Chapter 34: Ordinary Insults

The world was pitch black, and Ding Nan lost consciousness.

When Ding Nan woke up, he noticed that the stinging sensation caused by the Jade Tablet was fading.

With continued use, the side effects had become almost non-existent.

However, he soon realized that his arms and legs were bound by White Silk Ribbons.

Even his waist was tightly coiled, leaving him completely tied up.

‘What on earth?’

Ding Nan looked around and strained his muscles, attempting to break free.

Instead of yielding, the White Silk Ribbons tightened around him like living snakes.

“Good morning, Young Master…”

Luo Yao was sitting beside him, her eyes downcast as she scanned every inch of his body.

“Morning…”

Luo Yao reached out and pulled open his thin inner garment with one hand.

“Ah?”

Ding Nan looked out the window.

The birds were singing, the flowers were fragrant, and the weather was clear.

“Young Master, what did you dream about last night? Did you dream of Luo Yao?”

She cradled his head and placed it on her lap.

“I… I did.”

Cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

“Really?”

Luo Yao squinted her dark eyes, looking down at him through the curve of her chest.

She asked softly, “Then, Young Master, do you still remember the first time we met?”

She gently caressed his face, her fingertips sliding over his cheeks and her palm lightly rubbing his chin.

“I remember. Of course I remember,” Ding Nan said, feeling a surge of hope.

“Oh? Then could you describe it?”

Ding Nan proceeded to describe the scene of their first meeting.

When he finished the last word, Luo Yao smiled.

“You remember it so clearly,” she said, her smile widening.

“Yes, you looked so pitiful wrapped in straw back then,” Ding Nan added.

“Yes, it was very pitiful.”

As she spoke, Luo Yao lightly stroked the corners of his lips and his cheeks.

“Yao’er?”

She didn’t speak.

Her fingers moved faster and faster, rubbing his lips until they began to ache.

Looking into her increasingly hollow and deep gaze, he finally realized she was furious.

“Since the tasks scheduled for last night weren’t completed, Young Master, what kind of punishment will you choose?”

“Eh?”

“First, write Luo Yao’s name twenty thousand times. Second, express your love for Luo Yao in twenty thousand unique words. Third, compensate for last night’s missed sessions.”

“Can… can I just apologize?”

“To say such a thing at this stage, Young Master, you really are naughty.”

Luo Yao licked her lips.

“Since you won’t choose, I’ll choose for you!”

“Wait! It’s daytime!”

Dusk arrived.

The crimson clouds looked as if they were burning in the sky.

The tinted twilight filtered through the paper windows, orange beams cutting through the darkness of the bedroom.

Ding Nan leaned against the headboard, his head drooping.

The White Silk Ribbons remained on his body, fixing him firmly to the bed.

“Come, Young Master, open your mouth.”

Luo Yao held a wooden spoon filled with Yin-Yang Tonic Soup.

She blew on it gently until it reached the right temperature before bringing it to his mouth.

Only when the spoon touched his lips did he show a slight reaction.

Ding Nan looked up at her weakly, his energy depleted, and opened his mouth.

The taste of fresh meat and herbal medicine spread across his tongue.

Normally, it might not have tasted great, but he was starving.

Hunger was the best seasoning. He greedily swallowed the broth.

Luo Yao was gentle, but Ding Nan wasn’t used to being fed.

He failed to control his strength and couldn’t swallow it all in time.

The orange-yellow liquid trickled slowly from the corner of his mouth.

“Oh, Young Master.”

Luo Yao took a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped his face.

Ding Nan remained motionless, his eyes dull and glazed.

“Come, let’s continue.”

Luo Yao arched her thin eyebrows, looking like a determined young girl.

It was actually quite cute.

The spoon returned to his lips.

Ding Nan opened his mouth mechanically.

It took quite a while, but he finally finished the meal.

Afterward, she wiped down his body.

The insects began to chirp; night had fallen.

Luo Yao lowered him gently onto the bed.

After the meal and a few hours of rest, he regained a bit of strength, but the exhaustion remained.

“If you’re tired, just lie there,” Luo Yao said.

Hearing this, Ding Nan’s tears began to flow.

It wasn’t until dawn that the torment finally stopped.

He slept for an entire day and night.

Unfortunately, when he woke up, he still couldn’t leave the bed.

He needed her permission just to get up.

Despite this, his lessons did not stop: reading, martial arts, and Artifact Refining.

During the nights, she attended to him—or rather, he attended to her.

Luo Yao was inseparable from him nearly every day, as if she were monitoring his every move.

He lived under her constant, scrutinizing gaze.

Fear began to take root in his heart.

The knowledge he had gained in the dream world provided no immediate help.

He knew the basics of talismans—the two main parts being the body and the incantation.

The body carries the incantation, and the incantation utilizes the body.

The former requires Spiritual Qi storage and stability, while the latter requires conductivity.

The Hiding Talisman he had learned was only Grade Seven.

The materials weren’t rare; the Ding Clan warehouse should have them, and they were available on the market.

But now, not only was his allowance and monthly stipend controlled by Luo Yao, he couldn’t even leave the room.

Whenever she wasn’t by his side, he was bound to the bed.

The White Silk Ribbons moved according to her command; they were clearly her magical artifact.

If he couldn’t deal with them, she would simply drag him back even if he used a Hiding Talisman.

‘What do I do? What do I do?’

He felt like he was losing himself.

Deprived of outside information and contact with others, his mind was becoming filled with nothing but food, sleep, and Luo Yao.

If this continued, he would truly become her stuffed toy, capable of nothing but mumbling her name.

“Young Master,” Luo Yao said, hugging him.

“What do you want to eat tomorrow?”

They were lying in bed.

The candle had just been extinguished.

She always asked for the next day’s menu after they finished their nightly business.

Ding Nan wanted to avoid dishes that replenished zinc and protein, as well as the highly nourishing Demon Beast Meat.

However, she always rejected his requests with various excuses and served her own recipes anyway.

Usually, he just went along with her suggestions, but today, a flash of inspiration hit him.

‘Why not use the White Silk Ribbons as the body for a talisman?’

If he could use a weapon to sever them at the right moment, she would lose control over them.

“I want to eat red oil,” Ding Nan said.

“Red oil?” Luo Yao rolled over.

He couldn’t see her in the dark, but her breath brushed against his chest, letting him know she had turned toward him.

“Young Master, you don’t usually eat spicy food.”

“Red oil isn’t that spicy, is it?”

“Young Master… you aren’t thinking of running away, are you?”

“Hahaha, how could I?”