The Husky and His White Cat Shizun

Chapter 269: "Heavenly Sound Pavilion," Don't Part From Me, My Lord

Amidst the intoxicating passion, Heaven-Stepping Lord untied the waist sash of the person beneath him, causing the robes to disarray and reveal bruises of blue and purple underneath. His movements paused as if he had recalled something. His gaze darkened and intensified, like smoldering embers hiding two flickering flames.

After a moment, he closed his eyes and sighed, "Forget it..." He knew that if he continued now, Chu Wanning might be reduced to a pile of shattered bones and flesh.

"I'll... spare you for today..."

In this isolated tranquility, he finally released the person in his arms and refrained from doing anything too excessive. However, he still lowered his head, his Adam's apple bobbing as he kissed his lover's eyebrows and descended further... until he reached the neck, gently biting with his sharp white teeth. Then, he straightened up and pulled the man who was pressed against the table to his feet.

The porridge was simmering, bubbling vigorously.

Heaven-Stepping Lord clumsily helped Chu Wanning tidy up his clothes, clearing his throat softly. Despite the raspiness, his voice remained low and warm, "The porridge is ready. Go, serve a bowl."

Though Chu Wanning was dazed by his actions, he was accustomed to the lord's unpredictable moods. Moreover, he believed it was all a dream, so he didn't dwell on it too much. Besides, having a proper meal was more comforting than indulging in reckless pleasure. Thus, without further ado, he lifted the lid of the elmwood pot.

"Serve more."

"Are you trying to stuff yourself to death?"

Heaven-Stepping Lord wore a half-smile that was not quite a smile. "Try it."

Saying this, he sat down at the table.

Although he was eager to lean in and see what Chu Wanning's porridge had turned out like, he had to maintain his imperial demeanor. Thus, he sat up straight at the table, adopting an air of nonchalant elegance.

However, when the porridge was actually served, Heaven-Stepping Lord found it impossible to remain indifferent—

The porridge had been cooked too long, with too much water added. The taste was off, neither salty nor bland enough. Even without tasting it, he knew it was a familiar flavor that he would never encounter again.

"Have it."

"..."

Heaven-Stepping Lord stared thoughtfully at the small bowl before him, stirring the soup spoon within, but not actually bringing the porridge to his lips.

Chu Wanning glanced at him. "If you don't eat soon, it'll all get cold."

"Oh," he replied.

The spoon hovered near his lips, but then hesitantly returned to the bowl.

Chu Wanning finally sensed something off and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Heaven-Stepping Lord smiled, still with that wicked and disdainful air. "Terrible cooking. I'm not drinking it."

"..."

"This place is too suffocating. This Lord needs some fresh air."

With that, he pushed the untouched bowl away and stood up to head for the door. As he reached the entrance, Chu Wanning's voice echoed from behind.

"If you don't drink it," Chu Wanning's voice was calm, a tranquility forged from being humiliated countless times, "I'll pour the whole pot out."

Anyway, most of what he made for him ended up wasted.

It had been like this since the very beginning, when his wontons were slapped to the ground.

Heaven-Stepping Lord immediately turned around. "Leave it be!... I mean..." He coughed, trying to cover up his momentary loss of composure. "Put it aside for now."

"What's the point of leaving it there?"

"..."

He brushed aside the curtain and stepped out. Under the eaves, he closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh.

In truth, he was already nothing but a corpse. No matter how lifelike he appeared, he was fundamentally different from the living—he could no longer consume food.

Back then, he had taken his own life in the Wu Mountain Palace, only to be turned into a living corpse by the Cold Scaled Saintly Hand for manipulation. The Cold Scaled Saintly Hand had crossed through a spatial rift to this world, while he was left behind in that dilapidated old mortal realm, carrying out orders for nearly a decade.

In those ten years of living among the undead, he had not tasted anything anymore. But he was never one to crave food, so he never felt any regret over it.

Until today, sitting in front of that bowl of poorly-presented egg-flower lean meat porridge, he suddenly felt a deep sense of loss---

Why was he no longer alive?

He had waited for so many years and finally received these few days with a Chu Wanning who belonged to him entirely.

Yet, he could no longer savor the porridge made by that person's own hands.

What did Chu Wanning's porridge taste like?

He stood beneath the roof tiles with his eyes closed, reminiscing. After a long while, he suddenly lifted his arm to cover his eyelashes, hiding his expression from view. All that was visible was his pale, compressed lips and the delicate contour of his chin.

When he lowered his arm and opened his eyes, their corners were slightly red.

His memory was poor, and he wasn't particularly clever. If his tongue could still distinguish the slightest hint of sour, sweet, bitter, or salty, he might have been able to recall the past. But his bones were cold, and his lips tasted of nothing. So even with the bowl of porridge before him, he couldn't remember its exact flavor.

He would never know again.

In the depths of night, he sought out Shi Mo.

Beside the icy pond in front of the Heavenly Palace, an incomparably handsome man stood barefoot, his crystalline toes playing with the rippling stream, casting star-like ripples on the water's surface.

Upon seeing him, Shi Mo's eyebrows lifted slightly, as if he knew the purpose of his visit. His expression was mocking: "In such a beautiful moment, I didn't expect His Majesty the Emperor to leave Master Chu in the secret chamber and come looking for me instead."

Heaven-Stepping Lord didn't want to beat around the bush and asked directly, "Do you have any way to make this seat temporarily return to my living state?"

"..." Shi Mo glanced at him twice. "Though you're a living corpse, your intimate activities should remain unaffected."

"I didn't mention that."

"Oh? Then which one are you referring to?"

"... Eating," Heaven-Stepping Lord replied with a cold edge. "This seat is craving something."

Shi Mo's gaze darkened as he pondered, "Could it be that His Highness the Emperor wants that bowl of Dragon Wontons?"

"Wontons can only be made perfectly by my senior brother in this world."

Shi Mo smiled. "How unusual, you actually thought of him today."

Heaven-Stepping Lord's memories of Shi Mo were fragmented and inconsistent, alternating between recollection and forgetfulness, but mostly leaning towards the latter. Hence, upon hearing the mention of "Senior Brother Mingjing" today, Shi Mo couldn't help but feel a sense of novelty.

He inquired, "Hmm, you spend all day with Chu Wanning on Dragon Mountain. Why don't you think about your Senior Brother Mingjing?"

"..."

This was likely what it meant to be strangers despite being face to face.

Heaven-Stepping Lord took a while to reply, "You mentioned before that this body of mine carries too much Yin energy. Before obtaining a new spirit core and being fully reborn, I shouldn't meet my Senior Brother. He's affiliated with water, and I could harm him."

Shi Mo showed no embarrassment for lying. "That's indeed the case."

"So you asked about Dragon Claw," Heaven-Stepping Lord observed coldly. "You're poking at an open wound."

Shi Mo smiled. "I was merely curious what other delicacies, besides Dragon Claw, could make the Emperor of Immortals who has tasted all the world's finest foods so obsessed."

"Heaven-Stepping Lord fell silent.

"Why, are you unwilling to say?" Shi Mo inquired.

Silence.

"Then let me guess. Master Chu cooked for you, right?"

Seeing a slight change in the Emperor of Immortals' expression, his lips slightly pursed, Shi Mo smiled. "I've heard that Master Chu of the Peak of Life and Death is an exceptional chef, especially skilled in preparing charcoal. You have quite an appetite to be able to swallow that."

Heaven-Stepping Lord's face darkened. "Just tell me if there's a solution. No need for unnecessary chatter."

"Certainly, there is a way, and I've already mentioned it to you before," Shi Mo said gently.

Heaven-Stepping Lord furrowed his brows. "What is it?"

"It's an old method," Shi Mo replied softly. "Acquire Grandmaster Mo's spirit core as soon as possible, and exchange it for yours. Then, you'll be exactly as you were in life."

An orange blossom drifted along the water. With a deft touch of his toes, Shi Mo caught the fragrant white flower between his toes. Though the petals were white, they couldn't compare to the translucence and delicacy of Shi Mo's skin.

Smiling, he gazed at the flower trapped on his toe, unable to float away. "If we work together, we can get that spirit core sooner. That way, I'll gain your full power a day earlier, and you can have the food you crave a day sooner."

Pausing, he lifted his eyelashes, soft as down. "And meet the person you long for day and night."

"..."

"So, cooperate with me more, Your Majesty."

"You had me kill someone in Solitary Moon Night, then summon the Zhonglou army to attack the Peak of Life and Death. I did both. Now, tell me how else I should assist you. Just get it all out at once."

Clapping his hands, Shi Mo chuckled. "Excellent, very straightforward. Actually, there isn't much left for you to do. There's just one final task."

"You speak."

"Come with me to the Heavenly Sound Pavilion. Our game is reaching its end; it's time to close in on our target."

As he said this, Heaven-Stepping Lord noticed a dove with golden tail feathers perched behind Shi Mo. It was the spirit bird used by the Heavenly Sound Pavilion for communication.

"The Heavenly Sound Pavilion has sent you a message?"

"Yes." Shi Mo extended two slender fingers, holding a slip of paper between them. "All good news – everything is unfolding according to our plan. Playing the good guy isn't easy. Grandmaster Mo has sacrificed his spiritual core to maintain peace in the cultivation world, but no one acknowledges his efforts."

He smiled, then with a twist of his fingers, he cast a spell that transformed the letter into a paper butterfly, which he tossed to Heaven-Stepping Lord.

"Read it yourself."

"There's no need." Heaven-Stepping Lord caught the paper butterfly but didn't unfold it. His dark eyes remained fixed on Shi Mo. "Just tell me – when do we strike?"

"Three days for the trial. Another three days for the execution."

"Six days?"

Shi Mo gently stroked the wings of the golden-tailed homing pigeon with a tender expression. Suddenly, a multicolored triangular snake shot out from his sleeve, striking the bird's neck like lightning. In the blink of an eye, it devoured the docile creature whole.

The entire event unfolded in the blink of an eye, but Shi Mo's face remained unperturbed, as if he were accustomed to such scenes.

He smiled, brushing away a stray feather that had drifted down. Lifting his head, he said, "Indeed. Thus, we will stay on Dragon Mountain for three more days, and then proceed to the Heavenly Sound Pavilion to wait."

The feather landed gently in the pond, sending ripples across the water that disrupted the reflection of the two men standing on the shore.

"His spirit nucleus will grant you unparalleled power. With that, everything you desire will be within your grasp before you know it."

Following this conversation, Heaven-Stepping Lord returned to his secluded chamber on Dragon Mountain with a heavy heart.

Chu Wanning appeared drained, initially engrossed in a book but now slumbering with his head on the table. His pristine white sleeves sprawled like the first snowfall, fluttering gently.

He stood by his side for a while, observing. It was just a man, a solitary lamp, and a scroll of green ink. He had experienced the world's splendors, beheld blossoming flowers and breathtaking landscapes. What beauty had he not seen?

What was Chu Wanning compared to that?

Why was there anything worth looking at here?

Thoughts of frustration and agitation swirled in his mind, yet his throat twitched, compelling him to embrace the man uncontrollably, nestling his cheek into the man's neck for a gentle sniff.

"..." Chu Wanning was roused from sleep by the disturbance, opening his eyes. Confusion and warmth initially filled his phoenix-like gaze, but then he recalled the brutality of the Heaven-Stepping Lord before him, and his eyes suddenly turned icy and sharp.

All these changes were witnessed by the Heaven-Stepping Lord. The turmoil and resentment in his heart grew like unchecked weeds, until he could no longer bear it, lifting Chu Wanning into his arms.

"What are you doing now—umph!"

A muffled groan echoed as the man was pressed against the wall.

The Heaven-Stepping Lord kissed him fervently and desperately, from the neck to the lips, from the lips to the chin. Amidst low, ragged breaths, he asked, "Do you like me?"

"..."

"Chu Wanning, do you like me?"

"What are you doing? Why all of a sudden...?"

But the Heaven-Stepping Lord seemed uninterested in his answer; he merely wanted to ask the question. As for the response, it mattered not to him.

Or perhaps it was because, regardless of the answer, the path back was too elusive, making it all futile.

"If I weren't the Immortal Trampling Emperor, if I were like you, a grand master of our generation, would you willingly be with me? Would you treat me better?"

He bit down on the side of Chu Wanning's neck, possessing him like a vampire, seeking confirmation.

Only in this way could he prove that the person in his arms belonged to him and not to Mo Weiyu, who was so utterly different from himself.

But as his eyelashes drooped, his voice turned hoarse.

"Is it true that you still prefer him over me...?"

"What are you talking about, Mo Weiyu?!"

Indeed, Chu Wanning's memories were jumbled, containing only recollections of his past life but none of his present existence. He naturally wouldn't understand such nonsense.

Perhaps only at this moment was he completely the Immortal Trampling Emperor's alone.

Suddenly, he felt a deep sadness.

There was even a hint of proud misery in his voice.

Heaven-Stepping Lord entwined with his lover, and as they reached the climax, he whispered softly, "Would you hate me more if I took his spirit core?"

Nothing was more inexplicable than being rejected by oneself.

Heaven-Stepping Lord embraced the person in his arms.

"But you were always mine to begin with..."

"Promise me you won't betray me."

As he muttered these selfish desires, he felt a deep sense of desolation.

Perhaps after being alone for too long, even the sharpest blade would be worn down.

"It's been eight years. For however long he had you after his rebirth, I waited alone in another mortal world."

In the Solitary Mountain Temple, there were no familiar faces amidst the drifting petals.

"Don't leave me for the second time. ... The first time, I could still choose to end my life. But if you leave for a second time... I won't even have the option of death." Heaven-Stepping Lord furrowed his brows, a blend of gloominess, madness, sorrow, and obsession reflecting in his eyes. "I won't be able to endure it..."