming warmly invited him to his home as a guest.
Home.
This is the home that Fu Ming mentioned, a home that is very, very far away.
A neat and tidy brick house, with moss climbing on the eaves topped with swallow nests, was a testament to the humid climate of the place. Sure enough, when I opened the window, I saw the clear blue sea outside, and the faint salty smell was carried by the sea breeze.
This is an isolated island.
“There’s no one else here, why don’t you leave, brother?” Xiao Huaiyuan lowered his head and fiddled with Fu Ming’s wispy hair. His hair had become shorter and now it tended to stick up even more, and the corners of his eyes still turned up, like a little hook that could steal one’s soul. It was very beautiful.
"I didn't really want to go out. I feel like I went through a lot of trouble to get back. Xiao Huaiyuan, it feels weird when you call me that. How about we change how we address each other?"
Fu Ming, who was resting his head on Xiao Huaiyuan's lap, rolled over and turned to read the novel on his side. There was no internet on the island, so there wasn't much to do to pass the time. He had almost read all the novels the convenience store stocked, and this was the last one.
His breath sprayed onto his groin, and Xiao Huaiyuan suppressed his reaction: "Then how about I call you senior brother?"
Fu Ming actually thought about it seriously for a while: "It sounds weird, like we're fellow disciples in a cultivation novel. But that would be quite interesting."
The golden sunlight danced in Fu Ming's clear eyes, like extremely pure amber. Xiao Huaiyuan couldn't resist giving him a light, fleeting kiss.
"Xiao Huaiyuan, you!"
Taking advantage of Fu Ming's wide-eyed stare, Xiao Huaiyuan stretched out two fingers, picked up the novel, and pulled it away.
Peaceful and leisurely days are certainly wonderful, but Xiao Huaiyuan still remembered why he came: he came to take Fu Ming away safely.
The other figures in the dream were blurry and incomprehensible. Xiao Huaiyuan then set his sights on the book that Fu Ming always kept in his hand.
The novel, its cover tattered from being borrowed so many times, throbbed in Xiao Huaiyuan's palm, clearly indicating something was amiss.
A high-pitched, childlike voice cried out in Xiao Huaiyuan's mind: "Waaah, Xiao Huaiyuan, thank goodness you're here! Please save Fu Ming!"
Xiao Huaiyuan remained vigilant: "What are you?"
"I am Fu Ming's personal system."
"system?"
"That's just my natal cultivation technique, huh? I'm also an incarnation of the Heavenly Dao!"
A smug smiley face suddenly appeared on the plain-colored cover.
"Otherwise, there would be no way to protect Fu Ming until now. Anyway, hurry up and deal with Lord Yun, otherwise Fu Ming will really have to be replaced soon."
Fu Ming, still a staunchly straight man, was still reeling from the shock of being forcibly kissed by a man, unable to pull himself out of it for a long time. He should have retaliated by beating Xiao Huaiyuan, but for some reason, he was actually... a little intoxicated by it, as if he had long been accustomed to being close to others.
Fu Ming touched the corner of his lips where the warmth still lingered, belatedly feeling a dull pain in his heart.
It was as if a vine was growing inside his heart, taking root and spreading through his veins.
"You are the master here. You can easily destroy him if you wish," the vine told him.
...I didn't want to hurt him.
Fu Ming hesitated, though he didn't know why he hesitated.
He offended and humiliated you, and he'll force you to do *that* kind of thing in the future. Didn't you see the look in his eyes? If you don't act now, you'll be tied to the bed and have your ass ravaged later.
The description of the vines was crude, and Fu Ming seemed to feel the pain of being pierced through his back day after day, as well as the suffocating feeling of being tightly locked in shackles.
It's strange, isn't he straight? Why does he know so much about that kind of pain?
Normally, Fu Ming's mindset was too stable, and with the protection of the Heavenly Dao, he was not easily corrupted. At this moment, Lord Yun finally seized the opportunity when Fu Ming's emotions were in a violent turmoil and took advantage of the situation.
The person before you betrayed you, imprisoned you, and humiliated you. Don't you hate being bound the most? Don't you want to be the protagonist the most? Kill him, and you will be the only protagonist in the world.
Fu Ming's right hand reflexively reached behind his waist. Logically, he would have grabbed the drawstring of his baggy shorts, but instead he touched a long, dark sword, cool yet understated, the kind he had always dreamed of.
Kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him.
Under the piercing demonic sound, Fu Ming's hand was completely out of his control, and he swiftly brought down the knife.
Amidst the system's screams, Xiao Huaiyuan could see the long knife piercing his heart with a slight downward tilt of his head, adding another gap to his already shattered soul. Blood gushed out, staining Fu Ming's pure white short shirt.
"Senior brother, why..."
Under the sunlight, Fu Ming's blood-stained skin was almost transparently white, and his expression was cold and menacing.
It was both heartless and beautiful.
Xiao Huaiyuan gave a bitter laugh, then collapsed onto Fu Ming's shoulder like Mount Tai, causing the long sword to advance another half foot, drawing out a gush of blood.
“If my senior brother wants to kill me, I am willing, but…”
He stopped mid-sentence, placed his palm on Fu Ming's chest, clenched his fingers around something, and then pulled it outward with force.
A thick, jet-black vine, or perhaps a blood-soaked, multi-legged worm, its end deeply embedded in Fu Ming's heart. Its hundred legs writhed and twisted, struggling violently even as it was pulled from the roots.
This is Lord Yun's true form. He calls himself a god, but his true form is just a centipede-like three-corpse worm, a collection of worldly greed.
The golden runes, capable of burning away all evil, were linked together to form chains that bound Lord Yun tightly, before a great golden light shone forth.
"Xiao Huaiyuan, Xiao Huaiyuan, let me go! I'll give you everything you want—fame, status, money, beauty, whatever you desire—ah!"
When Lord Yun was burned to a crisp, he let out a shrill scream. He no longer cared about the etiquette of being a descendant of the gods, but no matter how he struggled, it was useless. The stench of burning flesh filled the air.
The three corpse worms turned to ashes.
Since Fu Ming shielded him from the tribulation of becoming an immortal, Xiao Huaiyuan had actually already stepped halfway across the threshold of immortality, but due to the time travel, his cultivation level had not followed suit.
Everyone has their own path. Fu Ming follows the path of devouring and recreating, while he wields the power of punishment, which is most effective against demons.
As a demon, Lord Yun dared not face him directly, so he had to bewitch Fu Ming and use his senior brother to get rid of him.
Unfortunately, his location would inevitably be exposed when he committed evil deeds, as Xiao Huaiyuan was always very good at tracking him down.
Xiao Huaiyuan leaned his head against Fu Ming's collarbone, pressing his face against Fu Ming's still unconscious and unfocused eyes, just like they had done many years ago at the Sect Leader Peak.
When the parasite was pulled out, Fu Ming's chest was inevitably ripped open, with a gash running from his shoulder to his waist. In this way, their flesh and blood became intertwined, and their pulses gradually stopped, fulfilling the prophecy of sharing life and death.
Xiao Huaiyuan exchanged a blood-stained kiss with his long-missed senior brother and fell asleep contentedly.
This peaceful island, like a bubble that disappears under the sunlight in a story, slowly fades away in the long afterglow until Fu Ming's eyes refocus.
...
After understanding the cause and effect of the incident, Fu Ming felt somewhat desperate. It wasn't because he had almost been replaced and disemboweled. After all, as a powerful and arrogant character, he had extremely strong vitality and would recover after some rest.
but.
How can we repair my junior brother's battered soul? He only knows the secret technique of dual cultivation to heal his soul!
Three months later.
Fu Ming, with his spine like a limp bone, slumped against the window of the side room on the sect leader's peak, enjoying the thoughtful shoulder and leg massage service from the person behind him. When the massage reached the sore spots, Fu Ming would groan softly, lazy, like the whimper of a fox.
He took a folding fan and tapped Xiao Huaiyuan's forehead: "You're being gentle now, but yesterday on the couch you ignored what I said, huh?"
Xiao Huaiyuan said crudely with a cold face: "Senior brother says he doesn't want it, but he's clearly squeezing it very tightly and it's dripping a lot. I really don't know whether senior brother wants it or not."
Even after hearing it many times, Fu Ming's face still burned at these shameless words, and the tips of his ears turned bright red: "Stop, stop it, Xiao Huaiyuan, have you ever thought about what will happen to the marriage ceremony if I really can't get out of bed because of you?"
He pushed open the window and pointed outside.
The Tianyan Sect was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers. Red silk ribbons were hung all over the small seedlings of the Lianzhugan tree, and wooden plaques hung on the trees jingled in the wind. They were inscribed with auspicious words such as "May you have a happy marriage for a hundred years" and "May you be of one heart forever." Although it was unclear who wrote "May you have a son soon," it was enough to show how much everyone valued this happy event.
Not only Tianyan Sect, but also Changliu Mountain, where the second half of the covenant ceremony was to be held, was covered with blooming flowers. Fang Zhengxing, who had escaped poverty and become rich through business in the Ghost Market, was determined to outdo Tianyan Sect. Fang Xiaoquan and Fang Xiaohui volunteered to be flower girls, while Fu Ming's other defeated subordinates would compete to perform talents such as breaking stones on their chests. It was quite a lively scene.
Regardless, people from all three realms will come to witness the ceremony tomorrow, and he can't afford to lose face like that!
Fu Ming firmly refused Xiao Huaiyuan's request for in-depth soul healing, and instead used the excuse of familiarizing himself with the place to take his junior brother for a walk around.
From the headmaster's peak to the mountain gate, peach trees were planted all along the way, with pink clouds drifting and petals falling in profusion. This was quite unlike the style of the Tianyan Sect, which advocated detachment from worldly affairs. Fu Ming curiously inquired about the reason from passing disciples.
When asked about his area of expertise, the disciple chuckled and said, "Haven't you read the bestselling historical novel 'The Tale of Love Between Immortals and Demons'? The tokens of love between Demon Lord Fu Ming and the Sect Leader were the twelve peach trees on Sect Leader Peak. It is said that the Demon Lord and the Sect Leader were both fellow disciples and enemies. One day, the Demon Lord disguised himself as a new disciple and asked to become a disciple of the Sect Leader."
"The peach tree is young and tender, its blossoms are bright and beautiful. After a passionate night, the Demon Lord specially gifted the sect leader a peach tree to express his hidden feelings. Ah, what a poignant and unforgettable love!"
Fu Ming: ...
He just thought the peach blossoms were pretty, do you believe that? And this documentary script, which loud voice revealed his embarrassing moments? Who was it?
Faced with the rampant gossip, Fu Ming tried to explain, "Is it possible that you're overthinking it? Actually..."
In response, Xiao Huaiyuan gently pinched the still-present teeth mark on Fu Ming's hand, drawing Fu Ming's gaze back from his disciple's face: "Indeed, but one thing needs to be slightly modified, that is, the two of them have long been deeply in love with each other, so it should be called a token of love."
A sudden flash of inspiration struck Fu Ming: Could it be that Xiao Huaiyuan was personally involved in that documentary story?
It's terrifying to think about.
Besides his junior brother, the prime suspect, Fu Ming also identified several other suspects: Jiang Jie from Fengling Peak, Xu Yan from Wanjian Peak, and Yang Pei from Qingyue Palace. He planned to interrogate them one by one.
On the day of the initiation ceremony.
Under the bright sun and clear blue sky, ethereal music flowed among the crowds. Fu Ming and Xiao Huaiyuan, dressed in wedding attire, walked hand in hand up the long white jade steps to the wedding banquet in the square, bathed in the envious gazes of the world.
Under the arrangement of the administrative expert Lin Han, ninety-nine tables were set up in Tianyanzong Square, filled with all kinds of delicacies and fine wines. Fu Ming had already secretly picked up a crystal shrimp dumpling while the meal was being prepared, and even the head chef of Zhichun Restaurant was invited to come out of retirement.
The next step is to verify the guess.
Fu Ming had specifically studied that historical novel, which included a description of the Zhichun Tavern. He stuffed a large wad of shrimp dumplings into Xiao Huaiyuan's mouth, trying to test his reaction, but the dog-like man licked and bit his fingers instead.
Suspicion has been upgraded.
Fu Ming toasted Xu Yan, Yang Pei, and Jiang Jie in turn, but failed to get any information out of them. Instead, he got himself drunk and stumbled into Xiao Huaiyuan's arms.
Yang Pei and Jiang Jie whispered to each other, seemingly mentioning the word "literature".
Highly suspicious.
Then the scene shifts to the Demon Realm.
The hazy, inverted Fu Ming leaned against Xiao Huaiyuan's shoulder from time to time. He only briefly met the demonic cultivators of Changliu Mountain before letting them go to eat and drink. Before leaving, he heard Fang Zhengzhi say something to someone else about "the price being too low," but he didn't know what he meant.
The Demon Realm is now brightly lit and filled with the smoke of cooking fires, a scene of peace and tranquility. Thanks to Fu Ming's transformation, mortals can now move back to Xizhou to settle down.
He moved the tomb of the Calabash Taoist to the vicinity of the Nanzhao Prefecture ruins, where it faces the ruins of the Old Demon Palace. Fu Ming poured a pot of rice wine in front of the grave to comfort the old man's spirit in heaven.
Xiao Huaiyuan straightened Fu Ming's clothes, and when he fastened the buttons, he made a few unusual mistakes. His lips pursed into a tense line: "Senior brother, shall we form a Daoist couple contract here?"
Fu Ming laughed frivolously, his gilded gold crown making him even more handsome: "What, afraid I'll change my mind?"
"Since I have promised you, I will never leave you, so you can rest assured."
His response was an exceptionally urgent kiss, and a Daoist covenant that bound them tightly together, witnessed by the Heavenly Dao.
Fireworks, like cannon salutes, erupted in the sky, and in that instant, silver sparks and fiery trees rose into the air, their flames falling like rain, illuminating the faces of a pair of lovers.
Their spiritual cultivation and merits have reached perfection, and they will soon be able to ascend to immortality.
The system gave him a cross-dimensional map, and Fu Ming planned to take Xiao Huaiyuan back to Earth to visit relatives after ascending to heaven.
But before that, they need to stay in the Three Realms a little longer, either traveling to relax or simply lounging at home. For this purpose, Fu Ming even came up with a new and specific term: honeymoon.
Fu Ming said confidently, "After such a long period of wandering, of course we need to relax. That's what you call balancing work and rest. Don't you think so, Junior Brother?"
Xiao Huaiyuan agreed with everything his senior brother said, but at this moment, he was more concerned about something else: their wedding night.
That night, Fu Ming specially donned a phoenix coronet and wedding robes and escorted herself to Xiao Huaiyuan's bedside. The red dress made her skin appear even whiter than snow. She slowly lifted her dress with her delicate hand, and then a glimpse of her cleavage was revealed.
Seeing that Xiao Huaiyuan was full of energy after being teased, he clenched his fingers and nodded in satisfaction.
"I guessed you'd like to watch this."
Given that Xiao Huaiyuan's recent performance was not bad, at least his actions were not as rough as before, Fu Ming decided to reward him a little. He lightly stepped on the hard spot with his toes and took the initiative to lift his junior brother's chin.
"Senior brother," Xiao Huaiyuan's breathing became heavier, "Do you still remember the vow you made at Guixu?"
Fu Ming, slightly tipsy, tilted his head, his golden hairpin swaying gently, making a tinkling sound.
"You said you would be at my mercy if you didn't return within three years, but you're supposed to return in three years and two months," Xiao Huaiyuan said slowly, veins popping out on his forehead, clearly having reached his limit of patience.
Fu Ming hadn't realized anything was wrong: "Oh... and then?"
"Senior brother, let's repeat what we did in the dream with our inner demons."
"Xiao, Huai, Yuan, what are you getting so jealous about? Isn't that inner demon yourself?!"
"Mmm...mmm..."
The boudoir is warm and cozy, the spring night is fleeting, but life is long.
End of main text.
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Author's Note: The main story is now complete! Hooray!
Thank you everyone who has been with me along the way, come and give me a kiss!
The following side stories include
Fox-Snake (if): A straight male fox demon, but he landed in the Hehuan Sect.
Modern-day "what if": The harem script for the urban overlord protagonist was stolen by his arch-nemesis.
There are other side stories, such as meeting the parents, and past life side stories. I'll write them if I feel particularly good about them or if there's a lot of demand.
Also, please check out my pre-order for "Top Alpha Twins Sharing a Super Strong Wife"! It's set in an interstellar ABO world, with a strong uke who transitions from B to Omega? A dark and morbid twin seme.
This will probably be my next book. I'll try my best to save up chapters this time, mwah~
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