Reborn as a succubus - Chapter 22

When they’d first set out, the roads were lively and full of noise.
On the way back, barely a hundred or so remained.
Someone started sobbing quietly, and that stifling, fearful atmosphere spread through the group like an illness.

Before reaching the academy, none of them knew if they would still be alive the next day.

Thankfully, they made it safely back to Yujing Academy.
No more monsters appeared on the road.
Still, this mission had claimed far more lives than anyone had imagined.

Including the instructors, there had been 203 people on the expedition.
Among them, the fifty female students and three instructors who stayed in the village had all vanished, along with thirty-seven male students.
Each pair had been grouped together for safety, so there were some clues about what might have happened.

“He was right next to me, but something bit him… after that, I don’t know… I was too scared…”

“I saw it clearly—my partner was bitten.”

“Those two from the next group died horribly…”

The emergency camp was chaotic—cries, confusion, and grief filled the air.
Parents had come searching for their children: some found them and wept with relief; others broke down when they couldn’t.
People of all ranks and faiths were the same now—worried family members, desperate and heartbroken.

From what the students said, most of those who vanished had been bitten or killed.
But Xi Che remembered that he’d found no student corpses at the scene—not even remains.
Those bitten on the head couldn’t possibly have survived… yet none of their bodies were there.
Even those bitten only on the arm or leg had disappeared.

So his best guess was: everyone who had been bitten—no matter how lightly—was gone.

He racked his brain but could make no sense of it. All he could feel was that there was something deeply wrong behind this.

As he was lost in thought, he noticed Chu Yan standing by the doorway, watching him silently.
From his look, Xi Che guessed he wanted to talk privately.

Though he really didn’t want to get further entangled with him, avoiding him now would only draw more attention.
So he went over.

Chu Yan’s gaze softened as he approached.
Xi Che asked, “What is it?”

“I came to say goodbye,” Chu Yan said.
“I’m leaving. I’ve withdrawn from the academy.”

Xi Che blinked. “You’re dropping out? The inheritance ceremony of the God of Light is coming soon. Isn’t that a pity?”

Chu Yan gave a rare teasing smile. “What—are you going to miss me?”

Xi Che shot him a look. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

Chu Yan didn’t mind. He’d long since grown used to Xi Che’s sharp tongue.
Leaning casually against the doorframe, he said, “After what happened, my family panicked. They think it’s too dangerous, so they’re forcing me to return home.”

Xi Che understood. Many parents would react the same way.

Then Chu Yan added, “Come with me for a moment. I found something in the village today something secret. There are too many people here; let’s talk outside.”

The mention of a secret caught Xi Che’s attention, so he followed him down the corridor.

At a shadowy corner by the stairs, Chu Yan stopped and waited. Standing there half-hidden in the dark, his tall figure looked oddly striking. Xi Che hesitated, then walked closer.

As soon as he did, Chu Yan grabbed his wrist and pulled him hard against him, one hand pressing the back of Xi Che’s neckholding him tightly.

Xi Che was caught completely off guard. “You weren’t we supposed to talk?”

Before he could finish, he felt the side of his neck brushed roughly, enough to make his skin prickle.
Then he realized: this man hadn’t wanted to talk at all he just wanted to get close!

“Let go!”

But Chu Yan only tightened his arms around him. Xi Che’s breath came fast with anger, which only made Chu Yan chuckle softly.

“I might never come back to the academy,” he murmured. “Won’t you even miss me a little?”

Xi Che struggled, pushing against him. “Keep dreaming!”

It figured he had only ever seen him as some fleeting infatuation.

Hearing that, Chu Yan fell silent, but his grip grew even firmer. Their breathing mingled in the dark, and despite himself he bent down and kissed Xi Che.

Xi Che’s eyes went wide. He immediately tried to punch him, but Chu Yan caught his wrist and pinned it against the wall, kissing him harder.

The spot was half-hidden by the stairs—anyone walking past wouldn’t easily see what was happening as long as they stayed quiet.

So Xi Che ended up pinned against the wall for a full two minutes.

The sound of ragged breathing between them made his scalp tingle with frustration. He regretted not cutting Chu Yan off from the start then none of this would’ve happened.

A sharp breath hissed between them; someone’s lip was split.
Xi Che shoved him away, wiped his mouth hard with the back of his hand, and stormed off without looking back.

Behind him, Chu Yan’s low voice called faintly:

“You have to come… I’ll be waiting.”

Xi Che didn’t understand what he meant and didn’t care. He wasn’t falling for his tricks again.

White Tiger poked its small head out from behind Xi Che’s neck and sighed.

“Just like that? I thought he’d be the loyal type. Turns out he’s no better than a heartbreaker, flirts and runs.”

Xi Che rolled his eyes. “All the better.”

“Still,” the tiger muttered, “you could’ve at least had a proper goodbye.”

“…You’ve got issues,” Xi Che muttered.

The incident with the missing students was soon overshadowed by the upcoming ceremony to select the successor of the God of Light.
No matter how many had died, the academy never ignored that sacred event.

Because of Xi Che’s calm leadership during the mission, he became one of the official candidates.
Without his quick thinking, the casualties would have been even higher.

Still, he suspected this was the work of Yuan Ting behind the scenes, some manipulation to ensure he took part.
He’d reported the events, omitting the parts involving the  tiger talisman and Jin Lingzi, and his superiors had been very pleased.

Now, riding the carriage toward the temple, he tried to steady his nerves.
The closer they came to the divine palace, the more anxious he grew—and annoyingly, his mind kept flashing back to that chaotic encounter with Chu Yan.

He pressed his forehead against the carriage wall, muttering, “Focus! You’re here to save your old friend, not think about nonsense!”

After several self-inflicted knocks to the head, he suddenly lifted the curtain and shouted at the driver,

“Stop the carriage! I’m not going, turn back!”

The driver, puzzled, said calmly, “We’re almost there, sir.”

Through the window, Xi Che saw a mountain rising like ink from the clouds—majestic and serene.
It was Crane cry Mountain, home of the divine temple.

His knees nearly gave out. He didn’t want to go anymore. Just seeing that mountain made cold sweat break out all over him.

But there was no escaping now.
The carriage stopped at the base of the celestial stairway, where other ornate carriages had already arrived.
Representatives from every race were stepping down, faces full of pride and expectation.

Xi Che, pale and trembling like he had food poisoning, was definitely an odd sight.
After the driver helped him down, the man promptly drove off—leaving him alone and miserable.

Then gasps rippled through the crowd.
From the heavens, golden light blazed, and a white stone stairway descended, embedding itself in the ground with a mighty crash.

The Heavenly Stair.

If the stair had appeared, then Chu Yan, no, the God of Light was near.

The stair was wide, stretching upward into the clouds with ninety-nine thousand steps, the only bridge between the human and divine realms.

Xi Che’s heart pounded. As a demon now, would the stair expose him the instant he set foot on it?

Before he could think further, a blinding golden glow flared at the far end.
There was no doubt it was Chu Yan.

A deep, commanding voice echoed through the sky:

“Followers, bow before the God of Light.”

Everyone around Xi Che dropped to their knees.
Even the most devout pressed their foreheads to the ground in worship.

Xi Che, gritting his teeth, crouched down just enough to blend in. He’d be noticed instantly if he stood out.
He refused to kneel to Chu Yan, but he’d at least pretend.

Just as he was edging backward, White Tiger suddenly leapt from his shoulder, growling fiercely.

“What are you doing? Get back here!” Xi Che hissed.

But before he could grab it, a piercing cry rang out from above, a blazing red bird, wings wreathed in fire, dove straight toward them.

The Vermilion Bird—the phoenix spirit of Chu Yan.

“Stop! Stop! Don’t” Xi Che shouted, realizing what was about to happen.

The tiger roared back, defiant, and the phoenix shrieked in answer.
A flash of crimson light filled the sky.

Xi Che coughed blood, vision going dark, and collapsed to the ground.

“…That cursed man actually sent his bird to attack me?!”