Chapter 9
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The cold scales prickled his skin through the clothing.
Unlike ordinary snakes, the scales on the flood dragon’s body were more pronounced to the touch. As they slid against his legs, it sent shivers down Pei Yunshu’s spine.
Pei Yunshu’s scalp tingled, and every sensation on his body became incredibly sensitive. He clenched his teeth, trying hard to ignore the tail slowly crawling upward from his feet.
This wasn’t a snake; it was a flood dragon.
His mind repeatedly reminded him of this fact. Pei Yunshu’s voice trembled as he said, “You, you should stay a bit further away from me.”
Zhuyou’s tail had already coiled around his thigh. Upon hearing Pei Yunshu’s request, he reluctantly tightened his grip for a moment before the serpent tail slowly retreated, reverting back into human legs.
He was not completely bare; he was still wearing the clothing that Pei Yunshu had given him. However, his inner robe had disappeared somewhere, leaving him wearing the outer robe in a nonchalant and disheveled manner, with the belt haphazardly tied.
His hair was darker than the night, yet his face was strikingly handsome. Zhuyou lowered his head and looked at Pei Yunshu. “Where are you going?”
A gust of cold air blew through, and Pei Yunshu dared not look into Zhuyou’s pale lips, fearing that a forked snake tongue might emerge. However, staring into Zhuyou’s crimson eyes felt like a confrontation with a wild beast. Pei Yunshu whispered, “I’m going to see the lantern festival at the foot of the mountain.”
He had just tied up his hair messily. The wind tousled the hair strands, making them flutter about. Zhuyou’s gaze was drawn to the swaying hair, and then he shifted his attention to Pei Yunshu’s face. “I’ll go too.”
Perhaps due to speaking more in recent days, Zhuyou’s voice was still husky but much smoother. The minor imperfections in his voice could no longer overshadow its allure.
Pei Yunshu didn’t know how to refuse, and time was running late. If they delayed any longer, who knew if the lantern festival would still be ongoing?
He summoned the Qingyue Sword and took a step onto it, urging Zhuyou, “Come up.”
Standing behind Pei Yunshu, Zhuyou’s outer robe almost flew away in the wind as they soared into the sky. This kind of “casual and carefree” attire surely would have attracted various reactions from the common people below.
“Form a set of clothes,” Pei Yunshu suggested. “The clothing in my storage pouch is all Daoist robes, which wouldn’t suit you.”
Zhuyou furrowed his brow and examined his disheveled clothing from the inside out. He transformed it into a neat set of clothes with every detail down, even to his blood-red eyes which had turned black. The serpent patterns were removed, and the small lump on his forehead was covered.
In this appearance, he looked just like a human.
Pei Yunshu sighed with relief, only now realizing that the sheer fabric he was wearing was actually the skin that Zhuyou had shed.
His face turned slightly red, and he felt awkward, but Zhuyou didn’t mention it. Pei Yunshu had no choice but to act as if he didn’t care.
The Qingyue Sword was swift, and in the blink of an eye, they saw the bustling scene of lanterns below the mountain.
When they landed in a dimly lit alley, Pei Yunshu hesitated to take a step forward, despite his cheerful mood.
Assorted lanterns emitted a warm yellow glow, illuminating the smiles on people’s faces. Pei Yunshu stood and watched for a while before snapping back to reality, continuing toward the entrance of the alley.
Zhuyou followed beside him, his cold eyes showing no hint of emotion toward the lively scene around them. He glanced around casually before fixing his gaze back on Pei Yunshu.
Pei Yunshu’s expression remained unchanged, but his eyes, focused on the endearing lanterns and the bustling crowds passing by his side, gradually lit up with a gentle smile.
Aside from the lanterns, there were vendors selling all sorts of items, each one calling out loudly, making it seem like there wasn’t enough time to take it all in.
As they approached a stall, Zhuyou suddenly reached out and grabbed Pei Yunshu’s wrist.
Pei Yunshu tore his gaze away from the lanterns, his smile fading slightly. Looking at Zhuyou, he asked, “What’s the matter?”
The vendor at the stall greeted them warmly, “Gentlemen, have you set your sights on something?”
Zhuyou picked up a white hairband from the stall. The vendor quickly explained, “This is a product crafted by the world-renowned Azure Moon Sect. Although it’s a failed piece, the hairband reflects a beautiful glimmer, making it exceptionally attractive. If the gentlemen are interested, just give me this amount.”
With a single movement, the hairband had vanished from Zhuyou’s hand, leaving the vendor wide-eyed: “You —–”
Zhuyou looked at him nonchalantly.
In the mortal world, they required silver or spirit stones for transactions. If the vendor possessed spiritual energy, they would pay with spirit stones; if the vendor was just an ordinary human, they would use silver. This approach helped avoid unnecessary trouble.
Judging by Zhuyou’s reaction, Pei Yunshu guessed that he probably didn’t know they needed to pay for things here. So, he took out some silver from his pouch and handed it to the vendor.
Zhuyou observed Pei Yunshu’s actions thoughtfully. After they had walked away, he asked, “What’s that?”
“Silver,” Pei Yunshu explained earnestly. “When you buy something from someone, you use this to pay.”
Little Junior Brother had mentioned this to him the other day. In comparison to other bustling places, the area at the foot of the mountain might not be much, but Pei Yunshu felt that it was already quite spectacular. Everything he saw, both people and objects, was something he had never seen before.
As they strolled through the lanterns, arriving at a small bridge beside a stream, Pei Yunshu’s eyes continued to shine brightly.
The river was also adorned with numerous lotus lanterns. Each red lantern floated along with the current, passing by Pei Yunshu one by one.
Pei Yunshu gazed at the flowing river and the lanterns, lost in thought. Suddenly, he felt his wrist being lifted. He turned his head to see Zhuyou holding the same hairband in his other hand, carefully wrapping it around Pei Yunshu’s right wrist.
Pei Yunshu struggled, but he couldn’t move an inch. Zhuyou raised his eyes to glance at him. His eyes had turned blood-red at some point, the moonlight obscured, leaving only the glow of the lanterns. His eyes seemed to emit a faint light.
“What are you doing?” Pei Yunshu asked.
Zhuyou responded, “Giving this to you.”
As he spoke, he wound the white hairband around Pei Yunshu’s wrist. The thin strip of cloth resembled a snake, wrapping around the elegant bones of Pei Yunshu’s wrist.
Recalling the vendor’s words about this being a failed hairband, Pei Yunshu suppressed his unease. “Zhuyou, this is a hairband.”
Zhuyou glanced at him with lowered eyes.
The unease in Pei Yunshu’s heart grew larger. He exerted considerable force to free his hand, but it was futile.
A drop of water fell from Zhuyou’s fingertip, his blood landing on the hairband. In the next moment, the ordinary hairband seemed to come to life, winding and crawling around Pei Yunshu’s arm. After a few seconds, it suddenly disappeared again.
His earlier premonition had come true. Pei Yunshu’s arm trembled slightly, and Zhuyou extended his fingertip, gently pushing at Pei Yunshu’s clothing.
Pei Yunshu’s long eyelashes trembled, and he looked down at his arm.
The white inner robe and the black sheer fabric were both lifted, revealing his fair arm in the darkness. The skin was smooth and had a faint glow. The cold fingertips traced upward until the clothing was pushed up to his wrist, leaving no trace.
“Where did it go?” Zhuyou’s voice carried a hint of genuine confusion.
Pei Yunshu’s heart skipped a beat, and he anxiously asked, “What’s the matter with that hairband?”
Before Zhuyou could answer, Pei Yunshu suddenly felt a burning sensation on the inside of his left thigh.
It was as if the disappeared pattern had reappeared on his leg.
Pei Yunshu’s eyelids twitched, and he stared at Zhuyou in disbelief.
Zhuyou held Pei Yunshu’s hand and pulled him closer. “Giving a gift, we’re getting acquainted.”
Pei Yunshu had mentioned that once they got acquainted, Zhuyou could lick him.
With his other hand, Pei Yunshu covered his mouth in surprise, only to have the red snake tongue touch his hand. His voice quavered as he said, “Not acquainted yet, we’re not acquainted.”
His eyes widened, filled with fear. He tightly covered his lips and looked at Zhuyou in alarm, shaking his head repeatedly.
His dark hair was disheveled, strands falling on his shoulders. Zhuyou looked at him, his pupils fixed on their prey like a wild beast. Time ticked away slowly.
“Not acquainted?” the hoarse voice asked.
Zhuyou’s voice was filled with confusion.
Pei Yunshu’s eyes were reddened, with a watery sheen. He had been frightened by the snake tongue, but he held back his tears. He only knew how to shake his head, repeatedly denying, “We’re not acquainted yet.”
Zhuyou lowered his gaze, and his cold fingertip brushed over the corner of Pei Yunshu’s eye. “Crying.”
Pei Yunshu’s eyelashes trembled, and he couldn’t hide the traces of crying. “Don’t use the snake tongue.”
Zhuyou tilted his head, and the patterns on his face slowly emerged. “Why not use the snake tongue?”
“Don’t use the snake tongue,” Pei Yunshu didn’t respond directly, his voice shaky. He continued to cry and shake his head, “Don’t use the snake tongue.”
***
It wasn’t until they were nearly at Wuzhi Peak that Pei Yunshu managed to control the sudden breakdown.
His eyelids were hot, the skin around his eyes reddened and swollen from crying. His nose had turned red as well, the flush extending from the corners of his eyes to his ears. The aftermath of his sobbing made his voice shaky when he spoke.
Zhuyou held him in his arms, only releasing him slightly after they reached Pei Yunshu’s small courtyard.
It was already deep into the night, and the birds and insects were immersed in slumber, leaving an eerie quietness all around.
Pei Yunshu was exhausted from crying, and he was on the verge of falling asleep. However, Zhuyou didn’t leave, his gaze fixed on Pei Yunshu. He stubbornly asked once again, “Why don’t you want the snake tongue?”
“Afraid of snakes,” Pei Yunshu said, “Don’t want snakes.”
Zhuyou furrowed his brows.
Pei Yunshu was too tired to move, and he was on the verge of falling asleep while standing. His body swayed back and forth, and with a careless move, he ended up in Zhuyou’s arms.
Zhuyou held his hand, contemplated for a moment, and then guided Pei Yunshu’s hand to touch the two nearly broken horns on his own head.
The small protrusions were well concealed, and they felt peculiar to the touch. Pei Yunshu’s drowsy eyes regained a hint of focus. He looked at Zhuyou with a dazed expression.
Zhuyou said: “Snakes are cute.”
“Afraid of snakes, don’t want snakes,” Pei Yunshu unconsciously repeated. His slightly swollen eyes were so endearing that even a wild beast might be moved.
Zhuyou’s blood-red eyes fixed on him for a moment before he brought Pei Yunshu’s hand to his own cheek. “Don’t want the snake tongue?”
Pei Yunshu nodded quickly, obviously frightened by the snake tongue. This time, his answer was accompanied by a low tremor, “Don’t want the snake tongue.”
“I’m a flood dragon,” Zhuyou said, “not a snake.”
Pei Yunshu mumbled, “Huh?”
He was so exhausted that he could barely understand the words.
Author’s note: Yunshu’s crying this time was quite cathartic.
[Mini Scene]
At the small stall selling hairbands, Zhuyou picked up a hairband and put it away in his storage pouch.
The vendor stared wide-eyed, “You, you, you—”
Zhuyou stood confidently, his flood dragon eyes met the vendor’s gaze.
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