I Want It All

Sitting on a dune in the Great Desert, gazing out at the setting sun, the campfire's warm flames leaping, stretching the two silhouettes long across the pitch-black Gobi. Xu Yuan poked at the burning firewood in the campfire with a willow-wood scabbard, now and then; sparks spattered up and printed themselves in his dark eyes, leaping with the shifting edge of the sky. In his past life, apart from games, adventure and travel around the world had probably been his only hobby. Seeing a sight like this desert sunset was naturally on his list of plans. Drive an off-road car, bring along a beautiful girlfriend with a lovely figure, and there in the desert sunset on the hood of the car have a thoroughly satisfying romp—just thinking about it was romantic and thrilling. Unfortunately, that never got put into practice before he transmigrated. Not for lack of time, but because of the danger. Two people, one car, into an uninhabited region? That wasn't an adventure, that was suicide. He hadn't expected that one of his past life's wish-list items would actually come true in this life. Oh. To be precise, half of it came true. With that thought, Xu Yuan suddenly glanced sideways at the girl beside him. In the sunset, her flawless, slightly cold profile seemed to have a cinematic filter laid over it; her voluminous palace robes spread flat across the sand, and she gave off a faint air of divinity. Her eyes were closed, her expression cold as snow, and a single tear mole rested lightly at the corner of her pale eye. He stared for several breaths. With her cultivation she should have noticed his gaze, yet she still showed no intention of opening her eyes—not even her chest rose or fell. Like a dead person. Just kidding. Before this, Xu Yuan had always felt that Tianyan's temperament and that tear mole at the corner of her eye were utterly mismatched. A tear mole is sexy; it ought to belong to an older, worldly woman. But Tianyan—counting those dozen-plus years in the illusion realm, her real age was probably beyond that of a young married woman—still sulked every day like a little girl. But in recent days he'd changed his view somewhat. Because lately Tianyan gave off cold air from head to toe, and the occasional startling glance she cast his way, that clear cold gaze adorned by the tear mole, gave a person a powerful urge to conquer. Unfortunately, that idea could only stay in his head for now. If he dared act on it, given Tianyan's current mental state, she'd probably break his legs. Sighing inwardly, Xu Yuan withdrew his gaze and went back to poking the burning firewood with the willow-wood scabbard. Last night that woman Tianye had set him up. Though Xu Yuan didn't think it was his fault. Ever since the day the crisis was completely resolved, Tianye and Tianyan had been fighting over control of the body. When Tianye came out she did as she pleased, brazenly using Tianyan's body to seduce him. When Tianyan came out, she stayed cold toward him and spoke only when necessary. Xu Yuan, being busy consolidating and organizing the intelligence he had, hadn't paid it much mind. After all, with the washboard Saintess's temperament, even if he left her alone, in a few days she'd reconcile with herself. And events unfolded just as Xu Yuan had guessed. Though Tianyan was still stewing in silence, her attitude really was softening day by day. Until yesterday, when Xu Yuan judged the timing about right and began testing her with his usual tricks—joking and teasing her to make her smile while adding some half-forceful physical contact—and the washboard Saintess half-heartedly went along with it, letting him hold her through the night. When he woke up, Xu Yuan had just been about to bring up business when he found that the girl in his arms was giving off cold air from head to toe. Just that gaze, like looking at a dead man, was enough to freeze a person solid. Oh boy. He was done for. The person he'd been holding last night apparently hadn't been Tianyan. That damned succubus Tianye had timed it, waited right there to put one over on him, and vanished the moment the act was done. The silence between Tianyan and him had lasted until now. Neither speaking a word, the two sat motionless as a pair of statues, until a black-armored spider burrowed up out of the sand and broke the stillness. The black-armored spider is a species unique to the Great Desert, palm-sized, and every nightfall it emerges from the hot sand layers to cool down and forage. The moment this one emerged, it scuttled quickly up the sand pile. But it had barely gone two steps when a large hand reached down from above and pinched it by the back of the neck. Suppressing his disgust, Xu Yuan glanced at the black-armored spider. According to the records, this little thing could go into medicine, into wine, into recipes—but unfortunately it looked disgusting. A hideous mouthpart at the head, eight densely packed compound eyes, and fine hairs growing from the joints—one look was enough to make the scalp crawl, let alone put it in your mouth. With that thought, Xu Yuan casually tossed the palm-sized bug to one side. *Pat.* With a soft sound, the bug landed right on the girl's voluminous palace robes. The instant it hit the ground, the spider scrambled about in panic. And something else reacted at the same instant—a certain someone giving off cold air from head to toe. Her deep-gold eyes snapped wide open, carrying a look of disbelief and indignation, and it was precisely that expression that confirmed her identity for Xu Yuan. When traveling with Ran Qingmo and Bai Muxi, he had to bring it up himself before they'd bother to clear anything out. But ever since he'd met Tianyan, not a single insect demon had appeared within a hundred zhang of them. Tianyan, it seemed, was very afraid of bugs. Xu Yuan's lips had just curved into a smile at the thought, and then, a dark blur flashed before his eyes. The palm-sized spider landed right on his face. Eight densely packed compound eyes and that writhing mouthpart filled his vision in an instant. "..." Xu Yuan. Shit!! He shot to his feet, hastily reaching up to grab it, but a voice came from beside his ear, despairing: "Freeze." "..." Xu Yuan. His arm's movement stalled under an enormous force, unable to shift even a fraction; the slender, dense legs crawling over him raised goosebumps all over his body. Void-Stepping Slash. His figure vanished from where he stood, and the black-armored spider dropped to the ground with a *plap*. Reappearing, Xu Yuan was already beside Tianyan, reaching for the back of her collar. But before his hand arrived, he met those golden eyes first. Tianyan turned her face sideways, her magnificent gold eyes fixed with distaste on him where he stood behind her. Yet she didn't resist. *Rustle—* Amid a whisper of fabric, Xu Yuan pressed the girl down onto the ground. The sand gave way at once, fine grains rolling down along the curve of her robes toward the foot of the dune, and the last of the sky's afterglow sank fully below the horizon. The warm wind blowing in from the sky's edge had taken on a chill, and stars began to stud the vault of heaven, their light spilling over the desert. Tianyan lay in the sand, calmly watching the face of the man above her, her voice cool as snow: "So you don't like it when the thing you wanted to do to me gets done back to you?" Xu Yuan wiped at his face with his sleeve, over and over, and muttered: "I was only confirming your identity. And I didn't throw it on your face, did I?" At that, the girl's lips curved into a mocking smile: "So have you confirmed it now? Am I Tianye or Tianyan right now—Brother Changtian~" "..." Narrowing his eyes at Tianyan for several breaths, Xu Yuan suddenly gave a soft laugh, reached out, and let his palm brush lightly downward along the girl's slender waistline. Tianyan didn't move; the look in her gold eyes stayed pure as snow. She seemed to have expected long ago that this bastard would resort to such a dirty trick. Seeing that, Xu Yuan lost interest and rolled over to lie beside her, gazing up with her at the stars scattered across the heavens. Tianyan let out a soft huff, her voice resentful and mocking: "What? Can't tell?" Xu Yuan shifted, lacing his hands behind his head, and said with a chuckle: "No, I can. Confirmed it." "Oh? Really?" "Because that line along the hip and waist is Tianye's sensitive spot, and just now—" *Bang!* Sand sprayed; before his eyes could even focus, the girl was straddling him, the field of stars at her back. Her long hair fell across her cheeks, a faint fragrance reached his nose, a little ticklish, setting the imagination running. But that voice, cold to the extreme, dropped him into an ice pit: "Do you want to die?" "..." Glancing at the fist embedded in the sand beside his head, Xu Yuan slowly met those eyes that looked ready to eat him alive, and said with no trace of fear: "I'm joking. I don't even have those memories anymore—how could I possibly know something like that?" Tianyan stared down at him coldly, breathed hard twice, and said through her teeth: "Xu Yuan, you really are insufferable!" "..." Xu Yuan said nothing. Watching her angry face, he slowly reached up both hands and rested them lightly on the girl's waistline, and then, circulating his cultivation method, he squeezed with exactly the right amount of force. "Nn—" The girl above him let out a small cry, her slender figure about to topple forward uncontrollably. But a split second before she fell into his arms, Tianyan caught herself, and was just about to curse him for a lecher, when Xu Yuan's hands on her waist tightened again, pulling her fully into his embrace. Feeling the soft, fine curve of the girl's waist, he let his voice drift light and gentle into her ear: "You're so angry you forgot what I said about you?" "..." Tianyan. Threads of red crept up through her pale skin; Tianyan bit her lip and forcibly pried his arms off her. She had just sat down to one side when the black-armored spider, dropped on the sand, quietly crawled to the hem of her skirt. Tianyan's dark brows shot up; she furiously snatched up the spider and hurled it at the sky with all her might. The palm-sized body instantly became a black dot that streaked across the night sky and vanished. Watching this, Xu Yuan stared at those slender fingers that had just touched the black-armored spider, and a flicker of surprise showed in his eyes. And then, Tianyan turned her head and glared at him, snapping: "What are you staring at?" "Aren't you afraid of bugs?" "Who told you I'm afraid of bugs?!" "..." Looking at the girl's cold gaze, waves rose in Xu Yuan's heart. Not afraid of bugs—then all those insect demons she'd cleared out along the way... Was that the Charm God Illusion realm too? He unconsciously reached out to pull her into his arms, but Xu Yuan held himself back, and looked at her with a smile: "What a coincidence. I'm not afraid either." Tianyan's gold eyes slowly rolled upward. "Right. You just find them disgusting." Xu Yuan slowly sat up and bumped the girl beside him with his shoulder. "Not angry anymore?" "..." Tianyan frowned and glared at him without a word. Xu Yuan said with a light laugh: "Then I'll take that as you're not angry." As he spoke he reached for the girl's slender, soft shoulder, but before he could touch it she swatted his hand away. Tianyan looked at him askance and said clearly: "If you have something to say, say it. If you want to get handsy, go find your Little Sister Tianye." Seeing that, Xu Yuan didn't push it, and said mildly: "Actually, last night wasn't entirely my fault. Think about it, Tianyan—you keep your face stiff all the time, not a flicker of expression, so how was I supposed to tell you two apart? If you'd acted like usual, no matter how Tianye pretended, I'd have recognized you." Tianyan immediately turned her head, her beautiful eyes widening slightly, as if unable to believe he could be so shameless: "Y-you're blaming me now?" Xu Yuan looked at her with pleading eyes: "I'm only asking you not to ignore me." "..." The girl's beautiful eyes quivered, and she unconsciously pressed her thin lips together. She knew this was most likely something he'd made up to coax her, but... but what if? What if this bastard really meant it? The moment the thought flashed through her, a baffling sense of grievance surged up in Tianyan's heart. Loathing. Disgust. She... really hated this version of herself. Meeting that gaze for several breaths, the girl gave her little nose a sniff and then a sudden fierce huff: "Do whatever you like, it's all the same to me. You don't care about my feelings anyway. We should get moving." With that, the girl lowered her eyes slightly and, under his complicated gaze, slowly rose to her feet. Not far away, the leaping flames fell on her face like a spotlight—cold and forlorn. "Brother Changtian, feeling awful inside?" Dawn broke, and the silence of a wordless night was broken by a voice full of laughter. Xu Yuan turned his head and glanced expressionlessly at the girl beside him. The succubus was back online. Tianye's eyes darted back and forth over him, her pace quickening a little; hands clasped behind her back, body leaning slightly forward, she floated in the air before him and giggled: "Even I couldn't bear to watch last night. Little Sister Tianyan is really too pitiful..." "..." Xu Yuan stayed silent. Seeing that, Tianye's eyes curved into two crystalline crescents, and she laughed playfully: "Even with your stances opposed, even with nothing at all to gain, she still chooses to stay at your side and protect you—" "..." His breathing quickened slightly. Xu Yuan raised his eyes to glance at the succubus overflowing with smiles before him, then turned his eyes away and said nothing. But the succubus before him seemed to have no intention of letting him off. She floated in the air, circling him without pause, and as she circled she laughed and chattered. Tianye was utterly unrestrained. Her voice was sweet and lilting as a nightingale's, but the content of every sentence struck at Xu Yuan's guilt with the precision of a blade. "If she runs into danger, Little Sister Tianyan is even willing to let me burn up her life to save you... "And the result? Brother Changtian, you're still like this—you can't even bring yourself to admit out loud what your relationship with her is. "Looking so deeply devoted now really is laughable. "If I were Little Sister Tianyan, I'd probably have already gone ahead and killed you, heh heh..." "..." "..." These were things no one else would say—not even Tianyan herself. Tianye was the sole exception. She was utterly unrestrained; she liked watching him tangled and in pain, liked watching him torn and helpless. At the end, Tianye leaned into his arms, her fingertip tracing light circles on his chest, feeling the ripples in his heart, smiling sweetly as she whispered by his ear: "Brother Changtian, "if you really do feel awful, then why not just choose Little Sister Tianyan alone?" With that, Tianye suddenly drew back, standing in the void several zhang away, and smiled: "Of course, even if you only choose her, I'll still keep pestering you~" As the two flew on, Xu Yuan drew a deep breath, looked at the excitement in the girl's eyes, and asked slowly: "In the Charm God Illusion realm, was your nonsense as endless as it is now, Tianye?" "Getting impatient?" "..." Xu Yuan. Rubbing his brow, Xu Yuan asked with a light laugh: "Was that line something I taught you?" "Mmhm." Tianye nodded in admission, and shot him a faintly aggrieved glare. "You made me so furious back then." A boomerang again. Xu Yuan let out a soft breath: "All right, I know exactly what I'm doing." "Oh~ So you want it all?" "Yes." "Giggle~ Brother, you really are so open and honorable about it." "Tianye, there's no point in trying to provoke and goad me with words here." "That's fine. I was only using the chance to torment you a little. As long as it works, that's enough." "..." Xu Yuan. His eye twitched. Xu Yuan forced his mental state steady and said with a light smile: "Is that so? Then you'd better work hard at it." "Mmhm." Tianye fluttered her beautiful eyes. "..." Xu Yuan suppressed the urge to put her in her place, gave a soft huff, and asked in a low voice: "How far are we from Zhenxi prefectural city?" Tianye tilted her head and thought, then said quietly: "At our current speed, about a day's travel or so." "A day, huh..." He murmured it, said nothing more, and mulled over his next arrangements as he flew. The silence lasted half a shichen, until the two swept low over a stretch of Gobi ridge— when, because he was circulating the Heavenly Yan divine soul, Xu Yuan unexpectedly heard a weak voice transmission sound beside him: "You are... the Saintess?"