The Villainous Shizun Is As Beautiful As A Flower

The atmosphere froze for a moment. Xu Xingchen’s gaze shifted between the two demon kings. Advertisement

No wonder others say that demons are the least united. Looking at this meeting between the demon kings, it seems like they’re about to fight to the death in the next instant. But according to rumors, they have no grudges against each other.

Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, Shen Liuxiang quickly pulled Zhou Xuanlan away.

This is Wenren Qin’s territory. Getting into a fight would be disadvantageous, especially since he represents the Eight Wastelands. His every move has significant implications, so he can’t just casually fight like other demon kings.

Wenren Qin watched them leave without stopping them, but his gaze grew more sinister.

When Zhou Xuanlan appeared, he knew the formation was broken. He was puzzled about why Zhou Xuanlan had come. Coincidentally, the subordinates he had sent to investigate had returned, revealing Shen Liuxiang’s identity and digging up their past.

Zhou Xuanlan’s attitude wasn’t as simple as treating Shen Liuxiang as a Master.

But…

Wenren Qin raised the corner of his lips and smiled cunningly. Shen Liuxiang had regarded him as his disciple, so there was no threat.

It was deep into the night, with only a few figures on the street. Colorful lanterns swayed gently on both sides in the wind.

Zhou Xuanlan’s expression was masked. He asked, “When did you meet Wenren Qin, Master?”

“Today was the first time, but you might not believe it. He seemed familiar to me,” Shen Liuxiang replied, nibbling on a carrot like a snack. “He reminded me of a red-haired child I met before.”

At first glance, Shen Liuxiang was attracted by Wenren Qin’s disheveled red hair, reminiscent of Xiao Qi. He wondered if Xiao Qi could be Wenren Qi’s child.

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Zhou Xuanlan paused in his steps. “What child?”

Shen Liuxiang explained from beginning to end and added, “The demon cultivators in Qilin City despise hybrids because of Wenren Qin’s influence. The city lord dislikes them, so the young demons in the city naturally follow suit. Xiao Qi might be the child of Wenren Qin and a female cultivator. He doesn’t like Xiao Qi, which is why he lets those people bully him.”

Although Jin Xiaojiu disliked Xiao Qi, he did not show much malice. Furthermore, Zhou Xuanlan showed slight surprise when he heard the words ‘mixed-race’, but did not show any signs of deep disgust, which was completely different from the attitude of the people of Qilin City. He realized that perhaps most demons didn’t have a vehement hatred for mixed-race; it was just Qilin City that was excessively extreme.

After listening to Shen Liuxiang, Zhou Xuanlan fell into prolonged silence until they arrived at the Cloud Pavilion, where he finally snapped back to reality.

Seeing the two young lords return, Jin Xiaojiu’s anxieties were finally put to rest. He hurriedly went to greet them, but his joy turned into shock as she noticed an extra person.

The man in black robes exuded a suffocating pressure as if it came from his bloodline.

A high-ranking demon!

Jin Xiaojiu’s legs went weak, and as the man removed his mask, he collapsed to the ground.

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“The Ninth Demon King?!” How did the Ninth Demon King from the Eight Wastelands end up in Qilin City, and accompanying the young lords at that? Jin Xiaojiu’s thoughts couldn’t keep up, and his head felt dizzy.

Shen Liuxiang heard that lower-level demons instinctively feared more powerful demons like Zhou Xuanlan, but he was surprised by the extent. He bent down to help Jin Xiaojiu up.

“Don’t be scared. He’s my disciple,” he explained, then turned to Xu Xingchen. “Prepare a room.”

Xu Xingchen coldly snorted, “There are no vacant rooms at the Cloud Pavilion. There’s an inn on the street.”

Allowing such a threatening demon king to stay at the Cloud Pavilion would be too dangerous if he had ill intentions. They wouldn’t have even the time to react.

He wouldn’t agree to it.

Zhou Xuanlan saw through his thoughts and found it quite normal. He also had a place to stay in Qilin City, but he hesitated because he was reluctant to part from his master.

“In that case, Master, rest early. I’ll come back tomorrow.”

Shen Liuxiang’s phoenix-like eyes narrowed slightly as he guessed Xu Xingchen’s intention. He grabbed the person about to leave. “It’s alright. You can stay with me tonight.”

Clearly, he was worried about him and wanted to personally keep an eye on him at night.

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Zhou Xuanlan hesitated in his steps and turned back.

Xu Xingchen’s face showed an incredulous expression. He pointed at Shen Liuxiang, waggling his index finger in the air, too frustrated to even speak.

Being alone in a room with another man late at night—how inappropriate!

Moreover, did he forget the stern warnings from the Emperor earlier in the Imperial Palace?

He really wanted to knock some sense into Shen Liuxiang’s head!

“…Xiaojiu, prepare a guest room,” Xu Xingchen said calmly, then stepped forward and forcefully separated Shen Liuxiang’s hand from the demon king’s.

“Let go, let go! What’s with all this tugging and pulling!” He’d have to be extra vigilant at night due to his reckless older brother.

Zhou Xuanlan remained silent, his gaze fixed on Xu Xingchen, revealing a subtle tone of reproach.

Why was his stance so wavering?

“You go with Xiaojiu to check the room first,” Shen Liuxiang instructed after finalising their accommodations, then rubbed his neck. “I’ll come to you after I’m done bathing.”

Zhou Xuanlan nodded, and Jin Xiaojiu nervously led him to a room before hurrying away. He poured himself a cup of tea and thought about Shen Liuxiang’s earlier words.

He had a suspicion that if it was true, Qilin City was about to undergo a major change.

Not long after, a slender figure appeared at the doorway.

Zhou Xuanlan looked up.

The person, who had just finished bathing, wore a thin undershirt. His waist-length black hair was still slightly damp, and a faint mist enveloped him.

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In the lamplight, water droplets on his neck glistened with a delicate light, sliding down his graceful neck and moistening the white fabric that half-covered his neck.

Shen Liuxiang’s black eyelashes were slightly wet. He entered the room and glanced around before remarking, “It’s not bad. You should take a bath too and rest early tonight.”

Zhou Xuanlan lightly brushed his finger along the rim of his cup. “Alright.”

Shen Liuxiang took a couple of steps forward and suddenly caught a whiff of a musty smell. He reached the bedside, lifted the bedding, and found that the sheets underneath seemed unused for a long time. They were damp and emitted a pungent moldy odor.

He frowned instantly. “Sleep with me tonight.”

“I’m not that picky. I’ll sleep here for the night,” Zhou Xuanlan started saying, but before he could finish, he was pulled away without further ado by Shen Liuxiang.

Shen Liuxiang led him into the bedroom, passing by an intricately designed folding screen, and pointed to a spacious brocade bed. “It’s big enough. We can both sleep here. You go freshen up first. I’ll be waiting in the room.”

Zhou Xuanlan’s posture stiffened slightly.

In fact, there was a beautiful couch in the bedroom, but his master didn’t suggest he sleep there. Instead, he directly invited him to share a bed. Did his master consider him a child who wouldn’t mind, or…

After bathing, Zhou Xuanlan walked down the corridor and paused in front of the room door. As he pushed it open, a hesitant expression crossed his face.

Seven years had passed since he last saw his master, and he really wanted to get closer to him.

As he recalled the scene of the water droplets clinging to his master’s fair skin and rolling down from his neck, his heart ignited like a blazing fire. The memory made him feel feverish, and he had even used cold water during his bath.

If he were to be in such close proximity to his master…

Zhou Xuanlan’s eyes darkened slightly, and he extended his hand to push the door open. He made up his mind and said with a hint of determination, “This disciple, tonight, I’ll still…”

Before he could finish his sentence, he noticed a white undershirt on the ground. It was the one Shen Liuxiang had worn earlier.

Zhou Xuanlan was momentarily stunned, his gaze wandering around the room until he spotted the extra item.

Lying on the table was a small white rabbit about the size of a palm.

Completely white, with a topknot tied on its head, the rabbit was nibbling on a carrot. Upon hearing the noise, it lifted its round head, and its translucent red eyes looked at him.

“Are you done bathing? I’m ready too.”

Shen Liuxiang looked towards the man at the door. He was dressed in a dark undershirt with intricate golden embroidery along the collar. With broad shoulders and a slim waist, he had a tall and lean figure. Below his brows, his deep black eyes stared back at him.

During their gaze lock, an indescribable sense of pressure filled the air.

Shen Liuxiang gulped down a bite of carrot and increasingly felt that transforming into a rabbit was indeed a wise decision.

He was able to satisfy his want for Zhou Xuanlan to read him stories and for Zhou Xuanlan to peacefully sleep on the bed, so he had the best of both worlds.

Satisfied with his own cleverness, Shen Liuxiang squinted his eyes and lifted his fluffy front paw, waving at his disciple as if urging him to enter the room.

At that moment, the carrot in his arms lost its support and rolled off the table. Shen Liuxiang quickly tried to grab it, but his feet slipped on the smooth surface.

Thud!

Shen Liuxiang tumbled off the table, his head hitting the ground, and he ended up sprawled on the floor, seeing stars.

Zhou Xuanlan entered the room and helped the dazed rabbit up, not knowing whether to laugh or cry at the situation.

So, his master had planned this all along.

Shen Liuxiang remained dazed for a while, leaning his head on Zhou Xuanlan’s outstretched palm. In that moment, he resembled a white glutinous rice ball.

Once he regained his senses, he blinked and lazily said, “Help me onto the bed.”

Given his current state, getting onto the bed seemed a bit challenging.

Zhou Xuanlan lifted the fluffy creature and placed it on the bed.

He watched Shen Liuxiang stretch out his limbs and roll around on the bedding, his soft fur getting a bit disheveled.

Shen Liuxiang noticed him standing and said, “You should come up too. Oh, and on the way, bring a book and get me another carrot.”

Zhou Xuanlan turned around, picked up a fresh red carrot from the fruit tray, and retrieved a book from a shelf before climbing onto the bed.

Shen Liuxiang, while rubbing his head as he recalled the heavenly dog that had saved him, asked, “Where’s Ao Yue?”

“He’s in the Eight Wastelands, indulging himself while holding a chicken leg,” Zhou Xuanlan said as he opened the book and then added, “He wanted to come, but he’s too chubby to fly now.”

Shen Liuxiang couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

After taking a whiff of the fragrant carrot and nibbling on it for a while, the room was filled with the sound of Zhou Xuanlan’s deep and magnetic voice.

“Once, a charming and affectionate concubine asked, ‘Your Majesty, between the empire and me, which one do you want?'”

“His Majesty replied, ‘I don’t want either. I just want to become a monk.'”

Hearing this, Shen Liuxiang nearly choked on his carrot. After swallowing it down, he laughed until he was almost hiccuping. “Concubine Chong must have been pissed off.”

Leaning against the head of the bed, Zhou Xuanlan watched him bite his lip slightly and continued reading the story.

“Concubine Chong was stunned for a moment before hurriedly asking, ‘Since that’s the case, Your Majesty, can you leave behind your personal bodyguard?!'”

Swoosh!

Shen Liuxiang quickly took a bite of his carrot to suppress his surprise. No wonder the book was titled “His Majesty’s Compassion, Concubine’s Delight.”

It was truly too stimulating!

After a while of excitement, he finished the carrot and felt a wave of drowsiness. His ears drooped softly, and he rubbed his head against the bedding.

“Can you untie my hairband? I want to sleep.”

Zhou Xuanlan’s gaze fell on a small tuft of fur. He reached out to undo the thin cord, causing the topknot to come undone. He gently smoothed the extremely soft fur.

Perhaps not accustomed to his new form, Shen Liuxiang felt too drowsy to open his eyes, yet he couldn’t seem to fall asleep. He tossed and turned beneath the covers.

“If you’re uncomfortable, just turn back.”

Shen Liuxiang opened his sleepy red eyes, feeling a flicker of hesitation. But when he remembered the undershirt that was draped over the screen, his resolve wavered.

He couldn’t change back without any clothes on.

“I might need a pillow.”

Crawling out from under the blanket, Shen Liuxiang looked left and right, trying to find something suitable to rest his head on. However, it was difficult to find something suitable for his small head.

“You can rest your head on my hand.”

A hand extended in front of him, and Shen Liuxiang hesitated. Tentatively, he placed his head in Zhou Xuanlan’s palm, feeling the comfortable support against the back of his neck.

He contentedly squinted his eyes and said, “I’ll sleep for a while. If your hand gets tired, wake me up.”

Zhou Xuanlan replied, “Okay.”

Hearing that, the little rabbit on the bed adjusted his position, thinking that he could finally drift off to sleep. However, after just a moment, he made an uncomfortable sound and opened his eyes.

The lump on his head was throbbing slightly, and Shen Liuxiang buried his head, using his foot to gently massage it.

Seeing his discomfort, Zhou Xuanlan’s hand came to rest on the round, fluffy head. He began kneading it, not too gently and not too forcefully. He applied a touch of his spiritual energy, releasing a warm breath from his fingertips.

Despite just rubbing his head, Shen Liuxiang felt as though every bone in his body was being massaged. A warm current circulated slowly within him, making him feel comfortably melted.

He stretched out his four paws lazily, sprawling on the bed. His voice turned soft, “Can you give my neck a little rub too? And my waist, and my feet. Can you satisfy those requests?”

It was almost like getting a massage.

Zhou Xuanlan’s eyebrows lifted, and his long fingers began to glide across the soft bundle of fur. The pressure varied between light and firm, making Shen Liuxiang’s body ache yet feel at ease. He continued to hum and mumble contentedly.

The night shrouded the Cloud Pavilion in rich moonlight, enveloping it in tranquility.

Suddenly, a figure emerged from a room.

Xu Xingchen’s face was cold as ice, and he was dressed neatly. It seemed he hadn’t rested at all. He left his room and quietly walked towards the room prepared for Zhou Xuanlan, intending to see if there was any activity inside.

Unexpectedly, when he arrived at the door, he found that the door was wide open, and there was no one inside.

He furrowed his brows and then suddenly realized as he hurried toward Shen Liuxiang’s room.

Xu Xingchen’s face turned ashen as he walked. When he was almost at the door, he suddenly heard faint sounds of pain coming from within the room.

“Be gentler with my waist… gentler… don’t touch that… ah…”

“Is it too much pressure? This disciple will go easier.”

Xu Xingchen was stunned for a moment, taking a while to process what was happening inside. Suddenly, in a split second, he realized what was going on. His eyes widened as he came to the realization, and then a blazing fury erupted from deep within him. He trembled with anger.

This demon king was indeed up to no good. That, that idiot Shen Liuxiang must have been left in a pitiful state!

He waved his hand, summoning the Xuan Huanjian Sword.

As the sword’s blade emerged from its sheath, it emitted a dazzling and sharp light, illuminating the dark night.

With eyes burning like fire, Xu Xingchen’s anger surged. He gripped the treasured sword, and with a swift motion, he kicked open the door.

Bang–!

“You bastard! Let go of my brother!”