Chapter 49: This Venerable One’s Shizun Is Always So Mad

Chu Wanning's incredulity could no longer be captured in words.

His eyes opened wide, and he stared at the Mo Ran in his dream as if he

were staring at a ghost.

The grown-up Mo Weiyu was gallant, with broad shoulders and long

legs, and half a head taller than himself. When he looked down at Chu

Wanning, amusement and mockery could both be found in the corners of his

eyes.

"This venerable one's dear shizun really ought to take a look in the

mirror." Mo Ran's finger slid along Chu Wanning's cheek to rest by his ear,

his eyes dark and threatening.

A moment passed in silence, then he let out a cold hmph and abruptly

leaned over. This lean was accompanied by a soft, searing-hot sensation as

he captured Chu Wanning's lips with his own.

Caught completely off guard, Chu Wanning's head hummed with white

noise. Something in his mind seemed to…snap…

Mo Ran was kissing him, and Mo Ran's breath invaded him, moist,

agitated, full of filthy, sinful desire.

Lips met roughly with the scraping of teeth as stormy waves surged in

Chu Wanning's chest. He was nearly shivering with fright, his phoenix eyes

wide open and his mind equal parts furious and stupefied. In this dream, it

was as if he had lost his spiritual powers. He could hardly even gather his

physical strength. Instead he was held tightly against Mo Ran's chest and

couldn't remotely struggle free of his grip.

For some reason, the Mo Ran in this dream was wholly different from

the one Chu Wanning knew. That deferential ingratiation had vanished,

replaced by a domineering presence.

He could distinctly feel Mo Ran's heated breaths as he exhaled, low

and rapid, animalistic desire searing like lava and threatening to melt him

down, flesh and bone alike.

Chu Wanning's face was pale with anger, nearly about to spit blood.

He never could have imagined that he would be held down by Mo Ran

without the strength to resist. Even harder to accept was the heat gathering in

his abdomen and the weakness in his fingers from the wet, frantic friction of

these kisses. He trembled in Mo Ran's embrace; Mo Ran's chest was

furiously hot, so hot that it was like Chu Wanning would be burned and

drowned even through the layers of fabric. He wanted desperately to

struggle, but he couldn't summon the strength.

By the time they parted, Chu Wanning's legs were boneless. Mo Ran,

still holding him, turned to press his face against the back of his ear. Chu

Wanning felt the caress of warm, damp breaths at the base of his neck as Mo

Ran panted. Then he heard Mo Ran say, "Didn't you want to discuss

conditions with this venerable one?"

His voice was hoarse, so much so that it sounded nearly unfamiliar to

Chu Wanning.

Chu Wanning looked down only to see the jut of Mo Ran's throat

bobbing, a swallowing motion as he fought a losing battle to maintain

control.

"But you own little of value to this venerable one, so you'll have to

bargain with the last remaining thing in your possession."

Chu Wanning's voice grew hoarse as well, but he didn't know if it was

from anger or desire. Quietly, he asked, "What do you mean?"

Mo Ran backed him into a wall, then abruptly raised a hand to strike

the hard surface. The other hand closed tightly around Chu Wanning's

shackled wrist. Not without malicious spite, but also not without timid

desire, he bent down to capture the lobe of an ear between his lips.

Chu Wanning shuddered violently, a frightening numbness shooting up

his spine and spreading over his scalp.

Mo Ran's voice was husky, his breaths heavy and oppressive. "Let me

screw you, and I'll let you have what you demand."

Chu Wanning's eyes shot wide open, the wetness in his gaze colored

with arousal, but even more with disbelief.

Mo Ran's hand had already felt its way to Chu Wanning's waist, and

his lips moved against the side of his neck. He spoke venomous words in the

tenderest tone. "However, this venerable one loathes Shizun so very much, so

it'll probably be hard to summon any interest in Shizun's body. You'll have to

work a little to make it worth my while."

Mo Ran paused before pulling him in even closer, still stroking his

waist.

"So really, think it over. If you're willing, then get on your knees like a

good boy and put your mouth to work. Serve me well. Then go spread

yourself on the bed and beg me to fuck you."

Chu Wanning was about to lose it.

The virtuous, proud, pure, austere Yuheng Elder kept his distance from

men and women alike and indulged in neither erotic art nor amorous song,

ever incorruptibly chaste and aloof. Or, in simpler words, he knew

practically nothing of matters of love and lust.

And so, very unfortunately for him, in spite of his anger, all of his

defenses fell apart in the face of this intense, unfamiliar feeling. He was

utterly defeated.

Mo Ran waited for a short while but received no reaction. He cursed

under his breath and started kissing Chu Wanning again, unable to hold back.

He pulled back after having had his fill of his shizun's lips, trailing a

translucent thread—before biting down none too gently on Chu Wanning's

neck, licking and kissing along it to his shoulder, his ear.

Chu Wanning's scalp grew even more numb when Mo Ran began to

roughly pull and tear at his robes, muttering, "What're you pretending to be

so virtuous and saintly for?!" as he ripped.

When Chu Wanning lifted his eyes to look at him, Mo Ran's gaze was

heated, crazed, a strange light in the corners of his eyes like longaccumulated hatred finally spilling forth.

But also like, after long years of restraint, the screaming-hot lava of

desire that had been trapped under layers of rocks was finally overflowing.

Chu Wanning wanted to look away, as if burned by the intensity of Mo

Ran's predatory gaze, but Mo Ran saw through his intentions and gripped his

face before he could.

"Look at me." Mo Ran's voice was rough and heated, shaking faintly

from arousal—or perhaps something else—and filled with the craving of a

beast about to devour its prey. "I said, look at me!"

Chu Wanning shakily closed his eyes.

This dream was far too absurd…

"Shizun." The voice by his ear suddenly became soft and warm, more

akin to the tone with which Chu Wanning was familiar. "Shizun, wake up."

Chu Wanning blearily made out Mo Ran's face hovering mere inches

from his own. He instantly reacted with a fierce and well-aimed slap that

landed soundly on the boy's cheek.

Mo Ran, caught off guard, ate the slap head-on. He let out an, "ah,"

and opened his eyes wide. "Shizun! What was that for?"

Chu Wanning didn't reply as he sat up, his phoenix eyes flickering with

anger and alarm. His body was still shaking slightly, dream and reality

blending together and driving him mad.

"Shizun…"

"Stay away!" Chu Wanning shouted harshly, brows lowered in a

scowl.

Mo Ran was startled by this extreme reaction, and a while passed

before he asked cautiously, "Did you have a nightmare?"

Nightmare… That's right, it was a dream…It was just a dream. Chu

Wanning stared blankly at the person in front of him for quite a while before

he was able to slowly collect the pieces of his composure.

He was lying in the library at the Red Lotus Pavilion. Loyalty Hall and

the grown-up Mo Ran were nowhere to be seen. The only thing in front of

him was a face that was as yet young and childlike.

Finally fully awake, Chu Wanning paused for a moment to school his

expression into one of propriety as he made a show of rearranging his

clothes. His slender fingers still shook slightly as he suppressed the agitation

and unease that yet remained, and it was only after a pause that he said, "Mn.

I was dreaming and…hitting someone."

Mo Ran rubbed the redness on his cheek and let out a little hiss of

pain. "What was Shizun dreaming about? What a forceful hit…"

Embarrassment flashed across Chu Wanning's features. He pressed his

lips together and, turning a bit away, loftily said nothing.

His face was as calm waters, but his heart was full of wildly crashing

waves. He could practically feel his own pride on the verge of shattering into

a million tiny pieces. He couldn't believe that he would dream of something

so unspeakably preposterous, of such filthy words. How absolutely

shameless! How could he even call himself a teacher anymore?

Even worse, his useless body had reacted to that humiliating dream.

He felt like he was about to have a breakdown…

Thankfully, his robes were wide and loose-fitting, hiding his shame

from the eyes of others.

Chu Wanning's face still darkened gloomily as he propped his

forehead in one hand. He couldn't grab the dream Mo Ran to vent his anger,

but there was an available alternative right in front of his eyes, who had

conveniently delivered himself to Chu Wanning's door. So, glowering, he

asked sullenly, "What are you doing, barging into my private quarters in the

middle of the night like you own the Red Lotus Pavilion? Since when were

you the Yuheng Elder?"

Mo Ran could not immediately reply. First a slap for no reason, then a

thorough tongue-lashing. He felt a little wronged and mumbled in a tiny

voice, "What's got you so mad this time?"

Chu Wanning scowled. "I'm not mad. I'm going back to sleep—get

out!"

"But Shizun, it's already morning."

Chu Wanning paused.

"I only dared to enter the Red Lotus Pavilion without permission to

look for you because we've been waiting at the Platform of Sin and Virtue

for quite a while, but Shizun never came."

After a long, long moment of silence, Chu Wanning opened a shuttered

window. Sure enough, the sun had already risen a ways into the sky, the birds

were singing, and the bugs were buzzing.

Chu Wanning's scowl grew even darker. He looked like he might

summon Tianwen and start whipping it about at any second.

To think he had actually been immersed in an erotic dream all the way

through to early morning. On top of that, if Mo Ran hadn't come looking for

him, the dream might have even continued—

The thought made the vein at Chu Wanning's temple throb, and where

his grip tightened on the window frame, the joints of his fingers turned pale

like jade.

Chu Wanning practiced mental cultivation, which involved cultivating

his mind with restraint and discipline, and made him proficient in

suppressing desires. Before this, he'd never even had an unbecoming thought,

much less an erotic dream.

His principles being what they were, Chu Wanning was like a wooden

man: stupid, clumsy, and on top of that, stiff. His mental cultivation was so

advanced that he had entirely severed himself from all desire, and when he

had nothing else to do, he often looked down in contempt on pairs of lovers

and dual cultivation partners, feeling quite self-satisfied that he was virtuous

and incorruptible.

Who could've anticipated that in the end, he would fall like this? At

the hands of his own disciple.

The wise, strong, noble, and aloof Chu-zongshi dared not even look at

Mo Ran as he furiously spat out, "Hurry and come with me to the Platform of

Sin and Virtue for morning practice!" before abruptly turning and leaving,

vanishing in an instant.

Xue Meng and Shi Mei had been waiting for a long while and were

sitting in the shade of a tree chatting when Chu Wanning arrived.

Shi Mei was distraught. "Shizun is never tardy. Did something happen?

It's so late, and he's still nowhere to be seen."

Xue Meng was even more distressed. "Didn't Mo Ran go looking for

Shizun? It's been a while and he's still not back. If I'd known this was gonna

happen, I would've gone with him. I hope Shizun's not sick!"

"Shizun's shoulder wound was quite severe, even after proper care,"

said Shi Mei. "And he's prone to falling ill, so that's not unlikely…"

At this, Xue Meng grew even more restless until he abruptly stood. "I

can't wait anymore. We can't count on that unreliable mutt Mo Ran—I'm

gonna go check on Shizun myself!"

But when he turned around, there was Chu Wanning, pristine robes

fluttering as he strode over.

"Shizun!" the pair beneath the tree called out simultaneously.

"I got held up by some business," Chu Wanning said. "We're doing

martial practice today. Let's go."

When Chu Wanning wasn't paying attention, Shi Mei turned to Mo

Ran, who was following behind him. "Is Shizun all right?" he asked in a low

voice. "What was the holdup?"

Mo Ran rolled his eyes. "He just overslept."

"Eh?"

"Shh, act like you don't know." Mo Ran rubbed his cheek, still sore

from the slap. He definitely didn't want an encore.

Shi Mei blinked. "Why's your left cheek so red?"

"If you keep asking, my right cheek's gonna join it," Mo Ran said

quietly. "Let it be. Let's just hurry and follow."

When they arrived at the practice field, Chu Wanning instructed Mo

Ran and Shi Mei to have a practice match first, keeping Xue Meng behind.

"Sit," said Chu Wanning.

Although Xue Meng didn't know the reason for the command, he

always treated his shizun's every word like law. He promptly complied,

sitting down on the spot.

Chu Wanning sat down across from him. "The Spiritual Mountain

Competition is in three years. What are your plans?"

Xue Meng looked down, and a moment passed before he said through

gritted teeth, "To win."

If Chu Wanning had asked him this before their trip to Jincheng Lake,

Xue Meng would have answered arrogantly and with certainty. Now all that

was left behind this word was a simple, stubborn refusal to give up his pride.

It wasn't that he had no self-awareness, but rather that he refused to just step

aside and hand his title of "darling of the heavens" to someone else without a

fight.

Having ground out these words, Xue Meng snuck a glance at Chu

Wanning, his heart filled with anxiety.

Chu Wanning was looking at him without the slightest bit of any

derision or doubt. He only said, simply, "Good."

Xue Meng's eyes immediately lit up, and he stumbled over his words

in his excitement. "Shizun, do you think—do you think I can still… I…"

"My disciples don't give up without a fight."

"Shizun…"

"Outstanding youths from all sects participate in the Spiritual

Mountain Competition. Those without holy weapons will naturally be no

match for you, but even if your opponent does wield one, there's no need for

you to be afraid. A holy weapon isn't the sort of thing one can easily master

in a short period of time. Although your blade, Longcheng, is slightly lesser

in comparison, it is nevertheless a superb, high-quality weapon of mortal

craftsmanship. As long as you diligently train and practice for these next

three years, winning is certainly not outside the realm of possibility for you."

It was well known that Chu-zongshi had a discerning eye and solid

judgment in the realm of the martial arts. Furthermore, he wasn't the type of

person to tell encouraging white lies out of sympathy. Therefore Xue Meng's

spirits were lifted a great deal by these words. "Does Shizun really mean

it?"

Chu Wanning narrowed his eyes. "How old are you, Xue Meng?" he

asked lightly. "I don't coddle anyone over the age of five."

Xue Meng, a little embarrassed, rubbed his nose and grinned.

"Victory and defeat are not something you can control," Chu Wanning

continued. "What's important is to take pride in yourself. Just do your best

and don't worry overmuch about the result."

"Got it!" Xue Meng answered.

Having eased Xue Meng's worries, Chu Wanning headed toward the

practice field. He approached from the end where the training dummies were

located. In order to prevent disciples from accidentally injuring those who

passed by while they sparred with the dummies, this area had been built a

distance way. One had to walk down a long corridor and turn a corner to

reach it.

Shi Mei and Mo Ran were conversing with their backs toward Chu

Wanning, not too close and not too far away, just within hearing distance.

"You two…" Chu Wanning was about to call them over, but when he

laid eyes on the sight before him, he suddenly stopped talking.