Chapter 274: A Perfect Puppet (2)
"Heavens..." Ningyan breathed in quiet wonder.
The pagoda rose before them like a grand pillar connecting heaven and earth, its countless tiers disappearing into the swirling clouds above. It was the tallest structure in all of Earth City, renowned for its vast collection of ancient, powerful artifacts.
It was impossible not to be fascinated.
Ningyan walked alongside Rong Chao and Tang Ruifeng while Yan Wuhen lingered casually nearby. Rong Yue, however, was nowhere to be seen.
No one seemed particularly concerned by his absence, well aware that the White Tiger King was more than capable of taking care of himself.
Still, Ningyan couldn’t help but feel curious; the lion beasts had clearly gotten under Rong Yue’s skin. He really should have just executed them.
At the grand entrance, several guards bowed deeply before ushering them through the heavy wooden gates.
The moment Ningyan stepped inside, his violet eyes widened.
The interior of the pagoda was even more magnificent than he had imagined. Vast spiral shelves climbed endlessly toward the upper levels, overflowing with treasures of every shape and size.
Ancient bells hung beneath carved eaves, divine swords rested within polished jade cases, and spiritual shields, talismans, and esoteric weapons he couldn’t immediately identify displayed themselves beneath the warm glow of floating lanterns. The entire hall hummed with a rich, vibrant spiritual energy.
"Greetings, Your Majesties. We have prepared all the artifacts you requested," the pagoda’s head attendant greeted them, bowing respectfully as he directed his words toward Rong Chao and Tang Ruifeng.
Ningyan barely listened. His attention had already drifted toward the nearest display of an ancient bronze bell, a longsword carved with runes, and a black jade talisman that pulsed faintly behind a protective spiritual barrier.
His fingers twitched beneath his wide sleeves. There are so many...
"Do you think they could give us a tour?" The question slipped out before he could stop himself.
He turned toward Yan Wuhen, only to find the nine-tailed fox already watching him. Those red-gold eyes seemed almost unnervingly perceptive, as though he could see straight through Ningyan’s carefully constructed innocence.
"We can," Wuhen said easily. "Is there anything you want to see in particular?"
Ningyan held his gaze for a fleeting second before looking away. "No."
Wuhen nodded knowingly. "Do keep in mind that I was banned from this place by its owner. I have no authority here, and frankly, I have no desire to meet her again." His lips curved faintly into a smirk. "So you’ll have to ask for the tour yourself. I’ll accompany you."
Ningyan’s fingers curled into a fist within his sleeve. Then, he looked up and gave Wuhen a sweet, harmless smile.
Judging by the way Wuhen’s ears immediately perked and his eyes brightened, the charm worked flawlessly.
"I think..." Ningyan said softly, "I’d like to take a tour alone."
Before Wuhen could question him, Ningyan turned away, his gaze settling on Rong Chao and Tang Ruifeng as the head attendant led them deeper into another wing of the pagoda. He didn’t look back and so he missed the way the brightness in Wuhen’s eyes subtly dimmed.
"You can go alone if that’s what you need. I’ll go find Yue’er."
"Oh, I.." Ningyan barely had time to look at him when Wuhen caught him by the waist, and crashed his lips against his.
Ningyan froze, sparks of electricity shooting through his body from the crown of his head all the way to the tips of his fingers and toes as the kiss came without warning, deep, hungry, and unapologetically possessive.
He didn’t even realize when his eyes closed.
Wuhen’s tongue swept into his mouth, stealing every thought he had left. The warmth of his breath, the sharp press of his fangs, the hand tightening around Ningyan’s waist, it was all too much.
His legs weakened and a soft, breathless moan escaped his throat straight into Wuhen’s mouth.
"Yan’er..." Wuhen let out a heavy, frustrated sigh against his lips, exposing just how little he actually wanted to stop.
He drank him in with an intensity that left Ningyan breathless, his tongue coaxing Ningyan’s into a slow, intoxicating rhythm before trailing back over his swollen lips.
Then, just as suddenly, he pulled away.
His own face was flushed, his breathing heavier than before, but his red-gold eyes burned wild with obsession.
Ningyan stood completely dazed, thoroughly aroused, his cheeks burning crimson. Around them, the nearby scholars and attendants awkwardly averted their gazes, pretending to busy themselves with distant shelves.
Wuhen grinned wickedly. He pressed his thumb against Ningyan’s reddened lower lip, smoothing over the slick skin before slowly licking his own lips, the tips of his sharp fangs showing.
"You don’t seem to be complaining about this kiss, Yan’er," he murmured.
Ningyan blinked. His scattered thoughts struggled to piece themselves back together. "...You shouldn’t—"
Wuhen laughed softly. "Don’t ruin the moment."
He finally released Ningyan’s waist, though his fingers lingered against his hip for a heartbeat longer than necessary. "I’ll give you plenty more once the little matters here are settled."
Leaning closer, his voice dropped into a dark, teasing murmur, "Just a little more..."
Straightening up, Wuhen licked the corner of his lips once more before turning toward the grand entrance.
Ningyan stood frozen in place for several long seconds, heat crawling all the way up his neck to the tips of his ears. He immediately turned away and bit down hard on his lower lip, trying and failing to cool the fire rushing through his veins.
Pressing two fingers tightly against his temple, he muttered under his breath, "Focus. Focus." He exhaled a sharp, shuddering breath. "He’s deliberately distracting me..."
His face burned hotter. "...And it’s working."
With a frustrated huff, Ningyan smoothed his robes and strode deeper into the pagoda’s labyrinthine interior.
The further he ventured, the more imposing the environment became. Towering pillars disappeared into the shrouded heights above, while countless artifacts rested upon spiraling shelves. Divine swords, spirit-suppressing bells, jade seals, battle armor.....
Ningyan barely spared them a glance. He needed the owner of this place.
Eventually, he spotted a beastman standing beneath one of the floating spirit lanterns, adjusting its formation. The man possessed the sturdy build and broad shoulders of a bull beast, though one of his horns was broken cleanly near the base.
Ningyan approached him quietly. "Excuse me."
The beastman startled, turning with a stern scowl.
"I want to meet the owner of this pagoda," Ningyan said plainly.
The bull beastman’s expression hardened into disdain. "You have no authority to request an audience with the Old Ancestor. I advise you to leave."
Ningyan’s brows twitched. "I came here with Prince Rong Chao and..."
"I don’t see Prince Rong Chao here," the beastman cut him off without the slightest hesitation. "I know why His Highness is here. He came to retrieve his family’s heritage artifacts. You should be accompanying him, not wandering where you do not belong."
Ningyan let out a quiet sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. "Fine."
The soft violet in his eyes vanished completely and blackish-red light ignited beneath his pupils.
The ambient air in the vast hall trembled. A terrifying wave of dense demonic qi bursted out of his body in a shockwave.
The beastman’s condescending expression twisted into horror.
Before he could draw a weapon or channel his beast qi, thick black-red tendrils erupted from the stone floor like striking serpents, coiling tightly around his torso and yanking him.
"W-What—?!"
The bull beastman was dragged across the cold floor, slammed down directly before Ningyan. The suffocating pressure of the demon qi crashed onto his shoulders like an entire mountain, forcing him down onto his knees.
Ningyan looked down at him.
Wisps of dark, corrupted energy coiled endlessly around his pristine white robes, his eyes burning like twin pools of dark blood. He looked down at the helpless beastman with a terrifying serenity.
"Now," Ningyan said softly, his voice echoing with an eerie, dual resonance. "Let me rephrase."
He took a slow step forward, the floor beneath his boots frosting over with dark corruption.
"I want to meet the owner of this pagoda." His blood-red gaze sharpened into two deadly points. "Take me to her immediately."
The beastman’s face drained of all color, his broken horn trembling as the demonic energy suffocated his lung capacity.
"Do it quickly," Ningyan whispered, the black-red aura rushing around him like a dormant storm waiting to break. "Because I am rapidly running out of patience... and if you refuse again, I will simply tear this entire pagoda down to the bedrock."
His voice remained soft. "Your choice."