CH 45

Chapter 45: The Turmoil at the Banquet (Part Four)

Ao Yu didn't know the meaning of social anxiety, but his intuition told him it wasn't a flattering remark.

He grasped the wrist resting on his shoulder and stood up beside the couch. "You've become bolder lately, getting more and more arrogant."

Yun Zhao exhaled a breath of hot air. He had just been interrupted by Ao Yu, and now that restlessness was surging through his body again.

His gaze fell on the large hand holding his wrist, with distinct knuckles and slender fingers. The ice-cold touch was like cold jade immersed in a frigid pool, perfectly dissolving his discomfort.

Unable to resist, Yun Zhao buried himself in Ao Yu's embrace and deeply inhaled the faint cold fragrance on Ao Yu's body.

Startled by the sudden closeness of the young man, Ao Yu was taken aback. He watched as Yun Zhao rubbed against his robe like a young kitten, and his ears gradually turned a faint red.

Ao Yu's eyes evaded and flickered, and he whispered softly while looking at the candle standing by the couch, "I don't know if you learned it from Luo Xue and the others or if they learned it from you..."

"What?" Yun Zhao was enjoying the comfortable rubbing and raised his eyes to ask, "What did you say?"

In the young man's eyes, there was a shimmer of moisture, and the corners of his eyes turned slightly pink from the delicate gold threads rubbing against his robe, like rouge dissolving in water, spreading across his cheeks.

Ao Yu, as if possessed, gently cradled his face and brushed his thumb lightly across the corner of his eye, wiping away the tears that had welled up.

"Why are you so drunk?" Ao Yu reached out and pulled him even closer in his arms.

Leaning over to whisper in the young man's ear, he rhythmically patted his back with his hand, soothing him like a child who relied on him completely.

At this moment, suddenly hearing the young man's breath become rapid and feeling his restlessness and the extremely faint sound coming from his embrace.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Ao Yu frowned slightly. Just as he was about to move, his thigh inadvertently touched something, freezing him in place on the couch.

Yun Zhao was about to be overwhelmed by embarrassment and frustration, but the uncontrollable sensations made him extremely uncomfortable.

He immediately moved away, intending to say something to divert his attention and dissipate the damn awkward atmosphere around them.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he made up his mind to get up, his wrist was suddenly held tightly, and the force pulled him back into Ao Yu's embrace.

Ao Yu grabbed the soft blanket from the couch and covered their legs, one hand embracing the young man who was nearly steamed, and the other hand slipped under the blanket.

His eyelashes trembled lightly, but he whispered softly, "Don't be afraid."

"Mmm!" As soon as Yun Zhao's body was touched by the icy fingers, he stiffened all over and tightly clenched the blanket. The alternating sensations of cold and heat made him involuntarily arch his back, burying himself in the neck of the little dragon, whimpering like a spoiled kitten.

He didn't know what had suddenly come over him. All he could do was tilt his head and exhale a breath of hot air. The tightly stretched string in his mind snapped completely, like stepping into emptiness from a suspended iron cable in the mountains, plunging into a chaotic mist.

With a muffled groan, Yun Zhao felt a burst of white light before him, the scorching heat burning his soul and lifting it into the air, only to be left in place by the gentle pat on his waist.

His unfocused eyes regained their focus, and Yun Zhao lowered his head. Sweat soaked his forehead, sticking his hair to his cheeks, which was lightly brushed away by another clean hand.

Ao Yu lifted Yun Zhao's head, and his warm fingertips deliberately or unconsciously caressed the skin of his neck, causing an involuntary tremor in the lingering pleasure of the young man.

Ao Yu asked him, "Are you okay?"

"Mmm..." Yun Zhao pursed his lips and nodded, his whole person like a thoroughly steamed shrimp, steam still rising from his head.

He secretly raised his eyes and met Ao Yu's faint golden pupils. Only when he got closer did he notice that those beautiful eyes had turned into slitted pupils, like those of a wild beast.

The fragrance of Ruijin beast nature incense wafted in the air, adding a touch of enchantment to the just cleared atmosphere. Yun Zhao's heart was pounding rapidly. He couldn't help it, or perhaps it was more accurate to say that he followed his instinct, tilting his head gently wanting to lean closer.

Ao Yu chuckled, and as the hand that was rubbing his neck gradually moved upward, he lightly pinched the young man's delicate chin.

The warm breath, accompanied by a faint floral scent, swept over him. Ao Yu leaned closer and asked softly, "What kind of wine did you drink? Why is there a floral fragrance?"

A glimmering shine appeared in Yun Zhao's eyes, and he replied, "It's the wine of Master Kongming..."

"Kongming's, huh..." Ao Yu stared at the soft flesh of his lips, his movement suddenly halted, and he furrowed his brows. "Kongming's?"

"Yes, and it had a purple glow too, fragrant and sweet..." Yun Zhao added in a dazed manner.

To Ao Yu's dismay, his face darkened. He remembered very well that Kongming never brewed wine with a floral fragrance, and the wine would never taste sweet.

He glanced up and indeed saw an abnormal blush on Yun Zhao's face. This wasn't just drunkenness!

Ao Yu muttered under his breath, "Damn it!"

"Ao Yu, I still feel a bit hot..." Yun Zhao covered his dizzy head and reached out to tug at Xiaolong's (little dragon) silky white hair.

"Don't worry, let me see." Ao Yu slowed his voice and was about to hold him in his arms to comfort him when the doors to the warm pavilion were suddenly pushed open by a group of intoxicated immortals.

"Haha! Chang Xiao! So you're hiding here to drink!" The leader, Kongming, stumbled forward with bleary eyes and called out, "Come, come, quickly let's go for a drink!"

"Outrageous!"

A cold rebuke made everyone in the room feel as if they had plunged into an icy pool, and their intoxication disappeared without a trace. Kongming rubbed his eyes and realized that the person in front of him was not Chang Xiao at all, but the Dragon Sovereign Ao Yu, his face darkened as if it were about to drip water.

The bedding on the couch was in disarray, the young man's face flushed, his wrist bearing red marks, and he was burying his head in Ao Yu's chest, his robe tightly wrapped around him after being lifted by Ao Yu.

"Seen enough?" Ao Yu's voice seemed to squeeze out one word at a time, as if he was gritting his teeth.

I'm done for.

This thought spontaneously arose in the minds of the group of immortals, and at this moment, a rare tacit understanding was reached among drinking buddies.

"Dragon Sovereign, please forgive us...forgive us..."

The heart of Kongming turned as cold as a cellar, and after reacting, he trembled and retreated outside with the other old friends, their steps light, not daring to make the slightest noise.

Ao Yu saw that Yun Zhao was still half awake, tearful eyes looking at him, clearly already in a confused state of mind.

He didn't want to scare the young man, so he suppressed his anger, wrapped Yun Zhao in the bedding, and pulled the gauze curtain to cover the bed before turning around to size up the group of drunkards. "Isn't the waterside pavilion where the banquet is set up enough for your revelry?"

Kongming and the others had already retreated to the courtyard of the warm pavilion, but no one dared to turn their backs or leave. They couldn't be sure that the Dragon Sovereign wouldn't suddenly take action.

Kongming knew how terrifying the possessiveness of the Dragon clan was towards their partners. All he could do was accompany him with a smile and say, "Ao Yu, don't get angry first, listen to our explanation..."

There was no trace of a smile on Ao Yu's face. Yun Zhao was drugged and lured to the side hall, a group of drunkards suddenly came looking for Chang Xiao, and there was Chang Xiao...

If it wasn't oneself but the person they were looking for, Chang Xiao...

Raging fire surged violently in Ao Yu's heart. The banquet that Yun Zhao had been looking forward to for half a month had unexpectedly become an opportunity for others to make a mockery of it.

Kongming swallowed his saliva, feeling a sudden and strong pressure descending upon the surroundings, spreading from this place to cover the entire mountain.

"Ao Yu, calm down!" Kongming held onto a tree, raising his hand to persuade.

However, the ground shook violently, fierce winds blew, and dark clouds surged, engulfing the stars in the sky. Ao Yu's clothes fluttered, his long hair scattered, and he appeared terrifying, like a demon from hell.

As if hearing a soul-stirring dragon roar, Kongming looked up, his mind buzzing, and involuntarily took a step back, colliding with his friends.

Several dragon souls, shining with golden light, soared into the sky from the mountains. Their roaring cries were like the turbulent currents of a whirlpool, making everyone's hearts tremble.

They ascended into the sky, with enormous dragon claws pressing down on the mountaintop, roaring to guard all directions of Yuming Mountain, enveloping the entire mountain in invisible golden light.

Kongming was shocked speechless, and looking up, he could see eight dragon heads with eyes like lanterns staring at him with a gaze of death. Anyone would panic in such a situation.

Ao Yu descended the steps step by step, his hands tucked into his sleeves, and said calmly, "I'll trouble all of you to stay in the mountain for now."

"Until I find out the cause..." Ao Yu looked up, and a trace of bloodthirsty killing intent flickered in his golden eyes, "not a single bird will be able to leave the mountain."

...

The sound of dragon roars filled the mountain, dispersing the laughter and noise from the banquet. The maids and rabbits with low spiritual power fell to the ground, too overwhelmed by the pressure to even stand up.

Fairy Xiaguang hugged the rabbits and tried to calm them down, confused as she asked, "What's going on?"

Bai Yu and Si Wuchen exchanged a glance with her, then looked up at the giant dragon guarding the sky, a slight frown appearing between her brows.

Si Wuchen gently caressed Bai Yu's shoulder and said, "It's a barrier set up by Ao Yu."

Lady Xianyue lightly shook her fan, looking around in a circle but not seeing any trace of Chang Xiao. She couldn't help but wonder, "What happened exactly? Why is Chang Xiao nowhere to be seen?"

Ayan scratched his head. "Just now, Qing Jiao said he saw brother Chang Xiao leaving, and Kongming said he was avoiding alcohol and went to find him with other immortals."

Lady Xianyue frowned and looked at Qing Jiao. "What are you up to?"

The leader of the Mountain Spirit Clan stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Madam, please be cautious with your words."

"Yeah, I just said I saw Chang Xiao leaving. Why are you so agitated?" Qing Jiao put on an innocent smile and winked at her.

He looked up at the barrier in the sky, feeling ecstatic in his heart. It seemed that Ao Yu had already discovered the affair between Yun Zhao and Chang Xiao and was not pleased at all...

Although he didn't know why Ao Yu had discovered it as well, judging from the consequences, Qing Jiao didn't mind a slight deviation from the plan.

Seeing the leader of the Mountain Spirit Clan nodding at him, he proposed, "There's no point in staying here. Let's go find Lord Ao Yu and get a clear explanation."

Bai Ze was the most anxious. He knew that Ao Yu wouldn't easily set up such a strong barrier unless something significant had happened.

Without waiting for the leader of the Mountain Spirit Clan to speak slowly, he hurriedly walked towards the direction of the strongest pressure.

The group quickly arrived at a side hall and bumped into the anxious Kongming.

Baize anxiously asked, "Kongming, what's going on?"

Kongming wore a wry smile and said, "Well, drinking caused trouble. It made Ao Yu very angry."

Qing Jiao suppressed the joy in his eyes and comforted him, "It happened suddenly. It's not your fault..."

Kongming waved his hand, sat on a pile of rubble, lowered his head, and let out a long sigh.

Suddenly, he remembered something and stood up, shouting, "Oh no! Where's my cat?"

The entire mountain was filled with Ao Yu's pressure. They could bear the suffocating feeling as if a boulder was pressing down on them, but they had no idea if those rascals could handle it!

Just the thought of it made him unable to sit still. Wiping the thin sweat on his forehead, he stood up and said, "I'm going to find my cats."

"Don't bother... cough cough... it's here!" 

The immortals followed the sound and saw Chang Xiao leaning against a tree, looking disheveled. Not only were there cat paw prints on his face, but there was also a large lump on his forehead.

He was dripping wet all over, with water droplets hanging from his clothes. He had a ferret on his head and two kitten cubs in his arms, stumbling towards them.

He finally managed to get back on shore, only to be startled by the sudden dragon roars, almost falling back into the water.

Kongming was taken aback and exclaimed, "My goodness, Chang Xiao, what's going on with you?"

"I heard from Wu Mu... cough cough!" Chang Xiao couldn't walk any further and sat down on the ground. "They said there were clothes in the Warm Pavilion's side hall, so I came here to tidy up."

Qing Jiao's eyes flashed with surprise. Why wasn't Chang Xiao in the side hall?

Anxiety slowly rose in his heart, and he forced a smile, asking, "Did you just arrive here?"

"Yeah, why?" Chang Xiao replied with a puzzled expression.

Lady Xianyue suddenly looked over, her gaze fixed on him like torches. She smiled without warmth and asked, "What do you mean, Qing Jiao? When do you think Chang Xiao should have arrived?"

Chang Xiao and the little ones in his arms looked confused. What were these adults talking about? They felt like they had missed out on a lot after falling into the water!