Huh Taken down

Xia Lun felt that his wife had become somewhat unfamiliar.

Of course, he didn’t dislike it.

But if it were the past, Aina would never have acted like this.

“Hah? You want me to take the initiative? Have you lost your mind?”

“A mere human should be grateful just for the privilege of serving me.”

“Don’t get too carried away! I—well, I’m only with you to maintain peace between the Human Race and the Demon Race…”

In the past, even after marriage, Aina would still blush while saying such things.

It was unbearably adorable.

Xia Lun knew full well that Aina’s words didn’t match her feelings, so every time he heard her speak like this, he would narrow his eyes with a faint, amused smile.

“You… What are you smiling at? Is being humiliated by me something to be happy about? I really don’t understand you… You disgusting creature.”

Memories surfaced in Xia Lun’s mind.

Now, in contrast, Aina’s enthusiasm left him pleasantly stunned.

“What’s wrong?” Aina nestled beside him, twirling a strand of hair between her fingers. Noticing Xia Lun’s gaze, she slowly sat up, wincing slightly. “Your stamina is still terrifying, you monster… Ugh—if you want to go again, you’ll have to let me rest a bit longer…”

“It’s nothing… I just think you’ve become much more honest.” Xia Lun stroked Aina’s smooth back.

Aina fell silent.

Then, to Xia Lun’s surprise, two trails of tears streamed down her face.

“Aina…” Xia Lun started to speak, but Aina pressed her lips against his, cutting him off.

Her kiss tasted salty with tears.

“A thousand years… It took me a thousand years to bring you back…”

“Do you have any idea how I lived through them?”

“After you died, I spent every day reliving the time we had together.”

“Only after you were truly gone did I start regretting all those harsh words I said to you…”

“I tried everything… I wouldn’t have cared even if you came back as an undead, but you showed no reaction at all.”

“Then your lifeless body began to wither, until it turned into a pile of bones…”

“I almost lost all hope.”

“So now that you’re alive again, I’ll cherish you properly. I’ll never let you suffer again…”

Xia Lun swallowed hard, then took a deep breath and lay flat on his back, staring at the rough-hewn wooden beams crisscrossing the ceiling. The unadorned pine logs bore uneven rings of age.

So, he had made her wait that long.

“I’m sorry, Aina…”

“It’s fine. It wasn’t your fault.”

The girl’s silver hair cascaded over Xia Lun’s body. The bat wings on her back, now retracted through some special means, had condensed into two crimson marks at the base of her neck, like tattoos.

“After all, you’re just a puny human.”

Well, at least Aina didn’t need to sleep hanging upside down from the rafters.

As a member of the Blood Clan, she also had no fondness for sleeping in coffins.

“But Aina, you’re saying I turned into bones before?”

“Yes.”

“Then what’s the deal with my body now?”

Xia Lun examined his hands.

His fingers were slender, his skin as pale as a woman’s—like a newborn’s. The calluses from years of sword practice had vanished without a trace.

“This is a new body I crafted for you.” Aina ran her fingers over Xia Lun’s chest, as if admiring a masterpiece. “The heart of the World Tree, bones of the Undying Skeleton, flesh of the Chaos Dragon Clan, the All-Seeing Eyes of Fabricated Truth…”

“Wait… Aina… Does that still make me human?” Xia Lun felt a chill run down his spine. “Sounds like some kind of monstrous chimera.”

“I suppose that’s not entirely wrong.” Aina covered her mouth with a giggle. “But don’t worry. I just integrated these into your original body. Your genetic makeup hasn’t changed.”

Aina straddled him, cupping his face with a grin that perfectly suited her Demon King persona—greedy and triumphant. “Your fertility rate is still abysmally low, though…”

……

“Y-You… absolute monster…” The Demon King, now breathless and limp, collapsed onto the bed. Xia Lun, calm and composed, stood barefoot on the wooden floor, stretching his limbs.

This new body… still needed time to adjust.

Xia Lun was exhilarated, like a child with a new toy. His body felt impossibly light, as if every possible enhancement spell had been cast on him.

His fists blurred in front of him, the air rippling with each movement.

“Xia Lun, take it easy.” Aina lay sprawled on the bed, her slender legs swaying lazily behind her as she warned him. “If you tear open a spatial rift and swallow the house, we’ll be sleeping in the snow.”

Xia Lun waved her off with a laugh. “Aina, come on. Even at my peak, slashing open a spatial rift with the Holy Sword was nearly impossible. And I’m just warming up—”

Crack—

A familiar sound reached Xia Lun’s ears—like ice fracturing over a frozen lake. But the consequences now would be far worse than falling into icy water. A spatial rift would suck in everything nearby, shredding it all in the chaotic void.

His face stiffened.

Aina, however, showed no panic. Instead, a smug smile curled her lips as she extended a slender finger and gave the rift a light tap. Like smoothing out a wrinkle in fabric, the rift vanished without causing any damage.

“I know your body better than you do now.” She licked her lips.

Xia Lun sat down heavily on the bed, dazed.

“Did I scare you, my adorable little Xia Lun?” Aina spread her arms. “Want to come here for a hug?”

Xia Lun responded not by accepting her offer but by scooping her up in his arms instead. “So… how strong am I now?”

Aina wrapped herself around him like an octopus, arms looping around his neck. “Who knows? You’re definitely strong… but not stronger than me. So you’d better behave.”

Xia Lun didn’t doubt her.

He knew how terrifying Aina’s talent was—and after a thousand years, her power must have reached unimaginable heights.

Enough to bring him back from death.

Wait…

A realization struck him.

“Resurrecting the dead defies the laws of the world. The Goddess would never allow it… Aina, how exactly did you bring me back?” Xia Lun frowned.

“It’s complicated to explain, but… it just worked.” Aina clung to him, tilting her head back with a playful smile, her long hair swaying.

“Did the Goddess not interfere?” Xia Lun’s expression grew concerned. In his past life as a hero, his power had been granted by the Goddess. He knew just how formidable she was.

The Goddess was the embodiment of the world’s will.

"Of course the Goddess came looking for me," Aina murmured, pressing a kiss to Xia Lun's cheek. "But I simply couldn't bear the thought of living without you. So... I ended up killing her."

Xia Lun: ...

What?

Killed her?