That was Zhiyi’s divine power.
Strange, warm.
He could not sense that this spiritual power came from Zhiyi.
Too weak, Xi Yu thought.
He was too weak now.
He could not even sense Zhiyi’s aura.
Xi Yu’s expression faded. He patted Lu Zhixing’s hand. “Go take a shower.”
Lu Zhixing acknowledged him and turned to walk into the bathroom.
Xi Yu waited until he came out before going to wash. There was still residual warmth in the bathroom. Hot water poured down from above, and Xi Yu closed his eyes, his mind filled with the face of Zhao Qi’s father.
Even after lying in bed, he could not drive it away.
The love of parents for their children—placing all their emotions in their children.
Asking for nothing in return, making no demands.
Xi Yu closed his eyes. In the quiet room, the only sound was Lu Zhixing’s suppressed breathing.
After a while, Xi Yu sighed. “The talisman isn’t working?”
Lu Zhixing sat up with the talisman stuck to his forehead and carefully asked, “Did I disturb you?”
Xi Yu tore the talisman from his forehead and met Lu Zhixing’s damp eyes.
The two kinds of power were clashing inside his body. Even though Xi Yu had never experienced it himself, he could guess how unbearable it was.
Even a god would not be comfortable, let alone Lu Zhixing in a mortal body.
“You said you would feel better if you got close to me.” Xi Yu lifted a corner of the blanket. “Come in.”
Lu Zhixing’s eyes immediately brightened. As if he had been waiting for a long time, he quickly burrowed beneath the blanket. His long arm wrapped around Xi Yu, pulling him into his embrace, and he let out a satisfied sigh.
His movement was forceful, but his tone was gentle and humble. “Thank you. This is much better.”
………………………
Upon hearing this, Xi Yu’s hand, which had been preparing to push him away, stopped. After a few seconds, he resignedly lowered it.
Forget it. Zhiyi’s divine power was inside his body.
He would just treat it as the little cub hugging him.
Although Xi Yu felt somewhat awkward, if Lu Zhixing stayed awake all night, it would affect him as well.
Xi Yu was somewhat unaccustomed to being this close to someone, but he did not really feel any aversion.
The way Lu Zhixing hugged him was very similar to Zhiyi’s. The little cub was timid, and whenever a magical beast frightened him, he loved hiding in Xi Yu’s arms like this.
Lu Zhixing was only in his twenties. Xi Yu had lived for so many years that, in his eyes, Lu Zhixing was no different from a child.
Moreover, there was Zhiyi’s spiritual power inside Lu Zhixing’s body.
Because of this, it was almost impossible for him to refuse any request Lu Zhixing made.
Lu Zhixing buried his head in the crook of Xi Yu’s neck. With every breath, hot air sprayed against his ear.
It tickled Xi Yu.
Xi Yu could no longer sleep.
“I can’t sleep.” That was what Lu Zhixing said.
Xi Yu fell silent. He could not sleep either, but what else could he do besides force himself to sleep? He had to go record the variety show tomorrow.
Without waiting for Xi Yu to answer, Lu Zhixing continued on his own, “Let’s chat.”
Whenever Lu Zhixing spoke, warm air brushed against his neck. Xi Yu shifted away and asked perfunctorily, “What should we talk about?”
“Let’s talk about Zhang Meng’s pink Pink Panther underwear.”
Xi Yu: “…”
“It’s been several days. How do you still remember that?”
If he had not seen Zhang Meng, he would not have remembered this at all.
Xi Yu closed his eyes, his hand unconsciously stroking along Lu Zhixing’s back. “Once, he dragged me along to help him capture a criminal. When that criminal resisted, he pulled down Zhang Meng’s pants.”
A burly, thickset man wearing pink Pink Panther underwear. After being seen, he begged Xi Yu not to tell anyone.
As Lu Zhixing listened, his grip on Xi Yu’s hand unconsciously tightened, but he quickly released it.
So quickly that Xi Yu did not have time to scold him.
“So that’s how it was…”
Lu Zhixing’s tone was gentle. Where Xi Yu could not see, his eyes were dark and gloomy.
He took a deep breath. The faint plum fragrance on Xi Yu’s body entered his nostrils, barely calming the agitation in his chest.
It was fine. Those people had all appeared when he had not yet found his Master.
He had returned now. All of his Master’s attention and love would return to him.
Once he activated the ancient divine formation and completed the separation of the demonic power, he would be able to acknowledge his Master as Zhiyi.
“Lu Zhixing,” Xi Yu suddenly asked, “Are your parents good to you?”
Lu Zhixing sat on the mattress wrapped in the blanket. “Pretty good.”
‘Lu Zhixing’s’ parents had treated him very well. After ‘Lu Zhixing’ died and he took possession of Lu Zhixing’s body, he could feel it.
Xi Yu turned over to look at him, a brief trace of confusion in his eyes. “Can a father really disregard his own life and death for his child?”
Lu Zhixing stared at Xi Yu’s expression, and his heartbeat skipped.
Xi Yu’s expression was not quite right. It was as though something he had firmly believed for a long time had suddenly begun to waver for a brief moment.
After remaining silent for a while, Lu Zhixing slowly said, “There are. Isn’t Zhao Qi’s father just like that? But there are also people in this world who abandon their wives and children and use their children as bargaining chips. Everything has two sides.”
Xi Yu lowered his eyes. “Is that so?”
Lu Zhixing rested his head against the side of the bed and shifted his gaze elsewhere, not looking directly at Xi Yu’s eyes. Slowly, he said, “People can be good or evil… Just like the demonic aura inside me. The demon race sounds like a very evil race, but perhaps there are good demons too, and perhaps they also hope…”
“Shut up!”
Xi Yu sternly interrupted Lu Zhixing.
Lu Zhixing stopped speaking and looked at Xi Yu. The Xi Yu who had seemed somewhat bewildered just moments ago was now surrounded by a chilling coldness.
He suddenly gripped Lu Zhixing’s chin, forcing him to look directly at him. His voice was icy. “People can be good or evil, but the demon race is different. Every inch of their flesh, skin, and bones is evil.”
After Xi Yu finished speaking, he ruthlessly pushed Lu Zhixing off the bed and looked at his face, which had gone pale from the pain. “The source of your suffering now—is the demon race.”
Every member of the demon race deserved to die. There were no exceptions.
The bloodline of the demon race was built from evil piled upon evil. Such a race could not produce a benevolent person. This was an immutable law that had existed since ancient times.
There were no exceptions.
After saying this, Xi Yu did not look at Lu Zhixing again and lay down with his back toward him.
Lu Zhixing’s source of suffering was the demon race. He had never seen it and had never experienced it, which was why he could say something like demons could be good or evil.
Since he had never experienced it, then he should properly savor those moments of suffering as the vessel of the Demon Venerable, under such a bloodline.
In the silent room, Lu Zhixing sat on the mattress, his face pale as he looked at Xi Yu’s back. Fear slowly spread through his pitch-black pupils.
After a while, he turned off the light and lay down, leaning against the edge of the bed.
In the darkness, wisps of black lines extended along the veins of his neck. Lu Zhixing clenched his palm, his fingernails digging into his flesh and bringing a faint sting of pain.
He regretted it so much.
He should not have brought it up.
But he had wanted so badly to acknowledge his Master, which was why he had tentatively spoken those words.
He clearly knew that his Master hated the demon race more than anything, yet he still allowed himself to harbor fantasies.
He fantasized that if it were him, would his Master show him even a little pity?
No.
Even if it were him…
He could not let his Master know that he had now become a demon.
He had to find a way to activate the Demon-Slaying Formation as quickly as possible and strip the demonic bones from his body.
He had to hurry…
He could not be discovered.
Lu Zhixing fell into boundless fear, afraid…
Afraid of being discovered, afraid of being guessed…
Even more afraid of being abandoned by his Master…
In the same room, both of their thoughts were in turmoil.
The next day.
When Xi Yu woke up, Lu Zhixing was already gone.
The pajamas beside the bed were neatly folded, and the mattress had also been put away to the side.
Xi Yu glanced over before slowly getting up, his hair messy and his expression indifferent.
He had to report to the program today, and Xi Yu had not packed his things yet.
He simply washed up. When he left the room, he saw Luo Cheng’an struggling to stuff clothes into a huge suitcase.
Luo Cheng’an clearly had never done much housework. The silk pajamas had been scrunched into a corner. By the time they were taken out, they would probably be too wrinkled to look at.
But forget it. Wrinkled was wrinkled; he could still wear them.
It was not only the pajamas that had suffered. There were also his black-and-white…underwear?
Xi Yu snatched the underwear from his hand. “I’ll do it myself.”
Luo Cheng’an snatched it back and scrunched it up before stuffing it into the suitcase. “It’s your first time going on a show, so you don’t know what to bring. I’ll help you.”
Thank you. Really, there was no need.
But you could not hit someone who was smiling at you. Xi Yu could not get Luo Cheng’an to leave, so he could only resign himself to it.
Compared with those clothes and daily necessities, Xi Yu cared more about his tools.
The black-jade ring was already worn on his middle finger. He rubbed it, then picked up the cinnabar brush from the bedside and tapped it against the ring.
The cinnabar brush instantly disappeared, stored within the space.
They had to report at ten in the morning, and Luo Yuan personally drove them there.
At the foot of Zhen Mountain, Luo Cheng’an carried two suitcases and waved toward Luo Yuan and Shen Qing. “I’ll definitely take good care of my brother. Don’t worry.”
Xi Yu bid farewell to the couple. When he turned around, Lu Zhixing was standing on the steps leading up the mountain road, looking at him with an indifferent expression.
…………………………..
Xi Yu and Lu Zhixing looked at each other, his thin lips pressed together.
After waking up, he felt somewhat regretful. He had taken his anger out on Lu Zhixing.
As the vessel, Lu Zhixing had not chosen this either.
Lu Zhixing was naturally kindhearted. That should have been a good thing.
It was he who had gone to an extreme and taken his anger out on someone else because of a single sentence.
Xi Yu sighed and raised his foot, wanting to walk over to Lu Zhixing and apologize.
But just as he stepped onto the stairs, Lu Zhixing had already turned around and continued upward, leaving him only a broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted, slender figure from behind.
It was clearly just an ordinary back. When Lu Zhixing had seen him moments ago, he had not displayed any alienation or coldness. His eyes had been as gentle and peaceful as usual.
Yet Xi Yu could somehow sense anger from Lu Zhixing.
Anger at him.
“Brother, what are you looking at? Let’s go.”
Luo Cheng’an bumped Xi Yu with his shoulder, and only then did he come back to his senses. He glanced at the two enormous suitcases in Luo Cheng’an’s hands and reached out.
“I’ll carry them myself.”