His lover was the one who was supposed to be stunned due to this situation. So why was he the one who ended up becoming speechless instead?

With a strange mix of emotions on his face, Hei NingYu confessed, "Xiande…they're not mistaking me for anyone. I really am their Sect Leader."

As if to stab his heart once more, Chen Xiande questioned doubtfully, "You're the sect leader? Really?"

Facing his little sheep's suspicious and disbelieving look, Hei NingYu's heart shed tears of blood.

Was he really so unimpressive? Hei NingYu had never before had to doubt himself like this.

So, with a sardonic tone, he asked, "Why are you so doubtful? Do I not look enough like a sect leader to you?"

Chen Xiande studied his lover for a bit before seriously shaking his head. "Not really."

Hearing those nonchalant words, Hei NingYu's heart was stabbed once more, letting out another spurt of blood.

But then Chen Xiande surprisingly continued, "I expected that the demonic faction's sect leader would be someone more…unpleasant, with an evil aura and cold, dead fish eyes. But you're such a beautiful, nice and wonderful person, how could I even guess that you would be their sect leader?"

With those few words, Hei NingYu's wounded heart felt like it had healed right back up, and a wide, happy smile bloomed on his face.

Seeing this, the two kneeling men at the side wanted to weep as they realized just how much their sect leader was wrapped around this righteous cultivator's little finger. If their sect leader truly placed this person in such an important position in his heart, then weren't they screwed?

As if in answer to their fears, Hei NingYu's gaze turned cold and suddenly cut in their direction.

"Now, how should I punish you both for causing such distress to my little sheep?" he spoke with frightening calm.

Chen Xiande turned his face away from the kneeling people and buried his head back into his lover's embrace, showing no signs of wanting to help them. He was not like his junior brother who would forgive anyone no matter how much he himself was hurt.

Before his personality was suppressed by his time at the sect, Chen Xiande had been an arrogant, high-spirited, and spiteful person. His eyes would burn with ambition, his posture filled with confidence and a.s.sertiveness.

But after he entered the sect and was condemned by others for the way he became the head disciple, he was denied any human contact aside from the most basic of pleasantries. As time pa.s.sed, he felt his previous exuberance and self-a.s.suredness shriveling as he was marginalized and pushed away over and over again. Facing such treatment for so long, his character naturally became more introverted and unconfident.

And then came Feng Qinghe.

Seeing this junior brother of his so easily receiving all those things that he sought with such desperation, Chen Xiande's emotions regained their intensity for the first time in a long while. He channeled all his suppressed negativity into hate and directed it towards this person who seemed so overly perfect that it made Chen Xiande yearn to expose his flaws.

If his master found that this seemingly ideal junior brother was also like him—a wretched, flawed being—then would he treat them both the same way? Would he also look at Chen Xiande with the same soft eyes and kind smile? Would his master then affectionately try to pat him on the head too?

Chen Xiande knew that his hopes and expectations were unreasonable. But he needed something to keep this rekindled intensity in him alive. And so he fed it with his hate and envy.

In this world, no person was made of only black and white.

Chen Xiande was softly innocent and guileless in some ways, but he was also intensely pa.s.sionate and unyielding in a lot of other ways. This was something both Feng Qinghe and Hei NingYu realized within moments of meeting him.

This was why Hei NingYu felt so deeply infatuated with his little sheep back then in the forest despite having only met him for the first time.

This was why Qinghe was so confident that his senior brother would make a good sect master who could keep their sect together.

With so many conflicting personality traits having developed in him, Chen Xiande could be especially good at adapting and reacting to various circ.u.mstances by looking from various perspectives. And according to the situation's need, he could either be softhearted or hardhearted.

And now, Chen Xiande decisively turned away, showing not even a hint of softness as he refused to plead for his tormentors. They had made him suffer, so why shouldn't they have to pay for that? It was only fair.

Hei NingYu already knew that his little sheep wouldn't object to his methods, so he carefully set his lover down while explaining, "I don't want their blood to dirty you, so stay here and just watch, alright?"

Chen Xiande made no complaints as he quietly sat down on the ground, his back resting against a tree. Raising a hand, Chen Xiande gently patted the rough bark he was leaning against.

It was this tree that the axe had been flung into before, leaving behind a deep gash even after the weapon had been retrieved. And Chen Xiande naturally felt sad that the tree was hurt.

Unlike the cruelties humanity perpetrated, plants and non-living things would never hurt someone on purpose. After all, even if a knife stabbed into a person, it did not do so of its own volition, but because of the will of its wielder. So Chen Xiande firmly believed in the innocence of plant life and inanimate objects, and he felt especially troubled when plants were hurt.

It might be a strange way of thinking, but as someone who was hurt so much by the thoughtless actions of other humans, as someone who'd had to ease his loneliness by talking to trees and other things, thinking like this felt natural for Chen Xiande.

As Chen Xiande was thus lost in his philosophical ponderings, Hei NingYu, on the other hand, was slowly striding towards the trembling figures of Xiao Fu and Brother Tian that were cowering on the ground.

Hei NingYu seemed exceedingly calm on the outside as he walked forward with stately steps, however on the inside, he was boiling with rage.

If that young lady with white hair called Bai-something-or-the-other hadn't come to him in time to tell him what these two were planning, who knew how many pieces he would have found his beloved little sheep scattered in?!

For his lover to be in such danger in his territory, for someone to hurt him despite his fear towards pain, this was unacceptable!

If the Sentinels hadn't outlawed murder and soul torture, these two quivering idiots would have long since become minced meat, their souls burning in one of those furnaces of the d.a.m.ned that the previous sect leader had so loved to use on his enemies.

Thankfully, when it came to the demonic faction, the rules set by the Order of Sentinels regarding discipline were somewhat more…flexible. This was because most of the dark arts pract.i.tioners were people kicked out of the righteous faction for disruptive and unlawful behavior. A gentle slap on their wrists would hardly be enough to keep these sorts of people in line.

No, to control this troublesome lot, some special methods needed to be used while carrying out disciplinary action.

Thinking this, Hei NingYu reached for the huge axe resting beside the bulky Brother Tian and easily lifted it up using nothing but the strength in his slender fingers.

Hefting up the weapon, he commanded brusquely, "Stand."

Seeing that the Sect Leader's keen black eyes were focused on him as he spat out this order, Brother Tian gulped and stood up.

Without warning, Hei NingYu lifted a long leg and kicked him in the stomach.

Before he could even comprehend what had happened, Brother Tian was flying back, his body hitting a st.u.r.dy tree with a thud. His back creaked at the strong impact, blood leaking from the corner of his grimacing lips.

Hei NingYu lightly swung the axe, and with a flas.h.i.+ng glint of metal, Brother Tian's right hand was chopped off cleanly at the elbow. Vivid crimson sprayed outward in spurts.

The large man cried out as the pain blasted up his arm, a long scream dragged out of him. Brother Tian slumped back against the tree, unable to adjust to the sudden loss of his limb.

But Hei NingYu was hardly done.

He lifted the axe again and sliced through Brother Tian's right shoulder until the axe blade went through flesh and bone before embedding into the tree trunk further behind. A large splash of blood arced out of the fresh injury and splattered over Hei NingYu's robe, the vividness of the red looking like it was swallowed up by the deep black. Hei NingYu remained indifferent to the stains on his clothing as if it were not worth noticing.

Pinned against the tree by his own weapon, Brother Tian howled in agony. His left hand jerkily tried to reach for the axe handle so that he could take it out.

A cold chuckle sounded as Hei NingYu spoke, "Sure, go ahead and remove it if you don't mind me removing your other arm as well."

Brother Tian stilled, a fierce chill running down his spine. Reluctantly, he lowered his hand, miserable groans still spilling out of him.

Satisfied by his obedience, Hei NingYu's gaze now s.h.i.+fted to the still-kneeling Xiao Fu.

As he beheld his sect leader's ruthless and swift actions, Xiao Fu's heart was filled to the brim with regret. He and Brother Tian should have listened to Sister Bai when she warned them before. Their sect leader truly wasn't someone to be trifled with.

And seeing that this fearsome person was now heading towards him, Xiao Fu almost wet his pants in terror.

Hei NingYu beckoned with a finger in an elegant motion and the scalpel in Xiao Fu's grip flew out and landed in his hand.

In a thoughtful tone, Hei NingYu spoke while studying the scalpel, "Hmm, not bad. It's a well-made blade and seems to be properly cared for. I gather that you use this often?"

Xiao Fu pressed his face further into the mud as if trying to bury it. He didn't dare answer this casually asked question.

Hei NingYu suddenly flicked the fingers holding the scalpel and the blade shot out, piercing through Xiao Fu's hand and pinning it where it lay on the ground.

His head jerking up, Xiao Fu let out a shrill shriek, his other hand wrapping around his wrist. But having learnt his lesson from what happened to Brother Tian, Xiao Fu didn't attempt to remove the scalpel even as he howled in agony.

Not giving him time to do anything more, Hei NingYu lifted his leg and stomped down on Xiao Fu's raised head, forcing the young man's cheek to be pressed back into the ground with force.

"Who gave you permission to lift up your head?" Hei NingYu asked in a conversational tone. His lips were curved up in a pleasant smile, his dark eyes glittering with reflected light.

At the side, Chen Xiande marveled at the scene. It was the same expression he saw on his lover's face so many times, and yet it felt undeniably different. Coldness, fury, and arrogance exuded from that usually relaxed figure, an aura of sharp bloodthirst flowing around him like a billowing mantle.

Grinding his foot with a casual expression, Hei NingYu drove Xiao Fu's face further into the mud, uncaring of the young man's tears or pleas.

"S-Sect Leader, please…please, it hurts. It hurts! Please, stop!"

In an almost amused tone that belied the stark coldness in his eyes, Hei NingYu asked, "Oh, it hurts? Then tell me, did you stop even though you knew you were hurting my lover? Did you care about the pain you caused him?"

Xiao Fu simply sobbed harder.

Why didn't he listen to Sister Bai? Why did he have to get so excited over a righteous cultivator? Why did he try to break the rules set by his sect leader?

If he had only used his common sense, he wouldn't be in such a desperate situation.

He felt so helpless, he did not have the power to resist the sect leader for even a second. The other man was the previous grandmaster of the entire cultivational world, an ent.i.ty who had lived for more than hundreds of thousands of years. Someone of Xiao Fu's level could not even dare to imagine standing up against such a being. All he could do was surrender and hope that he could escape with his puny life.

Seeing the resignation and acceptance in the young man's eyes, Hei NingYu was satisfied. These two members of his faction had been particularly easy to discipline, so he decided to let them off for now.

Removing his foot, Hei NingYu spoke calmly, "Attend to yourselves, then go to the punishment room and await your sentence."

Xiao Fu and Brother Tian let out breaths of relief. It seemed that in the presence of his lover, the sect leader didn't want to display his usual extent of cruelty.

Afraid their sect leader would change his mind, Xiao Fu and Brother Tian hurriedly extracted their respective weapons stuck through their bodies and got up. They hastily gave their sincere thanks and fled, heading straight for the punishment room. They wouldn't even dream of defying their sect leader again! Who knew if they'd be as lucky the next time.

Having been spectating from the side all this time, Chen Xiande looked at the backs of the swiftly retreating figures with unfathomable eyes.

Finished with administering discipline to his unruly sect members, Hei NingYu expressionlessly took out a handkerchief and began meticulously wiping away the blood splatters on his clothes. He didn't want to contaminate his beloved little sheep with this filth when he held him close after this.

Having recovered almost all of his strength due to the pill he'd consumed before, Chen Xiande felt that it was finally okay for him to move now. So he got up and walked to his lover before taking the cloth from his hands.

Hei NingYu frowned, "Xiande, you shouldn't…"

Not heeding his lover's objections, Chen Xiande began gently wiping away the blood on Hei NingYu's clothes with the cloth. His brows were furrowed as his hands moved with delicate care.

Seeing his little sheep so earnestly attending to him, Hei NingYu swallowed down his words and silently enjoyed the attention, the coldness in his eyes finally thawing into pools of tender warmth.

...

After that little interruption, the couple arrived at the Nine Gems Sanctuary unimpeded.

The Sanctuary consisted of nine sprawling courtyards, each named after a gem. The buildings were constructed to exude a sense of understated elegance and furnished very tastefully. The main theme seemed to be black and light grey, but other colors were also occasionally mixed in. A heavy feeling of age gave the entire place a stateliness and majesty that would be impossible to emulate otherwise.

After entering the Sanctuary, the pair of lovers took a less often used side path to walk on since Hei NingYu didn't want his time with his precious little sheep to be interrupted by annoying pa.s.sersby.

As Chen Xiande walked over the worn stone path, he curiously studied the buildings. They were covered with black glazed tiles at the top, the sharp corners of the triangular roofs lightly curved up. Positioned on each of these corners were palm-sized bright gems, each gem corresponding to the courtyard's name.

At the center of each courtyard was a tall and thin tower that rose up as if to pierce the skies. A sense of forbidding might seemed to emanate from these mysterious structures.

Noticing the direction of his little sheep's gaze, Hei NingYu took the initiative to explain, "The entire sanctuary has nine such towers, one for each courtyard. Each tower holds one part of the core to the great barrier that protects the Sanctuary. Unless all these cores are broken, the barrier will not fall."

Chen Xiande was startled at the amount of trust Hei NingYu was showing him by telling him such important information.

But then Hei NingYu took it a step further by confessing, "Though that's what they all think, the truth is much more complicated. Each segment of the array core is sealed in a different pocket s.p.a.ce within the towers. Only the sect leader's blood given freely can open each of the pocket s.p.a.ces. If there is even the slightest of unwillingness while the blood is given, it won't work. Coercion and blackmail are thus futile."

Then bending down, Hei NingYu looked into Chen Xiande's eyes, affection warming his gaze as he spoke, "But if my little sheep wants me to, I will willingly give you all the blood in my body~"

Hearing such heartfelt words of love spoken in such a flirty tone, Chen Xiande could only look at his beloved helplessly.

With solemnity weighing his voice, Chen Xiande stated in reply, "And if you asked me to, I would also give you all of my blood and body, and even my soul if you so wish. As long as I can make you happy, I don't even need to be able to reincarnate."

Hei NingYu's expression became serious. "Those are not words to be said lightly, Xiande."

With a light flush across his face, Chen Xiande continued looking steadily into his lover's deep eyes as he replied, "I know, NingYu."

A delicate atmosphere spread between the couple, a thread of poignant connection formed due to shared affection and mutual understanding.

Hearing his name being called so intimately by his lover for the first time, Hei NingYu felt his heart racing. The blood pumping in his veins seemed to heat up, igniting his need to hold his little sheep in his arms as they shared their bodies.

Reaching out a hand, Hei NingYu brushed his fingertips across his beloved's fair cheek. "Xiande, I want you now. Shall I ask you to pay the rest of the compensation you owe me?"

Chen Xiande blinked dazedly for a while before he understood what Hei NingYu meant. "Y-You…want us to…right now?"

Hearing him stammering in nervousness, Hei NingYu clarified, "You should know that if you do not wish to, I will never force you."

Blus.h.i.+ng furiously, Chen Xiande refuted in a soft voice, "W-Who said I don't want to…do that with you?"

Hei NingYu's fingertips slowly slid down those silky cheeks and rubbed against those tender lips. "It is going to hurt and I know how you dislike pain. Are you saying that you are still willing?" he asked to confirm.

Unable to meet Hei NingYu's burning gaze, Chen Xiande looked down and nodded, looking demure as he spoke, "Yes, I…I am willing."

Hei NingYu's eyes darkened, s.h.i.+ning with barely suppressed l.u.s.t.

Without needing his little sheep to say any further, Hei NingYu swept him up off his feet, carrying a surprised Chen Xiande in his arms as he strode with swift, urgent steps towards his courtyard.

Chen Xiande barely had the chance to notice that the gems on the roofs on Hei NingYu's courtyard were all black before he was quickly carried inside.

Due to the speed at which Hei NingYu whooshed through the other rooms, all Chen Xiande saw of the inside was a quick blur. And then they reached the bedroom.

Hei NingYu carefully set his little sheep on the bed and Chen Xiande settled comfortably on his knees. He looked up at Hei NingYu still standing by the bedside and saw that his dark gaze was focused on him hungrily.

"Little Sheep, you are sure?" Hei NingYu asked once more.

Chen Xiande finally showed a displeased expression. Just how many times were they going to go through this same question and answer routine?

Deciding to show his reply through actions rather than words, Chen Xiande reached out and quickly took ahold of Hei NingYu's robes. In swift motions, he began undressing his lover, his hands moving impatiently.

Despite his own raging need, Hei NingYu raised an eyebrow and commented with humor, "My little sheep is so eager to taste me. You're going to make me blush at this rate."

Chen Xiande had had enough of this teasing. He pulled Hei NingYu down by the collar of his loosened clothes and tilted his head so that their lips met. Mouth clamped over moist mouth as their tongues reached out to wrap against each other, caressing and sliding in an excited rhythm.

As his mouth worked, Chen Xiande kept moving his hands and finally succeeded in removing all of Hei NingYu's robes. Leaning back from the kiss, Chen Xiande panted hard, his eyes keenly focusing on his lover's body.

But the sight in front of him made Chen Xiande's eyes widen in shock as he stiffened unconsciously.

On Hei NingYu's fair torso were various large patches of dark red and purple skin, their ragged edges delineated. Some looked slightly uneven while others were smooth. There was a patch of scarred skin on his shoulder, one situated on his hip and abdomen, and yet another on his side. There were sure to be more on his back and legs as well, but Chen Xiande was unable to confirm that for now.

Seeing those large scars scattered over his beloved's skin, Chen Xiande felt acute pain stinging his heart.

What exactly had happened to his lover in the past to leave behind such ghastly marks despite his cultivation?!

Looking at his little sheep's reaction, Hei NingYu glanced down at his own body with a wry smile as he asked casually, "If you don't want to look at them, shall I cover them up for you?"

Chen Xiande startled out of his daze and shook his head vehemently, "No! That's not it… How did you get them?"

Hei NingYu tilted his head and replied without care, "Having lived for so long, how could I not acc.u.mulate a few scars?"

"But…for a cultivator to have scars…" Chen Xiande knew that it couldn't have been that simple.

Cultivators healed quickly, their ability to recover so absolute that it was almost impossible for their injuries to leave behind sequelae or scars. So even if Hei NingYu had gotten these scars before he began cultivating, that had been more than a hundred thousand years ago, they should have long since healed by now.

So the only viable explanation was that he was injured by something so horrific and corrosive that even his millennia of cultivation couldn't negate its effects.

Just who would hurt him so viciously and why?