When Su Cheng was found by Rowan in the library once again, the young neighbor lady let out an exclamation of shock.
...You said you saved the world, the red-haired youth crossed his arms, but it looks like your life hasn't changed at all compared to before.
No, Su Cheng shook her head, the difference is that now I will absolutely never starve to death.
Rowan looked at her helplessly. Seriously, you went through all those ancient tomes just to compete with Xiao Yun?
Come on, some of his theories are obviously wrong—well, not exactly wrong, but he loves to negate others too much. I want to prove him wrong.
Su Cheng's gaze swept over the desk piled high with books. Besides, he can't beat me in a fight anyway. I just want to see his incompetent rage.
Rowan sighed. You know, my motivation for going to the Elemental Genesis Composition Theory class every time is just to watch you two argue.
I don't want to argue with anyone, Su Cheng said in annoyance. And that's just an academic debate. Even if there's a problem, it's his fault. I only just found out that the butterfly tattoo means he is a favored of the God of Dreams, which is why he doesn't like me.
Why? Do you have a connection with the God of Dreams too?
...No, perhaps it's just because I have the blessing of a certain deity on me, and that aura makes the favored of the Dream God feel a bit weird.
Rowan obviously found the matter hard to understand, so he put on an expression of admiration.
That afternoon, Su Cheng leaned against the bay window in her dorm, flipping through several massive ancient tomes, trying to add some citations to her meticulously written essay for the General History of the Northern Continent class.
The daylight outside was perfect. A few cotton-like clouds floated in the clear blue sky, and occasional noises echoed from the courtyard.
She held a box of dried fruit, munching as she read.
One of the books contained a magical image. She injected a bit of magic power into it, and a projection of a monster immediately appeared above the pages.
It looked humanoid, but its entire body was covered in blocky crystals. The crystals were smooth and shiny like mirrors, and inside each mirror hid a face twisted in agony.
The monster's dozen or so eyes were distributed around its gnarled, root-like neck, with blinding silver light swirling in its pupils. Inside its giant, barb-filled mouth, a strange silvery-white fluid squirmed.
Below the image was a line of small italicized notes.
Mirror Demon.
A mid-level demon blessed by the God of Envy.
Su Cheng looked at that line of text, suddenly feeling a bit conflicted.
She turned her head to look at the wardrobe next to her, which had a bright, clean full-length mirror embedded in it. The reflection inside gradually blurred, and a beautiful man with blond hair and green eyes appeared.
Su Cheng: ...Your Highness. I thought you didn't plan on having any more interactions with me.
The person in the mirror frowned and looked over. That face, as delicate and beautiful as a pomegranate flower, was shrouded in some unpleasant emotion.
His dark green eyes, accumulating gloom, were like a rainforest settling with moisture before a storm. Beneath the cover of his bright golden eyelashes, a hint of hard-to-discern emotion welled up.
Strictly speaking, the God of Envy said flatly, we've only met once.
Su Cheng nodded. What if we count the events in the Divine Grace Trial?
He fell silent for a moment. Then that's different.
Su Cheng couldn't help but put down her book and sit up straight. ...No offense intended, but can I ask what the true version of events was? I believe you definitely wouldn't replace memories, right?
Jellal: ?
He raised an eyebrow slightly. Listening to your tone, did someone replace memories?
Su Cheng opened her mouth. Actually, that's not very important either—
The blond man gave a soft sneer. ...Seeing that look on your face, I can guess.
Is that so? Su Cheng looked at him uncertainly. What do I look like?
Every time you mention the God of Purity— Jellal glanced at her, you have this drooling look that you try to forcefully hide. Even if you have issues with him too.
Hey, that's going too far, Su Cheng said in dissatisfaction. I just like that horse. Besides, even in the Echo Plane, he was the one who initiated it.
The blond man looked at her sideways. Hah, just like that Gerald?
Su Cheng: ...
Jellal rolled over, revealing a lean, snow-white, beautifully muscled back and a tight waistline. The thin silk robe slipped down from his knees.
That slender, fragile ankle wearing an emerald bangle looked like a canary with its claws ringed.
If you want to hear the story, come find me at Highgarden.
He said with his back to her.
Su Cheng's gaze lingered on the dimples of his lower back for a moment. ...Oh.
The image in the mirror turned back into the dormitory bedroom.
She bounced up from the window, roughly sketched out the coordinates in her mind, and prepared to teleport.
Traveling to the Southern Continent was not difficult. The headquarters of the Secret Cult, over a thousand years later, still had the barrier personally set by the Dark God, but it could no longer stop her.
Compared to her memory, Highgarden didn't seem to have changed much either.
Su Cheng stood at the entrance of the Tower of Omniscience, looking at the magnificent bronze doors and the surrounding majestic complex of halls.
She navigated through the corridors of the temple. Clerics constantly appeared around her, and those members of the Secret Cult bowed to her one after another. Some bowed respectfully, while others spoke greetings in excitement.
But judging from what they said, none of these people knew her.
...But you must be a deity!
A young person with a joyful face said, We have all been blessed by the Divine Lord, we can feel your power...
She thought for a moment and added, And many deities come to Highgarden! If you're lucky, you can run into them a few times every year...
Su Cheng also learned from this that some of the temples in Highgarden were the private domains of those deities. Normally maintained by magic, outsiders could not casually enter them.
When asking for the location of the God of Envy's temple, she received fearful looks from several clerics.
His... His Highness Jellal's temple is to the east—
The person from just now stuttered, roughly describing the location.
Su Cheng thanked her and turned to leave.
The few young people began to frantically exchange gossip-filled glances, but this was obviously a matter between deities. No matter how curious they were, they didn't dare to ask more.
Su Cheng wasn't in a hurry to teleport directly there. She just leisurely strolled through the halls and, before she knew it, arrived at a familiar place.
She saw the red mist diffusing between the pillars, the fluttering crimson veils, and then strands of strange fragrance seeping into her lungs.
It seemed not only to be the result of the clerics' careful concoction but also mixed with a certain power.
Su Cheng stopped in her tracks.
Someone was sitting on the stone steps ahead. The back figure was tall and lean, the broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted silhouette bathed in starlight, with jet-black, waterfall-like hair hanging down to the waist.
She watched for a few seconds, walked over quietly, and reached out from behind to cover that person's eyes.
...Long time no see, Su Cheng whispered in his ear while covering his eyes. Did you miss me?
Actually, in a sense, it was asking a question she already knew the answer to.
After all, she could feel that a certain deity had only appeared here after she teleported to the Southern Continent.
The black-haired man gave a soft chuckle. He grabbed her arm with one hand, turning her slightly backward, and scooped up the back of her knees with the other.
He lifted her up and placed her on his lap, leaning in to rest his forehead against hers. "And what about you, my dear?"
Those dark ruby-like eyes gazed at her tenderly. "Why did you come all the way here?"
Su Cheng could not help but smile. She reached out to pinch his chin, slowly rubbing it. "I am just revisiting an old place, reminiscing about a certain naive and cute old friend from the Divine Grace Trial."
"Naive?" Lusha raised his eyebrows slightly. "Me, back then?"
Su Cheng blinked and cupped his face. "Yes, no matter what you have been through, to me, you back then were very..."
"Uh," she was at a loss for words for a few seconds. "If I use the word pure, would you be angry?"
The God of Lust laughed out loud, his excessively gorgeous face seemingly tinged with joy. "Oh, my dear, that is not exactly a terrible thing."
He paused for a moment before changing the subject. "If you ask me, Cessia at most only one-sidedly symbolizes a part of this concept. I think Ilthiant just did not know what godhood to give him. If he had not been the favored of the God of Time back then, perhaps the God of Light would not have even chosen him."
Su Cheng was slightly stunned.
"This is what His Excellency the Grand Master said," Lusha gave a soft scoff. "Perhaps His Holiness told him personally."
"Did Horowitz never face Charles in a direct confrontation?"
"They did encounter each other, but it was just a brief skirmish," Lusha shot her a reproachful glance. "What an intimate way to address him."
Su Cheng: "..."
Su Cheng: "I did it to distinguish his human period, because I know the two of them fought after becoming gods, and many times at that. You know, interestingly enough, I was once told off for calling your name by someone using a similar, uh, even more sarcastic tone than yours."
Lusha instead began to laugh. "I feel like His Crowned Majesty the Black Dragon King would not speak like that, so was it the God of Memory or the Progenitor of the Vampires?"
Su Cheng hesitated to speak.
He spread his arms and hugged her a little tighter, burying his face in her shoulder. "It could only be them. I believe you would not mention me in front of Cessia and those people."
"Your first guess was right," Su Cheng reached out and stroked his silky soft black hair. "But the latter is completely wrong. I even suspected he was you in disguise."
Lusha laughed out loud. "He must have been very angry. That is great. You can tell this story to Jellal, maybe he will be happy."
"Are you sure?" Su Cheng looked at him uncertainly. "Are you teaching me how to coax him? Is this really not a trap?"
"Why would it be?" the God of Lust looked completely innocent. "You know it was Cessia during the Charles period who killed him, right? When he saw the Holy Knight Commander of the Church on the battlefield, he thought of his own brother..."
"Ah?" Su Cheng's head was full of question marks. "Compared to a real genius, that brother of his was just a good-for-nothing, and... uh, he was too skinny."
Lusha cast a sidelong glance at her. "So you only focused on that. I knew you liked that stupid donkey's body."
Su Cheng knew he was just putting on an act, but she still gently wrapped her arms around the back of his neck and kissed the deity's cheek. "I like you too, Your Highness."
The corners of his downturned lips curled up slightly.
Before the God of Lust could speak, Su Cheng pinched his face. "Even though I know your initial appearance in the pony's temple was under orders."
"That," Lusha subconsciously said. "That was not just..."
"Not just wanting to see if you could give me a mark," Su Cheng interrupted. "You were also more than happy to disgust him once."
Lusha shrugged lightly. "His Holiness the God of Darkness hoped we would share authority with you, but he would not tell us the reason."
And there was no need to do so.
After all, in these matters, the lesser gods obeyed his every command.
"Of course, he would occasionally discuss some matters with His Excellency the Grand Master."
The God of Lust said in a subtle tone, "However, Hephis can indeed provide him with some valuable opinions. If it were me, I would probably only have bad ideas."
Su Cheng rubbed his cheek. "Do not say that."
She originally wanted to comfort him a bit more, but looking at this gorgeous face so close at hand, she suddenly remembered something else.
"By the way," Su Cheng said, pretending to be serious. "How do you use your authority?"
Lusha raised an eyebrow slightly.
"I mean," Su Cheng added, "I am quite curious, apart from seducing others or making people more addicted to carnal desires..."
Lusha looked at her with a faint smile. He did not say anything, but simply opened his mouth slightly, revealing the red lotus mark blooming on his tongue.
The edges glowed with a faint crimson light. With the slight trembling of his tongue muscles, the lotus petals seemed to slowly open and close. When the tip of his tongue curled up, the lotus disappeared into the moist shadows.
He exhaled softly, revealing the bright red stamen. The color was as rich as coagulated blood, yet soaked in a layer of decadent moisture from his saliva.
"Ah..."
Su Cheng leaned closer, her fingertips slowly tracing the outline of the lotus.
"So pretty."
She said softly.
Then, just like him, she opened her mouth, revealing the crest on her tongue.
"Look," Su Cheng blinked. "You know, if I did not like it, I would have removed it."
She tried to use it, feeling the rising heat on her tongue. The red lotus seemed to burn brighter, reflected in those deep eyes laced with golden threads.
Lusha hummed softly. "Yes, the savior who can reverse the aether actually does not know what else my divine authority can be used for..."
He did not completely close his mouth as he spoke. The red lotus pattern on his tongue throbbed like blood vessels, almost bursting with sparks.
It was like a raging flame holding the fire of desire. Every flicker of light was tempting one to step into the abyss.
"Mhm."
Su Cheng touched the corner of his lips.
To her, there was no longer any real danger in this world, nor any irresistible temptation.
So the only difference was whether she wanted to savor it or not.
"I just wanted to make you happy for a bit."
Saying so, Su Cheng bit his lip and kissed him.
Lusha immediately responded gladly.
This was no longer a gentle, fleeting taste, but more of a tacit suggestion. They pried open each other's teeth, familiarly tangling and chasing each other, as if dancing with their lips and tongues.
Su Cheng pressed one hand against the back of his head and hooked the other around his neck, feeling an electric pleasure start to burn from her spine.
A certain primal desire and passion were ignited, every swallow carrying each other's breath.
She licked the lotus mark, like tasting melted honey. The scalding sweetness exploded on her taste buds, sliding down her throat like warm fruit wine.
Burning all the way to her chest.
She could even feel the subtle protrusions of the petal outlines, like plump pomegranate seeds being crushed to release sweet juice.
Neither of them needed to truly breathe anymore, so this tender and passionate kiss became exceptionally long.
Until it was interrupted.
"It looks like you two are having a lot of fun..."
Out of the corner of her eye, Su Cheng caught sight of a tall, slender figure.
She had intended to pull away for a moment, but Lusha remained clinging to her. That scorching sweetness flooded in endlessly, like countless fine golden threads wrapping around the base of her tongue.
A tingling, numbing pleasure bloomed in its wake, climbing up every blood vessel and meridian, making her unable to resist deepening the kiss.
They kissed for a few seconds longer.
Because of this, unsurprisingly, Su Cheng turned her head to meet a face full of sarcasm.
"Hey, little Jellal," Su Cheng coughed lightly, "even when you're angry, you look so good—"
Lusha couldn't help but chuckle, laughing out loud.
Jellal watched them with his arms crossed. As his gaze swept over his colleague, it unconsciously carried a hint of disgust and disdain. "...I thought your taste would have improved a bit."
This was obviously directed at Su Cheng.
"Is there a possibility that you two are the colleagues here?" She spread her hands. "Why don't you say that to Elin?"
Lusha looked at her with a beaming smile. "I really like you, darling."
The God of Jealousy gave a cold snort, seemingly left speechless by her retort.
After a few seconds, the blond man spoke slowly, "His Holiness saw his own reflection in him—"
Jellal slightly drew out his words, "They are both victims of this world's unjust system, reduced to criminals for killing the powerful to avenge the people they care about."
As he spoke, he scanned his colleague. Lusha, however, looked completely calm. "I suppose I should say I'm honored, but I really wish none of those things had ever happened."
Jellal sneered, seemingly wanting to mock him. "His Holiness's battle record includes the Lightforge City Magic Guild. What about you?"
Lusha twitched the corners of his mouth. "The man I killed may have been an animal, but in terms of martial prowess, ten of your brothers wouldn't be able to defeat him."
"Perhaps," Jellal's expression remained unchanged. "But rather than such empty talk, there is a better way to prove exactly who is more—"
"Wait!"
Exasperated, Su Cheng put a stop to the impending conflict, though she wasn't entirely sure what form it would take.
But considering the personalities of these two—
"Could you satisfy my curiosity first?" she said shamelessly. "Then you can fight if you want to. I want to be in the audience."
