Reborn as a succubus - Chapter 16

Xi Che’s increasingly rapid breathing pulled Chu Yan’s thoughts back. He lowered his head and saw that the black lines had already spread across Xi Che’s entire face. He immediately gripped his shoulder and pushed him upright, golden light bursting from his body. Streams of golden energy poured steadily into Xi Che through Chu Yan’s palms.

To hell with not interfering with cause and effect—he was going to save this man.

His divine power was vast. Against such a petty corpse poison, naturally, he had ways to deal with it. Very soon, the poison in Xi Che’s body was purged by Chu Yan’s power, and his complexion returned to normal.

Only when he heard Xi Che let out a relieved breath did Chu Yan finally relax.

But he still didn’t let go.

Xi Che was weak all over, unable to sit up on his own. Chu Yan carefully cradled him in his arms, wanting to touch him, yet in the end only cupped his nape.

He had come back… Though not in his original form, he truly had returned.

For so many years Chu Yan had erected a longevity tablet in his name, ensuring his incense never ceased—and now, finally, he was back.

As a god born of this world, Chu Yan had an ingrained faith in the Heart-Cleansing Spring. He had always believed that no matter what sinful affections grew in his heart, one cup of its waters would wash them clean.

But reality proved him wrong.

The spring was no cure. Over these centuries, love had grown wild in him like spring grass, overrunning his heart.

Xi Che, unconscious from corpse poison, eventually felt warmth surrounding him as though he were soaking in hot water. Slowly, he regained his senses.

Dazed, he opened his eyes to find a pair of icy, detached eyes staring down at him.

Clearly emotionless—yet they seemed to carry feeling.

This was the deceit of phoenix eyes: when they lifted, they tricked you into believing there was love in them. But when they lowered, all dignity and resolve, you woke from the dream in aching loss.

In truth, he had never cared for you.

Back then, it was these very eyes that had deceived him, lured him into falling, and left him unable to let go.

So this must be another dream.

Xi Che hesitated, then raised a hand to his face. Chu Yan froze for half a second before instantly seizing that hand, his other hand unconsciously tightening on Xi Che’s shoulder.

For him to look at him like this…

He must have mistaken him for someone else.

The one he loved.

Chu Yan frowned slightly, but then, following Xi Che’s motion, lowered his head and kissed his lips.

Xi Che had grown accustomed to such dreams. Only this time, strangely, the setting was not the Jade Capital Palace. It was dark all around. Poison still clouded his mind, and he only recognized those eyes that resembled Chu Yan’s—he hadn’t really noted the man’s face.

So when the kiss descended, Xi Che closed his eyes, fingers sliding up the back of Chu Yan’s neck and threading into his hair.

But Chu Yan was far from satisfied with such a fleeting kiss. None of the dreams conjured by his Dream Stone compared to the reality of holding him now.

Urgently, he pried open Xi Che’s lips, his tongue delving deep to entangle with his. A real kiss—it was nothing like the dream versions. This was invasion, fusion, without restraint.

Xi Che even responded, and from that reciprocation Chu Yan sensed nostalgia.

Yet he wished he hadn’t, for Asa would never be longing for him.

Xi Che noticed this dream felt different—too real. His heart raced, his body burned, his senses reeled at the electrifying touch.

“Mm… ha!”

Gasping, he tried to pull away, only to be kissed again. He nearly suffocated, even as hands slipped beneath his clothes, stroking his body with desperate urgency. Dazed, he clung tightly, not resisting.

The chaos dragged on for more than ten minutes. When the other began unbuttoning his shirt and biting at his throat, Xi Che finally realized something was wrong. Dreams had always been hazy, muted. This was too vivid.

And when his belt was tugged loose, he jolted awake, eyes flying open.

This wasn’t Chu Yan at all.

It was his roommate, Chu Qi.

They were entangled, kissing feverishly, limbs locked. Chu Qi pressed him down firmly.

Shocked, Xi Che shoved him away and scrambled upright. Because they’d been so tightly entwined, their separation made a wet, unmistakable “tsk” sound.

Mortifying. Absolutely mortifying.

Clutching at his torn shirt, lips bitten red and swollen, he glanced at Chu Qi’s heaving chest under the dim light of the illumination spell.

The scene was far too suggestive.

Frantic, he rebuttoned, his shirt in chaos—ridiculous! How could he nearly end up with someone he’d known for just two days? Absurd!

“I—”

“It must have been the corpse poison!”

Cutting him off, Xi Che blurted: “Chu, maybe you were poisoned too… I know it was a misunderstanding, don’t take it to heart.”

Chu Yan watched his flustered scrambling in silence. After a pause, he suddenly reached toward Xi Che’s collar. But before he touched him—“smack!”—Xi Che slapped his hand away.

“Don’t touch me!”

Chu Yan froze, then slowly withdrew, his voice low: “One of your buttons is wrong.”

Xi Che looked down—he had indeed fastened the first button into the second hole. Hastily fixing it, he thought furiously: of course. This “Chu Qi” must have admired the original body all along. That explains the way he stared before the expedition.

And what was he doing, mistaking him for Chu Yan and actually…

No. He couldn’t let this continue.

As he wrestled with his thoughts, Chu Qi approached again. Startled, Xi Che retreated quickly, widening the gap.

Chu Qi halted, awkward.

“…It’s raining. I won’t go over—you come here. It’s dry on this side.”

Xi Che blinked. Indeed, at some point, fine cold rain had begun falling, beading above them.

So he’d only wanted to shield him?

See, see—how utterly different he was now from his aloof facade earlier. Clearly, that ill-timed kiss had changed things.

Xi Che decided it was necessary to set the record straight.

“Ahem.”

“Chu, we need to be clear. Whatever just happened, let’s act like it didn’t. I… I like girls, do you understand?”

Not knowing how else to refuse gracefully—especially after such a blunder—he used the simplest excuse. Incompatible orientation should end things.

But Chu Yan took the words as truth. His fists clenched. So, back then, the one Asa loved… was a woman.

Who? Could it have been Ying Lei?

They had always been close. In the Fengzao Palace, Asa often sought her out. Even after becoming War God, he still did. Always whispering secrets together…

He wasn’t sure, but the thought made jealousy roar through him.

He remembered Asa refusing the Heart-Cleansing Spring to protect someone’s honor, choosing to fall rather than drink. Now, thinking of that person, jealousy consumed him.

He had envied them back then. Now he understood fully.

He envied the one Asa loved.

Hidden in the dark, Chu Yan watched as Asa—so changed—furtively wiped his lips in disgust. Pain split his heart wide.

He’d thought that when Asa returned, he would rejoice, protect him with all his strength. But now… it had come to this.

He didn’t even have the right to protect him.

And from that kiss, he could tell—Asa was no innocent. He must have been with the one he loved, perhaps done even more than this.

A terrifying thought grew: if so, why not take him back to the Jade Capital Palace and lock him away? As a weak incubus, he couldn’t escape. Whatever love he held—he’d never see that person again.

“Pff—!”

Suddenly Xi Che heard someone coughing blood behind him. He spun to see Chu Qi kneeling, blood pouring from his mouth.

Alarmed, Xi Che rushed over: “What happened?!”

Had he just… made him cough blood?! Impossible!

But the next instant, Chu Qi raised his head, eyes terrifying as he stared upward.

—A warning of divine punishment?

Heaven itself reminding him: gods must not abuse their power, must not harbor selfish desire. Even though the Langfeng Pavilion was gone, gods who went too far would still be punished.

Chu Yan’s glazed eyes hardened to glassy brilliance. Energy whirled around him, hair whipped by crosswinds as though he would ascend.

Silent, yet declaring war.

Two centuries of waiting—he would wait no more.

He would take him back to Jingyu.

Punishment or not, he would not stop.

Xi Che had no idea what was happening. Lightning cracked above, Chu Qi’s aura transformed.

“You’re not… crossing a tribulation, are you?!”

When demons reached power, they drew thunder trials. But this was far too terrifying. Had he underestimated Chu Qi?

Then—a thunderbolt, thick as a barrel, struck down.

“Move!”

With a sweep of his arm, Chu Yan blasted Xi Che far aside, taking the strike himself. He spat another mouthful of blood.

Horrifying. That bolt was like the Thunder Pool’s heavenly lightning—meant for gods, not demons. Had the demon race risen so much in his absence?!

Xi Che was speechless with shock. And then—

From the bolt, Chu Yan rose unscathed. Wiping his mouth carelessly, he walked back as if nothing had happened.

“You… y-you-you…”

“I’m fine.”

“…Holy crap, brother! You’re actually the Demon Emperor, Donghuang Taiyi, aren’t you?!”