Feudal Dregs - Chapter 9

Behind Lan Yu loomed the solemn statue of an arhat, the hall heavy with sandalwood incense and the austere atmosphere of the Buddhist temple. Yet here he was, pinned beneath Li Yuqing, who stroked his face with a tenderness laced with brazen desire, as if appraising a rare and coveted treasure.

What a damned temple.

This was the eighteenth level of hell.

Lan Yu stared back at Li Yuqing, who took his time studying those fox-like eyes—never imagining they could look so alluring on a man. Tsk. Utterly captivating.

Lan Yu said, "Second Young Master, I live in the present, not the future. If that day ever comes, it will simply be my fate."

A refusal. Li Yuqing looked at him, then suddenly laughed, patting Lan Yu's cheek. "Stepmother, what kind of bewitching potion has my father given you, that you're so loyal to him? Or is it..." His gaze dropped suggestively to the bite mark on Lan Yu's collarbone, his voice lowering, "that my father's skills are so exceptional they've branded both your body and heart as his?"

Lan Yu replied coldly, "I came from the brothels. The master brought me out of that life. One should repay kindness with gratitude."

Li Yuqing burst into laughter. "What noble gratitude."

With a sigh that sounded almost resigned, he said, "But Stepmother, do you know what men love most?"

"Chaste and virtuous women," Li Yuqing enunciated slowly into Lan Yu's ear. A shiver ran down Lan Yu's spine, as if a wild beast had locked onto him. He struggled violently, but Li Yuqing shed his gentle facade, slamming Lan Yu's wrists against the stone pedestal and pressing fully between his thighs. "Stepmother, the more you resist, the more I want you. Be good—give me what I desire."

"I have more tricks than my father, and I'm younger—guaranteed to make you feel like you're in heaven," Li Yuqing kissed his lips, only to be suddenly bitten hard, the taste of blood spreading between their mouths. This only excited Li Yuqing further, his breathing growing heavy. His strength was overwhelming—Lan Yu kicked and struggled, only to have his head slammed against the arhat statue, the pain so intense his vision darkened and his breath hitched. "Li Yuqing! You bastard!" he cursed.

"Do you even know what ethics and morality are? I'm your father's concubine!"

Li Yuqing chuckled indistinctly, unfastening Lan Yu's robe and letting his hands roam freely, his tone lazy and wicked. "Stepmother, my father's paralyzed. Isn't it filial of me to serve you in his place?"

The man's small nipples were pinched and twisted between Li Yuqing's fingers before being flicked lightly. "What's so special about you, hm? You've bewitched my father completely."

Lan Yu's entire body tensed. Pressed so close, he could easily feel Li Yuqing's arousal, the hardness pressing insistently against him. With the arhat statue behind him, there was no retreat. Li Yuqing's rough handling made him tremble, his sensitive nipples stiffening under the assault.

In broad daylight, under the gaze of the Bodhisattva, distant temple bells began to toll, one solemn chime after another. With sudden ferocity, Lan Yu bit down on Li Yuqing's shoulder. A grunt escaped Li Yuqing, pausing only briefly before he yanked up Lan Yu's robe and tore at his trousers.

The taste of blood filled Lan Yu's mouth. He released his grip, kicking wildly to break free. Despite everything, he was still a man—like a cornered beast, his desperate resistance momentarily overpowered Li Yuqing.

Enraged, Li Yuqing backhanded him. Lan Yu's head snapped to the side, blood trickling from his lip. Frowning, Li Yuqing reached to touch his face but was met with Lan Yu's pitch-black eyes.

They glared at him coldly, like dark obsidian, the icy hatred sending an inexplicable thrill through Li Yuqing. Blood surged in his veins—there was something breathtakingly beautiful in that defiance.

Exquisite.

Licking the bite mark inside his own lip, Li Yuqing realized this was no longer just a passing curiosity. If before he had merely wanted a taste, now he craved this man entirely.

The hunger in the man's eyes was unmistakable, predatory, like a beast locking onto its prey. Lan Yu clenched his fists and shoved Li Yuqing away, bolting for the door. "Someone—!"

His cries were cut short as Li Yuqing seized him, slamming him onto the incense altar. Offerings scattered across the floor in the struggle.

At high noon, sunlight streamed into the temple hall, yet Lan Yu felt chilled to the bone, unable to believe Li Yuqing could be so audacious. Half his trousers had been stripped away, exposing pale buttocks that now seemed like a sacrificial offering. Li Yuqing leaned down to kiss his ear, whispering, "Stepmother, you really know how to tempt a man."

His voice brimmed with excitement while Lan Yu trembled violently, finally breaking into pleas: "Second Young Master... please let me go."

Li Yuqing murmured against his ear: "It's you who won't let me go, bewitching me until I forget all propriety and decency."

Lan Yu squeezed his eyes shut. Suddenly, he felt Li Yuqing pause—like grasping at life itself, he jerked his head up to see Li Mingzheng standing beyond the temple doors.

Lan Yu swallowed hard, tears welling instantly as he sobbed: "...First Young Master, save me! The Second Young Master, he—“

His weeping became pitifully desperate. Backlit by sunlight, Li Mingzheng's tall frame obscured his expression. The brothers engaged in a silent standoff until Li Yuqing, seeing Lan Yu genuinely regard Li Mingzheng as a savior, curled his lips mockingly. "Elder brother," he called, "care to keep watching?"

Lan Yu's heart sank.

Li Yuqing chuckled, tenderly smoothing Lan Yu's hair. "He won't save you," he whispered.

Lan Yu stared blankly at Li Mingzheng, who observed his wretched state with glacial calm. They faced each other across the threshold—one bathed in light, the other sprawled like a sacrificial offering upon the altar.

A tear rolled down Lan Yu's jaw—plink—splattering onto the altar surface.

Hopelessness gradually overtook him.

Finally, Li Mingzheng spoke: "Li Yuqing, must your debauchery become public spectacle?"

Taken aback, Li Yuqing laughed. "My oversight. I'll take Stepmother away at once."

As he moved to sweep Lan Yu into his arms, Li Mingzheng interjected: "Father requires him."

Li Yuqing hesitated, eyeing his brother with displeasure. Li Mingzheng stated flatly: "Believe what you will."

With that, he turned to leave. Seizing the moment, Lan Yu shoved Li Yuqing away and stumbled after Li Mingzheng.

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