Little Ingrate

Lin Qingyang opened his eyes amid a chill. Everything before him was dim, and he was lying on the freezing ground, cold piercing him to the bone. He looked around in confusion. Wasn't I sleeping in my room? How did I get here?

"Lin Yao?" Lin Qingyang called, but no answer came for a long while.

Lin Qingyang tried to get up, only to discover shackles on both his hands and feet. Panic rose in him. Have I been captured? Just then, a bolt of lightning flashed before him, lighting the brazier in the corner. Only then did Lin Qingyang see clearly-this was the Forbidden Abyss!

The cell door opened. Mo Yan stood there, staring coldly at him. The firelight shone up onto his face from below, making him look rather terrifying.

"Mo Yan? What are you playing at?" Lin Qingyang asked in confusion.

Mo Yan merely looked at him coldly without speaking. Then Xue Lanyuan and Jin Buhuan emerged from behind him.

"Why are you all here? What's going on?" Lin Qingyang's voice was a little tense.

"Elder Lin, we've investigated thoroughly," Jin Buhuan said. "You're the one who poisoned the sect leader!"

"And to think I trusted you so much!" Xue Lanyuan said, looking disappointed.

Lin Qingyang's heart jolted, and he said in some panic, "What makes you say it was me? Do you have proof?"

"Even now, you're still trying to deny it!" Mo Yan snapped.

"Once you confess, we won't need proof!" As Mo Yan spoke, lightning began gathering in his hand.

"This is unlawful torture! You're beating a confession out of me!" Lin Qingyang shuffled backward as he spoke, but Mo Yan advanced step by step, until Lin Qingyang hit the cold, damp stone wall and had nowhere left to retreat.

"So what if I am?" Mo Yan sneered, the lightning in his hand growing brighter.

"Brother Mo Yan, let's talk this through. I can explain!" Lin Qingyang said in a trembling voice.

Mo Yan snorted and hurled the lightning in his hand straight at Lin Qingyang, who screamed in fright.

"Ah! This violates legal procedure! I want to appeal!"

Lin Qingyang jolted awake, drenched in cold sweat. The room was silent, and he was still lying in his bedroom. It had been a dream. He let out a breath of relief, looked around the unfamiliar bedroom, and took a moment to adjust to the fact that he had transmigrated. Hearing snoring coming from beneath the bed, Lin Qingyang leaned over to look. The Windflower Sword had fallen under the bed and was snoring steadily.

Didn't it say Sword Spirits didn't need to sleep? Speechless, Lin Qingyang picked up the sword and set it beside the bed, even pulling a corner of the quilt over its middle. He rolled over and was just about to go back to sleep when something occurred to him. He abruptly sat up and looked at the empty space beside him.

Wait, where's that kid? Lin Qingyang got out of bed and searched the room, but there was no sign of him. He hasn't run off, has he? When he reached the outer room, he found the door half-open. He really had run off.

Lin Qingyang put on his shoes and hurried out. Silence returned to the room. Before long, the wardrobe door was gently pushed open, and Qi Mo climbed out, his movements a little unsteady because of his injuries. His slave clothes were already so tattered that they were barely wearable. Qi Mo peered warily outside from the doorway. Only after seeing that there was no one in the courtyard did he push the door open, step outside, and run toward the main gate.

Just as he was about to charge through the Clear Wind Pavilion's main gate, he struck an invisible wall of energy and bounced back. He fell to the ground, jarring his earlier injuries, and gave a muffled grunt. Just then, Lin Qingyang's voice drifted over.

"Did you really think my Clear Wind Pavilion had no security measures at all?" He came in through the gate, walked over unhurriedly, and looked down at the youth before him.

Qi Mo raised his head and looked at him with wolf-like eyes through the black hair hanging over his brows, his amber eyes filled with fierce hostility.

Lin Qingyang frowned. "What's with that look?"

Qi Mo said nothing, merely glaring at him darkly.

Lin Qingyang frowned in puzzlement, but when he saw the red, swollen purple marks around his wrists, he softened his voice. "Enough. You can't escape. Come back to the room with me first."

As he spoke, Lin Qingyang reached out to pull him up. But the moment he extended his hand, the other's gaze sharpened. A silver flash slid from his sleeve and stabbed toward Lin Qingyang's outstretched hand.

Lin Qingyang had yet to react, but his body's instincts made him dodge swiftly, leaving a slash in his sleeve. Only then did he see that what Qi Mo held was the curved blade from his room.

"Are you out of your mind? I saved you, and you pull a knife on me!" Lin Qingyang said angrily.

But Qi Mo raised his hand and stabbed at him again. Lin Qingyang sidestepped, easily caught his wrist, and released his Spiritual Power. Qi Mo's hand instantly lost its strength, and the curved blade slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground. Then a burst of Spiritual Power knocked him to the ground.

Qi Mo struggled to rise, only for Lin Qingyang to seize him by the throat and pin him to the ground. Unable to move, he could only bare his teeth fiercely at him.

"You little ingrate! I saved you out of kindness, and you repay me by attacking me!" Lin Qingyang said irritably.

"What kindness?" Qi Mo forced out with difficulty.

Lin Qingyang laughed in anger. "If I hadn't brought you out of the Forbidden Abyss yesterday, who knows what state you'd be in now!"

Qi Mo snorted. "You're all the same! You and them!"

"What do you mean?" Lin Qingyang asked with a frown.

Qi Mo glared at him, his face flushing, whether from suffocation or humiliated anger. Seeing his expression, Lin Qingyang paused, then realized something.

"You don't think I did something to you last night, do you?" Lin Qingyang said, speechless. Seriously? He could misunderstand even this? Doesn't he know anything about basic biology?

Qi Mo looked so vicious that he seemed ready to bite him to death. Clearly, that was exactly what he thought! Fine, he doesn't.

Lin Qingyang felt rather helpless and was just about to explain when the person beneath him suddenly surged up and lunged, actually knocking him to the ground. Lin Qingyang raised his hand to unleash his Spiritual Power, but a dull pain seized his chest. Using too much Spiritual Power yesterday had aggravated his old injury, and now he couldn't summon any at all. Meanwhile, the ingrate on top of him sank his teeth into his neck.

"You fucking..." Lin Qingyang cursed in pain and tried to push him away, but without the aid of Spiritual Power, his strength couldn't match the other's. This kid's so skinny. How is he this strong?

"I didn't touch you yesterday! I'm not interested in men! Stop biting!" Lin Qingyang shouted through gritted teeth.

But Qi Mo clearly couldn't hear a word at that moment. In the confusion, Lin Qingyang felt the other's tail, grabbed it, and yanked hard. Qi Mo gave a muffled grunt of pain but still refused to let go. Instead, he bit down even harder, making Lin Qingyang cry out in pain.

Feng Shu and Feng Yi returned carrying breakfast, only to see their master rolling around on the ground with a Demon Slave. Both were startled. Once Feng Shu saw what was happening, he immediately rushed over and kicked Qi Mo away. Lin Qingyang caught his breath before Feng Yi helped him up.

"Master, are you all right?" Feng Shu asked with concern.

Lin Qingyang touched his neck, and his hand came away covered in blood. Feng Shu's gaze sharpened as he turned toward Qi Mo. This beast actually dared to hurt someone!

Qi Mo lay on the ground, unable to get up for the moment, and raised his head to glare at them. As though he knew he was doomed, he no longer concealed the ferocity in his eyes. He bared his sharp, blood-covered teeth at Lin Qingyang, looking just like a crazed wild beast. Feng Shu's expression darkened. He drew his sword and thrust it at Qi Mo.

"Feng Shu!" Lin Qingyang shouted.

The sharp sword stopped just short of Qi Mo. Feng Shu looked back at Lin Qingyang in confusion, but Lin Qingyang's gaze met the viciousness in Qi Mo's eyes. Human and demon stared at each other across the distance.