Chapter 69: Puppy Leash

The room was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Neither of the two people spoke. The pounding of that powerful heart was like the drumbeat before an attack and was impossible for Ming Zhuo to ignore. 

Luo Xu clenched the finger chain tighter. "Nervous?"

Ming Zhuo relaxed, letting him hold on. The pad of Luo Xu's finger brushed against the fabric on his chest, sliding lightly, like a feather teasing the heart—a caress with a hint of apology. 

Luo Xu’s casual clothing was slightly open, his expression unchanged. When he didn’t smile, he resembled the black panther behind him. His gaze silently swept over Ming Zhuo, shamelessly bold. 

Ming Zhuo said, "Nervous? I'm not nervous."

Luo Xu replied, "Not nervous, but your heart beats so fast?"

Ming Zhuo’s thick eyelashes lifted, showing no hint of weakness, "Don’t try to trick me. You have no idea whether my heart is beating fast or not."

Luo Xu said, "Then who was just..."

Ming Zhuo suddenly grabbed Luo Xu’s collar, as if gripping an invisible leash, "A soul bond is a command spell. Any command spell is inherently unequal. Do I need to remind you? You should be crying out in pain, not ‘wāng’ because I am your master, and you—"(1)

His gaze was arrogant, and he spoke each word deliberately, "You. Are. My. Dog."

Luo Xu’s neck tightened, and the knot of his throat moved up and down lightly, as if truly constrained, making his voice hoarse, "Is that what you think?"

Ming Zhuo tightened his grip as if punishing Luo Xu, "What else? Do you think I would feel guilty or apologetic after hearing all this?"

Luo Xu said, "I was mistaken."

Ming Zhuo said, "If a simple 'I was mistaken' sufficed, then everyone would just go around making mistakes."

Luo Xu raised an eyebrow slightly, "So what do you want?"

The finger chain jingled softly as Ming Zhuo lifted his fingertip, then pressed down again, disciplining Luo Xu as he used to discipline Prime Minister Hua, "Speak."(2)

Prime Minister Hua, who had been licking its fur nearby, stopped at the command. It tilted its head and looked over, not understanding what it had done wrong, but still cooperated, showing its teeth and letting out a low cry. 

Luo Xu tilted his head slightly, exposing his vulnerable spot to Ming Zhuo, "So ruthless, making me hurt like this and you still want me to speak like a dog. But I’m curious, do all the Ming family treat their bonded ones this way?"

Ming Zhuo said, "Indeed. Do you really believe that nonsense about 'soul bond, life and death together'? A leash is a leash, no matter how you dress it up; it's meant to bind and control."

Luo Xu said, "I heard the second ruler, Ming Xi, used this contract to imprison the person they loved in the divine palace, not allowing them to go out or smile at anyone else. What about you? Would you do the same?"

Ming Zhuo’s tone was arrogant, "First, you are not my 'beloved.' You are just my dog."

Luo Xu said, "And the second?"

Ming Zhuo replied, "Secondly, I don’t care if you smile or not. I only need you to understand that I don't want any disobedient dogs."

The collar was so tight that Luo Xu’s breathing became laboured, "Ng? Such a bad temper, yet so picky."

The line of his neck was clear, his throat’s knot was pressing against the wrinkled fabric as he breathed. If Ming Zhuo lifted his hands a bit higher, he could strangle him directly. Each breath made Luo Xu's chest brush against Ming Zhuo’s elbow. 

Pūtōng, pūtōng. 

That strong heartbeat didn’t need Ming Zhuo to touch it; just being close to Luo Xu, he could hear it.

Ming Zhuo was momentarily mesmerised. This heartbeat seemed to pulse in sync with his own, existing for him. Just a frown from him would make it skip a beat. This feeling was novel, mingling fear with a slight thrill. 

This was his. 

Driven by a strange impulse, Ming Zhuo said, "Thirdly."

Luo Xu sighed as if if to say, "There's a third?"

His voice changed subtly in the darkness, perhaps due to sleep, carrying a bit of nasal tone, mixed with a vague sigh, like warm water slowly rising, moistly licking Ming Zhuo’s ear, sliding deeper.

Ming Zhuo’s knuckles ached slightly, accidentally scraping the finger chain. He leaned down, looking at Luo Xu as if he were an enemy, "Don’t sigh at me, only wāng."

Luo Xu said something Ming Zhuo didn’t catch. He savoured the moment, a bit cruelly, but the next moment he heard Luo Xu say, "I said, your crying sounds nice."(3)

The distance between them suddenly closed, Ming Zhuo's lower back tightened, and he found himself flipped over by Luo Xu. The bed, whose bed was it anyway? All the pillows had been knocked off.

Ming Zhuo still clutched Luo Xu’s collar, his back landing on the bedding, as if falling into a soft trap. He reacted quickly, pushing back to keep Luo Xu at bay.

"Who is whose dog?" Luo Xu persisted with his shoulders and back slightly arched, resembling a hunter. His nose lightly sniffed Ming Zhuo's face, eyes half-closed, slightly mocking: "You still dare to give me orders with cat saliva all over you?"

His collar was twisted and wrinkled from being grabbed, almost torn when Ming Zhuo sniffed him.

Ming Zhuo said, "Isn’t it obvious? Naturally, you are mine!"

Luo Xu suddenly laughed, "I’m yours? How unreasonable. Why can’t you be mine?"

The bed wasn’t big enough. The black panther lay at the edge, its tail lightly draped over the side, resting on its forepaws. Its golden eyes watched them, seemingly confused.

Ming Zhuo said, "Of course, I’m not."

Luo Xu said, "There's something you avoid talking about. Have you ever wondered why my father agreed to this contract despite the misfortune of the bonded?"

When it comes to strength, who could rival the Lord of the Heavenly Sea? If he advanced, Ming Zhuo’s pushing was futile. Purple electric currents flickered at Ming Zhuo’s fingertips, but the finger chain reduced the effect to a mere prick.

Luo Xu trapped Ming Zhuo: "Ming Han promised that his successor, regardless of gender, would form a contract with me. It’s 'with me,' not 'under me,' and certainly not 'leashed by me.'"

Fifteen years ago, Ming Han was humiliated in the divine palace. Fearing further attacks, he sought the help of the Lord of the Heavenly Sea. The Lord wielded the Heavenly Slaughter Order, commanding respect from all sects. To win him over, Ming Han offered an irresistible treasure: Ming Zhuo.

"According to the promise, I should be your master. In other words, from the moment I knew you," Luo Xu lowered himself, speaking each word deliberately in an echo of Ming Zhuo before, "You. Were. My. Dog."

Freed from restraint and drawing closer, his voice remained the same, warm and damp, making this declaration fall upon Ming Zhuo’s ear like a treasure.

Luo Xu said, "Ming Han broke his promise, so for the past fifteen years, I’ve spent half my time thinking about one thing. Can you guess what that is?"

He pressed closer, his voice low, hinting at long-held danger and suppressed feelings.

Ming Zhuo looked up and spoke slowly, "Breaking the contract and killing me."

For the past two days, they had been constantly close. With the contract, no matter what their hearts felt, their bodies stayed together.

Luo Xu didn’t deny it. He leaned in and whispered in Ming Zhuo’s ear, "So smart."

"It seems you haven’t found a way to break the contract, so you decided to take me away from the divine palace to prevent others from killing me." Ming Zhuo turned his head. He hadn’t smiled since waking up, but now he seemed relieved, "You predicted I’d kill those people in the Hall of Spirits."

Luo Xu remained impassive: "They were never my concern."

Ming Zhuo was sharp: "Not your concern, or did you want to kill them too?"

Luo Xu said, "What grudge would I have with them?"

"You’re asking me?" Ming Zhuo’s gaze shifted from his face to the dark ceiling, "Then let me guess."

They were close, but the atmosphere was no longer intimate. Ming Zhuo was more comfortable discussing "pain" like this; now he was the tyrant Yongze.

He said, "You just mentioned the contract took effect fifteen years ago. So why have you never come to Peidu during all these years? Ming Han deceived your father, and your father just let it go."

Luo Xu, still propped up, didn’t answer.

Ming Zhuo stared upward: "And when Cui Ruishan and the others died, you didn’t even glance at them. Weren’t they the ones who invited you here?"

This was the most contradictory aspect of Luo Xu’s trip to Peidu. Why didn’t he come when he was leashed but only came after being invited by Cui Ruishan and the others?

Ming Zhuo said, "I could only think of one possibility: you came not just for the contract, but also to kill them. You had a grudge against them."

He was now fully awake. His eyes moved slightly, and from Luo Xu's silence, he gleaned the answer, "You've reminded me. Fifteen years ago, in order to seek protection, Ming Han offered me as a treasure. Since your father agreed, he would naturally protect Ming Han as promised. But by doing so, your father would inevitably anger others."

Ming Han originally had the protection of the Sun God, and everyone was eyeing him hungrily. After waiting so long for the Sun God's power to wane, they were blindsided by the emergence of the Heavenly Sea Lord. How could they tolerate this?

"Surrounded by wolves, your father alone with the Heavenly Slaughter Order probably couldn't intimidate everyone. Moreover, after the Queen's death, the Heavenly Sea Guards didn't patrol. Among the sects of the Six Prefectures, there were those who respected him, but many more who feared him. Therefore, the more your father tried to protect Ming Han, the more they saw him as a thorn in their side, and to seize power and force a coup, they could only think of one solution," Ming Zhuo paused, "and that was to kill your father."

Luo Xu's hand, which was propped on the bedding, suddenly clenched. The lines on his neck tightened, and for a moment, he seemed to reveal his fangs.

Ming Zhuo's voice was very soft, almost like a whisper, "But your father was the Heavenly Sea Lord, his cultivation was unfathomable, and he had the Heavenly Guards following him. Killing him would be no easy feat. Therefore, they would never choose to confront your father head-on."

Since they couldn't confront him directly, they could only resort to some insidious methods, preferably ones that left no trace. That way, even if the Heavenly Guards wanted to investigate, there would be no evidence.

Based on past experiences, Ming Zhuo guessed that such traceless methods could involve either a curse or poison. He didn't know the specifics, but he was certain those people succeeded.

Because Luo Xu had taken over.

Luo Xu's breathing became heavier. He propped himself up without raising his head. Those eyes that always seemed confident and in control were hidden in the darkness, showing no sharpness.

"How clever," his voice was still slightly hoarse, "you're right, I do have a grudge against them."

The word "grudge" fell from his lips with a chilling murderous intent. He didn't refute Ming Zhuo, instead continuing to use "they," indicating that the truth was close to Ming Zhuo's guess: the ones who killed his father were not a single person, but a group.

Luo Xu was twenty-two this year. Fifteen years ago, he was seven, and when the contract just took effect, his father was already at the end of his strength. What good would knowing they were deceived do? At that time, not to mention bringing his father to Peidu, it was difficult for his father to even sit up.

"There is a strange curse in this world, it has no name and leaves no trace." Luo Xu seemed to be describing the weather. He lifted his eyelids, revealing deep-seated hatred in his eyes. But that hatred was too cold, too deep, more like another kind of frenzied insanity devoid of warmth: "When it's cast on a person, it can make them feel excruciating pain as if their heart and bones are being gouged out. My father suffered nine times. Each time it struck, he would stay alone in his quiet room. In the first year, he had moments of clarity. By the second year, he had gone mad."

In the silent night, the two seemed to be intimately close, yet they were out of each other's reach. After pledging their souls, their heartbeats could synchronise, but what about everything else? Could that count as being closely connected?

The second ruler of the Ming dynasty, Ming Xi, who created this contract, never understood that his most cruel mistake was confusing possession with love. Pain could not easily communicate heartfelt intentions, especially when it was felt by only one person.

Luo Xu raised a hand, not touching Ming Zhuo, but tracing Ming Zhuo's features in the air as if reliving those agonising moments: "When I last dressed him, he left no words for me. That day, I sent him to the Heavenly Sea, and he dispersed like mist."

During those days, Luo Xu's chest hurt every day. Sometimes, he couldn't tell if the pain was his or someone else's. This damned, hateful dog leash bound him, making him fantasise during every perilous night that perhaps the person on the other end could also feel his pain.

"If you hadn't killed them yesterday," Luo Xu said, "they wouldn't have left Peidu alive."

Ming Zhuo's inference partly relied on Luo Xu's reaction. He had touched Luo Xu's neck and face, not out of love or pain for Luo Xu, but out of a bit of curiosity.

For instance, now, he hooked his finger around Luo Xu's suspended hand, the sleeve slipping down to reveal wrist bones still marked by the grip from earlier in the day.

"You watched me kill," Ming Zhuo said, "you're truly strange."

His amber eyes focused on the hand as if this little hook was nothing significant.

This time, no one grabbed his collar, but Luo Xu's throat still tightened. The fingers hooking his hand were cold, seemingly crossing over those unknown nights, responding to him once in the darkness.

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Foot Notes

1. 汪 (wāng) is the sound a dog makes, like “woof” in English.

2. He says 叫 (jiào), which is more like “call,” but in this situation, Ming Zhuo is commanding him like a dog to “speak” or “bark”.

3. He says 叫 here again, which is also the word used to describe the sound Prime Minister Hua makes. One could also read this as “Your ordering sounds nice,” but given the following context, it’s not as likely.