It Was Nothing More Than Seduction

Fang Yuan's brows furrowed slightly. Relying on his intuition and five hundred years of life experience, he caught the scent of a conspiracy.

A cold glint flashed through his eyes and vanished. His brows relaxed. "I was getting hungry. Good timing—you can bring it in."

Outside the door, Shen Cui held a food box. Hearing this, the corner of her lips revealed a trace of disdainful sneer.

But when she pushed open the door, her face held nothing but meek obedience.

"Young Master Fang Yuan, this food and wine smell so good. This servant could smell them even through the food box." Her voice was sweet and cloying, exuding a springtime charm.

After placing the food box on the small table, Shen Cui took out the dishes one by one and set them out.

The dishes truly were delicacies complete in color, aroma, and flavor.

She then took out two wine cups and filled them.

"Come, Young Master, sit down. This servant dares to ask to share a drink with you today." Her smile blossomed like a flower as she walked to Fang Yuan's side, boldly took his hand, and pulled him over to sit on the stool by the table.

Then she sat directly on Fang Yuan's lap, her delicate body leaning against his chest. Nestling against him like a little bird, she whispered into his ear, "Young Master Fang Yuan, this servant has always liked you. No matter what aptitude you have, this servant wants to stay by your side, rely on you, and comfort you. Tonight, this servant wishes to give her body to you."

Today, she had dressed to the nines.

She wore rouge, her lips pink as cherry blossoms. Speaking right beside his ear, the tender breath of youthful femininity teased Fang Yuan's earlobe.

With her seated in his arms, Fang Yuan could clearly feel Shen Cui's full, voluptuous body.

Her springy thighs, her slender, supple waist, the softness before her chest.

"Young Master, let this servant feed you some wine." Shen Cui lifted the cup, tipped back her head, and took the wine into her mouth. Then, eyes seeming to brim with water, she stared steadily at Fang Yuan. Her cherry-red lips parted slightly as they slowly moved toward his.

Fang Yuan's face remained cold and indifferent, as though the girl sitting in his arms were not a girl at all, but a statue.

Seeing Fang Yuan's expression, Shen Cui had initially felt a little uneasy. But when her lips were only a finger's breadth from his and about to touch his, she became certain and sneered inwardly. Still putting on an act.

At that moment, Fang Yuan gave a cold laugh, his tone full of contempt. "So it was nothing more than seduction."

The expression on Shen Cui's face stiffened. She swallowed the wine in her mouth and feigned a coquettish pout. "Young Master Fang Yuan, what are you saying?"

A dim, cold light shone from Fang Yuan's eyes as he stared into Shen Cui's. At the same time, his right hand settled on her snow-white neck and slowly tightened.

Shen Cui's pupils contracted sharply, panic entering her voice. "Young Master, you're hurting me."

Fang Yuan did not answer. The strength in his hand only continued to increase.

"Young Master Fang Yuan, this servant is scared!" Shen Cui was already struggling to breathe, her expression flustered. Her delicate hands instinctively gripped Fang Yuan's hand, trying to pry it away. But Fang Yuan's hand was like an iron pincer—how could she possibly force it open?

"Looks like Uncle and Aunt sent you to seduce me and set me up? Then there should be people arranged downstairs as well." Fang Yuan sneered contemptuously. "But what are you? You think you can seduce me? With those two heaps of trashy rotten flesh on your chest?"

As he spoke, his left hand climbed to Shen Cui's chest and viciously clenched the soft flesh there, instantly twisting it out of shape.

Intense pain shot through her chest. Shen Cui's eyes widened, tears filling them from the pain. She wanted to scream, but Fang Yuan had her throat in his grip. In the end, she could only whimper a few breaths. She began struggling fiercely—if she did not resist now, she would truly suffocate!

But just then, Fang Yuan slowly loosened his grip.

Shen Cui immediately opened her mouth wide and greedily sucked in air. She breathed too urgently, and as a result, broke into a violent dry cough.

Fang Yuan laughed softly. He stretched out his hand and gently stroked Shen Cui's cheek, saying leisurely, "Shen Cui, do you think I can kill you?"

If Fang Yuan had shouted and roared viciously, Shen Cui might instead have fought back fiercely.

But when Fang Yuan spoke in such a low, soft voice and gently asked whether or not he could kill her, Shen Cui felt a fear that rose from the depths of her heart.

She was afraid!

She looked at Fang Yuan in terror, at this youth gazing at her with a smiling face.

At that moment, Shen Cui swore that she would never forget Fang Yuan's eyes. Those eyes held not the slightest emotion. They were pitch-black and unfathomably deep, like an ancient pool concealing a terrifying beast.

Under the gaze of those eyes, Shen Cui felt as though she were naked and standing amid ice and snow!

The person before her absolutely dared to kill her. He could kill her...

Heavens! Why did I provoke such a demon?!

Shen Cui's heart was filled with regret. At that moment, she wished she could turn around and flee.

But she was currently in Fang Yuan's arms. She did not dare run, nor did she dare make even the slightest movement.

Every muscle in her whole body was tense. Her delicate body trembled, her face pale as paper, and she could not speak a single word.

"For the sake of your having served as my personal maid for so many years, I won't kill you this time. Don't you want to escape your slave status? Go find my younger brother. He is foolish and naive." Fang Yuan withdrew his smile, patted Shen Cui's cheek, and spoke in a tone as calm as still water.

With a sigh, he finally said—

"Go."

Shen Cui walked out obediently, dumb as a wooden chicken. She was dazed and distraught, not even knowing how she had escaped from the side of that demon, Fang Yuan.

The people hidden in the shadows saw Shen Cui come out like this and exchanged puzzled looks.

"They actually arranged a honey trap. That is more inventive than in my previous life. heh heh, uncle and aunt, I will remember this kindness of yours deeply!"

Not long after Shen Cui left, Fang Yuan stood up and went out.

No matter what, he could not remain in this residence.

A gentleman did not stand beneath a crumbling wall, much less a demon. Without sufficient strength, only fools would place themselves in danger.

"Innkeeper, do you have any rooms?" Arriving at the only inn in the mountain village, Fang Yuan asked about the price.

"Yes, yes. We have superior rooms on the second and third floors. They are not only cheap, but also kept very clean. The first floor is the dining hall. Guest may eat here, or have the shop hands deliver food directly to the room." The innkeeper received Fang Yuan with great attentiveness.

This was the only inn in the mountain village, and business was poor, making the place seem somewhat deserted. Only when merchant caravans came to Qing Mao Mountain to trade each year did the inn become lively.

Fang Yuan truly was a little hungry, so he tossed the innkeeper two whole Primeval Stones. "Give me a superior room first. Then prepare two jars of wine and three or four small dishes. Return any excess and I will make up any shortage."

"Certainly." The innkeeper accepted the two Primeval Stones, then asked, "Would guest like to eat in the room, or enjoy the bustle of the main hall?"

Fang Yuan glanced at the sky. The rain had stopped, and evening was drawing near. He might as well eat in the hall, then leave the village directly to explore Flower Wine Wanderer's hidden inheritance. So he said to the innkeeper, "I'll eat in the main hall."

The first-floor dining hall held more than a dozen square tables, each surrounded by four long benches. Thick pillars stood between the tables, supporting the inn. The floor was laid with slabs of marble, but it was damp and wet, unable to hide the mountain air's moisture.

There were three tables of people in the dining hall.

At a table by the window sat only an old man, sipping wine as he watched the evening glow over the mountains outside the window, drinking alone at a leisurely pace.

At the table in the center sat five or six hunters in a circle, loudly discussing their hunting experiences. A pile of game—mountain chickens, wild rabbits, and the like—lay on the ground by their feet.

At another table in the corner sat two young people, seemingly discussing something in secret. Their figures were hidden in the shadows, impossible to see clearly; it was impossible to tell whether they were male or female.

Fang Yuan chose a seat near the door. Before long, the wine and dishes were brought to his table.

"With my C-grade aptitude, refining the Moonlight Gu requires Primeval Stones. If luck is on my side and the Moonlight Gu's will is not stubborn, five stones will be enough. If it refuses to yield, that will be troublesome—I will need at least eight."

Gu worms were living creatures and naturally possessed the will to survive.

Some had strong wills and would resist a Gu Master's refinement to the end. Others had weak wills; once refined to a certain point, they would despair and surrender. Once the will to resist was gone, refinement became exceedingly easy.

"I only have six Primeval Stones on me right now. Two have already gone to the innkeeper, leaving only four. That is not quite enough."

In this world, Primeval Stones were hard currency, with great purchasing power.

For an ordinary family of three, a month's living expenses would cost at most one Primeval Stone.

But for Gu Masters, Primeval Stone consumption was far greater. Fang Yuan, for instance, needed an average of around seven Primeval Stones simply to refine Gu.

And that was only for the Moonlight Gu. If he truly found the Wine Worm Gu, refining it with Fang Yuan's aptitude would require another dozen or more Primeval Stones!

"In other words, the situation now is this—I may find the Wine Worm Gu, yet still not have the Primeval Stones needed to help me refine it. But I must continue exploring, because Flower Wine Wanderer's hidden inheritance most likely contains a large number of Primeval Stones."

This was not hard to infer.

Flower Wine Wanderer was a Rank 5 Gu Master, a renowned demonic-path expert. How could he possibly not have Primeval Stones, an essential cultivation resource for Gu Masters?