The cruel, cold, heartless Lord Blood Demon… had been spanked!!!
If word of this got out, more than ninety percent of demonic cultivators would laugh themselves to death. The remaining ten percent would pass out laughing!
“Let me go! You bastard! How dare you…” Xu Zirong was beside himself with rage. Across both of his lives, he had never endured such a humiliation. Being spanked? No one had ever done that to him, not even when he really was a child!
At this moment, patience and concealment had both flown out of his mind. If he were not currently so powerless, he would tear Xu Ziyan to shreds and devour him, flesh and blood together!
“Well, well! You even dare curse at me!” Xu Ziyan’s eyes hardened. A little child who had picked up the habit of swearing plainly needed a lesson.
Smack, smack, smack!
As the former Lord Blood Demon struggled and roared, Xu Ziyan’s face remained ice-cold. Showing not a shred of mercy, he delivered several firm spanks. That soft, fair, chubby little rear turned bright red almost instantly—flushed so vividly it looked positively appetizing. =.=
Xu Ziyan was four years older than Xu Zirong and had already reached the fifth level of Qi Refining. The frail Xu Zirong could not resist him at all. No matter how he struggled or kicked, he remained pinned across Xu Ziyan’s lap as the punishment continued.
“Tell me! Will you swear at people so casually again?” Xu Ziyan demanded coldly. He swore himself, and in fact was nowhere near as angry about the language as he pretended.
But Xu Zirong was supposed to be only eight years old (not really!), and casually swearing was an absolutely unacceptable habit. It could make others question his upbringing, and that was something Xu Ziyan could never tolerate.
Family mattered greatly to Xu Ziyan. His relatives were the most important source of strength in his life. He might constantly complain that his younger brother Xu Ziyu was an unruly little bastard, but if anyone else dared insult Ziyu, Xu Ziyan would immediately charge forward and beat that person senseless.
His little brother was his. Aside from their parents, only he had the right to discipline him. Random outsiders could stand well clear. Anyone who laid a hand on his brother would be picking a fight with him.
Xu Zirong was still a long way from holding the same place in Xu Ziyan’s heart as Xu Ziyu. Yet after arriving in this world and reading that novel, Xu Ziyan had developed genuine pity for the child.
Xu Zirong had originally been nothing more than a poor little boy. If the previous Xu Ziyan and the Xu family had not driven him to the brink, he might never have become the terrifying demon lord of the future.
When Xu Ziyan had first seen him, the fair-skinned child gazing up with an expression of longing for familial affection had left a lasting impression.
Without realizing it, Xu Ziyan had instinctively taken this adorable (not really!) younger brother under his wing. And when it came to his own people, Xu Ziyan was all the stricter.
He was determined to raise Xu Zirong into a decent young man with proper values. Hmm… His first lesson would be about not using foul language!
“Answer me! Will you swear again?” Xu Ziyan asked severely. In his opinion, bad habits had to be corrected the first time. Let them go once, and it would be too late.
Xu Zirong’s face had turned almost purplish with anger. His expression was fierce, even frightening. The physical discomfort was bearable, but the humiliation filled him with hatred for Xu Ziyan down to his very bones.
Xu Ziyan! Xu Ziyan!
In both of his lives, Xu Ziyan had brought him endless suffering.
Most unbearable of all was what happened after his death in his previous life. To extract the location of his treasures, Bai Hua and the others had deliberately roasted his soul in the Nine Yang True Fire. Even after rebirth, he could not forget that pain, which had penetrated to his very marrow.
He remembered how, as his soul suffered within the Nine Yang True Fire, Xu Ziyan and the others enjoyed themselves in his palace. Although his soul no longer possessed ordinary senses, he could still perceive everything happening there. The memory of the four of them tangled together on his luxurious bed, indulging in acts he found revolting, made Xu Zirong feel sick.
“Urgh…” Unable to control himself, Xu Zirong began to retch violently. His nerves had been stretched taut from the moment he was reborn. He was terrified that this second life might be only a beautiful dream, and that when he woke he would still be a dying fragment of a soul, tormented in the Nine Yang True Fire.
A metallic sweetness filled his mouth. Xu Zirong was shocked to discover that his body had instinctively reacted to protect itself in the midst of his extreme anger. Perhaps because he knew the Blood Sea Heart Scripture so intimately, he had unconsciously drawn in a small amount of spiritual energy. That energy had entered his dantian and begun circulating along the pathways prescribed by the scripture.
The energy was still much too weak for him to be considered a first-level Qi Refining cultivator. Nevertheless, its appearance meant he had opened the first gate and officially set foot on the path of cultivation.
All he had to do now was cultivate diligently and strengthen that thread of spiritual energy. Within three days, he would certainly reach the first level of Qi Refining!
The unexpected progress filled Xu Zirong with delight, temporarily sweeping aside even his sense of humiliation. Of course, someone as vindictive as him would never forget what had happened. He would simply add it to his accounts and, once he had made some progress with the Blood Sea Heart Scripture, take all his revenge at once.
The bullying in his previous life, the torture of his soul, and today’s humiliation: he would repay every single one of them to Xu Ziyan!
“You foolish child! All I wanted was for you to give in a little. Did you have to go this far?” Xu Ziyan scolded him, looking thoroughly frustrated.
Cultivators had exceptionally keen senses, including smell. Standing so close to Xu Zirong, Xu Ziyan naturally caught the faint scent of blood.
Alarmed, he let Xu Zirong down and raised his chin. On the child’s delicate face was an expression of fierce stubbornness, and a drop of blood had appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Xu Ziyan felt angry and heartbroken at once. How could the child be so obstinate that he would rather bite through his own lip than cry or give way? Yet that was precisely what broke Xu Ziyan’s heart. In the memories he had inherited, Xu Zirong had been equally stubborn, refusing to shed a tear even when the collateral-branch children beat him until he was covered in wounds. Somehow that only made him more pitiable.
With a deep sigh, Xu Ziyan drew Xu Zirong into his arms and spoke as gently as he could. “Be good, Zirong. You’re still young, and you can’t go around cursing at people. Big Brother punished you because I want you to remember that some things are acceptable, but you must never insult your own family.”
Xu Zirong said nothing. He lowered his head slightly and remained silent.
Xu Ziyan searched through his memories but found nothing about Xu Zirong’s earlier experiences.
The novel was centered on that fellow Bai Hua, and Xu Zirong had only become important to everyone after turning into the villainous final boss, the Blood Demon. Everything Xu Ziyan knew of the boy’s childhood came from the former Xu Ziyan’s memories. His predecessor, of course, had never cared what kind of life Zirong had lived before joining the family.
With no idea how Xu Zirong had lived before, seeing his stubborn expression and remembering the melodramatic story of Xu Xiao’s “true love,” Xu Ziyan naturally concluded that the child must have had a difficult upbringing.
It made sense. Zirong’s mother had probably spent all her energy trying to win Xu Xiao, her “true love,” back. How could she have had any time left to care for her son?
With affectionate eyes, Xu Ziyan hugged Xu Zirong and said as gently as he could, “Zirong, from today onward, you’re my younger brother. Don’t worry. No matter what happens, Big Brother will protect you.”
Xu Zirong slowly raised his head. His dark eyes were unfathomably deep as he gazed straight at Xu Ziyan, allowing a hint of expectation to show.
Seeing Xu Zirong hesitate, Xu Ziyan stroked his head gently. “I know you’ve only just arrived here, so you might not dare trust me yet. That’s all right. In time, you’ll learn that you can always depend on Big Brother.”
Xu Zirong lightly bit his lower lip. After a moment of hesitation, he finally nodded.
Xu Ziyan’s face lit up with delight. He planted a hearty kiss on Xu Zirong’s cheek. “Good boy! Big Brother promises he won’t disappoint you!”
Xu Zirong blushed again and lowered his eyes. His long, thick lashes fluttered like little fans, hiding the cold smile in his gaze.
Protect him?
Xu Ziyan?
Heh. If Xu Ziyan wanted to put on a performance of brotherly harmony, Xu Zirong did not mind playing along. Life in the Xu household had always been tedious, after all. This could be an amusing way to pass the time.
Xu Ziyan watched the obedient-looking child with a heart full of satisfaction. His new little brother was so well behaved! He would definitely raise this adorable child into an upstanding young man!
The Blood Demon? The villainous final boss? All that could go to hell! His little brother would never become a demonic cultivator! [Clenches fist!]
After that emotional whirlwind, Xu Zirong had calmed down completely. He quietly resumed his disguise, stealing occasional glances at Xu Ziyan. No matter how one looked at him, he appeared to be a slightly shy but remarkably determined child.
“Right, that’s settled, then. Now it’s time for your bath.” Before Xu Zirong could finish his act, Xu Ziyan uttered the words that instantly left him stunned.
Before Xu Zirong could react, Xu Ziyan had already removed all his clothes in a few quick movements.
Xu Zirong instinctively moved to cover himself, then realized that such a reaction hardly befitted the mighty Blood Demon.
His face briefly took on a sickly green tinge before he recovered. Just as he was about to lower his hands and pretend that nothing had happened, Xu Ziyan suddenly spoke.