Chapter 9: I Want You to Be My Forbidden Plaything — Shocking! My Good Brother Actually…
When Su Huan turned around, Xiao Jianming had already withdrawn all the malice on his face, revealing a smile that was gentle enough.
He looked truly like a gentle, steady, and empathetic senior brother comforting a close friend.
The jade slip inscribed in golden ink was cool and translucent. Su Huan held it in his arms, his once dull and lifeless eyes regaining their luster.
Meeting Xiao Jianming’s smile, Su Huan’s clear eyes were tainted with a smile, and even his tone carried a bit more joy: “Many thanks to Dashixiong for revealing this secret technique to me. Once I take first place in the Immortal Sects, I can save Little Zhao!”
As soon as the words fell, a crack suddenly appeared in the smile on Xiao Jianming’s face. “You’ve lost half your Golden Core; how can you possibly take first place?”
Su Huan didn’t notice anything wrong with him at all. Unconcerned, he said confidently, “What does that matter? Half a Golden Core plus the Jialan Secret Technique is enough.”
The Jialan Secret Technique was a life-burning skill from the inner sect of the Buddhist Sect in the west of Huayao Continent. It could briefly boost cultivation, and if one’s life was long enough, it could even allow a cultivator to challenge those of a higher realm.
“By the way, when the time comes, you absolutely must not hold back. Let’s have a fair fight,” Su Huan laughed. “I don’t want you to yield first place to me just because you’re soft-hearted.”
He spoke as if he could truly defeat all the proud geniuses of the Four Great Immortal Sects and take first place.
Xiao Jianming remained calm on the surface, but sneered heavily in his heart, thinking: With a lifespan of less than five hundred years for a Golden Core, how many times can you burn it?
He lowered his eyes to hide the turbulent undercurrents beneath them and said softly, “You really don’t need to go through all this trouble. After I get first place, I will naturally bring the Glazed Immortal Grass to you.”
“After all, you are my only friend.”
Su Huan was stunned. His eyes revealed a look of “it can be like that?”, mixed with a bit of temptation and inner conflict.
The spiritual energy around him fluctuated accordingly.
The smile on Xiao Jianming’s face deepened a few degrees.
Yes, just like that. Let greed grow toward me.
There is no one in this world who does not harbor evil delusions.
However, after a moment of fluctuation, the spiritual energy around the youth returned to calmness, as pure and unadulterated as ever.
The conflict in Su Huan’s eyes dissipated, and he scratched his head somewhat shyly. “But this way, it’s too unfair to you.”
Xiao Jianming’s smile froze. Unaware, Su Huan continued, “Even though we are best friends, that Glazed Immortal Grass is so precious, yet I cannot bring out anything of equal value to exchange with you. You would ultimately lose out. If I truly did that, my state of mind would inevitably be damaged, and I would harbor guilt for the rest of my life.”
“If I go get the Glazed Immortal Grass myself—if I succeed, everyone will be happy. If I can’t get it, then I can only blame my own inability to save Little Zhao. It is my fate.”
As he spoke, Su Huan suddenly figured it out. The heavy stone in his heart unknowingly lifted significantly, his state of mind becoming clear and transparent again.
Yes. Gaining it is my fortune; losing it is my fate.
I just need to work hard for it.
So that’s how it is. Realization dawned in Xiao Jianming’s heart. He chuckled lightly and said, “Since you say we are best friends, why are you so distant with me? I am willing to let you take advantage of me.”
Su Huan was stunned upon hearing this, the conflict reappearing on his face.
Seeing this, a secret excitement rose in Xiao Jianming’s heart. Somewhat impatiently and faintly coaxing, he continued to persuade him, “Perhaps it’s just because you’ve been a big brother since childhood and are used to handling everything on your own, so you’re not used to it. But friends should help each other, shouldn’t they?”
Su Huan looked increasingly conflicted.
Xiao Jianming’s smile deepened. Just when he thought Su Huan was finally about to fall into greed, he heard Su Huan ask with some difficulty, “Do… do you think I can’t take first place?”
Then, Su Huan suddenly laughed out loud, patting his chest and boasting, “Rest assured. Although I can’t compare to your natural talent, I also have a rare high-grade Metal Spirit Root. I consider myself diligent enough usually. Within the Four Great Immortal Sects, I can count only two people who can rival me. Although I am missing half a Golden Core now, the Jialan Secret Technique is enough to make up for it. So I also have the strength to compete for first place!”
As his voice fell, the dim inner chamber fell into silence.
Xiao Jianming’s mask of gentleness cracked completely.
Four words suddenly popped up in his mind—
Doesn’t know what’s good for him.
Su Huan was still chattering away, arguing, “If you don’t believe me, let’s go have a match right now,” but Xiao Jianming had no patience to listen anymore.
Xiao Jianming was in a very bad mood. He reached out abruptly and grabbed the youth who was muttering about going outside to compete with him. The force of his hand revealed the gloom in his heart, gripping so hard that the youth couldn’t help but hiss softly, “What are you doing? You’re hurting me.”
But Xiao Jianming turned a deaf ear, dragging him to the corner of the wall. The usual peace on his face was gone, replaced by dark clouds, cold as ice, his breath like frost: “Yes, you can’t take first place.”
Su Huan slammed into the cold stone wall, severe pain instantly surging up his spine. A trace of anger rose in his heart. Just as he was about to question why he was acting like this, he was stunned by his words.
He saw Xiao Jianming gripping his wrist, almost ruthlessly saying even more baffling words, one by one: “Only I will be first. You can only beg me.”
Su Huan looked at him in disbelief. “…What did you say?”
Xiao Jianming laughed, a light and dismissive laugh. He spoke slowly, uttering sentences Su Huan couldn’t comprehend: “I’ve changed my mind now… Instead of luring you to be greedy and addicted to my kindness, it’s better to trample you ruthlessly into the mud and make you hate me to the bone.”
As he spoke, a method that he considered most humiliating suddenly surfaced in Xiao Jianming’s mind, instantly improving his mood: “I also want you to be my forbidden plaything, to become my accessory…”
Slap!
Xiao Jianming’s head was knocked to the side by the slap.
Su Huan simply couldn’t believe it. When he reacted, his hand had already swung out. His pale fingertips trembled incessantly, and he could barely speak through gritted teeth: “Dashixiong, h-how could you have such thoughts?! You actually want me to be your forbidden plaything? How can you do that!”
Xiao Jianming tilted his head.
He noticed that the golden spiritual energy lingering around the youth finally fluctuated violently, faintly giving birth to familiar thoughts. Like a lake with turbulent undercurrents, waiting only for the wind and waves to give a push, it would whip up monstrous waves to swallow him.
The corner of his mouth slowly hooked into a smile.
Sure enough, only hatred is the best fertilizer to nourish evil and delusional thoughts.
“Why not?”
Su Huan’s eyes widened, unable to believe he could be so self-righteous. He watched as Xiao Jianming took a step forward, looking down at him from above. His fingertips lifted a strand of Su Huan’s dark hair, only to be slapped away indignantly. He didn’t mind, his gaze appraising him frivolously. “Your aptitude is one in ten thousand, and you are beautiful. You are barely worthy of me.”
“As long as you agree to be my forbidden plaything, I will help you get the Glazed Immortal Grass in five years to save your mortal brother.”
“If you don’t agree…” I will kill you.
Xiao Jianming wanted to say the unfinished words, but was caught off guard by another slap.
Even a clay figurine has some fire in it. Just as he was about to teach him a lesson, he turned his gaze and saw the magma of rage bursting from Su Huan’s eyes—so vivid and bright.
The anger in Xiao Jianming’s heart dissipated instantly. The tip of his tongue traced the inner wall of his cheek, which had been slapped until it bled.
Forget it, he thought.
It would be a pity to kill such a vibrant and beautiful person.
If it truly reached the point where even the threat of death couldn’t shake the other party in the slightest… subconsciously, another possibility emerged in Xiao Jianming’s mind, causing his gaze to go blank for a moment.
Just thinking about that possibility made his mind sway unconsciously. Like a person imprisoned in a chaotic dead sea of despair suddenly seeing a ray of life.
Longing for it for so long, yet afraid to touch it.
A trace of confusion arose in his pitch-black eyes, followed by a voice in his heart—
…Does that possibility really exist?
Can the youth before me really become my faith?
However, he paused to ponder for too long. After delivering that slap, the youth seemed unable to accept it any longer, shoving him away and running out.
By the time Xiao Jianming had thought of a new punishment, the youth was nowhere to be seen.
“If you don’t agree, I will break your hands and feet, lock you in a dungeon where the sun never shines, and have you entertain me every day…”
The reconstituted threat was all spoken to the air.
Author’s Note:
Dog Xiao doesn’t like Huanhuan yet; he just wants to see Huanhuan generate evil delusions [Doge face] / Short update.
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