Song Qingshi carefully puts on each article of clothing, resuming his typically cool and restrained demeanor. He turns around, seeing Yue Wuhuan still lost in thought on the bed, picks up the discarded clothes from the floor, and hands them to him, hopefully asking, "Shall we take a bath together?"
Bathing alone is rather dull. He'd wanted to invite Yue Wuhuan before, but he was too shy to ask as Yue Wuhuan was uncomfortable being seen naked. Now that they're a couple and have crossed certain lines, he expects no refusal and boldly extends the invitation.
Yue Wuhuan stares at him for a long while before finally putting on his clothes and following.
Song Qingshi loves taking baths; the private bath he had built for himself is large, resembling a small swimming pool.
Yue Wuhuan also enjoys bathing and has been permitted to use this bath at different times. Overwhelmed by the intense events of last night, he's been in a daze, feeling like a puppet on strings as Song Qingshi leads him into the bathroom, disrobes him, and helps him into the bath. It's only when water splashes on his face that he snaps out of it.
Song Qingshi had jumped into the bath, diving like a fish under the water before emerging again. Noticing Yue Wuhuan lost in thought, he playfully splashes water to awaken him, then leans close and asks with a smile, "What are you thinking?"
Yue Wuhuan hesitates, "You seem really happy?"
"Yes," Song Qingshi jubilantly says, "I'm really happy. Wuhuan is now my boyfriend."
Yue Wuhuan looks uneasy, "You think... I'm your boyfriend?"
'Boyfriend' means male friend, doesn't it? He suddenly recalls a certain creature that claimed friendship, making him uneasy.
"Aren't you?" Song Qingshi notices his grim expression, panics slightly, fearing another misjudgment. He stammers in an attempt to recover, "After doing what we've done, doesn't it implicitly mean we're a couple? Unless there's another type of relationship..." He pauses, recalling an odd term his peers once jokingly mentioned in another world—'friends with benefits.'
An Long had also mentioned that in the world of cultivation, there are transient relationships between cultivators that focus solely on physical intimacy, disregarding emotions.
Could it be that Yue Wuhuan is planning to break it off because he finds their physical relationship unexciting?
The more Song Qingshi ponders, the less confident he becomes. "I'll work harder; just give me another chance," he stammers. He plans to ask Ye Lin Xian Jun to send him hundreds of romantic books for extensive research, hoping to achieve perfection in this aspect of their relationship.
Yue Wuhuan finally understood, feeling as if in a dream: "Qing... Master, are you asking me to be your lover?"
Song Qingshi nodded vehemently, "Yes, a committed lover! I don't want a fling or a fleeting affair!"
"Master, do you understand the consequences of being serious?" Yue Wuhuan thought of Song Qingshi's spiritual integrity and felt a vague sense of unease. He slowly emerged from the water, his wet hair trailing beside the pool, his slender waist reminiscent of the most beautiful sea nymph. Then he revealed every inch, every part of his body to Song Qingshi and hoarsely asked, "Do you like what you see? Everyone at Golden Phoenix Manor has seen me; that album has spread far and wide. Over the years, I've been alone, encountering many despicable people who sought to undress me with their eyes, savoring my libertine image. If you become my lover, you too will have to endure such sordid gazes and whispers. Society would deem you mad for falling for me; after all, my reputation is even worse than a courtesan's."
He smiled, but his body trembled ever so slightly—it was unclear whether it was fear or excitement.
Song Qingshi quickly gathered him into his arms, asserting firmly, "I don't care about others. This is not your fault."
"Right or wrong doesn't matter," Yue Wuhuan leaned on Song Qingshi's shoulder, took his hand and pressed it over his heart. Stripping away all his protective spiritual aura, he sobbed, "I don't want a lover or affection. If you only like my body, then let me be your plaything. Let me serve you, is that alright...?"
Compassion has no place in a Daoist heart; a casual relationship is enough, emotional attachment cannot be afforded.
If emotions are indeed stirred, then after experiencing heavenly pleasure, rip out his heart.
He wishes to attain enlightenment for his Master.
Oh, how he wishes, how ardently he wishes...
Song Qingshi felt like he was faced with an existential question. Desperation took over him. How did his senior brothers express their commitment to their girlfriends? Swearing oaths to the heavens? Groveling on their knees? As he became increasingly anxious, unable to think of an answer, he saw Yue Wuhuan's emotional instability escalating and simply lunged forward, clutching his thighs, "Let's get married, no, let's become Daoist companions!"
In this world, nothing declares a man's intentions more clearly than marriage!
In the cultivation world, becoming Daoist companions leaves a special mark on both parties. He would put Wuhuan's mark on the back of his hand or even on his forehead, so that everyone can see his loyalty to his partner!
Yue Wuhuan's expression froze; he sensed that something had gone awry.
Running out of comforting words, Song Qingshi plaintively uttered, "Wuhuan…"
Yue Wuhuan pondered for a moment, then smiled casually: "Master, have you truly fallen for me?"
Seeing that he understood, Song Qingshi finally breathed a sigh of relief and nodded cheerfully: "Yes! I like you!"
Yue Wuhuan's face turned cold in an instant. He quickly pulled Song Qingshi into his arms, placed his hand on his dantian and channeled his divine consciousness, sternly saying, "Remove the dark fire from your primordial spirit! Let me see clearly!"
The dantian of a cultivator is a forbidden zone, not to be touched casually. Yue Wuhuan had already overstepped once by examining it stealthily, banking on his Master's leniency. He had initially thought Song Qingshi's primordial spirit and cultivation appeared unremarkable because he had not felt true love. Now, observing Song Qingshi's actions and words, he realized he had been mistaken.
Song Qingshi had indeed allowed love to move his Daoist heart, which meant that his primordial spirit could not be unaffected.
When the primordial spirit suffers, cultivation dissipates...
Yue Wuhuan had experienced the slow draining of his cultivation; it felt as if a part of his life force had been taken away, and it was agonizing.
The more he thought about it, the more alarmed, afraid, and angry he became, his voice growing increasingly stern as he urged on.
Realizing that he couldn't keep his secret any longer, Song Qingshi reluctantly withdrew the dark fire from his dantian, revealing a primordial spirit full of tiny cracks. Trying to explain, he said, "I took some painkillers, it's okay, don't worry..."
"There's still time," Yue Wuhuan inspected the primordial spirit and found that it hadn't shattered completely; it could still be saved. He breathed a sigh of relief, looked intently into Song Qingshi's eyes, gripping his shoulders firmly, and commanded word by word, "Kill me!"
Song Qingshi was flabbergasted. This turn of events was deeply unsettling.
Consumed by madness, his eyes red, Yue Wuhuan commanded once more: "Kill me now!"
"Calm down first," Song Qingshi, panicked, suddenly recalled advice from a text given to him by Immortal Ye Lin on how to placate an enraged lover. He crawled out of the water, kissed Yue Wuhuan's lips again, and sat on his lap. Tentatively suggesting, he said, "If... if you're angry, can I punish you? Like what we did last night; you can have your way with me..."
Yue Wuhuan, irate and impatient, felt like an alchemical furnace on the verge of explosion. He took several deep breaths to steady his emotions and forcefully removed the seductively restless man from his lap. "You've cultivated the path of heartlessness for years. Do you know what to do when feelings stir?"
"I do," Song Qingshi honestly replied, "When the Daoist heart is moved, one must demolish the Dao and rebuild it."
Yue Wuhuan asked again: "And what if you don't want to demolish the Dao?"
Song Qingshi pondered: "It seems you must kill the one you love to attain enlightenment?"
As one who had cultivated the path of heartlessness, how could he not know such foundational principles? However, he never thought he'd resort to such extremes. A Daoist heart could be rebuilt, but finding a loved one was much harder. He had lived through two lifetimes and had only just found one. How could he kill him for enlightenment?
A once-in-a-millennium love versus a primordial spirit that could be restored in two centuries.
Is there really a need to weigh the pros and cons? Is this a math problem?
Yue Wuhuan was gorgeous, had a great physique, was exceptionally intelligent, and was the object of his longing. How desperate would he have to be to give all that up for the sake of a damaged primordial spirit?
Yue Wuhuan pressed him again: "Kill me quickly! Once the primordial spirit shatters, it will be too late!"
Song Qingshi shook his head frantically: "No! I want to form a Daoist union with you!"
Yue Wuhuan was livid. If it weren't for the fact that a practitioner of the heartless Dao must sever emotional ties personally, rendering self-destruction ineffective, he would have ended his life immediately. If he were stronger than Song Qingshi, he would have thrust a precious sword into Song's hand and guided it across his own throat!
He tried to reason: "If you can't bear to hurt me, you can use the Love-Intoxicating Poison. It's painless and preserves the body after death." Failing that, he planned to trap Song Qingshi; perhaps 'accidentally' colliding with him while he used his dark fire, and then refusing treatment.
Song Qingshi was devastated: "Why must I kill you?!"
The two men went round in circles for a while, neither able to convince the other, before finally coming to a standstill.
Sensing Yue Wuhuan's mounting tension, Song Qingshi cautiously used his spiritual energy to soothe him. Climbing ashore, he fetched two Calming Pills from his pouch, fed them to Yue Wuhuan, and waited for the effects to subside. Only then did he explain everything about his shattered primordial spirit, including his two-hundred-year cultivation plan.
Yue Wuhuan muttered, "So you've had feelings for a while now..."
He didn't know whether to be happy or sad.
"You're overthinking," Song Qingshi laid atop him and said, "I simply followed the wrong Dao and plan to restart. There's precedent in 'The Chronicles of Lingbo.' Lingbo herself originally cultivated the Sword Dao but realized upon reaching the primordial spirit stage that it wasn't her true path. So she abandoned it for the Dao of the Blade and successfully transcended."
Yue Wuhuan looked intently at him, "No practitioner of the Dao of Emotionlessness has ever restarted."
"If it's wrong, then it needs to be corrected," Song Qingshi patted his chest, "I'll gladly be the first."
"My name was prophesied by a spirit medium who said I would never find happiness because I was born under an unlucky star," Yue Wuhuan's eyes seemed distant, "My father, the queen, my mother, and my elder brother, the crown prince, all refused to believe it. They treated me well, attempting to prove the prophecy wrong. In the end... they all died. I've never experienced anything good in the cultivation world until I met you. You like me and treat me well, and then your primordial spirit shattered. I am really scared..."
After a long silence, Song Qingshi smiled, "You still have some luck."
Yue Wuhuan looked at him, astonished.
Song Qingshi gave him a meaningful hint, "The Blood King Vine."
Clouds swirled ominously in the sky as if sensing someone was revealing secrets, ready to punish the offender.
Song Qingshi felt the impending danger and quickly changed the topic, "My research on the Black Death Butterfly is almost complete. Despite many failures, I didn't give up. I've finally discovered the correct method to merge it with the floral fungi. In a few days, I'll produce an enhanced version and present it to you... as a proposal gift."
Yue Wuhuan looked hesitant.
"We've been intimate; we can't treat it casually! I can't develop feelings for anyone else!" Panicking at the thought of rejection, Song Qingshi pleaded desperately, "I want to take responsibility for you! Please give me a chance to do so!"
How can one increase the success rate of a proposal? Should he buy a ring and kneel down?