Chapter 106: How Dare He!

    Shen Nianzu subconsciously held his breath as he racked his brain to remember.

    Earlier, the situation had been so chaotic that he had no time to pay more attention. He needed to act fast and placed Jin Jiuchi somewhere safe, then returned to the battle scene before Jiang Shun or Lang Zhenya could notice his disappearance. However, he was fairly certain that Jin Jiuchi had been lying on his side before he put up the enchantment! Now though...

    Shen Nianzu stared at Jin Jiuchi who was lying straight on his back, before his gaze shifted to the man’s hands that were clasped neatly on top of his stomach.

    This was clearly not the position he had left the man in!

    It was impossible for someone to enter and move him, so the only possibility left was—

    Shen Nianzu’s breath snagged on his throat. He scrambled to climb into the tent and zipped it close behind him. He scooted forward and fixed his gaze at the man, watching his gorgeous visage akin to a sleeping marble statue.

    "J–Jin Jiuchi...?" He whispered, trying to get a response to no avail. He reckoned that the only reason why his voice was shaking must be due to the cold. The same also applied to his hammering heart. Distraught, he leaned in and placed his ear on Jin Jiuchi’s chest, listening with bated breath.

    No heartbeat. Everything was as cold and dreary as before.

    Shen Nianzu’s heart sank heavily in his chest. Of course, what was he expecting? There was no way the man could come back to life all of a sudden, when they still had not discovered the very cause of his death yet.

    With a glum look, Shen Nianzu raised his head and a strangled cry escaped his lips when he saw that Jin Jiuchi’s eyes were wide open!

    "Fuck!" Shen Nianzu leapt backward like a cat whose tail was being stepped on, his exquisite features twisted in the mixture of shock, disbelief and fear. He clutched his chest, holding still the heart that almost jumped out of his ribcage. "W–What the..."

    Jin Jiuchi’s vacant gaze was fixed on the ceiling, adding on to the haunting atmosphere in the air. His neat position, as well as the fact that his heart was not beating in the first place, made it all the more unnerving. It was as if the man had become a living corpse who could spring up at any moment to pounce on him.

    W–Why were his eyes open?!

    Chills ran down Shen Nianzu’s spine as he continued to gasp for breath. ’I–It’s okay,’ he told himself, repeating reassuring words in his mind. ’There’s nothing to be afraid of. You have dealt with many terrifying monsters and ghosts alike, what does one stupid husky account for?!’

    Gritting his teeth, Shen Nianzu mustered his courage and took a deep breath to steel himself. Slowly, he moved closer to Jin Jiuchi, stretching out his hand to examine the man more closely. However, before they could make contact, Jin Jiuchi suddenly reached out to grab his hand, catching him off guard. Then he lunged forward to press Shen Nianzu beneath him!

    "Ah—hmph!" The scream of terror had barely escaped from his throat when it was blocked by Jin Jiuchi’s icy hand on his mouth.

    Wide-eyed with fear, Shen Nianzu stared up at the towering figure above him, his skin prickling with goosebumps. Alarm bells rang in his mind and his nerves were so tense that they could snap the very next second. Danger! He had to—!

    A thin and transparent blade materialized in his hand, and he tightened his grip around it. But before he could make a move, he suddenly heard a soft chuckle above him,

    "Hehe..."

    Jin Jiuchi pushed his hair back and flashed him a teasing smile, his dark eyes twinkled akin to the luster of precious onyx, as profound as the abyssal sky itself. "Surprise~" He sing-songed. "How do you rate my acting skills, Nian’er? I never pegged you to be a scaredy-cat. How adorable."

    Shen Nianzu gaped at him in disbelief, mind still reeling from the sight before his eyes. He had no idea which shocked him more; the fact that Jin Jiuchi was ’alive’ despite his lack of beating heart, or the reappearance of the black-eyed Jin Jiuchi for the second time in a row.

    But first thing first...

    Shen Nianzu gripped his blade and swung it with all his strength, smacking Jin Jiuchi forcefully!

    "Ow ow ow!!" Jin Jiuchi rolled away and curled himself into a shrimp, protecting his head with his arms. "Nian’er, how ruthless!"

    "Die," Shen Nianzu’s expression was frosty, and his pale purple eyes gleamed with murderous intent as he glowered at the man under his mercy. He spat out through gritted teeth, "If one death was not enough for you, I can kill you again. How does that sound?"

    H–How dare he... joke and play around like this... without the slightest idea of how Shen Nianzu felt when he stopped breathing all of a sudden! He deserved to die a thousand times!!

    "X–Xiao Shen?"

    Xinxin’s voice called outside the tent, causing him to freeze. And Jin Jiuchi immediately seized that momentary distraction to knock his blade away and grabbed both of his tiny wrists, effectively restricting his movements. The man had moved so fast that Shen Nianzu could not react properly in time and before he knew it, he had been utterly immobilized.

    He tried to struggle out of Jin Jiuchi’s grasp to no avail, as the man’s grip was as solid as steel, not allowing him to slip away. A flicker of shock crossed his purple eyes. He had no doubt about his own strength that had been enhanced by the Nightmare itself, his current form notwithstanding. And the fact that he could not push Jin Jiuchi away at all... just how strong was this man?!

    "You—!" Shen Nianzu glared at him, and Jin Jiuchi placed his finger on his lips in response, hushing him softly,

    "Hush, don’t you think it’s better to chase him away first, Nian’er?" He taunted, his lips curved into a provoking arc.

    ’You’re dead meat!’ He tried to convey through his glare, as he raised his voice to reply to Xinxin’s query, "What’s wrong?"

    "No, it’s just that... I heard some noises from your tent. Are you okay?"

    Without taking his murderous gaze off Jin Jiuchi’s smiling visage, he said in a neutral tone, "I’m fine, just getting ready to sleep. You should rest too and be prepared for tomorrow."

    "O–Oh! Okay, goodnight!"

    Xinxin’s footsteps grew further away, and only when Shen Nianzu confirmed that the youth had left the vicinity that he hissed at Jin Jiuchi, "Let go."

    "Why should I?" Jin Jiuchi tutted and tightened his grip instead, so tight that Shen Nianzu thought his wrists were going to be broken. He pressed his lips tight to muffle in the groan of pain, as he did not want to show even a sliver of weakness in front of this man. "You didn’t complain at all when he held you in his arms, so why do you keep pushing me away?"

    Jin Jiuchi’s eyes darkened in displeasure, and within them Shen Nianzu could see nothing but himself. The longer he looked into those eyes, the stronger the impression became that he was staring into the hungry eyes of a ravenous beast, ready to devour him. The mere thought was enough to make him break out in cold sweat.

    "Hmm? Nian’er?" Jin Jiuchi urged softly, yet his tone hinted that he would stop at nothing until he obtained the answer he wanted.

    From the start, Shen Nianzu had never lowered his guard down around Jin Jiuchi at all. He had also taken necessary precautions in case he needed to deal with this volatile man. Silently, he activated the skill card he had obtained back when he ended Zhi’s life in the corpse apartment.

    Skill Card: Song of a Deprived Siren

    Skill Type: Mind Control

    Skill Level: 4

    Skill description: Sinking into depravity, the black-hearted siren will chant a haunting song every night, sending turbulent waves over the dark ocean and drowning the enchanted sailors. She drags them into the icy depth where they will accompany her for a lifetime, both body and soul.

    Number of usage: 1/2

    Shen Nianzu’s purple eyes glinted in an abnormal shade of green as he stared right into Jin Jiuchi’s eyes, commanding, "Let go of me. Now."