Chapter 51 Revenge

This rule seemed absurd to Nian Muning, after all, the Yiyue Tribe had always been conservative.

Nian Muning eyebrows unconsciously knit as she looked at the young man in the nine-headed bird carriage. He lifted the hem of his robe and got down from it.

There were many trees with thick branches and leaves planted in the courtyard. The Grand Eunuch attentively trotted after him, shielding him from the occasional rain droplets that fell from the trees.

Nian Muning saluted.

The young man’s magnificent black robe blended into the night, he smelled faintly of wine, and his complexion was extremely fair, but his lips were too red.

He stood still in front of the door, pausing slightly, as if hesitating about something.

The Grand Eunuch was a clever person. After following him for a few days, he’d begun to guess Tantai Jin’s thoughts. 

The Grand Eunuch attentively said, “If Your Majesty is worried that Lady Ye won’t understand what to do, this slave has a handwritten note from Lord Li here.”

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“Jakdt kv shla,” Mydvyk Kkd pyke.

Mbl Qayde Owdwnb bydele vbl bydeoakvvld dsvl kd bkp pzllhl vs Mydvyk Kkd. Tl eked’v lhld srld kv cwv tyhl yd saela clqsal bl vwadle vs zlyhl, “Tyhl psxlsdl cakdt bla vs Ubysuydt Tyzz¹朝阳 (nbásuádt) – vs cl lmrsple vs vbl pwd/kd y rspkvksd qynkdt vbl pwd.”

Mbl Qayde Owdwnb bwaaklezu ytalle.

Fw Fw pldple vblka yrrasynb. Fbl fwxrle sqq vbl cle yde oyp fwpv ycswv vs prlyj obld pbl pyo y qlo qlxyzl sqqknkyzp nsxl kd.&dcpr;

“Zswdt zyeu, rzlypl nsxl okvb wp.”

Fw Fw kdvwkvkhlzu jdlo kv oyp dsvbkdt tsse, “R’x dsv tskdt.”

Mbl blye sq vbl qlxyzl sqqknkyzp oyp alvknldv, lhld vbl qszep sd bla qynl zssjle pvkqq²不苟言笑 (cùtǒw-uádmkàs) – yd keksx; alplahle; vynkvwad; pscla; pleyvl, “Zswdt zyeu, esd’v alqwpl y vsypv sdzu vs cl qsanle vs eakdj y qsaqlkv³敬酒不吃吃罚酒 (fìdtfkǔ cù nbī nbī qáfkǔ) -qkt. vs blpkvyvl vs es pvb wdvkz qsanle vs es lhld xsal; pwcxkv vs psxlcseu’p ralppwal yqvla qkapv vwadkdt esod bkp aliwlpv; qsanle vs tkhl kd.”

Fbl tyhl y pktdyz yde y qlo vyzz yde pvasdt xsxsp kxxlekyvlzu pwaaswdele Fw Fw.

They likely knew Su Su’s temper and understood that she wouldn’t be obedient, so they came prepared.

Su Su’s wrists were bound by the weak water rope, so now she was just an ordinary young lady and unable to match their strength. But she also couldn’t fight with them over this trivial matter, so she could only go and see what they wanted her to do, and find out what was up with the sound of sizhu outside.

Su Su was taken away by the momos, and the eunuch whispered to Nian Muning, whose expression looked extremely bad, “Lord Nian, it’s late at night. The weather is cold and humid, it’s better not to stand here, go take a good rest.”

Nian Muning hugged her wooden sword and coldly said, “His Majesty asked me to follow Lady Ye, this is my duty.”

“But you don’t need to follow her tonight.”

Nian Muning finally couldn’t help but say, “What if Ye Xi Wu hurts His Majesty?”

“Don’t worry, miss. At least for tonight, she’ll behave,” the Grand Eunuch said.

Nian Muning was about to refute, but she was pulled back by Nian Baiyu who’d suddenly appeared⁴神出鬼没 (shénchū-guǐmò) – lit. to appear and disappear unpredictably like a spirit or a ghost (idiom); appear and disappear mysteriously; come and go like a shadow.

“Baiyu?”

“Nian Muning, obey the order!”

Nian Muning took a breath, then nodded and followed Nian Baiyu away.

The female officials and momos took several twists and turns, traversed through the secluded winding paths of the manor to arrive at a courtyard. The maidservants at the front were holding glazed lamps and stopped at another spot in the courtyard.

Su Su heard the sound of running water. 

Someone pushed Su Su, “Go in.”

Su Su stumbled into the room, which was shrouded in fog. When her eyes adjusted, she saw a surprisingly large pool in the center. It turned out that this place was a hot spring, with two stone carved carps spitting water out of their mouths, looking quite charming.

The stern female official walked over and started to put Bingdi lotus⁵并蒂莲 (bìngdìlián) –  Also known as Bingtou lotus, is a species of lotus native to China that carries a pair of flowers on each flower stalk, whereas there is only a single flower on most other species of lotus. (Source: Wikipedia); lit. twin lotus flowers on one stalk; fig. a devoted married couple

Picture of it: into the pool. Soon, the beautiful pale pink Bingdi lotuses were actually blooming in the water.

The female official came over expressionlessly and looked over Su Su with a critical eye. Her eyes swept over Su Su’s not so ample chest and slender waist, and a hint of dissatisfaction flashed across her face.

Su Su felt a chill run down her spine from her stare, “What do you want?”

“Tonight, the young lady just needs to do as you’re told, will you take off your clothes by yourself or do we need to do it for you?” the female official said.

Su Su shook her head, “I won’t choose either, unless you tell me what you want me to do?”

The female official looked at her expressionlessly, “It’s just a very simple ritual.”

“What ritual?”

“Young lady will find out in a moment.”

As they talked, another maidservant dripped a few drops of clear liquid into the pool, and soon, a stirring fragrance filled the room.

Su Su increasingly felt like nothing good was going to happen. 

They aren’t asking me to wash up and sleep with Tantai Jin, right?

The female official saw Su Su not cooperating, but remembering His Majesty’s order, she didn’t forcibly strip her either. It’s only a matter of controlling a young girl to pray for blessings for His Majesty, whether she was willing or not wasn’t up to her to decide. 

It’s just that the young girl in front of her was too disobedient.

The momo shook her head and took out a beautiful and delicate paper doll.

She handed it to Su Su, “If you don’t want to go in, take this.”

Su Su wanted to shake it away, but as soon as the beautiful paper doll touched her finger, it actually absorbed into her body.

Su Su’s bright eyes blinked a few times and became a little dazed.

She lowered her eyes and suddenly became obedient. 

The momo said, “Take off your clothes, go in, and wait for His Majesty to come in.”

They didn’t seem to be worried about Su Su disobeying, and after speaking, they no longer bothered her and left one after another.

Su Su felt like she had fallen into a very magical state. Her consciousness was clear, but she was starting to lose control of her body.

She took off her clothes and walked into the pool.

She submerged her white calves in the hot spring, but Su Su wasn’t very scared and asked Curved Jade, “What’s wrong with me?”

“You’ve been put under a puppet spell. Just now that piece of paper has the magic power of a succubus, so for a short period of time it’ll make you obediently do whatever you’re told?” Curved Jade replied.

“Can it be removed?”

Curved Jade felt troubled and said, “It can be removed, but you don’t have any magic power right now.”

Hearing that, Su Su was very disheartened. Being bound by the weak water rope, there was really nothing that she could do now.

Curved Jade flashed and stammered, “The duration isn’t long. Why don’t you wait and see what Tantai Jin wants you to do?”

Su Su didn’t suspect anything and agreed.

*****

The candlelight flickered, and the young man in the black robe walked in.

It was raining outside, and the rustle of wind blowing through the bamboo forest could faintly be heard.

Tantai Jin could see the young girl in the pool at a glance. Her bare shoulders were exposed, and the Bingdi lotuses around her were beautifully blooming.

The young girl’s eyes were slightly closed, and she was looking holy and beautiful. 

His lips curved up, and an evil and destructive desire flashed through his eyes, but he quietly suppressed it.

He hesitated for a moment, but thinking about the benefits of that ritual, his eyes condensed and he untied his clothes.

Seeing his clothes fall layer by layer, Su Su felt a little panicked, “Hey, Curved Jade!”

Curved Jade quickly escaped. It went dormant and didn’t respond to anyone’s call.

Little Master hated Tantai Jin, but they needed him to understand feelings, and this was a good opportunity, so it could only play dead.

After all……it silently thought, the young Devil God’s desire is difficult to arouse, and at most, Tantai Jin will only use his mouth to tease Little Master, he won’t really do anything.

According to historical records, the ancient Devil God didn’t seem to be fond of sleeping with women, and some even boldly guessed that he was impotent.

The young man stripped naked and walked into the pool step by step.

Su Su’s eyelashes were wet with water vapor, and her face was flushed with anger.

Her eyes flickered, afraid that she would see something that she shouldn’t. The young man pinched her chin, propping his elbow up on the pool, and coldly looked at her.

It was a viper-like gaze, filled with malicious intentions⁶不怀好意 (bùhuái-hǎoyì) – harbor evil designs; ill-intentioned.

“Huh? You actually kept your own consciousness?”

Looking at the pair of eyes in front of him that looked so bright they were about to burn, he tugged up his lips and mockingly said——

“Aren’t you just like everyone else? There are also times when you’re naked and ashamed.”

Su Su coldly glared at him.

Who’s actually the one born without a sense of shame?

Irritated by her gaze, the smile in Tantai Jin’s eyes stiffened for a moment, but then quickly eased up again. The Bingdi lotuses rippled around them. He told her, “Close your eyes, I don’t like your hateful gaze.”

Although Su Su was unwilling, she still closed her eyes.

It was amazingly as if time had gone back to the Fleeting Life Wisdom. Back then, she was Sang Jiu, blindfolded, and doing a lot of shameful things. 

When she came back, she simply wanted to erase that dark past.

At this moment, the scene was exactly the same. She couldn’t see, and her sense of hearing was heightened. It’s just that the person taking the lead was reversed and had become Tantai Jin.

She was admittedly a little scared now, the sound of the young man’s breath was very close, and she didn’t know what exactly he would do. Without being able to use magic spells or wield a sword, she was just a mere mortal.

Everyone had moments when they’d feel vulnerable and afraid of the unknown.

He coldly looked at her for a moment, also remembering everything that had happened that day in the Fleeting Life Wisdom. As Ming Ye, he was desecrated that way for the first time, and all matters related to lust seemed extremely dirty and nauseating to him.

But that time was different. He pursed the corners of his lips, unwilling to recall that feeling. 

However, an almost vengeful mentality made him gaze at her coldly, admiring her rare moment of panic.

He lowered his gaze expressionlessly.

The water in the pool was clear, and everything could be easily seen. The young girl in front of him looked like a beautiful ornament having been surrounded by the Bingdi lotuses.

His gaze swept over her inch by inch.

He was born without a sense of shame, but at this moment, something slightly swept over him, and he felt a rare hint of strangeness.

He looked up, the corners of his eyes slightly red, and hoarsely said, “Open your eyes and swear that you’ll always be loyal to me.”

Su Su did as she was told, and sure enough, she saw a faint smile fill up the little pervert’s eyes.

Su Su knew this situation was far from good. She looked at Tantai Jin and began to struggle with her willpower.

For the first time, Su Su realized how vindictive Tantai Jin really was——

He was actually doing all the things she’d done to him in Fleeting Life Wisdom. Back then, she did them involuntarily, but right now Tantai Jin was doing them on purpose.

Su Su bit her lip hard, her pretty eyes almost sharp enough to kill.

But Tantai Jin wasn’t afraid of her gaze and remained unmoved.

“Are you afraid?” he laughed, his breath uneven, not knowing whether it was because of excitement or something else. “You can beg me.” 

Su Su’s will started to struggle.

He didn’t have a sense of shame, but Su Su found this extremely perverted.

The steam was dense, and the water flowing out from the carps seemed to be spreading an intriguing smell, which increased one’s heartbeat and blood circulation. 

She felt a little short of breath and looked at Tantai Jin, feeling unwell.   

He didn’t order her. He licked his lips, then smiled and said, “Beg me.”

To let you go, or to end it all. 

She still didn’t speak and the young man’s face started to flush slightly, even his breathing had somewhat quickened.

A roll of bright yellow paper suddenly appeared in front of Su Su’s eyes.

Perhaps Tantai Jin knew that she wouldn’t beg for mercy, so he said, “Read this aloud.”

Su Su’s eyes looked at the paper and discovered that it was actually a prayer. This time, he had used a commanding tone.

Su Su finally understood what was actually happening now——

Every prince of the Zhou Kingdom had this ritual for their coming of age. The lotus bath ritual was to pray for the prince.

But he did this on purpose.

He deliberately made her recite the prayer in a broken voice.

She intended to see what he looked like right now, but he repeated his order once again, softly gasping and coldly saying, “You’re not allowed to look at me! Read aloud!”

She recited the prayer haltingly, muddle-headed.

And she couldn’t see Tantai Jin’s expression either.

The young man’s body was some distance away from hers, appearing cold, but Su Su knew that that wasn’t the case.

Both of Su Su’s legs felt like jelly, and at this moment, she really wanted to strangle him to death.

---

Edited by: Gaze

Translator’s Note: It shall remain a mystery how Su Su was able to take off her clothes when her hands were bound.

ps: Editor Gaze found this plot hole xD