Chapter 52 Accusation
Venus froze for three seconds before decisively shutting the door.
Poseidon, quick on his feet, used his elbow to block the door, and with a swift sidestep, he entered the room. “Turning your husband away at the door is not something a wife should do.”
The Black and White Impermanence, who had just stood up from the sofa, ready to confront the intruder, froze in place.
Poseidon was Venus’ husband?
Xie Bian and Fan Wujiu had met Poseidon once. During their trip to Fujian, they had stumbled upon a fight between the Greek God of Sea Poseidon and the Chinese Goddess of Sea Mazu. The dispute arose because Poseidon had attempted to cross the border illegally. Poseidon was forced to return to his country to sort out his visa.
When Venus had first arrived in China, he was in a very sorry state, searching for a safe place to hide. The Black and White Impermanence had assumed he was being chased by enemies, but they had never expected it to be Poseidon. It turned out that he was not only after him, but was also his husband.
The Black and White Impermanence exchanged glances, silently asking Venus if what Poseidon said was true.
Reluctantly, Venus nodded and introduced him, “My husband, the King of the Sea, Poseidon.”
He wanted to deny it, but he didn’t dare to do something stupid in front of Poseidon. When Poseidon was gentle, Venus could act recklessly. But if he triggered the darker side of the God of Sea, things could get ugly quickly.
Despite Poseidon’s soft smile, the cold, violent aura he exuded had Venus cowering in submission.
When Venus acknowledged his position as Poseidon’s legitimate wife to others, the darkness in Poseidon’s eyes faded just a little.
“Why do I remember hearing in the myths that Venus’ husband was Hephaestus……?” Fan Wujiu pondered for a moment, then shrugged, “Forget it. Rumors aren’t reliable. By the time the gossip from the Greek pantheon reaches here, it’s probably been twisted beyond recognition.”
But that wasn’t the point.
Xie Bian spoke up, “Has Your Majesty’s visa been processed?”
Poseidon turned his gaze toward the two Eastern immortals. “Are you the owners of this house?”
Well, not exactly. The landlord was King Yan.
Xie Bian remained calm, “We’re the ones who collect the rent.”
Poseidon nodded, then presented his visa. “I need to stay here long-term.”
He glanced at Venus. “In the same room with him.”
Venus reacted sharply. “No way! I’m already sharing a room with Cupid!”
Fan Wujiu, ever the pragmatist, said, “A two-bedroom, one-living room unit is perfect for a family of three.”
Venus desperately shot them a look — They had a deal! He promised to help them write that review in exchange for a refuge!
His review had already been submitted. The Black and White Impermanence couldn’t just ignore their duties and bring the danger to his doorstep.
Xie Bian remembered that detail. Indeed, as Chinese gods, they had to honor their word. If something was promised, it had to be delivered.
“Your Majesty, the rent here is very expensive, one million underworld coins per month,” Xie Bian said, without changing his expression, inflating the rent tenfold in an attempt to discourage Poseidon with the outrageous price.
Poseidon, unfamiliar with the currency of the Chinese underworld, simply pulled out a divine artifact. “Is this enough?”
Fan Wujiu was stunned. Divine artifacts were priceless and irreplaceable. Forget about renting a place, with a single artifact, one could buy the entire neighborhood.
As expected of the King of the Sea, when he made a move, it was always grand.
Xie Bian remained composed. “To claim long-term residence with just one divine artifact…… of course, that wouldn’t be……”
Poseidon showed no hesitation. “It will be one artifact every month.”
Xie Bian smoothly continued, without missing a beat, “……of course, that wouldn’t be a problem. Here is the key to Room 202. Please take it.”
He cast an apologetic glance at Venus. It wasn’t that he lacked loyalty, but the King of the Sea’s offer was simply too generous.
Fan Wujiu was envious. Was this what the world of wealthy gods was like?
If Poseidon truly had been an enemy of Venus, they would have risked everything today to prevent Poseidon from entering. After all, they had been neighbors for a while, and Cupid’s arrow had helped them achieve a positive outcome. They could consider themselves friends of Venus now.
But Poseidon and Venus were a married couple, and judging by Venus’ expression, he clearly wasn’t genuinely rejecting him. The first time he saw him after opening the door, his eyes lit up, clearly looking forward to his arrival. Xie Bian and Fan Wujiu both noticed these details.
Eyes don’t lie. Venus obviously liked Poseidon. No matter what kind of quarrels the couple had, they were smart enough not to meddle.
Fan Wujiu was still puzzled. Didn’t Venus understand love? Why had he acted so carefree and heartless when they chatted the other day?
“Quite lively. Are you having a party here?” A clear voice broke into the conversation, and a young man in a simple, elegant robe, with a face like carved jade, holding a folding fan, appeared out of nowhere in the living room.
“King Yan.” Xie Bian and Fan Wujiu greeted him in unison.
Yanluo noticed the unfamiliar blue-haired god in the room. He raised his fan to his lips and, tilting his head slightly, asked Fan Wujiu in a low voice, “Who is that?”
He had sensed a powerful force in the Yanluo Apartments. If a fight broke out, the Black and White Impermanence might not be enough to handle it, so he had come to assess the situation.
“Venus’ husband, the Greek God of Sea, Poseidon,” Fan Wujiu explained, “He offered to pay rent with a divine artifact every month and wants to stay in the same room as Venus.”
Yanluo raised an eyebrow. “He’s not the God of Sea.”
“What?” Fan Wujiu immediately grew alert. Could this be some unknown being disguised as Venus’ husband, intending to harm him?
Yanluo closed his fan with a snap. “He’s the God of Wealth.”
He stepped forward and bowed, performing the traditional Chinese greeting. “Isn’t it a joy to have friends come from afar? Welcome, King of the Sea, to our Yanluo Apartments. I am the landlord here, Yanluo, King of Hell.”
Fan Wujiu: “……”
Not at all surprised.
Poseidon could sense that the aura of this god was even stronger than the other two Eastern immortals. Judging by his title, he was a god-king level figure.
Poseidon placed his left hand on his right chest, responding with the greeting of the Greek pantheon, “A pleasure.”
The kings of both Eastern and Western pantheons exchanged a friendly greeting in their respective etiquette.
Room 202.
The apartment had two bedrooms. As soon as Poseidon arrived, he unceremoniously shoved Cupid into the second bedroom and took the master bedroom, where Venus had been staying.
Venus, holding a pillow, headed toward the second bedroom. “I’ll sleep with Cupid.”
Poseidon said flatly, “You dare?”
Venus: “……”
Venus stomped back to the master bedroom.
He didn’t dare.
“What are you throwing a tantrum for?” Poseidon grabbed his chin, forcing him to look up, and asked darkly, “Your wings have gotten stronger, so now you dare to fly away without a word?”
Venus glared at him fiercely, swatting his hand away. “What’s it to you? You’re always disappearing without telling me what you’re busy with. My wings are strong enough, so I can fly wherever I want. Do you still want to lock me up?”
Poseidon raised an eyebrow. “Is that your reason for running away?”
Venus snorted coldly, using the most arrogant tone to say the most cowardly words, “Running away? I’m not running away. I just came on a spontaneous trip.”
Poseidon gave a half-smile and said “Oh,” without exposing him.
Venus, thinking about Poseidon’s intention to stay here long-term, couldn’t help but ask, “Why didn’t you take me back with you?”
He had expected Poseidon to immediately drag him back to the sea and lock him up.
Poseidon raised an eyebrow. “You want to go home? Then let’s go back right now.”
Venus quickly said, “I was just asking! I’m not going back. It’s so boring under the sea.”
The outside world had changed so much, and Venus had already become enchanted with the modern, bustling world. After spending centuries beneath the sea, he was utterly tired of it.
“You can go wherever you want,” Poseidon said. “As long as you’re with me.”
Venus asked, “What about the sea? Are you not concerned about it?”
Poseidon was the King of the Sea, and there were always countless matters in the sea realm that needed his attention. Coming to the East was practically neglecting his duties.
“I’ve asked Hades to take over for now.”
The sea realm had held off the Norse disaster, which also indirectly protected the underworld. When Poseidon informed the underworld about the situation, Hades acknowledged this favor and agreed to help Poseidon with one thing. Without hesitation, Poseidon asked him to take charge while he was away.
Moreover, Hades had no ambition, so Poseidon didn’t have to worry about him attempting to usurp his throne. In fact, Hades probably couldn’t wait for Poseidon to return and take back the burden.
Venus had no words to counter that. Thinking about the rent again, he started to feel a pang of regret. “Paying for one artifact every month is too expensive.”
“There’s plenty of it in the sea,” Poseidon said carelessly. The wealth of the sea was enough to make even Zeus envious.
“What’s yours is mine, and I’m protective of my belongings.” Venus was filled with regret. If he had known that Poseidon would still move in, he wouldn’t have tried to stop it. Xie Bian had inflated the rent, but in the end, the money went into someone else’s pocket, resulting in a loss to their shared marital assets.
Poseidon laughed lightly and asked softly, “But wasn’t this something Venus brought upon himself?”
How could Poseidon not see that Xie Bian was intentionally making things difficult? This was clearly Venus’ idea. For Venus’ sake, Poseidon didn’t mind.
Venus shuddered at the soft tone of Poseidon’s voice.
Don’t be like this. He was afraid.
Poseidon’s voice softened further. “It’s okay, I don’t mind you being wasteful.”
Venus could sense the increasing coldness from Poseidon. “……You don’t seem like you’re okay with it.”
“It’s just that it’s been a long time since I’ve played with Venus,” Poseidon said, leisurely unbuttoning Venus’ shirt as if he were unwrapping a gift. “Do you still remember how to play our game, Venus?”
Venus pressed his hand down and motioned toward the wall with his eyes. “Cupid’s still in the next room.”
“I’ve soundproofed it,” Poseidon replied. He’d set up a soundproof barrier before entering.
Venus gritted his teeth. Very well, Poseidon had been planning this all along.
He didn’t actually mind. To be honest, he hadn’t indulged in any pleasure for a while, and his body was already eager. It was simply his nature.
But—
“You’re not going to do those crazy punishments again, are you?” This was what Venus feared the most.
Poseidon looked down at him. “According to the rules of the game, if Venus is obedient, of course, there won’t be any punishments. But you weren’t obedient this time.”
Venus’ lust was suddenly doused with a cold splash of water, extinguishing all his interest.
He shoved Poseidon away. “I’m not playing with you anymore!”
Poseidon’s expression grew cold. He never allowed Venus to defy him in bed, especially since Venus’ sudden departure had already made him angry. Venus’ resistance would only make the punishment harsher.
Cold water gathered at Poseidon’s fingertips, freezing into a rope that bound Venus’ wrists to the bedpost. Half of it turned into sharp ice blades, ruthlessly slicing through Venus’ clothes, cutting into his shoulders, sleeves, chest, and waist……
When only the last piece of cloth remained, the thin, sharp ice blade paused, hovering over the golden-haired youth’s skin, hesitating.
Because Venus was crying.
Crystal tears slipped from his green eyes, flowing like a clear spring.
Venus was delicate and prone to tears. He had cried many times in bed. But Poseidon could tell the difference between physiological tears and tears of sadness.
He never let Venus truly cry from sadness.
But this time, Venus was genuinely upset.
The realization left Poseidon unexpectedly at a loss. Venus had never been one to feel heartbroken over matters of love and lust. No matter how excessive Poseidon had gone in the past, even if Venus cursed him fiercely, his spirit remained unshaken, always lively and spirited.
Poseidon withdrew the water rope that had been wrapped around Venus’ wrists and leaned in close, softly asking, “What’s wrong, Venus?”
The coldness on his body also dissipated. Poseidon could never truly be cruel to Venus again. When Venus cried, his heart ached.
Venus ignored him. He cried as he cursed him out, calling him a bastard.
Poseidon sighed. “Alright, I’m a bastard. I won’t punish you. Stop crying, okay?”
Poseidon’s tenderness made it impossible for Venus to hold back his grievances any longer. He spoke through his tears, accusing him, “Should I thank you for your mercy? You’re the one who set the rules for this game. I have no choice but to follow them. Why can’t you let me disobey? Why can’t you stand me stepping out of your control? Is it because I’m not perfect when I disobey you? I can’t be your obedient puppet, the perfect lover you want, but you can’t find anyone better than me. After all, among your lovers, I’m the best. So you use these methods to make me comply, to turn me into the version of me that you want. Love isn’t supposed to be like this. I don’t want this kind of marriage, mm—”
Poseidon leaned down and kissed him.
Venus resisted the kiss. He was having a serious conversation about their love and marriage and didn’t want to be distracted by anything else at that moment. Unable to break free, Venus finally gave in to his frustration and bit him hard, tasting blood in his mouth.
Poseidon allowed him to bite, not letting go.
Venus still didn’t have the resolve to be as cruel as Poseidon. Seeing that Poseidon wasn’t letting go, he didn’t dare to bite any harder, and his teeth loosened.
Poseidon raised a hand to wipe the blood from his lips. With his other clean hand, he gently wiped away Venus’ tears, chuckling softly. “Venus, I’m so happy. You’ve fallen in love with me.”
His Venus seemed to have some misunderstanding about him. Poseidon didn’t remember when he had other lovers. Perhaps it was Medusa’s doing.
However, Poseidon was feeling very pleased right now.
If Venus had only relied on him to satisfy his lust, he wouldn’t have cared whether Poseidon loved him or not. He wouldn’t be so heartbroken, angry, and feeling wronged, making accusations.
This was truly an unexpected surprise. Twice now, Venus had understood love, and both times, he had fallen for Poseidon. Venus had even learned what it felt like to be jealous and possessive. Otherwise, the tone he had used when talking about his lovers wouldn’t have sounded so bitter.
In a marriage, making your partner feel jealous and possessive is usually a sign of failure. It often meant that you hadn’t truly set boundaries with others. But Poseidon knew he didn’t really have any lovers. He hadn’t expected that such a misunderstanding would make Venus understand what jealousy and possessiveness felt like.
When he was Adonis, Venus loved him, but he didn’t understand jealousy at all. Venus had generously said that he was fine with him sharing his desires with others. But now, Venus had become possessive and territorial. Be even wanted to keep him all to himself.
This meant that Venus loved Poseidon more deeply than he had ever loved Adonis.
Adonis was only half of Poseidon’s divine essence. What Venus loved now was all of Poseidon’s divine being.
How could this not make Poseidon happy?
Venus, feeling exasperated, snapped, “Who loves you? Stop being so self-important. I told you, I’ve always loved only Adonis!”
“Is that so?” Poseidon’s voice suddenly changed, shifting into the voice of someone Venus remembered from another time.
Venus froze for a moment. He lifted his head and saw that the blue-haired god in front of him had changed into another face with familiar golden hair and golden eyes. Adonis.
Venus snapped, “……Do you think that by turning into Adonis, I’ll fall in love with you?”
“Didn’t Adonis once give you a wreath of white roses?” Poseidon asked.
Venus bit his lip. How could Poseidon know such a detail? This was supposed to be a secret between him and Adonis.
“I infused a power into that wreath, one that could protect you once, if you were ever in danger. I sensed that power had been triggered. You’ve encountered danger, haven’t you?”
Venus’ mind was in a mess. He thought back to the time when he had faced Typhon. He had lost the wreath but had escaped the monster unharmed. He had assumed it was just the favor of the Goddess of Luck. But later that night, he had a dream, a dream where a blue light protected them.
“……When did you touch that wreath?” Venus looked at Poseidon with suspicion, a faint, unbelievable guess rising in his heart.
“When I was weaving it.” Adonis’ appearance shifted back to Poseidon.
“Venus, I am Adonis.”
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