Reborn as a succubus - Chapter 31

For three days, Xi Che stayed at the Jade Capital Palace — officially to “rest,” but in reality, it was house arrest.
When he realized that, his eyes widened in disbelief. He never imagined that one day, Chu Yan would actually confine him. Chu Yan, of all people, knew how to imprison someone?

It was partly Xi Che’s fault — he had trusted him too much. During the first two days, everything seemed fine. He ate and drank well, woke up to the sight of the phoenix and white tiger playing around, and thought life was peaceful. But on the third day, when he tried to leave the palace, he found attendants following him wherever he went — real attendants, not illusions.

That’s when he realized the truth — he was under house arrest.

He knew why Chu Yan was doing this. Every night, Chu Yan came to see him, insisting on “dual cultivation” — a way to share energy and heal faster.

Xi Che, however, felt deeply conflicted.
He thought bitterly: “I’ve ruined a once noble, upright god. I’ve turned him into someone addicted to earthly desire.”
Now that the Heart-cleansing Spring had dried up, Xi Che believed he had to leave, otherwise, Chu Yan would fall even further from divinity.

There was another reason too — since transferring Chu Yan’s cold poison into himself, his own power had been draining rapidly. The strength he’d gained before was slipping away fast. He had to hurry and investigate what was happening in the mortal realm before it was too late.

To do that, he needed the help of the Dream Master.

Though they hadn’t interacted often, Xi Che had already read him well. The Dream Master had once suffered countless hardships before ascending to the divine realm; he was once a demon, tempered by experience. Now that he had a high position, he was cautious and calculating — someone who wanted to serve a wise ruler rather than become one.

To him, Chu Yan was the ideal divine sovereign to serve.
If he ever found out that he was secretly keeping an incubus in the Jade Palace — and even sharing divine energy with him nightly — he would be furious. He’d surely expel Xi Che from the realm immediately.

So Xi Che decided to make that happen.

He summoned the white tiger(Bai Hi), and with a deliberately dramatic display, drew a summoning circle using his own blood. He began chanting a forbidden incantation meant to attract attention — and it worked. Dark energy erupted skyward, an unmistakable sign of demonic art.

But unexpectedly, Xi Che caught glimpses of another place through the ritual — a mountain covered in corpses, a man in ornate robes standing amid a glowing array.

The sight made his heart race. Gold Bell again… he thought angrily. That troublemaker is behind this too.

Just then, the palace doors burst open.
“Who dares to use such dark arts in the Jade Palace?!”

It was the Dream Master.

Xi Che stopped his chanting, cradled Bai Hu in his arms, and greeted him with an unfazed smile.
“Oh, Dream Master. Why so alarmed? I was just… entertaining myself.”

The Dream Master’s face went pale with fury.
“How dare you perform forbidden spells in the God of Light’s own palace!”

Xi Che waved a hand lazily. “I used to do this all the time back in Jingyu. Everyone knew. Why so serious?”

The Dream Master was speechless — and that’s exactly why you were banished from Jingyu! he thought.

Xi Che stretched lazily and sat down on a couch. “Anyway, I’m tired. You know, your god comes to me every night for energy sharing. I hardly get any sleep.”

The Dream Master was speechless again — half in rage, half in disbelief. He could barely stand to look at Xi Che, seeing how far the once-famous War God Asas had fallen. In his mind, Xi Che had become a dangerous seducer who could drag Chu Yan into ruin.

He briefly considered killing him on the spot — but if he did, Chu Yan would never forgive him. The god had already turned against the celestial enforcers once for his sake.

Sensing his thoughts, Xi Che gave him a sly smile.
“Thinking of killing me?”

The Dream Master froze.

“Don’t bother,” Xi Che said calmly. “If you kill me, Chu Yan will destroy you. But if you help me leave, everyone wins. Lower the Heavenly Ladder and let me descend to the mortal realm. That way, I’ll be gone — and your god will be safe. You’ll even gain a reputation for wisdom.”

The Dream Master hesitated. “You’d really leave so easily?”

Xi Che sighed. “Honestly, I’ve had enough of this place. Let me go, and I’ll be grateful. If Chu Yan asks, just tell him I forced your hand.”

Reluctantly, the Dream Master agreed. He led him to the Heavenly Ladder, a massive bridge between realms, and lowered it.

“Go,” he said. “Follow this path, and you’ll be free.”

Xi Che smiled faintly. “Thanks.”

As he began to descend, the Dream Master called after him:
“Asas, for the god’s sake — don’t come back. You’ve already died once. You know what exile feels like. If you still care for him, never appear before him again.”

Xi Che paused, turned slightly, and murmured,
“Don’t worry. I probably won’t have the chance.”

Then he stepped onto the ladder.

It was the first time he’d ever taken it properly — not as a warrior descending to battle, but simply walking. It was… dull.
So he used a wind spell to speed things up, not realizing that the ladder was full of hidden branches and traps. Some paths led to the mortal world, others to the demon realm, and still others to forgotten pocket worlds where ancient races hid from the wars of gods and demons.

The surge of spiritual energy from his spell disturbed the structure of the ladder — and suddenly, the ground gave way beneath him.
He was pulled into a vortex, tumbling through a dark tunnel for what felt like forever before landing roughly at the bottom.

When he opened his eyes, the world around him was strange — plants like serpents twisting through the air.
“This… isn’t the mortal realm,” he muttered.
Then one of the snake-like vines moved toward him. “Oh, come on!” he shouted, jumping back.

—

Meanwhile, back at the Jade Palace, Chu Yan returned carrying a small golden-scaled baby qilin, a rare divine beast he meant to give to Xi Che. He thought he might like it — something soft and lively to keep him company.

But when he entered, the palace was empty.
Blood still stained the floor. The forbidden circle was still faintly glowing. And the Dream Master was kneeling there, trembling, a sword in his hands.

“Lord,” the Dream Master said, voice shaking, “I let him go. If you cannot forgive me — strike me down.”

Chu Yan’s expression darkened immediately. “You… put him on the Heavenly Ladder?”

The Dream Master nodded. “Yes.”

“You fool!” Chu Yan shouted. “You should’ve escorted him yourself! The ladder isn’t safe — alone, he could be lost forever!”

“Lost…?” the Dream Master stammered. “What do you mean?”

But Chu Yan was already gone — vanishing in a burst of divine light, racing toward the ladder.

For the Heavenly Ladder, despite appearing straight and shining, was full of hidden worlds and deadly illusions. Without a guide, anyone could wander astray forever.

There were said to be 99,999 steps — and just as many small worlds hidden within.

Long ago, a minor god once tried to climb back to Jingyu through the ladder, but when his deceit was discovered halfway, his guide abandoned him. The god resisted, causing a storm of divine energy that hurled him into a side realm. There, his spirit was devoured, and he was lost for eternity — neither mortal nor divine.

Chu Yan feared the same fate awaited Xi Che.
His divine power surged as he raced upward, praying that Xi Che hadn’t fallen into one of those cursed worlds filled with exiled, dangerous races.

But deep down, dread filled his heart — what if he was already too late?