“Why has Peak Master Mo gone quiet? You’ve already done it—don’t tell me you don’t dare admit it?”
Yuan Shu curled her lips into a smile, pressing a little harder with the hand resting against his chest.
Mo Yi’s body shuddered. He nearly lost control of the spiritual power sustaining the Earth Demon baleful aura.
“I…”
His tone was hesitant. If he admitted that he couldn’t control this power, it would likely arouse even more of her suspicions.
How could a normal cultivator be unable to control the spiritual power corresponding to their own spiritual root?
Unless that power was extraordinary.
“I was merely caught off guard when you saw through my feelings, miss. For a moment…I couldn’t control myself.”
Mo Yi’s lashes trembled lightly as he lowered his eyes and made up his mind.
If that was what she believed, then perhaps going along with her would distract her.
After all, she still hadn’t noticed anything unusual about the Earth Demon baleful aura!
She was only a minor disciple of a sect. Once he reclaimed the Earth Demon baleful aura within his body and everything was settled, getting rid of her would not be difficult.
Mo Yi kept his eyes lowered. Yuan Shu couldn’t see his expression, but after a brief moment of thought, she understood exactly what he was thinking.
Trying to distract her?
Perfect. She was happy to play along.
As soon as the thought arose, Yuan Shu slipped effortlessly into character.
She hurriedly raised a hand to cover her red lips, looking at Mo Yi in astonishment, her expression hesitant. “Peak Master Mo, you…”
Mo Yi closed his eyes, looking as though he were steeling himself for death. In a deep voice, he said, “Since you’ve already seen through me, I won’t hide it any longer.”
“Miss, from the very first moment I saw you in the woods, I liked you. That’s why I resorted to this method—I only wanted to spend more time with you.”
Mo Yi had never confessed his feelings to anyone, but he had seen other people do it.
After reciting this formulaic speech, he stiffened his neck and turned his head away, refusing to look at Yuan Shu.
But the ears hidden beneath his black hair had turned completely red.
Mo Yi decided it must be because the water in the pool was too hot. That was why his ears, his skin—his entire body—felt so hot.
No, he had to resolve this quickly!
Mo Yi grew secretly anxious, concentrating all his spiritual power and attention on controlling the Earth Demon baleful aura.
“Shushu, this fellow’s Earth Demon baleful aura is remarkably pure. His status within the clan must be quite high. When the Earth Demon emerges, he’ll definitely be able to locate it ahead of time!”
The Hehuan Divine Tree’s voice sounded in her mind.
At that, the interest in Yuan Shu’s eyes deepened. She curled her lips and leaned closer to him, her tone soft and haunting.
“Peak Master Mo, are you telling the truth? You wouldn’t happen to have some ulterior motive and be deliberately deceiving me, would you?”
Her warm breath brushed over his fair collarbone. Mo Yi’s body grew even hotter, and even his breathing became heavier.
He clenched his teeth, forcibly suppressing the strange sensations coming from his body, and spoke emphatically.
“It’s true. If I’m lying, may I be turned into a dog!”
Yuan Shu was satisfied.
Whether or not it was a lie, those words were pleasing to hear!
Mo Yi suddenly felt a weight settle on his shoulder. Then, the small hand pressed against his chest began to move.
Slowly measuring the clearly defined contours of his pectoral muscles, inch by inch.
Mo Yi’s eyes flew open, meeting Yuan Shu’s smiling gaze.
Yuan Shu spoke first, seizing the initiative.
“Peak Master Mo says he likes me, so it shouldn’t be too much for me to touch him, right? Or is what Peak Master Mo said about liking me a lie? You won’t even let me touch you?”
Refusing, dodging the question, and not letting her touch him meant he was lying?
The corner of Mo Yi’s mouth twitched slightly. His jaw tightened around the molars he was clenching, and only after a long while did he let out a breath.
“Fine. You can touch me.”
“Mm.” Yuan Shu smiled.
Now that she no longer had to worry about being refused, she placed one hand against his chest, teasing him with a mixture of playfulness and tenderness.
Her other hand followed the line of his waist until it reached the hollow of his lower back, where she slowly and unhurriedly rubbed.
Mo Yi immediately sucked in a sharp breath. His body grew even more rigid, the bulging muscles beneath her hand making it rather uncomfortable for Yuan Shu.
She lifted a hand and lightly patted his chest. “Relax a little. This is uncomfortable.”
Mo Yi: “…”
Feeling the body beneath her finally relax, Yuan Shu was satisfied.
Her fingers followed the smooth contours of his muscles, inch by inch, moving slowly downward until they reached his abdominal muscles.
One. Two. Three…
Yuan Shu closed her eyes as she touched him and counted.
Suddenly, Mo Yi’s voice rang out above her head, strained to the point of nearly losing control.
“Miss, you—you have to stop!”
He had been prepared to sacrifice his good looks for the sake of his grand plan and deceive her a little.
But he had never intended to lose his chastity over it!
Where was Yuan Shu touching him?
That was not a place she could touch!
Mo Yi had never encountered anything like this before. His handsome face flushed crimson.
That little hand against his skin seemed to possess a strange magic. It made him shiver and grow numb, while stirring up a nameless desire within him.
If Yuan Shu continued, he could not guarantee that he would not do something impulsive.
“Stop?” Yuan Shu lifted her eyes, the corner of her lips curling into a wicked smile. “Why should I stop? Does it feel uncomfortable? Could it be that Peak Master Mo wants something else?”
As she spoke, Yuan Shu shifted her body and leaned her lower back farther against him.
“Hiss!”
Mo Yi sucked in a sharp breath. His eyes flew wide as he looked down at Yuan Shu in shock.
Taking advantage of the moment, one of her small hands moved up to his cheek. As though stroking a kitten or puppy, she slowly traced the contours of his face.
Yuan Shu smiled wickedly, her voice soft and coquettish. “Peak Master Mo, you seem to be in quite a bit of discomfort?”
Mo Yi finally managed to suppress half of the fiendish baleful qi within his body. He freed one hand and abruptly seized Yuan Shu’s wrist.
His long, narrow eyes lowered dangerously as he stared fixedly at her.
Within his line of sight, Yuan Shu’s dark, phoenix-shaped eyes were bright and clear, reflecting his own face.
Beneath her pert, delicate nose were full, moist lips of vivid vermilion.
At that moment, those red lips curved faintly, making her look like a peerlessly beautiful, bewitching demoness.
She was beautiful. Breathtakingly so.
His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he spoke in a hoarse voice. “Miss, you mustn’t.”
“Why not? Didn’t you just say that you liked me? When two disciples of the same sect like each other, they’re supposed to do intimate things.”
Yuan Shu blinked her large, innocent, pure eyes. After a pause, she continued,
“Or are you saying that everything Peak Master Mo said just now was only to tease me? You don’t actually like me at all? Then what about these ink-colored strands of spiritual power…”
Yuan Shu’s tone turned faint and melancholy.
“No! I like you!” Mo Yi’s eyelid twitched, and before Yuan Shu could finish speaking, he hurriedly interrupted her.
As if trying to convince himself, he repeated in a deep voice, “I really do like you.”
Yuan Shu blinked. “Then prove it to me.”
Mo Yi froze. “How am I supposed to prove it?”
Suddenly, a thought occurred to him, and his expression changed.
Could Yuan Shu’s idea of proof mean touching him? Touching him where her hand had just reached?
Yuan Shu said nothing. She merely watched with a smile as his expression shifted and he wrestled with the decision, unable to make up his mind.
Only then did she let out a soft laugh and point to her own lips. “Kiss me, and I’ll believe you.”
Mo Yi’s eyes widened slightly. Realizing what she meant, he turned his gaze to Yuan Shu’s full, vividly red lips, and his heart relaxed a little.
If it was only a kiss, then it wasn’t impossible to consider.
At least it was much better than…
Mo Yi began to think it over seriously. After a moment, he nodded under Yuan Shu’s half-smiling, half-mocking gaze.
Then, with Yuan Shu watching, he slowly lowered his head and leaned toward her.
