Chapter 37: A Starving Demon of Lust

Blood trickled down his knuckles, forming a winding trail of blood on the floor. But the man seemed not to feel the pain, still gripping the shards of the teacup and refusing to let go.

“Jingzhao…! Your hand… what are you doing?!” Pei Ziying, returning to the room, saw this scene and immediately rushed to grab Huo Jingzhao’s hand, stopping him from continuing to hurt himself.

Huo Jingzhao swallowed the metallic taste in his throat and put on a warm, gentle smile: “This teacup is so exquisitely carved, but I was too clumsy and accidentally broke it. My apologies.”

This man, his hand injured to the point of being a bloody mess, yet he still didn’t forget to apologize.

Cleaning the shards of debris from Huo Jingzhao’s palm, Pei Ziying shyly lowered his eyes, thinking only that his fiancé was truly too humble and honest.

“It’s nothing. We have as many of these jade cups as we want in the manor. Neither Father nor I will mind.” He replied in a willful, pampered tone.

Hearing this, Huo Jingzhao acted as if some mechanism had been triggered. His eyes flickered, and he suddenly asked: “Is Master Pei still busy lately?”

Pei Ziying’s hands paused their work. Then, putting on an unconcerned air, he said: “I’m not sure either. But now that Family Head Li is gone, Father is probably either at the Chamber of Commerce or the Ancestral Hall…”

He then turned a smiling face: “The things Father busies himself with are all quite dull and boring. Jingzhao, don’t overthink it.”

“Family Head Li?” Huo Jingzhao raised an eyebrow, feigning ignorance.

Carefully bandaging his wound for him, and facing the man’s questioning gaze, Pei Ziying blinked: “Oh, right, you still don’t know! While you were unconscious, Li Man’er came to the manor as a guest. Father not only went out riding with her to relax but also frolicked with her in his room every day…”

The more he spoke, the darker Huo Jingzhao’s face became. The freshly bandaged hand also bled anew from suddenly clenching tight.

“I don’t know what the two of them were up to, but listening to the servants, Father was laughing very happily. Jingzhao? What’s wrong…” Noticing his brows suddenly furrowed together, Pei Ziying asked curiously.

The young man was too handsome. Even with his features slightly contorted, there was still a sense of bewitching charm, like an undulating tide.

“Ah, it’s nothing.” Huo Jingzhao loosened his painfully splitting palm. His brows and eyes held a smile, but the corner of his mouth hooked with chill: “I was just thinking, Master Pei couldn’t possibly be planning to remarry, could he?”

That wanton creature! After enduring so many years raising a child alone, was he finally unable to bear the loneliness, about to turn and throw himself into another’s arms?!

Though, there wasn’t much to be surprised about. He was, after all, a libertine who would sit on the Ghost-Faced Man’s lap, twisting his waist, mouth light as he moaned Jingzhao’s name.

Thinking of Pei Lianyi’s dazed, enchanted expression under the moonlight, his desperate, hoarse breathing in that sea of infatuation, Huo Jingzhao’s arms tensed.

His hands had long become addicted to that touch, yet his heart was ruthless without self-awareness.

Seeing his serious expression, Pei Ziying burst out laughing with a “Pfft”: “Jingzhao cares so much about Father. Clearly, I’m your future wife, yet you seem to prefer Father…”

His tone was light, but his eyes revealed displeasure.

This unintentional remark struck Huo Jingzhao’s chest like a shockwave, a surge of hidden, perverse pleasure welling up inside him. He couldn’t help but avert his gaze and say: “How could that be? I respect Master Pei and am grateful for his esteem and trust in me.”

“I know that.” Hearing him say that, Pei Ziying felt much more at ease. His delicate cheeks flushed pink: “But… Father wouldn’t remarry.”

“Why?” Huo Jingzhao’s breathing grew rapid again.

Pei Ziying drew closer, his head seemingly, imperceptibly grazing the man’s ear: “Although during the days Family Head Li was here, Father was very different from usual, he’s cold, conservative in his ways, and lacks any sense of… romance. What woman could stand that?”

His tone became increasingly certain as he spoke: “Father won’t ever please anyone.”

Huo Jingzhao’s heart felt hot and restless. Soon, he exhaled and smiled playfully: “That’s true enough.”

“Alright, enough about Father.” Having finally gotten a moment without interruption, how could Pei Ziying let this perfect opportunity slip? He coquettishly implored the man: “Jingzhao, keep me company and make the wedding ball.”

“Alright.” Seeing the red wedding ball in his hands—something only used for newlyweds—Huo Jingzhao slowly ground the Rosemary Incense hidden in his sleeve, his smile as clear and bright as the wind and clouds.

In less than half a shichen, Pei Ziying, who had just been fussing about sewing the wedding ball, fell asleep sprawled across the table.

Listening to his soft, even breathing, Huo Jingzhao held the unfinished wedding ball up to examine it.

“Pei Lianyi, Respected Father-in-law… since you choose to hide, your ‘worthy son-in-law’ will stop at nothing.”

He squeezed the wedding ball, his black eyes frozen, not letting go until he heard the sound of silk fabric tearing.

Today, Huo Jingzhao was absolutely dead set—he had to see that person no matter what. After using the narcotic to knock Pei Ziying out, he couldn’t wait another moment and left the room.

Sang Sha, hiding on the roof eaves, watched the man depart like a whirlwind and couldn’t help but cover his eyes, speechless and shocked.

Was the narcotic given to him to be used like this—?!

If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, who would believe it?! Just to sneak away and meet his father-in-law for a tryst, the impeccably mannered and consistent Huo Gongzi of Rongchu City would stoop so low as to drug his future spouse unconscious!

Sang Sha was utterly convinced that if this god of slaughter was truly pushed to the edge, he wouldn’t give a damn about ethics, hierarchy, or status—even doing it right in front of Pei Ziying to his father wouldn’t be out of the question.

If the Sect Master knew that the Rosemary Incense, forged from thousands of medicinal ingredients with such painstaking effort, was being used like this, he’d probably cough up two pints of blood in fury.

Didn’t he say there wasn’t much left, to use it sparingly?!

That narcotic is very expensive, isn’t it…?!

But at this moment, Huo Jingzhao had long since become a starving demon of lust. Who cared about such trifles? His one-track mind only wanted to see Pei Lianyi and vent his fire.

Sang Sha wiped the sweat from his forehead, silently prayed for Family Head Pei in his heart, then lightly flashed away and returned to the Side Courtyard.

Leaving the room, Huo Jingzhao moved like a swift gale. He searched the courtyard, the Kitchen, the main hall, and even the rear courtyard, all without finding that tall, slender figure.

If he wasn’t in any of these places, only one possibility remained.

Standing in the corridor, Huo Jingzhao looked towards the Ancestral Hall not far away and couldn’t help letting out a cold laugh. In his view, Pei Lianyi deliberately hiding in the Ancestral Hall meant he was about to use some damn ancestral rules, the Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues to lecture him, to remind them of the gap between them, so he would back down.

Little did Pei Lianyi know, what he’d attracted was an unbridled thug, an arrogant madman who looked down on everything. How could he possibly allow a one-sided call to stop?

Huo Jingzhao put his hands behind his back, grinding his teeth, and strode forward quickly.

Approaching the Ancestral Hall, sure enough, he saw Cao Xian leading a group of people guarding outside.

Even though his heart was burning with impatience and his entire muscular frame was slick with hot sweat, Huo Jingzhao still put on a refined and cultured appearance. He cupped his hands and bowed, asking in a clear voice: “Steward Cao, is Master Pei inside? May I trouble you to announce that Jingzhao seeks an audience?”

Cao Xian didn’t answer his question. He merely smiled, his eyes narrowing, and said: “Young Master Huo has suffered such severe injuries. How can you be up and running around recklessly? Please go back.”

Seeing him talk around the subject, Huo Jingzhao hid the displeasure in his eyes and asked again with a smile: “Why does Master Pei refuse to see me?”

Cao Xian drooped his eyelids, merely saying the Family Head was engaged in the important matter of Paying Respects to Ancestors and was seeing no one.

Huo Jingzhao felt a surge of obstruction clog his throat, but he still smiled gently: “Indeed, paying respects to the ancestors is a matter of great importance. It’s just that I’ve been bedridden recovering from my injuries these past days and haven’t had much opportunity to pay my respects to Master Pei. Now that my injuries are mostly healed, I thought, as a live-in son-in-law about to formally marry into the family, I should also come to thank him and, along the way, pay respects to the ancestors.”

Saying this, he completely ignored whatever reaction Cao Xian might have and strode swiftly around him, heading directly for the Ancestral Hall.

Cao Xian stood there, showing no intention of stopping him.

But just as Huo Jingzhao held his head high with a sense of triumph, several rows of guards suddenly appeared before him, forming a human wall in the vast open space.

“Young Master Huo, please go back.” The leader, Li Qi, clasped his fists towards him.

Huo Jingzhao’s face instantly turned cold: “Move aside.”

“You’re no match for me anyway,” he added.

Li Qi knew he meant it.

Ever since the Dragon Boat Festival, he’d seen Huo Jingzhao’s strength firsthand. This man appeared handsome and refined, seemingly unremarkable, but in reality, he could take on ten… no, a hundred without a problem.

Feeling tremendous pressure, Li Qi could only brace himself and say: “We might not be a match for you, but we can also use entanglement techniques like grasping legs and arms to delay you… In short, the Master gave the order, and this humble one dares not yield!”

Seeing their captain so resolute, the guards behind him also roared:

“The Master gave the order, we dare not yield—!”

Seeing this, Huo Jingzhao’s chest shook with fury. Extreme anger made him laugh instead: “You’re quite clever, aren’t you?”

At this moment, though he was blazing with rage, he was well aware that his identity couldn’t be exposed. Even if his arrogance was hard to conceal, he wasn’t so reckless as to kill right in front of Pei Lianyi. If Li Qi and his men really charged at him, he couldn’t exactly kick them to death here in the Pei Manor, could he?

So Huo Jingzhao stood stuck in the crowd, momentarily motionless.

Li Qi winced at him, his expression looking ready to lunge and hug his legs at any second.

The two sides were locked in a standoff when Pei Lianyi’s voice suddenly emerged from the Ancestral Hall: “Cao Xian, what’s going on out there?”

His voice was deep, mellow, and captivating, unhurried like a pure, flowing stream. It gently seized Huo Jingzhao’s heart, causing even his toes to twitch involuntarily.

“Family Head…!” Sneaking a glance at Huo Jingzhao’s pitch-black face, Cao Xian hurriedly pushed the door open to report.

Hearing him say, Young Master Huo wants to see you, Pei Lianyi, who was kneeling on the ground with half his fair neck exposed, froze for a moment, his face flushing red.

Isn’t he supposed to be keeping Ziying company? What is he doing here? What did he come to see me for? His bitter heart was filled with doubt and deep longing. Grabbing the hem of his clothes and thinking for a long while, Pei Lianyi finally said calmly: “Send him back.”

“But… Young Master Huo says he won’t leave until he sees you.” Cao Xian said with difficulty: “Just now, he almost came to blows with Li Qi.”

Pei Lianyi’s heart tightened, and he scolded inwardly: No sense of propriety!

Jingzhao, though good-tempered, also had moments of genuine anger.

Knowing he wouldn’t leave easily, Pei Lianyi’s eyes shifted. He looked at the blade he often used on the prayer mat, and said in a deep voice: “Go tell him, there’s a knife in the Ancestral Hall. Tell him to go back.”

Cao Xian was utterly confused, wondering, What does a knife have to do with Young Master Huo? He couldn’t understand what the master meant at all.

But Huo Jingzhao understood perfectly. Pei Lianyi’s words conveyed one single meaning: Stop pushing me.

If he forced his way in, Pei Lianyi would resist with his life.

Truly worthy of the fiercely chaste Pearl of Rongchu!

Cao Xian had been worried that the master’s cryptic words wouldn’t be enough to send the man away, but to his surprise, upon hearing them, Huo Jingzhao turned and left immediately—though his expression was very, very sour.

The young man’s eyes were so angry they flared scarlet. His five viscera and six bowels were trembling. One moment he was pressing a hand against a pillar, the next it seemed like he might go burn down the Ancestral Hall.

He paced back and forth in the corridor, panting like a bull, without any semblance of composure.

“Ah! Young Master Huo—” A passing maidservant couldn’t dodge in time and failed to hold her tray steady, sending the silver platter crashing to the ground with a “bang.”

Seeing the scattered miscellaneous items, Huo Jingzhao frowned and said: “I’m sorry, let me help you pick these up.”

Watching him politely bow, the maidservant blushed and murmured her thanks, then crouched down as well.

Huo Jingzhao was picking up the items absentmindedly. Just as his large hand was about to touch an exceptionally elegant black gauze garment, the maidservant let out a shriek and swiftly snatched the fine, soft black silk away from his reach: “Young Master, don’t touch that! Those are the Master’s sleeping robes.”

“…” Huo Jingzhao’s temples throbbed. His fury instantly hit its peak.