Yu Wanyue's Tears

Yu Wanyue sat upright in the sunlight, gazing at You Su's stunned expression, then suddenly lowered her eyes and chuckled softly:

"Young Master You, are you staring at me like that because you find my old-fashioned face pleasing to the eye?"

When You Su came to his senses, he met her teasing gaze and subconsciously looked away. He had come to explain his departure, but he hadn't expected this woman to sit so elegantly in the backlight. Her tattered golden feathers even had a more aloof beauty than when they were in full bloom, and the talk of her being old-fashioned was completely unfounded.

"I was just thinking about how to deal with Yu Xiaoran."

"Young Master You's differential treatment is a bit too obvious." Yu Wanyue wing with her fingertips. "Junior Sister Liu laments her aging, and you so sweetly comfort her; I lament the passing of youth, and you change the subject. Though we were once enemies, we should be considered allies now."

You Su raised an eyebrow, unmoved. "That's because Elder Liu's lament about aging is genuine, while your lament about the passing of youth is feigned. Besides, she is an elder I respect; how can you compare yourself to her?"

Yu Wanyue sighed softly, seemingly with sadness, "Yes, she was indeed a respected elder; every blow was quite heavy."

You Su was astonished that this seemingly dignified woman could be so foul-mouthed after her rebirth. Just as he was about to explain, he saw Yu Wanyue suddenly raise her eyes with a smile:

"Young Master You, are you truly so devoted to the snake clan only for those two young ladies?"

"Of course." You Su didn't want to hide anything from those in the know. "Ling Ruo and Xue Ruo are both my beloved ones, and the Snake Clan has allowed me to stay. I should repay them."

"Young Master You is so adept at avoiding the important issues; I suppose you've used this skill to escape your dao companion's wrath quite a few times?" Yu Wanyue's golden eyelashes trembled slightly, a cunning glint in her eyes.

You Su's heart skipped a beat, and she said seriously, "I don't understand what you mean."

Even so, he recalled the blush on the tips of the ears of the snake women, such as Hong Xiao and Xiao Ling, when they looked at him recently, as well as the slight panic in Elder Liu's hasty escape when he saw him.

He could naturally sense that the snake women's enthusiasm for him was gradually different from before, but if asked about his original intention in helping the snake clan, he truly only wanted to help Xue Ruo and Lingruo Ruo.

"Having tasted flesh and blood, how could a snake willingly drink dew again?" Yu Wanyue lightly tapped her heart with her jade-like finger, her golden eyes gleaming with a knowing light. "If a group of snakes all lived on dew, that would be one thing. But two snakes alone enjoy meat, and the others can't say anything, only harboring resentment. One day, a third snake will be unable to resist stealing a taste of meat. Do Young Master You think there might be a fourth, or even a fifth?"

As she finished speaking, the absurdity of that day surged You Su's mind: the touch of Liu Yinyin's newborn skin, Yu Wanyue's broken breaths, and Yu Xiaoran roars outside the palace...

You Su quickly banished his distracting thoughts. He considered his encounter with Granny Liu a beautiful mistake and dared not linger on it any longer. He also dared not imagine that a single mistake would lead to the absurd situation described by Yu Wanyue.

"Enough!" You Su suddenly puffed out his chest and raised his eyebrows. "What do you take me for? And what do you take the snake clan for?"

Yu Wanyue was not intimidated by You Su's anger. Instead, she shook her head and sighed softly, "Humans are humans, and demons are demons. Young Master You, please don't confuse humans with demons. Besides, there are many things in this world that we are not in control of our own lives."

You Su frowned, puzzled, realizing he couldn't understand the woman's implied meaning, but guessed she must have foreseen something.

What exactly are you trying to say?

Yu Wanyue smiled meaningfully, "This matter is merely my speculation, and it would be inappropriate for me to state it explicitly. Young Master You should just ignore it. You will know when Clan Chief Xue Ruo returns. By the way, if I'm not mistaken, Young Master You's physique seems to be somewhat special?"

You Su was completely baffled. "What's so special about it?"

"Junior Sister Liu gained a massive amount of Mystic Qi in a short period of time, which not only transformed her appearance but also her physique, making her seem like a completely different person. However, there is one thing that should not have changed."

You Su pondered for a few moments, "Demon Core?"

"The Demon Core is something inherent to the Demon Race, a manifestation of their talent, and it hardly changes with the increase of cultivation. Anything in the world capable of purifying Demon Core is a rare treasure, priceless and hard to come by. Yet, after you and Junior Sister Liu's union that day, her azure Demon Core became pure and flawless, truly of the highest quality." Yu Wanyue narrowed her beautiful eyes. "Besides Young Master You's efforts, I can't seem to find any other explanation."

You Su was secretly amazed. Yu Wanyue's status as the youngest elder of the Golden Yu Wanyue Golden Peng Clan was no empty boast. Even without cultivation, with her observation and analytical abilities, it was only a matter of time before she returned to her peak.

He also knew that the transformation of the Demon Core was due to the Tai Sui Power within his body, but he couldn't explain it to Yu Wanyue:

"So what?"

"So based on this alone, the Demon Race won't dare to touch you." Yu Wanyue lowered her voice. "If I were to spread the word that you still have this ability, there would be many Demon Race who would want to protect you. Not only would your safety be guaranteed, but many beautiful Demon Cultivator would also offer themselves to you."

"Including you too?" You Su stared into Yu Wanyue's eyes.

Yu Wanyue was taken aback. The boy's burning body temperature seeped through the thin veil. She then relaxed her wings and chuckled, "If Young Master You wants to take this charade for real, Wanyue naturally cannot refuse."

"No need for acting. Your intimacy with me is merely a means to get revenge on Yu Xiaoran. If you were that kind of woman, you wouldn't be struggling so much in the Golden Peng Main Family." You Su leaned back as much as possible. "You have your principles, and so do I, so don't try to be clever and spread news about me. Besides, what you say sounds nice, but if the entire Demon Race really knew this secret, you know in your heart whether it would be a blessing or a curse."

"Young Master You is indeed quick-witted."

You Su paid little attention to her praise and said seriously, "Let's talk about serious matters. Although your cultivation has been completely destroyed, it will eventually return. Elder Liu believes you, but I don't. You haven't given me the leverage you promised that day."

Yu Wanyue nodded in acknowledgment, "That's only right, and that's exactly what I was thinking too. I originally intended to give it to you as a reward for Young Master You's help, but unexpectedly, this unexpected turn of events occurred."

The interlude was indeed a real interlude, but You Su frowned, "An interlude? Then what do you mean by reward?"

"Young Master You, do you really think my reward is to match you with my Junior Sister Liu, who is over two hundred years older than you?" Yu Wanyue laughed. "I, Yu Wanyue, am not that kind of person. Even if you really want to drag my sister into this, I'll be the one underwater first."

Upon hearing this, You Su looked somewhat embarrassed. "When did I ever mean that?!" In his heart, he thought he had misunderstood. He had thought that Yu Wanyue was inherently despicable and actually intended to use someone else's beauty as payment. Now that he thought about it, wasn't this just an unintentional but unexpected outcome?

Yu Wanyue didn't expose him, but said coldly, "Yu Xiaoran used the Qi Locking Nail to control me, but now that my cultivation is gone, he can't control me for the time being. So during this period, I will make this beast give up on me completely!"

Her voice was as light as the wind, yet You Su could hear the resentment and hatred that had been building up for a century.

"Is this your final revenge against him?"

"Please, Young Master You, inscribe the slave mark upon me—" Yu Wanyue straightened her back, her gaze intense, "...".

You Su's pupils contracted sharply, and he even forgot to suppress the sound of those four words with his qi.

Yu Xiaoran's sudden roar exploded in the corner of the hall, the iron chains rattling loudly, but it only made the silence in the room seem even more desolate.

"Why go to such lengths to get revenge on him?"

Yu Wanyue's smile concealed bitterness. "It's also to completely put Young Master You at ease. If I truly hate you, what evidence in this world could suppress a heart set on revenge?"

You Su's throat tightened. He was indeed still considering whether to turn Yu Wanyue into a familiar just in case, since their past friendship wasn't an unbreakable bond. But the Evil Follower was ultimately fraught with concerns, so he decided to wait and see what kind of leverage she could come up with before making a decision.

The art of slavery is similar to the power of the Evil Follower by God, but apart from Evil Qi Evil Follower aura they possess, the evil favored by God is far less heinous than the art of slavery, otherwise it would not have been banned by the Five Continents.

Those who bear the slave mark must not only be absolutely obedient to the person who has chosen them as their master, but their power can also be drained at will, and even their life and death are in the balance of a single thought.

When Little Dog Qianhua entrusted him with the help to enter the South China Sea Immortal Island, he promised that after the matter was completed, he would carve a slave mark on her, so that she would submit to him both physically and mentally, rather than just being forced to submit physically.

You Su never mentioned the matter afterward, firstly because he felt that he had to win over Little Dog Qianhua, and secondly because he still instinctively resisted such a heinous act.

Therefore, he still felt compassion for Yu Wanyue.

"I don't understand slave markings..."

Before she could finish speaking, Yu Wanyue suddenly loosened the belt around her waist.

You Su's eyes widened in surprise as she realized that she wasn't wearing the same pale gold gauze dress she had worn before.

In the sunlight filtering through the skylight, even the dust motes floating on her exquisite body were clearly visible.

Even when she borrowed the sword to break through her core that day, she had never been so exposed. Yet, amidst the exquisite beauty, one could see that there were winding, intricate patterns on Yu Wanyue's lower abdomen.

The patterns, resembling chains coiled around Demon Core, gleamed with a chilling luster in the backlight, creating a stark contrast with her pale skin, like a mark of shame branded onto her soul.

"This is the 'dowry' of a woman from a branch family." Yu Wanyue fingertips, a smile colder than ice skating gracing her lips. "When I was betrothed to him, his mother, who was also the Matriarch of the Golden Peng Main Family, personally carved this slave mark onto my Demon Core's vital point. At that time, I gritted my teeth in pain, but I couldn't express the humiliation in my heart. After she finished carving it, I had to kneel and thank the matriarch for bestowing the mark upon me. After all, for a lowly branch child to become the wife of the main Legitimate Son of the main family is, in their eyes, an immense blessing."

You Su was shocked by what she saw and instinctively clenched her fists.

Once the slave mark is etched, it's like a malignant tumor, impossible to remove regardless of whether the woman acknowledges a master or not. This will be a lifelong disgrace for the proud woman, Yu Wanyue. That beast's mother wanted to use this to break her wings, forcing her to spend her life waiting for her infant 'fiancé' to grow up.

"Yu Xiaoran!" Yu Wanyue suddenly shouted.

From outside the golden wings came Yu Xiaoran roar, "Yu Wanyue! How dare you show your slave tattoo to others! You shameless slut! You are mine! Mine!"

Yu Wanyue ignored his curses. "I know why you're in such a hurry to annex the snake clan... because you can't wait to break through to the Feather Transformation Realm."

Her eyes gleamed with a wanton light. "Your mother knew you coveted me, so I told her that to motivate you to cultivate diligently, you could only touch me and activate the slave mark you'd coveted for so many years once you reached the Feather Transformation Realm! What a pity... you still failed just before you were about to succeed!"

"Yu Wanyue! You poisonous woman! You slut! You whore!"

Yu Xiaoran the most vile and foul language, hysterically venting his boundless resentment. But the more vulgar his curses were, the more joyfully Yu Wanyue laughed.

"I have already given away the cultivation you desired, and now—the person you desire will no longer belong to you!"

Yu Wanyue laughed bitterly, taking a deep breath to suppress the surging pleasure of revenge:

"Young Master You, the slave mark has already been engraved. You only need to inject your Mystic Qi into it to activate it."

"Do you know the price you'll pay for doing this?" You Su's voice was frosty.

Yu Wanyue suddenly leaned forward, her golden wings casting shattered shadows on the ground:

"I understand perfectly well. Young Master You should also understand that the cultivation world is not exactly honorable. Only in this way can you truly feel at ease letting me roam among the Demon Race without worrying that I might turn against you at any moment."

The candlelight in the hall suddenly flickered. You Su looked at the resolute surging in her eyes and suddenly remembered the trembling she made when she bit his shoulder in the golden cocoon. If Granny Liu hadn't told him afterward, he wouldn't have known that if Yu Wanyue had chosen to self-destruct her fully transformed Demon Core and perish together with him, he wouldn't have been left with even a trace.

But she didn't do that.

You Su sighed deeply. Although he had already guessed that Yu Wanyue to the Yu Xiaoran, her final revenge still shocked him.

He knew it was wrong to be soft-hearted towards a former enemy, but he still couldn't get over it. Ultimately, she was a pitiful woman who had always been caught in her own web of fate, unlike Little Dog Qianhua who had taken the initiative to make trouble for him and his senior sister.

"You don't need to do this. Even if you switch sides, just consider it that Elder Liu and I trusted the wrong person."

Yu Wanyue was stunned for a moment. She looked up, and the sunlight shone directly on her face, making her golden eyelashes gleam.

"I wasn't acting just now. I really meant it when I said I wouldn't refuse you. If I weren't unwell, I would really appreciate it if you could let go of your human pride. After all... Junior Sister Liu seemed to be really enjoying it. Who wouldn't want a man?"

Through the skylight, she saw the bright sunshine and cloudless sky outside, with a few birds flying freely by. A faint smile appeared on her lips.

"You saved me from becoming a walking corpse... If it weren't for you, I would rather die than reveal this shameful mark. But you are special; I know you would never look at me differently. So I did it willingly, and not just for revenge."

You Su remained silent for a long time, then pointed his fingers together to form a sword, hovering it above the slave emblem. "This is the last chance. Once it begins, there is no turning back."

Yu Wanyue lowered her head, smiling as she looked directly at the boy. Suddenly, her wings spread wide, golden feathers scattering shimmering light, like a golden bird about to take flight.

Come, let me—be your sword.

"No! No! I beg you! You Su, I beg you! No! I'll give you anything but her! I'll do anything for you! Just don't touch her!"

Yu Xiaoran let out a heart-wrenching howl, but You Su's tall and straight back completely obscured the woman he longed for, so much so that he couldn't see Yu Wanyue's expression at all.

He could only watch helplessly as You Su bent his arm and slowly moved forward. He had forgotten his hatred, kneeling on the ground and kowtowing incessantly, like a young animal howling in agony.

"You can do whatever you want to her! As long as she doesn't acknowledge you as her master, I'll agree to anything! I can help you! I'll help you kill my father! I'll help you take over the Golden Peng Clan! Please, please, I surrender..."

The rainbow light meandered into a stream along the crimson lines and the patterns of the slave's markings. Yu Wanyue felt her Demon Core tremble violently, and in pain, she clung tightly to You Su's neck, her golden wings flapping wildly uncontrollably.

Even in this pain, she still managed a relieved smile.

Yu Xiaoran had given up struggling; he just stared blankly at the happy, smiling face resting on You Su's shoulder.

He whimpered like a trapped dog with its fangs pulled. He raised his hand to chop, knowing that this was the moment Yu Wanyue had been waiting for—the moment when he could no longer bear the humiliation and would take his own life.

But he had to admit that Yu Wanyue had truly defeated him completely; his hand strike had never been so swift and decisive.

He lay paralyzed in a pool of blood, gazing at the figures tightly embracing each other beneath the golden wings, and suddenly recalled the first time he had a profound impression of Yu Wanyue.

She stood atop the golden roof, the rising sun casting a fiery glow on her feathered robes, making her appear as beautiful as a goddess.

She said she wanted to fly away from here, and asked if her still-young self could help her.

He readily agreed when he was young, until he later discovered that he held the key to the cage she was in.

Before he closed his eyes, he finally realized that he had never truly possessed her—neither through the Qi Locking Nail nor the slave tattoos.

At the same time, a single tear rolled down Yu Wanyue's cheek.

But in her eyes was not the dead Yu Xiaoran, but the boy she was holding tightly.

It turns out that there really are fools in this world who would open the cage and let her go.