Chapter 11 - The Cave's Entanglement
Nie Shiyun was utterly dumbfounded. Was Zhai Bairong really planning to pin him down as a substitute for Duan Mingyu? While he had mentally prepared himself for the possibility that there might be no other way to dispel the drug's effects than to "try it out" with Zhai Bairong, he still felt the need to make things clear before they crossed that line.
"Hey, wake up! Hey... mmm..."
Unfortunately, Zhai Bairong didn't seem inclined to give him the chance to explain.
Zhai Bairong’s kiss was ferocious, a desperate gnawing born of pure instinct that split Nie Shiyun’s lip. In the original novel, this was the wildest scene for the usually self-controlled and gentle Zhai Bairong and Duan Mingyu. Nie Shiyun had skimmed over it back then; now that he was experiencing it firsthand, he found he couldn't muster even a shred of joy.
Nie Shiyun himself was already burning with desire. Being pinned to the ground and kissed so roughly caused his own blood to boil. As for how things had reached this point or what would happen afterward, those thoughts were temporarily cast to the back of his mind.
He reached out, grabbing Zhai Bairong by the waist and pulling him down forcefully. Their bodies pressed together from chest to abdomen, the heat radiating through the layers of their robes. No longer hesitating, Nie Shiyun hooked his leg up and pressed inward, asserting his dominance.
Zhai Bairong shuddered, a soft gasp escaping his lips as his body burned like a furnace.
Since transmigrating, Nie Shiyun had first encountered the man in a herbalist shop, but this was the first time he had seen Zhai Bairong’s face from such a close distance. Because of the lingering illusion, the other man had been unconscious on the ground; now, after rolling around on the floor, his usually pristine robes and hair crown were a mess. Dirt stained his cheeks and clothes, leaving him looking quite disheveled.
With a mix of pushing and pulling, Nie Shiyun managed to switch positions with the sluggish Zhai Bairong, pinning him beneath him.
"Nngh..."
Zhai Bairong seemed vaguely confused, but his feverish mind offered no resistance. Instead, he instinctively reached up to wrap his arms around Nie Shiyun’s neck. Though Nie Shiyun knew this wasn't a conscious invitation, his own thoughts were a chaotic mess. He reached for the ornaments at the other man's waist and yanked—the string of jade beads snapped, scattering across the floor with a rhythmic, clattering cacophony.
As hot skin met the air, Zhai Bairong’s chest heaved violently. Everywhere Nie Shiyun’s scorching palms touched felt as if it were catching fire. He lay on his back, facing Nie Shiyun, but his eyes were unfocused and glazed with lust.
*He’s the one who kissed me first. I can't be entirely to blame,* Nie Shiyun justified to himself. He leaned in closer, urgently seeking a way to vent the pressure.
Lacking any experience in this position, Zhai Bairong naturally felt pain, letting out low whimpers from his throat. Hearing those sounds, Nie Shiyun’s heart instinctively tightened. He slowed his movements, and before long, a layer of fine sweat broke out on his forehead.
Zhai Bairong soon looked as though he couldn't catch his breath. In his state of mental confusion, his actions were contradictory; one moment his palms seemed to be pushing Nie Shiyun away, and the next he was gripping the fabric of Nie Shiyun’s back tightly, as if afraid he would leave.
After a period of stalemate, Zhai Bairong’s body finally seemed to betray his will, relaxing significantly.
Inside the cave dwelling, there was no wind and no sound, only the dim light. No one knew how much time had passed or what was happening outside. The empty room echoed with the sounds of labored breathing and stifled moans.
After the first release of the drug's potency, the two finally regained a sliver of clarity.
The effects hadn't fully dissipated, but Nie Shiyun felt something called "reason" gradually returning. His chest no longer burned with the agony of self-immolation, leaving only a faint, lingering heat.
*What... what are we doing?*
Looking down at Zhai Bairong, whose body was now covered in the messy marks he had left behind, Nie Shiyun almost wanted to sigh in lament. He felt a momentary pang of guilt, but he didn't immediately pull away.
"Get... out..."
Zhai Bairong had also come to. His voice was incredibly hoarse, and he issued the command through gritted teeth.
He remembered that in the midst of the chaos, he had instinctively clung to someone’s body. That body's temperature was different from the person he had touched before, but he hadn't thought much of it at the time. Now that the drug's effects were receding, he was beginning to realize exactly what had just transpired.
He was Zhai Bairong of the Yingyue Sect, a man who had never lost his composure in public, yet he had been...
"If we don't neutralize this drug, we're both finished," Nie Shiyun said in a low voice.
"How high-minded of you. Isn't this all just a scheme you set up... Ugh! You..." Zhai Bairong’s words were cut short by a sudden movement, leaving him to glare at the other man with eyes like daggers.
Nie Shiyun might admit to other things, but he refused to take the fall for this. "If I wanted to harm you from the start, why would I go to the trouble of waking you from the illusion? I could have just used you and left you to die!"
His words were crude and blunt. Zhai Bairong’s face turned pale, but he found himself unable to refute the logic.
Their subsequent actions became a silent battle of wills. They had to dispel the drug, yet they had already reached a breaking point. They could only continue while fully conscious of their actions.
Seeing that things had reached this stage, Zhai Bairong turned his head slightly, as if he could shut out his senses that way.
Though Nie Shiyun had to admit he had been attracted to Zhai Bairong’s appearance when the drug was at its peak, now that his reason had returned and the other man was stubbornly refusing to react, he lost interest in anything beyond finishing the task and escaping.
Finally, when the drug's effects vanished, Nie Shiyun quickly pulled away.
"Don't move." Seeing Nie Shiyun stand up, Zhai Bairong barked a cold warning, fearing the other man would try something while he was in such a state.
In truth, Zhai Bairong wasn't as confident as he used to be.
He clearly remembered the memories of being trapped in the illusion, and he vaguely recalled Nie Shiyun coming over to slap him and ask what was happening. What he didn't remember was whether he had blurted out the agonies of his dream in his confusion.
Setting aside the fact that the worst had happened with this man, the more important issue was that his heart demon had been exposed. For a cultivator, that was a grave taboo.
Zhai Bairong’s heart was in turmoil. He didn't want anyone to know that the high-spirited Eldest Senior Brother of the Yingyue Sect was someone who, despite doing his best, couldn't keep his lover and lived every day in a state of insecurity over matters of the heart.
Quickly taking a spare set of clothes from his storage ring and putting them on, Zhai Bairong didn't even have time to fix his hair crown. Strands of messy hair still clung to his forehead and cheeks, as if announcing the chaotic ordeal he had just endured.
"Now that I think about it, your behavior has been suspicious ever since we entered that thatched hut. Speak—what exactly is your scheme?" Without hesitation, Zhai Bairong summoned his Treasure Tool, the Yangliu Sword, and pointed it directly at Nie Shiyun. It was only after standing up that he felt a certain fluid trickling down. His face remained impassive, but he was cursing internally.
Nie Shiyun was also prepared. He released his defensive magic tool and held his Azure Gold Sword.
The atmosphere in the cave shifted instantly from lustful to lethal. Nie Shiyun thought to himself that they were probably the fastest pair to ever draw swords on each other after sharing a bed.
