CH 8

Inside the Vermilion Palace's walled pathway, Yan Yuan was sitting on top of the dragon carriage in his dragon robe, with a line of palace maids and eunuchs at his side, heading for the Golden Palace. He was reminiscing about Xuan Long's bone-chilling body when he heard Chen Yan, who was following him, ask cautiously, "Your Majesty, since that gentleman has been favoured, will you give him a title?"

Yan Yuan instantly turned cold and looked down at the old, immortal eunuch, "I promised to be with Zhiyu for the rest of my life, how can I go back on my word?"

Chen Yan hurriedly lowered his body, "Your Majesty, I am sorry, this servant has spoken too much."

Yan Yuan gave a cold snort and withdrew his eyes.

He and Xuan Long had different paths. If it wasn't for Ning Zhiyu, they might never have crossed paths in this lifetime, so how could he possibly give him a title?

The day Ning Zhiyu regained his health would be the day he parted with Xuan Long.

"Be careful, if A'Yu wakes up and hears something he shouldn't hear, watch your head."

Chen Yan raised his sleeve and wiped the cold sweat from the corner of his forehead, saying, "Ai, I will make sure the palace maids and eunuchs keep their mouths shut so that not a word will be revealed."

Only then was Yan Yuan satisfied, but the image of Xuan Long's pleasure beneath him popped up in his mind again at an inopportune moment.

It's okay to obsess about him when they are together, but to still keep thinking about him when they are apart, he might really be possessed. Yan Yuan forced himself to think about the government affairs and Ning Zhiyu, simply to stop thinking about Xuan Long who was so cold on the outside, but in reality was so simple that he could be described as stupid.

…...

If a demon has been cultivating Taoism for 10,000 years, they will not be far from becoming an immortal. In fact, they will not need to sleep much and will be resting when they close their minds to cultivate, however, as Xuan Long's heavenly tribulation is approaching, his habits will gradually degenerate to be similar to those of human beings.

Not long after Yan Yuan left, Xuan Long drifted off to sleep again, he seemed to have become extraordinarily lazy and sleepy lately.

It was nearly midday, and the hot sun outside the window had long since disappeared. Dark clouds covered half the sky, lightning flashed and thunderstorms broke out, an ominous sign in every sense of the word.

Xuan Long woke up in a trance and remembered that he had promised Yan Yuan that he would hand over the dragon scales to him at midday, so he got up and got out of bed despite his discomfort.

The blood between his legs had long since dried, but the pain was so severe that it seemed like a knife was scraping him with every step he took. He did not need to pretend in Yan Yuan's absence. Slowly, he walked towards the bathing tub prepared by the palace staff earlier, a fine sweat seeping from the corners of his forehead.

After hastily cleaning his body, he manifested a black iron dagger in his hand.

The iron dagger cut iron like mud and it cut dragon scales very smoothly, but it was too painful, so his movements were slow. He cut fifteen scales off in a row before his wrist began to tremble and blood poured from his chest, staining the originally clear water bright red.

Xuan Long was sleeping when Yan Yuan left, and was still sleeping when Yan Yuan returned, sitting on the edge of the bed and shaking the man in it. “A'Po, wake up."

Xuan Long's face was pale and his brows were slightly wrinkled. Yan Yuan called him for a long time before he opened his icy turquoise demon pupils and looked at Yan Yuan quietly, saying weakly, "You're back.”

"Why are you still sleeping?" Yan Yuan asked with some dissatisfaction. "I've been calling you for a long time."

Xuan Long propped himself up on the bed and slowly sat up, silently taking the black lacquered wooden box from the bed and handing it to Yan Yuan.

Yan Yuan was puzzled, "What is this?"

"Dragon scales." There was no expression on Xuan Long's face.

Yan Yuan's face was delighted and he couldn't wait to open the box. Inside were thirty clean dragon scales neatly arranged in rows, emitting a familiar faint cold fragrance.

“A'Po, you are so kind." Yan Yuan looked up and smiled.

Xuan Long was not used to being complimented like this, and his cold face heated up slightly as he avoided looking at him and did not speak, before hearing Yan Yuan say, "I have some urgent business, I can't accompany you to lunch at midday, so I will come back to you in the evening."

“A'Po, you won't be angry, will you?…"

Xuan Long froze for a moment, then shook his head.

Yan Yuan happily moved over and gave him a kiss, said some more nice words perfunctorily, and hurried away with the dragon scales.

Since he had already gotten the dragon scales, there was no way he would have the heart to stay here and eat with him.