Smoke and Fire [GL] - Chapter 29

“Why are you so nervous?”

Luo Yao’s smiling voice sounded in her ear, soft as a sigh.

Shang Mian felt as if her rationality was also being veiled by this dense white mist. The surrounding air suddenly became so thin that even her voice was difficult: “…I’m not.”

Luo Yao chuckled softly, saying: “Keep this position. It might hurt a little during the process. Bear with it for a moment, okay?”

“Mhm.”

Luo Yao’s slender fingertips touched the pool water around them. The entire body of water suddenly calmed down, and then, with the two of them as the center, it began to slowly and regularly circle.

She gently touched Shang Mian’s back. Shang Mian subconsciously flinched. Luo Yao mistakenly thought it was because of the pain, so she made her movements even more gentle.

Luo Yao passed one hand across Shang Mian’s chest, helping her unfasten the front placket, and then peeled off the soaked clothes from the shoulder and neck, revealing a section of skin as snowy white as mutton-fat jade.

“Your Highness…” Shang Mian heard her own slightly hoarse voice.

“Don’t move.”

Luo Yao pressed down on her from behind, pulling her clothes down a bit further, finally revealing her entire back.

Shang Mian’s skin was extremely fair, and precisely because of this, the deep lash mark that almost spanned her entire back looked particularly scarlet and glaring, like a ferocious red serpent.

Although she had anticipated it, Luo Yao’s expression couldn’t help but turn cold, and she frowned slightly: “…The punishment was still too light.”

“It’s alright, Your Highness!” Shang Mian, hearing the implied anger in her tone, quickly said, “I was born with a part of the Demon Race’s power. This kind of wound heals very quickly.”

Luo Yao remained silent, then suddenly leaned closer, covering her back with her hands, which carried a trace of cool moisture from the water vapor.

Under Luo Yao’s guidance, the flowing water rippled out in regular waves. Tiny specks of faint blue light glowed, merging into her body, thread by thread.

Shang Mian let out an involuntary soft moan.

“Does it hurt?” Luo Yao asked softly.

Shang Mian couldn’t utter a word and could only bite her lip and shake her head.

To her, this little bit of sensation certainly wasn’t painful—the Fire Phoenix once threw the eternal Phoenix True Fire onto her, watching her be burned to raw, bloody shreds, merely to share a laugh with a few people. She had long been accustomed to this physical pain.

But the sensation of Luo Yao treating her wound was very strange.

The water in the entire pool seemed to be a part of Luo Yao. And as Luo Yao’s power melted into her body, she found that the presence of the person behind her became increasingly difficult to ignore.

Luo Yao’s touch, Luo Yao’s scent, Luo Yao’s body temperature.

As if only she existed between heaven and earth.

“Your Highness,” she suddenly asked, “You rescued me and healed my wounds in order to use me as a tool, promoting me to the head of the Phoenix Nine Sons, thereby checking the efforts of the Colorful Phoenix and the Fire Phoenix, correct?”

Luo Yao’s movements paused slightly, then she smiled: “Clever.”

“Actually, you don’t need to go to such trouble. If you had just told me directly, I would have been used by you without hesitation,” Shang Mian said quietly, lowering her gaze to the water spray in front of her.

“Why?” Luo Yao’s voice showed slight surprise.

Shang Mian’s tone was very calm: “You probably don’t remember. During the days when I had just taken human form, I was unable to withstand the demonic energy and was on the verge of death.”

“It was you who placed a restriction within my body, saving my life incidentally… Later, I heard it was because you felt guilty towards the Phoenix.” She paused, then continued, “But regardless, this life of mine was given by you. If you wish it, I can die for you.”

Luo Yao was slightly stunned.

Some things that happened too long ago, she didn’t actually remember very clearly. But Shang Mian’s words vaguely reminded her that, in the distant past, before the name ‘Qingluan’ was so renowned—there indeed seemed to be a girl on the verge of death, her pale little hands tightly clutching her skirt hem, her pure black eyes filled with the desire for life.

[Living will bring you more pain. For you, death is a kind of release.]

She remembered saying this to the little girl.

Yet, the girl’s eyes shone astonishingly bright. She said weakly but firmly:

[Sister Qingluan, fate dictates that I am born to die. Even release is just a kind of weakness. I am not resigned to it.]

[I would rather live in pain.]

[Please fulfill my wish.]

These long-past fragments flashed before Luo Yao’s eyes. The girl who had begged her to grant her wish was standing before her, saying she was willing to die for her.

Noticing her silence had lasted too long, Shang Mian thought she had said something wrong and carefully turned around: “Your Highness?”

Luo Yao came back to her senses, only to realize the curve at the corner of her eyes held an unexpectedly seductive and captivating charm.

“Don’t call me Your Highness anymore,” she smiled sweetly.

Shang Mian looked extremely surprised: “Then what should I call you…”

Luo Yao laughed: “I am several thousand years older than you. Calling me ‘Sister’ is acceptable, isn’t it?”

“You… this…” Shang Mian was so overwhelmed she was astonished. “How can this be! I am just a low-ranking god. How am I qualified—”

Luo Yao simply watched her, smiling quietly.

It was then that Shang Mian belatedly gathered her robe front. A faint blush crept onto the side of her face, and she slightly lowered her head: “If this is an order, I will do my best.”

“That’s better,” Luo Yao smiled and tilted her head. “—From today onward, no one will bully you again.”

…

From this day on, Shang Mian took up permanent residence in the Qingluan Sacred Hall, gradually becoming Luo Yao’s fourth direct subordinate, after Si Yin, Veda, and the Flower God.

Naturally, opinions in the Celestial Realm were divided, but Shang Mian remained in the Sacred Hall every day, completely unaware of the rumors outside.

“Raise your left arm high, lower your right shoulder—yes, just like that.”

The Qingluan Sacred Hall was the largest palace in the Celestial Realm, with a completely self-contained system. In the sour words of other gods, you wouldn’t feel confined even if you stayed inside for a lifetime.

At this moment, Luo Yao and Shang Mian were in a courtyard through which a stream flowed, with attendant maids stationed thirty meters away.

Hearing Luo Yao’s reminder, Shang Mian adjusted her bow-drawing posture, then subconsciously looked back at her.

“Look at the target, not at me.” The fan gently tapped her body, and the voice held a hint of a laugh.

Shang Mian instantly stood straight: “Oh.”

Luo Yao squinted, estimating the result of her shot, and said: “That’s enough. Release.”

Shang Mian immediately let go.

The arrow whistled through the air, hitting the bullseye.

Luo Yao’s eyes curved slightly with excitement. She fanned her with the round fan in her hand, smiling: “A’Mian, you truly have an exceptional talent.”

“Sister, don’t say that. Supreme Deity Si Yin can hit three targets simultaneously without aiming.” Shang Mian slightly turned her head, trying hard to mask the pride in being praised by Luo Yao, though the effect was not very successful.

“Oh, is that so?” Luo Yao, knowing her thoughts, was deliberately teasing her. “Then since Supreme Deity Si Yin is so formidable, why don’t you ask her to teach you? I’m not a God of War; what I can teach you is far less than what she can.”

Shang Mian momentarily failed to realize she was joking and instinctively raised her voice: “No! She… I…”

She trailed off because Luo Yao had already laughed and leaned onto her shoulder.

Shang Mian then realized, a faint blush spreading across the side of her face. She whispered: “Sister loves to make fun of me.”

—In the span of nearly half a year, the two had been together day and night, and this constant habit of calling her “Your Highness, Your Highness” was finally broken.

Luo Yao smiled and hooked her neck. Viewing her profile from the diagonal angle, she was slightly stunned.

Shang Mian’s personality had gradually become more lively, and she had grown even more beautiful. The corners of her eyes and brows naturally possessed a seductive temperament. When she held a slight smile, even Luo Yao felt she paled in comparison.

Like now.

Luo Yao restrained her laughter and instead showed a more subtle expression. She pinched Shang Mian’s chin to make her look at herself: “Hey, looking at you, I’m reminded of two lines of poetry from the mortal world.”

Shang Mian was indeed interested: “What poetry?”

“‘Light silk fan, white orchid, slender waist, jade belt dances with the heavenly gauze. Suspected to be a celestial maiden descended to the mortal world, a glance and a smile—’” She read the poem with the cadence of a scholar, then deliberately prolonged the last words, raising her hand to gently hook the girl’s chin, “—surpassing the brilliance of the stars.” [1]

Shang Mian… Shang Mian was blushing yet again.

However, the current her was different from half a year ago. She was used to Luo Yao’s daily hot-and-cold teasing, even though her heart was still pounding like crazy.

She tried hard to appear natural, letting her gaze fall on Luo Yao’s round fan: “This poem, I think, describes Sister more accurately.”

“Oh, really?” Luo Yao continued to gently scratch her chin, smiling widely. “If I’m not mistaken, A’Mian is praising my looks. I’m so happy.”

According to Luo Yao’s expectation, Shang Mian should have blushed like a little tomato at this point, then stammered out an excuse to leave, leaving her to laugh until she couldn’t stand straight.

But unexpectedly, this time Shang Mian directly met her gaze, her ink-black eyes complex, as if holding back emotions that could no longer be suppressed.

She whispered: “Sister is the most beautiful person in the world. I have always believed that.”

Luo Yao paused.

It was as if a certain part of her heart had been gently struck.

But before she could figure out what this meant, a lazy, laughing voice sounded from far behind her: “Oh dear, let me see who this is. Skipping the scripture lectures to shoot arrows here?”

Suddenly interrupted, the two instantly separated, and the atmosphere became slightly awkward.

Luo Yao turned around, looking exasperated, and saw Si Yin’s grinning face, exactly as expected. She raised her finger and pointed to a weapon rack on the side. A sword “whooshed” and shot toward the newcomer.

Logically, the sword’s speed was extremely fast. Even Shang Mian only managed to see a blur, slightly startled.

But Si Yin still leaned there casually, not even looking at the sword. She simply slowly raised her right hand and effortlessly twirled a silver flower in the air, firmly grasping the sword hilt.

“Tch.”

She raised her hand and flicked the silver blade. She lifted her eyes, looked expectant, and raised an eyebrow: “Is this a gift for me?”

Luo Yao smiled sweetly, her attitude relaxed as if enjoying the commotion: “If you win against A’Mian, I’ll give it to you.”

[1] The poem is a modified version of a famous folk song (or poem) in Chinese:(Light silk fan, white orchid flower), (Slender waist, jade belt dances with heavenly gauze).(Suspected to be a celestial maiden descended to the mortal world),(A glance and a smile surpass the brilliance of the stars).

The flashback is progressing, detailing the growing relationship between Luo Yao and Shang Mian (formerly Snow Phoenix) in the Celestial Realm. The dynamics between Luo Yao and Si Yin are also on display.