Chapter 88

Back in the room, Ji Chun washed his face, clearing his muddled thoughts. He sat on the edge of the bed, reached out, and pulled Su Ran—who was standing by the bedside—into his embrace, holding him tightly around the waist. Burying his face in Su Ran's chest, he took a deep breath and softly said, "Once this is over, let's take the child and retreat from the martial world."

Su Ran's body tensed for a moment before he smiled gently and readily replied, "Alright."

Hearing this, Ji Chun lifted his head, gazing up at Su Ran's deep and captivating eyes with some uncertainty. His arms tightened around the person in his embrace, pulling him closer as he asked again, "Do you really mean it?"

"Mhm." Su Ran smiled at Ji Chun, his eyes bright and unwavering. Under the candlelight, his expression was soft and mesmerizing, his smile carrying confidence and certainty, with not a trace of deception. He knew that Ji Chun had found it hard to believe, so he reached out, brushing his fingers over Ji Chun's eyes, and said with a soft smile, "Once this is over, we'll go home."

His home was within the Demonic Cult—it was his foundation, something he would never abandon. Love and ambition—he was confident he could have both.

Ji Chun was overjoyed, rising to embrace Su Ran tightly, repeating, "Good, good…"

Then, both of them recalled everything they had seen earlier in the underground chamber of the Sha Yin Sect. A lingering unease settled over them. Ji Chun fought back the nausea rising in his chest and said, "To think the Sha Yin Sect is so cruel behind the scenes. It seems that Sect Leader is not as open and gentle as he appears. You should keep your distance from him."

"Mhm." Su Ran but, in truth, even more determined to get close to the Sect Leader and uncover the true nature of the Sha Yin Sect. But knowing Ji Chun's concerns, he simply nodded on the surface and replied, "Understood."

"The Sect Leader has gathered all the sects here, but for what purpose?" Ji Chun's frown deepened as he pondered. He wasn't particularly close to the other sects, but having personally witnessed the true nature of the Sha Yin Sect, his Buddhist principles and moral boundaries would not allow him to stand by and watch everyone perish here. However, this Di Mang…

"The Sect Leader must have ulterior motives! He hasn't made any moves yet, so we have nothing concrete to investigate. But today is already the second day—by tomorrow, someone is bound to lose patience and stir up trouble. No one is willing to waste their time in a minor sect like this. The key issue is whether the Di Mang truly exists here." Su Ran's expression turned serious as he analyzed the situation carefully.

"My Shifu once said that the existence of the Blood Dragon must be to guard something of great importance. If not the Di Mang, then it must be the so-called family treasure that the Sect Leader mentioned." Ji Chun speculated.

"Perhaps… it really is the Di Mang." Su Ran's voice lowered, laced with a barely concealed ambition and desire. He continued, "Today, it wasn't just you and me—many others also went up the mountain. At dinner, the number of people was clearly far fewer than yesterday. I suspect many were devoured by the Blood Dragon, yet no one mentioned it. In truth, everyone is well aware of what's happening—they're just waiting for the Sect Leader's response."

As he spoke, a sudden clap of thunder echoed outside. The sound of wind and rain intensified, rattling the doors and windows. The pattering rain outside was occasionally interrupted by the dull thud of objects being blown to the ground. A sudden flash of lightning illuminated the entire room for an instant before everything was plunged back into darkness. The candlelight flickered violently under the playful teasing of the wind, nearly extinguishing. Ji Chun quickly grabbed a lampshade to shield the candle, and within moments, the outside world had transformed into a stormy tempest.

Su Ran walked to the door and opened a small gap. The damp, cold wind and rain immediately swept in, wetting his face and hair. The sudden chill made him instinctively shrink his neck.

Squinting as he gazed into the storm, he took a deep breath. This erratic, unpredictable weather felt much like the current situation in the Sha Yin Sect—uncertain and impossible to predict. And with Ji Chun now in his life, an unfamiliar hesitation had begun to take root in his heart. Once fearless and undaunted, Su Ran now found himself with something to lose.

Ji Chun saw Su Ran standing at the doorway, exposed to the wind, and hurried over with a thick outer robe, draping it over his shoulders. In a gentle, slightly reproachful tone, he said, "What are you staring at? You'll catch a cold."

Su Ran turned slightly, staring at the tall, gentle monk behind him in a daze. When he finally snapped out of it, he lifted his chin slightly and ordered, "I'm cold. Hold me."

Ji Chun let out a helpless sigh but willingly stepped forward, wrapping his arms around the proud and willful sect leader from behind, enveloping him completely in his embrace, unwilling to let even the slightest chill touch him.

Suddenly, Su Ran turned his face and placed a light kiss at the corner of Ji Chun's lips, then murmured, "Good boy~"

Ji Chun was just about to say something when a man's furious roar erupted from outside the courtyard.

"Get out!"

The voice was filled with overwhelming rage—yet at the same time, it was fragile, like a desperate outburst from someone on the brink of collapse.

The two, who had just been enjoying a moment of intimacy, exchanged a glance. They instantly recognized the voice as Ouyang Yixun's, and a shock coursed through them. Without a word, they attuned their senses to the commotion outside, straining to listen.

Moments later, another voice followed—it was the Sect Leader's.

"Xun'er! Xun'er!"

This was the first time they had ever heard the Sha Yin Sect Leader sound so panicked. Their suspicion deepened. Taking a nearby umbrella, they silently stepped out of the courtyard and approached the gate to listen in.

"You… don't you like that Demonic Sect Leader?" Ouyang Yixun's weak voice was laced with deep bitterness, so much so that just hearing it made one's heart ache. "He can help you achieve your great ambitions, so why are you here looking for me?"

"Shut up! Don't you dare die, do you hear me?!" The Sect Leader growled, as if struggling to suppress the panic and fury in his heart.

"Shang Luo… you're all I have left…" Ouyang Yixun's voice was hoarse, carrying a choked sob. He let out a few ragged coughs, his body wracked with pain, before he vomited violently.

"Don't cry…" The Sect Leader's final words were a soft sigh. After that, the sound of his footsteps gradually faded into the storm, vanishing into the wind and rain.

Only then did Ji Chun and Su Ran return inside. They removed their damp outer robes and used clean cloths to wipe the rainwater from their hair and faces. After extinguishing the lamp, they lay back in bed. The night air in the blankets was slightly cold, and Su Ran instinctively curled his entire body into Ji Chun's embrace. Outside, the rain had yet to cease…

"They're just like us," Ji Chun murmured.

"Mhm." Su Ran hummed in response before adding, "Ouyang Yixun must have known that Sect Leader Shang Luo from before. Back when the Ouyang family was massacred, Shang Luo was nowhere to be seen. And during the days Ouyang Yixun was imprisoned by the Tiangang Sect, no one ever came to rescue him."

"But… after Jizhou City, Ouyang Yixun traveled with the Liangyi Sect and other sects. How could he have met the Sect Leader under their watchful eyes—and fallen in love with him so deeply?" Ji Chun frowned in thought, voicing the doubt that weighed on his mind.

"Yes, it doesn't make sense," Su Ran couldn't figure it out either, so he simply changed the topic. "Yesterday, we couldn't figure out how the Sect Leader knew my identity. It must have been Ouyang Yixun who told him."

"How would Ouyang Yixun know who you are?" Ji Chun asked, puzzled.

"Have you forgotten? You were extremely hostile toward me in the beginning. Besides, Ouyang Yixun isn't a fool. He already knew I wasn't Shangguan Li and that my real surname was Su. At the time, I hadn't shaved my beard yet, and my appearance matched about eighty percent of the rumors circulating in the martial world." Su Ran curled his lips into a slight smirk, his tone laced with cool detachment. "Dashi, you used to be far too righteous to associate with a 'demonic heathen' like myself."

Ji Chun recalled those past events, and a faint smile played on his lips. He tightened his arms around Su Ran and gently licked the delicate curve of his ear, whispering with a chuckle, "Back then, didn't you also think about killing this poor monk a thousand times over?"

"Hmph! That's because you were being an insolent bald donkey! Who else in this world would dare treat me, Su Ran, this way, hmm?" Su Ran turned to face Ji Chun, his gaze filled with an untamed arrogance and a domineering air that seemed to look down on the entire world.

Ji Chun let out a low, husky laugh. In their current intimate proximity, the deep, slightly raspy sound was intoxicating—like the strongest aphrodisiac. The seductive magnetism of it made Su Ran lean in and bite Ji Chun's chin.

"That day at Longyuan Inn, when I saw your true face, I developed worldly desires," Ji Chun murmured, closing his eyes as he kissed Su Ran's lips with reverent tenderness. His voice softened as he added, "You are the most beautiful man I have ever seen."

"Oh? More beautiful than Mu Miefeng?" In the darkness, Su Ran curved his lips into a playful smirk, but his tone was stubborn and insistent.

"He is not as beautiful as you." Ji Chun chuckled and answered truthfully.

"What about Xue Yao?" Su Ran pressed further.

"He is not as beautiful as you." Ji Chun replied.

"And Shang Luo?"

"You are still the most beautiful."

"Ouyang Yixhen?"

Ji Chun responded by flipping the mischievous sect leader beneath him, kissing him fiercely, devouring his lips with fervor. When the kiss finally ended, he leaned down, his lips brushing against Su Ran's ear as he whispered, "In this world, there is only you—my one and only love."

"Ha ha ha…" Su Ran laughed smugly, wrapping his arms around the monk's neck. "Was that your first time leaving the mountain?"

"Yes, it was my first time," Ji Chun replied. "Since I can remember, I've always been at Shaolin. The temple had monks responsible for food, clothing, and daily needs, so I never had a chance to leave."

"When this is all over, I'll go with you to visit that old monk!" Su Ran said cheerfully.

"Su Ran," Ji Chun sighed helplessly, "that's my Shifu."

"Fine, fine, we'll go visit your Shifu," Su Ran corrected himself with playful compliance.

"Mm. Once this is over, we'll return to Shaolin together to see him." No matter what, Ji Chun had to give his master an explanation. His master wasn't just his teacher but also his family. Now that he had a partner and a child, it was only right to introduce them to the elder.

"The little monk who had just come down from the mountain was immediately snatched away by the most infamous demon in the martial world, huh?" Su Ran teased with a wicked grin.

Ji Chun adored the way Su Ran smiled—his heart was filled with indulgent fondness. He chuckled and replied, "And that monk married the Demonic Sect Leader and had a child together."

The moment Su Ran heard that, he was unwilling to accept defeat. In an instant, he flipped Ji Chun over, pinning him beneath him. He looked down at the smiling monk and demanded, "Who married whom?"

"Ji Chun married Su Ran," Ji Chun answered without hesitation, pulling Su Ran against his chest.

Wrapped in each other's arms, the two surrendered to their desires, losing themselves in shameless passion as the storm raged on outside.