Chapter 209 - A Guilty Pleasure

Jing Yi stood at the bottom of the chasm with Qiu Ling and looked at the tree in front of them. He had to squint to actually spot it, even though they were just standing a couple of meters away. Never before had he seen such a tree: Above the black trunk grew leaves of such a dark green color that they seemed just as black as the bark. The only thing he could see a bit better were the purple fruits because their smooth surface reflected a hint of light.

"What kind of tree is this?"

"Beguiling Night Tree." Qiu Ling looked at it with mixed feelings.

Jing Yi looked up at him to ask for more information but Qiu Ling seemed deep in thought. "Is something wrong with the tree?"

"Mn? Why?"

"It looks so strange and you … you seemed a little absent-minded right now." After one year of traveling together, he had a pretty good grasp on Qiu Ling's moods. His temper was still quite erratic but it had gotten better and most of the time he could predict when he would have another mood swing. This seemed like one of those times where it could actually happen, though he was still quite serious right now.

"Mn, it's always looking like that. There's nothing to worry about. I just remembered something."

Jing Yi gently rubbed his arm, afraid that this might be another unpleasant memory of Qiu Ling's past. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"The fruit of the Beguiling Night Tree is one of the ingredients for the Amethyst Lightning Pill so I came here last year already. Mn, it's nice, though. This time I'm not alone." He looked at Jing Yi, bent down and lightly kissed his cheek. "Let's go, alright?"

"Mn." Jing Yi nodded and followed him past the tree. He was relieved that this didn't seem to be something Qiu Ling would rather forget.

Qiu Ling still thought back to his trip last year, though. He had completely forgotten about it afterward because he still had to go to the sea but he had seen that servant girl here. If she was still there and met him and his beloved, would that cause any problems? It shouldn't be, right? After all, they should have erased her memories. But if she really had to do with the demons like he had predicted back then …

Ah, it seemed he would have to be cautious. It would be for the best if his beloved didn't meet her but if that couldn't be prevented, then he'd need to make sure it wouldn't have any serious consequences. He had to stay alert!

In front of them, an opening appeared in the wall of the chasm. Two grim-looking disciples of the Hei Dian Sect stood at the sides, weapons in their hands. Qiu Ling just wanted to go over but Jing Yi held him back.

"Qiu Ling, we … we can't divulge our identities."

"I know." Qiu Ling blinked. He didn't understand what Jing Yi was being worried about.

"We … We're still wearing the robes of the Yun Zou Sect." Jing Yi tugged at the white fabric that stood out like a sore thumb in the darkness around them. He hadn't known what the demonic sect would be like so he hadn't thought of it before but now he finally realized that he had to pay attention to all details. Being a spy really wasn't easy.

"Oh." Qiu Ling thought a bit and then took a dark robe out of his spatial ring and handed it to Jing Yi. "Take this." He himself was still wearing the black robes he had worn when they were traveling. Since they had only returned to the Yun Zou Sect for a short time he hadn't been bothered to put on the official robes for that short visit.

Jing Yi nodded. This wasn't the first time Qiu Ling gave him clothes. Who knew where they came from but it seemed like he always had some in his spatial ring. He didn't mind taking them. They were going to be husband and wife soon, anyway. What need was there to distinguish to whom those things belonged?

Jing Yi untied his belt and wanted to slip out of his outer robe but he hesitated before even opening it. Somehow, he felt like he was being scorched by someone's gaze. Jing Yi looked up. Qiu Ling was standing a few steps away, his hands clasped behind his back, and stared at him with unveiled desire. The hunger in those eyes made Jing Yi blush.

They had traveled together for a whole year. He might have been too young to really understand in the beginning but with each passing month, he noticed more and more just how intense Qiu Ling's feelings for him were. On one hand, it made him anticipate the time when they would be married but on the other hand, it scared him a bit. He just didn't know how to handle this.

"Qiu Ling …"

Qiu Ling's gaze lifted from Jing Yi's hands and finally looked into his eyes. A brilliant smile emerged from his lips. "What is it, my love? Please, continue." He motioned and seemed as if he was enjoying himself.

Jing Yi blushed even deeper and his breath caught. "Qiu Ling …"

"Do you need help?" Qiu Ling stepped closer and reached over, his hands grabbing the white robe. He really, really wanted to pull it apart and reveal the slender figure beneath. When Jing Yi said nothing, he indeed slowly pulled at the fabric. The outer robe came completely undone. It was still warm from Jing Yi's body and it smelled just like him. Qiu Ling's hands trembled a bit when he finally took it off Jing Yi's shoulders. He had never gotten this far with Jing He.

He let the robe vanish in his spatial ring and reached out again. He really wanted to use this moment and take a bit of advantage of Jing Yi. After all, even though they had traveled together for so long, this was still the first time he saw Jing Yi like this. Before, he had always behaved or, well, Jing Yi had made sure he couldn't even peek.

But he knew better than to go too far. They were outside right now. He couldn't risk that somebody else saw his beloved's perfect body.

Qiu Ling took the black robe again from Jing Yi's hands and helped him put it on. He looked at him and frowned. This … looked completely wrong. His beloved shouldn't wear this color. Well, it also looked good on him but it was still not quite right. Mn, thinking about it, Jing He would look even more gorgeous in it if this was his immortal body. He could imagine it very well. When he woke up and they also married in that life, then he should take him to the dragon realm and have him wear a black robe at least once. It would probably be a guilty pleasure.

"What is it?" Jing Yi smiled and tugged at the black sleeves. "Does it look strange?"

"You're looking beautiful. It's just … unfamiliar. I've seen you in white robes most of the time. It seems to suit your character better."

"I think so, too. But we can't do anything about it. So, let's concentrate on the mission for now, alright?"

"Mn." Qiu Ling nodded and grabbed his hand. Finally, they went over to the opening to begin their time as spies in the Hei Dian Sect.