Chapter 61
Translated by: hiohbye
Edited by: PlayerProphet
Hearing Bai Yang’s orders, the housekeeper immediately went to convene all the men in the courtyard and ordered them into neat rows. Bai Yang gave them all a cursory look; there seemed to be about about a dozen people.
Having been summoned so suddenly, none of the men understood what was going on. They exchanged uneasy looks, trying to make sense of why Bai Yang had called them out. Everyone was at a loss. In the end, no one had an answer.
Bai Yang, bedecked in a black robe lined with golden thread, stepped forward. His robe and loosely-bound dark locks complemented his pale skin. Emotionless eyes looked over the scene before him. Everyone straightened their backs, no longer daring to gossip amongst themselves.
The atmosphere became serious at once.
Bai Yang walked around them slowly, revealing nothing. Finally, he stopped in front of a tall, thin and handsome man. “You, step forward.”
The man, not knowing whether to feel happiness or fear at being singled out, stepped forward. His entire body trembled.
Bai Yang didn’t look at him. He continued to walk through the crowd of men.
The other men stood, rigid and silent, awaiting Bai Yang’s order.
Bai Yang chose five men, all of whom fit into the handsome and masculine mold.
“From this evening on, you five will visit my room on alternating days.” Bai Yang flung out his sleeve and left.
Bai Yang’s gait was relaxed, but the crowd behind him exploded like cold water poured into boiling oil.
“Is the Lord looking for people to attend him in bed?” There was shock.
“The five of you are so lucky! What did the Lord see in you?” There was envy and jealousy.
“Why? Why didn’t the Lord choose me?” There was grief.
“It seems that Qinghe is about to lose favor?” There was glee and gloating.
Bai Yang did not know about the turbulent new developments in his harem. He returned to his room and to his life as a NEET.
It wasn’t that he wanted to become a NEET, but rather because he had to cultivate and feed the gu inside of him, or else he risked dying before the male lead ascended.
Of course, he had never considered curing □□ like that, as the novel said that it was incurable. Since that was the case, he felt no need to worry. He would live another two years or so and finish his mission.
He would die sooner or later, no matter what. There was no need to be stuck on thoughts like that.
After cultivating for a day, he chose one of the men to accompany him into his room at night.
Bai Yang, seeing him enter, knew that he had just washed. His body was not only clean, but perfumed. The perfume seemed to be on the heavier side, as if the man was afraid Bai Yang wouldn’t notice it.
He was wearing the translucent white robe Bai Yang had seen before. At a glance, Bai Yang knew he was wearing nothing underneath.
...his eyes burned.
Bai Yang had to admit, the man was extremely attractive. He was well-proportioned, and had a six-pack. He was nothing at all like Xiao Tao, who was a ...white cut chicken. in comparison.
But it was nothing in comparison to the Demon King’s… wait, why am I always thinking about him?
I just want to know if I’m interested in other men or not. Don’t think about other things!
Bai Yang shook off his thoughts, then beckoned the man to approach.
The man’s face showed a trace of happiness. He rushed to Bai Yang’s side, murmuring, “My Lord.”
“What’s your name?” Bai Yang asked.
The man was surprised that Bai Yang forgot his name. His face revealed a trace of disappointment before it was concealed. He lowered his head: “This concubine is called Yang Liu.”
…can a man call himself a concubine?
When Xiao Tao called himself a concubine, Bai Yang accepted it because he looked like a woman. But for Yang Liu, whose body emitted zero feminine energy and was a pure, hot-blooded man, to call himself a concubine… Bai Yang felt his body go numb, as if he had been struck by heavenly lightning.
“Yang Liu, is it? In the future, don’t call yourself a concubine.”
Yang Liu raised his head in shock. “Then what should this concubine call himself?”
“Just use your name.”
Yang Liu’s face revealed a surprised expression before he knelt onto the floor. “Thank you, My Lord!”
Bai Yang was stunned at Yang Liu’s reaction, before recalling that the novel had mentioned it was a great honor if servants and concubines used their own names. Suddenly, he realized why Yang Liu was so happy.
“Rise,” Bai Yang, and reached down to undo his own robes.
He didn’t want to be messing around with a man in a room for longer than necessary, so Bai Yang resolved to be decisive and end it as soon as he confirmed his own feelings.
The man stood up. Bai Yang had already stripped everything waist-up, revealing the strong frame underneath.
Yang Liu’s face flushed red, but he kept his cool, as if he was very experienced in serving in the bedroom already. “My Lord, your body is so beautiful.”
He leaned forward as he spoke, a charming smile on his face.
His expression was extremely offensive to the eye.
He would never smile like this, Bai Yang thought.
He immediately lost any will to continue.
“My Loooooord~,” Yang Liu whined coyly.
Bai Yang shuddered and resisted the urge to push him away.
Yang Liu leaned over. His strong and robust body moved like a weak, boneless snake. If a gay man were to be tormented by Yang Liu like this, perhaps they would be excited, but all Bai Yang could feel was a full-body numbness, like he’d been bitten by a bug.
Yang Liu caressed Bai Yang’s body, and he could not endure any more. He grabbed Yang Liu’s hand.
“You should leave.”
Yang Liu’s face was red, and his gaze amorous, his eyes filled with autumn ripples about to soften into a pool of spring water. Upon hearing Bai Yang’s words, his expression froze, and he stiffened.
“My… my Lord?”
“You should leave,” Bai Yang said. He stood up, dressing himself.
Yang Liu panicked. He knelt on the ground. “My Lord, may I ask if I did something wrong?”
As Bai Yang put on his robe, he thought: Brother, you’ve done nothing wrong, it’s just that I can’t take it anymore.
“Not in the mood. You should leave.” Bai Yang waved his hand, gesturing for Yang Liu to leave.
Yang Liu’s eyes filled with tears. Unlike Xiao Tao, however, who’d fled while sobbing, he endured, and reluctantly left.
As soon as he was gone, Qing He rushed in. If Bai Yang hadn’t sent Yang Liu out, it seemed that Qing He would have broken in by herself.
“Lord Xie!” Qing He called out. “I heard that you ordered five men to take turns accompanying you every night from now on?”
How come this sounded so weird when she said it?
Bai Yang coughed. “Yes.”
“My Lord, this is a critical time,” Qing He said. “You must focus on your career. Don’t let a few pretty faces delay your future prospects.”
“His Majesty told me to recuperate at home. So what if I find some people to accompany me?” Bai Yang said. “His Majesty only warned me not to get obsessed with beauties. It’s not like he told me not to touch anyone.”
Qing He was at a loss for words.
When the Demon King dispatched her, he didn’t explicitly order her to forbid Xie Ze Tian from getting involved with anyone. She’d a.s.sumed that on her own. If what she suspected was correct, the Demon King had some feelings for Xie Ze Tian, and would not allow him to sleep with other people.
However, if the Demon King really liked Xie Ze Tian, and wasn’t willing to see him touch anybody else, then why didn’t he forbidt Xie Ze Tian from growing his harem one person at a time?
If you liked someone, you wouldn’t let them bring beauties home to raise!
With Bai Yang stopping her like this, Qing He couldn’t say anything. After all, she was only a concubine, not Bai Yang’s superior. She had no power to stop him.
What was wrong with justly and fairly sleeping with one’s own beauties?
Qing He fell into a bewildered silence.
After a while, she asked, “If My Lord wants someone to accompany him, Qing He can…”
“I only want those five,” Bai Yang said.
“Why?” Qing He asked. She couldn’t understand. “What aspect of me isn’t better than them?”
Bai Yang sunk into thought, then said, “You are a woman, and not as handsome as they are.”
Qing He: “…”
Speechless, Qing He covered her face and ran out.
She’d always flaunted her beauty and had never failed at seducing a man. She found herself stumbling again and again in front of the Demon Lord and Xie Ze Tian. This time, she’d even gone so far as to offer herself, only to be rejected…
Ahhhhh! Just let her die!
And so another person ran out of Bai Yang’s room in pain.
If it was Xiao Tao being kicked out, like last time, everyone would think it was funny. If it was Yang Liu being kicked out, everyone would continue to laugh. However, with Qing He being kicked out… the laughter ended.
Over the next few days, people were driven out one after another. Some of them felt that because Qing He had fallen out of favor, their opportunity had come to try and climb into Xie Ze Tian’s bed. In the end, Bai Yang was driven to extreme irritation. Some people were even thrown straight out of the room.
After a while, the people in the courtyard grew anxious.
When Bai Yang tried for two consecutive days and found that he still couldn’t endure any men, he released a deep breath.
Good. He was still straight!
His reaction that day was an accident! It would never happen again
What he felt for the Demon King was merely grat.i.tude.
After making his conclusion, he gave up on his experiment. The sample was sufficient enough to confirm he was straight.
While wondering how exactly he was going to repay the Demon King, one of the Demon King’s servants appeared and invited him to the Palace of Eternal Darkness.
It’s over, Bai Yang thought. His pleasant vacation had ended.
He obediently followed after the servant. This time, he was not taken to the main hall, but after turning to a convoluted route six or seven times, was brought to another place.
Bai Yang was a little puzzled at the new route. “Where exactly is His Majesty?”
The palace official who led the way said, “We’re almost there.”
Bai Yang patiently followed after. They walked through a side hall and into a small garden.
Plants in the Demon Realm were spa.r.s.e, and those that could survive the miasma were not ordinary. While most of the plants were grotesque and strangely shaped, the flowers in that garden were extremely beautiful.
The first thing Bai Yang saw in the garden was the Demon King.
He was wearing a wide black robe, sitting on the viewing platform amidst the garden and playing weiqi by himself.
“Your Majesty,” the palace official said, retreating.
Bai Yang approached and said, “Your Majesty.”
“You’re here?” the Demon King spoke indifferently.
If Bai Yang heard him being addressed like this in the past, he wouldn’t have thought much of it, since the Demon King was cold and distant to everyone. This time, he felt that the Demon King was upset.
Did I provoke him somehow?
Bai Yang thought back through his memories but realized that he hadn’t seen much of the Demon King, so how could he have annoyed him? He felt relieved.
Something else must have happened.
Bai Yang walked to his side. “Your Majesty, you don’t seem to be in a good mood.”
The Demon King raised an eyebrow at him and said, “Sit.”
Bai Yang sat across from him.
The Demon King did not say anything, and continued to play weiqi.
Did the Demon King call me over just to watch him play weiqi? Bai Yang wondered.
His mood was bad, he wasn’t speaking… why was he making it so awkward?
“Xiao Ling?”
“What is it, sir?”
“What’s wrong with the Demon King? When he doesn’t speak, it’s terrifying.”
“He’s just like that. He has a cold disposition, but he is usually warm to you. Since he’s this cold today, he’s probably angry with you.”
“I haven’t even seen him in days, what did I do to upset him?
“Just ask yourself, sir.”
One person and one system discussed the situation for a long time, but couldn’t figure it out. Just as they two were about to continue the conversation, there was a light snort.
Bai Yang looked at the Demon King’s face to find his expression seemed a little sinister.
Bai Yang was even more confused. The Demon King called him over, didn’t say anything to him, and now was glaring at him… what happened for the Demon King’s symptoms to get this serious?
They looked at each other.
After a while, Bai Yang realized the Demon King was waiting for him to speak.
“Do you have something you want to say, Your Highness?” Bai Yang asked, probing out the situation.
The Demon King gave another cold snort, but, as before, did not say anything.
Bai Yang couldn’t understand what was going out. The Demon King called for him, yet would not say anything… What did it mean?
Awkwardly sitting there wasn’t cutting it. Bai Yang said, “If Your Highness has no other orders for me, then this subordinate will retire first…”
Before he could stand up, the Demon King slammed a single black weiqi stone onto the table. “You don’t have an explanation for me?”
“Explanation? What do you mean?” Bai Yang was confused.
The Demon King’s expression became colder, and his fury grew another three levels.
Bai Yang was at a loss. “Xiao Ling, Xiao Ling, what does he want? What does he want me to explain?”
“How would I know?” Xiao Ling replied.
The Demon Lord wasn’t giving him anything. Bai Yang thought for a while, before deciding that he had to ask directly. “Your Majesty, what do you mean? Please tell me frankly.”
After knowing him for a year, he was no longer scared by the Demon King’s fury.
The Demon King stared at his guileless face, before coldly saying, “I had you go home to rest because I was considerate of the fact you had just been poisoned by the gu. But what did you end up doing? Fooling around with a bunch of men every day, happily embracing one on the left and hugging one on the right. Look how courageous you’ve become!”
Bai Yang was at a loss of words. The news of him and his harem had somehow reached the Demon King’s ears, and he’d summoned Bai Yang to criticize him.
“Your Highness, I didn’t!” Bai Yang denied it. “I didn’t play around with anyone, please, believe me!”
“Still spouting useless drivel!” The Demon King was outraged. “You ordered five men to serve you in turn, and you’re denying it? Xie Ze Tian, ah, Xie Ze Tian, I knew that your courage was great, but I never thought your courage would be this limitless! To do these things behind my back, do you think I’m dead?”
As he said the last sentence, he slapped his palm onto the table. The jade table shattered into a pile of small pebbles.
Bai Yang was stunned. He didn’t expect the Demon King would be so angry. When he refused to speak when Bai Yang arrived, he’d actually been holding back his rage.
If that palm had hit his body, he would have lost the game instantly.
Bai Yang was terrified and sprung to provide an explanation. “Your Highness, you misunderstand me! Those people didn’t accompany me to bed, and I threw each of them out. If Your Highness does not believe me, you can ask Qing He! She knows about this situation.”
“Really?” the Demon King asked suspiciously.