Chapter Nine: The Brothers' Conflict

Mo Yue quickly straightened up and looked back.

A cluster of flames ignited on the ends of his hair that lay scattered on the ground. The familiar, eerie red hue caught his eye, but he did not panic. Instead, he narrowed his eyes, a flicker of gloom flashing through his pupils.

"Mo Yin...!!"

At the same time, Ling Yinyin felt a cold, serpentine creature slithering across her skin and climbing up her back. She turned her head, her gaze meeting that of the black snake on her shoulder.

Those dark purple, slitted pupils were vicious and piercing.

She gasped sharply.

The black snake’s tongue flicked gently against her cheek, and when it spoke, it was with Mo Yin’s harsh, menacing voice.

"Kissing, are we? Why didn't you keep going?"

The thick, powerful body of the snake tightened, binding her until she could barely breathe.

Ling Yinyin snapped out of her daze. A drop of cold sweat slid down her temple, and she felt a sense of impending doom.

Strange... what had happened to her just now?

She had clearly seen Mo Yue getting closer and closer, yet her brain had felt as if it were possessed, unable to think or even move.

No matter how handsome Mo Yue was, she shouldn't have been so blinded by lust that she lost her senses...

Just as she was at a loss, Mo Yue spoke up.

"Brother, what is the meaning of this?"

He pointed to his singed hair. The eerie red flames, having received no further orders from their master to spread, had stopped at those few charred tips.

Mo Yin ignored him entirely, continuing to lock eyes with Ling Yinyin, his presence heavy and oppressive.

"Didn't you say you had no other intentions? Hmm?"

"I..." Ling Yinyin choked on her words.

What was she supposed to say? That she didn't?

It would sound like a flimsy excuse, and Mo Yin would certainly never believe her.

But she didn't know how to explain it either...

And why did he have to act like a man catching his wife in an affair!

Ling Yinyin was dripping with sweat. She wanted to reach up and wipe it away, but her hands were pinned firmly by Mo Yin’s body.

It was over.

He wouldn't suspect her of seducing his brother, would he?

After weighing her options, Ling Yinyin decided to play dead. She closed her eyes, went limp, and held her breath.

Mo Yue had originally intended to come clean and admit that he had done it on purpose just to infuriate his half-brother, but he hadn't expected this reaction from Ling Yinyin. He became instantly intrigued and decided to watch the show.

Mo Yin glared at him fiercely before turning back to Ling Yinyin, who was stiffly playing dead. He was furious.

He opened his mouth and pressed his sharp fangs against her neck, applying slight pressure until a few drops of blood seeped out.

Ling Yinyin let out a sharp cry. When she opened her eyes, tears were streaming down her face from the pain, and she could only explain herself aggrievedly.

"I said I truly didn't, do you believe..."

"Heh... what do you think?"

Mo Yin shifted back into human form and pulled her into his arms, his gaze shooting toward Mo Yue with a heavy warning.

"You are never to see her again."

The command was absolute, his posture radiating intense possessiveness.

Mo Yue remained unruffled, crossing his arms with a mocking, cynical sneer on his lips.

"Why? Who Yinyin chooses to see should be her own decision. Don't you agree, Yinyin?"

"..."

How could Ling Yinyin dare to speak?

She thought to herself, *Please, stop asking! Don't you see that I am in extreme, extreme, extreme danger right now?*

Offending others might be fine, but offending Mo Yin meant risking her life!

Mo Yue was Mo Yin’s brother, so Mo Yin couldn't really do anything to him, which was why he could be so bold. But she was different; she already owed Mo Yin, and once they returned to the Forbidden Realm, she had no idea how he would toy with her.

She was like meat on a chopping block, ready to be carved up.

Ling Yinyin felt like crying but had no tears; her life was truly bitter.

Seeing her acting like a terrified turtle, Mo Yin’s anger subsided slightly.

He knew that it took two to tango.

His brother was no pushover.

Just now, when Mo Yue used the excuse of taking Ling Yinyin out to see their "female mother," he must have been waiting here for him.

Since they were children, the two brothers had been at odds, but Mo Yin had always endured for the sake of their frail mother, to avoid distressing her and worsening her condition.

If they hadn't been born of the same mother, Mo Yin would have killed him years ago.

"You should know what should be done and what should not. If there is a next time, it might not just be your hair that gets burned," Mo Yin said.

The brothers’ gazes locked.

Mo Yue’s expression was dark, and he did not answer.

He understood the meaning in Mo Yin’s eyes.

—If you want to fight for something, do it with strength.

Mo Yin was a peak fifth-rank, a rare combat genius among the Snake Clan, and his ability was the highly destructive Eerie Red Fire. Mo Yue was merely a fourth-rank; what could he possibly use to compare with Mo Yin?

Watching their retreating figures, Mo Yue stood frozen in place for a long time.

*Tsk, just wait a little longer...*

Soon, he too would be a fifth-rank beast.

His own ability was already beginning to take shape.

"Coo, coo..."

A naive fledgling bird landed on a lavender spike. It tilted its head from side to side, its round, black-bean eyes looking around curiously.

Mo Yue turned, staring at the fledgling.

The bird tilted its head, accidentally meeting his gaze.

In the next second, it drowsily closed its eyes, its tiny body falling straight from the flower spike to the ground, its little claws suddenly kicking straight.

...

Elsewhere.

Just as Mo Yin was about to leave with her, Ling Yinyin, still thinking about her lavender, quickly said, "Wait!"

"?" Mo Yin glared at her coldly.

Ling Yinyin struggled, saying, "The flowers... I want to pick some to take back..."

This time, Mo Yin was truly amused. "You’re still thinking about flowers at a time like this? What, now that I won't let you see Mo Yue, you plan to use these flowers to pine for him?"

Ling Yinyin blinked. "Can you stop talking nonsense?"

"Am I wrong?"

"Of course you are!" Ling Yinyin said indignantly. "These flowers are useful; they can be used to make incense. Stop thinking of me as so base, would you?"

Mo Yin said expressionlessly, "You're not base? Wasn't it you who called out for 'female mother' today? So eager to take advantage of me?"

As he spoke, he glanced at Ling Yinyin, his face filled with disdain that threatened to overflow.

"Wanting me to be your beast-mate... Ling Yinyin, you aren't qualified."

...He was so insufferable.

Ling Yinyin’s temple throbbed. She suppressed her anger, her face flushed red with embarrassment.

She gritted her teeth and said, "Who wants you to be a beast-mate..."

*Who do you think you are!*

Mo Yin snorted coldly and suddenly let go, causing her to land hard on her backside.

"Oof!" That hurt!

A sharp, piercing pain shot through her tailbone. Ling Yinyin rubbed her bottom, relieved that she hadn't broken anything.

Mo Yin looked down at her from above, his tone arrogant. "Don't think that just because my mother likes you, I wouldn't dare do anything to you. If you want me to submit to you, wait until your next life."

Ling Yinyin didn't speak, but she was cursing him wildly in her heart.

*She was absolutely furious!!*

One day, she would make this guy swallow every word he had just said!!!

*Dammit!!!*

Ling Yinyin started to miss home.

She wondered if she would ever be able to return to the modern world in this lifetime.

The more she thought about it, the more miserable she felt. Although she didn't shed any tears, the corners of her eyes turned slightly red from the suppressed frustration.

"Oh."

She responded coldly and stood up on her own.

She brushed the dust off her bottom, walked into the sea of lavender alone, and began to pick fresh flower spikes.

Her reaction was overly calm, which seemed to catch Mo Yin off guard. He watched her quietly, wanting to see what kind of scheme she was cooking up.

But Ling Yinyin did nothing of the sort. She just squatted in the flower field by herself, carefully gathering the fine, picked petals into the folds of her clothes to protect them.

A gentle breeze swept across the field, blowing her hair.

Mo Yin felt a strange, indescribable sensation in his heart.

He stood there, his eyes never leaving her.

About half an hour later, Ling Yinyin returned clutching a large pile of fresh petals, a pleasant, faint smile of accomplishment on her face.

It wasn't until then that she noticed Mo Yin had been waiting there for her the whole time, without moving an inch.

She glanced at him, surprised.

Mo Yin’s face showed a hint of impatience, but he only asked, "Are you done?"

Ling Yinyin did not answer. She pulled her gaze away and brushed past him, her expression blank.

*Idiot, asking such an obvious question.*

She couldn't be bothered with him.

Mo Yin: "..."