Reborn as a succubus - Chapter 33

When Chu Yan heard Xi Che’s words, he couldn’t help but smile faintly despite himself. The frozen stiffness in his face eased a little. Yet when his gaze fell upon the pale-faced enemy coughing blood nearby, irritation flared again — the sight of him was unbearable. Chu Yan wanted nothing more than to drive his sword through him.

He knew such emotions were unworthy of a god. A true god should feel neither love nor hatred — only compassion for virtue and pity for sin. To want to kill someone out of personal anger was no different from a demon’s desire.

Still, he couldn’t suppress it.
Perhaps, he thought bitterly, he no longer deserved to be called a god at all.

Sensing Chu Yan’s killing intent, Xi Che raised his eyes and said, “Don’t kill him yet. These people are strange. I can’t move at all — maybe they used poison.”

Chu Yan immediately helped Xi Che closer to the white-faced man and examined him in silence. Though beaten half to death, the man stared back at Chu Yan without fear, his gaze defiant. After a long moment, Chu Yan said, “It’s not poison. It’s a power from his kind.”

He looked at the man and asked coldly, “You’re from the Gou Tu clan, aren’t you?”

Xi Che frowned. “Gou Tu clan?” He had never heard of such a name. The pale-faced man looked startled as well — in his mind, no one should have known their true race.

Chu Yan gazed toward the distant mountain glowing faintly with violet light. “Few know of them. The Gou Tu were one of the races sealed and exiled from the Heavenly Ladder. The record appears only in the Chronicles of the Divine Light, so even most gods of Jingyu wouldn’t know.”

Xi Che had heard of that ancient record — a secret book passed from one god to the next, containing forbidden history and divine laws. He himself had once inherited such a book from the former War God.

So, he thought, Chu Yan must have learned of this clan from his predecessor’s teachings.

Chu Yan continued calmly, “The Gou Tu are peculiar. Wherever they dwell, corruption and darkness follow. Misfortune gathers around them, which is why they were exiled to another realm.”

Xi Che frowned again. “Then this place isn’t part of Jingyu at all — it’s another world?”

Chu Yan nodded. “The Heavenly Ladder only holds the gateway. This realm is the Gou Tu’s prison.”

The pale-faced man listened silently, now realizing these two weren’t ordinary beings. The words Jingyu and Divine Light told him enough. Even the so-called ‘incubus’ wasn’t what he appeared to be.

He sneered. “If you know I’m Gou Tu, you should also know that only I can undo the spell binding him. Let me go, and I’ll release him.”

Xi Che smiled faintly. “That may not be necessary. Have you ever heard of Soul Search?”

The man blinked.

Xi Che explained, his voice calm but chilling: “A forbidden art that forces memories from one’s mind. It doesn’t rely on confession — it tears the truth straight from the soul.”

Even Chu Yan turned to look at him, startled by the words. Xi Che noticed and felt a strange twinge of guilt. Of course, his own power wasn’t strong enough to perform such a spell — only someone of Chu Yan’s level could. But he said it to frighten their captive into surrendering, not to truly use it.

Unfortunately, the pale-faced man was neither foolish nor easily scared. He smirked. “You’re a good liar — perhaps the best among your kind. I do wonder what other talents you have… it’s a pity this man interrupted our little game.”

Chu Yan’s expression froze into ice. His eyes darkened, and before Xi Che could stop him, his foot struck hard, sending the man flying several yards away.

“Chu Yan!” Xi Che quickly called out, knowing he meant to defend him — but one more strike like that, and the man would be dead for sure.

Chu Yan frowned slightly, his voice cold. “Tell me the incantation.”

Xi Che blinked. “What incantation?”

Chu Yan turned to him. “The Soul Search incantation.”

Xi Che bit his lip and said firmly, “You’re a god. You shouldn’t stain your hands for someone like him. The Soul Search is cruel. It doesn’t suit you.”

At that, Chu Yan instinctively pulled him closer. “It’s your creation — how could it stain me? And I’m sparing his life. Isn’t that mercy enough?”

He knew everything about Xi Che — his past, his condemned inventions, and the way others had feared his “forbidden arts.” Yet he didn’t see evil in him. Xi Che’s kindness wasn’t that of a saint; it was selective and human. He was gentle to the innocent and merciless to enemies.

But what truly bothered Chu Yan was how Xi Che always drew a line between them — as if one stood in light, and the other in shadow.

Seeing Xi Che still hesitate, he leaned close and whispered by his ear, “If you’re so afraid of tainting me… then why did you agree to join with me before?”

“…!”

Xi Che’s face turned crimson. He stared up at Chu Yan, stunned and indignant — when had the god become so shameless?

Chu Yan didn’t seem to notice. He gently brushed aside a strand of Xi Che’s hair and said softly, “Be good. Tell me the words.”

Xi Che’s heart raced under that gaze. His mind went blank. He’s practically using charm magic on me, he thought helplessly.

“Switch the third and first phrases of the Mind Inquiry spell,” he stammered at last, “then replace the tenth line with: ‘Force the energy against its flow, lock the spirit within.’ Use eight parts of power and strike directly at the soul.”

Chu Yan nodded, set Xi Che safely aside, and placed his hand upon the white-faced man’s crown. Golden light burst from his palm. The man’s body convulsed violently, trembling as though lightning coursed through him.

Xi Che lowered his eyes. The Dream Master had always feared he would corrupt Chu Yan — and now it seemed that had come true. Watching him perform that brutal spell without a trace of hesitation, Xi Che’s heart tightened with guilt.

He didn’t pity the enemy; the man deserved it. What he couldn’t bear was seeing Chu Yan step further into darkness — following the same path he once did.

He closed his eyes.

Once, his defiance had led to his downfall — shunned, disgraced, abandoned by all. Chu Yan couldn’t end up like him.

When it was over, Chu Yan returned, pressed two fingers to Xi Che’s forehead, and effortlessly broke the spell restraining him.

“I not only found the release method,” Chu Yan said, helping him up, “but also fragments of memory. The Gou Tu clan once captured humans to refine their souls. When word spread, they were exiled here. Yet this place still connects to the outside — they’re still abducting people for their rituals. I don’t know what for.”

Xi Che recalled hearing the white-faced men mention a young sect master. “They spoke of someone called the Young Master — probably their leader. To uncover the truth, we need to find him.”

Chu Yan nodded toward the glowing mountain. “He’s there.”

Xi Che followed his gaze — the violet mountain he’d seen earlier. So the white tiger had been right: that light truly was ominous.

“Let’s go find him. Oh — teach me the counter-spell, in case I’m caught again.”

Chu Yan explained it to him without hesitation.

Xi Che, however, was already making other plans. If there really was a way out of this realm, he wanted Chu Yan to take it — while he stayed behind to finish what needed to be done. He didn’t want the god dragged deeper into his fate.

Chu Yan noticed his silence and touched his shoulder gently. “What’s wrong?”

Xi Che blinked, forcing a smile. “Nothing.”

Just then, the white tiger’s voice echoed in his mind:
“Don’t you think Chu Yan likes you?”

Xi Che almost choked. But thinking back to Chu Yan’s actions, the way he looked at him… maybe there was truth to it.

Probably because we… shared energy that time, he told himself.

He sighed. Gods weren’t born without desire — they were simply taught to suppress it, cleansed whenever they drank from the Well of Inquiry. Without that to purge emotion, perhaps feelings could indeed arise.

Still, Chu Yan liking him — or rather, this body — was dangerous.

The tiger snorted. “Who cares why he likes you? He likes you. Let him. Enjoy it before you die!”

Shut up, you indecent cat!

The tiger purred smugly. “So wasteful, ignoring affection like that. You really are cruel to me.”

Xi Che rolled his eyes internally and ignored him.

Out loud, he said to Chu Yan, “To avoid more trouble, we should take their clothes. They’re the subordinates of that young master — dressing like them will help us move unnoticed.”

In truth, he also wanted Chu Yan to stop standing there looking so striking — his silk undershirt and robe made him far too eye-catching.

Chu Yan agreed. He stripped the two men of their garments and threw their bodies — one dead, one mindless — into the remains of the Eight-Serpent Tree.

Watching him handle it all with such practiced calm, Xi Che felt a pang of guilt.

What kind of man was Chu Yan? A divine scholar who had fought his way up through the ranks of heaven — disciplined, graceful, once served by attendants for even the smallest needs. And now he followed him through blood and filth without complaint.

Xi Che’s heart ached.

The white tiger muttered again, “If you care so much, then stop resisting him. You like him too, don’t you? You’ve already shared your power.”

Shut up.

“Come on,” the tiger said slyly. “You love him — that’s why you won’t let him love you back. Typical.”

Xi Che scowled. Love isn’t dragging him down from heaven into the mud, he thought.