When Ningning opened her eyes, she saw endless darkness.
The severe pain caused by Lingshu Immortal Grass disappeared at this moment, and the whole body felt excessively light.
She looked around blankly, and as her eyes gradually became familiar with the current scene, she vaguely saw a small, curled up figure in a corner not far away.
Ningning steadied her scattered consciousness and moved forward step by step.
As we got closer, the blurry shadow gradually became clearer, with its general outline outlined by the dark color.
It turned out to be a skinny boy, who hugged his knees tightly with his hands and curled up into a ball, like a dying animal.
She smelled a strong stench of blood and the damp dust of the ground.
A dark space, a basement, and blood.
Ningning seemed to understand where she was now.
Pei Ji was attacked by the evil spirit and had no choice but to fall into the devil in her heart. However, her consciousness was fragile and she could not resist the evil spirit's erosion.
This must be his inner demon.
The boy curled up on the ground moved slightly, and Ningning leaned over and looked down at him.
This cellar was sealed off and not a single ray of light could get in. Fortunately, as a monk, she had keen senses and was able to take in the entire scene.
It turns out Pei Ji was so thin when he was a child.
He didn't have much flesh on his body now. When he hugged her before, she could clearly feel the bony bones on his back. Fortunately, he had a balanced diet and plenty of spiritual energy, so he didn't look too thin.
But this tiny boy was different.
He was barely covered by a tattered, thin robe, and his body exposed outside the cloth was incredibly thin, as if a layer of pale skin was wrapped over bones.
What's more, there are so many long scars on the skin, one after another, dark purple and deep red.
How painful this must be.
This is a memory from his childhood, Pei Ji can't see her.
But Ningning could see his appearance. His face was swollen as if he had been slapped. His long eyelashes trembled and he slowly opened his eyes.
Pei Ji must be very scared.
Even she would feel frightened in such a dark scene, not to mention him who was covered in wounds and still young.
That's why Pei Ji became so afraid of the dark after that.
A stream of blood flowed silently down the boy's arm. Ningning felt a tightness in her heart when she saw it. She subconsciously wanted to reach out and wipe it for him, but her fingertips went straight through his body.
The memories of the past cannot be changed, and in this dark cellar, no one can help him.
At this moment, there was a creaking sound behind her. Ningning turned around and saw a white light coming from above.
——The entrance to the cellar was opened, and the person who came in was an emaciated woman.
Pei Ji's mother was rarely mentioned in the original novel, and in other people's memories, this almost crazy woman also left no trace. When I think about it carefully, it seems that the only one who can remember her is Pei Ji.
Ningning squinted her eyes because of the sudden light, and looked up at the woman who was gradually approaching her.
Her skin was bloodless and pale to the point of being "weird", her long hair was scattered randomly on her shoulders and back, her pair of bloodshot eyes were deeply sunken, and surrounded by a gloomy gray-black color.
But even so, one can still see some of her former splendor.
"Why are you pretending to be dead? Get up!"
She stood with her back to the light, her eyes filled with undisguised disgust. As she spoke, she took a step forward and kicked the boy's thin waist and abdomen with her right foot.
Pei Ji was in extreme pain and his body shrank back reflexively, but he gritted his teeth and did not cry out in pain or beg for mercy. His long eyelashes quickly closed and a broken whimper came from his throat.
It was at this time that Ningning finally saw his eyes clearly.
As a child, Pei Ji had not yet learned to completely wrap himself in hostility. His dark and round pupils were filled with a misty confusion, and there was no light at all under his long eyelashes, only extreme pain and numbness.
He was struggling to hold on to what little self-respect he had left.
However, the more indifferent he was, the more uncontrollable anger the woman felt.
"What does that look mean - do you look down on me too?"
She was like a madman, hatred overflowing from her eyes. She gritted her teeth and spoke while bending over to grab the boy's black hair that was soaked in blood and pulled him up without saying a word: "Xie Yu...you are the same as Xie Yu, right? You all deserve to die, the remnants of the demon clan!"
Then there was the crisp sound of a slap.
Pei Ji was forced to turn his head under the tremendous force, and his already swollen face turned red enough to look like blood was dripping from it.
Ningning's eyes were filled with tears and her heart almost broke, but she could only stand there stiffly, unable to do anything.
"It's all your fault!"
Her voice was hoarse, and her entire back was shaking violently. Facing the child who was connected to her by blood, she spat out extremely vicious words from her mouth: "Hate me? You should be thankful that I kept you... Do you know what the situation of the demons is like now? Everyone wants to kill you, and I wish I could grind your bones and spread your ashes!"
Her voice echoed in the empty and narrow cellar.
Like a ghost from the abyss, it lingers in every corner without a trace and never dissipates for a long time.
"You have this kind of blood, so you will never have a good life in this life. I am the only one willing to take you in. Where can you go after leaving this house?"
She dug her nails deep into Pei Ji's neck. The boy frowned with a pale face. In his ears was his biological mother's crazy voice soaked with hatred: "Evil demons must be killed... Who would care about you, who would approach you... Disgusting thing!"
Until the end, she had already regarded him as Xie Yu.
The city defenses were breached, people were displaced, their families were destroyed, and even if this woman wanted revenge, the opponent was the almighty Demon Lord, so how could she do it easily?
Fortunately, she was pregnant with that man's child.
——The boy who looks more and more like Xie Yu day by day.
This was her revenge, just to satisfy her resentment that had nowhere to vent. How ridiculous, stupid and incompetent.
Ningning didn't dare to look anymore later, but the young Pei Ji just stared at the woman without saying a word.
There was ignorance in the boy's eyes, but more of it was panic and pain. Something shattered silently, turning into broken shadows that scattered deep in his pupils.
He was so young and had been locked in the cellar for many years. He knew very little about the outside world, and the only source of information he had access to was what his mother said every day.
Pei Ji endured the pain day after day in such deep malice.
Those vicious curses and insults were deeply engraved in his heart. How could he not feel that he was a monster that was not tolerated by the world?
It turns out that compared to this woman, what he hated the most was himself.
Ningning half closed her eyes, not wanting to look at the increasing number of bloodstains and scars on Pei Ji's body, but she couldn't help but let her gaze linger on him, and her heart couldn't help but feel aching.
She knew what was going to happen next.
Later, when his mother died of a serious illness, Pei Ji was freed from his shackles and began to wander around in a daze. He knew nothing about the outside world and walked stumblingly. Sometimes the evil energy in his body was out of control and he often woke up in the middle of the night with cold sweat all over his head.
Hunger, cold eyes, ridicule, and the pain brought by old injuries day and night.
Until by some strange coincidence, he was admitted into the Xuanxu Sword Sect.
From then on, the boy learned to stay out of things and not get involved with anyone. He used his cold and violent temper as an impenetrable cocoon, wrapping himself layer by layer.
That's why Pei Ji always looks so cold and fierce.
Pei Ji has been imprisoned by the cowardice and self-loathing in his heart since he was a child. He doesn't know how to get along with others, and he doesn't think anyone would be willing to approach him.
This is Pei Ji’s inner demon.
The hysterical curses were still echoing in my ears, and without any warning, the scene in front of me suddenly dimmed.
The woman and the boy disappeared in an instant. Ningning didn't understand what happened. She opened her eyes blankly and looked around.
The surroundings became dark again as at the beginning. The darkness was boundless and spread wantonly throughout the entire space, pressing her so hard that she almost couldn't breathe.
It was at this time that Ningning saw a tall and straight figure.
Pei Ji stood not far away, looking at her with a cold expression. When he met Ning Ning's gaze, he frowned.
So strange.
This was completely the look he gave to a stranger, and there was even a hint of disgust in it, which was completely different from his usual look.
Ning Ning took a step forward: "... Pei Ji?"
His eyes were darker than the darkness around him. When he spoke in a calm voice, there was a hint of mockery and sarcasm in his tone: "This trick won't work. You don't have to work so hard."
What doesn’t work and what takes a lot of effort?
Ning Ning didn't react, and heard him continue: "Illusions and people... are different after all."
Oh, so he thought she was an illusion created by his inner demons.
——But she is obviously herself! Pei Ji, what an idiot! How is she different from herself!
He looked cold and serious. Ning Ning was angry and amused. She felt like teasing him and asked according to Pei Ji's meaning, "What's the difference?"
The young man in black pursed his lips, his eyes like a calm ancient well, and he looked at her with a frown.
"she……"
His Adam's apple moved slightly, and it was impossible to tell the emotion in his tone: "She won't come here."
This place was the depths of his inner demons, and Pei Ji knew it very well.
Before he lost consciousness, he saw Ningning leave without looking back and run straight to a spiritual plant on the top of the cliff. Although he couldn't recognize what it was, with a black dragon protecting it nearby, it must be of very high grade.
While he was fighting with the black dragon, he had a perfect opportunity to pick spiritual plants.
It’s hard to describe how I felt when I saw Ningning turn around and leave. Bitterness, pain and loss seem insufficient to describe it.
Although he didn't want to admit it, he felt so sad and wronged that he was about to explode.
Pei Ji originally thought...she would be different from others.
But in the end, Ningning didn't even give him the slightest glance.
"What makes you think she won't come here?"
Ningning raised her chin, put her hands behind her back, and approached him briskly, her eyes fixed on Pei Ji's eyes, staring into his dark pupils.
She was so fierce and impatient, as if talking to her any more was a waste of time.
Is this always Pei Ji’s attitude when facing others?
"This place is dangerous," Fortunately, although he had no patience, he answered in a low voice because of her face that was the same as "Ningning", "No one would dare to enter other people's hearts and minds when their spiritual power is completely lost."
He used a very firm tone, and because he was not used to being too close to others, he took a step back with a blank expression.
"You can't say that. How do you know what she thinks?"
Ning Ning wanted to defend herself, so she took a step forward and walked straight in front of him: "What if there is?"
When she spoke, she tilted her head back and stared at him with her almond-shaped eyes without blinking, with a hint of slight dissatisfaction, but more of an unstoppable smile.
The air flowing around suddenly stagnated.
Pei Ji stared at her blankly, and the icy hostility in his eyes suddenly faded away.
The boy's dark pupils were filled with dark clouds, and because they were covered with a layer of soft mist, it was impossible to see the emotions that he suppressed deep in his heart.
But the emotion was so strong that even without any movement or sound, it could still flow out of the eyes uncontrollably.
He spoke with an uncertain tone, his voice suddenly became hoarse, and he spoke word by word.
"...Ningning?"
Ningning wanted to keep a straight face, but she couldn't help laughing out loud with eyes curled up.
When she smiled, Pei Ji understood everything.
Ning Ning was actually possessed by the inner demon, when her spiritual power was almost gone and her consciousness was extremely fragile.
But how did she break the thick demonic aura around him? She clearly—
Pei Ji's figure suddenly stopped.
Some distant yet reachable memories quietly emerged in the chaotic sea of consciousness. He remembered the bright red blood on the girl's lips and the white light that broke through the black fog.
When he was trapped in the endless purgatory, someone used a sword to cut through the layers of demonic energy. Although he was covered in blood and extremely weak, he approached him step by step with great determination.
The corners of the boy's usually indifferent eyes suddenly showed a hint of red.
It turned out that Ningning did not abandon him, but risked her life to save him.
He has been afraid of the dark since he was a child.
Only she brings endless brightness.
...He is not worthy of it.
His heart began to beat violently, and Pei Ji stared into the girl's smiling eyes.
They were so close that he could reach out and touch them.
The desire buried deep in the heart clamors to break free, the thick clouds in the eyes gather and disperse, condensing into a raging inner demon.
All the secular moral principles, humbleness and cowardice, fell apart in an instant and ceased to exist just because of her glance.
Pei Ji only wanted her.
The boy's throat rolled unconsciously, and he suddenly called her name: "Ningning."
"Um?"
She looked up curiously.
Immediately, the tip of my nose was enveloped by the delicate fragrance of wood, and in front of me was a black shadow approaching suddenly, and the fresh breath of a young man.
Something gently touched her lips, and Ningning suddenly opened her eyes wide.
In just a moment, the sounds of the entire world disappeared.
Pei Ji's lips were thin and soft. He pressed down very lightly, like soft jelly with some dry cracks, and stuck tightly to hers.
He had no skills at all and could only rely on his most primitive instinct to touch her little by little. He lowered his eyes almost devoutly and even held his breath.
The thin lips slowly pressed down, then gently moved away when someone was caught off guard, and then landed on another place like a dragonfly skimming the water.
He kissed her earnestly, his face just inches away from hers, and spoke in a deep, almost uneasy voice, "Is this... okay?"
Ningning's mind was already blank, and when he asked her this, the heat quickly spread from her ears to her whole body.
What does it mean, what does "is this okay" mean.
It was clear that he acted first and reported later.
She didn't shy away, nor did she show disgust.
That's what it means to not hate.
Ningning doesn't hate him.
Pei Ji's smile deepened, and with a light blush on his face, he pressed his lips against hers once again.
The lips rubbed against each other silently, and everywhere they touched was soft.
Ningning raised her eyes and saw his smiling pupils, which were like a bottomless whirlpool, with a teardrop mole at the end of his eye, making her unable to resist and willing to fall for him.
His movements were cautious, and he used great courage every time he touched her. Occasionally, he raised his long eyelashes to look at her, and even his voice was tense: "Do you like... like this?"
Exactly the same words she had said before.
Ningning couldn't tell whether this was a serious inquiry or a small revenge on her, but she finally understood one thing.
Pei Ji didn’t know how to kiss and thought that just the touch of lips like this was all there was to kissing.
It's really an elementary school eggshell.
She laughed in her heart, glanced at the black eyes so close to her, and suddenly had an idea for a prank.
He was the one who initiated the kiss, but the girl curled her lips slightly and stood on tiptoe.
Then stick out the tip of your tongue and touch his lower lip.
Due to the boy's blood loss and exhaustion, she touched a dry crack and tasted blood on the tip of her tongue.
Ningning blinked her eyes, and using all her courage, she licked it gently as if teasing.
His movements really paused for a moment, and his body became even hotter. The wet touch spread across the lips, like a fish jumping out of the water, with the tip of its tail moving, drawing out an endless electric current.
Pei Ji froze up obviously, with a look of surprise and bewilderment in his pupils. He blushed and asked her in a hoarse voice: "...Should it be like this?"
Ningning: ...
He asked seriously, as if he felt he hadn't done it well, and there was a hint of guilt and grievance in his tone.
As the one who took the initiative to tease, she felt her heart softened because of these words.
They were deep in their inner demons, so Cheng Ying did not appear in Pei Ji's mind as usual.
If it saw this scene, it would definitely cover its eyes with its hands in frustration.
It's really unbearable to watch.
What a good-for-nothing. He needs a girl to teach him how to kiss. How shameful.
Fortunately, Pei Ji did not dwell on this. There was a long way to go and he had plenty of time to learn slowly.
As for now——
The young man put his hand on her soft lower back, and slowly moved his lips to the side. Finally, he stopped holding his breath and greedily inhaled the fragrance from her body.
The places he kissed were all hot, but after a moment, Pei Ji pressed his thin lips on Ningning's earlobe, just like she had done before.
He took a sip with force, as if he liked it very much.
His breath was warm and flowed into his ears.
Pei Ji whispered to her in an inaudible voice: "I like you."
Ningning felt that her body had no strength left, and she slowly turned into a puddle of mud.
——She never believed this description.
But the wind from Pei Ji blew gently, accompanied by the magnetic and hoarse voice of a young boy reverberating in her eardrums, and all her consciousness seemed to be pulled out of her mind at that moment, making her dizzy and powerless.
But his body was held down by Pei Ji and he couldn't move.
The hand that was supporting her behind her slowly moved upwards.
Through a thin layer of gauze, Ningning could clearly feel the temperature and trajectory of his palm, spreading upwards like a ball of fire. His thumb pressed down vaguely, causing restlessness wherever it passed.
His five fingers finally stopped at the spine, and Pei Ji used his whole hand to press her into his arms; her chest was pressed against his without any distance, and she could feel his intense heartbeat, thump thump.
His lips had already reached the girl's neck, his face buried in the crook of her neck, and every time he spoke and breathed, it caused a scratchy itch.
Pei Ji's voice was trembling slightly.
His voice was dry, like that of a child at a loss, and he opened his lips ignorantly but firmly beside her ear: "I like Ningning."
Ningning's heart started pounding again.
The boy buried his head in the crook of her neck and laughed softly, his hair brushing against her chin, stirring her heartstrings.
Pei Ji's kiss was gentle and delicate, yet it also concealed an irresistible persistence that held her to his side, making it difficult for her to escape.
Pei Ji exhaled a puff of hot air on the side of her neck and pressed his thin lips against the girl's red collarbone.
Ningning heard him say: "...I like it the most."
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