Chapter 70: Living for You?

After leaving Benji, Nongli felt lightheaded and unsteady.

Usually, she would have dashed over to Aoki’s side, complaining nonstop about Benji this and that. But this time, she didn’t.

She staggered out of the room and found a tall tower inside Benji’s palace. There, she sat down and gazed at the moon.

Hatred and shame weighed heavily on her heart, making her afraid to take a deep breath. She clutched her chest and trembled softly.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to go back, but she didn’t know how to face Aoki.

Aoki’s two appearances were a mystery. Benji had mentioned it might be due to the cultivation of the Qi Technique.

Moreover, since her master Aoki remembered the contents of the Qi Technique, it meant one thing… he still retained memories of the Shadow Sword Immortal.

That implied… had he already discovered that she was the little fox from back then?

Faint memories surged to her mind. Nongli had been fed countless pills by Lin Qiyou in the grass, on the brink of exploding, when that person had saved her.

A misty face suddenly became clear—it was Aoki’s face.

He saved her, then let her go.

Afterwards, she had traveled over mountains and rivers to find his sect, and in that small courtyard… she had measured his size with her mouth, wanting to devour him…

“Ugh… why, why am I like this?”

Filled with regret, Nongli hugged her head, unable to believe that she had actually thought such things.

The so-called fuzzy memories, the inability to recall—it was all a lie. She had been deceiving Aoki.

Back then, she was nothing more than a demon wanting to devour humans. Even now, when in front of Aoki, she was always suppressing her true nature.

Had she really eaten him?

Had she really devoured him?

Had she truly devoured her master Aoki?

“Isn’t that… exactly like Lin Qiyou?”

Nongli didn’t want to use her immature intelligence and ignorance as an excuse. What was done was done…

She felt speechless facing Aoki, just like Lin Qiyou.

Lin Qiyou and the Lin family kept their master nearby, treating him like livestock.

And herself…

It was exactly the same. She and Lin Qiyou were equally rotten.

Every time she recalled Aoki’s gentleness, the image of him holding her to sleep, Nongli would pound her temples with her fists.

She hated herself, hated herself to the extreme.

Should she confess to her master?

Should she confess that the little fox from back then was herself?

Nongli wanted to punish herself this way; she wanted to see Aoki furious and disciplining her.

But she was still so afraid.

What if her master rejected her? What would she do then?

Maybe it was better not to say anything.

Nongli clung to the spire of the palace tower. Her golden fox ears drooped, moonlight shining on her face. Her scarlet eyes trembled as tears silently slid down.

She felt abandoned by herself—the self who thought she had no shame before Aoki.

So, she was also a perpetrator?

In fact, she had long sensed this, but didn’t want to admit it, dared not admit it, and avoided probing the truth.

Once you know, everything changes. Many things will never be the same again.

That was why she had lost her temper in front of Benji earlier.

“But if Master already knows, why does he pretend not to? What is Master’s real intention? Why does he still treat me so well?”

Nongli found no answers; her heart was full of doubts.

According to Benji, Master might have lost interest in Lin Qiyou or was avoiding him.

This meant Lin Qiyou had hurt Master deeply…

By all reason and justice, Lin Qiyou deserved to die!

“Allying with Benji is the right choice, allying with Benji is the right choice…”

Just now, Nongli had already made a deal with Benji. A trap was being prepared, and the next time Lin Qiyou set foot in the demon realm, they would strike.

Nongli would gain Benji’s friendship and Lin Qiyou’s death; Benji would obtain Lin Qiyou’s spiritual veins—a win-win situation.

However, Nongli didn’t think she should have made such an agreement with Benji.

Because she felt strong. Even when Benji said she couldn’t contend with him, she had still hidden part of her power.

If she just improved a little more, a little more, her ancient great demon bloodline would make her stronger. Then… perhaps even Benji wouldn’t be able to match her?

She couldn’t give up Master’s spiritual veins. If Benji wanted them, then he deserved to die too.

Then… she could just hand Lin Qiyou over to her master for disposal?

Nongli’s mind swirled with many possible outcomes and scenarios.

The night wind was cool. Her three tails wrapped around herself as she quietly gazed into the distance.

Silently, she made up her mind: she must protect her master.

“What are you thinking about?”

A magnetic male voice sounded beside her ear, causing Nongli to shiver but not turn to look.

“I’m asking you.”

“N-nothing… just anxious.”

“Hasn’t it already grown?”

Aoki sat down beside Nongli, reaching out to pull one of her tails onto his lap, gently stroking it.

Since the new tail had grown, Nongli no longer shed fur. The soft, white fox tail was incredibly smooth and pleasant to touch.

Nongli’s tails were sensitive; she frowned slightly but still let the remaining two tails fall onto Aoki’s legs.

“Master, why aren’t you sleeping?”

Nongli asked Aoki.

“Last time, I was gone for a long time from Benji. Didn’t you also come looking for me?”

Aoki countered.

But Nongli just felt that Aoki wasn’t being straightforward. If he couldn’t sleep, he should just say so. If he missed her, he should just say so. He always blurred and diluted these feelings of care.

This cautiousness was…

Nongli recalled the fragments she had learned from Benji.

A servant, even when facing the childhood friend of the young lady, had to restrain their emotions.

Maybe this was Master’s habit?

A bad habit, like a turtle hiding in its shell.

“You must have suffered a lot, haven’t you?”

“Master?”

Nongli retracted her tail and collapsed onto Aoki’s thigh. Her scarlet eyes fixed on his face.

“What’s wrong?”

Startled by Nongli’s action, Aoki gently pressed her brows with his fingers.

His index and middle fingers pressed lightly as if Nongli had no eyebrows. She closed her eyes under his touch.

“Why did Master come to me? What’s the reason?”

“Wasn’t it you who sought me out?”

Aoki smiled and retorted.

Nongli’s mind echoed with the moment she first met Aoki—the Six-Flavors Hall, the Shadow Sword Sect pursuit?

No, that wasn’t it.

It was in the grass, when Master saved her from death. That was their first meeting.

“No, it was Master who came looking for me.”

Nongli denied Aoki’s words.

Aoki was silent for a moment, then smiled indulgently and said, “Then, Master lives for you, doesn’t he?”

“Oh… my leg hurts.”

Nongli closed her eyes, grabbing Aoki’s hand and placing it on her thigh, letting him gently massage it.

After a few strokes, she suddenly burst into tears, murmuring apologies.