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20.16% Rest in a Demon's Embrace [BL] / Chapter 48: Starry Sea

Chapter 48: Starry Sea

Their late afternoon was spent cuddling in bed. With Jiang Yao holding the upper hand when it came to who held who, Luo Xiao was left with no option but to just relax in the prince’s arms.

While the red flush on Luo Xiao’s face had faded over time, the playful smirk in Jiang Yao’s eyes hadn’t reduced a bit.

Once the sun had fully set, as if following a clock, a maid appeared in front of the closed doors of the bedroom.

“Your Highness, dinner has been prepared as per your request,” she bowed, and after delivering her message, retreated back into the depths of the palace.

Even though the doors were closed, Jiang Yao heard her without any issues. It truly was getting late, and he knew that Luo Xiao hadn’t eaten lunch at all for the day. “Come, Xiaoxiao, let me feed you some of the continent’s delicacies…”

Unlike him, in the last few hours, Luo Xiao had become rather sleepy - the warmth from Jiang Yao’s body, and the odd safety he felt when in his embrace, had almost lulled him to sleep even though his stomach rumbled a little every now and then.

“Delicacies? Alright…” rather sleepily, Luo Xiao replied before getting off the bed. After yawning once, he rubbed his eyes to wake up a bit more before following Jiang Yao outside.

The two shadow guards were nowhere to be seen and that was natural. They weren’t supposed to be visible, but Jiang Yao could feel the two following them from within the darkness nearby. For a moment, Jiang Yao thought about dismissing them as he was with Luo Xiao but decided to just ignore them.

The corridors of the palace were brightly lit by magic lights which were perfectly placed so that no corner remained unlit. With the help of these lights, anyone could see the luxury with which the palace had been built.

It was truly a marvel to the eyes - precious paintings and murals decorated the walls, and the pillars supporting the upper floors were made out of the purest jade that seemed to radiate its own light. Various engravings of beasts seemed to come to life with their roaring heads and claws protruding from the ceiling, and they made one feel as if they truly were inside the depicted scene.

Naturally, now that he was given a chance to take a proper look at them, Luo Xiao was completely shocked. Every time he saw a new corner of the palace, his breath would hitch and he’d need a few seconds to register what he was seeing and accept it.

That’s why it took the two of them a bit more time than usual to reach the dining room, or more accurately, the dining hall.

Perhaps an entire battalion could eat at this place, that was how big it was. The wide windows opened to a gorgeous view to the palace gardens, which made Luo Xiao almost gasp at the sight that laid before him.

He hadn’t expected that even the gardens were lit at night, and not by lamps but their own light. Many of the flowers blooming actually glowed with resplendent light, giving one a sense that the stars had fallen to the ground. Multi-colored fireflies and other glowing insects flew around like specks of starlight, and it was as if the entire garden had become its own universe.

At the sight of it, Luo Xiao couldn’t even look away. It was all so beautiful that it captured him completely, his feet getting him over to the windows on their own.

Noticing his enthusiasm towards the night gardens, Jiang Yao laughed, following him. “Want to have dinner outside?”

“Yes!” being given the option Luo Xiao immediately took it. His expression was akin to a child’s as his eyes focused on one of the night butterflies fluttering near the windows.

Chuckling softly, Jiang Yao waved his hand, signaling the servants to do just that. Within minutes, a small table for two appeared in one of the best spots in the gardens, with two servants waiting on the side in order to bring the dishes at a moment’s notice.

“Come on,” Jiang Yao’s hand took Luo Xiao’s before leading him out of the dining hall to the table in the middle of the gardens.

As they made their way towards the table, Luo Xiao had to slow down just to be able to marvel at the seemingly endless gardens. Up close, the flowers which glowed seemed even more delicate and precious.

“What sort of flowers are they?”

“Hmm? They all grow naturally around the continent, though it was a bit of a pain to get them to grow properly here…” Jiang Yao chuckled before gently pulling Luo Xiao forward. “Come on, or our dinner will get cold.”

Moments later, the two were seated on opposite of each other around a small round table, and the servants brought in hot dishes for the two of them. However, even with that arrangement, Jiang Yao didn’t seem to want to let go of Luo Xiao’s hand, even though the other needed it in order to eat his food.

“Jiang Yao…” In the end, Luo Xiao had no choice but to remind the other by gently pulling his hand away. “You can hold my hand once we finish eating,” he smiled before picking up the chopsticks.

“Alright, alright, Xiaoxiao,” Jiang Yao couldn’t help but sigh at the notion that he had to wait but complied. Taking his own chopsticks, he starting to eat as well.

The two servants who stayed nearby to both bring food and make sure everything was up to par found themselves surprised - the Seventh Prince was known for not obeying anyone except the Demon Emperor. And yet, an exception had appeared as Luo Xiao had casually made Jiang Yao resign and listen to his words.

Not even five breaths later, Luo Xiao’s expression had changed yet again. His eyes turned wide as he stared at the delicately cooked steak in front of him. “What is this made of? It’s so good!”

The dish itself seemed rather plain - a medium rare steak adorned with green sauce and a small arrangement of delicate mushrooms next to it. But that plainness actually made one think it was an average dish, yet when Luo Xiao tasted it, he felt it was unlike anything he had eaten before!

“It’s simply made from the meat of a species of boars, it’s not that special…”

Though, if one were to look at the expressions of the servants behind the pair, they would realize that it was far from just a ‘species of boars’. Unlike them, Luo Xiao simply nodded as he took another bite, and despite how quickly he ate, the natural grace he had never disappeared.

Opposite of him, Jiang Yao simply leaned on his palm as he ate slowly, casually observing Luo Xiao with a slight smile on his face.

For the most part, their dinner went like that. The two didn’t talk much as they simply enjoyed both the food and each other’s presence. Well, Luo Xiao was more focused on eating than Jiang Yao but that didn’t change much.

The dessert was even better than the steak - Luo Xiao didn’t dare believe it was real as the flavors melted in his mouth; the gentle sweetness from the fruits in the small delicacy perfecting the taste. If he could, he wished to eat like this every day - there was no way he could ever not want to eat such delicious food.

The dinner for the two, aside from the delicious food, was incredibly romantic. Compared to all the dinners the two had while they were traveling, now there was nobody to look at them weirdly, or whisper bad words and spread rumors about the two of them.

At the prince’s palace, aside from the two servants, there were only the two of them, surrounded by the beautiful scenery of glowing flowers and fireflies. Therefore, the atmosphere was just perfect and in a way, neither Luo Xiao nor Jiang Yao wished for it to end.

Of course, all nice things eventually come to an end; just like their dinner, once all the dishes were finished by Jiang Yao and Luo Xiao.

It seemed like such a simple menu, yet it was as if Luo Xiao had eaten for three people. If he were to try cultivating at that very moment, he would realize that the meal he had just eaten was releasing a gentle stream of energy while supplementing his cultivation and body.

Jiang Yao naturally had no thoughts of that as he stood up, a smile on his lips. “Let’s go, Xiaoxiao.”

“Mhm…” Luo Xiao walked over to Jiang Yao as it was clearly time to go back to the palace. However, his eyes were focused not on Jiang Yao but on the gardens. It was plain to see that he didn’t want to go back for the time being, even though he was starting to yawn a little.

“Can we just walk around for a bit? They are so pretty…” Luo Xiao sighed as he somewhat leaned to rest his head on Jiang Yao’s chest.

Jiang Yao didn’t bother to reply as his hand found Luo Xiao’s. A sly smirk surfacing on his face as he led the way away from the table into the gardens of glowing flowers and night butterflies.

Far away from the lamps that surrounded the perimeter of the palace, the gardens seemed akin to a fallen starry sky with their own unique charm. Even more, the night sky was clear of any clouds as well, which made it seem as if the garden had merged with the sky and the two of them were talking amidst a sea of stars.

Unknowingly, Luo Xiao stopped walking, his expression one of amazement and wonder. Noticing that Jiang Yao silently chuckled, his hand gently moving a strand of hair away from Luo Xiao’s face.

“You know, looking at you like this - it makes me realize that finding you must have been fate,” Jiang Yao whispered softly before his lips touched Luo Xiao’s in a tender, loving kiss.

The youth’s face quickly flushed pink at the kiss, his breathing stopped a bit when Jiang Yao bit his lower lip before letting go after a rather long time. Even though it was nighttime, the color of his cheeks resembled a lantern, making Jiang Yao laugh as one of his hands patted Luo Xiao on the head.

“Sleepy yet? Let’s go, Xiaoxiao.”

Almost rolling his eyes at how much of a parent Jiang Yao resembled at this moment, Luo Xiao followed the other into the palace, and the two passed by the two servants who had obviously witnessed everything.

The two of them, with the plates and tablecloth still in their hands, looked at each other once Jiang Yao and Luo Xiao had disappeared within the palace walls.

“Did we both see the same thing?”

The second one nodded, his eyes clearly betraying his surprise. “How many years has it been since the Seventh Prince had a lover?

Before the first servant could answer, a third voice came from behind them. “About a hundred. But the cost of that answer is that you two have to clean the west wing tomorrow by noon.”

“Housekeeper! We’re sorry.”

“Off you go, both of you,” Housekeeper Chen didn’t wait for them to finish apologizing as he clapped his hands once, startling the two servants into motion before looking at the palace’s dark walls himself.

His expression was unreadable as his figure disappeared into the night.


Chapter 49: The Blue Sea Prince

The next two days followed the same routine. To Luo Xiao, it was as if he were living in some sort of heaven. He was also gradually getting used to the luxury with which Jiang Yao was surrounded by.

On the third day, the Sixth Prince visited the palace.

He came alone, without any guards or servants which was a bit different than normal procedure. A majority of the time nobles visited others under heavy guard in case the one they were visiting decided to turn on them, but coming in such a manner spoke of his certainty of being safe.

It was clear that Jiang Guanyu had come to meet with his brother, Jiang Yao, and possibly exchange information as the latter had been missing from Cloudsoar City for quite some time.

Usually, Luo Xiao wouldn’t have been invited to such a meeting between two of the highest powers of not just the Demon Empire but the entire Tiandi Continent, but currently, he was sitting next to Jiang Yao with the latter’s right arm holding him close just in case.

“Seventh Brother, it’s nice seeing you again after your journeys around the continent…” Jiang Guanyu smiled, his bright blue eyes almost sparkling like two gemstones as he sat down in front of Jiang Yao and Luo Xiao.

The three of them were seated in a cozy corner of a small jade pavilion located in the gardens which was surrounded by green vines and blooming yellow flowers. On a jade table separating the three of them was a delicate tea set with three cups, one of which was in Jiang Guanyu’s hands.

A gentle breeze made Jiang Guanyu’s robes and loosely tied hair flutter slightly, giving him an even softer-than-usual look.

“Guanyu, you know how I feel about you speaking like this,” Jiang Yao sighed, almost as if rolling his eyes before turning to look at Luo Xiao who was sitting by his side.

Luo Xiao was looking at Jiang Guanyu with interest. In his eyes, compared to the more direct and yet cold Jiang Yao, Jiang Guanyu seemed as gentle and soft as drifting clouds in the midday sky. The two of them, while looking relatively similar, were very different in temperament.

“Is this the human you brought over when you returned? He seems relatively similar to the description I was given,” Jiang Guanyu said while glancing at Luo Xiao, his expression almost speaking his curiosity for him.

“Has your information network infiltrated my palace as well, Guanyu?”

“No, of course not... You know what my stance is on the whole imperial struggle, little brother,” Jiang Guanyu chuckled before lifting the cup of tea to his lips once more.

Hearing Jiang Yao being called ‘little brother’ made Luo Xiao suddenly chuckle causing an amused smile to surface on his previously nervous face. It was when Jiang Guanyu and Jiang Yao both looked at him that he looked away, his cheeks slightly reddening due to embarrassment.

The blue-eyed prince’s smile widened a bit. “Why won’t you introduce me? You were the one that brought him over to our meeting.”

Jiang Yao’s eyes quickly turned cold before replying, his voice also showing his inner displeasure. “Xiaoxiao doesn’t need to get involved with all these inner-court struggles - he can live his life away from my family’s clutches.”

Almost instantly the perfect eyebrows of the Sixth Prince lift up. “I think you’re forgetting something. Fourth Brother hasn’t been sitting and patiently waiting during the months you were gone - he has ways to involve your little lover into the struggles and even hurt him, considering how weak he is.

“I know you don’t involve yourself in trying to become the next Demon Emperor and have declared yourself neutral, but while Fourth Brother is currently the leading candidate, he doesn’t trust such declarations and will seek to eliminate most, if not all, of the threats that are stronger than him. That means once he finds out about Luo Xiao, your human, there’s a high chance he will hurt him to hurt you.”

The more Jiang Guanyu spoke, the more Jiang Yao’s eyebrows furrowed until he had a rather strong frown on his face. It was rare to see him frown like this considering how he usually looked cold and emotionless no matter the situation.

Just from that frown, Jiang Guanyu more or less guessed the relationship between Jiang Yao and Luo Xiao. After all, the Sixth Prince knew of his brother’s temperament very well.

A long moment of silence came, to which Jiang Guanyu didn’t even seem to react as he poured himself another cup of tea. On the other hand, Luo Xiao’s eyes darted between the two brothers, apparently getting more nervous by the minute.

He didn’t like all of this talk about infighting and the way Jiang Guanyu seemed to be threatening Jiang Yao.

“Xiaoxiao, this is one of my older brothers, Jiang Guanyu, the Sixth Prince, also nicknamed the ‘Blue Sea’ Prince by the people. Guanyu, this is Luo Xiao, my lover,” it wasn’t long until Jiang Yao let out a long sigh, his expression finally relaxing.

“It’s nice to meet you, Luo Xiao,” Jiang Guanyu put the cup down, once more empty, before smiling warmly.

“Same to you, Your Highness…”

Just as Luo Xiao was to greet the other formally, Jiang Guanyu shook his head. “No need, just call me by my name. I can already tell you hold a lot of value for little brother Yao, so it’s obvious that in his eyes your status is higher than mine.”

Luo Xiao’s eyes widened slightly before nodding. “Thank you, Your... Jiang Guanyu.”

Jiang Guanyu smiled a little more at that, letting some silence linger for a moment before his eyes turned serious.

“Little brother Yao, Fourth Brother is more active than ever. It’s said that his strongest corpse puppet was destroyed in the outskirts of Tiandi, so he has been trying to find the one who killed it. He has also been trying to get through my network and gather as much of the information I hold regarding the weaknesses and strengths of the other princes. I assume you know what this means?”

Jiang Yao’s eyes narrowed as the hand holding Luo Xiao stiffened a bit. Luo Xiao’s own expression darkened as the memories of the corpse puppet and the massacre at his village surfaced once more. His hands trembled slightly before he looked down, trying to distract himself. That action didn’t go unnoticed.

A slight breeze drifted by, gently making the tea vapors dance in the air between the three people.

“He’s found an excuse to start mobilizing his forces to gather strength for something big,” finally, Jiang Yao spoke.

“Exactly. It’s very likely that in the next few years the power balance in Cloudsoar City will shift…”

Jiang Guanyu’s smile faltered a bit before he sighed, finishing up the cup of tea. “I won’t say anything more, but I’ll advise you, little brother and Luo Xiao, be careful if you meet him. His scheming knows no boundaries and who knows what he will do once he finds out just what treasure you hold in your hands right now.”

It was Jiang Yao’s turn to raise his eyebrows - to him it was suddenly clear that the blue-eyed man in front of him knew what rank Luo Xiao’s soul really was. Thankfully, Astral Souls were so rare that the Fourth Prince likely assumed that Luo Xiao was merely a Heavenly Soul cultivator.

“In any case, I’ve come here just to warn you... Oh, and to give a gift to your lover, little brother!” Jiang Guanyu glanced at Luo Xiao as he waved his hand, causing a small blue box to appear.

“If you enter the Cloudsoar Royal Academy they will evaluate your soul since you’re a soul cultivator. That way, they will know your potential and how to best train you… However, if people know that you really are an Astral Soul ranked cultivator, the majority of them will make you their target because you’re still extremely weak.”

“Is that one of your Deep Water Marbles?” Jiang Yao suddenly interrupted, a rare spark of shock flashing through his eyes as he reached over, took the blue box, and opened it.

Indeed, once it was opened, a gentle azure light shined forth. Inside of the blue box was a small, perfectly round, dark orb. It barely had any luster to it, but it gave one an odd feeling whenever they looked at it - it was as if their eyes were tricked and they really were looking at nothing.

Jiang Guanyu nodded with a chuckle, affirming the statement. “I’ve only got eleven of these, so please don’t throw it away. Anyways, this will mask your Astral Soul and make it appear as if it’s a Heavenly Soul. Little brother Yao knows how to use it.”

Jiang Yao sighed, closing the box and putting it away in his storage pouch. “Why give me one of your most treasured possessions, Guanyu?”

The blue-eyed man was just about to get up from his spot as he had accomplished his mission for coming to Jiang Yao’s palace when he heard the question. Shrugging lightly, he looked at Jiang Yao and Luo Xiao with that gentle smile of his.

“The reason? Just a hunch I have.”

And with those last words, Jiang Guanyu exited the small jade pavilion and left the palace with his hands clasped behind his back. Luo Xiao didn’t even have a chance to thank him by the time he regained his senses.

Even Jiang Yao looked a bit stunned which was beyond rare for him. What Luo Xiao didn’t know was that the Deep Water Marbles were a set of eleven spheres made by the Sixth Prince himself. Each had a different function and were his personal weapons!

Just what he was thinking when he gave one of them to Luo Xiao to hide his true soul was something that even Jiang Yao couldn't guess. He could only accept the gift, though he had a feeling that at some point in the future Jiang Guanyu would ask for it back.

“Let’s go back inside, Xiaoxiao,” Jiang Yao sighed as he reached over to pat Luo Xiao on the head. “We will be leaving the palace this afternoon.”

“Going to Cloudsoar City?” Instantly, Luo Xiao’s eyes lit up as he stood up, straightening his clothes.

Luo Xiao had been practically confined to the palace for the last few days. He truly longed to go outside and see more of the city with his own eyes.

“Well, to a specific place. You’re going to go study in the Cloudsoar Royal Academy, Xiaoxiao,” Jiang Yao’s expression seemed the same as always as he spoke. While explaining, his hand casually pulled the other in his arms, and his lips found Luo Xiao’s without any restraint now that Jiang Guanyu was gone.

Just as always, Luo Xiao’s face betrayed his inner feelings, but as the kiss was a soft and gentle one, he didn’t complain it at all.

A few seconds later, their lips separated and Jiang Yao looked at Luo Xiao enjoying the sight in front of him very much. Though, just as he was about to sigh, he remembered something.

“Oh, by the way, swallow this,” he let go of Luo Xiao, who saw Jiang Yao take out the Deep Water Marble out of its box. “Once it enters your body, it will find its way to your soul lake and mask your Astral Soul.”

“Alright…” Luo Xiao nodded, gently taking the Deep Water Marble into his hands.

To his surprise, it felt soft and malleable compared to what he expected. That sparked his interest as Luo Xiao decided to take a better look at it, trying to determine what it was made of.

Naturally, he wasn’t able to determine anything, so he sighed a little and just ate it.

Once more surprising him, the dark sphere seemingly melted as soon as he closed his mouth, disappearing from there before reforming right above his soul lake a few seconds later. Luo Xiao inspected himself once, trying to determine if there were any differences but he felt nothing, no matter how much he tried.

Even more, looking at the Dark Water Marble above his soul lake made him feel as if it wasn’t even there though he was clearly looking right at it.

After a long moment of trying to understand just what it did, Luo Xiao gave up and followed Jiang Yao back inside the palace.


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