116 - Confession (Ying Cheng)

Chapter 116: The Phoenix Meanwhile, at another location, Yan Jue had also fallen into a valley. She sat amidst the flowers, silently reciting calming incantations. Her inner energy core circulated wildly in her qi sea as her true energy slowly returned. Her body transformed from a small fox back to her human form. Yan Jue looked around, bewildered. It was clearly the bitter cold of winter, yet here the grass was lush and green, and the air felt warm like spring. Suddenly, Yan Jue noticed something, her pupils constricting sharply. On the opposite side of the flower field, Qi Xianqing was staring at her from a distance. An ethereal, light song echoed through the valley. The song was like tiny hooks dragging past her ears, transforming the surroundings into an almost ethereal paradise. Next to Yan Jue, a girl who looked exactly like her was whispering incessantly in her ear. “Look, she’s watching you over there. Can you see it? She’s thinking of how to kill you.” The inner demon covered its mouth, chuckling softly, “Even though you’ve both confessed your feelings, she’s still suspicious of you.” Yan Jue matched Qi Xianqing's gaze; when Qi Xianqing looked over from afar, her eyes were colder than ever before. It was a common expression for Qi Xianqing, one that Yan Jue hadn’t experienced in quite a while. Gazing into those obsidian eyes, Yan Jue suddenly felt a chill down her spine. "She wants to kill you." “Have you forgotten, Lord Mengheng despises demons the most? You’re a demon; nothing you do will ease her doubts.” --- Qi Xianqing looked up, gazing at the person among the flowers. A voice incessantly echoed in her mind. Kill her…kill her... The inner demon at her side had a frosty demeanor but wore a faint smile at the corners of its lips. Qi Xianqing’s fingers tightened around the sword in her hand, vigilantly eyeing the person in front of her. Her feet stepped lightly over the sea of flowers, moving towards Yan Jue one step at a time. Seeing Qi Xianqing's expression and the celestial sword Zhu Ying in her hand, Yan Jue truly felt fear. Perhaps it was because since she first fell into this fictional world, she had been living in fear. Even though so much time had passed and they had expressed their feelings for each other, this deep-seated fear still lingered within her. This was her inner demon. Especially when Qi Xianqing stood before her, with unknown intentions. Yan Jue couldn’t tell if she existed as a real person or only as an illusion in Qi Xianqing’s vision. Dying within an illusion probably wouldn’t hurt too much. …… Qi Xianqing knew it was nothing more than a trick of the inner demon. Caught in an illusion, one is inevitably bombarded with visions. As soon as she killed Yan Jue, she would have killed the apparition in the illusion, thus breaking free. In the blink of an eye, Qi Xianqing was standing before Yan Jue. An icy gleam flickered in Qi Xianqing's eyes as she slowly unsheathed the celestial sword Zhu Ying, saying indifferently, “Must the person before me die?” Although it was Yan Jue standing in the illusion, it felt incredibly real, especially those clear amber eyes that seemed to brim with grievance and fear as they looked at her. “Yes,” the inner demon stated calmly, “If you don’t kill her, you’ll never overcome your own inner demon.” “Lord Mengheng, you weren’t like this before. Indecisiveness leads to failure,” the inner demon urged. “Quick, kill her!” Suddenly, the glint of a sword flickered—a streak of indigo cutting through the sky, followed instantly by a spray of blood. Yan Jue closed her eyes instinctually, but the pain she expected did not come. The inner demon beside Qi Xianqing gaped in disbelief, “You...” The inner demon looked exactly like Qi Xianqing. And at this moment, the Qi Xianqing figure beside her split in two, a scene so bizarre and fragmented only someone like Qi Xianqing could kill herself without expression. Yan Jue's pupils tightened slightly. Qi Xianqing didn’t kill her but chose to destroy herself instead. “It’s simple enough,” Qi Xianqing sheathed her sword slowly, turning back indifferently, “You are my inner demon. To escape, I must kill you.” In an instant, everything around them began to dissolve into smoke. The singing abruptly stopped, and the miniature inner demon by Yan Jue's side gradually vanished into the air along with Qi Xianqing's inner demon. The surrounding mists dissipated, revealing the actual landscape of the valley. The area remained an eternal spring, lush and green, but it had lost some of its dreaminess. "Thud—" Yan Jue's legs gave way, and she kneeled on the ground, her heart pounding like a drum. This was truly a high-level illusion; everything within it was both real and false. Had Qi Xianqing swung her sword at her, she might already be dead. Suddenly, a gentle touch graced her chin. Yan Jue's eyes became fixed. Qi Xianqing had been attentively watching Yan Jue's state. Seeing the girl collapse, her face darkened. Qi Xianqing knelt down, lifting her hand to grip Yan Jue's chin and forcing her to lift her head to meet her clear eyes. "Junior sister," Qi Xianqing had mulled over many words in her mind, but ultimately only voiced a single phrase after a long silence, “Do not fear me.” A long pause fell between them. Yan Jue lowered her eyes, whispering, “I’m sorry.” Even now, she still felt fear towards Qi Xianqing. Though they had agreed to be temporary Dao companions, her fear of Qi Xianqing clearly showed a lack of trust. In the tranquil valley, Yan Jue remained kneeling on the ground, showing some disappointment. Watching her, Qi Xianqing’s heart softened, and she reached down, gently grasping the girl’s cold hand. “It doesn’t matter.” Qi Xianqing smiled softly, her voice tender as if coaxing her, “I just want my junior sister to know, no matter what, never fear me.” She paused for a moment, “Before I decide to do anything, I will always tell you.” Qi Xianqing’s voice was gentle, slow, and earnest, providing an unspoken sense of safety. Only then did Yan Jue slowly lift her eyes, meeting hers. It was hard to imagine that those eyes, which often appeared covered in frost and snow, could now hold such gentleness when looking at her. Suddenly, Yan Jue's nose tingled, her eyes misted slightly, and an unprecedented rush of emotion and impulse surged in her heart. Qi Xianqing noticed, slightly stunned, "A-Jue, are you…crying?" "What’s wrong?" Yan Jue closed her eyes, supporting herself against the ground, and crawled over to her. Qi Xianqing frowned slightly yet stayed put. Under the sunlight, Yan Jue's fair face was lightly flushed. She slithered close like a little cat, pulling Qi Xianqing's collar sharply, who, unsuspecting, got tugged forward slightly. Startled, Qi Xianqing lifted her eyes just as Yan Jue leaned in for a kiss. The motion was rough, far from the usual gentle manner in which she kissed her. It was incredulous to think this ordinarily docile creature could be so aggressive. Qi Xianqing was left to tilt her head back, yielding to her actions. Her hand slowly snaked up Yan Jue's arm, circled her neck, and gently caressed her nape—a wordless act of indulgence and reassurance. --- To Yan Jue, Qi Xianqing’s yang energy was an eternal delight. The immense yang energy contained within even just the saliva, despite experiencing it time and again, made Yan Jue's spirit reel, infecting her entire being with a heady sense of contentment. As she pressed against Qi Xianqing's shoulder, a soft "Mmm—" inadvertently escaped her throat. The sound was sweet and tender, seemingly piercing the one before her. Qi Xianqing felt her eyelid twitch. She'd never been involved in matters of love, yet Yan Jue pressed against her, kneading her waist with a force that seemed as if she wanted to blend into her being, rely completely upon her—igniting a fire in her heart. She’d never seen Yan Jue so reckless before. This was hard to pinpoint as Yan Jue’s umpteenth time drawing yang from her. And yet this time, the amount of yang Yan Jue collected was even greater, as if probing something. Qi Xianqing's breaths came unevenly and merely held her in silence. When they finally parted, Yan Jue closed her eyes, leaning against Qi Xianqing's embrace, her fingers clinging to her collar. Cautiously, Yan Jue whispered, “Do you really not find me annoying?” Qi Xianqing lowered her gaze, speaking with a slight hoarseness, “Why would I find you annoying?” Warily, Yan Jue responded, “I keep absorbing your yang energy.” Qi Xianqing’s fingertips gently caressed Yan Jue's face before she averted her gaze, “Do you want to hear the truth?” Yan Jue blinked, momentarily taken aback. Qi Xianqing continued, “I wish you’d take even more.” Qi Xianqing’s words, light yet firm, were like a gentle hand softly grasping Yan Jue’s heart, filling her with an aching sweetness. Perhaps it was because she held an absolute advantage when drawing Qi Xianqing’s yang energy, which provided her with a profound sense of security. “I’m sorry,” Yan Jue repeated. Qi Xianqing softly patted her back, using her other hand to tidy her disheveled collar. Yan Jue’s skin was as pale as snow, a blush spreading from her cheeks like red lotus blooming amid snow. Yan Jue relaxed her eyes, unconsciously rubbing against Qi Xianqing’s palm with her cheek. Qi Xianqing’s voice dropped to a murmur, “Aren’t you embarrassed…rubbing like that?” Reluctantly, Yan Jue opened her eyes, retorting, “Am I not allowed to?” Qi Xianqing’s gaze darkened slightly, turning away. She worried that if this continued, she might lose control of herself. After snuggling for a while, Yan Jue reluctantly sat up, shaking her head and running her fingers through her messy hair. Despite the romanticized depiction in novels, the essence of a fox demon's extraction is still rather brutal. Just moments ago, Yan Jue acted entirely on instinct, leaving her hair in disarray. It’s impossible to say that extracting yang qi from Qi Xianqing had no effect on her either. With her life energy drained, Qi Xianqing’s mind felt clouded. She silently recited calming incantations a few times before reaching over and gently removing the hairband from Yan Jue’s head. Although the hairstyles in this ancient-style world were somewhat intricate, Yan Jue preferred the simplicity of a hairband. The dark teal ribbon intertwined with her jet-black hair looked clean and refreshing. Kneeling behind Yan Jue, Qi Xianqing patiently gathered her long hair and tied it back up, securing it with the band. Yan Jue exhaled deeply a few times, then finally gathered herself to stand and surveyed her surroundings. "Where are we?" Qi Xianqing stood beside her, reaching out to hold her hand. “This is a secret realm.” Even though it was over, she remained worried that Yan Jue might be unsteady on her feet and gently supported her. The place was peculiar: despite the winter season, it was warm as if spring. Yan Jue also suspected it was some sort of secret realm. Secret realms in this world were rare. Currently, the only known ones were the Wanxiang Secret Realm, the Descent Secret Realm, and the Wu Wang Secret Realm. What could this secret realm be called? Qi Xianqing rested her chin on her hand, contemplating, "It's said that the Phoenix Egg is hidden in the valley at the base of Luantai Mountain. I didn’t expect it to be within a secret realm like this." Qi Xianqing took a few steps forward, suddenly pausing. Her spiritual sensitivity, always keen, had largely recovered after resting for a while. Her gaze quickly shifted and caught sight of a pair of golden eyes watching them from a nearby rock face. Qi Xianqing was momentarily taken aback. There was a magnificently beautiful golden bird. Its feathers looked like intertwined scales, gleaming brilliantly, exuding an innate nobility by merely standing there. Yet, in this moment, the golden pupils radiated a faint dark aura, a turbulent frenzy surging within. Phoenix. The word flashed in both their minds simultaneously. What stunned them most wasn’t the presence of a Phoenix in this valley, but what was wrapped around it. The enormous divine creature was bound in chains, each inscribed with intricate runes. With every movement the Phoenix made, tiny lights emanated from the runes. Dark mist continuously flowed from the Phoenix's visage. This is the appearance of being devoured by an inner demon!