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Chapter 116 - 116: At Night!
The thick forest loomed around them, a labyrinth of gnarled roots and whispering leaves. Di Yalan moved swiftly, carrying Mu Yu Die on her back, her steps light but deliberate.
Yang Kai trailed close behind, his sharp eyes scanning the undergrowth for signs of danger. Whenever he spotted the faint claw marks or broken twigs signaling a demon beast's passage, he signaled Di Yalan with a low whistle, prompting her to shift their path.
Mo Yanyu, her wrists still faintly marked from the vines Yang Kai had used to bind her earlier, followed in tense silence, her face a mask of conflicted emotions.
Time slipped away as the group pressed deeper into the jungle. Darkness fell, and a bright moon hung high, casting silver light through the canopy. The serene forest came alive with the eerie howls of nocturnal demon beasts, their cries echoing like a warning.
Some beasts hunted in silence, their presence a hidden threat far more dangerous than the noisy ones. A howling forest was perilous, but a quiet one could conceal death itself.
After three grueling hours of running, exhaustion weighed heavily on them all. Di Yalan's breaths grew labored, her movements sluggish, while Yang Kai felt the ache in his legs deepen, his body taxed despite his immortality.
Mo Yanyu's steps faltered, her strength sapped by both physical strain and the mental burden of her capture.
"Let's rest," Mu Yu Die said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. She could feel the strain in Di Yalan's slowing pace, the subtle tremors in her shoulders.
Yang Kai nodded, exhaling slowly. "Alright. I'll find us a safe spot."
With the agility of a jungle cat, he scaled a towering ancient tree, disappearing into its dense foliage. Leaping from branch to branch, he moved to a nearby tree, its trunk withered and gray, long dead. Inspecting it closely, he found its core hollow—a perfect hideout. "This one's good," he called down. "The trunk's hollow, thick at the base, and spacious enough for all of us. You two rest for a bit, then come up."
The tree's upper reaches were narrow, allowing only one person to slip through at a time, but its base was wide and sturdy, easily ten meters tall. Yang Kai tossed down a rope, securing it to a sturdy branch. "I'll pull Miss Mu up first."
Di Yalan, her face etched with fatigue, didn't hesitate. "Let's move. Demon beasts are everywhere out here. One wrong step, and we're done."
Minutes later, the four of them settled inside the hollow trunk. Starlight filtered through the open top, casting faint shadows across their faces. Outside, the ominous howls of demon beasts filled the night, a stark contrast to the tense silence within.
Mo Yanyu sat apart, her knees drawn up, her eyes dull with despair. Her thoughts churned with the memory of Yang Kai cutting down the elder of her family, a man whose death would ripple through the Red Cloud Sect. The weight of her failure pressed down on her, compounded by her status as a captive. What will tomorrow bring? she wondered, her heart heavy with hopelessness.
Yang Kai's gaze flicked toward her, noting her listless demeanor. She looked like a caged bird, stripped of her usual fire. Frowning, he pondered how to handle her.
A spark of an idea formed, and a faint smirk tugged at his lips. He shifted his position, settling cross-legged in the cramped space.
The hollow was tight, forcing them close together. Their knees nearly touched, and the warmth of their bodies mingled in the confined air.
Yang Kai, at first, kept a sliver of space between his legs and theirs, but then, with a subtle shift, he spread his knees slightly. His left leg brushed against Di Yalan's, firm and muscular from years of training, while his right grazed Mo Yanyu's, soft and yielding.
The contrast sent a thrill through him, and he savored the sensation, his expression carefully neutral.
Di Yalan glanced up, her eyes narrowing with a mix of amusement and irritation. She said nothing, but her lips twitched as if suppressing a retort.
Mo Yanyu, however, reacted instantly, her cheeks flushing a deep crimson. She shifted her leg away, trying to create distance, but Yang Kai mirrored her movement, his knee finding hers again. After several futile attempts to escape his touch, realization dawned—she was trapped, and he was doing this on purpose.
Mo Yanyu's face burned with embarrassment and anger. Bastard! she cursed inwardly, her heart racing as she felt the warmth of his leg against hers. She shot him a glare, but the confined space left her powerless to act. All she could do was seethe in silence, vowing revenge once her strength returned.
Mu Yu Die, watching the exchange, felt a strange mix of emotions, a pang of jealousy stirred within her. Why was he teasing Mo Yanyu and Di Yalan but ignoring her? She rolled her eyes at him, her expression a blend of shame and indignation, though a part of her craved his attention.
Di Yalan caught Mu Yu Die's look and smirked, her gaze mocking as if to say, You're taking this too seriously.
She'd seen through Yang Kai's game and chose to let it play out, perhaps sensing it was his way of breaking the tension. Her silent amusement only deepened Mu Yu Die's embarrassment, her cheeks flushing as she averted her eyes.
Yang Kai, meanwhile, closed his eyes, feigning sleep. His breathing slowed, but his senses remained sharp, relishing the feel of Di Yalan's strong thigh and Mo Yanyu's softer one.
Both are perfect, he thought, comparing them with a quiet satisfaction. The contact was subtle, almost innocent, yet it stirred a primal heat within him.
Mu Yu Die's gaze lingered on him, her emotions a tangled mess. She was furious at his brazenness, jealous of the attention he lavished on the others, and yet oddly drawn to his unapologetic confidence. She muttered under her breath, "Shameless," but her voice lacked conviction.
Mo Yanyu, still fuming, bit her lip to keep from snapping. Endure it, she told herself. I'll make him pay when I'm free. Yet the warmth of his touch lingered, unsettling her resolve.
Yang Kai's body reacted to the closeness, a burning arousal igniting deep within. His pants tightened, his breaths growing shorter as his primitive desires clawed their way to the surface. He kept his eyes closed, masking the storm within, but the heat of the moment threatened to unravel his control.
The more he tried to suppress his lust, the more it consumed him, a single, overwhelming desire pulsing through his veins. Yang Kai was losing control.....
