Forced to Love (GL) - Chapter 54

Lingxi’s eyes were filled with bloodlust. The Wolf King, suffocating, had his eyes bulging and his mouth half-open, struggling to speak. But under Lingxi’s firm grip, he could only let out a few weak whimpers.

She slowly tightened her fingers around his neck, watching as his expression twisted in pain. For some reason, a strange sense of pleasure arose in her heart.

It was an eerie feeling, but she couldn’t control it as it spread through her.

“Lang Yue!”

Suddenly, someone called her name from afar.

Lingxi’s movements paused. She turned her head and, through the red veil covering her vision, made out a familiar figure.

“Master…?”

She shook her head, and the veil in her eyes lifted slightly.

Xie Xisui stood not far away, gripping the hilt of her sword. A fresh wound cut across the back of her hand, bl00d trickling down.

Lingxi couldn’t see her expression clearly, but the sight of her injury sent a jolt through her heart.

With a sudden motion, Lingxi flung the Wolf King aside effortlessly, as if tossing a mere stone. The impact left a deep crater in the courtyard nearby.

She moved swiftly to Xie Xisui, carefully taking her injured hand.

The wound was deep, revealing torn flesh beneath. Bl00d continued to flow.

But before she could say anything, Xie Xisui reached out and covered Lingxi’s eyes with her palm.

“It’s nothing, just a minor wound.”

Lingxi frowned. “How is this a minor wound?”

Xie Xisui seemed about to reply, but a sudden surge of energy inside her made her furrow her brows.

Lingxi waited for her response, but none came. “What’s wrong?”

The demonic aura around them thickened. A blade, whistling through the air, grazed past Lingxi’s cheek before she caught it mid-flight.

And then—more killing intent came crashing down.

For a brief moment, Xie Xisui’s voice had pulled Lingxi back to reason. But now, it was swallowed again. Acting on instinct, she pushed Xie Xisui into a protective barrier below.

“Take care of her.”

She didn’t know whom she was speaking to—only that she needed to say it.

She couldn’t hear a reply. Still, before leaving, she reinforced the barrier with an extra layer, just in case.

Countless demons swarmed toward her, eager to kill. Even through the red veil, she could smell their desire. She inhaled deeply, savoring the intoxicating scent.

With each neck she twisted, an unsettling thrill surged within her. She realized she had boundless energy—she was laughing uncontrollably.

Her vision blurred between complete darkness and an all-seeing clarity. Through the crimson haze, everything looked like flickering ghostly flames. With a mere wave of her hand, she could snuff them out.

She slaughtered them all, as if they were nothing more than prey.

Bl00d mist filled the air, raining down and soaking everything below.

Not a single demon remained. Those who could run had fled long ago. None were foolish enough to challenge her anymore.

Silence fell. Suspended in midair, Lingxi tilted her head back, feeling the bl00d drizzle onto her skin.

But soon, the sensation vanished.

Above her, an umbrella appeared—pure white—shielding her from the crimson rain. The bl00d vanished the moment it touched its surface.

Lingxi tilted her head in confusion, gazing at the person who had silently appeared beside her.

“Are you here to kill me too?”

She couldn’t sense any killing intent from this person. Instead, as they raised a hand toward her, she caught a faint, soothing fragrance.

Slowly, her emotions settled.

“No, I’m here to take you home.”

A cool fingertip brushed against her cheek, wiping away the bl00d.

It was a light touch—almost ticklish.

Lingxi looked at her. Accompanied by that calming scent, something stirred deep within her, pulling her back to consciousness.

After a moment, Xie Xisui gently pressed a fingertip between her brows.

“What should you call me?”

The physical contact sent ripples through her mind. The black mist clouding her vision faded, revealing her natural light-brown eyes once more. She slowly answered, “Master.”

Xie Xisui smiled faintly. With a flick of her fingers, a brilliant white light enveloped Lingxi. The bloodstained robes vanished, replaced by a fresh set—her usual attire from Chuanze Ravine.

It carried the fresh scent of Ahang buds—clean and refreshing, without the overwhelming crimson. The sight of it made Lingxi feel calm again.

“Master, I…”

Lingxi wanted to say something.

Xie Xisui, adjusting the folds of her robe, paid no mind to the silence around them.

Hearing Lingxi’s voice, she merely lifted her eyes slightly and responded, “Do you realize your mistake?”

As if knowing exactly what Lingxi was about to say.

Lingxi hesitated before repeating, “I was wrong.”

Xie Xisui said nothing. Only when she had smoothed the last wrinkle did she ask, “What was your mistake?”

Lingxi hadn’t expected this question. She rubbed her thumb against her finger, unable to respond.

She didn’t feel she was wrong. Protecting Xie Xisui was the right thing to do—and that was exactly what she had done.

But as the demonic aura dissipated, she became acutely aware of the silent judgment from others in the righteous sects.

That made her hesitate. She feared how their accusations might affect Xie Xisui.

As she was lost in thought, Xie Xisui sighed lightly. “Quick to admit fault, but you don’t know what you did wrong, do you?”

“Disciple was wrong in all things.”

Lingxi quickly answered.

Xie Xisui chuckled softly. “Then what should we do about it?”

The dark glint in her eyes was like a burning liquor sliding down one’s throat—intoxicating and inescapable.

Lingxi lowered her gaze, swallowing hard. “As long as Master doesn’t abandon me, I will accept any punishment.”

After a pause, Xie Xisui spoke in a quiet voice. “Then come with me.”

Lingxi couldn’t discern her emotions, but her tone was indifferent.

“Yes,” Lingxi replied.

Just as she turned to follow Xie Xisui, a man’s voice boomed from afar.

“She can’t leave!”

“She has succumbed to demonic influence! If we let her roam free, the world will fall into chaos again!”

His words emboldened others, and soon, voices echoed in agreement.

“Yes! She can’t leave!”

“Look at the carnage she caused! If we let her go, she might be worse than the Demon King himself—”

But before he could finish, Xie Xisui turned to face him, her gaze ice-cold.

Silence fell instantly.

Floating in midair, Xie Xisui narrowed her eyes, scanning the crowd. Then, she spoke in a chilling tone.

“If she weren’t my disciple—”

She deliberately emphasized those words, her voice unwavering.

“—Do you think any of you would still be alive to speak?”

Xie Xisui’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried the powerful pressure of her spiritual energy, making it hard to breathe.

They looked at each other, faces pale. But since their sect members were still watching, they couldn’t show weakness. So they softened their tone and said politely,
“Elder Xie, the Yaoguang Sect is the number one righteous sect in the cultivation world. We’ve always followed the path of protecting all living beings.”

“As the head elder of such a great sect, shouldn’t you set an example too?”

“We wouldn’t want to cause any tension between the sects…”

Suddenly, someone interrupted.

“Oh? Who says Lang Yue didn’t protect the people?”

In an instant, a golden light fell from afar, and Xu Gu slowly walked out, stroking his beard.

“Greetings, Sect Leader.”

All the disciples of the Yaoguang Sect nearby bowed to him.

“Look around at this scene. If we hadn’t protected this place, how many people in Pingzhou Town would’ve died?”

“As for causing tension, that surely wouldn’t be from our Yaoguang Sect, right? A few days ago, I heard that Sect Leader Lu’s beloved disciple fought with a disciple from the Fenghua Sect. Heh, I wonder if that’s true.”

Xu Gu laughed heartily, his eyes narrowed with a smile, hiding his true feelings.

The ones who had spoken earlier were left speechless. Now that their shameful matter had been pointed out, they looked even more embarrassed.

“In my opinion, let’s stop overthinking. Why not deal with the remaining demons here first and bring peace back to the people of Pingzhou Town?”

Xu Gu left it at that. After glancing at them, he gently waved the floating dust brush that had suddenly appeared in his hand. With one sweep, the broken, bloodstained courtyard returned to normal.

He looked at Xie Xisui and smiled, giving her a nod.

Xie Xisui didn’t say anything more. She turned around and left with Lingxi.

Light gathered around them, covering the two as they flew swiftly on their swords. Below, the land was an endless stretch of tiny dots, while misty clouds floated ahead.

Lingxi looked at her master’s thin back, at her hair gently swaying in the wind, at the edge of her white robe brushing faintly past her fingertips. Then she lowered her head to look at the dried bl00d in the cracks of her fingers.

At that moment, Lingxi really wanted to wipe away that jarring color.

They stepped onto the hard stone path of Chuanzhe Stream. Xie Xisui led her through the gates of the Fuping Palace, past the long tables in the main hall, and then through a bamboo grove. The sound of running water grew closer, and the person in front of her suddenly stopped walking.

Moist air drifted over. A white mist rose up before her eyes, making it hard to see clearly.

As the sound of clothes lightly rustling reached her ears, Lingxi quickly lowered her head.
“Disciple will take her leave.”

“Stop.”

Xie Xisui called out to her.

“Come in. Take off your outer robe.”

Lingxi didn’t move. She didn’t even lift her head, but her heart pounded like a drum.

“Disciple can bathe in the side courtyard. I don’t dare disturb Master’s peace.”

“Oh? Is there still something you don’t dare?”

Xie Xisui looked at her from a distance and pushed her removed outer robe aside.

Lingxi was speechless and stood frozen, not moving for a long time.

After a while, she softly repeated,
“Disciple doesn’t dare.”

But there was no sound in front of her anymore. After a moment, a gentle breeze blew past, bringing the soft sound of water droplets falling—*splash, splash*—and the mist quickly spread, covering her eyes.

“Do you want me to do it myself?”