Chapter 36: Even Crazier-Rebelou-se contra ele(Sonho de ossos em uma noite)

Half a year passed in the blink of an eye.

Inside the Qingxin Palace, Lin Xihe noticed that Yu Tingye had been acting extremely strangely over the past few days. He would hold her at the slightest provocation, and once he held her, he would be reluctant to let go, sometimes even clinging to her for an entire hour.

Lin Xihe asked him several times if something was troubling him, but Yu Tingye always replied that nothing was wrong—he simply wanted to be with her. Having received no answer after several attempts, Lin Xihe stopped asking.

When they were intimate, Yu Tingye was even more fervent, as if he wished to knead her into his very own body. She could feel that Yu Tingye liked her, that he loved her. Every time after they made love, Lin Xihe liked to hold Yu Tingye as she slept, for only then could she rest in peace.

After Lin Xihe fell asleep, Yu Tingye slowly opened his eyes, then carefully pulled her arms away and stepped out of bed.

The sky was just beginning to brighten.

Yu Tingye stood atop the Demon Tower, the tallest structure in the Demon Realm, looking down over the entire domain. Everything was unexpectedly peaceful.

Before long, Luoxue approached and bowed to him. "Lord Tingye."

Yu Tingye did not turn around, nor did he speak. Luoxue remained silent as well, standing by his side to keep him company.

After an unknown amount of time, Yu Tingye looked toward her. "How did it go with the task I gave you—to get close to Yi Lanshu? Did you gain anything?"

Luoxue replied, "He is nothing but a frivolous and dissolute man, spouting nonsense. I do not understand why you asked me to approach him, Lord Tingye."

"His frivolity is merely a facade, a performance for others to see. His ambition is vast; he has devoured the Heart Demon Realm and now seeks to occupy the Demon Realm, even harboring delusions of conquering the entire world."

Seeing the skepticism on Luoxue's face, Yu Tingye sighed softly. "If you don't believe me, just watch. See for yourself just how deep his ambition runs."

A wave of panic washed over Luoxue. "Shall I go and kill him now?"

"Why kill him?" Yu Tingye turned his head away, no longer looking at her. "I want the world to know that the Demon Realm was destroyed by the hand of Yi Lanshu, and that it has nothing to do with me, Yu Tingye. Even if I am the one to destroy the Demon Realm, the consequences will be borne by Yi Lanshu."

"Then why did you send Xu Hu to kill Yi Lanshu?"

Yu Tingye answered, "Xu Hu is one of my people. Killing Yi Lanshu in full view of everyone was, of course, to distance myself from him."

Seeing Luoxue’s confused expression, Yu Tingye smiled faintly. "Why am I telling you all this?"

Luoxue felt a flush of embarrassment at his smile and hurriedly lowered her head, as if to hide something. She harbored feelings for Lord Tingye, and if he were to ever find out, he would surely kill her. Aside from Lady Wan, Lord Tingye seemed to detest other women showing affection for him; he was even capable of laying a hand on Miss Xin'er.

Yu Tingye continued, "Tomorrow is the Flower Viewing Banquet. Before the hour of the dragon tomorrow, the Blood-Tongue Lotuses will bloom across the entire Demon Realm, and then..."

Catching the flicker of heartache in Yu Tingye's eyes, Luoxue felt a pang of distress in her own chest. "Must you really do that, Lord Tingye?"

Seeing that Yu Tingye remained silent, Luoxue added, "What the old tree demon said might not necessarily be..."

"Whether it can cure the addiction to the poison of desire or not, I must do it. A conclusion must be reached between her and me."

Upon hearing this, tears welled up in Luoxue's eyes.

"Luoxue understands."

When Lin Xihe woke up, she found herself not in bed, but trapped within a cage of light, surrounded by blooming Blood-Tongue Lotuses.

In front of her stood a crowd of people and demons, a dark, dense mass, all pointing at her and whispering. Lin Xihe tried to get out, but as soon as she touched the pillars of light, she was blocked and thrown back.

Was she... being imprisoned?

"Lord Tingye has arrived!"

Someone shouted. Lin Xihe looked up and saw Yu Tingye leading the various Demon Kings, walking toward her with long strides. As he passed by her, he did not even cast a glance in her direction, as if she were non-existent.

"Greetings, Lord Tingye," the crowd chorused.

Lin Xihe felt certain she must be dreaming, just like the last time.

Just as she was convincing herself it was a dream, Yu Tingye’s voice reached her, devoid of any emotion. "Listen well, everyone. This woman is called Lin Xihe. She broke into my forbidden grounds and destroyed my master’s sarira. Her crime is unforgivable. Today, I sentence her to the punishment of refinement. I shall execute this punishment myself!"

Destroyed his master’s sarira? When had she ever done such a thing? Besides, she wasn't even capable of harming his master. Lin Xihe wanted to defend herself, but she discovered she could not make a sound. Had she been struck dumb?

Watching Yu Tingye walk toward her step by step, Lin Xihe seemed to understand everything. She couldn't help but smile, and tears rolled down her cheeks...

Well played, Yu Tingye.