Chapter 55: Jade Celebrates Success and Sleeps with a Drunk Straight Man
Jade celebrates success and sleeps with a drunk straight man
The crisis within the Emerald Dome was resolved, and the overwhelming life energy washed over every corner like a warm tide, soothing the frayed nerves and wounds of Jiang Xuelan and Li Jiuyou. The tree spirits' elegy gradually transformed into a celebration of survival. The melodious, ethereal singing intertwined with the swaying glowing vines, and the entire Emerald Dream seemed to descend into a tranquil and dreamlike feast.
"Wow! So beautiful!" Ah Che tilted his head back, gazing at the natural "ribbons" of glowing pollen and shimmering dewdrops dangling from the cracks in the dome. His large eyes reflected tiny sparks of light, and he temporarily forgot the thrill of danger. He carefully held the charred Jianmu leaf, now sprouting, in his palm, sensing the faint, yet incredibly tenacious vitality within it.
Man Gu smiled innocently, his massive body relaxing as he leaned against a soft green-glowing vine pillar, tending to a wound on his shoulder from a dimensional beam. Xuan Jia, with all four claws pointed upward, lay on a vast, blanket-like patch of glowing moss. His green eyes narrowed in contentment, his shell bathed in life energy, humming with a comfortable hum: "Comfortable! My life is complete! A little more emerald honey wine would be even better..."
Speaking of honey wine, Qingluo and several tree spirit girls came over with emerald green leaf cups. The cups were filled with amber-colored, viscous liquid that exuded a rich, sweet fragrance of flowers and fruits - it was the upgraded version of the emerald honey they had drunk before, **Emerald Honey Wine**.
"Here! Heroes!" Qingluo smiled brightly and distributed the leaf cups to everyone, "This is brewed with hundred-year-old moonlight flower stamens and morning dew. It can quickly restore your vitality! But... the aftereffect is a bit strong, hehe." She blinked cunningly.
Li Jiuyou took the leaf cup, sniffed the cloyingly sweet aroma, and frowned in disdain, "Sweet water from a woman's mouth..." But the frailty of the demonic fire within him and the lingering pain from his wounds forced him to tilt his head back and drink it. As the honey wine entered his throat, a surge of warm, powerful energy instantly spread throughout his limbs, nearly humming in pleasure. He forced himself to say, "...not bad."
Jiang Xuelan gracefully accepted the liquid, his fingertips gleaming icy blue. He tested it to confirm it was poison-free before taking a sip. The sweet, slightly cool liquid seemed to smooth out all the wrinkles in his sea of consciousness, even the dormant God-Slaying Gu in his lower back seemed to calm down a bit. His icy blue eyes softened slightly, but he remained vigilant. His gaze scanned the surrounding celebrating tree spirits, finally settling on Li Jiuyou—the guy drank too quickly, the amber liquor sliding down his strong jawline and into the slightly open collar of his red-gold vine robe...
Jiang Xuelan quickly looked away, subconsciously twirling his fingertips as if trying to erase something that wasn't there. **Don't look at anything inappropriate.** He said to himself.
However, the presence of the Heart-Slaying Contract became especially clear after the honey wine was consumed. A warm, slightly tipsy feeling of comfort came not only from the honey wine itself, but also from Li Jiuyou through the blood contract. The vine patterns on their arms glowed again, a shimmer of icy blue and crimson gold, as if they too were enjoying this moment of peace.
The tree spirits gathered around, pulling Ache and Mangu to dance, curiously examining Xuanjia's shell, and offering more honey wine to Jiang Xuelan and Li Jiuyou. Unable to refuse such a generous offer, and with their bodies in dire need of nourishment, they unknowingly drank several more cups.
The alcohol gradually took over.
Li Jiuyou felt a warm sensation all over his body, and everything seemed to be pleasing to his eyes. Even the icy face next to him didn't seem so annoying anymore. He burped, and his red-gold eyes were covered with a layer of water. He grinned in Jiang Xuelan's direction, revealing his white teeth. "Hey! Ice face! You said... hiccup... that move 'Ice Soul Burning Heaven' just now, wasn't it... hiccup... awesome?"
Jiang Xuelan also felt his head heating up. His usually frozen thoughts seemed enveloped by a warm mist, their movements slowing slightly. He sat upright, striving to maintain a cool demeanor, but his ears flushed uncontrollably. Upon hearing Li Jiuyou's words, he glanced coldly, his tone less chilling than usual: "...If it weren't for the blood pact forcing harmony, your violent demonic fire would have already turned against you."
"Bullshit!" Li Jiuyou muttered in dissatisfaction, stood up shakily, and wanted to walk up to Jiang Xuelan to argue, but his legs went weak and he stumbled and almost fell.
Jiang Xuelan almost subconsciously reached out to support his arm. It was burning hot, and even through the vine clothing, he could feel the surging heat and the firm lines of muscle. He tried to pull his hand back as if it had been burned, but Li Jiuyou grabbed his wrist instead.
"I... am not drunk!" Li Jiuyou glared, but he tightened his grip on his hand, as if he had found a support point. "I'm telling you... even without that crappy contract... I can still... hiccup... do it just as well!"
His breath, sweet as honey, lingered on the side of Jiang Xuelan's neck. Jiang Xuelan stiffened slightly, trying to pull his hand away, only to be held tighter. The blood bond, invigorated by the alcohol and close contact, was incredibly clear. He could hear the other person's heartbeat, body temperature, and even the faint hint of drunkenness, all conveying a clear and unsettling feeling.
"Let go." Jiang Xuelan's voice carried a barely perceptible hint of panic.
"No!" Li Jiuyou was getting stubborn. His red-gold head even unconsciously leaned against Jiang Xuelan's shoulder, looking for a more comfortable position. "You ice cube... lean on me... it's cool..."
The surrounding tree spirits laughed heartily. Qingluo covered her mouth, her eyes sparkling, "Oh, Big Fireworks and Little Ice Cube have such a good relationship!"
Ache also covered his mouth and laughed, and was gently patted on the head by Mangu's big hand.
Jiang Xuelan's forehead vein throbbed slightly, and he finally gave up trying to reason with a drunk. He half-carried, half-dragged the large pendant to the resting place the tree spirits had prepared for them—a double flower bud hammock woven from soft, glowing vines and giant petals.
After a lot of effort, Jiang Xuelan stuffed Li Jiuyou into the hammock. He was exhausted, drunk, and dizzy. He wanted to find another place, but Li Jiuyou unconsciously grabbed the corner of his clothes.
"Don't go...it's cold..." The drunken demon king muttered vaguely and rubbed towards him.
The hammock swayed gently at his movements, emitting a soothing fragrance. Jiang Xuelan looked at the man's defenseless, even slightly vulnerable, sleeping face, and felt the subconscious reliance on warmth and security emanating from the blood pact. Finally, he sighed and resignedly sat down on the edge of the hammock, trying to stay as far away from the stove as possible.
But the hammock was only so big. Late in the night, Jiang Xuelan was woken by the heat. Someone who claimed to be "cold" had somehow clung to him like an octopus, their scalding chest pressed against his back, their arms tightly wrapped around his waist, their breath evenly spraying the back of his neck.
Jiang Xuelan: "..."
He tried to break free, but the slightest movement made Li Jiuyou mutter and hug him tighter, even unconsciously rubbing his chin against the top of his head, as if to confirm that the "pillow" was still there.
The Heart-Slaying Contract emitted a calm wave of peaceful sleep, mixed with the warmth from the alcohol, and surprisingly... it was not so annoying.
**Just think of it as a way to solidify the blood pact and prevent evil thoughts from backlashing.** Jiang Xianjun found the perfect excuse for himself. With his body stiff, he fell into a deep sleep again in the warm embrace and the sweet fragrance of flowers.
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