11
I wanted to leave the sea of consciousness, but he wouldn't let me.
He clung to me, his eyes full of sorrow.
“People say women are heartless, and I see they're right. Are you really going to leave me all alone?”
I knew he was putting on an act.
But he was far too smooth-tongued.
“If you go outside, there'll be plenty of senior and junior brothers around you. What am I supposed to do if you take a liking to one of them?”
“Dao Gia, you can't be the kind of woman who betrays someone.”
“You have to take responsibility for me.”
His words left me speechless.
Seeing that I wasn't leaving anymore, he happily led me out of the Demon Venerable's underground palace.
We came to a hot spring.
“I can't have my wife getting tired. This spirit spring in the Demon Realm is the best place to nourish the spirit.”
He muttered to himself:
“If I ever get the chance, I'll take my wife to a real spirit spring.”
I couldn't be bothered to answer him.
My spiritual sense really was tired, so I stepped into the hot spring and closed my eyes to relax.
As I drifted toward sleep, I suddenly felt a warm breath touch my lips.
It was a gentle kiss.
At first it was tender, but before long it grew more insistent, more passionate and heated.
“Dao Gia, can you stay by my side forever?”
His deep, slightly hoarse voice lingered by my ear.
I moaned:
“I can't…”
I couldn't stay in my master's sea of consciousness forever.
But before I could finish, he came down over me again, swallowing my words.
He and I clung to each other like two people with nothing left to lose, trapped in an embrace with no way out.
Water splashed everywhere, but neither of us paid it any mind.
12
A brief moment of sensual delight.
I knew that sooner or later, I would have to go out and face my Master.
But I didn't dare.
So I kept putting it off.
The inner demon, on the other hand, was delighted. He reached out to stroke my cheek and coaxed me:
“Dao Gia is the most adorable woman in the world.”
I gave a soft snort:
“If you ever get out, you'll meet countless women—some beautiful, some sweet, some gentle, some alluring. I'm nothing special.”
He raised an eyebrow:
“There really are that many different kinds of women?”
I snapped:
“Yes, yes, yes. You can have three wives and four concubines for all I care.”
He burst out laughing.
Seeing how happily he laughed made my heart ache.
He reached out and stroked my head:
“Silly Dao Gia, what do all the beautiful women in the world have to do with me? You're the only one I've set my heart on.”
I knew he was only trying to soothe me, but I still couldn't help smiling.
10
There was no day or night in the sea of consciousness.
The black jade bed beneath me was like a little boat adrift on the open sea, rocking without end.
I was swept up in the raging waves too, feeling as though I were about to drown.
It seemed as though darkness had closed in around us. With my sight taken away, my other senses became extraordinarily keen.
“Dao Gia, Dao Gia…”
A man's hoarse voice sounded by my neck.
He called my name over and over, wave after wave sweeping over me.
I couldn't tell which of us was more lost in it. Though our souls were merely entwined, every sensation felt impossibly real.
“Dao Gia, I truly want to marry you.”
“Once I remember who I am, I'll take you with me.”
“Dao Gia…”
Through the haze, he whispered in my ear.
I was annoyed by his chattering and bit his lip.
He chuckled softly in his throat.
“Wife, don't rush…”
…
When my mind finally cleared, everything around me was still shrouded in gloom.
I clutched a brocade blanket that had appeared from nowhere, my thoughts in utter turmoil.
Good heavens!
What on earth had I done?!
I'd done something like that in my master's sea of consciousness!
Worse still, the inner demon was a wisp of my master's spiritual sense. Didn't that mean it was my master himself?!
“Waaah…”
I covered my face and sobbed.
Betraying my master and defying my ancestors—that was exactly what I'd done!
How could I ever face my master again?
“Wife.”
His deep, slightly hoarse, easygoing voice sounded as his arm wrapped around my waist.
“Are you done crying yet?”
Mortified beyond words, I bit his hand hard.
“Mmm.”
He let out a soft groan, but didn't seem offended at all.
“Bite harder, like you did just now.”
Unable to bear what he was saying, I hurriedly covered his mouth with my hand.
“Shut up! Don't say things like that!”
He laughed against my palm, making it tingle.
Half angry and half embarrassed, I said:
“What just happened was nothing, understand? You don't even have a body, so it was only our spiritual senses intertwining. It doesn't count.”
He took my wrist and gently lowered my hand. His gaze burned with a deep intensity.
“Dao Gia, have you ever heard of the Ancient Divine Kun? This ancient divine creature can conceive new life when souls intertwine.”
I stared blankly at him.
“I haven't. Does that mean I could get pregnant?”
He flicked my forehead and smiled enigmatically.
“You fool.”
—
11
I wanted to leave the sea of consciousness, but the man wouldn't let me.
He clung to me, his eyes full of sorrow.
“People say women are heartless, and I see they're right. Are you really going to leave me all alone?”
I knew he was putting on an act.
But he was far too smooth-tongued.
“If you go outside, there'll be plenty of senior and junior brothers around you. What am I supposed to do if you take a liking to one of them?”
“Dao Gia, you can't be the kind of woman who betrays someone.”
“You have to take responsibility for me.”
His words left me speechless.
Seeing that I wasn't leaving anymore, he happily led me out of the Demon Venerable's underground palace.
We came to a hot spring.
“I can't have my wife getting tired. This spirit spring in the Demon Realm is the best place to nourish the spirit.”
He muttered to himself:
“If I ever get the chance, I'll take my wife to a real spirit spring.”
I couldn't be bothered to answer him.
My spiritual sense really was tired, so I stepped into the hot spring and closed my eyes to relax.
As I drifted toward sleep, I suddenly felt a warm breath touch my lips.
It was a gentle kiss.
At first it was tender, but before long it grew more insistent, more passionate and heated.
“Dao Gia, can you stay by my side forever?”
His deep, slightly hoarse voice lingered by my ear.
I moaned:
“I can't…”
I couldn't stay in my master's sea of consciousness forever.
But before I could finish, he came down over me again, swallowing my words.
He and I clung to each other like two people with nothing left to lose, trapped in an embrace with no way out.
Water splashed everywhere, but neither of them paid it any mind.
13
In the end, my Master forced me out of the sea of consciousness with an order.
Mortified, I voluntarily knelt down.
My Master knew nothing about what had happened in the sea of consciousness and merely said:
“Dao Gia, you did very well. The inner demon has developed feelings for you.”
I lowered my head and asked softly:
“What should I do next?”
“You needn’t concern yourself with that anymore. You may leave.”
I left quietly.
I truly had no face left to show at the sect.
I should have left sooner!
But I was still worried. What would my Master do with the inner demon? Would she destroy him?
I stayed on guard and secretly followed my Master.
I saw my Master go to a cave behind the mountain. Inside stood a crystal coffin.
Inside the coffin lay a soulless, unclaimed body.
That person's appearance was nearly identical to my Master's!
“Heaven is compassionate and cherishes life. I will let you be reborn in this body. As long as you do no evil, the Heavenly Dao will naturally forgive you.”
I watched my Master perform a spell on the crystal coffin.
A flash of white light!
The man in the coffin slowly opened his tightly shut eyes.
His eyes were pitch-black, with a faint reddish glimmer.
He slowly sat up in the coffin and gave a lazy chuckle. The dark red beauty mark beneath his eye flashed briefly, like a drop of blood.
A malevolent aura filled the air.
“You really have been tainted by demonic qi! I must cleanse you before you can leave the coffin!”
My Master shouted. She gathered a wisp of spiritual energy at her fingertip and struck the man in the coffin.
The inner demon had only just awakened and was still very weak. The blow knocked him unconscious.
—