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Chapter 39: Kiss Kiss Kiss

The fluffy Demon Emperor pinned the young human down, his darkened eyes drifting over the young man's slightly open robes.

The moon-white robes had come undone, revealing a slender neck, and beneath that neck, a stretch of luminous white...

Cang Shun silently raised a paw, gathering up the loosened robes, arranging them, smoothing them down.

Then indignantly pressed down on him again.

Not with any force, just pinning him there, not letting the man get up.

Chen Moqing calmly closed his eyes to settle his breathing, and after a moment, he felt the Demon Emperor atop him silently sending spiritual energy into him.

He raised a hand, palm sinking into a patch of soft fluff: "I'm not seriously hurt, just unpracticed—this was the first time I've used that formation."

He'd expended too much spiritual energy and essence blood, but as long as it wasn't heart's blood, it could all be recovered with rest.

The large mass of fluff shifted gently, pressing closer against that palm on its own. Cang Shun lowered his head, speaking softly by his ear: 【Don't ever do that again—for the sake of others, giving no thought to yourself—】

"Not for their sake, but for my own conscience." Chen Moqing's voice was clear and even, his hand idly brushing at the fur hanging by his cheek, "A Demon King who fought for the world a thousand years ago, if not for the corruption that befell him, he wouldn't have ended up on the path he's on today... At the very least, I don't want them to die from the Demon Abyss."

Cang Shun was silent for a moment, then gently pressed his forehead against him, nuzzling: 【I know】

What frustrated him was that this man always acted with such resolve and ruthlessness toward himself, never leaving himself a way back.

Even if he wanted to cure their corruption, he could have taken it slowly, without draining himself so much all at once.

...Never mind. He would just have to stay by his side, watching over him always.

Cang Shun gazed at Chen Moqing's profile, sighing softly.

Truly, this demon had to worry so much over him.

Chen Moqing: "......"

Without a word, he raised a hand and rumpled up the fur atop the Demon Emperor's head.

Cang Shun: "?"

The Demon Emperor, his head now puffed up in disarray, yowled, burying his head to rub wildly against the young human's chest and waist. After rubbing for a good while, satisfied he'd smoothed his messy fur back down, he raised a paw and pressed a piece of fruit into Chen Moqing's palm.

【Eat this】the Demon Emperor said steadily, his head still a puffed-up mess, 【Snatched it from Xuanji, it's good for your body】

Chen Moqing glanced at his head, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly: "Does it taste good?"

Cang Shun said quickly: 【It doesn't taste good】

Chen Moqing patted the Demon Emperor, and this large mass of fluff shifted aside. He sat up and took a bite of the fruit.

Sweet.

Gentle spiritual energy turned into trickling streams, flowing through his spiritual meridians.

Chen Moqing used a finger like a blade, splitting the fruit in half, and held out the remaining half to Cang Shun.

Cang Shun shook his head rapidly.

Chen Moqing thought to himself: a kitty who doesn't like vegetables.

Cang Shun watched as he finished the spirit fruit in two or three bites, his depleted spiritual energy restored to fullness, his mood lifting a little; he swished his tail.

His gaze drifted down without thinking, brushing past the corner of the young man's lips, then suddenly stopped.

The young human's thin lips were normally pale, but now carried a touch of lustrous, watery color.

Though this was a disguised appearance, Cang Shun remembered his original lip color—it should be a bit more pink than this, more attractive...

...seems like the fruit was pretty tasty too.

This thought suddenly popped into Cang Shun's mind.

Chen Moqing noticed that the Demon Emperor was, for some reason, secretly glancing at him—not even looking openly anymore—and was about to ask why when the Demon Emperor nuzzled against his face: 【If you like them, I'll go snatch a few more】

Chen Moqing let out a small laugh, straightened his moon-white outer robe, and stood up.

The large mass of fluff immediately shrank down into a little fluffball, hopping onto his hand, shuffling about before settling in as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

He caught a glimpse of his own head in the mirror.

A puffed-up mess of fur, looking exactly like a bird's nest sitting on his head.

Cang Shun: "?"

He looked up, just in time to meet the young human's eyes, barely holding back laughter.

"...Meow!"

The moment Chen Moqing stepped into the deep-sea prison, an elegant floral scent wafted toward him.

"Well, look who it is!" Xuanji's voice rang out like an oriole's song, raising her hand to sweep it around his shoulder, "This elder sister's long-lost dear little brother!"

Chen Moqing calmly stepped back, and the snow-white little beast in his arms immediately raised its claws, standing on guard.

Not allowed to touch!

Xuanji winked at Chen Moqing, then swept her tail at the snow-white little beast: "Stingy little thing."

Cang Shun: "?"

He extended a paw toward her.

Xuanji met his gaze for a second, let out a long "Ohh—", and snapped her fingers.

A bulging sack appeared in her palm; she pinched the mouth of the sack and stuffed it directly into Chen Moqing's arms: "Here, here, these are Blessed Spirit Fruits from our fox clan's sacred ground, they only bear fruit once every five hundred years! Take plenty for the road! I'm not like a certain bird who guards one Nirvana Tree for thousands of years and won't share even a single fruit with his sisters—so stingy it's unbelievable!"

Vermillion Bird: "......"

Vermillion Bird: "That was all three of my fruits, gone completely!"

Chen Moqing tucked the sack full of spiritual-energy-rich Blessed Spirit Fruits into his storage pouch, smiling: "My thanks, Demon King of the Celestial Fox."

Xuanji swayed her flawless, jade-white tails gently: "Call me elder sister."

【He's a full-grown adult!】Cang Shun raised a paw to cover Chen Moqing's eyes.

"He's certainly older than you," Xuanji flicked her tail, sweeping it at him again, "seeing as you're just a little runt, not even half the length of one of my tails."

Cang Shun: "?"

Chen Moqing calmly held down the yowling snow-white little beast and made a circuit through the prison.

The demon kings afflicted by the Demon Abyss's corruption, though not fully recovered, had improved greatly. They were no longer being burned by the demonic flames, though deep black traces still remained on their bodies.

"I can't fully eradicate the corruption for you yet, only ease it," Chen Moqing said, "Once my cultivation breaks through, I'll come try again."

Xuanji smiled radiantly: "Oh, it's no big deal—we've endured a thousand years, what's a little more time? Do make sure to come visit often, won't you, elder sister's dear little brother~"

Cang Shun: "?"

In the cell behind them, the Crimson Flood Dragon squeezed his head out desperately, tail thrashing: "Do come visit often, benefactor!"

Cang Shun: "......"

Cang Shun turned to Vermillion Bird: 【Send me word the moment Qing Fen unseals his five senses】

Sealed five senses at the Body Integration stage could only be undone by oneself; there was no outside cure.

Vermillion Bird, who had fallen somewhat silent since a moment ago, nodded, saying nothing further.

Matters of the Demon Realm had already been discussed between them earlier. Chen Moqing, tucking the fluffy Demon Emperor against himself, bid farewell to the two Demon Kings and turned to leave.

"If only you had been here three thousand years ago."

Just as he was about to step out of the deep-sea prison, he heard Vermillion Bird's voice.

Chen Moqing stopped, turning back. Vermillion Bird stood quietly in place, the dim light of the sea floor unable to illuminate his eyes.

Rumor in the Demon Realm held that Vermillion Bird's dao companion had abandoned him and fled three thousand years ago. Only this Demon King himself knew that three thousand years ago, his dao companion, corrupted by the Demon Abyss, had taken his own life in agony.

Chen Moqing's voice cut through the depths of the sea, like ice shards falling onto a frozen pool: "Whoever sowed the cause of the Demon Abyss must reap its consequence."

...

In the prison where the seawater flowed silently, the young cultivator and his great demon had already departed far away.

Xuanji laughed softly: "Perhaps, within our lifetimes, you and I will both live to see... the day they draw their sword and cut down the heavens."

"Oh dear, I forgot to ask my little brother's alias."

"......"

【Where are we going?】

At the edge of the Demon Realm, Cang Shun gently held Chen Moqing's hand, swinging it back and forth.

Chen Moqing said, "The place where Senior Xingyun's complete inheritance lies."

That ancient master of the talisman path hadn't left him a clue to a complete inheritance, but in that ruined hall in the void, within the scroll of ages, he had seen the primordial continent shatter into nine thousand prefectures, and the fragment where Changyao Sect stood had fallen into the place where the moon rose—standing there, the moon hung right before one's eyes, as if it could be plucked with a single hand.

Among the nine thousand prefectures, only one could see a moon like that.

Qingyue Prefecture.

Of course, he wasn't certain the inheritance was actually there—it was simply that among nine thousand vast prefectures, one had to search somewhere.

If he could meet Senior Xingyun again, and obtain the remaining half of the fragmentary technique that could regenerate his spiritual roots—he would be able to walk the sword path once more.

Cang Shun toyed with the long fingers before him: 【There are so many of the Nine Thousand Prefectures, yet you seem to know the customs and geography of each so well】

Chen Moqing smiled faintly: "It's all recorded in Tianshu Sect's texts."

No wonder he knew so much.

Cang Shun thought to himself.

Diligent a hundred times over compared to others since childhood—no wonder he'd been able to reach the very peak.

Nuzzle him a bit.

No, wait!

Cang Shun suddenly raised his head, saying loudly: 【There are no other demons around, I don't need to disguise myself!】

"I'm transforming!"

Chen Moqing immediately raised his hands.

He scooped up the little fluffball, stroking its back, stroking its tail, rubbing its ears, rubbing its head.

He smoothed down all the fur until it was neat and tidy, rubbing it into one tidy little fluffball.

Cang Shun: "......"

The snow-white little beast said nothing at all, lying comfortably against the young human's arm, its round eyes narrowing, its tail swishing back and forth, turning into a soft little heap of white sugar cake.

Fine, then.

Not changing back is fine too.

The little fluffball raised its small head, pressing close against Chen Moqing's palm, letting out a small "meow."

Pet me more.

Chen Moqing's palm covered that soft little head, rubbing back and forth. In a place where this Demon Emperor couldn't see, he quietly let out a breath of relief.

It wasn't that he disliked the Demon Emperor in transformed shape—it was that the moment this Demon Emperor turned human, he grew eight hands. And wasn't fluffy, soft, or round anymore—all that was left was the clinginess.

Perhaps he was an octopus unique to the seaside.

The little fluffball in his arms began rubbing against his fingers and wrist again, sticking close, nudging softly all over his chest.

Chen Moqing met those round demon eyes and opened his palm.

A fluffy snow-white paw landed in his palm.

Qingyue Prefecture, among the six thousand lower prefectures, was a small prefecture that hadn't produced a single Nascent Soul cultivator in several thousand years.

This prefecture had dozens of mortal kingdoms, the largest of which was called the Yao Kingdom, located at the central heart of Qingyue Prefecture.

In the Yao Kingdom's imperial capital, the sky was still early, a fine drizzle drifting over the woods outside the city. Beside the road at the capital's entrance stood a wonton stall; a young guest in white robes arrived holding an umbrella, shaking off the raindrops, and ordered two bowls of fresh pork wontons.

The stall owner, seeing that though the man's appearance was quite plain, his bearing was steady as pine and bamboo, and on his shoulder perched a round-headed little white tiger, didn't dare be careless—two generous ladles of wontons into the bowl, the hot broth brought to a boil, sprinkled with a bit of the Yao Kingdom's distinctive fold-moon herb, its fresh aroma striking the nose.

The wonton wrappers were thin, the filling generous, plump bits of meat tumbling in the clear broth. One of the bowls was bought by Chen Moqing, spoon and all, and pushed toward a certain snow-white little beast whose chin rested on the edge of the table.

"Sir, is that... some kind of pet beast you're raising?"

The stall owner leaned in, studying the little white tiger drinking soup like a person, finding it novel and amusing.

"You're quite something, sir, catching even the cub of a great beast!"

【Did he just call me a bug?】

Cang Shun's voice was distant and displeased.

Chen Moqing, unable to find any chili oil, set down his wrist and said calmly, "He's praising you."

Since arriving in this realm, he had already changed his face, and the Demon Emperor, in exchange for the hefty payment of three small dried fish, had cast a disguise spell on himself as well.

This snow-white demon beast, somewhere between cat and leopard, had become a little white tiger in the eyes of outsiders.

Cang Shun sat at the table's edge, eating one steaming little wonton after another; after drinking down a small portion of the broth, he looked up: 【Why isn't there fish wonton?】

"I'll look for some once we're in the city, and take you to eat it."

Cang Shun's mouth lifted slightly, and he shared half his wontons with him.

Though he'd fed the man plenty of spirit beast meat, he hadn't seen any change in his build at all—still thin.

Eat more.

From beside them came the stall owner's astonished exclamation: "This great beast even knows how to use a spoon!"

"......"

The rain passed and the clouds scattered; Chen Moqing, carrying the Demon Emperor, entered the city along with the crowd.

Having just arrived in Qingyue Prefecture, he'd summoned the Netherworld Scroll, wanting to see whether it would sense this place as it had before and trigger a secret realm—but nothing happened.

Arriving at the border of the Yao Kingdom, outside the imperial capital, he summoned the Naihe Scroll twice more, still with no response.

Towering city walls, several talisman seals pasted at the gate. Chen Moqing's gaze paused briefly—the talismans' power was faint, but the lines of the talisman script were exceptionally refined, clearly drawn in a single stroke by someone who had practiced talisman-drawing for a long time.

He flicked his fingers, and a piece of silver appeared between them; he asked the guard at the gate about who had drawn the talismans.

The soldier glanced at him, quietly tucking the silver into his sleeve, and said without meeting his eyes, "This is an imperial-bestowed item, no need to ask further. Move along."

The Yao Kingdom's imperial capital, carriages and horses converging, a ceaseless flow of traffic—a bustling mortal capital city. Chen Moqing sensed no spiritual energy here, but rather a faint, ethereal dragon aura rising up from the palace to the east.

He sensed it for a moment, his expression unchanged, and continued walking slowly down the street.

The dragon aura was thin, the sun setting in the west—this kingdom's fortune was nearing its end.

Cang Shun looked left, looked right, his gaze sweeping continuously over the flowing street, then he raised his head, looking up at that young human with the clear, gentle eyes.

Mortal cities didn't have so many annoying bugs—not bad, either.

If everything settled once all was said and done, he'd drag this man along to travel through the nine thousand prefectures, taking in all the world's sights.

It was just that a thousand years ago, he hadn't traveled much beyond the Demon Realm. When the time came, he'd have this man tell him where the interesting places were.

Cang Shun, picturing the scene of traveling around with Chen Moqing in the future, felt the corners of his mouth lift, and unconsciously gripped those slender fingers.

His fingertip grew slightly damp, as though it had been... bitten gently.

Chen Moqing: "......"

His steps paused slightly.

Biting him again, was he.

This kitty had been acting strangely lately—somehow growing eight hands after transforming, and now biting people when not transformed.

Chen Moqing thought it over calmly for a moment.

He pinched the soft scruff of the Demon Emperor's neck—lifting him up, weightless and dangling.

Just like that, he carried the little fluffball along, swinging him gently as he walked.

The Demon Emperor, suspended in midair: "?"

"???"

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