It was a gift

WARNING: um...yes it continues, I promise it will end this chapter LOL T__T;;;

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His mind was clear and the ropes had disappeared. There were no excuses now, none except the torrent of thoughts that clouded his determination.

Liu Sumeng needed to get a hold of himself.

The way Emperor Taixu pressed down on his thighs was painful and the sword was right there-- he could just reach over and--

But the emperor loved to tease him in this way, taunt him with Xianlong perched in reach, a constant reminder that this was his choice.

A tongue flickered over his jugular, spreading a fire that seared its way to his brain, muddling out his perseverance. There had been a time like that, when Liu Sumeng allowed himself to be swept by the waves. The heat that enveloped him was like wildfire, savage and unrelenting.

No, but, the present had already been changed!