CH 120

Chapter 120: So Easily Shy. I Simply Need To Tease You A Couple Of Times, And All Your Efforts Will Be Broken. Besides, You’re Pretty Ticklish….

“Go where?” Qi Ci asked as he organized the chessboard and picked up all the pieces.

With a gentle wave of his hand, Bian Zhonghua moved all the chess pieces, sending them to fall back into the chess box: “Even if I don’t tell you, would you still come with me?”

When Qi Ci noticed that Bian Zhonghua was playing hard to keep him interested, he clicked his tongue as a smile grew at the corners of his lips. Qi Ci didn’t continue to ask, and instead, he replied straightforwardly: “I’ll go.”

Thereupon, Bian Zhonghua extended his hand to help Qi Ci get up from the stool. After they bid farewell to State Master Li, they walked out of the Secret Servant Residence and headed towards the street.

The streets of the Capital were as thriving and bustling as ever, filled with the sound of people coming and going.

The two walked side by side, fooling around all the way. Suddenly, Bian Zhonghua said to Qi Ci: “Before, in the past, you used to say that you wanted to visit the most prosperous places in this land.”

Qi Ci replied: “Indeed, that sounds like something I would say. By the way, what kind of relationship did the two of us have in the past?”

Bian Zhonghua smiled at Qi Ci and said: “One loved the other….but the other didn’t know it.”

Qi Ci was taken aback: “Who loved whom?”

Bian Zhonghua replied: “I was the one who was in love with you.”

Qi Ci said, “Then it seems that I was a blind man who didn’t understand love in my past life.”

Bian Zhonghua was dumbfounded at first, but then he smiled. Love and greed to cling to Qi Ci had always overflowed his heart. Then again, unexpectedly it was Qi Ci who said ‘I love you’ to Bian Zhonghua first. Bian Zhonghua felt somewhat helpless yet happy, ultimately falling even deeper in love with him.

Qi Ci suddenly remembered something he has been curious about for a while now. So he asked, “By the way, why did those Fierce Beasts call you ‘Demon Emperor Zhonghua’? Are you perhaps quite powerful?”

Bian Zhonghua laughed: “It’s a title that was given to me by the common people as a way to show their respect. Yes, I’m indeed very powerful.”

After saying that, Bian Zhonghua placed his hands on his waist, demonstrating pride.

Qi Ci asked again, “What about me, am I powerful?”

Bian Zhonghua thought for a moment and finally replied, “The nine sons of the Dragon King don’t belong to the mortal world, so of course you’re powerful. But you’re also prone to shyness. I simply need to tease you a couple of times, and all your efforts will be broken at once. You’re also pretty ticklish….”

“Alright, alright. Don’t go on.” Qi Ci tried to interrupt Bian Zhonghua’s words.

Unexpectedly, Bian Zhonghua continued: “Especially in the palm of your hand….”

Feeling even more embarrassed, Qi Ci raised his hand to Bian Zhonghua’s mouth to shut him up. However, it didn’t come out the way he wanted it to. Bian Zhonghua grabbed his wrists and kissed his palm, gently scratching his skin with his wet tongue and lightly nibbling on it with his teeth.

At this, Qi Ci jumped in the middle of the street, startled, and hurriedly withdrew his hand. With the other hand, he held the hand that had been licked and nibbled on and squeezed it tightly. For a long while, neither of them said a word.

Bian Zhonghua’s eyes curved with a wicked smile, dying to tease him. Noticing his intentions, Qi Ci turned around and began to walk hurriedly. Bian Zhonghua followed behind him and said: “I was wrong, my little Gongzi, don’t be angry. Come on, give me your hand and I’ll rub it for you.”

Qi Ci covered his ears with his hands and began to walk even faster than before, with an expression that said ‘I’m not hearing, not hearing, not hearing’. At the same time, Qi Ci repeated as if it were a mantra out loud: “Who are you? I don’t know you, go away.”

Bian Zhonghua hastened to say loudly as well: “I’m your husband! Ah, my wife, how can you not recognize your sweetheart? My life is so miserable!”

After causing such a commotion in public, Bian Zhonghua stopped at a spot and said: “Here we are.”

Qi Ci looked up, only to see that they had arrived at a small store selling cakes and candied fruit. The store owner greeted them kindly, and with great enthusiasm, he said: “Gongzis! Come, come! These candied plums are really delicious. Buy a couple and try.”

Qi Ci asked: “This was the place you wanted to take me to?”

Bian Zhonghua shook his head: “It is not here. I simply want to buy some candied plums to eat.”

Hearing this, the store owner quickly weighed several candied plums for Bian Zhonghua and carefully wrapped them in two yellow oil bags, tied with a hemp rope.

Bian Zhonghua thanked the store owner and paid. Then, he took the bags with candied plums, put one in his pocket, opened the other and handed it to Qi Ci.

Qi Ci, being polite, grabbed a candied plum and put it in his mouth. As the sweet and sour taste flooded his mouth, Qi Ci enjoyed the delicious taste of the fruit.

Seeing Qi Ci slurping his mouth, enjoying the candied fruit, Bian Zhonghua laughed and said: “When we met for the first time, you gave me some candied plums. You told me you were giving them to me because you couldn’t eat them yourself.”

Qi Ci was surprised: “Are you telling me that back then I couldn’t afford to eat candied plums?”

Bian Zhonghua laughed out loud and said: “Little Gongzi, not only that, but you also tricked me. You took something away from me in exchange for those candied plums.”

Qi Ci became flustered. “What? In what way did I trick you? Can I give it back now? What thing did I take from you?”

Bian Zhonghua bowed his eyes and said: “My heart for all eternity.”

Qi Ci: “Then I won’t give it back.”

He said that with complete confidence.

After having bought the candied plums, Bian Zhonghua took Qi Ci back to the Secret Servant Residence. After noticing that he had been driven around in circles, Qi Ci couldn’t help but ask: “Wasn’t it that you wanted to take me somewhere?”

“Yes.” Bian Zhonghua nodded and led Qi Ci toward the side courtyard of the Secret Servant’s Residence.

In the courtyard, State Master Li was waiting for them both with his hands resting behind his back. On the ground, there was a spell formation drawn with extremely complicated strokes. Once State Master Li saw them approaching, he scratched his beard and said: “Just in time, I had just finished drawing the formation.”

Bian Zhonghua clasped his fist and said: “Immortal Lord Zhenwu, thank you for the trouble.”

State Master Li waved his hand and said: “Lord Bian is too polite.”

When Qi Ci saw the formation on the ground, he felt that it looked somewhat familiar. As he looked at it with further scrutiny, he remembered where he had seen it before.

‘Isn’t this the formation that can transport people to the Underworld?’

Qi Ci looked up, but right when he was about to ask, he saw Bian Zhonghua walking towards the formation. Bian Zhonghua held out his hand and said: “Little Gongzi, come here.”

Qi Ci no longer sought to ask questions, and instead, decisively took Bian Zhonghua’s hand.

Bian Zhonghua led Qi Ci to the center of the formation, and once there, he nodded to State Master Li.

State Master Li then recited an incantation as he directed his spiritual energy at the formation. At that moment, the formation emitted a dazzling light, so bright that it even covered up Qi Ci and Bian Zhonghua’s figures.

Blinded, Qi Ci had to close his eyes. Not long after, however, he heard Bian Zhonghua whisper in his ear: “Here we are.”

When Qi Ci opened his eyes again, he discovered that the two of them had actually come to the Underworld.

After walking through the archway, they walked along the Road to the Yellow Springs, which curled all the way to the River of Forgetfulness.

Bian Zhonghua pulled Qi Ci’s hand and led him towards a quiet and secluded spring, which glistened slightly.

“This is….” Qi Ci was taken aback.

Still holding Qi Ci’s hand with no intention of letting it go, Bian Zhonghua said: “This is the true Spring of the Three Lifetimes. With this, you will be able to recall all the memories of your past.”

“This….” Understanding Bian Zhonghua’s intentions, Qi Ci became speechless.

Bian Zhonghua then held Qi Ci’s shoulders with both hands and stared at him. After taking a deep breath, he said: “Qi Ci, despite Hundun’s coercive threats, it is true that I killed the possessed 8th son of the Dragon King, imprisoned you and dug out your Dragon Bones.”

After pondering for a moment, Qi Ci finally asked: “Did you have any hardships?”

Bian Zhonghua was stunned, but then helplessly smiled: “How can you ask me if I’ve had difficulties instead of getting angry? Little Gongzi, you really, you really are like that. Whether I have had any difficulties, whether I have done right or wrong, it is up to you to decide Little Gongzi.”

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Qi Ci nodded: “Alright.”

Bian Zhonghua leaned over and gently kissed Qi Ci, then slowly let him go.

Qi Ci turned around and took two steps toward the Spring of Three Lifetimes. Suddenly, Bian Zhonghua shouted out to him again: “Little Gongzi!”

Qi Ci turned to look at him.

Bian Zhonghua smiled and said: “You always said that you wanted to travel all over the world, visit the mountains, the rivers and the four seas, to experience the entire world. Do you still want to do that?”

Qi Ci replied: “Yes, and I want you to be there with me.”

Bian Zhonghua: “Alright, when you come back, we’ll go. I will wait for you here.”

Qi Ci smiled and said: “It’s a deal.”

Bian Zhonghua nodded his head: “Hmm, it’s a deal.”

Qi Ci then stood by the spring, took a deep breath, and jumped in. The cold water from the spring soaked his clothes and caressed his body, but even then, Qi Ci didn’t feel suffocated under the water. Instead, he felt unexpectedly calm.

Then, everything that happened once was slowly revealed in front of his eyes. Just like the figure of a horse running in a lantern1.

Qi Ci remembered everything.

He was Chiwen, the ninth son of the Dragon King. As soon as he was born, his body carried the fate of protecting the peace and stability of the entire world.