286: Chapter 286 The Previous Emperor's Lust, a Mismatched Matchmaker

[When Chu Sheng woke up, he found himself lying on a bed in a wooden cabin.]

[He propped himself up on the bed and sat up, seeing an old man sitting on the chair opposite him, his eyes closed as if he were dozing off.]

[Bai Hua stood behind the old man, holding a bowl of hot soup in her hands. Seeing him wake up, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.]

["You're awake? Drink some soup to nourish your body."]

[Chu Sheng took the soup and took a sip.]

[The soup was very savory, with a faint herbal fragrance. After entering his throat, it turned into a warm power and flowed into his Dantian.]

[His headache eased slightly.]

["Thank you." He returned the bowl to Bai Hua and looked at the old man, "Senior, who on earth are you?"]

[The old man opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing through his turbid eyes.]

["I... am the previous lust." His voice was very soft, as if speaking of a long-ago dream.]

[Chu Sheng's pupils contracted slightly.]

[The previous lust.]

[One of the Seven Paths, the inheritor of the Legacy of the Path of Desire.]

[But what was a bit strange was that one could no longer sense any Qi of lust on the old man's body.]

["How did you end up here?" Chu Sheng asked.]

[The old man fell silent for a moment, then slowly spoke.]

["Many years ago, I fought a battle against Gluttony. In that battle, I lost. I lost miserably."]

["His voice carried a hint of bitterness."]

["I was heavily injured and on the verge of death. In the end, I went to Tianmo Mountain to try my luck and stumbled into this Secret Realm. It was Die'er who saved me and nursed me back to health."]

[Bai Die stood behind him, lowering her head, her eyes slightly red.]

[The old man reached out and held Bai Die's hand.]

["After my injuries healed, I did not leave. It wasn't because I didn't want to, but..." He paused, glancing at Bai Die, "...because I couldn't bear to."]

[Chu Sheng did not speak.]

[He understood.]

[An injured demon and a lonely succubus had sparked a romance in this isolated Secret Realm.]

[There was nothing earth-shattering about it; love had simply grown over time.]

[The old man withdrew his gaze, looked at Chu Sheng, and asked a question that caught him by surprise.]

["How did the Devilish Qi of lust end up in your body? How did you obtain it?"]

[Chu Sheng fell silent for a breath.]

[He couldn't mention the simulator, nor could he mention drawing traits.]

[After a moment's thought, he said vaguely, "Through a coincidental Opportunity. This Junior also doesn't know how I obtained it."]

[The old man stared at him for a long while before nodding.]

["No matter how you obtained it, since you are here, it means it is destiny."]

[He sighed and continued.]

["After my injuries healed, I went down into the lake. The water in that lake contains the Old Ancestor's insights into heaven and earth, which is of immense benefit to those who Cultivate the Path of Desire. I cultivated in the lake for several hundred years, and my cultivation recovered quite a bit."]

["Later, Gluttony discovered this small world. He wanted to devour this place and turn everything into nothingness. I fought him once again, and this time, I still did not win."]

["But I didn't let him win either." His voice dropped even lower.]

["At the cost of my Devilish Qi of lust, I sealed this small world. Gluttony cannot enter, and I cannot leave."]

[Bai Die's tears fell, silently dripping onto the ground.]

[Bai Hua stood at the doorway, covering her mouth, her eyes also turning red.]

[Looking at the old man's wrinkled face, a complex wave of emotion suddenly surged in Chu Sheng's heart.]

[He thought to himself: 'Who would have thought that the previous lust was actually such a devoted lover.']

[For the sake of this small world and the creatures here, he trapped himself here and exhausted all of his Devilish Qi.]

[Chu Sheng fell silent for a moment, then said, "Senior, this Junior wishes to continue the trial."]

[The old man's brow furrowed.]

["Continue the trial? Do you know what lies below? At the bottom of that lake is a trial left behind by the Celestial Venerable. Even I do not dare to go down lightly. You, a mere Early Stage Dao Completion cultivator, would just be seeking death if you go."]

[Chu Sheng said, "This Junior knows it is dangerous. But I must go."]

[The old man asked, "Why?"]

[Chu Sheng said, "Because Pride is outside, and he has already declared himself the Demon Venerable."]

[The old man's pupils contracted sharply.]

["Pride? He has come as well?"]

[Chu Sheng nodded, "He is waiting for this Junior outside Tianmo Mountain. If I go out empty-handed, death is the only path."]

[The old man fell silent for a long time.]

[His fingers tapped lightly on his knee, as if he were making a difficult decision.]

["Pride..." he muttered to himself. "Has that little fellow also grown to such a level..."]

[He raised his head, looking at Chu Sheng with a deep gaze.]

["You cannot defeat him. Even if you obtain the Legacy of the Celestial Venerable, the current you still won't be able to defeat him. The Legacy requires time to digest, and he will not give you that time."]

[Chu Sheng did not speak.]

[He knew the old man was right.]

[But he had no way back.]

[The old man suddenly said something that surprised him.]

["Why don't you stay here?"]

[Chu Sheng was stunned for a moment.]

["This small world has been reinforced by me; ordinary cultivators of the Divine Ability Realm cannot break in. Even Gluttony had no way back then, and Pride will be the same. Stay here, Cultivate in peace, and go out once your cultivation is high enough."]

[Chu Sheng shook his head, "Senior, this Junior still has many people outside. I cannot abandon them."]

[The old man's brow furrowed even deeper.]

[He did not try to persuade him further, only sighing.]

[Then he suddenly raised his head, glancing at Bai Hua by the door, and then at Chu Sheng, the corners of his mouth slowly curling up.]

["Since you refuse to stay here to Cultivate, surely staying to get married is fine, right?"]

[Chu Sheng was dumbfounded.]

[Bai Hua's eyes widened.]

["This girl, though a succubus, has a good heart. The two of you should pair up and have a few kids, and I will help you raise them. Once your cultivation is sufficient, you can go out and fight Pride."]

[Bai Hua's face flushed red like a cooked shrimp. She stomped her foot, turned, and ran out.]

[Chu Sheng opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but nothing came out.]

[He thought to himself: 'This old man is really playing matchmaker arbitrarily.']

[The old man looked at him and smiled.]

[The smile was very warm, like a kindly elder looking at a Junior.]

["How about it? Think about it?"]

[Chu Sheng took a deep breath and exhaled the turbid air.]

["Senior, this Junior..."]

[The old man raised his hand to interrupt him.]

["No rush. Take your time thinking. I have plenty of time."]

[He closed his eyes, leaning back against the chair, and spoke no more.]

[Bai Die cast a complex glance at Chu Sheng, then lowered her head and said softly, "He hasn't been this happy in a very long time."]

[Chu Sheng sat on the bed, looking at the old man's aged face, remaining silent for a long time.]

[Outside the wooden cabin, Bai Hua ran into the garden, squatting among the flowers and burying her face in her knees.]

[The tips of her ears were bright red, her heart beating as fast as a drum.]

[She didn't know what she was expecting, nor did she know what she was afraid of.]

[She simply squatted there, staring blankly at the dirt beneath her feet.]

[The wind blew, and flower petals fell onto her hair, but she didn't brush them off.]

[In the distance, the door of the wooden cabin was open, casting a faint candlelight.]

[Chu Sheng's silhouette was projected onto the window, motionless like a statue.]

[Bai Hua raised her head, looking at that shadow, and bit her lip.]

[She suddenly stood up, patted the dirt off her skirt, and walked towards the wooden cabin.]

[After a few steps, she stopped again.]

[Standing in the garden, she could neither move forward nor retreat.]

[The wind blew again, and this time, even more petals fell, fluttering down like a colorful rain.]

[Bai Hua stood there, surrounded by petals, looking like someone standing inside a dream.]