Forced to Love (GL) - Chapter 51

Thunder rumbled across Dream Scarlet Peak, and sudden gusts of wind howled. The moment Xie Xisui stepped onto the snow, a heavy blizzard swirled down, sinking into the ground.

Although separated from Qingzhou Peak by only a single gorge, the two places were as different as heaven and earth.

On one side, the night remained still and silent; on the other, storms of wind, snow, and lightning clashed.

Soon, a thick layer of snow accumulated on the mountain. The fierce wind swept up sharp stones, as if guided by an unseen hand, hurtling toward Xie Xisui at high speed. The wind screeched past her ears, but with just a glance from her, the stones disintegrated into fine powder, dissolving into the swirling snow.

Her dark eyes, set against the vast white forest, were like rare treasures, drawing attention.

Xie Xisui walked alone through the desolate landscape. The falling snow gathered but did not touch her shoulders.

In the distance stood towering ancient trees with thick trunks, their roots embedded deep into the earth, sustaining vines that intertwined to form a natural cave.

During the long summer, the branches above should have been lush and green. But under the sudden storm and blizzard, they were instead bare, some even forced to bend under the weight.

Xie Xisui suddenly halted. She looked up for a long moment before reaching out to touch the rough bark. The cold, raised ridges of the tree brushed against her fingertips, as if responding to her touch. The branches trembled slightly, rustling with a muffled sound.

“You’ve worked hard,” she whispered.

A flash of light streaked across her palm, climbing up the tree trunk. As it passed through the snow-laden branches, the snow quickly melted away. When the light reached the highest point, it suddenly flared, sending a golden barrier cascading downward.

Freed from its burden, the branches swayed gently. In an instant, tiny new buds sprouted.

From within the vine cave, a fierce wind roared out, carrying the scent of bl00d. It streaked through the snow, leaving behind dark marks.

Before it could reach Xie Xisui, the ancient tree lashed out, forming a net of thorned vines that instantly shattered the wind.

A furious roar echoed from the cave’s depths—like a beast, bound in chains, unable to move but unwilling to surrender.

The wind dissipated for only a moment before surging forth again. The tree’s vines clung tightly to the cave entrance, sealing it shut.

With each assault, Xie Xisui noticed a slow seep of reddish-brown sap from within the vines, dripping onto the snow and forming a bud on the verge of blooming.

This was no good omen. Or rather, it signified the resurgence of the Demon Head’s power.

The Demon Head had no consciousness, no distinction between good and evil. It acted purely on its bloodthirsty instincts.

Wherever it resided, demonic energy flourished. Given time, the area would transform into a demon domain, and like a starving beast given food, countless demonic creatures would gather around it.

They protected it, thrived alongside it, but none could ever hope to control it.

The Demon Head’s innate demonic energy made it immensely powerful. A mindless blade, guided only by instinct—it could destroy the mortal world or slumber in a forgotten corner.

Years ago, when the sects noticed its growing influence, they convened with the immortal clans and, before the situation spiraled out of control, took action. At that critical moment, Xie Xisui, alongside the strongest cultivators of the sects, sealed the Demon Head within Dream Scarlet Peak in Chuanzhe Gorge.

With the Demon Head trapped, the demon domain could be purified. Stripped of their habitat, demons weakened, their numbers dwindling as they were forced into hiding.

Using her own spirit bl00d, Xie Xisui cultivated this ancient tree—to guard, to suppress. If the Demon Head stirred, she would know immediately.

The last time the seal was reinforced was before her seclusion. Now, it barely held.

“It seems someone is eager to set you free.”

With a flick of her sword, the blade avoided the vines and struck deep into the seal’s markings. The hilt lingered for just a moment before disappearing.

A deafening roar of rage erupted from the Demon Head, buried beneath the endless snowfall.

Xie Xisui gazed at the white expanse, exhaling softly. “The snow is getting heavier.”

…

Night fell. The streets and alleys emptied as people dispersed, the glow of a thousand homes flickering against the darkness.

In the woods outside Pingzhou Town, a shadow flickered like the wind, trailing behind—neither too far nor too close.

Lingxi caught a glimpse of it from the corner of her eye, but before she could react, the person beside her placed a hand on her shoulder, gently tilting her head back into place.

“Tell me, am I your beloved?”

Ruan Xuan blinked at her, voice soft and sweet, tinged with grievance. Lingxi paused, then leaned back. “No.”

Ruan Xuan fell silent, her expression stiff. Then, grabbing Lingxi’s collar, she dramatically shouted, “How dare you! Heartless scoundrel! Do you think this is fair to me?!”

Then, lowering her voice so only they could hear, she muttered, “Weren’t we supposed to be acting?”

Lingxi said nothing. The next moment, Ruan Xuan shook her head, then abruptly fell backward, just as the shadow closed in. Lingxi, too, shut her eyes.

When she regained consciousness, she was tightly bound with thick ropes.

The surrounding darkness obscured everything. Only the rough stone beneath her hands hinted that she was inside a cave.

Faint rustling sounds mixed with shallow breaths, but the cave’s vastness made it impossible to pinpoint the source.

“Hey, is anyone there?” A soft female voice called from the other side.

“Mm.”

“Ah!” She hesitated. “Heartless scoundrel? Is that you?”

“…”

Lingxi ignored her, testing her movements to confirm she wasn’t injured.

“Did you knock me out?” Ruan Xuan pressed.

“No.”

Before Lingxi could say more, a faint firelight flickered on the cave walls, moving closer.

Sensing the danger, Ruan Xuan fell silent.

Lingxi narrowed her eyes, keeping still. Yet, as she waited, she noticed something odd—though the firelight approached, she heard no footsteps crunching over the gravel.

Then, something flew into the cave.

A thick scent of bl00d filled the air.

“Are they still not awake?”

Warm liquid dripped onto Lang Yue’s eyes. A rotting stench surrounded her, and it felt like something was watching her up close.

After a while, another voice spoke above her head. “Looks like not yet. How was the harvest today? Did you get enough children’s hearts for the mask?”

“It’s getting harder. Word has gotten out about the missing children in Pingzhou Town. No one knows who spread it, but more cultivators arrived today.”

“Do you really think that mask can bring back the Demon Lord? I’ve had enough of living like this, hidden in the dark!”

“Let’s go! Put that one down, we’ll talk outside!”

After the cave fell quiet, Lang Yue opened her eyes. The drop of liquid on her eyelid slid down the corner of her eye.

“Do you believe me now?”

“Everything I said is true. The Dark Mask uses the souls of young women and the hearts of children to make pills and revive the Demon Lord. And your master was the one who sealed the Demon Lord. How could she not be connected?”

“We have a common enemy,” Ruan Xuan said quietly.

The ropes binding Lang Yue were cut by a sword blade hidden in her sleeve. She stood up and said, “Go. I’ve already sent Qin Tang and the others to report this to the sect leader. Find them. When you all come back, I’ll help from the inside and we’ll save your sister.”

“What about you?” Ruan Xuan looked surprised.

“Since I’m already in here, I might as well stay a little longer.”

Lang Yue looked back at her and spread out her spiritual sense. This really was a cave, and only the two demons who entered earlier were guarding it.

By the time her sword moved, she had already rushed forward. In the next moment, her blade was stained with bl00d.

When Lang Yue dragged the large demon back into the cave, Ruan Xuan was still standing there.

“The sword is proof. No matter who you are, if you carry it, they will trust you. Don’t you know a disguise technique from your shadow puppets?”

Ruan Xuan hesitated for a moment, then nodded. With her help, Lang Yue disguised herself as the demon she had dragged in.

“Then be careful. I’m going.”

“Mm.”

After a moment of hesitation, Ruan Xuan left.

Lang Yue created a scene in the cave to make it look like the demon had gone mad from hunger and tore its prey apart. The next demon to come by just circled around, cursed a bit, and took Lang Yue away.

The new cave was different from the last. It was under the sea. A small whirlpool appeared first, growing larger until it tore open a crack. Lang Yue jumped in, and the deep sea swallowed all light.

The cave at the bottom was filled with demonic energy. It was wide and complex, and though it was under the sea, it felt like solid ground. At first, Lang Yue only felt pressure and discomfort, but as more time passed while searching, she began to feel the effects of the demonic energy.

The corruption didn’t change her appearance, and the disguise still held, but it messed with her emotions. Surrounded by anger, rot, and twisted desires in this dark place with no light, she began to feel trapped.

She hadn’t heard from Xie Xisui since the night of the shadow play. Lang Yue had tried to call out to her, but her voice felt like a stone sinking in a deep pool—quickly swallowed up.

She didn’t even know what was going on outside. Sometimes she heard demons talk about many people from the Yaoguang Sect arriving in Pingzhou, like they were looking for something but didn’t trust each other.

The words “Yaoguang Sect” felt like a sharp blade hanging over her heart under the pressure of the demonic energy. She desperately wanted to know what those words meant, but she was also afraid it would bring bad news about Xie Xisui.

Her master, who used to never want to leave her side even for a short training trip, was now completely out of reach. She couldn’t even hear her voice.

She missed her—and worried for her.

The “missing” grew heavier and pressed down on Lang Yue’s chest.

The demonic energy roared and filled her eyes.

The light on her jade flute grew dim, but when she looked into it, she saw Xie Xisui’s image appear. Desire flooded in for a moment and took over.

Her hand turned, and the blade of the broadsword in her grip pointed toward her heart. A quiet voice in her mind urged her to push it in.

“Do it. Just one push and you’ll see her again!”

“Push it! Just a little deeper!”

“Don’t you miss her?”

*Clang!*

The broadsword slammed into the ground. Lang Yue fell to one knee and shut her eyes tightly. A metallic taste of bl00d rose in her mouth, and it helped her regain a bit of control.

The jade flute in her palm seemed to sense her pain. The carved lines on its surface started to glow faintly. When the last stroke finished glowing, the flute turned burning hot.

“Lang Yue.”

She heard someone calling her—far away and unclear.

“Lang Yue, are you there?”

The voice was getting closer.

“Can you hear me?”

It was even closer.

“What happened?”

That voice—so familiar. Was it… Master? Had the demonic energy caused her to hallucinate?

“Lang Yue!”

Master!

Lang Yue’s eyes snapped open. The bl00d in them was terrifying. The sword energy in her body responded to the voice, rising from within and washing over her like crashing waves.

“Cough… Master?”

She used the last of her strength to speak. But the next second, everything fell quiet again. She couldn’t hear anything. The underwater cave was empty and dark, filled only with the sound of swirling currents.

Her remaining strength disappeared instantly. She couldn’t even kneel anymore and sat down heavily. She covered her eyes with her hand, her cold fingers pressing against her brow.

It really was just a hallucination.

“Master…”

Lang Yue sighed from deep within, leaning against the cold stone wall as if she had given up.

“Lang Yue, look at me.”

A sudden, clear voice rang in her ear.

Another illusion?

Lang Yue didn’t move her hand away but peeked through the small space between her fingers.

The more hope you had, the more disappointment you felt. She was used to not hoping.

But just then, a faint light shone through, and she saw Xie Xisui standing in it.

Her brows were slightly furrowed, her dark eyes staring straight at Lang Yue. There was a flash in her eyes—something that came and went quickly.

Lang Yue couldn’t speak. She just stared as Xie Xisui walked closer, squatted down beside her, and reached out to gently touch her cheek.

She looked like a spirit formed from spiritual energy, yet her touch felt real.

“Master.”

“Mm.”

“I missed you.”

“I know.”