Chapter 118: A Sense of Security

According to Vane’s plan, it shouldn't have been this early.

Whether it was the exposure of the Demonic Seed, or... the Union.

Not to mention, the option of "becoming Dao partners" was not a necessity in his eyes.

The youth simply wanted the gaze she cast upon him to be a little more frequent, a little longer; that was all.

To be a little closer, a little more intimate—like a creature of the same species allowed into her circle, permitted to lick her while she was in a daze without being killed—that was already a luxury for a beast cautiously extending its claws.

After all, to be with her, one had to abandon common concepts.

A wedding was not a necessity.

Promises did not require sweet words.

The conditions that ordinary people considered essential for "deep affection" and "eternal union" were not what she sought.

Only by twisting those conventional, secular constraints could he avoid collapsing and being annihilated on the journey of chasing her.

Just like now.

The solemn vows and etiquette in the eyes of other immortal couples were, in her mouth, merely a curious form of play.

Just play.

"..."

...He was clearly aware of this, clearly knew he shouldn't be as delighted as an ordinary person.

Yet, he could hear the low gurgle of blood flowing by his ears, washing over his slender and fragile meridians time and again. His heart did not speed up; it became extremely slow, delivering heavy, rhythmic thuds that made his vision swim and his ears ring.

In the long-flowing silence, the youth opened his mouth.

"...If it could be so, I would be more than honored."

His voice carried a hint of raspiness.

He did not ask when she had come to understand his heart, nor did he question her sudden whim.

Even if this was a topic Zora could speak of as casually as post-dinner small talk, he could not treat it with complete indifference.

Or rather, he had to seize it, whether she was teasing or playing out of curiosity.

Having spoken once, Vane seemed to deliberately relax his entire body, releasing soothing emotions. He drew closer slowly, his eyes fixed on her without moving, reflecting Zora’s silhouette as she drank tea.

She noticed his approach but didn't react much, continuing to chew on the soaked flower while tilting her head to look at him with confusion.

He stopped by the armrest of the chair, lowering his head. His eyes curved into a beautiful arc as he repeated in a seemingly relaxed tone: "If I could be your Dao partner, I would be more than honored."

Zora didn't reply immediately. She looked up at Vane on her right while chewing her food, swallowing it after a moment.

"Then we shall be Dao partners."

With that, the matter was settled. She leaned against the armrest, propping up her cheek as she gazed at him.

Vane pondered for a moment, revealing a perfect smile: "I understand. I will write the contract for the Union."

Zora nodded, and the matter passed.

A Union meant that sharing a bed would no longer be rare; it meant taking a step closer. However, her only impressions of such things came from the crude, intimate scenes in the gladiatorial pits.

She beckoned to him, and Vane took the cue to bend down. His ponytail brushed past his cheek, falling lightly onto Zora’s shoulder.

She kissed his cheek, a soft touch.

Vane paused, his lashes lowering to veil his dark eyes, and he silently left a kiss on her forehead.

...

Going to the Lu family was a task for tomorrow. Tonight, Zora didn't have to return to the Beast Stage; she would spend the night in this lavishly luxurious and extremely comfortable pavilion.

Upon learning that the newly appointed Master actually intended to sleep properly at night, Wang Yili retreated with a neutral expression.

She handled everything—which meant deceiving the servants to ensure the night remained quiet. The subordinates believed the person in the pavilion was still the former Master Lu, and they continued their duties as usual.

Under the bright moon and cool breeze, Wang Yili gazed into the night.

—"In four watches, come here again and lead us to the Lu family stronghold."

Inside the doorway, the youth had spoken flatly. The candles in the room behind him had been extinguished, and his face was hidden in the shadows, indistinct.

Wang Yili had naturally answered yes, and then watched Vane close the door—he didn't come out.

She didn't speculate much on their relationship, standing by the pond in the courtyard with her hands tucked in, looking out at the thick darkness.

...Four watches.

The new Master sleeps for four watches a night.

Wang Yili’s eyes showed confusion.

For an ordinary person, that was an extremely comfortable length of sleep, but the new Master was a demonic practitioner; she shouldn't need sleep at all.

...Forget it, why care.

Come to think of it, the Master’s name seemed to be Zora.

Wang Yili was certain that before this, there was no such figure in the Demon Realm.

Was she newly emerged? Or...

The woman, who became exceptionally quiet when alone, gazed at the moon with a constant, relaxed expression.

—Was she someone who ran over from the other side of the passage?

If it were only that Vane, she definitely wouldn't think so. After all, the youth looked like a cruel, posturing demonic cultivator through and through—an evil man who would be considered exceptionally clever even in the Demon Realm.

But the Master...

Even if she had killed the former Master cleanly, proving she wasn't as harmless as her exterior suggested, there was no overly murky malice in her, nor were there even surging emotions. Not a bit. This was extremely rare in the Demon Realm—no, even if Wang Yili had never been to the human realm, she knew this was an exceptionally rare existence among any people, to the point that it immediately separated the girl from her surroundings, creating a clean, condensed world of its own.

What kind of soil produced such a girl, she didn't know.

The woman, who was clearly much older than Zora in terms of maturity, let go of status-based reservations in the dead of night to think and speculate carefully.

In any case, it wasn't a personality the Demon Realm could nurture.

She wondered what the new Master planned to do next.

...

Zora didn't think much about the future; she was thinking about "Dao partners."

Although the contract hadn't been finalized, according to the habits of her previous life, a verbal agreement was enough.

Thus, she moved toward the inner side of the bed without hesitation, then patted the empty spot beside her just as Vane was about to walk out.

He instantly grasped her meaning and fell silent at the door.

"..."

The candles were out, leaving only his vague silhouette standing there.

In the next moment, however, there was the sound of a door knocking. Vane opened the door halfway and instructed Wang Yili outside: "In four watches, come here again and lead us to the Lu family stronghold."

After she replied, the youth’s movements stalled for a second, and he finally closed the door, shutting himself inside the room.

Cultivators, of course, do not bump into objects in the dark. While he couldn't see as clearly as in daylight, he could see the general outlines. He walked toward the edge of the bed step by step, finally stopping.

Zora watched him the whole time. She couldn't see his expression, but she knew he unfastened his belt with fluid movements and then removed his outer robe.

He placed his own clothes directly on the chair at the foot of the bed, while he neatly folded Zora’s and placed them aside.

His red hair ribbon slid off like flowing water, falling lightly onto the clothes he had shed. His black hair cascaded down, veiling his back.

Vane, who was facing away from Zora while undressing, suddenly spoke.

"How far do I need to undress?"

His tone was relaxed and inquiring.

Zora: "?"

She was just about to say that staying in an inner garment like her was fine when she heard him continue.

"You are naturally cold-natured. Cultivation can only alleviate it, not uproot it. Even with warm jade spiritual tools, you don't seem to like wearing them when you sleep."

Zora: "Mhm, because they're very uncomfortable."

She wasn't the type to lie flat and sleep peacefully all night.

The youth seemed to smile slightly, saying only: "I can help you."

"Help me with what?"

"Warmth," Vane paused, his voice so gentle it caused a wave of itchiness as it entered her ear. "I can help you get warm."

In the past, cold didn't have a very painful effect on a cultivator like Zora, and he wouldn't have dared to climb into her bed without permission.

But if life could be more comfortable, why not?

Zora thought of his blood. The first time they met, what warmed her frozen, stiff hands was his gushing blood. That was indeed very hot and very effective.

Zora: "Sure."

Thus, the final thin layer of his upper garment fell to the floor.

As the youth drew near, Zora felt a heat completely opposite to her own. Boundless vitality combined with the youth’s constitution was constantly radiating heat.

There was only one pillow on the bed, which Zora had moved to rest on. Just as Vane was about to lie down, she seemed to realize this and tugged the pillow, sharing a bit with him.

"..." He pursed his lips. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

The youth faced her, lying on his side. His collarbone was deep, catching the thin moonlight, and a few strands of black hair fell against his chest.

He just looked at her, his nose nearly touching hers, bringing a wave of warmth. In a daze, he seemed like a furnace burning at its peak.

Zora shared a corner of the quilt with him: "Here."

He blinked but didn't speak again.

The final barrier was removed; the two were in a completely intimate state.

Vane raised his hand and, under Zora’s gaze, approached slowly.

He gave her plenty of time to observe and judge.

Then, while embracing her, he pressed himself closer.

It was indeed very warm.

Zora unexpectedly found herself pressed against his collarbone, the junction of neck and chest; the temperature was almost overwhelming.

He didn't embrace someone with a crude bear hug like Zora; rather, he slipped his arm under her waist with precision. First, like a guide, he brushed her arm onto the musculature of his back, then his own hand covered her soft back. The gap in her inner garment was pressed down; through the thin material, his warmth was transmitted.

Zora unceremoniously pressed her palm against his back and rested her head on his extended arm.

Skin pressed against skin, hotter than at any time before.

Her breath entwined at his collarbone. They had been this close during previous hugs, but without clothes this time, the air she breathed felt increasingly thick.

His chest also rose and fell slightly with his breathing.

In the past, she only felt hot under a thick quilt, but now she felt as if wrapped in warm water—very comfortable, and accompanied by the phantom-like thumping of an accelerated heartbeat.

Zora closed her eyes.

...Mhm, she clearly should have found it easier to fall asleep than before, but now it didn't seem that way.

She frowned, ignoring other stray thoughts, and threw her whole being into the darkness within a few breaths.

Vane lowered his lashes. After a moment, he saw her knit brow relax.

He was dazed for a moment, only then belatedly recalling the Union agreement from the daytime. At that time, his heart had been drumming like thunder, and he had forcibly suppressed it, seizing the opportunity with absolute care.

Now, that feeling came surging up with a delay.

The arm Zora was resting on bent at the forearm, touching her cool hair.

...When a person reaches a certain level of pleasure, their mind goes blank.

He couldn't remember anything, didn't want to think about anything, only stroking the ends of her hair over and over.

After a long while, the youth lowered his head, full of love and piteousness, and nuzzled her forehead with his cheek.

If it were like this, she surely wouldn't abandon him.

He had never thought that after exposing his secret, he could truly spend time with her in the Demon Realm, with only each other.

That ever-present anxiety and fear of loss lingering in his heart received a moment of comfort at this instant.

He was like every denizen of the Demon Realm, insatiable; his empty heart was a void, like a bottomless pit that, no matter what, could not fill his trepidation. That piteous thought of fearing abandonment ebbed and flowed, never truly disappearing.

The intense layers of hatred, liking, and indifference on the outside were real emotions that created the Vane seen by outsiders. And those inner obsessions and vulnerabilities reserved only for Zora were also real.

He was a funnel that could never be fully filled, always on the edge of imbalance.

So, in that moment where he temporarily felt "safe," his thoughts nearly stopped.

In Zora's eyes, a Union was no big deal.

But to him, it was a sturdier thread, binding him firmly to her, allowing him to nuzzle her cheek with affection and gaze into her eyes with obsession without any obstacle.

Masters and servants can be discarded at will, but Dao partners must be considered thrice; it was a mutual responsibility.

Vane held her tighter, his entire skin radiating heat like a suffocating net, eager to cage her, then constantly drilling inward, pressing close, closer, penetrating her flesh and blood to net her vibrant heart.

It seemed only by pressing against her bloody heart would he let out a satisfied sound of relief, but that was impossible, so for him to truly obtain eternal security was also impossible.

Clingy and muddled, peeling back the outer layer, it was a romance made increasingly mad and base by insecurity.

In the silence, the youth’s eyes grew wet for an instant. The expression on his face looked as if he wanted to piteously and uncontrollably draw even closer to her until the two were inseparable, flesh and blood fused, bones rubbing against each other with intimate friction.

Yet he controlled it, suppressing his intense emotions, remaining motionless. After a long while, Vane finally exhaled a breath of misty heat, which quickly dissipated.

Zora was pulled into a half-awake state by that momentary sound of his breath. Her eyes opened just a sliver, seeing a field of soft, contoured musculature before her.

She quickly closed her eyes again and burrowed further into his embrace, nuzzling him. Her cheek pressed against his muscle as she fell back to sleep.