184 - Divine Mastering Dragon System
### Chapter 854: Retribution Forcing the lethargic Xiang Shi Yan to heal and drink medicine was something He He had done five or six times already. Despite her tendency for flirtatious comments and sometimes appearing disrespectful, there was a subtle restraint within her behavior. Although she had examined and touched the fox's body thoroughly, she hadn't gone further. If not for the purpose of reproduction, such interactions for He He served merely to establish emotional connections or for amusement. However, the deeper Xiang Shi Yan's hatred for her grew, any rash actions on her part might drive the woman to a complete breakdown, potentially leading her to self-harm again. Excessive intimacy would only cause Xiang Shi Yan pain, and if her mentor didn’t derive any joy from it, it would be meaningless to He He. "Is it mating season?" She gently stroked Xiang Shi Yan’s fox ears back and forth. The ears, in reality, were not as fluffy and heavy as they appeared, being just a thin layer, warm at the base. Judging by the time, it seemed about right for it. He He felt a hint of regret—she shouldn’t have let her drink her blood earlier. Dragon energy, being dark and seductive, might now intensify her discomfort for a while. Lifting Xiang Shi Yan’s chin, she noticed that the sharp emotions on her face seemed softened by the haze of desire, and her expression had become more tender. Those beautiful, peach blossom eyes blinked, revealing a bit of misty light. He He's hands were cool, and Xiang Shi Yan instinctively pressed her cheek against her palm, gently nuzzling against it. The intimacy that had been absent for a month felt surprisingly foreign, as if many years had passed instead. He He lowered her eyes, but her hand remained honestly unwilling to leave the woman’s burning body. Her slender palm slid down to rest on Xiang Shi Yan’s neck, feeling her swallow instinctively. Her grip tightened slowly, but she released it just before restraining Xiang Shi Yan. "Are you feeling uncomfortable?" Xiang Shi Yan’s mind fell into chaos, regaining some clarity only when she heard He He's voice. Her once crystalline voice carried a hint of hoarseness, as if it wasn’t Xiang Shi Yan being tormented by desire, but someone else, yet the face she saw was that of He He's usual calm smile. She pressed Xiang Shi Yan's shoulders down to let her lie flat. "Did you use any medicine before? Is it still available in the room? I'll go get it." The reply she received was a sudden vise-like grip on her wrist. He He’s brow twitched slightly, but she stood firm and extracted herself from Xiang Shi Yan's hold. In the young woman’s eyes lay a touch of contemplation. She hesitated slightly before saying, "You’re not in a clear state of mind right now, so I won’t stay long." With her head lowered, Xiang Shi Yan let out a couple of sneering laughs. "At this point, what’s with the pretense of being a gentleman..." Her hand suddenly tensed, becoming slightly deformed, sprouting pads between the shape of a beast’s claw and a human hand. Snow-white fur grew along her forearms, looking peculiar yet somewhat endearing due to its fluffiness. The white-furred claw revealed more distinct muscle lines than Xiang Shi Yan’s purely human form. Grasping He He's wrist as if she were holding a child, Xiang Shi Yan exerted such strength that she pulled the steadfast dragon onto the bed with enough force to tear the arm off a mere mortal. Currently living on Yu Cang Mountain, although her physical form could be varied at will, He He usually chose the form of a young girl. Her slender, fragile appearance was deceptively small, a reminder that she was a mythical beast of unfathomable cultivation. Half-transformed, Xiang Shi Yan flipped He He onto the bed, kneeling with her knee braced against He He's thigh, pinning her down with the weight of her whole body. A strand of white hair fell against He He’s cheek, making the fox demon's face, still beautiful, seem unfamiliar. "That day’s aphrodisiac, was it truly ingested accidentally?" After the momentary softness, Xiang Shi Yan's face turned tranquil again, the cold expression mismatched with her feverish body, as if governed by two different personas. Detecting the deeper meaning in her words, He He's evasive gaze finally settled on Xiang Shi Yan. The corners of her peach blossom eyes were tinged with red, hinting not at lust but at the suspicions and distrust nestled in Xiang Shi Yan’s heart, which had now eroded their trust to a degree lesser than a handful of sand. I should be the one crying, really. The young girl made no effort to explain, simply reached to gently wipe at the corner of Xiang Shi Yan’s eye, feeling the wetness left on her knuckles. "Do you know what you’re doing right now?" Her large, bright almond-shaped eyes danced around playfully. He He's lack of confidence was all too clear to Xiang Shi Yan. The dragon that once teased her with talk of dual cultivation, how had she become like this? Where had the coquettish girl who once shed her clothes in a bid to seduce her mentor gone? Ah, I see. Xiang Shi Yan looked at He He, pinned under her on the bed and still smiling breezily, realizing that in those innocent round eyes lay a concealed anxiety that made her laugh aloud. Right now, He He had no desire whatsoever to engage with her. It wasn’t that, after the deceit had been laid bare, she was unwilling to pretend or feign engagement; rather, she truly had feelings and thus didn’t want to go further under such circumstances. Xiang Shi Yan suddenly found it amusing. What did she ever do to deserve the favor of an elusive godly dragon? She wasn’t sure if she’d truly lost her mind. Looking at the girl’s bewildered guise, a strange sense of duty to kiss her overwhelmed her. How could this count as affection... it was merely mutual diversion, as He He herself had once declared. Xiang Shi Yan’s gaze turned heavy, and her hands slowly encircled He He’s neck. He He’s eyes held a mix of amusement and curiosity, uncertain of Xiang Shi Yan’s intentions. Unbothered, Xiang Shi Yan slowly applied pressure until she had that seemingly delicate neck in a firm grip, pressing her entire weight onto it with force. He He’s face took on a slight flush, yet she showed no further response. She coughed twice with difficulty, as if Xiang Shi Yan were playfully sulking with her, responding with helplessness, "Satisfied, Master?" "No." Xiang Shi Yan instinctively licked her cracked lips, tasting a tinge of metallic flavor. She knew why He He seemed hesitant. The day the black dragon emerged, all secrets lay bare between them. Still bound by the bloodstains entwining her form, the dragon's first words asked whether she had forged a soul bond with another. With Xiang Shi Yan’s consciousness under her surveillance, it seemed impossible for her to escape the illusion unnoticed and even set a trap for her. The only possibility He He could fathom was that Xiang Shi Yan allowed someone else into her seas of consciousness. If such a person existed, how powerful must their consciousness be to remain hidden from He He for so long... Was this the reason for Xiang Shi Yan’s constant evasiveness? Now it was He He who withdrew and resisted, as the dragon caught on to subtle vibrations within her mood—tinged with a peculiar bitterness, leaving an intriguing aftertaste. Even though the atmosphere had reached this point, He He’s eyes still harbored a trace of caution. So be it. Xiang Shi Yan’s breath unconsciously quickened, once again she heightened the force in her hands. He He's neck, delicate and pretty like that of a regular girl, was locked down by the half-monster Xiang Shi Yan, resembling a beast, giving her a sense of overwhelming control, momentarily assuaging her burning possessive anguish. The rush of satisfaction and fulfillment spun her head dizzy. Clearly, it was He He being strangled, yet Xiang Shi Yan felt breathless, her vision swaying into oblivion. The dragon lineage creature’s body was frigid, devoid of warmth, while the scorching heat and itchy burn beneath Xiang Shi Yan’s skin could only be slightly soothed by touching her. She could smell the scent filling the room, seemingly about to mark He He in return, binding her tightly. Surely she could smell it too, Xiang Shi Yan thought, rubbing at the painful gland on the back of her neck. Her blurred consciousness lifted with irrepressible primal longing laid bare. Impatiently, Xiang Shi Yan swiped her tail, leaving a red mark on He He, from which a faint crimson began to seep. Finally, He He grasped her wrist. She didn’t forcibly push away, instead seeming to plead with Xiang Shi Yan to comply with her wishes, or perhaps mocking the harmless nature of it all. Smiling, the young girl questioned, "Do you know what you're doing?" Perfectly aware. Focused intently on He He's face contorted by the grip on her throat, Xiang Shi Yan hoarsely replied, "Just wasting time." One hand gently tugged at He He’s robes. The dragon, apparently out of habit, wore the vermilion robes of the Elders’ disciples of Yu Cang Mountain. Xiang Shi Yan had once, step by step, taught that naive farm girl how to don such garb, and now she hurriedly stripped her out of those markings. Xiang Shi Yan’s hands were especially warm, but He He’s body remained icy cold. When touched, the young girl beneath her reacted as if scalded. Only after Xiang Shi Yan’s coarse brush against her skin did the impassive girl shudder slightly. He He finally frowned, as if realizing Xiang Shi Yan’s actions weren't merely intended to humiliate, but bore a resolve and bitterness to them. Despite treasuring and caring for her, Xiang Shi Yan now harbored intense hatred, leading her to initiate such an act... Unless it truly didn’t matter anymore. The girl’s face briefly reflected confusion as her resistance shifted from mere skirmish to something more formidable. Pinning down Xiang Shi Yan’s forearm rendered half of the woman’s body immobile. Her crimson-gold dragon eyes narrowed, and He He rasped out a command, “Stop—!” Xiang Shi Yan answered with a silent kiss. Just under two months ago, the two were entwined on the very same bed, inseparable. Back then, Xiang Shi Yan was drenched in cold sweat, perceiving the slender girl as fragile beyond measure, as if any touch might shatter her. Once, He He had held Xiang Shi Yan’s hand, kissing her mentor's fingertips and guiding her to gently caress herself with a seductive glimmer in her almond-shaped eyes. The frail and naive body He He presented had once instilled fear in Xiang Shi Yan, but now everything felt different. Realizing that the physique of the girl harbored the cunning and worldly soul of a dragon, Xiang Shi Yan, in her clouded state of mind, suddenly felt a sense of liberation, without a shred of guilt for her current acts of transgression and humiliation. After all, she was the one imprisoned here. He He intended to rise and push Xiang Shi Yan away. The ambiguous kiss and warm touch felt like needles pricking through her otherwise impervious body, piercing directly into her inward vulnerabilities. At this moment, all she longed for was to flee from this place. Instinctively reverting to her true form, the forked tongue unexpectedly tasted blood—there was a hint of an intriguing aroma mixed within, her own blood, she realized. In the thrashing resistance against consuming dragon blood, Xiang Shi Yan had bitten through her own tongue, flooding both their mouths with a metallic tang. As Xiang Shi Yan’s warmth began to thaw the hardened ice within, the previously icy dragon body started absorbing the heat. Yet, He He did not push her away. The searing heat of the jade fox's body was unbearable for He He, and the hand attempting to strangle her also remained firm. The suffocating sensation only thickened the oppressive darkness shrouding them. Shaking with exertion, Xiang Shi Yan's grip on He He’s neck loosened as her body began trembling after pushing past the threshold. He He, struggling for breath, finally managed to slightly open her mouth and inhale, feeling a sudden aggravation at the thoughts of her earlier actions. However, the sight of Xiang Shi Yan’s still unclear eyes and the exhaustion mingling with cold indifference on her face, when she glared back, dispelled that anger. He He was aware that whatever they had was long over, but still, when facing the undeniable truth, a pang of heartache inevitably seeped through. --- **Author's Note:** This dragon is really just not good at this. --- **Editorial Note:** Please, submission review, stop locking me out. I genuinely have no idea what's problematic. I've amended over twenty times and am about to lose it. There are no sensitive words or depictions of organs, and I’m really at a loss here—please, I beg of you. --- **Further Edits:** To avoid sensitive terms, I’ve inserted punctuation for word breaks, please pardon this QWQ. This chapter contains some deletions, back to the usual routine. The earlier author's note was too harsh and got locked... I'm fixing it, okay? I won't mention anything related to clan matters again, so please just let this through? --- Thanks to the little angels who voted or watered me with nutrient solutions between 2022-10-25 11:02:14 and 2022-10-27 20:59:57~ Thank you to the little angel donors: Crane Group Admin, Cat Thorn with 10 bottles each; I truly appreciate everyone's support, and I will continue to work hard! The site is free from pop-up ads, permanent domain (xbanxia.com)