Tian Yu spoke sympathetically. "Luna, I'll wait right outside. I promise I won't peek."
Luna's lips moved, but in the end, she said nothing. Bracing herself for a noble sacrifice, she prepared to step into the cave.
She crouched at the entrance for a while, observing. Only after confirming that Chi Su wasn't going to leap up and kill her did she tiptoe inside.
"Chi Su, don't… don't be afraid. I'm here to help you."
…Though only because that damn system is forcing me to.
She stammered the words out, then squatted to the side, watching him.
She was terrified.
She'd died as a young maiden in the flower of her youth, without ever even having been in love. How could she possibly bring herself to… help him?
So she decided to just sit there and pretend for a bit. Once he couldn't take it anymore, she'd knock him out with one strike. After all, this sort of thing—endure it and it would pass.
But the very instant that thought popped into her mind, a surge of [System Punishment] electrocuted her.
"Qaq…" Luna whimpered.
Meanwhile, the burning toxin in Chi Su's veins surged like wildfire, ready to tear his sanity apart. The pain was like ants biting through every bone and vessel.
Through his haze, he heard a soft, sweet voice—it was her. A sliver of clarity told him exactly who it was.
Instantly, his guard shot up, a deep loathing toward human cultivators rising from his very bones. His voice was ice:
"Get… out…"
Help him?
Ridiculous. They were more likely to kill him.
No one in this world would help him. Everyone wanted a piece of him—his blood, his flesh.
This female cultivator must be the same. After all, he was the heir of the Moon Demon, a top-grade furnace cauldron. With the burning toxin in his body raging now, there was no way she'd truly help him.
"Chi Su?"
Luna, still a bit far away, hadn't heard him clearly. She edged closer, and with one tentative finger, poked his shoulder.
"What did you say?"
Her fingertip was cool against his searing skin. She withdrew it immediately—
But that featherlight touch was like a drop of water into hot oil. The explosion was instantaneous.
Chi Su's whole body tensed, clinging to the last scraps of sanity. He snapped, voice rough: "Get out! Don't touch me!"
Luna almost agreed—she would've loved to roll right out of here.
But in her mind, the words [System Punishment] flashed again. She blurted instead, "No."
Chi Su: "…"
She looked down and saw the fleeting glint of killing intent in his eyes.
Brother, it's not like I want to touch you!
But judging by that look, if she actually laid hands on him, he'd definitely kill her once he came to his senses.
He was poisoned, not brain-dead.
What now?
Silence fell in the cave, broken only by the drip of water against stone.
Luna's gaze slid to the rock wall. Suddenly, she smacked her thigh—idea!
"Chi Su, you're in such pain, why force yourself? With your spirit injured, you could easily fall into qi deviation. How about I take you out to soak in a cold pool? It might help."
In novels, male leads in this situation always cooled off in cold water, right?
No electric shock this time—Luna felt brilliantly clever.
Chi Su didn't answer.
He was barely breathing evenly now, battered by the tidal wave of his demon essence clashing against his immortal bones, each strike shattering his body inch by inch, then forcing it to knit back together.
It was temporary—he knew that. He just had to endure.
But this foolish girl refused to leave.
Fine. If she wouldn't go, then as soon as she came close enough, he could snap her delicate neck.
He didn't know why she'd save him, or why she'd jumped from the Ghost Realm cliff. But only the dead kept secrets. Only the dead couldn't hurt him.
So he gave her a faint smile and stretched out his hand. "Fine… help me."
The broken words, the hoarse voice, the hazy gaze, the faint breath of ghostly orchid fragrance lingering in the cave—it was all perfectly timed.
As her own gaze started to lose focus, Chi Su's lips curled.
The Moon Demon clan was born to seduce. No one could resist them—if they so wished.
Blood-stained fingers brushed over the back of her hand. Almost without thinking, she clasped his in return.
A strand of white jade prayer beads encircled his wrist, the tassel tickling her skin.
Then she was half-kneeling at his side, draping his arm over her shoulder, slipping her right arm around his narrow waist.
For all his height, he was slender—too slender. The loose blue robe hung off him, his waist so thin she could feel each sharp ridge of bone.
But his scent… unexpectedly pleasant, like the fleeting bloom of an epiphyllum.
Luna's thoughts wavered, but she still meant to help him out of the cave.
And that's when everything went wrong.
The world spun. The next thing she knew, she was pinned to the ground beneath him.
His eyes blazed red, killing intent pouring off him in waves.
His burning fingers pressed against her carotid artery, locking onto her life.
[Warning! Warning! Target's affection level has dropped to -50. Host's life is in danger. Take immediate action!]
Luna shivered, snapping back to herself.
She tried to raise a knee to sit up—only to accidentally bump right between his legs.
Direct hit.
Chi Su's breath caught; his body froze. His eyes flew open, the pitch-black pupils lit with tiny flickers—her face reflected there with startling clarity.
The air turned to stone.
Luna: "…"
Oh hell.
Someone please tell her she didn't just… bump that.
She suspected she knew, but she really didn't want to.
He stared at her, red light flaring in his eyes, long lashes trembling.
Pinning her wrists to the ground, he loomed over her.
Her pale face tilted upward, eyes wide and misty. The red ribbon tying her hair trailed against her neck, stark against the dark silk of her hair—red as blood against snow-white skin.
In the damp, rotting air of the cave, she carried a faint, sweet fragrance.
Something flickered in his gaze—light, transient, like a breeze through the mountains, gone before it could stir the heart.
Before she could read his expression, his head dipped.
Luna: "…"
His lips closed over her throat, biting down on her artery as if to vent his rage.
The sting of pain, the heat of his breath—her whole body jolted, especially with his teeth at her lifeline.
Like a lightning strike.
Eyes wide, she froze.
She didn't dare struggle. After a shaky breath, she shouted, "Tian Yu!"
The crane appeared in an instant, hovering.
"Knock him out!"
Fortunately, before Tian Yu could strike, Chi Su released her and collapsed, utterly spent.
[Ding—Congratulations, Host, on completing the novice guide mission. Current mission progress: 5%. Reward has been deposited into your account. Please check promptly!]
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