Chapter 109

Song Qing, pen never leaving hand, spent three full hours consolidating the information, only to realize dawn was breaking.

Wu Huan thoughtfully handed him a cup of spirit tea.

Taking the tea, Song Qing pondered whether to discuss Yuwen Yu's protagonist-like aura, though he felt it didn't concern him. He found Yuwen Yu intriguing; the young man didn't seem like someone who needed saving. Tall, handsome, gifted, hailing from a happy family, and incredibly naive—so much so that he was easily led astray by Song Jincheng's persuasions. He couldn't figure out how such a person could end in tragedy...

Having been mentally drained from his ordeal within Mo Yuan's magical formation, Song Qing couldn't fully recover even after a night's sleep. Having pulled an all-nighter, he now felt quite fatigued.

Yue Wu Huan watched with concern and urged him to take a break. He then pulled various kinds of snacks from his pouch and stuffed them into Song Qing's mouth.

As Song Qing relished the sweet treats, he belatedly realized that his man, in his true form, was not only taller but also even more breathtakingly beautiful. From his waist to his legs, everything about him was simply marvelous...

When Yue Wu Huan helped him regain his memories, fearing that he might still have reservations, he mentioned that they had once shared happy times. Within Mo Yuan's formation, where they became Dao companions, Song Qing was nearly overwhelmed by the events that followed. According to Yue Wu Huan, even in their past life while attached to Mo Yuan, they both had enjoyed themselves quite a bit, likely a setting Mo Yuan had made for their future selves to avoid jealousy.

Thus, as a seasoned couple, there was no need for shyness anymore.

Song Qing quickly got up from the table and rolled over to Yue Wu Huan.

Reading his intentions, Yue Wu Huan chuckled and leaned back on the couch, adopting a posture that invited further intimacy. With a flick of his phoenix-like eyes—full of affection and sparkling like gentle waves—his long eyelashes fanned out as if to tease Song Qing's heart into fluttering. "Come here," he said softly.

Enchanted by his captivating man, Song Qing threw caution to the wind despite their difference in cultivation levels. He climbed onto the couch, straddled Yue Wu Huan's waist, and boldly touched that beautiful face. Leaning down, he tasted the soft sweetness of Yue Wu Huan's lips. Utterly satisfied, he proceeded to explore deeper. With Yue Wu Huan tender and compliant in his arms, emitting soft moans of pleasure, he felt encouraged to continue the passionate kiss...

Until red vines stealthily filled the entire room, creeping under his robes and entwining his limbs and waist.

Song Qing realized something was wrong when he found he couldn't move.

He felt that things weren't going quite the same way as they had in Mo Yuan's formation. Yue Wu Huan had not explained how this world functioned. Considering their past life's cultivation levels, he questioned if things might get extreme. Seeing Yue Wu Huan's increasingly greedy eyes and menacing aura, he felt like a rabbit lured into a trap, ready to be cooked in every way imaginable. Shouldn't he have clarified his memories first?

A man should never admit defeat in bed.

He would never beg for mercy.

Struggling a bit, Song Qing declared with resolution, "Wu Huan, I love you."

Yue Wu Huan preferred to secure his prey first before indulging. He leisurely adjusted his disheveled clothing, finding Song Qing's indecisive expression amusing. Pulling Song Qing close, he whispered various tantalizing suggestions into his ear, adding, "These are things you used to enjoy."

Song Qing looked confused. "I enjoyed them?"

He was open-minded and not embarrassed by his partner's preferences. He was also willing to try new things. However, Yue Wu Huan's proposed methods seemed a bit too adventurous, making him fear he might not be able to get out of bed afterward.

"I have proof," said Yue Wu Huan, who had once organized Song Qing's belongings. He had discovered various explicit novels sent by Ye Lin Xian Jun and Song Qing's own journal of bedroom escapades. Intrigued but not wanting others to see them, he had kept them, finding them too entertaining to destroy. Now, he produced the journal as evidence. "See? These are things you wanted to try, asking me to cooperate."

The Blood King Vine released its grip on Song Qing.

Song Qing took the journal, confirmed it was his handwriting, and after a moment of thought, decided, "Then let's do it."

Yue Wuhuan couldn't help but tease him further, "Aren't you afraid you'll get it wrong? That you won't be able to handle it?"

"There's no mistake. If it's written in my notes, it means I think it's acceptable, something I'm willing to take on," Song Qingshi analyzed seriously. "These matters are like experiments; there are no results without trying. How would I know if I can handle it, if I like it or not? Anyway...no matter how hard, I have to try at least once. If it's unbearable, then there won't be a next time."

Yue Wuhuan tightened his grip on the vine once more, "Aren't you afraid of such fetishes?"

Song Qingshi spoke candidly, "Everyone has their own fetishes. You like me, you won't harm me."

Yue Wuhuan hesitated, "Don't you find me...odd?"

"Not odd at all," Song Qingshi said, worried that Yue Wuhuan might misinterpret. He decided to give him an in-depth lesson on human sexuality and psychology, to make him understand that people have all sorts of peculiar fetishes—like objectophilia, audiophilia, etc.—and as long as they're legal and don't harm society or others, they're completely fine.

It was just a vine, wrapped so gently it didn't hurt. He saw no problem with it.

Song Qingshi earnestly provided Yue Wuhuan with lessons in biology and social psychology.

Yue Wuhuan listened in a daze, once again realizing the diversity of human psychology. His own little proclivity was really not much in comparison. He also noticed that Song Qingshi was extremely open to new things and enjoyed the interesting aspects of life. As long as everything was communicated and prepared in advance, he was quite accommodating. There was nothing to fear.

This was truly exhilarating...

Tonight was filled with good news. Not only did they become spiritual partners, but they also resolved inner conflicts. And his partner even took the initiative to take things to the next level. He wanted to let loose and celebrate, but his avian avatar had detected something troublesome, preventing him from continuing...

Yue Wuhuan suppressed his desire, unfastened Song Qingshi from the vine, and adjusted his inner garments and ceremonial robes. Then he pointed towards the window, "Be careful."

Song Qingshi was taken aback for a moment, then looked up to find a pair of blood-red eyes glaring at him through the window crack. Despite the horrifying atmosphere, he quickly realized what it was and was no longer afraid.

He excitedly ran over, pushed open the window, and saw a massive, grotesque demon. It stood over two meters tall, its skin a tough black exoskeleton. It had four eyes, its mouth drooling corrosive poison, and it sported horns and beetle-like wings. It was an incredibly fantastical and intriguing new species he'd never seen before!

The demon and he stared at each other, eyeing each other's forms and flesh.

Song Qingshi became excited, "Wuhuan! I love this demon!"

"Well, there's a demon tide outside. I knew you'd want to study a few living specimens, so I lured this one here," Yue Wuhuan explained, having already entangled the demon outside the window with countless vines, rendering it immobilized. It was still snarling and thrashing its mantis-like arms. "This one seems pretty lively. What do you think?"

Song Qingshi eagerly nodded, "Perfect!"

Yue Wuhuan created a simple cage out of vines and placed the demon inside, gifting it to him for his research.

Song Qingshi suddenly recalled the new term, "What is a demon tide?"

Yue Wuhuan explained, "Occasionally, hundreds or even thousands of these demons gather and attack human towns or sects. We call it a demon tide. It's unknown where they come from or when they'll strike. Wherever they go, nothing grows; the attacked towns are wiped out before they can even call for help. Although demon tides are rare, the devastation they cause is substantial. All we can do is exterminate these pests afterward."

Song Qingshi followed Yue Wuhuan's gaze skyward and was astonished to see thousands of Demons of Filth blotting out the sky, swarming like a locust plague, drawn by the scent of flesh and blood. He had encountered a few of these creatures at an inn before and found them rather manageable, but when they assembled en masse, they constituted a calamity.

He felt a momentary pang of concern, but a glance at Yue Wuhuan beside him steadied his nerves.

With the peak villain of the cultivation world, the Indomitable One, by his side, even death would not come easily.

Song Qingshi instructed, "Capture several alive if possible."

"There are quite a lot of them; I'm concerned they might spread to nearby towns," Yue Wuhuan said, smiling. "I've already alerted my subordinates and allied sects in the vicinity to assist. There shouldn't be a major crisis."

Countless Nirvana Crimson Butterflies ascended leisurely, targeting the filthy demons in the sky.

Bright flames surged around him, tendrils of giant blood-red vines extending in all directions, strangling any demon they encountered. Many junior disciples from the Heavenly Martial Sect scrambled over in a panic, seeking protection. Many were injured. Song Qingshi set up a makeshift field hospital with those disciples who were less injured and of lower cultivation level to tend to the wounded.

　...

The sect leader of the Heavenly Martial Sect, Yuwen Yan, was an early riser who started his day with a cup of Bian tea followed by sword practice.

Catching sight of the demons that filled the sky, he turned pale. Such a scale of demon tide could only be weathered by a few major sects; for the Heavenly Martial Sect, it spelled annihilation. They had just found disciples with remarkable talents, a glimmer of hope for the sect's resurgence. Was all of this to be extinguished so soon?

Yuwen Yu, along with several promising disciples, must be sent away at all costs!

Panicked, Yuwen Yan's mind raced through myriad thoughts in a flash. Once the carousel of ideas stopped, he turned to find the handsome child who called himself "Song Xiaobai" rummaging through nearby bushes. A strange feeling overtook him, and without a second thought, he grabbed the heedless brat, urging, "Stop messing around, follow me. Later, escape with Yuwen Yu."

Four or five Demons of Filth landed in front of him, their black claws gleaming menacingly, their mandibles stained with remnants of flesh and blood.

Yuwen Yan drew his sword, shielding the child behind him.

A dignified sword cultivator he was, he would die with honor if he must, but he could not allow such a young child to perish in this demon tide!

Haolong looked up at the human adult. Ever since he came to the Heavenly Martial Sect, he had been largely ignored. His mother had relegated him to gatekeeping without food. Starving, he had snuck in, hoping to catch a spiritual mouse in the bushes to eat. He had just found one when the demon tide interrupted him.

The spiritual mouse had escaped, and he was terribly upset...

He planned to find his father to complain about his mother's mistreatment—always making him eat vegetables and forbidding raw meat and mice.

The screeching of demon wings in the sky was quite jarring. Fearing his mother would scold him for failing in his gatekeeping duties and letting the vermin in, Haolong quickly revealed his true form. Ignoring his distaste, he swallowed all the Demons of Filth before him to eliminate any evidence and avoid a scolding.

A colossal white snake, its body filling the entire courtyard, slithered toward the swarming Demons of Filth.

Yuwen Yan paused for a moment, finally recalling who the guest at Heavenly Martial Sect was.

Sheathing his sword, he turned and calmly sipped the last of his Bian tea, reassessing his strategy with a cool head.

Ah, the Heavenly Martial Sect wouldn't be annihilated...