That night, the palace halls of Violetstage Peak glowed with brilliant light. Inside, the crowd was deep in their cups, their faces flushed with warmth. Shadows swayed across the hall, and the lively atmosphere was unparalleled.
A shixiong, his face tinged with excitement, spoke exuberantly. "When I emptied my qiankun pouch, the Cloudwater Hall steward was completely stunned. My pouch was filled with only the highest-grade spiritual herbs and medicinal ingredients."
"Isn’t that the truth? The steward who registered mine had the same reaction. I had so many spiritual herbs that they nearly overflowed from the table. His wrist was sore from writing before he even finished logging them. Tsk tsk…the way people looked at me was priceless."
"You all know I’ve admired that shimei from Surfoot Peak for a long time. Too many people are after her, and our peak has been overshadowed in every trial and tournament. How could I ever have the qualifications to get to know her? But today, she actually praised me for being impressive, saying I was capable of hunting so many yao cores."
"All thanks to Xiao-Shidi, of course."
The Xiao-Shidi they spoke of lay sprawled on a brocade couch. He rested his cheek against one arm, his half-lidded eyes hazy with intoxication. Empty wine jars were scattered haphazardly across the floor, and the unfinished liquor had spilled, dampening the edge of his robes.
Li Lanxiu remained oblivious. His other hand dangled toward the ground, fingers loosely curled around a white porcelain wine cup, his entire posture steeped in drunken languor.
"Xiao-Shidi?"
A shixiong walked closer and called him a few times. Too drunk to respond, Li Lanxiu mumbled something indistinctly before slipping into sleep with his eyes shut.
The others exchanged glances before quietly stepping out of the hall.
The disciples of Violetstage Peak had taken first place in the trial. They had gathered the most medicinal herbs and hunted the greatest number of yao cores among the twelve peaks. Usually suppressed by the other peaks, today, they finally held their heads high and stole the spotlight.
All of this was thanks to Xiao-Shidi. Someone couldn't help but ask, "Have you all noticed how much Xiao-Shidi has changed?"
"He's grown up. He was too young to understand things before. Now, he finally seems like our shizun’s son."
"No, no, that’s not it..."
One disciple explained, "I used to be afraid of Xiao-Shidi because he was unreasonable. If you provoked him, you'd get beaten. But now, even though he doesn’t hit people anymore, I’m even more afraid of him than before."
"Hmm… Is it because you’re scared of making him unhappy, of upsetting him? Kind of like how we act around Shizun?" A shixiong pondered aloud.
"Exactly. I’m not even that afraid of Shizun, but when I’m around Xiao-Shidi, I just don’t want to make him unhappy."
They all looked at one another. They shared the same sentiment. Before Li Yanbi, they felt the reverence of all disciples toward their shizun. But before Li Lanxiu, it was something different—an instinctive desire to appease him, to avoid angering him, and even to find ways to make him happy.
It was truly strange.
At that moment, inside the hall, Miaosu carefully pulled the wine cup from Li Lanxiu’s fingers. She picked up the scattered wine jars and arranged them neatly.
Carrying the tray, she stepped toward the door. The moment she crossed the threshold, she suddenly froze.
A man in white stood at the entrance, his silver hair tied up, gleaming like frost beneath the moonlight.
Miaosu gave him a once-over before asking, "Is Xianzhang here to see my Young Master?"
Bai Ying gave a slight nod and strode toward the hall.
Noting his noble bearing, Miaosu smiled and asked, "Is Xianzhang a friend of my Young Master?"
"Something like that," Bai Ying replied curtly.
Miaosu pushed open the hall doors, her smile unfaltering. "Young Master has yet to sober up. Why not wait inside until he wakes?"
Bai Ying glanced at the sharp-witted maid and asked, his tone tinged with amusement, "Why don't you wake him?"
By the sect’s customs, Li Lanxiu ought to have come out to greet him.
He had no need for such formalities—he found them tedious—but being made to wait was a bit too discourteous.
Miaosu’s smile faded slightly. "Young Master just fell asleep. If I wake him now, he’ll be unhappy."
Bai Ying nodded and walked inside with an unhurried pace.
Candlelight flickered in the hall. Li Lanxiu lay sprawled on the couch, his posture utterly relaxed.
His cheek rested on his arm, and his long, ink-black hair tumbled loosely over his neck. He seemed to be sleeping off the heat of intoxication, a fine sheen of sweat dampening his nape. A few strands of hair clung to his pale, delicate skin, carrying a subtle sense of warmth and humidity, a secretive, close heat.
Bai Ying leaned down, pressing close to the hollow of Li Lanxiu’s neck. He took a deep breath, inhaling a scent he had not encountered in a long time—the crisp sweetness that lingered on his tongue, mingling with the sharp bite of liquor, fusing with the warm breath Li Lanxiu exhaled.
The complex scent was enticing, making it hard to resist the urge to lick him.
Their hunger surged stronger than ever. Pressing their nose against Li Lanxiu’s smooth, snow-white skin, they slid downward, the scent intensifying.
They closed their eyes and let out a sharp breath. Their lips parted, revealing sharp fangs—they nearly couldn’t stop themself from biting down.
They had to pull away. Steadying their breathing, their long fingers swiftly rotated in a circle. A wisp of black mist appeared at their fingertips.
This was an illusion-weaving mist, meant to wake Li Lanxiu from his nightmares.
They pressed the mist against Li Lanxiu’s forehead. Just as they were about to send it in, they hesitated.
Li Lanxiu shifted uncomfortably in his sleep. His cheek pressed into his arm, the angle numbing it. Still drowsy and drunk, he pulled his arm free. Without its support, his head tilted forward, about to fall onto the couch—
On impulse, they withdrew the black mist and caught Li Lanxiu’s face with their hand, cradling it like a pillow.
“……”
Their expression remained impassive, lips pressing into a thin line. They didn’t quite understand their own actions. So what if Li Lanxiu’s head hit the couch without anything to rest on?
That would wake him up, sparing them the trouble of dissolving his nightmare.
Why go out of their way?
Li Lanxiu lay against their palm, his face serene. The weight of the mask made his jawline appear even slimmer, his complexion strikingly pale. His chin wasn’t sharp but had a refined, elegant curve, perfectly balanced in shape.
They stared for a moment before reaching out to place their palm against Li Lanxiu’s jaw. It fit just right.
They retrieved a pristine white handkerchief. Holding it in their fingers, they hesitated briefly before finally pressing it to Li Lanxiu’s nape, carefully wiping away the sheen of sweat, moving with slow, deliberate strokes.
This was usually the servants’ task, but Bai Ying handled it with ease. They paid particular attention to the faint red scar beneath his jaw, wiping over it again and again.
Still, it wasn’t enough. Their fingertips pressed directly against the skin under his jaw, gently stroking the scar there as if they had just discovered this secret of Li Lanxiu’s for the first time.
The touch made Li Lanxiu uncomfortable. His brows furrowed, and he rubbed his cheek against Bai Ying’s palm in an attempt to escape. The movement pushed his mask downward, revealing his snow-white, unblemished profile.
Bai Ying forcibly suppressed the urge to yank their hand away. The drunken Li Lanxiu in their grasp was strikingly beautiful—his cheeks tinged with a faint red, his lips delicately shaped with soft, elegant curves, carrying an alluring sheen.
They stared at his lips for a moment before shifting their gaze. But the sensation in their palm was inescapable. His skin was smooth and fine, like a piece of warm jade resting against their hand.
They wanted to toy with it a little longer.
Bai Ying traced the corner of Li Lanxiu’s lips with a light touch. The damp warmth made their mouth dry, and an inexplicable impulse—one even stronger than hunger—began to rise.
As a dragon, Bai Ying’s senses were sharper than a human’s, and their desires burned far hotter.
Their gaze fell on Li Lanxiu’s lips again. Their throat shifted subtly, and their tongue flicked across their dry lips. Heat surged within them, restless and unfamiliar, leaving them vaguely irritable. They gently laid Li Lanxiu’s face back onto the brocade couch and stepped back, putting some distance between them.
The bed wasn’t particularly spacious. Without a pillow, Li Lanxiu turned over. His long legs, with nowhere to rest, curled slightly at the foot of the couch.
“……”
Bai Ying sighed quietly at the sight. They stepped forward, crouched down and gently took hold of one of Li Lanxiu’s feet, slipping off his shoes and socks.
They had always disliked humans. Aside from Su Shiyan, they found every human displeasing.
Human skin was too fragile. A single careless touch could break it open, and their bodies were even weaker—one misstep in cultivation, and a reversed qi flow could kill them.
As for appearances, Bai Ying saw no difference. It was all just a shell. They had never even found Su Shiyan beautiful, only thinking that she had a good temperament and was a promising cultivator.
Li Lanxiu, however, was different. Bai Ying could recognize his beauty. Just looking at him made their heartbeat quicken.
They untied the fastenings and slowly peeled off Li Lanxiu’s socks. Their fingers brushed over his ankle, then the top of his foot, until his pale, round toes were fully exposed.
Bai Ying cupped the sole of his foot, rubbing over the delicate skin of the arch. The sensation sent that restless heat surging even more fiercely.
Suddenly, their hand was empty. A sharp pain struck their chest. Caught off guard, they rocked backward from the sudden kick.
Li Lanxiu adjusted his mask and sat up unhurriedly. His voice was still thick with drowsy drunkenness. “Have you touched me enough?”
Bai Ying gripped his slender, bony ankle with one hand and slowly straightened. Their voice was hoarse. “No.”
Hearing that, Li Lanxiu adjusted his mask, eyeing them thoughtfully.
Bai Ying’s fingers idly traced the golden anklet. Their tone was unhurried. “We’ve met before. I appeared in your dreams as a white dragon and gave you my scale.”
Li Lanxiu froze. His lips twitched speechlessly. A perfectly good yao king had suddenly turned into a man.
And in the dead of night, no less—sneaking into his room just to secretly touch his foot.
Bai Ying’s fingertip glided lightly over his ankle. Their posture was undeniably strange. Kneeling on one knee before the footrest, Bai Ying held Li Lanxiu’s ankle in place. Li Lanxiu sat on the couch, one foot resting against Bai Ying’s shoulder, unable to pull it back.
Bai Ying’s breaths came heavy, but they forced a casual tone. “You and I are of the same sect. I am Lord Meixue’s personal disciple. You may call me Bai Ying.”
Anyone else in the sect would have been overwhelmed with joy at those words—what an incredible honor. Li Lanxiu, however, shot them a cold glance and tilted his chin. “Let go.”
Bai Ying’s gaze was dark, almost stark in its intensity. Their breathing grew more erratic, but they reluctantly released their grip.
Li Lanxiu rested his fingers against his temple and leaned back against the brocade couch. The intoxication gradually faded from his body.
Bai Ying showed no obvious resistance. In a way, they were being obedient—albeit barely.
As a descendant of dragons, Bai Ying possessed immense strength. They were also the king of all yao, commanding countless yao and demons. If Li Lanxiu could bring them under his control, they would undoubtedly be a powerful asset in the future.
While he was still contemplating his grand ambitions of ruling the cultivation world, Bai Ying’s body burned with unbearable heat. Every breath they exhaled was scorching, condensing into faint wisps of white mist.
Jiao had mating cycles. Dragons were no different. This was precisely why Bai Ying had always refused to take human form. In their dragon body, even when the heat became intolerable, they had no human organs—no gender. The fever would pass quickly.
But now, they felt everything too vividly. An unfamiliar change spread through this new body, something they had never experienced before.
Their eyes narrowed deeply. A crimson glow flickered in the depths of their pitch-black pupils.
Li Lanxiu tilted his head, his gaze sweeping over Bai Ying in an unhurried assessment. He lifted a pale, slender finger and curled it slightly. “Why did you touch my foot, Bai Zhenchuan?”
Bai Ying rose and leaned in close. The soft, sweet scent on Li Lanxiu’s body washed over them, and the heat in their throat became unbearable.
Their eyes shed their illusion, revealing their original blood-red hue. Their slitted pupils contracted into a thin, inky line—taking on an eerie contrast against their refined, strikingly handsome face. They stared fixedly at Li Lanxiu.
Li Lanxiu, intrigued by the sight, studied their eyes and asked, “Hm? What happened to your eyes?”
Had he not asked, Bai Ying might have been able to hold back.
But the moment those words left his lips, Bai Ying lunged forward, pinning him against the brocade couch. Pressing close, they buried their nose against Li Lanxiu’s neck, inhaling desperately, trying to steal every bit of that crisp, sweet scent. They murmured hoarsely, “I won’t eat you. Just let me smell you.”
Li Lanxiu’s nape grew hot under the rush of Bai Ying’s breath. He reached out and ran his fingers over the back of their head, stroking gently, over and over, in a slow, soothing motion.
Bai Ying stilled for a moment, their nose still lingering against Li Lanxiu’s neck. They melted into the touch, pressing themself against Li Lanxiu as if utterly dependent on him—they seemed to like being petted.
But merely breathing him in wasn’t enough to quell the fire in Bai Ying’s body. They flicked their tongue out and tentatively licked the scar on Li Lanxiu’s jaw.
Li Lanxiu’s fingers paused in Bai Ying’s hair. A soft chuckle slipped from his throat—light, careless, almost lazy.
The sound made Bai Ying’s ears burn. They had the sudden urge to shift back into their true form and swallow Li Lanxiu whole.
Frustrated and restless, they licked at Li Lanxiu’s neck, their composure unraveling. Where was the dignified Bai Zhenchuan now?
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