What's the Point

Gu Chengyin's body stiffened.

He didn't need to guess to know that Lin Qingyan had let out her inner demon.

The presence pressing close behind him was completely different.

It was like a night-blooming cereus on a summer night mixed with sweet fruit wine, drifting into his nasal cavity in wisps.

The warm body was almost entirely pressed against his back, and even through two layers of clothing, he could feel its soft curves.

Since things had come to this, what else could he do?

Just as Gu Chengyin was about to speak, the jade-like hands resting on his chest suddenly changed direction.

The fingertips, which had originally been lightly embracing him, began to trace the patterns of his collar slowly downwards.

The movement was very slow, carrying a kind of probing intimacy, like a cat's paw lightly scratching.

Wherever the soft pads of her fingers passed, the fabric sank slightly. Her body heat transferred through the silk, creating a touch that was dangerously ambiguous.

But just as those hands wandered to his waist and were about to slip into the edge of his belt...

Gu Chengyin's hand dropped down at that moment.

He grabbed those restless wrists.

The touch was soft and boneless, the skin as smooth and tender as the finest mutton-fat jade. Held in his palm, he could even feel the faint pulsation beneath the skin.

But the force with which Gu Chengyin clamped down showed no pity. It wasn't because he was some upright gentleman who could remain undisturbed with a beauty in his lap.

Mainly...

He was afraid that the real Lin Qingyan would suddenly jump out.

No matter how enchanting and alluring this inner demon was, it was ultimately just Lin Qingyan's negative emotions.

What if they went too far and Lin Qingyan hacked him to pieces?

"Without my permission,"

Gu Chengyin held those wrists, his voice cold and hard, "No touching."

There was a moment of silence behind him.

Then, a reluctant and aggrieved sound came from behind his ear:

"Okaaaay~"

The drawn-out ending sounded like a honey-dipped hook, swaying gently in the night.

Then, Lin Qingyan—no, Inner Demon Lin Qingyan—tilted her head and peeked half her face out from Gu Chengyin's side.

Gu Chengyin's pupils shrank slightly.

As expected, her pupils were blood red.

But strangely, the blood color wasn't murky; instead, it was astonishingly clear.

Clear enough to reflect Gu Chengyin's own face, clear enough to reveal a hint of bizarre innocence amidst the demonic aura.

The expression on her face was like that of a completely different person.

Lin Qingyan's beauty was the coldness of snow on a high mountain, the aloofness of a hanging moon shining on a deep pool.

But on this identical face before him, a thick, unmelting charm flowed between her brows and eyes.

The slight upward curve of her lips was no longer restrained, but boldly bent into a tempting hook. Every light flutter of her eyelashes seemed to be teasing something.

How was this an inner demon?

It was simply a succubus.

Every time Gu Chengyin saw Lin Qingyan like this, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

On the same beautiful face, two such extreme states could actually be presented.

Either it was ultimate cold self-restraint, as if looking one more time would be a desecration.

Or it was ultimate enchanting allure, as if looking one less time would be a loss.

Ice and fire, coldness and bewitchment, all taking turns on this face.

But this kind of beauty was something only Gu Chengyin could see.

Those people outside the door rarely even got to see Lin Qingyan's cold side.

Let alone this succubus-like side.

This could probably be considered a special privilege he enjoyed exclusively.

However, tempting as it was, he couldn't eat it.

After casting a restrained glance, Gu Chengyin withdrew his gaze and didn't look any further.

He let go of her hands and walked toward the desk, asking at the same time:

"What do you want this time?"

Seeing Gu Chengyin so cold and aloof, the charm on Lin Qingyan's face instantly faded by more than half.

It was replaced by a child-like disappointment and grievance.

Her blood-red eyes blinked, her long eyelashes drooped, and the corners of her lips also sagged.

This expression appearing on that peerlessly beautiful face unexpectedly carried an unspeakable pitifulness.

But this grievance lasted for less than three breaths before she swept it away herself.

"I want to drink!"

Lin Qingyan suddenly became joyful, producing a jug of wine and two white jade wine cups from somewhere.

The wine jug was made of celadon, its glaze as warm and smooth as water, with fine cloud patterns carved on the body.

The wine cups were made of fine mutton-fat white jade, as thin as cicada wings, almost transparent in the moonlight.

The way she held the wine jug looked like a child presenting a treasure. Her blood-red eyes sparkled, completely devoid of the demonic charm from just a moment ago.

Gu Chengyin pondered for a moment. If it was just drinking, that would be fine.

Anyway, cultivators had strong physiques, and ordinary alcohol couldn't get them drunk at all.

Just as Gu Chengyin was about to sit down, he saw Lin Qingyan heading outside.

Outside the Cloud-Viewing Pavilion connected an open-air corridor. At the edge of the corridor sat a wide, small couch, covered with a thick, snow-white fleece blanket.

It was a place for resting and enjoying the scenery. The moonlight was just right, and the night breeze was slightly cool.

Lin Qingyan leaped lightly onto the couch, sat sideways, and then waved at Gu Chengyin:

"Sit here!"

Gu Chengyin paused, then bypassed the desk and walked toward the corridor.

The night breeze blew against his face, carrying the unique coolness of a moonlit night.

Looking out from here, the night view of the Divine Capital was in full sight.

In the distance, the lights of the palaces fell like scattered stars; closer, the lanterns of the streets and alleys connected into a winding river of light, and further away, the outline of the outer city loomed in the night.

It was indeed an excellent place for drinking and admiring the moon.

He sat down on the other side of the small couch, facing Lin Qingyan.

There was an arm's length between them, not close, but not far either.

The plain white Daoist robe was now draped loosely over her body, the collar slightly open, revealing her beautifully contoured collarbones and a small patch of snow-white skin.

"Pouring wine for Master~"

Lin Qingyan smiled brightly as she held up the wine jug.

As she poured, the liquid flowed from the spout, creating fine ripples in the white jade cups.

The aroma of the wine spread with it. It wasn't the smell of ordinary grain liquor, but a special scent that was clear and cold with the sweet fragrance of flowers and fruits. Smelling it refreshed the mind.

Gu Chengyin picked up one of the cups.

When his fingertips touched the side of the cup, he could feel the warmth and smoothness of the jade.

He looked up at the opposite side. Lin Qingyan also picked up her wine cup, her blood-red eyes staring at him unblinkingly, full of expectation.

"Cheers~"

She took the initiative to bring her cup closer.

The two white jade cups clinked lightly, making a crisp sound.

Gu Chengyin brought the rim of the cup to his lips and took a slow sip.

The wine was clear and cold in the mouth, slightly sweet at first, but after going down the throat, a faint bitterness surfaced, which then turned into a warm current that spread out.

It was indeed no ordinary wine. It must have been mixed with some kind of spiritual grass or fruit, slightly beneficial to a cultivator's cultivation.

As Gu Chengyin drank, he quietly observed Lin Qingyan opposite him.

To be honest...

The feeling this inner demon gave him was simply too vivid.

So vivid that she didn't seem like a consciousness puppet created after being hypnotized.

Gu Chengyin repeatedly compared them in his mind.

When Luo Zhao was hypnotized, beneath that hollow obedience was a cold and mechanical execution program.

But this inner demon in front of him...

Not only did she call him Master naturally and sweetly, but everything else was far from hollow obedience.

She had distinct emotional fluctuations, from enchanting to aggrieved, from disappointed to joyful, transitioning naturally and smoothly without any hesitation.

She had clear personal preferences: wanting to drink, wanting to sit here and admire the moon, wanting to do these things she liked.

She even had her own little schemes: she would test his bottom line, would feel depressed because of his coldness, and would be happy because of his indulgence.

This was too unusual.

Could it be because inner demons were special to begin with?

Gu Chengyin held his wine cup, his mind racing.

Inner demons were the amalgamation of a cultivator's desires, obsessions, and negative emotions.

They were entities inherently driven by desire, with all their behavioral logic revolving around emotions.

After all, their very essence was made up of desires and feelings.

The logic seemed sound enough.

But...

Gu Chengyin raised his eyes, his gaze falling upon Lin Qingyan's face once more.

She was holding her cup and taking small sips. Her blood-red eyes narrowed in contentment, looking much like a satiated cat.

She felt a bit unfamiliar, yet somehow familiar at the same time.

It was as if she were Lin Qingyan, yet simultaneously not her.

It couldn't possibly be...

That the person sitting here right now wasn't an inner demon, but Lin Qingyan herself?

As soon as this thought surfaced, Gu Chengyin immediately dismissed it.

An aloof and self-possessed fairy like Lin Qingyan had absolutely no reason to play the role of an inner demon.

What could she possibly hope to gain?

Just for the sake of calling him Master?