Chapter 20.1 Cinnabar

*****Warning: Might contain explicit content*****

Su Su followed Ye Chufeng to a quiet courtyard.

Like what the little beggar had said, beautiful red plum trees blossomed in the courtyard, the branches spreading out of the mansion and extending outside, looking extremely elegant.

When Ye Chufeng saw the courtyard, he quickened his pace and closed the door.

Su Su sniffed and seemed to smell that indistinct fragrance again. The door was closed. She looked around the courtyard, pulled up her sleeves and climbed up. Only when she sat on the wall did she see Tantai Jin looking at her.

Su Su only remembered him now. “Why are you following me?”

Tantai Jin’s dark pupils were looking at the courtyard and he didn’t speak.

Su Su followed his gaze and looked over. Could it be that this courtyard has some evil creature that Tantai Jin covets?

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Su Su’s Second Brother’s voice came through the next door.

“Pian³翩 (piān) – fly swiftly Niang⁴term or title used to address wife or concubine, I’m sorry, I’m a little late today.”

“It’s alright. Did something happen at the residence?” another voice said charmingly with a smile.

“I met my Eldest Brother when I came out of the residence. He talked to me for a while,” replied Ye Chufeng.

“What did your Eldest Brother say to you?” the woman asked, her voice like honey, “Did he ask you to study hard or follow him to practice martial arts? Are only military officers and bookworms people who can achieve great things?”

“Naturally not,” Ye Chufeng sounded helpless, “It’s just that the imperial examination is about to begin, and Eldest Brother just exhorted a few words.” 

The woman unhappily said, “Are you not coming to see me anymore since you have exams?”

Ye Chufeng hurriedly shook his head, “Naturally not. You’re most important. If you don’t like it, I won’t take the exam.”

The woman’s laughter was like a crisp bell, “You are such an idiot.”

Su Su pondered, her Second Brother had remarkable literary talent, and in the field of study, he was very accomplished indeed. It was also because of this that Ye Chufeng was often targeted by Ye Zheyun, who was unable to achieve anything in literature or martial arts.

There were four males in the Ye Family. The eldest one was earnest and good at martial arts, the second one majored in literature and was an introvert, and only the third one was useless. He was only involved in eating, drinking, visiting pr*stitutes, and gambling. As for her Fourth Brother, he was still small, so it wasn’t yet possible to judge what kind of nature he would have when he grew up.

Su Su never imagined that her Second Brother who loved to study would skip the imperial examination for a woman. If grandmother knew about it, breaking his legs would be considered a light punishment, and he didn’t have a mother like Aunt Lian to plead for him.

A delicate cry came from next door, soon followed by a boisterous noise.

The courtyard in winter was exceptionally desolated, like its own small world, so all sounds and voices could be heard clearly.

Something was brushed against the ground and the woman’s crisp laughter became even louder and clearer.

Su Su heard a rough gasp, followed by the woman’s m*aning and groaning, sounding as if she was drowning in both pain and pleasure.

A wave of disgust surfaced in Tantai Jin’s eyes.

A blank look appeared on Su Su’s face. Since she was born in the Spirit Spring, she had rarely been given science knowledge about sexuality. And you couldn’t expect an upright man like Hengyang Sect’s Sect Leader to give his daughter the yellow talk⁵yellow talk here means s*xual education.

But she had read about male and female union, Yin and Yang dual cultivation, in the library before.

Unfortunately, books that were focused on cultivation generally had an obscure and proper writing style with textbook-level cultivation templates.

Su Su remembered that once when she was a child, her Eldest Senior Brother took her to the back mountain to catch spirit beasts.

It was spring. There were two spirit beasts, a female and a male who were rubbing heads together⁶耳鬓厮磨 (ěrbìn-sīmó) – ear to ear and temple to temple/heads rubbing together, have a very close relationship (figurative meaning). The little loli Su Su with double buns⁷Probably look like this:

Source: Google followed the sound and curiously looked over.

“Eldest Senior Brother! There are two here!”

Gongye Jiwu flew in on a sword⁸Ride/travel on a sword.
Image:

and saw the scene in the forest. His white jade face had instantly turned red. He covered the little girl’s eyes, “See no evil!”

He then took Su Su and hurriedly fled on his sword. It was the first time Su Su had ever seen her Eldest Senior Brother running away so fast, and his ears were completely red. Since then, her Eldest Senior Brother had rarely gone to the back mountain, and the task of catching spiritual beasts had gradually fallen on her Little Junior Brother, Fuya.

Later on, Su Su reflected on it only to realise that the spiritual beasts were probably c*pulating.

But the way humans expressed their love was different from spiritual beasts, so when the fragrance in the air became stronger and stronger, Su Su didn’t associate it with that kind of thing at all. Instead, in a flash, she finally knew what was wrong!

Bewitching fragrance! This was actually the unique bewitching fragrance of the fox clan! The woman inside was actually a fox demon!

Her Second Brother! Hearing her Second Brother gasping painfully, he wasn’t being harmed by the fox demon, was he?

Su Su was just about to run out to rescue her Second Brother, but her arm was held back by Tantai Jin. He had a strange expression, “What are you doing?”

Su Su lowered her voice and said, “Don’t stop me, there’s a fox demon next door, something must have happened to my Second Brother.”

“Something happened?” he softly chewed on those two words.

Tantai Jin stared at her and suddenly smiled maliciously, “Not really, if you barge in now, your Second Brother will even want to die.”

Su Su looked at him, perplexed.

Tantai Jin took out an Emeici⁹Also known as Emei Daggers/Emei Piercers. It’s a traditional Chinese martial arts weapon. They are a pair of metal rods with sharp ends used for stabbing; they are typically mounted on a detachable ring worn on the middle finger, allowing them to spin and be elaborately manipulated. (Source: Wikipedia) Image:

from his sleeve. It was strangely shaped and much smaller than an ordinary weapon, so no one had noticed it hidden in his sleeve.

She didn’t know what it was made of or how he wielded it, but a hole was easily poked out of the wall as if it was made of paper. Tantai Jin turned back to see a pair of clear eyes, and his heart raged with evil intentions.

“Watch properly.”

Su Su leaned over to the hole and looked inside. She only saw papers, an ink-stone, brushes and ink scattered all over the floor, and Ye Chufeng was holding a woman and pressing her onto the desk.

The woman’s eyes were misty, her red lips were opening and closing, and her long, slender neck was tilted high.

Under the yellow garment, her snow-white legs were wrapped around Ye Chufeng, like a delicate and helpless dodder flower.

And her frail Second Brother was acting out of character¹⁰一反常态 (yīfǎn-chángtài) – depart from one’s normal behaviour/act out of character/complete change from the normal state, as if he was obsessed, burying himself in the woman’s arms like a crazy beast. 

“Pian Niang…… Pian Niang, my heart yearns for you……”

Tantai Jin looked at Su Su with a sneer.

He was expecting her to blush¹¹面红耳赤 (miànhóng-ěrchì) – red in the face/flushed, and turn away, pale and frightened. It would be wonderful to have her clear, glazed eyes tainted with filth.

But the young girl in front of him leaned towards the hole and looked for some time, then calmly blocked it up. She raised her head and met Tantai Jin’s cold and malicious eyes.

Su Su curiously said, “Why are you looking at me?”

Tantai Jin stared at her for a long time. The l*wd words next door were still going on, but the young girl’s expression did not change. Her deep black eyes were like holy flowers blooming in the darkness. It was as if this was perfectly normal in her eyes.

Tantai Jin coldly said, “How shameless.” As if humiliating her would make his strange feelings subside.

Su Su didn’t agree and earnestly began to lecture him, “Since ancient primeval times, regardless of demons or devils, immortals and Gods or mortals, Yin and Yang union and continuation of the bloodline has always been a natural thing. With it, all living beings in the three realms are able to live and proliferate generation after generation¹²生生不息 (shēngshēngbùxī) – multiply endlessly/grow without end.”

So what’s there to be ashamed of? She knew that the mortal world was harsher on women, so if ordinary mortals had seen this scene, they would probably die of shame and anger.

Su Su instantly understood Tantai Jin’s thoughts, this devilish creature actually wanted to see me die of shame and anger?

She glared at him. Even if she was shy, it would be in front of the man she loved. She would be crazy to cover her face in embarrassment in front of this ice-cold, heartless evil creature. It was clearly him who lacked a sense of shame since he was born.

Su Su held out her hand, “Lend me your Emeici.”

“What are you going to do with it?”

Su Su seriously said, “Let me stab that bad fox demon next door to death.”

She wasn’t peeping at Ye Chufeng and the fox demon’s sensual activity, but observing whether the fox demon was causing harm. Su Su knew that some demons couldn’t easily cultivate and wouldn’t harm humans, these types were good demons. But some demons would harm people, bewitch their minds and absorb their life essence.

And the yellow-clothing fox demon inside was the latter.

The fox demon was plundering Ye Chufeng’s life essence, even taking his predestined lifespan. She was not a good demon. At this rate, in less than three months, the Ye Family would already be able to collect Ye Chufeng’s corpse.

Tantai Jin coldly said, “I’m not lending it to you.”

She overestimated her own abilities. The cultivation of the fox demon inside was discernibly not low. Even if she had the Emeici, she wouldn’t be able to do anything to her. Although he didn’t know when Ye Xi Wu had such a messy array of skills, she would never be the fox demon’s opponent by herself.

Su Su actually knew in her heart that she probably couldn’t even scratch that fox demon, and if she recklessly alarmed her and the fox demon hurt Ye Chufeng, the loss would outweigh the gain. 

She just couldn’t bear to see the fox demon absorbing Ye Chufeng’s life essence, so she wanted to borrow the Emeici to save him first.

Now, it seemed better to make a long-term plan.

Su Su quietly walked out of the room and waved at Tantai Jin, mouthing the words, “Let’s go——” while the fox demon was engrossed in c*pulation and hadn’t noticed the both of them. Tantai Jin looked at the wall in front of him with a puzzled expression.

Su Su knew that perhaps he might have decided on getting the fox demon’s demon core.

She tugged at his sleeve and pulled him out of the door. After obtaining the devil core he still wants a demon core, he‘s really not afraid of the heavenly law’s eighty-one tribulation thunder scorching him into flying ashes one day.

Both of them stood under the sunlight and Su Su sighed in relief.

As she passed by King Xuan’s mansion, Su Su said, “I don’t know if Ye Bing Shang has woken up yet.”

Tantai Jin looked at the plaque and his pitch-black pupils were extraordinarily focused. Su Su felt that he really had special feelings towards Ye Bing Shang. If Ye Bing Shang had been able to correctively influence him when he was a child, maybe he wouldn’t have turned into a Devil God in the future.

However, a human’s lifespan was only a few decades long, if his body aged or died, the evil bone was still deeply buried in his soul. He would repeat his destiny of being a scourge to the world, and be awakened in his next life.

So removing the evil bone was the most reliable thing to do.

Su Su suddenly asked, “Does she know you like her?”

Tantai Jin lowered his gaze and met Su Su’s curious eyes. He pursed his lips, “She doesn’t know.”

Su Su asked, “Does it have to be her?”

He didn’t answer, but from his dark, cold pupils, Su Su knew the answer.

He didn’t have an innate understanding of the norms of society, nor a sense of right and wrong. Not to mention Ye Bing Shang being married to Xiao Lin, even if Ye Bing Shang’s children were running all over the place¹³has many children, Tantai Jin’s heart still wouldn’t have a shred of decorum.

It was like when he was a child, he had curiously asked Lan An about what shame was.

The older he grew, the better he became at disguising himself, imitating others to learn proper expressions. However, in his soul, he was still the selfish, cold, and indifferent young Devil God. It was useless to reason with him, he even subconsciously believed that Ye Bing Shang belonged to him, and that even if she was in King Xuan’s mansion, she was just boarding there. As soon as he had the capability, he would take back the things that belonged to him.

Su Su blocked his view of King Xuan’s mansion, and said sternly, “You cannot!”

She told him frankly, “You also know that if you really want to be together with her, there’s only one condition.”

“Only if King Xuan and I both die.”

“Of course, even if King Xuan dies, the person she loves won’t necessarily be you, so you’d better give it up completely.”

Tantai Jin retracted his gaze and looked at Su Su in front of him. His dark orbs were eerily cold and he suddenly laughed.

Seemingly mocking, and seemingly unconcerned.

Even Su Su didn’t know that the words intended to dissuade him would, at some point in the future, become prophetic¹⁴一语成谶 (yīyǔchéngchèn) – to have one’s words turn out to be (tragically) prophetic. Whatever Tantai Jin wanted, even if he had to step on the bones of everyone else to get it, he didn’t care.

Not to mention, Xiao Lin and her. 

However, she understood this truth too late.

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Edited by: Gaze