Immortals and Demons Forever

Chapter 50: Boundless Tenderness

The group drank and chatted until very late before finally calling it a night. Su Mu had already arranged for people to keep an eye on the mine shaft. Chen Li and his group were core members; they didn’t need to go down into the mine, and their days were already quite leisurely. Su Mu was feeling a bit tipsy himself, so he went upstairs to rest, while Xiao Mei stayed behind to clean up. The floor was a mess of vomit—it had been a joyful day, and everyone had wanted to get thoroughly drunk. In his daze, he sensed someone beside him; upon touching her, he felt her body was still slightly warm. Was this a dream? Su Mu’s consciousness was hovering between drunkenness and wakefulness when a sudden image flashed through his mind. He had reached the age when romantic feelings first began to stir; he knew a thing or two about matters of the heart, and deep down, he actually had someone he liked. This person had stood by his side during his loneliest and most helpless moments when he’d been ostracized, comforting and protecting him. He had always longed for the day when he would be strong enough to protect her. His hatred drove him to become stronger—only by becoming stronger would his life have meaning! During his two years at Lingxiao Sect, he had come to deeply understand that strength was everything—you were either a master of your own destiny or a mere ant. In his heart, there were only these two choices—there was no third path. As the saying goes, “What you think about during the day, you dream about at night.” Su Mu couldn’t help but wrap his arms around the woman’s waist and turn her face toward him. “Cheng Yao, is that you?” “Ah… it’s me. I’m Cheng Yao.” “I’m not dreaming, am I?” Su Mu asked joyfully. “Of course not. Do you like me?” “I do! I’ve loved you ever since I became Elder Qingsong’s disciple! But you were so high and mighty, while I was like dust on the ground—insignificant. If I hadn’t been able to cure the poison in my body, I would’ve died in three years. I had no right to love you at all. But now I’m completely healed, and I’ll only get stronger. Once I enter the Inner Sect, I don’t want you to be my senior sister anymore—I want you to be my woman!” In the dream, Cheng Yao gently caressed Su Mu’s cheek. “I’m already your woman!” As she spoke, Cheng Yao pressed his lips against his. “No!” Su Mu suddenly stopped her. “Only when I defeat Bi Hua—only when I’m no longer your junior brother—will I be able to be with you openly and honestly…” “Oh, come on—isn’t it fine for us to be together right now?” “It’s fine, but it’s not the right time yet.” “Why are you so stubborn? You were just saying over and over how much you like me. You’re just holding yourself back too much—all you need to do now is relax…” It was like a spellbinding melody, as Cheng Yao gently blew into his ear. Su Mu instantly felt his heart racing. “Let your senior sister serve you well—that’s the greatest pleasure a man can have…” Cheng Yao giggled. Su Mu looked at her and suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He’d sensed something was off just a moment ago—even in a dream, Senior Sister Cheng Yao would never treat him this way. It was far too demeaning. Something’s wrong—something’s definitely wrong! Wake up! Su Mu sat up abruptly and grabbed the woman by the shoulders, causing her to let out a startled scream. “Don’t—don’t kill me!” Su Mu was fully awake now. Upon closer inspection, he realized the person lying next to him was actually Xiao Mei. “What are you doing here?” Su Mu asked coldly. “I—I just heard you say you were thirsty, so I hurried in with some water. I was about to leave, but then you suddenly grabbed me, so I just…” Xiao Mei was wearing only light clothing—she’d taken off everything but two items. She was in her early twenties, with an oval face, a pointed chin, and eyes that could captivate anyone. Su Mu really couldn’t remember what he had done. If it was exactly as the woman said, then he certainly couldn’t blame her. “Did you hear everything I said just now?” Xiao Mei nodded nervously. “Why did you pretend to be her?” “I—I… You mistook me for her. I know my status is lowly, but I wanted to stay here, so I was trying to curry your favor. I swear, no one else will ever know what you just said—or may I die a horrible death. Please don’t hit me, okay? I know I was wrong!” Su Mu released his tight grip on her hand. “What? Has Song Dachui ever hit you before?” “When he’s upset—especially after he’s been drinking—he gets violent. He has such a terrible temper when he drinks, and he has no idea how hard he’s hitting…” “What about Sun Datou? Why are you secretly seeing him?” “Because I don’t have the slightest feeling for Song Dachui, but I still have a little something for Sun Datou.” “If you don’t like him, why do you insist on staying here?” “I come from a humble background and live in a town not too far from here. Song Dachui spotted me the moment he passed through there. My father was an alcoholic and a gambler; he lost a lot of money, so he pawned me to him. That’s how I ended up here. Life got better, and I used the money I saved to pay off my father’s debts. He drank himself to death the year before last. I have no family—I’m all alone in this world—and if I went somewhere else, I’d just get bullied again. I haven’t decided yet where I’d go if I left.” “Have you ever tried doing it this way? Sometimes you just have to be brave and take that first step.” “It’s rare for you to offer encouragement. I thought you were stern and ruthless, but it turns out that’s not the case.” Su Mu sighed. “My mother died when I was born, and now my father’s fate is unknown. I’m just as alone and helpless in this world as you are. The only thing I have over you is that I can take control of my own destiny.” “After you’re gone, who knows which of your brothers will try to take advantage of me? Do you realize that?” “I don’t know. Women are scarce in a place like this. If you don’t want to be bothered, you’d better leave. If you stay, you’ll have to put up with things like this.” “You have a point. How I live is my own choice. Now that Song Dachui is dead, I’m completely free.” “Have you decided to leave?” “Mm-hmm.” The two looked into each other’s eyes, at a loss for words. “I plan to leave first thing tomorrow morning. You’re going to marry that Miss Cheng Yao someday, aren’t you?” “That’s my heart’s desire.” “Before I leave here, I want to serve a man properly one last time. You’re the only one I’d willingly do this for. Since you already have someone you love, I won’t do anything to you—I just want to help you out. Is that okay?” “What’s this? A thank-you?” “Let’s call it thanks, then. I can’t do anything else for you—without you, I wouldn’t have my freedom.” “So what do you want?” The woman reached out and removed her last line of defense. Su Mu didn’t move; he just looked at her. Xiao Mei looked up and smiled, her expression infinitely tender.