Chapter Thirteen
Why do I like him? What is liking?
Seeing Xueji let go, Aman was overjoyed. He had deliberately humbled himself to enter the Demon Realm in order to seize the position of Demon Lord.
He was confident in his handsome appearance, broad back, and powerful waist. Every succubus who had tasted him praised his skill in bed.
Aman's original plan was to serve Luyue well, believing his sexual prowess would captivate her. He figured the white rabbit spirit was too weak to be of any use. Once he gained her trust, he would steal Luyue's inner core. Then, he could rightfully ascend to the position of Demon Lord and have all the demons bow down to him.
Unexpectedly, things took an unexpected turn, and he was given to the terrifying fox demon Hu Mei as a reward. He was nearly drained of his life essence every day, but thankfully, his opportunity had finally arrived. Today, he was determined to take down Lu Yue in one fell swoop; he would make her know that humiliation would be repaid sooner or later.
He didn't take Wen Ruo seriously. Even though he knew Wen Ruo had been in the Demon Realm for a long time, he was at most a sickly old man. His absence saved him some effort; now only the last array of the secret realm remained.
Seeing that Xue Ji's hands were no longer guarding the formation, he was about to break through when he didn't expect that an additional layer of formation had been added to the secret realm.
Xue Ji, being a master of array formations, was naturally among the best. However, because the original array formations in the secret realm were completely different from those he had learned, it took him a long time to barely grasp their intricacies. Even then, he could only hastily add a layer of seal. Later, when Lu Yue reached the critical stage of molting, he gritted his teeth and poured all his cultivation into the array formation.
Seeing that she was about to miss a good opportunity, Aman roared with a ferocious expression: "Are you stupid? What good is it to protect the formation with your life? What benefits can she give you? Don't forget that Lu Yue attacked your Shangqing, and many disciples died at her hands."
"As a righteous person, you should join me in killing her. Lu Yue is at her weakest now; killing her is as easy as an ant. Don't you want revenge? Lu Yue is a wanton womanizer, she's slept with countless men. And you? Don't you feel disgusted when you serve her at night?"
Xue Ji's indifferent expression showed struggle. What nonsense was he spouting? Lu Yue had never touched him in the slightest.
He replied calmly, "To collude with you would be an insult to our sect."
He was simply keeping his promise; Lu Yue had previously released his junior brother. He had promised to do something for her, and a gentleman's promise should be kept.
He glanced at Lu Yue behind him; her brow was furrowed as if she were having a nightmare. Xue Ji's old injuries had largely healed, and she could hold on for a few more days. Now, all he could do was wait for Lu Yue to wake up so he could deal with this scoundrel.
Aman noticed that Xueji's expression had changed, so he decided to use a provocation tactic on him.
"Think about it, every night when her hands touch your body, don't you feel wronged? Don't you feel disgusted when she kisses you? I heard she's very rough in bed, so she changes her concubines every now and then. Can you bear her desires? The snake clan is inherently lewd. You, a pure and innocent disciple of Shangqing, should have a fairy who is your soulmate, but instead you have to compromise and become part of her harem. What a disgrace that is."
"Shut up."
Xue Ji didn't know what she was angry about; the veins on her hands gradually bulged. Lu Yue had never touched her, never kissed her. Even if he lived in her palace, he would still go to see that Young Master Bai every night.
But why use the expensive Blood Demon Lotus to heal his injuries?
It's laughable, really, that she was actually quite nice to him. Even though he knew it was just a tactic to seduce him, Xueji was still completely captivated.
He could only block out his hearing, no longer listening to Aman's incessant chatter, and concentrate on protecting the secret realm.
Lu Yue was unaware that Xue Ji was fighting against A Man; she was lost in the chaos of the past.
After the sword cultivator's death, Lu Yue stayed alone in the mountains for a very long time. So long that she began to get bored, but she never thought of going out. The outside world was too noisy, and she preferred quiet.
Because the Sword Master had also vanished without a trace, all sect disciples were strictly forbidden from entering this place. Numerous formations were even set up to prevent Lu Yue from going out and causing havoc on the world, so she hadn't seen a soul for a long time.
Gradually, the number of living creatures in the mountain forest decreased, but fortunately, Lu Yue did not feel hungry after eating the Sword Master.
Lu Yue would occasionally think in the courtyard why he was such a complete fool in both his lives. He died at the hands of his own disciple in one life and at the hands of his master in the other, and the most ridiculous thing was that he died at the hands of the same person in both.
Even though she renovated the dilapidated Taoist temple into her own territory, she always felt that something was missing.
Lu Yue was interrupted by the puppet every time she meditated.
"Hey, you vixen, get out of here right now, or my master will definitely take you down when he returns."
It's so noisy.
Lu Yue looked up at the handsome young Taoist boy. She was surprised to find that the Sword Master she had swallowed still had his soul, but it was still in his childhood.
In her spare time, Lu Yue made a puppet out of a pile of rotten wood to serve as his body, so that he could move around freely during the day. She only regretted that he could also speak, as he nagged incessantly in her ear all day long.
The snake and the puppet remained in this vast mountain forest for hundreds of years. Countless winters passed, and the Sword Master gradually recalled his past memories, often arguing with Lu Yue when he had nothing else to do.
"Hey, do you know that my disciple could have become the top sword master in the sect, but he left the sect because you wanted to destroy your cultivation? You could have saved him, why did you just watch him die?"
Lu Yue was completely bewildered: "Why should I save him?"
Sword Master's eyes widened in fury: "Don't you like him?"
Why should I like him? What is liking someone?
"You, you are utterly heartless and ungrateful."
Sword Master was so angry that he became incoherent and even lost his arm. Lu Yue quickly put it back on for him, since he was the one who usually swept and cleaned the courtyard.
Lu Yue nodded, a rare occurrence: "We snake people are inherently ruthless and heartless."
It's common knowledge that the serpent race is inherently cold-blooded. What is loyalty and affection? It's nothing but a superficial illusion, invisible and intangible; what use is it?
The Sword Master roared angrily, "If you don't like him, why did you sleep with him?"
Lu Yue said earnestly, "He's handsome and has a high cultivation level."
The Sword Master retorted, "Who told you that being pretty means you can sleep with someone?"
Lu Yue answered honestly, "Yes, I want it."
The Sword Master was so frightened that he took several steps back, covering his roughly sculpted face, and stammered, "You, you are truly shameless. If you don't understand feelings, why did you let him go?"
Lu Yue said solemnly, "He's useless now, I've already used his essence. I originally wanted to use him as bait to lure more of you here. I didn't expect you all to not come, but luckily you're here. Otherwise, my cultivation wouldn't have increased so rapidly."
Sword Master was speechless; his cultivation was indeed a great boost to Lu Yue.
Do you miss him?
Which one?
The Sword Master chuckled self-deprecatingly, "They were originally one person."
Lu Yue said decisively, "No, they are not one person."
The Sword Master, who had been wandering the world for a hundred years, suddenly burst into laughter, his body gradually dissipating as he touched the withered tree trunk that his master had once used to measure his height.
“You’re right, they were never one person. It’s just that I want to atone for my past sins.”
Knowing he was about to leave, Lu Yue asked, "What do you want?"
The Sword Master, who was gradually disappearing, smiled faintly: "I just miss the things I did with them in the past. Perhaps you will understand in the future."
Lu Yue still didn't understand, and now she was alone, quietly gazing at the boundless moonlight. She was curious about what the Taoist priest meant by karma and retribution.
She had lived for hundreds of years, yet she felt increasingly confused and confused with each passing year. She remained alone for a long time until an uninvited guest arrived.
Even though Lu Yue had hundreds of years of cultivation, her opponent was a demonic cultivator with thousands of years of experience. After a fierce battle lasting seven days and seven nights, Lu Yue strangled his neck with her snake tail.
I thought I could rest for a while, but I didn't expect him to come.
The man's handsome appearance was enough to bewitch people, and his powerful aura prevented Lu Yue from raising her head, forcing her to support herself on one leg.
Her cultivation level was no match for Chong Li's; he possessed the body of a ten-thousand-year-old dragon, the envy of all snakes.
"So that's who had the power to kill my beloved general. It turns out it was someone from my own clan. I admire you. Come with me to the Demon Realm. It belongs to the strong, and it's a place you should go."
This was the first time Lu Yue had met Chong Li. Beneath his cold and wild face lay a heart that loved killing.
She knew this was not an invitation but an order, and she had no right to refuse. She could only leave this familiar mountain forest and was forced to leave with Chongli.
There are few rules in the Demon Realm, but failing to complete the mission means certain death. Even if one can escape, Chong Li will not let the hunt go. He loves killing to the core, and even if he escapes to the ends of the earth, he will only become more enthusiastic about this pursuit.
During that time, Lu Yue was devoid of thought and emotion. She lived a life of confusion and caution. Those mountains and forests had been her most carefree time, until she met her.
That winter was Lu Yue's clearest memory, the most comfortable and pleasant time she had ever lived for hundreds of years.
But seeing Chong Li's face, Lu Yue felt nauseous, and her body began to ache. Her consciousness finally returned, temporarily escaping that painful past. In a hazy state, she saw Xue Ji, but the pain plunged her back into agony. Closing her eyes, the familiar courtyard scene of the secret realm brought her back to the winter cottage.
The wind chimes rang, and the charcoal fire in the bamboo house had gone out. The woman got up from bed, still wrapped in a thick quilt. The little snake by the bedside was still asleep. She heated up the cured meat on the stove for Lu Yue to eat.
When Lu Yue woke up, she was next to the medicine cabinet watching her sort the herbs.
The woman muttered to herself, "Where did I put the angelica root?"
Lu Yue straightened up and took the medicine packet containing angelica root directly from her.
"You're so smart."
The woman gently rewarded her with a kiss. Lu Yue's heart raced, and her cold body began to heat up. She then secretly hid her head under the quilt.
She never knew that she could be healed by others.
After leaving the bamboo hut, Lu Yue became confused; she had come to understand longing. She even thought she was attracted to women, but her experience at the brothel didn't reveal this. It wasn't until the little fox pointed out that she might be seeing women as her mother.
The word "mother" was completely foreign to Lu Yue. She had never seen her mother, nor did she have any siblings. She had once been bitten by a mother beast protecting her cubs while hunting them, and her scales had rotted away as a result. Lu Yue could only lick her wounds, enduring hunger and hiding in the shade of trees for fear of being eaten by other beasts. It was a long time before she was able to walk again.
Lu Yue's clearest memory was that winter day. The feeling of being in the woman's arms was so comforting; she treated her so well, even singing lullabies to her as she slept. Without her, the woman continued her peaceful life, but everything was destroyed by Chong Li.
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