“Master, would you like a stick of candied hawthorn?”
“Master, do you want to have a sugar figurine made?”
“Master, look over there at the dragon and lion dances. It’s so lively.”
Along the way, every corner was adorned with lanterns and streamers. People bustled back and forth, and the atmosphere was filled with festivity.
It was a scene of joyous celebration.
At Zhou Xuan’s side, the Blood Consort, looking like a young maiden, affectionately snuggled close. Her bright eyes darted left and right, brimming with curiosity as she bought tasty treats with copper coins from time to time.
On the other side, Su Bai, dressed in an emerald imperial robe, wore a cold and aloof expression. She barely responded to Zhou Xuan or the surrounding bustle, looking every bit like an untouchable fairy descending to the mortal realm.
Suddenly, a skewer of candied hawthorn appeared before the man. The Blood Consort’s eyes curved into crescents, her smile radiant and charming.
“A’Xuan, have some candied hawthorn~”
Zhou Xuan nodded and took a bite from the skewer.
The Blood Consort also took a bite. The sweet and sour flavor instantly blossomed on her tongue.
From the corner of her eye, Su Bai inadvertently glimpsed this scene and let out a cold snort. Flaunt your love all you want, just wait until she turns the tables and deals with this rebellious disciple and unfilial child!
The Blood Consort swallowed the candied hawthorn in her mouth and, noticing Su Bai nearby, a sly glint flashed in her lively eyes. She winked at Zhou Xuan and secretly signaled in Su Bai’s direction.
Zhou Xuan immediately understood.
“Master.”
“What is it…” Su Bai had just turned her head when, before she could finish speaking, a pair of warm lips pressed softly onto hers. Powerful arms encircled her slender waist.
In the man’s gentle, soft eyes was a faint smile, and the piece of candied hawthorn in his mouth was transferred to the beauty in his embrace.
Su Bai’s eyes widened in shock and embarrassment. She tried to break free but was held tightly. The sweet and sour taste mingled between their lips and teeth.
The surrounding crowd burst into cheers and laughter.
The Blood Consort stood at the side, covering her mouth as she giggled.
When Zhou Xuan finally let go, Su Bai raised her hand, about to strike him. But before she could, the Blood Consort suddenly stepped forward and proactively kissed Su Bai. Her dainty tongue easily parted Su Bai’s unguarded lips, thoroughly exploring and stealing away the lingering sweetness in the Empress’s mouth.
“Not bad, not bad, this has both A’Xuan’s and my flavor.” After the kiss, the Blood Consort smacked her lips, completely disregarding the gazes of the onlookers, which had shifted from excitement to bewilderment. Even Zhou Xuan’s expression became rather colorful.
“You!”
Su Bai pointed angrily at Zhou Xuan.
“You!”
She then pointed angrily at the Blood Consort.
“What kind of degenerate, fiery winter plot is this!!” Stomping her foot, Su Bai was so angry she nearly spat blood. Her ears turned bright red and her face was flushed with shame and fury as she spun and fled into the crowd.
Zhou Xuan, ignoring his own bewildered expression, hurriedly chased after her, leaving the Blood Consort alone.
Facing the extremely odd stares from the crowd, the Blood Consort neither blushed nor felt shy. Instead, she raised her voice and declared, “What? Don’t you think this kind of thing is super attractive to men?”
“Sisterly love runs deep! That man doesn’t love you!!”
“One day, I’ll awaken A’Xuan’s XP in this area! Hmph!!”
As the ‘Su Bai’ after ‘falling to womanhood,’ the Blood Consort cared nothing for face, morals, or ethics.
Before, as ‘Su Bai’ prior to falling, she cared about these things because she wanted to shoulder responsibility, to be a good man, and to live up to her parents’ expectations. But now that she’d fallen, she wanted to be a shorty and let Zhou Xuan bear all the responsibility. Of course, she would wholeheartedly pursue pleasure and fulfill the desires she’d never tasted.
If after falling she still cared about those rules and couldn’t pursue happiness, wouldn’t that make her fall to womanhood pointless?
Snapping her fingers, she slipped away from the crowd and found the two of them again. This time, they were in a teahouse where a storyteller, dressed as a Northerner, was vividly recounting the story of how Immortal Lord Heavenly Wolf unified the Northern Plains and established the Everlasting Heaven. The tale had been passed down to the present day, revered as faith among the Northern people, and enjoyed by listeners across the other four regions as well.
The Blood Consort wandered over to Su Bai and Zhou Xuan’s table and sat down beside Zhou Xuan as if it were the most natural thing in the world. By now, Su Bai’s mood had calmed, though her ears still retained a faint blush.
“Main body, what are you so shy about? The two of us are veterans already.” Swinging her legs onto Zhou Xuan’s lap, the Blood Consort leaned back comfortably against his shoulder, her face full of cheerful mischief.
“A’Xuan, don’t be fooled by the main body’s shyness. In reality, she’s just repressed and cares too much about her image.”
“As they say, the more repressed, the hotter the fire. For women like her, a few more exchanges and she’ll be yours.”
“Enough!” Su Bai glared, her beautiful eyes round.
Zhou Xuan listened quietly at the side. With a wave of his hand, he set up a formation to isolate them from outside noise and prying eyes, having no intention of butting in.
He was intensely curious about that world called ‘Earth,’ where his master and mother came from. What kind of miraculous place could raise someone with such noble character and boundless compassion?
Could it be the beautiful society Master once described?
Everyone loves me, I love everyone, no oppression at the bottom, no power struggles at the top. People living and working in peace, the elderly cared for, children educated, health protected, food secured.
“You degenerate ‘Meow Meow Pervert Monster’! Believe it or not, I’ll cleave you in two with my sword someday!”
“So what if I’m a ‘Meow Meow Pervert Monster’? Isn’t it blissful to be one? I love being a ‘Meow Meow Pervert Monster’!! Main body, you’ll definitely end up more of a ‘Meow Meow Pervert Monster’ than I am!!”
“Get lost! I’m a manly man!”
“I’m just stating facts. Main body, you still won’t admit it. Remember those pineapple bun webnovels we saw? No matter how proud the heroine, after a few sessions of communication, she’d turn into a little crybaby, a true ‘Meow Meow Pervert Monster’.”
The Blood Consort grinned cheekily, not caring in the slightest that Su Bai was angry.
She folded her arms and said confidently, “Besides, with our kinds of XPs, what else could we be but repressed? Think about it—objectification, domesticated girlfriends, private little pets.”
“XP?” Zhou Xuan raised an eyebrow, unable to help but ask.
“It means fetish or preference.” Seeing Zhou Xuan was interested, the Blood Consort eagerly explained. As if afraid her explanation wasn’t clear enough, she ran a hand down her thigh and, with a flick of illusion, instantly transformed her legs into a pair of beautiful black-stockinged ones.
“Just like how you like playing with legs in bed. This kind of kink is called XP in the main body’s world.”
“And as I mentioned before, deep sisterly love, passionate yuri—those are the types the main body loves to read at night, imagining herself as the male lead. But honestly, it’s better to imagine being the female lead.”
“Oh, and objectification.” The Blood Consort winked her crimson eyes at Su Bai. “Objectification means treating people not as—mmph—”
A smooth, jade-like hand shot out and covered the young girl’s lips, cutting off her words. The other hand pinched her hard, as if venting inner frustration.
Su Bai clenched her teeth, her smile sweet yet dangerous. “You’re not allowed to talk about that. That’s the bottom line. If you say it, I’ll tear you apart!”
Seeing that the two women were about to start fighting, Zhou Xuan quickly stepped in to mediate. After a good deal of persuasion, he finally managed to calm them down.
As for why Su Bai and the Blood Consort, being the same person, could argue with each other, Zhou Xuan had already worked out the answer.
First, as ‘One Thought Begets Ten Thousand Forms’ grew more profound, its ‘Thousand-Faced Spiritual Mind’ allowed avatars to develop their own personalities and expressions, becoming increasingly diverse. In the words of the Old Ghost of Ten Thousand Transformations: Master had already gotten into character, immersing herself in her avatar roles.
Second, it reflected Master’s differing attitudes toward ‘falling to womanhood.’ The Blood Consort could be seen as the part of Master who had already embraced being a woman, while Su Bai still held to rules and masculine pride, belonging to the part that had not fully given in.
At that moment, the storytelling came to an end. The audience gradually drifted away in groups. The storyteller, still dressed as a Northerner, stepped down from the platform, completely ignoring the soundproof formation, and walked straight up to Su Bai and Zhou Xuan’s table, giving a slight bow.
He said,
“Mother, Big Brother, happy New Year.”