Bai Xue feel conflicted, should she fall to the temptation to conquer the handsome and mysterious man or her 'undying' loyalty to her master, still she said to herself if she plays this game well she might just have both.
She accepts the wine Zhao Li Xin gave to her, she looks down and the clear water reflects her beautiful face, she glances at him as the man stares at her with a placid expression. She feel hesitant but she can't back down now.
?
She gulped the whole wine inside the cup to show her sincerity then she waits for a second waiting for a weird reaction from her body but nothing happens, she feel relief inwardly then she hands the winecup back to Zhao Li Xin.
He accepts the winecup, accidentally her pinky grazes his pinky finger, the touch make her body twitch as the electric sense rush from her finger to her brain. She quickly retracts her hand and her face turns red like a ripe tomato.
on the contrary, Zhao Li Xin didn't show any reaction "Sanguan Jin Sheng might order you to get close to me isn't it, I don't know what his attention to giving me…..a woman" he sizes up Bai Xue with a demeaning look.
His ridicule gaze make her heart twinge, she hated the way he looks at him so she rebukes him strongly "I'm not that kinda woman, and your father does all this because he cares about you!"
"Care? You mean 'control' isn't it? he wants to use a woman to put me on a leash, he might think if I fell for you then I would realize that I need the Sanguan family support if I want to marry you, so eventually, I would bed my knees to follow his order.....tell me if I'm wrong?" he raised his eyebrows arrogantly.
her face turns red then white, her lips trembles as she tries to find the words to refuted him but no words came from her mouth "That….that is…"
All of a sudden he throws a bottle of jade toward her and Bai Xue catches the bottle in reflex, she looks at the bottle with a frown "What is this?"
"Why don't you check yourself…." He said nonchalantly.
She opens the bottle carefully and sniffed the bottle, suddenly her eyes bulged then she look at Zhao Li Xin in disbelief "White cloudy grass!" she stupefied.
The white Cloudy grass is a very rare grass and it grows randomly all over the place, it could be in the mountain or in the shore, it could be in a desert or in the snow. No one knows how to cultivate either if they took it from their habitat, no one know is impossible to grow the grass until one of the mad scientist name Jin Hao able to crack the secret of how to cultivate the grass. No one knows that precious rare grass now flourishes in the garden of white Dragon Palace.
The grass is used to enlarged the artery so they can absorb qi better, as a result, quickened their cultivation, in the outside, The white cloudy grass was taken as a treasure even as the core disciple of celestial Immortal she's not sure if her master will be generous enough to give her this.
She looks at Zhao Li Xin with doubt, this is not something that people with a low background like him could acquire so how could he did it "How could you…where did you?" her words jumble together because of the shock.
"Is not that hard when you knew the right person, did Sanguan Jin sheng told you about my relationship with Long Ming?"
She shook her head "No…." she feel indignant for Sanguan Jin sheng to hide this information from her, who didn't know about Long Ming, everyone wants to have a connection with him but long Ming elusive existance and his volatile temperament make the situation impossible to get close to him, however, this man is able to make a sort of relationship with the great man Long Ming.
"How is your relationship with Long Ming?" she probe.
Zhao Li Xin smirk "Closer than you can dream of…"
"But your cultivation…." She confuses why Zhao Li Xin's cultivation is low when he has the treasure like the white cloudy grass.
"What make you think this is my real cultivation level?" his confident expression stunned Bai Xue.
She tightens her grip to the bottle, she looks at Zhao Li Xin with unstoppable desire, the man is handsome like God, he had power, and if he could have a business with Long Ming then he must be loaded, if a man like him become hers how much glory she could have, the greed filled her eyes and at that time she decide to conquer the man whatever it takes.
That eyes….he had seen those eyes too many times, how boring it is. Zhao Li Xin waved his hand "Tell Sanguan Jin Sheng that you able to get my attention"
"I know what to do" she smiles beautifully.
"Leave.." he ignores her smile while waving his hand indifferently.
Bai Xue pursed her lips she swallow her pride, there would be a time when he begging her for her love.
"I know what to do" she turns around and leaves.
After she left Mong Liu came bringing a tray with a wet towel on it then courteously show the tray in front of Zhao Li Xin, he took the wet towel from the tray then wiped his hand vigorously especially the pinky finger that touch Bai Xue finger.
Mong Liu stare at Zhao Li Xin behavior with perplexed looks, he could never understand Zhao Li Xin rejection of other human touches, only Mong Ki and Mong Yi who was allowed to touch him although he still hated it if they touch him too often other than the two brothers no women could get close to him or they would taste his wrath.
He thought after he met with a young madam it would heal his allergy to other human touch but sadly is not the case, Zhao Li Xin remains the same. Zhao Li Xin throws the wet towel on the table then he rubs his hand together still feel her finger are dirty.
"Can we trust that Bai woman, Milord?" Mong Liu asked.
"I don't trust people, but I trust her greed and ambition" he perfunctorily said.
"I think there's no problem for her betrayed Sanguan Jin Sheng but will she have the heart to betray her own master?"
Zhao Li Xin flick the string on the Guqin and smile faintly "Never underestimate woman obsession"
_______________________________________
Lory tilted her head as she saw a severe head giant beast laid above the puddle of blood and the remain collusion from the fight before make the forest looks eerie.
"You know….when I said to find an exciting activity for a couple, this is not what came to my mind" Lory rest her arms on her hips.
"Yeah, this is like a horror story I used to read" Ming Yue Yin agrees while mimicking lory posture then she shifts his gaze to Li Mo Zhen "You chose a wrong place for a romantic date spot Master Li"
Li Mo Zhen knows they just joking with him but he agrees, it is the worst date ever.
Yang Xi Ying rolls her eyes "Please if this place is shocked you enough you must see what inside the cave" she beckoned her to follow her "I warned you, it's crazy inside there…." she said with a serious face.
Lory and Ming Yue Yin exchange glances for a second then they follow Yang Xi Ying and Li Mo Zhen and behind them, the Su's sisters and Mong Yi came to protect their master. Girsha perch on Lory's shoulder as they go further inside the cave he could feel dark mana flown from the inside.
[Can you feel it, girl?] Girsha said in low voice.
[It's quite thick isn't it…but it's only the remaining is left] Lory's eyebrows knitted closely.
[Still, it's enough to drive someone crazy if they stay here too long…]
"Stop!" Lory shouted and everyone halted their pace and turn their gaze towards her.
"This place is too dirty, let me clean the place first" Lory clasped her hands on her chest just like a praying gesture then she closes her eyes, her mouth mumbling the words that no one could understand then suddenly from inside her hands a purple light shine and it shines brighter and bigger as it covers the entire cave, everyone shut their eyes and cover their face with their hands.
It's happened in less in a minute then gradually the light dissipated. The effect of the light works instantly, the air suddenly becomes lighter and somehow the cave feel brighter the only problem that remains is the smell, but the cave ambiance didn't feel as unbearable as before.
"Wow…it's feel different" Yang Xi Ying stunned.
"It feels lighter isn't it?" Li Mo Zhen takes a deep breath and somehow he feel the air clearer even though it still smelled awful.
Lory rub her hands together and sigh "It's good now, let's go!"
Girsha flew before her out of curiosity at the same time he also checks for any premeditated threat, after all their opponent is Lao Min Na, and Lazarus has become her mentor so precaution is necessary. Lory and the other walk-in normal pace then she hears the sound of groaning and heavy breathing ahead of her.
All of a sudden Girsha shouted anxiously [Lory come here!]
Lory quickened her pace, she wonders what cooking inside the cave. Her movement suddenly halted she saw piles of bones cover with blood and rotten meat, she recognizes half of it is human while the other is an animal carcass, no wonder Yang Xi Ying said is crazy inside it, she can't agree more.
Suddenly her eyes darted to one of the corpses, unlike the other corpses this one has his skin shrivel and the bones protruding without any meat left just like a mummy she used to see, however, the mummy features is quite familiar but where did she meet him.
"Isn't that Yang Qiong Yang?" Ming Yue Yin's shriek startled her but then Lory realizes the mummy does resemble Yang Qiong Yan, he is Lao Min Na subordinated that they met before.
"Are you sure?" Lory still in doubt.
Ming Yue Yin covers her nose with her sleeves then he approaches the lifeless mummy, he pulls a jade placard from the mummy waist "Look is the Marquis Yang family placard, I paid a lot of attention since he is….I mean 'was' Lao Min Na loyal subordinated" she shows Lory a green jade placard with 'Yang' name engraved on it, the jade is smooth without blemish it clearly high-quality jade that not everyone could have.
"How could he end up here, isn't he supposed to be with Lao Min Na?" Yang Xi Ying also shocked, she doesn't pay attention to this gruesome scenery that's why she missed Yang Qiong Yan body lay with the piles of bones.
"It seems he outlived his usefulness...." Li Mo Zhen sigh in pity.
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