Chapter 55: Sealed In

The sound of flowing water echoed softly through the cave, a chill spreading along the stone walls that made the hairs on their backs stand on end.

Not far away, the white-clad youth sat by the water’s edge, looking so obedient, so utterly harmless.

Even considering he might be part of Chu Jing’s little scam, or at worst haunted by an Evil Spirit… after seeing those Blood Beads and the ominous Stone Statue up close, they couldn’t ignore a far more terrifying possibility.

He might truly be linked to the Evil Spirit in some profound way.

If that was the case, what was his real purpose in coming to Zhaohua Mansion?

The end of the Tattered Sheepskin Scroll had been torn off, as if someone had ripped away whatever came next.

Huo Cheng pocketed the Stone Statue and the scroll, replacing them carefully. The moment he restored the rock, the ground beneath their feet trembled violently.

A massive crash echoed from the cave entrance, like stone walls collapsing. Huo Yin spun around and raced toward it, but by the time he arrived, fallen debris had completely sealed off the opening.

“Damn it,” he muttered, kicking at the rocks furiously. They didn’t budge an inch. “This is bad.”

Huo Lan stood up too, clearly confused by what was happening. “What’s going on? That noise was huge.”

Huo Cheng glanced around. “The outer stone walls collapsed and blocked the entrance.”

“So… what now?”

Huo Yin said, “Either we wait for someone outside to dig through these rocks, or… we wait to die.”

At this rate, it wasn’t even clear if they could be dug out.

And even if they could, who knew how long it would take?

Whether they’d still be alive by then was anyone’s guess.

“Those walls were solid as iron. For them to crumble like that… it’s unnatural,” Huo Cheng murmured. “Let’s look for another way out first.”

After a moment’s thought, Huo Yin spoke up. “Wait, I’ve got something.”

“Luo Li must have been brought here by that Evil Spirit. But when I was standing at the Ancestral Hall door, the outer lock was still fastened. I only removed it after, and then he pushed the door open from inside.”

Huo Cheng got it. “So they must have entered the Ancestral Hall Cave through some other path.”

There had to be another exit.

But after a thorough search of the cave, they found no sign of any other way out.

Perhaps only the Evil Spirit knew the path—and it hadn’t shown itself once.

Of course, it might be hiding.

Such creatures were cunning by nature. If it knew they had people lying in wait outside, it wouldn’t show itself recklessly.

Unless…

They were desperate, or it was provoked into rage.

What could provoke it?

Huo Cheng turned back. The long-haired youth, his locks reaching his waist, had curled himself into a tiny ball, sitting there licking his lips. Perhaps because Huo Lan was simple-minded, there was no hostility between them. He must have been cold, so he scooted closer to Huo Lan.

Though bound by his older brother’s orders not to be friendly toward Luo Li, Huo Lan didn’t push him away.

After a moment, he tentatively lifted an arm and draped it over Luo Li’s shoulders.

Then, very slowly, his hand slid down to the youth’s waist.

By the time Huo Cheng approached, Huo Lan had half-pulled Luo Li into his embrace, the boy seemingly oblivious to anything amiss.

Huo Lan held him close, his back rigid with tension.

Only after confirming Luo Li wasn’t resisting did he very slightly lower his head, his nose brushing the boy’s hair as he inhaled deeply.

“A-Lan,” Huo Cheng called.

Huo Lan sprang up instantly, releasing Luo Li. “…Big Brother.”

Huo Cheng didn’t press him further and resumed the search for an exit. But Huo Yin seemed distracted, pacing back and forth in front of the Incense Table and Spirit Tablets.

Noticing Huo Cheng’s gaze, Huo Yin paused. “I’m thinking about how to lure that Evil Spirit out.”

“Yeah? How?”

Huo Yin turned slowly, staring fixedly at Luo Li. “Xi Cai drew it out. Maybe the same method would work on him.”

His voice trembled at the end.

He swallowed hard, his throat bobbing.

Huo Cheng shoved his hands in his pockets, his dark eyes drifting downward. “Xi Cai kissed him forcefully. You planning to do the same?”

Huo Yin stood frozen, scoffing disdainfully as if repulsed. “…Just for show. You think I’d actually want anything to do with him?”

As if backpedaling, he added, “If we don’t lure the Evil Spirit out soon, we can’t get through this. We’ll all die in this cave. Anyway… isn’t he in cahoots with it? He’s not really Father’s concubine. What’s the harm in faking it?”

The young man raked a hand through his hair. “You think I want to? Kissing a guy… the thought makes me sick. But we’ve got no choice right now. Let’s just get out first.”

Huo Cheng pondered. “If it’s just for show, have A-Lan do it.”

“He’s pure-hearted, and with his Madness, it won’t affect him. Plus, you won’t have to feel disgusted.”

Huo Yin went rigid. “But he’s… he’s an idiot. He wouldn’t even know how…”

Luo Li sat in the corner, unaware of their discussion.

He only saw Huo Lan called over. Once he understood what was needed, Huo Lan agreed without hesitation. “I can do it! I’ve… kissed before. I know how!”

Then Huo Lan walked toward him step by step and gripped his shoulders.

Luo Li still didn’t grasp what was happening. He saw Huo Yin frowning deeply, eyes darting away, veins throbbing on the back of his hand.

“I’ll kiss you in a bit,” Huo Lan said.

“Don’t… be nervous. I’ll just fake it.”

K-Kiss him? Fake?

But Huo Cheng and Huo Yin were right there…

The youth blinked in confusion, his almond-shaped eyes framed by thick lashes widening in alarm as he glanced toward the two men. Before he could read their expressions, however, Huo Lan steadied his shoulders and pressed thin lips to his cheek.

Luo Li’s cheek was snowy white and soft, the plump flesh dimpling slightly under the pressure. His upturned lashes trembled like tiny fans.

Stray hairs on his forehead had been brushed aside by Huo Lan, leaving his small face fully exposed. A flush crept up his neck, soon spreading across his entire face.

Just a kiss on the cheek, and he was blushing like that.

Huo Lan patted his back soothingly, but nothing happened after the peck. Luo Li squirmed in embarrassed fury. “What was that? Why’d you kiss me out of nowhere…”

Huo Lan answered honestly, “Once the Evil Spirit comes out, I stop. Be good.” He kissed again.

At first, it was tentative, but soon something felt off.

Luo Li’s soft, misty pink lips held a fatal allure, warm breath escaping them. Huo Lan couldn’t resist. So Huo Yin watched, helpless, as his brother clutched Luo Li tightly, lips brushing those pink ones again and again—mere grazes, but enough to drive him mad.

So many people had kissed Luo Li.

Even that lowly servant Xi Cai…

Why didn’t he fight back at all? Pinned by a blind, foolish man, he dangled like a rag doll, pink fingertips twining in his second brother’s sleeve, even daring to peek out a sliver of soft tongue.

Did he want to be kissed that badly?

Anyone would do? Then why not him?

As Huo Lan leaned in closer, on the verge of a real kiss, Huo Yin holstered his gun with a scowl, stormed over, and shoved him aside.

“Get off!”

Ignoring Luo Li’s protesting glare, he yanked the youth into his arms, took a deep breath, and crushed their lips together.

Deep and invasive from the start.

The arrogant virgin had no clue what he was doing. He sucked clumsily on those moist lips a couple times, then faltered on what came next.

But he couldn’t stop now—not when even his dim-witted brother could manage it. He, a proud scion, couldn’t fail?

Recklessly, he shoved Luo Li down onto the stone surface, cushioning his neck and waist with an arm, body taut as he pressed down.

From the side, the tall, broad-shouldered youth completely overshadowed the delicate beauty beneath him. All they could see was Luo Li’s chest heaving desperately for air, palms pushing against Huo Yin’s chest—only for his wrists to be pinned.

The hard stone must have hurt his back; Luo Li kept struggling. Huo Yin paused, then flipped them over, lying back on the rock himself and pulling Luo Li atop him, straddling his waist.

Luo Li was trapped by those arms, forced to bend forward, legs parting to straddle him, small hands bracing on his shoulders.

The wet sounds of their tangled kiss rang out clearly. Huo Yin had lost it, deepening the kiss relentlessly, teeth grazing those full lips over and over.

His eyes burned red with excitement, neck veins pulsing wildly.

His exposed forearm flexed to its limit, clamping that soft waist, rumpling Luo Li’s clothes in the process.

Luo Li’s head spun. A fake kiss… how had it turned into Huo Yin actually kissing him?

And at this point, was it still fake?

For some reason, Huo Yin just lapped and nipped at his lips like a dog, making them ache.

Luo Li pulled back slightly, then slipped out a sliver of pink tongue.

Huo Yin’s body went rigid the moment he saw Luo Li slumped against his chest, breathing lightly.

…This virgin young master had only just remembered that kissing involved the tongue.

His strikingly handsome face flushed crimson in an instant. In retaliation, he plunged his tongue into Luo Li’s soft, wet mouth, pinning the other’s pliant tongue and entwining with it fiercely.

The young man who had just declared kissing another man disgusting now refused to let even a single drop of saliva escape from the corner of Luo Li’s lips.

Their excessively intimate position drew Luo Li even closer, his thigh—soft and scorching hot—clamped right against the underside of Huo Yin’s waist.

It felt as though in the next second, this inexperienced young noble would charge ahead recklessly, consequences be damned.

“A Yin, enough.”

Huo Cheng finally spoke up, his voice thick with barely suppressed fury. “How long do you plan to keep kissing him?”

The entire cave fell into an unnatural silence, broken only by the wet, sticky sounds of their kiss and their mingled gasps for air.

Huo Yin greedily swallowed the sweet saliva before finally releasing Luo Li’s lips. The young man was utterly limp now, his face shrouded in a hazy mist of arousal as he collapsed bonelessly into Huo Yin’s arms.

“The evil spirit hasn’t emerged yet. Let’s wait a little longer.”

Huo Yin’s voice came out hoarse. He wrapped an arm around Luo Li’s waist and shrugged with pretended nonchalance, as if it were a tremendous chore.

Yet his tongue darted along his teeth, savoring the lingering taste of the kiss, while he clutched the petite boy tightly to his chest. His own breathing grew heavier with every passing moment.

Just hold out a little longer, Huo Yin thought. At least until they lured out the evil spirit…

He absolutely couldn’t surrender now.