Chapter Five: The Distant Promise

"I... I!" Nangong Yuchen looked at his suddenly blushing elder sister, not knowing how to respond.

"I know you didn't do anything!" Nangong Kexin quickly pulled back her hand, her eyes darting away in shy embarrassment. "Then why did I... why did I become like this?!"

The moment she sensed the inexplicable connection that had formed between her and Nangong Yuchen, a mix of annoyance and coyness washed over her, and for a moment, she didn't dare meet Nangong Yuchen's burning gaze.

Nangong Yuchen was completely mesmerized by her cute, blushing appearance. Just then, that familiar bloodthirsty urge surged in his heart once again, and unawares, his pair of crimson eyes grew hotter and more intense.

However, the moment this impulse rose within him, Nangong Kexin sensed it, because she was now able to perceive Nangong Yuchen's thoughts. Immediately, she rebuked sharply, "Nangong Yuchen, if you dare to... to bite me again, I will definitely kill you!"

Yet, the latter part of her threat carried absolutely no conviction.

Perhaps sensing that Nangong Kexin was merely putting up a tough front, Nangong Yuchen's bloodthirsty urge intensified all the more. Unconsciously, he reached out and pulled back the retreating Nangong Kexin, preparing to bite into her other neck.

"Ah... Nangong Yuchen, stop this right now! If you dare to again... I really will kill you!" For some reason, even though Nangong Kexin felt a strong resistance inside, her body seemed unable to disobey Nangong Yuchen's will, causing her to stand frozen in place, allowing Nangong Yuchen to press close against her.

"Kexin, I..." Completely unable to resist the instinctive bloodthirsty urge in his mind, Nangong Yuchen wore a conflicted expression before finally parting her collar, opening his mouth as his teeth elongated, and sinking them in.

"Rip!"

"Nan—" Just as a sharp pain flared and Nangong Kexin was about to struggle and cry out, the pain suddenly vanished. In its place, an unusual wave of comfort spread outward from her neck, rushing to every corner of her body at an astonishing speed.

"Ah... Nan... Yuchen!" Her face flushed with crimson and her body radiating heat, that strange sensation turned Nangong Kexin's legs to jelly, causing her to collapse straight down onto the floor.

"I... I feel so uncomfortable... Yu... mmm..." Soon, her consciousness was entirely swallowed by the bizarre pleasure. Unawares, her hands tightly wrapped around Nangong Yuchen's shoulders, and soft moans escaped her lips.

"Gulp!" After feeding for a moment, Nangong Yuchen retracted his teeth and stepped back. Looking at his panting elder sister, he flushed with embarrassment and stammered, "Kexin... are you alright?"

Nangong Kexin remained silent, still slumped in Nangong Yuchen's embrace. After a full two minutes, she finally recovered, and immediately blushed with furious indignation, "Nangong Yuchen... you jerk!"

With that, she shoved Nangong Yuchen away, scrambled to her feet, and hurried out the door.

"Kexin!" Nangong Yuchen chased her to the doorway, only to watch as Nangong Kexin pulled open the living room door and fled outside. With no choice, he retreated back into his room, completely unable to venture out during daylight in his current state.

"Sigh! I hope Kexin isn't truly angry..." Nangong Yuchen thought to himself with a pang of guilt. In truth, he was utterly powerless to control the bloodthirsty urges within him. Moreover, with Nangong Kexin's departure, a profound sense of loneliness slowly welled up in his heart.

It felt as though, among the vast multitudes of living beings, he was the only creature of an alien race wandering this land. At that moment, he harbored an intense yearning to step outside, to breathe in the fresh air of the outside world, to feel the warm sunlight upon his skin... yet he could not.

Time drifted by. As he tossed and turned on the bed, footsteps suddenly echoed from outside.

"Kexin?" A surge of joy pierced through Nangong Yuchen's heart. Like an excited child, he rolled off the bed in a flash, yanked the door open, and rushed out.

"Nangong Yu... chen!"

However, the voice that greeted him was crisp and melodious, belonging to an entirely different, pretty young girl.

"Angel!" Nangong Yuchen's body shuddered. Looking at Angel standing right before him, a trace of panic flickered across his face, and he instinctively stepped back into the room by a few paces. "Y... how did you get in?"

"The door wasn't locked, so I just walked in, of course!" Angel maintained her usual cute expression, her gemstone-like eyes quietly appraising Nangong Yuchen.

"Y... aren't you afraid?" Seeing not a shred of shock or fear on her face, Nangong Yuchen asked in astonishment.

"Afraid? Why should I be afraid?" Angel instinctively placed her small hands behind her back. Hearing Nangong Yuchen's question, she deliberately took two steps closer, stretching her petite head forward to meet his crimson eyes at close range.

"Actually, you look quite handsome like this, an... and these wings are huge!" Angel nimbly darted behind Nangong Yuchen, reaching out a small hand to stroke his wings.

"Can you fly now?"

Her curiosity and relentless questioning caught Nangong Yuchen off guard, making him self-conscious, and he hurriedly retreated to the edge of the bed.

"An... Angel, you should go back first. I... I am no longer human!" At this, Nangong Yuchen turned his back to her. Although the girl before him was a good friend, he had no idea how to face her in his current appearance.

As his voice trailed off, silence descended upon the room, and the atmosphere slowly grew heavy.

At that moment, Angel suddenly dropped her cute demeanor, turning solemn instead. "Nangong Yuchen, are you still grieving over this demonic shell?"

Hearing this, Nangong Yuchen started violently. Slowly turning around, he asked in shock, "How do you know about demons?"

Without answering his question, Angel continued, "If I can restore you to a human body, will you fulfill the promise you made to me?"

The moment those delicate words fell, Nangong Yuchen's heart leaped into his throat. Restored to a human appearance? To him, this news was an earth-shattering surprise! His face flushed red with excitement as he blurted out, "Tell me quickly, how can I turn back into a human?"

Hearing this, Angel turned her head away, completely ignoring him.

"Sigh!" Nangong Yuchen awkwardly scratched his head, then hurried over to Angel's side, asking with burning excitement, "Alright, tell me then, what kind of promise is it?"

"Promise to go with me to a place!" Angel turned her head back and said flatly.

"Go to a place? Is it that simple?" Nangong Yuchen asked with lingering suspicion, "Where is it?"

"Far, far away—a distant land far away from this clamor and war!" As Angel spoke, a look of longing surfaced in her eyes.

"How long will it take?" Nangong Yuchen looked at Angel strangely, guessing, "A month? Half a year? Or a year?"

Angel shook her head. "Perhaps once we go, we can never return."

With those words, the excitement on Nangong Yuchen's face froze, vanished, and was replaced by profound inner conflict.

Never able to return? What about Kexin and his parents? Thinking of this, a desolate expression washed over him. "I'm sorry, I cannot agree to this condition."

"Are you worried about Kexin and your parents?"

Keeping his gloomy expression, Nangong Yuchen didn't answer her. Instead, he turned around and walked dejectedly toward the edge of the bed.

"The light of hope that illuminates the northwestern firmament—the Flame-Light Night Lord, crossing the farthest bounds to journey ten thousand leagues, descending upon your kin at the Edge Forest, trading emotion to redeem the Tree of Life, releasing the royal bloodline, only then shall our clan's curse be broken!" At that moment, the elders' prophetic vision echoed in Angel's mind.

She hurriedly called out to Nangong Yuchen, pleading, "Nangong Yuchen, let's make a deal, shall we?"

"A deal?" Nangong Yuchen stopped in his tracks.

"If I can ensure that your parents and Kexin live in peace and safety, will you come with me to that distant land?"

"Live in peace and safety?" Nangong Yuchen lowered his head and muttered to himself. After a long moment of internal struggle, he finally reached a decision. Turning back to Angel with a resolute gaze, he said, "Deal!"

"If they can live peacefully upon this land, then I will go with you to this so-called distant land of yours!"