Hongjun looked out of the Wild Goose Pagoda and saw Chang 'an under the moonlight. A gust of spring wind blew, scattering the peach blossoms in the late spring. Thousands upon thousands of tiles, row upon row, refracted the moonlight. In the distance, the sound of a flute could be heard, immersed in the wind.
Li Jinglong hugged Hongjun from behind. Hongjun's whole body stiffened and he did not dare to move. Li Jinglong whispered in his ear: "You don't like me?"
"No … … No … …" Hongjun's heart started beating violently again. He turned his head to look at Li Jinglong and met his gentle and serious gaze. His heart trembled. Then, Li Jinglong closed his eyes, leaned forward, and kissed Hongjun's lips again.
At that moment, Hongjun truly felt the taste of kissing. It was as if the entire Chang 'an was filled with countless flowers blooming together under the moonlight, and the world was full of vitality.
After a long time, their lips parted. Li Jinglong's eyes were smiling. Hongjun took a deep breath and finally calmed down. In his heart, there was a struggle of lust. He turned around in Li Jinglong's arms and faced him. He closed his eyes and leaned his head to kiss him.
This response made Li Jinglong's breathing quicken and aroused his uncontrollable emotions. It was as if thousands of houses had collapsed in that tremor, and love was like a tsunami that came rolling in. The two kissed passionately. When they separated again, Hongjun's face was red to the tips of his ears, and he hurriedly stepped aside. Li Jinglong did not avoid at all. He looked at Hongjun and only smiled.
Hongjun liked his smile the most. Because every time Li Jinglong smiled, he was like a carefree young man. His wisdom, skill, and shrewdness all disappeared without a trace with his handsome face. Thinking of this, Hongjun's eyebrows were still furrowed with anger.
Hongjun: "Why are you … …"
"I don't want to lose you." Li Jinglong held Hongjun's hand, lowered his head, and rubbed his nose intimately. He explained, "I'm sorry, Hongjun. What I said today really made you feel uncomfortable. Only by facing your fear directly will we have a chance to defeat it. "
"You're right." Hongjun replied in a low voice, "This is the truth. I have to face it. Maybe this is my destiny."
Li Jinglong raised his eyebrows slightly and gave him a relieved smile.
Li Jinglong: "I'll accompany you, I'll accompany you."
At this moment, Hong Jun suddenly had a telepathic connection and understood what Li Jinglong meant. If he wanted to break free from all of this, he had to face himself and his fate. When Li Jinglong said those words, he also made a promise — no matter when or where he went, he would stay by his side.
"But that's not what I'm asking." Hongjun was a little embarrassed and said, "Why do you like me … … I mean … …"
"Why do you like me?" Li Jinglong asked him back.
Hongjun: "… …"
Hongjun was stumped. This question was too awkward. In the days to come, he would often think of this conversation. He actually discussed such a silly question with Li Jinglong. Every time he thought of it, he wished he could dig a hole and bury himself.
But this was the first time in his life. In fact, being with Li Jinglong was almost the first time in his life. At this moment, he still didn't know that people in the mortal world were fickle and could not compare to the spring breeze and fleeting clouds. He also didn't know that there were too many things in the world that were unreasonable, such as love.
He actually asked Li Jinglong in a serious manner, and Li Jinglong also answered him in a serious manner.
"I don't know." Hongjun thought about it and finally answered with a little melancholy.
"I don't know either." Li Jinglong said.
Hongjun couldn't help but laugh. Li Jinglong couldn't help but want to kiss him. Hongjun felt a little uncomfortable. He was really too nervous and just wanted to find something to say.
"When … … I mean, when did you like … … like me?" Hongjun asked again.
Li Jinglong held back his laughter and pretended to think for a long time before saying, "Let me think about it."
Hongjun thought of the snowy night in Liangzhou. Li Jinglong chased after him and tore off his inner clothes. So he carefully unbuttoned Li Jinglong's inner clothes, revealing his strong chest. Li Jinglong looked down and understood.
"I remember." Li Jinglong said, "When you were milking me."
When Hongjun heard this, he suddenly burst into laughter. Li Jinglong laughed and grabbed his wrist, lowering his head to kiss him. Hongjun only felt that this was very strange. He hurriedly pushed his head away and said, "No!"
"Then we'll kiss when we get back … …"
Suddenly, Hongjun's eyes widened and he turned his head. Both of them stopped.
At this time, dark clouds covered the moon. A burst of black gas spread from the distant mountain range and then rolled over and over outside the city. Like a wave, it submerged the entire city of Chang 'an.
In a short moment, all the lights in the houses in Chang 'an dimmed rapidly. In that instant, all the wind chimes in the Big Wild Goose Pagoda started to chime even though there was no wind. "Ding!" There seemed to be some kind of magic instrument in the pagoda that emitted a warm light that enveloped the entire pagoda. The black gas came quickly and left even faster. It silently rushed to the northwest and disappeared just like that.
"What was that?" Hongjun thought that his eyes were playing tricks on him.
Li Jinglong frowned and replied, "It should be Xie Yu coming back … or rather, it has always been here and is preparing to deal with us."
He slightly tightened his grip on Hongjun's hand. Both of them looked in the direction where the black gas disappeared. For a moment, they couldn't determine where the black gas disappeared to. Maybe it was in Xing Qing Palace, or maybe it was even further away in Da Ming Palace.
Hongjun said, "I can absorb the demonic energy."
"Please don't." Li Jinglong said, "Even if this Chang 'an …"
Li Jinglong abruptly stopped halfway and looked at Hongjun uneasily. Hongjun didn't understand and only stared at him in a daze.
"Believe me, I can protect you and get rid of Xie Yu." Li Jinglong said, "In life, we have to make choices. This is true, but I will do my best to not let us have to make choices again."
Hongjun didn't understand the meaning of his words and didn't understand Li Jinglong's determination at this moment. He only smiled and said, "Okay."
In the deepest part of Da Ming Palace, on the seventh floor of the underground palace.
A black array was spewing flames. Black gas surged from all directions and poured into the array like a waterfall. In the eye of the array, there seemed to be countless resentful souls imprisoned.
The demonic energy gathered into a ferocious fox face, the fanged fish head, the jade pipa demon's enchanting figure and painful screams, the exploding black gas around the snow woman and the God of Plagues —
"I summon you with the most ancient incantation of the divine land …"
"In this endless fate and sorrow, break away from the meridian of heaven and earth and reincarnate with the help of demonic energy."
"You must focus on Tianma and be imprisoned for eternity …"
The man in the green robe slowly walked down the stairs. His hand emitted a purplish black light. He muttered an incantation and slowly approached the array.
"Mind's Lamp Master, Immovable Deity Golden Body." The man faced the array with his back to the entrance of the underground palace and muttered, "Di Renjie, you really chose the wrong person …"
Li Mountain, Pure Flowers Palace.
In the middle of the night, the Huaqing Pool was extremely quiet. A few soldiers hugged their halberds and dozed off in the corridor. The Huaqing Pool's water rippled and reflected the moonlight in the sky. Suddenly, it flashed with silver light.
"What's that?" Some soldiers discovered that the Huaqing Pool had turned into a mirror. Silver light erupted, and with a hum, a bluish-black monster charged out of the mirror!
The pool erupted and rose, transforming into a lake with a radius of almost a mile. The soldiers screamed and fled in terror. In a short moment, a huge strange fish leaped out of the lake. It spread its six wings and glided in the air. Then, it turned around gracefully and transformed into a black-clothed human figure.
In the blink of an eye, a huge green-gold bird charged out of the pool. It shook the water off its body and the spring water instantly turned into countless fine droplets, scattering in all directions in the quiet night. That huge green-gold bird also transformed into a bare-chested young man and flew into the distance with the black-clothed man.
After the two men flew away, the water in the Huaqing Pool collapsed with a splash and returned to the pool.
The soldiers looked at each other with lingering fear.
At the top of Pure Flowers Palace, Yuan Kun's eyes were covered with a black cloth. One of his legs was hanging off the eaves. Qing Xiong stood at the top of the palace and looked at the distant Great Ming Palace.
"The most important thing right now is to find the Tianma that Xie Yu copied," Qing Xiong said.
"It's too late." Yuan Kun muttered, "I see countless karma gathering towards the only future. In a year, the Central Plains will become hell on earth."
Qing Xiong said in a low voice, "Should we look to the east?"
Yuan Kun said seriously, "It's too late. Qing Xiong, rather than chasing after the source of the Demonic Qi, why don't we gather the remaining yao? The Ghost King has already awakened, and Yu Zaoyun is still asleep. With you and me, the Kun, Peng, Fox, and Ghost Kings, we might be able to set up the Ten Thousand Yao Formation, sacrifice the Heart Lamp, and wield the Six Tools of the Immovable Wisdom King in a year's time. We might be able to fight against Xie Yu and Tianma."
Qing Xiong said in a low voice, "The yao have been without a king for a long time. With just you and me, it's hard to command all the yao. I'll go to Luoyang. You stay in Chang 'an. We still have the Chong Ming."
Yuan Kun sighed and tried to persuade him, "With fate like this, why do we need to overestimate ourselves?"
Before he even finished speaking, Qing Xiong spread his wings and flew towards the eastern lands.
At the fourth watch, Li Jinglong gently opened the door. The two of them quietly returned to the Exorcism Department.
Hongjun walked barefoot back to his room without making a sound. Li Jinglong wanted to follow, but Hongjun was still a little confused about the change in their relationship. When they passed through the courtyard, Li Jinglong casually broke a peach blossom and handed it to Hongjun.
Hongjun took it and poked him with the peach blossom. Li Jinglong twisted his wrist with a serious face. Hongjun flashed to the door and gently pushed Li Jinglong, telling him to go back to his room. Li Jinglong was unwilling to give up and wanted to squeeze into the room with Hongjun. Hongjun's eyes showed a pleading expression and poked him with the peach blossom. Li Jinglong could only give in in the end.
Just as Hongjun was about to close the door, Li Jinglong waved at him and motioned for him to come over. He broke the peach blossom between Hongjun's fingers with one hand and covered the back of his neck with the other, kissing him on the lips. Hongjun's face turned red. Afraid that he would wake up his companions and not let Li Jinglong kiss him, he hurriedly hid inside and shut Li Jinglong outside.
Li Jinglong stood there for a while before turning to return to his room.
Hongjun did not light the lamp. He lay on the bed, his heart thumping wildly. Everything that happened this night was so sudden, like an extremely unreal dream. Until now, he still could not believe it.
He could not help but press the back of his hand against his lips. He recalled the temperature of Li Jinglong's body, his broad chest, and that passionate and unreserved kiss … It made him extremely infatuated. All kinds of complicated emotions intertwined together. It seemed to be very close, but he did not dare to get too close. He was afraid that he would be burned to ashes like a moth to a flame.
What was Li Jinglong doing?
Hongjun hugged the quilt and sat up. They had just separated, but he could not help but think of him again. Ah, ah, ah, why did I drive him away just now! At this time, he felt that he had a lot of things to say to Li Jinglong.
Li Jinglong returned to his room and closed the door. He let out a long sigh and stood there in a daze for a while. He rummaged around and found a bottle. He bent down and silently walked through the corridor. He inserted the peach blossom into the bottle and placed it outside Hongjun's door. After a while, he thought that Hongjun might have knocked the bottle when he opened the door, so he went to take the peach blossom back. He played with the peach blossom in his hand and could not help but laugh. He returned to his room and lay on the bed. He looked up at the peach blossom in his hand and casually turned it around.
Hongjun hugged the quilt and lay on his side. Just like every night when they were outside together, he hugged Li Jinglong. However, he could not fall asleep no matter what. He only felt that his chest was stuffy. He was so nervous that he even felt a little nauseous. His head was dizzy and he rolled around with the quilt.
At four o 'clock, Li Jinglong opened the door. Shirtless, he scooped a ladle of water from the well and poured it on his back.
At five o 'clock, Li Jinglong came out again. He scooped a ladle of water and poured it on his back.
In the morning, white fog filled the air. Everyone in the Exorcism Division was sleeping. Hongjun's eyes were open. He did not sleep all night. His heart was tossing and turning, filled with memories of the two of them together. Li Jinglong changed his clothes and left the Exorcism Division.
In the 16 years of his life, Hongjun was so exhausted for the first time. In the past, he would fall asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow. But today, even when the sun was hazy, he still could not fall asleep.
After an unknown period of time, he was in a daze. In his half-asleep state, he heard Lu Xu and Mo Rigen talking in the courtyard. Only then did he get up sleepily.
Ashina Chong: "Good morning, Madam Chief Inspector."
Mo Rigen: "Good morning, Madam."
Hongjun: "…"
Atay: "Madam, Chief Inspector bought you cherries."
Lu Xu supported her forehead with one hand and could not help but laugh in front of the table.
The Carp Demon rubbed his hands and stood outside the door like a fly at a loss. He said, "Hongjun …"
"Don't call me Madam!" Hongjun said frantically.
The Carp Demon looked at Hongjun pitifully. Hongjun saw a bowl for washing up by the well and even boiled some water. He said, "Zhao Zilong is still the best."
"Second Brother boiled it for you." The Carp Demon stammered.
Hongjun: "…"
"Can I eat one, Madam?" Even Lu Xu could not resist. There were only two cherries on the table, but they were too tempting. There was also tea.
Hongjun brushed his teeth and said expressionlessly, "Lu Xu, I'm going to beat you up. You can eat one before I beat you up. "
Lu Xu cheered. Mo Rigen said, "How much do you want to eat? I'll buy it for you."
"Didn't you run out of money?"
"…"
Hongjun asked the Carp Demon, "Where's Chief Shi?"
The Carp Demon told Hongjun that Li Jinglong received a case early in the morning and went out. In the end, the Carp Demon asked, "Hongjun, you and him …"
Everyone heard Li Jinglong's confession yesterday.
Hongjun could only brace himself and say, "Yeah."
"Yeah?" The Carp Demon looked like it was struck by lightning.
"Yeah?!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah?!"
The Carp Demon was about to burst into tears, but it had nowhere to go. It could only twist its tail and jump into the pond.
"Zhao Zilong!" Hongjun said, "Come out, I think we need to talk."
The Carp Demon popped its head out. Hongjun squatted by the pond and ate cherries. He picked up some of the crumbs that fell and fed it to the Carp Demon. The Carp Demon opened its fish mouth and ate it.
"Why do you hate Chief Shi so much?" Hongjun asked.
The Carp Demon said, "His Sword of Wisdom is used to kill you! That's your fate! "
Hongjun looked at the Carp Demon and fed it a cherry. The Carp Demon ate it and spat out the seed with a pop.
"I know," Hongjun said softly, "but I like him."
As Hongjun said this, he saw Lu Xu standing in the corridor with a smile in his eyes. The two of them looked at each other.
"Lu Xu is right," Hongjun said again. "Jinglong is also right, people have to face themselves."
The Carp Demon was speechless.
"Just like I'm Tianma and you're a carp," Hongjun said again. "No one can say for sure what the future will be like, but at least I'm very happy now."
Hongjun touched the Carp Demon's head and said, "Dad always said that it's very difficult to be a demon. After cultivating for a hundred years, you'll have to go through small tribulations and big tribulations. If you want to become a dragon, there are thousands of tribulations waiting in front of you …"
"Chief Shi said that he likes me, so he wants to go through the tribulations with me. We'll die together, or we'll live together."
— Volume Two — Nine-colored Deer — End —