Chu Wanning's incredulity could no longer be captured in words.
His eyes opened wide, and he stared at the Mo Ran in his dream as if he
were staring at a ghost.
The grown-up Mo Weiyu was gallant, with broad shoulders and long
legs, and half a head taller than himself. When he looked down at Chu
Wanning, amusement and mockery could both be found in the corners of his
eyes.
"This venerable one's dear shizun really ought to take a look in the
mirror." Mo Ran's finger slid along Chu Wanning's cheek to rest by his ear,
his eyes dark and threatening.
A moment passed in silence, then he let out a cold hmph and abruptly
leaned over. This lean was accompanied by a soft, searing-hot sensation as
he captured Chu Wanning's lips with his own.
Caught completely off guard, Chu Wanning's head hummed with white
noise. Something in his mind seemed to…snap…
Mo Ran was kissing him, and Mo Ran's breath invaded him, moist,
agitated, full of filthy, sinful desire.
Lips met roughly with the scraping of teeth as stormy waves surged in
Chu Wanning's chest. He was nearly shivering with fright, his phoenix eyes
wide open and his mind equal parts furious and stupefied. In this dream, it
was as if he had lost his spiritual powers. He could hardly even gather his
physical strength. Instead he was held tightly against Mo Ran's chest and
couldn't remotely struggle free of his grip.
For some reason, the Mo Ran in this dream was wholly different from
the one Chu Wanning knew. That deferential ingratiation had vanished,
replaced by a domineering presence.
He could distinctly feel Mo Ran's heated breaths as he exhaled, low
and rapid, animalistic desire searing like lava and threatening to melt him
down, flesh and bone alike.
Chu Wanning's face was pale with anger, nearly about to spit blood.
He never could have imagined that he would be held down by Mo Ran
without the strength to resist. Even harder to accept was the heat gathering in
his abdomen and the weakness in his fingers from the wet, frantic friction of
these kisses. He trembled in Mo Ran's embrace; Mo Ran's chest was
furiously hot, so hot that it was like Chu Wanning would be burned and
drowned even through the layers of fabric. He wanted desperately to
struggle, but he couldn't summon the strength.
By the time they parted, Chu Wanning's legs were boneless. Mo Ran,
still holding him, turned to press his face against the back of his ear. Chu
Wanning felt the caress of warm, damp breaths at the base of his neck as Mo
Ran panted. Then he heard Mo Ran say, "Didn't you want to discuss
conditions with this venerable one?"
His voice was hoarse, so much so that it sounded nearly unfamiliar to
Chu Wanning.
Chu Wanning looked down only to see the jut of Mo Ran's throat
bobbing, a swallowing motion as he fought a losing battle to maintain
control.
"But you own little of value to this venerable one, so you'll have to
bargain with the last remaining thing in your possession."
Chu Wanning's voice grew hoarse as well, but he didn't know if it was
from anger or desire. Quietly, he asked, "What do you mean?"
Mo Ran backed him into a wall, then abruptly raised a hand to strike
the hard surface. The other hand closed tightly around Chu Wanning's
shackled wrist. Not without malicious spite, but also not without timid
desire, he bent down to capture the lobe of an ear between his lips.
Chu Wanning shuddered violently, a frightening numbness shooting up
his spine and spreading over his scalp.
Mo Ran's voice was husky, his breaths heavy and oppressive. "Let me
screw you, and I'll let you have what you demand."
Chu Wanning's eyes shot wide open, the wetness in his gaze colored
with arousal, but even more with disbelief.
Mo Ran's hand had already felt its way to Chu Wanning's waist, and
his lips moved against the side of his neck. He spoke venomous words in the
tenderest tone. "However, this venerable one loathes Shizun so very much, so
it'll probably be hard to summon any interest in Shizun's body. You'll have to
work a little to make it worth my while."
Mo Ran paused before pulling him in even closer, still stroking his
waist.
"So really, think it over. If you're willing, then get on your knees like a
good boy and put your mouth to work. Serve me well. Then go spread
yourself on the bed and beg me to fuck you."
Chu Wanning was about to lose it.
The virtuous, proud, pure, austere Yuheng Elder kept his distance from
men and women alike and indulged in neither erotic art nor amorous song,
ever incorruptibly chaste and aloof. Or, in simpler words, he knew
practically nothing of matters of love and lust.
And so, very unfortunately for him, in spite of his anger, all of his
defenses fell apart in the face of this intense, unfamiliar feeling. He was
utterly defeated.
Mo Ran waited for a short while but received no reaction. He cursed
under his breath and started kissing Chu Wanning again, unable to hold back.
He pulled back after having had his fill of his shizun's lips, trailing a
translucent thread—before biting down none too gently on Chu Wanning's
neck, licking and kissing along it to his shoulder, his ear.
Chu Wanning's scalp grew even more numb when Mo Ran began to
roughly pull and tear at his robes, muttering, "What're you pretending to be
so virtuous and saintly for?!" as he ripped.
When Chu Wanning lifted his eyes to look at him, Mo Ran's gaze was
heated, crazed, a strange light in the corners of his eyes like longaccumulated hatred finally spilling forth.
But also like, after long years of restraint, the screaming-hot lava of
desire that had been trapped under layers of rocks was finally overflowing.
Chu Wanning wanted to look away, as if burned by the intensity of Mo
Ran's predatory gaze, but Mo Ran saw through his intentions and gripped his
face before he could.
"Look at me." Mo Ran's voice was rough and heated, shaking faintly
from arousal—or perhaps something else—and filled with the craving of a
beast about to devour its prey. "I said, look at me!"
Chu Wanning shakily closed his eyes.
This dream was far too absurd…
"Shizun." The voice by his ear suddenly became soft and warm, more
akin to the tone with which Chu Wanning was familiar. "Shizun, wake up."
Chu Wanning blearily made out Mo Ran's face hovering mere inches
from his own. He instantly reacted with a fierce and well-aimed slap that
landed soundly on the boy's cheek.
Mo Ran, caught off guard, ate the slap head-on. He let out an, "ah,"
and opened his eyes wide. "Shizun! What was that for?"
Chu Wanning didn't reply as he sat up, his phoenix eyes flickering with
anger and alarm. His body was still shaking slightly, dream and reality
blending together and driving him mad.
"Shizun…"
"Stay away!" Chu Wanning shouted harshly, brows lowered in a
scowl.
Mo Ran was startled by this extreme reaction, and a while passed
before he asked cautiously, "Did you have a nightmare?"
Nightmare… That's right, it was a dream…It was just a dream. Chu
Wanning stared blankly at the person in front of him for quite a while before
he was able to slowly collect the pieces of his composure.
He was lying in the library at the Red Lotus Pavilion. Loyalty Hall and
the grown-up Mo Ran were nowhere to be seen. The only thing in front of
him was a face that was as yet young and childlike.
Finally fully awake, Chu Wanning paused for a moment to school his
expression into one of propriety as he made a show of rearranging his
clothes. His slender fingers still shook slightly as he suppressed the agitation
and unease that yet remained, and it was only after a pause that he said, "Mn.
I was dreaming and…hitting someone."
Mo Ran rubbed the redness on his cheek and let out a little hiss of
pain. "What was Shizun dreaming about? What a forceful hit…"
Embarrassment flashed across Chu Wanning's features. He pressed his
lips together and, turning a bit away, loftily said nothing.
His face was as calm waters, but his heart was full of wildly crashing
waves. He could practically feel his own pride on the verge of shattering into
a million tiny pieces. He couldn't believe that he would dream of something
so unspeakably preposterous, of such filthy words. How absolutely
shameless! How could he even call himself a teacher anymore?
Even worse, his useless body had reacted to that humiliating dream.
He felt like he was about to have a breakdown…
Thankfully, his robes were wide and loose-fitting, hiding his shame
from the eyes of others.
Chu Wanning's face still darkened gloomily as he propped his
forehead in one hand. He couldn't grab the dream Mo Ran to vent his anger,
but there was an available alternative right in front of his eyes, who had
conveniently delivered himself to Chu Wanning's door. So, glowering, he
asked sullenly, "What are you doing, barging into my private quarters in the
middle of the night like you own the Red Lotus Pavilion? Since when were
you the Yuheng Elder?"
Mo Ran could not immediately reply. First a slap for no reason, then a
thorough tongue-lashing. He felt a little wronged and mumbled in a tiny
voice, "What's got you so mad this time?"
Chu Wanning scowled. "I'm not mad. I'm going back to sleep—get
out!"
"But Shizun, it's already morning."
Chu Wanning paused.
"I only dared to enter the Red Lotus Pavilion without permission to
look for you because we've been waiting at the Platform of Sin and Virtue
for quite a while, but Shizun never came."
After a long, long moment of silence, Chu Wanning opened a shuttered
window. Sure enough, the sun had already risen a ways into the sky, the birds
were singing, and the bugs were buzzing.
Chu Wanning's scowl grew even darker. He looked like he might
summon Tianwen and start whipping it about at any second.
To think he had actually been immersed in an erotic dream all the way
through to early morning. On top of that, if Mo Ran hadn't come looking for
him, the dream might have even continued—
The thought made the vein at Chu Wanning's temple throb, and where
his grip tightened on the window frame, the joints of his fingers turned pale
like jade.
Chu Wanning practiced mental cultivation, which involved cultivating
his mind with restraint and discipline, and made him proficient in
suppressing desires. Before this, he'd never even had an unbecoming thought,
much less an erotic dream.
His principles being what they were, Chu Wanning was like a wooden
man: stupid, clumsy, and on top of that, stiff. His mental cultivation was so
advanced that he had entirely severed himself from all desire, and when he
had nothing else to do, he often looked down in contempt on pairs of lovers
and dual cultivation partners, feeling quite self-satisfied that he was virtuous
and incorruptible.
Who could've anticipated that in the end, he would fall like this? At
the hands of his own disciple.
The wise, strong, noble, and aloof Chu-zongshi dared not even look at
Mo Ran as he furiously spat out, "Hurry and come with me to the Platform of
Sin and Virtue for morning practice!" before abruptly turning and leaving,
vanishing in an instant.
Xue Meng and Shi Mei had been waiting for a long while and were
sitting in the shade of a tree chatting when Chu Wanning arrived.
Shi Mei was distraught. "Shizun is never tardy. Did something happen?
It's so late, and he's still nowhere to be seen."
Xue Meng was even more distressed. "Didn't Mo Ran go looking for
Shizun? It's been a while and he's still not back. If I'd known this was gonna
happen, I would've gone with him. I hope Shizun's not sick!"
"Shizun's shoulder wound was quite severe, even after proper care,"
said Shi Mei. "And he's prone to falling ill, so that's not unlikely…"
At this, Xue Meng grew even more restless until he abruptly stood. "I
can't wait anymore. We can't count on that unreliable mutt Mo Ran—I'm
gonna go check on Shizun myself!"
But when he turned around, there was Chu Wanning, pristine robes
fluttering as he strode over.
"Shizun!" the pair beneath the tree called out simultaneously.
"I got held up by some business," Chu Wanning said. "We're doing
martial practice today. Let's go."
When Chu Wanning wasn't paying attention, Shi Mei turned to Mo
Ran, who was following behind him. "Is Shizun all right?" he asked in a low
voice. "What was the holdup?"
Mo Ran rolled his eyes. "He just overslept."
"Eh?"
"Shh, act like you don't know." Mo Ran rubbed his cheek, still sore
from the slap. He definitely didn't want an encore.
Shi Mei blinked. "Why's your left cheek so red?"
"If you keep asking, my right cheek's gonna join it," Mo Ran said
quietly. "Let it be. Let's just hurry and follow."
When they arrived at the practice field, Chu Wanning instructed Mo
Ran and Shi Mei to have a practice match first, keeping Xue Meng behind.
"Sit," said Chu Wanning.
Although Xue Meng didn't know the reason for the command, he
always treated his shizun's every word like law. He promptly complied,
sitting down on the spot.
Chu Wanning sat down across from him. "The Spiritual Mountain
Competition is in three years. What are your plans?"
Xue Meng looked down, and a moment passed before he said through
gritted teeth, "To win."
If Chu Wanning had asked him this before their trip to Jincheng Lake,
Xue Meng would have answered arrogantly and with certainty. Now all that
was left behind this word was a simple, stubborn refusal to give up his pride.
It wasn't that he had no self-awareness, but rather that he refused to just step
aside and hand his title of "darling of the heavens" to someone else without a
fight.
Having ground out these words, Xue Meng snuck a glance at Chu
Wanning, his heart filled with anxiety.
Chu Wanning was looking at him without the slightest bit of any
derision or doubt. He only said, simply, "Good."
Xue Meng's eyes immediately lit up, and he stumbled over his words
in his excitement. "Shizun, do you think—do you think I can still… I…"
"My disciples don't give up without a fight."
"Shizun…"
"Outstanding youths from all sects participate in the Spiritual
Mountain Competition. Those without holy weapons will naturally be no
match for you, but even if your opponent does wield one, there's no need for
you to be afraid. A holy weapon isn't the sort of thing one can easily master
in a short period of time. Although your blade, Longcheng, is slightly lesser
in comparison, it is nevertheless a superb, high-quality weapon of mortal
craftsmanship. As long as you diligently train and practice for these next
three years, winning is certainly not outside the realm of possibility for you."
It was well known that Chu-zongshi had a discerning eye and solid
judgment in the realm of the martial arts. Furthermore, he wasn't the type of
person to tell encouraging white lies out of sympathy. Therefore Xue Meng's
spirits were lifted a great deal by these words. "Does Shizun really mean
it?"
Chu Wanning narrowed his eyes. "How old are you, Xue Meng?" he
asked lightly. "I don't coddle anyone over the age of five."
Xue Meng, a little embarrassed, rubbed his nose and grinned.
"Victory and defeat are not something you can control," Chu Wanning
continued. "What's important is to take pride in yourself. Just do your best
and don't worry overmuch about the result."
"Got it!" Xue Meng answered.
Having eased Xue Meng's worries, Chu Wanning headed toward the
practice field. He approached from the end where the training dummies were
located. In order to prevent disciples from accidentally injuring those who
passed by while they sparred with the dummies, this area had been built a
distance way. One had to walk down a long corridor and turn a corner to
reach it.
Shi Mei and Mo Ran were conversing with their backs toward Chu
Wanning, not too close and not too far away, just within hearing distance.
"You two…" Chu Wanning was about to call them over, but when he
laid eyes on the sight before him, he suddenly stopped talking.