After Awakening, I Could Hear My Archenemy’s Inner Thoughts 5

The crescent moon hung like a hook, and the night rain dripped from the eaves.

Tonight, a light rain was falling.

Liu Lixue pushed open the door, and sure enough, her gaze was met with utter darkness.

Su Xuan didn’t like seeing blood when he killed; he always worked in the dark.

But as members of the beast clan, their sense of smell was sharp, and Liu Lixue could scent the overwhelming stench of blood filling the room.

The moment he stepped in, he tripped over something. Silently, he kicked aside the corpse at his feet and said helplessly, “Sovereign Lord, killing this many people—won’t the snakes in the Abyssal Sea be too full to eat? Should we make them into kites instead?”

The figure sprawled lazily in the chair froze for a moment before responding after a long pause: “Unworthy.”

The Beast King had principles. Not just anyone could qualify to be one of his kites.

A certain demon enjoyed munching on melon seeds while watching kites being flown. He’d even leisurely bring along some wine for himself, and sometimes he’d fly the kites just to show them off. Especially when it involved killing royal family members, he would make a spectacle of it almost every time.

He wouldn’t leave them their lives, nor their dignity.

Moonlight swept in through the open door, bringing the rainwater along with it.

Su Xuan glanced at it indifferently and called out, “Thirteen.”

A figure dressed entirely in black suddenly appeared beside Liu Lixue and bowed his head. “Sovereign Lord.”

Liu Lixue, startled once again by the ever-elusive Thirteen, clutched his chest and cursed, “Can’t you walk with a bit of noise?”

Thirteen never paid him any mind and had never spoken to him. Aside from Su Xuan, no one was worthy of hearing his voice.

“Find a way to make him talk,” Su Xuan said as he stood, taking out a silk handkerchief and methodically wiping a drop of blood off the back of his hand. “Have Twelve deal with the rest.”

“Yes, Sovereign Lord.”

Thirteen bowed respectfully.

He stepped forward, grabbed the barely-breathing person in the corner, and dragged him away, disappearing from the room in an instant.

Liu Lixue snapped open his folding fan and fanned himself, as if trying to calm his nerves. He glanced fearfully at Su Xuan, silently relieved that he had known Su Xuan since childhood and had never once harbored thoughts of betrayal.

Otherwise, he might be the one lying here someday.

Su Xuan was lazy by nature and rarely acted personally. Tasks like killing were typically left to Twelve or Thirteen.

But this time, the royal family had managed to step on exactly the wrong nerve—they touched someone they shouldn’t have.

For the past month, Su Xuan had stayed in the Beast Hall to watch over Sang Dai. He hadn’t made any moves, leaving those who had been on edge due to his sudden emergence from seclusion to relax. They thought he lacked evidence and wouldn’t act.

No one expected that the morning Sang Dai woke up, Su Xuan would take action that very night, wiping out everyone left behind.

Even Liu Lixue only learned through a message from Su Xuan that his lord had left the Beast Hall and personally taken action.

This stronghold had about seven or eight hundred people, and Su Xuan had left just one alive.

Of course, that survivor, now in Thirteen’s hands, would face a fate worse than anything Su Xuan could deliver.

After all, a certain fox didn’t like seeing blood. When Su Xuan killed, it was swift, clean, and without unnecessary words.

Thirteen, however, was a different story.

He liked blood.

Su Xuan finally wiped the blood off his hands, yet he still felt unclean. He used spiritual power to cleanse them multiple times and then asked, “How is she?”

Even though he didn’t specify, Liu Lixue knew exactly whom Su Xuan was referring to and replied, “Miss Sang hasn’t left the main hall today. After you left, I checked her pulse. Her meridians are still somewhat chaotic, and I’m afraid she won’t sleep well tonight.”

Su Xuan was silent for a long time.

After a while, he asked in a deep voice, “Is there any Tianchan Flower left?”

Liu Lixue’s eye twitched. “Sovereign Lord, we’ve already bought out everything available on the market. Even the ones from the Divine Healer Valley—you robbed… I mean, acquired those as well.”

He forced a smile, worried about angering Su Xuan, and added, “If there are any left, it would only be in the Beast Realm, but even then, no one knows which family might have them.”

“Send someone to investigate. If any are found, buy them, regardless of the price. You can also exchange them for other celestial treasures or spiritual artifacts. If they can’t be bought, then take them by force.”

Inwardly, Liu Lixue lit a stick of incense for the people of the Beast Realm. Dealing with someone as unreasonable as Su Xuan, they could only hope those sects had the sense to avoid provoking him further.

Su Xuan asked again, “Have the artifact and celestial herbs for reshaping her meridians been prepared?”

Liu Lixue answered, “The celestial herbs have been found, but the artifact will take a few more days to arrive.”

“Mm.”

Another long silence followed.

Liu Lixue stood behind Su Xuan.

Su Xuan’s silver hair cascaded down his back, and his black robe trailed along the ground, yet it remained spotless, without a trace of blood, perfectly pristine.

Liu Lixue watched him for a while but couldn’t hold back from speaking. “Sovereign Lord, Miss Sang will be fine.”

Su Xuan didn’t respond.

Liu Lixue knew he wouldn’t, sighed inwardly, and fell silent.

It wasn’t until a low rumble of thunder echoed that Su Xuan finally moved.

He lifted his eyes to look out the window. The night had deepened.

“The night is late.”

Liu Lixue echoed, “Yes.”

Su Xuan fell silent again.

He raised his head, staring at the rain outside, which was growing heavier. This rain would last for many days.

The night is late. Is she asleep?

Is she sleeping peacefully?

—

The rain outside continued to fall, tapping against the window with muffled sounds, like beads with their string snapped.

Sang Dai sat on the couch by the bed, meditating. She was simultaneously trying to circulate her spiritual power while flipping through a book in her Sea of Consciousness.

Back then, she had been gravely injured on the battlefield. A voice had appeared in her Sea of Consciousness and transmitted this story to her. That voice had now vanished, as if its sole purpose had been to inform her of the book’s existence.

It was a book with golden-edged pages.

The story after Sang Dai’s death was simple: Su Xuan emerged from seclusion, stabilized the chaotic state of the Beast Realm, and declared war on the Immortal Realm. The male protagonist, Shen Ciyu, led the Immortal Realm in a fierce battle against the Beast Realm. Ultimately, with the aid of the Heavenly Dao, Shen Ciyu struck down Su Xuan, who had already reached the Tribulation Transcendence stage, under heavenly lightning. Shen Ciyu and the female protagonist, Shi Yao, became immortal lovers of the Immortal Realm.

Sang Dai tried flipping through the pages, searching for the plot related to the Immortal Velvet Grass.

Carefully reading, she indeed found a description near the conclusion about Shi Yao awakening her spiritual root:

[Shi Yao didn’t dare tell Shen Ciyu that the spiritual root she awakened back then was taken from someone else. Her body was too frail to withstand a Heaven-Grade spiritual root being transplanted into her meridians. Even with the help of Immortal Velvet Grass for integration, she could only manifest the effects of an Earth-Grade spiritual root. Thus, she had to claim to others that she had awakened an Earth-Grade spiritual root.]  

[Shen Ciyu was always upright and principled. If he knew about this, he would never forgive her. So Shi Yao could only bury this secret deep within her heart. Even though she felt guilt, even though she woke up in the dead of night with her conscience tormented, she had no choice. She loved Shen Ciyu, and only by awakening a spiritual root could she remain with him for the long term.]  

Sang Dai’s long eyelashes trembled as she opened her eyes.

Her breathing was erratic, and she couldn’t suppress it no matter how hard she tried.

Heaven-Grade spiritual root. Immortal Velvet Grass.

Spiritual roots were categorized by their attributes: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, as well as Lightning and Lingual Arts. A single-attribute spiritual root was called a Heaven-Grade spiritual root. Two attributes made a Mystic-Grade spiritual root, three attributes were classified as Earth-Grade, and four or five attributes were considered Pseudo-Roots. The purer the spiritual root, the faster the cultivation progress.

In truth, since the spiritual veins of the Guixu (Abyssal Void) were corrupted thousands of years ago, cultivators who relied on those veins inevitably carried some degree of poison within them. Most cultivators could only awaken Earth-Grade or Pseudo-Roots, and Mystic-Grade spiritual roots were already considered extraordinary. Heaven-Grade spiritual roots were so rare that only a handful could be found across all four realms.

Currently, only a few Heaven-Grade spiritual roots were known to exist:

– Sang Dai of the Sword Sect,

– Shen Ciyu of the Sword Sect,

– Master Tan Huai of the Zen Sect,

– Su Xuan, the Beast King,

– Fu You, the master of Bairen,

– Ji Cang, the Demon Lord.

And one more—

– Immortal Lord Ying Heng of the Sword Sect.

Her master.

Years ago, Ying Heng had defected and was hunted across the Four Realms, eventually dying in the Beast Realm. Since then, there had been no news of him.

Now, the Immortal Velvet Grass he carried appeared in Baizhenli. Not only had Shi Yao obtained the Immortal Velvet Grass, but she had also gained a Heaven-Grade spiritual root.

Where did that Heaven-Grade spiritual root come from? From whom was it stripped?

Spiritual roots were sentient and would instinctively protect their host. For someone to kill an awakened Heaven-Grade spiritual root user and extract their root—how could that be done by ordinary people?

It would only be possible if they were surrounded and killed by several powerful entities, leaving no chance for the spiritual root to save itself.

And over the years, only one Heaven-Grade spiritual root user had ever been besieged and killed.

Sang Dai suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. Her body swayed, and she fell directly from the couch to the ground, landing heavily on the cold green bricks.

She coughed violently, vomiting more blood as she did so.

Suddenly, the doors of the Beast Hall were flung open. A figure in black moved so swiftly it left afterimages. Before Sang Dai could even see who it was, the person was already at her side.

“Liu Lixue!!”

The voice was loud, with a tremor in its tone.

Sang Dai was lifted up. The figure’s frame was broad, and her slim form seemed almost suspended in the crook of his arms.

Su Xuan placed her on the couch. Perhaps noticing the bloodstains on Sang Dai’s collar, he completely forgot to maintain his usual facade, and his panic was unmistakably displayed in front of her.

“Liu Lixue, get over here right now!!”

As soon as his words fell, a flash of red rushed in from outside.

Liu Lixue stumbled in, his hair unkempt, outer robes thrown on haphazardly, clearly having been called out of bed.

“What’s going on? What happened?” he asked, utterly confused.

He had just spent the first half of the night dealing with corpses at Su Xuan’s command. After finally dragging himself back to his small courtyard and collapsing into an exhausted sleep, he was abruptly summoned again.

A certain fox was now furious. “Are you blind!?”

Only then did Liu Lixue notice the blood on the green bricks and Sang Dai sitting weakly on the couch.

His expression changed instantly, and he shoved past Su Xuan to reach Sang Dai’s side.

Su Xuan, unusually, did not get angry at this rudeness. Normally, Liu Lixue would have been kicked straight out of the Beast Realm for such behavior.

Liu Lixue quickly handed over a life-saving spiritual pill. “Hurry, take this!”

Sang Dai took it, but her coughing prevented her from swallowing it properly.

Seeing this, Su Xuan grew anxious. He knelt on one knee by the couch, one hand supporting the back of her neck to tilt her head upward, while the other used spiritual power to guide the pill into her throat.

She successfully swallowed it, her face flushed red. Su Xuan placed his hand on her back, gently patting her to help ease her breathing.

Liu Lixue stared in shock at his normally aloof Sovereign Lord, who now looked utterly distressed. This fox who was usually so good at putting on a front had completely forgotten to maintain his act?

Su Xuan caught Liu Lixue’s gaze and angrily kicked him. “Heal her! Does the Beast Realm keep you around just to guard the gate!?”

Liu Lixue, knocked to the floor by the Beast King’s kick, scrambled back up and grudgingly went to check Sang Dai’s pulse.

Sang Dai wanted to say she was fine, but her relentless coughing left her unable to speak clearly.

Su Xuan used his spiritual power to suppress her condition, and her coughing gradually eased.

After a moment, Liu Lixue withdrew his hand and wiped imaginary sweat from his forehead.

“Luckily, it’s nothing serious—just an excessive emotional outburst causing her blood and qi to surge. Sovereign Lord, if you use your spiritual power to suppress the turbulence, she’ll be fine.”

Su Xuan’s spiritual power coursed through Sang Dai’s meridians, quickly calming her turbulent blood and qi.

Liu Lixue sighed and asked, “So, Sovereign Lord and Miss Sang, may I retire to sleep now?”

Sang Dai’s condition had stabilized. She raised her eyes to Su Xuan. One of his hands was still pressed lightly against her back, and through the thin fabric of her clothes, she could feel the warmth of his palm against her skin.

She called softly, “Su Xuan.”

Su Xuan met her gaze, calmly withdrawing his hand.

He didn’t respond to her. Instead, he glanced at Liu Lixue. “Get lost.”

Liu Lixue clasped his hands together in a mock salute. “Alright, I’m off.”

With that, he retreated, leaving Su Xuan and Sang Dai alone in the room.

One standing, one sitting—former sworn enemies, now face-to-face in this unexpected moment.

Sang Dai straightened her body and wiped the blood from the corner of her lips. “I’m fine. I just thought of something else earlier and got a little emotional.”

Su Xuan let out a cold snort. “Who cares if you’re fine or not? You still have something this Sovereign Lord wants. As long as I don’t allow you to die, you’re not allowed to die.”

Sang Dai had become immune to his words.

One couldn’t listen to what Su Xuan said. One had to hear what he truly meant.

She looked into those glass-like eyes.

【What was Dai Dai thinking about? Was it those bastards from the Sword Sect? No, I need to settle the chaos in the Beast Realm quickly, then lead an army to attack the Immortal Realm. I’ll string up every single one of those Sword Sect scum and carve them to pieces for the dogs to eat!】

How rare—it wasn’t about flying kites this time.

Sang Dai suddenly recalled the original story’s plot regarding Su Xuan.

After her death, Su Xuan emerged from seclusion. At the time, the Beast Realm was in turmoil, but he quelled the chaos with ruthless and overwhelming methods, then led the Beast Realm to attack the Immortal Realm, focusing his assault on the Sword Sect.

The Immortal Realm’s Nine Provinces were divided into three sects and six factions. The Sword Sect wasn’t even the leading sect, yet Su Xuan nearly crushed it into oblivion.

Was it all for her?  

【Why is Dai Dai looking at me? Is she still in pain? There are tears on her eyelashes. What should I do? Is it really that painful?】

【No, I’ll summon Liu Lixue back. That little freak from the Divine Healer Valley hasn’t been found yet, so I can only rely on Liu Lixue.】

Sang Dai realized he was about to leave.

Su Xuan, pretending to be composed, flicked his sleeves and looked down at her coldly. “This Sovereign Lord still has business to attend to—”

Sang Dai couldn’t help but interrupt. “How much business do you have? Don’t you sleep?”

How many times had he used that excuse today? Couldn’t he come up with a new one?

Su Xuan froze, momentarily caught off guard, then angrily retorted, “When has my business ever been something for you to meddle in?”

【No, no, Dai Dai’s showing concern for me! Take it back, take it back, I can’t talk to her like that!】

Sang Dai numbly listened as he cleared his throat and opened his mouth again. “You are a person of the Immortal Realm. Naturally, my matters are not something I can share with you. But as it’s already late, this Sovereign Lord should rest as well.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Su Xuan began removing his outer robe with practiced ease. His slender, distinct fingers moved to untie his waist sash right in front of Sang Dai.

In the blink of an eye, he was left wearing only a thin black inner garment. The simple clothing couldn’t conceal the heat radiating from him.

He casually draped his removed clothes to the side, his gaze still fixed on Sang Dai, who sat on the couch.

Sensing danger, Sang Dai shrank back. “What are you trying to do?”

Su Xuan paused mid-motion while placing his robe down.

He bent closer to her, his silver-white hair falling in front of her eyes, carrying a faint, cool fragrance.

“What does Miss Sang think I’m trying to do?” Su Xuan asked. “Doesn’t the Immortal Realm always claim that the Beast Realm and Demon Realm are debauched? How about Miss Sang verifies whether that’s true?”

“This Sovereign Lord is in the Grand Ascension stage. If you dual cultivate with me, Miss Sang, your meridians might recover very quickly. What do you say?”

【So close…】

【Dai Dai smells so good. Her eyelashes are so long, so curved and fluttery, so beautiful.】

【I want to bring her back to the Beast Hall, to kiss her, hold her, and…】

Seeing Su Xuan’s thoughts spiraling hopelessly out of control, Sang Dai deftly twisted her body to slip out of his arms, hopping off the couch and turning her back to him.

“There’s no need for that. Since the Beast King is so busy, you should focus on the affairs of the Beast Hall. Don’t let me, a mere captive, delay your important matters.”

She spoke with an air of dismissal, her expression cold, clearly intending to shoo him away.

However, the tips of her ears had quietly turned crimson, and her eyes refused to meet Su Xuan’s, lest she hear more of his nonsense.

As she moved away, Su Xuan lazily sprawled out on the couch.

His height made the small couch utterly inadequate. His long legs dangled over the armrest, giving him an oddly pitiful appearance.

Clad only in his inner robes after removing his outer garment, his broad, strong frame was still evident even beneath the thin fabric.

Without turning back, Sang Dai maintained her position and asked, “Isn’t the Beast King going to rest?”

Su Xuan crossed his arms behind his head, his gaze settling on the back of the sword cultivator.

“This is my main hall. Where would you have me go?”

Sang Dai hesitated. “…The Beast Hall is so vast. Why did you bring me here to live?”

“Of course, I have to keep an eye on you personally,” Su Xuan replied coolly. “Miss Sang, eldest daughter of the Sword Sect, a rare Heaven-Grade spiritual root in the Immortal Realm—naturally, I need you to exchange for a spiritual vein.”

Sang Dai sighed inwardly and brushed past the beaded curtain, entering the inner chamber.

The Beast Hall was vast and opulent, befitting Su Xuan’s status. Every detail exuded luxury and extravagance. He was someone who spent money like water, always demanding the finest in everything he used or wore.

The main hall had a beaded curtain that separated the sleeping area from the outer sitting room. Since he had chosen to lounge on the couch, Sang Dai took it as implicit permission to use the bed. After all, she had been sleeping in his bed for some time now.

Half-concealed by the curtain, Sang Dai began removing her outer robe.

The faint light of the luminous pearls illuminated her silhouette, making her figure appear even more alluring.

Su Xuan’s gaze instantly snapped back, the entire fox stunned. His eyes dared not linger, and his throat tightened, suddenly dry and hoarse.

Even though he couldn’t see her clearly, he could hear the rustle of her changing clothes.

The surge of heat in Su Xuan’s body was almost unbearable. His long-suppressed mating instincts stirred faintly, though it was not yet the season. The sounds alone fanned the flames within him, until he had to seal both his hearing and sight.

Yet no matter how hard he tried, the fire within him refused to die down. Even with spiritual power, he couldn’t suppress it. Frustrated, he opened his eyes fiercely.

Through the thin veil of the beaded curtain, Sang Dai had already lain down. She had only removed her outer robe, but the image of her lying in his bed under his silk quilt was still visible to his sharp demonic eyesight.

The bed curtains hung low, but Su Xuan could still make out her faint outline.

There she was, lying on his bed, wrapped in his quilt.

Su Xuan cursed under his breath and stood abruptly, striding out of the room with large steps.

The door opened and closed behind him.

Sang Dai opened her eyes, gazing through the bed curtains toward the couch where Su Xuan had been lying earlier. His outer robe was still draped to the side, and he had left wearing only his inner garments.

He would likely come back later.

The palace Su Xuan resided in was indeed luxurious, even down to the couch he had been sitting on. It was inlaid with several luminous pearls, and the mattress and quilt were made of the finest celestial silkworm threads—just one foot of fabric cost more than Sang Dai could afford. She rarely took money from the Sword Sect, and whatever little she had was spent on the Zhiyu Sword.

The faint scent of herbs and wood lingered in the air—Su Xuan’s scent. It was clean and pure, with no trace of impurity.

But after living here for so long, Sang Dai could also detect her own subtle fragrance mingled with his. The two scents intertwined, impossible to separate.

Sang Dai turned onto her side, facing inward, and pulled the quilt higher over herself.

That certain fox seemed to like her. Sang Dai wasn’t foolish. Although she had devoted all her energy to sword training over the years, she wasn’t entirely clueless when it came to matters of the heart. Those stray thoughts revealed Su Xuan’s feelings for her.

Su Xuan liked her.

But she only realized it now.