102: Tongue biting (two-in-one)

Jiang Xun stood where he was, not daring to move an inch.

He watched Jiang Hongyuan quietly.

There was no fear in his eyes, only a sense of poignancy like a reunion after a long separation.

Jiang Hongyuan wore red lotus-patterned brocade shoes, stepping on the mud covered with fallen leaves.

She approached step by step.

The moonlight turned silver-white again, shining on her; that red outfit was so red it looked like it was dripping blood.

Jiang Xun knew he couldn't hide anymore.

If he admitted it, he might die.

If he didn't, he would die immediately.

Although the strength of the black mist released by the black-robed man couldn't be determined, it was enough to kill him ten times over.

But facing her directly might allow him to survive for a while.

According to Jiang Hongyuan's 100% favorability in the game, she shouldn't strike to kill, right?!

Even though in the game, he killed her father, seized the position of Sect Master, and gave her a beating before leaving.

But that was all out of necessity, there were justifiable reasons!

Otherwise, the game would have reached a dead end.

Jiang Xun took a deep breath.

It was slow and heavy, as if he wanted to suppress all the surging emotions deep in his heart.

Then he relaxed his shoulders, the corners of his mouth curling slightly into a smile.

Gentle, peaceful, even with a hint of nostalgia.

"Long time no see,"

He said, like a prodigal son returning home after many hardships, "Hongyuan."

Jiang Hongyuan stopped.

She stood two steps away from Jiang Xun, staring at him without blinking.

Those eyes shimmered with a dark red light under the moonlight, like two gems soaked in blood—beautiful and dangerous.

She took another step forward.

Only one step remained between them.

So close that Jiang Xun could see the curve of her eyelashes and smell the faint scent of sandalwood on her.

So close that he could see his own reflection in her pupils.

Wearing a mask, half his face smeared with blood, in a wretched state.

Jiang Hongyuan raised her hand.

Slender jade hands, long fingertips, and nails trimmed smooth and clean.

She gently pressed her palm against Jiang Xun's right cheek.

The touch was ice-cold.

Then... "Chi."

Jiang Xun heard a sound like fine dust falling.

The dried blood on his right cheek and the brass mask he had worn for three months on his left cheek turned into powder at the same instant, rustling as they fell.

The mask shattered.

His face was revealed.

The moonlight shone on Jiang Xun's face without obstruction.

Fair and clean, exactly the same as a thousand years ago, except for a scar on the left side of his face that ruined its beauty.

Jiang Hongyuan looked at him for a long time.

Then she smiled.

A smile mixed with disbelief and a certain frantic emotion.

"You really..." Her voice was very soft, like a sleepwalker's mumble, "have returned."

Jiang Xun nodded: "Yes."

He paused, trying to make his tone sound natural:

"I didn't expect to meet you here, in such a pathetic state."

"Why didn't you come looking for me?" Jiang Hongyuan asked.

The question was direct.

Jiang Xun fell silent for a moment: "I wanted to come find you when I became stronger."

He looked up at her: "I was afraid you didn't love me anymore."

"I was afraid... you still hated me."

Jiang Hongyuan lowered her head, her eyelashes drooping, casting a small shadow under her eyes.

"Is that so?" she said softly.

The two fell into silence.

The mountain forest was quiet; Black Demon didn't dare make the slightest sound, even deafening his own ears.

The moment Jiang Xun's face was revealed, he recognized him—it was the former Sect Master of the Blood Fiend Sect, the Dao Seeking Demon Venerable, Dao Xun.

Black Demon was shaken to the core for a moment.

The Dao Seeking Demon Venerable wasn't dead, and he had joined the Demon Suppression Division?

This was explosive news enough to cause a sensation in the Five Domains.

But he didn't dare leak a word of it; Black Demon understood this wasn't something he should spy on, and decisively chose to seal his five senses.

Suddenly.

Jiang Hongyuan reached out and pulled Jiang Xun into her arms!

The movement was so fast that Jiang Xun had no time to react.

He only felt a massive force dragging him forward, and then his lips were blocked by something warm.

It was Jiang Hongyuan's kiss.

Rough and overbearing, it wasn't like a kiss, but more like a kind of tearing and biting.

Jiang Xun froze, his mind going blank.

He didn't dare resist, couldn't resist, and could only respond passively, his lips stiffly following her rhythm.

Jiang Hongyuan wasn't like Yan Qingning, with whom one could reason.

One could coax and negotiate with Yan Qingning, but with Jiang Hongyuan, one could only obey.

But the next second, he noticed something was wrong.

Jiang Hongyuan's teeth were applying force.

It wasn't a light nibble; she was truly biting, biting his tongue!

Jiang Xun's eyes snapped open, and he began to struggle violently!

He pressed his hands against her shoulders, desperately trying to push her away, but Jiang Hongyuan's arms were like iron hoops tightly encircling his neck, unmoving.

"Wuu!!"

A muffled groan escaped his throat, and his body trembled violently from fear and pain.

The taste of blood spread between their lips and teeth.

Sweet, metallic, with the taste of rust.

Jiang Hongyuan let go of him.

She licked her lips with satisfaction.

Jiang Xun staggered back two steps and slumped to the ground.

He covered his mouth, warm blood seeping through his fingers—lots of blood, flowing continuously from his mouth, dripping onto his lapel and the ground.

His tongue had been bitten off.

He looked up at Jiang Hongyuan.

There was total fear in his eyes.

He closed his eyes.

He couldn't show his fear of Jiang Hongyuan; even though his body was shaking from pain, he still suppressed it.

Otherwise, what awaited him would be even more terrifying punishment.

Jiang Xun never thought this kind of scene would happen to him; it was like anime becoming reality.

Why?

He didn't understand. Was there a flaw in what he said? Why did she do this?

Jiang Hongyuan stood under the moonlight, blood still on the corner of her mouth.

She slowly opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue.

On the tip of her tongue was the half of Jiang Xun's tongue that had been bitten off.

A fresh wound, the cross-section neat, with blood still seeping out.

She gave a light spit, spitting the half-severed tongue onto the ground—a small piece of flesh falling into the pile of leaves.

"Dao Xun."

She spoke, every word clear and cold, "You should know... I dislike it most when people lie to me."

Jiang Xun felt cold all over.

She knew.

She saw through it at a glance; he didn't want to become stronger before seeing her, he simply didn't want to have anything to do with her.

Those gentle disguises and calm-sounding excuses were like a child's lies in her eyes—clumsy and laughable.

He wanted to call her a lunatic.

But his mouth was full of blood, and with half his tongue missing, he couldn't produce a complete syllable.

He could only squeeze out "wuu wuu" sounds from his throat, like a wounded beast.

Crazy woman.

He cursed her a thousand times in his heart.

Jiang Hongyuan crouched down and met his eyes.

She was crying, her blood-red pupils reflecting a sorrowful light through the tears.

But there was no anger or resentment on her face.

Only an almost calm, hair-raising seriousness.

"Dao Xun, do you know? I'd rather you hurt me than lie to me."

Jiang Xun covered his mouth, blood still flowing.

He couldn't feel the pain; his nerves had gone numb.

Only his heart was pounding frantically, as if trying to burst out of his chest.

He hadn't expected it.

He really hadn't expected Jiang Hongyuan wouldn't give him even a bit of room to maneuver, directly using the most extreme and bloody method to tear through all his disguises.

"Now."

Jiang Hongyuan reached out, her palm gently touching his left cheek, "Can you tell me? Why didn't you come looking for me?"

A faint red light emanated from her palm.

Warm and soft, like spring sunlight.

Jiang Xun felt his left cheek begin to itch—the itch of a wound healing, the itch of flesh and blood regrowing.

Immediately after, the same sensation came from his mouth; the severed root of his tongue was wriggling, and new tissue was growing and extending at a speed visible to the naked eye.

After three breaths.

The itching sensation disappeared.

Jiang Xun tentatively moved his tongue; it was complete and flexible, just as before.

He touched his left cheek; the skin was smooth, without any scars.

He could speak now.

His face was also restored.

Jiang Xun sat on the ground, looking at Jiang Hongyuan.

He recognized that the Cultivation Technique Jiang Hongyuan used was the Legacy Cultivation Technique of the Blood Fiend Sect, the Blood Nurturing Heavenly Demon Art.

One of the top Body Refining Cultivation Techniques, and also the most disgusting one.

If not killed in one hit, even if the boss was beaten down to a single pinky finger, they could still successfully revive.

Jiang Hongyuan looked at Jiang Xun, waiting for an answer, the blood on the corner of her mouth not yet wiped clean.

Jiang Xun was silent for a moment.

His face was calm.

But his mind was racing.

What should he say? How should he say it? Someone, please teach him!

System, come out and show some options!

[Ding!]

[Special plot, please answer freely.]

[System prompt: Task completion will grant a massive reward.]

"Damn it!" Jiang Xun cursed inwardly.

Seeing that Jiang Hongyuan had waited long enough.

He suddenly showed a lonely expression.

Then he smiled bitterly, "Does this count as your revenge against me?"

This sentence was clever; it indirectly admitted to hurting her, increasing his own guilt.

But it could only serve to stall for time.

If he said "I'm afraid of you, so I didn't want to find you" or "I don't like you, why would I find you?", it would be a dead end.

She wasn't Yan Qingning, who was gentle.

Jiang Hongyuan said: "This doesn't count as revenge yet."

"Then do you still love me?" Jiang Xun said.

"..."

Silence fell between them once more.

In the game, it was Jiang Xun who shamelessly followed Jiang Hongyuan, currying favor in every way.

He said all sorts of sweet words like "one life, one world, one couple" and "one glance for deep love, one life for devotion."

But Jiang Hongyuan had never actively and explicitly said words like "love" or "like" to him.

Jiang Xun didn't care either.

Mainly, if he didn't woo Jiang Hongyuan, he couldn't rise in status.

If he couldn't rise in status, he couldn't get upgraded equipment!

So from Jiang Hongyuan's perspective, that "Dao Xun" loved her to death.

Therefore, he absolutely could not admit to "not loving her anymore."

That would be equivalent to denying everything in her memory, equivalent to trampling the feelings she had invested over those years underfoot.

It would also indirectly prove that all of Jiang Xun's feelings for her were lies, calculations, and a scheme.

Even if he knew Jiang Hongyuan liked him, he had to pretend he didn't know.

Jiang Xun lowered his head, as if hurt by Jiang Hongyuan's silence.

He gave a self-deprecating laugh and said:

"I originally..."

"The first thing I thought of was to go find you."

He looked up, the expression on his face slowly becoming low and bitter, as if some heavy memory was surging.

"You should be able to feel it, right?" he said, "The wound on my left face."

Jiang Hongyuan looked at him: "There's a residue of a very powerful aura. Who hurt you?"

"Only a few days after I awakened my True Spirit," Jiang Xun's voice dropped, "I was caught by Yan Qingning."

Jiang Hongyuan leaned in closer: "She did what to you?"

She knew Yan Qingning, someone from the Xuanxiao Immortal Sect in the Southern Region.

Jiang Xun smiled bitterly, "I am her enemy. She hates me to the bone... I was tortured by her for over a year before I found an opportunity to escape."

He reached out and touched his left cheek.

Although it was healed now, that movement carried a subconscious memory of pain.

"It was also from then that I knew."

He looked up at Jiang Hongyuan, a sense of almost fragile honesty in his eyes.

"I am no longer that Dao Seeking Demon Venerable Dao Xun from before. Now... I am just Jiang Xun at the Late Stage Foundation Establishment."

He paused, his voice even more bitter:

"So, I didn't lie to you. I just... didn't dare."

"Didn't dare what?"

"Didn't dare to love you anymore."

Jiang Xun said, his voice carrying a sense of inferiority, "The current me doesn't even have the qualification to stand by your side. How would I dare to speak of love again?"

After saying these words, he seemed to have unloaded a heavy burden, his whole person relaxing, a faint layer of loneliness appearing on his face.

"I'm quite pathetic, aren't I?"

Jiang Hongyuan looked at him.

In her heart, Jiang Xun was originally a dog she kept.

A dog should be loyal and always stay by her side; although this dog would occasionally make her angry, he was still her dog.

Not allowed to run, not allowed to disappear, and certainly not allowed to beg others for mercy.

That was what she believed in her heart.

But when Jiang Xun truly left her, her heart was filled with anxiety, anger, sadness, and... reluctance to let go.

Fortunately, her dog had returned.

She reached out and pulled him into her arms; this time the movement was very gentle as she lightly stroked Jiang Xun's head.

"I will help you take revenge."

She said in his ear, "Now, you only need to stay by my side without any distractions."

Jiang Xun's body stiffened for a moment, then slowly relaxed.

He closed his eyes and let out a long, silent sigh of relief in his heart.

Finally, he had pacified her.

Jiang Hongyuan lowered her head and kissed him again.

This time it was very gentle, like the light touch of a feather.

But Jiang Xun's body still instinctively stiffened; the fear from earlier hadn't completely dissipated.

But he forced himself to respond.

Lips touched, tongues lightly explored.

The taste of blood hadn't completely vanished, and mixed with the sandalwood scent on her, it formed a strange and trembling aura.

Moonlight spilled over the two of them.

In the distance, Black Demon stood with his back to them, like a dead object.

Li Chenguang was shrouded in black mist, but he wasn't dead yet.

Only the han hong sword was still stuck in the ground, its blade reflecting the cold moonlight.

Jiang Xun closed his eyes, feeling the kiss.

Gentle and lingering, yet like a cold snake slowly coiling around him and sliding down his throat... Xuanxiao Immortal Sect, Jade Void Grotto-Heaven.

Yan Qingning gave a light cough.

She felt a numbing itch on her tongue.

There had been some stinging pain before.

But when she calculated the reason, she found nothing.

Although she knew that before her Immortal Ascension Tribulation, something very unpleasant must have happened.

But she didn't want to look into it.

Or rather, she didn't care.

To her, all the previous events were merely part of undergoing a tribulation; now that her Dao Heart was clear and the immortal path was open, why bother to find out?

It would only add unnecessary trouble.

Now Yan Qingning was only one step away from the Way of Heartlessness.

She only needed to thoroughly temper her state of mind.

In the future, she might even break through to a higher Realm and ascend to the Divine Realm.

It's just... Yan Qingning suddenly felt a chill on her chest.

She raised her hand and touched her eyes.

"Since when?"

She didn't even know when she had started crying.

And a message suddenly came from outside the Jade Void Grotto-Heaven.

It was sent by Junior Brother Zhuo Shen.

Yan Qingning clicked it open, and a few lines of small white characters appeared.

"Senior Sister, I have a Disciple who is naturally gifted and intelligent, but recently his Dao Heart has been flawed. I hope Senior Sister can give him some guidance; I would be immensely grateful."

Although Yan Qingning didn't take Disciples, she used to hold lectures to clear up the confusion of some Disciples in the sect.

It was considered a form of nurturing.

And also a way to relieve boredom.

But since returning from the Northwest Region, she had been in seclusion to consolidate her cultivation, and she was indeed a bit bored.

Since it was a request from her Junior Brother.

With a tap of her fingertip, the word "Accepted" appeared and flew out of the Jade Void Grotto-Heaven.