Conquering That Great Demon Lord [Xian Ni Fan Fiction] - Chapter 44: Storybook

Chapter 44: Storybook

Following Li Muwan’s wish, the two lived in the valley cottage for ten years. Li Muwan had said that every year on their wedding anniversary, they should plant a peach tree.

Though they had left Cloud Heaven Sect decades ago, she would plant one each year on July 17th in the valley cottage. Now, the hills behind the cottage had become a flourishing peach grove.

The ten newly planted trees of varying heights were those she had planted with Wang Lin over the past decade.

Wang Lin would regularly nourish her body with Spirit Elixir, yet he often found himself torn between despair and struggle. Li Muwan’s failed attempts at Nascent Soul Formation would eventually deplete her lifespan, but forcing the breakthrough carried immense risks.

Over the years, with Wang Lin’s constant companionship, she had grown indifferent to life and death. However, seeing how he wore himself out day and night for her, Li Muwan couldn’t bring herself to give up.

Wang Lin had pressured Azure Water Sect to refine life-extending Elixirs for Li Muwan, but her body could no longer withstand the backlash of another failed Nascent Soul Formation.

“Wang Lin, there are countless things in this world that cannot be forced. In my remaining days, Wan’er just wants to live peacefully without any more struggles.” Li Muwan smoothed his furrowed brow with her fingers.

“This time, let’s not think about cultivation levels or realms. Let’s experience the life of ordinary people, alright?”

Gazing into her sincere, beautiful eyes, Wang Lin couldn’t refuse her, yet he couldn’t bring himself to accept their fate either.

“Alright.”

Li Muwan cleared another plot of land in the cottage garden. This time, instead of medicinal herbs, she planted vegetable seeds obtained from another cultivator. Growing vegetables proved much harder than cultivating Spirit herbs. Having no experience, she could only imitate what she’d seen. After a month of careful tending, green leaves finally sprouted in the vegetable patch.

She danced joyfully among the vegetable rows, her sleeves fluttering.

Wang Lin carried water buckets for her while Li Muwan held a ladle, watering the plants scoop by scoop. Wang Lin’s gaze remained troubled as he watched her slender figure, his reluctance palpable with every movement.

Whenever Li Muwan took a step, he would follow closely. Once, he accidentally stepped on a thriving seedling. Li Muwan paused and glanced back at Wang Lin, chiding gently, “Senior Brother, could you watch your step? You stepped on them.”

“Sorry, Wan’er.” Wang Lin merely shifted his boot, his eyes never leaving her.

“Why are you so distracted?” Li Muwan put down the ladle and cupped his face.

Wang Lin managed a weak smile. Knowing what weighed on his mind, Li Muwan changed the subject: “Remember when you were a Cloud Heaven Sect disciple and I had you tend my herbs? You’d follow behind me just like this, carrying wooden buckets. When I explained the properties of Spirit herbs to you, you could never remember and kept asking me to slow down.”

She picked up the wooden ladle again to continue watering. “Back then I thought, how could someone be both poor at alchemy and have such bad memory?”

“But later I realized – Senior Brother was doing it on purpose. With your intelligence, how could you possibly fail to remember a few herbal properties? Wasn’t I right, Wan’er?”

Wang Lin gently brushed aside the stray hairs on her forehead, gazing at her tenderly. “Wan’er knows me well.”

The sun warmed their bodies, and sweat glistened on their skin after the labor. Li Muwan faced the wind with a bright smile. “Senior Brother, let’s have these vegetables for dinner tonight.”

“Alright,” Wang Lin agreed. During their seclusion, he usually did the cooking while Li Muwan tended the fire. Initially she thought Wang Lin wouldn’t know how to cook or clean, forgetting that during his decades of mortal life, he had lived through an entire lifetime as an ordinary person.

Kneeling by the stove, her face smudged with soot, Wang Lin watched without pointing it out, a constant smile playing on his lips.

Li Muwan found it strange how exceptionally cheerful he was today. It wasn’t until she returned to her room and removed her hair ornaments that she noticed the smudges on her petite face. Puffing her cheeks, she went to find Wang Lin, who was washing bowls in the courtyard.

With arms akimbo, she stood under the corridor lantern’s glow. Wang Lin straightened up nonchalantly, bowl still in hand. “What’s wrong, Wan’er?”

He was tall enough to need only a slight bend to reach the sink. Li Muwan widened her eyes. “Husband, you’re teasing me.”

“How so?” Wang Lin feigned innocence.

“You” she sputtered, “you clearly saw the dirt on my face. Not only did you not tell me, but you laughed so heartily!”

Wang Lin quirked his lips, set down the bowl, rinsed his hands, dried them, and called, “Come here.”

Sulking, Li Muwan stomped over, tilting her head back as she approached, almost pressing forward for him to see clearly.

“Were you laughing at me all along?”

“Like a little kitten. Adorable.” Wang Lin raised a finger to wipe the smudge away.

Li Muwan hmphed. “Is it clean now?”

“Spotless. Don’t believe me? See for yourself.” Wang Lin widened his eyes and leaned closer.

Li Muwan saw her reflection in his clear pupils and actually considered using them as mirrors. Unconsciously, she drew nearer. Wang Lin’s lips curved, his breath warm. Suddenly realizing, Li Muwan retreated and turned away. “Too dark. Can’t see anything.”

Watching her flustered back disappear into the bedroom, Wang Lin smiled indulgently and quickened his washing pace.

When he returned to the room, Li Muwan had already removed her makeup and hairpins and settled into bed. Wang Lin removed his outer clothes, his long hair cascading over the low couch first. Li Muwan, resting on the pillow, idly picked up a strand and twirled it around her finger.

With a slight mental command, Wang Lin brightened several candles in the room, especially those near the couch.

Lately, her complexion had improved greatly. Gazing at the beauty reclining before him, affection stirred anew. He leaned down, gathering her into his embrace, cherishing her.

“Earlier, Wan’er said she couldn’t see clearly. The room is bright now. Would you like to look again?”

Li Muwan’s chin was lifted, bringing his handsome features unbearably close. She yearned to touch them but feared igniting desire.

She dodged. “No, no need. A mirror shows clearer than Senior Brother’s eyes.” She tried to turn away, but Wang Lin gave no opportunity.

His arm tightened, pulling her back entirely into his embrace.

“Then look again.”

Li Muwan was taken aback. “I said I won’t.”

“Wan’er has said before that ‘no’ means ‘yes.’ No need to ask furtherjust act.” Wang Lin pressed her down, tugging open her inner garment.

“This time,” Li Muwan attempted to stop his movements, “this time doesn’t count.”

“Why doesn’t it count now?” Wang Lin looked bewildered, moving her hand aside as he murmured passionately, “Wan’er, I want to. I will.”

Knowing escape was impossible, Li Muwan actively met him. She undid his inner robe, her own slipping away. The candles burned bright until midnight. Li Muwan lay weakly within the light gauze curtains as Wang Lin rose to tidy up, blew out the candles. The person on the low couch drifted into drowsiness.

***

During leisure hours, Li Muwan would lie in the courtyard rocking chair reading romance novels. Once she held a book, she could be engrossed all day, even neglecting to water the vegetable gardenwhich then became Wang Lin’s task.

Unfamiliar with gardening, Wang Lin called out several times, “Wan’er, how much water do these need?”

The person immersed in the fictional world gave no response.

“Wan’er, what would you like for lunch? I’ll cook for you.”

“Hmm.” Came a perfunctory reply from the other side.

Wang Lin sensed something amiss, put down the wooden ladle, and quietly circled behind her. Leaning down, he squinted to read the storybook she was holding.

His relaxed brow gradually furrowed as he softly read the contents aloud, “Brother Gu gripped Tenth Lady’s slender waist and domineeringly asked, ‘Sister-in-law, am I more skilled than your husband?'”

Li Muwan’s eyes darkened, her earlobes instantly flushed red, and she snapped the book shut. Seizing the opportunity, Wang Lin snatched it from her hands, fluidly raising it overhead. “What kind of book is Wan’er reading?”

“Hmm?” Li Muwan urgently tried to reclaim it, standing up and pressing against him. “Give it back to me.”

Seeing her attempts, Wang Lin raised it higher, turning sideways to evade her grasp while flipping a page. He continued reading, “Tenth Lady’s waist swayed as she murmured indistinctly, ‘Brother Gu is so skilled…'”

“Ah! Stop reading!” Unable to retrieve the book, Li Muwan could only press against his chest. As Wang Lin persisted, she burned with embarrassment.

“What has Wan’er been reading?” Wang Lin closed the book, examining her with an amused smile.

Li Muwan stammered guiltily, “It’s… just an ordinary storybook.”

Seeing her flustered and blushing, Wang Lin’s playful spirit ignited. Though the book was closed, the words he’d just read lingered in his mind. He recited another line, “Would Tenth Lady like to feel more comfortable? Brother Gu will…”

“Ahhh! No more reading!” Li Muwan, unable to reclaim the book, could only cover his mouth and stomp her feet. “No more!”

Wang Lin finally relented but showed no intention of returning it. Li Muwan’s face flushed with embarrassment and frustration. “Give it back to me.”

He raised it higher. “I’ll return it if Wan’er can reach it.”

Despite standing on her toes, she couldn’t touch it. Wang Lin was too tall and deliberately kept it out of reach.

Li Muwan narrowed her eyes, brought two fingers together, and with a thought, summoned the book back into her hand. Without another word, she pushed Wang Lin away, turned, and returned to her room, remembering to lock the door behind her.

Wang Lin stood in the courtyard as a breeze swept by, carrying a few withered leaves. The silence deepened as he gazed at the tightly shut door, shaking his head helplessly yet wearing a faint smile.

“Has Wan’er gotten angry?” His voice drifted outside. Inside, the person holding the storybook reopened it, growing even more irritated upon seeing the lines Wang Lin had recited.

“Don’t you come in. Go away.” Li Muwan’s sulky voice emerged. Wang Lin smiled faintly as the Fiends gathered behind him, scratching their heads in sympathy.

Xiao Ling fluttered her wings, gesturing extensively. Wang Lin understood she wanted him to gather Spirit herbs and flowers from the valley to appease her. He didn’t listen. The mosquito beast nudged his Storage Bag with its proboscis twice, checking for any Magical Artifacts or Elixirs that might placate her.

The Great Ape offered his favorite Spirit Fruit, but Wang Lin didn’t accept it. The Thunder Frog poked its head out from the Spirit herb patch, croaked twice, and ducked back down.

Xu Liguo propped his chin and pinpointed the crux: “Master, when the mistress says ‘no,’ she means ‘yes.’ If she tells you not to enter and you just stand here, don’t expect her to pay you any mind.”

Xu Liguo’s words were crude but often effective. After a moment’s contemplation, Wang Lin cast a Restriction, isolating the Fiends.

The Fiends grumbled resentfully. Xu Liguo stomped his feet, complaining incessantly, “You little brat, so heartless, using us and discarding us.”

A gust of wind stirred the screen behind Li Muwan, and Wang Lin appeared beside her. “Wan’er, locking me out is truly cruel. What couple sleeps separately? How can you bear it?”

“Don’t touch me.” Li Muwan said sharply, her hand paused mid-air. Ignoring her resistance, Wang Lin reached out with his long arm and pulled her in.

Li Muwan suddenly felt herself lifted into the air as he took her original position, trapping her in his embrace against the desk with his arms on either side.

The romance novel had been moved away, now beyond her reach.

“Which is more captivating – the novel or me?” Wang Lin whispered against her cheek.

“Didn’t I tell you not to come in?” Li Muwan was still sulking.

“Wan’er once said that women often say the opposite of what they mean to their husbands. ‘Don’t’ means ‘do’.”

He had used this same line to coax her last time, and Wang Lin had memorized it well, employing it effortlessly now.

“When Wan’er tells me not to come in, she means she wants me to come in. When she says don’t touch, she means she wants me to touch her thoroughly.” Wang Lin recited her words with complete seriousness.

Thoroughly? The words echoed in Li Muwan’s mind, making her tremble involuntarily.

“You’re twisting my words.”

“Not twisting – this is exactly what Wan’er means.”

“How can you be so shameless?” Li Muwan fumed, feeling his hot breath by her ear.

“These skills of yours, Wan’er – I’m only discovering them now. Where did you learn them?”

Li Muwan’s mouth twitched. What skills was he talking about?

“What… what nonsense are you speaking?”

He took her delicate wrist, placing her slender pale fingers against his lips, his gaze burning as he said, “Wan’er has learned much from those novels. I’d like to see what other skills you’ve been hiding.”

Li Muwan was speechless. While she had indeed learned some techniques from the novels to keep him guessing, it wasn’t what he was implying.

“Whatever skills I have can’t compare to yours.” Li Muwan murmured.

“What?” Wang Lin lowered his voice. “What did Wan’er say?”

“Nothing. I want to sleep.” Li Muwan turned her face away, though her fingers remained captured in his grasp.

Wang Lin’s lips curved into a roguish smile as he lifted her and carried her to the bed. After gently laying her down, she nestled into the pillows and blankets, drowsiness quickly overtaking her.

Recently, Wang Lin had restrained himself, not pestering her excessively to avoid overtaxing her body during her recovery.

Li Muwan clearly felt that the person holding her had heavier breathing and heartbeat than usual. Though his arousal pressed against her, he took no further action, instead holding her like precious treasure, unwilling to loosen his grip, embracing her tightly, then tighter still.

Half-asleep, she felt suffocated by the closeness. When she emerged from the covers, her sleepy eyes met his star-like gaze – Wang Lin had been watching her, awake.

Having upset her the previous day, Wang Lin was searching through his Storage Bag for something to amuse her. Li Muwan entered carrying flower branches, which she arranged in a porcelain vase.

“Senior Brother, what are you looking for?”

“What would Wan’er like?” Wang Lin withdrew his Divine Sense.

“What would I like?” Li Muwan thought for a moment. “Senior Brother, you mentioned going to the Immortal Realm of Rain to seek opportunities. Did you find any treasures there?”

“And what is the Immortal Realm of Rain really like? Tell me everything.”

Li Muwan moved closer, sitting beside Wang Lin at the desk.

Wang Lin pondered briefly, then meeting her expectant gaze, said slowly: “Let me tell you a story, Wan’er – about a certain senior.”

Li Muwan’s interest was piqued, her eyes widening as she waited for him to continue.

After Wang Lin finished recounting the story of Zhou Yi and Ting’er, Li Muwan was completely captivated, several times unable to hold back her tears.

“To think such profound love truly exists in this world.” Li Muwan couldn’t help but marvel, then looking at the man before her, a fearful thought surfaced in her mind.

If I were to die, would Wang Lin also go to any lengths to awaken me like that senior did?

Then she smiled, for she did not wish Wang Lin to tread such a difficult path.

“Is the treasure pagoda Senior Brother mentioned with you?” Li Muwan asked.

Wang Lin took it out from his Storage Bag. “Yes, Senior Zhou Yi’s wife is inside.”

Li Muwan leaned against his chest, turning the pagoda over to examine it carefully before cautiously returning it to Wang Lin. “Since it’s a promise to Senior Zhou, Senior Brother should take good care of this pagoda.”

“Wan’er, see if there’s anything you like?” Wang Lin had placed the pagoda outside the valley to absorb the Yin-cold energy of this place. The Spiritual Energy emitted by the pagoda could temporarily suppress the death aura on Li Muwan.

The Storage Bag floated before her. Li Muwan extended her Divine Sense into itmost of the Magical Artifacts inside were unfamiliar to her. Suddenly, her senses brushed against one particular Magical Artifact.