The courage Su Luowei had painstakingly mustered evaporated the moment she met her gaze. She knew she had been too impulsive and was aware that she had no bargaining chips to exchange with the other party. But she had no choice—there was no retreat for her anymore.
Lowering her head, Su Luowei wrapped herself tightly in the cloak and softly recounted her situation to the woman in front of her.
After listening, the woman who called herself Meng Shuying didn't respond immediately. Instead, she reached into her storage pouch and pulled out a set of clothes, tossing them to Su Luowei.
The fabric was soft and finely crafted, far more expensive than anything Su Luowei would dare to look at, let alone wear.
Huddled under the blanket, Su Luowei quickly slipped into the clothes. Then she silently moved to the bedside, allowing Meng Shuying to place her hand on her shoulder, channeling spiritual energy into her.
As the spiritual energy flowed, Su Luowei sneaked a glance at Meng Shuying. Her expression was calm, her gaze distant, and her lips pressed into a thin line, maintaining an air of detachment.
It didn't take long for Su Luowei to feel completely rejuvenated. Hesitating, she gently moved away from Meng Shuying's hand and knelt on the bed, bowing her head in supplication. "Please, Immortal, save my sister."
Meng Shuying silently glanced at her.
Tears welled up in Su Luowei's eyes, ready to fall, making her look pitiful. Her delicate features were framed by the fine fabric of the clothes, and though she appeared frail, her figure was graceful.
"I've already saved you out of the goodness of my heart," Meng Shuying replied coolly. "As for anything else, it's no longer my concern."
Xie Hanzhu sighed and was about to help the girl up.
However, the girl was stubborn. She wept softly and refused to rise, tears streaming down her face.
Meng Shuying listened to her crying for a while before she couldn't bear it anymore and spoke softly, "It's not that I don't want to save her, but—"
She slowly pulled back her collar, revealing the demonic markings spiraling up from her shoulder. "As you can see, I have demon blood running through my veins. I'm of the same origin as those demons. Asking me to save her means you're asking the wrong person."
Upon seeing the terrifying demonic markings on Meng Shuying's body, the girl, who had been immovable, suddenly showed fear. She nearly collapsed onto the bed, retreating hastily in terror.
This was the reaction Meng Shuying expected. Ordinary mortals should react like this when they see a demon like her.
Meng Shuying calmly adjusted her collar, no longer looking at the people in the room, and turned to leave.
Su Luowei stayed in the room for three days, during which Meng Shuying did not return once. Only Xie Hanzhu visited her occasionally, bringing her some mortal food.
It was hard to tell where she had obtained such food in this icy, snowy land, but the hot red bean porridge with osmanthus honey and the steaming meat buns were a far cry from what Su Luowei had eaten since Kunlun's fall. For the first time in a long while, she tasted proper food, and she was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes.
She thanked Xie Hanzhu, who quickly waved her off. "Cooking is such a hassle. I didn't make it. If you want to thank someone, you should thank her."
Having known Meng Shuying for years at the peak of Kunlun Mountain, Xie Hanzhu believed she understood her character well. Although she didn't know why Meng Shuying was suddenly so kind to this mortal girl, she was pleased to see a hint of humanity in her.
"Don't be fooled by her cold demeanor; she's actually quite nice. And those demonic markings on her? They just look scary."
Xie Hanzhu observed the girl's expression as she continued, pretending to sigh, "Things are much better now. There was a time when she couldn't fully control the demonic energy in her body, and the markings would even appear on her face. Many who sought her out for help were so frightened by the sight of the markings that they attacked her under the guise of eradicating demons. Over time, she became disillusioned and lost interest in mortal affairs."
Su Luowei held her bowl of porridge, deep in thought.
Xie Hanzhu took a large gulp of her own porridge before adding, "Since she doesn't want to help you, it's best for you to head down the mountain while you still have time and seek help from someone else. But remember, she saved your life, so you should properly say goodbye before you leave."
The moon hung high in the sky, full and bright tonight. The demonic energy within Meng Shuying surged more violently than usual.
Normally, her spiritual energy would keep it suppressed, but with the full moon overhead, her spiritual energy was rapidly weakening, and the overwhelming backlash of demonic energy was causing her immense pain. Her head hung low, sweat pouring down her pale face. The demonic markings on her neck seemed to come alive, struggling to crawl upward.
Hongdou paced anxiously outside the door. Unable to bear it any longer, she finally knocked on the door. "Master, if it's too much, I could go down the mountain and grab a mortal woman. Afterward...I could always return her."
The room remained silent, and Hongdou, on the verge of desperation, almost transformed into her true form to forcibly bring someone back.
At that moment, she saw Su Luowei.
Compared to when Meng Shuying first saved her, Su Luowei's complexion had improved significantly. She was wearing the white padded dress Meng Shuying had given her, with a fine layer of white rabbit fur lining the collar, soft and warm.
Her delicate chin was hidden in the fluffy rabbit fur, with only her eyes exposed, clear and innocent like a fawn emerging in the thaw of spring.
A plan formed in Hongdou's mind. She approached and blocked Su Luowei's path, staring at her for a long moment before seemingly making up her mind. "What price are you willing to pay to save your sister?"
"Any price."
Su Luowei had never seen Hongdou before, but looking at the small girl standing in the freezing cold with only a thin dress, she instinctively understood that this person might be her last hope to save her sister. She hurriedly repeated, "I'm willing to do anything to save my sister."
Only Hongdou and Meng Shuying knew that with every full moon, the demonic bloodline within Meng Shuying's body caused her to be overwhelmed not only by demonic energy but also by a deep, innate desire that was etched into her very being.
This desire was like a blazing fire, intensifying the more it was suppressed.
From deep within Yanmo Residence, the sound of heavy objects crashing to the floor could be heard. In the darkness where the moonlight couldn't reach, Meng Shuying's outer robe had slipped to her waist, exposing her smooth back covered in those living, breathing demonic markings.
Su Luowei pushed open the door, taking a long time to adjust to the darkness inside. She noticed that the commotion had temporarily ceased, and, suppressing her fear, she took small steps forward.
"Meng-jie… are you okay?"
Even though she was scared to the point of tears, she still summoned the courage to approach the darkest part of the room.
As if hearing her voice, Meng Shuying tilted her head slightly, casting a glance in her direction.
Her eyes gleamed in the dark like a beast lurking in the night, ready to pounce and sink its teeth into its prey's neck.
The next moment, Su Luowei felt something like a rope around her waist, pulling her forward until she was dragged in front of Meng Shuying, who loomed over her.
Su Luowei smelled the lily-of-the-valley scent on herself mingling with the plum blossom fragrance emanating from Meng Shuying. The combined scents made her face flush and her body heat up.
Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst out of her chest.
"Meng-jie…"
Meng Shuying pressed against her, planting light kisses on the corner of her mouth, then moving to her earlobe and down to her neck.
"You smell… so good."
Her teeth lightly grazed Su Luowei's pale, delicate skin, just above the faint blue veins.
Before she could do anything more, Su Luowei began trembling uncontrollably.
She felt a hand move up her back and then slowly slide down to her thigh, caressing her skin with a teasing touch, fingers tightening and releasing.
"Did you come to save me?" Meng Shuying whispered against her vulnerable neck, nuzzling it, her voice husky and tinged with confusion.
Su Luowei's heart skipped a beat, her mind swirling as if she had drunk peach blossom wine. She had to bite her tongue hard to regain a fleeting moment of clarity.
"Meng-jie, will you help me save my sister?"
Meng Shuying lowered her gaze, staring at her for a long time. Disappointment briefly flickered across her face.
She withdrew her hand and her half-exposed fangs, then gently held Su Luowei's shoulders, intending to push her away.
Perhaps it was the vulnerability in Meng Shuying's expression that stirred something deep within Su Luowei. An unexpected surge of courage welled up inside her. She moved closer, gently holding Meng Shuying's shoulders, and slowly began to kiss her, starting from her brow, then down to the tip of her nose, and finally, softly pressing her lips against Meng Shuying's.
It was a tender, delicate kiss.
Meng Shuying responded by kissing her back, slowly at first, then more deeply, her lips seeking out Su Luowei's tongue with careful precision. Su Luowei found herself struggling to catch her breath, letting out soft whimpers that were barely audible, her sounds muffled and restrained.
Su Luowei had a vague idea of what might happen next. Though she was unmarried, her years of wandering from place to place had acquainted her with the ways of the world. She was not entirely ignorant of matters of intimacy.
She remained compliant, obedient, even trying her best to cooperate.
From beginning to end, she made no sound, only letting out a small, startled cry when her skin was exposed to the cold air.
Meng Shuying's body was incredibly warm, almost as if it could melt her. The demonic markings on her neck seemed to come alive, slowly creeping up to cover half of her face.
In that moment, Meng Shuying felt as if her mind had split in two, creating two versions of herself.
One part whispered that this girl was only willing to submit to her in exchange for help to save her sister.
The other part argued, what does it matter if she is using you? At least she doesn't despise you. She's willing to hold you.
But at the last moment, Meng Shuying stopped.
She heard herself say, "Even if you do this, I still won't… help you save your sister."
Su Luowei lay back on the bed, remaining silent for a long time before finally murmuring a soft, "Okay." Feeling embarrassed, she pulled the blanket over her head, hiding her face.
The room was pitch black, but Meng Shuying could see everything clearly. Su Luowei's face, neck, and all the way down to the parts normally covered by her undergarments, were tinged with a soft pink hue.
She looked like the first blossom of a peach tree in early spring.
They were so close that Meng Shuying's hair brushed against Su Luowei's face. Unable to avoid it, Su Luowei grabbed a lock of her hair and bit down on it, her mind in a haze. In some moments, she inadvertently let slip what was on her mind.
"You can hurry up, you know."
The demonic markings on Meng Shuying's face now covered half of it, giving her an otherworldly appearance. Her eyes were dark, like a stormy sea, filled with unfathomable depths.
"It's you who should hurry," Meng Shuying replied, her voice low and intense. "Later, don't cry."