Artifact Chapter 78: Sweet, Sweet, Sweetness {END}

 

Chapter 78: Sweet, Sweet, Sweetness {END}

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

 

After the sleepless battle on Wumian Mountain, ten years had passed.

At noon, the sunlight was just right.

“Your sitting posture isn’t correct—do it again,” a deep, raspy voice suddenly rang out.

“Enough!” another voice groaned in frustration, shouting angrily, “You said this was the last time! Why does it never end? With Master and Ming Duo returning from their travels today, how could—how could you—”

The first man chuckled softly, his voice low. “Brother, what are you trying to say? Are you accusing me of daytime debauchery?”

“You! Ah—”

Ambiguous sounds echoed, rising and falling, before finally ceasing a long while later.

Two strikingly handsome men emerged from the room. One was dressed in elegant black robes, his appearance breathtaking, while the other wore a simple white robe. His calm demeanor mirrored distant mountains, though his flushed cheeks, tear-streaked eyes, and dazed black pupils hinted at a recent intimate encounter.

The two were Lu Ming and Sang Wusheng.

Seeing his brother’s current state, Sang Wusheng’s gaze darkened. He raised a hand to touch Lu Ming’s cheek, squinting as he murmured, “Brother, I want—”

“Don’t even think about it,” Lu Ming swatted the hand away lazily, casting a cold glance. “If you dare to act out again, go back to the demon realm.”

Feeling wronged, Sang Wusheng hugged Lu Ming tightly, resting his head on his shoulder. “I just came back from the demon realm a few days ago, and now you want to send me away again?”

Lu Ming sighed and asked, “Have you spoken to Shen Mu yet?”

Sang Wusheng stiffened, a frustrated tone in his voice. “I don’t want to talk to him.”

Lu Ming gently patted his shoulder and softened his tone. “Don’t be childish. Shen Mu is still your father. One day, the demon realm will likely fall into your hands, and you’ll need to learn from him.”

Sang Wusheng scoffed. “If he hadn’t indulged himself recklessly and gotten injured during that righteous cultivator siege, Mother and I wouldn’t have suffered so much. Even Mother—”

His voice broke, and Lu Ming’s heart ached. He quickly pulled Sang Wusheng into a comforting embrace. “Don’t be sad. Didn’t you already avenge your mother against the Sang family? She can rest in peace now.”

Hearing this, Sang Wusheng smiled tearfully. “You’re right. She’ll be at peace knowing I have you to take care of me.”

Lu Ming broke into a cold sweat. Are you sure your mother would approve of you being with another man like this?

Shaking off the thought, Lu Ming released Sang Wusheng and led him toward the He Residence’s main hall.

From afar, they heard a sharp female voice berating someone. “I told you two to hang this painting days ago! Why are you only doing it now after I had to chase you down? If you can’t even handle this, what good are you?”

Lu Ming glanced over to see a young woman in a light pink gown standing at the hall entrance, her eyes blazing as she glared at two servants attempting to hang a mural.

Lu Ming smiled faintly and called out from a distance, “Fu Shu.”

Hearing his voice, the woman’s frosty expression melted instantly. She broke into a radiant smile and ran over, wrapping her arm around Lu Ming’s. “Young Master, why are you so late?”

Lu Ming chuckled indulgently and was about to reply when Sang Wusheng, his face dark as coal, cut him off with a sinister tone. “What else? My brother has been… entwined with me all day—ow!”

Lu Ming stomped on Sang Wusheng’s foot, silencing his nonsense.

Fu Shu shot Sang Wusheng a cold glance, then dramatically clutched her forehead. “Young Master, I feel a terrible headache coming on.”

Lu Ming’s expression shifted. He reached for her wrist to check her pulse, frowning. “You don’t seem too unwell. Perhaps you’ve been overworking yourself with household matters?”

Fu Shu straightened up and declared earnestly, “If it’s for the Young Master, a little exhaustion is nothing.”

Before Lu Ming could respond, Sang Wusheng snorted loudly, rolling his eyes at Fu Shu before grabbing Lu Ming’s arm. “Brother, I smell Master’s scent. They must be close. Let’s go greet them!”

Lu Ming’s eyes lit up with joy as he let Sang Wusheng pull him toward the gate.

Behind them, Fu Shu fumed. “Do you have the nose of a dog? Why are you smelling people?!”

Lu Ming chuckled under his breath. These two had been at odds since childhood, constantly bickering and clashing. Even now, it was the same daily drama. He, caught in the middle, could only shake his head in helpless amusement.

After resolving past events, Lu Ming had sealed the Zen Mountain cave with countless barriers and left with Sang Wusheng. He used the blood creek grass to refine medicine, saving Fu Shu from her condition. Over a month, she recovered, but her once gentle demeanor shifted, becoming fiery and headstrong, though her heart remained kind.

Sang Wusheng, aware of the harm he had caused Fu Shu, knew it weighed on Lu Ming’s mind. Quietly, he sought her out.

“What do you want?” Fu Shu asked coldly.

Sang Wusheng met her gaze without emotion. “Even if time rewound, I wouldn’t regret my actions that day.”

“You—” Fury flashed in her eyes. “How could you be so cruel? Someone like you doesn’t deserve his love.”

Sang Wusheng laughed darkly, his gaze sharp and terrifyingly devoted. “My brother is too kind and too rational. If I didn’t push him, he’d never be mine alone. You had feelings for him once, and I can’t risk you becoming a problem in the future. To have him entirely, I’d destroy everything without hesitation. He’s my whole world.”

Fu Shu was startled by his words, then sighed. “As long as he’s happy, that’s all I want. But if you want to truly free him of the knot in his heart over us, you’ll have to hurt yourself. Give him a reason to let go.”

Sang Wusheng’s expression grew complicated, but he ultimately gathered his energy and struck his chest. Blood dripped from his lips as his face paled. Without a word, he turned and left.

Years later, Sang Wusheng still remembered Fu Shu’s expression that day.

Love was the hardest trial of all—inescapable and relentless. Even if it meant shattering completely, he couldn’t let go.

When Lu Ming found out Sang Wusheng had shattered his core in penance, he could only sigh deeply.

Tangled grudges were like knotted threads—impossible to unravel. Perhaps it was better to burn it all away. Sang Wusheng’s choice brought peace for all three of them. Fu Shu survived, and he and Sang Wusheng could stay together without constant fear.

Yet, Fu Shu still believed someone as good as Lu Ming didn’t deserve to be monopolized by a demon like Sang Wusheng. Whenever she found an opportunity, she would provoke him, unable to resist.

Their constant sparring continued for years, with Lu Ming turning a blind eye. He was more preoccupied with his master and Ming Duo, whom he hadn’t seen in a decade. When he received word of their visit, he eagerly told Sang Wusheng, who rushed back from the demon realm.

Now, the two stood at the He Residence gates, watching the road.

After a while, two figures appeared—a young man in blue and another in white. The blue-robed youth pouted unhappily, prompting the white-robed man beside him to flick his forehead with a smile. The pair was none other than Yun Luan and Ming Duo.

Seeing Lu Ming from afar, Yun Luan smiled brightly and called out, “Qingci!”

Lu Ming smiled at him. Once the two got closer, he bowed to Yunluan and said, “Master, you’ve finally appeared.”

Yun Luan smiled and nodded, immediately pulling the young man hiding behind him, too shy to show himself. He scolded jokingly, “Weren’t you talking nonstop about Qingci along the way? Saying you wanted to apologize properly—why are you chickening out now, hmm?”

Ming Duo’s face flushed red as he was dragged in front of Lu Ming. He avoided eye contact, stammering, “Don’t say it out loud!”

Lu Ming couldn’t help but laugh. He reached out, ruffled Ming Duo’s hair, and said, “Alright, I forgive you. Don’t be shy.”

Ming Duo, his face red like dripping blood, slapped Lu Ming’s hand away and snapped, “Who’s shy?!”

Lu Ming held back his laughter. “Alright, you’re not shy. Just don’t act foolish next time.”

Ming Duo didn’t know what “foolish” meant, but his instincts told him it wasn’t a compliment.

Sang Wusheng, watching his older brother laugh like this—something he never did with him—pouted unhappily and interrupted, “Standing at the door talking isn’t fun. Brother, let’s go inside.”

Lu Ming nodded, and they entered the He Residence.

The He family, ever since Lu Ming returned ten years ago, had renovated the estate. Gone were the overly luxurious decorations, replaced with elegant yet dignified designs, befitting their status as the top clan in the cultivation world.

Ten years ago, when Lu Ming became the head of the clans, he quickly established his authority with an iron fist, suppressing the families into submission. Of course, without the support of two other forces, his success wouldn’t have been so swift.

One was the demonic faction led by Sang Wusheng, who placed spies in each family to exploit weaknesses and paralyze them. The other was a mysterious force that Lu Ming had only uncovered after years of investigation. This group had long been secretly eroding the clans’ power, leaving them hollow. Their efforts paved the way for Lu Ming’s rise.

Lu Ming glanced at Ming Duo, who was only a few steps ahead of him, and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Though Ming Duo seemed naïve and harmless, he was anything but that. In just a few years, he had managed to ruin several clans, using ruthless and decisive methods rarely seen.

Feeling Lu Ming’s gaze, Ming Duo grew uneasy and glared at him. “Why are you staring at me like that?”
Lu Ming snapped out of his thoughts, smiled faintly, and transmitted a message telepathically: “Foxes often pretend to be pitiful to deceive others. If you can’t hide your tail well and it’s exposed, the hunter will catch you.”

The warning wasn’t lost on Ming Duo. He glanced at Yun Luan, who stood nearby with a gentle smile, then lowered his head, dejected. “Don’t worry… I won’t do it again.”

“Good,” Lu Ming interrupted before Mingduo could finish. He smiled and said, “Come sit with me in the main hall. I have many questions for you.”

Eager to change the topic, Ming Duo nodded quickly. “We’ve visited so many fun places these past ten years—we could talk for three days straight and not finish!”

Lu Ming smiled as he nodded.

Following behind them, Yun Luan and Sang Wusheng exchanged puzzled looks. The two were speaking in cryptic half-sentences. Had they missed something again?

The group settled in the main hall, chatting about old stories in a warm atmosphere.

Suddenly, Yun Luan said, “Qingci, are you aware that you’re missing a fragment of your soul?”

Lu Ming froze. A memory flashed before his eyes—over a decade ago, when he had nearly succumbed to a heart demon. It was Ze Yu who had saved him. Back then, Ze Yu had also mentioned something about a missing piece of his soul. But since Lu Ming hadn’t felt any physical discomfort or setbacks in his cultivation, he hadn’t thought much of it. Now, Yunluan had brought it up again, and he remembered.

Lu Ming frowned slightly and nodded. “I’ve known about it for a while, but I don’t know the cause or where to start looking, so I stopped worrying about it.”

Yun Luan nodded. “Over ten years ago, I noticed it as well. I secretly searched for it but discovered that the missing fragment doesn’t seem to be in this world.”

Sang Wusheng’s heart skipped a beat. He knew his brother wasn’t from this world. If Yun Luan was right, then the missing piece might have been left in the world his brother once belonged to.

A sudden panic gripped Sang Wusheng. He instinctively grabbed Lu Ming’s hand, holding it tightly as if afraid to let go.

Lu Ming’s heart softened. He patted Sang Wusheng’s hand and said gently, “Don’t worry, it’ll be alright.”

But Sang Wusheng couldn’t shake his unease, his expression heavy with concern. Lu Ming felt a pang in his heart as he looked at him. If the soul fragment truly remained in the modern world, the implications were too grave to contemplate.

That night, as the two lay in bed, Sang Wusheng didn’t try any tricks. Instead, he clung tightly to Lu Ming, burying his face in his shoulder. His voice choked as he said, “Brother, I’m scared.”

Lu Ming chuckled, brushing his hand through Sang Wusheng’s hair. “What are you afraid of?”

Sang Wusheng sniffled. “I’m afraid you’ll leave me. I keep having the same dream—a dream where you go to a strange place I’ve never seen before. I call for you, but you can’t see me… I also see you trapped in a box, wearing weird clothes.”

Lu Ming’s heart went cold. The place Sang Wusheng described was undoubtedly the modern world. And the “box” he mentioned was likely a television or computer screen. In his previous life, he had been an actor, so it wasn’t surprising for him to appear on screen.

Taking a deep breath, Lu Ming wrapped his arm around Sang Wusheng and said softly, “I won’t leave you. Even if I must, I’ll find a way to take you with me.”

Sang Wusheng didn’t understand what Lu Ming meant, but he knew his brother wouldn’t leave him behind. He looked up, his eyes bright, and leaned in to bite Lu Ming’s lips. “Brother, I love you so much—so much I just want to lock you by my side and spend every moment with you.”

Lu Ming, used to Sang Wusheng’s occasional nonsense, retaliated by biting him back. Sang Wusheng yelped in pain, releasing Lu Ming and pouting. “Brother, you’re so mean—you made me bleed.”

Lu Ming squinted his eyes, leaned in, and licked Sang Wusheng’s bitten lip before whispering in his ear, “You can bite me back.”

Sang Wusheng’s eyes darkened, his breathing quickened. He pinned Lu Ming down, grinding his large, erect member against him. In a husky voice, he said, “Brother, you’re seducing me.”

Lu Ming smirked, wrapping his pale arms around Sang Wusheng’s neck. “So, are you going to do it or not? If not, I’ll take over.”

Overcome by desire, Sang Wusheng ripped open Lu Ming’s clothes. Barely restraining himself, he prepared him briefly before lifting one of Lu Ming’s legs and thrusting in without hesitation.

 

=============== The Harmonious Wind Sweeps Across the Land ==================

In a dream, Lu Ming had a peculiar vision.

The person who had only appeared once in his dreams stood before him again.

Lu Ming looked at the familiar face and softly said, “You’re here.”

The figure nodded with a faint smile and replied, “Yes, I’m here again.”

The visitor, dressed in white robes, was strikingly beautiful and androgynous—the original owner of Lu Ming’s body, He Qingci.

Feeling an instinctive connection between his missing fragment of the soul and this person, Lu Ming asked softly, “Is my missing soul tied to you?”

He Qingci smiled and nodded. “I’ve been dormant within your body all along. That fragment of the soul sustains my form.”

Lu Ming frowned and asked, “Since the moment I entered this body?”

He Qingci nodded again. “I didn’t die when Sang Wusheng killed me in my past life. Ze Yu rescued me and brought me back to the immortal realm. But my inner demons ran deep, and my obsession consumed me. If left unchecked, I would’ve fallen to the demonic path. So, I chose to slumber within this body, hoping you might help resolve my hatred.”

Lu Ming thought for a moment before speaking. “Ze Yu once said I came to this world because of a promise I made to you.”

He Qingci nodded and replied softly, “In our past life, I saved your people, and you swore to grant me a promise with your life. If I told you that everything you’ve endured was because of me—or simply the result of a bet—would you blame me?”

Lu Ming chuckled lightly, his expression serene. “Without that promise or bet, I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t have met him. I’ve never regretted what I’ve gone through, nor do I dwell on what I’ve gained or lost.”

After a pause, Lu Ming added, “I won’t try to persuade you. I only hope my promise to you holds the greatest value. You had other paths you could’ve taken in your past life, yet you chose the hardest one. Sang Wusheng owed you nothing—it was you who pushed him to the brink. His killing you out of anger was your own doing.”

He Qingci froze momentarily, a mist forming in his eyes. He closed them and turned away, a faint smile on his lips. “You’re right.”

Lu Ming sighed softly. “There’s no absolute dead end in this world, nor endless despair. If you choose hatred, you’ll never see hope. You once saved countless lives, and even though you later committed sins, Ze Yu saved you, granting you a chance to repent. You’ve endured a lifetime of hardship, repaying your karmic debts. Now that you have a chance at life, don’t waste it.”

He Qingci remained silent for a long time before finally nodding. With his back to Lu Ming, he began walking forward, speaking softly as he went, “I no longer need your soul. I’ll return it to you. I’m leaving—may we never meet again.”

Lu Ming nodded gently, watching He Qingci’s figure disappear into the darkness. He sighed softly—this might truly be their final meeting. At last, everything seemed resolved.

It was time for him to wake up. Someone was still waiting for him.

“Brother, are you okay?” A worried voice suddenly echoed near his ear.

Lu Ming opened his eyes, and a handsome face came into view. The man’s eyes were filled with panic as he held Lu Ming’s neck with one hand and gently patted his cheek with the other.

Lu Ming reached out to touch Sang Wusheng’s face and softly said, “Idiot, I’m fine. I’ll always be fine from now on.”

Sang Wusheng stared at Lu Ming in a daze for a few seconds before stammering, “Brother, your… your soul.”

Lu Ming smiled and nodded, then leaned up to kiss Sang Wusheng’s lips. Watching Sang Wusheng stare at him like a fool, he couldn’t help but laugh. “Why are you acting dumb?”

Suddenly, Sang Wusheng hugged Lu Ming tightly, his body trembling. Choking back sobs, he stammered, “I’m so happy, Brother. I’ve never been this happy. You’ll never leave me again, right?”

Lu Ming was moved. He hugged Sang Wusheng tightly in return, tears welling in his eyes. Choked with emotion, he whispered, “I told you—we still have a long journey ahead. I’ll always stay with you. Both my body and heart are yours alone…”

Before he could finish, Lu Ming suddenly froze. He felt something hot pressing against him, growing more intense by the second.

His tears vanished instantly. Gritting his teeth, he glared at Sang Wusheng. He had barely managed to say something romantic, and this guy was already in heat again!

Lu Ming’s chest ached with anger. He couldn’t help but curse, “You—”

Before he could finish, Sang Wusheng’s burning lips captured his, their fiery passion stealing away Lu Ming’s reason as his consciousness spiraled.

After a long, fervent kiss, Sang Wusheng finally pulled back, licking Lu Ming’s slightly swollen lips with satisfaction. He murmured teasingly, “Brother, you’re getting better at seducing me. Saying things like how your body and heart belong to me—weren’t you practically begging for it?”

Furious, Lu Ming smacked Sang Wusheng’s head, shouting angrily, “Don’t overthink it!”

Rubbing his head in mock grievance, Sang Wusheng snorted, “What’s there to be shy about? I’ve got all the energy you need, no matter how much you want.”

 

 

 

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