Chapter 47 Punishment/Reward

The night was hazy, moonlight outside the window shone upon the ethereal mist, faintly winding around the lotus pond.

Sang Ying hugged her arms, her foot resting on his knee. After saying this, she appeared calm on the surface, her small face tense.

In reality, her heart was pounding like a drum, her thoughts in disarray—she was anything but calm.

Had her imposing manner been adequate just now? This was how Rongrong’s mother had taught her; she should have mastered about seventy percent of it. Why hadn’t Xie Lingyu said anything? Had she been too fierce and frightened him?

The young man before her was eerily quiet, his pitch-black eyes fixed unwaveringly on her, the emotions within unclear.

Sang Ying felt an inexplicable fear, her heart tightening as well. She pursed her lips, “Xie Lingyu…”

Suddenly, her ankle was grasped. The icy touch of his knuckles made Sang Ying tremble slightly, instinctively shrinking back, but she was held firmly in place.

Fingertips covered with a thin layer of callus rubbed her ankle bone with measured pressure. The young man’s dark eyes stared at her, his voice low and unhurried, “So, junior sister is no longer angry?”

She hadn’t been angry in the first place.

But of course, Sang Ying wouldn’t say that. She gave a light hum in acknowledgment and tossed an hourglass onto the floor. “Kneel for half an hour.”

After she replied, the young man’s eyes, which had been level with hers, lowered. Sang Ying now looked down at him from above.

She was taken aback, not expecting him to obediently kneel on the washboard. For a moment, she felt surprised.

But for some reason, the scene before her wasn’t quite what she had imagined. In her mind, she should have been high and mighty, scolding him like a little dog, while he knelt obediently to accept his punishment.

Yet now, even though she was looking down from above, the man kneeling below stared at her with intensely predatory eyes. His icy knuckles idly caressed her ankle, his gaze sweeping slowly and deliberately over her brows, eyes, and lips, as if it had tangible weight.

It made her feel as though she were the prey instead. The sensation from her ankle bone made her tremble uncontrollably.

…Taming a dragon was bound to be a process!

Sang Ying patted her small chest, telling herself this to calm down. She swung her leg lightly. “My legs are sore from walking all night. Give me a massage.”

“Alright.”

The young man agreed readily and began massaging for her.

The girl’s figure was slender, and his hands were large, easily encircling her delicate, pale ankle—the contrast was striking. Moving upward, he grasped her calf and began kneading.

His pressure was just right—neither too light nor too heavy. Sang Ying’s legs had indeed been sore, but now she felt much better. Her body gradually relaxed as she leaned against the hammock pillow, comfortably enjoying his massage service.

She thought, this should count as a successful taming, right? He had obediently knelt and was now dutifully massaging her legs.

Thinking this, Sang Ying tapped her toes against his palm, laying down the rules: “If you make me angry again in the future, you’ll be punished by kneeling on the washboard.”

“Alright.”

The young man raised his dark eyes to look at her. “Then, junior sister, can you tell me now why you’ve been angry these past few days?”

Sang Ying’s ears flushed red. She didn’t want to say, but then it occurred to her—if she didn’t tell him now, what if he repeated the offense later? So she averted her eyes and mumbled vaguely, “I already said I didn’t want to watch, but you insisted I see it.”

The young man before her suddenly let out a soft chuckle. “So that’s why.”

Hearing his laugh, Sang Ying felt belittled. She immediately turned her head back and pressed her foot against his shoulder. “Who said you could laugh? No laughing. Be serious.”

Her ankle was seized by cold, bony fingers. The young man looked up at her, his voice soft, “But what if I can’t help it?”

Sang Ying glanced at him, “What’s there to not help?”

Is it so hard to be serious?

The young man tilted his head, planting a light kiss on her ankle bone, lingering as he moved upward. His voice, cold and morbid, whispered low, “The way you looked at that time was just too adorable, so I couldn’t help but want… to tease you a little more.”

Sang Ying immediately tried to pull her leg back, but her ankle was tightly gripped.

Not only that, but her other dangling leg was also ensnared by a dragon tail. The cold scales pressed against the skin of her calf, and the white fur at the tip of the tail brushed lightly, sending a shiver through her heart.

Even though she was still in a dominant position, Sang Ying no longer felt in control of the situation. Instead, she felt like prey in his mouth.

Sang Ying panicked, struggling slightly, “Xie Lingyu, let go of me.”

The young man lifted his eyelids, his dark eyes reflecting her flushed cheeks and watery gaze. Slowly, he released his fingers and the dragon tail, adding, “Just like now.”

Sang Ying, embarrassed and annoyed, said, “I was just asking you for a reason, not asking you to demonstrate it for me!”

The young man chuckled softly. The dragon horns on his forehead had emerged when he kissed her earlier. The translucent, jade-like horns looked even more beautiful under the moonlight, like ornaments cast from glass—both eerie and enchanting.

Clad in white robes, he appeared ethereal and detached from the world, a blend of icy elegance and eerie allure. It was impossible to tell which was his true nature, making it impossible to look away.

“So, how does my junior sister plan to punish me?”

Sang Ying was completely captivated, staring at him in a daze for a while. It was only when the tip of the dragon tail lightly brushed against her ankle bone that she snapped back to reality.

She tried to cover up her distraction with a guilty tone, “What did you say just now? It was too soft, I didn’t hear clearly.”

Xie Lingyu had known since their last encounter in the Yaochi Restricted Zone that Sang Ying liked his appearance, finding him handsome.

And he had always been someone who knew how to make use of his resources.

The young man before her took her hand, gently kissing her fingertips. His beautiful eyes fixed on her as he spoke softly, “I’ve angered my junior sister again. Shouldn’t she punish me properly?”

The faint scent of white sandalwood lingered in the air. Sang Ying was completely entranced, her gaze fixed on his lips. She thought, what is he saying? His lips look so kissable.

She didn’t really process his words, nodding along, “Mm, you should be punished.”

“But I’m already kneeling as punishment. Shouldn’t my junior sister punish me with something else?”

“Mm, right.”

His slender, bony fingers encircled her ankle, lifting it. Her toes brushed against his chest and waist before lightly landing on the dragon tail through his clothes.

The dragon tail coiled around her ankle bone.

Sang Ying finally snapped back to reality, her ears instantly turning red as she tried to pull back, “Xie Lingyu, what are you doing!”

Her ankle was held firmly but not too tightly. The young man’s voice was unhurried, “During the punishment, my junior sister can do whatever she wants to me, and I won’t resist.”

Sang Ying paused, blinking.

The young man lifted his eyelids, his dark eyes fixed on her, “Before, I teased you so much that you cried all night. Don’t you want to get back at me?”

Mentioning this made Sang Ying feel both embarrassed and annoyed. Exactly, why was it that he made her cry all night while he remained completely unaffected?

But Sang Ying still remained cautious. “Are you sure you won’t resist?”

“If I break my word, from now on, I’ll be at my junior sister’s mercy.”

Though he was mischievous, he had never failed to keep a promise he made to her. With those words, Sang Ying finally felt reassured and let out a light hum.

Before, she hadn’t understood, but now that she had studied, she would take this opportunity to bully him fiercely and make him cry and beg her.

Thinking this, Sang Ying didn’t move away but instead tried to press closer, her fair, delicate little foot stepping onto the dragon tail.

Perhaps she didn’t control her strength well this time, stepping a bit too heavily, causing the young man to let out a muffled groan.

Sang Ying flinched slightly and, seeing this, lightened her movements. Through her studies, she had learned that the dragon tail was the most fragile part of the dragon clan and easily injured.

She only wanted to make him lower his head and beg her, not to hurt him.

Besides, he wasn’t very capable to begin with. The books said other dragon clan members could sustain Dual Cultivation for over ten days, but he only lasted one night. If he got injured again, wouldn’t that be the end?

Not that she minded, though. He wasn’t very capable, and her health wasn’t great either, so in a way, it worked out perfectly.

Sang Ying slowly pressed down. Though she had read the books, she had no practical experience and could only proceed tentatively, step by step.

After a while, wanting to see his reaction, she looked up and suddenly met a pair of dark, profound eyes, her heart trembling.

Under the moonlight, the Azure Jade Dragon Horns gleamed, and the air was tinged with coolness.

The young man had been watching her for who knows how long, his gaze intense. His dark, deep eyes were like the ocean at night, seemingly calm and undisturbed, but if one wasn’t careful, they could be pulled into a turbulent whirlpool, trapped and unable to escape.

…It was as if he wanted to devour her.

Sang Ying’s ears grew warm under his gaze, and she flusteredly raised her hand to cover his eyes.

Her palm was brushed by his long lashes as the young man spoke in a low, slightly hoarse voice, “Junior sister won’t even let me look?”

“Exactly, I won’t,” Sang Ying replied, her ears flushed red. Deciding to take her tyranny to the extreme, she reached up and untied the red hair ribbon behind his head, causing his satin-like black hair to cascade down.

She directly used the ribbon to blindfold him, tying a knot at the back of his head. “Don’t take it off.”

The young man chuckled softly. “Fine.”

Without his gaze fixed on her, the sense of oppression lessened considerably, and Sang Ying finally felt at ease, letting out a sigh of relief.

Before her, the young man was blindfolded with red silk, his dragon horns glowing faintly, and his dragon tail resting on the ground, making him look even more beautiful.

Sang Ying pressed down on the dragon tail again, but this time, the young man didn’t react as he had at the beginning, his expression remaining calm.

After some thought, Sang Ying withdrew. This was too difficult for her and inconvenient; just this short while had already tired her out.

“Is junior sister’s punishment only this much?” the young man remarked indifferently.

Provoked by him, Sang Ying huffed, “What’s the rush? Just wait.”

She jumped down from the small hanging bed and reached out to undo his belt, swiftly pulling open his outer robe.

His white inner garment hung loosely, revealing delicate collarbones and a small patch of fair skin. Paired with his current appearance, he looked like a bewitching male enchantress.

Though the two had already engaged in Dual Cultivation, Sang Ying hadn’t really looked much, mainly because she was shy and always averted her gaze.

Now that she thought about it, the only time she had seen him was back on Minghua Mountain, when she accidentally stumbled upon him bathing.

Actually, he had a good physique—by the book’s standards, he was the lean-muscle type, with well-defined muscles and fair skin. He always liked to cling to her, and when he held her, she could feel his strength.

Sang Ying didn’t like those bulky, heavily muscled types. Once, when she went down the mountain with Xie Lingyu, they encountered a body cultivator who was three or four times her size and could shatter a large rock with a single punch.

Her face paled in fright at the time. On the way back to the sect, she leaned on Xie Lingyu’s back and muttered to herself that she must eat less from now on, determined not to end up like that.

The young man at the time hoisted her up a little higher and replied in a calm tone, “With the amount of exercise you do, achieving that physique would probably be even harder than Ascending on the spot.”

Thinking of this, Sang Ying poked the young man’s shoulder in front of her and snorted lightly, “You’re mocking me for being lazy and not exercising.”

Despite her sudden shift in topic, the young man actually followed along, chuckling softly, “Didn’t you already punish me for that? Making me queue at Wufangzhai every dawn for half a month to buy pastries for you.”

That was true. Sang Ying lowered her finger, unconsciously scratching with her nail, and whispered with downcast eyes, “Xie Lingyu, do you ever think I’m being unreasonable or throwing a tantrum?”

“Why would you suddenly think that?”

Sang Ying paused, her voice growing even softer, “I’m always ordering you around, I have a bad temper, I’m always harsh with you, and I make you kneel without even explaining…”

“I like all of that.”

Sang Ying was stunned.

The young man raised his hand, caught hers, and brought it to his lips, gently kissing her fingertips. His gloomy voice was sticky and muffled, “You never held a sword to my neck. If I didn’t like it, why would I willingly do it? When you do these things to me, I only feel excited, wanting to bully you like before, make you cry, and then…”

Sang Ying, her ears red, covered his mouth.

She almost forgot—this dragon was a psychologically twisted pervert! You couldn’t measure him by normal people’s logic.

Setting aside this little interlude, Sang Ying continued her grand endeavor. With one hand, she lifted his face, and with the other, she covered his Adam’s apple, pressing her fingertip against it.

The Adam’s apple, smooth as a curved jade, rolled sharply, and the young man let out a soft sigh.

The book was right—it really worked.

Encouraged by this, Sang Ying grew even more enthusiastic. Her soft fingertip slid over his Adam’s apple while her other hand found the dragon horns, slowly caressing the lustrous Azure Jade Dragon Horns.

The young man’s voice grew breathy, “You’ve learned quite a lot these days, haven’t you?”

Seeing his tense jaw, Sang Ying snorted lightly and lifted her small face proudly, “I told you I’m naturally talented.”

As she spoke, her hand slipped into his clothes and pulled out the dragon tail. She could clearly feel the young man’s body growing even more tense, his breathing heavier.

Sang Ying had only glanced at it briefly before, never taking a closer look. Now, under the moonlight, she saw the dragon tail in its entirety and was startled once again.

Her hand couldn’t fully grasp it. The Little Azure Dragon’s large dragon tail lay in her palm, its tip enthusiastically greeting her, poking her palm.

It looked obedient now, but Sang Ying hadn’t forgotten how it bullied her before. Unfooled by the illusion, she pinched the dragon tail with her fair, tender fingertip.

The owner of the dragon tail, the Little Azure Dragon himself, immediately groaned softly, “After just a few days apart, you’ve grown much bolder.”

Although Rong Xue Man had encouraged her to learn, the main reason Sang Ying dared to do this now was because she had covered his eyes.

Every time she met his gaze, she would feel shy, her face flushing and heart racing. If he were to stare at her, she definitely wouldn’t dare to act.

Sang Ying’s ears reddened as she slowly stroked the dragon tail. The Azure Jade Dragon Tail behind him coiled around her waist once more, familiar and practiced.

With her movements, the dragon tail tightened its grip.

Sang Ying observed the young man’s expression. When she saw his pale jaw tense and his breathing grow heavier, she abruptly released the tail.

The young man suddenly lifted his head, looking both bewildered and flustered. His gaze, hidden behind the red silk covering his eyes, searched for her direction.

Seeing him like this, Sang Ying felt a surge of satisfaction. This was exactly how he had treated her last time.

Her eyes curved into crescents. “Xie Lingyu, are you feeling uncomfortable now?”

“Mm.” His voice was low, hoarse and raspy, as if his consciousness was slipping, muddled and unclear.

“Do you really want me to keep stroking your tail?”

“Yes.”

Sang Ying smiled brightly. “Then beg me. Say something nice, and maybe if I’m happy, I’ll help you.”

The young man suddenly let out a soft, low chuckle. Sang Ying froze, a sense of foreboding rising in her heart.

Just as she tried to step back, the dragon tail tightened around her waist, pulling her abruptly closer and into the young man’s embrace.

With one hand, he removed the red silk covering his eyes, his warm knuckles lifting her small face.

His clear, dark eyes met hers as he chuckled softly, his lazy, husky voice speaking unhurriedly. “So this is the game you wanted to play, junior sister.”

Now Sang Ying understood—he had been pretending. Right, the dragon clan had the Tide Heat Period, and he had endured it for three years. With such self-control, how could he lose control just from her casual stroking?

How infuriating—he had actually deceived her.

Sang Ying pushed him angrily. “Let go of me! You said you wouldn’t resist, Xie Lingyu. You broke the rules!”

His knuckles turned her face away, and her gaze fell upon an hourglass. The sand in the upper half had already run out at some point.

Sang Ying’s eyes widened.

“Junior sister’s punishment time is over.”

Her body went weightless as she was lifted and then settled into the soft hammock bed.

The hammock swayed slightly as the young man pressed one knee against it. His collar was loose, revealing his elegant collarbone and fair skin. The dragon horns on his forehead were translucent and crystalline, shimmering with an eerie, captivating beauty.

The scent of White Sandalwood enveloped her, trapping her in this small space. The overwhelming pressure made Sang Ying’s heart tremble.

She looked up sharply, meeting his eyes. Flecks of shattered gold spilled from his dark pupils, like a beast lying in wait finally baring its fangs, ready to capture its prey with a gentle bite to the neck.

…Was he really going to eat her?!

Sang Ying immediately grew timid, unable to stop herself from trembling. “Xie Lingyu…”

Her hand was caught, but the fierce beast did not bite down. Instead, he kissed her fingertips tenderly, lingeringly.

“I beg you, baby.”

Then, he took her hand and placed it on the dragon horns on his forehead, kissed the corner of her lips, leaned close to her ear, and his low voice spread softly into her ear.

“And… what’s the punishment for making you cry this time?”