124: Chapter 124 Hidden Story

Jiang Xun had actually been awake for a while.

He watched the hanging gauze curtains; light leaked through the gaps, immediately scattering into phosphorescence like the surface of a morning river.

It was magnificent.

He guessed the Materials used to weave this gauze must be very precious.

Otherwise, Jiang Hongyuan wouldn't use it for bed curtains.

He wanted to get up.

But he couldn't move.

Jiang Hongyuan was completely entangled with him, one arm across his chest, one leg draped over his waist, and her face buried in the crook of his neck, her breathing steady.

Jiang Xun could feel the itchy hot breath on his neck.

He was stiff as a board.

There was a heat source beneath his body; even the slightest friction could make him lose his composure.

Jiang Hongyuan's long hair was scattered everywhere, spread over him and across the pillow.

Clearly, a Cultivator at the Nascent Soul Stage didn't need to sleep.

The one who needed sleep was him.

But these past few days, Jiang Hongyuan had been like an attachment to him, eating and sleeping together, never leaving his side.

Jiang Xun tried to move.

He didn't budge an inch.

She was holding him too tightly.

He took a deep breath and reached out to move the leg draped over him.

As his hand went down, he touched a patch of delicate warmth.

Jiang Xun's hand snapped back as if burned by fire.

That snowy white thigh draped over his waist was bare, without any fabric covering it.

Only then did he notice that Jiang Hongyuan was only wearing a very simple undergarment.

The thin silk material couldn't hide much.

Large patches of snowy white were exposed, dazzlingly bright in the morning light.

Indeed, there was no need to wear much when sleeping at night; he himself was only wearing a thin sleeping robe.

Jiang Xun didn't dare move again.

He froze there, his heart skipping a couple of beats before he forcibly suppressed it.

He turned his head, wanting to see if she was awake.

As soon as he turned, he met a pair of eyes.

Crystal-clear red pupils were open, staring straight at him.

This was no different from suddenly being stared at by a venomous snake while using the latrine—unable to advance or retreat.

Jiang Xun's heart jolted, startled, but his face remained expressionless.

"Haven't seen enough yet?" he asked.

Jiang Hongyuan didn't speak.

Instead, she tightened her arms even more, and her leg pressed down harder, her whole body almost crushing him.

"Not enough," she said, her voice crisp and delicate, carrying the unique laziness of someone who had just woken up.

Jiang Hongyuan actually hadn't slept at all.

She had watched him all night.

Jiang Xun was helpless.

He stopped looking at her, turned his head back, and continued staring at the gauze curtains above.

Jiang Hongyuan's hand began to grow restless.

She reached her hand inside the lapel of Jiang Xun's robe, her fingertips lightly grazing his skin and scratching in circles at a certain spot.

"You certainly are ascetic," she said, sounding somewhat resentful. "But it's quite hard on me."

Jiang Xun didn't respond.

In his heart, he smiled bitterly; Jiang Hongyuan was extremely beautiful.

Her beauty wasn't the gentle kind that made one feel pity.

It was aggressive, like an unsheathed blade—sharp, dangerous, and carved into one's heart at first sight, impossible to ignore.

Jiang Xun wasn't a Saint; he had his own seven emotions and six desires.

But he didn't dare.

He didn't dare show even a shred of desire in front of her.

Jiang Hongyuan's danger outweighed her beauty.

He didn't want to owe her anything else.

He also didn't want to give up his bottom line so quickly. Sometimes Jiang Xun would think that if he hadn't met Yan Qingning, White Fox Jiu, or Jiang Hongyuan...

His life would surely be that of a harem protagonist in a power fantasy novel.

After all, he possessed a System.

It was just that the System now, just like when he was with Yan Qingning, had crashed.

This made him doubt whether this System was actually a System at all. How could it be so useless?!

Thanks to the good training he had in the Jade Void Grotto-Heaven for those two years.

Otherwise, being teased like this by Jiang Hongyuan, he would have eventually been consumed by the fire of lust and burned himself to ashes.

"If you want to keep me trapped here forever," Jiang Xun said faintly, "you can just go ahead and do it; after all, I can't resist anyway."

He was confident that after yesterday's conspiracy, Jiang Hongyuan wasn't in a hurry for this moment.

The hand on his chest stopped.

Then came a piercing pain.

"Ngh...!" Jiang Xun let out a muffled groan.

One of Jiang Hongyuan's fingers pierced deep into the flesh of his chest, reaching his lung.

Her face quickly turned cold as she stared at him: "Are you threatening me?"

Jiang Xun's face immediately contorted, but then slowly relaxed.

He gritted his teeth to keep himself from crying out in pain; Jiang Hongyuan loved seeing him like this—the more he screamed, the more excited she became.

"So what if I am?"

Jiang Xun's whole body tensed, and then with a forceful roll, he pinned her beneath him.

The movement was so sudden that even Jiang Hongyuan was stunned for a moment.

He grabbed the hand on his chest, but couldn't pull it out; his Foundation Establishment cultivation simply couldn't budge Jiang Hongyuan.

He could only pin Jiang Hongyuan's other hand firmly against the pillow.

At this moment, Jiang Xun's expression was even colder than Jiang Hongyuan's. "Have you still not recognized your situation?"

His face was somber, his voice low and raspy:

"You can only rely on me. Without me, you will never be Jiang Hongyuan."

Jiang Hongyuan lay beneath Jiang Xun, her long hair scattered on the pillow, pinned down and unable to move.

Because the movement was so large, one of her snowy, fragrant shoulders was exposed.

Their posture was exactly like a bully about to mistreat a lady from a noble family.

Jiang Hongyuan stared at Jiang Xun, as if wanting to get to know him all over again.

Then she suddenly laughed.

"You didn't used to be like this with me, but now you're hitting and threatening me." Jiang Hongyuan's index finger dug a bit deeper into Jiang Xun's chest.

"It really makes me so sad."

As long as Jiang Hongling hadn't possessed her, she would always remember the scene of Jiang Xun whipping her.

This was the second time.

The day before Jiang Xun disappeared a thousand years ago was the first time; the day before yesterday was the second.

Sooner or later, she would make Jiang Xun regret it.

"I won't show mercy to a Clone," Jiang Xun said in a cold tone.

He found it truly difficult to have any good feelings for the real-world Jiang Hongyuan.

So he packaged his indifference toward Jiang Hongyuan as hatred for the Clone.

These words indeed stung Jiang Hongyuan, though her face still wore a faint smile.

But Jiang Xun felt the pain in his chest intensify.

"You don't care about me, so you care about her?"

"I don't recall the Demon Venerable being so devoted to me," Jiang Hongyuan said with a beaming smile. "Weren't you always calculating against me?"

After Jiang Xun obtained the Blood Fiend Sect's supreme treasure, he suddenly vanished without a trace.

Not a sound was made.

She wasn't a fool; she naturally realized that Jiang Xun's purpose in approaching her had always been the true demon evil bone.

Otherwise, the original Jiang Hongling wouldn't have told Jiang Xun that she hated being deceived.

"Hmph!"

"So in your heart, I was only calculating against you?" Jiang Xun's tone was suddenly serious, yet carried a hint of sadness. "Do you even know what that true demon evil bone actually is?"

This question left Jiang Hongyuan momentarily stunned; she had never possessed the true demon evil bone herself and only knew it was the Blood Fiend Sect's ultimate treasure.

It was a treasure that every Cultivator on the Demonic Path dreamed of obtaining.

But she didn't know its specific function.

Could it be that there was a hidden reason for Jiang Xun's disappearance back then?"

She suddenly said weakly, "How should I know!"

Looking at Jiang Xun's suddenly lonely face.

Jiang Hongyuan asked again, unwilling to back down, "Then tell me!"

Jiang Xun felt the finger in the bloody hole in his chest loosen slightly. He sighed, "Forget it, you don't need to know."

He looked exactly like those who silently sacrificed and endured everything behind the scenes.

This caused a bit of self-reproach to rise in Jiang Hongyuan's heart.

But her pride wouldn't allow her to beg Jiang Xun. "Is it because in your eyes, I am not Jiang Hongyuan?"

Jiang Xun remained silent, seemingly in agreement.

Jiang Hongyuan's eyes lowered.

She seemed hurt by Jiang Xun's silence.

The Nascent Soul Clone Jiang Hongyuan hadn't cultivated the Blood Nurturing Heavenly Demon Art; her heart was more sensitive and frantic than Jiang Hongling's.

Jiang Xun sighed inwardly.

In truth, there was no hidden reason; he just simply wanted to whitewash himself for survival.

He had to leave some path of retreat for the future.

"One day..." Jiang Hongyuan said softly, her tone carrying a bit of confidence, "you will tell me yourself."

Then she withdrew her hand from his lapel.

Half of her index finger was stained deep red.

The moment her hand was completely withdrawn, Jiang Xun felt every pore on his body tremble.

Without the finger blocking it, the bloody hole in his chest began to bleed frantically.

However, since he was wearing black robes, the blood seeping out wasn't obvious.

But half of the fabric quickly became wet and dark, clinging tightly to his skin with a warm, sticky sensation.

Jiang Xun didn't say a word.

Jiang Hongyuan looked at that dark patch and smiled pleasantly.

"You really can endure."

She put that half-stained index finger into her mouth and sucked lightly.

Like a child licking honey off their hand.

Her lips became even more vivid, red as if they were about to drip blood.

Jiang Xun spoke coldly, "I hope this is the last time."

He covered his chest to stop the bleeding.

If he didn't leave this crazy woman soon, he would eventually be tortured to death by her.

"I'll listen to you, okay!" Jiang Hongyuan said, her tone softening. "But you also have to understand me properly. Sometimes... I really can't help it."

She wanted to see Jiang Xun project the most emotion onto her, even if it was pain.

Like an addiction.

Jiang Xun didn't want to deal with her.

He couldn't afford to provoke her either.

He rolled over, preparing to get off the bed, but one of his hands was held back.

He tried to pull away, but it was useless; the strength of the Nascent Soul Stage wasn't something a Foundation Establishment could break free from.

"What else do you want?"

Jiang Xun turned back, his tone filled with irritation.

The current posture was a bit delicate; he was sitting on Jiang Hongyuan's stomach.

Jiang Xun's face felt a bit hot, and his brows were tightly furrowed.

He had been suppressing certain emotions in his heart; fortunately, Jiang Hongyuan had dug a hole in his chest, allowing him to stay more calm.

To be honest, he didn't have much of a dislike for Jiang Hongyuan; after all, he really liked Jiang Hongyuan's character model in the game.

His feelings toward Jiang Hongyuan were more of a strangeness, as if the two were not from the same world.

He only wanted their worlds to return to normal.

No longer intersecting, no longer interacting.

Jiang Hongyuan looked at him and suddenly asked:

"Doesn't your chest hurt?"

Jiang Xun sneered: "Isn't it your fault?"

"Then I'll make up for it."

After Jiang Hongyuan finished speaking, her hand reached toward his waist.

Jiang Xun was stunned.

How did you change so suddenly?

Then his face flushed red, and he grabbed her hand, his voice changing pitch:

"What exactly are you trying to do?!"

Jiang Hongyuan's movements paused.

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with a smile: "I'm not untying the cord on your trousers, so what are you panicking about?"

She leaned forward, getting very close, so close that their noses almost touched.

Seeing his bright red face, she laughed even more happily:

"Or is it that your heart is actually looking forward to it?"

Jiang Xun did not dodge.

He looked directly into Jiang Hongyuan's eyes.

At this moment, if he showed even half a bit of softening or backing down, she would immediately take advantage and never stop.

He had to remain firm to the end.

"Didn't you just say you'd listen to me?" he spoke, his voice cold and chilling.

The two looked at each other.

Jiang Hongyuan suddenly lowered her head and let out a chuckle.

That laughter contained helplessness and compromise.

"Don't worry." She looked up at him. "I won't let her have our precious memories for cheap."

That "her" referred to Jiang Hongling.

"Then what do you mean now?" Jiang Xun asked.

Jiang Hongyuan didn't answer.

Her movements continued; although she was being held by Jiang Xun, if she wanted to move, a mere Foundation Establishment Cultivator couldn't restrain her at all.

"I said," she whispered, "I just want to make up for it."

Soon, she untied the cord at Jiang Xun's waist.

In fact, she wanted to rip his clothes off in one go—how satisfying and venting that would be.

But she couldn't.

Who told her she still had to rely on Jiang Xun to gain her freedom?

She could only keep him steady for now.

She gave a gentle pull downward.

The clothing on Jiang Xun's upper body fell away, revealing a lean and sturdy chest.

On the right side of his chest was a bloody hole, exactly what she had dug out with her finger.

"Truly heartless." Jiang Hongyuan said to no one in particular.

Blood was still seeping out, and the surrounding skin was an unnatural dark red.

Jiang Hongyuan looked at the bloody hole, her eyes bright.

"It won't hurt soon," she said softly.

She lowered her head and kissed it.

Her warm lips pressed against the bloody wound.

Jiang Xun only felt a sudden coolness at the wound, as if a small piece of ice had been applied to it; the intense, piercing pain actually eased quite a bit.

His body involuntarily leaned back.

But Jiang Hongyuan's arms wrapped around his waist at that moment, holding him in place.

She continued to kiss the wound.

Gently and softly, her tongue lightly licked the edges of the wound, curling away the blood bit by bit.

Jiang Xun froze there, motionless.

He didn't know whether to push her away or accept it.

He only knew that in that spot on his chest, besides the pain, there was also an indescribable tingling sensation.

The two remained in this posture for a long, long time.

Until the wound stopped bleeding.

Until Jiang Hongyuan finally raised her head.

She looked at the wound, which was no longer bleeding, and licked the corners of her mouth with satisfaction.

"There," she said, her voice filled with satiety. "It doesn't hurt anymore, does it?"

Jiang Xun looked down.

The wound had indeed healed.

He looked at her.

Jiang Hongyuan met his gaze, her eyes curved with a smile.

In that smile, there was an indescribable... greed.

"See," she whispered, "I have my gentle moments too."

Jiang Xun did not speak.

Jiang Hongyuan's temperament fluctuated between good and bad; this was the drawback of the Three Corpses merging.

It was impossible to tell when she was the Benevolent Corpse and when she was the Malevolent Corpse.

He simply got off her, sat at the edge of the bed, and began to tidy his clothes.

As if nothing had happened.

Jiang Hongyuan lay there again, watching him.

Watching him tie his belt, watching him stand up, watching him walk elsewhere.

He couldn't go anywhere anyway; the entire bedchamber was enveloped in a barrier.

"Jiang Xun," she suddenly called out.

He stopped in his tracks, not looking back.

Jiang Hongyuan lay on the bed, propping up her chin, and said with a beaming smile:

"Your ears are red."

Jiang Xun paused, then found a spot far away from her to sit down.

Fortunately, this bedchamber was large enough.

He could avoid some of her gaze.

From behind him came Jiang Hongyuan's pleasant laughter, echoing through the bedchamber.

His ears were indeed burning intensely.