After getting off the sightseeing train, Freya pulled Yaxiu along toward her home, but Xifulin had already made arrangements. Kaimeng City was her home turf, after all, and Xifulin finally displayed the dignity of a Blood Moon legendary, summoning several luxury cars to take everyone to the most prestigious luxury hotel in Kaimeng City and booking an entire floor so no thoughtless fools would disturb the demigods' rest.
“Please get some good rest, everyone. I’ve already reserved a restaurant for dinner, and tonight I'll gather a variety of travel itineraries for you to choose from.” Xifulin gave a slight nod. “Welcome to Kaimeng City.”
Everyone expressed their thanks and headed into their own rooms. Before Freya could step into the room with Yaxiu, Xifulin knocked the Veela unconscious and dragged her away, waving a polite goodbye to everyone.
Entering the room, Yaxiu first checked for any miracle fluctuations, then turned around to see a massive bed that could easily accommodate more than seven people. Staring at the giant bed, he fell into thought for a moment, thinking to himself that Blood Moon culture did have its merits after all—hotels in other countries would never prepare a bed this large.
There were no scheduled activities on the first day, just free time. Whenever he traveled, Yaxiu spent his first day in the hotel no matter where he went. Even if he wasn't feeling tired, he still liked this languid pace of life. Spending a whole day without doing a single thing made Yaxiu feel as though he had stolen a day from the world.
Once Sonia and the others finished changing, though, they would probably come over to drag him out to wander around... While Yaxiu lacked the motivation to go out on his own, he didn't dislike being dragged along. To him, shopping and wandering the streets was boring, but doing so with friends and lovers wasn't boring at all.
Yaxiu went into the bathroom to tidy himself up, only to see a little bat perched on the lampshade the moment he walked in. Acting as if nothing were amiss, he went to wash his hands, then suddenly blocked the faucet opening with a finger to create a jet of water, squirting it straight at the little bat on the lampshade.
“Are you a child?!”
The little bat transformed into Xifulin as she dropped down, arms crossed over her chest as she glared at him huffily. Yaxiu dried his hands and gave a wry chuckle. “Who told you to spy on me using the bathroom, you lecherous bat!”
“Who was spying on you!” Xifulin bared her fangs in indignation. “As if I haven't seen it before!”
“What do you need me for?” Yaxiu said with a smile. “Freya and I already got caught once just now. I don't want to get caught again with you... Getting caught twice in one day would be disastrous for my reputation.”
“You still have something called a reputation?” Xifulin challenged. “Aren't you the trash bin whose notorious name is known to everyone from the Blood Moon to the Stars?”
Yaxiu held out his hands. “Sure, but getting caught twice in one day would make me a trash bin with an intellectual disability.”
Xifulin rolled her eyes at him and looked down in silence. Yaxiu didn't press her either, looking into the mirror as he arranged his bangs.
“Don't hurt the Veela,” she said suddenly.
“Freya is already a legendary sorcerer,” Yaxiu said with a smile. “The people in the mortal realm who can hurt her can be counted on one hand.”
“And it just so happens that you're surrounded entirely by people like that.” Xifulin sighed. “You have no idea how nervous I was earlier when she was hugging you and acting cute. I was terrified those women around you would suddenly snap... She's merely a legendary.”
“Sword Princess and the others aren't as unreasonable as you think,” Yaxiu said. “Even if they truly get angry, they'll only vent it on me. They know full well that the only person who deserves to be punished is me, and can only be me.”
“Knowing it rationally is one thing; venting emotionally is another,” Xifulin said. “If they can't bring themselves to hurt you, where will all their pent-up resentment go? To escape fate, people learn self-deception, and they learn to bully the weak.”
Yaxiu looked at Xifulin in the mirror and said earnestly, “I promise Freya won't be hurt.”
“And you won't hurt her either?” Xifulin looked at him. “Do you know how passionately and how humbly she loves you... Give her a little sunshine and she beams; give her a drop of water and she overflows. As long as you're willing to spare a fraction of love for her, she's completely content.”
Yaxiu said softly, “I really don't want it to be like that.”
“But it already is,” Xifulin said. “I only mean... I've stayed by her side over this past year. Even though I completely disagree with her feelings and think you're a terrible match as a lover, chasing after you has truly driven her to keep becoming a better version of herself. That's why Annan, Tamashi, and I are willing to support her with all our hearts.”
“She's my best friend,” she said, lowering her head. “Don't hurt my friend.”
Yaxiu glanced back at her and smiled. “Of course. She was the second friend who made me feel human warmth in the Blood Moon Country.”
“Who was the first? Sword Princess?”
“It was Healer 222.” Yaxiu blinked. “I still think that Crow Healer outfit suited you better.”
Xifulin huffed. “I left Shattered Lake Prison a long time ago. Stop calling me 222.”
“Then what should I call you? Xifulin?”
“Don't call me by my name either.” The little bat's shoulders twitched. “It feels weird.”
“Then...” Yaxiu hesitated. “Wife?”
“Get lost!”
Xifulin marched up in front of Yaxiu and said sternly, “Don't think just because we did it back then that it means anything! You know full well that casual flings are completely normal for us Blood Moon people. That time, I just joined Freya and the others in using you once, and broke through to legendary along the way. There is nothing between us!”
“Aren't we friends?”
“Just friends!”
Yaxiu pressed his lips together and thought for a moment, appearing conflicted. In the end, he sighed helplessly, cupped Xifulin's face, and kissed her. The little bat's body was quite cold and her lips were very soft, truly resembling ice cream. At first, Xifulin was somewhat at a loss, but she soon wrapped her arms around Yaxiu's waist, pressed against the wall by him in a passionate, wet kiss.
“What are you doing?” Xifulin asked in an ostensibly indifferent tone, yet her blush reached the tips of her ears. “Bullying people just because you're a demigod sorcerer?”
“It might just be experience gained from spending so much time around girls,” Yaxiu said, blinking. “I felt like you wanted me to kiss you just now.”
“What kind of scumbag intuition is that...?” Xifulin muttered, poking Yaxiu's lips with a finger. “Freya, Sword Princess, me... Kissing so many girls back-to-back in just a few hours—are you a Veela who never turns down any woman?”
“Of course not!” Yaxiu shook his head. “I have feelings for you.”
“We haven't seen each other in so long, where did those feelings come from?”
“Why do you have feelings for me? That's the same reason I have feelings for you.”
Xifulin pressed her lips tightly. “We Blood Moon people don't develop feelings for someone just because of a single time—especially when it didn't even happen in reality.”
“Well, I do.” Yaxiu gave a gentle smile. “It's hard for me to refuse the requests of my women.”
“Who's your woman!” Xifulin stomped hard on Yaxiu's foot, retreating to the door. “I'm not an idiot girl like Freya. Even if I really did want you to kiss me, and even if something like that happens again in the future, it'll be me using you! I'm definitely not jumping into a fire pit like you! Goodbye!”
Watching Xifulin turn into a little bat and fly off, Yaxiu looked down at his boot. Just as he was about to crouch down and wipe it clean, Xifulin flew back in a flurry, pouncing straight onto him. Under his bewildered gaze, she bared her fangs and bit down hard on his neck.
She couldn't pierce it.
Yaxiu's soul body was no joke. Without using a miracle, a mere legendary sorcerer would struggle even to break his skin. Xifulin gnawed several times without leaving so much as a mark, looking more like she was kissing his neck instead.
“Do you need me to lower my defenses a bit?” Yaxiu asked warmly.
“Mmh-mmh.” Xifulin nodded.
After some effort on Yaxiu's part, Xifulin finally pierced his neck, leaving behind a blood-drawing bite mark. She gave a little humph. “After pleasure, we of the Blood Saint clan leave a mark on the one who served us to show how satisfied we were with the pleasure.”
“No wonder you bit me out of nowhere back then. I thought you were uncomfortable, but it turned out to mean the exact opposite...”
“The point is, this means you are the one serving me!” Xifulin insisted pettily. “I'm enjoying the service of an ultimate of sorcery! Next time, I'll definitely give you a good, hard bite! Goodbye!”
She turned back into a little bat and flew off, but she was going so fast that she slammed headfirst into the wall. Yaxiu watched with a mix of amusement and concern, but Xifulin, likely mortified, scurried away in a flash.
Finally alone, Yaxiu washed his face. As he dried it, he let out a long breath, a hint of confusion in his eyes. He knew something was very off with him.
In the past, even if he caught ambiguous signals from Xifulin, he would have pretended not to notice or even actively avoided them.
He had never believed in or needed the pleasure born of momentary impulse, instead regarding emotions refined by time as far more precious... and that was how he had always conducted himself.
Responding to someone's impulsive feelings was irresponsible both to oneself and to others.
Yet today, he hadn't avoided the feelings of Felix, Freya, or Xifulin, and had even actively responded to their impulsive hints. Looking back on it, he felt like a rutting Lalafell.
*Now I really can't argue that I'm not a trash bin,* Yaxiu thought to himself.
But he truly couldn't just cast their feelings aside... In the past, he could have waited for time to test everything, but there was no time left. He didn't want to let these young women's tender feelings become petty regrets in this era of the end.
Then again, it might not even be for such high-sounding reasons... It might just be that under the crushing weight of pressure, he wanted to indulge himself, to have one last bout of madness, to leave behind no regrets before life reached its end.
“Life is short,” Yaxiu chuckled wryly, looking up at himself in the mirror. And then, he saw Dead Frenzy standing right behind him, soaked in blood.
“Hold out your palm,” Dead Frenzy said coldly. “We're not finished today until I burn straight through your hand.”
Yaxiu turned around in shock to face her, but his gaze was instantly drawn to what she was carrying in her hands. “What are those?”
“The Tyrant's helmet, the Treacherous Chancellor's mask, the Loving Father's skull, and the Prince's face skin.”
Dead Frenzy tossed the bloody objects onto the floor and said, “While you were being as licentious as a Veela, I wasn't slacking off. I took the time to pay a visit to the Realm of the Gods.”
“And killed all Four Pillar Gods.”
Chapter 1257