Chapter 123

Moist, sticky, and burning hot, it was a sensation that nearly melted within their teeth and lips. To kill a person, one needs only to target the countless fatal acupoints distributed across the body; yet a small mouth—a place normally used only for eating and speaking—had become filled overnight with sensitive points that sent tremors through the nerves as they were licked over and over.

A moist, hot breath lingered. Vane held her close, while Zora was even more direct; she grabbed his ponytail and occasionally tugged at his collar. As time stretched on, that uncontrollable pleasure gave rise to the illusion of drowning.

Zora straightened her body and pulled away. Vane did not stop her, but his tongue honestly betrayed his reluctance, hooking against her lips at the very end. He was no longer the boy who had first entered the cultivation world; his youth had shed its layers of greenness, encasing a mature fruit ready to be squeezed of its juice, overflowing with a thick, obsessive allure.

Zora sat upright. In the darkness, there was a faint glimmer of moonlight. The youth’s ponytail had naturally been tugged into a mess by her, loosening and threatening to come undone. He had clearly not engaged in any strenuous exercise, yet he was panting, a flush staining the corners of his eyes. Those dark eyes followed her, focused and trailing like a dog begging for pity, yet carrying a subtle, phantom-like seduction.

That gentle hook left a tingling numbness inside her lips. Zora understood his panting, for she was not steady either. Her breath was uneven. If she were to fight for three days and three nights, she wouldn't even blink, but this time she had only been kissing for... how long was it? In any case, the sun had not yet risen, but her breathing was already unsteady.

Zora panted for a moment, then buried her head again, tucking it into the crook of his neck, hanging her whole body on him. Vane lowered his lashes and looked at her sideways. Zora’s right ear was pressed against his cheek—it was cool, and the ear bone wasn't hard like the other bones in her body; it was soft, folding slightly when pressed.

Vane lowered his head, leaning lightly on the girl’s shoulder just as she did. Their necks intertwined. Zora felt him go quiet for a moment before he began to kiss her neck intimately.

Stroke after stroke, it was tentative at first. Lips and teeth approached a primal, fatal spot. Zora instinctively stiffened for an instant, but soon relaxed. This was a form of trust, or perhaps a form of self-confidence. He couldn't hurt her.

His breathing had forcibly steadied a great deal. Then, a sudden moisture hit her skin.

"...!" It was itchier than the roof of her mouth—the kind of itchiness that hits the "ticklish meat." Zora tilted her head and shrank back. She pushed him away.

Vane had no intention of resisting, being shoved against the door in an instant. He was stunned for a moment, then abruptly realized his mistake. "I'm sorry... I'm not skilled enough yet."

He hadn't found the right method. When the itchiness outweighed the tingling, it naturally didn't please her. Zora touched her neck and gave a soft affirmation.

After a while, she lay on the bed and patted the spot beside her, saying nonchalantly, "Dao partners should sleep together, right?"

"..." Vane remained silent. His hair ribbon was removed, and his black hair cascaded down. Only after lying down did he answer softly, "Yes."

Zora kindly lifted a corner of the quilt and shared it with him. Vane took the opportunity to draw closer. The quilt enveloped the two of them; her scent was faint and phantom-like, and he silently submerged himself in it.

...

When Zora woke the next morning, she found herself hugging him with all four limbs. He was like a doll, letting her manipulate him as she pleased, yet he seemed to have slept quite comfortably. The moment Zora opened her eyes to look at him, the youth also opened his eyes. His gaze was perfectly clear, not looking as though he had just woken up.

Vane: "Do you need to dine?"

Zora: "I do."

He rose first and dressed. When Zora sluggishly sat up to get dressed, he naturally reached out to help her. He helped her dress and comb her hair. Noticing her lips were a bit redder than usual, he leaned down after finishing and gave her a kiss.

Throughout the series of actions, Zora didn't find any step abrupt. She opened the door and walked out.

As the new Master of the Immortal-Slaying Pavilion, there were many affairs to handle, especially without a formal handover. The tasks Zora needed to complete were quite heavy. She wasn't particularly good at these things, but that didn't mean she wouldn't do them. Since she had nothing else to do, she handled them casually—naturally, by keeping Vane at her side at all times. He could infer three points from one and showed a brilliance that surpassed his teacher, appearing as sharp as if he had been immersed in politics since childhood.

The "thunderous methods" of their first meeting had only been seen by those at the banquet. Vane said, "The rest of the servants will surely have wavering hearts and hidden motives. It’s better to intimidate the layer of people who manage them; then the common servants will naturally not dare to be insolent."

The Immortal-Slaying Pavilion was indeed a major power that had developed over many years, with a large staff. Even for the management layer with some power, it took Zora several days to see them all. Of course, she would see a few, go do something else, and then come back to handle more. Constant, nonstop work was not her style.

It was Vane’s style.

When Zora was doing other things, she didn't need him every second, so Vane would diligently handle the miscellaneous affairs. The Union contract was signed the day after the first kiss. It became even more convenient for her to call him; the "heart-to-heart" connection between lovers seemed to have been materialized, though he was restrained to the extreme—only Zora could "knock on his heart," while he rarely disturbed her.

Of all those people whose faces flashed before her eyes, Zora hadn't really memorized any. After a few days, the one she remembered most was Lu Qing. He was very young and very obedient, expressing his loyalty without any obstacle. After recounting the things he had done in the Pavilion, he gave the seated Zora a smile.

Many people had smiled at Zora these past few days—mostly fawning or fearful smiles. Those who were sarcastic or harbored ill intent had already lost their lives on the spot. Zora couldn't distinguish between them, but Vane could.

Vane would not be soft-hearted just because those people held the keys to the Pavilion's profitable lifelines. He knew Zora’s goal with absolute clarity. She had never intended to expand the Immortal-Slaying Pavilion or increase her own power; it was merely a place to stay. Whether this foothold was a palace or a tiled shack made no difference; a "starved camel is still larger than a horse," and it wouldn't be too destitute either way. Safety and comfort were the first priority.

Though the extra fleas could be dealt with later, it was truly annoying when they kept popping up. Thus, it didn't matter if some disobedient "hands" were cruelly cut off. The others seemed to see that the new Master tolerated no trace of double-mindedness; no matter how much leverage one thought they had, it was treated as transparent.

Some took the opportunity to flee, while others caught the fugitives and went to claim credit with joy, hoping to gain a foothold in the reshuffled Pavilion. Lu Qing was the one who gave her a relaxed smile in this atmosphere. It was as if he weren't a suspect being interrogated, but a subordinate having a chat.

Lu Qing: "The Master is wise. With you here, the Pavilion will surely reach new heights. The Northern Demon Lord is nothing to fear."

Standing to the side, Vane’s face went cold, his eyes staring at him as if looking at a dead man. This thing was imitating his smile—it was about fifty percent similar, the other fifty percent missing because it lacked genuine feeling.

Zora paused, looking at him with curiosity. "The Northern Demon Lord?"

Lu Qing took the lead: "The Northern Demon Lord has always treated the Pavilion as a purse to be exploited, frequently seizing our profits. The former Master..." He sighed here, appearing indignant. "That waste was not as powerful as you, Master. From the outside, it looked like they were on good terms, but in reality, he was merely carrying the Demon Lord’s shoes."

Zora had no possibility of realizing this was a subtle piece of flattery. Hearing this, she was only interested in the Demon Lord's strength. "In other words, that Demon Lord is even more powerful."

Exactly how powerful?

Lu Qing: "Yes. But he surely cannot compare to you, Master."

Zora didn't care and dismissed him. Lu Qing still gave a smile, and his young but steady eyes brushed past the black-clad youth beside the Master as he turned to leave. After a momentary, light exchange of glances, Lu Qing walked out of the room. He met the next person waiting to enter, who was trembling and asked him, "Hey, Lu Qing, what did the Master ask you..."

Lu Qing was deaf to him and brushed past. The person, used to Lu Qing being smooth and sociable, was stunned by the sudden cold neglect and missed his chance to speak. He watched Lu Qing's receding back with a look of disdain. "Bah! What a piece of work!"

He walked into the hall where the new Master sat.

...

When the man came out again, he was a corpse.

Lu Qing walked back to his parents' quarters. He had observed for a few days; the man just now was clearly within the range of people Vane would kill, so there was no need to waste words.

Lu Qing recalled the scene just now. The new Master had no reaction to his smile. And this Vane had not interrupted or made a sound throughout the entire process; he must be a truly devoted servant. He had indeed felt a heart-stopping chill when he met Vane's gaze—it was his first time knowing that black eyes could be as bottomless as a deep pool, devoid of violent anger or vivid emotion. This man’s killing intent was ice-cold and deathly still.

Lu Qing couldn't help his teeth chattering slightly; looking back, he was filled with lingering fear, cold sweat soaking his back. It was a risky move, ignoring that deathly dog to focus on attracting the master’s gaze.

Without a doubt, he had failed. The Master had not looked at him differently; her attitude remained consistent from beginning to end. This move had even provoked the dog’s murderous intent. Fortunately, that Vane wouldn't be blindly driven by emotion.

Lu Qing breathed a sigh of relief and opened the door to the room. Presented before him were his parents' terrified eyes; they were tied to chairs, their mouths gagged with cloth. Weak from the medicine, they could only make muffled cries upon seeing their son enter.

Lu Qing gave an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. If I let you go, you would surely cause trouble, and causing trouble now means death. I'm doing this for your own good, so think of me as well."

The door was closed, obscuring the scene inside.

A cool breeze passed, and the black-clad youth stood among the trees outside the house. He watched this farce for a while with a slight curve of his lips and let out a short laugh. Truly, did he think that by identifying him as a blindly loyal dog who would never break his leash, he could act without fear and think he had escaped?

As a more loyal Dao partner, Vane had already felt countless surges of killing intent the moment the boy tried to fool Zora. To entice her, making him jealous to the point of near-madness, and forcing him to use all his strength to restrain himself...

To entice her with ill intent, to entice her insincerely—this had abruptly ignited the boy’s churning dark pool, striking his most sensitive nerve. His boiling killing intent had instead become deathly still.

Vane lowered his thick lashes, his dark eyes unreadable as he watched the house. If Lu Qing truly possessed ten percent of his devotion, Vane might have looked upon him with a shred of respect amidst the burning jealousy and given him a quick end. Pity, Lu Qing was just a waste who offered Zora no benefit and couldn't even master the trick of making her happy.

...However, the smile he imitated was at least fifty percent similar, and Zora seemed to have no special reaction.

Vane touched his chest, feeling his own spiritual sea. Did this represent that he possessed a tiny bit of uniqueness? Even if others had her Master-Servant oath or puppet threads... he was still a little bit different, right?

As time passed, he would always wonder, filled with anxiety and fear that someone would receive the same treatment—having a Master-Servant oath, puppet threads, and attracting her gaze. He controlled himself not to think this way, but now he couldn't restrain it at all. The thoughts grew wild; he was always afraid, as if having finally been owned by her, he feared she would find something else, and he would become an expendable substitute.

His only comfort... was that no one would have feelings as thick or loyalty as absolute as his. No one.

But vague emotions, in Zora’s eyes, were likely less reassuring than a Master-Servant oath. The satisfaction from the kiss and the Union contract, which had nearly brought him to tears, faded a bit—likely because he wasn't by Zora’s side. When he wasn't with her, when he couldn't see her, no contract could soothe him for long.

"..."

The youth gave a soft smile—it was a pure smile, devoid of negative emotion. He really was like a dog. Having a bone, he wanted meat; having meat, he wanted something more precious. Begging for pity, she had opened a crack, and he couldn't wait to crawl in, dreaming of getting closer step by step to become the most unique hound in her heart.

Greedy and base, having tasted the sweetness, he craved more.

In the next moment, the bond brought by the Union contract rippled. It was Zora pulling on it, "calling him."

In that instant, all his unease receded like a tide. It was like the perfect stroke of fur to calm him, stopping his stray thoughts. After all, even if there is a leash, if she doesn't tug it or pull it, the youth who isn't by her side will always wonder if the leash still exists. His anxiety became exceptionally irritable the moment it hit those jealous emotions.

Feeling the touch deep in his spiritual sea, Zora’s "call" carried a hint of urgency. Vane’s expression calmed completely. He cast one last cold, indifferent glance at Lu Qing’s quarters.

Leaves swayed gently. In the blink of an eye, the space among the trees was empty.